Sixteenth and Final Chapter

Lin Zifeng stared at her, pronouncing each word deliberately: “In any case, you are not Lin Yiran.”

Madam Zhu raised her eyebrows in surprise. This answer was beyond her expectations.

Lin Zifeng said, “You use her old belongings, hang her portrait, and loudly proclaim her grievances—you do everything to make people believe you’re possessed by Lin Yiran’s spirit, come to claim vengeance from her enemies. But I know you’re not her. In every gesture and smile, there isn’t a trace of her presence.”

Madam Zhu’s expression became grave. “You ungrateful wretch, do you still remember her voice and her laughter?”

A flush of red flickered in Lin Zifeng’s eyes as she gritted her teeth. “What gratitude and loyalty are you speaking of?”

“Miss’s father, Lin Siqi, taught you medicine, raised you from a mere herbal tester to the position of steward, always treating you generously—is that not a kindness? When the Lin family fell into misfortune, he entrusted his daughter to you. You agreed without hesitation, is that not a duty you should have honored? But what have you done?”

Lin Zifeng sneered coldly, “Is that what you call gratitude and loyalty? Let me tell you, there’s nothing between the Lin family and me but the blood feud for my father’s death!”

Madam Zhu fixed a chilling gaze upon her, waiting for her to continue.

Lin Zifeng went on, “Not just my father, but generations of my family died as herbal testers for the Lin family. On the night my father died, I swore I would make the Lin family pay for generations of humiliation and servitude.”

“Lin Zifeng, your forebears chose to be herbal testers willingly; no one forced them. If you choose your own fate, what right have you to blame others?”

“I refuse to accept it! Why must their so-called nobles be born to lives of ease, while the lives of people like us exist only to serve them, until we’re dust and ashes, and we’re supposed to accept it without complaint? I’ve had enough of such lowly days. I want to make them pay, to trade places, to trample their lives underfoot, just as they trampled on us.”

Madam Zhu nodded. “I knew it—such upheaval in the Lin family could not have happened by chance. You’ve been planning this for a long time.”

“That’s right.” A wild and triumphant gleam flashed in Lin Zifeng’s eyes. “You think I only tormented Lin Yiran to death, but there’s much more you don’t know.”

Madam Zhu’s eyes were a mix of horror and hate. “What more?”

Lin Zifeng laughed. “Why don’t you tell me who you really are first?”

Madam Zhu suddenly composed herself, a charming smile curving her lips. “Take a guess.”

Lin Zifeng could contain herself no longer; veins bulged at her temples. She strode straight for Qingyin’s room. Madam Zhu’s figure flickered and barred her way. “What are you planning to do?”

“Hand over Yunye.”

“My, I am his mother—if the child is with me, what do you have to fear?”

Lin Zifeng shot her a scornful glance, said no more, and tried to barge in by force. Suddenly, the sound of fluttering wings brushed her ears. She halted abruptly and looked up. Several iridescent insects had appeared from nowhere, swirling around Madam Zhu. Madam Zhu stood still, a sinister smile on her lips.

Lin Zifeng suddenly recalled the tales of the mind-devouring bugs. Fear seized her; with a shout, she turned and fled. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Madam Zhu let out a mocking laugh, her tone full of scorn. “A man who takes revenge by tormenting women is bound to be a coward afraid of death. I was not wrong about you.”

Within the manor, people continued to die one after another. When word spread, those who spoke did so in hoarse whispers, and those who listened wore vacant, hollow expressions, as if their souls had been emptied. Everyone felt the hand of the soul-collector resting on their shoulder, a gentle push away from tumbling into a bottomless hell. Helpless and lost, they could only suppress even their breathing, as if hoping to slip through the fingers of Death itself.

That afternoon, Luo Kui drifted into a heavy sleep on her bed. Qingyin, with the door securely barred, was bathing Yunye for the second time. The little one splashed merrily, grinning up at her. Qingyin noticed two more tiny teeth sprouting on his lower gums—now four sharp fangs above and below, making him look like a strange little beast. Looking closer, his pupils had a faint reddish hue, which made her uneasy. She quickly splashed water over him, again and again.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped sharply, and a faint, intoxicating fragrance filled the air. Qingyin shivered; without turning, she sensed another presence behind her. She froze, unable to move. After a long moment, a voice as cold as ice cut through the air behind her: “I should have guessed it was you.”

A violent gust swept from behind. Instinctively, Qingyin grabbed the naked Yunye and rolled to the side. With a crash, the wooden basin was struck by an invisible force, smashing to pieces and splashing water everywhere.

Luo Kui, startled awake, leapt up, screaming, and stared in terror at the chaos before her eyes. Qingyin, tightly clutching the naked Yunye, slumped in the corner. Madam Zhu stood in the center of the room, her face dark and severe.

Luo Kui glanced at the door and realized it was bolted from the inside—how had Madam Zhu entered? Trembling, she called out, “Madam?”

Madam Zhu’s gaze swept over her like a blade. Luo Kui’s shoulders trembled, and she shrank back under the covers.

“You—are still alive?” Madam Zhu’s tone held a hint of surprise. She turned to Qingyin. “Is this your doing as well?”

Qingyin shook her head desperately. “Madam, what are you saying? I haven’t done anything…”

“Didn’t you say a few days ago that Luo Kui had a headache?”

“Yes…yes…”

“If it was really a headache, she shouldn’t still be alive now!”

Qingyin stammered, “Madam must be joking. She just caught a chill; how could she die from that…”

“Still lying!” A greenish aura flared in Madam Zhu’s eyes, making her terrifying to behold. “Then what are you using to bathe Yunye?”

“Water, just hot water.” Qingyin tried to sound casual, her eyes darting about, searching for an escape. Yet there was no way out—the doors and windows were all firmly shut, a precaution against Madam Zhu herself. How foolish—no lock could keep out a being like her. Shutting herself in had only sealed her own fate.

“There’s clearly medicine in the water! I should have noticed how slowly Yunye was changing… Who are you, really?” Madam Zhu’s voice was shrill and piercing, almost unrecognizable.

Qingyin knew it was useless to argue. All she could do was clutch Yunye to her chest and, summoning all her courage, cry out, “I don’t care if you’re a ghost or a demon! If you have a grudge with the master, take it up with him—please, spare the child!”

Madam Zhu was taken aback, the murderous aura about her receding for a moment. “You’re young, but you’ve got some nerve. Are you not afraid, if I am a ghost or a demon?”

Qingyin met her gaze. “I crawled out from a heap of corpses. The things I’ve seen were far more wretched than what’s happened in the Lin household lately. The people I’ve met were far more frightening than you. I, too, have an enemy, and one day I’ll tear him to pieces. But why harm so many innocent people?”

Being confronted so directly by a young girl irritated Madam Zhu greatly. She wanted to end her with a single blow, yet found herself unwilling. She retorted, “Innocent people? Let me tell you, not a single person who’s died in this house deserved to live. They betrayed their old master, they kicked her while she was down. Miss Lin did not die by Lin Zifeng’s hand alone; she was murdered by the lot of them. Am I wrong?”

Qingyin was at a loss for words. At this moment, nothing else mattered but the child in her arms. She pleaded, “But what about Yunye? He’s just a baby—he’s done nothing wrong.”

Madam Zhu let out a cold laugh. “He’s done nothing. But he’s the bastard of Lin Zifeng and Zhuzha. He was born to the wrong parents. The child of beasts cannot live as a man. Still, I have no intention of killing him. I only want him—to be reborn.”

She spoke the words “reborn” through gritted teeth. Qingyin did not understand, but it was clear nothing good was meant. Unwilling to give up, she begged, “I know you’re a demon, but your heart is not evil. You saved me from the chef at the tavern, and I’ve always remembered my debt. If you must take revenge, at least let the punishment fit the crime. Yunye is innocent—let him go!”

Madam Zhu’s eyes sharpened. “Enough talking. Being born as Lin Zifeng’s son is sin enough. Now, hand him over—”

She reached for Qingyin. In terror, Qingyin clutched Yunye tighter, only to see Madam Zhu’s slender fingers suddenly sprout black talons, her features twisting into something fierce and bestial.

Madam Zhu no longer bothered to hide her true form. Luo Kui, catching sight of her claws and massive tail, screamed in terror, “Monster! Monster!”

Madam Zhu’s eyes shifted coldly toward her and, with a flicker, she was at the bedside. Luo Kui curled up beneath her blanket, trembling.

Madam Zhu spoke gently, “Miss Luo Kui, don’t you recognize me?”

Half-Immortal Seal, Chapter 16—The story is now complete!