Found you~

Gentle and joyous, as if the game of hide-and-seek had come to an end.

The blood-soaked Evil Ghost rose from the darkness. It approached from behind, placing its hands on Ugly's shoulders, its beautiful yet terrifying face leaning forward to examine her features.

A smile.

The Abyss seemed to brim within those pitch-dark pupils, casting a ferocious glow.

Stared at by those eyes, all courage rapidly dissolved as an endless darkness rose, swallowing everything. It was like the suppression from the top of the Food Chain.

Under the gentle touch of those palms, all her power collapsed.

Ugly stood there dazed, lips trembling, her body rapidly stiffening until she couldn't move. She could only feel the hands on her shoulders slowly moving upwards, inch by inch touching her skin and sweat. They moved up from her neck, gently caressing her cheeks, mouth, nose, and even her eyes, exploring the texture of her muscles and the divisions of her bones, just like a hairdresser preparing for their work.

By her ear, a warm inquiry came. "What's your name?"

That voice wasn't commanding, nor was it cold. It was friendly, like a stranger's greeting upon a first meeting, and even included a self-introduction. "My name is Huaizhi Sushi. And you?"

What is your name? Such deep words echoed in her consciousness and Soul, like an iron chisel stirring her brain, spreading waves of fear and pain. They tore through her psychological defenses, compelling her to respond.

"…Ugly." The Ninja of the Earth Dragon Leaders answered tremulously.

"Ugly?" The gentle hands caressing her cheeks paused, and the voice continued, unable to resist a complaint. "But you don't seem ugly at all. Is it a codename? Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao… Ox? To have a woman use such a title is truly impolite. How old are you?"

"Thirty… thirty-one…"

"Older than me." That gentle voice by her ear stroked her hair, curiously asking, "Have you ever had your hair done?"

"Never."

"What about skincare?"

"I've… I've learned a little on my own."

"That's a bit careless. The signs of sun damage are quite severe; you even have crow's feet already." The devil-like voice lamented, "If you were tidied up a bit, you'd be a kind and beautiful woman."

The genuine praise for the enemy before her was not out of pity, nor for any other reason; it was as if her captor hadn't even noticed her weight. Such sincere admiration was like dew in a parched desert. Even knowing it might be an enemy's ploy, she couldn't resist and, involuntarily… felt a flicker of gratitude.

Is this what Demons are like?

In that moment, she felt the coldness of a blade on her neck. Deadly death loomed close, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.

She closed her eyes. As a Ninja who sold her life for money, she had long anticipated this day. Yet, for some reason, even she, who had considered herself ready for death, felt a pang of reluctance.

She didn't want to die. Because she had been complimented, admired. For the first time in her life as a woman, she had been appreciated.

A tear seeped from the corner of her eye. She lifted her head, awaiting the end. Yet the blade merely danced across her neck and beside her ear, a gentle touch.

Until she opened her eyes and saw an iron mirror slowly forming before her. It reflected a ghastly crimson, the beautiful yet horrifying figure, and at the forefront, the stunned woman—herself.

Unimaginable! Merely styling her hair a bit could almost… transform her anew!

Her rounded cheeks were still pale. Her neatly combed long hair cascaded from her temples, concealing the scars on her cheeks. Fingers stained with a hint of crimson swept across her lips, adding a striking touch of color to her dazed face.

"How's that? Much easier on the eyes, isn't it?" Huaizhi Sushi leaned forward, whispering in her ear with a gentle smile. "It seems my handiwork isn't too bad."

She couldn't deny Huaizhi Sushi's skill. Nor could she deny the joyous, yet so familiar, smile in the mirror.

It was herself!

Unimaginable, that she, not as a Ninja, but simply herself, could be so beautiful and happy. She dared not imagine that such a possibility or Future could exist.

"…Enough. Enough." Ugly stared blankly at her own reflection, raising a hand to cover her face. "Please, stop torturing me!"

An unattainable, beautiful dream—there was nothing crueler in the world.

She closed her eyes in despair, daring not to look again. "Kill me… Miss Huaizhi, please kill me!"

"Perhaps I will, but not now—" Huaizhi Sushi leaned down, whispering in her ear, "There are still some things you haven't told me, right? Ugly, our business isn't finished. To want to escape now would be a bit too irresponsible…"

With those soft words, an icy despair surfaced from the depths of her heart, freezing her Soul inch by inch. A cruel, fierce presence enveloped her, dominating her Soul.

"What place is this?"

"…The Mystic Ritual, 'Encounter the Devil,' passed down through generations by the Earth Dragon Leaders. A man-made, enclosed Hell."

"And the target? Me? Trying to kill me with something like this is a bit too gentle, isn't it?"

"It's Li Jian Zhen Xi. The employer paid a large sum to kidnap her and then force you to serve him."

"And the employer?" Huai Shi asked. "Who is it?"

In that moment, a flicker of hesitation surfaced in Ugly's heart. The lingering resolve and principles of a Ninja obstructed the words that almost spilled out. But under the gaze of those calm eyes, all lies and concealment became meaningless. Her lips trembled as she struggled to force out the name: "Li Jian Bu Jing."

Instantly, Huai Shi understood. This was one of the potential successors to the head of the Li Jian family. He was also in charge of their largest tangible industry—the Guanshan Group—and held the family's financial power. Furthermore, he was intimately involved with Deer's Sing Hall and Minerva Technology in Rome.

However, was the goal to control me through Zhenxi? Was it because I performed too brilliantly at the demon-slaying competition, or was it because of the ripples from the ruckus I caused in Nara the night before last?

He sighed, lowered his head, and gazed at the Ninja in the mirror. Her face was ashen, like death, and silent tears streamed down. He gently patted her shoulders. "There's no need for self-blame; this isn't your fault… It's just that I employed despicable means."

Behind her ears were the fine scars left by the Blade of Resent and the Spear of Compassion. Huaizhi Sushi had sown an irresistible poison in her prey. Driven by the entanglements of worldly Grudges and the eight sufferings, Ugly involuntarily longed for liberation. To have held on for so long showed an iron will.

As the interrogation drew to a close, the nightmare finally began to recede.

Is it finally… over? Ugly murmured, dazed, looking at the shattered iron mirror and the fragmented face within, a pale smile on her lips.

The moment she uttered the employer's name, not only had this nightmare ended, but so had the Ninja career to which she had devoted her life.

Yet, there was still one last thing she could accomplish as a Ninja. In that instant, a final surge of courage ignited the Ashes in her Soul. Her limbs suddenly shot back like a striking Snake, and she tightly embraced the figure within reach.

Then, her plump body began to swell rapidly. Following the Mystic Ritual inscribed in her very bones, all her fat swiftly transformed into deadly grease and something even more lethal… nitroglycerin!

The flints on her upper and lower molars ground together, striking sparks that ignited everything, heralding death. She closed her eyes and bid farewell to the enemy behind her. "Thank you, Miss Huaizhi."

A horrific blaze erupted instantly, the dazzling light engulfing everything. After the scorching heat and shockwave swept through, the entire Haunted House shook violently. The chaotic air pressure sparked a hurricane, breaking through layers of Mystic Ritual interference and carrying the news of Ugly's death to every comrade's ears.

At the same time, it stunned the Earth Dragon Leaders into stillness. In less than three minutes, Ugly, their most adept at attrition warfare, was already dead? And she had been forced to use such a horrific method to deliver this final warning!

In the core of the 'Encounter the Devil' Mystic Ritual, the elderly Zi slowly lifted his head. He stared in astonishment at the rapidly spreading darkness, a darkness that even he, the presider, could not penetrate.

And there, slowly emerging from the burning morgue, was that slender figure. That beautiful face was unscathed, still bearing that unnerving smile.

As if sensing his presence, her lips curled into a gentle, knowing smile.

"Plan failed—" At this moment, Zi made the most correct decision of his life, shouting with all his might, "I'll cover the rear! Everyone, retreat!"

Alas, it was too late. The instantaneous Shadow Burial Shuttle allowed Huaizhi Sushi to break through Ugly's grasp and evade the lethal impact of an explosion equivalent to over a hundred pounds of nitroglycerin. She calmly walked out from the sea of fire.

And with the woman's advance, everyone felt an invisible, roiling darkness emanating from her, spreading in all directions, ravenously sweeping through everything.

"Man-made Hell?" Huai Shi mused softly. "Still a bit too small, isn't it?"

At that instant, the darkness of the Buried Sacred Place erupted violently from within and without, penetrating and invading the 'Encounter the Devil' Mystic Ritual. The terrifying shadow, infused with the Ruler's remnants, permeated everywhere. It seized control, swiftly corroding the entire Mystic Ritual. It even exploited the Mystic Ritual's Power to break its own dimensional constraints, taking complete command of this miniature Hell.

She converted everything within this Mystic Ritual into her own Holy Temple. The Holy Temple of death.

Now, everything inside the Haunted House had fallen entirely under Huai Shi's control.

Although unable to use The Hammer of Sorrow to perfectly match the current atmosphere, there was no doubt that he had become the master of this dark Hell.

Within the confines permitted by Paradise, within this Haunted House, the calamities and essence of Hell materialized from the darkness.

Thus, Huai Shi smiled, offering his blessings and greetings to all the visitors. "—Welcome to the Ancient Evil Spirit Castle."