Chapter 9: Dragon Abyss Falls into a Coma

The fury on Long Yuan's face froze for an instant, his expression turning vacant. His movements stiffened, leaving him looking dazed and bewildered.

Shi Chuchu let out a sigh of relief.

Ensuring that Long Yuan had fallen completely into a hypnotic state, she curled the corners of her lips and beckoned to him.

"Good boy... come here."

*

A cold moon hung high in the deep, silent night.

Inside the spacious and luxurious children's bedroom, the little rice ball, now cleaned up, was tucked snugly into his quilt, gazing longingly toward the doorway.

"Ah... A-hu..."

He was waiting for his father to come and read his bedtime story as usual.

Most of the time, he did not understand the words, but he loved falling asleep to the sound of his father's voice.

But tonight, his father did not come.

As he waited, his little mouth suddenly puckered.

The butler accompanying him immediately felt his scalp tighten and hurried to read from the storybook with even more enthusiasm.

But it was useless. The little rice ball’s mouth puckered further and further until, under the butler’s terrified gaze, he burst into a loud cry.

"Oh, little master... no, little ancestor! Please don't cry! Your body has only just started to recover!"

"The Marshal has business to attend to tonight. If you go to sleep, you'll see him as soon as you wake up!"

The butler paced around in a panic. Seeing the little rice ball's face begin to flush red, he almost knelt down to beg for mercy on the spot.

The cub's wails grew increasingly miserable, the childish voice echoing through the vast room, particularly heart-wrenching in the dead of night.

Having no other choice, the butler hurriedly grabbed a thick, soft blanket, wrapped the little one tightly, scooped him up, and rushed toward the prison cells beneath the castle.

"Don't cry, little master! I’m taking you to the Marshal right now, you'll see him immediately!"

He panted as he coaxed the cub in his arms, his heart filled with trepidation.

The Marshal had never brought the little master down here before. If he found out he had brought the child to such a place, there was no telling how furious he would be.

But he had no choice!

The prison cells were cut off from electronic signals, and besides the Marshal, he was the only one allowed inside. Furthermore, the Marshal had strictly ordered him to attend to the little master personally...

Under these constraints, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and bring the little master down.

The distance from the cub's bedroom to the cells was long, but the sound of the child's heartbreaking sobs made the butler anxious, and he managed to cut the travel time in half.

Fortunately, during the latter part of the journey, the cub seemed to sense his intent; his tears slowed, and he obediently wrapped his arms around the butler's neck, quieting down.

Minutes later, the exhausted butler finally reached the door of the cell where Shi Chuchu was held and knocked with trembling hands.

"Marshal... are you inside?"

"I... I brought the little master in. He couldn't find you and was crying so hard, I really had no choice but to bring him to you."

The butler waited at the door for a long time, but instead of a reply from Long Yuan, he heard some rustling—the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric?

The cub in his arms had clearly caught a familiar scent; he began to babble excitedly, his chubby hands patting the door with force.

Inside the room, Shi Chuchu was in a state of panic.

She had finally managed to hypnotize Long Yuan and was lying comfortably on the iron bed, enjoying his "service."

The sudden interruption scared her stiff.

Without a second thought, she pushed Long Yuan off her, scrambled off the bed, and straightened her clothes. Then, she grabbed her coat from the side and hastily wiped Long Yuan's mouth and hands.

Immediately after, she ended the hypnosis, leaving Long Yuan in a deep sleep.

Once everything was ready, she opened the door with trepidation.

The butler, who had been waiting for so long, finally saw the scene inside—

The nanny, who should have been in a sorry state, was standing there perfectly fine, her cheeks rosy and her expression one of utter satisfaction. Instead, it was the Marshal who was unconscious on the crude iron bed.

The butler was shocked. He retreated three steps, clutching the cub, and stared at Shi Chuchu in horror.

"What... what did you do to the Marshal?!"

He was so panicked he was on the verge of tears, wishing he could strangle himself for the impulse to bring the little master down here.

Even the Marshal, the most powerful combatant in the entire Empire, had inexplicably fallen to this woman. Could she possess some terrifying power?

What if she had malicious intentions toward the little master?! How could he protect him alone?

To make matters worse, all the guards were stationed at the main entrance of the prison block and couldn't get here in time!

Shi Chuchu looked bewildered, not understanding what the butler was talking about. Seeing the little rice ball reaching out for a hug, she instinctively stepped forward and held out her hands to the cub.

Little did she know that this gesture terrified the butler out of his wits, further convincing him that she harbored ill intent.

In a split second, he gritted his teeth, placed the cub on the floor, gave him a gentle push toward the exit, and then blocked Shi Chuchu’s path, shouting with tears in his eyes:

"Run, little master!! I will stop her for you!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the cub's pattering footsteps echoed.

The butler looked relieved, a flicker of hope appearing in his desperate eyes.

As expected of the Marshal's bloodline, the little master was indeed clever in such an emergency...

Hm? ...Wait?

"My ancestor!! Run toward the exit!! Not into her arms!!"

Watching the cub crash into Shi Chuchu's shins, the butler felt his vision go dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

Shi Chuchu: ...

After a long moment of confusion, she finally grasped the butler's bizarre train of thought.

She rolled her eyes, utterly speechless, and lied without a hint of guilt: "He fainted on his own; it has nothing to do with me."

As she spoke, she crouched down to hug the fragrant little one, carefully observing his condition.

Seeing that his face was rosy and his big eyes were sparkling again, Shi Chuchu finally relaxed and began to tease the little fellow.

The butler finally regained his composure. Scratching his head awkwardly, he hurried to the bedside to check on Long Yuan.

Huh... why do the Marshal's lips look a bit swollen?

Just as he leaned in for a closer look, the sound of steady, heavy footsteps came from the doorway.

His earlier shout had alerted the guards, and two tall, formidable soldiers in military uniforms arrived on the scene.

"You've come just in time. Take the Marshal upstairs and send him straight to Saar's room!"

Saar was Long Yuan's private physician.

The two men stepped forward immediately. One carefully hoisted Long Yuan onto his back, while the other knelt before the cub, trying to take him away as well.

The cub immediately clutched Shi Chuchu's neck in alarm, his chubby little body pressing into her, his stance firm—he was not leaving!

Even when the butler tried to pick him up, he clung to Shi Chuchu’s neck and refused to let go.

Shi Chuchu smiled innocently.

"Oh my, what should we do now?"

"The little master insists on staying with me~"