The morning sun spilled through the window, casting a warm glow over Xue Laohu's face. He winced, a sharp reminder of the pain still lingering in his groin. Though the initial agony had subsided, the area remained tender to the touch. Groggily, he cracked his eyes open, the familiar ceiling of his bedroom coming into focus. His brows furrowed.
"How? When?" he muttered, pushing himself upright. Memories of last night were fragmented at best—he distinctly recalled the moment of desperation when he'd punched his own groin to dispel its unwanted lustfulness. But after that? Nothing. No recollection of how he had gotten back here.
A sudden pang of worry struck him, and he hastily shoved a hand into his pants, checking on Mini Ming. The poor thing was swollen, pitifully shrunken in size, a sad testament to his self-inflicted damage. He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "At least you're still attached," he grumbled, flopping back onto the bed. But just as he was about to let his weary body sink into bed—
A deafening alarm blared in his head, jolting him upright. His vision flooded with harsh, flashing red lights as the translucent system screen materialized before him.
WARNING! WARNING!
SHOU AND GONG ARE IN DANGER. WARNING! WARNING!
The words pulsed on the screen in an ominous rhythm, the hacking voice droning over and over. Xue Laohu groaned, clutching his ears. "Alright, alright! I hear you! Shut up already!"
The system, as always, was indifferent to his suffering. The warning continued to loop, relentless and piercing.
Xue Laohu gritted his teeth. "What do I need to do? Just tell me already!"
The flashing screen flickered, and new words bled into existence, their presence heavy with foreboding.
NEW MISSION: ECHOES OF THE LOST CHILDREN – SHOU'S BURIED WRATH
SHOU MUST OVERCOME HIS TRAUMATIC PAST AND DEFEAT THE WASP DEMONESS XIAO HUA TO EARN 1000 LIFE POINTS.
Xue Laohu's breath hitched. "The hell kind of mission is this?" His stomach twisted at the implications, but the system offered no further explanation. The screen loomed before him, unyielding, waiting.
He cursed under his breath and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There was no time to waste.
He clenched his jaw as the alarm continued its shrill, grating repetition. With a swift motion, he slid his finger across the screen, accepting the mission. The flashing red lights dimmed, but the urgency remained. Wasting no time, he pulled up the GPS navigator, his sharp gaze locking onto Xue Tuzi's location. A scowl deepened on his face. Too far. He had to move fast.
Tossing aside his rumpled robe, he grabbed a clean one, hastily tying it around his waist before shoving his feet into his boots. His hands barely had time to secure the last strap before he yanked the door open—
And nearly crashed into Li Zhameng.
The disciple stood right in front of him, his eyes widen in surprise. "Shizun—"
"Not right now," Xue Laohu cut in, his voice like a blade, cold and sharp. He didn't have the patience for distractions—not when Xue Tuzi and Shudu were in danger.
He stepped past Li Zhameng, striding quickly down the hall, but the moment his foot hit the floor, a sharp, throbbing pain shot through his groin. Fuck. His knees nearly buckled, his hand darting out to brace against the wall. His teeth ground together as he inhaled through his nose, willing the ache to subside, but it was impossible to ignore the traitorous twitch beneath his robe.
Mini Ming.
The damn thing was excited.
Xue Laohu barely had time to curse his body's betrayal before Li Zhameng was suddenly at his side, concern written all over his face. "Shizun!" His hands hovered near his shoulders, unsure if he should touch him. "Are you okay?"
Xue Laohu ran a hand down his face, exhaling through his nostrils. "I'm fine," he gritted out, though his pulse was erratic for all the wrong reasons. He cast a glance downward, and—
There it was.
Mini Ming had fully awakened.
Hard, eager, and absolutely thrilled to see Li Zhameng.
A deep, suffering groan echoed in Xue Laohu's mind. Not now. Please, for the love of all things holy, not now.
He flicked open his fan with a sharp snap, fanning himself with quick, desperate motions, praying the sudden heat crawling up his neck would dissipate. Breathe. Think of something else. Rotten tofu. My sister's bad cooking. Toe fungus. Anything to chase away the sinful thoughts creeping in.
Clearing his throat, he forced his voice into something steady. "A-Tuzi and Shudu are in danger. We need to move."
No further explanation. No room for questions. He turned on his heel and made his way down the mountain as fast as his body would allow with Li Zhameng following him close by.
The sound of laughter—sharp, manic, and brimming with twisted amusement—rippled through the dense forest. The very air seemed to vibrate with its eerie resonance, sending a shudder through Shudu's spine. Blood dripped from the gash in his arm, painting his ink stained arm in deep crimson. The scent of iron thickened around him.
"Shushu," Xue Tuzi's voice was soft, uncertain, his brows knitting together in worry. His hands clutched Jiao Jiao closer to his chest, his fingers digging into the child's robes as if grounding himself in their shared fear.
Shudu forced a smile, but it lacked the usual confidence, the mischievous glint that always played at the corners of his lips. It was tight, strained—a mask.
"I'm fine. Don't worry," he lied smoothly, but the slight tremble in his voice betrayed him.
Because he knew exactly who that voice belonged to.
And he had prayed never to hear it again.
His instincts screamed at him—run.
Without hesitation, he scooped Xue Tuzi and Jiao Jiao into his arms, muscles tensing as he bolted up the mountain. The ground blurred beneath his feet, branches snapping in his wake, the forest closing in around them like a beast's gaping maw. Escape. That was the only option.
But before he could gain distance—
SHHKKK!
A barrage of spears sliced through the air, whistling toward him with deadly precision. He barely managed to twist his body mid-leap, the spears embedding themselves into the trees beside him with a sickening thunk. His breath came out in a sharp hiss, his grip on Xue Tuzi tightening.
"Is this how you treat your soon-to-be bride?"
The laughter returned, richer this time, sultry and dripping with amusement. The voice slithered through the trees, curling around him like invisible silk.
Xue Tuzi's head snapped toward him, his beautiful face paling as realization dawned. Bride? His eyes darted up to meet Shudu's, but the man's expression had turned cold, rigid—his jaw clenched so tightly it looked as though it might shatter.
Shudu's arms curled possessively around Xue Tuzi, his fingers pressing into his waist, as if afraid that if he loosened his hold even slightly, the beauty would slip away.
Not now. Not like this.
He swallowed hard, adjusting his grip on Xue Tuzi, his legs tensing to flee again—
But then, the shadows stirred.
A mass of dark figures slithered through the underbrush, emerging in droves—a horde of demons.
Shudu skidded to a halt, cursing under his breath. Trapped.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the voice purred, each sound drawn out like a lover's teasing whisper. Footsteps—deliberate, almost playful—echoed through the trees. Light. Effortless.
Then, from the darkness, she emerged.
Xiao Hua.
Her slender frame was accentuated by a smooth hourglass shape, her bare skin glowing under the rays of the sun peeking through the trees. She was nude, save for tufts of soft fluff wrapped around her wrists, ankles, and throat. Her large breasts bounced freely with each step, her posture exuding unshaken confidence.
Clear insect-like wings stretched behind her, shimmering faintly, catching the light in iridescent hues. Her long, slicked-back black hair gleamed, framing her sharp features, and atop her head, two delicate antennae twitched slightly, sensing the air around her.
But it was her eyes that unsettled the most—large, red, and inhuman, glimmering with predatory delight.
"Shudu, darling," she cooed, stepping out of the shadows entirely. Her voice softened into something saccharine. "I've missed you."
Shudu's stomach twisted, his fingers instinctively digging into Xue Tuzi's waist. The beauty stiffened, then scowled, smacking Shudu's hand away with visible irritation.
He was furious.
Xue Tuzi grasped Jiao Jiao's tiny hand, his gaze locking onto the demoness with an unreadable expression.
Nearby, Xiao Zongzi's jaws clacked nervously, her eyes darting between her master and the wasp demoness.
Shudu's frown deepened. Xiao Hua. Madam Hua's favorite child, her most cherished daughter, indulged and protected above all others. From the moment she laid eyes on Shudu, she had claimed him, declaring him as hers in a way that brooked no argument. It hadn't mattered that he was merely another acquisition in Madam Hua's brothel—he was the one Xiao Hua had set her sights on, and what Xiao Hua wanted, she always got.
For years, she kept him isolated, untouched, ensuring that no other hands but her own ever laid claim to him. No matter how many patrons sought to buy his time, no matter how much gold was offered for a single night in his company, Xiao Hua made it clear—Shudu belonged to her. No one else.
It was an obsession that even Madam Hua, with all her cunning and ruthlessness, had hesitated to deny. Though she had originally forbidden her daughter from taking Shudu as a husband—believing him too defiant, too dangerous to be permanently bound to her bloodline—even she eventually relented to Xiao Hua's relentless pleas. In the end, the arrangement had been made. Shudu was to be wed, his fate sealed under the name of the Hua name.
But he had escaped.
Shudu had torn himself free from their gilded cage, vanishing into the world beyond the brothel's silken walls. He had carved his own path, far from the suffocating grasp of Madam Hua's influence. His journey had been one of survival, but in the midst of his wandering, he had encountered Xue Tuzi.
At first, his only reason for staying close to him was Jiao Jiao, his defiant son. Jiao Jiao had selected Xue Tuzi as his master, latching on to him like a parasite latching onto its host, and so Shudu had followed.
But then, something changed.
Somewhere along the way, Xue Tuzi had become more than just a convenient vessel for feeding Jiao Jiao negative energy, more than just a body he could exploit to advance his own cultivation. He was no longer just a tool; he was someone Shudu cared about.
And now—standing before him, with those sharp red eyes and a smile dripping with poisonous affection— was the one person he had spent years running from.
The one person he never wanted to see again.
And worse than that—she was here, standing before the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Xiao Hua's eyes locked onto Xue Tuzi with the kind of hunger that made her intentions unmistakable. She flicked her tongue over her lips, devouring him with her gaze, as if she could taste him from a distance. He was the definition of ethereal beauty—long, earthy brown hair cascading down to his waist, framing a face so pale and smooth it gleamed like polished jade. His deep brown eyes, round and striking, carried a defiant fire, yet there was something undeniably sensual about them. But what truly ensnared her attention—what made her insides coil with pleasure—were his lips. Full, plump, rosy, and adorned with a tiny beauty mark at the bottom corner. A perfect spot to sink her teeth into, to claim him after thoroughly indulging in his taste.
"Oh, Shudu," she purred, dragging out his name like a song. "You naughty, naughty boy. You've been feasting without me." Her voice was silken amusement laced with mock reproach as she shook her head, advancing on them with slow, deliberate steps. Each movement was delicate, calculated, her presence coiling around them like a serpent. "You know how much I love beautiful men," she sighed, her lips curling as her fingers reached out to trace Xue Tuzi's perfect cheek. "And you've brought me such a rare gem."
Her fingers had barely grazed his skin when he slapped her hand away with force.
A sharp sting shot up her wrist. The pain was minor, but the thrill of resistance sent a shiver of delight through her. She pulled her hand back, rubbing the reddening bruise with an exaggerated pout before her lips twisted into something darker. "And spicy too," she mused, eyes gleaming as she examined the mark. Slowly, her pout turned into a smile—sharp and menacing. Her fangs descended with a quiet click, and she giggled, leaning in toward Shudu like a mischievous specter.
"Shut up," he snapped, shoving her back with a force that would have sent an ordinary woman stumbling. But Xiao Hua only tilted her head, letting the motion roll through her as if she were boneless.
"Oh my," she cooed, mockingly adjusting herself as if he had simply nudged her. "What temper." Then, her smile widened into something manic, something unhinged. "Allow me to remind you, my love," she sang, her voice dripping with honeyed malice, "that everything that belongs to you is also mine. Such is our bond as husband and wife."
Her laughter cracked through the air, high and lilting, bubbling up like a melody of madness. Xue Tuzi's grip on Jiao Jiao tightened, his arms an unyielding shield around the child. His muscles tensed, and without hesitation, he took measured steps away from them—away from Shudu, away from the demoness. His eyes burned with warning, but Xiao Hua's mirth only deepened.
Shudu exhaled sharply, gaze flicking toward Xue Tuzi. "Hey," he murmured, his voice low and urgent. "I'm going to create an exit. I want you and Xiao Jiao to leave."
Xiao Hua's head snapped toward them, her sharp eyes narrowing as she fully took in the sight before her—the child, curled against Xue Tuzi's chest, wide-eyed and trembling. Her lips curled in something akin to delight. "My, my," she breathed, taking a step closer, tilting her head like a curious predator. "You've even cultivated a little one with this human." A slow, wicked grin split her face. "He's the perfect vessel," she mused, voice dripping with anticipation. "I cannot allow him to get away."
Xiao Hua darted forward, her movements a blur of speed, her eyes locked on Xue Tuzi with predatory precision. Xue Tuzi's ribbon whip cracked through the air, its sharp sound echoing like a thunderclap, but it found no target. Xiao Hua was too fast, her lithe form weaving effortlessly around the strikes. She closed the distance in an instant, her hand snapping out to catch the whip mid-air. The ribbon coiled around her fingers, and she yanked hard, pulling Xue Tuzi off balance.
Before he could react, Xiao Hua's lips parted, and a stream of venom shot from her mouth. Shudu, who had been closing in from behind, stepped into its path. The venom splattered across his chest, sizzling faintly before dripping harmlessly to the ground.
Shudu glanced down, unimpressed "stop being so stubborn and go." Shudu barked, his voice sharp with urgency. He stepped between Xue Tuzi and Xiao Hua, his claws raised defensively.
Xue Tuzi glared at him, his grip tightening on the whip. "I don't even know what's going on, and you want me to leave?"
Shudu's compound eyes softened. "Trust me, I'll explain everything after."
For a moment, Xue Tuzi hesitated. There was something in Shudu's voice—a sincerity that tugged at him. But his heart screamed at him not to trust, not to yield. He shook his head, his jaw tightening. "I'm not leaving."
Xiao Hua's laughter cut through the tension, cold and mocking. "How touching. But I've grown tired of you both." Her body began to convulse, her human form twisting and contorting as if her very bones were breaking and reforming. Her skin, once smooth and pale, darkened and hardened, cracking like dried clay to reveal a glossy, chitinous exoskeleton beneath. The sound of her transformation was sickening—a wet, crunching noise that echoed through the air, accompanied by the sharp snap of tendons and ligaments stretching beyond their limits.
Her face was most horrifying, her jaw unhinged with a sickening pop, widening far beyond what should have been possible. From the gaping maw emerged two massive, serrated pincers, glistening with a sickly sheen. Behind them, rows of jagged, needle-like teeth lined her mouth, each one dripping with thick, viscous drool that reeked of decay. The stench was overwhelming—a nauseating mix of rot and venom that made the air itself feel toxic.
Her eyes bulged and then split, multiplying into a cluster of glowing, multifaceted orbs that reflected the dim light like shards of broken glass. Her hair, once silken and flowing, fell out in clumps, the wiry antennae tendrils twitched and writhed as if alive. Her limbs elongated grotesquely, her fingers sharpening into clawed talons, while her back arched unnaturally, tearing through her skin.
The final touch was her abdomen, which swelled and segmented, the skin splitting to reveal a glistening, armored carapace. From its tip emerged a stinger—long, curved, and dripping with a venom that sizzled as it hit the ground. Her entire form radiated menace, a monstrous amalgamation of insect and nightmare, towering over them with an aura of primal terror.
Xiao Hua let out a guttural hiss, her mandibles clicking together as thick strands of drool dripped from her maw. Her multifaceted eyes locked onto her prey, and she took a step forward, her claws scraping against the ground with a sound that paralyzed Xue Tuzi. In one swift motion, she lunged at Shudu, driving the stinger through his chest and pinning him to a nearby tree.
Shudu gasped, his claws scrabbling at the stinger embedded in his torso. His voice was strained but firm. "Tuzi… run…"
But Xue Tuzi couldn't move. His body was frozen, his mind overwhelmed by a flood of memories. The sight of Xiao Hua's true form—a wasp demon—had unlocked his reoccurring nightmare. The memories flooded his mind, horrifying detail: the orphanage, the screams, the wasp demon with its grotesque mandibles tearing into a child's skull. The sound of cracking bone, the child's agonized cries—"Gege! Help me!"—echoed in his ears. He had been powerless then, just a boy hiding in the shadows, unable to save anyone.
Now, faced with the same terror, Xue Tuzi felt that same helplessness creeping back. His hands trembled, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He wanted to fight, to move, but his body refused to obey.
Jiao Jiao, small but fierce, stepped in front of Xue Tuzi, his tiny fists clenched. "Stay away!" he shouted, his voice trembling but defiant.
Xiao Hua tilted her head, her mandibles clicking in amusement as she set her gaze on the child. Her eyes gleamed with a sick sort of curiosity, watching the boy tremble in front of Xue Tuzi, his small frame wracked with silent sobs. Her lips curled into a grin, wicked and indulgent, before she turned to Shudu with an expression of feigned delight.
"How adorable," she cooed, voice rich with mock affection. She reached up, dragging a clawed finger over her own lower lip as though savoring some unspoken thought. Then, her laughter rang out, high and deranged, echoing through the space like a melody of madness. "Shudu, I'd like us to procreate one just like this." Her voice turned sultry, honeyed with something grotesque, her amusement growing as she watched the way his body convulsed in pain.
Shudu groaned, his breath ragged as he struggled, his fingers curled around the embedded stinger in his torso, slick with his own blood, but no matter how hard he pulled, it remained lodged deep within his flesh. His muscles twitched involuntarily, his vision blurring at the edges, yet his glare never wavered from the woman before him.
Xiao Hua moved forward, her steps slow, deliberate, predatory. Her attention drifted back to Xue Tuzi and the trembling child.
Xiao Zongzi, lunged at her in a desperate attempt to stop her advance. Her tiny legs curled inward, her body a blur as she hurled herself toward Xiao Hua's face. But Xiao Hua barely acknowledged her. With a single flick of her wrist, she sent her flying, her body colliding against the cold stone floor with a sickening crack. She twitched once, then went still.
Xue Tuzi's breath hitched. His arms trembling, his entire body stiff with terror as she drew near. The child turned his tear-streaked face towards Xiao Hua, his eyes determined, although his small frame trembled violently. His lips quivered as he choked back sobs, his expression one of pure despair.
"Don't you dare!" Shudu's voice ripped through the air, raw and desperate. He writhed against the pain, his hands still clawing at the stinger buried deep within him, but the loss of blood had sapped his strength, leaving him unable to move fast enough.
Xiao Hua reached out and seized Jiao Jiao by the collar of his clothes, lifting the child effortlessly into the air. The boy let out a sharp gasp before baring his tiny, needle-like teeth, sinking them deep into her wrist with all the force his small jaw could muster.
Her face twisted in surprise, a sharp hiss slipping through her clenched teeth as the pain registered. She grimaced, her eyes narrowing, before she flicked her arm, casting the child aside like nothing more than a discarded toy.
Jiao Jiao hit the ground with a pained cry, his small body tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop. Xue Tuzi let out a strangled noise, eyes wide with horror, but before he could reach for the child, cold fingers grasped his chin, tilting his face upward.
His breath hitched. Xiao Hua loomed over him, her face inches from his, her smile stretching unnaturally wide. Her eyes, dark and glimmering with cruel delight, drank in every ounce of fear in his expression.
"Has Shudu kept me a secret from you?" she murmured, her voice soft, almost tender. Her fingers ghosted over his hair, petting him in a mockery of affection. He flinched at her touch, his entire body rigid with terror.
"You were never his."
Her claws suddenly dug into his cheeks, sharp and unrelenting, pressing into the soft flesh beneath his eyes. A thin trickle of blood welled up where her nails pierced skin. Xue Tuzi's breath came in short, panicked gasps, his pulse roaring in his ears.
"You were meant to serve me," she whispered, her voice brimming with dark amusement. Her grip tightened, forcing his gaze to remain locked onto hers, watching as her fangs glistened in the dim light.
"Your new master."
Blah Blah Blah:
Xiao Hua is one of my favorites. I will admit I had a hard time writing her. I wanted to write a psychotic character crazy and derange. I realize that women are poorly portrayed but I hope you come to appreciate how vicious Xiao Hua can be. Also Xiao Hua could be a man and they would still have the exact same personality. I truly did not want her to be jealous but instead a completely insane character.