Gumiho's eyes widened, her lips quivered, and her breathing grew heavy as she saw the severed head of the midwife resting on her stomach. The head was missing one ear; its eyes had been gouged out, leaving only deep red holes.

"What happened? You don't like my gift?That's strange... Should I try bringing your mother's head next?"

"I... I like it. I like it very much," Gumiho stammered with a forced smile on her face. "So please, don't hurt my mother."

"I'm happy that you liked it. As a reward, I will tell you what happened after you fell unconscious in the arena," the Ancestor replied, patting the severed head. "You might not know it, but you have the power to control all the beasts of Vyoman. When the fox spirit forcefully awakened your powers, you unconsciously brought all the beasts in the city to their knees. And the moment you fell, they returned to normal.

It was hilariously easy from that point. I was completely assured that the heavens themselves were supporting me. I manipulated the crowd, claiming that you were a demon of higher nobility who could cast area-wide illusion spells and had even tried to control the fox spirit of our clan. The people, witnessing your unknown power, immediately flipped, and the situation turned in my favor. What truly amazed me was that the crimson jade box fixed itself and forcefully engulfed the fox spirit inside it, which further strengthened my claim. Who would have thought that the jade box created by the previous goddess would be the reason for the fall of the current one?

Now, since I've told you everything, I also have a request..."

He stopped patting the severed head, grabbed it by the hair, and threw it toward the wall.

"Why don't you remove these petals? I need to pull the heart from your chest and the core from your lower abdomen, but no matter how hard I try to slice these petals, they remain unaffected."

"My...my father will soon hear of everything, and he will destroy you in the worst possible way," Gumiho whispered under her breath.

"Oh, so you were holding onto the hope that your father would find the letter your mother wrote, right?"

Gumiho's tiny body shuddered as the Ancestor pulled a letter from his robe.

"Do you think I'm an idiot who wouldn't sense something like this? I am chosen by the heavens, after all."

He took down the lantern from the ceiling and placed the envelope inside it.

The flames burned intensely, engulfing the letter — or should I say, engulfing the tiny hope that Gumiho had been holding onto.

"Now, are you going to remove these petals, or should I send your mother's head next?" the old bastard said, his voice turning serious.

Gumiho didn't reply. Moisture filled her eyes again as she begged,

"Please don't do this. Just kill me instead. You can do whatever you want afterward."

It was only my soul that was present in her memories. My heart wasn't even there, and yet my chest ached like crazy as I saw this little girl pleading for death.

"Why are you behaving as if I am in the wrong, Ume? I've been considerate enough to explain everything, yet you refuse to fulfill one wish of mine. Are you already in your rebellious phase?

Tch tch, why do I have to pamper children at my age? Oh, right, it's a test by the heavens. They might be checking my capabilities."

He jumped off the stone slab and grabbed his head with his hands as if he had realized something.

"Now that I think about it, I must be an angel sent to stop you from going against heaven's will. It's a serious matter. What should I do?"

He ran around for a couple of seconds and then flicked his finger, his face once again laced with a demonic smile.

"Oh, right. How about I make your mother do a naked dance at the center of the city? She would do it if I threatened her with your name. Wouldn't she?"

"Every time this monster opens his mouth, my hate for him increases severalfold," I muttered, gritting my teeth.

He began taking quick steps towards the door. As he was about to exit, Gumiho called from behind,

"Don't do it. I... I will remove the petals, so you don't dare touch my mother."

He stopped, and a wide smirk appeared on that fiend's face as he turned around.

Gumiho closed her moistened eyes and slightly moved one of her fingers.

The petals on her body began to fall, but then a bright light appeared, and the scenery changed again.

It was white as far as the eye could see. Gumiho stood in the middle of nowhere, and in front of her, Hana was standing.

"Mother, are you alright?" Gumiho asked as she ran into her arms.

Hana gently brushed Gumiho's hair as she flooded rivers in her embrace.

"My beloved Ume, I left this sealed message inside you, which will trigger once you try to remove the petals from your body. That senile old man put me behind bars and wanted to do bad things to me. So I used every last drop of my Soulforce, created an indestructible crystal, and sealed myself inside it. He cannot touch me, so don't get coerced by that madman. Also, while I'm inside this crystal, I will try to connect my soul to your father to inform him about everything. But it will take some years to locate his soul, given the distance between us.

So, Ume, I know it's a cruel request no mother should make of her child, and yet I shamelessly ask of you—please hold on until your father returns. Don't give up, no matter what amount of physical or mental torture that wretch uses on you.

Stay strong, my daughter.

Stay strong..."

Hana's presence vanished into thin air, the bright light succumbed to the abyss, and we were thrown back into that hellish room once again.

Gumiho stopped her fingers, and the petals once again wrapped around her tightly. A soft smirk appeared on her face as she murmured,

"Do your worst, bastard."

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