Maxwell Jing pulled him over and kissed him, his face blooming with a radiant smile. "You really know me well. So? You must have a way, right?"
Ethan Gu saw that he truly wanted it, so he crouched down as well and said coolly, "There's no guarantee she'll survive! After all, there aren't that many demon births in this world."
No one knew where he produced a small knife from. Its blade was thin and gleamed with a cold light. He raised his hand, ready to slice across Mona Shangguan's abdomen.
Maxwell Jing helped him tear open the clothes on Mona Shangguan's stomach and asked, "Do you need anesthesia?"
Ethan Gu raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you think?" Without waiting for Maxwell Jing's reply, he had already sliced downward with the knife.
Mona Shangguan had her mute acupoint struck by Morgan Shangguan, so she couldn't make a sound. Her lips were already bitten through, her body drenched in cold sweat, as if she had just been fished out of water.
Ethan Gu made the incision, watching Mona Shangguan's abdominal muscles twitch with pain. He glanced at Maxwell Jing and asked, "Isn't this beautiful?"
Maxwell Jing twitched the corner of his mouth and nodded. "Beautiful. Go on!" he said, silently muttering to himself: Some things never change.
Morgan Shangguan watched the two work without a word at first, but now she couldn't help saying dryly, "Lord Ghostmaster, your people really are twisted!"
Damien Gray had been frowning all along. Maxwell Jing saw his displeasure and quickly assured him, "Your Highness, rest assured, if it ever harbors even a trace of hatred for Her Ladyship, I'll kill it myself! Besides, it might not even survive!"
Hearing this, Damien Gray glanced at Morgan Shangguan and saw she was unconcerned, so he said nothing more. He had always been lenient with Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu—they knew their limits and had never made a mistake.
Damien Gray shot a look at Luo Jin, then put his arm around Morgan Shangguan and walked out. Feeling the gaze trailing behind him, he curled his lips into a cold smile. His precious one had been discarded like worthless trash, so of course he would make those blind to the truth wake up and see just how wrong they were!
"How is it? How is it?" Maxwell Jing leaned in to look at the bloody thing in Ethan Gu's hands, then said with distaste, "So ugly! When Little Ethan and Little Roxy were born, they were so cute. This one's all wrinkled—hideous!"
Maxwell Jing looked completely uninterested. "It's yours. I don't want it!" he said.
Ethan Gu's temple twitched, and he gritted his teeth. "Maxwell Jing, do you just want to get punched?"
Maxwell Jing sighed helplessly. Fine! Since Ethan Gu had done the hard work, he had no choice but to take this hot potato. "Is it dead or alive?" he wondered aloud. Though it had cried once, if his hearing weren't so sharp, he might not have noticed at all!
Ethan Gu frowned. "It's not full-term, and born like this, it's likely to die young. Even if it survives, it'll be frail and sickly!" Still, its vitality was impressive—he'd thought for sure it would be a stillbirth.
Ethan Gu furrowed his brow, took out a small porcelain bottle, and dripped an unknown medicine into the baby's mouth, his eyes showing a hint of pity.
Maxwell Jing knew perfectly well he wasn't pitying the little baby, but rather his medicine. No one understood Ethan Gu's quirks better than he did!
Luo Jin had slipped away at some point. Ethan Gu stood up and said, "Let's go! You wanted it, so don't expect me to take care of it!"
Maxwell Jing chuckled. "My medical skills aren't as good as yours. If I take care of it, it'll probably die soon. You saved it, so let it live a little longer!" Clearly, he wanted to shirk the burden and was already regretting his impulsiveness. It was all Little Ethan and Little Roxy's fault for being too adorable—he'd thought all babies were that cute!
Mona Shangguan was barely clinging to life. Seeing the two about to leave, she reached out, wanting them to take her with them, but her hand fell limply before she could lift it. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. As her body grew cold, terror gripped her heart—she didn't want to die here, not yet! Morgan Shangguan wasn't dead yet; how could she die first? She was unwilling!
Dawn broke. Minister Magnus Shangguan had been quietly sitting since his return, finally calming down a bit. Remembering Mona Shangguan's miserable appearance, he felt uneasy. After all, she was his own daughter, and because of what happened when she was young, he'd always felt guilty and doted on her for years. How could he bear to just watch her die?
But when he hurried back to the ruined temple with his guards, all he found was Mona Shangguan's cold corpse. The body wasn't even whole—her abdomen had been slit open and the child inside had been taken!
"Xuanxuan..." Minister Magnus Shangguan cradled Mona Shangguan's corpse, overwhelmed with grief. "It's all Father's fault..." No matter what, she was his daughter! How could he have stood by and done nothing?
The Prime Minister's residence was soon shrouded in white, but since the day of the new emperor's enthronement was near, the mourning couldn't be too public. The whole estate felt cold and desolate.
Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray hadn't left yet, and Luo Jin was still staying at the Prime Minister's residence. Minister Magnus Shangguan, heartbroken, hadn't seen anyone. Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray were also nowhere to be found, but not because they were grieving. Morgan knew how Damien loved to stir trouble—he'd never cared for propriety and despised Mona Shangguan. If she let him out, he might do something inappropriate and cause trouble. Their real goal this time was Blood Rakshasa!
Damien Gray, for his part, had no complaints. As long as Morgan Shangguan was with him, he could always find a way to take advantage.
But that night, Morgan Shangguan couldn't seem to sleep comfortably. She reached out, but didn't feel Damien Gray beside her. She opened her eyes and frowned at the empty space next to her.
Damien Gray soon returned. Seeing her awake, he explained, "There were some things I needed to take care of." Then he climbed into bed, pulled her into his arms, kissed her forehead, and murmured softly, "Sleep."
Morgan Shangguan didn't ask what it was—she knew she'd find out soon enough.
The next morning, after breakfast, Damien Gray suddenly said, "Mo'er, the Prime Minister is so heartbroken. Shouldn't you go visit him?"