Chapter Seventeen: The Return of Little Red Riding Hood (Please Vote, Please Support)

Ye Cangyi, lying on the ground amidst a pile of crushed poker soldiers, was still dazed. He had not expected the Queen of Hearts to possess such formidable power, capable of sending him flying with a single blow. It was currently night, the time when a Star Warrior’s combat prowess was at its peak. Although he had not yet invoked the power of the Seven Mansions, he was still stronger than usual, making the fact that he had been struck down so easily truly terrifying.

"Jiao Mansion: Wood Dragon Emerging from the Water!"

Ye Cangyi’s body erupted with a cyan radiance, as if a great azure dragon were rising to the heavens, letting out a sky-shaking roar. His spear transformed; he gripped the base of the shaft, holding it level as the tip took the shape of a dragon’s head, its horns glinting with a chilling light. A Star Warrior borrowed the power of the stars, and his strength grew at night. Ye Cangyi wielded the power of the Azure Dragon’s Seven Mansions, and the Jiao Mansion possessed the greatest offensive capability. He charged once more, spear leveled.

However, the Queen of Hearts did not need to act herself. The two Heart Knights guarding her sprang into action. A master’s humiliation was a servant’s death; as her guards, they could not stand by and watch the Queen intervene personally. Wielding broadswords, the two hulking figures stepped forward, blocking Ye Cangyi’s path. Despite their bizarre appearance, the Heart Knights were incredibly powerful, and together, they forced Ye Cangyi into a desperate retreat. With one attacking and one defending, their coordination was seamless. Under such an assault, Ye Cangyi could only parry, with no hope of a counterattack.

Others were not idle, each occupied with their own foes. Mu Rongxun, utilizing his elusive nature, acted as an assassin, launching sneak attacks that felled one Heart soldier after another, causing both his rest-value and growth-value to fluctuate constantly. He held nothing back, unleashing a laser beam directly toward the Queen of Hearts. A brilliant light radiated from him, crystallizing everything in its path—poker soldiers, Heart soldiers, and even the Heart Knights were not spared. His target was the Queen herself.

"Hmph, ignorant fool!" The Queen of Hearts was incensed that Mu Rongxun dared to attack her. She was not a magnanimous person, and this provocation infuriated her. Dense black mist gathered around her, forming a shield that deflected the incoming ray. Mu Rongxun’s strength was limited, and his energy consumption was low, so the power of his laser was predictable.

"Qiankun: Immeasurable!" Zhong Ye, who had been spinning his compass, let out a fierce shout as golden light bloomed from the eight banners. He was lucky this time, landing on the most powerful side of the compass. He pressed his palms together, crouched, and slammed them into the ground!

Boom! The earth shook violently, and golden light rippled outward in all directions. The surrounding buildings, as if encountering a natural enemy, withered and decayed, losing all their glossy, vibrant luster. This was their true state; they had only been maintained by a special power until now. Under the impact of the light, the army of poker people could not escape, and many were sliced in two.

"Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, tell me, who is the wisest person in the world?" Inside a luxurious palace, a woman applied makeup, whispering to her mirror.

"I praise you, my master!" The surface of the mirror rippled, and a voice emerged. "You are the most noble Queen, possessing both beauty and wisdom."

"Hmph!" The Queen nodded in satisfaction, rising in her magnificent white gown. "I wonder how my foolish sister is doing. I hope Little Red Riding Hood doesn’t kill her too quickly."

"Master, your wish will soon be granted!" the Magic Mirror flattered.

"By the way, how is Snow White?" The Queen felt a flicker of irritation at the mention of her stepdaughter. The King’s affection for his daughter rendered her dark magic useless against her.

"Snow White is still thinking of escaping the palace. Furthermore, she recently met a knight from the East. I cannot see through him!" the mirror replied, sounding aggrieved.

"A knight from the East?" The Queen was puzzled. Where was there an East? While there were many kingdoms in the Fantasy Fairyland, she knew them all.

"Not from the Fantasy Fairyland, but the East beyond the Mist," the mirror explained.

"The Mist..." At the mention of this, the Queen fell silent. It seemed to be a taboo subject. The mirror wisely held its tongue. Despite her irritation, the Queen felt a surge of joy knowing her hated sister was finally about to disappear. The power of the Heart Castle was vast; for years, her sister had been a thorn in her side. Now, through the foresight and planning provided by the Magic Mirror, she had finally maneuvered events to her satisfaction. She had left the Fantasy Fairyland, and to them, Fairytale Town was a forbidden land. Thinking of this as her own masterpiece, the Queen laughed with excitement.

Back in Fairytale Town, the battle raged on. Zhong Ye’s "Qiankun" strike had been immense, its vast, majestic power akin to divine pressure, resulting in consequences far beyond their expectations. The hidden truth of the town was laid bare before everyone. The prosperous town vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a desolate, decaying wasteland reeking of rot. The Queen of Hearts turned her head away in disgust.

"She’s here! She’s here!" A panicked voice echoed from the mist, carrying far into the quiet night. "Run! She’s coming!"

The voice grew closer, and a small figure burst out from the mist, ignoring the combatants.

"Who is coming? Speak clearly." The Queen of Hearts sat on her sofa, raising a hand. A stream of black energy snatched the figure and brought it to her side. She leaned back lazily, while two small monkeys beneath her struggled to support her weight. Seeing that she had captured a puppet, the Queen showed no surprise. Her subordinates were all oddities; she didn't care about one more.

"Li-Little Red Riding Hood is coming! Run!" Pinocchio screamed in terror, shaking uncontrollably.

"Who is Little Red Riding Hood?" the Queen asked haughtily. "My army is here; only others have ever seen me run."

"Little Red Riding Hood is... is..." Pinocchio stammered. It couldn’t describe her form; it was just a puppet. But that day, it had seen her with its own eyes—dressed in her usual attire, her hood half-burned, accompanied by the aura of death. She had made everyone collapse, only to make them stand again.

"Work at sunrise, rest at sunset!" This sounded normal, but combined with the state of the town’s residents, it was terrifying. The residents acted as if they knew nothing, going about their routines, but once the time came, they would stop whatever they were doing without hesitation and return home. Pinocchio had seen many outsiders enter, discover the secrets, and fail to do anything but leave behind more ruined houses. They would soon be discovered by Little Red Riding Hood and purged, and the town would return to its cycle, day after day. If Pinocchio were human, it would have surely joined them. Initially, it had tried to help the outsiders, hoping they would save the townspeople, but after repeated failures, it had fallen into despair. It now avoided them, hoping they would leave early, though it knew this was self-deception—the mist outside ensured no one could ever escape.

"Whatever she is, I am the master of the Heart Castle. My army is here. Anyone who meets me only meets the fate of losing their head." The Queen spoke proudly. "Watch this unfold!" She tossed Pinocchio to a nearby Heart Knight.

Pinocchio struggled in the knight’s grip. "Little Red Riding Hood is powerful and terrifying! Run, flee to the Fantasy Fairyland!"

The Queen ignored the warning, taking it as an affront to her dignity. She hated nothing more than being questioned or defied. Now, she was even more eager to see how powerful this Little Red Riding Hood truly was.

The Queen did not notice that her poker army was changing; their auras were fading, and the weakest among them were crumbling into ash. The poker soldiers were not real people, but magical constructs. Now, they were suffering under the erosion of a much stronger death-divinity, and they had no power to resist.

Aokoding and the others, who had been watching, could no longer remain idle. They drew their weapons and entered combat mode. Only those who had truly faced Little Red Riding Hood understood how terrifying she was. More importantly, she was immune to supernatural damage and largely immune to physical attacks. Without overwhelming physical force, they had no way to deal with her. The preparations they had made were intended for gods, and they had never imagined encountering such an unreasonable entity. A single wolf-skin cloak had rendered all their plans futile. It was the first time they had ever encountered such a thing.