Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I felt light, floating, with no restraints, yet I was plummeting down at an incredible speed, as if something beneath my feet was pulling me. That sensation of weightlessness surged from my heart, and my screams were drowned out by the sound of the wind.
In the midst of the rapid descent, a soft, fluffy sensation suddenly ignited beneath my feet, and then I felt myself come to a stop. My feet touched the ground, and everything around me was eerily quiet. A pure white light flickered before me. I moved my eyes and slowly opened them.
I found myself standing in a corner of a bedroom, surrounded by flowing sheer curtains and a pleasant fragrance. In the center of the room, a small figure lay sleeping on a large bed. A man bent over her, gently brushing the hair from her face before leaning down to kiss her.
"Anxin, this time it's my fault, but I had no other choice. I hope you can understand."
Jun Chong?
Hearing that voice, I quickly moved closer and stood at the head of the bed. There lay my sleeping self, and sitting beside her was undoubtedly Jun Chong.
What was happening?
I stood across from Jun Chong, yet he was completely focused on the me lying in bed, clearly unaware of the other version of me standing right in front of him.
Jun Chong continued for a while longer, tucking the covers around my sleeping self before leaving the room. I watched as my other self slept peacefully and pondered for a moment before following the direction Jun Chong had taken. However, when I reached for the door to open it, I found that my hand passed right through it; I couldn't touch anything solid.
I remembered what Jun Chong had told me before: "The most basic soul cannot touch any physical objects. To make contact, one must possess spiritual power. But in the underworld, where spiritual energy is concentrated and absorbs the essence of countless years, all souls can interact with physical objects and live as if in their own world."
At that time, I had asked him, "What does it mean if a soul in the underworld cannot touch anything?"
He had looked down at me then, his cool fingertips resting on my brow's center. A sharp chill surged from that point directly into me, making me shiver. When I looked up at him, I found his gaze complex as he stared at me but never answered my question. At that moment, I felt certain that a soul unable to touch anything must be on the brink of death.
I hadn't thought much of it then, but now reflecting on it—I had entered the underworld in human form yet suddenly found myself unable to touch anything. Even standing across from Jun Chong, he hadn’t noticed anything unusual despite his keen awareness.
What does this mean?
"Because you are already dead?"
The abrupt voice echoed in my mind, and I instantly recalled what the Lord had said before. I looked down at my palm, which appeared the same as usual, yet felt different.
"It must be a lie; if I were dead, I wouldn't be able to move so freely."
I shook my head to dismiss the voice and gazed at the intricately carved door in front of me. Closing my eyes, I charged forward, expecting pain, but instead, I found myself stepping through the door and standing in the corridor. Looking around, it felt somewhat familiar, like North City, where we lived.
As I was lost in thought, Mu Yan ascended the stairs, lifting her skirt as she approached. She entered the room next door. Curious about her anxious expression, I figured that since they couldn't see me, it wouldn't hurt to follow and see what was happening. Besides, someone wanted me to witness all of this for a reason.
Upon entering, I saw Jun Chong standing by the window in a dark robe, hands clasped behind his back, with a lightning mark on his forehead glowing red like a flower.
Mu Yan walked up behind him and spoke, " Lord, the Courtesan of North City has been confirmed; it's Peony." She paused for a moment as if hesitating but continued to ask, "Are you really going to do this?"
Jun Chong remained silent, his posture straight as if something outside the window held greater allure.
After a moment of hesitation, Mu Yan added, "Anxin—"
She barely started when Jun Chong interrupted her. "I owe her an apology; it has been that way from the beginning."
"Although I haven't interacted much with her, I can see that she truly loves you. I also understand that this must succeed; we need to obtain that item. Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain. We have already lost your body; we cannot afford to lose more. But Anxin should not become a sacrifice; she is carrying your child!"
Jun Chong stiffened suddenly, and my heart raced along with him.
What did Mu Yan mean? Did Jun Chong have another purpose for entering the Netherworld this time? And was this purpose something that had caused him to fail once before and lose his own body?
What is that thing?
"Fourth, only by becoming the Queen of the Underworld can one obtain that item."
Lianchi's words echoed in my mind, causing my body to shudder. I instinctively leaned back, colliding with a nearby table and tumbling to the ground. The two people in front of me remained oblivious to my fall.
Could it really be that?
Is that why Jun Chong wanted Stunning and me to enter the Underworld Palace together? Only by working together could we obtain it more effectively?
A subtle chill crept into my heart. I looked up at the tall figure and heard him say, "I won't let anything happen to her." His hands were clasped behind his back, gripping tightly, visibly trembling. "I will ensure our child is born safely, and I will make sure she lives forever."
"My Lord, do you—"
Mu Yan began to speak but stopped short. Her long eyelashes fluttered before finally drooping, hiding the flicker in her eyes.
At that moment, Jun Chong turned around. His handsome, icy face remained unchanged, but within his pitch-black eyes glimmered a hint of moisture, betraying his inner turmoil.
"I thought I would never love again, never feel pain again. But only now do I realize it wasn't that I couldn't; it was that I hadn't met the right person. Mu Yan, this is fate—you'll understand when you encounter it."
"Mu Yan doesn't understand. Since you love her so much, why would you do this? Sending her to another man who cannot love her will only bring her endless pain. How can you be so cruel?"
"He won't truly hurt her."
Jun Chong looked down at his palm, where a red-black object rested. I recognized it as the Bonded Couple I had given him long ago.
After he fell in love with me again, I had returned it to him.
“Anxin said that Bonded Couple means never to part until the soul is destroyed. There is a strong will in her hair; I can feel that she cannot live without me, but I—”
Mu Yan lowered her head to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes and shook her head slightly. “Then you should let go. Why must you make things this way? There must be another solution.”
“No.” Jun Chong firmly rejected, gripping the Bonded Couple tightly. “There’s no time left; this is the last chance, and it must succeed.” He took two steps forward. “She must not know about this.”
Mu Yan bit her lip, unwilling but faced with her master's command, she could only obey. She bowed slightly to Jun Chong’s back. “Yes.”
As Jun Chong walked out, I saw Mu Yan glance in my direction with eyes that seemed to flicker, but in the end, she said nothing and left with a wave of her sleeve.
Just as she made her move, I felt a powerful suction pulling me away once more.
Having experienced it before, I appeared much calmer this time. The surroundings were eerily quiet when suddenly a piercing scream broke through the silence, only for the cry to abruptly cut off after a single note.
I opened my eyes to see a stunningly beautiful woman struggling. “Why are you trying to kill me?”
“It’s your fault for being a Courtesan from North City.”
With Jun Chong increasing his strength, black flames spread out, and several shadows leaped out from the body of the peony. With a flick of his fingers, those shadows completely vanished, leaving clothes and ornaments scattered on the ground.
Jun Chong turned around; the lightning mark on his brow burned even brighter, and his pitch-black eyes glimmered with Yin Hong, coldly terrifying and utterly unfamiliar.
After finishing all this, he disappeared through the window. I wanted to chase after him but found the Grim Reaper standing at the window across from me, astonished by what he had just witnessed. Then Lianchi approached from behind him; he seemed to have told Lianchi everything. With a slight movement of her finger, the Grim Reaper collapsed.
“So he wasn’t lying to me.”
I stood quietly in place, unsure of what to do until someone entered the room and discovered the soul-destroyed woman. “Oh no, Peony is dead.”
Her voice attracted some people, and eventually, they discussed the need to find someone to replace Peony as the Courtesan of North City.
I had lost interest in all of this. I left that place and wandered aimlessly down the street. Suddenly, I felt the urge to go back and see what had happened to myself. However, just as I reached the corner, I saw my own body stiffen, unable to move, with hollow eyes clearly under control. Then someone took that version of me away.
I instinctively wanted to chase after them but noticed a familiar black figure fluttering at the corner. My feet hesitated slightly, my heart raced, and a voice warned me not to look. Yet my body reacted directly.
Jun Chong stood at the corner, watching from a distance as I was taken away. His eyes were ink black and intense, like turbulent undercurrents. His tightly clenched hands trembled with reluctance, yet he did not intervene. It wasn't until my figure disappeared into the depths that he put on the Human Skin Mask again and turned to leave.
At that moment, my legs gave way completely, and I fell to the ground. Tears streamed down my face; I no longer had the courage to look further. I feared that if I continued watching, I would truly break down.
I loved him, so I chose to believe.
Even though he carried many mysteries upon returning from Tianshan that I did not understand, I still chose to firmly believe that he would not harm me.
But when it came to interests, I was still abandoned.
The bone-deep pain was something I had never experienced before knowing him, yet after falling in love, I tasted it time and again. Still, I blindly loved him and believed every word he said.
"I'm showing you this not to make you sad or cause you pain. I just want you to know that the Lord does these things out of necessity. He bears great responsibilities for the peace of the entire underworld; there are things he must do even if he doesn't want to. Originally, I thought he could act without concern, but unexpectedly, he became emotionally involved. He loves you but has no choice but to hurt you and use you. He sees your pain and your tears; even though he stands behind you, he cannot reach out to hold you in his arms. That kind of pain is equal for both of you. So Anxin, be strong."
That voice was so familiar; without turning around, I already knew who it was.
Comment 0 Comment Count