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墨書 Inktalez
At this moment, most people would undoubtedly ask, "Who are you?" I wanted to ask the same, but what would it matter? I was trapped, at the mercy of others. Even if I asked, it depended on whether she would choose to answer. If she wanted to speak, she would tell me.
I stood at a distance, watching as my breath formed bubbles that floated up in a beautiful string, gurgling as they ascended.
Surrounding me were rocky cliffs and valleys, with lowly algae quietly standing by. Most were also bubbling, along with large-leafed seaweed and kelp that looked remarkably real. Scattered on the ground were clams, each about the size of a palm, making it seem like this place was an underwater world devoid of swimming fish.
I curiously gazed at this hidden realm beneath the magma of the Underworld. Breathing underwater felt effortless, like a dream. The surroundings were lush and green; no wonder it was called the Emerald Valley.
"Aren't you curious about who I am?"
"If you want to tell me, you will do so without me asking."
Her voice was melodious, like a gentle breeze brushing against my cheek, silky smooth. Yet I couldn't pinpoint where she was speaking from; her voice echoed throughout the underwater expanse, as if it came from every direction or perhaps it was just an illusion.
"I'm more curious about where you are."
"I'm right here." Her tone was steady, swaying like willow branches, very soothing. "This valley is me; I am this valley."
"You are the Emerald Valley?"
Seeing my astonished expression, she chuckled lightly. "Don't be surprised. I'm not lying to you."
"But how can a valley speak? And in a woman's voice?"
"Because I was human in my past life. After death, I lost everything except for this lingering remnant that created the Emerald Valley, just to see him once more."
"Is he your lover?"
"Yes." Her voice suddenly grew somber. I thought she was reminiscing about her beloved and fell silent. However, after a brief pause, she laughed lightly again. "Gu Anxin brought you here; doesn't that mean I will never have another chance? Even as a remnant, I have no right to see him again?"
"What?" I looked at her in shock, uncertain as I asked, "Your lover is—Jun Chong?"
"Yes. He is the man I love most in my life, my King of the Underworld, Jun Chong."
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and I felt unsteady on my feet, retreating a few steps and nearly falling. A strong urge surged within me to recognize who she was, but those two words caught in my throat, unable to be spoken.
"Don't show that expression. I no longer have the ability or qualification to fight for anything; I just want to see him once."
I sensed an increase in the bubbles ahead, and the water there flowed rapidly, as if something was moving beneath its surface.
Standing still, I soon saw the darkness ahead suddenly brighten. In the shimmering golden light stood two towering stone figures clad in armor, their faces fierce and lifelike. In the center of the ground lay a charred black mass; I couldn't tell what it was.
Behind them was a platform holding a box about the length of an arm, glowing with a green radiance. Transparent wings flanked the box, fluttering protectively.
"The Emerald Feather Box?"
"You know?" Her voice brightened. I noticed the bubbles drawing closer to me and instinctively stepped back. "Did he tell you? He still thinks of me."
I pressed my lips together and remained silent, fixated on the bubbles ahead. Everything here shifted slightly with the intensity of those bubbles; they truly seemed to be a part of her, moving in response to her changes.
"I have guarded the Emerald Feather Box for so long; he will definitely come for me because he needs to reclaim his body."
"What?" I exclaimed in surprise. "Jun Chong's body is in there?"
My heart raced. Jun Chong had always said he needed to break the seal to reclaim his body, but from what he had told me about entering the Underworld, it seemed he didn't know that his body was inside the Emerald Feather Box. If I could retrieve the Emerald Feather Box, could I not directly reclaim Jun Chong's body?
Just as joy surged within me, her voice came slowly again. "Don't think about taking back his body; I'm only responsible for guarding it, but even I can't touch it. If anyone gets within a meter of them, they will be crushed to pieces."
"Then how can we get it?"
"This is the final layer of sealing. When he arrives, I'll tell him—you're not allowed!"
“Su Yi! If you love him so much, why are you doing this? You know he needs this body; why not help him?”
I expected her to be angry, but she said nothing. Instead, she chuckled lightly, her voice growing softer, filled with an uncontainable sigh. “It’s been a long time since anyone called me by that name.”
Ahead, the water source slowly gathered, forming the shape of a person. It was faintly visible that she wore women's attire—slender yet tall. Just her appearance was stunningly beautiful, and one could only imagine how enchanting Su Yi must have been in her prime, yet all of that could not withstand death and faded into the world.
“The only things I can never forget in this life are him and you. Anxin, it means peace of mind; it’s the name he gave you.”
I pursed my lips slightly. I had no recollection of her words, but I was certain of one thing: I was not her reincarnation; otherwise, she wouldn’t have said that.
“Did we have any past together?”
“I don’t remember!” She smiled faintly. “I’m just a lingering obsession, neither a soul nor a spirit. Perhaps only you or he can sense my existence. If you want to know the truth from back then, go to the Su Family!”
“The Su Family?”
I frowned. The Su Family held both good and bad memories for me—my grandfather's last words and Su Ziqian's request were all tied to them. I knew it was a place I had to visit. If pursuing the truth of my past could help me understand Jun Chong better, then I would be willing to go.
“Anxin, you’re pregnant with a Demon Fetus. When the child is born, it will be your time of death. You will die for the child just like I did; your time is short as well. No one in this world can be together with him for eternity; humans and ghosts cannot fall in love—that is a predetermined curse.”
“Whose child is it?”
“Whose?” She turned her gaze upward, silent for a long time as if lost in thought.
Suddenly, the water rippled violently in the distance, and the sound of rocks collapsing echoed loudly—a great commotion. In an instant, her figure dispersed and vanished without a trace, leaving behind only one line: “It doesn’t matter whose it is; it’s not his.”
“Ha—”
I let out a sudden breath of relief. Previously, I learned from Granny Mi that Su Yi died while pregnant with a Demon Fetus. Now that she claimed to love Jun Chong so deeply, I felt conflicted; thankfully, she provided me with this answer.
People are selfish like that—they cannot tolerate the idea of someone they love being involved with another person, even if it was in a past life!
The greenery around me was gradually fading, and I watched as the glow of the Emerald Feather Box diminished. Panic surged within me, and I hurriedly ran toward it.
In the darkness, I sensed a voice brushing past my ear, indistinguishable in gender, yet clearly articulating, "Do you really believe her words?"
"Who?"
I stopped and turned back, only to find myself enveloped in darkness. It was eerily silent, with no response—only the echo of my own voice.
I pulled the Qilin Hairpin from my hair, its faint glow providing a simple source of light.
The brilliance of the Emerald Feather Box was nearly gone; if it disappeared completely, I wouldn't be able to find it. Without thinking further, I dashed forward. But just a few steps in, I was yanked back with great force, greeted by a barrage of scolding.
"Gu Anxin, how much trouble do you want to cause me before you’re satisfied? I leave for just a moment, and you end up here, falling into someone else's illusion. If I had come any later, you would have lost your very soul!"
I stood there in shock from his reprimand. Just as I was about to explain, my vision ahead sharpened. A bottomless chasm loomed before me, dark and foreboding, with countless sharp white spikes protruding from the ground. One more step forward and I would fall.
At that moment, Qin Ling wrapped one arm around my waist while wielding his sword with the other to slay an approaching ghost. The ghost let out a chilling scream as it fell onto the white spikes. I watched in horror as its gray form dissipated into wisps of smoke, while the spike that pierced it grew larger and taller.
My heart raced as I patted my chest in relief. "What is this?"
"Soul Lock Bone," Qin Ling replied tersely. "A weapon for killing ghosts. Any soul pierced by it has no chance of survival." He shot me an irritated glance and threatened, "If you cause me any more trouble, I'll throw you in there and tell the king you jumped in yourself."
"Don't!" Fear gripped me at that moment; those countless spikes looked terrifying. Just thinking about it sent waves of panic through me. I clung tightly to his neck, refusing to let go. "If you dare let me down, I'll drag you down with me!"
"Let go of me!"
I stubbornly held on. "No! If I let go, you'll throw me down."
"…"
"I'm not throwing you down; just get down right now."
I finally let go of my grip, but my legs felt weak, and I fell to the ground, realizing that my feet had indeed gone soft. Qin Ling shot me an annoyed glance and reached out to pull me up, half-dragging, half-holding me as we moved forward.
“Qin Ling, don’t be so rough. No wonder no female ghost likes you.”
“…”
“Qin Ling, you should smile more; it will boost your popularity.”
“…”
“Qin Ling—”
“If you keep talking, I’ll throw you down! I’m sure everyone in the Underworld loves the scent you carry.”
I was speechless, pouting and making a face at him. “You stingy ghost.”
I turned back to glance at the pitch-black Wasteland, where the earlier sights of Emerald Valley and the Emerald Feather Box had vanished. Could it be that all of those were just figments of my imagination? Was that Su Yi merely a manifestation of a Vengeful Spirit?
But I felt otherwise. If it were truly a ghost trying to harm me, there would be no need for it to let me know about those things. So I firmly believed it was real.
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