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墨書 Inktalez
"Today."
I recounted the earlier events once more, but ultimately chose not to mention Su Yi, wanting to see if Jun Chong knew that Emerald Valley was merely a remnant of Su Yi.
Upon hearing this, Jun Chong's flat brows furrowed tightly, and he asked a single question, "Are you truly certain that my body is there?"
"Yes." I paused before adding, "Emerald Valley told me so; I can't be mistaken."
"Why would it tell you these things?"
I loosened my grip on his collar and lowered my head, hesitating over whether to reveal the matter of Su Yi. Jun Chong did not urge me, and the atmosphere grew somewhat heavy.
Taking a deep breath, just as I was about to speak, Jun Chong preemptively took the floor. He said, "No matter who said it, don't believe it for now. Wait until you find the Emerald Feather Box."
"Mm." I replied softly.
"What I know about the Emerald Feather Box is that it is an ancient divine artifact. No one knows what lies within it or why it appeared in the Underworld; perhaps it exists in both realms. However, outside rumors claim that the Emerald Feather Box is a treasure trove—if one obtains it, their wishes will come true, but there is always a price to pay. If my body truly lies within it, I believe he must have paid a tremendous price back then."
Jun Chong's words grew heavy towards the end, his tone low and mixed with emotions I couldn't quite articulate.
I looked up at him with concern and weakly asked, "Is it the King of Hell?" Seeing Jun Chong remain silent, I pressed on, "Why would he do this? He told me he only wanted to take everything from you—your power, your status, everything."
"These matters are between us; you need not worry. When I entered, I saw Qin Ling trying to kill you, so I had no choice but to act this way. To avoid letting the Grim Reaper discover my presence, I had to leave first. Be careful; go along with him and do not oppose him. Once you reach Emerald Valley, remember that when the Ghost General leaves, you must go without stopping. The rest will be handled by me. Rong Zhi has already entered Underworld City; rest assured that Molin will be fine."
Jun Chong blinked his eyes and his gentleness returned. His smooth fingertip caressed my face with deep reluctance. "Anxin, remember that you must stay safe. Losing you would render everything I've done meaningless. Only with you by my side do I feel that I've truly lived this life. Anxin, may everything bring you peace."
My nose tinged with a sense of sorrow, tears streaming down my face, landing on his fingers and leaving a trail of moisture.
"Don't worry, I will take good care of myself. With your words, I will live well and create a true home that belongs to us."
"Fool, sometimes you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Jun Chong lowered his head and placed a kiss on my lips. It was light like a dragonfly touching the water, yet it carried an indelible sense of reluctance. Finally, he bit down hard, devouring my lips and transforming that gentle touch into a storm.
The kiss enveloped us. Although we knew this wasn't the right moment for intimacy, neither of us could let go of the other. We only hoped that even a little more time together would be worth it, as we had no idea when we would be able to share such closeness again.
"Anxin, I'm leaving."
His final words floated in the wind before taking away all breath. I stood there, eyes wide open, and in the darkness, I could faintly see the fighting figure of Red Figure.
As Jun Chong vanished, the surrounding spirits also disappeared. Qin Ling sheathed his sword and instantly appeared by my side, staring at me without speaking, seemingly at a loss for words regarding my knack for attracting trouble.
I shrugged, spreading my hands with a smile. "It's not my fault; sometimes trouble just can't be avoided."
"Hmph."
This time, Qin Ling wasn't injured but he also didn't continue using Molin's spirit to heal the wound on his back. I saw that the wound had shrunk to just an inch in size, dark and dry without any blood.
From that day on, Qin Ling and I hardly spoke. We traveled during the day and rested at night. Due to the invasion of the Grim Reaper, the Vengeful Spirits had initially attacked fiercely but later became much less aggressive since most couldn't withstand Qin Ling's strength.
He was bloodthirsty and combative; his swordsmanship was fierce. Although I had never seen Shizui fight, one couldn't help but imagine how captivating Shizui must have been in his prime.
Today marked the sixth day since entering the Underworld. I remembered that both Jun Chong and Molin had mentioned before that everything in the Netherworld revolved around the number "seven," which represented both beginnings and endings.
Although Qin Ling didn't say anything, I had a feeling that if we didn't find Emerald Valley by the seventh day, we would have no hope this time.
As I chewed on the tasteless flatbread, I suddenly saw a flash of lightning light up the horizon to my left. The rumbling seemed to herald an approaching thunderstorm, illuminating half the sky and making the entire night feel somewhat different.
"What’s going on over there?"
I looked at Qin Ling standing ahead, gazing at the movement in that direction, his gray hair fluttering. "Lianchi has made a move. You rest for a bit; we’ll set off soon."
"Lianchi is moving? Do you have any plans?"
Since the day I had seen Lianchi, I hadn't heard from him, but he should be in the Underworld. Given the current commotion, it seemed like they had planned this well in advance. However, I was completely unaware of their plans. If something went wrong at a critical moment, Jun Chong would be in danger, so I needed to stay behind.
Qin Ling didn’t answer; I knew his personality wouldn’t allow him to share that with me. Just as I was thinking of other ways to find out, Qin Ling suddenly turned around and swung his sword at me. I felt a sharp pain in my arm as if something had scratched me.
In the next moment, Qin Ling was already standing in front of me.
In the darkness stood a female ghost in a simple white dress, her long, sharp fingers glinting coldly. She smiled slightly from one side. "The smell of blood is so enticing; why don’t you let me have a taste? Hehe."
"Who are you?"
"Me?" She squinted her eyes, her brows arching playfully as she smiled joyfully, two dimples appearing on her cheeks making her look quite charming. "Guess!"
I looked at her in the plain white long skirt, her hair loosely tied up, and her sweet face was beautiful. However, her pair of phoenix eyes were too alluring, easily coercing those who couldn't withstand their charm.
Around her waist was a belt of the same color, tied with a circle of vines. The green had faded to reveal black underneath, and something resembling a waist token was entangled above it. As it swayed in the wind, faint black mist spread out from it, instantly chilling the surrounding air even more.
"Are you the new king of the Underworld?"
"Well, well, little brother, you really have an eye for talent to notice so quickly."
"What are you doing here?"
Qin Ling stood before me with a cold expression, holding a long sword, ready to strike at any moment.
The female ghost, however, seemed completely unfazed, still smiling brightly. She resembled Lianchi in some ways, both having a nature that thrived on chaos. Yet she was the ruler of the Underworld, which meant her strength was formidable.
At first glance, I thought she was just an ordinary Vengeful Spirit due to her delicate appearance. However, Qin Ling had already demonstrated impressive speed, and she had still managed to scratch me. That alone was proof of her power!
I pressed my hand against the wound, which was beginning to heal gradually.
The female ghost winked at me. "I sensed the Lord of the Ghost Fetus was here, so I came to take a look. Recovering so quickly after being clawed by me—truly impressive! I'm quite interested in you; why not come with me? Following this Grim Reaper, you'll eventually find yourself without a burial place."
I instinctively took a step back. Qin Ling remained motionless, so I couldn't gauge his reaction upon realizing I was the Lord of the Ghost Fetus. If the Underworld found out about this child, I would undoubtedly face endless troubles. Sneaking into the Underworld Palace to seek a solution would be even more challenging; the King of Hell would surely be prepared.
I was anxious, but Qin Ling showed no reaction. Faced with the Vengeful Spirit, he remained cold and unyielding. "If you want to touch her, you'll have to get through me first."
With that, he charged at the female ghost. She deftly dodged to the side, evading each of Qin Ling's attacks without any intention of countering.
"I must say, can you not treat a female ghost like this? She's quite attractive but overly combative—definitely a big minus," she chuckled softly, her demeanor gentle as water. "But I like it this way. Can't we talk things over? There's no need for fighting."
"Stop wasting time."
Qin Ling continued his assault. Just as he was about to stab down at the female ghost with his sword, she sprang back with a nimble backflip and landed on a nearby rock. Without hesitation, Qin Ling spun his sword for another strike. Suddenly, the female ghost glanced my way and grinned widely; in an instant, her mouth split open from ear to ear like Japan's Lady in the Cracked Mouth. Her sharp teeth were stained crimson and exuded a strong scent of blood.
In the next moment, I felt a chill on my neck as her sharp nails pressed against my skin. With just one swift move, blood would spurt forth from where she touched me—and I hadn't even seen how she got so close.
"Let her go!"
"I've already said we should talk it out. If you keep this up, I can only take her hostage!"
I caught a fierce glare from Qin Ling, and I rolled my eyes. Is this my fault? I haven't done anything.
Seeing Qin Ling standing still, the female ghost smiled charmingly and waved her fingers at him, her laughter becoming more flirtatious. "Little brother, if you keep waiting for me like this, I might think you've fallen in love with me!"
"Enough nonsense. State your purpose," Qin Ling said, pointing his sword at her with a menacing tone. "Otherwise, I won't hesitate to kill you both."
"How dull, what a buzzkill." The female ghost pouted in annoyance and said slowly, "I'm here to find you! I want to make a deal. I know you've been searching for Emerald Valley these past few days. Tomorrow marks the seventh day, which is significant for Reincarnation. If you don't find it, you'll return empty-handed. You carry the scent of the Underworld King; returning empty-handed will surely bring punishment. So, as a kind-hearted ghost, I'll point you in the right direction. You just need to agree to one condition, and I'll help you reach Emerald Valley to obtain the Emerald Feather Box."
"What do you need?"
Before I could finish my sentence, Qin Ling shouted at me in anger, "Shut up!"
"Haha..." The female ghost laughed heartily and pinched my cheek. "You're still such a cute little girl. This man is truly boring. I'll leave my words here; take your time to think it over. If you're clear by tomorrow morning, come find me at the Magma site ten miles east."
As the female ghost released me and waved goodbye, Qin Ling frowned and remained still. I called out to her retreating figure, "What’s your condition?"
"Help me kill that Vengeful Spirit who murdered one of the Three Ghost Generals."
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