Hua Cheng raised his hand slightly, and with that silver butterfly in his palm, he brought it next to
Xie Lian’s ear. In between the twinkling flutters of that silver butterfly’s wings, he heard Pei
Ming’s voice floating over, “Little dummy, did you hear that strange noise?”
It was probably because Pei Ming had been chasing skirts for a long time, so even if Xie Lian
knew Pei Ming felt nothing for Ban Yue, the way he spoke still made people ponder. Ban Yue
replied grimly, “I’m not a dummy… I heard. That noise was really strange, I don’t think it’s
General Hua coming back.”
Of course it wasn’t! Because, it was clearly the “Dong! Dong!” sound Xuan Ji makes hopping
with her broken legs!
There weren’t a long of “Dong!”s before the other two fell silent, and what followed was the
crazed laughter of a woman, “Hehe, hehehe, hahahahAHAHAH…”
That laughter echoed and resounded in the empty underground city, then carried over via the
silver butterfly, some white noise crackled in the transmission, making it sound scarier than if he
heard it in person. Naturally, this was the laugh of the overjoyed and painfully hateful Xuan Ji
who had finally seen Pei Ming once more.
“Didn’t the silver butterfly lead her in the opposite direction?” Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng replied, “She’s smarter than expected.”
Turns out, Xuan Ji had been chasing after that wraith butterfly like mad, curiously fast, and ran
all the way to the end of the main street in no time, but there was no one there. She was once a
female general on the battlefield after all, and instantly noticed she was lead away. Technically,
the moment she noticed she should’ve immediately returned to Qi Rong, but her mind was filled
with Pei Ming, so instead she just turned around and ran in the opposite direction, throwing her
boss Qi Rong completely out of her mind.
Xie Lian found it funny for some reason but it was hard to describe the sentiment exactly. He
quickly brought along those escaped captives and the group rushed to the WuYong divine
temple in the centre of the city. That female ghost Xuan Ji had waited for Pei Ming for too, too
long; just by hearing her laughter it was easy to imagine how twistedly crazy her face must be.
Pei Ming was probably also startled by her, and was in shock for a long time before he started,
“You are…”
Xuan Ji sneered coldly. Yet unexpectedly, after a pause, Pei Ming asked, “Who are you?”
“…”
Xuan Ji was wild with rage, her voice sharp and trembling, “YOU… YOU’RE TRYING TO PISS
ME OFF ON PURPOSE, RIGHT? YOU ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW WHO I AM?!”
Xie Lian wiped away a drop of cold sweat and said, “No way, General Pei… is he actually doing
this on purpose or he really didn’t recognize her?”
“Probably the latter.” Hua Cheng said. After all, if the rumours were true, then in these past
centuries Pei Ming had had affairs with at least over a thousand beauties, how could he
remember every one? Especially an old one from so many hundreds of years ago. Besides, that
incident on Mount Yu Jun with the ghost bride was also passed over to Pei Su to manage, he
never appeared himself, and never saw Xuan Ji. Xuan Ji mumbled to herself, “Right. You’re
angering me on purpose. I won’t fall for it. Heh. You want to lie and say you don’t remember me,
you want to lie to me, hehe.”
Then, she screeched, demanding, “WHO IS THIS LITTLE WHORE? AREN’T YOUR
STANDARDS USUALLY HIGH? WHAT, TRYING DIFFERENT FLAVOURS THIS TIME?”
Ban Yue: “?”
Pei Ming: “??”
Although both made confused noises, but, this resentful tone seemed to have recalled Pei
Ming’s memory, and he knitted his brows slightly, “Xuan Ji? How did you become like this?”
Only then did Xie Lian remember that the Xuan Ji right now must be disheveled. Her eyes were
red like that of a fierce ghost, donned in bright red bridal robes, the lower hems filthy and
unkempt, crawling sluggishly but dangerously like a crocodile on the ground. This was pretty
much how they saw her just now, and it was really difficult to link her to that female general who
was noble and cool, so no wonder acquaintances couldn’t recognize her at first glance.
“How did I become like this? YOU DARE ASK HOW I’VE COME TO LOOK LIKE THIS?! ISN’T
IT ALL YOUR FAULT, I DID THIS ALL FOR YOU!”
“She’s charged at the protection circle.” Hua Cheng informed.
“No worries, RuoYe can hold her off.” Xie Lian said.
Just as he said, a shriek was heard from that silver butterfly. Xuan Ji who charged must’ve been
bounced back and sent flying over thirty meters away, and dropped into the darkness once
more. Pei Ming’s voice came, “His Highness’ spiritual device is pretty useful. I’ll have to forge
one for myself too sometime.”
‘If you knew how it was forged you wouldn’t have said so…’ Xie Lian thought, but before his
thought was complete, Pei Ming shouted, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!”
Xuan Ji yelled, “DON’T THINK YOU CAN KEEP HIDING IN THERE!”
RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Xie Lian was dumbfounded as he speed walked, “What did she do?”
“It appears she’s toppled the divine temple, and the stone ceiling collapsed.”
So that was it. Xuan Ji was bounced back from RuoYe’s protection circle and couldn’t enter the
circle, so she knocked the entire temple down. “Are General Pei and the others alright? Little
Pei and Ban Yue are both there too!” Xie Lian asked.
“They’re fine. Pei Ming shielded them.” Hua Cheng said.
The moment that stone ceiling collapsed boomingly, Pei Ming shielded Pei Su and Ban Yue
under his body. Xie Lian let out a breath of relief, “Then that’s fine. The protection circle still
won’t break from this.”
On the other end, Pei Ming was furious, “Are you crazy? Even if you topple the sky you won’t be
able to get in!” However, Xuan Ji laughed evilly, and Ban Yue exclaimed, “General Pei watch
out!”
“Wha…”
Those reactions all happened at the same time, and amidst this chaos, Xie Lian heard the
sound of a sharp sword piercing a chest. There was no question that it was Pei Ming who was
stabbed.
Xie Lian was anxious, “What’s happened?! The protection circle broke? That’s impossible…
wait, sword?!”
In that instant, he finally understood what Xuan Ji was planning. So that was it!
After Xuan Ji had her fill of laughing, she said cooly, “Who said I wanted to enter?”
Another voice also started laughing, “Hey, Pei Ming, look who’s here! It’s your old sweetheart!”
Rong Guang!
Xuan Ji toppling the divine temple wasn’t her throwing a crazy fit from rage, and it wasn’t
because she wanted to enter the protection circle. Her goal was to crush those two
ghost-sealing clay pots Ban Yue placed in the circle, release the ghosts inside, and have them
attack from the inside!
After Rong Guang escaped the pot, he quickly turned into the form of a sword, and stabbed Pei
Ming. Pei Ming seemed to be trying to pull him out, but Rong Guang was doggedly unyielding,
that sword piercing through his body, “YOU WISH! TIME TO DIE!”
Pei Ming gritted his teeth, “Is the other pot ok??” To be attacked on both sides, if Ke Mo was
added to the mix, then it’d be game over. Ban Yue answered, “Yes! Ke Mo is still sealed!”
The situation was growing dire, and Xie Lian was starting to get anxious. Just as he was about
to quicken his pace however, Hua Cheng suddenly stopped in his step. Xie Lian was startled
and looked back, “San Lang?”
On the back of Hua Cheng’s hand rested another wraith butterfly, seemingly to be whispering
something to him. After he finished listening to its report, he looked up and smiled, “Gege, no
need to panic. Looks like it’ll be fine even if we don’t rush over.”
On the other end, with Rong Guang pierced through Pei Ming’s chest, Xuan Ji was a like a red
gecko and gripped his boots before climbing up his leg. With the way she was dressed and that
ghost fire looming over her head, she was the very appearance of a crazy female ghost, and Pei
Ming cried, “YOU–!”
Xuan Ji murmured, “Pei darling… Pei darling! …” In her current position, it really couldn’t be told
whether if she wanted to strangle him to death or tightly embrace him. Suddenly, in the
peripheral of her vision, she saw Pei Su who was being shielded behind Pei Ming, and recalled
that it was this cold and stoic martial god who apprehended her the last time, and she gritted her
teeth, “YOU LITTLE MUTT!”
Just as her claws were about to swipe down, another hand seized her wrist. Both wrists were
equally pale, and when she looked to see, it was Ban Yue who stopped her. When Xuan Ji saw
another woman by Pei Ming’s side her heart burned and cried, “I haven’t even come for your
little wretched life, but here you are, giving yourself up to me!”
Then she grabbed for Ban Yue’s head. However, Ban Yue wasn’t one of those good and
obedient little brides who would stand around and wait to be scratched to death, and Xuan Ji’s
other wrist was seized without fail. Xuan Ji was a female general whilst alive, and knew that her
strength would put most men to shame, and typical female ghosts could only let themselves be
beaten. Yet, she hadn’t thought this little girl, who looked so thin and weak like a simple breeze
could knock her over, possessed such terrifying power in her arms, almost stronger than Xuan
Ji herself! Not only were both her wrists cuffed down unable to move, when the two matched
eyes, Xuan Ji was even more stunned. This little girl’s eyes were full of aggression and
murderous intent, like the shimmers of a blade in combat, and it reminded her of the battlefield.
Her heart lurched and she threw her hands to break free of the hold. Ban Yue picked up Pei Su
and hopped meters away, landing lightly on her feet, “Let go of General Pei!”
The sword buried in Pei Ming taunted, “Pei Ming you sure are lucky with women. Do you see,
two female ghosts are fighting over you! Hahaha…”
Xuan Ji clung to Pei Ming like a contorted snake, her ten fingers choking his neck, and she said
coldly, “Your little lover seems to have some skills.”
Pei Ming coughed out a mouthful of blood, “I don’t! She’s not my lover!”
“YOU’RE STILL TRYING TO DENY IT?!” Xuan Ji cried, “IF SHE’S NOT YOUR LOVER WHY
WOULD SHE TELL ME TO LET YOU GO?”
“If my old hag was here she’d also tell you to let me go. By your definition, would she be my
lover too?” Pei Ming countered.
Only his frivolous nature could be blamed at this point, calling people ‘little dummy’ for no good
reason, and Xuan Ji was going mad with jealousy, “What? Afraid to admit it now? Weren’t you
all intimate when calling her? Didn’t you use to be much more open when you got your hands
on a new flame? You’ve always been so honest with me, not caring for my feelings at all. Do
you know how much I’ve suffered? So why are you scared of admitting to it now?? General Pei
are you afraid to die now? Or do you really love her so much you couldn’t bear to have me
touch a single finger of hers??”
In the far distance away from the divine temple, Xie Lian watched this scene play out from afar
and felt he really couldn’t bear to watch anymore, and looked back, “San Lang, how about we
go up and rescue them first?”
Hua Cheng laughed, “No need to panic, gege. Someone else will show on our behalves.
Besides, even if we go over now, Xuan Ji still won’t release her chokehold on Pei Ming.”
That was true. With hostages around, things would indeed be rather inconvenient. Yin Yu and
the farmers were also watching nervously, and they all said, “Yea, I could feel that female
ghost’s love has morphed into hatred, she’s going nuts!”
“I don’t think so. I’m sure she couldn’t do it. Want to eat some melon seeds?”
“Give me another handful, thanks.”
“How can everyone be in the mood to munch on melon seeds?” Xie Lian frowned.
“THis Highness, didn’t you munch a bunch too?” The people said.
“Huh?” Only then did Xie Lian realize that while he was so focused on the show earlier, he
unconsciously received a handful of melon seeds they passed over, and it was all eaten. He
slapped his forehead, “How, how rude of me…”
On the other end, Pei Ming was at the end of his ropes, “Xuan Ji, can you not think that way
every time? It’s been so many years, why can’t we just shake hands and walk away? Why must
you be like this?”
Xuan Ji’s hands strangling him squeezed, her almond eyes bulging, “You messed with me first,
and you want to shake hands and walk away? AS IF!”
Pei Ming sighed, “You really… haven’t changed a bit. It’s precisely because of this that we didn’t
work out.”
Xuan Ji thrusted her face to his and cried in rage, “LIKE THIS? LIKE WHAT? AM I NOT
BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH? BECAUSE I REFUSED TO GIVE YOU YUSHI’S BATTLE PLANS AND
ARMY SECRETS? YOU REFUSED THEM YOURSELF! YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T LIKE THAT I
WAS STRONG SO I WAS WILLING TO ABANDON EVEN MY LEGS! DO I NOT LOVE YOU
ENOUGH?? WHO CAN LOVE YOU MORE THAN ME? BUT YOU? YOU WON’T LOOK MY
WAY, NOT EVEN ONCE IN THESE PAST HUNDREDS OF YEARS! WHEN HAVE YOU EVER
COME TO SEE ME??”
Pei Ming pushed away the face that was pressed so close to his and shouted, “IT’S BECAUSE I
KNOW THAT YOU’D GO CRAZY IF I COME SEE YOU THAT I DIDN’T VISIT!”
Xuan Ji grabbed hold of the Ming Guang sword in his chest and stabbed it in a few more inches,
then pulled it out. Pei Ming puked another few large mouthfuls of blood. Xuan Ji yelled, “SAY IT!
IN THE NAME OF YOUR HEAVENLY OFFICIAL STATUS, SWEAR THAT FROM NOW ON
THERE’S ONLY ME. SWEAR THAT YOU’LL NEVER LOOK AT ANOTHER WOMAN AGAIN,
THAT YOUR EYES WOULD ROT IF YOU DO!”
Rong Guang was also enjoying this, “Hurry and say it, Pei Ming! Say it and you can salvage
your little life!”
Pei Ming cursed, “SHUT UP! Goddammit. I had never thought despite not dying on the
battlefields and not dying under the world’s most sacred sword, I’d die in the hands of a crazy
female ghost!”
Not having gotten the answer she desired, Xuan Ji was thoroughly enraged, and her claws shot
out, gripping his head. Xie Lian really couldn’t wait any longer, “San Lang, I really think things
are getting out of hand. Will the person you spoke of make it in time? If not then I’ll go!”
“It’s fine.” Hua Cheng said, “Gege, look. Here they come. “
Just as the words left his lips, the enraged and mad Xuan Ji completely froze.
It was as if someone had casted a petrification spell on her, her body and her expression were
all frozen. Pei Ming was already stabbed by her repeatedly for a number of times, his puked
blood covering the floor. From within the darkness came the sound of clean and crisp ox
hooves, steady and calm, click clack, click clack. Soon after, a person riding a black ox
appeared before all.
The one riding the black ox was a woman in verdant robes, her eyes clear, her expression calm
and quiet. Her head was held high as they approached languidly, like she was watching
something far away. Pei Ming was stunned, “…Queen YuShi.”
That woman inclined her head and looked at him, her demeanor unchanged, and she gave a
slight smile, bowing her head to return the greeting.
Xie Lian was shocked too, “Queen YuShi?”
Hua Cheng replied, “That’s right. The current Rain Master of the heavens, the sixteenth
princess of the Kingdom of YuShi, Yu Shi Huang, was also the last queen of the Kingdom of
YuShi.”
———