Chapter 41 (Part 2)

Stowing her hairpin away, she used a red ribbon to tie up her hair, her smile widening as she stepped out of the room.

As soon as she opened the door, the scene outside left her stunned.

Rong Shang was leaning lazily against the doorframe, sitting amidst a scattering of severed limbs and bloody remains. A river of blood meandered through the carnage. His eyes were lowered, his face shadowed with a chilling gloom.

He parted his thin lips, his voice as cold as icy water: “Awake?”

Yu Zhengzheng froze, tearing her gaze away from the horrifying remains to look at him.

A sudden wave of tension swept over her, and she replied in a small voice, “Yes.”

Why did he seem so displeased?

Had she done something last night that offended him?

She was still puzzling over it when his detached voice sounded again: “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Yu Zhengzheng stiffened. She could barely recall what happened afterward; her memories were hazy, like a dream.

But before her mind went blank, she vividly remembered what he had done…

The glistening wetness on his fingertips…

Rong Shang noticed her silence, and his expression turned darker.

Could it be that she remembered?

No, that was impossible.

If she truly remembered, she would recall calling him “Elder Brother” as well.

Rong Shang’s voice grew colder. “You’ve forgotten everything.”

Yu Zhengzheng’s heart skipped a beat at his ominous tone.

She pouted in frustration. What kind of man was this? She hadn’t even said anything, and he seemed more bothered than she was.

Her toe scuffed circles into the ground, and she muttered, “Oh.”

The door of the neighboring room opened, and Hengwu Xianjun stepped out, freezing in shock at the carnage outside. “What… what are these things?”

Though Hengwu Xianjun’s hands had been just as bloodied as Rong Shang’s, and his reputation even worse, the gruesome scene still startled him.

If his killings were brutal, Rong Shang’s actions were sheer desecration.

Though everything in the illusion was fabricated, it still seemed unnecessary to shred these figures into pieces.

Just how deep was the grudge here?

Yu Zhengzheng’s eyes brightened at his appearance. “Xianjun, how was your night?”

Hengwu Xianjun was caught off guard by her curiosity. Even on such a personal topic, she was inquisitive to the point of nosiness.

He turned his head awkwardly and coughed twice. “It went fine.”

Yu Zhengzheng was surprised. “Shanshui agreed?”

She hadn’t expected him to have the persuasion skills to convince Shanshui.

Hengwu Xianjun hesitated. “Not exactly…”

Yu Zhengzheng’s brow furrowed as she stepped forward and grabbed his lapel. “You forced yourself on her?!”

Hengwu Xianjun: “…”

How was he supposed to explain that Shanshui had lost her composure before he could explain things properly?

She had been too dazed to comprehend anything he was saying.

Since she was incoherent, he couldn’t act against her will. In the end, he had to resolve things himself, even helping Shanshui in the process.

The ordeal was truly indescribable—nobody could understand the frustration of extinguishing one flame only for another to ignite immediately after.

Every part of him had been tense, except perhaps for his hair.

Especially when he looked at Shanshui’s innocent face, he was overwhelmed with guilt.

Yu Zhengzheng frowned deeper. “Speak!”

Hengwu Xianjun snapped out of it and gently pushed her hand away, pulling Shanshui forward. “Once we leave this formation, I will marry her.”

His tone was calm yet carried a certain seriousness, making his promise clear.

Yu Zhengzheng laughed in exasperation. “Whether or not you marry Shanshui is up to her, not you.”

Hengwu Xianjun paused briefly before turning to Shanshui. “Shanshui, I want to marry you.”

Shanshui lowered her head, concealing the emotions in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I must return to the Void Mountain.”

Her words were a clear rejection.

Hengwu Xianjun was unfazed. “Then I will marry into your family.”

Shanshui looked up, startled.

Her eyes were rimmed with red, glimmering with unshed tears.

He lowered his gaze and extended his hand, his slender fingers brushing her cheeks to wipe away the tears. “I’m older than you, and marriage is no trivial matter. You should give it careful thought.”

“I can wait for you to decide. No matter when you seek me, I will marry you.”

With that, Hengwu Xianjun reached for the protective jade hanging from his neck and tied it around hers.

This jade had been a gift from the Celestial Maiden upon his birth, a talisman that had accompanied him for hundreds of thousands of years, protecting him from countless perils. It was an emblem of his identity.

To see the jade was to see him. This piece of jade could command legions from the Demon Realm. Giving it to her signified his utmost sincerity.

Yu Zhengzheng and Shanshui were unaware of its significance, but Rong Shang narrowed his eyes and let out a faint scoff. “The Xianjun is truly devoted.”

It seemed he was effectively offering the entire Demon Realm as dowry for Shanshui.

Hengwu Xianjun sighed. “The Ghost King is the one with real dedication.”

He even suspected that Yu Zhengzheng had been manipulated by Rong Shang into pairing him with Shanshui as a trap.

He had seen what he shouldn’t and touched what he shouldn’t—there was no escaping the responsibility now.

Just as Hengwu Xianjun finished speaking, two figures entered the courtyard.

Dressed in black and red, Xiang Feng supported An Ning, whose face was deathly pale but better than it had been the night before.

An Ning’s gaze fell on Shanshui and seemed to catch on her hand held by Hengwu Xianjun.

His face darkened instantly. “Shanshui, come here!”

Shanshui flinched at his sharp tone. Her swollen cheek from last night seemed to sting anew, and she instinctively hid behind Hengwu Xianjun.

When Xiang Feng witnessed the scene, his face darkened further. “You were with him all night?”

He had been trapped by the roots until midnight, freed only after An Ning woke up and used a rock to break them apart. Xiang Feng had just escaped when his body became feverish, as though drugged.

Within this illusionary realm, the only thing he had consumed was deer blood.

Having studied under Shi Xuexi, a master of medicine, he diagnosed himself with a potent aphrodisiac poison. If left untreated, it would rupture his blood vessels and lead to death.

Thankfully, An Ning had helped him detoxify.

Upon waking in the morning, he supported An Ning as they searched for the others. Despite what Shanshui had done to An Ning, Xiang Feng couldn’t help but worry about her safety.

Shanshui had also consumed the deer blood and was likely poisoned as well.

But to his shock, Shanshui was now with Hengwu Xianjun, holding hands with him, resembling a pair of adulterers.

Unable to contain himself, Xiang Feng glared at her, his voice harsh. “Answer me! Were you with him last night?”

Shanshui timidly lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

She couldn’t recall anything about the previous night. When she woke, she found herself lying in Hengwu Xianjun’s embrace. Her clothes, however, were intact, suggesting he hadn’t taken advantage of her.

Even so, she dared not explain the situation to Xiang Feng.

Xiang Feng’s frustration erupted. It felt as though a hand was squeezing his heart, leaving him unable to breathe.

His eyes burned with rage as he spat, “Shameless!”

Hengwu Xianjun stepped forward, shielding Shanshui from Xiang Feng’s piercing glare. His tone remained light but carried a chilling undertone. “Such a temper, Protector Xiang. It seems last night’s poison hasn’t fully cleared.”

“Shanshui is my betrothed fiancée. I suggest you mind your words in the future,” he said with a faint smile. His gaze turned sharp. “Otherwise, I might be tempted to cut out your tongue.”

Xiang Feng froze. Fiancée?

How could Shanshui be Hengwu Xianjun’s fiancée?

A bitter taste rose on his tongue, as if he had swallowed a fishbone that now lodged in his throat—neither swallowable nor spit out.

“This marriage—I don’t agree,” Xiang Feng declared coldly. “Once a master, always a father. Marriage is decided by one’s guardians and matchmakers. As long as I oppose it, you can forget about—”

Yu Zhengzheng interrupted him, annoyed. “What nonsense are you spouting? Shanshui belongs to the Ghost King. This marriage has already been approved by him.”

Xiang Feng stiffened. He turned slowly to look at Rong Shang. “Your Majesty, is this true?”

Rong Shang, clearly in a foul mood, replied perfunctorily, “Yes.”

With that single word, Xiang Feng felt as though he had been plunged into an icy abyss.

Rong Shang had no time for their entanglements. Walking past the river of blood, he headed toward the third level. “Xianjun, your dawdling suggests you’re reluctant to leave this place.”

Hengwu Xianjun held Shanshui’s hand firmly as he followed behind. “You jest. I’m eager to arrange my wedding and have no attachment to this place.”

Yu Zhengzheng watched Xiang Feng’s disheartened expression and felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Humming a tune, she followed them to the castle’s third floor.

The queen was still asleep in her chamber, and the priest paced anxiously outside the door.

When the group appeared, the priest froze in shock. “How dare you?! You still have the audacity to come here?!”

Hengwu Xianjun smiled faintly, stepping forward. With a flick of his fingers, he snapped the priest’s neck effortlessly.

The priest’s lifeless eyes widened in disbelief as his breath ceased.

Unhurriedly, Hengwu Xianjun pushed open the chamber doors and entered.

The queen lay in deep slumber, resembling a sleeping beauty. She seemed lifeless, her breathing imperceptible, like a beautiful corpse.

Hengwu Xianjun chuckled softly. “Who would like to go first?”

Yu Zhengzheng blinked. “Go first? For what?”

He placed his palm on the queen’s brow, his lips parting slightly. “To awaken the sleeping queen, you must use your sincerity. Only then can we pass through this illusionary realm.”

“Each person must answer a question truthfully. If anyone lies, this level will collapse, and we’ll all perish here.”

After explaining, Hengwu Xianjun turned to Shanshui. “Ask me a question. The simpler, the better.”

Shanshui hesitated before asking, “What did you hide this morning?”

When she woke earlier, she had seen him hastily stashing something away. Curious, she had wanted to know what it was, but he wouldn’t tell her.

Hengwu Xianjun paused, speechless.

He had been cleaning up a certain liquid, but she had stubbornly believed he was hiding food.

With no way to lie, he clenched his jaw and reluctantly replied, “Essence blood.”

Shanshui didn’t understand what essence blood was, but Xiang Feng’s expression darkened visibly.

Yu Zhengzheng, meanwhile, burst into laughter, her grin uncontrollable. Then, as abruptly as it had started, her laughter froze.

If everyone was forced to speak the truth, wouldn’t Xiao Yuqing also be unable to lie?

Hengwu Xianjun rose, and Yu Zhengzheng immediately grabbed Xiao Yuqing’s hand, pressing it against the queen’s brow.

Before Xiao Yuqing could react, she solemnly asked, “What is your relationship with An Ning?”

The author’s note: In the previous chapter, Rong Shang didn’t touch Zhengzheng directly—it was through his trousers!