Chapter 12: Rejection

Liu shuang had never imagined she could move so swiftly. She traveled day and night, and by the time she reached the border of the Ghost Realm, she was utterly disheveled.

Outside Mount Qingcang stood a towering gate, a hundred zhang high, majestic and imposing. Each pillar was entwined with an eerie ghostly aura, instilling fear in all who beheld it.

She attempted to fly into Mount Qingcang but was intercepted by a ghostly guard. “Who dares to trespass into our Ghost Realm?”

Two black blades blocked Liu shuang’s path, forcing her to descend from the air. She explained her urgent matter to the pale, sinister-looking ghosts: “Generals, please forgive my intrusion. I am not here to offend the Ghost Realm. I have a pressing matter and seek an audience with His Majesty, the Demon Lord.”

Two commanders materialized at the forefront, followed by eighteen ghostly cultivators armed to the teeth, effectively sealing the entrance to Mount Qingcang.

One of the commanders, clad in black robes with his lower body shrouded in ghostly energy, spoke with a chilling tone: “You think you can meet our Emperor? Go back where you came from, or I’ll devour you whole!”

If it weren’t for Yan Chaosheng’s strict governance, they might have drained her dry without a second thought.

The other ghostly commander glanced at Liu shuang and swung his blade forward. “Go, leave quickly. The gates of the Ghost Realm are usually closed. If you wish to enter, wait until the Night of the Hundred Ghosts.”

The Night of the Hundred Ghosts wouldn’t come until midsummer. By then, it would be too late to save anyone, and the Canglan Lake might already be scorched to barrenness.

Liu shuang, barred at the ghostly gate, realized that without being Yan Chaosheng’s consort, even entering the Ghost Realm was a challenge.

She took out a few spirit pearls from her person. “Could you gentlemen make an exception?”

The black-robed commander’s eyes lit up at the sight of the pearls, but the other stopped him. “No!”

The black-robed commander growled in frustration, “Leave at once!”

His voice carried a magical force that resonated deafeningly in her ears. Liu shuang covered her ears. She had hoped to avoid revealing her embarrassing status, but she could wait—the Canglan Lake could not.

If she didn’t see Yan Chaosheng today, her home and her family would be consumed by the calamitous fire.

“I am… Liu shuang, the former consort of His Majesty, the Demon Lord. Please accept these spirit pearls. You don’t need to open the ghostly gate for me. Just convey a message to His Majesty—no, to Lord Su lun or Lord Fuheng, or even Miss Changhuan. Tell them Liu shuang has an urgent matter and begs for His Majesty’s assistance. In return, I will repay with everything I have, even if it means tying grass and holding rings!”

“You claim to be the Consort?”

The two ghostly commanders exchanged glances. It was common knowledge that the Demon Lord had a consort, but she rarely ventured out, so few had seen her.

They whispered among themselves, and Liu shuang overheard their discussion.

“Could she be telling the truth?”

“If she were the Consort, why would she be here instead of the palace?”

“She’s beautiful and knows about Lords Fuheng and Su lun. She might indeed be the Consort. Let’s try it. After all, accepting the pearls and passing a message won’t cost us much.”

Liu shuang listened anxiously, torn between laughter and tears. In the end, it was her face that convinced them to relay the message.

The black-robed commander took the pearls and vanished to deliver the message.

Liu shuang’s heart was fraught with anxiety. The calamitous fire could arrive at any moment. Every second she delayed meant greater danger.

Time trickled by, and finally, the black-robed commander reappeared before her.

“How did it go?”

The commander’s expression was grim. “Leave! Lord Fuheng wants you gone!” He had been whipped by Lord Fuheng for delivering the message, and now he couldn’t stand the sight of Liu shuang.

Liu shuang gritted her teeth and transformed into a beam of white light, charging inward.

The commander erupted in anger. “Stop her! Trespassers of the Ghost Realm shall be slain without mercy!”

Eighteen dark ghosts entangled Liu shuang’s form. The black-robed commander struck her back with a palm, sending her plummeting to the ground, blood spilling from her lips.

The next moment, another ghostly blade descended with thunderous force, aimed at severing Liu shuang’s head.

“Yan Chaosheng! Demon Lord! I know you can see me! Please, I beg you, save the Canglan Paradise!”

Just before the blade touched her, a crimson whip ensnared it. The ghostly cultivators knelt upon seeing the newcomer.

“Greetings, Lord Fuheng.”

Fuheng retracted his whip and looked down at Liu shuang, his expression impassive. “Fairy Liu shuang, please leave. It is the Demon Lord’s command to bar you from the Ghost Realm. His Majesty says he never had a consort named Liu shuang. Please, Fairy, show some self-respect.”

Liu shuang wiped the blood from her lips and stood up, speaking with difficulty. “I know no one is obligated to help another unconditionally. Today, I come as an envoy of the Canglan Paradise, begging the Demon Lord and Lord Fuheng to aid us. In return, the tens of thousands of souls in Canglan Paradise will offer tribute to the Demon Lord for a hundred years.”

Such exchanges had happened before. Envoys would propose terms, and Yan Chaosheng often helped with trivial matters.

Fuheng remained silent, gazing at Liu shuang.

He thought to himself: She had traveled for days, her face pale, injured. Yet, despite the Demon Lord’s harsh words, her humiliation was fleeting. She quickly set aside personal feelings and negotiated as an envoy.

As Su lun had said, after severing her bond with the Demon Lord, Liu shuang seemed to have grown up overnight, becoming stronger. Even in this dire situation, the light in her eyes burned brightly.

Fuheng, unlike the ever-smiling Su lun, was cold and aloof, much like Yan Chaosheng.

In truth, given their century-long acquaintance, Fuheng should have reported Liu shuang’s plea to the Demon Lord. But recalling the Demon Lord’s icy demeanor when he issued those commands, Fuheng turned away coldly. “Close the gates. Expel her. By the Demon Lord’s decree, Fairy Liu shuang is forever barred from the Ghost Realm. If she trespasses, kill her!”

The ghostly commanders vanished before Liu shuang’s eyes, and the gates shut with a resounding thud. Liu shuang pounded on the doors. “Fuheng! Lord Fuheng!”

Liu shuang slid to the ground, powerless.

Did Yan Chaosheng despise her so much that he wouldn’t even see her? He knew she was pleading for the Canglan Paradise, not asking for his help based on their past relationship. Yet he detested her so much that he wouldn’t even consider the Canglan Paradise’s offer of a century of tribute.

With his beloved Mi Chu by his side, the century Liu shuang shared with Yan Chaosheng had become a fleeting wisp of smoke.

Her heart beat strongly, and Liu shuang pressed her hand to her chest: Don’t be sad, don’t be sad. Yan Chaosheng truly had no reason to help a stranger. His actions were always unpredictable, guided solely by his whims. The moment we severed our bond, I told myself never to grieve for him again.

Liu shuang looked at the closed ghostly gates. Yan Chaosheng wouldn’t help her, Shaoyou was nowhere to be found, and even the ten-thousand-year-old Tree Elder couldn’t break the barrier set by the divine artifact. Naturally, she couldn’t either. For the first time, Liu shuang realized that no one could help her. In this world, the only one she could truly rely on was herself.

Liu shuang stood beneath the ghostly gate, like an ant gazing at the vast heavens.

For the first time, she regretted marrying Yan Chaosheng, wasting a century. In those hundred years, she had learned nothing, her cultivation stagnant. She couldn’t save her home, couldn’t save the tens of thousands of lives in Canglan.

If Yan Chaosheng had cherished her, she would have been a clinging dodder vine in his tent. But if he was cold and heartless, she was nothing. Yan Chaosheng was the ruler of two realms. Without his consent, she couldn’t even meet Su lun or Changhuan.

The wound on her back from the ghostly commander’s strike ached sharply. Liu shuang suddenly didn’t know where to go or who could save the Canglan Lake.

A wave of profound despair washed over her. Liu shuang gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

She couldn’t give up. She had to try. The worst outcome would be failing to break the barrier and perishing in the calamitous fire alongside the Tree Elder and the others.

But before she could fly far, a golden net descended from the sky, enveloping her.

Liu shuang’s head throbbed, and she fell unconscious.

Before losing consciousness, she heard a man’s voice say, “Hmm, seems like we caught the wrong person?”

The bead curtain swayed in the breeze. When Liu shuang opened her eyes, she found her hands and feet bound by ropes. She tried to struggle free, but the golden ropes seemed alive, tightening and cutting into her flesh.

“Awake? Don’t waste your energy. If the Immortal-Binding Rope could be broken so easily, the Immortal Realm would have perished long ago.”

Liu shuang followed the voice and saw a man in white robes walking toward her. He wore a golden jade crown, his features noble and dignified.

Yet his demeanor was anything but. His neck still glistened with water droplets, his robes loosely tied and slightly open, exuding a dissolute air.

Behind him was a steamy bath, indicating he had been nonchalantly bathing in the hall while she was unconscious.

Before he reached her, his robe fell open again. Liu shuang quickly averted her gaze.

The man chuckled with amusement.

Liu shuang gritted her teeth. “Who are you, sir? I don’t recall offending you. Please, let me go.”

The man leisurely pinched her chin, turning her face toward him, and smiled. “Why don’t you guess? I think you’ve already figured it out.”

Though his actions were casual, there was an undeniable authority in his manner. Liu shuang felt her chin might bruise from his grip.

Liu shuang had no choice but to speak. “Heavenly Lord Feng Fuming?”

Feng Fuming laughed. “I knew you’d guess right.”

He released Liu shuang and waved his hand. A pot of tea appeared on the table. He brewed it with fluid motions and said, “If Yan Chaosheng dared to take Mi Chu, he should have anticipated this day. Since he dared to abduct my consort, his consort must compensate in kind.”

Thinking of the perilous situation at Canglan Lake, Liu shuang pleaded urgently, “Heavenly Lord, I am no longer the Demon Lord’s consort. We have severed our bond, and I am not Mi Chu, the Heavenly Consort, nor the person you seek. I have an urgent matter to attend to. Could you let me go?”

Feng Fuming sipped his tea, lazily watching her.

“Of course.”

Before Liu shuang could feel relief, he leisurely added, “Have Yan Chaosheng bring Mi Chu to exchange for you. Don’t worry, I’ve already sent word to him. Tomorrow at noon, at the Heavenly Gate, if he brings Mi Chu, I won’t trouble you, a mere woman. If he doesn’t come…”

Feng Fuming smiled. “Little fairy, you won’t like the consequences.”

Though he smiled, Liu shuang felt a chill from his gaze. Feng Fuming, the Heavenly Lord, was not to be underestimated. While by Yan Chaosheng’s side, she had often heard of this Heavenly Lord’s ruthless methods. Despite his noble appearance, his actions were decisive and often unexpected.

Liu shuang pursed her lips. “The Demon Lord won’t agree. He loves Mi Chu. They’ve finally come together. He won’t exchange Mi Chu for me. Heavenly Lord, I am but a small fairy, of little spiritual power, of no use to you. Even if you capture me, you cannot control Yan Chaosheng.”

Feng Fuming’s gaze lingered on her face, and he smiled. “That remains to be seen.”

He offered her a cup of tea, but Liu shuang shook her head.

With a wave of his hand, the teacups vanished from the jade table.

“You don’t understand men. Even if he no longer loves you or wants you, he won’t tolerate you being defiled. Just as I don’t love Mi Chu, I’d rather kill her than let her be with Yan Chaosheng.”

A sense of foreboding rose in Liu shuang’s heart. “What do you mean, Heavenly Lord?”

Feng Fuming smiled gently. “I’ve sent word to Yan Chaosheng. If he doesn’t exchange, his once beautiful consort will have to serve the ugliest guards in the Heavenly Realm.”

Liu shuang’s face turned ashen.

Feng Fuming added, “But don’t worry, I’ve changed my mind.”

Seeing Liu shuang look at him, he chuckled. “You’re more lovely and beautiful than I imagined. You resemble Mi Chu somewhat, but you’re even more beautiful. Mi Chu would probably tremble with envy at the sight of you. Her beautiful face…”

Feng Fuming paused thoughtfully. “Even Yan Chaosheng doesn’t know it was obtained through some means centuries ago, while yours is natural. So, if Yan Chaosheng doesn’t come, it’s fine. He can have Mi Chu. You can stay with me, and I won’t lose out.”

Liu shuang had no time to dwell on matters of appearance. Desperate, she said, “Heavenly Lord, whatever your disputes, I truly need to save lives. The Canglan Paradise is sealed by a divine artifact, and the calamitous fire is coming. As the ruler of the Immortal Realm, even if you won’t release me, could you save the lives in Canglan Paradise?”

Feng Fuming’s eyes darkened, and he sighed softly. “The calamitous fire is the destiny of all plant spirits in the Eight Desolations. I cannot intervene.”

His tone was casual, his gaze indifferent. “They are but a group of formless plants. If they perish, it is their fate. Little fairy, cheer up. Perhaps Yan Chaosheng will come tomorrow. If he’s willing to exchange Mi Chu for you, he might also be willing to intervene in others’ destinies and endure the heavenly tribulation for you.”

Liu shuang was infuriated by these people. She hadn’t expected the Heavenly Lord to be so callous. The tens of thousands of lives in Canglan Paradise were his subjects.

Yet in his eyes, they were nothing.

The Eight Desolations were vast, with countless paradises. Feng Fuming’s dominion was extensive, so he cared little for the lives in a small, desolate realm.

Liu shuang felt a chill.

Bound and unable to sleep, with Feng Fuming in the hall, she remained vigilant. She kept calculating the time, fearing that the calamitous fire would ravage Canglan before she could return.

How despairing it must be to be trapped and unable to escape.

After an unknown period, a divine bird appeared by Feng Fuming’s side. He brought Liu shuang along, smiling. “Let’s go. We’ll soon see if Yan Chaosheng is willing to save you and your people.”