Chapter 12

Shanshui was on the verge of tears. She glanced at the now-calm Wuchuan River, then at the smiling Yu Zhengzheng and urged, “Quick, let’s go!”  

If they didn’t leave immediately, they might both meet their end in the Wuchuan River that day.  

Yu Zhengzheng thought Shanshui was unsteady on her feet and worried for her safety. Hugging her spiritual herb in one arm, she grabbed Shanshui’s hand with the other, dragging her securely across the narrow bridge.  

Shanshui had intended to pull Yu Zhengzheng back to safety, but to her surprise, Yu Zhengzheng resolutely dragged her forward across the river. As they moved, Shanshui could almost feel the bone-chilling, murderous aura trailing behind them.  

It was too late to retreat now.  

Even if she had to die, Shanshui preferred to meet her end at the hands of the King rather than vanish completely into the Wuchuan River. At least there would still be a corpse if the King killed her.  

Gripping the clueless Yu Zhengzheng, Shanshui dashed towards the Luán Palace. As long as they got far enough from the river, perhaps the King would spare them from being tossed into it.  

Before Yu Zhengzheng could fully regain her balance after stepping off the bridge, Shanshui yanked her along as if dragging a dead weight, all the way into the palace grounds. If it weren’t for the snowy ground cushioning her, Yu Zhengzheng might have lost half her life being dragged like that.  

Spitting out a mouthful of snow, Yu Zhengzheng’s face turned dark as she tried to protest, “Shanshui, why are you running—”  

Before she could finish, she turned her head and saw Shanshui transforming into a luxurious, carved redwood coffin. Not far from the coffin stood a man, his entire body covered in pitch-black grime.  

Yu Zhengzheng froze.  

She stared at the man whose true appearance was impossible to discern. Testing the waters, she cautiously asked, “Are you… the Ghost King?”  

This disheveled figure, reeking faintly of iron, couldn’t possibly have fallen into a latrine, could he?  

The man, Rongshang, gave no response. He raised his palm slightly, conjuring a shard of ice three feet tall, while his dark, intense eyes brimmed with killing intent.  

Her audacity had grown to such extremes—she had dared to kick him into the Wuchuan River.  

He had yet to settle accounts with her for wasting a precious Dragon Spine Marrow, and now she had shown up on her own to seek death.  

Seeing the glimmering shard of ice, over a meter long, Yu Zhengzheng’s knees began to tremble. There was no mistaking it—this was undoubtedly the Ghost King.  

Could he be trying to silence her because she discovered his latrine mishap?  

Wasn’t the Ghost King a divine being? Why would a god need to relieve himself?  

Yu Zhengzheng felt despair welling up in her chest. She’d merely come to deliver his communication bracelet, yet she’d stumbled upon such an ill-fated encounter.  

Removing the bracelet from her wrist, Yu Zhengzheng’s tears fell like raindrops. Bowing so low her head nearly touched the snow, she sobbed, “I came to return your bracelet! I didn’t see anything! If you still don’t trust me, I’ll leave the Ghost Sect forever and never set foot in the cultivation world again…”  

Rongshang was unmoved by her desperate pleas. Even if the heavens themselves intervened, he was determined to send her to the afterlife today.  

As the shard of ice left his hand, thunder rumbled from the skies. Bolts of blue-purple lightning illuminated the heavens, accompanied by deafening claps of thunder.  

It was about to rain.  

Rongshang’s face grew pale. Withdrawing the ice shard, he cast a glance at the crying Yu Zhengzheng and ordered coldly, “Get up. Follow me inside.”  

Without waiting for her response, he turned and strode into the Luán Palace. As he passed, he nudged the redwood coffin with his foot and said, “You too.”  

By the time Yu Zhengzheng processed what had happened, the Ghost King had already disappeared from view.  

Shanshui, perhaps still in shock, remained stuck in her coffin form and couldn’t revert to her human appearance. Left with no other choice, Yu Zhengzheng hoisted the coffin onto her shoulders and carried it into the palace.  

Not long after they entered, the sound of rain began pattering against the ground outside. A frigid barrier of icy energy enveloped the palace, blocking out the thunder and lightning that echoed in the skies.  

A calm voice called out from the inner hall: “Come in.”  

Yu Zhengzheng immediately understood—he was about to take a bath.  

She wiped the corners of her tear-streaked eyes. The last time he had made her smear feces-covered ointment on his back was bad enough. Now that he was completely filthy, how on earth was she supposed to help?  

Since Shanshui couldn’t transform back, she had no choice but to go in alone.  

Walking as if she were an 80-year-old woman, Yu Zhengzheng gingerly entered the inner hall.  

The Ghost King, once pitch-black from head to toe, had returned to his original appearance. However, faint crimson stains on the hem of his white robe made him appear somewhat menacing.  

Yu Zhengzheng stole a glance at his back before quickly lowering her head.  

She couldn’t help but wonder—did the Ghost King have hemorrhoids?  

Removing his outer robe, Rongshang stepped into the pool, his upper body bare. “Bring me the medicine,” he commanded, his voice slightly hoarse.  

Gripping the edge of the pool, his hand trembled almost imperceptibly as he used all his strength to sit himself down in the water.  

The Dragon Spine Marrow was almost depleted. If he failed to locate the woman and her child before the next thunderstorm…  

Rongshang’s eyes flickered with a fierce glint. If the Eastern Emperor Clan was not eradicated, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace even in death. That woman and her son—both must die.  

The red medicine bottle was still in the same spot Yu Zhengzheng had placed it last time. She carefully retrieved a pill from the bottle and approached him cautiously.  

This time, the pool was filled with cold water, lacking the misty steam from before. It allowed her to clearly see his arm resting on the pool’s edge.  

His skin was pale and smooth, like fine jade, with veins faintly visible beneath the surface. His slender, bony fingers tapped lightly on the pool’s edge, slightly bent at the joints.  

Judging by his arm alone, the Ghost King didn’t seem like an old man nearing the end of his years. Instead, it resembled the graceful arm of a young man in his prime.  

A low cough broke her thoughts, jolting her back to reality. She hurriedly held the pill and began applying it to his back.  

His back appeared even more shocking than the last time. The black curse runes faintly emitted a blood-red glow, and the grotesque scar running along his spine added a terrifying air.  

Yu Zhengzheng noticed something was off. As she applied the medicine, his arm remained tense, as though he were enduring some indescribable pain.  

She instinctively quickened her movements, spreading the medicine across his back in haste. “It’s done,” she said softly.  

But Rongshang did not relax. He turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze directly. “Leave. Without my command, do not come back in.”  

Yu Zhengzheng, caught off guard, saw his face clearly. It was neither the greasy visage of a middle-aged man she had imagined nor the appearance of some unparalleled beauty.  

His features weren’t unattractive, but together, they formed an utterly ordinary face—so plain that it was forgettable after a single glance.  

She felt a twinge of disappointment. Having seen his pristine, jade-like skin earlier, she had unconsciously imagined a stunningly handsome face to match. Now, seeing the reality, she felt like a victim of a failed online romance.  

Rongshang, however, seemed satisfied with her reaction. He had been in hiding for over a thousand years and often wore a mask. This face was the one he used most frequently.  

He normally couldn’t be bothered to disguise his appearance. After all, what did it matter if she knew his identity?  

If he didn’t want rumors to spread, he could simply kill her.  

But the thunderstorm earlier had changed his mind.  

News from the South Sea indicated that traces of the woman and her son had been found in the mortal realm. Forecasts showed thunderstorms in the mortal world over the next five days.  

He needed someone to apply medicine for him. Someone weak and defenseless, someone he could kill easily if needed.  

Yu Zhengzheng lowered her head quickly after meeting his gaze.  

She wanted to ask if she and Shanshui could leave but dared not speak. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.  

In the end, she kept her questions to herself and quietly left the inner hall.  

Shanshui was still in her coffin form, though her head, arms, and legs had reappeared. She looked like a coffin with limbs—a strange and eerie sight.  

Seeing Yu Zhengzheng return unharmed, Shanshui breathed a sigh of relief. “Miss Zhengzheng, I’m so glad you’re okay.”  

Yu Zhengzheng wanted to ask what had happened to Shanshui, but the thought of the Ghost King in the inner hall made her swallow her words.  

Just then, Shanshui’s communication bracelet lit up. However, due to her coffin-like body, her arms were too far apart to reach it.  

Yu Zhengzheng pressed it for her. Perhaps because of the barrier, the green projection didn’t appear, and only faint sounds came through.  

“Where have you been?”  

It was Xiang Feng’s voice.  

Hearing her master’s voice, Shanshui burst into tears. “Master, I’m in the Luán Palace. I’m so scared.”  

Xiang Feng paused for a moment. “Stop crying. I’ll come find you.”  

Shanshui shook her head. “I’m with Miss Zhengzheng. Master, just wait for me at home.”  

Xiang Feng seemed about to say something, but the weak green light on the communication bracelet abruptly disappeared due to the barrier, cutting off their conversation.  

Yu Zhengzheng patted Shanshui’s coffin. “Don’t be afraid. The Ghost King has already gone to rest. I’ll stay with you.”  

Shanshui awkwardly flipped herself over. “Miss Zhengzheng, lift the lid and come sleep inside. By tomorrow, the King might let us leave.”  

Yu Zhengzheng stared at the polished coffin lid. “…”  

Shanshui added earnestly, “Don’t be shy. I’m very comfortable to sleep in. My master loves sleeping in me.”  

Yu Zhengzheng: “???”  

Before she could politely decline Shanshui’s offer, her own communication bracelet suddenly lit up.  

Yu Zhengzheng hesitated. The Ghost King had just forbidden her from entering the inner hall.  

She didn’t dare ignore his call, but she also feared offending him if it were urgent.  

After a moment of indecision, she finally walked to the door of the inner hall, holding the bracelet. “Um… are you awake? Someone is looking for you…”  

She called into the inner hall several times but received no response.  

Peeking inside cautiously, she decided to leave the matter be. But then her eyes accidentally caught sight of the Ghost King collapsed outside the pool.  

Yu Zhengzheng froze. Was he… sleeping on the ground?  

After some hesitation, she tiptoed closer to the pool.  

Her plan was simple: leave the communication bracelet next to him and walk away. That way, if anything went wrong, it wouldn’t be her fault.  

The inner hall was as cold as always. Her thick robe shielded her from the chill, but the Ghost King, lying shirtless on the floor, seemed frozen.  

At first, she thought it was her imagination. But as she got closer, she saw his bare upper body had fused with the thin layer of ice on the ground, as if glued there.  

Even his long, thick eyelashes were frosted over. She couldn’t hear his breathing—it was as if he were dead.  

Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.  

If he was dead, so much the better. It would rid the Six Realms of a menace.  

Squatting down, Yu Zhengzheng silently placed the communication bracelet beside him. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a faint, barely audible murmur.  

“Mother… don’t go.”