Chapter 24

Rong Shang’s smile froze.

He calmly pointed out, “You’ve engraved the wrong name.”

Yu Zhengzheng paused, then bent down to carefully examine the names etched onto the love lock once more. “No, it’s correct.”

On the lock were the names Rong Shang and Yu Jiangjiang, written with painstaking accuracy. The strokes were as precise as dictated by nine years of compulsory education.

His long, narrow eyes narrowed further, the dark, bottomless gaze akin to an abyss. Calloused fingertips brushed against the love lock, lightly rubbing it.

Before her very eyes, the lock began to bend and deform, as though it were nothing more than a lump of soft clay. He kneaded it until it finally crumbled into a fine powder in his hand.

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

After all the effort she’d spent engraving it, what on earth was his problem now?

Rong Shang lazily lifted his gaze, letting the powdered remnants of the lock sift through his fingers and scatter into the river. His voice was as cold as ice. “Leave.”

Watching the fine powder drift away, Yu Zhengzheng felt a pang of distress in her chest.

He must be jealous.

Sure, her senior brother was a scoundrel, but at least he had a peerlessly handsome face and a pack of adoring admirers trailing after him at Penglai Mountain.

Unlike this so-called ghost king—vile, unattractive, and thoroughly unlikable.

She hurled mental insults at him but dared not voice her grievances. Compliantly, she left the Bridge of Love and returned to the Marriage Temple.

Inside, it seemed their mission wasn’t going well. Xiao Yuqing’s forehead glistened with sweat, An Ning looked frightened out of her wits, and Xiang Feng’s expression was grim.

Yu Zhengzheng approached with a touch of schadenfreude. “With An Ning’s unparalleled talents, how could you fail to persuade Nangong Tianba?”

Xiao Yuqing sighed. “We managed to convince the princess consort, but Nangong Tianba is impervious to all methods.”

Yu Zhengzheng had predicted as much. Nangong Tianba was like a domineering CEO straight out of a trashy romance novel. Without reading at least 180 such books, there was no way to get through to him.

An Ning kept her head low, saying nothing. The pale skin on the back of her neck seemed almost tinged with a purplish hue under the sunlight, eerily reminiscent of corpse spots.

Yu Zhengzheng narrowed her eyes. Something felt off about An Ning, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

Still, one thing was clear—An Ning was here for Xiang Feng.

It wasn’t as if Xiang Feng didn’t know. He clearly did but seemed enchanted by her beauty anyway.

Thousands of years ago, Xiang Feng fell into inner turmoil over the Lingbi Palace Master.

Now, thousands of years later, he still couldn’t escape this curse.

Xiao Yuqing noticed Yu Zhengzheng staring at An Ning and gently asked, “Miss Yu, do you have any suggestions?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, she saw the anticipation in his eyes and couldn’t bear to disappoint him. “I can give it a try.”

Although, truth be told, she wasn’t confident. Nangong Tianba wasn’t someone you could easily deal with.

He was still exuding an air of sorrow and arrogance, his movements radiating that flamboyant killing-matte nobility.

Even though the sky was overcast, his steward held a bamboo umbrella to shield him from nonexistent sunlight, as if even a stray beam could harm his delicate eyes.

Yu Zhengzheng walked over and got straight to the point. “We’re from the same hometown.”

He spared her a glance, three parts disdain, three parts mockery, and four parts indifference. With a flick of his robe, he revealed his chiselled eight-pack abs. “Women like you, who try to cozy up to me, are a dime a dozen. Get lost.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

She tried again. “Sky King Covers Earth Tiger.”

Nangong Tianba froze. “Pagoda Conquers River Monster?”

Yu Zhengzheng grinned. “See? We’re from the same place.”

He tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, letting a single tear slide down his cheek. “You and I are not the same kind of people.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “???”

Nangong Tianba declared, “I’m a QQ Super Member, with an annual subscription.”

Yu Zhengzheng dismissed him disdainfully. “So am I.”

These days, who wasn’t?

Nangong Tianba smirked. “I paid for a ten-billion-year membership.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Why not make it ten billion light-years and subscribe until the end of the universe?

“Enough. Stop dodging the issue.” She lost patience, pointing to the princess consort, who was staring at him with hopeful eyes. “What will it take for you to be with her?”

Seeing he was about to refuse, she quickly compromised. “Fine, just tell me your requirements for a partner.”

Nangong Tianba curled his lips into a mocking smile. “My woman must have hair that changes color under sunlight, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet at will. Her tears must turn to diamonds, her snot to pearls, and even the food stuck between her teeth must be gemstones…”

He went on for a full cup of tea’s time, listing his criteria. By the end, Yu Zhengzheng’s face was twitching, and her head was pounding.

Who could meet such absurd demands?

She interrupted him. “Can you be a little more realistic? Where on earth would you find such a woman?”

Nangong Tianba pulled out a pouch containing a hundred thousand taels of gold. “You’re sure she doesn’t exist?”

The dazzling glow of the gold made her squint.

Yu Zhengzheng nodded firmly. “She exists.”

Nangong Tianba returned the gold to his pouch, his mocking smirk widening. “See? That’s reality.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

She swept her sleeves and walked away. Nangong Tianba was like a chaotic blend of every male lead from clichéd romance novels. If she stayed to communicate with him any longer, she might genuinely get a concussion from frustration.

The princess consort saw her return and hurried over. “How did it go? Do you think I still have a chance?”

Hearing the latter half of the question gave Yu Zhengzheng an inexplicable shiver. She replied truthfully, “If you encrust your eyeballs with diamonds, fit pearls into your nostrils, and replace all your teeth with gemstones, then you might still have a shot.”

The princess consort looked despondent. “Tianba and I grew up together as childhood sweethearts. Back then, he promised to marry me when we grew up. I don’t know what happened to him to turn him into this person.”

She shook her head with a bitter smile. “Never mind. Forced love is not sweet. I’ll call off the engagement. Sorry for troubling you all.”

Yu Zhengzheng was about to console her when the princess consort continued, “Want to go hiking? The scenery around the Temple of Love is beautiful.”

A chill ran down Yu Zhengzheng’s spine, and she declined the offer.

The mission wasn’t progressing, leaving everyone in low spirits.

Especially Xiang Feng—his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging, his already pale face now even more ghostly. Nangong Tianba was impervious to persuasion, and the Yan King was similarly unyielding. If Xiang Feng dared to threaten the Yan King with Tianba’s life, the Yan King would likely destroy the heirloom without hesitation.

The King cared only about results, not methods. If the outcome didn’t please him, whether Xiang Feng could keep his life depended entirely on the King’s mood.

Thousands of years ago, death would have been a release for Xiang Feng. But now, he had to look after Shan Shui, that silly girl.

Her straightforward nature and constant mistakes meant that if Xiang Feng died, no one would protect her, and she’d surely be bullied in the Ghost Sect.

An Ning seemed to sense something off about his mood. She approached him, her voice soft and tender. “Brother Xiang Feng, don’t worry. We’ll find a way.”

Xiang Feng didn’t respond immediately. After a long silence, he looked at her. “In a few days, I’ll send you to Qingcheng Mountain.”

An Ning froze, her eyes turning red. “Did I do something wrong? If there’s something I need to fix, just tell me. I can change…”

He interrupted her, “You should know that we are not ordinary people. I’ll discuss it with Xiao Yuqing. Once you’re at Qingcheng Mountain, he’ll arrange for someone to take care of you. You won’t be mistreated.”

Her sudden appearance, with a voice and face so much like Xue Xi’s, had thrown him off. But deep down, he knew the truth—Xue Xi was already dead.

If she was intentionally imitating Xue Xi to approach him, it could only be for the King.

This wasn’t the first time. Centuries ago, someone who looked similar to Xue Xi had tried to use him to kill the King.

The King had once saved his life when all the sects hunted him like a rat. He even expended divine power to purge his inner demons.

Xiang Feng was no ingrate. No matter what, he wouldn’t betray the King for An Ning.

Sending her away was best for everyone.

Crystal tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at him with watery, affectionate eyes. But he remained unmoved, refusing to look at her again.

An Ning said nothing more. She could see that his mind was made up. If words were useless, there was no point in wasting her breath.

Her arms at her sides tensed slightly, fingers clutching a medicinal pouch her master had given her. She lowered her face, hiding it in shadow to obscure the faint curve of her lips.

He didn’t trust her, even assuming her appearance was a fabrication.

But he didn’t know—this body was Xue Xi’s.

She would make him believe her.

And she would ensure he despised the Ghost King, turning them against each other.

An Ning lifted her gaze, her long lashes shimmering with tears. Her voice was soft, “Brother Xiang Feng, I’ll listen to you.”

Seeing no objection from her, Xiang Feng exhaled slowly. “No one can hurt you at Qingcheng Mountain. Live well.”

An Ning responded with a faint hum, her eyes half-lowered as she gazed absently at the overcast sky.

Will it rain tonight?

Yes, her master had said it would.

After settling personal matters, Xiang Feng returned to discuss a new plan with the group.

That evening, scholars and noblewomen from the capital were to gather for a boat ride, reciting poetry and drinking on the water.

It was a great opportunity—beautiful scenery, charming company, and a touch of alcohol to set the mood. They hoped it might be enough to win over Nangong Tianba.

Yu Zhengzheng scoffed at their optimism. Nangong Tianba was such an oddity that even if they turned rice into popcorn, it wouldn’t work.

The Seventh Prince pulled her aside as they prepared. “Look at the sky—it seems like it’s going to rain. But in the mortal world, rain requires the Emperor of Heaven’s approval. Only after the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas receive his decree can they summon rain.”

“Yet the South Sea hasn’t received any decree. So where’s this rain coming from?”

Yu Zhengzheng glanced at him. “Do I look like the Emperor of Heaven to you?”

The Seventh Prince blinked. “No.”

She rolled her eyes. “Then why are you asking me? How would I know?”

The Seventh Prince: “…”

“Perhaps some dragon offspring is secretly summoning rain without the heavens’ permission.”

He murmured to himself, a sly smile forming on his face. “Without a decree, summoning rain would incur punishment from the heavens. If someone’s willing to take the blame for me, all the better.”

Turning to her, he grinned. “The rest is up to you. Make sure he takes the medicine tonight.”

Yu Zhengzheng fell silent for a moment before asking, “Just rain, no thunder?”

He hesitated. “Thunder requires the collaboration of Thunder Lord and Lightning Mother. If this rain is unsanctioned, there likely won’t be thunder.”

She subtly exhaled in relief. “If that’s the case, what’s the point of the medicine? His powers only weaken in thunderstorms.”

The prince pondered briefly before scribbling his contact information onto her communication bracelet. “Get him to take it first. I’ll head to the heavens and request help from Thunder Lord and Lightning Mother. They’re good friends of my father and should assist.”

Yu Zhengzheng barely paid attention to his instructions, letting them drift in one ear and out the other.

Night fell, and everyone boarded the boat.

To her surprise, the vessel wasn’t a simple skiff but a luxurious, three-story ship adorned with red lanterns, shining brightly on the water.

Shortly after departure, rain began to drizzle. The melody of a pipa echoed across the deck, blending seamlessly with the patter of rain, creating a soothing harmony that calmed the restless hearts of all aboard.

In a dimly lit cabin, Rong Shang sat alone, leaning lazily against the window. His eyes, filled with pain and confusion, gazed into the rain-soaked night.

Rainy nights were always torment for him.

The pain of having his dragon tendons ripped out burned through his back, and the curse of the Fallen God ignited by rain felt like his blood boiling him alive. It tore at him day after day.

Sometimes, he could endure it. When he couldn’t, only dragon marrow could soothe the agony—until it killed him.

Only by finding that woman and child and retrieving what was his could he finally be free.

He lowered his gaze and tapped twice on his communication bracelet.

The bracelet lit up, projecting Yu Zhengzheng’s flushed face. She held a wine jug, her lips glistening faintly as she wore a carefree, indulgent expression.

His voice, cold and commanding, cut through the projection. “Left side, first room on the third floor. Come apply the medicine.”

She mumbled a vague reply, the meaning unclear, before cutting off the connection.

Rong Shang shrugged off his robe, leaving him in only his inner garments. The loose clothing fell open slightly, revealing his well-toned chest. He leaned against the bedframe, waiting.

The door creaked open softly, followed by light footsteps. A pair of delicate hands rested on his shoulders, pushing him back onto the bed. “The incense in the burner contains Soft Bone Powder, and the candle is laced with Forget-Me Fragrance. You won’t be able to move, and soon, you’ll lose all sense of reason.”

“When I lose my innocence and Xiang Feng sees the birthmark on my shoulder, he’ll know I’m the reincarnation of Xue Xi, who perished millennia ago.”

An Ning’s gentle laugh lingered as she slowly removed her outer garment. “He’ll kill you. And if by some miracle you survive, you’ll forget everything by tomorrow. But Xiang Feng will despise you deeply, lying in wait to take your life.”

She knelt on the bed, her pale fingers pulling at his sash. With a gentle tug, his underwear opened wide.