Chapter 29

Xue Ming felt something was wrong. Fortunately, Hundred Crow’s spell only lasted for two seconds. After regaining her freedom, she quickly lowered her head, trying to make her movements as normal as possible.

Hundred Crow disdainfully commented, “I wouldn’t eat a head like this even if it were placed in front of me.”

At this moment, Xue Ming had no time to pay attention to Hundred Crow. Her heart was pounding, blood rushing, and she tried her best to conceal her panic. She bent down to pour wine for Lu Man and whispered in her ear, “I think I’ve been discovered.”

Lu Man showed a surprised expression, “How could that be? Didn’t he fail to notice anything?”

Xue Ming didn’t know how to describe it, but the look Yan Yuhe gave her just now was clearly problematic. The change in his eyes made Xue Ming believe he had definitely noticed something. This place was not safe to stay in for long. She said to Lu Man, “Can I leave now?”

“Not yet,” Lu Man whispered, “Wait a little longer.”

Xue Ming still felt a burning gaze on her, making her nerves tense and unable to relax, her mind in a mess.

How did Yan Yuhe recognize her? By what method? There was nothing unusual when she passed him just now, so why did he see through her disguise with just one glance? It would be understandable if he had used some other method, but Xue Ming’s disguise was purely based on appearance. She now looked like a teenage girl. How could Yan Yuhe recognize her with just one look? It didn’t make sense.

Xue Ming lowered her head, thinking quickly, her thoughts tangled. Suddenly, she heard a commotion ahead. She looked up and saw several beautiful women descending from the sky on clouds, all wearing flowing hibiscus-colored long dresses, carrying an extremely luxurious sedan chair on their shoulders. The crowd below stood up one after another, showing a warm welcome, shouting something she couldn’t make out, creating a noisy scene. Xue Ming was still inwardly complaining about who could have such a grand entrance when she saw the fairy-like ladies slightly lower the sedan chair, and someone stepped out from inside. This person was very tall and handsome, wearing a golden crown. The most striking thing was his bright yellow robe, a jade belt around his waist, and a white jade folding fan in his hand. His attire and accessories were not flashy, yet they exuded nobility.

Xue Ming looked closely and was extremely surprised because this person was the fake Ning Caichen. He shook his fan and walked lightly, smiling, “Everyone, long time no see.”

Hundred Crow, perhaps tired of the torment from the two ghost kings on either side, immediately stood up upon seeing him and walked down the steps, smiling to greet him, “Your Highness! It’s been so long since we last met. Decades have passed, and you still look the same, not a bit changed!” As he spoke, he extended his arm to place it on Gu Jinglan’s shoulder.

Gu Jinglan raised his fan to block the gesture slightly, smiling distantly. “We are both old ghosts who have been dead for many years. What changes could there be?”

Hundred Crow seemed not to notice the slight resistance and moved forward again, putting his arm around Gu Jinglan’s shoulder, as close as brothers, “Isn’t it said that one day apart feels like three autumns? There must be changes. You know I like you the most. Knowing you were coming, I prepared fine wine and some fresh human heads as snacks. You will surely like it.”

Gu Jinglan said, “I don’t like it very much.”

Xue Ming saw this and immediately knew that the fake Ning Caichen’s true identity was that of Bai Duo Ghost King. The ‘Your Highness’ from Hundred Crow’s mouth indicated his significant background in life; no wonder he always felt extraordinary.

As she was thinking, Lu Man whispered to her, “Now is a good opportunity.”

The four ghost kings gathered here, and the ghosts below cheered loudly. Hundred Crow was busy greeting people, and the scene became extremely lively. Xue Ming glanced at Yan Yuhe from the corner of her eye and vaguely noticed his head still turned in this direction. When Hundred Crow pulled someone up to talk, blocking his view, Xue Ming seized the moment, twisted her body, slipped into the noisy crowd, using the chaotic environment to hide her figure, and quickly left. Now that she was short, it was easy to hide, like a slippery fish, disappearing instantly.

Xue Ming didn’t dare to delay, running to a more secluded place in one breath. She found a large rock to hide behind, took out a ginseng root from her bosom, and bit off a piece. Instantly, she felt a huge suction force from the ground, pulling her into the earth without any resistance. She felt a moment of darkness before her eyes, and before she could struggle, the scene in front of her suddenly changed.

She found herself in a damp, dark place surrounded by tall iron pillars. Five massive chains extended from various directions, and You Yin hung up high in the center. The child looked like he had just cried, his eyes still red, tears glistening as he looked at Xue Ming and urgently said, “Why did you take so long? Hurry and save me! I’m about to be taken out and eaten!”

Xue Ming saw that the chains were as thick as his thighs, locking his limbs and neck and stretching him into a star shape. She quickly climbed up the chains, reassuring him, “I’m here now, don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out soon.”

You Yin, tears streaming down, said, “These chains aren’t ordinary iron. How did you come empty-handed?”

Careful not to lose focus while climbing, Xue Ming reached You Yin and pulled out a short blade from her waist under her robe, saying, “I brought this.”

Lu Man had anticipated how You Yin would be imprisoned and had given her a portable short knife. This knife was no ordinary item. Xue Ming gripped it tightly with both hands and struck the chain on You Yin’s neck. With a crisp sound, the chain broke and clanged against the wall, making a loud noise.

You Yin urged, “They’ll hear the noise and come soon. Hurry up.”

Xue Ming was even more anxious than him, fearing Yan Yuhe would notice and catch up. She quickly chopped at the chains on his limbs. When only the last chain was left, the imbalance caused her to fall heavily to the ground while You Yin hit the wall. Both were dizzy and took a while to recover.

Ignoring the pain, Xue Ming hurriedly got up to cut the last chain. Her first strike almost missed, scaring You Yin into shouting, “Be more accurate!”

Once all the chains were cut, You Yin, now free, fell to the ground and disappeared instantly. Xue Ming was startled and shouted, “Hey! Take me with you! How am I supposed to get out if you leave?”

Perhaps hearing her shout, You Yin’s head popped out of the ground again. He extended his hand to her, saying, “Grab onto me.”

Xue Ming quickly moved forward. Her smile was not fully formed when something suddenly wrapped around her from behind like a flexible snake, binding her limbs. She was shocked to see golden ropes tightening around her. Instinctively, she tried to cut the ropes with her short blade, but the blade, which had easily cut through iron chains, made a sizzling sound and got notched when it touched the golden ropes, which remained intact. You Yin, with a terrified expression, shouted, “Immortal Binding Rope!”

You Yin pulled her hand hard, trying to drag her to the ground, but Xue Ming fell. Looking up, she saw Yan Yuhe standing a few steps away in the dim light. His face was dark and unclear, shrouded in a sinister aura, almost like a ghost.

Xue Ming’s heart sank, realizing he had indeed recognized her. She was so close to escaping!

She pulled out a bell with her still-free hand and shook it, calling, “Nie Xiaoqian!”

Instantly, a thick white mist appeared, and Nie Xiaoqian floated in the air, her long white sleeves waving, exuding a chilling aura. She bowed gracefully, her voice soft and charming, “Greetings, my lady.”

“Stop him,” Xue Ming ordered, quickly trying to untie the Immortal Binding Rope.

Nie Xiaoqian, having gained significant power from Xue Ming’s offerings, intended to show off in front of her new master. But upon seeing Yan Yuhe, she immediately knelt, knocking her head on the ground three times, “I was summoned against my will. It has nothing to do with me!”

Seeing her subordinate so cowardly, Xue Ming felt humiliated and scolded, “You useless thing, your knees are softer than cotton! What’s the use of all the incense and paper money I burned for you? I should have burned it for Ning Caichen instead!”

Hearing this, Nie Xiaoqian immediately looked delighted, “That’s great! Let him come out to fight. He’s been crying all the time. It’s so annoying.”

As she spoke, Yan Yuhe moved, stepping towards Xue Ming.

Nie Xiaoqian was so frightened that she said, “I retreat now, and this retreat is forever.”

Xue Ming was furious, “Stop mimicking me!”

Nie Xiaoqian tilted her head, giving Xue Ming a look she couldn’t understand, then turned into smoke and disappeared. The surroundings became extremely quiet, with only Xue Ming struggling against the Immortal Binding Rope.

This magical tool was quite gentle, not binding her too tightly, but it clung to her, making it impossible to break free as if it were draining her strength. After a few struggles, she was already gasping for breath.

Seeing Yan Yuhe approaching step by step, Xue Ming became extremely anxious. She remembered the “soul stripping” plan she overheard him discussing with the Bai Duo Ghost King, making her even more panicked. She moved backward, her voice trembling with tension, “Yan Yuhe, let’s talk this over. I told you before that I’m not the same person as your evil junior sister. You can’t harm the innocent…”

Yan Yuhe remained silent, continuing to approach. Xue Ming added, “That villain is hiding somewhere. Killing me won’t help. I won’t let you go if I die, even as a ghost.”

Just as she finished speaking, she realized that Yan Yuhe specialized in killing ghosts. If she died and became a vengeful ghost, she would die again miserably. She quickly changed her tone, babbling, “I’ll report this to the authorities! There must be a judicial organization, right? Like the Ten Kings of Hell, there must be a place to file complaints.”

Yan Yuhe stepped into the light, the faint candlelight illuminating his profile. His eyes were less cold, and he was quietly watching Xue Ming. When he spoke, his voice was calm, “When did I say I was going to kill you?”

He indeed hadn’t said it directly, but Xue Ming had heard it clearly. Stubbornly, she looked at Yan Yuhe, “If you’re not going to kill me, why did you use the Immortal Binding Rope to catch me?”

Yan Yuhe leaned closer. Seeing this, Xue Ming was so scared that she struggled to protect herself, but he did nothing. Instead, he wrapped his long arms around her and lifted her up. At the same time, all the spells on Xue Ming’s body began to fail. Her body quickly stretched out, her clothes tearing, and as Yan Yuhe held her, she returned to her original form.

The Immortal Binding Rope slipped off her limbs and retracted into Yan Yuhe’s sleeves. He looked down at Xue Ming; her fair face was smudged with dust, and her dark, grape-like eyes glared at him in feigned anger, her whole demeanor bristling adorably.

Yan Yuhe felt a previously empty place in his heart suddenly filled, completely and utterly. Naturally, a faint smile touched the corners of his eyes and lips as he softly said, “You’re dirty. How about a wash?”

“What?” Xue Ming was still in a state of panic and didn’t notice the change in his emotions. She only felt that the arms holding her were extremely strong, firmly restraining her, making it impossible for her to struggle. She frowned and said, “You’re quite particular, wanting to clean me up before killing me? If you find me dirty, just put me down.”

Xue Ming remembered that Yan Yuhe had an obsession with cleanliness. If she had known earlier, she would have smeared something disgusting on herself before coming. Maybe Yan Yuhe wouldn’t even have put the Immortal Binding Rope on her.

Yan Yuhe didn’t respond. He just opened a door in the wall and carried Xue Ming inside, and a wave of hot steam hit her face. Xue Ming turned her head and saw that it was the hot spring pool in the small house by the lotus pond. He really did bring her to wash. Xue Ming immediately resisted, not knowing what he would do after washing. She struggled hard, hitting and punching his shoulder. Although she thought she was using a lot of strength, her punches felt like a massage to Yan Yuhe. He carried her to the pool’s edge, and they both fell in without any preparation.

The warm spring water instantly enveloped Xue Ming and the feeling of drowning overwhelmed her. She instinctively flailed her arms, searching for something to hold onto. Suddenly, a pair of hands supported her waist and lifted her out of the water. Gasping for breath, Xue Ming wiped the water from her face and saw Yan Yuhe very close, unbuttoning his clothes.

Xue Ming hurriedly slapped the water with force, splashing it all over his face. Taking the opportunity, she turned to swim away, but her wrist was tightly grasped before she could move. She struggled hard in the water for a few moments but quickly exhausted her strength. Feeling short of breath and chest tightness, she couldn’t even curse with much vigor, “Let go of me! Whatever grudges or past you have with your junior sister, it has nothing to do with me. I’m just a passerby. What did I do to deserve this? Are you bored? Why aren’t you going after your junior sister and instead focusing on me?”

“It was you who barged into my house back then, saying you wanted to transfer yang energy to me,” Yan Yuhe tightened his grip.

Xue Ming raised her voice, “If I had known you were a fraud who wanted to take my life, I would rather have been scratched to death by those ghosts than go in!”

Her yang energy was already nearly depleted. Shouting like that made her feel like she had run 800 meters, and her lungs hurt. She quickly stopped to catch her breath. Yan Yuhe, with a calm expression, unbuttoned two of her buttons and said in a gentle voice that echoed in the empty hot spring room, “Your yang energy is about to run out. If you don’t replenish it, it will harm your body.”

Xue Ming weakly replied, “Let me go. I have my own ways to replenish yang energy. I don’t need you.”

Yan Yuhe’s face darkened as he forcefully pulled her, causing her to crash into his embrace. Underwater, he entangled her legs with his, pressing their bodies tightly together. His hand moved up Xue Ming’s spine, and the coolness of his palm contrasted with the hot spring water, creating a strange sensation that sent shivers down her back.

It seemed Xue Ming was convinced he would kill her, her entire body radiating resistance. Even though he firmly trapped her body, she still weakly pushed against his shoulder.

Yan Yuhe said, “I told you I wouldn’t kill you.”

Xue Ming said, “Not going to kill me? Then why are you holding me? Let me go.”

Yan Yuhe remained silent. To Xue Ming, this reaction was a blatant lie. She believed that Yan Yuhe had conspired with Bai Duo and that when the plan was executed, they would strip her soul, just like fattening a pig before slaughter. A surge of inexplicable anger rose in Xue Ming’s heart. She grabbed Yan Yuhe’s collar and sneered, “I get it now. You probably have an old flame with that wicked junior sister of yours, right? You love her but can’t have her. Now you think she’s lost her memory and wants to take advantage of the situation. Despicable and vile!”

Yan Yuhe grabbed her face, forcing her to lift her head. His dark eyes were filled with hidden anger. “Love but can’t have? This body would have long been reduced to pulp if it weren’t for you.”

“If that’s really the case, why did you save me several times before?” Xue Ming glared at him and asked, “Do you even realize I’m not Jiang Ruoming?”

Xue Ming rarely showed such an angry expression. Her eyes were beautiful, always hiding many emotions, and she usually had a cheerful demeanor. When she encountered trouble, she knew how to use her eyes to appear weak, with a thin layer of moisture making them look crystal clear, tugging at people’s hearts. Most importantly, she always managed to easily evoke desires in Yan Yuhe’s heart that he had never experienced before. He stared at Xue Ming without moving, his expression inscrutable.

After venting her anger, Xue Ming realized she might have made a mistake. Although it felt good to curse him, this wasn’t a dream. What if she provoked Yan Yuhe, and he went berserk? As the saying goes, ‘A wise man knows when to retreat.’ Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so quick to lash out.

As Xue Ming’s heart pounded with anxiety, Yan Yuhe’s arm around her waist suddenly moved, easily flipping her over so that her back was pressed against his chest. Then he reached into the water and brought up a mirror, holding it up to Xue Ming’s face. His voice sounded in her ear, “Whose face is this?”

The water droplets on the mirror fell, unaffected by the rising steam, clearly reflecting her and Yan Yuhe’s faces. Her own cheeks were flushed red, her eyes still dark and bright, with traces of panic and lingering anger in her expression, making her look quite beautiful.

Xue Ming knew she had a pair of beautiful eyes. From childhood to adulthood, she had received many compliments because of them. When she looked into the mirror Bai Duo had given her, the face reflected was only eighty percent similar to her original one, with an extra mole on the tip of her nose. But now, the face in the mirror was exactly the same as her original appearance, with the mole on her nose gone. It was Xue Ming’s face. She met Yan Yuhe’s gaze in the mirror and slowly said, “This is my face.”

Immediately, Yan Yuhe held up the mirror and shook it slightly. The reflected light swept across Xue Ming’s eyes. She squinted slightly and looked again, seeing a person appear in the mirror. That person was dressed in what seemed to be the uniform of a certain sect, with a hairpin holding up a bun. When she turned her head, she revealed a pair of fox-like eyes with upturned corners and a mole on the tip of her nose, making her face very striking. She looked like a fox spirit who had cultivated into a human, her beauty extremely aggressive, with a sullen expression that seemed to exude a sense of malice. This was a face completely different from Xue Ming’s. As Xue Ming looked at her, she felt that her face was full of a sinister thought of ‘I’m about to harm someone.’

“This is Jiang Ruoming,” Yan Yuhe said.

“You knew all along that I wasn’t the same person as her?” Xue Ming tilted her head and asked Yan Yuhe in a daze.

Yan Yuhe held her tightly, letting her lean against him, and said slowly, “Do you know how you came here?”

“I died,” Xue Ming said. “A drunk driver hit me, and my body was smashed to pieces.”

Yan Yuhe said, “Think again.” He raised his hand as he spoke, and his cold fingertip touched Xue Ming’s forehead.

Suddenly, it felt like a beam of light pierced into her mind, and Xue Ming instantly recalled the scene of being hit by a car while walking home from work. She stood on a quiet, deserted street, watching the green light turn on. She only took a few steps on the crosswalk when a large truck appeared like a ghost. The truck’s headlights shone on her, blindingly bright. Xue Ming wanted to dodge, but her body seemed paralyzed with fear, unable to move an inch, and she watched helplessly as the truck sped toward her. In that instant, she saw clearly that the truck driver’s seat was empty.

Xue Ming gasped, her heart pounding wildly as she turned and grabbed Yan Yuhe’s clothes, looking up and asking urgently, “What are you trying to say? I didn’t die by accident? Did someone deliberately bring me here?”

Yan Yuhe replied, “Do you know your birth date?”

The welfare institution assigned her birthday, but she didn’t know her actual birth date. She had never seen her parents or relatives and didn’t know if they were alive or dead. “I don’t know.” Xue Ming pouted pitifully, then asked hopefully, “Do you know?”

Yan Yuhe looked at her and said, “You were born in the year of Ji Mao, on the 16th of October, at the third quarter of the Zi hour. The heavenly stem Ji belongs to Yin Earth, and the earthly branch Mao belongs to Yin Wood, making it a Yin year, Yin month, and Yin hour. Jiang Ruoming used dark magic to summon your soul to extend her life and ward off disasters, but unexpectedly, you fully integrated with this body and became one with it.”

Xue Ming had previously thought that Jiang Ruoming’s birth date was heavily influenced by Yin energy, but she didn’t realize she was the same. No wonder her life had been full of hardships, without any close relatives since childhood. She cursed the hateful Jiang Ruoming in her heart, who had done so many evil deeds and still managed to harm her. She took the mirror from Yan Yuhe’s hand and looked at herself, cursing the villain silently. Suddenly, she felt enlightened and asked, “So, when you first saw me, you knew I wasn’t your junior sister. You could see through my disguise, right?”

Yan Yuhe leaned close to her ear and softly replied, “My eyes can see the true form of souls. Disguise spells are useless against me.”

“Are you really not going to kill me?” Xue Ming hesitated and asked, “Then why did you capture me?

Yan Yuhe said, “If you die from exhausting your yang energy, she will take your body.”

No wonder Yan Yuhe was so anxious to find her. He didn’t want Jiang Ruoming to reclaim this body after her death and use it to harm the world with its extreme Yin nature. Xue Ming felt a surge of gratitude and realized that trusting the original story was never wrong. Righteous characters are indeed reliable and represent justice. She asked, “What about the Yang Gathering Talisman?”

Yan Yuhe replied calmly, “It’s lost.”

“Ah?” Xue Ming pouted, feeling heartbroken. “I thought you would pick it up. Isn’t it a treasure? How can my body gather Yang energy without the Yang Gathering Talisman?”

Yan Yuhe replied, “Once something is discarded, there’s no need to retrieve it.” He held her close by the pool, lowered his head, and kissed her along her ear, whispering softly, “Just be diligent, and it will be fine.”

Xue Ming’s clothes were undone one by one, and kisses followed her ears down. Occasionally, she could feel the light biting. She took a few breaths, still mumbling, “Although it is good to give me yang energy, you can’t do it too often, right? Isn’t it said that living people need to balance yin and yang? Too much yang energy is not good either…”

Yan Yuhe nibbled down her neck, applying a bit of pressure with his teeth, leaving a series of red and shallow bite marks.

Xue Ming soaked in the water until her legs felt weak, and she didn’t have much strength to stand. Her pretty face was flushed, not knowing if it was from the heat or embarrassment. She wrapped her arms around Yan Yuhe’s neck for support and, with her head lowered, said, “Shall we go to the bed?”

Yan Yuhe didn’t respond, easily undoing her clothes and quickly revealing large areas of her fair skin. Water droplets slid down her skin, landing on her hand. Seeing no reaction from him, Xue Ming repeated herself, and Yan Yuhe said, “Let’s clean up first.”

Xue Ming splashed water on herself, scrubbing her body and vigorously washing her face. Impatiently, she shouted, “Alright, alright, I’m clean!”

Yan Yuhe had already removed all his clothes in the blink of an eye. His porcelain-white arms were soaking in the spring water, resembling a dazzling piece of jade. His jet-black hair floated on the water’s surface, and the jade ornaments hanging from his ears swayed gently. Surrounded by a misty environment, he remained untainted by any dust, yet his gaze stirred a sea of desire, staring intently at Xue Ming as if wanting to pull her down into the depths together.

Xue Ming weakly said, “It’s exhausting in the water…”

Yan Yuhe said no, then pressed forward and made her find a comfortable position on the pool bank. He pressed down her lips as she tried to speak, pried her teeth open mercilessly, and began to invade her wantonly.

The moment the cold body approached, Xue Ming instinctively got goosebumps all over, feeling tight in her chest and unable to breathe. She bit his tongue and complained softly, “So cold.”

Yan Yuhe lowered his eyes to look at her, and then Xue Ming felt Yan Yuhe’s body change. His initially cold limbs began to warm up, which was not apparent until she raised her hands and pressed them on his shoulders. Then, she felt that the heat was stronger than her own.

Xue Ming looked closely and realized that Yan Yuhe’s skin was no longer the deathly pale it had been but was gradually taking on the color of blood. The fingers gripping her were no longer black. His usually indifferent, handsome face had somehow taken on a blush, resembling the fiery clouds at sunset, spreading from the corners of his eyes, along his cheeks, to the roots of his ears. It was incredibly beautiful. Xue Ming was momentarily stunned. “You…”

Thick mist shrouded the hot spring pool, with new water continuously bubbling up from the spring. The sound of the flowing water was clear and pleasant, creating a constant, soothing melody.

The young couple entangled by the pool, their upper bodies pressed together, kissing passionately. The rippling water waves hit the shore and bounced back, forming circles of intertwining ripples. It seemed like the water helped Xue Ming adapt more quickly this time. The intense heat enveloped her, making her gasp for air to stay conscious. Her neck was almost entirely covered with Yan Yuhe’s kisses, causing it to turn red.

Yan Yuhe was breathing heavily, and the breaths were in her ears. There was a beating sound in his chest. His body was no longer cold. He took possession of Xue Ming with extreme aggression and devoured her piece by piece.

Xue Ming had no strength to resist and could only slowly follow his lead, sinking into it. By the time this exhausting affair ended, Xue Ming was so tired that she couldn’t even lift a finger. She collapsed entirely in his arms, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.