Chapter 42

Xue Ming always thought “clinging to life and fearing death” was a beautiful quality. She had many moments throughout her life where she thought, “Why live? Might as well die.” But she always managed to endure. Her greatest wish as a child was to be born into a complete family with loving parents and friends and to live an ordinary, healthy life. As she grew up, she realized that this was an unattainable luxury.

Xue Ming had learned to accept that life was about getting by. She fought hard to stay alive, not because she believed her life was beautiful, but because dying easily would render all her struggles meaningless.

Facing Jiang Ruoming, Xue Ming realized this was her soul, no longer just an illusion. She had expected to be afraid of the cruel villain but felt surprisingly calm.

Jiang Ruoming, with her stunning fox-like eyes, seemed so young, barely in her twenties, making it hard to believe she had committed such atrocities.

“You never thought about what would happen if you failed to compete to become the Ghost Emperor?” Xue Ming asked.

“Compete? The throne is rightfully mine,” Jiang Ruoming replied coldly.

“You’re half-human. Why not live a good life instead of becoming a ghost?” Xue Ming pressed.

Jiang Ruoming had likely used some spell to absorb yin energy, pushing her body to a balance between human and ghost, ensuring its survival. Without enough yang and yin energy, Xue Ming had almost died.

“Being human is boring with all those rules,” Jiang Ruoming sneered, crossing her arms. “I want to rule the ghosts and the world, fulfilling my destiny and bloodline.”

“Can you beat Yan Chixia?” Xue Ming countered.

Jiang Ruoming paused, her expression darkening. “Maybe not now, but once I become Ghost Emperor and lead the ghosts, he won’t be my match.”

Xue Ming pondered and asked, “I’ve heard he’s just a disciple. What about his master and uncles? Do you think these ghosts can face them?”

Jiang Ruoming couldn’t answer, angered by Xue Ming’s questions. “That’s none of your concern. Give me back my body!”

“Come and get it,” Xue Ming taunted, arms outstretched confidently.

Jiang Ruoming, unable to take it by force, was angry. Her hands turned into long, black claws, and she lunged at Xue Ming.

Xue Ming tried to dodge but heard a loud crash above. When she turned to look up, the grand hall with its vivid murals extending to the ceiling had replaced the illusion.

“Boom!” The ceiling cracked, the murals fleeing like a tide. The roof shattered, and huge stones fell, one directly above Xue Ming.

Just as the stone fell, she felt a force grab her ankle and pull her down, leaving her feeling weightless, as if she were falling into a river.

Before she could panic, she reappeared elsewhere in the hall, still hearing stones crashing. She looked around, realizing she had moved several feet, which allowed her to see what had happened.

The ceiling had a large hole, and stones were still falling. The Hundred Crow Ghost King emerged from the rubble slowly while wearing red robes and a sword impaled through his chest. Looking up at the hole, Xue Ming saw Yan Yuhe standing on the edge, surrounded by cracks, ready to fall. His cold gaze found Xue Ming, checking her for injuries before looking away.

Hundred Crow Ghost King rose, attempting to pull out the sword embedded in his body. As his hand touched the blade, it sizzled, emitting white smoke. Grimacing, he let go, looking up at Yan Yuhe and smiling, “You’re not planning to keep this sword?”

Yan Yuhe, who had obviously fought fiercely with the Hundred Crow, replied coolly, “It’s yours.”

Grinning, the Hundred Crow said, “This sword alone can’t kill me.”

With that, he grabbed the sword with both clawed hands, ignoring the searing pain, and yanked it from his abdomen, flinging it away. Yan Yuhe quickly traced a gesture in the air with two fingers, and the airborne sword, glowing faintly gold, curved back towards the Hundred Crow.

Hundred Crow raised his hand, and countless crows erupted from his sleeves, their deafening calls filling the air. Xue Ming instinctively covered her ears.

Suddenly, the smell of wine spread through the air. Streams of shimmering liquid filled the hall, twisting like snakes around the crows. Xue Ming, startled, momentarily thought she was seeing a nest of snakes before realizing it was just the wine.

Gu Jinglan appeared at the doorway, looking debonair, fanning himself. “So many crows, it’s really noisy.”

Hundred Crow scoffed, “Even with you, what can you guys do to me?”

Gu Jinglan stepped forward, “No rush. Look who I brought.”

Closing his fan, he pointed towards the door. Hundred Crow followed his gaze. Curious, Xue Ming and Jiang Ruoming also looked towards the door, only to hear an evident clash of chains from above.

Realizing Gu Jinglan had feinted, Xue Ming turned back to see two figures appear mid-air, causing Hundred Crow’s expression to change.

One wore white robes and a high hat inscribed with “Prosperity on Sight,” holding a long staff adorned with white paper strips. The other, in black robes, swung long chains, his hat reading “Peace to the World.”

Recognizing these iconic figures as the legendary Black and White Impermanence, Xue Ming saw their chains whip around before lashing out at Hundred Crow. Yan Yuhe and Gu Jinglan quickly moved, joining the fray. The hall filled with swirling wine and crows, leaving Xue Ming awestruck.

The grand hall, with its broken ceiling, began to shake. The intense battle caused the ceiling to collapse further, connecting the upper and lower levels. Xue Ming, barely able to keep up with the fighters’ movements, scrambled to safety. Stones rolled towards her. As she scrambled, You Yin emerged, pulling her underground. In a blink, they reappeared in a new location. Understanding that the weightless sensation earlier was also You Yin’s doing, she thanked him. “Don’t mention it,” You Yin said. “I’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”

Feeling reassured, Xue Ming turned back to watch the battle. Amidst the chaos, she spotted Hundred Crow’s red robes and the distinctive figures of Black and White Impermanence. Yan Yuhe and Gu Jinglan, however, were hard to track.

Hundred Crow, outnumbered, was clearly struggling. Wounded, he caught sight of Jiang Ruoming hiding and shouted, “Jiang Ruoming, activate the array!”

“Not yet!” Jiang Ruoming called.

“Hurry, or I can’t hold on!” Hundred Crow roared when a sword sliced through the air. Reflexively blocking with his claws, the screech was deafening as his hands were severed.

Seeing the dire situation with Yan Yuhe’s sword, Gu Jinglan following, and Black and White Impermanence closing in, Jiang Ruoming reluctantly pulled out a small flag.

Xue Ming, noticing this, whispered to You Yin, “Take me to her; let’s steal it.”

You Yin nodded, burrowing underground before surfacing behind Jiang Ruoming. She was focused on her spell, holding the flag and chanting, unaware of their approach.

In a swift move, honed from years of struggling for discounts, Xue Ming snatched the flag from Jiang Ruoming’s hand.

Startled, Jiang Ruoming’s rage flared, but before she could act, You Yin pulled Xue Ming underground again, vanishing from sight.