Love Beyond the Grave

This great victory at the border allowed Great Liang to seize three northern territories in one fell swoop. With Zheng An present, even Commander Qin couldn't pull any tricks. Reports of Duan Xu's military achievements were submitted one after another, and everyone speculated what extraordinary honors would be bestowed upon him upon his return to the capital. Even the generals who had previously ostracized Duan Xu now showed subtle signs of friendliness.

However, Duan Xu didn't quite play along. With a cupped-hand salute to Commander Qin, he excused himself to meet some friends from the martial world, saying they would reunite in the Southern Capital later. Then he promptly disappeared. This audacious move shocked even Zheng An, who remarked that this was indeed the behavior of a young man not yet twenty, becoming somewhat carried away by his military achievements.

The "promptly disappeared" Duan Xu was now sitting face-to-face with his curse partner, the Ghost King He Simu, in an inn in Yunzhou.

He Simu wore her red-and-white triple-layered robe, with silver cloud-shaped hairpins swaying in her hair, their tassels reaching her shoulders. Propping her chin with one hand, she handed Duan Xu a pigeon-egg-sized sugar pill with the other: "Eat this."

Having removed his armor and official robes, Duan Xu now wore a black round-collared robe with his hair tied in a high ponytail, a black forehead band with silver patterns across his brow. He looked every bit the handsome youth, with no one able to recognize him as the renowned General Duan Shunxi.

He glanced at the sugar pill in He Simu's hand, took it without hesitation, and popped it into his mouth.

He Simu raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to ask what this is?"

Duan Xu swallowed the unidentified object and smiled brightly. "You wouldn't harm me."

After a pause, he added, "Even if you wanted to harm me, there's nothing I could do about it."

Duan Xu clearly had a profound understanding of the saying "discretion is the better part of valor."

He Simu laughed and snapped her fingers, pointing at his abdomen. "What you just ate was a sugar-coated Ghost King Lamp."

Even with some mental preparation, Duan Xu's eyes widened at this answer. "The Ghost King Lamp?"

"The supreme treasure of the Ghost Realm, capable of amplifying magical power more than tenfold—the symbol of the Ghost King, something every Evil Ghost would kill to possess. And now it's in your stomach."

After smoothly explaining this, He Simu pressed two fingers against his abdomen. A circle of red runes spread from her touch, and the Ghost King Lamp inside Duan Xu responded with a glow.

A flicker of pain crossed Duan Xu's face, but it quickly subsided. When he looked up again, he froze.

The world had suddenly become completely different. He Simu was surrounded by floating white threads in the air, the sunlight taking on a honey-like viscosity. Behind her, numerous phantom figures drifted about like withered branches and bleached bones.

"These threads..."

"Are the wind."

"These figures..."

"Are Wandering Souls."

He Simu smiled slightly, spreading her arms. Her red sleeves stirred the white threads as she said, "Welcome to the world of Evil Ghosts, little fox Duan."

After being implanted with the Ghost King Lamp, its powerful ghostly energy masked Duan Xu's human aura, making him appear like a genuine Evil Ghost capable of seeing the Ghost Realm. He Simu had even left a spell within the lamp, connecting Duan Xu, the Illusion-Breaking Sword, and the Ghost King Lamp together—using the sword's spiritual energy to activate the lamp's power for Duan Xu's use.Duan Xu said, "Since you've lost your magical power and become like an ordinary mortal, you're just letting me pretend to be an Evil Ghost to protect you?"

"Something like that." He Simu handed him the Bright Pearl.

Duan Xu smiled faintly and placed his hand on the pearl. "Shun Xi swears not to fail your trust."

This time, what He Simu wanted to exchange was her sense of smell.

After the red dot appeared between He Simu's brows, she opened her eyes and looked at Duan Xu.

Duan Xu blinked at her, and just like the first time she gained the sense of touch, she suddenly leaned in close to him. She sniffed at his neck, the silver tassels of her hairpin brushing against his cheek, and asked, "What... is this scent?"

Duan Xu understood and replied, "Agarwood, amber, storax, mint leaves, bletilla striata, and benzoin. My younger sister enjoys blending fragrances, so my everyday clothes are always scented by her."

"Agarwood, amber, storax, mint leaves, bletilla striata, and benzoin." He Simu repeated softly, almost greedily inhaling deeply by Duan Xu's neck before whispering, "It smells wonderful."

Duan Xu flinched ever so slightly, and He Simu lifted her gaze to meet his, smiling brightly. "I just remembered something."

He lowered his eyes to look at her, only to see her red lips part as she enunciated each word deliberately: "You're ticklish, aren't you?"

Those words struck Duan Xu with more dread than hearing of an enemy ambush. As He Simu reached out to touch his neck, Duan Xu swiftly dodged to the side, pushing off the table in a whirl of black robes before landing by the wall. He chuckled, "That was so long ago. Your Highness, the Ghost King, surely wouldn’t..."

He Simu rubbed her ear and raised her hand. "Come here. Either let me tickle you now, or wait until I regain my magical power and hang you up for three days and nights of torment."

"..."

The Ghost King truly never forgot a grudge.

Duan Xu hesitated for a moment before sighing and walking back to sit in front of He Simu, spreading his arms resignedly.

"Your Highness, please be merciful."

He Simu didn’t respond. She exhaled lightly into her palm before mimicking his past actions, wreaking havoc on all his ticklish spots—his waist, his neck. At first, Duan Xu bit his lip, trying to endure, but as He Simu grew more relentless, he finally burst into laughter. He laughed uncontrollably, raising his arms to shield himself but refusing to leave the chair, rocking it until it creaked. The rich, crisp scent of agarwood filled the air.

"Ahahaha... I was wrong... I admit it... I won’t do it again... Your Highness... Simu! Spare me... ahahaha!"

He Simu ignored him, determined to exact her revenge. But when she glanced up, she caught sight of Duan Xu’s laughing face—his eyes crinkled with mirth, tears forming at the corners. The usually stubborn, even somewhat reckless youth now looked carefree and joyful.

Like a young man who had always been well-protected, growing up untouched by the world’s harshness.

He Simu’s tickling fingers paused.

When had she become so childish, squabbling over such trivial matters with a mortal not even twenty years old?

As if she were only a few decades old again.

Her gaze flickered, drifting away as she slowly lowered her hand.

But Duan Xu suddenly grabbed her wrist.He Simu looked up at him and saw the young man's burning gaze. He smiled and said, "Don't make that face. If I stop dodging, I’ll let you have your fun, how about that?"

He Simu raised an eyebrow and withdrew her hand. "What face? What expression am I making?"

Duan Xu shook his head. After a moment of thought, he said seriously, "An unhappy one."

He Simu silently observed this young man shrouded in ghostly energy, then gave a noncommittal laugh and sighed, "Fine, I’ll let you off this time, little fox."

Whether his words were unintentional or deliberate, they always had a way of making her relent.

The next day, in Danzhi’s You Province Comforting Sight City.

You Province, nestled between mountains and rivers, was a strategic military stronghold and a bustling transportation hub. The streets of Comforting Sight City were crowded with lively crowds. Amidst the throngs of people, a six-year-old child-like Evil Ghost in colorful clothes was frantically weaving through the masses, fleeing toward the city gates.

Another slightly older child-like Evil Ghost was chasing after the colorful-clad ghost, shouting, "You little brat, stop running!"

The pursuit of these two ghosts through the bustling market went unnoticed by ordinary humans, who went about their business, shopping and calling out their wares.

The pursuing ghost finally caught up to the colorful-clad one, kicking him to the ground and pinning him underfoot. "You’ve been hiding for days, but I’ve got you now! How dare you run after committing a capital crime!"

The sight of a ten-year-old ghost calling a six-year-old ghost a "little brat" was indescribably odd. The triumphant ghost had only a moment to revel in his capture before he noticed another Evil Ghost standing nearby, observing them.

This ghost appeared to be a tall, well-built man wearing a Veiled Hat with black gauze that reached his shoulders, embroidered with two silver strokes resembling pine and cypress. His hair was tied in a simple high ponytail, and he held a silver-inlaid ebony sword. When the wind lifted the gauze, glimpses of his bright, smiling eyes could be seen.

Judging by his aura, this ghost was quite powerful.

The ten-year-old ghost, nicknamed Maizi, glared and snapped, "Official business here! What are you staring at?"

The veiled man tilted his head slightly. "Official business?"

Before Maizi could respond, the colorful-clad ghost beneath his foot suddenly struggled free and lunged toward a child on the street, clearly intending to possess them. Maizi realized his intent and panicked, shouting, "Hey, hey! You—"

Before he could finish, the black-clad swordsman flashed forward, appearing in front of the colorful-clad ghost. Two gleaming silver blades crossed at the ghost’s throat, the movement so swift it was dizzying.

"Don’t move," the man warned calmly.

Maizi gasped. The man was wielding dual swords—and they were powerful Spirit swords at that!

An Evil Ghost wielding Spirit weapons was as bizarre as a tiger recruiting Wu Song as its ghostly servant, or a chicken standing by a stove brandishing a spatula to cook itself into a stew.

The colorful-clad ghost’s attempt at possession was thwarted, and it glared at the man in resentment. Maizi approached cautiously, equal parts awed and excited, eyeing the dual swords. "Impressive... How did you manage this, brother? Using a Ghost body to wield Spirit swords?"

The man chuckled and deflected, "Little brother, you’d better secure your prisoner properly first."Maizi detected a hint of teasing in the man's tone. With a snort, he took out shackles and locked up the colorful-clothed ghost, saying, "You haven't been a ghost for long, have you? Let me tell you, seniority in the Ghost Realm isn't determined by appearance. I've been dead for over six hundred years—calling me 'old brother' wouldn't be out of place."

The man sheathed his sword and complied, "I see. Thank you for the guidance, old brother. What law did this child violate for you to arrest him?"

"Article Thirty-Two of the Golden Wall Laws—the crime of wanton slaughter without cause."

"Thirty-Two Golden Wall Laws?"

Maizi widened his eyes, thinking to himself how new this Evil Ghost must be to not even know the laws. Wasn't the first priority after becoming an Evil Ghost to study the laws thoroughly? He wondered which unlucky Ghost Hall this guy belonged to.

Pointing at the struggling colorful-clothed ghost on the ground, Maizi said, "This one also just became an Evil Ghost not long ago. A few days ago, he slaughtered sixteen people from a household in Youzhou Prefecture—but not to consume their Soul Fire."

"Then why?"

"For fun—young age, doesn't know better."

Stepping on the colorful-clothed ghost, Maizi sighed, "Wanton slaughter of living people is a serious crime. I've been ordered to hunt him for days and finally caught him. Oh... by the way, you look unfamiliar."

"I've come from the south and just settled here," the man replied with a smile.