Love Beyond the Grave

On the other side, Jade Zhou City was shrouded in dark clouds at this moment.

In recent years, the Ghost Realm had been relatively peaceful. On one hand, there had been a significant decrease in Evil Ghosts who seriously violated the Golden Wall Law. On the other hand, the Ghost King's mood had remained unusually pleasant for three consecutive years, leading to a more lenient temperament where she no longer obliterated Evil Ghosts at the slightest provocation.

Just as everything seemed to be thriving, sudden news arrived from the Mei Ghost Palace—an Evil Ghost from his hall had encountered Bai Sanxing!

Soon after, reports poured in from various hall masters across the land, all claiming sightings of Bai Sanxing or an Evil Ghost resembling him. However, his appearances were fleeting; before the Evil Ghosts could react, he would vanish again. None managed to speak with him, leaving his intentions unknown.

The news of Bai Sanxing's reappearance sent shockwaves through the Ghost Realm. Over three hundred years ago, when Bai Sanxing was still the master of the Ki-Demon Hall, he had been second only to the Ghost King, unrivaled in strength. After the Ghost King's death, he launched a rebellion. Before He Simu's rise, many Evil Ghosts believed Bai Sanxing would seize the Ghost King Lamp and become the next Ghost King.

But one day, Bai Sanxing suddenly disappeared without a trace. Yan Ke took his place and aligned himself with He Simu, who ultimately became the Ghost King. The hall masters assumed Bai Sanxing couldn't possibly still be alive under He Simu's ruthless rule—he must have been obliterated.

Yet not only had Bai Sanxing not turned to ashes, he had returned. Known for his vengeful nature, no one knew what chaos he would unleash upon seeing the hall masters who once followed him now bowing to He Simu. The older hall masters who had survived from the previous Ghost King's era were filled with dread, while the newly appointed ones felt somewhat more at ease.

Guan Huai, the master of the Mei Ghost Palace—a three-thousand-year-old relic—had ironically been spared due to his imprisonment in the Nine Palaces Maze Prison.

When He Simu received the news, her expression remained unreadable. During the court assembly, she merely ordered a search for Bai Sanxing's traces, demanding immediate reports of any sightings and promising heavy rewards for his capture—as if the once-feared "White Scourge" meant nothing to her.

The sovereign's mind was inscrutable. After the monthly grand assembly, the hall masters flocked to the Left and Right Ministers for insights into the King's plans, only to be dismissed. It wasn't that they didn't want to answer—they were still suspicious of each other.

As Yan Ke and Jiang Ai descended the palace steps, Yan Ke clasped his hands behind his back and asked quietly, "During the assembly, you told the King you've never seen Bai Sanxing."

Jiang Ai, adorned in her usual lavish embroidered robes with gold hairpins and pearls glinting in her hair, turned to him, her jewelry tinkling softly.

She met his gaze and replied, "What of it? Is there a problem with that statement?"

"I know Bai Sanxing. You're his obsession. He's been infatuated with you for a thousand years, never letting go of your rejection, scheming endlessly to possess you. Three hundred years ago, you tricked him into the Nine Palaces Maze Prison, trapping him for centuries. Now that he's escaped, how could he not come for you?""Fond of me? You might as well call it a desire to conquer. Is there anything good in this world he doesn’t wish to conquer? Probably after waking up, he found something else to conquer and decided to set me aside for later. But speaking of deception..." Jiang Ai leaned closer to Yan Ke, covering her lips with a smile. "Three hundred years ago, it wasn’t just me who deceived him—you were in on it too. Weren’t you his deputy hall master back then? He trusted you so much. Now that he’s escaped, shouldn’t he come to settle scores with you first? Why did I just hear you tell the King that you’ve never met Bai Sanxing?"

Yan Ke’s gaze turned icy. "I’ve never met Bai Sanxing."

"Then neither have I."

The Left and Right Chancellors of the Ghost Realm locked eyes—one cold and unyielding, the other smiling without retreating an inch.

Finally, Jiang Ai waved her hand and turned away. "Rather than suspecting each other, let’s each pray for our own survival, Lord Right Chancellor."

Yan Ke’s sharp eyes caught sight of a pure white, glowing bracelet on her right wrist as she gestured. The bracelet was simple, unadorned by any jewels or gold and silver inlays—unlike Jiang Ai’s usual style.

He rubbed his thumb thoughtfully, sneered, and turned to leave.

Yesterday, the Yunzhou Prefect had hurried back to inquire about the past between Lord Fang and Marquis Duan. Upon learning of their rivalry, he realized he’d made a grave mistake and feared his official hat might not stay on his head. The next day, the Prefect first saw off Inspector Fang with great fanfare and warmth, then turned around and hosted another banquet to invite Duan Xu.

Duan Xu knew exactly what the Prefect was up to the moment he saw him. Playing along with the Prefect’s assumptions, he put on a slightly displeased air and made a few pointed remarks about Fang Xianye. Watching the Prefect turn pale and sweat profusely, Duan Xu then graciously accepted the banquet invitation.

The generals had all returned to their respective posts, so aside from Duan Xu, the attendees were all Yunzhou officials. After several rounds of drinks, the Prefect insisted on Duan Xu staying the night at his residence and even arranged for several beauties to accompany him. Duan Xu figured the Prefect must have heard about his frequent visits to Yù Zǎo Tower in the Southern Capital and was catering to his tastes. Seeing the Prefect’s hopeful gaze, he didn’t refuse and picked one of the beauties to accompany him.

After the banquet, the Prefect eagerly instructed the beauty to serve Duan Xu well before leaving with a grin. The girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen, timidly helped Duan Xu back to the room prepared by the Prefect, not daring to look at him the entire way. Once she settled him on the bed, she closed the door.

Naturally, she stayed in the room.

Seated on the bed, Duan Xu had appeared slightly tipsy and dazed earlier, but now he was clearly sober. "Why are you still here?" he asked.

The girl stepped forward, head bowed. "The Prefect ordered me to serve you well, Marquis."

Duan Xu chuckled. "Then why keep your head down? I can’t even see your face."

Trembling, the girl lifted her head. Though young, she was undeniably beautiful—delicate features tinged with a pitiable sorrow. Her eyes, brimming with emotion, lingered on Duan Xu before she stammered, "I... I’m here to serve you, Marquis."Duan Xu tilted his head to study her, smiling as he asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"The Marquis of Ningyi from the Southern Capital..."

"I meant my name."

"Duan... Marquis Duan."

"My name is Duan Xu, Duan Shunxi." After a pause, he continued, "You said you wanted to serve me. Do you know how?"

The young girl clenched her teeth and took two steps forward, only to trip over herself in her nervousness and land right on Duan Xu. He didn’t say anything, so she clung to his shoulders, clumsily unbuttoning and removing his outer robe before attempting to kiss him.

Duan Xu, who had been resting his arms on the bed letting her move, suddenly raised a hand, pressing a finger to her lips. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he gazed at the girl so close to him. "I won’t accept a kiss from someone else’s body, He Simu."

The girl froze, then whispered, "My lord, what are you talking about...?"

"Your Highness, still trying to catch me sneaking a bite?"

The girl fell silent. Her hands no longer trembled, her eyes no longer held fear. After a moment, she closed her eyes—the body slumped forward, only to be caught by the collar by a pair of pale hands with bluish veins, then propped up against the nearby table.

The owner of those hands—He Simu, dressed in red and equally pale—crossed her arms as she stood in the room, sighing. "How do you always know it’s me?"

Duan Xu grinned and reached out to her. She walked over and, just like the girl earlier, settled into his lap facing him.

He praised, "You acted very convincingly this time. You possessed her when the third jug of wine was finished at the banquet, didn’t you?"

He Simu raised an eyebrow. "You noticed then?"

"Mhm, I did."

"How do you always figure it out?"

Duan Xu wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning in until their foreheads touched. "Because your eyes give you away—you want me to notice."

He Simu blinked, then looped her arms around his neck, brushing her nose against his. "Well then, my lord, may I kiss you now?"

Duan Xu obligingly closed his eyes. "Your Highness, be my guest."

He Simu chuckled but didn’t act immediately. After a brief pause, she finally pressed her lips to his. Just as she expected, his body shuddered slightly. Lately, she’d discovered that perhaps because her body was too cold and Duan Xu’s senses were too sharp, he always trembled when she kissed him. She quite liked this peculiar reaction.

As she was thinking this, he parted her lips, his tongue sliding against hers as he murmured, "Your Highness, focus."

She cradled the back of his head, relaxing into his invasion. Soon, he gripped her waist and laid her down on the bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his gaze burning.

He Simu idly traced circles on his shoulder, teasing, "I heard the marquis has a tattoo of snow-covered plum blossoms on his back. What’s the story behind that?"

Duan Xu laughed lowly, his voice rough. "My lover painted it for me. She’s like snow and red plum blossoms."

"Oh? She sounds so cold—must be uncomfortable to hold. Why doesn’t the marquis consider someone else?" He Simu said."I must be suffering from an eye disease, one so severe that I can no longer see anyone else but her. Fortunately, though she may be cold at first, she warms up when held close—sometimes so much it makes my heart race." Duan Xu gently stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers as he whispered.

He Simu looked up at him for a moment, then smiled and stretched out her arms. "Duan Xu, hold me."

Duan Xu obediently pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Am I still cold now?"

"A little."

"Then warm me up." He Simu murmured softly in his ear, "Use your warmth to heat me."

Duan Xu kissed her neck, his fingers deftly loosening the ties of her robe as he chuckled lowly.

"As you wish."