Love Beyond the Grave

Chen Ying stared blankly at the scene before him. The vast sky stretched endlessly over the boundless grassland, where a blood-red sunset hung on the horizon, its reflection shimmering in the lake like a second sun. Han Lingqiu and Duan Xu had just demonstrated an utterly breathtaking duel here, but Chen Ying couldn't hear what they had said to each other. Now, Han Lingqiu released Duan Xu, his tall frame slowly shrinking as he buried his head in his hands and wept.

Chen Ying had never seen Brother Han cry. In his memory, Han Lingqiu had always been a somewhat taciturn yet resolute and earnest senior, with a towering presence that seemed unshakable.

But now, bathed in the crimson glow of dusk, his entire body trembled as if the gloom of the past half-month had finally found an outlet, overwhelming him in a torrent.

Just as Chen Ying was about to ask what had happened, he suddenly sensed someone beside him. Startled, he turned to see He Simu standing there. Clad in red, her hands clasped behind her back, she observed the scene intently. The sunlight fell on her pale face, as if she too had caught fire with the setting sun.

"Little Sister Simu? When did you get here?"

He Simu kept her gaze fixed on the two men and replied, "Neither early nor late."

Duan Xu crouched down and placed a hand on Han Lingqiu's shoulder. When Han looked up at him, Duan Xu's eyes crinkled into a smile—light and effortless, just as he had done in Heaven Knows, just as he had when he was still Han Lingqiu's general.

"You haven't been that person for a long time. If you were, you would have killed me without hesitation earlier. Besides, you've mastered the Bone Contraction Technique. That prison of mine couldn't have held you, yet you never tried to escape these past two weeks."

Han Lingqiu wept wretchedly. After a long moment, he shook his head with a bitter laugh.

He wasn't the man from Heaven Knows anymore, but he wasn't Han Lingqiu either. He hadn't figured it out yet, and he didn't know how much longer it would take.

After a brief silence, Duan Xu patted his shoulder and said, "Lingqiu, can you promise me one thing? Never go to Danzhi. Never serve Danzhi."

Han Lingqiu nodded slowly, solemnly. "I promise."

Duan Xu stood up. "Then I won't force you to stay. Go. We're barely past twenty—life is long, and there's plenty of time to figure things out. Lingqiu, don't be afraid. Take it slow."

He extended his hand to Han Lingqiu. "Get up."

Han Lingqiu's eyes flickered as countless memories swirled and settled upon this moment—upon Duan Xu, bathed in the bloody sunset. For the first time in his twenties, he felt certain that this was the moment he envied Duan Xu the most.

He reached out and grasped Duan Xu's hand, letting himself be pulled up from the ground. Duan Xu said to him—Goodbye, Han Lingqiu.

He replied—Thank you. Take care, General Duan.

And so Han Lingqiu left, walking farther and farther into the sunset until he became a speck and then vanished, taking nothing with him.

On the way back to camp, Chen Ying supported Duan Xu while biting back his questions. He desperately wanted to know what had transpired between Han Lingqiu and Duan Xu, but the timing felt wrong—his third brother didn't seem inclined to talk about it.

Moreover, He Simu walked beside them, her icy silence making Chen Ying shiver as if caught in a winter gale. As soon as he helped Duan Xu back to his tent, he made a quick escape.Duan Xu lit the lamp and sighed, lamenting how unthoughtful it was to raise a younger brother—he was injured, yet the boy didn’t even help bandage him before leaving. With a grin, he pushed the medicine and gauze toward He Simu, saying, “Ghost King, your timing is perfect. Would you mind helping me out?”

He Simu scoffed coldly, pushing him onto the bed to sit before deftly undoing his clothes and picking up the gauze and medicine to clean his wounds. As she worked, she said, “What would you have done if he had lost control and struck a vital spot?”

“That wouldn’t happen. I’ve always had luck turning calamities into blessings. Besides, I know Lingqiu… Ow! That hurts! Simu, be gentler!” Duan Xu hissed, pleading for mercy.

He Simu lifted her gaze to him. “This bad habit of yours—gambling with your life—hasn’t changed at all over the years. Sneaking into the enemy camp last time was the same. Duan the little fox, didn’t I tell you to call for me if you’re in danger? Have you forgotten?”

Duan Xu covered her hand with his, blinking earnestly. “Are you really that worried about me?”

He Simu chuckled softly, leaning closer to peer into his eyes as she said slowly, “Don’t play pitiful with me. Besides that, I also want to ask—what’s wrong with your body?”

A flicker passed through Duan Xu’s eyes. He feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”

“Why did you lose to Han Lingqiu?”

“He improved, I regressed. And I was going easy on him.”

“Duan. Shun. Xi.” He Simu threatened, calling his name syllable by syllable. She had no patience left for his evasions and cut straight to the truth he didn’t want to admit: “Your senses are deteriorating.”

Duan Xu’s grip tightened on the bedsheets. Knowing he couldn’t hide it from her, he admitted frankly, “A little.”

“Since when?”

“I… don’t really remember. It’s not serious—my senses were always sharper than most people’s to begin with. A slight decline just brings me to the same level as everyone else. Besides, as a military commander now, I don’t plan to rely on martial prowess for reckless moves anymore, so it doesn’t affect me much.” His tone was deliberately light.

He Simu studied him skeptically before finally looking away. “The Curse Bond between us is ultimately harming your body.”

Duan Xu couldn’t see her expression, but he could hear the emotion in her voice. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist to comfort her. “In our first year, we exchanged it three times. Over the next three years, only five times—that’s already very little. Simu, humans grow old. All our senses decline with age—it’s natural. If you’re already disgusted with me now, what will you do when I’m truly old? Those who rely on beauty to please others find love fading as their looks fade…”

He Simu shoved him back onto the bed—the military cot was unforgivingly hard—and Duan Xu yelped in pain. Looming over him, she narrowed her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Duan Xu gazed at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Are you really picking a fight with an injured man?”

He Simu rubbed her temples, then pointed at him accusingly. “Are you really fine?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Speaking of which, you’ve been visiting me quite often lately. Isn’t the Ghost Realm busy?”

After a brief silence, He Simu rolled over and lay beside him, resting her head on his arm.

“It’s a complete mess.”Duan Xu thought for a moment and said, "Oh, so you're deliberately staying away from the Ghost Realm to make things more chaotic there?"

He Simu seemed lost in thought. She turned her face to look at Duan Xu, gazing intently into his bright eyes—the pair she loved most.

"Duan Xu, have you settled things with Heaven Knows?"

"More or less."

"How do you feel?"

"Very light, as if I can walk a long way again." Duan Xu lowered his head to kiss He Simu's forehead and said to her, "With you."

He Simu then buried her head in Duan Xu's chest, sighing softly as she said, "Sleep, I'll stay with you. Tomorrow you'll need to see the doctor and take your medicine."

Duan Xu nodded, holding her as tightly as he could without aggravating his wounds. He sensed that He Simu seemed preoccupied. She wasn't one to share her worries, but whenever she was unhappy in the Ghost Realm, she would frequently seek him out.

He considered this a form of dependence—and secretly delighted in it.

Recently, the Ghost Realm had indeed been thrown into turmoil with Bai Sanxing's appearance. The ghosts were all searching for him, yet no one could find him.

Quzhou was under Great Liang's jurisdiction in the human world, but in the Ghost Realm, it was Jiang Ai's territory. And Bai Sanxing, the traitor wanted by the Ghost King, was currently drinking in Jiang Ai's mansion in Quzhou.

He appeared to be a handsome man in his thirties, pale-skinned and cold-bodied like all Evil Ghosts—though even paler than most, with white hair and lashes, as if sculpted from snow. His arms bore visible scars when he moved.

In truth, he resembled cracked porcelain even more than Duan Xu did.

"You've stolen my Centennial Aged Dreamwine Immortal this time. There isn't a second jar like it in the world—priceless," Jiang Ai said as she entered the courtyard, her expression darkening at the sight of the wine in Bai Sanxing's hand.

Bai Sanxing raised an eyebrow at her, swirling the wine jar. "What's the difference between a century-old brew and water? Jiang Ai, after three hundred years, you're still pointlessly hoarding things."

He was just like he had been three centuries ago, always criticizing her preferences as meaningless. When Bai Sanxing tried to take another sip, the jar floated into the air. Jiang Ai held out her right hand and said, "Then don't drink it."

Bai Sanxing's gaze turned cold as he locked eyes with her. The wine jar trembled between them, tugged left and right by their competing Magical Power. A faint chime suddenly rang from the red bell tied to Jiang Ai's plain white bracelet.

Though the sound was soft, Bai Sanxing reacted as if struck by lightning, groaning as he clutched his forehead. The wine jar flew to Jiang Ai's side. Stroking her bracelet, she said smugly, "Don't forget—you can't defy me now."

Bai Sanxing glared at her through gritted teeth.

"What, not happy? Who was it that imprisoned me for two hundred years, flaunting his superior power? The tables have turned—now you know how it felt."

"I was locked in the Nine Palaces Maze Prison for three hundred years. Wasn't that enough? What more do you want?"

Jiang Ai's smile wavered. She tilted her chin up slightly and said, "Yes... what else is left between us now?"She paused, then flicked her wrist toward the right side of the courtyard. The wine from the jug shot forth like a blade of water, forcing a figure to abruptly appear and dodge the liquid projectile. Jiang Ai gazed at the Evil Ghost and chuckled lightly, "Since the Right Minister has already come, why not show yourself properly?"

Yan Ke stood atop the courtyard wall, watching the two of them with cold eyes.

The moment Bai Sanxing saw Yan Ke, overwhelming fury surged in his eyes. "How dare you appear before me!" he roared. In a flash of white light, he engaged Yan Ke in fierce combat, his attacks clearly aimed at annihilating him completely. Three hundred years ago, this might have been possible—but Bai Sanxing had spent those centuries in the Nine Palaces Maze Prison, his Magical Power long diminished from its former strength.

Jiang Ai raised her hand, and with a faint chime of bells, she called out, "Bai Sanxing, return."

As if seized by an invisible grip on his throat, Bai Sanxing vanished instantly and reappeared behind Jiang Ai, immobilized.

Yan Ke observed everything with a scrutinizing gaze. "So it was you who secretly preserved Bai Sanxing's Heart Candle back then. Now you've awakened him and even found a way to control him. Left Minister, just what are you planning?"

"What I intend to do is none of the Right Minister's concern. But since you're here, I'd like to ask—what would you do if the King were to learn that her father, the former Ghost King, died by your hand?"

Yan Ke's gaze sharpened abruptly.