I nod: “Okay.” Even if he hadn’t said this, I would have followed him.
The human world at this time is in March, with continuous light rain falling on the blue stone path. Mu Chen holds an umbrella, and I hide under it, raindrops splashing and wetting my skirt hem. I lift my skirt and laugh: “You know, the human world is so beautiful. What can a powerful immortal or ghost person compare to mortals? If I could choose, when I was cultivating, I would definitely become human, not an immortal.”
He softly chuckles: “Mortals only have a few decades of life. If we were to stay together, it would be too short.”
I ponder for a while and nod: “Indeed short.” I hold his hand tighter, saying, “So, when we’re in the human world, we’ll move every ten years, or people will think we’re monsters.” I reconsider and shake my head, “No, no, ten years is just enough to make a place feel like home before moving again. We’ll find a deep mountain forest to live in and stay as long as we want.”
I chatter about our future plans, but the more I think, the more heartbroken I become, unable to hold back tears. When my face feels wet, I think I’m crying again, but looking up, the umbrella has fallen. Mu Chen holds me tightly, whispering in my ear: “There will be such a day, Su Su.”
“I’m so afraid…” Becoming more and more cowardly, because the more I’ve gained, the deeper my feelings, the more I fear losing everything.
I sob on his body, choked up and unable to speak.
“Su Su.”
He bends down to kiss me, not caring about passersby or the increasing rain.
I don’t want to care about anything either, the bitterness in my heart mixing with a sweet tenderness. If only we could stop here, five thousand years ago.
No River of Bones, no resentful spirits, no separation.
I reached out and touched his face, sliding from the eye corner to his lips, my fingertips feeling his real temperature, trembling: “Mu Chuan…”
Cool lips covered mine, tongue probing, leaving no room for refusal.
The layers of tingling sensations finally erupted during the intermittent slow and fast movements beneath, softening my entire body.
When I opened my mouth again, my voice was already hoarse from the unconscious moments.
The bonfire remained just as before, showing no signs of weakening. Nestled naked in his embrace, my cheeks still felt burning. I buried my face in his shoulder, drawing circles on his arm, too exhausted to speak.
He spread a soft blanket over us, and I finally mustered the courage to look up. Seeing the slight redness on his face, I reached out to touch his eyelashes. He suddenly opened his eyes, and I quickly withdrew my hand.
His clear, deep gaze swept over me, making my heart race. He spoke: “Didn’t you say you were tired? Why aren’t you sleeping?” He smiled softly, “I won’t suddenly run away because I’m tired too.”
His words made it sound like we had been wrestling for a long time… I bit his shoulder and said, “Good thing you met me. If it were another girl, she would have been scared away by your dissolute appearance.”
He sighed leisurely, mimicking my tone: “Good thing you met me. If it were another man, you would have been cheated away long ago.”
I laughed in his arms: “Shameless.”
“Hmm, sleep. We’ll wake up early tomorrow.”
Thinking we would return to the Ghost Realm, I felt downhearted but still responded – what must be faced will eventually be faced.
The first light of dawn entered, making the dilapidated temple look bright. I carefully got up, reaching for the now dry clothes. With a sprinkle of immortal energy, I made them pristine and neat. As I dressed and was about to tie my waist belt, I turned to look at Mu Chuan, who was propped up on his elbow, looking at me.
I stammered, “Why didn’t you say something when you woke up?”
He smiled, “With such beautiful scenery, how could I bear to make a sound?”
I hummed lightly, placing his clothes in front of him: “Quickly dress. We’re returning to the Ghost Realm.”
Mu Chuan’s face was gloomy, but he still smiled and said softly, “He won’t bite, because I’ll chop it off.” I grabbed him tightly, afraid he would actually go and tear someone’s tongue out. After all, this was the ‘past’, and if something happened, it would only cause more trouble. He glanced at me indifferently, making me feel like a useless teammate.
He withdrew his gaze and looked up at the sky, saying: “We did not come to the Ghost Realm with any intention to offend.” The other party seemed to have heard nothing, and illusory figures of passersby suddenly disappeared, with sword and knife lights raining down. I was not panicked. Even if the sky were to collapse, there was an expert beside me, and I could just enjoy the ride.
Sure enough, the immortal energy was already prepared in the palm. I saw Mu Chuan shoot out a glance like a knife, instantly dissolving those swords and blades, so quickly that the other party was stunned, and shouted: “Who are you! Why do you have the aura of a king!”
Mu Chuan was silent for a moment, then said: “Take us to see the Ghost King.” Seeing the other party still silent, he added, “You also know that you cannot harm me.”
The other side seemed to be discussing, with no response. After a while, the voice spoke again: “You may go, but the goddess beside you cannot. The Ghost King is about to get married, and as someone from the Ghost Realm, you should know the rules.”
Seeing Mu Chuan frown, I said: “You go, I’ll wait here. Someone who could turn the Bone River into that state overnight must not be an ordinary person.”
Since I couldn’t enter the palace, Mu Chuan going might help us gather some information. I would guard the Bone River, splitting up our efforts. Though parting is difficult, what was this brief separation compared to our future?
He nodded: “Be careful, don’t run around.” Then he added, “Don’t cause trouble.”
Mu Chuan left with those people, and I ran to the Bone River alone. The water was still clear. I placed my hand on my chest and murmured: “What could make you so full of resentment?”
As soon as the words fell, that long-dormant feeling began to float up again.
I suppressed it with spiritual power when suddenly a familiar sound came to my ears.
“Su Su.”
I looked around in surprise, seeing no one, and tentatively called: “Zhen Nü?”
“Mm, I’m in the mortal world, don’t be startled.”
“Oh~” I asked, “Did you find some clues?”
“Yes, I just returned from the Jade Pool Immortal. According to her, the Bone River was originally called the Clear Na River. On the day of the previous Ghost King’s wedding, it suddenly became a river filled with resentment. I recited the Pure Heart Spell by the river and found I could temporarily purify part of the water. So we suspect the river was cursed, with an extremely powerful resentful spirit trapped inside.”
I pondered for a moment and said: “If it’s a resentful spirit, as long as we resolve its resentment, the resentful spirits on Mu Chuan and me would disappear, right?”
“Indeed, but the spirit is extremely powerful, and the seal is very strong. We cannot break it with our current abilities. You need to find out who the original spirit is and what caused its grievance.”
I suddenly remembered that Mu Chuan had gone to the palace. If the sealed person was from the royal family, wouldn’t Mu Chuan be in danger? I started to move but stopped. No, if an immortal like me rushed over, I would only cause more chaos. Unable to advance or retreat, I could only hope these few days would pass quickly.
“Stop, Lian Xiao! Don’t kill her!” “She can’t be allowed to live! Let go!” Lian Xiao?
