Chapter 1

Mount Qingcang began to snow again, and the peak was soon covered in white.

Chang Huan, carrying a cloak, hurried over with small, quick steps and draped it over Liu Shuang’s shoulders and scolded, “My Lady, why are you waiting for the Demon Lord again? Your health is weak, and the Demon Lord said you don’t need to wait here for him.”

Snowflakes covered Liu Shuang’s hair.

She stretched out her hand, watching the snow melt in her palm, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Happily, she told Chang Huan, “Did you know? The twelfth lunar month in the human world is also the coldest season.”

Chang Huan shook her head with a smile. As a ghost cultivator, she had never been to the human world, but from the lady’s words, it sounded like a beautiful place, stirring her own longing.

Liu Shuang’s delicate face was made even more striking by the severe cold; her once rosy lips are now a bit pale. But her eyes shone brightly because this month, her husband, Yan Chaosheng, who had been waging war against the Immortal Clan, would return.

She held Chang Huan’s hand and asked, “Is my outfit still alright? What about my hair? Is it messy?”

Chang Huan replied, “My Lady, you look as beautiful as a celestial being. The Demon Lord will not want to leave when he sees you.”

Liu Shuang smiled, her large eyes curving into crescent moons.

Chang Huan was happy for her.

To her, the Demon Lord was a fierce warrior.

Since marrying the lady, they were often apart, as he was always busy. Sometimes he would only return to Mount Qingcang once in several years to be with the Lady, and even then, only for a few days before leaving again.

Nowadays, the Eight Wildernesses are gradually becoming stable, and all parties have signed peace treaties—immortal, demon, ghost, and monster—had settled, the Demon Lord no longer needed to be away constantly. With the wars over, the world was tranquil, and the four seas were at peace.

Without pressing matters, the Demon Lord could stay with the Lady and perhaps even bring a little prince into the world.

Seeing Liu Shuang shivering and rubbing her hands for warmth, Chang Huan couldn’t help but urge, “My Lady, let’s go back to the hall to wait.”

Liu Shuang shook her head with a smile. Her cultivation was not high, and her background was humble, so she could do very little for Yan Chaosheng. She put her heart into these few things she could do, handling them personally.

A hundred years ago, she remembered standing on Mount Qingcang, waiting for him. He had returned riding a red kite bird, and seeing her waiting on the mountain, he had smiled and curved his lips slightly for the first time.

(T/N: The red kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds only in Europe, though it was formerly also bred in west Asia and northwest Africa.)

Liu Shuang blinked joyfully. Though they were Taoist couples, she rarely saw him smile.

He was the Demon Lord and also the Ghost king, a high and mighty ruler of two realms, seldom showing emotion, which made her timid. That time, she felt his joy, and since then, whenever he returned from battle, she always waited at Mount Qingcang, the entrance to the ghost realm, so he would see her first when he came home.

The waiting time was very long. Occasionally, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, he would say he would come back. When the war was intense, he could only be seen on the fifteenth day. Whenever he returned, he was enveloped in a scent of blood.

Because of this, Liu Shuang cherished every moment the two of them spent together.

The long waiting periods didn’t seem like a hardship to her.

In fact, the oppressive ghost realm behind her was more unbearable. She was originally a small, blue immortal grass from Canglan Lake in the human world. Though her spiritual energy was low, she was still of immortal essence. Living in the stifling Ghost Realm was hard for her. If not for Yan Chaosheng’s profound cultivation and the occasional dual cultivation that allowed her to absorb his spiritual energy, she wouldn’t have managed to survive.

Though the Ghost Realm wasn’t as cold as Mount Qingcang, its eerie chill made her uncomfortable and reluctant to leave the palace.

Yan Chaosheng had once suggested she stay in the warmer Demon Realm, but she refused.

He was fighting for the turbulent Ghost Realm. If she went to the Demon Realm, she wouldn’t see him. For her, nothing was more joyful than seeing him and staying in his embrace.

Chang Huan stayed with her until the hour of Hai, when the night grew late over Mount Qingcang.

She said, “My Lady, let’s go back. The Demon Lord might not return until tomorrow. Seeing you like this would make him worry.”

(T/N: hour of the Hai, also known as hour of the Pig, which is from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.)

Liu Shuang nodded, deciding to come back the next day. He would be back within a few days, after all.

Liu Shuang formed a hand seal, and a large blue bird flew over from the horizon.

The giant bird’s feathers were beautiful, shimmering with radiant colors, and it landed obediently in front of Liu Shuang.

She patted its neck.

“Let’s go home, Qingluan.”

Qingluan carefully lifted her, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky, tracing a radiant streak across the dark, blood-like sky of the Ghost Realm.

Liu Shuang’s Qingluan, along with Yan Chaosheng’s Chiyuan, were originally a pair of ancient demonic birds. Yan Chaosheng had obtained them by chance when he was young, and they had been with him for over seven hundred years, their bond strong and affectionate.

After she married him, Liu Shuang begged Yan Chaosheng for half a year before he finally gave her Qingluan as a mount.

It took Liu Shuang several decades to tame the demonic bird, clumsily learning to groom its feathers and finding ways to win its favor. Only then did Qingluan willingly protect and obey her.

Qingluan could travel tens of thousands of miles in a day, so it took little time to reach Mount Qingcang.

The Ghost Palace gate is solemn and gloomy, with dozens of pale-faced ghost cultivator generals guarding the gate of the palace.

Liu Shuang glanced at the blood-like air above, taking a light breath. She gripped Qingluan’s feathers tightly, not wanting to reveal her natural fear of this place.

Her husband was the only demon-ghost in the Eight Wilderness, cultivating the ghostly way with his demonic body. Staying in the ghost realm was most comfortable for him.

Even though she didn’t like this place, she wouldn’t let her minor preferences affect his cultivation.

“My lady, be careful.”

Chang Huan extended a hand to help Liu Shuang down from the bird’s back.

Qingluan sensed something and let out a light cry towards the palace, a bit restless. Soon, a clear bird call came from inside the palace, and a bright red Chiyuan flew out from the Ghost Realm, entwining necks with Qingluan as they preened each other’s feathers.

Chang Huan exclaimed in delight, “My Lady, the Demon Lord has returned!”

The presence of Chiyuan indicated that Yan Chaosheng was already in the Ghost Realm palace. Liu Shuang’s smile widened as she lifted her skirt and ran towards the palace.

Chang Huan called after her, “My Lady, slow down.”

Liu Shuang was wearing a scarlet gauze dress embroidered with large blooming begonias. As she ran through the palace courtyard, the begonias shimmered, appearing to bloom in layers.

Even the usually lifeless ghost cultivators couldn’t help but turn their heads to look at her, bowing and greeting, “My Lady.”

She pushed open the door to her palace but did not see Yan Chaosheng inside.

Liu Shuang tilted her head and asked a nearby ghost servant, “Where is the Demon Lord?”

The ghost servant replied, “The Demon Lord returned injured and is now in the Hall of Ruthlessness.”

“He is injured! Is it serious?”

“I do not know, My Lady.”

Liu Shuang entered her own chamber, worried but not daring to step into the Hall of Ruthlessness. There, a cold pool had a chill that could harm her body, though it was an excellent place for Yan Chaosheng to heal.

He had once issued a strict order forbidding her from setting foot there.

Liu Shuang sat distractedly on the swing in the courtyard, a few ghost phoenix butterflies fluttering around her. She waved them away, saying, “Go play by yourselves. My husband has returned, and he is injured. I am very worried about him.”

Hearing that Yan Chaosheng had returned, the ghost phoenix butterflies scattered at once. The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers, a stark contrast to the somber Ghost Realm outside.

The Ghost Realm, devoid of life, wouldn’t normally allow such vibrant things to grow. After Liu Shuang moved in, her gentle immortal aura, combined with her boredom, led her to ask Yan Chaosheng’s subordinates for seeds. She nurtured them with her spiritual energy, attempting to cultivate flowers and plants in the courtyard.

To her surprise, she succeeded. Gradually, in the cold and oppressive Ghost Realm, only the area around her and Yan Chaosheng’s residence was in full bloom, with a lush lawn.

Even the brightly colored ghost phoenix butterflies loved to sneak here when Yan Chaosheng was away.

But when he was present, his aura was so overwhelming that these little creatures didn’t dare to come near. Once, right in front of her, he crushed a ghost phoenix butterfly that hadn’t flown away in time.

The wooden corridor was winding and covered with glass lanterns.

The sky, as dark as blood, dimmed, and Yan Chaosheng still hadn’t returned.

Chang Huan said, “The Demon Lord is healing, My Lady. You should rest first.”

Liu Shuang nodded and went inside.

Chang Huan let her hair down, removed her makeup, and carefully applied a layer of fragrant balm.

Liu Shuang nestled into the warm covers, but her mind was still on Yan Chaosheng in the Hall of Ruthlessness.

How was he? Was he seriously injured? Was he in pain?

Even by late at night, she couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning with her eyes wide open. It wasn’t until the ghost crows outside flew past, their harsh cawing grating on her ears, that she realized someone was standing by her bed.

He seemed unsurprised. “Still awake?”

His voice was cold, but it made Liu Shuang’s eyes light up. She crawled out from under the covers. Yan Chaosheng remained silent for a moment, then, with a flick of his fingers, the soft glow of night pearls from the South Sea illuminated the room.

Liu Shuang finally saw him.

Her husband, the ruler of the Demon and Ghost Realms, Yan Chaosheng.

He was dressed in a black robe with gold trim, exceedingly handsome with thin lips, long eyebrows, and dark eyes, looking down at her.

Liu Shuang reached out to him, and he glanced at her before extending his hand.

His slender hand was as cold as jade, much like his own body temperature—cold enough to make one shiver. She shivered from the cold but held his hand to her chest to warm it, looking at him with her big eyes. “Husband, are you badly hurt?”

Under the lamp’s light, her small face was rosy, her eyes moist, and her lips a tender red. She forgot that his body contained the blood of a demon snake, making his temperature impossible to warm.

His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes softened a bit as he said, “It’s nothing.”

Liu Shuang didn’t argue about why he didn’t return via Mount Qingcang, making her wait in vain, but instead returned silently to the Hall of Ruthlessness.

Worried about his injuries, she reached to undo his belt.

“Let me see.”

Yan Chaosheng stopped her hand.

“Don’t be foolish.”

When he forbade others from doing something, he unconsciously released his aura. Liu Shuang naturally feared him; a sense of dread welled up from within, but her concern for him overpowered it.

Suppressing the feeling of her heart being squeezed, she persisted. “Let me see, or I won’t be at ease.”

In the end, his clothes were removed by her.

Yan Chaosheng was a ghost cultivator. His skin, paler than that of ordinary people, had a somber pallor, yet his muscles were beautifully defined, his body long and perfectly sculpted, almost unbelievably handsome.

She saw his shoulder, where black blood seeped from a wound so deep it exposed the bone. Liu Shuang’s heart ached. Nowadays, he has few equals in the Eight Wilderness. Who could have injured him so severely?

She raised her hand to cover the wound, trying to use her continuous spiritual energy to help him heal. He grabbed her hand, closed his robe, and said, “You still don’t know your own limits? You don’t need to heal me. Go to sleep.”

As a small plant, the one skill she excelled at was healing. Despite living in the Ghost Realm for years, she never neglected her practice, fearing that one day Yan Chaosheng would return injured and she wouldn’t be able to do anything for him.

Now, with her wrist held down by him, he didn’t need to exert much force. With a gentle push, Liu Shuang fell into the soft bedding, unable to move.

He leaned over her, his expression indifferent, looking down at her from above.

He was a master of ghost cultivation, and the look in his eyes often made others retreat in fear, their teeth chattering. But Liu Shuang, wrapped in the quilt, didn’t feel the same way.

In Yan Chaosheng’s eyes, she saw her own reflection.

Her cloud-like hair and flower-like face, her eyes as clear as spring water.

The glass lanterns were bright and beautiful. Under their light, she wore only a delicate, soft inner garment, her chest heaving and her waist slender.

Facing his gaze, her cheeks reddened involuntarily.

“Husband?”

Her toes curled up in nervousness. Although they had been intimate only a few times, each time left her heart pounding and her face flushed.

His ghostly body was cold, and even though her natural form was a gentle immortal plant, she found it hard to endure. Yet to Liu Shuang, despite his cold demeanor, he was perfect in every way, bringing her endless joy.

Seeing that he didn’t object, she suppressed her shyness and moved to the side, hugging his neck.

“Husband, come rest.”

He was injured, and she didn’t intend to do anything but snuggle in his arms and talk softly with him.

He stared at her flower-like, delicate face for a while, his eyes darkening slightly. Without a word, he gently removed her soft hand from his body.

“No need. I won’t be resting here tonight.”

Liu Shuang blinks in confusion.

The ghost crows’ caws indicated it was already past midnight. Since he had left the Hall of Ruthlessness, he wouldn’t be returning there.

It was so late.

If he wasn’t going to sleep with her, why had he come back, and where was he going?

“Is the Mingxi Pearl still here? I need to borrow it.”

Upon hearing this, she immediately got out of bed and picked up the small jade horse used for storage. The horse was a gift from Yan Chaosheng for her birthday two years ago, created with his power. She loved it dearly.

Seeing her delight, Yan Chaosheng put more effort into it, turning it into a storage artifact.

“Everything is here, husband.”

She gently tapped it with her slender white fingers, and the jade horse opened to reveal all the treasures he had given her over the years.

It was filled with a dazzling array of items, all precious and beautiful.

She sat cross-legged, obediently taking out the Mingxi Pearl for him. Most of the items in the jade horse were gifts from Yan Chaosheng, but the Mingxi Pearl was different. It was a gift from an old friend, capable of blocking tribulation lightning and calming the seven souls.

Curiously, she asked, “Husband, is someone going through a tribulation?”

Yan Chaosheng took the pearl, still warm with her unique touch and resting snugly in his palm. He glanced down, meeting her innocent and affectionate gaze. “No, just stay here and don’t wander off. I’ll come and see you when I can.”

Liu Shuang nodded.

He paused.

“The Mingxi Pearl… I’ll return it after use.”

Liu Shuang replied, “It’s alright. My tribulation is still a while away. Even without the Mingxi Pearl, I have you, husband. You promised me you’d be with me during my tribulation. With you there, the heavenly lightning won’t harm me.”

Her tribulation might be disastrous for her, but for Yan Chaosheng, it was a mere flick of his hand.

Yan Chaosheng made no response.

“Be good. I’m leaving.”

Even though he knew this was redundant, she was always very obedient. When he was around, she clung to him affectionately, saying all kinds of shameless things. When he wasn’t, she rarely left the ghost realm, often staying in the courtyard tending to her flowers and plants, almost never venturing out.

Seeing him about to step out, the hem of his robe embroidered with gluttonous beasts fluttering in the wind, a wave of reluctance surged in her heart. She hadn’t seen him for two months.

She ran barefoot, catching up to him and hugging his waist.

Yan Chaosheng didn’t turn around. “What’s the matter?”

Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cold cheek softly and said gently, “Husband, I just wanted to tell you that I miss you very much.”

His black eyelashes cast shadows on his face. He remained standing straight and said calmly, “Hmm, go back inside.”

Yan Chaosheng walked out of the intricately decorated corridor, the glass lanterns swaying lightly above.

These peculiar items were all things she had insisted he gather from the Eight Wilderness. Yan Chaosheng took out the Mingxi Pearl from his robe, frowning. He didn’t even realize when he had given her so many things.

He touched his cheek where she had kissed him lightly, as if the warmth different from his cold skin still lingered.

Yan Chaosheng’s eyes remained calm and indifferent as he walked out of the corridor. The hovering ghost crows dispersed, respectfully making way for their lord. He showed no hesitation and didn’t look back at her even once.