Chapter 3

To reach the Xiangze Hall, one needs to pass through the Bone Forest.

Liu Shuang stepped over the white bones, hearing the eerie crunching sound under her feet. On such a night, it was spine-chilling. When she took human form and lived among mortals, she gradually adopted some of their habits.

For example, fearing terrifying and gloomy things.

Yan Chaosheng, a ghost cultivator, was perhaps the person she loved using all her lifetime’s courage and bravery.

The double-fish pendant in her palm grew warm, encouraging her to move forward. This path was incredibly long, and she had no idea how long she had walked before she saw Xiangze Hall.

This Xiangze Hall remained solemn, but apart from the main hall, it was the most magnificent place.

She had walked all the way here without anyone stopping her. Liu Shuang knew that in the ghost realm, Yan Chaosheng was absolute; no one dared to disobey his commands.

Xiangze Hall was a forbidden area; without his permission, no one would dare to come here usually.

In truth, Liu Shuang didn’t even know why she was challenging his authority. The cracked double-fish pendant caused her intense unease, and she urgently wanted to prove something.

For instance, that Yan Chaosheng loved and cherished her.

He forbade others from coming, but she had defied his orders, and he wouldn’t really punish her, right?

The door of Xiangze Hall was right in front of her. She placed her hand on the door, gritted her teeth, and was about to push it open.

Liu Shuang’s heart hung high; the answer was behind this door. But the next moment, her wrist was grabbed by a hand so cold that it was almost piercing.

Her eyelashes trembled as she saw Yan Chaosheng standing beside her, his expression icy.

“Why have you turned a blind eye to my order?”

She had never heard him speak to her in such a cold and terrifying tone before. The immense pressure overwhelmed her, and she realized he was angry.

Her internal organs ached faintly. She coughed softly, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth.

“No, husband, I…” She wanted to explain but didn’t know what to say. Did she come here to repair the pendant, to see who the noble guest in the hall was, or to see Yan Chaosheng’s attitude towards her trespassing in the “forbidden area”?

But wasn’t his attitude clear enough now?

Liu Shuang’s eyes grew warm. She lowered her head, extremely flustered, not knowing whether to wipe the blood from her lips or the tears about to spill from her eyes.

Yan Chaosheng looked at her coldly, his pitch-black eyes emotionless, as he saw her tears falling like a broken string of pearls.

Under the dark, blood-colored sky, she was full of grievances, like a little ostrich, head down, shoulders trembling.

He forcefully lifted her chin, saw the blood at the corner of her mouth, and his hand paused. He frowned and wiped the blood from her lips with his thumb.

Yan Chaosheng picked her up horizontally. It had taken her almost half an hour to get here, but he took her back to her chamber in an instant.

The demon lord’s cloak almost completely covered her delicate body. She shivered in his arms, trembling like a leaf about to wither.

“Don’t cry.”

He turned around, sat down on the bed with her in his arms, and placed his hand on her delicate back. Flipping his palm, spiritual energy flowed into her body.

His spiritual energy was cold and domineering, while hers needed to be as gentle as a trickling stream. So weak that she couldn’t even bear his anger. He controlled his spiritual energy, transforming it from ghostly energy to immortal energy, and transferred it to her bit by bit.

Although her injury had already been healed by him, her eyes were still red like a rabbit’s, staring blankly at the ground.

Yan Chaosheng turned her face to look at him. Since becoming the demon lord six hundred years ago, he has been arrogant, and no one has ever defied his orders without facing soul-destroying consequences.

She had tested the law with her own body. Even under this slight pressure, she was lightly injured. No matter how he punished her, it wouldn’t be too much.

Looking into her red eyes with tear-stained eyelashes, he spoke mockingly, “You dared to intrude on the forbidden area, and I haven’t punished you, yet you’re feeling wronged?”

She shook her head, but her eyes continued to well up with tears.

He raised his hand to wipe her tears away, and finally, his fingers pressed on her lips, threatening, “If you cry again, I’ll throw you into the water prison to keep company with the water ghosts, understand?”

She choked, “Then throw me in.”

Saying such indifferent words, her fingers quietly clutched his robe. He glanced down, his eyes softening slightly, and said, “Really want me to throw you in? The water ghosts don’t like neighbors like you; don’t come crying to me later.”

His words were harsh, but Liu Shuang, having been with him for half a year, knew that this was already a concession, a clumsy attempt to comfort her.

Over the century, he hadn’t given her much tenderness. After wiping her tears, his hand remained on her back, continuing to transfer spiritual energy into her body.

Liu Shuang cherished this moment of warmth. The courage she had gathered like a fish facing the breaking net dissipated in this warmth. She had trespassed into the forbidden area, and he really hadn’t punished her. Although he had inadvertently hurt her with his pressure, he had been healing her all along.

He didn’t not care about her, right? Her nearly withered heart began to bloom again with tenacious flowers.

She hugged his neck, burying her face in his neck.

“Husband, you promised to come back soon, but you haven’t come back at all.”

He raised his hand, gently stroking her head.

“So, you’re blaming me?”

She shook her head and took out the double-fish pendant from her bosom, handing it to him.

“It’s my pendant… I don’t know why, but it has developed cracks. No matter what I do, I can’t repair it. I wanted to ask for your help, husband.”

With her small hands, she wrapped his hand in hers.

He glanced at her and complied, letting his palm emit spiritual energy. The power of the demon lord was immense, and the already exquisite double-fish pendant began to glow as the fish on it seemed to come to life.

She watched without blinking.

However, after a long while, although the pendant glowed with a radiant light, the cracks remained, showing no sign of repair. Yan Chaosheng raised his eyebrow slightly.

“A Shennong Jade?”

The jade refined in the ancient artifact, the Shennong Cauldron, could be used for divination, and once broken, it could not be reversed.

Liu Shuang was stunned for a moment, then took back the double-fish pendant from his hand. “It’s alright. If it can’t be repaired, so be it. After all, it’s just… a piece of jade. Husband, you can give me a more beautiful one another day.”

Yan Chaosheng looked at her without further questioning about the jade. “Whatever you want, tell Su Lun.”

She nodded, finally showing a faint smile. Yan Chaosheng was about to put her down when she hugged him tightly. “Husband, it’s so late; do you still have urgent matters to attend to? Will you stay here and keep me company?”

Facing her expectant eyes, he hesitated for a moment before agreeing with a hum, deciding to lie down with her in his arms.

The light quilt was soft, just like her, warm and gentle.

The glazed lamp swayed gently, casting the silhouette of paper cranes on the windowsill. Yan Chaosheng knew that his little wife knew many strange things.

For example, tea brewing, paper cutting, embroidery, and clothes making…

When she transformed, she was picked up by a couple of seventh-rank officials in the mortal world. The couple’s own daughter had died young, and seeing her cute and delicate appearance, they thought she was a lost little girl from a good family and took her in out of pity.

She herself was naïve, not knowing what kind of being she was, and didn’t think that a little immortal plant couldn’t live with mortals. At that time, the mortal world admired her elegance and refined conduct, and as a little immortal plant raised as an official’s daughter, she learned many things that mortal girls would.

But in terms of cultivation, she was neither talented nor interested, and she lacked diligence.

She didn’t learn what she should, but she learned a bunch of trivial things instead.

Ghost cultivators have always revered strength, and Yan Chaosheng was no exception. However, despite her being so “uneducated” for a hundred years, he never “corrected” her, instead silently allowing it.

“Husband,” Liu Shuang counted on her fingers, “in three months and four days, I’ll face my tribulation.”

He pulled up the quilt to cover her, responding indifferently.

He didn’t give a reply, nor did he continue the topic. Her essence was at odds with the ghost realm, which had no immortal energy, making it nearly impossible for her to cultivate. However, both demons and immortals face two types of tribulation lightning in their lives.

One is “cultivation tribulation,” where one strives to break through realms, enhancing cultivation if successful.

The other is the “bloodline tribulation,” which tempers the bloodline every fifty years. Surviving it makes the bloodline purer and stronger.

For Liu Shuang, her cultivation had hardly progressed, making the idea of breaking through realms a vain hope, and she didn’t need to face the cultivation tribulation. However, the bloodline tribulation was unavoidable.

But to face such tribulation, she needed sufficient cultivation. Fifty years ago, he had helped her through it.

At that time, not long after their marriage, Yan Chaosheng had returned victorious from a war with the immortal realm, full of pride. What could have been a simple task of helping her through the tribulation, he chose to do in a more intimate way.

They dual-cultivated in the bedchamber for three days, exhausting her to the point where even moving her fingers was difficult. Then he pinched her cheeks and laughed, “If you can’t pass the tribulation yourself this time, don’t tell anyone you’re my wife.”

Despite his words, when the lightning struck, seeing her so weak, he still helped her deflect most of it with a cold snort.

Now, fifty years have passed again.

This time, he had returned victorious once more, holding power over two realms and maintaining strict control.

Recalling the past, Liu Shuang felt a thread of sweetness. Under the quilt, she held Yan Chaosheng’s hand, interlacing her slender fingers with his.

Summoning an unknown courage, she turned over and said, “Husband, this time, I want to face the tribulation myself.”

She thought she spoke loudly, but her voice was barely a whisper, and her ears turned red. Despite being under her, the lord of two realms showed no sign of losing his imposing aura.

His handsome features were as picturesque as a painting, and upon hearing her words, his eyes showed a slight ripple of emotion, whether mocking or condescending.

He said, “You think you can do it?”

Liu Shuang’s small hands tightened around his belt, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

“I… I can do it.”

He lowered his eyes, his lips curling into a slight smile. He remained still, letting her take the initiative, curious to see how far this timid “little rabbit” would go.

Liu Shuang had never taken the lead before. Her hands trembled as she unfastened his clothes.

Yan Chaosheng watched her, and by the time she had completely removed his robe, she was already sweating from the effort. Her previously pale cheeks were now a rosy hue, making her look particularly charming. His expression remained cold, but a faint ripple of emotion surfaced in his eyes as he reached out to touch her cheek.

Soft and delicate, like jade and ice.

Growing impatient, he was about to take control when the cawing of ghost crows sounded five times outside the window, mixed with the melancholic notes of a flute. The music was full of sorrow, like a lament.

His fingers paused, his gaze darkening as he pressed her hand down.

The girl tilted her head, looking at him in confusion. “Husband?”

He pushed her away, got out of bed, and donned his cloak. His voice returned to its usual cold and clear tone. “You should sleep. I just remembered some urgent matters.”

He strode to the door.

Liu Shuang sat curled up on the bed, the double-fish pendant slipping from her sleeve, still cracked, causing her eyes to tremble.

“Husband!”

She hadn’t realized that her voice had risen to a shout.

Yan Chaosheng stopped and looked back at her, his expression unreadable. “What is it?”

“I’m afraid.”

“The four guards of the Rhinoceros demon will protect you.”

At that moment, Liu Shuang had many things she wanted to say, but they all turned into a single admonition.

“The night is cold. Wear something warm, husband.”

She watched his silhouette through the window, the wind brushing his sleeves as he walked through the winding corridors, transforming once again into the decisive and formidable demon lord.

Liu Shuang picked up the double-fish pendant from the bed, noticing that the cracks had deepened.

After Yan Chaosheng left, Liu Shuang slept fitfully, having a dream in the latter half of the night.

She dreamt of the time just after she had transformed, during the summer in the mortal world.

Just as foxes are naturally cunning, immortal plants are naturally reclusive. They often didn’t like to move, especially before transforming. Thus, when the lightning and wildfire arrived at Canglan Lake every ten years, few, apart from the aquatic plants, managed to escape.

Their lazy nature was ingrained, knowing the danger yet never learning.

Though they were reclusive, they were also among the purest and kindest beings in the world, born and nurtured by nature. Living in the most beautiful and serene immortal land adjacent to the mortal realm, they inherently learned to take care of each other.

When Liu Shuang transformed, the lotus sister made clothes for her from lotus leaves, the begonia tree on the branch turned into a bracelet that wrapped around her slender wrist, and the butterfly flowers brought by the wind grandmother added an elegant blue flower ornament to her forehead. The old tree grandfather sheltered her from the sun and taught her how to avoid the wildfire.

She bathed in the moonlight and morning dew and drank from the mountain springs.

Everyone cared for her, congratulating her on attaining an immortal form. The old tree grandfather asked her, “What do you want to do in the future? Where will you go?”

She thought for a moment. “I want to find the immortal being who was injured and fell into our Canglan Lake last time. I accidentally consumed his blood and absorbed his spiritual energy. I didn’t mean to. I want to find him and return it to him.”

“Hey, he’s not some immortal being. He’s a ghost cultivator. Didn’t the little immortal plant see the black sacrificial fire mark on his forehead?”

She asked curiously, “What is a ghost cultivator?”

Grandpa Tree used his hanging leaves to gently touch her head.

“They are a very bad and fierce group of people who can crush you with just a flick of their fingers. Don’t go looking for him. Once you have cultivated enough, you should go to the immortal realm. They say it is even more beautiful than our Canglan Lake and is the best place for an immortal being to live.”

“What about the ghost realm? Is it beautiful there?”

“The sky is like blood ink, cold and bone-chilling, filled with ghostly energy, and completely devoid of immortal spiritual energy. A young immortal being with low cultivation, even if not eaten by them, could not survive in such a place.”

Ants busily moved things under her feet, and she built a bridge for them over a puddle, sighing softly, “Then he must be very pitiful.”

Living in a place that is not beautiful at all, without seasons, and devoid of immortal spiritual energy, surrounded by cruel and unfriendly kin. If she could grow up smoothly, she would bring him out, return his spiritual energy, and let him live in Canglan Lake. Then she would start her cultivation anew.

When she grew older and matured into a delicate young woman, she realized how laughable her initial thoughts were. The lord of two realms was not pitiful at all and did not need the sympathy of a small immortal plant.

She had become the most foolish immortal being in Grandpa Tree’s eyes, having lived in the ghostly Ghost Realm, where cultivation was impossible, alongside Yan Chaosheng, for nearly a hundred years. If it weren’t for his profound cultivation protecting her, she would have perished long ago.

The dream was peaceful and beautiful, but upon waking up, she felt an ache in her heart.

She rubbed her chest, feeling a sense of loss. It had been a long time since she had dreamed of Canglan Lake. In the mortal world, storytellers say that people only reminisce about the good times when they are not doing well.

But she was clearly living a good life. She was the only wife of the Demon Lord; all ghosts and demons dared not harm her, and she had Chang Huan to take care of her.

Where have things gone wrong? Why had she, who always felt happy, started to feel sad?

Liu Shuang thought of the question she didn’t get to ask last night.

She took a deep breath. No, she had to figure this out. She and Yan Chaosheng were meant to be together for a lifetime; there couldn’t be any misunderstandings or unresolved issues between them.

She realized she had been thinking wrongly before. Why should she be afraid? Her husband liked her so much that he would never betray her. She would ask him clearly today.