Chapter 7

The wind chimes under the eaves jingled, signaling that the mistress’s life was in danger. These were restrictions set by Yan Chaosheng in Liu Shuang’s courtyard. Normally, they remained silent, but if she was ever in danger, the chimes would ring continuously. Yan Chaosheng carried Liu Shuang through the corridor and back inside.

“Someone, prepare water.”

In no time, several ghost servants with lowered heads appeared from who knows where and were quickly brought in the water. When Yan Chaosheng placed Liu Shuang into the hot water, her entire body had been corroded by ghostly energy, with frost almost forming on her eyelashes.

Yan Chaosheng, with a cold expression, spread his five fingers and absorbed the ghostly energy from her body. She shivered from the cold, and it took a while before she felt the warmth of the hot water.

Without saying a word, Yan Chaosheng slightly moved his fingers, causing Liu Shuang’s clothes to tear apart, and she was finally fully submerged in the water.

His cold, indifferent gaze from above made Liu Shuang feel a slight fear. She had never seen him so angry before, not even when she had previously tried to challenge his boundaries by barging into the Xiangze Hall.

The man’s long, pale hand caressed her neck.

“If you don’t want this life, I can help you end it. Why go through a ghost rain, making me waste effort to save you?”

He smiled faintly, a smile so cold it instilled fear.

“Answer me, do you still want to live?”

Liu Shuang couldn’t help but feel frightened. She vaguely realized that this was the demon lord everyone else saw: capricious, ruthless, and cruel.

This was why so many people feared him.

She used to like him, thinking that Yan Chaosheng liked her too, so she acted recklessly, fearing nothing. However, her powerlessness today made her see clearly that this man, before being her husband, was still the demon lord that made everyone in the Eight Wilderness tremble with fear.

His anger was so evident. Although the hand on her neck didn’t apply any pressure, Liu Shuang still felt oppressed and found it hard to breathe.

Married to him for a hundred years, but for the first time, she was afraid of him.

Liu Shuang moved her lips, wanting to explain under his intense gaze that she only wanted to protect her home in the ghost realm and did not intentionally get caught in the ghost rain to summon him or seek death.

But not a single word came out; her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

All the fear seemed to converge in that moment: the daytime fear, the helplessness of being near death.

She breathed rapidly, feeling she might die unjustly.

Yan Chaosheng’s gaze remained cold. He looked at her and slowly tightened his fingers. Liu Shuang thought she was really going to be strangled to death and instinctively struggled to pry his hand away. Unexpectedly, a bright white light emitted from his fingertips, covering her slender neck, and a warm sensation spread through her.

Liu Shuang froze just before touching Yan Chaosheng’s hand. He was healing her.

She looked at his stern face and, for some reason, felt a surge of bitterness in her heart.

Yan Chaosheng lifted her chin and saw that the glaring wound on her body had disappeared.

She had unknowingly lost a lot of weight. He remembered the first time he saw Liu Shuang a hundred years ago; her eyes were as clear as water grapes, with a bit of baby fat on her cheeks. Now her cheeks were thin, making her look more beautiful, but the joy in her eyes was gone, replaced by a fear even he could see.

She was afraid of him.

His movements paused.

This was the first time Yan Chaosheng had seen Liu Shuang fear him. Outside, he was always ruthless and domineering, and people in the Eight Wilderness were always afraid of him. Yan Chaosheng was used to this; even Fu Heng and Su Lun were no exception. Only she had never feared him, always wanting to be close to him.

Now, her clear eyes also held fear, a fear that grew from distrust.

She feared him, actually believing he would kill her.

He slowly released his hand and took a step back.

Calming down, it was easy to understand everything, knowing why she would risk the strong winds and ghost rain appearing in the courtyard. She wasn’t deliberately going against him or unwilling to explain; it was an instinctive reaction under pressure.

Her true form was a small immortal herb, instinctively fearing him, like a rabbit trembling at the sight of a giant beast, teeth chattering, unable to speak a word.

Yan Chaosheng lowered his cold eyelids and left with a wave of his sleeve.

Once he left, Liu Shuang finally felt the warmth in the room, and her stiff limbs could move again. She saw her reflection in the water; the wound on her neck was gone, and her skin was restored to its soft, white state.

But Liu Shuang knew her real wound wasn’t on her neck; it was beneath the third rib, in her heart.

Liu Shuang washed herself, removing all traces of the ghost rain. She dressed and came out, thinking Yan Chaosheng had already left, but to her surprise, under the night pearl, he was still there.

He stood at the window she often looked out from, his overwhelming spiritual energy surging out of the courtyard.

Liu Shuang didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt a bit nervous. Holding her breath, she watched as, under Yan Chaosheng’s palm, the four seasons gradually revived. Rotten plants sprouted new buds, the phoenix tree regained its vitality, and fiery red flowers bloomed vibrantly in the quiet night.

The glazed lamps along the corridor emitted a warm glow, and a transparent barrier silently appeared above this piece of heaven and earth.

Her courtyard was restored—no, even better this time. No matter how heavy the ghost rain fell, it wouldn’t damage it.

Liu Shuang looked at Yan Chaosheng with a bit of confusion.

Yan Chaosheng, at some point, had retracted his hand and was now lying on the couch. His dark clothes were still on, his pale skin appeared cold, and he still had that inherently indifferent demeanor.

Seeing her looking at him, he opened his eyes and said coolly, “Have you seen enough? Come over and sleep. Next time you run out into the ghost rain in the middle of the night, you might as well go straight to the Thousand Blades Pool.”

She didn’t move, standing where she was. As she spoke, her fingers twisted tightly, the effort making her heartache almost overflow.

“Husband, if you don’t like me, you don’t need to do all this for me. You know, I’m not as clever as Lord Su Lun, able to see through people’s hearts.”

He let out a cold laugh, rolled up his sleeve, and pulled her into his arms.

“Are you so idle all day that you have time to think about these nonsensical things?” Yan Chaosheng said, “I don’t know where you heard about Mi Chu, but you better understand this: no matter how despicable I am, I have no interest in stealing someone else’s concubine.”

Liu Shuang took a moment to realize that Yan Chaosheng was indirectly explaining himself.

Her heart fluttered, and after a while, she couldn’t help but ask, “Then why did you bring her back? And why did you designate the Xiangze Hall as a forbidden area?”

Yan Chaosheng scoffed, turning Liu Shuang’s face to look at him, making her lie on top of him.

“When I found her, she had already jumped into the Transcendent Mirror, which leads to the mortal realm. If I hadn’t fished her out, she would have dissipated. Her father once did me a favor, and I swore an oath on my inner demon that I would take care of her if I ever gained power.”

He paused, then continued, “She doesn’t want to return to the immortal realm, and letting her stay in the ghost realm isn’t a long-term solution. Once her soul is settled, I’ll send her away.”

If the daytime was a nightmare, this moment felt like a beautiful dream.

Her heart and body, quicker than her mind, showed her joy. She smiled, wrapping her arms around Yan Chaosheng’s slim waist. Her bright eyes reflected the glow of the glazed lamps like twinkling stars.

He covered her eyes, his tone sharp and cold.

“Tone down your expression. I haven’t yet settled the account with you for running out into the rain tonight.”

Despite his words, she felt warm and no longer afraid.

At that moment, Liu Shuang didn’t fully understand that loving someone means experiencing moments of life and death, joy and sorrow. Her emotions were intricately tied to another person. If you love someone good, you will be happy and secure; if you love someone cruel, you are destined for hardship.

The stone that had been hanging high in her heart seemed to fall in an instant.

The fatigue from the ghostly energy invading her body washed over her, and she couldn’t even remove Yan Chaosheng’s hand to see his expression beneath his cold words.

Sleepiness made her drowsy, almost causing her to lose consciousness, when urgent footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Someone knocked on the window lattice.

“Your Majesty, the master is still in pain even after taking the Spirit Gathering Snow Lotus. Please save her.”

Half-awake, Liu Shuang couldn’t tell if the voice was part of a dream or reality. Instinctively, she gripped Yan Chaosheng’s sleeve.

A low laugh came from above her head.

In a cold, disdainful tone, he said, “Where are the ghost guards? Since when could anyone barge into my sleeping quarters?”

Outside, the maid, Xiaoqiu, turned pale, and soon the ghost guards took her away.

Yan Chaosheng looked at the curled-up figure in his arms and reached out to touch her soft, pale cheek. Realizing what he was doing, his gaze darkened, and he became cold again. With a wave of his hand, the light from the night pearls in the room disappeared.

That night was the most peaceful sleep Liu Shuang had had since Yan Chaosheng left for battle three months ago.

Su Lun, who had been uneasy, arrived early in the morning and saw Xiaoqiu, Mi Chu’s maid, kneeling outside the hall.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, thoughtfully looking at Liu Shuang’s sleeping quarters, the curve of his lips deepening.

“Miss Xiaoqiu, what are you doing here? If people find out, they’ll think we in the Ghost Realm are neglecting our guests.”

Seeing it was him, Xiaoqiu instinctively bit her lips. She couldn’t explain why, but she always felt this seemingly humble and respectful man could see through everything, making her uneasy.

“My master’s soul remains unstable, and I’m worried something might happen to her. I came to seek the Demon Lord’s help.”

“I see,” Su Lun said, opening his folding fan.

“Then you’ve come to the wrong person. Nowadays, all the treasures and elixirs for calming souls from the Demon Realm and the Ghost Realm have been given to Lady Mi Chu. If those don’t work, I’m afraid the Demon Lord can do nothing more.”

“I was just anxious. The master has not awakened, and with my weak powers, I fear she might perish if her soul remains unstable.”

Su Lun smiled.

“Miss Xiaoqiu, there’s no need to worry. Even if her soul is about to scatter, the Demon Lord will find a way to gather it. But kneeling here will only upset the Demon Lord. Take my advice and go back to accompany your master.”

As the ghost crow called several times, Xiaoqiu felt embarrassed under his teasing gaze.

The sky in the Ghost Realm was already bright, and the Demon Lord had not yet emerged. Xiaoqiu knew her mission had failed, and fearing further delay would be counterproductive, she stood up, bowed to Su Lun, and said, “I will follow your advice, Lord Su Lun.”

Su Lun raised an eyebrow, remained polite, but said nothing.

After Xiaoqiu left, Su Lun stood outside the palace, waiting until Yan Chaosheng came out. He had been standing there for a long time.

Seeing him, Yan Chaosheng asked, “What is it?”

Su Lun bowed, glanced at the towering phoenix tree that even the palace couldn’t conceal, and smiled.

“If I’m not mistaken, this tree was dead, and the Demon Lord used an illusion?”

Yan Chaosheng said, “If you came only to talk nonsense, I’ll assign you a task to guard the Wanzhuo Tower.”

Inside the Wanzhuo Tower were ancient monsters, all rebellious and dangerous. Given Su Lun’s abilities, going in might result in him coming out as just a skeleton.

Su Lun’s smile stiffened, and he quickly said, “Of course, I have important news. This morning, General Fu Heng nearly killed me. Some of the demon envoys refused to leave, claiming they have urgent matters to report, and they’re pestering General Fu Heng. As you know, this year is a yin year, with natural disasters occurring frequently in the mortal realm and the Ghost Realm filled with ghostly energy. Last night, it even rained ghost rain. Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, many great demons are restless. It seems some have harbored disloyal thoughts, taking advantage of your long absence to stir trouble.”

Yan Chaosheng smirked, but his eyes remained cold, spreading an icy chill.

“I haven’t returned in years, and they seem to have forgotten how the Wanzhuo Tower was built. A bunch of cowards who dare not rebel openly.”

Su Lun also disdained that group, but each individual was a powerful demon who could cause great trouble.

Yan Chaosheng said, “Have those lingering demon envoys write petitions like mortals. When they’re done, have Fu Heng bring them to me. I’ll review them one by one.”

Su Lun bowed, “Understood.”

Though demons and ghost cultivators typically didn’t follow such formalities, sometimes mortal methods were time-saving and efficient.

After handling official business, Su Lun recounted what he had seen with Xiaoqiu earlier.

Yan Chaosheng made no comment.

“Why Lady Mi Chu jumped into the Transcendent Mirror remains unknown. But I do know that after a hundred years, the Demon Lord’s state of mind is different from when you married the madam.”

Yan Chaosheng said, “Are you implying I’ve developed genuine feelings for her?”

Before Su Lun could respond, Yan Chaosheng found it laughable and chuckled softly. His tone was gentle but carried a chilling and dangerous undertone: “Su Lun, focus on your duties and don’t get clever. Do you know what the ancient Xiang Yao bloodline is?”

The Xiang Yao bloodline, also known as Xiang Liu, consisted of nine-headed demon serpents notorious for their cruelty. They thrived on slaughter, were skilled in deception, cold-hearted, decisive, and rarely capable of genuine affection. No descendant of Xiang Yao would ever love someone wholeheartedly.

Half of Yan Chaosheng’s bloodline came from Xiang Yao.

Su Lun glanced at the towering phoenix tree and sighed inwardly. What is seen is an illusion, and what is said is a lie. You toy with her heart, pretending to care.

Hopefully, when you recall today, you won’t regret it.