Chapter 12: Night Visit to the Courtesan House-Part 3

Yan Qige was prepared and swiftly pulled Yusang along, half-embracing her as they leaped onto the roof. Hanging above them was Yan Qige’s lantern, and on the tiles lay a red gauze robe.

“Put this on and lure her out,” Yan Qige said, taking the lantern.

“You want me to impersonate Madam Lu? What if I refuse?” Yusang replied, though her hands didn’t hesitate.

After glancing around, she slipped the gauze robe over herself.

“Lead her to the street,” Yan Qige said as he tied a red veil over Yusang’s face. With that, he swiftly disappeared into the darkness of the alley below.

At that moment, Ranqing had already drawn her sword and opened the window, peering out. Without thinking, Yusang pushed off from the edge of the roof, flying past the window and landing on the building across the street. Upon seeing the red-clad figure, Ranqing’s face went deathly pale.

She took a few steps back in fear, then leapt out the window to give chase.

After leading Ranqing around the streets for a while, Yusang finally stopped on a roof near an intersection. Ranqing quickly caught up, standing on the street below, sword in hand, and gazing up at Yusang, who was veiled in the misty night, dressed in red.

Ranqing didn’t seem particularly surprised.

Ranqing raised her sword and pointed at Yusang, her eyes filled with killing intent as she coldly laughed, “So it’s you. What do you want? Revenge, perhaps? I told you back then that defying fate would bring retribution, but you insisted on going your own way. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself for your current state.”

Yusang remained silent to avoid revealing her identity, while Ranqing’s hatred grew.

“It’s all because of you that I tried to steal that thing. I ended up becoming this half-human, half-demon creature, constantly on guard, fearing her revenge. Do you think I haven’t suffered enough?”

As she spoke, a flicker of firelight slowly appeared in the misty street, revealing a cloaked figure walking toward them, holding a lantern with the word “Yamen” inscribed on it. Ranqing’s expression softened slightly upon seeing the approaching figure, and she lowered her sword a little.

“Feign attacking the person in the street,” Yusang heard Yan Qige’s voice in her ear.

Though she looked around, she saw no one.

Confused but not hesitating, she made a gesture with two fingers as if drawing a sword and lunged toward the cloaked figure.

“Watch out!” Ranqing cried, leaping forward to protect the cloaked person, her long sword slicing through the air with deadly intent, every strike aimed to kill.

Yusang’s sleeve was slashed open, and sharp pain shot through her arm.

It was then that Yusang realized this was no mere act; it was a genuine battle for life and death.

Yan Qige had used her as bait.

Fury surged within her as she bent her fingers, gathering her demonic energy, and turned her palm into a blade, slashing toward Ranqing’s neck.

Just as Yusang’s palm was about to strike, a long, slender hand emerged from beneath the cloak, deflecting her wrist. At the same moment, another hand swiftly grasped Ranqing’s chin, pressing a small yellow talisman onto her shoulder. Ranqing instantly froze in place, unable to move, her sword clattering to the ground with a metallic ring.

Yan Qige pulled back the hood of the cloak, revealing his handsome face. Ranqing’s expression turned to one of shock. Yan Qige waved his hand in front of the lantern, causing the word “Yamen” to disappear.

The lantern, in fact, was the one Yan Qige usually carried.

“I may not be able to kill you myself, but other demons might not be so restrained. Having her kill you would be as easy as crushing an ant.”

Ranqing turned her head, glaring at Yan Qige with gritted teeth, “So it’s you, Taoist priest. Do you really think you can scare me like this?”

At the mention of the word “Taoist,” Yan Qige’s eyes narrowed slightly. Ranqing didn’t notice, but Yusang saw it clearly and couldn’t help but silently sigh.

You’ve made a big mistake.

Indeed, Yan Qige’s face darkened as he turned to leave. Yusang, seeing this, tightened her grip around Ranqing’s neck, causing her face to turn ashen with fear.

“I’ll talk! Come back!” Ranqing reluctantly called after Yan Qige.

Yan Qige halted but didn’t turn around.

Ranqing, dropping her previous arrogance, quickly continued, “I was once a snake demon who had cultivated in the forests outside the capital for hundreds of years. Ten years ago, by chance, I saved a scholar who had collapsed by the roadside. He was talented and handsome, and he grew fond of me. He promised that if he succeeded in the imperial exams, he would marry me as his wife…”

“Wait, isn’t this the story of Magistrate Wang and Madam Lu? How did it become about you?” Yusang interrupted, puzzled.

Ranqing snorted coldly, “Madam Lu? You mean the one imprisoned in the county magistrate’s underground dungeon? If I hadn’t escaped back then, I would’ve ended up just like her.”

“What happened next?” Yan Qige asked, his face expressionless.

“I followed him to the capital, using my demonic energy to help him rise to the top in the imperial exams, and eventually, I married him. At first, everything was fine, until the Wang family was destroyed. Then I discovered something I shouldn’t have. I barely escaped death in the demon-slaying formation.”

“What did you discover?”

“It turns out that I wasn’t the only non-human in the Wang family. Though she hid it well, I caught her in the act. She set up a trap to kill me, but in my desperation, I used a dangerous method, pulling my soul from my body and abandoning my snake form to escape. I only recently heard that my body was possessed by a human soul, which is why I came to Yunsui City to investigate.”

Yusang had more to say, but seeing Yan Qige deep in thought, she remained silent and followed him.

“Let me guess: you found out that your body was taken by the real Lu Ranqing, so you wanted revenge. But with no powers of your own, you manipulated Magistrate Wang into leading me to where she was hiding, hoping I’d kill her as a demon. What I don’t understand is, Why would madam Lu willingly take the blame for you?”

“Oh, now I remember! I saw someone in the West courtyard that day—it was you. You set up all those illusions to trick us into investigating,” Yusang exclaimed, pulling a hair from the snake demon’s head and examining it under the lantern light.

It was indeed the same as the one she’d found in the West courtyard.

The snake demon hesitated before grudgingly saying, “She’s still alive, isn’t she?”

“Yes, but not entirely. Her human soul died within a demon’s body. She can neither enter the underworld nor walk the demonic path. She’s now just a wandering spirit.”

“Did you save her?”

“Her fate was not yet sealed.”

“So what? I occupy her body. She’s nothing but a ghost, neither human nor demon. What can she possibly do to me?”

The snake demon laughed coldly, her eyes flashing with cruel malice.

“Such stubborn demonic nature,” Yan Qige said, raising his hand to brighten the lantern’s light, which glowed faintly pink. The snake demon’s face twisted in agony as if burned by fire, and she let out a scream of pain.

“Soul-exchanging technique is no simple feat for an ordinary demon. Tell me, what did you use?” Yan Qige demanded, his voice cold.