“…It feels like I’m being watched all the time.”
Walking along the dark red path of the Underworld, Shang Can felt a prickling sensation on her back and murmured uncomfortably. Beside her, Yuange nodded seriously in agreement.
“Indeed, I can feel very enthusiastic gazes as well. It’s like the look a ferocious dog gives when it sees a chicken leg wandering down the road.”
“Drooling and eager.”
Nan Shuang, walking ahead, chuckled and turned back to Shang Can, saying, “It’s not common for living people to come to the Underworld, so try to bear with it.”
Shang Can furrowed her brows and scanned the area, pushing back the malicious glares that felt as relentless as a bone stuck in the throat. She sighed and replied, “If I weren’t walking with Lord Shuangjiang, I’d probably have already been attacked.”
“For you, dealing with them should be easy, right?” Nan Shuang raised an eyebrow. “In fact, I’m here to protect their lives.”
Shang Can had already been aware of this. For some reason, Nan Shuang seemed to hold her combat abilities in very high regard. She could only smile bitterly and said, “It’s better not to fight if possible.”
“Exactly, especially since you just came out of the River of Forgetfulness not long ago.” Yuange wrinkled her nose as if out for a leisurely stroll. “You still have this strange smell on you; it doesn’t smell human at all. I don’t understand what those ghosts are staring at.”
“…”
Although Shang Can knew Yuange was talking about the smell of the River of Forgetfulness, her naturally cleanliness-loving disposition made her worry. She discreetly sniffed herself several times, and once she couldn’t detect any unpleasant odor, she felt relieved.
“We’re almost there.”
Nan Shuang sauntered forward leisurely, pointing ahead at the riverbank of the River of Forgetfulness, where many newly dead spirits were gathered—exactly where Shang Can had fallen in before. “That’s the place where we received reports about a suspicious figure, just a week ago.”
The timing coincided closely with when she had fallen into the water, raising the suspicion level significantly.
Thinking about this, Shang Can heightened her vigilance as she walked alongside the unbothered Ghost King and Yuange—who looked like a flower demon but gave off an air of power. They arrived at the riverbank of the River of Forgetfulness.
Returning to the scene, the people who had originally accompanied her were likely back in the human world, leaving her to wander in the Underworld. Although it had only been a few days since she last visited, Shang Can inexplicably felt as though it had been a long time.
Being with Nan Shuang this time made Shang Can feel much more at ease than when she had stealthily disguised herself as a new ghost. Wherever they went, the ghosts were very considerate and made way for the leading Nan Shuang, casting glances that were… a mix of fear and covetousness.
…Speaking of which, earlier on the road, she had worried that her lack of disguise would lead to an attack from the ghost tribe. Yet, despite the predatory gazes, none of the ghosts dared to block their path. The stares were filled with a blend of greedy longing and deep-rooted fear.
Glancing at Nan Shuang, who appeared unfazed, Shang Can quietly asked Yuange, “…Is Lord Shuangjiang very fierce?”
“Ah?” Yuange looked puzzled. “Fierce? A Shuang?”
It seemed that wasn’t the case. Shang Can blinked and asked in confusion, “Then why… does it feel like the ghosts are afraid of her?”
“Isn’t that normal?” Yuange retorted confidently. “Think about it from their perspective; when you were a cultivator, didn’t you feel nervous when you saw your sect leader?”
“…”
After careful consideration, just as Shang Can was about to respond that she wouldn’t feel nervous, she heard Yuange let out a long, exaggerated sigh and say in a tone suggesting ‘young ghosts lack understanding’, “It’s probably because Ah Shuang is very strong. After taking down a few tough ones, she became famous, so these ghosts are afraid of getting beaten.”
“After all, Ah Shuang can easily handle a group of the fiercest ghost tribe members bare-handed.” Yuange lost herself in reminiscing, smiling a bit foolishly. “When she fights, she looks so world-weary yet pretty, even though most of the time it’s just a few moves to finish the battle…”
Shang Can looked at her dazed expression and deliberately coughed a couple of times to bring the flower demon back to reality. Yuange blinked as if waking from a dream, a bit annoyed, and forced a conclusion, “In short, Ah Shuang has a great reputation.”
“Since the Underworld transformed into this dark red appearance—ever since she became the Ghost King—her fearsome reputation has been widespread here. So as long as you’re with her, it’s very safe; no ghost will dare to cause trouble in her presence.”
“…Hmm?” Hearing unexpected information, Shang Can widened her eyes in surprise. “Did it change to this state only after Lord Shuangjiang became the Ghost King?”
This somewhat old-fashioned, sinister color palette had initially caused her strong discomfort when she first arrived. Even though she had reluctantly adapted to much of it by now, she still sometimes felt like there was something wrong with her vision.
So the Ghost King had the ability to change the Underworld so drastically… but why would Lord Shuangjiang, who seemed disinterested in everything, want to change it to this?
Shang Can pondered this and subconsciously glanced at Nan Shuang, who was talking to a ghost resembling a woman. Noticing her gaze, Nan Shuang turned to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing, really.”
Ultimately, she didn’t directly ask. Shang Can hesitated for a moment before answering, “I was just thinking… if Lord Shuangjiang has been here for a long time, wouldn’t she miss the cultivation world or something?”
“Hey.”
Before Nan Shuang could respond, Yuange, with her brows furrowed, marched angrily up to Shang Can and glared at her, “Ah Shuang is doing just fine here; what nonsense are you saying?”
…She was so protective, as if fearing that Lord Shuangjiang would leave.
Understanding her meaning, Shang Can quickly apologized. Thankfully, the flower demon tribe was known for getting angry quickly but forgiving just as fast. Yuange generously accepted Shang Can’s apology, although she continued to mutter with a complex mood.
“…It’s unavoidable. Ah Shuang is completely dead now. If only she still had a breath left, we could live in the cultivation world. We could use our flower demon clan’s secret technique to keep her alive…”
“Is that so? The flower demon clan is indeed quite capable.”
Having somewhat perfunctorily placated the dissatisfied Yuange, Shang Can turned her gaze back to Nan Shuang, who seemed uninterested in their previous conversation. When she looked over, Nan Shuang simply nodded slightly and then pushed the timid-looking woman beside her forward.
“This is the ghost who saw that suspicious figure I mentioned earlier,” Nan Shuang said calmly. “You should tell her what you told me before.”
The woman nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, speaking in a hurried tone, “A few days ago, I was just like always watching the water by the River of Forgetfulness when suddenly I felt like there was a stranger—I’ve been here for quite a long time and have seen all sorts of powerful beings, but I’ve never seen her before, and her aura definitely didn’t belong to a new ghost.”
“That person looked unusual. While everyone else by the river had worried expressions, she was humming a tune and walking along the bank as if nothing was wrong, holding a sword. After watching for a bit, she tossed it aside, and it turned to ash in an instant.”
The woman pointed off in the distance and said, “It was probably over there. She kept saying ‘fake’ while laughing. All the ghosts around here saw her, but strangely, no one saw where she went after that; it was like she disappeared into thin air.”
“…”
Following her pointing gesture, Shang Can indeed saw a few faint black shadows on the ground, resembling scorch marks.
Presumably, that care-free imitation sword had already been destroyed.
Her heart sank slightly; the situation in front of her was roughly as expected, and she wasn’t sure whether to feel happy about that.
After the woman finished speaking, she left. As Shang Can contemplated, she saw Nan Shuang rummaging in her sleeve for a while before producing an ink-dampened scroll.
“Many ghosts saw her this time. I’ve been trying to piece together what she looks like from everyone’s accounts these days, and today I finally completed it.”
She spoke with an air of mystery, handing the painting to Shang Can and gesturing for her to open it and take a look. With a significant tone, she added, “It’s painted by Yuan Ge. The final product should… look quite similar.”
Shang Can accepted the painting, ignoring the proud Yuan Ge beside her who was puffing out her chest, eagerly waiting for compliments. Without hesitation, she unfolded the scroll.
It depicted a woman dressed in celestial robes, her face gentle and smiling, radiating warmth and approachability. Yuan Ge’s painting skills were not lacking; one could vividly see the aura of a scholarly master from the artwork, evoking the distasteful pretense of that person.
Shang Can stared at it for a long while, and a couple of words squeezed out from her throat.
“…Qin Yi.”
“Very good.”
Nan Shuang nodded quietly, her tone carrying a hint of doubt.
“Do you know why Qin Yi is here?”
Seeing Shang Can look up at her, Nan Shuang gestured, “She was still alive when I came down, but she hasn’t been here since I arrived.”
Shang Can’s previously calm heart added a few layers of shock. She slightly widened her eyes, the words she wanted to say almost spilling out, but then she caught Nan Shuang’s affirmative nod.
“It seems you know something, but regardless, what I’m saying now is not a lie. If you don’t believe it, you can go back and browse through the records.”
Nan Shuang spoke lightly, but with seriousness, “—There is no record of Qin Yi in the ghost realm directory. She hasn’t died.”
What Nan Shuang said was true.
Shang Can searched through the directory, and in the end, she had to admit this fact.
…Qin Yi was not in the ghost realm’s records.
She recalled the smiling, knife-hidden face of the Celestial Master she had seen not long ago in the illusion, slowly remembering the blurred black figure she encountered in the woods, whose body was broken yet felt no pain, and whose malice surged toward her as if it were tangible.
“…”
Apart from her, anyone who saw these two individuals would never think they were the same person.
Shang Can fell silent for a while, then looked back at the image beside her.
…Could it be restored to its original form in the ghost realm? Or could it also happen in the cultivation world, perhaps just to remind her of the grave mistakes she had made?
—That hellish fire scene, uncontrollable fire meteors falling from the sky, a charred figure struggling and screaming before her, extending its arm in defiance, snapping with a crack.
A sharp pain lingered at her fingertips, and Shang Can suddenly realized she had been pressing down hard on the table, leaving several fingerprints on the redwood surface.
Awakening from her daze, she withdrew her hand, staring blankly at her pale fingertips.
Things were pretty much as she expected. Shang Can had already realized the identity of this impostor when she was called by name in the woods; she still couldn’t understand why Qin Yi would impersonate her to seize the Dao Heart Lotus. She had assumed Qin Yi had transformed into a ghost and was seeking revenge against her.
After all, she had clearly seen Qin Yi die.
She would never doubt her own eyes, yet now contradictions arose—was it her eyes or the ghost realm’s records that were at fault? Could there be two conflicting conclusions that could coexist?
Shang Can stared for a while, clenching her fist tightly.
It was somewhat laughable—given the current situation, the person most suitable to analyze it with her was actually Yunduan.
Shang Can forced a bitter smile. Yunduan had seen the Celestial Qin Yi several times and had personally witnessed Qin Yi mingling with the ghost clan in the forest. Even at that moment when Qin Yi died—
A violent pain suddenly surged in her chest, which Shang Can pressed down hard, barely swallowing the metallic sweetness that had risen to her throat.
She dared not think further, silently acknowledging that at least she now knew Qin Yi had indeed appeared in the ghost realm recently and had taken her sword. It seemed that her fall into the Wangchuan River was also connected to Qin Yi.
Since she had narrowly escaped with her life, it was certain that Qin Yi would not let this go. What she needed to do remained the same: find Qin Yi and inquire about the means to freely enter and exit the ghost realm.
No matter whether Qin Yi’s name appeared in the records, Shang Can knew one thing was an unchangeable fact.
She had personally killed Qin Yi, and then—
Shang Can’s tightly clenched fist began to tremble uncontrollably.
—Then, in that cataclysmic fire, she had also killed Yun Duan.
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