The next day, Shang Can came out of her room and was surprised to see Nan Shuang and Yuan Ge in the courtyard.
This was quite a rare sight, as Nan Shuang was known for her elusive nature, while Yuan Ge, who claimed to be temporarily residing in the Ghost King’s residence, actually acted like the housekeeper, diligently managing the entire estate and even preparing Shang Can’s meals—truly, it could be said that appearances could be deceiving; this flower spirit was surprisingly reliable.
As a result, Shang Can seldom saw these two together, or rather… it seemed they generally preferred to be in Nan Shuang’s room when they were.
At present, Nan Shuang was lazily lounging on her usual long bench, propping her head up while reading, and nearby, Yuan Ge stood before a table covered with painting paper, intensely focused, her sharp gaze fixed on Nan Shuang. After a long while, she furrowed her brows and made a few strokes on the paper.
Feeling intimidated by her tense atmosphere, Shang Can instinctively quieted her steps and approached her from behind, whispering, “…Are you painting Lord Shuang Jiang?”
“Shh! Don’t disturb me!”
The flower spirit immediately exploded in frustration. Before Shang Can was chased away, she caught a glimpse of the unfinished painting on the table, which, though still in its early stages, already showed hints of Nan Shuang’s grace.
“Just let her be. Don’t talk to her, or she might just bite.”
Nan Shuang lifted her gaze and beckoned Shang Can over, raising a hand to calm the irritated Yuan Ge, then turned to Shang Can and said, “Yuan Ge probably got inspired after receiving praise for yesterday’s portrait—your complexion looks a bit off; didn’t you rest well yesterday?”
“…It’s fine.”
Shang Can answered vaguely, but from the look in Nan Shuang’s eyes, she couldn’t hide it. Nan Shuang stared at her face for a while before suddenly asking, “Do you have a grudge with Qin Yi, the Master’s niece?”
It was more than just a grudge, to say the least. Shang Can forced a nod and sighed, “We’re enemies.”
“Is it the kind of hatred where she wants you dead?”
“Likewise.”
“…” Perhaps surprised by her honesty, Nan Shuang fell silent for a moment before continuing, “Well, you do seem like the kind of person that Qin Yi would dislike.”
Shang Can was filled with confusion, but the other party lowered her head again, shutting the book with a clap, and lazily began speaking.
“A young genius, arrogant and full of himself, fears neither heaven nor earth, does whatever he pleases, and disregards people and matters he doesn’t care about.”
“Do you think what I said is wrong?” Perhaps sensing a hint of defiance in Shang Can’s expression, Nan Shuang chuckled softly and continued, “Even now, facing me—once a cultivator of the Heavenly Outer World and an elder to Qin Yi—you still speak so unreservedly about having an irreconcilable grudge with her.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might take action against you on her behalf?”
Her tone was flat, making it hard to tell if she was serious or joking. Shang Can paused and replied, “I thought Lord Shuang Jiang… didn’t care much about these things.”
“That’s true.”
Her answer was direct, and Nan Shuang returned to her book, the sharpness in her demeanor fading like an illusion, reverting to a disinterested state as she spoke slowly, “Actually, I’m not very familiar with Qin Yi either. So you don’t need to worry; I won’t take action against you for her sake.”
At that moment, Shang Can couldn’t grasp the intention behind the elder’s words. Just as she was pondering, she heard Nan Shuang change the topic, “I’ve already distributed that portrait to various places in the Ghost Realm; once she shows up again, I’m sure we’ll hear news.”
Shang Can could only nod silently, her worries still unchanged as she replied, “I’ve heard that in the past, there were reports of unidentified individuals in the Ghost Realm, and no one had ever seen the true face of that ‘unidentified individual.'”
“Most likely, that was Qin Yi. So,” she said solemnly, “why would Qin Yi suddenly reveal herself in front of so many ghosts now?”
“…” Nan Shuang stared intently at the book, lazily flipping a page. “Perhaps it’s a trap.”
Her casual tone left Shang Can unsure of how to respond. Nan Shuang seemed to find something amusing, a slight smile curling her lips as she spoke without looking up, “But even if it’s a trap, do you really think you wouldn’t investigate?”
“…”
Having been at a loss for words, Shang Can fell silent, and Nan Shuang chuckled lightly before looking up again.
“But today—” she indicated toward Yuan Ge, who was impatiently crossing her arms, waiting for them to finish talking. “As you can see, Yuan Ge wants to paint me, so it’ll be a while before she can leave.”
…Despite her usual nonchalant demeanor, Nan Shuang was fully accommodating Yuan Ge’s impulsive actions at the moment. Shang Can felt a sense of unease, quietly preparing herself to investigate alone, when she suddenly heard Nan Shuang ask, “Yuan Ge, could you bring me a piece of talisman paper?”
Reluctantly, the flower spirit walked inside and soon returned with talisman paper and a brush dipped in red cinnabar. Nan Shuang took the brush and began writing on the talisman paper fluidly; the paper suddenly flashed with golden light and then calmed down.
“Here,” she handed the still-drying talisman to Shang Can. “If you’re going out, keep it on you; it’s best to carry it close to your body.”
Shang Can examined it closely. Although she couldn’t quite decipher the celestial-like characters on it, she sensed it was roughly of the same type as the talismans Pei Chen had used to conceal her identity.
“That talisman was taught to him by me, so of course I can draw it,” she said.
Seemingly sensing her thoughts, Nan Shuang said calmly, “Although I’ve been dead for quite some time and have forgotten many things, this talisman should still be effective. I wish you safe travels.”
After saying this, Nan Shuang gestured for Shang Can to leave, and under the impatient urging of Yuan Ge, who had been waiting, she resumed her reading posture.
Seeing that Nan Shuang no longer wished to continue their conversation, Shang Can quietly expressed her gratitude and stored the talisman away. Before heading out, she glanced back at Yuan Ge and mentioned, “I’m leaving now.”
“Go ahead, go ahead.” Yuan Ge was fully absorbed, somewhat irritably shoving aside her drawing paper to start again, “Today, I must paint a top-notch portrait of Lord Shuang, so I won’t accompany you.”
Shang Can looked at the painting Yuan Ge had abandoned; it seemed quite good to her, and she couldn’t help but ask, “I think this one is already very well done—”
“It’s still not good enough.” Yuan Ge paused her brush and looked at her seriously for once, saying earnestly, “It’s still not enough to bind Lord Shuang.”
“…Bind?”
Seeing Shang Can’s astonished expression, Yuan Ge nodded solemnly, “Yes. You should have heard Lord Shuang say she’s a ghost clan member who has forgotten her obsession but still carries it with her now.”
“That’s too dangerous! What if she unwittingly fulfills her obsession? It’s hard to guard against!” Yuan Ge sighed anxiously, her shoulders drooping slightly, “That’s why I’ve been saying I need to create a new obsession for her, something that will make her want to stay in the Ghost Realm, but I’ve never succeeded…”
“But yesterday she praised my painting skills!” She perked up quickly, her chest swelling with a sense of purpose, “So I must try this plan again today to see if it works!”
“…”
Though Yuan Ge’s words seemed extraordinarily naive, Shang Can didn’t find them ridiculous; rather, she was unexpectedly touched by the sincerity in Yuan Ge’s eyes.
Shang Can smiled gently, encouraging, “Then you should give it your all; you’re doing great, and you’ll definitely be able to keep Lord Shuang with you.”
“Oh! Thank you for your kind words!”
Fired up with determination, the flower spirit resumed her work with renewed vigor. Shang Can took a deep look at Nan Shuang, who seemed absentmindedly flipping through pages, and mused that allowing Yuan Ge to paint her felt like Yuan Ge had already succeeded halfway. Then she happily stepped out of the courtyard.
She didn’t notice that as she turned away, Nan Shuang raised her eyes and quietly watched her figure until it disappeared around the corner.
Nan Shuang remained silent for a while, then looked back at the book in her hands, seemingly absentmindedly murmuring, “…Flying light, flying light, I urge you to drink a cup of wine.”
Truly, a deep affection.
After leaving the Ghost King’s residence, Shang Can was still pondering Yuan Ge’s dedication to Nan Shuang. As Nan Shuang had put it, this flower spirit appeared as if she would stand by the banks of the River of Forgetfulness for eternity.
However, compared to Yuan Ge’s overt enthusiasm, Nan Shuang’s attitude was much more subdued. While she hadn’t refused Yuan Ge’s temporary stay or her unsolicited tidying up of the Ghost King’s residence, Nan Shuang hadn’t shown any initiative toward Yuan Ge either; she mostly passively cooperated with Yuan Ge’s actions, her expression revealing little in the way of emotion.
…I wonder if Pei Chen knows about Yuan Ge’s existence.
A somewhat mischievous thought flashed through Shang Can’s mind, and she quickly shook her head, refocusing her attention on her own matters.
The talisman Nan Shuang had given her proved quite effective. Whether it was because it still carried the Ghost King’s aura, the talismans Pei Chen had given her only kept her from drawing attention in the Ghost Realm, while Nan Shuang’s talisman made the ghostly beings around her exceedingly wary, causing them to hurry away from a distance. Shang Can found this rather unsettling.
This made her movements much easier. She smoothly arrived at the banks of the River of Forgetfulness, the same spot where she had seen Qin Yi yesterday.
Even though the river hadn’t shown any signs during her previous visit with Nan Shuang, Shang Can felt much more alert this time since she was alone.
After all, this time she didn’t have the protective jade talisman to save her life. She kept a careful distance from the river, cautiously following the route that the ghosts had mentioned Qin Yi had taken.
After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the new ghosts that had been gathering at the banks of the River of Forgetfulness seemed to have vanished, likely out of fear of her presence. Only the ferryman, diligently poling his bamboo raft across the river, remained.
Shang Can estimated she had reached the place where Qin Yi was rumored to have suddenly disappeared. As she contemplated how to investigate further, her peripheral vision caught sight of something unusual near a tree by the riverbank.
A talisman was conspicuously affixed to the tree trunk, made of yellow paper and red cinnabar, resembling those from the Heavenly Outer World.
…Was this here before?
The location was too conspicuous, causing Shang Can to feel suspicious. No matter how she thought about it, she felt she hadn’t seen this talisman yesterday; it was as if it had been deliberately left as a flaw, much like a specially sent invitation to a deadly banquet.
Shang Can’s gaze darkened, and she quietly summoned her heavenly fire, slowly approaching the tree—
“Senior Sister!”
“—”
Shang Can abruptly halted her steps.
A familiar, cool voice came from behind her, filled with urgency and genuine disbelief.
She slowly turned on her heel, and that figure, who haunted her thoughts and dreams, stood brightly behind her—dressed in white with flowing black hair, appearing somewhat out of place in this dark red world.
“Don’t touch that talisman.”
Yun Duan rushed forward, grabbing Shang Can’s wrist in an attempt to pull her away from the tree, speaking urgently, “That’s Qin Yi’s trap. If you touch it, then—”
“—then what?”
Despite the tug, she remained rooted to the spot. Yun Duan, with a look of worry, turned to face Shang Can but was suddenly caught by Shang Can’s arm and pinned behind her.
Shang Can mercilessly restrained her, even though she saw a pained expression on Yun Duan’s face. Her grip didn’t loosen at all; her chest heaved slightly as she smiled with rage.
“…Is it because I’ve entered an illusion once that you think I’m easy to deceive?”
“Just based on you,” Shang Can gritted her teeth, her face filled with disgust, “how dare you pretend to be her?”
“…”
The pained expression in “Yun Duan’s” eyes gradually faded, replaced by a half-smile that was more mocking than genuine. She turned her head to look at Shang Can.
“You recognized me so quickly; it seems you really do like her, don’t you?”
With a disdain that would never appear on Yun Duan’s face, she laughed provocatively, her eyes suddenly flashing an eerie shade of blue-green.
“What will you do?”
“Yun Duan” suddenly twisted her head at an impossible angle, leaning in as if to kiss Shang Can, her blue-green eyes icy cold, filled with malicious mockery.
“—Will you kill me again? This time… what will you use to save me?”
“—!”
Shang Can instinctively summoned her heavenly fire, but the person beneath her grip vanished in an instant. The ground beneath her feet suddenly shook, and she quickly realized that the entire world was trembling. She looked up and saw the surroundings gradually transforming. The banks of the River of Forgetfulness rapidly constructed pavilions and towers, the dark red sky fading to reveal a slightly overcast canopy, as if a thunderstorm was approaching.
“What day is it today?”
From all directions came a chorus of voices, indistinguishable in gender, raspy and mocking, filled with obvious amusement.
A sharp pain pierced Shang Can’s head. She looked at the increasingly familiar surroundings, unable to stop herself from pressing her temples as she heard the voices echo once more.
“It’s the day you and I both hate the most… July 17th.”
“Let’s go through it again, Shang Can.”
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