The situation had spiraled out of control, and while Yun Duan felt hesitant, she knew she couldn’t let Nan Shuang leave like this. She hurriedly chased after her, managing to block the astonishingly swift ghost king just before the city gate.
“Wait a moment.” The woman in front of her showed no visible change in emotion. Yun Duan hesitated before saying, “The message just now probably wasn’t about Yuan Ge—she told me last night that ever since coming to the cultivation world, she hasn’t had the chance to explore. She wanted to go out on her own today to take a look. I’m sure she wouldn’t recklessly leave the city.”
At this point, it was impossible to hide the fact that Yuan Ge had spoken to her last night, but Yun Duan still tried to provide a cover for Yuan Ge’s intention to go out.
Yuan Ge had been in a low mood last night, telling her that since she was always with Nan Shuang every day, she wanted to go out alone to think things over after dawn. She assured Yun Duan that she would never leave Yun City or cause any disturbances within the city. Although Yun Duan had no idea where Yuan Ge had actually gone, given the serious and troubled look on the flower spirit’s face last night, it seemed unlikely that she would want to confront Tian Wai Tian.
As Yun Duan thought this, she attempted to soothe Nan Shuang’s suddenly surging murderous aura before making further plans. However, contrary to her expectations, Nan Shuang did not ease up at all; instead, she seemed even more tense, coldly raising her eyes to look at her, with an expression that hinted at her irritation.
“Yuan Ge spoke to you last night?”
Nan Shuang’s words came slowly, almost enunciating each syllable, “How come I didn’t know about this?”
Her anger was quite sudden, and Yun Duan was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether Nan Shuang was referring to their conversation from last night or to Yuan Ge’s solo outing today. It seemed Nan Shuang had no intention of waiting for her to respond. In just a few breaths, she returned to her original calm demeanor, but her aura was even colder.
“Step aside.” Nan Shuang said, her voice cold and hard, leaving no room for refusal. “Or is it that you, Yun Zhong Jun, intend to stop me here?”
There was no room for negotiation in her tone, and it was clear she was determined to seek out Tian Wai Tian outside the city. It was still early morning, and the street vendors were beginning to set up their stalls as the number of pedestrians gradually increased. Yun Duan’s gaze swept across this peaceful street scene, and her hand, which instinctively rested on the hilt of her sword, paused.
Nan Shuang was waiting for this moment of hesitation. In an instant, she zipped past Yun Duan like an afterimage and flew towards the city’s exit. Having always possessed exceptional lightness skills in life, she was now even more ethereal as a ghost. Yun Duan was a step too slow; as she turned to look at Nan Shuang’s receding figure, she contemplated whether to contact Chu Ming first or pursue her.
After a long pause with no response, Wan Shao hurriedly caught up from behind.
“I just contacted the demons from Bi Luo Huang Quan in Yun City.” Though she and Yuan Ge had never quite gotten along, Wan Shao was now serious and said, “They will help look for Yuan Ge’s whereabouts in the city. Once they find her, they will send a message, but they need to avoid Tian Wai Tian’s eyes and ears, so it might take a while.”
“But I also heard news that someone did see her heading towards the city gate earlier.”
Wan Shao frowned with evident concern and sighed, “After all, she is quite noticeable. Thanks to that, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find witnesses… but we don’t know if she actually left the city…”
“…”
Feeling a pang of regret for not having stopped Yuan Ge from going out alone, Yun Duan pursed her lips and sighed lightly. “Thank you. I’ll go take a look first.”
As she said this, she took to the air on her sword. Wan Shao hurriedly called out that she would go along, and after some deliberation, Yun Duan nodded gently.
Regardless of whether Yuan Ge had really been captured by Tian Wai Tian, she had no choice but to go out this time. At the very least, she had to prevent Nan Shuang from getting into a direct conflict with Tian Wai Tian. If a fight truly broke out, not only would it become more difficult to save Yuan Ge, but given that Nan Shuang was a ghost king, if it escalated, it could lead to calamity not just for Yun City, but for the entire cultivation world.
Thinking back, the ghost realm had been rather lukewarm in its conflicts with cultivators over the years. It could be said that this ghost king had shown rare good temper, but now she had been touched on a sensitive spot—
Yun Duan’s mind stirred, and she suddenly thought, perhaps this wasn’t just a one-sided affection from Yuan Ge.
While pursuing her, Yun Duan decided to send a paper crane to contact Chu Ming for safety. By the time she arrived, he was already waiting there. Seeing the two of them land, he hurried over, looking somewhat complex.
Seeing his expression, Yun Duan immediately sensed that something must have happened and wasted no time in asking, “Where’s Nan Shuang?”
Chu Ming didn’t delay and pointed towards a temporary camp belonging to Tian Wai Tian not far away, where they could see Nan Shuang’s tall figure facing off against several people who were at a standstill. He quickly started walking in that direction while explaining, “She—Frostfall Jun just arrived not long ago, but she has already confronted the disciples stationed by Tian Wai Tian. However, she hasn’t revealed herself since coming out of the ghost realm; I think the people from Tian Wai Tian don’t even know she is a ghost king, so I’m not too daring to say much for fear of letting something slip…”
In recent years, they had been busy searching for Shang Can, and as a result, they had heard little about major events in the cultivation world. Only now did Yun Duan realize that Nan Shuang had been hiding her identity for the past two years. No wonder no rumors had emerged about Frostfall Jun, who had once been so renowned in Tian Wai Tian, now leading a ghostly assault.
With a sigh, she took a few steps forward just as she heard one of the slightly older disciples blocking Nan Shuang stammer, “Frostfall Jun, what’s going on? Why—”
Nan Shuang seemed to be growing angry, not wanting to hear any more. She coldly interrupted, “I’ll say this once more: hand over the demons you’ve captured.”
“If you don’t hand them over,” she paused, narrowing her eyes slowly, with a more pronounced threat in her tone, “I’ll go in and find them myself.”
Yun Duan felt a chill run through her as she clearly sensed the chilling murderous intent emanating from Nan Shuang. She hurriedly stepped forward and called, “Frostfall Jun.”
Not knowing when Frostfall Jun had become a ghost, nor why she was being so aggressive, the disciples were at a loss for what to do. When they saw Yun Duan appear, they all sighed in relief, thinking that at least if it came to blows, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. But who would have thought that a flicker of rage flashed across Nan Shuang’s eyes, and without warning, she transformed her hand into a claw and lunged at Yun Duan.
The sudden assault forced Yun Duan back a step. Steeling herself, she looked at Nan Shuang, only to see a cold exterior concealing some unknown obsession within.
Nan Shuang’s unexpected attack instantly turned the standoff atmosphere into one of heightened tension. Chu Ming had already drawn his sword, but Yun Duan saw Nan Shuang’s previously taut face suddenly soften like spring thawing winter, breaking into a smile.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’re facing a great enemy?” Nan Shuang’s tone was relaxed, even somewhat teasing. “The wounds I got from Shang Can haven’t healed yet; if you want to take me down, it wouldn’t be a big deal for you, right?”
The unexpected mention of “Shang Can” sent a jolt to Yun Duan’s heart. For some older cultivators, the name was not unfamiliar, and she could already hear the Tian Wai Tian disciples beside them whispering in low voices. This blatant provocation from Nan Shuang stoked some anger in Yun Duan, and she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her voice cold as she retorted, “You—”
“Wait, wait!”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted. It was Wan Shao stepping forward, standing between the two as if trying to mediate. “Yuan Ge isn’t here! I called for her for a long time, but there was no response at all!”
Yun Duan paused, and just then, she heard Nan Shuang’s sarcastic voice, “Called her? Didn’t you just not say a word before? What do you mean by calling her?”
Rolling her eyes at Nan Shuang’s sarcasm, Wan Shao silently cursed in her heart, mentally reminding herself not to stoop to the level of this crazy ghost, then sternly pointed to her throat. “Our clan has our own language, which can be transmitted over long distances, and only flower spirits can hear it when we speak.”
As Wan Shao spoke, she pointed to her throat and began to move her lips, forming silent words. Yun Duan could see she was putting a lot of effort into trying to call someone, but not a sound came out. The scene felt a bit absurd, but then Wan Shao suddenly had a flash of realization.
After a series of silent calls, Wan Shao let her hand drop, sighed, and wiped her sweat while muttering, “…If I had known, I would have let Shang Can return from the ghost realm and get that bamboo whistle back. It’s been so long since I’ve spoken in my native language; using it once is so exhausting. I had completely forgotten about it while in Yun City…”
Her voice was soft, but Yun Duan heard her clearly. She recalled that Shang Can had mentioned that when he lost contact with her in the ghost realm, it was thanks to the bamboo whistle given by Wan Shao that he managed to contact Yuan Ge and escape danger. Her worries dissipated in that moment. However, as she felt relieved, another worry arose about how to convince Nan Shuang. Looking over, she noticed that the faint smile Nan Shuang had worn had already vanished.
“This matter…” Nan Shuang spoke slowly, her tone flat, but her hand was secretly clenched, “I haven’t heard about it either.”
Yun Duan was still pondering why Nan Shuang seemed more concerned about what others knew about Yuan Ge than she did, when she suddenly heard a commotion from within the Tian Wai Tian camp, followed by scattered footsteps. She turned to see Pei Chen, his face full of surprise and joy.
“Ah—Frostfall Jun, why are you here?”
He seemed completely oblivious to the others, walking straight towards Nan Shuang, stopping just two steps away. His tone was filled with unmasked excitement, cautiously and joyfully looking at Nan Shuang.
They say a single leaf can obscure one’s vision, yet no one knows when Pei Chen’s leaf will finally be plucked away. Yun Duan glanced at Nan Shuang, who showed no reaction to his presence, and took a few steps back with some reluctance, hearing Nan Shuang speak in a calm tone: “I came to see what kind of demon Tian Wai Tian has captured.”
Pei Chen was taken aback, not expecting that Nan Shuang had come for this. He wondered if the rumor about the little demon stealing the duster he had secretly left for Nan Shuang had leaked out. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he didn’t want to admit in front of the person he cared about that his grandiose demon-hunting was for such a reason, so he forced himself to maintain his composure and asked, “… Why do you ask about this?”
Yun Duan felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that Nan Shuang’s patience had worn thin. Her brow furrowed as she retorted, “What does that have to do with you?”
The moment those words left her lips, everyone around exchanged glances, feeling as though they had seen something they shouldn’t. It was well-known in the cultivation world that Frostfall Jun and Kun Yao Jun had a close master-disciple relationship, and now it was unfolding in this manner…
Pei Chen’s expression darkened as well, a trace of bitterness flashing in his eyes. He certainly knew what everyone around him was thinking, but so what?
His obsession with the person before him had unknowingly ensnared his heart like vines, intertwining love and hate, making it impossible to distinguish between the two. By now, he could no longer clearly articulate what he truly wanted. He had made the decision to leave the ghost realm’s passage unsealed for the sake of keeping Nan Shuang in the cultivation world, as if the lives of everyone else had nothing to do with him. He was merely clutching at something undefined, like praying to the void for a trace of the love that had once existed.
After a long silence, he suddenly broke into an appropriate smile, speaking gently, “That demon has already been transported back to Tian Wai Tian. If Frostfall Jun wants to see it, why not come back with me? It would be like revisiting old haunts.”
Everyone was taken aback, but Pei Chen only had eyes for Nan Shuang. The one he had been longing for was right in front of him. Upon hearing his suggestion, she didn’t respond immediately but quietly looked at him, suddenly raising her brows and smiling, causing his heart to race uncontrollably.
The graceful woman smiled, lazily asking, “You want to take me back to Tian Wai Tian?”
Even her tone carried a hint of subtle ambiguity different from before, and Pei Chen felt flattered, his heart racing as if it might leap out of his chest. He was momentarily speechless, just nodding vigorously, as if afraid she would change her mind.
Meanwhile, Yun Duan, watching quietly, frowned in confusion. She couldn’t ascertain Nan Shuang’s intentions and instinctively felt that the current situation was far from what Pei Chen imagined. While she was puzzled, she noticed Wan Shao, who was watching with a furrowed brow, suddenly freeze, moving her ears and turning to look.
Almost simultaneously, the ground between Nan Shuang and Pei Chen suddenly cracked open, sprouting countless vines that formed a barrier between the two.
No one could react in time. Pei Chen stumbled back a couple of steps, gazing upward in uncertainty. There he saw Nan Shuang, seemingly unfazed, her smile widening even more as she turned her head aside.
He also stared, noticing a woman rushing over with an aggrieved and angry expression on her beautiful face. She shot him a furious glance before throwing something wrinkled and crumpled from her hand in his direction. Pei Chen instinctively dodged, seeing that it was a few wilted flowers, likely very rare in the winter.
Yuan Ge had rushed over after receiving word from the demons of the Bi Luo Huang Quan clan in Yun City. To her dismay, she arrived to find such an infuriating scene and, in her anger, acted without thinking. Now that she had slightly calmed down, she felt somewhat embarrassed and turned to Nan Shuang, stammering, “A-A Shuang, don’t listen to him. He definitely has no good intentions—”
“Where did you go?”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted. Yuan Ge was taken aback to see Nan Shuang staring at her intently, her gaze so focused it was almost blinding. Feeling guilty and wronged, Yuan Ge suddenly recalled what Yun Duan had said last night, her mind heating up as she gritted her teeth and said, “I-I went to prepare something.”
This statement was vague, but Nan Shuang didn’t get angry; instead, she followed up with another question, “Prepare for what?”
For some reason, Nan Shuang’s patient inquiry seemed to puncture Yuan Ge’s pent-up anger, causing it to deflate like a popped balloon. She instinctively avoided that piercing gaze, feeling a strange sense of boldness and tragedy, thinking this might be the last time. Finally, she blurted out, “… I went to find some flowers, thinking perhaps you might like them. And I thought, if I tell you I like you… it might be easier to succeed…”
Once those words were out, Yuan Ge felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest. She didn’t really expect Nan Shuang to reciprocate her feelings, believing the best outcome would be for Nan Shuang to feign ignorance and attribute her “liking” to mere friendship after all these years. But as Nan Shuang began to speak, sounding almost as if she was about to sigh, Yuan Ge found herself tensing up.
“Is that all?”
There was a hint of helplessness in Nan Shuang’s voice, and that small amount of negativity was enough to send Yuan Ge’s heart plummeting. She suppressed the bitterness rising in her throat and was considering whether to laugh it off or simply turn and run when suddenly Nan Shuang, who had moved in front of her without her noticing, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into an embrace.
Yuan Ge’s mind went blank for a moment as she panicked, staring at Nan Shuang’s gaze that had softened like melting ice. The taller figure leaned down slightly, exhaling softly, “At this point, I thought we had already…”
Yuan Ge couldn’t hear the rest of her words, not knowing if Nan Shuang had stopped speaking or if her nerves had wiped her memory blank.
But regardless, the warmth of Nan Shuang’s lips against her was undeniable—soft, cool, and all too public.
Amidst the suppressed gasps from those around them, Yun Duan dared not look further, instinctively turning her gaze away.
An inappropriate feeling of envy surged within her, which she immediately realized was not the time for such thoughts. She quickly turned to Pei Chen. Even though there was a wall of vines separating them, it was enough for Pei Chen to see everything happening before his eyes.
Yun Duan found it hard to imagine what he must have felt, but she could see the changes happening within him. She couldn’t help but feel a chill throughout her body, and the white light at her waist flickered as she drew her sword with a cold aura.
“Everyone, step back.” Facing the curious gazes of those who didn’t understand the situation, Yun Duan suppressed her complicated emotions, gritting her teeth and speaking softly, “Kun Yao Jun… has fallen into madness.”
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