Fortunately, Lihan’s appearance was already gloomy and somber by nature, and the Lihan that Fu Chaosheng impersonated gave people an even more natural sense of coldness and even cruelty. So in this instant, Li Yan couldn’t detect anything strange from his gaze, even subconsciously thinking he was disgusted by Lian Zhao standing here at this moment.

So he reminded him.

“Lord Lihan, everyone has arrived. What do you think?”

“Let’s begin.”

Fu Chaosheng also didn’t understand where that bit of discomfort came from. He wanted to ask Kun, but felt it wasn’t an appropriate time, so he directly replied to Li Yan.

But his gaze still didn’t move away from Jian Chou.

Unlike Jian Chou’s frank reasons for looking at him, his direct and unguarded way of looking at her wasn’t due to any plan or premeditation, but simply because he couldn’t perceive what reactions others might have to this.

In his view, looking at someone didn’t require concealment.

Especially in this kind of situation.

But others didn’t think so.

Li Yan didn’t notice anything at first, but after he finished speaking and turned to see him still looking at Lian Zhao, if he still didn’t feel something was wrong, he would be a fool.

But…

But this was looking far too openly, wasn’t it? Not concealing it at all, which instead made people suspicious of his gaze’s intent.

Nominally, he was an elder of the Ghost King clan, considered a senior family member to Lihan.

In reality, Lihan had an appointment from the Eight Directions Yama Hall and was a Grand Judge under Lord Qin Guang, with a status far higher than his position as an elder of the ten great ghost clans.

So although he had some doubts in his heart, as an old fox, Li Yan didn’t speak up to remind anything. He only waved his hand indifferently, having someone bring up an eight-inch green jade bowl, saying: “You must already be clear that this recruitment is personally ordered by the Eight Directions Yama Hall, especially Lord Qin Guang. It’s a matter of great importance. This bowl is called the ‘Soul Examining Cup.’ You need to send a wisp of your soul essence into the cup in sequence, and the Soul Examining Cup can naturally distinguish who is suitable.”

Soul Examining Cup?

Upon hearing this, Jian Chou’s heart immediately jumped.

When she heard the ghost cultivators outside Gouzhong Tower mention examining soul essence earlier, she felt that tricky situations would arise after entering. Now it had indeed come to pass.

Appearance could be disguised, and one could even rely on superior cultivation and steady calculations to imitate Lian Zhao without revealing any flaws. But everyone in the world had unique souls – how could they be imitated?

Her soul essence would definitely not be the same as Lian Zhao’s soul essence!

Moreover, although she had repaired her soul, there was still one crack that hadn’t been completely mended. Not to mention Lian Zhao – even normal ghost cultivators’ souls were different from hers!

Once the soul was examined, exposure was inevitable!

Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but there was no panic. Jian Chou calmly glanced at Fu Chaosheng.

A pair of dark blue eyes like glass.

Fu Chaosheng could guess what she was asking with that glance, but only shook his head slightly at her, obviously not panicking either, having a solution in mind.

Jian Chou naturally relaxed.

She remained in her sixth position, watching the Wuchang clan male cultivators in front of her step forward in turn, separating a wisp of floating soul essence from their brows and injecting it into the Soul Examining Cup.

The entire Soul Examining Cup wasn’t large, with no patterns carved around its edges or rim, only a broken evil ghost pattern carved in the center of the bowl’s bottom.

Soul essence like pale white smoke fell into the blue-green soul cup.

Like a newly hatched little snake, it circled three times in the bowl, finally condensing on that broken evil ghost pattern, gradually covering it.

Just moments later, the pale white soul essence changed, fluctuating and changing color – from smoke-like pale white to a faint clear light like the bowl itself.

The ghost cultivator standing before the Soul Examining Cup immediately slumped his shoulders, showing a disappointed expression.

Green light meant rejection; red light meant acceptance.

He had obviously lost this rare opportunity.

“Not suitable.” The ghost cultivator responsible for examination was obviously experienced. After one glance, he directly shook his head, then looked to the next person, saying, “Next.”

No one knew what the Soul Examining Cup was actually testing for. When each person stepped forward, they harbored some curiosity and apprehension, wanting to know their situation.

However, the results weren’t optimistic.

Four consecutive Wuchang clan ghost cultivators went up, all showing green light. Only when the fifth person before Jian Chou, Xue Yin, went up was there the first red light.

With a light “hum,” the Soul Examining Cup seemed to vibrate from the pale white soul essence injected into it. Then, starting from the broken evil ghost pattern in the center, faint red light began to appear. Initially shallow and faint, it gradually intensified after a moment. After three breaths, it had become brilliantly bright red!

At this moment, whether it was the people before and after Xue Yin, the coldly observing elders, or even Xue Yin herself, they couldn’t help but exclaim!

The ghost cultivator examining the Soul Examining Cup looked up at Xue Yin, initially quite satisfied. However, upon glimpsing her cultivation level, he frowned slightly, but ultimately said: “Soul examination passed. Wait to the side.”

“Yes.”

Xue Yin’s pale white face had reddened somewhat, obviously containing some barely concealed excitement. She managed to remain relatively calm as she bowed in response, then walked to the other side of the group.

But when passing Jian Chou, she inevitably looked at her once more.

That gaze was clearly contemptuous, challenging, and demonstrative.

“Lian Zhao’s” cultivation was inferior to Xue Yin’s. In everyone’s impression, it was only because she knew how to work situations that she acted arrogantly, with her status actually surpassing Xue Yin’s.

In this kind of situation now…

With Lihan present, she should be using his influence to finally have her moment of triumph.

Jian Chou naturally clearly sensed Xue Yin’s dissatisfaction with her and the full challenging flavor in that gaze, but showed no reaction whatsoever.

“Next.”

The ghost cultivator responsible for soul examination naturally called again.

In this instant, everyone’s gaze in the entire room immediately focused on Jian Chou. Even the three elders sitting on either side imperceptibly straightened their postures, and some boldly stole glances at Lihan sitting above.

“Lihan” watched Jian Chou.

Jian Chou remained impossibly calm.

When she heard the ghost cultivator call her to examine her soul, when everyone’s gaze fell on her, she showed neither half a trace of embarrassment nor the slightest fear. When she raised her head to walk toward the Soul Examining Cup, there was even a faint, snow-like pride flowing between her brows.

Heavens!

This was really very different from the Lian Zhao of old!

Everyone’s hearts couldn’t help but wonder: How had she suddenly become like a different person? At this critical moment, Lord Lihan had already looked at her for so long, but she hadn’t even spared him a single glance, as if the old events had never happened at all. And this attitude…

Her guts were really too fat!

In just that instant, everyone saw the “Lord Lihan” above furrow his long brows, his glass-like deep blue pupils covered with cold displeasure!

At this time, Jian Chou had just walked beside the Soul Examining Cup and raised her finger to extract a wisp of soul essence from her brow.

Before she could even extract it, a cold voice interrupted her!

“The Wuchang clan really dares to send anyone to this official – what audacity!”

Lihan, already a Grand Judge of Lord Qin Guang’s hall, possessed what kind of imposing presence? Not to mention speaking in such a cold and stern tone now.

Everyone was startled and their hearts trembled simultaneously!

Only Jian Chou, upon hearing this, laughed inwardly.

While others’ hearts were suspended, she breathed a sigh of relief. But on her face, she still pretended to show some bewilderment, as if she hadn’t expected to suddenly face such rebuke.

Even her eyes were filled with a kind of confusion.

But “Lihan” remained unmoved. No one could see through what emotions were hidden in those cold and captivating eyes. They could only hear his cruel voice without half a trace of emotional fluctuation: “She doesn’t need to be examined. Withdraw.”

“…”

The ghost cultivator responsible for soul examination was immediately stunned, glancing at Lihan. In just this instant, he thought of all the past events when Lian Zhao had tried to seduce Lihan unsuccessfully and offended him.

The lord was actually one to hold grudges!

He clearly still remembered what happened back then and wanted to make things difficult for Lian Zhao, not giving her half a chance to participate in the selection!

Everyone also hadn’t expected Lihan to be so decisive. Back then, he had made Lian Zhao lose all face in front of many people, and today he was doing it again!

After a moment of bewilderment, they all developed some thoughts of watching a good show.

Although Xue Yin was frightened by the cold meaning in Lihan’s words until her scalp tingled, upon hearing that phrase “she doesn’t need to be examined,” she immediately felt schadenfreude.

Looking at Lian Zhao again, where was her usual arrogance?

The initial bewilderment hadn’t yet disappeared from her face when a layer of uncomprehending angry indignation suddenly surged up, making her fingers hanging at her sides immediately clench into fists, as if she was about to open her mouth to refute Lihan!

However, the next moment, it turned to grief.

In a pair of eyes that usually brimmed with alluring light, shallow glimmers of moisture slowly floated up, like mist-shrouded lakes.

Unwillingness, fear, grievance…

Tears seemed about to fall the next moment.

However, at the moment when everyone’s hearts trembled, thinking they were about to fall, this notorious female cultivator stubbornly raised her delicate chin with a few traces of obstinacy, forcibly pushing all emotions back into her eyes, and bowed: “Yes.”

Though it was clearly just a brief single word that shouldn’t reveal any emotional fluctuation, everyone unanimously felt that this voice seemed to hide a trace of choking.

Everyone was shocked by this gaze.

Was this truly the Lian Zhao they usually knew?

Usually, who didn’t spread word of her arrogance and domineering nature? It was always her bullying others, never others bullying her.

But now this gaze actually made people’s hearts involuntarily tighten.

Like a heart turned to dead ashes.

Beneath the flamboyant and domineering exterior was a heart that had been offered sincerely to someone only to be discarded like worn shoes, wounded all over; behind the arrogant self-importance that looked down on everyone was a humility that, though battered and bloody, refused to speak of it to others…

Not to mention male cultivators – even female cultivators were stunned watching!

For a time, the room actually became quite quiet.

“Lian Zhao” neither refuted nor resisted. She silently retreated back and lowered her head, her gaze cast downward.

Where was the brilliance and spirit of old?

This situation should have made everyone feel satisfaction, even thinking this female cultivator who had done all manner of bad things had finally received retribution. But somehow, they couldn’t feel happy. It seemed as if making someone originally brilliant and radiant suffer such grievance and become like this was extremely sinful…

Elder Li Yan of the Ghost King clan sitting above obviously hadn’t expected Lihan to suddenly make things difficult for Lian Zhao, and was somewhat surprised. But since Lihan had full authority over this matter, he couldn’t say much.

But from Lian Zhao’s reaction, he sensed something strange.

So that gaze containing some scrutiny quietly fell on Lihan.

“Lihan” still sat in the center, his right hand resting on an armrest carved with bat patterns. His slender fingers were too thin, like withered tree branches with a gaunt feeling, now quietly pressed a bit tighter.

His gaze locked on “Lian Zhao,” cold as before.

His eyes seemed to show no emotion either. No one could distinguish whether any improper emotions had also arisen in those eyes.

Soul examination continued.

No accidents occurred with the remaining four people – three green, one red.

Including Xue Yin, two were suitable.

But during the final selection, Fu Chaosheng, sitting high above, glanced indifferently at Xue Yin, who could barely contain her excitement, and directly said: “Cultivation too low. Not selected.”

“…”

From high sky to deep abyss in an instant!

Xue Yin’s face, originally flushed from excitement and nervousness, immediately turned white, even somewhat blue!

“Any objections?”

Fu Chaosheng showed no expression, not knowing what kind of intimidating presence his expressionless self wearing Lihan’s gloomy and cruel face presented. He only asked this question plainly.

Who would dare have any objections?

Everyone already knew that not only did the soul examination need to pass, but cultivation also mattered!

Xue Yin had only thought that with so few suitable people in the Wuchang clan, her chances of selection should be quite high. Who could have imagined she would still be eliminated in the end?

Her heart filled with both hatred and fear, but she dared not complain.

When Fu Chaosheng asked, she could only hurriedly bow and say: “Xue Yin wouldn’t dare.”

Thus, of the ten people in this Wuchang clan group, only one was selected to wait on the other side of Gouzhong Tower. The remaining nine, including Jian Chou and Xue Yin, had to return where they came from.

Elder Li Yan of the Ghost King clan waved his hand, telling them to leave.

These nine from the Wuchang clan bowed and withdrew with various thoughts.

But after the people withdrew, they didn’t immediately call the next group in.

Several elders exchanged glances, temporarily saying nothing.

Because at this moment, “Lihan’s” gaze still hadn’t withdrawn, still watching the direction where the Wuchang clan female cultivator “Lian Zhao” had departed.

“Ahem.” Finally, Li Yan, who had the highest status among the present elders, coughed and spoke: “Lord Lihan’s actions just now weren’t quite appropriate, were they?”

“What’s inappropriate about it?”

Fu Chaosheng asked knowingly.

Li Yan didn’t see through it and smiled like an old fox: “Although we are confused old men with half our bodies buried in the earth, we’ve also heard about that matter between you and that Wuchang clan female cultivator. It’s one thing if you don’t want a female cultivator who throws herself at you, but it’s not worth holding a grudge for so long. Moreover, that was a private grievance between you two, but today’s recruitment to the underworld is official business. Abandoning public duty for private reasons is inadvisable. Originally, those who could pass soul examination are few and far between. We’d rather have more than fewer. Just because you dislike this female cultivator’s behavior…”

“Who said I dislike her?”

Fu Chaosheng finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Li Yan.

Li Yan was immediately stunned!

The other two elders were also stunned!

What did this rhetorical question mean?!

“You…” Li Yan’s brain couldn’t turn the corner for a moment, extremely surprised, “Don’t tell me you actually like her?”

When he learned about soul examination and the purpose of this recruitment, Fu Chaosheng had already thought about how to get Jian Chou to go with him. After discussing with Kun, he finally had the current plan.

Facing Li Yan’s shocked question now, he wasn’t flustered either.

He only looked at the other party calmly and replied: “When someone throws themselves at you, why do the elders think I rejected her back then? It’s just that her cultivation was minimal, so even if I wanted to let her enter, there was no such opportunity.”

Why did they think he had rejected her back then…

This, this?!

This meant he hadn’t rejected her at all back then?!!

Several elders were almost instantly dumbfounded, completely confused by this sudden bombshell! After all, back then it was widely spread that Lihan had given Lian Zhao a hard time on the spot, appearing completely unromantic!

Was this damn thing all an act?

Once this thought emerged, it couldn’t be suppressed. The quick-thinking Li Yan immediately thought of Lian Zhao’s heart-wrenching gaze earlier…

Damn your father, no way?!!

The Day Wandering clan elder beside him was already somewhat dazed: “This recruitment is entirely up to Lord Lihan. As long as the numbers aren’t insufficient, naturally whoever you want to let in can enter. But, but, but you made things difficult for Lian Zhao just now, it really, really didn’t look like you liked her…”

Like?

Always hearing people talk about “liking,” “romantic love,” and such things, but Fu Chaosheng really had difficulty understanding this emotion. Hearing the Day Wandering clan elder’s question, he didn’t become sensitive at all, only seeing an opportunity from the other’s words to select Jian Chou without soul examination.

So he raised an eyebrow slightly: “Then what should liking be like?”

“Liking should naturally be—”

The Day Wandering clan elder never expected Lihan to ask such an odd question. Like the other elders, he was still immersed in the bombshell that he had just revealed about having an affair with Lian Zhao, and hadn’t immediately recovered his senses, so he almost immediately started to answer.

But when the words came out, he found he couldn’t answer for a moment.

Staring wide-eyed, he held it in for a while, finally having a flash of inspiration and continuing: “That Lian Zhao’s words and actions toward you look like what liking should be; yours toward her clearly seem like an enemy’s, where’s the liking?”

“So liking should be treating her as she treats me?” Fu Chaosheng asked again.

The Day Wandering clan elder vaguely felt there was something wrong with his question, but upon careful consideration, it seemed fine, so he nodded: “Generally speaking, yes.”

At this time, Elder Li Yan of the Ghost King clan suddenly had an ominous premonition.

Sure enough, the next moment “Lihan’s” brows furrowed as if contemplating something, but after just a moment, his brows relaxed and he directly stood up from his seat: “I understand.”

What do you understand?!!!

Several elders suddenly felt terror in their hearts.

But when they realized what was happening, it was already too late!

As those three words “I understand” fell, “Lihan’s” figure had already disappeared from before their eyes, leaving only a circle of faint spatial fluctuations in place.

Outside Gouzhong Tower, Jian Chou had just walked out of the building.

There were still many ghost cultivators gathered outside.

Some were those who hadn’t yet entered the building to examine their souls and await selection, while others had already entered but been eliminated, staying here probably just wanting to see subsequent developments.

When these nine from the Wuchang clan appeared, they immediately caused a commotion.

Besides the pitiful fact that only one person was selected, Lian Zhao’s elimination this time, someone who usually had the ability to not come up empty in any situation, really made people’s imaginations run wild.

Xue Yin, who walked beside Jian Chou when coming out, had an even more gloomy expression.

Passing soul examination but ultimately being eliminated always left one feeling somewhat frustrated.

But when she glanced at “Lian Zhao,” whose complexion seemed even paler than her own, this stuffiness gained some indescribable relief.

Thinking back to the other’s boastful words earlier now seemed like a joke.

At the moment of walking down from the steps, she finally couldn’t help but sneer: “Still claiming ‘no man can escape your grasp’! Acting like you had such great abilities, what now? You don’t even qualify to participate in the selection. Feeling bad inside, aren’t you? Didn’t you say ‘playing hard to get’? Why don’t you ‘get’ someone to show—”

Before her words hit the ground, a shadow suddenly fell before her eyes!

Xue Yin was startled and almost immediately stepped back. When she saw clearly what that shadow was, she was even more horrified!

Lihan!

Without warning, he had teleported and appeared!

The heavy navy blue robes pressed against that solitary coldness, the cruelty and indifference in his features were natural, but his deep blue glass-like eyes revealed some dark shadows.

But he didn’t even glance at Xue Yin.

He had landed in front of everyone, and precisely, in front of “Lian Zhao” – that is, Jian Chou!

The hundreds of people outside Gouzhong Tower almost immediately recognized him.

“Lord Lihan!”

“Why did Lord Lihan come out?”

“Eh…”

…

Surprised discussions spread in various sizes.

Even Jian Chou was somewhat surprised. As her thoughts raced, she was just about to ask what the matter was when the next moment Fu Chaosheng grabbed her waist and pulled her down!

In this lightning-fast instant, with someone she knew and trusted, how could she have half a guard up? She was directly brought down as she fell backward!

Her soft waist was immediately encircled by an arm.

Those wide sleeves swept across her vision, leaving a windy shadow, and then the “culprit’s” slightly cool face leaned over, his thin lips descending.

All distance instantly became nothing!

Countless people immediately bulged their eyes!

Xue Yin, standing right beside Jian Chou and directly facing this shocking scene, opened her mouth wide…

When doing all this, Fu Chaosheng actually felt nothing, just following what the Day Wandering clan elder had said earlier – treating her as Lian Zhao treated him.

Lips touching lips was nothing more than that.

He was a demon born of heaven and earth who had never been able to personally experience so-called “human emotions,” much less understand why people would become addicted to them.

So even when his slightly cool thin lips left those tender lip petals, he maintained a detached calm.

However, just at the moment of separation, strange sensations surged like a tide.

A trembling suddenly arose within his body, his vast heaven-defying demonic power surging through his limbs and bones, faintly seeming about to escape his control!

Fu Chaosheng had never encountered such a situation. The moment his brows furrowed, he had forcibly suppressed it, then met Jian Chou’s suddenly constricted pupils and said: “I like you.”