Duan Jingyuan paused for a moment, then asked in a small voice, “Let me ask you once more, are you Miss He? The Miss He who stayed at our Duan residence a few days ago, who went with me to watch polo, the one my brother is fond of?”

He Simu nodded.

Duan Jingyuan swallowed and spoke again, “You are… an evil ghost disguised as a human, and even a… a ghost leader, right?”

He Simu nodded again.

Duan Jingyuan tightened her grip on the scroll and said, “You saved me today, and I’m eternally grateful for your immense kindness, but Miss He… could you please leave my brother alone? My brother is a good person. He hasn’t done anything wrong or killed any innocent people. Please go claim someone else’s life!”

Hearing this, He Simu couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She tilted her head and said, “I’m not claiming your brother’s life. The relationship between us should be described as… lovers? True lovers.”

Duan Jingyuan stood dumbfounded as if watching a ghost-human romance play come to life before her eyes.

“As for leaving him alone, you should speak to your brother about that. If he’s willing, I have no objection. But your brother has known I was an evil ghost from the very beginning.”

Duan Jingyuan thought this was like the plot of a play.

Since they were some distance from the Duan residence, He Simu sat on the Ghost King’s Lamp and carried Duan Jingyuan through the night sky above Nandu, heading toward the Duan residence. As dusk fell and the first lights appeared, Duan Jingyuan cautiously leaned against the lamp post, looking with fear and amazement at the familiar streets and the smoke of human habitation. Countless people moved back and forth below, rows of lanterns lighting up the human world like the Milky Way.

She softly exclaimed in admiration when suddenly, a slight jolt caused her to frantically grab He Simu’s wrist, only to panic and let go immediately.

He Simu turned her head, glanced at her, then looked away again: “I won’t let you fall.”

After hesitating for a while, Duan Jingyuan said, “Your hand is so cold.”

“I’m dead. Of course it is.”

Duan Jingyuan looked at He Simu’s profile in the wind, then at the distant ground below, and carefully reached out to hold onto He Simu’s sleeve.

He Simu glimpsed the hand clutching her sleeve from the corner of her eye and smiled gently without saying anything.

“Miss He, why did you save me?”

“I may be dead, but I’m not without conscience. After all, you showed me around Nandu for many days, taught me about colors one by one, intentionally defended me in front of Wu Sheng Liu, and you’re also Duan Xu’s sister.”

Duan Jingyuan was somewhat confused. Everything that had happened that day was beyond her comprehension. She asked, “Are all evil ghosts as gentle as you?”

This time He Simu turned her head. With blood still on her face, her gaze was serious. That terrifying aura that involuntarily made one think of death surged forth again, causing Duan Jingyuan to shudder.

“Even if a wolf saves a sheep a hundred times, the wolf is still a wolf, and the sheep is still a sheep. This is an unchanging truth. Humans shouldn’t have high expectations of evil ghosts. Whether an evil ghost is good or evil, when the living encounters one, they should run.”

Duan Jingyuan suddenly didn’t know whether she should withdraw her hand from He Simu’s sleeve.

“…No matter what, you’re a ghost and my brother is human. The paths of humans and ghosts are different. I won’t let my brother continue to be with you!”

He Simu smiled noncommittally without responding. She simply guided the Ghost King’s Lamp to descend directly into the courtyard of the Duan residence. Duan Jingyuan’s feet finally touched the ground. He Simu removed the concealment spell from her, and Duan Jingyuan looked back at her once, said “thank you,” then immediately turned and ran away, lifting her skirt.

He Simu watched leisurely as she ran into Duan Xu’s courtyard, then slowly walked over. She could hear Duan Jingyuan’s faint sobs; she was probably telling Duan Xu about her ordeal today.

“My King.”

He Simu turned to see Yan Zhang appearing at her side, bowing deeply.

“The matter Your Majesty entrusted has been taken care of.”

“So quickly?”

“That human was quite weak, unable to withstand much.”

“Then throw him back to his home. Make sure his memory is wiped clean.”

“Yes.” Yan Zhang straightened up, glanced at Duan Xu’s courtyard, and said, “My King, you always protect these humans, yet they think no good of you.”

“Why would I need them to think well of me? Do I need them to build temples to worship and make offerings to me?” He Simu turned to look at Yan Zhang and asked, “Your person, has the time come?”

Yan Zhang nodded.

He Simu didn’t inquire further, merely waved her hand, and Yan Zhang withdrew.

Yan Zhang was the head of the Xiao Ghost Palace, which was entirely populated by female ghosts, with the highest number being those who had been worldly women in life. Those who had been scorned and toyed with by men in life most enjoyed tormenting men after death.

In life, Yan Zhang had deeply loved a man who betrayed her, causing her to be disfigured and die tragically. After becoming an evil ghost, she would seduce that man each time he reincarnated and turned eighteen, ultimately causing him to lose his family, ruin his life, and die miserably.

How many lifetimes had it been now? Thirty?

For many lifetimes, that man seemed to have been a decent person. After so many reincarnations, he was no longer the same person who had betrayed Yan Zhang. Such revenge had long lost its meaning.

Did Yan Zhang know this? Perhaps she didn’t want to know.

He Simu sighed deeply and lightly leaped onto the wall of Duan Xu’s courtyard, just in time to see Duan Jingyuan holding Duan Xu’s hand and asking him, “Brother, did you know that Miss He is an evil ghost?”

Duan Xu raised his gaze over Duan Jingyuan’s head, landing on He Simu sitting on the courtyard wall. He Simu smiled slightly. He withdrew his gaze and reassuringly patted Duan Jingyuan’s hand, saying softly, “I knew.”

“Then you still… Do you still like her? Are you still with her? Evil ghosts eat people!”

“In this world, sometimes humans devouring humans is far more terrifying than ghosts devouring humans.”

“Brother! Are you even listening to me? Miss He, He Xiaoxiao is an evil ghost. How can she be your lover? Humans and ghosts travel different paths. Humans belong to yang, ghosts to yin. Being with her will surely harm you. Think about it, you still have a long road ahead. You will certainly need to take a wife and have children someday. If you don’t think of yourself, think of your parents… Brother, look at the ghost-human romances in plays, they all end badly! Please don’t go looking for her anymore, alright? Please break up with her!”

Duan Jingyuan advised earnestly, almost pleading by the end as if determined to rescue her Third Brother from a sea of suffering and return him to the right path.

Duan Xu was silent for a moment. His eyes were always clear and transparent, filled with smiles as if he concealed no worries. At this moment, his eyes remained the same, calm like a shallow, clear pool.

He said very straightforwardly, “Alright.”

The third Brother agreed.

Duan Jingyuan thought, her Third Brother had agreed so easily. The weight in her heart seemed to drop, but halfway down, it was suspended again.

“Third Brother, tell me the truth. Will you never see her again? Are you not lying to me this time?”

Her Third Brother stood with his back to the lamplight against the night sky. Suddenly, she felt his expression was indistinct, seeming unreachable.

Duan Xu looked at her calmly, then said with a smile, “Jingyuan, you already know the answer in your heart. Why ask me again?”

Duan Jingyuan released his hand and stepped back twice. She looked Duan Xu up and down as if she had never known him. How could he lie so cheerfully, so lightly?

“…Third Brother, why are you like this? How many more things are you hiding from me? We’re family. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us.” She sounded almost desperate.

Duan Xu thought that someone in this family still believed there were no secrets between them, which was perhaps one of the few remaining tender feelings. So he pulled the confused and distraught Duan Jingyuan toward him, gently embraced her shoulders, patted her, and said, “I’m sorry.”

With this apology, he silenced all of Duan Jingyuan’s questions.

Chen Ying, who had observed the entire process, came to their side and tentatively said in a low voice, “Sister Xiaoxiao even saved you at the polo field. She’s not a bad person.”

Duan Jingyuan pushed Duan Xu away and glared at Chen Ying, saying, “Don’t I know that? I know she’s good… she’s also been good to me, but no matter how good she is… she’s an evil ghost! Third Brother, why did you have to fall in love with an evil ghost? You’ll either have to hide it your whole life or be discovered and disgraced. You… you…”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and not knowing what else to say, she turned and rushed out, slamming the courtyard gate with a thunderous noise.

Duan Xu and Chen Ying exchanged a glance. Chen Ying worriedly asked, “Will Sister Jingyuan tell others?”

Duan Xu smiled and said, “She won’t. She’s afraid Father will beat me. But she’ll probably be angry with me for quite a while. I’ll need to ask someone how to make her happy again.”

With that, he looked up. He Simu, who had observed the entire scene, jumped down from the courtyard wall and walked up to him, extending her hand and saying, “Come, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Duan Xu didn’t ask where. He simply took her hand and said, “Alright.”

Chen Ying hesitantly asked, “Can I come too?”

Before he finished speaking, He Simu and Duan Xu had vanished from his sight. He scratched the back of his head, looked around, and then resumed his martial arts practice with a pouting expression.

Duan Jingyuan had previously thought that when He Simu left Nandu, Duan Xu wasn’t sad at all, as if she hadn’t left. This was because He Simu had merely reverted to her evil ghost state. She hadn’t left and still frequently came to see Duan Xu.

He Simu and Duan Xu sat on the Ghost King’s Lamp, suspended above Nandu. She said that while walking on the street, she suddenly sensed Duan Jingyuan’s presence in a place she never visited, so she went to check out of curiosity. She arrived just in time to see her maid Bi Qing lying in a pool of blood and Wang Qi reaching for Duan Jingyuan, apparently with ill intentions.

“But I’ve already taken care of Wang Qi.”

Duan Xu nodded. He reached out to wipe the blood from He Simu’s face and said, “Thank you for today.”

“It was nothing.”

“But why did you bring me here?”

“Earlier, when I flew with Jingyuan, she marveled at Nandu’s night view. I realized that you probably never have the opportunity to see the scenery from here, so I wanted to show it to you.”

The wind was fierce, white threads curving and twisting between heaven and earth, through the streets and alleys. People were like ants, houses like lacquer boxes, and the lights like the Milky Way. Even the most majestic and grand palace looked small, reminding Duan Xu of the sand castles he used to build at Tian Zhi Xiao.

“Do you like it?” He Simu asked.

“Of course I do. I love it very much.”

Duan Xu thought that she always seemed to want to give him something, somewhat awkward and clumsy, but incredibly endearing.

He Simu cleared her throat and said, “I need to say goodbye. I have to return to the ghost realm. I’ve been away too long, and there are matters I need to handle.”

Duan Xu sighed deeply and said, “Just when my little sister-in-law discovers your identity, you dump this mess on me and run off. I foresee myself keeping an empty house for years to come.”

He Simu glanced at Duan Xu and asked, “What could I say to her?”

“You’re right. When you’re not pretending to be alive, it’s already good if your words don’t frighten people.”

“Then why haven’t I scared you away?”

“Why would I leave? I’m also leaving in a few days to raise troops.”

He Simu recalled seeing piles of diagrams on Duan Xu’s table these past few days and asked if they were military formations he planned to use.

Duan Xu nodded and said, “Yes. Even with our solid armor and strong horses, Great Liang’s cavalry still couldn’t match the Hu Qi people who grew up on horseback. The gap in our cavalry strength is unavoidable, making infantry crucial. I’m very familiar with Dan Zhi’s cavalry and need to find ways for infantry to counter them effectively. Previously, we took advantage of Dan Zhi’s internal conflicts to capture three provinces with surprise tactics. Now that Dan Zhi’s internal strife is subsiding, things won’t be so easy in the future. We need a perfect strategy.”

He Simu smiled and asked, “So you plan to test your ideas on your newly recruited soldiers? Have you decided where to recruit from?”

“Does the Ghost King have recommendations?”

“Shen Province would be best. It produces the most evil ghosts. Those fierce enough in life remain fierce after death. Shen Province has many people but little land, with frequent conflicts between families or villages, often escalating to armed combat and bloodshed, with sons continuing their fathers’ feuds to the bitter end.”

“Oh? Sounds promising.”

“Little Fox Duan, life is limited. How long do you plan to wage war?”

Duan Xu thought for a moment and said, “As the saying goes, ‘Five victories bring disaster, four victories bring harm, three victories bring hegemony, two victories bring kingship, one victory brings emperorship.’ Wars that last too long or occur too frequently drain both the national treasury and the people. Dan Zhi is too vast after all. I think three northern campaigns to reclaim all lost territories would be appropriate.”

Three times—this was truly brazen, but very much in line with Duan Xu’s usual style. He Simu leaned on his shoulder, her face close to his, and teased, “My little general’s plans are truly crazy.”

Duan Xu smiled, his eyes containing a layer of complacent light as he lowered his head to touch her forehead with his: “Is that so? Then perhaps for a hundred years after my death, you won’t love anyone else, because you’ll never find another eccentric madman like me.”

He Simu blinked and asked, “Will I find someone after a hundred years?”

“You still won’t find anyone, but you will gradually forget me, forget all my passionate life, reduced to a blurry outline beyond recognition. You’ll point at my grave and say, ‘I once liked this person very much, but now, I can’t remember his name anymore.'”

Duan Xu spoke very matter-of-factly as if joking: “Could you remember me a little longer? Remember me for another hundred years, please.”

He Simu looked at him, recalling his image in vermilion wedding clothes amidst the falling red firecrackers, his figure galloping on horseback in the golden summer sunlight. She smiled silently and embraced the back of his neck to kiss him.

“Duan Shunxi, I’ve noticed you’ve become increasingly skilled at playing the pitiful one lately,” she said.

Duan Xu sighed and replied, “Ah, you’ve discovered my secret.”

The night wind above Nandu was fierce. Under the moonlight, countless white threads in the world entangled them, intertwining their hair, and binding their bodies together. Heaven and earth formed a cocoon, and they were like the larvae within.

Three days later, He Simu left Nandu. Ten days later, Duan Xu also departed Nandu under orders to suppress bandits.

In the Nine Palace Labyrinth of Yu Zhou City, within the endless, bottomless darkness like a vast ocean, a dimly lit area suddenly appeared, illuminated by a heart candle.

There, sitting on the ground, was a figure with snow-white hair and eyelashes, dressed in snow-white clothes. He bore many wounds, appearing haggard and weak, his head lowered in silence.

The visitor crouched down, the heart candle in hand illuminating his face, and called his name: “Bai San Xing, it’s time to wake up.”

The snow-white evil ghost raised his pitch-black eyes. His originally empty and lifeless eyes gradually focused on light. As if awakening from a lengthy dream, he stared at the visitor in bewilderment for a long time before saying in a hoarse voice of disbelief, “How… is it you?”