To reach the Xiang Ze Palace, one had to pass through a forest of bones.

Liu Shuang stepped over white bones, hearing the creaking sound they made, sending chills down her spine in the night. Having lived among mortals when she first took human form, she had adopted some of their habits.

For instance, fear of horrifying and eerie things.

The ghost cultivator Yan Chaosheng was perhaps the man she had used up a lifetime’s worth of courage to love.

The Double Fish Pendant in her palm grew warm, encouraging her to move forward. The path was extremely long, and after walking for what seemed like forever, Liu Shuang finally saw the Xiang Ze Palace.

This palace still appeared somber, yet it was the most magnificent place besides the main hall.

On her journey here, not a single person had stopped her. Liu Shuang knew that in the Ghost Realm, Yan Chaosheng’s word was absolute. No one dared to disobey his commands.

With the Xiang Ze Palace being forbidden territory, naturally, no one dared to come without his permission.

In truth, Liu Shuang didn’t know why she had come to challenge his authority. The cracking of the Double Fish Pendant had brought her too much anxiety, and she urgently wanted to prove something.

For instance, Yan Chaosheng loved and valued her.

He forbade others to come, but she had defied his command. Surely he wouldn’t truly punish her, right?

The main gate of the Xiang Ze Palace was right before her eyes. She placed her hand on the door, gritted her teeth, and was about to push it open.

Liu Shuang’s heart was suspended high with anticipation. The answer lay just behind this door. But in the next moment, her wrist was gripped by a hand so cold it was almost bone-chilling.

Her eyelashes trembled as she saw Yan Chaosheng standing beside her, his expression frigid.

“How is it that you treat my commands with such disregard?”

She had never heard him speak to her in such an icily terrifying tone. An immense pressure descended upon her like a tidal wave, and she knew he was angry.

Her internal organs ached subtly, and she coughed lightly, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her lips.

“No, husband, I…” She wanted to explain, but didn’t know what to explain. Had she come to repair the jade pendant, or to see who the noble guest in the palace was, or perhaps to test Yan Chaosheng’s attitude toward her trespassing in the “forbidden area”?

But wasn’t his attitude now abundantly clear?

Liu Shuang’s eyes grew warm with tears. She lowered her head, extremely flustered, not knowing whether to wipe away the blood at the corner of her lips first or the tears about to spill from her eyes.

Yan Chaosheng coldly looked at her, his pitch-black eyes seemingly devoid of emotion, watching as her tears fell like strings of pearls.

Under the dark, blood-red sky, she was full of grievance, like a small ostrich with her head buried, her shoulders trembling.

He forcibly lifted her chin, saw the blood at the corner of her lips, and his hand paused. He frowned, using his thumb to roughly wipe away the blood.

Yan Chaosheng lifted her in his arms. Though it had taken her nearly half an hour to arrive, he returned with her to her bedchamber in an instant.

The Demon Lord’s cloak almost completely covered her delicate body. She trembled in his arms, shaking like a leaf about to wither.

“Stop crying.” He turned and sat down at the edge of the bed with her in his arms, his hand caressing her fragile back, his palm turning as spiritual energy flowed into her body.

His spiritual energy was domineering and fierce, while what she could bear needed to be as gentle as a small stream. So weak that she couldn’t even withstand his anger. He controlled his spiritual energy, transforming it from ghost cultivation power to immortal spiritual energy, gradually transferring it to her.

Though he had already healed her injury, her eyes were still as red as a rabbit’s as she stared blankly at the floor.

Yan Chaosheng turned her face, making her look at him. Since becoming the Demon King six hundred years ago, he had been so arrogant that no one had ever defied his laws. Those who did lose both soul and spirit.

She had tested his law. Never mind this minor injury from his pressure; no matter how he punished her, it wouldn’t be excessive.

Meeting her reddened eyes with tear-laden lashes, his tone mocking, he said: “You dare to trespass in a forbidden area, yet I haven’t punished you, and you’re still feeling wronged?”

She shook her head, tears still falling from her eyes.

He raised his hand to wipe away her tears, finally pressing his finger against her lips, threatening: “Cry again, and I’ll throw you into the water prison to keep the water ghosts company. Believe it or not.”

She choked: “Then go ahead and throw me.”

Even as she spoke these indifferent words, her fingers secretly gripped the hem of his robe. He lowered his gaze to look, his eyes slightly lifting as he said: “Do you want me to throw you? Water ghosts don’t like neighbors like you. Don’t come crying to me afterward.”

His words were harsh, but having spent years with him, Liu Shuang knew this was his way of conceding, awkwardly comforting her.

Over the hundred years, he hadn’t given much tenderness. His hand, after wiping her tears, remained against her back, transferring spiritual energy into her body.

Liu Shuang cherished this moment of affection. Her courage, which had risen like a fish willing to tear the net, dissipated in this warmth. She had trespassed into forbidden territory, yet he truly hadn’t punished her. Although he hadn’t controlled his pressure and had hurt her, he had been healing her all along.

He did care for her, didn’t he? Her heart, nearly withered, once again bloomed with tenacious vitality.

She embraced his neck, burying her small face in the crook of his neck: “Husband, you promised to return soon, but you never came back.”

He raised his hand, stroking her head.

“So, you resent me?”

She shook her head, taking out the Double Fish Pendant from her bosom and handing it to him: “It’s my jade pendant… for some reason, it has cracks. No matter what I do, I can’t repair it. I wanted to ask you to help me.”

Her small hands enveloped his.

He glanced at her, complying with her request, as spiritual energy emanated from his palm. The Demon Lord’s power was so strong that the already exquisite Double Fish Pendant seemed to come alive, with the two fish almost moving.

She watched without blinking.

But after a long while, though the Double Fish Pendant was glowing brightly, the cracks remained, showing no signs of repair. Yan Chaosheng slightly raised his eyebrows.

“Shennong Jade?”

Jade refined from the ancient divine artifact, the Shennong Cauldron, could be used for divination, and once cracked, could not be reversed.

Liu Shuang was taken aback, retrieving the Double Fish Pendant from his hand: “It’s all right if it can’t be repaired. After all, it’s just… a piece of jade. Husband, you can give me a prettier one another day.”

Yan Chaosheng glanced at her, not pursuing the matter of the jade: “If you want anything, tell Su Lun.”

She nodded, finally showing a faint smile. Yan Chaosheng was about to set her down, but she gloomily embraced him: “Husband, it’s so late. Do you have such important matters to attend to immediately? Can you stay here and keep me company?”

He met the expectant look in her eyes, and after a long moment, gave a soft agreement, simply holding her as they lay down together.

The cloud quilt was light and soft, just like her person, soft and warm.

The crystal lamp swayed gently, casting the shadow of a thousand paper cranes on the windowsill. Yan Chaosheng knew that his little wife was skilled in many strange things.

Like brewing tea, paper-cutting, embroidery, making clothes…

When she took human form, she was found by a seventh-rank official couple in the mortal realm. The couple’s daughter had died early, and seeing her as jade-like and adorable, they thought she was a lost little girl from some family and, taking pity on her, took her in.

She was also foolish, ignorantly unaware of what kind of being she was, not realizing that a small celestial being couldn’t live with mortals. At that time, the cultured and refined lifestyle was popular in the mortal realm. She, a small celestial grass, was raised as an official’s daughter, raised to be adorably precious, learning many things that only mortal women would know.

But when it came to cultivation, on one hand, she lacked talent, and on the other, she wasn’t interested or diligent enough.

She didn’t learn what she should have, and instead learned a jumble of things she shouldn’t know.

Ghost cultivators had always valued power, and Yan Chaosheng was no exception. Yet despite her being so “unskilled,” over the hundred years, he not only hadn’t “corrected” her but had silently acquiesced.

“Husband,” Liu Shuang counted on her fingers, “in three months and four days, I will face my tribulation.”

He pulled up the quilt to cover her, responding faintly.

Giving no response, not actively extending the topic. Her true form was contrary to the Ghost Realm. The Ghost Realm had not a trace of immortal energy, making it almost impossible to cultivate. But whether demon or immortal, one would face two types of tribulation lightning in their lifetime.

One was the “cultivation tribulation,” which came from diligent cultivation and breaking through boundaries, after which one’s cultivation would advance a level.

The other was the “bloodline tribulation,” which was the lightning that refined one’s bloodline, occurring every fifty years. If one endured it, their bloodline would become more pure and powerful.

For Liu Shuang, her cultivation had almost stagnated, so breaking through boundaries was wishful thinking, and she didn’t need to face the cultivation tribulation. But bloodline refinement was something she had to go through; she couldn’t escape it.

However, to face such tribulation, lightning, she needed cultivation that could match it. Fifty years ago, he had helped her through it.

At that time, not long after their grand wedding, Yan Chaosheng had returned victorious from a war with the Immortal Realm, full of vigor. Though he could have helped her through the tribulation with a wave of his hand, he chose a more intimate method.

Dual cultivation with her in the bedchamber for three days, tossing and turning like paired birds, exhausting her to the point where even moving a finger was difficult. Then, pinching her cheeks, he laughed wickedly: “If you can’t pass through the tribulation yourself this time, don’t say you’re the wife of me, Yan Chaosheng.”

Despite his words, when the heavenly lightning struck, seeing how weak she was, he still coldly sneered and blocked most of it for her.

Now, another fifty years had passed.

This time, he had once again returned victorious, and the Eight Wildernesses were stable. He held authority over two realms, with strict governance over his subordinates.

Liu Shuang recalled the past, feeling threads of sweetness in her heart. Under the cloud quilt, she held Yan Chaosheng’s hand, inserting her slender fingers between his.

Not knowing where her courage came from, she suddenly rose: “Hu-husband, this time, I want to face the tribulation myself.”

She thought she was speaking loudly, but her voice came out many pitches lower, and her ears reddened. Even with the lord of two realms beneath her, his aura didn’t diminish in the slightest.

His handsome features were as beautiful as a painting. Hearing her words, ripples appeared in his eyes, though it was unclear whether they were mockery or disdain.

He said, “Can you?”

Liu Shuang’s small hands gripped his robe, her cheeks turning crimson: “You can.”

He lowered his gaze, his lips curving slightly. He simply lay still, allowing her to act, curious to see if this rabbit-hearted girl would dare.

Liu Shuang had never taken the initiative before. With almost trembling hands, she untied his robe.

Yan Chaosheng looked up at her. The young woman had just finished removing his clothes, yet was already so nervous that she was covered in a layer of fragrant sweat. Her previously pale cheeks were now flushed pink, truly beautiful. His expression remained cold, but ripples appeared in the depths of his eyes as he raised his hand to touch her cheek.

Soft and delicate, flesh of ice and bones of jade.

Impatient with waiting, he was about to turn the tables when outside the window, ghost crows cawed five times, faintly intermingled with the melodious sound of a flute. Mournful as if weeping, full of heartache.

His fingers paused, his eyes darkening as he held her hand.

The young woman tilted her head, looking at him in confusion: “Husband?”

He pushed her away, got out of bed, put on his cloak, his tone returning to cold indifference: “You sleep first. I just remembered some important matters.”

He strode toward the door.

Liu Shuang sat curled up on the couch. The Double Fish Pendant slipped out from her sleeve, still bearing its cracks, causing her pupils to tremble.

“Husband!”

She hadn’t realized that this cry had almost been shouted at the top of her voice.

Yan Chaosheng halted his steps, turning to look at her, his emotions unreadable: “Speak.”

“I’m afraid.”

“The Four Rhinoceros Demon Generals will guard My Lady.”

At that moment, Liu Shuang had many words on the tip of her tongue, but they finally became a single admonition: “The night wind is cold. Husband, please wear more.”

Through the shadow in front of the window, she watched as the long wind swept through his sleeves. Walking through the winding corridor, he seemed to have once again become the resolute and fierce Demon Lord.

Liu Shuang picked up the Double Fish Pendant from the couch. The cracks on it had, unknowingly, deepened.

After Yan Chaosheng left, Liu Shuang slept restlessly, having a dream in the latter half of the night.

She dreamed of some events from when she had just taken human form, during the summer in the mortal realm.

Just as foxes are naturally cunning, the celestial grass clan was naturally homebody. They often didn’t like to move, especially before taking human form. Thus, every ten years at Azure Lake, when thunder and malevolent fire arrived with a crash, except for aquatic plants, few could escape.

Laziness was embedded in their bones; they knew the danger yet repeatedly failed to change.

Though they were homebodies, they were perhaps the purest and kindest race in the world. Because everyone was naturally raised by the earth, living in the most beautiful and peaceful immortal land adjacent to the mortal realm, they were born knowing how to care for each other.

When Liu Shuang took human form, the lotus flower sister made clothes for her from lotus leaves, the branch’s crabapple transformed into a bracelet clasped around her slender wrist, the pink butterfly flower asked the wind grandmother to bring half an elegant blue flower ornament to adorn her forehead, and the old tree grandfather shielded her from the sun, even telling her how to avoid the malevolent fire when it came.

She bathed in moonlight and morning dew, drinking from mountain streams, clear springs.

Everyone cared for her, congratulating her on achieving an immortal body. The old tree grandfather asked her: “What do you want to do now? Where will you go?”

She thought for a moment: “I’ll go find that immortal lord who was injured and fell into our Azure Lake. I accidentally consumed his blood and couldn’t help absorbing his spiritual energy. I didn’t mean to. I’ll find him and return it to him.”

“Oh my, he’s not an immortal lord, but a ghost cultivator. Didn’t the little celestial grass see the black sacrificial fire mark on his forehead?”

She asked curiously: “What is a ghost cultivator?”

The tree grandfather used his drooping paper strips to pat her head: “They’re a group of bad and fierce people who can crush you with just a flick of their finger. Don’t go looking for him. When you’ve cultivated well, go to the Immortal Realm. I’ve heard the Immortal Realm is even more beautiful than our Azure Lake, most suitable for immortals to live in.”

“What about the Ghost Realm? Is the Ghost Realm beautiful?”

“The sky is like bloody ink, bone-chillingly cold, with pervasive ghost energy, without a trace of immortal spiritual power. A small immortal with low cultivation who goes there, even if not eaten by them, cannot survive in such a place.”

Ants were busily moving things at her feet. She built a bridge for them over a puddle and couldn’t help sighing: “Then he must be very pitiful.”

Living in the unattractive Ghost Realm, without four seasons or immortal spiritual power, where his people were fierce and not at all friendly. If she could grow up successfully, she would bring him out, return his spiritual energy to him, let him live in Azure Lake, and then start her cultivation over from the beginning.

By the time she grew more aware, having cultivated from a girl into a delicate young woman, she realized how laughable her earlier thoughts had been. The lord of two realms was not pitiful at all, nor did he need the sympathy of a small celestial grass.

And she had become the most foolish immortal in her grandfather’s eyes, actually accompanying Yan Chaosheng in the Ghost Territory, where cultivation was impossible, for nearly a hundred years. If not for his profound cultivation protecting her, she would have perished long ago, both in body and soul.

The dream was peaceful and beautiful, but upon waking, she felt an ache in her heart.

She rubbed her chest, feeling a sense of desolation. She realized she hadn’t dreamed of Azure Lake for a very long time. Storytellers in the mortal realm said that people reminisce about beautiful pasts when they’re not doing well in the present.

But she had been doing very well. The Demon Lord had only her as his lady; no ghost or demon dared harm her, and she had Chang Huan to care for her.

What had gone wrong? She, who had always felt happy, was beginning to feel sad.

Liu Shuang remembered the questions she couldn’t ask last night.

She took a deep breath. No, she must find out. She and Yan Chaosheng were to spend a lifetime together; how could there be knots and misunderstandings between them?

She had been thinking wrongly before. Why should she be afraid? Her husband loved her so much; he would certainly not fail her. Today, she would seek clarity.