Shao You helped Liu Shuang up. “Are you alright?”

Liu Shuang shook her head. “What happened to him?”

Shao You glanced at her, feeling somewhat amused inside. Not wishing to meddle in others’ affairs, he simply said, “I don’t know.” He had already known that the Young Lord of the Chi Shui Clan had a volatile temper and wasn’t one with deep schemes. Now seeing her so oblivious to matters of the heart, no longer arrogant, and looking confused after being thrown down, he found her somewhat innocently adorable.

Liu Shuang patted her skirt and said, “Never mind him. Let’s focus on our task. By the way, this is the Ghost Realm. I told you earlier that we could find the remnant soul of your mother, and I wasn’t lying. I happened to learn by chance that her remnant soul is in the Ghost King’s Tomb.”

Shao You acknowledged with a sound, studying her appearance. Seeing that she didn’t appear to be lying, the smile in his eyes disappeared, his thoughts unreadable. Being considerate by nature, he didn’t ask Liu Shuang how she had obtained this information.

Everyone has their secrets. Even if she were deceiving him today, as long as there was even a thread of hope to find his mother’s soul, he knew he would still come.

He needed to ask her, ask why she had abandoned him and his father, leaving without a word.

Since he had gained the ability, he had searched for her throughout the Eight Wildernesses, even when scolded by his father, who forbade him from looking for her, calling her a traitor to the clan, a scandal. Still, he never gave up.

Shao You didn’t believe that his mother, who was gentle and powerful in his memories, would betray his father and the clan.

Liu Shuang understood that his mother was his weak point, so she didn’t say much, instead surveying their surroundings.

A tall, pitch-black monument stood towering before them.

Liu Shuang read the characters on it in a low voice: “City of Unforgetting.”

These words, along with the oppressive, gloomy sky of the Ghost Realm, suddenly stirred memories from Liu Shuang’s previous life.

She remembered living in the Ghost Realm for many years, but only traveling between the Ghost Realm’s palace and Mount Qingcang, never having visited the City of Unforgetting.

Yan Chaosheng had never forbidden her from coming; he knew that with her timidity, she wouldn’t dare venture here.

Once, Liu Shuang learned from Master Su Lun that becoming a Ghost King required paying a price—after death, one couldn’t enter reincarnation. After the soul dissipated, it would return to the City of Unforgetting, eternally suppressing the Ghost Realm.

After hearing this, Liu Shuang thought Yan Chaosheng’s final fate would be the same—having this life but no next life, forever guarding a city in loneliness, transforming into ghost energy to become the spiritual vein of the Ghost Realm.

She had cried until her eyes were red, saying that if her husband’s soul dissipated, she would follow him, not letting him be lonely for eternity.

At that time, Yan Chaosheng had been peeling longan fruits beside her, watching her imagine sorrowful scenarios with interest. Hearing her words, his movements paused momentarily. He stuffed a longan into her mouth and said, “Shut up. Why are you crying? I have a demon body, not a true ghost soul. Of course, I will have reincarnation. I don’t need you to accompany me in death.”

These memories flashed through Liu Shuang’s mind. The feelings from those years were no longer clear to her. Without a heart, even her fear had vanished completely. She could no longer feel how much she had once feared the Ghost Realm.

Looking again at Yan Chaosheng, he had already passed through the stone monument of the City of Unforgetting and gone inside.

Beside the monument grew large patches of withered trees with silver flowers—brown trees with brilliantly silver blossoms, extremely beautiful.

Liu Shuang realized something and quickly warned Shao You: “Be careful, don’t touch these trees.”

As Shao You walked under the trees, those beautiful silver flowers revealed icy teeth. With a wave of his hand, immortal energy swept through, and the silver flowers closed their sharp fangs.

Liu Shuang sighed in relief and said seriously, “They eat souls.”

Shao You had already read about these in ancient texts, but not being arrogant, he still thanked her kindly: “Thank you for the reminder, Immortal Liu of Chi Shui.”

The withered trees in the Ghost Realm weren’t withered; they were ghost energy that had grown into tree-like forms. If one approached them, they would transform into swamp-like shapes to engulf people and suck out their souls. The silver flowers were their feeding apparatus for consuming souls.

The Ghost Realm was perpetually barren and terrifying, without any beautiful things. Perhaps the most beautiful flowers growing in the Ghost Realm were these vast expanses of silver flowers, yet even they, apart from their beautiful appearance, made one’s teeth cold with dread.

Liu Shuang really couldn’t understand how she had lived in such a place for nearly a hundred years in her previous life.

The outside world was so beautiful; how foolish she had been before.

Seeing that Yan Chaosheng had disappeared, Liu Shuang secretly rejoiced. If Yan Chaosheng encountered some trouble in the Ghost Realm, she wouldn’t have to rack her brains to eliminate this future menace to Kung Sang.

Passing through the stone monument, they were suddenly confronted with souls floating everywhere.

The pure white immortal energy surrounding Liu Shuang and Shao You instantly became coveted treasures. Some bold small ghosts swooped down, trying to bite Liu Shuang.

Shao You’s eyes turned cold. With a turn of his hand, a white immortal sword appeared in his palm, humming softly. When the small ghost crashed into the immortal sword, it screamed and dissipated.

He noticed Liu Shuang looking at him. With white gauze covering her face, her eyes reflected the ghosts flailing about in the Ghost Realm. She remained motionless, seemingly frightened by the approaching ghosts.

Shao You remembered that this “former fiancée” was a useless little treat, and he sighed softly in his heart.

Regardless of how this little immortal of the Chi Shui Clan had learned about his search for a soul, or whether she harbored ill intentions, she was only three hundred years old—merely a fraction of his age.

This marriage—he couldn’t blame her for fearing and rejecting it, for acting as she did. Even Shao You himself had felt quite helpless when he learned about the alliance with Kung Sang, requiring him to marry such a young little immortal.

Previously, when Liu Shuang had come to humiliate him, he had indeed become angry.

She was quite capable; for Shao You, the matter of spiritual union had been optional. With his modest and calm temperament, she had somehow managed to anger him considerably. Anyone would struggle to maintain a good temper when despised, forced to break off an engagement, and told they would be cuckolded every day in the future.

Therefore, when she came to visit again, although Shao You had no desire for revenge, he didn’t want to deal with her, leaving her cold in Kun Lun.

But now, seeing her standing behind him seemingly aggrieved, barely taller than his shoulders, having taken the appearance-changing pearl to transform herself into this state, Shao You’s heart softened.

Enough, what was wrong with him? He wasn’t one to hold grudges, so why bother with a little girl? Even if she had some evil intentions, she couldn’t harm him in any way.

“Don’t be afraid. Stay behind me.”

He had expected Liu Shuang to be afraid to come closer, but unexpectedly, she made a divine gesture, and a crimson pearl umbrella materialized, spinning down from above. Standing on tiptoe, she raised the umbrella, covering him completely, and said earnestly, “I’m not afraid. I brought you here, so I’ll protect you well, Lord Ji Mo.”

He was startled, then smiled and said, “Mm.”

It was funny how she spoke with such conviction—truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers.

Shao You moved his finger slightly, secretly enhancing Liu Shuang’s crimson pearl umbrella with immortal power. As golden light enveloped them, they didn’t need to deliberately fend off small ghosts; all evil spirits retreated.

Liu Shuang walked toward the city, finding it quite strange. Hmm, when had the crimson pearl umbrella in her hand become so powerful?

She looked suspiciously at Shao You. The immortal lord carried his sword on his back, his expression serene, as if this place wasn’t the Ghost Realm but his Kun Lun.

Yan Chaosheng had walked for a long time, expecting Liu Shuang to catch up.

Unexpectedly, after a while, there was still no one behind him. He began to hesitate—could it be that he had walked too fast and she couldn’t keep up?

He slowed his pace, but after a long while, there was still no one behind him.

Ahead, his demon eyes sensed danger, involuntarily turning silver. Yan Chaosheng narrowed his eyes. The seemingly empty valley before him, in his view, transformed into a pitch-black purgatory.

Within it, countless ghosts wailed, souls sought vengeance, and the path ahead became a series of stages where countless scenes of love, hatred, and parting played out.

Some people held their children, crying heartbreakingly; some lay on beds, dying of illness; there were even women suffering the pain of childbirth or the bitterness of being abandoned by their husbands…

With all these images suddenly flooding his vision, Yan Chaosheng’s silver pupils contracted, and he frowned.

He definitely couldn’t go forward.

These demon eyes had been different from other demons’ since childhood. It was because of this pair of silver eyes that he had repeatedly avoided danger and grown up safely.

What he could see, Liu Shuang and Ji Mo Shao You might not be able to see.

Yan Chaosheng walked back with a cold face. He thought to himself that he was going back to warn her, not because he feared something might happen to her, but because if she died, whomx would he demand his lost six hundred years of cultivation from?

Unexpectedly, he suddenly saw this scene:

Under the blood-red sky of the Ghost Realm, the young woman stood on tiptoe, holding an umbrella for the immortal lord.

Yan Chaosheng clenched his fist and laughed coldly. He shouldn’t be surprised; if she could raise the crimson pearl umbrella to protect herself in front of Bi Xun, naturally she could do all this for Ji Mo Shao You.

Especially now that she needed Ji Mo Shao You’s help.

Yan Chaosheng felt a sense of disgust, not knowing whether it was directed at Liu Shuang or at his former self.

Yan Chaosheng thought he shouldn’t have grabbed her at the last moment, accompanying her to this ghostly place. He should have let her and Ji Mo Shao You fend for themselves here; he needed to find a way back.

They came to search for a soul, but what did he come for?

Ignoring the faint irritation in his heart, he turned and left. His anger toward her even made him not want to warn them against going forward.

On his way back to find her, he had already understood—ahead lay the legendary Valley of Eight Sufferings.

Peaceful like the mortal world, yet one must experience eight sufferings, lose a layer of skin, lose all cultivation, and perhaps still not escape.

No one had expected that the Valley of Eight Sufferings, which only existed in ancient legends, would be in the City of Unforgetting in the Ghost Realm. No wonder that despite being the soul’s destination for generations of Ghost Kings and the lifeblood of the Ghost Realm, no one guarded this place. It was a lure, swallowing people as nourishment beneath its facade of peace.

Yan Chaosheng coldly turned and walked several dozen steps, his fist clenched, then turned back and strode toward Liu Shuang.

Perhaps because of his cold face and very unpleasant expression, she looked at him in surprise: “Why are you still here?”

Yan Chaosheng almost laughed from anger.

Yes, he also wanted to know why he was still in this ghostly place, not having left once and for all!

“Do you have to go to the Ghost King’s Tomb? Even though the Valley of Eight Sufferings lies ahead.”

Liu Shuang looked at Shao You. After a moment of silence, Shao You said, “Yes.”

Shao You said, “Immortal Liu of Chi Shui, you have already done me a great favor by sharing this information. Since the path ahead is dangerous, you should return to Kun Lun first; you need not continue with me.”

Yan Chaosheng sneered inwardly and impatiently said to Liu Shuang, “Young Lord, if you trust me, leave with me now. If you trust that he can protect you, then continue forward with him.”

“Of course I’ll…”

Yan Chaosheng stared at her, not even knowing himself what answer he was hoping she would give at that moment.

Liu Shuang finished her sentence matter-of-factly: “…go with Shao You.”

“Fine, very well.” Yan Chaosheng curved his lips in a smile. On the surface, he smiled brightly as if unconcerned, but inside, he felt a surge of anger rising. He shouldn’t have come back to ask this question and face humiliation.

She didn’t care much about him at all; now it seemed she only cared about her appearance and Ji Mo Shao You.

Yan Chaosheng said coldly, “Best wishes to you both.” With that, he turned and left.

The three went their separate ways. Yan Chaosheng walked back to the River of Netherworld Fire. He looked back at the monument of the City of Unforgetting, where large patches of silver flowers bloomed.

They were extremely beautiful, and also destined to be the burial ground for those two.

His body felt empty inside—the six hundred years of cultivation he had lost. The little Young Lord of Kung Sang was the biggest disaster he had ever encountered in his life. Now, forget about profit; he couldn’t even recover his principal.

Yan Chaosheng closed his eyes briefly, resisting the pain from the River of Netherworld Fire burning his feet, and walked back, gritting his teeth.

If she wanted to court death, why should he stop her?

He wasn’t a good person either; he should have just smiled and watched the show, as he had done before.

Yan Chaosheng stepped onto the path back, feeling increasingly empty. Coming while carrying her hadn’t felt too painful, but going back alone, the netherworld fire felt unbearably painful.

For some unknown reason, he recalled how, when dealing with Bi Xun that day, he had originally been watching her with amusement, thinking that most high-and-mighty immortals were selfish and cold. Yet she had taken out her cosmos bag, carefully tugging at his sleeve, looking foolish and adorable.

He had never said it, but that night in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Souls, when he gave up his soul, thinking he would become a neither-human-nor-ghost monster, he had been suppressing his fear. It was her warmth that made him grit his teeth and persevere, not falling into ghost cultivation. At dawn, when she turned pale and collapsed, falling right into his arms, it was the first time he had instinctively embraced someone.

The River of Netherworld Fire blazed fiercely beneath his feet. Yan Chaosheng pressed his lips together, never looking back again.