As the inky cloak of night deepened, the heavens unleashed a torrential downpour. Rain lashed down upon the seemingly endless expanse of the bamboo forest, a colossal emerald tapestry rippling under the onslaught. Each colossal stalk swayed and creaked, the sound a solemn symphony accompanying the relentless drumming of the deluge upon their broad leaves.
High atop Zhai Xing Lou, the bronze bells chimed a mournful knell, their mournful song carried on the wind across the storm-wracked landscape.
Xia Qing soon found himself the only one left in the palace.
Exhaustion had wrung Xia Qing dry. The agony subsided, leaving behind a hollow ache that mirrored the searing inferno that once burned through his meridians. His face was as pale as paper as he knelt in the center of the hall, his snow-white robes now a macabre tapestry stained crimson with the residue of his ordeal, his black hair disheveled on his face, looking extremely disheveled..
Lou Guan Xue sat quietly by the side, watching with an inexplicable smile, “I’ve never seen myself in such a sorry state before.”
Xia Qing just wanted to kill him, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he gritted his teeth, “Lou Guan Xue, are you sick? Why are you forcing me onto your body?”
Lou Guan Xue lowered his gaze, “Wasn’t it voluntary on your part?”
Xia Qing stared at him fiercely.
Lou Guan Xue also looked at him, his gaze piercing through the false facade, directly into his soul. The dark eyes couldn’t conceal their sharpness and coldness, like blades, capable of leaving scars on the spirit.
Lou Guan Xue casually remarked, “I didn’t blame you for seizing my body forcibly, so why are you turning the tables on me?”
He bent down, lowered his voice, and chuckled softly, saying, “Xia Qing, you used me to fulfill your own kindness and justice, how dare you blame me.”
Xia Qing turned away, no longer wanting to deal with this lunatic: “Get lost!”
He grunted, clutching his chest, staggering to his feet, shaking with anger: “Fine, I see it now, your existence is a disaster. You want to invite evil spirits, huh? Fine, I’ll show you what happens when you’re possessed by a ghost.”
Damn it!
He’s going to jump off the building!
He’s going to make this freak die!
Xia Qing swallowed the sweet and bloody taste in his throat, walking barefoot outside. On the terrace of the Zhai Xing Lou, the bleak wind and rain blew his black hair wildly, and his large white sleeves fluttered like flowing snow.
Lou Guan Xue laughed behind him for a long time.
Xia Qing was so angry that he had climbed onto the railing, wanting to fall harder.
“I didn’t intend to kill that mermaid.” After enough laughter, Lou Guan Xue spoke behind him, “We can talk.”
Xia Qing countered him with his previous words, sneering, “I don’t want to talk to you.”
Lou Guan Xue replied, “But I want to talk to you.”
Xia Qing gritted his teeth.
He really intended to jump, but when he climbed onto the railing and looked down at the hundred-foot high tower, he couldn’t help feeling a bit scared.
The pagoda was glowing red, and looking down, there was a strange bamboo forest.
Lou Guan Xue was already by his side, his ghostly state making his pale and frail appearance even more vivid. He said calmly, “If you jump, I won’t die. On the contrary, if something happens to me, many people will suffer.”
Xia Qing gave him a glare, but deep down he understood that perhaps what he said about “not dying” was true. Just the setting of this pagoda was already eerie, not to mention the torment this body was enduring like broken bones.
Xia Qing felt utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically. He had nothing to say to Lou Guan Xue, whose opposing views made any meaningful conversation impossible. All he could do was vent his frustration on the system.
Lou Guan Xue smiled faintly, his voice very gentle as he stated, “By my side, few can be carefree spectators without any worries.”
Xia Qing held his breath, giving him a cold look.
Lou Guan Xue no longer provoked him, softly saying, “Actually, we can peacefully coexist.”
Xia Qing couldn’t bear it anymore: “Don’t tell me, everything you did tonight was just for fun.”
A pure smile appeared on the corner of Lou Guan Xue’s lips again, innocent and naive, “Fun, it was indeed fun.”
Damn it…
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
As Xia Qing pulled his body halfway out.
Obe Xejc Wef mtemxifv jcv jvvfv, “Dea cba fcalgfis.”
Wlj Hlcu uglqqfv atf gjlilcu, aegclcu yjmx klat j mbiv abcf, “Qts?”
Obe Xejc Wef atbeuta obg j wbwfca jcv rjlv, “P’w jogjlv bo qjlc.”
Damn it.
Wlj Hlcu kjr rb jcugs atja tlr affat kfgf agfwyilcu, “Tbe lcnlaf qbrrfrrlbc ys j utbra yfmjerf sbe’gf jogjlv bo qjlc?”
“Mm.” Lou Guan Xue didn’t deny it, his chin slightly raised as he looked at the immensely eerie Nine-Level pagoda opposite, his tone casual.
“Every year, at the beginning of March when the spring thunder starts, the great demon inside the pagoda becomes restless. It requires the royal family of the Chu Kingdom to endure the riotous demon energy within the Zhai Xing Lou to pacify it. The demon energy gets heavier every year. Last year, I suffered terribly, and I don’t want to try it again this year.”
Xia Qing: “…”
He turned his head incredulously and asked, “So you used me as a scapegoat?”
Lou Guan Xue thought for a moment, then said seriously, “I thought ghosts wouldn’t feel that kind of pain, but I didn’t expect… I’m sorry.”
Xia Qing was completely baffled.
Lou Guan Xue laughed again, “Aren’t you cold? Come inside and talk. Since they have my orders, they will revive that young mermaid, so don’t worry.”
Xia Qing now looked at Lou Guan Xue as if he had multiple personalities.
But indeed, he couldn’t bring himself to jump off the building. After a moment of silence, he climbed down from the railing and awkwardly asked Lou Guan Xue, who was looking at him, “Isn’t it strange for you to see me using your body?”
Lou Guan Xue smiled and said, “Of course, I’m not looking at myself.”
Xia Qing: “What?”
Lou Guan Xue said, “I’m looking at you.”
Xia Qing was stunned for a moment, “You can directly see my soul?”
Lou Guan Xue: “Mm.”
Xia Qing: Incredible.
Xia Qing’s mood was extremely bad now, blowing in the wind and getting soaked in the rain on the terrace. His already frail and exhausted body felt even more uncomfortable. He sneezed, his eyes slightly red, holding back dirty words in his heart, feeling like a good person forced into a corner.
He became a human, restless all over, while Lou Guan Xue became a ghost, remaining calm and composed.
…
Inside the palace, the candles were bright, warm, and cozy.
Xia Qing tied up his hair. Lou Guan Xue’s hair was of very good quality, feeling cold to the touch like black water.
His body was too cold. He didn’t know how Lou Guan Xue endured this pain and coldness on a daily basis. Anyway, every second Xia Qing spent in this body felt like torture.
Wrapped in a blanket, like a Zongzi. Xia Qing muffled his voice and said, “I don’t want to peacefully coexist with you. Let me out.”
Lou Guan Xue replied, “Aren’t you trying to accumulate merit?”
Xia Qing paused, stiffly lifting his head.
Lou Guan Xue continued, “How about mutual assistance? Anyway, since I’ve brought you down from the mortal world, you can’t remain an outsider anymore.”
Xia Qing stared at him, his pupils shrinking, his voice hoarse, “How much of my conversation with the system have you heard?”
Lou Guan Xue tilted his head, smiling, “Probably all of it.”
Xia Qing: “…”
Damn it, he is really having his perceptions challenged by Lou Guan Xue every day!
Lou Guan Xue calmly said, “You heard that I will die in three months; you heard that you can take over my body to accumulate enough merit to be revived; you heard…” He smiled gently and purely, “You heard that I will love Wen Jiao and die for him in the end.”
Xia Qing couldn’t believe it, “Aren’t you afraid of any of this? If I told you this is a world from a book, would you believe me?”
Lou Guan Xue remembered how timid the fire had been in front of him and smirked, “As long as it’s coming from you, I believe it.”
Believe my ass!
You’re out of your mind!
Xia Qing never regarded this as a world from a book when he entered, and now, it was even less so. To him, the words of the system seemed more like prophecies.
Xia Qing didn’t want to delve into it anymore, feeling powerless, “What do you want?”
Lou Guan Xue lowered his gaze, sounding fragile and exhausted, “Year after year, I’ve been affected by demon energy. Now my soul is very weak, and I need deep sleep from time to time. But with the palace in crisis and that woman watching me, I can’t show any signs of weakness. So, I hope that when necessary, you can help me stay awake.”
Xia Qing looked at him, then after a while raised his tone, “Is that it?”
Lou Guan Xue: “Mm.”
Xia Qing was speechless. Is that all? Did it have to be done in this manner?
However, indeed, if Lou Guan Xue hadn’t opened up this topic, Xia Qing was planning to watch the show for half a year.
The system was truly a scam. Accumulating merit on a tyrant? What a load of crap. Fortunately, he didn’t agree to it.
Of course, Xia Qing was too lazy to explain these details to Lou Guan Xue. He was destined to float around him, and he wondered if he could really just stand by and watch in the same situation in the future.
Xia Qing felt like he must have been a hero in his past lives to have such a sense of justice.
His aversion to killing was like it was written into his genes, ingrained in his bones.
Lou Guan Xue said, “Have you thought it through?”
Xia Qing replied impatiently, “No.”
Lou Guan Xue asked, “Is it really painful?”
Xia Qing: “Obviously.”
Lou Guan Xue smiled, then suddenly reached out, his sleeves, as snowy as piled up snow, fell to reveal his slender, pale wrist.
He leaned closer, his fingers gently touching Xia Qing’s forehead.
Penetrating beyond the surface, reaching deep into his soul.
Xia Qing was stunned under the blanket.
The next moment, a warm stream flowed through his limbs and bones. He felt his soul becoming lighter and more transparent, the pain of blood burning and bones shattering becoming increasingly blurred. After a flash of white light, Xia Qing had already floated out from that tortured body.
He floated in the air, dazedly landing on the ground and standing across the table, staring like an outsider at the Zongzi-like Lou Guan Xue. With his black hair stuck to his face, trembling uncontrollably, grimacing in pain, with a white mark on his lips—oh, this was the look he left behind.
However, once Lou Guan Xue took over the body, the impression it conveyed to others underwent a complete transformation.
Lou Guan Xue seemed unable to feel that kind of pain, calmly unwrapping the blanket, then lowering his eyelashes and tidying up the hair messed up by Xia Qing.
Raising his sleeve slightly, his slender hand gently touched his own eyes. After feeling a bit of moisture, he paused, then couldn’t help but laugh.
Xia Qing: “…”
He really wanted to jump out of the window.
Lou Guan Xue smiled lightly, “Are you crying in pain?”
Xia Qing shamelessly retorted, “This is your body, so if anyone’s crying, it’s you!”
Lou Guan Xue nodded, “Okay, it’s me.”
Xia Qing carefully scrutinized him, hoping to see some pain, struggle, or vulnerability on his face. However, unless Lou Guan Xue deliberately pretended, these emotions were nowhere to be found.
Xia Qing asked, “Aren’t you afraid of pain?”
Lou Guan Xue glanced at him, his tone calm, “Being afraid of pain doesn’t mean I can’t endure it. I can’t let you suffer for me.”
Xia Qing dryly replied, “Oh.”
Now he’s acting like a good person?
Lou Guan Xue said, “Have you thought it through?”
This was the second time he asked this question.
Xia Qing felt a headache just hearing it. He really wanted to kneel down to this lunatic.
You truly deserve recognition for pushing a ghost to such an extent.
Xia Qing sighed deeply, feeling resigned, “You should be grateful that you’ve met a meddlesome ghost like me.”
Lou Guan Xue found his words intriguing, lowering his eyes and smiling but not responding to him.
Xia Qing sighed and floated to the opposite side of the table, saying, “You don’t have to force me like this. If you explain clearly, I’m not incapable of helping.”
Lou Guan Xue simply replied with a “Hmm.”
Xia Qing ran his hand through his hair, realizing that even if it was messy, it was still his own hair to touch.
“Well, that’s settled then. I promise you, just don’t go on a killing spree randomly. Hold out for half a year, and thank you.”
Lou Guan Xue asked, “Do you really hate killing people?”
Xia Qing absentmindedly played with his unruly hair, “I hate you killing people in front of me, but then telling me I can save them without needing to pay a heavy price.”
Lou Guan Xue: “I guess so.”
Xia Qing resignedly exhaled, “Forget it, I’m just a ghost. Saving more people to accumulate merit and hoping for a better reincarnation in the next life.”
Lou Guan Xue chuckled, “You’re really interesting.”
Xia Qing: “Oh.”
Lou Guan Xue asked, “How do you think I’m doing with my reincarnation?”
Xia Qing: “…” He already knew what he was going to say.
Lou Guan Xue casually said, “Even if it’s just a puppet, I am still the emperor of the Chu Kingdom. Power, wealth, beauty—whatever you want, you can have.”
Xia Qing wasn’t going to fall for his trick, “Then you should cherish this life. See you in hell in the next life.”
Lou Guan Xue looked at him for a moment before saying, “Many times, you don’t seem like a ghost.”
Xia Qing: “Many times, you don’t seem like a human.”
You’re more like a ghost than I am!
Lou Guan Xue tilted his head innocently, seriously puzzled, “Then what do I seem like?”
Like a rabid dog.
Of course, Xia Qing didn’t say it out loud, to avoid the fragile alliance relationship from collapsing on the spot.
The author has something to say: Afraid of hurting the wife, listening to the wife’s words—isn’t this a sweet story?
Xia Qing: Damn it… let’s talk about jumping off buildings.
Thanks for translating! <33
thank you for the translation 🤍 xia qing is so cute, i love feral dog x recluctant owner pulling the leash dynamics
Xia qing you little softie 😔 and wow our little emperor didn’t show any lick of pain while we have xia qing here looking like a mess once he possessed him 😂 this is getting interesting!
Oh, wow suicide plot twist
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙