Chapter 89: Resentful Female Ghost, Flames of Jealousy Burn the Affection

Hua Cheng raised his hand slightly and brought the silver butterfly perched there close to Xie Lian's ear. Along with the sound of the silver butterfly's fluttering wings, he heard Pei Ming's voice floating over.

"Silly thing, did you hear that strange noise?"

Even though Xie Lian knew that Pei Ming felt nothing for Banyue, the way he spoke would make anyone wonder. It was probably because Pei Ming had been chasing skirts for such a long time.

"I'm not silly…" Banyue muttered grimly. "And I heard. That noise was really weird. I don't think it's General Hua coming back."

Of course it wasn't—that was the thumping sound Xuan Ji made while hopping along on her broken legs!

The thumping didn't last long before the two on the other end fell silent. The next thing they heard was a woman's crazed laughter.

"Hee hee, heh heh, ha ha ha ha…" That laughter echoed and resounded in the empty underground city, then carried over via the silver butterfly. Some white noise crackled over the transmission, and the result was even scarier than hearing it in person.

Naturally, this was the laugh of the overjoyed and painfully hateful Xuan Ji, who had finally seen Pei Ming once more.

"Didn't the silver butterfly lead her in the opposite direction?" Xie Lian asked.

"She's smarter than expected," Hua Cheng replied.

Xuan Ji had been hot on the trail of that wraith butterfly, running with incredible speed all the way to the end of the main street in no time.

However, she found no one there. She had once been a general on the battlefield, so she quickly realized that she had been led astray. She should've returned to Qi Rong the moment she figured it out, but she was dead set on finding Pei Ming. So she just turned around and ran in the opposite direction, throwing her boss completely out of her mind.

Xie Lian found it funny for some reason—it was a complicated sentiment. He quickly gathered the escaped hostages, and their group rushed to the Wuyong holy temple at the center of the city.

Xuan Ji had waited for Pei Ming for much, much too long; from the sound of her laughter alone, it was easy to imagine how crazed and twisted her face must look. Pei Ming was probably also stunned by the sight of her, and he was in shock for a long moment before he spoke.

"You are…" Xuan Ji sneered coldly.

After a pause, however, Pei Ming unexpectedly asked, "Who are you?"

"…" Xuan Ji was so filled with hate that her voice turned sharp and trembling. "Are… Are you trying to anger me on purpose? You're actually asking who I am?!"

Xie Lian wiped away a drop of cold sweat. "No way, General Pei… Is he doing this on purpose, or does he really not recognize her?"

"Probably the latter," Hua Cheng said.

After all, if the rumors were true, Pei Ming had carried on affairs with over a thousand beauties over the course of many centuries. How could he remember each one? Especially an old one from so many hundreds of years ago. Furthermore, the Ghost Bride incident on Mount Yujun had been handed off to Pei Xiu to manage; Pei Ming didn't bother appearing in person at all, nor did he cast a single glance her way.

"Right. You're deliberately trying to anger me. I won't fall for it," Xuan Ji mumbled to herself. "Heh. You want to lie and say you don't remember me. You want to lie to me, hee hee hee." And then, she screeched again. "Who is this little whore?! Aren't your standards usually high?!

What, trying a different flavor this time?!"

"…?" Banyue was confused.

"…?!" Pei Ming was even more confused.

Both made noises of confusion, but that resentful tone seemed to jog Pei Ming's memory. He slightly knitted his brows.

"Xuan Ji? What happened to you?"

Only then did Xie Lian remember that Xuan Ji must look quite disheveled. Her eyes were the red of a malicious ghost's, and the bottom hem of her bright crimson bridal robe was disgustingly filthy. She crawled like a crocodile on the ground, sluggish but dangerous. Presented with such a sight, it would genuinely be quite difficult to link her to the noble, composed general she once was.

Pei Ming's question infuriated Xuan Ji. "What happened to me? You dare ask how I've come to look like this?! It's your fault! I did all this for you!"

Hua Cheng was listening intently, so any subtle movements would not escape his ears. "She charged at the protection circle," he informed.

"Ruoye can hold her off," Xie Lian said.

Sure enough, a shriek was heard through the silver butterfly. Xuan Ji must've been bounced back and sent flying over thirty meters, dropping into the darkness once more.

Pei Ming spoke. "His Highness has an excellent spiritual device. I'll have to make one for myself sometime."

You wouldn't say that if you knew how it was forged… Xie Lian thought.

But before he could complete his thought, Pei Ming shouted, "What are you doing?! Stop!"

"Don't think you can keep hiding in there!" Xuan Ji yelled.

Rumble, rumble!

Xie Lian was dumbfounded as he hurried along. "What's that sound?

Did something collapse? What did she do?"

"It appears she toppled the holy temple. The stone ceiling collapsed."

As it turned out, when Xuan Ji found out she couldn't enter Ruoye's protection circle, she knocked the entire building down in a fit.

"Are General Pei and the others all right? Little Pei and Banyue are both there too!" Xie Lian asked.

He was especially concerned for Pei Xiu, who was currently mortal —hopefully he didn't get crushed.

"They're fine. Pei Ming protected them," Hua Cheng said.

The moment the stone ceiling collapsed, Pei Ming became a meat shield and protected Pei Xiu and Banyue with his body. Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then it's fine. The protection circle won't break from that."

On the other end, Pei Ming was clearly furious. He smashed the stone slab on top of him with a punch and exclaimed, "Enough with the tantrum!

Even if you topple the sky, you won't be able to get in!"

Xuan Ji only cackled wickedly in response.

"General Pei, watch out!" Banyue exclaimed.

"Wha…" All their reactions happened at once. Amidst the chaos, Xie Lian heard the sound of a sharp sword piercing flesh. There was no question that Pei Ming was the one who was stabbed.

"What's happened?!" Xie Lian cried anxiously. "Who stabbed General Pei? Did the protection circle break? That's impossible… Wait, a sword?"

In that instant, he finally understood what Xuan Ji had been planning.

So that was it!

After Xuan Ji had her fill of laughing, she said coolly, "Who said I wanted to get in?"

Another voice also started laughing. "Hey, Pei Ming, look who's here! It's your old sweetheart!"

Rong Guang!

As it turned out, Xuan Ji didn't topple the holy temple in a mad fit of rage, nor was she trying to enter the protection circle. Her goal was to crush the two ghost-sealing clay pots Banyue had with her in the circle. This would release the ghosts and allow them to attack from the inside!

As soon as Rong Guang escaped the pot, he quickly turned into his sword form and stabbed Pei Ming. Pei Ming seemed to be trying to pull him out, but Rong Guang wouldn't budge and kept himself firmly buried in Pei Ming's body.

"You wish! Time to die!"

Pei Ming gritted his teeth. "State Preceptor Banyue! Is the other pot okay?!"

Xuan Ji and Rong Guang were already attacking them from both sides. If Kemo joined the mix, it'd be over for them.

"Yes! Kemo is still sealed!" Banyue confirmed.

The situation was growing dire, and Xie Lian was worried. Just as he was about to quicken his pace, Hua Cheng stopped completely.

Perplexed, Xie Lian looked back.

"San Lang?"

On the back of Hua Cheng's hand perched another wraith butterfly, which seemed to be whispering to him about a new change in the situation.

When the report was done, he looked up and smiled.

"Gege, no need to panic. Looks like it'll be fine even if we don't rush over."

Back at the temple, Mingguang had pierced Pei Ming's chest under Rong Guang's command. Xuan Ji gripped his boots before shimmying up his leg, looking like a red gecko. With the way she was dressed and that ghost fire looming over her head, she was the very picture of a crazed ghost woman.

"You—!" Pei Ming cried.

"Pei darling… Pei darling…!" Xuan Ji murmured.

She wrapped herself around Pei Ming, contorting her body and mangled legs in horrible shapes. In that position, it was difficult to tell whether she wanted to strangle him to death or embrace him tightly. At the edge of her vision, she suddenly spotted Pei Xiu, who Pei Ming was shielding. She remembered that this cold and stoic martial god had sealed her under a mountain, and she gritted her teeth.

"You little mutt!"

Just as her claws were about to swipe, a hand seized her wrist. The skin of the hand that had halted hers was just as pale as her own. When she looked up, she realized it was Banyue who had stopped her.

Her heart burned whenever she saw another woman by Pei Ming's side, and she cried, "I haven't even come for your wretched life, but here you are, giving yourself up to me!"

And then she grabbed for Banyue's head. But Banyue wasn't one of those good, obedient little brides who would stand around waiting to be scratched to death. She deftly seized Xuan Ji's other wrist.

Xuan Ji was a general in life—she knew that her strength would put most men to shame, and typical human women and female ghosts could only submit to her beatings. But she never could have imagined that this little girl—who looked so thin and weak, like a simple breeze could knock her over—possessed such terrifying power in her arms, a strength that nearly dwarfed Xuan Ji's own! Not only were both her wrists cuffed and immobile, but Xuan Ji was even more stunned when their eyes met. This little girl's gaze was full of aggression and murderous intent, like the shimmer of a blade in combat; it reminded Xuan Ji of the battlefield. Her heart lurched, and she flung away her arms to break free of the hold.

Banyue picked up Pei Xiu and, borrowing the force of Xuan Ji's throw, hopped meters away, landing lightly on her feet.

"Let go of General Pei!"

The sword buried in Pei Ming taunted him. "Pei Ming, you're lucky with women as usual. Look at this—you've got two lady ghosts fighting over you! Ha ha ha…" Xuan Ji clung to Pei Ming like a contorted scarlet python, and both her hands wrapped around his neck. "Your little lover seems to have some skill," she said coldly.

Pei Ming coughed out a mouthful of blood. "She's not my lover! I don't have one!"

"You're still trying to deny it?!" Xuan Ji cried. "If she's not your lover, why would she tell me to let you go?!"

"If my old ma was here, she'd tell you to let me go too! By your definition, would that make her my lover?" Pei Ming countered.

Only his frivolous character could be blamed at this point, since he went around calling women "silly thing" for no good reason. Xuan Ji was mad with jealousy and refused to believe a word he said.

"What? Afraid to admit it? You were so intimate when speaking to her before! Didn't you always admit it so frankly whenever you got your hands on a new flame? You'd always be honest with me, never caring for my feelings. Do you know how miserable I was? Why are you scared of admitting to anything now?! General Pei, have you started to fear death? Or do you love her so much that you can't bear to let me touch a single one of her fingers?!"

They were still a good distance from the holy temple, and Xie Lian watched this scene play out from afar. He couldn't bear to stand by anymore and looked back.

"San Lang, why don't we go rescue them?"

Hua Cheng laughed. "No need to worry, gege. Someone else will be showing up soon on our behalf. Besides, even if we headed over now, Xuan Ji wouldn't release her choke hold on Pei Ming."

That was true, and things would indeed be rather difficult with the hostages to look after. Yin Yu and the farmers were nervously spectating the action and providing commentary.

"Yeah, I can tell that lady ghost's love has warped into hatred. She's going nuts!"

"I don't think so. I'm sure she won't be able to bring herself to go through with it. Want some melon seeds?"

"Give me another handful, thanks."

"How can everyone be in the mood to snack on melon seeds?" Xie Lian asked, frowning.

"Your Highness, didn't you eat a bunch too?" the people said.

"Huh?"

Only then did Xie Lian realize that while he was focused on the show, he had unconsciously accepted a handful of melon seeds that had been passed to him and eaten them all. He slapped his forehead.

"How… How rude of me…" On the other end, Pei Ming was at the end of his rope. "Xuan Ji, do you have to be like this about everything? It's been so many years. Why can't we just bury the hatchet and walk away? Why must you be like this?"

Xuan Ji's hands squeezed his throat harder, her almond-shaped eyes bulging. "No! You messed with me first, and you want to bury the hatchet and walk away?! You wish!"

Pei Ming sighed. "You really…haven't changed at all. This is exactly why we didn't work out."

Xuan Ji thrust her face close to his. "What was that?! You think I'm the problem? What do you mean?!" she cried in rage. "Am I not beautiful enough? You told me I was gorgeous! Did I deny you Yushi's battle plans and army secrets? No, but you refused them! You said that you didn't like that I was strong-minded, so I threw away my own legs! Who could ever love you more than me?! But what about you? Over hundreds of years, you never even cast a single glance my way! When did you ever come to see me?!"

Pei Ming pushed away the face that was pressed so close to his. "I didn't visit because I knew you'd go crazy if I came to see you!" he shouted.

Xuan Ji seized the Mingguang sword in his chest and pushed it in deeper, then pulled it out. Pei Ming puked another few mouthfuls of blood.

"Say it!" Xuan Ji yelled. "Swear on your status as a heavenly official! Swear that from now on, I am the only one. Swear that you'll never look at another woman again—that your eyes will rot if you do!"

Rong Guang was clearly enjoying this. "Go on and say it, Pei Ming!

Say it and you can salvage your pathetic life!"

Pei Ming cursed. "Shut up! Goddammit. I never could've guessed… I didn't die on the battlefield, I didn't die by the world's greatest sword… Instead, I'll die by the hand of a nutty ghost woman!"

Not receiving the answer she desired, Xuan Ji was absolutely furious, and her claws shot out to grip the crown of his head. Xie Lian really couldn't wait any longer.

"San Lang, I think things are getting out of hand," he said as he put his hand on Fangxin's hilt. "Will the person you spoke of make it in time? If not, then let me go first!"

"It's fine," Hua Cheng said. "Gege, look. Here they come."

Just as the words left his lips, the insane, furious Xuan Ji froze completely.

It was like someone had cast a petrification spell on her; her body and expression went rigid. Pei Ming had already been stabbed by her multiple times, and his vomited blood covered the floor. From within the darkness, they could hear the crisp sound of ox hooves.

Click clack, click clack.

Their pace was unhurried. Soon after, a person riding a black ox appeared before them.

The rider was a woman wearing robes of lush green. Her eyes were clear, and her expression was calm and quiet. As she languidly approached, she held her chin high, like she was gazing at something far away.

Pei Ming, with blood smeared around his lips, was momentarily stunned. "…Queen Yushi?"

The woman inclined her head to look at him, her demeanor unchanged. She then gave a slight smile and bowed her head to return the greeting.

Xie Lian was shocked as well. "…Queen Yushi?"

"That's right," Hua Cheng replied. "Heaven's current Rain Master, the sixteenth princess of the Kingdom of Yushi, Yushi Huang. She was also the last ruler of the Kingdom of Yushi."