Chapter 103: Stealing Her Back (2 / 2)

She sat on the long bench to rest, glancing at her phone. Just then, the woman beside her stood up. Jiang Shiyu suddenly waved at me."Come sit, there's a spot. Don't just stand there."

For a second, I was stunned. She even called me again. Making sure I hadn't misheard, I almost sprinted over to sit next to her, tilting my head to grin at her like an idiot.

That earned me another: "Pervert."But this time, it sounded… gentler.

"I swear I really hated you at first," she said with a confused look. "But now I don't feel that way anymore. It's weird. Did we actually know each other before?"

I said we were classmates.

She immediately shook her head, "No way. I was class president. I remember everyone in the class. How could I forget someone like you?"

I took a deep breath. "I sat by the window. In front of me was Liu Ruoyi. My deskmate was Li Dazhuang—he joined the military and we lost touch after that. You and Liu Ruoyi were two of the four beauties of our class."

I continued talking about our teachers and funny stories from school. Shiyu remembered those clearly. Yet… in all those memories, I didn't exist. Like I'd been cut out.

Her eyes widened. "How do you know all that? But I really… I really don't remember you at all."

I asked her how many people were in our class. Without hesitation, she said, "Forty-two."

"Then let's count together," I suggested.

She agreed. We began listing names one by one. Half an hour later, her gaze turned hollow, a dazed confusion in her eyes.

"Why are there only forty-one… Who's the forty-second?" she murmured.

Seeing she was starting to remember, I pushed further, "Do you remember Yuanbao Mountain? And the weasel? I saved you all! Wake up, I'm Zhang Dabao!"

"Weasel… Yuanbao Mountain…" she stood slowly, her eyes distant. "Why don't I remember? Who am I? What's my name?"

She staggered forward, muttering to herself. Then suddenly, she started screaming in the middle of the underground mall.

"Who am I?! Why can't I remember?! Why?!"Tears streamed down her face.

I rushed over, grabbing her shoulders, doing everything I could to hold back my emotions."Shiyu, it's me! Dabao!"

"Zhang Dabao…?"A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes. I stared into them, praying.

Then suddenly—she changed.

Her eyes cleared, her expression softened. She threw herself into my arms and burst into sobs."I remember now! You're Dabao! You didn't die! I remember everything!"

Tears flooded my eyes. I held her tightly, afraid I might lose her again if I let go.

But just then, as the crowd around us cheered, something eerie happened.The mall lights—lights that had never gone out before—dimmed and slowly faded to black...

Instant chaos. Screams echoed."Someone touched me!""My bag's gone!"It was pandemonium—like a planned robbery.

But I felt it.A faint, sinister yin energy coursed through the air.

Underground malls were built nearly ten meters deep. No sunlight could ever reach here. Normally, the bustling crowds kept ghosts at bay. But that only worked on ghosts. It didn't work on… Yin messengers.

The moment the lights died, the qilin wind chime inside my Green Pouch jingled faintly. I opened my spiritual eye—and saw them.

In the dark corridor, eight tiny ghost children dressed in ancient opera costumes were carrying a palanquin. Each raised a sleeve in eerie rhythm. Leading them were two figures in red robes, each with a Ghost-Head Blade at the hip—Yin guards from the Underworld.

When normal people are passed through by spirits, they just shiver and think it's a breeze. But I saw these spirits walk right through the crowd, completely unhindered—until they stopped in front of us.

The two Yin guards bowed and said:"By decree of the Bodhisattva, we have come to escort the Dragon Maiden home. Please, Your Grace, enter the palanquin."

Shiyu looked at me with tear-filled eyes. The sadness, the reluctance—it tore at my heart.She wiped her tears, gave me one last hug, and said,"Dabao… the Bodhisattva is calling me back. Goodbye. I can't stay here anymore."

She turned to leave.

But how could I let her go?

I grabbed her wrist and without hesitation bit open my finger."I know this is your soul, but even if the Bodhisattva himself comes today, I won't let you go! I swear I will make sure you live—a full, joyful life!"

I traced a talisman on her with my blood:Forehead to lock the heavens, knees to lock the earth, left hand to seal the moon, right hand to seal the sun—With my innate essence, I cast a Soul-Sealing Sigil.

Let's see who dares take her now!

The two Yin guards roared, "You seek death!"They lunged at me, drawing their ghost-blades and slashing down.

I didn't dodge.As I placed the final stroke of the seal on her chest—The blade struck my shoulder.

The pain was real. No blood, but it felt like my shoulder had been cleaved open.I turned—Shiyu was no longer standing.She'd slumped unconscious onto the bench.

I realized then—when her memories returned, her soul had left her body. That warmth I'd felt before was just my senses being dulled by ghostly energy.

The Soul-Sealing Sigil hit her soul dead on. I'd taken her back—right from under the Underworld's nose.

I staggered backward from the blow, clutching my shoulder, nearly blacking out.

The two Yin guards circled me like wolves, ghost qi thick in the air.

"Daring to snatch someone from the Underworld…""You must have a death wish!"