Youzhou
In this great victory at the border, Daliang seized control of the territory of three provinces on the northern bank in one fell swoop. With Zheng An overseeing matters, even General Qin couldn’t make a move. Reports of Duan Xu’s military achievements were being submitted one after another, and everyone speculated what distinguished honours awaited him upon his return to the capital. Originally, the generals who had been ostracizing Duan Xu began to show signs of growing closer to him.
However, Duan Xu didn’t seem to appreciate this newfound attention. He politely bowed to General Qin, claiming to have some friends from the martial world to meet, and departed on his own. He assured them they would meet again in the capital city, then vanished without a trace. This audacious behaviour surprised even Zheng, who couldn’t help but think that Duan Xu, despite his military achievements, was still a rather arrogant young man not yet twenty.
Meanwhile, Duan Xu, who had disappeared so decisively, was now sitting face to face with He Simu, King of Ghosts, in an inn in Youzhou.
He Simu was dressed in a red and white pleated robe with three layers, and her silver hairpin shaped like flying clouds swayed gently, with tassels hanging down to her shoulders. Resting her chin on one hand, she handed a sugar pill the size of a pigeon’s egg to Duan Xu and said, “Eat this.”
Duan Xu had taken off his armour and official attire, now wearing a black round-collared robe tied with a high ponytail. A black and silver patterned headband adorned his forehead, giving him the appearance of a handsome young man. No one could tell that he was the renowned General Duan Shunxi.
He glanced at the sugar pill in He Simu’s hand, then reached out to take it and popped it into his mouth.
Arching an eyebrow, He Simu asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me what this is?”
Duan Xu swallowed the unidentified object and smiled brightly. “I trust you won’t harm me.”
Pausing for a moment, he added, “Even if you wanted to, I doubt you could.”
Duan Xu clearly understood the significance of “He who knows the times is a brilliant man.”
He Simu chuckled, snapped her fingers, and pointed at his abdomen. “What you just ingested is a Ghost King Lamp wrapped in a sugary coating.”
Even though he was mentally prepared, Duan Xu’s eyes widened when he heard her answer. “Ghost King Lamp?”
“It’s the supreme spiritual treasure of the Ghost Realm, capable of enhancing magical power tenfold. It’s a symbol of the Ghost King, and now every evil spirit will be vying to tear you apart because you have it in your belly.”
He Simu smoothly explained, then pressed her index and middle fingers together and tapped his abdomen. A circle of red runes spread out from her fingers, and the Ghost King Lamp inside Duan Xu’s abdomen responded, emitting a faint glow.
Duan Xu showed a hint of pain on his face, but fortunately, the pain quickly vanished. When he looked up again, he was stunned.
The world suddenly became completely different from before. He Simu was surrounded by some white threads floating in the air, and the sunlight took on a viscous texture like honey. Behind her, many phantoms drifted back and forth, resembling dried branches and white bones.
“These threads…”
“It’s the wind.”
“These figures…”
“They’re wandering souls.”
He Simu smiled faintly, spreading her arms. The red sleeves of her garment lifted strands of white threads: “Duan little fox, welcome to the realm of evil spirits.”
After being infused with the Ghost King Lamp, the powerful ghostly aura covered Duan Xu’s human aura, making him look like a genuine evil spirit, able to see the realm of ghosts. He Simu even left a spell in the Ghost King Lamp, connecting Duan Xu, the Broken Illusion Sword, and the Ghost King Lamp, so that the spiritual power of the Broken Illusion Sword could activate the Ghost King Lamp, which could then be used by Duan Xu.
Duan Xu said, “So, you’ve lost your powers and become like an ordinary person, and you’re letting me pretend to be an evil spirit to protect you?”
“More or less,” He Simu handed him a pearl.
Duan Xu smiled faintly, placing his hand on the pearl. “Shunxi will certainly not disappoint you.”
This time, He Simu wanted to exchange senses.
When a red dot appeared on He Simu’s brow, she opened her eyes and looked at Duan Xu.
Duan Xu blinked at her, and she suddenly approached him as she did when she first gained the sense of touch. She sniffed around his neck, the silver tassels swaying in her hair brushed against his cheek. She asked, “What is this… smell?”
Duan Xu understood and replied, ” Agarwood, ambergris, spikenard, mint leaves, orris, frankincense. My younger sister enjoys blending fragrances, and my daily clothes are often infused with fragrances by her.”
“Agarwood, ambergris, spikenard, mint leaves, orris, frankincense,” He Simu repeated softly. She almost greedily took a deep breath near Duan Xu’s neck and murmured, “It smells so good.”
Duan Xu slightly dodged, prompting He Simu to look up at him with a playful smile. “I suddenly remembered something.”
He met her gaze as she slowly uttered, her lips parting, “You’re ticklish, aren’t you?”
This statement made Duan Xu feel as if he were facing a greater calamity than hearing about an enemy ambush. He Simu reached out to touch his neck, but Duan Xu swiftly sidestepped, using the table as support, and ended up standing against the wall in a swift movement. He chuckled, “That was ages ago, Your Highness, the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts. Surely you wouldn’t…”
Rubbing her ear, He Simu raised her hand. “Come here. Either let me tickle you now, or wait until I regain my powers and torment you for three days and nights.”
“…”
The Ghost King was truly one to hold grudges.
Duan Xu hesitated for a moment before sighing and walking over to sit in front of He Simu, extending his arms. “Your Highness, have mercy.”
He Simu didn’t respond but simply breathed into her palm before starting to tickle him mercilessly at all the ticklish spots around his waist and neck. At first, Duan Xu tried to suppress his laughter, but as He Simu’s actions became more and more outrageous, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He laughed uncontrollably, lifting his arms to dodge while remaining in his seat, causing the chair to creak. The rich and refreshing scent of Agarwood filled the air.
“Hahaha… I’m sorry… I won’t do it again… Your Highness… Simu! Spare me… Hahaha!”
He Simu paid him no mind, fully intent on getting her revenge. However, as she occasionally lifted her head, she saw Duan Xu’s smiling face. His eyes were curved, tears almost brimming, and the stubborn, even slightly crazed youth appeared carefree and joyful at that moment.
It was as if he were a young man who had been well-protected all his life, growing up without experiencing the harsh realities of the world.
He Simu paused in her tickling.
When did she become so childish, bothering with such trivial matters with a teenager who wasn’t even twenty yet? This kind of thing was not worth the trouble.
Just like when she was in her twenties.
He Simu’s gaze flickered and landed elsewhere as she slowly lowered her hand.
But Duan Xu grabbed her wrist.
He Simu looked up at him, finding the youth’s gaze piercing. He smiled and said, “Don’t make that expression, I won’t dodge anymore, so you can have your fun, alright?”
Arching her eyebrow, He Simu withdrew her hand. “Expression? What expression?”
Duan Xu shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said earnestly, “An unhappy expression.”
He Simu silently observed the young man shrouded in ghostly aura. After a moment, she smiled noncommittally and sighed, “Forget it, I’ll let you off the hook, little fox.”
Whether he said these words intentionally or unintentionally, he always managed to make her spare him.
The next day, in the city of Fujian, Youzhou.
Youzhou, nestled among mountains and rivers, was a strategically vital location and a bustling hub of transportation with a dense and prosperous population. In the streets of Fujian City, amidst the bustling crowds, a ghost in colourful clothes resembling a six-year-old child was frantically fleeing through the throngs toward the city outskirts.
Another ghost, looking slightly older, was chasing after the one in colourful clothes, shouting, “You little rascal, don’t run!”
The chase between these two ghosts in the busy market went unnoticed by ordinary people, who were preoccupied with their own activities and transactions.
Finally, the pursuer caught up with the one in colourful clothes, tripped them, and pinned them down. “You little brat, you’ve been hiding for so long. Finally, I caught you! Committing a capital crime and still trying to escape!”
Seeing the captured fugitive, who appeared to be about six years old, being scolded by another ghost who looked about ten, was an indescribably strange scene. The triumphant captor’s satisfaction was short-lived, however, as he looked up and noticed another ghost standing not far away, observing them.
The observing ghost appeared to be a tall and slender man, wearing a veil and a cap embroidered with two silver cypress trees. He tied his hair back into a simple high ponytail and held a sword with a silver-inlaid ebony hilt. When the wind blew, his veil lifted slightly, revealing his bright, smiling eyes.
Judging by the aura emanating from this ghost, he seemed quite formidable.
The ghost child, who looked about ten years old and was nicknamed Maizi, narrowed his eyes and said, “We’re on official duty, what are you looking at?”
The man with the veil slightly tilted his head and replied, “Official duty?”
Before Maizi could reply, the ghost in colourful clothes, who was under his foot, suddenly struggled and broke free from Maizi’s grasp. Maizi saw that the ghost was about to possess the body of a child on the road. Maizi knew what he intended and shouted, “Hey, you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the man in black with the sword suddenly appear in front of the ghost in colourful clothes. Two bright silver lights intersected and pressed against the ghost’s neck, in a blur of movement.
“Don’t move,” the man calmly threatened.
Maizi took a deep breath. The man was wielding two swords, and they were extremely powerful spiritual weapons!
A ghost wielding spiritual weapons was as incongruous as a tiger making Wu Song its henchman1, or a chicken wielding a ladle beside a stove to cook mushrooms.
The ghost in colourful clothes, thwarted in his attempt to possess someone, glared angrily at the man. Maizi approached, clapping his hands with a mix of fear and excitement, and looked at the man’s dual swords. “Impressive… how did you, manage to control spiritual swords with a ghost body?”
The man smiled and changed the subject. “Young brother, you should hurry and secure your prisoner.”
Maizi sensed a hint of teasing in the man’s words, snorted, and brought out handcuffs to restrain the ghost in colourful clothes, saying, “Have you only recently become a ghost? Let me tell you, in the realm of ghosts, it’s not about appearance but experience. I’ve been dead for over six hundred years. It’s not inappropriate for you to call me ‘elder brother.’”
The man sheathed his swords and complied, “I see. Thanks for the advice, elder brother. So, why did you arrest this child? What crime did he commit?”
“He violated the Law of the Thirty-Two Golden Walls, the crime of wanton slaughter.”
“The Law of the Thirty-Two Golden Walls?”
Maizi stared, thinking how new this ghost must be to not even know what the law was. Wouldn’t one of the first priorities after becoming a ghost be to study the laws? This guy must be under some unlucky ghost’s command.
Pointing at the struggling ghost in colourful clothes on the ground, Maizi explained, “This guy has only recently become a ghost. A few days ago, he killed a family of sixteen in Youzhou City, but not for soul consumption.”
“Why not?”
“For fun, because he’s young and ignorant,” the man replied.
Maizi stepped on the ghost in colourful clothes and sighed, “Wanton slaughter of the living is a serious crime. I’ve been chasing him for several days on orders, and finally caught him. Oh… by the way, you seem familiar.”
“I’ve just arrived from the south,” the man smiled.
—–
1Nomad: The phrase “was as incongruous as a tiger making Wu Song its henchman” refers to a situation that is highly unusual or unexpected. It’s a metaphorical expression based on a story from Chinese literature, particularly from the classic novel “Water Margin” (also known as “Outlaws of the Marsh” or “The Water Margin”).
In “Water Margin,” Wu Song is one of the main characters known for his strength and bravery. He famously killed a man-eating tiger with his bare hands. The metaphor suggests a scenario where something unexpected happens, like a tiger needing help from Wu Song, who is typically known for confronting and defeating tigers.
In broader usage, it implies a reversal of roles or an unlikely partnership, where the typically powerful or dominant figure seeks assistance or forms an alliance with someone who is usually seen as lesser or subordinate. It conveys a sense of irony or absurdity in the situation.
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