At night, red lanterns hung throughout the garden, casting a crimson glow over the entire Mingyue Palace.
The front courtyard was set up with tables, filled with people celebrating joyfully. As for me, I just wanted to stay on the newly repaired rooftop, gazing at the vast expanse of stars.
"Ghost King, come down for dinner quickly."
I lowered my head and saw Hei Feng. He waved his hand, signaling me to come down. I waved back and replied,
"I don't feel like eating today. Please ask everyone to eat first. I want to stay here and look at this starry sky."
He didn't respond. When I looked again, he had already vanished without a trace.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew. I looked up at the sky and couldn't help but recall fragments of the past.
"Why are you here alone?"
I turned back from my thoughts to see Liu Shinian. He stood in the wind, his demeanor cool and aloof. Carrying a wine pot, he sat down beside me and offered the wine, saying,
"Would you like a drink?"
I smiled slightly, took the wine, and drank heartily.
He gazed at the starry sky, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. He asked,
"What are you thinking about?"
I handed the wine back to him, but he refused. I said,
"A girl's thoughts are nothing special."
Xue Gucheng's voice, like a refreshing autumn breeze, came from behind us.
"Why are you drinking without me?"
Liu Shinian and I both turned our heads to see Xue Gucheng, Hei Feng, Dao Lang, Yue Jiuceng, and Tian Long.
"Ghost King, want to show the new brothers how it's done?"
Hei Feng chuckled.
I beckoned Tian Long to come closer.
"Great Protector, come here."
Tian Long looked puzzled but still stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"Ghost King, you can just call me Tian Long."
"No need to be so formal, be relaxed. Here, finish this jar of wine."
I casually handed him the wine Liu Shinian had given me.
He looked confused but didn't hesitate. He took the wine and drank heartily. Liu Shinian smiled slightly and couldn't resist teasing,
"You guys don't know, this Brother Tian Long is a master at drinking. When I was on Penglai Island, we drank countless jars, and I never managed to get him drunk."
"That impressive? How about a competition with me?"
Hei Feng raised his wine and invited Tian Long.
Tian Long smiled confidently and generously.
"Since everyone is so interested in me, let's drink."
Dao Lang and Fei Xiong also found it amusing and chimed in,
"How can drinking be fun without the two of us? We're in too."
I looked up at Yue Jiuceng and asked,
"Brother Yue, do you want to drink?"
He shook his head and replied,
"No, I'll go get some more wine for them."
Xue Gucheng also said,
"I'll go with you."
The two of them went downstairs together to fetch wine. Soon after, each carrying several large pots of wine, they flew back up.
Dao Lang was the first to take a pot and said,
"Let's see who can drink the most."
"Alright."
The other three readily agreed. Yue Jiuceng and Xue Gucheng handed them the wine, and then, with a shout,
"Begin!"
They all started drinking in unison.
Meanwhile, Yue Yao, who had finished her meal, heard the commotion. She looked up and saw a group of people sitting on the rooftop. It reminded her of her Penglai Island, with the翠芽 (cuì yá) swaying in the breeze. Seeing them laughing and talking noisily, she was puzzled and asked,
"What are they doing?"
Yan Wushuang explained,
"The men here don't have many hobbies, except for drinking on rooftops."
"Oh."
After drinking for a long time, until late into the night, one by one, they surrendered. Only Tian Long appeared as if nothing had happened.
Everyone finally acknowledged Tian Long's reputation as someone who could drink endlessly. Then, they all waved their hands and went back to sleep. I also returned to my room with them.
The next morning, I felt refreshed. I, the Ghost King, who was supported by everyone, now seemed to embody their choice, shining brightly. Standing by the window, I couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, I remembered Hei Feng mentioning a small mountain hollow behind the mountain, a place of exquisite beauty. I had never had the chance to see it, but today, with nothing else to do, I could go.
I walked alone to the back mountain. I looked around and searched, finally discovering that this small mountain hollow was to the left of the bamboo forest, at the end of a small path. As I slowly walked towards it, about to enter, I suddenly saw two familiar figures: the Mermaid Princess and Liu Shinian.
"What are they doing here?"
I peeked inside, full of curiosity, but didn't immediately go in to disturb them. Instead, I quietly stayed to the side.
Liu Shinian crouched down and picked a wild flower from the ground, making a flower crown and placing it on Yue Yao's head. He praised her with a doting expression.
"Yue Yao is already like a pure lotus, beautiful and charming. With this flower, she's even more lovely."
Yue Yao's face turned red from his praise, but she couldn't hide her joy.
"Brother Liu, this flower crown is so beautiful. Thank you."
Liu Shinian gently stroked her head and smiled slightly.
"It's my pleasure. This is a small valley in Heishan, and not many people know about it. Beautiful flowers bloom here all year round. Don't you think it's beautiful?"
"It's beautiful, just as beautiful as Penglai Island."
Liu Shinian knelt on the ground again and, in the process, wove another flower crown. A gentle breeze blew, lifting a silk handkerchief from his embrace and letting it drift onto the flower petals. Yue Yao happened to glance at it and reached out to pick it up, but Liu Shinian was faster and tucked it into his embrace.
Yue Yao turned her head slightly, full of confusion. Why would a man have a silk handkerchief? She asked him,
"Brother Liu, what is this?"
Liu Shinian stood up, his gaze thoughtful as he looked up towards the small valley. Coming back to his senses, he said to Yue Yao,
"Yue Yao, wait for me here. I'll be right back."
"Brother Liu, where are you going?"
"I'm going to pick some more flowers for you from up there. I'll be back."
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Liu Shinian hurried out of the small valley and walked towards the bamboo forest. Seeing him walk away, I finally revealed myself and slowly approached Yue Yao.
Yue Yao suddenly looked up and saw a somewhat terrifying face. The person before her was dressed in half black and half red, with several black cracks around her eyes. An aura of coldness emanated from her brows. It was the Ten Thousand Ghost King, but not the one she usually saw.
She feigned calmness and bowed.
"Yue Yao pays her respects to the Ghost King."
I helped her up and reassured her,
"I just came for a walk. I have something I want to ask you, if that's alright."
She nodded.
I then asked the question that was on my mind.
"What is your relationship with Liu Shinian?"
"Brother Liu?"
She hesitated.
I comforted her,
"Don't worry. Liu Shinian is my capable subordinate. I'm just concerned about him."
Yue Yao then mustered her courage and said,
"He... he is this humble girl's husband."
My eyes widened, and my heart jolted. I pretended to be relaxed, turned my back, and asked her,
"Do you like him?"
When this question was brought up, Yue Yao had endless words to say.
"Brother Liu is considerate and gentle towards people. Anyone who meets him can't help but fall for him."
"When did you get married?"
"My father said that once Brother Liu speaks with the Ghost King, we will return."
"Is that so..."
An indescribable sadness welled up in my heart. Knowing that Liu Shinian was about to get married, I should have been happy. But even though I tried to feign happiness, the pain in my heart was difficult to overcome.
At this moment, the Ten Thousand Ghost King, hidden within me, sensed my emotional change and began to mock me in my mind.
"How pathetic. Liu Xiang, whom you liked, has schemed against you, and now Liu Shinian, whom you like, is about to marry someone else. We, who are destined for great things, have long been fated for a lonely life, unloved by anyone."
"Shut up!"
I roared.
Yue Yao was startled by my sudden roar and retreated several steps. The Ten Thousand Ghost King was still not satisfied and continued,
"Liu Xiang is your enemy, but Liu Shinian is not. If you kill this little child, no one else will be able to compete with you for Liu Shinian. I can see that Liu Shinian likes you. Kill her, and Liu Shinian will be yours. Kill her! Kill her!"
My mind spun, causing my thoughts to become chaotic. All I could hear was the terrifying voice of the Ten Thousand Ghost King constantly echoing in my ears.
"Kill her! Kill her!"
And I, as if possessed, covered my head and involuntarily began to think.
"Although Liu Shinian can be a bit frivolous, only I know that it's just a facade. The real him is meticulous in his actions, polite and proper. And he is also the last one who would unhesitatingly believe in my existence. I cannot lose him, no matter if you are a Mermaid Princess, the ruler of the Celestial Kingdom, or a mountain spirit or ghost, you are not worthy!"
Anger surged within me. I clenched my fists tightly and, with a sudden turn, was about to slap Yue Yao across the face and then strangle her. However, as I raised my hand, about to strike Yue Yao, she was so terrified that she didn't dare to breathe and tightly shut her eyes. I stopped myself in time, abruptly changing my expression to a smile and retracting my hand.
Yue Yao fearfully opened her eyes and looked at me with terror.
"Don't be afraid, it's alright. I'm leaving."
After saying this, I pretended nothing was wrong and left. Seeing me leave, Yue Yao could no longer hold back her composure. Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.
Liu Shinian had been gone to pick flowers for so long that he had gone to see Xue Ji. That flower crown was made for Xue Ji. He placed the flower crown on the tombstone and looked at it for a long, long time. Finally, he sighed and turned away reluctantly. When he returned to the small mountain valley, he saw Yue Yao lying on the ground. He rushed over and picked her up, taking her back to Mingyue Palace. He stayed by her side from day until night. She slowly woke up, opened her eyes, saw Liu Shinian, and threw herself into his arms, weeping silently.
Liu Shinian gently stroked her back and softly asked,
"Why did you collapse on the ground? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yue Yao shook her head. Liu Shinian asked again,
"Then what happened?"
Yue Yao remained silent, saying nothing. Liu Shinian became more anxious and asked again,
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Yue Yao took a shallow breath and then slowly said,
"It... it was the Ghost King."
"The Ghost King?"
"After you left, she came and chatted with me for a bit. Suddenly, she became very fierce, as if she wanted to eat me. I was terrified by her appearance."
Liu Shinian gently comforted her.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. She's not a bad person; she won't harm you."
After coaxing Yue Yao to sleep with gentle words, Liu Shinian thought about what she had said and found it very strange. The Mu Ye he knew couldn't possibly be like that. He decided he had to ask for clarification.
After I returned to my room, I recalled the events of the day, filled with anger, and questioned the air,
"What do you mean by what you did today?"
The Ten Thousand Ghost King transformed into a black mist and emerged from within me, floating in mid-air.
"I was helping you. You are a person of great ambition. You don't need to be polite to those who are unnecessary."
"Do you want the Ghost Clan to be revived or not? Do you know she is the Princess of the Mermaid Tribe? Do you want to destroy the Ghost Clan, destroy everyone?"
He drifted nonchalantly.
"I know you wouldn't kill her, but I wanted to teach her a lesson so she knows what she can and cannot touch."
"You don't need to manage my affairs."
"No, we are one. Your affairs are my affairs. Our mission is to revive the Ghost Clan. Before that, I will not allow anyone to harm you."
"You are just a wandering soul without a body. If you still want to carry out the great revival, then shut up. You don't need to manage my affairs."
"Dare you say you didn't have the intention to kill? I know exactly what you're thinking."
"Get lost!"
"Hahaha."
He laughed heartily and then vanished into nothingness. Liu Shinian arrived outside the door and unintentionally overheard this chilling conversation. He wasn't afraid but was worried. He suddenly thought: the other voice should be the Ten Thousand Ghost King. Is Mu Ye in danger? Will she be backlashed by him?