Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 44

While waiting for the “amusement” to enter, Tie Haitang sat with her legs crossed and plucked another flower of the Yellow Springs, slowly absorbing the yin energy from it as if inhaling a fragrance.

Nearby, a little girl with braided hair sat on the ground, saying in a tiny, high-pitched voice, “Sister, more news about the Sword Venerable has arrived.”

At the mention of the “Sword Venerable,” a spark of light suddenly flickered in Tie Haitang’s vacant ghost pupils. She hurriedly turned around and leaned over the armrest, looking at the little girl with wide, expectant eyes like a child. Reaching out to tug on the girl’s braids, she urged, “Quickly, tell me.”

The little girl closed her eyes and placed a finger on her brow, as if viewing something. She said clearly, “The Sword Venerable came down from the mountain of the Qu Yi Sect at noon today, and a man in black was with him.”

Upon hearing this, Tie Haitang let out a resentful click of her tongue. “A man? What kind of man? Is he up to no good with the Sword Venerable?!”

The little girl burst out laughing. “The Sword Venerable is a man, sister. No man would be up to no good with him.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Tie Haitang muttered, leaning on the armrest and pouting. She casually toyed with a tattered fortune charm hanging nearby, her mood clearly turning sour. “Didn’t someone from the Demon Clan have a marriage contract with him?”

The more she spoke, the more annoyed she felt. She gripped the armrest tightly, and with a surge of strength, she actually crushed the armrest made of bone into powder.

“Sooner or later, I’ll kill that little viper!”

The little girl giggled and continued, “They went to the small town at the foot of the mountain together. Hmm, they entered Song Youqiu’s Funerary Pavilion.”

A malicious ghost nearby had just finished emergency repairs on the armrest. Before it could even walk away, Tie Haitang crushed it again with a dark face.

The ghost: “…”

Fine. It would just crouch there and wait to fix it again, knowing it would be broken again in a moment anyway.

Tie Haitang ground her teeth silently. “And then?”

The little girl: “And then… mmm, hahaha!”

Tie Haitang: “???”

The little girl laughed so hard she nearly fell into the sea of flowers. An anxious Tie Haitang grabbed her and urged desperately, “Then what? Did that idiot Song Youqiu offend the Sword Venerable?!”

“The aura of the man beside the Sword Venerable terrified the ghosts; they didn’t dare get close. They only saw the two of them talking in the Funerary Pavilion, and later they detoured to the Wujin Building next door.”

Holding back her laughter, the little girl “watched” with her eyes closed and said, “After that, for some reason, Man Qiuxia of the Wujin Building dressed the Sword Venerable up as a lady in red with peach blossoms in his hair. Then they left riding a black dragon, and we couldn’t keep up—Sister, that man in black was actually an evil dragon!”

Tie Haitang didn’t care about any evil dragon. She crushed the newly repaired armrest for a third time. “Quick, send ghosts to find them!”

The little girl said brightly, “Alright.”

By the time she had crushed three armrests, the “lady” in disguise had already entered the miniature world beneath the scholar tree with a leisurely gait.

Xiang Zhongjing had no spiritual power to protect him. Even with the black robe made of Gu Congxu’s dragon scales draped over his shoulders, the icy yin energy still crawled up his ankles. If he hadn’t fused with the soul fragment from the Qu Yi Sect’s forbidden grounds, his soul likely would have begun to drift and scatter by now.

He was dressed in red, standing amidst Yellow Springs flowers that bloomed like pools of blood. His face beneath the veil was pale, and his lips were devoid of color.

Sensing that Xiang Zhongjing’s pulse was gradually slowing, Gu Congxu said nervously, “Are you alright?”

Tugging the black robe tighter, Xiang Zhongjing remarked casually, “I’m fine, did you notice what is buried under that scholar tree?”

Gu Congxu had been focused entirely on Xiang Zhongjing’s complexion and hadn’t looked at anything else. He frowned. “What is it?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s a dragon bone.” Xiang Zhongjing laughed. “What luck. To find a dragon bone in such a random place.”

Gu Congxu was astonished. “Why didn’t I sense it?”

Xiang Zhongjing’s footsteps paused for a beat before he continued forward, saying faintly, “I didn’t feel it either, but my instinct tells me the thing under that tree must be a dragon bone.”

Seeing him so certain, Gu Congxu said with a frown, “Then I’ll go dig it up.”

“Not yet.” Xiang Zhongjing reached the end of the path through the flowers. In the distance, he saw a woman in thin clothing sitting on a skull throne, looking down at him. She was surrounded by a ghostly aura so thick it was impossible to hide.

“I need to ask her a few things first. Don’t act rashly.”

Gu Congxu had no choice but to coil himself tighter, attempting to warm Xiang Zhongjing’s wrist with his tiny body.

Beside Tie Haitang, a woman in white with grisly ghost pupils stared at him expressionlessly.

Xiang Zhongjing felt no fear. Instead, he walked over at a measured pace.

Tie Haitang had intended to see what kind of amusement this man in disguise could provide. But as he drew closer and her gaze fell upon his thin red robes and the peach blossom branch in his hair, she froze for a long moment. Suddenly, she gasped and looked toward the little girl.

The girl, who was planting flowers, looked up at Xiang Zhongjing and let out an “Ah.”

Xiang Zhongjing had arrived. He offered a slight nod, his voice gentle and warm. “Miss Tie.”

Tie Haitang stared at him in open-mouthed shock. She caught a glimpse of the little girl giggling behind her hand while nodding, confirming it was him.

Tie Haitang: “…”

Tie Haitang went stiff, looking down with difficulty at her own appearance.

In her past life, Tie Haitang had been violated by a man, yet she was subjected to endless abuse and told she had intentionally seduced him. She was forced to marry her abuser and was ultimately tortured to death.

Even after death, her remains were denied a proper burial, tossed under a scholar tree in the wilderness. She became a lonely ghost wandering the Xiaoyin Stream for ten years.

After her remains were finally given a proper burial, Tie Haitang finally wished to enter the cycle of reincarnation and forget this life. But before she could leave, the man who had murdered her brought a group of people to dig up her corpse.

Tie Haitang watched as her properly buried coffin was forcibly pried open. She finally lost control completely. Relying on the karmic opportunity that should have led to her reincarnation, she transformed into a malicious ghost and ground that man to ash, tearing his soul into pieces so he could never be reborn.

Since then, Tie Haitang had disregarded everyone’s opinions, becoming unrestrained to the extreme. If anyone dared to utter a word of criticism, she would simply crush their soul to plant more Yellow Springs flowers and absorb the yin energy to cultivate the ghost path.

Today was no different. She wore a thin purple garment, her robes half-undone, revealing skin as white as snow. Her posture, with her legs crossed arrogantly and resting on a small table, was provocative to the extreme.

On the table sat withered Yellow Springs flowers and a massive meteor iron hammer that didn’t seem to suit a lady at all.

Tie Haitang’s neck was stiff as her gaze swept over everything, finally landing on Xiang Zhongjing’s quietly observant eyes.

Her ghost pupils constricted.

Those eyes were just as they were sixty years ago, just as beautiful and gentle.

Tie Haitang slammed her legs down from the table and began frantically pulling her clothes together, desperate to leave a good impression on her savior. But because she was used to being unrestrained, no matter how she tugged, she couldn’t cover everything that should be covered.

Tie Haitang was nearly moved to tears of anxiety.

Xiang Zhongjing watched her with a puzzled expression.

“Miss Tie?” Xiang Zhongjing stated his purpose. “I’ve come to disturb you today because I have something I hope you can help me with. I wonder…”

Before he could finish his pleasantries, Tie Haitang suddenly shrieked. Her face turned bright red as she leaped from her throne, her voice trembling and hurried. “Sword Venerable, please wait a moment!”

With that, she covered her face and ran away crying.

Xiang Zhongjing: “???”

Gu Congxu: “???”

Xiang Zhongjing was utterly bewildered. He asked Gu Congxu, “What did she just call me?”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Gu Congxu said expressionlessly, “It seems you’ve been recognized.”

Xiang Zhongjing was shocked. He tugged at his sleeve. “I can be recognized even like this?! That shouldn’t be possible. Weren’t you staring at me just now?”

Gu Congxu snapped in embarrassment, “I was not!”

The woman in white who had led him in looked at Xiang Zhongjing with a strange expression. Seeing him so confused, her lips twitched as she provided the answer.

“The Sword Venerable’s disguise is indeed perfect, but the yin and yang energies of men and women are different. If a ghost cultivator’s pupils reach a certain level of cultivation, they can see the difference.”

Realizing this person was Tie Haitang’s savior, the woman in white refrained from her usual venomous tongue. Changing her attitude, she said respectfully, “Even though the Sword Venerable’s soul is incomplete, the aura can still be identified.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Although Xiang Zhongjing had frequently encountered ghosts sixty years ago, he knew nothing about such technicalities. He let out an embarrassed cough.

Since the ruse was uncovered, he stopped hiding. The Netherfire emerged from his earrings, settling onto his dragon-scale robes like quiet fire-patterned embroidery.

Wrapped in the Netherfire, Xiang Zhongjing finally felt more comfortable.

A ghost that Xiang Zhongjing couldn’t see drifted to the woman in white and whispered something. The woman nodded slightly.

“Sword Venerable, my elder sister has something to attend to for a moment. Please follow me to the reception hall to wait.”

Xiang Zhongjing arched an eyebrow, wondering how a miniature world filled with skulls and resembling the path to the underworld could possibly have a reception hall.

The woman in white said no more, respectfully leading Xiang Zhongjing toward a sea of flowers nearby.

The Yellow Springs flowers swayed in the ghostly wind. As Xiang Zhongjing passed, hands formed from yin energy seemed to reach out for his hem, only to be instantly dispersed by the draconic pressure and the Netherfire on his robes.

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t notice, walking along of his own accord.

Gu Congxu poked half his head out from the sleeve, his gaze cold as he watched the yin energy constantly reaching for Xiang Zhongjing’s hem, wishing he could swallow them all in one gulp.

Gu Congxu only moved slightly, but Xiang Zhongjing noticed immediately. He looked down at the small dragon head peeking out and suddenly felt a desire to touch it.

Having the thought, Xiang Zhongjing acted on it, his cool fingertip lightly touching Gu Congxu’s small head.

“What is it?”

Gu Congxu had been glaring at the yin energy, but being touched like that made his entire body stiffen. He turned his head to glare at him. “Don’t just touch me, I’m…”

Before he could finish, a pale hand suddenly shot out from the pool of blood where the Yellow Springs flowers grew. It clamped onto Xiang Zhongjing’s ankle and gripped it hard. The flowers growing on that hand shook, and the flames on his robes caused the hand to emit a hoarse, low-pitched shriek of pain, yet it still struggled to drag Xiang Zhongjing into the blood.

Gu Congxu was startled and about to shatter it with his draconic pressure when he saw that Xiang Zhongjing hadn’t even blinked. He flicked two clusters of Netherfire, nonchalantly burning the hand into white mist.

He looked as if he were used to it. After burning it, he continued following the woman in white.

Seeing his casual attitude, Gu Congxu felt an odd tightness in his chest. “Were you frequently plagued by malicious ghosts like this back then?”

“Mhm,” Xiang Zhongjing replied casually. He rubbed his chin and laughed. “But it hasn’t happened in sixty years. It’s quite nostalgic.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

The heartache Gu Congxu hadn’t even fully realized was cut short by Xiang Zhongjing’s remark.

Soon, the reception hall amidst the sea of flowers was right before them.

Xiang Zhongjing noticed what looked like freshly turned soil and arched an eyebrow.

Could this reception hall have been built just now?

The woman in white led him inside. The hall was decorated with extreme luxury. Beyond the corridor lay an endless sea of flowers and the Xiaoyin Stream flowing past, the scenery like a painting.

The hall was brilliantly lit, and in the center stood a charcoal brazier filled with fire spirit stones. It made the yin-heavy place feel warmer than a spring breeze.

Xiang Zhongjing sat down by the brazier, finally feeling comfortable.

The woman in white wasn’t used to such warmth. After serving him tea, she withdrew.

Xiang Zhongjing held his tea while warming himself by the fire, looking out at the stream. He said faintly, “What do you think that Tie Haitang is up to? Not only did she not kill me, but she’s treating me as an honored guest.”

Gu Congxu transformed into his human form and sat beside him, snorting. “Excessive courtesy always hides an ulterior motive.”

Xiang Zhongjing tilted his head. Recalling Tie Haitang’s flustered and panicked expression earlier, he said strangely, “She didn’t look like she was planning to harm me.”

Rather, she looked as though she had seen an old friend.

Ever since leaving the secret realm, besides the memories he desperately tried to recall, some of the less important memories from sixty years ago were still buried deep in his mind. He couldn’t remember them without a conscious effort.

Gu Congxu kept his gaze lowered, staring in a daze at Xiang Zhongjing’s bare ankle, mumbling something incoherent.

Because Xiang Zhongjing was sitting with his knees drawn up to keep warm, his hem had fallen to the side. On the ankle that had just been grabbed by the ghost, there was a very distinct ring of bruising, looking like the mark of a shackle.

The golden bell on the red cord was still tied around his ankle, hanging over the bruise, looking like an exquisite plaything imprisoned in a cage for someone’s amusement.

Gu Congxu stared until he nearly lost himself, even feeling a sudden urge to reach out and hold that slender ankle.

Xiang Zhongjing was completely unaware. His feet felt cold, so he had simply kicked off his embroidered shoes and tossed them aside, tilting his toes up to warm them by the fire.

The brazier filled with fire spirit stones was so warm that Xiang Zhongjing squinted his eyes in comfort, looking like a cat that had basked in enough sun.

Gu Congxu was completely mesmerized.

Outside the hall, Tie Haitang was dressed in a magnificent purple robe. She had put on layer after layer, desperate to look dignified and elegant to erase the impression of her previous wild and unrestrained self.

Even though she didn’t have a body, she felt as though her heart was pounding frantically.

“How… how do I look?” Tie Haitang nervously asked the woman in white. “Am I well-behaved? Do I look good?”

Sixty years had passed, but she still remembered the tone of that cold-looking man as he touched her hair and called her a “good girl.”

The woman in white: “…”

Never having seen Tie Haitang like this, the woman said with difficulty, “Very well-behaved. Very good.”

Tie Haitang was still nervous. She paced in circles for a long time before gathering enough courage. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked into the reception hall.

She had rehearsed her emotions on the way, thinking of at least eighteen different ways to open a conversation. After entering, she performed a bashful, unfamiliar curtsy.

“Sword Venerable.”

After her soft greeting, she looked up at Xiang Zhongjing with a face full of joy.

However, the moment her gaze landed on him, her ghost pupils—which she had managed to hide—erupted instantly. The ghostly aura she had suppressed also exploded out, forcibly extinguishing the fire spirit stones.

In her sight, Xiang Zhongjing’s ears were flushed deep red. He was staring in shock at Gu Congxu beside him, not even noticing Tie Haitang’s arrival.

Gu Congxu looked as if he were possessed. His vertical pupils were wide and unfocused. He had reached out his hand and was holding Xiang Zhongjing’s ankle. The golden bell, missing its clapper, rested right at the crook of his hand, looking inexplicably intimate and suggestive.

Xiang Zhongjing had had his ankles grabbed by ghosts before, but those malicious ghosts were always trying to drag him into the filth, into the rotting swamp with them.

When dealing with ghosts, Xiang Zhongjing would either slice them with a sword or burn them with fire. But in all his years, he had never had his ankle held so provocatively by a living person.

Let alone that person being Gu Congxu, whom he couldn’t bring himself to hit or kill.

Xiang Zhongjing, whose skin was usually quite thick, was now flushed red to his face. He wished he could grab the dragon horns that had appeared on Gu Congxu’s head and give him a lecture.

Even being held by the waist, having his neck touched, or having his ankle wrapped by the dragon’s tail hadn’t been this shocking.

How could the sensation of a dragon tail compare to a person’s warm hand?

Did this dragon have any idea what he was doing?!

A wave of unbearable tingling sensation pulsed from where he was being held. Just as Xiang Zhongjing reached his limit and was about to kick him away, the sound of chains suddenly clattered. A meteor hammer the size of a head whistled through the air, seemingly tearing through the void as it slammed toward Gu Congxu’s head.

Gu Congxu was distracted, as if lost in a fantasy, unable to tell if the hand holding Xiang Zhongjing’s ankle was imaginary or real. However, his reaction to danger was incredibly sharp. He raised his free hand and caught the iron hammer, which could have smashed a hole in the floor, in his grip.

The dragon’s vertical pupils were grim as he looked coldly toward the source.

Tie Haitang was trembling with rage, her hand gripping the iron chain tightly. She screamed, “I’m going to slaughter you!!!”

With a flick of her wrist, the meteor hammer whistled back into the air, once again slamming toward Gu Congxu with a vengeance.

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Only then did Gu Congxu snap back to his senses. He looked blankly at the hammer flying toward him. He was about to raise his hand to catch the aggressive weapon when he felt something as smooth as warm jade in his palm. With a light tug, he pulled it up and it landed right on his knee.

Gu Congxu: “…”

Gu Congxu stiffly lowered his head to look at his hand, then looked up into Xiang Zhongjing’s horrified and angry eyes.

The evil dragon froze, his vertical pupils constricting violently.