Chapter 130 Trying to run away? Not a chance!

"Xie Yingxuan suffered the consequences of his sins, his soul was scattered. My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father... three generations of male members of the Xie family all met untimely ends because of your resentment that spans a century. This debt has long been repaid, more than paid off!"

“I, Xie Xun, am the fourth generation. I’ve been unlucky for over twenty years, but I’m still alive because I’m tough. Now, I’m standing here not to pay off my debts.”

The faint light on the sword suddenly blazed brightly!

"I'm here to collect a debt!"

The moment he finished speaking, Xie Xun suddenly thrust his wrist forward.

The tip of the Seven Star Sword pierced Liu Hanshan's heart with unparalleled precision!

"No--!!!"

Liu Hanshan let out a terrified scream. He never expected Xie Xun to be so selfish and ruthless, completely disregarding the possibility of accidentally killing Liu Wenbai!

He tried to manipulate Liu Wenbai's body to dodge, but Fu Qinghuai's hand, which was pressed against Xie Xun's hand, had somehow spread out countless fine black threads.

It silently wrapped around Liu Wenbai's limbs and joints, rendering him unable to move!

"Your opponent is me."

Fu Qinghuai chuckled, his peach blossom eyes full of mockery, "Old man, you've been scheming for a hundred years, didn't you expect that we wouldn't play by your rules at all?"

"Pfft!"

The sword tip pierced the flesh, but no blood came out.

Instead, it was like puncturing a boil, with thick liquid gushing out from the wound, accompanied by Liu Hanshan's extremely shrill screams!

The throbbing chest flickered wildly, and the remnant soul of Liu Hanshan inside twisted and deformed, emitting a silent scream.

Countless fine cracks spread across the surface of the crystal.

The tentacles entwined around Xie Xun, the flying fragments of the ghost face, the vengeful spirit of the child... all froze at this moment.

Then, as if they had lost their support, they collapsed and fell.

The eerie green light emanating from the entire ancestral hall began to flicker and shake violently.

"It's over." Xie Xun twisted his wrist, and sword energy erupted inside the crystal.

"Crack—!" The crystal shattered completely.

Liu Hanshan's last remaining soul transformed into a wisp of green smoke filled with resentment and bitterness, bursting out from Liu Wenbai's heart. It tried to pounce on Xie Xun, but was casually waved away by Fu Qinghuai.

The black mist trapped it like a cage, compressing it into a small ball that kept struggling.

Liu Wenbai's body slumped down, leaving only a charred wound on his chest. It wasn't bleeding, but his life was rapidly slipping away.

Xie Xun sheathed his sword and looked at the remnant soul of Liu Hanshan, who was trapped by Fu Qinghuai.

Inside that small green sphere of smoke, an old, distorted face was silently roaring and cursing.

He stepped forward, took out several blank sheets of yellow paper, bit his fingertip, and quickly drew several overlapping talismans for rebirth with his own blood.

"Liu Hanshan,"

Xie Xun's voice regained its calmness, even carrying a hint of weariness, "Your feud with Xie Yingxuan is your business. The lives of three generations of the Xie family, plus the innocent people killed by lanterns over the years, are enough to settle your resentment from back then."

He slapped the blood talisman at the green smoke ball.

The talismanic light and black energy merged, firmly enveloping Liu Hanshan's remnant soul.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Your revenge has been taken, and your hatred should dissipate. Xie Yingxuan has long since vanished, and the Xie family has paid the price. Now, in the name of the fourth and last generation of the Xie family, I settle this century-old saga."

The blood talisman ignited with golden flames, and within the flames, the roar of Liu Hanshan's remnant soul gradually turned into a whimper.

The resentment on that distorted face slowly faded, replaced by a hint of bewilderment, and finally, relief.

"Let's go."

Xie Xun said softly, "In the next life, don't meet someone like Xie Yingxuan again, and don't... become someone like him again."

The golden flames suddenly blazed brightly, then slowly died down.

A small clump of clean ashes fell to the ground.

The lantern made of human skin, which had hung for a century and devoured countless lives, finally lost its light.

The bamboo ribs made a soft cracking sound, and countless cracks appeared on the surface. The outer skin dried up quickly, eventually turning into a pile of black ash and broken bamboo pieces, which fell down in a rustling sound.

The thick, cold resentment that enveloped the entire space dissipated rapidly, like the receding tide.

Xie Xun looked at the pile of ashes, then at Liu Wenbai, who was barely alive on the ground. After a few seconds of silence, he walked over.

He took out his silver needles and quickly pricked several acupoints on the man's chest, then fed him a life-saving pill.

Whether he survives or not depends on his own fate.

Seeing this, Fu Qinghuai walked to his side, took his finger that had been bitten while drawing the talisman, and gently stroked the small wound with his fingertip.

The black energy circulated, and the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Searching,"

Fu Qinghuai looked at him, her peach blossom eyes filled with tenderness, "What you just said... was quite cool."

Xie Xun glanced at him but didn't reply.

The century-old feud has finally come to an end.

The curse and bad luck that has plagued the Xie family for four generations should be coming to an end, right?

Fu Qinghuai still held Xie Xun's hand, his fingertips gently rubbing against Xie Xun's healed wound, without letting go.

Xie Xun tried to pull back, but couldn't.

"Let go," he said.

Fu Qinghuai didn't loosen his grip; instead, he tightened it even more.

He looked down at Xie Xun's fingers, his eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow on the beautiful woman's face.

"Searching".

He called out, his voice a little low, quite different from his usual carefree or cloying tone.

Xie Xun didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.

Fu Qinghuai raised his head, his peach blossom eyes looking straight at him, reflecting the light and Xie Xun's shadow.

"I just..."

He paused, as if searching for the right words, "When I saw you stab it with the sword just now, my heart... skipped a beat."

Xie Xun raised an eyebrow: "Afraid I can't kill him?"

"no."

Fu Qinghuai shook his head, his lips twitching slightly, but there was no real smile. "I'm afraid you... will feel bad."

Xie Xun was stunned for a moment.

"I know you look cold, but you're not hard-hearted."

Fu Qinghuai's voice was soft, but every word was clear: "Liu Wenbai was ultimately implicated. You spoke harshly, but when you struck, the tip of your sword was off by half an inch; you didn't really aim for a fatal spot. You even gave him acupuncture and medicine afterward."

Xie Xun looked away: "Just doing it on the spur of the moment."

"It wasn't just a casual gesture."

Fu Qinghuai gripped his hand tightly, forcing him to turn back and look at him. "Xunxun, I've lived for over a thousand years and seen too many people. Ruthless, vicious, hypocritical, truly foolish... You're different from them all."

He leaned closer, his breath almost brushing against Xie Xun's face.

"I started getting close to you because you are a descendant of the Xie family and have a pure Yin constitution, which is useful to me. I find you interesting, young man, and I want to tease you, see you panic, and also... take revenge on the Xie family."

He confessed without any attempt to hide anything.

"But later, things were different."

Fu Qinghuai's eyes became very deep, like an ancient well with no bottom.

"Seeing you calmly deal with the ghosts and monsters, seeing you pretend to be scared to death, seeing the heartache on your face when you fed the snake medicine... and seeing you just now, you could have dealt with it more decisively, but you still left a way out."

He released Xie Xun's hand, but did not step back. Instead, he raised his hand and gently touched Xie Xun's cheek with his fingertips.

"Xunxun, I think... I've really fallen for you."

It's not just a possibility, it's a certainty.

But he used this word, as if leaving some room for himself and the other party.

"It's not because of your constitution, it's not because you're a descendant of Xie Yingxuan, and it's not because you can help me retrieve my remnant soul."

Fu Qinghuai spoke slowly and deliberately, each word deliberate and weighty, “It’s because you are Xie Xun. You’re the one who complains about me being clingy, who scolds me, and who stands in front of me when I’m in danger… Xie Xun.”

Xie Xun stared at Fu Qinghuai for a long time.

Fu Qinghuai didn't dodge, letting him see the raw emotions in his peach blossom eyes: anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of...fear.

Afraid of being pushed away, afraid of being rejected, afraid that this sincere heart, which is being revealed for the first time in over a thousand years, will be thrown to the ground.

After a long while, Xie Xun finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse:

"Are you done talking?"

Fu Qinghuai's Adam's apple bobbed.

"...That's all."

"Oh," Xie Xun responded, then raised his hand and slapped away Fu Qinghuai's hand that was touching his face.

The force was not strong, but the meaning was clear.

Fu Qinghuai's eyes dimmed slightly.

Xie Xun turned around, walked to the pile of lantern ashes, squatted down, and carefully examined them with his uninjured hand. He picked up a few relatively intact bamboo pieces and the remaining piece of leather, wrapped them in yellow paper, and stuffed them into his canvas bag.

After doing all this, he stood up and dusted off his hands.

Then, he walked back to Fu Qinghuai.

"Let me say a few words too." Xie Xun looked up at him; his fox-like eyes were calm yet crystal clear.

"I don't need you to go easy on me or change anything just because you like me. We'll treat each other the same way we always have. We'll argue when we need to, and we'll fight when we need to."

"Finally," he paused, "you still need to find those remnants of your soul. Once you've found them all, if you want to leave, I won't stop you. If you want to stay..."

He stopped.

Fu Qinghuai's heart was in his throat.

"...If you want to stay, then stay."

After Xie Xun finished speaking, his ears turned slightly red, but his expression remained tense. "The paper craft shop doesn't need your chopsticks. But you'll have to pay the rent and utilities from now on."

Fu Qinghuai's heart settled back down, and a surge of joy welled up within her. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

Xie Xun was being held by him, his face expressionless, but he was laughing inside.

open?

Dream on.

From the day the contract was changed and he was bound together, Xie Xun had no intention of letting him run away.

Xie Xun didn't care whether he liked it or not, or whether it was real or fake.

The real one is best, but the fake one doesn't matter.

Fu Qinghuai thought he had been shamelessly clinging to Xie Xun, but Xie Xun actually knew the truth perfectly well.

When was it not half-hearted, half-willing, or on purpose?

This old ghost is formidable, a good fighter, and incredibly useful in crucial moments. If he gets away, where else can you find such a handy tool?

The contract is binding them, and the ancient jade can sense their presence, so Xie Xun knows exactly where Fu Qinghuai is going.

The remaining souls haven't been collected yet, so this is a ready-made reason for him to stay.

Let's find them all... We'll talk about it after we find them all; we can always find a new reason.

like?

Xie Xun lowered his eyes.

Love is good; when you're in love, you become more obedient and less willing to leave.

He won't be like those crazy people in love who are all lovey-dovey and clingy all the time.

Be cold and indifferent when necessary, scold him when necessary, and order him around when necessary. Occasionally give him a little something to show that the old man has something to look forward to.

Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, let it simmer slowly.

The stronger Fu Qinghuai is, the safer Xie Xun will be, and the more secure this bond will be.

future?

Xie Xun lowered his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He had already included Fu Qinghuai in his future plans. Not as romantic as "partner" or "companion."

That's his ghost.

His henchmen, his bodyguards, his... possessions.

Fu Qinghuai was still happily planning for the future, talking about buying a new phone, paying the bills, and sunbathing together.

Xie Xun hummed in agreement, indicating that he had heard.

But she reached out and squeezed his hand back, giving him a light pinch in Fu Qinghuai's cool palm.

run?

No way.

He snorted inwardly.

In this life and the next, we're tied together.