After Qiao Zhen saw that Cheng Zhao's hair was dry, he and the old man secretly went to Cishan at night.

Qiao Zhen sat timidly at the temple entrance, wondering, "Will there be any kind of formation tonight?"

The old man impatiently shook off Qiao Zhen's hand that was grabbing his sleeve. "Move aside, let this old man see what this Si Cishan is really made of."

Qiao Zhen nodded like a chick pecking at rice. She took a few steps back, waiting for the old man to test whether the temple was a dragon's den or a tiger's lair first. "Be careful."

According to the usual pattern, this temple is not so simple.

"ah!"

Before Qiao Zhen could finish thinking, the old man was blasted out of the temple by a golden light, and the surrounding formations gradually spread from where the old man fell, gathering golden light on the ground.

Qiao Zhen subconsciously took a few steps back, but before she could react, the golden light had already spread to her feet, as if ropes were binding her feet, making her unable to move an inch. "Didn't you say that Sici Temple is a bit lower-level than ordinary temples?"

The old man groaned in pain as he struggled to his feet, leaning on his cane. "Oh dear, who knew I'd misjudged you, girl? What are we going to do now?"

It felt as if an invisible giant hand was about to cover Qiao Zhen's mouth and nose, "Mmm..."

Seeing this, the old man immediately slammed his cane on the ground. A wisp of black mist drifted to Qiao Zhen's cheek, while the golden light shone even brighter. Qiao Zhen's breath caught in her throat, becoming even more labored. "Ugh! Ugh..."

Cheng Zhao, who was fast asleep, was awakened by the vibrating jade pendant on his bedside table. He turned his head to look impatiently, and instantly most of his sleepiness disappeared. He threw off the covers, picked up the jade pendant, and silently chanted a spell.

Qiao Zhen felt a gust of wind sweep her away, and she was instantly back inside the jade pendant.

Before her was Cheng Zhao's magnified face, and Qiao Zhen was momentarily stunned. Oh dear, her secret prank had been caught. Quick-witted, she tried to ease the awkwardness, "Hi, how are you? I didn't expect you to miss me even in the middle of the night. I'm truly flattered!"

Cheng Zhao ignored her, casually placed the jade pendant on a corner of the bedside table, and turned to go to sleep.

Qiao Zhen found herself trapped, staring blankly at the ceiling or the crystal chandelier. She realized she couldn't just sit and wait to die any longer; the situation at Cishan was far more complex than it appeared, and the old man's fate was now unknown.

She felt she had to take the initiative, but with Cheng Zhao's introverted personality, expecting him to speak up was less realistic than waiting to die. She could hear Cheng Zhao's uneven breathing beside her ear, "What exactly do you want?"

Cheng Zhao's breath hitched for a split second, but Qiao Zhen noticed the change in Cheng Zhao's breathing. The fact that Cheng Zhao's breathing fluctuated was a small victory for her. She pressed her advantage, "You know I just ran away, but you don't know where I went. I went to Sici Mountain and almost met with disaster. An ordinary temple during the day can possess the power to scare away ghosts at night, and that power seems quite significant. I don't doubt the golden statue and memorial tablet you sculpted for me. But I doubt your relationship with Sici Mountain, and what you said tonight, 'It's alright this way.'"

Cheng Zhao unconsciously slowed his breathing, afraid that Qiao Zhen would notice something unusual.

But how could Qiao Zhen let him off so easily? She relentlessly attacked Cheng Zhao. "Your previous sentence was 'You want to hit me.' A normal person would be angry to find out that someone wants to hit them, but you showed relief. Can I interpret this as you having a guilt complex towards me?" she concluded. "In my life, I lost my life because of your scheming. In my death, I'm afraid I'll still be useful to you. You might as well just say so, since I'm now bound by you anyway."

Cheng Zhao felt somewhat guilty, but he still had things to do. He had been looking forward to this for over a decade, and he couldn't let it all go to waste. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to harden his heart. "Now that I've guessed it, I'll just behave myself."

Qiao Zhen felt a surge of frustration. She had gone to such lengths, yet Cheng Zhao remained completely unmoved. Listening to his words only seemed to solidify his resolve. What was she doing? She'd tried to steal a chicken but lost the bait instead!

Cheng Zhao turned over, the blanket rustling against his body.

"Why should I behave myself? Since I'm bound by you, I'll just turn to ashes sooner or later anyway. Why don't you let me have some fun first, then I won't have any regrets when I die?" Qiao Zhen kept nagging him. "Seriously, I feel like I've become a chatterbox since I died. It's so boring, there's nothing to do. And I don't even feel hungry anymore. For ghosts, nothing is a big deal except turning to ashes. Little brother, please, have mercy and let me go out and have some fun!"

"Shut up." Cheng Zhao said lightly, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Qiao Zhen was not one to give up easily. Of course, she continued to torment Cheng Zhao's ears! "Little brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're being too indecisive. It's just letting me go out to play, isn't it? I can't just run away. You can just call me back later, right? Why do you have to lock me up in this damn jade pendant?!"

Cheng Zhao chuckled lightly, "You are now inextricably linked to the jade pendant. If the jade shatters and your soul dissipates, you can give it a try."

Qiao Zhen was speechless for a moment, "Does this conflict with my desire to go out and play?!"

The only sounds in the bedroom were steady breathing and the tapping of a jade pendant on the table. Cheng Zhao coldly retorted, "Does this conflict with my rejection of you?"

Qiao Zhen was speechless. She relentlessly retorted, "Since there's no conflict between us, I'll beg, and you can refuse. Let's see if my begging is stronger or your refusal is stronger."

It was clearly a fight to the death, and she refused to believe that her talkativeness couldn't save Cheng Zhao from his aloofness. She, Qiao Zhen, the woman chosen by the Kunlun Mirror, would never admit defeat!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!