The reason why he is called a "boy" is because of his voice and figure.
He was dressed in the sleek attire of a warrior, his figure slender yet graceful, like the growth of a bamboo shoot, retaining the youthful innocence of a young man. His black clothes were as black as ink, his hair also inky, tied up in a bun. A slender sword dangled from his waist. He slowly raised his head, his face also covered by a snow-white mask, a crescent-shaped smile on it.
Balls of black air materialized amidst the roaring roar, each one meticulously collected within the white-robed figure's sleeve, like a stream of river water being collected into a small, pure jade bottle. The young man remained unmoved amidst the swirling black wind. The white-robed figure asked, "Who are you calling?"
The young man in black remained on one knee, as if surrendering, or taking an oath, and replied, "I am calling you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The man in white said coldly, "I am not His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
The young man in black said, "You are. I will never forget your voice and figure."
The man in white's voice was tinged with anger: "I said, I'm not."
The man in white was naturally Xie Lian, who was wearing mourning clothes and a mask of both sadness and joy.
His face was hidden behind a mask, so no one could tell who he was, and he didn't want to be recognized. However, the black-clad warrior wandering the battlefield directly called out his identity.
Suddenly, the white silk draped from Xie Lian's sleeves leaped out like a venomous snake, pouncing on the black-clad youth. Though seemingly soft and light, the silk's attack was fierce and sinister. Just as the black-clad youth was about to be ensnared by it, he raised his hand and firmly grasped the silk.
The white silk was wrapped around Xie Lian's wrist at one end, and around the black-clad youth's wrist at the other, slowly tightening. It wasn't that it didn't want to break free, but the black-clad youth held onto it tightly, as if gripping a venomous snake by the skin of its teeth. A chilling aura emanated from his hand.
There is no doubt that this is a ghost.
Moreover, it is an extremely powerful ghost!
After sensing the considerable power transmitted from the other end of the white silk, Xie Lian asked, "What's your name?"
After a moment of silence, the young man in black said, "I don't have a name."
Xie Lian didn't ask any further questions, saying, "Without a name, it is nameless."
The young man in black said, "You can call me whatever you want."
Xie Lian asked again, “Are you the spirit of a soldier who died on this battlefield?”
Wuming said: "Yes."
Xie Lian then withdrew his hand, and the white silk suddenly jumped back onto him, shaking its head and tail arrogantly at the black-clothed youth from a distance, as if spitting out poisonous tongues.
Since they were the spirits of the dead, it was no wonder they responded to him. This black-clad warrior must also be filled with resentment towards the "Yong'an people." Conversely, this meant he could use them to his advantage, as their goals were the same.
So, Xie Lian said, "Then follow me."
He extended his hand to the black-clad warrior: "I will let you get what you want."
The face of the young man in black was also hidden behind the mask, and his expression could not be seen clearly.
But after a moment of silence, he still shook the hand that Xie Lian handed to him without hesitation, bowed deeply, and placed his cold forehead on the back of Xie Lian's hand.
After a while, he said in a deep voice: "I swear to follow Your Highness until death."
Xie Lian pulled his hand back, tucked his hands into his sleeves, turned around and said coldly, "You're already dead. Let's go."
The black-clad warrior stood up. Xie Lian turned around and realized that the young man was older than he had imagined, about sixteen or seventeen years old. Extremely tall for his age, he was actually a bit taller than him. However, it didn't matter. He glanced back and continued on his way.
Xie Lian walked in front, and the nameless black-clad warrior followed him. He asked, "Your Highness, where do you want to go?"
Xie Lian's gaze fell on the distance and he said, "Yong'an Palace."
Yong'an Palace was located in another major city to the west. This city had once been a prosperous one, but it had always been overshadowed by the Xianle Imperial City to the east. After Xianle Imperial City became a plague-ridden city, the new monarch chose it as the new capital. It wasn't long before it surpassed the old imperial city and became a place of immense prosperity.
Xie Lian arrived late at night. Under the moonlight, he leaped and darted across the densely packed rooftops of the New Imperial City like a white cat, soundless and unobtrusive. The black-clad warrior, like a black fox, followed closely behind him. Soon, the two figures landed in front of a gate.
Xie Lian sensed something was amiss. He could faintly sense a sinister aura around the door, and he paused. Just as he was about to reach out to investigate, the black-clad warrior stepped forward, blocking him. He extended a palm and whispered, "Break!"
A flash of fire leaked from the crack in the door, as if something was burning. Then, the black-clothed warrior reached out and pushed the door open, saying, "Your Highness."
Xie Lian stepped through the doorway and looked down. As expected, some charred debris was scattered on the ground. Xie Lian took a little, smelling the scent of vanilla and talisman paper, and glanced at the black-clad warrior.
This ghost is really powerful.
These burned remains showed that someone had set up a protective method inside the door, and the protection was quite strong. If ordinary ghosts tried to force the door open or pass through it, they would be burned to death. However, this black-clothed warrior completely destroyed the formation in just a moment.
Perhaps because it was newly built, the Yong'an Palace wasn't particularly magnificent; on the contrary, it was rather shabby, a far cry from the Xianle Palace. This wasn't surprising. What was strange was the constant obstacles along the way, a constant stream of formations and traps constructed to ward off evil spirits and defend against them. However, whenever Xie Lian sensed something blocking his path, the black-clad warrior would preemptively remove the obstacle, clearing the way for him. Therefore, his journey remained unimpeded.
Half an hour later, above the high hall of Yong'an Palace, two slender figures stood on the roof, overlooking the area below.
Both wore masks. The man in white had flowing sleeves, entwined with a white silk scarf, dancing in the wind. The man in black was swift and agile, a long sword dangling from his waist, guarding the man in white, staring in the same direction as him. The scene under the moonlight was strangely eerie and strangely harmonious.
The new ruler of Yong'an was in this hall. Xie Lian sneered, "He's set up so many checkpoints in the palace to keep out evil spirits. It seems he's really afraid of something finding him."
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