Chapter 140 Seventeen Ghost Soldiers
Lou Lan carefully examined Zhen Su. He saw no trace of scheming or malice on Zhen Su's face. Although his golden eyes seemed ruthless, upon closer inspection, they were as clear as a mirror.
She might fight to the death, but besides Shinju's unfathomable strength, there's also the extremely troublesome Demon King who might come to her aid. The two are visibly very close; when Shinju was kidnapped, the Demon King even risked his life to save him.
She would rather not confront them unless absolutely necessary.
Lou Lan thought about many things for a while. For Kua'er's sake, she had to think a lot and plan for the future. But she never thought that Zhen Su would put the decision-making power in her hands.
However, she wasn't blinded by this incredible surprise. She knew that allowing her to break the contract didn't mean she could leave. As a Yin soldier, Zhen Su might very well take her and Kua'er to the underworld to walk the path of reincarnation, just like those man-eating demons.
Reincarnation means letting go of hatred, forgetting everything, and separating from Kua'er...
After taking a deep breath, Lou Lan said, "There's no need to break the contract. Lou Lan still owes my benefactor a favor, and after repaying it, I will leave with Kua'er."
Sensing the slight chill in Lou Lan's tone, Zhen Su glanced over, only to find no hostility in the other's eyes. Zhen Su's upturned tanuki eyes curved slightly as he said, "Alright."
The King of Poison also glanced at Lou Lan, his dark eyes hidden in the shadows of his eye sockets. He looked away in an instant and returned his gaze to the person beside him.
Before the Black and White Impermanence arrived, Lou Lan suggested that he wanted to go somewhere.
Shinju nodded, and the group set off.
Upon arriving at the location, they found a secluded meadow with hundreds of wooden plaques covered in a thin layer of dust, but without a single inscription. A quick scan with his divine sense revealed that the ground was littered with fragments of clothing and scattered keepsakes, clearly indicating that this was a cenotaph.
The man-eating demons looked rather embarrassed, constantly stealing glances at Shinjuku, as if afraid of being "punished" on the spot.
Shinjuku knew at a glance that this was the grave of the cave women.
Lou Lan suddenly tore off a piece of her sleeve and silently erected a grave, planting a branch she had picked up at random.
"Please allow Loulan to stand here with you on this monument." A barely audible murmur blended into the wind and drifted away.
A moment later, as dawn broke on the horizon, two figures in black and white suddenly appeared beside the King of Zhen, bowing and saying, "Your subordinate is late."
Upon arrival, the Black and White Impermanence were filled with apprehension, wondering why Yama would appear in Yilian Village and make this personal trip. However, this doubt was inexplicably dispelled after catching a glimpse of Zhen Su.
The reason is that Shinjuku is here...
But then they realized something, and their feelings became even more complicated.
Meanwhile, Shinju, who had already reverted to his original form, suppressed his murderous aura, rubbed the silver bracelet on his wrist, and nodded in acknowledgment when he caught a glimpse of the Black and White Impermanence out of the corner of his eye.
Upon seeing this, the Poison King, who was issuing the order, had a flash of cold light in his dark eyes.
Black and White Impermanence felt a sharp pain in their eyes, as if invisible poison had seeped in, or as if they were being forcibly squeezed and twisted by a ghost, forcing them to shift their focus away from Shinjuku.
The pain disappeared as soon as it was removed, as if it had just been an illusion.
As the sun was about to rise, the oblivious Shinju urged the King of Poison with his eyes.
The order to seize was given.
Before long, the Soul-Hooking Lock encircled the remaining few drooping man-eating demons and faceless men. The black coffin array flashed, leaving only a patch of frozen earth and tiny new shoots breaking through the ice beside the tomb.
.
The Underworld, the Department of Soul Reapers.
Upon returning to the yamen, Ox-Head and Horse-Face came to greet them.
"Lord Yama, have you gone to Yilian Village?"
The King of Poison nodded, then gestured with his eyes for them to follow him to the Yama's Palace, stopping them from speaking there.
Shinju didn't know what they were going to talk about, he only knew that he was the one to finish up the case in Yilian Village, so he followed the Black and White Impermanence into the yamen.
The King of Hell paused briefly, watching as the figure of the True Monk disappeared behind the door, before finally heading towards the Hall of the King of Hell.
After sitting down, the Poison King said, "Speak, what is the situation in the Black Prison?"
"It's too strange that we couldn't find the whereabouts of the evil spirit! Moreover, the guards in the Black Prison didn't know anything when we asked them. We don't know if they were unwilling to tell the truth or if they were really that confused," Horse-Face reported in detail.
"Who is in charge of the jailers?" King Zhen asked again.
“The Black Prison Zone… belongs to the Ten No-Man's Land, uh, which means it’s not under the jurisdiction of the Ten Palaces,” Bull Head replied.
Beyond that, it was beyond the knowledge of these lowly underworld messengers; even if they had heard of it, it was not their place to mention it.
He was sidelined as soon as he arrived. The Black Prison is such a big matter. Although it is not under the jurisdiction of Yama, it is not that he cannot manage it. Otherwise, there would be no need to summon Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
This was clearly a show of force.
The King of Poison's eyes were cold and menacing.
With the Black Prison so poorly managed, this won't be the last time this happens unless we seize control. Even if Zhen Su's promise to Lou Lan to imprison them in the Black Prison comes true, it won't be the end of the matter.
After waiting a long time for the King of Poison to speak, Ox-Head and Horse-Face grew somewhat impatient and finally spoke up to inquire about the case of Yilian Village.
"It's resolved. Shinju is following up." At this point, the oppressive aura emanating from the King of Poison subsided, and his tone softened.
"That's great! It seems the reinforcements arrived just in time!" both Ox-Head and Horse-Face exclaimed with delight.
The King of Poison paused for a moment, then turned his grave gaze to the side. "What reinforcements?"
The ox-headed and horse-faced figures stared at each other in surprise, and were also stunned.
.
After a whole day of busy work, Shinju and the King of Poison finally brought the case in Yilian Village to a real close. The only remaining man-eating demons and faceless men were imprisoned in the Black Prison with varying terms of imprisonment, but all over five hundred years, with the faceless man receiving the longest sentence of nine hundred and thirty years.
When he returned to the main courtyard after the court session, Mr. Bai came to greet him. Zhen Su was on guard for a moment, thinking that the other party had recognized the King of Poison.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case; Mr. Bai was there to guide the newly appointed King of Hell.
"The King of Hell's mansion has been completely renovated and looks brand new. Your Majesty, please follow me." Mr. Bai's voice trembled slightly, as if he was afraid of the King of Hell. Even the scene of Shinju accompanying the King of Hell, always together, did not make him realize the impropriety until he mentioned it to the courtesans later.
Of course, it's also possible that Shinjuku's attitude towards Zashiki was too natural.
Shinju was slightly taken aback, clearly having forgotten about this. In front of others, he couldn't very well bring the mighty King of Hell back to his own room.
At the same time, the thought of parting ways resurfaced in his mind. The panic and lingering fear that had been suppressed since the explosion drove him to want to say goodbye to the Poison King and return to his room alone. Of course, the true desire for separation was far more than that.
But as if guessing something, King Zhen suddenly grabbed Shinju's shoulder and forcibly took him away.
The Yama King's Mansion was indeed as solemn and imposing as expected, with dozens of servants arranged in the front courtyard to greet him. For a moment, Masakuni felt as if he had returned to the palace of the Nian Kingdom.
Mr. Bai was still thinking of introducing the place to everyone, but the King of Zhen ruthlessly dismissed them, saying, "I prefer peace and quiet and have no need for anyone to serve me."
"This, this is against the rules..." Mr. Bai hesitated, after all, that person had instructed him to keep a close eye on Yama. He had never imagined that Yama, a person who exuded such noble and aloof aura, would refuse to serve anyone and leave no one behind.
But he dared not offend the King of Poison, so he had no choice but to agree, then suppressed the urge to turn back and left silently.
As Masakatsu watched the other man leave the courtyard, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems he didn't recognize His Majesty."
The King of Poison used black mist to draw out silk threads, which were intertwined and layered, and tied to various parts of the mansion.
After they were all settled, the King of Poison grabbed Shinju's arm and said, "Let's go."
Shinju understood that the King of Poison wanted to go back to his own courtyard with him, but his legs honestly became heavy and he didn't move for a long time.
Images flashed through his mind: the Poison King shielding him from the explosion, the Poison King's vacant and lifeless gaze afterward, and the Poison King wielding his Miao sword with murderous intent.
A fine, stabbing pain arose in my heart, a pain that seemed to pierce through all my meridians.
I still couldn't protect him.
Shinju couldn't help but think back to the time when he stood in front of the King of Poison to shield him from the rebel attack. Did the King of Poison feel the same regret and heartache as he did back then?
Yes, it is possible...
He couldn't erase the harm he had caused the King of Poison, but he couldn't bear to leave.
What escape, what not to be a burden!! All of that is just an excuse!! This time, he really doesn't want to abandon the Poison King, and he won't run away again.
He must become stronger!
Suddenly, Shinju's golden eyes lit up. He gently pressed down on the head of the Poison King, causing him to abruptly return to the Three Corpses. Then, with a leap, he rushed back to his small house in his courtyard and began to change clothes and fetch water.
After a stick of incense had burned, the dim light of the red candle illuminated the four walls and the bedside figure with loose, wet hair, wearing a thin, sheer undergarment, and with slightly twitching furry ears. A layer of rouge was applied to the snow-white skin of the figure.
Then, between the legs of that figure, another extremely tall and handsome figure appeared out of thin air, like a majestic mountain shrouded in mist and clouds, casting a shadow that firmly enveloped the person in front of it.
"Brother." A clear, melodious voice rang out, flowing like a gentle stream into the ears of the King of Poison, yet there seemed to be a lingering quality in the enunciation, like the tender, passionate call of lovers. The King of Poison had never seen such allure from Shinju, and for a moment, his mind went blank. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the clothes dampened by the ends of Shinju's hair, revealing glimpses of full, jade-white muscles, the satin surface reflecting a shimmering light. The King of Poison's Adam's apple bobbed violently.
If he couldn't understand Shinju's intentions, he would be a fool. But he simply couldn't believe it, so after a moment's hesitation, he finally asked, "Qing'er, what's wrong?"
Shinju leaned forward slightly, his lips brushing lightly against the neck of the King of Poison, and whispered, "Didn't you say that dual cultivation can make you stronger? Qing'er wants to become stronger."
The King of Zhen's breath hitched, his dark eyes like an impenetrable fog, lust rapidly building within him. Just then, a cool drop of water fell from the end of his hair, landing on the back of his hand, causing the King of Zhen's heart to tremble. The next moment, his hand gripped the "culprit" tightly, twisted it, and then, carrying its coolness, touched Zhen Su's cheek.
"Okay, brother." Shinjuku smiled sweetly, tilting his head back slightly so that his cheeks were pressed closer to the King of Venom's palm.
"...As Qing'er wishes." The King of Zhen's hot breath intertwined with Zhen Su's, and his fingers, trembling with excitement, probed into Zhen Su's mouth, pressing down on the pink tongue that was sweeter than ever before, like a seductive trap.
And he did it willingly.
With a clear tearing sound, a silver bracelet was precisely thrown out of the window, and the dark mist sealed the entire room, leaving no gaps.
The silver bracelet, which had rolled twice on the ground and now lay still, remained silent: "..."
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