Chapter Thirteen: Seeking a Moment of Joy

The crimson coffin landed upon the earth, radiating a mysterious aura that rendered the entire courtyard eerily silent. Even the rain, falling from the sky above, seemed to lose its voice when descending near the scarlet coffin.

In the next instant, a formidable presence swept in with the storm, an oppressive force that locked onto the old monk and the elderly woman, filling them with terror and an overwhelming sense of dread. They stood frozen in shock, unable to believe what they perceived.

"The Corpse Coffin of the Ghost King!"

"Impossible!"

"The Corpse Coffin of the Ghost King is meant to entomb a Ghost King! Which Ghost King do this dwarf ghost and old woman serve?"

Only those as steeped in the uncanny as the old monk and the old woman could sense the horror lurking within the red coffin—a dread so profound it evoked shudders, as if death itself had descended.

"Lady Mengjiao!" The butcher Ma caught sight of the crimson coffin and immediately guessed who had arrived.

What does the Corpse Coffin of the Ghost King enshrine if not a Ghost King? Under the watchful governance of the various immortal sects, not a single Ghost King should exist beneath the mountains of Qingxuan City. The sole exception was Lady Mengjiao, who had forcefully descended into the mortal world from the Underworld.

"So we are all family after all." The butcher Ma, eyeing Chu Tiange’s somewhat disheveled figure, let out a hearty laugh. "Who would have thought, little brother, that you were Lady Mengjiao’s favorite from the very start? Truly, a dragon among men, with some skill to match!"

"Lady Mengjiao?" The old monk and the elderly woman exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with intrigue. No one but their master knew Lady Mengjiao’s true appearance, but they had heard countless rumors about her. Whenever their master spoke of her, he always mentioned her proud, snowy peaks and her long, shapely legs—a seduction so absolute that neither man nor ghost could resist.

Without betraying his emotions, Chu Tiange revealed a corner of the Ghost King’s hide to the air, instantly releasing an aura unique to Lady Mengjiao, dispelling any lingering doubts the old monk and woman harbored.

"It is indeed Lady Mengjiao’s presence. Never would I have thought that a Ghost King could exude such an intoxicating fragrance," the old monk murmured, pressing his palms together, his closed eyes lost in rapture.

"Young man, sometimes a good fight leads to friendship," the elderly woman extended her hand for a handshake.

"Indeed, friends we are," Chu Tiange replied, clasping his hands in greeting as he gazed at her grimy, yellowed fingers. "Might I ask, where is the other gentleman?"

"You mean the Filial Son? He possesses no sentience. It was our master, with his boundless power, who awakened the filial piety in every soul of this town," the woman answered without a trace of wariness.

"Oh?" Chu Tiange raised an eyebrow.

The so-called Filial Son was the embodiment of malice within Filial Son Town. It existed as pure ill will, bent solely on propagating its line at any cost. Possessing no intelligence, only instinct, over time this malice would grow, eventually awakening sentience, becoming fiercer and more troublesome, even capable of enticing others, turning them into extensions of its own evil.

"In just four days, the Yin Pearl will have gathered all the malice in town, opening a gateway to the Underworld. Then, the power of the netherworld will flood the mountain town, and the 'Filial Son' will undergo a metamorphosis, reborn as a single will that will corrupt every living soul. When that moment comes, Qingxuan City will be lost forever," the old monk cackled darkly.

"The mortal realm shall not be empty; only then can we attain immortality. Such is our master’s grand ambition!"

"What a magnificent plan, truly a grand aspiration," Chu Tiange replied with genuine awe.

The human heart is inscrutable, desire impossible to curb—such is the nature of mankind. No mortal is free from greed; no one attains perfect virtue, entirely devoid of want.

"If your master’s ambition comes to fruition, Qingxuan City will indeed become a living hell. I must admit, were it not for Master Xiao’s Azure Mirror of Heaven, which oversees every corner of the Azure Continent and detected something amiss, the city would be doomed."

Amid the torrential rain, a sigh echoed from within the red coffin. Talismans ignited, unleashing a boundless energy that transformed the downpour into vaporous streams.

The overwhelming aura surged outward, an invisible ripple sweeping through, severing the falling rain and dissolving it into mist. The momentum was vast, as endless as the sea.

The scarlet coffin slowly opened, and a woman in a red gown emerged before the gathering. Her beauty was as dazzling as fire, yet between her brows bloomed a white petal, exuding a unique and enchanting lotus aura—bewitching yet pure. It was the first time Chu Tiange had seen Lu Shiqi dressed in red, her beauty so intoxicating it seemed otherworldly.

She was the very embodiment of perfection, a celestial enchantress. Standing there, she gazed upon them all.

It was the first time Chu Tiange had seen Lu Shiqi in anything but white; for a moment, he was utterly enthralled.

Her eyes were clear as spring water, her features stunning, her figure alluring—a vision that made one want to leap forth and tear apart the very canvas of this peerless beauty.

The old monk and the butcher Ma breathed heavily, desire gleaming in their eyes, their mouths dry, unable to resist licking their lips.

"Lady Mengjiao!"

It was a visual shock, an assault upon the senses—stirring the soul, inflaming the emotions, as if caught in an inescapable dream.

"If only I could share a night of joy with my lady, I would die without regret!" butcher Ma stared greedily at the woman in the crimson coffin, inching ever closer.

"Oh? But do you dare?" Her voice sent a chill through the hearts of the old monk and butcher Ma, as if a cool breeze had swept through their souls. Reason returned, and they understood that this woman was no ordinary beauty but a being of unfathomable power.

Such a being could crush them with but a finger!

"My lady, you grace us with your presence. We are blessed by your favor," the old monk bowed low, his voice filled with reverence and awe.

Butcher Ma fell to his knees, fervently declaring, "I pledge eternal loyalty to you, even if it costs me my vital essence! I shall not hesitate!"

Lu Shiqi smiled gently, her voice crystalline, "Even your lives?"

"Our lives are forever yours, Lady Mengjiao!" butcher Ma replied with burning fervor.

"No need for your essence. As for your lives—so be it." Lu Shiqi laughed, but none could guess at the deadly intent hidden behind that soft smile.

Slowly, she raised her hand and pressed down upon Ma and the others.

In an instant, the air around them seemed to freeze, turning bone-chillingly cold. The rain ceased, replaced by a hundred miles of frozen landscape.

The entire Filial Son Town was sealed in ice.

Cold, frozen, locked, shattered…

It all happened in a blink. The old monk, the butcher Ma, and the old woman were frozen in place, unable to move. Their gazes remained fixed on Lu Shiqi’s face.

They seemed to have forgotten fear and pain; only confusion remained.

A fierce gale swept through, and the three bodies crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

In but a moment, Lu Shiqi had eradicated the evil lurking within Filial Son Town.

Yet she knew—the matter was far from over.