Dread King's Bride

After transferring the life force, QingWu stood up, brushing off her sleeves. Her gaze swept over the temple, lingering on the broken statue at the altar.

"Let's not waste any more time here. Take Wang Yulang and leave this place," she commanded the black-armored guards, her tone firm and decisive.

The black-armored guards quickly responded, carefully lifting the boy. Situ Jing, still somewhat pale, glanced at the boy before stepping closer to QingWu.

"My Queen, the child's life is temporarily saved, but his soul is still fragile. If something happens again…"

"Then it will depend on his own fate." QingWu's tone was cold as she interrupted him. Her gaze turned to Xiao Chenyuan, a faint smile playing on her lips. "But with your King here, who would dare test that fate?"

Situ Jing shivered at her words, swallowing his intended protest.

As they prepared to leave, QingWu paused at the temple's entrance. She looked over her shoulder at the crumbling statue. "Burn it," she said quietly, her voice carrying a strange weight.

The black-armored guards hesitated momentarily before one of them stepped forward to carry out the order.

"Why burn it?" Situ Jing couldn't help but ask.

"It's not what it seems. This temple has already been tainted," QingWu explained simply, turning her back to the statue as flames began to rise. "A false god isn't worth preserving."

Finding Wang Yulang's physical body brought a fleeting relief to QingWu. As for the King's borrowed vitality, she thought it could be replenished with some close proximity later and a dose or two of tonic prescribed by Situ Jing. Problem solved.

However, the Judge's Brush buzzed incessantly in her mind, rebuking her. "You've done it again! Using Xiao Chenyuan's vitality to deceive the Life and Death Register—if they find out, there will be consequences!"

QingWu responded nonchalantly, "So punish me then! It's not like I'm afraid."

The Brush protested, "You may not fear, but I do! I don't want to be thrown into the Inferno Hall for punishment!"

"Come on, you've been burned so many times already. What's the big deal? You can't die from it anyway. Compared to Avici Hell, what's Inferno Hall?" QingWu dismissed it outright, ignoring further chatter.

When borrowing vitality from Xiao Chenyuan, she'd inadvertently touched his soul and discovered something alarming—his life destiny had been tampered with! Yet, this wasn't the time to bring it up, not when the place was swarming with people. She decided to wait until they were alone to discuss it.

Just then, a Black Armored Guard dragged something into the room. To her surprise, it was a living mountain demons. The creature's legs and abdomen were pierced by arrows, leaving it incapacitated. The skull that had once adorned its head was removed, revealing a grotesque, monkey-like visage with its tongue and jaw cruelly mutilated.

"You actually caught a live one?" QingWu asked, astonished.

The guard grinned with pride. "The King shot it! There were others he killed with a single arrow too."

QingWu turned to Xiao Chenyuan, her eyes glimmering with admiration. This man had been a prodigy in archery and horseback riding since his youth, but she hadn't anticipated his skills to have reached such a remarkable level.

Suddenly, she realized Xiao Chenyuan was also gazing at her. This time, however, his gaze felt different—like an ancient frozen lake finally breaking open, revealing the warmth hidden beneath its icy depths.

"What do you think should be done with it?"

"Kill it. Burn the body. These mountain demons have caused enough harm—they've eaten humans before."

The Black Armored Guards froze at her words. Someone hesitated, then spoke, "I thought so earlier… The skulls these mountain demons wear as masks—are they human?"

QingWu nodded. "Indeed. mountain demons enjoy tormenting humans, and their favorite prey is children."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. "No wonder this mountain is called Shiying Mountain."

Xiao Chenyuan frowned. "But there are no villages near this mountain." That begged the question—where had the children, whose skulls now served as masks for the mountain demons, come from?

QingWu's beautiful eyes gleamed with a chilling light. "Unless someone has been deliberately feeding children to these mountain demons." Her mind flickered to the ghostly children she had seen in the spirit mirror. She looked up at the dilapidated shrine, her gaze sharp. "You should know better than anyone what has truly transpired on this mountain, shouldn't you?"

Her sudden remark left everyone baffled. "Who is the Queen speaking to?" someone whispered, instinctively glancing around.

Situ Jing's eyes widened as realization struck him. Could it be…? He turned to stare at the shrine.

A gust of night wind swept into the temple, carrying a mournful wail that sounded almost like sobbing.

"Your spiritual consciousness has withered to this extent?" QingWu murmured, her tone calm. Tilting her head in thought, she addressed the group, "Does anyone have incense or spirit money?"

The Black Armored Guards exchanged helpless looks. They were warriors who carried swords and knives—who would carry such things?

"I… I have some." A reluctant voice broke the silence—it was the Elderly Attendant.

QingWu chuckled, her laughter carrying a hint of teasing. The Elderly Attendant blushed furiously, his face turning beet red as he gritted his teeth and produced two sticks of incense from his robes. The other guards around him exchanged amused, knowing looks.

QingWu stifled a laugh. "Hah, I knew it. This little guy is so terrified of ghosts that he keeps offerings on hand at all times!"

The Elderly Attendant, overwhelmed with embarrassment, placed the incense down and bolted outside. Situ Jing quickly picked up the incense, eagerly handing it to QingWu. His sycophantic demeanor drew a few sideways glances, even earning a meaningful look from Xiao Chenyuan.

"Xiao Chenyuan, light the candles for this mountain," QingWu said softly. "Help it."

"Alright." Xiao Chenyuan took the incense. Though he didn't believe in ghosts or gods, this time, he was willing to make an exception. He lit the wicks, placing the incense before the shrine. An almost imperceptible change followed—a subtle warmth seemed to replace the mountain's chilling wind, and the temple felt less desolate. The flickering candlelight cast a glow over the damaged clay statue, giving it a faint aura of divinity.

Faintly, Xiao Chenyuan thought he heard a whisper near his ear: "Thank you..." His eyes flickered briefly in reaction.

QingWu spoke, her voice ethereal, as if narrating a story: "A mountain with a spirit blesses the people. This mountain wasn't always called Shiying Mountain. A group of people raised mountain demons here, corrupting its sanctity. Over time, the mountain's name changed to Shiying Mountain, a name like a shackle. The more it was spoken, the greater the fear it invoked, further weakening the mountain spirit's strength. Its divinity was stolen, its sacred aura lost. The mountain spirit could no longer suppress the mountain demons, and its temple was destroyed."

Her words captivated the group, blurring the line between tale and truth.

Situ Jing snapped out of his reverie, realization dawning on him. "Could it be that the mountain spirit hid Wang Yulang beneath the shrine?"

He had wondered before—how had such a small child survived among the mountain demons without being devoured? QingWu nodded in confirmation.

Xiao Chenyuan's gaze shifted slightly. "Are there still mountain demons left on this mountain?"

"Even if there are, they've probably fled by now," QingWu replied with a pout. "However, we should destroy their lair. Leaving the bones of those poor children on the mountain isn't right—it'll only attract more spirits and wild creatures."

Xiao Chenyuan nodded, and a few Black-Armored Guards stepped forward, ready to carry out the task.

"Wait," QingWu called out. "Those going to recover the bones, come here first. I'll cast a charm on you. The mountain demons are cunning and adept at bewitching people, but as long as you're not deceived, you can take them down in one strike."

The Black-Armored Guards who had accompanied Xiao Chenyuan up the mountain hesitated, but those who had already witnessed QingWu's abilities scrambled forward.

"Your Highness! Me, me, me! I'll go first!"

"And me too!"

The vein on Xiao Chenyuan's temple twitched. "Shut up!" he barked. The rowdy guards immediately quieted.

Half an hour later, the group of men stood looking at each other, unable to laugh at the beauty marks now adorning their rugged, soot-streaked faces.

Xiao Chenyuan couldn't bear to look at them anymore. These fools were utterly disgraceful. Some Black-Armored Guards stayed behind to clean up the mountain, while the others followed Xiao Chenyuan and QingWu as they descended.

Navigating the mountain at night was treacherous. Even with torches, the path was hard to see. When QingWu stumbled slightly, she bumped into Xiao Chenyuan's back.

He stopped abruptly and turned around, meeting her gaze. QingWu rubbed her nose, which was now sore from the collision. "You're too tall! You're blocking the light!"

The shadow before her suddenly shrank. QingWu stared in surprise as the man crouched down slightly. His profile, illuminated by the flickering torchlight, was strikingly defined and arrestingly handsome.

"Get on," he said, his tone as cold and stern as ever. But when he met her startled eyes, he paused and softened his voice, almost imperceptibly. "I'll carry you down the mountain."