Dread King's Bride

"What are you all doing here?" QingWu swung the flower lantern lightly.

"We're just curious how the Queen plans to help Madam Mu." Situ Jing emerged from behind, his face brimming with enthusiasm. "Wow, this flower lantern is really beautiful, though it looks strangely familiar…"

He blinked, instinctively glancing at Xiao Chenyuan. He recalled that back in the northern border, there was always one day every year when Xiao Chenyuan would make a flower lantern—and it seemed to look just like this one. Coincidence?

"If it looks familiar, that's because there was one just like it hanging in this courtyard before," QingWu remarked casually, casting a glance at Xiao Chenyuan.

His expression remained calm, unruffled, as if entirely indifferent. QingWu retracted her gaze and secretly pursed her lips.

"What's the purpose of this lantern?" Situ Jing couldn't contain his curiosity. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't discern what was special about it.

"A soul-binding lantern, for use on the path between yin and yang."

Situ Jing gasped. "You're planning to take Madam Mu on a journey through the underworld to search for a soul?"

QingWu nodded briefly without elaborating. Walking the path of the underworld wasn't uncommon for those in the mystical arts, where the soul departs the body to tread the netherworld. The journey came with countless rules and rituals to follow. However, QingWu wasn't bound by such restrictions. The specific path she intended to take with Mu Ying was rather unique.

"You've come at the right time," she said, handing a talisman to Situ Jing. "After sunset, I'll take Madam Mu to walk the underworld. Tonight, the manor might receive some uninvited guests. Stay near Wang Yulang; when those guests arrive, hand them this talisman."

"You'd better not… look."

But she spoke too late—Situ Jing had already taken a glance. Instantly, his head spun, and he felt as though his very soul was being wrenched from his body. He quickly shut his eyes and steadied his mind, exclaiming, "What's written on this talisman, Your Highness?"

Not only was it incomprehensible, but the feeling of his soul being pulled away left him terrified. QingWu grinned mischievously. "It's a treasure for the living—stare too long, and you'll be reincarnated straight away."

Situ Jing was left speechless. His shoulders felt suddenly heavy. What kind of uninvited guest was this?

Xiao Chenyuan remained silent, though he had also glimpsed the talisman earlier. However, he didn't experience the same intense sensation as Situ Jing. Instead, he felt a strange familiarity from the symbols on the talisman, as though he had seen them somewhere before.

The talisman contained the official writings of the underworld, which ordinary people couldn't understand and, if they tried, would be overwhelmed by the ghostly energy emanating from the characters. QingWu glanced at Xiao Chenyuan and then stood on tiptoe, moving close to him, looking as though she might attempt a surprise kiss.

Xiao Chenyuan didn't pull away but instead raised his hand and pressed her down, as if pushing a newly emerged mole back into its hole. The scene was somewhat comical. Situ Jing chuckled quietly but quickly stifled himself.

Xiao Chenyuan felt the softness under his palm. He instinctively retracted his hand, quickly asking before QingWu could react, "What are you doing?"

QingWu gritted her teeth, pulling him back toward her. "Don't avoid me. Let me take a good look." Her breath came with force, unreasonably filling his chest, and Xiao Chenyuan could once again feel the overpowering sensation of her intrusion. His heart tightened instinctively, and he clenched his fist, his expression darkening. Beneath his calm, a storm brewed as he struggled not to be influenced by the intensity of her aura.

QingWu noticed his reaction, studied his face carefully, and then began calculating something with her fingers. Her expression grew strange.

Situ Jing picked up on the subtle shift and leaned in to ask, "What's wrong with the King's face today? I don't see anything unusual."

QingWu pressed her lips together. "From his face, your King will encounter an opportunity today. If he seizes it, fortune will come."

Xiao Chenyuan raised an eyebrow. Situ Jing immediately thought of the forty hundred thousand taels of 'dowry' and the starving soldiers in the northern border. He blurted out, "Could it be that the King is planning to relent tonight and serve the Queen? Maybe if she's in a good mood, she'll reward him with a few hundred thousand taels to spend freely?"

Two waves of killing intent closed in on Situ Jing from both sides.

"Want tens of hundreds thousands of taels for a single night's sleep? Does your King's flesh grow from gold?"

"Talk nonsense again, and cut off your own tongue!"

Both QingWu and Xiao Chenyuan spoke simultaneously. Afterward, their eyes locked. The man's gaze was cold and heavy. "Rest assured, my Queen. I'm not so depraved as to fall for something so trivial as gold and silver."

QingWu snorted. "You have your pride, then don't take this opportunity. Let your soldiers starve and freeze to death in the north."

Seeing that the two were about to argue, Situ Jing quickly apologized and muttered under his breath, "But Your Highness, you used to act like this towards the King, didn't you…"

QingWu huffed. "Stubborn man. You just can't be spoiled!"

She was the one who had to tolerate Xiao Chenyuan all day, with his cold, hard expression, always doubting, testing, and scheming. Who didn't have a temper?

QingWu scoffed internally. After all, she wasn't just some ordinary person—she was a ghost! Having been human for so long, she had already done her best to suppress her ghostly temper.

Situ Jing quickly signaled to Xiao Chenyuan with his eyes, his hands raised in surrender. "Your Highness, for the sake of our northern border soldiers, please…"

Xiao Chenyuan had never been one to pamper anyone in his life, except for children. He strode into the room, and moments later, emerged with a brush in hand. He took the lantern from QingWu and lightly touched the tip of the brush to the paper. An iris bloomed on the lantern. This iris was identical to the one QingWu had drawn on the carriage yesterday.

Her eyes lit up as she glanced at Xiao Chenyuan, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile. She murmured, "Old tricks."

After all these years, he still only knew the same methods to charm her. She took the lantern back, adding, "Let me be clear: whether the opportunity works out or not depends on you. If the fortune comes, I want thirty percent!"

Xiao Chenyuan squinted at her. "I'll give you fifty percent."

QingWu beamed, her joy apparent. "Your Highness is generous! Truly a real man!"

Situ Jing stood there, dumbfounded. Though he didn't know how much fortune was involved, he was already starting to feel for his King. Xiao Chenyuan, you can't be this much of a 'man'!

QingWu turned to Xiao Chenyuan again, "Then tonight, you'll walk the yinyang path with me."

Situ Jing snapped out of his daze, his face pale with sweat. "Wait, My Queen, you're saying this opportunity of fortune is on the yin-yang road? Are you sure it's not… dead people's wealth?"