Dread King's Bride

At the Dread King's Manor, Situ Jing followed QingWu's instructions to the letter, staying by Xiao Yulang's side. He nervously held a tortoiseshell in one hand, occasionally casting divinations. With each cast, his expression grew more grim, his back drenched in sweat. Every omen pointed to grave misfortune. Wiping his forehead, he muttered under his breath, "This QingWu granny wasn't kidding—this uninvited guest might actually be a ghost."

Judging by the signs, Situ Jing felt his chances of survival tonight were slim. He wanted to cry. Back then, he had abandoned the study of metaphysics for medicine precisely because he sought safety. Yet trouble still found him!

As he scanned the room, every shadowed corner appeared suspicious, and a chill crept over him. Determined to face whatever came, he pulled out a small vial. It contained cow's tears, said to grant sight into the spirit world when applied to one's eyes.

He tipped the bottle and dabbed some onto his eyelids. A wave of chilling air washed over him as he opened his eyes—and nearly stopped his heart.

A pair of lifeless black eyes stared straight into his, mere inches away. The figure hung upside down like a bat, eerily still, as though it had been watching him for some time.

Situ Jing's hair stood on end. Using the last shred of his sanity, he refrained from screaming and instead shakily pulled a talisman from his robes.

Smack! He slapped it onto the ghost's forehead without a second thought and bolted.

"Ahhh! A ghost! A ghost!!!" His wails pierced the night as he sprinted out of the courtyard.

Just as QingWu and her group stepped out from the Yin-Yang Road, they were greeted by Situ Jing's panicked cries.

Seeing QingWu, Situ Jing looked as though he'd seen his savior. Arms outstretched, he ran toward her like a child calling for his mother. "Your Majesty! Sob…"

Suddenly, a black chain shot out from behind him, aiming to wrap around his neck.

QingWu leapt forward, kicking Situ Jing aside and grabbing the chain barehanded. At the same time, Xiao Chenyuan drew his sword with lightning speed, ready to sever the chain just as he had on the Yin-Yang Road.

"Xiao Chenyuan, stop!" QingWu shouted abruptly.

The blade halted mere inches from the chain. Xiao Chenyuan's gaze questioned her as he held his stance.

QingWu sighed in exasperation and turned to Situ Jing. "What on earth did you do?"

Disheveled and covered in dirt, Situ Jing sat up, spitting out soil and looking utterly wronged. "I didn't do anything! I was nearly scared to death—a ghost was right in my face, so I slapped the talisman you gave me on its forehead!"

QingWu: "…"

Judgment Brush: "…"

How polite of him?

That talisman was no ordinary charm; it bore the Yin Official's Seal written by QingWu. Infused with her authority, it was meant to ward off lesser spirits. She had anticipated a ghost emissaries arriving to claim Xiao Yulang's soul and had given the talisman to Situ Jing to scare it away—not to slap it directly onto the ghost!

A regular ghost struck by such a talisman would have been obliterated. However…

The fact that this ghost wasn't destroyed could only mean… it wasn't just any ordinary emissaries.

Judgment Brush spoke with a grim tone. "Ah Wu, I have a bad feeling about this. That chain—it looks so familiar…"

QingWu cut him off. "No feelings, please. Your instincts are always spot-on when they spell disaster!"

Sure enough, a cold, eerie voice slithered along the chain, reaching only QingWu's ears.

"Well, well, Granny, if you don't take back that Yin Official's Seal right now, I swear I'll make a scene!"

Hearing that voice, QingWu felt her teeth ache instantly.

Situ Jing asked nervously, "Your Majesty, what do we do now?"

"I'll go in and take a look," replied QingWu. Just as she turned to leave, a firm hand clasped her arm. She looked up to see Xiao Chenyuan frowning deeply. His thin lips were pressed into a tight line, clearly disapproving of her decision to go in alone.

"It's fine—it's a... familiar ghost," QingWu reassured him.

Only then did Xiao Chenyuan release her arm, though he added, "If anything happens, call for me."

QingWu gave a slight nod, a smile flickering in her eyes, and strode into the room. Inside, she saw a "misfortunate ghost" hanging upside down, the talisman she had given Situ Jing firmly plastered on its forehead. She stepped forward and peeled it off, allowing the ghost to drift to the ground.

The figure wore a mourning crown, his features elegant yet eerily ethereal, with a crimson thread running through his brow. His fine, sharp features were matched with half-closed, lifeless eyes, exuding an oppressive gloom. Dressed in flowing black robes woven from concentrated ghostly energy, an inscription of "Night Patrol" glowed faintly on his chest—an unmistakable mark of his identity as the Night Wanderer of the Underworld.

In the hierarchy of the Underworld, the Emperor of Hades reigned supreme, followed by the Ten Kings of Hell. Beneath them were the Day Wanderer and Night Wanderer, each holding a unique and troublesome status. As a fated official of the Underworld, QingWu already held a peculiar position, but even in that world, few welcomed the meddling presence of the Night Wanderer.

"I didn't realize just how idle you've become," QingWu remarked coldly. "So idle you're interfering in a soul-reaping mission?"

The Night Wanderer stared at her with lifeless eyes. "If I weren't so idle, how would I have discovered someone tampering with the Book of Life and Death? Someone trying to bring a soul back to the mortal world?"

A sardonic smile spread across QingWu's face. She lazily twirled the talisman between her fingers. "Oh? So what now? Planning to report me?"

She stepped forward, forcing the Night Wanderer to retreat. His deadpan expression now carried a faint hint of grievance. "You sneaky little ghost! Sneaking up to the mortal realm without me, letting someone slap me with a talisman—you've left my ghostly heart cold and bitter~"

QingWu felt her teeth ache from his whining. She glared at him. "Enough nonsense. Mind your own business and stop meddling in mine."

The Night Wanderer scoffed. "If you want me to turn a blind eye, you'll have to pay the price."

QingWu narrowed her eyes at him, her lips curling into a cold smile. The Night Wanderer's expression instantly changed, and he turned to flee, but the soul-reaping chain in her hand snapped around his ankles, yanking him to the ground with a loud thud.

He landed face-first in a rather undignified heap. QingWu gracefully stepped onto his back, and the Night Wanderer emitted a mixture of pain and pleasure through a groan. His lifeless eyes sparkled with mischief as he exclaimed, "Oh dear! Oh my! My dear apparition, it seems your affection for me knows no bounds! We have barely reunited, and yet you are already displaying such eagerness for physical contact~!"

"You're actually enjoying this? Shall I make it even cozier for you?" QingWu sneered as a ghostly lantern appeared in her hand, its eerie glow casting long shadows on the walls.

The Night Wanderer's smug grin vanished, his face paling. He straightened up immediately, his tone conciliatory. "Ah, QingWu, what are you doing? Surely, we can talk this out. Put down the ghostly lantern, and let's remain... good friends."

"Oh? Then let me ask you, good friend," QingWu said, her gaze darkening with killing intent. The oppressive authority of her Underworld title made the Night Wanderer's very bones tremble. "As Night Wanderer, your duty is to patrol the mortal realm, discerning good from evil. Yet, mortals are colluding with ghosts, slaughtering children, stealing souls, and harboring wild spirits. And you—what have you been doing? Eating too much idle rice and forgetting your responsibilities? Or are you in cahoots with those parasites in the Underworld? Do you have a share in this?"

The carefree smile on the Night Wanderer's face disappeared, his half-closed eyes snapping open, flashing dangerously. "Is that a serious accusation?"

QingWu leaned over him, her smile cold and merciless as she pressed down harder with her foot. "Feigning ignorance, are you? If you're not involved, how is it such a coincidence that the moment I save this child's soul, you appear?"

The Night Wanderer dropped his playful demeanor, his tone solemn as he swore, "By my ghostly existence, if I had any part in this, may I be cast into the deepest pit of Hell, never to reincarnate!"

As his ghostly oath reverberated, his spectral aura roiled around him. QingWu gave him another kick for good measure. The Night Wanderer rolled to the side, attempting to rise, but her icy voice froze him in place. "Did I say you could get up? Kneel!"

With a loud thud, he dropped to his knees, spine straight as a rod. QingWu glared down at him, her voice dripping with disdain. "The mortal and ghostly realms are supposed to remain distinct, yet chaos is brewing between them. And you, Night Wanderer, seem to have plenty of free time on your hands. If you can't figure this out, then you might as well stop calling yourself Night Wanderer. Go shovel filth in the Pit of Hell—it'd save the Underworld a few wages!"

The Night Wanderer's pale face turned even whiter as he sulked, his mourning crown drooping pathetically. "Wahh~ QingWu, you're so mean~"

Her sharp gaze pinned him, her lips curling into a smirk that sent chills down his spine. He quickly straightened up and said obediently, "I'll investigate this at once!"

"Whoever dared to smuggle souls right under my nose—I'll make sure they regret it!" he swore vehemently, his aura flaring before his eyes narrowed again. "But, QingWu, is this why you came to the mortal realm? I couldn't help but notice... they called you the Queen just now."

QingWu rested her chin on her hand, smiling lazily. "Are you sure you want to meddle in my affairs?"

The Night Wanderer froze, blinking, before waving dismissively. "No, no! Not at all! I'll come find you during the day!" With that, he vanished in a puff of ghostly smoke, disappearing without a trace.

Once he was gone, the Judge's Pen spoke up. "That unlucky ghost is going to cause trouble from now on."

"He's a curse, no doubt about it!" QingWu chuckled, her lips curling mischievously. "But even curses can be redirected."

Whether mortal or ghost, anyone crossing paths with the Night Wanderer was bound to have bad luck. But when it came to "redirecting bad luck" and finding creative uses for the Night Wanderer, no one in heaven or earth was as adept as QingWu.