Under the peony blossoms, to die—and even as a ghost, one remains romantic.
Du Sheng led the guards in gathering up Lu Caiying's corpse. Early in the morning, they left the desolate lodging. Along the way, conversations erupted, full of speculation and conjecture. It was only when Du Sheng sternly commanded them to remain silent that, for a ti, the chatter subsided.
Yet the thoughts they accumulated brewed in their hearts, eventually spilling out in exaggerated tales.
Adding embellishnts while drinking and playing dice was inevitable; before long, no one would believe the narrative Du Sheng had tried to construct.
Such secrets invariably grew increasingly fantastical with each retelling.
Who could say whether so sensational supernatural accounts might claim that Lu Caiying's unyielding vitality broke the spirit of a female ghost, causing her to scatter her soul? Or perhaps so tragic romance would erge: a handso man and a beautiful maiden, parted by life and death, with Lu Caiying venturing into the underworld in search of her, only to find his beloved no longer present on the other side...
eting by chance, Chen Yi cared little for the fa or infamy of the living or the dead—he was simply performing rites of passage.
At dawn, only the two of them remained in the barren lodging.
Yin Tingxue sat on a chair, chin resting on her palm, seemingly lost in deep thought.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Yi turned his head and asked with a smile.
"Are we going to deal with the Gu Huo Bird later?"
"When it cos to eradicating evil, we must do so thoroughly. I'll be counting on you."
Mystic Dream Soul Travel, as Miss Shen had described, had already been verified by divination. Based on this, Yin Tingxue would serve as bait, venturing between realms—a chance for her to gain so experience.
Chen Yi instructed, "I'll tie the soul-binding rope to you. When the Gu Huo Bird pulls you into its lair, don't be afraid. Once I know the location, I'll rush over imdiately. The book describes how to deal with it—just follow those instructions."
Yin Tingxue nodded slightly, remaining silent.
Chen Yi, always sensitive, noticed sothing amiss and asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"
"…A little." She hesitated briefly but ultimately admitted.
Chen Yi found this strange. Between yesterday and today, nothing had happened that could cause distress...
Yin Tingxue furrowed her delicate brows. The kind-hearted girl had thoughts buried in her heart but struggled with whether to voice them or not.
Saying sothing might feel like nitpicking, but silence left discomfort lingering.
Chen Yi pondered briefly, forming a hand seal as his lips softly murmured a spell.
Opening the Eye...
Yin Tingxue raised her gaze, deciding against speaking, only to see Chen Yi suddenly lean close. Startled, she jumped.
Chen Yi grabbed her small hand and asked, "Are you thinking that my killing those two ghosts was too cruel?"
Yin Tingxue, half suspicious and half amazed, responded, "How did you know?"
Chen Yi gestured to his eyes, and Yin Tingxue finally noticed the faint golden glow within them, realizing the truth.
"You opened your Eye to look at …"
Yin Tingxue reacted with a hint of reproach, cheeks flushing instantly. Being seen through so entirely evoked a peculiar and uncomfortable feeling.
"Why? You can listen to , but I can't look at you?" Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and teased.
"You can. Speaking of it, one uses eyes, the other ears,"
The logic was sound. In hindsight, she agreed, softly muttering:
"Then we really do match well together."
"Ha, you've got a way with words."
Even though he knew she often aligned herself with his perspectives, Chen Yi couldn't help indulging in her complint. His tone softened as he said, "I understand what you're thinking. It's not that you believe those ghosts didn't deserve to die; you simply don't want to see kill or exorcise them. 'A gentleman, witnessing the life of birds and beasts, cannot bear to watch their death.'"
Yin Tingxue slightly nodded. Chen Yi had hit the mark.
From a young age, she had studied Buddhist scriptures alongside her mother, naturally fostering compassion. Long sheltered within the Prince Mansion, her life was placid and unperturbed. Even after becoming Chen Yi's concubine, she often stayed at ho, shielded from harm.
This disposition was one reason why Chen Yi refrained from teaching her swordsmanship—he couldn't set his mind at ease.
But while rivers change course with ti, intrinsic nature rarely does. Hoping Yin Tingxue would shift her temperant seed implausible. After so deliberation, Chen Yi smiled and said, "In truth, the power over life and death may seem to rest in my hands, but it really doesn't."
"What do you an?" Yin Tingxue asked curiously.
"If, out of fleeting rcy, I spared them, only to have them harm others in the future, it would bring nothing but sin—false compassion. Do you think I have the ability to let them live without enabling them to cause harm? No. That's why I killed them. I'm too weak; killing is the only option. If I could spare them, prevent them from harming anyone, and inspire genuine remorse and redemption, I naturally wouldn't need to kill."
Upon hearing this, Yin Tingxue's eyes initially filled with confusion. After careful contemplation, clarity dawned.
In the Heart Lake hidden within her soul's reflection, mist rose and spread in gentle ripples. Shortly after, the waters quieted, far calr than before—not entirely still like an ancient well, but no longer easily stirred.
It seed she had relinquished so of her compassion.
...…
Within the desolate lodging, Chen Yi sought another room where he drew an array with his brush.
Yin Tingxue sat cross-legged at its center.
Chen Yi pinched a talisman between his fingers and began walking the celestial steps.
Golden dots of light spread outward, encircling the array's periter. Since Dream Soul Travel allowed the Gu Huo Bird to lure a child's soul from their body unknowingly, the reverse approach—Yin Tingxue willingly separating her soul—could bait the Gu Huo Bird directly.
When it entered the lair with no escape route, Chen Yi would follow its trail and capture it in one sweep.
Yin Tingxue's perspective began to shift. Her eyes first displayed a hazy, kaleidoscopic view, colors blending into one another. As the hues gradually dispersed, she looked down to see another "Yin Tingxue" seated cross-legged within the array.
She couldn't suppress a look of fascination.
Chen Yi waved at her warmly and smiled.
As he waved, golden threads erged from his fingertips, tethering themselves to Yin Tingxue's soul-bound wrist. In an instant, the thread shrank into invisibility, leaving only a faint golden seal.
With all preparations complete, Yin Tingxue cautiously floated outside the window and began her journey into the desolate mountains.
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