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Ji Hengyu’s jade fan stopped just a few inches from the back of her neck.
His gaze pierced through the deep, oppressive darkness, reaching into the depths of twilight.
There, lurking in the shadows, was a presence waiting to deliver a fatal blow.
Clearly, this wasn’t an opportune moment to strike.
The scent of blood would quickly spread, attracting more demons—and in his current state, he doubted he could handle them.
Ji Hengyu’s lowered lashes quivered faintly. After a moment of deliberation, he retracted the fan and suppressed his killing intent.
Sang Li remained completely unaware that she had narrowly escaped death.
By now, she had finished carving the characters.
She discarded the piece of charcoal, her fingers stained black and dirty.
As she hesitated over how to clean her hands, she was suddenly startled by Ji Hengyu, who had appeared behind her without notice.
Sang Li steadied herself and hastily wiped her hands on her skirt: “Lord Ji?”
Ji Hengyu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, “Mm.”
Sang Li looked him up and down, feeling something was off. After a moment’s thought, she suggested: “Perhaps we should find a place to rest for the night and wait until tomorrow to search for the location mentioned in the letter. What do you think, Lord Ji?”
Ji Hengyu: “It’s fine either way.”
Why was he suddenly so agreeable?
Sang Li pursed her lips: “On our way here, I noticed a relatively intact house further back. Shall we go there for now?”
Ji Hengyu gave a slight nod, indicating his consent.
After nightfall, Wanshui Prefecture grew even more desolate.
Faint ghostly flames floated everywhere, illuminating the lonely city, while the air was thick with ominous miasma.
One thing still puzzled Sang Li.
Lin Xiang’er had mentioned the golden crow and the moon phase in her letter. Presumably, the golden crow referred to the sun, and the moon phase corresponded to the moon—but from morning till night, they hadn’t seen the sun or the moon.
So where exactly were the “sun” and “moon” she referred to? It was a mystery.
Lost in thought, the two arrived at the house.
Compared to the surrounding ruins, this residence was only missing half a wall, and aside from being old, the door was still intact.
To be cautious, Sang Li tossed a stone inside first.
The stone hit the ground with a dull thud, rolled a few times, and then all was silent.
It seemed safe.
She pushed the door open.
Creak—
The wooden door groaned under the strain.
She poked her head in first. It was a traditional quadrangle courtyard, but the atmosphere was lifeless. The ancient tree planted in the yard had long since died, its branches dry and drooping like those of an aging elder.
“Lord Ji, there are no monsters here.”
Sang Li happily informed Ji Hengyu.
Aware of her position and knowing full well that he wouldn’t lift a finger to help, she took the initiative to tidy up a relatively clean room without waiting for his instructions.
The night was cold, and Sang Li considered starting a fire for warmth, but Ji Hengyu stopped her.
“Be careful not to attract monsters.”
Had he not reminded her, she might have forgotten.
Animals were naturally drawn to light, and demons were no exception.
With no other choice, she abandoned the idea of a fire and rummaged through cupboards to find some moldy blankets, which she laid out on the floor. In the past, she might have turned her nose up at such things, but now, anything that provided warmth was welcome.
“Lord Ji, you can sleep on the bed, and I’ll stay by your feet.”
She was utterly exhausted after the day’s events.
Her forehead felt hot again—it might be a fever recurring—but based on her previous experiences with colds, a good night’s sleep should help.
Sang Li lay down fully clothed and fell asleep almost immediately.
Ji Hengyu, however, wasn’t as carefree as her.
Throughout their journey, the discomfort in his body had intensified exponentially.
His chest hurt terribly.
He could even feel the tiny, intrusive thing wreaking havoc within his heart meridian, yet he was powerless to stop it.
From his blood to his limbs, Ji Hengyu was overwhelmed with agitation.
The sense of irritation spread from the crown of his head all the way to his dantian. This feeling was vaguely familiar, reminiscent of…
The first time he was poisoned by the Mandala Love Toxin.
Thinking of that absurd night, Ji Hengyu’s mood plummeted to its lowest point.
In five thousand years, he had always been adept at enduring, but that one instance was the only time he had ever lost control.
He sat cross-legged, adjusted his breathing, and silently recited the mantra for calming the mind.
“Cold for thousands of years, all things are still; my heart must be calm, my spirit solitary…”①
With his eyes closed, his heart suddenly convulsed.
In the darkness, he saw a red web enveloping his heart. The web expanded wider and wider, and within it lay a tiny seed, slumbering.
A vein on his forehead twitched violently, and large beads of sweat slowly trickled down his brow.
His breathing became erratic, his heart unstable, and desire began to consume him.
Still, Ji Hengyu did not stop chanting.
“Mind and spirit as one, qi following naturally; if there is space between, ten thousand changes will not disturb…”②
The red web resembled a spider’s silk.
His heart was like prey trapped within, beating frantically yet unable to escape.
The seed began to grow, forming two translucent, sacred leaves.
He didn’t know what it was.
Encased in vivid red, it was both pure and immaculate, yet also layered with sinful desires.
“No ignorance, no anger; no desire, no pursuit; no giving, no abandoning; no action, no self.”③
With a sudden flash, Ji Hengyu abruptly opened his eyes.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
It was the sound of his heartbeat.
Each beat was heavier and more oppressive than the last.
His breaths were hot and chaotic.
His eyes were filled with a crimson mist. Though his face remained cold and composed, his burning gaze resembled that of a wild beast driven mad by thirst.
Something surged violently into his mind.
A voice took control of him—
“Sang Li, Sang Li…”
Sang Li.
That tender voice gently restrained his rationality, coaxing him to rise and approach the sleeping figure nearby.
The main worm… was within her.
If this were a parent-child curse, killing the host of the parent worm would cause the child worm inside him to die as well.
Before the child worm fully matured, he had to kill her.
He had no choice but to kill her.
[Love her... Go and love her...]
[Kill her...]
[Love her...]
[Kill her...]
Two voices argued and circled in his mind.
Reality and illusion blurred before his eyes; Ji Hengyu could no longer distinguish whether what he heard was an auditory hallucination or a manifestation of his inner demons.
His towering shadow completely enveloped Sang Li, who lay on the ground.
From above, he stared at her intently without blinking. Beneath his long lashes, his eyes were filled with ferocity and unpredictable danger.
Sang Li remained oblivious to everything.
In truth, she hadn’t been sleeping soundly. It felt as if she were caught between ice and fire—sometimes cold, sometimes hot. Her chest ached fiercely one moment, and the next, her head buzzed incessantly.
The symptoms resembled a severe cold, but they were a hundred times worse.
Her chest grew hotter and hotter.
Restlessly, she turned over and tugged at the collar of her shirt, trying to loosen it.
Beneath her fair skin, the faint shape of a red flower-like pattern glowed dimly, blooming vividly beneath her flesh.
Ji Hengyu gazed at the mysterious glow, slowly extending his hand toward her…
At that moment, Sang Li finally woke up.
She groggily opened her eyes halfway, her breaths quick and scorching. The room was dark, making it difficult for her to see Ji Hengyu’s expression. In this darkness, the peril became even more pronounced.
His figure almost blended into the ink-black surroundings, but Sang Li clearly saw those crimson eyes, unchanged from before.
Her heart sank.
Sang Li scrambled clumsily to avoid him.
“Lord Ji… What’s wrong with you?”
Sang Li staggered to her feet, unsteady on her feet, nearly falling again.
As her words trailed off, her heart stabbed with pain once more.
Sang Li winced, letting out a muffled groan of agony. Ji Hengyu continued to approach her. Clenching her lower lip, she stumbled toward the door.
Her instincts screamed at her—to run.
Slam!!!
A large hand pressed heavily against the door, forcing it shut just as she had managed to open a small crack.
That hand was undeniably beautiful.
The wrist was strong, the fingertips pale, and each knuckle stood out distinctly against the door. The veins on the back of his hand strained with tension, highlighting its power.
“Sang Li, Sang Sang…”
He leaned close to her ear, calling her name and a nickname no one else had ever used. His voice carried a hint of laughter.
But something was off.
The tenderness and affection in Ji Hengyu’s tone contrasted sharply with the danger and coldness in his gaze.
She could barely stand upright anymore.
Her fingers painfully clutched at the fabric of her shirt, each breath causing her pain.
“Lord Ji, please come to your senses…” Sang Li’s voice was hoarse, her eyes gradually reddening under the influence of the insect.
Suddenly, she felt a cool sensation on her cheek.
His hand had touched her.
The pad of his fingers was cold, like that of a reptile, crawling slowly across her face like a tiny venomous snake, instantly raising goosebumps all over her body.
“Sang Li, you can blame me for my indiscretion.”
Sang Li’s pupils trembled, unease urging her to flee.
But her legs felt as though they weren’t her own, rooted firmly to the ground.
He covered her eyes with one hand.
A suffocating darkness engulfed her. In the deep shadows, her physical sensations became extraordinarily acute.
He raised his other hand, tracing her slender neck with his fingers, causing her entire body to shudder. The burning sensation in her chest intensified threefold.
When his fingertips reached her chest, his five smooth, rounded nails suddenly elongated and sharpened. Ji Hengyu spoke, his voice clear and calm: “I’m sorry, but I must kill you.”
His palm was cold; his breath against her was warm.
The gentle yet chilling sound washed over her ears.
Her chest thudded dully, and in an instant, something seemed to pierce through her.
At that moment, he removed his hand.
Before Sang Li could fully process the intimacy of the previous moment, she was thrust into another wave of emotion.
She looked down, unable to believe her eyes as she gazed at the hand that had pierced her chest.
He hadn’t hesitated at all. Sang Li could feel that just another inch deeper would reach her heart, and he would crush it into pieces in an instant.
Why was he doing this?
Was he insane?
Yes, he was mad.
She shouldn’t have trusted him from the start. She was foolish, naive, applying the logic of her modern world to this place and to him.
Sang Li opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but only a dry silence came out.
Tears streamed down her cheeks in large drops, indistinguishable between fear and the unwillingness to die once more.
She was suffocating.
With trembling hands, Sang Li gripped the wrist that had pierced her chest. Her palms were cold, and as tears fell, her bloodshot eyes lifted to meet his.
Finally, gritting her teeth—
She drew the dagger from her waistband and, with all her strength, plunged it into his heart.
The blade sank entirely, the sound of the sharp weapon piercing flesh echoing clearly.
Ji Hengyu withdrew his hand, clutching his chest as he staggered back two steps.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His palm was still stained with the warm, wet blood from Sang Li’s wound. Blood dripped steadily from his fingertips, staining his blue robe with crimson.
The Lover’s Gu still raged within him.
Ji Hengyu fought desperately to suppress it, refusing to let it fully take control of his mind. His eyes, now tinged with desire, were clear yet also stunned.
He stared blankly at Sang Li, who stood just a few steps away.
She held the blood-soaked dagger, its tip pointed at him, her trembling body still weeping.
Ji Hengyu clearly saw the bloody hole in her chest, made by his five fingers, slowly healing.
How… was this possible?
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