Chapter Thirty-Seven: Intentions

Outside the main gate of the cell corridor, this scene was witnessed clearly by Duan Lingqi, who was peering through the white paper bars of the cell. He heard every word as well.

The Judge of Ghosts did not come.

But the Ox-Head, Horse-Face, Rakshasa, and Yaksha would be here soon. Should he wake this human woman?

Duan Lingqi glanced back at Xi Chunxue, who was sitting cross-legged. Fortunately, his mind was not so rigid. He stretched out his flood dragon claw and tapped Xi Chunxue's brow three times in succession.

These three taps left a red mark between her brows.

Xi Chunxue furrowed her brows, her eyelids trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was dull for a moment before she gradually recovered her senses.

"The Judge of Ghosts is here?"

Xi Chunxue rubbed the center of her brow and looked up at Duan Lingqi in front of her.

"He came, but also didn't come," Duan Lingqi replied after some thought.

Xi Chunxue still hadn't found any record of those two monsters’ origins in the Mountain Granary Book Pavilion. Moreover, Duan Lingqi's three taps were rather forceful; her brow still throbbed faintly.

"You wicked flood dragon, since when did you start using Zen riddles like the monks? Did he come or not?"

Duan Lingqi's vague words were wearing on her patience, and her tone sharpened.

Seeing Xi Chunxue's irritation, Duan Lingqi nearly lost his own temper—he was not easy to deal with either. But then he thought, if he had already offended that human man, and now this woman too, would he be left as a lonely, friendless old dragon?

If they were aboveground, he would surely have conjured rain to teach this woman a lesson. But circumstances had changed.

"He came, but just left," Duan Lingqi finally replied, swallowing his temper and trying to be civil.

"Then why did you wake me?" Xi Chunxue now sounded genuinely angry.

The Mountain Granary Book Pavilion had twenty-eight floors; given a little more time, perhaps she could have found a record of those two monsters.

"How ungrateful can you be! I told you—they were here!"

At her questioning, Duan Lingqi could no longer contain his anger. He fell to all fours, his dragon body coiling up, lifting his fierce dragon head as he roared.

Seeing his posture, Xi Chunxue hesitated. Had she misjudged this flood dragon?

"The Judge of Ghosts—is he really here?" she asked, her tone softening.

"I told you, he just left!" Duan Lingqi snapped.

Xi Chunxue stared at the flood dragon, whose true form was slowly revealing itself, his fiendish face baring fangs at her. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to deal with him calmly.

But she no longer needed to ask why he woke her. She had already seen the Ox-Head, Horse-Face, Rakshasa, and Yaksha standing in the cell corridor.

"See! They’re here!" Duan Lingqi exclaimed, as if spotting his saviors, nearly pressing his face against Xi Chunxue.

Xi Chunxue closed her eyes—not to re-enter the Mountain Granary Book Pavilion, but simply because she didn’t want to look at the flood dragon anymore. She truly had nothing left to say.

"Bind them with the Soul-Tying Rope and the Spirit-Locking Shackle," commanded Ox-Head as he opened the cell door, instructing the ghost soldiers in purple robes.

The purple-robed ghosts entered, one holding a coil of green-glimmering rope—the same binding rope that had restrained Duan Lingqi before. In the other hand, he held a blood-red wooden shackle.

Hearing the commotion, Xi Chunxue opened her eyes and glanced at Qu Hancheng, who also opened his right eye.

"Fix," Xi Chunxue intoned, speaking a word of true power toward the Ox-Head, Horse-Face, Rakshasa, and Yaksha outside.

A breath of white mist left her lips, transforming midair into a cloud-shaped talisman. It split into four, each bolt descending like lightning, striking the heads of the Ox-Head, Horse-Face, Rakshasa, and Yaksha.

Duan Lingqi instantly lashed his tail, knocking down all the purple-robed ghosts who had entered.

"Get on!" he urged Xi Chunxue and Qu Hancheng. He was no fool—he realized he couldn't escape alone and needed allies, or at least someone to take the brunt of the chase.

Xi Chunxue didn’t hesitate. She leapt onto the dragon's back and reached a hand toward Qu Hancheng, still leaning against the wall.

"Come," she said quietly.

Qu Hancheng rose without a word, his right eye fixed on Xi Chunxue, while the lid of his left eye trembled, almost opening a sliver.

"What are you waiting for? That soul breath she just used has already cost her at least ten years of life. If you keep stalling, those ten years will be wasted for nothing!" Duan Lingqi urged anxiously, glancing at the immobilized Ox-Head, Horse-Face, Rakshasa, and Yaksha. No one knew how long her immobilization spell would last.

Qu Hancheng looked at Xi Chunxue seated on the dragon's back, her delicate, pale hand extended toward him. He slowly raised his own hand and grasped hers.

"Quickly!" Xi Chunxue pulled him up and patted Duan Lingqi, urging him on.

"Hold tight!" Duan Lingqi's coiled body uncurled, his tail sweeping out. With a furious dragon’s roar, a gale howled through the corridor, sending the souls in other cells scattering in panic.

Clang. The long sword and steel trident crashed to the ground, striking only empty air.

"After them!" Ox-Head took one look at the empty cell, grabbed his steel trident, and dashed after the escaping dragon, who was already nearly out the main corridor door.

Horse-Face picked up his sword, glanced back at Rakshasa and Yaksha, who were still motionless as if frozen, and said nothing before following Ox-Head.

"Do you think with this, Horse-Face will report us to the Judge of Ghosts?" Rakshasa asked, glancing at Yaksha beside him.

"The Judge has already lost the treasured artifact of the Hall of Yama. If he doesn't recover it within a month, he’ll lose his position in North Shadow City. The man who escaped earlier turned my ghostly weapon into a Red Spider Lily with a mere gesture—truly a feat to awe both ghosts and gods. Better to offend the Judge than someone like that. Worst comes to worst, we can serve as ghost officers in another city. The Underworld is vast—where can’t we go? If all else fails, we could find a cave on the shady side of Nether Mountain, feasting on wandering souls. That’s not so bad," Yaksha replied, shaking his head.

"But didn't the Judge say he had already petitioned Lord Cui of the Nether Law Office for a page from the Book of Life and Death? We’d better give chase. If we actually catch them, we don’t need to harm them. If not, the Judge will have no reason to blame us," Rakshasa argued. He had no desire to abandon his position in North Shadow City, especially since he’d heard the Judge intended to have mortals build a temple for him in the living world. With incense offerings, wouldn't that be wonderful?

"Very well," Yaksha nodded, and together they gave chase.