It was only a ten-day journey from the Luoshan Sect to the palace on a fast horse, but the two walked for a month. Along the way, the young man satisfied all the girl’s whims, indulging and pampering her infinitely. Those were the brightest days of Ling Ji’s short life.
Until… the eve of their return to the palace.
It rained heavily that day. Thick clouds obscured the sun, moon and stars, turning the whole world dark. Ling Ji was about to blow out the candles to sleep when she noticed a silhouette outside her window.
“Who is it?” The girl grabbed her Ling Ji Sword and pushed the door of the inn’s room. Then, a lightning bolt streaked across the sky, illuminating the figure in the courtyard. “Brother Luo, why are you standing in the rain? Come in.”
“No.” The young man’s voice was bursting with pain and forbearance, and also of prayer. “Qing Ling, don’t come here.”
“Brother Luo?” The girl was stunned. An ominous premonition suddenly surfaced within her.
“I was going to… to send you back to the palace tomorrow and then no longer appear, but…” Against the rush of rain, the young man lifted his head and looked straight at his beloved girl. “I think I should say goodbye to you in person.”
“Where are you going?” The girl panicked.
“Qing Ling, we can’t be together. Once we part today, may you…” the young man’s words got stuck in his throat, and he could no longer voice the rest out; Qing Ling could only live to two decades. Her remaining days were numbered. What else could he pray for? His departure was her best wishes for her.
“Why can’t we be together? Do you want to separate from me?” The young girl rushed into the rain at once.
“Yes.” The young man nodded his head firmly, just like the young Celestial Master who promised to protect his integrity during their first meeting.
“I seem to have dreamed of this scene. Did you also draw your sword later?” Hearing this, Chen Yu suddenly recalled.
“Yes.” Ling Ji nodded.
“Why did Feng Luo separate from you? Did his master say something?” Chen Yu asked.
“You are smarter than me. Why didn’t I think of it at that time?” So much so that the figure of the young man covering his bleeding chest and hobbling away in the rain became her only impression of Feng Luo after that.
“Then since you broke up, how could Feng Luo be infected with evil qi because of you?” Chen Yu asked in confusion.
“Because then I became a drought demon.”
“What?” Chen Yu was shocked.
“After a person dies, his corpse does not transform. A soul that does not leave his body can turn the corpse stiff. A stiff corpse can be cultivated into a demon, and into a drought demon, a drought demon with a profound fiend. However, the dark sects have different techniques, which can collect thousands of resentments and turn people into evil spirits. It’s a forbidden technique I read in the library of Feng Lou’s sect…” Ling Ji showed a wry smile. “I just thought it was interesting at the time, never imagining that I’d use it myself one day.”
“When my state was defeated, and my home was ruined, I jumped down from the city tower, gathered the grievances of all the officers, soldiers and people of the Ye State, and killed all the soldiers who were slaughtering the city at that time. It was a pity that the Grand Prince of Shi escaped in the end. I was unwilling and resentful, so I stayed in the territory of Shi, which made them suffer a severe drought for three years. People died of hunger everywhere. During that period, countless Celestial Masters came to capture me, but they couldn’t do anything to me until he came…”
“Feng Luo came to kill you?” Chen Yu stood up from the chair in shock.
“Yes.” Princess Ling Ji smiled and said, “One of the Celestial Masters who came to kill me but couldn’t beat me shouted when he was dying that the Celestial Master Feng Lou of Luoshan Sect would come down the mountain to capture me. I just have to wait for death. When I heard that, I felt so happy that I released that pesky Celestial Master. Then I ran to the valley where we used to go…”
“It was a valley with lush greens and flowers everywhere. Unfortunately, such a scenic spot was ruined by me. I am a drought demon, ah. Everywhere I passed was turned into desolation. I waited in the barren valley for three days, before Feng Luo came.”
“Did he kill you?” Chen Yu remembered the dream. She remembered that the man in the dream pierced the heart of the woman in red with his sword.
“Mm.” Ling Ji nodded.
“That can’t be. A drought demon cannot be killed. It can only be sealed. Feng Luo should not have the ability to kill you.” Chen Yu was puzzled.
“So, he used a brand new technique.”
“Will you kill me?” Ling Ji, who had already turned into a drought demon, smiled and looked at Feng Luo with an inclined head.
“Yes!” Feng Luo drew out his Bronze Sword and looked back at Ling Ji. He said decisively, “I came this time just to kill you.”
“Of course. You won’t even let go of a malevolent ghost, so how could you let go of a demon like me who is a scourge on earth.” Ling Ji smiled self-deprecatingly and suddenly asked again, “Then if I die, will my appearance change back to my previous one?”
“After a zombie dies, its body will directly turn into dust.”
“Oh.” Forget it. In any case, in his eyes I’m already a demon. Why should I care about my appearance?
“Bring it on. Let’s fight to the death.” Ling Ji smiled spontaneously. She took a stance and looked at Feng Luo.
The spirit qi around Feng Luo surged. Mixed with the light of merit, a golden layer of light covered him from head to foot. The Bronze Sword in Feng Luo’s hand also couldn’t help but tremble and beep. Soon, two different auras, one golden and one red, slowly approached each other and finally collided.
“Boom!” Feng Luo raised his hand and waved his sword, mercilessly piercing Ling Ji’s chest.
“It doesn’t hurt. Sure enough, zombies are heartless.” Ling Ji looked at the Bronze Sword that didn’t enter her body and laughed at herself.
“Qing Ling,” Feng Luo suddenly called out to her.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t move.” When the Bronze Sword stabbed Ling Ji, she did not hide. In that instant, Feng Luo realized that his Qing Ling was seeking death, and she wanted to die in his hands.