Chapter 123: Escape

“Damn it—it’s the ghost wardens!”

Jiao Hengyi’s face turned pale as he saw the flickering ghostly lights drawing nearer. He had been too caught up in smashing those bottles and hadn’t realized they were being watched. His heart sank sharply, and he instinctively turned to Yun Jiao for help.

“Fellow Daoist Yun, what do we do?”

Setting aside the bottles for now, simply trespassing in the Underworld was already a grave offense.

Yun Jiao’s expression darkened. Calmly, she pulled out two talismans, slapped one onto each of their chests, and—still with that eternally serious face—looked at him solemnly, took a serious step back, turned around seriously, took a serious stride forward, and then, with the same grave expression—started running.

Faster.

And faster.

And faster!

She answered his question through action.

Nonsense—what else could they do? Run!

Jiao Hengyi: “……”

Σ(°△°|||)︴

He stared for half a second, then, seeing Yun Jiao already sprinting a dozen meters ahead, finally came to his senses and rushed after her.

“Fellow Daoist Yun—w-wait for me!”

The two of them shot off in a blur, fleeing the scene of their “crime.”

Unfortunately, the ghost wardens had already spotted them. They brandished chains, pitchforks, and cleavers as they shouted,

“You two little ghosts over there—stop right now!”

Whoever stops is an idiot!

The pair immediately ran even faster. The vast desert echoed with their pounding steps—or rather, two streaks of dust vanishing into the distance.

But ghost wardens were still ghost wardens. Even if the two of them ran fast, the ghosts could float. After running for what felt like forever, Yun Jiao and Jiao Hengyi hadn’t shaken off their pursuers—in fact, the ghosts were closing in.

“Fellow Daoist Yun, look!” Jiao Hengyi pointed to the right. “There’s a ghost city over there! If we can blend in, we might be safe.”

“Go!” Yun Jiao instantly turned toward it, pulling out two concealment talismans and tossing one to him.

Jiao Hengyi caught it on the fly and activated it while running. The Concealment Charm could hide their living aura—inside the city, they could pass as newly-dead ghosts.

They sprinted with renewed speed. The city gates loomed ahead, the air thick with yin energy so cold it bit to the bone. They didn’t dare look around, just charged forward. They were nearly across the stone bridge leading into the city when—

A black figure shot out from within, slamming onto the bridge with a deafening boom. The five-meter-wide bridge shattered instantly, collapsing along with the ghosts on it. They tumbled into the river below like dumplings in a pot, and the air was filled with the wails and shrieks of the drowned dead.

Yun Jiao and Jiao Hengyi both froze, barely stopping in time before plunging in themselves. They looked up—and saw that dark figure floating above the broken bridge, slowly drifting toward them.

It was a tall young man—not quite like a ghost. He wore dark blue robes, a massive blade slung over one shoulder. His face was handsome but marred by a deep scar running across it, giving him a fierce, sinister air. His eyes glowed blood-red, fixed coldly on them.

Their hearts dropped. That aura… it was even more terrifying than the ghost general Liang Xiao’s.

One thought flashed in both minds: We can’t beat him.

The man drew closer. Behind them, the ghost wardens were almost upon them. There was nowhere left to run.

Jiao Hengyi tugged at Yun Jiao’s sleeve nervously. “W-what do we do?”

Yun Jiao didn’t speak. Unlike Jiao Hengyi, who was visibly panicking, she stood perfectly straight, expression calm, eyes steady on the approaching figure.

Her composure somehow steadied him too.

As expected of Fellow Daoist Yun, he thought. Even when facing someone stronger than the ghost generals, she remains utterly calm. It reminded him of the time when the Evil God had descended—she’d been fearless even then. He forced himself to calm down. Surely, she had a plan.

“So, two new ghosts?” The man’s voice was coldly mocking as he looked them over and floated closer.

Jiao Hengyi’s heart tightened. He glanced at Yun Jiao—only to see her face become even more composed. Her gaze was firm, unwavering. And then—

She bowed.

A deep, respectful bow.

“We were wrong!” she declared solemnly.

Jiao Hengyi: “……”

The man: “……”

All the ghost wardens: “……”

(╯°Д°)╯︵┻━┻

That’s it?

That’s the big move?

We were ready for fireworks—and she gives us… this?!

w(Д)w

Shouldn’t he, at least, kneel to match her act?!

Not only Jiao Hengyi—even the ghost wardens were stunned! The man who had just been about to attack froze mid-motion, the ghost fire in his palm fizzled out with a sizzle.

Well… she’s surprisingly well-behaved, he thought. He had never seen a ghost confess guilt with such solemn sincerity.

“You two new ghosts sure… run fast,” said the lead ghost warden after a long silence, glaring at them before turning to the scarred man and bowing.

“Many thanks for your help, Lord Xi. If they’d slipped into the city, it would’ve caused trouble.”

“Hmm.” The scarred man—Lord Xi—nodded slightly, lowering his hand. He gave the two a sidelong glance and asked lazily, “Just two fledgling ghosts with barely any yin aura—and you chased them all the way out here? Has the Yueling division of ghost wardens really become this useless?”

The ghost warden laughed awkwardly. “Lord Xi, you may not know… these two had the audacity to shatter every jade bottle in the desert! We had to chase them, or we couldn’t face our superiors.”

“Jade bottles?” Lord Xi froze, then looked at the pair again, a trace of surprise in his eyes. Whatever he thought of made him chuckle.

“You two certainly have guts.”

“Indeed, Lord Xi,” the warden quickly said. “That’s why we were so desperate to catch them—otherwise, if the higher-ups found out, we’d be the ones in trouble.”

“Higher-ups?” Lord Xi sneered, his expression turning mocking. “What’s left to explain to them? They’ve already stooped to using such things…” His tone grew colder, his face darkening with anger.

The ghost warden’s expression changed, and he quickly looked around nervously, as though afraid someone might overhear. “Lord Xi, careful what you say! This is Xiao City!”

“Hmph. You might be scared—I’m not!” Lord Xi snapped. “If that old bastard pushes me far enough, I won’t hesitate to fight him head-on.”

The wardens’ faces went pale. They looked like they wanted to run away immediately. Desperate to change the subject, one stammered, “Then… Lord Xi, what should we do with these two new ghosts?”

Lord Xi paused, frowned slightly, and after a moment said coldly,

“Lock them in the Shadow Prison. They’ll await judgment.”

“But, my lord—”

Lord Xi turned and glared sharply. “What? Do you want me to go to King Xiao City myself and ask for orders?”

“N-no! Of course not!” The ghost warden immediately stepped back, bowing low.

“Then move!” Lord Xi barked.

“Yes, yes, my lord!”

The ghost wardens hurried forward, restraining Yun Jiao and Jiao Hengyi before leading them toward the city.

(End of Chapter)