Chen Ying stood frozen. As Daoist Master Mingfeng's hand loosened, he instinctively caught the sword and looked anxiously toward Qiao Yan. She smiled sweetly, rubbing his forehead with maternal affection. "You're quite the little grown-up now. You should try exorcising evil spirits."
Chen Ying's eyes trembled as he looked bewilderedly at He Simu.
She merely raised an eyebrow, standing in place with her arms folded, looking at Qiao Yan and Daoist Master Mingfeng with open mockery.
"Since you're so afraid of me, why come to kill me? If you showed a bit more courage, I might think more highly of you."
Qiao Yan ignored He Simu's provocation and instead continued coaxing Chen Ying to act quickly. Chen Ying held the sword with both hands, which trembled visibly, looking at He Simu as if hoping she would say something.
He didn't know what he wanted her to say, but at least, it would be good if she defended herself somehow.
However, He Simu remained silent toward him. All her emotions and words were directed at the two people behind him. When she occasionally met his gaze, her eyes were completely calm.
As if she had no expectations, nor any disappointment.
Chen Ying hesitantly raised the sword, turning to meet Qiao Yan's encouraging gaze. His entire body trembled violently as if he were extremely frightened. He gritted his teeth and swung the sword.
"Ah!" A scream tore through the night. Qiao Yan's wrist was covered in blood. She clutched her spirit sword-wounded hand in shock as her powers continuously drained from the wound.
Chen Ying seized the opportunity to snatch the Ghost King's Lantern jade pendant from her hand, ran to He Simu's side, and summoned his courage to shout at Qiao Yan: "No! You're not my Sister Xiaoxiao! My Sister Xiaoxiao is a good person... she would never ask me to kill someone!"
He thrust the Ghost King's Lantern jade pendant into He Simu's hand, his voice wavering with fear. "This belongs to you. You're the real Sister Xiaoxiao, aren't you?"
Before He Simu could respond, Qiao Yan and Daoist Master Mingfeng attacked in fury. Several spirit swords and bone spikes flew toward them like meteors in the night. Chen Ying instinctively spread his arms to shield his Sister Xiaoxiao, closing his eyes in terror, only seeing a fluttering hem of clothing.
But the expected pain never came. Chen Ying only felt a pair of hands grip his shoulders. He trembled slightly and opened his eyes to find He Simu crouching before him, head slightly bowed, her hands on his shoulders, protecting him.
Several spirit swords and bone spikes had pierced her chest. Blood splattered her cyan-blue clothes like deep red flowers blooming on a blue water surface. The tip of the longest bone spike was only an inch from Chen Ying's chest.
The warm spring breeze blew her long hair across his face. Chen Ying stood frozen as He Simu coughed up blood, slightly raising her head to look at him. Her previously emotionless eyes finally showed him a hint of a smile.
She said softly, "Why are you protecting me? You could die. I won't die—I'll just feel pain."
This was indeed his Sister Xiaoxiao.
Chen Ying's lips trembled, and he began to wail. He reached out but didn't dare touch the blades piercing his Sister Xiaoxiao's body.
"Sister, don't die... don't leave me... I'll become stronger in the future... General Brother said... those who always protect others are very lonely... in the future, we will protect you, just like you protected me... don't die..."
Those who always protect others are very lonely.
One day, you will be like your father, maintaining the balance between ghosts and humans to protect this world.
He Simu was momentarily stunned. She lowered her eyes slightly, then smiled helplessly. Her chest trembled violently, and more blood spilled from the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the scorched earth.
She placed the Ghost King's Lantern jade pendant in Chen Ying's hand and said softly, "You keep this."
She slowly stood, turned, and looked calmly at Qiao Yan and Daoist Master Mingfeng. She gripped the blades piercing her body, paused, and then smoothly pulled them out.
Though she could feel pain, she now seemed to feel nothing. It was a blessing in disguise—these spiritual weapons that damaged supernatural power had no substantial effect on her since she had no power to damage at the moment.
"To kill me, you either need to find my vital point or control the Ghost King's Lantern to burn me. Your power is insufficient to wield the Ghost King's Lantern—you even needed a mortal's hand to take it from me—so only the first method remains."
He Simu gently patted Chen Ying's shoulder. "Take the Ghost King's Lantern. Neither humans nor ghosts can harm you while you have it. Go find Duan Xu."
"Sister Xiaoxiao..."
"Never give the Ghost King's Lantern to anyone else. Hurry, go!"
Chen Ying's face was streaked with tears. He held the jade pendant, looked around at the group of menacing figures, and seemed to realize he would only burden He Simu. Gritting his teeth, he clutched the pendant, stepped back twice, and ran.
Several dark figures immediately followed Chen Ying, while the rest continued to eye He Simu with murderous intent.
He Simu had already pulled out the blades that had been embedded in her body one by one and thrown them on the ground. The moon hung high in the sky, casting bright light over the earth. Standing beneath the full moon, she smiled slightly and pointed to the sky above. "Until the sun rises today, you're welcome to cut me into a thousand pieces, piercing every inch of my skin to find my vital point. However, if when the sun rises and my powers return, you unfortunately still haven't found it, then prepare to be reduced to ashes."
Qiao Yan and Daoist Master Mingfeng's faces turned pale, yet they secretly revealed vicious expressions.
Duan Xu returned to Shuo Prefecture at daybreak. By then, Chen Ying was sitting on the steps at the entrance, covered in blood, clutching only a blood-stained jade pendant emitting blue light. He bit his lip and wouldn't answer anyone, only seeming to regain his senses when Duan Xu approached. He ran to Duan Xu and cried, "Save sister, save Sister Xiaoxiao!"
Duan Xu had already heard about what had happened in the city. When he saw the blood-stained pendant, his face changed instantly. He took Chen Ying and galloped toward the outskirts of the city, finally finding He Simu in a patch of scorched earth soaked with blood and covered with crows.
She sat quietly cross-legged on the ground, with Qiao Yan's body, once again in deep sleep, lying with her head on He Simu's lap. Several crows stood quietly on their bodies. Around them were large amounts of ash left from burning, originating from who knows how many once-living bodies.
Not a single part of He Simu's clothing remained intact; everything had been dyed red. Not a single part of her body was unharmed; from fingertips to cheeks, she was covered with countless slash wounds and penetrating injuries.
In contrast, Qiao Yan's body was completely unharmed, sleeping peacefully.
The morning sun gently and slowly shone from behind He Simu, illuminating everything brightly and revealing the pool of blood beside her. She slowly raised her eyes to look at Duan Xu and smiled lightly, faintly.
When Duan Xu saw this scene, he felt as if his heartbeat froze and his breathing stopped.
Yet she still sighed softly and said, "It hurts so much. I'm dying of pain."
She said it hurt. When he bit her, he had held back, not wanting to hurt her.
He gave her the ability to feel sensations, not to feel pain.
Duan Xu froze for an instant, then immediately jumped off his horse and rushed over like a gust of wind. He crouched down and embraced He Simu's shoulders, startling the crows perched on her.
He Simu let out a soft moan. "Fortunately, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Duan Xu held her shoulders tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
But he was in pain. He wished he could take her pain for her.
With the return of He Simu's powers, her sense of touch had disappeared again. She patted Duan Xu's back, not knowing why—whether it was him who was injured or herself, it always seemed to be him who suffered.
"The wounds will heal by tomorrow. Evil spirits recover very quickly. Don't act as if I'm half-paralyzed."
Duan Xu remained silent, releasing her only to immediately pick her up by the waist. He Simu frowned. "I can walk."
"Don't speak." Duan Xu's eyes contained a fleeting smile, yet the light in them scattered, with those insane elements lurking beneath.
He Simu looked at him for a moment, then sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, relaxing in his embrace. Her damp, sticky, blood-covered skin touched his neck.
"Calm down, young General Duan."
Duan Xu was silent for a moment, closed his eyes and then opened them, laughing softly. "I'm perfectly calm."
He carried He Simu onto his horse, ordered his subordinates to bring Qiao Yan as well, and rode back to the city with them.
When He Simu washed and cleaned herself, it took three entire buckets of water to wash away the blood. Indeed, her wounds were gradually healing and no longer bleeding, but there were simply too many of them.
If she were a mortal, she would have died from blood loss.
He Simu changed into a clean undershirt and lay on the bed. Although she repeatedly stated that she didn't need rest, she was pressed onto the bed by Duan Xu and the teary-eyed Chen Ying. So she leaned against the bed and silently calculated in her mind, going through each suspicious evil spirit one by one, trying to figure out which fool had orchestrated this clumsy play.
Chen Ying sat by her bedside the whole time. The child had stopped crying, but perhaps because he was frightened, he kept holding her hand without saying a word.
He Simu diverted a bit of attention from her calculations and flicked his forehead. "What's wrong with you?"
Chen Ying looked up as if he had grown up overnight, with his usual childish gaze now becoming determined. He looked at He Simu earnestly and said, word by word, "Sister Xiaoxiao, I've decided that from now on, I must become stronger to protect you all. Although you're an evil spirit, you're a good ghost. You and Brother Duan Xu are both amazing. If I protect you, you won't get hurt anymore and can do extraordinary things."
He Simu couldn't help but smile. She tilted her head. "I remember your wish was to eat eight pancakes in one sitting, with meat filling."
Chen Ying shook his head, his expression solemn. "I don't want pancakes anymore. It doesn't matter if I never eat them again. I want to protect you. This will be my only wish from now on."
He Simu's eyes flickered as she observed this child's unprecedented resolute expression.
What the fake Qiao Yan had said was probably the truth Chen Ying had hoped for—that He Xiaoxiao was human, not a ghost, and hadn't eaten his father. In such a brief and chaotic moment, Chen Ying ultimately rejected this beautiful lie, running to her side to ask, "You're the real Sister Xiaoxiao, aren't you?"
He Simu recalled that day in the courtyard when Duan Xu had said with a smile, "Don't think you can withdraw from his life."
Should a mortal's brief life be tied to her, a mere passerby?
She sighed softly and put her arm around Chen Ying's shoulders, patting them. "Focus on getting stronger first, little one."
Duan Xu spent the entire morning dealing with matters outside. The death of Daoist Master Mingfeng and this whole mess would probably keep him busy for a long time. He Simu thought he wouldn't return until evening at the earliest, but he pushed open her door at noon.
Chen Ying had already fallen asleep, exhausted, at the edge of He Simu's bed, while she was casually reading a heavy, dog-eared black ancient book.
Duan Xu picked up Chen Ying and placed him on a nearby couch, then sat down beside He Simu and asked softly, "What are you doing? How do you feel?"
He Simu closed the book, snapped her fingers, and the book vanished. She said calmly, "Feel? I don't feel anything. I told you these wounds would heal on their own. Soon I'll be able to properly repay this grudge."
After a pause, she turned her gaze to Duan Xu and said with a half-smile, "But I'd like to know how those evil spirits knew I had lost my powers. You didn't tell them, did you?"
Duan Xu seemed momentarily stunned. He lowered his eyes, then raised them, smiled, and slowly moved closer to He Simu, speaking softly before her. "You suspect me?"
He Simu just looked at him without speaking.
Flames seemed to burn in the young man's eyes as he said, word by word, "I swear to you by my past, my future, my body, my heart, my family, my ideals—by everything that the name Duan Xu possesses in this world. In my entire life, from birth to death, I will never do anything to harm you."
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