Yuan Zhong clasped his hands together, murmuring softly. Soon, a pale green barrier enveloped the two of them. He leaned to the side, sitting casually on the back of the Jile Bird, which allowed him to look back at Tan Yin.
"I’ve put up a barrier. No one here will notice us."
He saw Tan Yin entranced by the sight of the royal tomb and, feeling mischievous, slowly reached out his hand and gently grasped the hem of her robe. She sat beside him, her breath warm and fragrant. Her body carried a mixture of scents—wood, copper, and the cool fragrance of her skin. Combined, these were more intoxicating than the heavy perfume of the surrounding flowers.
A beautiful woman by his side, with picturesque scenery—was this a dream? Or reality?
Suddenly, even Xin Mei, the terrifying war ghost woman in the depths of the tomb, no longer seemed so frightening. With Ji Tan Yin here, even the war ghost general felt a bit more endearing.
The Jile Bird moved slowly, leisurely. Along the way, they encountered many small demons: winged boys, enchanting lotus flower maidens, and an old man with a rat's tail sticking out from under his robe to catch some air. They chattered and laughed, disappearing into the distance.
Nearby, a bamboo grove stood with white stone tables and chairs scattered about. A pretty girl sat on one of the chairs, eating a melon, while a large man stood behind her. From the man’s shifting expressions—turning blue, then white—it seemed their conversation wasn’t going well.
Seeing the girl, Yuan Zhong couldn't help but shudder and patted the Jile Bird's head, urging it to go faster.
"I can sense the Tongxin Mirror," Tan Yin said, turning to look south. There, barely visible through the thick trees, was a row of dark-tiled buildings. That must be where the mirror's current owner lived.
With a flick of her finger, a thin beam of golden light shot up from the distance, ringing with a joyful, clear whistle, like a happy bird flying into her arms. As the light faded, a bronze mirror appeared in her hands, coated with dust, a clear sign that its current owner hadn’t taken good care of it.
Tan Yin lovingly wiped the dust from the mirror’s surface with a handkerchief. Slowly, the rough, dull mirror began to clear. Hidden beneath the dull surface were fine specks of gold—the celestial sand she had fused into it so many years ago.
"Look," she said with a bright smile, holding up the Tongxin Mirror. "Here it is."
Yuan Zhong took the mirror and examined it from every angle. Finally, he moved closer to Tan Yin, and they both looked into the mirror together. The rough surface showed nothing. Yuan Zhong tapped the mirror with one finger, skeptical. "Does this thing even work? Are you sure you made it right?"
Tan Yin quickly defended herself. "Of course it works! I told you, only a couple with a destined connection can see themselves in it. Besides, this isn’t my real body right now. What could it show?"
"Then show your true form, and we’ll try again," Yuan Zhong insisted.
Tan Yin shook her head.
His eyes twinkled mischievously. "You won’t show your true form? Then you must be hideously ugly, too unsightly for anyone to see."
Tan Yin was speechless, unsure how to defend herself against the accusation of being a ‘hideous woman.’ She struggled for words, but just as she was about to speak, her expression suddenly shifted, turning serious. She spun around, her eyes focused on the southeast—toward the area filled with ominous energy. Something was unsettling her.
"What’s wrong?" Yuan Zhong asked, noticing her sudden change in demeanor.
"…Let’s go check it out." Tan Yin flicked her finger again, and the Tongxin Mirror reluctantly dissolved into golden light, returning to the owner’s bedroom under the bed.
The Jile Bird flew toward the southeast, soon hovering above a massive forest of apricot trees. Despite the late summer and early autumn weather, the trees were still in full bloom, their snow-white petals gleaming like an endless sea of snow. Though beautiful, the entire scene exuded a chilling, ghostly presence.
"This is the burial pit of the royal tomb," Yuan Zhong said in a low voice. "Many emperors of Qiong were buried in the royal tomb, and countless others died in the burial pit with them. It’s always shrouded in dark clouds, haunted by fierce ghosts. Fortunately, the war ghost general keeps them trapped here, unable to leave the forest."
Tan Yin said nothing, her eyes fixed on the entrance to the underground palace hidden within the forest. That familiar, unsettling energy she had sensed earlier was emanating from within.
Suddenly, the pitch-black entrance of the underground palace seemed to distort, and then an enormous, half-transparent fog-like creature began crawling out. Tan Yin’s hands tightened into fists—it was unmistakable. It was a demon!
No one knew better than she what this creature was. Low-level demons grow stronger by devouring souls. Though Tan Yin had not fought in the divine war against the demons herself, she had witnessed the horror of these creatures. This one was a low-tier demon, not even capable of taking human form, a mass of malevolent energy drawn to the fierce ghosts trapped in the burial pit to devour them.
Tan Yin’s face grew more and more serious. After the divine war, all the demons should have been wiped out, and the gods themselves suffered great losses. The primeval gods had perished one by one, dissolving into the world's spiritual energy. The war had ushered in the age where immortals, demons, and humans lived together in an uneasy balance.
But now, standing before her was a living demon. News of this would be as shocking as an earthquake to the heavens. The already depleted divine realm could not withstand another divine-demonic war.
Without warning, Tan Yin leapt off the Jile Bird. Yuan Zhong was shocked. She had been staring at the entrance to the underground palace and then suddenly jumped off. What was she thinking? He followed her down, landing beside her and gently placing a hand on her delicate shoulder. "What’s going on?"
Tan Yin didn’t respond. Instead, she gripped his hand tightly. Her hand was ice-cold, and her palms were clammy with sweat. Yuan Zhong felt a chill run through him. Slowly, he opened his hand, wrapping hers securely in his palm. He stepped closer, positioning himself in front of her protectively. Though he had no idea what was happening, it was clear she was deeply unsettled, and he needed to keep her safe.
The amorphous demon had consumed too many fierce ghosts. Its body, now bloated and sluggish, struggled to even lift off the ground. Slowly, it crawled out of the underground palace, as if pausing to rest. Sensing that it was being watched, the creature suddenly turned and began moving toward Tan Yin and Yuan Zhong.
Tan Yin felt her whole body stiffen. She was no fighter—merely a craftsman who provided support from the rear. She had no idea how to deal with such a creature. All she could do was watch as it drew nearer, stopping just five feet away.
Then, all of a sudden, it seemed to recognize her. A strange, low murmur came from its fog-like body—a voice faintly familiar, yet somehow changed. Tan Yin couldn’t quite place it. Without warning, the demon turned and fled as if too terrified to face her.
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