Ban Xia clung to the window, craning her neck to watch as Xuan Ye’s expression grew more cautious.
A showdown between two handsome figures was imminent.
Just then, a dark shadow zipped past outside the house, accompanied by a sharp “whoosh.”
The door flew open with a dramatic kick, the long leg that delivered it forming an elegant arc.
In strolled You Huang, the showboating asura, perfectly timing his entrance. He positioned himself between Xuan Ye and the ghost, raising his right hand in a dramatic flourish.
“Stand back,” he declared with flair. “I’ll handle this troublesome Taoist for you.”
“I told you, I’m not a Taoist,” Xuan Ye replied, predictably unimpressed.
“And why should I leave?” the male ghost interjected softly, cocking his head with feigned indifference.
“You don’t see that his spiritual power is unmatched?” You Huang retorted, spreading his arms protectively.
“So what?”
The ghost’s cold laugh carried a hint of arrogance. The misty beast he had summoned lunged toward Xuan Ye, jaws wide open.
If nothing else, the ghost’s bravery in the face of danger was admirable.
Recognizing the ghost’s resolve, Xuan Ye lifted his blade with a hint of reverence, prepared to counter the attack.
“You’re no match for him!” You Huang exclaimed.
“Then let my six souls and seven spirits be extinguished,” Xuan Ye replied evenly. “Step aside.”
In the brief exchange, the Moonlight Blade clashed with the ghostly beast, the crescent-shaped weapon slicing through it instantly.
As You Huang had claimed, the ghost was no match for Xuan Ye.
“See this blade?” Xuan Ye said, pointing the weapon at the ghost. “It’s the Moonlight Blade of the demi-gods. Once it seals your spirit, you’ll be trapped for eternity, never to reincarnate.”
This declaration made the ghost hesitate.
The pause allowed You Huang to step forward, gesturing dramatically toward the ghost. “Leave now. I’ll deal with this damned Taoist!”
“Why should I owe you a favor?” the ghost retorted, his voice unexpectedly filled with emotion.
Behind them, the Moonlight Blade whizzed forward, stopping just an inch from You Huang’s back.
“I’m an asura,” You Huang said softly, throwing the ghost a sly wink. “I’m immortal. He can’t do anything to me.”
The blade’s proximity was clearly intended to force You Huang aside. Instead, he raised his leg, his kick as elegant as ever, and sent it crashing into the ghost’s chest.
The ghost was hurled three meters backward. Meanwhile, the blade impaled You Huang’s lung with a sharp, wet sound.
“Even if I can’t beat you,” You Huang muttered to the ghost as he collapsed, “I can at least ruin your plans.”
After casting Xuan Ye his usual disdainful glance, he crumpled to the ground.
Xuan Ye wasted no time in chasing after the ghost, leaving Ban Xia standing by the door, unsure whether to enter the room.
“Don’t,” came You Huang’s voice from inside, breathless yet firm. “Don’t come in, beautiful lady.”
“Why not?”
“Because… my current appearance isn’t very flattering,” he replied weakly. “It might tarnish the reputation of the world’s most handsome ghost.”
Even in his pain, his humor persisted, though his voice quivered with each syllable.
The Moonlight Blade’s devastating power had struck a critical point. For even someone with You Huang’s self-healing prowess, recovery would take time.
Ban Xia smirked and stepped into the room anyway.
Compassion wasn’t her strong suit, but the chance to see the so-called most handsome ghost in an unbecoming state? That was too tempting to pass up.
“You’re really immortal?” she asked, crouching beside him.
You Huang struggled upright, nodding as he brushed his hair into place.
“And if you were chopped into pieces? Could you put yourself back together?” she pressed, eyeing his charred chest wound slowly knitting itself shut.
You Huang scratched his head, grinning faintly. “Never tried, but perhaps you’d like to give it a shot next time, beautiful?”
Such a charming response, even in agony.
But before Ban Xia could reply, she suddenly screamed—a piercing, blood-curdling sound that echoed through the room.
Startled, You Huang leaped to his feet.
“My hands!” Ban Xia shrieked, her voice hoarse and frantic as she flailed her fingers. “My hands! My hands!”
At that moment, Xuan Ye reappeared, grabbing her wrists and holding them steady. “Your nails—are they burning? Hurting or itching?”
“Both!” she wailed. “Why? I didn’t even touch the pear, not once!”
In her desperation, Ban Xia bit down on one of her fingernails, tearing it halfway off, blood dripping from the jagged edge.
“It’s a blood curse from Nan Jiang.”
Both Xuan Ye and You Huang spoke simultaneously after knocking Ban Xia unconscious.
“The fresh blood from the brow is the medium,” You Huang said, grabbing Ban Xia’s hands and examining the blood blossom painted on her nail. “But when did he cast the curse? Didn’t the lady say she never ate his pear?”
Xuan Ye bent down, picking up a fragment of the pear peel left on the ground.
The peel was a sickly green streaked with red, still exuding that sweet yet bloody aroma.
“The pear peel itself is a type of incense that vaporizes on its own. The curse was cast when he was peeling the fruit. I was too careless,” Xuan Ye said heavily, holding the piece of peel in his palm.
You Huang shifted uncomfortably, licking his lips. “No matter what he did wrong, it doesn’t justify using the Moonlight Blade to trap him forever, condemning him to eternal imprisonment without reincarnation.”
“I don’t wish to debate this matter with you any further.”
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