Chapter 282

Come on, come on, fill it up, my buddies and I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Pangzi kept refilling my cup, but every time I drank I had to use Conceal Soul to avoid it. Because I was afraid, afraid Pangzi had slipped Bamboo Leaf Green in there, and if

"We, how many years have we known each other?" Pangzi suddenly asked me.

I remained silent for a moment, then said: "Thirteen years. Thirteen years ago, I came to your Wang household and met you."

Do you still remember the day I first came to the Wang household? The Pangzi on the rooftop told me a dog story; the setting sun slanted, a lonely Pangzi sat on the roof and said to me: "I'm mourning my family's dog; it could catch mice."

"That dog could catch mice, and my family also raised a cat, but later that cat went mad."

"Why, did he starve to death?"

"No, because after the dog caught all the mice, the cat learned to gnaw bones."

As we drank and repeatedly recalled those past amusing events in a sarcastic way, Pangzi and I laughed and laughed, yet tears unwillingly streamed down.

I never imagined that one day I would change because of a person. Moreover, that person turned out to be a man. From the moment I was born, I have endured countless contempt and setbacks. I am innately melancholic, cautious in everything I do. My nature is upright, but living in this "world where no one knows who is human and who is ghost" society, I forced myself to learn to restrain.

However, by today's story, I have started to become goofy and lewd. Regarding the dead Pangzi, I went from disliking him to being unable to sever ties. Perhaps as the saying goes, true friends: you dislike his bad habits, but after a long time you acquire those habits without realizing it, thinking it's natural.

"Ah, I really can't figure it out. Although my lord isn't exactly jade tree facing the wind, a pear tree pressing against a crabapple, he is altogether handsome, talented beyond compare, and his belly full of talent scatters like snowflakes. I truly can't understand: after all these years I'm still single, while you've ruined the hearts of two girls. How can the difference between people be so great?" Pangzi, cup of alcohol in hand, muttered with a full face.

"Ah, there's nothing to be done; my mother didn't give me good looks, but she gave me a pure and kind heart. Speaking of this, I can't help but admire myself!" I disparaged him, raised my wine cup and said: "Come, let's finish this cup; after everything is settled, I'll help you pursue Silijing."

"Wait a moment," Pangzi waved his hand and muttered: "Drinking this is boring; let's have some white liquor instead—it's more potent." Pangzi snatched my wine cup, poured out the beer, bent down, and poured me a small cup of white liquor.

At the moment I saw him squatting to pick up the wine cup, his left hand was forming a sword finger. Pangzi's cultivation is inferior to that of Seventh Master Yang; he hasn't yet reached the level of using his eyes to unleash a Thousand‑Pound Drop.

I pretended not to notice; when Pangzi handed me the white liquor, I pretended to be full‑faced and said: "Pah, this is totally unfair—why are you drinking beer while I'm drinking white liquor? Are you trying to get me drunk on purpose?"

I picked up Pangzi's wine cup, dumped the beer out, and bent over to go get the white liquor.

"Ah, help me get it, I can't reach the wine." The wine was placed under the table, closer to Pangzi; when Pangzi bent over to grab the wine bottle, I swiftly flicked the powder into the cup.

Both of their cups were already full; they laughed loudly, pretending to cast aside all worries as they drank deeply: "Drink, drink up, then fuck that bastard Yuanyang."

After the cups clinked, both drank them dry; I feigned saying: "Strange, why does my head suddenly hurt?" Then I pretended to know nothing and collapsed onto the wine table. Actually, before drinking, I had already recited the Soul‑Hiding Spell to avoid the power of the Thousand‑Pound Drop.

I lay on the wine table; after about three minutes, Pangzi tentatively pushed me twice, confirmed I was truly unconscious, then let out a long, leisurely sigh.

"Brother, don't blame me; it's not that I'm ruthless, but I can't bear to watch you accompany me to death. In my whole life, the only true‑hearted brother I have is you. Rest assured, I will defeat Yuanyang and rescue Yirong. I will surely do so." At the end, Pangzi's tone became resolute.

"Ah, damn it, today sand got into my eyes, I've wanted to cry all day like a woman." Pangzi muttered cursingly, as if he had sat down on the opposite chair.

I heard him say to me: "Hai Sheng, this is your final toast to brotherhood; today I've finished him off, and if there is an afterlife, I hope we can still be brothers."

……………… Half an hour later, Pangzi collapsed with a boom, while I stood up with tears streaming.

"Don't blame me; I'm the same—this lifetime I've only made one true‑hearted brother, you. Letting you die in my place, I couldn't do that either." I shed tears, forced out a faint smile: "You idiot, you've lacked common sense since childhood; how could I not have thought of that little scheming? Speaking of preparing for a rainy day, how could you compare to me?"

I carried Pangzi back to his room and covered him with a blanket. Then I went to the second room, which contained nothing but a coffin. Inside the coffin lay Han Duo. She lay in the cold coffin, peaceful as a sleeping beauty, her cheeks a sheet of ice—no longer the fiery rose I knew.

"I've recorded this debt of this lifetime; if there is an afterlife, I will surely repay you. But promise me, in the next life you won't be so fiery, won't bite people at random." I took her hand, stroked that soft silk, gazed at her, and gently said: "Rest assured, perhaps we won't need to wait for the next life—soon I'll be able to go down and join you."

Suddenly I recalled Chen Zheng, recalled Dong Yumin, and recalled what Chen Zheng had said.

Don't talk about an afterlife—I only acknowledge this lifetime. Don't talk about the future—I only know the present. The afterlife is too illusory, the future too nonsense; if I don't take her hand now, what's the point of talking about giving her happiness later?

Han Duo, Millet, in this lifetime I have missed you, from now on we are separated by yin and yang. Even if I wanted to make amends, I cannot find the opportunity; if there is a next life, I will repay everything. In this life I am born a debt‑collecting ghost; in the afterlife I remain a debt‑owing ghost child. But this debt, I will repay without resentment or regret.

Entering my own room, Murong Jia Jia and Little Fat were waiting for me on the altar. I remained silent for a long time, but eventually I picked up that Dragon Spring sword.

"Clang, clang, clang," Little Fat thought I was going to kill Murong Jia Jia, so he hurriedly stepped in front of her. But the sword in my hand was pressed against his neck.

"Come out, Bai Qi, I beg you to come out quickly… otherwise… I'll kill Little Fat." I shouted through tears. Especially when I saw Little Fat's bewildered and pitiful gaze, my heart bled. But I had no other way; if I didn't threaten him, Bai Qi wouldn't sacrifice himself. The only person who could help me now is Bai Qi of the underworld. I have no choice but to resort to this.

"Hai Sheng……" Murong Jia Jia raised her hand, but ultimately let it fall helplessly. Little Fat's big eyes were brimming with tears; his two little hands kept tugging at his bellyband, whimpering softly: "Clang, clang."

I turned away, closed my eyes so I wouldn't see the heartbroken Little Fat. Instead I feigned anger and shouted loudly at the air: "Come out, or I really will kill him."

Isn't this result exactly what I wanted? He hates me, he's left me, so he won't get involved in this affair, nor will he accompany me to pointlessly sacrifice his life. Why, when I picked up this sword and mercilessly pressed it against his neck, did my heart bleed?

"Clang clang, Hai Sheng, clang clang." Little Fat continued to cry in resentment, tears dripping down. He still wouldn't say anything else, only uttering the two words "clang clang" and "Hai Sheng."

Time passed second by second, yet Bai Qi showed no sign of appearing, and the atmosphere in the air remained unchanged. It seemed Bai Qi was unmoved.

Just as I was about to give up, the sword hilt trembled; I looked up. Only to see Little Fat actually grab the sword tip with both hands and thrust it into his own heart.

I forgot one very important thing: the sword and its master are spiritually linked, so he knows what I'm thinking, and Little Fat is using his own life to force Bai Qi to appear.

"No……" I hadn't really intended to harm Little Fat; I hurriedly pulled the sword back with force. Just then, a huge roar sounded, and the Dragon Spring sword shattered into powder that flew away.

A tall, vague figure slowly coalesced in mid‑air, appearing and disappearing intermittently. The whole atmosphere became oppressive, and my breath began to fail.

The pressure in the air intensified; I couldn't bear it and knelt down. Meanwhile, Little Fat, tears streaming, blocked my path.

"How do you want me to help you?" After a moment of silence, Bai Qi spoke coldly.