Chapter 554

"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 drink again and again, but every time I drank I had to use the Soul-Hiding Technique to avoid it. Because I was afraid, afraid that Pangzi had slipped bamboo leaf green into it, and if I wasn't on guard I would pass out.

"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 family and met you."

Do you still remember the first day I came to the Wang residence? Pangzi on the rooftop told me a dog story, the sunset slanting down, a lonely Pangzi sitting on the roof, telling me: "I'm reminiscing about my family's dog; it catches mice."

"That dog catches mice, and my family also raised a cat, but later that cat went crazy."

"Why, did he starve to death?"

"No, because after the dog caught all the mice, the cat learned to gnaw on 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. And 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. I am straightforward by nature, but living in this "world where no one knows who is human and who is ghost" society, I forced myself to learn restraint.

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 pick them up without realizing, thinking they are natural.

"Hey, I just can't figure it out. Although my lord isn't exactly 'jade tree facing the wind, a pear tree pressing against a crabapple,' he's still considered handsome, talented, his belly full of talent scattering like snowflakes. I really can't understand: after all these years I'm still single, while you've ruined the hearts of two girls. Comparing people, why is the difference so great?" Pangzi, cup in hand, muttered with a puffed face.

"Hey, there's nothing I can do—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, raising my cup: "Come, drink this up. Once everything is settled, I'll help you pursue Silijing."

"Wait a moment," Pangzi waved his hand and mumbled, "Drinking this is no fun; let's have some hard liquor—this gives you a kick." Pangzi snatched my cup, poured out the beer, bent down, and gave me a small cup of white liquor.

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

I pretended not to notice, and when Pangzi handed me the white liquor, I acted all puffed up and said: "Pah, this is totally unfair—why are you drinking beer while I get white liquor? Are you trying to get me drunk on purpose?"

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

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

Both cups were now full; they laughed loudly, pretending to cast aside all worries as they gulped: "Drink, drink it down, then kill that bastard Yuan Yang."

After the cups clinked, they both drank it all in one go. I feigned saying: "Strange, why does my head suddenly hurt?" Then I pretended not to know anything and collapsed onto the table. Actually, before drinking I had recited the Soul‑Hiding Spell to avoid the Thousand‑Pound Drop's power.

I lay on the table; after about three minutes, Pangzi gave me a couple of tentative pushes, confirmed I truly had no consciousness, then let out a long, relaxed sigh.

"Brother, don't blame me—it's not that I'm heartless, but I can't bear to watch you accompany me to death. In my life, the only true‑hearted brother I have is you. Rest assured, I will defeat Yuan Yang and rescue Yirong. I will surely do so." By the end, Pangzi's tone had become firm and resolute.

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

I heard him say to me: "Hai Sheng, this is your last 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; I've lived this long and only made one true‑hearted brother, you. Letting you die in my place is something I couldn't do." I shed tears, forcing out a faint smile: "You idiot, you've lacked sense since childhood; I couldn't have missed that little thought of yours. 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 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 you won't be so shrewish in the next life, and won't bite people at random." I took her hand, stroking that softness. Gazing at her, I gently said: "Rest assured, perhaps we won't need to wait for the afterlife—I'll be able to join you soon."

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

Don't talk about an afterlife—I only recognize this life. Don't talk about the future—I only know the present. The afterlife is too illusory, the future too nonsensical; if I don't take her hand now, what future happiness could I possibly give her?

Han Duo, Millet, in this life I have missed you, from now on we are separated by yin and yang. Even if I wanted to make amends, I can't 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 next I will still be a debtor ghost. 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 the 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 appear quickly… otherwise… I will kill Little Fat." I shouted this through tears. Especially when I saw Little Fat's startled and pitiful gaze, my heart bled even more. But I had no other choice—if I didn't threaten him, Bai Qi wouldn't sacrifice himself. The only one who could help me now is the Bai Qi of the netherworld. I had no choice but to take this extreme measure.

"Hai Sheng…" Murong Jia Jia raised her hand, but finally let it fall weakly. Little Fat's big eyes brimmed with tears; his two small hands kept tugging at his bellyband, whimpering weakly: "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 exactly what I wanted? He hates me, he leaves me, so he won't get mixed up in this affair, nor will he accompany me to a pointless death. Why, when I picked up this sword and mercilessly pressed it to his neck, does 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 "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 it knows what I'm thinking, and Little Fat is using his life to force Bai Qi to appear.

"No…" I hadn't really wanted to hurt Little Fat; I hurriedly yanked the sword back. Just then a huge roar sounded, and the Dragon Spring Sword shattered into powder that scattered away.

A tall, vague silhouette slowly coalesced in mid‑air, appearing and disappearing. The whole atmosphere grew oppressive, and my heart began to feel unable to breathe.

The pressure from above intensified; unable to bear it, I dropped to my knees. Meanwhile Little Fat, tears streaming, stood in front of me.

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