Chapter 1641: Heaven's Mandate Seven's Monster-Hunting Record 32

Chang Wuming had a strange dream all night.

Everything in the dream was too real, and vaguely overlapped with reality; upon waking, I felt as if reborn.

He coldly watched Bai Shiyun, who concealed his identity and sowed discord among his seven fellow disciples; yesterday's stirring of the heart is now past, leaving only a hundred-zhang killing intent.

But another voice in his mind kept telling him that the person before him was the most trustworthy, and for Bai Shiyun he would not spare any effort even if it meant opposing the world.

Chang Wuming pressed his brow, unconsciously thinking that in the dream he had so foolishly trusted Bai Shiyun—could it also be because of this inexplicable thought?

To say why things now diverge so completely from the dream...

Chang Wuming suddenly rose and headed toward Jin Chen's room.

Xiao Chen surely knows something; could he have been reborn too… No, he just dreamed!

The door was pushed open with a pat.

On the bed, Jin Chen, who was still being pressed by Rong Zixu's kiss, silently lifted his head.

Chang Wuming, still holding the door-open posture, sucked in a breath of cold air.

Rong Zixu neatened his clothes, sat up with a cool indifference, and his slightly chilly gaze flicked toward the doorway.

Chang Wuming sucked in another breath and almost choked.

He turned and fled at the fastest speed of his life.

"Old Four, come in."

Chang Wuming: "……" It's over.

Just reborn and already about to enter the Gates of Hell!

But Rong Zixu didn't scold him; he merely rose lazily, furrowed his brows, and touched Chang Wuming's forehead with the back of his hand, asking, "Did you go out to hunt ghosts last night?"

Chang Wuming stared blankly, "No."

The true ghost-hunter Jin Chen remained silent.

"How come your complexion looks so bad?" Rong Zixu felt his pulse again, and upon seeing Chang Wuming's eyes bloodshot, as if suppressing sorrow.

Rong Zixu stared, "What's wrong with you?"

Knowing the truth, Jin Chen thus said, "Perhaps Bai Shiyun broke his heart; I'll go comfort him."

Jin Chen cupped Rong Zixu's cheek and kissed him, then used his irresistible gaze to act coquettish, love practically overflowing from his eyes, "Senior Brother, wait for me downstairs."

Rong Zixu quickly acquiesced, rubbing Jin Chen's forehead, "Don't delay too long."

"Okay."

Jin Chen watched Rong Zixu leave the room, then poked the nearly crashing Chang Wuming sideways, feigning ignorance.

"What's wrong with Fourth Senior Brother?"

Chang Wuming came to his senses, his complex feelings only strengthening his conviction that Xiao Chen had experienced everything in the dream just as he had.

After all, back then… Xiao Chen's stubborn nature got him killed early, let alone becoming a cultivated pair with the Eldest Senior Brother.

"I had a dream… we all died." Chang Wuming spoke with difficulty; just recalling it felt heart-rending.

Jin Chen wore a solemn expression, "So that's how it is."

At a time when Chang Wuming felt utterly insecure and craved validation, he reached out and patted his shoulder, saying, "Actually, I'm the same."

"Tricks and all, they work!"

"No wonder……"

Chang Wuming firmly believed, hot tears welling in his eyes, "No wonder you insisted on stopping me from loving Bai Shiyun."

He flung his arms around Jin Chen, fiercely patting his back, "You've worked hard! Xiao Chen! Rest assured, I'll stand with you to turn the tide!"

Jin Chen: "……"

The Fourth Senior Brother, having regained his composure, is terrifyingly fierce!

Bai Shiyun still didn't know what had happened; he only felt that Chang Wuming was stranger than usual today, occasionally making a disgusted expression.

Little did he know, his miserable end was gradually approaching.

But when Rong Zixu held Jin Chen's hand, he noticed he kept glancing toward Bai Shiyun and asked suspiciously, "What are you always looking at him for?"

Jin Chen withdrew his gaze, wearing a serious expression.

"I'm looking for a chance to drive him away."

"I want to snatch his Golden Finger."

But the timing isn't right; it would be best to wait until Bai Shiyun uses it before snatching it, otherwise who knows if the Golden Finger might explode with some ghost skill when separated from its owner.

Jin Chen embraced Rong Zixu, nuzzling his neck, his voice tinged with a hint of gloom, "The ghosts here can't be killed; it's annoying."

Mo Ranmei had vanished, leaving him no way to investigate whether she was a beggar-woman in disguise.

Rong Zixu took Jin Chen's hand, placed it to his lips for a gentle kiss, and unsurprisingly it eventually deepened into a fervent kiss.

Jin Chen pecked the corner of Rong Zixu's mouth again, his eyes brightening, "Senior Brother, you're really good."

Rong Zixu: "……"

Rong Zixu is also helpless.

They once again experienced yesterday's scene; although clan disciplinary measures vary, the means of forcing a new bride are disturbingly uniform in their perversity.

No matter how you kill them, you cannot change the new bride's fate of self-destruction.

Gazing upon the hall filled with blood, yet these ghosts had long since done all their evil decades ago; now everything seems like a dream's illusion, unavoidable.

In just a moment they shift back to the guise of ordinary folk, passing down oppression generation after generation, each joyous event entwined with resentment.

Jin Chen still recalls seeing thirteen corpses of new brides in that ghostly place, not counting Su Su and Mo Ranmei.

In Min East Ghost City there is no distinction between day and night; after dawn it is already dusk, spanning any point within fifty years.

They have thus cycled through, having gone through the stories of six maidens.

Unfortunately, upon waking at dusk that day, the Heaven's Mandate Seven discovered that they all exhibited the phenomenon of sluggish movements and white hair appearing between their strands.

Bai Shiyun hasn't cultivated spiritual energy, and this reaction is all the stronger—faintly one can see a weathered look.

"White hair…… How did I just grow white hair!" Gong Simyue collapsed weakly onto the table.

Xu Qie held a bronze mirror, gazing at the few new wrinkles at the corners of his eyes in the mirror, sunk into thought.

Rong Zixu, as if lost in thought, lightly stroked the vertical strand of white hair before his chest, then glanced at Jin Chen, who was least affected, his eyes growing a little dim.

In the next instant, his shoulders were embraced from behind by Jin Chen: "Senior brother, don't let your mind wander into nonsense."

Jin Chen kissed his ear, then plucked that strand of white hair and pinned it up with a jade crown, rubbed Rong Zixu's shoulders, straightened him up and held him close, saying, "We cultivators have long lifespans—what does a little white hair matter?"

"No matter what you become, I still cherish you."

Rong Zixu's heart gave a twitch; unable to help himself, he buried his face in Jin Chen's embrace, his arms unconsciously tightening a bit more.

Xiao Chen was right, Rong Zixu thought.

He could not, nor could he bear to, let go again—even if there is an age gap, what does it matter?

Here, the deep embrace still makes the soothing atmosphere pleasant.

Yang Yu couldn't help but step in to spoil the mood: "Eldest senior brother! We need to think of a solution! I don't want to end up an old bag of bones here!"

Over the past few days, Bai Shiyun has sensed something amiss and somewhat restrained himself; today perhaps stimulated by the white hair and wrinkles, he is secretly anxious.

He looked toward Chang Wuming, voice low: "They're truly devoted—what do you think? How did we end up like this…"

Chang Wuming crossed his arms, looked at him, and replied coldly: "Hn."

Now Chang Wuming only wants to stay with his fellow martial brothers, to ease the regret and resentment the nightmare brought him; if it weren't for Xiao Chen saying they should wait for Bai Shiyun to use his bewitching ability again before acting, he wouldn't need to endure any longer.

The Heaven's Mandate Seven called a meeting over this "sudden aging" incident—mainly Rong Zixu spoke, and they listened.

Every time they meet, it's the same.

Finally they guessed that perhaps the fifty‑year span of Min Dong Ghost City is too great—even the Ghost Domain affects humans who enter it, and the longer they stay, the deeper the effect.

So they no longer have time to slowly work through the grudges of all the brides.

Gong Simyue urged anxiously: "Why not just take advantage of today—either slaughter all the fierce ghosts filling this city, or uncover the man‑eating ghost beggar woman lurking behind the scenes, and return to the mortal world?"

The other six all agreed, already having left the inn with practiced ease, and headed to today's wedding feast venue.