Chapter 1644: Heaven's Mandate Seven: Monster Hunting Chronicle 35

Yang Yu still wanted to say something, but Xu Qie covered his mouth and dragged him backward, "Second senior brother, let's go find Mo Dongjing; solving him will let us leave."

Chang Wuming last glanced at the fallen Bai Shiyun, silently shook his head, and followed the second senior brother's steps.

Only two remained; Rong Zixu barely breathed a sigh of relief, then was drawn into Jin Chen's embrace.

"Xiao Chen… mm…"

The unspoken tension and worry dissolved in the kiss.

A kiss tinged with the smell of blood.

Jin Chen almost plundered all the bloody scent from Rong Zixu's mouth, as well as his breath.

Rong Zixu didn't know why, but Jin Chen suddenly became very agitated, as if… faintly carrying self-reproach.

Rong Zixu wrapped his arms around Jin Chen's waist, gently soothing and stroking, his body softening as he leaned into the embrace.

After a long kiss, Rong Zixu could barely stand; Jin Chen only then paused, breathing lightly, their foreheads touching.

【Host, don't blame yourself, it's the fault of the villainous protagonist! Your power returning is a good thing, cheer up～】

Ling Gun Gun advised him, its beastly paw rubbing his cheek as it sighed.

Jin Chen raised his hand to cover Rong Zixu's cheek, pressing with his fingertip, holding the lips that had been kissed to a vivid red.

Rong Zixu lifted his gaze, the tip of his tongue touching Jin Chen's finger, lightly sucking it, endless indulgence.

"What's wrong…" Rong Zixu asked hoarsely, stroking Jin Chen's hair.

"Why don't you strike me? The spiritual backlash would harm the dantian meridians, but I won't be injured." Jin Chen's voice was low; the reclaimed primordial power boiled in his soul's sea of consciousness, only intimate contact with his beloved could calm him somewhat.

"How could I bear to?"

Rong Zixu replied hoarsely, his eye sockets heating; recalling when he was controlled by evil thoughts, he felt terrified, making him want to strike Jin Chen dead—better to just take his own life.

He buried his face in Jin Chen's embrace, hiding the urge to tear up, his eyelashes trembling as he slightly closed his eyes.

"Glad you're unharmed." Rong Zixu said softly, making listeners feel heartache.

It seemed the meridians on the verge of snapping inside his body no longer hurt so much.

【Villain Heartthrob Value detected +15, total 85!】

Jin Chen had no time for much else; he repaired the meridians in Rong Zixu that had been severed by spiritual energy, and when asked, he simply used a kiss to seal Rong Zixu's mouth.

Since Jin Chen's supreme strength was discovered, Rong Zixu also didn't really want to break the casserole; he only wished Jin Chen wouldn't leave his side.

The bow-like moon pulled Mo Dongjing out of the darkness.

Together with the dissipating black mist, the beggar woman returned to the appearance of an ordinary resentful spirit.

They no longer tried to frighten people, becoming as they were before death—talented man and beautiful woman, alas, they died young.

Behind them were newlywed women half-hidden in the dark, different sufferings, yet sharing the same fate.

Su Su and Mo Ranmei were also among them.

The beggar woman Youyou pulled open her crimson lips, "Everyone, would you like to hear my story at the end?"

Jin Chen's fingertip slowly emitted golden light.

Don't meddle in beggar affairs.

Beggar woman: "……"

"Never mind."

The beggar woman flicked her sleeve, her charming voice softer than rain, "You have fulfilled these girls' wish to be saved, and also put an end to my obsession."

"You may go."

Everything around gradually brightened; they were about to leave the Ghost Domain.

Jin Chen finally asked, "Who is the exalted one you spoke of?"

The beggar woman hesitated, then said, "The Lord of the Myriad Ghost Hearts."

Rong Zixu and the five others stared in shock; Jing Xingchan underestimated and exclaimed, "Myriad Ghost Heart!"

The master had said, to completely save all beings, one must find the Myriad Ghost Heart.

Rong Zixu: "Where is the Lord of the Myriad Ghost Heart?"

"In the depths of the miasma, guarded by walking corpses……"

This was the last thing they heard the beggar woman say; then the light blazed forth, and they involuntarily closed their eyes.

——

After regaining his senses, Jin Chen stumbled again.

They returned once more to the intersection where they first entered Min Dong City.

The difference was that what Jin Chen kicked was not a gold ingot, but a tombstone.

A tombstone casually stuck in the ground bore an inscription; the deceased was Mo Ranmei.

"No wonder…"

Yang Yu realized, "From that moment on, we entered the Ghost City, not Min Dong City."

"Mother!" Jing Xingchan withdrew his hand, "The corpse of Elder Da!"

Xu Qie: "They must have been sent by the court to investigate, but ended up brought into the Ghost City and died."

Looking around, Min Dong City lay desolate and ruined, only a few households still clinging to life, everywhere scorched marks.

Only the green bamboo stood tall within, lush and dripping with vitality.

Jin Chen gazed thoughtfully; in the next instant, the Qing Bamboo Spirit Maiden appeared again.

"Young master, we meet again."

The spirit maiden bowed slightly to Jin Chen, her smile full of charm.

Jin Chen nodded, "Thank you, maiden, for your guidance."

"Perhaps listen to her story." The spirit maiden lightly flicked her sleeve; a few bamboo leaves fluttered down, landing on the chaotic ground even among the graves.

The Heaven's Mandate Seven Sons knew, the Spirit Maiden said it was Qi Niang.

It was not much different from what had been speculated earlier, but hearing it still startled the heart.

Qi Niang was originally not a beggar; she was the daughter of a scholar from Min Dongcheng. After her family fell into decline, she ended up on the streets and was rescued by the young master of the Mo Family. She was well versed in poetry and books, of gentle disposition, and he went from admiring her to loving her.

They sipped tea and composed poetry, using fallen flowers as chess pieces, their mutual affection growing.

However, Min Dongcheng had a clan rule that could not be overcome.

Qi Niang had no clan to rely on; unaware of shame, they courted before the wedding, exchanging poems and pledging themselves for life.

All of this constituted crimes; Min Dongcheng could not tolerate such wantonness.

She endured all punishments, originally thinking that surviving would bring a turn for the better, but what awaited her was only a length of red silk.

The red silk was so bright, like a wedding feast.

After Qi Niang's death, Mo Dongjing followed her in death; just then, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth revived, and ghostly fiends ran rampant.

Qi Niang's wronged spirit became the eyes watching over Min Dongcheng.

Fifty years passed; countless joyous events turned into mournful ones, those girls all transformed by Qi Niang into vengeful ghosts, demanding their lives from the foolishness of Min Dongcheng.

Min Dongcheng thus became a ghost city, hardly any living people remained.

"What's the situation with Mo Ranmei and Su Su?" Xu Qie asked.

Spirit Maiden: "Ah… they are all lovesick fools."

Because of Min Dongcheng's rules, outsiders only knew that Gu Yinghong and Mo Ranmei had this one marriage matter, but the bride must not speak wantonly before the wedding.

Su Su knew her older sister had a beloved fiancé, but she did not know it was Gu Yinghong.

Gu Yinghong, whenever he went to the Mo Family to visit Mo Ranmei, took a liking to the orphan girl Su Su raised in the Mo Manor, concealed his identity and pursued her.

Until the matter was exposed.

Mo Ranmei caught sight of her fiancé and Su Su under the flowers and moon; in the confrontation, the enraged Gu Yinghong stabbed her in the chest.

Su Su was frightened silly, but Gu Yinghong said he was doing it for their future; according to clan rules he would still marry Mo Ranmei's spirit tablet into the family, and Su Su would replace Mo Ranmei, completing the marriage alliance between the Mo and Gu families.

Su Su was heartbroken to the point of despair; concealing the news from the Mo Family elders, she buried her older sister's corpse, which no one cared for, leaving only her handkerchief as a keepsake.

She had originally intended to commit suicide that night to atone, but she learned that if she did not marry, the Mo Family's young lady would be sent instead, not even twelve years old.

On the wedding night, Su Su ended her life with the red silk.

"Damn..." Gong Shiyue muttered under his breath.

It turned out that in the Ghost Domain, Su Su's glance at the spirit tablet's heart was not guilt, but sorrow.

"Absurd City talks of absurd things; lovesick people have unwilling dreams."

Azure Bamboo Spirit Maiden said, "Everyone, return; Min Dongcheng has already been destroyed, those who remain are innocent commoners."

The Seven Sons bowed, leaving with a heart full of complexity.