Chapter 2701: The Psychopathic City Lord

Fu Lingjing arrived one step ahead of them, standing below the steps of the main seat, only a few steps away from Yin Chaosheng.

He had dressed up carefully, changing into a rather splendid robe, his face bearing just the right amount of admiring gentleness as he spoke to Yin Chaosheng seated on the main seat, his tone low and soft, his eyes ardent.

Jin Chen's steps did not pause; he slightly raised his brow, slowly moving toward the expressionless Yin Chaosheng on the main seat, with a half-smile.

Yin Chaosheng on the high seat seemed to sense the teasing and danger within; a inexplicable soreness rose in his waist, as if the feeling of being wantonly violated the previous night faintly resurfaced.

Damn it, why does this mad dog spill vinegar without distinguishing right from wrong!

Just then, Fu Lingjing again tried to step forward half a step, intending to pour wine for him.

"Get out!" Yin Chaosheng's scarlet pupils suddenly turned cold; without even moving, a blast of yin qi stabbed toward Fu Lingjing's shoulder blades.

Fu Lingjing, caught off guard, cried out in pain, stumbled backward, revealing a wound on his shoulder that gushed black qi.

He covered the wound, incredulously looking at Yin Chaosheng, "City Lord! Why is this? Didn't you permit me to stay… to serve you?"

Yin Chaosheng's psychopathic conduct came without warning, silencing all the ghosts in the hall like cicadas in winter.

Before Yin Chaosheng could speak, Gu Bai Bai, holding a basin bone, jeered, "Pah! The service the City Lord speaks of is just serving tea and water, guarding the gate and patrolling the night!"

"You newcomer, do you even know the rules, still wanting to serve? What do you think you're doing crowding so close? Do you think you're Lord Jin Chen? Get lost!"

It spoke those words without the slightest courtesy; hearing this, Zang Huaian, seated a bit farther away, twitched the corner of his mouth slightly and whispered to Liu Shuoyue beside him, "So that's it… the City Lord and Brother Jin are mutually affectionate."

Liu Shuoyue lifted the yin tea before her, took a sip, and deeply agreed.

Jin Chen seemed oblivious to this interlude, walking straight to the seats reserved for them.

That seat was arranged cleverly, diagonally opposite the spot where Fu Lingjing had just stood, and a considerable distance from the main seat.

Jin Chen brushed off his robes and sat down, yet a dissatisfied soft hum came from the main seat.

Yin Chaosheng set down his wine cup, his gaze coldly falling on Jin Chen; the nameless fire in his heart burned ever hotter, "What's the point of sitting so far away? I am a flood and ferocious beast—could I eat you? Why don't you just sit outside the hall?"

This complaint made the Left and Right Protectors, who knew his temperament, secretly click their tongues.

Jin Chen raised his eyes to meet Yin Chaosheng's gaze, his brow slightly lowering, "City Lord, you've misunderstood; I simply… don't want to sit where another ghost has just sat."

His tone was flat, yet pointed; his gaze lightly swept over Fu Lingjing's deathly pale face as he continued, "Originally, the seat beside the City Lord is one anyone can approach, anyone can… covet."

"Pfft…" Liu Shuoyue couldn't hold back, nearly choking on the tea; she hastily set down her cup, covered her mouth with her sleeve, and gave two light coughs, "Cough… really good tea."

Heiyi, sitting beside her, blankly lifted the tea cup, sniffed it carefully, then cautiously took a sip; his dark face full of confusion, "This tea has no flavor."

Yin Chaosheng felt choked by Jin Chen's words, his anger flaring everywhere.

He fiercely glared at the still‑standing Fu Lingjing, shot up, and in a few strides reached the table where Jin Chen sat, fixing his stare on Chu Jiushan beside Jin Chen.

"You, get up and sit above."

Chu Jiushan, who had been enjoying the show, blinked at the words, pointed at his own nose, "Ah, me?"

Yin Chaosheng ignored his foolishness, merely staring coldly at him.

Chu Jiushan gave a start, hurriedly waddling over to the empty seat.

Only then did Yin Chaosheng satisfactorily withdraw his gaze, flicked his robe, and sat down right next to Jin Chen's seat.

Watching this, Fu Lingjing felt his vision darken, his heart so weary he almost wanted to faint on the spot.

He clung to his injured body, intending to use his wound as an excuse to leave the seat, when the immortal's voice sounded again in his mind.

"Trash! With this little injury you'd retreat? Keep going to provoke Jin Chen."

Fu Lingjing roared in his heart, "I'm covered in wounds! How am I supposed to provoke?"

"As long as you're not dead, keep going!" the immortal's voice said coldly and mercilessly.

Fu Lingjing closed his eyes, suppressed the sweet‑blood taste in his throat, and forcibly swallowed all the humiliation and resentment.

He drew a deep breath, turned to Yin Chaosheng, "City Lord, take note! Subordinate… subordinate did not mean to offend! Just now, when I arrived, I faintly heard Jin Chen and the others seemingly discussing something in secret… about entering a certain Jar Forbidden Land! Subordinate feared they might be hostile to the City Lord, so I wanted to step forward to warn…"

As soon as the words "jar" were spoken, Yin Chaosheng's fingers, idly playing with Jin Chen's wine cup, paused slightly.

He slowly lifted his eyes, his scarlet pupils turning to Fu Lingjing, then slowly back to the composed face of Jin Chen beside him; the corner of his mouth curled into a cold, dangerous arc, his voice drawn out, carrying the oppressive pressure of an impending storm.

"Oh? I had actually forgotten that you still can't let go of that place—you trespassed once without permission and now want a second go? Do you even know what kind of place that is?"

Liu Shuoyue's heart skipped a beat; her fingers gripping the tea cup tightened slightly as she pondered how to explain and smooth things over.

Jin Chen took Yin Chaosheng's hand resting on the table, his fingertips lightly stroking it, "May I not?"

He raised his eyes to meet Yin Chaosheng's gaze, his depths clear, no evasion, only a faint smile.

Yin Chaosheng narrowed his eyes, then after a moment suddenly pulled his lips into a smile, weird and unusual, as if he had thought of something extremely amusing.

He turned his hand to grip Jin Chen's fingers, squeezing them firmly, his tone actually taking on a hint of indulgence, "All right, that place isn't much fun anyway… but since you want to go, I've been busy lately and don't feel like constantly restraining you… go ahead and play with it."

Fu Lingjing: "???"

What happened to the promised forbidden land? What happened to the promised severe punishment without mercy!

Liu Shuoyue silently rubbed her forehead, her mind holding only one thought: love really does blind the ghosts.

Heaven knows they spent an afternoon discussing how to enter the Ghost Altar Forbidden Land; no wonder Jin Chen said it wasn't that troublesome!

Heiyi also showed an expression of sudden realization, his face full of admiration, his gaze toward Jin Chen filled with reverence.

So that's it—Brother Jin sacrificed himself to form a bond with the Ghost City Lord, and yet he still has this convenient freedom to enter and leave the forbidden land at will—high, indeed high!

Jin Chen's smile deepened at the corners of his mouth; his fingertips lightly scratched his palm, and he whispered, "Then thank you, City Lord, for your generosity."

Yin Chaosheng gave a soft hum, shook off his hand, yet then lifted the wine cup he had used, downed the remaining liquor in one gulp, the corners of his eyes slightly red as he glanced at Jin Chen—silence speaking louder than words.