Only through Xue Bin’s eyes after death did the whole truth come to light.
The young woman already had someone she loved, but he did not meet her family’s approval. Just then, the well-reputed Xue family’s young master set his sights on her. Her family, firstly greedy for the betrothal gifts, and secondly wanting her to marry into a good household, pressured her with tears and arguments.
Worn down by their soft coercion, unable to harden her heart and elope with her beloved for fear of ruining her family’s reputation, she devised another plan. During the wedding procession, before entering the Xue household, she staged her own suicide—this way she gained everyone’s sympathy. With an “accident,” her family could stand on the moral high ground against the Xue family.
Her family, of course, knew their daughter’s tricks. The moment they saw her “corpse,” they understood. So they cooperated in the act, reclaimed the body, and drove off Xue Bin, who was guarding the grave. Then they secretly let her lover rescue her. With this move, the daughter forced her parents’ hand, leaving them no choice but to let her go. Fearing exposure, the family hurriedly moved away, leaving all blame and scandal behind on Xue Bin.
Now, the girl had become a wife, living in happiness.
And Xue Bin’s ghost beheld the truth, utterly shaken.
Seeing how unstable his soul-body was, it was very likely this was how he had drawn in demonic energy, turning into a fiend.
“So it was him… This Young Master Xue really was unlucky. But the girl couldn’t help it either—it was all to be with the one she loved,” Ji Chuling sighed.
Qi Yi frowned, unable to make any judgment. In his heart, the man before him was the murderer of his wife. Sympathy was impossible—he only wanted to tear him apart. “Hmph, unlucky or not, what right did he have to harm my Little Yan.”
Li Xiuran and Gu Baiqing remained silent.
Before long, news spread outside the courtyard. Hearing of the Xue family’s downfall, the woman felt no guilt.
“Don’t blame me—it was he who tried to force a marriage,” she said, stroking the child in her belly. “It was his fault for breaking apart true lovers.”
Her husband, however, sighed. “I can’t help feeling uneasy. Young Master Xue wasn’t unreasonable. He didn’t know about us. Didn’t he once write you a letter, asking your wishes? If you had refused him then, wouldn’t all of this have been avoided? Now we’ve been driven from home…”
The woman rolled her eyes. “So what if we left home? Aren’t we wealthy? At the time, my parents had already taken the betrothal gifts. How could they possibly return them? Everyone outside knew the wedding was set. If I refused then, the Xue family breaking it off would’ve been fine, but I’d have become the shameless woman who reneged on her betrothal. Even if we married later, we’d live under people’s ridicule. Clearly, it was my parents who tied me to this road. I just went along with it—they can hardly blame me.”
Hearing this, Ji Chuling’s expression changed.
Gu Baiqing had completely understood by now — this girl simply didn’t want to bear any responsibility or blame. She wouldn’t stand up and say no, only wanted to escape and hide, shifting all the moral shackles onto someone else. In the end, she still thought of herself as the victim.
Such words were a fatal blow to Xue Bin, who had been devastated by her fake death, driven to suicide by ruined reputation, and whose family was dragged down with him.
Perhaps just moments ago, his spirit had only been shocked, regretful, but not yet filled with boundless rage. But now, with the girl’s words, black energy began to gather around Xue Bin — demonic qi.
Normally, if a spirit harbored resentment, at most it would turn into a vengeful ghost. For it to directly become a demon, it required the spirit’s corruption coinciding with nearby demonic qi.
One could only say everything was coincidence — the presence of demonic qi nearby created the demon Xue Bin. And demonic qi, being stronger than ghostly qi, stripped him in an instant of his humanity and reason. What remained was only hatred, magnified endlessly, a crazed hunter.
The demonic qi gave his spirit form. Out of nothing, a ghostly hand appeared and clamped onto the girl’s neck.
In the blink of an eye, none of her family survived. Only the girl herself vanished without a trace.
The scene shifted again — it was once more the bridal procession.
A halted bridal sedan. The curtain lifted. The bride sat inside, wearing her red wedding dress, eyes wide with terror, but her body unable to move.
Xue Bin slowly approached the bride.
“Since you want to kill yourself, I’ll help you.” The words were exactly what Little Yan’s maidservant had heard.
His ghostly hand turned to a blade, letting the girl, who once feigned death, truly die. Perhaps in his eyes, if the bride really died in the bridal sedan, then all the later tragedies his family suffered would leave him with nothing to say.
Thus began Xue Bin’s path of hunting brides — though it could no longer be called Xue Bin.
Suddenly, the scene shifted again.
Once more, a bridal sedan. But this time, the bride’s face was covered with a red veil.
Gu Baiqing’s face instantly changed. He recalled the red marks on Mo Xuanli’s neck outside, and his body moved ahead of thought.
At the same time, Three Bean twitched his nose and shouted at once: “Xuanli!”
The others also realized. Mo Xuanli sat obediently inside, just like the girl before, unable to move.
They rushed forward with their fastest footwork, but the distance stretched like a mirage — clearly an illusion’s effect.
“Three Bean!” Gu Baiqing had only run a few steps before realizing something was wrong. He shouted immediately.
Spiritual power surged, and Three Bean instantly took its true form. As a beast adept in illusions, it was least restrained here. Carrying Gu Baiqing on its back, it flew toward the bridal sedan at lightning speed, crackling lightning even wrapping around its body.
“Wow, amazing,” Ji Chuling gasped. “But why’s he charging in? He can’t handle it…”
Li Xiuran drew his Heaven-Fixing Sword, riding it forward, accelerating again.
Xue Bin was already before Mo Xuanli, bending down, ghost hand turned to blade.
In a low voice: “Since you want to kill yourself, I’ll hel—”
“Help yourself!”
Suddenly, a rebuke thundered down with lightning force. Gu Baiqing stomped Xue Bin flat to the ground, crushing him as though into the earth itself, the black qi dispersing underfoot.
Only when Gu Baiqing had firmly stepped on him did the balloon of panic in his chest finally deflate.
Good thing he’d made it in ti—
Gu Baiqing turned his head, and froze.
The red veil had already fallen. A dazed face looked back at him.
Mo Xuanli wasn’t controlled at all, wasn’t paralyzed. He was perfectly fine. In fact, Divine Nine Transformations had already taken the form of a sword hidden in his hand, ready to strike.
“You… you’re fine.” Gu Baiqing’s expression almost slipped beyond his control.
Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling also rushed up, staring in surprise at Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli stood up a bit flustered. “Mas—… Brother, I’m fine. How did you come in? Has that much time passed outside?”
“You knew you were pulled into an illusion?” Li Xiuran asked.
“Yes. I sensed the opponent’s intent and followed it in, because I felt an unusual demonic qi. I thought there was something wrong, so I wanted to investigate while I had the chance…”
“Do you realize you were being tainted by demonic qi just now? Your neck—” Ji Chuling gestured, explaining: “Your spirit beast and your brother were both scared out of their wits. That’s why we rushed in.”
Mo Xuanli instantly felt guilty. He hadn’t expected it to turn out like that. He thought the opponent wasn’t strong enough to harm him, only that there was strange demonic qi worth probing before leaving. So he…
He turned at once to Gu Baiqing, but found Gu Baiqing’s expression had already recovered — familiar icy cold. Yet his eyes avoided Mo Xuanli, his whole body radiating a heavy pressure.
“Brother…” Mo Xuanli called guiltily.
Gu Baiqing’s face remained blank. “So did you discover anything?”
Mo Xuanli’s heart lurched. The tone was far too stiff. Finished — his master must be angry.
“N-no… I was just about to strike, finish him, and come out. I… I know I was wrong. Don’t be angry, Brother…” His voice grew smaller and smaller, like a puppy being scolded, ears drooping, tail tucked, leaving Ji Chuling, who had just met him, and even Li Xiuran, who wasn’t that close, stunned.
Gu Baiqing only said: “I’m not angry.”
But as the words fell, he stomped down hard and crushed the demon beneath his foot.
The demon, however, would not die so easily. Black smoke billowed. Without hesitation, Gu Baiqing thrust his lightning-wreathed hand into the smoke, dragging Xue Bin’s form back out — swift, precise, ruthless. Coupled with his cold expression, the sight was truly terrifying.
Mo Xuanli’s back went cold in an instant, and even Three Bean obediently turned back into a little kitten, sitting quietly.
“So Big Brother Mo really is this powerful,” Ji Chuling whispered as she leaned close to Li Xiuran.
But Li Xiuran’s eyes were full of doubt. What a coincidence — lightning element too?
“Wait! Let me strike, I must avenge Little Yan!” Qi Yi was the last to rush over, nearly out of breath, but the hatred in his eyes hadn’t lessened in the slightest.
Gu Baiqing was about to speak when suddenly Xue Bin, trapped in his hand, let out a sharp scream. A soul split off from his body, shooting at Gu Baiqing like a hidden weapon.
“Ah—” It was a woman’s cry. Her face bore a resemblance to Little Yan’s younger brother they had seen before, and in that instant Gu Baiqing realized who this soul belonged to. He couldn’t strike rashly. If his spiritual power touched her, she would be scattered completely, with no chance of reincarnation.
Most likely, Xue Bin had intended to absorb that ghost soul to strengthen himself, but before he could, danger struck. So he tossed it away, like cutting off his own tail to escape.
Gu Baiqing was shaken by the ghostly qi and loosened his grip. Mo Xuanli, always watching him closely, immediately reached out to steady him, not caring about the demon anymore—only to have Gu Baiqing deliberately avoid his hand.
Mo Xuanli’s heart tightened with hurt, but he still moved to shield Gu Baiqing.
Both Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling were startled by the scene. Just as they were about to attack, Xue Bin turned into black smoke and spiraled upward. They gave chase, but the illusion confused their sense of direction, forcing them to return.
“That demon is already wounded. As long as we’re inside this illusion, we’ll find him. Why not split up?” Li Xiuran analyzed. They could definitely win a fight—the problem was catching him.
Just then, Qi Yi suddenly shouted at Gu Baiqing: “What happened just now? Daoist, why did you suddenly let go? Did Xue Bin attack you?”
Everyone froze and turned to Qi Yi—only to see that he wasn’t looking at the ground at all, where the ghost of Little Yan had just regained her breath and sat.
At this moment, Little Yan slowly lifted her head. Once a beautiful, charming girl, her face was now haggard, her form nearly transparent. The moment she saw Qi Yi, her almond eyes widened, and tears poured down. “Brother Yi, I thought I’d never see you again. Brother Yi… I was so scared, have you come to save me?”
Overjoyed, Little Yan stumbled and crawled toward him, wanting to throw herself into his arms. But she passed right through his body, falling wretchedly to the ground.
Qi Yi never once looked at her. In his pitch-black eyes there wasn’t even her reflection.
Xue Bin was now a demon, so Qi Yi could see him. But Little Yan was only a soul—and a weak, fading one at that. Qi Yi couldn’t see her, couldn’t even feel her yin aura.
Little Yan seemed to realize something. She floated back in front of him, gazing at him with dazed longing, then began to cry with grievance.
“I forgot. I’m already dead. Brother Yi can’t see me. I’ll never be able to marry you. I’m sorry, Brother Yi. It was my selfishness that made me insist on marrying you. It was my wishful thinking, believing the curse wouldn’t fall upon me. I failed to protect our child, failed to stay with you. I’m sorry, Brother Yi… I’m so sorry.”
She wept like her heart was bleeding, pouring out her feelings. But Qi Yi could never respond—he couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t feel. He only looked at the four of them with confusion.
“Why are you all looking at me like this? Do you think I’m not capable of avenging her myself?” Qi Yi asked anxiously. “Please, I beg you, let me—”
“No, it’s not that, it’s…” Ji Chuling’s eyes reddened. She wanted to speak, but Li Xiuran stopped her.
“What is it?” Qi Yi seemed to read something from her face and asked, “Is it… is Little Yan… here?”
Gu Baiqing didn’t know whether he was just guessing blindly or truly sensed something. For a moment, even he didn’t know what to say in the face of such grief.
Ji Chuling couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to force herself to speak, when suddenly Little Yan ran in front of Qi Yi, tears in her eyes, and shook her head desperately at the others. “Please, don’t tell him. Please… If he knew I was here, he’d be even more heartbroken.”
To have your beloved right before you, yet untouchable, unable to save them—that pain was worse than knowing they had died.
“Tell me, is Little Yan…?” Qi Yi suddenly grew frantic.
But Little Yan only shook her head again and again.
Li Xiuran spoke directly: “No. We were just thinking of how to help you find the demon and take revenge.”
Mo Xuanli added: “Your wife is already dead. Don’t let your mind run wild.”
Gu Baiqing glanced at Little Yan, then said: “Back at your family’s cemetery, I already told you—your wife’s soul has reincarnated. It’s enough that you buried her properly.”
The moment those words fell, Little Yan froze.
“Cemetery? Buried me? But… I never even crossed the threshold as a bride. How could I be buried in Brother Yi’s family’s cemetery? I…” She suddenly understood, turned, and tried to embrace Qi Yi’s body with her weak arms. “Brother Yi, you’re such a fool…”
But Qi Yi, hearing only their denial, fell into grief. He had no idea that the one he yearned for most was holding him even now.
“It’s not enough. Never enough. I must avenge Little Yan…”
Before his words had even faded, an evil laugh rang out. Xue Bin, now fully deranged, reappeared from above as black smoke and struck Qi Yi’s body.
The four of them had thought, with Xue Bin’s strength now, he’d only try to flee. But no—madness had driven him to double back and possess the mortal Qi Yi.
“Brother Yi!” Little Yan cried in terror, rushing forward, but the four quickly pulled her back.
Li Xiuran and Mo Xuanli attacked at once, while a hoarse, tearing voice howled: “All must die! All of you filthy adulterers—you all deserve to die!”
No one knew whether it was because meeting Little Yan and Qi Yan had stirred up Xue Bin’s memories of the pair that tricked him, but now he was facing everyone down with the stance of dragging them all to destruction with him.
“Don’t make a move—he’s linking with Qi Yi’s life. If you attack, Qi Yi will be severely injured too.” At Ji Chuling’s warning, they all noticed that Qi Yi, standing there, had half his body already turning into a demonized state, spreading like a virus.
“Use a purification spell to force him back,” Gu Baiqing reminded. He himself didn’t know it, but as an elder he naturally knew more.
“I… I can’t. My power isn’t enough,” Ji Chuling said.
“I don’t know it,” Li Xiuran admitted awkwardly.
Mo Xuanli stepped forward, forming hand seals to cast a spell.
“Wait—that’s… the Mudra of Wuxiang Temple?!” Li Xiuran exclaimed in shock. “You even know that?”
Gu Baiqing realized then: Mo Xuanli had learned it while watching Qian Yue cast spells in the secret realm. Why had he learned it—could it have been precaution, in case Wuxiang Temple discovered something?
As the seal unfolded, golden light spread out. God Nine Transformations instantly turned into the form of a staff, and Mo Xuanli pressed one end against Qi Yi’s forehead. The lines of the formation spread across Qi Yi’s brow.
But since he’d only learned it on the spot, it was still clumsy—unable to expel directly, but it did halt the demonization, like tethering Xue Bin’s rampage within Qi Yi’s body.
“Can you help?!” Li Xiuran turned to Ji Chuling at once.
Ji Chuling, embarrassed, said, “No, our spells are from different sects. They don’t mesh.”
Li Xiuran’s face darkened. Could it be they had no choice but to rely on Mo Xuanli to force Xue Bin out? But could a mortal body already demonized hold on?
Just then, Qi Yi opened one bloodshot eye, panting harshly. “Xue Bin… the bridal sedan chair… Little Yan’s neck is bleeding… bleeding!”
His gaze grew frenzied. This was… Xue Bin’s possession had accidentally let him glimpse the moment Little Yan was killed?
“Qi Yi, don’t get agitated—if you lose control, he’ll dominate you. We’re saving you,” Li Xiuran said sternly.
But Qi Yi suddenly burst out laughing wildly. “He’s inside me… he wants to die with me? Fine… just fine!”
Everyone’s hearts lurched—they realized something.
“Perfect—if I go down, I can catch up and reincarnate with Little Yan!”
