The black-and-white piano keys danced like a nightingale’s song. The romantic and intense melody rose from soft to soaring. A storm of notes shattered rose petals, droplets splashed into mud, sending water spraying in all directions.
The marbles bounced high off the keys, fell, then rolled like translucent bubbles in a dream, shifting direction just before falling, redirected by the vibration of the next key.
This game wasn’t about musical skill — it was about steadiness. The challenge was to keep the marbles balanced while playing. If you could do that, how good the music sounded was secondary.
But Jiang Luo had done far too well.
Unreasonably well.
His ten fingers leapt across the keys so fast they seemed to leave afterimages. The black-haired young man in a fitted black suit sat with perfect posture, the tips of his hair brushing behind him, elegant, noble, mysterious, and beautiful.
Everyone around was stunned.
In truth, only Jiang Luo knew—his fingers had never touched the keys.
The ghostly hands playing through his own moved so fast and so skillfully that no one could tell his fingers weren’t actually striking the keys.
This was like lip-syncing—no, a flawless lip-sync no one could detect.
But Jiang Luo’s smile had stiffened a little.
He could feel it—the increasingly suspicious gaze of Mr. Qi behind him.
When the performance ended, Jiang Luo’s hands were stiff and numb.
The ghostly hands slipped away like a retreating tide, lingering briefly on the back of his hand.
A voice, playful and malicious, whispered in Jiang Luo’s ear with twisted delight: “My student can’t lose to anyone.”
Then, the chill behind him vanished completely.
Jiang Luo’s eyes dimmed. He slowly withdrew his hands and stood up. When he turned around, his smile was flawless. The black-haired young man seemed a little embarrassed, humbly saying, “I didn’t play very well, just did what I could.”
“Amazing!” Ge Zhu clapped hard, giving a thumbs-up. “That’s our Jiang Luo.”
“Holy cr*p… he’s that good?”
“Li Cheng, are you still gonna compete?”
The pockmarked-faced Li Cheng snapped out of his daze and clicked his tongue, “Compete? Compete with what? D*mn, I give up completely.”
At the back of the crowd, Mr. Qi stared at Jiang Luo in shock and fear.
From the moment the music began, it had felt oddly familiar. As the piece ended, and Mr. Qi looked at Jiang Luo, only one name echoed in his mind—Chi You.
The Qi and Chi families had always been close. Over ten years ago, when Mr. Qi had visited the Chi family, he’d seen a young Chi You being forced by his elders to play a similar marble-on-piano piece.
Back then, Mr. Qi had thought it impossible.
But Chi You had done it.
Still young, but already shining with talent, Chi You had performed effortlessly, smiling as he kept the marbles dancing across the piano keys—exactly like Jiang Luo had just done.
After that, this method of the Chi family gradually spread in the metaphysics world. But Mr. Qi had never again seen anyone who could match Chi You’s skill.
Cold sweat rose on his back.
The polite and modest face of Jiang Luo now appeared distorted and terrifying in his eyes—like a devil. Could it be that Jiang Luo, just like the former Bai Yefeng… had been possessed by Chi You?!
Wasn’t Chi You’s soul shattered and scattered? Why would he come back? Was he… back for revenge?!
***
Father Qi left in a hurry.
His expression didn’t look good. Jiang Luo noticed keenly. Watching Father Qi’s back, his eyes narrowed slightly as he made an excuse: “I’ll just go to the bathroom.”
He smiled at the crowd, and once away from them, quietly followed upstairs.
The hallway on the second floor was long. Jiang Luo lightened his footsteps like a large cat on the hunt, the carpet absorbing the last sounds of his movement.
At the corner of the hallway, Jiang Luo heard voices. He instantly hid at the bend, pressing himself flat against the wall.
Father Qi’s anxious voice came through.
“He must be Chi You, absolutely Chi You!” Father Qi sounded panicked and flustered. “Chi You has definitely returned!”
He seemed to be on the phone. A few seconds later, his tone calmed somewhat. “You’re right too. Jiang Luo is Feng Li’s disciple. If Jiang Luo had been possessed, how could Feng Li not notice anything off? But even if he’s not Chi You, those words about avenging Chi You weren’t just talk.”
“Yeah, still alive,” Father Qi sneered. “His abilities are even greater than we imagined… Chi Zhongye, believe it or not, if we don’t take him out soon, we’re going to fall hard.”
Jiang Luo listened with interest.
He had previously been unsure which of the three of them the Qi and Chi families were targeting. Now he knew—it was him.
And from their reaction, it was clear the Qi and Chi families were involved in Chi You’s death—or were even the main culprits.
Jiang Luo gave a cold chuckle.
Unfortunately for them, although he wasn’t Chi You, he shared the same thirst for revenge.
Petty and vengeful to the core.
He took note of this grudge—the Qi and Chi families had framed him.
He wasn’t sure what the person on the other end of the line said, but Father Qi suddenly inhaled sharply. “Fated One?”
Fated One?
Jiang Luo furrowed his brow. What now?
Father Qi said, “I understand. We’ll talk later. Do whatever it takes to get rid of him. With such an uncertain variable, I feel deeply uneasy. A brat like him, claiming he wants to avenge Chi You—what could he possibly know?”
“The Feng family? Don’t worry. You know what kind of person Feng Li is.”
Father Qi’s words grew increasingly laced with killing intent. Jiang Luo listened lazily for a while, and sensing Father Qi was finishing the call, took a step back, ready to leave.
But somehow, someone was already standing behind him.
A voice laughed near his ear: “Did you hear that? He’s planning to kill you.”
The malicious ghost took Jiang Luo’s hand, chuckling lowly. “Hear the insults from his mouth—the judgment, the disdain. He envies your talent, resents your audacity. He wishes you dead.”
The flesh on Jiang Luo’s knuckles was lightly pinched—it hurt a little. The ghost’s voice sank even lower, like weaving a twisted, beautiful nightmare. “Look—there’s no one here.”
“No surveillance.”
“Just the two of you,” the voice softly festered like bacteria thriving in warmth, twisting evil into form. The malicious ghost tempted him: “Don’t you want to kill him right here?”
“A surprise strike from behind—one blow to end it,” The malicious ghost whispered. “Smash in his skull, or slash across his neck. Shatter his bones, carve out the filthy flesh, let blood spurt from the wounds, splashing onto the red carpet, the walls… Unleash your fury this way. Let him see what kind of devil he’s provoked. Show him—you’re not someone he can kill.”
The malicious ghost spared no effort in sowing temptation, trying to stir evil thoughts in Jiang Luo, expose the true nature he valued in his kind—the cold-blooded, ruthless core.
And fall into h*ll with him.
“His blood will flow more and more. He’ll turn around in fear to look at you, try to run—but he won’t escape you,” The malicious ghost’s bloodlust surged. He stifled a laugh and slipped a knife into Jiang Luo’s hand. “Just be careful not to let his filthy blood get on you.”
“That way, you can stroll back into the banquet like nothing happened.”
Jiang Luo’s breathing deepened slightly.
He could almost see it: himself killing Father Qi, his hands stained red, the hallway reeking of death.
He would toss the knife, clean his hands, and calmly return to the crowd.
Father Qi had finished his call and stepped out from the corner, seemingly not seeing Jiang Luo and Chi You. He turned his back and walked toward the first floor.
The malicious ghost’s voice behind Jiang Luo felt like it could burrow straight into his mind: “With me behind you, all you have to do—is be yourself.”
The malicious ghost’s cold breath brushed Jiang Luo’s ear. He whispered, “Jiang Luo, go kill him.”
The malicious ghost let go of his hand.
The black-haired young man didn’t move. His Adam’s apple bobbed once, and the dryness in his throat disappeared in an instant.
“Chi You,” he said, voice slightly hoarse but incredibly pleasant to the ear, “who gave you the confidence to think you could persuade me?”
“This is a lawful society,” he said. “Dealing with humans is different from dealing with ghosts.”
“Oh?” A pale hand pressed to Jiang Luo’s chest. Chi You let out a low laugh. “Then why… has your heart started beating faster?”
Jiang Luo swung the knife back. In the next instant, Chi You disappeared—and the knife in his hand vanished along with him.
The black-haired young man’s expression was icy cold. He took a deep breath, forcing down his agitation.
Chi You wanted to turn him into something monstrous. He refused to let that happen. Getting emotional now would only fall into Chi You’s trap.
Jiang Luo quickly calmed down and returned to the hall.
***
The group that had come to cause Jiang Luo trouble was now thoroughly convinced. None of them brought up the competition again; instead, they shifted the topic and invited them to go race cars.
But the mountain ring road was dangerous, and the elders wouldn’t allow it. So, they simply found a spot to play poker instead.
Since they had never seen a Yuan Tian Bead before, Pockmarked Face and the others shamelessly suggested, “We should have a bet, right? Jiang Luo, if we win, can you show us the Yuan Tian Bead? No offense—we’re just curious and envious. We want to see it.”
Jiang Luo spread his hands. “Do you think something like that can just be carried around? I don’t have it with me right now.”
The group, whose curiosity had been piqued, looked a bit disappointed. Qi Ye casually said, “The Yuan Tian Bead? My family has one.”
Jiang Luo paused. The others cried out in surprise. “Your family has one?!”
“Yeah, we do,” Qi Ye nodded calmly. “If you want to see it, I can take you there right now. Originally, it was going to be shown to you at 8 PM tonight, as a way to…” —to attract talent into the Qi family.
Qi Ye, of course, didn’t say the last part out loud.
He glanced at Jiang Luo from the corner of his eye—what a pity Jiang Luo was already part of the Heavenly Master Residence.
Jiang Luo looked intrigued. “If your family has a Yuan Tian Bead, why not keep it for your own use?”
Qi Ye laughed, his tone calm but full of pride. “Three generations of men in our family have outstanding talent. The Yuan Tian Bead doesn’t really do much for us.”
The way he said this made people grind their teeth in envy—but they couldn’t refute it. Qi Ye was telling the truth. Never mind the older generations who were aging—the talent of Qi Ye alone was among the best of the younger generation.
Pockmarked Face grumbled, “Better to give it to me… Qi Ye, take us to see the Yuan Tian Bead, yeah? It’s still early before 8.”
Qi Ye simply put down his poker cards and took them to see it.
The Yuan Tian Bead was stored in the Qi family’s study. There was a formation in front of the study door. But when Qi Ye led them in, the formation didn’t activate. Jiang Luo took note—seems the Qi family’s formation doesn’t respond to its own members.
To confirm this, Jiang Luo subtly probed the formation as he stepped through. As expected, there was no reaction.
He curled his lips slightly and stepped into the study.
Qi Ye retrieved the Yuan Tian Bead from a safe. Jiang Luo stood at the back of the group, staring directly at the bead for a few seconds before looking away as if nothing had happened.
A bold idea formed in Jiang Luo’s mind.
The Qi family had really gotten on his nerves. Before completely taking them down, he’d make sure they got a taste of his displeasure too.
He was going to steal the Yuan Tian Bead.
It was locked inside a wooden box. To avoid seeming suspicious, none of them dared glance directly at the box. Jiang Luo stood half-turned toward Qi Ye, but his peripheral vision watched every one of Qi Ye’s movements clearly.
There were no windows in the room. The door had been shut behind them, creating a sealed space.
Everyone present was a young talent of their generation. There were many of them, but deceiving them was far easier than dealing with cunning old foxes or malicious ghosts.
The only thing to watch out for—was their line of sight.
Jiang Luo wasn’t some master thief. He didn’t have the professional skillset. If he had a partner, it would be much easier—one could distract the group while the other stole the bead. But unfortunately, Jiang Luo was alone.
But he had the Yin-Yang hoop. That was its own kind of special “partner.”
He stood at the back of the group, smiling along with the others as they admired the pearl. The Yuan Tian Bead emitted an icy blue light that seemed to reach into the soul—it still held a mysterious allure for him. Jiang Luo finally pulled his gaze away and wandered over to the bookshelf, appearing absentminded.
“So that’s the Yuan Tian Bead? Such a tiny bead, the size of a fingernail, and it can enhance a spiritual body?”
“D*mn, I really want to snap a photo. I’ve officially seen a Yuan Tian Bead now.”
“Qi Ye, is your family selling it? Auctioning it off maybe? You’d definitely fetch a sky-high price!”
“You’d have to be an idiot to sell it! The Yuan Tian Bead is worth way more than money!”
When they’d had their fill of gawking, Qi Ye was about to put the bead away. Just as he was about to close the wooden box, he heard Jiang Luo, who was by the bookshelf, suddenly say “Hm?”
Qi Ye looked over instinctively.
Turns out Jiang Luo’s coat had gotten caught on a hook on the bookshelf. He looked down at the hook and tugged at the caught spot—but the position was awkward, and he didn’t manage to free it.
Jiang Luo simply raised his head, lazily unbuttoning his suit jacket. The crisp white shirt beneath was slowly revealed beneath his slender fingers. His black hair hung like fine silk across his chest, swaying slightly with his movements, each motion like ripples spreading through a tranquil lake. As he undressed, he said, “Qi Ye, your family has a lot of rare books, huh?”
It was just removing a jacket, yet somehow everyone around flushed red, their attention completely drawn in. Upon hearing his comment, they naturally followed his gaze toward the bookshelf.
A golden mouse silently darted across the table. While no one was watching, it stole the Yuan Tian Bead.
Qi Ye stared at Jiang Luo, a little dazed, and shut the box without noticing that the most important thing inside was already missing. “There are… a few.”
Jiang Luo casually flicked his jacket and draped it over his arm. The golden mouse, hidden by the jacket, climbed up and slipped back into Jiang Luo’s Yin-Yang hoop. The Yuan Tian Bead was now safely in his possession.
Jiang Luo gripped the Yuan Tian Bead and held onto the edge of his suit jacket, raising his brows in confusion as he looked at the crowd. “Why are you all staring at me?”
At his question, everyone snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream. Awkwardly, they averted their gazes and slung arms around each other’s shoulders as they walked out of the study, though their glances still occasionally and subtly flicked back to Jiang Luo.
Ahem ahem, they hadn’t noticed before—Jiang Luo was really good-looking.
Jiang Luo quickly followed the group out as well.
Qi Ye, still a bit dazed, locked the wooden box back into the safe. When he came out and saw Jiang Luo again, his face suddenly flushed red.
Jiang Luo was chatting and laughing with Wenren Lian and the others. He looked back at Qi Ye and, not understanding why the other was blushing, asked, “Qi Ye, are you hot?”
At that, Qi Ye’s ears turned red as if they’d exploded. He turned around to leave but ended up coming back with his head down. Grabbing Jiang Luo, he pulled him away while muttering quickly, “You know it’s hot, so why are you still standing here! So annoying, hurry up and come down!”
Jiang Luo was baffled. He looked back at Wenren Lian and the others, silently asking with his eyes: Is he crazy?
Wenren Lian only smiled without saying a word. Ge Zhu clicked his tongue in amusement.
Qi Ye, driven by some inexplicable energy, dragged Jiang Luo over to the dining table. The pastries and decorations on the table were delicate and emitted a subtly sweet, tempting fragrance.
“I…” Qi Ye met Jiang Luo’s questioning gaze and suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, unsure of what to say. Irritated, he glanced around, grabbed a few cakes, and placed them on a tray in front of Jiang Luo. “Do you want to eat?”
Jiang Luo glanced at the cakes. “Not really.”
He had expected Qi Ye to get angry, but surprisingly, Qi Ye calmly put the cakes back and even said softly, “Then what do you want to eat?”
Jiang Luo: “……”
He gave Qi Ye a strange look.
—In a distant corner, hidden in the shadows—
Two people stood there.
One was Liao Si, who had been treated as a guest and allowed to stay at the Qi family estate since his last visit. The other was Teng Bi, who hadn’t had an invitation and had been left at school.
Watching the scene between Jiang Luo and Qi Ye, Liao Si looked entertained, his eyes lit with interest. He nudged Teng Bi’s arm and said, “Never thought I’d live to see this kind of scene.”
Teng Bi, strictly following his master’s order to “watch Jiang Luo,” didn’t take his eyes off the boy. “Which kind of scene?”
“The scene of our master getting cuckolded,” Liao Si chuckled with a sickly grin full of mischief. “I really want to call our master over and let him see this for himself.”
Teng Bi didn’t quite follow his meaning, but since he wasn’t familiar with Liao Si, he simply said calmly, “Don’t forget, the master can hear your thoughts.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a slow, leisurely voice echoed inside Liao Si’s mind.
“Liao Si.”
Liao Si’s smile instantly froze. He straightened up immediately, “Master.”
From the other end came the sound of flipping pages. Chi You said slowly, “What do you mean I’m getting cuckolded?”
Liao Si’s skin tightened all over, a chill running down his spine. He quickly put on a flattering smile, “I just meant Jiang Luo is spending time with the puppet candidate I once recommended to you.”
In truth, Liao Si didn’t think Chi You would go back to using a human body now that he had the divine statue form. What he said was merely a roundabout way of expressing that he didn’t see the candidate and Jiang Luo as a good match at all.
He spoke tactfully, but Chi You paused on the other end. “So?”
Liao Si was stunned—this reaction was off.
Any man who got cheated on would blow up, especially this man—Chi You, who was essentially terrifying.
Could it be… the master doesn’t mind?
Unable to guess Chi You’s thoughts, Liao Si tentatively asked, “Master, did your ‘hero saves the beauty’ moment succeed?”
“Ah,” Chi You’s voice was tinged with an obvious trace of pleasure. “It did.”
—In a remote underground chamber—
Chi You sat on a sofa, ghost tattoos writhing around his neck. Even someone like him had to find distractions to keep sane while enduring the backlash from the markings.
Things like luring Jiang Luo with a soul body… or reading Compass Analysis.
But at the moment, his attention wasn’t on the book.
He was thinking about the escape at the hospital, about the killer doctor and the patients.
“I did save him. Helped him get rid of a monster that was after him,” Chi You’s lips curved upward, his pale lips lacking the color they’d had after that day’s mingling of blood and tongue. He was quite pleased with his actions. “But unfortunately, even facing death wasn’t enough to bring out his true nature.”
It did sound like a hero-saving-beauty moment. Liao Si, curious, asked, “So master, after your heroic rescue, what did Jiang Luo do?”
In Chi You’s mind, a scene flashed—Jiang Luo standing tall at the top of the stairs, coldly smiling as he wiped blood from his reddened, moist lips.
For some reason, Chi You’s throat started to itch again.
His voice dropped slightly, casual yet a bit dazed, “Him? He broke one of my arms.”
Liao Si: “???”
Author’s Note:
Liao Si: Divine love story.
