The violent commotion was caused by Song Tingxue, who now wielded a longsword in his hand as he fought against the frenzied figures lunging at him. Upon closer inspection, those figures were women with ghastly pale faces and equally ashen eyes. Their bodies, entangled in vines, moved stiffly yet with eerie agility, while their pallid skin and heavy aura of death made it clear they were nothing more than long-dead walking corpses.
Even more horrifying was the bloody hole in each of their chests—long dried into a thick, blackened crust.
Chu'he had chased after Ninth but instead of finding him, she came face-to-face with one of these vine-wrapped female corpses. She crouched on the ground, hands pressed over her face, screaming.
"Ninth, Ninth! There are ghosts!"
The corpse was suddenly kicked away, slamming into the vine-covered stone wall. It hesitated for only a moment before twisting its body and charging forward again, pulled by some unseen force.
Amidst the short, melodious notes of a flute, the faint sound of crawling creatures could be heard.
The attacking corpse froze three steps away, as if blocked by an invisible wall. A closer look revealed nearly imperceptible threads binding its limbs, preventing it from advancing.
Chu'he remained crouched, stubbornly covering her face as if believing that as long as she couldn’t see, nothing terrifying could appear.
Then, she heard a soft chuckle.
"Back then, you could pick up severed limbs from mountains of corpses and carry broken bodies without hesitation. Why are you so timid now?"
Chu'he parted her fingers slightly, peeking through the gaps to see the young man standing tall before her.
His eyes curved with amusement, sparkling with mirth. White strands of hair framed his striking profile, and he twirled a bamboo flute effortlessly, exuding an air of carefree confidence.
His ease only made her feel all the more disheveled.
Chu'he had no energy to argue with him now. Ahead, Song Tingxue was still locked in a one-against-many struggle with those terrifying, moving corpses. Her face was crumpled behind her hands, and her voice trembled.
"That was different!"
Ninth mimicked her posture, crouching down to meet her gaze, amused by how pitiful she looked. "How so?"
"Back then… back then you were about to die! Of course I… I didn’t have time to be scared!"
Ninth’s eyes flickered. "What if I’m about to die again someday?"
Chu'he blinked. "What?"
"If I’m on the brink of death, will you risk your life to find me, just like before?"
Chu'he wanted to say no, but remembering their still-unresolved engagement—and fearing his retaliation—she forced out a dry, "Of course!"
The corners of the young man’s eyes crinkled like clear springs reflecting starlight. His laughter, light and unrestrained, rang like silver bells through the forest, cutting through the heavy, oppressive air.
He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her fingertips before lifting his gaze. His ruby-like eyes held an almost clingy warmth.
"You promised. If you break your word, I’ll crawl out of hell as a ghost and kill you myself."
A chill ran down Chu'he’s spine.
This was bad. Very, very bad.
Was this lie of hers spiraling out of control?
Song Tingxue, now overwhelmed, barely dodged a clawed strike, stumbling back before steadying himself.
Even with his impeccable manners, he couldn’t help but feel bewildered at the sight of the two young people acting as if they were detached from the danger.
"Ninth, I’d appreciate your assistance. You’ll be duly compensated."
The moment he spoke, unseen threads sharp as blades sliced through the vines binding the corpses. The bodies instantly collapsed, lifeless once more.
Chu'he stood up with Ninth, clinging to the back of his robe as she cautiously eyed the fallen corpses. Amidst her fear, pity and sorrow welled up.
These women were all young, around her age. They should have been vibrant and full of life, yet they had died in this cave, their bodies turned into puppets to attack anyone who entered.
Her grip on his sleeve was suddenly loosened, replaced by a cool hand entwining with hers, guiding her past the corpses as they moved forward.
Song Tingxue had recovered slightly. "Ninth, thank you for your help."
Ninth replied simply, "Payment."
"I’ll deliver it once we return," Song Tingxue assured.
Chu'he whispered, "Were these women the ones who went missing recently?"
Song Tingxue’s expression darkened as he nodded. "Missing notices were posted for them in the city. I even recognized some of them."
Though everyone had suspected the worst when they disappeared, seeing their bodies firsthand was still a heavy blow.
Zhao Rongyue had also vanished, which explained Song Tingxue’s grim expression.
Chu'he tugged Ninth’s hand. "Their chests… what happened to them?"
Ninth glanced indifferently. "Their hearts were dug out."
Chu'he gasped. "Their hearts!?"
A memory surfaced—the bandits they’d encountered before entering the city, who had eyed her with sinister intent. A shudder ran through her, and she pressed closer to Ninth, gripping his hand tightly.
"Back then… when you killed those bandits, did they say anything about me?"
At the mention of "bandits," Song Tingxue turned to listen.
Ninth blinked innocently. "I think they did."
"What was it?"
"Hmm… something about sending you up."
Sending her up?
Sending her where?
Chu'he paled.
Ninth turned toward her, arms open in invitation.
Sure enough, she lunged forward, clinging to his arm as she huddled against him, staring at the bodies as if seeing her own near-fate reflected in them.
Shaken and furious, she muttered, "What kind of monster could be this depraved?"
Ninth tilted his head. "You hate this person?"
Chu'he nodded fiercely. "I do!"
Ninth reached up, lightly touching the small white flower in her hair. With a slow, amused smile, he said, "Then I’ll kill him for you."
"Ninth, Miss Chu," Song Tingxue interrupted. "I’ll arrange for these women’s families to retrieve their remains. Earlier, I crossed paths with Hero Fang—he seemed injured, and we were separated in the fight. Our priority now is to find Rongyue and Hero Fang."
Assuming Fang Songhe was their companion, Song Tingxue expected concern at the news of his plight.
But Ninth showed no reaction.
Chu'he, at least, had some conscience. "Since we’ve come this far, let’s hurry and find them!"
