"Birds of a feather flock together," as the old saying goes, and how true it is.
Shu Fu found her social circle utterly fascinating—one moment she'd run into an S, the next a B. Rarely did she encounter a pair of "celestial lovers" who shared her ideals, only to discover they were neither lovers nor even what they seemed. The enchantingly beautiful maiden turned out to be a cross-dressing man, while the gentle, earnest soul was anything but honest—though he was certainly old, and carried himself with a shameless air that defied his age.
Impressive. Truly impressive.
The shamelessly aged Mr. Jiang remained unflappable. While the youths recoiled at the inauspiciousness of the skeletal remains, he calmly gathered the scattered bones of the dismembered female ghost, even cradling her skull in his hands for closer inspection. "Multiple fractures on the cranium, a puncture wound between the brows, and a depression at the back of the head. She must have suffered greatly before death."
A timid girl shrank back. "Such a gruesome death... wouldn't that make her a vengeful spirit?"
"Every grievance has its debtor, every debt its collector," Young Master Bai declared with unwavering confidence, striding ahead. "If we've done no wrong, even a vengeful ghost has no claim on us."
Another voice raised a doubt: "But how did this person die? Qiongqi's resurgence only began a month or two ago. If Qiongqi killed her, the body wouldn't have decayed to bones so quickly."
"Exactly," others chimed in. "Even if it were Qiongqi, it wouldn't stroll along snacking on flesh while spitting out bones, would it?"
"A perfectly intact corpse, dismantled piece by piece... it's almost like... like..."
—Like a dismemberment scene.
Except this time, the dismemberment seemed to have been done by the deceased herself.
Having witnessed the white-clad maiden's actions firsthand, Shu Fu knew the mastermind behind this but couldn't fathom the reason.
Was it really just a prank to go through such elaborate trouble—dissecting her own skeleton like a model and hiding the pieces throughout the forest?
It didn’t seem that simple.
Shu Fu paused, retracing their journey through the woods, swiftly piecing together the sequence of events in her mind. Suddenly, she realized something—or rather, what was missing.
Since entering the Hidden Timber Forest, their path had been eerily uneventful. Aside from scattered ancient bones, there were no anomalies, no dangers encountered.
Yet Jiang Xuesheng had clearly warned them—the forest was thick with miasma, requiring Heart-Clearing Pills for protection.
During their stroll, Liu Ruyi had also bombarded her with a lecture on "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." In short: Hidden Timber Forest was a notorious haven for demons, home not only to Qiongqi but also flesh-biting Jade Rabbits, man-eating giant moths, monkey spirits who abducted men to breed, and flirtatious fox demons who charmed countless women but never married...
"It’s absolutely horrifying!" Liu Ruyi concluded with grave seriousness.
Shu Fu had listened in bafflement, failing to see the horror. One abducts men, the other seduces women—were they here for comic relief?
But the real issue now was—
None of these creatures—rabbits, monkeys, moths, or any other grotesque abominations—had appeared.
The legendary demon-infested forest was as pristine as if it had just passed a hygiene inspection.
"One possibility," Shu Fu murmured to herself, "is that those hundred-odd bones form a path. A trail guiding us safely through Hidden Timber Forest to... somewhere."
[Correct.] Jiang Xuesheng’s voice abruptly echoed in her mind. [Unfortunately, I didn’t prepare a prize.]
Shu Fu: [No need. I have another question—if this girl can manifest, why not just lead us directly? Why use her bones as markers?]
[...]
Jiang Xuesheng fell silent for a rare moment before replying calmly, [My theory is... she must place bones imbued with her aura along the path to guide us. Otherwise, even she would lose her way.]
Shu Fu: [Meaning...]
Jiang Xuesheng: [Meaning she couldn’t navigate in life, and death didn’t cure it.]
—She’s directionally challenged?!
Shu Fu had never imagined ghosts could suffer from poor sense of direction. The last remnants of fear and reverence for spirits evaporated, leaving her utterly deflated.
Too weary to ponder further, she mentally asked: [Then, where is this lost ghost girl taking us?]
No answer came.
Because the next moment, the answer revealed itself in the most direct, glaringly obvious way possible.
Beyond the dense thicket, beneath towering peaks, nestled within the shadowy embrace of the forest, lay a vast, mirror-still lake.
The water mirrored the inky sky above, its surface studded with stars like scattered pearls and diamonds.
The lake’s depths were unfathomable, swallowing all light, as dark as the boundless heavens overhead. Yet the reflections of the stars shimmered brilliantly, conjuring an illusion of radiant city lights against the abyss.
On the shallow shore lay a lone, pale finger bone, its tip pointing toward the lake’s heart.
The scene was hauntingly beautiful yet eerie, leaving the group breathless—except the white-clad maiden, who no longer breathed.
Jiang Xuesheng transmitted his thoughts: [This place is steeped in yin energy. Ghosts who materialize here can craft near-perfect corporeal forms. It seems this girl was buried here.]
Yet outwardly, for reasons unknown, he and Liu Ruyi maintained perfect silence, playing the part of ordinary sightseers. Young Master Bai once again took charge, speaking first: "Could there be something... in this lake?"
"..."
Shu Fu drew a blank. Her rudimentary knowledge of Classic of Mountains and Seas told her Qiongqi wasn’t amphibious.
A bold youth suggested, "Should we go in? Maybe Qiongqi is—"
"Ridiculous!" an older boy snapped. "This lake is bottomless. Who knows what lurks beneath? Besides, Qiongqi isn’t aquatic. Why would it be in water?"
The ghostly maiden, who had eagerly led them here, darkened at their hesitation, lips parting as if to speak.
But Bai Tian cut in first, voice ringing with conviction: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained! We came to slay demons, not sightsee. If you fear even this risk, you disgrace your noble houses!"
As if to stoke their resentment further, he added, "If none of you dare, I’ll go first."
The ghost girl blinked, then brightened with delight. Shu Fu, recognizing her genuine relief, deduced the lake held no danger and chose not to expose the act.
The ghost was pleased. The living, however, were anything but.
Aside from Young Master Bai’s devoted admirers, the other young men wore expressions of uncertainty, as if weighing the options: "Should we let him walk to his death, or beat him to death first?"
Some had other ideas and ignored the instructions, choosing instead to circle the lake on their own. "Stop arguing," one of them said. "Why don’t we scout the area first before deciding?"
The others found this reasonable and immediately called their friends, splitting into small groups of three or five to investigate the surroundings.
This dispersal, of course, took them off the "safe route" meticulously designed by the white-clad maiden.
The maiden’s expression was one of utter despair—she hadn’t expected that after painstakingly guiding these pampered young masters and misses step by step, nearly reaching their destination, they would still manage to pull such a reckless stunt!
Shu Fu had been watching her closely and, noticing her distress, quickly raised her voice: "Everyone, please don’t wander off!"
No one paid her any attention.
Damn, this is too real.
Helpless, Shu Fu turned to Jiang Xuesheng. "Fellow cultivator…"
Jiang Xuesheng remained impassive. "Not seventy percent dead yet. Let’s wait a little longer."
Shu Fu: "…"
You’re way too real!
Seeing that no one was listening to him, Young Master Bai’s eyebrow twitched twice. Then, spotting Liu Ruyi still standing nearby, his irritation instantly melted into tenderness. "Miss Liu, why don’t we—"
Before he could finish, a girl’s startled cry rang out. But contrary to Shu Fu’s expectations, it wasn’t a scream of fear—more like delight.
"Look, rabbits! So many rabbits!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, hopping in place as she cradled a fluffy, snow-white ball that glowed faintly in the dark, as if carved from jade.
…Rabbits?
Shu Fu: "Wait, could these be—"
Before she could finish, the fluffy ball opened its mouth, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth, and chomped down with an audible "chomp."
"—They’re man-eating rabbits!!!!"
In her shock, Shu Fu unsheathed her sword, Guāng, in a flash of cold light that pierced the night like a bolt of lightning, darting straight toward the girl.
But the ghostly maiden was faster. In a single leap, her white silhouette appeared beside the girl, grabbing the jade-like "Jade Hare" by its ears and hurling it away.
Yet that wasn’t the end—rustling sounds filled the woods as a tidal wave of white fur surged toward them. They’d stumbled straight into a rabbit nest!
"…"
The maiden’s delicate face twisted slightly, her ghostly aura flaring for the first time. Unable to hold back any longer, she parted her lips, eyes wide, and shouted the first words Shu Fu had ever heard from her:
"What the hell are y’all doin’?! Damn it, are you lot even reliable?!"
Her voice boomed like a bell, her accent a chaotic blend of three different dialects, stewed into an incomprehensible mess. The effect was nothing short of horrifying.
Shu Fu stood frozen, suddenly understanding why the ghost had stayed silent until now.
—Holy hell, this ghost isn’t just a hardcore direction-challenged mess, but also the kind that makes you kneel in despair the moment she opens her mouth!!!
Too many elements at once!!!
The now-exposed ghost had no time to hide her identity. Grabbing the girl by the collar, she leaped into the air, dodging the rabbit swarm while screeching at the others:
"What the hell are y’all standin’ around for?! Stop messin’ about and get your asses in the lake, now!"
Leading by example, she swung her arm and hurled the terrified girl into the water with a loud splash.
"Hurry up and jump!!!"
Standing alone against the snowstorm of rabbits, her eyes wide with fury, she looked every bit the heroic martyr—albeit one straight out of Li Yunlong’s playbook.
Shu Fu’s urge to roast swelled to unbearable levels, nearly making her explode—figuratively, of course. Barely keeping her composure, she grabbed two young men by their collars and unceremoniously tossed them into the lake.
In the blink of an eye, the rabbit tide surged forward, their shark-like silver teeth latching onto the hem of her robes.
"…"
Shu Fu was both tense and amused—the rabbits were so bizarrely designed, they almost looked cartoonish.
Bai Tian sprang forward, his gaudy sword flashing as he flicked one rabbit away. "Go, now!"
"Thanks!" Shu Fu called out, only to realize he wasn’t even looking at her—his smitten gaze was locked onto Liu Ruyi. "Miss Liu, don’t leave my side. I’ll protect you—"
Liu Ruyi gave him an enigmatic smile before raising a hand, and suddenly, an unfamiliar object materialized in his arms.
Shu Fu squinted—it was something she’d rarely seen in real life, more common in xianxia games.
A phoenix-headed konghou.
Cradling the instrument, Liu Ruyi tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile. The night breeze tousled a strand of black hair across his face, his crimson robes spreading like poppy petals. He looked more like a supernatural being than an actual supernatural being.
His slender fingers plucked the strings, drawing forth the first note.
And then—
They say a single warrior could face a thousand foes, that a peerless master alone could outmatch an entire army with just one sword.
Shu Fu thought Liu Ruyi must be that kind of master.
Because with just one konghou, he managed to produce the effect of an entire death metal band.
The sound waves rippled outward, churning the lake’s surface, sending rabbits flying in all directions, and even shaking the heavens.
Half a minute later, Shu Fu grabbed Young Master Bai by his long hair and, unable to take it anymore, hurled him into the lake.
Bai Tian: "Let me go! I must stay with Miss Liu! She’s not only beautiful and kind but also a musical genius. I’ve decided—she’s the one for me!"
Shu Fu: "Are you out of your mind?!"
