Chapter 17: Get Lost!

“I hate you the most!”

Can He forced himself to tidy up the ritual items, then hugged the Lightning-struck Wood spirit tablet tightly. He couldn’t hold it in any longer—tears streamed down his face.

Qi Jiangyuan reached out and gently pinched his damp chin, picking up a silk handkerchief to softly wipe away his tears. “Didn’t Xie Suoyan just explain it to you? This was an ancient rite, very different from modern practices. Unless it reaches the final step, even a well-versed Ghost Cultivator might not recognize it right away.”

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t explained—now that he had, Can He only cried harder.

“So what now? The ritual wasn’t completed, so you still can’t receive incense offerings?”

Qi Jiangyuan paused, slightly startled.

This Little Radish had been crying for ages, and yet the thing he cared about most wasn’t that they’d somehow ended up married—it was worrying about him?

Qi Jiangyuan let out a soft laugh, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Maybe it’ll work anyway,” he said lazily. “Offering incense to a dead husband might even earn more favor from the heavens.”

Can He glared at him, eyes red.

But those teary eyes had no real bite—instead, they looked more like he was pouting.

Qi Jiangyuan stopped teasing him. “The proper ritual to settle a soul and place a spirit tablet is actually quite simple. Just prepare paper and ink, write my name along with the phrase ‘Respectfully placed here,’ and press it beneath the tablet.”

Hugging the tablet, Can He muttered, “So it really was that simple, huh.”

He had seen that version recorded before, but it seemed too plain—unworthy of someone like Qi Jiangyuan, the Ghost King. So he’d dismissed it and gone searching for a more ancient, elaborate ceremony.

And ended up accidentally marrying Qi Jiangyuan.

Little Radish was quick to act. He immediately followed Qi Jiangyuan’s instructions—laid out the paper, ground the ink, and carefully wrote “Respectfully placed here.” Then he folded the paper neatly and pressed it beneath the tablet.

With the incense burner and other items already in place, Can He arranged everything with reverent care. Then he lit three sticks of incense and gently inserted them into the burner.

Between the worlds of the living and the dead, there was a simple way to send messages: write your words on paper and burn it. The message would then reach the spirit directly.

Can He thought for a moment, then grabbed a small slip of paper and wrote, “Let’s see if this works.” He lit it with a candle.

The orange flame licked at the paper’s edge, quickly spreading and devouring the ink.

He waited a while, but the paper didn’t reappear in Qi Jiangyuan’s hand as expected.

Can He’s eyes slowly widened. “Why didn’t it work again?”

That shouldn’t be possible.

Unwilling to give up, he picked up the spirit tablet and turned it over in his arms, inspecting it from every angle. His eyes grew red again with frustration. “Did that Ghost Market vendor scam me? Did he give me fake Lightning-struck Wood?!”

Qi Jiangyuan let out a quiet sigh and pulled him—tablet and all—closer. “The Lightning-struck Wood is real. All the materials are fine.”

“Then why still doesn’t it work?” He had gone all the way to the Ghost Market and even gotten caught up in a mess just to bring back that wood.

If it still didn’t work, wouldn’t they be back to square one?

Ginsengs lived for ages. Even if Qi Jiangyuan couldn’t ascend and become immortal, he could still accompany him for tens of thousands of years.

But if Qi Jiangyuan left first… Just imagining that scene made Can He’s chest tighten painfully.

The boy sat there grieving alone for a while, then still managed to turn around and comfort Qi Jiangyuan. “Don’t worry. Maybe we missed something. I’ll go back to the Library Pavilion in the next few days and do some proper research. It’ll be fine, really, don’t panic…”

If it wasn’t the spirit tablet or the ritual, then there had to be some other key.

The more Can He thought about it, the more upset he became. It was like he was trying to convince himself. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out soon, for sure…”

He rambled on for a long time, but Qi Jiangyuan stayed silent.

Can He turned to look at him in confusion—only to find Qi Jiangyuan’s gaze fixed on his face, so intense it made his heart race.

Little Radish’s face grew inexplicably warm. The lingering tear tracks itched slightly. “Can you stop staring at me like that? What are you even looking at?”

Qi Jiangyuan’s eyes slowly drifted from his damp lashes to the reddened corners of his eyes, finally settling on a single tear clinging to his cheek, about to fall.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Then he suddenly said, “I want to lick it.”

Can He thought he’d misheard. “…What?”

Qi Jiangyuan’s gaze remained locked on that tear. He repeated, “I want to lick your tear away.”

“Shut up!!” Little Radish shrieked in panic, quickly rubbing his face dry with the back of his hand. He didn’t dare cry anymore.

How could a ghost still be thinking about that kind of thing at a time like this?!

He forced himself to shove all those chaotic feelings aside. “So what do we do now? I accidentally married you—will it cause any problems?”

Qi Jiangyuan watched his flustered little movements as he wiped his face. “A ghost marriage not truly sealed by incense offerings doesn’t really count. But this is your decision. If you think it counts, then it counts. If you think it doesn’t, then just treat it as a misunderstanding.”

Can He let out a breath of relief. “That’s good.”

He paused, then couldn’t help asking, “Then do you think it counts?”

Qi Jiangyuan smiled. “Me? Of course I think it counts.”

Can He: …

He really shouldn’t have asked that!

Fuming with embarrassment and frustration, Can He gave up and turned back into his original form, flopping onto the table and pretending to be an ordinary radish that couldn’t understand a word.

…

Qi Jiangyuan had always been an early riser. By the time Can He came out of the bedchamber rubbing his eyes, Qi Jiangyuan was already seated in the main hall, quietly discussing something with Xie Suoyan. When he saw Can He appear, Qi Jiangyuan raised a hand to pause the conversation and signaled the Ghost Attendants to bring out the already-prepared breakfast.

Can He held his bowl, nibbling at the food in small bites, seated right beside Qi Jiangyuan, his legs swinging gently without him realizing.

Qi Jiangyuan turned to look at him. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Xie Suoyan immediately perked up his ears.

“Not bad,” Can He mumbled.

Last night, he’d been half-coaxed, half-persuaded to return to human form and sleep in Qi Jiangyuan’s arms. But the man had deliberately relaxed his grip, not holding him as tightly as before—so tight it felt like he was being embedded into his body. Thanks to that, he’d actually slept pretty well.

Xie Suoyan chuckled. “Little Consort¹, take care of your health and get plenty of rest.”

With a sharp “bang,” Can He slammed his bowl down on the table.

Xie Suoyan had been expecting it and quickly clamped his mouth shut to avoid disaster.

But this time, Can He didn’t bother with tongue-tying tricks. He simply raised his fist and gave him a few solid thumps—“bang bang bang”—and even though it was a ghost body, it still hurt.

After the beating, Can He shook out his hand, didn’t even bother scolding him, and picked up his bowl again, eating with puffed cheeks full of indignation.

He half-listened as Qi Jiangyuan and Xie Suoyan continued their serious discussion.

Qi Jiangyuan had a sound-transmitting jade slip beside him. Can He looked closely and saw that the emblem on it wasn’t from the Yuehua Sect, but from Daoxi Mountain—the immortal mountain once overseen by the now-ascended Venerable Qingpan.

“When the news reached the Yuehua Sect, Sect Master Jin Hua Zhenren² happened to be at Daoxi Mountain attending the ‘Heavenly Evolution Assembly,’” Xie Suoyan said, rubbing the spot where Can He had hit him. “Jin Hua Zhenren flew into a rage when he heard and strongly advocated for uniting the sects to attack the Ghost Realm. However, Daoxi Mountain refused, saying it was a personal grudge between the Ghost King and Yuehua Sect.”

Qi Jiangyuan tapped the jade slip absentmindedly with his fingertip, his expression calm and unreadable.

Can He couldn’t help but speak up. “What’s that supposed to mean? Not only did he not apologize, but now he’s being all wishy-washy about exchanging Sweet Spring for someone? Does he even want that elder back or not?”

“Seems like they’re ready to give up on Shi Shouzhuo,” Xie Suoyan continued. “Daoxi Mountain’s stance is clear, and the other sects don’t dare act rashly. But the Demon Realm… there’s been some unusual movement lately.”

“The Demon Realm?” Can He blinked, quickly distancing himself. “What’s going on over there? You know our Longevity Ruins is tucked away in the middle of nowhere. Most of our kin aren’t that strong, and the major clans in the Demon Realm usually don’t bother with us.”

Qi Jiangyuan let out a low chuckle. “Not blaming the demon race. It’s just that demons tend to follow their instincts and blindly obey the Demon King. That Demon King of yours hasn’t shown himself in ages, so the Cat Spirits have been managing things in his place. And cats… give them a few dried fish and they’ll follow anyone.”

Can He immediately grew alert. “Don’t think I didn’t catch that—you’re saying we demons are easy to fool, aren’t you?”

“Not at all.” Qi Jiangyuan gently pinched his soft cheek with his fingertip. “You’re the cleverest of them all.”

Can He shivered at the cool touch but still looked uneasy. “Right now, in all three realms, only that mysterious Demon King might be able to match your power. Even if Daoxi Mountain stays out of it, what if… what if the Demon King secretly ordered Yuehua Sect to go after you?”

Qi Jiangyuan remained unbothered. “He wouldn’t.”

“How can you be sure?”

“And how do you know… that I have no connection with the Demon King?”

Can He blinked. “Oh.” He nodded and went back to eating.

Qi Jiangyuan watched him for a moment, then suddenly said, “Aren’t you even curious?”

Can He looked up, completely matter-of-fact. “Curious about what? Who you befriend or what you’re planning—that’s your business.”

Qi Jiangyuan let out a quiet sigh. “Looks like this little husband of mine had better keep a closer eye on his ghostly hubby.”

Can He choked on his porridge and coughed until his cheeks turned bright red. He couldn’t help but push at him. “Shut up! Don’t say that word again!”

All that “husband” and “darling” nonsense—it made his scalp crawl!

His hand had just touched Qi Jiangyuan’s arm when he suddenly pulled back, frowning. “Why are you so cold today?”

That touch was icy, far colder than usual.

Only then did he take a closer look at Qi Jiangyuan—and his face changed drastically. “Your body?”

From the knees down, Qi Jiangyuan’s legs had become semi-transparent, as if they might dissolve into thin air at any moment.

Qi Jiangyuan glanced down at his now-phantom feet, his tone calm. “Didn’t we say we’d fake an illness to lure them out? It has to look convincing. Just say that I suffered heavy losses when I captured Shi Shouzhuo and the others, and now I can barely maintain a solid form.”

Can He eyed him suspiciously. “Really? You’re not lying to me this time?”

As he spoke, he tentatively took Qi Jiangyuan’s hand and sent a thread of Spiritual Power into him.

As the power flowed in, the chill in Qi Jiangyuan’s hand faded, and his ghostly feet solidified at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Seemed legit.

“I told you—if we’re going to put on a show, we do it properly,” Qi Jiangyuan said softly, letting him hold his hand. “Otherwise, if word gets out that a ‘dying’ Ghost King can still easily subdue several Void Refinement Stage cultivators, they’ll just keep hiding. They’ll wait until I’m truly spent, at my weakest, and then strike the fatal blow. That’s the real danger.”

“Death itself isn’t frightening. Even if I scatter into dust, I have ways to reforge my Soul Body and rise again. What truly worries me is being refined by some special method, or sealed in a place where I can never reincarnate—reduced to true ‘nothingness.’”

Can He felt a tightness in his chest. He pursed his lips and muttered, “Fine, whatever you say. As long as you know what you’re doing.”

Qi Jiangyuan turned his hand over and gently clasped Can He’s fingers. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. After all, I’ve got you, don’t I?”

…

After breakfast with Can He, Qi Jiangyuan stood and left, preparing to wander through a few areas of the Ghost Realm in his “frail and sickly” state to solidify the rumors.

Can He stayed behind in the bedchamber, resting his chin in his hand as he stared out at the gloomy sky with a soft snort.

Whether Qi Jiangyuan was truly confident or not, he felt he ought to do something—just in case.

Solving the bottleneck in Qi Jiangyuan’s cultivation wasn’t something that could be done overnight. What was more urgent was figuring out what to do if the Demon King really did get involved.

In the skirmish with the Yuehua Sect a few days ago, the other side had lost several top cultivators. As for him, his Spiritual Power had been completely drained.

This cycle of scraping together a bit of power only to burn through it again and again—it was exhausting.

If he wanted to fully recover his Spiritual Power quickly, maybe even improve it, just snuggling up to Qi Jiangyuan at night to absorb a little Yin Qi wasn’t cutting it anymore.

Little Radish’s eyes flicked toward his good ghost friend, Xie Suoyan.

Can He, for once, put on a humble expression. “Xie Suoyan, do you know any ways that I and His Highness could… um… have deeper contact?”

“Huh?” Xie Suoyan blinked, nearly tripping over his own tongue.

His voice was dry. “Deeper? Little Highness, what kind of ‘deeper’ are we talking about here?”

Can He looked completely serious. “The deeper, the better, of course! I mean the kind where our Spiritual Power can fuse more completely!”

Xie Suoyan sucked in a sharp breath, staring at him in disbelief. “You want to go even deeper? Isn’t it already deep enough?!”

Can He propped his face on his hand, looking miserable. “If I knew, would I be asking you? I might’ve looked cool beating up Shi Shouzhuo and the others the other day, but I burned through all my cultivation. If something really goes down, I can’t be dragging His Highness down with me, right?”

Xie Suoyan choked. That display where he casually shattered someone’s life-bound artifact sure didn’t look like someone who’d be a burden.

But he didn’t dare say that out loud. He just mumbled, “No, Little Highness, I still don’t quite get what you mean. Aren’t you and His Highness already… pretty deep?”

He waggled his brows suggestively.

Can He blinked, confused, and stared at him for a long moment before finally catching on to the implication in his expression. His face flushed scarlet in an instant. “What nonsense are you spouting! We—we just sleep under the covers! We haven’t done anything!”

Xie Suoyan murmured, “Oh… I see. Didn’t expect His Highness to be so repressed.”

Can He was so mad he wanted to stomp his feet.

Qi Jiangyuan, repressed? Repressed, my ass!

Every night he wrapped himself around Can He, and his hands were never where they should be—always groping here or pinching there. Sure, they hadn’t actually… but it was definitely not just “pure sleep”!

“Cut the crap!” Can He snapped, both furious and embarrassed. “Just tell me—do you have a way or not?”

“Yes, yes, of course I do!” Xie Suoyan saw he was truly anxious and quickly glanced around, shifty-eyed. Lowering his voice, he said, “It’s simple. Come with me.”

Still skeptical, Can He followed him out of the sleeping quarters. After winding through several corridors, they ended up once again at the Library Pavilion.

Xie Suoyan motioned for silence. The two of them dodged around the Ghost Master, who was patrolling with a ruler in hand, and slipped into a secluded corner deep within the Library Pavilion like a pair of thieves. They stopped in front of a dusty bookshelf.

Once again, Xie Suoyan looked around warily. Only after confirming there were no spirits nearby did he rise on tiptoe and reach for the topmost shelf. He fumbled around and pulled out a thick book wrapped in plain blue cloth, then swiftly shoved it into Can He’s arms.

“Here,” Xie Suoyan said with a wink. “Exactly what you asked for—something to help you get ‘closer’.”

Can He looked down. The blue cloth cover was clean and blank, not a single word on it.

He opened it curiously. The first page revealed a neat calligraphy copybook, filled with transcribed poems and essays.

Can He was dumbfounded. “You want me to practice calligraphy with His Highness?”

That didn’t sound very close at all.

Xie Suoyan clicked his tongue, reached over, and expertly pinched the corner of the blue cloth. With a gentle tug, he peeled it off, revealing the book’s true cover underneath.

In an instant, several bold, searing-hot characters leapt into Can He’s eyes—

“Spring Shadows Beneath the Brocade Canopy of Harmonious Yin and Yang”

Can He recoiled as if scorched, his hands trembling so badly the book nearly fell to the floor.

No wonder he’d randomly pulled out something like this last time.

Little Radish glared at Xie Suoyan, teeth clenched. “So you’re the one sneaking these kinds of books into the Library Pavilion?”

“Come on, His Highness is all repressed. As his subordinates, we can’t be repressed too, right?” Xie Suoyan spread his hands. “We’re all adult ghosts here. Reading this kind of thing in private, for fun or… educational purposes—it’s not exactly a crime against the heavens.”

He grinned at Can He and clasped his hands in mock salute. “Then let me offer early congratulations to the Little Highness and His Highness—may your bond be blissful and your cultivation soar.”

Can He couldn’t stand his smug face anymore. He raised a foot and kicked him hard. “Screw you! Get lost!”

Xie Suoyan floated away with ease, leaving Can He standing there, stunned, clutching the scorching-hot book.

He took a few deep breaths, barely managing to cool the heat in his cheeks, and quickly stuffed the book into his sleeve. But his heart pounded wildly, utterly out of control.

Was he really going to dual cultivate with Qi Jiangyuan?

Translator’s Notes