Chapter 6: I’ll Die to Prove It

Ghost Master’s charred, blurry face cracked with shock.

He stared in disbelief at the ruler in Can He’s hand, now snapped clean in two. Ash flaked off him like snow. “You… you dare destroy my magic artifact?!”

That ruler had been with Ghost Master for years and was no ordinary object. And now, it had been broken—by a radish that looked soft and tender!

Can He stared at the broken ruler in his hand, momentarily stunned. But the second he remembered Ghost Master calling him a “radish,” whatever guilt had just begun to rise was instantly swallowed by fury.

“Who said I’m a radish?!” the boy huffed, throwing the two broken halves to the ground. “Apologize!”

“Absurd! Every word I spoke was the truth! You are a radish that gained sentience!”

Black smoke billowed from Ghost Master as he instinctively reached for his ruler—only to remember it had been snapped in half. That made him even angrier, the burnt smell around him growing thicker.

He might have lost his artifact, but his cultivation remained. His claw-like hand, trailing Yin wind, lunged toward Can He. “Today I must teach you a proper lesson!”

“Ahhh! Don’t hit me!”

Seeing that blackened hand coming at him, Can He squeezed his eyes shut in terror. He crouched down, hugging his head, shouting incoherently, “Don’t hit me! Go away!”

Xie Suoyan nearly had a heart attack.

On one side was the Little Highness’s beloved radish, on the other was the venerable Ghost Master—he couldn’t afford to offend either!

He rushed forward. “Master, please calm down! Little Highness, ease up! We’re all our own gho—our own people. Let’s talk this out!”

But it was already too late.

Ghost Master’s hand was just about to touch Can He when, in his panic, the little radish released a sudden surge of Spiritual Power.

Boom—!

With a muffled crash, the solid ground around Can He caved in, forming a half-foot-deep crater.

At the same time, an enormous phantom of a white radish flashed behind him and vanished in an instant!

That phantom radiated overwhelming Spiritual Power, carrying the ancient pressure of wood and plant life. Though it lasted only a moment, it sent a shockwave through every Ghost Cultivator in Wujian Prison.

Ghost Master bore the brunt of it. The force knocked him back several steps, more charred flakes falling from his body, leaving him looking thoroughly disheveled.

Xie Suoyan fared even worse. Standing right between Can He and Ghost Master, he first got blown over by Can He’s burst of Spiritual Power, then got a faceful of Ghost Master’s falling soot.

“Ow!”

He hit the ground like a turtle flipped on its back, feeling the full weight of ghostly suffering.

Ghost Master steadied himself, stunned and furious, still trying to process what just happened.

This little radish… what exactly is he?!

Can He was still crouched down, arms over his head, eyes tightly shut. “I told you not to hit me! If you hit me again, I’ll… I’ll…”

He kept “I’ll”-ing, but never managed to finish the sentence.

The scene was a complete mess, and the commotion finally drew someone who could actually restore order.

A sharp chill swept across the area, instantly suppressing all the chaotic Yin Qi and Spiritual Power.

Qi Jiangyuan appeared, brows slightly furrowed. “What’s all this noise?”

The radish who had just unleashed a mighty burst of power now had none left. With a soft whoosh, his body shrank down, and he scrambled toward Qi Jiangyuan, climbing up his robes in a few quick moves and diving straight into the wide sleeve.

Only a few green leaves poked out, trembling pitifully.

“Your Highness!” Can He clung tightly to Qi Jiangyuan’s inner robe, his soft voice muffled from inside the sleeve. “They’re bullying me. You have to stand up for me…”

Ghost Master: …

Xie Suoyan lifted his soot-covered face from the ground: …

Who’s bullying who here, exactly?!

Qi Jiangyuan lowered his gaze to the green leaves poking from his sleeve. He gently tapped them with a fingertip.

The leaves instantly retracted, vanishing from sight.

Though Can He had tattled first, Qi Jiangyuan only needed a glance around the scene to grasp most of what had happened.

He turned to Ghost Master and asked, “What happened here?”

Ghost Master pointed at Qi Jiangyuan’s sleeve. “Your Highness! That radish—no, that spirit creature—he destroyed my ruler! Outrageous!”

From inside the sleeve, Can He immediately shot back, “He called me a radish first! I didn’t mean to do it!”

Qi Jiangyuan raised a hand and lightly pressed down on the bulge in his sleeve. Then he said to Ghost Master, “Can He, the Little Highness, is an honored guest of mine. Your words were inappropriate and out of line.”

Ghost Master choked on his indignation. It was obvious to anyone that Qi Jiangyuan was siding with the radish.

Qi Jiangyuan paused in thought. “Since that’s the case, let’s settle this with a minor punishment as a warning. Master, you will be responsible for sorting out all books in the library related to ‘radishes.’ Label them clearly with ‘Inappropriate Speech Forbidden’ as a reminder to all.”

“As for the discipline ruler, I’ll have someone craft a new one for you.”

He lightly tapped the edge of his sleeve. “What do you think?”

The slight rustling inside the sleeve went still, as if pondering.

After a moment, a little radish head poked out from Qi Jiangyuan’s sleeve. He glanced cautiously at the Ghost Master. “Well, in that case, I suppose I can reluctantly agree.”

Qi Jiangyuan adjusted his sleeve, tucking the radish away completely. “Good. That settles it. Go do your work.”

Can He shamelessly clung to Qi Jiangyuan, secretly absorbing the Yin Qi from his body and converting it into Spiritual Power.

They’d just had a fight, and somehow his Spiritual Power was already drained again!

Looks like he’d have to start conserving it from now on…

Once he’d recovered a bit, Can He slipped out from the sleeve and took on human form.

Qi Jiangyuan noticed the slightly messy strands of hair on his shoulder and reached out to smooth them. “How’s the reading going?”

Of course, he hadn’t read a single word.

“I’m going now…” The moment books were mentioned, Can He instantly wilted.

He mumbled softly, “Actually, after what just happened, I don’t feel too well. I need you to hold me while I sleep…”

Qi Jiangyuan didn’t even acknowledge that, turning straight to Xie Suoyan. “Take the Little Highness to read.”

Before Can He could protest, Xie Suoyan had already dragged him away.

Xie Suoyan had only just finished wiping the soot off his face, still visibly shaken. “Little Highness, you nearly scared me to death…”

Can He snorted. “It’s nothing. I was just having a rough time. A high-level advisor like me is bound to suffer some baseless slander.”

Xie Suoyan was speechless. High-level advisor? More like tyrant radish.

Thinking back to the terrifying burst of Spiritual Power earlier, Xie Suoyan still couldn’t believe it.

That kind of power definitely wasn’t something a Transformation Stage radish should have. Could it be…

His eyes widened in sudden realization as he stole a glance at Can He.

Last night, His Highness and this little radish must have engaged in Dual Cultivation¹! Otherwise, how could his Spiritual Power have skyrocketed overnight?

Yes, that had to be it—Dual Cultivation!

Xie Suoyan felt triumphant at having figured it out.

The Wujian Prison’s library held enough scrolls to fill countless shelves. Can He recognized a few characters, but had no interest in reading. He was just using it as an excuse to brush off Qi Jiangyuan.

So, following Xie Suoyan’s lead, he wandered deeper into the stacks.

He randomly pulled out a scroll, shaking off a cloud of dust. When he opened it, the first line was one he recognized:

Man dies and becomes a Ghost; Ghost dies and becomes a Ji² (𫆏).

Hiss, so it wasn’t that ‘Jian’ (cheap/lowly).

Good thing I didn’t say it out loud in front of Qi Jiangyuan, or I would have made a joke of myself.

There were several sentences following: Ji dies and becomes Xi, Xi dies and becomes Yi, Yi dies and becomes Wei…

“The meaning of this sentence is that death is not true death, but another form of new life,” Xie Suoyan explained.

“Until one fades from the ethereal into the myriad things, there is no true death, but rather the ability to cultivate again and start a new cycle.”

Can He pointed at the line and asked in confusion: “Doesn’t that mean your Highness won’t truly die? Then what is he afraid of?”

So this bad ghost really just found a random excuse to tie him back to Wujian Prison for amusement?!

“It means nothing in the world truly dies, not just His Highness,” Xie Suoyan laughed dryly. “But fear… everyone is the same. Just as humans fear ghosts, we ghosts naturally fear Ji. And those cultivators who hate him, no matter what he becomes, they are scared to death.”

“Presumably, you’ve heard of His Highness’s fate?”

Can He certainly had.

The old Ginseng in the Longevity Ruins loved to bring it up when telling stories.

Using kin as sacrifice, feeding on sin³.

This kind of fate instinctively absorbs the life and luck of those around him, causing close relatives to die violent deaths. Extreme pain and resentment are Qi Jiangyuan’s nourishment, which also led to his extremely fast cultivation after becoming a ghost, firmly taking the seat of the Ghost King.

Can He thought to himself, come to think of it, Qi Jiangyuan is a bit like him. One frantically sucks Yin Qi, the other fiercely sucks Spiritual Power.

Ah, if Qi Jiangyuan really fades into the ‘Wei’ (tiny/dust), does that mean he can be born again with this fate and continue to plague the human world?

That really makes him hard to kill.

But that’s a worry for those who fear him, what does it have to do with me, a little Ginseng?

That weird fate harms others, not ginseng.

Can He closed the scroll and shoved it back on the shelf, then randomly grabbed another one, planning to use it to bluff his way through the day.

What mattered most to him was figuring out how to extend Qi Jiangyuan’s ghostly life—so he could keep leeching off his Spiritual Power.

That way, he could keep Qi Jiangyuan tied to his side, squeeze him dry, and live a carefree life without ever having to cultivate again. Hahaha…

Can He cackled evilly in his heart.

On his way back to the main hall with the book in his arms, he bumped straight into the Ghost Master, who was also carrying a stack of books.

The two exchanged a glance, both eyeing each other warily. They snorted coldly in unison and ignored one another.

Back in the main hall, Qi Jiangyuan was unexpectedly seated in the main seat.

Huh, he hadn’t left.

Can He’s eyes lit up—

Talk about a ghost handing you a pillow when you’re sleepy⁴.

He had just used up all his Spiritual Power and needed to replenish it.

Clutching his book, Can He walked over and bluntly asked, “Can I sit on your lap and read?”

“Pfft—cough, cough!” Xie Suoyan, who had followed behind, stumbled and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look toward the main seat.

Beside him, the Ghost Master was momentarily stunned, then stomped his foot in anguish. “Scandalous!”

Qi Jiangyuan’s page-turning paused slightly. He looked up, his voice calm. “What did you say?”

Can He, utterly unfazed, repeated, “I want to sit on your lap and read.”

The audacious Little Radish even took another step forward.

Qi Jiangyuan: …

Xie Suoyan kept his head down, not daring to glance sideways.

This radish had guts bigger than an ox, saying something like that out loud.

Without a sound, nearly transparent Soul Threads began to emerge from around Qi Jiangyuan, slowly coiling in the air like serpents.

The corners of his lips lifted in a faint, ambiguous smile. “Say that again?”

Can He glanced at the Soul Threads, completely unbothered, and plopped himself right down on Qi Jiangyuan’s lap.

Xie Suoyan was floored.

The Ghost Master was so furious he couldn’t speak coherently. “I—I can’t bear to look!”

The quick-witted Long-tongued Ghost reacted instantly—this was no place to linger!

He darted forward, clamped a hand over the Ghost Master’s mouth, and started dragging him out. “Master, mind your words! This scene is beyond us—save your ghostly life…”

“The Library—mmph… such a sacred place, how can we allow… this to happen!”

The Ghost Master protested incoherently through the hand over his mouth, but in the end, he was hauled out by Xie Suoyan.

The Library instantly fell silent, leaving only Can He and Qi Jiangyuan.

The moment their bodies touched, Can He once again felt Spiritual Power flowing back into him, quickly nourishing his nearly depleted meridians.

Qi Jiangyuan’s refusal was as good as consent. Even when he threatened to kill him, it was still consent.

So what if the Ghost King was angry? He was the only ginseng that could save him—no matter how mad he got, he wouldn’t really do anything.

With that thought, Can He grew even bolder.

The Little Radish took Qi Jiangyuan’s hand, which hung at his side, and wrapped it around his own waist.

With more skin contact, the returning Spiritual Power surged even more fiercely.

On the floor, their shadows stretched out in the light, blurring into one.

Qi Jiangyuan’s body tensed for a moment, then his gaze lowered slightly. The youth in his arms was slender, and now seemed completely enveloped in his embrace. His warm back pressed against Qi Jiangyuan’s chest—despite the layers of clothing, that warmth, so unlike his own cold, ghostly body, still seeped through.

Guided by Can He, his arm loosely circled that slim waist, his palm resting over the fabric… beneath his fingers was soft cloth, and beneath that, a supple waistline.

Qi Jiangyuan’s hand unconsciously tightened, and his gaze grew heavier as it drifted from the crown of Can He’s soft hair, along his delicate shoulders, finally settling on the boy’s pale ankle wrapped in red string.

Can He shivered when Qi Jiangyuan’s falling hair brushed against his neck, instinctively shrinking back.

He picked up the book he’d just pulled from the shelf and turned to look at Qi Jiangyuan.

Qi Jiangyuan’s eyes were fixed on his face, clearly catching the flutter of his long lashes like little fans. At the same time, that red-string-tied ankle unconsciously brushed against his knee.

Can He seemed completely unaware of the close scrutiny.

He held the open book up to Qi Jiangyuan’s face, tilting his small face up and ordering, “Can you read it to me?”

Too many words. Didn’t feel like reading.

Qi Jiangyuan’s voice was colder than before. “Hmm?”

The Soul Threads that had merely hovered before now silently slithered up the arm he had wrapped around Can He, slipping beneath the sleeve to press against his waist.

Can He lifted his chin, not a trace of fear in his eyes. He even grabbed Qi Jiangyuan’s hand and placed it against his own throat.

“I don’t want to read all those words. I’m tired. I want you to read to me.” Can He threatened fiercely, “If you don’t, I’ll die right here in front of you.”

Qi Jiangyuan: …………

Author’s Note:

[Ji dies and becomes Xi, Xi dies and becomes Yi, Yi dies and becomes Wei… ] Was Inspired by folk legends.

Translator’s Notes