Chapter 70
The disrespected opponents (little ghosts) were already infuriated and charged towards them.
Their thin limbs scratched the ground as they climbed at an incredible pace, creating a screeching noise on the floor. Their enormous heads teetered on their thin necks. The mouths of the little ghosts were torn back to the ears, revealing sharp teeth, and they emitted shrill piercing sounds.
All the Taoist priests swiftly brought out their own tools: Li Kun raised a duster, another man carried a mirror, Su Yao pulled out a mini cauldron, and even the man with monkey cheeks held several talismans. The only two priests who did not bring out any tools were Qin Zhongjin and Yang Dechang.
Although Yang Dechang did not show his tool, he heavily thumped the ground with his cane. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blasted from the floor, brushing the legs of everyone present. The others only then realized that this esteemed elder still had some tricks up his sleeve.
On the other hand, Qin Zhongjin continued holding Mu Cai, his expression unchanging, and only the fingers holding the latter's shoulders loosened.
Countless green eyes shone in the darkness ahead, from the floor to the bed, from the table to the ceiling — they were everywhere. Numerous little ghosts jumped towards them like a horde of monkeys coming down the mountain.
For a moment, the spectacle unfolding in this dark room could be best described as utter chaos. Everyone wielded different tools, flashes of light erupted in the darkness, the shrill screams of the ghosts and the angry curses of the priests permeated the air, accompanied by various collision noises and the rustling sound of clothing.
Mu Cai's night vision was ordinary. Previously, he would have blindly grappled with the darkness, at most grabbing a hazy outline of the little ghosts. But ever since he entered this house, Mu Cai felt increasingly spirited. His ghostly qualities seemed to have enhanced significantly in subtle ways, enabling him to clearly see the little ghosts that lunged at him closely.
Watch as Qin Zhongjin merely flicked his fingers, toppling the incoming little ghosts one by one. But due to the overwhelming number of little ghosts surging like a flood, even with Qin Zhongjin's fast movements, the clusters of ghosts steadily drew closer to them.
Listening to the heavy breathing of the Taoist priests around him, Mu Cai loosened his arm around Qin Zhongjin.
The man paused and asked in a low voice, "Cai Cai?"
Mu Cai extricated himself from his embrace, with bare feet lightly stepping on the ground, said contemptuously, "Take care of yourself."
As he spoke, with a swooping motion of his bright red sleeves, he toppled an oncoming little ghost to the ground, producing a heavy thud.
Feeling the increase in his own strength, Mu Cai couldn’t help but feel elated. Waving his sleeves, he struck down each of the attacking little ghosts. Smooth in his movements, as fluid as a flowing cloud, with light taps of his feet and his red clothes swirling in the dark night, Mu Cai resembled a dancer waltzing to a drumbeat. Occasionally, moonlight would trickle in from the curtain gaps, illuminating his pale face and sparkling eyes. Those present were so captivated that they could hardly tear their gaze away, utterly entranced.
With these actions, he thwarted the majority of the attacking little ghosts and even moved forward a considerable distance. When Mu Cai finally stopped, he was slightly panting. In the quiet darkness, everyone could hear his faint breaths.
The faint panting of the beauty added a unique charm to the darkened night.
Qin Zhongjin gulped.
He quickly noticed that at this moment, there seemed to be others around him who shared the same thoughts. Frowning slightly, he moved forward to pull Mu Cai back but was met with a subtle rustling in the corner.
Quickly, he cautioned, "Cai Cai! Watch out!"
Suddenly, a jet-black little ghost lunged from a pitch-dark corner, clearly prepared for the attack. Its razor-sharp claws were extended, and its mouth opened wide, revealing threatening fangs. It aimed directly at Mu Cai, who was a short distance away from the others.
The ghost's attack was sudden and fast. Although Mu Cai was a bit far from the others, he was surprisingly close to the ghost. Caught off guard, he was about to face a direct hit.
Just then, the overhead lights suddenly illuminated. The abrupt transition from darkness to brightness startled everyone, causing them to blink.
The lunging ghost had a more severe reaction. Seemingly terrified of light, it retracted its claws that were about to touch Mu Cai's red clothes. The tiny, wrinkled, bizarre body curled up in mid-air.
Seizing the opportunity, Mu Cai waved his sleeve and heavily knocked it to the ground.
He hadn’t completely regained his strength and was slightly terrified, so his breathing became heavier than before.
A hand lightly gripped Mu Cai's thin shoulder. Qin Zhongjin moved close from behind, their faces uncomfortably close. Mu Cai could even feel the man's breath brushing his ear, "Are you tired, Cai Cai? You should rest. I can handle what's left."
Mu Cai turned his head and saw that Qin Zhongjin's eyes were closed, the red sword mark on his forehead flickering momentarily. In his other hand, he held a longsword, the same one Mu Cai had seen him with for the first time.
With a flick of Qin Zhongjin's wrist, he swung the sword lightly twice, generating tremendous sword energy that seemed to make the air vibrate. In an instant, all the little ghosts in the room were sliced into pieces, limbs flying everywhere. The walls were also struck by the sword energy, causing the paint to peel and leaving deep marks.
The Heavenly Masters present were dumbfounded.
As expected of the revered Qin ancestor! His single move surpassed everyone in the room!
Astonishment was evident on Mu Cai's face. Though the protagonist is naturally the most powerful person in this world according to the script, this seemed excessively terrifying. Mu Cai secretly felt relieved that the protagonist had always been indifferent towards him.
Otherwise, his soul might have been annihilated countless times under those sword energy attacks.
The sword mark on Qin Zhongjin's forehead continued to shine brightly.
He reached out and gently took Mu Cai's hand, feeling the soft and delicate fingertips nestled in his palm, and said, "Cai Cai, come with me and take a look."
Mu Cai was initially puzzled but soon understood.
During the critical moment, the lights in the room suddenly turned on, lending them timely assistance. However, the light switches were only located on the walls near the door and the bed, not where the Heavenly Masters hid.
In other words, someone or some ghost had been there previously. And most likely, it was a friendly ghost.
Realizing this, Mu Cai nodded. The rest of the Heavenly Masters, who overheard their conversation, understood what they were about to do and didn't oppose.
Stepping over the fragmented bodies, the bells on Mu Cai's waist chimed while the silver and iron rings on his ankles collided. His ruby-red clothes felt very light, and the hem rippled gently like water around his feet, accentuating his stunningly white, delicately-shaped feet.
The Heavenly Masters behind him were captivated, their gazes lingering from his slender shoulders, down to his slim waist, and further down.
Unable to restrain himself, Qin Zhongjin stopped in his tracks.
Mu Cai, slightly confused, had not yet spoken when he felt lighter as Qin Zhongjin suddenly lifted him in his arms. Although he was used to being held by Qin Zhongjin, this still came as a surprise to Mu Cai.
Naturally, Mu Cai wrapped his arms around Qin Zhongjin’s neck. Despite his slight puzzlement, he took the opportunity to tease, "It seems that you like to hold me a lot."
Qin Zhongjin didn't deny it, saying, "I don’t want you to dirty your feet."
Looking at the ground strewn with severed limbs, Mu Cai nodded. Although he was a spirit, he couldn’t actually be contaminated by dirt or filth from the ground. But for someone like Qin Zhongjin, who fastened every button on his home clothes neatly up to his chin, he probably wouldn’t want Mu Cai to be treading on such a floor.
They exited the room and found themselves in a corridor lit by soft yellow nightlights, allowing them to see the surroundings clearly without being harsh on the eyes. Looking around, nestled in the arms of Qin Zhongjin, Mu Cai didn't see any ghostly shadows.
He thought this ghost might have received a good education about doing good deeds without leaving a name, so he couldn't help saying, "May I know who was the one who helped us? Thank you very much."
Mu Cai’s voice was ethereal and pleasant, his tone sincere. As soon as he finished speaking, an aged voice came from behind him, "Little Cai Cai, my young master."
Qin Zhongjin held Mu Cai and turned around.
An old woman, with white hair and wearing a blouse and skirt, stood there. Her ghostly form was almost transparent, her face marked by deep wrinkles, and her cloudy eyes held a kind gaze toward Mu Cai.
Mu Cai paused, then exclaimed with pleasant surprise, "Nurse Zhang?"
The woman before him was Nurse Zhang, who had taken care of him since childhood. She had a close relationship with Mu Cai's original body. He used to see her in fragments of his original body's memories, so now seeing Nurse Zhang again, he was of course quite overjoyed and even sat up in Qin Zhongjin's arms.
Nurse Zhang's eyes were misty with tears, and she choked up a bit, "Little Cai Cai, you are still so beautiful. Your nurse is relieved to see you doing well."
Upon hearing this, Mu Cai felt a twinge of unease. Observing Nurse Zhang's form, which seemed to be fading, he couldn't resist asking in a worried tone, "Nurse, what's wrong? Are you leaving?"
Saying this, he struggled out of Qin Zhongjin's embrace. Qin Zhongjin had no choice but to let go, and watched as Mu Cai rushed to the faint figure of the old woman.
Mu Cai wanted to give Nurse Zhang a hug. This old lady had always taken care of him- busy about him when he was sick, always trying to cheer him up when he was down, and just now, she even used her faint spectral form to help them by flipping the switch. Nurse Zhang was the kindest and most sincere person in his original body's memories.
But now, Mu Cai's hands went through her body.
Because her silhouette was already so faint that it was about to disappear.
Nurse Zhang looked at her young master, her heart aching at the tears in his eyes. She wished she could soothe him as she used to. However, knowing her time was short, she hurriedly said, "Little Cai Cai, you must be careful of the third prince behind you, and be careful of the second prince too! They are not good people!"
Her heart ached at the thought of her young master, trapped between a rock and a hard place. If she could stay with him longer, she would.
Unfortunately, the path of reincarnation is hard to defy. She had lingered here too long. To see her young master one last time, to help him escape from danger for the last time, and to offer him reminders, Nurse Zhang felt contented.
Mu Cai's eyes widened, "Brother Zhongyi he..."
Before he could finish, the kindly old woman smiled at him, and then disappeared, leaving Mu Cai alone, his back desolate.
Qin Zhongjin reached out and gently draped an arm over Mu Cai's shoulder. He leaned in, almost enveloping the other in his hold as he spoke softly, "Cai Cai, don't be sad."
Mu Cai remained silent, turned around, and buried his head in his chest.
Qin Zhongjin held the other person tightly. His face remained serene, but inside, he was consumed by blinding jealousy. When Mu Cai cried out, "Brother Zhongyi," a flame ignited in his heart like he'd never experienced before. The intensity of it threatened to consume him whole.
Just who was this person? Earlier, the elderly woman had referred to him as the Third Prince, and even mentioned a Second Prince. It seemed that in his previous life, he had a brother named Qin Zhongyi who was close to Mu Cai.
Closer than he was with him, at least.
The moment Mu Cai saw him, he was met with cold sarcasm. Yet, he could still warmly call out to "Brother Zhongyi!" What made him better than Qin Zhongjin?!
While Qin Zhongjin’s inner turmoil surfaced like a maelstrom, however, he lightly patted Mu Cai, who was in his arms. "Cai Cai, don't be sad anymore. Nurse Zhang has reincarnated. You should be happy for her."
Indeed, Mu Cai was devastated, but he didn’t cry. After all, he was merely an actor in this drama, and even if he empathized greatly, this was not his actual life. He took comfort in Qin Zhongjin's arms, seeking warmth and solace.
After his sorrow had slightly ebbed, Mu Cai lifted his head from Qin Zhongjin's chest and started pondering Nurse Zhang's words. She had cautioned him to be careful of him, a warning Mu Cai could understand. After all, the original body had loved him deeply, only to be hurt over and over again. Furthermore, his death was inextricably linked to him.
But, this person named Qin Zhongyi was extremely kind to Mu Cai's original body in the fragments of memories he had seen. The way he treated the original body was reminiscent of how Claire had treated him so well in his previous world.
Thinking of Claire, Mu Cai's eyes involuntarily dimmed for a moment.
It seemed that destiny had brought them together, only to tear them apart.
The beauty in red supported himself with both hands on his chest. His eyes, which had sparkled like the morning stars, suddenly revealed sadness. His rose-red lips pursed lightly, as if he were reminiscing about a distant past and remembering someone deeply hidden in time.
Qin Zhongjin felt as if he were in his own personal hell.
Hadn't it been centuries already? Could Cai Cai still not forget that person named Qin Zhongyi?!
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Author's note:
Mu Cai: This misunderstanding is quite big...
Qin Zhongjin, after learning the truth: In fact, it's not that different since you love someone else!
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