Chapter 104

Su Jingmo looked Qu Zhiwen up and down, narrowed his eyes, and asked with some interest: “Although I haven’t seen you recently, it’s not as if the environment on the outside could change in a few days. So, tell me, how come you look like you’re about to die at any given second?”

“You don’t look so good either, do you?”

Su Jingmo raised his slightly transparent hand and stared at it: “Isn’t this what you would call ‘the inevitable karma’?”

“…..”

“I came here because there are some things I wanted to ask you about.” Qu Zhiwen said.

This, however, made Su Jingmo chuckle: “Oh? So there are still things you want to ask me after all? Shouldn’t you be discussing with that Tang boy how to steal the Taowu bones instead?”

Qu Zhiwen wasn’t surprised that Su Jingmo knew about this. Although he hadn’t visited the tomb for a few days, Tang Jiaming did come here several times. Qu Zhiwen wasn’t exactly sure what methods Tang Jiaming used against Su Jingmo to damage his vital qi ¹ , but this had his handwriting all over it.

Actually, Qu Zhiwen would’ve been more concerned if Su Jingmo hadn’t noticed.

Originally, Qu Zhiwen came here to ask Su Jingmo some questions. After all, both of them knew a lot of things. But now, Qu Zhiwen didn’t want to waste time on these questions, so he had to change the subject: “Let me ask you…. Are you aware that Qin Cheng was taken away by Su Jingyan?”

However, Qu Zhiwen didn’t expect that Su Jingmo would find this question funny, even causing him to laugh out loud.

“How should I respond to that? Should I say that I already know where he is? Or do you want me to answer whether the one who has Qin Cheng really is Su Jingyan….?” Su Jingmo tilted his head and gazed at Qu Zhiwen, only to add: “Aren’t you supposed to know these things better than other people? You, as a Heavenly Master, should know better than me….if that person is really Su Jingyan, right?”

Su Jingmo’s words concealed a hidden meaning, but Qu Zhiwen was unable to understand what Su Jingmo was trying to tell him. It was as if Su Jingmo was testing him, but since he wasn’t making it that clear, it only made Qu Zhiwen feel rather annoyed and irritated.

“What the hell are you exactly trying to say?”

“I just wanted to see if you were playing dumb.” Su Jingmo shook his head indifferently. “Alright, is that all? Did you rush all the way here at night just to tell me that Qin Cheng fell into Su Jinyang’s hands?”

Of course Qu Zhiwen didn’t come just for that. After all, if Qu Zhiwen can’t find Qin Cheng, then the plan Tang Jiaming and Qu Zhiwen had orchestrated would be very difficult to implement. At first, Qu Zhiwen wanted to ask Jiang Ping where he hid Qin Cheng, but by mistake, he let Jiang Ping see that man’s photo….

“Something did happen, and it’s related to Jiang Ping….the policeman who helps Qin Cheng from time to time. I found he has the soul of another person inside his body, and since you’re a ghost, you can expel ghosts from living people’s bodies. I wanted to ask you for help.”

“An extra soul? Did a ghost invade his body on purpose? Aren’t you the best option when it comes to exorcizing ghosts? Why ask me for help?”

“If I could do it on my own, I wouldn’t have come to see you.”

“Why? Is that spirit so strong you can’t even touch it?”

“It’s not like that,” Qu Zhiwen frowned. “Jiang Ping was infested by that spirit in Pingyao. After I disarmed the formation General Ning Qing’s soul was trapped in, his soul should have disappeared. However, it just so happened that that little soul met Jiang Ping, and since their qi has a similar quality, the little soul entered Jiang Ping’s body.”

After hearing Qu Zhiwen’s explanation, Su Jingmo narrowed his eyes and gently stroked the jade ring on his thumb with his fingers. Su Jingmo was aware of what had happened with the formation because Qin Cheng had told him about it. But he never expected that Ning Qing’s soul wouldn’t dissipate, and instead, would infest someone else’s body. After putting this fact together with the ugly face Qu Zhiwen had made when mentioning Su Jingyan just now, Su Jingmo was able to more or less understand the overall situation.

‘ If the one named Jiang Ping has really inherited Ning Qing’s memories, and now there’s a ‘‘Su Jingyan’’ out there….’ At that moment, Su Jingmo looked at Qu Zhiwen and thought: ‘ Either way, this is going to be a good show. ’

“Perhaps it’s the will of Heaven,” Su Jingmo laughed. “My fifth brother buried that boy from the Ning family in his Mausoleum because he loved him. He even tried everything he could to protect the last trace of Ning Qing’s soul. If they couldn’t be together in their last life, wouldn’t it be better for that pair of lovers to get married in this life? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“But Jiang Ping is not Ning Qing!”

Qu Zhiwen’s roar echoed all over the empty tomb. Originally, Qu Zhiwen wanted to say something else, but in the end, he suppressed his anger.

In Su Jingmo’s eyes, Qu Zhiwen’s angry face seemed to overlap with the angry face Qin Cheng had shown that night.

‘ When you’re ‘in love’, it’s hard to restrain yourself. It makes it even harder for people to forget their original intentions and even themselves…. ‘

‘ Although it’s moving, what does Qu Zhiwen’s love story have to do with me? ‘

‘ I, Su Jingmo, have never been a kind man. ‘

“Regardless of whether I can really get rid of the remaining soul of Ning Qing or not, did you actually think that I would help you after you stabbed me in the back?”

“….I….”

“Do you have anything that could be worth exchanging with me for such a favor?” Su Jingmo squinted at Qu Zhiwen and sneered. “Those half-immortals won’t let you go. If you don’t get rid of those rusty bones of yours, do you really think you can escape from them?”

“To be honest, Qu Zhiwen, you want too much. Not only do you want to get rid of your mortal bones so you can become immortal, but you also want to obtain Jiang Ping’s heart. In this world, you can’t have everything you want.”

Qu Zhiwen looked at Su Jingmo and said: “Your Majesty, you’re talking as if you weren’t a greedy person yourself. Is that why you’re willing to sacrifice Qin Cheng?”

Instead of getting angry, Su Jingmo replied with a smile: “Why are you saying that? How would you know what my true intentions are? But you, on the other hand, how long are you going to continue to deceive yourself? Are you really sure that the remnant of Ning Qing’s soul got attached to Jiang Ping only because of their similarity and compatibility in their qi?”

“I’ve seen Jiang Ping before. Ordinary people can’t see if there’s something wrong with their souls, but you and I can.” Su Jingmo paused for a few seconds, and then continued: “His soul has always been incomplete.”

As soon as Su Jingmo said this, Qu Zhiwen’s face turned even uglier, which only confirmed Su Jingmo’s guess.

“So, it seems you’ve known for a long time… Actually, the real reason why you can’t expel that soul is not because it has invaded Jiang Ping’s body, but because that soul is the missing piece of Jiang Ping’s incomplete soul. Now, that piece of soul is slowly fusing with Jiang Ping’s soul, and if you try to force it out, it would only end up killing Jiang Ping. You can’t deny that Jiang Ping is, in fact, the reincarnation of Ning Qing.”

“This….it’s just a coincidence….it just so happened that Jiang Ping’s soul was also incomplete….”

“Do you really believe that?” Su Jingmo smiled, turned around, and walked over to the stone table to sit down. “Of course, I know what kind of person my fifth brother is. In those difficult times, he hid his love for Ning Qing from me, which also remained hidden for thousands of years. Not just me, but he didn’t even let the Ministers figure out what his real weak point was. I used to think that for a long time my fifth brother had intended to put aside love, but when Qin Cheng told me that Su Jingyan had buried Ning Qing with him as the Empress, and even protected what remained of Ning Qing’s soul, my perception towards him changed. My fifth brother must have become extremely violent and resentful after Ning Qing’s death.”

After saying this, Su Jingmo closed his eyes and smiled: “The moment you miss someone, you become obsessed with them. Do you think my fifth brother would only want to protect the remnant of Ning Qing’s soul? He has loved Ning Qing his whole life, he won’t let go of him.”

“You already know that the human soul is composed of ‘Three Immortal Souls and Seven Mortal Souls ² ’. Those Seven Mortal Souls being: Shi Gou, Fu Shi, Qiao Yin, Tun Zei, Fei Du, Chu Hui, and Chou Fei ³ . Qiao Yin is the embodiment of love, and the soul Jiang Ping was missing was his Qiao Yin. I think that Ning Qing’s soul must be the same Qiao Yin soul that Jiang Ping lacks.”

“…..”

“The rest of his soul reincarnated without the Qiao Yin, and without love, he wouldn’t fall in love with anyone. My fifth brother wanted Ning Qing to love him, and only him, for all of eternity.”

After Su Jingmo said this, he looked at Qu Zhiwen, who wasn’t that far away, and who hadn’t said anything for a while, with amusement: “Even if I could help you extract that Qiao Yin soul, Jiang Ping, who would lack love, would feel nothing for you.”

“Moreover, I have never heard of immortals looking for love. If you really have the ambition of becoming an immortal, why cling to something like that?”

“Are you trying to say that I should do the same as you? Put down my own feelings for a final purpose?” Qu Zhiwen finally said.

Su Jingmo arched his eyebrows and smiled: “You and I are different. You should ask yourself that.”

“Just tell me if you can do it.”

“Since I’m stuck in this tomb with nothing else to do, I have indeed played around by trying to separate the seven souls. But this only can be done to the dead.”

To sum it up, it can be done….

“I must warn you. Without the Qiao Yin soul, Jiang Ping will remain an iron-faced, selfless….policeman. I’m afraid he will never reciprocate your feelings.”

“Between Su Jingyan and me, who do you think would win in a fight?”

When Qu Zhiwen asked this, it actually made Su Jingmo ponder for a while: “I can’t really compare you with him.”

Qu Zhiwen stopped talking and remained silent for a while, but in no time, he seemed to get over it. As he hummed, he said with a smile: “Maybe you’re right. Since Su Jingyan treats him with such care, then there’s no way he would let go…. What belongs to others, belongs to others. Why should I persist?”

After hearing this, the smile on Su Jingmo’s face faded away: “You already made up your mind?”

“I learned from you.”

Su Jingmo sneered: “I hope you won’t regret it for the rest of your life.”

“At least it would be only in this particular lifetime, which is better than what you and Qin Cheng have. Not even being able to share this life nor the ones to come….”

As soon as Qu Zhiwen said this, he noticed a strong wind sweeping toward him. Although he wanted to avoid it, he didn’t expect that Su Jingmo, who was so far away, would appear right in front of him in the twinkling of an eye. Right the next second, a strong force pushed Qu Zhiwen out of the gates of the Underground Palace.

This was the first time that Qu Zhiwen was terrified of this thousand-year-old ghost, who for the first time hadn’t suppressed his ghostly qi in his presence. It was at that moment that Qu Zhiwen could also feel as if a thin layer of ice had formed in every corner of the tomb, as he observed how Su Jingmo’s appearance had drastically changed. His eyes had turned crimson red, his hair had turned white, and his cheeks had been stained with shades of black and blue. For the first time, Qu Zhiwen was able to witness how dangerous and deadly this fierce ghost really was.

When Qu Zhiwen spat out a mouthful of blood as he felt the pain increasing in his chest, Su Jingmo appeared in front of him again. He still had a smile on his face, but when the laughter reached Qu Zhiwen’s ears through layers of thick ghostly qi, it sounded like the piercing cruel scream of a ghost that’s going to lead you to your death.

“Qu Zhiwen, I didn’t kill you just now because you’re still a bit useful. But if you say another word like that, even if you’re useful, I will get rid of you.”

Instead of reacting with fright, Qu Zhiwen actually laughed and said: “What? Can’t I tell the truth? You already have a plan in mind, so why do you still care about my words? Aren’t you being more cruel to Qin Cheng than you are to me?”

“Get out!!!”

Just like that, the gates of the Underground Palace slammed shut, and only darkness remained before Qu Zhiwen’s eyes. Qu Zhiwen stared at the light seeping through the cracks in the gates of the Underground Palace and thought: ‘ Qin Cheng installed that for him. ’

“Su Jingmo, you’re as selfish as I am.”

Su Jingmo and Qu Zhiwen roasted each other really hard in this chapter lmao, but Qu Zhiwen got the last one. Su Jingmo likes to act all high and mighty, but when it comes to Qin Cheng and how complicated their relationship actually is, Su Jingmo doesn’t like to be told truths he himself denies lolol

So, it’s confirmed, Jiang Ping IS Ning Qing’s reincarnation 👀👀👀👀👀✨

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(„• ֊ •„) ✧ ✧

Footnotes

<ol><b>元气</b> <b>yuán qì</b> ; The Vital Energy (vital qi/yuan qi) is the most fundamental and important Qi in the human body, as well as the driving force of human life/strength. The Yuan Qi is mainly produced by the innate essence hidden in the kidneys. The Vital Qi produced by the innate essence is then developed at the Gate of Life ( <b>命门</b> <b>mìng mén</b> ; Acupuncture point below the second spinous process of the lumbar vertebrae, between the two kidney receptors, where the kidney moves the qi), which is then spread throughout the body by the Three Jiao ( <b>三焦</b> <b>sān jiāo</b> ; the three truncal cavities: thoracic, abdominal and pelvic). <b>三魂七魄</b> <b>sān hún qī pò</b> ; A Chinese Taoist term for the human spirit, which means that the human body has three immortal souls and seven mortal forms, contrasting the spiritual and carnal side of the human. Every human has both immortal souls, which leave the body after death; and mortal souls, which remain with the corpse of the deceased. ( <b>尸狗</b> <b>shī gǒu</b> ) also known as ‘Corpse Of Dog’, whose purpose is to remain alert when you sleep. ( <b>伏矢</b> <b>fú shǐ</b> ) also known as ‘Concealed Arrow’, whose purpose is to disperse the toxins in the body. ( <b>雀阴</b> <b>qiǎo yīn</b> ) also known as ‘Yin of Sparrow’, whose purpose is to regulate your reproductive function. ( <b>吞贼</b> <b>tūn zéi</b> ) also known as ‘Seizing Thief’, whose purpose is to eliminate harmful substances at night while you sleep. ( <b>非毒</b> <b>fēi dú</b> ) also known as ‘Not-Toxic’, whose purpose is to scatter evil deposition, such as tumors, etc.  ( <b>除秽</b> <b>chú huì</b> ) also known as ‘Remove Filth’, whose purpose is to clear your body’s metabolites. ( <b>臭肺</b> <b>chòu fèi</b> ) also known as ‘Smelly Lung’, whose purpose is to regulate your respiration. The seven mortal souls correspond to seven emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, joy, love, hate, and fear. But also correspond to seven sounds: shout, laugh, hoot, moan, sing, cry, and whistling, which correspond to human organs .</ol>