Tacit Understanding

Sister Wife, clad in a phoenix crown and embroidered cape, blocked my vision. Her skin was like white jade, but everything else was a bloody mess – a blood-red phoenix crown, blood-red cape, and blood-red steps.

Although I was behind her, I could never forget her appearance. Every movement, every gesture, was perfect, without the slightest flaw.

With a flick of her blood-red sleeve, the ghost beast that had been chasing us turned into dust, vanishing in an instant. Her noble beauty and commanding presence radiated through the air!

Xijun, who had been stunned by the ghost beast's disappearance, turned her head to see Sister Wife and immediately prostrated herself on the ground, trembling. She muttered words I couldn't understand.

Ninth Princess, Ninth Princess, must you always make such an entrance? It's too much!

Seeing Xijun's submission, the mountain ghost was completely taken aback. She had just tried to lure away my soul, and in the blink of an eye, this formidable being appeared?

"Silence! You failed to protect your master! You deserve to die!" Sister Wife swept her sleeve, and Xijun was almost scared out of her wits. She rolled several times on the ground before fearfully prostrating herself again.

Seeing that she was just a little girl, I felt pity and wanted to help her up. However, Sister Wife slowly began to turn her head. I knew I couldn't go against my Sister Wife, so I stood still. Sigh, she's just a child who doesn't know any better. You haven't appeared in a long time, so it's only right to teach her a lesson. I'm giving you face this time.

Seeing my silence, Sister Wife finally turned her head to face "Zhao Qian." "A mere mountain demon! How dare you hide in front of me? You're too bold! Show me your true form!"

From my position to her side, I couldn't see her expression, but in an instant, an invisible wave of energy, like a sonic boom, emanated from Sister Wife!

Zhao Qian's body instantly went limp, and she collapsed to the ground. The mountain ghost was directly forced out of her body, her soul form tossed about like a kite in a storm!

I knew Zhao Qian would be fine. Although Sister Wife was proud and disliked Zhao Qian, she was still an acquaintance, so she naturally saved her.

The mountain ghost's soul, however, was like a willow catkin in a gale, swaying unstably. Her eyes held more than just fear; it was the look of someone seeing a ghost for the first time.

The mountain ghost immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed. Without Zhao Qian's yang energy, I couldn't understand her words, but her expression clearly pleaded for mercy.

Uncle Hai and Lin Feiyu's eyes widened like cow bells, their faces pale, unable to utter a word. How had the situation reversed so quickly?

"Blah blah blah, when you were trying to lure his soul, did you think of this day?" Sister Wife's face was grim. Though her eyes were closed, her furrowed brow told everyone she was very unhappy.

The mountain ghost couldn't even stand under the invisible wave of energy. She trembled and prostrated herself more obediently than Xijun. But soon, an invisible hand grabbed her and dragged her into the air against her will.

The female mountain ghost was filled with indescribable fear but couldn't break free. The next moment, she let out a pained wail as her soul was squeezed, writhing as if it were about to burst like a balloon!

I immediately ran to Sister Wife's side and asked cautiously, "Sister Wife, she's the mountain spirit of this mountain. Won't it be bad if we just kill her?"

"Call me Ninth Princess!" Sister Wife said proudly.

"Okay, Ninth... Ninth Princess... I just wanted to say, if we kill this mountain spirit, will it bring any misfortune?" I asked humbly. Sigh, this Sister Wife is too overbearing. At least in front of Uncle Hai and Old Man Lin, could you give me some face as a man?

"Hmph, she's just a little ghost, what misfortune could she bring? Kill her if you want. Speak quickly if you have something to say!" Sister Wife said without any pressure, continuing to torment the mountain ghost.

"Ahem." I coughed twice and put on a serious face. "Can you help me take her in? You know, my strength is too weak, and I can't rely on Xijun to protect me all the time. This mountain ghost seems quite powerful. Why don't you talk to her and have her assist me? If she performs well in the future, I can let her return to the mountain?"

The mountain ghost, who thought she was doomed, immediately began to speak pleadingly upon hearing that I wanted to take her in. It seems living, even miserably, is better than dying.

"This little ghost has been powerful and tyrannical in the mountains for hundreds of years. She already has intelligence and is cunning. I don't think she's a good thing, and you want to take her for your own use?" Sister Wife revealed the mountain ghost's identity.

"Sister Wife, heroes aren't judged by their origins, and rascals aren't judged by their age. As long as she can catch mice, she's a good cat, don't you think? If we take her in, maybe she'll become better in the future?" I quickly seized the opportunity. If Sister Wife didn't want to keep this mountain ghost, she would have crushed her the moment they met. Clearly, she saw my weakness and was supporting me in taking her in.

An intelligent mountain ghost isn't something you find easily. Most fierce ghosts I encounter don't even have intelligence; they just attack when they see someone with heavy yin energy, thinking they can take advantage. These are useless to capture.

Ninth Princess must have also taken a liking to this mountain ghost. For me, she would be a capable helper. I know her well – she's proud but cares about me.

Besides, the mountain ghost mentioned earlier that even Wu Zhenghua would flee from her, suggesting she's quite powerful. Perhaps in the future, when facing enemies, I could surprise them by releasing this mountain ghost and not be at a disadvantage in a fight.

Sister Wife remained silent, but the mountain ghost grew anxious. She struggled and continued to beg, eventually weeping and crying like a ghost, which was quite terrifying.

After what seemed like a long consideration, Sister Wife finally put her down. "Hmph, since you've vouched for her, tell him where your remains are. You will be captured and placed in a soul urn, and your fate will be in his hands. If he wants you alive, you live; if he wants you dead, you die. Do you agree?"

The mountain ghost prostrated herself again and kowtowed fiercely to me.

I didn't dare to go and help her. Although this mountain ghost looked like a beautiful and delicate girl of seventeen or eighteen, she had been very arrogant earlier, and her laughter was quite terrifying. I estimated she was more powerful than Xijun.

"It's best if you do." Sister Wife said, then ignored me and dissolved into a bloody mist, disappearing before my eyes.

I wanted to say a few more heartfelt words to her, but alas, she was elusive, and I couldn't keep her. Moreover, the method of summoning her was too costly, draining my blood essence. Looking at my bloody fingers, I suddenly felt the pain.

Seeing Sister Wife disappear, the mountain ghost looked around nervously, still shaken.

"What? Are you trying to escape now?" I asked, feigning confidence.

The female mountain ghost quickly shook her head and then began to speak to me again in her strange tongue. I didn't understand, so I said, "Take me and Xijun to where your bones are buried."

I took out the soul urn and noticed a layer of blood-red light on the cracks. It seemed Sister Wife had intervened. Although she openly reprimanded Xijun, she secretly helped, preventing the soul urn from shattering immediately.

The curse mark I had drawn on Xijun's forehead had disappeared. She now looked like her innocent, little girl self and willingly sat on my shoulder when I approached.

Sister Wife was truly thorough. Every time she appeared, she solved everything for me. She was just a bit too harsh with me; if only she were gentler, it would be perfect.

I went to check on Zhao Qian again and found that she had only fainted. Her body was still cold, but at least her life was safe.

With great effort, I carried Zhao Qian on my back and followed the mountain ghost towards the burial site in the jungle.

Zhao Qian weighed at least eighty to ninety pounds, quite heavy. After walking half a mile on the mountain path, I was so tired I almost wanted to abandon her in the mountains.

But just as I was about to give up, we arrived at the burial site.

It was a barren patch of land in the mountains, very close to the path leading down the mountain. Weeds grew everywhere, with many shrubs.

The female mountain ghost honestly pointed to a spot and stood there, crying softly.

"It's not like you're being sold into slavery, so why are you crying so much!" I spat, putting Zhao Qian down.

The mountain ghost cried even harder. I ignored her, thinking that all women love to cry, and female ghosts even more so. Xijun was much better behaved.

I casually picked up some sturdy branches, preparing to dig, when Lin Feiyu opened his safe and took out a mini shovel to help me. "Little brother Xia, you're injured. Let me do it."

Lin Feiyu and Uncle Hai didn't dare ask me who the woman in the blood-stained clothes was just now, but judging by my address, they guessed it was my ghost wife. The two elders had discussed something privately behind me, and it seemed they thought it was related to Senior Zhou Xian. Moreover, it was a trump card only revealed at such a crucial moment, so how could they not understand? This wasn't something they could casually ask about, so they decided to pretend they hadn't seen anything.

After digging for a while, we unearthed a pile of jars. The jars were covered in old curse symbols. Uncle Hai frowned as soon as he saw them and remained silent for a long time, likely unable to decipher them.

The curse symbols were now just scraps of paper, mostly rotted away. After all, they were things from hundreds of years ago.

The Mountain Ghost pointed to one of them and started crying.

I knew the Mountain Ghost must have a grievance, but since Sister Wife had already helped me communicate, I didn't ask further. Matters from hundreds of years ago that could be resolved would have been long ago, and those that couldn't would have faded with time into the river of years. Asking more would only add to the sorrow.

So, I had Lin Feiyu help carry the soul urn, and the four of us descended the mountain.

With my Blood Essence severely depleted, I could barely catch my breath, my face frighteningly pale. Several times I wanted to just sleep by the roadside, but Uncle Hai was even worse off. As we walked, his tongue almost lolled out, filling my forehead with cold sweat.

Lin Feiyu quickly held the soul urn while also supporting him. Seeing the miserable state of the two old men made me feel quite sad.

We walked and stopped, taking twice as long to get down the mountain. By the time we reached the village at the foot of the mountain, it was already broad daylight.

After the rooster crowed, the Mountain Ghost was placed in the soul urn, and Xijun also went into my pocket.

Since the Mountain Ghost wasn't truly sealed in the soul urn I made, I put her in the back of the car first. Old Man Zhao's funeral was imminent, so I didn't immediately return to Zhao Qian's apartment.