Chapter 70: A Second Descent into the Netherworld

Within the Underworld, Lord Mingbo slipped into Mingzhong’s bedchamber with a mischievous air. “Second Brother! What are you up to?”

“By order of the King, I am reading,” Mingzhong replied, lowering his head and setting the scroll aside. His eyes flashed with a cold, murderous light.

“Well done, obedient as ever!” Mingbo picked up the scroll from the table, glanced at its title, and slapped his thigh in excitement. “Ah! ‘Love of Gods and Demons: Waiting for the Beloved in Snow and Wind’—what an amusing play! The god in the story is both divine and demonic, transforms himself into a demon and kills his beloved without knowing it. The obsession is extraordinary—he hunts for vengeance everywhere, only to realize the demon is himself! Ha! Have you finished reading?”

“No. I truly cannot bear such plays. Please spare me, Brother, and let me return to my military texts,” Mingzhong said, troubled.

Mingbo grinned slyly. “I saw you struggling. Tell me, while you were reading, what were you thinking? Tactics? Or were you thinking of your little sweetheart, the young Divine Lord?”

“No, I have no interest in men,” Mingzhong replied.

“What about women then?” Mingbo’s smile turned probing as he stared into Mingzhong’s eyes.

“Those women, strip them bare to sate desire, and if they don’t offer true hearts, just kill them. It’s not my first time,” Mingzhong said with disdain.

“Stripping them is fun, but it’s all about how you do it! Read the plays your elder brother gave you carefully…” Mingbo laughed lewdly.

“These romantic plays are exhausting. Reading them makes my heart burn—I could spit blood!” Mingzhong complained.

Mingbo tutted, “Ah… you’ll have your turn to spit blood. Haven’t you always been thinking about your little sweetheart? That beloved master of theirs you killed, you’re their number one enemy. They hate you to death, and if you two were ever brought together… Ah, what a spectacle! Far more thrilling than any play on these pages!”

“I have no desire for a man’s heart, or I wouldn’t have killed him,” Mingzhong said through clenched teeth, cold as ever.

“Don’t be stubborn. Whoever regrets it, only they know. Since you claimed the person as yours, their heart must be yours too. If you don’t want a man’s heart, then you should want the Seventh Princess’s heart," Mingbo said with delight.

“I am better at refining pills for Father King,” Mingzhong said, rising to leave for the pill chamber.

Mingbo grabbed Mingzhong’s arm, his expression darkening. “With your injuries, what good pills can you make? Don’t forget, Father King won’t keep anyone useless! Your only value now is marrying the Seventh Princess!”

Mingzhong hurriedly apologized, “Thank you for the reminder, Brother. I will follow your orders.”

“Good, that’s the way. Father King is at a crucial point in refining his true form and won’t let me leave the Underworld. Can’t read or watch plays, it’s suffocating. But you’ve piqued my curiosity. I just want to see a good show while there’s nothing else to do. Third Brother is boring—his whole mind is on his useless mother. Besides matchmaking for you, I have no other amusements,” Mingbo said with keen interest.

“I will not disappoint you, Brother!” Mingzhong promised, his lowered eyelids hiding a gaze as sharp as a blade.

“Reading is just theory. From now on, practice!” Mingbo laughed lasciviously, draping his arm around Mingzhong as they left the bedchamber and arrived at the city gates of the Iron Encircled Mountain’s Underworld Capital. The bridal palanquin for the alliance had already stopped before the gates…

“Hehe… come inspect the goods yourself! The Seventh Princess from the Heavenly Palace! See if she’s the real deal!” Mingbo was beside himself with joy.

The palanquin curtain lifted…

By the dim ghostfire, barely clinging to life, I saw the figure who had haunted my nightmares countless times—the one with the black-gold mask!

The eyes behind the mask, upon seeing me, revealed an astonishment that shattered the cold, murderous glare.

Mingbo glanced at me, then at Mingzhong, and burst out laughing.

“Well, how about that! Did you expect this? The Seventh Princess—perfectly satisfactory! A woman! Genuine! A treasure from the Firmament! Do you want her? If not, I’ll take her myself. Last time you left me hanging, and I’ve been itching ever since,” Mingbo said happily to Mingzhong.

The surprise in Mingzhong’s eyes flickered and vanished, replaced once more by that icy, murderous gaze. Through gritted teeth, he forced out two words, “I want her!”

“Haha, I knew you would! Elder Brother really thought you’d fallen for men. Even considered getting you a man for a good show. But Tian De told me she’s a woman! Am I not generous to you? Don’t you regret not reading the plays I gave you? Ahaha!”

“Yes! Thank you, Brother, for granting me this!” Mingzhong bowed in gratitude.

“Of course. Don’t rush—be careful your sweetheart doesn’t murder her husband!” Mingbo laughed wickedly, pounding Mingzhong’s chest.

“Yes, I’ll remember!” Mingzhong bowed, his gaze growing even fiercer.

“Take her to your palace first. The wedding can wait a few days—heal your wounds, do some homework. Don’t let the bridal chamber become a scene of murder! Hehe…” Mingbo punched Mingzhong’s chest again.

Mingzhong covered his heart and smiled, “Rest assured, Brother.”

The two walked off, laughing and chatting, leaving me behind.

I was sent to Mingzhong’s palace, carried to the bed by maidservants. They withdrew, leaving me alone, silent at the edge of the bed, enduring excruciating pain like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

The door opened, and someone entered. In the haze, she seemed a petite, delicate woman. She came close, scrutinizing me, then suddenly raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face! Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth… I showed no reaction; my body could not, and my heart would not. If only she would beat me to death…

“No wonder the Second Prince has been ignoring me lately—claiming his injuries prevent him from bedding! Turns out he has a new favorite! How did you seduce him?” she demanded harshly.

I did not look at her.

“Pretending to be weak! Tell me! Do you gaze at the Second Prince with deep affection too?”

I laughed, “Affection for Mingzhong? If hatred counts as love, then I am the most devoted in all the world to him.”

“Laughing, are you? Speak! Speak!” The woman dragged me to the floor and kicked me twice.

Her assault triggered the soul-locking nails within me—silent agony, piercing to the bone, making my whole body tremble…

“Now you know fear! Too late! Trash like you wants to be his consort? I’ll cut out your heart! Let’s see you dream again!” She snarled, brandishing a sharp dagger and lunging at me.

“As I wish…” I closed my eyes.

With a sickening thud, the blade pierced flesh…

But as she reached me, another sword stabbed through her from behind, its tip emerging from her chest, dripping blood…

The sword withdrew, her corpse fell. Mingzhong stood behind her, sword in hand, his gaze fierce and murderous.

He tossed the sword aside, picked me up from the floor, and carried me gently to the bed. When I wished to die, he let me; when I sought death, he forced me to live… Humiliation and rage welled up as tears streamed down my face…

He sat on the bed, pressing my joints one by one, his fingers finding the soul-locking nails and suddenly exerting force. The pain shattered tendons and bones—I lost consciousness…

I did not know how long had passed before my awareness returned. In my delirium, it seemed as though I was back in that snowy, sealed mountain of Kunlun, hunting for ginseng sprites… My master lifted my arm, pressed my bones, healing my wounds…

“Why so ruthless again? What a waste—why not let Elder Brother have some fun?” Mingbo’s oily voice drifted to my ears.

“Father said disobedient women must die,” Mingzhong said darkly.

“That’s true, she was blind. But how is it you nearly killed this little lady too? What are these things?” Mingbo asked.

Mingzhong gritted his teeth. “Soul-locking nails—forbidden artifacts of the heavens.”

Mingbo’s eyes widened, and he spat, “The woman I wanted, and Tian De the dog locked her with soul nails! How can you play with a half-dead cripple? Damn it, have them send ten more princesses as compensation!”

“She would rather die than submit,” Mingzhong’s gaze was chilling.

Mingbo clapped Mingzhong on the shoulder, laughing slyly, “Exactly! Would rather die, passionate and fierce… what a good show! Tell me honestly, did you strangle her because her refusal angered you?”

Mingzhong was silent, quietly casting spells to extract the nails.

“Has her immortal body been destroyed? Can she still be played with?” Mingbo pressed.

“Mm,” Mingzhong replied, extracting another nail. The unbearable pain made me faint again…

When I awoke again, my mind was clearer, and the pain less ferocious, though my body remained weak. With my immortal body sealed by three layers, now reduced to the mortal form, things were much simpler. I slowly turned my head, searching the room for anything useful. Beside the bed, I spied a teacup! Too weak to sit up, I endured waves of pain and slowly twisted my body to the edge of the bed, mustering all my strength to knock the cup to the floor. It shattered into several pieces. I rolled myself off the bed, landing heavily, my joints seeming to scatter. Lowering my head, I found a sharp shard, gripped it between my teeth, and, gathering all my energy, slashed hard at my wrist. Blood spurted forth…

Smiling, I collapsed in the pool of blood…

“What are you doing!” Mingzhong rushed into the room, instantly sealing the bleeding in my wrist, holding me in his arms, his voice fierce, “Your life belongs to me! If I want you alive, you must live well!”

“My life was given by my master! Not by you, Mingzhong!” I glared at his masked face.

Mingzhong gripped my wrist tightly, “Every movement in this place is watched by Elder Brother’s ghostly eyes—even when he sleeps! Don't think I don't know what you're up to!”

“Take your bloody hands off me!” I struggled desperately.

Mingzhong’s voice was cold and sinister, “If you move again, the soul-locking nails will break your immortal veins and dislocate your bones. Do you think I’d keep a crippled woman?”

“That’s just as well! Kill me then!” I screamed silently in my heart.

Mingzhong smirked, “Don’t think death will bring you peace. I’ll strip you bare and toss your corpse to the Underworld soldiers who haven’t seen a woman in thousands of years. Your death will disgrace you before your master!”

I fell silent… tears streaming as I ceased to struggle… He healed the wound in my wrist with his spells.

Mingzhong carried me back to the bed. The bottle of nectar hidden in my arms rolled out—he took it away.

My immortal body sealed, my powers forbidden, my crystal sword gone, my nectar bottle stolen, even ‘Yu Fei Divine Lord’ had leapt into the Celestial River for burial… Everything connected to my master was gone, save memories in my mind and longing in my heart…

He lay in the Thirty-Three Heavens, silent in the light…

I lay in the Underworld, silent in endless darkness…

Life is unattainable, death is impossible…

There is no smile left on my face, nor any sign of grief…