“You adore Liu Wanqing, treating her like the moon in the heavens. But in my eyes, she’s nothing—just like you, both of you are mere playthings for my amusement.”
“I never intended to marry her anyway; it was purely for fun.”
“But my mother accidentally saw our… or rather, your correspondence with her, and took it upon herself to arrange the marriage with the Liu family.”
“You see, the woman you regard as unattainable is effortlessly within my grasp.”
Lin Rufeng leaned close to Shen Mo’s ear and said smugly, “Truth is, I prefer men, not women. Marrying her in the future will just be for show, like a decoration at home. Hahaha…”
Shen Mo wept, sobbing bitterly as he prostrated himself at Lin Rufeng’s feet, pleading:
“Do whatever you want to me, just spare Miss Liu! I beg you, Young Master Lin, I beg you! Please!”
They say a man’s pride is worth more than gold, but that day, Shen Mo cast aside his scholar’s dignity, kneeling humbly at Lin Rufeng’s feet until his forehead was bruised and bleeding.
Lin Rufeng’s eyes shifted, and a mischievous idea suddenly came to him.
“I’ve heard that twenty li south of the city, there’s a place called Ghost Wailing Ridge. If you, coward, can survive there for three days and three nights, whether alive or dead, I promise to break off the engagement with Miss Liu. How about that?”
“Do you mean it?”
“Of course I do. I always keep my word. Didn’t I stop bullying you when I asked you to write letters for me? Today, it was you who struck first, and I merely retaliated.”
Ghost Wailing Ridge was an area officially forbidden to the public. Rumors said it was not only home to fierce tigers but also haunted by mountain spirits and demons. Every night, eerie wails could be heard from the foot of the mountain, terrifying all who heard it.
Shen Mo was afraid too, hesitating repeatedly as he reached the base of the mountain.
But the thought of having mistakenly tied Miss Liu to a disastrous marriage filled him with regret. He would rather sacrifice his life to make amends than let Miss Liu’s entire future be ruined by a beast!
Gritting his teeth, he entered Ghost Wailing Ridge.
No miracle occurred. On the very first night, he was devoured alive by a Snake Demon.
After his death, it was unclear how much time had passed, but his soul, clinging to the obsessions of his life, drifted to the Lin residence.
The Lin family was in the midst of a grand celebration—the wedding banquet of Lin Rufeng and Liu Wanqing.
Outside the bridal chamber, a dandy asked Lin Rufeng, “I thought you wouldn’t actually marry Miss Liu. After all, you promised Shen Mo that if he went to Ghost Wailing Ridge, whether he lived or died, you’d break off the engagement with her.”
Lin Rufeng laughed heartily, “You actually believed that nonsense I fed Shen Mo? I said it deliberately to send him to his death! So he wouldn’t go blabbing in front of Miss Liu and ruin our families’ alliance. I may not like Miss Liu, but she comes from a good family and is naive—easy to control. Ah, enough talk, let’s go, let’s head to Shuangyan Lane and have some fun with a few male prostitutes.”
“Hahaha, Young Master Lin, you’re skipping your own wedding night to go whoring? Aren’t you afraid your bride will get angry?”
“If she dares to nag, I’ll teach her a lesson with my fists!”
And so, Shen Mo watched helplessly as Liu Wanqing endured torment from her husband and mother-in-law in the Lin household. Gradually, the bright and lively young girl transformed into a resentful woman trapped in the inner chambers.
Countless times, Shen Mo wished he could tear Lin Rufeng limb from limb! But he couldn’t indulge his hatred; not only that, he had to strive to control the resentment from eroding his humanity.
Because of that snake—the snake that had devoured his physical body had also come.
This was no ordinary snake, but the remnant soul of the Snake Demon once suppressed at Ghost Weeping Ridge. After devouring Shen Mo, it used his resentment and ghostly energy to break through the seal and hide within the Lin family together.
If Shen Mo had indulged his hatred and sought revenge recklessly, the violent nature of the Snake Demon would inevitably have led to the slaughter of the entire Lin household, and even Liu Wanqing would not have escaped death.
He had already harmed Liu Wanqing; he could not let her die innocently again.
For Liu Wanqing’s sake, he had struggled against the Snake Demon’s remnant soul for three years.
It was only yesterday, when Liu Wanqing learned from Lin Qingyue about Lin Rufeng’s hidden ailment and preferences, that she completely gave up on him and left the Lin family.
Shen Mo then abandoned his struggle, allowing his hatred to take over. He merged with the Snake Demon’s soul, sought out Lin Rufeng for revenge, and threw the Lin family into chaos.
A night breeze swept by, and the images projected in the void vanished like a mirage.
Yet everything that had just unfolded was clearly witnessed by all present.
Even the soldiers from the City Guard Camp who had come to assist were filled with rage:
“Young Master Lin has gone too far! No wonder Shen Mo sought revenge!”
“If I were Shen Mo, I would have killed Lin Rufeng long ago. Shen Mo was still too merciful.”
“If you prefer men, then go find men! To cover it up, you ruin a good girl’s life!”
“If someone like that were in our camp, they’d have been beaten to death with clubs long ago!”
Even Dongfang Yan couldn’t help but remark, “So this is the family ethos of Changning Marquis Manor. Truly eye-opening.”
But then he thought of his own wedding night—hadn’t he also abandoned his new bride to seek another beauty?
—No, this prince and Lin Rufeng are nothing alike!
Besides, their marriage was orchestrated by Lin Qingyue through scheming.
It seems everyone in the Lin family is treacherous and vicious. Only Zhen’er remains untainted by the filth around her.
As the truth was brutally laid bare, the dignity that Changning Marquis Manor had maintained for years was utterly shattered.
Lin Xiao still attempted to salvage their reputation: “My son is young and didn’t realize the severity of his actions. I will discipline him properly from now on! Shen Mo, Young Master Shen! I beg you, spare his life. I know you are a good person, not one to kill indiscriminately! We are all aware of your grievances. Tomorrow, I will give you a grand funeral with seven days and nights of rituals to ensure your swift ascent to paradise. Please, be magnanimous and forgive my son just this once!”
“Forgive?” Shen Mo laughed coldly. “Back in the academy, he bullied me, humiliated me, lured me to Ghost Weeping Ridge, where I was devoured alive by the Snake Demon. Do you know how despairing and agonizing my death was?”
“And what of Lin Rufeng? He committed every evil deed yet continues to live without remorse. Why should I? Why should I forgive scum like him?”
His eyes shifted back into vertical slits, and serpent-like fangs curved from his mouth.
The crimson threads binding him began to snap, one by one.
“Not good—he’s undergoing demonic transformation!” Xie Shouzheng decisively ordered, “Brothers of the Xuanjing Office, activate the fire formation!”
Earlier, they had held back out of consideration for Lin Rufeng, not unleashing their true lethal techniques. But once the fire formation was activated, whether ghost, living person, or evil demon, all would be annihilated—their souls scattered, beyond redemption.
Zhou Shi couldn’t bear to see her son die, so she tearfully pleaded with Lin Qingyue again: “My daughter, please save your brother! The dead cannot be brought back to life, and besides, Shen Mo was killed by the Snake Demon—how can all the blame be placed on your brother’s head?”