Qin Changsheng dialed the number.
The time displayed on the phone screen was 11 p.m. When Qin Changsheng made the call, she first heard a melodious piano piece, followed by Qin Shifeng’s deep, magnetic voice, tinged with weariness and just the right amount of tension: “Hello?”
The signal was poor, and his voice was mixed with static.
This was Jiang Zhongxue’s phone, so Qin Shifeng on the other end naturally assumed the caller was Jiang Zhongxue.
A call in the middle of the night rarely brought good news. Qin Shifeng softly said “hello” again and asked anxiously, “Has something happened to Changsheng?”
Qin Changsheng’s voice was slightly hoarse as she gripped the phone tightly. “Brother, it’s me.”
Qin Shifeng seemed caught off guard and let out a soft “ah.” Then, with concern, he asked, “What’s wrong, Changsheng? Has something happened? Why are you calling me from this number?”
Qin Changsheng briefly summarized what had just happened and relayed it to Qin Shifeng. On the other end, Qin Shifeng sounded deeply worried and said thoughtfully, “Then you should come back first. Since you’re injured, don’t pursue this any further. I’ll explain things to the Yu family. As for your tasks, Jiang Zhongxue will take over for you.”
Qin Changsheng instinctively glanced at Jiang Zhongxue. Her stamina was remarkable, carrying her all this way in such an awkward position without panting or complaining. It was clear she had trained in martial arts.
However, upon hearing that Jiang Zhongxue would take over her responsibilities, Qin Changsheng couldn’t help but ask softly, “She’ll handle it alone? Brother, I’m the one with the Ghost Eyes. I know Jiang Zhongxue is capable, but wasn’t I supposed to be in charge of this? I’m not trying to back out, I just want to ask the Yu family for a little more time.”
On the other end, Qin Shifeng listened quietly, his voice growing softer as he replied gently, “Changsheng, the date for the Kunlun Mountains expedition has been set. You’re the one who’s most pressed for time. Since you’re injured, it’s best to step back from this matter.”
He paused briefly before adding, “I’ll help you handle the aftermath with the Yu family.”
Qin Changsheng fell silent for a long while, saying nothing. Qin Shifeng cared for her deeply, that much was true. But if he continued to shelter her like a flower in a greenhouse, when would she ever be able to take control of her own destiny?
She needed to seize every moment to prepare for the journey to the Kunlun Mountains. Resolving Yu Yin’s matter would also serve as proof of her abilities. After all, the eyes of the Qin family’s external relatives were all fixed intently on her.
If she couldn’t prove herself during the Jishan mission, how could she earn their respect? By relying solely on her legendary Ghost Eyes, which were said to see spirits?
Before Qin Changsheng could figure out how to respond, Jiang Zhongxue stopped walking and set her down.
“Can you walk now?”
Qin Changsheng gritted her teeth against the pain, staggering slightly as she steadied herself. The wound on her leg wasn’t deep, but it was long. At first, the bleeding had been frightening, but now the flesh had begun to knit together, and the wound felt numb, no longer bleeding.
She nodded, straightened her body with effort, and took the phone. Jiang Zhongxue seemed to briefly recall how to use it before promptly holding it to her ear.
Inside, Qin Shifeng was still earnestly trying to persuade her. Jiang Zhongxue calmly said, “She’s with me. She won’t die.”
The voice on the other end abruptly stopped. Without waiting for Qin Shifeng to respond, Jiang Zhongxue decisively pressed the screen-off button, put the phone away, and said to Qin Changsheng, “A broken arm is much easier to deal with than a broken leg. I’ve seen the wound on your leg, as long as you can walk, that’s enough. You can see ghosts, and I have martial skills. That’s all we need.”
Qin Changsheng felt moved, but Jiang Zhongxue’s expression remained indifferent, as if this were merely the most logical judgment she could make under the circumstances. Jiang Zhongxue then looked up at the pale, moonlit cliff in the distance and said, “Let’s head back to the village at the foot of the mountain first.”
Qin Changsheng was taken aback. “Shouldn’t we avoid them?”
There was only one corpse, but judging by the chaotic voices and the flickering flashlight beams chasing her earlier, there had to be at least three people.
Jiang Zhongxue tucked the phone into her pocket, stepped forward, and hoisted Qin Changsheng onto her back. “Why should we avoid them?”
“Since we’ve already torn off the pretense, we might as well confront them directly. If they knew to come after you here, it means the mastermind behind this has followed us. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have known your whereabouts.”
“As for that village at the foot of the mountain, I suspect some people were paid off to point them in our direction. Putting that aside, we need the village doctor to prepare some medicine for your injuries.” Jiang Zhongxue adjusted her grip on Qin Changsheng’s legs, hearing her hiss softly in pain, and lightened her touch slightly. “We’ll act as if nothing happened and return to the village. If those people still have the nerve to come after us, all the better. I want to find out exactly how their mastermind managed to track us down.”
The hawk that had been released earlier didn’t seem to be with these people. So, who was the one who hired these desperate individuals?
How long had she been here, and already someone was targeting her?
Jiang Zhongxue carried Qin Changsheng on her back as they made their way toward the village at the foot of the mountain.
Qin Changsheng closed her eyes, resting against Jiang Zhongxue’s back.
Jiang Zhongxue had a slender build, her lines elegant and powerful, like marble carvings.
Her shoulders were smooth and rounded, her back fair and delicate. From behind, her slender frame and flawless pale skin were visible, with the nape of her neck revealing a stretch of smooth, fair skin. Her spine protruded slightly beneath the skin, like a bony butterfly resting along her back.
If Jiang Zhongxue wished, a single word or glance from her could make countless people rush into danger for her. If she toned down even a little of her aloof, unapproachable aura, anyone would feel compelled to protect her.
Yet this peerless beauty, who was around the same age as Qin Changsheng, wore an expression as cold and unfeeling as an ice sculpture. In this ghostly, dense forest, she had killed without batting an eye and now carried Qin Changsheng in silence, step by step, back to the path she was meant to follow.
Who was she, really?
An assassin? A mercenary? A martial arts master? Or, like Qin Changsheng, was she someone burdened with a special ability, bearing a title like “Ghost Eye”?
The surroundings fell into silence, and Jiang Zhongxue said nothing. Qin Changsheng lay on her back, lost in thought for a long while before finally speaking, as if to pass the time: “Jiang Zhongxue, where are you from?”
Jiang Zhongxue’s footsteps faltered, but she did not answer.
Qin Changsheng, still lying on her back, began to ramble again: “You must have been really worried about me earlier, right? Actually, it’s not too bad. Our Qin family’s Ghost Eyes can communicate with spirits. Our bodies are quite resilient, but our souls are fragile. And ghosts always like to latch onto people like us. Earlier, when I was lying by the stream, I thought I wouldn’t make it, and my soul left my body. I watched helplessly as Yu Yin’s ghost tried to force its way into my body.”
Jiang Zhongxue softly hummed in acknowledgment: “I know.”
Qin Changsheng was taken aback and clicked her tongue in surprise. “You know? This is a secret of the Qin family’s Ghost Eyes.” But then it occurred to her that Qin Shifeng might have told her to show his sincerity.
After a pause, she continued, “When the soul leaves the body, it becomes especially fragile and confused. If there’s lingering resentment in the human world, the soul will turn into a vengeful ghost. If there’s nothing left to cling to, the soul will dissipate. Our Qin family deals with ghosts and often falls prey to their temptations. All ghosts in this world are the same, they just want to find replacements. Even though most of the time, the people killed by ghosts don’t have bodies for them to inhabit, the ghosts carry resentment. They have to keep killing or searching for vessels to possess until their resentment subsides.”
Jiang Zhongxue listened silently. Qin Changsheng went on, as if talking to herself, “Ah, actually, I didn’t believe in ghosts before. I grew up following the rules, going to school, coming home, attending high school, and then getting into university. My teachers told us that ghosts were nothing but nonsense. But who would have thought I’d end up becoming a full-fledged Ghost Eye, doing work that’s inseparable from ghosts?”
Jiang Zhongxue rarely hummed again to show she was listening. Qin Changsheng then asked curiously, “Can you see ghosts, Jiang Zhongxue?”
Jiang Zhongxue shook her head and finally spoke, asking, “If there’s resentment, one becomes a ghost. If there’s no attachment, one turns to nothingness. Is that right?”
Qin Changsheng nodded emphatically. “Yes, as long as the resentment dissipates, the ghost will vanish too.”
Jiang Zhongxue said calmly, “Is there any scenario where a soul could reincarnate?”
Qin Changsheng was stunned by her question and replied decisively, “Reincarnation is impossible. Ghosts are just a form of energy, produced only when someone dies with intense resentment or attachment. This energy can only attach itself to people; it cannot reincarnate. Our Qin family does not believe in the idea of soul reincarnation.”
Jiang Zhongxue hummed in acknowledgment.
If ghosts are merely the condensation of a person’s love and hatred in life…
Three thousand years ago, with what kind of hatred or love did her beloved wife pass away?
Three thousand years ago, clad in battle attire, she knelt on the bare sandstone, facing the legendary envoy sent by the immortal. Her eyes, washed clear like spring water, brimmed with tenderness as she spoke softly, “You are a divine presence in this world, the leader of all immortals and spirits. But I, Jiang, am merely a mortal. I am already married, and my heart belongs to my wife. I once made a vow to her, to be with her and only her for this lifetime. I am unworthy of such favor, but please convey my words to the Immortal Mother.”
She had never sought immortality, nor had she ever contemplated separation.
Yet fate toyed with her, forcing her time and again to witness the tragic deaths of those she loved.
Just moments ago, she had believed Qin Changsheng was dead.
No matter how many cycles of reincarnation she endured, no matter how many times she saw her again, be it her radiant smile, her tears falling like rain, her innocent brightness, or her somber calm, she had encountered countless versions of her and witnessed countless heart-wrenching scenes of parting and loss.
Yet, redemption remained forever out of reach.
If it weren’t out of hatred for her, if it weren’t out of love for her, why would she reincarnate again and again?
Jiang Zhongxue lifted her head and said, “Come down.”
Ahead, flashlight beams flickered chaotically, and the clamor of voices filled the air, with some even carrying torches.
They had reached the edge of the village. Qin Changsheng climbed down from Jiang Zhongxue’s back, and Jiang Zhongxue gave her a look, signaling her to follow closely behind. The two of them walked out of the forest as if nothing were amiss.