Shen Xin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she couldn’t help but lower her head to look. His large hand completely enveloped her small one.
Unexpectedly, his palm was quite warm.
Though he claimed not to care about her, he still held her hand tightly when he saw she was afraid.
Yet both of them knew that the evil spirits here couldn’t emerge now—how could she possibly be snatched away by them?
Shen Xin subconsciously curved her lips into a smile but quickly suppressed it, unconsciously leaning closer to him until she was almost pressed against him. Only then did she ask, “Husband, who do you think broke the seal?”
In the Six Realms, there couldn’t be many capable of breaking a High God’s seal, right?
Besides her and Qin Weiji, who else could it be?
As she spoke, she curiously asked him, “But earlier in the divine hall, didn’t you say the God of the Underworld had perished? Why are you now saying he entered reincarnation?”
Yan Jun was startled upon hearing this and looked over.
Qin Weiji’s expression remained indifferent. “His demise was a lie; his reincarnation is the truth.”
Yan Jun instantly breathed a sigh of relief, while Shen Xin frowned. So, he had deliberately said that in the divine hall for the ears of those High Gods?
Lost in thought, she murmured, “Then why did he enter reincarnation?”
Qin Weiji frowned slightly in contemplation. “Most likely for a flower.”
Shen Xin, “…Huh?”
Her face was full of confusion, but Qin Weiji clearly had no intention of elaborating further. Shen Xin had no choice but to ask another question, “Then what about before, when you said the God of the Underworld’s demise was related to Qiyuan—was that also false?”
Qin Weiji replied calmly, “Of course it was true.”
Shen Xin grew even more bewildered. “What exactly is going on?”
Qin Weiji glanced back at the God of the Underworld Core Essence, his tone cool and detached. “No matter how powerful one is, if their weakness is seized, they become vulnerable and easily defeated.”
His words weren’t entirely clear, but Shen Xin understood.
He meant that Qiyuan had seized the God of the Underworld’s weakness, forcing him into reincarnation?
Combined with his earlier statement, the God of the Underworld’s weakness must be a flower?
As she pondered this, Qin Weiji suddenly added coldly, “That’s why I will never allow myself to have a weakness.”
Shen Xin, “…Oh.”
Though she didn’t know why he suddenly said this, based on her experience with novels and TV shows, those who made such declarations usually ended up being proven wrong.
But she couldn’t be bothered to remind him—she’d just wait to see him make a fool of himself.
She only asked, “But Qiyuan is already dead. So, husband, who do you think broke the seal?”
He had deliberately claimed the God of the Underworld perished in the divine hall—did he suspect the three High Gods?
Qin Weiji scoffed lightly. “Whoever broke the seal at this time must be someone who knew he entered reincarnation.”
As he spoke, his fingers almost unconsciously gently stroked Shen Xin’s palm.
The caress made her palm grow warm, and she very much wanted to pull her hand back, yet she felt a strange reluctance.
She bit her lip lightly and ultimately let him keep holding her hand. “Besides you, who else would know?”
But back in the divine hall, the shock and sorrow on the faces of the three High Gods upon hearing of the God of the Underworld’s demise hadn’t seemed feigned.
Qin Weiji didn’t answer directly. Instead, he scanned their surroundings and, seeing that all was calm now, took her hand and turned to leave. “To the Netherworld City.”
“Huh?”
Shen Xin nearly stumbled as he pulled her along. Steadying herself, she quickened her pace to keep up with him and asked in confusion, “Is the one who broke the seal in the Netherworld City? Isn’t that where lonely spirits and wandering ghosts reside?”
Yan Jun hurriedly followed, “The Netherworld City is divided into five districts, each guarded by one of the Four Directional Ghost Kings. The main city is defended by the God of the Underworld. Which district does the Divine Lord wish to visit?”
Qin Weiji resumed his usual languid tone, “There is a Netherworld Pearl in the main Netherworld City.”
Yan Jun nodded eagerly, “The Netherworld Pearl is the treasure of the Netherworld City, kept in the Netherworld Palace within the main city. All wandering spirits rely on absorbing spiritual energy from the Netherworld Pearl for cultivation. Those with sufficient karma and ability may even cultivate into ghost immortals, and the most exceptional may achieve enlightenment and ascend to immortality.”
Yan Jun’s explanation suddenly made Shen Xin uneasy. She felt Qin Weiji…
As she pondered, Qin Weiji nodded, “Indeed, this lord will go to the Netherworld Palace in the main city.”
Yan Jun panicked, “Could it be that the one who broke the seal is hiding in the Netherworld Palace?”
Qin Weiji’s tone was ethereal, “To retrieve the Netherworld Pearl.”
Yan Jun, “?”
Perhaps… had he misheard something?
Shen Xin couldn’t bear to look at Yan Jun’s expression and turned away, silently shaking her head.
Qin Weiji must have had a purpose for seeking the Mermaid Pearl, but since he had given it to her, how could he possibly let the Netherworld Pearl slip away?
Yan Jun truly hadn’t expected that Qin Weiji, a dignified Divine Lord of the divine realm, would resort to banditry.
It didn’t seem like a joke—he genuinely intended to take the Netherworld Pearl from his Netherworld City.
“Divine Lord, this cannot be! The Netherworld Pearl nourishes thousands of ghosts in the Netherworld City, and indeed the entire Netherworld. If you take it away, all the ghosts in the Netherworld…”
Yan Jun was nearly frantic with worry, but Qin Weiji only responded lightly, “Do you wish to prevent this lord from obtaining what he desires?”
Yan Jun’s face paled slightly, and he could only turn to Shen Xin with a pleading look, “Divine Maiden Master…”
However, before he could finish, Shen Xin had already chimed in with a light hum, as if aiding a tyrant, “My husband is right. Who would dare stop my husband from getting what he wants?”
Just like this—a great villain should do as he pleases, so he can fall into darkness even faster.
Qin Weiji gave her a meaningful glance, while Yan Jun’s mind went blank for a moment.
You are the God of the Underworld! How can you side with outsiders!
But before Yan Jun could speak again, the two before him had already stepped into the void and vanished.
Anxious and frantic, he dared not delay and immediately pursued them.
The Netherworld City housed thousands of wandering spirits. Shen Xin had imagined it as a desolate wilderness with ghosts drifting aimlessly.
But when Qin Weiji brought her through the void into the Netherworld City, she discovered it was no different from a human city—perhaps even more beautifully constructed.
The city walls were tall, the streets broad, and the buildings on either side had an antique charm, complete with small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and towers.
The only difference was that this place knew only eternal night, with all structures rendered in stark black and white. The lanterns hanging along the streets were a ghastly pale white.
The pedestrians and vendors coming and going in the city all had faces as pale as ghosts… no, they were all pale-faced ghosts.
But aside from their pallor, there was little else to distinguish them—they didn’t even float.
Shen Xin observed carefully and confirmed they were all walking on their feet.
Fascinated, she remarked, “These floaters are quite grounded.”
Qin Weiji glanced at her sideways, “Grounded?”
Shen Xin, “They aren’t floating.”
Qin Weiji asked curiously, “Why should they float?”
Shen Xin tilted her head, “Why aren’t the floaters floating?”
Qin Weiji grew even more curious, “Then why are they called floaters?”
Shen Xin looked at him as if he were a fool, “Because floaters always float.”
Qin Weiji, “…”
As the two were speaking, the drifting spirits coming and going in the city had clearly noticed them.
Shen Xin’s striking red dress was particularly eye-catching here.
Even though they had suppressed their auras, they were still easily spotted at a glance.
Of course, it was also immediately apparent that the two of them were not ghosts.
The spirits couldn’t help but whisper and point at the pair. Suddenly, two dark figures appeared before Shen Xin and Qin Weiji, demanding sharply, “Who dares trespass into the Netherworld City? Leave at once!”
Because Qin Weiji and Shen Xin had moved too quickly, Yan Jun had not yet caught up, and the guards of the Netherworld City did not recognize Shen Xin as the new God of the Underworld, so they naturally tried to stop them from entering.
Qin Weiji had little patience and was about to take action when Shen Xin tightened her grip on him.
She smiled at the guards. “We come from the Snowy Forest Demon Realm to pay our respects to the God of the Underworld.”
Qin Weiji’s eyes flickered as he glanced at Shen Xin. Her smile was utterly sincere, with no hint of deception.
Since both had suppressed their auras, the guards, with their limited power, could not sense any divine energy, so the ruse remained undetected.
The guards merely frowned. “The Demon Clan?”
After exchanging a look, they added, “The God of the Underworld is not in the city. You should return for now.”
“We know the God of the Underworld is not in the city, but we are here by his invitation. He will return shortly.”
Then, as if remembering something, Shen Xin added, “Oh, and we’re here for the flowers the God of the Underworld is cultivating.”
Qin Weiji’s expression shifted slightly, and the two guards also changed their expressions. They glanced at each other, uncertain whether to believe her, and finally said to Shen Xin, “Follow this road straight ahead to the end, and you’ll reach the God of the Underworld Palace. Please proceed.”
“Thank you.”
Shen Xin smiled sweetly, nodded to the guards, and then pulled Qin Weiji toward the God of the Underworld Palace.
The two guards watched them for a moment, then one said, “Quickly, report to the Four Directional Ghost Kings—members of the Demon Clan have arrived.”
With that, their figures vanished.
Qin Weiji and Shen Xin, however, were in no hurry. They strolled leisurely through the city, ignoring the probing gazes of the drifting spirits.
Though the spirits did not know their identities, they could keenly sense the pair’s formidable strength and naturally dared not approach.
Shen Xin looked around and noticed that the goods sold by street vendors were quite similar to those in the human world.
Fascinated, she observed everything with curiosity, while Qin Weiji only watched her, asking slowly, “Why did you say we came from the Snowy Forest Demon Realm?”
“Don’t you get it? It’s called diverting trouble onto others.”
Shen Xin glanced at him before turning her attention back. “By claiming we’re from the Demon Clan, if you take their Netherworld Pearl later, they’ll go after the Demon Clan. No one will suspect us.”
She blinked at him, a proud smile on her face. “Aren’t I clever?”
The Demon Clan had probably already learned what she had done to Gu Luoyuan and might come for her. So, she decided to give them something else to worry about first.
Qin Weiji gazed at her lovely, lotus-like face, his expression half-smiling. “It seems you are quite eager for me to take that Netherworld Pearl.”
Shen Xin’s heart skipped a beat, afraid Qin Weiji might detect her desire for him to turn dark. She merely furrowed her delicate brows, looking troubled. “Doesn’t my husband want it? If it’s something my husband desires, I will stop at nothing to help him obtain it.”
She bit her lip lightly, adding with a hint of self-reproach, “Besides, if you hadn’t given the Mermaid Pearl to me, you wouldn’t need to come for this Netherworld Pearl, right?”
Qin Weiji gazed at her for a moment, then inexplicably curved his lips, “If you truly wish to help me, then behave yourself.”
Shen Xin puffed her cheeks, muttered an “Oh,” then retorted discontentedly, “I’ve always been well-behaved.”
Qin Weiji chuckled lightly, “Is that so?”
Shen Xin pouted slightly and tilted her head to look at him with pleading eyes, “Does my husband think I’m not well-behaved?”
Qin Weiji watched her slightly pouted lips, cherry-red and enticing, feeling an inexplicable itch in his throat.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he averted his gaze, taking her hand and gently squeezing her little finger before asking slowly, “How did you know about that flower?”
Shen Xin replied, “Didn’t you say it yourself? The God of the Underworld’s weakness is a flower.”
Qin Weiji’s eyes flickered slightly, and she continued, “I thought to myself, it couldn’t possibly be an ordinary flower. Any flower near the God of the Underworld would either be a Flower Demon or a flower immortal. But I don’t recall any such flower among the Immortal Clan, so it must be a Flower Demon.”
“That’s why I said I was from the Demon Clan and came for the flower. Most of the guards would believe me, right? Aren’t I clever?”
As she spoke, she glanced at him as if seeking praise. Qin Weiji’s lips curved into a faint smile, “Indeed, very clever.”
Before she could feel proud, he added, “But you’re wrong.”
Shen Xin, “?”
Qin Weiji narrowed his eyes slightly, “That flower is neither a flower immortal nor a Flower Demon. It really is just an ordinary flower. I happened to pick up that flower seed and casually tossed it to him when I saw he was bored.”
Shen Xin, “…”
She was genuinely puzzled, “How could someone make an ordinary flower their weakness?”
Even though spirits everywhere were watching them warily, the two continued strolling leisurely as if they were just taking a walk through the Netherworld City.
Of course, they communicated through Divine Sense, so no one could overhear them.
Shen Xin listened as Qin Weiji said languidly, “Perhaps… he really was just too bored.”
As a High God, others might think he could command wind and rain at will, but no one knew how long and lonely their lives truly were.
The God of the Underworld had guarded the Netherworld for over ten thousand years, day after day. Time had long become like stagnant water to him, without a single ripple.
That flower was the only vibrant thing and source of anticipation in his ten-thousand-year stagnant existence.
He nurtured that flower carefully, finally waiting for it to bloom, only for it to wither in a single day.
Unable to accept such an ending, he watered it with his own blood and sent it into reincarnation…
It was rare for Shen Xin to hear Qin Weiji speak so much. While his expression remained calm and his tone as flat as ever, she could distinctly detect a note of sarcasm in his words.
Was he mocking the God of the Underworld, or something else?
Still, Shen Xin found herself drawn into the story. Seeing him pause, she couldn’t help but ask, “And then?”
“And then?”
Qin Weiji lazily curled his lips, “And then, naturally, he got thoroughly drenched in dog blood.”
Shen Xin was speechless, “What do you mean?”
Qin Weiji didn’t elaborate further, only gazing at the Netherworld Palace appearing in the distance before scoffing lightly, “For a flower, he endured Heavenly Punishment, entered reincarnation, abandoned the Netherworld, and even abandoned me. Since that’s the case, I no longer need to spare his dignity. I’ll take his Netherworld Pearl and make him come crying to beg me later.”
Shen Xin, “?”
His words sounded somewhat strange, almost as if the God of the Underworld had abandoned him, carrying a tone of resentment.
But in the original host’s memories, Qin Weiji and the God of the Underworld…
Well, the original host never cared about Qin Weiji, so she didn’t know whether they had a good relationship or not.
By the time Qin Weiji finished speaking, the two had already arrived before the Netherworld Palace.
The area in front of the palace was vast and empty, with no vendors or pedestrians in sight. Ordinary spirits wouldn’t dare approach this place.
The great hall was entirely black as well, with three levels from top to bottom, and a Black Dragon coiled around the palace roof.
Shen Xin was looking up at the Black Dragon on the roof when she heard Qin Weiji whisper close to her ear, “Shen Yaoyao.”
She hummed in response, lowering her gaze to look at him, only to see him raise her hand to his lips.
His warm breath instantly brushed against her fingertips. Shen Xin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and in the next moment, he parted his lips and gently bit her slender, pale, and soft index finger.
A tingling sensation instantly spread throughout her body. Shen Xin shivered slightly and tried to withdraw her hand, but he held it even tighter.
His tongue lightly pressed against her fingertip, sucking and gently licking it, creating an especially intimate and lingering atmosphere. It wasn’t until Shen Xin’s cheeks flushed crimson that he slowly released her.
He lifted his eyelids and stared at her, his gaze intense, with a hint of gloom in his expression. “I’ve never been lenient toward those who abandon me. So, if you ever leave me one day, I will never let you go. No matter where you are, I will find you, and then…”
This side of Qin Weiji was actually quite unfamiliar to her. Shen Xin’s heart tightened abruptly, and she saw him curl his lips slightly before biting her fingertip again as punishment, this time with more force than before.
Before Shen Xin could fully process the slight pain and numbness, she heard his deep, hoarse voice, sounding like a threat yet also like flirtation, “I’ll tie you up and make you serve me day and night, just like this~”