Chapter 24: Lucky

“Don’t… don’t come any closer!”

Qin Qingyue stared intently at the teetering Jiang Huai, forcing herself upright as her dragon tail lashed out, sweeping away the Resentful Spirits that surrounded her.

Why was Jiang Huai in the river? Who was that Jiang Huai from just now? Why were there so many Resentful Spirits?

Her inner demons had been magnified a hundredfold, but her cultivation remained—she was still a Da Cheng stage powerhouse.

After being awakened by Jiang Huai, she pulled herself together immediately, realizing the Jiang Huai who had just spoken harshly was likely an illusion.

“Jiang Huai, Jiang Huai!” With a dragon’s roar, Qin Qingyue rushed frantically toward the riverbank.

She sensed something was wrong. Jiang Huai continued to step forward, as if following some primal instinct.

The churning black waters of Misfortune seemed to be drawn by a powerful force, no longer merely corroding him, but surging and converging upon the spot where he was sinking, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

The black marks on his body suddenly glowed with a deep, mysterious light, like swirling vortices, absorbing Misfortune.

The owner of the female voice had no intention of playing games anymore. Since Qin Qingyue cared so much for this man, why not let him die right in front of her?

Pain, screams, a soul intact in appearance yet riddled with scars—such a Da Cheng soul was a delicacy among delicacies.

Far tastier than those souls who resigned themselves to death.

“I don’t believe it. Do you really think a mere mortal’s Destiny can withstand the innate Misfortune of this Black Dragon?”

“Can you truly bear such Misfortune?”

The dormant Source of Misfortune within Qin Qingyue erupted in unprecedented, violent resonance. A beam of inky light, honed to the extreme and drawn from the deepest depths of her bloodline, burst uncontrollably from her body, tearing through space and piercing fiercely into Jiang Huai where he was sinking.

The moment the black light tore free, she felt as if a piece of her soul had been forcibly gouged out, replaced by a bizarre sense of ‘lightness’ she had never known, followed instantly by a heart-rending emptiness and terror.

What was that? Her own innate Misfortune?

“Jiang Huai!” Qin Qingyue lost all composure, scrambling and stumbling to the riverbank.

The entire River of Misfortune shook violently, the viscous black water boiling and exploding as if a massive stone had been thrown into a vat of oil.

Though Jiang Huai’s Destiny was formidable, strong enough to withstand Qin Qingyue’s Misfortune, his body was too frail, and he fainted.

A Misfortune far greater than anything before instantly crushed his remaining consciousness, as if the ‘evil’ and ‘misfortune’ of the entire universe were condensed here, forced into his tiny vessel.

A pillar of light, indescribably woven from deep darkness and lustrous jade, shot skyward from the riverbed.

“It hurts…” Jiang Huai murmured to himself.

Within the Light Pillar, she was gently lifted up.

“Jiang Huai, Jiang Huai.”

Qin Qingyue heard Jiang Huai’s muttering, a sharp pain stabbing her heart as tears streamed down her face. She immediately transformed into her Black Dragon form, spiraling upward.

The owner of the mysterious female voice was stunned, falling silent for a long, long time.

What sort of Destiny is this? So unyielding? He can actually contend with the Misfortune of this world?

A soul like this would probably chip your teeth if you tried to bite it.

Jiang Huai floated at the center of the Light Pillar, eyes closed, face pale as paper, clothes in tatters, his exposed skin covered in mysterious and eerie black jade markings.

He radiated a strange aura—half was the chilling decay and ill-omen of Misfortune, half was tenacious, vibrant life force.

Two utterly opposed powers had somehow achieved a subtle, fragile balance within him.

The Jade Liquid Qi Refining that had circulated within his body seemed to recognize its master, obediently retreating and gradually merging into this balanced aura, becoming nourishment.

The eruption of the Light Pillar instantly wiped out all the Resentful Spirit illusions around Qin Qingyue, and the poisonous whispers of curses came to an abrupt halt.

Qin Qingyue stared blankly at Jiang Huai floating within the Light Pillar, at the Misfortune markings on his body that shared her origin but were no longer violent, feeling that strange, bloodline-deep resonance.

An absurd yet soul-shaking thought surfaced in her mind.

Her Misfortune hadn’t devoured him—instead, it had merged with him?

He had accepted her completely, even this source of curse.

Complex emotions welled up in Qin Qingyue’s heart. She worried that Jiang Huai, burdened with Misfortune, might meet some disaster. Would he become like her in the future?

This Misfortune didn’t belong to him.

Qin Qingyue resumed her human form, lunged forward, and hugged Jiang Huai’s icy body tightly with all her strength.

“Jiang Huai, Jiang Huai, wake up.”

“Do you feel any discomfort?”

Large dragon tears rolled down, splashing onto Jiang Huai’s face and neck.

“Qin Qingyue, do you still want the Celestial Immortal Form?” The eerie female voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

“Who?!” Qin Qingyue’s heart leapt in alarm, clutching Jiang Huai even tighter.

There was actually someone else in this secret realm? Why hadn’t she sensed anyone at all?

“Who I am is not important.”

“I’ll only ask: do you want the Celestial Immortal Form?” the female voice pressed.

Qin Qingyue’s inner demons had vanished, her mind clear and alert. She asked warily, “What do you mean?”

Of course she wanted the Celestial Immortal Form—otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought Jiang Huai here.

“You must have noticed your Misfortune is gone, right?”

“All of it has been absorbed by that stubborn little gentleman in your arms,” the female voice said with a hint of resignation.

She had only wanted to use Qin Qingyue’s Misfortune to kill Jiang Huai, to see Qin Qingyue fall into her demons and die in despair.

Who could have guessed that Jiang Huai would forcibly withstand this wave of Misfortune and even fuse with it in such a miraculous way?

“So? Can it be separated?” Qin Qingyue asked, still keeping watch on her surroundings.

Now, she no longer obsessed over Misfortune as much as before.

Jiang Huai was willing to save her, but he shouldn’t have to bear this Misfortune.

If possible, she would rather continue to shoulder her own Misfortune, as long as Jiang Huai could always stay by her side.

“It can’t be separated anymore, but you can kill him,” the female voice tempted.

“As long as you kill him and end your Misfortune, you’ll obtain the Celestial Immortal Form.”

“From then on, you’ll ascend as a Heavenly Immortal, roam the Immortal Realm, and never be entangled by Misfortune again.”

“Handsome men like him are everywhere in the Immortal Realm—no one will ever look down on you.”

“As long as you, end your own Misfortune with your own hands.”

Her voice was full of temptation, striking straight at the desires buried deep in Qin Qingyue’s heart—for power and for companionship.

If she killed Jiang Huai, she’d be rid of Misfortune and could interact with others like a normal person.

If she killed Jiang Huai, she’d gain the Celestial Immortal Form, and even if she met Wu Zhaohua, she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Once in the Immortal Realm, she could have everything she had ever wanted.

“Imagine it: Immortal Radiance bathing your body, the laws of the universe at your fingertips, all immortals showing you respect.”

“All the loneliness, rejection, and fear that have plagued you for centuries… will vanish like smoke.”

“The Qiong Lou Yu Yu of the Immortal Realm, exotic treasures, and… countless men even more dazzling than him, yours to choose from,” the female voice continued to tempt.

By all rights, with just a wave of her hand, Qin Qingyue could have everything she desired—there was no doubt about it.

The female voice was supremely confident. She had seen too many “delicious” tales of wives and husbands turning on each other, and this would be no different.

But Qin Qingyue was unmoved, coldly surveying her surroundings.

“Qingjun would never kill him. I’d rather give up the Celestial Immortal Form than kill him.”

“Don’t try to sow discord here with your empty threats!”

“I don’t want the Celestial Immortal Form anymore. I just want to take him and leave,” Qin Qingyue replied icily.

In this world, there was only one Jiang Huai—no one else could replace him.

No one else would ever brave the River of Misfortune to save her—never again.

The Celestial Immortal Form could wait; if she couldn’t obtain it, she would become an Earth Immortal and ascend to the Immortal Realm with Jiang Huai.

In short, she would never do something as ridiculous as killing Jiang Huai, nor would she allow anyone else to harm him.

“You’d actually give up the Celestial Immortal Form for a mere mortal? Ridiculous.”

The owner of the female voice sounded a bit regretful, but she was constrained and couldn’t act in person.

Otherwise, she would have killed Jiang Huai right in front of Qin Qingyue and enjoyed the most delicious soul, instead of having to tempt her like this.

“It’s a pity, though—you may feel this way, but he may not be as loyal as you.”

“Let’s see what he chooses.”

A flash of black light passed by, and Jiang Huai slowly awoke, only to find Qin Qingyue gone, as if she had suddenly vanished.

“You’re awake, lucky one.”