“The Ghost Princess has come with her daughter to pay homage to the Dragon Mother Goddess. Please, generals, announce us!” Clad in a long, pale green dress that hugged her voluptuous, mature figure, the Ghost Princess, slightly shorter than her daughter, stopped before the gates of the Crystal Palace.
Compared to her daughter’s simple and natural elegance, the Ghost Princess was clearly more cautious. She bowed deeply, then carefully lifted her head so the guards could see her face clearly.
Her black hair was adorned in a high, cloud-like bun, accentuating her sensuous, rosy, and beautiful face. Unfortunately, an unshakable hatred had cast a ghostly pall over her features.
The shrimp soldiers and crab generals finally believed what Xiaoyou had said. They sighed inwardly with pity and opened the Dragon Palace gates. “Go in. The Goddess has been expecting you for some time!”
When Qiao San half-carried a reluctant Qing Niang back home, dawn had already broken. Qing Niang, her expression complex, dared not meet the burning gaze of her young brother-in-law and hastily made an excuse before slowly retreating into her bedroom.
Only after his sister-in-law had shut the door did Qiao San finally tear his longing gaze away. He knew that this was not the moment to push too hard. From his understanding of her, he was confident he could eventually win both her heart and body.
The scorching magma had already branded itself into her body like a mark. Last night’s intimacy was like a seed of passion, nurtured carefully by time—how could it not take root, sprout, bloom, and bear fruit?
Having not slept the entire night, he inevitably felt some fatigue. Qiao San returned to his room and fell into a blissful slumber. It wasn’t until the next day, when the sun had already begun to set, that he lazily stepped out of his room.
“Brother, Sister-in-law!” Qiao San’s expression was calm before his elder brother, just as he had promised Qing Niang. He would not fight his brother for his sister-in-law, allowing Qing Niang’s anxious heart to finally settle, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
“Third Brother, I’ve heard about last night’s events!” What Qiao Da had heard from Qing Niang was naturally a heavily edited version. The stubborn scholar spoke sternly to his younger brother: “Though becoming a ruffian was out of necessity, why must you flatter the powerful? That is not the spirit of the Qiao family!”
“Hehe… Brother, you mean Old Man Wang?” Qiao San didn’t blush at all. He chuckled casually. As Qiao Da was about to get angry, Qiao San suddenly shifted tone, his expression turning serious as he explained: “Brother, I’ve been a ruffian for over two years now. You know I’ve been investigating the real culprit who injured you and ruined our family!”
“Third Brother, what does this have to do with the Wang family?” Concerned for herself, Qing Niang momentarily forgot her inner turmoil and quickly asked.
“Mm!” Facing his sister-in-law, Qiao San was equally agitated. Qing Niang’s loyalty had exceeded his expectations. In just half a day, he clearly felt her wariness toward him had increased again.
Qiao San suppressed his chaotic thoughts, paused briefly, then continued solemnly, “I’ve investigated every faction in Liumang Town, but found no clues at all—except for the Wang and Li families, whom I couldn’t investigate thoroughly. So…”
“I understand!” Though Qiao Da was stubborn, he wasn’t foolish. He fully grasped Qiao San’s meaning and sighed, “Alas… I wish I could help! If so, then you must be extremely careful! I’m returning to my study now.”
As always, Qiao Da buried himself in his study whenever he had time, partly to study diligently, but also to escape the pain of facing his wife. How could a “cripple” expect others to understand his feelings?
“Qing Niang!” No sooner had his elder brother left than Qiao San excitedly embraced his sister-in-law gently, whispering tenderly into her ear—his voice filled with genuine care, yet also burning with desire.
“Th… Third Brother, no!” Qing Niang, however, struggled frantically, her full, delicate body breaking free from her young brother-in-law’s arms. The graceful and beautiful woman murmured softly, “Don’t… don’t force me, or…”
There it was again! And yet, it actually worked!
Qiao San couldn’t help but inwardly smile bitterly. His sister-in-law’s fierce resistance was both unexpected and understandable. Last time, he had only succeeded due to the perfect timing and circumstances.
If this beauty were that easily swayed, she wouldn’t be Qing Niang!
“Sister-in-law, please take care at home and don’t overwork yourself! I’ll be back soon!” Ignoring Qing Niang’s protests, Qiao San spoke gently, like a loving husband, soothing her troubled heart with tenderness and care.
For Qing Niang, respect and affection moved her far more deeply than any fleeting passion.
※※※※※※※※※
Under the hazy moonlight in the outskirts, an empty space suddenly rippled like water. After a silent tremor, two semi-transparent figures crossed the boundary between the living and the dead, appearing out of nowhere within the night’s mist.
“Mother, must we truly harm others? I cannot bring myself to do it!” Xiaoyou, a ghost girl exuding an ethereal aura, gazed up at the dim moon, her phoenix eyes filled with reluctance and hesitation.
“My dear Xiaoyou, we died unjustly in a foreign land and were even thrown into the Ghost Forest by evildoers, becoming wandering souls for ten years!”
Her words of hatred injected a chilling coldness into the ethereal space. The Ghost Princess turned in mid-air, her voice tinged with joy as she continued, “This is a rare opportunity. If we help the Dragon Mother complete this task, we can be reborn as humans again! Xiaoyou, you absolutely must not be merciful!”
The Ghost Princess sighed helplessly, then her tone turned bitter: “Foolish girl, we are targeting a lustful, wicked scoundrel! Moreover, many evil spirits in Ghost Forest have ill intentions toward us. If we don’t leave soon, we will surely become playthings for demons!”
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