Undo the Soul-Sealing Array?
Liang Mu immediately said, “Impossible.”
Shen Zhi said, “You are a vengeful ghost. Once the Soul-Sealing Array is undone, if you go on a killing spree, we’ll have to share that karma.”
Before Lu Heng could speak, Song Xiaozhou quickly interjected, “Jinzhi won’t kill people indiscriminately.”
Shen Zhi said, “That’s not up to you. Vengeful ghosts feed on the living. If he gets too hungry, even if he doesn’t kill you, there’s no guarantee he won’t eat someone else.”
Lu Heng remained silent, rubbing the mark on his wrist. After a moment, he said, “What if I could make it happen?”
Shen Zhi stared at him for a while and said, “The fact that you don’t kill Song Xiaozhou doesn’t mean you’ll have compassion for others. Lu Heng, can you guarantee that when you’re completely unconscious, you won’t kill?”
Lu Heng pursed his lips, and the fingers hidden in his sleeve clenched into fists. Song Xiaozhou quietly reached out and held Lu Heng’s hand, stroking his knuckles one by one. Lu Heng exhaled and turned his head to look at Song Xiaozhou, who was gazing at him with concern.
Suddenly, Song Xiaozhou turned to Shen Zhi and said, “What if someone could nourish a ghost with their own flesh and blood?”
Lu Heng was stunned, staring intently at Song Xiaozhou.
“I’m a living person. My flesh and blood can sustain a vengeful ghost, so Jinzhi won’t harm others.” The still-youthful look on Song Xiaozhou’s face was replaced by a sense of desperate determination. He lowered his eyelashes and said, “If Jinzhi loses control before I die, I will… kill him with my own hands.”
Liang Mu indifferently said, “What makes you, a normal person, capable of killing him?”
Song Xiaozhou said, “Did he ever hurt me after he lost control? I will always be with him. Once Jinzhi loses consciousness, I will be the first one to be in danger. As for how to kill him,” he looked at Shen Zhi, “that’s up to you guys.”
Even Liang Mu was taken aback. Shen Zhi looked at Song Xiaozhou in shock for a long moment and said, “When the time comes, will you be able to do it?”
Song Xiaozhou didn’t dare to look at Lu Heng, and his tone became a bit more fierce. “I will.”
“The Jinzhi who has lost consciousness is not Jinzhi, and he is not my Jinzhi.”
After a moment, Lu Heng smiled and said, “Alright.”
Song Xiaozhou’s eyelashes trembled. He turned to look at Lu Heng, who gave him a gentle smile. For some reason, Song Xiaozhou suddenly felt a little teary and turned his face away.
Shen Zhi looked at the two of them blankly with a mixture of envy and melancholy. He sighed softly and said, “The Soul-Sealing Array can only be undone with the blood of a close relative. There’s no way we can bring Lu Xuan to you.”
Centuries ago, there was a pair of twin brothers, both heirs to a prestigious Taoist sect. They were exceptionally brilliant, and their fame was unmatched. Later, the brothers turned against each other, taking up arms. One of them embraced a dark path, killed his brother, and used his own blood to create the Soul-Sealing Array, trapping him in a coffin. His soul was to be forever imprisoned in that tiny space, never to be reborn.
The Soul-Sealing Array could only be undone with the blood of a blood relative.
The only blood relative Lu Heng had left in this world was Lu Xuan.
A flash of inspiration struck Song Xiaozhou, and he remembered the spell Lu Heng had set. Sure enough, Lu Heng sat up straight and said calmly, “Lu Xuan will come.”
Shen Zhi looked at Lu Heng’s confident demeanor and frowned. “You had this planned all along?”
Lu Heng did not respond.
Liang Mu suddenly said, “You’re so desperate to undo the Soul-Sealing Array because you’re afraid you won’t survive until tomorrow and will be trapped in the array forever, aren’t you?”
Lu Heng was critically injured and was no longer able to fight the Soul-Sealing Array. Once the array was activated, Lu Heng would have no power to resist.
Lu Heng suddenly smiled and said, “Why state the obvious? We all want something out of this.”
The sun was getting higher, and Lu Heng was sensitive to sunlight. Song Xiaozhou stayed with Lu Heng, hiding in the shade.
He leaned close to Lu Heng’s ear and whispered, “Jinzhi, are you hungry?”
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve, exposing the young man’s arm.
“If you’re hungry, you can take a bite.”
Lu Heng was startled. He looked at Song Xiaozhou, whose eyes were clear and bright, watching him without blinking. Lu Heng gripped his wrist. The young man’s arm was firm and smooth, his flesh tight and resilient, exuding a vibrant, youthful vitality.
Lu Heng brought his arm to his mouth. Before he could bite down, Song Xiaozhou had already closed his eyes and turned his head. The moment the teeth touched his skin, his mind went blank, and he hissed, as if in extreme pain.
Immediately, he heard Lu Heng’s laughter.
Song Xiaozhou’s eyes snapped open. He saw Lu Heng leaning against the tree with his brows relaxed, his smile was a little mischievous.
“You tricked me!”
“It was my first time,” Song Xiaozhou said, a little embarrassed, and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not scared, Jinzhi, really. The more you do it, the more I’ll get used to it.”
Lu Heng raised a hand and touched his warm cheek, saying, “I can’t bear to.”
Song Xiaozhou’s heart felt warm. He glanced back at the two masters who were meditating and healing their injuries in the distance. He leaned in and pecked Lu Heng on the lips. Lu Heng held his head, not deepening the kiss, but pressing his lips together and kissing him.
Lu Heng said, “This is enough.”
“But I don’t like you suppressing yourself like that.” Song Xiaozhou said, looking at Lu Heng.
Lu Heng just smiled and pulled the young man into his arms, their heads close together. “I’m not really suppressing myself. Can you handle it, hmm?”
Song Xiaozhou froze, then realized what he meant. His ears turned crimson, and he stubbornly said, “I’m being serious!”
“And I’m not?” Lu Heng replied.
“Lu Jinzhi!”
“Hmm?” Lu Heng said with feigned surprise and hurt. “Xiaozhou is calling me by my full name.”
Song Xiaozhou stared at Lu Heng, speechless for a moment.
After a while, Song Xiaozhou asked, “Will Lu Xuan really come?”
“He will.” Lu Heng said.
“Why?” Song Xiaozhou asked, confused.
“I understand him,” Lu Heng said, glancing at him and speaking slowly. “Lu Xuan is under my spell, so he must hate me to the bone. And our entanglement is deep. If he dies without seeing me, he won’t be able to rest in peace.”
Song Xiaozhou nodded in understanding. Lu Heng reached out and ruffled Song Xiaozhou’s hair. Suddenly, Song Xiaozhou seemed to remember something. He held up his messy hair and said, “Jinzhi, I don’t want the Lu family.”
Lu Heng was taken aback.
Song Xiaozhou said, “If the Lu family falls into my hands, I… I won’t be able to do a good job. The family’s century-old business will be ruined.”
Lu Heng looked at Song Xiaozhou and said, “It doesn’t matter.”
“You and I are bound by a ghost marriage. Only you can take control of the Lu family,” Lu Heng said. “It doesn’t matter even if you squander all the family’s wealth.”
“My life, it was both long and short,” Lu Heng said calmly, his gaze gentle. “But I’m dead, and you’re still alive.”
“There are many places I wanted to go but never did, and many things I wanted to do but didn’t. Xiaozhou, I hope you can live well and live happily and carefree for both of us.”
“That’s all I can give you.”
The sky was getting darker, and as Shenshi[mfn]3-5 PM[/mfn] approached, Song Xiaozhou became restless. He almost wanted to go into the city himself and tie Lu Xuan up.
Lu Heng, however, remained calm and composed, rubbing the mark on his wrist. No one knew better than him how vicious that spell was. The person under the spell would slowly decay, even suffer from hallucinations, seeing numerous evil ghosts and finding no peace. Lu Xuan would not be content to die like that.
“How did Lu Xuan learn about this Soul-Sealing Array?” Shen Zhi asked curiously.
Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, “He seems to have a Taoist with him.”
Shen Zhi and Liang Mu exchanged a glance. Shen Zhi said, “We’ve been in the Lu Mansion for a few days and haven’t found any other sorcerers in the city.”
Lu Heng sneered. “Maybe he killed him.”
To silence him.
When it was almost time for Youshi[mfn]5-7pm[/mfn], the several people saw black smoke suddenly rise from the direction of Jing’an Courtyard. Flames shot into the sky. They knew that Lu Xuan had finally arrived.
After a long while, Lu Xuan appeared in their line of sight. He was wrapped in a cloak and a hood, with only a few followers behind him.
Lu Xuan lifted his bloodless face and saw Lu Heng in the shadows at a glance. He slowly smiled. “Brother.”
Lu Heng returned the smile. “Long time no see.”
Song Xiaozhou watched them, his mind reeling. He suddenly realized that Lu Xuan’s words and actions were somewhat similar to Lu Heng’s.
Lu Xuan said, “You’re very capable, Brother. You were completely dead, yet you managed to crawl out from under the Soul-Sealing Array.”
“I have you to thank for that.” Lu Heng said flatly.
Lu Xuan’s dark eyes were fixed on Lu Heng. His gaze swept over Song Xiaozhou and the two masters, Shen and Liang. “Good, this is truly good.”
Lu Heng said, “Lu Xuan, I ask you, did you have anything to do with Father’s death?”
Lu Xuan tilted his head, his pale face as innocent and delicate as a porcelain doll. “Brother, even if he wasn’t a good person, he was still my father. How could I do something so unfilial as to murder him?”
Lu Xuan did not say anything, his expression cold. This made Lu Xuan’s mind wander for a moment, and he let out a low laugh. “But the old man really wanted to see you in the days before he died. He wanted to so badly. But at that time, you were recuperating in Jing’an Courtyard.”
“He was so confused from his illness that he actually begged me to have him carried to Jing’an Courtyard to see you one last time,” Lu Xuan said. “He grabbed my hand and called me Xuan’er, Ah Xuan. He hadn’t called me so intimately in so many years.”
Lu Heng stared intently at Lu Xuan, his chest rising and falling for a few moments. Lu Xuan, however, felt a sense of exhilaration and laughed. “Father was so sick, how could I let him go through the trouble and exhaustion?”
“Brother, did you know that Father couldn’t see you and died with his eyes open?”
“Lu Xuan!” Lu Heng was furious.
Lu Xuan let out a soft laugh and said, “Brother, after you died, did you see Father? Oh, you couldn’t,” his gaze fell on the small grave mound. “You can’t go anywhere. You weren’t even supposed to come out. That stinky Taoist said you would be locked in the coffin for your entire life. Who knew you’d crawl out!”
Lu Heng’s eyes were turning crimson, and the surroundings seemed to grow colder. Lu Xuan, however, looked at him and said, “Brother, you’re dead, so why can’t you let me go? Fearing you’d be lonely after death, I even arranged a ghost marriage for you. Why aren’t you satisfied? Why do you keep haunting me and ruining my life!”
Lu Heng said coldly, “You don’t deserve it.”
“Don’t deserve it?” A sharp, mocking look appeared on Lu Xuan’s face, and he sneered. “I don’t deserve it? We’re both surnamed Lu. I also have the Lu family’s blood. Why don’t I deserve it!”
“How am I, Lu Xuan, any worse than you?”
“Originally, you didn’t have to die,” Lu Xuan said, still staring at Lu Heng. “I once saw your mother as my own mother and wanted to see you as my brother. But even on her deathbed, your mother had people guard against me. And our dear father told the steward that the head of the Lu family could only be you.”
“Why?”
Lu Heng’s face was emotionless. “So you captured Nanny Lin’s family and forced her to poison me.”
“Who told you to trust her so much, Brother?” Lu Xuan laughed. “At first, she was unwilling, but after I chopped off her son’s arm, she became willing. See, she wasn’t completely devoted to you after all.”
Lu Heng looked at him with disgust. “My mother shouldn’t have taken you in back then.”
Lu Xuan was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “Yes, if your mother hadn’t taken me in and just let me die, I wouldn’t have been pressured by her every single day. You had it so easy. Everyone held you up and doted on you. Do you know what it feels like to be constantly driven in your dreams to be successful and stand out?”
