The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 158: I Pledge My Loyalty to the Court

Chapter 158: I Pledge My Loyalty to the Court

Though Ye Siheng could perceive a trace of ghostly aura, he lacked the clarity that Nanli possessed in seeing spirits. Thus, Nanli resorted to talismans to make the ghost materialize.

Upon seeing the apparition, Ye Siheng chuckled lightly. "Indeed, it is you, Xu Zhida."

Xu Zhida’s face turned sheepish as he respectfully greeted Ye Siheng. "Greetings, Ninth Prince."

"You have long passed away, why hide within this jade pendant?" Ye Siheng inquired.

Xu Zhida replied, "Though I have perished, my fervent loyalty to the court remains. I yearn to serve and contribute!"

Nanli rolled her eyes and remarked, "So, serving the court means cheating for others? Or do you plan to possess someone else’s body?"

Xu Zhida landed on her palm and confessed, "Indeed, as soon as I advance in my cultivation, I can claim his body as my own."

He had diligently studied regardless of scorching summers or freezing winters. However, before he could make a name for himself after achieving the top scholar position, he fell ill and died in despair.

He refused to accept this fate!

Thus, he possessed a strong desire to remain in the mortal realm and find a suitable scapegoat to take his place. Unfortunately, his plan was ruined by his exceptional calligraphy skills.

Nanli’s expression turned serious as she said, "You are a ghost attempting to forcefully possess a living person’s body, known as ’duo she’(steal one’s soul) in the underworld. There is a registry for such deeds, and if you commit such wicked acts, it will be difficult for you to reincarnate in the future."

"What does it matter if I cannot reincarnate? With my talent as the top scholar, I aim to achieve great feats and leave a lasting legacy!" Xu Zhida’s face suddenly changed.

A dense ghostly aura filled the room, creating an eerie and chilling atmosphere. Even the red canopy swayed, adding to the sinister ambiance.

Ye Siheng remained composed, his eyes slightly lifted as he disdainfully remarked, "Using someone else’s body, it is only natural that their name will be remembered throughout history. What does it have to do with you, Xu Zhida?"

Xu Zhida was stunned.

Nanli added, "Indeed, even if you achieve the top scholar position in this lifetime, who knows if you will have the opportunity in the next? Eighteen years later, you could be born into a humble family. If you are born into poverty, you won’t even have the chance to study, let alone participate in the imperial examinations and serve the court."

Annoyed, Nanli continued, "Fine, I’ll take a look for you."

Upon hearing this, both Xu Zhida and Ye Siheng were momentarily stunned.

Take a look?

Look at what?

The Book of Life and Death?

Xu Zhida trembled slightly and asked, "Miss, can you truly help me see which family I will be born into in my next life?"

"Yes," Nanli nodded.

She didn’t want Xu Zhida to be consumed by his obsession and refuse to reincarnate, leading to his eventual demise or transformation into an evil spirit.

In the past, she had sought the assistance of Master Yuanfan to help guide lost souls not because she was incapable, but because such tasks were time-consuming and draining, just like now.

Ye Siheng looked at Nanli and asked, "Are you planning to peek into the Book of Life and Death? Wouldn’t that go against the natural order?"

"How could that be? I will observe it openly," Nanli said as she used a talisman and accompanying hand gestures to open the path to the underworld. "I’ll be back shortly."

She instructed Xu Zhida to continue hiding within the jade pendant and then stepped into the realm of the underworld.

A gust of wind swept by, and the path to the underworld closed, leaving no trace of Nanli’s figure.

"...," Ye Siheng felt as if he were dreaming.

But Nanli had truly disappeared.

Only now did he fully realize that A’li, his fiancée, had gone to the underworld!

She could actually go to the underworld?!

How many surprises did she have that he was unaware of?

The realm of the underworld.

As Nanli stepped into the boundary, a resounding boom echoed through the air.

The blood sea surrounding the Palace of the King of Hell churned with terrifying intensity.

Upon hearing the thunderous noise, the underworld minions cried out, arming themselves with ghost-expelling weapons, eager to capture this intruder.

Nanli was quickly discovered and surrounded.

"By the heavens, a living being has entered our realm of the underworld!"

"And she’s quite beautiful, I must say."

"What are you all chattering about? She has trespassed into the realm of the dead, violating our laws. We must claim her soul!"

The minions moved in.

However, at that moment, a dark figure swept past, surpassing the underworld minions and landing in front.

It was none other than the current ruler of the underworld, Qiu Hai, the King of Hell.

A ghostly aura surged within Qiu Hai, growing in intensity with each step he took.

As he arrived, the blood sea roiled even more violently, and the flowers on the shore bloomed with greater brilliance.

He possessed an otherworldly beauty, exuding an amalgamation of the Yin energy and darkness from the three realms.

Not a single underworld minion dared to approach, silently retreating.

In the lightless and windless realm of the dead, his regal garments fluttered ever so slightly.

He drew closer.

Approaching Nanli.

His blood-red lips curled, as if ready to pass judgment upon her.

Little did he know, in the next moment, he would act like a child, pouncing forward exclaiming,

"Ancestress! You’ve finally come! Do you know how much I’ve missed you?"

Nanli’s mouth twitched slightly.

After all these years, he remained the same.

She swiftly intervened, preventing him from toppling her over.

Qiu Hai looked at her with a pitiful expression, "Ancestress, why won’t you let me embrace you? Have you grown tired of me?"

Letting out a sigh, Nanli replied, "You would taint me with your underworld aura. So, refrain from embracing me."

Qiu Hai sighed as well, murmuring, "You have indeed grown weary of me."

Nanli shot him a glance, "Enough with the nonsense. I have come to seek your assistance."

"In that case, will you accompany me for a few days?" Qiu Hai’s excitement grew as he rubbed his hands together.

"On the fourteenth day of the seventh month, I helped your minions capture ghosts. This time, I’ve come to collect a debt," Nanli refused.

"So, it was you, Ancestress. You truly are formidable!"

Qiu Hai immediately began to flatter her, "Thanks to you, my minions were spared the punishments of the eighteen hells due to their incompetence."

He happily led Nanli towards the Palace of the King of Hell.

The palace loomed ahead, still shrouded in an eerie coldness.

And above it, there stood a more magnificent and towering palace.

Nanli had inquired about it when she first arrived; it was the residence of the Lord of the Underworld.

Rumors had it that the Lord of the Underworld had been in seclusion, leaving all matters of the underworld to Qiu Hai, the King of Hell.

As the two walked away, the underworld minions whispered amongst themselves once again. "Oh? Is that the Ancestress Nanli? Why does she appear so much younger this time?" an old minion remarked.

A new minion was puzzled, "According to what you’re saying, has this young lady visited before? Why does our King of Hell show such respect towards her, even addressing her as ’Ancestress’?"

The old minion cleared his throat, "You arrived late, I suppose. Twenty years ago, our underworld boundary suddenly ruptured, and countless spirits escaped. It was this Ancestress Nanli who helped us capture the ghosts and even found a way to repair the boundary! She rendered such great assistance, how could the King of Hell not address her as ’Ancestress’?"