The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 607: Willing to Sacrifice, Unable to Suppress the Ghost King

Chapter 607: Willing to Sacrifice, Unable to Suppress the Ghost King

Fan Yunxi nodded. Despite Lady Su fainting, they still had a chance two against one. The two stood up, relieved to find that the hairpins in their hair could be used as weapons.

Empress Xie’s expression darkened as she summoned the bandits inside. "What are you scheming?" she commanded. "Kill them all! I will give you a hundred taels of silver!"

The bandits’ eyes lit up. After experiencing the recent snow disaster, everyone was struggling. Suddenly, such a business opportunity arose, and they were ecstatic. A hundred taels would mean a feast after the job was done.

Rong Dongling trembled slightly. She hadn’t expected the bandits to be lurking nearby. How could they, being just weak women, possibly defeat them?

While she was thinking of a way out, Fan Yunxi spoke up, "I am the wife of the Marquis Zhenbei and the fourth miss of the Ruyang Fan family. She is just a fallen empress. Use your toes to think—should you follow her orders or mine?"

The bandits hesitated. One of them asked, "What will you offer?"

"One thousand taels, even ten thousand is not a problem!" Fan Yunxi forced herself to appear calm despite her fear. "Moreover, if you don’t want to remain bandits anymore, both the Marquis Zhenbei’s household and the Ruyang Fan family will take you in!"

The two bandits exchanged glances, clearly tempted.

"Is what you say true?" one asked.

"Of course! You must have heard of the Ninth Princess and the Chu family’s name. Her husband is a sworn brother of the Second Young Master Chu! If something happens to her, no matter where you hide, you will not escape death!" Rong Dongling added.

Fan Yunxi continued, "Besides, there is an evil spirit here. If it devours enough souls, it will break the seal, and we will all die here!"

The bandits, upon hearing this, immediately turned to face Empress Xie with their weapons drawn. Ever since they entered the valley, they had felt a chill creeping over them, and now they could vaguely see black mist swirling inside the temple, making them uneasy.

Seeing them turn against her, Empress Xie’s anger flared. "Your leader has received gold from me; do you dare to betray me?!"

"Your Majesty, we do not wish to die here," one bandit replied.

"Don’t harm her. Tie her up, and we leave immediately!" Fan Yunxi ordered, her tone sharp and resolute.

The mountain bandits stepped forward.

Empress Xie screamed frantically, "Great Death God, please partake of the offering! Quickly!"

But the black mist within the temple began to thin, the dense shadows dissipating at an alarming rate.

The once-trembling statue stilled entirely.

"Someone is repairing the formation! I can no longer exert my power to consume the offerings! Just one more! Only one more!" the statue roared in fury. Its voice echoed through the temple, filled with frustration and bloodlust.

Damn it!

Who could it be!?

If the deity could break free of the formation and once again walk the earth, he vowed to torment the culprit to the brink of death!

A flicker of hesitation passed through Empress Xie’s eyes, but it quickly solidified into unwavering resolve.

She dashed toward the statue with a determination that alarmed Fan Yunxi.

Realizing her intention, Fan Yunxi urgently commanded the bandits, "Stop her! Don’t let her die!"

The mountain bandits, now understanding the dire situation, lunged at Empress Xie to restrain her.

But the empress had left herself no escape. From within her sleeve, she drew a dagger that gleamed coldly under the temple’s dim light. With a swift motion, the blade slashed across her neck, releasing a torrent of crimson blood.

Her desperate sprint toward the statue was not an act of surrender but a sacrifice, hoping that the Death God could feast on her soul and manifest his power sooner.

"Yan’er...," Empress Xie’s voice sounded strange, "In your next life... you must become emperor..."

Once she died, her soul would leave her body. The statue let out a wild laugh as the remaining black mist quickly wrapped around her soul. As the black mist completely consumed her soul, its power surged! The entire valley trembled.

The statue began to crack, slowly breaking apart.

"Not good," Rong Dongling exclaimed, just as the statue exploded, releasing a thick wave of ghostly energy!

Of the five people, only Fan Yunxi, clutching a Protection Talisman, managed to temporarily shield herself from the ghost energy. The other four were thrown against the crumbling walls, left in disarray.

The statue that had once stood strong was now gone. As the dust settled, it was replaced by a figure cloaked in black, with a pale face and a necklace made of human bones, holding a skull in hand. Shadows swirled around its feet.

Having regained its true form, the ghost took a deep breath, then broke into a sinister laugh. "I’m dead and don’t need to breathe. What am I doing..."

It lifted its darkened eyes, calling forth its ghostly power, the swirling mist revealing its strength. Glancing at the "heroically sacrificed" Empress Xie, it remarked, "Thanks to you, old woman, I didn’t know when I could break the seal otherwise."

"I have always repaid grudges and kindness, but unfortunately... I am not a Death God. I cannot help your son escape Abyss Hell, nor can I ensure he becomes an emperor in the next life."

"I need to find that person who repaired the seal..."

As it attempted to float away, the ghost paused, manipulating the skull in its hand to send five strands of ghostly energy surging forth. Though these souls were weak, it didn’t want to waste any opportunity to feast.

There were no cries of anguish. With its regained form, the ghost’s power had become deadly, tearing through souls and gathering them into the skull.

Yet one strand of ghostly energy was neutralized. The ghost turned its gaze to Fan Yunxi.

The Protection Talisman in her hand burned intensely. Terrified, she fell to the ground, trembling all over.

The ghost drew closer, floating beside her. "Your Protection Talisman is quite remarkable; it could withstand my attack. Who drew it?"

Before it was sealed, it had been a fierce combatant, intent on wiping out all cultivators. It was determined to meet the one who drew the talisman.

Fan Yunxi opened her mouth, but fear rendered her speechless.

"Tell me, and I’ll let you go. What do you say?" the ghost offered enticingly.

Though she longed to return to Xie Beihan, revealing that the talisman had been drawn by the Ninth Princess would surely lead the ghost to seek her out. The Ninth Princess had been kind to the Fan family; she could not repay kindness with malice.

Fan Yunxi stammered, "I... I just bought it randomly."

The ghost was clearly displeased with her answer.

"How dare you deceive me!" it hissed, sending out a wave of ghostly energy.

One strand could still be resisted, but another would render the Protection Talisman useless, turning it to ash.

In her panic, Fan Yunxi felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, unable to straighten up.