Gu Junshi smiled faintly at the Human Emperor, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes for his renewed purpose.
"Have you regained your status as the Ten Emperors' Lord?"
Recalling his first life, he had harbored a death wish and was unwilling to fill the void within him with ambition. Now, he had reclaimed his lost territories and returned to his rightful place.
He had once altered her circumstances, and she, in turn, had helped him find himself again. It seemed they should be even now.
The Human Emperor remained unaware of Gu Junshi's thoughts. He approached her, removed the sea beast mask from his face, his narrow eyes narrowing. His appearance was still partially obscured due to the seal. He extended his hand towards her.
"Didn't we agree? With Fengdu as our pledge, I would marry, and you would wed."
"My ambition does not lie with Fengdu," she stated frankly, ignoring his outstretched hand.
The Human Emperor refused to withdraw his hand. "But you need Fengdu, right now."
He gazed at her intently. At times, he found it quite miraculous. Despite their limited time spent together, it felt as if he had known Gu Junshi for a very long time.
She understood him, and even more so, she knew how to manipulate him. He was aware that every move she made was calculated, yet his mind seemed to be consumed by her. All his schemes turned into tolerance when they reached her, leaving him a mere hollow shell for her to control.
Gu Junshi indeed needed Fengdu. After careful consideration, she subtly scanned her surroundings. Shadows were everywhere. Finally, she conceded, "Alright, but when?"
The Human Emperor did not dwell on her question, which sounded as if she were arranging a work task. Instead, he let out a long sigh of relief, a weight lifting from his heart, replaced by joy.
He withdrew his hand, clasped his fist to his lips, and said with a smile, "In half a month. I need to prepare properly. I want everyone to know of our glorious wedding."
The ghost cultivators, being perceptive, quickly showered the soon-to-be wedded couple with effusive congratulations.
"Congratulations to Lord Ghost King, congratulations to the Queen."
"Congratulations to the Ghost King. May your desires be fulfilled, your union be joyous, and your bond be everlasting, never to be parted."
The Human Emperor was pleased by their words, and Gu Junshi did not dampen the mood. She cast a casual glance at these flattering individuals. "Where did you find these people?"
"Fengdu has recognized its master; they naturally know who to be loyal to."
Gu Junshi nodded, but as she stepped forward to leave, she paused.
Ultimately, she wanted to give him one last chance to reconsider. Gu Junshi asked, "Human Emperor, will you truly not regret this?"
However, the Human Emperor responded with absolute certainty, "If I were not to marry you, I would regret it right now."
Gu Junshi understood his meaning and chose to respect his decision.
Meanwhile, in a position behind Gu Junshi, the Ghost Infant, who had lost his eyes, remained in a daze since overhearing their discussion about the arranged marriage.
...The Monarch is getting married to someone else again?
Ten days later
Twenty-seven days. In the realm of form, the Yuan Ji formation, set up by the Southern Wu, violently dispersed, creating a ten-mile expanse of pulverized earth and deep fissures. A figure cloaked in dark, powerful energy slowly descended, the resulting air currents whistling across the ground.
He was covered in blood – on his face, his hands, and his clothes.
Corpses lay scattered around him; most had perished with a single strike.
Rumble!
With a flash of lightning and thunder, a torrential rain suddenly began. The man knelt on one knee in the downpour, blood flowing from his body and mingling with the earth.
"Ghost Infant, you are a scourge! We shouldn't have shown mercy and let you go back then. Why are you seeking revenge on us? Your mother's premarital pregnancy and being burned at the stake were all because she bore a monster like you. Madman was also killed by you for hiding and raising you in secret, as were others. Everything, everything was caused by you. Why—"
Before he could finish, those terrified and enraged individuals were split in two, neatly severed from top to bottom.
Blood flowed like a river, only to be diluted and carried away by the rain.
The rain lashed down on the Ghost Infant. He made no move to shield himself, instead tilting his head back, letting the raindrops strike his face.
He had no eyes; only two dark, hollow sockets remained where his eyes should have been. Though tears welled up, the excessive rainwater cascaded down from his eyes, making it appear as if he were weeping silently in the rain.
"Mother, Uncle Madman, Nan Qi, Nan Sui, I finally have the power to avenge you…"
He tightly clutched the fabric over his chest.
"But I still can't feel any happiness. Why?"
"I am an ill-omened person, my father was a beast, and I caused my mother's death before I was even born. But you all taught me, giving me a kind heart and the skin of humanity. Yet, I always felt that living was exhausting, dirty, and filled with hatred…"
"Now that I have avenged them, I have nothing left. No hate, no love, nothing to lose, nothing to hold onto. In this state, can I still be considered alive?"
He collapsed onto the ground, exhausted, mud splashing all over him.
As he lay there, the rainwater soaking his body, someone approached him.
The cold rainwater falling on him vanished. He turned his head to the side but made no further movement.
Whether friend or foe, it no longer mattered to him.
"Ghost Infant."
Hearing a familiar voice, the Ghost Infant froze.
How could she be here? Did she… did she see him kill people?!
The Ghost Infant's limbs grew numb with cold, and his mind went blank.
"I promised to give you a new name."
After a moment's pause, the Ghost Infant understood her words. The statement alone made his nose sting, and he pushed himself up.
"Monarch…"
Gu Junshi stood in the rain, holding a black umbrella, shielding him. "Your life has been one of darkness, seeking only a place of light. But light should not be sought from others; it is something you must find within yourself."
The Ghost Infant listened quietly.
She extended a hand. "I took away your eyes. Now I must provide you with a new pair."
The Ghost Infant did not understand her words at first. He only felt a hand gently caress the area where his eye sockets had long ceased to ache. Suddenly, a sensation of almost burning itchiness and numbness surged. He wanted to scratch it, but he was unable to.
"Monarch, what is this?"
Because he was immobilized, the discomfort was quickly replaced by another warmth, like soaking in a hot spring in March, driving away the chill and bringing a comfortable warmth to his entire body.
His eyelids trembled intensely, like a butterfly struggling to break free from its cocoon, needing only a little more effort to unfurl with a flick.
Though he was blind, a sense of startling anticipation made him open his eyes.
Through the narrow gap between his fingers, he "saw" blurry outlines and the hazy rain.
He blinked his eyes reflexively, and the gradually clearing vision stunned him into a state of bewildered immobility.