Twilight had arrived, and the golden sunset scattered across the hauntingly grey-white forest.
As night fell, Xu Yuan, unaware of how long the battle between the two "soul bodies" below would last, took Ran Qingmo back to wait in the carriage.
However, upon returning to the previous shady path, the carriage was nowhere to be found.
After a thorough search, it was discovered that the flame-hoofed carriage had somehow been led into a stable in the forest.
Xu Yuan subconsciously thought it was Xu Changge’s doing.
After all, apart from that specter calling itself the old ghost, there were no other living beings amidst the ghostly mist. But upon seeing the horse feed in the manger, which was clearly well-prepared with dried fodder and fruits, he immediately dismissed the thought.
Driving horses might be something Xu Changge would do, but preparing horse feed was clearly not in his repertoire.
Grasping the mahogany handle to climb aboard, Xu Yuan shook his head:
"The horse feed is well prepared. However, it seems the old ghost still has leisure for such refinement."
"Thank you... Third Young Master for the praise. This old servant has led horses and driven carriages for the Prime Minister all my life. Other than killing, all I have left is this skill."
A voice as hoarse as grinding tree bark suddenly sounded, causing Xu Yuan’s motion of holding the mahogany handrail to stiffen abruptly.
Silence for a moment,
The voice like grinding tree bark continued from behind, somber and strange:
"If I have frightened the Third Young Master, please forgive me."
Xu Yuan composed himself and slowly released the handrail, but the sight from the corner of his eye caused his heartbeat to skip slightly.
The stable was simple, just a few wooden posts supporting a wooden canopy, drafty and with an open view, allowing a clear view of the surrounding twisted grey-white woods.
The woods, which had been relatively bright, were now visibly being devoured by an encroaching black fog at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the span of a few breaths, everything around seemed to vanish into thin air, turning pitch black.
And Ran Qingmo, who had been standing one meter away from him just a moment ago, had also disappeared; besides the stable, only a spectral form stood quietly beside him.
But it was not the form of the Seventh Grade ghost, but that of the Saint’s soul body, with the black Soul Ring still on its fingertip.
Seeing this scene, Xu Yuan’s pupils shrank slightly.
All along, he didn’t care about the welfare of the Saint’s Remnant Soul.
Even though the Saint’s Remnant Soul had lived for tens of thousands of years, the useful information it knew... might not be more than what he knew.
What Xu Yuan really cared about was the Saint’s Remnant Soul’s strength that could protect him completely, from beginning to end.
After all, even if Ran Qingmo was strong, she couldn’t fuse with him.
Should they truly encounter a formidable enemy, he would only become her vulnerability, as she would have to fight while worrying that the aftershocks of the battle wouldn’t kill him.
As for the Saint’s Remnant Soul, it could fight by possessing someone as a familial elder.
Fully AI-controlled with no worry about being killed by aftershocks.
The perfect bodyguard.
However, Xu Yuan had actually planned to bind the Saint’s Remnant Soul through mutual benefits.
He very clearly understood what kind of person the Saint’s Remnant Soul was, as well as what it desired.
But now it seemed like Xu Changge might have other plans, and while Xu Yuan was unsure of what exactly his elder brother intended to do, it looked like Xu Changge might want the old ghost to directly devour the Saint’s Remnant Soul, and in doing so, take over its host to protect him.
Can a Yin Ghost really be trusted?
While the Saint’s Remnant Soul might be unreliable, at least it could be bound through the logic of benefits, but a Yin Ghost by its very nature exists for destruction.
The current situation left Xu Yuan somewhat caught off guard, as thoughts rapidly flickered through his mind.
Was this also plotted by his elder brother?
Having him, a mere Seventh Grade cultivator, face a Second Grade Yin Ghost right from the start — even intensity doesn’t escalate , does it?
But if this wasn’t orchestrated by his elder brother...
Xu Yuan quietly circulated his cultivation technique, choosing his words carefully:
"Are you... the old ghost?"
The Saint’s soul body, now completely devoid of sclera, had eyes filled with an intensely dark color, and its voice was still as dry:
"Third Young Master need not worry, for now, it’s still this old servant."
Xu Yuan silently dispersed his cultivation technique.
With this grade of spectral being, if it wanted to kill him, it really didn’t need any reason. But what did it mean by its words?
"This is the Ghost Domain that the old servant created by borrowing the Saint’s primal soul."
"Saint’s primal soul... What about Luo Daofan?"
"He’s been temporarily suppressed by the old servant."
"You didn’t consume him?"
"Of course not," replied Ghost Seven, without hesitation.
Xu Yuan paused, his words tinged with uncertainty, "So in the future, will you share one soul body?"
He knew that bodies in this world could be shared by two souls, but whether soul bodies could be shared was beyond the scope of his cultural understanding.
Ghost Seven remained silent for a moment, his voice flat and without fluctuation:
"No, the old servant will soon disperse."
Xu Yuan’s pupils contracted, "Disperse? Wasn’t Xu Changge supposed to let you devour that Saint’s soul body?"
The corners of Ghost Seven’s cracked lips seemed to move, but in the end, he only shook his head slightly:
"The old servant, of course, wishes to protect the Third Young Master on his travels, wishes to continue to hold the reins for the Prime Minister, but the body of a ghoul may no longer allow it."
"Had it not been for the eldest son’s timely arrival a month ago, the old servant might have already become a mindless ghost, and even with the soul locked by the secret technique, today’s limits have been reached."
In the darkened Ghost Domain, Xu Yuan quietly counted his breaths, then softly asked:
"If that’s the case, what was the purpose of doing this?"
Speaking, Ghost Seven slowly turned his eyes and lifted his palm to point at his own soul body:
"If successful, this Saint would owe allegiance to our Prime Minister’s Mansion."
The rough voice of the ghoully energy resounded deep and muffled, "But the old servant has failed, failed indeed, but rest assured, Third Young Master, although I cannot make him owe allegiance to the Prime Minister, I have already etched the thought of protecting you into his consciousness."
At these words, Xu Yuan’s mind jolted.
To exchange one’s life for... a thought imprint?
As his thoughts flashed by, he finally understood what Xu Changge intended to do.
But as he looked at the utterly calm Ghost Seven, he fell silent once more.
Loyalty that does not waver, even after becoming a Yin Ghost.
After a long silence, Xu Yuan spoke softly:
"Mr. Ghost, you have specifically sought me out, do you have a message you wish for me to convey to my father?"
He remembered the favor the other had asked of him back in the cave.
Ghost Seven nodded slightly:
Xu Yuan took a deep breath:
"Speak, I will relay it faithfully."
"Thank you... Third Young Master."
Ghost Seven bowed deeply, his dry and withered voice trembling slightly:
"Ghost Seven is incompetent, unworthy of the Prime Minister."
Having spoken, Ghost Seven stood up straight.
Xu Yuan was silent for several breaths:
"Just... that one sentence?"
"Having been tainted with the blood of my comrades, the old servant is too ashamed to say more."
Ghost Seven shook his head.
After speaking, the Soul Ring flew from his fingertip to hover in front of Xu Yuan.
And in the next moment,
the Ghost Domain dispersed,
a nearly dissipated stooped shadow separated from the nearly solid Saint’s soul body, drifting towards the sky.
The setting sun was like blood, just as it was decades ago.
The stooped figure of the elder stood amidst the mountains and forests, kneeling for the last time in the direction of the Imperial Capital.....