After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 19

After that, even within the Gate of Life and Death, Ying Buran’s memories grew hazy.

She could only recall a group of people surrounding the altar, chanting unintelligible words.

The sky darkened in an instant. Directly above her, dark clouds slowly coalesced into a swirling vortex. Light poured down from its center, becoming the sole source of illumination in the area. Yet, to Ying Buran, this light seemed even more profound than the surrounding darkness.

What did it feel like to be sacrificed?

She could only remember an excruciating pain that pierced her to the bone, as if her soul were being torn apart and devoured. She could even hear a chewing sound, as if she were a delectable pastry being savored by someone.

Despite her desperate attempts to circulate the Senluo Art, she couldn’t stop it.

In a daze, she felt her soul detach from her body, dragged upward by the swirling vortex.

Cheers erupted around her, only to be abruptly cut short by gasps of alarm, followed by chaos.

But the trauma of her soul leaving her body was overwhelming. Ying Buran struggled to maintain consciousness, barely registering someone pulling her downward and gently cradling her in their arms.

She was enveloped in a familiar yet foreign aura, and Zhao Qingxun’s voice echoed in her ears. I’ll take you home, Qingxun said.

How could that be? Hadn’t Zhao Qingxun betrayed her long ago?

“Finally awake? Welcome to the Underworld. This is my territory.”

The Underworld? So she really had reached the Netherworld? Was she dead? She pinched herself—Hey, it doesn’t hurt!

Curious, Ying Buran poked her current “body.” Her finger passed right through it—kind of fun.

Knowing she was dead actually made her feel more relaxed. Though she felt a pang of regret, everything from the mortal world seemed to fade into the background from that moment on… Wait a minute, who just said this was their territory?

Perhaps because she was dead, Ying Buran felt her thoughts were sluggish. Only now did she fully grasp her situation.

She seemed to be in someone’s room—specifically, the person sitting across from her, propping their head up with one hand.

The scene was eerily familiar, and so was that voice.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Ying Buran warily eyed the figure in crimson robes and a cyan ghost mask. “Who are you?”

“I am the Ghost King. You are currently in my chambers, and this entire region is my territory. I rescued you from the Spirit of Heaven’s grasp. Your physical body is now beyond repair, completely locked down by the Spirit of Heaven. At the time, I lacked the strength to reclaim your body, leaving you as a mere remnant soul.” The Ghost King adjusted his mask, ensuring it remained in place, before explaining.

He made no attempt to conceal his voice, nor was there any need to. He would have to tell Ying Buran sooner or later, so it was better to clarify things from the start, saving them both much trouble later.

The Ghost King continued, “The Heavenly Sacrifice consumes human souls. I apologize for arriving too late; a portion of your soul was devoured by the Spirit of Heaven. Oh, the Spirit of Heaven is that entity that unleashed Heaven’s Wrath. Within the Profound Gate, they refer to it as such, though I personally believe ‘Heaven’s Malice’ would be a more fitting name.” The Ghost King rose and approached her, pressing a finger to Ying Buran’s forehead to stabilize her form once more.

Ying Buran nodded, her gaze fixed on the Ghost King, who remained silent.

The Ghost King didn’t immediately remove her mask. Instead, she settled back into her seat and continued, “Someone—I don’t know who—cleared a path for me and Chasing Wind City. Given your current condition, returning to Chasing Wind City isn’t safe for you. So I brought you back here. As a soul, you’ll be more comfortable in the Underworld.”

“Is that so… What happened with the Heavenly Sacrifice that day?” Ying Buran pressed.

She remembered that if the Heavenly Sacrifice wasn’t performed, Heaven’s Wrath would continue to descend upon the mortal realm, claiming countless lives. If it had been disrupted, both the Underworld and Chasing Wind City would face dire consequences.

At this, the Ghost King suddenly chuckled. Even through her mask, Ying Buran could sense her amusement. “Of course it proceeded smoothly. Those hypocritical fools from the Profound Gate always claimed saving the common people was their duty, didn’t they? Well, I let them fulfill that duty themselves. In a way, I even made their dreams come true. Ha ha ha!”

Wait, has Zhao Qingxun gone mad from the shock? Ying Buran blinked, stepping closer to the Ghost King to scrutinize this… ghost. Had her personality changed this drastically? She had never seen Zhao Qingxun in such a frenzied state, let alone heard her speak with such contempt and gloating malice toward the Profound Gate.

Suppressing her growing unease, Ying Buran pressed, “Who was sacrificed?”

“That one… what was her name? Luo… Luo something?” The Ghost King’s laughter abruptly ceased. He coughed, straining to recall the name, but could only manage the surname after a long pause.

Something was wrong—very wrong. This Zhao Qingxun was definitely off. “Luo Wangqing,” Ying Buran supplied, completing the name.

Zhao Qingxun couldn’t possibly have forgotten her own Master’s name, could she?

The Ghost King clapped his hands. “Ah, right, right! Luo… whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway. I threw her in, sacrificed her. Heaven’s Wrath has temporarily subsided.” He waved dismissively, clearly unconcerned about the victim’s identity. “Do you know what this means? The Heavenly Sacrifice requiring a Heaven’s Chosen—it’s all a lie! Any person with sufficient power can be sacrificed.”

“To be specific, the Heavenly Sacrifice requires a powerful individual to fill a void in the heavens. But why would such a void exist in the first place?” The Ghost King sneered, his eyes burning with crimson malice. “Because someone stole the power that maintains order between heaven and earth! That’s why Heaven’s Wrath descends—the celestial entity needs something to fill that stolen void.”

Ying Buran fell silent, needing time to process this revelation. The Ghost King remained patient, sitting beside her and gazing at her as if he could never get enough.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Ying Buran finally organized her thoughts and turned to the Ghost King. “I think I understand now… But I have one question: who are you?”

“Ah, finally asking that question? I’ve been waiting so long! Am I really so unimportant to you? You asked about the woman who harmed you before even asking about me. Only now do you ask?” The Ghost King huffed, feigning anger, which only left Ying Buran utterly bewildered.

Seeing her confusion, the Ghost King’s eyes grew even more aggrieved. He tore off his mask, leaned close to Ying Buran, their noses nearly touching. “You can’t recognize my voice? Have you stopped loving me?”

Ying Buran: “???”

Wait, what’s going on? Ying Buran snapped out of her daze and shoved the Ghost King away, utterly bewildered. “Hold on, you, me? Huh? When did we ever fall in love? Wasn’t it all just an act before?”

“An act? How could I ever deceive you? It was that wicked woman who lied to you! How dare you describe our feelings—which are more genuine than gold—like that?” Ghost King Zhao Qingxun pouted, looking deeply wronged.

Ying Buran rubbed her temples, feeling her head buzzing. “Wait, wait, speak clearly.”

“In simple terms, I’m from another timeline. In that timeline, I never lied to you. I helped you escape the Flowing Cloud Sect and we desperately searched for a way to survive, but ultimately failed.” At this, the Ghost King sighed heavily, clenching her fist and slamming it on the table. “A bunch of hypocrites! They only sacrificed the Heaven’s Chosen because it benefited them! ‘Saving the world’? What utter bullshit!”

Her tone shifted abruptly, becoming flat and detached. “So I annihilated that timeline. Then I made a deal with the Heavenly Dao, which had finally been roused, and got sent here. I’ve been searching for you for ages. Have you decided how you’ll compensate me yet? A kiss will do.”

Ying Buran had been listening intently, but Zhao Qingxun’s rambling suddenly veered off in an unexpected direction. Her lips twitched. “No way. Why should I believe you? What if you’re lying?”

Ghost King Zhao Qingxun immediately straightened up, raising three fingers solemnly. “I swear, if I’m lying, may lightning strike me down… Oh, right, it can’t. If I’m lying, I… uh… won’t hold your hand for a whole week.”

Ying Buran stared at her, speechless.

Why is talking to this Zhao Qingxun so exhausting? she wondered.

“So, Sect Leader Luo is dead, the Heavenly Sacrifice is over, but I’m still dead? What happens now? Do I reincarnate?” Ying Buran pondered, resting her cheek in her hand.

If she reincarnated, would her next life still be her? Luo Wangqing might be dead, but she wasn’t the only one who had caused her death.

I wonder how Senior Yun is doing.

For once, the Ghost King turned serious. “You have two choices. One is to pass painlessly through the Gate of Rebirth and reincarnate. However, the ‘curse’ of the Heaven’s Chosen will persist, clinging to you through every lifetime.”

Ying Buran’s eyes darkened. Even after reincarnation, would she still be persecuted by these people? “What’s the second option?”

“Go to the Gate of Life and Death and be reborn through death. But the process is excruciating, and your soul could shatter completely. If you succeed, you can return to the mortal realm, and I will help you take revenge.” The Ghost King looked her in the eyes and asked earnestly, “Which do you choose?”

Without hesitation, Ying Buran declared, “I’ll go to the Gate of Life and Death!”

Ghost King Zhao Qingxun clapped approvingly. “Good! That’s my wife! Settle scores in this lifetime! Wear this amulet—it contains a fragment of my soul and will protect you.”

“Always remember, I’ll always be on your side.”

Ying Buran clutched the amulet, feeling a shameful warmth in her heart. But the moment was shattered by Zhao Qingxun’s next words: “Since I’m working so hard, can I get a kiss when we succeed?”

Ying Buran: “……”

After that came her journey along the Road to the Underworld. As her memories reached their end, a radiant door appeared before her.

She pushed it open, and behind it stood another figure.

“Congratulations, you’ve completely traversed all eighteen gates. But alas, because your soul is incomplete, your resurrection will only be partial. After all, though your willpower is strong, you reached this point only by relying on her power. Had your soul been whole, your revival would have been assured.” The figure slowly turned, its face a blur.

Though Ying Buran couldn’t see her face, she could sense the woman’s smile. “Let me introduce myself,” the woman said. “I am the first Heaven’s Chosen. My name has long been lost to the river of time. You may call me the First.”