Chapter Fifty-Six: Ghost Jade

A faint mist coursed wildly through Jiang Feng’s body, but that alone was not enough to terrify him. What truly sent chills down his spine was the mist’s transformation: within him, it condensed into shards of ice. He was certain that any movement would leave his body pierced and riddled with wounds by those crystalline daggers.

What a terrifying technique!

Sweat began to bead on Jiang Feng’s forehead as his entire body stiffened, his meridians seeming close to freezing. Even so, countless shards of ice brushed against his veins and flesh, making him grimace in pain.

He gasped, the cold air filling his lungs, and he realized that stepping onto that stone had been a dreadful mistake.

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual. Jue, whose face was dark as charcoal and whose hair stood on end, was leaping frantically through his sea of consciousness, venting his anger. Jiang Feng watched for a while, baffled at what could provoke such rage, and finally, in a weak voice, asked, “Senior Jue, could you wait a moment before getting angry?”

“What for?” Jue glared back, frightening Jiang Feng. He had never seen Jue so murderous, so he quickly softened his tone. “Something’s wrong with my body… Could you, uh, help me?”

His request was as timid as a little girl asking for aid.

Jue ignored him, instead fixing his gaze on another direction, sharp as a sword. “Go trouble her. She’s the one responsible for all this!”

Following Jue’s glare, Jiang Feng turned his head.

His sea of consciousness was vast; yet, where Jue pointed, there was nothing but empty space. As Jiang Feng pondered what might lie there, a faint silhouette appeared in the air, gradually becoming clearer.

To his surprise, the shadow took on the graceful shape of a woman. She dressed lightly, seemingly unbothered by the cold, her exposed skin as smooth and pale as jade. She played with a wisp of mist, which shifted between vapor and ice, dazzling to behold.

Yet Jiang Feng felt no appreciation for her beauty. Instead, anger surged within him, and he shouted, “Those ice crystals in my body—you’re the one who put them there!”

The woman smiled silently. Her foxlike face was enchanting, a blush rising on her cheeks. She gazed at Jue with longing eyes capable of mesmerizing any man. “Jue, won’t you stop being angry with me?”

Jue’s lips quivered, his hands trembling, words stuck in his throat.

Jiang Feng, meanwhile, was stunned.

His mind raced with speculation. Was this woman Jue’s old flame? But the gap between them seemed vast. Wait—Jue had said he was from three thousand years ago. This woman must be from that era as well, and she must have used some special technique to keep her appearance youthful. Yes, that must be it!

“Little Jue, please don’t ignore me!”

The woman’s smile was radiant, captivating in every way. Her cherry lips parted just enough, clearing the air, yet her eyes held a beauty that seized Jiang Feng’s soul. It was as if the grace of a fairy and the allure of a devil coexisted in her.

Suddenly, she winked at Jue, who froze like stone.

Jiang Feng was not nearly as anxious as Jue. He walked over, innocently, and asked, “Jue, is she your wife?”

“Huh?” Jue, unmoving as a statue, was stunned for nearly half an hour before he finally managed a surprised reply.

The woman was delighted, laughing so hard her body shook. She stepped lightly over to Jiang Feng, raised her head, and in a flash—so quick he had no time to react—grabbed him by the neck and yanked him close. Her flawless face nearly touched his, her smile enchanting, but her black eyes churned with something darker, her tone suddenly sharp.

“You do have an eye for things, don’t you?”

Her voice was soft, almost intoxicating.

Jiang Feng scratched his head shyly and stammered, “Uh, thank you, Senior, for the compliment. You and Senior Jue are… well, a perfect match.”

The woman gave him a lazy glance, her sweet gaze deadly, yet Jiang Feng felt an odd sense—as though she was angry.

Sure enough, her next words were louder, almost a shout: “Which eye of yours sees me as that old man’s lover?”

Jiang Feng froze, cold sweat pouring down his face, legs trembling.

Jue’s face was dark as the bottom of a pot, veins bulging on his forehead.

“How could a woman of my beauty—one who could make fish sink and birds fall—possibly be interested in someone like him? Look at him! What does he look like?”

A cold smile crept onto the woman’s face, her eyes openly mocking. Even Jiang Feng felt a flicker of anger, but he quickly let it go.

Perhaps it was just a quarrel between lovers; if he took Jue’s side without thinking, he might hurt the woman before him.

He scrutinized her carefully, and suddenly, the realization struck him. He blurted out his thoughts, “True, Jue, women like her are rare—look at yourself, you clearly don’t match her. If she’s a little temperamental, it’s understandable.”

The woman was speechless, stunned. Jue’s expressions shifted rapidly, each one filled with pain.

Seeing them at a loss, Jiang Feng thought he must have guessed right and continued eagerly, “I believe harmony is the foundation of happiness—family first.”

Jue could hold back no longer. He sprang up, swearing, “You brat, what kind of brain do you have? How could I like a woman like her? She’s got no femininity at all! Little Ghost, say something! And stop talking to me like that, it disgusts me!”

Little Ghost finally lost control, doubled over with laughter, tears shining in her eyes. When she finally recovered, she straightened up, her voice trembling with laughter, “Jue, the little ghost you rescued turned out to be such a gem, he’s killing me!”

Jiang Feng watched the odd exchange, bewildered.

Had he guessed wrong?

But the woman called Jue ‘Senior’ so intimately.

If not a lover, then—

“I understand now. The passage of time means nothing in cultivation, and this lady must use some method to stay youthful, so I’ll accept it.”

Jue felt defeated, sighing, “What now?”

Little Ghost watched Jiang Feng with interest; she found him endlessly amusing.

Jiang Feng clapped his hands, delighted like a child who had found candy. “Senior, are you Jue’s mother?”

Smack!

The mist in Little Ghost’s hand dissipated instantly, and she stood frozen, as if turned to stone.

Jue’s reaction was even greater. He lunged forward, waving his arms, muttering, “You brat, I saved you from the sandfall and you repay me like this? Little Ghost is only five hundred years old, how could she be my mother? I’ll fight you for this!”

Jiang Feng was dumbfounded.