Lian Yi had always been different from ordinary resentful spirits. Born with an innate evil energy, and having died violently due to a restriction, the excessive resentment and evil energy should have consumed him.
He was supposed to become an unavoidable disaster. The thought of how many lives he might have claimed was terrifying.
But after his death, he only did two things:
He killed Xie Yun and kidnapped Nan Deng.
Even in a semi-controlled state, he never harmed anyone. He had no desire to consume and even protected Nan Deng well.
He completely suppressed the leaking evil energy, regained his senses, and appeared no different from an ordinary person.
This was unheard of… if not witnessed firsthand, no one would believe it.
Lin Jiu repeatedly recalled the scene he had seen not long ago. Lian Yi’s appearance, his expression, and his tone of voice.
He seemed to have transcended the state of a soul, existing somewhere between a soul and a living person.
Neither human nor ghost… could he be a god?
With the underworld destroyed, one of the three gods was missing.
If Lian Yi were a god, he would be a ghost god.
Lin Jiu looked up again. The figure by the window stood tall, at the intersection of light and darkness.
Ghost god… Lian Yi.
He silently mouthed these words, a sense of relief and joy settling in his heart.
All the resentful spirits had turned to smoke and dispersed, leaving not a trace of evil energy. The once-crowded street suddenly became empty.
Confirming there were no further incidents, Weng Ping Ran instructed the celestial masters on guard to withdraw.
Everyone, including him, seemed somewhat dazed, maintaining a silent and tacit understanding.
The figure by the window had vanished, and the thick curtains were drawn.
With the glass window inexplicably damaged, Lin Jiu had to handle the compensation and arrange a new room for Nan Deng and Lian Yi.
Feeling apologetic for the accidental damage, Nan Deng clutched the Bagua ring in his pocket. “I didn’t mean to…”
Fortunately, no one was hurt. If he had known the ring was so powerful, he would have been more restrained in using his divine power to activate it.
In the new room, Nan Deng pulled the curtains open for a look. “Have all the ghosts disappeared?”
The streetlights outside were all lit, and the streets were empty.
Lian Yi responded with a hum, embracing Nan Deng from behind.
Nan Deng recalled how, in the cave, some resentful spirits approached and were also dispersed into smoke by Lian Yi.
He turned around, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge evident on his face.
“You seem very powerful,” Nan Deng said, tightly hugging Lian Yi’s waist. “I knew you were different from other ghosts.”
Even as a ghost, Lian Yi was the same as before, never harming him.
So… does this mean they could be together again?
Lian Yi looked down. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
Nan Deng looked at him for a moment, then leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips.
Lian Yi lowered his head and kissed him, carrying him to the living room sofa.
Nan Deng wasn’t sleepy at all, nor was he hungry. He just casually ate some snacks and fruits.
He was in high spirits, clinging to Lian Yi and asking him to talk, deliberately making some gestures to see Lian Yi’s reaction.
Nan Deng bit Lian Yi’s face forcefully, leaving a shallow tooth mark.
Lian Yi remained calm, showing no signs of anger.
Nan Deng then dipped his hand in cool water, unbuttoned Lian Yi’s clothes, and carefully felt his body temperature.
Lian Yi’s body was still cool, but not completely cold; there was a faint warmth.
He had no heartbeat, no breath.
Curiously, Nan Deng asked, “Can you turn semi-transparent?”
Lian Yi was silent for a moment. “Probably not.”
He couldn’t become translucent like ordinary spirits, but he could become more like a human. Nan Deng soon felt Lian Yi’s temperature rising, and his chest began to beat.
Not only that, Lian Yi began to breathe, warmth emanating from him.
Nan Deng was amazed, touching and observing everywhere, pressing close to Lian Yi to listen to his heartbeat.
Leaning back slightly against the chair, Lian Yi’s palm rubbed gently on Nan Deng’s waist. “Still not sleepy?”
Nan Deng immediately understood his meaning and quickly backed away, blushing. “I don’t want to… not right now.”
They had only recently emerged from the cave; it would be better to exercise restraint for now.
Seeing him frightened, Lian Yi held him again. “Okay, we won’t.”
But nearing dawn, Nan Deng was coaxed into it twice.
The rabbit head was sleeping in the bedroom, while Nan Deng curled up in a corner of the sofa, trying not to make too much noise.
Lian Yi’s body temperature rose, his warm breath near.
A faint aura seeped out, enveloping Nan Deng entirely. He was filled with Lian Yi’s scent, his fingertips kissed over and over.
—
To reassure the celestial masters in the inner court, Lian Yi agreed to return.
However, he didn’t want anyone to follow him. He left with Nan Deng and the rabbit head.
When Weng Ping Ran rushed back to the inner court and waited for several days, he finally saw them.
When Lian Yi appeared, the celestial master guarding the gate was momentarily bewildered, thinking he was mistaken.
Now it was daytime, and Lian Yi was exposed to sunlight. He looked no different from before, as if someone else had died back then.
Weng Ping Ran came forward to greet them. He saw two familiar figures and the rabbit head squatting on Nan Deng’s head.
Lin Jiu had already told him about Lian Yi’s new identity. Weng Ping Ran’s first reaction was that it couldn’t be.
Gods were born as gods. Even though the underworld no longer existed, how could the position of ghost god be taken over by a resentful spirit.
However, upon careful consideration, combining everything, including the large number of resentful spirits that dissipated before his eyes that night, there was only this possibility.
Resentful spirits, recently deceased, were attracted and gathered, then devoured or erased—wasn’t that precisely the former duty of the underworld?
Now, with the Three Gods safe and sound, none of the previous worries had come to pass.
Weng Ping Ran’s emotions were extremely complex, especially now, mixed with a long-lasting excitement that couldn’t be calmed.
He had lived for most of his life, and yet, he was fortunate enough to witness the growth and birth of two gods.
Although… when Lian Yi first entered the inner court, he didn’t fare well for a long time, and no one was willing to approach him.
His inherent malevolent nature was the fundamental reason for his past, and also one of the key factors that allowed him to become a god.
Destined with malevolent fate, extraordinary talent, yet destined to be lonely and despised like an evil spirit.
The second key was Nan Deng, the favor of the Mountain God.
Without Nan Deng, it was uncertain how things would develop. Lian Yi was destined to be the Ghost King, but not necessarily a god.
—
Nan Deng had never liked being the center of attention, and Lian Yi was the same.
So Weng Ping Ran brought them to a secluded courtyard, asking everyone except Lin Jiu to leave before respectfully kneeling down: “Great Ghost God.”
Lian Yi’s expression was indifferent, showing no reaction. His eyes was calm and slightly lowered.
He suppressed the aura around him. He was no longer a celestial master. Yet, he still exuded an overwhelming pressure that made people dare not look up.
Lin Jiu also knelt aside. He had just been promoted and was now the Chief Celestial Master, with different patterns on his uniform compared to before.
Finally, Nan Deng spoke up and told them to rise. “There’s no need for this in the future.”
Lian Yi had become a deity, a fact Nan Deng had only learned a few days ago. Lin Jiu couldn’t wait for them at the inner court and had sent a message first, addressing Lian Yi with a respectful title.
Upon seeing the contents of the message, Lian Yi was not surprised and did not argue.
Surprisingly, Nan Deng was even more excited than him, happy for several days.
No wonder Lian Yi was so special; he turned out to be a deity as well.
Moreover, Nan Deng suspected that Lian Yi might be able to supplement his divine power, especially during their… times together.
Recently, Nan Deng had noticed a tremendous increase in divine power and had even learned some new skills, such as teleportation and brief invisibility.
And originally, Xie Yun had said that Nan Deng’s growth rate far exceeded his expectations.
Nan Deng’s leaked aura could nourish earth spirits. If Lian Yi was the successor to the Ghost God, he might also be able to supplement Nan Deng.
They had been together for a long time, and Nan Deng had even bitten Lian Yi’s soul.
In any case, many things could now be explained.
Lin Jiu sighed with emotion, “Perhaps it’s destined…”
Xie Yun had schemed and hoped to become a new god. But he had only been the Ghost King for less than half a day.
He escorted Nan Deng and Lian Yi to the prepared rooms, asking how long they planned to stay at the inner court.
With everything settled, Nan Deng’s return trip could happen anytime.
Nan Deng shook his head and said, “I don’t know,” but he really wanted to go to many places and experience what it felt like to be human again.
Upon entering the room, the rabbit head hopped in first, patrolling around to find its preferred spot.
Lin Jiu bid them farewell and closed the door behind him as he left.
The next morning, Nan Deng quietly left the inner court with the rabbit head, accompanied by Lian Yi.
He sent messages to Weng Ping Ran and Lin Jiu, saying they were going out to have fun and would contact them if needed.
Attached to the message was a photo of the rabbit head’s half-head, squinting its eyes, looking quite content.
Weng Ping Ran carefully stored the photo and placed it in the highest-security file labeled “Chaos God”.
Their room was also kept reserved and cleaned daily, awaiting Nan Deng’s return.
