Chapter 67: Standing at the window

Something was not right.
Why was it that not only could Liu Huang touch her, but even Liu Feng could as well?

Liu Qiu was held in Liu Feng’s arms, and she could smell the fresh fragrance on Liu Feng’s body, faintly lingering in her nose.

She struggled free from Liu Feng’s embrace, pressed her lips together as she glanced at her, then slipped back into the wooden puppet.

She became quiet and motionless, like a lifeless object.

Liu Feng lowered her gaze to look at her, her brows relaxing.
“Qiu-jiejie, it seems you really like this puppet.”

Liu Qiu said gloomily, “I don’t like it. Can you separate me from the puppet?”

Liu Feng let out a low chuckle.
“If I don’t keep Qiu-jiejie confined, I’m afraid you would run away.”

“Feng’er, that makes me very sad.”

Staring at Liu Feng’s smiling face, Liu Qiu fell silent.

Liu Feng was always like this, and the things she said sounded sincere.

But Liu Qiu knew it was false.

Liu Feng loved speaking in half-truths, never as transparent as Liu Huang, who wore every emotion plainly on her face.

Liu Feng did not press further.

She carried the little wooden puppet, picked up the unconscious Liu Huang from the doorway, brought her into the room, gently closed the door, and walked toward her own chamber.

Liu Qiu was not set down, but remained in Liu Feng’s grasp as they left Liu Huang behind.

She was placed on the bed.

Tilting her head, Liu Qiu watched Liu Feng light a candle and sit at the desk, seemingly busy with something unknown.

Liu Qiu had no interest in finding out.

She merely felt that her guess had been correct—Liu Feng would not poke or tease her the way Liu Huang did.

Perhaps her gaze had been too obvious.

Liu Feng came back to her senses and looked toward her.

The dim candlelight could not illuminate those pitch-black eyes.

“Qiu-jiejie, don’t keep staring at me,” she said.

Her face was pale and cool-toned, her lips thin.

Liu Qiu averted her eyes.

Liu Feng looked even more like a ghost than she did.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Liu Qiu asked.

It should already be very late.

Did people in ancient times stay up this late?

She was merely curious, so she asked casually.

Liu Feng smiled.
“Very well. Since Qiu-jiejie is urging me to rest, I shall go to bed.”

For a moment, Liu Qiu did not know how to respond.

When had she urged her to sleep?

But it did not matter.

She intended to sleep as well.

Although she was a ghost, keeping her eyes open like this was exhausting.

It was time to close them and rest.

She had not forgotten how Liu Feng had inexplicably bitten her before.

But now she was inside a wooden puppet.

Why would Liu Feng bite a puppet?

The little wooden puppet gradually fell still.

Liu Feng climbed into bed and lay beside it, studying it carefully.

A dark, inscrutable glint flickered in her black eyes.

Such softness was not something “Liu Qiu” would ever show.

Liu Feng gently pulled open the puppet’s collar.

The birthmark shaped like the character “八” on its chest was correct.

The soul was correct.

This person was Liu Qiu.

And yet, she was not the Liu Qiu she knew.

Yes.

Precisely because she was not the one she knew, changes had occurred this time.

“Have you come to replace her? So that makes you her as well.”

“But you’re not like her. Qiu-jiejie, you’re cuter.”

If “Liu Qiu” had already died long ago and never reincarnated, did that mean the person now had taken her place, seizing control of her life and death?

How interesting.

Inside Liu Qiu’s mind, the system would probably be drenched in sweat—if it were capable of sweating.

Heavens.

A native of this small world had actually noticed!

This world was far too bugged, completely beyond expectations.

It normally entered dormancy when the host slept.

But tonight it had been playing games a little too long and overheard those words.

Suddenly, the system froze.

It sensed something intruding into the host’s mental domain.

That familiar presence—it was the World Consciousness.

The system immediately grew tense, wrapping its energy around itself and Liu Qiu’s soul.

In truth, it had lied to the host.

If discovered by the World Consciousness, they would not be annihilated.

They would simply be expelled from the small world, forever barred from returning.

It had said that only to make the host treat her missions more seriously.

Please don’t let them be discovered.

It was all that target’s fault.

Why think so wildly for no reason?

Its energy was precious.

Because of the system’s intervention, Liu Qiu fell into a deep sleep.

In the end, the World Consciousness detected nothing.

The system was utterly exhausted.

It had decided it disliked this target character.

Still, it would not tell the host.

If she knew, she would likely worry.

Truly—where else could one find such a good system?

The night deepened.

The chirping of insects and birds outside the window sounded all the clearer.

The high-hanging moon was obscured by dark clouds, plunging the mountain forest into pitch black.

A snow-white figure darted swiftly through the woods, so fast that only an afterimage could be seen.

Damn humans.

Su Li’s heart brimmed with fury and killing intent.

People said foxes were cunning.

Humans were the truly cunning ones.

To think they had devised such a technique to trap Liu Qiu inside a wooden puppet, making her unable to leave.

She was clearly mine.

Su Li had never killed before.

The only time she had ever felt the desire to kill was because of her.

As she neared the cave, Su Li stopped.

She was here.

Her ears flattened.

Golden light flashed within her eyes.

Her snow-white body shot forward like lightning.

That scent belonged to her second sister.

Her second sister loved beautiful humans most of all.

Liu Qiu was so beautiful—she absolutely could not let her sister take a liking to her.

She let out a howl.

Seeing the scene inside the cave, Su Li’s anger flared.

A large two-tailed fox was sprawled atop Liu Qiu.

The large fox noticed Su Li and split its muzzle into a grin.
“Little Li, the human you’ve hidden away is quite beautiful.”

Su Li leapt forward, ramming her head toward the fox’s skull.

Before she could reach her, she was knocked aside.

“Second Sister, don’t get close to her.”

“She’s mine.”

Su Li crouched on the ground and transformed into human form.

Her golden pupils did not change to black.

Two white fox ears still perched atop her head.

She lifted her face, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Second Sister, you’ve already found so many beauties.”

Su Liu let out a light laugh.
“Little Li, what little game are you playing now?”

Su Li wiped her tears.
“Second Sister, I’m not.”

Su Liu licked her paw.
“When you cry like this, you really do look convincing.”

“I only came to see my sister. Who would have thought you were hiding such a beauty in your cave? I’ve never seen one like this.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t steal her from you. I’ll just have a taste.”

Su Liu transformed into human form.

She extended her slender fingers and began to reach for the collar of the person beneath her.

Suddenly, a tight binding sensation wrapped around her limbs, restraining her movements.

Su Liu narrowed her eyes at Su Li.
“I underestimated you. Even after shedding so much cultivation, you can still use demonic power.”

It seemed that when she had seen Su Li cry earlier, she had relaxed her guard and failed to notice the trap already laid around her.

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Su Li rose to her feet and curved her eyes at Su Liu, smiling with bewitching allure.
“Su Liu, what exactly did you come here for?”

Faint blood marks appeared on Su Liu’s limbs where something had constricted her.

Blood dripped onto Liu Qiu’s clothing.

Seeing it, Su Li frowned.
“Su Liu, your blood is staining someone else’s clothes.”

Su Liu’s brow lifted slightly.

Her body blurred into nothingness, and in the next moment she appeared beside Su Li.

Su Li turned and went to Liu Qiu’s side.

Looking at Liu Qiu’s deathly pale face, Su Li bent down and pressed her ear to Liu Qiu’s chest, feeling her breath.

It had not changed.

It was still so faint—so faint that one could not sense it without careful attention.

“Little Li, this human’s soul has already left her body. Sooner or later, the body will rot.”

“Why not drain the blood from her body now? Her essence is pure. If you drain her blood, your injuries will surely heal by more than half,” Su Liu’s indifferent voice sounded from behind.

Su Li straightened and turned toward her.
“Second Sister, if she stays alive, she can supply me with essence and blood forever.”

Su Liu smiled.
“That’s true.”

Su Li likely intended to revive the human.

“By the way, I didn’t come for anything major this time.”

“I only came to tell you to be careful lately. Those Daoist priests have gone mad hunting demons.”

“You’d best avoid contact with humans, lest you bring disaster upon yourself.”

“If you came to tell me such useless things, then you may leave,” Su Li replied.

Su Liu knew Su Li’s temperament and said no more.

She glanced at the human with the faint breath and swept her long hair back.
“Little Li, I do have a method that may allow you to summon this human’s soul back into her body. Whether it succeeds, you’ll have to try for yourself.”

What she did not say was that this method would accelerate the soul’s deterioration.

Just as the Elder’s divination had foretold, Su Li had already been influenced by a human.

If the human was not killed, Su Li would gradually head toward death.

But if she acted, Su Li would hate her.

Their sisterhood could not be ruined over a mere human.

Su Li, do not blame your second sister.

I simply do not want you to end up like Eldest Sister.

Demons and humans have never had a good ending together.

The Elder’s divinations had never been wrong.

---

“Sickly one, the sun is already high in the sky and you’re still not up. Even as a ghost, you’re this lazy.”

Without opening her eyes, Liu Qiu knew who it was.

Hearing that voice only made her less inclined to open them.

But Liu Huang would certainly not stop there.

Slowly, Liu Qiu opened her eyes.

Sure enough, she was greeted by Liu Huang’s wheat-toned, heroic face.

They were far too close.

Liu Qiu reached out and pushed at Liu Huang’s cheek.
“Don’t come so close.”

The puppet’s tiny hands just barely covered Liu Huang’s lips.

Liu Huang grabbed the puppet and lifted her from the bed.
“Come on. I’ll take you into town for a stroll.”

At that, Liu Qiu perked up.

But why was Liu Huang being so kind?

Something felt off.

Wait.

Wasn’t she in Liu Feng’s room?

Why was it Liu Huang waking her?

Her muddled brain finally began to function.
“I’m not going.”

With Liu Huang’s temperament, she would probably talk to her on the street.

Imagining Liu Huang chatting with a wooden puppet in public was indescribably bizarre.

Glancing at the bright weather outside, Liu Qiu slipped out of the puppet and frowned at Liu Huang.
“Don’t get too close to me. I really will absorb your yang energy.”

Liu Huang stared at her without blinking.

If not for that woman last night, she could have done even more with the sickly one.

“It doesn’t matter. Absorb it if you want.”

“How can you absorb it faster? Do you need mouth-to-mouth?”

Liu Huang’s gaze burned too intensely.

Hearing that, embarrassment rose in Liu Qiu’s heart.

Liu Huang had truly gone mad, impatient to feed herself to a ghost.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, her wrist tightened.

She was yanked into Liu Huang’s arms and pressed onto the bed.

Her seaweed-like black curls spread out, making her face look even paler and her lips even redder.

Liu Qiu parted her lips, puzzled.
“Liu Huang, what are you doing?”

Liu Huang studied the Liu Qiu beneath her.

The sickly one was always like this—utterly unaware of what was wrong.

Had she worn the same innocent expression when that woman pressed her down?

Knowing nothing at all.

Liu Huang spoke bluntly.
“Sickly one, I want to pass you some yang energy.”

“Ah??”

Something flickered faintly through Liu Qiu’s mind.

But the door suddenly opened, interrupting her thoughts.

Liu Feng entered unhurriedly from outside and gently closed the door behind her.

Looking at the scene on the bed, she smiled.
“Meimei, don’t tease Qiu-jiejie.”

With one light sentence, she defined Liu Huang’s actions as mere teasing.

Liu Qiu immediately understood.

So Liu Huang had been teasing her again.

That did sound like something Liu Huang would do.

Liu Feng propped open the window.

Sunlight streamed in, and Liu Qiu’s body became faint and translucent.

Liu Huang pressed her lips together, lifted Liu Qiu from the bed, and held her tightly in her arms.

Liu Qiu pushed at her.
“I told you not to get close to me.”

Fine.

She admitted it.

Liu Huang’s body was warm, and a steady heat flowed into her.

It felt rather comfortable.

Liu Huang buried her face in Liu Qiu’s cold neck hollow.
“I’m giving you a bargain and you won’t take it. Where did you learn to be this stubborn?”

“Ghosts grow stronger by consuming yang energy. Such a good thing, and you still don’t want it?”

Liu Qiu’s eyelashes trembled.

Something was wrong.

She found herself less and less able to reject Liu Huang’s closeness.

It hadn’t felt like this last night.

[System, my body feels strange. I kind of like the scent of the living.]

The system’s mechanical voice stuttered.
[Host, th-this is normal. Y-you’re a g-ghost. Of course you like the bodies and a-and scent of the living.]

Liu Qiu asked, [System, are you alright?]

It felt strange as well.

[Hahaha, I-I’m fine.]

It had just used up a bit too much energy blocking the World Consciousness.

“So Qiu-jiejie needs yang energy?”

From behind, Liu Feng’s voice sounded above her head.

Liu Qiu’s back pressed against another body.

She shuddered.
“Y-you two, don’t crowd so close.”

She was sandwiched between them.

“Mm—”

She suddenly let out a muffled sound.

Her fingers grabbed Liu Huang’s head, pulling back.
“Liu Huang, stop messing with me.”

Was she a puppy?

Biting her neck all of a sudden.

Suddenly, a cool finger pinched her cheek, forcing her to turn her head.

She saw Liu Feng’s face drawing closer.

Her eyes widened.
“Liu Feng, what are you doing?”

Liu Feng laughed softly.
“Passing yang energy to Qiu-jiejie.”

[ Ding! Green Hat Value +5 ]

“What are you sisters-in-law doing? Incest?”

Su Li’s thin voice came from the window.

Liu Qiu’s breath hitched.

She shifted her gaze toward the window and saw Su Li clutching her collar tightly, staring nervously into the room.

Had she seen it or not?

She absolutely had.

No matter how much Liu Qiu did not wish to admit it, that Green Hat Value increase must have come from Su Li seeing their current position.

Liu Feng released Liu Qiu’s chin and straightened, turning sideways toward Su Li with a gentle smile.
“Sao-sao, you exaggerate. I merely leaned in to look at Huang’er’s eyes.”

“You stood at the window without knocking. Is there something you need?”

“Elder Sister has only been gone a few days, yet you are already like this. I fear you are doing Qiu-jiejie a disservice.”