Chapter 101: Unswerving Until Death

Guang Qi's current decision took Ye Dong completely by surprise; even more so than Ye Dong, the shrewd Inspector Li was shocked.

“Is this the headquarters building of Wanma Runting? Indeed, it is grand and imposing.” Standing before the Wanma Runting Headquarters Building, Guang Qi smiled faintly. “This is the source of all information leaks, so I shall begin my plan here. Who would have thought that the Canghai Jade Pendant, which Huang Wuchang craves day and night, would fall into Wan Tianze’s hands? Ye Dong, Ye Dong, I truly owe you. Not only did you leave me this well-tempered good body, but you also guided me to the Canghai Jade Pendant, which astonishes me greatly.”

The two jade pendants, Canghai and Yueming, had appeared repeatedly in that ancient text, the True Words of the Outer Three Realms, sending a shock through Guang Qi. According to the records, these two relics originally belonged to Huang Wuchang, or rather, to the Spirit Thieves Sect. For some unknown reason, they had vanished over a hundred years ago. He had questioned Huang Wuchang, but received only a weary, unwilling sigh in return.

“It seems the Canghai and Yueming jade pendants harbor some secret they wish to keep from me.” Guang Qi felt a surge of frustration. “How did the jade pendants passed down through generations disappear a hundred years ago, only to reappear in the hands of that Daoist?”

What puzzled him most was the memory Ye Dong had transmitted: the jade pendant had been given to Wan Tianze by a wandering Daoist. Who was this Daoist? Was the gift of the Canghai Jade Pendant merely a matter of fate and affinity? And where was the Yueming Jade Pendant now? Guang Qi could not untangle the connection, yet one certainty burned in his mind: given Huang Wuchang’s devotion to these relics, the treasure within them was beyond price. Control of the Canghai Jade Pendant would place him in an overwhelming position should he clash with Huang Wuchang.

Steadying the whirlwind of speculation in his heart, Guang Qi produced the quick-pass card Wan Tianze had given He Wentian and swiftly reached the directors’ private elevator.

Special circumstances arrived too swiftly; no one could have foreseen that Guang Qi would enter the “abnormally dangerous” Wanma Runting building alone at this critical hour.

“Inspector Li, He Wentian has appeared—in the elevator of our headquarters building!” Wan Tianze’s phone connected instantly to Inspector Li.

“No matter what, you must not let him enter your office. If my guess is correct, his target is the Canghai Jade Pendant in your hands!” Inspector Li’s mind raced ahead of the words. “Take no life, but use any other means you wish!”

Before the line had fully disconnected, he whispered to the young aide Xiao Yang beside him, “Connect me to Brother Chen, quickly.”

“Hello? Brother Li, do you have news?” Chen Yao answered promptly.

“Brother Chen, He Wentian has surfaced at Wan Tianze’s headquarters. I believe he seeks the Canghai Jade Pendant. This requires your assistance.”

Hearing the urgency in Inspector Li’s voice, Chen Yao, fresh from the hospital, thought, The situation must be grave.

“I shall send Purple Dragon at once. Hold on at all costs!”

The call ended. Chen Yao swiftly delegated the task to Purple Dragon.

“Master, leave this to me!” Purple Dragon’s gaze burned with resolve as he raced toward the Wanma Runting building on a sleek black motorcycle.

“Finally, some peace… yet how I long to sleep.” The agony wracked Ye Dong’s body, eyelids heavy beyond opening. Between waves of hunger and cold, an anxious female voice pierced his ears. “Ye Dong! Ye Dong! You must not sleep! Ye Dong!”

“Hah!!!” Hearing that familiar voice, Ye Dong’s heavy lids lifted, gazing directly into the swirling blizzard.

“Ya Yi!? Ya Yi!?” Ye Dong’s cracked, bloodless lips whispered the name repeatedly. “Is it you…? Is it you…?”

“It is I! It is I!” A woman emerged from the vast white expanse. It was Ya Yi, the beloved of Ye Dong’s dreams.

“Ya Yi!” Seeing his dream lover, Ye Dong’s heart stirred.

“Dong, you cannot sleep. This is your soul realm; if you drift off here, the living person in the mortal world will never awaken!” Ya Yi’s eyes brimmed with tears as she clasped Ye Dong’s hand tightly.

“This body no longer belongs to me—do not touch me!” Ye Dong’s face twisted in pain.

“I know this form is not mine, yet I feel your soul here!” Ya Yi’s heart ached; she gripped harder.

At those words, Ye Dong’s tears fell. “Ya Yi, I was harmed by villains and trapped here. I never thought to see you at this final moment… I…”

He sought to utter the words of no regret, but Ya Yi interrupted. “You must not die! You cannot simply surrender! Did you not say you love a girl who mirrors me exactly? What will become of her if you perish?”

“Hui Yan?!” Ye Dong’s nose stung; tears streamed again. “Hui Yan still lives or dies? Yes! I cannot remain here; I must go rescue her!”

“Dong, you stand at the border between the mortal world and the nether realms—commonly called the Gate of Hell!” Ya Yi gently touched his cheek. “Countless souls in the living world await your salvation. You must summon your strength!”

“Gate of Hell!?” Ye Dong stared through reddened eyes. “Does that not mean death lies only a step away?”

“Yes, listen closely,” Ya Yi lowered her voice. “I overheard Dongfang Gui Di Cai Yulei ordering the ghost enforcers: if you enter the pass and he takes you to serve as judge beneath him, you must never sleep. Once assigned, you will be forever barred from intervening in the mortal realm.”

“Oh, my heavens!” Ye Dong shivered. “Although honored by the ghost emperor, I am still so young—I wish to live many more years!”

“Yet you ran away secretly; should you not be punished?” Ye Dong suddenly recalled: Ya Yi had already passed; how could she appear and speak now? Was that not forbidden?

Hearing that he still worried for her, Ya Yi smiled softly. “Fear not. The judge declared that my many good deeds and profound cultivation have earned me merits sufficient to escape hell’s torment. Thus, while awaiting reincarnation, I am sent to guide wandering souls along the Yellow Spring Road, assist the enforcers in registering their injustices, and when idle, to stroll the pass gate. Public servants may walk freely in the vicinity without violating rules.”

“So that is the arrangement. Ya Yi, you truly repay kindness with kindness!” Ye Dong felt warmth in his chest. “If the ghost emperor had no such helper, would he not punish you?”

“How could he punish me? It is you who must live. I have not truly aided you in any substantial way.” Ya Yi’s jade-like face flushed. “I never imagined seeing you here. If I can save more good people and punish more evil, would a few reprimands truly matter?”

“If everyone were as kind as you, it would be wonderful,” Ye Dong sighed. “Meeting you proves my life is not yet ended. Ye Dong will not bow to evil!”

“Yes, this is the Ye Dong I know!” Ya Yi’s eyes reddened with emotion. “Do you know how many wronged souls linger on the Yellow Spring Road—those slain by villains before their allotted lifespan? They cannot ascend, cannot reincarnate, cannot enter the underworld; they wander forever, awaiting their time to report to the Nine Nether for the King of Hell’s judgment.”

Ya Yi wiped her tears. “Only two ways exist to free them early. One: the slayer must also perish, allowing the victim to appeal to the judge and King of Hell for justice and retribution. The other: only when the victim’s true lifespan ends can they complete the Yellow Spring Road and enter the netherworld for reincarnation.”

“There are such rules?” Ye Dong murmured. “Then by eliminating evil in the mortal world early, the souls they harmed can escape their suffering sooner?”

“Yes! Ye Dong, your burden is heavy—you must not yield now!” Ya Yi clasped his hand firmly. “Helping one soul is helping one, as you once said!”

“Yes, I must be strong. I cannot yield!” Ye Dong met her gaze with equal resolve. “Thank you, Ya Yi!”

“Those eyes may not be yours, but I know that look!” Ya Yi nodded, tears glistening. “Hold on. Master Chen is mighty; he will surely find a way to reach you!”

Ye Dong blinked several times, about to answer when a solemn voice echoed across the frozen landscape.

“Ya Yi.” The call cut through the icy wind.

Ya Yi’s brows furrowed; she lowered her voice. “I must return. Remember: never surrender, or you will truly step onto the Yellow Spring Road. Ye Dong, you will always be my hero!”

“Ya Yi! Ya Yi!” Ye Dong felt his hand slip away; Ya Yi walked into the distance, tears streaming.

Inspired by Ya Yi’s words, Ye Dong, who had been clenching his jaw against tears, felt a surge of strength. The fire of life rekindled in his heart!

The wind remained bitterly cold, yet Ye Dong’s chest warmed as he realized Ya Yi, Hui Yan, Chen Yao, Inspector Li, and those brothers who had risked everything for him were all standing by him, never abandoning him.

“Ya Yi, do you not fear my punishment for this?” A towering man of stern righteousness and majestic presence laughed heartily.

“Afraid,” Ya Yi replied with a bitter smile, “but even so, I must do it.”

“Oh?” The man smiled faintly. “You seem prepared for enlightenment.”

“I am but a small woman, yet I understand the principle of sacrificing the self for the greater good,” Ya Yi answered calmly. “Ye Dong can sacrifice for the righteous path; I can sacrifice to save him.”

“Splendid,” the man replied with relief. “The righteous path demands great cost and requires such resolve. I did not expect this delicate woman to grasp it.”

“These days on the Yellow Spring Road, I have witnessed countless suffering souls,” Ya Yi said, eyes reddening. “Though I cannot feel their pain directly, their torment can pass through our bodies and strike the heart, can it not?”

The man nodded slowly. “Ya Yi, you are a truly kind soul.”

Ya Yi smiled bitterly. “Emperor Lord, I know you wish to spare me, but the rules of the netherworld cannot be broken. Please judge me.”

The man pondered, then said, “Left and right—how should Ya Yi be punished for this?”

A young man in white robes holding an iron brush stepped forward. “Reporting to the Emperor Lord, secretly communicating with the half-dead outside the ghost gate incurs 49 strikes of the knife as punishment.”

The emperor sighed and waved a hand. “Take her away.”

“Wait!” The iron-brush judge hesitated. “Emperor Lord, this…”

“Judge, I have indeed erred and must be punished. Proceed according to the law.” Ya Yi smiled bitterly and walked toward the execution table first.

The emperor nodded and entered the inner hall alone, thinking, It seems Ya Yi has grasped the true meaning of that saying: “Facing countless demons and devils blocking the way, I still go forward.”

Ye Dong, absorbed in reading Guang Qi’s memories, knew nothing of the knife punishment Ya Yi had endured to save him. Yet what comforted Ya Yi was that Ye Dong had finally uncovered vital information!

“This Canghai Jade Pendant is actually a treasure of the Spirit Thieves Sect, passed through generations!?” Ye Dong was stunned. “Could the old Daoist who bestowed it upon Wan Tianze have been a descendant of that same sect!?”

Ye Dong continued his speculation. “Why did he wander the world? Was it out of love for freedom, or had he been expelled from his sect? If expelled, does the man opposing him now hold the Yueming Jade Pendant?”

“But according to Guang Qi’s memories, Huang Wuchang claims both pendants have vanished. Where is the other holder? Why does the new sect leader know nothing of this? What secret lies hidden…”

After claiming his life, what fate awaited Ye Dong?

Would Guang Qi succeed in claiming the Canghai Jade Pendant?

What plans would Inspector Li and Chen Yao devise next?

Awaiting the next chapter: Dragon and Tiger Clash!..