uptly, shaking the table. The short, fat man immediately turned his head, his evil eyes fixed on me as he said: "Don't worry... I still need you as a hostage to make your brother find the bronze tower...The Netherworld, when I first saw it, felt like an endless black hole.

Shén Tú and Yù Lěi, the two Ghost Emperors, were majestic and imposing. The gate they opened was the Netherworld Abyss, through which all ghosts entered and exited.

A sinister wind, like a swirling vortex, pulled me upwards. Jiang Qiyun wanted to open a passage between the two worlds here.

"Come on," he whispered above my head.

"Go But my brother, Da Mao, Hui Qing, and Xiao Guangtou are all here. Just leave like this!"

I couldn't help but look up, my gaze questioning Jiang Qiyun.

Jiang Qiyun frowned, just about to say something, when a few sharp and majestic cries suddenly came from the pavilion.

Two black birds with long tails circled the pavilion, as if guarding it.

When Jiang Qiyun saw the two large birds, he subtly retracted the sword energy in his hand, with a hint of restraint.

"Little Qiao... Are you leaving" My brother, covering half his face, suddenly looked up and stared straight at me.

"I..."

"...take, take Big Mao back—" He suddenly wore a pained and conflicted expression.

I couldn't tell at first if this was really my brother.

This kind of furrowed-brow strength, I'm familiar with it.

Even if he was bruised and battered, he could express his well-being with a smile.

Just as I was about to respond, Jiang Qiyun raised his hand and clamped down on my jaw, forcing my gaze to meet his.

“The Gate of the Underworld can only be maintained for a very short time. Are you going to leave, or stay” He frowned, as if afraid I wouldn't understand, and whispered coldly in my ear: “ … This is not a time for your whims. If you can't bear to part, you will remain here forever.”

He said this through gritted teeth, as if it were a terrible secret he was forced to reveal because I was so dense and couldn't figure things out.

But Da Mao is still just a little child… I, I can’t bear to leave him in this place of unknown origin.

"Little Empress~~" Voices called out from within the Ghost Gate in the heavens.

I looked up, and a strong gust of wind seemed to be pushing me upward.

Two small heads popped out from behind the Ghost Gate, those were Ah-Da and Ah-Meng. They had recovered their shapes!

Jiang Qiyun saw my slight hesitation and without a word, grabbed the back of my collar and pushed me upwards —

I thought there was a distance here, yet the center of this swirling darkness is between two worlds. I feel like I've dove into water, cut off from everything else.

My brother's eyes, filled with suppressed pain, tore at my heart. I even wanted to struggle and run back to him.

Ke Jiang Qyun's usually cold eyes now held a hint of hidden sorrow, making me feel very conflicted.

Perhaps my path to enlightenment is too lenient.

Ancestors and sages severed the silken thread of romance, detaching from worldly entanglements. They were as serene as water, steadfast as mountains, allowing wind and rain to pass without a ripple in their hearts.

Yet I have always been allowed to be immersed in the dust of the world, especially unable to let go of family ties.

Jiang Qiyun saw it all, but never truly stopped me or controlled me. Instead, he often gave me guidance and help.

This is probably his overindulgence, but in this world under such a great demonic tribulation, he has no choice but to bind me.

I really am not skilled enough in the Dao. I saw my brother clutching his face, struggling in pain. This soul-shifting technique, this taking over someone else's body... I don't know what he went through. All I saw was him before me, seemingly struggling in pain to stay "awake".

"Dà Mao…" He murmured the two words, as if trying his best to entrust Dà Mao to me.

But now I am powerless, Jiang Qiyun pushes me into the gate of hell, giving me no chance to hesitate.

"Xiao Qiao!" My brother's shout echoed in my ears.

He reached out from the pavilion, and my outstretched hand seemed to be just inches away.

However, the two dark-colored birds were very aggressive, squawking and charging towards me, as if warning me or driving me away.

In the instant our eyes met across the pavilion, I was pulled by a tremendous force, dragged into the underworld.

The mortal world and the heavens...

My mind was a blank. My brother couldn't be rescued, and I didn't know where Big Mao was in the palace. Master Huaisqing and Little Bald Head were still imprisoned, and there were giant eyes under that tree...

My eyes went dark, and I gave up, closing my eyes in defeat.

》》》

I thought that after death, it would be a sea of peach blossoms on Mount Taoshi.

Unbeknownst to me, I plunged into an icy cavern. My whole body was submerged in freezing water. The swirling currents around me surged and battered, as if they were trying to tear me apart.

This feeling is very similar to the dilemma I just had. I want to listen to Jiang Qiyun, but I can't bear to let go of my concern for my family.

But the current situation doesn't allow me to daydream. I quickly paddled a few times and realized that I was really in the water!

I'm still afraid of water to this day. The more I'm splashed, the bigger my psychological shadow becomes. I doggy paddled for a while, but I realized that the surface of the water was still very far away and there was no solid ground beneath my feet.

"Stupid!" A frustrated voice, like nails on a chalkboard, gave me a lifeline.

"Start... clouds..." gurgling, I choked down several mouthfuls of water.

Jiang Qiyun seemed to be in the water as well, but he was at ease. With one hand, he reached around from behind and grabbed my chest just below my ribs, effortlessly pulling me out of the water.

"Oh my! How did the little lady get so disheveled..." The young boy sat cross-legged on a large gourd, floating on the water's surface, as if waiting for me.

My ears got filled with water. Before I could speak, I heard Jiang Qiyun scold him: "I told you to wait here, and you really did wait. Don't you know how to keep dry"

The little boy awkwardly scratched his head: "… I thought the Imperial Lord would come with the young lady... Who knew the young lady crossed the border first…"

I was hauled onto the shore, shivering from the cold. Jiang Qiyun stood beside me, his clothes completely dry as if unaffected by the water. He looked at me with a slight frown.

"Here... isn't this the Underworld" I looked around, a vast expanse of sea stretched before me, shrouded in darkness. The shore, however, presented a different scene altogether.

A white deer on the cliff, a spiritual mushroom under the pine.

Clouds billow and swirl, auspicious clouds encircling.

"...The Azure Harmony Realm" I asked incredulously.

The young boy nodded, just about to speak, when Jiang Qiyun threw a large cloak over me and said, "I'll go to pay respects to the revered deity first. You go to Zi Bamboo Forest with the young boy for some quiet contemplation!"

I shrank my neck and nodded hurriedly.

Jiang Qiyun seemed a little angry. This cold tone made it clear that I shouldn't press further.

Nevermind, asking the little boy would be the same.

Unlike the celestial beings, a young boy serving them is different. He not only possesses a wealth of knowledge but also has the ability to see in all directions and hear from all sides—this is equivalent to being adept at the Eight Trigrams.

Moreover, he was not bound by divine duties. He followed the powerful Taichi God while leaning against a big tree for shade, enjoying an unparalleled freedom that surpassed many great Luo Jinxians.

While others have to toil away at sitting meditation, alchemy, and such, he simply picks up some discarded scraps as a snack. He has no pressure at all.

I hid behind a big tree and changed out of my wet clothes, wrapping myself tightly in Jiang Qiyun's cloak.

The little boy fetched some vine and grass,

making a belt for me.

Dressed to the nines, he was dragging on the ground, looking ethereal—yeah right.

"Little Empress, you're being too bold this time. Do you know the fate of those who wholeheartedly serve the demon" The little boy scoffed.

"How could I possibly be devoted to the demon... what kind of outcome would that bring" I asked cautiously.

For those who love this book, the Ghostly Queen fans, hurry to join the official bookworm group: 1080642757. Fans of Jiang Qiyun and Mu Xiaoqiao are here!ith his bandaged hand as a way of comforting me and then went out after telling me to lie down.He's truly made of iron. His mindset and physique are both solid, tireless, and without any dramatic emot...