But Night Royal Heaven didn't care. With a flicker of his form, he grabbed the female ghost by the neck.
"No, you're not human." As soon as his hand touched her neck, he felt her skin was icy cold, not smooth like ordinary skin, but rather had a papery slickness.
Ye Lanshan's heart tightened. She hadn't expected Night Royal Heaven to detect so quickly that the female ghost wasn't human.
"Whether I'm human or not, is that any of your business?" A surge of red mist erupted from her body, but Night Royal Heaven was no ordinary man. With a few bolts of lightning, he dispersed the red mist one by one.
"You can't kill me." The female ghost didn't even try to block the lightning that pierced straight through her. The bolts passed through her body, leaving only a hole without a single drop of blood.
Seeing this, Ye Lanshan bit her finger, rushed to the female ghost, and quickly drew a talisman over the hole. Miraculously, the wound healed itself.
"Did you think I'd let you escape?" A soft laugh came from Ye Lanshan near the female ghost's ear.
The female ghost was terrified. What kind of technique was this? It could trap her within this paper puppet, preventing her from breaking free.
"I know you fear sunlight, but with this shell, you can walk freely under the sun during the day without harm. This deal is quite a bargain—think how many years it's been since you've seen sunlight, how long since you've roamed freely outside." Ye Lanshan saw the doubt and hesitation in her eyes. This was the perfect moment to break through her defenses.
"Ye Lanshan, she's not human. You'd better keep her out of sight, or the Holy Land will turn more of its attention toward you." Night Royal Heaven knew their past encounters had been fraught with unpleasantness, but now that he'd confirmed his feelings for her were genuine affection, he naturally wanted to treat her well.
"My affairs are none of the Night King's concern." Ye Lanshan's expression turned cold. Her steps seemed unhurried, but in an instant, she was before Night Royal Heaven, her voice icy: "I recall we've long since had no connection. From now on, you'd best stay out of my business."
Night Royal Heaven found no good retort. After all, Ye Lanshan was right—they had no relationship now. If forced to label it, they were enemies.
Despite all the complications, the day's outing wasn't without gain. At least she'd subdued a female ghost. She didn't know where Cloud Island was, but it didn't matter—it had nothing to do with her. Now she just needed to focus on dealing with the Sun family.
Once the Sun family fell, the royal court and the Holy Land would surely vie for her. Then she'd sit back and watch the tigers fight, letting them exhaust their strength. When the victor emerged, that would be their downfall.
In a mere instant, Ye Lanshan had laid out her plans. But she could never have guessed that human calculations were no match for heaven's whims, and things wouldn't unfold as she imagined.
"What a beautiful woman—those soul-stealing eyes laced with sorrow, seemingly seductive yet carrying a bitter charm. I didn't expect you to have such a beauty by your side." Mo Ran appeared silently behind her. The female ghost, more alert, lunged at him the moment he showed up.
Because of the blood-drawn talisman on her, the female ghost's body now had some warmth. Without close inspection, one wouldn't notice she wasn't human.
"You're all more idle than the next. If you're so bored, go train in the forests and level up your strength. Hanging around me every day—aren't you tired of it?" Ye Lanshan was in a foul mood, and Mo Ran's arrival just happened to catch her ire.
"Bored? I don't think so. Do you know what happens to those who cross me? I'm a patient man—I can't leave until I've watched them suffer, writhe, and break." A sinister smile curled at the corner of Mo Ran's lips. He grabbed the female ghost by the neck and lifted her.
But a ghost was still a ghost, unlike a human. Her hand twisted at an unnatural angle, gripping his arm tightly. Her nails suddenly lengthened, piercing into the flesh of his arm.
"How amusing." Mo Ran didn't let go of the female ghost but tightened his grip on her neck bit by bit.
Ye Lanshan stood there, not a trace of panic in her eyes, as if the one in Mo Ran's grasp wasn't her ally.
The female ghost's shell was made of paper, inscribed with runes, and Ye Lanshan had just added a talisman. No matter how crumpled it got, she couldn't escape, so Ye Lanshan had no worries.
"What a cold woman. Boring." Mo Ran released his grip, and the female ghost fell to the ground. But unlike an ordinary person gasping for air, she rose slowly and spoke in a languid, eerie tone: "I'll remember you."
Then Ye Lanshan spoke: "Don't you think it's unwise to show up before me alone right now?"
Her expression turned bloodthirsty and fierce. A flame flickered in her hand—small, yet terrifyingly hot.
"Flying Fire Meteor."
"Heh." A soft laugh escaped Mo Ran's lips. "You're still too weak to be my opponent." With that, he vanished into the vast darkness.
"No need to chase. There will be plenty of chances for revenge later." Ye Lanshan raised a hand to stop the female ghost from pursuing.
"Let's go." Ye Lanshan turned and headed back toward Dream Red Pavilion.
"Master, how's my swordsmanship?" Summer had been focused on practicing his sword when he glanced toward the gate and spotted his master approaching. He asked excitedly.
"Your fundamentals aren't solid yet. You need more practice." Summer's swordplay was essentially a copycat—he could mimic the forms, but it lacked power and substance, looking more like a flashy show.
"Yes, rest assured, Master. I'll train harder. But, Master, who's this young lady behind you?" Summer had been too excited to notice the female ghost behind Ye Lanshan earlier, but now that he'd calmed down, he saw her.
"My maid." Ye Lanshan smiled gently, and the warmth of it instantly drew Summer's attention away.
"Master, everything you ordered is arranged. What else do you need me to do?" A hoarse, grating voice broke the tranquil atmosphere.
Ye Lanshan was silent for a moment. "Do you know where the prison is?"
Qushui looked up in shock. "Master, you're not thinking of breaking someone out, are you?"
"Yes, exactly. After thinking it over, I believe this method is faster and less conspicuous." Ye Lanshan nodded calmly, as if breaking into a prison wasn't the least bit daunting.