Chapter 278: This Love is Not That Love

“Clang-clang-clang!”

The sharp, ear-piercing sound of metal clashing echoed through the lounge bar’s hall, accompanied by the whistling of sharp air currents that carved grooves into the walls, stone pillars, and furniture.

Jiang Li was not one to give up easily. Seeing that she was just one step away from killing the haunting, how could she give up now?

Since Lu Yibei couldn’t control the sword, she had to take matters into her own hands.

With her stubborn determination, Jiang Li clashed with the obstructive Broken Sword dozens of times in just a few seconds, feeling her tiger’s mouth go numb and her wrist ache.

As her psychic energy drained, her breathing grew more rapid, forcing her to retreat temporarily to adjust her state.

Once she stopped attacking and calmed down a bit, Jiang Li realized that Lu Yibei’s broken ancient sword was too strange.

Its psychic energy fluctuation wasn’t particularly strong, and there was no one wielding it, yet it displayed great strength and exquisite swordsmanship.

For a moment, Jiang Li felt like she was dueling with a Swordsmanship Master.

Fortunately, the Broken Sword was only protecting the haunting and had no killing intent. Otherwise, a Swordsmanship Master combined with a Class A haunting would be too much to handle.

It wouldn’t be as simple as one plus one equals two.

Jiang Li thought to herself, then turned to look at Lu Yibei, her eye twitching uncontrollably.

Lu Yibei was “tootling” on the suona, her slender waist twisting like a water snake, her eyebrows dancing to the music.

Although Jiang Li knew Lu Yibei was playing the suona non-stop to suppress the haunting, her appearance was quite infuriating.

Jiang Li resisted the urge to hit her and said, “What’s the deal with your sword? Why can’t you control it?”

Lu Yibei thought for a moment and gave Jiang Li a determined look.

“It’s an heirloom.”

Jiang Li, “…”

An heirloom?

But according to The Midnight Watchers Society’s background check, her family had been running a restaurant for three generations. How could they have passed down such a dangerous psychic artifact?

Seeing that Lu Yibei had no solution to the current situation, Jiang Li turned her gaze back to the haunting, took two steps forward, and swung her long blade, sending out a blue arc of light with a metallic clang.

“Clang!”

Hearing the sharp sound, Lu Yibei frowned, racking her brain to recall Qing Ji’s words, hoping to find a way to control the Pure Lotus Sword.

Just then, the Broken Sword buzzed, sending out ripples of pale gold in the dim environment, followed by Qing Ji’s voice.

“Stop fighting, stop fighting!”

Lu Yibei’s heirloom Broken Sword had a consciousness? Jiang Li was taken aback and instinctively retreated, putting some distance between them.

She had only heard of such miraculous entities, which were somewhere between hauntings and psychic artifacts, but this was her first time seeing one in person.

While Jiang Li was momentarily stunned, the Broken Sword buzzed again, and Qing Ji’s voice came through.

“Granddaughter-in-law, why make things difficult for this little one? There must be some misunderstanding.”

“…”

Jiang Li looked at Lu Yibei in surprise, tilting her head and pointing at her nose.

“Granddaughter-in-law? Is he talking to me?”

Thinking of the embarrassing dream the haunting had conjured for her earlier, Jiang Li’s cheeks flushed.

Damn it, did Lu Yibei tell her family’s heirloom sword something weird? Jiang Li wondered.

Lu Yibei looked at Jiang Li with a deadpan expression, her eyes gradually showing a sense of resignation.

“No, he’s… talking to me.”

Jiang Li, “???”

For a moment, she wondered if the person playing the suona was really Lu Yibei or someone like Wang Buliuxing, who had a similar temperament and style.

Otherwise, how could anyone pull off a stunt like “I am my wife”?

However…

Jiang Li underestimated Lu Yibei’s shamelessness.

Just as she looked at Lu Yibei, wanting to speak but hesitating, a sudden change occurred. An unnamed opera tune appeared, and a strange melody echoed.

The haunting, which had been retreating to a corner, suddenly moved. Its skeletal body wriggled, making a “crackling” sound.

Deep within its massive body, something else was stirring, making a wet, sticky noise, as if flesh was sliding within a cavity.

Hearing this, Jiang Li quickly turned around, her expression turning serious.

She saw that the haunting’s torso was now glowing faintly, like a door being pulled open, revealing a figure hidden within the bones.

It was a woman, her slender limbs trapped among the bones, her alluring body covered in charred little hands. Her delicate face was painted with a blue opera face mask, giving her an eerie beauty.

Her long black hair extended and merged into the smoke, turning into countless pale tendrils.

As the woman appeared, the psychic energy fluctuation intensified, and the scene before them twisted and distorted. Streams of chaotic light scattered, accompanied by bursts of laughter.

These were “beautiful dreams” almost solidified by psychic energy.

Facing the haunting’s sudden transformation, Jiang Li was on high alert, her palms sweating as she gripped her long blade. Just then, the haunting spoke.

“Benefactor? Have you returned?”

As if communicating with someone, the haunting whispered, her sorrowful eyes searching around before finally settling on the Broken Sword, falling silent.

Seeing this, Jiang Li frowned and turned to Lu Yibei with a questioning look.

“Are you her benefactor?”

Lu Yibei shook her head vigorously, denying it.

“You give me too much credit. I thought it was you!”

Jiang Li, “…”

Lu Yibei, “…”

If neither of us is, then could it be…

After a brief silence, they both seemed to realize something and turned their gaze to the ancient sword floating before the haunting.

Was it the sword!?

Jiang Li was stunned and looked at Lu Yibei again with a puzzled expression.

Lu Yibei furrowed her brows, calmly analyzed the situation, and nodded, giving Jiang Li a determined look.

“I know what the problem is. You play the Erhu to suppress the haunting, and leave the rest to me!”

Seeing Lu Yibei’s confident demeanor, Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then sheathed her long blade, picked up the Erhu, closed her eyes to recall the notes, adjusted her posture, and played the first note.

As the mournful melody flowed from her fingers, she turned to look at Lu Yibei, almost stopping her performance in shock.

Lu Yibei had arranged several chairs together, covered them with tablecloths, and lay down with a cushion she had somehow acquired, closing her eyes.

Jiang Li, “???”

What was she doing?

Was her so-called solution to give up resistance and lie down comfortably, waiting for death?

Given Jiang Li’s understanding of Lu Yibei, she could indeed pull off such an infuriating stunt.

Lu Yibei wasn’t waiting for death. She realized that if Qing Ji was controlling the Pure Lotus Sword, she needed to communicate with him.

The simplest way she could think of to enter that strange dream was to fall asleep.

“…”

Of course, if faced with an unbeatable, unavoidable situation, lying down and waiting for death wasn’t a bad option.

With Erhu accompaniment, it was quite nice. She could even save on funeral music expenses.

Lu Yibei thought, calming her mind, silently reciting the description from within her, and then emptying her mind…

She fell asleep.

As countless times before, Lu Yibei felt herself gradually disintegrate, spreading out like an invisible gas, sinking in the midst of incomprehensible murmurs.

Then suddenly, her back touched the cold, hard ground, and she woke up on that familiar rooftop.

Before she could open her eyes, her chest suddenly felt cold, then hot.

She died, but she was happy.

Receiving Qing Ji’s special “welcome gift” confirmed that she had successfully entered the Dream.

Like being pulled from a dark whirlpool by an invisible force, Lu Yibei suddenly woke up.

Opening her eyes, she saw a sword coming at her. She twisted her body in an unusual way, successfully dodging it.

Steadying herself, she looked at Qing Ji, who was standing with his sword, and quickly said, “Ancestor, wait, I have a question!”

Qing Ji paused his attack, crossed his arms, and coldly said, “Speak!”

“Were you controlling the sword just now?”

“Hmm?”

Seeing Qing Ji’s expression change slightly, Lu Yibei abandoned her attempt to mimic his speech and quickly explained, “Uh… I mean, were you controlling the sword?”

“Of course, it was me.” Qing Ji tilted his chin slightly, looking at Lu Yibei with a sidelong glance. “Do you know why I only suppressed it back then and didn’t eradicate it?”

“Because you were injured.” Lu Yibei blurted out.

Qing Ji had told her himself that he had over thirty shrapnel pieces in his body, was severely injured, and couldn’t use his psychic energy properly.

“Nonsense! What do you mean ‘couldn’t’?” Qing Ji’s mouth twitched, and he angrily said, “If that monster was truly evil, harming others, I could have waited until I recovered some strength to kill it.”

“Even if I couldn’t, my son Yuebo could have. If not him, then his son. Generations to come, someone would have done it. Do you understand?”

Now that there’s a problem, it’s my fault, right? Lu Yibei thought.

Seeing Lu Yibei remain silent, Qing Ji adjusted his breath and continued, “I didn’t eradicate it because I found it wasn’t inherently evil and could be saved.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Qing Ji turned away and sighed, “The origin of hauntings often comes from rumors, grievances, or obsessions. This little one’s birth was due to some unfulfilled promises.”

“Promises?”

“Yes.” Qing Ji looked at Lu Yibei. “It wanted to protect those poor children, making many promises and weaving dreams to give them hope in the dark tunnels. But who knew…”

Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully and interrupted, “They were buried by artillery fire, right?”

“Exactly.” Qing Ji nodded. “I thought I could return after five or six years when I had recovered most of my strength to kill it. But when I went back, I saw something that surprised me.”

“Guess what I saw?”

“Seventeen or eighteen wild ghosts in red clothes and flower shorts, holding hands and dancing?” Lu Yibei blurted out.

“Huh?” Qing Ji was taken aback, looking at Lu Yibei with a strange expression.

Lu Yibei lightly slapped her own face and explained, “Uh… ignore me. If I say anything weird, just treat it as garbage. Please continue.”

Qing Ji frowned and continued, “When I arrived, I found that the once desolate village had gathered a dozen or so families in just five or six years. The wild fields had become fertile land, and every household was living well. They were happy.”

“Uh… was it because of the haunting’s influence?” Lu Yibei asked in surprise.

“Exactly!” Qing Ji nodded.

Hearing this, Lu Yibei couldn’t help but recall and ponder.

She vaguely remembered that when Xingfu Community hadn’t been developed into commercial housing, the residents lived well.

The crime rate was extremely low, and there were no thefts. Occasionally, she saw residents walking through the old alleys, always smiling. Many top students in Hua City came from there.

The whole street was like an old street from a sweet coming-of-age story, where all the stories were warm and beautiful.

In fact, when the first phase of Xingfu Community was sold, “Feng Shui treasure” was used as a marketing gimmick.

If Qing Ji’s words were true, the haunting might have played a role in this.

“But…” Lu Yibei said, “Someone told me that hauntings are all bad.”

“Who said that? Nonsense! Which bastard said that? I’ll beat him up!” Qing Ji said angrily.

Lu Yibei, “…” It’s not my fault. I don’t know. It was the “granddaughter-in-law” you just called.

Qing Ji glanced at the silent Lu Yibei and said, “With the Pure Lotus Sword’s hilt suppressing it, it couldn’t be hiding anything. So I thought it could be saved.”

“Moreover, since ancient times, people have worshipped deities, seeking blessings for good weather and prosperity. Many deities were once hauntings. Are they all fake?”

“I believe that the difference between a haunting and a deity is just a thought. If it could become a deity and bless the area, it would be a good deed for future generations.”

“Huh? Then why is… uh, my husband so unlucky?” Lu Yibei asked, stunned.

Qing Ji looked at Lu Yibei with a serious expression, his deep eyes seemingly saying, “Figure it out yourself.”

Lu Yibei, “…” I get it. You’ve done more bad things, right?

After a moment of thought, Lu Yibei steered the conversation back on track. “But, Ancestor, the situation is different now!”

“The haunting is causing big problems. It’s killing people…”

Lu Yibei described the situation in Xingfu Community in detail. Qing Ji’s expression changed, and after a moment of contemplation, he muttered, “With the Pure Lotus Sword’s hilt suppressing it, how could this happen? Unless someone…”

Halfway through his sentence, Qing Ji’s face darkened. He looked at Lu Yibei with piercing eyes, as if looking at an unworthy descendant. His grip on the sword tightened, and his psychic energy surged, creating an intimidating aura.

Seeing that Qing Ji was about to take action, Lu Yibei panicked and quickly explained, “No, I didn’t pull the sword. Someone else did. I just found it recently.”

“Wait, there’s something wrong! Could it be…”

Lu Yibei suddenly thought of the strange statue she saw at Red Mountain Villa and Li Tanghan’s house, representing a filthy, twisted haunting.

The Pure Lotus Sword’s hilt was at Li Tanghan’s house, and Qin Dalin said the person who pulled the sword was connected to Li Tanghan’s father. There might be a subtle connection.

Seeing Lu Yibei deep in thought, Qing Ji pondered for a moment, then walked over and firmly squeezed her shoulder.

“Granddaughter-in-law, it seems you have an idea about the person causing trouble, but now is not the time to think about that. The most important thing is to solve the immediate problem.”

Lu Yibei was stunned and weakly said, “How do I solve it? I can’t beat that guy! Honestly, if I wasn’t with a friend, I would have run away.”

“I’m not asking you to kill it. If you kill it, there will be bigger problems…” Qing Ji said.

“Killing the haunting will cause bigger problems?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Qing Ji retorted. “According to what you said, if you kill it, countless people will wake up from the beautiful dreams it created. How many can bear the pain of shattered dreams?”

“But those are…” Lu Yibei started to say but was interrupted by Qing Ji.

“Fake, right?” Qing Ji smiled silently. “Silly child, if a beautiful dream can last a lifetime, does it matter if it’s real or fake?”

“…”

That’s right. Fake shoes still fit, and fake textbooks can still get you good grades… Lu Yibei thought, looking at Qing Ji with a serious expression. “I understand. What should I do?”

Qing Ji shrugged indifferently. “Love it! That’s what I did.”

What a cliché! Were male protagonists from over a hundred years ago this cheesy? Lu Yibei looked at Qing Ji in horror, feeling like she had eaten a lump of greasy pork fat. “You… loved it?”

I thought you spared it out of kindness, but you were just lusting after it? Lu Yibei thought.

“Love!” Qing Ji said firmly.

“…” Lu Yibei pondered for a moment and then said seriously, “Does my great-grandmother know about this?”

What should I do if I accidentally discover my great-grandfather’s affair? It’s urgent.

Qing Ji, “…”

Although this love is not that love, Yanzhi really doesn’t know.