Une relation tragique

Chapitre 27

When Zhang Xiang woke up, he found that he was still unable to move, but his mind was clear. He could feel himself sitting on something, bouncing back and forth. The mournful sound of a suona horn echoed in the middle of the night, and upon closer listening, it turned out to be a funeral dirge.

He strained to move his head and realized he was dressed entirely in bright red, clearly the attire of a groom. A small blue-and-white sedan chair stood silently beside him, carried by four burly men with deadpan expressions, terrifying faces, and tattered clothes. He was riding a horse, which seemed to know he was watching. Suddenly, it turned its head and glanced at him, startling Zhang Xiang. The horse's eyes were clearly blood-red, as if dripping with fresh blood, and its nostrils emitted a putrid stench.

In despair, Zhang Xiang finally realized that he had begun a "ghost marriage." Looking around, he saw two more people with grotesque faces, missing noses and eyes, and dressed in rags.

The deserted streets were empty. A gust of wind blew, swirling up scraps of trash and sending them twirling as they fell. Zhang Xiang desperately wished someone would appear, even Lin Feng or that witch. Perhaps this was karma, he thought despairingly.

The Ghost King's sinister voice came from behind, saying in a strange tone, "How about it? What I'm going to do will never change because of anything!"

Zhang Xiang was completely unable to utter a sound at this moment, and even if he could, he probably wouldn't be able to speak. Scenes of his past actions flashed before his eyes: his master's dying gaze, He Feng's resentful expression, and all those who had died at his hands, all those he had harmed, appeared one by one. It was too late for regrets now; it was all his fault for being too greedy. If he had been less greedy, perhaps things wouldn't be like this today. Or perhaps being caught by Lin Feng back then would have been better than this.

Unfortunately, it was all too late now. Zhang Xiang closed his eyes tightly. He didn't know where he would stop, but he knew he would never be able to turn his life around. He would forever eke out a living under the Ghost King's rule, belonging neither to humans nor ghosts, with no place of his own.

Volume 2, Chapter 38: The Ghost Bride (6)

The night was cold and still, and Zhang Xiang's heart sank slowly. There was no hope left; he had almost given up struggling. No miracle would happen.

The oppressive darkness of the night made it hard to breathe, and the mournful sound of the suona horn was heart-wrenching. Completely resigned, Zhang Xiang looked sadly at the sky. Perhaps because he had done too many bad things in his life, he didn't feel much sadness about his ending, but it was unexpected. He hadn't expected such a cruel result, and tears streamed down his face. Things buried deep in his heart for so long were awakened by the tears; he discovered that his heart wasn't cold after all. His master's warm hand, He Feng's passionate kiss—everything seemed so distant, yet also so close. The two people he had wronged most in his life had even been deprived of his right to be reborn; he feared he would never have the chance to repay them.

Zhang Xiang's mind flashed back to He Feng's beautiful face, and he softly said in his heart, "I'm sorry!"

The endless, dark night was engulfing him. He closed his eyes, shed his last tear, and no longer held any hope for the future.

Suddenly, in the dead of night, the sound of clothes being torn apart arose, followed by two whooshing sounds. The Ghost King roared, "Who dares to cause trouble in front of me?"

Zhang Xiang quickly opened his eyes and saw two figures flash by like the wind. Two beams of light, one red and one blue, intertwined, standing out brightly in the darkness, their approach even more breathtaking.

Two streaks of light, like lightning in the night sky, flashed past Zhang Xiang, followed by two loud thuds as heavy objects collapsed to the ground. Zhang Xiang looked closely and almost cried out in delight. The two men behind him lay on the ground, their heads severed, rapidly turning into wisps of smoke. Then, in a flash, the Ghost King sprang into action, clashing with the two men before quickly separating and retreating. Clearly, the newcomers were skilled and he hadn't gained any advantage. Standing before him were the languid Lin Feng and the beautiful Qi Qi, their eyes fixed intently on him.

Lin Feng saw Zhang Xiang's face clearly and said through gritted teeth, "Damn it, it's you, you scum! I knew I shouldn't have saved you!"

Zhang Xiang shouted, "As long as you rescue me, I will send your entire spirit to stand in front of you and commit suicide, just don't let me die at his hands!"

Lin Feng glanced at Zhang Xiang, then carefully examined the Ghost King, and said to Zhang Xiang, "Wow, someone can scare you like this? This guy is no ordinary person. It's true what they say, karma works, you've finally met your match. Who is that guy? He looks so arrogant!"

The Ghost King gave a cold snort, seemingly disdainful of speaking to Lin Feng. In fact, he had almost been hit by Lin Feng's "Crimson Fire" during their brief exchange. Although he wasn't injured, he was still agitated and secretly surprised that these two formidable opponents had appeared out of nowhere.

Zhang Xiang sighed and said dejectedly, "He is the Ghost King!"

"The Ghost King?" Zhang Xiang was taken aback.

The Ghost King was very pleased to see Zhang Xiang startled, and a smug look appeared on his face.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Xiang continued, "I've seen so many ghosts, but I've never heard of any shameless ghost daring to call itself king. Today, I've seen one!"

Ghost King's pale face actually flushed red. Lin Feng clicked his tongue twice and said to Qiqi, "See? He can even blush now!"

Kiki, with an air of "you don't know," said, "I bet this is some kind of gangster from a ghost movie. Look at them, they're so fierce!"

Lin Feng immediately looked enlightened and said, "I knew it! Otherwise, why would they be blowing and banging all night, disturbing my sleep? Look at this society now, even ghosts have gangsters!" After saying that, he kept shaking his head and sighing, looking heartbroken.

The Ghost King was so angry that he almost blew smoke from his nose as the two of them chatted happily and kept mocking him.

Without uttering a word, he clapped his hands twice. The remaining four sedan chair bearers suddenly dropped the chair and surrounded the two men. The sedan chair landed on the ground without a sound, as light as a feather.

Lin Feng and Qi Qi maintained relaxed expressions, seemingly unconcerned. In truth, their brief exchange with the Ghost King had revealed him to be no ordinary opponent; those two henchmen wouldn't have been so easily dealt with had it not been for the element of surprise. Now, with all four attacking at once, they were even more wary.

The Ghost King coldly said, "You've brought this upon yourselves, don't blame me!" With another light strike of his hands, four zombie-like figures immediately attacked from above and below.

Qiqi let out a sharp cry, her hand blazing with blue light, transforming into a blue screen to protect herself. Lin Feng, back-to-back with Qiqi, also wielded his "Crimson Flame" with impenetrable skill. The four figures darted around the perimeter, unable to find a chance to attack, clearly wary of the two's spirit swords. Qiqi was doing relatively well, but Lin Feng knew his own limitations. Continuing to dance like this was draining his stamina immensely; before long, those guys would sneak in unpredictably, and he'd be dead! But he couldn't think of a better solution, only hoping that Qiqi's superior physique would allow her to take down one of them first, providing some relief, and then he could think of another way.

But the Ghost King glanced at the sky; the moon was already high in the sky. If he couldn't deal with these two soon, the time for the underworld wedding would be over, and he'd miss the perfect opportunity. So, he clapped his hands lightly twice, and the four creatures that were fiercely fighting around the two jumped away.

Lin Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief; a fine layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.

The Ghost King's eyebrows shot up, and with a light step, he was already in front of Lin Feng. He could see that although Lin Feng's spirit sword was far superior to Qi Qi's, he didn't have Qi Qi's extraordinary physique, making him much easier to deal with. Therefore, he immediately launched a fierce attack on Lin Feng.

Although Lin Feng had been on guard, he hadn't expected the Ghost King to be so fast; it arrived in the blink of an eye. In the darkness, he saw the Ghost King wave his hand, sending a faint black aura hurtling towards him. Lin Feng retreated several steps, while Qi Qi beside him simultaneously attacked the Ghost King.

Volume 2, Chapter 39: The Ghost Bride (7)

Although Lin Feng dodged quickly, he still felt a chill run down his arm, followed by a burning pain where the Ghost King's claws had gripped him. Fortunately, Qi Qi had already attacked the Ghost King's back, forcing him to intervene; otherwise, Lin Feng's arm would have been crippled in a single exchange.

Lin Feng was shocked and furious. He stepped back and examined the wound carefully in the moonlight. It wasn't very deep, but it was over two inches long. Although it hadn't hit any vital organs, the bleeding wouldn't stop. Seeing that Qi Qi was still fighting the Ghost King and was holding on, Lin Feng tore off a piece of his sleeve, roughly wrapped it around the wound, and then rejoined the battle.

The Ghost King unleashed a series of claw strikes at Qiqi, all of which she dodged, using her "Bluetooth" to shield herself. The Ghost King nearly got hit twice, but thankfully stopped in time. Looking around, he realized the moon had already passed its zenith, and he had missed the perfect opportunity for the ghost marriage. Enraged, he abandoned his initial contempt and focused on dealing with Qiqi. But the more they fought, the more surprised he became; this woman was far more formidable than he imagined. If it were Lin Feng under such rapid attacks, he would likely be severely injured, if not killed, or exhausted to the point of near death. Yet Qiqi maintained steady breathing and nimble movements, her speed in no way inferior to the Ghost King's.

The Ghost King was focused on dealing with Qiqi when a powerful surge of spiritual energy suddenly rushed from behind him. He knew it was Lin Feng's spirit sword and quickly dodged. However, Qiqi's attack was already upon him. In his panic, he dodged Lin Feng's attack but couldn't avoid Qiqi's. He had no choice but to duck, and Qiqi's "Bluetooth" whistled past his head, singeing a tuft of his hair. The Ghost King quickly retreated a few steps, jumping out of the circle. He raised his hands and clapped three times in quick succession.

Lin Feng and Qi Qi both inwardly cried out, "Oh no!"

As expected, the four monsters, who hadn't received any orders, immediately surrounded the Ghost King at the sound of his applause. Originally, with Qiqi's speed and Lin Feng's strength, the two of them were just slightly outmatched by the Ghost King. But with these four injured, the situation instantly reversed.

The four attackers surrounded the two, relentlessly trying to kill them. Although they dared not get too close due to the men's spirit swords, the Ghost King on the outside would occasionally strike from the sidelines, causing the two men considerable trouble. In a short time, the two were in grave danger. If it weren't for Qiqi protecting him, Lin Feng would probably be lying dead on the spot by now. Even so, Lin Feng was in a sorry state, with several more cuts on his body.

The Ghost King was also extremely anxious, and he was very annoyed that he could not defeat the two of them after a long time.

The street sweepers had already come out, and the two cleaners were watching Lin Feng and Qi Qi's frantic dancing, occasionally kicking their legs. They obviously couldn't see the Ghost King or his "Seven Killers," nor could they see the spirit swords in Qi Qi and Lin Feng's hands. They thought they were doing morning exercise, but it seemed a bit too early, and the amount of exercise seemed excessive. The man, in particular, was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, practically drooling and sniffling, but it seemed it was only a matter of time before he collapsed. Next to them sat a guy in a very strange posture, not moving for a long time. This puzzled the two cleaners. After thinking it over, they figured they'd probably encountered a drunkard acting out. After watching for a while, seeing nothing particularly interesting about their dancing, they shook their heads and continued sweeping. While sweeping, they thought to themselves, "These young people nowadays really have no sense of decorum at all!"

Just as the Ghost King was about to make a move, a figure suddenly darted out from the side, charging straight towards the four monsters surrounding Lin Feng and Qi Qi. It was Zhang Xiang, who had been lying on the ground. Because the Ghost King was distracted by Lin Feng and Qi Qi, the control over his body gradually weakened, and he finally broke free. As soon as he was free, he immediately rushed towards the four monsters attacking Lin Feng and Qi Qi. He knew that if he tried to ambush the Ghost King, he wouldn't be able to harm him at all, unlike Lin Feng and Qi Qi who possessed spirit swords. Therefore, he decided to help them deal with the four monsters first.

He was about 60% confident he could ambush these four guys. Zhang Xiang formed a hand seal, rushed forward, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood. A misty blood fog immediately enveloped the six people who were fiercely fighting.

Qiqi and Lin Feng were naturally unafraid, but the four attackers couldn't dodge in time. Once trapped, their movements immediately slowed, as if they were bound. Then, Zhang Xiang's hands, formed into a hand seal, slammed into the back of one of the attackers. The attacker let out a strange cry, then vanished in a burst of light. Lin Feng and Qiqi, of course, wouldn't let such a golden opportunity pass them by, wielding their spirit swords to finish off the remaining three.

Zhang Xiang used his "Body-Breaking Technique" to relieve Lin Feng and Qi Qi's predicament, but he also exhausted all his spiritual power. He could no longer dodge the ghostly claws that the enraged Ghost King attacked from behind.

Lin Feng and Qi Qi arrived at the rescue at the same time. Although Qi Qi was slightly faster, she was still unable to completely stop the Ghost King.

With a "thud," the Ghost King's claws pierced Zhang Xiang's body. Fortunately, Qi Qi was quick, and the Ghost King retreated before it could exert its full strength. Although Zhang Xiang escaped with his life, he was seriously injured. Blood gushed from a wound on his left lower back.

Although the Ghost King managed to escape in time, he couldn't dodge Qi Qi's spirit sword. His five fingers were instantly severed and fell to the ground. After a long, mournful howl, his figure retreated rapidly and disappeared into the deep night.

Lin Feng looked in the direction the Ghost King had retreated, let out a long breath, and slowly collapsed to the ground. After the fierce battle, he was physically exhausted, had lost too much blood, and was under extreme mental tension. Now, as soon as he relaxed, he immediately felt weak, his body feeling as if it were falling apart. He had been held up by sheer willpower, and now he finally collapsed.

Qiqi knew that Lin Feng would be fine after a rest, so she ignored him and went to check on Zhang Xiang, who was lying on the ground, panting in pain. Zhang Xiang's lower back was lacerated and bleeding, and his spiritual energy was scattered. He was barely breathing and teetering on the brink of death.

Qiqi slowly channeled her energy into Zhang Xiang's body, and Zhang Xiang seemed to perk up a little. He forced a smile at Qiqi, as if to express his gratitude. However, Qiqi looked at him coldly, making him extremely embarrassed. On second thought, he realized it was understandable and couldn't help but sigh.

Volume 2, Chapter 40: The Ghost Marriage (8)

Lin Feng, who had been resting on the ground for a while, had regained his mobility. He stood up and walked over to Zhang Xiang, looking at the guy who had almost killed him. He really wanted to rush over and teach him a lesson. But seeing Zhang Xiang's terrified face and covered in blood, he figured Zhang Xiang couldn't withstand more than a few blows from Lin Feng. Lin Feng suppressed his anger, helped Zhang Xiang up, and, with Qi Qi on either side, supported him as they walked towards the hotel.

The street sweepers have vanished without a trace. If I saw them now, I'd probably run far away and call the police.

Upon entering the hotel, the owner refused to let Zhang Xiang in, and looked at Lin Feng and Qi Qi with great suspicion. Qi Qi angrily threw another 500 yuan at the owner, and Zhang Xiang repeatedly explained that he had been injured in a car accident. The owner took the money and then reluctantly let the three of them in.

Lin Feng helped Zhang Xiang to the bed in his room. Zhang Xiang took out Yunnan Baiyao and gauze from his bag, cleaned Zhang Xiang's wound, and then bandaged it. Lin Feng always kept these things on hand because he often got injured to some extent when exorcising spirits, so he developed this habit.

After bandaging his wound, Zhang Xiang whispered, "Thank you!"

Lin Feng snorted and said, "No need to thank me. I saved you only to take you back to face a fair trial and avenge those who died at your hands!"

Zhang Xiang's facial muscles twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but seeing Lin Feng and Qi Qi's indifferent expressions, he swallowed his words.

Seeing that everything was alright, Qiqi said to Lin Feng, "I'm going to sleep now. I'm exhausted from all the commotion. That guy is injured, so he shouldn't bother us again today."

Lin Feng nodded and said, "Probably. It'll be dawn in two hours. I doubt he'll dare show up during the day. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

After Qiqi left, Zhang Xiang lay down fully clothed on the wooden floor of the private room. Embarrassed, Zhang Xiang threw the blanket off the bed and said, "Put the blanket back on!"

Lin Feng spread the blanket on the floor, not even glancing at Zhang Xiang. Zhang Xiang sighed inwardly. He knew he had done too many bad things in the past, and Lin Feng would never forgive him. Going back with Lin Feng this time would definitely mean certain death, but it was still infinitely better than suffering endless torment from the Ghost King.

Looking at Lin Feng, who was fast asleep on the ground, Zhang Xiang thought to himself: I hope I won't be a bad person in my next life, and I will definitely be your friend.

Covered in wounds and utterly exhausted, Zhang Xiang drifted off to sleep. For years, he had been frequently awakened by nightmares; the fear he felt while awake was tightly suppressed within him, transforming into terrifying nightmares that assailed him in his dreams. He hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep in years, anxiously awaiting the arrival of daylight in the darkness. But today, finally at peace, he slept the most peaceful night of his life.

In his dazed state, Zhang Xiang vaguely heard someone softly calling his name, "Zhang Xiang, Zhang Xiang."

He opened his eyes and saw it was Lin Feng, so he said, "What's wrong? Should we go?"

Lin Feng surprisingly spoke to himself in a friendly tone, "No, I want you to come see something that I guarantee you'll be interested!" He then gave a sly smile.

Zhang Xiang felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He got up, and surprisingly, his lower back didn't hurt at all. He touched his waist; the thick gauze was still there, and the bleeding had stopped.

Lin Feng walked to the bathroom door and said, "Come in and take a look!"

Zhang Xiang asked curiously, "What?" He peeked inside and saw He Feng and his master standing there.

He could hardly believe his eyes. He glanced at Lin Feng, who was smiling at him. He felt like he had seen that smile somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

Zhang Xiang shook his head and said, "My master and He Feng are dead."

Lin Feng interrupted him, saying, "I know that the people you feel most sorry for are those two, so I summoned their spirits. You should apologize to them in person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiang immediately knelt down, choking back tears, and said, "Master, He Feng, I'm so sorry. I can only repay your kindness in my next life." After saying this, he kowtowed three times to the two of them and added, "I hope you won't blame me!"

He Feng smiled and said, "We don't blame you. Although you took the wrong path for a while, you came back in the end, didn't you?"

Zhang Xiang was so excited he couldn't speak.

He Feng beckoned to him and said, "Come here!"

Zhang Xiang walked over without hesitation. He Feng affectionately stroked Zhang Xiang's face and said, "You've lost weight. Look how dry your lips are. Look at yourself in the mirror!"

Zhang Xiang nodded gratefully, and He Feng stepped aside. Seeing a mirror on the ground, Zhang Xiang asked in surprise, "Why is a mirror on the ground?"

He Feng remained silent, only smiling as she looked at him.

Zhang Xiang was looking down at himself in the mirror when suddenly someone grabbed his head and slammed it hard against the mirror. The mirror seemed insubstantial; his head plunged right into it.

Zhang Xiang struggled, but could only wave his hands unconsciously. He felt as if something was violently squeezing his head; the pain made him want to scream, but no sound came out. Finally, he heard a crisp cracking sound from his skull—the sound of his skull breaking. It felt as if a "tightening band" was being placed over his head, constantly tightening.

The person holding him down let out a sinister laugh. He finally realized that the voice was the Ghost King's voice; he had been tricked. He also understood why Lin Feng's smile was so eerie yet so familiar—it was the Ghost King's incarnation.

But by the time he understood all this, it was too late. His consciousness was fading, and he could no longer utter a sound. His last remaining awareness told him that he had no hope left.

In his hazy state, Lin Feng seemed to hear a sound. He sat up alertly, but all around him was darkness. Lin Feng shook his head, thinking to himself: "The night is too tense; I can't sleep peacefully." He lay back down on the floor, turned over, and prepared to go back to sleep.

Volume 2, Chapter 41: The Ghost Bride (9)

Lin Feng glanced at the bed casually and sat up abruptly. Zhang Xiang was gone.

"Damn it!" Lin Feng cursed angrily, thinking that this guy had actually managed to escape while he was exhausted and asleep. He got up in frustration, only relaxing his vigilance when he saw that the guy was quite badly injured. He never expected that the guy would get away, how could Lin Feng not be furious? He thought to himself that this time, if he caught this kid, he would break his legs first.

He glanced at the window; it was securely locked and showed no signs of being opened. The guy must have run out through the door. Lin Feng dressed while looking around. He figured the guy was so badly injured and penniless that he couldn't have gone far. He figured he could find a place to hide and keep him occupied.

Lin Feng hastily dressed and planned to call Qiqi to go look for him together. When he got to the door, he saw a faint light coming from the bathroom next to the entrance; the door was tightly closed. Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. So that guy was using the toilet; he'd given him a false alarm.

Lin Feng knocked on the door and said, "Zhang Xiang, are you in?"

No one answered from inside. Lin Feng wondered if they had fallen asleep on the toilet. He knocked on the door twice more, but still no response. Growing impatient, Lin Feng pounded on the door. It wasn't latched from the inside, and he easily pushed it open.

The door slowly opened, and He Ye let out a gasp, like a sigh before death.

Lin Feng frowned and peeked out, immediately seeing Zhang Xiang slumped over the toilet, his entire head submerged. Lin Feng rushed over to help Zhang Xiang up. He had assumed Zhang Xiang had fainted while trying to use the toilet and had collapsed onto the toilet.

When he got closer, he realized something was wrong. Zhang Xiang's shoulder was stuck inside the toilet bowl, a very strange situation. Lin Feng grabbed Zhang Xiang's arm outside the toilet and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. Had his head gotten stuck in the toilet drainpipe? He pulled again, but still couldn't move it.