Chapter 78 Fengdu Ghost Banquet 23 (1)

The Zhongyuan Festival, early morning.

Xia Qi woke up early and entered the front hall. He was just about to boil some water to drink when he saw a man wearing a black shirt and a ponytail sitting arrogantly below the Phoenix seat.

The man had one leg resting on a small table nearby and was holding a cigarette in his hand.

Xia Qi squinted his eyes and stared at the man for a long time before finally recognizing him. "...Consort Qian?"

Xia Qi was not used to seeing Consort Qian without his grotesque imperial robe.

"Call me Qian Fu," Consort Qian said, blowing out a ring of smoke and standing up from his seat. He picked up a cloth bag that had been placed at his feet. "Xia Qi, I have to go."

He had been waiting here because he knew Xia Qi would wake up early this morning.

Seeing Consort Qian's resolute demeanor, as if heading to his death, Xia Qi opened his mouth but found he didn’t know what to say.

Consort Qian walked over to him and handed him a pole. "Please give this clothes-drying pole to Xiao Ou. This kind of perverted tool suits him better."

Xia Qi silently put away the unbound clothes-drying pole and looked up. "It's not safe outside. Let me see you off."

Since the copy fell into chaos, the imperial consorts had become crazier than ghosts. They ran wildly through the copy, eager to devour every living person.

Hearing this, Consort Qian nodded. "Alright, escort me for a bit."

The two of them left My Love Palace and came to the Chuhui Well, where they stuffed Consort Sun's body into it.

"The sixth soul is called Chuhui, representing the evil in human nature. It's quite fitting for Consort Sun," Consort Qian said calmly.

After Consort Sun was thrown into the well, the energy of the copy surged again, and a strong demonic wind blew across the nearby flat ground, nearly knocking the two of them over.

Xia Qi helped Consort Qian stand up, and they supported each other as they walked forward, leaning against the wall.

"Can you tell me your story?" As they reached a small alley where the wind wasn't as strong, Xia Qi couldn't help but ask.

"Sure," Consort Qian shrugged indifferently and slowly began to recount his experiences. "I was pulled into the sin game because I was involved in electronic fraud... Ha, bet you didn't expect that?"

Xia Qi fell silent. He really hadn't expected it.

"Actually, I wasn't always like this. At first, I just scammed people by selling movies, animations, and unauthorized literary packages. But once I tasted the sweetness of it, I couldn't stop... In the end, I hurt a lot of people, sigh."

Perhaps it was because human nature is inherently good, but in the final moments of his life, Consort Qian slowly spoke of the unscrupulous illegal acts he had committed for money.

But it was too late now; the sin game would not let any evil person go.

Ten minutes later, the two of them reached the Feidu Well.

Consort Qian looked at the well and chuckled bitterly. "The fifth soul is called Feidu, representing human love. It doesn't really suit me."

However, it was unlikely he could switch wells. The energy in this Feidu well was relatively low, making it a perfect match for him to supplement.

Consort Qian waved at Xia Qi and walked gracefully towards the Feidu well. When he reached the edge of the well and looked down into the bottomless pit, his expression changed suddenly.

"Xia Qi," Consort Qian suddenly looked up and called out to him. "Xia Qi, have you ever loved someone?"

Hearing this, Xia Qi paused. Why was Consort Qian asking this?

He looked up at Consort Qian, puzzled.

But Consort Qian looked at him seriously and asked again, "Xia Qi, have you ever loved someone?"

Hearing this, Xia Qi's mind went blank.

He couldn't remember any memories of having loved someone. He couldn't even recall their name or face.

With regret, Xia Qi lowered his head and said, "I don't remember."

He had lost everything precious.

"Not having memories doesn't mean you haven't loved," Consort Qian said solemnly, his eyes deep. "Human memory carries many things, but emotions don't completely rely on memory."

"So, what you're saying is..." Xia Qi took two steps forward, realizing that something was very wrong with Consort Qian.

"Don't come closer," Consort Qian raised his hand, signaling Xia Qi to stop.

Xia Qi frowned and stared at Consort Qian.

Once Xia Qi stood still, Consort Qian smiled meaningfully. "Xia Qi, tell me, have you ever loved someone?"

Xia Qi's chest heaved violently, his emotions like a volcano ready to erupt.

But when he opened his mouth to say the word "love," something seemed to be stuck in his throat.

All his emotions were isolated, as if separated by a vague barrier.

He thought of the person, but he couldn't say he loved them, nor could he express his love.

Why?

Seeing Xia Qi's ever-changing expression, Consort Qian sighed regretfully and then waved at him. "Go on, time is running out."

When Xia Qi still didn't move, Consort Qian urged him again. "Go." Unable to bear it any longer, Xia Qi took one last look at Consort Qian, bit his teeth, and said, "Farewell."

Consort Qian didn't respond.

As soon as Xia Qi turned around, he heard the sound of flesh being pierced from behind him, followed by a "plop" as something hit the water.

Consort Qian had already jumped in.

A darkness like thick ink descended again, overwhelming and all-encompassing. Black clouds rolled over the dome of the sky, as if hiding countless demons and monsters.

The white lanterns hanging from the eaves outside the palace swayed back and forth, and then one by one, they went out. The night, like a giant beast, instantly enveloped the entire city of Fengdu.

A blood-red moon rose quietly in the distance, and its crimson light cast a long shadow on Xia Qi, stretching out on the blue stone floor behind him.

Walking on this empty palace path, Xia Qi felt an inexplicable loneliness.

As he neared the Imperial Garden, he could faintly hear a joyous melody. Just as he wondered who was playing the instrument, a strange howl came from a nearby well. Several white ghosts suddenly burst out, and before he could make out their features, more ghosts erupted from the well one after another.

To Xia Qi's surprise, the ghosts completely ignored him. They gathered in groups, waving handkerchiefs or carrying rattle drums, happily heading towards the Imperial Garden.

Clearly, the Ghost Festival Banquet had begun.

Seeing the ghosts running wildly, Xia Qi quickened his pace and ran towards My Love Palace.

As he arrived near My Love Palace, he saw his younger sister and Xiao Ou looking out from the palace gate.

When his sister saw that Xia Qi had returned alone, she first sighed in relief, then showed a sad expression.

"Concubine Qian... is gone?" his sister asked in a low voice.

Xia Qi nodded and took out a drying pole from his system backpack, stuffing it into Xiao Ou's arms. "This is from Qian Fu," he said.

Xiao Ou whimpered, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, and carefully put away the drying pole.

"Let's go, we're heading to the banquet," his sister said, pressing her lips together. "I've brought the clothes."

The Ghost Festival banquet was held on the Moon-Viewing Platform in the Imperial Garden.

It was the Ghost Festival, a day when the gates of the underworld were said to open. The ghosts had given all the players a break. Instead of chasing the players, they conducted a thorough search, dragging players into the Imperial Garden to attend the banquet.

At first, some players were reluctant to join the banquet, but the ghosts, with their fiery tempers, tore a player apart on the spot. After that, players ran towards the Imperial Garden at the sight of any ghost.

By the time Xia Qi and his sister arrived at the banquet, all the players were already there.

Xia Qi counted the number of people present and found that, apart from Concubine Lin and Xiao Ou, there were six remaining imperial concubines, and fewer than six imperial ladies-in-waiting and consorts combined.

There were a total of fourteen people eligible to vote.

As for the performers, Xia Qi found there were only six people left.

These six people were divided into three groups.

"It's a pity there are only three performances left. That's not enough to watch," a female ghost said regretfully.

The living players gave the ghosts a sideways glance: It was them who did the killing.

Before the banquet began, the system broadcast the rules again.

"Failure rule: The three trainees with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated in this round of the game."

There were six participants in the performances, but three would be eliminated, making the elimination rate 50%.

Excluding Xia Qi and his sister, the other two groups backstage were crying, looking as if they had lost their parents.

In the center of the Imperial Garden, a stage had been set up on the Moon-Viewing Platform. Concubine Lin sat in the guest area opposite the stage.

At this point, the blood moon had risen to the center of the sky. Concubine Lin glanced at the reddened tea in her cup and said calmly, "Let's begin."

Imperial Concubine Zhou suddenly said, "...Isn't His Majesty coming?"

Today, the main seat on the Moon-Viewing Platform was still vacant. The Ghost Emperor had not appeared as promised.

Concubine Lin took a sip of her tea and smiled faintly. "His Majesty probably can't come today."

The Fengdu dungeon was composed of ghosts, its foundation being the three souls and seven spirits. The seven spirits corresponded to the Seven Spirits Wells, and the three souls to the BOSS.

Initially, the foundation of the Fengdu dungeon was a group of ghosts. The overpowered players under Xia Qi had extracted and destroyed the foundation—the energy of all the ghosts—creating a new palace intrigue rule. By throwing a high-energy concubine into the well, Xia Qi had restored the dungeon's original energy, leading to the scene of the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade.

The energy of the ghosts surged, and the BOSS's energy was in a state of explosion.

However, after using a prop to calculate, Concubine Lin discovered that the BOSS did not want the energy the players were returning and chose to stay hidden.

Thus, Concubine Lin sat there comfortably.

"Since His Majesty isn't coming, we'll follow Lady Lin's lead," Imperial Concubine Zhou said with a smile.

"Hmm." Concubine Lin nodded slightly, her chin held high, a look of confidence on her face.

All the concubines eligible to vote had been warned by her. After the performances, they would join forces to deny Xia Qi votes, ensuring his elimination.

Xia Qi, his sister, and Xiao Ou were backstage preparing. When they saw Concubine Lin sitting in the guest area with a particularly wide smile, Xia Qi's sister couldn't help but mutter, "Brother Xia, if the Ghost Emperor doesn't come, will Lady Lin vote to eliminate us?"

"Don't worry," Xia Qi said, opening the system panel and sliding his charm stat to max.

After maxing out his charm, he felt an itch on his face.

His sister blinked, and when she turned to look at Xia Qi again, her eyes widened. "Brother Xia, you look too good!"

At this moment, Xia Qi's face was glowing softly, his pores invisible, as if dusted with diamond highlighter.

Xiao Ou also waved his hands exaggeratedly. "If you go up there like that, aren't you afraid of blinding everyone?"

Xia Qi: "..." It wasn't intentional.

He had to do this to summon the Ghost Emperor.

However, worried something might go wrong, Xia Qi opened the system panel again and maxed out his endurance, dance, and vocal stats.

This time, he didn't believe that the Ghost Emperor wouldn't come out.

Xiao Ou glanced at Brother Xia again and secretly wiped the nosebleed: "Brother Xia is really fucking handsome. If the Ghost Emperor doesn't come, he's not a man."

The three of them were rehearsing their lines when the first group of players took the small stage.

The first group's performance was a song. Facing a crowd of terrifying-looking ghosts covered in blood, the two players sang hand in hand, their voices trembling and heart-wrenching, turning the song "Memorable Tonight" into "Come Back Soon."

"Come back soon... I can't bear it alone..."

"Come back soon... bring back my longing..."

The two players sang so sincerely that they moved all the ghosts present to tears.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I've heard this song at my funeral," a ghost sniffled.

Transformed into a female ghost, Concubine Wu sat on a pillar, wiping her tears and sobbing, "Even in death, my dead husband refuses to return to my well."

The younger sister whispered next to Brother Xia, "Singing this song in front of the dead really fits the occasion."

The first group finally finished their tearful performance, and it was time for the next two players to perform their dance.

After enduring two rounds of eye-searing performances, the concubines covered their hearts, too nauseated to even drink their tea.

"Is this it? I really can't bring myself to vote for the first or second group," a concubine bribed by Concubine Lin complained softly.

If it weren't for Concubine Lin threatening them, they would have voted to eliminate the first two groups entirely!

It was too painful to watch; they had to be voted out!

When the second group finished, it was finally time for the third group's performance—the stage play prepared by Brother Xia and his sister.

"If they disgust me again, I won't vote. I'll have them all eliminated," a concubine said through gritted teeth.

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a loud "clang," and all the lights went out, plunging the entire stage into darkness. The stage blended into the night.

In the darkness, the world became extraordinarily quiet, as if a pin drop could be heard.

As everyone and the ghosts were curious, a slightly ethereal male voice rose from the stage.

"Spring has gone, winter has come again, and my love is no more."

In the quiet night, Brother Xia's voice was gentle, like flowing water, trickling into everyone's heart, bringing a sense of coolness.

No one expected the third group's performance to be like this. Everyone forgot to breathe, their eyes wide open, staring eagerly at the dark stage.

"Hmm..."

A light, ethereal child's voice joined in, like a gentle breeze softly caressing the grass on the wilderness.

As the harmony began, a large circular lamp in the center of the stage lit up.

It was a lamp resembling the sun, but its light was soft, making it look like the moon against the night sky.

In the soft glow, the projection of a young man appeared on the lampshade, and the warm light outlined his figure, giving the lampshade a slightly lonely and desolate appearance.

Then, a girl in a white dress and a slim man walked out, holding hands. They began to spin near the moon lamp.

Sometimes they spread their arms like butterflies, and sometimes they jumped like agile birds, dancing to the harmony, their paired movements naturally bringing smiles to the audience.

As the slim man let go of the girl's hand, Xia Qi from the sun god lamp recited softly.

"In my songs, I cannot sing of you."

"In my thoughts, you are no longer there."

Brother Xia's voice grew lower, carrying a hint of regret, and as the harmony faded, a sense of sadness could be heard in the song.

A concubine wiped her tears and whispered, "A performance that makes me sad... they shouldn't do this..."

The harmony became mournful, and Xia Qi's voice rose again.

"Can anyone tell me, do I still love him?"

Everyone's and the ghosts' hearts clenched with Xia Qi's words. Do they still love him?

No, they can't stop loving him!

Just then, the girl on stage spun around and reached out to the man not far away. However, it seemed some irresistible force pulled her away from him, and finally, they were completely separated, gazing at each other across the stage.

Seeing the pair being forcibly parted, everyone and the ghosts couldn't help but gasp.

"Can anyone tell me, do I still love him?"

Xia Qi spoke again, his voice choked as if he were about to cry.

The concubines clutched their votes tightly, wishing they could throw them all onto the stage and shake Brother Xia by the collar, shouting, "No! You must love him!!!"

"Ahhh, I can't take it anymore." Concubine Zhou, sitting closest to Concubine Lin, collapsed onto the table, her face landing in the fruit platter in front of her. She continued to mumble, "This is too painful. I haven't read a sad story in a long time."

Concubine Lin's mouth twitched.

"Waaa," sobs rose and fell, not just from the player-concubines but also from the ghosts watching the banquet nearby.

Just as everyone was immersed in sadness, the background harmony on stage suddenly lifted, and Xia Qi's voice rose together with it.

"Ghost Banquet Night, people stay awake, let me sing you a song."

"Hey lo, hey lo, hey lo..."

The rhythm of the song became increasingly clear. Suddenly, the Sun God Lantern burst forth with a dazzling light. The girl and the young man emerged again from both sides, followed by a group of ghostly palace maids. Happily, they came to the center of the stage, hand in hand, joyfully dancing in a circular motion.

Meanwhile, countless sky lanterns rose from the rear of the stage. These lanterns, like stars, ascended into the sky, illuminating a large part of the night.

"Step on your shadow, dance with you."

"Follow your tail, become your reflection."

"Chase your heart's light, illuminate my long path."

"Hey, lero, lero, lero..."

For a moment, the stage was enveloped in lively songs. Colorful shirts fluttered, and silver accessories glittered. They laughed together, resembling a group of drunkards who had just finished drinking fiery baijiu. Even the male and female ghosts dancing with them had especially vivid and lively expressions, no longer showing any sign of being monsters.

Just as everyone started clapping to the beat, Xia Qi and the accompanying voices suddenly fell silent.

"The light has extinguished, it's time for rest."

"The moon is tired, everything is dispersed."

The song lowered once again, and the light from the Sun God Lantern dimmed. White fog gradually rose on the stage.

All those who were once happy suddenly slowed their movements. Some yawned, others stretched, revealing a look of utter exhaustion. Under the urging of the song, "Go back, go back," the younger sister took the thin man's hand, and they reluctantly walked down the stage.

The night returned to silence, and in the thick white fog, only the sounds of birds and insects could be heard.

"Coo, chirp..."

The light from the Sun God Lantern grew dimmer and dimmer, until only a tiny glimmer remained.

At the last moment, that glimmer slowly adjusted its direction, changing from illuminating forward to backward. A white light shone on Xia Qi's face, projecting him onto the Sun God Lantern.

Everyone held their breath, watching the figure in the Sun God Lantern, the man wearing the same moon-white robe as the Ghost Emperor.

"Item Name: Sun God Lantern (bound)."

"Effect: 9999 million soft light focus, illuminating your beauty! Light this lantern, and you will become the most beautiful Moon God on stage! Charm attribute +9999!"

Under the soft glow of the Sun God Lantern, Xia Qi became especially blurred, but even with just one glance, everyone couldn't help but feel awed, deeply captivated by the divine-like man.

Then, Xia Qi slowly raised his hand, made an inviting gesture, and said with a smile:

"The night is too short, the emotions are long, the heartfelt words want to be sung to you."

..."

In an instant, everyone, both human and ghost, gasped in awe.

Concubine Zhou, who had just been emotionally drained, stubbornly climbed back up from her chair and screamed, raising her hands, "Ahhh, I don't care, I want to hear the heartfelt words!"

"To be honest, I want to hear them too, Mom!"

"+1!"

"+2!"

"+10086!!! I want to blow up the lights!!!"

The crowd screamed frantically, demanding to hear the heartfelt words, or else they wouldn't stop.

After nearly 3 minutes of screaming, their voices hoarse, they suddenly realized that Xia Qi was still standing inside the enlarged Sun God Lantern, not leaving the stage.

Xia Qi's expression was calm, his gaze steady, as if waiting for someone.

"Hey? Isn't anyone going up?" someone looked around and asked, "I thought he was waiting for someone. Why isn't anyone going to hear the heartfelt words?"

A male ghost suddenly stood up, rubbing his hands and said, "If anyone doesn't want to go, I will."

Seeing the excited crowd about to rush towards the stage, Xia Qi nervously clenched his fist inside his sleeve.

Is the Ghost Emperor really not coming out?

"If he doesn't come, I will..."

Xia Qi glanced at the passive skills on his system panel.

"Passive Skill: A man who coaxes gets the best fate."

They had an emergency plan. If the Ghost Emperor refused to come out, he would activate the second coaxing plan.

Just as Xia Qi was about to try the passive skill, a gust of wind brushed past his side, and a light male voice brushed his ear, making his eardrum tingle: "Are you really not afraid of me?"

Xia Qi jerked his head around and met a pair of bloodshot eyes.

These eyes were naturally red, with a crimson sclera, embedded with black obsidian pupils, no longer human, more like the eyes of a fierce ghost.

Looking at the white-clad man who had grown to over two meters tall, Xia Qi stood on his tiptoes, reached out, and touched his cold jade mask, saying, "I'm not afraid."

If he were afraid, he wouldn't be wearing the same white clothes as him.

The Ghost Emperor pressed his hand against his mask and rubbed it for a while.

Seeing that the Ghost Emperor was no longer avoiding him, Xia Qi asked again, "Can they start voting?"

"Vote," the Ghost Emperor slowly lowered his hand, turned his head to look at the guest platform, and at that moment, Concubine Lin also looked up, their eyes meeting in the air.

Concubine Lin suddenly stood up, glaring at the Ghost Emperor: "I knew it was you!"

Seeing the Ghost Emperor and Xia Qi standing together again, Concubine Lin choked, anger causing her to vomit blood on the spot.

He now finally understood what important clue Cha Gong had hidden from him.

"Imperial Noble Consort, the Emperor has already come out. Don't blame us for voting for Brother Xia," Zhou Concubine said awkwardly, raising her vote in front of Concubine Lin.

By now, everyone could see who Xia Qi's "heart-to-heart" was meant for. Even if Xia Qi gave a cringe-worthy performance, they wouldn't dare to vote him out.

Led by Zhou Concubine, the other imperial concubines hurriedly cast all their votes.

In the end, Xia Qi won first place with the highest number of votes, with his sister coming in second.

His sister's vote was cast by Xiao Ou, who was worried that the system would eliminate her.

[The "Debut, Trainee" program selection has ended!]

"First place Xia Qi will receive a reward: the Ghost Emperor will grant you one wish."

Hearing this, Xia Qi straightened his expression and looked at the Ghost Emperor.

Although the Ghost Emperor's eyes were bloodshot, Xia Qi could not detect any signs of violence in them. Especially when the Ghost Emperor looked at him, it was as if he contained infinite gentleness.

"I don't need the Queen's identity," Xia Qi said, staring into the Ghost Emperor's eyes and enunciating each word.

His voice was powerful, like a clap of thunder ringing in everyone's ears, causing everyone and the ghosts to gasp.

"Holy crap, he's becoming the Empress right away?"

"No wonder he could bring Ou Imperial Noble Consort into My Love Palace!"

Listening to everyone's chatter, Concubine Lin snapped the armrest of her chair in anger.

Although he had vaguely guessed it, the fact that Xia Qi was becoming the Empress right away still made him unable to contain his rage.

Ignoring the others' opinions, Xia Qi continued to make his request: "My request is simple. I hope you agree to disband the Fengdu harem."

If the harem was dissolved, he would naturally no longer be the Empress.

Upon hearing Xia Qi's bold words, Concubine Lin's face turned purple. He swept all the cups and dishes off the table and shouted at Xia Qi on the stage, "Xia Qi, what are you doing!"

The other concubines were dumbfounded and chirped, "Why doesn't Xia Qi want to be the Empress when he clearly can?"

Xia Qi didn't answer their questions but instead gave the Ghost Emperor's hand a little squeeze.

The Ghost Emperor had anticipated this and laughed, agreeing, "Alright."

[Global Announcement: Attention all players, the "Fengdu" harem rules have ended, and all players will revert to their original identities!]

"What the hell is going on?" All the players were stunned by the system's announcement.

"Ah! I'm disappearing!" Suddenly, Zhou Concubine screamed.

Not just Zhou Concubine, but the other concubines also realized in horror that their bodies were disappearing.

Unlike the terrified humans, the nearby ghosts laughed happily. They pointed at each other and said, "Haha, you're disappearing!"

"Goodbye, everyone." A palace maid who had been a backup singer walked out from behind the stage and waved at everyone.

"I'm satisfied to have enjoyed your performance." The ghost of Concubine Qian said with a smile, taking one last look at Xia Qi and the Ghost Emperor before turning into a wisp of smoke.

A warm breeze blew, and the flowers in the Imperial Garden bloomed. All the players who had eaten others and the adorable ghosts disappeared together in the beautiful moonlit night.

The grand ghost banquet was finally over.

"Xia Qi! You've ruined my harem!" Concubine Lin, surprisingly, hadn't disappeared and instead remained, letting out a roar at Xia Qi.

By dissolving the harem, he had destroyed the new rules established by the super player, which also meant destroying the corrupted Fengdu harem. Therefore, the powerful players who had eaten others and the ghosts vanished along with the super player's harem rules.

From then on, the Fengdu harem would no longer be a terrifying place where people ate each other, nor would it be a palace haunted by ghosts every other night. Instead, it would become a survival harem that could accommodate new, intermediate, and advanced players.

"Lin, let's settle our old and new scores together," Xia Qi said to Concubine Lin on the guest platform, no longer addressing him as Imperial Noble Consort.

Xia Qi had a feeling that he must have known this person named Lin before.

"Heh." Concubine Lin, holding a burning red ticket between two fingers, looked at Xia Qi with a dark expression. "No wonder you were someone I once valued. You've done well."

Seeing Xia Qi's shocked expression, Concubine Lin turned his head and sneered, "But... you'll never have him."

"Pa."

The red ticket in Concubine Lin's fingers burst into flames, spreading over his entire body. Before Xia Qi could catch up, the flames carried Concubine Lin into the sky, "Boom!" The flames punched a hole in the sky, tearing a large opening in the night.

At that moment, a beam of sunlight poured through the opening.

Suddenly, the Ghost Emperor beside Xia Qi wobbled.

Xia Qi quickly supported the Ghost Emperor's arm and stuffed the now-transparent Ghost Emperor into the Sun God Lantern.

He then turned to his sister and Xiao Ou and said, "I'll take him away first."

His sister gave a sympathetic look and whispered, "Brother Xia, see you again if fate allows."

"Alright." Xia Qi glanced back at his sister, intending to have some alone time with the Ghost Emperor.

As Xia Qi directed the Sun God Lantern to ascend into the sky, the remaining surviving players and palace maids gathered around.

Looking up at the lantern rising into the sky, a new player finally couldn't help but shout at the top of his lungs, "Xia Qi, thank you for leading us to clear the harem!"

One player taking the lead encouraged others to start shouting as well.

"Emperor Xia, even if you don't hold the title of empress, you will always be the empress in my heart!"

"Emperor Xia, thank you! I love you to bits!!!"

The crowd's voices of gratitude rose and fell below, like the roaring of mountains and seas. Xia Qi felt a headache coming on from all the noise. He quickly poked his head out and waved his hand at them, signaling that there was no need for further thanks.

Seeing Xia Qi's standard waving gesture, the crowd was moved to tears, becoming even more emotional. Someone even let out a heart-wrenching shout: "Emperor Xia, you are my rebirth parent! I'll thank you for a lifetime, dammit!"

Xia Qi: "..."

Rebirth parent... really not necessary.

Realizing that the more he showed himself, the more excited they became, Xia Qi shrank back and hurriedly directed the Sun God Lantern to drift towards a secluded place.

The Sun God Lantern carried him and the Ghost Emperor out of the Imperial Garden, past My Love Palace, and finally landed in a fragrant flower paradise.

Xia Qi lay on the Ghost Emperor's chest, his heart clenching as he felt the gradually decreasing temperature.

He raised his hand and touched the Ghost Emperor's cold mask again. "Are you really not going to let me see?"

The Ghost Emperor grabbed his wrist, his voice a bit hoarse. "Don't look."

His body, formed from the resentment and corpses of Fengdu, looked even scarier than the female ghost in the well. Even he couldn't bear to look at his broken face.

Xia Qi suddenly looked up, staring into his crimson eyes and forcing a smile. "Even if you don't let me see, I will still feel heartache."

Xia Qi had secretly felt along his arm and found many wounds on his skin, some so deep that he could feel the bone.

This reminded Xia Qi of the Yellow Haired Girl who was skinned alive by Concubine Wu. At that time, Concubine Wu had sliced off the Yellow Haired Girl's flesh with one knife after another... After Concubine Wu ate the Yellow Haired Girl, she was thrown into the Seven Souls Well. As the three souls of the instance, the Ghost Emperor naturally absorbed the Yellow Haired Girl's resentment.

Those wounds were all scraped out by the players.

Seeing Xia Qi's increasingly solemn expression, the Ghost Emperor tightened his grip on his waist, bringing them even closer. He whispered, "Say your heartfelt words."

Xia Qi: "..."

Xia Qi couldn't help but feel speechless, thinking, those were just lyrics created to lure you out, how do you still remember them?

However, Xia Qi had no intention of breaking the mood. He hugged the Ghost Emperor and rolled over, lying on the ground himself, holding the already light Ghost Emperor in his arms.

The Ghost Emperor lay on him, his wide, smooth white robe like a blanket, covering Xia Qi completely. Xia Qi lay on the ground of the Sun God Lantern, looked up, and gently touched the Ghost Emperor's jade mask with his lips.

"Did you hear it?" Xia Qi blinked as he stared at him after touching the mask.

"I heard it."

Bathed in warm sunlight, the Ghost Emperor dissolved into scattered light particles in his arms and finally disappeared in the dazzling golden light.

"Ding dong! Congratulations to survivor Xia Qi for successfully clearing the game!"

[Ding dong! Congratulations to survivor Xia Qi for defeating the "Fengdu" instance boss, game rewards are being settled...]

Xia Qi walked out of the Sun God Lantern, stepping on the soft grass of the lawn. He bent down and picked a white jasmine flower by the roadside.

In the sky, a newborn sun rose slowly above the imperial city. The Ghost Emperor's deep voice came from afar.

"My love, your kindness has illuminated my world.

It is your redemption that has made me a truly complete person.

I wait for your return in the cycle of reincarnation."

A white wisp of soul drifted slowly and finally fell into an abyss.

As if accustomed to such a scene, the figure in the light network lazily raised his hand and received the wisp of soul in his palm.

At the moment of unraveling the soul, the figure couldn't help but whisper with a sense of homesickness: "This time, don't thank me again."

"No, there shouldn't be anything worse than gratitude." The figure shook his head and chuckled self-mockingly.

So, once again, helplessly, he opened the message brought by the soul—

"Xia Qi's %￥？@#..."

Seeing the strange garbled text, the figure was momentarily stunned.

Was there something worse than gratitude?!

Worse than gratitude was the complete loss of emotion...

Due to Concubine Lin's violent exit from the game using a clearance token, the instance's protective mechanism was damaged. The sensor that detected players' emotions happened to be on the protective layer, causing Xia Qi's emotions to be lost.

"Lin! How dare you ruin my plans!" The figure was furious, his emotions too intense.