ISWTDB Ch175

Chapter 175: Ghost King Husband (3, 4)

He had known all along that his precious one would react this way.

Yet, upon hearing it, he still felt so loved!

Unable to resist, he lowered his head and kissed Ying Zhao’s watery lips, only to hear the person in his arms curiously ask, “So, Husband, what exactly is your identity in this lifetime?”

“I didn’t find anyone like you in the original owner’s memories.”

“And about your appearance…”

Zhu Que smiled at Ying Zhao’s question and replied, “My current name is Lu Ye, and I am an old ghost who has existed in this world for a thousand years.”

“As for why I ended up in this house, it seems the original Lu Ye was unaware of it.”

“Perhaps because he has drifted for too long, he can’t remember many details. However, after cultivating for a long time, he has basically reached the level of a ghost immortal.”

“As for my appearance, it’s because the forms of ghosts aren’t fixed. So, I simply used my original appearance; it doesn’t break the world’s rules.”

Seeing the familiar, carefree smile on his lover’s face, and that face imprinted in his mind that he could never erase, Ying Zhao pouted and suddenly felt a bit envious that the other could use his original look.

Perhaps because they were not in the sea of consciousness or because the other’s soul was completely intact, Ying Zhao knew that Zhu Que remembered all their past together in the small world.

Looking at his lover, who was gazing at him seriously, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but blush.

With a hint of reluctance, he muttered, “Why do you have to smile so beautifully? So sly!”

“Hmm?” Zhu Que rarely saw Ying Zhao’s childish side, which made him find it amusing.

He directly hugged him and kissed his beloved’s forehead, softly saying, “You, my darling, are the one who truly looks beautiful!”

“Although I think you’re adorable no matter what you become, I still look forward to returning to the present world. That way, I can completely have you!”

Zhu Que’s straightforward declaration caught Ying Zhao off guard, turning his ears red and igniting warmth in his heart.

He felt that, regardless of whether the other’s soul was complete or whether they were in the small world or the present world, his own shamelessness could never match the thickness of his man’s skin.

But even as Ying Zhao grumbled internally, he was indeed very much looking forward to truly being together with his lover in the present world.

So, he obediently nodded at the man.

Seeing this, Zhu Que was even more smitten with Ying Zhao’s open attitude after accepting him.

Since his beloved accepted him, no matter how shy he became, he never hid his affection when facing Zhu Que.

Even though Ying Zhao had struggled for so long back then, Zhu Que still felt all those years of persistence and waiting were worthwhile.

At least, he had finally won this person’s heart.

Zhu Que didn’t dwell on the pain he had once experienced.

He never regretted tearing apart his soul.

Because if he had hurt the one he loved most for his own reasons, that would have been unbearable.

Now that he had tasted happiness from so many worlds, it was all worth it.

However, the most important thing right now was to pull out the thing that had been obstructing them across so many worlds.

He would make it pay for its misdeeds, and then they could leave this world.

But evidently, they still had plenty of time.

Zhu Que gazed at the seemingly obedient and enticing Ying Zhao in front of him, his eyes growing deeper.

He leaned down and rubbed his beloved’s nose.

The man closed his eyes, breathing in the refreshing scent emanating from his lover, letting out a satisfied sigh.

After a moment, he softly said to Ying Zhao, “Since that’s the case, darling, you’ve agreed, so let’s collect some interest for now.”

Ying Zhao was momentarily taken aback by Zhu Que’s words.

Although his lover’s earlier teasing remarks about wanting to be together in the present world had indeed made his face flush and heart race, why had it suddenly turned into collecting interest now?

If he remembered correctly, his husband was a ghost in this world, not a human.

With this thought, Ying Zhao glanced at a certain part of Zhu Que’s body.

Zhu Que saw the glint in Ying Zhao’s eyes and didn’t need the other to say anything to know what his precious one was thinking.

Feeling a bit annoyed, he playfully nipped at Ying Zhao’s nose, leaving a shallow bite mark.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s aggrieved expression, he simply pulled him directly to the inner side of the bed.

The curtains fell, and the frustrated man decided to let his beloved experience firsthand just how capable he was!

Time passed, and after Ying Zhao repeatedly pleaded for mercy, Zhu Que finally showed mercy and let him go.

Looking at his lover’s satisfied expression, Ying Zhao secretly ground his teeth in frustration.

Whatever they said about ghosts not having a physical form was all lies.

He could see how capable the man opposite him was!

Not only was he capable, but his stamina seemed endless!

Compared to his own fragile body in this world, he simply couldn’t keep up.

Fortunately, Zhu Que understood moderation; after all, excessive indulgence was harmful.

Moreover, although the original owner had been a ghost immortal for a thousand years, allowing him to solidify his form and be together with his beloved in this world.

However, after all, the living and the dead were separated by the boundary of yin and yang, and there was still a ghostly aura on his body, which in excess could easily harm Ying Zhao.

Zhu Que thought to himself, from now on, it would be better to use the method of entering dreams to bring joy to his beloved more often.

Especially after entering a dream, many things were easier to control.

Although illusions could also be used in reality, they certainly weren’t as free and unfettered as in dreams.

Moreover, there was no need to worry about accidentally hurting his beloved.

Thinking of this, Zhu Que continued to skillfully massage his lover’s waist while staring blankly at Ying Zhao’s back.

In his mind, he silently rehearsed countless ways he had long wanted to try but had never dared to because he was afraid of hurting his lover.

He suddenly felt as if the world was his own personal playground.

Ying Zhao had already collapsed weakly onto the bed, burying his head deep into the pillow.

Even though he couldn’t see Zhu Que’s face at that moment, he could feel two scorching eyes staring intently at him.

That prickly feeling on his back, as if he could be swallowed up at any moment, made his hair stand on end.

Unable to bear the intensity of his lover’s gaze any longer, Ying Zhao angrily turned around and covered Zhu Que’s eyes with his hand, shouting in embarrassment, “Stop looking! I’m tired, I need to sleep!”

Hearing this, Zhu Que nodded and gently embraced Ying Zhao from behind.

He lowered his head to kiss the crown of his head and softly whispered, “I understand, baby. I wasn’t planning to do anything.”

“Or could it be… are you still thinking about… something? You know, Xiao Zhao, you don’t need to be shy about anything you want. I can satisfy you.”

Hearing his teasing, Ying Zhao buried his head deep into the blankets like an ostrich.

Inwardly, he cursed Zhu Que for being shameless, but he couldn’t argue back.

He thought about how Zhu Que could always leave his friends speechless and realized that he had indeed found himself a partner full of tricky logic. It was quite a headache.

But despite the headache, the joy of their reunion was undeniably genuine.

Lying in his lover’s arms, he felt so happy he could smile even in his dreams.

He recalled how, in their past life, the sudden twist in time and space had caused them to fall into this new world before they could complete their lives together.

At that time, he had even been forced to pull Zhu Que’s fragmented soul out of Dempus’ body.

Ying Zhao knew how painful it was to tear a soul from a body, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for Zhu Que.

Although he hadn’t wanted things to go that way, the situation had been dire.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret and guilt.

Before they arrived in this spiritual weapon, he had secretly vowed to bring Zhu Que happiness, to make sure he lived a joyful life in every lifetime.

But he hadn’t fulfilled that promise.

Sensing that the person in his arms was feeling down, Zhu Que noticed the shift in his breathing and became confused. He frowned and gently turned Ying Zhao’s body to face him, looking directly into his eyes.

Seeing the sadness in Ying Zhao’s gaze, Zhu Que softly stroked his cheek and tenderly asked, “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you not happy being with me?”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao vigorously shook his head and apologized, “No, it’s not that! I just regret…”

“In our past life, we didn’t finish that world. I had been thinking I needed to make you happy and complete in every little world…”

When Zhu Que heard this, his eyes grew even more gentle.

How could he not feel joy, knowing his beloved cared so deeply for him?

A sincere smile spread across Zhu Que’s face as he leaned down and kissed Ying Zhao’s lips firmly.

“Thank you, baby. I was happy in our past life too.”

“Not just in the past. We have so many beautiful memories together, all thanks to you!”

Tightening his arms around Ying Zhao, Zhu Que whispered in his ear with emotion.

“Xiao Zhao, you know what? I’ve always been grateful for that time when my soul was torn apart.”

“If I hadn’t tried so hard to prevent myself from hurting you, how could I truly have you now?”

“Even though my soul is shattered in this spiritual weapon, I now understand that no matter what form I take, you will always love me!”

Hearing Zhu Que’s words, Ying Zhao held him tightly and firmly said, “And it’s the same for you!”

“No matter what I become, you’ll still love me!”

Zhu Que nodded, smiling as he kissed Ying Zhao’s lips softly. “So as long as we remain ourselves, nothing else matters.”

These sweet words expressed their fiery love, and under Zhu Que’s comforting words, Ying Zhao’s mood finally lifted from gloom to joy.

The two lovers held each other tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time.

Perhaps it was because he had finally reunited with his lover, and after their recent exertion, Ying Zhao felt tired. Lying in Zhu Que’s arms, he felt incredibly secure, and before long, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Although Ying Zhao had fallen asleep, Zhu Que, being a ghost immortal, did not need sleep.

After a while, when Ying Zhao’s breathing became steady and deep, Zhu Que softly called out, “Xiao Bai, can you hear me?”

At his words, a white light emerged from Ying Zhao’s sea of consciousness, hovering in the air.

Exposing itself in front of Zhu Que, it asked, “I’m here. Do you have any orders, sir?”

Zhu Que nodded. His attitude toward Xiao Bai was extremely gentle.

After all, Xiao Bai had stayed by his beloved’s side throughout many worlds.

It was thanks to Xiao Bai’s help that Ying Zhao had such a capable assistant to support him.

Seeing Xiao Bai now, Zhu Que didn’t hold back his gratitude and sincerely said, “Xiao Bai, thank you for staying by Xiao Zhao’s side through so many worlds!”

Hearing Zhu Que’s thanks, the light representing Xiao Bai blushed slightly, glowing a faint red.

In a shy tone, Xiao Bai replied, “There’s no need to thank me. It’s my duty.”

Then, Xiao Bai’s tone grew serious. “The host is truly an extraordinary person. It’s my honor to be by his side.”

Zhu Que smiled but didn’t linger on pleasantries with Xiao Bai, as he had other reasons for calling him out.

He asked Xiao Bai for information about Ying Zhao’s character background in this world.

Even though Zhu Que didn’t care much about his own staoryline, Xiao Bai informed him that this small world was unusual.

Since it had been created by that entity, it was incomplete and had little plot.

There were no records about Zhu Que’s current identity as Lu Ye, either.

Zhu Que had sensed the strangeness of this world long ago.

But he didn’t care about those things; he only wanted to know who had hurt his beloved.

Even if it was just a replica body in a small world, he wouldn’t allow any harm!

After quickly skimming through Ying Zhao’s current identity and the life of the original host, Ying Luoxuan, Zhu Que carefully tucked the blanket around Ying Zhao.

Then, his eyes turned sharp. In a flash, his figure disappeared into the wind.

Not long after, there were disturbances in many households in the nearby village.

There was a lot of noise, and it seemed like the whole village had been thrown into chaos.

Everyone who had bullied Ying Luoxuan seemed to have seen a ghost.

Cries of misery echoed one after another, and dark clouds loomed over the entire village.

Especially the village chief’s family, who had long oppressed Ying Luoxuan, and the family of Wang Er, who had suggested bringing the original owner here to exorcise the spirits.

Piercing screams came from them.

Cold winds swept around, making the already pitch-black night even more eerie.

For an entire night, those who had bullied the original owner were tormented by fear, trapped in endless agony.

It wasn’t until the sun rose that the screams gradually quieted down.

As daylight brightened, a few families in the village went about their day as usual.

They were completely unaware of the terrifying events that had taken place throughout the village.

It was as if they had been separated from everything, and when they stepped outside, they found it strange how the usually bustling village had become so quiet.

When the sun rose higher, more people suddenly rushed out of houses that hadn’t budged the day before, startling those unaware of what had happened.

Ordinary villagers were not disturbed by Zhu Que.

Only those who had humiliated the original owner’s family met with misfortune.

At this moment, the village chief was still clutching a chair to his chest, wailing in fear.

His wife, who was usually called a tigress, had wet herself in terror.

Next door, Wang Er had been scared into madness.

It wasn’t until the village chief’s daughter, Wang Lian, got up the next day and heard the screams coming from her father’s room that she knocked on the door, bringing the village chief and his wife back to their senses.

Oddly enough, although many families in the village had encountered ghosts at midnight, some had slept peacefully without hearing a sound.

Although Wang Lian had never really cared for her parents, she had never actively bullied the original owner, so she wasn’t affected.

When everyone learned that Wang Er had gone mad, they realized the situation was far more serious than they had thought.

Especially since so many people had seen ghosts, the rumors quickly spread, causing widespread panic.

The village chief, who had finally calmed down, believed there must be a reason behind all of this.

He gathered everyone at the village shrine to discuss whether they should pool money to hire a skilled exorcist from the nearby town to drive away the evil spirits.

However, most of the villagers were poor, with small homes and little money.

When the village chief mentioned the high cost of hiring someone, many felt embarrassed about their lack of funds.

Some of the families who hadn’t seen the ghosts directly expressed their dissatisfaction.

At that moment, Wang Lian, who had been silently standing by the village chief, suddenly spoke up: “Has anyone seen Ying Luoxuan?”

“It seems no one has seen him since he was sent to the old house last night.”

“Could it be that he failed to perform the ritual at the old house, angering the spirits and causing them to wreak even more havoc in our village?”

Hearing this, many villagers felt it made sense.

Everyone knew that Ying Luoxuan didn’t have much skill.

They had asked him to subdue the spirits because they had no other choice, hoping it would give them peace of mind.

But if his half-baked attempts not only failed to subdue the spirits but also enraged them, causing the terrifying events of last night and directing the spirits’ wrath at the village, what were they to do?

The village chief regretted his decision as soon as he considered this possibility.

He hurriedly gathered the villagers to search for Ying Zhao on the mountain, hoping to see what had become of him.

Meanwhile, Ying Zhao, who everyone thought had little chance of survival, was comfortably lying on the large bed in the old house.

In this world, Zhu Que, being an old ghost with a thousand years of cultivation, didn’t need to handle everything personally.

The village chief and Wang Er’s family, who had caused harm to his beloved, were dealt with by Zhu Que himself.

For the others, he had simply ordered the small spirits in the desolate mountains and forests to take care of things.

After casting his spells early on, Zhu Que returned.

After all, no matter how vast the heavens and earth were, his beloved was always the most important.

Though the old house was no problem for ghosts, it was far too dilapidated for his precious one to live in.

Illusions were still just illusions, so he needed to find a way to give the place a complete makeover.

From the moment he returned last night, the man had been busy up until now.

He had decorated the inside and outside of the old house to make it elegant and comfortable.

In the room where Ying Zhao was staying, he had lit several charcoal braziers.

However, Zhu Que thought that while the braziers were warm, breathing in too much of the fumes in winter would be bad for the body.

He needed to create a floor-heating system to keep his beloved cozy.

Ying Zhao was awakened by the hunger in his stomach.

From outside the room came the smell of food, which made him open his eyes.

The original owner’s body hadn’t eaten a full meal in days.

Ying Zhao’s body had been replicated from the original, so naturally, he also felt the hunger for food.

However, once he was fully awake, he realized the room was warm and cozy.

The heat was so overwhelming that even his clothes felt a bit too much.

Pulling at his collar, Ying Zhao glanced around at the charcoal braziers filling the room, instantly knowing whose handiwork this was.

Although the windows were open, allowing for ventilation, it still felt a bit excessive.

Just then, he heard a sound from the doorway.

Zhu Que, who had sensed Ying Zhao waking up, entered the room carrying freshly prepared breakfast.

When he saw Ying Zhao, he smiled at him and softly said, “Little Zhao, you’re up. Come eat breakfast.”

Ying Zhao nodded at his words and quickly sat down at the table.

Seeing the sumptuous breakfast on the table, not only did it include his favorite soup dumplings, but also fragrant lotus leaf porridge and some carefully prepared pickled vegetables.

The meal was refreshing yet flavorful, and he felt a warmth in his heart.

Lifting the bowl of porridge, he took a sip, instantly feeling a cozy warmth spread through his stomach.

Turning his head, Ying Zhao softly asked Zhu Que, who was standing nearby, “Old Gong, can you eat with me?”

Zhu Que nodded at his words, even though ghosts didn’t need to eat.

But since his beloved wanted him to accompany him, as a good husband, Zhu Que naturally wouldn’t refuse.

The amount of breakfast was already large, and with Zhu Que joining, it was more than enough.

Sitting closely together, they fed each other bite by bite, happily sharing the meal.

Afterward, Zhu Que naturally pulled Ying Zhao into his arms, gently rubbing his now rounded belly to help him digest.

Ying Zhao couldn’t help but let out a small burp.

The original owner had been starving for a long time, and now this fully replicated body was naturally very hungry too.

That morning, upon seeing the food, he hadn’t been able to hold back and ended up eating a little too much.

Now, with his stomach full and the room warm, Ying Zhao started feeling drowsy again.

Leaning against Zhu Que’s cool body was indescribably comfortable.

Tilting his head up and seeing the man’s curved lips, Ying Zhao immediately understood.

He narrowed his eyes and teasingly said to his lover, “You heated the room on purpose, didn’t you?”

“You know your body is cold, and if I get too hot, I’ll want to cling to you.”

Zhu Que raised his eyebrows at his words and gave a bold smile.

He lowered his head and kissed Ying Zhao’s lips, nodding as he said, “You can see right through me!”

Just as the two of them were wrapped in affection, the villagers arrived at the mountain.

As soon as they set foot on the mountain, Zhu Que immediately sensed their presence.

Lowering his gaze, the man hadn’t expected these people to find their way here so soon.

Ying Zhao, who was very familiar with his lover, noticed the sudden chill in Zhu Que’s aura.

Knowing something had happened, he cast a curious glance at Zhu Que.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s gaze, Zhu Que gently stroked his cheek and softly said, “It’s nothing, just some unwelcome guests.”