Chapter 92

Chapter 92: The long-silent red warning lights now flashed wildly.

You Huo asked a few more questions from the priest and leafed through the tattered book of witchcraft, piecing together a rough but accurate truth.

He thought for a moment, then returned to the dungeon and brought the witch doctor along.

To free the spirits from suffering, two people must die.

The Duke and the Witch Doctor.

The priest said, at the moment everything melts away, when the great fire consumes the castle, perhaps… just perhaps, those who died because of this dark magic could return.

The witch doctor and the duke were never born, and they never died either.

This is worth a try.

Besides, he has an idea, but he needs to borrow the duke’s hand, hoping that pervert will be sensible enough.

He had hired a carriage from the town and was dragging the witch doctor back to the castle.

Inside the castle, chaos reigned, with examinees crowded along the corridors.

You Huo suddenly felt something was amiss but did not pause. Compared to everything else, the matter in his hands was far more urgent.

He dragged the witch doctor to the edge of the duke’s door, pushing it open a crack.

The dim candlelight shone through from within. You Huo had one hand carrying a person, the other gripping a knife. He lowered his gaze to the light falling on his toes, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The door creaked open.

He stared blankly in that direction and saw the Duke slumped in the armchair, his face contorted, as if experiencing some sort of vertigo and agony from a separation of spirit and flesh, his entire body convulsing violently.

It felt as if an invisible hand had seized his chest, lifting his entire body upward.

The buttons on his coat were torn open, revealing his shirt and several lines of blood showing through. It was as if those fine, dense stitches were… slowly splitting apart.

Head, chest, limbs—all twisted at strange, eerie angles.

In the next second, those limbs finally broke free from their constraints, completely separating from one another…

Yet another assembled body had reached its time to be abandoned; their owner had found a new replacement.

The new Duke stood with his back to the bedroom door, rising from the armchair. His hand, which had just been resting on the Duke’s head, was now withdrawn.

The tall figure was outlined by candlelight, the man flexing his fingers as if experiencing a strange new sensation.

With the movement of his fingers came the faint crackling sound of bones.

In that moment, You Huo felt as though the blood in his heart had been drained, rushing backward toward his limbs, causing his heart to beat unnaturally fast.

The candlelight, though warm, was so blinding that it made him close his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them again, the new Duke was turning to look over…

It was Qin Jiu.

The moment their eyes met, You Huo suddenly couldn’t feel the dagger in his hand anymore.

Until the other person revealed a hint of clear guilt and shock, he only then slowly began to feel the ache in his knuckles…

That hand, barely clinging to a sliver of undamaged flesh, had unknowingly clenched into a death grip.

His jaw shifted slightly at the side of his face, tightening for a moment, before he tentatively called out, “Qin Jiu?”

His voice was hoarse—whether from the illness brought on by the curse or from nervousness, it was hard to tell.

Only at this moment did he realize, with delayed awareness, that he could actually feel nervous.

And even… a little flustered.

The other side fell silent for a moment, perhaps out of sheer surprise or something else.

A few seconds later, he said in the same hoarse voice, “I’m here.”

All the blood in the body rushed back to the heart.

That made You Huo’s complexion appear as pale as frost. He closed his eyes, took two heavy breaths, then swung his blade and charged over.

Qin Jiu symbolically dodged a couple of times, but otherwise barely fought back at all, and within a few swings he was knocked to the ground.

You Huo knelt on top of him, the tip of the blade pointing at Qin Jiu’s neck, less than two centimeters away.

“What in the world are you going crazy for?!”

Qin Jiu paid no mind to the knife tip threatening him. Propping himself up on his elbows with his upper body slightly raised, he said reassuringly, “I’m not going insane, don’t worry. I wouldn’t act like this without a trump card.”

His voice was low and deep, echoing in the bedroom like the muted sound of a cello in the night.

He picked up a card and said to You Huo, “Remember this? I drew it before—it allows me to master any skill within the examination hall.”

Upon hearing Jiang Yuan’s words, he suddenly realized there was a way to bring the duke as close to death as possible.

The Duke took over someone else’s body because he achieved immortality through witchcraft. The person he borrowed from didn’t have that ability, so they died. With the sparrow occupying the magpie’s nest, he naturally inherited the shell.

But what if the person the Duke tried to take over was incapable of dying?

Then the Duke couldn’t control the body.

So, in that moment, by using the “Last-Minute Cramming” card, he learned the Duke’s “immortality.”

You Huo’s breathing remained heavy, his expression still icy—it seemed he hadn’t calmed down in the slightest.

He grabbed Qin Jiu by the collar and said, word by word, “The sign clearly stated ‘a certain probability.’ Where did you get the confidence that you would definitely trigger that probability?”

Qin Jiu opened his mouth.

He wanted to say not to underestimate his willpower—if Jiang Yuan could hold on for so long, he wouldn’t fare much worse either.

He wanted to add that troublesome matters never come with a 100% guarantee—you always have to take some risks, and no one understands that better than you.

With his usual temperament, saying such words was perfectly normal.

But as he looked at You Huo’s tightly pressed lips and tense shoulders, he suddenly found himself resonating with that simmering anger.

He suddenly ran his thumb over the corner of You Huo’s lower lip.

Because of the curse and his extremely pale skin, the veins in his neck became clearly visible. The bluish ends crept up along his jawline and hid near the corners of his mouth.

Qin Jiu finally said, “I promise I won’t take risks like this again in the future.”

You Huo lowered his gaze and, when Qin Jiu wiped his face for the second time, tilted his head slightly to avoid the touch, saying, “Save those words to fool ghosts.”

Suddenly, the sound of frantic scratching came from not far away.

Looking up, the two saw the Duke’s fragmented limbs desperately trying to break out, as if aiming to reunite with the other parts.

The door was quickly scratched open into a crack by them, and a flood of piercing screams instantly poured in.

It was more intense than any previous disturbance caused by the shadows.

This time, it wasn’t just the walls—the entire castle was being shaken to its core.

In places where they couldn’t see, Gao Qi and Zhao Jiatong carved a path forward for everyone, escorting them all the way down from the third floor.

All the souls who had once died tragically in the ancient castle emerged—broken limbs, spirits… filled with hatred and attacking everyone indiscriminately.

“Why have they suddenly gone mad?!” Zhao Jiatong kicked one down with a swift motion.

Gao Qi said, “The Duke must be dying! 001 said he has a way!”

“What?! Just because he says he has a way, you believe him?! When has he ever done things by the book?” Zhao Jiatong practically shouted.

Gao Qi replied, “When has anyone ever been able to stop him from doing things his way?! Besides, what right do I have to stop him???”

Zhao Jiatong thought it over and fell silent.

Gao Qi said, “Let’s trust him. I think deep down, he’s actually quite reliable! We should get everything else ready and make sure he’s not distracted!”

Zhao Jiatong said, “Alright!”

They were all military veterans, knowing how to divide labor and trust each other.

“By the way, what about A?!” Zhao Jiatong suddenly remembered again. “How many hours has he been in solitary confinement? Why hasn’t he come back yet?”

Gao Qi was stunned for a moment before suddenly cursing under his breath, wiping his face as he said, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Huh?”

“Those two reckless ones have always been together.”

This time they’re separated—where there’s abnormality, there’s something off.

What if one comes out larger than the other?

Not long after, the castle gates were smashed open, and a group of bloodied figures rushed in.

Even those from the church came to join the excitement.

Some of the undead caught the scent of the Duke and the Witch Doctor, and like beasts drawn to prey, they charged straight toward the West Tower.

The bedroom door was violently knocked open, and a large number of skeletal limbs poured in, charging straight towards the two of them.

You Shou sheathed his knife, stood up, and pulled Qin Jiu up.

“Feeling better?” Qin Jiu brushed aside one of the skeletal limbs and asked.

Dream on.

You Huo dispatched three of them without a word.

Qin Jiu wanted to say something else, but suddenly felt his body go icy cold.

It was a strange sensation, as though… some part of his soul was being pulled away, vanishing bit by bit.

He grabbed for You Huo, but it was bone striking bone.

Both of them were stunned for a moment, as if they could see the wretched bones and flesh beneath through the gloves and cuffs.

“Stop looking, what is it you wanted to say?” You Huo urged.

Amidst the continuous onslaught of wraiths, Qin Jiu said while dodging, “The Duke is about to die. I can sense he’s on his last breath.”

You Huo furrowed his brow.

“If he truly dies, then no one will be able to kill the Witch Doctor,” Qin Jiu said. “I need to hurry, otherwise this risk would all be for nothing.”

These words jolted You Huo awake.

For a moment, his expression turned strange, as if he too felt a bit guilty.

In doing so, the cold, angry expression he’d just been wearing could no longer hold up.

You Huo squinted, flinging the charging severed limbs aside, and said, “Before coming here, I also had a plan…”

Qin Jiu was momentarily stunned, then quickly spotted the witch doctor surrounded by spirits near the door.

He immediately frowned. “No!”

You Huo retorted, “Who’s the one who lost control first? What right do you have to say no?”

Qin Jiu choked on his words.

With You Huo’s temperament, if he intended to do something, he’d just do it without feeling the need to explain himself to anyone. But as he looked at Qin Jiu, he ultimately took out a piece of parchment and shook it open: “When a curse reaches a certain level, it’s practically the same as being a ghost.”

Once you’re already dead, what’s there to fear from another strike?

“No.” Qin Jiu remained resolute, his eyes fixed intently on You Huo. “Even if you’re a ghost, it’s still not allowed.”

You Huo stared back at him, and after a moment, he finally nodded, frowning slightly. “Suit yourself.”

The undead caught a faint trace of the duke’s scent and frantically surrounded Qin Jiu. For the first time, You Huo didn’t immediately rush to help, but instead dragged the witch doctor over to the door.

The shrieking noise was painfully piercing to the eardrums.

Qin Jiu cast a sidelong glance at the shaman.

The other indeed looked frail now, curled up and trembling lightly, like someone gravely ill.

Qin Jiu kicked the witch doctor into the circle of candles.

He had already made up his mind—since he had obtained the skill of immortality, if he could exchange it once, he could do it twice.

The riskiest part lay right here: he wanted to make a deal with the witch doctor—

At the moment the duke’s soul had not completely left the body, and the witch doctor’s soul poured in, he stabbed himself with one strike.

This was the simplest way.

Although the feeling of being squeezed by the soul was unbearable, even describable as near death, it lasted only an instant.

He was already experienced with it.

In reality, he knew well that You Huo’s suggested method was truly feasible; aside from the momentary pain and the feeling of death closing in, it would not cause any substantial, irreversible harm.

But he still didn’t want to agree.

The witch doctor stepped into the circle of candles, and the flames instantly shot up, trembling wildly as if sensing the soul.

And those spirits seemed to sense it too, attacking with even greater intensity.

Qin Jiu’s vision went dark for a few seconds.

Faintly, he could hear low murmuring, like some sort of ritualistic incantation.

The hoarse voice sent a chill straight to his heart.

As he brushed away the undead, a hand rested on his shoulder, followed by a body with slightly cooler body temperature suddenly drawing close. The collar of his shirt felt damp, carrying the scent of a midsummer night’s thunderstorm.

“Examiner, is it raining outside?”

This sentence suddenly flashed through his mind.

Something cold and hard was thrust into Qin Jiu’s hand—it was a knife handle.

Next, the other end of the knife struck something.

You Huo’s hoarse voice echoed beside his ear, saying, “Don’t think about going mad a second time.”

* * *

Gao Qi hadn’t seen such a huge fire in a long time.

The last time he’d seen one seemed to be many, many years ago, back when he was in the military—during disaster relief or something… He couldn’t remember clearly.

Since entering the system, many things had become unclear to him.

The fire surrounded the entire castle, turning the whole sky red.

Zhao Jiatong watched him with concern, wiping the ash from her face as she asked, “How are you? Why is your hand still trembling?”

God knows how panicked he felt when he emerged from the ancient castle.

As per the division of tasks, he spread the firewood and poured the oil, stormed the duke’s bedroom to give the signal, only to see A with a knife in his chest, Qin Jiu supporting his elbow while holding him.

In that second, Gao Qi’s heart nearly stopped beating!

Fortunately, what Jiang Yuan said came true just in time.

The witch doctor willingly allowed the duke to stab him, and all the witchcraft slowly began to reverse.

He watched helplessly as the bloodstains on Qin Jiu and You Huo gradually shrank, their broken and torn skin slowly knitting back together, and the blue veins on the sides of their faces faded away bit by bit.

You Huo furrowed his brow, opening his eyes once more on Qin Jiu’s shoulder.

All candidates gradually evacuated the castle, retreating to the outskirts. Within minutes, the fire blazed into the sky.

On the barren grass before the square, the huddled masses of blood vaguely began to take human form. They slowly pushed themselves up, staring at their own hands and bodies, dazed for a long while before finally lifting their heads.

Light pierced through the dark clouds, stretched into long, slanting straight lines, and fell upon the earth.

Those human-like but not quite human spirits had been huddled in that cramped church for so long, they had almost forgotten what daylight looked like.

But this time, they didn’t need to hide; they could stand straight under the light and embrace it once again, after such a long time…

A long while later, several figures suddenly emerged from the flames, jumping and slapping the smoke off themselves.

Someone with sharp eyes cried out, shouting, “Zhang Pengyi???”

More people stood up, staring over in disbelief.

……

Just as almost all the examinees had gathered around, two individuals stayed far away from the crowd.

At the end of the overgrown path stood a row of tall iron railings, like the classic gate of an estate. Beyond the railings, a thick fog loomed. Through the mist, they could see the invigilator’s cabin atop Carlton Hill.

But You Huo had no intention of passing through. He simply leaned against the iron railings, watching the excited crowd below the castle from a distance.

After a soul separation, one feels weary and drowsy.

He dislikes noise and is even less inclined to hear exclamations and screams at a time like this.

He doesn’t really want to move, especially since there’s someone beside him emitting an oppressive atmosphere.

Qin Jiu had been wearing a tense expression ever since leaving the ancient castle.

It’s like reaching the brink of explosion, only to be forcibly pulled back, suppressed in a heavy, stifling way.

In fact, You Huo was the same.

He remembered Qiu Jin’s reckless actions, and Qiu Jin remembered his own—both were equally to blame, each holding their breath, yet finding no way to vent.

You Huo felt an indescribable sense of frustration.

His heart was still racing, like an aftereffect of the reckless actions. Yet drowsiness and exhaustion surged toward his head, wave after wave, while his mind remained sharply alert.

The silk shirt, riding breeches, and tall boots he wore hadn’t been changed in time, and the residual bloodstains still carried a faint metallic scent of rust.

There was something in his pocket that was digging into him, and You Huo hesitated for a moment before pulling it out to see.

It was actually the cigarettes and lighter Gao Qi had shoved into him earlier.

He usually didn’t smoke, but at that moment, he suddenly wanted to perk himself up.

Qin Jiu suddenly said, “Give me one too.”

You Huo passed one to him, then flicked the lighter, lighting his own without waiting.

The thin smoke drifted in a hazy cloud, almost blending with the mist behind him, with a faint, sharp sting.

In the midst of the smoke, You Huo closed his eyes for a moment, but didn’t inhale.

He had intended to take it out and watch it slowly burn, but the person beside him suddenly leaned closer.

Qin Jiu reached out to gather the smoke, narrowing his slender eyes in the mist.

He held the cigarette between his lips, lowering his head to touch it against You Huo’s.

The red ember glowed and dimmed.

The shadow before them moved forward and then withdrew as Qin Jiu straightened up.

A moment later, he stubbed out the cigarette, lowered his head, and leaned in again.

You Huo’s back was pressed against the iron fence as mist slipped through the gaps, carrying an ambiguous dampness.

The previous worries and anger, the unspeakable suffocation and restlessness in his heart, finally found an outlet in this moment.

The curse’s effect was dissipating, and the last bit of flesh on Qin Jiu’s wrist had completely healed.

The red warning light, quiet for days, began to blink frantically now. Beep—beep—The warnings mixed with his breathing, ringing incessantly.

In the distance ahead, there were people and a raging fire.

Behind them, beyond the mist, lay the invigilator’s cabin on the hill.

They kissed as the warning sounded.