Chapter 123: Butterflies from Withered Bones, Enchanting the Soul

Though the two of them noticed nothing unusual as they made their way through the dense forest, an inexplicable sense of panic had nevertheless arisen in their hearts. Even their backs felt as though they were bearing the weight of ten thousand mountains. It seemed that the savage beast dwelling here had already begun to make its move.

With no other choice, they gritted their teeth and pressed onward. The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more a chilling, sinister aura seemed to close in around them. Before long, a fear that froze them to the bone had spread throughout their bodies.

Yu Shang had never considered himself timid or hesitant, yet even he could no longer withstand the fear in his heart and began to tremble. When he forced himself to endure the discomfort and glanced at his companion, he discovered that Ye Wangchen had already been unable to bear the oppressive force. He was kneeling on one knee, one hand braced against the ground and the other clutching his chest, his face twisted in pain. Cold sweat poured from him like a waterfall, soon forming a puddle beneath him and laying his anguish bare before Yu Shang.

Seeing this, Yu Shang could only summon all his strength and cast a barrier. A faint glow separated the two of them from the outside world, easing their discomfort somewhat. Only then did Ye Wangchen slowly rise to his feet. He frowned as he stared ahead, though he looked considerably weaker than before. It seemed that the oppressive force had aggravated his injuries once again.

After resting for a short while, the two hurried onward. Neither of them knew how many dangers still awaited them ahead.

At last, after crossing countless paths and traversing endless stretches of road, they arrived beneath a great tree with thick, luxuriant branches. Their instincts told them that the sinister pressure emanated from this exceedingly strange-looking tree.

Although the tree appeared lush and full of vitality, its interior had long since withered and rotted, and it could not endure for much longer. Yet the dark, ghostly radiance spilling from within it still drew the sharp gazes of both men.

That radiance was heavy and gloomy, as though it contained a vast accumulation of resentment. It was likely the hatred left behind by those who had died tragically in their final moments. For some unknown reason, however, those resentments had been absorbed by the tree. Even more puzzling was the fact that they could cling only to the tree’s surface and could not break away from its branches and trunk.

Could someone have deliberately sealed those sinister thoughts within the tree, preventing them from escaping and seeking vengeance upon the true culprit?

Suddenly, a small patch of white caught Yu Shang’s attention. He hurried behind the tree, intending to see what treasure it was. Ye Wangchen obediently followed him. When they circled around to the back, however, they discovered that it was a white skeleton.

What shocked them even more was that, in the center of the skeleton’s chest, there rested a butterfly of astonishing beauty. Its wings were curled inward, and it remained there in silence, as though taking a rest.

The butterfly was entirely black, like a mysterious and unfathomable night sky. Scattered across its body were points of white light, brilliant as stars. Most captivating of all were the eyes growing upon its antennae. They resembled two gleaming blue sapphires set upon threads of silver, possessing an extraordinary allure.

Even Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen, two grown men, were drawn to the creature. With a single glance, they found themselves unable to ignore its unique beauty.

“I seem to smell the presence of living humans. And what a delicious scent it is. Could it be that Heaven saw how famished I was and took pity on me, deliberately sending you two before my eyes so that I might fill the emptiness within me? Hahaha!”

A woman’s voice, as soothing as flowing water, reached their ears. Though it sounded like heavenly music, it was in truth a soul-seizing dirge.

Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen started in alarm and quickly retreated several steps. Then they stared warily at the skeleton, fearing that it might make some sudden move.

Sure enough, the skeleton slowly rose to its feet and even gave a lazy yawn, as though it were a person possessing both soul and flesh. It gazed at the two men with curiosity. Then, with a flash, it appeared between them in the blink of an eye and draped an arm over each of their shoulders.

Greedily, it inhaled the unique aura surrounding their bodies. Though she was nothing more than a heap of dry bones, she possessed the emotions and desires of a human being. The two men could even feel how delighted she was at that moment.

Being embraced by the skeleton in such an intimate manner was thoroughly unnerving. Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen tacitly seized her arms. Then they turned, hooked her icy hand, gathered their true energy, and struck at the same instant.

The skeleton was sent flying several yards before crashing heavily to the ground.

To their astonishment, she returned in an instant without the slightest injury, looking nothing like someone who had just been attacked by two men of such formidable cultivation.

“You two look so elegant and refined, yet your manners are unbelievably crude. Do you not understand what it means to cherish a woman? How could you bring yourselves to lay hands on a peerless beauty like me?”

The skeleton’s manner truly resembled that of a delicate young woman, and even her voice was filled with such plaintive grievance that it inspired pity. Yet her appearance made it impossible for anyone to treat her lightly. After all, her current visage was enough to make a person want to destroy her on sight.

“Faced with a pile of dry bones like you, I truly cannot summon the slightest pity. Besides, you were the one who first harbored ill intentions toward us. Why should we be expected to treat you with courtesy?”

Ye Wangchen looked at the skeleton with undisguised disdain. If the creature before him had been an unparalleled beauty, he might still have found the mood to tease her. But she was plainly a terrifying heap of bones. How could he feel inclined to amuse her? He would much rather destroy her and be rid of the trouble once and for all.

“Miss, please do not misunderstand. My companion merely enjoys making jokes. Our actions just now were truly forced upon us, and I hope you will forgive us. After all, men and women should maintain a proper distance. Had such intimate behavior been spread abroad, it might have harmed your reputation. In our urgency, we had no choice but to be somewhat heavy-handed and push you away. Nevertheless, we were in the wrong first, so I once again ask for your forgiveness.”

Yu Shang apologized to the skeleton with impeccable courtesy. Ye Wangchen, standing beside him, could not help staring in astonishment.

In truth, from the very first moment he had seen the skeleton, Yu Shang had already determined that she was no ordinary pile of bones. She was an abnormal life-form that had come into existence through countless years of cultivation.

Moreover, judging from the abilities she had revealed, intentionally or otherwise, Yu Shang was even more certain that she was the culprit responsible for leaving no living creature in the forest. With her strength, destroying every living thing here would not be difficult. Yet for the two of them to destroy her would be exceedingly hard.

They had already suffered mutual injury in their earlier confrontation with that woman. If they now provoked a direct clash with this skeleton as well, they truly might never leave this wretched place alive.

They could not sacrifice their lives merely for the sake of momentary pride. Lowering one’s head for the time being was not shameful. Thus, Yu Shang had no choice but to offer pleasing words and coax the skeleton into a better mood. Then, while she was caught off guard, they could slip away. A wise man did not fight when the odds were against him; at present, preserving their lives mattered more than anything.

“You certainly know how to speak. With that honeyed tongue of yours, I imagine you have deceived quite a few innocent young women into falling into your arms, have you not?”

With that, the skeleton actually pressed her lips together and gave a coy little laugh like a bashful maiden. The gesture caused the two men extreme discomfort. A chill swept across their backs, making them shudder involuntarily.

To be honest, watching a skeleton perform such humanlike movements was truly impossible for them to accept.

“I was merely stating the facts and did not embellish them in the slightest. You are the one jesting, Miss. I am so lacking in ability—how could I possibly possess the talent to deceive young women? I imagine they would sooner hide from me than allow me near them.”

Yu Shang fought down his discomfort and spoke with an easy smile.

On ordinary days, even making small talk with an unfamiliar woman was already difficult for him. To flirt with a blushing skeleton this time was truly asking a great deal of him.

Yu Shang was not the only one forcing himself to utter words he did not mean. Ye Wangchen was also struggling to suppress the laughter that was nearly bursting from his mouth. He truly had to admire the young man. Yu Shang could say things like that with a straight face. Perhaps he ought to learn from him how to tell such outrageous lies without changing expression or missing a beat.

Yet what Ye Wangchen admired most was Yu Shang’s temperament. At least Yu Shang knew when to set aside useless pride and when to reclaim the courage that was indispensable. That was something Ye Wangchen himself could never do.

No matter the circumstances, Ye Wangchen stubbornly clung to his nature and never submitted. Even when his master had beaten him until he was covered in wounds and barely clinging to life, he still refused to yield.

Because of that disposition, Ye Wangchen had endured countless hardships, yet he remained unable to change or relinquish that pointless pride. Yu Shang, however, was different. Though he possessed an unyielding spirit, he also understood how to adapt to circumstances. He could calmly set aside his pride and arrogance, transforming himself into a refined gentleman whom no one could bear to harm.

Though he lost some of the majestic bearing of a king, he gained instead a unique quality that came from the depths of his heart.

“If I were one of those women, I would throw myself at you and cling to you, refusing to leave. How could I bear to let such a fine man go?”

The skeleton quietly approached Yu Shang and whispered beside him. Though her eyes were hollow, one could still sense the desire and possessiveness hidden within them.

It was as though she had already claimed Yu Shang as prey. Unless she chose to release him, he would have to die at her side even if death was the only thing left to him.

“Yet I know very well that you are not some ignorant woman who can be compared with those vulgar, painted creatures. You possess a singular quality unlike any other, an extraordinary aura that no worldly woman could ever hope to rival.”

By this point, even Yu Shang was impressed by his own talent for lying. He had managed to deceive his own heart, persuade his own tongue, and deliver such words calmly without even blinking. It was no easy feat.

Unfortunately, Ye Wangchen, who had been standing silently beside him for some time, was suffering terribly. He was practically choking on an internal injury from holding back his laughter, yet he could not dare to laugh openly.

There could hardly be anything more miserable in the world.

No—at least in Ye Wangchen’s eyes, the most miserable person at that moment was Yu Shang. How much courage did it take to utter such insincere words? And to deliver them so naturally was harder still.

Yet Ye Wangchen had discovered that ever since meeting Yu Shang, he smiled far more often. At any moment, he could burst into uninhibited laughter. He was no longer as he had once been, concealing every emotion on his face, whether joy or sorrow. No matter how happy or distressed he was, he could only respond with cold indifference, never allowing even the slightest trace of emotion to show.

That kind of life was truly exhausting.

Sometimes, he envied Yu Shang. He envied his ability to express what he felt so naturally, and he envied him for having a brother like Xiao Yin, someone who would follow him through life and death.

To Ye Wangchen, however, all of that was nothing more than a dream.

From the moment he was born, it had been decided that he could never follow his heart. It had been decided that he would spend his entire life as cold and emotionless as a glacier.

For the moment he developed feelings would be the day he lost his life. The moment he possessed a heart would be the moment his soul scattered into nothingness.

But Ye Wangchen did not know that Yu Shang was not truly as free as he appeared. His disguises were no fewer than Ye Wangchen’s, and the burdens he carried were no lighter. Perhaps everyone possessed something that others admired and longed for, yet those people often overlooked the seemingly happy and fortunate person before them.

Behind that person’s smile might lie unspoken suffering and grief that could never be expressed.

Not everyone was truly as they appeared before the eyes of others. Perhaps, once you came to understand the sorrow hidden within someone’s heart, you would discover that you were the one who had always been worthy of envy.