The Han Dynasty Empress is a Ghost | Chapter 120 | Sparks and Mortal Shells | Novela.app

Seeing Shen Zhi vanish so decisively, Chen Wei let out a sigh and resigned himself to lugging A'jiao back to Chang'an. Upon arriving at the Chen estate, Chen Wei returned to the City God Temple to report for duty. A'jiao, filled with excitement, floated back alone to the room where Liu Che was staying. Stepping inside, she found him resting. A'jiao searched the room but could not find Chen Wan’s body. She decided to first study the book Lord Shen had given her. She carefully turned to the first page, finding it filled with both illustrations and text, clearly explaining various incantations and their effects. The very first was the Immobilization Incantation. Following it were Spirit Sight, Dispelling Illness, Commanding the Elements, Celestial Flight and Night Walking, Summoning Divine Generals, Capturing Ghosts and Chasing Souls, Exorcising Monsters and Demons, and many others. After flipping through the pages, A'jiao decided to start with the Immobilization Incantation and the Thunder God Incantation. She remembered Lord Yunhe saying back in the Underworld that ghosts and demons belonged to the *yin* alignment and feared the blazing *yang* methods like lightning and fire. Since she had practiced the Thunder God Incantation before, she figured it would be easier to learn. No sooner thought than done, A'jiao reached out and formed the hand seal for the Thunder God Incantation—a tiny, faint spark of lightning flickered for an instant before returning to silence. "A'jiao!" a somewhat groggy, muddled voice called out from behind her. With a face flushed red from excitement, A'jiao spun around and ran a few steps to throw her arms around Liu Che. Truly, Heaven and Earth did not betray those who persevered! she had actually manifested the Thunder God Incantation. She had practiced it many times since coming to the mortal realm without success, but today, she had finally succeeded. Even though it was only a tiny, fleeting spark, it represented tangible progress. She wondered if her spiritual power had grown after exhausting herself earlier. Liu Che, caught between wakefulness and sleep, suddenly found his arms full. He lowered his head slightly and saw the person in his embrace—or rather, the semi-transparent form of the ghost in his arms. A surge of complex emotions overwhelmed him, and he reached out to hold her tight. "Jiaojiao, don't be afraid. I am here!" He stroked A'jiao’s back repeatedly, but the palms of his hands met only a lingering chill. In the depths of winter, this sensation filled him with a sense of desolation. Caught up in her joy, A'jiao didn't notice Liu Che’s internal turmoil. She asked, "Ah Che, where is Chen Wan’s body?" Liu Che straightened his posture, gazing intently at A'jiao’s face, her hair, and her form. "No rush. Let me look at you properly. By the way, where did you go just now?" "To deal with that evil ghost, of course!" A'jiao flopped onto the bed with her usual graceful charm, tucking a few pillows behind her back. Suppressing the myriad questions in his heart, Liu Che tried his best to remain calm. "And how did the 'dealing' go?" A'jiao lay there happily, twirling a lock of her hair. "It’s settled, of course. Otherwise, how could I have come back so quickly and safely?" Liu Che leaned over to lie beside her, one hand resting on the woman’s waist. He gave it a small squeeze and asked, "How was it resolved?" A'jiao slapped his hand away. "The immortals handled it, obviously. Did you think it was me?" "Tell me the details." The Emperor looked at his first wife, seeing her still as delicate and radiant as ever. He couldn't help but draw closer. He leaned down to catch her scent, but there was no trace of the incense used by the concubines in the palace. In fact, there was no scent at all. He let out a dejected sigh. A'jiao tilted her head to look at him. A sudden urge to tease him rose in her heart, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Che-er, I didn't notice it when I was occupying someone else's body, but now I see—you really have grown old!" ??? !!! "Chen A'jiao." The Emperor was incensed. Earlier, when they were being chased by that evil ghost, he had suppressed his anger over her comment about "waiting for the old Emperor to die" because of the emergency. That was already a display of great temperament. Now, she dared to pluck the dragon's scales again. In recent years, what Liu Che hated most was people saying he was old. Even though he could see his white hair and wrinkles every time he looked in the mirror, he hated it being mentioned. It made him feel as if everyone was waiting for him to die. He, too, desired to be evergreen for a thousand years, to live for eternity without end. None of the women in the harem dared to say he was old; they only spoke of His Majesty’s "undiminished vigor of dragon and tiger." When those women saw him, they only showed their most charming and seductive sides, fawning over him to pray for more favor. Furthermore, ever since he obtained that red pearl, he had felt much younger. But when he bathed today, he realized the red pearl was gone. Liu Che huffed, his voice deepening. "Where is my red pearl? Did you steal it?" "What red pearl?" A'jiao blanked for a moment before remembering the object she had nearly forgotten. "Oh~ you mean that thing. That was the red pearl I left with you before. How did it suddenly become yours?" Liu Che grunted and pulled A'jiao into his arms. "It was on my person; if it's not mine, whose is it?" A'jiao pushed him away with a look of disdain, pouting. "Have you no shame? And you call yourself the sovereign of a nation!" Liu Che pinched A'jiao’s chin and couldn't resist stealing a kiss. He thought to himself that she truly was as the memories described: "a face of flowery beauty, a fragrance that strikes the senses." At this moment, it was truly a case of "when the heart wanders, none can restrain it; when passion comes, one cannot help themselves." Pushing his face aside, A'jiao stood up. "I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. Where is Chen Wan’s body? Take me there." A flicker of desire shimmered in Liu Che’s eyes. "No rush. Come here, let me hold you again." He followed her, catching a strand of her long black hair in his hand. A'jiao turned and moved a few steps away. "You're not in a rush, but I am. Hurry up, before something goes wrong." Liu Che conceded that she had a point. He spread his arms and smiled at A'jiao. "Fine, I'll take you. Help me dress." A'jiao looked at the smug expression on his face and felt a surge of exasperation. She simply turned into a gust of wind and flew right through the wall. The Emperor’s eyes widened. Not even bothering to put on his outer robe, he pushed open the door and headed toward the room where Chen Wan had been placed. The Chen family was naturally surprised by "Chen Wan’s" sudden appearance, but upon hearing the Emperor’s orders, they didn't dare question it. They had placed "Chen Wan" in the room adjacent to where Liu Che was resting. It wasn't hard for A'jiao to find. With a single flicker of movement, she was there. Perhaps it was because she was back in her ghost form, but A'jiao felt that her magic was much smoother than it had been over the past two months. Chen Wan’s body lay quietly on the bed. A'jiao walked over and saw a layer of spiritual power enveloping her, maintaining the body's vitality. Chen Wan had been dead for two months. According to Lord Yunhe, her soul had already been sent back to the Underworld. This body had relied entirely on A'jiao’s soul to maintain its vitality, preventing it from becoming stiff or rotting like an ordinary corpse. It could even have a menstrual cycle! Did that not mean Liu Che had recently been with a corpse... A'jiao shuddered and decided not to gross herself out further. She climbed onto the bed and slowly lay down over Chen Wan’s body, waiting to merge back into the mortal shell. *Bang!* The door was suddenly burst open. A'jiao only spared a glance at the disheveled Liu Che running in before turning her head back. She waited for a moment, but there was no reaction at all. A'jiao was confused. This wasn't right. Returning a soul to a body should just require lying down. Why wasn't it working? Could it be because this wasn't her original body? A'jiao’s heart began to race with uncertainty. Seeing Liu Che getting closer and closer, A'jiao simply darted up to the ceiling. Who knew what Liu Che was thinking right now? Better to keep her distance! Liu Che: "..." Why did A'jiao look like she was avoiding him like the plague? Was she afraid he would despise her for being a ghost? He actually didn't mind! And so, he beckoned to A'jiao, saying, "Jiaojiao, it's alright. Come down!" ***