The Han Dynasty Empress is a Ghost | Chapter 134 | The Price of Vitality | Novela.app

"Jiaojiao, don't be like this, please?" "Hmph, I'm just telling the truth." Ah Jiao turned away, trying to dodge him. "Stop hiding. You've been dodging me all day. Let's rest; I haven't had a good night's sleep in days." Liu Che sprawled across Ah Jiao’s lap, his fingers lightly tracing her smooth, supple skin. "I understand, but no. You're too old." "..." Liu Che bolted upright. He pinched Ah Jiao’s chin, his voice simmering with indignation. "Chen Ah Jiao, I dare you to say that one more time!" Looking at the aging Emperor’s exasperated expression, Ah Jiao merely mouthed the words: *You’re old. I don’t want to start anything.* "You!" Liu Che laughed out of sheer anger. He pinned her down, looming over her. "Chen Ah Jiao, I think you’re just scared." "Heh, what would I be scared of?" "Scared that I won't want you anymore! You're afraid that when we eventually end up in the Underworld, I won't choose you and you'll be left to grow old and die alone!" "I'm not afraid of that." "If you aren't afraid, then why don't you dare?" "Who says I don't dare!" Ah Jiao flipped him over, pinning Liu Che beneath her. "You smelly old man, don't think you can bribe me with some posthumous title of Empress. I couldn't care less." With that, she bit down on his lips. Liu Che seized the opportunity to wrap his arms around her, and the two of them tumbled together into a tangle of limbs. ... Ah Jiao stretched her body, thinking to herself that it was a good thing she was a ghost; otherwise, Liu Che would have surely left her covered in bite marks. "Get up, you old geezer. Go take a bath." She stood up, swaying her hips as she walked toward the washroom. Danshui County didn't have a detached palace, so they were staying in the local magistrate’s manor. The washroom was somewhat crude, lacking a proper bathing pool; instead, a large wooden tub sat in the center of the room. "Ah, why wasn't the water prepared in advance?" Ah Jiao felt her own skin. She turned back and crawled into bed, calling out for the servants to prepare the water. The palace attendants filed in with their heads bowed. Ah Jiao patted Liu Che, but he didn't react. She leaned in, kissed his cheek, and smiled. "Alright, get up." For some reason, she felt significantly more refreshed this time than she had in their previous encounters. *Was it because the old man had been celibate for too long?* "Liu Che, get up! The servants are here. Go bathe me." Liu Che still didn't respond. Ah Jiao felt a strange, warm sensation in her chest, so she leaned in and kissed him again. Seeing the bed curtains drawn again, Huang Yu felt a bit awkward. Nevertheless, he directed the servants to fill the tub with hot water first. The sound of a woman’s silky laughter drifted out from behind the curtains. Huang Yu felt a prickle of unease. He turned his head and saw Huan Jiujun walking toward him, so he hurried to greet him. "Master Huan, why have you come?" "I have a matter to discuss with His Majesty!" Huan Jiujun shook out his robes, his smile warm and gentle. "This..." Huang Yu’s face showed a hint of hesitation. "I'm afraid His Majesty is indisposed at the moment. This evening, His Majesty took in a new beauty..." He didn't finish the sentence, but Huan Jiujun understood perfectly. It was likely Chen Ah Jiao. As the saying goes, a short parting is better than a wedding night; the couple was probably still lost in their own world. Just as he turned to leave, he heard a soft, cloying "Ah Che" drift from inside. "Master Huan, you mustn't!" Huang Yu reached out to stop him, but Huan Jiujun’s figure blurred. In a flash, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Huan Jiujun, how dare you!" The guards and officers on both sides immediately surrounded him with their weapons drawn. Huan Jiujun ignored them. He closed the door behind him, pulled out a Heart-Calming Incantation talisman, and flung it toward the bed. The wind from the talisman blew the bed curtains aside. Ah Jiao turned her head just as the talisman slapped directly onto her forehead. She felt a sharp pain in her head, and her entire ghostly form blacked out. Huan Jiujun took the opportunity to sweep her into his sleeve before checking the Emperor’s breathing. Liu Che’s face was a sickly shade of blue-black, but fortunately, he was still breathing! *Bang!* The door was kicked open. Huang Yu entered with the palace guards. "Master Huan, what are you trying to do?" Huan Jiujun paused, then said, "I... I heard His Majesty calling me. Did the Palace Gate Commandant not hear it?" As he spoke, he secretly funneled a stream of *zhen qi* into Liu Che. Nourished by the spiritual energy, the Emperor slowly opened his eyes. "Ugh..." Liu Che felt like his head was splitting open. "Your Majesty, did you call for me just now?" Huan Jiujun shot the Emperor a meaningful look. Liu Che didn't catch the hint. He merely groaned and croaked out, "Jiaojiao..." His voice was hoarse, and his throat felt dry and painful. Huang Yu rushed to the bedside, full of concern. "Your Majesty, what is wrong?" Only then did Liu Che turn his head, looking confused as to why so many people were in the room. He looked around and realized Ah Jiao was gone. He looked at Huan Jiujun, who gave a slight nod. Thus, he commanded, "Everyone out. Master Huan stays." Though deeply confused, Huang Yu respectfully withdrew. Once the door was closed, Liu Che asked, "Where is Chen Ah Jiao?" Huan Jiujun hesitated before replying, "She had some business to attend to, so she just left. I came to inform Your Majesty." "Did I fall asleep just now?" "Perhaps Your Majesty was simply too exhausted!" Huan Jiujun lowered his head. Liu Che’s face darkened instantly. He curtly ordered Huan Jiujun to leave. *Too exhausted?* He clearly remembered being in the middle of a passionate moment with Ah Jiao. How could he have suddenly fallen asleep from exhaustion? Was he truly getting that old? *She couldn't have just run off because she was throwing a tantrum, right?* The more the Emperor thought about it, the worse his mood became. *** Huan Jiujun looked at the unconscious Chen Ah Jiao, who was still pinned by the talisman, and felt a surge of irritation. *And she calls herself a Ghost Messenger? She must have stumbled into the job by pure luck.* To think she had actually absorbed a living person’s *yang* energy during the height of passion. If he hadn't discovered it in time, she might have taken a life. Once a ghost cultivator was tainted by the blood-guilt of a mortal life, their path of cultivation would be utterly ruined. He felt a twinge of regret for leaving Chen Ah Jiao and Liu Che alone. She was a ghost cultivator whose powers were depleted, instinctively craving the nourishment of *yang* energy and spiritual essence. When he pulled Ah Jiao out of his sleeve, he realized she wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing. Huan Jiujun hastily covered her with a robe, then circulated his own *zhen qi* to stabilize her. His senior brother had told him to protect a certain reincarnated dignitary from the Underworld, yet here he was, acting as a free servant to this half-baked Ghost Messenger. Under the shroud of his *zhen qi*, the turbid energy within Ah Jiao’s body was slowly expelled. Sweat poured down Huan Jiujun’s face, but he didn't dare stop. When he had checked her this afternoon, he only felt that her *dantian* was parched from overexertion. Now that he examined her closely, he realized it wasn't just a depletion of magic; even the spiritual foundation of her *dantian* had been damaged. He couldn't fix this himself; he had to find his senior brother. Just as he stopped his technique, he heard footsteps outside. He moved to the window and peeked out. It was the Emperor, leading a group of men. "Is Master Huan in his room?" Huang Yu’s voice followed immediately. Huan Jiujun sighed and went out to meet them. "May Your Majesty enjoy eternal joy without end. I have something to report." Liu Che raised an eyebrow and followed Huan Jiujun into the room, only to find Ah Jiao lying on the bed, barely covered. "???" Liu Che walked to the bedside and saw that Ah Jiao’s face was deathly pale. "What happened?" "In response to Your Majesty, I thought Lady Chen had already left, but when I returned, I found her unconscious here. Upon examination, I discovered that Lady Chen has been injured." "Injured?" Liu Che scooped Ah Jiao into his arms, preparing to carry her out. Huan Jiujun stopped him. "Your Majesty, Lady Chen has a ghostly constitution. Mortal physicians cannot help her. I must take her to see my senior brother." He bowed to the Emperor. "It was my oversight. I saw that Lady Chen had lost her powers today but didn't think much of it. I have caused Your Majesty distress." Liu Che knew he was right. He sat back down holding Ah Jiao, tucking the blanket around her for fear she would catch a chill. Huan Jiujun thought to himself that she was a ghost; she wouldn't freeze to death even if thrown into the Arctic wastes. However, he said, "Lady Chen is improperly dressed. I was about to inform Your Majesty when you arrived. To avoid gossip, I must trouble Your Majesty to dress her." Having said that, he bowed and stepped out. Liu Che sighed, pressing his cheek against Ah Jiao’s. "What is wrong with you? How did you get hurt again?" He took off his own inner and outer robes and put them on her. Huan Jiujun’s room didn't have a charcoal fire lit yet, and Liu Che shivered from the cold. Wrapped in his oversized clothes, Ah Jiao looked even more fragile. "Come in." Huan Jiujun entered with his head bowed. He cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, I shall take Lady Chen and depart now." As soon as he finished speaking, the two figures vanished from the spot. Liu Che felt a wave of dizziness. He leaned against the wall for a moment to steady himself before walking out. *** Ah Jiao never expected to be sent back to the Underworld, let alone receive a demerit. Her sentence was increased by three years. Adding that to her previous penalties, she now had four hundred and eighty-eight years left—one year more than before. *Oh, my gods.* She had unintentionally drained Liu Che’s *yang* energy. Ah Jiao wanted to cry. She had just been having a bit of fun with Liu Che; she had no idea when she had started draining his vitality. She only knew that it felt much better than their previous times. Ah Jiao felt miserable. She hadn't even been promoted to a full-time position yet, and she was already making mistakes. She gave herself a sharp slap. *That's what you get for not being able to control yourself! That's what you get for being greedy! Now look at you.* After her lecture, she had to wait for her magic to recover before rushing back to the mortal realm. She had been away from Lord Yunhe for nearly half a day. She had to go back and check on him, and then... go see Liu Che. When a mortal loses their *yang* energy, it can lead to a shortened lifespan at best, or death at worst. She had been unconscious when she was taken to the Underworld, so she had no idea what Liu Che’s condition was. *Please don't let him be dead. Yunhe hasn't even been born yet.* Yan Zheng was already asleep. Ah Jiao sensed Lord Yunhe’s vigorous life force before hurrying back to Danshui County. When she arrived, she saw that although the surroundings were quiet, there was nothing unusual. It seemed Liu Che was still alive. She stepped into the room and found him asleep. As the moonlight filtered through the window lattice, Ah Jiao noticed that he seemed to have aged slightly in just a few hours. She stroked his hair, feeling a rare pang of guilt. Then she remembered that he had only extended his lifespan because he had taken her red pearl. This, she supposed, was just the debt being repaid. She sighed and lay down beside the Emperor. When the warm morning sun broke through the chill and filled the room, Liu Che turned his head and saw the woman lying beside him. "Ah Jiao, are you alright? Your injury..." Ah Jiao turned her head and gave a soft laugh. "I'm fine now. I came to see you and ended up falling asleep." Liu Che pulled her into his arms. "Then sleep a little longer." "No need. I'm a Ghost Immortal; I don't get tired that easily. But what about you? Are you alright?" Liu Che smiled. "Of course I am. What could possibly be wrong with me?" "Then why did you fall asleep halfway through last night?" Ah Jiao giggled. Before Liu Che’s expression could change, she flicked away, vanishing to the side. *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 阳气 | Yang Energy / Vitality | The life force or "Yang Qi" of a living person. | | 湢室 | Washroom / Bathroom | An ancient term for a room used for bathing. | | 静心神咒符 | Heart-Calming Incantation Talisman | A magical slip used to calm the mind or spirit. | | 黄门令 | Palace Gate Commandant | A title for a high-ranking eunuch/official in the palace. | | 鬼体 | Ghostly Constitution / Ghost Body | The physical (or metaphysical) makeup of a ghost. | | 鬼仙 | Ghost Immortal | A ghost who has achieved a level of cultivation or status. | | 颠鸾倒凤 | Flipping the phoenix and dragon | A literary idiom for sexual intercourse. | | 长乐无极 | Eternal joy without end | A traditional formal greeting/blessing for the Emperor. |