Liu Che sat up as a profoundly strange voice echoed in his mind. He listened intently, suddenly realizing it sounded like his own: "Ajiao carries an Official Tablet. Take it, and you can seize her cultivation for yourself. You will achieve immortality."
He uncovered the tureen on the table. Amidst the swirling steam, the broth shimmered with a faint green hue, and a single red fruit bobbed on the surface.
A graceful silhouette appeared in the room. He went to meet her, supporting the woman as she sat down. "Are you tired? Shall I massage your legs?"
"Oh? Is His Majesty being so considerate today?" The woman laughed, leaning against his shoulder.
"Ajiao, speak from your heart—when have I not been considerate lately?"
Ajiao chuckled, reclining against a soft bolster and resting her legs across his lap. "Come then, let this Sovereign see how skilled you are at serving others."
He smiled, his hands gently kneading her muscles. As if in passing, he remarked, "The Director of the Imperial Kitchen specially prepared this soup to curry favor with you. Drink it quickly; it won't taste good once it's cold."
Ajiao sat up to look. "What kind of soup? I have no need for food."
"Who knows? They said it was nourishing. It won't hurt you to have some." He pinched the calf of her leg, making her laugh from the ticklish sensation.
Ajiao pursed her lips. "Fine, then." She lifted the lid and drank.
The woman’s delicate throat moved as he watched the broth slowly vanish from the tureen. "Slow down. There is also that fruit; they say it whets the appetite and strengthens the spleen."
Ajiao set the vessel down halfway through, dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief. "I don't want it. It doesn't look appetizing."
He paused, a thought flickering in his mind. He pressed Ajiao back onto the couch and smiled. "Now that you've finished your drink, it’s time for the real business."
The corners of Ajiao’s mouth curled up, her eyes gleaming with a hint of pride and joy. "The Emperor has truly been obsessed with beauty lately," she said. She reached out to embrace Liu Che, but he moved away.
"Hm?"
Liu Che’s features relaxed into a smile. He turned, took a mouthful of the soup from the tureen, and then leaned back in, pressing his lips to hers.
Ajiao’s eyes widened into circles. She could only allow the broth to be fed into her mouth, followed by the small fruit. Shocked, she chewed it haphazardly and swallowed. "You... you..."
Liu Che arched an eyebrow and began the "business" in earnest.
Lotus-pink flesh, white-jade bones.
As the woman beneath him gradually gained warmth, his heart pounded uncontrollably. Their hair tangled together—hers a deep blue-black, his a fading white.
Ajiao closed her eyes, her face flushed. He could smell her breath—and he saw his own hair slowly deepening in color.
"A-Che? A-Che?" Ajiao opened her eyes and called out softly, but her voice stopped abruptly.
In the woman’s clear eyes, Liu Che saw his own reflection—a young figure, brimming with vitality. He stretched his arms and pulled Ajiao into a tight embrace. "Ajiao, whether it is replacing the Crown Prince or loving only you, I promise it all."
Since he had regained his youth, there was no rush to establish a Crown Prince. Ajiao liked the one in Yan Zheng’s womb; he could take his time teaching that child. In fact, he felt a Crown Prince might not even be necessary. If he could live for ten thousand years, why would he need an heir?
Ajiao touched her own face. It was burning hot. But how could a ghost feel heat? In a panic, she pushed Liu Che away and stumbled toward the mirror. The reflection showed a woman with bright, beautiful eyes—exactly as she had once been.
Liu Che’s silhouette appeared in the mirror. He admired his young, powerful physique for a moment. The surging vitality within him seemed to demand an outlet. Ignoring Ajiao’s resistance, he pinned her down and pressed against her.
The night was gloomy; a cold crow wailed in the distance.
Liu Che let out a long breath before finally releasing Ajiao. "Perhaps you might even conceive a child today." The woman was nearly unconscious, her body sliding slowly down from the head of the bed. She reached out, condensing a ball of silver light.
Liu Che looked down and pressed his hand over hers. A small wooden tablet appeared.
"Liu Che, give it back to me..." The woman’s voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Liu Che kissed her and smiled. "Be good, Ajiao. I’ll keep it safe for you, lest you hurt someone."
Ajiao’s gaze instantly went vacant. The room fell silent for a moment before she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Liu Che was struck with horror.
"Ajiao!"
...
"Ajiao!"
Liu Che bolted upright. He reflexively reached out to his side, but it was empty. The chill of the night-soaked bedding reminded him that he was alone.
It was the first month of the year, the start of spring. The weather was gradually warming, so there were no charcoal braziers in the room, though the doors and windows remained tightly shut. Ajiao had not stayed with him for several days.
He pulled back the bed curtains and stood up by the dim candlelight. He had dreamed—it had been a long time since he last dreamed.
Yet tonight’s dream was exceptionally strange. An "Official Tablet"—he had never heard Ajiao mention such a thing, yet the term had appeared so vividly in the dream, as if it were a tangible reality.
"Your Majesty?" an inquiring voice came from outside the door. Yang 得意 was still on his way back; currently, Guo Tun and Huang Yu, who had returned earlier, were taking turns serving him on the night watch.
"Dress me," the Emperor commanded.
Liu Che could not sleep; he had to ask for clarification. He walked to the door of Huan Jiujun’s quarters, and an attendant stepped forward to knock.
Before long, a messy, mop-haired head poked out.
"Your Majesty, why are you awake in the middle of the night..." Huan Jiujun froze, then hurriedly opened the door. "Heh, please forgive my disheveled appearance, Your Majesty."
Liu Che was in no mood for pleasantries. "I have an important matter to ask you. Everyone else, get out."
Seeing the Emperor’s grim expression, Huan Jiujun quickly rubbed his face to wake himself up. Once the others had retreated, he asked, "What is troubling Your Majesty?"
Liu Che spoke. "Among the Underworld messengers, is there a magical artifact called an 'Official Tablet'?"
The moment he heard the word "Underworld," Huan Jiujun’s casual demeanor vanished. He leaned forward instinctively. "Did... Chen Ajiao tell Your Majesty this?"
"So it does exist!" Liu Che leaned back against a low table. After a long silence, he said, "I learned of it in a dream tonight."
"A dream? Could Your Majesty describe it in detail?" Huan Jiujun felt a surge of suspicion. Could a mortal’s dream accurately depict items from the Underworld?
"In the dream, I gave Ajiao some kind of soup. Afterward, her cultivation and magic transferred to me, and she became human again. Then, ahem, I stole her Official Tablet." Liu Che thought for a moment and added, "The soup she drank was somewhat greenish, with a red fruit about the size of a fingernail floating on top."
Huan Jiujun frowned and leaned back. "That sounds incredibly eerie. I don't think Ajiao would ever drink such a suspicious soup. She’s the type who wouldn't drink it even if you pried her jaws open."
"..." Liu Che felt a twinge of embarrassment. "I said it was a dream. My dream. Of course Ajiao isn't that foolish in reality."
Huan Jiujun searched his memory but couldn't recall any concoction matching that description. As for the fruit, there were too many similar things in the world to identify it immediately. He suggested to the Emperor, "I cannot think of it at the moment. If Your Majesty allows me some time, I will go find the City God and ask."
Liu Che remained silent. Huan Jiujun couldn't help but look at him.
"I am uneasy about you leaving. Can you summon Ajiao and the City God here?" Liu Che asked, meeting Huan Jiujun’s gaze.
"The Golden-Armored Guardians haven't reacted, which means there is no hostile intent," Huan Jiujun replied honestly.
"But what if?" Liu Che felt a deep sense of trepidation.
***
Ajiao was quite annoyed when she was summoned by Huan Jiujun. Was Liu Che bored? Was he some lonely lady in a secluded courtyard with nothing better to do than cause trouble every few days?
However, the moment she saw the City God sitting upright in the room, she instantly checked her temper. She put on a dignified and elegant smile and walked in gracefully. She could not be rude in front of the Lord.
Huan Jiujun gestured for Ajiao to sit and got straight to the point. "I was going to look for you, but something happened here. To keep it short: the Emperor had a dream. He dreamed he stole Chen Ajiao’s Official Tablet. Ajiao, did you ever tell the Emperor about the tablet?"
Ajiao thought for a moment and shook her head. "No. Although he has seen me use magic, he cannot see the tablet, and I have never mentioned it."
The City God fixed his gaze on Ajiao for a moment. "So, you suspect this dream was cast upon the Emperor by someone using dream-weaving arts?"
Dream-weaving arts? Ajiao remembered that her own dream-weaving could only create a space about two paces wide.
Huan Jiujun continued, "I asked His Majesty. That dreamscape was large enough to encompass his entire living quarters. Even I cannot sustain a dream of that scale right now." He turned to Ajiao. "In the dream, he gave you a soup to steal your magic, and there was a red, fingernail-sized fruit. I discussed this with the City God just now. We’ve narrowed down a few possibilities, but according to Underworld law, these are all forbidden drugs. Using them to steal another’s power for oneself has been banned by both the Heavens and the Underworld for years."
The City God added, "It is not impossible that someone hid these substances before the ban was enacted. I must return to the Underworld to report this and have the Soul-Seizing Department investigate."
Ajiao nodded. "If there is anything I need to do, please command me, My Lord."
The City God said, "Keep a close watch on Lord Yunhe. Furthermore, regarding the Official Tablet—it is not merely a symbol of a Ghost Official’s status; it is the permit for traveling between the mortal realm and the Underworld. Stealing power might just be the work of an ordinary evil spirit, but anything involving an Official Tablet cannot be overlooked. Chen Ajiao, if the situation turns dire, you must not let that tablet fall into the hands of evil, even if it means your soul is scattered to the winds."
Ajiao’s gaze was firm. "I understand." A Ghost Messenger could not only use the tablet to boost their power but could also trigger it to self-destruct along with their soul. When the soul vanished, the tablet would naturally perish with its master.
The City God nodded. "Fortunately, Lord Yunhe’s tablet was taken by the Ghost Emperor long ago and is stored in the Department of Judgment. We must all remain vigilant."
After their discussion, the City God departed for the Underworld. Ajiao turned to look at Liu Che.
The Emperor was unable to sleep, leaning against his seat in a daze. Seeing Ajiao enter, his expression became unreadable. He asked, "What have you decided?"
Ajiao smiled. "The City God has returned to the Underworld. I came to check on you before I head back to Nagamitsu Palace."
"Ajiao, the things in my dream..."
Ajiao interrupted him. "Don't overthink it. It was just a dream. Why don't you tell me—besides stealing my things, what other 'bad' things did you do?"
Liu Che looked up, showing a rare flash of bashfulness. "Nothing much. Just... wholeheartedly trying to have a child with you."
Ajiao: "..." *Sorry for asking.*
Seeing Liu Che’s burning gaze fixed on her, Ajiao coughed awkwardly. "Calm down and act normal."
In Liu Che’s mind, the image of the fragile, yielding Ajiao from his dream flickered again. He teased her with a bit of renewed spirit, "What’s wrong with having a child? Does the Underworld not..." He suddenly froze. When he spoke again, his voice had changed. "Wait, Ajiao... I remember Asu saying that when people die and go to the Underworld, they can still live there. They are still... alive?!!"
Ajiao couldn't help but clap her hands. "You’ve finally discovered something extraordinary."
