This villain has become a ghost

The farce finally came to an end.

But the surging undercurrent will not stop.

The seats in the carriage are made of fine silk and embroidered with exquisite patterns. There is also an elegant incense burner in the carriage, which has a very light but very pleasant smell.

Yue Liuyun's face was still frighteningly pale, and he stared out the window without moving, as if in a daze.

Unlike her usual smart look, her eyes were dull at this moment, with a pair of big black and white eyes showing a bit of confusion. She looked particularly well-behaved without moving, just like a cat curled up in the sun after being wronged.

Nangong Mingzhu couldn't help but reach out and rub her head, like petting a cat. However, when he reacted, his knuckle-jointed fingers had already passed through her translucent hair as if nothing was there.

He withdrew his hand and stared at his fingertips, a strange emotion suddenly rising in his heart.

That's right, she is just a soul now, he can't touch her at all.

Yue Liuyun was completely unaware of his actions.

It seems... she still hasn't recovered from what happened just now.

"You..." Nangong Mingzhu pondered, then suddenly leaned forward. He was about to speak after considering what to say, but unexpectedly Yue Liuyun suddenly turned around and met his gaze. The two were very close, and although they could not feel each other's breathing, they could clearly see each other's shrunken pupils.

Yue Liuyun stared into his eyes and said seriously, "It seems that just as we expected, Zhang Jing is not the princess's man."

Nangong Mingzhu: “…”

He slowly leaned back, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said helplessly: "So these are the things you are thinking about?"

"What else?" Yue Liuyun said.

Nangong Mingzhu saw that her face still looked very bad, her tone was a little stiff when she spoke, and her right hand was still shaking slightly, and he already understood.

This girl is really stubborn.

Nangong Mingzhu sighed and got straight to the point: "The feeling of killing someone for the first time... isn't it uncomfortable?"

The moon flows and the clouds are silent.

It wasn't just her first time killing someone; it was her first time taking a living being. In that instant, she felt utter nausea, utter fear, utter discomfort... it nearly consumed her. For the first time, reason and reality couldn't converge. It was a pain so intense and brutal that it felt like she was being torn apart. It must have been the sheer magnitude of her emotions at the time that caused them to switch back.

"I remember you once said that in your world, anyone who kills someone will go to jail?" Nangong Mingzhu said softly, "So... you must have never seen any bloodshed. It's normal to feel uncomfortable when suddenly encountering something like this. There's no need to pretend to be strong."

Yue Liuyun shook his head and said, "Even if it's on our side, this is self-defense and I won't go to jail. Although I feel uncomfortable, I don't regret my actions just now. I just feel that..."

"...Too weak." She sighed and lowered her eyes.

Nangong Mingzhu suspected that he had heard it wrong. His expression suddenly became indescribable and the corners of his mouth twitched.

The word "weak" simply doesn't apply to her, does it? She's quick-witted and resourceful in her daily planning and calculations, possessing both superior knowledge and insight. Even if she's never killed anyone, she still plunged the knife into the killer's chest without hesitation, taking his life. Such a person, fierce as it is, is undeniable, yet she still calls herself weak.

He looked at her with a mixture of amusement and helplessness, and said calmly, "What gave you this illusion?"

Yue Liuyun's fingertips were slightly curled up, and her expression was indistinguishable. She looked like an innocent little girl worrying about the difficult choice of rouge and powder. However, her words were so sharp that they didn't sound like what an ordinary little girl would say. She said seriously, "If we hadn't switched back this time, I might not, but you and Shen Yue would both die."

In that case, her mission would definitely fail.

"Ultimately, this matter was due to my own inconsideration. I sent Feng Ning with the Holy Edict to stop the Song army and Ying Sha to resolve our predicament, but I didn't expect Ying Sha to be intercepted." Yue Liuyun sighed deeply, his brows still furrowed as he spoke in a deep voice, "I should have sent someone else and let Feng Ning protect us closely. Or perhaps I should have made another move to leave us a way out."

"Not only that, in that situation I could only hide behind Shen Yue. Not only could I not help, I didn't even have the courage to raise a knife and kill someone."

Nangong Mingzhu looked at her quietly, listening to her increasingly heavy narration, with mixed feelings in his heart.

He didn't expect her to think that way.

She was able to overcome her psychological discomfort, quickly adjust her state to review the situation, and analyze rationally and clearly. However, such a strong person was still nitpicking and blaming herself for not doing her best.

Nangong Mingzhu slowly approached her, looking directly into her eyes. His usual lazy and casual expression vanished, his eyes now filled with a heart-wrenching depth, like the pitch-black night, yet also as noble as the clear moon. He said seriously, "Don't belittle yourself. None of this is your problem. I've met many people and experienced many things over the years, but I've never truly respected anyone except you."

"The Shadow Demon was intercepted by others because they were not capable enough. You should blame me who nurtured them. You don't know martial arts, so it is only natural for Shen Yue, as a subject, to protect you."

Yue Liuyun met his eyes again, saw the seriousness in his eyes, and heard him say, "I have never truly looked up to anyone except you." Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in her heart, and she felt inexplicably warm, and the feeling of uneasiness was much less.

She suddenly revealed a faint smile and nodded: "You are right."

Seeing her relaxed expression, Nangong Mingzhu smiled slightly and lay back down.

"...But it is still important to sum up the gains and losses. I don't want the same thing to happen again, and I don't like the feeling of relying on luck. Let's continue where I was just now." She continued.

Nangong Mingzhu: “…”

It's really yours.

He laughed in silence, not knowing what to say.

Yue Liuyun thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Oh, yes, I think I mentioned Zhang Jing just now. This guy is quite busy, and can be considered a triple agent."

"The Princess's plan couldn't have been done without you. Otherwise, the Song army's arrival would have been impossible to explain. Without the Emperor, suspicions of treason would have been raised, and they wouldn't have acted rashly. Yet, she still led her men to the western Luanyan Mountains, so... she didn't know I was in the eastern desolate forest. This means Zhang Jing didn't reveal the news to the Princess."

"And the person who knew the news, was able to send such a skilled assassin, and could predict that I would deploy Shadow Demon... must be someone powerful, meticulous, and intent on killing you. I've identified two suspects."

A sharp light flashed in Nangong Mingzhu's eyes, and they suddenly turned cold, and he also locked onto two answers in his mind.

I only heard Yue Liuyun: "...Either it was Qiu Lin who did it, or...it was Wei Yanzhi."

But no matter who was responsible, Zhang Jing, Qiu Lin, and Wei Yanzhi, three powerful figures, were difficult to deal with. Even Zhang Jing couldn't find any evidence to prove he had any substantial connection with the princess.

Yue Liuyun felt a headache, but then remembered something else and asked, "Do you think... General Qiming has something to do with this?"

"Liu Zeyin?" Nangong Mingzhu raised an eyebrow and recalled casually, "He seems to be seriously injured. I have already sent people to find out about Yingsha. We will see whether his injury is caused by the Imperial Guards... or Yingsha."

Yue Liuyun nodded thoughtfully, thinking it made sense.