Chapter Eighty: Wang Dan Has Died

When the Emperor spoke those words, I fell silent for a few seconds, then patted his shoulder twice and suggested we go up to the rooftop for a smoke.

He didn't reply, his face numb as he followed behind me.

On the rooftop, I handed him a cigarette, and we sat side by side at the edge, smoking quietly. I didn't know how to comfort him. After all, there are pains in life that only those who experience them truly understand.

"Did you stay with her in the hospital last night?" I asked.

He nodded, his eyes rimmed with red, and took a deep breath. "Actually, Wang Dan hasn't changed at all. She's still the kind-hearted girl I once knew. It's just that, in her naive youth, she met a scoundrel."

Only then, through his words, did I finally understand the full story.

It was a sordid affair. At a mixer last year, Wang Dan met a successful man, already in his thirties and married. They quickly fell in love, and Wang Dan became the infamous third party. She unexpectedly became pregnant.

At first, she didn't realize her condition. When she missed her period for three consecutive months, she finally understood she was carrying a child.

She told the man, discussing whether to terminate the pregnancy. He, however, refused. He was in his thirties, childless because his wife was infertile, and he wanted Wang Dan to give birth. He promised that after the child was born, and once Wang Dan graduated from university, he would divorce his wife and marry her.

Too naive, Wang Dan believed his lies. She took a semester off, planning to have the baby before returning to school.

But when she was seven months along, the man's wife discovered the affair and beat Wang Dan.

Afterwards, Wang Dan urged the man to divorce, but he wouldn't agree. His wife, ironically, became pregnant at this time.

One day, the man took Wang Dan to a hotel, claiming he wanted to talk things over. She went, not suspecting anything, and found that he hadn't brought her there to discuss the divorce at all. Instead, he forced her to take abortion pills, ending the life of the seven-month-old fetus, then hid the remains beneath the bed.

Hearing this, my scalp tingled. I couldn't decide whether to pity Wang Dan or think she had brought it upon herself.

"What happened then?" I asked.

The Emperor replied that the dead fetus became a vengeful spirit, seeking revenge on Wang Dan and the man. But the man had a powerful Taoist priest by his side, making it impossible for the spirit to harm him, so it turned its focus to Wang Dan.

Yet, it did not kill her. It only wanted Wang Dan to find its father, to bring the family together.

I chuckled and said that every soul, before reincarnation, may have suffered countless torments in the underworld, earning only one chance to be reborn. To be aborted before birth naturally breeds intense resentment. Its wishes, then, are not unreasonable.

Looking at the Emperor, I said, "So, since Wang Dan couldn't find that man, the spirit targeted you instead."

He nodded, his face still numb.

A surge of anger rose within me. I laughed bitterly, "Brother, you treated her like a treasure, but she made you look like a fool. You’re addicted to playing the surrogate dad, huh? Wang Dan nearly got you killed, yet you're still so loyal?"

The Emperor turned to me, his brows furrowing deeply. "Just this once, Dao, I won't allow you to speak ill of Wang Dan again."

"Alright," I said, laughing softly. After all, he’d chased her for four years. It’s true what they say: the magic of love can turn the sharpest mind into a fool. Especially someone like the Emperor, who’s stubborn to the core.

I stood and left the rooftop. "Chief Emperor, let me give you some advice: treat this as a memory from your youth. Time to move on!"

"Dao!" The Emperor suddenly called after me.

"What?" I turned to look at him.

"Why do you hunt demons and spirits?"

His question caught me off guard. I smiled and shrugged. "Have you forgotten? My family has run a coffin shop for generations!"

I gave him a sly grin. I believed he would get through this soon. After all, I’d endured plenty of heartbreak myself and survived.

"Oh, Emperor, about last night, I hope you don't tell anyone besides us."

He nodded, lit another cigarette, and stared blankly into the distance, lost in thought.

I wasn't worried he'd jump off the building; he was no stranger to hardship. Not long after I returned to the dorm, the Emperor came back.

He said nothing, just lay down and slept for two days and nights. Jiang Chao and Liu Dong asked me what was wrong with him. I explained that Sister Dan was going abroad to study and had broken up with the Emperor.

It was a reasonable explanation. It accounted for the breakup and for Sister Dan's sudden withdrawal from school. Jiang Chao and Liu Dong wanted to comfort him, but nearly got themselves beaten for trying.

On the third morning, the Emperor was back to his old self, as if he’d forgotten everything about Wang Dan—carefree once more.

I was relieved by his reaction. Though I knew a scar would remain deep within, at least he’d pulled through.

For the next two months, I stayed at school and encountered few strange happenings. I spent my days with the Emperor and the others, and met Bai Rushuang a few times, becoming friends. In our interactions, I discovered her identity was a complete mystery. She seemed naive and sweet, but inside, she was sharper than anyone. She never revealed anything about herself, and I didn’t press—after all, who doesn’t have secrets?

I also visited Wang Feiyang several times. More than two months passed, and he was still weaving bamboo strips. Now he could split them into forty-nine strands, though he was still far from the goal of one hundred twenty-eight.

As for Lu Li, after returning to Mount Shu, he rarely contacted anyone. We spoke once by phone; he sounded exhausted. Apparently, his master was putting him through special training, preparing him as a candidate for the next sect leader.

Though life was peaceful, I was always aware the curse of the Nine Yin Severed Veins was becoming more obvious. With time, more white hairs appeared, even wrinkles at my temples. I felt that the Underworld Sovereign Seal within me couldn't suppress the curse for three years—one year at most. If I couldn’t become an official in the underworld, I would surely die.

I researched ways to gain an underworld post day and night, but after more than two months, I still had no clue.

Until that day.

That day, just like usual, I returned from the internet café with Liu Dong and the others, only to find the Emperor alone in the restroom, smoking and sobbing in agony.

Shocked, I ran over and asked what was wrong.

"Wang Dan is dead," he said, his face twisted in grief. "Last night, she slit her wrists and killed herself in the psychiatric hospital."

I was stunned for several seconds, then took a deep breath, gripped his shoulder hard, and said, "Brother, it's over. Come on, let's go drink!"

We took the Emperor to a KTV, ordered piles of beer, not knowing that this night of drinking would lead to disaster.