The majestic and imposing palace loomed high over the entire expanse of Yingdu Ghost City, its blood-red lacquer painting every beam and pillar. The sharp, unyielding lines resembled the wailing cries of tortured spirits. Flying eaves pierced the thin mist, and thousands of black tiles were swallowed by the dim light. An endless, unceasing mass of skeletal remains formed the foundation of the palace, while hundreds of armored ghost soldiers guarded its four corners.

It was within this Yama Hall that the fates of countless souls were judged and weighed, determining whether they would cross Naihe Bridge for reincarnation, or descend into the Eighteen Levels of Hell to endure punishment.

Within the Second Yama Hall.

Cold stone columns supported the towering expanse of the grand hall. Yin Weiyin lowered her gaze to the ground—a uniform palette of dreary gray hues, tinged faintly with an eerie blue glow.

It had only been an hour since she was brought to this ghostly city of Yingdu.

Yet within this brief hour, her entire world seemed to have turned upside down.

"Is everything in order, Your Highness?"

A spectral maidservant appeared behind her without a sound. Yin Weiyin turned her head, only to realize that the figure had floated silently into view.

With a slight motion of her hand, the female crown responded, "No harm."

The ghost maidservant bowed respectfully and was about to retreat when Yin Weiyin spoke up, unable to suppress her question: "My father… What is truly going on with him?"

At that moment, the man revered and bowed to by the adjudicators of the Palace of Good and Evil was addressed as His Highness, King Yan of Yama Hall.

Yet his face was identical to that of her father, nearly indistinguishable.

When she later called him "Father," he did not deny it but instead returned a gaze brimming with paternal affection.

This left Yin Weiyin utterly baffled.

The ghost maidservant replied softly, "Such matters are beyond what we lowly servants can disclose. But His Majesty King Yan said that once his affairs are handled, he will come and explain everything to you personally."

Hearing this, Yin Weiyin's brows furrowed with unresolved doubt. Yet, stranded alone in this enigmatic place, she could only swallow her questions, however numerous they may be.

Realizing she had no further words, the ghost maidservant quietly withdrew.

Yin Weiyin did not know how long she had been waiting in this grand hall. She sat alone, pressing a hand to her chest, where she suddenly felt a stabbing pain.

The faint, piercing sensation surged from within, like a needle pricking at her heart.

Frowning, she recalled the scene of resealing Chaos.

She remembered that moment vividly—when the doors to the stone chamber sealing Chaos had closed, her Nascent Soul had pursued Chen Yi inside, after which all contact was lost.

The Nascent Soul was formed of the spirit. In the days since that moment, the female crown often felt as though parts of her soul were missing.

However, upon inward reflection, she found her Three Souls and Seven Spirits to be perfectly intact, leaving her no closer to an explanation even after much deliberation.

This stabbing pain was like a reminder—a reminder of something lost. Yet no matter how she tried, she could not grasp what it was she had lost.

As Yin Weiyin sat reminiscing, waiting for what felt like an eternity in this reception hall, a procession of footsteps finally echoed through the air.

The rhythm of those footfalls was steady, measured, and deliberate—a cadence orderly and precise.

The man spoken of as both King Yan and King Chujiang had stepped into the reception hall.

"Weiyin."

He called out to her, his voice tinged with emotion:

"It has been a long time."

Yin Weiyin turned her head, hesitating before replying, "…Father…"

"There is much you don't understand—I know." Seated on his throne with practiced ease, he looked at Yin Weiyin with a nostalgic gaze and spoke slowly: "Your father in the living world and I—are not the same person."

Yin Weiyin was momentarily stunned. The man before her was visually identical to her father.

Her guard rose as she cautiously asked, "Then who are you?"

He sat upright upon the throne, raising one hand to rest an elbow upon the armrest, seamlessly merging with the majesty of the seat. This was a man who seemed born to wear the imperial crown and stand above all others.

"The posthumous title they bestowed upon me was something along the lines of… Holy Divine Emperor."

The female crown's pupils contracted sharply.

That was the posthumous title of the previous Emperor,

The man before her—the former Emperor of Great Yu—had become King Yanluo here in the underworld?!

Yin Weiyin took a long moment to regain her composure. Her throat bobbed several times before she managed to ask, through trembling lips, "You… why…"

"Why do I look exactly like your father?"

The former Emperor of Great Yu seemed to read her unspoken thoughts as a father might.

Yin Weiyin gripped the armrests of the sandalwood chair, as though stabilizing the storm within her heart, and nodded.

"The answer is simple."

The former Emperor of Great Yu retrieved a piece of yellowed paper from within his robes and gave it a breath.

The paper fluttered to the ground, and right before Yin Weiyin's eyes, it began to stand upright. Its high cheekbones, prominent nose, and slender mustache formed a face identical to that of the former Emperor of Great Yu and her father alike.

From beside her ears came the former Emperor's composed voice.

"I am a paper effigy.

The paper effigy of my younger brother, Prince Jing."

.....................…

.....................…

Lin Family Young Lady approached gracefully, her hands resting gently over her abdomen. She murmured softly:

"Husband."

Chen Yi froze in shock.

He could have never imagined that one day, he would hear such a word uttered from the lips of Lin Wanxiao, who had long resolved to remain a widow.

Chen Yi lowered his gaze and saw the petite young lady before him, barely reaching his shoulder, wearing a soft smile suffused with genuine emotion.

Behind him, Dong Guifei's expression mirrored his confusion—if not exceeded it.

Before Chen Yi could formulate a response, Lin Wanxiao called again:

"Husband?"

Chen Yi, brimming with unanswered questions, paused for a long moment before finally responding: "…Yes."

Unexpectedly, this slight shift in his demeanor caused Lin Wanxiao's expression to dim. She seemed on the verge of saying something, but in the end, she simply sighed softly and said:

"Never mind. We'll discuss it further once we return to the Cui Estate."

Chen Yi's expression grew increasingly perplexed.

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