Chapter 2686 The Mad City Lord's Love-Hate Relationship 08

Following his memories of yesterday, Jin Chen walked toward the main hall. The closer he got, the thicker the yin energy became.

The hall was empty, with the eternal lamp emitting a ghostly green light. A hunched figure dressed in tattered official robes waited with his back to the door.

Hearing footsteps, the ghostly figure slowly turned around.

Jin Chen saw its appearance clearly. It was a strangely shaped ghost, short and thin, with a severely bent back. The skin around its left eye socket was rolled up and rotting. From that hole, a snake's head with fine scales protruded, its tongue flicking out from time to time, making a hissing sound. Its snake eyes were fixed on Jin Chen.

The one-eyed ghost looked Jin Chen up and down, noticing the dark red Netherworld Flower mark between his eyebrows. A mocking smile appeared on his rotting lips, and a strange hoarse sound came from his throat, as if he was laughing at the new ghost who was about to die without even realizing it.

Jin Chen: "Don't laugh."

The one-eyed ghost was taken aback, and its forked tongue flicked out even more rapidly.

Jin Chen continued, "His smile looks rather unattractive; it's an eyesore."

One-eyed ghost: "..."

Having spent years in the ghost city, climbing from a nobody in the outer city to now being able to walk in the inner city and meet the city lord, it had never suffered such humiliation in person.

Especially when mocked by a new ghost who was marked with a seven-day death warrant and whose soul was about to be scattered!

The one-eyed demon growled, its body surging with yin energy, its fangs bared, and its withered claws aimed straight for Jin Chen's throat.

After half a stick of incense.

Yin Chaosheng walked in slowly, and the ghost servant respectfully reported, "Lord City, Lord One-Eyed has something to report to you and is waiting in the hall..."

The ghost servant stared blankly at the empty center of the hall. There was no sign of the one-eyed ghost, only a pool of foul-smelling flesh slowly wriggling on the ground.

Jin Chen emerged leisurely from behind the screen, holding a plain white handkerchief in her hand, slowly wiping her fingers as if they had just come into contact with something unclean.

Upon seeing Yin Chaosheng, he nodded slightly, "City Lord."

Yin Chaosheng's gaze swept over the pool of flesh and then fell back on Jin Chen, his beautiful pupils revealing no emotion.

"Where's the one-eyed ghost?"

Jin Chen's expression was serious, and he answered crisply, "I don't know."

As he spoke, he inadvertently took half a step back, landing precisely on the edge of the pool of flesh that was struggling to gather, and applied slight pressure.

The meat paste, which had just begun to take shape, crumbled again.

Minced Meat: "..."

Yin Chaosheng raised an eyebrow slightly, too lazy to investigate further, and casually flicked his sleeve.

A cold wind swept across the ground, and the mass of flesh quickly reformed into the hunched shape of the one-eyed ghost, its aura much weaker, and the black snake also drooped listlessly in its eye sockets.

As soon as the one-eyed ghost regained its form, it immediately pointed at Jin Chen and opened its mouth to complain.

Jin Chen spoke first, pointing at the one-eyed ghost with a wronged and indignant expression, "City Lord, this fellow dared to call me ugly just now!"

One-eyed ghost: "??"

He deliberately turned his head to the side, "I was brought back by you yourself. If you say I'm ugly, aren't you questioning your taste and judgment?"

One-eyed ghost: "???"

Yin Chaosheng's gaze fell once again on the Netherworld Flower between Jin Chen's brows, and his brows furrowed slightly.

This ghostly seal should, in theory, gradually bloom as the soul's power is consumed, and the seven-day blooming period marks the time when the soul will be scattered.

But the flower in front of me is still in its bud stage, unchanged.

He couldn't help but raise his hand, his cool fingertips gently tracing the dark red stain. Meeting Jin Chen's calm eyes, he couldn't discern anything for the moment.

Withdrawing his hand, Yin Chaosheng lazily sat down in the main seat, ignoring the farce, and asked instead, "What are you doing here?"

Jin Chen readily complied, standing at the lower end of the table, and said naturally, "Serving you."

Yin Chaosheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his stunningly beautiful face exuding a chilling aura.

"Aren't you really afraid of your soul being scattered in seven days?"

Jin Chen lowered her head, her eyelashes drooping to conceal the expression in her eyes. "I'm afraid."

Don't worry, this Netherworld Flower is for slaying evil spirits, but he's a living, breathing person.

"Since you're here to serve, then go and stand guard outside the palace," Yin Chaosheng said indifferently, clearly not intending for him to come closer.

Jin Chen looked up and said, "Lord of the City, I can serve you personally."

Yin Chaosheng's eyes narrowed. "What?"

The one-eyed ghost's gaze darted back and forth between the two ghosts, and he subconsciously covered his ears with his withered hand, causing even the black snake in the hole to retract halfway.

Yin Chaosheng inexplicably recalled the strange sensation in the sedan chair yesterday, and the bitten corner of his lip. An inexplicable anger rose in his heart, and his voice became even colder, "You are truly audacious!"

Jin Chen was surprised, then realized, "Lord of the City, you misunderstood. It was a slip of the tongue. I misspoke. It should be 'serve closely'."

As he spoke, he walked around to the side and behind Yin Chaosheng's seat, adopting a submissive posture with his eyes downcast and his mind at ease.

Yin Chaosheng: "..."

Damn.

Yin Chaosheng was somewhat irritated by his unpredictable words and actions. He snorted coldly, ignored him, and turned to look at the one-eyed ghost below who was weak and listless. "What is it?"

Only then did the one-eyed ghost dare to lower its claws, suppressing its overwhelming hatred for Jin Chen, and respectfully report, "City Lord, the seal over at Qingtan... is about to break. The three ghost generals sent in yesterday to investigate all had their soul lamps extinguished and never returned."

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid only your personal presence can temporarily quell that resentful riot."

Jin Chen pricked up his ears, but his face remained expressionless.

Upon hearing this, Yin Chaosheng showed little surprise and took out a bronze mirror that gleamed with a faint light from his pocket.

He placed his palm on the mirror and closed his eyes to sense it for a moment.

Dark energy was faintly churning on the mirror, as if something was trying to break through it.

A moment later, Yin Chaosheng opened his eyes, exerted force with his fingertips, and the bronze mirror turned to dust in his palm. His bright red lips curled up, "Trying to break out? Dream on."

Seeing that the city lord had made a decision, the one-eyed ghost dared not say anything more and bowed as he withdrew.

As he passed by Jin Chen, he cast a venomous glance at her, but Jin Chen pretended not to notice.

Yin Chaosheng walked towards the dark passage behind the main hall. Jin Chen hesitated for a moment, but followed him.