A young man not even twenty now looked like a rough old brute in his forties.

“Husband, do you still want to break off the engagement now?” the Ghost Emperor asked in a sultry voice.

Maybe she had absorbed quite a bit of yang energy. Her cheeks were rosy, like she'd been drinking. That slightly tipsy look was dangerously alluring.

Too bad Zhong Cheng had no energy left to appreciate any of it. Even if a peerless beauty were lying naked right in front of him, he probably wouldn't react.

Sausage state.jpg

“I-I surrender. I won't break it off. I won't...”

Zhong Cheng had to struggle just to get those words out.

No matter how unwilling he was to become the Ghost Emperor's food, if he kept being stubborn, she'd drain him dry. Drain him dry... and turn him into a real sausage.

Bad end.

He couldn't keep charging ahead brainlessly anymore.

As long as the green hills remain, there'll be wood to burn later. Staying alive came first.

Some entrepreneur once said that when things are at their hardest, the first thing to consider is how to survive.

As for breaking off the engagement, he'd think of a better way later.

The key to being human was knowing how to adapt. Don't ram your head into a wall and get yourself killed. Sigh.

“Very good. I knew you liked me, husband. You're just too shy to say it, right? As a reward, I'll take one more sip.”

“No—”

Suuuck—

What reward? This is attempted husband murder!

I saw that lip-licking move. You were obviously craving my yang energy.

I already agreed not to break off the engagement, and this wicked wife still wants me dead. There's no justice in this world. She really does see me as food...

Luckily, the Ghost Emperor showed mercy with that last sip. Otherwise, Zhong Cheng really would've died here. What a tragic end.

Even though he wasn't dead, he wasn't much better off. His whole body felt like an old man at the end of his oil. He'd lost so much calcium that even his teeth felt loose.

Baby's suffering, but baby can't say it.

After that, Zhong Cheng blacked out from sheer exhaustion.

The Ghost Emperor lowered her head and looked at Zhong Cheng. He had already fainted, and when he fell, he just happened to land on top of her. He looked utterly haggard. She narrowed her eyes.

Using her as a face pillow. What outrageous nerve for a human.

Just like last night. He couldn't have done it on purpose, could he? That little pervert. If he really did do it on purpose...

Probably not. He was already in this state. For a human to hold on without dying was impressive enough.

No way he had the energy for tricks.

Seeing how pitiful he was, and since his yang energy really was delicious, the Ghost Emperor magnanimously forgave his rudeness.

A delicacy worth treasuring.

One sip felt good. Endless sipping felt even better.

A darkly expectant look appeared on the Ghost Emperor's face.

“Carry the groom to the bridal chamber,” the Ghost Emperor said.

At once, four ghosts came forward and carefully lifted Zhong Cheng, like professional pallbearers.

They carried him off somewhere.

The well-fed Ghost Emperor also happened to need some rest. Her body rose lightly into the air, weightless as a feather. She followed the ghosts carrying Zhong Cheng and headed for the bridal chamber.

In the dim corridor, eerie green flames cast a bizarre glow. The air was icy, and the atmosphere was deathly still, like walking a road to the underworld.

As they passed, gusts of yin wind swept through. The flames flickered, dimmed, and looked ready to go out at any moment, making the scene even gloomier.

For humans, it was terrible lighting. For these ghosts, it was just right, as if they were walking under sunlight.

A moment later, they arrived at the bridal chamber.

After the four ghosts settled Zhong Cheng onto the bed, they tactfully withdrew.

When the Ghost Emperor spread her arms, two pale-faced female ghosts dressed as maids suddenly appeared. They helped her remove her outer garments until only a plain white robe remained over her graceful body.

The thin white robe clung to her skin, outlining every curve.

“You may leave. This Emperor is going to rest.”

The two maid ghosts nodded respectfully. Without a word, they floated out of the bridal chamber and carefully shut the door.

Inside the festive red bridal room, only the Ghost Emperor and Zhong Cheng remained... no, that should be one human and one ghost.

The Ghost Emperor walked to the bedside and looked down at the sleeping Zhong Cheng. Even in sleep, his face still wore a look of fear and pain.

Looks like she had absorbed too much. She should've held back a little. But that wasn't her fault. His yang energy smelled far too good, and she couldn't help taking a little more.

Not only did she shove all responsibility away, she even pinned it on the victim. Not a shred of sympathy.

Victim-blaming, confirmed.

“I'll return a little yang energy to you. Otherwise, you might not make it and die. Your yang energy is too delicious to waste. I need to raise you properly. I can't lose such a long-term meal ticket.”

The Ghost Emperor bent down until she was face-to-face with Zhong Cheng, close enough to feel his abnormally faint breathing.

If she left him alone, he really might die here.

Her small lips parted slightly, and a wisp of green smoke drifted out. As Zhong Cheng breathed, he inhaled the smoke into his body.

Then a miracle happened.

His sunken cheeks, withered yellow hair, and pale lips visibly recovered.

It was like a punctured inflatable doll. Patch the hole with clear tape, and you could pump it back up and go at it again.

Even so, Zhong Cheng was still far from normal. But at least his life was no longer in danger.

His breathing grew much stronger.

The Ghost Emperor stopped sending him more yang energy. She floated up lightly, and her shoes slipped off by themselves, landing neatly beside the bed.

When she floated onto the bed, the red quilt opened on its own. After she lay down, it covered her again, along with Zhong Cheng beside her.

The two shared the same bed and pillow, but their bodies didn't touch at all. The line between them was clear.

The room quickly sank into dead silence.

...

…

.

Who knew how much time had passed before Zhong Cheng's eyes opened to a tiny slit, then fully opened.

Seeing the familiar bridal chamber in front of him, he wasn't surprised.

He silently turned his head to look at the Ghost Emperor beside him. His face stayed calm, as if he had expected this all along and had no need to be shocked.

The truth was, when Zhong Cheng fainted in the main hall, he had been faking it. Pretty convincing, right?

If he hadn't played dead back then, and the Ghost Emperor's greed kicked in and she took another sip, then all he could do was pack his bags and report to the King of Hell.

Way too dangerous.

Good thing he learned a move from Comrade Wang Nima. When in doubt, fake fainting.

By the way, when he collapsed onto the Ghost Emperor's chest, even in his terrible condition, Zhong Cheng still got a pretty good experience out of it.

No padding at all. Natural softness really was soft.

Too bad there was no warmth. It was a little cold, like a memory foam pillow in winter.

If you want to experience the Ghost Emperor's face pillow treatment, try your memory foam pillow at home.

Sadly, Zhong Cheng's physical condition had been too awful at the time, so the experience wasn't that great.

If the Ghost Emperor ever learned the truth, Zhong Cheng would probably die horribly.

Actually, while he was lying on the bed pretending to be unconscious, Zhong Cheng got so tired that he accidentally fell asleep for real. He almost ruined everything.

Luckily, the Ghost Emperor didn't wake up before he did. Instead, after sleeping for several hours, Zhong Cheng had recovered a lot of energy, and his condition was much better.

Since his body had improved, he had to find a way to escape this ghost den.

Otherwise, sooner or later, he'd be sucked dry!

Sure, the Ghost Emperor had kindly returned some yang energy to him. On the surface, it looked like warmth still existed in this world, like a ghost maiden in love with her scholar.

But that was fake mercy. Crocodile tears. This world wasn't worth it!

No matter how big or soft her chest was, he couldn't let it blind him.

He had heard what she said while returning his yang energy. She was treating him like livestock, plain and simple. Fatten him up, slaughter him, raise him again, over and over.

He refused to live that kind of miserable life, like an animal with no rights at all.

And when the Ghost Emperor eventually got tired of him, she might just drain all his yang energy and kill him.

If fate was unfair, then fight it to the end.

And if he couldn't win, then run!

Ever since waking up, Zhong Cheng had been watching the Ghost Emperor beside him, trying to see whether she was really asleep or just resting with her eyes closed.

Then he'd look for a chance to escape.

Come to think of it, do ghosts even need sleep?

Does anyone know? Please tell me. I'm waiting online. Urgent!