Volume One, Chapter 42: Has the Physical Body Perished?

Qin Yu let out a gentle laugh, her picturesque brows and eyes lively and graceful. “If you two had only heeded my advice, dear sirs, would we have needed to come to blows?”

One of the underworld envoys hesitated at Qin Yu’s demeanor. He tugged lightly on his companion’s sleeve and whispered so only the two of them could hear, “Brother, why don’t we check the Book of Life and Death again? This little girl doesn’t seem like she’s lying.”

“If everyone insisted on checking the Book of Life and Death like her, would we ever get our work done?” the other envoy retorted sharply.

A metallic tang filled Qin Yu’s mouth, but her gaze remained resolute. “Very well, then. I won’t make things difficult for you both. Let’s settle this with a fight. Whoever wins calls the shots.”

The envoy’s face, painted ghostly white, twisted into a cold sneer. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Qin Yu fished a hair tie from her jacket pocket, holding it between her teeth, her spirit sword tucked beneath her arm. With deft fingers, she gathered her long hair into a high ponytail. Once finished, she pointed first at the envoy on the left, then at the one on the right. “To save time, why don’t you both come at me together?”

The envoys couldn’t endure such disregard. Their faces flushed red with anger. “You’re courting death!”

That day, Qin Yu wore a cropped pink top, black cargo pants, and ankle-high boots—her whole look was both sweet and dashing.

Having clashed with her before, the two envoys knew how agile she was. This time, they coordinated seamlessly: one attacked her upper body, the other her lower.

No matter how quick she was, it was nearly impossible to guard both at once.

The taste of blood in her mouth grew stronger. Qin Yu forced herself to swallow it down.

Clearly, the two envoys had discovered her weakness and meant to wear her out in a battle of attrition.

She had to find a chance to break through.

Barely dodging another assault, Qin Yu retreated to a corner, bracing herself with her spirit sword as she vomited a mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, the envoys pressed their advantage, their massive scythes nearly blocking out the overhead fluorescent lights.

“Die!”

Beneath her disheveled hair, a triumphant smile lit up Qin Yu’s delicate face.

The envoy swinging his scythe hadn’t yet grasped the meaning behind her smile when her spirit sword—no one knew when—was suddenly aimed straight at his partner’s back.

There was no time to think. The envoy’s scythe spun mid-swing, flying toward the spirit sword.

With a deafening clang, sparks scattered through the air.

The scythe knocked the spirit sword aside.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu—who had been driven back repeatedly—had already risen. With one hand, she gripped the envoy’s throat. Her voice was light yet chilling with determination. “You’ve lost.”

“You’re insane! You used yourself as bait! If I hadn’t redirected my Soul-Locking Scythe, you’d be in two pieces by now!”

Qin Yu flashed a grin, her slender shoulders trembling slightly. “Thank you for going easy on me, envoy.”

The envoy had nothing more to say, though he now regarded Qin Yu with newfound respect.

This girl had courage.

Qin Yu released them both and bowed respectfully. “Please forgive me, gentlemen, if I have offended you just now. But the person behind me has not yet reached the end of his lifespan. You cannot take him.”

The two envoys exchanged glances and spoke in unison, “Then allow us to verify this upon our return. If you have lied in the slightest, you’ll have delayed the affairs of King Yama himself. Can you bear that responsibility?”

Qin Yu bowed even more deeply. “Of course, I will bear it. However, there is another matter I must report.”

“What is it?”

“Recently, strange faceless statues have appeared in the mortal world. They feed on incense offered by the living, stealing the lifespan and fortune of those who pay their respects. Those who die from such thefts are not recorded in the Book of Life and Death, and thus become wandering, forsaken souls.”

“Oh? Is this true?”

“There have already been multiple cases.”

“We will report this truthfully to our superiors.”

“Thank you, envoys!”

Qin Yu bowed once more, not raising her head until the room had fallen silent.

The envoys had gone.

Qin Yu returned her spirit sword to her body.

Forcing her spirit sword to act had nearly depleted all her spiritual energy.

Approaching the operating table, she saw the doctors were still working to save a life. But unlike before, the readings on the heart monitor were climbing, and Su Jin’s face was no longer deathly pale.

Only then did Qin Yu feel at ease and leave.

Back in the empty hospital room, Qin Yu was left bewildered.

Where was Mu Ling’s spirit?

Where was her physical body?