16. Mysterious Flame

In an instant, a chilling cold descended upon the bedroom, as if it had emerged from the depths of the underworld; the lights flickered uncertainly.

“So you’re angry already? Quite the temper.”

Lin Guichen remained calm, smiling as he said, “Ah, I just remembered—you seem to hate your father, don’t you? Is that why you despise men?”

The chill in the room intensified. Chen Linyu suddenly stood up, her beautiful eyes frosted as she stared at him. “He’s not worthy of being my father!”

Before her words faded, she appeared in front of Lin Guichen, gripping his neck in her slender, icy fingers. She gazed at him coldly and expressionlessly. “Do you think that because we’re betrothed, I won’t harm you? It seems you haven’t seen the contents of the marriage contract.”

Her fingers, cold as ice, tightened around his throat, but Lin Guichen seemed unaffected, only smiling. “What’s in it?”

“Idiot, I truly don’t understand how you dared to accept such a contract.” Chen Linyu frowned, her voice cold. “Even if I’m nothing but a ghost, under the marriage contract’s influence, I’m corporeal to you. However I wish to take your vital energy, you can’t resist. I could even possess your body, and you’d be powerless… Do you understand now?”

“Oh, I understand.” Lin Guichen eyed her graceful figure, smiling. “To me, you’re just a cold-bodied woman who’s as good as alive, right? Very well, if you want my energy, come and get it.”

“Shameless!”

Rage flashed across Chen Linyu’s beautiful face. She tightened her grip and slapped him hard, intent on teaching him a lesson so he’d never dare act so boldly—or so lecherously—again.

At that moment—

A talisman, drawn in vermillion and yellow paper, suddenly flew from Lin Guichen’s chest. As it spun through the air, it transformed into a whisper of dark flame, which then vanished into Chen Linyu’s forehead.

Her soul froze in place, unable to move at all.

She could only stare at Lin Guichen in disbelief, her heart reeling.

“What a pity. I wanted to have a friendly conversation with you.” Lin Guichen sighed regretfully, stepped back to free himself from her grip, then bent down, peering into her eyes. “Weren’t you going to slap me? Why aren’t you moving?”

Chen Linyu glared at him, unable to utter a single word.

“Already resorting to violence before marriage. Truly disappointing—I hate domestic violence the most.” Lin Guichen sighed, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped her across the cheek, the sound ringing sharply.

Chen Linyu’s head snapped to the side, but she continued to stare at him with an icy gaze that seemed capable of killing.

“To me, you really are corporeal.” Lin Guichen nodded, then looked at her with a hint of amusement. “Want to curse me? Fine, I’ll give you the chance.”

He willed the power of the talisman within her to loosen slightly.

“You…”

Chen Linyu realized she could speak again. Her eyes cold, she said, “I don’t know where you got such a strange talisman, but tomorrow I’ll tell Grandfather. Do you think you’ll have any good outcome?”

“Still threatening me?” Lin Guichen shook his head and slapped her again. “I’m your husband, and yet you’re siding with outsiders?”

Though she wasn’t hurt, the humiliation in Chen Linyu’s heart deepened, filling her gaze with hatred.

“Hah… If you have the guts, destroy me completely. Otherwise, I’ll kill you!” she sneered, fearless, staring at Lin Guichen. “If you don’t make me vanish tonight, tomorrow you’ll regret it!”

Lin Guichen sighed. “It’s hard to be kind.”

He pinched her cheek and tapped her lips, smiling. “Fiancée, I hope your tongue remains as sharp as it is now.”

With that, he picked up a bone flute from nearby, played it, and the invisible waves enveloped everything within three meters, isolating all sound.

Chen Linyu only looked at him, cold as frost.

“I just want to help our relationship as husband and wife. Don’t worry.” Lin Guichen smiled gently, then touched Chen Linyu lightly.

Suddenly, strands of deep, dark flame emerged from her soul, quietly burning.

“Mmm…”

Chen Linyu’s expression changed; she groaned and collapsed softly to the ground, trembling as she looked up at him, barely able to force out a few words:

“What… did you do?”

Lin Guichen raised an eyebrow slightly, then answered calmly, “You’re too disobedient, so I’m disciplining you a little.”

“Get out… get out of here!”

Chen Linyu curled up on the floor, arms wrapped tightly around her head, unable to suppress a scream of pain.

“I’ve only triggered a tenth of the effect and you’re already nearly defeated?” Lin Guichen shook his head. “How about this—admit you’re wrong, and I’ll stop. How’s that?”

“If you have the guts, destroy me completely! Otherwise, I’ll kill you!” Chen Linyu trembled, her voice saturated with fury and agony.

“Your tongue is indeed sharp.”

Lin Guichen shook his head again. “I believe you would kill me now. Let’s try two-tenths. Admit your mistake and I’ll stop.”

With his will, as his spiritual energy was consumed, the dark flames on Chen Linyu flickered, growing stronger.

“Mmm!”

She groaned in pain, kneeling and convulsing, her soul shuddering. Her elegant beret fell to the floor and turned to ash, as did the hairpin holding her hair, leaving her long hair scattered on the floor.

Her face pale, hair disheveled, she trembled incessantly, like a vengeful spirit enduring the torments of hell.

Yet she gritted her teeth, forced her head up, her eyes burning with hatred as she spat out, “Only know how to torture women—useless! I’ll kill you!”

Still refusing to give in?

Lin Guichen raised his brow, but at this point, he couldn’t back down. “Why must you push me? Do you really want to experience three-tenths of the pain?”

If two-tenths was this agonizing, what would three-tenths be?

But Lin Guichen, for all his resolve, was soft-hearted, unable to bear others’ suffering and cries.

So he retreated out of the soundproofed area, turned away, and activated three-tenths of the talisman’s power.

Silence.

As if nothing had happened.

If he didn’t see it, didn’t hear it, he wouldn’t soften.

Lin Guichen exhaled, then glanced at the smiling young Daoist beside him, frowning.

“What kind of spirit-commanding talisman is this? I thought it would make her obedient, make her see me as her master, but it’s just punishment and torment?”

“What else?” The young Daoist shot him a look. “It’s just an ordinary Daoist talisman, which even your current strength can control. How could it twist cognition or change the heart?”

Lin Guichen was stunned, glancing back at Chen Linyu quivering in pain. “But this doesn’t seem like a Daoist method.”

“Why not?” the Daoist snorted. “Have you ever seen Daoist methods before?”

“Well…” Lin Guichen paused. “I haven’t, but this black flame and the torture—it’s more like demonic fire, not Daoist at all.”

He’d seen plenty in novels and films; Daoist methods were never like this.

The young Daoist coughed. “This is exactly Daoist technique. If you don’t understand, don’t speak nonsense.”

She pointed at the dark flames on Chen Linyu. “This is true Mystic Fire, also called Xuan Fire. Do you know what color ‘mystic’ is? Black. So why say it’s not Daoist?”

Lin Guichen was dumbfounded.

Is that so?

The Daoist lifted her chin. “This Mystic Fire devours the resentments of ghosts, then feeds back to the soul. No matter how much it torments, it won’t drive her mad, nor will it destroy her soul. Instead, it purifies her soul, tempers it, and helps stabilize her spirit.”

She glared at Lin Guichen. “Tell me—isn’t such a marvel, which helps through punishment, a Daoist method?”

“…Makes sense.” Lin Guichen was speechless.

He glanced at Chen Linyu, feeling pity for such a beautiful woman being tormented yet refusing to yield.

He turned away, increasing the talisman’s power by another tenth.

After all, she was his bride-to-be. Purifying her soul and stabilizing her spirit was a good thing—how could he not help?

“By the way,” Lin Guichen asked, “If I use all ten-tenths and she still won’t submit, what then?”

“If she yields from pain, it’s not reliable anyway.” The young Daoist lay on the table, smiling as she watched Chen Linyu shrouded in black flame, her smile tinged with something eerie.

“The real method for controlling ghosts with this talisman is to let them adapt to the spirit-commanding Mystic Fire, coming to rely on its benefits for their soul.”

“Of course, every use consumes your spiritual energy, so you can’t command ghosts too strong or too many.”

The young Daoist smiled. “It’s a double-edged sword. If you don’t grow fast enough to provide the Mystic Fire ghosts need, they might turn on you and drain you dry.”

Lin Guichen fell silent.

“What’s wrong? Do you think my Daoist methods are too sinister and want to stop using them?” the Daoist teased.

“No.” Lin Guichen shook his head, voice low. “I was just thinking—if I’d had this in my previous life, some people wouldn’t have died, and maybe fewer innocent lives would have been lost…”

“Oh?” The Daoist smiled.

“I’m not so old-fashioned,” Lin Guichen said offhandedly. “Whatever the method, it’s righteous if used rightly. If I use it well, it’s a righteous method.”

With that, he turned to look at Chen Linyu, still kneeling and trembling, and stepped into the soundproofed area.

By now, her coat had turned to ash, her shoes crumbled, revealing her pale, curled feet. Her tall, graceful body shook beneath her dress, each tremor a testament to her pain and helplessness.

“Chen Linyu.”

Lin Guichen crouched beside her, speaking gently. “Are you willing to yield now?”

Chen Linyu gritted her teeth, forced herself to look up, tears glittering in her eyes from pain, staring hatefully at him. After a long moment, she managed to force out through clenched teeth:

“Why… should I?”

“Oh?” Lin Guichen replied calmly. “You think I’m unworthy?”

Chen Linyu, trembling, stared up at him, her voice quivering. “You forced a marriage contract—do you really think you’re my husband? Who do you think you are? Why should I submit?”

“Good question.”

Lin Guichen smiled. “Then I have a question for you.”

He lifted her chin, speaking softly. “Your grandfather, to make me his grandson-in-law, tried to bury me alive, forced me into a ghost marriage, and threatened me with my mother’s life. Tell me… what am I, then? What gives your grandfather the right?”

Chen Linyu was stunned, mouth open to retort, but no words came. She could only silently endure the pain.

“Your grandfather had the power, so I had no choice but to accept it all.” Lin Guichen gazed into her eyes, smiling. “I had no say, no way to resist—just like you now, isn’t it?”

The anger and hate that pain had filled Chen Linyu’s eyes with suddenly faded.

She wanted to say she hadn’t known.

But everything her grandfather did was for her. If she denied it, claimed innocence, then how was she different from the person she despised most?

“So, forgive me…”

Lin Guichen sighed, and with a thought, activated the talisman to its full power.

With a roar, the dark flames surged up, engulfing her soul completely.

“Aaaah! I yield, I yield!”

In a single breath, her agonized scream echoed, her psychological defenses shattered, unable to hold out any longer.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to do this earlier?” Lin Guichen shook his head and reined in the Mystic Fire.

As the flames faded, Chen Linyu lay limp on the floor.

Her soul was now much more stable, its impurities burned away, but the pain lingered, draining her of all strength.

Yet what struck her as absurd and shameful was…

When the tormenting flames disappeared, she felt unprecedented relaxation—and even a sense of emptiness, a faint… longing?

After such agonizing torture, she actually wanted to experience it again?

The absurdity of the thought made her body tremble once more.

Am I perverse… Chen Linyu wondered, feeling a touch of despair.

“Yielded at last?”

Lin Guichen smiled at the disheveled, beautiful ghost, “Then apologize first.”