Since all these rules and superstitions are outdated, what's wrong with me indulging in some me

Just then, a deep, soul-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the darker, deeper waters behind Cheng Caijun!

A dazzling golden beam of light, like lightning tearing through the night, instantly pierced through the dim waters and struck "Lu Changsheng," who was tightly gripping Cheng Caijun's arm, with perfect accuracy!

"Sizzle—!!!"

A piercing sound, like hot oil being poured onto snow, suddenly exploded!

The body of "Lu Changsheng" was struck by the golden light, and the anxious expression on his face instantly froze and shattered. The force with which he was gripping Cheng Caijun's arm suddenly loosened!

Immediately afterwards, its shape, like shattered porcelain, turned into a large, churning mass of black mist with a "poof" sound!

Cheng Caijun suddenly turned his head and saw a figure swimming swiftly towards him like a dragon emerging from the water.

It's Lu Changsheng again!

Cheng Caijun was startled, but hesitated because of what had happened before and dared not step forward.

Lu Changsheng's face was as cold as ice, and his right fingertips held dozens of golden talismans that were as sharp as knives in the water.

Dark green "eye-opening sand" was clearly smeared on his eyelids, and the soul-binding lock on his arm was exceptionally clear.

He first quickly glanced at Cheng Caijun to make sure he was alright, then his gaze sharpened and shot forward.

However, unexpectedly, the fake Lu Changsheng, who had just been struck by the golden light, did not dissipate or completely annihilate after turning into black mist. Instead, it began to shrink and condense inward...

Within just two or three seconds, the black mist dissipated.

What appeared on the spot was no longer the terrifying grayish-blue water ghost, but a—

A woman wearing a bright red dress.

She floated on the dark water, her figure graceful and alluring. Her soaked red dress clung to her exquisite curves, outlining breathtaking undulations. Her face was pale yet exquisitely beautiful, her features exquisitely detailed, and a smile played at the corners of her lips.

What's even more shocking is that the water ghost who was trembling on the side, as if he had been terrified by the real Lu Changsheng, has also undergone a dramatic change!

Its rotting flesh peeled away like a molting process, revealing a tall, robust male body with broad shoulders and a wide back. A long, dark robe instantly covered its entire body, revealing a handsome and resolute face with dark eyes.

The two stood side by side, one in red and one in black, one gentle and one strong, both with appearances rarely seen in the world, forming an extremely eerie yet harmonious contrast with the gloomy and desolate underwater world of Ghost Cry Bay.

"Chixiao, Xuanyuan, you two are courting death! How dare you touch my people!"

Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, stepped forward, and stood in front of Cheng Caijun.

The red-clad female ghost, addressed by his name directly, was not intimidated by Lu Changsheng's imposing aura. Instead, she covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes sparkling with allure, her voice so soft it could drip water.

"Oh dear, Lu Jiuchu, it's been so many years, why is your temper still so fierce!"

She drawled out the last syllable, as if blaming her lover, "My husband and I were just playing a joke on your child, testing his courage. See, he's perfectly fine!"

As she spoke, she tilted her head and winked at Cheng Caijun, who was hiding behind Lu Changsheng with a pale face. Cheng Caijun shuddered and quickly shrank his head behind Lu Changsheng.

But Cheng Caijun wasn't stupid. He looked at the situation and realized that Lu Changsheng knew the male and female ghosts, and that Lu Jiuchu was also involved.

Are you talking about Brother Lu?

The black-robed male ghost then spoke.

"Lu Jiuchu, how have you been? Back then, you single-handedly slaughtered 180,000 vengeful ghosts in a whole street. Your prowess is still fresh in my memory."

Cheng Caijun was dumbfounded.

What the heck?

Brother Lu told him that he had slaughtered his way through an entire street, but he didn't know that there were 180,000 ghosts on that street!

And does Brother Lu really know how to use a sword?

How come I've never seen him use it?

Xuan Yuan's gaze swept over the talisman on Lu Changsheng's fingertip. "Seeing you again today, the skill in making these talismans is even better than before. Where is your precious peach wood sword?"

Lu Changsheng's expression remained unchanged as he coldly said:

"Stop trying to get close. Xuan Yuan, keep an eye on your wife. I know the rules of Ghost Cry Bay, but if you try to lay a finger on the people I brought, don't blame me for turning on you."

Upon hearing this, Chi Xiao raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips:

"You, surnamed Lu, are allowed to bring a lively, energetic young man to this gloomy place, but we wandering ghosts aren't allowed to have some fun?"

"This has been the way things are in Ghost Cry Bay for thousands of years: the strong prey on the weak, and everyone relies on their own abilities. The children weren't vigilant enough and got tricked, so how can we be entirely blamed?"

Xuan Yuan showed no intention of intervening, simply shrugging and smiling at Lu Changsheng:

"I can't control my own wife, so I'm afraid you'll have to put up with this!"

Lu Changsheng rolled his eyes. He knew it was pointless to reason with these two old fogies. They were playing good cop and bad cop, simply trying to take the initiative and test his bottom line and true intentions.

"Rules? There are no rules about killing messengers in either the human or ghost realm!" Lu Changsheng bluntly stated, "I only want the messenger and his belongings. Give them to me and I'll leave immediately."

Chi Xiao and Xuan Yuan exchanged a glance, their playful expressions fading somewhat.

"Oh? So you came here for that unlucky guy."

Chi Xiao tilted her head, a cryptic smile curving her red lips. "The rule that 'messengers must not be killed without permission' is something my husband and I naturally understand. However..."

She drew out her words, her gaze drifting towards the dark depths of the water, where the countless corpses were most concentrated and the resentment was heaviest.

"We didn't kill that guy."

Xuan Yuan spoke up, his tone calm but with a hint of barely perceptible gravity, "He trespassed into a place he shouldn't have entered, took things he shouldn't have taken, and was killed by the backlash."

"Backlash?" Lu Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. "Where did he go?"

"Lu Jiuchu, I admit you're very powerful, but even in the Ghost Realm, there are some secrets that even we Ghost Kings dare not touch!"

In a flash, Chi Xiao appeared in front of Lu Changsheng, her nose less than a centimeter away from his. She winked at him and curled her scarlet lips into a smile.

"Take his body and leave. Don't ask any questions, or if things get out of hand, even my husband and I won't be able to protect you."

Lu Changsheng's pupils didn't even flicker; he simply stared calmly at the astonishing face before him.

Upon seeing this, Xuan Yuan frowned slightly, and in a flash, he arrived next to Lu Changsheng, wrapping his arm around Chi Xiao's waist as if asserting his ownership.

"Your friend was lucky to have run into my wife and me. If he had encountered a brainless monster like Rakshasa, he would probably be dead by now!"

Lu Changsheng's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the scene before him, but his eyes remained calm.

Xuan Yuan's seemingly assertive gesture was more like a tacit agreement, widening the previously ambiguous and tense distance between them.