The Soul They Couldn't Keep

Xue! You two despicable lovers stole my soul and usurped my identity! If there’s a next life—I swear I’ll hunt you both down until one of us is dead! Your Highness! Your Highness—this jade pendant belongs to my Gu family, passed down through generations. It was meant for my future wife! Ah—I’m back! I’ve actually returned to this very moment, when that monster handed me the pendant… Its icy chill seeps straight into my bones. My past life… It was him who drained me dry—sucked every last trace of my soul away. Your Highness—Your Highness, are you unwell? If you dislike this pendant… How could I possibly refuse it? Since it’s a gift from Brother Xuan, I’ll wear it every single day! This pendant symbolizes the Gu family’s deep respect and affection for Your Highness—please treasure it well. Worn day and night, it nurtures vitality, preserves youth, and blesses you with enduring fortune and robust health! “Nurtures vitality”? Ha! You mean “nurture that frail, sickly Liu Yiyi”—feeding her with my life force, my blood, my very essence! Brother Xuan’s heartfelt gesture—I, Hua Yin, shall carry it in my heart forever. But just now, Her Majesty the Empress sent word—she wishes to speak with me privately about something urgent. I fear I must take my leave. Since Her Majesty has summoned you… Your Highness, please go at once! This humble official dares not delay Your Highness’s filial duty.

Your Highness, what precious treasure has Master Gu sent for you to see? You’ve rushed here so urgently. I am Zhao Huaying—I am Zhao Huaying now. Your Highness, have you suffered some injustice? Did that Young Master Gu say something offensive? Tell me—your maid will lay down her life if it means begging Her Majesty the Empress to stand up for you. Chun’er… my dear Chun’er… In my past life, you noticed Liu Yiyi’s strangeness and desperately tried to contact His Imperial Highness—the Crown Prince—only to be discovered by that venomous woman. She had every bone in your body shattered… then cast your broken body into the unmarked graves outside the city. This time, I will not let you suffer even a sliver of pain—not ever again. Your Highness. Why are your hands so cold? It’s nothing—let’s return to the palace. Chun’ge, I need you to handle something personally. Listen carefullydo not alert anyone inside the palace—and under no circumstances must the Gu family find out. Please give me your orders, Your Highness—I’ll face death without hesitation. Go to the hidden alleys or slums of the capital—and find someone for me. Someone on the very brink of death. Their background must be utterly tragic; their origins, deeply convoluted. Ideally—someone abandoned by the entire world, consumed by hatred and despair. Your Highness… if you seek such a person for blessings or rituals, there are temples far more suited for that. I demand this person be brought before me within ten days. Yes. I accept the order. Gu Tingxun… Liu Yiyi… You think you can trample over my life to buy yourselves glory, wealth—and even children? I know—ten days from now is the very day I was possessed in my past life. If you want an exchange… then let me give you one—complete, irreversible, and final. This time, I’ll make you beg for life in my hands—and scream for death you’ll never be granted. The gears of vengeance have already begun to turn. Gu Tingxuan… Are you ready to receive the gift I’ve prepared just for you?

Your Highness, we’ve found the person. We searched the entire capital, and this is the only one whose background matches your requirements—complicated lineage, on the verge of death, consumed by bitter resentment. Her name is Qiongniang—a courtesan from Drunken Spring Pavilion. The physician says there’s no cure; she has only days left. Lead the way. Your Highness, Qiongniang suffers from a vile, contagious disease! Please, for the sake of your noble eyes—and your sacred health—do not approach her! All of you—withdraw. Guard the door. No one enters without my explicit permission. Your Highness, this humble servant will accompany you outside. So—you’re Qiongniang. What does a highborn noble want with a dying wretch like you? I am Princess Changjia of the Great Medicine Empire. I propose a bargain—with you. A princess may descend from heaven… but even she’ll strike a deal with a gutterdwelling cockroach—if it serves her purpose. Ten days from now, a soul will seize your body. A despicable, hypocritical soul—one that craves glory by stealing another’s life. I need your body—to trap him inside this broken, dying shell. In exchange, I swear boundless wealth and honor for your loved ones. Heh heh heh… After you’re done with it—can you just burn the corpse? Burn it. They say “fallen leaves return to their roots.” So why do you wish to return? That “root” is a venomous snake—the blackhearted parents who bore me… and that “dear” younger brother of mine. They’ll never let me rest in peace. If they learn I’m dead, they’ll drag this broken body off to be wed in a ghost marriage. Even in death, they’ll squeeze every last drop of value from me. Such bloodthirsty, ravenous kinship—this world truly is monstrous. Three taels of silver. They sold me—bound me, dragged me straight into the brothel. They’ve already ruined my entire life. I refuse to let them feast on my bones after I’m gone. I can’t accept it—I won’t accept it! Will you take your revenge?

Revenge—I’m almost there. I’m practically a dead woman. You’re going to die? But your body will live on. The one who takes it will endure the cruelest torment this world has to offer—and bear the insatiable greed and vampiric cruelty of your parents and family. I am the Princess—here in the Great Zhao, if I decree someone’s death, they won’t survive past dawn; if I grant someone release, even Yama himself dares not hold them back. Everything you desire—I’ll give it to you. This unworthy concubine thanks Your Highness for your grace. Take this body—take it freely. Use it to torment that venomous wretch. Just don’t let that bloodsucking clan profit from it. Carry Qiongniang to a soft palanquin. Hide her in the most secluded side residence, and keep her alive with the finest medicines—she must survive these ten days. Yes, Your Highness. And rememberonly those present in this room may know a word of this. Should anyone else breathe so much as a syllable—I swear my life and loyalty to you, and not another word shall pass my lips. Gu Tingxuan… You’ve schemed relentlessly to drag me straight into hell—yet you have no idea I’ve already chosen your perfect match at its very gates. Since Liu Yi craves a delicate, unblemished vessel—since she longs to resurrect herself through possession—then by all means, I’ll grant her this bodyriddled with disease, saturated with hatred. It will be her prison—for the rest of her life. Next, we return to the palace—to stage a performance… just for Lord Gu. Your Highness—what if Lord Gu discovers the SoulPhantom Jade is no longer on your person? How shall we explain it? Simple. As long as guilt festers in his heart, he’ll see only what he fears—and believes—most.

Gu Tingxun, when you gave me the jade pendant, you said it was the token of the matriarch of the Gu household. In my past life, I actually rejoiced for days over those four words. “Master Taoist—save him! So long as Yiyi lives, I, the Hereditary Prince, will stop at nothing!” “The young lady, Miss Liu, is on her last breath—mundane remedies are useless now. If you wish to reverse fate… Only one path remainssoul transference—possession.” “Possession? Whose body?” Hmph. “This family’s status is too low—unworthy of Yiyi’s soul. That man’s plain looks? She’d surely suffer indignities.” His gaze fell upon me—I am the sole legitimate princess born to the Emperor and Empress, exalted in rank and radiant in beauty. In his eyes, only my body would do justice to his childhood sweetheart. “Axuan… Ah—Axuan… I’m in so much pain…” “Yiyi—you’re back.” “At last… you are my princess.” “Is everything arranged?” “Your Highness, all is secured—the perimeter, the staff, everyone is loyal to us.” “Qiu Niang’s life is being sustained by aged ginseng—there will be no mishap.” Gu Tingxuan—you crave a noble, beautiful wife named Liu Yiyi; you want effortless wealth and lifelong glory. Fine. I’ll grant you that. Ten days from now—watch this place closely. If any woman awakens calling herself Liu Yiyi or Princess Jiacheng, pay her no mind. Lock her straight into the cellar. “Understood, Your Highness.” “Chun Ge—return to the palace.” “It’s time I paid His Majesty the Emperor a visit.” “Yes, Your Highness.”

Your Highness, it’s already pitchblack outside—what shall we say when we meet Her Majesty the Empress later? We’ll just say we got caught up choosing jewelry at Ruyi Pavilion and lost track of time. Brother… the elder brother I secretly mocked as “the beardless Grand Tutor.” Stop right there! Where on earth have you been running off to in the dead of night? Look at the hour—how could you possibly return so late? This is utterly unbecoming! In my past life, misled by Gu Tingxuan, I resented Brother most for always trying to control me. The fiercer he grew, the more I’d flee straight to the Gu family. Yet after I died, it was he who searched tirelessly for me—weeping until his hair turned white with grief. You… please don’t cry. Brother isn’t scolding you. I’m only afraid you’ll catch a chill returning so late… afraid you’ve gotten hurt. There, there—don’t cry. Brother won’t punish you. I know you know that—and yet you’re still crying like this. I know Brother loves me most—I know everything. What’s going on? Sheng’er, are you scolding an infant again? Why is this poor baby sobbing uncontrollably? It must be your stern, ironclad expression that frightened him! Father Emperor, Mother Empress. There, there—it’s alright now. Look at you, such a big person still pouting at the palace gate like a little child. If you’ve been wronged, tell Father Emperor straight away and I’ll make it right for you. Your humble servant has suffered no injustice—only… Only that I feel so blessed—to be your daughter, Father Emperor… and Mother Empress.