Chapter 7 — I was taken to the palace as a substitute for the dead princess

The large door of the shrine was suddenly pushed open by someone from the outside.

“I” stood there holding on to the door frame.

His face was so pale it was scary. The corner of her lips still had blood stains. But his eyes were cold and creepy.

“Bui Nghien.”

“You dare!”

She took a step into the spiritual hall. The cinnabar in the formation immediately glowed. I heard a pitiful scream from within my own body. That's not my voice. It was the cry of the soul of Princess Truong Lac. Bui Nghien raised his head to look at her.

“The princess has arrived.”

“Then it's just good…”

“Return to your rightful place.”

“I” stared at the Soul Reverse Formation on the ground.

“Where did you learn this formation?”

“This type of formation…”

“It should have been burned down a long time ago.”

Bui Nghien did not answer. He raised his hand. Press firmly on the soul bell. The bell immediately became louder. My soul is guided by that bell. Cannot be controlled. Little by little. Fly towards the body that belongs to you. Every time I take a step closer. We can all feel the heartbeat that has been apart for so long. That heartbeat... Originally belonged to me. It has been beating in my chest for eighteen years. But now... It's been taken over by another person.

“I” suddenly backed away sharply.

She took a step back. My soul was pulled one step further. Finally... She was really scared.

“Bui Nghien…”

“I will die.”

Bui Nghien's eyes trembled slightly. Just for a moment. Very soon, those eyes returned to their cold look.

“Princess…”

“Already died once.”

“But Tham Dien…”

“Not yet.”

Princess Truong Lac seemed to be stabbed by that very sentence. The bottom of her eyes suddenly turned red.

“So…”

“You chose her?”

“You are for a substitute…”

“But choose her?”

Bui Nghien's voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

“She…”

“From now until now…”

“Never been a substitute.”

I was stunned. My soul felt like it was being fiercely squeezed by an invisible hand. In that moment. I almost forgot the pain. But Princess Truong Lac burst out laughing. She laughed so much that tears silently fell.

“Who are you trying to fool?”

“If you really care about her.”

“So three years ago…”

“Why don't you tell her the whole truth?”

“If you really care about her.”

“That night…”

“Why didn't you stop the army from taking her away?”

Bui Nghien's face immediately turned pale. Cannot answer. The heat has just kindled in my heart. Again little by little. Little by little. Cold down. He has his suffering. But... My death. The blood light in the formation became more and more brilliant. My soul was right in front of my body. Just one more step left. We will be able to return. Right at that moment. Princess Truong Lac suddenly raised her hand. Aggressively grabbed his own neck. You're using... My own hands. Nails dug deep into the flesh of my neck. Fresh blood continuously flows down the neck.

“If you still force me.”

“I will destroy this body forever.”

“I can't have it.”

“Then Tham Dien…”

“Don't even try to have it.”

Bui Nghien suddenly stood up. Those two words burst out of his mouth. In the blink of an eye. The whole spiritual hall is complete completely quiet. I stopped in mid-air. Princess Truong Lac also stopped moving. She looked at Bui Nghien. Corners of lips little by little. Little by little. Curved into a smile.

“You see.”

“Finally…”

“The first person you still call.”

Bui Nghien's face was as white as paper. Suddenly... I feel so funny again. It seems like we're back at the starting point again. He wants to save me. But... His instincts. Always remember her first. The human heart is such a cruel thing. Can feel guilty. Can compensate. But... It can't be just because of one sentence of regret. Which completely erases the person you once loved from your past. Right at that moment. The coffin in the shrine suddenly made a heavy noise. That dead body. Yet he stiffly sat up. The makeup on her face kept falling off. Revealing the pale, rotting flesh underneath. Director Huyen Hu's voice came from outside the door.

“Master Bui is truly capable.”

“I didn't expect to actually be able to open the Soul Reverse Formation to this extent.”

He just rang the bone bell. Just walked in slowly. The bell just rang. My soul immediately felt pain as if it was being torn apart. Bui Nghien turned around and pulled out the short knife hidden in his sleeve. Make a sharp cut into the palm of your hand.