Chapter Four

The Soul Emperor returned to his body.

This time, he spent a whole month preparing.

He perused all the ancient texts of the Soul Clan, searching for records of soul curses. He discovered the origin of Yu Hongyan—a legendary woman who appeared briefly a thousand years ago, possessing the cultivation of a half-Emperor, who attained enlightenment through passion and desire, and was said to be able to make any man fall head over heels for her. She eventually vanished without a trace; some said she perished, others said she broke through to become an Emperor, but no one knew the truth.

The curse she left behind was called the "Love Curse".

There is only one way to break the love curse: kill the caster before the curse is cast.

The Soul Emperor confirmed this information three times, and then spent another half a month suppressing the pink mark in his soul to its deepest point. He dressed his soul in seven layers of protection, each layer being an armor woven from soul power, enough to withstand any form of soul interference.

He even brought with him a soul artifact passed down through generations of the Soul Clan—the Soul-Suppressing Bell. This small bell could stabilize his soul in a certain state, preventing any accidents from happening.

"This time, everything will be foolproof."

The Soul Emperor stood before the spatial rift, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Darkness engulfed him like water.

He felt his soul traversing the turbulent currents of time and space, the seven layers of protective armor radiating a soft glow around him, and the Soul-Suppressing Bell gently humming deep within his soul, like a guiding light. Everything was going smoothly; he could feel himself approaching that goal—the night before he had challenged Yu Hongyan.

He saw it. In that small town, in that courtyard, the woman was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, a red flower between her fingers, a faint smile on her lips.

Right now.

The Soul Emperor's soul transformed into an invisible arrow, shooting swiftly towards the woman—

Then, he crashed into a wall.

A transparent, soft, yet incredibly resilient wall. That wall bounced his soul back, like a bean hitting a bronze bell, leaving him dazed and disoriented by the recoil. The Soul-Suppressing Bell emitted a muffled hum, and in that instant, all seven layers of protective armor shattered, turning into countless fragments that dissipated into the turbulent flow of time and space.

By the time the Soul Emperor realized what was happening, he found that he had already left his target.

He is falling again.

Damn it, he's falling again!

He tried to control the trajectory of his soul, but without the protection of his armor, his soul was like a fallen leaf, helplessly spinning and drifting in the wind. He could only watch helplessly as he plummeted rapidly in one direction, and then—

He fell into a body.

The body of a young woman.

The Soul Emperor opened his eyes, his pupils suddenly contracting.

What did he see?

A bronze mirror. A smooth bronze mirror reflected the face of a young girl. The face was excessively young, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a refined and otherworldly beauty, and a hint of nobility and arrogance between her brows. Her skin was as white as jade, her features exquisitely beautiful, and her phoenix eyes were slightly upturned, revealing an innate sense of aloofness.

He recognized the face.

Nalan Yanran.

A personal disciple of Yun Yun, the sect leader of Yunlan Sect, and the most renowned genius girl outside of the ancient clans.

Most importantly—this woman was the one who had broken off her engagement with Xiao Yan.

The Soul Emperor stood frozen for a full ten breaths, then abruptly began examining his soul's state. He attempted to extract his soul, return it to the spatial turbulence, and reposition his target. But he discovered—

His soul was firmly trapped inside this body.

It was as if he were trapped in an intricately designed cage, surrounded by transparent walls, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find an exit. He tried to channel his soul power to force his way out—it didn't work. He tried to activate forbidden techniques to tear through space and time again—that didn't work either. This body was like a seal, locking his soul firmly within it.

"Damn it!" The Soul Emperor slammed his fist on the dressing table, cracking the fine mahogany table.

He calmed down and began to think.

It must be her. That woman must have foreseen that he would return to her, so she laid some kind of trap in the river of time. Once he tries to travel back to before she cast the spell, he will be repelled by her restriction and randomly attach himself to someone else. This is an extremely clever defensive measure, essentially setting up countless "tripwires" for himself on the timeline.

But now, he can't go back.

He was trapped inside Nalan Yanran's body.

However, he also discovered something else—his soul power was not sealed, but it was unable to leave this body. In other words, he could act like a normal person, he could cultivate, and he could use fighting techniques, but he was no longer the Soul Emperor; at least in a physical sense, he was Nalan Yanran.

The Soul Emperor stared at the young face reflected in the bronze mirror and remained silent for a long time.

Then he let out a long sigh of relief.

So be it. Since he can't get out for the time being, he'll adapt to this body first and find a way to break free. He refused to believe that with his thousands of years of experience and wisdom, he couldn't find a way to leave.

Moreover, a thought secretly reassured him a little—Nalan Yanran was the one who had broken off her engagement with Xiao Yan. This woman had no feelings for Xiao Yan, and might even have felt some disgust towards him. This was good; it meant he would no longer be affected by those damned emotions.

He rummaged through some books in Nalan Yanran's room, gaining a general understanding of his current time and space. This was the Yunlan Sect, and Nalan Yanran was Yun Yun's disciple, having recently broken through to the Great Dou Master level and was currently in seclusion for cultivation. Everything seemed normal; no unusual events had occurred.

The Soul Emperor decided to observe the situation first. He familiarized himself with the body while searching for a way to escape.

A month has passed.

Three months have passed.

Six months have passed.

A year has passed.

The Soul Emperor tried every method he could think of—soul shock, forbidden technique breakthrough, bloodline ignition, even self-harm to try and force his soul out—but none of them worked. This body had a strange affinity for his soul, as if it had been specially designed to trap him. His soul settled in this body, almost exactly like his original body, without any rejection or discomfort.

If he weren't trapped here, he would even think that this body was his own.

Time passed day by day.

The Soul Emperor began to get used to Nalan Yanran's life. He got used to combing his long hair with those slender hands every morning, got used to wearing those light and flowing dresses, got used to the weight on his chest when he walked, got used to the clear and high-pitched voice, and got used to his body's monthly period.

He began to feel that this body was pretty good too.

Nalan Yanran possessed exceptional talent, and with the blessing of the Soul Emperor's soul power, her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. In just two years, she had already broken through to the Dou Wang level, shocking the entire Yunlan Sect. Yun Yun praised her highly, and the sect's disciples all looked up to her. The young talents of the Jia Ma Empire eagerly vied to catch a glimpse of this genius girl's beauty.

Amidst all the adulation and praise, the Soul Emperor began to forget some things.

He forgot the Soul Clan's millennia-old foundation, forgot the fear and worship that the name Soul Emperor once brought, forgot that he had once stood at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent, looking down upon all living beings as ants. He began to get used to being called "Miss Yanran," used to giving orders to others, used to the pride and nobility of being a genius girl.

He even began to forget Xiao Yan.

Those memories that once filled him with shame, anger, and obsession are like a painting soaked in water, the colors gradually fading and the outlines becoming blurred. Occasionally, in the quiet of the night, he would recall fragments—a red wedding dress, azure lotus flames, long white hair—but those images no longer stirred any emotion within him; it was as if he were watching someone else's story.

He thought, this is fine too.

Let's just forget about him. Forget who he used to be, forget those absurd experiences, forget that boy named Xiao Yan. He is now Nalan Yanran, a genius disciple of the Yunlan Sect, who will inherit Yun Yun's mantle and become one of the most powerful women in the Jia Ma Empire.

He could even find a man, get married, have children, and live a peaceful and quiet life.

He hadn't thought about leaving for a long time.

That was the fifth year he had been trapped inside Nalan Yanran's body.

At twenty years old, Nalan Yanran was already standing on the threshold of the peak of the Dou Huang realm, only one step away from breaking through. Yun Yun said she was the most outstanding disciple in history, and countless young talents of the Jia Ma Empire wanted to pursue her; even the royal family had sent people to propose marriage.

The Soul Emperor—no, she should now be called Nalan Yanran—scoffed at all her suitors. She thought these men were all too naive and foolish, and none of them were worthy of her.

That day, as usual, she went down the mountain to the city to buy medicinal herbs. The city where Yunlan Sect was located was bustling and lively, with people coming and going on the streets and vendors calling out their wares. She wore a white dress, her long hair loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and her beautiful and refined appearance attracted the attention of countless passersby.

She stopped in front of a herbal medicine shop and began selecting the herbs she needed.

Just then, she felt a gaze upon her.

That gaze fell upon him, carrying a... strange feeling. It wasn't admiration, greed, or curiosity, but something more complex and indescribable, like a beam of light cast from some distant corner, traversing the long years.

She looked up and followed that gaze.

A boy was standing on the street corner.

The boy was about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in an ordinary black robe. He was tall and slender, with delicate features and bright, deep black eyes that seemed to hold countless stories. A faint smile played on his lips as he quietly watched her.

At that moment, Nalan Yanran's heart skipped a beat.

Not for any other reason, but because—

She found that her soul had experienced a violent fluctuation in that instant. The fluctuation was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that completely shattered the peace she had been trying to maintain for the past few years.

She didn't know the boy.

But her soul knew him.

Her legs moved toward him involuntarily, as if drawn by an invisible thread. She stood before him, looking up at him—this boy was actually half a head taller than her, something she rarely encountered in her years of dealing with people her own age.

"Who are you?" she heard her own voice ask, with a tremor she herself didn't even realize.

The boy smiled, a smile that was clean and warm, like the sunshine in spring.

"My name is Xiao Yan."

These two words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Nalan Yanran's mind.

Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan!

Xiao Yan!!!

That name was like a key, unlocking a floodgate deep within her memory. Memories sealed away for five years surged forth like a torrent—the phoenix coronet and wedding robes of her wedding night, the heavy breathing beside the blue lotus fire, the lingering intimacy filled with the fragrance of herbs in the mountain cave. Those scenes she thought she had forgotten, those sensory memories she thought time had worn away, all came back to life in that instant, carrying the sedimentation and fermentation of five years, becoming more intense, more mellow, and more irresistible.

She heard herself let out an extremely faint whimper, like someone was being choked.

wrong.

No, no, no!

She wanted to retreat, to run away, to get as far away from the boy as possible. But her body wouldn't obey her commands. Deep within her soul, the four bodies, the four memories, the four loves, were like a dormant volcano awakened simultaneously, surging, roaring, and erupting within her.

She felt her legs going weak, her cheeks burning, her breathing becoming difficult, and her heart about to jump out of her chest.

"You..." She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to say "I don't know you", wanting to say you've mistaken me for someone else, wanting to say please stay away from me.

But Xiao Yan didn't give her a chance to finish.

He reached out and grasped her wrist.

That temperature—the temperature she had only felt in her dreams for the past five years—transmitted from that small patch of skin like an electric current, instantly spreading throughout her entire body. Nalan Yanran's body trembled violently, and she heard herself let out a soft, tearful sigh.

"What are you doing!" She used the last of her sanity to try to shake off his hand.

Xiao Yan did not loosen his grip. Instead, his fingers tightened, holding her wrist firmly in his palm.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, his voice calm and resolute. “I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Nalan Yanran was stunned.

She looked into those dark eyes and saw what had settled within them. Those were five years—five years of him searching for her traces day and night, his journey step by step from Canaan Academy to Yunlan Sect, the time he spent growing from a naive boy into a composed young man.

He didn't know she was the Soul Emperor.

All he knew was that he was looking for someone, a soul he had once encountered in a mountain cave, beside the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame, in the endless turbulent flow of time and space.

It is a mark that even time and space cannot erase.

“You… what nonsense are you talking about…” Nalan Yanran’s voice trembled, “I don’t know you…”

But her body betrayed her.

Her body moved closer to him, her hands gripped his fingers, her eyes greedily traced his features, and every inch of her skin yearned for his touch. Five years' worth of pent-up emotions erupted at this moment, like a flood bursting its banks, shattering all her resistance.

Xiao Yan didn't say anything more. He simply took her hand and led her through the bustling streets into a quiet alley.

Nalan Yanran was pressed against the wall by him, her back against the cold blue bricks.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

In that instant, the five-year facade completely collapsed.

Nalan Yanran's body was like a firework that had been lit, exploding from her lips all the way to her limbs and bones. She felt his breath, his warmth, the touch of his lips, the strength of his tongue—exactly the same as five years ago, carrying that unique gentleness and domineering nature that belonged to Xiao Yan.

She ran her fingers through his hair, stood on tiptoe, and clung to him.

She heard herself crying, moaning, and mumbling something incoherently. She didn't know what she was saying; maybe it was "Xiao Yan," maybe it was "no," maybe it was "yes," or maybe it was something she couldn't even understand herself.

She didn't remember how he brought her back to that room.

She didn't remember how he undressed her.

All she remembered was the moment he entered her; five years of emptiness and loneliness were instantly filled in that instant. The feeling was so intense that her consciousness turned into a blinding white light.

She heard herself screaming, crying, and trembling uncontrollably. Her body was like a fish thrown ashore, arching, twisting, and convulsing beneath him. Each thrust felt like it was shattering her, and every drop of sweat was a release of five years of suppressed desire.

She wanted to push him away.

She wanted to kill him.

She wanted to meld him into her very bones.

She wanted this moment to never end.

At the moment of climax, Nalan Yanran's body arched violently, and a hoarse, broken cry, like that of a dying swan, escaped her throat. In that instant, her soul broke free from the body that had confined her for five years, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, swirling and dancing in the air.

She saw Xiao Yan's face.

That face showed surprise, confusion, and something else—

An expression she couldn't understand.

Then her soul was suddenly pulled by an invisible hand, passing through boundless darkness and traversing endless time and space—

She returned to her body.

The Soul Emperor suddenly opened his eyes and sat up from the ground.

He looked down at his hands—long, strong, and well-defined—they were his own hands. He looked down at his body—broad shoulders, a sturdy chest—it was his own body. He touched his face—angular features, a sharp jawline—it was his face.

He's back.

He really came back.

but--

Before he could even feel happy, he discovered something that sent chills down his spine.

His soul has changed.

That was no longer the pure soul belonging to the Soul Emperor. His soul now bore four extremely distinct marks, like four flowers of different colors blooming deep within it. Xiao Xun'er's gentleness and resilience, Cai Lin's noble arrogance, Xiao Yi Xian's kindness and fragility, and Nalan Yanran's reserved pride—these four women's qualities, like four colorful threads, were woven into his soul, becoming an inseparable part of him.

He tried to peel away those qualities, but as soon as he did, he felt an unprecedented weakness. That weakness horrified him—he discovered that these four qualities had become one with the very essence of his soul. To peel them away was to peel away his soul itself.

Moreover, what terrified him even more was—

He began to notice something was wrong with his body.

His gait, once imposing and domineering, now he finds himself unconsciously straightening his back, tucking his shoulders, and taking lighter steps. His tone of voice, once deep and authoritative, now softens unconsciously, with a gentle, rising intonation. His sitting posture, once casually with his legs wide open, now unconsciously brings his knees together and slightly tilts to one side.

None of these were things he did intentionally.

They flowed out naturally, like instinct.

He even noticed that he was looking in the mirror more often. He used to never care about his appearance, but now he would subconsciously scrutinize himself in the mirror, run his fingers along his jawline, and even secretly compare himself to those women to see who was more attractive.

The Soul Emperor stood before the bronze mirror, looking at the cold, stern face of the Soul Clan Chief reflected in it. His expression shifted from shock to anger, then to bewilderment, and finally to an extremely complex one.

He opened his mouth, wanting to swear.

But what came out was an extremely elegant sigh, with a hint of Nalan Yanran's reservedness.

"Ah...desire for beauty..."

He finally understood.

The woman's curse on him wasn't to make him fall in love with Xiao Yan.

Instead, he was made into one—

A monster that is neither male nor female.

He stretched out his hand, looking at his slender fingers, and suddenly remembered Nalan Yanran's equally slender hands. He lowered his hand, touched his collarbone, and recalled the hickey on Xiao Xun'er's collarbone. He took a deep breath, smelling a faint scent of dust in the air, but then remembered the rich medicinal fragrance emanating from Little Fairy Doctor. He moved his shoulder blades, recalling the snake-like suppleness and agility of Cai Lin's body.

Four women.

Four memories.

Four kinds of emotions.

It was all etched into his soul; he could never forget it, no matter how hard he tried.

He suddenly realized a terrible problem—

How will he face men after this?

Can he still look down on the powerful figures of the Dou Qi Continent with the same superior attitude as before? Can he still sit on the throne of the clan leader as a matter of course and issue orders with that domineering tone?

Will he be able to live like a man again in the future?

The Soul Emperor slowly closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

Unbeknownst to him, somewhere unseen, an extremely subtle pink trace was quietly coiling around the very essence of his soul, emitting a soft, extremely pleasant laugh that only it could hear.

The curse of lusting after beauty is far from over.

It's only just begun.