It really is him!

  Su Qiuchi stared down at the unconscious young man in his arms, the very same person who had been responsible for ruining his prized wine jug earlier. Normally, this would have been enough to ignite a fre of anger in him, but something about this young man′s appearance made him pause.

  The young man seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, his clothing exquisite—his moon-white silk robe embroidered with silver thread in a design of phoenixes carrying clouds, secured with a purple-gold jade belt. The craftsmanship was impeccable. His hair, tied neatly with an eight-treasure crown, framed a face that was half-covered by delicate flower-shaped embroidery, and his skin was as smooth and fwless as silk. His features were sharp and refined: sword-like brows, clear eyes, and lips as though painted with fine rouge.

  Though dressed in a heroic manner, his stature was undeniably petite. The weight resting in Su Qiuchi′s arms was remarkably light. Su Qiuchi muttered inwardly, “This kid, clearly a spoiled brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth, how could he faint here for no apparent reason?”

  Just as he was puzzling over it, a small pebble suddenly struck the back of his head—not too hard, not too soft—then bounced away. Su Qiuchi clutched his head and looked around, but apart from the two of them and the red and white horses, there was nothing else in sight.

  Thunk! Another hit nded squarely on his head, like a mischievous prank. “Who?!” Su Qiuchi shouted angrily, jumping up and yelling, “Which blind fool dares to mess with your Grandpa Su?!”

  “Hey, hey! Up here, up here!!” A crisp voice called from above. Su Qiuchi snapped his head up and was shocked to see a figure floating in midair that looked exactly like the boy on the ground—same appearance, build, attire—identical in every way.

  Wait... twins? But the thought was quickly dismissed, for Su Qiuchi clearly saw that the person in the air had no legs. Below the knees, there was only a semi-transparent, misty serpent-like tail.

  “Ahhh! A ghost!!” Su Qiuchi screamed, stumbling back and falling to the ground in a panic.

  "Don′t you dare faint!" the figure in the air shouted urgently, cursing in rapid succession. "And you call yourself a man! Cowardly as a mouse! Have you ever seen a ghost dressed this decently? You’re not just blind—you′re brainless too. Serves you right to lose that lousy wine jug of yours!"

  Su Qiuchi, stung by the insults, shot to his feet and pointed at the floating figure, roaring, "Say that again if you′ve got the guts!"

  "I could say it a hundred times!" The figure retorted without backing down, their flushed face glowing red. Su Qiuchi rolled up his sleeves, clearly ready to charge up and deliver a beating.

  "Hey, hey! Blind one, calm down!" Seeing his posture, the young figure quickly waved their hands in pcation, softening their tone. "Personal grudges can wait. If you truly consider yourself a man of honor, helping others in distress should come first. Could you... help me return to my body? I′m not a ghost, just a soul that′s left its shell. I can′t control my movements and can′t get back into my physical body."

  A soul leaving the body was something Su Qiuchi had only ever heard of but never witnessed. Now, seeing it firsthand, he couldn′t help but feel a mix of irritation and curiosity. Scratching his chin, he looked back and forth between the figure lying on the ground and the one floating in the air. After a moment, he suddenly cpped his hands in gleeful schadenfreude and burst into ughter. “Excellent, excellent! I knew a brat like you wouldn′t meet a good end. Ha! And now look—split into two! How amusing, how amusing!”

  The soul of the young man, seeing Su Qiuchi not only showing no intention to help but dancing around like a monkey, was about to lose his temper. But after a moment′s thought, he chuckled instead and said, “If you choose not to help me, that′′s fine. However, without my guidance, I′m afraid you won′t be able to find your way out of this purple bamboo forest for the rest of your life.”

  "Nonsense!" Su Qiuchi rolled his eyes and pointed behind him. "I came here on a straight path, not a single turn. How could there be no way back? Since you say so, I′ll leave you to your floating. Farewell!"

  With that, he turned, mounted his horse, and prepared to guide Luo Erduo back along the way he came. But to his shock, the straight road from earlier had vanished entirely. In its pce was a dense thicket of swaying purple bamboo, sealing off his retreat completely.

  Those rigid bamboo stalks looked disturbingly smug, as if they were mischievous thieves who had just gotten away with stealing chickens—each one seemed to be... smirking.

  Su Qiuchi rubbed his eyes furiously, but the sight remained unchanged. It wasn′t an illusion. This was clearly a btant trap!

  Pulling Lǜ ěr′s reins, he circled around in frustration, but the purple bamboo stood firm, their tough, tightly packed trunks leaving not even the smallest gap to escape.

  "This is your doing!" Su Qiuchi stormed back to where he started, pointing at the floating youth and yelling furiously, "You′re already incomplete, and now you want to drag me down with you! You vicious brat! Speak—how do I get out of this cursed bamboo forest?"

  "Help me return to my body first," the youth replied calmly."Tell me how to get out first!" Su Qiuchi demanded.

  "Help me first, or the two of us will share the same grave in death!" the youth shot back with unwavering resolve.

  "You—!"

  "Don′t believe me? Go ahead and try!"

  The result of their bargaining was that Su Qiuchi, gritting his teeth, followed the youth′s instructions: he hoisted the boy′s limp body onto his back and moved as directed, constantly changing direction and pace to weave through the seemingly shifting bamboo forest.

  “Faster! Why are you moving like an old granny?” The soul floated three feet away from its body, gncing skyward and urging him on relentlessly.

  Su Qiuchi grew increasingly frustrated, but before he could snap back, the youth cut him off, saying, “I′d advise you not to get angry. If we don′t find what I need before the bamboo leaves above seal off the forest, you and I might truly end up as ghostly brothers."

  Amid the increasingly intense rustling around them, Su Qiuchi instinctively looked up, only to be struck with shock. The overpping bamboo leaves above were growing at an arming, frenzied pace, like a swarm of locusts blotting out the sky. The light dimmed rapidly as the bizarrely proliferating leaves filled every gap, their enclosure tightening with each passing moment. It wouldn′t be long before the newly sprouted leaves sealed them in completely, like a lid closing over a jar.

  “What′s going on? What kind of cursed pce is this?” Su Qiuchi could no longer spare energy for compints or anger, his legs spinning like wheels as he dashed through the bamboo forest in desperation.