After Swapping Lives, the Metaphysics Side Character Became the Wealthy Family's Beloved - Chapter 39

In life, he was a renowned and illustrious warrior. In death, he was chosen by the King of Hell to become a Ghost General.

A general like him should never have fallen to the point of wreaking havoc upon the living!

“General, why are you hesitating? Kill her!”

Since when could a mere Savage Ghost command a Ghost General?

Li Qiao warily observed the Ghost General, but his crimson eyes showed no trace of emotion.

He was being controlled!

The Ghost General gripped his spear and charged forward with the wind at his back.

Li Qiao leaped aside, narrowly avoiding his strike, and flung a talisman at him—yet it had no effect.

Holy cow, since when are Ghost Generals this strong?!

Outside, Elder Qingxu had already broken through the barrier.

As the three of them arrived, bolts of thunder and fire rained from the sky, striking precisely at the Ghost General and the Savage Ghost.

“Aaaagh—!” The Savage Ghost let out a piercing shriek as its beastly horns were shattered by the lightning. It writhed in agony, its form twisting unnaturally.

Meanwhile, the Ghost General blocked the thunderfire with his spear, his armor completely unaffected.

Li Qiao frowned. The general’s red cloak billowed like a protective shield, his eyes burning brighter, his ghostly aura intensifying.

“Not good, young friend—he’s about to lose control! Hurry—!”

Elder Qingxu, who had just caught up, shouted in alarm.

Without hesitation, Li Qiao brought her palms together, fingers splayed as if cradling a flame, then swayed them left and right. Golden light radiated from her fingertips.

“Thunderfire of the Eight Wastes, burn the divine and shatter the demonic—BREAK!”

A deafening explosion followed as thunderfire descended upon the Ghost General’s head. He roared in agony, dark energy swirling violently around him.

The Savage Ghost, now terrified, turned to flee—only to be struck by a final bolt of lightning, obliterating it into nothingness.

Li Qiao stood before the Ghost General, peachwood sword in hand.

His ghostly aura gradually dissipated, his crimson eyes returning to normal. A brilliant golden light flashed across his body—just for an instant.

He Jinnian quickly strode to her side.

“Qiaoqiao, are you hurt? Take as much of my merit as you need.”

His heart had nearly stopped watching that battle.

Li Qiao smirked and nodded, drawing upon his abundant merit once more.

“I’m fine. He was just a Ghost General—he couldn’t hurt me. Besides… he was being controlled. In life, he must have been a legendary warrior.”

That golden light—that was the glow of immense merit.

His past deeds must have been extraordinary!

“Good heavens! You must be Li Qiao, young friend! Was that the Mystic Gate’s Barrier-Breaking Technique just now?”

Li Qiao studied the old Taoist priest and grinned.

“An enhanced version—Thunderfire Barrier-Breaking Technique.”

Elder Qingxu’s eyes widened in shock.

Enhanced?!

A realization dawned on him, and his gaze turned almost reverent.

This girl… was a genius!

The Ghost General dropped to one knee, shaking his head as if clearing his thoughts.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, his expression dazed—still unsure of what had just happened.

“What should we call you, General?” Li Qiao asked.

Clad in ancient armor, the Ghost General’s awareness gradually returned. His eyes first settled on Li Qiao, then shifted to He Jinnian beside her.

Suddenly, he dropped to one knee again.

“This humble general pays respects to Your Majesty.”

He Jinnian: “…?”

“Uh… he’s not your emperor.”

(Your real emperor has probably reincarnated countless times by now—and it’s definitely not He Jinnian.)

The Ghost General frowned, studying He Jinnian with confusion.

Then why does this man radiate the aura of an emperor?

“General, what is your name?”

The Ghost General hesitated, then shook his head.

“I… do not remember.”

“Young friend, if he doesn’t even recall who he is, he likely doesn’t know why he was controlled either. This matter is far more complicated than it seems. And what about all these other ghosts? How should we deal with them?”

Elder Qingxu rubbed his temples in frustration.

“Do you truly remember nothing at all?” Li Qiao pressed.

After a long silence, the Ghost General’s eyes suddenly burned with conviction.

“Until the Xiongnu are vanquished, what need have I for a home?”

Li Qiao’s breath caught.

That phrase—!

“Qiaoqiao, is he…? No way… My idol! My legendary ancestor—!”

Li Shaoyang rushed forward in excitement—only to freeze when he saw the flame-like mark on the Ghost General’s forehead.

He hastily withdrew his hand.

This was no longer a man, but a spirit.

The Ghost General shot him a disdainful glance.

“This general never took a wife.”

Li Shaoyang: “…”

Li Qiao chuckled.

“Do you remember anything else, General?”

The Ghost General shook his head.

“Spirits who linger outside the underworld must answer to the King of Hell. This general owes you a debt, Master Exorcist. Please accept this token—it may protect you in times of peril.”

He handed her a translucent white jade pendant.

Li Qiao accepted it without hesitation, her heart racing.

An antique! A genuine relic from the past!

And one imbued with immense merit, no less. She carefully tucked it away.

“Thank you!” she beamed.

The Ghost General clasped his fists in salute.

His gaze lingered on He Jinnian, then on Li Qiao, as if understanding something.

Then, he vanished.

“This old man has been blessed in this lifetime… to witness the legendary Champion Marquis of Fenglangjuxu!”

Elder Qingxu’s voice trembled with awe.

Li Qiao stared at the jade pendant in her hand, admiration overflowing.

“The body may perish, but the spirit endures—
The soul of a hero becomes a ghost of honor!”

“Well said!” Elder Qingxu nodded fervently.

A life of battle, yet never forgetting his purpose.

To us, he remains a legend—a model of virtue.

Li Shaojin felt the same. To meet his idol in any form… was a privilege.

He Jinnian, however, stared silently at the pendant in Li Qiao’s hand, lost in thought.

“Mr. He?”

Snapping back to reality, he replied softly, “Hm?”

“Let’s go. This isn’t a safe place to linger. The longer you stay, the more unclean things you’ll attract.”

(Being a walking magnet for spirits had its downsides.)

Li Qiao tugged lightly on He Jinnian’s sleeve. He glanced down, his expression softening.

“Young friend—wait! What about these other ghosts? They still think they’re alive!”

Elder Qingxu called after her.

Without turning back, Li Qiao waved a hand.

“I trust you’ll handle it, Elder.”

Elder Qingxu: “…Thanks.”

These ghosts had been dead for so long, they’d forgotten their own nature.

One thing still puzzled Li Shaoyang.

“Why did that Savage Ghost set this whole thing up?”

Li Qiao shrugged.

“Probably just… hungry.”

Li Shaoyang: “…”

Xu Tong had no idea how close he’d come to being a ghost’s dinner.

He shuddered.

Meanwhile…

Madam Wang returned home deathly pale.

The servants exchanged confused glances.

She’d been fine when she left—what happened?

“Where is Xu Tong?”

“The young master is throwing a fit because he can’t find Miss Sun Qian.”

Hearing that name sent a sharp pain through Madam Wang’s skull.

This useless son of hers had brought this disaster upon them!

The memories of what happened at Majiagou made her break out in a cold sweat.

She couldn’t let this idiot son of hers cause any more trouble.

Storming into the living room, she found Xu Tong rushing down the stairs.

“Mom! Where’s Qianqian? What did you do to her?”