The figure continued to approach me, and finally, it passed through my body.

  I didn't feel anything special; I just felt that some things that originally belonged to me were leaving with the figure that passed through me.

  Gradually, the unbearable pain eased, my body felt much lighter than before, my eyes could see clearly, and I could prop myself up to sit. I lifted my head and saw the person standing across from me; even their back looked so familiar.

  "I warned you, you would lose everything."

  That person slowly turned around and showed me a victorious smile.

  I was stunned—this person was actually me. The facial features, body, voice, and even the color of the eyes and hair were exactly the same as mine. No, that was my body. The scent emanating from that body was uniquely mine, one of a kind, impossible to imitate.

  I hurriedly turned my head, leaning my body over the edge of the pond, and looked at the face reflected on the water's surface. My breath froze

  The reflection on the water was not me; it was Mu.

  Our bodies have been swapped.

  "Those kids were never my target. They were just bait for me." The "me" on the other side took out a rope as thin as fishing line from her bosom and threw it forward. The rope coiled around my true self like a snake. She gripped the rope and pulled it back, compressing the "boat" that originally belonged to me into a fist-sized orb of light, which she then stored in a bck pouch.

  "The fish I wanted to catch has been you from the very beginning." She put away her disguise, walked up to me, and looked down at me with an air of superiority. "Isn't the tree yaokai Sha Luo supposed to be incredibly clever? It turns out the legends and reality do have their differences. If I were you, I wouldn't take such a big risk for a few strange little ghosts."

  I just smiled and said nothing.

  I knew she wanted to see me go crazy, but I wouldn't give her that chance.

  “I really don't understand why everyone likes to praise you. What's so great about you?" She leaned down, scrutinizing my face. "Even the arrogant Lord of the Underworld considers you a friend and can give you such a precious gift for your birthday. I'm really curious."

  "You don't really understand; you're just jealous."

  Although "I" was no longer "me," the ability to speak so incisively remained.

  "Being too good to someone might actually harm that person. If it weren't for that birthday gift, my master wouldn't have sent me to find you." She sneered coldly, patting the pouch at her waist. "Your true self now belongs to my master."

  Yes, the close friend I mentioned is the current King of Hell. On my birthday, this friend dripped a drop of blood from their fingertip onto my true self. It was because of this drop of King of Hell's blood that my true self gained the ability to traverse heaven and earth, going anywhere without restriction. I might be the only creature that can freely enter and exit the Underworld, as long as I wish. The essence of this gift is, in fact, trust.

  However, I truly did not expect that this would bring me this trouble.

  "At'', you stole my business, drew my attention, then deliberately let me discover the fact that several children were trapped in another dimension, knowing I wouldn't stand by and watch them die. You took advantage of my exhaustion and depleted spiritual energy to finally steal my true form. You and your master meticulously led me into your trap without me realizing it. That child, Ren Xiaocheng, was already tampered with by you, wasn't she? You knew I wouldn't be on guard against her." At this point, I couldn't help but appud and ugh, "Excellent! I like opponents like you, so cunning and shameless!"

  "Haha, you're still so stubborn." She pointed at me and ughed, then looked at Ren Xiaocheng and said, "But my master's goal is just to get your true form. As for me, I've taken it upon myself to add an extra task, which is..."

  "To take away my human form and repce it." I easily took over the conversation, smiling, "Do you like being me so much?"

  She walked over to Ren Xiaocheng, gently traced her finger along the artery on her neck, and pulled out a thin silver thread from within, wrapping it around her finger like winding a piece of cotton candy.

  "I spent a month cultivating this soul-piercing spike in that foolish girl's body, specially prepared just for you. Every piece of new cotton candy she ate was infused with special materials—my painstaking effort. I know you have some skills, and taking over your body wouldn′t be easy. Plus, you know that the Soul-Piercing Spike only strikes with optimal effect when the target′s mind is completely unguarded. Fortunately, I succeeded, and it went smoothly."

  After she pulled the thread entirely out of Ren Xiaocheng′s body, a tiny blood dot appeared on the child′s neck. "But don′t worry, I won′t harm these foolish kids. They′ve already helped me complete my task. I′ll erase their memories and send them home safely. Your great sacrifice to save the others wasn′t in vain, oh noble Sister Sha Luo."

  I let out a breath; the pain in my body was almost gone. I tried to stand up and waved her off. "I′ve told you before, don′t go around ciming kinship. I′m not blessed enough to have a sister like you."

  "But..." Her gaze suddenly turned meaningful. "Many, many years ago, that′s exactly what I used to call you."

  I froze slightly.

  She reverted to her mocking demeanor, deliberately widening her eyes with feigned innocence—those very eyes that originally belonged to me. She spoke earnestly, "Oh, let me kindly remind you of something. The Soul-Piercing Spike is a special kind of cursed poison. It can turn everything of yours into mine. However, it′s not entirely without a cure. When someone recognizes that you are the true Sha Luo, the curse will be broken. But remember, you can′t tell or hint at it yourself; it has to be someone else who ‘actively’ believes it on their own. Also, any creature afflicted by this cursed poison loses all their powers. The body you now possess, which used to be mine, is no different from that of an ordinary human."

  I simply listened quietly, neither asking questions nor making comments.

  Seeing that I seemed completely unresponsive, she grew a little impatient and sneered. "Though this body of mine is more than enough for you, there′s one little downside. When the Colorless Flowers bloom next year, you won′t be able to return to your true form, because within a single day, you lost your true body and..." She stroked "her" hair with satisfaction, "the human form you painstakingly cultivated. You know, if you can′t return to your true body to absorb vital energy, you′ll vanish."

  She paused, counting on her fingers. "You′ve got about a year left. Of course, if during this time someone recognizes you, helps you recim your human form, and retrieves your true body from my master, then I′ll admit that the tree spirit Sha Luo′s abilities are indeed greater than mine, though I doubt you can accomplish such impossible tasks."

  "I never needed anyone's approval," I said casually, yawning as I gnced at the innocent children she had knocked unconscious on the ground. "I just hope you'll keep your word and send these little ones back safely."

  "Of course," she raised an eyebrow, smiling. "I've treated you quite generously—leaving you your life and even giving you a nice little shop. Look, you can still be a boss dy, just in a different environment."

  "Mm, thanks," I replied with an exceptionally cheerful smile. "And congratutions to you as well. From today onward, you've turned a new page in your life, living interestingly in this fascinating world with my identity. Let me remind you, though—beware of the fat and thin troublemakers in my shop. They absolutely have the potential to drive you halfway to a stroke!"

  "Mutual congratutions, then. Congratutions on your appointment as the 'new' boss of Mosheng," she said, tilting her head back and throwing me a flirtatious wink. Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she pulled out a few bills and tossed them my way. "I almost forgot you don't have your powers anymore. This is the outskirts, and if you want to get back to Mosheng, you'll have to take a taxi. Hahaha."

  Amid her mocking ughter, I watched the "other me" expertly ride a cloud, taking the four children and everything she had taken from me, ascending into the sky.

  As she rose, someone—perhaps not satisfied with how thoroughly she'd dealt the blow—shouted one st parting remark: "Here, something to remember me by."

  A small object floated down from midair and nded in front of me.

  A tarot card: Death.

  I gnced at the orientation of the card, then looked up, my smile unwavering, and called out to the figure disappearing into the distance: "Darling, the death card you gave me is still reversed."

  I picked up the card and put it away. Gifts given to me—I always make sure to treasure them properly.