The declaration of war arrived in a coffin.
Luo Feng stared at the obsidian casket now embedded in the tavern's floor, its surface etched with glowing crimson characters that spelled out two words:
"YOU LIED."
The Fox Spirit—now sporting nine fully matured tails—let out a low whistle. "Wow. She's pissed."
Li Qing prodded the coffin with her sword. "We should burn it."
[System Alert: Death Queen's Wrath Detected]
[Mission: Survive the Love Letter]
[Reward: Death Veil Resistance]
[Failure Penalty: Eternal Romantic Damnation]
The coffin lid exploded before Luo Feng could react.
A whirlwind of poisoned rose petals erupted, coalescing into a scroll that unfurled itself midair. The Death Queen's voice slithered from the parchment:
"Darling Traitor,"
"You left me waiting at our wedding altar. You let me think you were dead. And worst of all—you let me mourn in vain."
"I'll be collecting what's mine. Starting with your new fox whore."
"With love and venom,"
"Your Almost-Widow"
The moment the last word faded, the scroll liquefied into a tidal wave of acid.
[The Poisoned Truth]
Luo Feng barely activated his Eclipse VE in time, warping the acid into harmless cherry blossoms. The petals dissolved into mist, forming new words:
"FIRST WARNING."
The Fox Spirit clutched her tails protectively. "Okay, what wedding altar?"
Li Qing's glare could have frozen lava. "You didn't mention being engaged."
Luo Feng's headache spiked as a new memory slotted into place:
A silver-haired woman (not the Wife of Ashes) standing before a bone altar, her hands dripping with betrothal poison. "Till death do us part, my love. And even then, I'll follow."
The System helpfully added:
[Memory Unlocked: Death Queen's Obsession]
[Background: You Faked Your Death to Escape the Marriage]
The Fox Spirit's fifth tail—the one that remembered everything—snorted. "Typical. You've been a disaster for centuries."
[The Queen's Revenge]
That night, the nightmares began.
Every time Luo Feng closed his eyes, he stood at the altar again—the Death Queen's skeletal fingers tightening around his throat as she whispered:
"You promised."
He woke screaming, his sheets soaked in a venomous sweat that burned through the mattress.
The Fox Spirit burst in, her tails flared defensively. "She's dream-walking? That's cheating!"
Li Qing, already dressed for battle, tossed Luo Feng a vial of antidote. "Drink. We're leaving."
[Check-In Progress: 50%]
[Status: Slowly Being Poisoned via Nightmares]
[The Fox Spirit's Secret]
As they fled through the midnight forests, the Fox Spirit's ninth tail finally spoke—in the Wife of Ashes' voice:
"There's a way to break the bond. But you won't like it."
Luo Feng skidded to a halt. "What bond?"
The Fox Spirit winced. "So… funny story. When I was just a scalpel and not, you know, me? I may have… accidentally tied your soul to hers. As a backup plan."
Li Qing looked ready to murder them both.
The ninth tail continued: "To sever it, you'll need three things:"
The Death Queen's first tear (Never shed)
A lock of your own hair from before the rewrite (Currently in her locket)
A living god's heartbeat (Extremely fatal to acquire)
Luo Feng's eye twitched. "Anything else? Maybe I need to strangle a phoenix with my teeth?"
The ninth tail coughed. "Actually…"
[Check-In Complete (Barely)]
[Reward: Death Veil Resistance (50%)]
[New Mission: Steal Back Your Own Soul]
As dawn broke, the Death Queen's second message arrived—written in the sky with the ashes of a nearby village:
"RUN ALL YOU LIKE. I'LL WEAR YOUR SKIN TO OUR REMARRIAGE."
The Fox Spirit grinned. "She's really your type, huh?"
Li Qing started walking in the opposite direction.
END OF THE CHAPTER31