After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld

This speech shook Lu Yingjiu for an entire year.

 

He couldn’t figure out what keywords he had said to make Jing Xian so excited.

 

Was this some kind of self-introduction on a blind date? Why was Jing Xian so proficient? How many times had he rehearsed this?

 

And why did Jing Xian emphasize that he had no mother?

 

Was he seeking comfort? Trying to express that no amount of wealth could replace family? Or hinting at something else?

 

Lu Yingjiu felt like his brain was overheating, all muddled.

 

It was like trying to decipher a comprehension question from his student days, and he couldn’t make out what the questionnaire meant.

 

Jing Xian was still waiting for his reaction.

 

Lu Yingjiu hesitated for a while and said, “Uh, co, condolences?”

 

Jing Xian: ?

 

Lu Yingjiu continued, “For your mother’s situation, I am sorry for your loss. When a person dies…” He wanted to say that a person couldn’t come back to life, but considering that Jing Xian’s mother was likely also a ghost, he changed his wording halfway, “A ghost can’t come back to life. You must live well. Uh, I mean, you need to die well.”

 

After saying it, he felt like his words were both foolish and bizarre.

 

Jing Xian: …?

 

Lu Yingjiu’s reaction was completely different from what he had imagined!

 

For a moment, the car fell silent, and the two of them looked at each other, full of doubt.

 

But Lu Yingjiu was still fixated on that last sentence and asked again, “So, what’s the deal with your mother…”

 

The vast majority of priests were born from the Yin energy of the ghost realm.

 

Only a very few were the souls of the deceased who had earned merit and could ascend to become priests.

 

Jing Xian quickly replied, “In that case, if you fall into the water, I’ll definitely save you.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “Huh?”

 

Jing Xian grabbed his hand and promised sincerely, “No matter how many times you fall into the water, I’ll save you every time!”

 

Lu Yingjiu’s brain froze for a few seconds, then he turned the conversation around, saying, “What’s this all about? Jing Xian, you’re always thinking about strange things. How could I possibly get entangled in such a problem?”

 

“Really?” Jing Xian said.

 

“Yeah. Besides, I can swim. Even if your mother and I fell into the water together, I’d be the one pulling her to shore.”

 

“Oh…” Jing Xian hesitated for a few seconds. “Oh, I forgot to mention one thing: if a doctor asks me, I’ll definitely save the you.” (TL: a question of when pregnant women have difficulty in labor, the doctor will ask “who to save, the mother or the child?”)

 

Lu Yingjiu: …

 

Lu Yingjiu rubbed his forehead. “Jing Xian, you know that men can’t give birth, right? And doctors won’t ask such questions. Unborn children aren’t considered natural persons, so they would prioritize saving the adults.”

 

“Oh, I see,” Jing Xian paused for a second. “It seems I’ve been watching the wrong TV shows.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: …

 

He didn’t even want to ask Jing Xian what he had been watching; he knew the answer would definitely shock him.

 

Jing Xian said, “I just wanted to express that if you marry into my family, you won’t have to worry about food or clothing. You can be rest assured.”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “Oh.”

 

He paused for a moment, finally understanding that Jing Xian’s intention was simply to show off his wealth.

 

But what did this have to do with anything? He couldn’t help but laugh – only Jing Xian would do something like this.

 

“So,” Jing Xian looked at his expression and asked cautiously, “What do you think of my conditions?”

 

The conversation had finally come full circle.

 

Lu Yingjiu smiled, “If we go by the standards of the mortal world, you’re almost impeccable. If you were on a blind date show, you’d definitely have all the lights on in the first round.”

 

Jing Xian was very satisfied with this answer. He thought to himself that he was highly competitive, and chasing the wife was just around the corner.

 

In high spirits, the off-road vehicle sped along the muddy road, throwing up mud as it headed towards the base of the mountain.

 

****

 

Two hours later.

 

Lu Yingjiu and Jing Xian walked at the foot of the mountain.

 

The wind after the rain was filled with moisture, and the sky remained dark and gloomy, as if it would rain again at any moment.

 

On their way, Lu Yingjiu did see quite a few spiderwebs among the trees.

 

If he accidentally kicked a stone, spiders would crawl out from underneath, with eight long legs spreading out and running rapidly in the blink of an eye. Just walking on the road at the foot of the mountain, he saw many of them, of all different types.

 

It’s also fortunate that Lu Yingjiu was not afraid of insects. If he wanted to come over with Xiao Li, the other’s scalp would definitely tingle and his soul would come out all the way.

 

It seemed like this season was when spiders were particularly active.

 

But that still didn’t explain the spider riot outside his window.

 

Lu Yingjiu took another look at the mountains and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

 

Not far from them, between two trees, a white-vented funnel-web spider was slowly descending, spinning silk from its abdomen.

 

It was patiently weaving a large web to catch its prey.

 

This seemed like an ordinary sight.

 

However, this type of spider didn’t spin webs.

 

Just as Lu Yingjiu was about to take a closer look, the sky suddenly darkened.

 

Boom!

 

It started raining again.

 

The thunder was deafening, echoing in their ears. Large raindrops the size of beans splattered on the spider’s web, shattering it to pieces. The spider couldn’t hold on to the web and fell to the ground.

 

In the blink of an eye, Lu Yingjiu made a decision. A gust of wind suddenly rose, gently lifting the spider from the web and placing it at their feet. The spider tried to flee but was blocked by an invisible barrier, forced to stay in place.

 

Lu Yingjiu was just starting to figure out how to take it with them when Jing Xian handed him a small glass jar.

 

Taking the glass jar, Lu Yingjiu pressed it down, then turned it upside down and screwed the lid on, capturing the spider.

 

Another thunderclap, and the rain intensified.

 

Before Lu Yingjiu could examine the spider closely, Jing Xian pulled him aside. “Let’s get back in the car to avoid the rain, otherwise you’ll catch a cold.”

 

Although Lu Yingjiu had just showered, he didn’t mind the rain. At most, he would change clothes or take another shower later.

 

However, Jing Xian seemed more concerned, so they went together, avoiding the rain-soaked spider-infested area.

 

Once inside the car, Jing Xian handed him a small towel. “Use this to dry off, and don’t forget to dry your hair as well.”

 

Lu Yingjiu asked, “How much stuff do you carry with you when you go out? Glass jars and towels?”

 

He glanced at Jing Xian’s backpack, which looked ordinary and didn’t seem capable of holding so much.

 

…He hadn’t expected that Jing Xian could even pull out a skull from it.

 

“It’s really not much,” Jing Xian said. “By the way, do you want hot water and warming pads? I also have four or five different cold medicines, you can see which one might be suitable. Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t tell me you’re feeling cold. I also have a forehead thermometer.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: …

 

He restrained Jing Xian from reaching for the forehead thermometer, giving up on arguing about this topic. He casually dried his hair with the towel and said, “I’m fine, really. You should also wipe yourself down.”

 

Jing Xian finally relented.

 

Lu Yingjiu draped the towel around his neck and continued to examine the spider. The spider, in turn, gazed back at him with its eight eyes.

 

Lu Yingjiu gently shook the jar.

 

The spider didn’t move at all.

 

He carefully examined every part of the spider’s body.

 

A raindrop slid down his long eyelashes like a trembling bead and finally fell, wetting a corner of the seat.

 

Lu Yingjiu wiped the water off his face with the towel, then lifted the jar and paused.

 

At the bottom of the jar was a face!

 

In that moment, even Lu Yingjiu’s scalp tingled.

 

The expression on the face was one of agony, with its mouth wide open as if trying to scream.

 

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a shape formed by the fuzzy hairs on the spider’s abdomen, but it was so realistic that it was terrifying.

 

Lu Yingjiu squinted his eyes and took a photo of it with his phone, sending it to Ye Feng and Xiao Li.

 

They didn’t reply, probably busy.

 

The rain grew heavier, dancing on the roof with a pattering sound, creating a cacophony that drowned out everything, even the lake not far away was no longer visible.

 

Seeing that the rain was getting heavier, Lu Yingjiu thought they should go back to the hotel and discuss with Ye Feng and the others.

 

As Jing Xian was driving back to the hotel, they happened to see several people wearing black raincoats walking along the street.

 

They were walking quickly, and it was unclear where they were rushing to in this weather.

 

Lu Yingjiu had a good memory, and with a casual glance, he recognized that these people were from the village, and one of them appeared to be the secretary of the village chief Feng Mao – a man in his thirties, tall and thin, rumored to be a highly educated graduate.

 

He asked Jing Xian to stop the car, rolled down the window, and spoke to the group of people, “Be careful not to walk outside, some people have already been bitten by spiders.”

 

As the rain started to pour, the raindrops flew into the car as soon as the window was rolled down.

 

The secretary asked, “What spiders? The ones from the mountain?”

 

Lu Yingjiu nodded, “Right.”

 

The person-faced spider was still inside the glass jar. Of course, according to the usual practice, he wouldn’t show it to these people unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

“Oh, those things, we’re used to them,” the secretary said dismissively. “Only outsiders like you would get bitten. We’re up in the mountains all the time and have never been bitten. Even if we were bitten, it would only hurt for a few days, and then we’d be fine. It’s just that you outsiders are too delicate.”

 

The others with him chuckled at his words.

 

This attitude was not very likable.

 

Lu Yingjiu didn’t change his expression and handed them some protective talismans, saying, “Take these just in case.”

 

“These things are superstitious, we don’t believe in them,” the secretary waved his hand. “You should go back and rest. After the mudslide is over, leave quickly, don’t come here for live broadcasts again.”

 

Lu Yingjiu insisted on giving them the talismans.

 

After several rounds of refusal, the secretary took them reluctantly. “Fine, fine, I’ll take them. That’s it.”

 

He tried to snatch the talismans from Lu Yingjiu’s hand, but it didn’t budge as Lu Yingjiu didn’t let up.

 

The secretary hesitated for a moment and looked inside the car.

 

Lu Yingjiu was staring at him intently, his beautiful brown eyes clear and clean, as if they held his reflection and nothing else.

 

In the next moment, Lu Yingjiu released his grip and smiled at him. “Take care and don’t lose them.”

 

The secretary muttered a few words quietly, but it was unclear what he was saying.

 

Jing Xian drove back to the hotel.

 

They parked the off-road vehicle and went to the room where the red-clothed person was again to take a look.

 

Although the patient’s wound was still swollen and red, the fever had subsided, and his complexion was no longer deathly pale. He was peacefully wrapped in a blanket, asleep.

 

Lu Yingjiu took his temperature and drew two new talismans for him.

 

Before leaving, the red-clothed man asked, “So, do you have any idea what’s going on with these spiders? We’re in the mountains all the time and have never seen such venomous spiders before. They’re almost as dangerous as poisonous snakes!”

 

Lu Yingjiu shook his head gently. “The situation isn’t clear yet. Just try to stay inside and not go out.”

 

The red-clothed man agreed repeatedly.

 

After bidding farewell to him, Lu Yingjiu went upstairs to Ye Feng’s room.

 

While he and Jing Xian had gone to the foot of the mountain, Ye Feng and Xiao Li had checked the entire hotel, looking for spiders.

 

Xiao Li was particularly afraid of spiders, cockroaches, and similar creatures. The flying giant cockroaches in the Four Hole Slaughterhouse had scared him to death. Now, having to look for spiders was like a living nightmare for him.

 

But they completed the task nevertheless.

 

They placed talismans all around the hotel and found quite a few spiders, similar to the ones Lu Yingjiu had encountered—ordinary spiders with long legs and eight round eyes.

 

Lu Yingjiu showed them the person-faced spider in the glass jar.

 

The two of them studied it for a long time but couldn’t make sense of it.

 

The people from the Ye family who had initially planned to come over were temporarily delayed due to the mudslides. For now, Lu Yingjiu had to rely on himself to investigate.

 

Ye Feng said, “Could this be its natural pattern?”

 

“It’s hard to say,” Lu Yingjiu replied.

 

Ye Feng continued, “Don’t worry, you two should rest for now. You’ve been going up and down the mountain and running around finding spiders all day. It’s exhausting. Later, Xiao Li and I will go out and ask the villagers for information.”

 

Xiao Li was still paralyzed on the bed. “I never dreamed that exorcising ghosts would involve dealing with creatures like this… Spiders, mosquitoes, cockroaches… What kind of karma did I create?”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “Spiders are beneficial insects, and cockroaches have medicinal value—have you heard of Kangfu New Liquid? It’s an extract from American cockroaches.”

 

Xiao Li immediately turned pale, as if he was about to vomit in the next second. He said, “What about mosquitoes? Mosquitoes can’t possibly have any value, right?”

 

“That’s correct,” Lu Yingjiu said. “Mosquitoes are most likely a species that, even if they went extinct, would have no impact on the ecosystem. So, all living things have value, except mosquitoes.”

 

Xiao Li received a satisfactory answer and cursed mosquitoes while lying down.

 

Ye Feng was still studying the person-faced spider.

 

Lu Yingjiu pulled up a chair and sat across from him. “Is there really no connection between the nursing home and the village?”

 

“What does that mean?” Ye Feng was puzzled. “There shouldn’t be any connection. The village is inhabited by ordinary people. Why would there be any relationship with spirits or ghosts? When the nursing home had issues, even my family suspected something, but after researching it thoroughly, we concluded that it was probably because of the village’s good feng shui that prevented ghosts and spirits from entering.”

 

Lu Yingjiu then asked, “Or don’t you think there’s something suspicious about this matter?”

 

“…It’s not a big deal, but there are indeed some strange things about this village,” Lu Yingjiu replied. “Ye Feng, do you know the percentage of left-handed people?”

 

“I have no idea,” Ye Feng was even more puzzled.

 

Lu Yingjiu continued, “It’s hard to gather accurate data, but it’s generally believed that the natural occurrence of left-handed individuals is around 10%. However, in reality, many parents, upon discovering that their children are left-handed, try to correct them to be right-handed, so the actual percentage may be even lower.”

 

“So what?” Ye Feng scratched his head. “Honestly, I’m one of those people whose parents corrected them to be right-handed. I can write with my left hand, but I’ve developed the habit of using my right hand for most tasks.”

 

“Yesterday evening, Jing Xian and I distributed some protective talismans,” Lu Yingjiu said. “Just ordinary protective talismans.”

 

He took out one and handed it to Ye Feng.

 

Ye Feng took it unconsciously and examined it. Although the patterns were clear and beautiful, he said, “Isn’t this the one you drew? I can’t see anything wrong with it.”

 

Lu Yingjiu asked, “Which hand did you use to take it?”

 

Ye Feng looked at the talisman, “My right hand.”

 

“Most people naturally use their dominant hand when taking things,” Lu Yingjiu said. “Yesterday, I distributed over twenty of these protective talismans, and without exception, the people who received them used their left hand. Even when we first arrived, there were some children playing at the village entrance, flying kites or playing catch with balls, and they all used their left hand for strength.”

 

He paused and continued, “When I met Feng Mao’s secretary earlier and handed him a talisman, he also used his left hand. It’s an unconscious action.”

 

Ye Feng was completely baffled. “Wait, are they all left-handed? An entire village of left-handed people?”

 

“It’s very likely,” Lu Yingjiu nodded. “Based on natural proportions or common culture, this is impossible. My speculation is that there may be some tradition or reason within the village. Has your grandfather ever mentioned this?”

 

“I don’t recall him mentioning it,” Ye Feng said. “But you know, I can’t even remember what ‘sweeping the tomb’ means. I’ve probably forgotten a lot of things… How about this, when Xiao Li and I go out later, I’ll ask around.”

 

Lu Yingjiu and Jing Xian returned to their room.

 

After a busy day, they were quite tired. Lu Yingjiu heated a glass of milk and placed it on the bedside table before changing into some comfortable home clothes.

 

The home clothes were a size too big, loosely draping over his body, revealing his slender neck and beautiful collarbones.

 

He was reading a book while drinking milk.

 

The sound of water running from the bathroom ceased. A couple of minutes later, Jing Xian emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in steam.

 

Lu Yingjiu’s attention, however, had long since shifted away from the book.

 

He raised his eyes to look at Jing Xian and said, “There’s something I want to ask you.”

 

“What is it?” Jing Xian suddenly became alert and sat on the edge of his bed.

 

Lu Yingjiu could once again smell the lingering fragrance on Jing Xian’s body. After a shower, the scent hadn’t been masked by the shower gel; on the contrary, it had become even more distinct.

 

He asked, “About the topic in the car… I’m curious. Your conditions are so good; how did you end up getting deceived by a master to marry me?”

 

Marriages between priests was also a very normal thing.

 

Those willing to marry the living were generally little ghosts.

 

Jing Xian paused for a moment, “Deceived?”

 

“Yes, the master who organized the wedding for me,” Lu Yingjiu said. “He set up your tablet, even though it didn’t have your name or date of birth, he still summoned you.”

 

Unexpectedly, Jing Xian looked utterly confused. “I wasn’t summoned. I didn’t have a tablet in the mortal realm.”

 

Lu Yingjiu:?

 

Jing Xian suddenly realized something. “You don’t think… we were tricked into an arranged marriage, do you? Both of us were fooled into getting married without even realizing it?”

 

This time, it was Lu Yingjiu who was utterly bewildered. “Isn’t it?”

 

“Definitely not!” Jing Xian was agitated, and grabbed Lu Yingjiu again. The action was too big, causing him to almost spill his milk on the blanket.

 

Jing Xian looked at him and said, “Don’t worry about that broken master of yours. He’s not skilled enough to summon any ghosts. I came here myself, I came specifically to find you.”

 

Lu Yingjiu was stunned for a few seconds.

 

Jing Xian’s eyes were sparkling, as if a flame was burning.

 

He remembered Jing Xian had mentioned to him, ‘Our fate started much earlier than you imagined.’.

 

At that time, he thought Jing Xian was expressing his deep affection and righteousness, so he didn’t pay much attention.

 

But now……

 

Lu Yingjiu asked, “Have we……..ever had a prior relationship?”

 

“That’s right, “Jing Xian said, “but I can’t say it. You’ll have to remember it yourself.”

 

Lu Yingjiu knew what he meant.

 

If it was truly a past event, if Jing Xian directly told him, it would be constrained by the law. He was likely to pay the price of longevity, and as a priest, Jing Xian would receive harsher punishment.

 

Just like those fortune tellers who were blunt and straightforward, if they leak too many secrets, they would face bad luck.

 

That was the invisible law of the Heavenly Way that existed in the sky, which couldn’t be defiled or provoked at all, while constraining ghosts and people.

 

The exorcists naturally understood this.

 

This was especially true for aristocratic families.

 

Like in Ye Deyong’s office, the huge and sharp inscription with sharp strokes reads’ Heavenly Way ‘, referring to this object.

 

 

 

Jing Xian continued, “But, when you think of it, it’s not really realistic. Because, to be precise, it’s my past life, not yours.”

 

“What do you mean?” Lu Yingjiu tilted his head, holding the milk in his hand.

 

“Because for you, it was an insignificant event,” Jing Xian said. “So insignificant that you probably wouldn’t remember it.”

 

But for him, it had been a life-altering event, one he could never forget.

 

Jing Xian added, “Actually, I have a lot of things I want to tell you and show you.”

 

Some things couldn’t be seen unless going to the ghost world.

 

He couldn’t show Lu Yingjiu the grandeur of the Hundred Ghosts Parade nor could he lead Lu Yingjiu to take a walk on the abyss of the ghost world, where the strong winds blew up his robes. When reaching the center, there was a tree of flowers blooming and withering vigorously every minute.

 

When the wind rises, white flowers fly in abundance, carrying a faint light and a cold fragrance, falling like snow towards the abyss.

 

However, the abyss had no end, so their descent was also endless. Time in the ghost world was endless, and the lifespan of a priest was endless. This long river composed of petals was also endless.

 

In a moment, the flowers would bloom, and in another, they would wither away. White flowers, nameless, living and dying in an instant.

 

That was also his place of birth.

 

Jing Xian said, “Unfortunately, those things aren’t easy to display.”

 

“What things?” Lu Yingjiu asked. “Can’t they be displayed easily?”

 

Jing Xian smiled.

 

What he was thinking was to admire the flowers, and it was best to find a few beautiful ones to give to Lu Yingjiu along with the big diamond rings. There were so many gems in the ghost world that even a diamond ring could be made with dozens of non duplicate samples.

 

Little did he know that he was sitting on the bed of Lu Yingjiu at the moment, close to him. His body temperature was scorching after just taking a shower, and he tightly held Lu Yingjiu’s hand. With just one closer approach, he could directly bully the other into bed, which was an extremely dangerous position and distance.

 

His eyes were bright, and his smile was as mischievous and aggressive as ever and he said, “You’ll know when you see them. You will be pleasantly surprised, I guarantee you’ll be thrilled. You’ll definitely love them and won’t want to let them go.”

 

Lu Yingjiu:?!

 

He repeatedly scrutinized their current positions. He abandoned his milk, hastily buttoned up his shirt to cover his collarbones and the large area of fair skin. Then, he dove under the covers, leaving only his eyes exposed, staring at Jing Xian, with a hint of warning in his gaze.

 

Jing Xian:?!