After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld

Ye Feng was truly furious this time, standing up abruptly. “Impossible! What evidence do you have?!”

 

Ah Mei raised her head defiantly. “It’s been many years, and I don’t have any substantial evidence. I overheard their conversation, but I couldn’t have recorded it. Besides, I don’t know anything about exorcism. How could I make sense of what happened?”

 

“Then you’re just slandering without evidence?!” Ye Feng clenched his fists, but seeing Ah Mei’s pale face and determined expression, he felt like his anger was hitting cotton, making him even more irritable.

 

Ah Mei spoke again, “Ashes. I only know about the ashes.”

 

Ye Feng was puzzled.

 

Lu Yingjiu also recalled the ashes placed inside the little crocodile toy.

 

Ah Mei continued, “Your grandfather once said, ‘Only ashes are useful; they can be used to pray to her.’ After that, they summoned Spider Mother, and people in the village began to transform into spiders.”

 

She closed her eyes briefly. “My mother used to work as a janitor in the nursing home. She knew nothing about exorcism, just did simple cleaning every day. Some patients’ rooms were even off-limits to her. But there had an event called ‘sweeping the tombs.'”

 

“People going to sweep the tombs were almost all exorcists, doing something with those broken talismans. My mother didn’t understand it. However, sweeping the tombs required offerings, such as a large amount of paper money, paper ingots, various apples, and meat. On grand occasions, they even carried two or three suckling pigs, roasted geese… In short, they had all kinds of offerings for the ceremony.”

 

“The exorcists who went there, just the talismans alone, were heavy, not to mention climbing the mountainous road. So, they would occasionally ask others for help to carry things and pay a little extra. My mother went twice.”

 

Ye Feng slowly loosened his clenched fists. Although anger and astonishment still mingled in his heart, Ah Mei’s account matched what he had learned from the elders of the Ye family. Coupled with the matter of the ashes…

 

Could it be that Ah Mei wasn’t lying?

 

Chaotic thoughts crowded his mind like a tangled mess. The rain subsided a bit, dripping onto the top of the pavilion, then slowly flowing down to the carved body of the snake.

 

Others had no idea what had happened, exchanging puzzled glances, but none dared to ask.

 

Lu Yingjiu asked, “So, your mother participated in the sweeping of tombs?”

 

“Yes.” Ah Mei nodded. “She died because of it. There were accidents during the sweeping of the tombs, once in 1995 or 1993, I don’t remember, and another time in 2000.”

 

She coughed heavily again, her face growing even paler. “During the first incident, they were just trapped on the mountain, but they quickly returned safely to the nursing home. The second time wasn’t as fortunate; it claimed several lives, including my mother’s.”

 

Ye Feng’s complexion turned greenish-white, and he slowly sat down.

 

Lu Yingjiu asked him in a low voice, “When did your second grandmother pass away?”

 

“2000…” Ye Feng muttered, “Exactly in 2000. But they clearly told me she died of an illness.”

 

Ah Mei added, “They also didn’t mention that my mother died because of the nursing home.”

 

She smiled with a hint of irony. “You don’t know the situation back then. Many villagers had opinions about the nursing home, feeling it was ominous. Who would want their mountain to be full of ghosts? In such a situation, if they said something had happened in the nursing home and their employees died, how could the nursing home continue to operate?”

 

“So, after the mudslide incident, people from the nursing home found me and asked me to claim that my mother slipped while going up the mountain.”

 

“You agreed?” Lu Yingjiu asked.

 

“I agreed.” Ah Mei said frankly, “Because they gave me a large sum of money. With that money, I could go out and study. My mother’s dream was to get me out of this small mountain village, and we had never seen so much money in our lives.”

 

“Unfortunately, in the half month before I left, the entire village turned into spiders. Those who turned into spiders can never leave this mountain range for the rest of their lives. I was also trapped here. This time, walking with you is my last gamble.”

 

“That’s why,” she almost gritted her teeth, “that’s why I’m so unwilling. Clearly, if it happened a bit later, I could have left this village and never come back! It’s really damn unfair!”

 

Outside the pavilion, the wind roared again, bending the forest of trees.

 

Raindrops and sweat mixed on the woman’s face, filled with anger.

 

After some time, Ah Mei took a deep breath.

 

Then she slowly relaxed her facial muscles.

 

“Now, at this point,” she added, “I’m not trying to blame anyone. After all, I was the one who agreed, and I was the one who took the money. I have no right to speak. I just want to point out that your so-called ‘second grandmother’ probably didn’t die that simply.”

 

“If the Spider Mother granted wishes, she would surely make the wishers pay a price. The mysterious disappearances and deaths in the nursing home must have been a result of that.”

 

“Your second grandfather coming back here three or five times, trying to find the truth, probably wasn’t out of a sense of responsibility, but guilt.”

 

For a moment, no one spoke.

 

Ye Feng sat there dejectedly, not even realizing that rain was soaking half of his body as it drifted into the pavilion.

 

A long silence.

 

Finally, it was Lu Yingjiu who spoke first, “The rain has eased up. Let’s hurry and continue our journey.”

 

He patted Ye Feng’s shoulder, signaling him to pull himself together. “We can think about these things when we reach our destination. Those are all things of the past.”

 

This topic made the already unpleasant atmosphere even heavier.

 

Silently, everyone continued on their way to the next pavilion on the mountaintop.

 

There were no spiders along the way. The typhoon wind was so strong that people could barely open their eyes, and rain beat down on their faces relentlessly, without a half-second gap.

 

Even on the way to the third pavilion, a thick and sturdy tree branch fell from the sky, almost hitting the heads of two people. Fortunately, Lu Yingjiu reacted quickly, commanding hairball to fly out and snatch the branch, narrowly avoiding a disaster.

 

As time passed and with no pursuers in sight, and after resting well in the pavilions, everyone became calmer. They silently hurried toward the next mountaintop pavilion.

 

Following the route drawn by Ye Feng, they didn’t need to complete the entire route

 

Mount Gassan had a total of 35 mountaintops, each with a pavilion, and the distances between them were not too far apart.

 

According to the route, the 21st pavilion was very close to the main road at the foot of the mountain, with a travel time of no more than 30 minutes. They just need to reach the 21st pavilion, endure the dangerous midway, and they would be close to a populated area.

 

As they continued down the path, finally approaching the 10th pavilion, the time indicated it was 8 o’clock in the evening.

 

Lu Yingjiu looked back, and everyone’s faces showed signs of fatigue, with a noticeable slowdown in their pace—even though, along the way, he had continuously applied talismans and distributed hot tea and snacks given by Jing Xian.

 

He noticed another man’s hands trembling slightly.

 

Lu Yingjiu remembered him as the one wielding the fruit knife at the mountain base.

 

Throughout the journey, Jing Xian had been giving this man hostile glares, clearly indicating that if Lu Yingjiu wasn’t present, things would not have gone well for him.

 

Lu Yingjiu sighed lightly and poured him another cup of hot water. “Drink some, we’re almost there.”

 

The man hesitated for a moment, then took it, whispering, “Thank you.”

 

After this round of distribution, Lu Yingjiu found his thermos empty.

 

There was a subtle sense of guilt.

 

Not because he regretted sharing the hot water, but because he realized Jing Xian had brought it for him alone, and now he hadn’t even had a chance to take a few sips, with his focus entirely on the surrounding environment and applying talismans.

 

He was worried that Jing Xian might not be too pleased, and was just about to say something to him when Jing Xian mysteriously pulled him to the side.

 

Then, discreetly, he handed him a new thermos.

 

Lu Yingjiu opened it to find steaming hot wolfberry tea, filled to the brim.

 

Jing Xian smiled at him. “Hurry and drink it.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: ?

 

His gaze fell back on Jing Xian’s mysterious backpack, and couldn’t help but ask, “How big is this bag of yours…”

 

“Not that big.” Jing Xian still had his arm around him, chuckled softly, and said, “Hurry and drink, this one’s for you alone. Don’t share it anymore.”

 

Upon hearing this, Lu Yingjiu couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth.

 

When he looked down, he found that the thermos had a few beautifully written characters: “LYJ Exclusive.” The strokes were strong and it was clearly Jing Xian’s style; this quirky and cute gesture was also entirely in Jing Xian’s style.

 

However…

 

Lu Yingjiu asked again, “Why use pinyin abbreviations for my name?”

 

“To keep it private.” Jing Xian said matter-of-factly, “My wife’s name, how can I casually let others know.”

 

“What.” Lu Yingjiu chuckled, “What a strange idea, like a primary school student.”

 

“Never mind, never mind,” Jing Xian urged him, “Just drink it quickly.”

 

Lu Yingjiu held the thermos, took a gentle sip.

 

The fragrance burst in his mouth, warmth spread on his tongue, falling down like a ball of fire, permeating every drop of blood. After a few sips, he felt overly warm, a comfortable sensation all over.

 

“Is it good?” Jing Xian asked him.

 

“Mm.” Lu Yingjiu nodded.

 

Jing Xian handed him a packet of snacks. “How about these? Are they tasty?”

 

Lu Yingjiu chuckled, thinking it was like coaxing a child. Still, he answered, “Tasty.”

 

Jing Xian’s eyes lit up instantly. After a few seconds, he said, “Then tell me, it’s been a few days now, have you started to like me even a little bit?”

 

The drunken man’s intention was not on the wine; Jing Xian’s intention was not on the tea.

 

In a sense, Jing Xian’s intention also lies in the wine (‘jiu’ 酒, Lu Yingjiu)… the one he’s currently hugging.

 

Lu Yingjiu, looking into Jing Xian’s eyes, smiled, “You guess.”

 

Jing Xian said, “Then it must be a little bit.”

 

“Mm,” Lu Yingjiu continued to smile, “Even if you guess right, I won’t tell you.”

 

Seeing him smile like that, Jing Xian felt like a little deer frolicking, leaping and bounding, wishing he could serve eighty more cups of wolfberry tea right there.

 

Unfortunately, the environment was really bad. Lu Yingjiu moved away from Jing Xian’s embrace, quickened his pace, and continued to lead the way at the front.

 

After another half an hour, the group finally arrived at the 10th pavilion.

 

As per Ye Feng’s description, the 10th pavilion was built in a good location, specifically for the rest of those who came to sweep the tombs in the mountain. Now that they reached the place, it was just as described. The pavilion was on the mountaintop, and below was a mountain lake with five old wooden houses.

 

Among them, one of the wooden houses was in bad shape, with half of its roof missing. The furniture inside had been exposed to wind, sun, and rain all year round, making it uninhabitable. Another house had intricate patterns painted on the walls, which were Ye Family’s talismans. No one knew what was hidden inside.

 

The remaining three houses were relatively intact.

 

In preparation for exploring the haunted nursing home, the livestreamers brought along a series of items, including instant noodles, snacks, canned food, flashlights, and sleeping bags.

 

Although many things were left behind in the rush to escape the hotel, what remained proved to be useful, a small stroke of luck in their misfortune.

 

They divided into two groups—one to clean up the inside of the houses and fix leaks, and the other to organize the edible and usable items.

 

The rain had reduced to a slight drizzle, perhaps a good omen.

 

Seeing that the livestreamers were fine, and not knowing what Jing Xian was up to, Lu Yingjiu went to find Ye Feng.

 

Ye Feng was squatting in front of the wooden house with talismans, murmuring something to himself.

 

Approaching him, Lu Yingjiu asked, “Can you unlock it?”

 

“Yes, it’s very simple,” Ye Feng replied. “I’m familiar with these talismans, and they have aged over the years. With no one maintaining them, their effectiveness has greatly diminished compared to their original power.”

 

He carefully examined it again, tossing a few talismans that stuck to the door of the wooden house.

 

After a few seconds, with a creaking sound, the door opened by itself.

 

A stale odor rushed out, quite pungent. Ye Feng covered his nose with his sleeve and walked inside hastily.

 

Lu Yingjiu thought to himself, although Ye Feng appeared fine on the surface, his every move still carried a sense of restlessness. Surely, he was still troubled by the matters concerning Ye Deyong and Zhang Nianyun.

 

As expected, as soon as Ye Feng entered, he began searching the room.

 

There was a small bed in the room, along with several cabinets and a bookshelf filled with books. Due to the dampness, most of the books were ruined and would fall apart with a touch. Ye Feng quickly scanned them and said, “These should be the books second grandfather read. This seems to be his private little room.”

 

His hand brushed over the bedside and then picked up a photo from the nightstand.

 

In the photo were Ye Deyong and Zhang Nianyun.

 

They stood side by side on the rooftop of the nursing home, with a vast sea of trees behind them. A massive sunrise was emerging from the green sea, casting beautiful hues of orange-red clouds.

 

Zhang Nianyun wore a simple dress, looking charming and smiling beautifully. Ye Deyong, facing the camera, had an indifferent expression, but his eyes carried a hint of a smile.

 

Ye Feng gently wiped away the dust from their faces and said, “Did you know, before, everyone thought that second grandfather would never get married in his lifetime.”

 

He sighed, “He had a peculiar temperament and was obsessed with exorcism. He wouldn’t spare a second glance at even the most stunning beauty. He remained single until he was in his fifties when suddenly, one day, he met second grandmother. It was like they were kindred spirits, almost stunning everyone.”

 

Ye Feng continued, “I don’t know the specifics of how they met or what happened between them. But their relationship was indeed exceptionally good. Despite being two elderly individuals, they stuck together like young lovers. After second grandmother passed away, he did fall into a long period of melancholy.”

 

After a moment of silence, Lu Yingjiu asked, “So, do you think he would sacrifice his principles for love?”

 

“… I don’t know,” Ye Feng sighed, “Honestly, I really don’t know. Before today, I firmly believed in him, but now I don’t know anymore.”

 

“After all,” his fingertips once again caressed the photo, “I’ve never experienced grand love. I don’t understand love at first sight, and I don’t understand dying for love. Of course, I don’t know what someone can do for their loved one. Perhaps, I’ve never truly understood second grandfather.”

 

They fell into another bout of silence until the faint aroma of food wafted from the next room.

 

It smelled like instant noodles and sausages.

 

It seemed those broadcasters had finally made some progress.

 

Ye Feng deeply sighed, “However, assuming he did sacrifice the nursing home to make a wish to the Spider Mother in exchange for second grandmother, then why is second grandmother still like this today?”

 

Zhang Nianyun was probably still climbing some mountain peak.

 

Who knows, if they keep walking, they might run into her.

 

“You also know,” Lu Yingjiu said, “Making wishes to spirits and gods carries great risks. Most likely, the final result is completely different from what you imagine. Perhaps the Spider Mother did bring back Zhang Nianyun, but only in a mad, half-human, half-ghost form.”

 

“… Yes, what you said is true,” Ye Feng sighed again, “Between life and death, it’s not something easily crossed.”

 

He then reached for his waist pouch.

 

He felt the outline of the key.

 

During this escape, he brought all of his second grandfather’s belongings, including the small note, the bronze key, and the little crocodile toy.

 

The numbers on the note had been used in the nursing home, and they speculated about the toy containing ashes.

 

However, they didn’t know the purpose of the key. Ye Feng took a photo and showed it to his family, but no one knew what lock it could open.

 

Originally, Ye Feng wanted to search this room to see if there was a corresponding lock.

 

But it was just speculation, and he didn’t see anything that could be opened.

 

Just as Ye Feng was about to leave, he suddenly heard Lu Yingjiu say, “Is there something under this bed?”

 

Ye Feng was startled, then he and Lu Yingjiu worked together to move the bed.

 

In a flurry of flying dust, the bed was shifted aside. At the very end under the bed, there was indeed a small pull ring, almost invisible if you didn’t look closely.

 

Lu Yingjiu took the lead, and with some effort, he managed to pull the door open.

 

What appeared before them was a wooden staircase.

 

Shining a flashlight downward, they discovered another small room with a bed, a bookshelf, a desk, and even a small wardrobe.

 

They exchanged glances, and Ye Feng took the lead with the flashlight, descending the stairs.

 

The stairs emitted creaking sounds under their weight, unsettling, but it managed to support the two men.

 

As they reached the bottom and inspected the room—judging by the color of the bedsheet, the hair ties on the desk, the dresses in the wardrobe, and the various jewelry and earrings in the drawers—it was evidently a place where a woman had lived.

 

Lu Yingjiu remarked, “Your second grandfather and second grandmother stayed in separate rooms?”

 

Ye Feng was also surprised, “I don’t know the details. But my second grandfather does snore quite loudly… I can’t sleep when I’m next to him, or rather, I don’t think anyone can sleep well.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…”

 

That reason was hard to argue against.

 

The small room didn’t have anything particularly special. It was just a temporary resting place with few personal items.

 

Except for something buried under the clothes in the wardrobe.

 

When Lu Yingjiu reached out to touch the clothes, he sensed something unusual. He extended his hand to feel it, and his fingertips touched a metallic object, not very large. He informed Ye Feng and proceeded to take out all the clothes, stacking them temporarily on the bed.

 

After clearing out the clothes, the object beneath was finally revealed.

 

There was a huge…it’s a little rectangular iron box?

 

The iron box was secured by an enormous lock, disproportionately large compared to the box’s size.

 

Lu Yingjiu reached out and tapped the box with his knuckles, producing a somewhat hollow “thud” sound.

 

“What’s this thing?” Ye Feng was puzzled.

 

Lu Yingjiu replied, “It can’t be your second grandmother’s secret money stash.”

 

“No way, no way,” Ye Feng firmly denied, “She has no need for secret money. All of my second grandfather’s money belongs to her, and even has to ask her for living expenses every month.”

 

Lu Yingjiu looked at the massive lock again.

 

Suddenly, something came to his mind. “Ye Feng, take out the key from your grandfather’s belongings. The one you found in the nursing home.”

 

This suggestion made Ye Feng startle, and he quickly fumbled to retrieve the key.

 

The key was a bit longer than his palm and quite heavy.

 

He cautiously inserted the key into the lock—

 

It fits.

 

Lu Yingjiu and Ye Feng exchanged a glance.

 

Originally, they speculated that the key corresponded to a very large door, never expecting it to be for such an unremarkable little box.

 

Ye Feng tightly gripped the key, swallowing hard.

 

His heart raced, and his palms felt slightly sweaty.

 

This must be something belonging to Zhang Nianyun, he thought. Would it be related to the Spider Mother? Would it reveal the truth to them?

 

He turned the key.

 

Whether it was due to the age of the lock or its inherent difficulty, the key felt extremely heavy in his hands. The turning process was laborious, and veins stood out on the back of his hands.

 

Click—

 

Finally, at some moment, the lock opened.

 

Ye Feng removed the lock with his hands, placing it aside. Lu Yingjiu reached out to touch the lock, frowning—

 

The lock exhibited a very strong spiritual energy from the symbols.

 

Without this key, it was doubtful if anyone could open it. Even among those families skilled in ghost exorcism, this lock featured the highest level and most intricate symbols.

 

What kind of object warranted such protection?

 

Zhang Nianyun is also from a family of exorcists. Could this be some undisclosed secret of the Zhang family?

 

Ye Feng opened the iron box.

 

At the top was another white paper. He picked it up, and it had only one line of numbers: [1995.3.24]

 

“What is this again?” He scratched his head, struggling to recall anything, “This isn’t their wedding date. Could they have secretly had a child? Is this the birthdate of their child?”

 

“…No,” Lu Yingjiu said, “It shouldn’t be related to any child of theirs. I know this date.”

 

Ye Feng was stunned, “Huh? You know?”

 

“Yeah,” Lu Yingjiu nodded.

 

The flashlight’s beam illuminated his cheek, outlining beautiful contours, and the fan-like eyelashes cast shadows. His face showed little expression, and with each gentle breath, the airborne dust danced.

 

He said, “This is my birthday.”

 

Ye Feng was utterly bewildered.

 

Lu Yingjiu reached out and uncovered what lay beneath the iron box.

 

Beneath were many papers, stapled together. He reached for a stack, and several pictures suddenly slipped out.

 

The pictures swayed and scattered all over the floor.

 

Ye Feng took a closer look.

 

Surprisingly, all of them were photos of Lu Yingjiu!

 

Due to age, the photos had faded significantly. They captured Lu Yingjiu in his childhood—carrying a school bag, building sandcastles on the beach, crouching to pet a stray cat by the roadside, playing hopscotch alone in front of his house…

 

All were snapshots of his everyday life.

 

It seemed as if they were taken secretly.

 

It was as if… someone had been monitoring him!

 

Why were there only photos of Lu Yingjiu?

 

Could it be that Zhang Nianyun or Ye Deyong had once monitored him?

 

The room fell into a dead silence.

 

Both men faced the iron box, filled with suspicion.

 

After some time, Lu Yingjiu let out a gentle exhale.

 

He picked up a few photos and flipped them over.

 

Most of the photos had blank backs, devoid of any information. However, one photo had something written in black ink on the back: [1/59].