After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld

This really stunned Lu Yingjiu.

 

He was so sharp, he knew that the young man’s emotions were not fake. The hand that originally wanted to pinch, stopped abruptly.

 

—Who could hurt a young man who was hugging him tightly and blushing?

 

But the creed of the exorcist still lingered in his heart.

 

He asked softly, “What’s your name?”

 

The young man didn’t answer for a long time.

 

Some wild ghosts indeed do not speak human language, and the words they speak were all ghostly howls.

 

Lu Yingjiu thought he didn’t understand, or couldn’t speak. Just as he was about to use a talisman to summon a little ghost to act as a translator, he saw the young man look up at him.

 

The young man didn’t show much emotion, his eyes were incredibly deep – just looking at him like this, there was still a bit of a cold aura, but his red ears betrayed him.

 

He said, “…I don’t have a name.”

 

It seemed to be a lonely wild ghost.

 

Lu Yingjiu no longer struggled, and asked again, “The one in the village named Duan Kang, you killed him, right?”

 

The young man nodded quickly.

 

“Why did you kill him?” Lu Yingjiu asked.

 

This was the question he cared about the most.

 

If it was a wild ghost who killed humans indiscriminately, it must be driven away. He had to get an answer from the young man’s mouth, a definite answer.

 

The young man was very obedient and answered every question, “I knew he killed Liu Lan, isn’t it natural for a murderer to pay with his life?”

 

Liu Lan was that old lady Liu. The young man did not lie to him, Lu Yingjiu had confirmed that Duan Kang indeed murdered for money.

 

Just as he was about to ask further, the young man seemed to know what he was thinking, and spoke again, “A few years ago, when I went to the village, she gave me a bowl of hot porridge.”

 

So, he wanted to repay the kindness of that bowl of hot porridge.

 

The young man added, “After I avenged her, I never went to the village again, nor did I hurt anyone else.”

 

His tone was sincere, and every word was true.

 

This time, Lu Yingjiu completely dispelled the idea of taking action.

 

He gently pushed the young man away a bit, looking straight at him, “Even so, ghosts should not stay in the human world, you should go back to the ghost world… Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?”

 

The young man pursed his lips slightly and did not answer.

 

Looking at his eyes, his not yet tall figure, and remembering that a bowl of porridge could be remembered by him for several years, Lu Yingjiu couldn’t help but sigh lightly.

 

Wild ghosts, there were not many who mix well.

 

He didn’t care that he was wearing white clothes, and used his sleeve to wipe the blood stains on the young man’s face, and asked, “Are you hungry?”

 

The young man’s eyes lit up.

 

Two quarters of an hour later, a man and a ghost had already descended the mountain and returned to the bamboo house.

 

As soon as the young man entered the house, he sat in the corner in an orderly manner. He knew he was dirty and didn’t get close to the bedding at all.

 

Lu Yingjiu was a bit worried.

 

He was just a moment of compassion, and brought this ghost home. There were talismans everywhere in the house, and he was not afraid that the boy would suddenly turn hostile.

 

But he couldn’t cook at all. It’s okay to cook on weekdays.

 

With his cooking skills, he couldn’t fool people, he’s afraid even ghosts would despise it.

 

But there’s no way at this time.

 

Before, old man Chai sent him rice for the villagers, and there was firewood piled outside.

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “Shall I cook you some white porridge?”

 

The young man nodded, “Hmm.” His eyes were bright, and he stared at Lu Yingjiu without blinking.

 

Lu Yingjiu didn’t know what was so good about him.

 

Anyway, when he was washing rice, making fire, and cooking porridge, the young man’s gaze was always on him. If he looked back, he would definitely see his ears turn red again.

 

The young man was still dirty, all blood – of course not his own blood, but those of the ghosts.

 

When the lid was put on the pot, Lu Yingjiu pinched a little paper man and asked it to carry hot water.

 

Before long, the wooden barrel in the partition was full of steaming clear water. The boy was very conscious, said thank you in a low voice, and went to the partition.

 

When the faint fragrance of white porridge came out, the sound of water gradually ceased.

 

Lu Yingjiu lent him his clothes temporarily to wear.

 

Therefore, the young man, wearing a large white robe, looked even more handsome like an ink painting after washing away the filth. He was clean, with black hair hanging down, and bare feet on the ground. At this time, he was quiet and obedient like a boy next door, and it was completely unimaginable that those corpses with tragic deaths were his doing.

 

Lu Yingjiu lifted the lid of the pot, and while serving the hot porridge, he asked, “Why did you kill those ghosts?”

 

“Because they approached the mountain.” The young man said, a hint of obscure and cold light flashed in his eyes, only at this time, he looked like a ghost, “They knew I lived here, coming here is a provocation.”

 

“So, you killed them all?” Lu Yingjiu asked.

 

“…Hmm.” The young man sat at the table – his answer this time was a bit cautious, as if he didn’t want to upset Lu Yingjiu.

 

In fact, Lu Yingjiu didn’t feel upset.

 

He wouldn’t care about the struggle between ghosts, nor would he try to preach to the young man.

 

He couldn’t persuade a ghost to give up its ferocity, after all, that’s their way of survival.

 

He just thought that if this young man grew up, he would definitely be a famous big ghost.

 

The wooden bowl was gently placed on the table, and Lu Yingjiu also sat down.

 

For a while, the two of them ate silently, and no one spoke.

 

The young man seemed a little distracted.

 

After a while, the two of them finished eating, and he asked, “Where… where will you go next?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Lu Yingjiu said, “I might go to the next village, or return to the capital.”

 

The boy hesitated for a while, “Can I go with you?”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “If you have no unfulfilled wishes, you should go back to the ghost world.”

 

The boy wanted to say something but stopped.

 

“You rest well,” Lu Yingjiu said, “In less than two hours, it will be dawn, and we’ll bid farewell then.”

 

There were other rooms and clean bedding in the house.

 

Although ghosts didn’t need to sleep, Lu Yingjiu still made the bed for him.

 

“Thank you,” the young man said again, “This is the second time I’ve had such delicious porridge.”

 

“…Good night.” Lu Yingjiu smiled and blew out the candle.

 

The next day, as the morning sun just climbed over the mountain, Lu Yingjiu was already awake.

 

The young man sat at the table in an orderly manner. Seeing him, his eyes lit up. The warm sunlight spread over his shoulders.

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “Let’s go. While today is still the Ghost Festival, the yin energy is strong, I’ll find a secluded place to open the door to the ghost world with a talisman, and send you back.”

 

He was about to lead the young man out the door, but heard the young man say, “I actually have an unfulfilled wish.”

 

“Hmm?” Lu Yingjiu stopped.

 

The young man looked like he wanted to say something but stopped.

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “Let’s hear it.”

 

The young man hesitated for a long time, “I didn’t have a wish before, but now I do.”

 

“I… I want to get married.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…?”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…??”

 

He held his forehead and said, “What kind of ghost wish is this…”

 

“It means exactly what it says.” The young man’s ears turned red again.

 

Lu Yingjiu rubbed his eyebrows, “Isn’t it better for you to go back to the ghost world? Humans and ghosts can’t be together.”

 

“Can’t they be together?” The boy looked at him.

 

“Not necessarily.” Lu Yingjiu thought for a moment, “I have heard of humans and ghosts falling in love, but most of the endings are tragic. Either the ghost goes mad and harms the human, or the people around them are jealous and break up the couple, inviting an exorcist to drive the ghost away. Is the person you love a human or a ghost?”

 

The young man’s ears turned even redder, “Human.”

 

Lu Yingjiu said to the ghost, “I can’t help you with that. Instead of hoping for this, I might as well send you back to the ghost world. It’s easier to find a beautiful female ghost to marry than to find a human. If you run into a particular exorcist, you might be in danger… Huh?”

 

The young ghost stepped forward, hugged him tightly again, and buried his head in his chest, saying in a muffled voice, “I’ve never had a home, no relatives or friends, no place to live, and I’ve never slept in such a soft quilt. I want to go with you, and I want to drink your porridge many more times.”

 

Lu Yingjiu was held by the young ghost, smelling the faint cold fragrance from his hair. Somehow, a soft spot in his heart was touched.

 

He was distracted for a moment, wondering what the cold fragrance was.

 

It seemed to be… some kind of flower.

 

Thinking about what the young ghost said, Lu Yingjiu, who had been exorcising ghosts outside for many years, naturally understood the taste of wandering.

 

This young ghost could remember a bowl of porridge for several years, he must be alone and lonely.

 

He was torn inside, and it took a long time before he said, “Where is the person you love? I can take you to see her quietly, and then send you away. The ‘marriage’ you mentioned is probably still impossible.”

 

The young ghost quickly said, “It’s okay. I’m not sure where to go, I’ll just follow you and look for it as I go, I’ll find it eventually.”

 

Lu Yingjiu sighed softly.

 

He gently stroked the other’s hair and said, “Then follow me.”

 

—He never expected that when he came to the village to exorcise a ghost, he would inexplicably have a companion.

 

And the other party was a ghost.

 

Although he didn’t find it troublesome or annoying.

 

Deep down, he seemed to have been full of tolerance for this young ghost from the beginning.

 

He had heard that there was fate between people. Some people, when they meet, would feel like old friends and wish they had met sooner. Perhaps there was also fate between humans and ghosts, no matter what, he couldn’t say the words of refusal.

 

Besides…

 

It’s just helping a ghost fulfill a wish.

 

He had done the same thing before, this was no exception.

 

Once the wish is resolved, humans and ghosts will still say goodbye.

 

Since he had made up his mind, at noon that day, Lu Yingjiu took the young ghost to find Old Man Chai and told him, “The ghost has been dealt with by me and will not come to harass you anymore. You can walk at night with peace of mind in the future.”

 

“Oh, oh, oh, that’s good.” Old Man Chai was overjoyed, “Master is really amazing! I was thinking, can I use a few pieces of Mrs. Liu’s jewelry to offset the silver you should receive?”

 

He said with an apologetic smile, “People are a bit superstitious about relics, and this village is small. I’m afraid the news will leak out and it won’t sell for a good price. Master, you travel around, it’s convenient for you to take things far away to sell.”

 

Lu Yingjiu didn’t lack this money.

 

He was about to persuade Old Man Chai to bury the jewelry with the old lady, when he saw the young ghost lightly pursing his lips.

 

So he changed his words and said, “Then give me the jewelry.”

 

Old Man Chai then took out a wooden jewelry box, which contained bracelets, jade rings, and step shakes, and handed it to him.

 

Before leaving, Old Man Chai thanked him repeatedly.

 

Watching Lu Yingjiu’s departing figure, his gaze suddenly fell on the young ghost, somewhat puzzled.

 

Strange, where did this person come from?

 

After walking some distance, Lu Yingjiu stopped and handed the jewelry box to the young ghost.

 

The young ghost was stunned and took it, “Why are you giving it to me?”

 

“I thought you wanted it,” Lu Yingjiu said lightly.

 

His intuition was right, and the young ghost’s eyes burst with joy.

 

He quickly led Lu Yingjiu around a few old locust trees at the end of the village and up a slope.

 

There was a small, simple tombstone there that read “Tomb of Liu Lan”.

 

A few flowers were placed in front of the mound.

 

The villagers did not erect a monument for Liu Lan, all of this was done by the young ghost.

 

Lu Yingjiu stood by, watching him dig up the earth and bury the jewelry one by one.

 

After burying it, he stood up and bowed to the tombstone.

 

Then he said to Lu Yingjiu, “Let’s go.”

 

So, they stepped into the warm afternoon sun and left the village.

 

Lu Yingjiu had come on horseback.

 

It was a sleek black horse in its prime, full of energy. Seeing a stranger, it couldn’t suppress its curiosity and snorted at the young ghost.

 

Lu Yingjiu gracefully mounted the horse and patted the space in front of him, “Get on.”

 

The young man then got on and sat in front of him.

 

Lu Yingjiu’s hands reached around him to hold the reins, but he heard the young man say softly, “I can ride a horse.”

 

Lu Yingjiu laughed, indeed handing the reins over to him, “Then you do it, we need to go east.”

 

The young man lightly flicked the reins, and the human-like black horse stepped out.

 

The sky was high and the clouds were wide, birds were jumping on the deep green branches, and it was stepping on the light brown stone road, heading east all the way.

 

To go east, the nearest road was still up the mountain.

 

The horse walked up the mountain road, surrounded by lush trees, shaking in the wind.

 

Lu Yingjiu asked, “Is this also the mountain where you lived?”

 

“Hm.” The young man nodded, “I lived here for five or six years.”

 

Lu Yingjiu’s breath was in his ear, blowing his earlobe and face hot, he couldn’t help but tighten the reins.

 

Ghosts did not have heartbeats, he just felt his soul surging.

 

Lu Yingjiu looked around.

 

Even on the Ghost Festival, with the yin energy permeating, he didn’t feel any other ghosts.

 

It seemed that all the ghosts were killed by the young man last night.

 

This little ghost, when protecting his territory, was really fierce.

 

Lu Yingjiu thought so, completely unaware that from the moment he first saw him, he had been included in the “own territory” by the young man.

 

For the next half an hour, he watched the young man familiar with the road, leading the black horse to take the small road in the mountains, turning seven or eight times, reducing a lot of distance on the rugged mountain road.

 

As they walked, a small bamboo house suddenly appeared in the forest.

 

The young man reigned in the horse’s reins, jumped down and said, “This is the place where I used to live.”

 

Lu Yingjiu followed him into the house.

 

Inside the house, there were only simple beds and tables and chairs, nothing else. It was cold and clear, not at all like someone had lived there.

 

Only on the windowsill was a pot of blooming flowers.

 

The young man carefully picked the flowers, bundled them into a colorful bunch, and handed them to Lu Yingjiu.

 

Lu Yingjiu took them, “Why are you giving me flowers?”

 

The young man just smiled and didn’t answer.

 

This was the first time Lu Yingjiu had received flowers, and from the same sex.

 

But the flowers were blooming so passionately that anyone would like them.

 

He hooked the corner of his mouth, holding the flowers, and went out the door. Suddenly he remembered something, “Ah, didn’t you tell me last night that you never had a place to live, never had a home? Isn’t this bamboo house your residence?”

 

He felt more and more wrong, looking around the bamboo house, “I think you live a good life, it can shelter from wind and rain, there are beds and quilts, and you can plant flowers. It’s not as bleak as you said, that you have to follow me?”

 

—If it weren’t for the young man’s sincere words, Lu Yingjiu might not have been soft-hearted enough to take him along.

 

The young man: “…”

 

The young man: “……..”

 

He snapped his fingers, and a ball of ghost fire rose from the ground, engulfing the entire bamboo house!

 

The fire was strange and intense, and in just a few breaths, the bamboo house had turned to ashes.

 

Lu Yingjiu: ?

 

The ghost fire went out, a wisp of blue smoke rose, and the flying ash danced in the wind.

 

The young man looked at him nervously and said, “Wow, that was a big fire just now. Now I don’t have a home, it’s really a disaster!”

 

After saying that, he stepped forward a few steps, and again tightly hugged Lu Yingjiu, “My life is so hard! I’m so sad, I’d rather be dead than alive, I need a lot of hugs to recover!”

 

Lu Yingjiu: ???

 

Is this a fucking scam?!