After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld

Later, they went to many places together.

 

From the snow-covered plains to the lush mountains, from the dilapidated villages to the bustling capital.

 

They tasted the delicacies of various places together, walked down the long street with pancakes and hibiscus cakes, or drank a few cups of hot wine in the tavern at night – most of the time, Lu Yingjiu just tasted it and watched the young man drink with great enthusiasm.

 

After drinking, slightly drunk, the young man always clung to him in a daze. Lu Yingjiu had no choice but to lead him home slowly under the moonlight.

 

The moonlight was cold, and the road ahead was long, as if there was no end in sight.

 

They rode horses all over the mountains and plains together.

 

Jing Xian reluctantly bought a jujube-red horse, ending the days of riding with Lu Yingjiu. Those two were good horses, traveling a thousand miles a day, light in posture, but they had a bad habit: they would get together as soon as they were idle, rubbing their ears and temples, so affectionate that they couldn’t be separated.

 

Lu Yingjiu wondered why these two stallions were always sticky.

 

Jing Xian always smiled and said nothing, feeding them hay and buckwheat every day.

 

They occasionally raced horses, with horse hooves trampling on long grass and flying over fresh snow.

 

At first, Lu Yingjiu always won, but after a while, they both had wins and losses.

 

They set off river lanterns together.

 

Two lotus-shaped river lanterns flowed downstream, they sat on the bank, watching the light gradually go away, converging with countless other river lanterns, the brilliant light illuminating the river flow.

 

Lu Yingjiu was watching the lanterns, while Jing Xian was watching him, draping him with a luxurious black fur coat.

 

They lit a bonfire on the top of a solitary peak.

 

The wind howled, and the fire flickered. Lu Yingjiu gently stirred the firewood, splashing orange-red sparks.

 

In the long night, he asked, “Jing Xian, what does the person you’re looking for look like?”

 

Jing Xian vaguely responded, only saying that he didn’t remember.

 

Lu Yingjiu responded with an “Oh”, but didn’t see Jing Xian sneak a glance at him, a bit of joy and expectation.

 

Later, Lu Yingjiu asked a few more times, but Jing Xian always gave perfunctory answers, so he gradually stopped asking. The two of them each had their own thoughts, saw countless beautiful sceneries together, and traveled all over the mountains and rivers.

 

The journey was not always smooth.

 

The servants of the Heavenly Way followed them like shadows, lingering.

 

Lu Yingjiu was afraid that Jing Xian would also be involved, so he never let him take action. However, how could Jing Xian just stand by and watch? He appeared to be obedient, but in fact, he was secretly defying, and unbeknownst to Lu Yingjiu, he had crushed the heads of many servants.

 

The aristocratic families also sent assassins.

 

They were directly beaten by the couple, either dead or crippled.

 

One day, Jing Xian asked, “Since you say that the Heavenly Way is indestructible, is there no place in this world where one can hide from it?”

 

“There is,” Lu Yingjiu nodded, “I have not verified it, but I believe that for the living, going to the ghost world can avoid its covetousness.”

 

“Why?” Jing Xian was taken aback, “Aren’t the priests and hundreds of ghosts also bound by it?”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “It’s different. Since ancient times, only souls can go to the ghost world. If the living forcibly cross, they will be torn apart by the strong winds of the Gate of the ghost world – that is almost an invincible force, which has been confirmed by countless people, even the most powerful exorcist, has no chance of survival.”

 

“Like the previous head of the Zhang family, after entering the ghost gate, he was torn apart by the ghost hand. There was also a genius exorcist who exploded when crossing.”

 

He continued, “But if it really succeeds, then the living in the ghost world will be in a state of non-jurisdiction.”

 

“The Heavenly Way is not omnipotent. In my opinion, rather than saying it is the law itself, it is better to say that it is the slave of the law.”

 

“It, like humans and ghosts, cannot violate the established laws.”

 

The living going to the ghost world, it is breaking the law.

 

But if it really succeeds, appearing in a place where one should not appear, the Heavenly Way will not be able to kill him according to any law.

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “This is just an unverified theory. I have a friend who has been studying this for many years, and you should be able to meet him soon.”

 

Sure enough, a few months later, Jing Xian met the person Lu Yingjiu mentioned.

 

His name was Chu Qianju, and he was from an exorcist aristocratic family.

 

Many years ago, when Chu Qianju was traveling with the little peacock, he happened to meet Lu Yingjiu.

 

Although Lu Yingjiu was only a few years older than him, he had a high level of accomplishment in exorcism. That day, he saw Chu Qianju drawing on a talisman, thinking hard, and couldn’t help but speak up and give a few pointers.

 

Then he was entangled by Chu Qianju.

 

Chu Qianju was also a top-notch genius. He was frustrated because he couldn’t find someone to teach him. When he met Lu Yingjiu, he was overjoyed and felt that they had met too late.

 

—To use modern terms, he was a standard fanboy.

 

The kind that had bright eyes when they saw Lu Yingjiu and couldn’t move.

 

He didn’t realize that Lu Yingjiu was the person his family had been trying to kill.

 

Lu Yingjiu told him the truth.

 

Chu Qianju didn’t struggle for too long, thought about it for a while and said, “The Heavenly Way is cruel and unkind, even wanting infants as sacrifices. And my family, who is aiding and abetting, is the despicable one.”

 

He also said, “In fact, there are many people in the family who are dissatisfied with this approach, including my parents, but they have no say. But I believe that one day in the future, the family’s concept will change.”

 

“Today you and I meet, it is fate. Give me some more time, and I will definitely persuade more people to abandon this old and cruel concept. When the covetousness of the Heavenly Way is broken, you can live a dignified life.”

 

Chu Qianju did what he said.

 

He asked Lu Yingjiu about his situation in detail, and also felt that the ghost world might be a breakthrough. In the following days, he studied inviting the gods and how to go to the ghost world.

 

When Lu Yingjiu brought Jing Xian to meet him again, he took out a thick brick-like talisman.

 

Chu Qianju said, “I have drawn different formations, you see the effect.”

 

The two of them studied there.

 

These formations were too profound, and no one could understand them except the two of them, let alone Jing Xian.

 

But he always sat next to Lu Yingjiu, listening quietly.

 

Lu Yingjiu said that the gate of the ghost world had a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, and the violent wind would tear the skin and flesh inch by inch.

 

He said that the gate of the ghost world had thousands of ghosts, vying to devour the living.

 

He also said that the gate of the ghost world had surging Yin energy, which would drown all living things.

 

He and Chu Qianju studied and studied, and still felt that going to the ghost world was undoubtedly suicide.

 

When they regretfully put away the formation, Jing Xian suddenly said, “But if there is a strong enough priest to protect you, wouldn’t you be able to go? Those violent winds, ghosts, and Yin energy are useless to a priest.”

 

Lu Yingjiu laughed and said, “It’s not that simple. The power of the law is probably a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger than you imagine. Even the current Ghost King probably can’t do it.”

 

Jing Xian said seriously, “I will do it.”

 

Lu Yingjiu just laughed and didn’t take it seriously.

 

In the following years, they traveled around, exorcising ghosts in different places, and constantly exploring strategies to fight against the Heavenly Way.

 

They met Chu Qianju several times intermittently.

 

Chu Qianju was the first person to use inviting the gods, and his reputation rose.

 

However, inviting the gods used the power of ghosts and monsters, which was not tolerated by the Heavenly Way. It brought down a curse, causing him to fall into the cycle of life and death.

 

The last time Lu Yingjiu saw him was at dusk.

 

They sat opposite each other in the inn.

 

Chu Qianju took out a talisman paper and communicated with him. After so long, they finally saw a glimmer of hope: this latest formation could greatly reduce the threat of the Gate of the Ghost Realm.

 

“Finally, there is hope.” Chu Qianju sighed, “Maybe next time, we will succeed.”

 

His face was pale.

 

The punishment from the Heavenly Way made him seriously ill.

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “You rest more and don’t worry about this matter anymore.”

 

Chu Qianju drank a cup of turbid wine before saying, “Lu Yingjiu, you are twenty-eight this year, right?”

 

Lu Yingjiu didn’t answer, just gently shaking the wine glass in his hand.

 

There was something he didn’t tell Jing Xian.

 

The Heavenly Way respects fifty-nine, and the cycle of calamities also followed fifty-nine.

 

Every fifty-nine months, there would be a great calamity in his life.

 

When he met Jing Xian, he was just twenty-five, and he had just exhausted all his efforts to escape a calamity.

 

In the blink of an eye, five years passed, and soon, he was about to face the next calamity.

 

The power of the curse was getting stronger and stronger. Last time he had exhausted all his means, this time he might not be able to escape.

 

People from the aristocratic families all know about this.

 

Chu Qianju looked at him and said seriously, “Lu Yingjiu, your time is coming.”

 

Lu Yingjiu still didn’t answer.

 

The turbid wine in the cup was shaking, filled with the light of the sky outside the window.

 

After a long time, he laughed, “At worst, I’ll die.”

 

Chu Qianju sighed and said, “Our fates are similar, both suffering from curses. If we really encounter misfortune, perhaps we can meet again in the next life.”

 

He raised his glass, “You are the person I admire the most. May all your wishes come true, and may you be safe and happy.”

 

The cups collided, and the two drank the turbid wine.

 

When Lu Yingjiu sent Chu Qianju away, the setting sun was hanging between the mountains, like dripping blood.

 

Chu Qianju rode away, his shadow stretched very long.

 

Half a year later, Lu Yingjiu heard that the Peacock God went mad because of the curse of the Heavenly Way, and Chu Qianju sacrificed himself to stop it.

 

The Peacock God fell into a deep sleep, and only a tombstone was left for Chu Qianju.

 

The tombstone was in the Chu family, and it was inconvenient for Lu Yingjiu to visit.

 

He could only stand on the top of the mountain, bowing three times to the east, and placing flowers next to a bowl of clear wine.

 

Jing Xian stood behind him, silent.

 

He was not much shorter than Lu Yingjiu, and as a young man, he grew quickly. Now he was as tall as Lu Yingjiu.

 

He was silent.

 

Finally, he gently took Lu Yingjiu’s hand.

 

And as Chu Qianju said, the next calamity came soon.

 

That year, Lu Yingjiu was twenty-nine, and the two walked for two days in a wasteland covered with ice and snow.

 

Lu Yingjiu was holding a bright lamp, his white clothes rustling in the wind. Walking deep into the snow, he reached out and held Jing Xian, step by step forward.

 

Jing Xian suddenly asked, “…Will you die?”

 

“Huh?” Lu Yingjiu was stunned.

 

“I overheard what Chu Qianju said to you that day,” Jing Xian said, “I know you have the next calamity. So, will you die?”

 

– The tone of his question was very subtle.

 

It wasn’t a real question.

 

It was more like he was hoping that Lu Yingjiu could promise him earnestly with “I’ll be fine.”

 

Lu Yingjiu didn’t make a sound.

 

So the only answer to him was the howling wind.

 

After half a day’s journey, they came across a frozen traveler.

 

The traveler’s lips were dry and blue, his eyes tightly closed, and his clothes had long been covered with frost and snow. No matter how many talisman papers Lu Yingjiu used, it was too late to save him.

 

The traveler’s breath slowly stopped, but at the last moment, he suddenly sat up!

 

His eyes were filled with gloomy and malicious light, and he grabbed Lu Yingjiu’s wrist and said harshly, “Lu Yingjiu, your time has come!”

 

As soon as his voice fell, there was a series of “plop” sounds nearby, like large chunks of ice and snow falling on the ground.

 

Lu Yingjiu looked up.

 

The ice field was dark, and countless servants stood silently!

 

Lu Yingjiu had never seen so many servants.

 

This area of tens of miles was densely packed with them, their faces extremely ferocious.

 

This fierce battle lasted for a long time.

 

Ice crystals splashed, the snow was dyed with black blood, and flesh was flying everywhere.

 

Lu Yingjiu wanted to drive Jing Xian away, but Jing Xian would not compromise. After fighting for several hours, they were bathed in blood, and they barely escaped from this deadly encirclement.

 

The servants’ attacks were all aimed at Lu Yingjiu, he was seriously injured, and his white clothes were dyed red with blood.

 

Jing Xian supported him, stepping on the knee-deep snow and moving forward step by step.

 

Wherever they passed, there were vivid blood stains.

 

They fought and retreated all the way, and it took three days and three nights to finally find a hidden cave.

 

They hid inside and made a fire.

 

Lu Yingjiu was very weak, and it was only by an astonishing willpower that he did not lose consciousness.

 

He leaned on Jing Xian, who was also covered in wounds, and his breathing was slow.

 

After all, Jing Xian was a ghost, and his tolerance for pain and fatal injuries was far beyond that of humans.

 

He was anxious, with anger, resentment, worry, and sadness mixed together. In the end, he could only hold Lu Yingjiu’s cold hand tightly and said in a low voice, “You stay here, I’ll go and kill them all.”

 

Lu Yingjiu smiled silently.

 

– At this time, he could still smile so calmly and freely.

 

He said, “It’s okay.”

 

Jing Xian wanted to speak, but Lu Yingjiu gently stroked his cheek and said again, “It’s okay. I know, I’m sure to die here.”

 

“Jing Xian, I said before that humans and ghosts can’t fall in love, but now I’ve changed my mind. There will always be some kind of fate, some kind of emotion that transcends time, that will guide lovers to find each other. When you meet your beloved in the future, be sure to tell the other well.”

 

“…” Jing Xian was stunned for a moment.

 

The words “My beloved is you” were stuck in his mouth, and before he could say them, there was a mess of footsteps outside the cave!

 

The servants were here again!

 

Jing Xian stood up abruptly and looked outside. In the white snow, pairs of crimson eyes were rapidly approaching, more frenzied than a beast, and more violent than an avalanche.

 

His eyes were boiling with killing intent, and in his rage, his body was wrapped in yin energy, his nails sharp as knife blades, and he rushed out with a flash!

 

The essence of the god of killing was fully displayed. He fought tirelessly, pulling out one gray-white ghost heart after another, crushing one skull after another, and when he was weak, he would casually pull over a servant, his sharp teeth biting through its flesh, thirstily drinking the fresh blood.

 

But the servants were endless.

 

He was just a priest who had not been born for a few years, and this battle was too early for him.

 

Jing Xian’s body was covered in wounds, even revealing stark white bones.

 

However, thinking of Lu Yingjiu, it seemed as if he had a few more points of strength under his feet, supporting him to continue fighting.

 

Just like a few years ago, the ghosts who dared to approach that mountain, their bodies were piled up into a small hill by him. Now, anyone who dared to covet his territory, no matter who they were, must die by his hand.

 

Faster, faster.

 

With Lu Yingjiu’s injuries, he can’t hold on for much longer!

 

Just when he didn’t know how many times he had staggered and stood up again, there was a disturbance behind him.

 

There was a fluctuation of talisman paper in the cave!

 

A gorgeous array appeared in the snow, the golden light flowing, piercing the gloom.

 

This array looked familiar.

 

Jing Xian briefly stopped, hesitated for two breaths, and reacted: this is… this is the array leading to the ghost realm!!

 

Lu Yingjiu wants to go to the ghost world!

 

He widened his eyes and flew up, but it was too late. The thick black fog covered the snowfield in an instant, as dark as the end of the world, and the howling of thousands of ghosts came from it!

 

And Lu Yingjiu, in his blood-stained white clothes, stood in the middle of the fog, as if he would be swallowed up the next moment.

 

The snow fell on his shoulders, fell on his handsome eyebrows and eyes, and behind him were countless dancing ghost hands, a million grinning faces, and the endless abyss.

 

Like an eerie picture scroll.

 

Through the falling snow, he looked at Jing Xian from afar.

 

His gaze was calm and frank.

 

——At this moment, Jing Xian understood his meaning: Lu Yingjiu would rather go to the gate of the ghost world alone than die in the hands of the servants, let alone drag him down.

 

He was going to challenge the unknown fate.

 

Not to accept destiny.

 

The servants reacted, screaming and surging towards Lu Yingjiu!

 

And Lu Yingjiu smiled at Jing Xian.

 

His eyes were bright, and his smile was curved, as if it was just a short farewell.

 

“…Goodbye.” He said silently.

 

Then Lu Yingjiu turned around and resolutely stepped into the black fog. No matter how Jing Xian shouted or reached out to grab his clothes, he could no longer see his figure.

 

The array disappeared.

 

The black fog dissipated, and the gate to the ghost world closed with a bang.

 

The servanst lost their target and turned their heads stiffly.

 

A few breaths later, they disappeared on the spot, as if they had never existed.

 

The vast snowfield left only Jing Xian alone.

 

That day, he stood alone in the long night.

 

There seemed to be a huge abyss in his heart, empty and hollow, no matter how the cold wind howled, it could not be filled.

 

It was unknown how long after, he forced out a mournful cry from the depths of his throat, like an injured, abandoned beast, which would move even the most hard-hearted person when heard.

 

Afterwards…

 

In the hundred years that followed, it was another story.

 

He killed a hundred ghosts, fought the underworld, was ruthless and bloodthirsty, never showed mercy, and his name echoed throughout the eighteen layers of the ghost world.

 

The old ghost king was beheaded by him, and the priests bowed their heads to him to pay homage.

 

Jing Xian went to the human world over and over again, looking for traces of Lu Yingjiu, but ultimately found nothing.

 

Dressed in gorgeous clothes, sitting alone in the hall, with ghosts kneeling down in a dark mass, while he looked into the distance.

 

His slender fingers gently tapped the chair.

 

Unlike humans, the obsession of ghosts was very pure.

 

Because of its purity, it was unforgettable, it was eternal and undying, it was the only light in his life.

 

If there really was a next life, if there really was a reunion…

 

He wanted to tell Lu Yingjiu that the person in his heart had always been him. He wanted to hold Lu Yingjiu’s hand tightly, protect him for a lifetime, until it snowed and turned white. This hot and pure love would never fade with time.

 

He wanted to make up for all the regrets.

 

****

 

The waves pounded the bridge piers and shattered them into snow-white flowers.

 

The carousel flashed back in his mind, and Lu Yingjiu remembered everything.

 

There was still that long knife stuck in his abdomen, and at this moment, a few more points of strength emerged from his cold hands and feet. He disregarded the sharpness, grabbed the knife with one hand, and broke it hard, the blade broke with a clang!

 

The blade cut through his fingers, and he held the broken blade with his bloody hands, turned around and neatly cut the throat of the servant. At the same time, the wound quickly healed under the power of inviting the gods.

 

The black beast howled and limped up, biting several servants to death.

 

Lu Yingjiu touched its big head and looked down at the bridge.

 

Under the bridge, the yin energy surged, and the gate to the ghost realm silently waited, as if it was an invitation.

 

“There’s only one chance left.” He stroked the black beast’s fur, “Just like before.”

 

The black beast didn’t understand, tilted its head, and looked at him gently.

 

“Last time I died at the gate of the ghost world.” Lu Yingjiu said softly, “I wonder if I can make some progress in this life?”

 

He knew he was almost certain to die.

 

Even at his peak, the probability of failure was over 99%, let alone being exhausted and scarred.

 

But he would never succumb to fate.

 

It’s a pity that in these two lifetimes, he left Jing Xian behind.

 

The servants screamed and rushed up, Lu Yingjiu relaxed, and smiled at them.

 

Then he spread his arms and fell back into the black sea!

 

The gale screamed in his ears, the dense yin energy enveloped him instantly, his blood burst open, and the cold ghost hands grabbed his limbs.

 

This feeling was like torture.

 

Like the pain of burning, like the despair of drowning.

 

Lu Yingjiu remained calm, calmly throwing out talisman after talisman, repelling the fog time and time again.

 

But the miracle did not happen.

 

During the fall, he gradually became unconscious.

 

His mind was hazy, his body temperature slowly dropped, and death gently kissed his forehead.

 

At the last moment, he almost subconsciously murmured “Jing Xian…”

 

After shouting this sentence, Lu Yingjiu froze.

 

He thought he could face death calmly, but he didn’t expect it to be different from the past. Jing Xian was his only concern.

 

Lu Yingjiu smiled complicatedly.

 

However, the next second his chest was burning hot.

 

He was stunned for a moment before he realized that what was hot was the longevity lock!

 

In front of him, the yin energy melted like ice and snow. Those ghost hands, those strange faces, those unknown gales, were crushed by a force as powerful as a bulldozer, crumpled into a ball, and exploded into a blood mist.

 

His figure was light.

 

——The Ghost King didn’t speak, he reached out and took him into his arms.

 

They stood above the raging waves and the abyss, as steady as a rock, sharp as a blade, and everything retreated at their hands.

 

The embrace was warm and gentle, Lu Yingjiu looked up.

 

Looking carefully at Jing Xian’s eyes and brows…

 

Handsome and beautiful, still the sincere young man from the beginning.