After Marrying the Lord of the Underworld

The phone number was there, but Lu Yingjiu hesitated to dial it.

 

“What’s wrong,” Jing Xian glanced at him, “Don’t you want to find him?”

 

He knew Lu Yingjiu’s interpersonal relationships very well and knew that he didn’t know many people from the Ye family.

 

As long as the gods were invited to the designated place, the formation could be completed. Anyone from the aristocratic families could do it.

 

Simply put, it’s not difficult.

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to find him.” Lu Yingjiu said, “This is a very dangerous thing.”

 

Outside the car window, a few red-tailed birds were hopping on the branches, chirping.

 

He continued, “It’s not as simple as ‘inviting the gods’… Based on past experience, they will be obstructed by the servants once they try to set up the formation. Isn’t that how Zhang Haokong and many others died?”

 

What’s more, Zhang Haokong and the others were by no means ordinary people.

 

“It’s too dangerous.” Lu Yingjiu said in a low voice, “Even if we find a group of elites to go together, the risk is still very high.”

 

“Besides, I actually don’t want to find so many people…”

 

“If I don’t tell them the truth, they have no reason to believe me. But if I tell them the whole thing, they will be cursed by the Heavenly Way. What if, I mean what if, we can’t completely solve the Heavenly Way, wouldn’t the rest of their lives be ruined?”

 

Knowing what you shouldn’t know will bring retribution.

 

That’s why only a small number of people know about Lu Yingjiu’s affairs; that’s why Zhang Shuwan was at a loss for who to ask for help when she was alone.

 

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

 

Asking someone for help is like dragging them into a sea of knives and fire.

 

Jing Xian was silent for a while, then said, “Anyway, I still think you should tell Ye Feng.”

 

“Why?” Lu Yingjiu looked up at him.

 

“You pushed me away before, and it took me a long time to find you.” Jing Xian looked at him, “There might have been five hours, or six hours. That little bit of time, I felt it was as long as hundreds or thousands of years.”

 

Lu Yingjiu was silent. In fact, he had always felt guilty about this.

 

“You always think about not dragging others down.” Jing Xian said, “But in fact, it’s the most upsetting to keep it from them. If you and his identities were swapped, would you want him to keep it from you?”

 

Lu Yingjiu was stunned for a few seconds.

 

If he were Ye Feng, being kept in the dark by an old friend until the most critical moment without knowing the truth, he would probably feel angry and disappointed, right?

 

Would he feel that their many years of friendship had been wasted?

 

Lu Yingjiu closed his eyes and said softly, “…Yes, I understand. But before that, I will still ask for his opinion.”

 

****

 

The two of them took a plane back to Lujiang City.

 

When they arrived, it was in the afternoon, and Jing Xian drove to Lu Ying Bar.

 

Having not returned for several months, the bar had completely changed. It was clearly much more popular, and even on a weekday afternoon, there were several customers.

 

Ah Mei had decorated the place even more exquisitely, attracting several young girls to stop and take pictures.

 

Yao Gou was in charge of publicity, and he had come up with a bunch of novel slogans, menu names, and designs, which were hung outside the bar. He also hired a new waiter and bartender. Both of them had been in the industry before, but now they didn’t do much and came out to work.

 

Lu Yingjiu had told them in advance that he would be back.

 

As soon as he entered the door, Ye Feng, who was mixing drinks, looked up, “Oh, a rare guest – come on, have a cocktail I just learned how to make.”

 

Lu Yingjiu sat at the bar and drank the Blue Coral Reef he handed over.

 

The two chatted for a while.

 

When Ye Feng finished making drinks for the last customer, he picked up a towel and wiped his hands, saying, “Why do you look so troubled?”

 

“I have something to tell you.” Lu Yingjiu drank the last bit of wine.

 

Ye Feng was startled by his serious expression, he was led into the back room with a puzzled heart.

 

He said, “What’s the matter, why are you making that face?” He thought for a moment, “Although the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade is coming soon, everyone is preparing, and there will definitely be no problem, you don’t need to worry too much.”

 

“The Hundred Ghosts Night Parade is one problem,” Lu Yingjiu sat down, “but there’s another.”

 

“What?” Ye Feng sat down across from him and asked cautiously, “Could it be that you’re bankrupt and the bar can’t go on?”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…No.”

 

“Did your hairball starve to death?”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…Do you think I’m the kind of person who would abuse animals?”

 

“Ah!” Ye Feng suddenly exclaimed, “Could it be that you’re divorced?!!”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…That’s even less likely.”

 

Ye Feng scratched his head hard. “Then what is it that makes you look so gloomy?”

 

Lu Yingjiu took a deep breath, “Ye Feng, if there’s something that involves this Hundred Ghosts Night Parade and my life, but knowing it would put you in great danger, even… possibly death, would you still want to know?”

 

Ye Feng was stunned for half a second. “Yes, tell me.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “Why don’t you think about it again, don’t be so rash.”

 

“Isn’t this related to you,” Ye Feng said, “I’m not being rash, I’ve thought about it carefully for half a second.”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “I’m not trying to scare you, it’s really dangerous, there’s really a possibility of death.”

 

Ye Feng: “Mmm, I know, I know, just tell me.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…No, you think about it again. How can you figure it out so quickly?”

 

Then Ye Feng said, “I may always seem cowardly, but I am an exorcist after all. There are no real cowards among those who do this job. I hesitated to stay in the Green Lantern Association in pursuit of stability and didn’t come to your office. But that doesn’t mean I will hesitate on the issue of life and death.”

 

“And as for life and death, I’ve thought about it a long time ago.”

 

Lu Yingjiu was taken aback. “You’ve thought about it a long time ago?”

 

“Yes.” Ye Feng said, “In high school, I had just met you. Not long after we met, you told me that there were all kinds of ghosts around you, all kinds of varieties, and it was like a party at night.”

 

“It seems like there was such a thing.” Lu Yingjiu recalled.

 

Ye Feng sighed, “At that time, you were very serious and told me that I might be killed by ghosts. I was terrible at exorcism at that time, and I hadn’t seen many ghosts in my life, so I believed it.”

 

“You don’t know, I struggled for a whole night, and it wasn’t until dawn that I made up my mind to go find you again. Because I thought, since I’m determined to do this job, how can I back down because of this little problem?”

 

Lu Yingjiu’s expression changed slightly.

 

Ye Feng laughed again, “My second grandfather always told me that I should help others.”

 

“My second grandfather was my role model for the first half of my life, but in the end, he betrayed his principles in a moment of confusion and resurrected me. But the words he told me, I have never forgotten.”

 

“I’ve been having nightmares recently, dreaming about that village, the nursing home, and those spiders, and even quit my job at the Green Lantern Association to take a break at the bar. I didn’t tell anyone the truth, and I felt like I was going to live in guilt for the rest of my life.”

 

He said, “But now that I think about it, eliminating guilt still requires action. I’ve rested long enough, and it’s time to start again. So, tell me everything.”

 

Lu Yingjiu: “…”

 

He laughed.

 

For the next two hours, he told the whole story.

 

From the live sacrifice five hundred years ago, to the efforts of the aristocratic families, to the various protectors.

 

From the huge formation, to the ghost world, to the world in the mirror.

 

Ye Feng was greatly shocked. Hearing all this was really unimaginable.

 

When he sorted out his thoughts, he asked again, “You said you can find a way to find the contaminated Heavenly Way, so what should I do?”

 

Lu Yingjiu said, “According to the arrangement of the formation, you need to… summon the Li Snake near Mt. Gassan Nursing Home.”

 

This location was undoubtedly extremely special for Ye Feng.

 

Ye Feng nodded and said, “Okay, I understand, leave it to me.”

 

“Don’t go alone.” Lu Yingjiu said, “I’ve calculated that as long as there are no more than 5 people on the scene when summoning the Li Snake, the stability of the formation will not be affected.” He hesitated for a moment, “But finding people may be very difficult.”

 

“I’ll find someone from the Ye family to go with me.” Ye Feng said, “If this can prevent the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, there will be people willing. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them the whole thing to avoid the ‘misfortune’ you mentioned, but apart from that, I’ll find a way to convince them.”

 

He stood up as he spoke, “I can go find someone tonight.”

 

“There’s no need to rush.” Lu Yingjiu said, “The Chu family and the Chen family have not yet settled down.”

 

Ye Feng wondered, “I can understand the Chen family, but aren’t you going to find that guy Chu Banyang from the Chu family?”

 

“He is indeed the best candidate,” Lu Yingjiu said, “But I can’t make a decision so rashly.”

 

Ye Feng sighed, patted his shoulder and said, “You just think too much. Even someone like me who doesn’t know Chu Banyang knows that once he knows about this, he will definitely be eager to show himself and find every opportunity to find you… So go ahead. I just happened to want to go home as well.”

 

The two of them got up.

 

The night fell, and there were more customers in the bar.

 

The new bartender was working hard, Ah Mei was serving drinks to a table of customers, and Jing Xian was reading a book in the corner. As soon as he heard Lu Yingjiu’s footsteps, he looked up, and his eyes visibly brightened.

 

The three of them went out, and Ye Feng said, “You guys go back, I’m going to the Ye family to find someone. By the way… deal with some old things.”

 

“What old things?” Lu Yingjiu asked.

 

Ye Feng smiled, “You’ll know later.”

 

Lu Yingjiu and Jing Xian left.

 

Ye Feng got in his old car, got stuck in the evening rush hour, and finally arrived in front of the single family villa 50 minutes later.

 

The villa was large and luxuriously decorated, clearly a wealthy family. There were faint fluctuations of talisman paper in the air.

 

Ye Feng hadn’t been back for many years. He parked the car and lingered at the door for a while.

 

The key was in his pocket.

 

He held it, listening to the lively conversation inside the house, and it took him a long time to take it out and open the door.

 

There were many pairs of shoes at the door, guests had come today.

 

Ye Feng walked into the living room and indeed saw many elders from the Ye family, as well as other famous exorcists. When they saw him, countless eyes were cast over.

 

“Ah, Ye Feng is here!” An uncle greeted, “Your dad and your third uncle are upstairs, in the study.”

 

“Okay.” Ye Feng nodded.

 

“Come and sit!” Another aunt said, “I haven’t seen you for a long time. Every time I ask, your dad says you’re busy with work. Come let me see, have you gotten a little tanned?”

 

“Do you want some fruit, Xiao Feng? There are grapes and peaches.”

 

“How’s work going, have you found a girlfriend yet? You should consider it at your age.”

 

Most of the people knew him, and it had been a long time since they had seen him. They showed warmth and enthusiasm between the lines.

 

Ye Feng was stuffed with snacks and fruits by a group of elders, and he briefly exchanged pleasantries with them.

 

Seeing those familiar smiles, he felt a bit dazed.

 

Just like in countless nightmares, he had seen these smiles.

 

[You were resurrected by ghosts, you don’t even know if you are human or ghost]

 

[What would your family think if they knew?]

 

[The Ye family’s rules are so strict, they would kick you out, right?]

 

[You’re a liar, you and Ye Deyong deceived everyone]

 

After so long, Ye Feng no longer had sleepless nights.

 

But he still clearly remembered those dreams.

 

He said goodbye to his elders and slowly climbed the stairs.

 

Compared to the living room, the second floor was much quieter.

 

The carpet was soft, and gorgeous flowers were placed in expensive vases. He slowly walked to the end, turned the corner, and the reddish-brown door of the study appeared in front of him.

 

Ye Feng gently knocked on the door.

 

A few seconds later, a voice came from inside. “Come in.”

 

Ye Feng pushed the door and entered.

 

His father, Ye Shou, and his third uncle were sitting on the sofa, drinking tea. Seeing him come in, both of them looked somewhat surprised.

 

Ye Shou raised his eyebrows, his face showing no joy. “Why are you here?”

 

His tone was indifferent.

 

Not at all like a father who hadn’t seen his son for several months.

 

He casually put down his teacup and leaned forward. Even though he was old, the muscles on his arms were still as firm as a tiger’s.

 

Ye Feng stood in front of him, head down.

 

Ye Shou had five children, and Ye Feng was the middle one.

 

It’s always said that the eldest and youngest children were favored, and he was the standard, ignored one.

 

Ordinary talent, ordinary appearance, ordinary personality, ordinary everything.

 

Ye Shou’s attitude towards him was always like this, neither cold nor hot, indifferent, and because of his strict discipline when he was young, Ye Feng was a bit scared of him – he could always remember: when he couldn’t learn talisman, didn’t understand formations, Ye Shou never hit him.

 

Ye Shou just stood aside very indifferently, glanced at Ye Feng, and then left.

 

That look was more uncomfortable than beating, it hurt Ye Feng’s heart.

 

Later on, even under the same roof, seeing each other every day, he and Ye Shou would not speak more than five sentences a week.

 

In countless nightmares, the protagonist was always Ye Shou.

 

Ye Feng dreamed that after confessing, his father looked at him with such disappointed and angry eyes, and told him to get out of the house… In fact, this was the person he was most afraid to face.

 

But…

 

Ye Feng raised his head and looked directly at Ye Shou.

 

He thought of the story Lu Yingjiu told him.

 

–Lu Yingjiu actually remembered the names and experiences of those people clearly and told him one by one.

 

In order to protect every person equally, to overthrow this cruel and unkind Heavenly Way, he saw the perseverance of one generation of exorcists after another, the sacrifices of one unknown hero after another.

 

The endings were all imperfect, those stories were full of regret, unwillingness, love, and courage.

 

Therefore Ye Feng recalled, a long time ago, when he was very young, Ye Shou once held him and asked, “Ye Feng, do you want to learn how to exorcise ghosts in the future?”

 

“I want——” he answered, “Of course I want to——”

 

Ye Shou rarely showed a smile, saying, “Then you will definitely be a brave person.”

 

So Ye Feng recalled his initial intention of becoming an exorcist.

 

Twenty years later, he looked at his father, his heart beating wildly, almost leaping out of his chest.

 

Ye Shou’s fingers lightly tapped on the table, seemingly impatient.

 

Ye Feng took a deep breath. “I have two things to tell you.”

 

He felt his voice trembling.

 

“First, I died nineteen years ago and was resurrected by a ghost;”

 

“Second, I hope you can come back to Mt. Gassan Nursing Home with me to complete the final formation.”