That evening at sunset, when it was time to go out and find food, I pushed open the door. I saw a man in black standing by the low fence in the courtyard. His shadow on the ground moved slightly, his expression calm yet cold. When his narrow eyes looked at me, I couldn’t look away.
That was the first time I saw Gou Hun.
Given my state at the time, he probably silently defined me in his heart: a foolish and infatuated person who must be kept at a distance.
Otherwise, why would he keep avoiding me?
I planted flowers and grass by the low fence, deliberately dropping my shovel to create an excuse to jump over and talk to him.
I practiced cooking every day, just to approach him when he went out to find food.
Despite being plagued with illness from the great war, I refused to take medicine because I couldn’t be sure if he would still help me gather herbs after I recovered.
There were few divine lords in the village, and no one knew what I was doing. At that time, my rebirth position had not yet been established. With too much idle time, I could only think about how to pursue this man every day.
Finally, after pestering Gou Hun, he asked me one day: “What do you like about me?”
I thought this was a breakthrough and was so excited my heart was about to jump out: “So many things!
You’re good-looking, you don’t smoke or gamble, you’re not interested in women, you’re proper, and you make me feel safe.”
After listing everything, I looked up at him. Gou Hun nodded and said: “I will change.”
I suddenly understood and tears of grievance welled up. Finally, I said fiercely: “Take out your heart and show me!”
Even with my thick skin, being rejected so directly still felt painful.
I slowly lowered my hand and gave him a cold look: “This divine lord has no time to waste with you. Please show some self-respect.”
Even if I liked him to the point of dying, I couldn’t show it in front of him.
With that thought, I swept away.
“Rebirth…”
Hmph, don’t think I’ll look back.
I thought to myself, but my left foot stepped into empty air, and I began to fall.
Damn it, tell me the roof’s edge is fatal! It’s fatal!
Immortal cultivators and exorcists from the human world frequently enter and exit the ghost realm without arousing suspicion. Having made up my mind, I extended my finger to push open the invisible iron door and walked inside.
The ghost realm was not much different from the human world, with ghosts coming and going, bustling with all the prosperity of a crowded city. However, I could still sense the gloomy atmosphere permeating everywhere. No wonder mortals who stay with ghosts for too long get absorbed by this oppressive energy.
I only had one hour. After that, I would be forced to return to my divine form.
Sensing that Huahua’s aura was still lingering, I quickened my pace.
Crossing a shallow stream and passing through a forest, a high wall blocked my view. I looked left and right – the wall stretched for hundreds of meters, clearly belonging to a wealthy ghost family. I furrowed my brow. If these were powerful ghost creatures, rashly taking someone away would inevitably cause conflict.
“Miss, are you trying to get in?”
After this, I’ll definitely make Huahua help me. Despite my stern expression, someone still dared to approach me. My mood suddenly brightened, and I replied, “Yes. Do you have a way?”
“Fly over.”
I gave him a sidelong glance. “How?”
He pulled out a talisman from his waist, muttered an incantation I couldn’t understand, and with a flip of his hand, a duck appeared on the ground.
“Oh, I recited it wrong.”
I twitched the corner of my mouth, narrowing my eyes. By my estimation, he was a third-rate exorcist.
“Oh, wrong again.”
“Not this one.”
“This must be right.”
“Damn.”
I yawned, rolled up my sleeve, and walked to a tree to climb up.
“Miss!” A delighted voice rang out, and the man looked excited. “I summoned it!”
I glanced down. Even if it was a flying crane, being the size of a hen was utterly useless. I withdrew my disdainful gaze and continued climbing the tree.
This tree seemed to be thousands of years old, with branches intertwining and extending to the high wall. I easily climbed along the trunk to the wall. Before I could steady myself, my body was suddenly jolted, and I fell with the man’s shrill scream.
Scream my foot! I should be the one screaming!
Seeing the emerald green grass before my eyes, I silently thought that in the future, I must do more good deeds to accumulate luck.
Fortunately, the fat man fell first, and I landed on top of him. Seeing him unconscious, I patted his face. “Hey, hey.”
The fat man slowly opened his eyes, then suddenly widened them at what was in front of him.
I paused and looked back, seeing dozens of floating servants holding wooden sticks, pointing at us.
This divine lord had been captured, and the fat man was captured too.
We were tied up and thrown into the main hall, listening to the servants discuss whether to lock us in the woodshed or summon the master.
“The master said not to disturb him before evening.”
“But he’s already been in the room with that girl for an hour. Surely he’s done whatever he wanted to do?”
“You go report.”
“No, you go.”
I frowned. From their tone, Huahua had been held here for some time and was locked in a room, seemingly with someone else who hadn’t come out.
Just as I stood up, a little ghost shouted, “What are you doing? Sit down!”
I swept a cold glance, and all the ghosts in the hall collapsed. I moved my hand, and the ropes fell off. As I was about to step forward, the fat man started wailing, “Help me untie my ropes too!”
“Stop yelling!” I growled in annoyance, slicing his ropes with my fingernail. “What if you alert other ghosts?”
The fat man shrank back, glancing outside. “They’re already alerted by your noise.”
Incompatible destinies! We must be fated to clash! Harboring resentment, I ignored the fat man and rushed into the inner hall. Horrific ghost screams came from behind, sending a chill down my spine.
Not good. My mortal form was about to collapse. I needed to find Huahua and take her away quickly.
I kicked open door after door but found no one, could detect no trace of her.
The fat man followed behind, panting, “Miss, you’ve broken so many doors. How will they sleep tonight?”
“Shut up!” I snapped.
“Ah, miss, being this fierce means no one will want to marry you.”
“As long as I’m not stuck with you, that’s fine.” If I weren’t in a hurry to find Huahua, I would have thrown him out.
By the time I sensed Huahua’s location, I had already broken over twenty doors, and my foot was aching. When I finally confirmed the door, I raised my foot to kick – but the door opened at that moment. Losing my balance, I fell forward.
The person who had just dodged me narrowed their eyes, raised their left foot, and kicked me out.
The force was so strong it made my chest hurt, and I bent over, spitting out a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
“Drag this mortal out and kill her,” a cold voice said without a hint of warmth.
I looked up. He wasn’t bad-looking, but his eyes were too cold, like ice frozen three feet deep. I glanced at the ghost approaching me and asked, “Where’s Huahua?”
The male voice coldly said: “Throw her into the River of Bones right now.”
I struggled: “Where’s Huahua?”
Negotiations failed, so I had no choice but to resort to force. Just as I was about to summon my immortal energy, someone rushed out from the room – and wasn’t that Huahua’s beautiful face? I broke free from the little ghost’s hand and embraced her: “Huahua!”
Huahua urgently hugged me back, saw the blood at the corner of my mouth, and burst into tears: “Did Huaer cause trouble for her sister?”
I hurriedly comforted her, stopped her crying, and asked: “Where were you just now?”
“Huaer was sleeping in the room.”
