“To find another person,” he glanced at me, “The ghost realm has been searched thoroughly, finding no one with knowledge. So the King has decided to take another path.”
“What path?”
“Return to five thousand years ago and find the truth himself.”
I widened my eyes: “Are you looking for the Traversal Lord?” Seeing him nod, I said, “The divine and ghost realms are not connected. The God Lord cannot open the ghost realm’s time tunnel.”
“
“Since the King says so, he naturally has his own thoughts.”
I helplessly said: “Alright, I’ll go find the Traversal Lord.”
I thought the Traversal Lord would not be close to the ghost realm, but unexpectedly, he agreed.
Arriving at the ghost realm, Qing Yuan led us forward. I felt uneasy, having been tricked by him several times before, and could no longer fully trust him. Especially as the atmosphere became increasingly gloomy.
“Where are we going?”
“Bone River.”
I paused: “Why go there?”
The Traversal Lord pondered: “Is a trigger needed?”
Qing Yuan said: “Yes. The ghost realm is not like the mortal world and cannot be changed easily. To return to the past, a connecting object is necessary.”
“Then I’m afraid only those with such a connection can go back.”
“Indeed.”
I blinked, understanding: “So only I and Mu Chen can go back?”
“Yes,” Qing Yuan said, “This was originally between you and the King, so it’s not inappropriate for you two to solve it.”
He spoke impartially, without any impulse to loyally sacrifice himself for the King. The Traversal Lord looked confused but didn’t ask more.
I suddenly thought of a problem and asked seriously: “Is there a chance we won’t be able to return?”
“Yes.”
If you and the King are killed by people from five thousand years ago before we can bring you back, you will not be able to return.”
I nodded. Though dangerous, we had no other choice. The resentful spirit would not be eliminated, and Mu Chen and I would die anyway, just a matter of time. Going on this desperate journey might bring a turning point.
As we approached the Bone River, not just my heart, but my limbs felt numb. I almost leaned on the Traversal Lord.
The Traversal Lord gave a sidelong glance: “If my gossip information isn’t wrong… your lover seems to be Mu Chen? Leaning on me like this, aren’t you afraid I’ll be killed, or that you might be killed?”
I jolted: “We’re clearly just best friends!”
“…Have you ever seen a best friend with six-pack abs?”
“Traversal Lord, you actually have six-pack abs!!! Let me see!”
“…Your man is staring at you from across the river.”
I shuddered, quickly withdrawing my hand and looking across, indeed seeing Mu Chen looking at me with a half-smile. I awkwardly waved. If there were a mirror, I’d definitely look pale. Only when I saw the black qi intertwining with the bodies floating in the Bone River did I understand why I looked this way.
Just moments ago, I felt uncomfortable walking this road, but now that I’m closer, I surprisingly have little reaction.
I moved closer to Qing Yuan and said, “Qing Yuan, actually I can go back alone, right? If something happens to Mu Chen, how will you explain it to the Ghost Realm?”
When Qing Yuan and the transmigration companion began setting up the formation, the Corpse Bone River suddenly surged, with murky and dark airflows tumbling like a hurricane, swirling and rotating. Waves of bone-piercing pain came, and I almost collapsed to the ground again, truly becoming less and less able to endure such torment.
Suddenly, a swirling black hole broke open beneath my feet. Looking down, my foot was slowly sinking, and before I could let out a earth-shattering scream, I had already fallen inside, with fierce winds roaring in my ears, preventing me from even opening my eyes.
With great difficulty, I felt light appearing before me, and upon slightly opening my eyes, I saw a lush and verdant scene.
Although transmigration and rebirth are essentially similar, both involving returning to the past, when one is the protagonist, seeing the suddenly transformed scenery feels extraordinarily magical.
I calmly stood with hands behind my back, murmuring: “I have transmigrated.” After a moment, I remembered Mu Chen, looking around but seeing no one. I chose a direction and hurriedly walked through the forest calling him, yet still receiving no response.
“The Ghost King is on parade, all ghosts retreat, blocking the divine punishment.”
The resonant voice seemed both distant and right beside my ear. I considered searching but then remembered the Ghost King was neither Mu Chen nor Mu Yin. Standing here with an immortal body, I was essentially waiting to die. I hurriedly transformed into a mortal form and ran to the side.
After finally leaving the forest, I encountered another unfamiliar scene, wandering aimlessly until I reached a marketplace. The lively atmosphere was filled with ghosts returning home.
I wasn’t sure what was being celebrated, but red silk hung on both sides of the street, softening the Ghost Realm’s gloomy atmosphere and giving a festive feeling similar to a human New Year celebration.
I sat in a tea house, ordered a cup of tea, thinking about how to find Mu Chen.
Whether due to lack of other seating or something else, shortly after sitting down, two people joined my table, greeting me before sitting.
Seeing them chatting happily, I leaned forward and asked: “Excuse me, with the Ghost Realm decorated so festively, is there some joyous event?”
The two looked at me suspiciously, and I quickly smiled: “I’m a human exorcist, newly arrived and unfamiliar with local customs, please forgive me.”
As soon as the words fell, their expressions indeed softened, saying: “The Ghost King’s wedding is naturally a major event.”
I exclaimed in understanding: “May I ask who the bride is?”
“The Ghost Realm’s Enchanted Bone High Priestess.”
I thanked them, and they finished their tea and left. I pondered for a moment – the marriage of the two most powerful figures in the Ghost Realm was no wonder the entire realm was jubilant. I wondered if the Corpse Bone River incident was related to this event.
I have no discomfort, and no black energy has appeared, just like normal times. I get slightly excited, look at him, see his piercing gaze, and can’t help but bury myself in his broad chest, my voice trembling: “Could it be because the River of Bones hasn’t appeared yet? If we break the curse of the River of Bones, we can remove the resentful spirits from our bodies, right?”
He softly responds to me, his arms tightening around me.
The events that have occurred in the ghost realm cannot be changed, but if we find the reason why it became a river that even gods and ghosts fear, perhaps we can stay close and protect each other like this.
Rebirth (Part Two)
The Ghost King is about to get married, and there are noticeably more guards on the streets these days. Mu Chen covers me with ghost energy and changes my appearance, so even those who have seen me before probably wouldn’t recognize me now.
The Qing Na River hasn’t yet become the River of Bones; it’s just an ordinary river, clear and sparkling, looking especially beautiful in the evening glow. I bend down and scoop up a handful of water, cool and refreshing, making it hard to imagine the ghostly River of Bones.
Mu Chen stands beside me, his eyes full of light: “In three days, this river will become the River of Bones.”
We remain silent, both understanding that once it returns to its original state, we’ll have to go back and be unable to be close again. If we could find a way, that would be best, but we’re more worried about finding no solution. We selfishly hope we could stay before the river changes.
“Su Su.”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s go to the human world. We can’t investigate anything else now, and there are no signs of change. Staying here is useless.”
