The Unmoving Bride

“Okay! Then stand aside, and when you see anything later, don’t say anything, okay?” Yan Xinmeng, unable to persuade him otherwise, decided to let him meet Niu Qi. She turned to her bed, picked up her small bundle, and took out the bull horn Niu Qi had given her. She blew into the horn, but to everyone’s surprise, no sound came out. Shang Bieye frowned at Yan Xinmeng’s actions. “Xinmeng, what are you doing?” “I’m calling for Brother Niu Qi!” Yan Xinmeng waved the bull horn in her hand, “Brother Niu Qi said if I need him, I should blow this, and he’ll appear. If he doesn’t, someone else will come.” After waiting for a while with no one appearing, Shang Bieye was about to ask when suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the room, causing the oil lamp on the table to flicker as if about to go out, casting eerie shadows everywhere. A white smoke rose from the ground, filling the room, gradually forming into the shape of a bull-headed figure, from blurry to clear. “Niu… Oh? Why are you here, Brother Niu Wu?” Yan Xinmeng was surprised to see the figure before her. Shang Bieye was stunned by the sight. “Of course, it’s me. Niu Qi’s bull horn broke, so he couldn’t come,” Niu Wu said with a grin, showing his large bull teeth. “Has it really been that long since Brother Niu Qi fixed his horn?” Yan Xinmeng asked with concern. It had been several months, and if she hadn’t startled him, he might have been fine. She felt guilty. “Not that long! You’ve forgotten, a day in heaven or hell is a year on earth. You’ve only passed a month in the human world, but it’s just been a few hours in the underworld. How could it be long? And fixing a broken horn isn’t that easy,” Niu Wu said, touching his own horns. “I see!” Yan Xinmeng nodded in understanding. “So, what about Brother Niu Qi’s Hourglass Mirror? Can you take it back for him?” “Oh! The seventh brother will come for his mirror; I can’t help him with that,” Niu Wu said apologetically. “Why can’t you take it?” Yan Xinmeng asked. “Because I don’t know how to make it smaller to take it away. Our tools are different; I can’t store his stuff,” Niu Wu explained. “Why?” Yan Xinmeng looked at Niu Wu, puzzled. “Did you see how I came here?” “Yes.” “Did you see the white smoke?” Niu Wu gestured animatedly. “Yes.” “There you go! If I can’t make it smaller, I can’t turn it into smoke to take it back. Now you understand? Having powers doesn’t mean you can use them anywhere. The powers King Yama gave us are only for specific uses. That’s why when Niu Qi’s horn broke, he lost his power. We’re just small-time ghost messengers; we’re not as powerful as Old White and Old Black,” Niu Wu smiled at her. “By the way, I just remembered something else. Why can’t Brother Niu Qi find his own mirror and instead, he needs me to find it?” Yan Xinmeng voiced her confusion. “Well… don’t laugh at us when I tell you this!” Niu Wu mumbled. “Why would I laugh at you?” Yan Xinmeng laughed, seeing no reason to mock him.