On the way, Abao kept his eyes fixed on that house, and he asked Lingyun curiously:
"Brother, isn't it true that a soul can reunite with its body? Why can't a ghost?"
Ling Yun explained:
"Only those with a soul and spirit can reunite with their physical body or become soul cultivators; those with a soul but no spirit become ghosts."
The soul belongs to Yin and the spirit belongs to Yang. When Yin and Yang are in harmony, one is not afraid of sunlight and Yang energy.
But a ghost that loses its spirit can only become a ghost, living in darkness.
After listening, everyone suddenly understood.
Ling Yun continued:
"Ghosts can also cultivate into ghost cultivators, but it will be very difficult."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the door of that house.
This is a two-section courtyard house, filled with antiquity and... eeriness.
Ling Yun quietly released a burst of energy, concealing the yang energy of the crowd.
Ah Bao tentatively knocks on the door:
Is anyone home?
A moment later, slow footsteps approached and gently opened the door.
It was an old woman carrying a pure white lantern with a black "double happiness" character written on it.
The old woman had sunken eyes, a face full of wrinkles, and a faint smile on her lips.
It was really scary late at night.
This startled Abao, but he quickly covered it up.
The old woman asked in a hoarse voice:
Who are you looking for?
Abao hurriedly said:
"We come from the Great Zhao of the East, on our way to Ganlei City for barbecue. We are passing through this place and would like to ask for lodging for the night."
The old woman glanced at Ling Yun and his group and nodded slightly.
"Please come with me, everyone. Miss and her husband have just made a midnight snack! Let's eat together!"
As she spoke, the old woman turned and led the way, her body hunched over.
Ling Yun and his group looked at each other in bewilderment; the old woman was clearly a person.
But to Lingyun and the others, it felt more like a ghost.
Then, everyone followed the old woman into the inner courtyard.
The main hall in the inner courtyard was brightly lit, yet it still sent chills down one's spine, filled with a coldness.
Inside the lobby sat a young couple who looked very much in love.
Everyone could tell at a glance that they were not human!
However, they didn't have a trace of ghostly ferocity; they seemed quite kind.
The man's name was Lishan, and the woman's name was Qinglian.
The couple stood up, clasped their hands in greeting to the crowd, and said:
"It is fate that we have met. Please, everyone, have a seat!"
Ling Yun and the others returned the greeting with clasped hands and sat down around the round table.
There were twenty dishes on the table, and the aroma of the food looked very appetizing.
Li Shan warmly poured fine wine for Ling Yun and the others.
The old woman stood guard outside the courtyard gate, carrying a lantern.
Ah Bao looked at the couple curiously. They were wearing wedding attire and their eyes were full of love when they looked at each other.
"I actually sat at the same table as a ghost!"
Ah Bao scratched his head, feeling quite puzzled.
Li Shan looked around at everyone and said with a smile:
"You all have already recognized my identity, so don't worry. The wine was brewed by the old woman, and the dishes were also cooked by her, so you can eat with peace of mind!"
Yan Ruyu picked up a piece of braised pork with preserved mustard greens and stuffed it into Lingxi's mouth.
Wow~ It's delicious!
Everyone then picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
Ling Yun took a sip of the wine and looked at Li Shan curiously, asking:
"Fellow Daoist, you shattered your physical body and forcibly separated your soul to become a ghost, didn't you?"
I can tell you must have been an exceptionally talented person in your previous life, why did you abandon your cultivation and become a ghost!
Ling Yun could tell that Li Shan and Qing Lian didn't have much time left, and their ghosts were already quite weak, with at most they could only exist for another ten years.
If one encounters a tribulation of lightning, one's soul will surely be scattered, unless one becomes a ghost cultivator.
However, there was no disappointment on Li Shan's face. He looked at his wife beside him with love, held her pale hand tightly, and began to tell her his story.
Lishan and Qinglian were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love and with a very good relationship.
However, Qinglian's soul sea was naturally closed, preventing her from cultivating and thus preventing her from achieving immortality.
Li Shan was chosen by a major sect and asked Qing Lian to wait for him for twenty years before leaving.
Once I become a great cultivator, I can help Qinglian open her soul sea.
However, ten years later, when Lishan went into seclusion, Qinglian passed away due to illness.
Li Shan, who was in seclusion, sensed something and forced himself to leave and return home, only to find his lover's cold body.
"Since we can't be a couple in the mortal world, let's be a pair of lovebirds in the underworld!"
In his grief, Li Shan summoned Qing Lian's ghost, and they then married after a wedding ceremony.
In order to be with his wife forever, he shattered his physical body and broke his soul to become a ghost.
Upon hearing this, Ling Yun and the others fell silent, deeply moved by the affection between the couple.
If we can't be lovers in the mortal world, then let's be lovers in the underworld.
For the sake of his lover, Li Shan was willing to give up the path to immortality and become a wild ghost. Only love to the extreme could give him such a strong determination.
Lingyun and his group had seen countless couples along their journey, and many men abandoned their wives after gaining wealth or fame.
This is the first time I've met someone as affectionate as Li Shan.
Seeing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, Li Shan smiled and said:
"Gentlemen, this is my decision, please don't regret it for me!"
I am already content to have been able to stay with Ah Lian for fifty years.
If I could, I would hope that in our next life we would still be husband and wife, and that we would be husband and wife for all eternity!
With tears in her eyes, Qinglian embraced Lishan, her pale face showing guilt but even more happiness.
The old woman at the courtyard gate was Qinglian's personal maid, who had stayed by their side for fifty years, from a young girl to an old woman.
The deep affection between master and servant can be truly moving.
Ling Yun also learned that a great battle between cultivators took place here hundreds of years ago, which shattered the mountains, rivers, and earth's veins, turning it into a no-man's-land.
Over the years, the couple has taken in many travelers on their way to Ganlei City and has never harmed them.
The group drank until midnight, and the couple, having heard about the deeds of Ling Yun and his group, were filled with longing.
After the banquet, the old woman led everyone to the guest rooms in the front yard to rest.
Upon entering the guest rooms, the group discovered numerous messages of gratitude left on the walls by people who had previously stayed there.
At midnight, everyone was awakened by a series of clear bell rings.
A man dressed in a Taoist robe, carrying a peach wood sword on his back, holding a Bagua compass in his left hand and ringing a bell in his right, kicked open the courtyard gate and walked in.
"Ghost, show yourself at once!"
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The piercing ringing of the bell was like sharp blades piercing the souls of the couple, causing their bodies to emit black smoke and forcing them to kneel down uncontrollably.
The next moment!
Ling Yun walked out of the room and said coldly:
"roll!"
He unleashed a burst of energy to help stabilize the couple's injuries.
The Taoist priest frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Fellow Daoist, these two are ghosts. My duty is to subdue demons, eliminate evil spirits, and capture ghosts, restoring peace and order to the world!"
"Nonsense!" Ling Yun rebuked, pointing at the cloth bag at the Taoist's waist.
"Your bag is full of ghosts with obsessive desires, what talk of restoring peace to the world! It's all an excuse! You just want to refine these ghosts into killing weapons for your own profit!"
Hearing that his plot had been exposed, the Taoist priest simply stopped pretending and sneered:
"Hehe~ Fellow Daoist is right. I have been observing this couple for three whole years. There has always been a restriction in this courtyard. I have been injured by the restriction several times. The restriction has only been lifted today."
This couple's obsession runs too deep; they're perfectly suited to be trained into Ghost Kings. Fellow Daoist, don't meddle, or don't blame me for being ruthless!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
