celebration
All the demons and ghosts gathered at the largest market in the ghost realm, creating a lively atmosphere as they discussed the new ghost king.
All sorts of masks could be seen on their faces; ordinary ones were one thing, but even those blue-faced, fanged masks used to scare children were worn by ghosts.
Qi Yuan, dressed in the majestic robes of a Ghost King and wearing a fox mask, stood on the highest platform of the palace, looking down upon her subjects. She proclaimed loudly, "I, Zhu Zhuo, hereby officially assume the throne of Ghost King. Have a wonderful time tonight!"
The cheers grew louder and louder, clearly showing their dissatisfaction with the previous Ghost King, Di Ming.
She turned and left, just in time to run into Mu Qinghuai, who was waiting for her at the door. He was dressed in a purple robe and had an outstanding temperament, but he was wearing a rabbit mask, creating a very incongruous scene.
Qi Yuan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Wait for me!" She turned and ran back.
After a short while, she returned to the doorway, changed out of her Ghost King outfit into a simple green dress, and said with satisfaction, "This is much more comfortable."
Mu Qinghuai was wearing a mask, so his expression couldn't be seen. Qi Yuan hesitated for a few seconds, but still took his arm and said, "Let's pretend to be ordinary residents and go to the market."
His body stiffened, and his tone became unnatural: "Okay..."
The two stepped into the bustling market, surrounded by crowds of people, with vendors' stalls lining both sides of the street.
“The ghost realm and the human realm are very similar. The last time I saw a scene like this was at the lantern festival,” Qi Yuan muttered to herself.
Mu Qinghuai blushed at the thought of the lantern festival, and quickly said, "Qi Yuan, how about we go check out the stalls?"
"Okay." They walked towards the street, where the various stalls displayed a dazzling array of goods, too many to bear.
"Guests, don't miss out! This is a precious demon gu. Just give it to the demon you like and it will make them fall in love with you, provided they are of the same kind!" The wild boar demon shouted, holding up several jars of black pills.
A ghost pointed at his stall and cursed, "How selfish! Why are there only demons and no ghosts?"
The boar spirit angrily retorted, "This thing is fake anyway, can't it be used for a little fun? If it were really that useful, would I be single?"
Qi Yuan: ...
Finally, they arrived at a relatively normal stall. The stall owner was a young male ghost, who was promoting his wares: "Ghost hairpin clearance sale! Buy one, get ten free! This hairpin can be given to anyone you like, whether they're of the opposite or same sex. Even if you have a crush on someone, you should consider giving them a gift!"
Mu Qinghuai asked, "You like it?"
Qi Yuan said, "No. The hairpin I had at the market before was quite nice."
He paused for a moment, then continued walking forward with the person beside him.
"Fortune telling! Marriage, career... anything can be told!" the white-haired old ghost shouted.
Qi Yuan was somewhat interested and said, "Old sir, would you like to tell my fortune?"
The old ghost asked her to take off her mask, looked at her carefully for a while, and then looked at her palms.
He whispered, "Lord Ghost King, what do you wish to know?"
She was slightly surprised: "Sir, you figured it out? Then let me calculate it."
“You are bound by a red thread in your destiny, tightly intertwined, unbreakable and unbreakable. Good people are always blessed by heaven. Although you have encountered many hardships in this life, you will have many happy days ahead of you,” he said.
Just as Qi Yuan was about to pay, the old ghost stopped her, saying, "I won't take your money. Your destiny is a heavenly secret and cannot be easily revealed. Therefore, I haven't told you everything, so I can't accept your money."
She was taken aback, then said frankly, "Since this is the old gentleman's rule, I thank you."
Mu Qinghuai's mind was filled with thoughts of the phrase "destined by fate," and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
"Are you experiencing the frustration of sharp teeth and claws easily scratching your loved ones? My claw guards perfectly solve this problem! All you demons and ghosts out there, take a look!"
"This magical artifact designed to prevent cultivation deviation doesn't cost 88 or 88 ghost coins, it only costs 8 ghost coins!"
"Selling Skin-Painting Pills! Skin-Painting Pills that can be exchanged for a beautiful appearance! High-grade pills specially formulated for ugly monsters!"
"..."
Most of the stalls sell items made for ghosts and demons, which are not suitable for this human and demon.
Qi Yuan was bumped on the shoulder. She turned around and glanced back unintentionally, and saw a pink-clad girl's figure in her pupils.
Her body reacted before her brain could process what she was doing and rushed toward the girl, only to be blocked by the crowd. When she finally managed to squeeze through, she discovered that the figure had already disappeared.
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly run over there?" Mu Qinghuai asked with concern.
Qi Yuan removed her mask, propped her forehead with her right hand, and shook it, looking dazed: "I just saw Xie Juxing. Maybe I was just too tired and hallucinating."
"Shouldn't she be a puppet in Lingguang Pavilion right now?" Mu Qinghuai asked in astonishment.
“Yeah…that’s why I thought I was seeing things. How could she possibly be in a place like this? Okay, let’s continue shopping.” Qi Yuan rubbed her temples and put the fox mask back on.
She took Mu Qinghuai's hand and walked back to the crowded street. Mu Qinghuai unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, and they held each other very close.
“Young master, even if you’re reluctant to spend money on spirit money, you should still treat your Daoist partner better. This girl doesn’t have a single ornament on her body,” the tiger demon said earnestly.
"What?" Mu Qinghuai was puzzled; they had only been passing by when they were suddenly stopped.
"How about giving this celadon jade pendant to your Daoist partner?"
He realized what he had done, and blushed: "We don't..."
The tiger demon interrupted him, his eyes filled with disdain: "Can't even afford this? This girl is really unlucky to be with you."
This was the first time someone had ever called him poor. Mu Qinghuai snatched the jade pendant, angrily slammed down a large bag of ghost money, and said with a dark face, "Keep the change!"
Mu Qinghuai secretly infused the celadon jade pendant with demonic energy, then handed it to Qi Yuan, cautiously asking, "How is it? Do you like it?"
Qi Yuan took the jade pendant and carefully fastened it to her waist: "I love it."
After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke: "If you like it, that's good."
"We don't need many of these things, so how about we go buy some food?" Qi Yuan hadn't had any delicious food in a long time, and her eyes were shining.
"Okay." Mu Qinghuai smiled.
He remembered Qi Yuan's picky eating habits and her love of sweets, so he confidently rushed to the front of the line to buy food.
With a mask covering her head, holding a candied hawthorn in her hand and biting into a sweet cake, Qi Yuan casually said, "These are all my favorite foods."
"That's because we have similar tastes," Mu Qinghuai, a chili enthusiast, lied through his teeth.
“But you only ate spicy food at Ouyang’s inn.” Qi Yuan took a bite of candied hawthorn and stared at him intently.
Mu Qinghuai's breathing became slightly labored, and he was unable to speak.
Qi Yuan quietly finished the dessert in her hand, clapped her hands, pulled down the mask covering her head, and said, "You bought so much for me, now it's my turn."
He stood there, stunned, watching her run off to buy food. When she returned, her hands were full of spicy dishes. Qi Yuan handed them to him and said, "Actually, this is what you like to eat, right?"
Mu Qinghuai took the food, her ears turning red: "Mmm..."
He was carrying food in both hands, but he couldn't eat because of the mask. Qi Yuan tiptoed and reached out to move his rabbit mask to the top of his head before retracting her heels: "Eat."
"Okay," he said, head bowed.
A monster nearby shouted, "Yamaru! The Yomaru that can turn humans into monsters!"
Qi Yuan clenched her fist and asked, "Do you still remember the man who gave Xu Yufan the demon pill at the Zhu family?"
“I remember. Demon pills circulate in the Ghost Realm, and that man was also from the Ghost Realm.” Mu Qinghuai gripped the packaging bag a little tighter.
"I will definitely find him and find out what really happened," Qi Yuan said.
He moved his lips before saying, "If you need any help, you can come to me."
“I know,” she said matter-of-factly.
It was only then that Mu Qinghuai belatedly realized how familiar he and Qi Yuan had become.
He seemed lost in thought, his fingertips turning white, his expression forlorn, his eyes so dark they looked as if they could drip water.
"What's wrong!" Qi Yuan sensed that something was off about him.
"...I...I have something to tell you." Mu Qinghuai clenched his fingers and pursed his lips slightly.
"Okay." Qi Yuan followed him to a secluded corner. "What's wrong?"
Mu Qinghuai took a deep breath, his brows furrowed: "There are some things I need to tell you sooner or later. But I dare not say them."
“Everyone has secrets, and you don’t necessarily have to tell them. If you’re not ready, I can wait.” Qi Yuan met his gaze and said with utmost seriousness and clarity.
"No, this matter must be said!" A hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
"Before that, I want to confirm one thing."
"Ask away, I'll tell you anything I know," she said.
Mu Qinghuai finally blurted out, "Qi Yuan! You, you really like your master, don't you...?"
Now it was Qi Yuan's turn to fall silent, the heaviness seemingly frozen in the air.
He thought it was an easy question to answer, but when he didn't hear a reply, he suddenly looked up and was taken aback to see the complex emotions in her eyes.
Qi Yuan's eyes darted around, her hesitation and struggle written all over her face. She seemed about to speak but then stopped, finally letting out a soft sigh.
"No. I hate him, I despise him."
More than seven years later, she finally spoke up.
Before the shock came, there was an indescribable heartache, surging from the depths of his heart, reaching his throat, getting stuck there, and he couldn't say it.
Mu Qinghuai hugged Qi Yuan, his emotions turning into silent sobs, making him unable to speak.
Her tears fell like molten lava, dripping onto his neck. He turned his head sharply, his gaze piercing: "You're crying?"
Qi Yuan could no longer bear the emotions she had suppressed for seven years. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of hysteria: "I hate him, I really hate him to death..."
Mu Qinghuai hugged the person tighter, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said with a hint of bitterness, "If you want to cry, just cry. Don't hold it in."
He pursed his lips, unsure of what to do besides holding her. He said helplessly, "No rush, no rush..."
Qi Yuan suddenly laughed, her body trembling with laughter, a bittersweet smile escaping her lips.
"You know what? Qi Yuan. I hate him to death too."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
