After Marrying the Evil God - Chapter 6

“Brother,” Xie Chouzhuang began, thinking back on today’s events and deciding to confess everything. “Actually, when I was locked in that coffin… someone saved me.”

“What? Who was it?”

“He called himself Ji Sixian.”

“Ji Sixian? I’ve never heard of such a person in the metaphysical circles.”

Xie Chouzhuang hesitated before speaking again. “Brother, he… he doesn’t seem to be human.”

Xie Yuanxian: “??? WHAT!!!”

Xie Chouzhuang scratched his head helplessly. “At that moment, the corpse was about to attack me, and he suddenly appeared. He said I could only live if I married him, so I…”

“Xie Chouzhuang!!! Are you insane?!”

“What else could I have done? That maggot-infested corpse was inches away from me. If I hadn’t agreed, was I supposed to just stay there and enter into a ghost marriage contract with it instead?”

“Weren’t you worried that the one saving you was just as hideous a ghost?”

“At least he smelled of incense, not the stench of a rotting corpse.”

Xie Yuanxian took a deep breath. “I’ll contact a friend to check on you tomorrow. Aside from your verbal agreement, did you do anything else?”

Xie Chouzhuang silently pulled out the jade ring hidden beneath his clothes. “There’s also this…”

“I… you…” Xie Yuanxian looked at his foolish younger brother, feeling a massive headache coming on. “And you’re still wearing it! Take it off!”

“The thing is… I can’t take it off.” Xie Chouzhuang looked like he wanted to cry.

Xie Yuanxian gritted his teeth, looking at Xie Chouzhuang as he enunciated every word. “So you just went and sold yourself like that? Xie Chouzhuang, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

The Young Taoist

Upon returning home, Xie Chouzhuang found that the entire family had gathered, including his second brother, Xi Zhuozhou, who usually traveled the country filming movies.

Seated nearby was a handsome young man dressed in Taoist robes. Hearing the sound at the door, he looked up. His silver-grey eyes seemed to be covered by a thin layer of mist, radiating a sense of detachment. A slightly messy mop of black hair fell casually over his pale forehead, making his skin look as white as snow. The white Taoist robe hung loosely on his thin frame; he looked like a sickly, elegant young master straight out of an ink wash painting.

When the young man saw Xie Yuanxian, the ice in his eyes suddenly melted, revealing a trace of a smile. “Yuanxian.”

“A-Ci? Why are you here?” Xie Yuanxian was surprised.

“I happened to have some free time today, so I came to visit your parents,” Liu Ci replied in a gentle tone.

“You’ve come at the perfect time. Chouzhuang, this is the friend I mentioned, Liu Ci. He’s currently a sophomore at Hua University, so he’s technically your senior.”

“Hello, Senior,” Xie Chouzhuang greeted him politely.

Liu Ci looked at Xie Chouzhuang and froze for a moment before nodding discreetly. “Hello. I’ve often heard Yuanxian mention you. No need for such formalities; I’m not much older than you. You can call me Brother Ci.”

“A-Ci, you keep staring at my brother. Did you see something?” Seeing Liu Ci glance at his younger brother repeatedly, Xie Yuanxian asked directly.

Liu Ci’s brow furrowed slightly. “Chouzhuang is surrounded by a very heavy Yin energy. Have you provoked some kind of malicious spirit?”

The entire Xie family was shocked. Although Liu Ci was young, his master was the current President of the Occult Association. Liu Ci had been trained since childhood and possessed a unique constitution; his strength was on par with some of the veterans in the Feng Shui Association. If he said Xie Chouzhuang had Yin energy, it meant he was truly being haunted.

“Xiao Ci, is the situation serious?” Xi Yuyan asked, her face full of worry.

“It is very serious. Based on the intensity of the Yin energy on Chouzhuang, he has likely been targeted by something at the level of a Ghost King.”

“Is there any way to fix it?”

Xie Yuanxian explained the situation through gritted teeth.

The Impossibility of Divorce

When Liu Ci heard that Xie Chouzhuang had already accepted a token from the entity, his expression became even more solemn. “Initially, there might have been room for negotiation. If it was just a verbal promise, I could have asked my master to intervene. But now that Chouzhuang has accepted a keepsake, it means the Ghost Marriage Contract is officially in effect. I’m afraid… he can only go through with the marriage now.”

“Go through with it? No way!” Xie Chaoding was fuming. “In this day and age, a marriage requires meeting the parents, discussing the bride price, an engagement, and then the wedding! How can my son just mysteriously marry some Ghost King like this? Where is the dowry? Where is the formal proposal letter? He thinks he can just take my son with a single broken ring? I don’t agree!”

Xi Zhuozhou looked helpless. “Dad, is that really the point right now? The point is it’s a Ghost King!”

“What’s wrong with a Ghost King? A Ghost King still has to provide a betrothal gift! Ow—! Honey, I was wrong…” Before Xie Chaoding could finish, Xi Yuyan had grabbed him by the ear.

“Xie Chaoding, listen to yourself! Chouzhuang is in this state and you’re still making a scene!”

“Honey, there are guests here, be gentle…”

Xie Chouzhuang was also dazed. He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. “Brother Ci, is there really no other way? The Ghost King put this ring on me personally. Even if I had known, I couldn’t have refused it.”

Liu Ci shook his head helplessly. “Once a Ghost Marriage Contract takes effect, it is very difficult to break especially one forged by a Ghost King. However…”

Everyone’s eyes lit up. “However what?”

“However, if we can find a reason for the Ghost King to willingly dissolve the contract, there might be a turning point.”

Xie Chouzhuang clenched his fists. “Brother Ci, do you know where the Ghost King is? I want to try. Maybe he’ll agree?”

Liu Ci sighed. “It isn’t that simple. Whether in the world of the living or the dead, there are rules. If beings from the underworld could just form contracts with humans at will, the world would be in chaos. A Ghost King forming a private contract is subject to punishment. The Ghost King who bound himself to you is likely no ordinary entity.”

“So you’re saying there’s no hope?” Xi Zhuozhou asked, unwilling to give up.

Liu Ci nodded. “Unless the Ghost King agrees to dissolve it. But since he chose Chouzhuang, there’s likely a reason for it. Dissolving the contract is basically impossible.”

“Actually, marrying a Ghost King might not necessarily be a bad thing. I just looked at Chouzhuang’s fortune; he was destined to face a ‘Fatal Calamity’ at age eighteen. If he hadn’t agreed at that moment, he might already be dead.”

“But people have looked at his fortune before! Chouzhuang has a destiny of great wealth and prestige. How could a fatal calamity suddenly appear?”

“Some people have unique destinies consisting of a ‘Manifest Fate’ and a ‘Hidden Fate.’ The Manifest Fate can be read, but the Hidden Fate is special it only appears under specific circumstances. Chouzhuang might be such a case. Shenshui Village is a very peculiar place; even my master hasn’t fully figured it out. Chouzhuang’s Hidden Fate likely emerged only after he went there.”

The Xie family was filled with dread. They couldn’t accept their son marrying a Ghost King; if the entity harmed him, they wouldn’t even be able to protect him.

Xie Chouzhuang, however, calmed down. “Don’t worry, everyone. Maybe this is just my fate. Didn’t Brother Ci say it? If Ji Sixian hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead. I’m already satisfied just to be alive.”

“You child, stop saying such unlucky things!”