The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 32.1

The most frequent sight Yu Ruoyin had witnessed these past few days was others making way for Jiang Huaining. In the face of absolute power, the Yin officials yielded, the Yin messengers obeyed, and the terrifying Jade Puppets in the eyes of other people who dabbled in the Yin were easily dealt with by her.

The reputation of the owner of the Four Spirits Shop was widespread, and her strength was formidable. Yu Ruoyin shouldn’t have felt fear.

But at this very moment, Jiang Huaining had fear and worry written all over her face.

It was hard for Yu Ruoyin not to be moved, and she had no reason not to be touched. It had been a long time since someone cherished her this way.

Her hand, resting on Jiang Huaining’s waist, unconsciously tightened: “Aunt Ning, I’ll be careful. I will be very careful from now on.”

Ever since Lu Qingzhen helped her discover the secret of her body’s death, Yu Ruoyin hadn’t spoken about it, but her heart had already sunk into despair.

Even Jiang Huaining couldn’t bring her truly back to life. All that awaited her was a decaying body after her spiritual energy dissipated.

Her life was sustained by Jiang Huaining’s spiritual energy, and her heart was kept going by the many questions surrounding Jiang Huaining. She didn’t really want to die, but she wasn’t strongly attached to living either.

The former her was a small blade of grass, weak and lonely, yet striving to grow upward. For a while, she was like a withered grass, with yellowing leaves, gradually sinking into the mud. Even with abundant watering, she had lost the courage to grow upward. Now, things were somewhat different.

Even if she had to rely on Jiang Huaining’s spiritual energy to maintain the superficial vitality of her body for the rest of her life, she should still strive to live.

Not for herself, but for Jiang Huaining.

Jiang Huaining had too many hidden secrets, not even willing to tell her the real reason for her death. The repeated assurance of “no murderer” still lingered in her heart, causing her to overthink constantly, imagining evil spirits attacking or a vicious fate killing her. Now, she didn’t want to think about anything else; she only cared about tomorrow.

“Aunt Ning, let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Huaining leaned into her embrace. Her delicate body was unable to walk upright, and even though Yu Ruoyin took most of her weight, she still moved with some difficulty.

Only then did Yu Ruoyin recall that Jiang Huaining should have been unconscious for several days. Her sudden awakening meant she hadn’t recovered well, and she had used too much power to seal off the Ghost Market and hit Xia Yu. She was likely only staying on her feet by sheer willpower. Yu Ruoyin carefully helped Jiang Huaining lean back a little, pulling her arm over her own: “Aunt Ning, I’ll carry you on my back.”

“Are you really capable? The Ghost Qi is heavy now, and you…”

Lu Qingzhen was a little worried, but unexpectedly, Yu Ruoyin had already smoothly picked up Jiang Huaining.

She was not affected by the dense Yin Qi in the slightest, and she even felt that Jiang Huaining was lighter.

Seeing her steadily carry Jiang Huaining, Lu Qingzhen was relieved: “You’re quite strong?”

“I… I didn’t expect it either.”

Prompted by Lu Qingzhen, Yu Ruoyin realized her strength had increased.

She could carry Jiang Huaining before, but never this easily. This noticeable increase forced Yu Ruoyin to reflect on when this started.

Sang Qian!

Yes, Sang Qian…

Yu Ruoyin’s memory instantly became clear. Her change started when her body absorbed the green mist that flew out of Sang Qian’s forehead. She remembered feeling Jiang Huaining was especially light when she carried her that night, and later when she carried her to bathe, it was also effortless—too easy for the strength she should have had.

She hadn’t thought about it in detail then, but now it seemed the change was more than just that.

Lu Qingzhen had examined her body before, relying on the Yin Token, which held both the power of the King of the Underworld and Jiang Huaining’s power. Even then, it only showed that her body would enter a state of death if Jiang Huaining’s spiritual energy was stripped away; it didn’t detect any trace of “spirit” within her.

Yet, Lian Zhen said she had the aura of a spirit. Even if Lian Zhen was a unique demon with excellent detection abilities, it was unlikely she surpassed the King of the Underworld and Jiang Huaining.

The most likely explanation was that Yu Ruoyin had no spirit aura before, and only acquired it after absorbing the green mist, or perhaps that green mist was transforming her into a true spirit.

Yu Ruoyin recalled Lu Qingzhen saying that the self-healing ability of spirits was excellent, even far surpassing the physically strong Demon Race.

Jiang Huaining was unable to repair her body.

If she became a spirit, perhaps she could heal herself.

Thinking back to the day she fell into despair, Jiang Huaining had also said that as long as her body could be restored, she wouldn’t die.

At the time, she pressed Jiang Huaining for a solution. Jiang Huaining said she had one, and Yu Ruoyin thought she was just trying to comfort her. Now, it seemed Jiang Huaining wasn’t lying to her.

Given the choice between death and becoming a spirit, Yu Ruoyin would definitely choose the latter.

This might also be the reason Jiang Huaining said she could perform Sorcery (Hua Wu). As she gradually became a spirit, she naturally gained spirit blood… Wait, if having spirit blood allowed one to perform Sorcery, wouldn’t all half-human, half-spirits be able to? Zhuang Ciyue and the others had also said the Sorcery Clan’s bloodline was special and couldn’t be simply imitated just by having spiritual energy.

This point didn’t make sense.

One other thing was strange: Why could the green mist emerging from Sang Qian’s body allow her to become a spirit?

Sang Qian was clearly human.

Wait.

Even with the sacrifice of his wife and daughter, it was too short a time for He Fengxi to become a Jade Puppet, and in the intervening time, Sang Qian had also turned Tong Sanqian into a Jade Puppet.

Even a newcomer like Yu Ruoyin knew that blood was the most crucial factor in raising a corpse.

Did Sang Qian’s blood have a problem, or was Sang Qian herself the problem?

Assuming Sang Qian was human, but possessed a spiritual power, then her exceptional talent and the short time it took to raise two Jade Puppets had a better explanation. Even Jiang Huaining’s eagerness to help Sang Qian was also explained.

That power belonged to Sang Qian, and obtaining it required Sang Qian’s own willingness to give it. However, it could only be stripped away upon death, and it was hard to determine whether a deceased person would be willing, which is why Jiang Huaining needed Sang Qian to be grateful to her. As long as Sang Qian was grateful, Sang Qian’s power would choose her.

Zhuang Ciyue once said that once one dabbled in Yin and Yang, past life karmic debts would come knocking in this life.

He Meijie and the others actively sought her out.

Perhaps she had helped them in a past life, and they had come to repay her in this life, bringing with them a power that could save her. Even if they didn’t possess it themselves, it belonged to someone connected to them.

Jiang Huaining’s thinking might be the same as hers, which is why she repeatedly urged her to help Nan He and the others.

Yu Ruoyin had never felt so intelligent. She had almost instantly figured out all the problems that had plagued her for a long time, except for why Jiang Huaining said she could perform Sorcery.

A sudden lightness filled her chest, and a rare smile appeared on her brow.

Jiang Huaining’s soft, white arms hooked around Yu Ruoyin’s neck, her entire body leaning against her back. Lacking much strength, she had to lean close to Yu Ruoyin’s ear to ensure her message was conveyed.

The tiny hairs by her ear were ruffled, and a soft fragrance drifted into her nasal cavity.

A slight blush rose on Yu Ruoyin’s ear as she caught Jiang Huaining’s hoarse question: “A’Yin, why are you smiling?”

The extremely soft voice made Yu Ruoyin even more aware of Jiang Huaining’s current weakness and how risky it was for her to forcibly wake up and search for her. She felt a little sad, but mostly touched. Suddenly, she had many expectations for the future.

Becoming a spirit wasn’t a big deal. As long as she was alive, maybe there would come a day when she could protect Jiang Huaining too.

Yu Ruoyin looked forward to that day.

Yu Ruoyin gripped Jiang Huaining’s legs, lifting her up a little: “Aunt Ning, I suddenly feel quite smart.”

Another person would likely have told her to be more humble, but Jiang Huaining wouldn’t.

Jiang Huaining would lean closer and earnestly tell her: “A’Yin is smart to begin with.”

She really must like her.

The image of the fluttering skirt flashed through her mind again, and Yu Ruoyin suddenly had the urge to ask Jiang Huaining if she liked her, or if she liked that other girl.

Yu Ruoyin knew very well that the memory almost certainly belonged to her.

But she also knew clearly that she and that girl were two different people, two completely opposite types of people.

The girl was brave and fearless; she was timid as a mouse.

The girl was bright and lively; she was melancholic and overly sensitive.

They had nothing in common. Yu Ruoyin couldn’t attribute that unfamiliar memory to herself.

That girl was the bright moon in the sky, and she was a mouse struggling in the mud. She was merciless in disparaging herself, the only change being that her heart didn’t sink into inferiority, but instead welled up with more anticipation. In any case, that bright moon had already set; the one remaining by Jiang Huaining’s side was her.

Lu Qingzhen had misjudged her; she wasn’t kind at all. She was happy that the bright moon had set.

Yu Ruoyin was no longer curious about Jiang Huaining’s reason for choosing her, nor did she want to see another bit of memory that belonged to her but didn’t resemble her.

This was perfect.

Jiang Huaining needed an emotional anchor, and she needed to be loved.

The one who needed to pretend to be oblivious was no longer Jiang Huaining.

It was her.

Yu Ruoyin could belittle herself to worthlessness, but she couldn’t tolerate Jiang Huaining comparing her to the bright moon, nor could she tolerate Jiang Huaining detesting her current self.

She would allow Jiang Huaining to secretly compare, as long as… as long as she couldn’t hear it.

She fell from confusion into another strange loop, constantly questioning and answering herself within this loop, treating the unfamiliar memory as an imaginary enemy, desperate to hold onto the only tenderness that had appeared in her life.

“Aunt Ning, you will love me, won’t you?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Huaining didn’t know why Yu Ruoyin would suddenly ask this, but she continued to follow the script Lu Qingzhen had outlined for her: “You are my wife, of course, I will love you.”

She leaned closer until she could almost bite Yu Ruoyin’s ear: “A’Yin, did you… did you also see something when you went to the Purple Phoenix Hall… cough, cough…”

Jiang Huaining was seriously injured and coughed a little when speaking.

As the sound coming from her throat was intermittent, Yu Ruoyin took the opportunity to stop her: “Yes, I saw the past of Nan He and Gou Nanchun. It turns out there were two Gou Nanchuns.”

“A’Yin, not them, something else… Was there nothing else?”

“There were also details of their time together, but those weren’t my memories, I forgot them after seeing them, I don’t remember much. Aunt Ning, do you want to hear it? Then I’ll ask Nan He to tell you…”

“No, there’s no need.”

See?

She was indeed wicked.

Jiang Huaining couldn’t lie, but she could.

She tossed aside her promise to Jiang Huaining, opening her mouth with a lie.

She was suddenly glad that she was carrying Jiang Huaining and walking at the front. Jiang Huaining couldn’t see her guilt, and neither could Lu Qingzhen and the others.

Strange thoughts were like thick chains, one after another, wrapping around her limbs and brain, making her every word and action uncontrollable. She knew the chaotic thoughts were leading her train of thought astray from the normal path, but she couldn’t control herself now.

Yu Ruoyin and Jiang Huaining’s path ahead was blocked by a flash of blood-red ghostly shadow. The Ghost General who was supposed to send them out of the Ghost Market extended her arm, preventing Yu Ruoyin from moving forward.

Her expression behind the mask was unclear, but the coldness in her gaze was distinctly apparent: “Lord Jiang, I will report today’s events to the Lord of the Underworld.”

Lu Qingzhen quickly handed Xia Yu to Nan He and Zhuang Ciyue, and hurried to catch up: “What’s the big deal to report? The Ghost Market is completely fine, isn’t it? At most, you got half your uniform burned. I’ll compensate you!”

“Yin Official Lu, the Ghost Market connects the City of Fengdu and the Bridge of Forgetfulness, where ghosts and malevolent spirits are most numerous. It’s not operating hours now, the vendors in the Ghost Market are resting, and the Yin Soldiers have already left. Lord Jiang broke open the Ghost Market gate at this time. If ghosts and malevolent spirits take the opportunity to escape, will I be responsible, or will you? Is this not worth reporting?”

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