The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 34.1

Yu Ruoyin carrying a coffin, no matter which path she took, was a bit startling.

At Zhuang Huaishu’s suggestion, they decided to wait for the ghost market to open late at night and then travel to Yin City through the ghost market.

The ghost market connects the human world and the underworld. Every city has several entrances to the ghost market. A small number of entrances lead directly to the ghost market, while most entrances first reach the boundary line between the two realms. They would need to find the coffin outside the ghost market, like they did last night, to step into it.

Actually, by walking along the boundary line between the human and ghost worlds, one could reach any city, but that would take too much time.

Zhuang Huaishu was planning to take them to the ghost market to buy a path. Their goal was a direct passage from Yin City to the ghost market.

According to the rule of the random change of ghost market entrances and exits, this was against the rules.

However, since the ghost market is a place for trading, as long as one is willing to pay the price, there is nothing that cannot be bought.

It was indeed beneficial to have Zhuang Huaishu with them. This was a method Yu Ruoyin couldn’t have thought of, and Zhuang Ciyue wouldn’t have considered.

In any other place, carrying a coffin would definitely cause trouble, but in the ghost market, they didn’t have this worry. There were many people carrying corpses in the ghost market, let alone that once inside the ghost market, they would gain masks and black robes. The wide black robes covered the coffin, so from afar, it only looked like a long box, and not many people would notice them.

Tonight’s ghost market was not as lively as last night’s.

Yu Ruoyin didn’t see the two black-robed people from last night, nor did she see the Ghost General.

To buy a path in the ghost market, they had to find an Underworld General from the Underworld.

Apart from the Ghost General, the Underworld Generals here didn’t wear masks. Zhuang Huaishu chose an Underworld General she was familiar with and asked to buy a path.

The Underworld General cheerfully handed them a token, looked at Zhuang Huaishu in the wheelchair, and teased, “You’ve become like this, and you’re still taking on jobs in Yin City.”

People dealing with the netherworld also have to make a living. Apart from those whose ancestors had assets, they basically take on some jobs related to the netherworld.

Zhuang Huaishu also took them, but definitely not now.

Zhuang Huaishu leaned back against the wheelchair, lifted her head slightly, and reached out to take the token from the Underworld General’s hand. “It’s not a job I took, it’s for the child in the family.”

“Little Zhuang?”

Although they were all wearing masks, the things that shielded their aura were from the Underworld, so the Underworld General naturally had a way to recognize people.

The Underworld General walked around to Zhuang Ciyue and clicked her tongue twice, “You, tell me, your Ink Drawing Brush is broken, and you still can’t behave.”

“How could you… How could Xing Ruoyan even tell you this!”

Zhuang Ciyue was a little angry. The Underworld General patted Zhuang Ciyue’s shoulder, “She didn’t tell me, I saw it when she returned to the Underworld to fix your Ink Drawing Brush. You’re both Ink Artists, your Grand-Aunt’s brush hasn’t broken for decades, why does yours keep breaking?”

“I’d like to ask the same thing,” Zhuang Ciyue had dealt with this Underworld General many times, so she spoke more casually, “Maybe the ghost who gave Grand-Aunt her bone brush is more formidable.”

“I won’t argue with you about that.” The Underworld General chuckled twice, not intending to continue chatting with them. “Alright, you should go quickly. Yin City hasn’t been peaceful lately. If you go, you can also help Xiao Mei.”

She left.

But questions remained.

Zhuang Ciyue pushed the wheelchair, bent down curiously, and got closer to Zhuang Huaishu. “Grand-Aunt, you never told me which ghost you signed a contract with.”

Zhuang Huaishu’s tone was flat, “A ghost that dissipated long ago, why ask about her.”

“That’s not right.”

Yu Ruoyin’s inner voice and Zhuang Ciyue’s voice rang out simultaneously.

Zhuang Huaishu’s intact right hand rested on the armrest of the wheelchair, her voice suddenly much colder, “I said she dissipated is she dissipated. Are you questioning me?”

“Grand-Aunt, you also used to say she was a good Yin Ghost, she’s an Yin Ghost not a ghost soul, so she must be an in-service ghost in the Underworld, just like Ruoyan.”

“I said she dissipated is she dissipated! I said it or not, when I tell you to shut up, you must shut up.”

“Grand-Aunt—” Zhuang Ciyue’s voice softened considerably, one hand pushing the wheelchair, the other gently shaking Zhuang Huaishu’s shoulder. “Don’t be fierce with me. I’m just curious. My friend is here, please save me some face.”

Yu Ruoyin, carrying the coffin, slowed her steps while pulling Nan He.

She tried her best to minimize her presence, but Zhuang Huaishu still looked over. “The Borrowing Yin Talisman you took out in the shop just now is a Drawing Witch technique. How… how did you do it? You are not a person from the Kang family, you…”

Hearing Zhuang Huaishu ask, Zhuang Ciyue immediately followed up, “That’s right, Little Yu, how did you suddenly become able to draw witchcraft?”

Yu Ruoyin gently pursed her lips, her gaze cast downwards, her hand unconsciously raised to touch the coffin lid. “Auntie Ning said I could.”

She hadn’t figured out the matter herself, so she really couldn’t speak about it. And even if she did figure it out, the reason might be unspeakable.

Even to her best friend, she couldn’t be completely open with Zhuang Ciyue now.

She had secrets.

Hiding a dirty and petty self inside.

Zhuang Ciyue was definitely not satisfied with this answer. She wanted to press further, but Zhuang Huaishu stopped her. “Alright, stop asking. Even friends can have secrets.”

Yu Ruoyin hadn’t had much interaction with Zhuang Huaishu before, only feeling she was a reliable senior with a bad temper. Now, she had a slightly different view.

Although she had a bad temper, she wouldn’t force others.

“Thank you.”

She offered her thanks, but Zhuang Huaishu didn’t appreciate it.

Zhuang Huaishu was willing to interact with her, partly for Zhuang Ciyue’s sake, and partly for the sake of the Four Spirits Shop.

She still had some favoritism towards Zhuang Ciyue. As they were about to leave the ghost market, her fingers slowly curled around Zhuang Ciyue’s sleeve. “Adjutant Wen said Yin City is not peaceful. Are you sure you still want to go?”

“Of course!” Zhuang Ciyue said without hesitation, “Little Yu is my only friend. You and my mom have separated us for three years. Now that I’m finally back in Chong City, I definitely want to be with Little Yu. Where she goes, I go. She is in trouble now, so of course, I have to help.”

Zhuang Huaishu pressed her brow bone. “You’d better be able to help. My injury is not fully healed. I won’t intervene unless it’s a dangerous situation. You handle it yourself.”

“Grand-Aunt, I don’t have a pen.”

She softened her voice, terribly afraid that Zhuang Huaishu would truly ignore her.

“Xiao Ci.” Zhuang Huaishu shook her head helplessly. “Haven’t you realized your pen is back yet?”

“Hmm? What?” Zhuang Ciyue reached for her body and indeed found her repaired bone pen in the bag she carried. “When did this happen?”

“When Adjutant Wen patted you.”

“How did my pen end up with her?” Zhuang Ciyue was even more confused. “Little Yu, did you see it?”

Yu Ruoyin truthfully shook her head. Zhuang Ciyue shook her head. “Grand-Aunt, look, Little Yu didn’t see it either. It’s not that my eyesight is bad, it’s that your eyesight is too good.”

Her flattery was misplaced. Zhuang Huaishu couldn’t help but sigh. “This is your pen, or her pen? It’s normal for her not to sense the pen. Moreover… you surely don’t believe her when she said she saw Ruoyan fixing your Ink Drawing Pen in the Underworld, do you? To repair a bone pen only requires her bone, what reason would she have to specifically return to the Underworld?”

“Grand-Aunt, what you said makes so much sense.”

Zhuang Huaishu unceremoniously pinched her. “You are talking nonsense again.”

“Ouch! Ouch! Grand-Aunt!” Zhuang Ciyue rubbed her pinched arm, frowned, and asked, “How did my ex-girlfriend know we would leave through the ghost market, and would find Wen Xi? Does that mean we have an insider?”

“There’s also a Yin Official at the Four Spirits Shop. It’s normal for her to want to know our movements. Their communication amongst Yin Ghosts is much faster than ours.” Zhuang Huaishu completely lost her temper. “You even need to ask this. Is the problem with my teaching over the past three years, or is the problem with you?”

“Grand-Aunt, you don’t need to examine yourself, it must be my problem!”

She was quick and garrulous with her reply.

Seeing that she was unashamed and even a little proud of her demeanor, Zhuang Huaishu got even angrier. “Stop saying you are my apprentice.”

Zhuang Ciyue chuckled twice, “I’m not your apprentice anyway, I’m Grand-Aunt’s precious granddaughter.”

Their grandparent-granddaughter relationship looked excellent, which reminded Yu Ruoyin of her grandmother.

Three years ago, she also had such an affectionate elder by her side, and she too was once the good granddaughter cherished by her grandmother.

Yu Ruoyin missed her grandmother a little and also felt some guilt.

Since meeting Jiang Huaining, her longing for her grandmother had faded. Even when staying with someone as formidable as Jiang Huaining, she never once mentioned looking for her grandmother.

She wasn’t just bad, she was also not filial enough.

Yu Ruoyin rubbed the coffin wood, and her messy emotions finally eased.

When Jiang Huaining woke up, she would definitely…

Yu Ruoyin was horrified to realize that even at a time like this, she was still hesitating. The desire to find her grandmother and the reluctance to trouble Jiang Huaining collided, and it was the latter that prevailed.

Jiang Huaining could be more important than everyone, but she should not be more important than the grandmother who raised her for fifteen years.

What kind of thing was this?

Destiny?

She would subconsciously give up searching for her grandmother, only hoping to cause Jiang Huaining less trouble.

This kind of thought was not right, but Yu Ruoyin couldn’t suppress the idea.

She was more eager for Jiang Huaining to expend less energy than to see her grandmother.

Yu Ruoyin shook her head, silently pleading for her grandmother’s forgiveness.

Finding someone didn’t have to rely on Jiang Huaining; she could do it too.

As long as she learned drawing witchcraft, as long as she had the name and date of birth, as long as… The more Yu Ruoyin thought, the paler her face became. Only then did she belatedly realize that she couldn’t remember her grandmother’s name, and even her facial features were becoming blurred. She only remembered that her grandmother was very, very good to her.

Sweat started to bead on Yu Ruoyin’s forehead, and it was Zhuang Huaishu’s voice that pulled her away from her overwhelming guilt.

“Little Yu, I haven’t asked what pen you are using.” Zhuang Huaishu, while activating the token given by the Underworld General, spoke to Yu Ruoyin. “Although drawing witchcraft doesn’t require a contract with a person, having a good pen makes drawing talismans and shapes smoother. I remember good Drawing Witches can not only draw talismans but also shapes, and a few strokes with a pen can even draw Yin Slaves of the Ghost General level.”

As fellow witches, Ink Artists and Spirit Artists always envied the capabilities of Drawing Witches.

Yu Ruoyin emerged from her guilt and responded to Zhuang Huaishu, “Wuxiang Pavilion doesn’t sell pens. I am currently using the ox hair brush I took from Auntie Ning’s room. The book says ox hair is heavy with Yin energy, which is convenient for gathering ghost energy.”

“You are a Drawing Witch, not an Ink Artist. Such heavy Yin energy is useless. It would be better to find some spiritual material to make a pen…” Zhuang Huaishu paused mid-sentence. She looked deeply at Yu Ruoyin’s back. “I’m worrying needlessly. The owner of the Four Spirits Shop is not lacking in spiritual treasures. When she wakes up, you will have whatever you want.”

No!

What did Jiang Huaining’s things have to do with her?

She wasn’t following Jiang Huaining for those spiritual treasures, she was following her for…

Yu Ruoyin felt that Zhuang Huaishu’s words had tainted her complete affection, and yet she couldn’t refute what she had received from Jiang Huaining.

Nan He sensed her low spirits and, after being quiet for a long time, proactively spoke to Zhuang Huaishu: “Sister Zhuang, how long will it take us to reach Yin City?”

“…” Zhuang Huaishu’s mouth twitched: “You also call me Grand-Aunt, just like them!”

Given Nan He’s age, let alone calling her “sister,” even calling her “little girl” would be appropriate. But Nan He’s face looked only twenty-something, and she would rather be called older than younger.

Nan He was good-tempered, and when Zhuang Huaishu spoke, she complied: “Grand-Aunt Zhuang, when will we arrive at Yin City?”

“Right away.”

—

Zhuang Huaishu said “right away,” and it truly was right away.

The token crumbled inch by inch. Yu Ruoyin felt a momentary blur, and when her vision returned, they were no longer in the ghost market.

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