Chapter 6, The Yin-Yang Path
It is hard to imagine that such an elderly man, on the brink of death, would possess such a terrifying aura.
On the last day of the Ghost Festival, the gates of the underworld close, in a pitch-black night where one cannot see their own hand, the vast spirits accompany the living on this path between the realms of the living and the dead
Do you use the Five Ghosts to transport wealth while playing Mahjong
Have the employees of the underworld been negligent?
Why is it that we now have such a peculiar way of reading? Is your thinking perhaps too advanced for its time?
Isn't it... this skill of occupying another's nest? Do you know how much this coffin costs?
Echo bug, human pupa
The so-called rootless water refers to rainwater, which does not touch the sky above, nor connect with the ground below, and is not associated with yin and yang. This is the only thing that grandmother has used this week
Qin Ye gently tugged at his grandmother's sleeve, and she chuckled, saying: "Are you wondering why I am so talkative, yet not a single cricket has come to respond?"
Grandma made a sound of acknowledgment. Qin Ye carefully observed her expression, desperately probing: "So... what you said you wanted to tell me is..."
What is this? Qin Ye asked curiously
She spoke with such reason that Qin Ye was left speechless
Do not bother me, I am annoyed
First, do not look back. Grandmother, hunched over, lit the ancient lamp
Right beside you, right behind you
The sound of mahjong clattering once again filled the air, as eight hands played in unison. Grandmother smiled and said, "In front of me, he insists he is not... well, let’s just say he isn’t... Who is it? Pour some rootless water over here; the water from this world is a bit too spicy for my taste"
These living dead float in mid-air, moving along without their feet touching the ground.
"This road is not meant for the living." Even with a belly full of questions, Qin Ye remained silent. After walking for a full twenty minutes, his grandmother's hoarse voice finally came from ahead: "You living people refer to it as the Yellow Springs Road. However, the Yellow Springs Road is actually divided into three parts: the ferry of Wangchuan, the afterlife of Meng Po, and only then do we reach Fengdu City. We are merely on the first segment of the journey."
Is there still any rule of law left in this world
Not bad, the skin is quite fair, no need to buy skincare products after going down. Nine tubes. At first glance, this is someone with a short life, able to enjoy a few more years of comfort down there. Three cakes. Awesome! Fifty thousand... There is also family wealth, with coffins, paper money, paper figures, and paper horses all prepared, is this the rhythm of being ready to go down and enjoy blessings at any time?
Black, white, and green, a world of three colors
Qin Ye picked up four cups, placed them on the coffin lid with a thud, and turned to leave
Typically, the way to respond to "How is my grandson?" should be "Not bad, very well-behaved" or "What grade is he in?" or "Can he read yet?"
According to what my grandmother said earlier, today the Ghost Gate opens, and countless wandering spirits enter the underworld... But... ? ... This is simply a gathering that resembles a sea; how many spirits must converge to create such terrifying yin energy
As the setting sun cast its glow, Qi Qi turned her head and took a careful look, and the smiles on everyone's faces vanished. The mahjong tiles in their hands were also set down.
Ah, has he already transformed from a grandson into that person
She pointed around and said: "These cyan mists are the negative energy of the ghosts. They should be pure black, but the excessive positive energy in the human realm clashes with it, resulting in this cyan negative energy"
Thorn
Do you understand now
Some individuals had their tongues elongated and protruding, their eyes bulging. Others displayed twisted expressions, their limbs fractured, struggling to crawl across the bridge with only half of their bodies. ... There were those with shattered skulls, and others with gaping wounds in their chests and abdomens ... ! ... It was nothing short of a museum of death
In the surging sea of fog, he seemed to hear the wails of countless people
"Scatter." With this word, her neatly tied white hair suddenly unraveled and danced freely without wind. The mist from all directions seemed to surge like turbulent waves, crashing down violently.
In the distance, in a place shrouded in ominous energy, several figures resembling small mountains can be seen. ... It is unclear what they truly are, as if ... . ... Enlarged countless times, like bugs. In the darkness, two green eyes burn with flickering flames ... . And upon it ... ... are hung with people!
From all directions, the green mist seemed to come alive, but just a few seconds later, all that remained around them was the sky filled with clouds and the ocean of mist. In the entire world, that lamp was the only source of light
Ethereal and hazy, with a numb expression, emanating waves of dark energy from their bodies... Even more terrifying is that these spirits maintain their appearance from before death
In Qin Ye's eyes were ice spears, frost arrows, and fire explosion spells... desperately unleashing beams of death, while his grandmother remained oblivious, instead smiling at several elderly women and saying, "How is my grandson?"
Qin Ye blinked his eyes and suddenly thought to himself, could all this abundant yin energy be caused by the Ghost Gate?
Once any living being speaks here, the vital energy will leak out, akin to a lighthouse amidst a tsunami. Countless spirits will recall everything from their life in the mortal realm, some with affection, some with reluctance. Those spirits who have yet to drink the Meng Po soup will tear this person to shreds. Therefore, one must not speak.
When a person's lifespan comes to an end, it marks the first time they enter the gates of the underworld. However, there are too many souls in the netherworld and too few messengers of death. There are always some souls that float outside, having not been timely noticed. After a long period without reporting, these souls are left with only the instinctive desire for the underworld, losing their consciousness. These souls are referred to as wandering spirits. The three major ghost festivals are the times to guide them down.
As soon as it was held in his mouth, a wave of warmth immediately spread across his tongue. He tightened his grip on his grandmother's clothing, and the two of them finally began to move.
Is this ... ... the soul?" He stared in astonishment at his own hands, as his grandmother's identity and power were once again elevated
Who the hell is your grandson! Do not recklessly claim familial relations
"Shut up... Secondly, do not speak." Grandma began to move, and with her first step, this black-and-white world trembled gently. Qin Ye clearly felt the temperature drop rapidly, and the mist gradually thickened.
The game of Mahjong continued until midnight, and just as the clock struck twelve, my grandmother stood up quietly and sighed: "Let's call it a night... This should be our last game of Mahjong."
The Living Museum of Death
A sly smile appeared on Grandma's face. Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly pulled Qin Ye's hand with great force, leaving him no time to even gasp in surprise as darkness enveloped him. Once everything became clear, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
Grandmother did not respond immediately; she laboriously took out an old oil lamp from the coffin, which was covered in dust, and patted her waist, saying: "Five Ghosts Bring Wealth"
He has witnessed numerous methods of soul summoning, practiced by both monks and Taoists, yet no one has ever been able to effortlessly pull a soul out of the body with a mere tug! In comparison to her, those so-called soul summoning techniques are utterly inferior
Qin Ye could not help but restrain his smile, pondering for a moment before saying: "What you mean is... the person carrying 'it' will die within seven days?"
What do you know! Today I earned 1.2 billion, why is it not the Five Ghosts Bringing Wealth!
This skeleton is quite enormous, at least one hundred meters wide, seemingly endless in length, and remarkably flat, appearing to be a cervical vertebra. ... And right beside them, countless people ... ... an uncountable number of individuals, some dressed in suits, others in T-shirts and jeans, and some in dresses. ... ... They are accompanying them, all heading towards the end of the skeleton!
Beneath their feet lies not a road, but...! ... a silvery-white skeleton!
The four of them looked at each other, and after a few seconds, an elderly woman cautiously asked her grandmother: "Is this... the Grand Duke?"
The two individuals stood like two stone sculptures, completely motionless
As far as the eye could see, everything had turned into shades of black and white, whether it was the room or the bed, with wisps of bluish smoke lingering in between. To his astonishment, he saw his own body, eyes closed, being held by his grandmother's hand, sitting upright in a chair
The living person, or the living soul
Everything before him finally became clear, and Qin Ye took a glance, immediately taking a deep breath, feeling a chill run down his spine
Not right
Qin Ye was so choked that he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning as dark as a pot bottom. His grandmother leisurely took a puff of her cigarette and said softly, "Take a closer look."
Everyone is desperately saying something, yet the people closest to them are more than ten meters away
Grandmother nodded slightly. Qin Ye furrowed his brows and then said: "I cannot find him, but tonight, this person will surely head to the Ghost Gate"
Do you know what day it is today? Grandmother sat upright on the bed, her smile fading, and she stared intently at Qin Ye. Before he could speak, she said in a low voice: "The fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ghosts run rampant, today is the last day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. It is also the time of the Ghost Gate."
Because ... ... they do not dare
This lamp is very unique, being an ancient square lighting fixture, approximately the size of a palm, made of bronze. However, on the upper lamp cover, there are actually two koi fish depicted, one black and one white
Is the method for going down ready? A person who has been through it advises you: drowning is uncomfortable. The death pose is not very pleasant. By the way, hanging is also not ideal; your tongue could stick out three feet long, and rolling it back is quite troublesome. I suggest a car accident; if you adjust the angle properly, it can be a one-time solution. If you maneuver skillfully, there will be no disfigurement and no pain. Ascending in a spiral, an instant explosion.
Hundreds and thousands of illusory phantoms came to a halt all at once. ... Then ... ... their bodies remained motionless, their heads turned like machines, with half a skull, tongues hanging down, and even ... ... countless terrifying gazes without heads simultaneously focused on Qin Ye
As her figure appeared, the three elderly women stood up in unison, slightly bowing to the grandmother, and transformed into three wisps of blue smoke that dissipated beside the coffin
Perfect
Play another song that showcases the most dazzling ethnic style
When Grandma became serious, Qin Ye felt as if he were at the center of a torrent. Having seen too much, he knew that this was momentum, the actions, demeanor, and words displayed with extreme self-confidence, which in turn influenced others
However, as he could not help but gasp, people from all directions suddenly came to a halt
"Look over there." Grandmother's withered finger pointed in a direction. Qin Ye glanced over, suddenly covering his mouth, his pupils constricting.
Dong dong... Qin Ye touched his chest, his heart racing uncontrollably. The moment countless ghostly heads turned to look at him, he nearly felt the hair on his body stand on end
At that moment, a faint sigh came from ahead: "Do not look back, for on this road, there exists a creature known as the Echo Bug. As soon as you speak, it will engage you in conversation. This Echo Bug has a human face and an insect body, formed from countless obsessions. Once it catches you, you will converse with it on this road for a thousand years, forever losing the chance to be reborn."
Greed, confusion... In that moment, Qin Ye's body trembled, and a strong sense of coldness surged to his heart. At the same time, a withered hand patted the crown of his head, and the chilling sensation immediately vanished. The ghosts beside him stared at him intently for thirty seconds, then turned their heads away and continued to move forward aimlessly
"Hold this. Also, grab my clothes." Taking the item in hand, Qin Ye looked closely and saw that it was a willow leaf
I can't believe it!
Very good
Qin Ye wondered if he should take down the sign for his funeral arrangements and replace it with "Sunset Red Ghost Amusement Center"