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Chen Yaojin bit down hard on the pancake in front of him, feeling an increasing admiration for his new leader, Li Xiaonan. He was already exhausted, yet Li Xiaonan pressed on without a moment's pause. This relentless drive ignited a fire within him; he chewed on the pancake and followed closely behind Li Xiaonan, determined to keep pace no matter what. Even if it meant breaking his legs, he would not stop!
Meanwhile, Li Xiaonan was equally astonished. He had been pushing himself to the limit, yet here was Chen Yaojin, with only a stack of pancakes around his neck, somehow managing to keep up with his speed. Seeing Chen Yaojin's tenacity sparked a flicker of fondness in Li Xiaonan for the burly man with the hedgehog-like hair.
After three or four more days of travel, just as Chen Yaojin finished the last pancake on his chest, they finally arrived at Sunset City.
Li Xiaonan gazed up at the overcast sky, feeling an indescribable sense of oppression weighing on him. He frowned slightly and asked the panting Chen Yaojin behind him, "Little Jin, where is the Ghost Pool in Azure Valley?"
Chen Yaojin felt as if his legs were no longer his own. He was a bit dazed and replied breathlessly, "Huh? Oh, just go past this main road and out of South City’s gate; it should take about half a day to get there."
Li Xiaonan nodded and started to move forward when Chen Yaojin hurriedly called out from behind, "Boss, are you still going? Ouch! I’m going to die from exhaustion... I need to catch my breath!"
Li Xiaonan turned back with a smile and said, "I didn’t ask you to follow me."
Chen Yaojin was momentarily taken aback but quickly laughed and retorted, "You think you can use me and then toss me aside? Hmph! Not a chance! I’m Chen Yaojin, known as the Sticky Toffee! You can’t shake me off!"
Li Xiaonan smiled slightly. "Are you sure you want to stick with me? No matter where I go?"
"Facts are more convincing than bear dung!"
"Pfft..." Li Xiaonan burst into laughter and corrected him, "That’s 'facts are more convincing than eloquence.'"
"Hehe, the boss really knows his stuff!" Chen Yaojin grinned widely as he leaned closer to Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan shook his head helplessly, unaware of the glimmer of pride that flashed in Chen Yaojin's eyes.
As they navigated through the streets, they passed several expressionless ghosts walking by. The sides of the street were lined with various vendors. Although it was bustling in comparison to their cultivation world, Li Xiaonan still felt that this Ghost City had little connection to the word "lively." After about half a day's journey, they finally reached Azure Valley.
Li Xiaonan felt an increasing sense of unease in his heart, prompting him to quicken his pace.
"Boss, we're almost at the Ghost Pool. This is where the dead rise from. There are four Ghost Messengers there, and I'm quite familiar with one of them," Chen Yaojin said, closely following behind Li Xiaonan.
"Good, I have something to ask."
The so-called Ghost Pool was a dark, cold body of stagnant water, shrouded in a thin mist and bubbling ominously. Just looking at it was enough to make one feel nauseous.
At each of the four corners of the Ghost Pool stood a Ghost Messenger wielding a battle spear. Their expressions were icy as they shouted at the new ghosts emerging from the pool. Li Xiaonan frowned slightly, wondering if his mother had ever endured such treatment.
Chen Yaojin approached Li Xiaonan and winked at him before walking over to one of the Ghost Messengers on the right, greeting him with a smile.
The Ghost Messenger was startled. "Why are you back? Didn't I tell you to go to Yellow Spring Village?" Li Xiaonan observed the Male Ghost before him, witnessing a rare display of emotion; though he twitched slightly, it was clear he was terrified—not just surprised, but also faintly afraid.
"Oh, I ran into my boss on the way back," Chen Yaojin chuckled.
"Your boss!" The Ghost Messenger swallowed hard, staring blankly at Li Xiaonan behind Chen Yaojin.
Li Xiaonan nodded in acknowledgment and asked, "Excuse me, Mr. Ghost, has a female ghost named Mei Yingluo passed through here? She should be in her thirties."
The Ghost Messenger replied coldly, "I deal with many ghosts every day; how could I remember?"
Chen Yaojin scoffed from the side, pulling out an axe and scratching his back with it as if itching. The Ghost Messenger's brow twitched slightly as he forced a disjointed smile. "We keep records of all new ghosts coming and going. I'll check for you! It might take some time." He then pulled out a black book with golden lettering on the cover that read "Book of Life and Death."
Chen Yaojin dragged Li Xiaonan to a small Pavilion nearby and cheerfully wiped down a stool with his sleeve, inviting Li Xiaonan to sit. He himself sat down next to Li Xiaonan without hesitation.
"Boss, don't worry; Ghost Messengers are notoriously slow at getting things done."
Li Xiaonan nodded, feeling that the suddenly appearing Chen Yaojin was hiding some secrets from the conversation he had with the Ghost Messenger.
"Little Jin, it seems that Ghost Messenger is quite afraid of you." Li Xiaonan brushed off the dust from his clothes and began to tidy his hair.
"Hehe, boss, you're really sharp to notice that. Actually, I had just come out of the Ghost Pool and hadn't realized I was dead yet. The Ghost Messenger was rude to me, so we ended up fighting, and I broke his feather duster. That's why he gave me a badge and sent me to Huang Quan Village..." Chen Yaojin scratched his head awkwardly.
Li Xiaonan nodded again and asked, "Are you a Cultivator?"
As far as he knew, when a Cultivator died, their soul would reach the Underworld. Although their original cultivation would completely disappear and they could no longer cultivate, their Ghost Body would be much stronger than an ordinary person's.
Moreover, when spiritual beasts died, their soul's power would be even greater, allowing them to maintain their original state. This was also why the Seven Nether Serpent managed to secure a good position in the Underworld after being killed by a fake person. This was also the reason why Li Xiaonan had always been worried about his mother.
"No, I'm just an ordinary practitioner who knows how to wield an axe." As he spoke, Chen Yaojin took out his axe.
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly. Chen Yaojin didn't seem to be lying, but his words were illogical. How could an ordinary person just become a ghost and fight against the Ghost Messenger?
"Where did you get your axe?"
"I used this axe to conquer the world when I was alive. After I died, for some reason, once I gained consciousness, this axe just appeared in my hand. I see it as my savior!" Chen Yaojin said while fondling the axe. Just as Li Xiaonan was about to ask to take a look at it, the Ghost Messenger waved at them from a distance and shouted, "Found it!"
Li Xiaonan hurried over to the Ghost Messenger.
"A month ago, a family of ghosts arrived, and one of them is named Mei Yingluo."
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly. A family? Wasn't that from his Li Family Fortress? He asked anxiously, "Where are they now?"
"Uh... well... they should be dead... On the day they arrived in Sunset City, they were assigned to serve as Ghost Servants in a Demon General's household within the city. On their way there, they were attacked by a group of demons, and then..."
Li Xiaonan swayed slightly, and after that, he could no longer hear what the Ghost Messenger was saying. It felt as if he had been struck by lightning; the phrase "a bolt from the blue" could not have been more fitting for him at that moment.
His heart ached as if it had been violently torn apart, and his mind went blank. How could this happen? Did I arrive too late? Why! Why does fate have to treat me this way!
"Boss! Boss!" Chen Yaojin steadied the swaying Li Xiaonan, but he was pushed away with a single hand.
"Boss?"
Li Xiaonan staggered forward into Sunset City, and Chen Yaojin bit his lip and followed him.
Li Xiaonan did not know where he was going; he simply walked along the path his mother had last taken, guided only by instinct.
Thunder rumbled from the thick clouds above, and the ghosts on the streets began to bustle about. Families brought out various pots and bowls to collect rainwater. Li Xiaonan paid no attention to any of this; he walked coldly down the street, indifferent to everything around him. He had no time to think about what to do next; all he could think about was his mother, who had once cared for him so deeply.
The heavy clouds could no longer hold back the force of the rain, and cold droplets began to fall from the sky, splattering on Li Xiaonan's hair and face. He choked back tears and looked up, softly whispering, "Mother..."
Suddenly, a chilling wind blew, causing Li Xiaonan's dark hair to whip around in disarray. In the distance came an eerie sound of joyous wedding music. Li Xiaonan stood there in a daze, gazing at the sky as the rain slid down his face, making it hard to tell whether it was rain or tears.
"Boss... Boss... It seems like we're blocking the way..." Chen Yaojin reminded him, but at that moment, Li Xiaonan could not hear anything.
In an instant, the wedding procession for Ghost Marriage arrived at Li Xiaonan's side, accompanied by drums and music.
"Boss? Boss! Hey..." Chen Yaojin sighed. It seemed as if Li Xiaonan's feet were nailed to the ground; no amount of pushing or pulling would work. Helplessly, he stood in front of Li Xiaonan.
"What is this! How dare you block our King Ghost General's Wedding Procession! Get out of my way!" The procession halted as a Ghost Servant stepped forward, ready to drive them away.
"This..." Chen Yaojin pondered how to respond.
In the Eight-Pole Wedding Sedan, the new Wife asked, "Anu, what is it?"
Li Xiaonan suddenly looked up, his eyes wide open as he stared blankly at the sedan ahead. Was that his mother's voice? How could it be? Am I hallucinating?
"In response to the lady's question, two ghosts are blocking the way. I was just about to drive them away! Please don't worry, madam."
"Forget it, let's take another route," Li Xiaonan muttered, his mouth moving as he listened intently. It really was his mother Mei Yingluo's voice.
"Hmph! You two are lucky; my lady has a kind heart and won't hold this against you!" The Ghost Servant said dismissively before directing the wedding procession to change direction.
Li Xiaonan suddenly sprang into action, startling Chen Yaojin beside him. "Boss!"
Using the Martial Soul Technique's external moves, he punched, slapped, and kicked away the little ghosts blocking his path. In an instant, he stood before the sedan, his expression icy as he trembled and lifted the curtain.
Separated by a thin veil, a person and a ghost gazed at each other.
"Xiao Nan..." The female ghost in the sedan looked at the cold-faced figure outside in disbelief.
At that moment, Li Xiaonan felt as if a bottle of mixed emotions had been overturned in his heart. He had imagined countless scenarios of their reunion but never thought that when they met again, it would be under such circumstances: "Heaven is about to rain, and mother is marrying a ghost."
"Mother, come with me!" He grabbed Mei Yingluo's hand and pulled her directly out of the sedan.
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