Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Old Friends 1

The mountains piled up one after another.

Several streetlights were out, and the sky was completely dark, with a brilliant sea of stars.

The bus had its bright yellow high beams on, winding around the mountain road, a streak of gold in the pitch-black surroundings.

One by one, the regular passengers were dropped off, and a faint melancholic atmosphere lingered in the bus.

After more than ten stops, they still hadn’t left the mountains, as if the mountains stretched on endlessly.

The next stop was Xishan Gully, where the mountain water flowed beside the road, gushing down from the slopes.

"......"

Mingyue crossed her arms, sitting in the conductor's seat, looking fierce. No one, whether human or ghost, was allowed near.

In the darkness, her yang eyes sparkled brightly like a hundred-watt light bulb, floating like a single-eye lantern in the night. The ghosts in the bus felt both fear and envy.

What they feared was the gap between the world of the living and the dead—the yang energy was a deadly poison to souls.

What they envied was that even a thread of yang energy was something they could never reach again after death.

At each stop, Mingyue counted the people, her tone cold and indifferent, as if choosing dishes at a meal.

Many of the ghosts, with violent tempers when they were alive, couldn’t stand her behavior but were helpless to do anything about it.

An hour passed, and Mingyue didn’t seem tired at all.

The driver remained silent, turning the steering wheel, no longer speaking for the “passengers” like he did before. The cracks in the large front window of the bus were a vivid reminder to him that the person watching the bus this year was someone who wouldn’t tolerate a single grain of sand in their eye.

Bai Linlang felt sorry for Mingyue and pushed her, "Let me take over."

"You go rest in the back."

"It’s too windy by the door; it’s not good for you to sit alone."

Mingyue nodded and put her phone away, "Okay."

"I just sent a message to Chen Tong, but he hasn’t replied. I don’t know what he’s up to."

"Otherwise, in the middle of the night..." Being driven around the mountains by this driver and thrown out somewhere would be really troublesome. She lowered her voice, giving a subtle look out the dark, messy window, raising an eyebrow at Bai Linlang.Bai Linlang: "......"

A chill ran down Bai Linlang's spine. She laughed awkwardly, trying to cover it up, "Yeah, I remember you even wanted to go to Fengdu to pay respects to your ancestors."

"It’s too late. We’ll miss the trip before midnight."

"Yeah."

Mingyue sighed and exchanged seats with Bai Linlang.

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, there are only twelve hours.

If you want to meet deceased relatives, you must open the Yin-Yang Path within these twelve hours.

The mercy from the underworld, leaking through its finger cracks, allows souls to pass through the human world before midnight, but won’t allow any souls to stay after midnight.

The Cowherd and Weaver Girl still have one day a year.

The separation of Yin and Yang can conquer even thousands of rivers and mountains.

At the front, the bus made a sharp turn, and the whole bus tilted to the left, everyone tumbling around.

The driver shouted, "Hold on!"

Then, with a deliberate glance at Mingyue and Bai Linlang, who had been talking earlier, he added, "Fengdu is in the last section, no need to rush."

They were hoping to pay their respects to the deceased early and enjoy a good moment.

Mingyue heard this and felt a bit of joy in her heart. She responded loudly, "Thank you, Driver, for the reminder!"

The driver: "......"

The driver choked up, and the bus fell silent.

What kind of person was this?

What kind of living person?

Was their face made of rubber? It could be thick or thin depending on the situation?

Earlier, when she almost stabbed him with a fork and left him dead on the spot, was it really her?Now they were still getting along quite well.

The wandering souls and wild ghosts still had some dignity.

But your face, I’m afraid, is as thick as a yard.

Bai Linlang also stared at Mingyue in surprise.

“He wasn’t speaking with good intentions,” the head of the department whispered, pinching Mingyue.

Mingyue bared her teeth: “I know.”

“But I did learn something from what he said, right?”

Bai Linlang: “......”

The spot by the door was uncomfortable, with a mixture of cold and eerie wind blowing. Bai Linlang couldn’t understand how Mingyue had endured for the past two hours. She tightened her clothes and pouted, “As long as you’re happy.”

Three more stations passed.

Finally, the mountain slope started to descend.

The flow of passengers increased.

At each station, unlike before when only a few passengers got off, now seven or eight, sometimes even more, were getting off. The ghosts were mixed in, and several times they almost slipped through the cracks.

Bai Linlang was flustered, sweating from her forehead.

Mingyue helped her check the numbers, while instructing An Xueru to pull out a knife and go to the back of the bus to maintain order. “Anyone who dares to run, I won’t say anything about cutting them down immediately, but we’re all living people, don’t want to lose our virtue.” Mingyue wrapped a Land God talisman around An Xueru’s wrist and whispered quietly:

“But, cutting off one arm as a karmic penalty, using the Ghost Slayer’s method, can still be excused.”

“After all, we’ve already dedicated our lives to this line of work. A little mistake can still be forgiven.”

Ghosts in the back seat: “......”

An Xueru: “......”

An Xueru: “You’re really quiet, big brother.”

The ghosts in the back seat, who had been restless earlier, were now as quiet as chickens.

Mingyue had just smiled when she saw a small, dark figure trying to blend in with the crowd getting off, attempting to slip into the early shift. Her arm was long enough, and she grabbed the ghost by the head of its hair and pulled it out.It was a short female ghost, with delicate features, but her face was covered in blood.

"North of Xishan Gully, a total of six heads."

"Who told you to get off?"

Mingyue wasn’t interested in finding out what crime this little beauty had committed in life; she only cared about what happened after death.

The little beauty had a long neck and wore thin clothes. Mingyue was holding her by the hair, and the ghost’s eyeballs were still spinning around.

"How do you know I’m not one of the six?"

She argued, relying on the fact that the three young Ghost Slayers didn’t have a detailed list.

Mingyue: "......"

Mingyue showed no interest in pampering the delicate beauty. As a rough man, he just grabbed her hair and yanked it. The sharp pain of having her scalp torn made the female ghost scream out:

"Speak human language."

"No, speak Mandarin."

In just those nine words, she spoke slowly, and the female ghost was dragged around for several seconds, her long troubles multiplying.

Female ghost: "I, I, I, I... I’m one of the six! Let go!"

Mingyue coldly responded, "Is that so?"

The ghosts who had just gotten off the bus weren’t in a hurry to leave. They gathered at the door, watching the show. It was really frustrating.

The female ghost yelled, her black tongue wriggling like a worm in her throat: "Yes!" She desperately tried to free her hair.

Childish.

Thinking that without a list, I wouldn’t be able to do anything to you.

Mingyue’s right hand remained still like a mountain, holding the female ghost's black mop-like hair. With his left hand, he took out a Tian Gang Divine Spell and placed the lightning marks on the talisman right in front of the female ghost’s eyes, making her cross-eyed:

"Do you recognize this?"

Female ghost: "Bullshit!"Mingyue: "You're young, why are you cursing?"

"This is the Tian Gang Divine Spell."

"Have you heard about the thunderstorm in Fengdu from a month ago?"

The moment the word "thunderstorm" was mentioned,

The female ghost immediately stopped struggling and looked at Mingyue with wide eyes.

The "people" in the car also perked up their ears to listen.

Mingyue lied with a straight face: "It was this Tian Gang Divine Spell that triggered the heavenly fire."

"Want to try it?"

The female ghost’s face turned pale, and fear filled her heart.

She wasn’t the ghost that got off at this stop.

But getting off earlier meant she could get closer to her homeland, which was a huge temptation. And now, with so many ghosts, there might be a chance to escape in the chaos.

"You... you’re talking nonsense."

"How could a piece of paper with such power deal with me?"

"Living person, aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?" The female ghost spoke in awkward Mandarin.

Her hair had been pulled for a minute now.

Sometimes it hurt, sometimes it didn’t. Mingyue’s hand was nearly numb.

"You know, a thunderstorm striking you, a small ghost like you, would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, right?"

"Heh, am I afraid of getting hurt?"

"You all think we living people are afraid of getting hurt, that’s why you’re all acting so cocky, right?" Mingyue spoke slowly, his voice not loud but firm with each word.

The intention was exposed right to her face.

The ghosts in the car, regardless of their own motives, felt uneasy.Mingyue: "Before death, you were a bunch of useless scum, and after death, you can't even become a heroic spirit."

Mingyue's words were harsh, as if slapping someone in the face.

"You all only know that living people fear cutting down the guiltless ghosts, but you don't understand the actual sentencing."

"Is the loss of virtue because you killed one ghost, or is it because you killed a hundred?"

"Or maybe—" Mingyue responded while rubbing the Tian Gang Divine Spell, the firelight flashed across the paper, and the little ghost in the back row screamed. An Xueru slapped the ghost in the face with the back of her knife.

The female ghost nervously looked at Mingyue, afraid that she might become the next "ghost under the blade" from the Tian Gang Divine Spell.

"—Or, maybe the sentencing for one guiltless ghost is the limit, and a hundred would make no difference."

"How about I just cut you all down in one go, save myself some trouble? How does that sound?"

"After all, the sentencing is the same."

Mingyue spoke ambiguously, smiling as he asked:

"I'll ask you one more time, are you the one getting off at this stop?"

"If you say yes, I’ll get off with you, and the car will be blocked here. The Golden Light Divine Spell will keep watch for me."

"Better hope your hometown is nearby. If not, I’ll chop off your arms and legs, and don’t complain about it."

The female ghost: "…"

The female ghost was stunned, staring at Mingyue.

Mingyue let her go, patted her on the shoulder: "After I chop you up, you’ll still have to face the fact that you wasted everyone’s time in this car."

"After all, this bus still has to catch the last midnight run, right?"

"I'll ask one last time, are you the one getting off at this stop?"

The female ghost: "…"

Are you a demon?

Mingyue pointed with his finger: "Three, two, one."

The female ghost was struck with great shock, unable to speak. At that moment, a hanged ghost from the back row suddenly spoke loudly.“She’s not! She’s from our village!”

“Master Ghost Slayer! Don’t mind her! We’re all in a hurry to get back to our hometown!”

“Come on, have some mercy!” With that, the hanging rope was thrown out, dragging the female ghost by the neck and pulling her into the darkness at the back of the car.

Mingyue watched but didn’t stop it.

The driver glanced coldly at the side and started the car.

A moment later, a heart-wrenching scream came from the back of the car, causing everyone to look away. Mingyue stopped Bai Linlang, who was about to intervene:

“Watch the road, Section Leader.”

“Living people don’t interfere with ghost feuds.”

“She’s the one who wanted to cause trouble.”

Bai Linlang sighed, “Alright, you’re right.”

Then, the three ghost slayers sat back in their reserved seats for the elderly, weak, and pregnant.

The driver drove on, the yellow beam of light cutting through the dark mountains.

After Mingyue's "lesson," the rest of the journey was peaceful. The Tian Gang Divine Spell hovered at the car's exit. When the taller ghosts got off, they had to bend down and lower their heads in fear, terrified of brushing against it, which could trigger thunder and fire and bring glory to the entire car.

The ghosts in the car were thoroughly subdued by Mingyue, sitting silently.

The driver wasn’t lying.

The Fengdu station was the second-to-last stop, followed by a stretch of empty road.

The two roommates accompanied Mingyue off the bus.

The Fengdu bus station sign stood lonely and straight, glowing with a white light, standing in the night.

The three of them jumped off the bus.

Mingyue: “I’ll trouble you both to make offerings to your ancestors here as well.”

Section Leader Bai shook her head: “It’s no big deal. Fengdu has been offering sacrifices to spirits for over a thousand years. It’s good to witness it.”An Xueru spread her hands, indifferent: “I only have a distant cousin who needs to burn some paper for offerings. We're not very close, so we might not even meet. It doesn’t matter where it is.”

Mingyue felt a warmth in her heart and began rummaging through her backpack, preparing to open the Yin-Yang Path.

The two roommates spread out, each finding a spot to do their work, very considerate.

In the distance, the shadows of the mountains overlapped, and the wind in the nearby forest howled. It was hard to tell what kind of animal’s roar it was, eerie and chilling.

A layer of thirty million Hell coins was laid down firmly, topped with scriptures Mingyue had personally copied for her family, filled with sincerity.

Next, two talismans: one for calming the mind and one for offering incense, accompanied by a faint sandalwood scent. The yellow paper and Hell coins were stacked, and a faint surge of Yang energy began to rise.

The rain of locust flowers fell.

A gray mist rose into the air, intertwining with gold, like two dragons fighting. Then, the strange and unparalleled “power” of Fengdu. As the Yin-Yang Path opened, it was more powerful and distant than any other time Mingyue had experienced. The momentum was grand and overwhelming, carrying wind and clouds.

In her hands were her father's handwritten scriptures and her brother’s personal belongings.

Mingyue took a deep breath, ignited the fire talisman, and threw it at her feet.

The flames ruthlessly devoured the paper and fabric.

With a loud boom.

A sudden change occurred.

The Yin-Yang Path seemed to have a life of its own, drawing Mingyue into its realm. A strong wind blew, turning her into a dusting tool. Inside and outside the path were two different heavens—outside was the dark sky and starry sea, while inside the wind howled, gathering clouds and storms. It felt like another plane of existence. The great clash of Yin and Yang energies collided violently in the high sky, scattering fragments as it fell to the ground, flickering and illuminating the depths of the Yin-Yang Path.

Mingyue's heart raced.

A figure slowly walked out from the depths of the Yin-Yang Path. His face was familiar, his expression a mix of confusion and anticipation, as though he couldn’t understand where this place was, yet seemed to have already known who he would see at the end of the road.

Her heart felt as though a sharp knife had pierced it.

Mingyue bit her lip, tears falling one by one in the air.

The figure drew nearer, his appearance gradually matching the fragments of memory.

It was him.

It was truly her brother.It was sixteen-year-old Ming Ye.

He really was dead.

......

It wasn’t until today that I truly realized.

Mingyue began to cry loudly.

"Ming Ye" walked up to his sister, looking at her tear-streaked face, and grinned widely:

"You finally came."

"I've been waiting... I don't even know how long I've been waiting, Yueyue."

After speaking, he used his intangible hand to wipe Mingyue's tears, but the more he wiped, the more they came.

"Ming Ye," after all, wasn’t some unfathomable Wheel King, and seeing Mingyue’s little tear-streaked face made him panic. He quickly changed the subject:

"How did you find me, sis?"

"Quite impressive, huh?" By the later stages, the Wheel King must have deliberately handled Ming Ye's original belongings, so where did Mingyue even find that "personal item"?

"I might have been patient."

Mingyue sniffed and blew her nose, making a trumpet-like sound:

"Using your diaper."

"You definitely wouldn’t believe Dad could do something like that. The diaper I used when I was little was the one you used."

"Ming Ye": "......"

Dad, are you a demon?