"Old ghost, why don't you just kill me?"
The old ghost put down the wine cup in his hand, a look of dissatisfaction on his face, and grumbled at me, "I asked you to get married, but you refused. Then I asked you what to take from her, and now I've told you, but you still disagree. Now I can't do anything about it. You figure it out yourself! If you don't get the item, don't even think about leaving." Soodan Novel Network
The old ghost might have been genuinely angry. As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the wine pot on the table and downed it in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and signaled the waiter for more wine.
Seeing the old ghost's change in demeanor, I was unsure whether his words were true or false.
As far as I knew, in ancient times, young ladies from prominent families who were yet to be married were rarely seen by outsiders. Except for their brothers, they would hardly meet any other men until they were betrothed.
These women usually wore a personal item that was very important to them. This item could be a sachet, a hairpin, or earrings.
Such important items were not easily shown to others. Only when a woman met a man she truly favored would she give him this item. Otherwise, even after marriage, she would not give it to her husband.
"Damn it, old ghost, you're playing with me. Is that thing something an ordinary guy like me can touch?"
The old ghost put down the wine pot, a look of disdain on his face. "Kid, don't play innocent with me. You're no good yourself, so stop pretending to be a saint."
Seeing the disdain in the old ghost's eyes, I suddenly felt a surge of anger.
"Old ghost, explain yourself. What do you mean I'm no good? What the hell did I do to be called not good? If you don't explain, I'm not done with you."
Since I couldn't leave anyway, death was inevitable. But even if I had to die, I wanted to die like a man.
"Oh ho, kid, I didn't expect you to have such guts."
The old ghost gave me a thumbs up.
"I've always had guts, why do I need to prove it to you?"
The old ghost flipped his wrist, pointing his thumb downwards. "If you have guts, you should take responsibility for yourself and not let others suffer for you."
As soon as I heard this, I became indignant.
What did he mean by my responsibility? What did I do?
Didn't I just come here to read Sui Wan'er's fortune and perform a ghost marriage for Fang Huixin's daughter? How did I end up with a responsibility? Who suffered for me?
"Old ghost, you're wrong. I've only been here for a few days, and I haven't done anything. There's no way anyone has suffered for me. You need to explain this clearly today, or don't blame me for turning hostile."
Facing my threat, a hint of approval flashed in the old ghost's eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. If I hadn't stared intently into his eyes, I would have thought I was mistaken.
"Do you know why this place is called Molu Village?"
I shook my head, indicating I didn't know. In a vast country like this, city names often have origins, and even the most brilliant historian might not know the etymology of all place names.
The old ghost slowly picked up his wine cup and finished it in one go. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Have you heard of the Semi-Yin Realm?"
"Semi-Yin Realm?" I frowned, looking at the old ghost. "Why does that sound so familiar? I think I've seen it somewhere."
Suddenly, a thought struck me. I remembered where I had seen the term "Semi-Yin Realm." It was in "Guai Sui Feng Shui."
The so-called Semi-Yin Realm is the confluence of the Yin and Yang realms.
The Yang realm can be considered the outside of a mirror, and the Yin realm the inside. At the intersection of these two worlds, there is a blank gray area, and that area is called the Semi-Yin Realm.
When I first saw the term "Semi-Yin Realm," I specifically asked my master, "The Yang realm is the Yang realm, and the Yin realm is the Yin realm. How can there be a time when black and white intermingle?"
I remember my master didn't say anything after hearing me, but just told me to sleep early and wake him up after three in the morning.
When the time came, my master took me to East Mountain. The sun had not yet risen in the east, and a faint light was showing. Just as I was about to admire the beautiful sunrise, my master told me to look down the mountain.
I saw a hazy darkness appear before my eyes. The color was indescribable. It wasn't bright, but it wasn't entirely dark either. It was as if there was a thick fog in front of me, making things visible yet unclear.
"Everything in the world has Yin and Yang. Sunlight always has a dark side it cannot reach, and darkness cannot forever conceal the sunlight. Therefore, this realm that is half Yin and half Yang is the Semi-Yin Realm."
Recalling my master's words, I unconsciously raised my wine cup and took a sip to calm my surprise. I looked at the old ghost and said, "Don't tell me this Molu Village is the Semi-Yin Realm?"
"What else do you think? Do you really think I have the ability to bring you to the Yin realm?"
Upon receiving a confirmation from the old ghost, I felt a chill run through my entire body, as if I had been stripped naked in the dead of winter.
I felt a bit dazed, even doubting whether the old ghost was telling the truth.
The formation of the Semi-Yin Realm was the result of geological and mountain trends over thousands of years. Even my master had never seen it. How could I, a greenhorn fresh out of training, encounter the Semi-Yin Realm on my first mission out of the mountains?
Although I only studied Yin physiognomy and冥卦 (Ming Gua - a type of divination), I knew a thing or two about mountain trends. Otherwise, how could I assess Yin residences for others?
On the way here, I had observed the mountain peaks and earth veins, and I hadn't noticed anything unusual. The old ghost must be tricking me.
I felt a bit flustered, but I forced myself to remain calm. "Old ghost, I know you're joking with me. You want me to be a驸马 (Fu Ma - the Emperor's son-in-law) and help you steal something. I think you're overthinking it."
The old ghost rolled his eyes.
"Tsk, why would I joke about that? Do you really think I have nothing better to do?"
Seeing the serious expression on the old ghost's face, I leaned back in my chair.
If this place was indeed the Semi-Yin Realm, then nothing I did would matter.
Even with the old ghost's help, we couldn't leave Molu Village, unless we died.
Thinking about death, I suddenly paused.
That's not right!
If living people cannot leave the Semi-Yin Realm, then how was I arrested by the police and taken to the police station?
Just as I was about to ask the old ghost this question, he spoke first.
"It's a matter of time. Some things are destined by heaven. What is yours will be yours, and what is not yours cannot be forced."
I frowned and looked at the old ghost. "What do you mean by that?"
"It means nothing. What I mean is, if you can get the jade pendant from her, you can leave this place. Otherwise, you can only leave horizontally!"