"Take me to a blind date at the cemetery? This is ridiculous! I gritted my teeth and suppressed my anger, saying, "You better draw me a line first. Otherwise, I'm not in the mood to play with you here in the middle of the night. Take me to a blind date at the cemetery? With whom, with ghosts..."
I hesitated a bit here. It's said that talking about ghosts during the day hurts relationships, and mentioning them at night invites trouble. It's taboo. What's spoken during the day might offend people, and talking about ghosts at night isn't auspicious. Moreover, I have weak yang energy in my birth chart, and being on a cemetery at night is just asking for trouble.
Zhang Jinya found it amusing. His big teeth were still shining brightly in the middle of the night. He glanced at me with a crooked eye and said, "What? Can't continue?"
Feeling stifled, I said resentfully, "You better explain it clearly, or I'm leaving right now."
"You can't leave!" Zhang Jinya sneered, "I bet you won't make it out if you walk away now. You'll be in big trouble within two miles. Don't think that you can ward off evil just because you carry an amulet. The cemetery is full of lonely souls and wild ghosts. They'll do anything for a bit of yang energy."
His words made me feel uneasy. Subconsciously, I took the Hundred-Refined Knife from my back and gripped it in my hand. Only then did I feel somewhat secure.
Seeing me like this, Zhang Jinya chuckled, "Alright, look at you being so scared. You don't seem at all like a member of the Ge family. I heard that when your dad encountered a ghost while he was burying someone, he'd use whatever he had, even if it meant smearing blood from his tongue on his knife to fight. He was a real hero. I don't know how he ended up with such a cowardly son like you."
Being ridiculed for no reason...
But I never denied that I was a coward. Who wouldn't be scared in my shoes? So I never planned to compete with this guy. What really caught my interest was what Zhang Jinya said about my dad.
My dad actually encountered ghosts?
I knew nothing about this. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, "Do you know my dad?"
"I don't, but I've heard of him. Anyway, I advise you not to inquire about your dad's affairs. You're not qualified to know yet."
With a smirk, Zhang Jinya began taking things out of his bag.
A censer, some incense, and a stack of paper money.
After arranging these things, Zhang Jinya suddenly turned to me and said, "Alright, put down what you're holding and make a cool pose. I'm taking you on a blind date, you know. If someone comes and doesn't find you impressive, it'll be embarrassing."
I widened my eyes in disbelief. "Are you really taking me on a blind date?"
"Of course, you're too cowardly. If you catch the attention of the Smiling Corpse, who knows, you might end up dead one day. I need to find you a bold wife to protect you when you're in trouble."
Zhang Jinya grinned, looking somewhat lascivious, "Don't look at me like that. Someone with weak yang energy like you is the perfect candidate for a Yin marriage. Marrying a ghost wife to take care of you, you could live a few more years. But I don't know what your dad was thinking. He never found you a ghost wife. Oh well, I'll do it for you now."
Hearing Zhang Jinya say this made me shiver. I already had a psychological shadow regarding these dirty things. Avoiding them was difficult enough, and now I was supposed to bring a ghost wife home? Waking up in the middle of the night to find a ghost by my bed would be terrifying.
"Don't be nervous," Zhang Jinya said, amused. "I'm just finding you a ghost wife. Even if you're not excited, it's still interesting. A life without adventure is boring."
I'm not nervous! I'm scared!
I inwardly screamed, feeling the urge to turn and leave. But considering what Zhang Jinya had said earlier, I didn't dare go down the mountain alone. I just stood there awkwardly.
Darkness came quickly, but soon faded away. In just a minute, the temperature returned to normal, and the feeling of being watched gradually disappeared. It seemed those dirty things had left. I breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at Zhang Jinya. He was squatting by the burning paper money, frowning in thought. He muttered, "Huh? Something's wrong. Why isn't anyone willing? Giving money and still running away faster than rabbits!"
Hearing this, I chuckled. But seeing Zhang Jinya's worried expression, I felt a bit guilty. After all, he was trying to protect me with this ghost wife idea, even if it failed. I couldn't help but console him, "Maybe it's not meant to be yet."
"Bullshit!" Zhang Jinya cursed, "These lonely souls and wild ghosts died tragically. With no one to claim them, they couldn't enter ancestral graves or have family members worship them. Their lives were miserable. Now that I'm arranging marriages for them, and they'll be worshipped every day, it's what they've been dreaming of. Even if you're a young and strong lad, even if you're an old man in his seventies, they'd still be eager. If they don't accept worship, there must be a reason!"
He stood up suddenly and kicked a small grave mound nearby, shouting, "You came out just now, right? Why won't you accept worship?"
No response!
"Hey, it's rude not to respond after receiving an invitation," Zhang Jinya grumbled, circling the mound seven times clockwise and then seven times counterclockwise. He raised his hand and shouted, "Quickly!"
"Wait!" A sharp female voice suddenly emerged from the mound, followed by a figure slowly climbing out, emitting a red glow.
At first, I couldn't see clearly what emerged from the mound. But as it fully emerged, I trembled all over.
It was a person, no, a ghost, and a female ghost at that, wearing a dress with an upper robe and lower skirt, a typical Ming Dynasty attire. But in the middle, there was a short waist skirt. This dressing was unique to Ming Dynasty women. Judging from her attire, this female ghost was probably from the Ming Dynasty. Her hair was disheveled, and when I saw her face clearly, I nearly wet myself.
This female ghost's face was bluish-purple, her eyes bulging, and a bright red tongue was hanging from her mouth, almost reaching her chest. She had obviously been hanged or strangled to death, and her body was emitting a bloody light. She was definitely a fierce ghost!
I found it difficult to breathe. Was this the female ghost who was supposed to be one of my blind date candidates?
My first impression was to run. But considering Zhang Jinya's warnings, I had to stay.
The female ghost smiled strangely at me, her mouth opening wide as if she wanted to swallow me whole. Her voice was shrill and ear-piercing, "Little handsome guy, why don't you come with me? I'll make you comfortable for the rest of your life."
I nearly passed out from fright. My legs went weak, and I almost fell to the ground.
Seeing me like this, Zhang Jinya smirked and said, "Why? Isn't she pretty?"
Pretty your ass!
Seeing Zhang Jinya's indifferent expression, I began to panic. If this was the kind of ghost wife he had in mind for me, I might as well commit suicide.
But before I could make any decision, Zhang Jinya took out a yellow paper talisman and chanted something. The paper talisman turned into a bright light and struck the female ghost.
The female ghost let out a shrill cry and dissipated into the air, leaving only a faint scent of blood.
"Let's go!" Zhang Jinya patted me on the shoulder, indicating that we should leave the place.
Feeling relieved, I followed him back to his shop. I felt like I had just escaped from a dangerous situation.
Stopping at the door of his shop, Zhang Jinya turned around and looked at me, "Kid, don't be too nervous. Although that female ghost is powerful, she won't harm people easily. In the future, try not to wander around at night, especially in places with heavy yin energy."
I nodded, feeling grateful for Zhang Jinya's reminder. After all, I didn't know much about these things, and what he said might have some truth to it.
"Alright, let's go back in." Zhang Jinya patted my shoulder and gestured for us to enter the shop.
I didn't say much, just followed him into the shop.
The shop was bustling with activity, with a group of people gathered around a table, chatting and laughing.
"Old Zhang, what good stuff did you bring back this time?" someone asked Zhang Jinya with a smile.
Zhang Jinya grinned proudly, "Haha, something interesting. This one here is the Ge family's Gu Tianzhong."
The crowd looked at me, some curious, some puzzled.
"Oh? Gu Tianzhong? This kid looks pretty spirited," a tall, thin man commented with a smile.
"Old Zhang, why did you bring him here?" another person asked curiously.
With a gleam in his eye, Zhang Jinya chuckled, "For a blind date, of course. I found him a ghost wife."
The crowd burst into laughter, and I just felt incredibly embarrassed.
"Haha, Zhang Jinya, you're too mischievous!" a middle-aged woman laughed as she patted Zhang Jinya's shoulder.
"But this kid looks pretty good, why does he need a ghost wife?" another man joked.
"Haha, Zhang Jinya, you're too mischievous!" a middle-aged woman laughed as she patted Zhang Jinya's shoulder.
"But this kid looks pretty good, why does he need a ghost wife?" another man joked.
"Haha, Zhang Jinya, you're too mischievous!" a middle-aged woman laughed as she patted Zhang Jinya's shoulder.
"But this kid looks pretty good, why does he need a ghost wife?" another man joked.
Zhang Jinya's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Exactly! This kid is too cowardly. Who knows, if he catches the eye of the Smiling Corpse, he might end up dead one day. I need to find him a courageous wife to protect him when he's in trouble."
Zhang Jinya grinned, looking somewhat lascivious, "Don't look at me like that. Someone with weak yang energy like you is the perfect candidate for a Yin marriage. Marrying a ghost wife to take care of you, you could live a few more years. But I don't know what your dad was thinking. He never found you a ghost wife. Oh well, I'll do it for you now."
Hearing Zhang Jinya say this made me shiver. I already had a psychological shadow regarding these dirty things. Avoiding them was difficult enough, and now I was supposed to bring a ghost wife home? Waking up in the middle of the night to find a ghost by my bed would be terrifying.
"Don't be nervous," Zhang Jinya said, amused. "I'm just finding you a ghost wife. Even if you're not excited, it's still interesting. A life without adventure is boring."
I'm not nervous! I'm scared!
I inwardly screamed, feeling the urge to turn and leave. But considering what Zhang Jinya had said earlier, I didn't dare go down the mountain alone. I just stood there awkwardly.
Darkness came quickly, but soon faded away. In just a minute, the temperature returned to normal, and the feeling of being watched gradually disappeared. It seemed those dirty things had left. I breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at Zhang Jinya. He was squatting by the burning paper money, frowning in thought. He muttered, "Huh? Something's wrong. Why isn't anyone willing? Giving money and still running away faster than rabbits!"
Hearing this, I chuckled. But seeing Zhang Jinya's worried expression, I felt a bit guilty. After all, he was trying to protect me with this ghost wife idea, even if it failed. I couldn't help but console him, "Maybe it's not meant to be yet."
"Bullshit!" Zhang Jinya cursed, "These lonely souls and wild ghosts died tragically. With no one to claim them, they couldn't enter ancestral graves or have family members worship them. Their lives were miserable. Now that I'm arranging marriages for them, and they'll be worshipped every day, it's what they've been dreaming of. Even if you're a young and strong lad, even if you're an old man in his seventies, they'd still be eager. If they don't accept worship, there must be a reason!"
He stood up suddenly and kicked a small grave mound nearby, shouting, "You came out just now, right? Why won't you accept worship?"
No response!
"Hey, it's rude not to respond after receiving an invitation," Zhang Jinya grumbled, circling the mound seven times clockwise and then seven times counterclockwise. He raised his hand and shouted, "Quickly!"
"Wait!" A sharp female voice suddenly emerged from the mound, followed by a figure slowly climbing out, emitting a red glow.
At first, I couldn't see clearly what emerged from the mound. But as it fully emerged, I trembled all over.
It was a person, no, a ghost, and a female ghost at that, wearing a dress with an upper robe and lower skirt, a typical Ming Dynasty attire. But in the middle, there was a short waist skirt. This dressing was unique to Ming Dynasty women. Judging from her attire, this female ghost was probably from the Ming Dynasty. Her hair was disheveled, and when I saw her face clearly, I nearly wet myself.
This female ghost's face was bluish-purple, her eyes bulging, and a bright red tongue was hanging from her mouth, almost reaching her chest. She had obviously been hanged or strangled to death, and her body was emitting a bloody light. She was definitely a fierce ghost!
I found it difficult to breathe. Was this the female ghost who was supposed to be one of my blind date candidates?
My first impression was to run. But considering Zhang Jinya's warnings, I had to stay.
The female ghost smiled strangely at me, her mouth opening wide as if she wanted to swallow me whole. Her voice was shrill and ear-piercing, "Little handsome guy, why don't you come with me? I'll make you comfortable for the rest of your life."
I nearly passed out from fright. My legs went weak, and I almost fell to the ground.
Seeing me like this, Zhang Jinya smirked and said, "Why? Isn't she pretty?"
Pretty your ass!
Seeing Zhang Jinya's indifferent expression, I began to panic. If this was the kind of ghost wife he had in mind for me, I might as well commit suicide.
But before I could make any decision, Zhang Jinya took out a yellow paper talisman and chanted something. The paper talisman turned into a bright light and struck the female ghost.
The female ghost let out a shrill cry and dissipated into the air, leaving only a faint scent of blood.
"Let's go!" Zhang Jinya patted me on the shoulder, indicating that we should leave the place.
Feeling relieved, I followed him back to his shop. I felt like I had just escaped from a dangerous situation.
Stopping at the door of his shop, Zhang Jinya turned around and looked at me, "Kid, don't be too nervous. Although that female ghost is powerful, she won't harm people easily. In the future, try not to wander around at night, especially in places with heavy yin energy."
I nodded, feeling grateful for Zhang Jinya's reminder. After all, I didn't know much about these things, and what he said might have some truth to it.
"Alright, let's go back in." Zhang Jinya patted my shoulder and gestured for us to enter the shop.
I didn't say much, just followed him into the shop.
The shop was bustling with activity, with a group of people gathered around a table, chatting and laughing.
"Old Zhang, what good stuff did you bring back this time?" someone asked Zhang Jinya with a smile.
Zhang Jinya grinned proudly, "Haha, something interesting. This one here is the Ge family's Gu Tianzhong."
The crowd looked at me, some curious, some puzzled.
"Oh? Gu Tianzhong? This kid looks pretty spirited," a tall, thin man commented with a smile.
"Old Zhang, why did you bring him here?" another person asked curiously.
With a gleam in his eye, Zhang Jinya chuckled, "For a blind date, of course. I found him a ghost wife."
The crowd burst into laughter, and I just felt incredibly embarrassed.
"Haha, Zhang Jinya, you're too mischievous!" a middle-aged woman laughed as she patted Zhang Jinya's shoulder.
"But this kid looks pretty good, why does he need a ghost wife?" another man joked.
Zhang Jinya smiled mysteriously and said, "Who knows, maybe he'll live longer with a ghost wife. Anyway, let's not talk about this now. Let's have a good time tonight!"