Yu He slowly turned around, holding a stick of incense, and looked at her, “Lie down.”

Xue Ming walked in, glanced at the soft chair they had been entangled in earlier, and finally chose Yu He’s bed. She climbed onto the canopy bed and lay down. After all, Yu He was currently in a satisfied state and wouldn’t mind these things.

Yu He carried a jade incense burner over and placed it on the low cabinet beside the bed. Then he took out a piece of paper, folded it a few times, tore off a part, making something unknown, and stuffed it into her hand.
Holding the incense, he said slowly, “No matter who you see on the way, do not stop, do not pay attention, and do not look back. Just go where those two died, and you will find their souls. But remember, do not force them to return. If they insist on leaving, walk back. As long as the incense is burning, nothing can harm you.”

Although concise, this was one of Yu He’s longer comments.

Xue Ming memorized it carefully and nodded thoughtfully.

Yu He asked one last question, “Walking the path of the underworld will expose your body to yin energy. Are you sure you want to go?”

Xue Ming nodded again, touched the Yang Gathering Talisman on her neck, and asked, “Should I take this off?”

“No need,” Yu He replied. He then pinched the incense with his fingertips, and the flame flared up before quickly extinguishing, with white smoke slowly drifting out. He placed the incense on the burner, and the next moment, Xue Ming had already closed her eyes. When she slept, her posture was very proper and orderly. Her hands were folded over her abdomen, and she lay quietly. Her long hair was spread out on the bed, with the ends still dripping with water. Yu He picked up a strand and rubbed it between his fingers for a moment before leaving the canopy bed.

When Xue Ming opened her eyes again, she was standing outside the boundary of the lotus pond, surrounded by a misty fog, with the path ahead unclear. She remembered Yu He’s warning before lighting the incense not to look back and walked forward with large strides. Suddenly, a light flickered on the ground. Looking down, she found herself holding a lantern.

The lantern was gorgeous, with a delicate, transparent shade and black-and-white tassels. A candle was inserted in the middle, and the flame, refracted by the lantern, cast a bright light on the ground, pushing back the dense fog and illuminating the path ahead.

Xue Ming gripped the lantern tightly, not daring to delay for a moment. She had walked this path several times and was already familiar with it. After walking five or six minutes and leaving the lotus pond area, some figures suddenly appeared around her. Xue Ming didn’t dare to turn her head recklessly; she only used her peripheral vision to see. She vaguely made out that the figures were both men and women, all standing far away.

After walking briskly, the figures around her got much closer and became more numerous than before. They were almost everywhere: under the eaves, by the walls, and near the houses. The closest ones were just a few steps away from Xue Ming.

Xue Ming felt a chill down her spine and didn’t dare to slow her pace. She realized that these were not people but ghosts hidden in the temple. She could see them because she was walking this path to the underworld. However, they seemed to fear the lantern she held, so they didn’t dare to get too close.

The candle in the lantern was still burning, likely the incense lit by Yu He. She needed to return before the candle burned out.

“Are you looking for someone?”

A sudden question came from behind her. The voice sounded very young and somewhat familiar. Xue Ming ignored it, pretending not to hear, and continued walking forward.

Soon, the girl behind her circled to the front and walked alongside her, asking again, “Why are you ignoring me?”

Xue Ming glanced at her and realized she had indeed seen this girl before. It was the last time a female ghost had been chasing her, and Nie Xiaoqian had come out to stop it. The girl standing next to Nie Xiaoqian at that time was the one in front of her now. She was also good-looking, but her features were not strikingly beautiful. Instead, she had a gentle beauty, with slightly round eyes that looked clear and lively.

Xue Ming didn’t speak, and the little girl raised a delighted smile, revealing a pair of tiger teeth, and said, “I knew you could see us. Why are you ignoring me? The light from this lantern is so glaring. Can you cover it?”

Even though Xue Ming hadn’t planned to respond, she couldn’t help but curse, “Do you think I’m an idiot? Go away.”

The little girl giggled and said, “Sister, don’t be angry. I know who you’re looking for. Shall I take you to them?”

Xue Ming thought that no other ghost dared come close, but this one dared stand beside her and talk. She must have been dead for many years to have such deep cultivation, maybe even older than my great-grandmother, whom I’ve never met, and she calls me sister.

She wanted to quicken her pace to shake off this ghost girl, but to her surprise, the little girl also quickened her pace and continued, “I know you. Every time you run down here, I sit on the roof and watch. Sister Xiaoqian has recently started to hate you and told me to notify her if I see you, but I don’t want to make an enemy of you. I think you’re very capable. Even Grandmother doesn’t dare to provoke the person living in the lotus pond area. Whoever goes there dies, but you come out alive several times. Do you remember Liu Man? The one with long hair who chased you last time? She got injured when she chased you into the lotus pond area. Grandmother treated her for a long time, but in the end, she still dissipated.”

The little girl kept chattering non-stop, and even though Xue Ming ignored her, it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm. She circled around Xue Ming, talking for a long time.

Finally, Xue Ming, annoyed by the noise and distraction, said, “You said you don’t want to make an enemy of me. To show your sincerity, tell me your name.”

The little girl was stunned momentarily, as if seriously considering it, and then said, “My surname is Lu, and my given name is Man. It’s the ‘Man’ from Qing Ge Di Chang, Xiao Man You Zai.”

Xue Ming said sternly, “Alright, Lu Man. Now, stay quiet. I’m looking for someone; don’t disturb me.”

Lu Man stopped talking, only floating around her, occasionally pointing out the way unnecessarily.

Xue Ming remembered where Chun Ye and Qiu Sheng died, so she didn’t need Lu Man to guide her. To avoid wasting time on unnecessary matters, she ignored Lu Man and walked straight to where the two servants died.

Initially, she thought this trip would be dangerous and difficult. Xue Ming had mentally prepared herself to come because of the food and drink the two servants had given her and their usual attentiveness. However, the situation was much better than she had imagined. When she reached the eaves corridor, she heard two people arguing.

“If you hadn’t been a step slower, I wouldn’t have turned back to save you and gotten killed by that female ghost!”

“Now you’re blaming me? Weren’t you the one who called out first and attracted the female ghost?”

“She was going to Young Master Yan’s room. If I didn’t call her, should I have just watched her hurt Young Master Yan?”

“Then what right do you have to blame me?!”

When Xue Ming walked over, the two argued fiercely, pointing at each other’s noses and shouting with flushed faces. She had expected to see scattered souls, but to her surprise, the two servants’ souls were intact and standing there, arguing. She couldn’t help but laugh and called out, “Chun Ye, Qiu Sheng!”

When they heard Xue Ming’s voice, they immediately stopped arguing and happily came to her side, “Hero Yan, why are you here?”

“I asked a master for help to bring you two back to life,” Xue Ming said.

Chun Ye and Qiu Sheng were immediately moved to tears, showering Xue Ming with praise and calling her a living deity. Seeing that the candle in the lantern was about to burn out, Xue Ming didn’t waste any words. She had them hold hands and place them on her shoulders, then turned around with the lantern and started walking back.

Lu Man called from behind, “Sister, I’ll keep watching you from the rooftop—”

After walking about ten steps, the voices of the two servants gradually faded, and the surroundings turned into a blur. When Xue Ming opened her eyes, she was back in her small room. She sat up and felt something in her palm. When she opened her hand, she saw it was a paper lantern.

Xue Ming turned to look out the window. The sky was already bright, and sunlight was faintly shining through.

After staying in the ghost temple for a few days, Xue Ming particularly liked the sunlight. She quickly got out of bed, put on her shoes, and went outside. She saw Chun Ye hanging clothes to dry in the courtyard and Qiu Sheng carrying a bucket of water back. He saw Xue Ming first and smiled, “Hero Yan, you’re awake? I just brought water for Young Master to wash up. I’ll share some with you.”

Seeing the two alive and well, Xue Ming breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Is Brother Ning awake too?”

Chun Ye nodded, “Yes, he’s awake and seems fine. I thought Young Master had been disturbed by something, and I was so scared I didn’t sleep well and even had nightmares.”

Qiu Sheng added, “I didn’t sleep well either. I dreamed that a female ghost in white gutted me, and then I dreamed that Hero Yan came to find me.”

“What a coincidence,” Chun Ye said, hanging the clothes on the bamboo rack, “I had the same dream.”

Qiu Sheng laughed and didn’t take it seriously, turning to find a basin to share water with Xue Ming.

Xue Ming wiped away her cold sweat and smiled, “It’s just a nightmare; don’t worry about it. Drink a bowl of hot water before bed to calm your nerves.”

Chun Ye and Qiu Sheng thanked Xue Ming again. While they were chatting and laughing, Ning Caichen came out of his room, yawning, looking well-rested and full of energy.

Seeing Xue Ming, he smiled and greeted her as usual, chatting casually as if he had forgotten about the events at the ghost market, not mentioning a word.

Xue Ming asked him, “Brother Ning, do you feel any discomfort?”

Ning Caichen, looking spirited, said, “No, I feel like I slept for a long time, and now I’m full of energy!”

“That’s great,” Xue Ming clapped her hands and said, “I have a difficult task and need your help.”

Ning Caichen generously said, “Since you asked, I’ll go through fire and water for you.”

Xue Ming went to wash up and then sat down to have breakfast with him. After filling their stomachs, Xue Ming stood in the courtyard, looking up at the clear sky, and sighed, “What a beautiful day.”

Then she went to the east wing and found the shovels the servants had used to bury Zhao Sheng. She brought one to Ning Caichen.

Ning Caichen, puzzled, took it and asked, “What are we going to do with this?”

Xue Ming said, “Come with me to dig a grave.”

Ning Caichen was shocked, “Whose grave?”

“Your future wife’s,” Xue Ming said, “Nie Xiaoqian’s grave.”