Love Beyond the Grave

Maizi leisurely escorted the child in colorful clothes and said to Duan Xu, "Coming from the south? The management down there must be lacking. A newborn Evil Ghost like you doesn’t even know the Thirty-Two Golden Wall Laws."

As they walked down the street, Maizi explained to Duan Xu. He said these thirty-two Golden Wall Laws were established by the previous Ghost King and various Ghost Palace Lords, inscribed on a golden wall in the palace of the capital, Jade Zhou City—hence the name. But for some unknown reason, the laws couldn’t be implemented at the time and were temporarily shelved.

When the current Ghost King ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to enforce the Golden Wall Laws with swift and decisive action. The Ghost King had already slaughtered gods and buddhas alike during his campaign to quell rebellions, turning the Ghost Realm upside down. When implementing the laws, he obliterated every Ghost Hall that feigned compliance or resisted, ensuring the laws were firmly established.

Though these laws might seem restrictive, they did have their benefits. Over the past century, proper cultivators rarely hunted Evil Ghosts anymore, knowing the Ghost Realm’s internal laws were strict—any excessive misconduct would already be punished. Other Evil Ghosts simply sought sustenance normally, so there was no need to push them too hard. Even orthodox sects like Star Clarity Palace would simply deliver captured Evil Ghosts to Jade Zhou City for the Ghost King to handle. It worked out well—each side managed their own affairs.

"Counting up, at least eight or ten Ghost Halls have been destroyed by His Majesty. The King’s temper is truly terrible. When enforcing the Golden Wall Laws, he was ruthless enough to wipe out all Evil Ghosts if necessary." Maizi let out a long sigh and warned, "If the King finds out about your situation, the Ghost Palace Lord you belong to will be in deep trouble. You might even be obliterated."

Beneath the black veil, Duan Xu’s eyes held amusement as he listened with keen interest, his arms folded around his sword.

"Alright then, since we’ve met by fate, I won’t report your situation. In fact, I’ll teach you these laws in detail—just lend me your Spirit sword for a few days, alright?" Maizi tiptoed to pat Duan Xu’s arm, finally getting to the point.

Though Maizi said "lend," once the Spirit sword left Duan Xu’s hands, it likely wouldn’t return. Still, Duan Xu handed it over calmly and said, "Try it."

Maizi’s eyes gleamed as he reached for the hilt, but the moment he touched it, the sword glowed brightly. He yelped and jerked his hand back.

"This is a Spirit sword, and it doesn’t acknowledge you as its master. An Evil Ghost like you can’t touch it."

Maizi thought, Then how come you can?

Sullen, he scrutinized Duan Xu and noticed the scent pouch in his hand, making this newborn Evil Ghost seem even stranger—an odorless ghost carrying a scent pouch?

Following his gaze, Duan Xu glanced at the pouch on his wrist and explained, "A girl likes this fragrance and asked me to get her an identical scent pouch from the perfumery."

Maizi immediately understood and teased with a grin, "You’ve fallen for a living girl?"

Before Duan Xu could answer, Maizi adopted the world-weary expression of an elder and waved his hand dismissively. "Newborn Evil Ghosts always forget they’re ghosts. It’s normal to develop feelings for the living—you’ll get over it in time. But I’d advise you not to get too attached. It’ll only hurt both of you."

Hearing such jaded wisdom from a ten-year-old was undeniably odd. Maizi was clearly an unstoppable chatterbox—once he latched onto a topic, he wouldn’t let go."How long can humans live? Right now she's young and beautiful, but in the blink of an eye she'll grow plump, her back will hunch, her waist will bend, her hair will turn white and teeth fall out. Could you still hold your nose and like her then? Even if you remain steadfast, another blink and she'll turn to ashes. A mortal's lifetime is but the snap of a finger to us Evil Ghosts—impossible to grasp." Maizi shook his head, speaking with grave earnestness.

The newly turned Evil Ghost beside him, who had been walking with light steps, seemed to pause slightly at these words. Thinking he had greatly enlightened the young ghost, Maizi grew even more enthusiastic.

"Besides, think of the suffering you'd bring to the girl you fancy. How would you meet her? By possessing various people? Are you powerful enough to manifest your true form? You can't be with her openly—she'd be pointed at and gossiped about her whole life. Young man, you must think this through."

Duan Xu laughed and replied without hesitation, "Thinking too clearly takes all the fun out of living."

"Tch, you're already dead. Whether living is fun or not has nothing to do with you anymore."

Maizi was deeply convinced this newborn Evil Ghost had problematic ideas and would surely have a rough time in the Ghost Realm. Out of some pity, he explained several important rules to Duan Xu.

As they walked and talked, they turned into a quiet, deserted alley where a woman's voice suddenly rang out: "Oh, you've gotten familiar with Evil Ghosts quite quickly, haven't you?"

Following the voice, Maizi saw a beautiful woman standing at the alley's end, dressed in an ancient, magnificent Wrapped Robe Gown with freesias adorning her hair. Her gaze swept over Duan Xu and Maizi as she extended her hand. "Where's my Scent Pouch?"

Duan Xu stepped forward and placed the pouch in her palm, saying, "Smell it and see if it's right."

The woman brought it to her nose for a careful sniff, then smiled. "It's indeed your scent."

Maizi stared in shock at this scene, wondering how this woman could see them in broad daylight when the hour wasn't even yin. Was she human or ghost? Perhaps a cultivator?

So the newborn Evil Ghost not only fancied a living person, but a cultivator at that? This wasn't a tiger recruiting Wu Song as a ghost servant—this was falling for Wu Song himself! What an eccentric taste. He'd thought only the former Ghost King could have such extraordinary preferences.

Watching Duan Xu wave goodbye, Maizi stiffly raised his hand in response. A hundred thoughts rushed through his mind, finally coalescing into: "Well... given how pretty she is, I suppose it's understandable."

Had he known the woman he saw today wasn't a cultivator but the Ghost King he revered, he would have commemorated this date alongside his birthday and death anniversary in his records.

Through the black veil, Duan Xu looked at He Simu beside him. The clusters of freesias in her hair swayed gently with her steps, and passersby frequently turned to look—she might as well have been a walking incense burner.

Not that she minded being overwhelming.

"The one you just met was a Greedy Ghost—a Child Ghost, formed from children who died before ten. Though they've been dead for centuries and their minds are no longer childlike, they still appear as children."

He Simu wandered aimlessly at a leisurely pace, with Duan Xu keeping step beside her."Can children also have obsessions that turn them into Evil Ghosts?"

"Yes, they can. Most of them were tortured to death. Did he just ask you for something?"

"He wanted my Illusion-Breaking Sword."

"That explains it. Greedy Ghosts in life were often inexperienced with the world, so their desires encompass everything in it. They want everything, lose interest the moment they obtain it, and are forever chasing the next desire."

After a pause, He Simu chuckled softly: "That's why they're the easiest to incite—reckless, short-sighted, and forever forgetting lessons as they're used as pawns."

Duan Xu caught the implication in her words and asked, "So back in Shuozhou's prefectural city, those who wanted you dead were Greedy Ghosts?"

"There's a fellow named Fang Chang in the Mei Ghost Palace. His lover wanted to devour Chen Ying, so I captured and sentenced them to ashes. He held a grudge and has been secretly following me. I sensed it but couldn't be bothered to deal with him. Who knew he was friends with the Rakshasa Hall Master? When he discovered I'd lost my Magical Power, he persuaded the Rakshasa Hall Master to eliminate me—and that brainless fool actually agreed. They hastily set up a clumsy trap, hiding their tracks for fear I'd realize it was him."

He Simu sighed, interlacing her fingers as she stretched. "One after another, they're all rushing to turn to ash and fertilize my palace gardens. If the Rakshasa Hall Master wants me dead, he must have been up to something shady behind my back."

As they spoke, they arrived at the gate of a wealthy estate. The plaque above the entrance bore a long string of Huqi script, and two statues of the Huqi divine beasts, Firebright Beasts, stood imposingly at the broad entrance, exuding grandeur.

Not far away, a carriage draped in golden silk approached. A middle-aged man in his forties, clad in a fox-fur cloak, stepped down. He was broad-shouldered and stout, his attire screaming wealth. Though his physique left much to be desired, he carried the dignified air of nobility, walking straight toward his gate without a glance elsewhere.

As He Simu and Duan Xu passed by the estate, they heard a faint jingling from the Huqi nobleman. Duan Xu turned to look and spotted a string of bronze bells hanging at the man's waist, trembling oddly.

When he raised his gaze, he locked eyes with the Huqi noble, whose intense stare seemed thoughtful yet secretly delighted, as if trying to peer past the veiled hat to see his true face.

Duan Xu said, "He can see me."

He Simu didn't turn around, replying indifferently, "Seems so."

After a brief silence, Duan Xu suddenly lifted the black veil of his hat and nodded courteously at the Huqi lord. Ignoring the man's startled expression, he lowered the veil and leisurely turned back to meet He Simu's gaze.

"...What are you doing?"

"Didn't you want to catch his attention?" Duan Xu blinked, smiling. "The plaque says 'Lord Iril's Estate.' Was that the famous Lord Iril of Fujian City?"The Yilier lineage had some distant blood ties to the Danzi Royal Court, though not close enough to earn them residence in the Upper Capital. Instead, they were granted the city of Fujian. Originally, such a marginal family had little wealth, but after settling in Fujian, they somehow stumbled upon great fortune—buying a mountain only to discover it held a gold mine, bringing them sudden riches. At the same time, Lord Iril's eldest and youngest sons were promoted to high-ranking positions in the Upper Capital, marking a meteoric rise in their political fortunes.

In short, the Yilier family in Fujian could now be described with a single word: illustrious. Even Lord Iril himself basked in his sons' glory, borrowing the sacred relic of the Danzi Prophecy Scripture to enshrine in Fujian. The relic was housed mysteriously within a Glazed Tile Pagoda in the Yilier estate. Outsiders could only worship outside the pagoda, but those who paid homage to the relic would invariably find good fortune afterward. Soon, the Yilier estate was flooded with visits from the elite, making it the most sought-after household in all of Youzhou.

Duan Xu chuckled, "You're not here to worship the Huqi relic, are you?"

He Simu let out a faint, disdainful laugh. "Worship a relic? I might as well worship myself. Since you enjoy riddles, why not take a guess—how did he come by such good fortune?"

Duan Xu pondered for a moment before replying, "I’ve heard of people raising Evil Ghosts—some make pacts with them for luck and fame. Could it be that Yilier... is harboring the Rakshasa Hall Master?"

He Simu studied him for a few seconds before reaching out to pat the back of his head with a smile. "One day, I must add your clever little skull to my collection."

Duan Xu thought to himself—her way of expressing admiration was certainly unique.