Chapter Fifty: Seeking the Path

The stubborn grasp on life and death, the bonds of mortal fate hard to sever. Chen sighed deeply and carefully placed the little ghost siblings back into the puppets. Yunhua looked at his master with earnest pleading, “Master, you will help these siblings, won’t you?” Chen nodded silently. If their earthly wishes remained unfulfilled, how could this poor pair of siblings safely journey to the underworld and reincarnate?

As soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, Yunling eagerly pulled herself out of the big-headed doll. She hadn’t even had the chance to warmly greet Yunhua or Yunhuzi after such a long time apart before she began to look at Chen with a profoundly wronged expression—an expression so pitiful it made Chen’s scalp tingle. Even Yunhua was baffled by her demeanor.

“Yunling, if there’s something you want to say, just say it plainly. Why put on such a pitiful face looking at me?” Chen asked, barely able to bear the rare display of sulking from Yunling.

“Master, you have the Sunshade Umbrella, so why didn’t you tell me? You make me crawl back into the big-headed doll at dawn every day. I haven’t seen the scenery outside during daylight for so long, you know,” Yunling said, delivering words that nearly broke Chen’s composure. He was utterly speechless. A ghost wanting to go sightseeing in broad daylight? Even if the Sunshade Umbrella could protect her from the sun’s yang energy and scorching rays, didn’t she find it a bit too eerie and out of place?

“Cultivation must not rely too heavily on external objects. Rather than coveting that Sunshade Umbrella, you should focus on your practice. Achieve the Yang Spirit quickly, and then you can do as you please under the sun. The umbrella might work indoors, but outside, the sun’s fire is not so easily avoided,” Chen lectured sternly.

Yunling rolled her eyes at her master without sparing him any respect, pouting silently but clearly dissatisfied. Chen felt a deep sorrow. How could he be a master with no dignity or authority?

The ruined temple had long been abandoned. Not only were the tiles shattered, but several large holes had torn through the walls. The night wind howled through the gaps, moaning in the darkness. Late at night, Chen stood outside the broken temple with his two disciples and the fox spirit, waiting to witness the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts that Yunhua had spoken of.

Before long, a fierce wind swept through the mountain ridges outside the temple. Countless lost souls and wandering ghosts appeared, carrying lanterns as they slowly gathered into a flowing procession. Ghostly flames flickered with an eerie green glow, wavering along a wild, overgrown path at the foot of the mountain, flying northward.

Chen glanced at the time and turned to Yunling. “You’re a spirit form, so disguise yourself as one of these lost souls and infiltrate the ghost market. See if anything unusual is going on inside, especially among the shops. Yunhua and I will watch from above—don’t expose yourself.”

Yunling nodded. Once a resentful spirit herself, it was easy for her to blend in among the wandering ghosts. Lighting her soul lantern, she melted into the endless stream of ghosts. Chen then ascended to the sky with Yunhua and Yunhuzi, riding on white clouds as they followed the procession northward.

By now, the ghost market had just opened, and the flow of ghosts was not yet thick. The Red-Clothed Female Ghost and the Green-Faced Ghost King still sat atop the pavilion at the market’s end, but now accompanied by a scholarly-looking Ghost King. This ghost king carried an air of refinement, without the slightest hint of ghastly menace. The two ghost kings treated him with utmost respect, clearly aware that this scholar was no ordinary figure.

Just as Chen, Yunhua, and Yunhuzi arrived over the ghost market, the scholar’s expression shifted slightly. He raised his head and called out loudly, “Since our guest has arrived, why not come down and share a few cups of wine? Consider it a humble host’s courtesy.”

Not only did the scholar’s companions—the two ghost kings—but even Chen’s own expression changed slightly. Someone in the ghost market had detected their presence. It was clear this market’s backing was extraordinary. Chen, skilled and bold, flashed a white light, suddenly appearing inside the pavilion with Yunhua and Yunhuzi, startling the Green-Faced Ghost King and the Red-Clothed Female Ghost.

The Green-Faced Ghost secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to the Red-Clothed Ghost’s timely warning last time, he had not harmed that young girl. Otherwise, if the Taoist had come knocking today, he would have been doomed.

“Great Taoist of Salvation, esteemed Ghost Kings, greetings,” Chen bowed respectfully. As a member of the Taoist sect, rituals must be observed, whether dealing with humans or ghosts.

“Greetings, Taoist,” the scholar and the two ghost kings quickly returned the courtesy.

“May I ask your Taoist name? Are you a wandering pilgrim or here on some matter?” The scholar produced a folding fan from nowhere and fanned himself despite the cool night breeze. He seemed to be a refined gentleman even in death, unwilling to abandon old habits.

“I am Chen of the Xuanguang Temple on Mount Qingcheng. These are my disciples Yunhua and the fox spirit Yunhuzi. We come seeking the Nine Sons’ Ghost Mother. I also wish to ask why this ghost market has been established here in this desolate mountain wilderness, bridging the realms of yin and yang. The division between the living and the dead is ordained by Heaven’s Dao. Establishing a ghost market to attract wandering souls—has this been reported to the underworld? Is there any official sanction from the Yin Bureau?” Chen’s words were sharp and direct.

The two ghost kings shifted uncomfortably, but the scholar remained composed. “Our Ghost Mother pities the many lost souls who cannot return to the yin realm nor enter the yang, with no clothes or food. Out of great compassion, she established this ghost market to provide them with sustenance and shelter. As for the Yin Bureau, how could they care for these unclaimed wandering souls? At most, they are left to their own devices. If you wish to meet our Ghost Mother, I shall report your request. Would you wait a moment?”

Chen fell silent. What the scholar said was not without reason, but its truth was uncertain. Unilaterally establishing a ghost market and disturbing the yin-yang boundary could not be excused by mere compassion. And was their purpose truly just a momentary act of mercy, to expend so much spiritual power in bridging this divide? Chen was no child—such words were clearly a flimsy excuse.

Just as Chen prepared to respond, he suddenly sensed a kindred presence in the distance. He was greatly surprised and scanned carefully. There truly was a Taoist, either recklessly bold or fearlessly ignorant, setting up a formation and beginning a ritual amid this gathering of ghosts. A foolhardy act courting disaster.

Yet, the Taoist community was one family. Chen could not stand by and watch without intervening, even if it meant clashing immediately with several ghost kings to save this reckless brother.

Maintaining vigilance, Chen continued to converse smoothly, contemplating how to leave with Yunhua and the fox spirit, and to warn Yunling to depart this trouble-ridden place quickly. Alone, Chen could come and go freely, but with disciples, it was uncertain—especially with the mysterious Nine Sons’ Ghost Mother lurking nearby. As a notorious evil deity of a local yin realm, Chen was unsure if he could even stand against her.

“Very well, I shall await your good news. However, I have other matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. I hope you will forgive my haste,” Chen bowed and prepared to depart with Yunhua. The Taoist on the distant hill was already about to perform his ritual, and chaos would soon erupt.

Exchanging a meaningful glance with Yunhua, who immediately clutched the fox spirit tightly, the master and disciple prepared to leave. At that moment, the scholar rose with a smiling face, blocking their way.

“From afar you come, esteemed ones. Why the rush to leave, masters of such high skill?”