en stopped me."Little girl, are there really dead people inside" a woman asked me in a panicked voice.I nodded and turned to go around them, but they grabbed me and wouldn't let go, relentlessly askin...The solitary blue-brick path, like an endless balance beam.

Here there is no before or after, left or right, up or down. All that exists is a darkness of pure chaos.

A ghostly ferryman in white robes, carrying a solitary lantern, drifted ahead of me, guiding my path.

A solitary lantern guides the souls, in a world of eerie quiet.

Walking down this road, it seems endless, but in reality, it's quite short.

Just as I was emerging from my daze, I was about to reach the end.

Perhaps a person's life is like this too.

By the time he came to his senses, many years had passed.

Seems long, but it's actually short.

“Why is the little princess so quiet That’s not like you~~” The soul-collecting deity, carrying a soul lamp, chuckled softly.

I secretly stole a glance at him. He was slightly turning his face, the ghostly light of the soul lamp casting his features in an eerie and enigmatic glow.

"I was too focused on following you to talk..." I explained casually.

"Hee hee... I understand, I understand~~~ Walking this path, it's easy to have a thousand thoughts and then return to peace..."

"Would even the Seven Gods have a myriad of emotions" I asked curiously.

He raised an eyebrow, squinting and smiling. "I said letting a 'person' have a myriad of emotions... Last time your husband, the Shaman King Mu Wanchen, walked this path, I don't know what he thought, but it seems now that he views birth and death very lightly."

"Really"

"In times of sudden crisis, one person can indeed turn the tide, but they cannot hold back a collapsing building—when the downfall becomes inevitable, no one can defy it... The world is nothing but constant cycles of union and separation, life and death. Little Princess, you needn't worry too much. Perhaps consider your own matters first... hihihi..."

He turned to me with a smile, raising one hand. His slender, elegant fingers emerged from his sleeve and hovered just above my forehead.

"Little Princess, although you are married to the Shaman King, possess a spirit creature, and have transcended ordinary humans, you are still mortal. Walking the dark path for too long, be careful not to return from whence you came, oh yeah."

Hee hee hee...

He covered his mouth with his white sleeve, smiling at me. I felt like I could hear a string of "hehehe" echoing in my ears.

The sound came from all directions, causing me to shiver involuntarily and stumble backward—

The moment my calf entered the chaos, my whole body was jolted like an electric shock.

“Ah—!” My exclamation had barely left my lips when my arm was suddenly seized, yanked upward with force!

Bai Wuchang's wrists were slender, but incredibly strong. I felt my bones were about to be crushed by his grip!

He lifted me to the bluestone path and steadied me. When he saw I was calm, he let go of my hand.

"Little princess, you have to be careful. If you fall down, I don't know where to get you~~"

"You're scaring me, Qi Ye. You're saying I can't go back... I'm so scared I think I'm hallucinating." I complained softly.

"Hee hee… I'm not scaring you…" He turned around gracefully, carrying the soul-fetching lantern and continued walking forward.

“This is the boundary between the underworld and the mortal realm. One wrong step, and you'll be separated by yin and yang. Furthermore, for living beings to walk here, a price must be paid...”

I swallowed nervously, carefully following him, step by step: "What's the price"

"A soul remnant, or perhaps... a trace of the soul essence," he said softly. "As you walked here, the aura of the underworld affected you, drawing a little bit of your soul essence into it, unnoticed like a breath exhaled…"

"As your soul becomes more and more scattered, your yin spirit unstable, you may be…possessed, understand"

Possess.

Taoism views the body as a dwelling. Losing one's soul, or "dú shě," means being possessed by another malevolent spirit.

"Is that because I've walked the wrong path too much, so it'll be easy for me to be possessed in the future"

"Your Highness, opening the gates of convenience was a last resort. Plus, His Majesty has other considerations… hehe, but don't stray too far! Be careful not to lose your soul and become a walking corpse, hehehe..."

Zombies, just the word is disgusting.

"Alright, we're here. ~~Little Princess, this is for you..." Bai Wu Chang pulled out a thin sheet of paper with two slender fingers from his sleeve and handed it to me.

The paper was white and had ghost talismans drawn on it. I could make out a little bit of it.

“If you need me, burn this paper talisman and silently recite the Imperial Lord's incantation. I will come to guide you...”

This dark path led straight to my front door. I stood at the threshold for a moment, noticing that the atmosphere felt different.

Our house is big and has many people living in it. Having more people living in a large house has its advantages, as it balances the energy flow and brings liveliness to the entire courtyard.

But at this moment, I stood at the door, feeling cold and deserted. It was dusk, just as the lights were beginning to twinkle, but the gate was firmly shut.

Could something have happened at home

"Senior Brother! Ninth Senior Brother!! Open the door!" I went up and knocked on the big door.

I was ready to throw punches and kicks, but just as I had landed two blows, the door swung open.

I nervously took a step back, and Ninth Senior Brother's face appeared in the doorway.

"Little, little junior sister!" He widened his eyes.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. Everything was fine at home.

"Why did you lock the door when there's nothing going on at home! It's so cold and empty, like a haunted house! I was terrified!" I exclaimed angrily.

"Shh, shh, shh—" He pulled me inside and covered my mouth, signaling for me to be quiet.

"What the... Ugh... What are you doing...Ugh..." I struggled desperately.

I just returned from an adventure outside, and when I came home, there was this weird atmosphere. What are you guys up to! Don't even let me vent my frustration!

"Psst! Madam Mu is back from the hospital to recuperate. Father said she can't be startled, and mainly—" Ninth Senior Brother looked around mysteriously, not knowing what he was looking at.

"What's the main point" I asked.

“The eldest apprentice secretly took her belongings and ran away from home! The master searched everywhere, discovering that the eldest apprentice was in contact with her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law’s whereabouts are unknown, and we don't know what she plans to do. The master is troubled and hasn't slept well these past few days. We have closed our doors to guests and avoided making any noise...Moreover, we hear that some ghost messengers and Yin officials occasionally come to check on the night watchman. None of us dare leave our rooms for fear of running into a ghost!”

I rolled my eyes. This courtyard has the young mistress in charge, alright

"By the way, little junior sister, senior sister left a letter saying that you're with your master mother. How did you come back Did you have an argument with your master mother"

"A fight I don't have time for that! Are my father and your senior brother here I need to speak with your senior brother—"

As soon as I spoke, my brother walked past from the corridor of the main hall. My sister was by his side, talking about something, but the moment he saw me, they stopped immediately.

"Little sister!" His eyes lit up, and he ran a few steps towards me.ere nervously observing your surroundings, you could easily miss this hole.The two little goblins luckily weren't living human bodies. After falling into the pit, they floated out on their own.Both of...