Chapter 1: Pear Garden Shadow (I) A good show is on stage. ...

Ye Qingzhan knelt at the feet of the King of Hell.

The place where she knelt was not the King of Hell's Palace in the underworld, but her thatched cottage. Hei

Wuchang had a fierce look on his face, holding the Book of Life and Death in his hand, his eyes locked on her. Bai Wuchang held the judge's pen in his hand, standing behind the King of Hell, staring at her with a smile on his face.

The judge's pen was dotted with cinnabar, and Ye Qingzhan looked at it cautiously. The cinnabar was like a drop

of residual blood, stuck to the tip of the pen, about to fall off. The King of Hell took the Book of Life and Death, glanced at the life and death line that was only a hair's breadth left on it, and suddenly spoke. His voice was cold and silent, like a call from hell, but he asked: "Do you want to live?"

Ye Qingzhan suddenly raised her head and looked at him. Just as she was about to speak, Hei Wuchang interrupted: "You won't live long, and your adoptive mother is dying soon."

"..." Could you not be so direct? She knew she was about to die. People are made of flesh and blood, and it hurts to think about it again and again.

——Last month, foster mother Li Ying was seriously ill. Ye Qingzhan had searched for a doctor but to no avail. She could only go to Tianqi Mountain to seek help from an immortal. The wind blew the snow dancing on Tianqi Mountain, but it felt warm when it landed on her body. The immortal came from the sky, his steps blossomed, and he touched her brow. As soon as he touched her, she fainted. When

she woke up, she was in a magnificent hall - carved dragon jade pillars stood tall, bead curtains and jade screens were covered, and there were green lotuses and fish playing in the square pond. Purple smoke and white mist were like silk and satin in the sky above the hall, lingering around the beams...

Ye Qingzhan still remembers this scene. But what made her even more unforgettable was what the immortal said: "You won't live past seventeen."

Ye Qingzhan's heart choked.

Didn't the book say: The immortal stroked my head, and I will live forever after we get married. Why did it become the immortal plucked my eyebrows and said I would not

live to be a hundred years old? Not even twenty.

Sad as she was, Ye Qingzhan didn't forget her purpose in seeking the immortal. She knelt on the ground and said, "Immortal, please save my mother!"

The immortal, wearing a red shirt with golden threads, silver hair, and blue eyes, stood on the white jade steps and smiled at her, "Okay."

Ye Qingzhan, tears streaming down her face, was overjoyed and was about to kowtow in thanks when the immortal added, "I can save her, but I'll have to use your belongings in exchange."

...What immortal! He's still thinking about her things when she's almost dead. What's the difference between him and the landlord at the east end of the village?

No matter how angry she was, she could only complain in her heart and maintain a smile on her face. Ye Qingzhan raised her eyes, but was interrupted again.

The immortal tilted his head and asked, "Are you scolding me?" His amber eyes were full of amusement.

Damn it. Before she came to seek the immortal and ask for medicine, Hu Banxian at the village entrance had repeatedly warned her not to say anything disrespectful to the immortals, saying that all immortals were human spirits... no, spirits.

They could read minds and decide life and death.

She still resented him in her heart.

Ye Qingzhan lowered her head. Suddenly, the immortal's chuckle came from above her head: "Your mother stays, I will save her. You go, and next month, someone will come to find you who can save you."

"Promise to do what he asks you to do."

After saying this, the immortal slowly walked up the white jade steps, his golden gauze robe brushing the ground. Suddenly, he turned around and said to her: "Don't call me an immortal when we meet again."

"I am not an immortal."

What else can I be called if not an immortal? Before Ye Qingzhan could think clearly, she felt dizzy. In a trance, she saw the immortal moving to her side. She wanted to know what the immortal wanted to do, but her eyes were attracted by the loose belt around his waist. It

was in the shape of a jade shell, very special. Just like

the belt that the King of Hell was wearing today.

Ye Qingzhan calmly retracted her gaze, crawled at the King of Hell's feet, and said: "Qingzhan wants to live, I want my mother to come back."

She must live to have a chance to recover her lost memories and find out everything she wanted to know.

The King of Hell, his face covered by a veil, looked at the ghost behind him. Hei Wuchang took out the contract from his sleeve, Bai Wuchang held Ye Qingzhan's hand and signed it.

She didn't even see the contents of the contract clearly.

The King of Hell left with his hands behind his back, and when his figure disappeared, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "I know everything in your heart. Do what you should do, and you will know everything."

As the King of Hell finished speaking, the place where Ye Qingzhan was kneeling changed, and the ginkgo trees in front of her covered the sky. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, her eyes were cold, and she stood up from the ground.

When she stood up, a ginkgo leaf fell on her shoulder. Ye Qingzhan took it down and looked at it——

[On the full moon of July, hundreds of ghosts walk at night, enter the underworld, give up hundreds of thoughts, and reincarnate as humans. However, those who have thoughts that are difficult to eliminate may feel evil and resentment in their hearts, invade their internal organs, become evil ghosts and evil spirits, bring disaster to the world, and disrupt the three realms. They need to be led by living people, pass through the gates of hell, overcome difficulties and dangers, trace the source, eliminate resentment and turn thoughts into people in the next life. 】

She finished reading it carefully, and someone came to her side without her knowing when.

The man wore a Confucian scarf and a long gown, with handsome eyebrows and beautiful eyes. From a distance, he looked like a pool of spring water. He could be

described as a modest gentleman, but he wore a gorgeous red flower in his ear, which made him look rather romantic and frivolous. There was some surprise in his eyes when he looked at her. Startled, Ye Qingzhan took a step back, put on his usual smile, blinked and said, "My name is Ye Qingzhan. The King of Hell sent me here. Do you need any help?"

Li Zhixing looked at her while leaning on a broom -

she was wearing a linen shirt with narrow sleeves and a bunch of white camellias embroidered on her pleated skirt. Her hair was braided into a strand and hung down to the side of her shoulders, tied with a red rope, which was very sloppy.

He shook his head secretly and continued to observe her calmly - her face was quite distinctive, with a pair of eyes with distinct black and white, very clear, and very clever when they turned back and forth, but her eyes were round, adding some cuteness.

A girl with this appearance may seem honest, but she is very good at deceiving people.

Li Zhixing paused and said, "Are you the new ghost ferry chosen by the King of Hell, the one chosen by the God of Tianqi Mountain?" Ye

Qingzhan nodded obediently.

"Tsk--" Li Zhixing cursed the King of Hell as a "beast" in his heart, and said gently to the girl, "I, Li Zhixing, was sent down by heaven and earth to take you and another ghost ferry. Go through the gate first."

Before he finished speaking, a sound was heard from afar. Ye Qingzhan and Li Zhixing, who were standing side by side, glanced sideways together - a plaque was hung high on the towering city wall, with "Ghost Gate" written in gold-plated fonts, and the vermilion iron gate slowly opened.

There was someone wearing a purple dress and a red skirt, and the skirt danced in the night wind.

Although he could not see his face, he could only hear his voice: "My two distinguished guests, please ask Sanniang to wait."

Li Zhixing shrank the broom and put it into his sleeve, picked up a handful of ginkgo from the ground and stuffed it into his sleeve, and said to Ye Qingzhan: "Don't keep the master waiting, let's talk while we walk."

Turning his gaze to the approaching city gate, the exiled immortal said: "This Ghost Gate was created by the six realms... Oh, no, it was created by the masters of the three realms, in order to give a chance to mortals who are on the verge of death and ghosts who have forgotten their past lives because of obsession."

"If a mortal is lying on a sickbed or in danger and can go through this gate in a dream when his mind is broken, those who pass it with tenacity and hope for survival will most likely survive. As for ghosts--"

"There are three kinds of ghosts in the world. One kind are immortals, humans, or demons in their previous lives. For various reasons, they became demons or killed people out of hatred and revenge. After death, it is difficult for them to enter the reincarnation cycle and they must serve at the gates of hell until they have atonement for their sins. The other kind are mortals who have no desire for the human world and voluntarily become ghosts after death. These kinds of ghosts usually serve under the King of Hell, that is, in the King of Hell's Palace. There is another kind, which is-"

"Just like the ghost guest we sent."

"Their bodies were severely damaged before they died. It is difficult for their souls to gather and their memories are scattered. It is really difficult for them to pass the test in a dream. They are also full of confusion, resentment and complicated feelings towards the world. If they cannot be persuaded and converted, and their knots in their hearts are not found, it will not take many days for them to become evil ghosts that stir up bloody storms, and then the three realms will be in turmoil."

"In order to prevent problems before they happen, we can only ask Ghost Ferry to help, lead them to go through the Ghost Gate for a real trip, find the person or thing that untied the knot in the gate, and then enter the reincarnation again."

After speaking, Li Zhixing looked around and asked, "Do you understand?"

Ye Qingzhan nodded.

The two people and the immortal arrived at the gate of the gate. Ye Qingzhan was about to say hello to the woman in purple and red skirt, but saw the woman with exaggerated makeup lifted up her robe. When it fell, she and the exiled immortal arrived at an inn. There was a stage in the center of the inn, and ghosts sat in groups of three or two in front of the stage, drinking and listening to opera.

The woman said, "My name is Hu Sanniang, and I'm the owner of the Red Dust Inn. This is an emergency, so there's no need to greet me. Let's enter the illusion first. I'll let Ginkgo tell you about the taboos."

As she spoke, a thick black fog suddenly filled the courtyard that resembled a pear garden. The ghosts fled in panic, swarming up and hiding in the rooms on the second floor.

Hu Sanniang also slightly moved aside, standing behind Li Zexian, and whispered, "He's coming."

Li Zhixing knew who the master was talking about, and he couldn't help but step back, warning Ye Qingzhan, "Be careful, this person is carrying evil spirits and is full of sins. Stay away."

Perhaps because the fog was too thick, Ye Qingzhan didn't hear clearly, and stood motionless in the center of the fog. The overflowing black fog was like a carefully woven cage, trapping only two people.

The black fog was like light silk, circling her, encircling her, greedily licking her.

Ye Qingzhan frowned slightly, touched the silver bracelet on his wrist, and maintained an innocent look on his face.

A man walked in amidst the black fog.

In the darkness that spread all over the sky, no matter whether it was a ghost or a fairy, it was difficult to see the appearance of the person coming. Only Ye Qingzhan could see clearly.

It was a young man wearing a dark blue robe. He was very tall and handsome, with carved features, especially the eyes that looked at her. They were as clear as the moon in the sky, but the look in his eyes seemed to be looking at something filthy.

Resisting the urge to frown, Ye Qingzhan greeted him with a smile - in Camellia Village, she could only do things with a smile on her face. The voice in her heart also told her that this young man could be used.

The fog dissipated, and the ghosts who had been hiding poked their heads out of the wing rooms, looking at the evil young man from a distance with curiosity and fear. But no one dared to approach him.

Li Zhixing looked at the two of them and suddenly understood something. He exchanged a glance with Hu Sanniang, then pulled Ye Qingzhan over and whispered, "I might have to inconvenience you. Stay with this young man all the time, and coax him when necessary." Ye Qingzhan

listened, his eyes darkening for a moment, but he quickly smiled again, like a flower that only blooms towards the sun. He said, "Okay, he's so handsome, I'll coax him."

Before he finished speaking, he ran towards the young man, tilting his head and asking, "Are you also a Ghost Ferryman? My name is Ye Qingzhan, what's your name?"

The young man lowered his eyes, his expression displeased.

Ye Qingzhan didn't care much, picked up his arm, and shook it, "We are all Ghost Ferrymen. It's hard to get things done without knowing each other's names. Just tell me."

The young man's eyes suddenly darkened as he looked at her.

——Just as she touched his arm, the evil spirits in his internal organs roared, and his body and mind felt numb.

Why...

Perhaps frightened by the young man's eyes, Ye Qingzhan put down the hand that was hugging his arm, his eyebrows drooped, and he looked like a young flower wet by the rain.

The young man suddenly said, "Nameless."

Seeing that this sinister and cold-faced man finally spoke, the ghosts breathed a sigh of relief.

With his lips slightly curved, Ye Qingzhan slowly widened the arc, raised his eyes, and continued to smile: "Then can I give you a name?"

Just now, he was secretly thinking about it in his heart, and now he had made a decision. He said: "Okay." He had to do what she wanted.

With eyes like stars, Ye Qingzhan said: "You have a cold plum fragrance on you, a light plum fragrance, like smelling the return of an old friend, so let's call you Wen Gu."

The young man said: "It's up to you."

As the voice fell, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out behind him. Ye Qingzhan and Wen Gu looked back together -

there were two figures on the stage that looked as thin as paper, with clothes of different colors walking up along the side of the stage. Their steps were slow but rhythmic, and their bodies were leaning forward, as if they were controlled by invisible silk threads.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." The "person" on the stage said in a shrill voice and bowed to the audience.

The ghost who had just hidden jumped down from the second-floor room and became a guest in the audience, and the whole room burst into applause. Wen

Gu's eyes fell on the two figures on the stage.

When they reached the center of the stage, under the bright red candlelight, Ye Qingzhan saw clearly that the people who were singing on the stage were two shadow puppets.

Two shadow puppets that were not manipulated by bamboo sticks or silk threads, and were the same height as mortals.

Ye Qingzhan's eyes stopped blinking, and he watched the two shadow puppets stiffly bending towards the audience, then glanced in their direction.

Following their gaze, Ye Qingzhan looked at the male ghost in green standing outside the inn.

Hu Sanniang said with a faint smile: "A good show is about to begin."

Li Zhixing glanced at her.

Ye Qingzhan's eyes slowly passed from the banished immortal and the faces of the ghosts, and finally quietly fell on the young man, then retracted his gaze to look at the stage, as if agreeing with someone, with a faint smile: "Yeah."

"The show is about to begin."