Chapter 44 The Person Who Never Left
At the borderland of life and death, Qin Liu held the Soul Guiding Lantern and stood by the Nai River Bridge.
She quietly gazed at the ink-like flow of the Nai River, then slowly raised the lantern.
Under the illumination of the lamp, the Nai River’s flow seemed to have suddenly stopped.
The Soul Guiding Lantern in Qin Liu’s hand trembled violently, and the wick burst into dazzling, deep blue flames, instantly illuminating the entire Nai River Bridge.
“Nine bends of the Yellow Springs, the Nai water flows…”
The young girl’s voice was soft, yet it seemed to pierce through both the yin and yang realms, echoing constantly in this space.
The surface of the Nai River, which had stopped flowing, began to move again, and with ripples, thick white mist rose from the water.
After an unknown amount of time, a white figure slowly emerged from the mist.
He held a peachwood sword in his hand, and was dressed in simple clothes.
This person was Liu Jianjun.
“A guide…” Liu Jianjun couldn’t help but feel a sense of emotion as he looked at the young girl holding the lantern. “How exactly did my foolish son get involved with the Underworld messengers?”
Indeed, after the barrier at Ye Shangfeng disappeared, Liu Jianjun had also died.
However, unlike Old Deng, his soul was relatively intact, which allowed Qin Liu to find his soul again in the Nai River.
Qin Liu’s lifeless eyes stared at the man before her for a long time. Then, she bowed slightly, her lips parting, and after much hesitation, she uttered a title.
“… Mr. Liu.”
“Oh my~” Hearing Qin Liu’s words, Liu Jianjun was amused. “Little girl, I can’t accept that title. Just call me Old Liu, or call me old man, just like your goofy boy does.”
Liu Jianjun was a rather easygoing person. He sat down at the broken part of the Nai River Bridge.
“However… I must thank you for taking care of my foolish son.”
His voice was filled with emotion and regret.
“Ever since his mother died, I haven’t spent much time with him. Instead, Old Deng helped take care of him more.”
“Now, father and son are separated by life and death, yin and yang. If I want to go back, alas… there’s no regret medicine in life. It’s best to cherish the present.”
As he spoke, Liu Jianjun picked up a reed and placed it in his mouth.
Perhaps sensing his longing for a smoke, Qin Liu took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and offered them.
“Liu Haoyu said you prefer to smoke these.”
Liu Jianjun’s eyes widened as he looked at the cigarettes Qin Liu offered.
This brand had been discontinued long ago. Where did Liu Haoyu get them from?
He took the cigarettes from Qin Liu and lit one.
It was the familiar and nostalgic taste.
But after not smoking for so long, he was no longer used to it, so after only two puffs, he paused.
“That kid really has a heart.”
The two fell silent again. Liu Jianjun exhaled a smoke ring and squinted at the distant Nai River.
“But speaking of which, what has that kid been busy with lately? He hasn’t even bothered to visit his old man?”
Qin Liu also sat down, placing the lantern on her lap, and said in a voice devoid of emotion.
“He’s busy renovating the marital home. That haunted house he bought for 5,000 yuan is too dilapidated and was even burned down. It’s almost like rebuilding it from scratch.”
As she spoke, Qin Liu picked up a stone and skipped it on the water.
The stone bounced four or five times on the water’s surface before sinking to the bottom.
“However… I suspect he’s also afraid of facing you, which is why he hasn’t dared to come.”
“That’s very likely. After all, I wasn’t around much when he was growing up. I went to Ye Shangfeng when he was five… No?”
Liu Jianjun suddenly realized that Qin Liu’s words were a bit off, and the cigarette in his hand almost fell into the river.
“Marital home?”
He turned his head to look at Qin Liu, staring closely at the young girl, and suddenly remembered something.
“Wait a moment? Did that kid move that fast? How far have you two gotten? Don’t tell me you already have kids?”
Despite Liu Jianjun’s series of questions, Qin Liu’s face remained expressionless. Her blank eyes stared at the river surface, but the roots of her ears turned red. She picked up another stone and threw it, but this time, it didn’t even skip once.
“No… no children, it’s not that fast.”
“Right, right, there’s no rush for this.”
Liu Jianjun suppressed the excitement on his face. He reminisced about the past, his voice filled with emotion.
“That kid was just like me back then. He went ahead and got married to his mother without informing anyone. His grandfather was so angry he almost had a heart attack.”
“Are you angry?”
Qin Liu looked at the man before her, seeming a little nervous, her hands involuntarily tightening around the lantern she held.
“Angry? What is there to be angry about? I’m too happy to be angry!”
Liu Jianjun laughed heartily.
“I heard that girl Xiaolin say that before he met you, that kid was always acting like he was half-dead, like a living dead person. Now that he has you, I can finally rest easy.”
“And… I actually feel very guilty towards that kid, Liu Haoyu…”
After taking another puff, Liu Jianjun tossed the cigarette butt into the river water.
“But speaking of which, when are you two planning to have the wedding ceremony?”
“The fifteenth of next month,” Qin Liu said softly, hugging the Soul Guiding Lantern. “He thoroughly checked the almanac, and said that day is a good day, and you guys can also come on the fifteenth.”
“The fifteenth… the night of the full moon, when the yin energy is at its strongest. We old ghosts can also stay in the human world a little longer…”
Liu Jianjun was very attentive to his son’s wedding. He kept chattering, sentence after sentence.
“But how are you going to hold the banquet? We can’t eat food from a living person’s restaurant.”
Qin Liu continued to explain.
“We probably won’t go to a hotel, we’ll have the party directly at the marital home. Those who are invited can come. They are all people who know about this, so they won’t be too surprised even if they see you.”
Liu Haoyu doesn’t have many relatives or friends. Even if he has friends, most of them are ghost exorcists, so they are used to ghosts and aren’t surprised.
“You two are quite serious about this,” Liu Jianjun lit another cigarette, his happiness evident in his eyes. “It’s truly his good fortune from his past life to have met you.”
Qin Liu lowered her head, hugging the lantern.
“Actually… I should be thanking him.”
Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.
“If it weren’t for him, I probably would have become a sacrifice to that Night Walker by now.”
Liu Jianjun paused in his smoking. He didn’t know much about the relationship between Liu Haoyu and Qin Liu, but seeing the young girl’s appearance, he didn’t pry further. Instead, he brought the topic back.
“By the way, who are you going to find to be the officiant for the wedding?”
“This…” Qin Liu didn’t think much and said directly, “Let’s find King Yama, that old geezer.”
“…Who?”
