The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife -
Chapter 360: I Cannot Be So Selfish
Chapter 360: I Cannot Be So Selfish
Zhao Lingfu frowned slightly, "Although my husband passed away young, he has me as his wife. We have each other on this journey, so how is he pitiful?"
The old man retorted, "Passed away young? You short-lived ghost, living so short, you couldn’t even make it through the Yellow Springs Road on your own. That’s why your family found a suitable man for you to marry, right? He had his soul forcibly extracted to accompany you on this journey. Isn’t that pitiful?"
Zhao Lingfu’s heart trembled, still trying to defend, "No! My brother told me that Fourth Young Master died of a sudden illness. Because our fate was destined to match, that’s why they secretly brought his body to marry me."
This was what her brother had told her personally.
The old man clicked his tongue twice and scrutinized Zhao Lingfu from head to toe.
"From your appearance, you don’t seem that malicious. Turns out you’ve been kept in the dark. In my previous life, I also studied Feng Shui and mysticism quite extensively. What kind of people you are, I can’t tell?"
"Look at the red strings on your wrists. This is to prevent your husband from running away halfway, allowing you two to share fortune and misfortune. Your husband didn’t die of a sudden illness at all; he was just extracted by your family so he could accompany you on this journey."
"Your family really loves you. They were afraid you would suffer in the underworld and not be able to pass the Yellow Springs Road, so they resorted to such evil methods, which will cost them their longevity."
Zhao Lingfu was completely stunned.
Her soul had been confined within her body after death, and her perception of the outside world had been blurry. Later, when she was on Mount Buqing, when she was dressed in her wedding gown, she heard bits and pieces of the conversation among the Taoists. At that time, she thought they were only talking about stealing a corpse.
Thinking back to how her brother had known about her admiration for Chu Yang a long time ago and had said such things to her at the end, Zhao Lingfu’s ghostly body couldn’t help but tremble again and again.
So, her brother had done such a thing for her sake!
If the Mansion of Marquis Anyang and the Ninth Princess found out, her brother would be in trouble, and the Flame Sect would also be in trouble!
Ghosts also have emotions and can shed tears. Zhao Lingfu cried fiercely, not knowing what to do.
Seeing this, the old man said, "Things have come to this point. You should go through the Yellow Springs Road with him properly. However, since he didn’t reach the end of his natural life, he cannot accompany you over the Bridge of Helplessness. At that time, you will have to rely on yourself."
Zhao Lingfu wiped away her ghostly tears and sobbed, "If Fourth Young Master can’t cross the Bridge of Helplessness, where else can he go?"
"He can wander around. If he encounters good ghosts, they will take care of him. When his natural life is over, he will naturally be able to cross the Bridge of Helplessness. Look at him... it’s just a matter of decades. Don’t worry too much." The old man couldn’t stand her crying appearance and comforted her again.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Lingfu couldn’t hold back.
She quickly struggled to jump down, grabbing Chu Yang and the old man, not allowing them to continue forward.
"Decades? No way!" Zhao Lingfu thought back and forth. "Sir, I have read books that say a soul can leave the body for a short time without any problem, as long as it returns quickly. Is that true?"
Although the underworld was dim and seemingly timeless, Zhao Lingfu had only just arrived, still grasping some concept of time.
The old man looked ahead, feeling somewhat anxious. "Hey, why are you so clueless, girl? I’ve been on the Yellow Springs Road for a long, long time. I’m almost at the Bridge of Helplessness. Please don’t stop me."
He deeply regretted it now. Why did he meddle in things with his big mouth at the beginning?
Zhao Lingfu looked delicate, but at this moment, she refused to let go: "Please, sir, answer."
The old man patiently advised, "Wanting him to return to the mortal realm and reunite soul and body, it’s not easy at all, young lady. I advise you, take care of yourself first and don’t let down the plans and intentions of your family."
"No!" Zhao Lingfu insisted firmly, "The Fourth Young Master was born into a noble family in this life, with a harmonious and happy family. Just for me to smoothly guide him across the River of Styx to be reincarnated, I can’t let him become a lonely ghost in the underworld forever. How could I be so selfish?!"
Although the Fourth Young Master might not acknowledge himself as her husband, she already treated him as such.
Her life was short, and if she died, she died. But she didn’t need to drag the Fourth Young Master down with her.
The old man looked deeply at her and said, "Even though you will vanish into ashes, you still want to send him back to the mortal realm?"
Zhao Lingfu hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded, "I’m not afraid!"
The old man chuckled, "I didn’t do many good deeds in my life, so that’s why I’ve been unable to finish this journey on the River of Styx. Well, well, today I’ll help you once."
His feet were already sore from the grind of the River of Styx, enduring endless torment. He should have kept going forward, should have finished this path long ago. But seeing such a foolish person for the first time in a long time, he suddenly felt there was no need to rush.
Zhao Lingfu was overjoyed and bowed to the old man, "Thank you, sir."
This address, "sir," was quite effective for the old man. After all, he hadn’t received much respect during his lifetime; people in town would just call him "Old Man Li."
However, after many years of walking the River of Styx in the afterlife, constantly recalling the joys and sorrows of this life in his mind, he had almost forgotten how to help Zhao Lingfu. After all, he was now just a wisp of ghostly spirit, with no ability to untie that red thread.
After much thought, the old man saw the abysses on both sides of the road and had a sudden inspiration, saying, "I’ve got it! Come with me!"
The old man lifted his feet and walked towards one side.
Zhao Lingfu hurried to follow because Chu Yang was still under the effect of the talisman and his consciousness was not clear, obediently following as well.
In the abyss, green Ghost Fire rolled.
For a weak soul like Zhao Lingfu’s, just approaching it made her extremely uncomfortable.
She only glanced at it and quickly retreated, not daring to get closer.
"Sir, what is this?" she asked.
"This is Hell’s Ghost Fire. For a ghost like you, just touching it would make you vanish into ashes," the old man said. "Only like this can the red thread bound around your wrists be undone, and then the Fourth Young Master’s consciousness will naturally recover."
Zhao Lingfu looked at the flickering green light, then turned to look at Chu Yang again, and the fear in her heart suddenly dissipated.
This situation arose because of her and should be ended by her.
She asked again, "After the red thread is undone, how will the Fourth Young Master return to the mortal realm?"
The old man stroked his beard and said, "Don’t worry, his life span is not yet over. As long as you explain the situation to the messenger, he will naturally be sent back. But you must act quickly. Once the time passes, even if the messenger opens the gates of the underworld to let the Young Master find his own body, he won’t be able to reunite with it."
Zhao Lingfu nodded and was about to step quickly towards the abyss.
But unexpectedly, while the old man urged her to hurry, he hesitated when he saw her about to jump down, and pulled her back directly.
"Hey! Young lady, have you really thought this through? Before your soul scatters, do you still want to endure torment from the Ghost Fire? That pain... tsk tsk, you may not be able to bear it."
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