Ghost Bridegroom — Chapter 9

Chapter 9: “An old demonic cultivator’s ideology of being single.”

Although He Huan had returned to the Profound Sect, he didn’t abolish his demonic cultivation. Thus, whenever he had free time, he would occasionally go to the demonic way to play. It was like the man was completely unaware that he had already switched factions.

The entire demonic way really wanted to beat He Huan out, while the righteous faction also wanted to drive him away too. Unfortunately, this guy was just way too strong. In addition, He Huan’s Master, the Sect Leader of the Profound Sect and someone who loved his disciple as if he was his own son, supported him.

Thus, both the demonic and righteous ways were completely unable to defeat him. They could only curse him out while gnashing their teeth—damn you, He Huan!

However, it so happened that after a hundred years, this guy’s temper had gotten much better. Every day, he would greet people with a smile, and when he was free, he would even give the demonic cultivators a few pointers. 

Thus, after the ignorant teenagers within the demonic sect were deceived by He Huan’s appearance, believing he was a senior who deserved respect, the angry Elders could only refuse to acknowledge him, ignore him, and despise him. 

Then, they’ll change their postures, before continuing to not acknowledge him, ignore him , and despise him!

One day, He Huan once again walked calmly into the demonic way, angering all the Elders into pufferfish. However, when He Huan caught sight of his disciple, who hadn’t left his house for an entire month, let alone his study room, He Huan immediately became a bitter old father. 

Extremely worried, the man sighed and said, “Qianren ah, you’re already sixty-eight years old but you still haven’t found a confidante. Don’t tell me you really plan on dual cultivating with your paperwork?”

Actually, the real reason Bi Qianren was busy to this degree was completely because all the Elders, who normally shared some of his responsibilities, had been angered away by He Huan. Even the leader of the demonic way had been so annoyed by the man, he had entered closed-door seclusion to cultivate.

Thus, the major Protector Bi Qianren, who was the only person capable of enduring He Huan’s harassment, had no other choice but to carry the entire upper level of the demonic way on his own shoulders.

However, as a disciple who highly respected his Master, Bi Qianren expressionlessly continued to mark the official documents. He merely replied, “I think being alone isn’t bad.”

Unfortunately, as the Master who had raised him, He Huan knew Bi Qianren’s embarrassing dark past like the back of his hand. He immediately asked with doubt, “Is that so? Why do I remember, when I asked you what you wanted for your twentieth birthday, you very firmly told me you wanted to get rid of your virginity ah.”

Although he was now the cold and frosty major Protector of the demonic way, a person no living thing would dare to approach, Bi Qianren had also been a youth who wanted respect when he was young. Naturally, he had extremely loathed the “virgin” title granted to him by the Palace of Bliss.

However, reality was just this cruel. Although forty years had passed, not only did Bi Qianren not manage to remove this title, he even succeeded in upgrading it to became the demonic way’s last virgin. 

Whoever heard this miserable story would even feel sorry for him.　　

Bi Qianren was originally already very depressed because of the natural demonic energy in his body, which prevented him from becoming intimate with other people. Now that He Huan added salt to his wound, the only thing in his mind right now was this disrespectful thought—

Why hadn’t the heavenly tribulation hacked his Master—who didn’t know how to respect the elderly—into losing his memory?!

In the present society, the righteous and demonic factions each minded their own business. In a way, they were living together in harmony.

Since He Huan was no longer able to torment the land under the heavens, he changed targets to his own disciple. Although Qianren was emanating a rebellious aura from head to toe, like he was refusing to talk to his parental guardian, He Huan still enthusiastically asked, “How about you tell me what types you like, so this Master can help you find a partner?”

At that time, Bi Qianren, who had already been handling documents for an entire month, was truly feeling annoyed. He answered casually, “A dead person who can quietly bury itself in the ground like a sweet potato while I’m working.”

“We haven’t met for only a few years, but your tastes have gotten awfully strange.”

Never expecting his own disciple to have already lost hope in living people, He Huan’s expression became sorrowful again. Fishing out a book from his sleeves, he very seriously instructed his disciple, “This is a p*rn book focusing on a person and a ghost. Use it to cope for a few years. After this Master asks the ghost saints and figure out how ghosts can go to bed, I’ll return to pass on these life lessons to you.”

Bi Qianren didn’t want to seriously reflect on why this person could casually take out such a weird p*rn book. He also didn’t want to know what his extremely powerful Master did, to prompt the ghost realm to put a stone tablet inscribed with “He Huan and dogs cannot enter” at its entrance.

Bi Qianren thought he had long gotten used to his Master’s unreliable actions. However, reality and facts prove that he had still underestimated the strongest demonic cultivator under the heavens.

After all, He Huan really found a dead person to give to his disciple!

With Fu Hongye’s personality, he naturally trusted his benefactor very much. With such a high degree of goodwill at their very first meeting, even if Bi Qianren didn’t do anything afterwards, the relationship of the two wouldn’t be bad.

At this moment, Qianren could almost hear his Master tell himself in a very gratified tone, “Dear disciple ah, this Master can only help you to this point.”

However, despite facing such a good opportunity to rescue the damsel in distress, Bi Qianren perfectly avoided all the options that could leave a good impression on Fu Hongye. He expressionlessly picked up Zhuge Qingtian’s head before walking out.

The moment he walked out of the door, another dead person, who was much more troublesome than Fu Hongye, came over to greet him. He even handed over Qianren’s headband in a rather obedient and lovable manner. “Wife, you finally came out!”

Bi Qianren’s hair and skin were all deadly to living people. Nobody would even dare wash the clothing he had worn before.

At this moment, as he casually took back his headband, Bi Qianren discovered that there were truly advantages to dead people. At the very least, people who have died once wouldn’t die a second time.

However, Qianren wasn’t interested in taking care of two little ghosts. It was better to let them torment each other instead.

“Here’s your head. Don’t lose it again.”

Randomly pressing the head back onto Zhuge Qingtian’s neck, Bi Qianren leaned slightly to the side. Sure enough, Zhuge Qingtian’s gaze was immediately attracted by Fu Hongye’s figure. The malicious ghost asked with shock, “Why is he also here?”

“He is precisely that Injured Soul Bird. Don’t you want to get married? He’ll agree to it.”

As he casually mentioned this, Bi Qianren finished tying up his hair and began walking forward. He thought, a virtuous and nice person like Fu Hongye was different from him. The youth definitely wouldn’t refuse to pretend to marry someone if it could send a malicious ghost back to the cycle of reincarnation.

Getting together with the youth Zhuge Qingtian had longed to become could also be considered as fulfilling the malicious ghost’s desires. And Bi Qianren himself would be able to get rid of two huge inconveniences, before he could continue to wander the jianghu by himself.

When he heard this, Zhuge Qingtian blanked out for a moment. Watching the white-robed youth walk over, the ghost didn’t doubt Bi Qianren’s words.

The opportunity to reincarnate, one Zhuge Qingtian had been longing for such a long time, was right in front of his eyes. As long as he said anything, he would be able to obtain it. 

However, Zhuge Qingtian’s body only chose to point at the youth with his finger as he angrily said, “You! It’s you! Why must you always make life difficult for my head!”

Now that he mentioned it, Zhuge Qingtian’s head had been chopped off by Fu Hongye. Today, Fu Hongye—who had turned into the Injured Soul Bird—also snatched away his head to lead the two of them here. There was really an ill-fated relationship between Zhuge Qingtian and the white-robed youth!

When he thought of this, it was as if Zhuge Qingtian had found an excuse for his actions. He told himself, he definitely could not marry a person who would randomly snatch his head for no reason!

As for how Bi Qianren had directly kicked his head flying, an action that was even more nasty than what Fu Hongye did, a certain malicious ghost very willfully chose to ignore this face.

With this reminder, Fu Hongye also recalled how he had wrongly accused this ghost in the past. Someone who had a terrible life was actually bullied by him after death too, this truly violated his chivalrous oath.

Fu Hongye immediately said with remorse, “I’m sorry! I apologize! Please forgive me! What can I do to make up for my mistake?”

Bi Qianren’s skill in judging people was really quite good. At this moment, the words “I’m really easy to deceive, please take advantage of me” were practically written all over Fu Hongye’s face. Even if they asked the youth to sit on the bridal sedan chair, he was afraid Fu Hongye would just brace himself and do it.

However, the opportunity already sent itself to his door, but Zhuge Qingtian only asked curiously, “Then can you tell me, in the outside world, what do I have to do so my wife would like me?”

Not expecting the ghost would ask him this question, Fu Hongye’s expression immediately became awkward and embarrassed. “This……Master said, it’s still too early for me to find a Daoist companion. I haven’t even seen female cultivators before……”

Righteous sects weren’t as bold and unrestrained as demonic cultivators. During their youth, righteous cultivators attached most importance to pure cultivation.

Fu Hongye had also been instructed to devote himself completely to cultivating and to have less contact with the female disciples. Thus, he was also very unfamiliar with the topic Zhuge Qingtian picked.

However, when Zhuge Qingtian saw how the youth was at a loss, the malicious ghost became even more worried. It turned out that in the outside world, even someone like Fu Hongye couldn’t find a wife?

No wonder his wife was still a bachelor at sixty-eight years old, this world was really too scary!

Thanks to these two people, Zhuge Qingtian realized just how difficult it was to encounter someone you loved in the present society. The malicious ghost had no other choice but to pat the teenager in front of him with grief, “Forget it, I guess I just need to try hard by myself. You need to work hard too to find a wife as soon as possible!”

Zhuge Qingtian’s line of thought wasn’t something normal people could keep up with. Fu Hongye’s expression was still quite awkward and embarrassed as he replied, “To be honest, I think practicing swordsmanship is more interesting than talking to female cultivators.”

This was the first time Zhuge Qingtian met an idiot obsessed with martial arts. He immediately asked with doubt, “Don’t tell me cultivators like you hug their swords to sleep?”

“I do, ah.”

Faced with this person’s bold and self-confident answer, Zhuge Qingtian immediately had a new understanding towards cultivators. He looked hopefully at a certain black-clothed man, “Wife, do you still need a weapon? How about considering a malicious ghost, I’m very hard ah!”

“……”

Staring speechlessly at the two of them, Bi Qianren completely couldn’t understand how these dead people managed to shift the topic to this. He also really couldn’t understand why Zhuge Qingtian was so attached to him. After all, as long as someone’s eyes weren’t broken, they would know Fu Hongye was much easier to get along with compared to himself. 

Sure enough, this malicious ghost’s head was completely different compared to normal people!

Fu Hongye hadn’t expected that the “wife” Zhuge Qingtian was talking about was precisely this indifferent demonic cultivator. The youth wasn’t an ordinary person from the countryside, so he could tell at a single glance that this was a senior in the Nascent Soul realm.

A Nascent Soul cultivator was actually gay with a corpse, and he was even the “wife” in the relationship. Fu Hongye’s Master had been right, the world of demonic cultivators was truly hard to understand ah……

But although the youth was gasping with surprise in his heart, this senior was still his benefactor. 

Thus, Fu Hongye respectfully said, “Although your distinguished self is a demonic cultivator, this one must repay your life-saving grace. Please tell me your name and your sect. After I return to the Profound Sect and reconstruct my body, I’ll definitely do my best to prepare a thank-you gift for the two of you. Ah, and also the best matchmaker from Yuncheng.”

Although Fu Hongye had turned into an Injured Soul Bird, his body didn’t contain much resentment. With the methods of the Profound Sect, it wouldn’t be hard for him to reconstruct a new body.

However, when he saw how this youth still wanted to return the righteous way, despite experiencing all of this, even Qianren couldn’t help but say, “I don’t want to have any relationship with the Profound Sect. But you, are you still intending to continue being chivalrous?”

“Yeah. This time, I will keep my sect’s teachings in mind, and strive to become a hero who can save all the people.”

After giving the two of them a gentle smile, the white-robed youth once again turned into a big, blood-red bird, one that spread its wings and flew into the sky. 

Fu Hongye had left his sect for far too long. Now that his obsession was solved, it was time for him to go back.

Although the youth’s jianghu path had a bumpy beginning, it hadn’t completely ended yet. Since Fu Hongye was still remained true to his Dao, he would be able to once again continue on his way with his head held high. 

As for this place, which had pulled his beautiful ideals and dreams into reality, the youth only left behind these words, “These two lords, since the jianghu is so large, I’ll wait for the day I can meet you guys once more. The green hills will never change, the clear water will always flow!¹”

“Since ancient times, the righteous and the demonic factions do not have the same principles. For people who can never understand each other, it’s still better to not be acquainted.” Qianren replied.

The Injured Soul Bird in the sky finally stopped wailing. As he watched that blood-red silhouette break through the skies and leave, Bi Qianren sighed lightly before lowering his gaze.

The person He Huan chose for him was naturally very good. It was a pity that he would ultimately fail to live up to his Master’s painstaking efforts.

Bi Qianren had become used to being alone, so he wished to continue on his path like this in the future too. Although he occasionally felt a bit lonely, this was still the road he had chosen himself.

However, it was easy to send Fu Hongye away, because the youth’s world was very large. At all times, Fu Hongye would be able to spread his wings and soar.

But it wouldn’t be as easy to get rid of this other dead person. Sure enough, when he saw Qianren’s expression become a bit strange, Zhuge Qingtian immediately approached him.

The ghost’s voice was as noisy as it always had been, “Wife, wife! I’m not as troublesome as him, and I’m also really easy to understand! Have you suddenly discovered my merits?!”

No, with regards to everything, you’re the hardest to understand.

As he watched the ghost with a headache, only now did Bi Qianren realize that he shouldn’t randomly say things. 

He was capable of dodging all the “fated marriages” created by He Huan that had attacked him like torrential rain. However, during the process of dodging, Bi Qianren himself provoked an annoying malicious ghost like Zhuge Qingtian, someone he couldn’t get rid of no matter what.

What should he do now? Directly package this guy up before sending him off to the Profound Sect via flying sword?

Just when Bi Qianren wanted to get rid of this annoying malicious ghost and resume his solitary and pleasant life, the young ghost raised his head. Holding onto Bi Qianren’s clothes, his eyes were filled with hope, “You said before that you’ll bring me outside. Will you still keep your word?” 

In the end, after being stared at by a gaze like this, Bi Qianren couldn’t bear making a move. The black-clothed man only began walking forward as he spoke in his always indifferent voice, “I need to go to Jiangnan. Whether or not you want to follow me, it’s up to you.”

When Bi Qianren heard the footsteps of the happy youth who immediately followed after him, he didn’t speak nor turn his head. 

Qianren only thought in his heart; he got by pretty well in the demonic way. So Bi Qianren didn’t need to be loved, nor did he need someone to rescue him. 

However, when encountering a just cause like this, one he could solve just by raising his hand……

Occasionally trying out chivalry wasn’t that bad.

1. This is part of the phrase “青山不改，绿水长流，后会有期” which translates to “The green hills will never change, the clear water will always flow, and we’ll meet again.” It means that one’s original intentions did not change, showing their persistence, and can also describe someone’s relationship with others. Later on, it also became a saying for “see you again in the future”.