"Why didn't you go look for her afterward?" Ye Yuqiao couldn't help but ask.

"The world is vast, and she left no trace. Where would I go to find her!" The old ghost wailed, "Moreover, if her heart is still with that person, what use would there be in finding her? Therefore, the only thing I could do is wait here!"

"More than a thousand years have passed, and who knows how many times she has reincarnated!" Chen Hao said, "Don't you have the predestined affinity stone? Why not use it to find out where she is."

"Only when her yin soul is nearby will the predestined affinity stone reveal the fates and connections of past lives," the old ghost explained.

"Exactly!" Ye Yuqiao silently agreed, her expression suddenly turning somber. Centuries ago, when she learned from Zhao Chong that a woman did not want to be reincarnated for Ye Heng, she ordered Zhao Chong to take the woman to the predestined affinity stone at the entrance to the Samsara Path to test their affinity across three lifetimes.

Later, it was discovered that this woman had a three-lifetime connection with Ye Heng: The first life was a mere brushing of shoulders, the second was a close affinity without fruition, and only in the third life did the two finally attain true fulfillment.

And this woman was Tang Jing's past life—Ling Yanleng.

Chen Hao sighed sorrowfully and helplessly lowered his head.

After a long silence, Chen Hao gradually shook off the melancholy in his heart, raised his head, and said to the old ghost, "Old fella, I admire your commitment to seeing lovers in this world unite. However, I can't agree with your refusal to allow people to divorce and have second thoughts."

"Hmph!" The old ghost's face darkened, and he said resentfully, "Vows and marriages are not child's play, not something one can simply take back at will. On this point, I don't feel I have done wrong! It is those who made solemn promises before me and later forgot their initial determination and betrayed their vows who are at fault!"

"Times have changed!" Chen Hao earnestly advised, "Some of your views need to keep up with the times! Aren't you the one who said not to forget one's original aspiration? Your initial aspiration to become the matchmaker was to see lovers happy. If they are unhappy together, why not let them part and find happiness elsewhere? Just respect their right to divorce freely, and I will descend the mountain and leave you be. Then, you will remain the respected and beloved matchmaker of Matchmaker Mountain."

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise filled the old ghost's eyes. After a pause, he asked, "You really won't get rid of me, allow me to go on pretending to be a god and haunting this place?"

"We humans have a flaw: we like to categorize everything with our limited perspectives, and then judge them based on first impressions. For instance, seeing demons and ghosts, we assume they are harmful, and upon seeing gods, we feel compelled to worship. In fact, there are good-hearted beings among demons and ghosts, and there are devious deities among the gods. Hence, I don't care about what you are, I only look at what you've done!" Chen Hao said meaningfully as he looked at the old ghost.

Hearing Chen Hao's words, Ye Yuqiao's lips slightly curled up, casting an admiring glance at him. She thought to herself that this was what set Chen Hao apart; he never saw anyone as better or worse, never held biased judgments against demons and ghosts, nor blindly revered authority. She felt fortunate, grateful that she did not entrust the Nether King's Heart to the wrong person.

"Sigh," the old ghost shook his head, seeming to have been persuaded by Chen Hao. After a pause, he said, "The one who doesn't allow those men and women to divorce is not me, nor is it the predestined affinity stone, but rather karma and destiny!"

"Destiny?" Chen Hao was perplexed.

After nodding slightly, the old ghost with a stern face explained, "Take that man outside, for instance. He was born into poverty, destined to live a life of destitution, and also fated to have no children. It was only because he came to me seeking a predestined partner that the predestined affinity stone matched him with a wife, and through her family's fortune and blessings, he altered his fate and now lives a good life. If he were to end this marriage, everything would revert to his previous destiny, and naturally, the child he was never meant to have would be affected."

"Oh, that's how it is!" Chen Hao said with a reflective tone, and then looked at the fierce ghost with a scrutinizing gaze, "So you mean it wasn't your intention to take revenge on his child?"

"Of course!" The old ghost's face showed a slight displeasure, "I have no need to lie to you!"

A smile curved up the corner of Chen Hao's mouth, as he took Ye Yuqiao's hand and said to the old ghost, "If that's the case, we'll take the one outside down the mountain, as for whether he still wants to insist on divorce, let him weigh the pros and cons himself."

"You really do not plan to get rid of this old ghost?" the old ghost asked with a trembling voice, having known through the Marriage Stone that Chen Hao was a talented Onmyoji. He, who had thought disaster might befall him today, didn't expect to escape his fate so easily. This made him doubtful, prompting him to repeatedly question Chen Hao.

Chen Hao shook his head and chuckled, "No, really not. Oh right, old ghost, give me two red ribbons."

"Sure!" The old ghost smiled kindly, "Do you want me to try activating the Marriage Stone with another method to fix your marriage destiny?"

"No need, just give us two red ribbons," said Chen Hao, then his eyes turned towards Ye Yuqiao, his gaze firm, "We don't need the Marriage Stone, we will definitely walk hand in hand into eternity."

"Mm!" Ye Yuqiao nodded, feeling an indescribable emotion in her heart.

After receiving the two red ribbons from the old ghost, Chen Hao then left the Temple of Marriage with Ye Yuqiao.

Standing at the temple gate, after seeing Chen Hao, Ye Yuqiao, and the driver walking far down the mountain, the old ghost's face revealed sadness as he looked up to the sky and sighed, "Ling Yanleng, I saw Ye Heng whom you once loved. In this life, you and he still have fate without destiny, but in the next life, you will finally bear the fruit of your relationship. I'm truly happy for you!"

For a moment, the old ghost let go of everything in his heart, and the resentment that had entangled his heart for a millennium dissipated. In the past, when a ghost's resentment faded, its Yin Soul would drift to the Netherworld; but this old ghost stayed because of another obsession that suddenly grew in his heart - to help more lovers in the world grow old together through the power of the Marriage Stone.

Besides, he also wanted to see that woman who he could not forget.

Halfway down the mountain.

Seeing that Chen Hao had been silent since leaving the Temple of Marriage, the anxious driver finally couldn't help asking, "Young man, did you settle the matter with the Marriage God?"

"The Marriage God's matter is settled, but the issue with your family hasn't been settled yet," Chen Hao replied.

"What do you mean?" the driver asked, confused.

"Let's talk about that later! First, I'm going to tie the red ribbons with my girlfriend."

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