After hearing Tang Chao finish, Chen Hao, Ye Yuqiao, and Xie Xiaofeng were all stunned.

After a long while, Xie Xiaofeng was the first to ask, "What method did that Mr. Li from the Netherworld use to save you from the Gate of Ghosts?"

The question Xie Xiaofeng asked was also precisely the biggest question in Chen Hao's and Ye Yuqiao's minds.

Tang Chao's face darkened, instantly ashen, betraying an unspeakable secret. After pondering for a long time, he finally looked up and narrated slowly, "Grandfather told me before he died that it was Qian Feng, the Clan Leader of one of the Eight Great Clans in the Netherworld, who used his influence there to command the Soul Taking Messenger, who was supposed to bring me to the Netherworld, to randomly find a Yin Soul as a substitute."

Upon hearing Tang Chao's account, Ye Yuqiao, who was the Nether King, was furious, her face turning a shade of iron. The so-called fate of life and death must not be violated, yet Qian Feng, the Clan Leader of one of the Eight Great Clans, dared to defy the laws of the Netherworld—it was an unforgivable crime. One could imagine what sorts of self-serving deeds Qian Feng and the Eight Great Clans had committed in her eighteen-year absence from the Netherworld.

Noticing the anger in Ye Yuqiao beside him, Chen Hao reached forward and held her hand, smiled at her, and signaled her to not get too worked up.

"So you're saying that you, like Chen Hao, have already exhausted your allotted lifespan, only he is protected by enchantment, while you found a scapegoat to go to the Netherworld in your place," Xie Xiaofeng summarized, his handsome face filled with surprise.

Tang Chao hummed in agreement, then picked up his bitter coffee from the table in front of him and took a few sips.

Watching Tang Chao's coffee cup return to its coaster, Xie Xiaofeng continued to ask, "Then, where's Tang Jing now?"

"At home," Tang Chao said dejectedly, a taste of sweetness mixing with the bitter coffee he swallowed since his heart was already filled with an unbearable bitterness. "Today, a whole bunch of people from the Li Family came over, saying that since our family has no elders, they will take care of all the wedding preparations."

"Then..." Chen Hao spoke with a low and cautious tone, "Is she very angry about it?"

The look on Tang Chao's face grew increasingly bitter, and after two seconds, he finally couldn't hold back his tears. As he wiped them away, he sobbed, "When I first heard about this from Grandfather, I felt extremely guilty towards my sister, so I've tried my best in all matters big and small over the years, put in all my effort to dote on her."

Pausing, Tang Chao continued to cry, "This morning when she found out, the first thing she said was that she hated me and Grandfather. At noon, I found the Li Family's people and told them that I didn't agree with my sister marrying into their family, and if that didn't work, they could take my life. The Li Family refused the marriage withdrawal and even took out the contract my grandfather had signed with Li Jiachang back then. I thought about calling the police, but my sister stopped me, saying that I should live well in the future..."

As he spoke, Tang Chao choked up, then bowed his head onto the table and wept uncontrollably.

Xie Xiaofeng and Chen Hao, who were sitting on either side of Tang Chao, quickly stood up and went forward to comfort him.

Ye Yuqiao frowned, her eyes filled with deep sorrow, thinking to herself that this pair of siblings truly had a hard life.

Once Tang Chao regained his composure, Chen Hao patted his shoulder with his left hand and smiled, "Don't be sad, with us around, your sister won't marry that deadbeat."

"You mean..."

"That's right, of course we have to stop it!" Chen Hao said with a light laugh.

Tang Chao's face was full of distress as he shook his head slightly, "But you all have to think this through. If you go to stop it, you will anger one of the Eight Great Clans of the Netherworld, the Qian Family."

"So what?" Chen Hao said nonchalantly. Then, he smiled and looked at Xie Xiaofeng, "The reason we became friends in the first place is for moments like these, right, Xiao Feng?"

Xie Xiaofeng nodded firmly and spoke loudly, "Exactly, not to mention the Eight Great Clans, we're not even afraid of the Nether King!"

Chen Hao's mouth curved slightly upward as he glanced sideways at Ye Yuqiao.

Ye Yuqiao puffed her cheeks and glared at Chen Hao with a smile in her eyes.

..

In the urban-rural fringe area north of Y City, there is a street called Xinguang Street. To the east of Xinguang Street lies a neat and spacious corner of the city, while to the west lies a rural area with a strong local atmosphere. And on this street is Tang Chao and Tang Jing's home, a dilapidated duplex building at No. 23.

Half-past ten.

The night was as deep as drunkenness, and looking out at the corner of the city with its water-mirror streets and neon shadows, Tang Jing's heart sank into despair amidst the glamorous scenes. She was already dressed in a red bridal gown, her lips painted bright red, and her face, touched by rouge and powder, was marred by tears that streamed down.

"Oh dear, my good lady, please stop crying; I've already repaired your makeup several times!"

The woman giving Tang Jing her makeup was a rural aunty, and Tang Jing guessed that the aunty was displeased with her, which is why she had made Tang Jing's face look like a monkey's butt. Holding a piece of paper, the aunty wiped Tang Jing's tears while constantly complaining.

"They say that if you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog!" the aunty said, and by now she was busy touching up Tang Jing's makeup. "This is your fate, so try to accept it."

Tang Jing sobbed uncontrollably, retorting through her tears, "I would rather marry a chicken than to marry a dead ghost!"

Hearing Tang Jing's words, the aunty did not speak further, only a schadenfreude smile spread across her face.

Soon after, from the countryside on the west side of Xinhua Street, came the sound of gongs and drums, the stirring suona music to Tang Jing's ears was incredibly grating and terrifying, as if the Grim Reaper was announcing her impending doom.

"They're coming, the wedding procession is arriving!" the aunty exclaimed with joy, quickly grabbing a veil from the vanity and draping it over Tang Jing's head. Then, with her rough, strong hands gripping Tang Jing's frail arms, she pulled Tang Jing up and hurriedly took her out of the room.

Before Tang Jing had a chance to say a proper goodbye, she was dragged out of the family home by the aunty. Thinking that she had already been married off and that her only relative, her brother Tang Chao, still hadn't appeared, Tang Jing cried again. She didn't know if Tang Chao was now hiding in some dark corner of the street, secretly watching her, or if he had collapsed drunk in some bar?

In that moment, Tang Jing despised Tang Chao and their grandfather who favored males over females. Just last week, she was in high school, and now she had to marry someone who had been dead for many years because of a contract, which she found utterly absurd. However, for her brother who had cherished her like a treasure since they were young, she had to accept this ludicrous reality.

The deafening sound of the gongs and drums drew nearer and louder, with the air on the entire street filled with the smell of firecracker smog. The neighbors who lived on this street all came to observe the excitement, all discussing how in this day and age, there were still people who got married to the sound of gongs and drums, and had a bridal sedan carried by eight bearers come to the door to welcome the bride?

Several neighbors who were usually close with the Tang family stood at the front of the crowd, wanting to ask questions but also feeling afraid. Because riding atop the bridal sedan was not a person, but a spirit tablet.

That spirit tablet was inscribed with several characters, and like the groom, it was adorned with a large red flower. Under the dim light from afar, the glossy paint on the spirit tablet looked like a face glowing with red radiance.

In reality, the owner of the spirit tablet, Li Zhengwen, was present, only ordinary people could not see him. Dressed in festive red groom's attire, he held the reins of the horse carrying the spirit tablet in his left hand, and with his right hand, he continuously waved in gratitude to the Yin Souls that were congratulating him from all around.

Behind him, apart from the wedding procession of more than fifty people, there were also two rows of Yin Souls holding red lanterns in the procession, and eight ghostly flower boys holding baskets. With every wave of Li Zhengwen's hand, the flower boys would throw candies and cookies toward the rows of Yin Souls.

When the wedding procession stopped in front of Tang Jing's home, the matchmaker holding Li Zhengwen's spirit tablet with her left hand came up to Tang Jing, and with her right hand reaching out in front of Tang Jing's chest, she laughed and said, "Bride, please get on the sedan chair!"

And Li Zhengwen's Yin Soul stood right next to the matchmaker, tilting his head, eager to see the appearance of the bride, Tang Jing, under the veil.

After hesitating for a long time, Tang Jing finally reached out and grasped the matchmaker's hand, then the matchmaker led her slowly onto the bridal sedan.

Then the firecrackers ignited again, and the whole grand wedding procession began its return journey to the Li Family in Dao County.

After leaving Xinguang Street, the wedding procession turned west into the village road of Xinguang No.1 Village. Unlike the city people, the villagers who knew a bit about the Nether Souls were more apprehensive, so only Wandering Souls and wild ghosts who came to share in the joy stood on both sides of the village road.

Listening to the cheerful cries of the ghost sparrows on both sides of the road, Tang Jing felt terror in her heart, having already cried herself into a figure of tears. She wanted to regret it, to run away from the wedding; she would even prefer to face Chen Hao every day, someone she utterly despised.

Thinking of Chen Hao, she couldn't help but wonder if Chen Hao would come to her aid if he knew about this situation.

Given Chen Hao's reckless and fearless nature, if it were Ye Yuqiao or Lin Xiaofan sitting inside the bridal sedan at this moment, he would definitely appear without any concern for his own safety to stop it.

Tang Jing laughed at herself, never having imagined that at this moment she would wish she were Ye Yuqiao or Lin Xiaofan. Unfortunately, the aunty was right, she was not that fortunate!

However, at this moment, the wedding procession suddenly stopped. The previously vibrant and festive atmosphere abruptly became silent.

"Who are you folks?" the matchmaker at the forefront of the wedding procession asked on behalf of Li Zhengwen.

"Haha! We're here to take someone!"

Upon hearing this voice, Tang Jing froze.

"What are you after?"

"Our friend, Tang Jing!"

Tang Jing covered her mouth in shock, laughing through tears with joy. She wasn't mistaken—that was indeed...

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