That was indeed Chen Hao's voice!

Tang Jing was extremely excited, she had never expected the often mocked and scorned Chen Hao to stand up for her at this time. If she remembered correctly, tonight was supposed to be the day for the Onmyoji Conference in Y City. To any Onmyoji, that was a tremendous affirmation.

Tang Jing's tears flowed even harder; she felt overwhelmingly ashamed. She had been so jealous and contemptuous when she heard that Chen Hao had been invited to attend the Onmyoji Conference.

At this moment, Chen Hao in Tang Jing's eyes, was no longer so detestable.

"Sister!" At this time, Tang Chao's loud shout rang out. "We're here to take you away!"

"Brother!" Tang Jing immediately staggered to her feet, leaning on either side, took a couple of stumbling steps forward, lifted the sedan chair's curtain, poked her head out, clutched tightly to the edge of the palanquin with her left hand, and with her right hand formed into a bow by her mouth, she cried out loudly in response, "Brother, everyone, I'm here!"

In the dim light shed by the lanterns ahead, Tang Jing could vaguely make out the figures of Chen Hao, Ye Yuqiao, Xie Xiaofeng, and her brother Tang Chao. She had always worried that calling off the wedding would bring disaster upon her brother, but seeing the smile on Chen Hao's face at this moment changed her mind.

Tang Jing believed that the annoying, unreliable, yet magical Chen Hao could rescue her from this absurd marriage contract.

"Bride!" The auntie following beside the palanquin looked at Tang Jing with a worried frown and said urgently, "Why did you take off your veil on your own? How inauspicious!"

"Tang Jing!" Chen Hao shouted loudly, "Come down, is it that comfortable sitting in there?"

"You!" Li Zhengwen finally couldn't restrain himself and appeared amidst the crowd. "Today is my great joyful day, stand aside at once, or I'll scare you to death!"

Having said that, Li Zhengwen made a ferocious face and gestured threateningly with his claws.

Seeing this, Chen Hao, Xie Xiaofeng, and Tang Chao in front couldn't help but suppress their laughter, and Ye Yuqiao also could not help but smile with pursed lips.

The person in charge of the bridal procession went pale and nearly fainted when a ghost dressed as a groom suddenly appeared beside her. She had been a matchmaker for Nether Souls all her life, but it was the first time she had seen the groom's ghostly spirit in person.

Compared to the matchmaker, the dozens of people behind her carrying the sedan, part of the procession, and the band seemed much calmer. They were prepared for such occurrences, as encountering them was only a matter of time in this line of work.

At this time, Tang Jing stepped out of her sedan chair, picked up her skirts, and ran forward.

"Quick, stop the bride; don't let her run away!" the auntie called out anxiously, as she followed unsteadily behind Tang Jing.

Subsequently, a few from the procession who had been banging on drums and gongs stepped out. Although they made no move to stop her, they stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking Tang Jing's way.

Chen Hao gave Tang Chao a meaningful glance.

Understanding the cue, Tang Chao's head trembled slightly; then suddenly, he leaped high into the air like a golden carp jumping through the dragon's gate, streaking through the night sky and finally hopping over the heads of more than a dozen people to land beside Tang Jing.

Seeing Tang Chao agile and unimpeded, the procession who had come to meet the bride were all stunned.

"Sister," Tang Chao's eyes immediately blurred with tears.

"Brother!" in the light of the lanterns, Tang Jing's tear-streaked face sparkled.

After a pause, Tang Chao moved closer to Tang Jing, took her hand, and with one leap, in an instant, the two of them landed beside Chen Hao, Xie Xiaofeng, and Ye Yuqiao.

"Congratulations!" Chen Hao said teasingly.

Tang Jing glared at Chen Hao with resentful eyes, her face full of grievance and streaked with pink tear marks.

Confronted with Tang Jing's angry glare, Chen Hao scratched his head and said with difficulty, "It was just a joke, don't be angry!"

Tang Jing huffed, then lowered her head and began to sob softly. Tang Chao stood close beside her, supporting her thin, frail shoulders and whispering words of comfort.

"So you are my great uncle!" At this moment, Li Zhengwen floated in front of Tang Chao. "Don't forget the contract signed between our two families!"

"What kind of crap contract?" Chen Hao looked toward Li Zhengwen with displeasure. "Is that contract even legal? Take your Li Family and scram, or I'm calling the cops!"

With that, Chen Hao pulled out a cell phone from his pocket.

"Is your friend here to make a joke?" Li Zhengwen glared with menace in his eyes. "I am a ghost!"

Chen Hao's expression turned indifferent, he ignored Li Zhengwen, and instead said to Tang Chao, "Now that we've got the person, let's go."

Tang Chao nodded, and then the five of them turned around and walked down the country road that disappeared into the night.

"Wait a minute!" Li Zhengwen's Nether Soul floated in the air, shouting, "Tang Chao, don't forget, your life is given by our Li Family and my godfather, and we can take it back at any time."

Tang Jing and Tang Chao were both startled, indeed worried about what Li Zhengwen had said.

"Ignore him!" Chen Hao said lightly.

Seeing the bride being taken away, the wedding procession was in an uproar. Li Zhengwen watched Tang Jing's voice grow distant, his face twisted, and a pair of eyes gleaming with firelight tried to leap out of their sunken sockets.

"Everyone!" Li Zhengwen looked at the Yin Souls celebrating on both sides of the road, "Whoever can snatch my bride back, our Dao County's Li Family will definitely reward handsomely!"

Spurred on by Li Zhengwen's words, the Yin Souls on both sides of the road cheered and surged forward like a torrent toward Chen Hao and the others up ahead.

Feeling a torrential yin wind approaching from behind, an already pent-up Chen Hao suddenly turned around, and then from his left eye, a violently dazzling flame sprayed out, like a dragon soaring through the air, illuminating the entire world.

The Yin Souls screamed in terror, their trembling legs as heavy as if they were filled with lead, unable to take another step forward.

"Ah!" Li Zhengwen was stunned, not daring to speak again, watching helplessly as his bride was taken away, disappearing into the night. Chen Hao's visage, and the purple flames shooting from his eyes, were imprinted deeply into his frustrated heart.

...

Netherworld.

On the west side of the resplendent Nether King's palace, separated by a thirty-meter-wide avenue, there was a luxurious and spacious mansion belonging to Qian Feng, the Clan Leader of one of the Eight Great Clans in the Netherworld.

In the dead of night, the servants of Qian Mansion stole around, decorating the main courtyard with lanterns and festive window stickers to celebrate the marriage and childbearing of Qian Feng's foster son.

Everyone in Qian Mansion referred to Li Zhengwen as Young Master Li. Apart from Qian Feng and the two young masters, Young Master Li held the highest status. Speaking of Young Master Li, the servants were all filled with envy. Seven years ago, shortly after he descended to the Netherworld, he somehow came into Qian Feng's favor and was swiftly reused, and not long after, he was taken as a foster son, rapidly rising to power.

In the hall, Qian Feng, clad in a brand-new brocade robe, emerged from his room. On his left followed a fawning butler, bending at the waist, and on his right, a maid busy straightening his clothes. Qian Feng appeared to be nearly forty years old, like a man in the mortal world, but in reality, he had lived for over forty thousand years, so long that he had lost count of his age.

He had a pair of narrow eyes, as if covered with a thin film of lime color; moreover, when he usually spoke, he did so slowly and lightly, giving the impression of being lethargic. So, he often seemed distracted and indifferent.

"When will Little Li and his bride arrive?"

"Answering the master," replied the butler with a radiant smile, despite having only one leg, he moved more briskly than any other servant, "It should be soon. They are probably performing the wedding ceremony now. Once it's done, Young Master Li and his bride will return to the mansion to offer you a drink, and then head to their bridal chamber."

Upon mentioning the 'bridal chamber', the butler couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, his flushed face revealing a hint of arousal.

Qian Feng nodded slightly. It was his suggestion when Li Zhengwen's brother, Li Jiachang, went to Y City to propose to the Tang Family.

He had taken Li Zhengwen as his foster son first because he valued Dao County, where the Li Family was situated, as an ideal place for a ghost market, and second, for Li Jiachang's business acumen.

As the Qian Family's business in both worlds of Yin and Yang grew more substantial, he became increasingly distrustful of Li Jiachang; moreover, he was apprehensive that after Li Jiachang's death, his descendants wouldn't be as astute or obedient, believing it was better to leave the business to someone of his own. Hence, he thought of arranging a ghost marriage for Li Zhengwen with a wife from the mortal world, so she could manage the Li Family's affairs. When Li Zhengwen's wife eventually died decades later, he could remarry her, continuing the cycle.

Eventually, after years of searching in the mortal world, he found the suitable candidate – Tang Jing. Born into an Onmyoji family, Tang Jing was not only intelligent but also possessed the ability to communicate with spirits. In this way, even if she, as a Nether Soul, married into the Li Family, she could share a chamber with Li Zhengwen through her spiritual abilities, avoiding the pain of longing and widowhood, and making it convenient for Qian Feng to consult her on business matters.

"Godfather!"

From afar, suddenly came the cry of Li Zhengwen.

Qian Feng's brows furrowed, his dull eyes still hollow, finding it hard to believe that his heart was uneasy.

Before long, Li Zhengwen's crying was at the door.

Upon entering the hall, Li Zhengwen immediately fell to his knees, crawling to Qian Feng and wailing, "Godfather, the bride has been taken away by my elder brother-in-law's men."

"What!" Qian Feng was angry, yet his tone remained calm, "Just a few people and you couldn't deal with them?"

Li Zhengwen looked up at Qian Feng's chin, shaking his head repeatedly, appearing greatly unsettled. After choking back a sob, he recounted in detail what had just happened at the wedding.

After hearing the story, Qian Feng fell into deep thought, contemplating the existence of such an extraordinary person in the mortal world who could emit flames from his eyes.

After a long while, his deliberation concluded. He raised his hand to caress Li Zhengwen's head to comfort him, then turned his head to the left and asked the butler, "Who oversees Y City on the surface?"

"The Dharma King, King Ning, and the Zhao Family of Donglin."

"Then, bring King Ning to me immediately, and don't bother the Zhao Family!"

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