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"Does the Great Sage Huang also need to protect himself?" Xing Ruyi had never heard such a fresh method before. She lightly jumped back and sat on the coffin lid, resting her chin on her hands and swinging her legs gently. "This method is quite novel; I would like to hear why the Great Sage Huang needs to protect himself."
"Ruyi, do you know about the Tomb Guardian Beast?"
"I've heard a bit!" Xing Ruyi recalled carefully. "The Tomb Guardian Beast is an ancient divine beast, said to be the enemy of tomb raiders. It guards the underground palaces of emperors and high officials, protecting their ultimate secrets. As for ordinary wealthy families, I haven't heard of anyone using a Tomb Guardian Beast, but there should be similar arrangements in their tombs. To be honest, although I've been to the underworld, I haven't had the chance to see an underground palace."
"Underground palaces aren't worth seeing; they're just made of bricks and mud walls." The man snorted lightly. It was clear that as someone who specialized in dealing with the dead, he only cared about the gold and jewels within those underground palaces. Other things were probably beneath his notice. Thinking this way, I found that this man could be considered a good husband. After going into a tomb, he still remembered to bring back a lotus seed for Gu Anniang to please her.
"If you're interested, Ruyi, another day my husband can take you there. But as my husband said, even emperors and high officials are dead once they die; no matter how well-built the underground palace is, it's just bricks and mud walls—nothing worth seeing." Gu Anniang glanced at the sky: "It's getting light; some things still need to be finished with the young lady."
"Please continue!"
"Just now, Gu Anniang mentioned that the Great Sage Huang also needs to protect himself; this is true. Ruyi, think about it: since the Great Sage Huang is in the tomb, his identity is probably similar to that of the Tomb Guardian Beast in an emperor's underground palace. The only difference is that while the Tomb Guardian Beast is dead, the Great Sage Huang is alive. My husband taking lotus seeds was indeed a taboo, but conversely, it was because of my husband that the Great Sage Huang could escape from the tomb. Although it escaped, it worries about being found by the tomb owner and thus came up with a method of deception—killing Purple Jade, framing Wang Shu, even using a black cat to take Wang Fu's eldest son's life—all of this was because it wanted to survive."
"Then what about you two? Why have you ended up like this?"
"Naturally, we were harmed by that Great Sage Huang as well, but it's not like it’s doing much better than us." Gu Anniang snorted lightly: "The Great Sage Huang originally wanted to use us to achieve its goals. Unfortunately for it, no matter how much it calculated, it didn't account for the fact that once my husband's soul and life were borrowed by that ghostly spirit, they couldn't be taken back. My husband and I were trapped by its formations for many days and endured various torments. To escape, we had no choice but to think of many methods; I don't know what we accidentally touched in the end that caused us to become like this. Right now, neither my husband nor I know whose body this really is."
"I will naturally investigate matters regarding the Great Sage Huang. If he doesn't come to Luoyang, that's fine; if he does come, I won't let him leave easily. For now, let's not talk about him; let's talk about you two. What brings you here with this coffin tonight?"
"We..." Gu Anniang paused for a moment: "To be honest with you, we originally came to Luoyang after hearing Daoist Mo's words to find you and see if you had any methods to resolve our situation so that my husband and I could return to our original forms. As for this coffin, it was made by my parents during their lifetime; it was originally intended for me to use after a hundred years. However, after my husband encountered trouble, we decided to use it first for him. Now that we are like this—half human and half ghost—we don't know how long we can last; thus we brought this coffin along with us. Rest assured, my husband and I have no intention of harming anyone upon our return. If it weren't for our greed back then, how would we have ended up in our current predicament?"
"That's good; it saves me from being enemies with you!" Xing Ruyi clapped her hands and jumped down from the coffin lid: "Let me clarify something—I don't not want to help you; it's just that I'm powerless. Although I know some spells, they are limited to catching monsters or ghosts."
"We've heard Daoist Mo speak highly of your character; therefore we believe what you said earlier is not falsehoods. In fact, after returning to Luoyang, my husband and I have come to understand something: living a hundred lives ultimately ends in death. In our current state, perhaps it's considered fortunate; at least in this life and beyond, he is within me and I am within him—we will never be apart again."
"If that's the case, then I wish you both well." Xing Ruyi yawned: "It's getting late; I'm tired and need to go back to my shop for some rest. However, if you need me again in the future, just send a paper figure with a message—I believe such simple magic won't be difficult for you."
"Thank you very much!" Gu Anniang lowered her head slightly: "Actually, we don't have any other matters to trouble you with. We only ask that out of consideration for our meeting tonight after my husband and I leave, you can help us with our burial together. It doesn't matter where the grave is located; we only ask that this coffin be used."
Gu Anniang's gaze fell on the redwood coffin as she smiled: "My parents spent their whole lives making coffins; they left me only this one when they passed away—could it be they foresaw that my husband and I would face today's difficulties?"
"Perhaps it's just a coincidence!"
"Whether intentional or coincidental doesn't matter; in any case, this result can already be considered good." Gu Anniang looked at Xing Ruyi: "One last thing: regarding what happened back then—Wang Fu was always innocently implicated in it. Ruyi is a good person; if possible, please take care of him more. If that Great Sage Huang returns, he will surely make things difficult for him."
"Why?"
"Actually, back then, Wong Tai Sin wanted Wang Fu's life. However, that year his eldest son happened to be born, and in order to give his child a more spacious living environment, he made adjustments to the house. The place where the Black Cat was buried originally belonged to Wang Fu; his eldest son was merely going to die in his stead. It was precisely because of this that Wong Tai Sin's plans did not succeed. If he were to return, he might still seek Wang Fu's life."
"I understand now!" Xing Ruyi said, then left the Coffin Shop.
At this moment, a hint of white light began to appear in the east.
As Xing Ruyi pushed open the large door of the Coffin Shop, she saw a fox dressed in white, holding the hand of Yin Yuan, who was clad in black, standing there. Both of them had serious expressions at first, but upon seeing Xing Ruyi come out, their lips curled into warm smiles.
"What are you doing here?"
"My wife went out on an errand and hasn't returned. As her husband, how can I not come out to look for her?"
"Father Fox is right. Mother, you originally went out to prepare the dowry. How is it that you ended up here at the Coffin Shop instead? Did you get lost along the way?"
"You are the one who got lost!" Xing Ruyi retorted as she walked over, leaning against the fox while holding Yin Yuan's hand. "I just happened to encounter some excitement and couldn't resist joining in."
"Was it exciting?" the fox asked.
Xing Ruyi shook her head. "Not really! It seemed somewhat organized at first glance, but it was actually a mess. However, that excitement belongs to others and won't affect our marriage. By the way, you can't go back on your word about marrying me."
"I won't go back on my word!" The fox chuckled in surprise. "Even if I wanted to now, it would probably be too late."
"Of course!" Xing Ruyi proudly lifted her chin. "Anyway, I'm already set on you. Now that you've spoken up, whether you want to marry or not, you have to marry!"
"Must it be such a forced deal?" The fox stopped and looked at Fox Demon’s face. She appeared somewhat haggard after a sleepless night. "Don't worry; I won't run away. Now I'm just afraid that you won't want to marry me!"
"Then rest assured; I, Xing Ruyi, am quite clever and wouldn't let go of such a handsome and capable husband." With that, Xing Ruyi yawned repeatedly.
"If you're tired, then take a nap." The fox said as she picked up Xing Ruyi. "Rest your head on my shoulder!"
"Fox, you're so nice!" Xing Ruyi gently kissed the fox's cheek, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
Once Xing Ruyi closed her eyes, both the fox and Yin Yuan's expressions changed.
"Mother seems to have been schemed against!"
"She just inhaled some of Weasel's foul air." The fox's face showed a hint of anger. "You stay at the Coffin Shop and keep watch; that Weasel will definitely not leave easily."
"Zhe zhe, after nearly a thousand years of Daoist Practice, it must taste pretty good!" Yin Yuan licked his lips. "What about the two people in the coffin shop? Should I eat them too?"
"Leave them be! Otherwise, your mother will wake up and scold you!"
"Alright! For the sake of the Fox Demon’s mother, I’ll spare their lives." Yin Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and walked like an adult, mumbling, "Anyway, they've already fallen into the weasel's trap; they don't have much time left. Hmm, a man and a woman, one yin and one yang, one life and one death, one wood and one hole; it’s quite rare in this world. Oh, by the way, does your mother know you’re taking her back to Qingqiu?"
"I haven't told her yet!"
"Oh, you should let her know soon! Otherwise, she might have already arranged her own wedding by the time you speak up. Given her temperament, she might not let you off easily!" Yin Yuan stuck out his tongue. "By the way, I’ve informed Chang Tai about your wedding plans in Qingqiu. When the time comes, invite him along; your mother will surely be very happy."
The fox frowned slightly, showing a hint of displeasure.
"Don't worry; at worst, we can leave them outside Qingqiu." Yin Yuan chuckled. "Your mother only knows a few people in Luoyang; Father Fox wouldn’t want her to return to Qingqiu all alone with you!"
The fox lowered his head and glanced at the sleeping Xing Ruyi in his arms. He said, "I've prepared the invitations. Once you handle the weasel situation, I’ll send them out. I definitely need to invite the Fox Demon’s maternal family."
Yin Yuan nodded, his dark eyes growing even darker.
A gust of wind rose, and a few scattered snowflakes gently fell down. This should be the third snowfall since Xing Ruyi arrived in the Golden Tang Dynasty. The fox looked at the snow and silently chanted a few words; a snow-white cloak gently covered Xing Ruyi's body. She pouted her lips and found a more comfortable position before falling into a deep sleep.
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