Later, they traveled to many places together.
From snow-capped plains to verdant mountains, from dilapidated villages to bustling capitals.
Together they tasted delicacies from all over the world, walked side by side down the long street holding steamed buns and lotus cakes, or drank a few glasses of hot wine in a tavern at night. Most of the time, Lu Ying would only taste a little of the wine, tilting his head to watch the young man drink it all up with great enthusiasm.
After drinking, he was slightly drunk, and the boy always clung to him. Lu Yingjiu had no choice but to lead him home slowly under the moonlight.
The moonlight is cold, and the road ahead is long, as if it will never end.
They galloped together all over the hills.
Jing Xian reluctantly bought a red horse and ended his days of riding with Lu Ying. Both horses were good horses, able to travel a thousand miles a day and were light and graceful, but they had a bad habit: when they were free, they would get close to each other, rubbing their ears and temples together, and they were so intimate that they could not be separated.
Lu Yingjiu wondered, these two horses are both good horses, why are they so close to each other every day.
Jing Xian always smiled and said nothing, and fed them with hay and buckwheat every day.
Occasionally they would race horses, their hooves crunching through the long grass and the fresh snow.
At the beginning, Lu Yingjiu is always the winner, but after a while, they start to win and lose.
They released lanterns across the river together.
Two lotus-shaped river lanterns floated downstream. They sat on the bank, watching the light gradually fade away and merge with countless other river lanterns, illuminating the river with its brilliant light.
Lu Yingjiu was looking at the lanterns, while Jing Xian was looking at him and threw a luxurious black fur coat on him.
They lit a bonfire on top of the lonely peak.
The wind whistled, the flames flickered, and Lu Yingjiu gently stirred the firewood, splashing orange-red sparks.
In the long night, he asked, Jing Xian, what does the lover you want to find look like
Jing Xian glossed over it and just said that he didn't remember it.
Lu Yingjiu said "oh", but saw Jing Xian secretly glanced at him with a bit of joy and anticipation.
Later, Lu Yingjiu asked several times, but Jingxian always gave perfunctory answers, so he gradually stopped asking. The two of them had their own thoughts, and together they saw countless beautiful scenery and traveled all over the mountains and rivers.
The journey is not always smooth.
The attendants of heaven follow you like shadows, lingering around.
Lu Yingjiu was afraid that Jing Xian would be implicated, so he never let him take action. However, Jing Xian could not just stand by and watch. He acted obedient, but he pretended to obey, and secretly disobeyed. He crushed countless servants' heads behind Lu Yingjiu's back.
The aristocratic families also sent assassins.
They were directly beaten by a mixed couple, and were either killed or disabled.
One day Jing Xian asked, "Since you said that the Way of Heaven is indelible, is there a place in this world where we can hide from it?"
"…Yes." Lu Yingjiu nodded, "I haven't verified it, but I think that for the living, going to the ghost world can avoid its covetousness."
"What?" Jing Xian was stunned. "Aren't the priests and ghosts also bound by it?"
Lu Yingjiu said, "It's different. Since ancient times, only souls can go to the ghost world. If the living try to cross it by force, they will be torn apart by the strong wind at the gate of the ghost world. It is an almost unmatched force. Countless people have proved that even the most powerful exorcist has no chance of survival."
"For example, the previous head of the Zhang family was torn to pieces by ghost hands after entering the ghost gate. There was also a genius exorcist who also exploded and died when crossing the ghost gate."
He continued, "Yes, if this is successful, then the living will be out of control in the ghost world."
“The Way of Heaven is not omnipotent. In my opinion, it is more a slave to the laws than the laws themselves.”
"It is just like humans and ghosts. It cannot violate the established laws."
For the living to go to the ghost world is to break the rules.
If his plan succeeded and he appeared in a place where he shouldn't be, Heaven would not be able to hunt him down based on any of its laws.
Lu Yingjiu said, "This is just an unproven theory. I have a friend who has been studying this for many years. You should be able to meet him soon."
Sure enough, a few months later, Jing Xian met the man that Lu Ying had met in the wine shop.
The man's name was Chu Qianju, and he came from a noble family.
Many years ago, when Chu Qianju was traveling across the mountains and rivers with his little peacock, he happened to meet Lu Yingjiu.
Although Lu Yingjiu was only a few years older than him, he had already achieved great accomplishments in exorcising ghosts. That day, he saw Chu Qianju scribbling on a piece of talisman paper, thinking hard, and he couldn't help but give him some pointers.
Then he was entangled by Chu Qianju.
Chu Qianju was also a unique genius. He was troubled by not being able to find anyone to ask for help. He was ecstatic to meet Lu Yingjiu and felt that they had met too late.
—To use modern terms, he is a typical fanboy.
The kind of person whose eyes light up and who can't even walk when he sees Lu Yingjiu.
He did not realize that Lu Yingjiu was the person that the noble family had been hunting down.
Lu Yingjiu told him the truth.
Chu Qianju hesitated for too long. After thinking for a while, he said, "Heaven is cruel and inhumane. It actually requires infants to be sacrificed. And my family is the despicable party for helping the tyrant."
He added: "In fact, there are many people in the family who are dissatisfied with this practice, including my parents, but they have the right to speak. I believe that one day in the future, the family's concept will change."
"It is fate that we meet today. If you give me a little more time, I will persuade more people to abandon this outdated and cruel concept. Once you get rid of the covetousness of the Heavenly Dao, you can live a dignified life."
Chu Qianju always does what he says.
He asked Lu Yingjiu about his situation in detail, and he felt that the ghost world might be a breakthrough. In the days that followed, he studied how to invite gods while studying how to go to the ghost world.
Lu Yingjiu brought Jing Xian and when they met again, he took out the talisman paper as thick as a brick.
Chu Qianju said: "I have drawn another unique formation, take a look at the effect."
The two of them started their research there.
This formation was too complex, and no one could understand it except the two of them, let alone Jing Xian.
He had been sitting next to Lu Yingjiu, listening silently.
Lu Yingjiu said that the gate to the ghost world is filled with mountains of knives and seas of fire, and the strong wind will cut the skin and flesh into pieces.
He said that there were tens of thousands of ghosts at the gate of the ghost world, vying to devour the living.
He also said that the gate to the ghost world was filled with surging negative energy that would drown all living things.
He and Chu Qianju studied it over and over again, but still felt that going to the ghost world was undoubtedly suicide.
Seeing them regretfully putting away the formation, Jing Xian suddenly said, "Yes, if there is a strong enough priest to protect you, can't you go? Then the strong wind, ghosts and yin energy are useful to the priest."
Lu Yingjiu smiled and said, "It's not that simple. The power of the law is probably thousands of times stronger than you can imagine. Even the current Ghost King may not be able to do it."
Jing Xian said seriously: "I will do it."
Lu Yingjiu just smiled and didn't take it seriously.
In the following years, they traveled all the way to unknown places to exorcise ghosts, constantly exploring strategies to fight against the way of heaven.
They met Chu Qianju several times on and off.
Chu Qianju was a man who summoned gods and became famous.
However, asking the gods for help would mobilize the power of ghosts and monsters, which was not tolerated by heaven. A curse was bestowed upon him, trapping him in the cycle of reincarnation for eternity.
The last time Lu Yingjiu saw him was one evening.
They sat opposite each other in the inn.
Chu Qianju took out the talisman paper and communicated with him again. After discussing for so long, the two finally saw a ray of hope: this latest formation can greatly reduce the threat of the ghost world gate.
"Finally there is hope." Chu Qianju sighed, "Maybe we can succeed this time."
His face was pale.
The punishment from heaven made him seriously ill.
Lu Yingjiu said, "You should rest more and stop worrying about this."
Chu Qianju finished drinking the cup of muddy wine, and then said, "Lu Yingjiu, you are twenty-eight this year, right?"
Lu Yingjiu didn't answer, but gently shook the wine glass in his hand.
There was something he didn't tell Jing Xian.
Since there are fifty-nine deities in the Way of Heaven, the cycle of disasters is also fifty-nine.
Every fifty-nine months, he would encounter a great disaster.
When he met Jing Xian, he was just twenty-five years old and had just escaped from a disaster with all his might.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, he would face a disaster.
The power of the curse is growing stronger and stronger. He had already used all his strength last time, and he might not be able to escape this time.
Everyone in the aristocratic family knows about this.
Chu Qianju looked at him and said seriously: "Lu Yingjiu, your time is coming."
Lu Yingjiu still didn't answer.
The wine in the cup swayed, filling up with the light from the sky outside the window.
After a long while, he smiled and said, "You can't die."
Chu Qianju sighed and said, "We have similar fates and are both cursed. If you encounter misfortune, maybe we can meet again in the next life."
He raised his glass: "You are the person I admire most. May everything go well for you, and may you be safe and happy."
The cups clinked together and the two men drank the wine in one gulp.
When Lu Yingjiu saw Chu Qianju off, the setting sun was hanging in the mountains like a drop of blood.
Chu Qianju rode far away on horseback, and his shadow was very long.
Another half a year passed, and Lu Yingjiu heard that the Peacock God had gone mad because of the curse of Heaven, and Chu Qianju devoted himself to stop it.
The Peacock God fell into a long sleep, and all that was left of Chu Qianju was a tombstone.
The tombstone is at the Chu family's, and it is not convenient to visit it on the way to Yingjiu.
He could only stand on the top of the mountain, bow three times towards the east, and place the flowers next to a bowl of sake.
Jing Xian stood behind him, silent.
He was not much shorter than Lu Yingjiu to begin with, but the young man grew taller quickly and was now as tall as Lu Yingjiu.
He remained silent.
Finally, he gently took Lu Yingjiu's hand.
And just as Chu Qianju said, a disaster soon came.
On the 29th day of the Lu Yingjiu Festival that year, the two of them walked for two days in a snow-covered wilderness.
Lu Yingjiu was holding a lantern, his white clothes fluttering in the wind. When they reached the depths of the snow, he reached out and held Jing Xian's hand, moving forward step by step.
Jing Xian suddenly asked: "... Will you die?"
"Huh?" Lu Yingjiu was stunned.
"I overheard what Chu Qianju said to you that day." Jing Xian said, "I know you are going to have a disaster. So, will you die?"
—He asked this in a subtle tone.
It's not an open question.
It was more like he was expecting Lu Yingjiu to promise him solemnly, "I will be fine."
Lu Yingjiu said nothing.
The only answer he got was the whistling wind.
After walking for another half a day, they met a frozen traveler on the road.
The traveler's lips were cracked and blue, his eyes were tightly closed, and his clothes were covered with frost and snow. No matter how much talisman paper Lu Yingjiu used, it was powerless to save the situation.
The traveler's breathing slowly stopped, but at the last moment, he suddenly sat up!
There was a gloomy and malicious light in his eyes. He grabbed his wrist tightly and said sternly: "Lu Yingjiu, your time has come!"
Just as he finished speaking, there was a series of "puff" sounds nearby, like chunks of ice and snow falling to the ground.
Lu Yingjiu looked up.
The ice field was dark and countless servants stood there silently!
Lu Yingjiu had never seen so many attendants.
The area within a radius of dozens of miles was filled with them, with extremely ferocious expressions on their faces.
This fierce battle lasted for a long time.
Ice crystals flew everywhere, the snow was stained with black blood, and pieces of flesh were flying everywhere.
Lu Yingjiu wanted to drive Jing Xian away, but Jing Xian refused to give in. The man and the ghost fought for several hours, covered in blood, before they barely escaped from this deadly encirclement.
The servants' attacks were all directed at Lu Yingjiu. He was seriously injured and his white clothes were stained blood red.
Jing Xian supported him and walked forward step by step in the knee-deep snow.
Wherever he passed, there were traces of fresh blood.
After three days and three nights of fighting and retreating, they finally found a hidden cave.
They hid inside and made a fire.
Lu Yingjiu was very weak, and only thanks to his amazing willpower did he avoid losing consciousness.
He leaned on Jing Xian, who was also covered in wounds, and breathed slowly.
Jing Xian is a ghost after all, and his tolerance for pain and fatal injuries is far greater than that of humans.
He was extremely anxious, with a mixture of rage, resentment, worry and sadness. In the end, he could only hold Lu Yingjiu's cold hand tightly and whispered, "You stay here, I'll kill them all."
Lu Yingjiu smiled silently.
—At this time, he could still smile so calmly and freely.
He said: “It’s related.”
Jing Xian wanted to say something, but Lu Yingjiu gently stroked his cheek and said again: "It doesn't matter. I know I will definitely die here."
"Jing Xian, I said before that humans and ghosts can't fall in love, but now I have changed my mind. There will always be some kind of fate, some kind of emotion that transcends time, that will guide lovers to find each other. When you see your sweetheart one day, you must tell him well."
“…” Jing Xian was stunned for a moment.
The words "You are the one I love" were stuck on my lips, but before I could finish them, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside the cave!
The attendant is here again!
Jing Xian stood up suddenly and looked outside. In the white snow, pairs of scarlet eyes were approaching quickly, crazier than a herd of beasts and more ferocious than an avalanche.
His eyes were filled with murderous intent and rage, with negative energy surrounding him and his nails as sharp as blades. He dodged and rushed out!
The nature of the God of Killing was fully revealed. He fought tirelessly, plucked out gray ghost hearts one after another, crushed heads one after another, and when he was exhausted, he would grab a servant and bite its flesh with his fangs, thirsting for blood.
And the retainers are endless.
He was only a priest who had been born for a few years. It was too early for him to start this battle.
Jing Xian's body was covered with scars, and even his white bones were exposed.
However, when he thought of Lu Yingjiu, his legs seemed to have more strength, supporting him to continue fighting.
Just like a few years ago, the bodies of the evil spirits who dared to approach the mountain were piled up into a small mountain. Now, anyone who dared to covet his territory, no matter who it was, must die in his hands.
Faster, faster.
Given Lu Yingjiu's injuries, he won't be able to hold on for much longer!
Just as he was standing up again after staggering for who knows how many times, he heard unusual movements behind him.
There are fluctuations of talisman paper in the cave!
A gorgeous formation appeared in the wind and snow, with golden light flowing and piercing through the haze.
This formation looks familiar.
Jing Xian paused briefly, hesitated for a few breaths, and then realized: This is... This is the formation leading to the ghost world! !
Lu Yingjiu wants to go to the ghost world!
He opened his eyes and flew up, but it was too late. Thick black fog instantly covered the snowfield, as dark as the end of the world, and the howling of thousands of ghosts could be heard from it!
Lu Yingjiu was wearing a white robe stained with blood, standing in the mist, looking like she would be swallowed up at any moment.
The wind and snow fell on his shoulders and on his handsome eyes and eyebrows, and behind him were countless dancing ghost hands, millions of grinning faces, and an endless hell.
It's like a strange painting.
Through the falling snow, he looked at Jing Xian from a distance.
His eyes were calm and composed.
—At this moment, Jing Xian understood what he meant: Lu Yingjiu would rather go to the gate of the ghost world alone than die at the hands of his servants, and even more so than to drag him down.
He is going to challenge the unknown fate.
Rather than accepting fate.
The servants reacted and rushed towards Lu Yingjiu, screaming and rushing!
And Lu greeted him with a drink and a smile.
There was light in her eyes and her eyebrows were curved with a smile, as if it was just a brief farewell.
"… Goodbye." He said silently.
Then Lu Yingjiu turned around and stepped resolutely into the black fog. No matter how Jing Xian shouted or how he reached out to grab the corner of his clothes, he could no longer see his back.
The formation disappeared.
The black fog then dissipated, and the door to the ghost world slammed shut.
The servants lost their target and turned their heads stiffly.
After a few breaths, they disappeared from the spot, as if they had never existed.
In the vast snowy field, only Jing Xian was left.
That day, he stood alone in the long night.
There seemed to be a huge abyss in my heart, empty and could not be filled no matter how loudly the cold wind blew.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally let out a mournful howl from the depths of his throat, like a wounded, abandoned beast. Even the most hard-hearted person would be moved when hearing the howl.
After that…
The next hundred years is another story.
He killed hundreds of ghosts and fought in the underworld. He was cruel and bloodthirsty and never showed mercy. His name was heard throughout the eighteen levels of the ghost world.
He cut off the head of the old ghost king, and the priests bowed down to him.
Jing Xian went to the human world again and again, looking for Lu Yingjiu's trace, but in the end to no avail.
Dressed in gorgeous clothes, he sat alone in the hall, ghosts and monsters were kneeling in a dark mass, and he was gazing into the distance.
The slender fingers tapped lightly on the chair.
Unlike humans, ghosts' obsession is very pure.
Because it is pure, he never forgets it, and it is eternal and immortal. It is the only light in his life.
If there is an afterlife, if there is a reunion...
He wanted to tell Lu Yingjiu that he was her lover. He wanted to hold Lu Yingjiu's hand tightly and protect him for the rest of his life, until they were old and gray. This scorching and pure love would never fade with the passing of time.
He wants to make up for all the regrets.
…
The waves hit the bridge piers and broke into snow-white flowers.
The kaleidoscope of events flashed through his mind, and Lu Yingjiu remembered everything.
The long knife was still stuck in his abdomen, and at this moment, his cold hands and feet regained some strength. He ignored the sharpness and grabbed the blade with one hand, bending it hard, and the blade broke with a clang!
The blade cut his finger, and he held the broken blade with blood on his hand, turned around and cut the servant's throat neatly. At the same time, the wound was quickly healed by the power of the gods.
The black beast howled and limped forward, biting several servants to death.
Lu Yingjiu touched its head and looked towards the bridge.
The negative energy on the bridge surged, and the door to the ghost world stood silently, as if inviting someone.
"There's only one chance left." He stroked the black beast's fur, "Just like before."
The black beast did not frown. It tilted its head and looked at him gently.
"I died at the gate to the ghost world last time." Lu Yingjiu whispered, "I wonder if I can make some progress in this life?"
He knew he was almost certain to die.
In his prime, the probability of his failure was over 99%, not to mention that he was exhausted and covered in wounds.
It is impossible for him to succumb to fate.
It was a pity that in these two lifetimes, he had lost his leisure time.
The servants rushed over screaming, and Lu Yingjiu relaxed and smiled at them.
Then he opened his arms and fell towards the Black Sea with his back!
The strong wind whistled in his ears, the thick yin energy instantly enveloped him, his blood burst out, and the ghost hands grabbed his limbs coldly.
This feels like torture.
It feels like the pain of burning fire and the despair of drowning.
Lu Yingjiu remained calm and threw out pieces of talisman paper, pushing back the fog time and time again.
However, the miracle did not happen.
He gradually became drowsy during the fall.
His mind was hazy, his body temperature slowly dropped, and death kissed his forehead gently.
At the last moment, he almost unconsciously murmured: "Respectfully..."
After shouting this, Lu Yingjiu was stunned.
He thought he could face death calmly, but he still felt different from the past. His only concern was his leisure time.
Lu Yingjiu gave a complicated smile.
But in a second his chest felt hot.
He was stunned for a moment before he realized that the thing that was hot was the longevity lock!
The yin energy in front of him melted away like ice and snow. The ghost hand, the strange face, and the unknown fierce wind were crushed by a force that could crush everything in its path, crumpled into a ball, and exploded into a bloody mist.
He has a lithe figure.
—The Ghost King said nothing and took him into his arms.
They stand above the raging waves and the abyss, steady as a rock, sharp as a blade, and everything retreats with a wave of their hands.
The embrace was warm and gentle, Lu Yingjiu looked up.
Look carefully at Jingxian's eyebrows...
He is still the same sincere young man as before.