He Simu called the ghost servants and asked them to take Duan Xu to rest. After Duan Xu entered the ghost city Yuzhou, he experienced thousands of ghosts kneeling and worshipping him. After being hung on the palace gate for a day and a night, he was finally brought to a side hall in the palace to live on solid ground.
But there were still big problems at this time. For example, there was no food in the huge ghost town, and Duan Xu had been hungry for a day and a night. Fortunately, the ghost servant who led the way said that the king had already ordered that the cook of Zuo Cheng Jiang Ai would come to cook for him in a while.
Duan Xu was a little surprised: "Lord Zuo Cheng has a cook?"
"We don't live on food from living people, but we can still eat it if we want. Lord Zuo Cheng is rich enough to rival a country, and he enjoys wealth and splendor, so it's not surprising that he has several cooks." The ghost servant said respectfully.
Duan Xu seemed to be thinking about something. He put his fingers together on his lips and asked, "What does Zuo Cheng do? How can he be so rich as to rival a country?"
"Lord Zuo Cheng has gambling houses all over the world, so he must be rich."
"Gambling house? She likes gambling?"
"Yes, you love gambling, and you win almost every time you gamble."
Duan Xu thought for a while, chuckled and said, "So that's how it is."
As they turned a corner, they ran into another group of evil ghosts coming towards them. The ghost servant in front of Duan Xu immediately bowed and saluted, saying, "Your Excellency."
Duan Xu looked over and saw the tall and stern evil ghost Yan Ke, dressed in dark blue, sizing him up calmly, then retracted his gaze and was about to walk past them.
Duan Xu suddenly took a few steps back and held Yan Ke's shoulders.
"Lord Yan, are you a little surprised to see that I'm still alive?"
Yan Ke slightly shifted his gaze, and Duan Xu whispered in his ear: "You have the same smell as the evil spirit that attacked me yesterday, but it's a pity that you can't smell it."
In front of living people, evil ghosts have too many blind spots.
"The evil ghost who wanted to eat me last night, him and... Did you just meet him, Lord Right Prime Minister?" Duan Xu said softly with a smile.
When Jiang Ai walked into the palace, He Simu was leaning on the throne flipping through the ghost book. When he saw her walk in, He Simu put down the ghost book and pointed to the chair next to him: "Aunt Jiang Ai, sit down."
He Simu didn't often call her Aunt Jiang Ai. He called her Ghost Palace Master or Zuo Cheng, or called her by her name most of the time. Usually, when he called her affectionately like this, it meant that he had something to ask her to do.
Jiang Ai thought, He Simu's father called her Aunt Jiang Ai, and He Simu also called her that. I wonder if he was taking advantage of her or taking advantage of his own father
She sat down and said, "Simu, what did you ask me to do?"
He Simu tapped his fingers on the ghost book and said lightly: "The mortal I brought with me, take him around Yuzhou City during this period of time."
Jiang Ai was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud: "Why, everyone knows that he is your man, who dares to touch him, do you want me to protect him?"
As she was talking, she paused as if thinking about something, and then continued, "If there really is a guy who dares to touch him, he might even dare to kill him. Simu, you know how jealous Yan Ke is. It's ok that your lovers never came to the ghost realm before, but now you actually put this living person under his nose, aren't you afraid of something happening?"
He Simu shook her head and said with a smile, "Duan Xiaohu has the Sword of Breaking Delusion, so he is not that weak. Besides, what does it have to do with me whether Yan Ke is jealous or not? Should I follow his wishes?"
Jiang Ai sighed. She still remembered the day more than three hundred years ago when she brought He Simu to the ghost realm. Yan Ke had previously complained about this young and unfamiliar young master, but when he saw He Simu, he became speechless and was in a daze for half an incense stick of time.
He Simu was indeed a rare beauty. After all, her parents were all good-looking. Moreover, she had an indescribable energy, stubborn and aloof.
At that time Jiang Ai thought, it’s over, the leader of the Ghost Palace is doomed.
Several decades later, when He Simu made it clear that he didn't like evil ghosts and only liked living people, Jiang Ai thought again, it's over, the Lord of the Ghost Palace will never get out of this mess.
No evil ghost can give up its desires. If it could, it would not become an evil ghost.
But the same applies to He Simu.
"Whether you recognize Yan Ke or not, he is targeting this kid. You might as well recognize him as your lover. This kid is bold and cheerful, and he cares about you very much. I think he likes you a thousand times. You have had more than twenty lovers over the past few hundred years, so this one won't make a difference." Jiang Ai urged enthusiastically.
He Simu sighed, as if she had a headache after hearing this topic. She shook her head and started flipping through the book again: "Forget it."
"Why, you don't like him?" Jiang Ai thought for a while, then suddenly realized, "I know, he must be very ugly."
Duan Xu sneezed, wondering who was saying bad things about him behind his back. He rubbed his nose, and the ghost servant who led him and Yan Ke's servant stepped aside, leaving only him and Yan Ke, the master of the Ghost Hall, in this corner.
Duan Xu leaned against the wall and said with a smile: "Why don't we have a frank chat, Lord Yan Ke, no matter how much you dislike me, you shouldn't come to kill me. If I die in Yuzhou City, where will Si Mu's face and prestige be?"
In his opinion, there were quite a few evil ghosts ready to make a move, and there were even some who dared to openly kill the living people brought by the Ghost King in Yuzhou City. If they succeeded, they would simply disregard the authority of the Ghost King. Thinking of this, he drove away the evil ghost and tied himself back as before, pretending that nothing had happened.
Yan Ke's expression was originally sullen, and now it became even colder. He said, "I don't think you are qualified to be frank with me. As an insignificant mortal, do you really think that Si Mu will take you seriously?"
Duan Xu shook his head and said, "Whether Simu cares about me or not is a matter between me and her. You Cheng has no need to worry about it. But even as an outsider, I feel that it is not easy for her to be the Ghost King. Please don't cause her any more trouble."
After saying this, he turned around and prepared to call the ghost servant who was leading the way for him. Before he could finish his words, he heard Yan Ke say indifferently: "Duan Shunxi, how long have you known her, half a year? I have known her for more than three hundred years."
Duan Xu turned his head and saw the tall and stern man in front of him with a playful look on his face, but he still looked as arrogant as usual.
"I met her when the ghosts rebelled. I helped her put down the rebellion and enforce laws to govern the ghost realm. If I hadn't supervised the ghost realm for her, she wouldn't even have been able to rest, let alone meet you. She needs me, and I can stay with her forever. Si Mu has met many living people like you before, but they are just temporary entertainment. Your youth is just a blink of an eye, short as smoke, and she will soon completely forget you. What can you give her?"
Duan Xu stared into Yan Ke's eyes. The threads of wind were entangled around the corner, as if depicting the undercurrent.
Duan Xu suddenly smiled brightly and asked, "Sir Right Prime Minister, how do you know my name?"
Yan Ke's pupils contracted.
"So that's how it is. You eavesdropped on my conversation with Simu. You heard that I kissed her, so you got angry?"
Duan Xu waved his hands, sighed, turned around and called the ghost servant who led him over, then said softly: "Si Mu is not your property. She still doesn't like you after three hundred years. You take yourself too seriously, Right Prime Minister."
Yan Ke clenched his fists instantly, and when Duan Xu turned around, the smile disappeared from his face.
Duan Xu had a good sleep after staying in the side hall. Jiang Ai's cook was also brought in to cook, so that Duan Xu would not starve to death. This living cook had a clear understanding of Yuzhou City and Jiang Ai, and probably knew that if he didn't cook well, he would become the freshest ingredient. Basically, he didn't say anything and just worked, weighing the spoon up and down, and preparing at least eight dishes for each meal.
Duan Xu tried to comfort him for a long time, saying that he couldn't eat so much, but the cook was still trembling and doing his own thing, so he had to give up trying to persuade him.
Along with Jiang Ai's cook was Jiang Ai himself.
Naturally, this charming and luxurious palace master also wanted to enjoy the cooking skills of his chef, and while eating, he said that he was entrusted by the Ghost King to look after Duan Xu for a while.
"The king has just returned from his vacation and is very busy. You are not very familiar with Yuzhou City, so I will do my part as a host on her behalf." Jiang Ai said in a dignified manner.
Duan Xu didn't ask any more questions. He just smiled with his chopsticks hanging down, and said calmly, "She wants me to think it through and give up."
"What?"
"Nothing, thank you for your help."
Duan Xu then followed through on his words of bothering Jiang Ai without hesitation, leaving early and returning late every day, and letting Jiang Ai take him to almost every corner of Yuzhou City. He had no interest in visiting the powerful palace masters, but was more interested in the layout of the streets and the grass and trees. In just a few days, he hand-drew a topographic map of Yuzhou City, and the proportions of the markets were surprisingly not much different.
Jiang Ai looked at the map curiously. On the one hand, she was amazed at his photographic memory, and on the other hand, she was confused about what he was going to do.
"What are you going to do?"
"A gift for Simu." Duan Xu put down his pen temporarily and said to Jiang Ai with a smile, "I want to go to another place. I would like to ask the left chancellor to lead the way."
"Where?"
"The mountain wall is engraved with thirty-two golden wall methods."
Jiang Ai raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "You really have a keen eye. You immediately picked out the second most hated place by the evil spirits."
The Golden Wall is located in the east of Yuzhou City, on the Xusheng Mountain behind the palace. It was originally a natural stone wall. The former Ghost King ordered the ghost craftsmen to cover and smooth the stone wall with pure gold, and then carved 32 laws of the ghost world on it with cinnabar, each word was larger than the army's drum.
When Duan Xu was hung on the palace gate, he could see a dazzling golden light coming from a place in the mountain. This time Jiang Ai took him to the edge of the stone wall, and just as he reached the mountainside, he could see all the words clearly from a distance. In the shade of lush green trees, the golden and red colors were magnificent and solemn.
When they stood under the golden wall and looked up at the golden wall that was four stories high, they could not help but sigh.
What Jiang Ai was talking about was - how much gold was spent on building this wall.
Duan Xu said: Issuing policies and making decrees for the benefit of the world is called Tao.
Jiang Ai turned around and looked at Duan Xu in surprise. Reading was probably one of the things she hated the most, so she was very unfamiliar with this sentence, but she could also hear the admiration in Duan Xu's words. She smiled and covered her lips: "Seven out of ten evil spirits don't like these restrictive laws. Little friend, you are really upright."
Duan Xu stretched out his hand and touched the vigorous and powerful characters deeply engraved into the golden wall. There were many restrictions on the behavior of evil ghosts. If they could abide by these laws, ghosts could not be called evil.
He said calmly, "In ancient times, Shang Yang reformed the country and strengthened the country, but he was eventually torn to pieces in the market. Later, Qin became the king of the world."
After a pause, he smiled softly and said, "So that's how it is. She is walking on Shang Yang's path, a path that is hated by humans and evil spirits."
—People hate the evil of ghosts, which is the position that the King of Ghosts should be in.
He Simu once said this to him in such a nonchalant and understated way.
Perhaps she had understood it long ago, but still decided to use her long and boundless life and outstanding talent to tangle with the abyss and to contain this behemoth composed of desire and greed.
To maintain order in the ghost world, remove stigma, and make evil ghosts have good and bad distinctions. It also protects the world composed of these tiny and fragile mortals.
He believed that as long as she was the King of Ghosts, the ghost realm would be stable and the human world would be safe.
Even if no one knows and no one appreciates it.