When they entered Zhou's mansion, they saw a group of paper dolls busying around, with lights and lanterns hung everywhere. Judge Wen looked towards the inner courtyard, glanced at Ji Yuan, and then looked at Judge Wu, then took out the judge's pen and said.
"Since Madam Bai and Mr. Zhou are going to get married, the groom naturally cannot stay in bed."
"good!"
After Judge Wu agreed, Judge Wen took the judge's pen, flipped through a book, quickly wrote some words on the paper, then emphasized the end of the words with the pen, and then lifted the pen and swept it forward.
This stroke not only failed to leave ink on the paper, but instead swept away the previously written words. The words flew far away to the backyard, and the surrounding negative energy continued to gather towards the words.
In Ji Yuan's eyes, after just a few breaths, Zhou Niansheng's aura in the direction of the backyard became much stronger. Although it was just an appearance, it was enough to support Zhou Niansheng to muster up his energy in the final moments.
"Thank you, Judge!"
Bai Ruo bowed to the judge, then turned to Ji Yuan and Wang Li. Just as he was about to speak, Ji Yuan had already spoken.
"Just go do your thing, we'll take care of ourselves."
"yes!"
After hearing Ji Yuan's words, Bai Ruo stepped back and went to the backyard with Zhang Rui.
Zhou Niansheng dressed in her original bedroom, and Bai Ruo used magic to bring the dressing table to another room, where Zhang Rui helped her with her makeup. Both women were dressed in white, and in the mirror they looked like a pair of sisters.
Zhang Rui carefully combed Bai Ruo's long hair. They had not seen each other for seventy or eighty years, but they seemed very familiar with each other. There was a sense of intimacy in the meeting. Zhang Rui combed Bai Ruo's hair and tidied up her hair ornaments. Bai Ruo painted her eyebrows and cheeks, and then printed her lips with rouge red paper.
"Rui'er, am I pretty?"
Bai Ruo spoke in a lower voice, while Zhang Rui answered in an affirmative and festive tone.
"Beautiful! Of course the bride is the most beautiful!"
Next door was the room where Zhou Niansheng was dressing. The two women could still hear the noises inside. It didn't sound like a dying ghost at all. Especially when they heard Zhou Niansheng asking the paper man which clothes looked the most stylish and complaining about the paper man's slow reaction, the two sisters couldn't help but laugh out loud.
In the front yard, Ji Yuan and others were not idle either. The paper people were clumsy, so they lent a hand and arranged some unreasonable places and added some conceivable preparations, trying to make this underworld wedding more formal. However, the busiest one seemed to be the little paper crane, flying east and west and looking around.
Ji Yuan personally arranged all the cakes and fruit plates on the table, and with a wave of his sleeve he swept away the foul air in the Zhou Mansion, leaving only the pure yin energy, while he also asked others.
"Two judges, have you ever seen anyone getting married in the underworld?"
The civil and military judges all shook their heads.
"People in the world of the living have sex, which is more common. There is also a kind of 'ghost wedding', which is very evil and is often done by evil ghosts who have become powerful. As for the big wedding in the underworld like the Zhou family today, it can be said to be the first time I have seen it."
As they were talking, several people looked to one side and could sense that the people in the backyard were ready. Judge Wu calculated the time and nodded, hiding from Ji Yuan and the others.
"There's not much time left. Let's keep it simple, Mr. Wang. Be more alert!"
Wang Li nodded, having gone over what he was going to do several times in his mind. Today he was going to be the best man, which was equivalent to a master of ceremonies.
A quarter of an hour later, everything inside and outside the Zhou Mansion had been tidied up. Ji Yuan sat on the high hall, the two judges sat on one side, Wang Li stood in the middle of the hall, and a group of paper figures acting as guests stood on the side and outside the hall.
Zhou Niansheng was dressed neatly in a black brocade robe with a white flowered ribbon. He arrived at the hall first and bowed to Ji Yuan and others one by one. Although he didn't know any of them, he knew that except for the paper figures, everyone present was an important figure, and the one in the hall was a great benefactor.
"The bride has arrived!"
As Zhang Rui's voice came, she was seen walking into the hall step by step holding Bai Ruo's hand. The latter was not wearing any veil, and her fully made-up face was fully displayed in front of everyone. She slowly walked to Zhou Niansheng and met his eyes, making the latter a little dazed.
Wang Li was very nervous a moment ago, but when he saw the newcomer arrived, he took a deep breath, grabbed the paper fan he used for storytelling in his hand, and immediately stood aside in a calm state.
"The newlyweds have arrived, the auspicious time has arrived—"
The storyteller's words were not only loud but also full of energy. After a few breaths of long tail sound, Wang Li took a breath and spoke again.
"Today, the Zhou family's son Niansheng is getting married to Miss Bai Ruo, with a formal matchmaker. They are standing together in front of the hall. This time, the ceremony is performed to tie the knot. The two newlyweds, please be mindful and salute!"
"Bow to heaven and earth!"
As soon as Wang Li's voice fell, Bai Ruo and Zhou Niansheng bowed outside together to pay respect to heaven and earth.
"Bow to your parents!"
After Bai Ruo and Zhou Niansheng stood up, they turned together to face their parents. Ji Yuan sat steadily but was a little nervous in his heart. This was the first time someone came to worship him as his father. However, it was impossible for others to tell from the surface, so he did what he was supposed to do. With his Dharma Eyes fully open, he watched the changes in the auras of the two newcomers, especially Zhou Niansheng.
The newlyweds bowed to Ji Yuan and then stood up again.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Wang Li's voice spread far beyond the Zhou Mansion and reached the ghost town surrounding the mansion, also arousing the curiosity of ghosts from the outside world. Some of them even instinctively gathered near the Zhou Mansion.
In the hall of the mansion, after the newlyweds bowed to each other, Wang Li did not say anything about sending them to the bridal chamber, but continued to shout.
"Tie the knot!"
Bai Ruo and Zhou Niansheng walked closer and smiled at each other, while Ji Yuan and the two judges looked at each other and nodded, knowing that the time had come.
At this moment, white smoke-like negative energy began to emanate from Zhou Niansheng's body, which was a sign that his three souls were about to be released.
"Zhou Lang!"
Bai Ruo instinctively looked towards Ji Yuan, as if she wanted to ask for something, but looking at Ji Yuan's calm eyes, it was as if she saw the bright moon in the water, and her fantasy was extinguished.
"My dear, my wish has come true. I have been with you for two lifetimes, and I have enjoyed all the blessings of the world. You are a cultivator, and because I have delayed you for nearly a hundred years, I know that you will cultivate well. I also know that I should only advise you to cultivate well, but I..."
Zhou Niansheng looked at Bai Ruo who was smiling, reached out and stroked her face, and said softly.
"My lady, don't forget me..."
Bai Ruoshen grabbed Zhou Niansheng's hand, only holding it for a moment, and then saw his ghost body in front of him split apart, his heavenly soul and earthly soul separated, the earthly soul directly dissipated into the ground and disappeared, the heavenly soul hovered above the ghost body's phantom, and the life soul gradually dissipated. Zhou Niansheng's ghost body gradually faded until the moment of dissipation, and the life soul turned into a ray of empty light and flew into the sky.
"My husband..."
Bai Ruo's hands were empty, but it was not just her hands that were empty. She stared blankly at the place where Zhou Niansheng disappeared. Two drops of demon soul tears fell and turned into two crystal beads on the ground.
One word, two drops of tears, both seem to be calm, but the ties they contain have turned into substance along with the gas, and are clearly visible in Jiyuan's Dharma eyes.
Ji Yuan was watching Zhou Niansheng from beginning to end. At this moment, he suddenly stretched out his hand and two tears flew into his hand. Then he made a sword gesture with his left hand and held one of the tears on his fingertips with his right hand and threw it into the sky.
A thin stream of white light flew into the sky like chasing the stars and the moon, and merged into the Heavenly Soul before it dissipated.
Bai Ruo, who was empty-hearted, did not notice all this. Neither did Wang Li and Zhang Rui, who were watching the newlyweds leave. But the two judges did see it. They looked at each other and did not say a word.
After doing all this, Ji Yuan looked thoughtful.
Zhou Niansheng didn't understand cultivation, he didn't know that the last sentence would actually have a great impact on cultivation. If it developed in a good direction, it would make Bai Lu cultivate better and remember the feelings of the world. The weaker the demon nature, the stronger the human nature, which would be of great benefit to achieving enlightenment one day.
But if things develop in a bad direction, this longing may also become a hurdle in Bai Ruo's practice.
But everyone understood that even if Zhou Niansheng didn't say anything, Bai Ruo was destined to never forget him.
The hall fell silent at this moment. People like Zhang Rui, Wang Li and others didn't know whether to say congratulations or condolences. All the paper people looked dazed and stupid, while Ji Yuan and the judge just sat there motionless.
After a long time, Bai Ruo finally came back to her senses. She did not burst into tears nor did she do anything excited. It was as if the knot in her heart had been resolved. She smiled, knelt deeply in greeting towards Ji Yuan, and then looked up.
"Thank you for your mercy, sir! My wish has been fulfilled!"
There was gratitude, nostalgia, unrestrainedness and a unique feeling in his voice that transcended sadness and even joy. After saying this, Bai Ruo did not stand up, but turned directly into a big white deer with its body crouched.
The whole body is glowing, the antlers are long, the patterns are orderly, and the white light is flashing, giving off a fairy-like aura.
The white deer fell to the ground in front of Ji Yuan, unable to get up. Ji Yuan also understood what was going on. In this case, he should finish what he had started.
Ji Yuan flicked his sleeves to wipe away the tear, then stood up and walked in front of Bai Lu.
"Having this love relationship in two lives is a calamity in your cultivation, but it is also a blessing."
After saying this, Ji Yuan sat sideways on the deer's back and nodded to the white deer, who then slowly stood up. Ji Yuan on the deer's back nodded to both sides.
"Everyone, this matter is over, you can go now!"
The civil and military judges seemed to have just reacted and quickly stood up and walked forward.
"I'll lead the way, please!"
The two judges walked in front, and the sacred white deer stepped forward. Zhang Rui pulled the slightly dazed Wang Li to catch up, and the small paper crane flew down from the yard and landed on one of the white deer's antlers.
When the group walked out of Zhou's tomb, all the paper figures inside turned into ghost fires and burned.
A large number of ghosts had gathered outside the Zhou Mansion unknowingly, looking in like ordinary people in the world of the living watching a commotion. After the white deer came out, the ghosts subconsciously dispersed, and then they noticed that there was a judge leading the way.
The ghost officials who had scattered before slowly gathered together again, clearing the way forward on both sides. Under the watchful eyes of many ghosts in the ghost town, the deer-riding immortal and his entourage slowly disappeared at the end of the main road in the city.
This scene was deeply imprinted in the hearts of the old ghosts who had been hiding from the inspection of the underworld for years in the ghost town and who had long exceeded their lifespan.