Chapter 28 Nan Linghe - Attending the Banquet
After returning to the underworld, as soon as Ye Jie got home, he saw Nan Linghe who stayed there.
Walking down the stairs, Ye Jie paused and saw a basin of fine sand in front of Nan Linghe. She was holding a wooden stick and stirring the sand from time to time. A white-haired ghost was looking at her from the side.
"What are you doing?" Ye Jie was stunned and couldn't help asking.
"Ah, Brother Jie is back..." Seeing Ye Jie return, Nan Linghe happily threw down the stick and ran over, "I'm teaching Lu Xi to speak."
"Lucy? Are you talking about her? Is that the name you gave her?" Ye Jie scratched his head and looked at the white-haired wandering soul, only to see that the ropes and shackles that bound her had been untied by Nan Linghe.
Nan Linghe shook his head repeatedly: "No, she told me herself."
"Can she speak?" Ye Jie was a little skeptical.
As if to prove this to Ye Jie, Nan Linghe pulled Ye Jie in front of the white-haired wandering soul. She raised a slender and soft finger that looked like it was carved from white jade, pointed at herself and said, "Nan Linghe."
Pointing at Ye Jie: "Ye Jie."
He pointed at Ye Jie again: "Ye Jie."
Then he pointed to himself: "Nan Linghe."
Finally, he pointed his finger at the white-haired ghost, opened his eyes wide, and his eyes were full of excitement and anticipation, indicating that she should answer the next question.
Ye Jie's mouth twitched. Could it be that the answer was so simple? Just as he was doubting it, he heard the silent white-haired wandering soul finally speak: "Lu Xi..."
"What? It actually works?" Ye Jie said in surprise. He didn't expect that Nan Linghe could use this seemingly unreliable method to really make the wandering soul speak.
However, Lu Xi's tone was strange and her pauses were obvious. No matter how hard Ye Jie tried to recall, he couldn't remember where he had heard a similar accent before. In the end, he had no choice but to give up: "It seems that if we want to get information from her, it will take quite some time."
Just when Ye Jie was in trouble, he heard a knock on the door outside the basement and hurried to open it.
"Fuling? Are you okay? Is the injury you got last time serious?" Ye Jie was stunned when he saw the woman in the Gua robe standing outside the door, then he clasped his fists to greet her.
"I'm fine now." Fuling opened a fan with one hand. A landscape painting was painted on the fan, the ink shades just right. She spoke calmly, "I heard that Miss He passed the test and became an official ghost messenger. Aunt Meng, the head of the wine country, was very pleased and invited her to a banquet to welcome her."
Ye Jie understood and passed the news to Nan Linghe, asking her and Fuling to go to the banquet.
Nan Linghe was about to leave when she saw Ye Jie still there. She couldn't help but ask Fuling, "What about Brother Jie? Isn't Brother Jie coming?"
Fuling turned slightly and glanced at Ye Jie: "What does it have to do with him that Aunt Meng invited you to a banquet? The other maids in the wine country have heard about your deeds and also want to meet you."
Nan Linghe paused and ran back to Ye Jie: "I was able to become a ghost messenger thanks to Brother Jie's help. If he couldn't go, I, I wouldn't go either..."
Hearing this, Ye Jie shook his head: "Don't be silly, I just took advantage of you. Now that you are an official ghost messenger, you will need to make your own decisions on many things in the future. You have a very special talent. It is you they want to see, not me."
Nan Linghe, however, refused to give in. He stretched out his hand and tightly grasped the corner of Ye Jie's clothes, refusing to let go no matter what. He choked and said, "That's not the case... It's obviously me, I'm taking advantage of Brother Jie. If it weren't for Brother Jie, I wouldn't be able to do all this..."
Seeing this, Fuling knew she couldn't leave Ye Jie behind to entertain Nan Linghe, so she said, "Forget it, you all can come too. It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks."
Nan Linghe then smiled, pulled Ye Jie, and quickly caught up with Fuling.
Walking out of the basement and entering the winery hall, Ye Jie saw a familiar figure at a glance.
I saw a ten-foot-tall red demon sitting in the middle of the hall. He was grabbing the delicacies in front of him and stuffing them into his mouth. He made loud smacking sounds while chewing, which attracted the attention of the guests next to him.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, the demon shouted angrily: "Humph! What are you looking at? Go eat your own food!"
Everyone lowered their heads quickly, not daring to breathe.
After eating all the food on the table, the demon ghost straightened his body, and powerful spiritual power burst out from his body, knocking down many of the guests nearby.
The demon was very satisfied with his own power. He burped, stood up and walked away.
It was not until the demons had gone far away that the ghost officials, who were almost injured from holding back their breath, began to discuss:
"Ghost Messenger Ba is truly formidable! Judging from his unparalleled and condensed spiritual power, it's clear that he possesses the terrifying power of a late-stage third-order cultivator!"
"I heard that Ghost Messenger Tyrant has set his sights on the soul of the bandit Hengshan and is stalking outside the camp day and night, ruthlessly chasing away any ghost messenger that approaches. The merit he's earned this quarter is vastly different from the second and third place finishers. As long as he prevents the other ghost messengers from taking the soul of the bandit Hengshan, he'll undoubtedly be the best ghost messenger this quarter!"
"As expected of the number one in Guangwang Palace. Judging from his performance, I'm afraid Ghost Messenger Tyrant will pull off a grand slam and take the title of Grand Master Ghost Messenger of Guangwang Palace this year... If he can defeat the other Grand Master Ghost Messengers from the other Nine Yama Palaces at the annual Fengyun Conference and become the Ghost Messenger of the Year, he'll even receive a reward of 100 million Yin De. That's a huge 100 million Yin De! Ordinary Ghost Messengers like us would have to save and live frugally for 10,000 years to accumulate 100 million Yin De!"
Just at this moment, Ye Jie, who was climbing the stairs, came into their sight.
The ghost messengers seemed to have found a soft persimmon that could be easily exploited, and they all started to ridicule him:
"Is that Ghost Messenger Jie? How could a Ghost Messenger of his low power have the qualifications to come to Aunt Meng's expensive winery?"
"That Ghost Officer Jie is just a weak and foolish being. He will never be able to enjoy the same status as us. He is not worth mentioning at all! Only strong ones like Ghost Officer Ba are worthy of our respect."
"Ghost Officer Jie is so incompetent and useless. He only drags down our Guangwang Palace. I really don't understand why such a ghost officer exists. Anyone who associates with Ghost Officer Jie will be ridiculed by everyone."
The noise was so loud that even Ye Jie could hear the ridicule. As he was walking, he saw Nan Linghe in front of him stop and turn around to look at him, his eyes full of grievance and confusion: "Why did those ghost messengers say that to you?"
Ye Jie shrugged. "Whatever dignity and superiority people lose in front of the strong, they must always regain from the weak. Don't learn from them."
Nan Linghe puffed up her lips. Perhaps Ye Jie had long been accustomed to those mocking voices, but to her ears, it was so unpleasant. In her mind, Brother Jie was so wise and brave, and he had a plan that was impeccable. How could he be as unbearable as the other ghost messengers said? They must be wrong!
Nan Linghe raised her head and stared at Ye Jie with her watery eyes. A surge of power surged in her heart, causing her lips to tremble. Thinking of all that Ye Jie had done for her along the way, she felt an unprecedented determination and courage ignite in her heart. She rushed to the stairs and shouted to the ghost messengers below:
"You've all got it wrong. Ghost Messenger Jie is the most powerful!"
Hearing this, even Ye Jie was a little dumbfounded. He didn't expect that the shy and timid Nan Linghe could actually muster up the courage to stand up for himself and make such an extraordinary move.
Unfortunately, Nan Linghe's words not only failed to restore Ye Jie's reputation, but instead caused the ghosts below to burst into laughter, as if they had heard a joke. The entire wine town was filled with a happy atmosphere.
"No way? There are actually people speaking up for Guicha Jie? Doesn't she know how stupid Guicha Jie is? If she stays with him, she will become stupid too."
"As a ghost messenger of the underworld, Ghost Messenger Jie is undoubtedly the most unqualified. He is so incompetent and cowardly that he is not even worthy of being compared with us!"
"The millions of mortals in this world are nothing more than pigs and dogs in a livestock pen. The only value of their existence is to contribute their hidden virtues to us ghost messengers after death. But that ghost messenger Jie doesn't think about how to withhold the hidden virtues, but instead helps people fulfill their last wishes. It's really laughable!"
Listening to the crowd's ridicule, Nan Linghe's breathing became rapid, revealing a somewhat aggrieved look. Ye Jie, on the other hand, remained calm, patted her shoulder and said, "No need to argue with them. No matter what you do, as long as you are true to your heart, that's all."
With Ye Jie's comfort, Nan Linghe's expression gradually improved. He grabbed Ye Jie's hand and insisted, "No matter what others say, in my mind, Brother Jie is the most powerful ghost messenger."
The two continued to climb the stairs and soon arrived at the top floor of the wine country. What came into view was a towering golden gate. The gate was tightly closed, shining with golden light, and the doorposts were carved with luxurious and exquisite patterns. It was obvious at a glance that it was extraordinary.
Below, several ghost messengers also ran over, quickly climbed the stairs, and chased after Ye Jie's departing back, mocking him repeatedly:
"Ghost Officer Jie, are you lost? This is the Jinxiu Hall where the judge holds banquets. It's not a place for a low-ranking ghost officer like you! Do you have the good karma to do that?"
"I heard the Jinxiu Hall is incredibly luxurious, with dragon-skin carpets covering the floor, the heads of great demons hanging on the walls, and even the tableware made of gold. Gems and jade are everywhere. Once you see it, you'll never forget it, even in your dreams. A low-level ghost messenger like you, I'm afraid, will never be able to enter in your lifetime..."
As he spoke, he heard a creaking sound, accompanied by a dull, heavy friction, and the golden door slowly opened. A blinding golden light burst out from within, as if the master behind the door was issuing a majestic declaration. The moment the door was fully opened, the sacred and solemn world behind it was revealed to everyone.
Ye Jie was the first to step in. Nan Linghe glared at the ghost messenger behind him and followed closely. The people who stayed behind looked at each other in confusion, and for a long time they didn't react to what had happened.
The golden gate slowly closed. A ghost officer plucked up the courage to look inside through the gradually shrinking gap in the door, and happened to see a solemn, round, rich and beautiful face.
Noticing the ghost's gaze, the man raised his eyes calmly, his eyes gleaming with endless divine power that could not be looked directly at. It was a terrifying aura that could only be emitted by an immortal.
"Ghost Fairy Aunt Meng!"
Being stared at by the ghost immortal's awe-inspiring eyes, and feeling the immense pressure of the immortal level, the peeping ghost became pale and bloodless, his pupils shrank, and his mouth was wide open enough to fit a fist. He kept backing away, and suddenly he missed a step and rolled down the stairs.
The roll was not a big deal, but it also affected the ghost officials who were watching the fun from behind. They fell down the stairs and many tables and chairs were knocked over.
The ghost catcher who fell down the stairs was still in shock until he was taken away by a maid from the wine country to compensate for the loss. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand how the ghost catcher Jie, who was ridiculed by everyone, got connected with the ghost fairy?
In the Jinxiu Hall, Ye Jie once again met the Lord of the Wine Country and bowed, saying, "Ghost Messenger Ye Jie, I pay my respects to Ghost Fairy Aunt Meng."
While bowing, Ye Jie glanced at Nan Linghe imperceptibly, but it was a pity that Nan Linghe did not understand what he meant. She was still standing there in a daze, looking at Aunt Meng on the main seat with curiosity.
Ye Jie had no choice but to remind: "Nan Linghe, quickly salute the Ghost Immortal."
"oh oh……"
Nan Linghe finally reacted and was about to imitate Ye Jie's bow when he heard a soft laugh. "Don't be so reserved. You are a distinguished guest in the wine country. I heard that Miss He has passed the exam and become an official ghost messenger. I have prepared a small gift for you. I hope you will accept it."
As she spoke, a maid handed over a scented sachet. Nan Linghe took it with curiosity and heard Aunt Meng say, "This is the Yichen scented sachet. As long as you wear it, no one will be able to detect your innate magical powers."
Nan Linghe picked up the sachet and examined it carefully. The subtle fragrance inside made her feel happy. Even Ye Jie showed a bit of surprise and reminded:
"A sachet of relic dust... I've always wanted to get one, but unfortunately I'm short on money. This small sachet is worth at least 200,000 Yin De, so it's a great gift."
Hearing this, Nan Linghe also showed a bit of gratitude and asked, "This gift is so valuable. How can I thank you, Aunt Meng?"
"Ghost Messenger Jie knows what to do. When the time comes, all you have to do is listen to him." Aunt Meng smiled faintly. The merits that ordinary ghost messengers would work for decades to earn were nothing to her as a ghost immortal. "The food is getting cold. Let's eat it while it's hot."
Ye Jie and Nan Linghe took their seats, along with the seven head maids from the winery. Guazi, with her shark teeth, Yulan, clutching a pipa, and Fuling, holding a folding fan, were all present. In addition, there were several people Ye Jie didn't recognize: a woman with purple hair and a mouth sewn shut, a young girl with cat ears and sharp canine fangs, a powerfully built man with a spear at his side, and a third with a languid, sickly demeanor.
During the meal, everyone was very interested in Nan Linghe, looking at her as if she were a rare treasure, and often chatting with her. Unnoticed, Ye Jie focused on picking up the food, seizing the opportunity to eat more of the precious spiritual delicacies.
Suddenly, Ye Jie paused, tilting his head slightly to meet Yulan's gaze. Unlike the other head maids, Yulan didn't glance at Nan Linghe, her smiling gaze fixed on Ye Jie.
Ye Jie smiled back and continued eating.