He nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I promise no one will disturb him!"
"What if there is someone?" Zhang Hao asked.
"Then I will protect him even if I die!" Yin Chai replied decisively.
Zhang Hao felt a little relieved and waved his hand: "Okay, you can go back and recover. I will probably go back to the inn the day after tomorrow."
Yin Chai quickly bowed and saluted again: "Yes, sir! Please excuse me!"
He took one last look at the iron pillar on the ground, and after remembering its appearance, he turned and walked towards the door of the yard. However, before leaving the yard, his figure gradually disappeared.
Lao Xu and Tiezhu Niang, who were waiting outside, were very nervous until the courtyard door was suddenly opened. They were startled and turned their heads to look at the door in horror.
"Come in." Hao Xie said to them with a smile, "You are too close and have a lot of yin energy on your body, which is not good for you."
Lao Xu and Tiezhu Niang were stunned for a moment, and then gradually relaxed when they saw that it was Hao Xie. After following Hao Xie into the courtyard, they felt as if they were not going back to their own home.
When they saw Zhang Hao after entering the hospital, they quickly stepped forward to thank him: "Mr. Yin Yang, your great kindness will be unforgettable by our old Xu family! Tiezhu is really lucky to get your help!"
< br>
Zhang Hao smiled, handed Tiezhu to Fatty Wang next to him, and then said to Tiezhu's mother and Lao Xu: "Isn't this just a meal and a bottle of wine from you? Even if you have repaid us. But we I still have things to do, so I won’t stay any longer. Just follow my method. Tomorrow, pick up an old hen and hang the birth date sign on the iron pillar. When the chicken crows three times after noon, start walking back. Otherwise, the iron pillar may not come back. Also, be sure to take the old hen. Carry him to Tiezhu’s bedside.”
Lao Xu carefully wrote down Zhang Hao's every word, but he still couldn't help but ask: "Mr. Yin and Yang, what should I do if this yellow guy comes to cause trouble again?"
Zhang Hao took out four pieces of yellow paper from his arms and handed them to Lao Xu: "This is the fourth-grade Zhengqin official seal, which can prevent ghosts and demons. There are only four here, you use three. When Tiezhu has a child, put the third one Give him four. This yellow-skinned man is very good at attaining enlightenment. He is the one you are looking for. If you are not killed by it within three generations, it will become the protector of your old Xu family. This is equivalent to a fairy protecting your family. For your safety, I give you these four talismans. Body. Remember, don’t leave the body while taking a shower.”
Lao Xu's eyes widened after hearing this: "Really? Can this yellow-skinned boy be our protector? It's so cunning, can it really protect us?"
Zhang Hao nodded: "After three generations, this yellow skin will see the secret of heaven from your home. Even if you drive it away, it will still beg to be your protector. It just went the wrong way. If there is One day it will become an immortal, and your Xu family will follow suit. This disaster is over now, and it should be a good deal to get a Baojiaxian."
Lao Xu and Tiezhu Niang looked at each other. Although they had doubts in their hearts, since Zhang Hao said so, they were willing to believe it. So he nodded in thanks: "Thank you, Mr. Yin Yang! Not only did you save our child, but you also brought us back a Baojiaxian! How can we thank you enough!"
Zhang Hao smiled and waved his hand: "You're welcome, just think of it as the money I paid for the drink. You'd better prepare as soon as possible. You'll be fine if you bring Tiezhu's soul back tomorrow. We still have things to do, so we won't stay any longer."< br>
After saying that, Zhang Hao and his group walked toward the door in tacit agreement. Lao Xu insisted on sending them off, but they had to use the magic talisman to rush on their way, so they asked Lao Xu to go back at the entrance of the village.
On the other side, on the deserted road in Yin City, a child wearing a dirty school uniform was walking alone. His school uniform was still stained with dirt, as if he had just been in a fight with someone.
This man, people call him Iron Pillar.
Tie Zhu walked slowly on the road, but his heart felt more and more uneasy like a leaf blown up by the strong wind.
Although there were occasional shadows moving around, every time he tried to find some comfort from these figures, he became even more frightened.
Those people's faces were as pale as paper, and their steps were stiff and mechanical, like zombies walking out of an old TV, without a trace of life.
What made him even more horrified was that these "people" actually remained silent. Even though there were crowds of people around, it was so quiet that he could only hear his own heartbeat.
They seemed to have some kind of silent understanding and headed west in unison. The scene was both weird and breathtaking.
Although Tie Zhu was full of fear, he unknowingly followed this flow of people and walked westward.
He didn't know what lay ahead, only that no one had chosen another direction so far. He shouted as he walked, trying to find a familiar voice: "Dad! Mom! Where are you? I'm lost!"
However, all he received in response was endless silence and growing fear.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Tie Zhu finally saw the outline of a city. It was an ancient and grand building, completely different from a modern city, and more like an ancient city that came out of a history book.
The towering city gate stood majestically, and two rows of officers and soldiers stood in front of the city gate, carefully checking everyone who entered the city.
When it was Tiezhu's turn, the officers and soldiers just glanced at him, not noticing the yang energy in him, and waved him to enter the city.
When Tiezhu entered the city, he vaguely heard the whispers of the officers and soldiers: "Another wandering soul, so young, I don't know how many years he will spend in this Yin City."
"Alas..." These words blew into Tie Zhu's heart like a cold wind, making him shiver.
Wandering ghost? Are you talking about me? Am I already dead? Also, what exactly is the Yin City they mentioned? Tie Zhu's mind was filled with doubts and uneasiness. He wasn't as familiar with folklore as some people were, but he had never heard of Yin City.
He only knew that there was a place called Guimen Pass, but he did not expect that before going to Guimen Pass, he would have to pass through such a mysterious underworld market.
Recalling his own experience, Tie Zhu was still frightened. On his way back from bloodletting, he was just solving an internal problem, but he accidentally stepped into a small, seemingly inconspicuous puddle. The puddle seemed to be as shallow as his ankles, but he didn't expect that when he stepped on the air, he seemed to have fallen into an endless abyss. While struggling in the water, he seemed to see an old grandfather with a wrinkled face and sinister eyes, staring at him as if he were prey. Thinking about it now, that old man might be the culprit that caused him to fall into this situation.
After entering the city gate, Tie Zhu felt a little more relaxed. The atmosphere inside the city is completely different from that outside the city, with hustle and bustle replacing the previous silence and depression. The streets were lined with stalls and hawkers, making him feel like he was in a bustling market.
However, as he listened carefully to the cries, his heart became heavy again. The things he was selling were actually the sacrifices he had burned to his ancestors when visiting their graves: human blood steamed buns, paper sedans, cows and sheep with longevity... and even maids with hundreds of years of longevity! All this made Tie Zhu feel creepy, and he realized that the people here were probably ghosts.
Thinking that he had died because of an accidental step into the air, Tiezhu couldn't help but feel frustrated and helpless. He wandered through this seemingly endless city, trying to find a way out or an answer. Until he heard a loud shout: "Fortune teller! Fortune teller!" This voice aroused his curiosity. He turned his head and saw an old fortune teller sitting in front of the booth, mysterious and unpredictable.
"Fortune telling?" Tie Zhu frowned, "If everyone is dead, what kind of fortune is there?" He muttered secretly in his heart, but he did not expect that the old fortune teller heard this.
The old man suddenly turned his head, stared into Tiezhu's eyes and said: "That's wrong! Why can't dead people tell fortunes? Not to mention dead people, ghosts can tell fortunes! Young man, do you want to come to my place to tell fortunes? ”
Tie Zhu quickly shook his head and refused. He knew in his heart that there were many ghosts in this city, but there was no one in front of this fortune-telling stall. It was obvious that the old man was cheating money.
However, just as he was about to leave, the old man suddenly rushed up and grabbed his wrist and said mysteriously: "You kid... you are not a ghost or a human being. Could it be that you... you have lost your soul?" Living person? ”
These words startled Tie Zhu. He recalled the words of the officers and soldiers when they entered the city, and he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable fear and curiosity in his heart. He looked at the old man with wide eyes and asked: "Sir, you said that I am a living person who has lost his soul? What does this mean?"
The old man chuckled, raised the corner of his mouth and said: "Young man, do you want to know? There is a fee, but I don't want your money or your life. As long as you chat with me, tell me how you died and what's going on outside now. The situation is fine.”
When Tie Zhu heard that he didn't want any money, he sat down, nodded and said, "That's okay. But tell me first, what do you mean by living people?"
The old man looked at Tiezhu, stretched out his finger and pointed at him and said: "You boy, you are really a master who never sees rabbits and doesn't let go of hawks! Okay, then let me give you some popular science! The city you came to is called Yin City! Some of the people you see here are ghosts, some are dead, and some are living people like you and me who have lost their souls!"
"Let's talk about the simple things first," the old man continued, "the ghosts you see, such as the officers and soldiers at the city gate, people setting up stalls or opening shops in the city, are basically ghosts. And the dead are the people who just died and want to go to the underworld. You have to come to the Yin City to get the ghost card first. The soul that has not received the ghost card is called a dead person, and the soul that has received the ghost card is called a ghost.”
"As for the living people I just told you about," the old man paused, "it's those people who haven't finished their Yangshou because of some accidents that caused their souls to be scattered. They can't find a way back to their physical bodies, so they can only stay there." The souls in this underworld are called living people, just like me. We are all living people in this Yin City, but in reality we are almost the same as ghosts. When our physical body’s life span is over, we will be qualified to be regarded as dead people, and then we can get the ghost card, and then we can go to the gate of hell. Enter Hades.”
After listening, Tie Zhu nodded, then looked at the old man and asked: "Sir, how long have you been here?"
This question seemed to touch the old man's sadness. He was stunned for a moment and then shook his head and said: "One day above ground, one year below ground! I have forgotten how long I have been here."
"Have you been here for a long time?" Tie Zhu looked at the fortune teller in front of him curiously. For some reason, in the depressing place of Yin City, he felt a little relieved when he saw the old man in front of him who had the same experience.
Perhaps it is because they are both undead people who came to the Yin City. In this world full of ghosts and dead people, they have become a rare comfort to each other.
In the long years of Yin City, there are many, many undead people like them.
In this gloomy world, everyone carries endless helplessness and longing. They have not really left, but can only associate with ghosts, wandering in the netherworld day after day. How can such a day be allowed to happen? Are people happy?
At this moment, the fortune teller seemed to be drawn by some kind of memory and fell into a long silence. It was not until a burst of noise broke the silence that he slowly came back to his senses.
Tie Zhu and the other dead person next to the fortune teller followed the sound and saw not far away, a group of Yin Chai in official uniforms were slowly walking towards them. They had solemn faces and talked in low voices, as if They were discussing something important.
The fortune teller stared at them, as if he heard something, and sighed softly, his tone full of emotion: "Everything in the world is unpredictable. After many years, this Yin City is finally about to usher in a change."
After hearing this, Tie Zhu looked puzzled and asked in confusion: "Sir, what do you mean? What kind of change?"
The fortune teller smiled slightly. Looking at the deceased people around him who were also in the dark market, he felt an inexplicable sense of intimacy in his heart. He was always taciturn on weekdays, but today he was particularly talkative.
"Child, you don't know that this Yin City also has a manager. In the past, it was governed by ghosts from the underworld, but now there are rumors that this Yin City is about to welcome a manager from the Yang Realm."< br>
Hearing this, Tiezhu's eyes flashed with light, and he asked eagerly: "Sir, that manager is from the Yang Realm? Then can he send us back? Are we saved?"
There was a glimmer of hope in the fortune teller's eyes, but it quickly dimmed again. He shook his head and sighed: "There are many ghosts in this Yin City. Even if the person coming is from the Yang Realm, how can we be sure that he will help us? The complexity and darkness here are no less than those in the Yang Realm. Even if the adult has good intentions and is willing to lend a helping hand, there are many ghosts here, and everyone has their own demands. We don’t know when we will get our turn."
The light in Tie Zhu's eyes gradually dissipated, and he knew that what the fortune teller said was true.
At this moment, a wandering soul who often wandered in the Yin Market came over. He glanced at the stalls around him casually, as if he was accustomed to all this.
"Have you heard? The new master is a ruthless character and difficult to deal with!" Wandering Soul said.
"What news have you heard again?" someone asked curiously.
"You don't know yet, right? I just came from the south of the city, and everyone there is talking about this upcoming lord. (End of Chapter)