"So in the end, Xiang Nan went to the Underworld, and all the Liu family members are punished in hell after death?" Lisa smiled as he listened to Joohyun's gleeful account.
"Mm-hmm!" Joohyun said happily, "So there is no injustice in heaven. I misunderstood that grandpa two days ago. I was so wrong."
"Misunderstood?" Lisa could always be stunned by what Joohyun would blurt out.
"Well, I have to apologize to that grandpa," After Joohyun finished, she immediately clasped her hands together on the spot with eyes closed and begged, "Heavenly Dao, Grandpa is a great man who rarely harbors grievances for this petty man's wrongs. Please forgive me."
"That grand old man is very generous and won't be bothered with you." Lisa was amused by Joohyun's cute action. He burst out laughing and shook his head. Seeing that Joohyun's mouth was dry from chanting, he raised his hand and picked the teapot on the table, ready to add some water to the teacup in front of Joohyun. "How about Zhang Ziyang and Miss Liu?"
Hearing Lisa ask Zhang Ziyang and Liu Muya's matter, Joohyun's excited little face suddenly turned into a blank. She turned around, propped up her chin with both hands, and looked at Lisa as he refilled her cup. She asked out of the blue, "Third Brother, what is love like?"
"Cra-aash..." Lisa's hand shook, and the water in the teacup overflowed, spilling all over the table.
"Yah!" Joohyun leaned back in fear, afraid that the tea would wet her sleeve.
Cheng Peng witnessed everything but hesitated for a moment. He thought it would be better not to go there at this time.
"You didn't get wet, right?" Lisa hurriedly put down the teapot in his hand and asked with concern.
"No." Joohyun shook her head and grabbed the paper towels on the coffee table. She swiftly drew a few and tossed them on the wet table to absorb the water.
The two of them worked together to dry the tabletop. Lisa's mind also stabilized as he asked, "What did you just ask me?"
"Third Brother, what is love?" Joohyun asked again, "Is love something specially specially specially good?"
Joohyun said three specials in a row, so it was clear that she was really confused inside.
"Why would you want to ask this?" Lisa was surprised.
"Because of Zhang Ziyang and Liu Muya." Joohyun explained, "I mentioned Zhang Ziyang and Liu Muya's matter in front of the City God and wanted to see how this matter should be handled. Then, City God directly called the souls of those two people."
After hearing Joohyun's demands, Lord City God ordered two ghost messengers to go to the hospital and hook Zhang Ziyang and Liu Muya's souls.
City God flipped through the Book of Life and Death with his phone and looked at the experiences of the two people in their lives before saying to the couple, standing respectfully below, "The Underworld wouldn't have interfered in the affairs of the world of the living, but a Celestial Master can communicate with the Yin and Yang. Since a Celestial Master has reported to this Deity, then this Deity will have to take charge."
"Lord City God, please lift the Life Exchange Technique between me and Ziyang. I don't want him to switch lives for me," Liu Muya suddenly stepped forward and pleaded.
"Yaya!" Zhang Ziyang was frightened.
Liu Muya ignored Zhang Ziyang and only prayed to the City God saying, "Lord City God, please."
"You know very well that without you, I can't live at all by myself," Zhang Ziyang said in pain.
"Ziyang, you still have your parents and relatives. You can't do this for me. If I survived because of you, do you think I could live a happy life?" Liu Muya's expression was equally painful.
"You've initially saved my life," Zhang Ziyang said, "That year in Country E, if you hadn't found me in a car accident and brought me to the hospital in time, I would have left this world."
"That's no reason for you to trade your life for mine."
"It's certainly not," Zhang Ziyang looked at Liu Muya's eyes pleadingly, "It's just because I like you ah."
Liu Muya's eyes trembled and tears accumulated in the middle of her eyes.
"It's because I like you, so I can't live in a world without you. Since I can't live alone no matter what, then doing so... I can at least save you."
"Ziyang..." Liu Muya was moved, and a teardrop slid down from her eye. She knew that the man in front of her liked her, but when this man was really willing to die for her, Liu Muya suddenly felt that her life might be short, but her life wasn't worthless. "If you die because of saving me, how can I live with myself?"
"This is ... you weren't supposed to know about this." The two people's eyes met in the air, looking at each other with deep affection and despair.
"Are you done confessing to each other?" It had been many years since ancient times, but it seemed that nothing new had changed between men and women. Every time, they'd say, "You die, and I die. you live and I live." This straight dog blood plot was too unbearable for ghosts to watch.
Wasn't it said that human creativity was amazing? How come these romance plots were always so clichéd.
The deep and desperate love between the two was interrupted by the City God and labeled it as a dog plot and an eyesore.
"Ignorance is the most terrible!" City God reprimanded, "I see that you two have done no great evil in life, and both have done a few good deeds, so let me give you a few reminders. Once the Life Exchange Technique is successful, the person who belongs to the Underworld won't enter the Underworld. It's equivalent to changing your life against Heavens. That is regarded as a great sin and will be punished in hell after death. "
"Lord City God, this matter has nothing to do with Yaya. I did everything without Yaya's knowledge. It was all my idea alone," Zhang Ziyang hurriedly defended.
City God looked at Zhang Ziyang and said, "Liu Muya will be punished if she exchanges her life against Heavens, whether she knows it or not. If she was forced to exchange her fate, she can appeal for grievances and be reborn. But if she is willing, it is equivalent to suicide, and she'll go to hell after death. Zhang Ziyang, if you exchange your life voluntarily, you won't only commit suicide, but also because your parents are still alive, plus the crime of unfilial, your crime after death will graver than Liu Muya. "
After hearing the City God's words, the pair of lovers who wanted to redeem each other turned white as sheets. Their hearts and souls also trembled. They never dreamed that the acts they thought they would sacrifice for each other would be harmful to each other.
"I just want you to live," Zhang Ziyang's face was full of guilt.
"I know." Liu Muya nodded, and the two pair's eyes once again clung scorchingly together.
City God decisively broke the atmosphere created by this dog-blood plot and continued, "For the sake of the good deeds you two did in your lives and the merits you carry, I will let you off once. In a moment, I will sever the vitality connection between you two, and you will wake up after your souls return to your bodies."
"Wake up?" Zhang Ziyang said excitedly, "Has Xiang Nan and the Liu family's grudge been transferred to the Underworld? Does it mean that the curse on Yaya has disappeared?"
"Although the grievances between Xiang Nan and the Liu family have been transferred to the Underworld, Liu Muya's life has still been protected by Xiang Nan's luck, so the curse cannot be eliminated. However, because Xiang Nan's soul entered the Underworld, the curse's bearing will be relatively weakened. Liu Muya can continue to live until 25 years old after awakening," City God said.
Xiang Nan's curse was to let the Liu family people not live more than 25 years old. Since he was locked before, the power of his curse was weaker, and most of the Liu family lived to 25 years old. But Joohyun rescued Xiang Nan some time ago. The moment he left the land of locked souls, the power of his curse followed suit and intensified. That was why Liu Muya fell ill early.
"25 years old?" Zhang Ziyang pleaded, "Lord City God, is there any way to extend Yaya's life? I'm willing to pay any price."
"Ziyang, no need." Liu Muya felt satisfied to have someone with her, so living till 25 was enough.
"Yaya, I want to be with you." Zhang Ziyang said, "I also want to get married with you and have children."
"Ziyang, I'll wait for you in the Underworld. I'll not go through reincarnation. I'll always wait for you," Liu Muya said, "We live and die together."
"Yaya."
"Ziyang."
"There are specific rules and regulations for reincarnation in the Underworld. You can't just go and reincarnate whenever you want to. If you don't want to reincarnate, you can just wait in vain on the Naihe Bridge." City God had had enough and said, "You've seen too many TV dramas, thinking you can still be reborn together."
Zhang Ziyang knew that it was a rare chance to see the City God. He took Liu Muya and knelt before the City God and said, "Lord City God, we don't ask for the afterlife, but only for this life. I know we shouldn't ask for this, but it's our good fortune to see you. Please show us a clear path."
"If doing so will lead to throwing yourself into the animal path in the next life, will you not hesitate to do so?" City God asked after a moment's hesitation.
"As long as I can stay with Yaya in this life," Zhang Ziyang said decisively, "And will not fail my parents, I'll do so at all costs."
"Alright!" City God tapped his phone again and then said decisively, "These evil ghosts in hell now prefer to stay in hell rather than throw themselves into the animal path, resulting in the number of animals on earth getting smaller and smaller. Since you are willing to go to the animal path, then I will give you a special deal and give you a privilege."
City God said, "I will give half of your longevity to Liu Muya at the price that you must reincarnate in the animal path for ten lifetimes after death."
"Thank you, Lord City God," Zhang Ziyang said gratefully.
"Lord City God, I would also like to reincarnate in the animal life path in the next life," Liu Muya followed closely.
"You also have something to ask me?" Lord City God asked.
"Yes." Liu Muya looked at Zhang Ziyang and said firmly, "I just hope that when I'm reborn as an animal, Ziyang and I will still be together. If he is a male mouse, then I am the female mouse. If he's a male bird, then I'll be a female one..."
"Stop..." City God trembled. He rubbed his goose bumps quietly and said, "I'll allow it. Don't you just want to be reincarnated together as an animal couple? Recently, the number of national treasure pandas has decreased sharply. I let you reincarnate later. I hope you will love each other and give birth to more. It can be regarded as a contribution to the country."
When Lisa heard the last, his then serious expression twitched uncontrollably. Are the Underworld officials so unrestrained?
"Third Brother, City God said that since he became a City God, he has seen countless infatuated men and women. No matter how wise, farsighted, and insightful people are, they can't extricate themselves from love and will become blind and irrational. It is as if they can do anything as long as their love can be guarded." Joohyun was totally confused, "That female lecherous ghost, because she did not find love in life, she refused to reincarnate after death. Zhang Ziyang and Liu Muya were willing to reincarnate in the animal path in the next life for love."
"So, isn't love the best thing in the world that everyone wants?" Joohyun asked sincerely.
"Uh..." Lisa met Joohyun's shining eyes, and suddenly did not know how to answer. He hesitated and said, "It's the same thing that will make you very happy and joyful if you get it."
"Like money?" Joohyun asked metaphorically.
"..."
"But I wouldn't want my life for money, and I wouldn't not go to reincarnation for money." Joohyun chewed over it and felt that the value of money hadn't reached this point.
"It's more than money ... not ... it's not the same as money." Lisa spoke half-way through, but still couldn't find the right words. Finally, he only vaguely said, "When you meet the one someday, you'll probably understand."
"Oh!" Joohyun nodded thoughtfully, and then asked curiously, "So, has Third Brother ever met the one?"
"..." Lisa flicked a finger at Joohyun's forehead and scolded with a smile, "Children shouldn't ask these."
"Who is a child? I'm in college. The other day my mother asked me if I have a favorite male classmate in school." Joohyun rubbed her head defiantly.
"You ..." Do you have a favorite male classmate? Lisa almost asked out, but when the words reached his mouth, they were bit down hard.
"By the way, Third Brother, you sent a message before saying that you want to ask for my help in something. What is it?" Joohyun remembered the message hse received before coming here, so she asked in passing.
"I'm going to Pingcheng in a couple of days, and I want to ask if you're free to come along," Lisa asked with a forced bitter smile.
"With you? I'm free ah. I'll go." Joohyun nodded in agreement and without hesitation.
Lisa knew full well that there was no special meaning in Joohyun's words. She only wanted to prevent the evil spirit in his body from rioting. However, the bitterness in his heart quietly melted away because of her answer.
Did Third Brother meet the one?
He did, but he didn't dare to have her.
The author has something to say:
City God: Wait until I go back and check. Those animals are almost extinct, let these two go and rescue them.