My daily mountain driving, I met a fox at the beginning and got married

He nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I promise no one will disturb him!"

"What if there is someone?" Zhang Hao asked back.

"Then I will protect him even at the risk of my life!" Yinchai answered firmly.

Zhang Hao felt relieved and waved his hand: "Okay, you go back and report. I will probably be back to the inn the day after tomorrow."

The ghost hurriedly bowed again and said, "Yes, sir! I'll take my leave now!"

He took one last look at the iron pillar on the ground, memorized its appearance, and then turned and walked towards the gate of the yard. However, before he walked out of the yard, his figure gradually disappeared.

Lao Xu and Tie Zhu's mother, who were waiting outside the door, were extremely nervous until the gate was suddenly opened. They were startled and turned to look at the door in horror.

"Come in." Hao Xie said to them with a smile, "You are too close, and there is a lot of Yin energy on your body. This is not good for you."

Lao Xu and Tie Zhu's mother were stunned for a moment, and only gradually relaxed when they saw that it was Hao Xie. After following Hao Xie into the yard, they actually felt like they were not returning to their own home.

After entering the courtyard and seeing Zhang Hao, they hurried forward to thank him: "Mr. Yin Yang, your great kindness will be remembered by our Xu family forever! It is really a blessing for Tiezhu to receive your help!"

Zhang Hao smiled and handed Tiezhu to Fatty Wang next to him, then said to Tiezhu's mother and Lao Xu: "Isn't this a meal and a pot of wine for you? You have already repaid us. But we still have things to do, so we won't keep you any longer. Follow my method, pick up an old hen tomorrow, hang Tiezhu's birth date on it, and start walking back when the rooster crows three times after noon. Don't look back along the way, otherwise Tiezhu may not be able to come back. Also, make sure to bring the old hen to Tiezhu's bedside."

Lao Xu carefully wrote down every word Zhang Hao said, but he still couldn't help asking: "Mr. Yin Yang, what if this yellow-skinned guy comes to cause trouble again?"

Zhang Hao took out four pieces of yellow paper from his bosom and handed them to Lao Xu: "This is the seal of a fourth-rank official, which can ward off ghosts and monsters. There are only four here, you can use three, and when Tiezhu has a child, give the fourth to him. This yellow-skinned guy is quite skilled in Taoism, and he can almost become a Taoist. Your family is the one he is looking for. If you haven't been killed by it within three generations, it will become the guardian deity of your Lao Xu family. This is equivalent to having a god protecting your family. For your safety, I give you these four talismans to protect you. Remember, you can't leave them when you take a bath."

Old Xu's eyes widened after hearing this: "Really? This yellow fox can be our guardian deity? It's so cunning, can it really protect us?"

Zhang Hao nodded: "After three generations, this yellow fox will see the secrets of heaven from your family. By then, even if you drive it away, it will beg to be your guardian deity. It just took the wrong path. If one day it can achieve enlightenment and become a fairy, your Xu family will also benefit from it. Tiezhu was destined to have this disaster, but now it has passed, and it should be fine. In exchange for a guardian deity, it is worth it."

Lao Xu and Tie Zhu's mother looked at each other. Although they had doubts in their hearts, since Zhang Hao said so, they were willing to believe it. So they nodded and thanked him: "Thank you, Mr. Yin Yang! Not only did you save our child, but you also brought us a guardian deity! How can we thank you so much!"

Zhang Hao smiled and waved his hand: "You're welcome, just consider it as my payment for the wine. You should prepare as soon as possible, and everything will be fine after we bring Tiezhu's soul back tomorrow. We still have things to do, so we won't stay any longer."

After that, Zhang Hao and his group walked towards the door in tacit understanding. Lao Xu insisted on seeing them off, but they had to use the magic talisman to hurry on their way, so they let Lao Xu go back at the entrance of the village.

On the other side, on a deserted path in Yin City, a child in a dirty school uniform was walking alone. His school uniform was still stained with mud, as if he had just had a fight with someone.

People called this man Iron Pillar.

Tiezhu walked slowly on the road, but his heart was like a leaf blown by a strong wind, and he felt more and more uneasy.

Although there were occasional figures moving around, every time he tried to find a little 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" remained silent. Although there were crowds of people around him, it was so quiet that the only sound he could hear was his own heartbeat.

They seemed to have some kind of silent understanding and moved westward in unison. The scene was both strange and breathtaking.

Although Tiezhu was filled with fear, he unknowingly followed the crowd and walked westward.

He didn't know what was ahead, but he found that no one had chosen another direction so far. He walked and shouted, trying to find a familiar voice: "Dad! Mom! Where are you? I'm lost!"

However, all he got in response was endless silence and growing fear.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Tiezhu finally saw the outline of a city. It was an ancient and grand building, completely different from modern cities. It was more like an ancient city that came out of a history book.

The towering city gate stood majestically, and two rows of soldiers in front of the gate were on high alert, carefully checking everyone entering the city.

When it was Tiezhu's turn, the officers and soldiers just glanced at him briefly, did not detect any yang energy in him, and waved him to enter the city.

As Tiezhu entered the city, he vaguely heard the soldiers whispering, "Another wandering soul, so young, I wonder how many years he will have to spend in this dark city."

"Alas..." These words blew into Tiezhu's heart like a cold wind, making him shiver.

Wandering soul? Are they talking about me? Am I dead? And what exactly is the Yin City they mentioned? Tiezhu's mind was full of doubts and uneasiness. He was not as familiar with folk tales as some people, but he had never heard of the Yin City.

He only knew that there was a place called Ghost Gate, but he didn't expect that before going to Ghost Gate, he would have to pass through such a mysterious underworld.

Thinking back to his experience, Tiezhu still had lingering fears. He was just on his way back from bleeding, and he took a break to relieve himself, but he accidentally stepped into a seemingly insignificant puddle. The puddle seemed to be less than ankle-deep, but he didn't expect that he stepped into empty space and fell into an endless abyss. While struggling in the water, he seemed to see an old man with wrinkles on his face and sinister eyes, staring at him like prey. Now thinking about it, the old man might be the culprit that led him to this situation.

After entering the city gate, Tiezhu felt a little more relaxed. The atmosphere inside the city was completely different from that outside the city. The noise and bustle replaced the silence and depression before. The streets were lined with stalls and hawking sounds, making him feel as if he was in a bustling market.

However, when he listened carefully to the hawking, his heart became heavy again. The things being hawked were actually the offerings he used to burn for his ancestors when he visited their graves: blood-soaked steamed buns, paper sedan chairs, cattle and sheep for the dead… and even maids for the dead who were 100 years old! All of this made Tiezhu feel creepy, and he realized that the people here were probably all ghosts.

Thinking that he had lost his life because of an accidental step on the air, Tiezhu could not help but feel frustrated and helpless. He wandered in this seemingly endless city, trying to find a way out or an answer. Until he heard a loud shout: "Fortune telling! Fortune telling!" The voice aroused his curiosity, and he turned around to see an old fortune teller sitting in front of the stall, mysterious and unpredictable.

"Fortune telling?" Tiezhu frowned. "The person is dead, what's the point of telling fortune?" He muttered to himself, but he didn't expect that his words were heard by the fortune teller.

The old man turned his head suddenly, stared into Tiezhu's eyes and said, "That's wrong! How can the dead not be told fortunes? Not to mention the dead, even ghosts can tell fortunes! Young man, do you want to come to me for a fortune-telling?"

Tiezhu quickly shook his head to refuse. He knew that there were many ghosts in this city, but there was no one in front of the fortune-telling stall. It was obvious that the old man was trying to cheat people out of money.

However, just as he was about to leave, the old man suddenly rushed up and grabbed his wrist, saying mysteriously: "You kid... you are not a ghost, nor a human. Could it be that you... you are a living person with a scattered soul?"

Tiezhu was startled by these words. He recalled what the soldiers said when they entered the city, and he could not help but feel an inexplicable fear and curiosity. He stared at the old man with wide eyes and asked, "Sir, you said I am a living person with a scattered soul? What does that mean?"

The old man chuckled, curled his lips and said, "Young man, do you want to know? I'll charge you a fee, but I don't want your money or your life. All you need is to chat with me and tell me how you died and what the situation is like outside now."

When Tiezhu heard that it was free, he sat down, nodded and said, "Okay. But first, tell me, what do you mean by living people?"

The old man looked at Tiezhu, pointed at him with his finger and said, "You kid, you are really a person who won't release the eagle until you see the rabbit! All right, then let me give you some popular science! The city you came to is called Yinshi! Some of the people you see here are ghosts, some are dead, and there are also some living people like you and me whose souls have been scattered!"

"Let me tell you something simple first," the old man continued. "The ghosts you see, such as the soldiers at the city gate, the vendors or the shops in the city, are basically all ghosts. As for the dead, if they want to go to the underworld, they must first come to the Yin City to get the ghost cards. The souls that have not received the ghost cards are called dead people, and the souls that have received the ghost cards are called ghosts."

"As for the living people I just told you about," the old man paused, "they are those whose life spans have not yet ended and whose souls have been scattered due to some accidents and cannot find the way back to their bodies. They can only stay in this Yin City. They are called living people. You and I are both living people in this Yin City, but in reality, we are almost the same as ghosts. When our physical life spans are over, we are qualified to be considered dead, and then we can receive the ghost card, and finally go to the Ghost Gate and enter the underworld."

Tiezhu nodded after listening to him, then looked at the old man and asked, "Sir, how long have you been here?"

This question seemed to have touched upon the old man's sorrow. He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "One day on earth is one year underground! I have almost forgotten how long I have been here."

"Have you been here for a long time?" Tiezhu looked at the fortune teller in front of him curiously. Somehow, in this depressing place like Yin City, he felt a little relieved when he saw the old man in front of him who had the same experience as him.

Perhaps it was because they were all undead people who came to the Yin City, and in this world full of ghosts and dead people, they became each other's rare comfort.

During the long years in Yin City, there are still many people like them who have not died.

In this gloomy world, everyone carries with them 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 make people happy?

At this moment, the fortune teller seemed to be drawn by some memories 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.

Tiezhu and another deceased person beside the fortune teller looked in the direction of the sound and saw a team of ghosts in official uniforms slowly approaching from a distance. They had solemn expressions on their faces and were talking in low voices, as if they were discussing something important.

The fortune teller stared at them, as if he had heard something, and sighed softly, his tone full of emotion: "Things are unpredictable. After many years, this Yin City is finally going to usher in a change."

After hearing this, Tiezhu was puzzled and asked, "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 underworld, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged in his heart. He was usually taciturn, but today he was particularly talkative.

"Child, you don't know that this Yin City also has a manager. In the past, it was managed by ghost messengers from the underworld, but now there are rumors that this Yin City will soon welcome a manager from the Yang World."

Tie Zhu heard this, his eyes gleamed, and he asked anxiously: "Sir, is that manager from the Yang Realm? Then can he send us back? Are we saved?"

A glimmer of hope flashed in the fortune teller's eyes, but it soon dimmed. He shook his head and sighed, "There are many ghosts in this Yin City. Even if someone comes from the Yang World, how can we be sure that he will help us? The complexity and darkness here are no less than those in the Yang World. Even if that adult has good intentions and is willing to lend a hand, there are so many ghosts here, and each of them has demands. We don't know when it will be our turn."

The light in Tiezhu's eyes gradually faded, and he knew very well that what the fortune teller said was true.

Just then, a wandering soul who often roamed in the Yin Market came over. He glanced at the surrounding stalls casually, as if he was accustomed to all this.

"Have you heard? The new guy is a tough guy and not easy to deal with!" said Youhun.

"What rumors have you heard?" someone asked curiously.

"You don't know yet? I just came from the south of the city, and people there are talking about this upcoming lord. (End of this chapter)