The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

A hush fell over the crowd after they saw it; the surrounding mist created an eerie atmosphere. Then, Yama, the King of Hell, said, "It has actually been concealed by the Heavenly Dao."

King Yama seemed to be deep in thought, but then dared not dwell on it any longer. Instead, he asked Lin Gangming, "Young man, although your lifespan has ended, is there anything you haven't accomplished before you died?"

Lin Gangming was clearly terrified, but unlike Huang Yao who was crying and sobbing, he hesitated and said, "I still have a grandmother I haven't taken care of. I'm her only family. If I die, what will happen to my grandmother?"

Upon hearing Lin Gangming mention his grandmother, Yama, the King of Hell, instructed Lu Zhidao to investigate. After reviewing the information, Lu Zhidao reported back to Yama: "The old woman Yang Qiongying has only three months left to live!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Gangming was somewhat agitated: "What? My grandma only has three months to live?"

Lu Zhidao slowly said, "This is the way of Heaven, which we cannot control. The cycle of Heaven is predetermined. Although the Underworld controls the cycle of life and death, it cannot change the principle of the cycle of Heaven and Earth! The old woman's condition is due to loneliness and sorrow, and it is also related to your death."

Lin Gangming felt a surge of grief and indignation, but dared not lash out in front of the assembled ghosts and gods. Instead, he looked at Huang Yao beside him and sighed, "Alas, perhaps it truly is the will of Heaven as you say. What can a mortal like me change? The people I've wronged the most in this life are my grandmother and Xiao Yao. We've only just met, and I never imagined it would be the end! We're destined to have no connection in this life. I'm sorry!"

Huang Yao looked at Lin Gangming and said, sobbing uncontrollably, "I don't want to die! My grandparents, parents, and I are all hoping I'll get married. How can I just die?!"

Lu Zhidao glanced at the two of them, calculated with his fingers, and seemed to have figured something out. He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Yama, saying, "My lord, I have divined something here. Should I inform them?"

King Yama glanced at them, then waved his hand and said, "They've all been taken to the underworld. Speak your mind!"

Lu Zhidao cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Lin Gangming: "Young man, don't be too pessimistic. Although your lives were short and you couldn't fulfill your filial duties, you both still have a chance to be married. Take them out!"

Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu then led Huang Yao and Lin Gangming out, but before they even left the Senluo Palace, Huang Yao cried out in anguish, "I...I don't want to die!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Xie Bi'an looked at her and said, "Reincarnation is ordained by the Heavenly Dao. We are simply following the established procedures. How can you, a little child, not understand the principles behind it!"

Huang Yao tried to struggle and say something, but Xie Bi'an gently poked her with the stick in his hand. Huang Yao's eyes went blank and she lost consciousness!

In the underworld, the dim yellow sky resembled old, tattered greasepaper. A dim yellow light emanated from somewhere, staining the edges of the dark clouds above a deathly gray.

In the vast and densely populated dilapidated city, a bizarrely designed hall sits in the heart of the city. The hall's architecture is particularly strange, incorporating styles from various dynasties on the upper levels, while the lowest level reflects the architectural style of the 1950s and 60s. The hall appears old, yet is remarkably clean; the dim, somewhat blurry lighting creates a particularly eerie atmosphere.

Behind the main hall were many rooms. Xie Bi'an walked slowly forward, chanting something as he headed towards the end of the corridor. Suddenly, someone tapped him on the back. The old man jumped, turned around, and asked with a grin, "Damn, who was it? You scared me half to death!"

A pretty woman with fair skin and a white dress chuckled and teased him, "Oh! I didn't expect that you, Xie Bi'an, who goes to the mortal world every day to scare people, would actually get scared yourself!"

Xie Bi'an, with a forced smile, said to the woman in the white dress, "So it's you, ma'am. Why aren't you investigating the demons of the mortal realm? What are you doing at the Six Heavens Palace of Luofeng Mountain?"

The woman in the white dress said playfully, "What's wrong? You want to know?"

Xie Bi'an looked the woman in the white dress up and down: "Given our relationship, shouldn't you tell your brother something?"

The woman rubbed her shoulder: "Ugh! That's disgusting!"

They then headed down the long corridor, with Xie Bi'an following behind. As the two ghosts played around, the woman and Xie Bi'an arrived at a door. Just as Xie Bi'an was about to push the door open, the woman in the white dress extended her right index finger and made a "shh" gesture.

Xie Bi'an asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

The woman in the white dress whispered, "Listen, what are they talking about?"

A deep, steady voice came from behind the door: "This matter cannot be delayed any longer. The stability we've finally achieved in the Three Realms should be restored to its rightful place within the Three Paths!"

Then a very magnetic voice said, "This is no small matter. Should we report it to our superiors?"

A deep, steady voice replied, "No need yet. I have arrangements. I'll send two people who are usually available to make this trip!"

The magnetic voice sounded somewhat curious: "Oh, then we should make a choice. Who among those who can spare some time from the underworld would be suitable?"

The woman in the white dress outside the door then said with some surprise, "You were able to make room for this? Wouldn't it be perfect for you two brothers?"

Perhaps he lost control of his emotions, for the two people behind the door heard him, and a voice immediately came from inside: "Who's outside!"

The woman in the white dress and Xie Bi'an awkwardly pushed open the door. The two ghosts stepped in together, but were squeezed together. The woman in the white dress grabbed Xie Bi'an's arm and then glared at him.

A middle-aged man in a long black robe with a full beard was looking at the two ghosts, while next to him was a handsome middle-aged man in a yellow robe.

The handsome middle-aged man in the yellow robe saw the two ghosts and his face lit up with delight: "Hmm, what a coincidence! We were just saying we needed to send them to the mortal realm, and here are two of them. They're perfect for traveling back and forth between the mortal realm every day!"

The woman in white robes was speechless, staring blankly at the two middle-aged men in surprise. She said weakly, "Huh? What? We just happened to be passing by and overheard you two chatting for a bit. Is it really that hasty?"

The middle-aged man in black robes looked at them and said, "Hmm, you two are indeed a good match."

The woman in white glanced at Xie Bi'an beside her and said, "Then you can just send Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu. I'm still completely confused about what I'm investigating, how can I go?"

The middle-aged man with a magnetic voice smiled and said, "We've pretty much got the gist of our investigation. We've compiled what you've been researching over the years, and this trip to the human world is somewhat related to your investigation. Your father and I have discussed it, and this mission to the human world is simple. Fan Wujiu has communication difficulties, so it's perfect for you and Xie Bi'an to go!"

The woman looked at the middle-aged man in black robes and a beard, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Really, old man?"

The middle-aged man in black robes smiled helplessly: "You little brat, you have no manners at all! It's perfect for you and Xie Bi'an to go!"

Xie Bi'an was somewhat embarrassed: "Ah? I was just about to report to the two emperors, why do you have something else for me to do?"

The two middle-aged men looked at Xie Bi'an simultaneously: "What is it?"

Xie Bi'an put away his playful demeanor and addressed the Emperor of Fengdu and the Emperor of Dongyue: "A few days ago, we captured a soul named Lin Gangming. He is a celestial being who has cultivated for three lifetimes. He was only twenty-five when we captured him, but his lifespan had already ended. In his previous life, he received a favor from someone, and in this life, he is repaying that favor, hence his short life. In his next life, he will cultivate to ascend to the righteous god realm. However, there are currently no cultivation methods available in the mortal realm. King Yama is unsure what to do and, being busy with official duties, has sent me to report to the two emperors!"

Then the Emperor of Fengdu gestured, "Let me see!"

Then the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak stepped forward to examine it. After looking at each other, the Great Emperor of Fengdu asked the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, "What other positions are there above? Are there any remaining cultivation methods in the mortal realm?"

After pondering for a moment, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak said, "I need to investigate this. We'll discuss it further after I've done so!"

Afterwards, in the main hall of the Reincarnation Bureau, Huang Yao cried and wailed, "I don't want to die! I'm not married yet! We had agreed to get married!"

A woman with a stunning figure said to Huang Yao, "Girl, don't regret this life. In your next life, you'll have ten miles of peach blossoms and a bright future. Besides, you and he will have several decades of fate together in the next life. No one will be competing with you for him in the next life. Let it go!"

The girl cried and screamed, her face showing only sorrow but no tears. The voluptuous woman touched Huang Yao's head, and Huang Yao lost consciousness. She took the bowl from the woman's hand, drank a sip, and then left with the torrent of ghosts.

Xie Bi'an and the woman in the white dress walked up to the voluptuous woman beside them. Xie Bi'an said with a grin, "Sis, we're already so close, do we still need to go through the formalities?"

The woman said to him, "You're such a jerk, always joking around, aren't you? Hurry up and finish your mission, then I'll treat you to drinks when you get back!"

In this world...

The story begins with my grandfather. In those days, people were very poor. After the war ended, life was full of vitality again, and people were thriving. My grandfather and his generation fled to this city because of the war.

Because they were from out of town, and because my great-grandfather didn't have any special skills, his two sons later had relatively low levels of education. However, it was only my grandfather who was uneducated; my second uncle, although he didn't have much formal education, learned some skills to make a living from a capable person.

My life was changed because of those two old brothers. Fortunately, my family was already living a normal life when I was born, but by today's standards, we were just ordinary working-class people.

I was born in late spring of 2000. My father was hoeing the field on the mountain when he heard that I was born. He rushed home, but none of us were very educated and didn't know what name to give me. In the end, my second uncle casually suggested a name with the character "蒲" (pu) in it: "Since our surname is Pu, let's give us a name that means dandelion."

Dandelion flowers spread with the wind and scatter to various places, and my name is also very poetic. However, every time I think about the poetic imagery they mentioned, I find it a bit hard to accept. I feel it's quite effeminate.

My name is Pu Qingyuan, which means "a blade of grass drifting far away, growing into a lush green meadow next year." Uh... but in my day and age, anything related to green or cyan carries connotations of being robbed, having your wife cheat on you, or your girlfriend leaving you, among other negative things. But that's irrelevant to this story, so let's not dwell on it!

I'm not much different from other kids. If there's anything different, it's probably that I'm naturally introverted and not good at communicating with people. Perhaps the reason I don't like interacting with others is because I'm naturally physically weak. I've been sick a lot since I was little, the kind of sickness where I get a fever every few days. When I was little, my parents and family thought I wouldn't survive, but they seemed to have some kind of obsession and never had any more children. And whenever I was unwell, they didn't complain about me; instead, they blamed my second uncle.

When I was a child, I didn't understand why they blamed my second uncle. This old man became a Taoist priest when he was young. The reason he became a Taoist priest was because of his very capable master. However, he was not forced to go, but to save his life!

People are always superstitious, especially my mother. She said my poor health was because my second uncle became a fake Taoist priest and deceived too many people, and the family suffered retribution.

But my buddy just doesn't understand. This old man is a fraud, and now all the retribution is coming on me!

Despite my poor health, I still grew up safely. Although I'm thin and frail and could be blown away by the wind, thankfully I'm just thin, and everything else is normal.

When I was little, my parents thought I had some kind of congenital disease and took me to get checked out. But in the end, all the reasons turned out to be malnutrition, and they said that I just needed to eat normally.

But people are always like this; if they can't trust medicine, they'll turn to metaphysics. My second uncle, though he looked shrewd and calculating, never figured it out. Whenever the family asked, he'd puff on his cigar-like pipe incessantly and say, "This kid has a hard life; he'll be difficult to raise!"

Every time my mom hears him say that, she gets a dark look on her face and scolds him: "You old geezer, you just spout nonsense all day long!"

My second uncle didn't take it to heart, but apart from being a bit weak, I don't think I really suffered much when I was a child. The only hardship I experienced was taking medicine, which was extremely bitter. Many times, I had to secretly pour out the medicine behind my mother's back.

Perhaps my second uncle wasn't talking nonsense, but a person's destiny only gradually manifests as they grow up, and it seems that I am that kind of person!

My childhood was very ordinary, like a feather shed by a migrating goose, falling into rivers, lakes and seas without causing any ripples.

As I grew up, my story began in high school. Although I was introverted and didn't talk much, I still had one or two classmates I could talk to.

But in the eyes of the other students in the class, they were all oddballs, the kind of people who didn't have many friends. The reason I was able to get along with these guys is because of my grandfather, who was an old swindler, oh no! an old Taoist priest.

When we were kids, we'd get together and love to brag or tell stories. But not fairy tales, instead, those bizarre ghost stories, eerie tales that sent chills down your spine.