Xiang Cheng said in the dark, "What should we ask?"
"What...should we ask?" Chi Xiaoduo said, "What do you want to ask?"
"I don't know," Xiang Cheng said, then stretched out his feet under the low table and touched Chi Xiaoduo. Chi Xiaoduo calmed down a little, and holding Xiang Cheng’s foot between his two feet, he nodded.
"Ask...Let me ask something ba." Chi Xiaoduo said.
"Don't be nervous," Xiang Cheng said. "Ask whatever you want."
"En," Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, is Xiang Cheng a 0 or 1?"
Everyone: ".....”
Xiang Cheng: "??"
"What do you mean?" Xiang Cheng asked confusedly in the dark.
"Nothing." Chi Xiaoduo wiped his sweat. "I'm talking nonsense, let’s change to another one ba... But what should I switch to? No way ba! Diexian, you even know that ah!"
The porcelain plate rotated slowly. Chi Xiaoduo thought it’s over, if it stops on 0, I don’t want to live anymore.
Finally, the blood pointer on the porcelain plate stopped on "No."
Chi Xiaoduo: "........”
Chi Xiaoduo thought, what the hell is no, ah?! This is a multiple-choice question, not a yes or no question, okay?!
Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, can you know what I think in my mind? If I don’t ask out loud, is that okay?"
Everyone present thought, do you think the diexian is an echo within your stomach ah!
The porcelain plate rotated and stopped on "Don't know."
Chi Xiaoduo thought, then I better not ask if Xiang Cheng likes me or not, that’s really awkward, I’ll ask something else ba.
"Diexian, diexian, Ke..." Chi Xiaoduo wanted to ask, will Keda find someone he likes, but on second thought, if he asked using Keda's name, and the diexian noticed that Keda was an exorcist, wouldn't it be a big mess, so he changed his mind and asked, "Can you tell me how much money Wang Ren's design institute will make next year?"
Everyone : “???”
Who was Wang Ren? But that wasn’t important. Chi Xiaoduo just randomly found something to ask, and he couldn’t let it notice their identities as exorcists, so he could only ask about unimportant, unrelated people. In fact, Chi Xiaoduo didn’t care at all how much money Wang Ren would make.
The diexian stopped on "3." Chi Xiaoduo thought, this is really too much, it’s such a good chance, but I can’t ask anything, so depressing.
"Um diexian, please tell me," Chi Xiaoduo said, "in the water supply and drainage construction specifications, what is the maximum multiple that the outer diameter can be to the welded elbow of a bent steel pipe."
Everyone: ".......”
"No!" Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, I have a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time. Who killed President Kennedy?"
Porcelain plate: "..."
"What did you ask?" Xiang Cheng was dumbfounded.
Chi Xiaoduo was also confused. The porcelain plate revolved around and finally stopped at "Don't know."
What can I ask? I can’t ask anything ah! In front of so many people, I can’t ask if Xiang Cheng likes me or not, I can’t ask if we’ll pass the first-class certification or not, I can’t ask if I’ll have a boyfriend in the future…. Chi Xiaoduo was going crazy. It couldn’t be that he should make an equation for the diexian to calculate the displacement with calculus?
"Ah!" Chi Xiaoduo thought of a question to ask.
"I......" Chi Xiaoduo pondered for a moment and said, "can I still see my parents? No, will I have a chance to see my dad in the future?"
The diexian turned to "Yes."
"What about my mom?" Chi Xiaoduo asked.
The diexian stayed on "Yes."
"I don’t have any more questions," Chi Xiaoduo said. "Diexian, bye-bye."
The porcelain plate began to shake slightly.
Chi Xiaoduo: "???"
Xiang Cheng said, "We have no more questions. Diexian, see you later."
"We can’t say ‘see you later.’" Chi Xiaoduo corrected.
Xiang Cheng let out an “en” sound and seemed to be thinking. The porcelain plate clattered and fell on the table.
It was gone.
Chi Xiaoduo sighed, put down his left hand covering his eyes, and Xiang Cheng said, "What were you asking?"
Chi Xiaoduo laughed and didn’t say anything. Chen Zhen turned on the light and said, "Getting your soul pulled out twice in twenty-four hours, how do you feel?"
"This time, it didn’t feel as obvious," Xiang Cheng said. "Just a little empty."
With all the lights on in the room, Keda stretched and said, "Next, there’s just…."
At the moment when Chi Xiaoduo turned his head, his pupils couldn’t adapt to the light and widened slightly. Under the eye-piercing light, he saw it——
——On the other side of the table stood an old man without any facial features.
The diexian hadn’t left yet.
Chi Xiaoduo: ".....”
——
"He's still here!" Chi Xiaoduo shouted.
Chen Zhen froze then immediately reacted; however, the faceless old man acted faster than them. There was a bang, and Zhou Wanyuan screamed, broke through the paper door, and fell out! Chen Zhen had just unzipped his bag when the old man hit him once with the cane in his hand.
"Chen Zhen——" Keda roared.
Keda struck out with both fists simultaneously , and the ghostly image of a wolf burst out. Chen Zhen took out the Luohun Bell, but before it could ring, the old man waved his cane gently. The window door and roof facing the street were smashed, and several black monsters rushed down . Chen Zhen was thrown out to the corridor, and the Luohun Bell fell to the side.
Xiang Cheng pulled out the Demon-Subduing Staff and rushed at the diexian, but his movements were obviously slower than before. Chi Xiaoduo scrambled away, fled to the corridor, and picked up the Luohun Bell. Chen Zhen roared, "Throw it to me!"
"I can’t find the hammer!" Chi Xiaoduo shouted.
Xiang Cheng jumped on the old man, but the old man raised his hand. A magic symbol appeared and with a buzzing sound, flew towards Xiang Cheng. The moment Xiang Cheng flew away, Chen Zhen raised up the Luohun Bell to block the diexian from everyone else.
In an instant, the golden light of the Luohun Bell exploded outwards!
The inscriptions on the body of the bell seemed to form a huge suction force, which sucked the yao around towards the bell. The diexian stood still, and as soon as the cane hit the ground, a magical array appeared. The array rotated at high speed, and a beam of strong light collided with the Luohun Bell!
The Luohun Bell went out of control, humming as it shot out golden light. The souls imprisoned within the bell shot out, rotating around the room like a revolving lantern, countless souls slipping their bonds with a shuah sound! They all screamed at them! Chi Xiaoduo’s eyes were blurred, and Xiang Cheng pulled him over, pushing him behind him.
With a flick of the faceless old man's finger, a beam of light flew out and hit the Luohun Bell!
A dang rang out as the bell shook wildly, and everyone started yelling!
Everyone resisted the strong suction force of the Luohun Bell, and in that brief moment, Chi Xiaoduo, whose pupils were still slightly unfocused, felt something pull straight past him!
"Xiang Cheng! Chi Xiaoduo quickly hugged Xiang Cheng’s waist. The two people went shuah, and their vision went black.
The old man dispersed his magical array, and the light around the Luohun Bell gathered up.
The diexian’s face distorted, a mouth appeared, it grinned, and then jumped on a yao dog’s back. With a shuah, it flew up high, then turned around and flew away.
Everyone looked at each other, Chen Zhen sickly pale and panting. The Luohun Bell fell to the ground with a dang, whirling around on the ground.
"Are we… in big trouble." Keda said.
Xiang Cheng fell to his knees, holding Chi Xiaoduo as they both laid there on their sides. They let out a muffled sound and fell to the ground.
"Xiang Cheng!” Chen Zhen shouted anxiously, "Chi Xiaoduo!"
The night of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
In the distant night sky, there was a huge city. The stars were the city’s light, and glowing souls flit through the sky.
On this night, the whole city of Beijing was illuminated by lights, but it was being overshadowed by a different kind of light. In the southeast sky and the northwest sky, huge floating drums were set up in both directions. A glowing giant, bare-chested, was beating the drums with all his might.
"What exactly is this?" "Chi Xiaoduo said.
Caught in the flood of souls, Chi Xiaoduo flew past. A noisy bustle rang in his ears, the lights were as bright as day in front of him, and huge floating lanterns were everywhere around, and the word “ghost” was written on all the lanterns.
"Xiaoduo!”
Xiang Cheng dispelled the ghost in front of him, trying to catch up with the Chi Xiaoduo in front of him in the distance. The deafening sound of drums, gongs, and suona blasts filled the sky.
Chi Xiaoduo said, "What is this place? Xiang Cheng! Xiang Cheng!"
Chi Xiaoduo looked back and saw Xiang Cheng in the back of the group. He was about to head over to him, but his body flew up uncontrollably. A strong suction force carried him up from the ground and into flight, following after the diexian at the front of the procession, flying towards the sky behind them.
"WAHHHHHH——" Chi Xiaoduo looked down, a steady stream of cars were below his feet, all slamming past the glowing city, but the glowing ghosts went through the vehicles. A woman dressed in a qipao, a dying old man, students carrying books...everyone was glowing, flashing across his vision.
Was this Halloween? Chi Xiaoduo realized that there was a serious problem, hadn’t they just been in the inn inviting the diexian? ! How were they outside now! He looked at his hands and saw that they had become almost transparent, and his entire body was glowing.
Oh, my god -- I'm dead AHHHHHHHHH!
Chi Xiaoduo turned to look, and just saw Xiang Cheng gesturing to him, indicating for him to not freak out. Chi Xiaoduo was gasping for breath, but since he already was a ghost, he couldn’t breathe, and his shape kept freezing.
The diexian flew past the zenith, through the drums that were constantly beating, dragging thousands of souls behind it, including that of a glowing ba snake, all flying to the North.
They landed in the ghost market, which overlapped with the Forbidden City. There was something like a loud bang, the whole world trembled, and Chi Xiaoduo’s jaw dropped. He had previously seen the ghost festival drum and the procession of ten thousand ghosts towards the emperor in his study materials, but he had never imagined he’d see it with his own eyes.
At that moment, the Forbidden City at night glowed like a pavilion from another world.
Chen Zhen parked the car outside Chang'an Avenue, and Zhou Wanyuan got out. The two of them ran towards the Forbidden City. Chen Zhen's mink flew up the red wall, flipped over, and disappeared.
"Wait! Chen Zhen!" Keda was driving another car and bellowed over its intercom, "Let me apply for night enforcement clearance first!"
Instead of going near Jinshui Bridge, Chen Zhen went around to the back wall of the Forbidden City and climbed in by going over the outer wall of Zhongshan Park.
"Don't be impulsive." Keda said over the communicator.
"Keda." Zhou Wanyuan said, "the Forbidden Palace must be surrounded immediately."
“Impossible!” Chen Zhen replied succinctly, “We can’t do that during the Ghost Festival.”
Keda said, "I’ve gotten passage clearance, we have to first find the diexian."
"Where are you? Chen Zhen asked.
"Outside the Meridian Gate." Keda replied.
"Bring along Xiang Cheng’s equipment, and figure out a way to get in; we’ll meet up in front of the Fengtian Temple." Chen Zhen said, then pulled a rope out of his bag and whistled.
The mink stood on top of the red wall and looked down.
While talking, Chen Zhen beckoned towards it. The mink flew down, took the rope, jumped on the red wall, and tied it to a railing.
“I'm not well," Having run all the way over here, Chen Zhen was already out of breath and said to Zhou Wanyuan, "I can't climb up."
Zhou Wanyuan: "......”
Chen Zhen said, "What to do? Can you do it? Or we can call Keda over."
"I... will try." Zhou Wanyuan said, "I'll piggy-back you ba. Director Chen, you... you’ve sat in the office for too long, so you’ve become completely indolent, unable to do anything ma?" Zhou Wanyuan tried her best to jump up, climbing the wall with Chen Zhen on her back, but her feet couldn’t help but slide under her.
They flipped over from the other side of the palace wall.
"Which hall?" Zhou Wanyuan asked.
"Check the GPS," Chen Zhen said.
Zhou Wanyuan: ".......”
The mink jumped down and ran. Chen Zhen said, "Follow it!"
Zhou Wanyuan screeched, "Follow what ah! There's nothing there!"
The mink turned a corner, and Chen Zhen gasped for breath as he showed the way and let Zhou Wanyuan go forward. The mink flew past through a hall, and as soon as Chen Zhen and Zhou Wanyuan turned the corner, they ran into a dark figure. Both sides started screaming.
"You scared me to death!" Keda said with some lingering fear.
"You’re the one who scared me to death, okay?" Zhou Wanyuan roared.
The mink ran along the overhanging eaves, and Keda, carrying Xiang Cheng and Chen Zhen’s bags, ran while panting along. Chen Zhen was about to be unable to run anymore and said, "Slow down, slow down."
"Compared tome, how can your strength be so..." Zhou Wanyuan was about to cry.
"The Heart Lamp," Chen Zhen said, propping himself up with a pillar and gasping, "The more it consumes my vitality, the worse my physical condition gets."
Zhou Wanyuan: "Gegentorura Keda! Piggy-back him!"
"No need, no need, you guys just watch the path.” Chen Zhen gasped. “How far is it to Fengtian Temple?”
"We’re not there yet." Keda pulled Chen Zhen, and they stumbled along as they ran, "There's about a thousand meters left."
"A thousand … meters." Chen Zhen was about to spit out blood.
The Forbidden City was shrouded in darkness.
However, to Chi Xiaoduo and Xiang Cheng’s eyes, the distance was filled with a riotous profusion of colours. It was like a grand carnival in front of them. There were flying lanterns everywhere, and the word "ghost" was written on the lanterns that lit up the entire Forbidden City.
A hand gripped Chi Xiaoduo’s wrist, and Chi Xiaoduo almost screamed. Looking back, he saw that it was a glowing Xiang Cheng.
Chi Xiaoduo: "......”
Xiang Cheng: "Shh. What's this?"
Chi Xiaoduo whispered, "We've become ghosts."
"Our souls were pulled out by the diexian" Xiang Cheng replied, "Let’s wait and see what happens. Can the diexian see us?"
The diexian stopped at a training field. Chi Xiaoduo hesitated and said, "I read in a book that in a non-dream state, whether it’s yao or devils, as long as they don’t have yin-yang eyes, ghosts are all bodies of light in their perception, and they can’t tell who is who."
Xiang Cheng said, "Alright, don't be afraid."
On the bright training field, many big pots with legs flew down from the sky. After landing, they ran along with their three legs towards the center of the Forbidden City, and ghosts poured into the Meridian Gate from all directions. Throughout the capital, the spirits that had left the heavenly veins on the Hungry Ghost Festival had now all gathered here.
Chi Xiaoduo and Xiang Cheng stood in their midst. Xiang Cheng tried to break through the bands of light suspended in the air on both sides of the crowd, but after trying a few times, he still couldn’t get out.
"This should be a soul binding chain," Chi Xiaoduo said. "It's magic used to restrain ghosts, don't touch it."
Chi Xiaoduo pulled Xiang Cheng, and they hid behind a big ghost.
In the distance, a spirit-like dragon flew over with hundreds of ghosts on its back, shuttling between the red walls.
"That's Mengpo's soup." Chi Xiaoduo motioned for Xiang Cheng to look at the big pot running around the square and explained, "That should be it. In the ghost month, a ghost’s obsession is to go home to visit their relatives. Before returning to the heavenly veins, if they have any bad memories, they will drink a bowl of Mengpo's Soup to eliminate those memories."
Xiang Cheng said, "Who told you this? You know even more than an exorcist."
"I saw it in a book..." Chi Xiaoduo said, "God, what a big strange bird."
Xiang Cheng looked up at the Fengtian Temple and replied, "That should be Mengpo."
Chi Xiaoduo nodded. He had never had a stranger experience in his life, and it was just like being in a huge and gorgeous dream.
A huge bird stood in the middle of the Meridian Gate, wearing a cloak that covered its face. It stretched out a beak several meters long and looked down at the ghosts. The running pots all gathered under its claws, and the ghosts began to shuffle through its feet.
Will we be dragged to drink Mengpo's soup? Chi Xiaoduo saw another huge chariot, as tall as a building, whistle past, running over the Meridian Gate and through the red wall, carrying countless ghosts, and there were many luminous spirits flying around it.
"Dong--" the giant beat the drum, and the earth trembled.
"What's the drummer?" Xiang Cheng asked.
"Those two giants are the transformed Southern Dipper and Big Dipper." Chi Xiaoduo said, "They will play drums every year on the night of the 14th day of the 7th month until the early morning. When the stars come out, the bell will ring, and then the ghost festival will end."
"We must get back before dawn," Xiang Cheng replied.
At this time, the diexian group moved again, and the long line crawled under the stopped chariot wheel and passed through.
"I'll figure something out later." Chi Xiaoduo looked at the soul binding chains on both sides and said, "If we can cross it, then let's run ba."
Fengtian Temple was right in front of them. The procession rounded a corner and passed by rows of boiling cauldrons. There were more and more ghosts in the sky and on the ground, almost filling the entire square. No ghosts noticed this group. The scene was extremely shocking, with thousands of ghosts gathered in the front square of Noon Gate, and the sky filled with lanterns.
Xiang Cheng said in the dark, "What should we ask?"
"What...should we ask?" Chi Xiaoduo said, "What do you want to ask?"
"I don't know," Xiang Cheng said, then stretched out his feet under the low table and touched Chi Xiaoduo. Chi Xiaoduo calmed down a little, and holding Xiang Cheng’s foot between his two feet, he nodded.
"Ask...Let me ask something ba." Chi Xiaoduo said.
"Don't be nervous," Xiang Cheng said. "Ask whatever you want."
"En," Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, is Xiang Cheng a 0 or 1?"
Everyone: ".....”
Xiang Cheng: "??"
"What do you mean?" Xiang Cheng asked confusedly in the dark.
"Nothing." Chi Xiaoduo wiped his sweat. "I'm talking nonsense, let’s change to another one ba... But what should I switch to? No way ba! Diexian, you even know that ah!"
The porcelain plate rotated slowly. Chi Xiaoduo thought it’s over, if it stops on 0, I don’t want to live anymore.
Finally, the blood pointer on the porcelain plate stopped on "No."
Chi Xiaoduo: "........”
Chi Xiaoduo thought, what the hell is no, ah?! This is a multiple-choice question, not a yes or no question, okay?!
Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, can you know what I think in my mind? If I don’t ask out loud, is that okay?"
Everyone present thought, do you think the diexian is an echo within your stomach ah!
The porcelain plate rotated and stopped on "Don't know."
Chi Xiaoduo thought, then I better not ask if Xiang Cheng likes me or not, that’s really awkward, I’ll ask something else ba.
"Diexian, diexian, Ke..." Chi Xiaoduo wanted to ask, will Keda find someone he likes, but on second thought, if he asked using Keda's name, and the diexian noticed that Keda was an exorcist, wouldn't it be a big mess, so he changed his mind and asked, "Can you tell me how much money Wang Ren's design institute will make next year?"
Everyone : “???”
Who was Wang Ren? But that wasn’t important. Chi Xiaoduo just randomly found something to ask, and he couldn’t let it notice their identities as exorcists, so he could only ask about unimportant, unrelated people. In fact, Chi Xiaoduo didn’t care at all how much money Wang Ren would make.
The diexian stopped on "3." Chi Xiaoduo thought, this is really too much, it’s such a good chance, but I can’t ask anything, so depressing.
"Um diexian, please tell me," Chi Xiaoduo said, "in the water supply and drainage construction specifications, what is the maximum multiple that the outer diameter can be to the welded elbow of a bent steel pipe."
Everyone: ".......”
"No!" Chi Xiaoduo said, "Diexian, I have a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time. Who killed President Kennedy?"
Porcelain plate: "..."
"What did you ask?" Xiang Cheng was dumbfounded.
Chi Xiaoduo was also confused. The porcelain plate revolved around and finally stopped at "Don't know."
What can I ask? I can’t ask anything ah! In front of so many people, I can’t ask if Xiang Cheng likes me or not, I can’t ask if we’ll pass the first-class certification or not, I can’t ask if I’ll have a boyfriend in the future…. Chi Xiaoduo was going crazy. It couldn’t be that he should make an equation for the diexian to calculate the displacement with calculus?
"Ah!" Chi Xiaoduo thought of a question to ask.
"I......" Chi Xiaoduo pondered for a moment and said, "can I still see my parents? No, will I have a chance to see my dad in the future?"
The diexian turned to "Yes."
"What about my mom?" Chi Xiaoduo asked.
The diexian stayed on "Yes."
"I don’t have any more questions," Chi Xiaoduo said. "Diexian, bye-bye."
The porcelain plate began to shake slightly.
Chi Xiaoduo: "???"
Xiang Cheng said, "We have no more questions. Diexian, see you later."
"We can’t say ‘see you later.’" Chi Xiaoduo corrected.
Xiang Cheng let out an “en” sound and seemed to be thinking. The porcelain plate clattered and fell on the table.
It was gone.
Chi Xiaoduo sighed, put down his left hand covering his eyes, and Xiang Cheng said, "What were you asking?"
Chi Xiaoduo laughed and didn’t say anything. Chen Zhen turned on the light and said, "Getting your soul pulled out twice in twenty-four hours, how do you feel?"
"This time, it didn’t feel as obvious," Xiang Cheng said. "Just a little empty."
With all the lights on in the room, Keda stretched and said, "Next, there’s just…."
At the moment when Chi Xiaoduo turned his head, his pupils couldn’t adapt to the light and widened slightly. Under the eye-piercing light, he saw it——
——On the other side of the table stood an old man without any facial features.
The diexian hadn’t left yet.
Chi Xiaoduo: ".....”
——
"He's still here!" Chi Xiaoduo shouted.
Chen Zhen froze then immediately reacted; however, the faceless old man acted faster than them. There was a bang, and Zhou Wanyuan screamed, broke through the paper door, and fell out! Chen Zhen had just unzipped his bag when the old man hit him once with the cane in his hand.
"Chen Zhen——" Keda roared.
Keda struck out with both fists simultaneously , and the ghostly image of a wolf burst out. Chen Zhen took out the Luohun Bell, but before it could ring, the old man waved his cane gently. The window door and roof facing the street were smashed, and several black monsters rushed down . Chen Zhen was thrown out to the corridor, and the Luohun Bell fell to the side.
Xiang Cheng pulled out the Demon-Subduing Staff and rushed at the diexian, but his movements were obviously slower than before. Chi Xiaoduo scrambled away, fled to the corridor, and picked up the Luohun Bell. Chen Zhen roared, "Throw it to me!"
"I can’t find the hammer!" Chi Xiaoduo shouted.
Xiang Cheng jumped on the old man, but the old man raised his hand. A magic symbol appeared and with a buzzing sound, flew towards Xiang Cheng. The moment Xiang Cheng flew away, Chen Zhen raised up the Luohun Bell to block the diexian from everyone else.
In an instant, the golden light of the Luohun Bell exploded outwards!
The inscriptions on the body of the bell seemed to form a huge suction force, which sucked the yao around towards the bell. The diexian stood still, and as soon as the cane hit the ground, a magical array appeared. The array rotated at high speed, and a beam of strong light collided with the Luohun Bell!
The Luohun Bell went out of control, humming as it shot out golden light. The souls imprisoned within the bell shot out, rotating around the room like a revolving lantern, countless souls slipping their bonds with a shuah sound! They all screamed at them! Chi Xiaoduo’s eyes were blurred, and Xiang Cheng pulled him over, pushing him behind him.
With a flick of the faceless old man's finger, a beam of light flew out and hit the Luohun Bell!
A dang rang out as the bell shook wildly, and everyone started yelling!
Everyone resisted the strong suction force of the Luohun Bell, and in that brief moment, Chi Xiaoduo, whose pupils were still slightly unfocused, felt something pull straight past him!
"Xiang Cheng! Chi Xiaoduo quickly hugged Xiang Cheng’s waist. The two people went shuah, and their vision went black.
The old man dispersed his magical array, and the light around the Luohun Bell gathered up.
The diexian’s face distorted, a mouth appeared, it grinned, and then jumped on a yao dog’s back. With a shuah, it flew up high, then turned around and flew away.
Everyone looked at each other, Chen Zhen sickly pale and panting. The Luohun Bell fell to the ground with a dang, whirling around on the ground.
"Are we… in big trouble." Keda said.
Xiang Cheng fell to his knees, holding Chi Xiaoduo as they both laid there on their sides. They let out a muffled sound and fell to the ground.
"Xiang Cheng!” Chen Zhen shouted anxiously, "Chi Xiaoduo!"
The night of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
In the distant night sky, there was a huge city. The stars were the city’s light, and glowing souls flit through the sky.
On this night, the whole city of Beijing was illuminated by lights, but it was being overshadowed by a different kind of light. In the southeast sky and the northwest sky, huge floating drums were set up in both directions. A glowing giant, bare-chested, was beating the drums with all his might.
"What exactly is this?" "Chi Xiaoduo said.
Caught in the flood of souls, Chi Xiaoduo flew past. A noisy bustle rang in his ears, the lights were as bright as day in front of him, and huge floating lanterns were everywhere around, and the word “ghost” was written on all the lanterns.
"Xiaoduo!”
Xiang Cheng dispelled the ghost in front of him, trying to catch up with the Chi Xiaoduo in front of him in the distance. The deafening sound of drums, gongs, and suona blasts filled the sky.
Chi Xiaoduo said, "What is this place? Xiang Cheng! Xiang Cheng!"
Chi Xiaoduo looked back and saw Xiang Cheng in the back of the group. He was about to head over to him, but his body flew up uncontrollably. A strong suction force carried him up from the ground and into flight, following after the diexian at the front of the procession, flying towards the sky behind them.
"WAHHHHHH——" Chi Xiaoduo looked down, a steady stream of cars were below his feet, all slamming past the glowing city, but the glowing ghosts went through the vehicles. A woman dressed in a qipao, a dying old man, students carrying books...everyone was glowing, flashing across his vision.
Was this Halloween? Chi Xiaoduo realized that there was a serious problem, hadn’t they just been in the inn inviting the diexian? ! How were they outside now! He looked at his hands and saw that they had become almost transparent, and his entire body was glowing.
Oh, my god -- I'm dead AHHHHHHHHH!
Chi Xiaoduo turned to look, and just saw Xiang Cheng gesturing to him, indicating for him to not freak out. Chi Xiaoduo was gasping for breath, but since he already was a ghost, he couldn’t breathe, and his shape kept freezing.
The diexian flew past the zenith, through the drums that were constantly beating, dragging thousands of souls behind it, including that of a glowing ba snake, all flying to the North.
They landed in the ghost market, which overlapped with the Forbidden City. There was something like a loud bang, the whole world trembled, and Chi Xiaoduo’s jaw dropped. He had previously seen the ghost festival drum and the procession of ten thousand ghosts towards the emperor in his study materials, but he had never imagined he’d see it with his own eyes.
At that moment, the Forbidden City at night glowed like a pavilion from another world.
Chen Zhen parked the car outside Chang'an Avenue, and Zhou Wanyuan got out. The two of them ran towards the Forbidden City. Chen Zhen's mink flew up the red wall, flipped over, and disappeared.
"Wait! Chen Zhen!" Keda was driving another car and bellowed over its intercom, "Let me apply for night enforcement clearance first!"
Instead of going near Jinshui Bridge, Chen Zhen went around to the back wall of the Forbidden City and climbed in by going over the outer wall of Zhongshan Park.
"Don't be impulsive." Keda said over the communicator.
"Keda." Zhou Wanyuan said, "the Forbidden Palace must be surrounded immediately."
“Impossible!” Chen Zhen replied succinctly, “We can’t do that during the Ghost Festival.”
Keda said, "I’ve gotten passage clearance, we have to first find the diexian."
"Where are you? Chen Zhen asked.
"Outside the Meridian Gate." Keda replied.
"Bring along Xiang Cheng’s equipment, and figure out a way to get in; we’ll meet up in front of the Fengtian Temple." Chen Zhen said, then pulled a rope out of his bag and whistled.
The mink stood on top of the red wall and looked down.
While talking, Chen Zhen beckoned towards it. The mink flew down, took the rope, jumped on the red wall, and tied it to a railing.
“I'm not well," Having run all the way over here, Chen Zhen was already out of breath and said to Zhou Wanyuan, "I can't climb up."
Zhou Wanyuan: "......”
Chen Zhen said, "What to do? Can you do it? Or we can call Keda over."
"I... will try." Zhou Wanyuan said, "I'll piggy-back you ba. Director Chen, you... you’ve sat in the office for too long, so you’ve become completely indolent, unable to do anything ma?" Zhou Wanyuan tried her best to jump up, climbing the wall with Chen Zhen on her back, but her feet couldn’t help but slide under her.
They flipped over from the other side of the palace wall.
"Which hall?" Zhou Wanyuan asked.
"Check the GPS," Chen Zhen said.
Zhou Wanyuan: ".......”
The mink jumped down and ran. Chen Zhen said, "Follow it!"
Zhou Wanyuan screeched, "Follow what ah! There's nothing there!"
The mink turned a corner, and Chen Zhen gasped for breath as he showed the way and let Zhou Wanyuan go forward. The mink flew past through a hall, and as soon as Chen Zhen and Zhou Wanyuan turned the corner, they ran into a dark figure. Both sides started screaming.
"You scared me to death!" Keda said with some lingering fear.
"You’re the one who scared me to death, okay?" Zhou Wanyuan roared.
The mink ran along the overhanging eaves, and Keda, carrying Xiang Cheng and Chen Zhen’s bags, ran while panting along. Chen Zhen was about to be unable to run anymore and said, "Slow down, slow down."
"Compared tome, how can your strength be so..." Zhou Wanyuan was about to cry.
"The Heart Lamp," Chen Zhen said, propping himself up with a pillar and gasping, "The more it consumes my vitality, the worse my physical condition gets."
Zhou Wanyuan: "Gegentorura Keda! Piggy-back him!"
"No need, no need, you guys just watch the path.” Chen Zhen gasped. “How far is it to Fengtian Temple?”
"We’re not there yet." Keda pulled Chen Zhen, and they stumbled along as they ran, "There's about a thousand meters left."
"A thousand … meters." Chen Zhen was about to spit out blood.
The Forbidden City was shrouded in darkness.
However, to Chi Xiaoduo and Xiang Cheng’s eyes, the distance was filled with a riotous profusion of colours. It was like a grand carnival in front of them. There were flying lanterns everywhere, and the word "ghost" was written on the lanterns that lit up the entire Forbidden City.
A hand gripped Chi Xiaoduo’s wrist, and Chi Xiaoduo almost screamed. Looking back, he saw that it was a glowing Xiang Cheng.
Chi Xiaoduo: "......”
Xiang Cheng: "Shh. What's this?"
Chi Xiaoduo whispered, "We've become ghosts."
"Our souls were pulled out by the diexian" Xiang Cheng replied, "Let’s wait and see what happens. Can the diexian see us?"
The diexian stopped at a training field. Chi Xiaoduo hesitated and said, "I read in a book that in a non-dream state, whether it’s yao or devils, as long as they don’t have yin-yang eyes, ghosts are all bodies of light in their perception, and they can’t tell who is who."
Xiang Cheng said, "Alright, don't be afraid."
On the bright training field, many big pots with legs flew down from the sky. After landing, they ran along with their three legs towards the center of the Forbidden City, and ghosts poured into the Meridian Gate from all directions. Throughout the capital, the spirits that had left the heavenly veins on the Hungry Ghost Festival had now all gathered here.
Chi Xiaoduo and Xiang Cheng stood in their midst. Xiang Cheng tried to break through the bands of light suspended in the air on both sides of the crowd, but after trying a few times, he still couldn’t get out.
"This should be a soul binding chain," Chi Xiaoduo said. "It's magic used to restrain ghosts, don't touch it."
Chi Xiaoduo pulled Xiang Cheng, and they hid behind a big ghost.
In the distance, a spirit-like dragon flew over with hundreds of ghosts on its back, shuttling between the red walls.
"That's Mengpo's soup." Chi Xiaoduo motioned for Xiang Cheng to look at the big pot running around the square and explained, "That should be it. In the ghost month, a ghost’s obsession is to go home to visit their relatives. Before returning to the heavenly veins, if they have any bad memories, they will drink a bowl of Mengpo's Soup to eliminate those memories."
Xiang Cheng said, "Who told you this? You know even more than an exorcist."
"I saw it in a book..." Chi Xiaoduo said, "God, what a big strange bird."
Xiang Cheng looked up at the Fengtian Temple and replied, "That should be Mengpo."
Chi Xiaoduo nodded. He had never had a stranger experience in his life, and it was just like being in a huge and gorgeous dream.
A huge bird stood in the middle of the Meridian Gate, wearing a cloak that covered its face. It stretched out a beak several meters long and looked down at the ghosts. The running pots all gathered under its claws, and the ghosts began to shuffle through its feet.
Will we be dragged to drink Mengpo's soup? Chi Xiaoduo saw another huge chariot, as tall as a building, whistle past, running over the Meridian Gate and through the red wall, carrying countless ghosts, and there were many luminous spirits flying around it.
"Dong--" the giant beat the drum, and the earth trembled.
"What's the drummer?" Xiang Cheng asked.
"Those two giants are the transformed Southern Dipper and Big Dipper." Chi Xiaoduo said, "They will play drums every year on the night of the 14th day of the 7th month until the early morning. When the stars come out, the bell will ring, and then the ghost festival will end."
"We must get back before dawn," Xiang Cheng replied.
At this time, the diexian group moved again, and the long line crawled under the stopped chariot wheel and passed through.
"I'll figure something out later." Chi Xiaoduo looked at the soul binding chains on both sides and said, "If we can cross it, then let's run ba."
Fengtian Temple was right in front of them. The procession rounded a corner and passed by rows of boiling cauldrons. There were more and more ghosts in the sky and on the ground, almost filling the entire square. No ghosts noticed this group. The scene was extremely shocking, with thousands of ghosts gathered in the front square of Noon Gate, and the sky filled with lanterns.
