12 Ghosts, Assistant of the Yin and Yang Messengers

  I was shocked at once, from small to large has never been asked by anyone like this, let alone two big men kneeling in front of a little girl like me.

  His legs softened, and he took a step back and knelt down in front of them, not accepting the thing that Ming Yan was holding. This kneeling was not only because his legs were soft, but also partly because of Uncle's previous warning: when immortals kneel to humans, it is generally because they have something to ask for; whether the human accepts or not, they cannot stand up, otherwise it would be blasphemy against the immortal gods.

  All these were just hearsay, but today they all happened to me, making me feel at a loss and nervous again.

  "What kind of people are you? I've already agreed to everything, why make such a big fuss about the gift? Just be straightforward, or else I'll have no peace of mind."

  Ming Yan withdrew his raised hands, and with a somewhat dejected look, he knelt down on the ground. He glanced at Chang Yu beside him, who nodded seriously, encouraging him to speak his mind. Only then did Ming Yan begin to speak in a smooth and continuous tone.

  "Chang Yu is a snake immortal, no mistake. But during this time, I didn't dare to tell you my identity, fearing that if you knew the truth, you would be even more unwilling to help us." He didn't dare look at me, instead lowering his head to gaze at the hand string in his palm, treasuring it fondly. "I am a ghost, no mistake, but I'm different from other ghosts. Down there, I have a registered household as a ghost immortal!"

  ……

  Ghost fairy! Snake fairy! I stared at them with wide eyes, feeling a bit short-circuited in my brain, but calmed myself down and listened to Ming Yan's account of his ghostly experiences.

  His life was like a blank sheet of paper, with no impression, only remembering his name was Yan. The reason he couldn't reincarnate after death wasn't just because he was murdered and died unjustly, but also because his soul was incomplete. Before his death, the evil Taoist had forcibly extracted one of his souls, making him an incomplete soul, which was another reason he couldn't reincarnate.

  He couldn't remember who he was before his rebirth and couldn't reincarnate, but with the help of a kind-hearted person, he became sworn brothers with Chang Yu and started their long cultivation journey.

  Chang Yu practiced and became a regular immortal in a certain immortal hall, also known as the Snake Immortal. However, Ming Yan had cultivation but couldn't become a ghost immortal that people worshiped, eating incense from the mortal world, and was just a famous but useless ghost immortal. He once had the idea of becoming a ghost catcher, but ultimately gave up because he wanted to help his fellow ghosts in need, not catch them, so as not to create more vengeful spirits like himself.

  Just as Ming Yan was bewildered, his master, the owner of the rosary, appeared. He is a yin-yang messenger who travels between hell and the mortal world, commonly known as a ferryman for spirits. He helps wronged souls resolve their grievances, allowing them to be reborn in the Pure Land and reincarnate smoothly.

  Ming Yan thus became an assistant to the Ferryman of Souls, helping vengeful spirits and assisting the Ferryman in uncovering the truth.

  Later, the master made a mistake and disappeared from the world. He left this to me, hoping that I could find new companions. But I never thought that my skeleton would one day be exposed in the sunlight, with my soul trapped inside, waiting for it to disappear in despair. That rain was actually because of Cang Yu trying to help me, hoping that some kind-hearted person passing by the grave would lend a hand, and then...

  Then I was foolishly stubborn and insisted on taking that road, and happened to save you! I recited in my heart what he wanted to say.

  My knees hurt from kneeling, they didn't seem so serious anymore, so I simply sat cross-legged in front of them. Gradually, I wasn't as afraid of Chang Yu as before. But I still didn't dare to look him straight in the eye, instead staring at Ming Yan and then looking at the string of beads in his hand.

  He glanced at the two of them and then shifted his gaze to Yuan Xue, asking tentatively: "Are you trying to get me to become a ferryman for spirits, to help Yuan Xue leave this world in peace?"

  This is really in sync, they all say yes in unison, even their actions are consistent with nodding.

  Ming Yan played with the black and white beads, "Just as you said, because you have a special ability that ordinary people don't have, and my master is also able to communicate with spirits. This rosary is black and white, representing yin and yang, it can protect you from freely shuttling between the yin and yang realms, and also prevent you from being invaded by demons, but it cannot be used against ordinary humans, otherwise, you will be punished. My master was precisely because he utilized the special power of the rosary, brought himself a fatal disaster."

  Chang Yu took advantage of my inattention and touched Ming Yan's eyes, as if warning him about something. Although their interaction was very subtle, I still saw it all.

  Ming Yan didn't notice my raised eyebrows and teasing gaze, instead he looked at me very seriously. "I've told you before that I won't deceive you, so no matter what happens in the future with this Soul Ferryman, I will tell you its advantages and disadvantages. This is the duty and responsibility of being a Soul Ferryman's assistant, to protect one's master."

  I gazed straight at Ming Yan, those clear black eyes full of sincerity and expectation, really making it impossible for me to refuse him. I reached out my hand to take the rosary from Ming Yan's hand, hesitated for a moment before putting it on my wrist.

  Ming Yan was overjoyed, and immediately knelt down in front of me, but I pulled him back and didn't let him kowtow. They looked at me in confusion, and what I said next was like pouring a bucket of cold water on them:

  "Alright, let's get one thing straight - I'm not some kind of master or anything, just a friend. So, as a friend, I'll do my best to help you out. Also, I'm only helping you guys become Yin Yang messengers temporarily, once we send off Yuan Xue, you'll have to go find someone else who can communicate with spirits. Since there's someone like me in this world who has special abilities, there must be others too. I just want to live a normal life and don't want to get entangled in your ghostly world and its troubles."