“Actually, doesn't going up this bridge feel like entering a higher dimension?”

Along the way, Hu Ma was silently thinking to himself.

He had only glanced at the bridge, but the feeling was so novel, an unprecedented experience that he savored for a long time.

The things he had seen in that one glance were beyond description. He could see the causes and effects, his own importance in this world, and the influence he could have. It was clear, yet subtle.

It was like a person living in a daze who suddenly became enlightened. The world became clear, and human relationships, disputes, and entanglements were all understood.

Transmigrators could easily understand this state using the concept of higher dimensions, but the people of this world didn't know what higher dimensions were. Yet there were capable people, so they created the concept of "going up the bridge" to help people understand?

Actually, they are all remarkable people.

Was the path they chose really so unbearable?

In Lao Suanpan's retelling, the path of ascending the bridge seemed to be a dead end, but Hu Ma didn't quite believe the Da Luo Dharma Sect's description.

After all, Lao Junmei, Longjing-xiansheng, and others all possessed great abilities, didn't they also choose the path of ascending the bridge?

While he was immersed in these thoughts, the carriage he was riding in, accompanied by music, moved forward and encountered the wedding procession. Red and white intertwined, creating a strange beauty.

Originally, when a wedding procession encountered a funeral procession, it would give way. But this time was different. The two sides met, and in a hazy, dreamlike manner, they welcomed his group into the village.

Everywhere he looked, houses were nestled together, decorated with lanterns and streamers. Old women gnawed on chicken bones at the tables, and strong men hung up pigs to slaughter.

Children ran around, laughing and playing, kicking a round, furry cloth bag.

But occasionally, in a flash, one would feel a flicker before their eyes, as if the bag had sprouted human features.

"Entered a ghost domain?"

Hu Ma merely glanced through the curtain and saw the problem. He didn't really mind.

Miaoshan-xiangu was taking care of everything along the way. Whether it was her abilities or Miss Zhou-si, who had been following him but he didn't know why, they could easily deal with the ghosts and monsters encountered on the road, so he didn't need to worry.

"Guests, get out of the carriage and come to the banquet..."

"If you catch up with a joyous occasion, you should沾点喜气 (zhān diǎn xǐqì - partake in the joy). Say some auspicious words, and we'll treat you to wine and meat..."

Listening to the noisy voices outside, chaotic and shrill, as if trying to burrow into his head, Hu Ma found it unbearable and got out of the carriage.

He saw that the helpers and coachmen beside him were all dazed, their faces unconsciously plastered with smiles, saying flattering words to the people holding the wedding. But Miaoshan-xiangu and Miss Zhou-si were frowning as they looked around.

Beside Miaoshan-xiangu, Xiaodouguan rested his chin on his hands, watching the bustle with a thoughtful expression.

Looking at his own little Hongtang, she was wide-eyed...

...watching the children kick the ball, seemingly very envious, wanting to join in the fun.

Hu Ma didn't take it to heart. He sat down, seeing that Miaoshan-xiangu and Miss Zhou-si were both thinking about how to solve the problem.

Traveling in the wilderness was easy to attract evil, and a place that could create such a festive scene was a ghost domain, indicating that the evil spirits here were no ordinary.

And in this kind of realistic ghost domain, there would definitely be a ghost king. As long as you killed it, the ghost domain would be resolved. But if you made a premature announcement and only killed a few small ghosts, the ghost king would run away, which would cause endless trouble.

After all, his group still had to travel, and if it really ran away, where would they have the time to catch it?

Judging from the eyes of Miss Zhou-si and Miaoshan-xiangu, he knew that they only wanted to find the ghost king.

As he pondered, the group was ushered to the banquet. The people beside them brought up plates of dishes, looking colorful and delicious, with plump meat and fresh fruit. But everyone just smiled coldly, knowing that in this ghost domain, the dishes were mostly transformed from snakes, insects, maggots, and flies, so no one ate them.

"Eat, eat, if you don't eat, I'll take it away..."

The person urging them to eat held chopsticks, moving them like the wind, eating mouthfuls and constantly urging them.

But seeing that they didn't eat, the steward ordered people to bring wine, placing bowl after bowl in front of them.

It was dark and murky, with a sour and sweet smell. Then a row of people came, each holding a basin behind them.

At a glance, the basins seemed to contain clean water.

Miaoshan-xiangu and Miss Zhou-si subconsciously looked at Hu Ma. Seeing that he didn't care much, they each relied on their own abilities, with a desire to compete.

Miaoshan-xiangu simply waved the horsetail whisk in her hand gently, smiling arrogantly, "Some people see us as妖人 (yāorén - demon people), but we demon people travel all over the country, solving countless problems for the people!"

"Those who come from the families of noble masters, don't look at their abilities, but when something happens, they can't even find their heads!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Xiaodouguan beside her. Douguan quickly stood on tiptoe and whispered something in her ear.

Miaoshan-xiangu became even more composed. After searching in her sleeve for a long time, she took out a copper coin, a coin made by the Yiqian Sect. Miaoshan-xiangu pinched the coin and handed it to the steward beside her, saying, "When you encounter a joyous event, you should give a喜钱 (xǐqián - lucky money)."

The steward was confused for a moment, but his face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly reached out to take it.

Miaoshan-xiangu then looked at him and said, "What did you serve us?"

Hu Ma watched from the side and understood that this Miaoshan-xiangu was still very clever. She followed the rules of this ghost domain, gave lucky money, and the ghost steward couldn't refuse it.

Having accepted her money, he couldn't help but tell the truth when asked.

Money was a divine object, and suppressing a small ghost was no problem.

The steward smiled and said smugly, "Our master is not in good health and needs to nourish himself with the hearts and livers of living people, so of course we have to serve him well."

"This basin contains clear sesame oil, scallions, star anise, and peppercorns. After you drink it, your stomach will be flavorful. Then I'll pour this basin of cold water on your heads. When you shiver, we'll dig out your hearts, and they'll be flavorful and crunchy."

Seeing that she had gotten the information out, Miaoshan-xiangu glanced at Miss Zhou-si, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Miss Zhou-si was furious and slammed the table, shouting, "I advised him to be less picky, but he's still so meticulous about eating people?"

Her anger was heavy and imposing. The surrounding ghosts were furious and wanted to squeeze over to pinch her mouth and pour sauce into it.

But with Miss Zhou-si's abilities, she stood up and slapped the ghost steward's head, sending it flying somewhere, along with his hand and the copper coin. She took them all and placed them in front of Miaoshan-xiangu, shouting, "Here you go!"

The next moment, she took a step out. The force of her movement alone blew the surrounding ghosts around in disarray.

Her figure was like a ghostly shadow, and she directly approached a row of tables and chairs, in front of that stone house. Seeing that the door was tightly closed, she didn't even look at it. She reached out and dug a hole in the stone wall, and then pulled out a ghost shadow.

It was a ghost wearing a black壽衣 (shòuyī - burial garment) and a round cap, looking extremely weak, with a pale face and dark circles under its eyes.

She had been observing and had already found the ghost king, not the bride in the sedan chair, but this consumptive ghost who was leading the wedding procession.

"You're not in good health, and you're still marrying a wife?"

Miss Zhou-si caught the ghost king and slapped it, scaring the surrounding ghosts into a frenzy.

Miaoshan-xiangu watched from the side, looking unhappy, but she knew that she was inferior to her in terms of fighting skills.

Seeing that the ghost king was caught and this ghost domain was about to be torn down by Miss Zhou-si, at this moment, a gust of cold wind blew from nowhere. Hu Ma suddenly noticed and looked up, seeing that the consumptive ghost suddenly changed his face.

He opened his mouth wide and suddenly spewed out a cloud of black, sticky Yin energy towards Miss Zhou-si's face. It was extremely fishy and stinky.

The Yin energy of evil ghosts could harm people, let alone a ghost king?

But Miss Zhou-si had her own abilities and wasn't afraid of this breath. However, being a woman after all, she was still somewhat disgusted, and her face paled for a moment.

Hu Ma raised his hand and grabbed the ghost king. With a strong grip, he crushed it into pieces with a *pu* sound.

Looking down at his hand, he felt that when he had just grabbed the ghost king, it had been surprisingly heavy, which was unreasonable.

At the same time, he could feel that with the death of the ghost king, the little ghosts were scurrying around, the surrounding lights were extinguished, and it was pitch black, as if a vortex was forming.

The aura of a living person on his body was being quickly absorbed by this ghost domain.

"Leave here!"

Hu Ma realized the problem and frowned, "Someone is burning incense to harm us!"

Based on the speed at which his Dao was being reduced, he could tell that this was not something a small wedding ghost could do.

His group had probably fallen into the spell of the Harm Origin Sect.

Someone had calculated his location and was burning incense at the corresponding position. He should be at the "发" (fā - issue/dispatch) character position in the Harm Origin Ten Gates, so his group would naturally fall into the "亏" (kuī - loss/deficit) character position.

Being in this position, even if there were no enemies in sight, one's Dao would be rapidly diminished. Staying here for even a moment longer was equivalent to spending a night with a female ghost, blossoming twelve branches. Even the strongest man would become a dried corpse.

He, Miss Zhou-si, and Miaoshan-xiangu were still okay, but the helpers and coachmen had already become dazed and weak in the blink of an eye.

"Go!"

Hu Ma stood up and lifted the carriage and the coffin with one hand, then grabbed Little Hongtang with his left hand, lest she get lost in the dark.

Turning his head, he saw that Miss Zhou-si had followed him, but she was anxious and didn't know what to do.

Miaoshan-xiangu was relaxed and composed. She waved the horsetail whisk in her hand and pinched a hand seal: "Quickly save the people!"

A gust of Yin wind blew, and Hu Ma saw the little servant ghost Douguan's legs churning, flying around, stuffing all the dazed helpers and coachmen into a large carriage, and then running back to lead the livestock and stuff them into Lao Suanpan's hands.

Then he dragged the cart and ran after Miaoshan-xiangu as quickly as possible.

(End of Chapter)