Night.


A barren mountain.


All is quiet.


No sounds of insects, birds, or frogs break the silence. The air is humid and muggy, as if a rainstorm is brewing. On the rugged mountain road full of weeds, a team suddenly emerges.


In front of them are two rows of girls in colorful clothes holding lanterns. The red lanterns emit a faint glow. Behind them, many people gather around a tall and handsome horse. Seated immediately is a young man wearing a bright red wedding dress, his head drooped as if he is asleep.


The person leading the horse is a boy with two eye-catching blushes on his pale face, wearing a stiff smile. Finally, a music group follows with gongs and drums roaring, and suonas playing melodiously, breaking the silence.


The team's destination is halfway up the mountain, where a group of ancient buildings stands, row upon row, brightly lit. Outside the courtyard wall, under the gorgeous gatehouse, many people and guests create a lively scene.


Upon closer inspection, this group of guests is dressed very inconsistently—robes and coats, suits and leather shoes, even generals wearing broken armor and carrying swords at their waists. Many tables are placed in the spacious courtyard with stoves along the wall. Cooks wearing white hats work hard to turn spatulas, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma.


Beautiful maids carry various delicacies, serving dishes like butterflies passing through flowers. People, dressed in costumes from different eras, stand or sit, some holding cigarettes and some smoking pipes, chatting and laughing happily, awaiting the opening of the feast.


Soon, the peculiar wedding procession arrives at the compound's gate.


"Halt!"


Everyone at the door immediately gathers around happily, helping the listless young man off the horse. With support, he walks through the courtyard full of guests, heading toward the main room facing the courtyard door. Along the way, everyone smiles and sends blessings.


Inside the hall, bright red candles stick to tall gilt candlesticks, illuminating the room as bright as day. In the middle of the hall sits a woman wearing a red wedding dress embroidered with a golden phoenix, her head covered. A group of women chatter and laugh around her, lifting the bride and standing her side by side with the young man who was brought in.


"Hurry up and worship!" someone shouts loudly in the yard. "After the greetings, let's start the feast quickly! Good things don't have to take a long time; just hurry up! I'm hungry!"


The noise fills the air with joy and celebration. Suddenly, footsteps outside disturb the moment—tread, step, step. The footsteps are not heavy but sound as if they are disturbing someone.


Time seems to freeze. The once noisy scene becomes so quiet that a pin drop can be heard.


Following the footsteps, a tall figure appears from outside, holding a black umbrella. Raindrops slide down the umbrella cover, making a crisp "pop" sound as they fall on the bluestone ground. The person holding the umbrella lifts the handle slightly, revealing a young and handsome face with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes.


He looks around and says with a smile, "There are quite a few people here."


Everyone in the hall remains motionless, as if the pause button has been pressed. First, a slight cough is heard in the main room, followed by a slightly older voice.


"We are guests. Friends can stay and have a drink after the couple gets married. Please don't object to the light wine and vegetarian dishes."


Then another voice whispers from inside, "But he is human!"


"Shut up!" scolds a slightly older voice in a low tone.


Song Xiao holds the umbrella and does not respond immediately. Instead, he looks at the guests in the courtyard with interest. Men, women, old, and young, with different hairstyles and dressed messily.


Master has said that this kind of scene is the most complicated, and you should be as careful as possible when handling it.


At this time, the guests seem to understand that this "person" is coming towards them and can see them!


Although it is incredible, their hearts are full of shock.


But there is no point in continuing to pretend, so they all come to life one after another. They look at this uninvited guest holding a black umbrella with curiosity or disgust.


Song Xiao looks inside and says slowly, "I'm here uninvited. Please forgive me. It's just that I was entrusted by someone to take him back. I hope that all my good friends can give me some noodles for my convenience."


"Bring him back?" The courtyard suddenly becomes agitated. Even the cooks who were cooking couldn't help turning their heads to look at Song Xiao, their eyes becoming cold and dangerous.


"My uncle, you just want to take him back with you? Who do you think you are?" a sharp female voice comes from inside, filled with strong anger.


Immediately, a cold and biting wind suddenly blows up in the courtyard, seemingly trying to blow away all the people's souls. Song Xiao sweeps his gaze over everyone, and in an instant, a golden light bursts out from his body, like a scorching sun. The brightness cannot be stared at. The dark wind disappears without a trace.


The people around, wearing costumes from different eras, all retreat in shock. They look at the man holding the black umbrella with horror on their faces.


Clang! The general in broken armor can't help but draw the sword from his waist. The blade is bright and cold, pointed at Song Xiao.


"Friend, I advise you to calm down and not make yourself unhappy. You don't want this place to become a river of blood, right?"


Song Xiao glances at the tall man with a calm expression and then turns toward the main room.


"Such a high-ranking man must be a decent person with a good reputation. If you want to choose a son-in-law, there will definitely be a lot of candidates. Why do you need to do such a forced thing?"


At this time, an older man steps forward. He is wearing a smart navy blue suit with a white shirt and tie, and his silver hair is neatly combed. There is also a bright red flower on his chest, and the word "father-in-law" is written on the hanging red belt.


The old man's face is serious, not angry but proud. He looks solemnly at the golden light that is gradually fading from Song Xiao's body and says in a deep voice, "Friend, I would rather demolish ten temples than ruin one marriage. Are you sure you want to meddle in other people's business and take the person away?"


Song Xiao looks at him and says, "Yin and Yang are separated, life and death are separated. You must understand such a simple truth. Why bother forcing it? Besides, I'm not meddling in other people's business. I'm using their money to help them eliminate disasters. With them, the cause and effect must be explained clearly."


The old man looks at Song Xiao and raises his eyebrows slightly. "For money, right?"


"I have a house outside, and there are a few small yellow croakers in the safe. If you leave now, it's yours."


"How dare you hide your private money, you bad old man? Tell me, are you preparing it for some little goblin?" The woman's shrill voice of indignation echoes in the room.


The old man frowns, but before he can speak, the woman shouts again, "Why bother talking nonsense to him? Just a person..."


"Shut up!" the old man scolds, then looks at Song Xiao. "A gentleman should treat his beauty as a man."


Song Xiao looks at him and says, "Forcibly kidnapping someone who has not yet lived to be born as a son-in-law is not what a gentleman would do."


The old man takes a deep breath and says, "You have also seen the grand scene today. It is so festive. If you want to take people away, where will I put my old face? You can walk in both realms of yin and yang, and you are also a capable person. Why don't we all make friends? I'm not boasting; you will definitely be of use to someone from me, Han, in the future. So feel free to ask. I, Han Xing... keep my word!"


The old man says this, but his heart is not at peace. He has seen many people with extraordinary abilities during his lifetime, many known as masters. All kinds of magical performances make people feel awe.


But he has never heard of someone like the young man in front of him, who broke into his daughter's wedding scene in the middle of the night with a living body and could not only see them but also communicate with them without any obstacles. His heart is full of shock.


Especially when his bitter and irritable wife used Yin Feng to attack this man just now, the golden light emitting from his body made him even more afraid. This is obviously a magical power!


Only after death do we realize that the world is far from what we imagined before we were alive. The person in front of me is definitely not simple!


If it were those onmyojis who meddle in other people's affairs, a gust of evil wind would basically do the trick. Not to mention that among the guests is his ancestor, a military general who killed countless people during his lifetime, and his soul can be cut in half with just one strike! Where is the need for such a humble discussion?


"It's okay to make friends, but you have to be principled in your behavior. I won't make friends with people like you who take away people's lives at every turn. When a man marries a woman, it's about your own free will."


Song Xiao looks at the old man calmly and says slowly, "You are really optimistic about this person, but wait until he is a hundred years later. As it is now, even if I don't care today, aren't you afraid of being punished by God? You don't have to believe it when you are alive, but at this moment, don't you know that there is a god three feet above your head, so you still dare to do anything?"


There is an uncertain look on the old man's face. Anyone who has not been punished by God is nonsense. What really frightens him is the man himself. After thinking for a moment, he asks, "Are you... from heaven?"


Song Xiao looks at him and says, "Old man, don't talk about those useless things. Let him go as quickly as possible before he makes a big mistake."


At this time, someone in the courtyard can't help but say coldly, "So what if you are from heaven? Do you know whose territory this is? Young people, don't be too arrogant."


Song Xiao looks up and sees that the person speaking is a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing ancient official robes and an official hat, with a very majestic look. At this time, other people also speak one after another.


"You'd better find out whose territory this is before you act arrogantly!"


"You have done this karma today; be careful of retribution on your own family!"


"The Underworld is out of control, and heaven is just hanging on for dear life. Why are you so arrogant?"


Everyone in the courtyard talks more and more outrageously, and some even use their mental energy to speak as loud as thunder in an attempt to affect Song Xiao's sanity.


"Enough!" Song Xiao shouts, the black umbrella in his hand shaking slightly, and a large number of raindrops fly out. Every raindrop blooms with intense golden light. Those hit by the golden raindrops feel as if they are being burned by flames and immediately let out shrill screams.


Everyone in the courtyard flees in all directions with horrified expressions. "You want to fight, right? You dare to threaten me? Do you think that dying is great? Do you want to die again?" Song Xiao looks at those people with cold eyes. "You should be glad that I am not here to kill anyone today."


The courtyard suddenly becomes quiet. Song Xiao looks at the old man named Han, waiting for his answer. The old man looks at the embarrassed guests in the courtyard and falls silent with an ugly look on his face.


To say a thousand words and ten thousand things, whether in life or death, is to gain face. Even if this uninvited guest really comes from heaven, so what? He is not without roots either! The other party broke in on his daughter's wedding day to disrupt the marriage. If you just accept it like this, how can your thoughts be clear?


At this time, a slightly soft voice suddenly comes from the main room: "Dad, forget it; he is right. Yin and yang are separated; life and death are different. Taking away a person's yang life is indeed harmful to the world. Even if he is willing, his daughter does not want to marry."


The sharp female voice says, "How can a marriage be a trivial matter?" The old man remains silent, looking at Song Xiao holding the black umbrella repeatedly with cold eyes, calculating the pros and cons in his mind.


Finally, he sighs: "That's it!" He waves his hands and says in a deep voice, "Send the person out and let this matter be over." After all, this person still made him feel afraid, so he tolerates him for a while.


Everyone in the courtyard looks at Song Xiao with cold eyes. Although no one says anything more, the deep resentment of not having enough to eat is written on their faces.


At that moment, the groom, still dressed in wedding clothes, is carried by two ugly-looking women and comes to Song Xiao, who throws him over fiercely. Until this moment, the young man is still confused and has no idea that he has walked through the gate of hell.


Song Xiao reaches out to take him and nods to the old man: "Thank you!" After saying that, he turns around and leaves. When leaving the hospital, he sees a figure standing in the shadow of an old locust tree at the door. He can't see his face clearly, but he seems to be staring at him without doing anything superfluous.


Song Xiao ignores him, holding an umbrella in one hand and the weightless young man in the other, leaving quickly. After walking far away, looking back, there are no brightly lit ancient buildings. There is only a grave with lush grass and a few lonely old trees.


Tick tock, tick tock. Raindrops fall rhythmically on the umbrella cover. The sound of insects and frogs can be heard all around. Song Xiao raises his head and glances at the dark night sky. There seems to be huge mountain peaks hidden in the ink clouds.