My Wife Is A Ghost Exorciser Chapter 1 Back Again

A refined chamber lay concealed within the walls of a freezing, dilapidated temple. To the mundane world, this place was infested with ghosts, but to Song Yan, such things were trivial after five hundred years of existing as a spirit. She had long since grown accustomed to her own shadowy, ethereal form and the foul scent of decay that kept others from venturing near her sanctuary.

Only her master, the one who had taken her in, was brave enough to approach her. For five centuries, Song Yan had remained bound to the Gu family, a lineage renowned as one of the most distinguished families in the Celestial world. Throughout those five hundred years, she had served countless masters—some were compassionate, others were ruthless, some burned with ambition, while a few remained indifferent.

While her masters were replaced one by one, the soul ring stayed the same, acting as a cage for her spirit as it was handed down from one successor to the next. Her very first master had sworn to give her a fresh start, but her fury was too volatile and her hatred too deep to be quelled.

Having died consumed by resentment, her soul hovered on the brink of transforming into a malevolent spirit. Had it not been for her master’s intervention, she would have surrendered to madness long ago to seek vengeance against the half-sister who murdered her and usurped her 'fortune.' Fu Yusheng belonged to her, as did the prestigious title of the 'Fu' mistress, yet Song Lan had brazenly stolen it all!

The mere memory caused her aura to crash violently. Her smoky, dark form deepened until it was as black as ink, merging completely with the shadows of the night.

"Cough... you haven't changed at all, Yan," her master, Gu Yijin, remarked through a fit of coughing. She had been by Song Yan’s side since her childhood. Her father had entrusted Song Yan to her, instructing her that if she ever faced an insurmountable obstacle, she should summon the ghost trapped within the spirit ring. As her master, Gu Yijin held absolute authority over Song Yan.

Nevertheless, Gu Yijin chose to treat Song Yan as a companion rather than a tool, unlike her father before her. Song Yan was a dark spirit fueled by immense vengeance; even after five centuries, her soul remained as shadowed as the day an ancestor of the Gu family first captured her.

"Mistress," Song Yan replied. Because she was now a spirit, her voice had lost its former sweetness and charm, becoming hoarse and grating. When she spoke, it created an eerie resonance, as if a multitude of voices were whispering simultaneously.

"You know, Yan, I never viewed you as a servant, but as a sister. Even though *cough* you are no longer human, it is truly rare for a spirit to remain so tethered to humanity," Gu Yijin said. Now in her eighties, she understood that a lifetime of battling malevolent spirits had pushed her body to its breaking point. Unlike her father and grandfather, she had never wed; she understood the perils of being a celestial master and knew her life would be short. Had Song Yan not funneled Yin energy into her, Gu Yijin was certain she would have perished by the age of thirty.

"Mistress, there is no need to speak further," Song Yan said. Though her tone remained detached and icy, Gu Yijin knew her well; the colder the girl acted, the more distressed she truly was. Finally, she had managed to draw an emotional response from the stubborn girl. Despite Song Yan's claims that her emotions had withered away upon becoming a ghost, Gu Yijin knew it was a lie.

Song Yan was as close to human as a spirit could possibly be, yet she was an expert at masking her feelings. Throughout their years together, Gu Yijin had never seen Song Yan waiver in her conduct; she was always as formal and subservient as a slave to a master. This intentional distance had always saddened Gu Yijin, so seeing Song Yan show even a hint of affection on her deathbed was a comfort.

"Song Yan, I have no heir to inherit your spirit ring. I believe the time has come for you to receive the chance you've been waiting for."

"Master—" Song Yan stood up suddenly, the black Qi surrounding her flickering with agitation. She realized Gu Yijin was fading. As a spirit, sensing the approach of death was simple, but compared to all her previous masters, Gu Yijin had treated her like a person. It was a kindness she hadn't experienced since her first master died. She felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of losing Gu Yijin, yet she knew death was inevitable. It was already a miracle that her Yin energy had sustained Gu Yijin’s life force for this long.

Song Yan moved toward the frail, withered woman who had aged from a child to an elder before her eyes, bowing deeply in a gesture of respect. "Master, this apprentice is truly grateful to you... rest in peace." Gu Yijin’s time was at an end, and so was her own.

"Be happy, Yan Yan," were Gu Yijin’s final words. She expended the last of her spiritual energy, sending a warm current through Song Yan just as lightning struck the earth. The temple's foundation groaned and collapsed, burying everything in a chaotic ruin.

——-

"Song Yan! Are you playing dead? Stop acting like you're dying when the car barely grazed you! Let me tell you, even if you die today... my brother still won't come to see you!"

A familiar, haughty voice reached Song Yan’s ears before her eyes fluttered open. As her vision cleared, two familiar faces appeared: one was flushed with rage, while the other was deathly pale, looking on in utter disbelief.

Song Yan pushed herself up and sat straight. Her head throbbed painfully as her soul finally anchored itself into a physical body after centuries of being a wandering ghost.

"Song Yan, did you hear me? I said my brother isn't coming, so end this drama—"

"Shut up," Song Yan snapped fiercely, finally looking up. Her skull felt like it might split open, yet this pampered young miss wouldn't stop her tantrum. If her memory served her, this was the day she was meant to die. Her master had sent her back to the very moment her life force had been snuffed out.

"What did you just say to me?" Fu Rong was stunned. The normally timid and shy Song Yan had actually dared to snap at her. Song Yan had been married to her brother for five years and had never even possessed the courage to look her in the eye, yet today she was being scolded?

"I said shut up!" Song Yan repeated, her gaze cold as she glared at Fu Rong. In the past, she had lowered her head and played the submissive sister-in-law because she sincerely wanted to be part of the Fu family. Yet, no one in that house liked her besides Grandfather Fu. She felt like slapping her past self for such idiocy. It was obvious that Fu Rong and the rest of the family adored Song Lan, yet she had foolishly let them trample all over her. "I heard you the first time. Do you honestly think your brother is so valuable that I, Song Yan, would throw myself in front of a car? No matter how 'precious' he is, he isn't worth more than my life!"

After five centuries as a ghost, no one understood the value of life better than Song Yan. She never wanted to return to that state of being neither dead nor alive again. Now that she had returned, she would never repeat the blunders of her past!