Chapter 166 The End (ETL)
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Chapter 166: Main Story Finale
Upon seeing his master, Gu Ye couldn’t hold back the urge to run toward him, but Yu Ze grabbed him just in time. The two figures standing beneath the umbrella looked at him with kindly expressions and shook their heads. Gu Ye was at a loss for words. It had been 8 years, 8 years since his master passed away. He had never succeeded in summoning his master’s spirit, nor had he seen him more than a handful of times in his dreams. In fact, in the years since his rebirth, he had dreamt of his master only twice.
How Gu Ye longed to share every milestone, every experience, and every joyous occasion with his master—to have him seated in the place of honor on a day like this. Yet he knew that the separation of life and death was an inescapable reality of the human world, and that such wishes could never be fulfilled. Little did he expect that his master’s spirit would actually appear in broad daylight.
The old man looked much younger, as if in his forties. But his gaze at Gu Ye remained unchanged, still holding that same gentle kindness.
Gu Ye smiled contentedly and made a heart shape with his hands in that direction.
Everyone noticed Gu Ye’s gesture and looked over. While the other guests couldn’t see the people standing beneath the umbrella, Xie Cheng and his group could. Xie Cheng hurriedly signaled the people at his table, and they all made heart shapes with their hands toward Gu Ye to avoid any misunderstandings. The person under the umbrella mimicked Gu Ye’s movement, slowly making a heart shape to show their love for him. Then, they gave Gu Ye a thumbs-up, smiling at him with a look of pride and satisfaction.
Gu Ye was on the verge of tears. In a flash, the figure vanished. Auntie also waved affectionately at him before leaving. Gu Ye opened his mouth, a sense of loss washing over him.
As the rings were being put on, Yu Ze noticed the redness around Gu Ye’s eyes. He cupped Gu Ye’s face, planted a tender kiss on his forehead, and whispered, “I saw them too.”
Hearing that, Gu Ye blinked rapidly to hold back his tears. “How did you…?”
“Their shadows—I saw them clearly.”
The corners of Gu Ye’s mouth turned up slightly. “It’s a shame we didn’t have the chance to talk. They left again so soon.”
Yu Ze offered comfort: “That’s because they trust you completely—you should be happy about that.”
Gu Ye smiled. “En!”
The small incident at the wedding did not go unnoticed. If there was anything unusual about the scene, it was a strikingly handsome young man holding an umbrella. At first, people assumed there was some connection between Gu Ye and this handsome stranger. However, just as curiosity began to mount, they noticed 2 additional shadows appearing beneath the umbrella he held.
Everyone knew what line of work Gu Ye was in, and the incident became a supernatural talking point at the wedding. While the media dared not report it, those who witnessed it firsthand were left breaking out in a cold sweat. Gu Ye’s ability to communicate with the spirit world was a terrifying power that commanded both fear and wariness.
Once the ceremony concluded, Ge Qiaojun closed the umbrella, looking completely composed, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
When Gu Ye came over to offer a toast, he touched the 2 memorial tablets tucked inside the bag and said regretfully, “Why is it so hard to see you two in my dreams at night? I finally managed to see you guys. Yet you didn’t say a single word to me, sigh.”
Gu Ye thought that after speaking so plainly, his master would surely appear in his dreams that night to say a few words to him. To his surprise, he did indeed dream that night. Not only did his master appear, but also a stranger whose face was obscured by a pitch-black mist, whose voice carried an air of great authority.
“Give this… to him.”
The surroundings were unfamiliar, and Gu Ye couldn’t figure out where he was. Was he in his own dream, or had he been dragged into someone else’s? He eyed the other person warily, wondering if this was a normal dream or if he had fallen victim to someone’s scheme. Logically speaking, with Yu Ze by his side, how could anyone possibly have the chance to make a move against him?
Just then, Gu Ye’s master walked over and handed Gu Ye an object resembling a token.
Gu Ye asked warily, “Are you really my old man? You aren’t someone else in disguise, are you?”
Hearing that, Gu Ye’s master glared at him in exasperation. That look was all it took for Gu Ye to be certain. “It’s really Master. Old man1, where is this place? Am I still dreaming? Who was that uncle over there?”
“Watch your mouth, that’s rude.” Gu Ye’s master handed him the token and said sternly, “Hold onto it tightly and don’t lose it.”
Gu Ye was completely baffled. “What is this? It’s all so mysterious.” He examined the characters on the plaque. They looked like seal script, and it took him quite a while to decipher them. “‘Little King of Hell’s Token? What’s it for?”
Gu Ye’s master patiently explained, “It allows the holder to recall souls that have already been taken away by the underworld officers, so they can be investigated.”
Gu Ye was puzzled. “Such immense power… why would it be given to me?”
Upon hearing this, the person shrouded in the mass of black mist seethed with rage. “Because I’m your father!”
Gu Ye paused, then immediately sprang up. “Cut the crap! If I go around calling other people ‘Dad’ again, my old man really will beat me to death!”
“You!” The person in the black mist was so furious that he wanted to flip the table. The mist billowed violently, nearly revealing the figure’s true face. Even Gu Ye’s master felt like smacking him. He grabbed Gu Ye by the ear and snapped, “You little brat! Where are your manners? Apologize, right now!”
The sentence ‘He popped up out of nowhere, claiming to be my father. It’s a miracle I didn’t hit him, yet now I’m expected to apologize? On what grounds?’ formed in Gu Ye’s mind, and he was just about to say it out loud when he felt a sudden buzzing in his head. A memory inexplicably flashed into his mind.
This memory picks up from the time after Gu Ye’s death in his previous life. He had come to this same place in his dream before and engaged in a fierce argument with the figure shrouded in black mist. That figure in the black mist was truly his father—his father in the fundamental sense of his soul’s existence. He was the ruler of all souls, known in folklore as the King of Hell.
Gu Ye did not know who had actually given birth to him, but for as long as he could remember, he knew this man was his father and that he himself was the designated successor. He had to master everything here (Underworld) and accumulate merit. Thus, he was sent to undergo 9 cycles of reincarnation, while his mentor—a Judge of the Underworld—also reincarnated as a mortal to guide him.
“This is already your ninth incarnation, and your accumulated merit is complete. There will be no next life for you. Forget about ever returning to the mortal realm—just focus on doing what you are supposed to do!”
“I refuse! I just want to be human! I’m going back to ask her why she abandoned me? I just want to know the reason! This is my obsession; I won’t be able to let this go until I see her one last time!”
Naturally, the King of Hell disagreed. “If you want to ask, you can do it after she dies!”
“By the time she dies, my anger would have long since gone cold. There’d be no point in asking then!”
Gu Ye had an infuriating knack for driving others up the wall that even the King of Hell couldn’t win him in an argument. When the King of Hell angrily locked him up, Gu Ye refused to yield and instead went out of his way to be obstinate. He left behind only a single fragment (po)2 of his soul to bicker with the King of Hell, while secretly spiriting the rest away to be reincarnated. To avoid detection, he had chosen a time door that led back 19 years. By the time he was discovered, the body he inhabited in the human world had already grown to the age of 19.
The King of Hell was truly at his wit’s end. He could not hit his son or scold him, yet he was absolutely furious. Finally, he lashed out, “Go on, then. I can’t control you anymore. I don’t have a son like you. If you’ve got the guts, don’t ever come back! Don’t come back even if you die!”
In his anger, the King of Hell wiped away Gu Ye’s memories of the underworld and released that single soul fragment to reunite with the rest of his soul. After sorting through these memories, Gu Ye suddenly felt excited. “So, the parents I have in this life are my biological parents, and my older and younger brothers are my real brothers too? Aiya! I really know how to pick a family—I chose a complete one, and they’re all so wealthy.”
After a brief silence, the person behind the black mist completely lost their temper. “Scram back there!”
Gu Ye grabbed his master. “So, you stopped my master from seeing me just because you were mad at me? You’re so childish.”
“You… scram!”
Gu Ye was still holding onto his master, but before he could do anything, a massive palm formed from black mist came hurtling straight at him. Gu Ye’s vision went black; the very next second, he bolted upright in bed.
The sudden movement startled Yu Ze, who immediately sat up as well. After turning on the light, Yu Ze looked at Gu Ye’s dazed expression and asked with concern, “Did you have a nightmare?”
“It wasn’t exactly a nightmare—just kind of absurd.” Gu Ye rubbed the back of his head, feeling as though he’d just been smacked. “Ouch! That hurts! I think I got hit on the back of the head last time, too.”
Gu Ye flopped back down helplessly. “Ouch!” Something by the pillow jabbed him, making him suck in a sharp breath. “What the hell is this?”
Yu Ze picked it up and took a look. “A token, isn’t it yours?”
Gu Ye’s pupils contracted. “Holy shit!”
Yu Ze gave a stern reminder: “No swearing.”
“This—this! It’s exactly what I saw in my dream! Holy crap! It can’t actually be real, can it?” A shiver ran down Gu Ye’s spine. Recalling what had happened in the dream, he hurriedly scrambled out of bed.
Yu Ze reluctantly got out of bed. Watching Gu Ye’s flustered state, he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, pursing his lips in annoyance. He clearly hadn’t done enough3 because the guy was able to scramble up and run around after just 2 hours of sleep, tsk.
Gu Ye respectfully lit 3 sticks of incense for the King of Hell and humbly offered an apology, “I’m sorry! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have talked back to you like that. I’ve learned how to communicate properly with my elders now, and I won’t argue with you ever again. Although I was in the wrong, you weren’t entirely right either. You were domineering and headstrong—refusing to listen to advice or consider my feelings, and forbidding my master from seeing me. Your methods were truly rigid and old-fashioned. But then again, you are my father, so I’m apologizing to you. I’m sorry!”
The wisp of incense smoke circled Gu Ye several times before finally being accepted, albeit reluctantly. Gu Ye let out a sigh of relief. Once the tension faded, he was suddenly hit by a wave of physical exhaustion—his back ached, his legs felt sore, and his entire body went limp as if all his strength had drained away in an instant. He grabbed onto Yu Ze, who was standing in the doorway, and said, “I don’t want to get out of bed tomorrow.”
Yu Ze steadied Gu Ye with a hand. “Are you with the commotion?”
Gu Ye spoke earnestly, saying something rather baffling, “In my next life, I want to be with you again.”
Amused, Yu Ze chuckled and said, “Alright.”
“This time, I’ll be the one to find you. I’ll make sure you recognize me at a single glance—instantly remember who I am and know, the moment you see me, that we once loved each other.”
Yu Ze raised an eyebrow. “You mean… you’ll let me keep my memories?”
Gu Ye smiled. “No need to ask what I mean. Just know this: lifetime after lifetime, you will remember me and be with me. If I’m human, you’ll be human with me; if I’m a ghost, you’ll be a ghost with me. You won’t be able to shake me off.”
Yu Ze smiled and wrapped his arms around Gu Ye. “Silly.”
How could he ever bear to let him(GY) go? Whether as a human or a ghost, what point was there in existence without him?
…
6 months later, Gu Ye opened a shop on the commercial street, primarily selling antiques, jade pieces, and pendants such as protective charms. The shop was named: A Shop Opened for Dad (为爸爸开的店).
Ge Qiaojun, who had been left behind to serve as assistant manager, absolutely loathed the name, “Only a fool would come in here to shop. Stepping into the store feels like having to call you ‘Dad’.”
Gu Ye retorted indignantly, “What’s wrong with this name? It conveys such a sense of substance, warmth, and security. Plus, it’s poetic and evocative, and shows great filial piety. It is also incredibly popular, a timeless classic!”
Ge Qiaojun scoffed, “The truth is, your dad didn’t want you opening this place. You just cobbled together some antiques and calligraphy to fool him—it’s hardly high-class.”
Gu Ye snapped, “You country bumpkin! You just don’t get it! If it weren’t for that handsome face of yours, which helps attract customers, I would have sent you packing ages ago!”
Ge Qiaojun snorted coldly, “As if you weren’t a country bumpkin yourself once! Just give me back my cat and my Insect King, and I guarantee I wouldn’t stay here even if you knelt down and begged me to.”
Ge Qiaojun had only intended to attend Gu Ye’s wedding, but once he arrived, he found himself unable to leave. That shameless Gu Ye insisted on keeping him on as the assistant shop manager. Gu Ye claimed he was overwhelmed—juggling his job as the Director, visiting Yu Ze, attending school, managing the shop, and carrying out missions with Xie Cheng—so he needed Ge Qiaojun to stay and help out. Gu Ye had already hired waitstaff for the shop, so Ge Qiaojun could spend his days there in leisure. There were others downstairs to handle sales, and he only needed to step out if an emergency arose—otherwise, he simply stayed on the second floor raising his insects.
At night, someone else took over the shift—specifically, a ghostly scholar in green robes who exuded an air of unfathomable mystery. Ge Qiaojun knew this ghost well; in the past, Gu Ye had often captured heinous ghosts who had evaded earthly justice, turning them into ‘ghost servants’ for Ge Qiaojun to sell. Gu Ye had pulled out all the stops to keep him there—bribing his ‘cat son’ with endless treats and even having Ling Ling snatch away his Gu King (King of Gu insect)!
In reality, Gu Ye simply wanted to go find Yu Ze. No matter where he was, he acted as a completely hands-off boss; while he appeared to be the busiest, he was actually the one with the most free time.
Gu Ye absolutely refused to let Ge Qiaojun go back to that cold, lonely mountain alone. “If you want to go back, fine—but you’re recovering here. You can stay in any room on the second floor you like, but there is no way I’m letting you leave now.”
Just as the two of them looked ready to start arguing again, Yu Ze came to the doorway and knocked. “Quarreling again?”
Yu Ze used to worry about what might be going on between Gu Ye and Ge Qiaojun. But now, he worried they might actually come to blows one day.
Gu Ye snorted, “He’s being unreasonable.”
Ge Qiaojun said with disdain, “I don’t know who spoiled him like this; he’s becoming absolutely impossible.
Though included in the scolding, Yu Ze didn’t get angry. He held back Gu Ye, who was itching for a fight, and said, “It’s the little one’s 100-day celebration today, and your parents are going to be there. Do you really want to arrive even later than they do?”
Hearing that, Gu Ye immediately dropped the argument. “Oh no, we have to hurry. Where’s the gift I prepared?”
Yu Ze pulled Gu Ye toward the door. “I’ve already got it with me.”
Gu Ye waved goodbye to Ge Qiaojun with a smile. Once in the car, he held the gift in his hand. “What if… what if Third Sister suggests letting us adopt the baby? Should we say yes?”
Yu Ze shook his head without hesitation. “If we really want to adopt one, let them come after they turn 20. We’ll hand the company over to whoever shows the right aptitude. But for now, we aren’t taking any of them.”
Gu Ye smiled and asked, “Are the twins still refusing to leave the family main house?”
Yu Ze sighed, a headache coming on. “They treat it like their own home now. They make a fuss wanting to see you every day; you couldn’t chase them away even if you tried.”
Gu Ye declared willfully, “I don’t care. The bottom line is, you can only take care of me. You can only dote on me alone. Not even a little kid is allowed to compete with me for your attention.”
Yu Ze asked, thick with jealousy, “Shouldn’t that last line be mine?”
“I don’t care; that’s how I want to say it.”
Yu Ze’s lips curved up. “Alright, I’ll take care of only you. Even when your hair turns white, you’ll still be a baby in my eyes. And no one can compete with you for that spot.”
The confirmation made Gu Ye’s eyes crinkle with happiness. He happily threw himself at Yu Ze, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Darling, I love you~”
Yu Ze looked into Gu Ye’s eyes and smiled affectionately. Then he leaned down to return a tender kiss to Gu Ye’s lips. “I love you.”
In this lifetime, surrounded by family, friends, and a beloved partner, Gu Ye felt incredibly grateful for the impulsive decision he had made back then. Otherwise, he would never have known such a fulfilling life.
Gu Ye smiled with deep contentment. Elders often say that in this world, things rarely go perfectly, and that life is inevitably marked by regrets. Yet, how fortunate he was to have found such wholeness.
Raw word count: 4376 (whole chapter)
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[Banana: This is it, we have reached the end of the novel~ Unfortunately, the author didn’t write any extra for the novel though I swear I read it before, not sure if I hallucinated or something XD
Anyway, thank you for staying with me and read my translation. Many thanks to the author as well for a great story. Banana is still searching for an acceptable novel for the next project but so far, nothing yet.
Until then, I wish y’all all the best~ See you next time!]