"Antique?"
Li Luyao started slightly and hurriedly asked, "What antique?"
"I also only heard about it, but I don't know the specifics." Xiao Qin shrugged. "Although I'm a connector, I only help those ghosts with obsessions to fulfill their wishes, wanting them to go in peace. It's very rare for me to interact with malicious ghosts who have lost their intelligence. Do you feel that those ghosts can communicate?"
Li Luyao fell silent and lightly sighed.
She also knew that ghosts only existed for the sake of accomplishing their obsessions. They might not have any resentment.
But as for malicious ghosts, they not only had shocking obsessions but also hard-to-forsake resentment. With their emotions controlling their intellect, this was why they became terrifying malicious ghosts. Malicious ghosts could influence reality, but it was very hard to communicate with them.
Before Li Luyao reincarnated, the malicious ghost that targeted her family was extremely terrifying. Those who came in contact with it would all die with no exceptions.
"I only know this much."
Xiao Qin shrugged. She turned and glanced at Lin Wu again as she asked, "Do you have any other questions?"
Lin Wu muttered to himself irresolutely. He then held Li Luyao's hand up, revealing the silverish-grey ring as he asked, "You are saying that this ring is a netherworld marriage token? Do all my wives in the future have this?"
"That might not be the case." Xiao Qin shook her head slightly. "This is a netherworld marriage token prepared for you specially by the matchmaker. Only wives whom she connected her red strings to you would have this silver ring. If the wives were married by you on your own accord, they wouldn't have the ring."
"Oh?"
Lin Wu's heart stirred. He suddenly understood. "Seems like the malicious ghost named Pei Jianing shouldn't be someone introduced by the matchmaker. If not, she wouldn't need to change the marriage certificates and make them into the underworld marriage token."
Xiao Qin nodded. "That's true. And given how close she is to you, the matchmaker would definitely have noticed her long ago. If the matchmaker was the one who connected your marriage and hers with the red strings, she would have long since given Pei Jianing the ring."
"However, I feel that there's a strange point. Why can ghosts be considered my wives the moment they have a netherworld marriage token?" Lin Wu was bewildered. "On the contrary, Luyao already has the ring on her finger, so why does the matchmaker still want to force her to marry me?"
Li Luyao also revealed a trace of puzzlement. She then continued, "Maybe because I'm a living human? So the underworld marriage token temporarily has no effect?"
Lin Wu shook his head. "Even if this is the case, underworld marriage tokens shouldn't have any meaning to ghosts."
This was very contradictory.
Marriage between living humans had purposes. To extend their genetic line, to alleviate loneliness, to fulfill desire...all these were purposes.
Even the marriage relationship between two people would be protected by the law. Couples couldn't easily divorce or marry.
But what about ghosts?
The meaning of their existence was solely their obsessions. As long as their obsessions were accomplished, the ghosts would dissipate.
What was the point of marriage then?
And the laws of living humans also didn't have ghosts under their jurisdiction. What was the point of a marriage certificate becoming a netherworld marriage token?
Xiao Qin mumbled to herself. Yet, she asked, "Lin Wu, do you know what meaning does a netherworld marriage hold to a ghost?"
"Meaning?" Lin Wu stared at her.
"Once a ghost accomplishes its obsession, it would dissipate away." Xiao Qin spoke in a soft voice, "If it still wished to remain in the living world, it has to generate a new obsession."
Lin Wu suddenly understood her meaning. "You mean…"
Xiao Qin continued, "For example, before the ghost's obsession disappears, it falls in love with someone else. As long as the thought of continuing to stay with that person exists in the ghost's heart, once there's a netherworld marriage token, it would be considered proof of its status, allowing this thought to turn into an obsession."
"So this is the case…" Lin Wu muttered.
"However, that is also very difficult."
Xiao Qin shook her head. "For example, the obsessions of malicious ghosts would only form because the thought of revenge fully occupied their hearts. Where would there be any space for them to fall in love with anyone? This is basically impossible to realize."
"But it's wrong."
Lin Wu was bewildered. "For those female ghosts the matchmaker connected to me, could all of them love me? Didn't you say that many of those female ghosts were forced to marry me because they were tormented by the red strings? Could they generate an obsession to love?"
"This is why the matchmaker is terrifying."
Xiao Qin sighed. "It is like brainwashing by torture. The matchmakers can brainwash those female ghosts, allowing their hearts to generate the obsession of staying with you forever even if they don't love you."
Lin Wu's face turned black. "In that case, wouldn't they hate me to death?"
Xiao Qin smiled, "You have to understand the difference between a human and a ghost clearly. Humans depend on their bodies to live. Ghosts depend on their obsessions to exist. For example, if the obsessions of those female ghosts are to stay forever with you, no matter how much they hate you, they wouldn't kill you. After all, it would be a contradiction. If they kill you, how would they be able to stay with you forever?"
Lin Wu was stunned. He then asked, "What if they have other obsessions?"
"Then you will be on dangerous grounds."
Xiao Qin smiled. "If they have other obsessions to support their existence, they won't dissipate even if they give up staying together with you forever. For example, if they truly hate you very much and don't wish to stay with you, they might forcibly abandon the obsession of staying together with you. It's possible for them to kill you in that circumstance."
"..."
Lin Wu's heart suddenly turned half-way cold.
He also understood now.
To ghosts, an obsession was like a body. If they only had a single obsession, it was impossible even if they wanted to give it up.
But if they had two obsessions, they could choose to give up one. That would be equal to forcibly cutting away half their flesh.
If they hated him overly much, some of those female ghosts might really be willing to 'sever their flesh'.
Lin Wu suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable as he couldn't help but ask, "Wouldn't the matchmaker care about me?"
"You are so fierce after you die; you also won't dissipate. It's useless even if they kill you. It will be like domestic violence, why would the matchmaker care about your domestic violence?" Xiao Qin had a look on her face like she was rejoicing in his misfortune.
Lin Wu turned pale. "In that case, wouldn't that mean that I will die for sure?"
"Don't be scared. You will be super fierce after your death." Xiao Qin laughed.
Lin Wu stared at her in dissatisfaction and spoke in an annoyed tone, "If I really died and became a malicious ghost. The first person I will deal with, will be you!"
"Lin Wu, there's still a method to resolve this."
Li Luyao suddenly spoke out at this moment. She furrowed her brows slightly. "If those ghost wives of yours have other obsessions, just help them resolve their obsessions. When the obsession to stay with you was the only remaining one, wouldn't you be out of danger then?"
Lin Wu's eyes brightened. He nodded. "That's right, as long as I resolve their obsessions, wouldn't that work then?"
This was like a multiple-choice question.
There were two choices, A and B. No matter which one you chose, you could continue to live on. It was just that the method of living on would be different.
But if he removed the option 'A', they would have no choice but to choose 'B'.
"That's indeed the case."
Xiao Qin giggled and nodded. "However, those ghost wives of yours are each more difficult to deal with than the last. I can only wish you good luck."
"Would you die if you stop pouring cold water on me?" Lin Wu rolled his eyes.
Xiao Qin shrugged. "Sadly, I'm already dead."
"…"
Lin Wu was speechless.
"In that case, the malicious ghost named Pei Jianing on the car should really have fallen in love with Lin Wu, right? If not, she wouldn't take the initiative to be married to him." Li Luyao comforted him. "Maybe, she did so to protect you?"
Lin Wu's eyes brightened. But after that, he helplessly continued, "But she has no way to leave the car, how can she protect me? I can't stay in the car forever, right?"
Li Luyao contemplated and spoke, "Since she might have died due to being knocked by the car, as long as you can resolve her resentment toward the car accident, she should be able to leave the car then and be by your side to protect you, right?"
Lin Wu didn't say anything. He also knew of this point, but…
"Yes, that will be your novice mission."
Xiao Qin was smiling very happily. She became full of zest and continued, "Player Lin Wu, as long as you can help the malicious ghost 'Pei Jianing' to resolve her resentment, you will be able to obtain the mission reward - making her into your bodyguard. Now, quickly go and finish up your novice mission, young man."
"...Enough from you…"