Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Moss Ghost

Ghost fairy, ghost fairy.

Can you really fulfill people's wishes?

A soft, childlike voice echoed in the desolate hall, and in the darkness, something seemed to laugh.

There's actually nothing in this burial site; it's just a pile of dead things.

Suddenly, a chilling wind blew, filled with eerie energy, making the little girl kneeling in the hall tremble so badly she felt like her soul was about to leave her body.

She kowtowed deeply, not daring to lift her head, large tears dripping into the dirty ashes, her tattered clothes trembling. Accompanied by bitterness and fear, she stared wide-eyed into the darkness, pinching the skin of her hands.

Do you know what the darkest time of night looks like?

In the muddy candlelight, the putrid, sour smell mingled with the cracking of chopsticks. Your face was pressed against the floor, following the dim, yellowish-gray light, as you pried open green scabs, waiting for the familiar gnawing sound to echo on your body amidst the continuous buzzing. The gray rice in the jar, mixed with mud, felt like needles and thread, impossible to swallow or spit out. Until, long, long afterward, your own sticky, moist self grew back inside you, little by little, seeping into the cracks of your bones, as if it had wrapped around you, only you.

You have no choice but to bend and bulge again and again, pull out the intestines, cut open the belly, white and bloody, and pick up one lump after another.

With terrifying expectations, you stared wide-eyed, sweaty eyes, as if trying to transform them into something to be bestowed upon those things. Unfortunately, large beads of sweat stung your eyes, followed by a sour, foul smell. The soft rustling of sobs echoed on the ground. Holding the rice jar, eyes wide open, mouth shut, you lived forever in darkness.

After a very long time, a strange yet familiar stench finally appeared, and the rice jar stirred.

"Pah, you dead moss, it's ruined the rice."

"Kid, you can't eat this kind of rice."

You couldn't understand these words, you just hurriedly turned around, greedily absorbing the last rays of sunlight, but the next moment, sharp black needles fell to the ground, piercing your stomach.

A new version of myself is coming.

...

"Squeak—"

Gently, yet with a hint of eeriness, the door to the house opened a crack, revealing only darkness.

Qingyu stood in front of the door and blinked. "Did we just move the door?"

With a "whoosh," Zhang Xuan drew his Frost Moon sword, shielding Lin Fanxiang behind him, but he also swallowed silently. "No."

"Tsk,"

Qin Tianshu fanned himself gently, unusually quiet, simply gazing at the dark crevice.

"Let's go."

Wen Chuan, who was holding Cai Cai, said calmly, "In the end, we have to go in."

"Then let's go."

Qingyu smiled, stood in the middle, stepped forward, and gently pushed with both hands—

A heavy, piercing creaking sound rang out, and in an instant, the world spun around.

...

A blinding white light pierced through, and Qingyu instinctively turned her head and closed her eyes. For some reason, she felt a moment of confusion in her mind, followed by a period of ethereal clarity.

"Monster, you've come here to make a wish too?"

"I don't need anyone else to fulfill my wish. I came here simply to use this place to enter Fengdu."

"Hehe, sure, but you have to do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"Help me, hug a poor little devil."

...

In the summer, the noisy yet comforting chirping of cicadas fills the air, and dappled sunlight casts its rays, gently caressing this beautiful and clean little courtyard.

The woman in red looked at the peach wood sword in her hand, feeling somewhat confused. An inexplicable instinct prompted her to walk into the courtyard.

The woman sheathed her sword, walked to the vicinity of the courtyard, hesitated for two seconds, and finally knocked on the wooden door.

With a creak, a timid female voice sounded from inside the door.

"Who is it? Who is it?"

The woman in red lowered her eyes for a moment, recalling the past, then looked up at the sunlight and slowly said,

“A person practicing cultivation, passing by, wishes to borrow a cup of water.”

"But, but..."

The little girl's voice sounded troubled, as if she didn't know what to do. Just then, a loud voice of concern suddenly came from inside the house—

"Girl, what's wrong? Who's here?"

The little girl turned around, and the gate opened completely.

Following the sound, the woman in red looked into the courtyard and saw a woman shaking water from her hands as she came out of the house. She was wearing coarse cloth clothes, strangely covered in patches, all around her abdomen.

The woman paused for a moment when she saw the woman in red, then rubbed her hands together and smiled, "And you are, young lady?"

The woman in red nodded and smiled, saying politely, "I was just passing by and would like to borrow a glass of water."

"Oh, yes, is that so? Then come in quickly. Quick, girl, go get a stool."

The woman seemed to realize what was happening. She smiled warmly at Qingyu, then invited the girl to entertain the guest, smiling as she led Qingyu inside.

"This young lady is so beautiful, I wonder where she comes from?"

Qingyu walked into the seemingly ordinary courtyard and replied calmly, "A cultivator considers the whole world his home."

"Really! Then we've met a cultivator today... Quick, girl, pour some water for your sister, please have a seat... My man will be back soon, and it's almost lunchtime. There aren't any restaurants around here, so why don't you stay and have a meal?"

"Why are you so slow, girl? Hey, be careful with the stool, don't fall!"

"Look at me, there's hot water boiling in the pot, I'll pour it for the girl right away!"

"Sit down, please sit down."

The woman kept smiling. She spoke and moved quickly, arranging everything before Qingyu could say anything more. Qingyu wanted to say something, but the woman's words came one after another, strange yet enthusiastic, making it impossible for her to get a word in edgewise. In the end, she could only sit down on the stool as the woman instructed.

The light and shadow flickered, flowing calmly across the abrupt courtyard. The woman busied herself in the kitchen, saying the food was still in the pot, while the little girl stood in the yard, fetching things, carrying water, and moving firewood, all while being directed around by the woman in the kitchen.

Qingyu looked at her; she appeared to be only five or six years old, yet she worked very efficiently. She was very thin, and her clothes were made of the same coarse cloth. Compared to the strange patches on the woman's abdomen, the patches on her body were quite normal, appearing everywhere, one after another.

The girl had large eyes, yet they were inexplicably lifeless and timid. Her hands were always clenched together, making her seem even more lost than Qingyu, the outsider.

What's your name?

Qingyu asked, and the little girl looked up at her blankly. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "Green mud."

Green mud?

Qingyu seemed lost in thought, finding the place quite strange—the sunlight was exceptionally bright, filling the yard without being glaring, the yard was impeccably clean, the firewood was neatly arranged, the water vat was clean and full, there wasn't a speck of debris on the ground, even the dust was swept away, and the woman always wore a kind smile…

"Squeak,"

The wooden door opened again, and Qingyu looked over—

A man carrying a bottle of wine walked in. He was simple and tall in the sunlight, and he carried a strange fragrance. He looked at Qingyu with confusion at first, then the woman came out of the kitchen with a smile and explained to him.

Upon hearing that Qingyu was a cultivator, the man immediately smiled with delight and said, "Please sit down, young lady. I never expected to have someone like you here."

The woman said, "Yes, yes, young lady, why don't you stay for lunch today?"

Just then, the little girl was standing nearby. The man patted the child's head and smiled, "How rare! Let me put down the firewood, and then I'll cook a few dishes!"

Qingyu stood there and smiled. She nodded without saying much, simply watching the happy scene before her, where the farming couple were enjoying each other's company and doting on their daughter.

However, even in such a pleasant atmosphere, the girl remained timid and hesitant. When her parents asked her to do chores, she would occasionally glance at Qingyu, but would immediately look away, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.

A short while later, the man strode into the house, while Qingyu went into the kitchen. She watched the woman busily working at the stove, but out of the corner of her eye, she carefully observed the place.

Even in the kitchen, the floor was clean, and nothing seemed amiss with the clutter or ingredients. A rice container stood on the floor, its edges slightly greenish, next to which were wooden tables and buckets, with bowls, chopsticks, plates, and brushes arranged in a neat and orderly fashion.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, seemingly brightening everything on the ground and warming even the hearts of people.

The woman smiled as she worked, "Please excuse our humble abode, young lady... but don't worry, everything is clean!"

"Hey, I'll ask my husband to cook a few dishes later, he's a better cook than me!"

"Hiss... there's not enough firewood..."

"Girl, girl!"

The woman called out to the kitchen a few times, but when she didn't hear a response from the little girl, her face suddenly darkened. In an instant, Qingyu felt that she had become a different person.

The woman wiped her hands and quickly left the kitchen. She stood in the yard and called out, each call louder than the last.

"Girl! Girl! Help your mother get some firewood! Girl! Girl!"

"Girl! Girl! Girl!"

"Come help your mother! Girl! Girl!"

"Stop shouting!"

A man's voice came from inside the house. He came out and smiled at the woman, "I had her tidy up the house! Wait a moment!"

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll get it myself! When are you coming to cook?"

The man smiled and nodded, his body emitting an eerily pungent fragrance. In the sunlight, he turned and went into the house. "I'll be there in a bit, wait a minute!"

The woman continued working, smiling happily, "Good!"

Finally, the little girl rushed out of the house, and following her mother's instructions, she swallowed her breath, obediently picked up the firewood, and went into the kitchen. Suddenly, the woman cried out "Ouch!" clutching her stomach, and stumbled to the ground, a strange and happy smile on her face. She shouted...

"Girl, my clothes are torn again! Quick, tell your father to bring a needle and thread! I'll sew them up right away! You, go cook the rice, we still need to eat today!"

The girl opened her eyes wide, nodded quickly, and hurriedly ran into the house to call out.

"Father! Mother's clothes are torn again! Father!"

"Wait a minute!"

"Father! The hole in Mother's clothes is getting bigger and bigger! Father!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, didn't I already say wait a minute!"

"Oh dear! Girl! Girl, come here! Girl!"

The little girl ran back from the house in her tattered shoes, then ran to the kitchen. The water on the stove had finally boiled, bubbling away.

In the blink of an eye, the woman lay sprawled beside the rice bin, plopped down on the green mud, bent her legs, tore open all the patches on her clothes, and grinned at the girl.

"Girl, your father is tired, it's alright, come on, come help your mother!"

"Girl, come here!"

"Hurry, girl! I trust you! I'm counting on you!"

"Don't be afraid, little girl!"

"Girl!"

"My son, what are you afraid of! Everyone has to go through this!"

"My son! My son!"

"Help, Mom! Hurry!"

"My son!"

One excited and loud urging sound after another rang out, but the little girl stood still in front of the woman.

Suddenly, the little girl turned around, her eyes filled with confusion and pain as she looked at Qingyu. The patch had turned into a scar, and moss was spreading under the rice jar. The woman's voice, a mixture of pain and laughter, echoed through the room. The man inside kept calling out gently, "Wait, wait," while the water in the pot bubbled and gurgled, as if piercing one's heart.

The girl said,

"Give me a hug."

"elder sister."