Chapter 209: On the Human Soul

It's clear that Hu Yu'er chose to be human, wanting to experience all the flavors of life.

Hu Yu'er was on the verge of tears. "Even though I am a soul, this is not something I can decide. I have never harmed anyone. This baby in Madam Hu's belly is just an empty shell, an unclaimed thing. I took it, and that's fine. It's not illegal. Don't you humans often do the same thing? You can't treat me differently just because I'm different."

The term "empty shell" refers to a physical body that is born into the world, but without a corresponding spiritual account.

There are several possibilities. Perhaps this child was born with congenital deficiencies, its physical body was defective, so no soul would be sent to it. Or perhaps the child died young, and no soul was willing to come, resulting in the first scenario. Another possibility is that a person's destiny is to have a fixed number of children, but inexplicably becomes pregnant with an extra child, and there aren't enough extra slots available, again resulting in the first scenario.

In short, the child that Madam Hu was pregnant with back then did not have a soul that entered into her body. The child was not stillborn, but it would grow up in a daze for a while before dying.

Hu Yu'er's involvement in the matter was not morally reprehensible, and from a ethical standpoint, it spared Madam Hu the pain of losing her daughter.

However, this process was not standardized and could not withstand scrutiny.

Before Hu Yu'er, there must have been other souls that entered the bellies of mortals; otherwise, how could such extraordinary talents suddenly appear out of nowhere in the countryside?

If no investigation is conducted, people assume the person is exceptionally intelligent; but once the investigation is conducted, they are labeled as "possessed by evil spirits."

As for fairness, sorry, there is no fairness to speak of. This is a customary rule. When people in the mortal realm no longer keep ghosts and monsters a secret, the matter of souls entering the bellies of mortals will become commonplace.

"Haven't you realized you're doing the same thing now?"

Hu Yu'er was confused by Su Zhenzhen's words. "What do you mean? What am I doing now?"

"I didn't say I was going to do anything to you. You came right off the bat and slapped such a big label on us 'humans.' Did I say I would treat you differently? It's just that those Taoists you encountered before avoided you like the plague and saw you as a tiger, and that's how you see me. But how is your behavior any different from how 'humans' regard souls as ominous? Aren't they both condemning each other outright? Since 'humans' and 'souls' are the same, what gives you the right to criticize 'humans'? Is it because you are currently in a weak position that you can bully the strong and bolster your own prestige? But isn't it the same on the other hand? When 'humans' see you, if you are strong, they dare not approach you easily, so they can only preemptively say that you are ominous to cover up their own weakness. 'Humans' fear you and avoid you, but in your past experiences, have any of the 'humans' you speak of truly harmed you?"

"Of course!" Hu Yu'er blurted out instinctively.

"Hmm?" Su Zhenzhen gave her a warning look, signaling her to think it over carefully.

Hu Yu'er swallowed nervously. "Of course... there are! But only one or two. Most of them avoid me."

Su Zhenzhen thought to himself, "Just as I thought. With Hu Yu'er's cultivation level, someone with the Taoist master's level of skill could crush her like an ant."

If everyone Hu Yu'er encountered had tried to kill her, she would have been annihilated long ago, and would have had no chance to live as a human being.

"Look, you've experienced it yourself. There are good and bad people. Why are you blinded by a single leaf? Are all of you souls like you? Aren't there any among them who harm people?"

"Of course!" Hu Yu'er answered hurriedly, "Those evil spirits that got the opportunity wanted to suck the lifespan of children. At that time, the Taoist priest was not powerful enough, so I ambushed him from behind and we worked together to kill the evil spirit."

When she realized what she had said, Hu Yu'er blushed completely.

What am I saying? It's only natural that people are afraid of spirits because evil spirits harm people. At best, they will avoid them, and at worst, they will kill them. So how can you blame people for discriminating against spirits?

Hu Yu'er lowered her head in embarrassment.

Seeing her intelligence, Su Zhenzhen was willing to offer a few more words of guidance.

"So you see, whether it's a 'person' or a 'soul,' there are good and bad. As long as you are wholeheartedly good, what difference does it make whether you are a 'person' or a 'soul'? People who are afraid of you will still be afraid of you even if you do a thousand or ten thousand good deeds. People who are not afraid of you will not take the initiative to attack you if they know that you have no evil intentions. So just be yourself."

After Su Zhenzhen finished speaking, she belatedly realized that fortunately, the Hu family had a good family atmosphere. Although Hu Wen was a man who would stop at nothing to make money, he had principles and a bottom line. Just look at how his wife scratched and clawed at him, and he didn't even fight back. Even in the 906 century, very few men could do that.

If Hu Yu'er had been born into a wicked family and instilled with a set of distorted beliefs from a young age, who knows what she would have become now? Moreover, she herself already has a tendency to be radical.

"Be yourself?" Hu Yu'er murmured to herself, "But I don't know who I am."

"Didn't you say that as the very first thing you said when we met?" Su Zhenzhen coaxed gently, "You are Hu Yu'er, the second young lady of the Prefectural Governor's Mansion. Just be the second young lady of the Prefectural Governor's Mansion."

Su Zhenzhen suddenly felt a sense of emotion. There were probably countless souls like Hu Yu'er in the world, and some of them might have gone astray. She would have to guide them one by one toward goodness.

Hu Yu'er grasped the concept almost instantly. Her soul and spirit were naturally intelligent; otherwise, they wouldn't have been born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"I understand. Please take me home. I must marry Young Master Jiang, otherwise I will cause trouble for my father."

Hu Yu'er no longer harbored any hostility; on the contrary, she treated Su Zhenzhen with great respect, even using honorifics in her address.

To be a good second young lady of the prefectural governor's mansion, one must stand with the prefectural governor's mansion through thick and thin, and help one's parents within one's own capabilities.

Hu Yu'er understood, of course, that this marriage was announced by the Prefect of Yangcheng. If something went wrong because of the Prefect's daughter, it would undoubtedly give the world an opportunity to attack the Hu family. Right now, the family was probably in complete chaos.

“I can take you back to put your parents’ minds at ease first.” Su Zhenzhen said calmly, without the slightest embarrassment. “As I said before, I can’t put you back into your body right away.”

Hu Yu'er's beautiful eyes widened slightly. "You were able to rescue me from that person, but you can't let my soul return to its place?"

"To be precise, it's not possible for the time being." Su Zhenzhen said without batting an eye. Although her soul was intelligent, why did it seem like she lacked emotional intelligence? She had already made it so tactfully yet clearly.

You could also interpret it as my skills not being up to par yet.

"But all of that is secondary. Who is this 'person' you just mentioned?"