Chapter Twenty-Eight: Treating Ancestors as Gods
Ruan Chongyue and her mother exchanged a glance and decided to tell the truth.
Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, Jingwu turned around and walked into the courtyard. Looking at the spiritual energy under the moonlight, he found a quiet place, sat down and meditated, trying to absorb the spiritual energy.
Clearly, she still couldn't absorb it, so she had no choice but to give up and convert the remaining merit in her body into spiritual power.
Jingwu used too much spiritual energy today, and there isn't much left in his body. It seems he'll have to set up a stall to earn merit again tomorrow.
The transformation took two hours, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already late at night.
She got up and walked back to the Ruan family's courtyard, where she saw Ruan Chongyue running out anxiously.
As soon as I saw her come back, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Awu, where did you go? You worried me to death!"
Seeing her anxious look, Jingwu smiled and scratched his head: "I came out for some fresh air. Are you two done talking?"
After seeing that she was alright, Ruan Chongyue breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, replying, "Yes, I told my brother everything, and he said he would persuade my sister-in-law to return the bronze mirror."
Upon hearing this, Jingwu's lips twitched slightly.
I'm afraid I can't persuade them.
Jingwu didn't say anything more. Seeing that it was getting late, she decided to spend the night in the room next door.
Early the next morning, Ruan Chongyue and Wang Qiuniang helped Ruan Wenyi head to the cave on the mountain.
Jingwu followed behind them, heading there together.
When they arrived at the cave, Ruan Chongyue and her daughter placed the offerings on it, lit incense, and prayed devoutly.
Jingwu looked at the mountains nearby and thought to himself, "Just as I thought."
The bronze mirror that Nguyen Van Nghia presented was exquisitely carved and inlaid with gemstones, clearly a royal item.
This place has excellent feng shui, so it's not surprising that members of the royal family were buried here.
However, the tombstone is missing, suggesting it is quite old, perhaps from a previous dynasty.
Jingwu glanced at it casually and didn't think much of it after that.
After offering incense, Ruan Wenyi knelt down in front of the tomb and kowtowed several times.
“You are a magnanimous person. I was ignorant and shouldn’t have taken your things. Please forgive me and spare my life. From now on, I will come to pay my respects to you every Qingming Festival and Ghost Festival. I will definitely treat you as my ancestor.”
He kowtowed several times, his forehead turning bright red.
Suddenly, a cold wind rose up, rustling the leaves of the trees nearby.
Jingwu turned his head and saw a figure standing in the black hole.
He appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed in a yellow python robe and wearing a jade crown on his head, looking at them with a conflicted expression.
Jingwu frowned slightly, and the next second he guessed what he was thinking.
This tomb belongs to the previous dynasty, which has been destroyed for over two hundred years. It's likely that no one has offered incense to it for a long time, and it has been starving for a long time.
Ruan Wenyi said that he was treated like an ancestor, with incense and paper money burned for him, which touched him deeply.
However, he was unwilling to forgive him so easily.
Just as Jingwu was thinking about getting Ruan Wenyi to increase his stakes, a rotten apple fell from somewhere and hit him on the head with a thud.
Upon seeing this, Jingwu burst out laughing.
"Let's go back."
"That's it?"
Jingwu nodded: "Yes, let's go. Remember to burn more paper money for him during festivals in the future."
Ruan Wenyi quickly agreed and followed behind her.
Upon arriving home, Wang Qiuniang took out one tael of silver from her private savings and handed it to Jingwu as a reward.
Then, taking her hand, he asked softly, "Awu, since that ghost forgave Wenyi, is Jing'er alright too?"
Jingwu shook his head and replied, "The ghost forgave him only because he knew the bronze mirror wasn't on him. But Mu Jing stubbornly refused to return the bronze mirror and remained unrepentant, so he won't let her off easily."
"Then, what should we do?"
"I can't help it," Jingwu said calmly. "It's hard to persuade someone with kind words."
Wang Qiuniang's body went limp instantly, and she slumped into a chair.
Although she is just his daughter-in-law, they have developed feelings for each other over the years.
How could she, as the mother-in-law, really watch her daughter-in-law die?
Wang Qiuniang sighed and decided to go to Mu Jing's parents' home with Ruan Wenyi the next day to persuade her to return the bronze mirror.
Jingwu didn't concern himself with what happened next. After his aunt said goodbye to the two of them, he got into the oxcart with her and went back.
After learning about these things, Ruan Guan was distracted while driving his oxcart.
Upon arriving at the destination, he asked, "If I don't return the bronze mirror, will my mother really die?"
Jingwu paused, nodded, and repeated his words: "If the bronze mirror is not returned, your mother will surely die."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Guan felt a jolt in his heart and immediately drove the oxcart to his maternal grandmother's house to persuade his mother to return the bronze mirror.
Seeing that he had left, Jingwu didn't pay any more attention to him. After walking home with his aunt, he went back to his room to rest.
It was midnight at the Mu family's house.
After washing up, Mu Jing lifted the pillow and took the bronze mirror in her hand to admire it.
Such an exquisite and beautiful item must not be allowed to be taken away by Ruan Chongyue.
Tomorrow, she will go to the pawnshop and sell this item.
Once she receives the money, she can buy a house.
So what if Ruan Wenyi is dead? She already has money; she can just find another son-in-law to live with her.
Mu Jing's lips curled into a wide smile as she thought this, and she happily planned to put the bronze mirror back under her pillow.
She accidentally flipped the mirror over and was startled when she saw the person's eyes reflected in it.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered a handsome man with a face like jade hidden in the mirror.
Mu Jing had never seen such a handsome man before, and she couldn't help but stare in amazement.
She reached out and touched his face, but it was ice-cold.
Only then did they realize that the man was inside the bronze mirror.
Could this mirror be some kind of magic weapon?
Just as Mu Jing was about to say something, she saw the man in the mirror reveal a charming smile.
"Jing'er, do you want to see me?"
The man's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, which made her blush.
Mu Jing nodded shyly: "I want to."
"Then do as I say, okay?"
Mu Jing was easily swayed by him and followed his instructions, taking a long rope and swinging it onto the beam.
After tying a tight knot, he placed his head on it.
"Jing'er, be good, kick the stool away, and you'll be able to see me."
The alluring voice rang out again, and following his words, Mu Jing kicked the stool away, leaving her hanging from the beam.
She was so choked she could hardly breathe before she came to her senses.
She struggled to call for help, but she was all alone in the small room.
Mu Jing didn't struggle for long before slowly dying.
The bronze mirror slipped from her hand and fell to the ground with a thud.
Just then, Ruan Guan arrived at the Mu family's house. Amidst his grandfather's cursing and swearing, he reached the door where his mother lived.
After knocking on the door two or three times and calling out a few times, and finding no one to answer, he pushed the door open and went inside.
As Ruan Guan walked in and looked up, he saw his mother hanging in mid-air, her face ashen and her tongue lolling out.
He was startled and stumbled backward, falling to the ground.
"Mother!"
Ruan Guan's hand touched the bronze mirror that had fallen to the ground. Jing Wu's words flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.
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