I thought I would spend the rest of my life living a carefree and unrestrained life.
But I forgot that I was also keeping the ghost Ranmo on me.
It's impossible to be just a "heroine" who robs the rich to help the poor in this world.
The terrible ideas that came up with from the ink dyeing were either robbery or gambling with those smoky gamblers in casinos, but none of them were long-term solutions.
Besides being constantly chased by both the underworld and the legitimate world, and having no fixed abode, there are also various legends about me circulating throughout the world.
I'm not saying I'm a black-faced, fanged monster, but rather a chivalrous flower fairy.
It contains all sorts of strange and bizarre tales, both pleasant and unpleasant to hear.
In the end, even some cultivators came after me, asking me to subdue demons and eliminate evil for the people.
It seems like all sorts of demons and monsters are trying to capture me.
In the end, I had no choice but to become like these ordinary people, working hard and toiling away every day to make a living, doing manual labor for others.
I've worked as a maid and servant, and I've told fortunes on the street. I've experienced every single one of the 365 professions in the world.
He can speak human language to humans, ghost language to ghosts, and mythology to gods; he can speak in official jargon and dialect; he can be a sincere person or a worldly-wise and shrewd person.
Although these industries were just temporary jobs I did when I was in dire straits, they were all ideas from that devil Ranmo.
Without his secret advice and the courage and boldness he gave me, I'm afraid I might have been begging on the streets for a hundred years.
To be fair, Ranmo isn't entirely useless. He can be my strategist and close friend, as well as a drinking buddy, a dining companion, and a conversation starter when I'm bored.
It has kept me from being alone for the past hundred years.
But for the vast majority of me and Ranmo, we still have enough money to spend.
It's as if fate knows how much money I have; whenever I have a lot of money on me, all sorts of accidents happen to me.
For example, under the guidance of my strategist Ranmo, I became a business tycoon and made a fortune.
Ultimately, due to the imperial court or other various reasons, he returned to being penniless overnight.
In short, if I become rich overnight, I will also become poor overnight.
This may be due to my divinely ordained system; money never stays with me.
One of my rather straightforward Daoist friends hit the nail on the head: "A person condemned by heaven, and you even keep a ghost on your body, I think you're destined for a life of toil..."
"Pah! I think you're born to meddle in other people's business!" Ranmo cursed at the fellow Daoist, adding a sarcastic remark to every word he uttered.
Thankfully, people can't hear him or see him.
If they knew that the words he used to criticize him would lead to a three-day, three-night battle between the two.
"But speaking of which, what level of spiritual power do you need to reach before you can go to the Dream Realm to collect your remaining soul fragments?"
That day, I finally received my wages. Ignoring the tavern owner's suspicious look, I asked for two wine glasses, poured two glasses of wine, and sat down at the table opposite Ranmo to chat about this topic.
"What, you want me to leave you? I'm afraid that if I leave, no one will be there to advise you, and you won't be able to survive in this world." Ranmo grinned, revealing his sinister white teeth, and said righteously.
"Just kidding. After learning so many skills from Master Mo, surely I have a skill to support myself?" I picked up the wine glass and brought it to my throat. Feeling that I hadn't had enough, I picked up the wine pot and poured it down my throat.
Ranmo, however, put away her teasing words and said to me seriously, "But I'm more afraid that our Master Hua will be lonely without me..."
I couldn't help but shiver. These were such touching words, but the way Ranmo said them gave me goosebumps all over.
"I have plenty of time. How about I take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die?"
"Alright! You're a true bro! Let's drink until we drop tonight!"
Passersby looked at me with strange eyes as I talked and shouted at the empty air, and then they all kept their distance.
I thought that ink stains could accompany me for the rest of my life.
However, times change, and dynasties rise and fall.
My relationship with ink dyeing has endured the test of time for hundreds of years.
That day, I had a rare moment of free time and lay on a treetop drinking wine, feeling quite drunk. The ink stain had been in seclusion in my heart for dozens of days without appearing.
Just as I was feeling bored and lonely, fueled by alcohol, I was about to beat him up and throw a punch at him.
I heard Ranmo's excited laughter ring in my ears: "Ahua, look! I have enough spiritual power to transform into the image of Zhou Yu in your heart!"
I strained my eyes to look around but couldn't find Ranmo anywhere: "Where are you, you charlatan?"
"I'm standing right in front of you, Ahua, can't you see me?"
Then I felt a gentle breeze brush against my face, blowing away the hair ribbon tied to my hair bun.
This is Ranmo's usual way of teasing me when I'm drunk: he grabs the hair ribbon from my hair bun and sees me with my hair disheveled and as black as his.
But all I saw was my crimson hair ribbon swaying and fluttering in the wind...
Later I discovered that I could not see the body stained with ink, nor could I see the shadows of the wandering ghosts that I often encountered by the roadside.
This is probably a sign that my spiritual power is dissipating...
It must be completely identical to the mortal body in terms of its size and shape.
After the spiritual power dissipates, the days of old age and fading beauty will probably not be long.
But I don't care. I've seen flowers wither and fade, year after year, and the vast sky has turned before my eyes time and time again.
But the longer time goes on, the less I care about this world.
I gave him a knowing smile and said, "Looks like our relationship is coming to an end here..."
Ranmo remained silent for a long while without making a sound...
Later, I couldn't even hear him speaking to me anymore.
I can only sense his presence by the way he forcefully pounds on my heart.
"Danmo... If one day I can no longer sense the spiritual power you use to strike my heart, then you should leave and go to the Dream Realm to find your original self. If there is an afterlife, we can get to know each other again."
I leaned against a large tree trunk and said in a rather sentimental tone.
And the ink stains residing in my heart, whether in agreement or disagreement, keep pounding on my heart.
Until that day, when I sat on the bed with a wooden comb, carefully grooming my hair, I suddenly noticed that a few white hairs had grown in my black hair.
"Dyed ink... I actually have gray hair..."
"..."
However, I did not feel the sensation of him striking my heart.
"Dyeing ink..."
"Ink staining..."
No matter how I called out, I received no response from Ranmo...
"Ink staining..."
I stared blankly at myself in the mirror, stunned for a long time...
In the silence, only my soft murmur remained: "Didn't you promise to take care of me in my old age and see me off in my final days..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com