Heartfelt words
Like a pure black hand-cranked flower ball, even its groans are faint.
Wen Dai squatted down in front of it and used some minor magic to make herself able to contact it. She grabbed the ghost's dry hair and made it raise its head. Compared to the unlucky little ghost that it had forced to provide cover for, its appearance was indeed in line with the appearance of a high-level ghost - it could change its appearance at will and was even quite handsome at first glance.
"Tsk tsk tsk, you reap what you sow. It's a pity I didn't shatter your golden core. You must be in a lot of pain, right?" Wen Dai smiled as she looked at the vengeful ghost who could only make "uh uh" sounds. In her heart, she called upon her immortals to guide the soul that the vengeful ghost had abducted and held captive back to its body.
The vengeful ghost, having lost both its wife and its army, struggled several times—or rather, it was just a slight wriggling—staring angrily at Wen Dai and saying viciously, "If you have the guts, kill me now, otherwise I won't let you off once my soul has recovered."
However, the woman before it maintained a smiling expression, her peach blossom eyes curving as she looked at it. Her dark pupils held a chilling coldness that would frighten even a ghost. She said calmly, "You know what? I also like to use reverse psychology, so... reverse psychology won't work on me. You keep doing evil, and now you're begging to be killed. You either want to cultivate into a ghost immortal to accomplish something, or you want to quickly escape this world, or your goal is simply to dissipate. I don't know what torment you've suffered, nor do I know what makes you so resentful; but you've made a grave mistake by harming innocent people, and I won't let you easily vanish into nothingness as you wish."
The vengeful ghost, its eyes blazing, seemed to deflate suddenly. It stared blankly at Wen Dai for a long time before falling down, hanging in mid-air, letting her hold its hair.
"I don't want to be reincarnated. The resentment in my body will not dissipate, and you cannot exorcise me. As long as I continue to do evil, you must kill me." The voice, which was not deliberately made eerie by the vengeful ghost, was clear and crisp, and the person seemed to be no more than twenty years old.
Its tone was extremely calm, clearly indicating it was familiar with their rules of conduct. Its likely motive for committing evil was to be annihilated.
It was already past midnight, and the full moon hanging in the distant sky looked like a silver coin, like the old moon from many years ago.
Chen Sizhe can also lead to moral decay at times, such as now.
He stopped the divination he was secretly performing, took a few steps forward, and his handmade leather shoes looked disjointed on the dark soil.
"Do you know how long a soul exists? Just because of less than twenty years of suffering, you have the idea of being reduced to ashes? Have you ever thought that these twenty years are not even worth a grain of sand to your soul? Being reduced to ashes is not that simple. Don't think that being killed will allow you to escape and return to nothingness. Even Yama, the King of Hell, has to work himself to the bone. Which god has the leisure to travel around? Your soul will be scattered, and you will be combined into another new soul, and you will continue to be reborn."
The almost cruel truth was thrown in front of the vengeful ghost. Wen Dai looked up at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Why are you looking into other people's privacy? I didn't even look."
She turned her gaze back to the vengeful ghost shrouded in darkness, releasing her grip on its hair. As the ghost tumbled to the ground, she patted its shoulder. "Alright, Tan Fei, you must be 47 years old this year. You were just 18 when you jumped into the river 29 years ago. How come you haven't matured at all in all these years? Repay kindness with kindness and grievance with grievance. It's your fault for going from victim to perpetrator. Don't worry, I can see that you're not inherently evil. I'll try my best to help you pass on and then send you to the underworld to atone for your sins."
Chen Sizhe twitched his lips twice, glanced at her, and scoffed.
Wen Dai laid bare the ghost's entire life story, showing no remorse whatsoever. She poked the ghost's shoulder with her finger, saying, "I certainly can't say that the pain you suffered wasn't real pain. You were slandered by a teacher who symbolized authority at school, your parents believed one side of the story and wanted to sever ties with you, and your former friends became bullies. You did nothing wrong; you were the one who was hurt. I know that someone will see your pain and grievances."
"What's the use of seeing this? They say I committed suicide because I couldn't handle the blow; some even said I deserved it, that I dared to do it but not admit it. My family was poor, but that doesn't mean I would steal money from a teacher; several hundred yuan, back then some people didn't even earn that much in a month. If I confessed, I would have gone to jail, let alone the fact that I didn't even steal it. That teacher didn't report it, saying that she didn't want to ruin my future as a teacher and student. Ha—now that I'm dead, everyone praises her for being magnanimous." Tan Fei floated up, clutching his abdomen as he shifted to a sitting position, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
Wen Dai lowered her head slightly, bit her lip, and then looked up at it, saying with conviction, "Evil deeds will be punished, not just you, but they will too. You will pay the price in the underworld for hurting others, and they will pay the price for hurting you. I... the man next to me, he can write a petition for you and burn it to the Eastern Peak Emperor. Sooner or later, they will settle their karmic debts, and they will not be let off."
The guardians who were with Wen Dai took away the seriously injured Tan Fei in time. Wen Dai straightened up, supporting herself on her knees. She looked up at Chen Sizhe and said, "I don't know if you are a Taoist or a civil lawyer, but you have the ability to write a petition for redress. I will go and talk to him... Actually, it's no use talking to him. The calamity and the tribulation are already set. The feeling of lying to the ghost just now was really unpleasant."
She tilted her head, shrugged her shoulders a couple of times, and the smile that fell on her cheeks was bitter.
Chen Sizhe suddenly understood, and spoke from the heart: "When there is no hope, a lie that can create hope is a positive thing." He glanced sideways at the distant moon. Bright, cold.
...
Inside the blue iron shed, Qian Tong, who had been lying blankly on the bed, suddenly brightened up. He shook his head, then raised his arm from the bed to cover his head, his eyebrows furrowed.
Qian Yan hurriedly helped him sit up, picked up the water glass from the bedside table and handed it to him, "Here, Xiaotong, have some water. An uncle came to help today, and there are some dishes he brought on the table. Mom will cook you a bowl of noodles, and you can eat them with the dishes, okay?"
Finally, Qian Tong woke up. Qian Yan suppressed her excitement, got out of bed and hurried to the stove to start a fire.
Sitting on the bed, Qian Tong rubbed his sore shoulders. He blinked, then pushed himself off the bed, his shoes making a rustling sound as they scraped the floor. "Mom, who is this uncle you mentioned? Why did you say he 'also' came to help? Did he come with Sister Wen Dai?"
Just then, the iron gate was pushed open with a clang, and Wen Dai walked in carrying her canvas bag. Accompanying her was Chen Sizhe, who was clearing away the darkness.
“Yes, Xiaotong, this uncle is my partner. I won’t have to work myself to death all by myself anymore.” She walked closer, raised her hand and rubbed Qian Tong’s shoulder. Her gaze carefully swept over his face, meeting the boy’s bright eyes for a while before she smiled and said, “You really are different from before. You recovered so quickly. You were back to normal as soon as your soul returned. How do you feel now, Xiaotong?”
Qian Tong laughed along with her, bending her thin arms to touch her lower back from her shoulder. "I was very tired and sore, but I feel very comfortable now. Before, I was in a dark place, and it was hot and cold all the time. It was very uncomfortable."
He craned his neck to the side, his gaze on Chen Sizhe filled with curiosity. Then, he shuffled over to the wooden cabinet in his sandals, rummaged through the backpack on top, and pulled out two chocolates. He took the chocolates and slowly walked back to Wen Dai and Chen Sizhe, handing one to Chen Sizhe. "Hello, Uncle. Thank you for your help today. This chocolate was a reward from my teacher at school for getting high grades. Eating chocolate can replenish energy; you must be very tired."
The boy's hands, like his personality, were fragile, skin covering bones, yet the way he handed over the chocolate mirrored his resolute gaze. Unlike most children who would immediately eat it as a reward, he kept it in his schoolbag for who knows how long, probably cherishing it greatly.
Chen Sizhe slightly raised his upper lip, intending to refuse, but his subconsciously shifting eyes received Wen Daifei's hint. Immediately afterward, he reached out and took the chocolate Qian Tong gave him, saying dryly, "Thank you."
The determination was forced. Qian Tong's tense facial muscles relaxed after Chen Sizhe accepted the chocolate, and then he directly stuffed another chocolate into Wen Dai's hand, "Sister Wen Dai, have some. I've been keeping the chocolate safe, I didn't dare take it out of my bag, afraid it would melt."
Wen Dai touched the chocolate in her hand; even though the boy tried his best to preserve it, it still softened. She immediately broke the chocolate into three pieces, then unwrapped it, took out the broken piece and boldly put it in her mouth. She returned the remaining half to Qian Tong, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she smiled and said, "Xiao Tong earned this chocolate herself, how can you not eat it? I'm on a diet, so just a taste is enough. You can share the rest with Mom. Mom works very hard taking care of you; you must have been feeling unwell these past few days, so don't forget to treat yourself."
Unconsciously, Qian Tong squeezed the chocolate in her hand and realized that the piece Wen Dai had eaten was less than a third of the whole chocolate; she had left the rest for him.
“My teacher rewarded me with three chocolates. I gave one to my mom a couple of days ago, and I made sure she ate the whole thing.”
He raised his thin face, and seeing Dai's expectant look, he smiled and said, "Xiao Tong is a good boy. He knows how to be good to his mother, but don't forget to be good to yourself too."
A gentle voice flowed through the room. Boiling water bubbled as noodles cooked, the range hood's hum asserting its presence; the cacophony of sounds created a sense of warmth—something Chen Sizhe rarely experienced. He scanned the room with his gaze; the cracked tables and chairs were spotless, just as the stovetop was free of any clutter.
If they delayed any longer, they might meet the rising sun on their way back. Wen Dai and Chen Sizhe said goodbye to the Qian family mother and son, and explored the dark shack area. When going up the stairs, Wen Dai held onto the wall and moved step by step. She didn't say anything, and was immersed in the night.
"Have you known them for a long time?" Chen Sizhe, who was following behind her unhurriedly, suddenly spoke up.
Wen Dai walked carefully along the wall, each step lest she fall. She tilted her head back, taking in the moonlit sky, and was unconsciously drawn back to memories of a few years ago. "Hmm, almost four years ago. When I was 17, I was doing online fortune-telling. Sister Qian Yan contacted me for help. Back then, Xiao Tong was hiding in the closet all day, refusing to go to school and not communicating with anyone. I immediately tried to determine if it was a real illness or a mental illness. A real illness definitely requires a hospital visit; people should trust science. But… I discovered that Xiao Tong not only had a mental illness, but also needed constant care; there was no permanent solution."
Releasing her grip on the wall, Wen Dai took two steps forward, making sure she had reached the top of the stairs. She turned around to wait for Chen Sizhe to come up. The pale moonlight shone on her face, making her pupils appear as if they were filled with tears. "There are so many people suffering in the world. I act on my conscience when I do things, especially in the first two years of this profession; if I felt someone's problem wasn't serious, I would treat them for free; if the problem was serious but they were struggling financially, I felt embarrassed to ask for money; of course, my heart has strayed at times, and it's really hard to maintain one's original intentions."
People are more likely to speak their heart when they are not in the light.
Chen Sizhe stepped up and walked alongside her in the night, passing through the damp alley again. He said, "Not many people can guarantee that they have the ability to walk on a tightrope for a long time. The next step is inevitably different from the previous one."
His deep voice echoed in the alleyway where only rustling sounds could be heard. A glass bottle rolled somewhere, making a crisp, clinking sound.
Once you've had enough, you'll get used to it. Wen Dai felt perfectly comfortable hitching a ride with her. She sat in the passenger seat with her seatbelt on, and Chen Sizhe turned on the interior lights, handing her two identical copies of the contract.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, took the contract and read it carefully. Then she reached out to Chen Sizhe on the other side, who understood and handed her a pen and inkpad.
“You won’t lose out by working with me. I have a huge client base. If the platform didn’t keep banning my account, my order volume would definitely be several times higher, guaranteeing you a fortune.” After signing the contract, Wen Dai sent one of the copies to Chen Sizhe. As if to prove herself, she took out her phone from her pocket to show him her vast client base.
As luck would have it, one chat box in the pile of WeChat messages stood out, with dozens of messages clustered into a single red bubble.
Wen Dai clicked in with surprise.
[In Puletikamu Village, Xicheng District, there is an urgent matter requiring your help in performing a ritual to clear the spirit world! Please come immediately! We will cover your travel expenses!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
