Chapter 56 Blasphemy 5. Kitty, kitty...
The early autumn sun is neither long nor short.
When Shen Zhuan left, it was the early morning, just before dawn. The mountain dew was crisp and cold, and all living things were just beginning to awaken. In the blink of an eye, the scent of sandalwood from Xiling Heshui in the temple had dissipated, and even the lingering stench of blood had vanished without a trace. The autumn sun was setting in the west, casting a dim, gloomy light over everything. Weary birds returned to their nests, carefully avoiding the encroaching darkness and cowering away.
In the far distance, the mournful cawing of crows echoed, one cry after another, as if singing a funeral dirge for someone.
The water clock dripped silently, the moon set and the stars lay low; the night was deep.
At midnight, deep in the mountains, the tightly closed temple door creaked open a crack.
A pair of dark blue eyes, like stones emerging from water, surfaced from the night. The white cat, nimble as ever, slipped through the crack, jumped over the threshold, and went out of the temple.
“He called me ‘brother,’ so it’s only natural that I go and take a look,” Chu Shenxiang said to the humanoid figure in his spiritual sea who was looking at him with disdain.
Humanity was gesturing wildly and shouting, but he couldn't hear it and still didn't want to listen.
A wisp of divine consciousness guided the white cat away, into the deep forest.
Chu Shenxiang didn't know about the other deities, but for him, if his divine consciousness wanted to leave his body and go beyond the Wangqiu Mountain area, it needed something to rely on. The white cat formed from incense ash was that reliance.
The forest was gloomy, with strange shadows looming around. The white cat moved with incredible speed, almost as if it were riding the clouds, and soon it had covered most of the mountain path.
As we approached the foot of the mountain, we suddenly heard the faint, intermittent cries of a child.
Demons roam freely at midnight, and the sound of cries heard on mountain paths is hardly a good sign. If this were an ordinary person, whether they investigated or simply left, they would likely meet a bad end.
But Chu Shenxiang was different. He was, after all, a deity, even if just a wild god, whom ordinary demons couldn't withstand. But he didn't want to meddle in other people's business; there were countless worldly affairs, and he couldn't manage them all.
The white cat continued its journey without stopping, without even using its divine sense, to investigate.
Even so, the unique divine aura emanating from him seemed to have startled something. The next instant, a white figure emerged from behind a cluster of dark trees and followed unsteadily.
"Kitty, kitty..."
The crying behind me stopped, replaced by the hollow and listless soft babbling of a child.
The white cat looked back and discovered that what had caught up with it was not a demon, but a wandering soul.
Judging from the appearance of the wandering spirit, it was a girl of three or four years old, wearing a black linen short jacket, with her hair tied in two buns, barefoot, with a pair of almond eyes staring straight ahead, but empty, half asleep and dazed.
Chu Shenxiang had seen far too many wandering souls like this, in ruins, in desolate areas, and in empty cities. In the busiest year, when the Ghost Festival lanterns were lit, tens of thousands of wandering souls entered the River of Oblivion, far more than the stars in the sky.
What about toddlers?
Infants were universally acknowledged as "rotten bones" by barbarians and refugees; the occasional fresh one could even lead to a bloody scramble for it. Among the wandering souls of the River of Oblivion, there were far more than just one or two infants.
The white cat indifferently swept its gaze over the girl and spoke in its divine sense: "Go and reincarnate, do not wander."
The little girl seemed not to hear, still chanting "cat, cat" as she stumbled and floated after him, unwilling to give up.
The white cat frowned, suddenly accelerated, and in a few leaps, it disappeared at the foot of the mountain and entered a small path near the main road.
The wandering soul was left behind and couldn't keep up.
"Kitty...kitty!"
The child's voice started crying again, crying so mournfully, as if it wasn't just the disappearance of an ordinary passing cat, but the collapse of the sky and the sinking of the earth.
The white cat frowned even more deeply, its divine sense spreading out, sweeping backward to envelop the girl and throw her directly into the River of Oblivion. But it was precisely this sweep that made Chu Shenxiang notice something different.
Within the girl's three souls and seven spirits, there was still an unextinguished yang fire.
It was too faint, and covered by the yin energy of Wangqiu Mountain, so it could not be discerned without divine sense.
This is not the wandering spirit of a dead person, but the living soul of a living person!
The white cat paused in its action of flinging the girl towards the River of Oblivion. It stamped its foot, and the blue runes on its forehead flashed, emitting a hazy mist. The mist rose high into the air, from which a rugged, rock-colored hand emerged, its fingers slightly outstretched, offering a white lotus lamp.
"Follow the light, and go home."
A white lotus lantern fell in front of the little girl.
The little girl was captivated by its ethereal and otherworldly appearance, and her blank gaze shifted from the white cat to the lamp.
She stretched out her small arms and hugged the white lotus lamp. The next moment, the white lotus lamp seemed to have seen through the secrets of her soul and took her flying, drifting in another direction.
The little girl was bewildered and looked back blankly, only to find the intersection just now empty. The white cat seemed to be in a hurry and had long since disappeared.
Yuejia Village is located on the southern slope of Wangqiu Mountain, about 20 to 30 miles from Yuxian County.
At midnight, a time when the night should be quiet and the whole village should be fast asleep, the village temple is still brightly lit and shrouded in incense.
In the open space in front of the village temple, two yellow banners were erected, wrapped with cinnabar talismans. An incense table was set up with offerings and an incense burner. In front of them, a grieving couple knelt on a prayer mat, holding a three- or four-year-old girl. The girl's eyes were closed, her face was pale, and she had already stopped breathing.
A long-bearded Taoist priest followed behind, leading a black dog, wielding a peach wood sword, and chanting incantations.
A little further away, a large group of villagers gathered, all watching the scene with anticipation, awe, or astonishment, but none daring to speak.
The village chief held a pipe, took two puffs, and looked gloomy.
On one side, the village chief's son whispered in his ear, "Dad, this time we've invited all the Taoist priests from Tongtian Temple. Shouldn't we be able to call them back?"
The village chief remained silent.
The village chief's son continued, "If we still can't call them back, then in just one month, we've had three children who have lost their souls. The day before yesterday, Sanlengzi said that something similar happened in Wangjiapu, with five children missing. It's not surprising that children's souls leave their bodies when they're frightened, but such a coincidence, and so many, is too strange. In your opinion, could it be related to demons?"
"It's hard to say," the village chief sighed. "If it really is a demon, then it's troublesome. I've never heard of a village that has been targeted by a demon surviving."
The village chief's son, his face slightly pale, said, whether to comfort himself or his father, "But our whole village believes in the Goddess of Heaven. A few years ago, we spent a fortune to invite her into the village and build a village temple. We'll surely be blessed, right? This time, even though fewer children have lost their souls in our village compared to Wangjiapu..."
The village chief sighed and refused.
Just then, a sharp shout rang out.
"The time has come, shout it out!"
The Taoist priest suddenly opened his half-closed eyes, flicked his hand, and the peach wood sword flew out on its own in the air.
"What a joke!"
The villagers were terrified. Amidst their cries of alarm, many knelt down, shouting the name of the Heavenly Goddess.
Amidst the shouts, the one who truly needed to cry out spoke up, his voice sharp and hoarse, piercing with heartache.
"Please, Heavenly Goddess, send my daughter home!"
"Please, Heavenly Goddess, send my daughter home!"
The Taoist priest rang his copper bell: "Little Crane of the Yue family is back—Little Crane of the Yue family is back!"
The black dog also looked up and howled, unlike a dog's bark, it was long and ethereal.
Three sticks of incense rose straight up into the sky from the incense burner, as if by magic.
The couple and the Taoist priest repeated this chant a dozen or so times. When they stopped, the peach wood sword returned to its place. The couple hurriedly looked down at the little girl in their arms, only to find that the little girl was motionless, still stiff and cold, like a dead person.
"Little Crane!"
With a wail, the two collapsed to the ground.
A boy rushed out from the crowd, embraced the two of them, and tears streamed down his face: "Sister..."
Upon seeing this, the Taoist priest sighed and said, "Please accept my condolences."
The boy looked up, grabbed the Taoist priest's robe, and pleaded, "Master, you must still have a way, right? You are the Grand Master of Tongtian Temple, you must still have a way. Please, please save Xiaohe! My family will give anything, please..."
The Taoist priest's robes trembled even without wind, sweeping aside the boy: "I have done my best regarding your little sister's matter, but there is truly nothing I can do. When a child's soul is frightened and separated from its body, there are only two methods: calling back the soul at home or asking a deity to send the soul away. You have already tried the former many times, to no avail, which is why you came to me. As for the latter, I have now found the answer, but it is still useless."
The Taoist priest looked reluctant, but still shook his head and said, "Let's prepare for the funeral."
"Taoist Master!" The boy wanted to ask again, but his parents hugged him, afraid of offending the Taoist priest.
"My son has been rude, please forgive him, Daoist Master..."
The two cried.
The Taoist priest sighed again, took the dog and the money, and was about to leave when the village chief saw this and hurriedly chased after him, telling him that the demon might be the cause.
The Taoist priest's previously calm expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed in shock, "Demons? Yes, it's true, demons are known to feed on the souls of children. This matter could very well be related to demons... If that's the case, then I can't help you at all! If you want to live, unless you find a capable person to help you, otherwise..."
The village chief said, "But aren't you a disciple of the Heavenly Goddess..."
"So what if it is?" The Taoist raised an eyebrow, all traces of compassion and detachment from the moment were gone, replaced by blatant mercenary contempt. Now that he had the money, he was no longer going to try to fool people.
"Your village could sell everything and still only have a pittance left. How could that be enough for me to risk my life to subdue demons?" he sneered. "Don't even mention me. Even the Heavenly Goddess would only be willing to help if there were enough offerings. Without twenty or thirty human sacrifices, it wouldn't be possible! I advise you to prepare your coffins in advance!"
After saying that, he kicked the black dog's butt, took a few steps, and left the village, disappearing down the road.
The village chief stood there dumbfounded for a long time before staggering back into the village in a daze.
When the village chief's son saw this, he asked what was wrong. The village chief whispered what happened, and the village chief's son was both angry and afraid, unable to speak.
The ritual to summon the soul thus came to an end, and everyone returned to their respective homes with their own thoughts.
As the night deepened, all the scattered lights went out.
At Xiaohe's house, the family of three went back inside, put Xiaohe on the bed, and remained silent, with only faint sobs.
After a while, in the darkness, Little Crane's father lit a candle, picked up Little Crane, and placed her in the thin little coffin. Little Crane's mother paused, then rushed forward crying, hugging her tightly and refusing to let go.
The boy stood to the side, his eyes red and swollen, looking at his little sister's pale face, wiping away tears, feeling anxious and helpless.
Suddenly, the boy froze, wiping away his tears. He instinctively rubbed his eyes, and then, in the next moment, his eyes widened sharply, and he cried out, "Live...live..."
Xiao He's parents were startled. Forgetting about pulling him away, they turned around hastily, fearing something might have happened to their other child. But to their surprise, the boy, his neck throbbing and his hand trembling, pointed at the baby in their arms and cried out, "My sister's alive!"
Xiao He's parents immediately looked down and met a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were slowly opening. Almost simultaneously, the girl's face turned from pale to rosy, becoming bright and clear, and her body warmed up, no longer stiff and cold.
Xiao He's parents were both surprised and delighted. The four of them hugged each other and cried, and they didn't forget to kowtow towards the village temple outside the door to thank the Heavenly Goddess.
The neighbors heard the commotion and initially thought it was a family of three who couldn't bear it and were venting their emotions. But upon closer listening, they realized something was wrong. It wasn't a cry of grief, but rather tears of joy. So they quickly peeked over to see what was going on.
Upon closer inspection, they overheard Little Crane slowly waking up and saying, "No, not the Great Madam, but the Big Cat..."
The neighbors and Xiaohe's parents all paused and looked at her.
"The big cat gave me a lantern, and the lantern brought me back. We flew in the sky..."
Xiao He's parents exchanged a glance, both thinking it was just the ramblings of a child who had just woken up: "What nonsense are you talking about, child..."
Before he finished speaking, Xiao He raised his hand, and with a clatter, a palm-sized lotus lantern made of folded white paper fell out of his palm. The smell of incense ash on it was faint and lingering, definitely not something from Yuejia Village.
While Xiao He's family was puzzled by the mysterious appearance of the white lotus lamp, Chu Shenxiang had already entered the county town.
He drove the white cat straight to the east of the city and easily turned into the Shen family's house.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com