Chapter 210 Even after their sacrifice, they couldn't have a tombstone erected.
Shen Yuepo breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Han Xiao being captured.
She looked at Youxu and asked, "Youxu, do you know of a place called the Three Lives Education in the southwest?"
Master Youxu shook his head blankly.
He had been immersed in evil arts for decades, only knowing that blood could temper the soul, and had never heard of any "Three Lives Education".
“That’s unique to this area,” Shen Yuepo said softly, gazing into the distance.
"The children living there are taught not to talk to strangers, not to eat food from strangers, and not to go with strangers. This is their first lesson in life... and an important one."
Shen Yuepo's gaze swept across the mountains and forests, his voice so soft it was as if he were talking to himself, yet it clearly reached Daoist Youxu's ears:
"One of the sayings in their three-life education is: If you encounter any danger to your life, please put aside your moral values, pick up a weapon and fight to the death."
She paused, a heavy weight pressing down on her voice: "Do you know what the average lifespan of a narcotics officer is?"
Without waiting for Youxu's reply, she continued, "Forty-one years old. More than thirty years less than the national average life expectancy."
“After they sacrificed their lives, they couldn’t even have tombstones erected. Their families could only mourn and cry over empty graves. Because drug dealers would retaliate and dig up their graves to scatter their ashes.”
"And that Yuan, whose three souls you imprisoned..." Shen Yuepo's voice suddenly turned cold, "...she might not even be thirty years old yet!"
Upon hearing this, Daoist Youxu collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with an unprecedented tremor.
He spent half his life practicing evil arts, taking pleasure in manipulating life and death, but he never truly understood the weight of the words "life and death".
Seeing this, Shen Yuepo suddenly chuckled, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes, "Forget it, how could a demon like you understand these things?"
"I understand! How could I not understand!"
Master Youxu suddenly broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. "Twenty years ago... twenty years ago I was also a proper Taoist priest! I also had moments when I had good intentions!"
Zhang Qingyuan: "..."
He was moved to tears by the story of the anti-drug police, but the old man's sudden shout completely ruined his mood.
Shen Yuepo's expression shifted slightly, and his voice softened: "Youxu, I'm telling you all this because I see that you still have a sliver of conscience in your heart."
"If you cooperate with the police now and tell them everything you know, you might be able to get lenient treatment."
Upon hearing this, Daoist Youxu nodded, trembling.
As he was being taken away by the police, he suddenly turned to Shen Yuepo and said:
"I really don't know how to contact that Lord Yun. Every time, he's the one who contacts me..."
After Daoist Youxu was taken away, Shen Yuepo and his group, along with officers from the Special Case Bureau, arrived at Gu Yuan's tomb.
The soil that the henchman had just turned over still carried the dew from the mountains.
"Open the coffin," Shen Yuepo said softly. "Take her home."
With a command from Shen Yuepo, the coffin lid was slowly moved open.
Under the moonlight, Gyu-won's body lay quietly inside.
It seems she had only recently passed away; her face appeared as if she were merely asleep.
Only the gruesome knife wound on his neck told the truth of his death.
Shen Yuepo drew a talisman on the edge of the coffin with his fingertip, and a corpse-cleansing talisman that glowed faintly gradually took shape.
The golden light of the runes shone on Ji Yuan's pale face, as if coating her with a warm hue.
"Comrade Guoyuan, we've come to pick you up."
Shen Yuepo placed a copper coin in the mouth of the deceased and whispered, "With a coin in your mouth, cross the River Styx and may you have peace and joy in your next life."
Then he took out a red string and tied it to Gu Yuan's wrist: "The red string binds the body, so you won't get lost on your way home."
She then nodded to the Special Cases Bureau personnel.
Two female officers from the Special Cases Bureau put on white gloves and carefully bent down.
One of them said softly, "Comrade, please forgive me."
They gently lifted the body, their movements professional and solemn, as if performing a sacred ceremony.
As Yuan was placed on the stretcher, a warm breeze suddenly swept through the mountains and forests, dispelling the gloom.
The lead Special Cases Bureau officer, with red eyes, gave a standard military salute, and all the officers stood at attention in unison.
Shen Yuepo gazed at the rising sun on the horizon, the Reincarnation Ring slightly warm to the touch.
That was the resonance of Gu Yuan's soul.
As the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the mountains and forests, the wooden door of Xujing Temple was slammed shut.
Shen Yuepo personally posted a notice on the lintel that read "Closed Today".
Everyone slept soundly, and the Xujing Temple was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
Meng Guichen occupied Lin Yanxin's bed, his black hair cascading over the pillow embroidered with the Bagua diagram.
Zhang Qingyuan curled up on the prayer mat in the living room, still muttering in his dream, "Sweeping is also a form of spiritual practice."
Lin Yanxin, meanwhile, was sleeping sprawled out, hugging his God of Wealth statue.
As dusk fell, the group gathered around the stone table under the ancient locust tree in the courtyard.
Suddenly a cold wind arose, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face appeared abruptly, carrying a food box.
As soon as Niu Tou saw Meng Guichen, he stomped his hooves and rushed over, shouting, "Lady Meng Po! So you're here!"
His large, round eyes were filled with grievance. "These past few days, the Bridge of Helplessness has been torn apart by ghosts. They say... they say the soup I made tastes like... like..."
"Like dishwater mixed with incense ash."
Horse-faced quickly set out the bowls and chopsticks and continued, "That reincarnated scholar ghost, even after drinking three bowls, still couldn't forget his lover from his past life, and cried his heart out on the Bridge of Helplessness."
"That's because you're stupid."
Meng Guichen lazily rested her chin on her hand, the loose buttons on her cheongsam revealing half of her snow-white neck.
"How can you blame me?" Ox-Head rubbed his horns, feeling wronged. "My old ox's soup-making skills are nowhere near as good as Lady Meng Po's..."
Meng Guichen picked up a bowl of peach blossom soup and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry, I'll go back after I finish listening to the story."
Upon hearing that there was a story, Ox-Head and Horse-Face perked up immediately, their eyes shining as they looked at Feng Jin.
Their eyes seemed to say, "Your Majesty, can we listen to you?"
Feng Jin: "..."
So, after the meal, a group of extremely strange "people" sat at the stone table in the backyard of Xujing Temple.
The bull-headed creature slurped noodles from a large bowl, its horns casting distorted shadows on the stone table.
The sound of the horse-faced demon gnawing on a sesame cake, its tongue rolling up crumbs, was exceptionally clear.
Meng Guichen, her fingertips adorned with crimson nail polish, cracked open a melon seed, the spider lily pattern on her cheongsam swaying gently in the night breeze.
Lin Yanxin rested her chin on her hand, her wide sleeves slipping down to reveal the red copper coin thread wrapped around her wrist.
Zhang Qingyuan stood up straight, but couldn't help stealing glances at the chili oil floating in the beef head bowl.
Feng Jin rested his chin on one hand, his gaze fixed on Shen Yuepo.
Shen Yuepo took out the Reincarnation Ring.
With a thought, a wisp of white mist-like soul slowly emanated from it, condensing into a form in mid-air.
Gu Yuan's soul was much more solid than yesterday, and the edges of her soul were no longer transparent and broken.
Most importantly, those eyes: yesterday they were empty and lifeless, but tonight they have regained their sparkle.
"Thank you," Gu Yuan said softly, "Thank you for saving me."
Shen Yuepo looked at her, "Why...why did you come looking for me?"
That's a very direct question.
The room fell silent; even Niu Tou put down his soup bowl.
Gu Yuan remained silent for a long time.
She looked down at her translucent hands, her fingertips slightly curled, as if recalling some extremely painful memory.
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