CG - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Wu Gu was discharged from the hospital that afternoon. After spending two boring days alone in the city, she decided not to listen to Wei Jinzhi and wait there. She spent the morning catching rides home. Pang Diao sensed her presence from afar and was waiting for her on a branch at the village entrance. As she drew near and waved, Pang Diao landed on her shoulder, and they went home together.

When she entered her home, Granny was, as always, cooling off under the tree. Wu Gu grabbed a small stool and sat down next to her, recounting the entire sequence of events from beginning to end. Finally, she voiced her concern. "Granny, with Ma Zhenshan's level of cultivation, it doesn't seem possible for him to have subdued a thousand-year-old Ghost King. I can't wrap my head around it. I suspect there's someone else behind him."

With her eyes closed, Granny said, "What's meant to come will come. You just have to wait."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to beat them."

"Then you can peacefully enter reincarnation."

"Granny," Wu Gu said helplessly, pleading, "Can't you help me think of a solution?"

"If a Tianshi like you has no solution, what solution could I possibly have? Everything your master left you is in that room. Go ask your master."

Wu Gu pouted, put the stool back, and dove into the study. Pang Diao fluttered its wings around Granny, making a fuss. Granny shooed it away, saying gruffly, "You think I don't want to help her? I truly can't. If I had a way, Lao Wu wouldn't have had to die. Now be good and go stay in the tree. If she dies too, I'll still be here to take care of you, so don't worry." As if displeased, Pang Diao pecked her twice on the top of her head before flying off.

With Wei Jinzhi not around, Wu Gu could read until the middle of the night. She let out a yawn and was startled to realize it was already two in the morning. She stretched her sore neck, ready to go to her room to sleep. Just as she was about to stand, a powerful wave of drowsiness washed over her. Her consciousness grew muddled, and her eyelids felt heavy.

Just as she was about to fall asleep sitting up, she jolted and forced her eyes open. The expression she made, eyebrows raised as she struggled to stay awake, was slightly comical. Before she could even process what was happening, goosebumps spread from her limbs to the crown of her head, and her scalp tingled. She raised one hand to pinch the philtrum below her nose while forming a sword finger with the other to draw a talisman in the air before her forehead. She was only halfway through when time seemed to freeze, fixing her in place. Then, her head tilted to the side, and she slumped to the floor, face down.

Granny, throwing on a robe, rushed out of her room. Pang Diao was also startled awake and flew toward Wu Gu's room, only to be repelled by a barrier outside. Granny drew near and tapped the invisible barrier twice with a twig. Then she tossed the twig aside, adjusted her slipping clothes, and turned to leave. Pang Diao followed behind her, frantic with worry. She waved a hand dismissively. "The two of us combined can't get in. You can't hide from a disaster that's meant to be. It's useless for you to worry. It's up to her own fate now."

At that moment, Wu Gu felt as if she were falling into an abyss. An endless, bone-chilling cold surrounded her. After what felt like a long time—or perhaps only the snap of a finger—she drifted down into a void. As far as she could see, there was only a misty darkness, with the sole exception of a faint light where she stood. She tried to release her spiritual energy to probe her surroundings, only to find she couldn't summon even a sliver of it.

She decided to simply sit cross-legged on the ground and wait. After a while, hazy figures approached from the distance. She squinted to get a better look. The figures gradually resolved into two shapes. As they came into clearer view, her eyebrows shot up. They were old acquaintances.

Ghost Messenger Wang saw her and greeted her cheerfully. "Little Tianshi, we meet again."

Wu Gu stood up, her brow furrowed. "I'm dead? Just like that?"

Ghost Messenger Liu said, "No, no, no, Little Tianshi, you misunderstand. This is the border between the mortal realm and the Underworld. We have an urgent matter to discuss with you, but we didn't know your whereabouts. Therefore, Lord Yama gave special permission to use your birth date and time to summon you here."

Wu Gu relaxed. "Is this about Ma Zhenshan?"

"It's about Wei Jinzhi."

The moment she heard Wei Jinzhi's name, Wu Gu's expression turned serious. "Please, Ghost Messenger, explain."

"Ma Zhenshan confessed everything the moment he arrived in the Underworld, even before he was tortured. This matter begins with Wei Jinzhi. Ma Zhenshan was acting on someone's orders to obtain Wei Jinzhi's Ten-Life Benevolent Soul. His own natural lifespan had long since run out, and he had been surviving by stealing the life force of others. He said it was a transaction. His reward was to possess Wei Jinzhi's body and be reborn after her death. The soul pearl he had was an advance payment, allowing him to use life force to extend his own life without being detected by the Underworld."

Wu Gu said, "So once I shattered the pearl, he could no longer evade the Underworld's detection."

Ghost Messenger Liu thought her accidental intervention had been very timely. "Ma Zhenshan said he stole that life force when the mortal realm sent a team of Tianshi to investigate a barrier. The entity that gave him his orders was sealed within that barrier. His original plan was to use that barrier to cause a major reshuffling of the Tianshi in the mortal realm. He just didn't expect Sun Ting to notice and report it so quickly. Because of that, the leaders of the mortal realm personally requested that Taiyi Palace and the Liaoshan Sect come out of seclusion to break the barrier. That's why he was in such a hurry to forcibly seize Wei Jinzhi's soul."

Wu Gu's head was spinning. Confused and vaguely uneasy, she said, "Wait a minute, I'm a little lost."

Ghost Messenger Wang took over. "Don't worry, we'll explain it slowly. First, let me tell you about the Ten-Life Benevolent Soul. Lord Yama wanted me to inform you that some ghosts and monsters, in order to escape the notice of the Heavenly Dao, will refine and consume a Ten-Life Benevolent Soul to conceal their Yin Qi. We specifically checked the records of Ten-Life Benevolent Souls entering the Underworld over the past century and found the number to be lower than in previous records. In other words, this plan to devour Ten-Life Benevolent Souls began a long time ago. And this lifetime of Wei Jinzhi's happens to be her tenth. It's possible she was targeted as early as her eighth or ninth life."

"So what exactly is that thing?"

Ghost Messenger Liu said, "Lord Yama says there is a type of ghost monster that cultivates a physical form from its soul after death. They exist outside the six paths of reincarnation and are not under the Underworld's jurisdiction. This is why the Underworld has remained unaware until now. By foiling Ma Zhenshan's plot, you allowed the Underworld to learn of this. Lord Yama says he owes you a favor, and I am to deliver it to you now." After speaking, he extended his hand.

Wu Gu looked at his empty hand, her face full of confusion. Ghost Messenger Liu gestured for her to take it. Dubiously, she reached out to grab it. Something cool shot into her palm. She froze. Ghost Messenger Liu said, "Don't be alarmed, Little Tianshi. That is a mark from Lord Yama. If you ever go to the Underworld to call in this favor, no one will dare stop you with this mark."

Wu Gu nodded. "Then please thank Lord Yama for me."

With the favor delivered, Ghost Messenger Liu continued his explanation. "Lord Yama asked us to tell you that a thousand years ago, there was a monarch named Ji Yu. He learned some heretical art from an unknown source and cultivated by devouring the souls of the dead on battlefields. When his deeds were exposed, he was hunted by the Xuanqing Sect. After he died, he somehow managed to evade the ghost messengers sent to claim his soul and was able to continue cultivating as a spirit. His Lordship speculates that the entity who ordered Ma Zhenshan around is likely Ji Yu."

"I have a question, Ghost Messenger. Ma Zhenshan's Ghost King must be one of Ji Yu's subordinates, right? Why did it only place a curse on Sister Wei and not make a move for so long?"

"Because that barrier was actually a seal. Ji Yu was sealed by a Tianshi over two hundred years ago. But he is clever; he used the seal's righteous energy to hide from the Heavenly Dao and continue his cultivation. The seal was supposed to break when Wei Jinzhi turned thirty-five. As I said before, because the mortal realm took it so seriously, they brought in two major sects to break the barrier together. He was forced out prematurely and thus suffered a backlash from the seal."

"Ma Zhenshan said the purpose of the curse was twofold. First, to prevent Wei Jinzhi's soul from being coveted and damaged by other ghosts and monsters before Ji Yu was free. Second, he had long been performing rituals on Wei Jinzhi with the goal of refining her soul on the very day she turned thirty-five. If not for the unexpected trouble with the seal, which led Ji Yu to demand he hand over the Ten-Life Benevolent Soul, he wouldn't have been in such a rush to seize her soul. That's what led to the recent incident."

Wu Gu never imagined that Wei Jinzhi's soul could be connected to Ji Yu from a thousand years ago. She grew agitated and anxious, her thoughts in turmoil. She had a feeling that Lord Yama wouldn't go to all this trouble of sending ghost messengers just to deliver good news. Sure enough, once Ghost Messenger Liu had finished explaining the main points, he stood there without saying another word.

Wu Gu looked from Ghost Messenger Liu to Ghost Messenger Wang. Ghost Messenger Wang just gave her a mysterious smile and remained silent. The three of them were now locked in a staring contest. In the end, her worry for Wei Jinzhi made her the first to break the silence.

She said righteously, "Then your Underworld should hurry up and act! How can you continue to let Ji Yu wreak havoc?"

Ghost Messenger Liu spread his hands helplessly. "As I told you before, Little Tianshi, Ji Yu has already left the six paths of reincarnation. He is not under the Underworld's jurisdiction."

Wu Gu knew the main point was coming. "What do you mean?"

"Lord Yama's meaning is this: the Little Tianshi is not only highly skilled in spiritual arts but also filled with a sense of justice. Therefore, His Lordship believes that upon learning of this matter, you will surely unite with the Taiyi and Liaoshan sects to eradicate this menace, Ji Yu, and restore peace to the mortal realm."

Wu Gu's jaw dropped. "And Lord Yama has the nerve to say that?"

Ghost Messenger Liu tried to persuade her earnestly. "Little Tianshi, you may not know this, but Ji Yu is, strictly speaking, not a ghost, and he is causing trouble in the mortal realm. If the Underworld were to intervene, it would attract a great deal of criticism. That is why we must ask you to find a solution. Of course, if you need any help, you can ask—as long as the Underworld doesn't have to get directly involved."

"No way. Two of Ji Yu's Ghost Kings nearly beat me to death. Ji Yu must be a hundred times stronger than them. I have no desire to go see Lord Yama so soon." Wu Gu issued a triple refusal: "I won't accept. I won't do it. I can't win."

Ghost Messenger Liu cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Little Tianshi, you should think more about Wei Jinzhi. If you don't act, Wei Jinzhi might not even get the chance to see Lord Yama."

Wu Gu's eyes flew wide, becoming almost perfectly round. "You're dignified ghost messengers, and you're actually threatening a Tianshi who isn't even twenty years old? Have you no shame?"

They were at an impasse. After a moment, Ghost Messenger Wang, who had been standing to the side, suddenly cleared his throat and said to Ghost Messenger Liu, "I see it's getting late. It's bad for the Little Tianshi's health to stay here too long. We should send her back first."

As if granted amnesty, Ghost Messenger Liu's expression instantly shifted to one of concern. "You're right, brother."

Wu Gu quickly cut in. "No, I don't agree! The Underworld has to handle this. I want to see Lord Yama!"

Ghost Messenger Liu ignored her. With a wave of his hand, he said quite politely, "Take care, Little Tianshi."

A gust of wind blinded Wu Gu. When she opened her eyes again, she was back home. She scrambled up from the floor and rubbed her face. Outside, the sky was bright. The moment she opened the door, Pang Diao flew right into her forehead. The bird's beak was hard and sharp, and the pain made Wu Gu clutch her head and squat on the ground, unable to move. The impact was so strong that Pang Diao was also knocked dizzy and fell at her feet. Granny walked over, relieved to see she was all right. Still squatting, Wu Gu rubbed her forehead with one hand while using a finger from the other to perform CPR on Pang Diao.

Her voice was low, her mood clearly foul. "Granny, the ghost messengers summoned me last night. I'm fine."

"The Underworld wants you to do something for them?"

"I'm afraid I can't do it." Pang Diao woke up but lay limply in her palm. Wu Gu looked up, a trickle of blood on her forehead, and said seriously, "Granny, I have to go back to North City."

"Go, then." Granny was silent for a moment before adding, "Wu Gu, your master always said you have a tough fate. You don't need to be afraid."

Wu Gu forced a smile. "Thank you, Granny."

Although Wu Gu said she was going back, she didn't leave in a hurry. First, she picked out a few useful books on spiritual arts and packed them. Then she found a protective jade amulet her master had made for her long ago. After that, she wandered through the mountains for a while, lay under the tree for an entire afternoon, cleaned Lao Wu's old room three times over, built a new nest for Pang Diao, and bought lots of clothes and shoes for Granny. It was all very much like a final farewell.

On the morning of her departure, Wu Gu went to Lao Wu's room to pay her respects. Instead of an ancestral tablet, Lao Wu was commemorated by his old ritual instrument: a nine-pronged bell and pestle cast from gold and bronze. It was exceptionally good at summoning souls, hence its name, the Soul-Summoning Bell. She recounted the entire story of meeting Wei Jinzhi in North City to the bell, chattering on and on. Finally, she said, "Master, if I don't make it back for the New Year, you're not allowed to scold me. If you haven't reincarnated by then, maybe we'll even run into each other. Master, I'm leaving now."

Pang Diao escorted Wu Gu all the way to the village entrance, finally settling on a branch to watch her leave. The trip back to North City, with all its transfers, would take a full day, meaning she would arrive in the evening. On the day the ghost messengers had summoned her, she had told Wei Jinzhi she was coming back. To avoid any trouble, Wei Jinzhi hadn't come to get her. Who would have thought that she would end up delaying her departure for over a week?

When Wei Jinzhi saw her at the train station, she couldn't find the usual light in her eyes and guessed that something else had happened during their time apart.

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