Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi squatted on the ground, looking at the pool of blood in front of her and the pale embroidered shoes beside it. She nudged Mo Xuyou, who was also squatting down, and said, "Isn't your fox a bit too ruthless?"
"It is a bit ruthless, not even leaving a trace of soul behind," Mo Xuyou shook his head regretfully, not daring to look at the person in his mouth.
The fox curled his lips and poked the person he was holding, asking, "Am I being too harsh?"
Yin Yuan shook his head, his gaze clearly showing rejection; he obviously did not want to participate in this discussion.
It turned out that the woman in white clothes and shoes, holding a white umbrella and lurking in the shadows, was not Xiu Xiu but Xiuhe. In Mo Xuyou's words, she was also a pitiful girl.
Wei Village had relied on forging skills for generations, but this skill could not be learned by women from the Maternal Family—not because it was too difficult, but because they lacked the physical strength. Therefore, even during the Golden Tang Dynasty when men held power, Wei Village still valued male offspring. Families with many boys walked with more confidence than others. Originally, Xiuhe had an older brother who passed away unexpectedly at the age of three. Later, when Xiuhe's mother gave birth to her, there were complications; although she barely survived, she lost her ability to bear children. However, Xiuhe's maternal family had some influence, so the village chief, though unwilling in his heart, did not dare to take another wife or even consider taking a concubine. Thus, he had a complex relationship with this daughter—he cherished her because she was his only legacy but resented her for leaving him without heirs. Regardless, a few years earlier, Xiuhe was quite happy.
Later on, the village chief took in Xiu Xiu. Because of that bundle, he harbored selfish intentions. First, he hoped to gain some benefits from raising Xiu Xiu through her biological mother; second, he noticed that the materials used for that bundle were official-grade and even of decent quality. Therefore, he hoped to gain additional benefits beyond just material ones—like having Xiu Xiu's biological mother help him suppress his wife and allow him to take a concubine. Of course, these were merely the village chief's one-sided wishes; it was still a mystery where Xiu Xiu came from. Even if she had biological parents, given that their daughter was being hunted down like this, it was likely that they were no longer alive.
These matters later became clear to the village chief; hence he began to treat Xiu Xiu harshly and agreed to the proposal from the Xue family to treat her as a means of livelihood.
What Xiu Xiu thought in her heart is now unknown to us. However, for Xiuhe, what she saw was that because of Xiu Xiu's arrival, her father became increasingly distant from her. The envious gazes that once belonged to her were no longer directed at her; even the best men in the village were out of reach for her. Jealousy and hatred grew like demons within her heart.
She hated Xiu Xiu but envied her face. Thus, driven by an inexplicable impulse, she secretly bought Blood Rouge and changed her face. Unfortunately, fate played its hand; after Xiu Xiu died unjustly and became a restless spirit, the stolen face ultimately had to be returned to its rightful owner.
"You told stories all night but didn't explain how Xiuhe died? Why did she die at the Village Stele in Wei Village? And why did she want to harm me? Why is she trapped here?"
Xing Ruyi asked several "whys," making Mo Xuyou dizzy as he quickly shifted aside. Unfortunately, just as he moved a step away, Xing Ruyi grabbed his clothing: "Why!"
The fox raised an eyebrow and pried Xing Ruyi's hand open with a faint remark: "Men and women should maintain proper boundaries; Wife should please be more respectful!"
The term "Wife" made Xing Ruyi feel both numb and sweet inside; however, with so many questions in her heart, she couldn't focus on whether the fox was jealous.
"How did Xiuhe die? Don't tell me you don't know!"
"I know! I know! It's just that I really don't know," Mo Xuyou replied while quietly stepping back again. "Get up; this Xiuhe is also pitiful. On her wedding night, the stolen face was reclaimed by its original owner; her borrowed identity was exposed as well. Although Wei Daguzi didn't mistreat her afterward, he ignored her completely and let her fend for herself while repeatedly stating that he would only have one wife in this lifetime—Xiu Xiu. Naturally, upon hearing this, Xiuhe felt both angry and sad but could only hide like a mouse with a face stripped bare. Perhaps it was fate or some kind of karmic retribution; after going mad in Wei Village, she stumbled into that place. Upon seeing Xiuhe there, they mistook her for Xiu Xiu. On a stormy night filled with thunder and lightning, this biological father ended up suffocating his own daughter to death. Though mad, the village chief still felt some fear in his heart; thus he dragged Xiuhe outside the village and left her under this Village Stele. Little did he know that beneath this stele lay a hidden grave which had been exposed by heavy rain; Xiuhe's bones were washed away by the rainwater and fell inside. This place is cursed; those suppressed by the Village Stele are certainly no good beings either—thus Xiuhe became a slave to those spirits."
"Then, what about that thing?" Xing Ruyi used her ghostly senses to perceive the surroundings. Aside from the heavy aura of death, there were no other traces of evil spirits within a hundred miles.
Mo Xu You pointed at the fox and said, "Look, it was dealt with by the Celestial Being."
"In that case, why does Xiuhe still want me to save her?"
Mo Xu You smiled meaningfully and slowly stood up. "Saving a ghost is like saving a person; some seek life-saving help, while others desire something beyond mere survival. For instance, Xiuhe was already free after the Celestial Being eliminated that thing. She could leave Wei Village, reincarnate, or wander freely. But why doesn’t she leave? Because of her face; she doesn’t want to roam around with a ghostly visage devoid of skin. In life, she felt inferior due to her appearance, and even in death as a ghost, she couldn't escape this Heart Demon. So she deliberately created illusions and targeted you, Blood Rouge, merely for your face. Unfortunately, she didn’t anticipate that you are extraordinary and that the Celestial Being beside you is even more remarkable. Not only did they break her illusion, but they also dragged her out along with it. Thus, she resorted to desperate measures, trying to fight back with all her might, but the outcome of such overconfidence usually leads to one result: her soul scattering and leaving behind nothing but a pool of blood."
Xing Ruyi understood clearly and stood up angrily, looking at the fox and asking, "She wanted my face; so that was her goal!"
The fox nodded silently.
Xing Ruyi then added for herself, "So I really do look quite good."
The fox swayed slightly and nearly lost its balance.
"My Fox Demon is indeed quite good-looking."
"Ah! It’s precisely because you’re too good-looking that people covet your face." Xing Ruyi proudly covered her face but suddenly remembered the corpse spots on it. She quickly grabbed Mo Xu You again and asked, "What about the marks on my face? Now that Xiuhe is dead, will these spots go away?"
"So that's what you were worried about," Mo Xu You shook his head and pulled out a copper mirror from his bag to present it to Xing Ruyi. "Take another look; is there anything wrong with your face?"
Xing Ruyi suspiciously lifted the copper mirror. Although the lighting was dim, there seemed to be no obvious marks on either side of her cheeks; indeed, those two corpse spots had vanished.
"As they say, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; when a ghost dies, nothing remains at all. Well, not entirely nothing—at least one shoe is left." Mo Xu You pointed to the ground where a once white embroidered shoe had now turned into a paper shoe that fluttered away with the wind.
"Now that everything is clear, where will you go?" Xing Ruyi looked at her face again and saw that the corpse spots were truly gone before returning the copper mirror to Mo Xu You. However, he did not reach out to take it.
"Consider this copper mirror as a meeting gift from me to you. While it may not be precious, it is lightweight and easy to carry; you might find it useful when you go out." Mo Xu You waved his dust whisk in his hand. "As for my path, I intend to perform rites for those innocent craftsmen who died tragically and for those children as well. I hope they can reincarnate into good families in their next lives."
"I didn't expect that besides being gossipy, you're also a kind-hearted Cultivator."
"Look at what the young lady said. Those who practice Cultivation and those who follow the Cultivation of Buddhism are similar; they both possess a heart of compassion for others. Moreover, those who practice ghostly arts, like the young lady, also harbor good intentions. How could we, as practitioners of Cultivation, dare to fall behind her? It will soon become clear; the young lady and the Celestial Being, along with this brother, should return to rest."
Mo Xu You performed a customary Taoist farewell gesture and, without waiting for Xing Ruyi to speak, turned and walked toward the village.
"Do you know who he is?" the fox asked softly in Xing Ruyi's ear while watching Mo Xu You's retreating figure.
"Mo Xu You! That's his name," Xing Ruyi pointed at Mo Xu You. "Of course, I know that's just a pseudonym. It's like his own; the name is merely a code. Whether it's Mo Xu You or Mo You, ultimately, the person we see is him."
"His name is Yuan Gang!" The fox exhaled lightly, revealing a name that sounded familiar to Xing Ruyi.
"Yuan Gang? Why does that name seem familiar?"
"You've definitely heard of him." The fox's eyes darkened. "Yuan Gang was from Chengdu in Yizhou during the early Tang Dynasty. He was a famous fortune-teller known for his bone-counting divination, which you used to love. Before the Sui Dynasty, he served as the Salt Official and after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, he held the position of Volcano Official. The most legendary aspect of his life is that he once read Wu Zetian's fortune when she was young and predicted she would have a dragon's eye and phoenix neck—extremely auspicious signs! If it were a girl, he would say she would bear a son."
"Are you kidding me?" Xing Ruyi looked up at the fox and counted on her fingers. "Even though I'm not good at math, I know that if Yuan Gang were still alive, he'd be over a hundred years old. But this Taoist looks at most in his thirties or early forties."
"In this world, where beings like you and me exist, how strange would it be for a hundred-year-old Yuan Gang to appear as a man in his thirties or forties? Perhaps when we see him next time, he will have transformed into someone in their twenties."
"Rejuvenation? Growing younger as one lives!" Xing Ruyi shook her head in disbelief. "If that's true, then Yuan Gang truly embodies everyone's dream."
Comment 0 Comment Count