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墨書 Inktalez
Even though Xing Ruyi had seen many ghosts, she was still startled at this moment, almost dropping the tea bowl in her hand. Fortunately, her inner strength allowed her to remain relatively calm. She steadied her mind and carefully examined the figure, or rather, the wisp of soul.
According to Taoist beliefs, this person possessed Three Souls and Seven Spirits. When a person dies, the seven spirits disperse first, followed by the three souls. The seven spirits refer to Chong, Linghui, Qi, Zhongshu, Li, Jing, and Ying, while the three souls refer to Hun, Di Hun, and Ming Hun.
Hun represents Yin, while Po represents Yang. Among the three souls and seven spirits, there are further divisions of Yin and Yang. Among the three souls, Hun is Yang, Di Hun is Yin, and Ming Hun is again Yang. Among the seven spirits, Chong and Linghui are Yin and are also referred to as Po; Qi Po, Li Po, and Zhongshu Po are Yang and are referred to as Ren Po; Jing Po and Ying Po are Yang and are referred to as Di Po. Among the three souls, Di Hun often wanders outside while Ming Hun remains solitary.
This explanation can be quite complicated for common people to understand; however, it can be simplified. When one is ill, it means that the spirits have dispersed, which is why medicine is needed to prevent this dispersion. If both Po and Li Po disperse, it becomes easy for a ghost to possess someone.
Xing Ruyi secretly employed ghostly techniques to examine Li Xiuxian from head to toe and found that his Three Souls and Seven Spirits were intact. This indicated that he was not possessed by a ghost but rather entangled with a wisp of soul that was certainly related by blood to him. It relied on his own Yang energy for sustenance; otherwise, it would have dispersed long ago.
Although she could not clearly see the true appearance of this wisp of soul, it was highly likely that it belonged to the male owner of the fish manor—Li Xiuxian's biological father.
Xing Ruyi subtly beckoned with her finger, drawing the reluctant wisp of soul closer. She then picked up the tea bowl and covered it tightly.
"There’s something I must ask," she said. "The Fox Demon knows it's not entirely appropriate to inquire about this matter; however, if I do not understand clearly, I fear it will be difficult for me to assist you regarding any malevolent influences affecting you both."
"Please go ahead!"
"Is the person you often refer to your husband actually your son's biological father—the male owner of that fish manor?"
"Yes!" Li Xiuxian admitted without hesitation. Observing the old woman's expression revealed no signs of turmoil.
"Since he is your son's biological father, why does your ladyship always refer to him as 'that person' instead of my ex-husband or my son's biological father? Please do not take offense; it's just that your ladyship's way of speaking makes me feel it's somewhat strange. I can't help but think this matter is related to the bizarre events you both experienced today."
"This question should be answered by me," the old woman said as she opened her eyes slightly and glanced at Li Xiuxian with a hint of regret. "In fact, Xiuxian has asked me a similar question before. He thought I did this to avoid recalling painful memories out of filial piety. However, things are not as simple as he thinks. The reason I refer to him as 'that person' is because I truly cannot sort out my feelings—whether it's resentment or hatred or longing—or something else entirely. My emotions are very complex; even after all these years, I have yet to find closure."
"Madam, are you referring to the incident at the fishery that day during the High Heat? I heard from Si Niang that after the High Heat, the Yamen officials did not find your ex-husband, Li Xiu Xian, the Biological Father, in the fishery, which led to rumors that your ex-husband was not there that day."
"It’s not a rumor; it’s true!" The old woman sighed. "I remember very clearly. That day, he went out to fish. He was always diligent and cared deeply about the business at the fishery. Plus, I was pregnant with Xian Er at that time, and he wanted to ensure we could live a better and more stable life. My health wasn’t great, and after becoming pregnant, I often felt tired. So after he left, I slept a bit longer and only got up when it was time to open the doors. To my surprise, when I got up, I saw him in the yard, drenched and looking unwell.
I asked him if he hadn’t caught any fish. He said the river had risen, and he couldn’t find the nets he had cast the previous day. Since there were still some fish left from the day before in the shop—though not freshly caught—they were still good enough. I suggested that if he couldn’t catch any today, we could use those for our customers and charge a little less for them. He smiled and agreed that my plan was workable. There weren’t many fish left; he could manage alone in the shop. He was in good spirits that day and even gave me some silver coins to go out for a while to buy things needed for our child. I didn’t think much of it and went out.
When I returned, however, I saw many people trying to put out a fire. Once it was extinguished, I rushed inside frantically searching for him but found no trace of him anywhere in the fishery. No sign of life or death; even the silver coins we had saved were gone."
"So there was another rumor at that time—that Li Xiu Xian's Biological Father had eloped with someone taking silver with him." As Xing Ruyi spoke these words, she noticed Li Xiu Xian's expression change; he looked quite displeased.
"That’s not true! He’s not that kind of person!" The old woman immediately refuted without hesitation. "Although I don’t know why he wasn’t in the shop or whether he took all our silver coins, one thing I have never doubted is that he would never be someone who would take silver and run away with someone else. He was eloquent but maintained a respectful distance from those ladies; he neither deliberately distanced himself nor was overly enthusiastic. He treated me very well—not because of my looks but because we both lost loved ones in that flood; we relied on each other for support. Moreover, our fishery had just started its business; while it was doing okay, we hadn’t saved much silver yet. He was extremely generous with me; all our money was under my control. So I never believed those rumors."
The old woman finished speaking and touched her face. "Now I am old and have aged significantly; my appearance is no longer worth looking at. But over ten years ago, I was still quite beautiful. Before the flood hit our home, suitors were constantly knocking on our door; if not for my father’s affection for me and his reluctance to easily marry me off, perhaps before meeting him, I would have already been married."
"When one’s heart grows old, their appearance fades as well. Perhaps Madam’s waning beauty is due to too many worries in her heart," Xing Ruyi sighed lightly and asked, "Since you don’t believe those rumors, what is it that troubles your heart so much?"
"It’s his disbelief in me!" The old woman said calmly as if she were merely stating a fact: "When it first happened, I held onto hope that he had escaped with the silver before the High Heat ignited. So for several days afterward, I stayed among the ruins waiting for him to return to find me. Later on, I came to believe something had happened to him because his expression that morning seemed so off. I thought perhaps he took those silver coins for some urgent matter and didn’t want me to worry by telling me beforehand. He just didn’t expect that the fishery would catch fire after he left. I waited for him for half a month without any sign of him returning.
As time passed and my belly grew larger with our child, I had no choice but to find a place to stay for his sake. My silver coins were limited; I could only afford to stay in particularly remote inns but worried he wouldn’t find me if he returned. So I often stayed among the ruins waiting until nightfall before going back home. This waiting lasted over another month. My money ran out; the inn wouldn’t let me stay anymore, so I had to look for work everywhere. As a pregnant woman from a Daoist family, even simple laundry jobs were hard to come by as few families were willing to hire me. During those days, I felt like a beggar yet still waited for him.
I felt resentful; while waiting, I blamed him—wondering why he didn’t come back for me or why he never told me when things went wrong—leaving me in such a pitiful state. In my heart, I thought I'd rather die with him in that High Heat than live alone with our child."
"Mother! Everything has passed! Your child will take good care of you." Hearing his mother recount those past events made Li Xiu Xian's eyes redden slightly.
"So, madam, your unwillingness to forgive is not because of those rumors, but rather due to his inexplicable departure and the uncertainty of his life or death?"
"That's about right!" The old woman smiled bitterly. "Actually, it's not that I completely believe it. For many years afterward, I wondered if he really left with someone else. Otherwise, why has he been absent for so many years, with no sign of life or death?"
Xing Ruyi clearly felt the tremor of the teacup, so she extended her index finger and gently tapped twice on the cup.
"This next question may be a bit abrupt, but I would like to ask how you met your current husband. After all, your remarriage is quite mysterious."
"My mother's remarriage—does it have anything to do with those strange matters?"
"It does! If we consider what you and your son said, then your biological father has indeed returned. Think about it: your wife has become another man's wife, and your son calls another man 'father.' How would your biological father feel about that?
Especially since a ghost is not like a human; humans can easily get stuck in their own thoughts, but when they become ghosts, their ideas can become even more extreme and their tolerance even less. If he can't figure it out himself, he will certainly cling to you both!" Despite saying this, just from that brief mention, Xing Ruyi knew that the lingering soul meant no harm. Moreover, he was just a solitary spirit now; he couldn't even perform the simplest act of possession that ghosts are known for—how could he possibly harm anyone?
"So, my biological father—or perhaps the ghost of my biological father—has indeed returned?" Li Xiuxian's expression changed as he looked at his mother. However, the old woman's reaction was noticeably different; she wasn't afraid but slightly excited.
She turned to look into Xing Ruyi's eyes and said, "Actually, it's not such a mysterious matter; it's just that the situation back then was a bit complicated. When I met Xian'er’s adoptive father, I never intended to marry him."
"I can attest to this. My mother married my adoptive father when I was seven years old, and before that, she had always been waiting for my biological father!" Li Xiuxian paused for a moment and added, "My adoptive father's surname is Shen; I took my mother's surname."
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