Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-story pagoda, but what if the wrong person is saved?
Sister Sun said, "At that time, we didn't think too much. In the countryside, although life is tight, the people are relatively simple and cannot bear to see others suffer. When that person started swaying and was unsteady on his feet, my father-in-law quickly stepped forward to support him."
"Was that person sick?" Xing Ruyi asked, although she had her own thoughts on the matter.
"He wasn't sick; he was probably just hungry and thirsty. We took him to a shaded area, gave him some water, and fed him some dry food, and he soon regained consciousness. Hearing that we saved him, he was naturally very grateful. He was alone and had nothing to his name; the only thing he was good at was fortune-telling, which he could use to help us."
"Did you have him tell your fortune?"
"We intended to, but the Village Chief arrived and drove us away. However, I heard that the man told the Village Chief his fortune: that his father would not live past spring. He even helped find a Yin Zhai for him, which had excellent Feng Shui and would bless future generations."
"And then?"
"And then? There was nothing more. That man only stayed in our village for a short while before leaving. As for the Village Chief's father, he indeed did not live past spring as predicted. After he died, he wasn't buried in the Village Chief's ancestral tomb but in another place. After hearing about this, my father-in-law felt quite frustrated; if it weren't for the Village Chief's interference, we could have had our fortune told as well to know what our future would be like. But right now, everything else is unnecessary; if this Master doesn't let us live, how long can we hold on even if we try?"
Sister Sun began to cry, and Xing Ruyi comforted her. Seeing it had little effect, she held Sister Sun's wrist and said, "How about I help you tell your fortune? Although my method of fortune-telling is different from theirs in Taoism, it might be even more accurate."
"You can tell fortunes too?" Sister Sun stopped crying and looked at Xing Ruyi with curiosity. "Actually, I've heard about your matters from my brother. If you can solve such a big issue for the Gou Family Ancestral Home, then I suppose fortune-telling won't be difficult for you either. I personally don't mind; I'm just worried about my child. Can you help me tell my child's fortune to see if he can safely get through this great difficulty?"
"I don't need to tell your fortune to know that you and your child will definitely get through this hardship."
"Why are you so certain?"
"If I didn't have this confidence, why would your brother stop my carriage?" Xing Ruyi raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Rest assured; I will do my best to help with the issues in your village. As for you and your child, you will certainly be safe."
"Thank you so much! Look at me; when I get sad, I forget everything. It's just that if I didn't trust your abilities so much, why would I have asked my brother to invite you? By the way, is what you just asked related to the severe drought in our village?"
"I can't be sure right now; we'll have to wait until we get to your village," Xing Ruyi said, glancing at the fox. Ever since Sun Mei got on the carriage, the fox had been pretending to doze off, but Xing Ruyi knew that it had heard all the conversations between her and Sun Mei. As for Sun Mei, although she was deeply saddened, her gaze would still involuntarily dart towards the fox from time to time. It wasn't until Li Mao came over and urged her to get off the carriage that she finally asked, "Is this young man a relative of yours?"
"This is Master Yin, my family's shopkeeper's fiancé!" Li Mao introduced from the side. Sun Mei softly responded with an "oh," then bowed slightly to the fox, saying, "With such character and appearance, Master Yin truly makes a rare match for the young lady."
"I also think I'm quite lucky," Xing Ruyi said, resting her hand on the fox's leg. The fox did not open its eyes but directly took hold of Xing Ruyi's hand. Sun Mei's expression became slightly awkward as she turned back to the donkey cart of Shopkeeper Sun.
After Sun Mei left, Li Mao couldn't help but smirk, saying, "It seems our Master Yin's face has once again unwittingly captivated a virtuous woman. And that Sun Mei—still in mourning clothes—has developed feelings for another man. It's a pity that Master Yin is not someone of her humble status."
"Beautiful things always make people want to take a second look. I don't think Sun Mei is like your type," Xing Ruyi said as she lowered the curtain. "Has there been any news from Brother Chang? I wonder if Yin Yuan has met up with him."
"Don't worry about the shopkeeper; our master is no ordinary person. I estimate we'll receive news in a day or two."
"Even so, a mother will always worry about her child, won't she? Besides, if Yin Yuan is around, he could easily block any wild thoughts from those women by calling out 'Mother Fox' and 'Father Fox.'"
"Tsk tsk, you just told me that, yet you're just as anxious yourself," Li Mao said lightly as he flicked his whip.
Inside the carriage, the fox opened its eyes and looked at the smiling Xing Ruyi, tapping her nose: "Are you feeling quite pleased with yourself?"
"Not at all! I'm clearly angry and jealous!" Xing Ruyi replied as she bent down to find a bag of dried fruit.
"I don't see any anger or smell any jealousy; I think you have other thoughts," the fox said as it pulled Xing Ruyi closer. "I warn you not to use me for experiments; you know very well that I am the most alluring flower down below—not only attracting bees but also butterflies."
"Aren't they just wild bees and butterflies? Honestly, I really want to see just how charming my husband's face truly is," Xing Ruyi said, gently bumping her shoulder against the fox before leaning on its leg while eating dried fruit and asking, "You didn't use your Fox Clan's charm technique just now, did you?"
"Do you think I need to?" the fox retorted, flicking her forehead lightly. "Stop overthinking it; what you might be dealing with next could be a Drought Demon. Since we still have some time, you should do some research to avoid being flustered later and losing your composure as the shopkeeper of Ruyi Rouge."
"Drought Demon?" Upon hearing this term, Xing Ruyi immediately sat up.
The Drought Demon is a creature from ancient Chinese mythology that causes droughts. It is mentioned in the book "Records of the Past," where it is described as having a monkey-like appearance and moving on one leg. During the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Mei provided a new interpretation of the Drought Demon in "Continuation of Zibuyu," stating that it is "a corpse that has initially transformed into the Drought Demon, and then further transforms into a different creature." This suggests that the Drought Demon is likely a type of zombie.
In addition to Yuan Mei's "Continuation of Zibuyu," there are other texts that also record the idea of the Drought Demon being a zombie. In "The Great Qing Legal Code: Thieves and Robbers," there is a story from the ninth year of the Jiaqing era. The story describes a place called Gaomi that suffered from prolonged drought, with villagers praying for rain to no avail, resembling the situation in the village where Sister Sun currently resides. Later, it was discovered that the grave of a villager named Li Xiande, who had died earlier that year, was damp, leading to rumors that Li Xiande had transformed into the Drought Demon after death. Despite the Li family's objections, the villagers opened the tomb and found that Li Xiande's corpse showed no signs of decay. Consequently, they burned his corpse. The story does not clarify whether Li Xiande was indeed the Drought Demon.
Xing Ruyi shared this story with a fox, who smiled lightly and said, "The Drought Demon is a creature known to cause droughts. Many people believe it is a transformation of someone who died within a hundred days. As for those who become Drought Demons after death, they share similarities with your story: there are three characteristics. First, the corpse does not decay; in fact, the deceased often appears lifelike, as if merely asleep. If some time passes, older Drought Demons may exhibit strange features—one type becomes increasingly monstrous while another resembles a living person more closely. However, regardless of how lifelike they appear, they remain dead—without breath or heartbeat and unable to speak; yet their eyes can move freely, and their hair and nails continue to grow and can be manipulated. Second, no grass grows on their graves. Although Drought Demons are not ghosts per se, they are considered evil entities, so their grave mounds are barren. Third, water seeps from their graves; it is said that at night, these Drought Demons draw water back to their homes. Only by burning them as described in your story can rain fall and relieve the drought."
"Does this mean that story is true?"
"I remember when I first arrived at your home; you told me that art comes from life. The fact that this incident has been recorded separately and has been passed down indicates its significance—it means this event is real. After the villagers burned Li Xiande's body, it indeed rained and alleviated the drought. Otherwise, the ending of this story would have been quite different."
"I recall that the ending mentioned how the Li family took the villagers to court over this matter. However, since there were no precedents for such cases, the Ministry of Justice only sentenced two leaders involved in it, and the case was hastily concluded. Throughout history, Yamen officials have always had their own set of rules; cases that should not be spoken about tend to be handled quickly without further records."
The fox smiled quietly while Xing Ruyi could not hold back any longer; she grabbed the fox's arm and hurriedly asked, "If this drought really was caused by the Drought Demon, do I need to dig up a corpse like in that story and burn it?"
"If it were that easy!" The fox ruffled Xing Ruyi's hair. "If simply burning it would suffice, why would I have you prepare in advance? The Drought Demon is an evil spirit; how could it just lie in its coffin waiting to be burned? That story likely concealed many frightening aspects!"
"My!" Xing Ruyi placed her hand on her forehead. "Do I really have to fight that thing?"
"Not at all!" The fox shook its head. "My Fox Demon is at least a shopkeeper in Xing's establishment; isn't there a clerk outside driving? Let him handle any rough work like fighting."
Comment 0 Comment Count