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墨書 Inktalez
Looking at the expression on the old man's face, it seemed he was truly moved. However, I couldn't understand why, if he had such deep feelings for Zhao Boss's mother, he later married the nanny.
But questions aside, the old man didn't stop, so I didn't ask.
"When she left, I was still in the army. I received the news and couldn't even come back. By the time I returned, all that was left was a photograph." The old man pulled out another black and white photo from behind the first one. This time, the photo featured the young woman floating in mid-air.
"She married me when I was five and left when I was only eight. After she passed, I retired from the military and used the death compensation to open a shop, barely managing to raise this brat."
"But ever since I returned from the army, I had someone put away her photo. It wasn't until this brat started earning money and wanted me to move that I finally saw it again. Before that, I never dared to look at it again. But maybe because I'm getting old—old enough to almost forget what she looked like—seeing it again made me unable to resist. I just stared at it for an entire night."
"That night, she appeared before me just like this. It turned out she never really left; she waited for me for nearly forty years."
Hearing this, I began to understand. I took out the death register and saw that my guess was pretty close. Zhao Boss's lifespan should only be two years; it was Zhao Boss who had been hit by a truck back then. However, Zhao Boss's mother saved him, and thus she became the one who died. In other words, Zhao Boss's life originally belonged to his mother; he lived in her place. After his mother died, her lingering attachment kept her spirit on earth, attaching itself to her portrait and becoming a vengeful spirit.
This vengeful spirit's attachment must have been to the old man, which is why it only manifested when he saw her portrait again.
But I still didn't understand what this had to do with the old man marrying the nanny later.
"Later on, I figured it out; she just couldn't bear to leave me. At that time, this brat hired a nanny for me, and I thought maybe if I had someone to belong to, she would finally let go. Coincidentally, the nanny either liked my villa or genuinely liked me; either way, I ended up playing along with it. But unexpectedly, she still wouldn't leave. Not long after that, the nanny suddenly died of heart disease."
In fact, the old man was mistaken; the only way to make a vengeful spirit leave is to destroy whatever it is attached to. A vengeful spirit is merely a ghost that still harbors attachments—especially one that has lingered for so many years. It can no longer clearly perceive changes in reality and has lost its independent consciousness.
However, if I were to burn Zhao Boss's mother's portrait, the old man would definitely retaliate against me; alas, that's where its value lies.
"Old Man, please move aside." I stood up and asked him to clear a space as I walked over to stand in front of the young woman while draping my azure robe over him.
What I need to do now is to summon back the consciousness of this Young Woman, but I cannot guarantee that what I summon back won't be a Vengeful Spirit. Better safe than sorry, so I draped the old man in a Daoist Robe for insurance.
"Sentient Beings accumulate grievances, deep and difficult to resolve. A lifetime of grievances leads to three lifetimes of unending retribution. Today, I transmit the wondrous method to dissolve all grievances. Hear and recite with focused intent, and the enemies will disperse and vanish. Three Purities Edict, Daoist Law of Correct Origin, decree!"
I pressed my hand against the Young Woman's forehead while holding a Clear Mind Talisman in the other hand, then recited the incantation:
"Remove impurities, awaken the nine orifices. Transform me, return the soul to its youthful form. Let the ghost transcend and become an immortal."
What I recited earlier was the Grudge-Breaking Spell to resolve any potential Resentment. The incantation must be used alongside the Spell Seal in my hand, but it can also be directly replaced with a Yellow Talisman. The Clear Mind Talisman I used is a type of Yellow Talisman that restores clarity to both humans and spirits, so combined with the Rebirth Mantra I recited afterward, it could bring back the lost consciousness of the Young Woman.
The Young Woman's face began to twist into a fierce expression, and her spirit floating in mid-air gradually became more transparent. Seeing this scene, the old man suddenly pulled me away and raised his fist as if he was going to hit me.
I raised my hand to block his punch; truly impressive strength for someone who had been a soldier.
"Old man, that's unreasonable! Why are you hitting me?"
"What have you done?" the old man shouted frantically. "Are you trying to destroy her?"
"Do you think I'm one of those unlicensed street vendors? I'm officially certified; do you know Black and White Impermanence? They're my brothers."
"Old Zhao, let him go," said the Young Woman suddenly after a long silence behind us.
Upon hearing this, the old man's body stiffened.
"There is a path for humans and a path for ghosts. You have stayed in this world long enough; it's time for you to leave. If you have anything to say before you go, make it quick; time is short, and I'll pretend I didn't hear anything," I said to the Young Woman.
I am already openly bending the rules here. After all, there is a separation between the realms of the living and the dead. According to the rules, a soul that has lingered in the mortal world for this long should be sent back to the Underworld immediately, and it might even have to face punishment from Hell. However, I still gave her some time; after all, it hasn't been easy for the old man and her. Who can blame me for being soft-hearted?
Pulling Zhao Boss along, we walked out of the villa. It was already quite dark, but there were special lights in front of the villa. Zhao Boss offered me a cigarette, but I waved my hand to decline, so he lit one for himself.
I found a lounge chair and half-lay down on it to rest.
"I," Zhao Boss said after taking a few puffs of smoke, "how are you going to handle my mom later?"
As a son, Zhao Boss began to worry about her after encountering the ghost in the middle of the night.
"What else can be done? If it were someone else, they would either drive her away or capture her, or just scare her soul out of her body. But you're lucky; you met me. I can directly guide your mom back to the Underworld and into Reincarnation. If it were anyone else, she would have to go to Hell first, but I'm giving you a special pass this time."
For such harmless judgments, as a Judge residing in the mortal realm, I can make decisions without going through Yama King. After all, Zhao Boss's mother hasn't harmed anyone; in fact, I admire this old couple quite a bit, which is why I'm willing to help out this once.
"That's not what I mean," Zhao Boss seemed dissatisfied. "What I meant was if my mom could stay here longer. After all, my dad is getting old too. Let these two old folks spend more time together; it would be best if my mom could wait for my dad. Don't worry; money is not an issue."
Well now, that's not an ordinary request. While I was prepared to bend the rules before for something harmless, this would be crossing a line.
"This isn't about money," I waved my hand in refusal. "There are laws for nations and rules for families; there are also regulations between the realms of life and death. Even if I don't see lingering ghosts as a crime myself, it's not good for your parents either. Did you see just now? Your mom's shadow is becoming more and more faint."
"Almost there, Brother Yin. What's going on?"
"If your mom's shadow completely disappears, that means her soul has scattered. The mortal realm is not suitable for souls to exist; once they truly scatter, there's no saving them anymore. Moreover, it's not good for your dad either; how can anyone endure being with a ghost?"
Living with a ghost is unbearable even for someone as tough as Uncle Xing.
"Brother Yin, what's the best solution then?" Zhao Boss threw his cigarette butt on the ground and asked. "Help me out this time; if anything comes up in the future where you need my help, just let me know."
"Not really." I waved my hand. Do you think I need you to climb a mountain of knives or walk through a sea of fire? If I had Old Black carrying me, I would have made it through just fine, right?
"How about this? It's impossible for the old couple to reunite in this life, so I'll grant you a chance in the next life, how does that sound?"
I was just speaking off the cuff; I really had no experience with this sort of thing. But it shouldn't be too Trouble, and besides, Underworld has actually started strict controls over those who Rebirth. Why, you ask? Because Meng Po is still here with me. Even after crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, there's no soup to drink—what's the point of being reborn?
However, even if I wasn't sure, I wasn't worried about messing it up. The good thing about Meng Jiangnu is that once you've had the soup, you forget everything, right? Would this old couple really come back to settle scores with me in the next life? If they truly remembered me, that would mean I succeeded!
Those who are reckless fear those who are bold; those who are bold fear those who are desperate; and those who are desperate fear those who play with lives. People like us belong to those who play with others' lives—what's there to be afraid of?
"In the next life sounds good, but I wonder how many more years the old man can live?" Zhao Boss sighed helplessly.
I could check that. Flipping open the Death Register, it showed that the old man still had 17 years of Lifespan. However, I didn't plan on telling Zhao Boss because counting down to your own death is torturous, isn't it?
"The old man's health is so good; he can live for quite a few more years," I comforted him. But flipping through the Death Register, it seemed that in a few years, he would fall seriously ill and die from that illness.
As a Judge, I could help the old man change his fate. However, nothing comes without a cost. To alter someone's lifespan means using my own lifespan to make up for it (you can only reduce your own lifespan to add to someone else's; you can't take from others to add to yourself). But since I'm a practitioner of Merit, I can also use Merit to exchange for lifespan, whether it's for others or myself. Moreover, because Merit can be exchanged for lifespan, many Cultivators can live long lives. This is also why there's a tradition of Cultivators saving lives. Don't believe them when they say they have powerful magic; most of the time, they're just extending your life with Merit.
However, using Merit to extend someone else's life is actually quite a loss; saving ten people's lives might not even extend one person's life by a year. But extending your own life is much more worthwhile, which is why most Cultivators hide away in caves to cultivate—I guess they're afraid others will come asking them for life extensions.
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