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Xing Ruyi, while searching for medicine, whispered to the fox, "The old woman... she probably passed away the night she was hit. Now she is just holding on by a thread. I don't know what illness her daughter has that causes her so much worry, making her reluctant to leave this world."
"Are you planning to keep it from her?"
"Out of pity for a parent's heart. My parents passed away early; if they were still here, they would surely be worried about me now." Xing Ruyi smiled bitterly. "Even though I have met you, in a parent's heart, a child, no matter how grown and with their own family, will always be a source of concern. Although I don't know what exactly happened with this old woman and her in-laws, I can see her feelings for her daughter; I have witnessed it all. Fox, I cannot turn a blind eye. Please allow me to take care of this last trivial matter before I go with you to Qingqiu."
"You know I won't stop you from doing anything you want; it's just—" The fox glanced at the old woman and whispered in Xing Ruyi's ear, "As the saying goes, concern leads to chaos. You see this old woman and feel pity for her; you only see her love for her daughter but overlook other things. In this world, there is no mortal who can hold on solely by willpower."
"Is that so?" Xing Ruyi countered, unwilling to speculate on what hidden identities might lie beneath the old woman's pitiful exterior.
"It can't be that way either. Historically, there was someone who had his heart removed yet lived on by sheer will. But in the end, that willpower didn't sustain him for long."
"I know who you're talking about: it was Di Xin, the last king of the Shang Dynasty, his uncle—also known as King Zhou's uncle. He was both a feudal lord and the highest official of the Shang Dynasty, equivalent to a prime minister in later times. According to legend, he was framed by Daji and had his heart cut out. However, historical records also state that he risked his life and family by repeatedly entering the palace to advise King Zhou against his wrongdoings—criticizing him for killing the empress and ministers and scolding him for his tyranny. As a result, King Zhou became furious and accused him of spreading rumors, ordering his heart to be removed as punishment. Legend has it that after having his heart taken out, he rode south alone, knowing that if he traveled southward with a pure heart, he would grow a new heart. Eventually, when he reached the desolate outskirts of Muyu, he encountered an old woman selling 'heartless vegetables.' Curious, he asked her, 'If vegetables can live without hearts, how can people live without hearts?' The old woman didn't recognize him as Bi Gan, so she replied, 'Vegetables can live without hearts; people without hearts will die!' Upon hearing this, Bi Gan sighed deeply, coughed up blood, and fell off his horse dead."
"The nobility of the Shang Dynasty, even someone as virtuous as Bi Gan, could not rely on the protection of the old; living without a heart is impossible. How could this old woman before us possibly survive solely on unwilling breath? If everyone could do so, then kingdoms would not change hands, and there would be no need for an underworld."
"So what do you mean?"
"Don't look; she is neither a demon nor a monster—just an ordinary person who likely hails from the southern regions and knows some life-extending spells." The fox added, "You know that any technique related to extending life has one commonality: it requires borrowing someone else's life force. So, Fox Demon, you need to think carefully about whether you want to help this old woman or not."
Xing Ruyi stood frozen in place; after pondering for a moment in silence, she prepared some medicine and brought it before the old woman. She said, "I understand your secret and will do my best to help you. But please do not disregard others' lives. If you violate this principle, I will be the first to hold you accountable. Old lady, do you understand my meaning?"
The old woman sighed lightly. "Young lady, have you figured it out?"
Xing Ruyi nodded but said nothing.
The old woman pushed aside her medicine bowl and unsteadily stood up: "When I was young, I was a witch from the southern regions. Because I fell in love with a man from the Central Plains, I secretly left my mountain village with him. Perhaps my actions angered the spirits of witchcraft; ultimately, I ended up abandoned.
In my lifetime, I have harmed only one person—the man who betrayed me—who is also my daughter's biological father. I used his bones to grind into this string of beads I wear on my wrist."
The old woman rolled up her sleeves, revealing a string of beads. Due to the color applied to the surface, it was difficult to immediately recognize that these were made from human bones. The aura of yin surrounding the old woman was partly due to her long practice of witchcraft, and partly from the bone chain made of human bones.
"My daughter is particularly persistent when it comes to matters of love," the old woman said, her eyes glazed over. "However, rest assured, I have not made things difficult for that man, because he has never wronged my daughter. It is my daughter's unfortunate fate that she remains infatuated and cannot break free. Now, I am only concerned about my foolish daughter. As for extending life, I know well that going against the natural order will bring condemnation, so I have not harmed any human lives, only some creatures."
The meaning of the old woman's words was clear; she had not harmed people, only some animals.
Xing Ruyi then asked the fox, "Can animals also be used for extending life?"
"The secret arts of the southern regions are not known to outsiders. Just as Yin Yuan requires monsters to replenish his energy, such peculiar practices can only be attributed to him. This is because there are very few with special constitutions like his. Therefore, theoretically speaking, it cannot be ruled out that what the old woman said is true."
"In front of Ruyi and Celestial Being, I naturally dare not lie. Moreover, I never intended to extend my life; I just want to hold on for a few more days to help my daughter fulfill her last wish."
"What happened to your daughter?" Xing Ruyi asked, unwilling to pursue the old woman's own issues further. If the old woman was indeed lying, there was no need for her to investigate; given the state of the old woman's leg's decay, it would not be long before those from the underworld could trace her by the strong stench of death.
Xing Ruyi's earlier words served as a warning to the old woman: she must not make mistakes in such matters; otherwise, no matter how many reasons she had, she could not escape the various punishments from the underworld.
Hearing Xing Ruyi ask about her daughter, the old woman sighed lightly. "My daughter's face has been ruined on one side."
"Her face has been ruined on one side?" Xing Ruyi repeated. "But you just said that your reason for lingering in this world is to help your daughter fulfill her last wish. Could it be that your daughter's wish is to restore her appearance?"
"Yes and no!" The old woman shook her head. "This matter goes back many years..."
The old woman's daughter was born in the cold winter months. At her birth, a ray of sunlight streamed through a broken window and illuminated the baby with a pale white glow. Aside from her first cry upon birth, she remained remarkably quiet.
Born in the southern regions, the old woman practiced witchcraft freely and did not recognize many characters. Following local customs for naming children, she named her daughter Winter Pearl, symbolizing a precious pearl born in winter—her beloved treasure.
Winter Pearl lived up to her mother's expectations; not only was she beautiful, but she also had a good temperament and was hardworking and capable. By the time she turned sixteen, suitors were practically breaking down their door. Having learned from past experiences when choosing a husband for her daughter, the old woman was extremely cautious and ultimately selected what she believed was the most suitable family.
Winter Pearl's biological father—who was also the old woman's husband—was eloquent and persuasive with sweet words. Therefore, the husband chosen for Winter Pearl was quite different; he was literate but skilled in martial arts, spoke little yet had a strong presence and sense of responsibility. He wasn't particularly handsome but had well-defined features and an inherent charisma that made him stand out.
Winter Pearl was always obedient to her mother-in-law, and she had caught a glimpse of her future husband from afar, feeling quite satisfied in her heart. Originally, both families were on good terms, and after the New Year, they planned to choose an auspicious date for the couple's wedding ceremony. The betrothal gifts had been sent, the invitation cards exchanged, and even the dowry was being prepared day and night by both the mother-in-law and Winter Pearl.
However, a decree from the court led to a surge in conscription across various regions. Winter Pearl's future husband was a passionate young man and found himself on the list of those being drafted. After a hurried farewell, he left with the troops for the front lines.
Three years passed without any news. Both the mother-in-law and Winter Pearl made numerous inquiries but received only grim tidings. By the fourth year, the war had ended, and some of their fellow villagers who had enlisted had returned home, yet Winter Pearl's fiancé remained unaccounted for. Some claimed to have seen him on the battlefield, fighting fiercely before dying in combat. Others suggested he had risen through the ranks and joined another unit, likely already married to someone else.
Despite doubts about her fiancé's character, Winter Pearl still believed in him. If he truly had become wealthy and successful, why would he abandon his family? Yet she could not bring herself to believe that her fiancé had perished on the battlefield. After much internal conflict, she secretly packed her belongings without telling her mother-in-law and set off to find him.
"Did Winter Pearl find her fiancé? Was he truly killed in battle or did he rise to wealth and marry another beautiful wife?"
The mother-in-law shook her head. "Winter Pearl never reached that place; she never saw her fiancé at all. She left Rouge Shop on the seventh day with her belongings and encountered bandits."
The mother-in-law stomped her foot in frustration. "It's all my fault! If I had kept a closer eye on her, if I had gone with my Zhu Zhu, perhaps all this wouldn't have happened."
"What happened to Winter Pearl?"
"My Zhu Zhu..." The mother-in-law hesitated, eventually lowering her head and softly saying, "My Zhu Zhu, her face was ruined, and her mind is not quite right anymore."
Xing Ruyi initially wanted to comfort the mother-in-law but seeing her sorrowful expression left her at a loss for words. She wanted to accompany the mother-in-law back to see what had happened but was refused. Unable to do anything else, she chose a compromise. On one hand, she prepared a new batch of Yurong Powder as requested by the mother-in-law; on the other hand, she quietly followed along behind her all the way to her home.
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