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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 47: Grudge (Part Seven)
Before I could voice the questions swirling in my mind, the strange person behind me gave me a shove. Damn, I nearly stumbled, but then a pair of hands caught me.
I suddenly felt an unfamiliar warmth, a sense of familiarity emanating from the owner of those hands. I looked up and saw that the person supporting me was a woman—a very beautiful woman who appeared quite clean.
"Qi, you’re here?"
I was taken aback. "How do you know my name?"
"Silly child, I am your mother. Come sit down."
Mother. Before coming to Ten-Mile Temple, all I had imagined was a simple scene of meeting a Tablet. But I never expected this stunning woman before me to claim she was my mother.
There was no way I would recklessly acknowledge her as my mother. Besides, how could my mother be so young? After all, her son had grown up; she should have gray hair, wrinkles on her face, and walk with a tremor like an old lady.
"Who are you really? Why are you pretending to be my mother?" I thought. Just because I hadn’t seen her doesn’t mean she could impersonate my mom.
"Child, I truly am your mother. It’s just that our bond is shallow; because of your birth and my death, we couldn’t be together. I wasn’t there to care for you as you grew up. I still remember when you were born, you had a blue mark on your bottom."
Her words rang true. The Azure Birthmark on my butt had always been there, and because of it, I hated bathing with others for fear of being laughed at. Only Fatty grew up alongside me and didn’t know my secret.
It seemed she really was my biological mother. No wonder I felt that sense of familiarity upon seeing her; in an instant, my eyes welled up with tears, yet I couldn’t bring myself to utter the word "mother," which felt so foreign to me.
I took a deep breath and swallowed back the tears threatening to spill over, forcing myself to nod calmly. "Yes, I have an Azure Birthmark; it’s really ugly."
"Silly child, your Azure Birthmark is a sign—it’s something left from your past life. In your previous life, you were a Taoist priest during chaotic times when many demons and monsters were stirring. You were just an ordinary priest without any exorcism tools or special abilities; you had to climb far into the mountains to seek them out. When you finally made it up the mountain after much hardship but found nothing, someone played a prank and kicked your butt hard. You were dejected and disheartened when on your way down you met a lost Leper Monk who asked for food. You gave him the last corn cake in your bag, but instead of thanking you, he kicked your rear end. That’s how you ended up with blue marks on both sides—like footprints left behind."
"Initially thinking you would return empty-handed and face certain death against demons and monsters, unexpectedly after being kicked, your abilities surged rapidly. You managed to slay those demons wreaking havoc in the world without leaving a trace behind. However, while vanquishing evil spirits, you also committed sins of slaughter; thus this life has been difficult for you—it could be said that you are cursed by fate. The moment you were born, you lost your mother; your father met a tragic end..."
Seeing her cry shattered my heart into pieces. Without thinking, I embraced her tightly and began to sob uncontrollably, calling out, "Mom... Mother..."
"Good child, I too am a person with sins; fortunately, good people helped me come to this place where I can listen to scriptures and wash away my sins so that I have the chance to meet you. Child, we cannot stay here long; you should return quickly! Live well and do good deeds to accumulate Yin De for your next life."
I really didn't want to leave right away; I wanted to take a good look at her, to share my journey of growth with her. "Mom, I want to stay a little longer."
To my surprise, the moment she heard that I didn't want to leave, her expression changed completely. She looked at me with disdain and ordered me to go. I refused to budge and started singing "There Is Only One Mother." She cried, yet still insisted on pushing me away.
"There Is Only One Mother"—children with mothers are treasures, while those without are like weeds—I was crying too! But no matter what, she wouldn't let me stay any longer. Grabbing my hand, she pushed me toward the door.
Back and forth, I found myself at the entrance. In a moment of instability, she pushed me out, and I stumbled and fell.
That fall jolted me awake. I opened my eyes and realized I hadn't gone anywhere; I was still in the chanting room, holding the last page of the Heart Sutra.
The scene from earlier felt so real, not like a dream at all. Just as I was trying to make sense of it, the door opened, and the same guiding Taoist appeared, beckoning me to follow him. I stepped out of the chanting room but didn’t see Qin Jian or Gousi; I simply followed the Taoist through winding paths until we reached another house.
The Taoist clasped his hands together in prayer; I had no idea which deity he was praying to, but after he finished, he pushed open the door.
Once inside, he gestured for me to enter.
As I stepped through the main door, I saw many tablets being worshipped inside. I had visited Ten-Mile Temple several times before, but this was my first time entering this place. The tablets stood tall and numerous; if I were to count them carefully, it would probably take an entire afternoon.
"With sincere devotion from the master, fortune is rare. Just calm your mind and you will find who you seek."
"Okay, thank you, brother."
"You're welcome." The Taoist left and closed the door behind him. Beneath the tablets were candles; it was very quiet around me—so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat. I longed to step forward and see which tablet belonged to my mother.
Feeling nervous, I took a deep breath and inhaled a faint yet pleasant fragrance in the air—a scent so familiar. This visit to Ten-Mile Temple to pay respects at Mother's Tablet was significant. Although she gave birth to me without providing much care or maternal love, she gave me life; thus, my mother held great importance in my heart.
I examined each tablet one by one while recalling the events in the chanting room. The number 46 suddenly jumped into my mind, and soon enough, I found Tablet 46.
Tablet 46: Unknown.
There were no photos, no names, just Unknown.
This was my mother's Tablet. She was beautiful and virtuous, yet due to her family's poor circumstances, she fell into the mundane world while remaining pure until she met my father.
I lit a stick of incense, bowed three times, and said, "Mom, hello... I will listen to you, do good deeds to build good relationships, accumulate Yin De, and prepare for the next life."
After bidding farewell to my mother, I left the offering hall, my stomach growling.
As I looked around, I saw Gousi and Qin Jian walking towards me.
Qin Jian looked radiant, more spirited than before, as if he had encountered something wonderful, his face glowing with joy.
The three of us gathered together in silent understanding. I didn't ask why the host hadn't seen me or what good fortune had made Qin Jian so happy. I also didn't inquire about what Gousi had been up to. In any case, we moved forward like the three musketeers in a movie, striding confidently towards the entrance of Ten-Mile Temple.
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