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Kapitel 4

"What do you think, sister?" I asked tentatively.

“Sister, if Brother Zhong treated me like this, I would be happy even if I were to live forever in the ghost realm. It’s a pity that I have such a hard life.” Her expression was somber, and I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and hurting her, so I didn’t dare to speak. Zhong Jiao paused before speaking, “Sister, I think…” Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp cry from a little ghost in the distance interrupted her narration.

"Something's happened." Zhong Jiao snapped back to reality, muttering a few incantations under her breath. In an instant, the little ghosts swarmed into the desolate courtyard from all directions, trembling behind Zhong Jiao. A figure nimbly leaped into the courtyard from outside the wall and stood before us. In the moonlight, I saw that the person was a pretty woman with delicate features, hands on her hips, smiling as she said, "Let's see where you can run to now. I'll make sure your souls are scattered to the winds."

“You must be from the divine realm, young lady. Why go to such lengths to exterminate them?” Zhong Jiao stood up, neither humble nor arrogant. “Even ghosts and demons have their ways of surviving. How did they offend you, young lady? I, Zhong Jiao, can teach them a lesson on their behalf.”

The woman blinked: "So you're Zhong Kui's sister. Those ghosts and demons wouldn't dare offend me, but I can't stand them stealing people's money."

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [12]: "Then you have misunderstood, Miss. I ordered them to take the wealth of the rich and heartless to help the poor. Others who do not know the reason will inevitably misunderstand." Zhong Jiao patiently explained.

The woman was skeptical, then laughed dismissively: "Ghosts can do good deeds? I've never heard of such a thing." That laugh pierced my heart like a needle. I used to fear the ghost realm, but hearing someone insult it now made me feel uncomfortable.

Zhong Jiao wanted to explain further, but I couldn't contain my temper and stood up: "So what if she's a ghost? I think some mortals are even worse than ghosts. Sister, why waste your breath on her? If she wants to exterminate everyone, does she need any reason?"

“Sister, you’re being reckless. People from the divine realm aren’t so unreasonable.” Zhong Jiao looked somewhat uneasy, using the accusation that I was too impulsive to imply that the other party should distinguish right from wrong.

Little did she know that her intentions were misunderstood. The woman looked furious and said, "You audacious ghost, daring to accuse us gods! I'll teach you a lesson!" She took out a crystal-clear and lovely jade bottle from her bosom, opened the cap, pointed the bottle at me, and called out, "Quickly bring the ghost inside."

Zhong Jiao was terrified and tried to pull me away, but a powerful force sucked me into the small bottle, along with the other ghosts. I only heard the woman say to Zhong Jiao, "I'll spare you this time because you're Zhong Kui's sister."

Zhong Jiao pleaded, "Please release my sister. She has never done anything wrong and is not in such a terrible state as to be utterly destroyed."

"She was rude to me, and she deserved it," the woman said arrogantly.

Even the divine realm has such unreasonable people. I can only smile bitterly. This jade bottle looks cute, but it's not much better than the eighteen levels of hell. At least in the ghost realm hell, I can still have a glimmer of hope for survival, but inside this bottle, my soul will be scattered and I will leave no trace.

I vaguely heard Zhong Jiao saying to me, "Little sister, please bear with it, I will find a way to save you."

What other way was there? Once inside this bottle, I knew my fate was sealed, and I feared I would never escape. I saw the other little ghosts struggling in agony inside the bottle, screaming in agony, before finally vanishing into nothingness. Feeling sorry for their kind, I covered my ears, not wanting to see or hear anything, and was already sobbing uncontrollably.

One by one, those little demons vanished. If it weren't for the radiance of the white jade bracelet Zhong Jiao gave me protecting me, I probably would have disappeared like them long ago. In this jade bottle, I am left all alone. Is this my destined fate, one that can never be changed?

I cried myself to sleep, but in my dream I saw King Chujiang. He looked sad and said to me, "Remember, I'll always be waiting for you." When I woke up, that melancholy face seemed to be right in front of me. How could I dream of him? Could it be that I've always been thinking of him in my heart? I sighed deeply.

I don't know how long that bracelet will protect me. Since I'm already on the verge of death, what use are so many worries? I think of my first encounter with King Chujiang in the Ghost Realm, of how he helped me rescue my sister, of his kindness to me—I feel I have no way to repay him. If I could get out, if I could see him again, perhaps I wouldn't pretend nothing happened; maybe I would…

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but laugh at myself for being delusional. What ifs are there? Do we only understand what's important when faced with life and death? The bottle gradually drained my power. Although I was protected by the jade bracelet, its light gradually diminished and weakened. I knew my time was up. I felt utterly powerless and gradually lost consciousness.

five

Before me lay a picturesque landscape of mountains and clear waters. I saw King Chujiang and the woman from the divine realm, smiling and talking amongst themselves. How did they end up together? I wondered, trying hard to understand what they were saying. I struggled to get closer to them, and their voices gradually became clearer.

"...I really need to learn from your divine realm sometime, Qianhong. I'm quite envious of your treasures." King Chujiang laughed so cheerfully, as if he knew the woman very well. Her name was Qianhong. She wore a light peach-colored dress, her hair was styled in two buns, and she had sweet dimples on her cheeks. She was a lively and lovely woman who was instantly likable.

Qianhong smiled innocently, her eyes crinkling. "King Chujiang, you flatter me. You are one of the Ten Kings of Hell, your magic is undoubtedly superb. Unlike us, we don't need these treasures for protection." She turned her head charmingly to look at me. I was terrified. Had she seen me? But then she smiled happily and said, "Sister Daiqing, don't you think so?"

King Chujiang looked at me with curiosity, seemingly wanting to know my answer as well. I was startled, my mind a complete blank, but I involuntarily replied, "He was just joking with you. Sister, you know his background. Do you really think he's serious?"

Qianhong blinked her eyes and nestled against me sweetly. At that moment, I suddenly felt a deep connection with her, as if she were family. This woman who had trapped me in the jade bottle and intended to kill me should have filled me with fear, but for some reason, I found myself gently stroking her hair. It felt so familiar, so natural.

"Daiqing, look at what you're saying. What's your background? It's as if I'm some heinous criminal." King Chujiang shook his head helplessly, looking at me with a smile in his eyes.

I tried to put on a stern face and pretend to be angry, but somehow I couldn't hide the joy in my eyes and brows.

Qian Hong playfully made a face at him, her face beaming: "Sister Dai Qing, King Chu Jiang is really interesting."

Suddenly, the bright scenery before my eyes changed, and I found myself beneath the Forgetfulness Platform in the Ghost Realm. Meng Po handed me a bowl of soup and sighed, "Miss Daiqing, why are you doing this?" My hand trembled slightly as I slowly took the bowl of the soup. It was crystal clear, yet it could make me forget everything. If the heart is dead, what difference does it make whether I remember or not?

"Daiqing, Daiqing, have you... considered everything carefully?" Chu Jiangwang's sorrowful voice came from behind, and my heart suddenly ached.

Knowing I shouldn't turn around, I couldn't help myself. Behind me, he looked at me with a sorrowful expression, a far cry from his former spirited self. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, as if trying to hide his emotions.

"Daiqing bids farewell today, and I hope King Chujiang will not worry about me." After saying this, I picked up the bowl and drank the Meng Po soup in one gulp.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [13]: The ghost messengers came to take me away, but I disgustedly waved them away and walked forward on my own. Behind me, I heard his last words: "Daiqing, remember, I will always be waiting for you."

What was shaking? Was it an earthquake? I felt as if I were falling from a very, very high cliff, continuously falling, falling, until I heard a loud "clang" and my body crashed heavily to the ground. In my dazed state, I heard King Chujiang shouting angrily: "Qianhong, you are blinded by hatred. Do you know who she is? She is Daiqing..."

Daiqing? Who is Daiqing? Who is Qianhong? And who am I? I became more and more confused until I lost my last bit of consciousness.

When I woke up, I found myself lying in bed. Zhong Jiao's anxious face came into view. She gently called to me, "Sister, sister." I wanted to answer her, but I was too weak. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep again. I was so tired that I just wanted to sleep and never wake up again, to ignore all the troubles around me.

I saw darkness, and I was trapped in it. The darkness slowly swallowed me up, bit by bit. I gave up struggling and resigned myself to it all. A warm light enveloped me, bright yet gentle. In the light, I saw the face of King Chujiang. He gazed at me intently and softly called out, "Daiqing, will you come back to my side?"

I jolted awake, my consciousness returning suddenly. I slowly opened my eyes, and before me stood the worried face of King Chujiang. Seeing that I had finally woken up, he breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes seemingly glistening with tears. "Yixi, you're finally awake. That's good, that's good." He seemed very relieved.

"Who...is...Dai...Qing?" I struggled to ask, then saw his expression change as he stared at me in astonishment.

"Little sister, are you awake?" Just then, Zhong Jiao walked in from outside, looking at me with a face full of surprise. She genuinely cared about me; I could feel her heartfelt joy.

I was touched: "Sister, thank you for going to so much trouble."

Zhong Jiao stepped forward, took my hand, and gently shook her head: "We are sisters, don't say such formal things." She paused and then said: "My sister escaped from that jade bottle by the skin of her teeth, thanks to King Chujiang."

I turned my gaze to him, but King Chujiang gave an awkward laugh: "You two talk, I still have some matters to attend to in my residence." His hasty departure seemed to indicate that he was afraid I would ask him something.

"Sister, what exactly happened?" I was eager to know what had happened.

Zhong Jiao sighed, "That day, when you were captured in the bottle by that woman from the divine realm, in my desperation, I could only seek help from King Chujiang in the ghost realm. I thought he would be mindful of offending the divine realm, but to my surprise, he didn't hesitate to ask what the woman looked like and immediately went to the human realm. He treated her with courtesy, but the woman from the divine realm turned hostile as soon as she saw him, and the two of them even got into a fight. If he hadn't smashed the jade bottle, I'm afraid my sister would have..."

"Qianhong has always been reckless, acting only according to her own whims..." Before she could finish the sentence, she was suddenly surprised at how smoothly the words flowed, as if she had known this all along.

Zhong Jiao looked curious: "Qian Hong? Is that the name of the goddess from the divine realm? How do you know that, sister?"

"I...I don't know, I just said it offhand." Even I was confused.

"You must have had some random dream while you were unconscious. We can talk about it later. You've just woken up and you're still weak, so you need to rest more." Seeing how tired I looked, Zhong Jiao considerately tucked me in, closed the door, and left me alone in the room to rest.

Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. I wondered how I could have blurted out that the goddess's name was Qian Hong. She was the one who almost caused my soul to be scattered, but now that I thought about it, I felt a strange sense of familiarity with her, and I couldn't bring myself to hate her.

It seems something important has been lost, and I only remember bits and pieces. Daiqing, this name is firmly etched in my heart. After repeating it a few times, it feels so familiar. It's like being behind a door; if I just unlock it, I can see inside, but right now I'm helpless, unable to find the key.

It took me three days to gradually regain my strength and be able to get up and walk. Zhong Jiao was afraid I would be lonely, so she would come to keep me company and talk to me to keep me company. She had lived in the ghost realm for many years, and the things she had heard and seen were quite interesting.

“I once had a maidservant who was the daughter of a wealthy family. Because she was ugly and her face was as black as ink, no one would propose marriage to her. In the end, she could only marry a poor scholar. Later, the scholar went to the capital to take the imperial examination and became the top scholar. You would think that she, as the wife of a top scholar, would have a good life. But who knew that after the scholar became the top scholar, he couldn’t stand her no matter what and often stayed out all night. Knowing that she was ugly, she could only compromise and take a beautiful concubine for her husband.”

Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel indignant: "That scholar deserves to die for judging people by their appearance. But how could that woman endure such humiliation?"

Zhong Jiao smiled faintly: "Because she loves her husband, she is willing to endure any hardship as long as she can keep him by her side." Because of love, she is willing to suffer herself. Is it still love that she suffers in return? One sees herself as a savior, and the other as a humble worshipper, trembling with fear, afraid that she will be neglected if she is not careful. Is this happiness?

"What happened next? Did she get what she wanted?" I frowned, not happy to see such a situation.

"Later, the beautiful concubine who married into the family occupied the scholar's entire heart, and she was completely neglected. Apart from the empty title of the scholar's wife, she had nothing. Every night she would stay alone in her empty room, weeping in secret, and began to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, preparing to spend the rest of her life like this. One day, a Taoist priest came to the mansion. Everyone else ignored him, but she took pity on him and brought him food. The Taoist priest was grateful and revealed a secret of heaven. He dissolved a golden pill in water and told her to wash her face. As soon as she touched the water, her face became as white as jade. After she was completely clean, everyone realized that she was actually a stunning beauty."

I listened intently and urged her to continue: "So it turns out there's a hidden gem; she can finally vent her old grievances."

"The top scholar discovered that his neglected wife was actually so beautiful, far surpassing his concubine, and naturally his heart changed. He treated her with utmost care and begged her to forgive his past actions. She loved him, so how could she not agree? They lived a good life for a while, but the concubine, unwilling to be neglected, secretly prepared poison, dissolved it in sugar water, and made her drink it. As a result, she died."

"Huh? How could this happen? It's outrageous." After hearing the story, I couldn't help but feel indignant.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [14]: Zhong Jiao smiled: "Does my sister think that concubine is hateful?"

I thought for a moment and then shook my head: "No, I mean that the top scholar is hateful. He betrayed his wife first and then forgot his principles for lust. The two women are equally pitiful, hating each other for a worthless man."

“My sister is right, it’s not worth it. But when you’re so caught up in love, how can you see clearly? Only an outsider who has nothing to do with you can see clearly. But she doesn’t regret it. Even if she goes through reincarnation, she will still be devoted to him in every life. Just like your sister…” She paused here, glanced at me, sighed, and didn’t continue.

I was a little confused about what she was trying to say, but seeing that Zhong Jiao looked sad, I didn't dare to ask any further. Suddenly, I remembered something: "Sister, have you ever heard of the name Dai Qing?"

“Daiqing?” Zhong Jiao frowned slightly, seemingly surprised. “Where did you hear this name, sister?”

I was overjoyed: "So you knew, sister! Tell me quickly!"

“That happened a long time ago. Even in the Ghost Realm, not many people know about it. I only vaguely heard my elder brother mention it. Daiqing seems to be a woman from the God Realm. I don’t know why she would willingly go to the Ghost Realm to drink the Meng Po soup and enter the cycle of reincarnation in the human world.” Zhong Jiao was a little puzzled: “I don’t know what it was that made Daiqing make such a choice?”

Yes, but what was it all for? The hazy scenes in my dream faded upon waking, leaving only fragmented memories. I fell into deep thought, trying to unearth the remaining images in my mind.

Zhong Jiao didn't disturb me, letting me ponder quietly. She took out her needle and thread and began embroidering. After a long while, I finally came to my senses and gave her an apologetic smile. Zhong Jiao understood and didn't mind: "Sister, do you remember the light red you mentioned a few days ago? I specifically asked my elder brother. She was originally Dai Qing's sister. Ever since Dai Qing drank the Meng Po soup in the Ghost Realm and reincarnated in the Human Realm, she has incurred the wrath of the Ghost Realm and used her treasures to destroy many ghosts."

I was somewhat surprised. Daiqing and Qianhong are sisters? It seems that as long as I find Qianhong, I can know everything about Daiqing. But Qianhong is not an easy person to get along with. The experience of being trapped in the jade bottle still terrifies me.

But many things are unexpected. I thought it was impossible to meet Qian Hong, but a day later, Qian Hong came to my door. At that time, I was in the study watching Zhong Jiao paint. The light ink landscape depicted a small boat sailing alone on the river, which made me feel leisurely.

Just then, Qian Hong suddenly pushed the door open and entered. Zhong Jiao looked up, her hand trembled, and the brush fell onto the Xuan paper, leaving a stain of ink. She shielded me and asked warily, "Miss Qian Hong, are you still not willing to give up today, and have actually chased me all the way to the Ghost Realm to harm my sister?"

I was touched by Zhong Jiao's kindness, but how could I let her take the risk for me? So I gently pushed her away, ignoring Zhong Jiao's surprised expression, and fearlessly looked at Qian Hong: "For what I said that day, you went to such lengths to kill me?"

I thought Qianhong would be angry, but to my surprise, she stared at me blankly, then knelt down before me, a tear sliding down her cheek. This unreasonable goddess suddenly showed me such great respect, which was beyond my expectations, and I didn't know what to do for a moment.

“Sister Daiqing, it’s all my fault. I didn’t recognize you and almost caused you harm. You can blame me, punish me, or hit me, but I will have no complaints.”

Dai Qing, am I Dai Qing? Zhong Jiao and I looked at each other, speechless with astonishment.

Qianhong mistakenly thought I wouldn't forgive her, and cried bitterly, "It's all that Meng Po's fault. I came to the Ghost Realm several times to force her to tell me where my sister is, but she was so stubborn. If it weren't for King Chujiang letting it slip a few days ago, I would still be kept in the dark, still desperately searching for my sister in the mortal world." Every word came from the bottom of her heart. Qianhong cried until her eyes were red and she could hardly breathe. Tears fell onto her clothes, soaking a large area, showing the pain in her heart.

"Am I really Dai Qing?" I helped Qian Hong up, half believing and half doubting.

While wiping away her tears, Qian Hong nodded repeatedly: "There's no mistake. How could I be wrong about all those years we were sisters?"

"Then why did you put me in the jade bottle and make my soul disappear? How come you didn't recognize me as Dai Qing then?"

Her face flushed red, and she murmured softly, "The ghost realm is full of bad people. I hate how they treated my sister back then, so over the years, I've taken in one after another. Who knew I would mistakenly take in my sister? It's all my fault for being so foolish."

"Qian... Hong, what exactly happened back then?" I was anxious to know the answer.

A hint of surprise flashed across her light red face, as if wondering how I could not know: "Didn't King Chujiang tell you?"

Tell me what?

"You decided to drink the Meng Po soup and enter the cycle of reincarnation in the human world because of him!"

Even Zhong Jiao was curious this time. She and I exchanged a glance and asked in unison, "What exactly happened?"