Gu-Gift

Kapitel 18

"I don't know," that's the trouble I'm talking about.

"Girl, I'm just a little fairy, how am I supposed to check if you don't even know my name and address?" the old man said helplessly as he closed the household registration office.

"Please help me, let me tell you what I know first, and see if you can find anything useful," I pleaded. I couldn't have come all this way for nothing, and taken that elevator twice for nothing.

"Two years ago, a homeless man died at the People's Hospital due to hospital negligence. Fourteen days ago, a little girl jumped off a building and was sent to the People's Hospital. As for the cat, it was also found at the People's Hospital. I don't know anything else." The more I spoke, the less confident I became. I really didn't know if these things would be of any use.

"People's Hospital, two years ago..." The old man pondered for a moment, then opened the household register and handed it to me.

"Liu Cheng, male, 46 years old, from F City, H Province, childless, a thief in life, died a violent death." Only a few dozen words, but very important. If that homeless man was a thief in life, then it's safe to say he had no affection for the world. Therefore, a middle-aged man who died a violent death and loathed life would inevitably cause trouble.

Ghosts are different from humans. Humans can control their emotions and impulses, but once a ghost is aroused by such resentment, there is no way to undo it.

“Then, that little girl…” I asked.

"Fourteen days ago, well, thankfully it was almost Chinese New Year, so there weren't many suicides..." The old man opened another household registration book and handed it over.

"Xu Feifei, female, 15 years old, F City, H Province..." The rest of the text was similar, but one sentence chilled me to the bone: "birth date and death date." In other words, this girl jumped off the building on her birthday, and more importantly, the time of her birth and death coincided.

No wonder the homeless man chose this little girl. A woman born in the cold month is inherently weak. Such a person committed suicide, and the timing was so coincidental. The resentment that could be stirred up by her is immeasurable.

"Where's the cat?" I handed back the household registration book.

"Let alone a live cat, you might not even be able to find a dead one. This is too difficult..." The old man shook his head as he tidied up the mountain of household registration books on the table.

...

As I left Fengdu Prefecture, the old man's words still echoed in my ears: "Go find that young girl quickly. If all her resentment is aroused, then we'll really have no choice but to report it to the emperor."

(VI) The Morgue Chapter Seven: A Strange Encounter in the Ghost Realm

After leaving Fengdu City, I was truly lost. Liu Cheng and Xu Feifei's souls were both in the mortal realm. Unless I could persuade the judge of the Yama Palace to bring them down, how could a mere Yin-Yang Master like myself possibly enter the Ten Courts of Yama?

If Fengdu City is a border town where outsiders can come and go freely, then the Ten Courts of Yama are like the Forbidden City. Without a guide, I have no way to enter. But I can't have come all this way for nothing, so I have to keep walking along the Road to the Nine Springs. It's a one-way street, and all the ghosts are heading in one direction. However, unlike me, they all have ghost guards in suits holding them back. I can only follow the group of ghosts and inch forward. At this point, I can only take it one step at a time and hope that the judgment in any of the courts can help me...

Although I felt like I was moving very slowly, almost like I was shuffling forward on the soles of my feet, in reality, I was moving incredibly fast. The trees and road signs on both sides rushed past me like lightning. But compared to other spirits guided by ghost messengers, I was still a beat slower...

After walking for a while, the ghosts on the road gradually became numerous and chaotic, because they had reached a fork in the road. The ghosts were being escorted to different hells according to their deeds in life. This fork in the road was a true "crossroads" because it had ten forks in the road. The ghosts coming and going were bustling and lively, but not crowded. Some were maimed and injured, still clutching their arms and legs in their arms. Some were glowing with a blue light, coming and going without wind. Every now and then, there were also many ghost messengers pushing goods through the road. If it weren't for the ghosts' "ghostly" appearance, this place would be like a supermarket.

No ghost paid me any attention. Even though I stood motionless in the middle of the intersection, the ghost messengers ignored me, making me increasingly confused. Which path should I choose? In terms of cause of death, both of them were wronged souls, and should rightfully go to the Fifth Court of Hell, the City of the Wrongfully Dead. In terms of category, Liu Cheng died a violent death, making him a wrongfully dead ghost, while Xu Feifei committed suicide, a grave crime of killing, and should be punished by the Sixth Court of Hell, King Liu Cheng. But in terms of facts, neither of them is probably in Hell right now…

"Weiyang girl..." Just as I was feeling confused, I suddenly heard someone calling me. This really startled me. Could it be that other like-minded people had come down as well?

"Wei Yang..." came another voice. Though the sound was distant, I was certain it was my name. I didn't turn around, nor dared I, much less answer. Suddenly, I thought of a type of ghost called "Echo." In their eyes, anyone who sees you can see your name, and if you answer, your "spirit" will be taken along with your name. But these ghosts mostly appear in graveyards and forests. How could they exist in the underworld? And why would they bother me? Are they tired of living?

"Weiyang girl..." The voice was already close by. Why did that voice sound so familiar?

I turned around and saw a bald man in a black suit with a name tag pinned to his chest standing in front of me.

"Benqing Fang, no, Benqing Uncle?" This really surprised me.

"Girl, it's almost New Year's, what brings you here?" Abbot Benqing, dressed in a suit, said, stroking her bald head.

I circled Abbot Benqing several times before stopping; his attire truly surprised me.

...

After listening to my brief account, Abbot Benqing stroked his bald head and said with a smile, "I told you you're a lucky girl. You've had people helping you your whole life. Now that you're in the underworld, even ghosts are helping you. Haha..."

His smile confused me. "Handsome old man, I'm busy right now, don't play games with me."

“By the grace of Heaven, I, an old man, am now the judge of the Sixty-One Kings.” Abbot Benqing took off his nameplate and handed it to me.

"Wow, cool," I said after looking at the name tag for a long time.

"Huh? Bitter? No, life is good, it's just that there's no wine to drink, so it's a bit bitter." This judge on the left clearly didn't understand what I was saying, but I was too lazy to explain to him.

Looking at the bald Abbot Benqing, I suddenly realized that humans are not much better than ants. It's all over in an instant; once you're dead, you're dead. People often say that life is a long journey, but little do they know that life after death is truly long.

However, it's quite good that a relative was involved in the trial.

...

After his maternal uncle Benqing passed away, he began a new cycle of reincarnation and was judged in the Sixth Court of Yama. Abbot Benqing remembered the names of all the ghosts in the Sixth Court clearly in his judgment.

“Xu Feifei, I’ve recently discovered that there’s something wrong with this little soul. The soul she brought down isn’t her own…” Abbot Benqing frowned as he circled the judgment in the judgment book with his pen.

"Is it a cat?" I interrupted him.

"Hmm, it seems you already know. No wonder you're a descendant of the Zuo family." Even in death, he doesn't forget to praise his family. Even if this Abbot Benqing were to become the Jade Emperor, he would probably still be the same.

"But this is no ordinary cat soul. It appeared in human form in hell and was not discovered until the judgment..."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but stick out my tongue and say, "Wow, that's amazing!"

Let alone a cat, even someone skilled in traditional Chinese medicine would find it difficult to use illusions after death in the underworld. Yet this cat was able to travel the entire journey to the underworld in human form, only revealing itself upon reaching the palace, and remarkably, it wasn't discovered by the ghost messengers along the way—truly an unimaginable feat.

"What's the background of that cat?" I couldn't help but ask, frowning.

“Demon,” Abbot Benqing said, stroking his bald head again.

"Has it already been sent to the Third Hall?" Normally, as long as the soul of a demon has not dispersed after death, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Third Hall of Yama.

"Not yet. These cat demons are not common. I'm thinking of going to take a look first," Abbot Benqing smiled. His overstepping his bounds was not encouraged in the strictly regulated Hell.

"Hey girl, how's business near my temple?" Abbot Benqing suddenly asked this seemingly unrelated question, which caught me off guard.

"Business? Ah, great, incredibly great! You've turned it into a monopoly, how could business not be good?" After realizing what was happening, I got a little angry. What kind of time is this? I'm a living person on official business in hell, and he's asking about his business.

"Hmm, I always miss the sweet and sour winter melon that our kitchen makes. Hmm, it seems like sweet and sour pork ribs are even tastier," Abbot Benqing reverted to his old ways, which was really unbearable.

"I also want to see that cat." After listening to Uncle Benqing's story, I suddenly felt that this cat was more difficult to deal with than that little girl.

Uncle Benqing looked at me and smiled, saying, "I knew it! Our little Weiyang has the best ideas. Let's go take a look..."

That said, why was the cat willing to help Xu Feifei? Did they have a relationship in their previous lives?

(VI) The Morgue, Chapter Eight: This Road Back Is Difficult

To be honest, I've seen plenty of ghosts missing limbs or heads, but demons are quite rare. Humans and ghosts are only separated by the realms of Yin and Yang, while humans and demons are truly worlds apart. Moreover, there's a difference between "demon" and "spirit." Animals become demons, while plants become spirits. Becoming a demon is much more difficult than becoming a spirit. Therefore, most demons don't get involved with humans, which is why I rarely receive cases related to demons.

This cat demon had already taken its full form, standing suspended in mid-air on the "Shaving Evil Board," with an endless abyss beneath its feet. Its limbs were long and slender, its waist supple, making it quite beautiful. However, the addition of its half-foot-long nails and cat-like face gave it a somewhat chilling appearance. This "Shaving Evil Board" was a torture device used to extract the "tendon-avoiding" organs from demons; to me, it was simply an iron plate studded with nails. The cat demon was pressed against it from head to toe, the shaving evil nails protruding from its body, liquid constantly dripping from the nail tips into the endless abyss.

This hell is not as people imagine—a place of endless wailing, howling demons, and tragic misery… In fact, although countless ghosts are indeed being tortured here, it is completely silent. No matter how much the evil spirits trapped in the “pool of sins” struggle, there is still not a sound. Perhaps, this is the true hell.

The communication here is all silent, limited to the transmission of ideas.

When the word "cat-raccoon" suddenly popped into my head, I was startled. A cat is a cat, and a raccoon is a raccoon; from a biological perspective, a cat-raccoon is impossible because there is reproductive isolation between organisms. A raccoon dog, also called a "raccoon dog," doesn't belong to the feline family, but rather the canine family. Therefore, the only way a "cat-raccoon" could appear is through the union of a raccoon demon and a cat demon. It seems this "cat-raccoon demon" comes from a family of demon beasts; no wonder it possesses such abilities.

But what is the connection between this cat and the little girl?

"It's alright," but if it's alright, why won't you let her pass away peacefully? This cat demon's answer really scratched my head.

It seemed that the "shaving board" had exhausted its energy, for after saying only a few words, its face became contorted, a distorted cat face that was terrifying to behold.

After obtaining the words "pure yin" and "rebirth," the cat demon "died." A demon has two hundred and one "absence tendons," and only by removing these tendons can its demonic nature be fully released, allowing it to be reborn. However, each tendon removed causes it to remain unconscious for a million years, its memories erased during death. It seems that by the time it awakens, I won't know how many times I'll have reincarnated.

It seems I guessed right. This cat demon wants to be reborn by borrowing Xu Feifei's pure Yin body. It seems that this cat demon has reached the point of five decays. If that's the case, then it must have at least a thousand years of cultivation.

Then Liu Cheng must have died unjustly and his soul is still restless, and this is just the right time for him to die.

...

"Xu Feifei?" Following my uncle Benqing's directions, I found her in a desolate wilderness outside the Six Palaces.

Xu Feifei had delicate features but was very thin, with lifeless eyes. When she heard me call her, she turned and walked away. Just as I was about to chase after her, many departed souls suddenly appeared out of nowhere, crowding around and blocking my way.

At that moment, I was completely helpless. It was only then that I realized that being a ghost is also a very helpless thing.

These hundreds of impoverished ghosts, their spirits scattered, surrounded me. Though silent, their mutilated bodies and malevolent eyes still sent a chill down my spine. I knew they wanted money, so I quickly threw out the paper money I was carrying. The ghosts finally parted to collect it. But I hadn't gone ten steps before they swarmed me again. It seems inflation in the underworld is far more severe than in the human world; even tens of millions sent out are of little use.

Just as Xu Feifei was about to disappear, I was still unable to move an inch. Just when I was at my wit's end, bundles of paper money suddenly fell from the sky, interspersed with gold ingots.

"These two kids are really something." It's obvious that it was the work of Prince and Lü Hantian.

We followed the direction Xu Feifei had gone and chased after her.

"Weiyang...Weiyang, Weiyang"

"Baby, baby..."

Someone called my name, and suddenly a cloud of smoke rose up ahead. I stopped in my tracks. It was the voices of Wang Zi and Lü Hantian.

"Damn it!" Looking back, I was startled. I had been so focused on chasing after them that I hadn't realized it was uphill. If it weren't for Lü Hantian using incense to guide me, I probably wouldn't have stopped.

Yin and Yang are inherently opposites. Everyone assumes the "underworld" must be underground, but unbeknownst to them, this space is actually parallel to the human world. The underworld has no real distinction between up and down. It's just that mortals who have passed through the underworld perceive a difference in perspective. Here, "up" is the true "down," and whether you climb a rope or ascend stairs, it's a one-way street. The slope I'm walking on is the same, only slightly gentler, making it difficult to perceive.

The Road of No Return is, of course, a path of no return. In truth, though called a road, it is actually another world. Following this Road of No Return leads to a "Void," a realm parallel to the human and ghost realms, where nothing exists, nothing at all. Your arrival is your disappearance, utter and complete annihilation.

He turned back, but dared not rush forward again.

"This girl is amazing," I thought to myself.

However, I soon realized that I might have really taken the wrong path. There was no turning back, and it seemed there was no way out either. Because not far ahead, Xu Feifei was standing in the middle of the road looking at me, her eyes still lifeless. But what made me uneasy was that behind Xu Feifei stood a man, a man with obvious stitches on his chest—Liu Cheng.

(VI) The Morgue, Chapter Nine: Unexpected

There is nothing I can do here; the only thing I can do is guide them back to the human world.

I shook the bell on my waist, as agreed upon with the prince. If I hadn't returned within three minutes of ringing the bell, the prince would have to remove the talisman from my head and burn it over a basin of dog blood. This is why "crossing the underworld" is dangerous if done alone. If I can't return within three minutes and no external force guides me, I will become a vegetable, and my soul will wander here for life until my body dies.

Xu Feifei before Liu Cheng became increasingly blurry. Liu Cheng was activating the last of her power, and the cat demon's energy was flowing into Liu Cheng's body in the process. If Xu Feifei disappeared, Liu Cheng's energy would exceed my expectations. This cynical, wronged spirit had absorbed the pure yin energy of the cat demon and the girl, so…

"Six stars of the Southern Dipper, seven stars of the Northern Dipper, Guanyin's lotus seat, dew and waves, wind of Xun, lake of Dui, my soul returns to my body, command! command! command!" With the last command, Liu Cheng had already abandoned Xu Feifei and rushed over.

"Weiyang..." When they saw me open my eyes, the two of them quickly came over.

"The prince burns the talisman," the prince said, and as soon as he removed the talisman from my head, I quickly got up. Only then did I realize that it was completely dark; it seemed I had been gone for at least six hours.

My legs were numb from sitting for so long. With Lü Hantian's help, I offered incense in the four directions—east, south, west, and north—before I could finally catch my breath.

"Why are you all sweaty?" I asked, looking at the sweat trickling down Lü Hantian's face and temples.

"Oh, really? You don't know, your face kept changing, and your hands and feet kept moving. You've been scared for so long, how could you not be sweating?" Lu Hantian seemed to only then realize that she was indeed sweating a lot.

"Those paper money..." I took the water that Lü Hantian handed me, took a sip, and asked.

"It was the prince's idea. He said that when a friend of his had an accident, you told him this. Did it work?" Lu Hantian said while massaging my legs.

"Yes, you've been a great help," I said, turning to look at the prince.

The prince was looking at me and smiling, but I couldn't smile anymore.

The talisman in the prince's hand was burning far too slowly; it hadn't finished burning after all this time. Could it be...?

"Prince..." I shouted and tried to pull him back, but my legs were completely numb and I fell to the ground.

The instant I fell, the prince was thrown into the air, the still-burning talisman in his hand falling into a basin filled with dog blood. The prince, wearing a white coat, plummeted straight down from the sky.