He and It Chapter 211: Inquire Here (39)

Chapter 211: Inquire Here (39)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

The ghost mother breathed heavily. A sticky, muffled sound escaping her throat, like the noise of someone drowning.

She remained silent. Liu Fuguang stood up, and looked at the children she was holding. “Among these, your biological daughters shouldn’t be here, correct?”

Yue Niang was silent for a long time, steadfast as a rock. Suddenly, she spoke in a rough voice, “My daughters! Haha, my daughters…They were just born, their spiritual light not even fully developed. How could they understand anything! They lived and died in a daze, and even if I wanted to find them, they had long since disappeared without a trace, only to be sought in the bellies of fish!”

Tears of blood flowed down her chin in two lines. The ghost mother looked at the two people in front of her. Besides the Taoist priest she encountered many years ago, these were the only two beings she couldn’t discern.

The man in white had entered the realm of the ghost and had seen all her past. She could feel that his heart was filled with pain and sorrow. She thought this was just pain and sorrow directed at her, but in that moment, she felt his heart’s intense fluctuations, how it trembled like someone crying.

—There were too many women in the same situation as Yue Niang. Too many…

He was clearly crying for her, and also for countless others like her.

At that moment, she suddenly forgave him.

What else could she do? After all, ghosts were such pitiable beings. A little bit of warmth was eagerly absorbed by them, just like a country dog that, even with its legs broken or eyes blinded, would still wag its tail and, limping, follow its owner at the sound of a casual whistle.

“Do you want to return them to their human forms?” Liu Fuguang asked gently.

Yue Niang suddenly looked up, and stared at him intensely.

“With their current state, reincarnation is no longer possible,” he continued to explain. “Their ghostly energy has already become substantial, so reincarnation would cause their souls to be scattered…”

“Can you do it?!” Yue Niang asked hoarsely. “What do you mean? Do you have a way to make my children human again?!”

Her blood-red eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, her expression incredulous.

Whether being a ghost or a human is better, perhaps everyone would have a different opinion. But for Yue Niang, being a ghost meant she could not enjoy the happiness of the mundane world. Ghosts consume bloody offerings, wander in the dark, and only by immersing themselves in resentment and death can they gain the power to move.

She had fantasized countless times about what she would do if her two daughters were still alive. She imagined seeing them playing and rolling under the sun, wearing pretty flowered clothes, and playing with fancy toys. When they became noisy, she would buy some expensive honey-yellow sugar at the market to silence their chatter…

Her daughters would surely have the brightest eyes and the most radiant smiles.

Yan Huan asked, “Do you want to help them find a proper resting place?”

Liu Fuguang smiled, “Actually, it’s quite simple. Since they are still young, if we make them forget their ghostly identity and send them to a good family to be raised, even if they were born as ghosts, they can grow up like ordinary people.”

“However…” He hesitated. “They would need to willingly leave you.”

Yue Niang responded coldly, “Whether they are willing or not, they must go! I will not keep a single one. I will bear my own debts and sins alone, and not burden others!”

The babies immediately began to wail. Their cries tore at the heart, as if their tiny bodies were about to split apart. Even the hardest-hearted person would turn away at such cries, but Yue Niang remained unmoved, as unyielding as stone.

Yan Huan lightly placed his hand on Liu Fuguang’s shoulder, and guided him to one side for a private conversation.

“What did you see?” he asked.

Liu Fuguang silently took out a blank jade slip, pressed it against his forehead, and infused his spiritual sense into it. After a while, he handed the jade slip to Yan Huan.

“Look.”

Yan Huan took the jade slip, held it briefly, then put it away into his sleeve, then nodded to show he understood.

“There are countless women who have suffered like her in the mortal realm,” he said quietly. “Saving just one may be a drop in the bucket. Of little consequence.”

It was rare for Yan Huan to speak harshly to Liu Fuguang, and Liu Fuguang, who already felt frustrated, was immediately provoked. He said sternly, “Then what role do you, as the Evil One, play in this? Saving one is still better than saving none!”

Yan Huan fell silent, and the atmosphere grew cold. Once words are spoken, they are like arrows leaving the bow; in a moment of impulse, Liu Fuguang had said something harsh and regretted it immediately. He turned his gaze elsewhere and remained silent.

After a while, Yan Huan softly asked, “Fuguang, do you blame me?”

Liu Fuguang didn’t respond.

Yan Huan gave a self-deprecating smile. “Yes, I am the Evil One, embodying all the sins of the worlds. But the sea accepts all rivers. Have you ever seen it control where the rivers originate or how they flow?”

When he saw Liu Fuguang’s brows twitch slightly, Yan Huan continued, “I don’t find the Nine Children’s Mother particularly pitiable, because I lack the emotion of pity. Look at how much we have been through, how much time has passed, and I am only now, clumsily and reluctantly, learning to love you…”

He said softly, “I am not trying to deceive you, Fuguang. Yin and Yang clash and repel each other, yet they also embrace and coexist, just as men and women do. But the debts and bloodshed rooted in women are so vast and intractable, even I find them overwhelmingly immense and unresolved, even if you are of the utmost good.”

“So.” Liu Fuguang turned to face him. “What do you mean by saying that saving her is futile?”

Yan Huan sighed helplessly. “I warned you because I’m afraid you might act foolishly, Fuguang. I worry that you might expend all your energy fighting for this cause, only to find it an endless war…After a long time in the cycle of reincarnation, no one wins. There’s only you, foolishly sacrificing yourself.”

Liu Fuguang remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he sighed in resignation and said quietly, “If I weren’t foolish, I wouldn’t be standing here with you, running around the world.”

Yan Huan was taken aback, then smiled, “…You have a point.”

With that, Yan Huan walked directly towards the ghost mother. Upon seeing him approach, the ghost mother immediately became alert. Her two broken tentacles transformed into a giant octopus that tightly wrapped around the many babies she held.

“Nine Children’s Ghost Mother,” Yan Huan said bluntly. “You want an opportunity, and I will give you one.”

Yue Niang’s eyes darkened, and a hint of fear flickered in them as she fixed her gaze on the man in black before her.

At that moment, the bright moon was sinking in the west. She could hear the tremors in the air and the clanging of chains from the Underworld.

Contrary to popular belief, a world after death doesn’t actually exist, or rather, if it does, it isn’t meant for the souls of ordinary people. People become Immortals, and ghosts cultivate and ascend to become ghost Immortals. Many ghost Immortals built the ghost city of Fengdu, and advocated “Ghost matters, do not approach the living,” and they watched over all the malevolent ghosts who might cause chaos in the Mortal Realm. Whenever something would happen, they sent their minions to capture the culprits without needing ordinary cultivators to intervene.

The Nine Children’s Ghost Mother had caused trouble for years. However, her resentment was too heavy, and her power was too great. Many surrounding towns worshipped her as a deity, and the Fengdu envoys didn’t dare step into her domain. Even the ghost Immortals stationed at their main base were too occupied to intervene. Now, weakened and injured, those in Fengdu sensed an opportunity and were coming to capture her for judgment.

Initially, she had mistaken the two people before her as the emissaries of Yin and Yang, but upon confrontation, she realized they were not the same. The strength of the two was such that even if a ghost immortal appeared, they would be overwhelmed.

Now, Yan Huan offered her an opportunity. What kind of opportunity could it be?

“Him and I,” Yan Huan gestured to Liu Fuguang with his hand. “Will conduct a public trial of your life’s deeds.”

He glanced at Jin Cuixu, who was standing nearby, blending into the background. “You will be the recorder.”

Jin Cuixu, “Huh? Oh…huh?”

Jin Cuixu scratched her head in confusion, and felt that the events of the night were extremely dramatic and puzzling. Ah, my head itches. Am I going to develop a brain?

“What—what is a recorder?” she stammered. “I mean, I know what a recorder does, but what exactly am I supposed to do in this role…?”

“Just write down what we say,” Liu Fuguang explained gently, as he patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Go ahead.”

Jin Cuixu, still bewildered, took out a thick stack of yellow paper and a red brush used for drawing talismans. Standing beside the two men and the ghost, she looked back and forth, as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Liu Fuguang stood on the left, and Yan Huan stood on the right. Liu Fuguang waved his hands, and a table as white as moonlight appeared. He slowly sat down. Yan Huan snapped his fingers, and a table as black as midnight appeared next to Liu Fuguang’s. Yan Huan followed suit and took a seat.

Jin Cuixu suddenly realized she now had a chair and a desk on which to place her paper and pen. She quickly sat down, and it created a rudimentary court setting amidst the strange ruins.

At the same moment, Black and White Impermanence, with their soul-reaping ropes and mourning staffs, floated in from a distance, as they got ready to capture the heavily injured Nine Children’s Ghost Mother. ¹

Black Impermanence said solemnly, “The Nine Children’s Ghost Mother was once powerful. Who has such skill to have wounded her so severely?”

White Impermanence, with a grin, replied, “Regardless of who hurt her, she cannot escape going to Fengdu for judgment. There’s no way out!”

As they approached, they were surprised by the scene before them.

White Impermanence asked incredulously, “What boldness! Who dares impersonate Black and White Impermanence?”

Black Impermanence stopped him with his mourning staff and said gravely, “No. Don’t go forward! This isn’t an impersonation!”

“Wang Yue Niang,” Liu Fuguang addressed her by her birth name. “If you have any grievances, speak them now! Let Heaven and the bright moon be the witnesses to your testimony. You may speak for yourself.”

Wang Yue Niang trembled, and suddenly felt an overwhelming will, an irresistible divine presence that descended upon her, and cleared away the resentment and bitterness which had constantly plagued her mind. Now, her consciousness was incredibly clear.

“Commoner…Wang Yue Niang,” she began slowly. “From a young age, my family was poor. To make a living, my parents sold me to Wang Gu in the same village as a child bride…”

Her distant memories became clear. Her tone shifted from hesitation to certainty. “He often beat and abused me. He made me do heavy farm work, and when my bones were fractured, I couldn’t seek medical help…After enduring years of hardship in his household, I wished to die, but he fell ill and died. My parents then reclaimed me, accepted a bride price the following year, and sold me to Zhang’s family in the neighboring village…”

Jin Cuixu scribbled furiously, her writing messy and chaotic.

When she mentioned the Zhang family, Yue Niang’s eyes turned blood-red and violent again. “That Zhang family, those three people, are beasts I cannot forgive even in death! Villagers fabricated false accusations against me, and they not only believed them but beat me near to death, and showed no remorse afterward! That place, with its obsession for celebratory customs, had killed countless women that way, and nearly killed me too! The Zhang family drowned my two daughters, then pierced my belly with sharp locust wood and threw me into the river! I hate them! I hate, I hate, I hate them!”

In her final outburst, she emitted a terrifying roar, and her wet hair writhed like living snakes, as she almost lost her sanity.

“Wait!” Liu Fuguang urgently interrupted. “Take it slow, don’t rush. Let’s go through it step by step.”

After that furious outburst, Yue Niang collapsed, breathing heavily.

“You were sold by your parents when you were young, and sold twice, correct?” Liu Fuguang said to Jin Cuixu, “Record that. This is the first injustice – parents treating their own flesh and blood as commodities, an unworthy act of humanity.”

Jin Cuixu nodded, and scribbled intently.

Liu Fuguang continued to detail the injustices faced by Wang Yue Niang, as he broke them down methodically.

“You were still a child, yet sold as a child bride to an abusive man. This is the second and third injustice,” he said. “Then, you were sold again to the Zhang family, where you were also abused. This is the fourth and fifth injustice.”

He continued, “The Zhang family framed you with false accusations, leading to your punishment. This is the sixth injustice. Their lack of remorse is the seventh. Furthermore, their participation in the barbaric custom of killing female infants, where killing is a natural consequence, must be addressed. This is the eighth injustice. The Zhang family blamed you for their own failures, which is the ninth injustice. And their act of drowning their own daughters, twice, is the tenth and eleventh injustices.”

He then asked, “After giving birth, did you experience emotional instability, frequent crying, or feelings of pessimism?”

Wang Yue Niang nodded, bewildered.

“Indeed,” Liu Fuguang said. “Postpartum depression is a common condition affecting many women after childbirth, compounded by the grief of losing your children. This explains your inability to manage your emotions.” 

Yan Huan chimed in, “Postpartum depression.”

“Yes, postpartum depression!” Liu Fuguang affirmed. “Therefore, your mental state was compromised.”

Wang Yue Niang was still confused, not fully understanding the implications.

“Next, there are the injustices of abuse and cruelty,” Liu Fuguang continued. “Which amount to twelve and thirteen injustices in total.”

He turned to Yan Huan with a serious expression. “It is clear that Wang Yue Niang lived a tragic life, and suffered immense wrongs. The Zhang family’s use of locust wood and their actions which caused her to fall into the river led to her becoming a restless ghost. Her subsequent acts of revenge, driven by her ghostly nature and understandable grief, warrant leniency.”

Yan Huan’s smile faded as he addressed Wang Yue Niang, “Wang Yue Niang, despite the many injustices you faced, there is something you need to understand. Although you have dedicated yourself to the role of Nine Sons Mother Goddess, receiving offerings and serving as a deity to those who worshipped you, your presence has contributed to the imbalance of energy in the region. This has led to a surge in crimes and abuses against women, including those who were sold and mistreated. Have you ever considered how many innocent girls, sold thousands of miles away, have suffered due to this?”

Wang Yue Niang trembled in response.

Liu Fuguang spoke with passion, “I object! Without Wang Yue Niang, without the Nine Sons Mother Goddess, would the people here not commit infanticide or perpetuate the imbalance of energy? While she bears some responsibility, she is not wholly to blame. The Nine Children’s Ghost Mother is merely a scapegoat. If the people here find the practice of killing female infants and the resulting imbalance to be cruel and absurd, how can they revere the Nine Sons Mother Goddess as a true deity?”

This argument highlighted the complex interplay of guilt and responsibility, setting the stage for further deliberations.

In the tense silence that followed, the judgment was laid out clearly and decisively.

Yan Huan addressed Wang Yue Niang, “Despite the thirteen major injustices you suffered, which have earned you relief from the harshest penalties, there are still matters of concern. You are responsible for numerous deaths, including the girl who took her own life after witnessing your true form, and the eighty-nine followers whose lives you took.”

He paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in before continuing, “Considering your postpartum depression and the fact that you have become a vengeful ghost, your actions were driven by a compromised mental state. Thus, instead of facing nine hundred lightning strikes, you will be given a reprieve.”

Liu Fuguang added, “Wang Yue Niang, you will lose your cultivation base and fierce nature. You will no longer be a vengeful spirit but a soul required to serve out a sentence in the Mortal Realm.”

He then pronounced the sentence, “You must establish and run an orphanage for two hundred years, caring for and raising abandoned female infants. This must be done with genuine dedication and without negligence. Only after fulfilling this sentence will your guilt be atoned for.”

As the final judgment was pronounced, the sky rumbled, and a long, lightning dragon descended, consumed the record of the trial and vanished into the heavens.

 

Wang Yue Niang, now a mere soul without her former power, looked stunned but resigned. Her fate was sealed, and her path to redemption had been set. The proceedings were complete, and left a profound sense of closure amidst the remnants of the eerie, otherworldly court.