Lingling glanced at her companions fighting the vengeful ghost, then without hesitation, picked up the incense burner and, biting her fingertip, mixed her blood with the ashes. Meanwhile, the vengeful ghost had the landlord in a tight grip, and no matter how the Eater of Bones Palace attacked, she wouldn't let go.
Seeing trouble on the horizon, Lingling disregarded whether the blood and ashes were thoroughly mixed, and poured the ash from the burner throughout the room, carried by the chilling wind.
As the incense was lit, the room immediately fell silent, with no more eerie wails from the fierce ghost, no more struggling from the homeowner, and no more rescue from the people of the Eroding Bone Pavilion.
Lingling Gu quickly scanned the incense ash, her eyes brightening when she saw a hint of eerie red. She wanted to step forward but hesitated. "While the wrong has not yet been committed, there is still a chance for you to stop," Lingling Gu said to the red-clad fierce ghost.
"Wrongdoing? Chance? I think the master is mistaken. They clearly killed me, and I am just seeking retribution for what they owe me in this life," said the fierce ghost in the incense ash. Without its terrifying appearance, the ghost's hair fell across its face, revealing a gentle and beautiful face, albeit somewhat pale, completely different from its previous horrifying appearance.
"The paths of humans and ghosts are different, each with its own rules. You are dead, and regardless of whether you enter the underworld, your name will always be in the register of the underworld. For a ghost to kill, regardless of the size of the grudge, those lives will be held against you, becoming your sin. Lightly, you will fall into the animal realm, unable to have a peaceful end; heavily, you will descend into hell, enduring torment for eternity, unable to be reincarnated. They deserve death, and I won't absolve them. I only ask you, is it worth sacrificing your own future lives and existence for them?"
"Worth it? But my life has ended quietly like this? Do you know how difficult and painful it is for me to watch them hypocritically console my parents? How unwilling I am to see them laughing and chatting with their concubines at night?"
"Do you think your parents would be at peace if you descended into hell? Would you be content to be in hell?"
The fierce ghost, a simple woman during her lifetime, had little intention of harming others and lacked much determination. During the traditional seven-day mourning period, she saw the truth of her death through the blood on the concubine's fingertips, and a surge of anger rose within her, desiring only vengeance.
Now, questioned by Lingling Gu through the incense ash, the consciousness of the fierce ghost was restored. Emotions of sorrow and indignation mingled, and she sorrowfully asked, "Could the master speak up for me?"
Having just become a ghost, she still retained the thoughts of a living person, seeking revenge on one hand and considering her future rebirth on the other.
"Rest assured, I've said that each has its own rules. While they are alive, they cannot escape the laws of the world. They will face justice and be held accountable for their actions. And when they die, the underworld awaits them. At that time, even if you appeal to the Yama King, they cannot escape."
This explanation of cold, unyielding rules left Lingling Gu with no choice. She understood the grievances of the wrongfully deceased, but in order to prevent the increase of sins for these wronged souls, this method was the only way.
Fortunately, the fierce ghost was still new and had not yet collected human lives or firmly held grudges; otherwise, this method would have been ineffective.
If any other group had come, those with grudges could have been saved, and those who couldn't would have been dispersed. However, Lingling Gu and her group did not have that ability, so they could only resort to this compromise, which would protect the lives of the people while also appeasing the wandering spirits.
Suddenly, the incense ash dissipated, and as Lingling Gu opened her eyes, the room was filled with flickering candlelight. The young boy was looking at her with a puzzled expression, his bright black eyes reflecting the dancing flames, along with his own eyes becoming misty.
The other companions were either lying or sitting on the ground, with the same appearances as before. However, the fierce ghost was no longer there, and the homeowner was sitting on the ground, looking terrified, gasping for breath, and clutching his neck.
Lingling Gu looked down at the incense ash scattered on the ground and trampled on it.
In fact, she didn't need to use such an intense method to communicate with the spirits. According to their original procedure, they only needed to light some spirit-summoning incense, and then the ghosts would come to the incense burner and write down their wishes.
However, the situation was urgent, and with the homeowner having turned into a fierce ghost, Lingling Gu could only resort to these unethical methods to make up for her lack of experience.
But it seemed to have worked.
The boy blinked lightly and made a fist in the air, causing the spell made of spiritual power behind Lingling Gu to dissipate into the air.
"Thank you, master, for saving our lives," the homeowner believed that the fierce ghost had vanished and knelt on the ground, bowing to everyone. Lingling Gu managed to dodge the homeowner's bow.
A week later, a heavy rainstorm destroyed a new grave, the coffin lid was open, and the woman inside, who was said to have died of a sudden illness, had a completely black face, causing the villagers who discovered the body to report it to the authorities.
From then on, the homeowner and his concubine's murder of his wife was exposed in broad daylight, but that's another story.
As they left the house, the outside was already bright, and they had unexpectedly gone through a whole night of turmoil.
They hadn't felt it during the struggle with the fierce ghost, but now, despite feeling extremely exhausted, they were all very excited.
As the lowest of the low in the Eroding Bone Pavilion, they had never imagined that they would one day deal with a fierce ghost, which for them was a major achievement.
They chatted and laughed, visibly excited, but Lingling Gu walked silently behind them, holding the boy's hand, saying nothing.
Lingling Gu's hand was somewhat cold. This was her first time dealing with spirits, and it didn't feel as good as she had expected. It wasn't just the terror of the fierce ghost, but also the unpredictable nature of human hearts that was difficult to accept.
The boy glanced at Lingling Gu's hand, which was still trembling slightly, but he didn't show any extra expression or movement.
It wasn't until Lingling Gu, lost in thought, almost bumped into a passing carriage that the boy's mouth twitched a few times, and he awkwardly shook Lingling Gu's hand.
Lingling Gu suddenly came to her senses and, looking up, saw that her companions were all looking at her with concern. She forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, just hungry. Let's go eat something."
Seeing that Lingling Gu didn't have any other issues, the others didn't think much of it. After all, who would have thought that a companion, who had expelled spiritual impurities with them multiple times, was actually a novice from another world.
"Son, are you hungry? Mom will take you to eat something delicious later," Lingling Gu shifted away from her negative emotions and noticed that her older son's mood had improved significantly. Ignoring the boy's resistance, she just picked him up. "Were you worried about Mom just now? Although you always have a stern face, Mom knows that you still care. But you have to change this poker face problem; it won't do when you grow up and get married. Are you going to keep a straight face on your wedding night too?"
Looking at her affectionate and witty son, whose features were delicate and refined despite his poker face, Lingling Gu couldn't help but laugh. But her son didn't see it that way. With determination, he reached out his small hand and pushed Lingling Gu's face away.
The group found a breakfast shop, but since it was still early, there were not many people there, only a kind and friendly old shopkeeper.
Each of them ordered a bowl of wonton, but there was a sudden silence at their table. Lingling Gu, now bold and exuberant, slammed the table and said, "Owner, bring us a plate of pork buns, all meat."
The owner was startled, thinking that Lingling Gu, looking fierce, was trying to rob him, but he was surprised to find out that she just wanted a plate of pork buns. Shaking his head, he thought that young people nowadays liked to startle others.
Lingling Gu confidently ordered the meat buns and let out a sigh as though she had done something remarkable. Usually, they had to think twice even before eating a pancake, but now, ordering a plate of pork buns felt like a treat.
Sitting on the side, a cute-looking girl nervously rubbed her hands. "Lingling, is this appropriate? Just eating a bowl of wonton is good enough..."
"Nianwei, why are you so stingy? Since Lingling ordered it, she must be treating us," said a graceful young man as he took out a small copper mirror from his pocket, carefully adjusting his hair with his slender fingers. "I say, Erlan, don't play dumb. The money we extorted earlier, no, exchanged with our lives, where is it?"
The conversation was interrupted when a mysterious and beautiful girl entered and ordered a hearty breakfast. Lingling Gu was joined by Er Lan and Nianwei.
The text seems to be part of a story or novel, and it is quite lengthy. Due to the platform's character limitations, I have translated the beginning portion. If you would like the entire text to be translated, please let me know and I can assist further.
The true name of Er Lan is Lan Ruzhi, just because he looks very much like a woman. According to the current term, he should be the sacred symbol of being flamboyantly effeminate.
Er Lan was combing through his messy hair, blinked his eyes, and didn't realize the mystery in Gu Lingling's words, looking bewildered: "Shouldn't we keep this money to give to the pavilion?"
The author has something to say: The reason why the fierce ghosts are so easy to talk to is because there is a big BOSS there, and they dare not disobey. However, Gu Lingling has embarked on the road of being the business backbone and working hard to earn money to raise her son from then on. The question of whether her son is supporting her or she's supporting her son, well, it's hard to say~~ Thank you, little angels, for casting your votes and nourishing me~