Chapter 5 — Resurrecting a Millennium of Love

Now can we speak? I was burning with such fierce anxiety that my heart felt as though it were wrapped in flames. The grand master and the Daoist priest led us into a small side chamber, carefully latching the heavy wooden door behind them before finally breaking the silence. It is like this, they explained: the lingering resentment clinging to him originates directly from your past life. In that former existence, you were a formidable military general who slaughtered countless enemies upon the battlefield. Though every blade was drawn to protect the country and its people, those lives snuffed out by your hands were still human lives. A life must be paid for with a life, and the accumulated grievances piled up around you as high as the mountains. The sheer weight of your karmic debt was so monumental that upon death, your soul could never enter the cycle of reincarnation; instead, you were condemned to plunge straight down into the depths of the underworld to suffer endless, agonizing torments. Only when every single ounce of your murderous karma has been completely purged can your soul ever hope to be reborn into a new life.

I—I harbored lingering resentment upon my soul? I whipped my head around, staring up at So Can in absolute disbelief. No wonder... No wonder he had spent three thousand long years refusing to step foot into reincarnation. After you fell in battle, So Can sought me out. That stubborn young man knelt right before me, begging me to transfer all of the resentment clinging to your soul directly onto his own spirit. He declared that he would willingly endure every single torment of the underworld in your place. At first, I flatly refused. Every soul must bear its own burdens, and the laws of cause and effect apply to all equally. But that boy was entirely too obstinate; he knelt outside my great hall for three solid days and nights, stubbornly ignoring every piece of advice anyone offered. In the end, he drove me utterly mad with his endless persistence, and I had no choice but to give in.

So Can—he had descended into the underworld in my place. He had suffered those agonizing punishments for me. The truth echoed inside my ears like a sudden clap of thunder, leaving my head ringing and my mind completely hollowed out. My heart throbbed with a pain so intense it felt as though the sharpest blade was slicing through it, piece by agonizing piece. My throat felt parched and dry, rendering me entirely incapable of uttering a single sound. Why? Why would you willingly shoulder all those bloody debts for me? I clenched my fists so tightly that my fingernails dug deep into the joints of my fingers, desperately fighting to keep my voice from trembling.

So Can remained silent for a long, quiet moment before letting out a soft sigh, reaching out to pull me tightly into his warm embrace. The moment I caught sight of the imperial preceptor, I knew this secret could no longer be kept hidden. Do not be sad. In my past life, I stood at the very pinnacle of power, standing beneath only one yet towering above millions, and yet I was forced to stand by helplessly and watch the person I loved march toward certain death without any way to stop it. Ensuring that your soul could be purified, allowing you to step into reincarnation untainted by karmic resentment, was the only thing I could possibly do for you. It does not matter now; all of that is safely in the past. So Can murmured, gently stroking my back over and over again in a soothing, tender motion. I buried my face deep against his chest. How could it possibly not matter? That was—the unimaginable torture of the underworld. How could any human spirit possibly endure—

Does it hurt?

It does not hurt. So Can pressed his forehead gently against mine, his voice soft and low. I cannot even clearly remember it anymore.

It does not hurt my ass! The grand master rolled his eyes fiercely, glaring at him. You endured it for three whole thousand years until your nerves were utterly numb, that is what happened! There has been strange turbulence in the underworld recently, and if my calculations are correct, you must have managed to slip away and escape, am I right? Using a mere spirit body to walk among the mortal realm means your resentment is no longer suppressed. Before long, your entire soul is going to shatter into tiny, scattered fragments.

A shattered soul... No. Absolutely not. I would never let such a tragedy happen. Even if I had to trade my own life for his, I would not hesitate for a single second. So—is there any possible way to fix this? I asked, my voice deadly serious. Can the resentment be transferred back onto me?

Psh, do you think this is some kind of child's play? You think you can just toss it back and forth like a ball? The Daoist priest shook his head, jutting his chin outward as if I were telling some ridiculous joke. But—So Can suddenly reached out, pulling me firmly behind his back while giving a slight, gentle shake of his head. He turned his gaze toward the grand master, asking in a low, somber tone: How much time do I have left?

So Can! I blurted out in sheer panic.

Aiyah, these young people nowadays are always far too impatient. Calm down first. The grand master raised a hand in a placating gesture, then pointed directly at me. The resentment itself cannot be transferred away again, but—she still possesses a vast store of accumulated merit. Although her past life was steeped in heavy murderous karma, her fundamental nature has always remained kind. Throughout her subsequent cycles of reincarnation, she has performed a great many good deeds, and the store of virtue she has accumulated is by no means small. If we transfer her merit over to him, the lingering resentment in his body will be forcibly suppressed, and under the purifying influence of that virtue, it will gradually dissolve away. Once the resentment is completely eradicated, he will finally be able to enter reincarnation just like any ordinary person.

I agree!

Absolutely not! The grand master and I spoke in unison.

Why on earth not?! I was so panicked my voice cracked into a sharp, piercing pitch.

So Can planted himself firmly in front of me, his gaze resolute and unyielding. Will transferring this merit have any negative impact on Ah Nhan?

As for that... The grand master stroked his wispy beard, answering in a casual, detached tone. It is nothing all that major. It just means... she will be rather unlucky for a while. For instance, she might easily trip while walking down the street, choke while drinking water, cough awkwardly while eating rice, fail to win a single lottery ticket, and completely abandon any dreams of striking it rich. Just general things like that.

...Only that? I had never won the lottery in my entire life, nor did I harbor any grand ambitions of making a fortune. I reached out, tugging at the fabric of So Can’s robe while glaring up at him fiercely. You waited for three thousand years—was it not precisely so you could finally be with me? If you dare refuse to let me agree to this, the moment your soul shatters, I will immediately commit suicide right after you. I will not even go to reincarnation. I will march straight to the King of Hell to settle accounts, forcing him to obliterate my soul completely so the two of us never have to suffer through meeting again in the next life. When I say I will do it, I mean it. You can think it over yourself.

So Can’s expression twisted into something extraordinarily complex. He remained in dead silence for a long, agonizingly long time before finally lifting his gaze to look back at the grand master. Is there truly... no other hidden side effect?

You brat, do you seriously dare doubt my words? The grand master glared, puffing out his cheeks so hard his beard fluttered. Let me remind you, if you had not once called me your master back in the day, I would never in a million years bother sticking my nose into your tangled mess of trouble!

He abruptly turned around and landed a sharp kick on the Daoist priest, who had been sitting comfortably in the corner eating melon seeds and treating the whole affair like an entertaining stage play. Stop eating, you ancient fossil! Get up and go to work!

So Can... was still right here. He had climbed his way back up from the depths of the underworld and finally found me. Trembling all over, I reached out my hands to grip tightly onto his shoulders, exerting every ounce of strength I possessed to feel the chilling yet utterly familiar warmth of his body as I repeated apologies over and over again. I am so sorry... it is my fault for not being strong enough. It is my fault for failing to keep my promise... leaving you to suffer in crushing loneliness for all those countless years. My throat felt painfully scorched, my words lodging firmly in my windpipe until I could do nothing more than clutch desperately at the front of his robes.

So Can lowered his head, pressing gentle, lingering kisses into my hair, inch by painstaking inch. It was not that you were not strong enough—it was me... I was the one who failed to protect you. Even after becoming a mere ghost... I still had to rely on your accumulated virtue to save my own existence. The useless one has always been me.

I broke away from his embrace, my voice rising in a furious shout. No! You—

Oh my goodness, alright, alright! The two of you can stop wallowing in this overly dramatic sentimentality! If you want to be all sweet and sappy, go take it back to your own home!

I whipped my head around to see the grand master sitting by the far wall alongside the Daoist priest, casually munching on melon seeds while eagerly watching the dramatic conclusion unfold.

...Then, did the formation just now actually succeed? Has my merit... been successfully transferred?

The grand master gave his leg a casual shake. Naturally. Such a trivial little formation is hardly difficult at all. Congratulations to the both of you; feel free to continue your eternal tale of romance between the living and the dead!

So Can gently supported me as I regained my footing, lowering his head to offer a deep, formal bow of gratitude. Many thanks to the two masters.

The Daoist priest waved a dismissive hand. Oh, spare me the formalities. Say, are either of you interested in purchasing some talismans to ward off bad luck? I swear, these are genuine articles with immediate effects, remarkably potent!

Instantly, tension seized my muscles. Has the lingering resentment not already been suppressed? What on earth is there left to be unlucky about?

The Daoist priest shrugged nonchalantly. It is not for him—it is for you. Did you forget? You are currently afflicted with the absolute pinnacle of supreme misfortune. You should buy a talisman; at least it will buffer the bad luck by half, preventing something like accidentally slipping and tumbling down a cliff to your death, for example.

I: ......

The grand master roared with laughter, not offering a single word of rebuttal.

How much? I asked.

The Daoist priest held up six fingers.

Fine, six yuan is six yuan. Give me one hundred sheets, I replied without even blinking.

The Daoist priest: ?

After a fierce round of haggling that resembled a chaotic chicken coop during a storm, I... successfully purchased one hundred anti-misfortune talismans for the grand total of six hundred yuan. Whether the effects were real or not, slapping them all over myself first was definitely the safest bet.

Following a roller coaster of life-and-death emotional turmoil, my entire body felt completely drained of energy. Fortunately, however, the ultimate conclusion of our journey was a wholesome and complete one. Leaning heavily against So Can’s side, I stumbled my way down the mountain path. Hubby, you truly drew the short straw by following someone as poor as me to live such a hard life.

So Can paused in his tracks, blinking in surprise. What did you... just call me?

I batted my eyelashes playfully. Hubby! That is what people call each other in modern society. Or would you perhaps prefer that I address you as my lord and husband? I reached out to twirl a long strand of his dark hair, wrapping it securely around my fingertip. My lord and husband works too, though I never once called you that in our past life. Back then, when things were pushed to the absolute brink of despair, I had always simply screamed his name directly.

So Can’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his arm tightening instantly around my waist to pull me even closer against him.

Before he even had a chance to utter another word... a wild boar suddenly burst out from the dense underbrush nearby, charging aggressively straight in my direction like a runaway freight train.

What in the absolute heavens is this?! Since when do wild boars roam around tourist paths like this?!

I stood frozen in place like a wooden statue. So Can reacted instantly, yanking me behind his back while one of the anti-misfortune talismans slipped loose from inside my clothes, fluttering directly through the air until it plastered itself squarely across the charging boar’s eyes—

The beast stumbled awkwardly for a few stumbling paces before veering violently off course and smashing headfirst into a thick clump of bushes.

I: ......

I cannot believe it, but that money was genuinely worth every single cent.

Are you alright? So Can asked, his face etched with worry.

I shook my head. I am fine, just a little startled. The temple security guards should be arriving soon, so let us keep walking down.

Just as we reached the foot of the mountain, a young woman dressed in an adorable mascot costume approached us, holding a brightly decorated lucky draw box in her arms. Hello there, sirs! We are staff members from the Crimson Lotus Hotel, currently collaborating with White Cloud Temple to host a special promotional giveaway event. Anyone who visits the temple is eligible to draw a lucky prize! Would the two of you like to try your hand at it?

A lucky draw? Forget it; I was already well aware that my level of bad luck had long since breached divine proportions. Instead, I gave So Can a gentle nudge. You draw it.

He reached into the box casually and pulled out a single slip—printed clearly across the paper were the words: GRAND PRIZE.

The staff member shrieked with sheer delight, leaping three feet into the air before scurrying off frantically to fetch the massive prize package.

I stared in utter disbelief. This level of fortune...

Could it be... because all my accumulated merit was transferred over to you, my bad luck transferred too, leaving you with... god-tier levels of fortune instead?

So Can thought about it for a moment. That is quite likely the case.

Ha! I burst out laughing, leaping directly into his arms and planting a resounding, echoing kiss right on his lips. That just goes to prove—the two of us were naturally made for each other, perfectly compatible down to our very last cells, do you know that?

[The End]