Judge of Souls - Chapter 77

When Chu Xuanliang saw that they weren’t paying any attention to what Taoist Master Xuanyi had said, he could only remind them, “I’m sorry, but Qianyuan Temple cannot help you. Please seek assistance elsewhere.”

Mr. Zhu responded in confusion. “What?”

Chu Xuanliang: “Please seek assistance elsewhere.”

“My daughter is really being haunted by a ghost, isn’t she?” Mr. Zhu said excitedly. “My daughter is only fourteen! What could she have done wrong? Please believe me, this must be a misunderstanding. Don’t abandon her. I know you have a solution! Please, Taoist Master, convince your master again.”

Chu Xuanliang said, “Since my master has already spoken, he must have his reasons. I’m sorry, but in our Taoist sect, there are some things we cannot do.”

“And what you cannot do is save people?” Mr. Zhu was both angry and anxious, pointing at Zhu Yan and saying: “She’s only fourteen! She’s still a minor! She’s usually very obedient, does well in school, and all her teachers like her. What wrong has she done to deserve such punishment? Have some pity on her.”

Mr. Zhu loved his daughter dearly. He pulled Zhu Yan forward, placing her hand in front of Chu Xuanliang, and said, “Taoist Master, please look. She keeps saying her body feels itchy, as if something is constantly scratching her. It’s been almost a month! She keeps having nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night, screaming, and losing emotional control. I’ve consulted over ten Taoist priests and taken her to more than twenty hospitals, but nothing has worked! Now she can’t go to school or anywhere else. She stays locked in her room all day and has scratched herself into this ghostly state. If this continues, she won’t be able to take it anymore. Yesterday she tried to kill herself. She’s just a child, she’s innocent! Taoist Master, how can you stand by and watch her die?”

Chu Xuanliang said regretfully, “Mr. Zhu, when our temple says we cannot help, it means we are unable to help. Our skills are insufficient. I sincerely apologize.”

Mr. Zhu continued to plead, “Your temple clearly can relieve her suffering. Taoist Master, even the law protects her. I’m willing to pay a high price—five hundred million isn’t enough? Then a billion. As long as you save her, I’ll pay anything.”

Chu Xuanliang said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Zhu, but when we Taoists deal with ghosts, we don’t follow the Minor Protection Law. Sometimes it’s underage little ghosts causing trouble. How would you account for that?”

Zhu Yan hugged Mr. Zhu, sobbing quietly, “Dad, please save me. I really can’t go on like this anymore. Dad…”

Mr. Zhu felt heartbroken.

Zhu Yan rarely had moments of comfort, and Mr. Zhu was unwilling to give up this opportunity. Despite Chu Xuanliang’s attempts to reason with him, he eventually had to forcibly remove them from the back courtyard and close its gates.

If they wanted to stay in the temple, let them stay. They couldn’t stay forever.

****

After sending them away, Chu Xuanliang went back to ask Taoist Master Xuanyi about what had just happened.

“Master, why did you refuse Mr. Zhu?”

At his age, Taoist Master Xuanyi loved children the most. He had a special fondness for small things, especially cases of minors being haunted by evil spirits. He would help every case he encountered and never refused.

“Don’t get involved. Getting involved in this matter would harm your spiritual merit,” Taoist Master Xuanyi sighed. “A person who makes mistakes can be forgiven. But if they never repent or show any desire to do good, I cannot save them. Saving her would harm others, and what about those others? I cannot bear that responsibility.”

Chu Xuanliang understood. From seeing Mrs. Qin and her daughter Zhu Yan today, it was clear they were not innocent. They were probably used to bullying others and had finally stirred up serious trouble. At this point, rather than seeking Taoist priests to exorcise ghosts, they should try being good people.

Chu Xuanliang said, “But that old ghost today—leaving it be doesn’t seem right.”

“That’s not an old ghost; that’s an ancestor summoned by someone else’s family,” Taoist Master Xuanyi said, his beard twitching as he snorted. “Really… they’ve angered someone so badly that their ancestor jumped out of the coffin. Since it was approved and decided by King Yama, we shouldn’t interfere. They don’t want to take her life; they just want her to repent and admit her wrongdoing.”

Chu Xuanliang suddenly understood.

So it was a judgment from the underworld. Indeed, cultivators in the mortal realm shouldn’t interfere. No wonder Mr. Zhu had consulted over ten Taoist priests, all of whom chose to stand aside. Even the Taoist Master from Baiyun Temple had left in frustration.

All one could say was that those who do evil will eventually face retribution.

Taoist Master Xuanyi added, “By the way, I haven’t purchased underworld insurance either. Ah, my good disciple, you’ve reminded me—next time you see Jiang Feng’s little brother, remember to ask for your master: does the underworld sell insurance?”

Chu Xuanliang: “…”

The biggest threat to his master’s longevity wasn’t age but his mind.

****

Mr. Zhu’s family was resting in the main hall at the front. They had bought a recliner and placed it at the entrance, where Zhu Yan had finally managed to fall asleep.

The weather had started to get hot, and Zhu Yan was sleeping with sweat all over her face, her brows tightly knitted, her expression full of pain. Mr. Zhu felt heartbroken, not understanding how things had become like this, and sighed deeply.

Qin Ru was using a small battery-powered fan bought from the supermarket to cool her daughter, while discussing with Mr. Zhu, “Husband, we can’t go on like this. Look at you—what charity? Donating what money? After doing so much charity and saving so many people, in the end, no one is willing to save your daughter. I finally see it clearly: coldness is human nature. What do you understand?”

Mr. Zhu remained silent.

Half for company public relations, half for accumulating karmic merit for himself. What did she know?

Qin Ru cried. “Husband, let’s forget about these so-called orthodox Taoist priests and monks. I think they’re all just empty reputations. Yan Yan is still so young, and they can be so heartless—what kind of Taoist priests or monastics are they? You used to say I was wrong, but now see for yourself.”

Mr. Zhu was tired of her nagging and asked loudly, “Then what do you want to do?”

Qin Ru stopped fanning and said directly, “Let’s offer a reward. Whoever can cure Yan Yan gets the money! Isn’t there a saying that a generous reward will attract brave people? I don’t believe it—are all the capable people in the world just pretending in Taoist temples?”

Mr. Zhu was displeased and interrupted her, “We’re in front of the temple—watch what you say! Don’t you see Yan Yan can be comfortable here for a while? The deity statues here are very efficacious!”

Qin Ru was reminded by him and suddenly remembered this.

Since Mr. Zhu had gotten older, he had become especially devoted to Buddhism, while she was generally indifferent. She had no great reverence for deities but would burn incense and recite scriptures for peace of mind. However, she didn’t take any gods seriously.

Qin Ru inexplicably felt anxious, handed the fan to Mr. Zhu, and decided to go in and offer incense as a remedy. She had just stood up and taken a few steps when she suddenly fell flat, as if something was pressing on her back, causing her face to smash directly into the cement ground. Her hands barely had time to brace herself, but facial injury was unavoidable.

Qin Ru raised her head in pain and found herself directly facing the statue of Celestial Master Zhang in the center of the temple.

She froze, somehow feeling that his lips held a mocking smile.

“Wife!” Mr. Zhu ran over to help her up. “What happened? Are you okay?”

When he saw Qin Ru’s face, he cried out again and immediately let go of her hand.

Qin Ru quickly covered her nose and got up, saying, “Doctor! Car! Take me back!”

Two bodyguards came forward to escort her back. Meanwhile, Zhu Yan was awakened by the noise and called out, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Mr. Zhu pounded the ground, crying out in despair: “What is all this?!”

****

Mr. Zhu was at his wit’s end and finally followed Qin Ru’s suggestion, using his connections to spread the word: five hundred million to any Taoist priest who could cure his daughter, with another five hundred million if the cure was confirmed.

As expected, many people came shortly after the news spread.

Some were from legitimate Taoist temples, some were wandering practitioners coming to take a look. Others were less orthodox but somewhat capable renegades.

Zhu Yan had been staying outside the temple, accompanied by two bodyguards. After Mr. Zhu started looking for Taoist priests, he brought her back home.

After seeing her, two-thirds of the monks and Taoist priests left immediately. Another group was generally not skilled enough and couldn’t see the root of the problem. In the end, only two Taoist priests, one monk, and one exorcist witch doctor remained.

The old ghost haunting Zhu Yan was initially scared when so many cultivators arrived and immediately hid. After the orthodox cultivators left one after another, leaving only unscrupulous practitioners, he became even more afraid to approach.

Zhu Yan finally got a moment to breathe and seemed to have genuinely improved.

Mr. Zhu and Qin Ru were overjoyed. After such a long period of tension, their spirits relaxed, and they hugged Zhu Yan and cried happily.

Seeing that these people could actually suppress the ghost, Qin Ru finally felt at ease, but with this peace of mind came different feelings.

Indeed, just like in martial arts novels, so-called orthodox practitioners were all hypocritical.

She had been so greatly humiliated by Jiang Feng and Qianyuan Temple—it was a lifelong shame she could never forget. Now that she no longer needed to beg others for help, wasn’t it time for revenge?

She didn’t need to do much. She tidied her hair, went online to post on Weibo, and simultaneously had her assistant contact marketing accounts for promotion.

Qin Ru had been out of the entertainment circle for a long time, but her name was still well-known. Once infamous and despised by all, after so many years, she had somehow whitewashed herself.

Audiences changed from generation to generation. Young girls would envy her, be jealous of her, believing that her lifestyle was wonderful. Those who didn’t know the truth would follow the media in admiring her, praising her, feeling that she had endured undeserved criticism and was a persecuted woman in that terrible era.

She had integrated into high society, becoming a successful person in the eyes of the world.

This was probably what they called “laughing at the poor but not at the prostitutes.”

Qianyuan Temple was famous in A City, regularly distributing free porridge to citizens and giving lectures. During disasters, they also actively donated money. Attacking them without evidence might cause questioning and backfire. Qin Ru knew this was not feasible.

Since Chu Xuanliang was friends with Jiang Feng, she decided to transfer all her anger to Jiang Feng and started slandering him.

Qin Ru: I’ve cried several times these past few days. Originally, I wanted to let it go, but I still can’t swallow this anger. @JiangFeng, don’t you feel guilty for attacking an underage girl suffering from depression? @A University, students like this will only become society’s poison!

Not long after she posted, netizens followed her lead and expressed outrage.

“What? What happened?”

“Attacking someone with depression? Beast!”

“@A University. Can you explain this?”

“Who is this Jiang Feng? So bold? Haven’t you heard of our Sister Qin? Did a donkey kick your brain?”

Qin Ru loved the feeling of being praised and pursued by the public, which was why she entered the entertainment industry in the first place. She could issue commands from a high position, and her humble fans would thank her for any trivial favors and irrationally speak for her.

She continued posting messages at a leisurely pace.

Qin Ru: I was at A University for an interview recently and didn’t dare leave my daughter at home, so I brought her along. But somehow my daughter offended @JiangFeng and his roommate, who humiliated her. Her mental state is now very unstable, and she’s been depressed since returning home. I don’t know what to do. Jiang Feng, please apologize!

Netizens immediately erupted:

“So can we curse him now?”

“Let’s curse. I’ll go first. @#$%^”

“Hope you get depression soon, @JiangFeng”

“Request this guy’s photo.”

“Damn, I see a fellow student.”

“@A University!”

Her Weibo post had been up for less than half an hour when various marketing accounts, having coordinated, began to forward it.

Just as online discussions were starting to create ripples, Kong Su unexpectedly jumped in with her hot temper, posting several Weibo messages in succession.

Kong Su: Just opened Weibo and saw my friend. Oh my, I simply can’t stand it. Do you have any evidence, Auntie Qin? Still slandering people casually, true to form.

Kong Su: No one, regardless of who they are, has the right to casually slander and create drama based on their fame. You directly named him and his school in such a public place—what is this? Doxxing? Do you understand the law, Auntie Qin? Have you had any education? You’re not young anymore.

Kong Su: Auntie Qin, do you need me to find him for a confrontation?

Kong Su: If you really want to make such accusations, please describe the scene in detail, thank you.

Kong Su: I’m so angry it’s like being cursed again. Sorry, but that’s just who I am!

Now there was no need for anyone to drive the narrative; the heat increased exponentially.

With Kong Su’s intervention, netizens switched from outrage to quietly eating melon seeds (watching drama).

“Kong Su or Qin Ru—whose side are you on?”

“Damn, they’re both poisonous! Let’s raise a Gu King first. I choose the Gu King.”

“The key point now is choosing who’s the Gu King.”

“Kong Su is still young, really, please give the opportunity to the senior.”

“Seniors should nurture juniors. In this round, I’m with Kong Su.”

“Qin Ru is really rich, I’m with Kong Su.”

“Where are your values and arguments, you people? I’m also with Kong Su.”

“Honestly, if we’re comparing dirt, Qin Ru definitely wins. Thanks to someone who was blacklisted by mainstream media.”

“Different eras shouldn’t be compared. The entertainment industry was far less tolerant back then than it is now. Any cross-temporal comparison divorced from its historical context is nonsense, just so you know.”