The Gusu Mistake - Chapter 14

“Is there anywhere else you want to go?” Though Ruyi hadn’t appeared, Widow Zhou knew she could hear her.

After a long silence, just as Widow Zhou thought Ruyi wouldn’t answer, a voice came: “I want to see the sunrise!”

Widow Zhou looked towards the sky. Without hesitation, she agreed: “Okay!”

There was no shortage of places in the fields to watch the sunrise. Widow Zhou found a clear spot and took out the small bottle: “Come out!”

Ruyi appeared, stood beside Widow Zhou, and looked at the rising sun: “This sunrise is indeed beautiful!”

“You… did you ever see a sunrise before?” Widow Zhou asked with hesitation.

“I have, and I haven’t,” Ruyi said with a bitter smile. “When I was very young, I had endless chores. If I was a little slow, I would be scolded…”

“Your life has been truly bitter,” Widow Zhou said. Just then, a ray of sunlight hit her face, and she became worried: “The light is getting stronger. Will… will you be affected?”

“I should go now,” Ruyi didn’t say much more, giving Widow Zhou a smile. “Thank you!”

After saying this, Ruyi transformed back into a wisp and hid in the small bottle.

Widow Zhou looked at the small bottle for a moment, then carefully put it away: “I’ll take you back.”

“Are you really at ease letting them go like that?” As night fell again, Jiang Yilan, who had been waiting with Yuan Ruo for a day and a night, asked lazily.

With a blade of grass in her mouth, Yuan Ruo leaned against a tree in a relaxed manner: “What is there to be uneasy about?”

Jiang Yilan counted the blades of grass in her hand and said casually: “Aren’t you afraid they’ll run away?”

Yuan Ruo countered: “Can they run?”

Jiang Yilan thought for a moment and nodded: “It seems they really can’t.”

“Instead of worrying if they’ll run or not,” Yuan Ruo laughed, “you’d better start thinking about finding a husband for that woman!”

“This…” Jiang Yilan laughed awkwardly: “You’ll have to help me with this!”

“What does this have to do with me?” Yuan Ruo ignored her: “I won’t get involved!”

“How is it not related to you?” Jiang Yilan stopped counting the grass. “That… that was because you, the Taoist nun, wanted to catch the evil spirit, and I made that promise to help you!”

“Heh!” Yuan Ruo folded her arms: “Even if you didn’t make that promise, I could have found it in a moment’s time.”

“So you’re saying I’m meddling?” Jiang Yilan rolled her eyes: “Sigh! I’ve met an ingrate!”

“Pfft!” Yuan Ruo laughed: “Alright, why such a big reaction?”

Jiang Yilan shot a glance at Yuan Ruo: “Hmph!”

“Sigh!” Yuan Ruo deliberately sighed loudly: “I just said it has nothing to do with me, not that I wouldn’t help. I just don’t know how to help.”

Jiang Yilan’s expression improved: “How to help? Find a man for her!”

“You can’t just find anyone,” Yuan Ruo smacked her lips. “She’s already had a bitter life. If she entrusts herself to the wrong person again, her remaining life will be ruined!”

“That’s true,” Jiang Yilan continued counting her grass. “Actually, for a person like her, if she had a place to live securely, not finding someone should be fine.”

“She’s not like you and me,” Yuan Ruo said. “Though your family life was complicated, you had the opportunity to cultivate the power to protect yourself. She doesn’t. Without anyone to depend on, it’s hard for her to survive.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yilan looked at Yuan Ruo with curiosity: “Did you really train in the mountains since you were a child? How do you know so much?”

“My senior brothers told me,” Yuan Ruo said. “They always go down the mountain for worldly experiences, and they would tell me everything they saw and heard.”

“Wow!” Jiang Yilan showed admiration: “Your senior brothers are so kind. It’s a shame they’ve all become monks, or so many women could find happiness!”

“They’re just practicing Taoism, not renouncing the world. If they find a fated person, they can still get married,” Yuan Ruo looked at Jiang Yilan with a smile. “What? Are you aspiring to it? How about I take you up the mountain someday to meet my senior brothers?”

“Let’s not,” Jiang Yilan scratched her neck. “I don’t want to hold anyone back!”

“How would you?” Yuan Ruo said. “My senior brothers are all very easy to get along with!”

Jiang Yilan asked: “What kind of Tao do they practice? Is it the Tao of eternal life?”

“How can the Tao of eternal life be so easy to practice?” Yuan Ruo said. “They are very skilled, but they still have to go through birth, old age, sickness, and death. Don’t worry, they won’t be that different from you.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Yilan winked: “Does that mean you can also get married?”

“Me?” Yuan Ruo thought for a moment: “Speaking of marriage, yes, I can. But…”

Jiang Yilan pressed on: “But what?”

Yuan Ruo raised an eyebrow: “As people of the martial world, why must I get married? If I can lift you into the Han family for my brother, why can’t I lift someone into my own home?”

“Pfft!” Jiang Yilan couldn’t help but laugh: “What? You want to ‘marry’ a husband and bring him home?”

“Why not?” Yuan Ruo looked at Jiang Yilan: “Or it doesn’t have to be a husband.”

“If not a husband, what is it?” Jiang Yilan was puzzled: “Could it be you want to ‘marry’ a wife and bring her home?”

“Heh, not that either…”

“Two masters!”

The two were talking when Widow Zhou suddenly appeared, interrupting them.

“You’re back?” Jiang Yilan asked Widow Zhou.

Widow Zhou nodded: “I was supposed to come back earlier, but… but I took her home for a visit!”

“Home?” Yuan Ruo frowned: “She…?”

“She only went back to take a look; she didn’t do anything else!” Fearing Yuan Ruo’s misunderstanding, Widow Zhou quickly explained first.

“Okay,” Yuan Ruo nodded, then reached out her hand: “My thing, give it back to me!”

Widow Zhou handed the small bottle over. The moment Yuan Ruo took it, Ruyi appeared.

Yuan Ruo put away the small bottle: “Your wish has been fulfilled. You shouldn’t linger anymore, right?”

Ruyi nodded slightly: “Please, Master, help me pass on!”

“Come with me!”

Yuan Ruo motioned Ruyi to follow her, telling her to sit on the ground in the middle. Then she set up a formation, made some hand seals, and pasted some talismans.

“Though you are innocent, your hands are stained with blood. On this journey, I will guide you to the Path of Oblivion. Whether you fear or suffer, please remember that all is karma. If you can endure it, you can be reborn clean and pure, free from the suffering of this life!”

“I understand,” Ruyi smiled faintly: “Thank you for your guidance, Master!”

“Good!” After instructing her on everything, Yuan Ruo began to chant and cast her spell. As a faint glow appeared on Ruyi’s body and she gradually faded away, everything was completed.

“Is she… going to be reborn?” Seeing Ruyi slowly disappear completely, Widow Zhou asked.

“Perhaps,” seeing Widow Zhou’s confused and worried look, Yuan Ruo explained further: “When her karma and sins are cleansed, she will naturally enter the cycle of reincarnation. The King of Hell will decide her fate on this journey!”

“Oh,” Widow Zhou nodded, then opened and closed her mouth, hesitating several times.

“Are you asking about finding a husband for you?” Jiang Yilan asked Widow Zhou.

Widow Zhou pursed her lips and looked down: “I don’t want to live in fear anymore, worried that someone will come to my house every night.”

“I know your difficulties. Don’t worry, I will never go back on my promise!” Jiang Yilan said, pointing her chin at Yuan Ruo: “This Taoist immortal will also help you!”

“I…”

“Hmm?”

Yuan Ruo wanted to say something, but Jiang Yilan’s raised eyebrow stopped her.

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