The paper figurine senior sister was genuinely worried for Piao. After all, disciples of the Corpse Soul Sect controlled corpses and refined souls; they were accompanied by corpse guards and lived alongside malevolent ghosts, a path often misunderstood by many.
The feeling of being loathed by those close to you was never easy to bear.
Hearing those words, Piao’s body stiffened.
She looked down at her hideous, terrifying arms and torso, a clear sense of confusion flickering in her eyes.
She was still digesting the Locust Mother's corpse. Suppressing the Locust Mother already consumed all her mental effort, making even crude disguise techniques difficult to perform.
She wanted to go back, but she was afraid her mother would not recognize her, would fear her, and would abandon her.
This thought made her once-firm steps turn hesitant.
She stood in place, caught in a tangle of conflict.
The longing to go home and the fear of being rejected by her only kin fought a fierce battle within her.
This was a dilemma she had never encountered before.
Jiang Ziang sighed and stepped forward.
He looked at Piao’s inhuman form, which nevertheless revealed a hesitation no different from a human’s. His voice softened, carrying a complex sense of comfort.
"Miss Piao, let's go together."
Jiang Ziang’s tone was sincere. "Someone who truly loves you will not fear you just because your appearance has changed.
"As long as you are still you, and as long as you still hold your mother in your heart, I believe she will certainly accept you."
His words were half meant as comfort and half born from a lingering sense of pity.
He had seen that ugly old woman in Huangshawo before. The copper poison had entered her body, and the infection was too deep; she likely didn't have much time left.
He feared that Piao might delay her journey by agonizing over her appearance and end up missing her mother’s final moments.
That would be far too cruel.
Piao raised her head and stared at Jiang Ziang for a moment.
The struggle in her eyes eased slightly, and the urgent longing for home regained the upper hand.
She no longer hesitated. She nodded and repeated in her raspy voice, "Back to Huangshawo."
Jian Huaishuang also took the invitation letter solemnly handed over by the great elder and put it away safely.
The chaos in Kushi County had stabilized for the most part. He needed to return to report to the god, so he traveled with Jiang Ziang, Piao, and the others toward Huangshawo.
The paper figurines were all manifestations of his ability and could not leave him for long, though maintaining their activity for a short period was not a problem.
Jiang Ziang had used cloth to wrap Piao from head to toe like a mummy, leaving only her eyes exposed, which made her walk a bit clumsily.
The closer they got to Huangshawo, the more hesitant Piao’s steps became.
She lingered at the village entrance, staring at the familiar, dilapidated earthen house, actually afraid to step forward.
She felt the trepidation of returning home.
"Go on, Miss Piao," the paper figurine senior sister encouraged softly. "Your mother is waiting for you."
Pushed along by the group of paper figurines, Piao took a breath and gathered the courage to push open the wooden door.
Inside the house, the Ugly Hag was surprisingly conscious, leaning against the headboard.
Her face had an unnatural flush, and her eyes were much clearer than usual.
But both Jiang Ziang and Jian Huaishuang could see that this was merely the final rally before death; her internal organs had long since been riddled with holes by the copper poison.
Seeing Piao wrapped up like a bundle, a flash of realization and heartache passed through the Ugly Hag's eyes.
She struggled to raise a hand, her voice gentle. "My silly girl, you're back."
She slowly reached out and gently removed the slightly comical hood from Piao's head.
Then, bit by bit, with extreme patience, she unwound the cloth strips wrapped around her.
The dark, hideous insectoid armor, the abnormal arms, the distorted face, and the mandibles that were still dripping saliva were all gradually exposed in the dim light.
Piao instinctively recoiled, turning her head away, afraid to look into the Ugly Hag's eyes. Blurred syllables emerged from her throat, for she did not know what to say.
The Ugly Hag, however, seemed not to see the terrifying appearance. Her hand was steady as she stroked Piao's cheek, her movements as gentle as if she were touching a fragile treasure.
"Silly girl," the Ugly Hag's voice was calm. "We've lived together for so long. It’s not like your mother didn't know... that my silly girl isn't human."
"How did you end up like this?"
Piao's body jerked violently, her pupils constricting suddenly.
She didn't know how to explain.
The Ugly Hag's hand remained gentle as she continued, her tone devoid of any strangeness, filled only with deep warmth. "Don't want to tell me? It doesn't matter."
She looked into Piao's eyes. "No matter what you become, you are my daughter.
"I was the one who taught you to speak bit by bit, taught you the way home, and taught you how to be a person. Do you know, silly girl? You are my daughter."
With just those words, Piao's tensed spirit shattered.
Human emotions surged forth like a bursting dam.
The cold insectoid armor could not block the warm touch, nor could it stop the soul's trembling.
Large tears rolled down, dripping onto the Ugly Hag's withered hand.
She sobbed—no longer a beast-like low growl, but the cry of a child who had suffered and finally found a shoulder to lean on. She cautiously embraced the Ugly Hag.
The Ugly Hag held her back, gently patting her back just as she had comforted her after nightmares during countless nights in the past.
After a long time, perhaps sensing her life slipping away, the Ugly Hag gently pushed Piao back and wiped the tear stains from her face with her sleeve.
"Silly girl, I’m afraid I won't be able to stay with you much longer."
Piao shook her head violently, her tears flowing even more fiercely.
"Don't cry," the Ugly Hag forced a smile, continuing to settle her final affairs.
She truly could not bear to leave behind the monstrous child she had raised.
But sometimes, fate is just so.
Piao was drenched in tears, only able to nod helplessly. The immense grief and the fear of losing her only kin left her at a loss.
Seeing this, the nearby paper figurines turned away, avoiding disturbing this final moment of warmth.
However, Jian Huaishuang spoke up after a moment of quiet contemplation, breaking the sorrowful atmosphere.
"Miss Piao, if you do not mind the form of existence, I can transform your mother into a paper spirit, similar to those of the Corpse Soul Sect.
"Though she would not have a body of flesh and blood, her consciousness would remain, and she could stay by your side."
He intended to explain the pros and cons of being a paper figurine in detail—such as losing the physical senses of flesh, being unable to wander too far from him, and the unique nature of the form.
However, before he could finish his sentence, Piao had already spun around and slammed her knees onto the ground before Jian Huaishuang. She kowtowed three times with heavy thuds.
When she lifted her face, her forehead was stained with dust. She pleaded hoarsely, "Please."
Jian Huaishuang was startled by her move, which was so sincere it bordered on reckless.
Unaccustomed to such scenes, he turned slightly toward the Ugly Hag on the bed, his voice returning to its usual steady tone.
"This method ultimately turns one into something non-human. I wonder what the old lady’s wishes are?"
The matter with the Corpse Soul Sect had been an emergency; after all, not everyone was willing to accept a non-human form.
Hearing this, there was no fear on the Ugly Hag's face. Instead, she revealed an unusually peaceful smile.
Though she was ugly and weathered by life, she was not like an ordinary village woman—neither shrill nor timid.
Instead, she possessed a gentleness and restraint that had settled after enduring many hardships.
The Ugly Hag always spoke in a refined, gentle manner. "This sickly body of mine has long been beyond medical help, just lingering on the brink of death."
Her voice was peaceful, and her eyes were clear. "If I can use another form to stay with my silly girl a while longer, I would ask for nothing more. Why would I mind?"
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