In the flower fields, figures began to appear. At first, they were just blurry outlines, but they gradually became clear.
The little skeletal evil spirit who had been tightly embraced by the woman earlier had now actually restored her appearance from when she was alive.
She wore two long braids and a faded, coarse cloth tunic. Barefoot, she stepped onto the stone slabs of the Naihe Bridge, turning her head to wave and smile at someone behind her.
Not far away, a gray-haired woman walked tremblingly onto the bridge, her face filled with love and tenderness.
She squatted down, picked up her daughter, and held her in her arms, gently resting her chin on the girl's head.
The little girl hugged the woman's neck, burying her small face in the crook of her shoulder with a sweet smile on her lips.
Standing on the bridge, the mother and daughter bowed three times toward Yun Shu, then hand-in-hand walked into the Mirror of Samsara at the head of the bridge.
Once upon the Naihe Bridge, all past lives were forgotten.
Entering the Mirror of Samsara, destiny was rewritten.
Yun Shu watched the mother and daughter disappear, feeling a deep resonance.
“I didn't expect the Naihe Bridge to have this function. There's no need for me to make any Mengpo soup at all.” She withdrew her gaze and looked back at the flower field where so many bones were buried.
“Since Suisui and her mother could generate souls and reincarnate, the others should be able to as well.”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, palm facing up.
Without using any skills from her outfits, golden specks of light flew from her palm and landed in the flower fields, guiding the stray, floating specks of light to gather and take shape.
Before long, more people appeared in the flower fields.
The scholar Qiao Xun, whose tragic fate had pained even Yun Shu, walked out from a new grave beside the flower field. His robes were as clean as new, with no blood on his shoulders and no wounds on his face.
He raised his head, looking toward the distant palace, and caught sight of the figure standing amidst the flowers.
Then, he bowed deeply from afar.
Before they knew it, dozens more people appeared in the flower fields.
There were young and old, men and women, all ordinary commoners who had been tricked up the mountain by the bandits, tortured, and buried alive.
Their clothes were ragged but did not look wretched. Though their faces were somewhat pale, their expressions were peaceful. Every single one of them bowed deeply in Yun Shu's direction.
From beginning to end, no one spoke a word.
“Go on.”
Yun Shu spoke softly.
The Soul-Enthralling Flowers swayed in the wind as person after person walked from the flower fields onto the Naihe Bridge, entering the Mirror of Samsara.
Perched on Yun Shu's shoulder, the little fox watched the last person disappear into the Mirror of Samsara and said with emotion, “Host, the paper people of this world have gained souls. This means they have become real humans. You are truly amazing.”
Yun Shu scooped it into her arms and asked, “Then has this world also become a real world?”
The little fox shook its head. “Even though the people in this world are real, the world itself is still fake.”
Scratching its head, it added, “Actually, I don't really understand these things either, because turning illusion into reality is something only the Great God can do.”
“You'll have to slowly figure this out on your own.”
“I'm sorry, Host, I can't help you with this.” A trace of guilt flickered in its foxy eyes.
“It's fine. You've already helped me a lot.” Gazing at the Avici Hell, Yun Shu said softly, “As for the rest, we can only take it one step at a time.”
“Human effort can achieve anything.”
She had never feared a powerful enemy.
Whether facing the frequent natural disasters of this world or the unfathomable Great God the system spoke of, she believed she would always find a way to defeat them.
Seeing that Yun Shu seemed lost in thought, the little fox raised a fluffy little paw and patted her shoulder.
“Host, what should we do next? Why don't you choose a few people to be underworld messengers in the Underworld?”
“Actually, I think that Qiao Xun would have been a good choice. Unfortunately, he already entered the Mirror of Samsara and is probably about to be reborn. I wonder if he'll reincarnate as a boy or a girl.”
Yun Shu snapped out of her thoughts.
“Whether a boy or a girl, I will ensure that when they open their eyes, they will no longer see a world in chaos.”
The plan to reclaim the south had to be put on the agenda.
But before that, there was still one more thing to do.
Her expression paused slightly, and she added, “This Avici Hell has its own self-operating rules. The ghosts who come here with sins will be thrown into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, while those who have committed no great evils only need to cross the Naihe Bridge to settle their past karma before they can enter the Mirror of Samsara and reincarnate.”
“Let's go.”
“The Avici Hell doesn't need us.”
...
Yanping City.
Shen Yu watched the golden light of Cang Mountain slowly fade. Just as he was about to listen to the soldier's advice and return indoors to rest, he saw a dark-gold carriage approaching from the horizon. It was surrounded by several golden-armored heavenly soldiers, looking majestic and magnificent.
“That is the Divine Lady's carriage, it's the Divine Lady...”
He looked up at the carriage in the sky.
The commoners in the city also saw the carriage in the sky and instinctively knelt on the ground, kowtowing incessantly.
“May the Divine Lady protect us...”
A clamor of kowtows and prayers rang out.
The dark-gold carriage and the golden-armored heavenly soldiers slowly descended onto the open ground outside the Governor's estate in Yanping City. Shen Yu and the officials of the Governor's estate quickly rushed over to welcome the Divine Lady's arrival.
“We respectfully welcome the Divine Lady...”
Everyone knelt in unison before the dark-gold carriage, showing no trace of disrespect, only profound reverence.
After a long while, the Divine Lady still did not emerge from the dark-gold carriage. The crowd only heard a cool, clear voice.
“Qiao Yue, step forward.”
In the crowd, Qiao Yue, whose name had been called, was slightly startled.
Then, prompted by those beside her, she hesitantly stood up and walked to a spot three paces away from the dark-gold carriage.
“May I ask what the Divine Lady commands?” She asked, carefully weighing her words, her face filled with nervousness.
This was the first time she had ever been so close to the Divine Lady.
“This object is from your elder brother.”
Before Qiao Yue could react, a scroll flew out from the dark-gold carriage and landed in her hands.
Qiao Yue held the scroll blankly with both hands, tears streaming down her face without her realizing it. She couldn't help but kneel and beg, “Divine Lady, I beg of you, please save my brother...”
After saying this, she realized she was being presumptuous, and her voice grew softer.
Her brother was not the only one who had died tragically on Cang Mountain; there were also many other innocent people.
If she begged the Divine Lady to save her brother,
what about the others?
“Life, death, illness, old age, and the cycle of karma are all ordained by heaven. Your brother has already entered reincarnation. You should let go of your obsession and not let your brother's well-meaning intentions go to waste.”
Before her voice faded, the dark-gold carriage in front of the Governor's estate soared into the air under everyone's watchful eyes, flying toward the horizon.
Shen Yu gazed at the carriage, unable to look away for a long time.
Indeed, just as he had thought, the Divine Lady would not interfere too much in the life, death, illness, and old age of mortals.
“Qiao Yue, don't be too sad. Didn't the Divine Lady say that Qiao Xun has already reincarnated?”
Sun Jiao helped the distraught Qiao Yue up.
“Yes.” Qiao Yue hastily wiped her tears away with her hand.
Then, she unrolled the scroll.
Upon seeing the content on it, her eyes suddenly widened, filled with disbelief and shock.
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