Chapter 16: The Cruel Truth (1/2)
Translator: Dragon Rider
On the hilltop stood Old Master Zhu and He Zheng, the lower hems of their coats fluttering in gusts of wind.
He Zheng took the last handful of ashes in the urn and scattered them in the direction of the Spirit Mountain. Carried by the wind, the ashes soon disappeared in mid-air. Eyes brimming with tears, Old Master Zhu observed in a choked, hoarse voice, ”Our family believe in Wu Xian, the God of Divination. There is a tradition in our family that when a family member dies, their lamp shall be put out, and their body shall be cremated. Eventually, on the top of the Four Sides Hill, their ashes shall be scattered westwards, so that they can return to the Spirit Mountain. This is the destiny of every member of Zhu family. It has never crossed my mind that it would take Ningning such a long time to return to Zhu family... It took her fifteen years.”
Fifteen years before, Zhu Ning passed away, leaving young He Zheng helpless. Though born into a geomantic family, he had no spiritual power. It was even divined that he might die of presenility if he tried to cultivate. The house of He family, where he was regarded as a freak, was nothing short of the lion's den.
A wave of sorrow spontaneously swept over Old Master Zhu as he thought of this, tears flowing from his aged eyes. ”Poor boy, you've suffered so much during all these years.”
He Zheng shook his head. There hadn't even been the slightest change of his expression throughout the service. Ever since he caught sight of that jade pendant, this young man, who had been cocky for so many years, seemed to have converted to someone else.
Why was a jade pendant of Qiao family in the lacquered wooden casket of his mother? He had privately asked that tall thin young man beside Li Zong, but the look in Zu Zhichong's eyes had suggested that he didn't have the heart to tell him. Maybe it was because Li Zong had given him some kind of instruction. After hesitating for a while, Zu Zhichong still chose to tell him the truth.
That ancient jade pendant contained spiritual power and was of yin nature (Yin and yang are two concepts in Chinese philosophy, medicine, etc. They are two opposing principles in nature, the former feminine and negative, the latter masculine and positive). In most cases, pieces of first-class jade were made into spiritual vessels. Of course, in some other cases, they were made into evil vessels.
”The function of this jade pendant is... to improve the fortune of its owner by dint of the deceased. When placed in a cinerary urn, it can even continually absorb the residual 'Qi' of the deceased, nourishing the living,” Zu Zhichong explained.
He Zheng involuntarily clenched his fists with force so great that his nails sank deeply into his palms, slitting the flesh open. As if impervious to pain, he gazed emptily at the patches of fog floating ahead in mid-air.
He remembered that in the dream created by the Dream Eater, the last scene he saw was Qiao Peiyu smashing the cinerary urn containing her mother's ashes.
In the dream, Qiao Peiyu said that she wanted to make sure his mother could not rest in peace after death.
He Zheng was consumed with indignation and despair. He hated her. Never had he ever hated anybody so deeply. He had an urge to shout out loud. What he desired even more was a knife, with which he could kill that malicious woman.
What kind of lunatic would resort to venomous means of this kind to torture the deceased?
He Zheng abruptly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.