A life of two souls traveling through time

Late at night in early summer, with the chirping of insects, croaking of frogs, and the humming of nightingales, the town was sleeping in peace, but a dim light was still on in the backyard of the Baiyunzhai bookstore. Shopkeeper Bai was wandering back and forth in the yard with his hands behind his back, a hint of anxiety on his gloomy face, and he was mumbling something inaudible. Not long after, he suddenly stopped, drank the glass of wine on the table, and then let out a long sigh.

At this moment, a candlelight suddenly lit up in the west room of the courtyard. As the shadows swayed, the door was gently opened and a woman walked out quietly. Looking at her husband in the courtyard, she hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and whispering:

"Why are you out here drinking in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Don't disturb the children!"

"Hmph, both of you sons are useless losers! You can't even find your own sister, and you still have the nerve to sleep!" Shopkeeper Bai ignored his wife's reminder, turned his head to glance at the two dark rooms to the east, and snorted coldly.

"That girl was hiding on purpose, how could she find her? Why are you blaming your son? You yourself didn't..."

"You keep talking!"

Before the woman could finish her words, Shopkeeper Bai raised his right palm with a ferocious look on his face and shouted at her.

The woman was so frightened that she lowered her head, took two steps back, and dared not say another word. She just wiped away her tears secretly.

"You stupid girl, you disappeared without a trace after leaving the Lin family. You even abandoned my own mother. You are such an unfilial daughter!" Shopkeeper Bai took another sip of wine, then clenched his fists and said with gritted teeth.

"What did she come back for? Will you let her have an easy life? Don't blame her for being unfilial. Ask yourself, do we love this daughter at all?" The woman sighed softly with tears in her eyes and couldn't help sobbing.

"What do you know about women's opinions? Go back to the house!" As soon as she finished speaking, she was scolded by her husband again. The woman had no choice but to stagger back to the house, but she still heard her husband complaining relentlessly: "For the past two years, haven't you, a woman, enjoyed the glory that the girl brought you by marrying into the Lin family? When you went out and were respectfully called Madam Bai, you didn't feel sorry for your daughter. Now you are pretending to be compassionate and pretending to be a loving mother? Bah! You have to think clearly. Without the Lin family, we will all be left with nothing in the future!"

After Shopkeeper Bai finished scolding, he ignored his wife who was crying and running back to the house with her face covered. He turned around drunkenly to urinate. After leaving the backyard, he turned into a dark alley on the left. In a trance, he caught a glimpse of a white shadow with disheveled hair. Shopkeeper Bai was frightened. He stopped in a hurry, rubbed his eyes, and looked carefully again. He was immediately frightened and stood there, with his mouth half open but unable to make any sound.

"Father, I committed suicide by drowning myself in the river three days ago. On my way to the underworld, I stopped by to see you one last time. My life has been miserable and short, all thanks to you. I will never forget your greed, selfishness, and heartlessness in my lifetime! I hope you will take care of yourself and receive retribution in the future!"

A white shadow with black hair covered his face, floating in the air and circling around Shopkeeper Bai. Sinister and hateful words lingered in his ears. Shopkeeper Bai was so frightened that his pupils dilated, his face twisted, and his whole body was sweating profusely. He wanted to escape but his legs were weak. He struggled but heard a thud and fell to the ground, his limbs twitching.

The next day, the Lin Mansion west of the town also fell into an inexplicable panic. Lin family servants came in and out, all with solemn expressions. Not far away, a few curious people gathered and whispered:

"What happened to the Lin family again?"

"I heard Mr. Lin hanged himself. The doctor came this morning and left soon after, shaking his head."

"Hey, why did you hang yourself for no reason?"

"I'm not sure. I heard it from a servant of the Lin family. The housekeeper of the Lin Mansion found Mr. Lin hanging in his study at dawn this morning. Unfortunately, he was already dead by then."

After these words were spoken, everyone looked at each other, then said nothing and just shook their heads in regret.

Da da da

Near noon, Lao Zhou, exhausted, led a horse into the town and soon stopped in front of a restaurant.

"Sir, are you here to have dinner or stay overnight?" The waiter came out with a smile and took the reins from Lao Zhou.

"Stay in the hotel and eat."

Old Zhou said this to the waiter with a smile, then walked into the restaurant leisurely. He found a table by the window and sat down. Suddenly, he heard the gossip of three people at the next table:

"Overnight, Mr. Lin hanged himself in his study after leaving a suicide note, and Shopkeeper Bai went crazy. Isn't that strange?"

"Doctor Liu personally went to Baiyunzhai to examine Shopkeeper Bai. He said that the patient had gone insane due to shock. Shopkeeper Bai kept muttering, 'I've let my daughter down, and I ask her to forgive me.'"

"Ever since Lady Bai and Mr. Lin divorced, she has been missing. Could it be that she really has committed suicide..."

"Alas, what a pity! White Snake must have been left homeless and died with hatred in her heart. After her death, she turned into a fierce ghost and came after the two people who hurt her the most..."

"Shh, don't spread this kind of talk!"

"That's right, as long as everyone knows it, it's always karma..."

Seeing that the people at the next table lowered their voices, Lao Zhou was no longer interested in listening. He had never believed in ghosts and gods, so he naturally scoffed at the idea of ​​revenge by evil spirits. He then pulled up a sneer at the corner of his mouth, shook his head, poured himself a cup of cold tea and drank it.

"Sir, please rest in this room." After lunch, Lao Zhou followed the waiter to a guest room upstairs.

"Good work."

After having a full meal and a drink, Lao Zhou felt sleepy. He nodded lazily to the waiter and pushed the door open. But the moment he closed the door, he suddenly smelled a familiar and tempting aroma, and he immediately smiled gently.

When Old Zhou turned around, he heard a whoosh sound. He quickly caught the teacup that was flying towards him and said to Honghua, who had appeared in front of the window, with a feigned anger: "You vicious woman, you murder your husband the moment you meet him!"

"Bah, you are so shameless! Who recognizes you as their husband?" Honghua glanced at him with an angry smile, then sat down at the table by herself.

"Hey, you're turning your back on me again!" Old Zhou muttered, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He sat down next to her and asked, "Where's Miss Si Yao?"

"That girl went to a nunnery with someone else." Honghua muttered after taking a sip of tea.

"What? What happened?" Old Zhou was shocked when he heard that. Seeing that his woman didn't look like she was joking, he frowned and asked in confusion.

"This is a long story. By the way, where did Youmei go?" Honghua changed the subject and asked about the most important matter.

"Don't worry, he didn't go to Southern Xinjiang, but to Shangjing City in Xiyue Kingdom. He heard that the Xiyue Emperor was assassinated during the Shangsi Festival. The assassin was killed on the spot. It was soon discovered that the assassin was secretly sent by Jingsong Kingdom. The Xiyue Emperor was furious, and the war between the two countries might be brought forward."

"It's good that the war started earlier. This way, Yingmen won't have time to take care of our affairs. By now, Xuanyu must have returned safely to the Poisonous Insect Valley." After hearing what Lao Zhou said, Honghua finally felt relieved.

"But if the two great nations of Xiyue and Jingsong go to war, the world will probably be in chaos."

"Isn't this inevitable? Those high-ranking people won't stop, so what's the point of worrying? It's just unnecessary worry!"

Old Zhou was immediately speechless. He was stunned for a moment, then lowered his eyes and smiled awkwardly.

Amidst a secluded forest lies a quaint and tranquil nunnery, its eaves covered in green tiles, its bells ringing in a jingle. Stone paths wind around the nunnery, ivy clambers over the white walls, and the courtyard is filled with lush ginkgo trees. Three distant and solemn bells echo from the nunnery, reverberating over the forest. Within the Buddhist temple, a solemn and serene atmosphere reigns. White Snake, peaceful in mind and body, kneels before the Buddha, receiving ordination from the abbot.

"Can you really give it up?" Si Yao and Hong Hua stood under the ginkgo tree in the courtyard, looking at Bai Niangzi's long black hair floating to the ground, Hong Hua sighed with regret.

"The prosperity of the world is fleeting. If you can find a place where you can feel at peace, it can be considered a relief." Si Yao also sighed softly.

"Does she know that I have avenged her? Those who hurt her have all received retribution in this life." After a moment of silence, Honghua continued to ask.

"She has let go of everything and no longer cares about the past. Those people, whether good or bad, are just passers-by on her path of cultivation." Si Yao nodded and then continued.

"Hey, let's leave early. I'm really afraid that if we stay any longer, you will also become a monk." Honghua was stunned after hearing this. After a while, he shook his head and sighed.

"Let's go." Si Yao smiled faintly at her and turned to leave.

"Just leaving like that? Without even saying goodbye?" Honghua followed closely behind and asked.

"No need, let's continue on our way."