Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Sun Zichu suddenly fell ill and his soul left his body, then suddenly recovered and woke up. This matter had nothing to do with Juan Shoutian and the others. They just happened to see Sun Zichu turn into a parrot, felt something was wrong, caught the bird, and then went to the Sun family.

Even without them, the parrot, inhabited by Sun Zichu's soul, can safely fly back home and be resurrected.

However, because their appearance was so striking, Sun Zichu, whether he was still groggy from just regaining consciousness or something else, didn't explain himself after being misunderstood.

Because of this incident, the woman who rushed to the Sun family forgot her mission. In the end, the Sun family realized that she was a servant of a local wealthy merchant, and that Sun Zichu had some entanglements with the daughter of the wealthy merchant.

After Sun Zichu regained his soul, he turned back into a mortal and could no longer see Xi Fangping, just like everyone else. As the only remaining soul, Xi Fangping used this advantage to go to the inner room and approach Sun Zichu on the bed.

He heard what the Sun family said. Both of them had experienced astral projection, but Xi Fangping forced his soul out of his body by forcing himself to stay half-dead without eating or drinking. Sun Zichu was different; he seemed to have amnesia. He had inexplicably lost his soul once before, and his soul had even floated up to that wealthy merchant's house.

As he got closer, Xi Fangping saw the other person's hand tightly gripping the embroidered shoe and noticed a very gruesome scar on the side of the palm, right next to the little finger.

Although Sun Zichu had woken up, he seemed to be in a daze, sitting on the bed clutching his embroidered shoes, constantly muttering "Abao, Abao," as if he had lost his soul again.

The people around him didn't seem surprised at all; they seemed to have gotten used to him doing this.

"Master, that young master Sun..."

Xi Fangping came out of the inner room and explained Sun Zichu's situation to the two of them. Because only Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang could see him, to others, it looked like the two of them were turning their heads in the same direction and looking in that direction. But if you looked at them together, you couldn't see anything.

After hearing Xi Fangping's words, Yuan Wuxiang glanced towards the inner room and then asked the others.

Who is A Bao?

"It's our young lady. Oh, and she also instructed..."

The servant of the wealthy merchant replied; to be precise, she was the old woman who took care of the merchant's daughter, A Bao, and that A Bao had sent her this time.

The reason she came was because of Sun Zichu and the parrot he had transformed into. She had remembered that she had met Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang at the door, but she was so shocked that she forgot about it.

Now that the important matter was remembered, the old woman hurriedly went to find Sun Zichu, because the last time she lost her soul, it was at the other party's house. Everyone could see what kind of feelings Sun Zichu had for Abao, so the Sun family did not stop him.

Judging from the old woman's hurried manner and the Sun family's attitude, the embroidered shoe that Sun Zichu was clutching like a treasure probably belonged to A Bao.

As soon as A Bao's name was mentioned, Sun Zichu's past deeds were brought up. The Sun family was not wealthy, but Sun Zichu was a well-known scholar in the area. In addition to his talent, he had a very special feature: he was born with six fingers.

"Six fingers? But I just saw Young Master Sun..."

The first thing Sun Zichu did after waking up was to grab the embroidered shoes. He could see clearly that the man had five fingers on both hands, but thinking about the scars on the sides of his palms, he had a guess.

This conjecture was confirmed by the Sun family's explanation: he did indeed have six fingers before, which were recently cut off. At the time, the wound was bleeding profusely, and he almost lost his life.

...Should we just cut him down directly? This guy is ruthless.

The reason for cutting off his finger was also related to that Ah Bao. At that time, a wealthy merchant was looking for a husband for his daughter, but he couldn't find anyone he was satisfied with. Sun Zichu was persuaded by his friends and impulsively went to propose marriage.

He was quite famous, but the Sun family was poor, and the other party was a big merchant who looked down on him. Abao even joked with the matchmaker that he would agree as long as he removed his illegitimate finger. The matchmaker knew that this meant he was unwilling, so she took the message back.

Who would have thought this person would be so ruthless, actually cutting off his sixth finger? Later, A Bao said that Sun Zichu needed to get rid of his "foolishness." At this point, Sun Zichu's mind calmed down, and he realized that A Bao had never intended to agree and that he had been instigated by others. In the end, the matter was dropped.

The two families were vastly different, and they should not have crossed paths again after this incident. However, during the Qingming Festival this year, some of Sun Zichu's friends took him out for a trip. When he returned, he was disoriented and his soul was lost. They called for his soul for three days before they learned that his soul was at A Bao's house.

Finally, the Sun family hired a shaman and persuaded the other side to also go to their home to retrieve Abao's soul. However, Sun Zichu had never been to the wealthy merchant's house during the Qingming Festival, so no one knew how the soul was lost unless the person involved told them.

Although his soul was brought back, the amnesia was not cured. Afterwards, Sun Zichu often lost his mind, but fortunately he did not lose consciousness. This time, his entire soul suddenly left his body, and the symptoms were even more frightening than the first time. The Sun family began to panic.

"No wonder."

After hearing about Sun Zichu's past deeds, Juan Shoutian suddenly understood. After learning that the parrot was raised by the Sun family, he became suspicious of the things on the parrot.

"The leg band on that parrot's leg is pure silver."

The parrot possessed by Sun Zichu's soul, besides carrying an exquisite embroidered shoe in its beak, had a pure silver anklet on its leg. The workmanship was exquisite, and it was clear that only a very wealthy family would use such an item. Ordinary people would at most put an iron ring on their parrots.

The parrot belongs to the Sun family. They don't have the financial means to get such a pure silver leg band. The children also said that the parrot didn't have a leg band when it came back to life and flew away; it only got one this time when it flew back.

Sun Zichu didn't wake up immediately after his soul left his body; there was a period of time in between. This time was enough for him to go to someone else's house and bring back an embroidered shoe. A Bao's family were very wealthy merchants, and the silver ring was probably tied to the parrot by that Miss A Bao.

Just as they guessed, the old woman went in to inquire about the embroidered shoes. After all, they belonged to the young lady, and she couldn't let him hold them like that.

But when the topic of embroidered shoes came up, Sun Zichu said they were "items of oath," saying he would never forget A Bao's promise. The old woman couldn't understand these things, and seeing that the man was a bit crazy, she could only go back to report first.

"It seems we have nothing to do with this. Young Master Sun's astral projection was not due to persecution. Let's continue."

Yuan Wuxiang tapped his palm with his silver fan, making a crisp sound. Sun Zichu's soul leaving his body was a complete byproduct of lovesickness. It was quite convenient for his soul to fly to A Bao's house.

This might be a bit inappropriate, but this is Liaozhai. In stories like Sun Zichu and A Bao's, A Bao will definitely marry him in the end, and then Sun Zichu will pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. It's a fixed pattern.

The whole incident had nothing to do with the three people who were passing by; it was just a minor episode. However, from the conversation with the Sun family, they learned that the Sun family was already in the south. From there, they didn't need to go any further south; they only needed to go a little further west to reach the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

"Can longing really cause one's soul to leave one's body? But my heart is concerned for my father's safety, why can't that be?"

"Perhaps it's due to different physical constitutions."

Sun Zichu was going to his sweetheart's house, which was somewhat different from Xi Fangping's plan to visit his father in the underworld.

Upon hearing that he would soon be able to reach Guanjiang Estuary and meet Erlang Shen, Xi Fangping once again asked the two to take him flying directly. Many times, he felt that he was no different from when he had a physical body, except that he was not hungry or sleepy, and ordinary people could not see him.

Even if his soul was fragile, he had endured all kinds of tortures in the underworld. He felt he could withstand a little bit of strong wind. Even if he felt uncomfortable along the way, how could that discomfort compare to the torture his father endured day and night?

"Are you sure? A soul is different from a physical body. We don't have any objects for you to reside in, and facing strong winds directly is not a pleasant experience."

"The sooner my father sees Erlang Shen, the sooner he can be freed from his suffering."

Xi Fangping remained steadfast. The two of them checked the distance and felt that they had gone about the right path, so they agreed to the suggestion and flew directly into the sky with him, transforming into a streak of light on the horizon.

They slowed down a bit to make sure they could see some of the scenery, but even so, they almost collided head-on with a convoy of vehicles.

The scene was very strange: the two people and one soul were flying in mid-air when they collided with a group of vehicles that were also flying in mid-air.

The people on the other side were very nervous because of the sudden appearance of these people. This group of people was making a big show of their way in the sky, with a ceremonial guard in front and bodyguards behind. Other gods knew that they were people who could not be messed with, so they kept their distance and did not come to collide with them. Who would have thought that someone would run into them halfway.

But compared to the tension of the guards at the front of the convoy, things were much more relaxed here, and they were even in the mood to joke around.

"Friend, do you think our accident was a car crash or a plane crash?"

"It was just a chance encounter."

The fact that they met at this time and place indicates that they were heading to the same destination: Guanjiang Estuary.

After both sides stopped, the other side realized something was wrong. Xi Fangping was clearly the soul of a mortal, and there was no way he could be here. As for the other two, although they were dressed in gorgeous clothes, one in gold and one in silver, as if they were draped in rosy light, it was not the kind of attire that most immortals would wear.

Sensing that something was amiss, the leader of the group went to the back of the carriage to report the situation. There was a sedan chair being carried by more than a dozen servants, and a young man dressed in fine clothes was sitting in the sedan chair. Hearing his subordinates describe Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang's appearance, he became curious and had them invited over.

The moment the two sides met, the young man could tell that no one else could recognize their origins, because they were not from this world at all.

"I had heard that an immortal from beyond the realm had come here, but I never had the chance to see him. Now that I see him, he is indeed extraordinary. May I ask where you two are headed?"

"Go to Guanjiang Estuary and seek justice from Erlang Shen."

Upon hearing this, the young man in the sedan chair became interested. Was this an outsider seeking justice from a local deity?

"I was just about to go find Erlang Shen. How about we discuss this matter of seeking justice in detail?"

"This matter requires the parties involved to come forward."

Yuan Wuxiang tapped Xi Fangping on the shoulder with his silver fan and pushed him forward, signaling him to speak. Seeing the impressive procession and the extraordinary attire of the young man in the sedan chair, Xi Fangping assumed he was of noble status. Now, having received Yuan Wuxiang's hint, he recounted his entire ordeal.

No matter who hears Xi Fangping's story, no matter how many times they hear it, they will be amazed. When the young man heard that even the King of Hell had accepted bribes and tortured him severely, his expression turned serious for a moment, but then returned to normal.

"I see. Why don't you gentlemen come with me to find Erlang Shen?"

Rather than going alone, where you might not be able to find the entrance to the mansion, it's much more reliable to go with this young man who clearly has an extraordinary background. Besides the wrongful conviction of Xi Fangping, the young man is also very curious about Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang.

As he got closer, he realized that the two could not be considered "immortals" at all; they were more like cultivators who had not yet attained enlightenment. However, the power they possessed was comparable to that of many gods and immortals, which was quite peculiar.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the convoy gradually descended to the ground. As they reached an intersection, shrouded in mist, the outline of a magnificent mansion came into view in the distance. Dozens of officials were waiting by the roadside, clearly there to welcome the convoy.

Upon seeing this, the young man alighted from his sedan chair and instructed the three men to follow him. These officials treated the young man with great respect. Now, regardless of which side they were on, they were all dressed in fine clothes and exuded an air of grandeur. Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang blended in without appearing out of place.

Xi Fangping glanced at the leading official. Unlike the other officials in long robes, this man was wearing armor and a civil and military sleeve. Xi Fangping felt that he looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen a similar person somewhere before.

At this moment, the young man asked the official to step forward and pointed at Xi Fangping.

"Someone here wants to complain to you. You must help them distinguish right from wrong and not let the visitors from afar laugh at them."

At the end of his sentence, the young man emphasized the word "joke".

If it were just the King of Hell accepting bribes, the young man wouldn't be so angry. Corruption in the underworld isn't exactly a secret; the system is what it is, and it's inevitable that some problems will arise. As long as it doesn't go too far or become too ugly, it's fine.

But this time it's different. Even the highest Yama King has been bribed and lost his impartiality. And this shameful thing was encountered by an outsider. Now, even people outside this world know that the underworld is unreliable.

Upon hearing this, Xi Fangping suddenly realized why he felt a sense of familiarity; the official's attire resembled that of many Erlang Shen statues.

Xi Fangping took out the petition written by Dou Xu and couldn't help but wonder, if this official was Erlang Shen, then who was this young man who was being treated with such respect?

He couldn't help but ask the people around him, because most of the people here were dressed in gorgeous and dazzling clothes. Xi Fangping knew that it would not look good to blend in, so he followed behind and did not go in with Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang.

In his view, these two people seemed to be of equal status to these deities, while he was just an ordinary person who had received special treatment, so it was really inappropriate for them to walk together.

It was only then that Xi Fangping realized that the young man they had encountered was the son of the Jade Emperor, known as the Ninth Prince. No wonder Yuan Wuxiang had pushed him in front of the young man; they had unintentionally found someone who could overpower the King of Hell.

The wrongful conviction of Xi Fangping and the suffering of Xi's father under persecution finally have a glimmer of hope for a fair trial.