“So that time, all the other officials were either exiled or beheaded, only Master Wang was merely stripped of his wealth and demoted to a local position. But soon, the bad consequences of the wish also came – the snake demon wanted to steal the soul artifact, the real Ranqing and the snake demon swapped bodies, and Master Wang learned all the secrets.” Yusang suddenly understood and finished explaining everything in one breath. She was quite pleased with herself for being so perceptive, but before she could feel happy, she immediately received a withering look from Yan Qige.
“More importantly, the soul artifact was lost.” Yan Qige added. Yusang was surprised and somewhat indignant, looking at Yan Qige with skepticism. Seeing he seemed very certain, she turned her gaze to Madam Wang to ask if it was true.
Madam Wang was also quite surprised by Yan Qige’s statement, though not shocked. Her expression showed confusion and some admiration as she nodded, “Correct, the soul artifact was lost that day.”
“I not only know the soul artifact was lost that day, but I also know it was lost in the snake demon’s belly. I imagine that in the chaos of the scene, while you were fighting the snake demon, she swallowed the soul artifact. But then the snake demon and Ranqing accidentally swapped bodies, so the soul artifact remained trapped in the snake’s body and couldn’t be retrieved.”
Hearing this, everyone showed expressions of shock. Madam Wang looked at Yan Qige with even greater astonishment, and after a long while said, “Young master’s words are entirely correct. But this matter was never told to outsiders – even my son doesn’t know the details. May I ask how you came to know this?”
“I guessed.”
Yusang immediately pouted upon hearing this and muttered quietly, “Playing mysterious again. Would he die if he didn’t show off his cleverness?”
Though her voice was small, Yan Qige still heard it. He immediately narrowed his eyes and gave her a dangerous warning look. Yusang quickly pressed her lips together and pretended to be a well-behaved demon.
“I never understood before why the Wang family had been keeping a snake demon all these years, nor why the snake demon, having escaped years ago, would come back to risk trouble if she was afraid of the old madam killing her. For the former, I could perhaps understand that you felt you owed her something, though knowing she was no longer human, you couldn’t bear to kill her. But for the latter, the only reason would be that there was something in the snake’s body that both parties wanted to obtain. Something with such attraction could only be that soul artifact. The snake demon desperately wanted the soul artifact but was afraid of Madam Wang and didn’t dare show herself, so she wanted to use demon hunters to kill Ranqing, giving herself a chance to retrieve the soul artifact from the snake’s body.”
…
…
“What does this have to do with the murder cases in the city?”
“Naturally, there’s a connection, and a very significant one. The details would be better explained by Madam Wang herself.” Yan Qige looked at Madam Wang.
From Yan Qige’s expression, Madam Wang knew he already understood everything from beginning to end. His not saying it himself, but letting her explain was merely to avoid offending her. Grateful and politely nodding, she said, “I am sixty-six years old this year. It’s been over half a year since my sixty-fifth birthday. Saying this, young master surely understands already.”
Yan Qige nodded.
Yusang didn’t understand and found these riddles tiresome to guess. She wanted to ask again, but was blocked by Yan Qige.
“How did Steward Wang die?” Yan Qige asked.
“He saw something he shouldn’t have seen, so I had no choice but to kill him to silence him.” Old Madam Wang replied.
“So you’re willing to confess to these crimes?”
Madam Wang nodded, her eyes showing guilt. But she said nothing more, turning to raise her wrist and lightly pinch her fingertip. A drop of blood oozed from her fingertip. She let the blood drop onto the silver pin, then placed the pin flat in her palm and lifted it upward. The pin emitted silver light and rose into the air, releasing a sheet of silvery-white radiance.
“I beseech the Soul Keeper Elder to appear before us.” Madam Wang bowed her head respectfully.
Immediately, a blinding light emerged from the center of the silver radiance in the air. Yusang instinctively turned her head and raised her hand to block the intense light. When she carefully lowered her hand to look again, she found there was now a woman in white clothes in the room.
Amid the firelight, the woman held a silver flute and floated in the air. Her silver-gray long hair hung straight down past her feet, intertwining and swaying with the flames, her entire being emanating an ethereal glow.
“Soul Keeper Elder, it is her.” Yusang thought to herself. Though she had already suspected it was her when entering the barrier, seeing her in person still couldn’t help but shocked her again.
Madam Wang prostrated herself before the Soul Keeper Elder, bowing in respect, “Elder, I know I have committed great sins and dare not hope for forgiveness. I only ask that you spare my son. I am willing to submit to whatever punishment you decree.”
The Soul Keeper Elder stood serenely in the firelight with a slight smile, “Our contract fulfilled your wish – one wish, one karmic retribution – we owe each other nothing. But I never expected that after your natural lifespan ended, you would be unwilling to leave the mortal world and use the soul artifact’s power to harm innocent lives, draining their essence and blood to extend your life. Such a heinous crime against heaven’s way cannot be forgiven – only soul annihilation can end this.”
Hearing these words, Madam Wang looked up in despair at Magistrate Wang kneeling beside her. She tremblingly reached out to stroke his temples, but seeing him remain motionless like a stone sculpture, tears couldn’t help but well up in her eyes.
“Being your mother for a lifetime, I couldn’t bear to leave you. I thought everything was for your good, but never expected that in the end I would harm you instead.”
“Madam…” Lu Ranqing seemed about to speak but was stopped by Madam Wang’s raised hand. “Saving you back then was just a moment of compassion. I never treated you as close family, yet you sacrificed your entire life for the Wang family and my son. I only hope that after this matter, you can be reincarnated and have a good fate in your next life.”
Lu Ranqing pressed her lips together and wept silently. Madam Wang no longer looked at her, turning her gaze to the Soul Collector lantern Yan Qige carried. “I’ve heard that the Soul Collector lantern is a sacred object of the Fengjian Clan. Two thousand years ago, the founding emperor exterminated the Fengjian Clan, and all Soul Collector lanterns were burned. Only one survived in the world because it was possessed by the departed souls of the Fengjian Clan, making it invulnerable to water and fire. If someone is willing to offer their soul to the Soul Collector lantern as a sacrifice to guide the Fengjian Clan’s departed souls, they can request one favor from the soul guide. Is this true?”
Yan Qige didn’t speak, only slightly blinking his starry eyes to indicate affirmation.
Seeing this, hope flashed in Madam Wang’s eyes. She walked a few steps toward the calm-faced Yan Qige and knelt in respect, “It was I who couldn’t let go of the mortal world and used the soul artifact’s power to drain yang souls and blood essence to extend my life. I know my sins are deep, and I must die here today. I only ask that you protect my son’s safety. I am willing to offer my soul as a sacrifice.”
Offering one’s soul as a sacrifice was something more terrifying than soul annihilation. Soul annihilation was merely death – if one was lucky, perhaps a wisp or half of the scattered soul might remain somewhere, and after thousands of years, might still have hope of reincarnation. But if one’s soul was used as a sacrifice, it was like permanently selling one’s soul, suffering endless torment in the world with no hope of rebirth for all eternity.
Hearing this, both the snake demon and Yusang, being demons themselves, couldn’t help but be shocked. Yan Qige, however, appeared unusually calm, as if he had expected this all along.