Feng Yunshu looked at the husband and wife with mournful expressions. They already had pale complexions, and now it seemed that the yin energy around them was about to turn into frost.
Then, Feng Yunshu glanced at their clothes and nodded sympathetically.
"Yeah, not long ago, the Little King of Hell was still complaining to me about being short of money. I see that the clothes you two are wearing haven't been changed for years... For people with an iron rice bowl like you to be this poor, it's more like a stone rice bowl, isn't it? It's really not easy..."
"Don't worry, though. Leave this to me. I can handle it for you."
"Really? Fellow Daoist Yunxi, how are you going to handle it? Do you know that this living soul is a stubborn one. We've come to the mortal world to look for her several times before, but she always managed to hide from us. It was not easy to get another chance this time."
"Yeah, the Little King of Hell gave us a strict order. If we can't bring the living soul back this time, our whole - year performance bonus will be deducted! If that really happens, we'll be left with nothing to eat..."
"Alright, alright. Don't worry. You won't have come in vain this time."
Saying that, Feng Yunshu took out several silver notes from her purse. "After the matter is settled later, I'll exchange the silver in the mortal world into silver notes of your underworld and give them to you as your hard - work reward."
Upon hearing this, the Black and White Impermanence's eyes lit up, and their faces showed joy. Seeing that the silver notes in Feng Yunshu's hand were real and of a large denomination, they quickly smiled. "Fellow Daoist Yunxi, this is so embarrassing... As the saying goes, one should not accept rewards without merit..."
"So, don't interfere in this matter with A Yun anymore. You'll just scare her. Let me handle it."
"Okay then. We'll leave this matter to you, Fellow Daoist Yunxi. My wife and I will go and handle other things first and come back later."
Feng Yunshu nodded. "Sure; I'll send you a message after I've settled the matter."
Only then did the Black and White Impermanence agree to leave temporarily. After making sure they had left, Feng Yunshu turned to look at A Yun and Qingzhu.
"Qingzhu, this matter needs to be resolved. Can you take me to see A Yun's physical body?"
Qingzhu looked at Feng Yunshu. After a long while, he finally responded and slowly nodded. "Okay, I can take you to see it."
A Yun could tell that Feng Yunshu really wanted to help her and Qingzhu, so she let down her guard and floated over. Looking at Feng Yunshu gently, she said, "Fellow Daoist, thank you for standing up for me and for being willing to help us. I know you're a good person."
Feng Yunshu looked at A Yun in front of her. Although A Yun was just a living soul at this moment, one could still vaguely tell from her outline that she had been a pretty girl when she was alive.
As the saying goes, beautiful women often have a tragic fate. She was indeed a pitiful girl.
Feng Yunshu curled her lips and smiled gently at A Yun. "Don't worry. I'll help you solve this problem properly. And I'll talk to the Little King of Hell later and ask him to let you be reborn into a good family in your next life, living a peaceful, happy, and worry - free life."
"Thank you!"
Qingzhu also let down his guard and led Feng Yunshu through twists and turns to a remote cottage. Just approaching this place, Feng Yunshu could feel a strong yin energy, which made one's hair stand on end.
Entering the cottage, she saw some candles and incense on the ground in the shape of a magic formation. In the center of the formation was an ice coffin.
Qingzhu pointed to the ice coffin. "A Yun's physical body is preserved in that ice coffin."
Feng Yunshu nodded. "You set up such a large magic formation and also had to keep A Yun's body from decaying. It should have cost you a lot of your demonic power, right?"
Qingzhu didn't say a word. His pale face was a silent admission.
A Yun looked at him and seemed to just understand. "No wonder you always break out in cold sweats at night and your complexion is getting paler. So that's the reason..."
"A Yun, it doesn't matter how I am. I'm already a bamboo full of scars. Pain means nothing to me."
"Qingzhu, you hid her here. Every time the Black and White Impermanence came looking for someone, you used your demonic power to hide A Yun's living soul so that they couldn't find her, right?"
Qingzhu slowly nodded. "Yes."
"For those girls you hypnotized, besides absorbing the yin energy in their bodies, did you do anything else to hurt them?"
Qingzhu shook his head. "I didn't do anything to hurt them."
"That's good..."
Feng Yunshu thought carefully. Qingzhu's actions couldn't really be considered harmful. In fact, it could even be said that he was helping people. Since women were prone to being cold and weak, those girls whose yin - cold energy had been taken away would become healthier and less sick.
Moreover, Qingzhu didn't do any other harm to these women. Instead, he had his subordinates safely send them back to their doorsteps.
"A Yun, are you willing to go to the underworld, cross the Naihe Bridge, drink the Mengpo's soup, forget your past life, and be reborn in the next life?"
Feng Yunshu looked at A Yun very seriously.
After hearing this, A Yun hesitated for a moment. She turned to look at Qingzhu beside her. "Qingzhu, I..."
Just by looking into each other's eyes, Qingzhu understood what A Yun was thinking.
At this moment, it seemed that he had also overcome the obstacle in his heart and let go of his long - held obsession.
"A Yun, you don't have to consider what I think. I did all this just to hope that you'll be well. You just follow your own heart and make a choice."
Here, Qingzhu paused slightly. "Remember, I only hope that you'll be well."
A Yun's heart ached, and tears welled up uncontrollably. Memories of the days when she and Qingzhu met and got to know each other flashed through her mind. Those scenes were like passing clouds, beautiful but ultimately doomed to fade away.
Overwhelmed with emotion, A Yun rushed forward to hug Qingzhu but passed through him because she was just a spirit.
"Silly girl, don't cry. If you cry like this, I'll be reluctant to let you go."
Qingzhu looked deeply at A Yun, and a sigh full of complex emotions escaped from his lips.
Looking at this scene, Feng Yunshu also felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Before she could fully immerse herself in the sadness, she suddenly felt a coolness on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw that Xiaoling had been crying her eyes out without her noticing.
"Master, why is it always so hard for lovers to get together? Qingzhu and A Yun clearly love each other, but in the end, they're separated by life and death... Qingzhu did all these things just for A Yun. It's so touching! Wuwuwu..."
Feng Yunshu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She stroked Xiaoling's head. "Hey, stop crying. Your tears have wet your beautiful fur. It doesn't look good anymore."
Hearing this, Xiaoling immediately stopped crying and quickly wiped away her tears. "Really? Does Xiaoling's fur look bad now?"
"You're really a silly girl."
Under Feng Yunshu's persuasion, Qingzhu was willing to let go. Finally, A Yun made a decision. She was willing to go to the underworld with the Black and White Impermanence, be reborn, and let go of her past.
"Since you've both made your choices, this matter will be easy to handle. Qingzhu, ask your people to remove this magic formation immediately. As for the yin energy here, I'll call my third senior brother later to purify this place."
"As for A Yun's physical body, it should be properly buried. I'll contact the Black and White Impermanence later and ask them to take A Yun to the underworld."