I really didn't expect that coming out to find a soul would be so troublesome.
But thankfully, it went smoothly, and I've found Dandan now.
It was also thanks to Miss Wen's help.
Otherwise, with the escape speed of these ghost children, Mo Ting and I wouldn't have been able to catch up so easily.
I secretly thought my cultivation was still too weak.
If my cultivation were a bit higher, and I knew even a little bit of soul-summoning art, I wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble.
Seeing Dandan wave to those ghost children, I said to Mo Ting and Miss Wen:
"Old Mo, Miss Wen, shall we head back now?"
Mo Ting and Miss Wen both nodded.
"Let's go! We've been at this for over half an hour."
Mo Ting wiped his sweat.
On the way back, Mo Ting and I quickened our pace, running whenever we could.
We tried to shorten Dandan's soul-returning time.
Since Miss Wen had asked Mo Ting and me to deliver a message for her, we were also a little curious about her past.
On the way back, as I ran forward, I asked Miss Wen:
"Miss Wen, how did you die?"
Miss Wen floated beside me. Hearing my question, she let out a long, mournful sigh:
"Falling rocks hit my head..."
After speaking, Miss Wen used her hand to brush aside her black hair from the top of her head.
With a look of sorrow and grievance.
It was then that Mo Ting and I noticed a large gash and an indentation on the top of Miss Wen's head.
She had been killed by falling rocks...
Miss Wen's fate was truly unfortunate.
Seeing Miss Wen's sad expression, I offered some comfort:
"Fate is decided. Miss Wen, don't take it to heart.
My master said that as long as one did no wrong during their lifetime,
after passing on, they will receive blessings and rewards.
In the next life, you will surely be wealthy and noble..."
Miss Wen, however, shook her head mournfully:
"I don't actually want to be wealthy and noble.
I just want to be with Dawei.
It's just that, in this life, we are destined to be apart..."
"Dawei," whom Miss Wen mentioned, was Miss Wen's boyfriend.
At the same time, Miss Wen also told us the events leading up to her death.
She said that both she and Dawei were orphans.
They had grown up in an orphanage, childhood sweethearts.
But even couples have disagreements and arguments.
Dawei had previously angered Miss Wen.
Five days ago, Dawei suggested taking Miss Wen hiking to clear the air and for her to forgive him.
However, as they were walking along a cliff path, several rocks rolled down from above.
Miss Wen noticed them first, reacting with lightning speed and pushing her boyfriend, Dawei, aside.
Dawei was saved, but she herself was struck in the head by the falling rocks, sustaining a fatal injury.
After she died, her boyfriend was extremely self-blaming.
He believed it was his fault that Miss Wen died.
He felt he was the one who should have died.
If he hadn't suggested hiking, and if Miss Wen hadn't saved him, Miss Wen wouldn't have died in that accident...
When he received the death certificate, Dawei completely broke down, kneeling before Miss Wen's body and repenting.
At that time, he almost jumped off the hospital building to end his life.
Fortunately, a few friends reacted quickly and saved him.
For the past few days, friends had been taking turns watching over Dawei, for fear he would do something foolish.
Miss Wen witnessed all these scenes.
She hadn't expected her death to cause Dawei so much pain.
She realized then how much Dawei loved her.
She even wished she could communicate with him.
To tell him not to do anything foolish, to tell him to live well.
Everything she had done was willingly.
And she never truly resented him for their earlier argument.
However, Dawei could not hear her speak, nor could he see her.
Instead, Miss Wen heard Dawei talking to himself several times.
He said to wait for Miss Wen, that he would soon end his life and join her.
This made Miss Wen extremely worried.
Because life can only be lived once, and she heard from other ghosts after her death that
if one committed suicide, they would not be able to be human in their next life, only beasts.
This truly terrified Miss Wen.
Dawei's door was adorned with door gods, and after Miss Wen became a ghost, she could not enter.
So, Miss Wen could only stand on the street, looking up at Dawei's house window.
How she wished she could tell Dawei.
To tell him not to do anything foolish, to live well, and not to feel guilty.
But she could not communicate with Dawei, nor could she ever touch him again.
Until tonight, when Miss Wen met Mo Ting and me.
Discovering that we could see her and even communicate with her, Miss Wen seemed to see hope.
It was then that she made the request to have a message delivered for her to Mo Ting and me.
After Mo Ting and I learned about this, we were somewhat moved.
To die bravely saving her boyfriend, disregarding the danger.
Such good girls are truly rare...
Miss Wen and Dawei were meant to be, but fate kept them apart.
Perhaps this is what people call having a destined connection but not the destined union.
Mo Ting and I comforted Miss Wen a few words, telling her not to worry too much.
After we send Dandan's soul back, we will definitely deliver her message.
Miss Wen smiled faintly, nodding happily at us.
By this time, we had returned to the alley where we first met Miss Wen.
The alley was still empty, with only the window of Miss Wen's boyfriend's house still lit.
Reaching this point, Miss Wen stopped.
She reopened the oil-paper umbrella she was holding, saying it was burned for her by her boyfriend.
Now, she just stood quietly under the streetlamp, gazing at her boyfriend's house window.
She said she would stay here.
Because there were still two days until her seventh-day memorial.
After the seventh day, she would have to go below.
For now, she just wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend.
Mo Ting and I nodded slightly, and also promised Miss Wen.
We would handle the matters at hand as quickly as possible.
Before she descended to the underworld, we would definitely deliver her message.
To bring peace to her boyfriend, and peace to Miss Wen...