Chapter Nineteen: Opening Up
“Written by Li Fengyin? Hmm?”
Shen Liangxin was somewhat surprised. She took a step back with her hands behind her and then carefully observed the man beside her, as if discovering a new merit in him.
“His writing is truly excellent.”
Su Yuxian nodded involuntarily. “Better than the scholars I keep at home.”
However, Li Fengyin’s attention was elsewhere. The figure of Meng Po was visible only to him.
“A ghost?”
The word escaped Li Fengyin’s mind, and suddenly he recalled more information: it seemed the Underworld was on the verge of collapse, with only a few lesser spirits struggling to survive.
“It’s a vengeful spirit. It’s about to dissipate and might be targeting you.”
Meng Po’s voice was somewhat hoarse. At that moment, Shen Liangxin’s fair palm waved before Li Fengyin’s eyes, and only then did he notice the three people around him.
Suddenly, a black shadow materialized, stepping among the shadows of the surrounding people, moving step by step until it stood before Li Fengyin.
This time, not only Li Fengyin but the other three also saw this so-called ‘little ghost’!
The black shadow snatched the red string pendant from around Li Fengyin’s neck and then swiftly slipped into the Yunyan Tower with the crowd.
Shen Liangxin turned to pursue, while Su Yuxian looked on in surprise. That shadow carried a strange aura, unsettling to the heart.
“That’s the only item your father left you!”
Pang Wei spoke anxiously, but before he could finish, Li Fengyin had already stepped forward, leaving his original spot.
Li Fengyin’s figure moved quickly into the Yunyan Tower!
The crowd scattered; Shen Liangxin followed closely, knowing how important the pendant was to Li Fengyin—perhaps even more so than his own life.
Step by step, the people around barely had time to react, only to see a young man ascend the first flight of stairs.
The little ghost seemed barely able to move through shadows, but Li Fengyin’s speed was no slower!
Finally, at the entrance of the third floor of Yunyan Tower, Li Fengyin grabbed the pendant snatched by the little ghost. They tugged fiercely, and suddenly, the red string snapped. The black, ink-knife-shaped pendant fell to the floor.
“Meng Po!”
Li Fengyin shouted, stamping fiercely on the little ghost’s outstretched hand. Meng Po, who followed closely beside him, gently picked up the pendant.
---
With its hand pressed underfoot, unable to break free, the little ghost’s voice was hoarse: “Damn it! You unleashed those things from the Underworld! You shouldn’t be alive!”
Li Fengyin took the ink-knife pendant and spoke softly, “Those from the Underworld only want to be saved.”
“You are the one who most wants salvation!”
The little ghost shouted hysterically, “Those things should never have been released!”
“You all dumped unresolved hatred and emotions into the Underworld,” Li Fengyin replied. “Even though the Underworld is eternal, once the balance is broken, changes will occur. Nothing can stop it anymore—from the moment you interfered with the Underworld!”
“You deserve to die the most!”
The little ghost continued to scream shrilly, but Li Fengyin no longer responded and simply lifted his foot. The little ghost vanished back into the shadows, seemingly catching its breath.
When Shen Liangxin reached Li Fengyin’s side, the little ghost had disappeared. Her eyes held a hint of curiosity. “Fengyin, what was that just now?”
“A little ghost from the Underworld,” Li Fengyin said. At the same time, more memories surfaced in his mind.
“Hmm, that makes sense. Since the Underworld exists, the Hell realm must exist too.”
Shen Liangxin grew more curious about her subject. “Where exactly are you from?”
“My home is in the Ancient City.”
Li Fengyin thought for a moment. “I can take you there sometime.”
“Ancient City?”
The quantum entanglement between Shen Liangxin and Li Fengyin confirmed that he truly meant what he said.
Li Fengyin picked up the red string from the ground, tied the pendant back on, and wore it around his neck. Meng Po, now seemingly invisible, leaned close to Li Fengyin’s ear.
“Lord Spirit King,” Meng Po whispered, “why release those from the Underworld?”
“...”
Li Fengyin was about to answer when his memories suddenly shrank again. The sensation was like what he felt three days ago at the internet café—a surge of intense pain. Fragmented memories churned in his mind, making speech difficult.
“Is there still any Meng Po soup?”
He asked weakly. Meng Po replied softly, “Lord Spirit King, there is no more Meng Po soup. You must endure for three years. Otherwise, we may truly be trapped here.”
---
“Endless reincarnation, a perfect circle.”
Through quantum entanglement, Shen Liangxin received these two words in her mind. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly took out her phone to record them.
A few seconds later, she sat Li Fengyin down at a rosewood table and silently urged him to rest.
Earlier, Li Fengyin had told Shen Liangxin that his condition seemed to be caused by schizophrenia, but now she harbored doubts, as none of the other schizophrenics seemed to experience symptoms like his.
An episode every two or three days!
“I have to endure another three years!” Li Fengyin said. Yet his hands trembled slightly from the pain.
Su Yuxian and Pang Wei also arrived. Li Fengyin rested his head on Shen Liangxin’s lap. Seeing the pendant still hanging around his neck, Pang Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
Feeling the faint warmth and fragrant body heat, Li Fengyin’s breathing gradually stabilized. At that moment, he spoke quietly to Meng Po in his heart:
“Do you still remember the great vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva?”
“The vow: Not to become a Buddha until hell is emptied.”
Meng Po’s hoarse voice echoed in Li Fengyin’s mind. He replied, “Yes, not to become a Buddha until hell is emptied. But what about the Underworld? My goal is to save all those beings there as well.”
Beneath hell lies the Underworld—this was Li Fengyin’s own great vow.
Yet, Li Fengyin still possessed human desires; he had no wish to merely become a Bodhisattva or Buddha.
“Future Buddha?!”
Shen Liangxin again received these three words through quantum entanglement and even uttered them aloud.
“Uh...”
Li Fengyin opened his eyes, looking at the somewhat surprised girl, and explained, “I’m just an ordinary person. I’d rather not be burdened with prophecies or fate.”
“How will those from the Underworld be liberated?”
Shen Liangxin asked directly without hesitation.
Li Fengyin immediately gave the answer he had long pondered: “Sperm. Countless sperm, with only one chance to be born. Each time, the odds are one in billions. I wonder if this answer will satisfy the gods.”