Fate Trading System – Chapter 156

Plan A

Red Moon in the Barrier 20

Complete

This event was beyond Su Xin’s expectations. She had thought that Grand Aunt played such an important role that she couldn’t possibly die so easily, yet unexpectedly, she did.

The body was discovered by Grand Aunt’s old friend, Uncle Guan, a solitary elder in the village.

Uncle Guan was once a beggar who, long ago, had made his way to this village. The villagers took him in, built him a house, and even gave him a small plot of land, showing the same kindness and friendliness they had shown to Mu Qi.

The village possessed complex human nature. It would be impossible to say everyone was unforgivably evil, nor would it be accurate to call them all saints. They embodied both good and evil aspects of humanity, showing tolerance to outsiders rather than driving them away. However, they had their internal conflicts, making it difficult to judge someone simply as good or bad. Yet some, like Tong Ling’s father, were thoroughly wicked – the scum of society.

Uncle Guan never married. He took in an abandoned baby girl and raised her to adulthood. The girl was very promising and hardworking, but their family circumstances were difficult. Uncle Guan could barely afford her education. By coincidence, the girl’s birth parents came looking for her, explaining there had been hidden circumstances behind her abandonment. The parents and daughter reconciled, and they left, leaving Uncle Guan some money. Once again, he was alone.

When Su Xin arrived, Uncle Guan had silently covered Grand Aunt with a white cloth, his expression filled with indescribable sorrow.

Uncle Guan looked very old, with graying hair and a face marked by time, full of bitterness.

“What happened to Grand Aunt?”

Few people remained alive in the village now, and even fewer attended funerals, fearing they might be next.

“Who knows? Perhaps it was just old age. That’s how it is when you get old – everyone has their day to go, and I fear mine isn’t far off either.”

Uncle Guan sighed, reaching for a cigarette before thinking better of it and returning it to his pocket.

“This morning I came to knock on her door and found no response for a long time. This wasn’t right, as she was always an early riser, unchanging in this habit for many years.”

Grand Aunt would rise early every day without fail, clean the temple, offer incense, and then pray in the altar. She would sit there, never going anywhere else.

“The door wasn’t latched, so I thought she must have already gotten up. When the door wouldn’t open, I knocked for a long time. Still no response. When I went in, she was lying there, already unconscious.”

How strange this world is – someone you spoke with yesterday could be gone today. You don’t know how they died; you can only look at their tightly closed eyes that will never open again.

A light drizzle had begun falling at some point, adding a thin layer of moisture to the soil.

Su Xin helped Uncle Guan bury Grand Aunt. There was no headstone yet, as there hadn’t been time to make one, and not even a coffin – they had to bury her just as she was.

Su Xin asked Uncle Guan why they couldn’t wait until after Touqi [tóu qī, the first seven days after death, an important mourning period], but he said there wasn’t time, they were running out of time.

Having premonitions about one’s own death felt like placing a curse on oneself.

“Uncle Guan…”

“All men must die – some deaths weigh as heavy as Mount Tai, others light as a feather [traditional Chinese saying about the significance of one’s death]. I suppose I’m the feather type, having contributed nothing and lived half a life in obscurity. My body can’t hold out much longer. I came today planning to bid her farewell, but who knew she’d leave before me. I suppose that’s fate playing its tricks.”

The rain continued falling, growing lighter, leaving cool droplets on faces that quickly vanished into nothingness, imperceptible except for the misty haze they left behind.

“Perhaps in a few days you’ll see my corpse. Rest in peace, I’ll make my own arrangements. Ah Ning, some things you needn’t persist in questioning to find answers, as there’s no benefit, and sometimes it’s unnecessary.”

Uncle Guan left, leaving these lengthy words behind.

Su Xin grew even more curious – what secrets were there that couldn’t be known? What was the truth behind it all?

Su Xin returned home. She had already sent Mu Qi and Tong Xi back earlier. Once home, she began organizing her thoughts:

Widow Wang: Killed by her husband’s ghost.

Uncle Tong and his two children: Killed by Widow Wang’s husband’s ghost.

Grand Aunt: Cause of death unknown, Uncle Guan said it was natural causes.

The Tong Ling household: Tong Ling used ghost powers to kill her parents, was the former formation eye, and died herself.

Tong Yuzhuo: Killed by the female ghost near Tong Xi.

Tong Manwen’s family: All family members dead except Tong Xi.

Tong Xiaoxuan and Tong Liu: Both still alive and well.

Qian Fengying’s family: Only Qian Fengqian and Qian Fengying’s mother-in-law remained.

The Village Chief couple: Village Chief seriously ill, but both still alive.

Mu Qi: Now considered part of her household.

Uncle Yi: Still alive.

Uncle Guan: Not long for this world.

These were the twelve households she had contact with. Excluding herself, there was still one more.

That household was a couple without children who rarely went out, and hadn’t been seen for a long time.

Su Xin hadn’t seen them since the day she arrived, unsure if she had just missed them or if they truly hadn’t emerged at all.

“I’m going to check on someone, I’ll be back soon.”

Su Xin called out to Mu Qi before running outside, heading for the couple’s home.

Dust had settled on the door, appearing as if it hadn’t been cleaned for a long time.

Su Xin pushed open the door but was forced back by the stench from inside.

As expected, the family was dead, and they were likely the village’s first victims.

The bodies had long since decomposed and reeked, making her sick to her stomach.

Su Xin ran back home. Now it was clear who held the formation eye.

First, she would let Tong Xiaoxuan and Mu Qi deal with Tong Xi’s situation, then she would make her move. Finally, after confronting the mastermind, everything here could come to an end.

“Why are you running so frantically?”

Mu Qi chided Su Xin, who was catching her breath from running too fast. She took out a handkerchief to wipe Su Xin’s sweat, showing her caring nature.

“I’ve figured some things out. It’s nothing – we’ll be able to leave soon.”

Su Xin hugged Mu Qi’s neck, and Mu Qi smiled and said okay.

“When you come with us then, what about your true form?”

After all, the tree couldn’t be moved.

“It doesn’t matter, it hasn’t been important for a while now.”

“Alright.”

Excited, Su Xin ate an extra bowl of rice and sat at the doorway watching the sunset, a smile lingering on her lips.

That evening was filled with playful moments. Su Xin had branches and leaves wrapped around her waist, the foliage spreading continuously until reaching the most vibrant flower blooming below.

Su Xin bit Mu Qi’s neck hard. Mu Qi laughed and asked if she was a puppy, always loving to bite. Su Xin stopped biting and switched to licking, bit by bit, until Mu Qi couldn’t take it anymore.

A gentle wind arose outside as night deepened.

“You really won’t help me anymore?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t fulfill your wish now. Besides, taking him away would be pointless, wouldn’t it? He doesn’t remember you.”

“But… but we had such a beautiful love. He couldn’t possibly… when he sees me, he’ll surely remember.”

“Are you certain?”

A long silence followed as Mu Qi inwardly sighed.

“You know well that was in a past life. Don’t hold on so tightly. He crossed the Naihe Bridge [bridge souls cross after death], drank Mengpo’s soup [potion of forgetfulness in Chinese mythology], and entered the path of reincarnation. He truly has forgotten, and moreover, he’s still just a child now.”

“That’s why I’ll wait eight years… until he grows up. I’ll show him my most beautiful side.”

“But you’re already dead, and he’s still young. If you love him, you shouldn’t be so selfish, wanting to take his life in this lifetime. You’ll only hurt him.”

“In the end, you’re not doing this for yourself, but for her.”

“Of course. She’s the one I care for – how could I bear to see her suffer?”

“I can’t accept this. It took me so long to find him.”

“How can you be so sure it’s him? This has always puzzled me.”

“They look so similar… almost identical…”

That voice grew agitated, as if trying to stop Mu Qi from continuing.

“You’re just unwilling to accept that you might have found the wrong person. In this vast world, there are many people who look alike. Your judgment is too hasty…”

“No, I can sense it!”

“Then you think he can recognize you at first sight, even after drinking Mengpo’s soup?”

“Of course!”

“Then why didn’t you reincarnate? The timing would have been about right. You were just afraid that after drinking Mengpo’s soup and reincarnating, you two would never meet again, weren’t you?”

Mu Qi’s words were incisive, striking directly at painful truths.

There was no response. Mu Qi’s eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes to look at Su Xin.

Through reincarnation, would someone remain the same person? With different times, experiences, memories, and thoughts, could it still be the same person, the same soul?

Mu Qi stared at Su Xin. Though she advised others this way, didn’t she think the same? If Su Xin died and reincarnated, she would surely follow and search. As long as it was that original soul, some things would never change.

Perhaps she would no longer eat spicy food, perhaps she would become unusually gentle, perhaps she wouldn’t be so bold and uninhibited, but the radiance within her core that attracted Mu Qi would remain unchanged.

Some things were changeable, like memories that could become blurred. Others were instincts carved into one’s bones and blood, unalterable until death.

A few days later, as predicted, Uncle Guan passed away. Su Xin went to see him – the old man died as lonely as he had lived, lying quietly on his bed, eyes closed, bidding farewell to his unfortunate life.

Su Xin buried him and erected a simple wooden memorial tablet, wishing him a peaceful journey.

Tong Xiaoxuan still hadn’t made her move, saying Tong Xi hadn’t come to find her yet. She felt it wasn’t convenient to act, fearing they might alert their target prematurely.

Su Xin said nothing, simply continuing to wait.

The next day, the Village Chief’s wife came rushing to find Su Xin, saying the Village Chief was failing and wanted to see her one last time before he died.

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