Ha, Karma! – Chapter 114

【Extra Chapter · Normal Timeline】

Chu Zhaohua.

Chu Zhaohua.

She single-handedly dismantled the martial arts competition system, a legendary figure in the demon hunting world.

She seemed to know everything, be aware of everything, and capable of anything; no one ever knew where her limits lay.

The three Chu sisters had heard no shortage of praise for their grandmother since they were little.

But Grandma didn’t care, and she told them not to care either.

Words of praise were the words of others, external things that couldn’t be taken with you after death. One’s mentality shouldn’t be affected by them; it was best to treat them with indifference.

Grandma was open-minded, magnanimous, calm, and unhurried. Under her upbringing, the three children more or less learned this attitude towards life.

Among them, the eldest granddaughter, Chu Zhaoqiu, was particularly so.

It was as if she was born with a natural immunity system to praise; she would never be overjoyed because others called her a genius or said she would definitely ascend to godhood in the future.

Calm as she was, little Zhaoqiu was still very curious about her grandma.

Because she felt that her grandma was so incredibly capable, Grandma should have been the one to become a deity.

But Grandma hadn’t.

She had never become a deity.

She had always remained in the mortal realm, stayed by their side, taking care of them, teaching them, and even telling them stories.

Little Zhaoqiu sat beside her grandma, listening to her tell stories.

Her younger sisters were sleeping on the sofa.

The autumn afternoon light fell on them, warm and gentle.

Little Zhaoqiu covered her younger sisters with a blanket, then turned her head to look at her grandma, her eyes full of innocence, “Grandma, why haven’t you flown up to the sky yet?”

Chu Zhaohua closed the storybook and turned her eyes to her, “Hmm?”

Little Zhaoqiu said, “Powerful people become deities and fly away. I think Grandma is very powerful.”

Hearing this, Chu Zhaohua immediately chuckled softly, “Then do you want Grandma to fly away?”

Little Zhaoqiu looked at her kind and gentle grandma, shook her head slightly, then shook it again, as if negating her own answer.

“It’s not up to me, it’s up to Grandma.”

Although she was young, she could already remember things and understand reason.

She knew that everyone worked hard cultivating the Dao and accumulating merit in order to one day ascend to godhood. This was something countless people yearned for, and could even be said to be the dream of every demon hunter.

It might also be their grandma’s dream.

Therefore, whether Grandma would stay or fly away was up to Grandma.

Chu Zhaohua raised her hand and stroked her hair, saying gently, “But Grandma wants to hear our Zhaoqiu’s thoughts now, your truest thoughts.”

“You tell Grandma, do you want Grandma to fly away?”

Little Zhaoqiu looked at her quietly.

The warm sunlight fell on them, silently.

After a while, she reached out and hugged her grandma, her voice full of affection, “I want Grandma, Dad, and Mom to always be with us.”

Chu Zhaohua chuckled softly at her words, gently patting her back, and said, “That’s why Grandma is here. Grandma will be here to watch our Zhaoqiu grow up, to see our Zhaoqiu become an amazing person, or… an amazing god.”

Little Zhaoqiu heard this, got up and looked at her.

Become an amazing god?

Chu Zhaohua bent down, patted her head, and asked, “Does our Zhaoqiu want to become a celestial deity?”

After a moment, she heard the child before her answer softly, “I want to.”

Actually, it wasn’t that she wanted to, but that she should do so.

Learn demon hunting, become a demon hunter, cultivate diligently, strive towards the world above the clouds, and become a powerful god.

She should do this, for everyone around her.

After hearing this answer, Chu Zhaohua stroked her head intermittently, “So Grandma has to stay here, accompany you as you grow up, teach you everything, guide you forward, and wait for you to make your real decision.”

“A real decision?”

“Mm, a real decision.”

“What does that mean, Grandma?”

“Haha, it just means seeing whether you’ll want to be a god or continue to stay here as a human after you grow up.”

“Then what does Grandma want me to do?”

After asking, little Zhaoqiu looked at the elder before her with bright, shining eyes.

She saw the daylight happen to fall behind her grandma, blooming into a boundless radiance, making her grandma look just like a celestial god descended to the world.

In the light, she heard her grandma’s voice, gentle and honest—

“I hope you can become a kind and omnipotent god.”

Little Zhaoqiu blinked.

In a daze, it seemed she wasn’t talking to her grandma, but to a god.

This deity held high hopes for her.

“Kind and omnipotent? Can I?”

“Why not?”

Chu Zhaohua gently tapped her chest, over her heart.

“Our Zhaoqiu, right here, holds an entire mortal realm.”

“With such a heart, all things can be accomplished.”

These words were still a bit profound for the young Chu Zhaoqiu.

She didn’t quite understand, but she had a very direct feeling.

She raised her small hand, pointed at her grandma, and said, “Grandma, you look just like a celestial deity from the heavens right now…”

Hearing this, Chu Zhaohua smiled again, her eyes crinkling, full of an indescribable affection, “Is that so? Has our Zhaoqiu seen a celestial deity before?”

Little Zhaoqiu shook her head in distress, “I haven’t, but I think Grandma looks very much like one.”

Chu Zhaohua picked her up and placed her on her lap, smiling and patting her back, saying nothing.

Actually, she had seen one.

It was just that she had forgotten, couldn’t remember clearly; most likely, a deity had blurred her memory.

Only Chu Zhaohua remembered, crystal clear.

Little Zhaoqiu swayed gently in her arms, as if lying in a soft rocking chair, slow and leisurely.

Suddenly, little Zhaoqiu asked curiously, “Grandma, do celestial deities always live in the heavens? Won’t they be curious about our place here and come down to take a look?”

Chu Zhaohua said with a smile, “Of course, they will.”

Little Zhaoqiu asked again, “Then will they go back quickly?”

Chu Zhaohua added, “That depends on them. Perhaps they still have unfinished business in the mortal realm, so they’ll return to the heavens a bit later.”

Little Zhaoqiu’s face was full of curiosity, “What kind of business would they have here?”

“There are too many celestial deities; everyone has their own things to do.”

Chu Zhaohua smiled, looked down at the innocent child, and tapped her round nose.

“But they might also come here to find a child they really like and take them back to become a deity.”

Little Zhaoqiu found this very magical after hearing it.

So deities would personally descend to the mortal world to choose other deities.

She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Grandma, you know so much! Why does Grandma know so much?”

Chu Zhaohua laughed, “Haha, maybe it’s because… Grandma is smart? Our Zhaoqiu is smart too. Grandma will teach you all these things, and then you’ll know as much as Grandma in the future.”

Little Zhaoqiu nodded happily, “Mhm!”

Not only did she want to know as much as her grandma, but she also wanted to become the deity her grandma hoped she would be, and strive to achieve this goal!

However, after she grew up, she did not choose to become a kind and omnipotent deity.

As she grew older and her memories of a thousand years resurfaced, she saw many things clearly.

Including the future she truly wanted.

Thus, she chose the mortal realm she held in her heart, and the lover she had painstakingly searched for for a thousand years.

Regarding this matter, Chu Zhaohua felt it was a bit of a pity, but she quickly came to terms with it.

As long as one cherished all living beings, it was the same no matter where one was.

Snowflakes fell one after another; she stood by the window, looking out into the courtyard.

The garden was covered in a layer of silvery frost. Her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law were playing with a short-legged kitten in the yard, their laughter filling the entire space.

Baobao was meowing, looking for its mama, seemingly because its paws were cold.

Chu Zhaoqiu bent down and picked it up. It immediately burrowed into its mama’s overcoat, only secretly peeking out with its face to observe the outside.

Fu Lianxue poked its little nose, saying something unknown.

Both their faces were filled with sweet smiles.

Chu Zhaohua picked up her teacup, took a light sip with a smile, and turned away from the window.

This was also very good.

As long as the children were happy.

Fu Lianxue seemed to sense something and turned to look at the window of Chu Zhaohua’s room, just in time to see her retreating figure as she turned away.

Seeing this, Chu Zhaoqiu also looked over but saw nothing, so she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Lianxue shook her head, “Nothing, your grandma was just watching us.”

Chu Zhaoqiu nodded, holding the kitten in her arms to prevent it from falling.

Fu Lianxue lowered her head to make a snowball, saying as she rolled it, “Speaking of which, don’t you think your grandma is very different?”

Chu Zhaoqiu: “Hmm?”

Fu Lianxue looked up at her, “Very mysterious, unfathomably so.”

She had lived for so long and met countless people, but only Chu Zhaohua could give her this feeling.

Chu Zhaohua was clearly right before her eyes, made of flesh and blood, warm, even the traces time had etched on her face were clearly visible, yet she was impossible to see through.

Like an abyss; no one could guess what was inside the abyss, or if there was a boundary beneath it.

Fu Lianxue stood up with the snowball, patting it, “To be honest, even now, I still don’t think I can beat your grandma.”

She was, after all, a demon who had been on the verge of becoming a god, yet she actually felt she couldn’t defeat Chu Zhaohua, a human.

The intuition of the strong is often the most accurate.

One could imagine how terrifying Chu Zhaohua’s realm¹ was.

“So I think she either refused to become a god herself, or… she is a deity herself.”

Chu Zhaoqiu couldn’t help but look up at her grandma’s room again, Fu Lianxue’s puzzled voice reaching her ears, “But if she is a god, why did she come to the mortal realm?”

Why indeed…

Chu Zhaoqiu unconsciously let her thoughts wander along with her words.

In a daze, Chu Zhaoqiu remembered a certain afternoon from her childhood.

She remembered sitting in her grandma’s lap listening to stories, asking why Grandma hadn’t flown away yet, asking what kind of person Grandma hoped she would become.

What had Grandma said back then?

She said she wanted to stay here to accompany her as she grew up, to guide her forward, and to wait for her to make her real decision.

She also said she hoped she could become a kind and omnipotent deity.

Guide… become a deity…

Memories, like individual beads, suddenly strung themselves into a clear thread in Chu Zhaoqiu’s mind.

She turned her head to look at Fu Lianxue.

A few seconds later, she suddenly remembered some very important things.

How she and Fu Lianxue had reunited in this life.

After regaining her memories, how she had been persuaded to resolve her inner conflicts².

When they were agonizing over whether or not to become gods, Ji Hanyan had appeared just at the right time.

Looking back at every step she had taken in the past, there had always been someone silently standing behind her, watching her, guiding her forward.

—They might also come here to find a child they really like and take them back to become a deity.

Suddenly, Chu Zhaoqiu had an epiphany.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing her staring without speaking, Fu Lianxue waved a hand in front of her eyes.

“What are you spacing out for? Did you think of something?”

Chu Zhaoqiu came back to her senses, smiled, and took her hand, her expression calm and relaxed, “Nothing, it’s cold, let’s go back inside.”

Fu Lianxue shook her head, “No, I want to build a snowman.”

Chu Zhaoqiu said gently, “Then I’ll put Baobao inside first and then come build a snowman with you.”

Fu Lianxue smiled and nodded, “Okay!”

Chu Zhaoqiu handed Baobao to Chu Zhaohua.

It was also a good way for the kitty to accompany the old lady who had nothing much to do.

As soon as Baobao was in Chu Zhaohua’s arms, it became exceptionally well-behaved, soft, and knew how to act cute.

Chu Zhaohua stroked its little head, a look of fondness on her face, and waved her hand, telling her granddaughter to go play without worry.

Chu Zhaoqiu smiled and agreed. When she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped and looked back at her grandma.

Chu Zhaohua was still as amiable and gentle as ever, unchanged.

Sensing her granddaughter’s gaze, Chu Zhaohua looked up.

Chu Zhaoqiu curved her lips into a smile, “Then I’ll go down first. If you need anything, just call us.”

Chu Zhaohua replied gently and watched her granddaughter turn and leave.

She carried Baobao to the window and looked out at the courtyard again.

Fu Lianxue was bending over, rolling a snowball, making it bigger and bigger.

Soon, Chu Zhaoqiu also came out to roll another snowball with her.

After a while, they started a snowball fight.

They were playing very happily.

Chu Zhaohua withdrew her gaze, suddenly remembering Chu Zhaoqiu’s eyes before she left—bright and spirited, clear and translucent, like the sun after the clouds and mist have dispersed.

Suddenly, she seemed to understand something too.

She lowered her head and tickled the kitten with her finger, “Our Baobao’s mama seems to have discovered something, oh.”

Baobao flicked its tail, “Meow~”

Chu Zhaohua smiled, “But she hasn’t discovered enough yet, oh.”

Her granddaughter definitely hadn’t realized that they had met a long, long time ago.

On a certain day long, long ago, when Chu Zhaoqiu was in danger, being chased by a masked demon, they had already met.

Chu Zhaohua, with a smile on her face, carried Baobao back to her rocking chair and swayed slowly.

This mortal realm, ah, is still very interesting.

【End of Full Text】

---

LP: Thanks y’all for reading~

I am careless with this novel, with the inconsistencies and all…

Make sure to support the author by buying the VIP chapters~ Link on TOC!

---

---