PWE – Chapter 36 The Truth About Death

Xiao Wange turned and glanced at Zhan Zeyan: “Someone buried twelve nails and placed twelve talismans around your mother’s grave. Those twelve nails and twelve talismans form an extremely vicious formation. If your mother’s soul dares to leave that formation, the formation will devour her — it will tear her apart into nothing!”

At those words, Zhan Zeyan’s face suddenly grew very cold.

He didn’t reply; instead he took Zhaozhao’s hand and walked toward the grave.

Xiao Wange frowned and hurried after them.

At that moment a thick fog rose inside the forest, and the atmosphere grew even more sinister.

Xiao Wange lifted her eyes to the fog — Zhan Zeyan’s mother’s spirit was about to appear.

Within five seconds, a tragic voice came through the air: “Zeyan…”

Zhan Zeyan’s whole body trembled slightly. He looked toward where the voice came from and saw an old woman in burial clothes standing on his mother’s tomb.

Seeing that old woman, his breathing tightened and his eyes involuntarily reddened.

“Mom…” Zhan Zeyan moved closer, wanting to be nearer to his mother.

But Xiao Wange suddenly grabbed him: “Don’t go any closer. If you step on that formation you’ll trigger it. Once you step on it, it will activate and harm your mother’s soul.”

Zhan Zeyan’s brow knit tightly and he forced himself to stop moving.

The old woman looked at Xiao Wange and a kindly smile showed on her face. “So this is Zeyan’s wife, Wange. Zhaozhao told me this morning that he has a very good mother now.”

The smile on the old woman’s face was touching in its affection.

Xiao Wange returned the old woman’s look and called gently, “Mom…”

After all, she was his mother-in-law; that “mom” should be said.

The old woman’s smile widened at once; she looked very pleased. She responded with several soft “ah”s, then stared at Xiao Wange and asked, “Wange seems to understand this formation. Have you studied this sort of thing?”

Xiao Wange said, “Yes. My grandfather used to be a Taoist priest; he was very skilled in this area. I liked these things too, so I learned a lot from him.”

Fearing the old woman would continue to ask questions, she changed the subject: “Mom, Zhaozhao said you were pushed into the water. Who pushed you?”

Zhan Zeyan stared at his mother and asked in a low voice, “Yes, Mom. Who hurt you?”

Tears suddenly flowed in the old woman’s eyes — but the tears were blood-red, like fresh blood, shocking to behold.

As if worried she might frighten Xiao Wange and the others, she hurriedly wiped them away and, restraining herself, said: “It was Xu Meifeng — that cruel woman, Xu Meifeng.”

A cold smile curled at Xiao Wange’s lips; just as she had suspected. The life-debt carried by Xu Meifeng was indeed owed to this old woman.

“Why would she push you into the water? You had no grudge with her; you treated her well. Why would she do such a thing?” Zhan Zeyan asked, his face darkening.

Another blood-tear slipped from the old woman’s eye. She had tried to hold it back but couldn’t; she was too sorrowful. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her burial robe and replied, “I discovered her secret. She was afraid I would reveal it, so she killed me to silence me.”

Zhan Zeyan’s expression grew even grimmer. He did not ask further; his mother continued: “That noon I made Zhaozhao’s favorite braised pork. I thought Zhan Xiaoxiao also liked meat, so I brought some to their house. Unexpectedly, when I arrived I overheard Xu Meifeng and Zhan Songbai arguing inside. They were arguing about Hongteng — I then learned that Hongteng was not their son at all, but the child of a friend of Zhan Songbai. I was shocked. At first I meant to pretend I’d heard nothing and go home at once. But then Zhan Xiaoxiao ran out. When she came out she called me ‘second granny’ and snatched the braised pork from my hands.”

She paused, bowed her head and rubbed her eyes, then continued: “Hearing Zhan Xiaoxiao, Xu Meifeng and Zhan Songbai came out at once. They were ruthless and immediately demanded to know if I had heard their conversation. I said I hadn’t, but they didn’t believe me. After arguing for a long time they pressured me; finally I promised I would never tell and only asked them to treat Hongteng kindly from then on. Both Xu Meifeng and Zhan Songbai agreed. I thought the matter was settled, but the next morning when I went to the river to wash clothes, Xu Meifeng silently followed me there and, when I wasn’t paying attention, shoved me into the water. I can’t swim, so I drowned soon after. Even after I died they wouldn’t leave me be — they set up a formation around my grave. The formation is vicious; I can’t break out. If I’m not careful I could be turned to ashes. They wanted me utterly destroyed — they wouldn’t even give me a chance at reincarnation.”

After she finished, the old woman broke into a wail. She had lived a life of doing good and had never wronged anyone; she could not believe this was her end.

She was truly sorrowful; whenever she thought of her fate she could not stop crying.

Zhan Zeyan’s brows were tightly knotted; his face was dark and terrible, his handsome features covered in frost.

Xiao Wange also felt deep sympathy for her mother-in-law. She looked at the old woman and comforted her: “Don’t be sad, Mom. You did many good deeds in life, and the King of Hell has records of them. In your next life you will be born into a very good family and will live happily without worry.”

The old woman wiped at her eyes and looked up at Xiao Wange: “Thank you, child. But I’m trapped here now — I can’t get out. If I can’t leave, how can I be reincarnated?”

“That formation is indeed vicious and ordinary people can’t break it, but I can. Don’t forget my grandfather is a Taoist priest — I learned magic from him.” With that, Xiao Wange raised her hand and began forming hand seals.

Zhan Zeyan trusted his wife.

He glanced at the small wife beside him; today, luckily, she was here. If she hadn’t been, even if he knew his mother was trapped, he wouldn’t have been able to help her.

Within three minutes Xiao Wange had broken the formation.

She smiled and looked up at the old woman: “The formation is broken now. You can leave anytime.”

The old woman stared at Xiao Wange in astonishment. “Child, your magic is so powerful.”

She had thought this girl only knew some simple rites. She hadn’t expected that the girl’s magic would be stronger than the old Taoist who set the formation.

“Let’s go home and then we can discuss how to deal with Xu Meifeng.”

Xiao Wange looked at the old woman and said with a smile.

The old woman was extremely grateful to Xiao Wange; whatever Xiao Wange suggested she thought was good. She nodded: “Alright, let’s go home.”

Zhan Zeyan picked up the child and led the way. After walking a while he instructed the child not to tell anyone about his grandmother.

Unexpectedly, the child looked at him and grinned: “I’m not stupid — I won’t tell.”

Zhan Zeyan: “…” That sounded as if the child thought his father was a fool.

Xiao Wange glanced at the child and then at Zhan Zeyan.

Zhaozhao was quite clever, even a bit smarter than Taotao.

Such a smart child surely owed it to his parents’ genes.

She knew Zhan Zeyan was excellent, but she felt his genes alone could not account for everything. The child’s soul could leave his body, and he could see things ordinary people could not. She felt both abilities could not have come solely from Zhan Zeyan’s genes — they must have been inherited from the child’s mother.

What kind of person was the child’s mother? Xiao Wange was now rather curious.

…

Back at home.

Less than ten minutes after they sat down, Zhan Hongjun barged in.

As soon as he entered the courtyard he shouted loudly: “Xiao Wange, come out here! Get out of my house!”

Anger thickened his voice; from the sound you could tell how savage his expression was at that moment.

Inside the main room Zhan Zeyan’s face slightly darkened; he turned and looked coldly toward the courtyard.

Xiao Wange curled one corner of her mouth into a smile, glanced at Zhan Hongjun in the yard and said lightly, “If we want revenge, perhaps Zhan Hongjun can be used as a breakthrough.”

Zhan Zeyan turned toward her. Using Zhan Hongjun as a pawn? Seeing her playful, full-of-life look, he immediately understood what she meant.

A faint smile appeared on his face: “Do you need me to do anything?”

Xiao Wange said, “No, you just watch the show.”

She stood up and walked toward the door.

…

Zhan Hongjun shouted and raged for a few moments in the yard and then rushed toward the main room. To his surprise, he raised his eyes and saw Xiao Wange standing there.

Seeing Xiao Wange, his anger grew; he raised the pole he was holding and shouted, “Xiao Wange, you stir up trouble between my second brother and our family, and you slander me in front of Jin Zhu. You stinking woman, today I’ll teach you a lesson — I’ll beat you today!”

Then he tried to strike Xiao Wange.

“Stop!” Zhan Zeyan stepped out from the threshold of the main room, his gaze cold as he looked at Zhan Hongjun, displeased: “Who gave you the nerve to act up in my house? And she’s your sister-in-law — is this how you treat your sister-in-law?!”

Xiao Wange looked back at him: “Didn’t I tell you to just watch the show? Go sit back down and enjoy it.”

Zhan Zeyan glanced at her: “I don’t just want to be a spectator; I want to participate.”

Xiao Wange: “…” Fine, if he wants to participate, then let him.

Zhan Hongjun listening to their exchange turned ashen with anger: “What show are you talking about? Do you take me for a monkey? Do you think you’re watching monkeys putting on tricks?!”