The Soul’s Return and the Path to Reincarnation

The Nine-Tailed mark in the sky began to converge. It formed a single beam of light, focusing intently on the center of the array, hundreds of meters below.

Faintly, a graceful figure descended. It solidified into an ethereal form within the magical array.

Thanks to the array and the unique properties of the Underworld, Su Mo’s soul would not dissipate. She could remain there for centuries without fading.

“I… am I not dead?” Su Mo questioned, raising her ethereal arm. With a single thought, a radiant splendor materialized, shrouding her delicate form.

It was as if she had experienced an incredibly long dream. She had journeyed through every corner of a city, witnessing the mundane affairs and fleeting histories of the mortal world.

Reflecting now, she realized it felt more akin to the historical annals of Dangyang County.

‘The Path of Suffering?’ she mused aloud. She attributed her experiences to its influence.

All the suffering she had witnessed just before her death played out again, in its entirety, after she had passed.

She was like a transient observer, unseen by anyone. She wandered alone amidst the crowds, watching them come into being, grow, marry, and eventually age.

Only when these individuals grew old and lay on their deathbeds, surrounded by the cries of their descendants, would their eyes meet Su Mo’s.

It was then that Su Mo understood: these were the souls, each representing a facet of suffering, bidding their final farewells.

“Thank you, benefactor, for avenging us…”

The voices of old and young alike now resided deep within Su Mo’s heart.

What began as profound emotion eventually evolved into a complex, then serene, detachment.

In her trance-like state, she had learned to observe the myriad forms of life with tranquil indifference.

“Miss Su, do you feel any discomfort?”

Before she could see him, his voice reached her ears.

The Ghost General swiftly flew over, assessing the recovery of Su Mo’s soul.

It was perfect, a testament to his full efforts.

Understanding the reason, Su Mo offered a deep bow, expressing her gratitude.

“Thank you, Ghost General, for intervening and saving my life… Aside from lacking a physical body, I feel much the same as usual?”

She recalled that Maid Lian Huan had also been brought back by the Ghost General’s intervention.

In this regard, he commanded immense trust.

“No need, it was merely a trifle,” the Ghost General said, waving his hand dismissively.

Just then, Lian Huan came running from a distance, her skirt gathered in her hands. Her small face was flushed as she called out.

“Miss, you’re back?”

“Yes, I never thought I’d return,” Su Mo replied, a hint of emotion in her voice.

To die and then live again—what kind of fate was this?

“Miss Su, do you have any plans?” the Ghost General inquired, stepping closer.

Blinking her eyes, Su Mo, having been resurrected in such a daze, barely understood anything.

So she asked:

“General, can I become human again?”

“I’m afraid not…” The Ghost General hesitated, his words carrying an unspoken meaning.

That single sentence utterly stunned Su Mo. Her beautiful eyes widened as countless thoughts raced through her mind.

She might become a ghost, just like Maid Lian Huan. Or perhaps she would enter the Path of Beasts, becoming some form of animal—if the Underworld even had such a concept.

However, in the original work, the full scope of the Underworld was never revealed, even in its later stages.

It remained dilapidated, serving merely as a backdrop.

“So, I’m going to become a ghost? That’s fine, at least I’ll live longer,” Su Mo muttered, consoling herself.

He shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. Yet, as he grinned, his fearsome fangs became starkly visible.

The Ghost General asked, a smile in his voice:

“Miss Su, are you still willing to re-enter the mortal world?”

“Re-enter the mortal world?” Su Mo was taken aback.

Did this mean she could start anew… and become human once more?

“I possess a method to allow you to reincarnate; you simply need to drink a bowl of Forgetfulness Soup,” the Ghost General explained, introducing the soup’s purpose.

Upon hearing its effects, Su Mo immediately drew a comparison. It was just like the “Granny Meng’s Soup” of the mortal Underworld.

“So, I have to drink it?” She truly did not want to relinquish all her memories.

She had often pondered: was a person truly themselves because their true spirit was theirs? Or was it the accumulation of memories and experiences that forged their identity?

She leaned towards the latter. Without those memories and experiences, what connection would a new life have to her current self?

“This is custom, a matter of official procedure,” the Ghost General replied gravely. He said this even though the Forgetfulness Soup contained nothing but water.

To his surprise, Su Mo’s response was even more astonishing.

She declared that memories were precious, and the experiences she had lived through were invaluable.

She spoke at length, but her core message was clear: she refused to give them up. She would rather gradually succumb and become a ghost.

She wasn’t even afraid of being tainted by resentment, malice, hatred, or other negative emotions. She would face the abyss of tyranny and complete loss of reason.

This was something the Ghost General could not comprehend. From his insights gained through the Path of Incense Godhood, he understood that the true self was not shaped by memory. Instead, it was determined by a deeper, unique Dao.

This was also known as the “True Spirit.”

But if Su Mo refused to re-enter the world, wouldn’t everything he and that old fellow had arranged become a laughingstock?

“Miss Su, you need not worry about memories disappearing,” the Ghost General reassured her, offering a dose of encouragement. “Among cultivators, many have methods to recall past life memories. Some even awaken innate wisdom directly, which is not what you imagine…”

“What if I can’t embark on the path of cultivation?”

“I guarantee that the circumstances into which you are reborn will lead to the Path of Godhood,” the Ghost General immediately replied.

“What if my cultivation method fails to awaken my past life memories…” Su Mo began. Suddenly, she felt she was pushing her luck and said no more.

Who was she, to relentlessly demand things from the Ghost General?

Was it merely on the strength of her meager intellect? That would be too arrogant.

She recalled several important choices in her life. Regardless of whether they were right or wrong, she had gritted her teeth and persevered, eventually reaping the consequences.

What she needed to do was simply strive to improve herself and face everything with equanimity.

‘Resurrected, yet I’ve become timid and lost my courage,’ Su Mo thought, shaking her head with a faint smile.

Since the path lay ahead, she would take one step, then two…

Let future generations stumble upon her successes and failures, and reminisce about the tales from many years ago.

Seeing Su Mo fall silent, the Ghost General initially thought she had retreated. He feared she no longer possessed the courage to re-enter the mortal world and face its myriad complexities.

He almost flew off on the wind to go torment Xu Qingzhu, and deliver a divine-demonic mixed-double beating with that old fellow.

Then he heard:

“Then I shall embark on another journey, and witness life after life,” Su Mo declared. As she spoke, a great weight lifted from her heart.

Having spoken her mind, she felt an exhilarating sense of liberation.

“…Very well,” the Ghost General said, no longer hesitating. He produced a bowl of Forgetfulness Soup, clear to its very bottom.

Taking the bowl, Su Mo did not examine the Forgetfulness Soup. Instead, she surveyed her surroundings.

A question popped from her crimson lips:

“Is there no bridge?”

“A bridge?” The Ghost General frowned.

“Yes, a bridge! The river is filled with the lingering souls who refuse to let go of their previous lives,” Su Mo explained, a touch of naivety in her voice.

“…It’s, it’s still under construction,” the Ghost General stammered, stubbornly refusing to admit its absence.

“Alright then, is there a high platform?” Su Mo asked. She believed a once-in-a-lifetime reincarnation ritual required a certain sense of ceremony.

A “Platform of Homeland Gazing”—a high platform from which one could gaze upon their home in the mortal realm. Perhaps she could catch a glimpse of… everyone from the orphanage.

As for Xu Qingzhu, she felt considerably more detached.

He was a stranger, after all.

“Still under construction…”

“What about a cliff? Surely there’s one of those?” Su Mo asked, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

If she could reincarnate, this Underworld, modeled after the mortal realm’s netherworld, ought to have some manifestation of it, right?

“Yes! We have that!” The Ghost General’s spectral eyes lit up. It was the first time he had sounded so confident.

“Is it the kind where you jump off and instantly reincarnate?” Su Mo asked, eager to witness this mythical “5A-rated scenic spot” with her own eyes!

It was, after all, a “good place” everyone had visited.

“Ah, Miss Su, please follow me,” the Ghost General said, steeling himself. He led Su Mo up the nearby Ghost Mountain.

Trouble came from the mouth; he should have swallowed his pride.

In reality, once Su Mo drank the soup, a single spell from him would render her unconscious, sending her into a deep slumber.

Then he would personally escort her to the mortal realm, to a pre-selected location, and everything would be settled.

He could simply clap his hands and be done.

Who knew it would turn into such a troublesome affair?

On the path up the mountain, the Ghost General walked ahead. Lian Huan’s figure was nowhere to be seen behind them.

She had returned to the estate, as Lian Huan still had to care for the newborn child, a girl.

The cries of the infant in the estate, however, possessed a somewhat “soul-claiming” beauty.

“Miss Su, what did you mean when you once said, ‘I’m going to hang’?” the Ghost General asked, without turning around. His gaze was fixed on a pavilion far up the mountain.

He was worried some old fellow might still be lingering there, sipping tea and enjoying the breeze.

“So the General heard that, back then,” Su Mo said, feeling a little embarrassed. In her dying moments, she had forgotten the difference in eras.

Still, she had to answer. Su Mo explained that it meant—’I wish you a Happy New Year.’

Silence ensued. With a sniff, the Ghost General realized he hadn’t expected her to be so considerate of others even at the point of death.

‘What a truly good girl she is~’

After that, the atmosphere abruptly grew quiet.

Su Mo was too embarrassed to speak, and the Ghost General, assuming she was preparing herself mentally, did not press further.

They finally reached the pavilion. Su Mo gazed at the beautiful scenery below, which encompassed the Underworld’s various strange wonders, and was quite astonished.

“As expected of the Soul-Returning Cliff, the scenery is quite good,” she remarked, a smile gracing her face. Her hair swayed gently by her ears as she savored the pleasant breeze against her cheeks.

It was a bit peculiar, however, that there was still hot tea in the pavilion.

“Miss Su, simply drink the Forgetfulness Soup and jump,” the Ghost General instructed. He glanced around, and finding no dark figure, felt reassured.

“…Alright,” Su Mo said, withdrawing her gaze. She downed the soup in one gulp.

Smacking her lips, she mumbled:

“A little sweet?”

A knowing smile touched his lips. Could the mountain spring water, personally selected by the Ghost General, be anything but sweet?

She savored the taste, yet didn’t perceive any memories vanishing. Dazed, Su Mo walked to the edge of the cliff.

Once upon a time, she had jumped off a cliff herself…

‘Now, what does that have to do with me?’ Su Mo thought, a relieved smile gracing her face as she leaped down.

“Whoosh—!”

The wind whistled past her ears, surprisingly carrying a hint of a flute’s melody.

It was quite peculiar, however, that there was a black monkey with long water buffalo horns hanging on the cliffside.

‘What species is that?’ Su Mo wondered. Suddenly, her vision went black, and she lost all sensation.

Little did she know, that brief exchange of glances had nearly scared Gong Nianxian, who was hanging on the cliff, senseless.

‘Why would someone jump off a cliff for fun?’ He racked his brain, utterly bewildered.