CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165: THE WAY HOME

Yan Fu and his wife widened their eyes in an instant and held the little ghost tightly in their arms.

"Little Treasure, my darling, how could you bear to leave us just like that!" The woman cried her heart out.

All these years, everyone blamed her for not looking after her child, but no one understood the pain of a mother losing her child.

"Mom..." The little ghost timidly raised his hand, wanting to hug his mother’s head, yet fearing he was dreaming and dared not to touch the loved one so close by.

The woman grabbed the little ghost’s hand and pressed it against her face.

The little ghost’s hand was cold, so cold it felt like it could freeze her bones, but she couldn’t bear to let go. Just holding the little ghost for another second comforted her, finally seeing her son again.

"You only have a quarter of an hour," Xia Mian spoke softly from the side. "He doesn’t belong here. Now that his attachment is resolved, he should move on and reincarnate."

Although Xia Mian didn’t want to spoil the moment, the little ghost didn’t belong to this world, and lingering here was not a long-term solution.

"Miss Xia!" Yan Fu turned his head and knelt at Xia Mian’s feet, "We’re still young; we can have another child. Let Little Treasure reincarnate into our family, please?"

The woman nodded repeatedly, "Miss Xia, please, help us. My Little Treasure has suffered so much..."

Xia Mian squinted slightly, glancing at Yan Fu and the woman, "Your familial bond with him is over. Forcing it would only bring more pain of parting..."

In other words, Yan Fu and his wife had no parent-child bond with the little ghost. Even if they wished for the little ghost to be born to them again, the little ghost might still die young.

The couple instantly deflated like frostbitten eggplants, their heads drooping as they spoke no more.

It was still the little ghost who cautiously touched the woman’s head, soothing gently, "Mom, I’m already very content to see you again."

He had been underwater for so many years, not knowing why he was trapped there. Now, he realized it was his attachment, wanting to see his parents one last time, willing to wait twenty years for it.

"Miss Xia is right; I should go." The little ghost managed a small smile, "In this life, I’m happy to have been your child!"

Even if this bond lasted only a short five years.

Yan Fu and the woman were in tears, unable to say a word, just continually shaking their heads.

The ghost’s fierce look gradually faded, his expression becoming remarkably gentle.

His little face gradually returned to the innocent and pure look of when he was five, "Mom, I’m leaving."

The ghost’s body slowly became transparent, and the woman couldn’t grasp him even if she tried.

The woman panicked, turning her gaze to Xia Mian, her eyes full of pleading, "Miss Xia, please let him stay!"

"Even if he can never be human again in this life, condemned to be a wandering ghost forever, you still want him to stay?" Xia Mian lightly raised an eyebrow, her brow slightly cold.

The woman was stunned, forever a wandering ghost?

Then, perhaps not!

A trace of sorrow passed over the woman’s face, "If that’s the case, I’m willing to let him reincarnate, even if, when he’s reborn, he won’t be our child..."

A sigh echoed in Xia Mian’s heart as she gently moved her fingers. An invisible light expanded in the air, opening a black tunnel of space.

"Go now, through this path for reincarnation; it will help you become human again." Xia Mian waved to the little ghost.

The little ghost stood up, reluctantly looking at Yan Fu and his wife, walking towards the black tunnel, looking back every few steps.

The woman reached out, wanting to pull the child back, but in the end, she only let her hand drop weakly.

"Little Treasure, in your next life, live well!" The woman’s voice choked with sobs, her gaze fixed on the small figure gradually disappearing into the tunnel.

Under her reluctant gaze, the tunnel slowly closed.

The woman seemed as if drained of all her strength in an instant.

She collapsed onto Yan Fu.

"Little Treasure~~~~" The woman’s cry echoed through the night sky, heart-wrenching and filled with immense grief.

Xia Mian sighed gently. Looking down, she saw a flash of white light from her Cat Claw Jade Pendant, appearing brighter than before.

Xia Mian squinted slightly, glancing at Lu Zechuan, who was thoughtfully watching Yan Fu and his wife.

"Little Treasure has gone to where he should be. You should leave too," Lu Zechuan said calmly.

He wasn’t good at consolation, and his words came out a bit stiff, not gentle enough.

Yan Fu and his wife stood up supporting each other, "Thank you both for helping our family!"

Lu Zechuan shook his head slightly, "A master once told me to do good deeds. I am merely doing a good deed a day."

Hearing Lu Zechuan’s unempathetic words, Xia Mian couldn’t help but lightly curl her lips.

"It’s almost dawn. How about you come back with us to rest, and after breakfast, we’ll see you off!" Yan Fu, after collecting his emotions, began to invite Lu Zechuan and Xia Mian.

The two had been kind to them, and even in their grief, they shouldn’t neglect their benefactors.

Xia Mian and Lu Zechuan exchanged a glance, "No need, we’ll head back directly."

"Wasn’t your car broken down?" Yan Fu looked surprised, "Then how will you go?"

"We’ll call for a tow truck." Xia Mian smiled gently, "You take care of yourselves; we won’t disturb you any longer."

Yan Fu and his wife had just said farewell to Little Treasure, their mood somber and gloomy. The two of them couldn’t bear to bother them any further.

By leaving now, it would give them space to release their emotions, which was a considerate gesture.

Yan Fu and his wife did not insist any further, "Then, let me escort you out of the village!"

Yan Fu didn’t mention that Yan Village was peculiar. Outsiders who came in would find it difficult to leave without someone from the village accompanying them.

Xia Mian did not refuse, only slightly squinted, "Why is this village called Yan Village? Are there many with the surname Yan?"

Xia Mian was merely asking casually, but Yan Fu paused, then perfunctorily replied, "Ah, yes, there are quite a few with that surname..."

The woman glanced up at Yan Fu and eventually couldn’t hold back, "Miss Xia, you’ve helped our family, so we won’t deceive you. This village only allows entry, not exit! Yan Village, as the name implies, is a place for those with death wishes..."

Xia Mian’s footsteps subtly shifted, realizing what she had previously overlooked.

Ever since they entered the village, she felt a suffocating atmosphere, noticing that in some homes, even though the lights were on, there was an eerie quietness.

It felt like a city of the dead.

"So, you don’t plan on leaving?" Xia Mian caught the crux of the matter, "Are you planning to live out your lives here?"

Yan Fu and the woman did not speak, their eyes revealing a complex emotion.