Chapter 47: On Yin Merit (Requesting Votes and Follows)

“Spending a lifetime doing good and accumulating virtue, just to be reborn in the heartland as an ordinary commoner?” Xiao Yu’s lips twitched.

Even though she knew the “barbarians” of this world held the Central Kingdom in boundless reverence and longing, she was still stunned by the value placed on “citizenship of the Superior Realm.”

The yearning of people for an American green card pales beside the adoration foreign lands hold for the Superior Realm.

“Ah, Yu’er, don’t stray from the point. Your father is merely using common folk wisdom as an example.”

Among the western nations, the primary purpose of commoners doing good and accumulating virtue is to be reborn in the Central Kingdom after death.”

The common folk are foolish, believing everything about the Central Kingdom is perfect.”

Living as a citizen of the Central Kingdom seems far happier than being a monarch in a foreign land.”

But we nobles know well—every place has its poor and suffering.”

The Central Kingdom is merely like the legendary Western Paradise, the most refined land under heaven.”

After a pause, Hu Chen added: “Do you understand what I mean? When it comes to yin merit, reputation can become a burden.”

Xiao Yu shook her head, honestly saying: “I don’t understand. Reputation comes from good deeds; if it’s a good deed, the spirits and gods will only keep accumulating yin merit for you.”

Even if you don’t hope to be reborn in the Central Kingdom, having yin merit is still good—how could it become a burden?”

“Can you guarantee you’ll always act when you encounter goodness?” Hu Chen asked.

Xiao Yu frowned: “I just act on impulse. If I come across something, my mood isn’t too bad, and it doesn’t take much effort, I do it. If it’s truly too hard, I just don’t do it. Isn’t not doing it fine?”

“Not doing it is wrong—not just wrong, but a grave sin!” Hu Chen said gravely.

“What kind of logic is that? Are good people doomed to be morally coerced?”

Hu Chen shook his head: “This isn’t coercion. Suppose a minister is known for loyalty, but one day, when a great state matter arises, the monarch sees he takes no action—will the monarch remember only his past loyalty and ignore his current inaction, still treating him as a great loyalist?”

The spirits and judges of the netherworld are not servants serving the people of the mortal realm.”

Their attitude toward mortals is even more condescending than a monarch’s toward his ministers.”

Speaking of this, he sighed deeply, lowering his voice: “Last night you met Master Song—he’s merely a minor messenger in western Shu. I am a full-fledged Grand Commander of the Shu Cavalry.”

Yet when I face him, I must address him as ‘Master’—my demeanor is humble, like a filial son or virtuous grandson.”

If you ever get the chance to meet the King of Shu in Luo Capital, see how he treats me with respect.”

Xiao Yu paused, stunned—Hu Chen’s words were blunt, utterly real.

She had previously thought of the netherworld spirits as “enforcers of cosmic law.”

Heaven and earth are impartial; the Great Dao is perfectly fair.”

So the enforcers of cosmic law must also follow rules and achieve absolute fairness.”

But the Journey to the West plainly describes Emperor Taizong’s journey to hell.”

The netherworld isn’t corrupt, but it’s far from “perfectly impartial and unbiased.””

The netherworld fully cooperates with Buddhism to set up schemes, manipulating the Tang Emperor—can this be called ‘perfectly impartial’?”

Judge Cui quietly altered the Tang Emperor’s lifespan—easily done.”

Judge Cui’s alteration of lifespans happened multiple times afterward.”

In truth, Xiao Yu had no need at all to refer to the Journey to the West’s plot.”

Because Hu Chen’s family had a city god ancestor who cherished kin and clan.”

The Ancestor Guan was a living example.”

Hu Chen’s descriptions of the netherworld’s secrets must align closely with reality—perhaps even directly from the Ancestor Guan’s earnest teachings.”

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Hu Chen nodded silently and continued: “If we’re talking about coercion, it’s not morality that binds the ‘good person’—it’s reputation.”

You bear the reputation of ‘great goodness.’”

To monitor you, the spirits expend time and effort—yet if your reputation doesn’t match your deeds, how can the spirits not be angry?”

“What happens if the spirits get angry?” Xiao Yu asked.

Hu Chen said: “What else? They’ll likely record a heavy mark, settling accounts after death. Of course, the netherworld’s spirits are numerous, each with different temperaments—some may be harsh, sending ghost enforcers to summon your soul, scolding or whipping you.”

Or even directly strike your name from the Book of Life and Death.”

But as for the effectiveness of spirit surveillance...”

He chuckled: “Just look at how many frauds still plague this world—you’ll understand.”

I tell you this only to warn you: accumulating yin merit is also a form of cultivation, as difficult as immortal cultivation—it demands perseverance, great willpower, and firm resolve.”

Xiao Yu looked at him with a strange expression.”

With such profound insight into the netherworld, why haven’t you been deeply alarmed, reformed your heart, and become a truly great good person?”

“If I stay in western Shu forever, under the protection of our ancestor, could I slightly deceive the world, steal a little reputation?”

Hu Chen glared at her: “Are you having another one of your crazy ideas? What nonsense are you spouting?”

Xiao Yu immediately lowered her head, assuming a meek posture: “I spoke wrongly. I merely revere our ancestor and long for his affection.”

Hu Chen stared at her for a moment longer, then nodded: “Our ancestor is kind and affectionate, most attentive to obedient descendants. But you won’t stay long in western Shu.”

Once you enter the Southern Continent of the Central Kingdom, your ancestor’s protection won’t reach you.”

Xiao Yu said: “I understand. I’ll follow your example—I won’t cultivate yin merit.”

Hu Chen’s expression stiffened slightly.”

This adopted daughter of his was truly a lunatic.”

“No—I’m teaching you. Your compassion for roadside bones is your innate nature; you should strive to sustain it, not act on whims.”

Just as a father, seeing his child has talent in calligraphy, encourages the child to take calligraphy seriously, to walk that path diligently, not to practice sporadically and waste that gift.”

Xiao Yu frowned: “But I can’t sustain it—being good is too hard.”

Hu Chen said: “I only ask you to persist in burying roadside bones—not to become a flawless great virtuous person.”

If you truly possessed great virtue in every aspect, you wouldn’t be accumulating yin merit—you’d be a Saint incarnate.”

Xiao Yu exclaimed: “Father, are you saying that according to the netherworld’s system, if someone persistently buries roadside bones but also kills, burns, and disobeys parents, they still gain yin merit?”

Hu Chen shook his head: “You still don’t understand what I emphasized about ‘reputation.’”

Today you bury exposed bones in the mountains—others will spread this fact, but they won’t fabricate another story praising you for respecting elders or caring for children.”

If you have no reputation for respecting elders or caring for children, how can the spirits specifically judge you on those virtues?”

Once the netherworld confirms your reputation for burying roadside bones is genuine, they’ll record yin merit for you.”

If you’ve failed morally in other areas, when you die and enter the netherworld, they’ll deduct yin merit accordingly.”

But how could a person who genuinely pities exposed bones fail to pity or love living people?”

Xiao Yu still felt Hu Chen’s logic was flawed.”

“If you still lose yin merit for moral failings elsewhere, what’s the point of persisting in just one thing?”

Hu Chen grew impatient: “If you hadn’t voluntarily buried those roadside remains, why would I ask you to persist in doing so?”

You have this innate nature—I’m teaching you how to cultivate it.”

The key to cultivating talent is persistence.”

Again, use calligraphy as an example.”

Someone has talent in calligraphy; his father helps him become a master calligrapher.”

Even if he’s useless in every other way, he might gain favor with nobles through calligraphy and secure high office.”

At the very least, he can write letters for people at temple gates and support his entire family.”

Xiao Yu said: “Father, your reasoning makes sense, but I have no intention of pursuing the path of yin merit.”

No matter how Hu Chen reasoned, he always assumed one premise: after death, entering the netherworld to await karmic judgment.”

Only those hoping for a better rebirth next life need to seriously heed Hu Chen’s wise words.”

I cultivate immortality—I intend to transcend the Five Elements, to trample the cycle of life and death underfoot!”

Hu Chen glared again: “Do you know what kind of person has the worst reputation, the most untrustworthy?”

Those who don’t care about karmic retribution after death!”

If a person doesn’t fear spirits and gods, doesn’t care about netherworld merit, how can he fear human laws or respect the authority of parents and monarchs?”

Xiao Yu grimaced: “That’s not what I meant. I do fear spirits and gods, and I do want great merit.”

Even when I was a barbarian at Shahuang, I worshipped heaven and earth, offered to the Three Pure Ones, Jade Emperor, and Buddha.”

But I feel myself unworthy to be listed on the Merit Roll.”

“Of course I know you’re a good child, Yu’er,” Hu Chen said. “I want you to show your goodness to others—do you understand?”

“I understand.”

—No matter your true nature, always present a flawless appearance, so neither man nor spirit can find fault.”

Xiao Yu felt a genuine gratitude toward Hu Chen.”

Had he not patiently guided her today, she might have committed many unnecessary mistakes and wasted her own ‘talent.’”

Hmm, her gratitude toward Hu Chen was still too faint.”

She should be weeping with gratitude.”

Once she truly integrated into this world of humans, gods, ghosts, and immortals, once she witnessed countless real cases tied to yin merit, she would regret not traveling back in time to kneel and kowtow to Hu Chen right now.”

Every word Hu Chen spoke was golden advice—knowledge ordinary people could never access in a lifetime.”

Yes, Hu Chen had passed on to Xiao Yu the teachings the Ancestor Guan had given him.”

The Ancestor Guan was the City God of the Prefectural Capital.”

Human netherworld affairs concerning reputation and merit were his official duty.”

That night, Xiao Yu slept uneasily.”

Probably due to excessive fatigue during the day and the lack of warm spirit soup while camping outdoors, her soul had become unstable.”

But this time, her soul did not leave her body.

Xiao Yu knew she suffered from soul-loss syndrome; her spirit remained partially lucid, no longer running wild as it had the first time.

She was surrounded by a dim, gray darkness, and from afar, a faint voice drifted toward her.

“Your servant, Duan Yu of Guangning Prefecture, along with my son Duan Guisheng, bow in gratitude to Miss Xiao Yu for saving us!”

“Miss Xiao Yu restored my broken body and freed my father and me from the torment of wind, sun, rain, and snow. Guisheng bears this in his heart forever and will never forget it.”

The voice was distant, blurred, intermittent, yet repeated endlessly, just barely audible.

Xiao Yu sensed something profound, but offered no reply.

She did not know how long passed before those two voices vanished... nor how long after, until she faintly felt a strange sensation—similar to the feeling she had when picking up the large bone yesterday evening.

“Oh, Uncle Duan, Brother Guisheng, you’re out again for the alms?”

The voice seemed to be speaking to her.

Then she heard “herself” say: “Brother Wang Er, my father and I heard the call too. The Li Shan family in Gedatun is offering alms tonight—we came to beg a hot meal.”

It was Guisheng speaking!

Brother Wang Er said: “The other day, another household made offerings to spirits and ghosts—why didn’t you come then? And Uncle Duan, didn’t you say his head ached and he couldn’t walk?”

Guisheng joyfully replied: “Today we met Miss Guan’s Xiao Yu again!”

Brother Wang Er’s voice trembled with fear: “Heavens! How did we run into that demon again? What sins did your family commit in a past life?!”

“Miss Xiao Yu is a good person! She helped me recover my right leg—look, I can run and jump now. And she healed my father’s head pain. Before leaving, the great benefactor Xiao Yu even built us a stone house.”

“The stone house is cold, yes, but it shelters us from wind and rain, and it’s incredibly sturdy!”

After Guisheng finished, Uncle Duan nodded vigorously: “Miss Xiao Yu is our greatest benefactor—she truly is kind!”

These were not all the words Xiao Yu heard; later, as the Duan father and son joined Brother Wang Er for the alms, scattered phrases drifted into her ears... strictly speaking, she heard only fragments of what Guisheng heard.

Could it still be because Guisheng retained traces of the “blade qi” from the “Tiger Roar Blade”?

Xiao Yu drifted through the haze until the fifth watch of night.

At the fifth watch, outside the tent, the clinking of sword scabbards and armor echoed.

At the fifth watch, outside the tent, the clashing of sword scabbards and armor echoed.