Chapter 470: Someone's been replaced!

I looked at the old woman's expectant gaze and nodded firmly.

"Okay," I said. "At midnight on the fifteenth, wait for us at the entrance of Gui Shi, and we'll take you to see Lao San."

The old woman opened her mouth to agree, but the words got stuck in her throat.

Her joyful smile froze on her face, as if she had remembered something; her gaze scattered for a moment, she quickly stepped back, all the way outside Dang Pu, stared at the shop's sign, then stared at me.

She murmured, "Someone's been replaced......"

Then she actually began to cover her face and weep bitterly, but what came out was not tears, but blood.

Even that blood was not real; it fell to the ground without forming blood spots, but vanished.

"I'm dead…… I've been dead all along……"

She actually remembered.

This situation is very unfavorable for us.

I wanted to bring her into Yin Dang Hang to find Lao San, in order to ferry her across.

Upon seeing Lao San, her obsession would fade, allowing her to enter reincarnation and have a chance at rebirth.

But now she suddenly remembered herself, and it's likely her resentment has condensed, turning her into a vengeful ghost.

When that moment truly arrives, we cannot indulge in sympathy; the only option is to exterminate her.

I stepped forward, carefully probing to guide her: "It's been many years; fortunately Lao San is still alive. On the fifteenth of last month, I personally saw him in that alley of Yin Dang Hang."

The old woman suddenly lifted her head and stared at me: "Do you dare swear to heaven that my Lao San is truly still alive?"

I immediately raised my right hand to the sky, about to swear.

"Never mind, never mind," the old woman interrupted me, saying, "I believe you."

Her gaze swept past me, looking toward the counter of Nan Shu Fang.

The Blue Cloth Jacket that had been placed there had disappeared at some point.

The old woman sighed and said, "I can't leave this place, nor can I control when I appear, so I cannot make an appointment with the shopkeeper."

So that's how it is.

"Lao San is a child I picked up; he was tiny, frozen stiff after being buried in a snowdrift. I wrapped him in my arms and warmed him with my body heat, gradually raising him with great difficulty. I hadn't even found him a wife when he was taken away. People said he wasn't a person of the yang realm, but I raised him myself—he has flesh, blood, and body heat—how could he not be of the yang realm!"

"Fortunately Lao San is both dutiful and conscientious; even when his duties keep him away, he entrusts the Dang Pu shopkeeper to send money home each month, and at year's end he gets a few days off, which he always spends with us."

"Until that year's New Year, someone came looking for Lao San, saying something had happened in Yin Dang Hang. Lao San left without a word, and from then on there was no news of him. I waited left and right, but never heard from Lao San, while everyone in Dang Pu had been replaced."

Speaking of this, the old woman's grief welled up again: "I personally sewed a Blue Cloth Jacket and asked the new shopkeeper to deliver it to my Lao San. He readily agreed, but on the night of the fifteenth, while I waited at Dang Pu's door for the shopkeeper to return, I saw the shop's attendant wearing that very Blue Cloth Jacket..."

Li Qingying and I exchanged a glance. No wonder the old woman caused trouble with us on the fifteenth of last month—the crux of the issue is right here!

"It's also my fault for being overly emotional back then. I lunged forward to demand the Blue Cloth Jacket; after several tugs, the attendant tore off the jacket and flung it in my face, snarling, 'Earlier, Yin Dang Hang was washed clean of blood, leaving no survivors. Your Lao San is long dead—he can't wear your ragged jacket. I don't disdain picking up trash; I'm doing you a favor!'"

"At first I couldn't accept this news; I shouted and argued with the attendant. Later I gradually calmed down, then compromised, taking out the only five copper coins I had, and together with the Blue Cloth Jacket, I stuffed them into his hands, begging him to help me go to Yin Dang Hang to find my Lao San."

"The attendant grew impatient with me, shoved me with a flick of his hand, I fell to the ground and hit my head, and…… just…… died like that……"

No wonder!

No wonder she always appears silently out of thin air at Dang Pu's entrance—turns out she died here back then.

Even in death, she never got to see Lao San, nor could she send the Blue Cloth Jacket out.

For a moment we were filled with sighs, as if all words of comfort now seemed extremely pale.

The old woman, however, gave a bitter smile; her form began to fade gradually, and she said, "I've remembered everything now, and it's time to let go. It's because I'm old and frail, not able to withstand a fall—don't blame others."

The key is, even if we wanted to blame someone, we can't find that attendant from back then.

She felt around on herself for a while and actually produced a small wooden sword, which she shoved into my hand, saying, "Shopkeeper, the next time you go to Yin Dang Hang, if you see Lao San again, give this to him. Help me bid him farewell, and let him live well."

I received the small wooden sword with both hands; the old woman gave me a final smile, said "Please," and vanished before our eyes.

Looking at the small wooden sword in my hand, I immediately thought that Lao San wields a long sword.

This small wooden sword must surely carry many beautiful memories between them mother and son, right?

I let out a long breath and turned back toward Dang Pu.

As I turned, I saw Yu Nian leaning against the doorframe, watching us all along.

I walked over and handed the small wooden sword to her: "Sister, this…… you should be the one to give it to Lao San when the time comes."

Yu Nian evidently saw everything that just happened.

She nodded, took the small wooden sword, and put it away.

The night passed without a word.

After midnight on the second night, it was the fifteenth.

Liu Junyan, Yu Nian, and I entered Gui Shi together, heading straight for the river at its westernmost edge.

We never expected that, when we reached the riverside, we would see Hu Yulin already waiting there.

Liu Junyan asked, "Aren't you supposed to be guarding Yin Mountain? How did you come here?"

"How could I not come on such an important day?" Hu Yulin said. "It's only a matter of two or three hours either way; Yin Mountain won't fall into chaos without me, but if you encounter enemies here with no one to help, you'll be crying to heaven and earth in vain."

What he said also makes sense.

One more person means one more strength.

Hu Yulin went into the water first to lead the way; Yu Nian and I followed closely behind, while Liu Junyan brought up the rear.

Soon we stood at the mouth of the alley leading to Yin Dang Hang.

As expected, Lao San flickered into view once more, appearing before us.

This time, however, he had completely changed from his vagrant appearance; his whole person looked clean and tidy.

He had washed, shaved his beard, groomed his hair, neatly bound it atop his head, changed into fresh clothes, and his whole bearing now seemed somewhat majestic.

He glanced at me, then at Yu Nian, slightly bowed his waist, and made a "please" gesture.

Yu Nian and I passed through smoothly.

Liu Junyan and Hu Yulin caught up.

Immediately, they were stopped.

Lao San's unsympathetic voice rang out: "You two, get lost..."