Although I was still upset about my second life... I mean who would have thought I would meet that conniving Yi Huai again as Kong Shuguang? I couldn't believe I felt the same emotions of romantic love for him all over again! However, it was now completely washed away by feelings of absurdity, feelings of guilt that I would even do that to myself again.
Dressed in my informal physician's outfit, I entered Grandma's house. I wondered after all these years, if the villagers still burned paper money for Grandma. Her house looked somewhat the same.
"Grandma?" I called.
She emerged from her room with a joyful grin, "Oh, my child! You are back!"
"Yes, Grandma." I embraced her into my arms.
While holding onto me, she looked me up and down, "Mu Dan, why did you come back so quickly? Did something happen?"
"I just... felt like I did enough," I lied.
She gave me a light slap on the arm, "Just what do you take life for? Were you able to accomplish anything? Get married?"
"Grandma! I was a physician. I saved tons of lives, okay?"
"Ooh, a doctor? That's good. What about marriage?"
"Well... that..."
"What? It didn't happen?"
I reluctantly nodded.
"I'm glad you made it back to the Underworld instead of remaining on earth as a virgin ghost. I've heard about those women. Trapping young men in illusions and sucking out their energy."
"Grandma..."
"It is okay la. I've found a good husband for you to marry here. His name is Li Yuhao. He comes from a good family--"
"Grandma, you don't need to set me up with anyone. You're not obligated to my parents anymore."
"Eh? I want to because I want to."
"Grandma, I want to get some rest before I go back, all right? You should also think about it. Staying here too long... probably isn't good for the mind."
"Mu Dan, you--"
Before she could spout anymore nonsense, I went into my room and lied down on the bed. I didn't know what I wanted anymore. It was all confusing. Just why did I fall in love with Yi Huai again, and why this time he was much more gentle? Swatting away any lingering thoughts, I decided to forget him and focus on my new beginnings.
I had a weird dream. I saw Kong Shuguang standing over two mounds on the overlook of Tie Qing mountain. Was one of them mine?
As time went on in the Underworld, I did different tasks around the place. As I was weeding around the glowing flowers, I had another vision that made me light headed.
I saw blood streaming from a blade into a bowl. The sight made me gag.
I tried not to think much about it, but as more time went by, I had another one.
Kong Shuguang was in Tian Guang Hall sitting by the lifeless body of Gao Yi Fei. A sword pierced him from the back and the red splatter of blood painted Gao Yi Fei's pale face.
Just what was all those visions I saw? They seemed so real, but also so incoherent like I wasn't in complete control.
I went back to see Ji Nian to ask him about those disturbing visions. Also find out the answer of where I really came from.
I approached his desk, but he wasn't there. Didn't he have thousands of souls to meet in a day? Just where did he go to slack off?
I sat in the chair and waited until he slammed a pile of documents onto his desk. I wasn't paying attention when he approached and had my head hung back while counting the dark spikes on the ceiling.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"Me? I was off doing extra work for you."
"Does it really take that much out of your day to do something like look into my past?"
"Yes."
I decided not to fight him on it, "Thank you then. So what did you find out?"
"I traced the essence of your soul to a vacant area in space."
"Space?"
"There were still traces of of your essence there."
"How could my soul be created from space? From nothing?"
"I'm not sure, but I've become curious enough to look into the matter for you. It'll take time."
"That... is weird."
"It happens all the time. You're not special. Anyway, that's all I know."
"Okay... I have another question."
He crossed his arms and said, "Another?"
"I keep having these odd visions... I was looking at Kong Shuguang, and he was kneeling at a grave, then there was blood, then he was pierced with a sword! It just rubbed me the wrong way."
With a short inhale, Ji Nian flipped through the files on his desk.
"You were attached to him for a short while."
"What? Why? But I'm here aren't I?"
"A part of your ghostly existence probably latched onto him until the day he died. That's why you had visions of him."
"Why would I latch onto him?"
"I don't know? Out of love, revenge, greed."
"I did... I did curse him before I died. That I hoped he would be reminded of my death until the day he dies..."
"That should do it."
"Well, it's justifiable! He drove me to my death by making me digest poison."
"Whatever you say to make you sleep at night."
I glared at him, "Good thing spirits don't have to sleep!"