Chapter 102: The Maiden (1 / 2)

The monk's quarters contained two wooden beds and a pair of wooden chairs set between them. Master Miaoyin pointed to the chair beside him, signaling me to sit. Across from me, Jiang Shiyu's parents sat by the edge of one bed—both bearing red, tear-stained eyes. They had clearly just been crying.

The scent of sandalwood in the room was calming. Surprisingly, I felt my depleted essence slowly begin to recover. I suppressed my amazement and looked up to see Master Miaoyin watching me with a faint, unreadable smile.

Trying my best to steady my emotions, I asked, "Master, what exactly happened to Shiyu? Why has she lost her memory? And I heard from Master Yuan that her life is in danger. What's going on?"

The moment I finished speaking, Jiang Shiyu's mother burst into sobs again, her voice filled with blame as she cried, "It's all your fault! My daughter was such a wonderful girl, and now she's been ruined because of you!"

Her father gently patted her arm. "That's enough crying. Master Miaoyin hasn't said there's no hope yet."

My heart was already in chaos. I locked eyes with Master Miaoyin, desperate for answers. All three of us stared at him in silence, waiting.

With a heavy sigh, he finally spoke:"Shiyu, in her previous life, was the Fan-Holding Maiden who served under Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. After witnessing the Six Realms of Rebirth, she was drawn to the human world and reincarnated. Her destined lifespan was 53 years. But now, having lost her wisdom root, the Bodhisattva fears she will be lost in the mortal world, and thus wishes to call her back early."

He continued, explaining that Shiyu's memory loss was a necessary step in her return—an act of severing her worldly ties, known as "renouncing earthly attachments." Because she loved me, she had to forget me.

I was stunned. A maiden who once served under a Bodhisattva? If that was true, then Jiang Shiyu must have a Tongzi Fate—"Childlike Fate." I had once charted her fortune, thinking she merely had a yin-heavy constitution. Never did I imagine she was a Tongzi Ming.

Both in Daoist and folk traditions, "Tongzi Fate" refers to those who reincarnate directly from divine or otherworldly origins, skipping the path through the Yellow Springs and the Naihe Bridge. They come from five main sources in folklore:

Reincarnated immortals or celestial servants who once served deities—be they children, disciples, or blessed souls from the celestial realm.

Past-life temple attendants—young monks or nuns who performed menial duties in temples.

Reincarnated celestial maidens or officials born with missions—like Zhong Wuyan from the Warring States period.

Individuals possessed or overshadowed by heavenly or ghostly spirits, known as "carriers."

Animals reborn as humans, now repaying karmic debts.

People with Tongzi Fate often suffer from weak health, mysterious chronic illnesses, or uncanny sensitivities. Jiang Shiyu's ability to see ghosts as a child likely stemmed from her divine origin as the Bodhisattva's maiden. Moreover, those with Tongzi Fate typically don't live long—ages 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 53 are all dangerous checkpoints in their lifespan. The Bodhisattva, in his mercy, allowed her to remain in the mortal world to experience human emotion.

If this were a normal possession by an evil spirit, there'd be a dozen ways to fix it. But this was Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva himself calling someone back. What could I do? The Bodhisattva, known as the savior of the underworld, is a being of immense compassion and near-Buddhahood-level power.

Still… could I fight fate?

I swallowed hard. That faint moment of fear, I forced it down. No one—no god, no ghost—is taking her away from me.

I looked Master Miaoyin square in the eye and said slowly and firmly,"Master, if there is a way to save her life, then there must be a way to change her fate. I humbly ask for your guidance—what must I do to save her?"

Even her mother stopped crying and looked toward the master. We were all waiting, holding our breath. She was still so young—how could anyone accept her leaving the world now?

Buddhism speaks of the Past Buddha, Present Buddha, and Future Buddha. There was no doubt Master Miaoyin had touched the realm of the Future Buddha. Otherwise, how could he always foresee my arrival? In Daoism, there are sages who also reach the realm of unity with the universe—but perhaps I was still too inexperienced to encounter them yet.

Master Miaoyin folded his hands and said,"There is a way."

"Please tell us!" All three of us stood up, eagerly leaning forward.

But then, he gave me an answer that completely threw me into turmoil—He wanted me… to renounce the world and become a monk. To shave my head, follow the precepts, and live a vegetarian, ascetic life as a true Buddhist monk.

As for why I had to make such a drastic sacrifice?

He explained:The reason Jiang Shiyu's Tongzi Fate has reached its end… is because she became entangled in my karma.