Chapter 105: Life Exchange (2 / 2)

I calmed my thoughts just as Yuan Beitang lifted the black cat and began the wedding ceremony. Jiang Shiyu's parents sat solemnly, observing. But how could anyone feel normal about this?

I mean—a Taoist priest holding a black cat in a red wedding gown, bowing with me at the altar?What kind of absurd nightmare was this?

Even stranger, the cat refused to look at me. Its expression oozed disdain, with a hint of reluctant resignation. It was... judging me. I didn't even know cats could judge people like this.

When the ceremony finally ended, Yuan Beitang said,"Turn off all the lights."

Jiang Shiyu's father rushed to switch them off. The room dimmed. Then Yuan said:"This cat now holds her Seven Spirits (七魄). Unlike the soul, as long as the main soul stays intact and her soul-light remains lit, the Seven Spirits will return—even from the ends of the earth."

Her father looked nervous. "Master… are ghosts really that strong? Can I handle this alone?"

To be honest, I wasn't sure either. I'd just clashed with Yin officials myself, and that was no small matter.

Yuan Beitang, unfazed, scattered grains of rice around the wooden box. I immediately understood.

Rice = maggots. Box = coffin.Seven Spirits separated. Soul-light lit.This was "Stealing Heaven to Swap Fate" (偷天换命), a forbidden Taoist ritual.

As long as the person still drew breath, this ritual could pull them back from the gates of Hell. It rewrote their fate. Cats are believed to have nine lives. By transferring her Seven Spirits into the cat, Jiang Shiyu was swapping destinies.Unless Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva himself stepped in, this would sever her ties to her "Celestial Attendant" fate.

But… would a Bodhisattva really follow our script?

Everything was ready. As soon as the soul-light was lit, the box went still. The flickering light reflected her spirit. If you leaned close, you'd see a tiny curled-up child sleeping inside the flame.

I didn't dare look. I didn't want to disturb her rest.

Night deepened. Jiang Shiyu's father continued burning spirit money outside, alert and focused. Yuan Beitang and I waited in a side room. He had me lie beside the cat and pretend to sleep.

As the hours crawled past, I began to feel drowsy——when suddenly, the distant sound of drums and gongs broke the silence.

I cracked an eye open—And to my shock, the cat lying beside me had transformed into Jiang Shiyu. She was curled up peacefully, sleeping as if nothing had happened.

I doubted my own eyes. I was a feng shui practitioner—not some master exorcist. I had little experience with folk magic. So seeing this nearly made me panic.

The room's temperature dropped rapidly. A foggy haze clouded my vision, blurring everything. It felt like waking from a heavy sleep.

Then—A deep, magnetic male voice echoed through the haze:"The Bodhisattva feared the Dragon Maiden might get lost, so I've been sent to escort her back."

Jiang Shiyu responded sleepily:"Can't I stay a few more years? Please tell the Bodhisattva for me."

I was stunned. That was her voice.So… who was in the box?

I tried to rise but found I couldn't. My body was heavy, as if drugged. Then I heard the man say:

"The Bodhisattva asked for you alone. But… if you're so attached to him, why don't I just take him with us too?"

"No!" Jiang Shiyu shouted firmly.

They exchanged a few more lines. Through the blur, I watched a shadowy figure, surrounded by Yin officials and ceremonial music, ascend into the sky and vanish.

As they departed, the pressure on me lifted. My strength returned.

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open. Yuan Beitang shouted:

"Get up! We've got work to do!"

Rubbing my dizzy head, I resisted the urge to tear off the red cloth covering the box.

"What the hell's going on?" I demanded.

Yuan yanked me off the floor and pointed to a red candle on the altar.

"That voice? I faked it using Dragon-Phoenix Candles. Now move—before it's too late!"

I was still reeling. "Where are we going now?"

Yuan's expression was grave."Jiang Shiyu gave you her spiritual root. We're going to steal another one to replace it."

Steal?!Spiritual roots can be stolen?

Yuan nodded. "Exactly. We're going to the Relic Pagoda (舍利塔). It holds relics from ancient monks. If we can steal one, I'll transfer a Buddha's spiritual root into her. Once that's done, no one—not even the Bodhisattva—can touch her."

I knew there was only one place in the city that housed monk relics: the Shenyang Relic Pagoda, located at 45 Lane, Ta Wan Street, Huanggu District.

The 13-story octagonal brick tower was built in 1044 during the Liao Dynasty. It was later restored by Emperor Hong Taiji in 1640. Though the accompanying temple was gone, the tower was still known as the Wugou Jingguang (Stainless Pure Light) Relic Pagoda, housing 1,548 relic pearls.

The place was steeped in legends.A sacred Buddhist site.Stealing from it? Unthinkable.

But for Jiang Shiyu—I was all in.

We grabbed our gear and slipped out the door.To my surprise, Yuan Beitang could drive. We took Jiang Shiyu's father's car and headed straight for Huanggu District.

That night, the moon didn't rise.By the time we left, it was nearly midnight.

The car glided through the empty streets, cool wind brushing in through the windows. The city was eerily silent.

When we arrived at the park surrounding the pagoda, it was utterly deserted.

The air was heavy, the kind that presses on your lungs.

Occasional gusts of wind rustled the leaves—And in that silence, we looked up at the ancient tower.

In a moonless night—The Buddhist pagoda shone with a faint, white glow.