Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 34

“Sheng Baobao, come out for a moment.”

After class, Sheng Baobao is called to the office by the counselor, where staff from the notary office are waiting for her.

“You are Sheng Baobao’s classmate, right? We are here to give you part of Ms. Lin Meihua’s inheritance on her behalf.”

The staff compares Baobao’s appearance with the girl in the photo, then takes out a wooden box containing part of the inheritance left by the late lady.

Three days ago, the old lady passed away in the school hospital. Since she has no close relatives, her funeral is arranged by the provincial university. Baobao attends to see the old lady off.

She never expects that the old lady has left her an inheritance.

According to the video played by the notary, the old lady donates 300,000 yuan of her inheritance to the provincial university, with the remaining 500,000 yuan and the antiques from her husband’s family being donated to the country.

The inheritance Baobao received included some of the old lady’s favorite jewelry. The most precious item was a pair of jade rings, which were said to be heirlooms of the Xu family. They were passed down only to the eldest son and the eldest daughter-in-law. Not only were they of great historical significance, but they were made from the rarest high-ice emeralds, making them highly valuable.

The inheritance Baobao receives includes some of the old lady’s favorite jewelry. The most precious item is a pair of jade rings, which are said to be heirlooms of the Xu family. They are passed down only to the eldest son and the eldest daughter-in-law. Not only are they of great historical significance, but they are made from the rarest high-ice emeralds, making them highly valuable.

No one knows that this modest dormitory manager actually comes from such a wealthy family.

In fact, much of the property has been inherited from Xu Lin’s fiancé, Xu Feng. The Xu family was once wealthy. Xu Feng was the only son of the direct branch. At the time, only children from rich families could afford to attend military academies. Xu Feng, however, chose to go to the front lines, where he faces immense pressure from his family.

As the war escalates, the side branches of the Xu family sell their properties and flee to Hong Kong and abroad. Xu Feng’s parents insist on staying, and in an effort to preserve their legacy, they distribute part of the family’s wealth to the more promising children in the side branches, using the remainder to support the army.

The treasures left by the old lady are just the tip of the iceberg of the Xu family’s wealth. When she chooses to honor the old marriage contract and live with the Xu family as Xu Feng’s fiancée to care for his elderly parents, many people assume she is after the Xu family’s wealth. Many even predict that once she outlives the two elders, she will quickly remarry and claim the family’s assets.

Who would have known that the old lady would wait a lifetime?

The notary, unaware of Baobao’s connection to Xu Lin, assumes the little girl is simply fortunate to have caught the old lady’s eye and is benefiting from it.

“This pair of rings has special meaning to me,” the old lady’s voice comes from the notarization video. “Child, I hope all the regrets in my life can be fulfilled through you.”

The elderly woman, thin and haggard, looks at the camera with kind and gentle eyes, offering the sincerest of wishes, full of the love and hopes elders have for the younger generation.

Baobao thinks back to what the old lady said to her before—how Chunming liked her. The old lady seemed to see a reflection of her past with her lover in Baobao and Chunming’s relationship.

When Xu Feng doesn’t return, he places the jade ring on her hand. She then passes the ring on to Baobao, hoping that one day, the pair of rings could be worn by her and Chunming.

However, while the old lady is hopeful, she can’t guarantee the two will end up together. So, she refrains from mentioning it, wanting to spare Baobao any pressure. It is clear that the old lady’s intentions are very thoughtful.

“The old lady said that you fulfilled her biggest wish in this life, so please accept these gifts without feeling burdened.”

The notary hands the items over to Baobao, still curious about what kind of favor the old lady did for the freshman to deserve such an inheritance. Baobao doesn’t seem like someone who could have helped her.

The items left by the old lady are indeed remarkable—ornaments mostly. While earrings and jade bracelets are valuable, they don’t hold much cultural significance. The more historically significant antiques have already been donated to the country.

Baobao isn’t short of money to sell the jewelry. In the future, she might pass these ornaments down to her children, telling them the story of the old lady. For the old lady, that might be another form of continuation.

After careful thought, Baobao accepts this precious legacy.

Since there is no safe for valuables in the dormitory, Baobao goes to the bank after class and rents a safe deposit box to store the jewelry. She plans to take them home after the National Day holiday.

Upon returning, Xu Hanyan tells her that someone has come to see her and asked to meet at the back pool at 9 o’clock in the evening.

“Who is this person? Why did they ask you to meet at the back pool so late? Do they like you?” Xu Hanyan is a little gossipy.

“It’s a friend I grew up with.”

When Baobao hears the person claiming to be Chunming, she feels a little nervous.

Ever since the dorm manager pointed out Chunming’s feelings for her, Baobao has started to feel uncomfortable. She has always thought of Chunming as a little monk. Even though he no longer plans to become a monk, she hasn’t updated her feelings in time.

It isn’t her intention, but Baobao feels as though she has flirted with a high monk. She feels a mix of guilt and excitement.

She has been avoiding her childhood sweetheart lately. Maybe he has noticed it and is planning to confront her about their relationship tonight.

Baobao ponders the situation, wondering if the old lady has been mistaken, and if she is just being overly sentimental.

The troubled girl tosses and turns on the bed. If she weren’t still in the dormitory, she would have howled to the sky to express her melancholy.

As for why the meeting is set for nine o’clock, it makes sense. To earn tuition and living expenses, Chunming works part-time when he doesn’t have classes. Recently, he has found a job helping junior high school students with lessons for two hours a day, from 6:30 to 8:30, so he won’t be back to the school until almost nine o’clock.

“Remember to come back early.”

Lin Lan reminds him, concerned that the meeting time is a bit late. If Baobao hadn’t told her that the person asking her out is her childhood friend, she would have really discouraged Baobao from meeting a young man so late at night.

“I know.”

Baobao begins to imagine what Chunming will say when they meet. As she thinks about it, her cheeks flush. She buries her face in her soft pillow, her heart filled with an emotional ache.

Meanwhile, Chunming, who has returned to the dormitory at 8:50, receives a message from his roommate.

A girl who claims to be Baobao has come looking for him at night. At the time, no one is in their dorm, so a classmate from the next dormitory passes the message along.

The girl asks him to meet her at the back pond at nine o’clock. She says she has something to talk about.

A group of the guys in the dorm wink at Chunming, tease him, and encourage him. To them, it seems like the girl is about to confess her feelings.

Chunming doesn’t have time to think. He quickly changes into clean clothes and hurries to the back pond to keep the appointment.

The back pond is a scenic spot in the southeast corner of the province. It is also known as the “confession pond,” as it is said that confessions made here are likely to succeed.

It is really just a pond surrounded by many aquatic plants. In the summer, mosquitoes are especially dense, which makes this time of year the least popular for couples making confessions.

When Baobao and Chunming arrive, they are the only ones there. Apart from the croaking of frogs, the chirping of insects, and the buzz of mosquitoes, the place is eerily quiet.

“You—”

“You—”

They both speak at the same time. “You asked me to come here—”

“You asked me to come here—”

Once again, they speak in unison. At that moment, they don’t care about anything charming. Instead, they realize the biggest problem at the same time.

Hadn’t the other person invited them here?

“Hehehe—” Jixing appears, laughing in his signature villainous way.

It is as if he could have written “I am a bad guy” on his forehead.

Baobao and Chunming instantly realize that someone has tricked them into coming here. The empty back pond is likely part of Jixing’s plan.

Chunming feels upset. How could he have forgotten about this troublesome uncle? He has led them into danger, dragging Baobao down with him.

“You come for me. This has nothing to do with Baobao. Let her go.”

Chunming thinks Jixing’s target is the old monk behind him, and Baobao is just an innocent bystander caught in the middle.

“Let her go?” Jixing’s eyes darken. “This little girl’s parents are ruining my business, and now they want me to let her go?”

He wishes he could extract the girl’s soul right then and there, refining it into a ghost puppet. He imagines the couple who have ruined his plan watching helplessly as their daughter becomes a mindless puppet. That scene would be nothing short of shocking.

The old man takes out a black soul-calling banner from behind him, laughing in a sinister and terrifying way.

“Over the years, I’ve searched for ghosts with lingering resentment and evil spirits—those who committed countless crimes in their lifetime. I need only two more souls before my Hundred Ghosts can be fully developed. Although you two little ghosts don’t harbor great resentment or evil spirits, you’ve practiced the finest magic of Buddhism and Taoism. If I condense your souls into my soul-calling banner, my Hundred Ghosts will be complete. Then, why should I fear Jikong, that pathetic fool?”

Jixing has already fallen deep into evil cultivation. The boiling resentment condensed on the soul-calling banner is made up of the soul power attached to the ghosts he has refined. Some of these ghosts committed numerous evil deeds in life, while others died unjustly and were wronged. They are trapped by him, unable to reincarnate.

Jixing has accumulated immense karmic debts.

Chunming stands protectively in front of Baobao, facing the soul-calling banner. The moment Jixing takes it out, he feels the weight of it the most.

Suddenly, the wailing and roaring sounds explode in his ears like a tsunami, almost shattering his eardrums. The string of Buddhist beads, which had once been left to him by the old Taoist priest, begins to crack under the immense pressure of boiling resentment.

A wave of fear floods Chunming’s heart—fear of losing his parents and relatives, of watching them die in front of him. This is his inner demon, and the reason he has never been able to face ghosts directly despite his lack of magic power.

He is too scared, too uncomfortable. In that moment, he wants nothing more than to cover his ears and curl up, to escape the deafening roars of the wronged souls.

But where can he hide? Where can he run? If he moves, Baobao will be the first to be attacked.

If he backs down, the baby will be torn apart and devoured by those evil spirits, just like his parents, siblings, and friends had been in the past…

Chunming trembles violently, sweat pouring from his forehead like rain.

He can’t retreat!

Chunming quickly pulls the Buddhist beads from his wrist, silently chanting a Buddhist mantra. He places the magic weapon in front of his chest and forms seals with both hands…

The moment the beads leave his wrist, the spiritual energy that had been suppressed by the magic weapon begins to spread uncontrollably. At that instant, Chunming becomes the most alluring prey for the ghosts. The howling spirits on the soul-calling banner grow louder, their cries more shrill. The souls within it are eager to break free and devour this fresh, tempting flesh.

“It’s Hui Tong! It’s Hui Tong (harmonization)!” Jixing’s eyes widen with ecstasy. He recognizes the special physique of Chunming immediately. If his Hundred Ghosts can feed on Hui Tong’s flesh and blood—someone so rare—it will surely exceed his wildest expectations.

In addition to his ecstasy, Jixing can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

Had he not turned to the path of evil cultivation, he would have trained someone like Chunming to be his prized disciple. Unfortunately, they have chosen completely different paths, and Chunming is already a disciple of his junior brother.

The Buddha has truly abandoned him. He made the right choice in abandoning this faith.

Jixing’s gaze grows colder and more intense. He mutters something under his breath, waving the soul-calling flag. Endless evil spirits break free from the banner and rush toward Chunming, drawn by the irresistible pull of his spiritual energy.

Meanwhile, Baobao, shielded behind Chunming, has little interest in the ghosts. These mindless, greedy spirits only seek to devour the most desirable meat.

“I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid.”

Chunming quickly forms another seal, and the magic weapon in his hand releases a golden light, forming a protective bell that envelops both him and Baobao. The ghosts shriek as they collide with the golden light.

But the ghosts have no minds. They only know to rush repeatedly at the protective shield, hoping to break it and feast on the human flesh they so desperately crave.

The cracks in the Buddhist beads and the magic weapon grow larger and larger, and soon, they will break apart entirely.

“I’m not afraid.”

Chunming closes his eyes and silently chants again. The tragic deaths of his parents and siblings flash before his eyes, but they alternate with the memory of Baobao’s lively, intelligent face from the past. Now, he must face not just these ghosts, but also his own inner demons.

“I’m not afraid!”

At the moment when the Buddhist beads finally shatter, Chunming opens his eyes, his gaze filled with courage and resolve like never before.

He once told Baobao that he had found something more important than Harvard. He hadn’t been able to protect his family before, but now, he must protect his treasure—even if it costs him his life.

At the moment the Buddhist beads shatter, Chunming is prepared to die. He is willing to use his life to buy time for the ghosts and Jixing, hoping to give Baobao a chance to escape.

“Don’t be afraid, I will protect you.”

Seeing Chunming standing in front of her, terrified but insisting he isn’t afraid, Baobao’s heart softens.

As the protective shield breaks and the ghosts begin to swarm in, Baobao grabs Chunming’s arm, pulling him back. Because Chunming isn’t prepared for her sudden action, he is dragged into Baobao’s arms due to inertia.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

Baobao cradles Chunming’s head, and for a brief moment, she thinks he is very handsome. This must be the “tough girl” style that Hua Ma had mentioned—one that can give men a sense of security.

The ghosts, mindless and driven only by hunger, see an ordinary meal holding what appears to be an even tastier prize. They surge toward the baby.

Chunming snaps out of his daze and tries to pull away from her embrace, intending to distance himself and draw the ghosts away.

“Haha, what a shameless pair of desperate mandarin ducks!”

Jixing sneers from the side, his eyes bloodshot. He watches with disdain as the Buddhist practitioners and Taoists mingle. The little girl from the Hua family is truly shameless.

“Bald donkey, let my daughter go!”

Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun arrive at that moment, having rushed over nonstop, taking turns driving with little rest. When they arrive at the provincial university, they go straight to their daughter’s dormitory. Upon learning that Chunming has invited their daughter to the back pool, they immediately suspect something is wrong—based on their years of experience with deceit—and rush there without hesitation.

As expected, when they arrive, they see the vile old man sneering at their daughter and Chunming. The whole area around the back pool is engulfed in strong winds and thick fog. Though they can’t see the ghosts, they feel the overwhelming presence of an entirely different, ominous energy.

At this moment, Jixing feels a twinge of nervousness. He knows that Hua Yingpo’s Taoist abilities are profound, and with his Hundred Ghosts not yet fully developed, he isn’t confident in facing her.

But it is too late to retreat. He hasn’t noticed his junior brother Jikong following behind Hua Yingpo and her husband. Jixing grits his teeth, deciding to fight.

“You’ve forced my hand.”

Jixing closes his eyes, muttering something under his breath as he continues waving the soul-calling flag.

The evil spirits, which had initially surged toward Baobao, are now redirected by Jixing, rushing toward Hua Yingpo and her husband. The couple finally sees the dark cloud of hundreds of vengeful spirits drawing near.

“Fuck!”

Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun have never witnessed such a sight before. Hua Yingpo immediately throws Hua Xiaolian into the dark cloud. The couple then runs hand in hand, moving with the speed of master-level athletes, barely managing to keep pace.

Hua Xiaolian, born from a mass grave and drawn to spiritual and yin energy, sees the ghosts as his feast. As he is tossed into the air, he eagerly bites into a dead ghost and a large evil spirit. His tail spins like a propeller as he revels in his meal.

Jixing is dumbfounded by the scene. What kind of Taoist master leaves a dog to face ghosts and runs away? And runs so poorly, at that?

But in that moment, his body is already severely injured. He has no time to contemplate this confusion.

He has cultivated the Hundred Ghosts to counter his junior brother Jikong, who has allied with Lady Hua. To control these ghosts, Jixing has sacrificed a great deal of his own essence and blood, almost risking everything to create an evil weapon capable of suppressing Buddhist treasures.

Now, every time Hua Xiaolian devours a ghost, Jixing suffers a backlash. His body, which is already on the brink of collapse, can’t endure much more, and he vomits a mouthful of black blood.

He swallows the blood and waves the soul-calling flag once more. He knows that if the ghosts can devour Hui Tong and absorb his spiritual blood, he might have a chance to turn the tide.

The dark clouds, now much thinner, are redirected once again toward Baobao and Chunming.

“Bald donkey, if you harm my daughter, I swear you’ll never have a single hair on your head again!”

Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun run along the perimeter of the pond, heading toward their daughter from a different direction.

The ghosts are faster than they are, closing in on Baobao and Chunming in an instant, ready to devour them.

Chunming struggles fiercely to protect Baobao.

“Don’t be afraid!” Baobao hugs him tighter, taking a moment to pat his head.

Though Chunming is much taller and stronger than her, he now finds himself unable to break free from her embrace. With his knees bent and half-squatting, he can only hold on to her.

Chunming feels like crying. Is it true that he hasn’t been able to protect his family back then, and now he can’t protect Baobao either? Are they both going to die here? Shouldn’t he be glad that at least they’re holding each other when they die?

The wailing ghosts surround them, but just before Jixing can gloat, something incredible happens. Countless black smoke rises from around Baobao, and any ghost that comes into contact with her turns to ash in an instant.

Hua Xiaolian, who has arrived a step late, licks his paws nearby, occasionally grabbing a ghost to devour.

Ji Cao, Ji Cao, once a weapon of evil, has been inexplicably refined by the young master. These ghosts, however, aren’t as fortunate. They are mere puppets—ghosts without any intelligence—created from evil spirits. They are no match for Hua Xiaolian’s natural power, which is born from a mass grave and driven by a hunger for spiritual and yin energy.

These ghosts, once part of Jixing’s soul-calling banner, have long since been stripped of their autonomy. And all these sins fall upon Jixing.

“Impossible, impossible…”

As the last of the ghosts disintegrates, Jixing starts vomiting blood uncontrollably.

He can’t believe his eyes. What kind of power is this? The Hundred Ghosts, which he has painstakingly cultivated, are reduced to ashes as soon as they encounter her. The magical energy and spiritual purity she wields are beyond anything he has ever seen.

Jixing has never encountered someone like her, not even his late master. The highest levels of Buddhist practice can never reach such terrifying power.

When the final ghost vanishes, Jixing’s internal organs, ravaged by his own evil magic, have turned to mush. He is already on the brink of death.

Hua Xiaolian’s belly, swollen from its feast, almost drags on the ground, making its stubby legs look even shorter. The greedy pup still feels unsatisfied, running over to Baobao and enthusiastically licking her several times.

“Baobao, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Let me see, my dear, are you alright?”

“Baobao, let go now. You’re a little girl—you can only hug daddy, not Chunming!”

The couple runs over in a flurry, circling around their daughter, eager to check on her. Sheng Wukun, with a subtle move, pulls Chunming away from Baobao, nudging him aside with his butt as he squeezes himself between his daughter and Chunming.

Jixing watches this scene with bloodshot eyes, realization dawning upon him.

He understands now. He understands everything. “Charlatan—”

He points a trembling finger at Hua Yingpo and her husband, his voice filled with bitter accusation.

They have used their daughter’s abilities to deceive and manipulate him. He thought he was picking an easy target, but in the end, he miscalculated, choosing the wrong adversary—Sheng Baobao, tougher than he had imagined.

If it weren’t for them, he might never have targeted Baobao in the first place. They misled him, and now they have caused his downfall!

“Cheater! Shameless cheater!”

But Jixing never finishes his accusation. His body gives out, and he collapses, his vitality completely drained. Before he dies, his eyes remain wide open, unblinking.

Jikong and his fellow apprentices arrive a step too late. From a distance, they see Jixing pointing at Lady Hua and moving his mouth, then collapsing lifelessly with his eyes wide open.

Before they can express their regret for their tardiness, Jikong and the others are overwhelmed by admiration for Lady Hua and her husband.

Upon entering the Provincial University, they saw the seething evil spirit hovering above, knowing that Jixing had refined a powerful weapon. Even with their combined strength, they feared they might not have stood a chance.

They rushed here, terrified that Lady Hua, her husband, and their children might be killed before they could arrive.

But now, Jixing is dead, the evil spirit has completely dissipated, and it is clear that Jikong has underestimated Lady Hua’s abilities. The couple is truly formidable.

Chunming notices something strange, and when he sees Baobao wink at him, he wisely chooses to stay silent.