Water Ghost: Master, I Don't Want to Try Anymore

Chapter 6: Water Ghost: Master, I Don't Want to Work Hard Anymore. The Zhu Family having a House Guardian Spirit was a matter from the Republican era.

Back then, the inheritance of other sects was still relatively orderly, and the Zhu Family heir of that generation was quite capable, but she had an intuition that both the Xuan Sect and the Zhu Family would inevitably decline in the future. With this worry, she had to consider more for the Zhu Family.

What she could do was to do her best to accumulate things for future generations of the Zhu Family. The underground secret chamber of the Zhu Family still holds the Xuan Sect manuscripts she compiled and recorded, the Spirit Script she painstakingly drew, the Thousand-Mile Soul-Tracking Incense she made by hand, and the useless white snake she picked up from somewhere.

In the north, there is a saying about the four great families of wild immortals in the mountains: Hu, Huang, Bai, Liu. Liu refers to snakes.

Wild immortals with cultivation either actively appear in people's dreams or are invited into homes as House Guardian Spirits. The wild immortal receives incense offerings, and the people receive protection—both sides benefit.

Of course, this only happens with good immortals. If you encounter a wild one that is hard to tame, the host family will have plenty of trouble.

As for Zhu Shian, she looked down on this white snake in the house with a hundred percent disdain. Zhu Shian guessed that the Zhu Family head who invited the white snake into the house as a House Guardian Spirit did not value the white snake for its great skill, but rather for its gentle nature and timidity.

Inviting it to receive incense at the Zhu Family was not to expect it to render great service to the Zhu Family, but to leave a safety net for future generations of the Zhu Family. The intuition of Xuan Sect practitioners is very accurate.

The way of humanity is flourishing, and the Xuan Sect, following the closure of the celestial tracks, is bound to head toward its end. Zhu Shian knew in her heart that if she had not accidentally reincarnated back, the Zhu Family's inheritance would probably be cut off in this generation.

The preparations made by that Zhu Family head for the Zhu Family were very valuable. Take, for example, those who harbored ill intentions toward the Zhu Family ten years ago—it was this snake that used its tricks to drive them away.

Just for that one time, it was enough to repay the incense offerings the Zhu Family had given it over the years. Wang Fugui had not yet arrived.

Zhu Shian stood up and strolled to the backyard. Without needing to search carefully, she saw the little snake desperately hiding in a crack in the wall.

The Zhu Family had benefited from it, and Zhu Shian certainly acknowledged that, but the proper rules could not be omitted. Zhu Shian crouched down and poked its tail tip.

'You're a little girl, aren't you?' Bai Snake ignored her, still angry. Zhu Shian said, 'If you like living in the Zhu Family, you can stay.

You won't be short of the incense offerings due to you. But there is one thing: ordinary people have weak bodies. You are not allowed to possess them, understand?' Bai Snake finally turned her head from the wall crack.

Her spirit body emerged, round eyes filled with tears. 'You don't think I'm useless? You won't drive me away?' Uh... it would be a lie to say she didn't think so.

'I won't drive you away.' 'Alright, since you beg me, I'll stay then.' The one person and one snake tacitly ignored the previous sentence. Each said their own piece, and both got the answer they wanted.

Bai Snake said, 'My immortal name is Liu Bai.' Zhu Shian's lips curled slightly. 'What a coincidence. I know a snake named Liu Xuan, same surname as you.' 'There are many surnamed Liu in our Liu Sect.' Zhu Shian stood up and patted the wrinkles on her clothes.

'Calling you by your full name and surname isn't affectionate. Since you're living in the Zhu Family, you're family. I'll call you Bai Snake.' Liu Bai wanted to object, but before her not-so-bright little head could think of a reason to object, Zhu Shian had already left.

Liu Bai consoled herself: Bai Snake is fine. Bai Snake Immortal sounds pretty good too. Bai Snake crawled out of the wall crack and caught up with Zhu Shian, asking cautiously, 'Will you offer incense to me every day?

Incense made by your own hands?' Zhu Shian casually touched its head, slapping its spirit body back into its physical form. 'Cultivate and work hard on your own.

Taking shortcuts won't work.' Zhu Shian spoke with righteous confidence, but inside she was crying. The spiritual energy she cultivated was barely enough for herself; how could she have extra to make incense?

Time to slip away. 'Eldest girl, the guest has arrived.' 'Coming right away.' Zhu Shian took the chance to escape. With a stranger present, Bai Snake didn't pursue.

She slipped back to her immortal altar to play. The Zhu Family had prepared a large immortal altar for her, a full half-room in size.

Outside the altar were an incense burner and an offering table; inside were two rows of bookshelves. The bookshelves were piled with storybooks.

Bai Snake skillfully climbed to the top shelf, used her tail to flip open a book, and twisted herself into a pretzel shape while reading, overjoyed. Bai Snake used to have a hobby: she loved to coil on the beam of the opera stage and listen to performances.

Her favorites were tales of talented scholars and beautiful women, snake demons and scholars, fantasizing that one day she would cultivate human form and have a grand, peerless romance. Later, the opera stage in Zhen Shan County stopped performing, and she lost her pastime.

With her not-so-bright head, she managed to learn to read from the Zhu Family's home education. Since then, besides incense, the daily offerings from the Zhu Family included all kinds of sentimental love storybooks.

Hiss hiss hiss~ Don't misunderstand—this is not a threat signal. This is Bai Snake Immortal giggling with joy at the exciting parts.

Zhu Shian wondered how Bai Snake could be so useless after so many years in the Zhu Family. If she had seen this bizarre scene, she would probably understand.

A wild immortal who has little interest in incense and merit but treasures storybooks like treasures—this is truly a first in history. No wonder the family head who invited Bai Snake to be the Zhu Family's House Guardian Spirit was so at ease with her.

People are naturally at ease with things within their control. For things outside their control, they are full of doubts and unease, yet they insist on seeking a definite answer, and even after getting the answer, they remain uneasy.

This describes Wang Fugui at this moment. 'My Erzhu died saving my grandson back then, which counts as a good deed. Sending him down below—can he be reborn into a good family?' 'I don't know about that.

We're humans; how can we manage the affairs of the underworld?' 'Good people should have good rewards, right?' Zhu Shian found this hard to answer. Her entire sect were good people, and their good rewards were still owed, unknown when they would be fulfilled.

Seeing Zhu Shian silent, Wang Fugui asked worriedly, 'Should I send some gifts to the King of Hell?' 'What do you mean?' Wang Fugui said, 'Isn't there a saying that money can make the devil turn the mill? If I burn paper money for the King of Hell, can I get my son reborn into a good family?' To be honest, Zhu Shian found it a bit ridiculous.

Outsiders say they don't believe in this stuff, but here this man was seriously asking if he could bribe ghosts and gods. In his mind, the underworld was real.

'Master Zhu, will my son have a good future?' Without needing Zhu Shian's answer, Wang Fugui continued rambling on his own. 'My son never enjoyed any blessings in his life.

A full belly was a rare good day, and even that was coarse grains. I still remember the day before my son died, he told his mother that for New Year's he wanted to eat a white flour bun with meat filling, and she scolded him for it.

Since he's going to be reborn, let him be reborn into a family that can afford meat buns.' Wang Fugui's eyes were full of hope, but Zhu Shian could not give him a guarantee. She could only say cautiously, 'Good people should have good rewards, I suppose.' Wang Fugui had been frowning since he entered the door.

Hearing Zhu Shian's words, he finally managed a bitter smile. Not knowing what Erzhu's future would be, Wang Fugui knew this matter could not be delayed any longer.

If it dragged on, neither Erzhu nor his whole family would come to any good. 'Go home. Wait by the river after dark.' 'Thank you for your trouble, Master Zhu.' Zhu Shian didn't find it troublesome to send a ghost to the underworld.

She only found it troublesome to listen to Wang Fugui's rambling. Zhu Changfang saw Wang Fugui off and came back to ask Zhu Shian, 'Eldest girl, if you do many good deeds in life, can you really be reborn into a good family in the next life?' Zhu Fengqin said, 'I've heard monks say that suffering in this life accumulates virtue for the next life.' 'Listen to them talk nonsense.

You live this life well first,' Zhu Shian said, unconcerned about the next life. 'Aunt Feng, did you buy the fish?' Zhu Fengqin slapped her thigh.

'Oh dear, what did I come in for just now? Right, looking for the pickle jar. While the greens are tender, let's make more pickles to store.

How can you have sour fish soup without pickled vegetables in the future?' Zhu Changfang followed Zhu Fengqin to the storage room to move empty jars, saying, 'Do we have rock sugar at home? Putting a little rock sugar in the pickle jar makes the pickles taste good and stay crisp.' 'Oh dear, so particular?

Where did you hear that? Putting sugar in pickles?' 'A southerner came to the state-run restaurant before. I heard it from him.

Tried it once, and it was indeed delicious.' 'Let's try it next time. We don't have sugar coupons at home, so not this time.' 'I have some ready at home.

I'll go get some.' 'No, that would be taking advantage of your family. Times are hard for everyone. You're still raising two little girls.

I won't take advantage of your family.' Zhu Fengqin and Zhu Changfang walked away, chatting back and forth. Zhu Shian stood under the eaves with her hands on her hips, calculating her own Eight Characters in her mind.

Widowhood, orphanhood, solitude, disability, and poverty—wealth, fate, power! She had lost both parents at a young age. Among the five calamities and three deficiencies, she suffered from solitude.

Besides that, her Eight Characters also indicated a deficiency in wealth. Zhu Shian unwillingly calculated again. No mistake, it was true.

She was destined to lack money in this life. Lack of money? How could that be? How could a person live in this world without money?

In the future, if she wanted to eat some good pickles, she couldn't even afford sugar. Oh my god! Zhu Fengqin and Zhu Changfang came out carrying jars.

Zhu Fengqin called to Zhu Shian, 'Go to the cabinet and get some money. If you have nothing to do, go to the supply cooperative and buy a bag of salt.' Zhu Shian shook her head in despair.

She couldn't touch money; money had no affinity with her. Zhu Shian ran to the underground secret chamber to flip through ancient texts.

She vaguely remembered there was some method to change one's fate. Zhu Fengqin didn't understand her despair. 'This child, just now she was pretending to be a serious adult, and now she's running around like a kid, not listening.' Zhu Shian had grown up outside, having followed the old man to the countryside to avoid disasters since childhood.

Apart from Zhu Fengqin, who had taken care of her since she was little, other clan members were not very close to Zhu Shian. Zhu Changfang wanted to get closer to this side.

Hearing Zhu Fengqin mention her personality, she smiled and said, 'Our eldest girl can really hold her own when she's serious.' Zhu Fengqin naturally thought the child she raised was good in every way, but she still said, 'On the surface, she's passable. Get to know her, and you'll see that inside she's still a child.

She's particular about food and stubborn. Once she's made up her mind about something, no one can change it.' Zhu Changfang silently noted this and said with a smile, 'The eldest girl is the head of our Zhu Family.

Having her own opinions is a good thing.' 'She's just a little person; she can't take care of everything. The clan needs to help more, so that our whole clan will get better and better.' Although Zhu Fengqin was only a collateral branch of the Zhu Family—her grandfather's generation had stopped following the Zhu Family's generational naming—she had attended the Zhu Family's clan school as a child and had a few years of education.

She was quite knowledgeable and spoke thoughtfully. With the foundation of memories from her previous life, Zhu Shian was inherently very confident.

She naturally placed herself in a high position and always focused on the big picture while letting go of small details. The details she didn't care about were often smoothed over by Zhu Fengqin.

Zhu Changfang showed great respect to Zhu Fengqin. 'The clan elders said long ago that although we are of the same clan and don't speak like outsiders, your care for the eldest girl is a kindness to our entire clan.

In the future, the clan will certainly provide for you in your old age and see to your funeral.' Zhu Fengqin smiled. 'Let's talk about the future later.

Give me a hand. Let's fetch a bucket of water, wash the jars, and set them out to dry.' 'Alright.' Even during the New Year holiday, they were busy.

Zhu Fengqin couldn't sit still; even while talking and laughing, she had to find something to do. At night, she didn't rest either.

She kept the light on, waiting for Zhu Shian to come home. By the river. As soon as it got dark, Zhu Shian arrived at the riverbank of Wang Fugui's production team.

She easily forced Wang Erzhu, who had lingered in the human world and become a water ghost in the Spring River for several years, onto the shore and made him appear. Zhu Shian saw at a glance that this was a timid ghost who clung to the human world.

There was nothing more to say. She burned a Spirit Script and was about to send him off directly. 'Wait!' 'Please!' Wang Fugui's family and Wang Erzhu—one standing, one kneeling—called out to Zhu Shian at the same time.

Zhu Shian was not ignorant of human feelings. She said, 'Do you have anything else to say to each other?' Wang Fugui looked at Wang Erzhu and barely held back, but Wang Erzhu's mother could not hold back at all.

She collapsed to the ground crying, 'My son! My son!' Wang Dangniang cried until she couldn't breathe. Wang Fugui could no longer hold back his tears.

He supported his wife, and the couple wept bitterly together. Wang Erzhu's elder brother, Wang Dashan, pushed his son Wang Jianhua forward.

'Kneel and kowtow to your uncle! If your uncle hadn't saved you, you would have died. You owe your uncle a life, do you understand?' Wang Dashan's wife also made her son kowtow.

She cried, 'Erzhu, our family has wronged you. If you have any last wish, just say it. Whatever food or drink you want, your brother and I will find a way to get it for you.' Wang Jianhua knelt on the ground, kowtowing and wiping his tears.

'Uncle, it's all my fault.' The Wang family cried without stopping. Wang Erzhu looked at his family with reluctant eyes.

'Father, mother, big brother, sister-in-law, I can't bear to leave you. Don't send me to be reborn, okay? I won't harm anyone.' 'If you weren't harming anyone, why were you causing trouble?

If you had stayed quiet, who would have discovered you? It's too late now.' Wang Fugui really couldn't bear to part with his youngest son.

He turned his head away and didn't look at him. Zhu Shian raised the Spirit Script and chanted, 'Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth—' 'Please, I don't want to go!' Wang Erzhu knelt and begged, also crying.

'Master, if I go to the underworld and reincarnate now, I'll still come back to a life of hardship. I don't want to reincarnate!' Zhu Shian silently glanced at Wang Fugui.

This father really knew his son. 'Master, I was just messing with them when I had nothing to do. I really don't harm people.

Please let me stay.' 'No!' At that moment, the Village Head arrived with a dozen or so young men full of vigor. The Village Head was terrified inside, but he still forced himself to step forward and persuade, 'Erzhu, go.

Be reborn. In your next life, be born into a good family and live a good life.' 'Where is there a good life! Facing the soil with my back to the sky, working hard all year and still not having enough to eat, not wearing a decent piece of clothing—what hope is there in this life?' Wang Erzhu looked at Zhu Shian.

'Please, Master, spare my life. I just want to live a good life. What wrong have I done?' The Village Head stamped his foot in anxiety.

'Uncle Wang, say something.' Wang Fugui, stared at by a dozen pairs of eyes, whether willing or not, could only wave his hand and say, 'Erzhu, go.' Wang Erzhu knew that the one who made the decision was Zhu Shian. He cried and begged, 'Master, can I wait a few more years to reincarnate?

Not too long—four years, or if not four, three years will do.' 'Why wait three years?' 'Isn't the College Entrance Exam being restored? I figure if I wait three or four years to reincarnate, I can be born into a college student's family and live a good life from birth.' '...'