The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

That afternoon, the village was unusually quiet. Seeing that everyone had been busy all day and hadn't had lunch yet, Li Xiao simply took out two silver dollars and handed them to Wen Cai, who was standing next to him, so that he could go to town to buy some fresh ingredients.

Wencai clutched the heavy silver dollar in his hand, his face instantly lighting up with joy. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he readily agreed, heading briskly towards the town.

He browsed around town and bought a lot of the ingredients he had been longing for. In the end, he still had a lot of money left over. With his quick mind, he simply kept all the remaining money as a reward for his hard work running errands.

When Wencai returned to the mortuary with a large pile of ingredients, Lin Jiu learned that Li Xiao had paid for it. He immediately felt embarrassed and said, "Young friend Li, you have come from afar as a guest. We should be the ones to entertain you. How could we let you pay for our meal? It would be too impolite."

Li Xiao smiled faintly upon hearing this and waved his hand gently: "Uncle Jiu, you're too kind. I've learned quite a bit from you today."

As dusk fell, Li Xiao had dinner with Uncle Jiu and his two apprentices at the mortuary. He then prepared to take his leave and return to the inn in town to rest.

This was, after all, a mortuary, so Uncle Jiu couldn't keep the guest here to rest. He personally escorted Li Xiao to the gate.

Qiu Sheng happened to be heading back to town, and seeing this, he quickly pushed his bicycle forward, eager to give Li Xiao a ride so that he wouldn't have to walk and have to go through the trouble.

Seeing this, Li Xiao smiled and politely declined, saying that he was on his own and could walk back by himself.

After bidding farewell to Uncle Nine and his disciples, Li Xiao returned quickly, arriving at a secluded grove in less than a quarter of an hour. He had already caught a glimpse of Qiu Sheng, who had left ahead of him.

As night deepened, a chilly evening breeze rustled through the woods. In the dim twilight, Qiusheng was hunched over, pedaling his bicycle with all his might.

A burning incense stick was stuck in the handlebars of the cart, and wisps of smoke curled up and drifted slowly into the night.

He rode his bike while humming an off-key tune, seemingly carefree.

From an angle unseen by ordinary people, a woman in red was sitting upright on the back of his bicycle.

The woman, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, her clothes fluttering, her hair jet black, and her figure slender, appeared ethereal and eerie against the backdrop of the deep night and the faint scent of sandalwood incense.

Li Xiao recognized the other party's origin at a glance. This red-clothed female ghost was none other than Dong Xiaoyu, who would later almost drain Qiu Sheng dry.

In the original story, no one ever knew the true cause of Dong Xiaoyu's death. Only on her lonely tombstone was a line of cold, mottled words engraved: "Seventh year of Xiantong - Twenty-seventh year."

These few words tell the story of a tragic life. He only lived for twenty years before passing away prematurely, his life cut short.

The desolate grave, overgrown with weeds and unattended, speaks volumes about her life: a life of wandering, misery, and hardship, during which she never experienced any human warmth.

It was for this reason that Qiu Sheng unintentionally offered three sticks of incense at her grave. This insignificant act of kindness became the only warmth she felt in the long years after her death, which also made her deeply attached to the matter and willing to repay it with her own life.

The night was deep and the wind rustled through the forest. Just as Li Xiao's gaze locked onto the red-clad female ghost Dong Xiaoyu, she, sitting on the back of the bicycle, also immediately and keenly sensed the presence of a living person behind her.

At this moment, Li Xiao had already completely concealed his aura, without revealing a trace of spiritual power, making him no different from an ordinary person.

Dong Xiaoyu glanced at him, completely unsuspecting, treating him as just a chance encounter and not giving him any thought.

But the next second, something unexpected happened.

Before Dong Xiaoyu could look away, Li Xiao raised his hand and gestured in mid-air, and a gentle yet domineering invisible suction force suddenly burst forth, instantly enveloping her figure.

Caught off guard, Dong Xiaoyu felt herself being swept away by an irresistible force, uncontrollably detached from the back of the bicycle and drifting towards Li Xiao.

This sudden turn of events left Dong Xiaoyu completely dumbfounded, her face filled with astonishment and fear.

The wind rustled through the woods as Qiusheng, oblivious to everything, rode his bicycle further and further away, disappearing into the dark end of the mountain path.

Li Xiao then slowly removed the restraints, releasing the invisible force that had been binding Dong Xiaoyu.

Having regained her freedom, Dong Xiaoyu's body swayed slightly, but she remained frozen in mid-air. Her beautiful face was filled with extreme terror, and her eyes were fixed on the young man in front of her. She dared not utter a single word.

Li Xiao said calmly, "Dong Xiaoyu, do you know who that young man was?"

Dong Xiaoyu shook her head blankly.

"His master is Lin Jiu, a legitimate successor of Maoshan, who is skilled in everything from suppressing evil spirits and exorcising demons."

"If you rashly approach him and absorb his vital energy, Lin Jiu will detect the disturbance instantly. With your current meager Yin Soul power, you won't be able to withstand even one of his attacks."

The frank warning brought the still-shaken Dong Xiaoyu back to her senses.

She cautiously gave Li Xiao a deep curtsy, and asked in a soft, somewhat timid voice, "This...this Taoist priest..."

"My surname is Li, Li Xiao. You can just call me Mr. Li."

"Mr. Li."

Dong Xiaoyu quickly explained, "I was only grateful for that young man's kindness and wanted to repay his kindness; I had no intention of harming him whatsoever!"

I know your true intentions perfectly well.

Li Xiao's gaze was calm as he directly pointed out the dangers: "But the laws of heaven are orderly, and humans and ghosts are on different paths, with strict barriers between them. If you develop an intimate entanglement with him, it will be harmless to you as a ghost, but Qiu Sheng will lose his vital energy, shorten his lifespan, and become weak and vulnerable to evil. If his life is harmed, his master will certainly not stand idly by, and you will also be doomed."

Upon hearing this, Dong Xiaoyu choked, speechless for a moment, her face filled with endless confusion and fear, unsure of how to refute him.

Just as she was in turmoil, Li Xiao dropped another bombshell: "So, do you want to be reborn?"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly freezing Dong Xiaoyu in place.

She seemed to have lost her soul, suspended in mid-air, her eyes, which had been lifeless for many years, filled with disbelief as she stared intently at Li Xiao.

For decades, she has lived alone by the desolate grave, wandering the mountains and fields, hoping every day to escape the spirit world and return to the human world. This longing has long been buried deep in her heart.

Seeing her shocked and bewildered expression, Li Xiao said confidently, "You don't need to be surprised. I do have a way to help you return to life."

"Really... really?!"

Dong Xiaoyu's voice trembled with excitement, her tone even choked with sobs, and a burning vitality instantly ignited in her lifeless eyes.

Upon receiving Li Xiao's affirmative reply, decades of pent-up loneliness and anticipation burst forth instantly.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, she swayed and knelt directly on the cool forest floor, respectfully kowtowing three times to Li Xiao with utmost sincerity: "I am willing! Of course I am willing! Please grant my request, Mr. Li!"

After decades of wandering as a lonely soul, enduring the cold and desolation, with no one to care for her and no one to rely on, being reborn was a beautiful dream she dared not even dare to hope for, no matter how hard she tried.

The opportunity was now right in front of her, and she was filled with joy and gratitude.