Chapter 90 Part 2
The world’s changes, perhaps recorded in history books as great and epic, but for ordinary people, it was tragedy and loss.
Teachers, despite a few bad apples, most had noble ideals.
“I’ve reported it. The vaccinations will be tomorrow,” the principal said, wiping away his tears, looking at Zhou Fenghua, “Teacher Zhou, thank you! You saved us.”
If not for her, they wouldn’t have found those Gu worms.
The other teachers looked at her sadly, she saved the entire school.
The principal, taking a deep breath, “Teacher Zhou, I heard… you can’t leave the school because of your… attachment. It’s okay… we’ll keep your position, the administration will burn joss paper for you, and… perhaps… a different position? Checking the school for those… things, as long as it doesn’t affect the students.”
Other teachers nodded, this world was changing, and if they couldn’t stop it, they had to adapt. They didn’t trust those other practitioners, but Teacher Zhou, they knew her.
Zhou Fenghua, her attachment to her students, was slightly moved.
Wang Jun, also feeling a sense of guilt and gratitude, “Teacher Zhou, thank you for your help, but for the safety of everyone… we’ll have to cremate the bodies.”
With special permission, they were probably already at the crematorium by now.
Zhou Fenghua, despite her traditional background, didn’t object, cremation was fine.
“We still have work to do,” Wang Jun continued.
Back at the station, they would interrogate that student ghost. There seemed to be more than one, they had to find them all.
And that rehab school, electrocuting students to death, had to be shut down.
The principal personally escorted Zhou Fenghua to Nan Nuo. Seeing her walking under the sunlight, unharmed, he was stunned.
Except for being invisible to most, and not needing to eat human food, she was just like any other person!
“Don’t bother going to Chengde Medical Clinic. They’re all at the Nuo God Temple,” a villager said, noticing them, “Doctor Wu is there too.”
Hearing this, the principal and Zhou Fenghua changed their plans.
Being a spirit, besides fearing Yin messengers, she should be afraid of temples, yet she felt a strange sense of peace as they approached.
The Nuo God Temple was surrounded by tourists, influencers live streaming the event.
“Amazing, those mud balls haven’t dried! Not even a bit!”
Wu Heng, dressed in his ritual attire, was kneeling, holding incense sticks, village chiefs and other leaders behind him.
Looking at the incense, the left one shorter, the two on the right taller, a faint smile appeared on his face, a sign of approval.
Perhaps it was her merits as a teacher, her dedication, added to her act of helping them locate the living corpses, saving the entire school.
“Everyone, outside, please, Teacher Zhou, come in.”
Zhou Fenghua entered as the temple doors closed, she looked at the two deities and knelt, her soul faint and translucent.
Wu Heng picked up the mud balls, their texture smooth and moist, not even dry after a night, perfectly refined, no impurities, like they had been filtered.
A single drop more water, too soft, a single drop less, too dry, much better than the mud he used for Liu Ziyang’s ear and teeth.
He gathered them, divided them into six portions – head, two arms, two legs, and torso – and started molding them.
Zhou Fenghua, kneeling, watching curiously, ‘Doctor Wu, what are you doing…’
“You. This will be your new… home.”
Zhou Fenghua: ‘…Huh?‘
She looked at the deities and then realized, could it be… could it really be…?
Wu Heng sculpted the rough shape, adding details with a burnt incense stick as his tool, eyes, nose, mouth, even fingers and toes.
He took the burning red candle and, with the hot wax, dotted the eyes, the final touch.
Wu Heng took the red paper with her birth date, tied it with a strand of his hair, and placed it on the figure.
“By Heaven’s grace, mud replaces paper.”
He beckoned gently, and Zhou Fenghua’s soul floated towards the mud figure. As her consciousness returned, she found herself still in the temple, yet something was different.
She touched her wrist, warm.
Looking down, she saw a shadow beneath her. Her voice trembled slightly, “I have a shadow? I… I’m alive?”
Wu Heng explained, “Not entirely alive, but… like a… an upgraded version of Nezha’s lotus root body, I’ll give you a soul-stabilizing tonic later, then you’ll be… complete.”
Zhou Fenghua moved her limbs, the discomfort from her decaying body gone, she was in control again.
Wu Heng, seeing her joy, couldn’t help but remind her, “Teacher Zhou, you’ll be leaving when the college entrance exam results are released. Hopefully by then, you’ll be ready to let go of your attachments.”
“I know, I understand, I just want to see my students leave this town, go to university…”
Then, having experienced the world, choose their own paths.
Zhou Fenghua knelt and kowtowed deeply. She was unworthy of Heaven’s favor, even if just for half a year.
“This is a gift from the Nuo Goddess. Wear it as your shroud.” (The traditional clothing)
Wu Heng then turned and said, “Come in.”
The doors opened, and the village chief, the villagers, and the tourists poured in, those unable to enter holding their phones high, recording.
“Holy moly! Wasn’t Doctor Wu alone just now? This… this teacher… is she alive?”
The doors and windows were closed, there was no way she could have entered, and the temple wasn’t large, she couldn’t have been hiding,
“And what about those mud balls? Weren’t those offerings? Where did they go? And how did she appear?”
Zhou Da Gui, stepping forward, touched her arm, it was warm, and he saw her breath in the cold air, something only the living could do.
“Wu… Xiao Heng!” He was so overjoyed that Zhou Yi had to support him, his voice filled with excitement.
It had to be Wu Heng, it must be.
Wu Heng smiled and shook his head, “Not me. Any skilled practitioner could do it, but…”
He pointed upwards.
Masters could bind souls to paper effigies. He just paved the way, that’s all.
The village chief of Wu Miao shouted, “The Nuo Gods!”
For the people of the eighteen villages, they were deities, representatives of Heaven itself.
The village chiefs all took incense sticks and knelt, the villagers behind them queuing up.
“Being a teacher is so great now? But the salary isn’t high…” a villager whispered.
His wife immediately grabbed his ear, scolding him. “What nonsense are you spouting? If it were about money, the richest man would be a saint!
“Education seems to be truly valuable now, even Heaven approves.” The villager who had wanted his children to drop out to help with his business felt a pang of regret.
Perhaps the income wasn’t high, but teaching and educating did earn you merits in the afterlife.
“Teacher Zhou!” Her students, tears streaming down their faces, cried.
She was back!
No longer a ghost, able to interact without fear of harming them.
They hugged her, one by one, never imagining they would have this chance again.
Zhou Da Gui, his heart filled with emotion, this was a child blessed by Heaven, his family’s pride, although Wu Heng had said privately it would only last for half a year, but even just that, emerging from the temple, alive, it meant something, recognition, a great honor.
He discussed it with the clan elders and then said to Zhou Fenghua, “We’ll choose an auspicious day to place your memorial tablet in our ancestral hall, through the main gate,”
He paused, then added, “From now on, during ancestral worship, after paying respects to our war heroes, you will be the first to receive our offerings.”
