Chapter 11: Rebirth

Si Beixu had already cried himself hoarse, repeating his apologies over and over. Wei Li never expected that this towering hero could reveal such a fragile side. She timidly asked, “Do I still need to eat her?”

Si Beixu’s swollen, reddened eyes silenced her immediately.

He donned his uniform, gathered his troops that night, and went to the place Qing Yin had mentioned, where the bodies had been buried, to bring them home for peace. Watching Si Beixu’s retreating figure and the gratitude in Qing Yin’s gaze, Wei Li nodded slightly, a smirk on her lips. “Is it really that heartbreaking?”

A single tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away, staring at the trace of moisture on her fingertip, lost in thought. She was, after all, a creature capable of tears. After a long pause, she murmured, “It truly is a sad story.”

When she looked up, she saw the fox sitting on the window sill, still in the form of a woman. But this fox was obviously male; why did he spend all day pretending to be a woman? Whether it was his light-footedness or her absorption in the story, she hadn’t noticed his arrival. “Fox, what are you doing here?”

“That monk said you were causing trouble again, so he sent me to clean up after you.” As for the tears, the fox had seen them, but said nothing.

“What trouble could I possibly cause? And besides, can’t I handle things myself?” Wei Li cast the fox an annoyed look. “Go on back, I still need to collect my payment here!”

“Fine, I’ll leave. Take care of yourself.”

With that, the fox vanished in a flash. Wei Li prepared to wash up and sleep, but the door suddenly swung open. In limped Li Sheng, battered and bloodied, clutching a long spear. Seeing Wei Li, his face broke into an endlessly gentle smile. “Wei Li, I found you. Come home with me…”

Wei Li eyed him with disdain. “You managed to escape?”

“Wei Li, I truly love you. Si Beixu is a beast; how could he ever deserve you? I’ve waited for you ten years, a whole decade. Only I am sincere!” Li Sheng declared his love, nearly mad.

Wei Li felt nothing, propping her head up as she looked at him. “You? Are you worthy?”

The blow left Li Sheng stunned, then violently enraged. He swept the plants and vases from the table with his hand. The innkeeper, hearing the commotion, hurried upstairs, only to be terrified by the sight of Li Sheng, bloodied and armed. He tried to intervene, but Li Sheng’s gun was already aimed at him.

A gunshot rang out. The innkeeper fell, a bullet to his head.

Guests downstairs screamed and fled in panic.

Li Sheng now pointed the gun at Wei Li. She found it utterly ridiculous, rising and walking toward him as his hands trembled uncontrollably. A smile tugged at her lips. “Kill me? With a gun? Li Sheng, are you serious?”

“I can give you everything. I can kill for you. I’ll prepare your favorite girls to eat, anything, as long as you say you love me! I’ll do anything for you!” Li Sheng pleaded, his bloodshot eyes wild.

But in Wei Li’s eyes, Li Sheng was like an ant, easily crushed underfoot. In the past, when he suffered silently, she had some interest in playing along. Now, rabid and biting, she wouldn’t even look at him, let alone go with him. “Li Sheng, don’t think that just because your master smiled at you, you’re not a beast!”

Her words spilled over him like cold water, chilling his heart. Then he burst out laughing. “Wei Li, since you won’t live with me, then... let’s die together!”

Wei Li looked at him with even greater disgust. “Die? You mean hell for you.”

Li Sheng’s smile turned sinister. “In this inn, I’ve planted two bombs. Just a few seconds left... ten, nine…”

Wei Li’s calm expression vanished instantly. She knew she couldn’t die, but the thought of being blasted to ash only to regenerate was painful. She prepared to jump out the window, but a gunshot rang out. Li Sheng shot her right leg.

“We’ll go to hell together!”

Then a second shot to her left leg. She winced in pain and stared at Li Sheng.

A thunderous explosion shook the world. In the dust and chaos, Wei Li forced her eyes open. Her lower body had been blown to bloody shreds, white bone exposed. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her whole body stained dark red with blood, as she struggled to crawl away.

Another explosion followed; the inn collapsed in an instant amid cries, roars, and the sound of police sirens.

On the street, the fox was eating dumplings when he heard the blast. His chopsticks slipped from his hand as he stared at the rising smoke, wanting to investigate but his legs gave out and he tumbled to the roadside. In the Mountain God Temple, Yue Shi, who was enjoying worship, suddenly opened his eyes and gasped deeply.

Meanwhile, Guangzong had already left the monastery, hurrying to the scene.

On the day of public identification at the morgue, both Guangzong and the fox attended. In the hall, among seven or eight bodies killed in the explosion, Guangzong immediately spotted Wei Li—not only was she small and easy to recognize, but the talisman nail in her brow, even if she had been reduced to a dried corpse, would be embedded firmly in her bone and flesh.

The fox carried Wei Li back to the meditation room. He kept asking Guangzong whether Wei Li, now a dried corpse, could truly be saved. Guangzong didn’t answer, simply locked himself and Wei Li inside.

As Guangzong predicted, Yue Shi soon arrived, ignoring the fox’s attempts to stop him, bursting into the meditation room. Seeing Wei Li, dead beyond doubt, he clutched his head and wept. “A Li, you don’t even know how to stay alive anymore!”

“Yue Shi, go home. You’re a wandering spirit; without incense offerings, you won’t last long. Wei Li isn’t dead yet.”

Yue Shi looked at Guangzong, puzzled. If Wei Li had simply lost her breath, he might believe it. But now, she lacked even a patch of intact flesh—how could she live? Yet, Guangzong was a revered monk, never known to lie, so Yue Shi left, half-convinced.

A week passed. The fox delivered vegetarian meals to the door every day, never daring to step inside. He didn’t know what was happening within. Finally, today, carrying the meal, he entered without Guangzong’s permission. He saw that Wei Li’s face and upper body were nearly healed and flawless, but her legs remained mangled.

The fox stared at Guangzong in awe. “This—this! Master, your healing powers are miraculous!”

Guangzong replied calmly, “It’s Wei Li’s own regenerative ability. I kept you out to create a quiet environment, so she could heal faster.”

The fox scowled at Guangzong, but seeing Wei Li’s recovery, he was pleased and let it go.

A few days later, just as the fox drifted into sleep, a loud thud woke him. Fearing intruders, he crept to investigate, only to see a shadow in the darkness. “Who’s there?” he demanded.

“It’s me, Wei Li.” Her stomach rumbled loudly, as if her insides were at war.

“Wei Li?” The fox rushed over, lifting her up. Her legs had regrown, slender and beautiful beneath her tattered clothes. “You’re finally awake!”

“Yes. I’m so hungry. The monk was asleep, so I came out myself.”

The fox gently set her down and went to find gold leaf for her to eat. Wei Li tried to pour herself some water, but her newly healed body was still difficult to control. She fell again with a loud crash. Hearing the noise, Guangzong came out, saw Wei Li sprawled awkwardly, and wrapped her in his robe, carrying her to the couch.

“Monk, I’m hungry and thirsty…” Wei Li’s cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling, her voice as clear as tapping bamboo.

Guangzong nodded, returning with a bowl. He crossed paths with the fox, who was holding several sheets of gold leaf. The fox glanced at the bowl—it was filled with fresh blood, the scent unmistakable. Guangzong’s wrist was wrapped in bandages, so the fox understood.

“Master, sometimes I really wonder: is it she who needs salvation, or you?” The fox’s lips curled in a faint smile.

Guangzong ignored him and went inside. Wei Li tried to take the bowl, but her hands wouldn’t lift.

Guangzong sat down, scooped a spoonful of warm blood, and held it to her lips. Wei Li hesitated, but opened her mouth and swallowed. The blood slid down her throat, rich and fragrant, leaving her satisfied.

“Monk, I didn’t cause trouble; I went to save a female ghost. Her name is Qing Yin, she—”

“Hey, Monk, why are you crying? I really didn’t cause trouble.”

For the first time, Guangzong lost control of his emotions. Perhaps it was witnessing her miraculous recovery, perhaps seeing Wei Li whole again after weeks of anxiety. He had always advised himself not to let life and death disturb his mind. Yet, when he went to claim the body at the morgue, he wished he could tear the culprit apart.

In that moment, Guangzong understood: Wei Li was not just another soul to be saved.

She was a unique existence, capable of controlling his joy and sorrow, stirring his once tranquil heart into waves of emotion.

“Wei Li, I’m moved—like a pig I raised finally able to root in the cabbage patch.”

Wei Li was baffled by his words. By the time she understood, Guangzong had already returned to the meditation room to pray. She furiously threw her long pillow in his direction. “You’re the pig! Your whole family are pigs!”

At this moment, the fox entered, picked up the pillow, dusted it off, and tossed it onto her bed. He brought a stool and sat beside her, carefully asking, “Does it still hurt?”

Wei Li shook her head. “This little explosion couldn’t kill me. Back when the Daoists burned me, there was nothing left but ash. Yet after a month, I grew right back into this exquisite form.” She boasted proudly.

The fox’s expression darkened.

Wei Li tried, “Fox?”

He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, his voice hoarse. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left.”

Wei Li squirmed, uncomfortable against his chest. “Fox? I’m perfectly fine here, aren’t I? If you really feel guilty, next time you’re in danger, I won’t save you. That’ll settle the score.”

The fox, full of sorrow, almost wanted to fight her after hearing that. He let go with a look of disdain. “Pfft, you can comfort the monk, but not me!”

Wei Li finally breathed fresh air, smiling at the fox. “Fox, don’t you think the monk likes me just a little bit?”

The fox was startled. “Do you even know what ‘like’ means?”

“Fox, let me tell you: I’ve lived so many years, of course I know what liking is. But I don’t care for their love. Still, with this monk, even though I’m not free and I go hungry, I just… like being by his side,” Wei Li said sincerely.

“He’s a true master, knows the Buddhist rules better than anyone. I advise you not to get involved. If the Buddhist order finds out, you’ll be in for hard times.” The fox warned her seriously.

“I’m just dreaming. That stubborn monk—he won’t even leave the order for me. Him liking me is pure fantasy,” Wei Li sighed.

“When you help the monk save ninety-nine souls, or when he passes away, what will you do?”

Wei Li thought for a moment, patted the fox’s shoulder. “I’ll go rule the mountain, have my little followers bring me offerings so I won’t have to hunt anymore. If you’re ever homeless, I’ll tie you up and make you my consort!”

“Fine.”

Over the next two weeks, Wei Li kept thinking about how Si Beixu still owed her a lot of gold leaf. But Guangzong said her body hadn’t fully recovered and forbade her from going out. Even the fox listened to Guangzong and pinned her to the couch. But that couldn’t stop Wei Li. When Guangzong went out to seek alms and the fox was dozing, she slipped away.

In town, paper money fluttered everywhere. A fish seller told her that Si Beixu had brought back the bodies of female comrades lost in battle—they could finally rest in their homeland. He wiped his tears: “Let there be no more war.”

Wei Li followed the funeral procession to a cemetery where all the young women were buried. Qing Yin, tears in her eyes, waved goodbye to Wei Li along with the girls, then vanished.

This, Wei Li thought, must be what people call ‘rest in peace.’

After the ceremony, Si Beixu spotted Wei Li in the crowd. He was dumbfounded. The officials had said she’d been killed in the blast, her body claimed by her family. Yet here she stood, whole and unharmed, barely a month later. Just as the Daoist had said—was she truly immortal? Impossible!

Si Beixu strode over, pinched Wei Li’s cheek hard; it was soft and elastic—not a ghost.

Wei Li rubbed her face angrily. “What’s your problem?”

“What are you doing here?” Si Beixu kept his serious face.

“I’m here to collect my debt. Did you think I was here to send souls to the next world?”

Si Beixu blushed at her words, only then remembering he still owed her that gold leaf.