Chapter 9: The Lost and Wandering Sunday (3)
No, if there isn’t even a soul, then it’s not a question of “am I human?”, but “what am I?”
I silently walked into the elevator. After the doors closed, Qin Lianshe phased through the wall and entered the elevator’s interior, apologizing to me.
“Um, please don’t mind it too much. Although it’s my first time encountering a person without a soul, Miss Zi’ai, you’re definitely not the first.”
“What? Isn’t a soul one of the three fundamentals? If it’s possible to not have one, then what’s a soul for?”
“It’s an opportunity.”
“Yes, it’s a ticket for reincarnation, and the reliance for being resurrected again.”
“Is it similar to a safety net?”
“Yes, it’s like a safety measure, but the soul itself is useless… probably. Anyway, I think it’s useless. A person’s consciousness, emotions, rationality, and so on are all reliant on the spirit. The spirit is the channel between the physical body and the soul. In the living world, the spirit is carried in the brain of the physical body. The spirit can also be carried by the soul. For beings like us, most of whom exist in the underworld, we don’t have bodies. We haven’t dissipated simply because we’ve coalesced into an Yin God. An Yin God is a soul fused with spirit.”
“So that’s how it is…”
Then, the ethereal soul is materialized, and the Yin God condenses into a Yang God, capable of touching objects and indistinguishable from the living, but without limitations on lifespan, not entering reincarnation. Is that what is called becoming an immortal…
Ghost, Human, Earth, God, Immortal, the Five Immortals theory.
Qin Lianshe must be a ghost immortal as recorded in the book.
So, why do I not have a soul?
Or do people in my world not have souls?
Because those strange existences don’t exist, and there’s no so-called underworld, death is just death. So there’s no such thing as reincarnation, and therefore no such thing as a soul?
…Never mind, my own affairs are secondary. Juncheng’s matter is more important now.
In short, I need to go back to Black Street to find Kaoru Tsukiyose and confirm if Juncheng’s soul is really inside her.
When the elevator opened, I pulled out my phone, found the nearest entrance to Black Street, and went straight there. As I reported to Nana, I headed for the Black Youth Hall.
When I arrived at the Black Youth Hall, the constantly yawning proprietor had already opened the elevator for me.
After walking into the elevator with Qin Lianshe, we descended all the way to the lowest floor and, based on my daytime memories, found Kaoru Tsukiyose’s room.
But I didn’t go in.
“She is Kaoru Kuro, the ghoul who ate Junbo. You should recognize her, Liu Zhi.”
“Yes.”
“Go and confirm if there are any other souls within her.”
“Look carefully, Juncheng’s soul might be hidden here.”
“Here? Ah, indeed, it hasn’t been here yet…. But, regarding Kaoru Tsukiyose, I already checked the scene. There are no other souls inside her.”
“So this time, look properly. Don’t miss any details. Come back only when your eyes are about to go blind and you still haven’t found it.”
“I’ll be waiting here. If the search mission isn’t completed before one in the morning and I don’t see you:”
Before I could finish my threat, the Soul Messenger lady in front of me, flustered, yelled, “I’m going now!” and phased through the wall to search.
I leaned against the white corridor wall with my arms crossed, closed my eyes, and fell into thought.
If everything goes smoothly, I’ll find Juncheng’s soul tonight…
But will things really go as I wish?
In the perfectly soundproof corridor, only my own breathing could be heard. In this silent environment, I recalled the question from earlier.
I have no soul… Although Qin Lianshe said a soul isn’t necessary, is that really true?
If the so-called soul is just a ticket for reincarnation, then why is there memory of past lives? Isn’t this kind of memory supposed to exist in the spirit?
In the end, why is reincarnation necessary? Death is just death. Anyway, you can’t remember your past life even if you reincarnate. The person after reincarnation is no longer yourself.
What exactly is a soul? How is it formed? Why is a soul needed?
Reincarnation… In essence, it’s a cycle.
The underworld is the place that plans these souls, and the underworld manages and organizes these souls… similar to a recycle bin…
Then reincarnation is… recycling.
Generally, this is done because resources are limited, limited…
Is the total amount of souls… fixed?
“You know too much, little girl.”
A childish voice sounded nearby. I looked around but couldn’t find anyone.
“Look down, look below. I’m here.”
Looking down, from her golden hair adorned with hairpins, a delicate face appeared within my sight.
She was a little girl in a kimono. The kimono wasn’t traditional; it was shortened to the length of a miniskirt, paired with white stockings and wooden clogs, but I heard no footsteps. She had appeared suddenly.
“…Truly interesting. You are indeed a contradictory existence.”
“What?”
The little loli took out her hand from her kimono sleeve, flashed a sunshiny smile, and reached it towards me.
“It’s nothing~ Let me introduce myself first. My name is Ba, and I am the current Yama King.”
“You’re that Yama King?”
“Yes, I am the Yama King. Don’t judge my age by my appearance. My age in the underworld is far longer than when you were born~”
“Miss Qin Lianshe said you were too busy with your official duties to get away. Why are you here?”
“Look at the time. I came after finishing my work.”
I took out my phone and checked the time. It was already past midnight. Oh—so that’s how it is.
The loli, with her hands behind her back, strutted back and forth proudly, saying.
“You guessed right. Because yesterday was the Zhongyuan Festival, I, as the Yama King of the underworld’s administrative body, had an obligation to stay on duty. But now it’s past twelve, and I’m free!”
“And I rushed here immediately. Ah…”
“Right, I was wondering why Sese hadn’t brought Juncheng back yet. It seems there was a problem.”
“Problem? You guessed that something like this would happen?”
“Because on the Book of Life and Death, his name suddenly disappeared, his fate unknown, his destiny in chaos. And it happened to be on the Zhongyuan Festival, a day I couldn’t come to the living world. The result is obvious. He’s definitely dead, it’s just his soul that…”
“You originally wanted to bring him back to the underworld?”
The Yama King snorted proudly, tilted her head up, and pouted unhappily. “Hmph, it’s just that he can only stay in the underworld forever. Well, I, I’m his friend after all, so I was just arranging things for him in advance.”
“Is that so? I thank you on his behalf, but we won’t let him report to you, Lord Yama.”
“Oh? You want to revive him?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not easy, and the price is also very high, after all, his body no longer contains the Five Ding Pillars…”
“Even if the possibility is zero, I will try.”
“Foolish and blind.–You are so much like him, but it’s ironic precisely because you are too similar.–We have no right to interfere in underworld affairs. It’s just that we can’t even find his soul now. To revive him is a long and arduous journey.”
I understand how difficult this is. I was prepared from the beginning. No matter how long it takes, I will save him.
He, who has always saved others, has encountered a fatal predicament this time. It’s my turn to lend a hand.
“By the way, what did you mean by ‘I know too much’? Can you read my thoughts? Does that mean the total amount of souls is indeed fixed?”
The Yama King said with a face of disgust.
“Tch, did you fail to change the subject? Don’t delve into this matter anymore. It’s not something you should be concerned about.”
“Then I’d like to know why I have no soul. Is it because I’m from another world?”
Hearing my question, the Yama King showed a strange expression, her face clearly conveying ‘Are you serious?’. She shook her head back and forth for a long time, seemingly contemplating how to answer.
Did I ask a strange question?
“…You are really contradictory… It’s no fun if you say it directly, but I’ll give you a hint. Cough, cough, listen carefully…”
She feigned a cough and uttered the so-called hint.
“‘Your own affairs, don’t you know them yourself? Aren’t you the one who knows best?'”
I pondered, stroking my chin thoughtfully.
I know best myself—…?
Although the Yama King before me looked like a young girl, she shouldn’t be lying to me.
A hint means that the answer is hidden within this sentence.
“…If it were Juncheng, he’d probably blurt out ‘What kind of lame hint is this!’… In the end, he’s not him.”
“? Of course, I’m not Jun… ”
“Um, I don’t—Eh? Eeeeeh?! Yama—Yama King! Why!”
Miss Qin Lianshe phased through the wall. She wasn’t followed by anyone and still wore a disappointed expression. Upon seeing the Yama King, her expression immediately changed to surprise, her mouth agape enough to fit a goose egg.
Also, “a box full of SF Light Novels”
“Little Sese, did you complete the mission I gave you?”
“Wuwuwu, I- I’m so sorry! I, I, I, I…”
Juncheng was eaten by Kaoru Tsukiyose. His soul should have gone into Kaoru Tsukiyose’s body, but what happened afterward that caused Juncheng’s soul to be transferred again?
“Forget it, if it’s not there, it’s not there. It seems it’s not time for him to come to our side yet. Let’s go back, Little Sese.”
“Eh? We’re going back already?”
The key is, what exactly happened afterward?
“Then what else do you want? Go shopping? I’ll buy you something more embarrassing then…”
“Let’s go back now! Lord Yama!”
Where did it go wrong?
“Hmph, don’t think you can get away with this. You still haven’t completed the mission I assigned you. Back to your punishment of wiping the Sin Mirror.”
“Ah, no… That mirror is so broken, and worse, it’s so huge!”
“Hm? Little Sese, are you talking back to me?”
“Certainly not! I am very happy to accept the punishment! Please be magnanimous!”
Weak, this Soul Messenger…..
Punishment of wiping a mirror…..
Mirror… “Ah,” Hmm?
“What’s wrong?”
The Mirror!
Ah, I’m such an idiot!
I completely forgot about that thing!
It’s clearly the origin of everything!
Juncheng told me many times, the fundamental reason why he came into contact with the abnormalities of this world!
Yata no Kagami!!!
