Chapter 1819: Wasn’t It All Just an Empty Dream?
These faces, he knew them too well!
Because of obsession, because of anguish, these faces were engraved deeply in the memory of his soul.
It was they who protected each other and committed countless evil deeds!
It was they who prevented him from reforming, ultimately joining forces to fabricate evidence, set traps, and accuse him of treason!
It was they who whipped him brutally in prison, attempting to extract a confession through torture!
It was they who forged confessions, solidifying his guilt!
It was they who dragged his family, all nine generations, to the execution ground to be beheaded in public!
Each face made him seethe with hatred!
Yet now, these very faces turned out to be the descendants he had been protecting!
What on earth was this!
These people, after their deaths and reincarnations, became his descendants—what is this! Am I protecting enemies or descendants?
The shock was overwhelming, One Soul almost shattered, but Two Souls Seven Spirits intervened to shield One Soul.
Two Souls Seven Spirits sighed, their voice resonant and authoritative: "Still haven’t understood, this is a trial of heart, the lingering obsession prevented you from achieving enlightenment back then, leading to this calamity."
"Calamity..." One Soul murmured to himself.
When what you thought you were guarding turns out to be what you always hated, it’s as if the heavens are toying with you, playing an enormous joke; anyone would be shattered, feeling like all efforts were but a mockery.
Yet when calmness returns, everything you obsessed over is just a joke, in the end, isn’t it all empty?
What would have happened if he had not intervened?
One Soul stood dazed, the scene before him changed.
There was the lotus staircase from years ago, his death was the end, he had understood the mortal world and chose to ascend the lotus staircase.
Without his intervention, his youngest son grew up just the same, established a family shrine to worship him in old age, but this time there wasn’t that painting, nor his One Soul awakening.
While his youngest son lived, the descendants of three generations lived peacefully and safely, but by the fourth generation, fortunes changed, troubles began—there were gamblers, butchers, swindlers...
And from One Soul’s perspective, starting from the fourth generation, the faces of descendants transformed, reverting to their past-life appearances, all enemies reincarnated.
This was their retribution; they plotted against him, causing his family to decline, if he hadn’t died, his descendants would have been nobles of a scholarly family, but due to the execution of the extended family, the youngest son had to hide in a mountain village, changed his name, dared not take official exams, nor did he teach his children to read, resulting in three generations of farmers.
Starting from the fourth generation, it only got worse.
The enemies reincarnated into the fourth generation, complaining daily, wondering why they were not born into a noble family, why they were born in this remote poverty—was this not their retribution.
They reincarnated over and over, landing in this village repeatedly, never developing beyond, living hard and tiring lives with no reward, unable to leave the mountains, even if one managed to leave, outside they would encounter swindlers, car accidents, all sorts of misfortunes.
They lamented why this life was so tough, envied those born with a silver spoon, and spent their lives in such torment, repeating lifetime after lifetime, unable to escape this vicious cycle of reincarnation.
One Soul stared blankly, the scene before him changed again, this time into the reality brought by his lingering obsession and intervention.
Because of his interference, his protection, these enemies who should have suffered immensely instead lived prosperous lives, their village became an Imaginary land of joy and plenty, where they had all they needed, the resentful souls who wanted revenge were repeatedly defeated because of his protection...
One Soul’s gaze shifted from dazed to gradually clear, the previously almost transparent Spiritual Body instantly became exceedingly solid, his official robe fell off, revealing a monk’s robe underneath.
He looked up at Two Souls Seven Spirits and softly said: "If I do not involve myself, good and evil will ultimately balance out, I should have left long ago. I’ve let go."