Chapter 271: 271
Chapter 271 The Rat Demon
“I don't believe it . I don't want to look either!” Accountant Liu shook his head fiercely, but Ye Shaoyang forced his head to face the Eight Trigram Mirror . Accountant Liu could not help but look into the mirror, and he froze .
Ye Shaoyang guessed that it was about time . He loosened his grip on Accountant Liu’s neck . And he was right, Accountant Liu did not resist anymore, but he kept shaking his head, and repeatedly said to himself, “It can’t be . It couldn’t be . My mum is not dead . My mum is not dead . It couldn’t be… . ”
“I have more proof for you . ” Ye Shaoyang signaled for Xie Yuqing to take care of Accountant Liu, as he walked toward the old lady . That was when Accountant Liu spoke up from behind him in a thick, low voice, “Mr . Ye… . ”
Ye Shaoyang looked back at Accountant Liu, who was on the verge of tears, “I believe in you . Can you end her with the minimal amount of suffering?”
Ye Shaoyang’s heart jerked . He nodded and walked toward the old lady trapped in the copper coins formation and stuck a Qi Accumulation Talisman Paper onto her forehead .
After he recited an incantation, a purple flash shot out from the talisman paper; the old lady who was struggling halted at once . Jets of red and black Qi dispersed and flowed toward the talisman paper . Skin and flesh peeled off from her dry and wrinkled body and turned into pus once they dropped to the ground .
After a while, only her skeleton remained .
“She died a long time ago and transformed into an undead demon that kept her body from rotting . Once the demon Qi and corpse Qi was removed, her true appearance would come to light . ” Ye Shaoyang patiently explained to Accountant Liu . He did not want Accountant Liu to think that he played a trick on his mother .
Accountant Liu slumped against the wall and collapsed onto the ground and muttered, “Thank you . ”
Then, Ye Shaoyang asked Xie Yuqing to lower her head . He examined the swelling at the back of her head and massaged it with his palm . Xie Yuqing pushed his hand aside and said with a blushed face, “What are you doing! You can’t simply touch a girl’s head . ”
Her words left Ye Shaoyang speechless . He had never thought of her as a girl, but he held back his tongue . He was afraid that she would punch his back if she knew what he was thinking .
“I… suspected that something was not right for quite some time,” Accountant Liu sat on the ground, his face crumpled as tears streamed down, “But I did not dare to verify my suspicions . I thought she would get well one day . ”
Ye Shaoyang and Xie Yuqing exchanged a look and sighed quietly .
After sobbing for some time, Accountant Liu wiped away his tears and raised his head, “Are you a Daoist? Since you could find my place, you must know why my mum became like that . I beg you to tell me the truth . ”
Ye Shaoyang squatted in front of him, “It is impossible for a dead person to transform into an undead demon under normal circumstances, so I bet something strange happened to her . So, I need you to recall the whole incident, and I will try to figure it out for you . ”
Accountant Liu went into deep thought, and he frowned heavily, before he spoke up in a trembling voice, “It was the rat; it must be the rat!”
Ye Shaoyang paused before he urged Accountant Liu, “What happened?”
“It was one year ago; my mum was never well since that time . She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, terminal stage, and the doctor suggested her to undergo palliative care, as she could only live for a few months . After in-depth consideration, I took the doctor’s suggestion . My mum was too old . I did not want her to go through all the suffering, neither the chemotherapy nor the surgery . So, I did not tell her about the diagnosis, hoping she could live happily for these few months and rest in peace… .
“We live in a small village, and all the neighbors are close to each other . I did not tell her condition to anyone to prevent any words from passing to my mum’s ear accidentally . Her health deteriorated until she was bedridden . Not even a month later, she passed away . I remember it was at midnight; I did not inform anyone and planned to settle her funeral the next day .
“I sat on her bed head and rested there that night . I woke up with a start when I heard some squeaking sounds . A giant rat sat beside my mum, looking and squeaking at her . It was bigger than a cat, with green hair, a pair of long, yellow fangs, and a pair of blood red eyes… . ”
A sense of fear flashed across Accountant Liu’s eyes when he recalled the appearance of that rat . Xie Yuqing could not help but quiver as well when she tried to picture the rat he described .
Accountant Liu took a deep breath before he continued, “I was angry, thinking it disturbed my mum’s corpse, so I wanted to get something and chase it away . But, it seemed to understand my intentions . It turned to me, glaring with its pair of blood red eyes, and I froze once I met its gaze .
“It sat motionless for a moment before it stuffed its head into my mum’s mouth and started eating her tongue . Then, it jumped down the bed and left through the window . I was able to move after about half an hour or so later . I had no idea what was happening and wanted my mum buried as soon as possible . The moment before I stepped out of the room, I heard my mum coughing on the bed, and I saw her sitting up slowly… .
“Pseudo undead, that was the first idea that struck my mind . She looked at me and got out of the room and entered the yard . She grabbed one of my domestic chickens, pulled off the feathers, ate it raw, and drank the chicken’s blood…then she went back to her room and slept . I was completely puzzled by her actions and did not know what to do . I started to accept that she was revived after seeing nothing happen to her . ”
Xie Yuqing looked stunned; her mouth wide open . Then, she asked, “You… . Don’t you feel suspicious? Haven’t you thought of asking a sorcerer for help?”
“I knew my mum was different since then . But, after all, she was still my mum . I was glad to have her back . Furthermore, she was no different from other humans except she liked to drink blood and eat raw meat, and she did not communicate or not go out . She usually sat on her bed for the whole day . I started to persuade myself that she had Alzheimer's disease and would recover one day . I had never thought of asking a sorcerer for help, or you can say, I didn’t dare to try and understand the truth . Yeah, I was deceiving myself . ”
Accountant Liu wiped his tears and looked at Ye Shaoyang with a bitter smile, “Thank you for showing me the truth . I realized it was a torture to my mum; regardless, the soul was in her body . A dead person’s soul should go to the Underworld . Thank you . And thank you for freeing my mum from suffering and myself too . ”
Ye Shaoyang felt touched by his filial piety toward his mum after listening to the incident . He patted Accountant Liu’s shoulder and comforted him, “Your mum’s soul has gone to the Netherworld Council after she died . She was freed, and you have done your best . You can bury her later . You’re a good son; promise me you will stay strong . ”
Accountant Liu nodded gratefully .
Ye Shaoyang approached the corpse and removed the Qi Accumulation Talisman Paper . He signaled at Xie Yuqing with his eyes and wished Accountant Liu goodbye . They walked out of the room quietly . Pushing open the gate of the yard, they left and headed toward the alley .
“How about that rat… . ” Xie Yuqing asked in a lowered voice .