I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

Zhong Jiu saw undisguised determination in the old woman's eyes, and became even more curious: what kind of obsession could make a wicked ghost who had committed many evil deeds willingly give up resistance and even calmly accept the end of her soul being scattered?

She was fully aware of the consequences of stepping into the City God's Mansion, yet she still came without hesitation. This courage moved him somewhat.

"Fine, I'll give you a chance to speak. Explain your situation clearly."

Zhong Jiu withdrew his oppressive aura, and his tone softened somewhat.

"Thank you, sir!"

A hint of gratitude flashed in the old woman's eyes. She quickly raised her head, her eyes already blurred with tears, and slowly recounted her experiences over the years.

Starting from when she was still a mortal, Liu Guifang, until her son Gu Xiaoyan was abducted, she searched everywhere like a madwoman, exhausting her family's wealth and enduring countless scornful looks, until she died on the street when her life was over.

After death, she became a vengeful ghost, her obsession unyielding. She wandered everywhere searching for her son. In her struggle to survive and find him, she inadvertently stained herself with countless drops of blood, becoming a fearsome witch.

Nearly a century has passed, and she remembers nothing but that she is looking for her son, for that child named Gu Xiaoyan.

After listening, Zhong Jiu sighed softly, the coldness in his eyes lessening considerably: "I see."

When she was alive, her obsession ran deep in her bones; after becoming a ghost, her obsession turned into malevolence. This obsession was both the root of her destruction and the only pillar that sustained her through the years, as well as her greatest weakness.

"Please, sir, help me find my son!"

The old hag bowed down again, tears dripping onto the bluestone slab, leaving damp patches. "As long as I can see Xiaoxiao once, even just for a glance, I will be content. I will let the adults do as they please, even if my soul is scattered, I will have no complaints!"

Zhong Jiu's heart stirred slightly. He turned to look at Wen Tianyang, and seeing that he too showed some emotion, he slowly said, "The law is merciless, but the human heart is compassionate. Although your crime is unforgivable, this bond between mother and son is precious. Very well, I will check the Book of Life and Death for you."

The old woman was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude: "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! My real name is Liu Guifang, my husband's name is Gu Nanyan, and my son's name is Gu Xiaoyan. He was only three years old when he was abducted!"

Zhong Jiu nodded, raised his hand to summon the Book of Life and Death. The heavy scroll floated in mid-air, its pages turning automatically, shimmering with golden light.

He and Wen Tianyang bent down to examine it together. The Book of Life and Death had been supplemented many times, and the information on it was more and more detailed, even recording the past causes and effects of mortals.

Before long, the two found the names of Liu Guifang and Gu Nanyan, and sure enough, they had an only son, Gu Xiaoyan.

Upon seeing Gu Xiaoyan's record, Zhong Jiu and Wen Tianyang both frowned, exchanged a glance, and saw the difficulty in each other's eyes.

"Sir, is Xiaoxiao still alive?"

When the old woman saw that the two looked strange, her heart jumped into her throat and her voice began to tremble.

What she feared most was that her son was already dead and she wouldn't even be able to see him one last time.

"Don't worry, he's still alive."

Zhong Jiu's tone softened, reassuring her, "Go to the side hall and wait a moment. I will send a messenger to invite him over so he can meet you."

Upon hearing the words "still alive," the old hag instantly breathed a sigh of relief, a long-lost smile appearing on her face. However, her tears flowed even more fiercely as she quickly thanked him again and followed the soul messenger who had come to guide her towards the side hall.

After the old hag left, Wen Tianyang sighed softly, his tone tinged with difficulty: "Sir, this is not a good matter. After Gu Xiaoyan was abducted, she was adopted by a wealthy merchant family, and her adoptive parents changed her name to He Xiaoqing."

Zhong Jiu nodded, lightly tapping the Book of Life and Death with his fingertip. The record about He Xiaoqing became clearer: "That wealthy elderly couple had no children of their own, and treated him like their own son, taking meticulous care of his every need and raising him very well. Gu Xiaoyan was still very young when he was abducted and did not remember the past. He always thought that his adoptive parents were his biological parents."

"you do not say."

Wen Tianyang added, "He Xiaoqing is quite gifted. He excelled in his studies from a young age and later studied abroad. He had a bright future ahead of him, but because his adoptive parents were getting old, he voluntarily returned to Xingsha City, found a stable job, and took care of them. Now he is over forty years old and is a core executive of a listed company. He is married, has a son and a daughter, and has a harmonious family. He can be considered a winner in life."

Zhong Jiu put down the Book of Life and Death, his brows furrowing slightly: "You mean, telling him the truth is too cruel; but preventing him from seeing Liu Guifang would be even more unfair to Liu Guifang."

"That's exactly right."

Wen Tianyang sighed, "He has had a smooth life and has never experienced such hardships. If we suddenly tell him that his biological mother is a vicious woman with blood on her hands and that he was kidnapped back then, he probably won't be able to accept it and it might even ruin his current life."

Zhong Jiu was silent for a moment, then a resolute glint flashed in his eyes: "We have no choice but to keep it from him."

He immediately summoned a soul messenger and instructed him, "Go to Xingsha City and bring He Xiaoqing's soul here. Be gentle and don't hurt his body or let him notice anything unusual."

"Yes, sir!"

The soul messenger received the order, transformed into a black shadow, and vanished from the hall in an instant.

In less than half an hour, the soul messenger led in a slightly dazed soul, which was none other than He Xiaoqing.

He felt weak all over, his eyes were glazed over, as if he had just woken up from a dream and hadn't figured out what was going on.

"He Xiaoqing".

Zhong Jiu spoke softly, his voice not loud, but it had a penetrating power that instantly awakened He Xiaoqing from her confusion.

He Xiaoqing snapped back to reality, looked up and saw the scene in the hall. When she met Zhong Jiu's sharp eyes, she was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling: "Judge... Judge!"

He looked around and saw the spirit soldiers standing on both sides, the spirit guards holding chains, and the solemn atmosphere in the hall. His heart skipped a beat, and a terrible thought popped into his head: "Could it be... that I'm already dead? But I was just looking at documents in the study, how did I suddenly end up here?"

"You are not dead; your body is still lying peacefully in the mortal realm."

Zhong Jiu smiled faintly, his tone softening slightly, "I summoned your spirit here because I have a request."

He paused, then added, "After this matter is accomplished, I will record a great merit for you, and you will reap the rewards a hundred years from now."

Upon hearing this, He Xiaoqing's fear instantly turned to joy, and she quickly kowtowed, "Thank you for your kindness, sir! It is my blessing to be able to serve you! But I am just an ordinary mortal, and I don't know what I can do to help you?"

Zhong Jiu chuckled and turned to look at Wen Tianyang, signaling him to explain.

Wen Tianyang stood up, walked to He Xiaoqing, and said in a gentle tone, "There was an old woman whose son was abducted before she died. She searched for him her whole life but could not find him. After she died, she was still obsessed with him and refused to be reincarnated. She has been wandering in the world ever since."

He paused, then continued, "And you, you bear an extremely similar resemblance to her long-lost son, both in appearance and aura. Therefore, I would like to ask you to impersonate her son and meet her, so as to put an end to her obsession that has lasted for over a hundred years."

Upon hearing this, He Xiaoqing found the matter incredibly bizarre, but she immediately nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with excitement: "I'm willing! I'm willing to help! To help this old woman fulfill her wish and also gain merit from your kindness is a tremendous opportunity, how could I refuse!"

For him, it was nothing more than pretending to be someone else's son once, and he could get such great benefits in return. It was like a pie falling from the sky. Only a fool would refuse it.

Seeing this, Wen Tianyang nodded in satisfaction and told He Xiaoqing in detail about Liu Guifang's situation, Gu Xiaoyan's childhood trivia, and what to say and what to do.

He Xiaoqing listened very attentively, nodding in response from time to time, memorizing every detail to ensure she wouldn't give herself away: "Don't worry, sir, I've remembered everything. I will definitely cooperate well and put the old lady at ease."

Zhong Jiu nodded: "Go, the spirit messenger will lead you there. Remember, don't say anything more, just consider it fulfilling a mother's wish."

"Understood!"

He Xiaoqing respectfully replied and followed the soul messenger leading the way toward the side hall.

Pushing open the door to the side hall, He Xiaoqing immediately saw the old woman sitting in the corner.

She was thin, dressed in faded gray clothes, with gray hair and a face covered in deep wrinkles, like old tree bark. Her eyes stared blankly at the ground, and a faint aura of sadness surrounded her.

For some reason, even though it was the first time He Xiaoqing had met this old woman, seeing her forlorn yet persistent appearance, her heart suddenly ached, her eyes instantly reddened, and hot tears flowed down her cheeks without warning.

Even he was stunned. This sudden emotion was both unfamiliar and intense, like a bond etched deep in his soul that he couldn't shake off.