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

"You...you're Xiaoxiao?!"

The old hag trembled violently, her withered body shaking like a candle in the wind, and two streams of black tears flowed wildly down her deeply lined cheeks.

Her words were a question, but her eyes were already filled with certainty. This throbbing of blood ties meant that even after more than forty years of separation by life and death, even if she had become a blood-soaked vengeful ghost, she could never be wrong!

Who else could the "big boy" in front of her be but the son she had been searching for all her life?

"mom."

He Xiaoqing raised her hand to wipe away the uncontrollable tears from the corner of her eyes. Looking at the ghost woman's appearance, her throat suddenly felt sore.

"My son! I've finally found you!"

The old woman suddenly lunged forward, her withered arms embracing He Xiaoqing. Her eyes were tightly closed, but a smile more radiant than that of a living person bloomed on her face. The obsession that had lingered in her heart for over forty years crumbled away like spring snow melting, and even the black aura around her faded a bit.

He Xiaoqing was held in her arms, a musty smell lingering around her nose, but when she saw the dense, deep wounds on the other person's arm, her heart felt like it had been hit hard by a blunt object, and a surge of bitterness rushed straight to the top of her head.

"Mom, you've suffered so much these past years."

He Xiaoqing blurted out the words, only to realize with a start that something was wrong. These were not the lines from the script given to her by the judge, but rather a genuine expression of her feelings!

"It's okay, it's okay..."

The old woman hurriedly hid her arms in her sleeves, raising her rough, tree-bark-like hands to touch her son's cheek. But when her fingertips were just a hair's breadth away from He Xiaoqing, she abruptly pulled back, saying sadly, "My hands are stained with blood, they're filthy, I can't touch my Xiaoxiao."

Seeing that ashamed and humble look made He Xiaoqing feel even more choked up.

He grabbed the old woman's hand in return, feeling the rough texture of her palm, his grip firm: "Mom, with me, you'll never be dirty."

"Good! Good! Good!"

The old woman cried out "Good!" three times, tears streaming down her face, almost blurring her vision. Mother and son embraced tightly, their cries echoing in the empty side hall.

He Xiaoqing didn't know what to say; she just felt a pang of sorrow that flowed through her tears.

The old woman had been holding back her words for over forty years, and all those words eventually turned into a silent sob.

Zhong Jiu and Wen Tianxiang, who were hiding in the shadows, exchanged a glance. The latter stroked his beard and sighed softly, "Even as wandering ghosts, the blood ties cannot be severed. That's quite a strange thing."

Zhong Jiu shook his head, his eyes filled with emotion: "I was thinking of teaching He Xiaoqing how to act realistically, but now I understand that genuine emotion is more effective than any acting skill. Perhaps he himself doesn't realize that closeness is etched into his bones."

He Xiaoqing leaned against the old woman's chest, feeling the gentle touch of her hair. Suddenly, she heard the old woman gasp, her voice filled with regret: "Xiaoxiao, you're in the prime of your life, how come you have white hair already?"

He Xiaoqing was taken aback, then smiled and launched into a long speech: "Mom, young people these days face a lot of pressure. It's not uncommon for them to get gray hair after just a few all-nighters..."

He talked on and on about his experiences over the years, the difficulties at work, the trivialities of life, and even the little things about his naughty children.

The old woman listened quietly, remembering every word. Her eyes were full of joy. This was more than forty years she had missed. The more she knew, the less regret she would have.

But as I listened, tears welled up in my eyes again. Where was the fierce ghost who once dominated the area?

Her son is doing very well in his life, even without her.

Seeing that she was crying again, He Xiaoqing quickly stopped her, saying, "Mom, let's not talk about such depressing things. Why are you crying on such a joyous day?"

He patted the old woman on the back and said in a light tone, "I have good news for you. You have grandchildren now. The older one is called Xiao Liang and the younger one is called Xiao Yang. They are both as clever as little devils. I will bring them to see you another day."

Once the topic of children comes up, He Xiaoqing can't stop talking, excitedly recounting the funny stories of her two little ones.

The old woman listened and nodded, her eyes overflowing with affection, repeatedly saying, "Good, good, all good..."

Several hours passed before He Xiaoqing suddenly remembered her mission. Her smile faded, and her tone became solemn: "Mom, I'm doing very well now. I'm content to have seen you. The judge said that you refused to reincarnate because you were looking for me."

He paused, then grasped the old woman's hand: "All good things must come to an end. Those who cling too tightly to their desires suffer the most. Listen to me, go and reincarnate soon, so we can be mother and son again in the next life."

The old woman nodded slowly, without the slightest hesitation in her eyes: "I'll listen to you."

He Xiaoqing stood up, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Mom, I should go."

The old woman looked at him, but didn't try to stop him. She simply said softly, "Go, and live a good life."

Looking at her frail figure, He Xiaoqing felt a weight pressing on her heart. She gritted her teeth, turned and walked out. Reaching the door, she couldn't help but turn back and call out, "Mom!"

This time, the old hag didn't turn around or respond.

He Xiaoqing took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, turned around and walked into the main hall, cupping her hands in greeting to Zhong Jiu: "Judge, why did I lose control of my emotions when I saw that woman? I knew I was acting."

Zhong Jiu's eyes flickered slightly, and he said calmly, "It was I who cast a spell to make you temporarily recognize her as your mother. Your feelings are merely the effect of the spell."

"I totally understand, now I know what that means!"

He Xiaoqing breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and finally felt relieved. Thankfully, it was just magic.

Zhong Jiu glanced at Wen Tianxiang, stepped forward, and said solemnly, "Thank you for your great help, Mr. He. I will record a great merit for you, and you will be blessed with good fortune a hundred years from now."

He Xiaoqing quickly waved her hand, smiling modestly, "Your Honor, you're too kind. It was just a small favor, nothing to do with helping."

At this moment, two spirit messengers stepped forward and gestured for He Xiaoqing to enter.

He Xiaoqing followed the soul messenger away, her figure gradually disappearing outside the hall.

Wen Tianxiang watched his retreating figure and sighed softly, "Sometimes, being a little oblivious is actually happier."

Zhong Jiu didn't reply, but turned and walked towards the side hall. As soon as he entered, he saw the old woman kneeling on the ground. The black aura around her had thinned out considerably, indicating that she had been waiting there for a long time.

"We haven't seen each other for over forty years, why not keep him a little longer?" Zhong Jiu asked.

The old woman raised her head, a relieved smile on her face, but with a hint of bitterness in it: "That's enough. He has his own family, his own career, and he's very happy. My presence will only disturb him."

Zhong Jiu raised an eyebrow: "It seems you saw through it all along."

"Zhizi is better than his mother."

The old woman closed her eyes and said calmly, "I've been searching for over forty years, just to see if my 'son' is doing well. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, I have no more worries."

More than forty years of wandering, more than forty years of unwavering commitment—what storms hasn't she weathered?

He Xiaoqing's deliberate attempt to conceal it was immediately obvious to her, but she was unwilling to point it out. This brief reunion between mother and son was already a blessing.

She bowed deeply to Zhong Jiu, her voice filled with gratitude: "Thank you, sir, for granting my lifelong wish."

As soon as she finished speaking, the remaining black energy around her dissipated like a tide, and the resentment born of her obsession vanished completely, making her soul clear.

"The law is impartial, but people are compassionate."

Chung Kau's tone was complicated, "Your obsession is over, but if we talk about the sins you committed by taking lives back then, the laws of the underworld will not let you off lightly."

Although he pitied her plight, the grievances of those who died unjustly also needed to be redressed.

The old woman slowly rose, her expression calm: "I understand, and I will leave it to you to decide what to do with me without uttering a single complaint."

Zhong Jiu gave her a deep look, then called out towards the door, "Take her away and sentence her according to the laws of the underworld."

Two spirit messengers entered in response and escorted the witch away.

Having dealt with a vengeful ghost that had been plaguing the area, Zhong Jiu felt no relief whatsoever; instead, he was filled with melancholy. As a law enforcer, he was ultimately torn between reason and emotion.

"You handled it perfectly, sir."

Wen Tianxiang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "The law is the guiding principle, and human sentiment is the supplement. You have both upheld the law and fulfilled her wish. I have learned a lot."

At the same time, in the shadows outside the City God Temple, the Black Mountain Demon Mother slowly appeared, gazing at the dissipating resentment above the temple, a strange glint flashing in her eyes.

"She was a devoted old woman; her wish has been fulfilled, and her resentment has dissipated."

She curled her lips into a smile and made a bold decision: instead of returning to the Black Mountain Ghost Kingdom, she would hide in the streets of Xingsha City and closely monitor the actions of the Underworld.

The daily operations of the City God's Palace, the soul messengers patrolling day and night, the Black and White Impermanence claiming lives and locking souls, the shackled general escorting vengeful ghosts, and even the process of the soul messengers from Guiling City coming to Xingsha City to report on their duties on the first and fifteenth of each month, were all observed by the Ghost Mother.

What was she planning to do by staying?