Rules of the Strange: I Became a God in a Bizarre World Through Taoist Arts

"This is what the statue should look like."

Upon hearing this, Madam Pei asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"

Shen Xingzhu pursed his lips. "Gods are originally formless; only when they are tainted by the karma of the world do they give rise to myriad forms."

"I hope it's not what I'm thinking..."

Shen Xingzhu murmured.

"Since Liu Jin seized power, how many infants, not even a month old, have died in the Pei family?"

There were so many children on the statue that she couldn't even count them all.

Madam Pei pursed her lips, a look of guilt appearing on her face.

Her gaze drifted blankly, lost in memories—

"At that time, I was pregnant with my first child, but for some reason, my body was much heavier than that of a normal pregnant woman, and I was no longer able to serve that bastard."

He then brought several concubines into the mansion.

I cried and made a scene, but in the end, one by one, the aunts announced that they were pregnant.

I was heartbroken because of this, and it almost cost me my child.

Madam Pei suddenly flinched.

"When he found out that I almost miscarried, he got really angry."

I was so naive back then, thinking he cared about our child.

Who knew he had such thoughts!

When I was six months pregnant, he personally took my baby out and ate it!

Madam Pei roared, "I was too busy taking care of myself to care about anyone else!"

She collapsed heavily onto the ground in front of the statue.

"By the time I wanted to help those poor people, it was too late."

She slammed her hand heavily on the ground.

"Later I secretly counted them, and there were a full ninety-nine girls! Ninety-nine! Do you know how many women had to pay the price with their lives to satisfy his so-called 'gluttony'!"

Shen Xingzhuo felt a chill run down his spine.

This was a daughter who was already known to have died young.

A woman's pregnancy is determined by fate, and it is impossible for her to give birth to girls every time.

"What about...the baby boys?"

"Of course they're pampered and treated like royalty," Madam Pei sneered. "But he's committed so many sins! His descendants will surely suffer divine retribution!"

"Are they all dead?"

Shen Xingzhuo's tone was cold.

Madam Pei shook her head.

"None of the earliest ones survived. But after we brought this statue back, they all thrived."

Shen Xingzhuo frowned.

She remembered that in the very first preface Guan Shanyue read to her, it was clearly stated that—

[Your father worries about you every day.]

He went up the mountain to worship every year, and finally moved the high monk, who then obtained a white jade statue for you, which he worshipped day and night, praying for your safety.

"Wasn't this statue brought back for me?"

Thinking this, Shen Xingzhuo asked the question.

Madam Pei's cold smile froze, and her eyes turned to pity as she looked at "Pei Yin".

"That's just his excuse! If the world knew about his actions, how could he possibly survive?!"

Madam Pei's words struck a chord deep within Pei Yin's heart.

Shen Xingzhuo suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat, and a fine, persistent pain shot through her heart.

"I see……"

It wasn't that she couldn't think of it, but putting herself in Pei Yin's shoes, she simply didn't want to face the bloody truth like that.

【how?】

The ghost story suddenly spoke, but asked a question without any prior cause or effect.

Shen Xingzhuo paused, lowered her head slightly, and hid her eyelashes in the shadows.

"I can't save them."