I am an insect

The old woman stopped after using her cane three times, and propped it on the ground, looking tired.

The monster lay on the ground, convulsing continuously. Gradually, all the strength in its body seemed to be drained away, and it slowly collapsed to the ground.

Ji Ye noticed that a smoky substance was flowing out of its dissected abdomen and chest. He was shocked and realized that the demon's hidden consciousness within the body was dissipating.

"Heaven cherishes life, but you became a spirit, took on human form, yet did not act like one, and thus suffered this retribution..."

The old woman muttered to herself as she slowly turned around, her eyes suddenly fixed on Ji Ye, who was standing on the other side.

Ji Ye watched silently as the mental energy within his body surged and flowed continuously into his left leg, finally restoring sensation to his left leg.

When the old woman stared at him, all his muscles tensed up. This old woman of unknown origin seemed more terrifying to him than the monster.

"Do you have any unfulfilled wishes or obsessions?" the old woman asked as she slowly approached him.

Upon hearing this, Ji Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean?"

"If there are no attachments, and no unfulfilled wishes, why cling to the human world and refuse to enter the cycle of reincarnation?"

Ji Ye understood; the old woman had mistaken him for a wandering ghost.

"You've misunderstood. I'm not what you're talking about... I'm human." Ji Ye watched as the old woman quickly approached within five meters of him, then took two steps back to widen the distance between them again.

Seeing Ji Ye's reaction, the old woman stopped and did not approach him again. Instead, she carefully examined Ji Ye and said, "Are you human?" Then she sneered twice and pointed to her eyes.

"You might fool others, but can you fool this old woman's ability to see ghosts? However..."

She scrutinized Ji Ye carefully, and a look of surprise slowly appeared on her face, as if she had made a discovery. She said, "You still have some conscience. Although you borrowed his body, you did not harm his soul. As long as you leave, he can still live."

As she said this, the expression on her face softened considerably.

Ji Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was because he had not harmed He Longtao's soul consciousness, but only temporarily suppressed it. As long as he left He Longtao's body, he would return to normal.

This old woman, whose origins are unknown, possessed incredibly powerful yin-yang eyes, able to discern even this. Of course, she could also see that Lord Huang had borrowed the body and destroyed the original consciousness of that body. Therefore, she acted ruthlessly, destroying Lord Huang's spiritual body as well.

"Since you've left yourself some leeway in your actions, I'll leave you some leeway too. Tell me, what unfulfilled wishes you have, what obsessions you can't let go of, you can tell me. As long as I can help, I'll do my best to help you fulfill them, so that you can enter the cycle of reincarnation without any worries."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ye had already vaguely guessed the old woman's identity and background.

Judging from her tone of voice, and considering the yellow paper that appeared to be a Taoist talisman she had just used to deal with the demon, along with the incantations she had been chanting, Ji Ye guessed that she might be a witch or sorceress who was well-versed in Taoist talismans.

Ji Ye had previously encountered some so-called witch doctors, charlatans, and so on. Although they occasionally seemed to have miraculous effects, Ji Ye believed that most of them were just coincidences and that the vast majority were just trying to swindle money.

Looking at the old woman who suddenly appeared before him, and seeing that she could attract mental energy using the yellow paper that looked like a talisman, Ji Ye suddenly understood that there really were extraordinary people in this world, but they would not show it in front of ordinary people, or even if they did show it, how could an ordinary person see or understand such a mental entity?

All of this flashed through Ji Ye's mind like lightning. Many thoughts surged through his mind, and he increasingly felt that this human world was unpredictable and mysterious.

Seeing the solemn expression on the old woman's face, Ji Ye nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I still have some obsessions. I'm only borrowing this body for a few days to fulfill my wish. I will leave on my own. Don't worry, I won't harm the original owner of this body, nor will I do anything immoral."

Since the other party regarded him as a wandering ghost, Ji Ye was too lazy to explain. He might as well go along with what she said. For him, the most important thing now was time. As long as he had enough time, he believed that his will and perception would continue to grow and become stronger. Once he became strong enough, he would not be afraid of any white hat, any Tian Cang, or even the old woman in front of him.

After these few days of contact with his teacher, Tian Cang, Lord Huang, and Lin Ya, Ji Ye has realized that his mental body is growing much faster than that of an ordinary adult insect.

The old woman kept watching Ji Ye silently, as if pondering how much of his words were true and how much were false.

After Ji Ye finished speaking, she thought for a moment before asking, "What exactly is it that you can't let go of?"

Ji Ye looked wistful before saying, "My wife died a long time ago. I really want to know if she's still alive and well somewhere I don't know about, like I am now..."

Ji Ye lowered his voice as he spoke. His experiences over the past few days had made him realize that it would be very difficult for adult insects to escape the pursuit of those white-hatted insects and survive. Even if Dieyu went through the forty-nine-day pupal stage and transformed into an adult, the chances of survival were slim, and it was highly likely that she would perish.

The old woman sighed and shook her head, saying, "I didn't expect you to be such a sentimental person. Even if your wife lingers in the mortal world like you after death, she probably won't exist forever. She should have entered the cycle of reincarnation and been reborn long ago. If this is your obsession, then you can let go and peacefully enter the cycle of reincarnation with her."

Ji Ye nodded, sighed, and said, "Maybe so. I don't know. I really hope she's still alive. I want to see her again..."

As he said this, a trace of sadness appeared on his face.

The old woman looked approving and said, "You are loyal and righteous; it seems you were a kind person in your lifetime."

She then changed the subject, saying, "But if this is your obsession, then it's probably impossible to achieve."

Ji Ye nodded and said, "I know that seeing Dieyu again is a luxury. My current wish is to find the radio she gave me. That radio has been with me for decades, and I want to see it again."

The old woman paused, then said, "This is your wish?"

Ji Ye nodded and said, "Yes, as long as my wish is fulfilled, I promise you, I will leave this body and no longer yearn for the mortal world."

The old woman was clearly not so easily fooled; she didn't immediately agree to Ji Ye's request, but instead asked, "Where is this radio you're talking about?"

She needed to confirm whether she could find the radio first; otherwise, if she promised Ji Ye to help him fulfill this wish but couldn't find the radio, it would be a breach of her promise.