I am a Flower Vase in an Infinite World / I Am a Useless flower in an infinite

Chapter 85

Behind that old house, so dilapidated it hardly seemed inhabited, hung hemp ropes from the rafters, reminiscent of those used for hanging. And the old woman telling stories sounded remarkably like the specter from his dreams.

"She was just about to eat you; I won't allow you to burn paper for her."

If Tang Ning understood Li Lianyun correctly, then the baby in the old woman's arms was the daughter the ghostly figure lost years ago?!

The realization sent shivers down Tang Ning's spine. How could someone who had passed away long ago suddenly become an infant?

Li Lianyun's lips remained close to Tang Ning's ear as he whispered, "The mother-daughter bond owed in the mortal realm continues to be repaid in the underworld. Quite logical, isn't it?"

Ahead, the baby's cries echoed, and the elderly woman hurriedly went to comfort the child in her arms.

The baby's wails seemed unending, and the old woman had no choice but to resort to singing, her raspy voice filling the air. She sang, "Brother Liu's words are too biased! Who says women can only enjoy leisure!"

Something peculiar occurred; the incessant crying gradually subsided as the old woman sang. She swayed her stiff body in tune with the melody, and as she slowly turned, the baby in her arms revealed its face to Tang Ning. He saw the eerie smile on the thin, pale face, the mouth devoid of teeth, grasping at skeletal fingers like twigs, as if suckling on its mother's breast.

Tang Ning dared not meet the gaze of the strange infant. He lowered his head and followed the ghostly old woman quietly to the barren hillside, where two unmarked graves lay side by side.

Lin Yun set down the wooden basket filled with paper money and lit the fire. Tang Ning squatted silently by the graveside, burning the paper money. In the past, he would have been terrified to do such a thing, but with Li Lianyun standing beside him, he felt little fear in his heart, even a sense of calmness. Tang Ning burned the paper money earnestly.

The flames licked and devoured each piece of paper money, while the ghostly old woman continued to sing, holding the baby in her arms. Her hoarse and ancient voice echoed hauntingly through the desolate hills, carrying an indescribable desolation.

Tang Ning furrowed his brow. The fire should have brought warmth, yet it failed to dispel the chill in the air. He took a deep breath and threw a handful of paper money into the flames, watching as they turned into black ashes, but the pent-up frustration in his heart remained unresolved.

Suddenly, a slender hand reached into the basket, and Li Lianyun's index and middle fingers picked up a piece of paper money. With a gentle wave of his hand, he tossed it into the fire.

The old woman's singing abruptly ceased, replaced by a breathtakingly beautiful melody of a young woman's voice echoing through the silent night. Tang Ning lifted his head abruptly and saw a graceful figure dressed in theatrical attire standing at the graveside. The elderly figure of the ghostly old woman stood shoulder to shoulder with this newly appeared woman.

The woman in the theatrical attire tiptoed as if turning the desolate wilderness into a stage. She walked and sang, and the old woman followed her into the unknown distance. As the fire gradually dimmed and darkness enveloped everything, the scene before Tang Ning faded into oblivion.

"Let's go," Li Lianyun said faintly. "Bury Wang Si's body here; it won't be able to escape anymore."

On the way back, Li Lianyun didn't lean on Tang Ning as they walked but instead held Tang Ning's hand, their fingers tightly interlocked.

Tang Ning glanced down at their joined hands, reminiscent of the day when they walked hand in hand to the marriage altar. He couldn't see clearly ahead, unsure of the dangers that lay ahead, but the moment this person held his hand, he felt a sense of tranquility, as if he could continue walking like this forever.