Three Lives, Death Exists Not at the River of Oblivion

Chapter 2: Let me hear you call me 'darling'

After I finished tying up various loose ends in the underworld, Yanwang personally placed three seals on the back of my neck, each representing one lifetime in the human world. Once the three seals disappeared, I must return to the underworld and stand guard by the Wangchuan again.

In the envious eyes of other spiritual beings, I donned a white cotton dress and left to the human world.

The human world previously known through books was much livelier than I had imagined it to be, and also more interesting, and also... more dangerous.

On my third day on Earth, on the way looking for Moxi, I passed by a temple and discovered that it was dedicated to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. I piously went in, thinking to offer my worship. I had only dropped to my knees, yet to finish bowing, when an old yet nimble monk suddenly stepped forth with a razor in hand. He smiled amiably at me: "Amitabha. Benefactor, knowing to mend your wrongs by seeking the Buddha is doing the world a good deed."

Huh? I hadn't had time to ponder over the meaning behind his words when his razor had headed straight for my hair.

I was a stone – the Sansheng Stone. From head to toe, the most difficult for me to grow was hair. I had stared at it for a thousand years before it finally made a little improvement, yet this old bald donkey had the nerve to shave me! I huffed and kicked him away. Unexpectedly, this monk was actually a martial artist. He easily escaped from my kick.

He withdrew the genial smile from his face. "What are you intending to do?"

"Baldy, I should ask you the same question," I replied dubiously.

He sneered. "Demon, I thought you had wanted to follow the Buddha's way to atone for your sins. It turns out you had come here to stir trouble!"

"Demon? You're mistaken, I'm not..."

"Hmph, I've detected the mustiness of darkness lurking in you from three miles away. Don't try to slink your way out of this!"

I sniffed left and right, but couldn't really sense any mustiness on my body. The fish in the Wangchuan were much mustier than I was! This monk did not listen to my explanation. His razor came at me again. My desire to kill began to rise, but Yanwang's endless reminders that I must never harm anyone suddenly came to mind.

I withdrew my attack, turned, and made a run for it.

The monk kept chasing after me 'round the entire mountain, forcing me to run till I was out of breath. I just wanted to give the bald donkey a punch and send him to an eternal sleep.

All of a sudden, a burst of fragrance drifted to my nose. I had never smelled such a wonderful fragrance in the underworld. My attention was instantly lured away. As I drew near, a red sea of flowers came into sight.

The humans called this season 'winter', and they called that glistening substance covering the red petals 'snow'. But I didn't yet know the name of these red flowers. After I passed through the sea of scented boughs, I discovered a small courtyard quietly standing on the other side.

Curious, I opened the gate and went inside. After barely stepping into the courtyard, the golden seal Moxi left on my wrist suddenly glowed. My heart drummed as I approached the main house inside the yard. Suddenly, I heard a gentle female voice: "Hush-a-by baby, on the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock."

I gently pushed the door ajar and quietly peered inside. A young woman was sitting in bed with a baby in her arms. Upon a closer look, I smiled. That face, that nose, and those lips, wasn't this a meatball version of Moxi?!