Chapter 138: Chapter 136: Chaochao Is Still Chaochao

Everyone here... even the demons and monsters in the Illusion Realm, saw it all.

Floating above Chaochao’s small body were two large words, even bigger than her head: Netherworld Single.

They glittered with golden light.

If there had been time for special effects, they probably would have blinded everyone... no, every living creature’s eyes!

"Is this really Hell? Are we all dead?"

"No, no, no! I can’t accept this! I’m still young! I haven’t even gotten married yet!"

"I want to live! I stole the widow’s underwear from next door and haven’t even had a chance to look at it yet!"

"Is Chaochao behind this? Isn’t she dead? Why did things turn out like this? Has our village become the Ghost World? Or have we all gone to Hell? I told you we shouldn’t do bad things! Why did you all have to force me!?"

"I have elders to support and children to raise, I can’t die! Please, I’m begging you, let me go! Let me go back!"

"I don’t want this leg anymore! Chaochao, every debt has its debtor! You should be going after your grandparents! I was just here to help!"

At that moment, in the world of the Illusion Realm, their hideous true colors were all exposed.

The darkness in everyone’s heart was unleashed.

Listening to their words and seeing their miserable states, Chaochao’s mother reached out and covered Chaochao’s eyes.

Chaochao felt a comfortable warmth over her eyes.

She didn’t tell her mother that she could see everything even without her eyes. ’But for now,’ she thought, ’I’ll just let Mom cover my eyes. This feeling is so wonderful.’

’Maybe when this is all over, I’ll never be able to enjoy this again.’

Chaochao leaned obediently into her mother’s arms. Chaochao’s mother watched everything with cold eyes, thinking, ’This is your retribution.’

Suddenly, two familiar faces appeared before Chaochao’s mother.

"Let us out of here! You must be the one behind this, you witch!"

Chaochao’s mother froze. Looking at the two familiar yet strange, hideous faces before her, she laughed. "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, you flatter me. How could I possibly have such power?"

"If it wasn’t you, how could Chaochao have become like this? How could we have ended up like this!?"

Her mother-in-law glared at her, grinding her teeth, wishing she could just reach out and strangle her.

But she knew she couldn’t, not now.

"Is that Grandma and Grandpa? Mom, let me see."

Hearing Chaochao’s voice, her mother removed her hand.

’I can’t make this decision for Chaochao,’ she thought, ’even if this old couple really deserves to die.’

Chaochao looked at the familiar people before her. Scenes flashed through her mind—she didn’t know if they were real or not, but they had at least shown her affection, even if it was very, very rare.

But what they did after her death... that was something Chaochao could not forgive.

"Chaochao! Can you send Grandma and Grandpa back?" the old woman asked in a soft voice, her eyes filled with hope, but the fear was still there.

"Grandma, were you the ones who wanted to sell my body? Why wouldn’t you leave me alone even after I died? I’m just a child. Why did I have to become the ghost bride for some old man?"

The old couple never expected Chaochao to understand everything so clearly at a time like this, as if she had the mind of an adult.

Hearing this, they said, "Oh, Chaochao, Grandma and Grandpa were tricked by bad people too! You have to believe us."

"Believe that you took a hundred thousand from someone to sell my body? When I was alive, you wanted to control every aspect of my parents’ lives. Now that I’m dead, you want to control my afterlife too?"

"Chaochao, we—"

"Don’t say another word. It makes me sick. Having a grandma and grandpa like you makes me wonder if I did something wrong for Heaven to punish me like this.

Listen carefully. If you dare bully my mother in the future, don’t blame me for bringing you down here to keep me company."

Chaochao’s voice was cold, completely devoid of the innocent ignorance of a child.

Chaochao’s grandparents were terrified, but Chaochao’s mother was the first to realize what was happening.

’Chaochao was still her Chaochao, but at the same time, she wasn’t.’

’Her Chaochao wouldn’t understand these things. Her Chaochao was just a little girl.’

The sound of wails and howls filled the world. After Chaochao ignored them, her grandparents also had an arm and a leg bitten off.

Chaochao watched it all with cold eyes.

"Mom, get a divorce. This family isn’t right for you. I don’t like how Grandma and Grandpa treat you, and Dad can’t protect you. You’ve suffered too much."

Chaochao’s mother nodded. "Mom will listen to you, Chaochao."

’Once everything with Chaochao is settled, I’ll get a divorce,’ she thought. ’Even though I’ll be letting Chaochao’s father down, I can’t face that old couple anymore.’

’And I can’t stop Chaochao’s father from fulfilling his filial duties.’

’The best way is to separate. A clean break.’

’Without Chaochao in that house, I have no ties left there.’

’Except for Chaochao, I have a clear conscience toward everyone else in that family.’

"Chaochao, do whatever you want to do. Just having you here with me makes me happy."

Chaochao was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

Her revenge had only just begun.

Time passed, second by second, and Chaochao’s mother’s gaze never left Chaochao.

As the twenty-four-hour mark approached, Chaochao turned around, stood beside her mother, and smiled with pure innocence.

"Mom, I’ve always been your Chaochao."

The darkness dissipated, and the familiar scene returned before their eyes. They were back in their village.

Chaochao’s mother realized the vision in her left eye was now gone.

Every one of the villagers was injured and unconscious.

Chaochao’s mother found someone else to change Chaochao’s clothes, got a new coffin, and buried her in the scenic place surrounded by mountains and water that Doctor Wen had mentioned.

By the time her in-laws and the others woke up, what was done was done.

They wanted to dig her up, but they received a message from the groom’s family. They no longer wanted the ghost marriage with their granddaughter, they didn’t want the money back, and they hoped the families would never contact each other again.

The people who woke up were all left with chronic ailments of varying degrees, especially the old couple.

They passed away one after another within two years.

And Chaochao’s story seemingly became a taboo in the village.

Chaochao’s mother had already left. She only returned from time to time when she missed Chaochao, going directly to her grave.

She paid an elderly person a yearly fee to help clear the weeds from Chaochao’s grave.

But all this came later.

After handling Chaochao’s final arrangements, though heartbroken, Chaochao’s mother remembered she still had to find Doctor Wen.

She bought a ticket for the slowest "green-skin" train. It would take about thirty-four hours to reach Doctor Wen’s city.

After burning all of her and Chaochao’s clothes and belongings at home, Chaochao’s mother set off.

None of the scenery that passed by along the way could make her forget her Chaochao.

In thirty-four hours, Chaochao’s mother only had a cup of water and a piece of bread, which a passenger in the next seat had pressed upon her, unable to bear watching her.

After getting off the train, Chaochao’s mother took a three-hour bus ride to Xiangcheng.

She didn’t know that behind her—