Chapter 30: Great-Uncle

Watching his grandmother’s slow, retreating figure, Shen Siyuan shouted, "Grandma, go on back now. I’ll come to visit you again in a few days."

"Watch your speed on the road, and give me a call when you get home."

Clearly, while his grandmother heard his voice, she didn't catch the words; they were simply speaking past each other.

Shen Siyuan didn't linger. He gently pressed the throttle and rode on until his grandmother’s figure was reduced to a tiny black speck.

This time, he rode his motorcycle very slowly. The setting sun stained the clouds on the horizon red, and the evening breeze brushed against his face, bringing a touch of coolness. The chirping of insects on both sides of the road filled his ears. Everything was so peaceful.

Just then, an old man appeared ahead, walking slowly toward him with his hands behind his back and a hunched frame.

Shen Siyuan’s eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

The old man approaching was none other than his great-uncle, Yu Youcai, the older brother of his grandmother, Yu Suzhen.

His great-uncle had been married once, but his wife had passed away when she was still quite young. He never remarried and remained childless his entire life, so he had always treated Shen Siyuan’s father, and Shen Siyuan himself, as if they were his own flesh and blood.

When his father, Shen Jianjun, lost a great deal of money starting his business, his great-uncle had dug into his own retirement savings to help fill the hole. When they were setting up the gravel plant, he had helped coordinate everything. In short, he had been a tremendous support to their family.

And as for Shen Siyuan, his great-uncle was beyond doting. Every winter and summer break, he would buy all sorts of delicious snacks in advance, just waiting for Shen Siyuan to return.

When his grandmother was young, raising a child alone, life had been incredibly difficult, and it was largely thanks to his great-uncle’s help that she had managed to pull through.

To Shen Siyuan, his great-uncle was no different from a real grandfather.

However, his great-uncle had passed away more than a decade ago, and it was Shen Jianjun and his son who had performed the funeral rites for him.

He never expected that his great-uncle had lingered in this world, never truly leaving.

The old man noticed Shen Siyuan as well, looking surprised, but more than that, overjoyed.

As he passed by, he urged, "Ride slowly."

Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had seen Shen Siyuan since his death, and he likely knew that Shen Siyuan couldn't see him, yet he still offered the same concerned advice an elder would give a younger family member.

Seeing that familiar face again and hearing that familiar voice, Shen Siyuan felt his eyes well up with hot tears.

His voice choked as he called out, "Great-Uncle."

"Big Head? You can hear me?"

His great-uncle stopped in his tracks, eyes wide, staring at Shen Siyuan in shock.

Shen Siyuan killed the motorcycle engine and came to a stop.

"Great-Uncle, not only can I hear you, I can see you too. But I’m a grown man now, please don't call me Big Head anymore."

There were tears in Shen Siyuan’s eyes, but a smile on his face.

***

When his great-uncle passed away, he had been heartbroken for a long time, never imagining he would see him again.

For the first time, he felt incredibly grateful for his ability to see ghosts.

"How did you suddenly become able to see me?" his great-uncle asked, full of curiosity.

"I don't know, but that’s not important. Great-Uncle, to see you again... to see you..." Shen Siyuan was so choked up he could barely speak.

"Alright now, don't be sad. I’ve been gone for so many years, why are you still fretting over me?" his great-uncle said with a chuckle.

Though his words were a mild rebuke, his face was full of smiles.

"Great-Uncle, I could forget anyone, but I would never forget you. But where were you coming back from?" Shen Siyuan asked with curiosity.

"I went to visit a few old friends. Sigh, there aren't many left; they’ve all come over to reunite with me now."

His great-uncle let out a long sigh—there was relief in it, and resignation, but no sadness.

"Great-Uncle, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"

His great-uncle looked surprised at the question. "You even know about that?"

Shen Siyuan nodded. His great-uncle fell silent, then eventually shook his head.

Seeing this, Shen Siyuan urged, "Great-Uncle, if there is anything left undone, you can tell me, and I will fulfill it for you."

At these words, a brilliant smile bloomed on his great-uncle’s weathered face.

"Big Head has grown capable," his great-uncle remarked with emotion. "But I have no regrets, Great-Uncle. It’s all in the past."

Though his great-uncle said this, Shen Siyuan knew he hadn't truly let go.

Based on what Shen Siyuan understood, there were only two ways ghosts existed in this world. One was through unfulfilled wishes, which kept them wandering the mortal realm.

The other was the power of the living’s longing. Longing was like a rope that tethered the departed; as long as they weren't completely forgotten by the living, the dead could remain in the world.

Of course, a ghost could choose to let go and return to the embrace of nature, because longing was also a shackle.

Many ghosts could not endure the long, lonely wait and eventually chose to let go of everything.

This was why ghosts didn't completely overrun the world.

The vast majority of ghosts lingering in the mortal realm had unfulfilled wishes.

Of course, this wasn't just Shen Siyuan’s conjecture; it was something he could see.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was a master of manipulating ghosts, possessing a level of understanding that surpassed the ghosts themselves.

***

Although the two worlds differed slightly in their rules, the gap was not significant.

The ghosts wandering the mortal realm all had a faint red glow upon their souls; this red glow represented their unfulfilled wishes, or their obsessions.

It was this obsession that kept them tethered to this world.

And though his great-uncle claimed to have let go, the red light on his body had not yet dissipated.

"It’s getting late. You should hurry home," his great-uncle said, looking Shen Siyuan over carefully, his gaze filled with kindness.

"Great-Uncle, come back with me," Shen Siyuan said after a moment of thought.

His great-uncle shook his head.

"My home is here. I’m not going anywhere."

As he spoke, he put his hands behind his back and continued walking toward Yujia Village.

Shen Siyuan wanted to call him back, but didn't know how to speak.

His great-uncle’s old house had long since fallen into ruin, filled with nothing but weeds, rats, and ants. Shen Siyuan felt the urge to pull him into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, but after a moment’s thought, he decided against it.

"Great-Uncle!" Shen Siyuan shouted from a distance.

"Hmm?" His great-uncle turned back, his hands still behind his back.

"I’ll come visit you again in a few days," Shen Siyuan promised.

"Alright!"

The distance was too great for Shen Siyuan to see clearly, but he knew that at that moment, his great-uncle’s wrinkled face must have been stretched into a wide smile.

"I’m off then."

"Alright!"

Shen Siyuan lightly pressed the throttle, and the motorcycle sped off into the distance.

His great-uncle turned back and watched Shen Siyuan’s receding figure, a look of worry appearing on his face.

He muttered to himself, "How did he suddenly become able to see? Could something be wrong? I should go find Old Ghost and ask..."

He didn't continue down the road toward Yujia Village, but instead followed the path along the edge of the fields, heading off into the distance.