Thirteen Stations of the Underworld
Kellen, who was not worth mentioning, was finally mentioned in Clara's last moments before leaving.
He held his arms and smiled helplessly, watching Clara leave.
The Murray family fell into complete silence.
This large estate seemed to lose its vivid colors in an instant.
The previous liveliness was now reduced to a gloomy scene.
Kellen finally understood how the entire Murray family collapsed five years ago when Clara disappeared...
Susie lay in Martin's arms, staring at Clara's figure without blinking.
She kept watching until Clara disappeared and couldn't be seen anymore.
"Goodbye, Mom. Have a safe journey..." Susie said, gradually closing her eyes.
In her dream, she escorted her mother through the underworld, and they crossed the Nathaniel Bridge.
Lethe witch brought a bowl of soup, and after Mom finished drinking it, she smacked her lips and arrogantly asked for another bowl.
Mom also gave some suggestions for the soup, suggesting that they upgrade the recipe and improve their business skills...
Lethe witch's face turned black, and even her master covered his face in shame...
In her sleep, Susie couldn't help but laugh out loud, which eventually turned into the same arrogant laughter as her mother's.
Martin, who was holding Susie, asked, "...?"
The next day, when Susie woke up, the Murray family had already prepared everything for the sacrifice.
The sun rose, and life had to go on.
Mrs. Alana's smile carried a hint of sorrow, Mr. Craig occasionally spaced out behind his stern expression, the eight Murray brothers were busy with solemnity, trying not to think about Clara leaving yesterday.
Martin remained silent. If Clara had stayed longer, the old man would have been even more reluctant to let her go...
Susie wore a yellow hat as usual and carried her pet bag wherever she went, wanting to bring her two little friends, Alex and Grandpa Turtle, with her wherever she went.
Lucy was the most carefree one. Not only did she not have homework today, but she could also go out and have fun, even if it was to visit the graves!
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Lucy asked excitedly, "Do we need to bring a few bottles of Sprite for our ancestors?"
Mrs. Alana came back to her senses, feeling both annoyed and amused. "Are you bringing it for the ancestors or for yourself?"
Lucy spoke righteously, "Of course, it's for the ancestors! I don't drink Sprite."
Susie gave her a look as if to say, "I see right through you," and said, "Lucy, do you need to send a few letters?"
Lucy shook her head honestly.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and looking at the carefree children, they unknowingly dispelled their heavy hearts.
Mrs. Alana, Mr. Craig, Huck, David, and Lucy are all in one car. Susie is in another car with other uncles.
The cars are both stretch limousines, so they are both full. In the car, Ryan asks, "Susie, what is the underworld like? When people die... how do they reincarnate?"
He couldn't resist his curiosity about what Clara experienced after death and where she went to be reincarnated.
Susie was playing with Grandpa Turtle and shaking its hand when she heard Ryan's question. She tilted her head and said, "That's a long story. Let's not talk about it!"
Everyone in the car pricked up their ears, wondering where the little girl had learned such words.
All the uncles looked at Kellen, who was driving the car. Kellen was going to return to Morton Family's estate yesterday, but he decided to give Susie a ride and then return home.
He thought it wouldn't take much time. If he had known, he would have left earlier in the morning.
Kellen replied calmly, "Susie, you can tell us more about it."
Susie blinked her eyes. Can she really talk about it? She remembered everything her Expert Patriarch had told her, so she can talk about it.
"After a person dies, they will go through thirteen stages. The first stage is to go to the Temple of the Earth and register for a household."
Ryan's mouth twitched. "Register for a household?"
"Then, the second stage is the Yellow Spring Road. You cannot see the sun, moon, stars, or the dust of the earth. You cannot see the road ahead or your relatives and friends behind you."
When the Murray family brothers heard "cannot see your relatives and friends behind you," their hearts couldn't help but ache.
Susie continued, "After crossing the Yellow Brick Road and the Nathaniel Bridge, you will arrive at the third stage, the Tower of Looking Back. Standing on the Tower of Looking Back, you can see your hometown, but you cannot return."
Michael's eyes turned red, and he turned to look out the window. He even had an image in his mind of Clara standing on the Tower of Looking Back, alone and unable to see her beloved brothers or parents. She turned around and walked away, alone.
"And then?" Paul's voice was somewhat hoarse.
Susie held Grandpa Turtle's hand, carefree, "The fourth stop is Evil Dog Ridge, the fifth stop is Golden Rooster Ridge. Evil dogs are very fierce, and they won't stop until they tear off a leg and a soul. Golden Rooster Ridge is very long and high. You have to climb from Chicken Back Ridge to Chicken Crown Ridge... After crossing Golden Rooster Mountain, you can reach Fengdu City."
Kellen couldn't bear it and said, "You shouldn't listen to her."
Look, everyone's expressions turned ferocious.
Michael gritted his teeth, "You don't understand..."
Clara was the most afraid of dogs but had to go through it alone. According to Susie's description, how long would it take to cross Golden Rooster Ridge, which used to be a mountain?
It turned out that she had so many tribulations before becoming a ghost.
No wonder everyone says that evil dogs can deal with evil ghosts, and ghosts are afraid of the blood of black roosters and dogs.
Susie continued, "The sixth stop is the Ghost Village, where some of the souls whose hands and feet were torn off by evil dogs are waiting to ambush new ghosts who have intact limbs and grab their hands and feet, then continue walking."
"The seventh stop is the Lost Temple. Drink the forgetfulness soup and speak the truth. Then you can reach the eighth stop, Fengdu City, where the Ten Yan Luo Judges will interrogate you."
At this point, Susie paused.
Hmm... Every time she gets to this point, she always feels a little familiar.
Judah was recording something on his phone and asked, "What about the ninth stop?"
Susie said, "The ninth stop is the eighteen Layers of Hell. The guilty go to the eighteen Layers of Hell, and the innocent go to the Eleventh Station, Ghost Castle. The ghosts live here, either guarding their longevity or earning Yin virtue, or practicing... When their longevity is approaching, they will enter the Tenth Hall to receive the sentence of reincarnation."
Jonathan was stunned, "Practice?"
Susie nodded, "Yes! As my master said, the twelfth stop is the Lotus Platform, which is the throne where Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva preaches in hell."
"But my master said that few ghosts can cultivate. They only accumulate some Yin virtue."
The Murray family brothers remained silent.
The world is really different from what they thought...
Going off topic, Michael brought the topic back, "You didn't mention the tenth stop just now."
Susie said, "The tenth stop is the Offerings Pavilion, where paper money burned by loved ones in the human world, such as cars, phones, villas, and clothes, will arrive."
Kellen raised his eyebrows, "Like a post office?"
Living people send things to dead people, and the Offerings Pavilion collects parcels.
The underworld express station??
Susie's eyes lit up, "Daddy, you're so smart!"
This analogy is so accurate.
Susie kicked her little feet and spoke cheerfully, "The last thirteenth stop is the Resurrection Cliff. There are Three-Life Stones and a Golden-Silver Bridge in front of the Resurrection Cliff, and Lethe witch sits on the bridge. After drinking Lethe witch's soup, you can be reborn."
Michael couldn't help but ask, "Where will your mother... be reborn?"
Everyone in the car couldn't help but prick up their ears.
Martin pretended to be looking at the data on his phone, but his fingertips suddenly froze, and the screen remained motionless, without any action...