Chapter 181: Reaping What One Sows
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He began to resent.
Why did he have to exhaust himself every single day?
Turning his head, he saw his two brothers toiling even harder. Not only did they labor tirelessly during the busy farming season, but in the idle months, they would head to town seeking temporary jobs.
He had tried those jobs before.
If it wasn’t building houses for the wealthy in town, it was hauling goods at the docks.
Farming work allowed them to pick cooler times of the day, but working for others came with no such freedom. No matter how scorching the sun, as long as the master or overseer didn’t call for a break, they couldn’t stop.
Two days under the blazing sun, and he collapsed from heatstroke, unconscious.
From then on, his family dared not send him out to work.
But this came at a cost—he no longer earned money, and his standing in the household plummeted.
Though his family never said anything, he could keenly sense their disappointment in him.
Later, when his brothers married one after another, his own betrothal kept falling through. The reason? He hadn’t saved enough for a bride price.
Yes, all his brothers had saved their own bride prices.
While their parents chipped in five taels of silver for each son, the rest had to be earned by themselves.
His eldest brother, although he had spent years solely focused on studying and drained much of the family’s savings, later became a Scholar and then a Provincial Graduate.
Although he didn’t place among the top three, he officially rose above the status of a commoner and became a titled gentleman.
When his eldest brother returned to the county, he married the daughter of a wealthy merchant and secured a position as a Deputy Magistrate, earning five taels of silver per month.
The eldest brother had made something of himself.
Without needing support from his father-in-law’s family, he sent two taels of silver home every month as living expenses.
With this money, the Li family’s life became increasingly respectable.
Moreover, the eldest brother and his wife were both dutiful, visiting their parents every ten days or so and always bringing back plenty of fine goods. Such gestures earned them widespread praise and admiration from the villagers.
In contrast, Li Qing Miao, who had neither talent nor the strength for hard labor, struggled for years to scrape together a bride price. Eventually, he did marry, but not to Cui Hua.
Cui Hua wouldn’t settle for someone without talent or a scholarly title.
Instead, his wife turned out to be a shrew.
The shrew admired refined men like his eldest brother and looked down on her husband, who couldn’t hold a candle to his sibling. She married him only out of respect for his eldest brother’s reputation.
Li Qing Miao remained painfully aware of reality. He knew he had once been the most talented youth in the entire Great Sheng Empire. Even in old age, he believed his intellect could still captivate young women and married ladies alike.
He tried reciting poetry to prove he was no less than his eldest brother. Yet the verses, which once came so effortlessly, now evaded him no matter how hard he tried.
He had wished to fade into obscurity, and now, his wish had come true. Everyone ignored him—even his wife.
All attention was focused on his eldest brother.
This was precisely what he had wished for, yet it brought him no joy.
He longed for the days when he was the center of admiration, the subject of people’s hopes and dreams.
Most of all, he missed the days when he didn’t have to work.
Whenever he complained about the hardships of life, those around him would respond, “Who doesn’t have it tough?”
They called him pretentious, pointing out that his life was already better than most in this era.
At least he had never gone hungry. While his family didn’t eat meat every day, they always had fragrant white bread, steamed buns, and rice.
Others? They survived on coarse black bread or wild vegetable soup.
Li Qing Miao always believed that he was meant for a different life. Everything his elder brother owned—the wealth, the respect, the opportunities—should have been his.
But no one shared his conviction. Not his parents, who regarded him with the pitying gaze reserved for fools, their eyes filled with disappointment. His mother, especially, delivered a phrase that would haunt him forever: “Everyone must bear the consequences of their choices.”
And so, Li Qing Miao’s life drifted into obscurity, uneventful and fruitless. While his children were filial, the family’s resources were too thin. When a severe illness struck him, his family couldn’t gather enough money for his treatment. Helpless, he felt his body grow weaker by the day until death took him painfully.
As he closed his eyes for the final time, a burning thought consumed him: If only he had been the one recognized for his talents back in the academy by their venerable tutor, wouldn’t everything have been different?
But regrets hold no sway over the past.
Suddenly, a piercing light shattered the darkness around him. Opening his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with Yu Zhi Yi’s smiling gaze. Surrounding them were his relatives, disheveled and bloody—all because of him.
Gasping for air, Li Qing Miao clutched at life with newfound desperation. Relief coursed through him when he realized it was all a dream…
Yet, before he could fully exhale, Yu Zhi Yi’s voice cut through his thoughts. “You’ve taken fifteen lives. For this, you’ll endure fifteen cycles in the Beast Path, and then you’ll be reborn into an ordinary farming family. You’ve always despised others’ expectations, haven’t you? The Heavenly Dao has granted your wish. This time, mediocrity will be your destiny.”
Her radiant smile widened. “Congratulations on achieving your heart’s desire.”
Li Qing Miao’s eyes widened in horror. “No! I don’t want mediocrity! I don’t want a pointless life!”
The arrogance he once wore like a crown crumbled into dust. Falling to his knees, he pleaded, “Immortal! No, merciful goddess! Please, don’t be so cruel! I was wrong! I see my errors now, I truly do!”
The resentful spirits of his slain relatives, witnessing his pathetic state, found peace at last. The hatred that had chained them dissipated, leaving them as they once were in life—a family of simple dignity, with clean clothes and neatly combed hair.
They turned toward Yu Zhi Yi, their faces serene, and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Daoist.”
Yu Zhi Yi softly recited a chant of deliverance. “Go on to your next life.”
As her words faded, an ancient, ornate door materialized before them, emanating an icy chill that pierced the soul. The seven Li family spirits stepped through, their forms vanishing into the unknown. The door closed behind them with a resounding finality.
Li Qing Miao, too, was taken away.
Even without the evidence of the poison used on the Wei couple, his fate was sealed. Yu Zhi Yi ensured no misdeed of his would be left uncovered, especially not his acts of murder. It didn’t take long for all the evidence to surface—the poisoning of the Wei couple, the malicious crippling of Madam Zhang, and even the murders of Madam Zhang’s parents. All laid bare.
Seven days later, Li Qing Miao was executed at the Vegetable Market Entrance. His crimes, undeniable and heinous, left no room for mercy.
Yu Zhi Yi left nothing to chance. Before his execution, she cast a Body-Fixing Spell, rendering him immobile except for brief intervals to eat, drink, and relieve himself. Even during those moments, the time was so fleeting he could never hope to escape.
Her task completed, Yu Zhi Yi gathered the evidence and returned to the capital. Barely a day had passed since she had left, and only three days since her return from South Cao Village. Upon her arrival, she learned of Du Zi Heng’s return to the capital.
Yet he had neither come home nor reported to the Ministry of Personnel. Yu Zhi Yi’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “No matter. It’s only human nature.”
The time had come to end things once and for all.