Linlin tilted her small head, her eyes sparkling as she began to ponder the answer.
This question, for a kindergarten child, was neither easy nor difficult. It primarily depended on whether the child recognized the character "位" (wèi).
Wang Zizai and his wife watched Linlin nervously. They had taught Linlin this character before her passing, even breaking it down for her and explaining its components. They just hadn't presented it in the form of a riddle like Ying Chen had.
Time ticked by.
Just as everyone thought Linlin couldn't answer, she suddenly showed a look of surprise and delight. "I know! '人不在其位' (rén bù zài qí wèi - a person is not in their rightful position) means the '人' radical from the '位' character ran away! It only leaves the '立' character!"
"The answer is '立'!"
"Congratulations, you got it right." Ying Chen snapped his fingers.
Instantly, the oppressive aura surrounding Linlin vanished. Like a bird breaking free from its cage, Linlin joyfully flew towards her mother.
"Linlin!"
Wang Zizai's wife embraced her daughter. However, Linlin was merely a spirit, and her mother's embrace passed through her, leaving only the sensation of air currents.
Wang Zizai's wife paused, then shook her head. "I almost forgot. Before, I was holding a doll, not the real you."
"Since Mr. Ying has agreed to release you, and your father can see you now, you don't need to hide inside the doll anymore, do you?"
Linlin reached out and gently hugged her mother's neck. But facing her mother's question, Linlin appeared lost and unsure how to answer. Logically, she shouldn't need to hide in the doll anymore. Yet, deep down, she felt a sense of unease, as if hiding in the doll were still better.
Linlin instinctively looked at Ying Chen, seeking an answer. But Ying Chen was lost in thought, seemingly pondering something else entirely.
"Uncle..." Linlin called out timidly.
Ying Chen was startled back to awareness. He looked at Linlin. "Is something wrong?"
Linlin quickly voiced her unease. After listening, Ying Chen smiled. "Your worry is valid. Firstly, humans and ghosts are of different paths. Although you retain your full consciousness, your essence is still a mass of spiritual energy. Prolonged interaction with humans will lead to mutual depletion. It's like a piece of ice and a flame in the same room; the ice will melt, and the flame will eventually extinguish."
"It would be one thing if your parents were cultivators, but they are ordinary people. In a few years, you will inevitably corrode them with your malevolent energy, leading to severe illness and their deaths."
Upon hearing Ying Chen's words, Linlin gasped, her arms around her mother loosening. She floated several meters away, maintaining a safe distance.
"Secondly, exposed to the world, you will constantly face the trials of heaven and earth, the scorching sun and moon, and even lightning strikes. Even if these don't destroy you immediately, they will wear you down over time until you turn to dust. This is the so-called righteousness of heaven and earth, which does not tolerate the existence of ghosts."
"Then what should we do?" Hearing Ying Chen's second point, Wang Zizai and his wife cried out in alarm.
"There aren't many options. Preserving Linlin is essentially defying the heavens. Unless..."
Ying Chen paused, but didn't continue. This made Wang Zizai and his wife anxious.
"Unless what? Mr. Ying, please tell us! We are willing to pay any price!"
"Yes, yes! We are willing to pay any price! Mr. Ying, just name it!"
Ying Chen glanced at the couple without a word. Wang Zizai and his wife likely believed that any price paid would yield a reward. They didn't realize that some sacrifices could not be rewarded. For instance, the method Ying Chen hadn't mentioned was something the couple could never afford.
To preserve Linlin's spiritual body, she would need to be placed within the grand formation of Jianghai Villa, constantly bathed in spiritual energy. Even then, it wouldn't be permanent, perhaps only for a decade or two. After that, if there were no dramatic changes in the world and no resurgence of spiritual energy, Linlin would inevitably be worn away by heaven and earth into dust.
The cost of placing her in the villa's formation was far beyond what the couple could afford. The daily operation of the formation would exceed their lifetime earnings. Their offer to pay "any price" was utterly meaningless.
Seeing Ying Chen remain silent, the couple grew desperate.
*Thump!*
They both knelt before Ying Chen, kowtowing repeatedly. "Mr. Ying, please, save Linlin! We have nothing valuable, just our house and a little bit for our funerals. We'll give it all to you! We have hands and feet, we can work for you to repay your kindness. If we can't finish repaying you in this life, we'll do it in the next!"
"In short, we will never forget your kindness, nor will we betray it!"
Professor Li also interceded. "Mr. Ying, if it's truly necessary, I won't take a salary these years either. Consider it helping Old Wang. Please agree to it!"
Ying Chen glanced at Professor Li, then back at Wang Zizai and his wife. He finally sighed. "I can help, but Linlin might not be able to stay with you. She would need to leave with me. Can you accept that?"
The couple exchanged glances, then nodded in unison. "We can accept it! As long as we know Linlin is still alive in this world, we will be at peace!"
"We can even go a lifetime without seeing her!"
Ying Chen waved his hand. "It won't be that extreme. You can see her during your time off, but not too frequently. After all, she is a spiritual entity, and your mortal bodies can't withstand her malevolent energy. Three times a year would be the maximum."
"Three times a year? No problem, no problem!" The couple agreed in unison.
"And what about you? Are you willing to come with me?" Ying Chen turned to Linlin.
Linlin's little face was filled with reluctance to part from her parents. However, she knew that staying would only harm her parents and herself. So, she nodded obediently. "I am willing to go with Uncle!"
Ying Chen reached out and patted Linlin's head. "Don't be afraid. It's not as scary as you imagine. I'm simply placing you in a place rich in spiritual energy. There will also be a little girl around your age there who can play with you every day."
Others couldn't spend extended time with Linlin, but Nannan was different. Nannan was already a cultivator, and her fetal breath meditation technique was perfected. She could withstand Linlin's malevolent energy without being harmed.
Upon hearing that there would be a child her age, Linlin's eyes lit up. Her previous worried and fearful expression vanished, replaced by anticipation.
"However," Ying Chen continued, "I have one last question to ask you."
"You must answer me truthfully."
Just as everyone was excitedly looking forward to a happy resolution, Ying Chen suddenly spoke.