In the pitch-black river, Liu Xiaoxiao stood in the water, constantly speaking.

This may be the most words Liu Xiaoxiao has ever said to her parents in all these years, and it was the most thorough and heartfelt conversation as well.

But it was also Liu Xiaoxiao's final requiem.

Liu Hua opened her arms and said, "Xiaoxiao, come here, let Mom hug you one last time. Can Mom hug you?"

Liu Xiaoxiao walked in the water, coming to the side of the wooden boat.

Wang Baochang and I became tense all of a sudden. This was the most crucial and dangerous moment.

The success of the plan depended on this moment!

At this moment, Liu Hua's face was covered in tears. She was no longer afraid of Liu Xiaoxiao's terrifying appearance because she was her daughter, her flesh and blood.

Liu Xiaoxiao asked, "Mom, are you not afraid of me anymore?"

Liu Hua shook her head. "No! You are my daughter. Why should I be afraid of you?"

Liu Xiaoxiao reached out her hands. "Mom!"

Liu Hua also extended her hands, one on the boat and one in the water, and the mother and daughter embraced tightly.

Tears streamed down Liu Hua's face. "Xiaoxiao, Mom is sorry! Mom is sorry! If there is an afterlife, I will still be your mother. I will always be with you and never leave you again!"

Liu Xiaoxiao smiled sadly. "That would be nice."

Suddenly, Liu Xiaoxiao's expression changed. Terrifying fierceness flashed in her eyes.

She opened her mouth, revealing sharp fangs, and lunged at Liu Hua's neck.

The situation changed too fast. Wang Baochang and I were on the riverbank and couldn't rush over to help in time.

Just at that moment, a flash of red light appeared, and a peach wood sword pierced through Liu Xiaoxiao's back.

The one holding the peach wood sword was none other than Liu Xin.

Tears the size of beans hung on Liu Xin's face, falling one by one. His whole body trembled violently, showing his intense pain.

Even though Liu Xiaoxiao had turned into a river spirit, she was still his daughter. For a father, it was probably the cruelest thing in the world to deal with his own daughter personally.

This was the cruelest part of the entire plan.

Beforehand, Wang Baochang had given the peach wood sword to Liu Xin, asking them to be prepared for two possible approaches.

The first approach was if Liu Xiaoxiao's emotions remained stable. They would try to lure her to the riverbank and handle it themselves. The second approach was if Liu Xiaoxiao suddenly launched an attack. Liu Xin would use the peach wood sword to deal with her. It was cruel, but they had no choice.

Of course, no one wanted things to develop according to the second approach, but the least desirable outcome happened. Liu Xiaoxiao's resentment was too strong. She actually attacked her own mother, forcing Liu Xin to make the painful decision to end his own daughter's life.

The sword pierced through Liu Xiaoxiao's body, giving a chilling sensation.

The peach wood sword possessed great power, and dense ghostly energy burst out from Liu Xiaoxiao's back.

Liu Xin took a deep breath and cried, "Xiaoxiao, I'm sorry! You have harmed so many people, caused so much misfortune. I can't let you continue hurting others!"

Liu Xiaoxiao turned around and looked at Liu Xin, showing a pitiful smile. "Dad, actually, from the very beginning, I saw the peach wood sword hidden behind you..."

Liu Xin froze, and Wang Baochang and I froze as well.

Liu Xin didn't say a word and knelt directly on the side of the boat, bowing to Liu Xiaoxiao.

"Dad, Mom, if... if there is an afterlife..."

Liu Xiaoxiao's voice was scattered by the wind, disappearing without a trace. No one knew if she had finished what she wanted to say.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Liu Xiaoxiao's remains floated quietly on the water's surface, with a peach wood sword still stuck in her back.

From the beginning, Liu Xiaoxiao knew that Liu Xin intended to deal with her, but she also knew that Liu Xin couldn't bring himself to do it. So after pouring out her inner thoughts, Liu Xiaoxiao pretended to attack Liu Hua, forcing Liu Xin's hand.

In other words, from the very beginning, Liu Xiaoxiao had already made up her mind to die by her father's hand.

Wang Baochang and I speculated that Liu Xiaoxiao did this to express her attachment to her parents in this way.

After dealing with so many things, this is the heaviest burden I have felt so far. There is no joy after eliminating the evil spirit, only profound sadness and helpless sighs.

How many near misses in past lives are needed to have the chance to become lovers, spouses, siblings, or children in this life?

Cherish the people around you, don't wait until everything is lost to regret!

Liu Xin remained expressionless, carrying Liu Xiaoxiao's remains back to the shore.

The couple carried Liu Xiaoxiao's remains to the edge of the deep pit and carefully placed them inside.

Wang Baochang and I poured a bucket of gasoline we had prepared over the remains. I told Liu Xin, "You should do it yourself."

Liu Xin painfully bit his lip and asked if we could refrain from burning them.

I shook my head. Water and fire are incompatible, and river spirits fear fire. To be safe, we must cremate these two river spirits!

Liu Xin nodded and took out a pack of cheap cigarettes from his pocket. He lit a cigarette, took several puffs, and silently threw it into the pit.

Soon, roaring flames burned, crackling loudly, and thick black smoke rose into the sky.

"Xiaoxiao! Xiaoyong!"

Liu Hua cried out, falling down beside the pit.

Wang Baochang and I held Liu Hua tightly, comforting her that there was no need to dwell on it. Xiaoxiao and Xiaoyong were already two lifeless bodies.

Until midnight, when the fire burned out completely, Liu Xin and Liu Hua remained kneeling by the pit, unable to rise.

Although the situation was resolved, the pain left for this couple would never be erased in their lifetime.

The next day, Liu Xin arranged for someone to go to town and purchase a unique double coffin.

The coffin was wider than ordinary coffins, and when the lid was opened, there were two separate compartments inside. Liu Xiaoyong's remains were placed on the left side, and Liu Xiaoxiao's remains were placed on the right side.

With the money they had saved from a year of work, the couple held a grand funeral for their children.

Toys and snacks that were never bought for them during their lives were all placed as burial objects, accompanying them in eternal rest.

The funeral was presided over by Wang Baochang. It was his first job in quite some time.

Although this river spirit incident had been handled excellently by Wang Baochang, restoring much of his reputation, it was believed that he would receive more jobs in the future.

Wang Baochang was grateful to me, saying that I had given him a new lease on life and helped him find new hope. He felt like we were life and death brothers, patting his chest and telling me that if I ever needed help, I could come find him, and he would never hesitate to help.

After the Ghost Festival, Kubeizi finished his various tasks and returned. When he heard about this incident, he praised me greatly and lifted the seal on the Soul-calling Gourd, warning me to be cautious when using the Five Ghosts technique in the future.

I thanked Kubeizi and asked him to take care of Wang Baochang in the future. Kubeizi smiled and nodded.