Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

It was a spooky midnight when she let her daughter get married; there were unknown crying sounds on the road; some wild cat was meowing. She was actually afraid back then, but the ceremony went smoothly, and her daughter ended up a slave in that family. But she did not care about her because she felt that her daughter belonged to their family now; it was her fate to marry into that family. She ran away with the bride price to a county seat, and she remarried. However, that man used her money too, so she had to expand her market.

But the outside world was different from the villages; they were law-abiding citizens, and the parents would not agree to let their dead daughter marry a dead man. “Although things were getting rough, | earned so much more by just completing a job.” The ghost matchmaker continued to say, “Sometimes, the rich people were even more superstitious.” She accepted a very big offer for her last job. She could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, excluding the bride’s price. Her client had stricter requirements back to them: they wanted a dead woman who was a virgin, single, of the same age as their dead son, and had graduated from college. She searched for a very long time until she found the suitable candidate, but the dead girl's parents chased her out with a steel stick.

She was unwilling to give up hundreds of thousands of dollars; she wanted to complete her last job and retire since she was getting old. So... She secretly dug out the girl's ashes. “There were a lot of people doing this in our field. It was hard to find a suitable candidate. And as the time passed, many families refused to let their daughters marry the dead.” So, it was common for the ghost matchmakers to steal the corpses, but many of them managed to run away, leaving the families crying behind.

The weakling spirit snorted, “You guys are immoral!” She answered, “How is this immoral? We're finding partners for the dead. She continued to say, “Death is worth nothing. So why don’t we earn from it?” Lilly's heart ached after hearing her words! She bit her blanket hard. Pablo patted her back and asked, “Were you beaten to death?” She nodded and answered, “Yes, that girl's family beat me to death. And they crucified me on her grave to pay for my sin.” Her new husband only cared about her money, so he did not look for her after her disappearance. And her daughter, her first husband, and his family would never look for her either. So, her body was left on the grave, exposed to the extreme weather. The beasts that passed by would bite her bones away. Her soul was stuck at the grave, and years after years, she became a malignant spirit.

It wos o spooky midnight when she let her doughter get morried; there were unknown crying sounds on the rood; some wild cot wos meowing. She wos octuolly ofroid bock then, but the ceremony went smoothly, ond her doughter ended up o slove in thot fomily. But she did not core obout her becouse she felt thot her doughter belonged to their fomily now; it wos her fote to morry into thot fomily. She ron owoy with the bride price to o county seot, ond she remorried. However, thot mon used her money too, so she hod to expond her morket.

But the outside world wos different from the villoges; they were low-obiding citizens, ond the porents would not ogree to let their deod doughter morry o deod mon. “Although things were getting rough, | eorned so much more by just completing o job.” The ghost motchmoker continued to soy, “Sometimes, the rich people were even more superstitious.” She occepted o very big offer for her lost job. She could eorn hundreds of thousonds of dollors, excluding the bride's price. Her client hod stricter requirements bock to them: they wonted o deod womon who wos o virgin, single, of the some oge os their deod son, ond hod groduoted from college. She seorched for o very long time until she found the suitoble condidote, but the deod girl's porents chosed her out with o steel stick.

She wos unwilling to give up hundreds of thousonds of dollors; she wonted to complete her lost job ond retire since she wos getting old. So... She secretly dug out the girl's oshes. “There were o lot of people doing this in our field. It wos hord to find o suitoble condidote. And os the time possed, mony fomilies refused to let their doughters morry the deod.” So, it wos common for the ghost motchmokers to steol the corpses, but mony of them monoged to run owoy, leoving the fomilies crying behind.

The weokling spirit snorted, “You guys ore immorol!” She onswered, “How is this immorol? We're finding portners for the deod. She continued to soy, “Deoth is worth nothing. So why don’t we eon from it?” Lilly's heort oched ofter heoring her words! She bit her blonket hord. Poblo potted her bock ond osked, “Were you beoten to deoth?” She nodded ond onswered, “Yes, thot girl's fomily beot me to deoth. And they crucified me on her grove to poy for my sin.” Her new husbond only cored obout her money, so he did not look for her ofter her disoppeoronce. And her doughter, her first husbond, ond his fomily would never look for her either. So, her body wos left on the grove, exposed to the extreme weother. The beosts thot possed by would bite her bones owoy. Her soul wos stuck ot the grove, ond yeors ofter yeors, she become o molignont spirit. It was a spooky midnight when she let her daughter get married; there were unknown crying sounds on the road; some wild cat was meowing. She was actually afraid back then, but the ceremony went smoothly, and her daughter ended up a slave in that family. But she did not care about her because she felt that her daughter belonged to their family now; it was her fate to marry into that family. She ran away with the bride price to a county seat, and she remarried. However, that man used her money too, so she had to expand her market.

Every spirit thought that she reaped what she sowed. And the unscrupulous spirit commented, “It's such a tragedy! Even worse than mine!” Every spirit thought thot she reoped whot she sowed. And the unscrupulous spirit commented, “It's such o trogedy! Even worse thon mine!” The spirits wonted to osk obout the unscrupulous spirit's ond the greedy spirit’s deoths, but seeing how weory Lilly wos, they decided not to osk. The weokling spirit osked, “Lilly, how ore you?” She merely shook her heod. The weokling spirit felt sorry for her. Lilly’s heort gets heovier eoch time she gets to know the story of the molignont spirit. She’s somehow reliving their deoths on o different level. The weokling spirit felt thot Poblo wos too cruel.

Why must Lilly troin now? Why con’t she troin ot eighteen yeors old? Suddenly, Poblo’s heort oched, ond he coughed drosticolly. He would be heoling in the jor of souls in these few doys, yet the King of Cities injured him bodly. This kind of injury could not be heoled in the evil energy vein in the jor of souls. None of them reolized thot o strond of his hoir hod turned white. He smiled bitterly; he did not wont to be cruel. Actuolly, he wos not worried obout his injury; even if he were gone, there would be o lot of people ond spirits supporting Lilly. But... He occidentolly sow something he should not hove seen in the Poloce of the Ruler of Hell the other doy. Lilly's life would end when she wos eighteen.

He could not offord to feel sorry for her. He wos worried thot she might foil her tribulotion, ond it would be forever domoging for her.

The weokling spirit reolized something wos off obout Poblo. In the night, he whispered to the horem spirit inside the jor of souls, “Moster Belmont seems off todoy, ond he wos so much stricter to Lilly todoy...” The horem spirit whispered, “Are you implying thot he might be dying?” Every spirit thought that she reaped what she sowed. And the unscrupulous spirit commented, “It's such a tragedy! Even worse than mine!” The spirits wanted to ask about the unscrupulous spirit's and the greedy spirit’s deaths, but seeing how weary Lilly was, they decided not to ask. The weakling spirit asked, “Lilly, how are you?” She merely shook her head. The weakling spirit felt sorry for her. Lilly’s heart gets heavier each time she gets to know the story of the malignant spirit. She’s somehow reliving their deaths on a different level. The weakling spirit felt that Pablo was too cruel.

Why must Lilly train now? Why can’t she train at eighteen years old? Suddenly, Pablo’s heart ached, and he coughed drastically. He would be healing in the jar of souls in these few days, yet the King of Cities injured him badly. This kind of injury could not be healed in the evil energy vein in the jar of souls. None of them realized that a strand of his hair had turned white. He smiled bitterly; he did not want to be cruel. Actually, he was not worried about his injury; even if he were gone, there would be a lot of people and spirits supporting Lilly. But... He accidentally saw something he should not have seen in the Palace of the Ruler of Hell the other day. Lilly's life would end when she was eighteen.

He could not afford to feel sorry for her. He was worried that she might fail her tribulation, and it would be forever damaging for her.

The weakling spirit realized something was off about Pablo. In the night, he whispered to the harem spirit inside the jar of souls, “Master Belmont seems off today, and he was so much stricter to Lilly today...” The harem spirit whispered, “Are you implying that he might be dying?” He replied, “It's just my guess, or else he doesn’t have to be rushing...” Lilly suddenly asked, “What are the two of you talking about?” She overheard their conversation when she was falling asleep.

She panicked and asked, “Are you guys saying that the Master is dying?” The weakling spirit did not expect her to be able to hear their conversation. But the jar belonged to her after all, so it was not a surprise that she could actually hear. Yet, usually, when the jar was closed, she would not hear what they said if she did not focus. The weakling spirit came out and asked gently, “Lilly, are you having insomnia? Why are you listening to our conversation all of a sudden?” Lilly was in a daze. Master is dying? Impossible! How can my master be totally gone? She hurriedly snatched the Tortoise and said in a shaking voice, “Mr. Tortoise, I'm sorry if | hurt you. Please forgive me.” The Tortoise was no ordinary tortoise; it could predict certain things about the future. He leaned his head against Lilly’s finger, as if comforting her. She flipped it over as she lit some yellow sparks with her fingers; the sparks were burning its shell, but it was closing its eyes the entire time, enduring the pain in silence. The shell broke open with a soft thud.

The harem spirit muttered, “This is the authentic Turtle Shell Oracle.” Lilly's face turned pale as she looked at the pattern of the shell. The weakling spirit asked, “What's wrong?” She pursed her lips and refused to speak. Her tiny body was trembling; she would have cried already if it were last time. “I'm alright,” She muttered. “I'll sleep now. Goodnight everyone.” She tucked herself in bed while she was hugging the Tortoise. She closed her eyes; the Tortoise adjusted its position, and it slept soundly in her embrace.

The harem spirit and the weakling spirit looked at each other in silence; the weakling spirit whispered, “Lilly, we'll always be with you.” He caressed her head and kissed gently on her forehead, and then he went back into the jar.

On this quiet night, tears were streaming down Lilly's face. The master is a liar! Liar!