Xu Jin Ming is forced to watch his little sister Cai each day, until it results in his demise. Even now working with Bai Wuchang, Cai manages to find a way to bother Jin in the underworld.
I’m not going to lie, after finishing Wuchang’s Book by 君不見, I actually found myself crying because its story touched my heart.
The White Guard’s Duty: Bai Wuchang and Chinese Afterlife Lore
Set in the “Netherworld”, the story follows Xu Jin Ming, the Bai Wuchang’s newest partner. After his untimely (but foretold) death, Jin is sent to the underworld, where due to his good deeds he is awarded with the job title “Wuchang”, or death reaper.
Through the Bai Wuchang “Fox’s” guidance, Jin learns the (surprisingly mundane) ins and outs of being a soul reaper. He learns about the rules of Fengdu which interestingly enough, while Fengdu is meant to be the name for the Underworld, Fengdu is also known as a “Ghost City” in Chongqing Providence near the Yangtze River.
Another definition for the word can be interpreted as “grace” or an elegant demeanor usually associated with men, which would make sense for Jin when his “reincarnation” white lotus flower blooms. (I wonder what type of flower blooms with the yang energy of the black “Hei” Wuchang?)
At age 13, Jin’s parents had another child, a sickly little girl named Cai. Four years later, while walking to pick Cai up from school, Jin was struck by a driver who ran a red light – instantly dying on impact. Because time moves differently between realms, when Cai suddenly appears in the underworld despite her name not being on the list, Jin freaks out and tries to return her soul to the human realm.
The human realm was stop #9 on the bus (or “ferry” for spirits), and the number 9 is usually associated with reincarnation, or rebirth.
Not thinking nor asking permission first, Jin is on a mission to return Cai’s spirit when she begins to disappear (like Chihiro in Spirited Away) as the two get lost in the endless bounds of the Underworld’s branching roads.
Suddenly, wooden Boddhisatva show up and distract “Zhan” – a creature born of lost souls who have lost their way, or linger too long in the human world. It reminded me a lot of the legends of vengeful spirits in mythology and folklore who have suffered in human life or lingered too long and forgotten themselves, becoming corrupted and then invertedly leading other souls astray, as well.
Just like in Dororo, when the Boddhisatva goddess Kannon sacrificed herself so that the demons did not consume all of Hyakkimaru at birth, these wooden Boddhisatvas sacrificed themselves for travelers who had lost their way.
Continuing with the theme of sacrifice and rebirth, Jin relinquishes the promise of being “Reborn Rich” in order to save his sickly sister, who had been brought to the underworld while her soul remained in limbo during a dangerous surgery – much like Wirt and Greg in Over the Garden Wall’s journey to purgatory while in reality, their bodies were drowning in a lake.
Freed from illness, both Jin in the underworld and Cai in the mortal realm vow to meet again in their next life. The Bai Wuchang mentions that it will happen, because human connections are funny that way, and can even transcend lifetimes.
(Which again, now reminds me of Aang, Toph, and Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.)
If you get the chance, be sure to read this story for yourself – I promise it’s not something you would regret! You can read it on KOMODO’s Niuhi App!
But, tell me your thoughts: Do you believe in reincarnation? Would you trade the good karma of your next life in exchange for helping someone from your old one?
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☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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