When Chu Xinghui woke up, he found himself in a graveyard.

Beneath the thin layer of yellow earth lay poor mortals who had died from illness and weak cultivators without any support. The luckier ones had a coffin, while the unlucky ones were simply thrown onto the ground, and over time, only their lonely bones remained.

It was a pair of passing elderly who dragged him out of the pile of dead bodies. When they saw him open his eyes, they both sighed in relief.

The elder handed him a piece of dry food and asked: “Little Cultivator, how did you end up like this?”

Chu Xinghui assessed his situation.

He had lost his spiritual root, and with them, his cultivation and spiritual power had also disappeared.

He could no longer use his spiritual power or talismans, and he couldn’t feel the spiritual energy in the air anymore.

Hunger returned to his body.

But… he had indeed left Shuixun City.

Chu Xinghui closed his eyes for a moment, then took the dry food and took a bite. He answered honestly: “Bad luck, I offended a powerful cultivator. Thank you both for saving me. If you continue to stay with me, there might be trouble.”

After eating, the coldness caused by blood loss and hunger began to subside.

He didn’t know how he ended up here, nor could he be sure if Lingxiang Sect—or rather, the people who originally tried to trap him in Shuixun CIty—would come after him once they knew he was still alive. Naturally, he couldn’t drag anyone else into it.

The elder waved his hand: “We don’t have anything of value, no elixirs or medicine to save you. You waking up is all thanks to your own strength.”

Surviving such injuries… It must be fate.

But since it involved a powerful cultivator, the elders didn’t dare to attract trouble. They left some food and fresh water for Chu Xinghui before quickly leaving.

Relying on these supplies, Chu Xinghui barely managed to find a cave nearby, where he hid and rested for a while.

Fortunately, he had some spiritual stones on him that he hadn’t had time to store in his storage bag. Using the spiritual power within those stones, he could still open his storage bag and retrieve a few useful items.

After losing his spiritual power, his body’s healing process was much slower. For most of the time, he had a fever. When he felt slightly better, he would go out to find some herbs, then return and continue his feverish state.

Even worse, since losing his spiritual root, his sensitivity to the cold had worsened.

There were several times when he almost thought he would die here.

In his delirium, he completely lost track of time.

He didn’t know how long he had been sick, nor could he be sure if he could survive through the long torment.

Until one day, something fell out of his sleeve bag.

He propped himself up with his weak body, picked up the item, and carefully looked at it.

It was a crudely made talisman.

He gently touched the talisman, which he didn’t know when had appeared on him, and inexplicably felt a sense of calm.

That day, he finally slept well for the first time in a long while.

…

Chu Xinghui ultimately survived.

When a tree of peach blossoms bloomed outside the cave, he realized he had endured an entire winter.

He packed his belongings and returned to a populated area.

He was still wary of the situation in Shuixun CIty, and with the enmity he had with Lingxiang Sect, he naturally couldn’t go back. So, he went to a nearby small town to restock some supplies.

As he came out of the grain and oil store, Chu Xinghui saw a caravan in a nearby teahouse. The group was resting and chatting.

Someone mentioned their destination: “Beiyue is so far. I don’t know how the boss managed to talk about such a distant business.”

Upon hearing that place name, Chu Xinghui instinctively slowed his pace.

One of the companions seemed quite happy: “It is far, but we’ll make more money after this trip.”

The leader of the caravan, holding a ledger, came over and slapped both of them on the head: “Stop chatting, we’re still short two laborers. Go find two more and bring them back.”

Chu Xinghui felt a sudden impulse and walked over, initiating a conversation: “I’m headed to Beiyue. Are you short of laborers?”

… After all, he had nowhere to go for the moment. Might as well go somewhere that sounded pleasant.

*

Chu Xinghui joined the caravan’s spirit ship, which stopped and started over the course of more than a month. When he saw Wanling Valley in the distance, an inexplicable feeling of familiarity surged within him.

He discussed with the caravan leader and got off the ship near Wanling Valley.

Inside Wanling Valley, demon beasts roamed freely, and in order to prevent commoners from accidentally wandering in, a barrier was set up outside the valley.

Now that Chu Xinghui had no spiritual power, he was naturally blocked by the barrier.

He stopped outside the barrier and quietly gazed at the scenery inside.

For some reason, he suddenly felt an overwhelMing longing for home.

It wasn’t his home from the mortal realm, nor was it like Lingxiang Sect’s “home.” It was another tangible place, which should have been firmly etched in his mind.

He couldn’t remember what that place was, but he felt that if it existed, it should be something very much like the scenery in Wanling Valley.

This thought came suddenly and oddly, considering that even for cultivators, Wanling Valley wasn’t a livable place.

Chu Xinghui sat alone outside Wanling Valley for a long time.

From sunrise to sunset.

By the second sunrise, he finally stood up in the morning light and turned to walk toward the city.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone should have told him that life was a precious thing.

No matter what, whether this was a real world or not—before reaching the very end, he should keep living.

*

After Chu Xinghui left Lingxiang Sect, Qin Yuwen confirmed he hadn’t died, so he didn’t search for him immediately. Instead, he waited for Chu Xinghui to suffer enough from losing his spiritual roots and for his Dao heart to completely shatter before he would take advantage of the situation.

However, he waited for a long time and still didn’t get the opportunity to “rescue” Chu Xinghui when he had fallen into despair.

His soul remained resilient and strong, without any openings for others to exploit.

Qin Yuwen could not begin his next plan. He cursed under his breath and decided to actively find Chu Xinghui instead.

When he found Chu Xinghui again, Chu was working at a clothing store run by mortals in Beiyue City.

Though he didn’t like talking much, he was good-looking, kind-hearted, and efficient, which made many people at the store like him.

Moreover, just his pretty face brought many customers to the store.

At noon, when he was off work, he finished his last task and heard the landlady calling him from the back: “If you’re free, stay for a couple more hours. I’m steaMing white flour buns today, I’ll save two for you.”

The young man was about the same age as her son, but his face was always pale. She felt sorry for him and always tried to offer him more food.

Chu Xinghui shook his head and politely declined, saying: “No need, it’s almost time. The shopkeeper Chen is providing meals.”

The landlady wiped her hands on her apron, laughed, and teased: “True, the food at Old Chen’s place is definitely better than ours.”

They exchanged a few simple words, and Chu Xinghui left the clothing store. But as soon as he stepped out, he bumped into Qin Yuwen, who had been looking for him.

Seeing the person, Chu Xinghui immediately became wary.

Qin Yuwen looked at him with a face full of sadness and, without hesitation, his eyes reddened: “Brother Xinghui, I’ve finally found you.”

Chu Xinghui: “…”

The familiar feeling of nausea returned.

Qin Yuwen blocked his way, pretending to cry for a while, and finally choked: “Brother Xinghui, I thought you were dead… Now that I see you’re alive, it’s so good.”

Chu Xinghui: “…”

As if he wasn’t the one who had stirred up trouble with Mu Chengjin back then.

Qin Yuwen asked: “Brother Xinghui, what you plan next?”

Chu Xinghui replied: “I’m going to work at the inn across the street.”

Qin Yuwen asked again: “I mean your real plans.”

As long as Chu Xinghui still had thoughts of cultivating again, he could…

Chu Xinghui was a little confused: “Naturally, I’ll work at the inn across the street. Do you think I can just eat without working?”

Qin Yuwen felt the familiar veins on his forehead twitching again. He slowly tried to guide him: “You used to be a cultivator. Now you’re willing to do these humble mortal tasks?”

Chu Xinghui finally looked at him.

He somewhat understood why Qin Yuwen and Mu Chengjin were so similar—they must have been in sync with each other.

These two people were indeed very alike.

Chu Xinghui countered: “For thousands of years, people have lived like this. Thousands of years later, they will still live like this. We labor to survive. This is the unchanging truth. Mortals live like this, cultivators live like this. Why do you think this is humble?”

Qin Yuwen accidentally spoke the truth for a moment, then quickly tried to cover it up: “No, that’s not it. I don’t think these tasks are lowly… It’s just that Brother Xinghui is truly a genius and should never have fallen to such a state.”

He looked at Chu Xinghui with teary eyes and finally stated the purpose of his visit: “I’m betrothed to you, Brother Xinghui. Our engagement isn’t over yet. Even though you’re now a mortal who can’t cultivate, you’re still my fiance… I will always be with you!”

Chu Xinghui felt scared.

This sentence sounded no different from a vengeful ghost saying “I will haunt you forever.”

He looked coldly at Qin Yuwen and rejected him, word by word: “The engagement was made by you and Mu Chengjin, and I never acknowledged it. Moreover, theoretically, Mu Chengjin is now my enemy. Why do you think I would still want to be involved with Lingxiang Sect?”

“Brother Xinghui, I know you’re upset after losing your spiritual root and don’t want to burden me” Qin Yuwen continued, interpreting Chu Xinghui’s silence the way he wanted. He looked at him with deep affection and pain: “Even though you can’t cultivate anymore, I still can. I can cultivate to a higher level in your place. I will take care of you, and I will never let you suffer again!”

Chu Xinghui: “…”

At that moment, a flash of insight suddenly struck him.

He unexpectedly recalled some very strange words and said them out loud: “The Heavenly Dao never refuses to allow those whom it blesses to suffer. Those who cling to shortcuts will eventually be bitten by the path they neglected. You already learned this lesson from the past, don’t you?”

Qin Yuwen seemed to understand the meaning of these words, or perhaps he saw something in Chu Xinghui’s eyes. His expression instantly changed, and he stared at him as if he had seen a ghost.

He didn’t press further, casting Chu Xinghui a deep, uncertain look before leaving.

Chu Xinghui snapped out of the strange, cryptic trance he had fallen into and frowned.

When had he started speaking in such odd ways?

 

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