Chapter 64

#Hello again. We meet once more.

Not knowing when Xie Zhuo would awaken, I stayed by his side the entire time. It wasn’t until seven days later that his body seemed to recover, and he slowly opened his eyes.

By the time he woke, all traces of the slaughter from that day had vanished without a trace.

Even the scorched black marks on the ground had been washed clean by the pure aura of the Snowy Forest.

This land remained as pristine as ever, spotless and sacred, as though nothing had ever happened.

After waking, Xie Zhuo sat quietly for a long time, surveying his surroundings. He seemed dazed, as if everything had been a dream.

It was a while before he accepted reality. His eyes lowered, and just as he was about to stand, something in his arms let out two crisp clinks.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a handful of… clear, sparkling stones?

I drifted over to his hand and examined them closely. Only after a long while did I finally recognize what they were by the patterns on their surface—

Weren’t these the remnants of the prosthetic leg I had when I was a dog?

It must have been shattered during the chaos of battle, and somehow, for reasons unknown, had transformed into these glimmering stones.

They looked exactly like the ice of the lake—could they have… been assimilated by the Ice Lake?

But the Snow Wolf Clan had lived here for generations, pitching their tents on this very ground, and nothing else had ever been assimilated…

Or maybe…

Suddenly, a thought struck me. Before we came here, when Zhu Lian was on the brink of death, he had said something—that during the second time Xie Zhuo and I crossed through time, Xie Zhuo had acted on his own for a while.

During that period, Xie Zhuo had made a series of plans to ensure Xiaxia and Xie Xuanqing would never meet.

On the day Xie Xuanqing fought Zhu Lian, just as their battle reached a critical point, a man in black—Xie Zhuo in disguise—struck unexpectedly, sending Xie Xuanqing falling off a cliff, and then confronted Zhu Lian himself.

Because Xie Zhuo ambushed Xie Xuanqing from the shadows, the Evil God got a chance to catch his breath, allowing him to use Zhu Lian’s body to cast a technique that drew in the turbid qi of the land and severely injured Xie Zhuo.

In the end, Xie Zhuo still defeated the Evil God and sealed away Zhu Lian. But during that battle, he witnessed firsthand how the Evil God used his techniques and realized the source of his power—and how he had returned to the world:

By extracting the turbid qi between the mountains and rivers, refining it into his baleful energy.

It was after that realization that Xie Zhuo took me to the Undying City, returned to the Snow Wolf Clan’s Ice Lake, and began absorbing all the world’s baleful qi in order to return it to the land, and thus lift the curse from the world…

Staring at the stones that had once been my wooden leg, I fell into deep thought.

The wooden stick wasn’t assimilated by the Ice Lake, because other things hadn’t been either. The only explanation left… was that the Evil God had drawn out the turbid qi from within the stick.

When the Evil God escaped from Xie Zhuo’s body, there had been that needle-like black lightning between Xie Zhuo’s brows.

At the time, I thought it was the condensed resentment and baleful energy from Zhu Lian. But now it seemed more like… the Evil God had used his technique while Xie Zhuo was distracted!

He siphoned off the turbid qi from the wooden stick, which turned it into a stone like those of the Ice Lake.

And with that sliver of power, the Evil God broke free from Xie Zhuo’s hold and escaped into Zhu Lian’s body!

This little wooden stick—

This little wooden stick is the very evidence of how the Evil God returned to the mortal realm!

The moment I understood this, joy surged through me.

When I was trapped in Kunlun, the gods had combined their power to send my spirit back in time. The original plan was for me to return to the time before my separation from Xie Zhuo, to stop it from happening and to tell him that the Evil God had returned by exploiting the power of this land—that to destroy the Evil God, we had to return the baleful qi to the mountains and rivers.

But something went wrong. The gods accidentally sent me back to Xie Zhuo’s childhood instead, which is why I ended up staying by his side all these years.

I couldn’t find a suitable body to inhabit, and so I couldn’t speak to him in human form.

Even if I did find one, I likely couldn’t convince him…

The Evil God is no small matter, and the current Xie Zhuo doesn’t know who I am. Without evidence, how could I prove I’m telling the truth?

But now, this little stick—this stone—can prove everything!

Xie Zhuo is so clever. When the Evil God escaped, he said he was distracted by Zhu Lian and didn’t notice the anomaly.

All it would take is someone to point it out to him—then he’d understand!

Just like the Xie Zhuo I remember.

All I need to do now is find a body, stand before Xie Zhuo, and tell him the truth.

Maybe…

Maybe Xie Zhuo can defeat the Evil God right now! Return all the world’s baleful qi to the land, and banish the Evil God’s soul back to its deep-sea prison.

Joy bubbled inside me, and I began circling Xie Zhuo excitedly, only wishing I could use my spirit to write a few words on the ground and tell him the truth right away.

But my spirit isn’t that strong yet. I circled around him, unable even to stir the wind that brushed his hair.

I could only watch as Xie Zhuo gazed in silence at the little stick-turned-stone in his hands. Then, carrying the broken stones, he walked away from the Ice Lake, step by step.

He returned to his tent.

This, I hadn’t expected.

The Snow Wolf Clan was gone. The tents remained, but no one lived there anymore—not a trace of life was left.

With no expression, Xie Zhuo brought the stones back to his tent.

There, beneath the very place he had long slept and received offerings, he dug a small pit and placed all the stones inside.

“The Evil God used Zhu Lian’s body to escape,” he said to the pile of fragments. “I’m going to chase him down. I’ll find a way to lure him back into my body… and then end my life.”

Xie Zhuo, you don’t have to die!

We just need to return all the baleful qi to the land, and he’ll be destroyed!

I hovered by his side.

There isn’t much baleful qi in the world right now. We just have to capture Zhu Lian, gather the Mountain Lords, and return all the baleful qi! We can destroy the Evil God!

You don’t need to die. The Undying City doesn’t need to exist. This world could be even better than before!

But he couldn’t hear me.

He stared at the stones for a long time, then finally raised his hand.

I thought he was going to bury them all—but instead, he picked out the smoothest one.

It was the part shaped like a little dog paw from the prosthetic leg.

After all this time—and years of being touched by Xie Zhuo—it had become a smooth, round piece.

He looked around the tent, then pulled out a hemp cord used to stitch quilts, threading it through the stone’s edge.

He hung the stone around his neck.

And the moment it touched his chest, I suddenly realized—

Oh!

This was that stone!

The white stone with a faint blue glow—it was this! It was my prosthetic leg, my fake paw!

I stared dumbfounded at Xie Zhuo.

Until he finished burying the rest of the stones, and finally stood up.

“Little Wolf, if there’s truly an underworld and a next life, you…”

His gaze was gentle. Even after all he had been through, when he spoke of the little dog, his eyes were still as clear as spring water—untainted, pure.

He murmured softly, “Wait for me, okay?”

He still wanted to see the dog that had once been his only companion.

But there was no need for the Underworld or the next life…

Looking at Xie Zhuo like this, I was so anxious I nearly burst into tears.

Don’t be so set on dying. Don’t beg like that. I’ll wait for you! I’ve always been waiting for you!

Xie Zhuo rose to his feet and walked out of the tent.

I hurried after him.

He stepped forward, and this time, he truly walked past the deserted Snow Wolf Tribe’s settlement, past the ice lake, and finally out of the snowy forest.

I couldn’t begin to imagine what Xie Zhuo felt as he passed through these familiar places at this moment.

I only saw the determination in his eyes and the resolve in his steps.

Aside from that stone, Xie Zhuo didn’t take anything with him. Alone, he left his homeland without a backward glance.

I had been beyond the snowy forest before.

During the first three years I arrived here, desperate to find a body that could resonate with my spirit, I wandered the Northern Wastes beyond the forest for quite a while.

The terrain of the Northern Wastes is mostly flat. The only mountain there is Que Mountain, under the protection of the Main God Ji.

It was also the closest divine-protected place to the Snow Wolf Tribe’s settlement in the Northern Wastes.

Back then, Undying City hadn’t been established yet. There were towns and markets outside. Though it lacked Kunlun’s majestic mountains, the people here didn’t seem much different from those in Kunlun.

But this time, following Xie Zhuo out, I noticed something had changed.

Outside the snowy forest, all birds and beasts were gone. The roads were eerily silent.

We passed through a deserted village that felt strange in its abandonment. It was clear that before the people left, they had experienced a sudden, panicked battle.

We passed several homes, and through the collapsed courtyard walls, we saw food and utensils still laid out on tables.

Judging by how much the food had decayed, the incident must have happened just a few days ago.

I guessed that Zhu Lian had brought the Evil God out, causing all this disaster.

And as if to confirm my suspicion, just as Xie Zhuo passed by an alley, a fierce ghost leapt out from within! He dodged to the side, soul power forming a longsword in his hand, and swiftly beheaded the ghost.

The fierce ghost vanished into a puff of black smoke.

Then, Xie Zhuo turned his gaze to the alley. From within came a familiar, sickening creaking sound. I followed his gaze.

In the dark alley, I saw it was full of fierce ghosts biting at each other, still dressed in villagers’ clothing. They had all once lived in this village.

Xie Zhuo lowered his eyes slightly. As all the ghosts turned their heads toward him, he silently walked into the alley.

Killing seemed to be becoming second nature to him.

Once he had cleared the village of all the fierce ghosts, Xie Zhuo left. But…

That was only the beginning.

More and more villages had ended up like this.

Xie Zhuo searched for Zhu Lian across the Northern Wastes, following every possible clue. But every time he arrived, he was already too late.

He could only follow, never predict where the Zhu Lian—now controlled by the Evil God—would go next.

And as I followed him, my anxiety grew by the day.

I wanted to quickly find a body compatible with my spirit. But following Xie Zhuo to these places, there weren’t just no humans—there weren’t even any evil beings with sanity left!

Only hordes of mindless fierce ghosts.

Watching the evil aura spread further and further, and the difficulty of purging it increase, I finally made a decision.

I had to leave Xie Zhuo for now, go somewhere safe, find a body—and then return to him.

Without delay, I said goodbye unilaterally: “Xie Zhuo, wait for me. I’ll come back for you, and I’ll do it right this time!”

With that, I left.

As I departed—perhaps it was my imagination, or maybe a breeze just happened to stir his hair—I looked back at him longingly and saw him also looking my way.

It was as if he was seeing me off with his gaze.

But soon, he turned his face away again, as if that glance had been nothing but coincidence.

And I drifted away…

I planned to head for Que Mountain.

With Main God Ji guarding it, if I were the Evil God, that would be the last place I’d go.

It had to still be safe. There must still be many people of sound mind there. Maybe even many cultivators. There, I was sure to find someone whose body resonated with my spirit.

As I neared Que Mountain, I saw a tall city gate had been built at its base. In front of it, people burdened with luggage, leading families, had formed a long line, waiting to enter.

I remembered that during the three years I wandered the Northern Wastes, I had also been to Que Mountain. Back then, thanks to the Main God’s protection, the mountain was lively and full of spring even in the cold north. Cherry blossoms bloomed across the slopes. There had been no city gates—people came and went freely.

But now…

I floated near the worried faces of the crowd and, sure enough, heard them discussing the recent disasters in the Northern Wastes.

They still didn’t know the evil aura came from the Evil God. After all, most people in this world still believed the Evil God had been sealed by the deities beneath the sea.

They thought it was a plague—or perhaps a powerful monster wreaking havoc in the region.

They had all come seeking protection at Que Mountain. But clearly…

I looked up at the towering city walls. Soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder atop them. Multiple checkpoints had been set up at the gates. Que Mountain’s guards were thoroughly inspecting and questioning every entrant.

Que Mountain knew what they were facing.

At least, Main God Ji did.

As a spirit body, I wasn’t hindered. After gathering information, I went straight inside Que Mountain.

I searched nonstop within the mountain, but finding a body compatible with my spirit was never easy—and still wasn’t.

Half a month passed in tireless searching, day and night, yet I still couldn’t find that person.

Growing more anxious, I realized even I had become consumed by self-interest, overshadowing any empathy.

When all I wanted was to fulfill my own desires, no one would accept me.

I wasn’t the Evil God—I couldn’t force my way in.

After much thought, I decided to stop trying inside Que Mountain.

I heard that Main God Ji had taken a group out of the mountain to search for the true cause and save more people.

I had once served in Kunlun’s garrison. In my current state, I figured I might have a better chance finding that destined person amidst the chaos outside.

I followed a soldier who was heading out with a message, traveling swiftly.

Perhaps due to my growing strength and experience as a spirit, I had learned to better harness the soul power in the world, barely keeping pace with the soldier’s sword flight.

Soon, he slowed as we reached the skies above a village.

I followed, peering down through the mist—and quickly saw a group of people below!

Main God Ji stood in white robes amid the gloom, dazzlingly radiant!

At this moment, a group of ferocious-looking spirit fiends stood before the High God Ji and the soldiers, while behind them huddled several trembling villagers who still appeared normal.

From above, a soldier cried out, “Divine Lord!” and dove headfirst toward the ground.

I followed him down but didn’t rush to Ji’s side. Instead, I wove among the soldiers around him, searching.

Vigilance, resolve, the courage to die… I saw all these qualities in the soldiers. I crashed into each one of them in turn, but, without exception, failed every time.

How exactly could I resonate with someone’s soul?

I frantically recalled the moment I had resonated with that little dog. I had pitied him for being abandoned by his mother, and I had thought of Xie Zhuo—and in that single instant, the dog had accepted me.

But clearly, entering a person’s body was far more difficult. To truly understand and empathize with someone wasn’t something that could be done on a whim…

As I was thinking, suddenly, from behind all the soldiers, a man let out a sharp scream.

I immediately looked over and saw that black meridians had surfaced across his forehead, creeping relentlessly into his eyes! He had been infected by evil energy—it just hadn’t erupted until now!

The people here were all villagers. None could resist such corruption, and the High God Ji and the soldiers were too occupied battling the spirit fiends at the front to spare any attention.

The villagers screamed in terror, but some had already been injured and could only writhe helplessly on the ground, unable to flee.

The corrupted man pounced toward a girl who could barely move. Her face was full of terror, eyes wide with panic, the will to survive bursting forth from her gaze—but she was so frightened she couldn’t move a muscle.

My heart clenched. In that instant, I didn’t think—I just lunged toward the girl.

And in that very moment—

A familiar warmth enveloped me. The feeling of blood flowing, breath rising and falling, muscles flexing—all returned at once. I didn’t even have time to rejoice that I’d finally found someone compatible!

I looked up and saw the man corrupted by evil energy, his mouth agape with blood-stained teeth, lunging right at me!

I tried to raise a foot to kick him away, but this girl’s right leg was clearly injured—I couldn’t lift it at all.

I went to use the left, but there wasn’t enough distance. In a panic, I could only raise my arms and press them against the man’s neck as he crashed toward me.

That bought me a moment’s pause.

And in that fleeting instant, I skillfully gathered the body’s breath, drawing the surrounding soul force to me. Even though this girl had never practiced cultivation before, I still managed to tap into her full potential.

I chanted a spell, and with a loud boom, the man’s body was blasted backward.

He flew into the swarm of spirit fiends, and in a blink, they tore him apart.

I gasped for breath, shaken but alive. Looking at “my” own hands, I was relieved—thank goodness I hadn’t slacked off in cultivation before. I was an Immortal, after all. And once again, I thought—indeed, the instinct to survive in the face of death is the moment when empathy reaches its peak.

I clutched my chest, feeling the power of this heartbeat.

The girl who originally owned this body seemed to have been scared unconscious by the ordeal, and for now, there was no trace of her soul stirring within.

I figured I could control this body for a while. But just then, I suddenly felt a gaze shoot toward me from the front like a sharp arrow.

I instinctively looked up. The High God Ji had slightly turned his head. His godlike, compassionate gaze now held both scrutiny and caution as he looked directly at me.

Please don’t be suspicious…

It had taken me so long to find a compatible body—please don’t mistake me for an evil spirit and kill me!

I thought frantically and quickly used the wall to prop myself up.

The people nearby seemed shocked by what I’d just done and kept their distance, not daring to come close.

“I… I’ve trained in some Immortal arts,” I quickly explained, trying to make my stance clear. “I can help the Immortals defend against our enemies. Don’t worry—while the Immortals guard the outside, I’ll protect you from within.”

I stole a glance at the High God Ji. He had already turned back, focusing once more on fighting the spirit fiends outside. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn’t know if he believed me, but at least no one here seemed to recognize this girl. If I had been exposed on the spot, it would’ve been terribly awkward.

Now that I had spoken, I had to act.

I gathered my internal breath and worked to regulate the body’s condition before dragging the injured right leg to stand.

I scanned the crowd. None of the villagers showed further signs of corruption, so I leaned against the wall behind me and continued to adjust my breathing.

The corrupted man I had blasted earlier had already been devoured entirely, but the bloody scent seemed to have drawn even more spirit fiends from every direction.

I watched as the barrier projected by High God Ji trembled more and more violently under the relentless assault.

I knew we couldn’t just defend—we had to strike back. But if the High God Ji stepped away to attack, the others might not be strong enough to maintain such a large barrier…

Just as we were caught in this dilemma, a blinding light suddenly burst out from behind the spirit fiends.

It was like a sword cleaving a mountain, slashing through. When the light struck the barrier, it trembled violently and almost collapsed.

A path was forcibly carved through the mass of spirit fiends.

Amid the swirling dust and blood-streaked road, a figure walked forward.

He stood tall, clad in rough cloth robes, holding nothing but a sword—yet carried the momentum of a thousand charging troops.

He had a cloth bundle in his arms, inside of which was something round, though I couldn’t tell what.

Everyone was awestruck by his earlier strike.

Only I, standing behind the crowd, watched him approach—and slowly, tears welled up in my eyes.

Even though I had always been with him…

Hearing my own heartbeat now, feeling the warmth and sting in my eyes, and seeing him from this angle—the sense of reunion after a long parting suddenly felt so real, so vivid.

Xie Zhuo…

Hello again. We meet once more.

At last, I see you again—in human form.