Master of Strange Dao

So, for various reasons, the majority of eunuchs and maidservants are actually buried here, with their tombstones facing the direction of the palace city, allowing them, even in death, to gaze upon the palace city, which could be considered a kind of grace.

This cemetery has no guards at all, and tomb robbers wouldn't come here.

Everyone understood clearly that most eunuchs in the palace had no chance of leaving, some never left the palace city in their entire lives.

Cultivation had almost become the only place these eunuchs could spend money; they amassed wealth, practiced cultivation, paid respects to Shangguan, and continued the cycle of amassing wealth and practicing cultivation.

Given most were greedy, who would let treasures and wealth accompany a dead person in burial?

For various reasons, there was only an old eunuch with a lame leg guarding here.

Because normally, no one wishes to guard a tomb for a group of deceased eunuchs.

The Old Eunuch spent his days sprinkling, sweeping, dealing with weeds, and clearing fallen leaves, sweeping from one grave to the next.

As he arrived at a new tomb, the Old Eunuch continued his sprinkling and sweeping, meticulously handling it.

The Old Eunuch stretched out a hand, brushing over the tombstone, flicking a clump of weeds off the tombstone, and a focused yet dissipating force, at that moment, disappeared into his palm.

On the surface, everything appeared unchanged.

The Old Eunuch went on to tend to the next grave.

No matter what status those buried here had once held, in this place, they were all the same, no distinctions high or low, the plots chosen purely by the order of death.

As night fell, a cart creaked its way into the cemetery.

A little eunuch with a limp struggled to push the cart into the cemetery.

With a lamp in hand, the Old Eunuch illuminated the path, seeing the sweat-drenched little eunuch, Chun, gritting his teeth and grimacing as he laboriously pushed the cart, then sitting down abruptly on the ground, gasping for air.

"Chun, there have been quite a few departures from the palace recently," said the Old Eunuch.

"Yes, quite a few..."

The Old Eunuch helped to place the corpses wrapped in straw mats into the already dug graves, fitted with coffins.

The elder and younger eunuch were busy for two two-hour periods before they were able to fill one grave.

Sitting at the grave site, the Old Eunuch arranged the offerings, lit the incense, and sighed deeply.

"Chun, listen to my advice, there have been too many deaths recently; you should not stay in the palace anymore.

Your leg is lame, and you don't have the money to find a Physician to treat you. You might as well take over my role here.

At least it's peaceful here, and not dangerous, and you can save some money.

Sometimes you'll encounter generous folks who might reward you with some nice things.

You could stay here and safely practice your cultivation, and look forward to something better in the future.

If you continue like this, you'll be bullied to death in the palace sooner or later.

I must say something disrespectful; if you die, the lords above wouldn't even know."

The little eunuch pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

The Old Eunuch sighed and pointed to a nearby grave.

"See that one there, he lived for over a thousand years, never once leaving the palace in all that time.

I heard he held a high position, but when it was his time, he died just like that, and after death, he too was buried here with not even a single person to offer sacrifices.

I'm getting old, almost unable to continue.

While I'm still alive, I can appoint someone to take over; after I die, you wouldn't have the chance if you wanted it."

The little eunuch's eyes were filled with uncertainty about the future.

The Old Eunuch stroked his head, murmuring softly.

"Having been a eunuch for a long time and having been inside the palace, I am very aware that most of our kind do not end well.

I see your plight, it seems we are fated, and I offer you a way out of the palace."

The little eunuch supported the Old Eunuch all the way back to the hut.

The Old Eunuch lifted a floor tile and took out a Storage Bag from beneath, handing it to the little eunuch.

The little eunuch glanced inside the Storage Bag and was instantly shocked.

There were many Spirit Jades and Pills, more than he could earn in hundreds of years.

"This..."

"I feel my time has come; these things are of no use to me now.

We bring nothing into this life, and we take nothing out of it. I give all to you now.

Whether you take over my role or not is up to you; I won't force it.

I only ask that after I die, you bury me in the grave I have chosen.

That spot gets sunlight all day long; I couldn't bear to leave it for someone else."

Three days later.

When the little eunuch arrived again pushing two corpses, the Old Eunuch with the limp leg was already lying in bed, lifeless.

The little eunuch cried bitterly, burying the Old Eunuch in the sunlit grave he had chosen.

He also took on the role of Tomb Guardian.

Three months later.

An old eunuch with a limp silently disappeared from the cemetery.

Walking in the wilderness, he took a few steps, and his limp gradually began to normalize.

He looked back towards the direction of the cemetery.

"Lad, it's rare for your old ancestor to show kindness; actually, it's because I pitied you. I didn't want you to make the same mistakes, so make the most of it."

He glanced once more in the direction of the Capital City, smiled, then turned and walked away.

Having been an Old Eunuch in the palace for over a thousand years,

He understood Emperor Li far better than any of the high-ranking ministers.

Emperor Li was considered quite benevolent, a fact that even presented itself when limits were pushed.

If it had been Emperor Zhen or Emperor Qian, a significantly erring Old Eunuch would self-destruct spiritually, leaving a body that would certainly be crushed to ashes.

The residual force, naturally, would completely vanish.

However, on one hand, Emperor Li kept his nature for allure, and on the other, he could not bring himself to pulverize someone's body to dust.