The Unruly Immortals

Li Huowang, sitting on the ground, wore an expression riddled with intense hesitation and struggle.

After remaining stationary for a very long time, he finally picked up a writing brush and began to write on the rice paper.

However, Li Huowang had to pause for an extended time after writing only a few characters.

Being unaccustomed to using a writing brush was one issue, but more importantly, Li Huowang had already started to forget how to write many common characters.

Li Huowang understood that this meant he was becoming more and more like Master Danyang.

Having written down a great deal, Li Huowang wrote five large characters at the end, "Li Huowang's Last Writing."

After completing all this, Li Huowang dried the paper and handed it to the plump nun next to him.

"If my fellow apprentices come looking for me, please trouble yourself to deliver this letter into the hands of that tall fellow. He knows how to read."

Then he handed over the Heavenly Gourd and the Taoist Bell, "Please also trouble yourself to give these three items to them."

"They know how to use the gourd and the bell. As for the Heavenly Book, well, let it be a keepsake for them."

Miaoyin's gaze briefly shifted to the three items before turning to the Great Thousand Record at Li Huowang's waist.

"Won't you give that away?"

Li Huowang placed his hand on the bamboo slips that had brought him endless pain and shook his head slightly, "No, it's not auspicious; I won't feel at ease leaving it with them. It's better if it goes with me."

After sorting all the matters, Li Huowang turned his head to look at the waiting Jingxin, "Master, all is ready now."

Master Jingxin nodded her head and walked towards the depths of An Ci Nunnery, her saggy flesh hanging from her body, trailing on the ground like the hem of a skirt.

She led the way, with Li Huowang, his hand pressed against his abdomen, following behind. The two of them were silent towards each other.

After passing through the moldy "swamp" of spoiling food and a few dilapidated and filthy temples, a short black pagoda gradually came into view.

Upon seeing the pagoda, Jingxin finally spoke, "Are you truly set on doing this?"

Li Huowang nodded, "The words you said before woke me up. What I have always wanted to do is to completely eradicate Master Danyang. As for whether I can survive."

At this point, Li Huowang let out a chuckle in a low voice. "Looking back now, I realize I don't really care that much about my own life."

Li Huowang pressed against the wound on his abdomen, his face showing a profound tiredness.

"Master, to tell you the truth, after everything I've been through, I'm really exhausted. I don't want to see my mother suffer anymore, nor do I want to constantly endure Master Danyang's torment. I truly wish to rest properly."

As he thought about the impending death, Li Huowang did not feel as fearful as he imagined; instead, he felt a sense of relief. "Ah, I really do feel so tired..."

Master Jingxin nodded, leading him toward the tower. "Very well, as you wish."

"Thank you, Master. Of all the people I've met in this world, you are the only truly good person."

"I am a devotee, and devotees harbor compassion in their hearts. It's only natural."

"Master, since you are a disciple of Buddhism, may I ask you a question?"

"Oh? What question do you have?"

"Do you think, in this world, do people really turn into ghosts after they die?"

"So when you die shortly, would it be better to become a ghost, or to simply vanish like smoke and clouds?"

"I think, living is tiring enough, so after dying, one might as well rest. Best not to make any more fuss." Li Huowang spoke with great equanimity.

Jingxin titled her head slightly, looking back at Li Huowang with those shriveled eyes, "Are you really sure you have no further attachments? Is there truly nothing in this worldly life worth your longing?"

Li Huowang's expression stiffened slightly, his mind flooded with many thoughts. "I do, but if I stay with them now, I would only harm them."

Seeing this, Master Jingxin did not say anything more and continued towards the Black Pagoda.

As they drew closer, Li Huowang heard a rustling sound, that very distinct one, like leaves rubbing against each other.

Looking up towards the source of the sound, he finally discerned where it was coming from—cockroaches, dense masses of black insects crowding each other inside the pagoda.

Jingxin didn't stop; she simply led Li Huowang straight into the mass of cockroaches.

The sensation of cockroaches crawling all over was uncomfortable, but Li Huowang, already resolved to die, didn't mind these things anymore.

He could only forcefully push away the insects crawling everywhere to keep up without falling behind.

After walking through a pile of roaches for the time it took half an incense stick to burn, Li Huowang found the space before him suddenly empty. However, before he could catch his breath, the sight before him sent shivers down his spine.

Tails of grey rats, large and small, tangled together, forming clumps of big rats nestling and moving against each other.

The heaps of rats joined together, eventually creating a giant rat mountain.

At this moment, the myriad red eyes of various sizes in the rat mountain stared directly at Li Huowang.

Atop the writhing mountain of rats was a hole, as if waiting for someone to enter.

"Is this it?" Li Huowang took a deep breath and stepped toward the hole in the rat mountain.

He had walked only a few steps when he stopped again, turning back to Master Jingxin to confirm, "Master, are you sure that after my death, you can really deal with Master Danyang?"

His own life was of minor concern compared to the importance of ensuring that the damned creature was doomed forever.

After receiving a very affirmative confirmation, Li Huowang let out a sigh of relief and stepped towards the mouse hole.

In the moments before his death, the images of Yang Na and Bai Lingmiao simultaneously appeared in Li Huowang's mind. Slowly, their figures began to overlap.

"Farewell, this wretched place!" thought Li Huowang as he lifted his foot to walk inside.

Just as Li Huowang was about to crawl into the mouse hole, Master Jingxin's voice rang out from behind him.

"Since you're not afraid to die, I can offer you another choice. If it really is useless, you can always die later," she said.

Hearing this, Li Huowang turned his head in surprise, looking at Master Jingxin. "Is there another way?"

His previously extinguished will was instantly ignited by her words.

Master Jingxin nodded and pointed to the Great Thousand Record at his waist, "Seek help from the original owner of this item."

"Them?" Li Huowang looked at the red bamboo slips in surprise. "Master, I never asked you before, where did this ritual of blood and flesh sacrifice come from?"

"Ao Jing Sect," Master Jingxin said, revealing a name that was very foreign to Li Huowang.

"In the past, there were two sects, the Ao Sect and the Nestorianism. Somehow, they amalgamated. The Great Thousand Record in your hand belongs to them."

"Ao Jing Sect?" Li Huowang murmured to himself, standing in place. He was familiar with Buddhism and Taoism, but this Ao Jing Sect was entirely new to him.

"Do they have a way to separate Master Danyang from my body?"

"You could go to them and try. If there are people in this world who can resolve your peculiar situation, it would only be them, who are even more peculiar."

"Of course, if they truly help you, you may not be able to escape your ties with them afterward. But since you're not afraid of death, you probably wouldn't fear that either," she stated.

After speaking, Master Jingxin gently folded her own loose skin with her hand, then drew a line with her fingernail, and a piece of human skin was peeled off just like that.

Her dark fingernails swiftly moved over it, etching rows of rectangular Nüshu script onto the skin.

Once done, she walked over to Li Huowang and placed the object in his hands.

"Show this to them, and they won't attack you on sight," she instructed.

"If they can't help you either, then you can always come back later to die," she added.

Li Huowang gently felt the skin letter in his hands, finding it hard to believe. He had been ready to embrace death but now there seemed to be a glimmer of hope.

"Thank you, Master! If indeed I can resolve the issue with Master Danyang, I will be eternally grateful for your help!" he exclaimed.

Preferably alive than dead, with this final shred of hope, Li Huowang turned and walked back into the mass of roaches outside.

"That's a promise, Master! If they can't deal with Master Danyang either, I'll come back in two months and let you kill me," he declared.

Not long after Li Huowang left, a plump nun walked out from the rat pile, approaching Master Jingxin.

"Master, why did you decide to help that young Xinsu? You even used a skin letter; that's a huge gesture of goodwill, and we don't usually get along with those people," the nun remarked.

Master Jingxin watched the direction where Li Huowang had left with a very complicated expression. After a long time, she finally spoke slowly.

"This child held my face and called me 'mom' before."

"You know, he really resembled Yu'er so much when he was young, in both his actions and the way he spoke."