The Unruly Immortals

"Xinsu's Illusion Realm?" Li Huowang looked straight ahead, eyes fixed on Jiang Yingzi and Master Danyang who still appeared to be there in the distance.

One was a three-headed monstrous beast, adorned with celestial fluff, and the other a one-armed, one-legged naked girl covered in hideous scars.

They stood there, watching him with eyes full of hatred and amusement, respectively.

They looked so real that Li Huowang couldn't tell whether they were actual people or mere phantasms.

Trembling, he lifted his right foot to approach them, but soon Li Huowang realized that he simply couldn't do it.

With every step he took, the figures in the distance moved back in sync.

They weren't moving; they were meant to be that far away from Li Huowang all along.

"Young friend? Xuan Yang, young friend?"

After calling out several times from inside the cave, Shen Benyou finally brought Li Huowang back to his senses.

A voice came from one of the cave openings, and Li Huowang remembered it belonged to Shen Benyou, with a trace of complex emotion, said, "Young friend, you look quite pale."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Li Huowang replied almost instinctively.

However, after a few words, Li Huowang suddenly stopped short.

He quickly realized he had made a mistake.

How could he possibly be fine? Right now, his problems were enormous.

It wasn't just about Master Danyang and Jiang Yingzi in the distance, but also about what kind of being he was at this moment.

Before he figured out this question, no one dared to guarantee whether another one, or even several more, would appear.

"Young friend, are you alright? It's consistent with Xinsu to be unable to distinguish between reality and illusion, isn't that to be expected?"

"Since you managed to live past your Coming of Age Ceremony, you should be accustomed to this by now. Why are you still so surprised?"

Li Huowang swallowed with difficulty, took a deep breath to steady his mind.

After pondering for a long time, and only once he had managed to somewhat process this information, did he speak again, "Elder, I heard that Master Jingxin's son from the An Ci Nunnery also visited you all, he is also Xinsu, could you tell me whether he exhibited the same symptoms?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Benyou's voice paused for a long time before resuming.

"Ah, truly hard to guess, generally speaking, Xinsu are crazed and eccentric. I only heard that he called himself a boat."

Without waiting for Li Huowang to ask again, a rough voice came from another pitch-black hole in the wall.

"I know of this matter. That man would often wake up in the dead of night, exclaiming that the San Qing were watching him, and not long after, he went completely insane."

"The San Qing? What are the San Qing?" Li Huowang's question was quickly answered by Shou San who was by his side.

"Invisible yet seen is called Yi, inaudible yet heard is called Xi, intangible yet touched is called Wei."

"Yi, Xi, Wei, from one to three, and from three to one, that is the San Qing."

"Different Taoist schools in the south worship the San Qing, I've only heard of them, never seen, nor heard that they would look upon someone."

Hearing this, Li Huowang was somewhat unable to follow; the symptoms of the individual mentioned seemed different from his own.

Shen Benyou inside the cave spoke up again at that moment.

"That man clearly came on his own, but Master Jingxin from An Ci Nunnery always insisted that we drove him mad. Because of this, some conflicts arose between us, an undeserved catastrophe indeed."

"Little friend, have you seen anything on our part, during these past days, that breaks the rules? Under the heavens, where skies are round and the earth is square, breaking the rules is a grave taboo."

Li Huowang paid no further attention to what the other party said afterward; his mind was entirely buzzing, in complete chaos.

"Then is there... any solution for someone in my situation?"

"Heh, little friend, you jest. If we truly had a way, that would be wonderful."

"Xinsu is about restraining one's fate—there is no method for solving it, no one can resolve it. If one day someone tells you they have a cure, you must be wary, for that person is very likely trying to harm you."

"You must be aware, right? In the eyes of many, Xinsu is a delectable mantou. Many seek out Xinsu to use in alchemy, to make elixirs, or to incorporate it into other cultivation methods to enhance their cultivation levels."

Hearing these words, Li Huowang realized how very unfamiliar he was with his own body.

The name Xinsu contains so many things.

He remained in place for a long time, thinking. First, he looked up at the two people in the distance, then he surveyed the silently surrounding members of the Ao Jing Sect.

"At least Master Danyang will no longer assimilate me; that should be considered good, right?" Li Huowang consoled himself with a bitter smile in his heart.

Immediately afterward, with both hands clasped in a fist, Li Huowang gave a bow towards the front of the cavern. "Elders, thank you for clarifying my doubts. Until our paths cross again."

After speaking, Li Huowang reached out to pet Mantou, who had followed along, and began to head back the way they came, with Master Danyang and Jiang Yingzi in tow.

Arriving back at the dead town in a daze, Li Huowang stood still facing the two figures as both illusions began to speak simultaneously.

"My child, I have truly become immortal. As long as you continue to help your master achieve full fruition, everything in the past will be forgiven."

"Why don't you go die! Why are you alive! You murder demon!!"

But no matter what they said, or how close they were, none of it had any actual contact with Li Huowang.

"Heh... at least it's much more lively, no longer just me alone."

Li Huowang didn't know whether his current situation was better or worse compared to before.

The only thing he knew was that regardless of whether it was good or bad, he had to keep moving forward.

Li Huowang picked up the longsword that was stuck in the dirt and started digging graves again, beginning to re-bury the other skeletons of the town.

Dragging her battered body, Jiang Yingzi came to Li Huowang's side, hissing with endless hatred in her voice, "You think by burying them, this matter will be over? You killed them!"

"If you truly want to atone, you should kill yourself! Otherwise, whatever you do is futile!!"

"Li Huowang, why don't you go die!! What good person are you pretending to be—just die already!"

Li Huowang, silent, tightly pressed his lips together as he continued to dig one grave after another amidst Jiang Yingzi's screeching curses.

From inside the Ao Jing Sect's cave, Shen Benyou's voice once again echoed, "Shou San, Tou Qi, disperse now. If this person comes again, just keep him out at the mountain gate. Our past dealings are done, with no strings attached."

"Yes, Elder Shen Benyou," responded Shou San, his body charred black, with a respectful bow before he led the other members of the Ao Jing Sect away from the place of the elders' deep meditation.

It wasn't long before the whole environment quieted down, leaving only the wall with its six caverns.

Suddenly, a sharp female voice shattered the silence.

"Hee hee... So Xinsu actually believed it, he believed everything~! San Tiao, your method is really something!"

Her voice seemed to flick a switch, and the wall filled with dense, black caverns seemed to spring to life in an instant.

Sharp, cunning laughter, boisterous roars of mirth, and mocking giggles—all manner of joyful laughter flowed out of the caves, filling the entire cavern.