The Unruly Immortals

"Senior Brother Li? Do you need me for something?" Sun Baolu asked cautiously.

Li Huowang gestured with his chin towards the outside, propped his crutch under his armpit once more, and began hobbling in that direction. "Come, let's have a one-on-one chat."

Sun Baolu stood in his original spot with an anxious expression, hesitating for a moment before he finally began to follow.

As night fell, the streets between tents outside became very dark and the human figures very sparse.

A bone-chilling breeze occasionally lifted the hem of Li Huowang's robe and the sleeves of Sun Baolu's garment behind him.

At that moment, Sun Baolu's face looked somewhat unsightly as he pondered how to answer Senior Brother Li's question; he had not expected the other party to uncover his casual lie so quickly.

"Quit dawdling, we still have to hurry on our journey tomorrow. Why did you say that human bone was a horse bone? Just how many things are you keeping from us?"

After a moment's hesitation, Sun Baolu sighed lightly. "Senior Brother Li, I didn't want to deliberately hide things from you. It's just that I felt... since you're only passing through, there was no need to explain too much about Qingqiu's customs. I was afraid you'd overthink it if I told you."

"To smash a person to pieces and feed them to vultures, then crush their bones to decorate oneself. Is this really just a custom? I don't think so."

The scene Li Huowang had witnessed that morning had made a big impact on him.

Hearing the skepticism in Li Huowang's voice, Sun Baolu quickly defended: "To others, this may indeed seem shocking and abhorrent, but it truly is a custom of Qingqiu. Aside from deaths by illness, all of Qingqiu's dead must receive a sky burial."

"Burying a person in the earth also ends with decay; it's better to let the creatures of the sky take them away. It also feeds some people, and we have grown accustomed to it."

"After all, no matter what, in the end, it is the eternal heavens that decide, governing the reincarnation of all beings."

Li Huowang calmly looked at Sun Baolu, who was speaking, "Eternal heavens? Is that the god Qingqiu people believe in? Where is He usually?"

This was the second time he had heard this name.

Sun Baolu pointed towards the moon in the sky, "Up there. The eternal heavens can't touch us, can't find us, but He always has what we long for."

"Hmm?" Li Huowang looked up and followed Sun Baolu's gaze to the full moon.

"That's the navel of the eternal heavens; the entire dark sky is the shadow of the eternal heavens—cast by the light of two candles!"

"The entire night sky is His shadow? Then what about the daytime?" Li Huowang continued to ask.

"The sun during the day is the two candles held in the hands of the eternal heavens! The eternal heavens silently watch over us from behind the candles, and our lives depend entirely on the grace of the eternal heavens."

Sun Baolu stated it with certainty, as if what he spoke of was the absolute truth.

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang appeared pensive.

The Five Great Buddha Realms spoken of by the monk at Zhengde Temple, the Great Nuoxi mentioned in the Nuoxi ritual, the White Jade Capital he had seen with his own eyes, and now the so-called eternal heavens spoken of by Sun Baolu.

In this world, everyone has a different view of the world, and some are even contradictory.

Li Huowang had seen some things himself; there were not any eternal heavens, no Great Nuoxi, and certainly no Five Great Buddha Realms.

In his view, there was only a world that had gone completely mad. Whether it was the humans living below or those beings above that he dared not even imagine, all suffered along with the entire world.

Considering those entirely unrelated worldviews, Li Huowang should have been very firm in his rejection. But he tried hard to control his thoughts.

"Perhaps what I have seen is an illusion, and what they speak of is real, after all, those worlds are far better than the mad one I've seen. Much, much better."

When he saw Li Huowang standing there unmoved, Sun Baolu spoke with a bitter expression, "Senior Brother Li, you certainly don't believe, do you?"

Li Huowang fell into contemplation for a while before he slowly spoke, "I believe you, your reasoning makes sense, but what about them decorating their bodies with human bones? What's that all about?"

"That's also a custom passed down from ancient times by the Qingqiu people. They say human bones can store courage and strength. Wearing them on the body can increase one's physical power and bravery. It can also ward off evil."

"But only those formidable individuals have the privilege to be sought after for their bones, while those who are unknown are only fit to be buried underground."

"Are all the customs of Qingqiu so sinister??"

"Not sinister at all, isn't this a very normal thing?" Sun Baolu said this as if it were a matter of course.

After Sun Baolu explained the customs and myths of Qingqiu to Li Huowang, the horrifying scenes they had previously encountered seemed to become reasonable.

However, Li Huowang looked at Sun Baolu in front of him with a tinge of doubt.

Sun Baolu felt this doubt and a hint of bitterness spread across his face.

"Brother Li, we are brothers who escaped together from Qingfeng Taoist Temple. You did so much to help me return home, I couldn't lie to you."

"If I had any ill intentions, wouldn't it have been easier when you were still unconscious? You are so powerful, if you were able to move a single finger, how could I compete with you?"

Li Huowang nodded, "That's indeed true, and since you trust me so much, can you tell me why you are wrapped up so tightly in your clothes?"

There must be a story behind Sun Baolu's attire, but Li Huowang hadn't been able to inquire about it before. Now he wanted to know what exactly Sun Baolu was hiding.

Sun Baolu's face changed drastically, and he clasped his clothes tightly, hastily retreating a few steps as if on guard.

He had no idea how the conversation had suddenly turned to this topic.

"What are you so taboo about? What's wrong with showing it? We all have our flaws, do you really think we would mock you for yours? Am I not worse off than you are now?"

Sun Baolu's face showed extreme humiliation, and with red eyes and a trembling voice, he said, "Brother Li! I... I am really not like you guys! I beg you, if you push me any further, I really will have no choice but to die!"

Seeing such a strong reaction from Sun Baolu, Li Huowang hobbled toward him on his crutch.

"You're about to leave, and chances are we won't see each other again. Why keep hiding at this point?"

Sun Baolu took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and said, "Fine! I... When I get home, I'll tell you, just you! You must promise to never speak of it—otherwise I will die right in front of you now!"

Seeing Sun Baolu so earnest, Li Huowang came back to his senses—after all, the other was not an enemy but a comrade. There was no need to make things so strained.

Since being deceived by the Oblivion Path, Li Huowang realized he had become overly suspicious.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine, I was just asking casually."

Temporarily trusting Sun Baolu's words, Li Huowang leaned on his crutch and walked back towards the tent inn.

Sun Baolu wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and came over to support Li Huowang as they headed inside.

As they were about to enter, Li Huowang's right ear twitched, and he turned his head towards the dimly lit street on the right, where a light was moving toward them.

Li Huowang's foot, about to step into the tent, drew back, and he stood firm again. "Wait, there's something odd about that light, it's too scattered."

Gradually, as the distant light approached closer, Li Huowang's eyes grew wider.

"Baolu, you said there are no evil spirits in Qingqiu, so can you tell me what that is?"

"That's not an evil spirit, that's lion dancing, Brother Li. Don't you have lion dancing where you're from?" Sun Baolu said with a sense of surprise.