Who Stole My Eggs?

Xie Zuo and the others brought the Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger to the junction of Wu Mountain and Meng Mountain.

As soon as the two of them landed, the earth’s veins trembled with excitement, startling the birds.

The Frost Messenger gently touched the ground of Meng Mountain and comforted it in a low voice, “Okay, I’m back, be good.”

The dying Black Cloud Messenger (still a dog form) also felt it. He used his last strength to lick the ground of Wu Mountain and took his final breath.

Meng Mountain finally welcomed back its master and soon fell silent.

Wu Mountain, feeling the death of its master, let out bursts of sobs, as if it were crying.

The Black Cloud Messenger’s soul separated from the big black dog. He looked around blankly for a while and froze when he saw the Frost Messenger. Suddenly, he jumped on him and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry… I’ve caused trouble for you again,” the Black Cloud Messenger said in a muffled voice.

The Frost Messenger smiled faintly. “How many times have you said this?”

The Black Cloud Messenger hugged the Frost Messenger tighter and tighter.

The Frost Messenger patted the Black Cloud Messenger and said, “Come with me to see the Heavenly Father.”

The two of them knelt at Xie Zuo’s feet, and Xie Zuo saw their past. “You are… the Deity of Fire and the Deity of Frost.”

“Yes, Heavenly Father,” The Frost Messenger said softly.

The Black Cloud Messenger looked up at Xie Zuo, his face a little uncomfortable, and quickly lowered his head. “It’s me.”

Xie Zuo glanced at Huo Yao. “Have you known their identities for a long time? No wonder you said that Wuzhao had the great merit of saving the world when we were in the Southern Kingdom.”

Huo Yao nodded. “Yes.”

The Black Cloud Messenger and the Frost Messenger had been the Deities of Fire and Frost in ancient times. They had once saved the creatures of the Southern Kingdom by transforming their bodies into the two mountains of Wu and Meng, guarding the Southern Kingdom forever until their spiritual wisdom reunited.

However, time had changed everything in unpredictable ways. The Black Cloud Messenger had led himself astray, and the Frost Messenger had willingly fallen into endless suffering to avoid punishment from heaven.

Xie Zuo still remembered when they had been the Fire Deity and Frost Deity. One was passionate and unrestrained, the other cool and dignified—both born as great deities. Unexpectedly, after all their trials, they had met again in the Southern Kingdom and endured a disaster together.

At that moment, a gloomy ghostly aura appeared on the ground, revealing two ghosts. The Black Cloud Messenger had reached the end of his life, and the ghosts had come to capture him and throw him into the animal realm.

The Black Cloud Messenger stood up and bid farewell to the Frost Messenger. “Don’t follow me into the world anymore. I’ll come to you again after I die tens of thousands of times to atone for my sins.”

The Frost Messenger knew the Black Cloud Messenger’s life would again be miserable and short. He had been fine not seeing him before, but now that they had reunited, he couldn’t bear to let him go.

The Frost Messenger was never good with words. He said nothing and simply held the Black Cloud Messenger’s hand tightly, refusing to let him leave.

The two ghost messengers, recognizing Xie Zuo and Huo Yao, bowed respectfully and explained their intentions. However, they showed no leniency to the sinner, the Black Cloud Messenger, and scolded, “Come quickly! Why are you delaying?” With that, they threw a soul-chasing rope toward the Black Cloud Messenger.

The soul-chasing rope was a ghost’s natal magical weapon, extremely powerful. Once a wandering soul was caught, it could never break free and would be dragged away to reincarnate.

“Wait!” Xie Zuo reached out and grabbed the soul-chasing rope.

The ghost messengers looked at each other and said in unison, “We implore the Demon King not to interfere in the affairs of the ghost world.”

“I won’t interfere. I just… need to take care of something,” Xie Zuo said, feigning nonchalance.

The ghosts prepared to fight.

Xie Zuo waved his hands dismissively. “Don’t be angry. I just saved them. They want to recognize me as their master. I’m preparing to refine them into weapons. You can’t stop me.”

The ghosts widened their eyes in disbelief. Could the dignified Black Cloud Messenger truly be willing to be refined into a weapon to repay his debt?

Xie Zuo turned to the Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger, smiling. “I haven’t asked for your opinions yet. What do you think? If I refine you, will you recognize me as your master?”

The ghosts shouted from behind, “They haven’t agreed yet!”

The Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger spoke at the same time:

“I don’t want to!”

“I do!”

The Black Cloud Messenger shook off the Frost Messenger’s hand. “Stop messing around. How could we let anyone refine us—even if he’s the Heavenly Father! I’m leaving.”

The Frost Messenger caught up with him. “If you leave, I’ll never see you again!”

The Frost Messenger hated the Black Cloud Messenger’s stubbornness. When the Black Cloud Messenger committed evil acts, the Frost Messenger ruthlessly killed him with his own hands to stop him from continuing his deeds. But now, seeing him again, the Frost Messenger could no longer bear to be separated from him, especially knowing this kind of separation would happen countless times.

The Frost Messenger said to the Black Cloud Messenger, “After Heavenly Father refines us, we can be together forever, and you won’t have to re-enter reincarnation and suffer. Aren’t you willing?”

“…In that case, you will lose your freedom forever,” the Black Cloud Messenger replied regretfully. If he had known it would implicate the Frost Messenger, he would never have coveted the position of emperor of the Southern Kingdom.

The Frost Messenger shook his head. “I lost my freedom a long time ago, ever since I met you.”

The ghosts, growing impatient, urged, “Have you finished discussing? You’ve already delayed us for too long!”

Xie Zuo added, “Well, what’s your decision?”

The Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger knelt before Xie Zuo.

“Fine, fine,” Xie Zuo said with a smile. “Today, I will play the role of a temporary moon elder to ensure you two miserable lovers are reunited forever.”

Xie Zuo rose into the air with the Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger, igniting the Wushan Cauldron with his divine power.

Hand in hand, the Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger jumped into the cauldron together. The blazing flames engulfed them instantly.

Seeing this, the two ghost messengers had no choice but to leave.

Xie Zuo reached into his back, pulled out his bone whip, and threw it into the cauldron.

The Wushan Cauldron burned for seven days and nights. On the morning of the eighth day, a white-gold flame shot into the sky, and a pair of winged birds flew out, chirping. They clung to each other, circled in flight, and merged into one, transforming into a white-gold soft whip.

The soft whip, recognizing its master, flew toward Xie Zuo, who had been waiting.

Xie Zuo gently stroked the newly formed magical weapon. “Just follow me and do good deeds. When enough merit is accumulated, I’ll send you to reincarnation again.”

After handling the matter of the Frost Messenger and the Black Cloud Messenger, Xie Zuo returned to the Asura Realm with Huo Yao.

Late that night, as Xie Zuo laid beside Huo Yao, he felt melancholic. The Frost Messenger and Black Cloud Messenger had been deities of boundless merit. After being reborn as mountain spirits, they should have continued living happily together. However, Black Cloud Messenger’s mistake led to their current fate.

“Huo Yao, if it weren’t for me, they would’ve truly suffered to death,” Xie Zuo said, stroking Huo Yao’s wrist. “Tell me, if we ever face a disaster, will someone help us? Sigh, someone should extinguish your karmic fire first!”

Huo Yao kissed his forehead and said, “Don’t worry. It’ll get better.”

“How can I not worry about this karma…”

Xie Zuo fell asleep, troubled by his lingering concerns. Waking early, he stared at Huo Yao and suddenly caught sight of something flashing outside.

Xie Zuo sat up and woke Huo Yao. “What’s wrong?”

Xie Zuo held his breath. “Don’t move.”

A drop of cold water floated toward them, trembling as it approached.

Finally, the water droplet hovered above Huo Yao—and exploded! It drenched Huo Yao, leaving him looking like a drowned rat.

The once warm and dry bed was flooded. Xie Zuo and Huo Yao scrambled out of bed, not bothering to clean up.

Huo Yao, thoroughly embarrassed, stripped off his wet clothes and wrung the water from his hair.

The mysterious water droplet was icy cold, almost causing frostbite. Frostbite…

Huo Yao froze.

“Huo Yao…” Xie Zuo noticed as well.

Huo Yao stretched out his hands and saw the endless karmic fire around his wrists extinguished. Looking at his ankles, he found the karma there had disappeared too!

Xie Zuo rushed outside, grabbed the soft whip on the table, and asked excitedly, “The Frost Messenger, is that you?”

A shadow of a flying bird appeared on the whip, flapping its wings at him before vanishing.

At that moment, Lao Luo, drenched and shivering, flew out from Xie Zuo’s clothes hanging by the bedside. “Oh, oh, oh, I’m freezing to death! That water was so cold—it almost froze me solid!”

Xie Zuo grabbed Lao Luo. “What was that drop of water?”

“That was the Frost Messenger’s tear, Your Majesty,” Lao Luo explained with a sigh. “The Deity of Frost was formed from the coldest air between heaven and earth. A single tear from him can extinguish all flames—including the Infinite Karmic Fire! Don’t you remember how he defeated the Fire Deity back then?”

Releasing Lao Luo, Xie Zuo looked at Huo Yao, now free of karmic flames, and burst into joyous laughter. “Wonderful, truly wonderful!”