To walk the path to reincarnation, it required passing by many other places. As Fei Qianchi walked falling the long line of others, he bypassed many. Yet, throughout this crowd, he did not see the man he was looking for.
As Fei Qianchi walked with fast steps, he continued to search for a man, his eyes darting in the crowd to no avail. He walked past many people, passing by many gates as he followed. He went through courts, his sins being revealed to him as he suffered the rightful punishmens for the sins he committed.
Fei Qianchi didn't know how many years passed as he went through each entrances. Though time passed, he was still unable to find a man within the crowd. Perhaps he had already reincarnated. Unlike him, Zhu Longwang was free of sins.
As Fei Qianchi walked along the dirt road, the crowd of people around him slowly thinned. There was a bridge ahead. Fei Qianchi looked at the bridge for a short second. He had already arrived. Taking a shape inhale, he slowly sighed as he looked upon the bridge that stretched over the River of Oblivion.
The River of Oblivion was true to its name. Passing this river and standing upon this bridge, he would be leaving a life behind. Fei Qianchi stopped, biting his lips as he turned around. He looked at the people that slowly walked forward, unable to find the person he was looking for.
Had he already reincarnated? Fei Qianchi did not want to reincarnate without the man. He wanted to wait. But having spent so much time looking for Zhu Longwang, he was still unable to find him. If Zhu Longwang already reincarnated, he didn't want to make the man wait for too long.
Thinking this, Fei Qianchi took one last glance as he turned back.
There was a woman by the bridge. It was an old woman. Her hair was gray with wrinkles upon her face. Sitting on a chair, she brewed a pot of tea as she lightly fanned it.
"Young man, come. Take a seat. I am Old Lady Meng." Old Lady Meng called out to Fei Qianchi with a gentle smile.
Looking at the chair, Fei Qianchi walked over and took a seat.
Old Lady Meng looked over him as she brewed the tea, carefully fanning it. "It seems that you have already cleansed yourself. The thick sin around you has dispersed." Old Lady Meng lightly brought up.
Fei Qianchi sat still, watching Old Lady Meng brew the tea. He knew what this tea was. A Cup of Oblivion to forget all memories. He wasn't ready.
"Don't be afraid. This will not harm you. You have experienced a sorrowful life thus far." Old Lady Meng's words were both gentle and soft, her elderly eyes smiling. Though old she was, her hands moved with outmost care. "Some memories are better being forgotten."
Fei Qianchi listened to her words. Old Lady Meng was both old and wise, having lived for thousands of years. Her words struck a core within him because they were true. Though he had memories he loved and treasured, there were many memories that haunted him.
"I... am afraid to forget everything." Fei Qianchi finally spoke up. His voice was hoarse, but it did not shake or tremble. He held his hands together under the table, watching Old Lady Meng.
Old Lady Meng smiled. "Who isn't afraid to forget all memories? But once a new life begins, this lifetime will merely remain as something of the past. Having such memories when you begin a new life will only serve to interfere with your Book of Fate. Rather than hold onto such sorrowful memories, why not forget it and begin a new life?"
Fei Qianchi lowered his head, biting his lips. He was afraid. He didn't want to forget this life, he didn't want to forget Zhu Longwang. But the memories of him killing his Senior Brothers and Sisters, his Master, and his Junior Sister was a curse that could not be reversed. It was a memory that would haunt him forever.
Old Lady Meng took out a tea cup. In front of his eyes, she carefully took the teapot and poured a clear liquid into the cup. The mist shone from the cup, a dewy glow radiating from it. Old Lady Meng stirred the cup with a spoon before she slowly put it in front of Fei Qianchi.
"Drink this Cup of Oblivion, and I shall guide you across the River of Oblivion. With this cup, you will be forgetting all past memories, all past emotions felt. With this cup, you will be suffering the punishment for everything you've done wrong." Old Lady Meng's voice was still as gentle as before.
Fei Qianchi looked at the Cup of Oblivion in his hand, staring down as he bit his lip. To forget all his memories, to forget all his emotions, when it came to this point, it was much scarier. He was afraid yet he knew that these memories would continue to chase and haunt him down forever.
As Fei Qianchi held the cup, Old Lady Meng spoke up. "Do not be afraid. Once you drink this cup, you will walk across this bridge, passing the River of Oblivion. The gates will be opened for you to reincarnate in the Yin and Yang pools."
Fei Qianchi held the cup, his lips curving into a sorrowful smile. "Drink a Cup of Oblivion so that I will forget everything? Everything that I had done to a man who was happy even with his death? I have done so many wrongs. I loved him, yet I tried to deny my own feelings. I killed my own Master, my Senior brothers and sisters, and my Junior sister, I killed them all. It seems that this Cup of Oblivion will wash away all the sins I've committed..."
Fei Qianchi lifted the cup to his mouth. As he drunk the tea that tasted of nothing, a teardrop slipped from his eyes. This was farewell to his past, to everything he had done. He... wanted to meet him, but it seems like they had already missed each other.
Setting the cup down, Old Lady Meng smiled as she nodded her head. "Young man, I wish you well. Walk across this bridge. Two pools await you. Once you pass through the entrance on the other side of the River of Oblivion, you would have forgotten all your memories."
Fei Qianchi nodded, his breath shaking. Taking one final glance, he stood up, his figure both strong yet weak.
One step. As he stepped upon the bridge, he could feel his mind become fuzzy. Clenching his hands and closing his eyes, he opened them as he began to walk across the bridge, staring down at the clear water of the River of Oblivion.
Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. With each step, Fei Qianchi felt his mind become even more fogged. Soon, he reached the end of the bridge.
Fei Qianchi paused, his figure stopping. He blinked, crystal blue eyes looking out. It... it felt like he was forgetting something important. Yet, Fei Qianchi couldn't recall what it was. Why was he here?
Without an answer, Fei Qianchi continued to walk. There was a gateway that opened up to him. Not knowing why, he hesitated, unable to walk past the entrance. He stood still, yet nothing came up to his mind.
A sigh escaped his mouth. Fei Qianchi's heroic brows narrowed. He... he needed to walk through this.
At long last, he past the entrance. There were two pools glowing, pure crystal water within them. The energy coming from each pool was different, one cold and one hot. Fei Qianchi paused before the two pools.
But slowly, he walked towards the hot pool. He looked back, as if looking for something but there was only fog that surrounded him.
He... he needed to jump in. A part of him hesitated, longing and yearning. He was searching for someone. Fei Qianchi couldn't remember, still, his heart seemed to fight against him. But, he needed to reincarnate.
Closing his eyes, Fei Qianchi lightly smiled. Reincarnation. Whatever his memories were, perhaps it was better to forget them.
Fei Qianchi's body fell backwards. His white hair flew past his face, blue eyes closed as he hit the surface of the water.
A warm feeling gathered around his body. As he sunk in, a white light erupted. He sunk further into the water.
Finally, he lost his consciousness.
-
Zhu Luishui's eyes narrowed as he ran over. From inside of the cave, the coffin within began to shake and tremble, cracks appearing within it. It was loud in the silent cave, echoing.
Dressed in a plum robe, his hair was held back by a hairpin. The man's features were soft, yet radiated with his coldness. His eyes were a light shade of purple, pink thin lips along with dark brows. He looked quite similar to the man who lied within the coffin.
Fei Shang turned his head, brown eyes narrowing. "What's happening?" With quick steps, he walked over to the coffin. As the coffin cracked, the Qi protecting the coffin also escaped.
Zhu Luishui furrowed his brows, biting his lips. Pulling out a talisman he bit his fingers, blood being drawn. Over the paper, he wrote a sigil on it, sticking it onto the coffin while chanting a spell.
Once done, the coffin settled. It no longer shone or moved, but the cracks were still evident.
"Fei Qianchi. There was an eruption of Qi. Perhaps he has already regained his memories." Zhu Luishui finally concluded as he raised his head.
Hearing this, Fei Shang widened his eyes. It was sooner than he expected. He nodded his head. "I will leave first then. I... have not figured out everything clearly just yet. But, now that all the pieces of his souls have been gathered, he is safe for the moment."
-
Fei Qianchi opened his eyes, gasping as he took in a sharp inhale of breath. Sweat piled on his forehead as his body shook, trembling in both pain and shock. Gritting his teeth, he suppressed the cries in his heart. Zhu Longwang... Tian Sichan, Hou Mengshu, Fu Huayan, Zhang Bingmei, Zhang Zaifan, and Qi Meiyao. He clenched his hand, yet he couldn't rest.
Su Lianghe was protecting his Immortal Body, Fei Qianchi knew that. Thinking about Su Baicheng, Fei Qianchi didn't know what to do. Remembering the shock in his eyes as Fei Qianchi took his final breath, it felt like he saw a bit of Su Baicheng's humanity.
Fei Qianchi looked over his fingers. His storage ring wasn't here. The pill had been kept safely in his storage ring. At the moment, Su Lianghe was watching over his body. He needed a way to get in contact with the man first.
The fluctuation in the air made Fei Qianchi looked up. Standing before him, Fei Shang stood. His lips trembled, smiling lightly. "Brother."
Fei Qianchi's lips trembled lightly but it lifted into a soft smile. "Fei Shang, thank you."
Hearing this, Fei Shang's lips trembled as he stepped forward. "It didn't take as long as I thought it would. Only one week passed." As he said this, Fei Qianchi stood from the bed.
It was different, but this energy coursing through him was definitely familiar. Fei Qianchi moved his fingers, glancing at the blue robe he wore.
One week... as Fei Qianchi retrieved his memories, it definitely felt much longer than that.
"I... remember everything, Fei Shang. I remembering saving you, meeting Longwang, and finding Baicheng. I remember going crazy, being possessed by demonic energy, and waging war against the sect. I remember how Longwang died, how the sect was taken over by Baicheng. And, I know that at the end, I had killed myself." Fei Qianchi said. His voice was hoarse, a low baritone voice. His eyes did not tremble as he spoke. The emotions did hurt, but it didn't stab at him anymore. After so many lifetimes, these memories had died down.
Though filled with remorse and regret, it was already too late to fix everything. It wasn't his fault alone. While he took part of the blame, there were others who played a part in this too. He... now understood that while he played a role, there were others who also had a role in how fate carried out.
Fei Shang stared at Fei Qianchi. A small smile came to his lips as he looked at his brother. "You've remembered everything." Perhaps he was relieved but he was also worried.
"Yes," Fei Qianchi nodded. He looked around. "Is the Lord of Suzhou well?"
"Yes, he has spent these years evading Baicheng and Xue Lu. We are still part of Fushui Sect though he has hidden away. The sect has changed by a lot, the whole cultivation world has changed greatly." Fei Shang explained.
Fei Qianchi took a deep breath. He needed to go and see Su Lianghe. It was the only way he could save Zhu Longwang. "I will retrieve my Immortal Body. During that time, do not be wary of my disappearance." He made sure to remind Fei Shang first.
Though worried, Fei Shang understood that Fei Qianchi knew more than what he did. Thus, he nodded his head, "Yes, brother. Be careful then."
Fei Qianchi nodded, smiling lightly. He brought up his right finger, touching the center of his forehead. A sigil shone, appearing from his forehead as it moved forward and out of his forehead, light radiating out. Fei Qianchi closed his eyes under Fei Shang's bewildered eyes.
A gust of wind blew at Fei Qianchi. The atmosphere was the same. It was silent and solemn, the stairs were as staggering as always, crowded with countless people climbing up the tall mountain. From the top of mountain, Fei Qianchi looked down. It was the same place. Yet, everything felt different now.
"You've arrived." It was a calming voice, as quiet and serene as always. The man didn't change. His soft and peaceful features remained the same. The white cloth covered his eyes, dressed in a white robe. His limbs were still chained, perhaps, that would never change.
"You said that you would keep my Immortal Body. I've come to retrieve my body." Fei Qianchi didn't need his body. His current body was very similar to his original body. He only needed the storage ring that resided on his body.
Su Lianghe smiled, looking out into the distance. "I have kept your body for centuries now. Do you not wish to hear my words?"
"What more is there to say?" Having regained his memories, Fei Qianchi was able to piece everything together.
Su Lianghe chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course. Back then, you were just as courageous and brave. Even after you reincarnated, you were still the same. You have reincarnated so many times, yet, I have been in this place for so long." Su Lianghe's voice became darker. As his head turned towards Fei Qianchi, he raised his hand. The chains on his limbs snapped as he pulled off the cloth on his eyes. His black eyes looked towards Fei Qianchi, dark and empty, like staring at an abyss.
"I don't know what you are speaking of. All I know is that I am Fei Qianchi in this lifetime. Whatever lifetime you are speaking of, I no longer have memories of that." Fei Qianchi didn't know what Su Lianghe was speaking of. Even if he had done something wrong, his current life revolved around Zhu Longwang.
Su Lianghe shook his head, lifting his lips, "Back then, you obviously said you would never drink the Cup of Oblivion. I've been waiting in this place for you, yet, you have already given away your memories of our lifetime."
Fei Qianchi didn't know how deeply his fate was intertwined with others. Yet, it was only with Zhu Longwang that his heart skipped.
"I... will ask for forgiveness for whatever I've done. Although I have no knowledge of it, perhaps you have been waiting for a long time." Fei Qianchi said at last. He did not bow his head, nor did he lower himself. After all, while he had done some wrongs, it wouldn't change the fact that this lifetime was now significant in his life.
Su Lianghe shook his head, his black eyes stared straight into Fei Qianchi's. "How cruel and selfish. Now, you are looking for a finale to your life without concluding ours." Even so, the man stepped forward.
Fei Qianchi couldn't tell if the man was lying. Even if he thought that Su Lianghe was lying, it didn't seem like the man was. The way his eyes reflected, though dark and empty, seemed odd.
Su Lianghe sighed, still walking forward. He moved his hand, a slight gust of wind blew his hair out of place. A white light slowly descended, landing onto the soft grass. As the light dispersed, a jade coffin appeared on the grass.
"Your Immortal Body lies within. I haven't done anything to it. Even though you've betrayed me before, it is true that you no longer hold those memories." Su Lianghe turned back and looked at Fei Qianchi. His smile cascaded into one of sorrow and pain.
Fei Qianchi avoided the man's eyes, crouching down. It was strange how different lifetimes could affect a person. Now, some had memories while others had already forgotten.
Fei Qianchi stared at the body that looked very similar to his own. He reached down and slowly slid off the ring and put it onto his own finger.
As he stood up, he turned back to look at Su Lianghe. The man remained in the same spot, looking at him with dark eyes.
"Go, you need to save him. I've already given you the pill. It is yours to do as you wish." Su Lianghe sat down, turning his face away.
Hearing this, hesitation appeared on his face. Fei Qianchi wanted to know, but he didn't want to open up another scar. So, he nodded in the end. "Thank you."
"Why thank me? I'm only returning what you gave to me." Su Lianghe refuted, smiling at himself.
Fei Qianchi looked at the man.
"Don't worry, since you are only taking your storage ring, your body will remain safe." Su Lianghe added.
Finally, Fei Qianchi turned away. His white hair fell over his back, blue eyes looking at Su Lianghe. "Goodbye."
Su Lianghe turned away as the man left. Suppressing a tear that threatened to fall from his eyes, he smiled, ridiculing himself.
"Back then, you chose him too. Even after everything I did for you, you still chose him. In this life, you still chose him. Perhaps, you two always belonged to one another."
"Did he choose him again?" Ran Mengyu appeared by his side. "You didn't tell him the truth, why are you hiding it, Immortal?"
"What's the point? The outcome remains the same in every lifetime." Su Lianghe bowed his head, closing his eyes. "I will never die. I can only watch him move on his life."
"Your life is truly pitiful. You were once in love with him. Perhaps that is why you still try to help him even against my words." Ran Mengyu stepped forward, clasping Su Lianghe's chin with his hand, tightening his grip and digging into Su Lianghe's skin.
Su Lianghe's head was forcefully raised, staring into Ran Mengyu's smirking eyes. He looked away, avoiding the man's gaze.
"I've done what you wanted. I've been your puppet for the longest time, I've been your toy to do as you wished. Isn't that enough?" Su Lianghe gritted his teeth as he let out.
Ran Mengyu smirked, his hand caressing Su Lianghe's cheek. "You used me and I used you. In the end, only I came up as the winner. For now and forever, you will remain mine."
Ran Mengyu smirked, his fingers rubbing Su Lianghe's lips. "If you are diligent in serving me, I won't kill him so soon. For the time being, I'm planning on letting him think that he's safe."
Su Lianghe closed his eyes, his robe slipping off of his body.
.
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