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墨書 Inktalez
"Thank you, Master. I'm fine," I replied, turning to glance at the wandering spirit that had just begun to crawl over. I saw that the Wandering Soul had shifted from a prone position to lying flat, its form twitching slightly before vanishing in an instant.
The chaos caused by the Wandering Souls had finally settled down. Looking at the scattered souls on the ground, I let out a sigh of relief. However, the disappearance of that last Wandering Soul left me feeling uneasy.
In just a few minutes after we dealt with the Wandering Souls, the chanting of several Senior Masters ceased. I looked up at the Senior Master hovering above the cave entrance; its head was slowly lifting. Although the Soul remained still, its head turned back and forth, surveying the surroundings. Clearly, its resentment and hatred had been largely dispelled by the combined efforts of the four Masters. Indeed, there is strength in numbers.
After scanning the area, the Senior Master chuckled and said, "Hmm, not bad. It's nice to see so many Daoist juniors here. But why did you use the Soul-Trapping Formation to confine me here?"
Once its resentment was dispelled, it seemed as if the Senior Master had forgotten everything that had just happened.
Before anyone could respond, the Senior Master's gaze fell upon me again. With another chuckle, it said, "Ah, Qiaoling Kid, I remember you. You were with your master when you opened my Corpse, right?"
I nodded respectfully and replied, "Senior Master, your Corpse is no longer usable. We are very sorry about that."
It seemed that this exorcism had indeed been effective. I had worried that the Senior Master might think my teacher tampered with its Corpse again. However, it was quite the opposite; the Senior Master simply smiled and said, "No worries. This is fate; I was too arrogant and stubborn. The way of heaven is such that no one can change it. But this is also good; it resolves a concern of mine. For this matter, I must thank you."
The sudden change in attitude from the Senior Master left me feeling somewhat disoriented; I didn't know how to respond. All I could say was, "You don't need to worry about it, Senior. It's what juniors like me should do."
It nodded and turned to look at my master. "You are now the leader of Qiaoling, correct?"
My master bowed slightly and looked up at the Senior Master as he replied, "Yes, my surname is X and I am currently in charge of Qiaoling. This is my disciple." He gestured toward me and continued, "Senior Master, would you still like to be sent to the Underworld? If so, we can assist you."
As soon as my master finished speaking, all surrounding Masters focused their attention on the Senior Master's Soul. Without hesitation, it replied, "No need. I have defied heaven's will; before starting this matter, I had already decided that if this endeavor failed, there would be no way for me to survive. Even if sent to the Underworld, I would still be dealt with accordingly; I have no path of Reincarnation left. Rather than causing more trouble for the Underworld, it would be better for you to handle me yourselves. Rest assured; dealing with me will not bring you any karmic burden."
After hearing these words from the Senior Master, all surrounding Masters bowed their heads in silence. The meaning was clear: I cannot escape this calamity; please disperse me as a favor.
However, dispersing a Senior Master Soul that dared to challenge heaven's will was no simple task. Every cultivator desires to break free from heaven's Reincarnation cycle; it's just that such aspirations come at a great cost—no one dares to attempt it. Yet this Senior Master did dare; although success was unlikely, it still took that step forward—this alone earned it respect from everyone present.
But with matters having developed to this extent, there was no other option left. Suddenly recalling when I asked my master if the Senior Master could regain its Dao Heart before we arrived here—my master had said yes—but by then it would have no choice left. Its Dao Heart had led it to lose all options; all it sought was Soul Shattering.
"Let's get on with it while I'm still clear-headed. If we wait until midnight, who knows? I might become possessed again—and then it won't be up to me," the Senior Master urged everyone with a threatening tone as they remained silent.
Everyone knew that the Senior Master was deceiving himself, yet everyone nodded in agreement; the matter had become a foregone conclusion, and prolonging it served no purpose.
I understood the Senior Master's thoughts. If I were in his position, I might have acted similarly. Many things are only understood through experience; many emotional knots can only be untied after gaining insight, and many stubborn beliefs require a satisfactory resolution. The resolution the Senior Master sought was to dissipate into the cosmos, crafting an ending akin to the ringing of a bell at dawn and dusk for this failed attempt. This conclusion was unacceptable to many, but by choosing this way to end things, the Senior Master seemed to want to convey what the outcome of such actions should rightly be.
The Masters rose one by one, each wielding their most trusted artifacts as they slowly approached the Senior Master. I followed suit. We stood in a line before the Senior Master, bowing respectfully.
"The natural order of heaven and earth, let the impurities disperse; within the cave's mysteries, let the essence of Taiyuan resonate..." The Master began, and we all recited the incantation in unison. Although it was too late for salvation and the Senior Master was about to face Soul Shattering—never to be reborn—everyone still used this simplest of spells to express our deepest respect.
The chant was heavy with emotion, especially for me and Master Pan. Just a day ago, we had been at odds with each other, unable to coexist. In just one day, our relationship had transformed so drastically. Looking at the Senior Master's face, now pale and lined with wrinkles, I realized that what he had experienced was legendary for us. This legend came at the cost of his eternal damnation, serving as a profound warning for us juniors.
Once the incantation concluded, five Masters surrounded the Senior Master, raising their artifacts high. The Senior Master slowly descended from above the cave entrance and stood still. Closing his eyes with a smile, he said, "Go ahead; if you can bring my end, then I can die without regrets."
His simple declaration of not regretting anything dispelled all hesitation among us.
As we struck simultaneously, various artifacts crashed down upon the Senior Master's Soul. His smile faltered for a moment before he opened his eyes and began to laugh...
As we withdrew our artifacts, the Senior Master nodded lightly with a smile. His Soul gradually began to dissipate until it transformed into nothingness, becoming a gust of wind that scattered across the heavens and earth.
After the Senior Master vanished, we stood in silence for a long time, bowing our heads in mourning.
Throughout it all, I watched from the side; the entire process was heart-wrenching.
Perhaps one day we will meet again—the breeze stirring willow branches, scattering peach blossoms, creating waves that lift sails—could it be you telling your tale, sharing your lack of regret while lamenting how unpredictable fate can be?
Once we finished mourning, everyone exchanged glances; the atmosphere felt heavy. Looking at those Wandering Souls still twitching on the ground, we each found one to begin sending off. They were weary from their journey and had been harmed by us; it was our duty to see them on their way.
The Master sent off two souls while each of us sent off one. After completing our Send Soul rituals, we discussed descending the mountain and returning tomorrow morning to handle the Senior Master's Corpse. Tonight we would stay at the Master's residence and take this opportunity to talk things over. The Master urged everyone to go ahead while asking me to wait a moment. Once those Masters had walked a bit further away, Master Pan approached the Master and said, "You go ahead and attend to them; I'll handle that matter."
I understood what Master Pan meant because earlier in a moment of urgency, he had shattered a Wandering Soul's essence with a Great Seal—one that had been about to attack me. In his haste, he hadn't controlled his strength properly and ended up dispersing that Wandering Soul entirely. However, since Master Pan offered to resolve it himself, he must have meant calling back that Soul's essence for reconstitution and nurturing.
Master Pan's eyes widened in anger as his master was about to object. The master said nothing more, merely nodding and patting Master Pan on the back before quickly chasing after him.
Master Pan instructed me to assist him in gathering the soul. After a complete ritual, we surprisingly failed. Master Pan's face turned ashen as he said, "This is bad. I don't know where your master struck, but this Wandering Soul can no longer be gathered."
Master Pan's technique was no less effective than that of his master. He exerted all his strength, yet he could barely gather one soul and two spirits. For this Wandering Soul, it was a fragmented soul that could not embark on the path of Reincarnation.
I anxiously asked, "What should we do? Dispersing a Wandering Soul without reason carries great responsibility. How can we remedy this?"
Master Pan replied, "Who says this was done without reason? This Wandering Soul was trying to attack you; it's just that the crime isn't severe enough. When Yin Chai comes looking for trouble, we will have our reasons." As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his Peach Wood Sword and decisively scattered the one soul and two spirits he had just gathered.
I stared at him in shock, understanding his intention. He wanted to share the blame. This situation was neither trivial nor significant; there was no room for recovery now. I realized why Master Pan had chosen to stay behind to gather the soul—perhaps he had already sensed that this dispersed spirit might never be gathered again. However, this incident would later bring disaster upon both these old brothers and me, but that is another story for another time.
The way of heaven is clear yet unpredictable; even before a thought arises, it is already known. I advise you to awaken early and cultivate your path; wealth and fame await you later.
This concludes the story for now. Thank you all for your hard work. Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend.
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