Liuzhou Thatched Cottage (1)

Tan Yangzi's "home" in the Mortal Realm was located on a densely willow-covered sandbank on the north bank of the Bian River, outside Bianliang City. It consisted of three small thatched cottages surrounded by a bamboo fence. A flock of chickens and ducks was raised in the yard, and behind the yard was a small vegetable patch. The patch wasn't large, but it was enough to be self-sufficient. Usually, when Tan Yangzi was not in the Mortal Realm, Yan Fei was responsible for taking care of the vegetable garden and the poultry. There were no other households nearby, so Yan Fei didn't have many friends. The few acquaintances he did have by chance were the sons of farmers, and they didn't share much common ground. Therefore, most of the time, having nothing to do, Yan Fei would study the few books written in Hell Script that Tan Yangzi had left behind. Unexpectedly, he was naturally intelligent, and gradually managed to teach himself four of the languages of the Eight Great Hells.

Tan Yangzi had stayed in Hell for quite a long time this time; he hadn't returned here in a month. The courtyard looked no different, swept very clean, with firewood stacked neatly against the kitchen wall, and a string of corn and garlic hanging next to the door. Two large white geese waddled leisurely in the courtyard, eating the grains scattered on the ground. Across the wall, a lush willow tree draped its long green silk-like branches inwards, bringing with it a trace of the fresh breath of spring.

As soon as he entered the door, the sensible and considerate Yan Fei took the whisk from Tan Yangzi's hands and the unbuckled Karma-Severing Sword, familiarly hanging them in their designated spots in the inner room. Then, he ran into the kitchen to boil water for tea, bustling in and out looking extremely excited. Tan Yangzi sat down on a chair to rest his feet, pounding his sore calves. Although practicing the Art of Longevity allowed this body to age four to five times slower than ordinary people, being nearly ninety years old was ultimately different from being in one's early twenties. He hadn't been able to sit down for a day and a night. In order to maintain his image as a strict master, he was embarrassed to show any signs of fatigue in front of Yan Fei. At this moment, taking advantage of Yan Fei not looking, he could finally show his true expression, grimacing and baring his teeth while massaging his leg muscles.

Looking around, everything in the house was as usual. A freshly picked peach blossom branch had been added to the porcelain vase on the table, bringing some spring colors to this slightly shabby room. He chuckled, thinking to himself that this brat actually had quite a romantic flair, and casually picked up the book Yan Fei was halfway through reading to flip through it.

It was the Forty-Eight Treatises on the Alaya Consciousness, which was about how to unearth the different levels of the Eighth Consciousness. Obviously, it had been read more than once, as the pages were wrinkled from being turned so much.

"Master! Drink some tea!" Yan Fei excitedly brought over the tea tray, picking up a freshly washed empty porcelain cup and pouring it for him. The tea wasn't any fine tea, but its amber hue exuded a clear, crisp fragrance, which smelled quite nice. Tan Yangzi picked up the teacup and took a sip, then heard Yan Fei ask him, "Master, what do you want to eat for lunch today? I'll make it."

Tan Yangzi glanced at him. "Didn't we just have breakfast?"

"But you didn't eat a single bite!"

"Just make whatever."

"Then shall we have radish noodles and sugar-steamed eggplant?"

"That's fine."

Yan Fei then ran off to the kitchen in a whirlwind. Tan Yangzi looked at his increasingly tall and straight back, feeling a faint sense of satisfaction and relief in his heart.

When he had first picked him up, he was so small, looking like a wolf cub with a guarded expression toward everyone, as if ready to bite at any moment. In a flash, ten years had passed. Now he was increasingly sensible and could even cook for him.

It was just that he couldn't stay in the Mortal Realm all the time, so he often had to leave him alone in this garden. Fortunately, ten days in Hell was only one day in the Mortal Realm, so he generally wouldn't be gone for too long. It was only in recent years, as Yan Fei grew older, that the time he spent back there started to lengthen. However, Yan Fei didn't seem very happy about this. He still remembered the year Yan Fei turned sixteen; he had left the Mortal Realm for a month for the first time. When he returned, Yan Fei hadn't spoken to him for three whole days. That cold and gloomy demeanor was almost more professional than his own. If it had been an average peer, they probably would have been frightened by him. Even when he humbled himself to buy cheese and candied fruit to coax him, it was to no avail. For the usually obedient and well-behaved Yan Fei, this was simply unnatural. In the end, at his wit's end, Tan Yangzi left in a fit of anger. After catching ghosts, he went straight back to Hell, and it was about half a month before he came back again.

As a result, Yan Fei inexplicably returned to normal, and was even more sensible than before. Tan Yangzi then classified that incident as an episode of adolescent rebellion on Yan Fei's part and never mentioned it again.

But it seemed that Yan Fei's thoughts of becoming a Red Impermanence began from that very incident?

Before noon arrived, Yan Fei had laid out a table full of dishes, and they were all vegetarian. In order to maintain this body for a longer time, Tan Yangzi practiced the Art of Longevity, so he needed to maintain a vegetarian diet. However, he had never demanded that Yan Fei must do the same. But Yan Fei seemed not to mind at all; every time, he would eat the same things as him, and would even use various methods to make the vegetarian dishes taste as delicious as meat dishes.

Tan Yangzi picked up a chopstick-full of pickled bamboo shoots and tasted them. The flavor was exceptionally fresh, and the corners of his mouth curved into a slight, satisfied smile. Seeing that he seemed to like it very much, Yan Fei became even happier and picked up his own bowl and chopsticks. The two ate quietly for a while before Yan Fei asked, "Master, the Tan Yu we saw in your illusion earlier, was he your senior martial brother when you were young?"

Tan Yangzi glanced at him, feeling a bit displeased in his heart. He knew Yan Fei would definitely ask about the things seen in his illusion...

"Yes."

"Did you have a good relationship with him?"

Tan Yangzi raised an eyebrow. "The Thorn-Heart Ghost manifests as people I hold some degree of resentment or jealousy towards in my heart. Why would you think I had a good relationship with him?"

"Because when you saw him, the light and colors around you became somewhat softer. Moreover, if you didn't have a good relationship with him, I'm afraid you would have left that illusion long ago. After all, you said at the time that he treated you very well in the illusion, which means you had many opportunities to kill him, and you wouldn't have needed my help. But you didn't make a move, which shows that even though you clearly knew it was an illusion and that he was most likely the Thorn-Heart Ghost, you still couldn't bear to kill him. Presumably, the Thorn-Heart Ghost also noticed this point, which is why it transformed into his appearance."

Tan Yangzi did not like that Yan Fei was actually practicing those mind-analyzing tricks of the Red Impermanence on him, so his face turned cold. "You have the free time to ponder over these things, but no time to spend more of it inside Guan Yi's head? If Guan Yi goes mad, do you know how much trouble I'll be in?"

Yan Fei pursed his lips as if somewhat embarrassed, lowering his head to shovel rice into his mouth. Seeing his aggrieved look, Tan Yangzi felt that there was actually nothing to hide, so he ate a slice of bamboo shoot and said lightly, "It was just that when I was young, before I recovered my memories, I rather admired him. Later, as we grew older, we drifted apart."

"Why did you drift apart when you grew older?" Yan Fei looked up, puzzled.

Tan Yangzi sighed and said, "Maybe my personality wasn't very good back then, and it made him uncomfortable."

Speaking of which, could Tan Yu be considered his first love in this life? Being regarded by his first love as a gloomy, wretched weirdo who secretly fantasized about him was truly a very failed experience...

That's right, compared to women, Tan Yangzi preferred men. It was just that before he recovered his memories, he didn't understand what that feeling was. Only later did he understand what the dull, heart-tearing pain after overhearing Tan Yu's words and the bitterness of those sleepless nights were all about.

Love between two men was not uncommon, but in the Mortal Realm, it was ultimately considered an affront against orthodoxy. However, since Tan Yangzi was an Underworld Emissary from Hell, he naturally didn't care about the rules of the Mortal Realm.

"Nonsense!" Yan Fei said, his face filled with indignation. "Master, although you look fierce, you're actually so gentle and cute, and so tall and handsome. What could possibly make him uncomfortable!"

Tan Yangzi nearly spat out a mouthful of noodles... Gentle?! Cute?!

"You brat, you're getting more and more disrespectful," Tan Yangzi said sternly. "No wonder you were chased back from that academy before even a year was up. What teacher could possibly suppress you..."

"I'm the one who stopped going," Yan Fei said disdainfully. "That old man doesn't understand anything; he only knows how to preach grandiose principles. If you ask him why this is right and that is wrong, he only knows how to trot out what the ancient sages said and so on. Is what the sages said absolutely right? Sages are human too, wouldn't they make mistakes?"

Seeing Yan Fei speaking with such a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, Tan Yangzi chuckled. If that old gentleman, who was quite famous throughout West Bianliang, heard Yan Fei judge him like this, he'd probably be so angry he'd ascend to the heavens...

After eating lunch, Yan Fei came back from clearing the bowls and chopsticks, only to see Tan Yangzi had placed a black candle, a somewhat worn porcelain bowl, and three chopsticks on the table. One look and Yan Fei knew what this was used for. After all, he had long read about basic arrays like the Corpse Candle Array in the introductory textbooks studied by the Red Impermanence, and he had seen Tan Yangzi lock away those odd-smelling black candles in the locked cabinet in the study more than once.

Yan Fei actually could have long since secretly picked the lock and sneakily used those candles to practice setting up the Corpse Candle Array. For someone who could even learn the Dream-Entering Spell, this kind of basic spell couldn't be any simpler.

But since Tan Yangzi told him not to open that cabinet, he really had never opened it.

Tan Yangzi said to him, "On the first day, I'll teach you something simple. The Corpse Candle Array, you should already know about it."

Yan Fei found it hard to suppress the excitement in his expression, nodding vigorously. "Before the sun sets, the yang energy in the Mortal Realm is too heavy, so Underworld Emissaries cannot see the evil ghosts hidden within the bodies of mortals. Therefore, one must use the Corpse Candle Array to allow their five senses to enter the Intermediate Realm to investigate. The effect of a regular Corpse Candle Array can last for one to two hours, but if it's a candle made from the corpse oil squeezed out of an ancient corpse over a hundred years old, it can last for sixteen to twenty-four hours."

Tan Yangzi nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. Then do you know why in the Intermediate Realm, one can simultaneously see the living beings in Hell and the Mortal Realm?"

"Because within the Six Realms, the Human Realm where humans reside, the Intermediate Realm where lesser ghosts reside, and the Hell Realm where evil ghosts reside almost entirely overlap. The Intermediate Realm lies between humans and Hell, having many connecting points to both sides. Therefore, it is the easiest realm to enter, and also the most unstable realm."

Tan Yangzi handed the porcelain bowl to Yan Fei. "Go and fill a bowl of raw rice."

Yan Fei did as instructed. When he returned, he saw that Tan Yangzi already had the Karma-Severing Sword gripped in his hand.

"Besides the corpse candle, this bowl of rice and the three chopsticks are used as offerings to the lesser ghosts in the Intermediate Realm, so that they won't hinder us while we conduct our affairs. This is a rule established long ago between the Hell Realm and the Intermediate Realm. Before lighting the candle, you must first prepare the rice and stick these three chopsticks vertically inside it; they cannot be tilted in the slightest. At the same time, you must verbally chant the Rebirth Mantra three times." As Tan Yangzi spoke, he handed the three chopsticks to him. "Your attitude must be respectful. Whatever attitude you have when offering incense to the Three Pure Ones in the temple, you must have that same attitude now. After finishing these steps, light the candle."

Yan Fei followed the instructions one by one. Finally, with an incomparably excited mood, he blew on the fire starter until it flared and carefully lit that black candle.

However, nothing happened.

Tan Yangzi did not get angry either. He straightforwardly blew out the black candle, tossed it aside, took another one out from his sleeve, and handed it to Yan Fei. "Again."

They tried three times in a row, and Yan Fei chanted the Rebirth Mantra until his voice was about to go hoarse, but he still couldn't grasp the trick. Every step was clearly correct, so why exactly was this happening? Such a simple spell really shouldn't be like this!

Seeing Yan Fei's face showing frustration and self-blame, Tan Yangzi said, "Don't be anxious. This kind of thing is like learning to swim. Even if you know all the movements, you still need to find the right feeling to master it."

Yan Fei let out an "ah" and asked again, "Then how long will it take to find the right feeling?"

"Everyone is different," Tan Yangzi said in a deep and plain voice. "Some candidate Impermanences can never find the feeling in their entire lives, so they can only remain candidates forever. You are human. Your yang energy is much heavier than those candidate Impermanences, so don't be too optimistic."

"...Master, you're completely not comforting me at all..."

"Mm, not at all."

"..." Yan Fei secretly rolled his eyes. His old man was indeed looking for every opportunity to strike down his enthusiasm for wanting to become a Red Impermanence. But he had been with Tan Yangzi for ten years after all. If he couldn't even pass this little test, how could he become a man his master could rely on in the future?!

Adhering to this unyielding spirit, Yan Fei started over again and again. The rice was changed a dozen times, and his voice went hoarse. Tan Yangzi sat to the side, took a pair of Yan Fei's pants that had a hole in them to sew and mend, then played chess with himself for a while, and then found a book from the study to read. Right before the sun set, from amidst the room full of foul corpse stench, a strange and rich fragrance finally separated out. The rose-colored evening glow originally scattered in the courtyard abruptly cooled down. A faint mist shrouded them from all directions, and the distant sound of water, the barking of dogs in the village, and the clucking of chickens and ducks in the yard all came to an abrupt halt.

Yan Fei let out a cheer, almost jumping up, and shouted childishly, "I did it!!!!"

Tan Yangzi glanced at the dozen or so wasted candles on the ground nearby, feeling a bit of heartache. He sighed, put down the book in his hand, and picked up his sword. "Let's go, we'll take a look outside. I'll remind you in advance, some people might have some adverse reactions when they see the sights outside."

"Adverse reactions?"

As Tan Yangzi spoke, the corners of his mouth hooked up faintly into a light smile, and there was a hint of mischief in his expression. "Mm. Mild ones include nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. More severe ones include fainting or going mad."