The Green-Eyed Zombie took decent care of Qiao’er’s three disciples. For one, Guantian Court now only possessed these three precious little Taoists, making them as rare as national treasures. Secondly, since they were Qiao’er’s disciples, it felt they were practically its own.
Yaoguang, Tianquan, and Kaiyang, however, avoided it whenever possible. There was no helping it—its appearance was far too "invigorating" for the senses.
The Green-Eyed Zombie remained blissfully unaware of this, failing to realize they were avoiding it out of fear. Instead, it simply felt that its inability to communicate with others was quite inconvenient. Thus, one day, it pestered Qiao’er with a request to learn human speech and writing.
Qiao’er naturally agreed. Moreover, her three disciples weren't exactly scholars; a bit of reading and writing was certainly necessary. Consequently, the magic curriculum at Guantian Court gained a new course: Human-Zombie Bilingual Education.
It was impossible for a normal zombie to speak human tongues. Their vocal cords and muscles had long since stiffened with their corpses, making it impossible to vibrate and produce sound; thus, they had their own unique language. However, the Green-Eyed Zombie’s current body was virtually indistinguishable from a human’s, so learning human speech was not difficult.
The Green-Eyed Zombie was undoubtedly the most hardworking and ambitious member of the zombie race, and this diligence extended to learning human language. Qiao’er began by teaching it common daily phrases, a process not unlike teaching a toddler to speak.
The first thing it learned was, naturally, Qiao’er’s name. Qiao’er opened her mouth wide, demonstrating the pronunciation slowly. It was soon able to call out: "Qiao!"
The trailing "er" sound was a bit more difficult. Qiao’er used exaggerated gestures to show it how to curl its tongue. At first, its tongue was stiff, but gradually it learned to call her name clearly. Thus, during the day, it would lie in its coffin and incessantly call out: "Qiao... er! Qiao... er!"
Slowly, it felt its pronunciation was accurate. Filled with a sense of accomplishment, it immediately rolled over and poked Qiao’er awake from her afternoon nap, calling her name with great excitement: "Qiao’er!"
Qiao’er was equally excited, nodding vigorously in response: "Yes!"
It called out repeatedly, and she responded every time, neither of them showing the slightest hint of impatience. As Qiao’er played along, she couldn't help but think it was a good thing Fan Shaohuang wasn't around, or he would surely mock them for being a pair of idiots...
Qiao’er couldn't spend all day in the coffin with it. Reviving Guantian Court required much work, the most urgent of which was training her three disciples. Her biggest headache was their frequent attempts to run away. Of course, as mere mortals, how could they possibly escape Qiao’er’s grasp? With her current strength, even Fan Shaojing wouldn't come to Guantian Court to look for trouble.
Thus, the trio’s escapes always ended with Qiao’er catching them and bringing them back. After a few times, Qiao’er grew annoyed; she couldn't keep doing this forever. She couldn't bring herself to do something as wicked as feeding them "Three-Corpse Brain-Devouring Pills," so after much thought, she finally devised a method—she fashioned their clothes out of the spiritual energy surrounding Guantian Court.
The white silk Taoist robes, embroidered with faint cloud patterns, made the three look like ethereal immortals. From a distance, one could even see a faint seven-colored radiance. However, because they were formed from the local spiritual energy, the spell's effectiveness decreased with distance. Once they left the vicinity of Guantian Court, the magic would fail and the clothes would vanish, finally putting an end to their thoughts of escape.
If Fan Shaohuang knew that the demonic power he had painstakingly gathered was being used for such things, one wondered if he would fly into a fit of rage.
Cultivation was not the work of a single day, but it was possible to learn a few flashy tricks in a short time to fool visiting pilgrims. Qiao’er first taught them how to handle visitors: "First is your expression. Remember, you must be serious. Keep your movements to a minimum and look profound. A hidden master doesn't necessarily need great skill, but they must maintain an air of absolute authority."
She could barely demonstrate this herself, but the perfect textbook example was Fan Shaohuang. She still couldn't forget the aura of a transcendent master he had projected when she first saw him. Thus, she led her disciples to the array and had them observe Fan Shaohuang closely.
The three had a sudden realization, while Fan Shaohuang grew increasingly uncomfortable under their scrutiny...
"Second is, naturally, drawing talismans. Whether the talisman is correct doesn't matter; the key is to make the observer feel it is complex, profound, and incomprehensible... A talisman isn't a failure if it's ugly; the greatest failure is if someone can actually tell what you drew..."
There was a reference for this as well. She picked up a few talismans Fan Shaohuang had drawn in the past and told them to study them, encouraging them to imitate but emphasizing the importance of "innovation."
"Third is your rhetoric. This is actually very similar to drawing talismans. Whether what you say is right isn't the point; the greatest failure is if someone actually understands what you're saying. However, there is a universal phrase you can all use, which is: 'Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed; the fated moment has not yet arrived, so this humble Taoist cannot say more.'"
This universal phrase directly led to an incident that boosted Guantian Court’s reputation to a new level. It was a day with clear skies when a pilgrim, feeling an urgent call of nature, found Tianquan, who was currently (pretentiously) interpreting lots. "Excuse me, Daoist, where is the latrine of Guantian Court?"
Tianquan was racking his brain trying to figure out how to make up a story for a divination lot when he was suddenly asked. He immediately looked up with a solemn, profoundly mysterious expression and said, "Infinite Heavenly Lord. Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed; the fated moment has not yet arrived, so this humble Taoist cannot say more."
The pilgrim was utterly confused. Later, after being directed by someone else, he finally found the latrine. But he kept thinking about Tianquan’s words, and in his distracted state, he actually missed his footing and fell in.
When he was finally rescued, he rushed to Tianquan’s table, clutching Tianquan’s hand with tears streaming down his face: "Heaven's secret! It truly was a secret of heaven! You actually predicted that I would face this calamity! Daoist Tianquan, you are a god among men, a god!!"
Everyone praised him, while Tianquan stared at the filth on his hands, speechless.
Of course, that was a later story. At this time, Guantian Court was still largely deserted.
Human language was far richer than that of the zombie race, and naturally, far more complex. There were often meanings Qiao’er didn't know how to convey, such as happiness, anger, or sadness.
But eventually, she thought of a way to solve this. She called Tianquan, the most honest of the three disciples, to her small wooden hut and said very solemnly, "You have performed well. Your master has decided to let you leave!"
"Really?" Tianquan jumped three feet high in joy. Qiao’er turned back and explained in Ghost Script on the Green-Eyed Zombie’s palm: *See, this is called 'pleasant surprise.'*
The Green-Eyed Zombie understood. Qiao’er turned back to Tianquan: "Yes, and since you have done much for Guantian Court these past days, I have decided to reward you with two pearls. These are treasures from the Dragon Palace, very rare."
She held out two pearls the size of longans, then turned back and wrote on the zombie’s palm: *Look, this is 'ecstasy'!*
The Green-Eyed Zombie had a great realization.
Just as Tianquan was about to joyfully take the pearls, Qiao’er pulled her hand back. "Your heart for the Dao is not sincere, and your greed is not yet restrained. Disciple, your cultivation is lacking!"
Tianquan realized he had been tricked and hung his head. Qiao’er turned back and wrote: *This expression is 'disappointment.' Because he didn't get what he wanted.*
The Green-Eyed Zombie thought humans were truly interesting.
Qiao’er turned back to Tianquan once more: "As punishment, starting tomorrow, you are responsible for cleaning the entire Guantian Court. You are not allowed to eat until you are finished!"
"What?!" Tianquan shouted. "How could I possibly clean such a large place by myself?!"
Qiao’er said to the Green-Eyed Zombie: "Look, this expression is 'anger'!"
***
At dusk, Qiao’er took some wine to the array at the junction of the mountains and sea to see Fan Shaohuang. Inside the array, he sat on a prayer mat, watching the distant sunset. The sun sank bit by bit. Once the twilight faded, darkness would swallow the sea, sky, and mountains.
The thick protection of spiritual energy was actually suitable for his soul’s cultivation, so he had not grown weaker despite his imprisonment.
Qiao’er poured the wine before the array. Although he could not enter reincarnation, he was now a soul entity and could not easily touch physical objects. He did not refuse Qiao’er’s wine. He didn't know how much longer he would be trapped here; having someone to talk to occasionally, even if they weren't friends, was always good.
"Are you watching the sunset?" Qiao’er sat down before the array. Aside from coming to talk to him, she couldn't find any other way to express her apology. "Do you see that place? Ba... died there."
Fan Shaohuang looked in the direction she pointed. The twilight had dyed the waves a golden-red, and the beach was empty. After watching for a while, he finally responded, "You needn't dwell on it. For her, it was merely a release."
"I’m not dwelling on it, I’ve just slowly come to understand some things these past few days." Qiao’er’s voice was calm and serene, harmonizing with the sound of the tide. "Legend says Ba was the foster daughter of the Yellow Emperor, known since ancient times as a Celestial Maiden. After the battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, she was unable to return to the heavens because she was tainted by the turbid air of the mortal realm. I assume she always loved you, and later, for some reason, she entered the Path of Demons. The first time she broke through the seal to come out was because she realized you might be in danger."
Qiao’er looked up at Fan Shaohuang. Inside the array, he drank the wine. "Continue."
"It might have been at this time that the Hou began to covet her power, but back then, it was clearly no match for her. So it desperately killed demons and gathered their essence for you, all to make it difficult for you to suppress those essences, leading to a second moment of danger. And when Ba broke the seal of the Path of Demons again, she was already much weaker, giving the Hou an opportunity." Qiao’er poured more wine before the array. Fan Shaohuang drank for a while before saying, "Though not exactly right, it’s not far off."
Qiao’er didn't get up. She believed Fan Shaohuang would tell her some things; after all, so much time had passed, and it was good to have a listener for those old stories covered in cobwebs and dust. Qiao’er wasn't one for gossip, but Ba had been unable to return to the heavens because of the turbid air. Would the Green-Eyed Zombie, having inherited her power, really be unaffected?
The curse of being born to dwell forever in darkness—was there truly no way to break it in this world?
Fan Shaohuang drank some wine and finally began to tell a story. He spoke of Pangu creating the world, of Nuwa creating humanity, of Gonggong crashing into Mount Buzhou... The glory and brilliance of the past had been forgotten by humans, but the gods still remembered.
"After Chiyou was defeated, Ba was left in the mortal world because she was tainted by turbid air. You must understand, she was a Celestial Maiden; if that turbidity could have been washed away, the Yellow Emperor would not have treated her so. But the turbid air she was tainted with was called 'Desire'." He gazed at the sun, which was about to sink, as if lost in the memories of that distant time. "Desire—spending a lifetime pursuing, yet never being satisfied. The Yellow Emperor had no choice but to order me to kill her. In the end, during that battle, she fell in love with me. Perhaps that was merely the influence of the turbid air, but I could not love her back. Because once she obtained what she wanted, she would produce new desires, discarding what she had gained to eternally chase what she did not have."
He looked at Qiao’er’s startled gaze and slightly curled his lips in something like a smile. "I requested repeatedly, and the Yellow Emperor agreed to force her into the Path of Demons, never to return to the mortal or heavenly realms. But over the years, she began to fail. Invaded by the turbid air and unable to get what she wanted, she went mad. She slaughtered more than half of the creatures in the Path of Demons. She was an ancient fallen god; no demon was her match. Thus, I received the command from the heavens to kill her."
The sky grew darker. His voice was very faint, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him, yet Qiao’er was deeply confused. "An ancient fallen god, and a mad one at that—dealing with her would be no easy task, yet you chose to reincarnate into a mortal body."
Fan Shaohuang turned to look at her, quietly continuing the story. "Do you think she really didn't plan for herself during her two exits from the Path of Demons? Foolish. From the first moment I saw her and she told me she was Ba, my memories began to awaken. At that time, she had broken the seal for the first time and was already badly injured. But with my divine power unrecovered, trying to deal with her was a fool's dream. Later, my Senior Brother was ambushed and most of his cultivation was drained. Senior Brother was always kind and rarely made enemies. I immediately suspected the Hou. Although Senior Brother’s cultivation wasn't profound, it was the most pure, making it perfect for building a foundation. But the Hou had been by my side; the only ones in Guantian Court who could have done it were the other two Flying Corpses."
Qiao’er had to admit that this man’s thinking was indeed meticulous. "But if it were the other two Flying Corpses, Senior Brother couldn't have been completely defenseless. So, someone must have been helping them in the shadows. Ba could easily have allowed Senior Brother’s cultivation to be drained while he was off-guard, but why would she do that?"
This was also what Qiao’er was curious about. Fan Shaohuang turned to her. "She couldn't have suddenly become kind-hearted, which means she actually wanted the Hou’s plan to succeed. And the Hou draining Senior Brother’s cultivation was clearly to build a foundation for you. Of course, there was a second purpose—to frame me."
He spoke of these things matter-of-factly, without a trace of hatred. Qiao’er widened her eyes. "You knew all along that Daoist Fan Shaojing’s power was within me?"
Fan Shaohuang was dismissive. "I’m not blind; how could I not see your cultivation level? However, I also needed this plan, because I had to lure Ba out of the Path of Demons a second time. The seal of the Path of Demons was co-signed by the gods of old; it is more useful than any divine artifact. But Ba helping the Hou meant she also needed a reason to enter and exit the Path of Demons again, so she must have already had a better escape route."
This time, Qiao’er seemed to understand. "Her escape route... was related to me?"
Fan Shaohuang didn't answer her directly. "I kept wondering why she wanted to create a second entry and exit. After much thought, only one reason was logical—she intended to weaken her own power, and significantly so. And what could be the reason for an ancient fallen god to intentionally weaken herself?" Fan Shaohuang leaned against the rocks behind him. The sky was dark now, and a mist began to rise over the sea, turning everything hazy. "Later, I suddenly understood. She must have wanted to seize a body. Her divine body was severely damaged, and a human body cannot contain the soul of a god. She had to continuously weaken her own power to prevent the new body from exploding under the strain. And you were undoubtedly a very suitable candidate."
Qiao’er tightly gripped the wine jug as some of her doubts finally began to clear. She began to understand that the manual Ba had given her to strengthen her meridians was actually intended to help Ba herself.
"You spent a long time with the Hou and were tainted with much corpse qi. It was possible for your body to accommodate her, the Zombie Ancestor, provided her soul was extremely weak. Once she changed bodies, she could remain in the mortal realm for a long time. But I... could not let her plan succeed. So I could only worsen my own injuries and continuously drain her magic. In the end, she couldn't hold out any longer and implemented her plan prematurely."
The waves crashed against the reefs with a rhythmic sound. Qiao’er stared blankly at the empty beach. "She wanted to possess me. To prevent the Hou from retaliating and to finally exhaust her own magic, she had to kill the Hou first. By then, her soul was already too weak, so she wanted me there—not to help her, but so that after she killed the Hou, her soul could immediately attach itself to my body."
As Qiao’er thought through all this, she didn't feel sad, only very lost. "I always thought it was strange that the Hou’s plan went so smoothly, but it turns out..."
"You needn't blame her," Fan Shaohuang also gazed at the beach. "When one lives too long, the sense of right and wrong inevitably fades. Many things are just people taking what they need; there is no right or wrong."
Qiao’er looked directly at the man in the array. Perhaps women were more sentimental. "Daoist Fan Shaohuang, from beginning to end, did you really never love her? If... if she could have stopped once she won you over, would you have been willing to fulfill her wish?"
It was a long time before Fan Shaohuang answered. "It is not that because she loved me, I needed to respond. My reincarnation as a human to end her life was merely a destiny set by heaven. That is why we are here now—she is gone, and everything has ended. As for me, I must repay the loneliness and solitude she suffered for my sake."
Qiao’er picked up the wine jug and left. She didn't like such heavy stories. Inside the array, Fan Shaohuang remained sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat. He gazed at the beach in the night. It was a night without stars or moon, and his voice was very, very low, hidden in the sound of the tide.
"But, if being with you could have washed away the turbid desires, perhaps... perhaps..." He ultimately did not finish, even though his only listener was himself.
Too much time had passed, and even the protagonists had left the stage. What meaning was there in those "what ifs"?
***
**Glossary**
