The Taoists of Cuiwei Mountain used the Art of Source-Tracing to track the zombie’s movements and had even exchanged blows with it. The creature’s magical power was unfathomable; preliminary estimates suggested it was a ten-thousand-year-old zombie, though its reasons for abducting the ninth mistress of the Liu family remained a mystery.
However, any Taoist who had dealt with supernatural entities knew that such creatures acted entirely according to their own whims. Cuiwei Mountain found the matter quite thorny. During their last encounter, they sensed its strength was not what it once was, confirming it had been injured. Yet, even wounded, a ten-thousand-year-old Great Demon was not to be underestimated.
The heir to the Prince of Pingnan had entreated the State Preceptor many times. Previously, this mysterious sorcerer—who lived deep within the palace walls, refining elixirs and praying for the Emperor’s blessings—had remained unmoved. He was a transcendent master of the hidden world, treated with such reverence by the Emperor that no one dared offend him. Consequently, he had no intention of doing the Prince’s son a favor. It was only upon hearing of a ten-thousand-year-old Great Demon that his interest was piqued. If he could seize the essence of such a creature’s cultivation, it might aid his own ascension to immortality.
After weighing his options, he finally agreed to perform this "favor." The Taoists of Cuiwei Mountain hailed from a prestigious sect and disdained the ignoble act of seizing another’s cultivation essence, so they cared little for the State Preceptor’s demand to take the demon for himself. The creature had caused them to lose face; their sect leader had already decided to come in person, but it was unknown how long it would take for reinforcements from Cuiwei Mountain to arrive. If the ninth mistress was still alive, rescuing her a day sooner was for the best.
Though no one knew if a zombie was capable of violating a maiden’s virtue, the tongues of the world had been the source of trouble since ancient times. For such an event to occur was a stain on the young lady's reputation.
The two parties first joined forces to corner the zombie in front of a tavern. It had been carrying a food box, its contents unknown, and the Liu girl was nowhere to be seen. Some of the more imaginative Taoists even secretly speculated—could the girl have already been chopped into pieces and packed into that box?
That skirmish only served to excite the State Preceptor further. This ten-thousand-year-old demon was far more ferocious than any he had encountered before. The patterns within its eyes were incredibly strange, unlike anything he had seen in his life; it was likely no ordinary ancient zombie.
The green-eyed zombie had expended a great deal of effort to break through their formation, eventually clashing with the State Preceptor. The Preceptor was no fraud, yet he could feel the gap between them. He sensed this was an anomalous being, its strength significantly diminished for some unknown reason. Its true power was likely far beyond his comprehension.
After that battle, he consulted many ancient texts. They contained records regarding the *Ba*. He had never encountered a *Ba*, of course, but the singular patterns in the zombie’s eyes bore a resemblance to descriptions in the ancient literature. He felt a secret jolt of alarm—could this truly be the *Ba*, the ancestor of all zombies? But why did the records describe the *Ba* as a goddess?
He mentioned this to no one. Nüba was an ancient fallen deity; her true power was not something a mortal could measure. If he spoke of it, there was no telling if these Taoists would still dare to strike. But if fate allowed him to obtain its essence...
Now that it had come here heavily wounded, was this not his destined fortune?
***
After Liu Shuixian finished her meal, the green-eyed zombie habitually carried her on its back for a stroll through the mountains. The evening sun cast a lingering glow, and wild flowers bloomed in the thickets, lending the scene a certain refined elegance. Shuixian, however, could not feel elegant. At home, she could compose poetry, but now, riding on the neck of a zombie...
The green-eyed zombie carried her to the stream once more. Over the past few days, it had bought her many sets of clothes, yet she insisted on washing her discarded garments every day. This habit was identical to the Qiao’er of many years ago.
As Shuixian washed her clothes by the stream, she suddenly saw a gold bracelet reflecting the piercing light of the setting sun. She picked it up and examined it closely, her heart skipping a beat. This was her bracelet, but she had thrown it away at the mountain entrance when the zombie first carried her into these woods. How could it be here?
She stroked the bracelet, lost in thought, unaware that the green-eyed zombie had stepped away at some point. The vast, empty valley left her alone and afraid. She looked around, only to see a black speck approaching from the direction of the setting sun.
She instinctively took a step back as she realized the speck was two figures flying on a sword. One of them she actually recognized—it was the heir to the Prince of Pingnan. The other wore a grey Taoist robe, a precious sword slung across his back, his long hair tied high with a grey hairpin, the very image of a Taoist master.
Before Shuixian could speak, the Prince’s son descended from the sword. It was his first time witnessing such profound magic, and his admiration for the man behind him was boundless. "Shuixian, this is the State Preceptor I mentioned before. With his help, we will surely subdue this monster."
As he spoke, Shuixian realized he had taken her hands in his. she lowered her head slightly, feeling her hands enveloped in his broad, warm palms. It felt warm and steady, and for a moment, she forgot all propriety. "Your Highness..."
Her face flushed. The Prince’s son held her hands, unwilling to let go. Behind them, the State Preceptor remained indifferent. "Miss Liu, where has that zombie gone?"
Shuixian blinked, equally confused. "It didn't tell me where it was going, but usually... it returns shortly after leaving. By the way, how did this bracelet get here?"
Hearing this, the State Preceptor’s expression grew anxious. "In that case, I shall be brief. I placed this bracelet here, hoping you would see it and find a way to meet us alone. This demon’s cultivation is celestial; subduing it is no easy task. However, it seems to bear you no killing intent. Miss Liu, would you cooperate with me? Tomorrow at noon, lure it to Twin Breast Peaks in the northeast. I will be able to subdue it then."
At these words, the Prince’s son’s expression changed. "Preceptor, are we not taking Shuixian back now?"
The State Preceptor pulled a small vial of mutton-fat white jade from his robes, his tone calm. "If we rescue Miss Liu now, the demon will surely return to harass her before long. It is better to subdue it once and for all to eliminate future troubles."
The Prince’s son was still uneasy, but the Preceptor handed the jade vial to Shuixian. "When it returns tonight, find an opportunity to pour this talisman water onto its body. It would be even better if you could make it drink it. That way, when it enters the formation tomorrow at noon, it will surely die."
Shuixian’s hands trembled as she took the small vial. The Prince’s son could not bear for her to face danger again; if the plan was exposed, the zombie would surely be enraged. What could a weak woman like her do?
But the State Preceptor clearly did not care for such reasons. He summoned his sword again, gripped the Prince’s son’s arm to bring him onto the blade, and left one final sentence: "Do not be afraid. After tomorrow, this demon will be eliminated. You and the Prince’s son shall be joined in a century of harmony, with no more obstacles."
Shuixian watched them fly away. She clutched the jade vial tightly, not even noticing when her clothes were swept away by the stream. *After tomorrow, this demon will be eliminated.* The Preceptor’s words echoed in her ears. This should have been a good thing; it would never appear again, never disturb her life. Yet, her heart was filled with a complex tangle of emotions.
The green-eyed zombie was gone for a full hour. When it returned, Shuixian was still sitting by the stream in a daze. It piled everything it had brought before her. Shuixian was dazzled by the glittering array of pearls and jade, but the zombie was simply happy, picking up a pearl hairpin to measure it against her hair. The hairpins of mortal women were complicated, and it did not know how to fasten them. Shuixian let it clumsily gesture around her head. So... it had left just to find these things?
She put her own bracelet on her wrist and looked down at the clear mountain stream. "I don't like these. Take them back." Her voice was very low, yet it was distinct in the lonely wilderness. The zombie did not get angry, letting the pile of jewelry lie there like trash.
It spoke little, and Shuixian did not know what to say to it. Man and corpse sat in silence. As the sun sank and twilight shrouded the foothills, Shuixian touched the porcelain vial in her sleeve. She looked up and met the zombie’s gaze. Its eyes were too translucent; looking at them for long, they didn't seem terrifying, but rather like the emeralds on her hairpins.
She felt she should try to communicate with it again. This zombie had indeed disrupted her life, but now, she did not hate it intensely. If it could simply stop appearing, perhaps it didn't have to die?
"You said your name is Hou, right?" she asked cautiously, trying to engage it. They had spent so much time together, and it had never been cruel to her. Shuixian was no longer as terrified as she had been at the start.
The green-eyed zombie was delighted. In all these days, this was the first time she had initiated a conversation. "Yes, I am Hou," it answered quickly. It was both surprised and overjoyed by her willingness to talk, wanting to move closer but afraid of startling her.
Shuixian sat by the stream. The crescent moon had just risen, its light dim. She could not see its face clearly. "Hou, who is the Qiao’er you speak of?"
The green-eyed zombie lowered its head and thought for a while. Who was Qiao’er?
"Qiao’er is your past life. A long time ago, a Taoist dug me out of a grave mound and put me in a cave over there. Then he chattered in my ear every day. I couldn't understand him anyway, so I ignored him. One day, he suddenly opened my coffin and threw you in..."
The mountain wind rustled through the trees as the green-eyed zombie’s voice, deep and low, recounted a story from a distant time. Its ability to express itself was poor; it often had to go back and add details it had missed. Shuixian listened intently. A few days ago, she never would have imagined sitting by a mountain stream, listening to a zombie tell a story. Yet she was drawn in. The whispered songs, the partings and reunions—was that girl named Qiao’er truly her past life?
She tried hard to remember, but there was not a single impression.
This was reincarnation—the gift of life granted by the Heavenly Dao, a brand new beginning. All that came before, the days and nights of devotion, the love that followed unto death, had ultimately vanished like smoke, never to return.
When a story, from beginning to end, has become someone else’s story, what does it matter if there was love? What does it matter if there was hate? I have forgotten it all; why should I care for the bitterness of days gone by?
When the story reached its end, Shuixian gave a bitter smile. "Alright, Hou. I don't know if I really am the Qiao’er you speak of..."
"You are," the green-eyed zombie answered instantly.
"Fine, even if I am." Shuixian spoke every word slowly, fearing a sudden movement might provoke it. "But Master Hou, for humans, reincarnation represents the end of all love, hate, and obsession. The karma of the past life ended with the past life. You are not looking for me; you are looking for the Qiao’er in your memory. But have you ever thought that what you are desperately pursuing is merely her memories and emotions—the recollections of your time together? I have none of that. I do not believe in reincarnation, but even if I am her rebirth, I have no connection to her. I am the same as any other soul."
The green-eyed zombie froze. It had never thought of this. It only knew it had to find Qiao’er and be with her again. But the person before it was saying that Qiao’er was gone, and all those memories would belong to it alone. The tears, the songs, the intimacy—in the end, only it would remember.
"Master Hou, I am living a good life. I already have a betrothed, and I will be married in a month. I will serve my husband and teach my children, living out this life of mine. Perhaps there will be changes in the future, and I might not be happy. But no matter how many hardships I face, I am willing to be myself. I am Liu Shuixian. I am not your Qiao’er. Master Hou, perhaps you truly did have a tender and lingering love story, but what is past should be allowed to pass. To be too obsessed is, in the end, only to suffer."
The green-eyed zombie shook its head gently, not knowing how to answer her. She was Qiao’er; her personality was forever so gentle and placid, yet she was terrifyingly stubborn to the bone. She was Qiao’er, but she no longer remembered him.
Qiao’er told Hou that she already had a husband, and Hou should no longer appear in her life.
Qiao’er told Hou that he should not be obsessed with the past.
Qiao’er had forgotten Hou.
***
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