Chapter 218: Meeting Wuji Again

As Tian Yizi once said, "You are a person not of this world, unconstrained by its rules." Yet, at this moment, Zhou Qing felt that he had not escaped those rules at all. Ever since he arrived in this realm, he had felt like nothing more than a pawn in someone else’s hand. His journey thus far had been shrouded in confusion, yet it felt as though everything had been meticulously arranged by an invisible force.

Deep down, Zhou Qing harbored a desire to defy this control, but he was acutely aware that defiance required strength, and currently, he was far too weak.

"If it is truly possible to resurrect you, then should I temporarily walk the path of a pawn?"

Having made a decision, Zhou Qing examined the red jade in his palm once more before carefully tucking it into his treasure pouch. With his hands clasped behind his back, he descended the mountain. Leaving Dongguo Town and Jinling County behind, he headed toward Tianmen County, the seat of the region.

Because Lin Feier had married into a family in Tianmen County, he intended to visit the Lin family. Regardless of the circumstances, they had treated him with great kindness during his years in Jinling County, and his bond with Lin Feier was closer than that of siblings. He still remembered the day he left Jinling County; the young girl had cried until her eyes were red, reluctant to see him go as she walked him to the city gates. Zhou Qing had no family of his own, but in his heart, the Lin family and his old apprentice, Yin Mao, who lived far away in Jiayu County of the Great Tang Kingdom, were his kin.

On the road to Tianmen County, Zhou Qing found himself passing through a familiar place: Litang Village. He stopped at the wild lake on the outskirts of the village, stood by the shore for a moment, and then leaped into the water. Once submerged, he drifted toward the entrance of the ancient tomb, moved the heavy stones blocking the way, and slipped inside.

Descending into the tomb, Zhou Qing tapped his treasure pouch and summoned the Fire Beast Stone. He called forth Huo'er to light the way and ventured deeper into the burial site. His purpose was twofold: to check on Wuchang in the depths of the tomb, and to retrieve a piece of luminous stone to gift to the Lin family, who had relocated to Tianmen County.

Familiar with the path, he walked along the tomb passage until he entered an open stone chamber. A luminous stone was embedded in the center of the ceiling. Without hesitation, he raised a finger toward the ceiling, striking it with an invisible blast of *qi*, and easily claimed the stone. After securing the gift, he continued deeper into the tomb.

When he reached the underground plaza housing the eighteen stone coffins, a figure lunged at him like a ghost. The figure’s claws were exceptionally sharp, but its movements were stiff—it was merely a minor zombie. Zhou Qing did not dodge. With a thought, Huo'er let out a strange cry from his shoulder, transformed into a ball of flame, and reduced the zombie to ash.

After disposing of the creature, Zhou Qing pressed on and finally met with Wuchang. In the past, his low cultivation level had kept him from asking too many questions, but now, he had come to the tomb to resolve the doubts that had been weighing on his mind.

Following their conversation, Zhou Qing took his leave of Wuchang and exited the tomb. He did not enter Litang Village; even if he did, few would remember him, and there was no purpose in going. Thus, he set off directly for Tianmen County.

The journey was uneventful. Upon reaching the county seat, he spotted a familiar face on one of the streets. A gambling den stood on the road, and as Zhou Qing passed by, a handsome-looking monk walked out. The monk exchanged a few words with a beautiful woman standing at the entrance, during which he brazenly took advantage of her.

"If you dare take advantage of me again, I’ll close this gambling den and go live in Wuxiang Temple! You’ll be responsible for every bite I eat and every step I take!"

"Don't be like that, Chunhua. How about this? You can pinch me three times to make up for the one I just took. What do you say?"

After their brief exchange, the monk turned his backside toward the woman.

"Get lost! I don't have time for you, you bald monk!" The woman snapped. Although her tone was sharp, it was clear she wasn't truly angry. She turned and headed back into the den. As she entered, the monk reached out to take advantage of her one last time before scampering off amid her curses.

Watching this from the side, a smile spread across Zhou Qing’s face. He followed the monk, intending to greet him, but saw the man stop at a small stall. "Xiangxiu, get me a bowl of tofu pudding," the monk called out to the female vendor.

"Get lost, I’m not selling to you!" the vendor, Xiangxiu, retorted angrily.

"Don't be like that. My heart aches if I don't eat your 'tofu' for a single day." The monk spoke with an affected tone, then fished a piece of broken silver from his waist pouch and placed it on the stall.

Glancing at the silver, Xiangxiu snatched it up and said, with great reluctance, "Sit over there. I’ll serve you in a moment."

"Good, and don't forget to add extra sugar!" the monk instructed, taking a seat at a small wooden table. Soon, Xiangxiu brought the bowl over. As she set it down, the monk reached out and brushed her hand, wearing a satisfied grin.

"You shameless man!" Xiangxiu scolded, swatting his hand away.

"Heh heh." The monk chuckled, picked up the bowl, walked over to a beggar nearby, poured the tofu pudding into the beggar's bowl, returned the empty vessel to the vendor, and walked away.

Watching this, Zhou Qing finally understood what the monk meant by his "heart aching."

"The fellow is as lustful as ever," Zhou Qing thought to himself with a chuckle. "But that's fine. As long as a person has such a hobby, living remains a much happier affair."

Seeing the monk move on, Zhou Qing caught up and called out, "Brother Wuji, I trust you have been well?"

The monk stopped in his tracks, turned, and looked at Zhou Qing with a puzzled expression. A moment later, his eyes widened in recognition.

"Are you Brother Zhou Qing?"

Zhou Qing smiled and nodded.