Chapter Three: The Wheel Turns

  In the Qiu Wang Fu, the initial desolation has turned into today's luxury, with red walls and green tiles, artificial hills and flowing water, all appearing and disappearing in the bright lights, as if it were the original appearance of the palace when it was first built.

  There are still groups of ghosts making trouble, skulls scattered all over the grass. Who can see what this mansion looked like yesterday? Turning decay into magic is just a snap of the fingers. Although it's just an illusion, the magical powers of Taoism can be seen in part.

  When false becomes true, true also becomes false. The things that people in this world strive for, when they can no longer distinguish between true and false, what significance does true and false have? However, this snake is a beautiful person, not only is it a magical transformation, but without a compassionate heart, how can it be called creation?

  But look at the people of the world, although they are called human beings, they always turn into snakes, insects, rats and ants to harm others, turn into jackals, wolves, tigers and leopards to harm others, turn into ghosts and monsters to deceive others. Patting their chests, how many can be considered as a real person? In this way, it is better to make friends with foxes and marry ghosts. Even if they cheat and harm you, at least they are doing what comes naturally to them. It's still better than being harmed by those who are called "friends" or "wives".

  In the brightly lit hall, two women sat facing each other. One wore green and the other white, both were beauties. The woman in green was already a rare beauty, hard to find in this world. The woman in white could only be described as "a heavenly fairy descended to earth", not just because of her looks, but also because of her temperament.

  Bai Suzhen gently stroked her black hair, thinking about the various things that had happened today. Sometimes she smiled with joy, and sometimes she frowned with worry. Xiao Qing came forward, holding her hand and asked: "Sister, didn't Xu Xian really leave home? What was Fahai, that old monk, thinking?"

  Bai Suzhen hesitated to tell Xiaoqing what Xu Xian had told her, about marriage and childbirth, and being trapped in a love affair. She only roughly mentioned that Fahai wanted to use her to repay his gratitude and deal with her, but she had already seen through him, and told Xiaoqing not to worry.

  Xiao Qing smiled and said, "Perfume is just bait to lure Sister into the trap, right? I don't know if Fahai set this up or if Xianyu is also involved!" If it's about moving Sister, teaching Xianyu a lesson won't be a problem.

  Bai Suzhen said seriously, "Qing'er, don't talk nonsense. Mr. Xu is absolutely not that kind of person." However, she felt a bit strange in her heart. Qing'er was usually straightforward, but now it seemed like she intentionally didn't get along with Mr. Xu. Thinking about her behavior during the day, Bai Suzhen couldn't help but ask, "Qing'er, have you met Mr. Xu before?" In front of others, she still felt embarrassed to call him by his full name, fearing that others would misunderstand.

  After all, in this era, between men and women, no matter what the relationship is, it's always impossible to mention the word "friends"! The so-called "red makeup know" of the ancients was also not a clean and pure friendship.

  Xiao Qing's face stiffened, and she forced a laugh, saying: "Sister, I really don't know him!"

  Bai Suzhen didn't believe it: "Really?" Her big eyes were full of doubt, making Xiao Qing tense up again.

  "Really, really!" Xiao Qing said hastily.

  Bai Suzhen suddenly said with some sadness: "I met Mr. Xu on a strange road, and we were of different kinds, but we could still treat each other sincerely. Now that we are sisters of the same kind, I have to deceive you instead!" She deliberately frowned and pretended to be hurt, but she was really not good at pretending, even a child could probably see through her act.

  Xiao Qing saw that the woman was sad for her own sake, even if she knew it was fake, still felt heartache, and could only say frankly: "I have seen Mr. Xu two or three times, but he doesn't recognize me anymore, so I think this is not a big deal!"

  Bai Suzhen said: "Then you can tell me about these two or three experiences!" She was now very curious about everything related to Xu Xian.

  Xiao Qing thought back and said, "The first time was in this Avenging King's mansion, we fell into the Avenging King's trap and were trapped in the formation. Fortunately, he found a way to kill the Avenging King! It was also at that time that I saw Fa Hai for the first time, but back then I didn't think much of him, I didn't expect him to be so formidable!"

  That was the most thrilling experience in Xiao Qing's life, and even now she still feels it vividly. Ou Wang's ferocious roar, Xu Xian's resolute gaze, both shocked her to the core. Indeed, at that time, Xu Xian's expression made her feel even more terrified than Ou Wang. Calm and collected, without a hint of fear, even in the face of life and death.

  "Bai Suzhen hastily asked: 'Xiao Qing, can you tell me more about it?' She was now very curious about this benefactor and wanted to know everything about him, perhaps it would be helpful for her to repay his kindness."

  Xiao Qing could only tell in more detail about the affairs of the Qiu Wang Fu: how they attended the banquet, how they were ambushed, how they fell into a desperate situation, and finally how they were rescued by Xu Xian! Everything was told clearly and in detail, under Bai Suzhen's repeated questioning, without hiding anything at all.

  That night's events, even Bai Suzhen found shocking to hear. If she were to fall into that situation, she would also find it somewhat perilous. Not because her six months of cultivation couldn't compare to Xu Xian's ten years of practice, but because this world placed great emphasis on the mutual restraint of natures. Xu Xian's extremely yang and fiery thunder and true fire happened to restrain Qi Wang's extremely yin and soft ghostly body and array methods, making it a case of doubling one's efforts with half the work. In the end, he even ventured into treacherous terrain, seeking life in death, before finally obtaining that thread of hope for survival.

  Bai Suzhen sighed, "I didn't expect that young master Xue would be so skilled in battle!" With only a few years of cultivation, he already has such powerful magic. If he were to go into seclusion and cultivate diligently, his future prospects would truly be boundless. In the future, within the immortal realm, his rank will probably be even higher than mine.

  She suddenly remembered the day on the boat, calculating Xu Xian's previous life, where she saw that vast expanse of whiteness. She had encountered situations where this calculation couldn't determine one's birth before, and there were many reasons for it. But she thought of one reason!

  Was he originally some kind of immortal Buddha reincarnated?

  If that's the case, then the blank space is not hard to understand. Even if one's numerology skills are strong, it's still impossible to clearly see a cultivator's entire life because during the cultivation process, their fate itself has already changed. Unless one has very strong numerology skills, they won't be able to calculate it clearly. In the end, when cultivation is complete, one transcends the three realms and is no longer within the five elements. No matter how skilled you are in numerology, you still can't calculate even a bit of their foundation.

  It's settled then, an ordinary person's so-called soul wouldn't be able to reincarnate for 1,700 years in this world unless they had cultivated in a past life. Refining the soul to become a divine soul is the only way to reincarnate for that long. Being able to make oneself uncalculable, their Dao heart shouldn't be weak either.

  Bai Suzhen found it strange: if one truly had Tao and virtue, their lifespan would necessarily be long, so how could they enter the cycle of rebirth so quickly? According to her calculations, that period of time was not considered very long for a cultivator.

  But she didn't mind much either!

  After all, however glorious one may have been in the past, once reincarnated it's a new beginning. Even if one can resume their cultivation and attain enlightenment about their previous life, that previous life is still just that - a previous life. This is something cultivators understand clearly. Today's me is not yesterday's me; if you don't even understand this point, then there's no need to cultivate.

  Moreover, Bai's wife, Zhen, suspected that Xu Xian was probably not a famous god or immortal, otherwise he would not have been left unattended in this mundane world.

  It is said that Lü Dongbin was originally the Eastern Supreme Deity, also known as the Emperor of the Eastern Peak, who reincarnated. The Emperor of the Eastern Peak knew he had to undergo rebirth and took Han Zhongli as his disciple. When Lü Dongbin entered the world, Han Zhongli went to guide him. When Lü Dongbin was about to go to the capital for the imperial examination, Han Zhongli gave him a dream of yellow millet, allowing him to experience all sorts of ups and downs in life. In the end, he put everything down and followed Han Zhongli to Mount Zhongnan to learn the Tao. He eventually became one of the Eight Immortals, although slightly inferior to the original glory of the Emperor of the Eastern Peak, it was still not bad.

  This is not just a matter of "having someone inside to make it easy to be an official". The world of cultivation is different from the secular world, where those in higher positions can easily grant rights or money to those in lower positions. Cultivators must start with themselves, even if they have spiritual elixirs and magical medicines.

  Each practitioner can only cultivate their own Tao, and what is emphasized is also the practitioner's own heart and predestined affinity, which can only be obtained by self-cultivation. As for the so-called master, it is nothing more than a guide who leads the cultivator into the door. If not for Lü Dongbin being the reincarnation of Emperor Donghua, with his spiritual nature still intact and his Taoist roots still present, then even a hundred Han Zhonglis would be unable to save him.

  But Lü Dongbin failed to achieve immortality after all, and bid farewell to his master Han Zhongli. Zhuo asked Han Zhongli how many people he had converted in a thousand years of cultivation? Han Zhongli smiled and replied that he had only converted you.

  Lü Dongbin was deeply disdainful and vowed to use three years to transform 3,000 people. Han Zhongli laughed at him, saying that if he could transform just one person back, it would be considered a merit. Moreover, before his departure, he presented Lü Dongbin with a precious sword named "Ta'a Shen Guang Jian" (降魔太阿神光剑), which was given by the Eastern Emperor, and made an agreement with him on three articles of law.

  First, do not seek and take what is not yours. Second, do not lose the precious sword. Third, do not go against the times. If one commits any of these offenses, they will be beheaded and their body destroyed. Regardless of whether Lü Dongbin was his master in a past life or not, in this life he is his disciple, and yet he says "behead and destroy" without making offerings to Lü Dongbin.

  Lü Dongbin spent three years and a great deal of effort, but not only did he fail to convert anyone, he also provoked the wrath of Huang Long and had his flying sword confiscated. In the end, he gained some insight into the Tao, bowed to Huang Long as his master, and that was the end of it. What a joke!

  If Xu Xian was really the reincarnation of a certain immortal, he shouldn't have been unable to find someone to guide him, or if he did, something unexpected happened. Once the guidance failed, the immortal would have to face the most terrifying fate - the Wheel of Rebirth. This is not any kind of thunderbolt calamity or emotional calamity, but rather a more frightening one.

  It is said that "once in the cycle of reincarnation, one's body is no longer under one's control." If one has turned the wheel too many times, the spark of spirituality in one's soul will gradually be worn away, and one will truly become indistinguishable from ordinary people. And to want to start anew in the vast world of humans would really be "as difficult as ascending to the blue sky", no matter what kind of reputation one had before, it would all be past events, without any connection to the present.

  However, Bai Suzhen also sighed that this mortal body might not be able to cultivate anything. It can be seen that he has already been moved by emotions and is infatuated with the mundane world. At present, his cultivation can at most only allow him to reincarnate a few more times in the world. She couldn't help but think that if she could lend him a helping hand, wouldn't it be a win-win situation? But thinking about it again and again, there was no way out after all, as cultivation ultimately still depends on oneself, and others can't help much.

  So-called fate for three lives is just a foolish talk of ordinary people. When the time comes, you still have to ask yourself, are you still the same as before? If not, what's left is the attachment to the original feelings or that little bit of infatuation in your heart?

  ……………………

  Guess who Xian Xu will be reincarnated as? Forget about Ultraman's death!

  Also, there will be two updates today, and the second update will be a bit later.