Chapter 134: The Infiltration of Malice

When Fatty and I emerged from the water, dripping wet, we saw my aunt sitting by the edge of the Black Water Pool.

"Back so soon!" she said, smiling as she approached, though her expression quickly turned to a frown. "Where did you two find these clothes? They look atrocious."

We climbed onto the bank and recounted what had happened. My aunt laughed. "Dachuan, I’m impressed! That was a stroke of destiny. I had intended for you to wait until your skills had improved before attempting a crossing, but to think you managed it on your own—that’s just as well! With the Luoshui Ring protecting you, you won't need to train for a full year; a month or two should suffice."

Hearing this, I was overjoyed. My aunt continued, explaining that she would now begin teaching me the fundamental techniques, and with the protection of the Luoshui Ring, my progress would be incredibly rapid.

Back home, I saw Wan'er, whom I had not seen for two thousand years. The girl remained unchanged, though her expression was slightly dull—after all, she was not a living person, but a fusion of human and ghost. Seeing her reminded me of those days in that bygone era. I longed to embrace her, but with my aunt and Fatty present, I felt too bashful.

Fatty, however, was less restrained. Upon seeing her, he rushed over, no longer afraid that she was a ghost. "Wan'er, do you still recognize me?" This question left her bewildered. While she was indeed the same Wan'er from two millennia ago, she had consumed the Tea of Forgetfulness and retained no memory of those events, nor of me.

Wan'er shook her head. "Fatty, are you alright?"

Fatty turned to me, his face full of disappointment. "Buddy, she really doesn't remember us."

Wan'er was even more confused, wondering what had come over us.

"Wan'er, do you remember Ziyu?" Fatty asked, still not giving up.

"Of course! She is Ziyi's younger sister; we are quite close," Wan'er replied.

"That's perfect! I met her, and she even gave me a bronze tripod, though I didn't bring it back with me." Fatty spoke with such vivid enthusiasm that it was clear the experience had left a deep impression on him.

Just as Wan'er was about to respond, her eyes locked onto my neck. I looked down and realized it was the Jade Guanyin she had given me during the transition, the one she had personally hung around my neck.

"Brother, this is..." Wan'er’s eyes reddened as she walked toward me.

Seeing her moved, Fatty shook his head and stepped aside. I took Wan'er’s hand and led her into the room. "Wan'er, I traveled through time to the world that belongs to you. This is what you gave me." Looking at the Wan'er before me, my thoughts drifted back to that world. I felt fortunate to have been granted such a rare and precious opportunity.

Wan'er opened her eyes wide, looking at me with confusion. "Brother, are you teasing me? You’ve only been out for a little over an hour!"

"It is true that I was only gone for an hour, but in your space, I lived for nearly ten days and experienced many things. Also, this is something you asked me to bring back to you." I produced the sachet that the Wan'er from two thousand years ago had entrusted to me.

Wan'er snatched the sachet and held it to her chest, tears streaming down her face. "Brother, I always wore this sachet at my waist and the Jade Guanyin around my neck, but they suddenly went missing. I cried for days! So, it was you who took them."

Watching her weep so sorrowfully, my heart ached. I gently pulled her into my arms. "Don't cry, Wan'er. It's all in the past now."

Resting against my chest, her hand traced the dirty, tattered Han-style robe I was wearing. "Brother, is it well over there? Is Ziyi well? And Ziyu? And Mother?" She sobbed, her shoulders heaving.

"They are all well, don't worry. To me, it feels as though it happened only yesterday, as if it were in another place, but in truth, it is all over—it belongs to your history." My explanation was not contradictory; the space I had visited was indeed two thousand years in the past, a point in the river of time that had already flowed away, no longer existing before my eyes.

"Brother, you say you saw me two thousand years ago, but I have no memory of it at all! It was just that those two items disappeared so suddenly," Wan'er said.

"It was the Tea of Forgetfulness. Because you all drank the tea given by the monk Zhenyi, you forgot everything." This was what Zhenyi had told me, and it must be the reality.

"I see. It is enough that you have returned." Wan'er wiped away her tears and began helping me undress.

"What are you doing? This isn't right!" I said, glancing toward the door.

"Don't be so scared. What could I possibly do? Didn't I tell you? As long as Sister Ying doesn't agree, I will not get close to you." She tapped my shoulder, a mix of annoyance and playfulness in her tone.

"Hehe, I thought you were feeling sentimental," I teased.

"Not at all. I have my principles. Even though I waited two thousand years for you, you belong to Sister Ying. I won't fight her for you. If she agrees, I’ll share you with her," Wan'er said with a giggle.

At the mention of Wang Ying, my heart sank. I knew I had to find Xingyun. I had to defeat him and uncover the truth, not only to rescue Wang Ying but to avenge the deaths of Li Danian and the other predecessors.

"Brother, hurry and take off your clothes." While I was lost in thought, Wan'er began tugging at my shirt again.

"Sister, no! Aren't you waiting for Wang Ying to return?" I hurriedly covered my chest.

"You are truly lecherous! Brother Ziyi was never like this. Take off your clothes so I can wash them. These are authentic Han robes from two thousand years ago; they should be kept as a memento. Look at this embroidery—it must have been done by Ziyu," she said, pointing to the patterns on the collar.

I finally understood her intention and quickly changed into clean clothes. When I stepped out of the room, I saw Fatty throwing his own Han robe into the trash. I grabbed him by the ear and pulled him over. "You idiot! These are two-thousand-year-old silk fabrics, representing the pinnacle of ancient Chinese weaving. They are invaluable artifacts, and you’re just throwing them away?"

Realizing his mistake, Fatty dove for the trash can to retrieve the robe. "Hehe, this isn't dirty laundry—this is money!"

Leaving him to his greed, I walked over to the iron cage. Inside lay Yueyue. The vengeful spirit had been driven out of her, but the Yin-Absorbing Technique remained, tormenting her every moment.

"Aunt, what should we do?" I felt a heavy ache in my chest as I looked at her.

"There is nothing to be done. I have decided to let nature take its course; I truly cannot save her," my aunt said, shaking her head in disappointment. "The Yin-Absorbing Technique cannot be removed unless she dies. The only other option is to transfer it, but to whom? The world rarely sees a body of Pure Yin."

A body of Pure Yin—that was only me. What was I to do? Should I watch her die, or transfer the curse onto myself?

"Aunt, I want to transfer her Yin-Absorbing Technique to myself," I declared.

"Why? Have you thought this through?" My aunt stared intently at me.

"Yes, I have. First, this girl is pitiful; she shouldn't have to die like this. Second, I need to extract the technique from her so I can question her about Wang Ying and Wei Qi. She knows the truth about those matters."

My aunt frowned. "Dachuan, let me be clear: if you don't take on this technique, your hard work, your natural talent, and your magical artifacts will lead you to become the greatest master of Yin-Yang arts in the world. But if you absorb this technique, it is hard to say. Once evil enters your body, you may not be able to control it."

I fell silent. My aunt was right; the technique was too wicked. If I practiced it, what if I developed a hunger for souls every time I saw someone? Would I become a soul-devouring demon?

Yet, how could I stand by and watch her die? Even though she had killed many, she was a victim herself, controlled by the technique. She could face justice, but to be left here to starve to death was too cruel. More importantly, I needed the information she held to take the head of that scoundrel, Xingyun.

And so, I made my decision: I would take the Yin-Absorbing Technique onto myself.