Wangxian - The Road Not Taken

Resurrection

I have been dead for years

I slowly open my eyes, and scoff at my first thought as I come to.

Where am I ?
Aren't I supposed to be dead?
Did I take up someone's body?
Did I finally become the monster people think of me as?

As I looked around I realised I didn't snatch someone's body. Relief coursed through me, but not for long as I stiffen looking at the array and realised that I have been offered a body to take revenge.
It's sad people think I would be the best person to do this sort of thing but they couldn't be further from the truth.

The person who sacrificed his life for me to take revenge on his behalf was Mo XuanYu, a cut sleeve* , an apparent lunatic, an outcast , beginner cultivator, and a punching bag for his cousin.
Hated by his family, thrown away by his father, constantly abused physically and mentally, he could only resort to this forbidden ritual before finally leaving the painful excuse of life behind.

*Cut-sleeve - an euphemism for gay( based on story of a king who cut his sleeve so as not to disturb his loved one's sleep)

Do I really have to kill his tormentors? 😞
Even if they would deserve it will my soul survive another killing, or what's left of it anyway.

Waking up years later to get kicked again was not the most pleasurable experience. No one could have expected the all powerful Yiling Laozu* to be under someone else's mercy, and fate to have turned on him.

* Yiling Laozu- Yiling Patriarch(Wei wuxian's Title)

But I was no stranger to this treatment. Sometimes I even think that I deserve it , maybe always did.

Pushing aside the depressing thoughts I tried to see if I can satisfy the grudge by humiliating Mo XuanYu's tormentors. But alas, this resentment will not be assuaged just by few humiliating words. Years of torment has deeply impacted him. He didn't think it would work but had to try anyway.

Going back to his room I saw Gusu Lan sect's disciples set up the spirit attraction flags to help rid of the problems in the Mo manor. The righteous sect, one of the many ones that wanted to exorcise the evil but as the evil was me, it meant that exorcising the world of me.

His sect.

Out of all these disciples, there is one in which I can see his shadow, in his mannerisms, his conduct, though this disciple does utter more words than him.

I wonder how he is.
Does he think of me?
Does he remember me?
Is he at peace now that I am not there to disrupt his life into chaos?
Is he happy?
Is he safe? He must be, since he's free of the disaster.

Shaking away those questions for which I may never know the answer to.

Looking at the flag I can't help but think that even though the cultivation world hates and despises me, but wouldn't shy away from using my inventions. And can't help but draw comparison to Mo XuanYu's cousin who literally loots every thing of value and use from him and then has nerve to abuse and torture him for speaking up or even just trying to protect himself.

But these kids are young, they never did take part in the greed filled wars, not did they accuse someone without knowing the details. They are still innocent, the world has not tarnished them enough. Hope they have better life experiences than their predecessors be it causing trouble or having to face the effects of it.

I check their flags to confirm that it should not cause any mishaps when they use it. They still need more experience but have great potential.

While resting I can't help but think of him, and uninvited a memory came to me. I smiled even when a lone tear fell down.

It was of a place filled with innards of a beasts which we had just slaughtered. Me half lying on a rock with filthy clothes and infected wounds. And then there's him, still ethereal covered in blood, sweat and torn clothes singing to me in his angelic voice.

Huh! Only I can find gore a fond memory. Thinking of this I pick up the leaf to play the tune and get lost in the memories.

That is until I am again roughed up and dragged to the main hall.
Huh! This is getting old ! Can't I get moment of peace? For Qiren's sake give me a break.
( Why you ask? Only when I am at peace can he be at peace, right? 😜)

But I sober up as a thought come to my mind that maybe there could be a mishap with the flags and juniors could be in trouble.

Ah these kids, can't they get a guardian or someone with them.
Noooo , it's better if they don't, the supposed guardian could definitely recognise me. It's better to stay clear of anyone from past.

I'll take care of the kids in their stead. Though they are more like rabbits or maybe duckling with the amount of quacks they make.

It was an heavily resentful spirit that these kids were not equipped to handle. Even with 3 freshly dead fierce corpse couldn't overpower it. I would need to give a push to the corpses, which could expose me, but well desperate times call for desperate measures right. But I was saved from having to do that. By him. Again!

Are you my knight in shining armour or something? Mind you I'm not the damsel in distress mister!

But thankfully the sacrificial request was fulfilled and I could leave the place.

Finally leaving the place, as soon as he arrived so as not to be caught with my donkey as ride.
Okay okay a donkey, but as I'm the only person left in the family this could be technically considered mine , right?

I randomly picked a direction and left.