Chapter Thirteen: Neither Born Nor Perished—The Ghost Immortal

Returning to the inn and stepping into the room, Liu Yue had already ordered food. Seeing Liu Ping push open the door and enter, she smiled and asked, “Brother, would you like to eat first or bathe first? The dishes have just arrived, and I’ve also prepared your clean clothes and hot water.”

Liu Ping grinned and teased, “So thoughtful—you’re just like a little wife.”

Liu Yue’s cheeks flushed, a strange delight flickering in her heart. She pouted and retorted, “Who’s your little wife? You’re shameless.”

Setting his bundle on the table, Liu Yue walked over, opened it, and played with the examination token. “Is this the examination token? Does it have your name on it?”

“They’re standardized; there’s no way it would have my name,” Liu Ping replied, shaking his head. “I’m going to wash up. You go ahead and eat.”

“No, I’ll wait for you to come back so we can eat together.” Liu Yue didn’t even glance up as she shook her head.

“Alright, I won’t be long.” Liu Ping didn’t press the matter, nodding before heading to the bathing chamber.

He pushed open the door to find a wooden tub nearly as tall as a person inside. Stripping off his clothes and hanging them on the rack, he immersed himself in the hot water, unable to stifle a comfortable sigh.

“There really is something of the little wife’s touch here. If, just now, when faced with the choice of eating or bathing, she’d added, ‘or maybe you should eat me first,’ that would have been even more convincing. Hah…” He muttered thoughtlessly, though he would never say such things aloud. These matters must proceed step by step—besides, Liu Yue was still so young.

After soaking for a while and cleansing himself, Liu Ping stepped out. During these days, he hadn’t neglected his cultivation. He had steadily advanced through the Foundation Establishment stage following his initiation, feeling himself on the verge of a breakthrough. Yet some invisible barrier seemed to block his path, keeping him from moving forward. Was this what they called a bottleneck?

Unfamiliar with the experiences of other cultivators, he had no idea how to resolve it; all he could do was persist day after day, waiting for that moment when accumulated effort would bear fruit.

Still, there were benefits. As he delved deeper into the “Jinghua Treasure Codex,” his body felt increasingly ethereal. With a bit of focus, he could isolate himself from filth—a convenience he greatly appreciated. The improvements in memory and stamina went without saying.

He donned the new clothes Liu Yue had prepared for him—of fine material and a perfect fit. Indeed, clothes make the man. Standing before the bronze mirror, Liu Ping laughed. “Handsome man, may I ask who you are?”

He indulged in a few more narcissistic remarks before stepping out.

Liu Yue was leaning on the table, lost in thought and oblivious to her brother’s approach. He tapped her shoulder lightly, startling her so much she nearly jumped up. “Ah! Brother, why did you scare me?”

“It’s you who was distracted. You didn’t even hear me come in—how is that my fault?” Liu Ping replied.

Liu Yue stammered, unable to offer an explanation.

Her cheeks were rosy, making her look even more lovely. Liu Ping couldn’t help but feel moved, gently flicking her delicate nose. “Let’s eat.”

Her brother’s affectionate gesture deepened her blush, but she nodded, “Mm.”

The meal Liu Yue had ordered wasn’t extravagant—three dishes and a soup: two meat, one vegetable, and a fish soup. The food was delicious and the portions more than sufficient.

But Liu Ping’s hearty appetite soon made him order another four or five dishes.

After the meal, Liu Ping returned to his studies. With the exam still some days off, he couldn’t afford to waste time. He wasn’t alone in this; even Wang Hong seemed under greater pressure, often wearing a tense, expressionless face when alone.

Liu Ping read with intense concentration, occasionally murmuring the passages aloud.

Meanwhile, Liu Yue sat nearby, quietly watching her brother’s focused expression. She had little to do, but the feeling was novel and wonderful. At home, because of their parents, she rarely saw her brother study like this. Now, she could gaze at him as much as she liked, and her young heart filled with contentment.

Sometimes, happiness came so easily.

Night soon fell. Liu Yue quietly ordered more food and only called her brother to eat once it was served.

After a long session of reading, Liu Ping looked somewhat weary, rubbing his temples and narrowing his eyes. “There really isn’t enough time.”

“You’re working so hard, brother. I’m sure you’ll pass,” Liu Yue encouraged.

Liu Ping glanced at the table laden with food, and spoke gently, “I am working hard, but it’s not just me. There are about three thousand scholars coming to Shanghe County for the exam, and every one of them is diligent. Only a hundred will be admitted. I’m confident, but it’s just confidence. Besides, my goal isn’t simply to pass.”

“Alright, alright—no talking at the table or in bed. Eat!” Liu Yue interjected quickly.

“Our parents aren’t here. Why does it matter if we talk?” Liu Ping smiled at her. “After we eat, I’ll take you out for a stroll.”

“Really?” Liu Yue’s face lit up, but almost immediately she shook her head. “No, brother, let’s wait until after your exam.”

“It’s fine—balance work and rest,” Liu Ping reassured her.

“Are you sure it’s really alright?”

“Of course.”

“Alright, but let’s just stroll for a little while, then come right back.”

But once they reached the night market, the idea of “just a little while” was soon forgotten. It wasn’t her fault—after all, she was just a little girl.

The night market was bustling, lanterns hung in rows on both sides, their gathered candlelight illuminating the entire street. Vendors hawked their wares—food, toys, shadow puppets, monkey shows, street performers—there was no end to the amusements.

Walking among the crowd, Liu Ping felt a strange sense of dislocation. The deeper he immersed himself in this world, the more his memories of his former life faded; it was as if he’d always belonged here.

Yet the more he felt this way, the more unsettled and lost he became. He couldn’t say why, but he felt like an uninvited guest, as if everyone in this world were his enemy. Perhaps this was the psychology of a transmigrant—unique, yet profoundly alone…

“Brother, I want that one!”

A clear, childish voice shattered Liu Ping’s reverie and broke the silence in his heart. A small hand tugged at his wrist, pulling him forward.

Staring at his sister’s back, Liu Ping suddenly smiled. Why was he being so melodramatic? So what if he was a transmigrant—was there any need to get so hung up about it?

As this thought settled, the bottleneck that had hindered him for so long suddenly loosened.

Liu Ping slowly closed his eyes, feeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth pour into him, his body growing more ethereal, his soul condensing, bringing a sense of unprecedented well-being.

“Brother?” Realizing she couldn’t pull him along, Liu Yue turned back and called out, seeing her brother standing there with his eyes closed. “Brother, what’s wrong?”

The first threshold of cultivation was called “Entry.” After entry came Foundation Establishment, commonly known as “One Hundred Days to Foundation.”

But though it was called “One Hundred Days to Foundation,” the time required varied greatly from person to person. Some took more than ten years to break through, while others—like Liu Ping—managed it in a few months.

This, in fact, had much to do with his method. By applying scientific reasoning to harmonize the elements of wind, water, earth, and fire, understanding their interactions and transformations, he had made his cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

Still, he felt no arrogance. A few months had its advantages, a decade had its merits; speed alone was no measure of superiority.

“Dispersed, it is mere breath; gathered, it forms the self. Condense the soul, wake in deathly stillness. In a single pure thought, cross from darkness to the underworld, neither born nor destroyed—this is the Ghost Immortal!”

“The Ghost Immortal is one of the Five Immortals’ lesser paths—transcending in the shadows, form unclear, nameless in the realm of ghosts, forgotten in three lifetimes, outside the wheel of reincarnation, unable to return to the Immortal Isles, with no final destination but to seize rebirth by force.”

“Cultivators who fail to comprehend the Great Dao, yet seek rapid success, become withered wood and cold ash, the mind guarded inwardly, the spirit emerging in meditation—a clear ghostly soul, but not a pure yang immortal. Their singular intent preserves their ghostly essence, thus called Ghost Immortal. Though named immortal, they are in truth but ghosts.”

“To refine the soul—also known as the Yin Spirit—is to become a Ghost Immortal. But so-called immortality is nothing more than being a ghost…”

“But I am a Daoist cultivator, a seeker of true enlightenment, not a mere immortal. There is still a higher path. Immortals may halt here, but I can climb ever higher. A mere Ghost Immortal cannot satisfy me. To transcend, I must become a Celestial, even a Great Luo…”

“Haha, but at least I’ve broken through. I am a Ghost Immortal now.”

Murmuring to himself, Liu Ping’s soul returned to his body. He slowly opened his eyes to find his sister anxiously calling him. He smiled, “I’ll buy it for you. Why are you so impatient?”

Liu Yue sensed her brother had changed, but couldn’t tell how. She pouted, “Brother, what happened just now? Your face was so scary.”

“It’s nothing.” Liu Ping, unsure how to explain, simply ruffled her hair to gloss over it.

He tossed a few copper coins to the vendor and handed Liu Yue a candied hawthorn skewer.

Though still curious, Liu Yue couldn’t resist and took a bite. “Ah, so sour!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth.

Liu Ping took a bite as well. “It’s just a bit sour—they didn’t use enough sugar.”

“But I don’t like sour things, so it tastes very sour to me,” Liu Yue said. Suddenly, she spotted something else. “There are sugar figurines over there—I want one!”

“All you think about is eating,” Liu Ping said helplessly, watching her dart off. He quickly caught up and took her hand. “I’ll buy it for you, but slow down. There are so many people here—you’ll get lost.”

Their fingers interlocked, Liu Yue instinctively tried to pull free but didn’t succeed. She gave up, tucked her hair behind her ear, her cheeks tinged pink under the lantern light, making her look especially lovely. In a small voice, she replied, “Alright.”

———

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