Chapter One, The Seven Lives of Floating Life

The flowers of the other shore bloom along the way, resembling blood. The waters of the River of Forgetfulness flow quietly, three thousand years to the east, three thousand years to the west. Wandering souls come and go, stepping onto the long road of the Yellow Springs, taking a journey on the path of despair, drinking a bowl of yellow soup, and all the past lives are thus left behind. By the stone of three lives, beings come and go, yet no one comes to take a look here, indicating that reincarnation is merely a state of confusion.

I heard it, I am not deaf

Suddenly, a pale hand was placed on Hu Jia's shoulder. Even as a ghostly messenger, he could not help but feel a chill creeping up from that hand, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Turning around, he found the paper-like face of Bai Wuchang right in front of him. Hu Jia patted his chest, turned back, and hurriedly bowed, saying: "Soul Reaper."

He approached, and the man remained oblivious, sitting upright, facing the stone slab, with his eyes closed

The White Impermanence said nothing further, merely extended a hand and said, "Please."

The man was taken aback for a moment, calculated with his fingers, and shook his head with a smile, saying: "Have I been asleep for so many years with my eyes closed?"

The White Impermanence glanced at him and shook his head: "The numbers of cause and effect are beyond our comprehension."

The man was taken aback for a moment: "Your tone suggests that I have offended you."

The man sits with his back to the road of the underworld, facing the smooth expanse of the Three Lives Stone. He remains quietly seated, eyes closed, uncertain whether he is asleep or awake, seemingly oblivious to the fact that someone has been watching him for a long time.

The white-haired man scrutinized him for a while before thoughtfully saying, "I don't believe I have seen you before..."

Hu Jia was momentarily stunned, taking a while to react. This man, who seemed utterly lifeless, actually spoke, and it was directed at him.

A lifetime of rocks emerges, transforming into a hero's tomb, with feelings that cannot be shattered

What has caused this?" Hu Jia widened her eyes, "Everything in the world has its cause and effect. If he has not sown the seeds of evil, how could..."

The White Impermanence averted his gaze and slightly lowered his head

His last few words were spoken in a very low voice, eventually transforming into a faint smile at the corner of his thin lips. He gathered his long sleeves and looked at Bai Wuchang: "If I hadn't said it, I would have forgotten. Back then, I had planned everything meticulously, yet you mistakenly entangled the soul of Qingluan, causing her to die unjustly, which led to the falling out between He Lianyi and me, right? No wonder you were afraid to speak to me just now."

Hu Jia cleared her throat, mustering the courage to gently push the shoulder of the white-haired man: "Seventh Master, the Soul Reaper has sent word through a lackey, saying the time has come for you to set out."

The White Impermanence ignored him, murmuring verses under his breath. Suddenly, he extended a bloodied finger and touched the space between Jing Qi's eyebrows. Jing Qi, submerged in the pool, could not evade it. He was momentarily taken aback and raised his eyes to look. The Impermanence still wore an empty expression, his gaze as vacant and wooden as ever, staring directly into his eyes. Jing Qi felt as if he had been violently pushed, sinking instantly. A voice whispered in his ear: "Because of me, your fate has been ruined, causing you to wander aimlessly in this world, suffering endlessly. Now, with no means of compensation, I shall exhaust my cultivation to exchange for your future black hair..." Jing Qi felt as if he had been violently pushed, sinking instantly. A voice whispered in his ear: "Because of me, your fate has been ruined, causing you to wander aimlessly in this world, suffering endlessly. Now, with no means of compensation, I shall exhaust my cultivation to exchange for your future black hair..."

As he was about to plunge into the reincarnation pool, Bai Wuchang suddenly bit his own finger, bending his fingers to cast a spell. A drop of crimson blood emerged from his pale fingertip and fell into the reincarnation pool, turning the entire pool a blood-red hue. Hu Jia was taken aback and exclaimed, "Soul Reaper, what are you doing?"

In the past, I mistakenly entangled the soul of another, causing him to experience separation and loss, yearning for love across several lifetimes yet unable to attain it, and for hundreds of years he has found no peace; it seems he is unwilling to speak with me

Hu Jia was taken aback, thinking to herself that this Seventh Master was indeed such a handsome figure

He turned his head to look at the Seventh Master, only to see his beautiful eyes gazing straight towards the direction of the River of Forgetfulness, silent. Hu Jia stood beside him and noticed that there seemed to be a hint of mist in the man's eyes, making it hard to discern, yet revealing a sense of confusion and melancholy. Beside them, Bai Wuchang's paper-like face showed no signs of emotion, but for some reason, Hu Jia distinctly felt that at this moment, the Soul Reaper was enveloped in a layer of sorrow.

The White Impermanence nodded slightly: "Thus, in the second life, he transformed into a flying insect, flying under the lamp that the man lit at night. Unfortunately, that man, with his muddled and ignorant mortal eyes, actually caught him and crushed him to death between his fingertips"

The Hu Jia horn let out a "gudu" sound, increasing the volume slightly as it leaned closer to the person's ear: "Seventh Master, the Soul Snatcher..."

"Just go there," Bai Wuchang said淡淡地道, "In the past, I mistakenly entangled the soul of a person, causing him to suffer from separation and death, enduring several lifetimes of unrequited love, and for hundreds of years, he has been unable to find peace. It seems he is unwilling to speak with me."

The white-haired man concentrated for a moment, and before he could finish speaking, he slapped his forehead and suddenly realized: "Oh, you mean him... I have a bit of an impression now, but is it still not over?"

Then later ... ...

The White Impermanence paused for a moment; although he still appeared quite expressionless, Hu Jia felt as if he had momentarily been taken aback. It was then that he heard him say: "I, a lowly person, pass over the Naihe Bridge every day, and I see Lord Seven daily. However, Lord Seven, at the age of sixty-three, has never turned back to glance at me even once."

Hu Jia was suddenly enlightened: "No wonder." He looked up at the person leisurely walking in the distance, always feeling that the infatuated lover described by Bai Wuchang was not the same person as this carefree and unrestrained man. Yet, the man's head of white hair, like a pile of snow, cascading behind him, made him feel that it was the color of the utmost sorrow and desolation in the world

Hu Jia stared blankly as he witnessed Jing Qi's figure suddenly sink down. At that moment, the reincarnation pool turned a red so vivid it seemed almost demonic. However, before he could let out a cry of surprise, he saw the water in the pool return to its clarity, calm and undisturbed, as if no one had ever come or gone.

I was taken aback, looking at the seemingly statue-like old man with white hair, then glancing at the white impermanence, "This... this little person..."

Jing Qi glanced at him and curled his lips: "There is no need for great wealth; it is best to have enough to eat and wear, to worry about nothing, and to let me idly wait for death without any concerns."

The underworld is a realm of spirits, while the world of the living is illuminated by the sun. Yet, the presence of spirits is no less in the world of the living. At times, Hu Jia feels overwhelmed by her emotions, but as she gazes at the man's immovable, mountain-like silhouette, she finds an unusual sense of calmness after a moment.

At this moment, for reasons unknown, Hu Jia felt that the white-haired man sitting quietly resembled a dragon that had yet to be awakened. It seemed that once he was roused, this small space by the Three Lives Stone would no longer be able to contain him.

The White Impermanence shook his head: "In his first life, he was merely thirty-two years old, overly devoted. By the time of his death, his hair was already completely white. Even after death, his infatuation remained unchanged, unwilling to drink even a single sip of the water of forgetfulness. He waited by the Naihe Bridge for ten years, hoping that person would enter the cycle of reincarnation together..."

As soon as the name "Helian Yi" was mentioned, Hu Jia was taken aback. He had heard this name before; when he was still a person, he had attended a private school in his childhood. The old gentleman who taught history had particularly mentioned this emperor of the previous dynasty, who was known for his revival. The stern old man rarely showed unreserved admiration, only stating that this emperor was born during a time of internal strife and external threats, yet was broad-minded and wise, single-handedly saving the empire from collapse, dedicating himself wholeheartedly, and was thus regarded as one of the greatest enlightened rulers in history

The white-haired man glanced at him, as if he understood what was on his mind. He stretched lazily and said, "One enters the cycle of reincarnation, and it has been several hundred years. He has been reborn countless times, with names, identities, and ages constantly changing. Who can remember? Moreover, I have not been human for several hundred years..."

"Yes," the words of the Soul Reaper made Hu Jia hesitate to disobey. After a slight pause, she asked, "How should that person be addressed?"

Hu Jia's expression was somewhat cracked—how many lifetimes of infatuation have been sought but never obtained? Infatuation? This infatuated person seems to have a poor memory

Hu Jia could no longer hesitate and walked towards that man

It was as if the White Impermanence was choked: "It is..."

Hu Jia, however, did not know what to say

Suddenly, the white-haired man seemed to come to his senses, blinked his eyes, and asked Bai Wuchang with some confusion: "Who is Helian Yi again?"

Later, after he returned, he drank three bowls of Meng Po soup by the Naihe Bridge. Bai Wuchang let out a bitter laugh, saying, "Yet, for some reason, the Meng Po soup, which washes away the memories of all who drink it, proved ineffective for him. When he wished to forget, he could not; when he wished to remember, he could not help but recall. He mocked himself, saying that these few hundred years had indeed been long, sometimes making it hard to remember his original name, yet he had to remember those past events. Because of this matter of seven lifetimes, he referred to himself as Jing Qi. As for Helian Yi's sixth lifetime, a total of sixty-three years, he sat facing the wall by the Three Lives Stone for sixty-three years. Thus, it can be calculated that only the final encounter remains in the destined entanglement of seven lifetimes between Seventh Master and Helian Yi.

"Hmm, what time is it?" The man blinked and asked, "Where to?"

The judge sighed, as if he were returning, and once again vanished into the darkness without a trace

He waited for that person until the third life. Bai Wuchang and Hu Jia followed behind that "Seventh Master" from a distance. The voice of the soul-reaping messenger was like that of mosquitoes and ants, low and pressed in the throat, yet each word was articulated particularly clearly. "In the third life, he transformed into a black dog, raised by that person since childhood, but later, due to that person's family falling into decline, he was killed for meat. In the fourth life, he was a pot of jasmine given by that person's beloved, placed on the windowsill. That person tended to it with utmost care, yet later, when that person's beloved remarried elsewhere, that person, heartbroken, moved away, leaving the jasmine to wither and die in an abandoned house. In the fifth life, he transformed into a snow fox, captured by that person, kept in a deep mansion for entertainment, suffering the torment of skinning due to that person's concubine's fondness for its fur... In the fourth life, he was a pot of jasmine given by that person's beloved, placed on the windowsill. That person tended to it with utmost care, yet later, when that person's beloved remarried elsewhere, that person, heartbroken, moved away, leaving the jasmine to wither and die in an abandoned house. In the fifth life, he transformed into a snow fox, captured by that person, kept in a deep mansion for entertainment, suffering the torment of skinning due to that person's concubine's fondness for its fur...

The little man did not dare to speak, and Bai Wuchang still maintained that tone, flatter than a coffin, saying: "The time has come, please follow me, Seventh Master."

With a "crack" sound, a shadow appeared out of nowhere, bent down to pick up the white paper that had fallen on the ground. Hu Jia was taken aback and hurriedly bowed, saying: "Judge..."

The man blinked his eyes and suddenly smiled: "Why does the phrase 'soul snatcher' carry a hint of resentment?"

The second generation's foundation is solid, setting up the bridge for marital connections, where pairs of mandarin ducks fly in twos.

Hu Jia's lips moved slightly, as if she understood something, yet also as if she understood nothing at all

Jing Qi stood by the reincarnation pool, waiting for a moment for Bai Wuchang and Hu Jia to approach, before jokingly asking: "Am I a human this time?"

Have you ever heard of the King of Nanning

Hu Jia is a newly appointed ghost messenger, having traversed the Yellow Springs for merely over forty years. Since he can remember, this white-haired man has always sat there, motionless. Whenever Hu Jia returns from his duties in the human realm to report back, he always stands there for a while, gazing at the man's back.

The head of the White Impermanence seemed to nod slightly, though the lips did not move, yet the voice was clear and distinct: "Go call him, just say that the time has come, and invite him to set off."

The eyes are extremely clear and bright, with wide corners, distinct eyeliner, and slightly raised, as if holding a hint of a smile, radiating inner brilliance; however, in a flash, they quickly dimmed.

The person of great fortune

Hu Jia could not help but exclaim, "He is... he is..." No wonder the soul-snatching messenger referred to this man as "a humble person"; it turns out he is the Prince of Nanning from the previous dynasty

When he was still in the world, in his childhood, he heard a story from the teacher at the private school. In ancient times, there was a person who was exceptionally skilled in the art of painting. One day, he casually drew a long dragon on the wall but did not add its eyes. Passersby saw it and were puzzled. When they inquired, the artist said that he feared that once the dragon was given eyes, it would transform into a real dragon. The onlookers did not believe him, and the artist, feeling helpless, had no choice but to add the eyes to the dragon. Indeed, the dragon came to life, let out a clear roar, and soared into the clouds. This is the legendary "adding the eyes to the painted dragon." The artist expressed his fear that once the dragon was given eyes, it would transform into a real dragon. The onlookers did not believe him, and the artist, feeling helpless, had no choice but to add the eyes to the dragon. Indeed, the dragon came to life, let out a clear roar, and soared into the clouds. This is the legendary "adding the eyes to the painted dragon."

The man in black shook his hand and said, "That's enough." Suddenly, the piece of paper ignited in his palm, instantly turning to a pile of ashes. The judge opened his palm, and a wisp of blue smoke, seemingly possessing a spirit of its own, also entered the reincarnation pool. Seeing Hu Jia in a daze, the judge remarked, "This time, the White Impermanence is not a person from the underworld; he merely borrowed the shell of Impermanence to wait for his destined person. It is time for him to go now."

A path to the underworld, one hundred thousand restless souls, the entire realm of the dead seems to echo with his unrestrained laughter, his tall figure exudes an indescribable air of nonchalance, as if he holds no regard for the Ten Yama Kings.

Jing Qi briefly cupped his fists in salute to the two individuals, smiled, and stepped into the pool.

Hu Jia only heard Bai Wuchang softly say: "This was originally a bond of affection, lasting for seven lifetimes. Due to my initial mistake, I altered the destinies of the two, who were meant to grow old together, but instead became enemies."

The man remained unmoved, as if he had not heard anything.

The voice of this "Seventh Master" was very low and soft, sounding in the ears like a gentle breeze brushing against the heart. Then, he moved slightly, as if his body was stiff from long sleep; he shifted his shoulders and slowly opened his eyes, casting a glance at Hu Jia.

In three lifetimes, the jade and stone shall burn, pledging to uphold the bond of gold and jade, life and death shall eternally accompany each other

Hu Jia was momentarily taken aback: "Fate? He is..."

That person burst into laughter

The White Impermanence lowered his head and said: "A petty person does not dare."

The little man with the flute is a ghostly messenger of the underworld, having only held his position for a mere forty years

Hu Jia slowly turned her head, but Bai Wuchang had already vanished, leaving only a piece of white paper in the shape of a human figure, drifting and falling to one side

It is a man, as one approaches, he appears to be in his twenties or thirties, wearing a loose blue shirt with wide sleeves, a crude bamboo flute tucked at his waist, yet his head is adorned with unbound silver hair, flowing freely.

As Hu Jia slipped underfoot, he nearly fell into the River of Forgetfulness

He slowly supported himself up with the Three Lives Stone, brushed off the nonexistent dust on his body, and as his wide sleeves swept by, the flowers of the other shore seemed to bend their heads in response to his movements. Turning around, he saw the White Impermanence not far away, and showed no surprise; he merely adjusted his robe sleeves and slightly performed a bow: "Master Soul Reaper, it has been over sixty years since we last met, hasn't it"

By the side of the Three Lives Stone, there sat a person

The white-haired man shook his head, walked forward, and seemingly casually patted the shoulder of the white impermanence: "It's only a matter of time, and it's surprising that you still remember. Indeed, the little white face has a narrow mind."

Please, Lord Qi, accompany me back to that cycle; it would be unfortunate if we miss the appointed time, as this is already the seventh life. Bai Wuchang paused for a moment, then said, "After this life, your fate with Helian Yi will come to an end, and from then on, dust will return to dust, and there will be no need for further entanglement."

Hu Jia asked: "Is it not true that those who do not drink the Meng Po soup cannot be reborn as humans?"

Bai Wuchang seemed to be stunned for a moment before softly saying: "You should call him Seventh Master, as everyone does; he will surely respond."