Chapter Eighty-Three: The Land of Houtu

  " Hou Tu..."

  Houtu's heart was racing, it was such a familiar call, although it had never lingered in his mind day and night, but now he was about to be reincarnated into the six paths of reincarnation. As soon as he heard it, Houtu felt his whole body trembling, even the desolation of his impending death and rebirth disappeared. Looking towards the direction of Qingqiu Mountain, he saw Zhou Cheng wearing a Taoist robe, looking at him with a solemn expression.

  The person he had been expecting finally arrived, and Hou Tu felt that his life of billions of years was no longer regrettable. The reversal of fortune at the moment of despair caused strings of crystal tears to flow out from under his eyelids.

  "Master... Master... Brother, is that really you? You've come to see Hou Tu one last time, right? Hehe, Hou Tu, wu... wu... Hou Tu is so happy!" Hou Tu's face was still streaming with tears, flowing out in a steady stream. She was no longer crying, but under the reflection of the turbulent sea of blood, this silent sobbing was even more sorrowful. As she frantically tried to wipe away her tears, afraid of losing face in front of Zhou Cheng...

  "It's me, I'm here!" Zhou Cheng sighed inwardly and said aloud.

  "Brother, this time I came to see off the last journey of Hou Tu, Hou Tu is deeply grateful..." Hou Tu said, and again couldn't help but sob, his words became incoherent.

  "Sister, you already know the cause and effect of what happened before. If there's anything else you want to say, just say it now, so as not to leave any regrets." Zhou Cheng became that saint, of course he knew that at this time, Blood Sea was almost like a circus on stage, being watched by everyone, even speaking had to be carefully considered, otherwise...

  "Senior brother, just let Hou Tu have a good talk with you, okay? In the future... it's likely that we'll be separated by reincarnation and won't meet again..." Hou Tu stared at Zhou Cheng, seemingly pleading.

  Zhou Cheng sighed inwardly and said in a soft voice, "Sister, just speak up if you have something to say."

  "Big brother, is the saint really heartless?"

  "What is called a sage, like the void that does not break, the heavenly way that is not destroyed, are all long-lived and indestructible. Therefore, sages are all extremely joyful in the world, and also have emotions. It's just that what they crave and rely on is different: some covet the great teachings of the atmosphere, some love the pre-heavenly spiritual treasures, some covet the face of a sage, all exist." Zhou Cheng didn't care about how the sages present would think, he just spoke according to his own thoughts.

  Houtu's face turned even more sullen upon hearing this, as if she was afraid of something. Her cherry lips opened and closed several times before she finally asked: "Houtu wants to know, what is it that Shixiong's emotions are attached to?"

  Zhou Cheng was momentarily speechless, his heart hesitant and uncertain. This matter was truly difficult to answer. Some things, once spoken, might lead to great trouble later on. So he pretended to be deep in thought, unwilling to speak up.

  "Senior brother, why does this dying person still make you so tongue-tied? Is it that the Netherworld is not worthy of your concern?" The Netherworld took out the Xuanyuan Treasure Tower and walked slowly towards Zhou Cheng, as if in her eyes, the Nine Springs Realm had only Zhou Cheng. "Senior brother, usually, I'm the Ancestor Witch, you're the Holy One, seemingly high-ranking and respected, but actually entangled with trivial matters, not even daring to put on a thick face to visit senior brother's place. The Netherworld actually wants to accompany senior brother, chat more, and take in the scenery of Qingqiu Mountain. Xiao Baiyun said that if I go to Qingqiu Mountain to live long-term, they will welcome me warmly. Senior brother, do you welcome me?"

  Houtu walked slowly, as if lost in thought about something delightful, but suddenly turned into great sorrow, and even her figure swayed slightly.

  "Nature is welcome, only..." Zhou Cheng's tone was heavy, his lips slightly trembling, even for that saint, he almost couldn't hold on, just about to pass out and lean against Hou Tu.

  "It's just that Hou Tu is about to perish and be reborn in the six paths, and there won't be another chance to turn back, right, Shixiong?" Hou Tu stopped three feet away from Zhou Cheng in mid-air, her eyes misty as she stared at him. "Shixiong, you're wrong... wrong."

  "Houtu is not afraid of reincarnation, creating blessings for all living beings is Houtu's great love for heaven and earth. It is the responsibility that Pangu Dadi left unfinished, which Houtu must continue, and also what Houtu has to do to prolong the luck of the Wu tribe. You say the six paths of reincarnation, the Wu tribe doesn't need it, previously I was confused and didn't know, but now I understand, the Wu tribe really doesn't have a tomorrow, indeed it's not needed anymore. These are Houtu's responsibilities as an ancestral witch. But Houtu is also human, with emotions, having great love for heaven and earth, and personal love for Shixiong."

  It seems like the time has almost arrived, and Hou Tu's entire body was covered in a strange, windless phenomenon...

  "Big brother, you were wrong. You shouldn't have hidden the truth from Hou Tu. If only you had told Hou Tu earlier, she could have spent more time with big brother. Hou Tu still wants to see the sunrise and sunset of Qingqiu Mountain, to see the tidal bore of Clear Peace Lake, to listen to the sound of the waves rising and falling, the wind and rain blowing, and the cries of the birds. Hou Tu still wants to brew a pot of Maojian tea for big brother under the dim evening sun, and experience the carefree life of Qingqiu Mountain."

  Houtu's body shook even more violently, as if there was an invisible force pulling her in the void.

  Zhou Cheng listened, his heart and soul struck by something he had never experienced in billions of years. Tears streamed down the corners of his eyes, his face pale, his lips tightly pursed, his body trembling slightly.

  "Sister, don't...don't say it. Many things, brother is also powerless..."

  "I'm not afraid, a person about to die, who else would I fear being laughed at? Who else would I fear losing face to? Why can't the ancestors have love? Why can't the saints have love? Isn't it said that the law is natural? I insist on saying, I curse them, I curse those hypocritical existences, what can the saints do about it? I curse them all together. I... Alas..."

  Houtu saw Zhou Cheng fall tears, even more sad and sentimental, still waiting to explain, but found that the pulling force in the void was getting bigger and bigger, his body shape seemed like a wisp of smoke, as if it would break through the air at any moment, couldn't help but sigh, knowing that time was really running out.

  "Sister, don't, don't say any more..." Zhou Cheng finally couldn't bear it, his arm slightly extended, and he was about to step forward...

  "Senior brother, don't...don't come any closer. I'm afraid...I'm afraid I won't be able to bear parting with senior brother, won't be able to abandon senior brother and let him reincarnate." Hou Tu stretched out his hand and took out the Tian Di Xuan Huang Ling Long treasure pagoda, about to hand it over to Zhou Cheng.

  "Sister, let's not reincarnate, let's not reincarnate. Let's go back to Qingqiu Mountain." Hou Tu said with a sorrowful tone, Zhou Cheng couldn't bear it anymore and just wanted to take Hou Tu back to Qingqiu Mountain, forget about the cycle of rebirth, and ignore all the calculations.

  "Senior brother, take back this Xuanyuan Tower. You don't like to compromise and are often impulsive, so you need this object to save face. Although Hou Tu has left, she doesn't want senior brother to be bullied by others in the future. Hou Tu must undergo the cycle of reincarnation of the six paths; otherwise, even if junior sister is with senior brother every day, her Dao heart will be damaged and she won't have peace. Moreover, Hou Tu's reincarnation means that humanity has a great opportunity for prosperity, so senior brother should be happy instead."

  "Alas... Junior Sister, since your mind is made up, Senior Brother won't force it. Take this Tower of Mystic Yellow with you; after reincarnation in the Six Paths, having it here in the Nine Hells will be like Senior Brother accompanying you day and night."

  Houtu burst into tears at the sound, sobbing uncontrollably, and murmured: "Shixiong, Houtu is dead enough." The void rippled, and Houtu was pulled to the surface of the Blood Sea, her body beyond her control. She turned back to look at Zhou Cheng, shouting in a sorrowful voice...

  "Brother, do you still remember the poem on the wall of Xie Yuxuan's middle room?"

  Zhou Cheng was stunned, and then he heard Hou Tu murmuring with a mixture of laughter and tears:

  "You were born before I was"

  I was born when you were already old

  Regret different birth

  Day by day with you is good...

  The void trembled more and more violently, and Hou Tu let out a heart-wrenching wail that pierced the Nine You boundary, echoing across the vast wilderness. Zhou Cheng couldn't help but shed tears.

  "The cycle of six paths, now..."

  A ripple appeared in the bloody sea, and six holes emerged from the void, all exuding an aura of mystery. The six holes connected to the vast land above and the dark underworld below, and the earthy voice of Hou Tu echoed once more:

  "The cycle of six paths, combined..."

  ?－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

  Perhaps the number of days is destined, and the small fish can only be the second for thousands of years. The recommended list can't even keep third place... The number of days, how can human effort reverse it?

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