Leaving the boundary of Xiling, more unknown mountains appeared in view.

This is a mountain range sandwiched between the Central Plains and Southern Xinjiang. It stretches across hundreds of miles and intersects continuously, like rough waves on the sea. Even a map is difficult to draw.

For the road to Wuxizhai, Du Yun only left a piece of advice—follow the converging rivers and streams upstream, go in the direction of the sunset, and don’t turn when you encounter a fork in the road.

The master and the apprentice obeyed his words, they rode fast and walked for more than a day.The flowing water along the way seems to be playing hide-and-seek with people, passing in and out of the mountains and forests, appearing and disappearing from time to time.

Southern Xinjiang was originally a barren land with few people inhabited, and after the accident happened to Wuxi Village located on the border, no one wanted to go there.At the beginning of the journey, the two were distracted to avoid passers-by, fearing that the officers and soldiers would find out their identities, but after going deep into the mountains, let alone the officers and soldiers, they didn’t even see half a person.

The remote mountains, which are rarely visited by people, have instead become a gathering place for other creatures. In the mountain streams, there are many rare and exotic beasts that are rarely seen in the Central Plains.

Deer drinking by the stream, raccoons crawling under the trees, turtles swimming underwater, butterflies flying among the flowers…

Di Dongqing had never seen such a battle before. During the imperial horses’ walk, she couldn’t help looking around. Seeing these beasts all looked relaxed, she presumably enjoyed the tranquility isolated from the world.

However, the tranquility was disturbed by the sound of footsteps.

For a while, birds and beasts scattered, butterflies and bees flew around, foxes and foxes got into tree holes, and fish hid in rock crevices.

Di Dongqing soon realized that they were avoiding a cunning wolf.

It was a lone cunning wolf, walking alone by the stream, its golden-orange fur was extraordinarily bright.Its burly and vigorous figure caused all the beasts to panic, but it didn’t seem to notice it at all, just walked on its own, leaving a string of lonely footprints on the rocky beach.

Di Dongqing didn’t understand: “Cunning wolves always live in packs, why is this one alone.”

He didn’t attack the birds or beasts, just glanced at them, then turned and left.In fact, it is very vigorous, walking with enviable dexterity.

Lu Zhengqiu looked at the silhouette of the cunning wolf from a distance, and said, “I think it’s here to die.”

Di Dongqing was even more confused: “To die?”

Lu Zhengqiu nodded: “Most wild beasts don’t know life and death, but some auspicious beasts can predict the coming of death in advance. Look carefully to see if there is any injury in its lower abdomen.”

Di Dongqing looked carefully, and really saw a strange dark black mark on the belly of the cunning wolf, which was a long and narrow wound.

The reason why it walks slowly is that it is afraid of the wound opening.

The wound may have been made by a tooth of its own kind, or by some shrewd hunter.In any case, the wound decimated its life, and it had to leave its own kind for the last part of its journey alone.

Di Dongqing’s gaze followed its back, as if attracted by some indescribable force.

Cunning Wolf walked alone for a while, turned a turn, and the road in front of him suddenly became clear. It turned out that the stream was connected to a large lake.

Cunning Wolf walked to the lake, lay down slowly, and did not move.

The two also reined in their horses and stopped. Lu Zhengqiu looked at it and said, “This is probably the grave it chose for itself.”

The lake is very deep, and there is no lively scene beside the stream, but it is shrouded in solitude.

The wind crumpled the surface of the water, and there were faint shadows at the bottom of the water, which were deposited animal bones. The pale and huge skeleton shook gently with the waves.

It turned out that there was more than just a beast’s grave here.The dead bone at the bottom of the water may have once belonged to a stronger creature. However, did it also go here alone, lying quietly by the lake, waiting for death to come?

Cunning Wolf’s breathing became longer and longer, the heaving of his back became slower and slower, his pair of spiritual eyes slowly closed, and never opened again.

The mountains are green and the waters are wide, the sky is far away and the earth is high, and what I want is only one destination.

Di Dongqing murmured: “It’s too lonely to die like this.”

“Really?” Lu Zhengqiu replied, “I think it is a blessing to be able to choose how to die.”

His indifferent tone made the young man’s heart sink, and he couldn’t help turning his gaze to him, trying to look into those shallow eyes.The helpless old man’s thoughts are too heavy, and the obstacle lying between them is like a deep lake, which is difficult to fill.

However, Di Dongqing crossed the barrier and approached him, just like every time in the past, blocked his avoiding sight with blunt eyes, and then asked: “Master, did you remember something sad just now?”

“That’s not so.”

“I heard that sad things will be halved if you tell others, why don’t you tell me.”

Lu Zhengqiu looked into the eyes that were not far away, and the excuse of evasion slipped down his throat, and he quickly swallowed it back.

The road to Wuxi is very long, maybe some stories are really needed.

So he breathed a sigh of relief and said, “My life and death have never been my choice…”

He is an orphan abandoned by his parents in the border chaos.

His chances of survival were slim, but the place where he was abandoned happened to be on the edge of a swamp, so he miraculously survived by devouring the dead vines and leaves in the soil.

Xia Qiyuan discovered his abnormality and rescued him, as well as his twin brother.Because of living in Youmao, the remnant souls of Youying were planted in the blood of the two of them early on, so Xia Qiyuan performed the soul-removing forbidden technique for the two dying babies, bringing them back to life.

Di Dongqing asked him, “How does it feel to move a soul?”

He replied: “Sometimes it seems to be in a dream. There is another me in the dream. He experiences all the joys, sorrows, sorrows, and I just watch indifferently, waiting for the long dream to wake up. If you want to compare it, it’s like the medicine you use for medicine.” That kind of Cordyceps…”

“Cordyceps sinensis?”

“Yes, I am the winter worm, waiting for the summer grass to grow out of my body one day. It will completely take my place from then on.”

“Replace?” Di Dongqing looked suspicious, “But how can a person be replaced?”

Lu Zhengqiu said: “Why not? A mere mortal body is definitely not comparable to the ancient primordial spirit. The so-called soul-moving is tantamount to handing over the mortal body to the gods and allowing it to be devoured.”

Di Dongqing couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes: “This is really outrageous and sensational.”

“That’s right,” Lu Zhengqiu sighed, “but only by relying on such an evil method, You Ying, who has lost her spiritual power, can survive in the world and live forever. However, although the primordial spirit is immortal, the mortal body will decay. Before one shell is eaten away, it will have to find the next suitable winter worm.”

“That’s why Xia Qiyuan wants to move his soul for you, for Yue Baiyu, and for Tianxing…”

“That’s right, it has to scatter the remnant souls everywhere, desperately looking for a suitable target, and reunite the primordial spirit. Divide and unite, unite and divide again, and so on.”

“From ancient times to the present, for thousands of years, has it been like this?”

“It’s all the same. The so-called Chongming Sect, the so-called leader and messengers are just insects and weeds that exist to maintain this process.”

Di Dongqing couldn’t help being dumbfounded: “So, doesn’t that Xia Qiyuan become a living god?”

Lu Zhengqiu said: “It’s really not a blessing to become a god with a mortal body, and you can’t even control your own life and death. In comparison, that cunning wolf is much luckier.”

Speaking of this, Lu Zhengqiu sighed briefly: “Actually, I can roughly guess that the reason why Nan Yanqi obeyed Xia Qiyuan’s advice and was so loyal was because of Xia Qiyuan’s promise to him.”