Past Life, Present Life

Hua Qianluo waited on the road for Luo Bai’s arrival. When Luo Bai saw her, he was naturally happy; after all, she was an old acquaintance. The Black and White Messengers at his side, however, did not share his sentiment.

“Heavenly Master, we are acting on official decrees this time…”

“I know, I’m not making things difficult for you,” Hua Qianluo said dismissively. “I’m not an unreasonable person.”

The two messengers fell silent simultaneously. Do you even believe your own lies?

Hua Qianluo took out a bowl of red pigment, dipped a brush into it, and raised it as if to paint Luo Bai’s face. Luo Bai opened his mouth to tell her she wouldn’t be able to touch his spirit form, but he stopped mid-breath. As the brush descended, he felt a distinct, cool sensation on his skin.

Finally, Hua Qianluo stopped and nodded with satisfaction. Luo Bai felt a slight itch where the pigment was, and his hand moved instinctively to scratch it.

“Don’t move!” Hua Qianluo barked. “Don’t wipe this off. Wait until after you’ve drunk the Soup of Oblivion; only then can it be removed.”

Luo Bai nodded dumbly. It was then that the messengers gasped in shock.

“This… the Heavenly Master’s Presentation?”

Luo Bai didn’t understand the term, but judging by the messengers’ expressions, it was something extraordinary. Sure enough, after Hua Qianluo left, the white phantom stared at Luo Bai’s face, clicking his tongue in wonder.

“The Heavenly Master’s Presentation is a method of substitution. The sins of your past life are now being borne by that Heavenly Master on your behalf. Now, you can reincarnate in peace.”

Luo Bai looked blankly in the direction Hua Qianluo had vanished. They had only met a few times; why would she go to such lengths for him? Though he didn’t know the exact magnitude of his sins, he imagined they weren’t light—countless killings and the breaking of the three-realm taboos.

“Alright, kid, stop daydreaming. Let’s move,” the black phantom urged impatiently.

After Luo Bai’s death, Long Miaoming did not return to the White River Dragon Palace. Instead, she settled down within White River City itself. Though she didn’t say it, Long Heng could feel the intense resentment she held for him. Even so, he would rather be hated by his daughter than watch her experience such agonizing partings over and over again.

Long Heng paid a visit to the Underworld. He had intended to bribe the Magistrate to block the reincarnation, but upon arrival, he learned the truth:

The Heavenly Master presents the Path; ten thousand ghosts bow.

It seemed stopping Luo Bai’s rebirth was impossible. However, Long Heng did hear one piece of news that put his mind at ease: Luo Bai’s next life would be as a girl.

Since they’ll both be girls, there shouldn’t be any “accidents,” right? Long Heng thought to himself.

Eight hundred years later.

In a dilapidated household—shabby not just in appearance, but in spirit—the flickering light of a dim bulb cast the shadows of a fighting man and woman onto the wall. A little girl huddled in a corner, trembling as she watched them.

Finally, the man lashed out, shoving the woman to the ground. He grabbed his coat and stormed out. As he crossed the living room, he stepped on and crushed the girl’s old Teddy Bear. The woman began to sob hysterically on the floor.

The girl cautiously picked up her toy and crept toward her mother. “Mama, I…”

Before she could finish, the woman looked up with a feral intensity and shoved the girl hard. “It’s all because of you, you jinx! It’s all your fault!”

The girl’s head struck the corner of a table. Blood began to flow. But the woman remained vicious; she didn’t dare face the man, so she vented her fury on her young daughter. She hoisted the girl up, opened the door, and threw her out.

The girl tumbled, her body aching, and curled into a tiny ball.

“Get lost!” The door slammed shut, the woman’s voice echoing in the air.

“Waaaaah…” The little girl cried, her heart breaking. She was hungry, her forehead was bleeding, and the Mr. Bear in her arms was covered in mud, just like her. But she didn’t dare knock on the door.

She began to wander, hoping someone might give her something to eat. As if someone had heard her heart, a figure suddenly crouched down beside her.

“Oh my, whose little cutie is this? How did you get into such a state?”

The newcomer wiped the blood from the girl’s face with a tissue. Hua Qianluo looked at the girl and waved a lollipop in her hand. The girl stopped crying instantly, her mouth watering. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had candy—she couldn’t even remember the taste, only that it was sweet and wonderful.

But a second later, the lollipop went straight into Hua Qianluo’s own mouth.

“Ah… candy…” The girl watched the treat disappear, and was about to burst into tears again. But just as she opened her mouth to start, something sweet was placed inside. Hua Qianluo had been carrying a second lollipop.

“Why are you out here, little girl?”

If she hadn’t asked, it might have been fine, but the question triggered the girl’s grief. “Mama… Mama doesn’t want me anymore… waaaaah…”

Hua Qianluo quickly took her own lollipop and stuffed it into the girl’s mouth to muffle the sound.

“Well, that can’t be helped then.” Hua Qianluo sighed with a smile and picked the girl up. “Come on, you’re staying with Auntie today.”

The girl froze, then gave a low, quiet “Mmhmm.”

“Little cutie, what’s your name?” Hua Qianluo asked.

The girl didn’t know. She didn’t have a name. Since she was small, her parents had only ever called her “Jinx” or “Brat.”

“None?” Hua Qianluo’s smile turned slightly mischievous. “It’s not quite right to call you Luo Xiaobai… from now on, your name is Luo Xiaoxi.”

The next day, Hua Qianluo sat on the sofa of the decrepit house. Across from her were the man and woman, looking at Luo Xiaoxi with undisguised loathing.

“I like the look of this girl. I’m adopting her,” Hua Qianluo said, patting Xiaoxi’s head.

“You think you can just take her? This little brat might be worth some money later on,” the man said impatiently.

“Tsk. At the end of the day, you’re just a gambler and a prostitute,” Hua Qianluo sneered. The man bristled, ready to explode.

Suddenly, Hua Qianluo threw a briefcase onto the table between them. Through the gap in the zipper, they saw it was stuffed to the brim with high-denomination cash.

“Is it enough?”

“Enough! More than enough!” After the initial shock, the couple reacted instantly. Fearing she might change her mind, they answered without a second thought. To them, selling their daughter at such a price was a massive profit.

Hua Qianluo took Luo Xiaoxi’s small hand. “You aren’t fit to be parents,” she said finally. The couple heard her, but they didn’t care. All they cared about was the money they got for selling their child.

Once outside, Hua Qianluo suddenly smiled and crouched down. “Xiaoxi, do you want to see some fireworks?”

“Fireworks?” Luo Xiaoxi tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then nodded.

Hua Qianluo smiled. A paper talisman appeared in her hand. She blew on it gently, directing it toward the house they had just left.

A moment later, tongues of flame erupted from every window and door. In an instant, the house and the people within were consumed by fire.