The Immortal Plains River and the Past’s Echoes

The day after the incident at the cold jade bed, He Suosi had expected Yuan Zhigong to feel at least a little awkward, perhaps even avoid him. However, when he saw Yuan Zhigong approach him as usual, he realized that he was the only one feeling embarrassed.

Now, Yuan Zhigong was even discussing cultivation matters with him.

“…” He Suosi found himself speechless.

“Why didn’t your cultivation significantly improve when you were at the Immortal Worship Pavilion?” Yuan Zhigong inquired. “Everyone else there managed to advance, thanks to the dense spiritual energy.”

“…” ‘Must I really answer that question? Are we even that familiar with each other?’

He Suosi’s silence seemed to have no effect on Yuan Zhigong. The latter ceased his questioning, instead picking up a book to read, though he showed no intention of leaving.

A sense of vexation stirred within He Suosi. He glanced at Yuan Zhigong, observing the man’s handsome, jade-like countenance and his ethereal, noble aura that seemed to transcend the mortal realm. He truly couldn’t fathom it, for Yuan Zhigong looked more like the one who should be pressured into an arranged marriage. Finally, He Suosi couldn’t help but ask, “What do you like about me? While I’m not keen on admitting it, you don’t seem like someone who can’t find a wife.”

Yuan Zhigong seemed to have a switch suddenly flipped. His gaze deepened, fixing on He Suosi with an intensity that made He Suosi feel as though he might be devoured. Then, in a perfectly serious tone, he spoke, “Let’s go boating.”

“…” ‘How is that even related?!’

Although he yearned to see Yuan Zhigong’s amusing side, He Suosi was hardly a master oarsman and held no particular interest in such an activity right now. Thus, he casually waved a hand, indicating his disinclination to go.

Yuan Zhigong furrowed his brow slightly, contemplating for a long moment. Finally, he seemed to make a decision. “I’ll take you out to see things.”

For a moment, He Suosi felt as though he must be dreaming. He poked at his ear.

“What did you say?”

Yuan Zhigong seemed puzzled by his reaction. “Haven’t you always wanted to go out and explore?”

He Suosi instantly perked up. “Yes, yes, why not? Where are we going? To the Central River Realm?” The Central River Realm was the minor world where the Cloud Sky Sect resided, while the Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s domain was in the Southern Mountain Realm.

“I’ve been thinking, we could go to the State of Yan,” Yuan Zhigong said.

He Suosi was slightly bewildered. He hadn’t expected such an obscure place name. “Where is the State of Yan?”

“Beyond the Immortal Domain, head south past the Immortal Plains River, descend the cloud platform, and there lies a bustling little mortal state—that is the State of Yan.”

He Suosi felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. “So… just at the foot of the mountain?”

“To put it that way, yes, it is indeed at the foot of the Southern Mountain.”

He Suosi’s face fell. “I thought this was a trip, but it’s just visiting the neighbors.”

Yuan Zhigong then said, “So, you don’t want to go?”

He Suosi immediately stood up. “I’m going, why wouldn’t I?” It would be a waste of an outing not to.

He Suosi changed his clothes and departed the inner residence with Yuan Zhigong. This was his first time fully exiting the interior of the Guangyu Immortal Sect’s domain, and he looked around with a sense of wonder.

The domain was indeed vast, with roads extending in all directions like layers of a spiderweb. One couldn’t tell where each path led; an ordinary person would certainly get lost here. He Suosi meticulously memorized the routes and directions, just in case.

“Why aren’t we taking the main gate?” He Suosi asked, somewhat perplexed, seeing Yuan Zhigong lead him through a side path.

“There are no guards this way, only ancestral restrictions.”

He Suosi uttered an “Oh,” then asked again, “I heard that the Southern Mountain Realm is completely separated from the mortal world by the Immortal Plains River. So, how do cultivators from here usually go to the mortal world?”

The Immortal Plains River was a specialty of the Southern Mountain Realm—a common jest among cultivators in the past. It was a river-like area perpetually shrouded in thick fog. Its source was unknown, its destination a mystery. Within it, ordinary cultivators would lose their sense of direction and spiritual power, gradually becoming walking corpses, wandering endlessly until they turned to ash. Thus, it was playfully dubbed the “Sea of the Living Dead.” It completely isolated the Southern Mountain Realm from the mortal world, making its cultivation world unlike other renowned places that were closely connected to ordinary society, instead fostering an imaginative sense of mystery.

Some believed this was the reason for the Southern Mountain Realm’s transcendent status, but He Suosi only thought it led to isolation and poor communication.

Hearing He Suosi’s question, Yuan Zhigong glanced at him and slowly began, “In the past, someone devised a method. He opened two gates on either side and built a bridge of Void Stone in the middle. Each person who passed paid one top-grade spirit stone as a toll.”

“Wow, that was incredibly resourceful! If it were me…” He Suosi’s exclamation was cut short as he suddenly realized that the “someone” Yuan Zhigong spoke of might just be his past self.

He faltered.

“Now, those in the Southern Mountain Realm who cannot cross the Immortal Plains River on their own rely on that bridge. The profits are excellent.”

“…” He Suosi found himself in a dilemma, simultaneously thinking, ‘I truly am clever’ and ‘Wait, was that me?’ Caught between the two, he changed the subject. “We are now—”

Before he could finish, Yuan Zhigong said, “We’ve arrived.”

He Suosi was taken aback. “Arrived? We didn’t even walk much. How could it be so close?”

Yuan Zhigong calmly pushed aside the bushes in front of them and stepped through. “Since it’s called a ‘river,’ it’s not strange for it to have tributaries—someone else told me that, too.”

He Suosi frowned, giving Yuan Zhigong’s back a deep look. He tried to recall something, anything, but felt nothing. Instead, only a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

Overall, based on Yuan Zhigong’s descriptions, the person he spoke of did indeed resemble He Suosi greatly.

He Suosi followed him, pushing through dense, low bushes and climbing over several gullies. Before them appeared a man-sized cave. Yuan Zhigong extended his hand, took He Suosi’s wrist, and led him inside.

There was not a single ray of light in the cave. He Suosi initially disliked Yuan Zhigong holding him, but after a few steps, he realized it was absolutely necessary. Blind in the darkness, he reciprocated, grabbing Yuan Zhigong’s hand. Yuan Zhigong’s steps faltered, and his fingertips visibly trembled.

After an unknown duration, a white light finally appeared ahead. He Suosi breathed a sigh of relief, yet when he emerged from the cave, it wasn’t the clear day he’d imagined. Instead, he found himself enveloped in a dense fog so thick that he could only see objects within a meter.

He Suosi instinctively covered his mouth and nose. Seeing Yuan Zhigong show no reaction, he lowered his hand and looked around. “This is the Immortal Plains River. Indeed, it’s shrouded in thick fog. But what exactly is this mist?”

As soon as the words left his lips, his head swam. He forgot what he had said, where he was, and even who he was. It wasn’t until he felt a warm source placed on his forehead that he gradually regained his senses, stating in alarm, “Even with Pei Nishang’s cultivation, she couldn’t last a single breath here.”

Yuan Zhigong stepped forward and encircled him.

“There’s nothing strange about that,” he said calmly. “Anyone below the Soul Severing stage cannot last a single breath.” As he spoke, he walked forward unhurriedly, as if he weren’t deep within a deadly mist but in his own garden.

Perhaps for Yuan Zhigong, this Immortal Plains River, which others spoke of with dread, was indeed just his own backyard. In any case, they quickly passed through the thick fog, and as the view suddenly cleared, they found themselves in a small valley. The grass and trees were serene, and the scent of flowers permeated the air. He Suosi looked back but saw no dense fog, only a mountain wall.

His expression subtly shifted, as if he understood something.

Yuan Zhigong smiled. “It is indeed here.”

He Suosi guessed that this was another place Yuan Zhigong had visited with “that person.” He said nothing, looked around, and then walked out along a small path.

Yuan Zhigong caught up, and He Suosi asked, “Is this the State of Yan?”

Yuan Zhigong shook his head. “I’m not even sure myself; it’s been over a thousand years since I last came.”

He Suosi kicked the small stones on the path. “You don’t know the source or the end of the Immortal Plains River either?”

Yuan Zhigong nodded. ‘He is unusually good-tempered today,’ He Suosi recalled, thinking how truly fickle this man was.

“I don’t know. We once investigated, but after walking for a very long time, we never reached the end. You don’t remember…” At this point, Yuan Zhigong stopped speaking.

He Suosi didn’t want to hear about those things. He kicked a stone at his feet and strode forward.

Yuan Zhigong didn’t reply, simply pulling He Suosi along for a stretch. When they spotted a mortal inn in a bustling street, a faint smile suddenly appeared on his face. He turned and said, “You really liked the pies here. The owner… their ancestor, actually had old ties with us.”

He Suosi frowned. He didn’t want to be so crudely superimposed onto the person in Yuan Zhigong’s memories.

He looked up at the inn, noticing its name was unusual for an establishment of its kind. It wasn’t some elegant pavilion name, but rather “Immortal Pie.”

Yuan Zhigong said, “You were the one who named it. Back then, you said… to expand sales, a common and easy-to-remember name was needed.”

He Suosi walked straight in.

This time, they revealed themselves but had applied a Glamour Charm to appear less conspicuous to the mortals. They sat by the window, and a waiter came to take their order. After listing just three dishes, He Suosi waved his hand and said, “Just bring the specialty.”

The waiter, unperturbed, smiled and departed. After a while, a golden-brown meat pie, emanating the distinct aroma of baked goods, was brought to their table.

He Suosi used his chopsticks to break it open, revealing a filling of fresh, tender, and juicy meat beneath the crispy crust, steam rising from it. He took a bite, discovering once again that this was indeed a flavor he enjoyed.

He glanced at Yuan Zhigong, finding him staring back with eager anticipation. Upon realizing He Suosi had noticed, Yuan Zhigong quickly averted his gaze, his ear tips turning red.

In that moment, he resembled a pure, innocent young boy on his first date with his goddess.

He Suosi sighed.

What followed was Yuan Zhigong’s guided tour of the State of Yan. The two walked and rested, and as the sun set, they returned the way they came, arriving back at the Guangyu Immortal Sect not long after.

Upon reaching the entrance to his room, He Suosi finally couldn’t help but ask, “Did it never occur to you that I might not be the person you think I am?”

Night had already fallen, and the lantern light hanging from the eaves faintly illuminated half of Yuan Zhigong’s face. He Suosi couldn’t be sure if Yuan Zhigong showed any particularly obvious expression.

His tone, however, remained calm.

“Rest well.”

He Suosi looked up, meeting Yuan Zhigong’s gaze. “May I be so bold as to ask, how can you undo the Twin Love Root Flower you planted on me?”

Perhaps because He Suosi’s question was calm, Yuan Zhigong’s answer was equally composed. “By becoming my Dao companion.”

He Suosi couldn’t help but let out a cynical laugh, but he quickly suppressed it, turned to open the door to his room, and then looked back to say, “Rest well.”

With that, he closed his room door.

There was truly nothing more he could say to someone so lost in the past.