A Man with the Surname Li

A corpse-driving man dressed in a Daoist robe was driving six corpses through a torrential night rain.

Gu Baishui didn't know the origins of the other five corpses, but anyone with the ability and courage to drive a Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse was a terrifying existence at least in the Saint Realm. The burly Daoist was no exception.

He'd only ducked into an Abandoned Temple to escape the rain, and already he'd run into a Saint who drove corpses?

Gu Baishui didn't believe the world could hold such a coincidence.

Just as his Second Senior Brother had once said: "Behind every coincidence lies an inevitable cause. In our world, fortuitous opportunities often mean unpredictable danger. In short, fortuitous opportunities are poisonous."

Unexpectedly, the burly man standing by the door didn't try to stop Gu Baishui. He even politely shifted to the side, clearing the way out of the Abandoned Temple.

Gu Baishui remained impassive, bade the burly man a proper farewell, then tugged at the puzzled Linen-Clad Girl beside him and simply left the Abandoned Temple.

Outside, fine rain still drifted through the deep forest. Leaning against the doorframe, the burly man watched in silence as the strange youth receded into the rain.

A shaded forest path, slick with mud.

The Green-Robed Youth seemed to be tugging something beside him as he hurried into the distance.

The Linen-Clad Girl, whose sleeve was being tugged, tilted her head. Hugging the Sweet Potato in her hands, she wrinkled her delicate nose, then turned to look at the burly Daoist at the temple entrance.

The burly man standing guard at the entrance twitched an eyelid, as if he'd noticed something, and waved his right hand toward them.

But the Green-Robed Youth didn't look back, so of course he didn't know who the burly man was waving at.

Wu Tian sighed wistfully as well. Watching the figure gradually disappear into the rain, he shook his head.

The road was slippery in the rain. Passersby had to watch their footing-and keep an eye on what was behind them.

Because you could never be sure whether the same muddy road held two rows of footprints... or only one.

Throughout the rainy night at the Abandoned Temple, three people had taken shelter there.

A youth who'd suffered a calamity, a filthy little beggar, and a strange burly man driving six corpses.

The youth and the Linen-Clad Girl had chatted happily, while he and the corpse-driving man had maintained a delicate mutual probing.

But the youth didn't seem to realize that the other two guests who'd taken shelter at the Abandoned Temple had never mentioned each other's existence.

They never seemed to have a chance to speak. When one arrived, the other was already asleep.

"Mm~"

A strange, low growl sounded from behind the burly man. A dry, steady hand pressed against the crack in the door, then stepped out of the temple.

Gray Pupils and White Eyes, a wooden expression: this was the Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse Gu Baishui had encountered by chance the previous night.

The burly man tilted his head and exchanged a look with the mysterious ancient corpse beside him, from some unknown dynasty. Then he sighed helplessly.

"Master, you can't blame me for this. Miss ignores me. I can't exactly shamelessly go up to her and make a nuisance of myself, can I?"

"Roar." The ancient corpse opened its mouth without changing expression.

Wu Tian paused, then pursed his lips. "Miss ignored you too, didn't she? Accept your fate, Master. We'll have to keep each other company on the road to Luoyang."

The Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse silently narrowed its eyes, gazing at the rain falling outside the Abandoned Temple. It said nothing more.

"Miss wants to walk the last stretch of her life with that young man. Of course, she has her reasons. As long as she's happy, I won't be jealous."

The Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse glanced at the burly man.

Wu Tian fell silent for a moment, then scratched the back of his head and sighed softly.

"Actually, I am a little jealous. It doesn't matter that Miss doesn't think much of me. I'm just a common man; I was never worthy of her."

"Miss never married. I still remember how seriously she told us she liked women. What a scoundrel she was."

The burly man raised his eyes. Looking at the rain beyond the eaves, he seemed to recall something, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled into a smile.

Tree shadows swayed, rain fell coolly, and everything in this forest seemed unchanged.

"But Miss doesn't actually like women."

The ancient corpse fell silent, then nodded without a sound.

"She just couldn't let go of that man surnamed Li. From Luoyang to this Abandoned Temple, she never once let go."

The burly man narrowed his eyes impassively. "Even though we all know that man surnamed Li has been dead for a very, very long time."

Last night, Wu Tian had told the young man a story.

He said that deep in the mountains and forests there was a wealthy family that robbed scholars traveling to the capital to sit the imperial examinations. Then the family's Miss would step in to rescue the unfortunate scholars who'd fallen into trouble.

Cast a wide net to catch more fish. If even one scholar placed on the imperial examination list, that shrewd family would rise to wealth and power too.

Their Miss was quite beautiful. Though she knew nothing of music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, she was indeed shrewd and clever.

Last night, the burly man had told the young man that the family's Miss had ultimately failed in her plans. Not a single scholar had placed first in the imperial examinations, so the Miss had remained unmarried for life.

But in fact, he'd lied.

It wasn't that no one had earned that damned Top Scholar title. In fact, in one year, those unlucky scholars had occupied all three top places on the imperial examination list.

But the Miss hadn't married anyone, because she could never let go of a man who made people very jealous.

His surname was Li. He was a scoundrel, and he'd been dead for a very long time.

Because he was dead, Wu Tian could never surpass him. It was a helpless and heartbreaking thing.

Even more heartbreaking was that his own master liked that scoundrel too.

So after the burly man became Martial Top Scholar, he gave up the splendor and riches of Chang'an without much thought.

He returned to these deep mountains and forests, followed his master, and became a simple, ordinary corpse-driving man.

Wu Tian had driven corpses for many years, wandering aimlessly and taking things as they came.

He'd never had much ambition or aspiration. As long as he could occasionally come back to see Miss, he felt at peace.

"Master, why do you think Miss wants to walk this stretch with that young man? And why here, at this Abandoned Temple?"

His Daoist robe draped around him as Wu Tian silently sat on the stone steps before the temple. He tilted his head, perplexed.

The Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse didn't answer, but its dim pupils shifted, as though it had found an answer.

"Is it because this Abandoned Temple is where Miss first met that man, and the youth looks a lot like him?"

Wu Tian narrowed his eyes, his expression wooden and calm.

"Or is it because he's a Transmigrator?"

The trees stood still, the wind fell quiet, and the rain stopped.

The Quasi-Emperor ancient corpse's body stiffened. Its fangs suddenly protruded between its lips, and a heart-stopping crimson glimmer flashed through its once-dead, ashen pupils.

"That's interesting, Master. You spent your whole life searching for Transmigrators, and now, after death, you've met a strange youth."

Wu Tian rolled up his sleeves, revealing thick arms knotted with muscle, then calmly raised his eyes.

A massive bolt of lightning flashed behind the dark clouds, silent yet terrifying.

"I don't know if that youth is a Transmigrator, or if it's his Second Senior Brother. After Miss leaves, I'll ask him myself."

"If he is, then he won't escape me, even at the ends of the earth."

"Oh, right. It seems there's an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon following that youth."

"That would be troublesome indeed."