Chapter 161 - The Days of Youth

Would Master Qi become the next Jin Buyi someday far in the future? Dazhong thought.

He couldn’t help but worry.

Xu Ying was not safe right now. An extremely powerful force was watching him, even manipulating him. This force was immense, mysterious, and deeply unfathomable.

Even heavenly gods were merely its subordinates. Its influence reached the myriad realms.

Even the powerful Xu Ying from the lifetime in which he stood against the Great Shang had ultimately met a tragic end.

And there was no need to look that far into the past. Just recently, Bei Chenzi and the others had taken Xu Ying away right under Dazhong and Yuanqi’s noses and thrown him into Wuling to begin a new life. Yet Bei Chenzi was likely nothing more than a foot soldier of that mysterious force!

Although Xu Ying had been fortunate enough to regain his memories this time by recalling his past with Dazhong and Yuanqi, the odds of it happening again were slim.

Judging by Jin Buyi’s experience, it was highly likely that Xu Ying was powerless against that mysterious force. No matter how hard he tried, he would eventually be captured, have his memory wiped, and become a young Ah Ying, starting a new life.

If things continue this way in the future, would Master Qi end up like Jin Buyi, searching for Ah Ying forever until he grew so old that he could no longer remember Ah Ying? wondered Dazhong.

Then he immediately answered himself, No, he won’t! He’d have clamored to split up Ah Ying’s assets long ago!

Dazhong thought, Ah Ying’s assets truly are substantial, though. He’d obtained many treasures over the past two years while exploring the Radiant Vestige lands of Exorcist Immortals.

And this trip to the Taiyi Little Profound Heaven has filled the stinking snake’s belly with even more treasures. He would have long since started scheming to divide Ah Ying’s assets. But...

Following Xu Ying, Dazhong thought calmly, I will keep an eye on him and make him look for Ah Ying until he finds him. Even if Master Qi grows old and forgets, I won’t forget. Unless one day I become so rusted that I can no longer remember Ah Ying either. If that day comes, then it won’t be too late to stop.

Finally, Xu Ying found the golden immortal Dao rune Jin Buyi had forgotten in a corner of his memories. The young Ah Ying from the Great Shang Dynasty had comprehended it while fighting with the master of the heavenly gods.

Many of Xu Ying’s incarnations felt nothing after seeing this golden immortal Dao rune. However, when the current Xu Ying saw the rune, a window to his ancient memories seemed to open. Through this window, he could see himself imprisoned inside a cage.

There were countless cages.

Xu Ying looked as far as the eye could see, yet there was no end in sight. Everywhere he looked, squarish “imprison” characters appeared.

There was a version of him inside every cage.

These versions of him were like Yuanqi, locked in a space. Their physical forms, ethereal voids, Golden Cores and cauldrons, souls and Primordial Spirits, even the three souls and seven spirits were locked down.

Only his Eternal True Spirit remained unrestrained. It was too powerful; the “imprison” character immortal Dao rune could not seal it.

Xu Ying’s heart stirred slightly. The me during the Great Shang Dynasty comprehended the secret to breaking the “imprison” character immortal Dao rune. It’s hidden right inside this golden rune!

His past and present selves had arrived at the same conclusion. They faced the same difficult problem: his memory would be wiped continuously while he tried to comprehend the bird-worm seal script that sealed him.

No matter how deeply he pondered, not a single trace of his insight would remain.

The solution Xu Ying from the Great Shang Dynasty had arrived at was similar to what the present Xu Ying had thought: record what he had comprehended.

The difference was that the present Xu Ying had to start from scratch, while Xu Ying from the Great Shang Dynasty had already deciphered the “imprison” character immortal Dao rune.

Elated, he carefully contemplated the mysteries of the golden rune, forgetting that he was still in Jin Buyi’s memories.

Perched atop the Fusang Tree, Jin Buyi radiated an ancient aura as he stared at Yuanqi, who was trapped within a seal. Gradually, he drifted into sleep.

Deep within his consciousness, ancient memories lay buried. As Xu Ying and Dazhong traveled through them, those buried memories were stirred once more.

Occasionally, he would dream of the past, but he would forget all about it after waking up. The beat of war drums would ring in his ears, awakening his aged vital energy as though the battles were still raging. Yet upon waking, he could no longer remember who his comrades had been, much less who his enemies were.

Jin Buyi yawned and awoke from his sleep. Feeling that the Fusang Tree had gone cold, he breathed a mouthful of Supreme Yang Divine Fire, making the tree radiate an even more scorching fiery light.

The ancient Golden Crow shifted its claws slightly on the tree to get into a more comfortable position.

He stared at Yuanqi, who was a short distance away below the tree, feeling a little puzzled. There is an earthworm here. What a huge earthworm. The early bird gets the worm. Thank heaven!

He poked his head out and pecked down hard. The spatial cage around Yuanqi produced banging noises as sparks flew everywhere.

Fortunately, the cage seal Dazhong had set was very firm. Even Jin Buyi could not break through it in an instant. However, his relentless pecking had already riddled the spatial cage with holes.

Yuanqi’s head was exposed under his beak.

“Supreme God! Supreme God!” Many citizens of Fish Belly ran over in a hurry, standing before the spatial cage. They cried out, “Supreme God, do you still remember Benefactor Xu’s instruction? This is his snake, Yuanqi. He asked you to help look after him; you can’t eat him!”

A few white feathers hung down from Jin Buyi’s face, heavy like a beaded necklace. Straining his blurry old eyes, he looked at Yuanqi over and over again. Then, all at once, realization dawned on him, and he quickly pulled his head back.

His voice rumbled, reverberating through the tree, as he said, “Hoho, I actually forgot. Rest assured, I remember now. He’s a good friend. I won’t eat a good friend.”

The people of Fish Belly were very worried. They discussed among themselves, saying, “Supreme God’s memories doesn’t seem to be very good.”

By the time the people of Fish Belly realized something was wrong, Jin Buyi had already pecked through the spatial cage.

As they rushed over again, they saw the old god they worshipped holding his “good friend” Yuanqi’s head in his beak. Like a hen pulling an earthworm from a hole, Jin Buyi was tugging him outward, trying to drag the enormous “earthworm” from his muddy hole.

The people of Fish Belly rushed forward, raising their hands high as they called up to the Fusang Tree. “Supreme God! Supreme God! You can’t eat him! You can’t eat him! This is Benefactor Xu’s friend, Yuanqi. He’s also our benefactor! Benefactor Xu asked you to watch over Yuanqi!”

Jin Buyi set down Yuanqi, who had been pecked to a bloody mess, and asked in confusion, “Who is Benefactor Xu?”

After the crowd explained things to him, his memories from a few days ago finally awakened.

Jin Buyi realized it and smiled. “I nearly made a mistake. Is this loach all right?”

He smacked his lips reluctantly, looking like he was still savoring the lingering flavors. Fearing he might forget again, the people of Fish Belly ordered a few of them to attend to him. They held up signs before him and wrote words on them, detailing their history so that he wouldn’t forget again.

Jin Buyi glanced at the signs next to Yuanqi and resisted the urge to eat this “good friend.”

He said excitedly, “So he’s a good friend!”

Finally, Xu Ying comprehended everything he could from the golden immortal Dao rune. As for the parts he still couldn’t comprehend, there was no point in remaining inside Jin Buyi’s memories any longer.

Xu Ying suggested, “Master Zhong, let’s get out of here.”

Dazhong observed Xu Ying cautiously. “Ah Ying, should we tell Jin Buyi about what we saw in his memories?”

Xu Ying looked up at the sky. He pondered over it, then said, “Master Zhong, look at how blissful he is now that he’s forgotten everything from the past. He no longer needs to wander around or fight against enemies he could never defeat for my sake.

“Here, he has a group of people who love him, feed him, and worship him. He can live out the rest of his life here.”

Dazhong thought for a moment and said, “But finding you is his obsession. Ah Ying, he’s searched for you his whole life. Shouldn’t we let him fulfill his obsession?”

Xu Ying pondered for a moment, then took out a jade bottle.

Dazhong stared at the jade bottle suspiciously. When Xu Ying opened it, he grew even more suspicious. He asked, “Ah Ying, what is inside that bottle of yours? Why does it smell like Origin Dao Essence?”

He clamored, “Didn’t you return the gourd containing the Origin Dao Essence to Grand Preceptor Jiang?”

Xu Ying replied, “Of course, I did. But before that, I kept a little for myself. That’s only reasonable, isn’t it?”

“How much did you pour?”

“Just a little.”

“Show me!”

Xu Ying refused to show him. He poured out some essence from the jade bottle, then drew upon some longevity immortal herb from his Mud-Pill Secret Trove’s grotto heaven, and some soul immortal herb from his Gushing-Spring Secret Trove, and dissolved them with the Origin Dao Essence.

This would allow Jin Buyi to recover some of the energy in his physical body and soul, although Xu Ying did not know whether it would be enough to extend his lifespan.

After all, a Golden Crow was a primeval beast, and had a limit to their lifespan. No matter how powerful the Origin Dao Essence was or how miraculous its effects might be, it could not help Jin Buyi defy the heavens and change his destiny.

Xu Ying couldn’t help such a powerful being unlock his Mud-Pill Secret Trove; he could only transfer some immortal herbs to him.

Origin Dao Essence could improve his condition and should also help alleviate his constant forgetfulness.

Xu Ying and Dazhong flew out of Jin Buyi’s memories and landed on the ground. As Xu Ying saw the sunlight shining down, he couldn’t help but feel dazed momentarily, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

It was as though he had experienced an eternity and suddenly returned to the mortal world. For a moment, everything felt strangely unfamiliar.

He composed himself, finally accepting the present him.

Then, he saw Yuanqi standing there motionlessly. His head had been pecked open, and his face was covered in blood. The spatial cage around him had been pecked full of holes.

“What happened?” Xu Ying asked Jin Buyi, confused.

The aged Golden Crow shook his head like a pellet drum[1] and hurriedly replied, “I don’t know. I keep forgetting things lately. Maybe the enemy is here.”

He averted his gaze. Xu Ying had transferred longevity immortal herbs to him and used Origin Dao Essence to refine them, improving his memory significantly and allowing him to recall recent events.

Though old, the Golden Crow had become shrewd. He would never admit it.

Xu Ying looked toward the people of Fish Belly. Facing him, they stammered, not daring to speak.

Left with no other choice, Xu Ying summoned Dazhong. He then applied everything he had recently comprehended, activating the “imprison” character Dao rune on the bell. By channeling the seal in reverse, he broke Yuanqi free from the rune.

However, Yuanqi had been hit with another immortal Dao rune for the “jail” character. Xu Ying’s understanding of this rune wasn’t deep, so he couldn’t undo it for now.

Yuanqi finally regained consciousness. Xu Ying asked, “Master Qi, who hurt you?”

Yuanqi cast a terrified glance at the Golden Crow. Perched on the Fusang Tree, Jin Buyi said with a benevolent look, “Go ahead and speak. There are no outsiders here.”

He raised his left wing and swiped it across his chin, his gaze turning fierce.

Yuanqi said meekly, “Maybe I hurt myself. I’m still under a seal and can’t remember many things.”

Jin Buyi showed an approving gaze and raised a feather like a thumb.

Having been freed from the “imprison” seal, Yuanqi could now channel his longevity herb to heal his wounds. The injury on his head was not a problem, but the “jail” character Dao rune occasionally erupted, making his memories suddenly disappear before inexplicably returning. It was extremely frustrating.

Fortunately, Dazhong wasn’t skilled and hadn’t unleashed the full power of the “jail” character. Otherwise, Yuanqi’s memories would have been wiped clean.

Dazhong treated Yuanqi much better now, giving in to him on every matter, unlike before, when he would hit him at the slightest provocation. Meanwhile, Xu Ying was busy teaching the people of Fish Belly exorcism techniques, telling them how to unlock their Secret Troves and refine immortal herbs.

His goal was to have these worshippers of the Golden Crow provide him with longevity immortal herbs from time to time so that he could live longer.

A few days later, a citizen of Fish Belly said, “A young man is outside. He came to visit, claiming to be an old friend of Benefactor Xu, and his name is Xue Ying’an.”

Xu Ying was taken aback. Xue Ying’an is still alive?

He quickly sent someone to invite Xue Ying'an over.

Before long, Xue Ying’an strode in with high spirits. From a distance, he laughed. “Xu Ying, I returned to Mount Jiulong and told my master I obtained an immortal Dao spiritual root! But my master didn’t kill me! All your speculations regarding my master turned out to be wrong!”

Xu Ying couldn't help but be happy for him. He smiled. “It seems I had misjudged Li Xiaoke. I must apologize to him.”

Dazhong's spirits soared. His previous gloom was completely swept away, and he smiled. “Ah Ying, I told you my master is honorable and upright. He can’t be someone evil! And you didn’t believe me!”

Xu Ying apologized profusely.

Xue Ying’an burst into laughter. He said, full of excitement, “I mentioned you to my master. He sent me to find you and said I must invite the Ageless Immortal back to Jiucailing Ridge on Mount Jiulong as a guest!”

Xu Ying had long wanted to visit Jiucailing Ridge and meet Dazhong’s master. So he immediately agreed.

As he packed his belongings, preparing to set off, the aged Golden Crow poked his head down and smiled. “Young man, it’s been thousands of years since someone called my name. I’ve forgotten what my name is. Since you’ve entered my memories, you must know my name, don’t you?”

Xu Ying raised his palm lightly to caress his white feathers. “Your name is Jin Buyi, meaning never to forsake.”

Jin Buyi raised his head, overjoyed. He looked around and said to the people of Fish Belly with a smile, “I have a name now! I am Jin Buyi! Meaning never to forsake, Jin Buyi!”

He laughed heartily, utterly delighted.

Bringing Yuanqi and Dazhong with him, Xu Ying departed, following Xue Ying’an.

Jin Buyi laughed non-stop. In his mind, his ancient memories gradually stirred. He suddenly recalled that in his youth, a voice had told him this.

“I’ll give you a name. From now on, you’re called Jin Buyi! It means never forsaken! We’ll never part!”

He looked at Xu Ying with his blurry old eyes, as if he had returned to his youth.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bolang_gu.webm ☜