On their way to their usual hangout spot, Li Yun Fei finally felt the warmth of true friendship. Riding beside him, Zhang Wei laughed and teased, "Haha, Xiao Fei, you're such a ladies' man. Thank goodness I ran faster. If I'd stayed any longer, I would have been minced meat!"
Li Yun Fei's expression darkened, and he retorted playfully, "They’re just my childhood friends. Don’t talk nonsense."
"Seriously? Dude, I see they have feelings for you. Don’t pretend to be a fool. I know you notice it too," Zhang Wei teased.
"Hey, you damn pig, do you want to die now?" Li Yun Fei shot back, his tone threatening but playful.
Just then, Murong Xing interjected, "Hey, you two, stop quarreling. We've arrived."
They stopped their motorcycles at the base of the mountain, their usual rendezvous point. Carefully, they hid their motorcycles in the dense underbrush, ensuring they were well-concealed. The trio then began their trek up the mountain, the familiar path under their feet.
While walking up the mountain, Li Yun Fei suddenly remembered an event from his past life. When he was five years old, he was a child slave who begged for money on behalf of mountain bandits. One day, a middle-aged man walked into the bandits' hideout and killed all of them, rescuing the children. Most of the children were scared and wanted to go home, so the man let them go. Only Li Yun Fei remained.
Seeing that he was the only one left, the middle-aged man asked, “Hey kid, aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why should I be afraid of you?” Li Yun Fei replied, showing no fear.
The man became interested and asked again, “Do you have anywhere to go?”
“No, I have no home. I’ve been alone since I was born,” Li Yun Fei answered.
“What is your name? Do you have one?”
“No, I don’t. They call us by numbers. I am Number 2.”
Feeling pity for him, the man said, “Well, since you have no place to go, do you want to come with me?”
Li Yun Fei hesitated a little and asked, “Can I eat a full meal? I don’t want to be hungry.”
The man laughed and said, “Haha, kid, of course, you can.”
Hearing this, Li Yun Fei agreed. “Yes, I want to go with you.”
“Hahaha, kid. Since you want to follow me, I will give you a name. From today, your name is Li Yuan.”
Reflecting on his past made Li Yun Fei lost in thought. Zhang Wei noticed and said, “Hey Xiao Fei, what are you thinking about?”
Li Yun Fei’s attention snapped back to reality, and he smiled. “Nothing,” he replied.
Murong Xing said, “Xiao Fei, if something’s bothering you, you can tell us. We’re your friends. Don’t hide it from us.”
Li Yun Fei forced a smile and replied, “It’s really nothing. Just forget it.”
After 20 minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their usual spot. The place was at the top of the mountain, offering a clear view of the surrounding landscape. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the horizon. They sat down, savoring the peaceful moment.
Zhang Wei suddenly got up, went into the bushes, and brought out a very old box that smelled of soil. Seeing this, Murong Xing raised an eyebrow and said, “Hey, fat man, did you steal your old man’s wine again and store it here?”
“How dare you insult me?” Zhang Wei retorted with mock indignation. “It’s not stealing—just drinking what he hasn’t touched for years, hehe.”
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Then Zhang Wei opened the box and took out three bottles, handing one to Li Yun Fei and another to Murong Xing.
Li Yun Fei opened his bottle, took a big gulp, and sighed in contentment. “It never changes—so tasty.”
Murong Xing opened his bottle and drank as well. He leaned back, looking up at the sky, and suddenly sighed. “If Long Duan were healthy and able to move around, he would love to drink this too.”
The mention of Long Duan brought a moment of silence among the friends. Long Duan, their old friend, had been bedridden for years due to a severe injury. His absence was always felt keenly in moments like these.
“Yeah,” Zhang Wei said quietly. “Long Duan always loved a good drink. He would have enjoyed this view too.”
Li Yun Fei nodded, feeling a pang of sorrow. He remembered the times when they had all been together, carefree and full of dreams. “We should visit him more often,” he suggested. “Maybe bring some of this wine to him next time.”
Murong Xing smiled. “That’s a great idea. It would cheer him up.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts. The sky continued to darken, and the stars began to twinkle. The cool night air was refreshing after their long hike.
Finally, Zhang Wei broke the silence. “You know, Xiao Fei, you’ve been acting different lately. Ever since...”
He trailed off, not wanting to push too hard.
Li Yun Fei took a deep breath. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind. Reflecting on things from my past. Trying to make sense of it all.”
Murong Xing looked at him thoughtfully. “We all have our burdens to bear. But remember, you’re not alone. We’re here for you.”
Li Yun Fei felt a warmth in his chest at their words. “Thanks, guys.”
As the night grew darker, they continued to talk, laugh, and share stories. The bond of friendship felt stronger than ever, and for a moment, Li Yun Fei felt a sense of peace. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he knew he had friends who would stand by him.
“Alright,” Zhang Wei said, standing up and stretching. “It’s getting late. We should head back before it gets too dark.”
They gathered their things, hid the box of wine back in its usual spot, and began their descent down the mountain. The journey back was filled with light-hearted banter and laughter, easing the weight on Li Yun Fei’s shoulders.
As they reached the foot of the mountain and retrieved their motorcycles, Li Yun Fei glanced back up at the peak. Then he said, "You guys go back. I want to go to another place for a while. Tell my mom that I will be back late because I didn’t bring my phone. And fat guy, store my things at your house for a day."
Zhang Wei wanted to ask why, but Murong Xing pulled him back and said, “Okay, okay, relax. We trust you.” Then they got onto their motorcycles and left. As they departed, Li Yun Fei felt a pang of loneliness. Despite longing for family and friendship, he knew his journey would likely be solitary.
"Brat, when will you start refining your body?" a voice echoed in Li Yun Fei's mind.
“Master, I will start tonight. By the way, Master, is the Abyssal Body Refining Technique really suitable for me? What about the ‘Purgatory Flesh Purification Technique’? There are legends that those who cultivate it can break through the void with bare hands using only physical strength.”
“Pfft, brat, that technique is just an Earth-level technique. Don’t trust the rumors. Who spread such fake legends about breaking the void?” scoffed the voice.
“Listen to me. When I acquired that technique from a ruin in my youth, I altered the original method, renaming it ‘Purgatory Flesh Purification’ with added steps designed to inflict extreme pain upon righteous path cultivators. The original technique, which I have given you, is the ‘Abyssal Body,’ an Immortal-level method.”
Hearing the old demon's words, Li Yun Fei's mouth twisted in silent contemplation of the fate of those who had unwittingly cultivated the altered technique.
“Well, brat, first you have to find a graveyard for me. I need yin energy to manifest a soul form to teach you. Just speaking in your head isn't enough. It doesn't feel right," said the old demon.
Li Yun Fei nodded silently and headed to the road, calling a taxi to take him to the Xue Mansion. After two hours, Li Yun Fei arrived at the Xue Mansion, took a deep breath, and entered the yard. Not seeing anyone around, he went directly to the graveyard. He worshiped at the altar three times and then asked his master, “I’ve arrived, Master. What do I need to do for you?”
“No, just sit down and give me some time,” said the old demon. Then, he began to chant something, and black qi started to form around Li Yun Fei. After a while, the old demon suddenly said, “Check around here. I need a stone emitting yin energy.”
Li Yun Fei searched and found a stone emitting yin energy near a tomb. Before taking it, he said, “Ancestors, sorry for the disturbance,” and then retrieved it.
“I've got it now, Master,” Li Yun Fei said.
“Crush it and drip some blood onto it,” instructed the old demon.
Li Yun Fei followed his master's instructions, and then the old demon said, “Just stay still. I will manifest outside of your head now.”
As instructed, Li Yun Fei sat down and remained still. Then, black smoke began to emit from his forehead, slowly forming into the shape of an old man. This process took about two hours before it was finally complete.
“Ugh, I can finally move around the world again. Screw your divine spirit,” said the old demon with joy.
“Well, brat, look at your master. See how handsome I am?” remarked the old demon. Then he continued, “I can now enter and leave from your head anytime, anywhere. How free I am, haha!” Moving around Li Yun Fei, he laughed, then looked at his disciple.
Seeing his disciple not even reply, his expression darkened. Finally, sensing the lonely expression of his disciple, he said, “Brat, your cultivation journey might not be lonely. You can invite your friends to cultivate together.”
“But, master, they are mortals without meridians to absorb qi,” Li Yun Fei replied.
“Screw meridians! Only those idiotic righteous cultivation techniques need suitable meridians to cultivate. Let them be demons. We demons don’t need meridians to cultivate,” the old demon retorted.
“Master, I don’t want them to walk the dark path like me. They have their own lives to lead. But I don’t want to be lonely. Uh, I can’t decide now. Let me ask them later,” Li Yun Fei explained.
“Forget it for now. Before I teach you to refine your body, I will tell you about this world as I know it from my experience,” the old demon said.
Listening to his master's words, Li Yun Fei realized their importance, so he focused on his master's teachings.
“Well, this world is strange because it has mortals and cultivators coexisting, but most mortals are unaware of them. This world has many cultivation forces, groups, and associations. As for well-known factions in China, there are five: the ancient families, Golden Bodhi Temple, Kunlun Mountain, Pill Valley, and Demons’ Academy. As for the others, I don’t know. There are also unknown forces that I haven’t discovered yet. You can know this much for now,” the old demon explained.
“Well, brat, find around the graveyard. I need more stones that emit yin energy. I am tired now. Don’t call me again for 12 hours. I need to rest,” said the old demon before returning into the head of Li Yun Fei.
Following his master's instructions, Li Yun Fei searched the graveyard for more stones emitting yin energy. Despite his efforts, he only found two. Disappointed, he decided to head back home.