I felt the burden of guilt starting to weigh upon me. Sensing this, Au-ha comforted me, saying it was not my fault. The Lord of stars told me to stop acting weak constantly, and that it would bite me in the ass one day.

The old man’s name was Mo Yang, I asked what I could do, and he merely shook his head. He began walking slowly back to the Mo clan. I followed him along with jia.

“Do you mind If I stay here?” I asked the kindly man, he responded with a nod, and returned to his private chambers. I took lodging in an ordinary room, meant for servants. There were plenty of rooms for disciples, cultivators of the clan, but I found the smaller lodging to be more comforting. More fitting.

“Guilt is the most unnecessary emotion there is, only a human would feel such a useless thing.” The Lord seemed truly angry at me this time. “You are a beast. Stop pretending.”

“That's enough.” Au-ha was always a kind, and lovely soul. “Do not listen to him. None of this is your fault, darling. Come here, I wish to embrace you.” Au-ha demanded, suddenly more emotional and sensual than ever. She was growing more and more protective.

That night, as I slept on the small cot, I did not dream.

In my mind, a miniature version of me was currently strongly embracing the digital form of Au-ha. She had wonderful flowing binary hair of 1 's and 0’s, a light azure glow, and as if she managed to read my mind, her face appeared as the image of perfection.

It was somewhat similar to Tera, and depictions of the ancient goddess Aphrodite. That night, something amazing happened.

I made love with Au-ha, all night. Two digital forms intertwining inside my mind. We were completely free to do or become whatever. It ended up getting strange, when we both became amorphous forms of data conjoining. I could feel our souls slowly becoming one in the process. It was an indescribably wonderful thing. The Lord was disgusted, hiding in the far corner of my mind.

I moaned alone in a small room all night. It was the greatest night I've ever had.

I woke up in the morning, a new man in a new world, with a new digital lover.

“Morning, honey.” Au-ha glowed warmly in my mind.

“Morning, darling.” I was lucky to have my wonderful little mind lover.

“Let me go. Please.” The parasite remained.

First thing, I went to clean the filthy courtyard at the entrance, some small form of repentance. Jia was already there, sweeping. I'm not sure what she was still doing here, maybe the same thing as me. She silently handed me a broom. I noticed how beautiful she was, so beautiful, that it would classify as a curse. She seemed inherently broken, like she was shattered ages ago, and never put herself back together.

We swept silently for a few hours. The sky was blue, and a single false yellow star stood towering far above, raining gentle golden light upon the land. Birds flew through the air, chirping to the tune of the wind. When the yellow star reached its peak at noon, I set the broom down.

It was about time I sought out to understand the structure of this world. I went to visit Mo Yang.

He was locked in his chambers still. I pounded on the door.

“It's me, star.” I sounded.

“Come in” came a muffled voice.

His room was large and messy, full of books. He was clearly an educated and well read man. He seemed almost faint, like there was no longer energy coursing through him.

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“Can I ask you some questions?”

He nodded politely, when I looked in his eyes, I could detect no anger. Only a dejectedness, a weakening will.

“Will you tell me everything about the nature of Qi, please. I have some…amnesia after that battle.”

He looked up, and a small smile appeared on his eyes. He began to speak eagerly of Qi. It reminded him of the talks he had with Mo Wan a long time ago.

“Qi cultivation.” he sighed wistfully, “is no doubt the greatest pursuit there is. First, the cultivator absorbs the spiritual energy of this world, and their bodies are reformed ,remodeled ,slowly swept clean of ‘mortal’ filth.”

“I remember,” He laughed while looking into the distance, "The massive amount of filth that flooded out of my pores, putrid and blackened ooze. I ran to my mother crying. I was only 10 years old”

“10? That seems pretty young, I could barely swing a sword at that age.” I couldn't help but joke.

“Hahah, believe it or not, I was an A grade talent, and our clan, long before Mo Wan was born, used to be the strongest in this region. My parents eventually died, and I took over. I was supposed to lead the tribe to glory. But, the world had other plans.” His smile eventually faded.

His eyes were closed, and he spoke in a quiet voice as he told me his story.

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Mo Yang, A genius of the clan. From a young age, she showed a gift in all things. Cultivation, speaking, behavior, and ambitions. His parents placed high hopes on him, both well-known figures in their own right. A barbarian chieftain, and a warrior queen.

So, when they both died after failing to sever themselves from heaven, the clan fell into despair. Mo Yang lost ambition, and took to drinking, reading, and meditating idly.

One night, he was walking along a path, drinking a fine wine as he read a poem he had written.

The reaper swung his scythe. The head of life fell.

Nothing lasts forever.

In the night, the preacher sang a hymn of heaven and hell.

First came light, then came the fire. The preacher threw himself into the pyre.

When they saw their kingdom come, the lords had fell undone.

Even the sun falls into the deepening earth, failing to inspire.

Nothing last forever,

I begin to tire.

Tears fell on the pages, and he walked to the place where he planned to die. His head was down, the last night of his life, when suddenly, a fairy came falling from above. She landed right on him, crushing the bottle and the poem drifting by her side. She was bloody and weak.

They looked at each other, one full of despair, the other full of fear. In that simple, single moment, they knew they were birds of feather. She picked up the poem and read it.

She asked if he wrote it, he stumbled drunkenly. They leaned on each other as they walked back to the Mo clan.

Her name was Mia.

They quickly fell in love and married, both taking care of each other. Mo Yang was reinspired, and Mia was loved dearly. She gave birth to a child they named Mo Wen, his talent was spectacular.

Or it should’ve been.

A powerful cultivator appeared one day, claiming that Mia was his escaped concubine. He was a dominion, and Mo Yang could not even move in the face of such power pushing down on him. He took her away, and deformed Mo Wen's dantian, permanently stunting his talent.

A broken, sniffling and shivering man lay there, closely holding his crying infant child in the rain. He rocked back and forth

He turned to all methods he could, but it was already too late. His son struggled immensely in this world. Mo Yang spent his entire life searching for ways to ease his son’s pain.

When he heard of his death, a small part of him was relieved.

At last he is finally free from his pain

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“And that’s all there is to it. Another small tragedy in a world full of them. Nothing lasts forever.”

There was no response I could form. After a while, he broke the silence,

“Ah, you asked me about Cultivation right? I'm sorry for ranting, haha.” he gave a pained laugh.

“I am sorry,” I could only meekly croak, “but I think, maybe, he is going to be just fine in the next life.”

He then revealed a small, but genuine smile, and softened eyes. “That's right, he will be just fine.”

Silently, Mo Yang thought to himself.

And soon I will join him.