The River Wangchuan.

Within the Nine Serenities, a realm beyond the reach of the living, Wangchuan, the lifeblood river that courses through the Underworld, has flowed for countless eons.

It is the river of absolution, of forgetting, of rebirth. It is neither good nor evil; it is the cycle of the Heavenly Dao.

Joys and sorrows, loves and hates, etched memories, and deeply rooted obsessions – all are considered “impurities” of the soul, ruthlessly extracted, cleansed, and dissolved by the waters of Wangchuan.

This is the removal of dust, the baptism.

This is what comes after death; this is the Underworld’s welcoming address.

The river water churns and surges. In the sprays of the waves, there are the tiny faces of infants, a hillside covered in wildflowers, a heart-wrenching parting…

There is also golden ecstasy, deep blue sorrow, crimson rage, and sickly green envy…

Countless memories, immeasurable emotions – they tumble, collide, merge, and settle in the river.

They become the treasures of the River Wangchuan, marking the myriad joys and sorrows of billions of living beings.

Ordinary mortals cannot mine them, nor can they touch them. It is the most magnificent monument between heaven and earth!

Souls, once cleansed, become as light as air, rising to the surface and drifting to the shore. There, they are hazy, with the innocent heart of a newborn, stepping into a new world, both externally and internally.

Forgetting is an end, and also a beginning.

The long River Wangchuan flows endlessly across the dark and vast lands of the Underworld. Into the river, new souls, bearing their “weight,” continuously fall, sinking, struggling, being cleansed, becoming “light,” rising, and drifting…

With an ancient torrent, it washes away the past of souls, taking away their joys and sorrows, and also the proof of their existence. It flows silently, the pulse of the Underworld, the cornerstone of reincarnation. Before this river, even the most epic sagas, the most profound affections, ultimately become nothing more than… a speck of dust at the bottom of the river, a wisp of smoke on the surface.

Wangchuan, the place of reset, the place of zero.

Even a tributary of Wangchuan retained its power.

Ning Zhuo was ultimately swallowed by a tributary of Wangchuan. He plunged into it, unable to extricate himself.

The waters of Wangchuan were bone-chillingly cold, a terrifying cold that corroded and permeated his soul. A violent force fiercely scourged his spirit, attempting to tear apart his memories and emotions, forcibly stripping, sifting, and washing them away!

“No, I cannot forget, and I should not forget!” Ning Zhuo glared, gritting his teeth in the river water.

He struggled with all his might, casting spells, trying to break free from the current and fly out of Wangchuan.

It was futile!

His body became incredibly heavy, sinking deeply towards the bottom of the water, as if burdened by anchors from a giant warship.

The cruel and cold reality would not change because of his anger and stubbornness.

Memories and emotions blurred one by one, on the verge of being stripped, washed away, and leaving him forever.

At that crucial moment, in his divine sea Dantian, the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin radiated a brilliant light, steadying his soul.

The radiance covered his entire soul, resisting the immense power of the Wangchuan tributary!

At this moment, those deeply etched memories and emotions within him surged, becoming extraordinarily vivid.

Huo Shi Xian Cheng.

Little Ning Zhuo knelt by the bed, crying and pleading.

Before her death, Meng Yao Yin told him to secretly cultivate mechanism arts and await the opportune moment for the eruption of the Rong Yan Xian Gong. He had to seize this chance to rise.

His aunt feigned concern, repeatedly coaxing, “Xiao Zhuo, be good, give it to me, let your aunt keep it safe… I’ll return it to you when you grow up…”

In the echoing emptiness of their home, all valuables, even traces of his mother’s existence, were completely removed.

In a corner, the mechanism ancient texts were worn out by little Ning Zhuo, read countless times, memorizing them backward was ordinary.

He gasped, his small hand recoiling sharply.

His fingertip split open, bleeding profusely, making Ning Zhuo shed tears from the pain.

But he ultimately persevered, successfully assembling his first mechanism puppet.

At the stall outside the school, little Ning Zhuo gazed longingly at the exquisite mechanism toys, his eyes filled with undisguised desire and envy.

Nearby, Ning Ji, dressed in fine clothes, walked past, casting a sneering look of disdain.

Sun Ling Tong shoved a brand new mechanism toy into his arms, and a pure, brilliant smile instantly blossomed on childhood Ning Zhuo’s face.

That smile illuminated his gray childhood.

“My sorrow, my forbearance, my warmth forged the child I was. Without them, what would I be?”

Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth, desperately pouring spiritual power into the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin, activating its power.

He was unwilling to abandon these, causing his body to sink further.

Beside the Wangchuan tributary, Luo Si’s face was filled with urgency. He couldn’t help but urge Qing Chi, “General Qing, now is not the time to hesitate! Young Master is sinking!”

Qing Chi’s eyes were red, her heart in turmoil, unable to decide – “What memory or emotion should I choose as bait?”

The small courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and wild flowers climbed the fence.

Tiny Qing Chi, with her pigtail sticking straight up, giggled as she chased a colorful butterfly, accidentally falling on her bottom, tears welling in her eyes.

The weeds parted, and a small boy, Jiao Ma, ran over. He wasn’t much taller than her, his small face stern, but filled with immense concern: “What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?”

He clumsily pulled out a faded handkerchief, carefully wiped away her tears, and then took out a sweet treat, treasured for a long time and too precious to eat, from his pocket, putting it into her mouth.

“Qingqing, be good, don’t cry.” In his tender voice was heartfelt care.

This brightly colored memory, like a painting thrown into water, blurred and diffused. The sweet taste of the candy, the scent of the sun on the earth, the slight pain of a scraped knee, and the sense of security brought by that clumsy little figure… all were extracted, swiftly leaving Qing Chi.

Qing Chi grunted, a piece of her heart feeling as if it had been gouged out, leaving an aching hollowness. Hot tears gushed forth without warning, instantly blurring her vision and falling in drops.

Her heart was filled with regret, but seeing Ning Zhuo struggling in the tributary, her gaze became firm again.

“Xiao Ma, childhood isn’t the most important thing. Don’t blame me, I have to give these up!”

However, the bait was cast, but it didn’t reel in Ning Zhuo in the slightest.

Luo Si’s expression changed: “Could it be that the bait isn’t enough?”

The radiance of the Wo Fo Xin Mo Yin cast a dam around Ning Zhuo’s soul.

The waters of the River Wangchuan continuously crashed and collided, causing the precious seal to subtly vibrate within Ning Zhuo’s divine sea.

Under Sun Ling Tong’s guidance, Ning Zhuo acquired the skill of thievery.

He stealthily snuck in, placing the stolen money into the homes of the poor.

After climbing over a wall and landing, little Ning Zhuo was startled to see Sun Ling Tong standing before him, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently, watching him with a calm composure.

Ning Zhuo immediately wore an embarrassed expression of being caught: “Bo-boss…”

Sun Ling Tong: “What did you do?”

Ning Zhuo lowered his head: “I… I saw these people were pitiful during the day, so I wanted to help them.”

Sun Ling Tong snorted: “How many families did you help?”

Ning Zhuo answered truthfully.

Sun Ling Tong snorted again: “Quite a few, huh? I told you, didn’t I, we are thieves.”

Ning Zhuo: “But, but my mother told me before she died that I should be kind and help others as much as possible. She wanted me to be a good person…”

Little Ning Zhuo’s voice was timid, yet held a hint of persistence.

Sun Ling Tong, however, showed an amused smile: “Then let’s just wait and see what happens.”

Some time later.

The poor families “aided” by Ning Zhuo secretly grew wealthy, their lives becoming prosperous.

Ning Zhuo secretly observed, and seeing their happy smiles, no longer troubled by hard times, he was very pleased.

But good times did not last. Conflicts soon arose in these families.

Some families quarreled over the sudden large sums of money, losing all harmony between brothers and fathers and sons. The heads of some families began to feast excessively, waste freely, and frequent gambling dens and brothels. Some families flaunted their wealth, attracting ill-intentioned people who either flattered or blackmailed them, quickly turning them from rich to poor.

Even the cultivators from the City Lord’s Mansion, following clues, nearly found Ning Zhuo, the thief.

Finally, Ning Zhuo, scared, apologized to Sun Ling Tong: “Boss, thanks to you! Otherwise, I would have been discovered and thrown into prison.”

Sun Ling Tong gave a proud snort, stood on her tiptoes, and patted Ning Zhuo’s big head: “Now do you know you did something foolish?”

“Being a hero isn’t that easy.”

“Most people can’t hold onto sudden wealth; it only brings disaster.”

Ning Zhuo, with his early wisdom, immediately nodded. Only a very few families remained silent, planned their use, and slowly got better. The vast majority of poor families became worse off than before. Some even cursed the air in their homes, demanding why money no longer appeared out of nowhere.

Sun Ling Tong pointed to herself: “True change in life starts from oneself, not from external money!”

“There’s a reason they are poor and suffering.”

“Some people deserve wealth, and some deserve poverty. Those who can truly change actually don’t need your money to get better, they just need more time.”

Ning Zhuo nodded: “I understand, Boss.”

Sun Ling Tong, however, showed a serious expression: “No, you don’t.”

“We all live together; some are poor, some are rich, some are heroes, and some are thieves.”

“Snakes have their ways, mice have theirs. Since these identities exist in reality, they all have a reason to exist, and all deserve to live.”

“We are thieves, little brother.”

“This is our way of survival!”

“If we don’t become thieves, if we don’t hide ourselves, our lives will be quite terrible. What do you think your uncle and aunt would do to you if they knew about your aptitude?”

“Don’t you still want to fight the City Lord’s Mansion? Do you have influence? Do you dare to challenge them openly with real weapons?”

“We are weak. To achieve our goals, what should we do?”

Ning Zhuo thought of his mother’s last words, his eyes dimmed, and his tone became firm: “Follow the path of a thief.”

Sun Ling Tong smiled: “Hehe, that’s right!”

On the pavilion.

Zhu Xuan Ji instructed Ning Zhuo: “Paths are made by people walking them!”

“…Just like Li Lei Feng… he is respected so much.”

“Actually, everyone has a scale, constantly measuring others and things. Those who carry burdens and gather firewood for the warmth of others are the ones who emit light.”

“You too have been illuminated by this light! Li Lei Feng has already shown you the way.”

Ning Zhuo was silent, then looked into Zhu Xuan Ji’s eyes, without flinching.

“Lord Zhu, people are different.”

“And I am, after all, from below the stage.”

“Do you know what it feels like to sneak and eat the leftover pastries from those guests?”

“I am from the bottom, I have been since I was little.”

“Although my surname is Ning, I never feel that I am noble.”

“I am despicable.”

“I am a thief!”

“I am someone who scavenges for food from garbage.”

“I’m not afraid of being dirty, I’m only afraid of not eating enough.”

“No one can truly help me. People are lonely, and people cannot fully understand others.”

“Most of the time, I can only rely on myself.”

“The path I walk is my own choice!”

During the puppet show of “Fang Qing Xi Yuan,” as Ning Zhuo performed a crucial scene, his heart was touched!

He understood Zhu Xuan Ji’s meaning.

Zhu Xuan Ji was urging him to surrender and walk the righteous path.

“Can I truly walk this path?” Ning Zhuo asked himself. He indeed longed to be illuminated by the flames.

But fate…

Heh, fate – always so compelling, so out of one’s control!

Qing Chi was in tears.

The fishing line remained taut, faithfully transmitting the cruel weight of reality to her.

Ning Zhuo was still sinking. The previous bait was definitely not enough.

“Then what else in my memories can I give up?” Qing Chi was in so much pain she could barely breathe. “It must be these, then.”

Summer night.

In the damp, dark, and muddy swamp, a rare moonlight cast its glow on the courtyard. The night breeze swayed the branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the yard.

Qing Chi, however, was slumped over her desk, sighing over her homework, her face filled with distress.

Through the open window, a night breeze carried the scent of locust blossoms, and the clean, saponin-like fragrance from a young man’s sleeve.

Qing Chi abruptly looked up, just in time to see Jiao Ma’s face peering in from outside the window.

The young girl cried out in surprise, “Xiao Ma!”

Jiao Ma was startled: “Be quiet, do you want your father to hit me out again?”

The young girl quickly covered her mouth: “Xiao Ma, quickly help me, I’m going crazy with all this homework.”

Jiao Ma gave a helpless, gentle smile: “I knew you couldn’t handle it…”

Thousand-Year Cold Pool.

In this adventure, with the two of them together, they were on the verge of escaping.

But Jiao Ma was unfortunately afflicted by the cold energy, nearly completely frozen, his spiritual power sluggish, and his consciousness rapidly blurring.

“Xiao Ma!” In the nick of time, Qing Chi, disregarding her own safety, turned back to rescue him.

She transferred the power protecting her heart meridian to Jiao Ma. A weak layer of green flame covered him.

Jiao Ma got a moment to breathe, and barely opened his eyes.

Qing Chi, barely able to protect herself, still transmitted a message with her divine sense: “Xiao Ma, wake up, don’t you dare sleep!”

“Wake up, you big idiot!”

“Listen! Don’t you dare sleep! Hold on for me! If anything happens to you, I, Qing Chi… will never live alone in this life!”

Jiao Ma was spurred on, gritting his teeth firmly, his eyes wide open.

Both exerted themselves simultaneously, battling the bone-chilling cold water, swimming upwards. The fervent emotions in their hearts, like a quenched blade, broke through their former reservations and also urged them to cut through the final obstacles, emerging from the water.