“Out of the question.”

Wang Qi shot down his proposition.

“I know you refuse to let your friends see what you did that night.” Zhen Chanzi chuckled, “So you didn’t seal this ring. In this world, only I know the shame of that evening.”

Wang Qi rubbed his nose. “That’s why I keep insisting on burying the ring in a hole somewhere every New Year’s Eve.”

The old man was giddy, turning to simple vernacular. “I’m still a Great Ascension cultivator. A sliver of consciousness will be enough to pass my thoughts through all the dirt.”

“Then outside the village…”

“Not far enough.” Zhen Chanzi added. “Of course, you’ve grown stronger now and can throw me on Argent Mountain and you can just flee off.”

The two fell silent and stared at the setting sun far in the distance.

As the horizon finally swallowed the last glimmer of sunlight, Wang Qi spoke, “Old man, do you know how it feels to be mistaken?”

“I’ve lived for ten thousand years. I’ve made too many of them to count.”

Wang Qi went on. “Has any of them been so grave you couldn’t make up for it?”

“How else would I get stuck in this ring?”

“If it’s a mistake, then maybe it shouldn’t have been made in the first place.”

“All mistakes shouldn’t have been made.”

Wang Qi muttered. “Did you want people to see you reflect on your mistake?”

Zhen Chanzi remained silent.

Wang Qi followed with, “My mother died giving birth to me. I wronged her.

“At first I didn’t think much of it, even finding that it was her who wronged me.

“Everyone saw me as a weirdo since young, treating me as being disabled. Then Dad passed away early.

“Only before his grave, it came to me that he’s my dad.”

Wang Qi took long pauses between each phrase, too heavy for him to bear.

He crossed over, a transmigrator who couldn’t come to terms with his own transmigration.

He had been hysterical and crazed for a long time. And when it finally dawned on him he had relatives in this new world, Albion Village’s Wang family perished.

“I owe it to my family to give honor to the name of Wang Qi. Not myself, but Wang family’s Wang Qi that must do this.”

‘Wang Qi’ had to excel, hence the youth liked showing off more than anyone.

“Before Grandpa went as well, he told me to live happily.”

‘Wang Qi’ had to be happy, so he’d use his old life’s various cliches and tropes to bring color to this life whenever he could.

Wang Qi sighed hard. “However, what good did all that do to my grandpa and parents? Self-comfort, nothing else. But now I can’t stop it.

“Self-comfort is addictive.”

Wang Qi paused, a silence bearing a different meaning from the ones before.

“Holy shit, have you already run out of your ten thousand years of integrity?”

“I blame you.”

[Holy crap, do you even know that line?]

[The grand and mighty Great Ascension cultivator lowered himself to trading snarky replies.]

Zhen Chanzi asked, “I got a question. Were you happy showing off?”

Wang Qi frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You were indeed comforting yourself, but you also felt joy doing it.”

“Don’t be dirty.”

“Boy, all I see you doing is splitting hairs.” Zhen Chanzi was serious. “Or maybe forced yourself to ‘enjoy life.’ But it never occurred to you that it was bad. Let’s not forget that you chose this. At first, it felt unnatural to do it, but the more you ‘enjoyed’ the more it became your current temperament.

“I don’t know what your inner demon is, but I do know one thing. ‘Am I sometimes trapped by an obsession, and do I even want it?’

“I will answer that for you. All of your actions come from the bottom of your heart—which brings enjoyment. Especially in seeking Dao, a truly sincere ideal that had nothing to do with your obsession. This train of thought is nothing more than overthinking things.”

Wang Qi wanted to retort but found himself asking instead, “How do I pay back a debt if I live for myself?”

“You said it yourself, self-comfort. You’re definitely aware of how you can actually pay it back.” Zhen Chanzi huffed. “Live well and happy.”

Wang Qi punched the dirt hard then relaxed his fist. “You said it’s easier said than done. Do you think I don’t understand that much?”

Zhen Chanzi switched the subject. “Ten thousand years ago, Jiongli was called Dragon Horse, right?”

Jiongli had a legend that a Heavenly Horse descended in the ancient past, hence the land using some of its name.

Getting his answer, Zhen Chanzi followed with, “Follow me.”

He used his spiritual sense to guide Wang Qi.

Today, Jiongli was one of Immortal Alliance’s nine main branches. It couldn’t tolerate an ancient cultivator using spiritual sense. The action had three peacekeeper teams fly over.

Wang Qi was put on the spot. He raised the immortal tag and shouted. “I have a legal possession of an ancient cultivator soul remnant. I can prove it!”

The immortal tag accessed the All-immortal Realm and could pull out his record. This record contained the Dangerous Ancient Magic Item Permit.

The peacekeepers scanned his immortal tag and left after a few warnings, to keep the remnant soul in check and not throw his spiritual sense around. Wang Qi smiled and nodded.

Wang Qi complained once they were gone. “What gives?”

Zhen Chanzi kept giving directions in his mind.

Wang Qi stood and followed.

After a long time laying dormant, the spiritual power surged so much it startled him.

[Evolution Chart sure is amazing.]

With spiritual power’s help, Wang Qi reached a cliff.

Instead of offering any explanation, Zhen Chanzi sent some gestures for Wang Qi to perform.

They were simple enough, bearing the Ephemeral Tranquility Palace’s style. Wang Qi had begun his journey of cultivation with the Grand Scripture of Primordial Chaos, making them easy.

As he finished, a rock behind him shone.

Zhen Chanzi grumbled, “Guess the land changes somewhat after ten thousand years.”

A/N: this part was depressing, but I persevered. I hope I can flesh out ‘Wang Qi’ well.

Next time the glory comes. Wang Qi will crush any opposition.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read