Chapter 108: Existence

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The blazing midday sun shone down on a humble farmhouse courtyard, where an elderly couple, both past seventy, cautiously made their way toward the woodshed. Frail and aged, they leaned on each other for support, each step measured and careful. The old woman stood behind her husband, clutching the worn fabric of his ragged coat with trembling hands. “Old man, do you think that person is still here?” she asked with a trembling voice.

“He… should have left by now,” he replied uncertainly, his heart uneasy.

Hearing this, the woman’s gnarled hands gripped tighter, shaking slightly. “Then what should we do? The government office is so far away. Do you think he might kill us?”

“N-no, he wouldn’t,” the old man said softly, stroking her rough, cracked hand. Despite its weathered appearance, his touch carried a warmth that eased her anxiety.

In truth, they hadn’t wanted to shelter Su Bai the night before. Who would welcome a man covered in blood, with disheveled hair? Even if Su Bai were handsome, that was no reason to ignore the blood staining his clothes.

But Su Bai was persistent and unyielding, forcing his way in. He pressed two coins into the old man’s hand and promised to sleep in the woodshed just for one night, leaving early at dawn without causing any trouble.

They dared not refuse, fearing that if they angered this “villain,” he might strike them down. Thoughts of their two sons, long absent, deepened their sorrow.

Unconcerned with their worries, Su Bai made straight for the woodshed, intent on resting. Only, in his confusion, he mistakenly entered the outhouse for his first attempt at sleep…

Returning to the present, the elderly couple slowly approached the woodshed. The old man gently pushed open the door.

With a creak, they instinctively turned their heads away, eyes tightly shut. When no sound came, they cautiously opened their eyes to peer inside.

The interior was remarkably clean, every item neatly arranged—Su Bai’s intermittent bouts of obsessive tidiness clearly at work.

As they stepped inside, the old woman nudged her husband’s elbow. “Old man, look at that.”

Following her gaze, he squinted through blurred eyes to see two small fragments of silver coins lying on the floor.

———

Inside the house, the two elders embraced, relieved that nothing untoward had happened. Meanwhile, Su Bai had long since departed, now miles away.

Amid the wildflowers blanketing the hills, Su Bai paused to admire the blossoms.

A cold, clear voice interrupted, tinged with displeasure: “Why stop? Shouldn’t we be pressing on instead of dawdling to admire flowers?”

A gentle breeze swept through the sea of blossoms, scattering thousands of petals into the air. Su Bai reached out, letting the petals slip through his fingers, lips parting softly: “Don’t rush so fast. Wait a moment for your soul.”

“???” Qu Qiu Zhu stared at him in confusion. What was he saying now? Stopping to enjoy flowers was one thing, but this melancholy act made him seem like some brooding prince.

Su Bai sighed. “Obviously, your mundane mind lacks the refinement to appreciate the elegance of a true connoisseur.”

“Look up at the sky—it’s midday, no moon in sight.” Qu Qiu Zhu’s face darkened. Seeing Su Bai’s arrogant expression made her want to tear him apart.

“I wasn’t really talking about moon-gazing. Can you not grasp the poetic beauty here? No wonder you’re still unmarried… uh…”

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Su Bai immediately realized his slip. Speaking so carelessly around Qu Qiu Zhu was unwise. Just as he prepared to make peace with her, her figure suddenly appeared before him.

“Huh?” A giant question mark appeared in Su Bai’s mind.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked again: there she stood—dressed in flowing white robes, ethereal and untouchable.

“A beauty unmatched through the ages, a vision to behold; her face could topple kingdoms, stunning the world,” Su Bai flattered, noticing she hadn’t heard the last part.

Qu Qiu Zhu shot him a sideways glance, sneering, “Hmph! I heard every insult just now. Don’t think a few sweet words will fool me.”

“Ah, um…” Embarrassed, Su Bai cleared his throat, silently pleading for forgiveness.

“Hmph.” Qu Qiu Zhu’s irritation grew as he admitted defeat without protest. How did this brat always guess right? That scoundrel!

“But after all these years, it’s nice to see this long-lost homeland again.” A wistful expression softened Qu Qiu Zhu’s face, a faint sadness glimmering in her eyes that made her seem fragile and sorrowful. Her graceful figure blurred in Su Bai’s gaze.

“What’s going on?” Su Bai asked, puzzled.

Qu Qiu Zhu turned to him with a bitter smile. “I can’t truly exist in the physical world. Instead, our spirits connect, and I project myself here through your sight.”

“So only I can see this body?” Su Bai raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

He had read about such things in novels before but never experienced it firsthand. No, better not to experience it at all.

Qu Qiu Zhu tilted her head, crouching as she rested her chin on her hands in thought. “That’s basically true, though a martial artist at the Thousand Dao Realm can control your body with their divine mind. If I used that ability, perhaps you’d see me.”

“Got it,” Su Bai nodded. “Logical and convincing.”

His words carried a faint Japanese accent, making Qu Qiu Zhu frown in confusion.

“Why have you been spouting such weird phrases lately?”

Embarrassed, Su Bai shot her a dark look and turned away, unwilling to continue with this woman lacking philosophical depth. But before he could step away, Qu Qiu Zhu appeared before him again.

“Eh?” Su Bai was about to ask when he saw her sadly stroking the wildflowers at their feet.

Calmly, he approached her, crouching beside her. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sentimental about your homeland?”

Qu Qiu Zhu shook her head. As a spirit-like being, flowers passed through her hands without sensation. Everything in this mortal world was like a moon reflected on water—visible but untouchable.

Sometimes she wondered why she continued to torment herself, trapped in this liminal state of neither fully alive nor dead.

“Honestly, I don’t even know if this counts as existing,” she said, tears welling in her eyes, making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable.

“Who would have thought this old woman has her fragile moments?” Seeing Qu Qiu Zhu so vulnerable, Su Bai refrained from teasing.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. “You should go back into the jade pendant for a moment.”

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Qu Qiu Zhu sniffled, looking up at Su Bai. “Why?”

“Just go in, okay?” Su Bai said mysteriously.

She wiped away her tears, eyes reddened, and transformed into a radiant beam of light, entering the jade pendant.

Su Bai followed, lying on the ground, focusing all his energy on the pendant. In the next moment, he fainted, his spirit entering the pendant as well.

Inside, everything was as usual. He wondered how Qu Qiu Zhu had endured a thousand years trapped here. He would surely have gone mad.

“What are you doing?” Qu Qiu Zhu’s voice trembled inside the pendant.

Before she finished, Su Bai strode forward, gently cupping her fair cheeks. Finding the texture pleasing, he even tugged lightly on them.

Qu Qiu Zhu was about to slap him into next week but paused when Su Bai chuckled, “See? You’re still here to touch. Why doubt your own existence?”

He then fixed her with a steady gaze, speaking slowly, “You are my best friend and teacher. Some live as if dead, some die as if alive. Please don’t question your presence.”

At that, a blush crept from her neck to her ears. Just as he was about to roast her face too, she snapped back to reality and pushed him away.

Like a sulking child, she turned her face away, cheeks burning bright red, unable to hide her embarrassment. To Su Bai, it was a rare sight—this scrawny youth had managed to fluster her so thoroughly.

Annoyed and shy, she transformed into a streak of light and left the pendant, with Su Bai following close behind.

Watching her bashful expression, Su Bai recalled her earlier words and plotted a little mischief.

Grinning wickedly, he looked at Qu Qiu Zhu, who stared back, puzzled. She thought, “This kid must be losing it. His antics have been strange lately. Once we’re back in town, I’ll have to make him see a doctor. Maybe he hit his head falling off that cliff.”

Unexpectedly, Su Bai began spinning in place, thinking it would dizzy Qu Qiu Zhu and make her lose face.

But after a long time, she showed no sign of dizziness. Instead, Su Bai himself staggered like he’d drunk three jugs of sake, swaying and unsteady.

He stepped on a bunch of flowers, slipped, and fell flat on the ground.

Opening his eyes to see Qu Qiu Zhu struggling to contain her laughter, he was thoroughly exasperated and simply turned his face away.

However, their spirits were linked, so wherever Su Bai turned, Qu Qiu Zhu followed like a shadow.

Eventually, seeing him so humiliated, Qu Qiu Zhu tried to stop laughing, though suppressing laughter was no easy feat.

Her face flushed deep red as she tried to comfort him, but the moment she spoke a word, Su Bai’s ridiculous expression made her burst out laughing again.

“Hahaha! Sorry, I just can’t help it.”

After a cough, Qu Qiu Zhu composed herself and said seriously, “It’s okay, little Su. A moment of foolishness doesn’t mean anything. Believe in yourself—you’ll definitely do even sillier things in the future. Pfft!”

Seeing her laugh so joyfully, Su Bai lay back on the grass, plucking a flower at random. As he looked at it, a smile gradually spread across his face...