On Chu Xun's desk, there was a vase with a single haitang branch from the living world. A living matter could not survive in the Underworld due to the strong Yin energy, so the beautiful haitang branch gradually turned into ash.
The person who sent him the haitang branch had only appeared once before him. Consumed by hatred, Chu Xun reprimanded him harshly and told him to never again show his face before him. Xiao Man complied and did not come again. In his place, a haitang branch was sent to Shunfeng Building every ten days.
Chu Xun was a gentle, forgiving soul who did not hold grudges. He had been that way when he was alive, and his temperament did not change even after his violent death. He had only hated one person in his death. His hatred for Xiao Man stemmed from the tragic death of his son Chu Lan, and later on from the impact of the horrendous event on the souls of both his wife and his son.
While Chu Xun was sitting at his table and staring at the haitang branch on his desk, the souls of his wife and his son were slowly peeled apart in the depth of Seventh Hell. He had gone to the Seventh Hell himself to beg for Yanluo to save his wife and son. It turned out that after the peeling process was completed, his wife would be able to reenter the reincarnation cycle. Chu Lan, on the other side, was going to disappear forever. It was impossible to piece together the remnants of a weak, immature soul.
Chu Xun begged, cried, kowtowed, but it was all of no use. Yanluo sent him away. Although the time came for Chu Xun to be reincarnated, he refused again and again. In the end, Yanluo felt pity for him and asked him to manage Shunfeng Building while he waited for the peeling process to end. Yanluo had told him to use the time to reflect. If there was nothing else to be done, he should forget about the painful events of his past life and reenter the reincarnation cycle.
Chu Xun neither agreed nor disagreed. How was he to forget about the small baby in his arms? The way the little boy widened his eyes whenever he saw Chu Xun and called him "Papa". It was Chu Xun's responsibility to protect Chu Lan, and he failed. He failed as a father. Chu Lan's death was his fault. If only Chu Lan could be reborn, then Chu Xun would gladly go back to the living world to pay his debt. But now Chu Lan was not even going to be reborn! How was Chu Xun supposed to live with this guilt? He could not forget. He did not want to forget.
"Sir Chu."
Chu Xun jolted back from his trance and turned his masked face toward the door.
"Come in," he said after straightening the mask on his face.
His ghost subordinate entered, and he was not alone. Chu Xun's facial expression immediately changed when he saw the soul who came with his subordinate. His mind went blank. He unconsciously rose from his seat and approached this unknown soul who shared the same face with him.
"Sir Chu, this… man would like to see you. Then, I will retreat first."
Chu Xun did not even register his subordinate's words. He slowly took off his mask and the two souls stared at each other.
Chu Wanning knew that he was carved according to Chu Lan's image and that Chu Lan inherited his father's handsome appearance. He never knew that his adult self indeed looked a lot like Chu Xun, with some differences that only family members and close friends could discern. For example, Chu Xun's eyes were a lot gentler than Chu Wanning's. Or that Chu Xun looked a lot more likable than Chu Wanning did.
Chu Wanning lowered his eyelashes, then he cupped his hands before Chu Xun and broke the deafening silence between them.
"Young Master Chu, we have never met before. My name is Chu Wanning."
Chu Xun's mouth was slightly open.
"You… are also surnamed Chu? Are you by chance…"
-… the descendant of my relatives?
Before Chu Xun completed his question, Chu Wanning already shook his head.
"Oh."
Chu Wanning looked straight into Chu Xun's eyes and said, "Does Young Master Chu know about the Flame Emperor's Divine Wood?"
"No."
"When used properly, it can be used to save the dead, or refined into a divine weapon, or even help a mortal ascend. And then, it can also be used to make a living human being."
Chu Xun widened his eyes in surprise. This was the first time he heard about such a magical artifact!
"I am carved from a piece of the Flame Emperor's Divine Wood. I have lived for 27 years, and I recently died."
Chu Wanning's existence was already miraculous enough, but then this miracle came by to tell him about it. Chu Xun had to support himself on his desk. This Chu Wanning person seemed to have something more to tell.
"Before I died, I was poisoned by an ancient willow tree. The poison turned my body back to my younger years. When I died, my appearance was that of an approximately five-year-old boy."
Five-year-old boy. Chu Lan was four years old when he died. Chu Xun started to tremble.
"I have heard about Young Master Chu's misfortune, and would thus like to offer myself as a vessel to bring Little Master Chu Lan back to life."
Chu Xun's whole body trembled. His gentle expression quickly turned into a furious one.
"Do you even know what that means?" he asked with a sharp tone. "Chu Lan's soul was torn to shreds. In order to bring him back to life, not only your body but your soul must be sacrificed to piece his three souls together!"
Chu Wanning did not even flinch.
"Yes, I know."
Chu Xun gritted his teeth.
"You are going to disappear in his place! Never to reincarnate!"
The same answer came from the soul before him.
"Yes, I know."
Chu Xun finally lost his patience. He was desperate to bring his son back to life, but here stood a man who acted as if his own existence did not matter. His indifference made Chu Xun's blood boil. He grabbed Chu Wanning by his collar and hissed to his face, "Speak. Did he send you to me? Did he force you to do this???"
Chu Wanning shook his head.
"This is my own wish."
"LIES!"
Chu Xun shoved Chu Wanning away hard and glared at him.
"Why would you want to do that? Don't you care about your own existence? No one should want to sacrifice himself to bring others back. NO ONE!"
Chu Wanning sighed.
"Young Master Chu is too kind. I am only a piece of wood. I was not a real person. I was never a human being, I…"
Chu Wanning could not continue. Souls could feel neither discomfort nor pain, but Chu Wanning could feel that something was happening to him. His sight became blurry and he collapsed to the ground.
"Chu Wanning!" Chu Xun shouted. He quickly rushed toward Chu Wanning and knelt next to him.
Shaking violently, Chu Wanning scrunched up his brows as he curled up on the floor. Chu Xun watched as Chu Wanning's fingertips slowly turned translucent. His soul had weakened greatly and it had started to dissipate into thin air. Chu Xun quickly passed him spiritual energy to keep him from disappearing.
-This is bad.
-His soul is unstable.
Human souls generally remained intact upon death, unless the person experienced an excessively violent death, just like Chu Lan's death for example. Chu Xun shouted for his subordinates to enter.
"GUARDS! COME HERE!"
Two ghost guards that stood outside of the door quickly entered upon hearing Chu Xun's call. They were astounded to find Chu Xun kneeling on the floor, passing spiritual energy to Chu Wanning, who moments before looked like hell but still managed to stand on his two feet.
"Get me all information you can get about this soul. I want to know everything about him, starting from life to death."