“How do you differentiate the qi?” Xie Lan continued to ask.

“I know!” Feng Mo raised his hand. “Through its colors!” he said. “There are two common colors for qi: white and black. The white is the positive qi and the black is the negative qi.” He explained.

“Correct.” Fan Wen said. He looked at Cheng Sheng. “Earlier, you said it’s a black qi.” He said, remembered Cheng Sheng’s words. “So you know, that that qi isn’t just negative qi but is actually a demonic qi.” He said.

Cheng Sheng nodded. “Yes.” He said. “The walking corpses are called as that since they can only walk. The moment they died, their life exhausted, their bodily functions stopped and so they cannot move from their coffins.” He explained. “However, they became walking corpses since their soul returned to their dead body. But, even as it’s so, the only action they could do is to walk.” He said and looked at Fei Yin’s qiankun pouch. He took it and threw it to Fei Yin who is sitting beside him. Fei Yin immediately caught it. “The corpse that I saw last night not only pounced the thief, it also tried to bit him. But since it has no teeth, it could only pierce its hand to the thief’s body.” He explained. “This isn’t what a walking corpse could do, and so I identified it could be a demonic qi that caused the walking corpse to do such actions.” He finished.

Silence fell upon them as they ran Cheng Sheng’s words in their mind. “It seems you really properly studied the past ten years.” Xie Lan said and smiled, lifting the gloomy atmosphere.

“Of course, founder!” Cheng Sheng grinned. Li Tian smiled while Feng Mo, who is average in terms of studying, frowned.

Fan Wen sighed. “I clearly remember you are dozing off in my class.” He said. Cheng Sheng choked and immediately looked away when Xie Lan glared at him. “But, those sneaking trips you are doing seems worthwhile.” He said and sipped his tea, hiding his smile.

Cheng Sheng froze. He turned to Fan Wen and, after a while, he smiled. Mothers knows best, as they say. He thought and sipped his drink. “Shifu.” He called. “Founder. About the walking corpse sucking the blood…” he said.

The harmonious atmosphere immediately disappeared as their face turned serious. “Do you know of demonic cultivation?” Xie Lan suddenly said.

They all looked at each other. “Demonic cultivation is a practice using demonic qi.” Fei Yin said. “The cultivation world considers it as a taboo since it breaks the nature’s law. It is from the demonic cultivation the third type of qi emerged. However, although taboo, it is recognized since it is also a form of dao. That is why there are cultivators who prefers to use the mystic arts of the demonic cultivation since its products are novel. But, however novel it is, it still brings harms to the mortals since demonic cultivation, although the novelty they bring, the product of their practices always has a casualty. That is why it is just recognized to make a classification of things, not for people to follow it.” He explained.

Xie Lan nodded. “Yes.” He said, his face grave. “Your shifu and I once met a demonic cultivator.” He said. “That cultivator looked hideous. His original appearance – his humanity, is gone.” He frowned. “When we met him, he is killing people. We had no choice to kill him since he is beyond saving.” He explained. Fan Wen closed his eyes, as if reliving those memories in his mind.

“How can he not be saved?” Feng Mo asked.

Xie Lan turned to him. “The way how the negative qi is converted to demonic qi is unknown.” He said. “This is the reason why Wen and I have to kill him. We don’t know how to save him.” He explained.

The four disciples fell silent. This is a surprise to them. They only heard of demonic cultivation, yet they don’t know the severity of it. Xie Lan opened their mind once more to the ways of the immortal life.

“But – ” Xie Lan said as he looked at the qiankun pouch in Fei Yin’s hand. ” – I seem to now have a clue how can negative qi turn to a demonic qi.” He said, his eyes narrowed.

“What is it, founder?” Li Tian asked.

Xie Lan turned to them and didn’t hesitate to answer. “As Xiao Sheng saw, feeding from a person’s life.” he said. “Through the blood.” He added.

The four disciples’ face changed and they paled, their eyes wide in horror. “Lan.” Fan Wen quietly called as they watched their disciples ponder over the things they told them. “Are you not afraid…” he said. That the four would turn to demonic cultivators.

Xie Lan turned to him, his face serious. “Wen.” He said. “The reason why we take an immortal’s path is because we want to find our own dao.” He told him. “This is the first lesson we learned, the first lesson you taught to them, and will be our answer if ever we reach the end of the path we took.” He smiled as he gently caressed Fan Wen’s face with his big palm. He lovingly stared at Fan Wen. “We study the dao to find our own. Whatever the kids will take, it was their own choice. We are here to guide them, not to force them to the ideals we have. It’s not how you taught them. You taught for them to find their dao. And not because you want them to follow your dao.” He said. “If they want to be demonic cultivators, so be it. As their parents, we should support them after scrutinizing their reason for choosing the dao and then constantly guide them and correct if ever they make a mistake.”

“Lan…” Fan Wen muttered, staring at Xie Lan’s chiseled handsome face with wide eyes. “Wait. Did I just hear you say ‘parents’?” he asked, his smooth forehead furrowed.

“No.” Xie Lan lied with open eyes.

“I heard you.”

“You heard wrong.” Xie Lan said.

The four who was originally the topic of their parents – err, shifu and founder, and turned to cannon fodders watched their shifu and founder bicker like a husband and wife. “Shifu…” Li Tian decided to break the lovers’ quarrel. “We won’t become demonic cultivators…” he said.

Fan Wen really stopped and turned to the four disciples, his eyes are gentle as water, complimenting his kind and handsome face. “I’m glad with your decision.” He said and wiped the nonexistent tear in the corner of his eyes. “But, demonic cultivation is really evil.” He said, his face turned serious. “Its origin is unknown but it continued to exist, that evil dao.” He frowned. “It only harms mortals.” He said, then turned to them. “That is why we, the cultivators, exist.” He said, his eyes firm as he looked at them. “We exist to protect the mortals who cannot defend themselves in the face of such a mysterious threat.” He told them.

“Yes, shifu. We understand!” they answered and bowed.

Fan Wen nodded and drink, feeling satisfied after giving a pep talk. Xie Lan cleared his throat. “It’s already late. You should go back and rest.” He told the four disciples. He didn’t give them time to react and immediately waved his sleeves. The four disappeared and appeared outside the entrance of the Bamboo Palace.

“Wha – ” Feng Mo said and closed his mouth, pressing his lips tight.

Li Tian helplessly sighed while taking out his fan and opened it. On it was written a poem and a scenery drawn by Li Tian himself. Fei Yin maintained a cold face.

“Aio.” Cheng Sheng exclaimed, making the three turn to him.

“What’s wrong, Cheng-shidi?” Li Tian asked, worried when he saw Cheng Sheng’s pained face.

“What’s the matter now?” Feng Mo asked, frowning. Fei Yin watched Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng sighed as he looked at the now empty dining hall. Their fellow disciples had already left since earlier. “I could’ve had a take-out.” He said.

Feng Mo snorted while Li Tian just chuckled after they heard his problem. “We already have eaten without washing the dishes!” Feng Mo told him.

“The dishes can be cleaned using talismans.” Cheng Sheng reasoned.

“That’s not how you use cultivation…” Li Tian muttered, but nonetheless dropped the matter. This is just how Cheng Sheng is – an irresponsible troublemaker.

“Let’s go.” Fei Yin told them and started to walk. The three of them immediately followed behind him like chicks following the mother hen. This thought made Fei Yin’s cold face darken as he looked at the file of three persons behind him like a tail.

They went their separate ways as Feng Mo and Li Tian went back to their houses. Except Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin. Cheng Sheng always sneaks out every night to go to the market to buy strange things. Thus, Fei Yin escorted him to his house to ensure the other is not only safely went home, but also that the other wouldn’t wander around to strange places again and meet trouble. Like last night.

“Da shixiong. I’m already inside my house.” Cheng Sheng said. “Thank you for sending me home safely. You can… leave now…” he said as he took a look at Fei Yin’s handsome but cold face.

“Shidi.” Fei Yin called.

“Hm?”

“The days following will be dangerous.” Fei Yin said as he directly looked at Cheng Sheng’s eyes. “Please don’t go out at night.” He told him. He is worried about Xie Lan’s words and that was shocked of last night’s corpse. It was a strange corpse, indeed.

“I can take care of myself, shixiong.” Cheng Sheng said. But, when he saw Fei Yin’s grave expression, he added. “I won’t. I won’t go out.” He said and raised his right hand as if he’s swearing.

Fei Yin looked at his hand and took it, then pressed it down. “Stop joking around. Go to sleep.” He told him and walked towards the door.

“Yes! Good night, shixiong!” Cheng Sheng said and waved as Fei Yin walked away. Then, he closed his door and walked to the inner chamber of his house. This house is for a single family of three. Bamboo is abundant in the Xinfaxian, thus the houses, including theirs the disciples’, are made of bamboo. Bamboo is not only durable but also looked good when you built a house made of it or use it to make furniture. It also has many uses like a water bottle or a flute. When traders arrive in Xinfaxian, they call the Xinfaxian as Bamboo Plateau.

Cheng Sheng didn’t go to his bed and instead went to his hammock and lied down on it, rocking it using the Moving Talisman he pasted beneath it. Then, he took out his panpipe and played. A melody of a sad song echoed in the Xinfaxian mountains at the dead of the night. Like Pied Piper leading the rats to their demise.

It’s enchanting, making you follow it until you woke up and found you’re already in the River of Styx.

The next morning –

A tall and handsome man wearing snow-white robes with a jade pendant hanging on his waist and a vivid red tassel on his sword appeared at the entrance of the Xinfaxian Sect. The hem of his white robes is designed with red and wavy lines, looking like dancing fire or feathers. His outer robe has a flying phoenix on its wide back. He has the bearing of a leader since he is the eldest young master of the Chen Clan – its heir and future head. Thus, he stood upright with his chin high. The air around him, though pressuring but it’s not stifling.

“Disciple Chen Han of the Youxiwang Sect is asking an audience from sect leader Xie and elder Fan!”