It hadn’t even been ten minutes—perhaps only four or five—when the Wheelchair Prophet’s soul finally separated from his corpse.
His soul appeared like a mist at first, but under the nourishment of pills, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, his soul couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
A soul must remain separated from the body for forty-nine days before it can truly become a ghost.
However, thanks to the pills, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly gained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—before the spectral form of the Wheelchair Prophet began to separate from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal energy and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I’m a man of my word. If I promise something, I’ll see it through. If you still want to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of a normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that great. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was much more carefree—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, which ended up harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, if all of you are here, where is the team leader? Was he killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I eliminated him. I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed Shui Miao was their team leader, thinking he was just saying this intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Hehe, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave this place.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “How about this? Some things are too complicated to explain in just a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Shui Miao didn’t give him time to overthink it. He focused his mind, channeled his immortal energy, and began probing the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world to read his memories, wanting to understand how the Wheelchair Prophet could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through accessing these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak of nature. Born without limbs, he nevertheless possessed the cognitive abilities of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. Ironically, this ability only brought him greater suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to help himself, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until he was on the verge of death from suffering. That was when Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew tired of it. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own future.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t understand why fate could be so cruel and could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in the robes of underworld officers, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal energy, one of the Horse-Face guards casually cupped his hands and said, “Esteemed cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
These guards exuded an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than what Lao Cai and the others possessed.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any other spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face guard nodded slightly, his tone softening a bit. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face guard, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without limbs and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found some relief, you all show up. I don’t mean any disrespect—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face guard waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes and accumulating immense evil. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s judged and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re just here to take him back when the time comes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly let out a helpless laugh and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determine the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution is inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face guard was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoner, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating sins over ten lifetimes? Did he escape judgment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face guard quickly waved his hand. “It wasn’t about accumulating sins over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, over ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little about that. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face guard prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the guards hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it, even if it meant asking just half a question more.
“You?”
The Horse-Face guard looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could process this, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards took the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit and vanished into the ground.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see the spirits and only saw Shui Miao talking to himself. They couldn’t hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so they all looked puzzled.
“Everyone, leave…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now filled Shui Miao’s entire mind.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—a thread that, if followed, could lead him to a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“N-no, no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet hurriedly waved his hands.
He thought being human wasn’t worth it. Even if he could walk and move freely, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was much better—light and free, even able to fly.
It was worth noting that despite having no arms or legs in life, his soul looked just like a normal person’s.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will deliver. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of a normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that meaningful. Even if he could walk and move, so what? Being a ghost was much freer—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no arms or legs in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then telepathically communicated to the Wheelchair Prophet, “I was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I eliminated him. I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the complete truth, but Watson and the others still firmly believed that Shui Miao was their team leader and was just saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Hehe, Senior Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “How about this—some things are too complicated to explain in just a few sentences. Don’t resist; let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world and read his memories, wanting to understand how the Prophet could foresee the future and predict events before they happened.
Upon accessing these memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… that the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak of nature. Born without arms or legs, he nevertheless possessed the intellect of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. This very ability, however, only brought him greater suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog. With no arms or legs, he could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. Still, no one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with a stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without arms or legs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death from suffering, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in the robes of underworld officers, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any instructions?”
These guards radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than what Lao Cai and the others possessed.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any other spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling ingratiatingly. “Honored soul-summoning envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my respect. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face guard nodded slightly, his tone a bit friendlier. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want directly.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face guard, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without arms or legs and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you gentlemen appear. I don’t mean anything by it—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face guard waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes—wicked to the core and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what comes next—how he’ll be sentenced and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to collect him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the evils of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell eerily silent. Everyone was lost in thought.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution is inexorable.
Just as the Horse-Face guard was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoning Envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face guard quickly waved his hand. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes continuously. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he faces this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face guard prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please! Only one minute!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the guards hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve had such good fortune in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does it mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not something Shui Miao wanted to miss.
“You?”
The Horse-Face guard looked Shui Miao over and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit into the ground and vanished.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
As for Watson and the others, they couldn’t see the spirits and only heard Shui Miao talking to himself. They hadn’t heard the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so everyone wore expressions of confusion.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now filled Shui Miao’s entire mind.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—a thread that, if followed, could lead him to a method of defying heaven and changing destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“…”
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit could not yet be considered a ghost.
A spirit must be separated from the body for forty-nine days before it becomes a ghost.
However, with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you anymore. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost seemed far more carefree—light-bodied and capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit appeared exactly like that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip something and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, why are you all here? Where is the team leader? Was he killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he has been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then, I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, thinking he was merely pretending.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished. In front of Watson and the others, he hardly knew what to say.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things are too complicated to explain in a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It will save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world, reading his memories to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery: the Wheelchair Prophet was indeed a peculiar being. Born without limbs, he possessed the intellect of a normal person from birth and the ability to foresee future events. Yet, this gift only brought him greater suffering.
Disasters had followed him since the day he was born.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he found his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until he was on the verge of death. That was when Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He longed for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own future.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t understand why fate could be so cruel and could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind echoed through the air.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
These envoys emanated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any other spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just wish to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld envoys.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without limbs and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you’ve arrived. I don’t mean any disrespect—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can explain.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes and accumulating immense evil. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for his final judgment and the duration of his punishment in hell, that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly let out a helpless laugh and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was lost in thought.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Honored envoy, I have one more question. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating sins over ten lifetimes? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It wasn’t about accumulating sins over ten lifetimes. After each judgment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he faced such retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little about it. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Wait, brother! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my past life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it, even if it meant asking half a question more.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your past life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit into the ground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
As for Watson and the others, they couldn’t see the spirits and only heard Shui Miao talking to himself. They had no idea what the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards had said, so they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, leave…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated his thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about destiny. If he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his fate.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“Haha, of course! I’m Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” With a smile, Shui Miao finished speaking, then used his mind to send a telepathic message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak to lure him into possessing my body. He fell for it, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Not even ten minutes had passed, merely four or five, before the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a mist, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
A spirit only transforms into a ghost after forty-nine days of separation from the body.
However, with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was far more carefree—his body weightless, capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had lacked limbs in life, his spirit was identical to that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, if you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, merely pretending.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things are too complicated to explain in a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world, reading his memories to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery: the Wheelchair Prophet was indeed a freak of nature—born without limbs, yet with the mind of a normal person and the ability to foresee future events. This very gift, however, had caused him immense suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, without limbs, could only cry in the dog’s den until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he found his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the verge of death, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. More than anyone, he yearned for freedom.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own sake.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao turned toward the sound and saw five sinister, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
Their aura was one of extreme Yin energy, stronger even than Lao Cai’s.
Aside from underworld envoys, Shui Miao had never seen any ghost with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling ingratiatingly. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my respect. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld envoys.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness was never unwelcome, even among ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “Well, I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic—born without limbs, he endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you gentlemen appear. I don’t mean any offense—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what comes next—how he’ll be judged or how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to take him back when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives. Ah, well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hands. “It wasn’t accumulated over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did good. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
As the Horse-Face finished speaking and prepared to leave, Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the envoys hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does it mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not to be missed.
“You?” The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards dragged the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others, unable to see spirits or hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, only saw Shui Miao talking to himself. They all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated his thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—a thread that, if followed, might lead him to a way to defy heaven and change destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“Great! Great indeed!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised, almost at a loss for words in front of Watson and the others.
“Haha, Prophet Elder, your soul has already grown quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shielder’s defenses, and I refined your soul in return. Now we’re even. How about we talk about something lighter?” Shui Miao felt he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more and wanted to resolve his lingering questions before leaving.
“Oh, sure… sure.”
The Wheelchair Prophet looked a bit bewildered, sensing that Shui Miao might have something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “This might take a while to explain, so don’t resist. Let me enter your mind and access your memories—it’ll save us a lot of time.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt uneasy and afraid.
Not even ten minutes had passed, merely four or five, when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a misty haze, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit could not yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to transform into a ghost.
However, with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you anymore. But I am a man of my word—what I promise, I deliver. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost offered far more freedom—a light, ethereal body capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had lacked limbs in life, his spirit appeared no different from that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip something and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, struggling to grasp the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked doubtfully, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Has he been killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and transmitted a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I feigned weakness earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then, I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, yet Watson and the others remained convinced that he was still their team leader, merely pretending.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished. In front of Watson and the others, he hardly knew how to respond.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is now quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his lingering doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat bewildered, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Some things are too complicated to explain in just a few words. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It will save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt uneasy and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental prowess.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world, seeking to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Upon accessing his memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak of nature—born without limbs, yet possessing the intellect of a normal person and the ability to foresee future events. This very gift, however, became the source of his profound suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At the age of three, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to escape, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he awoke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even end his own life.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. More than anyone, he yearned for freedom.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to scheme for his own liberation.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He understood why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate can be so tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao turned toward the noise and saw five sinister-looking, burly ox-headed and horse-faced figures emerge from the ground. Dressed in the robes of underworld officers, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly inquired, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld enforcers.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the ox-headed and horse-faced figures turned to look at him.
Recognizing Shui Miao as a cultivator with immortal power, one of the horse-faced enforcers casually cupped his hands and said, “Fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any instructions?”
These enforcers radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and his companions.
Aside from underworld enforcers, Shui Miao had never encountered any spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling ingratiatingly. “Honored enforcers, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld enforcers.
Seeing that Shui Miao only sought information, the ox-headed and horse-faced enforcers accepted the elixirs. The lead horse-faced figure nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic—born without limbs, he endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you’ve arrived. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’d like to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you,” the horse-faced enforcer waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for his final judgment and the duration of his hellish punishment, that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder, no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives. Well, so be it… one reaps what one sows.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was speechless.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the horse-faced enforcer was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Honored enforcer, I have one more question. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The horse-faced enforcer waved his hands. “It wasn’t accumulated over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he faces this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the horse-faced enforcer prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Wait, brother! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the enforcers hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it.
“You?”
The horse-faced enforcer glanced at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the ox-headed and horse-faced enforcers dragged the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was equally shocked.
Watson and the others, unable to see spirits or hear the enforcers, wore expressions of confusion.
“Everyone, leave…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated his thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about destiny—a thread that, if followed, could lead him to a method of defying heaven and altering fate.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
As a newly formed soul, he was no match for Shui Miao’s spiritual power.
Shui Miao forcefully entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental realm, reading his memories to uncover the secret of his precognition—the ability to foresee future events.
To his surprise, Shui Miao discovered that the Wheelchair Prophet was indeed a strange anomaly. Born without arms or legs, he had possessed a normal human’s mind from birth and could predict future events. But this gift only brought him more suffering.
Disaster had followed him since birth.
Three days after he was born, his house burned down, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and left, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At age three, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate grew even more bizarre. A dog dragged him away, and without arms or legs, he could only cry in the doghouse until his voice was hoarse. No one came to save him. After starving to unconsciousness, he awoke to find his mouth filled with dog vomit…
Helpless and limbless, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
From then on, an endless series of misfortunes followed him until Yi Tianwen rescued him.
In theory, Yi Tianwen had saved him, so he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was only using him, treating him like less than human.
Over time, he had enough. More than anyone, he longed for freedom.
It was only when he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to finally take control of his fate.
Sigh!
Shui Miao withdrew his consciousness and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet gently shook his head, understanding why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate has been cruel to me. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say. He didn’t understand why fate would torment someone so mercilessly. He could only look at the Wheelchair Prophet helplessly.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—before the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost. It takes forty-nine days after leaving the body for a spirit to transform into a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still want to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that great. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was much freer—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no hands or feet in life, his spirit looked exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!” Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, thinking he was just saying this deliberately.
“Good, very good!” The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised and, in front of Watson and the others, wasn’t sure how to continue.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, sure, sure…” The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a few words. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…” The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his spirit, channeled his immortal power, and reached into the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s divine will.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world to read his memories, wanting to understand why he could foresee the future and predict events.
Through these memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak—born without hands or feet, yet with the mind of a normal person and the ability to foresee future events. This very ability made his life even more miserable.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns—he was carried away by a dog. Without hands or feet, he could only cry in the dog’s den until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he found his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was helpless. Without hands or feet, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until he was nearly tormented to death, when Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was only using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew tired of it. He longed for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own sake.
“Alas!” Shui Miao withdrew his focus and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…” Shui Miao didn’t know what to say or why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. They wore ghostly robes and held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?” Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Friend, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any advice?”
These guards radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any spirit with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly and said more amiably, “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely harsh—born without hands or feet, he suffered immensely in this life. Finally, he became a ghost and found relief, but then you gentlemen arrived. I don’t mean anything by it—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. It’s fine to explain.” The Horse-Face waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes—filled with wickedness and heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s sentenced or how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“I see!” Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled bitterly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives’ sins. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives brought the effects of this life—the cycle of cause and effect, retribution without fail.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoner, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape nine times?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hands. “It wasn’t accumulated over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the sentencing are up to the judge—we know very little. So, friend, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life was also predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to miss it, even if it meant asking half a question more.
“You?” The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see spirits and had only seen Shui Miao talking to himself. They hadn’t heard the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…” Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The word “fate” now filled Shui Miao’s thoughts entirely.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—if he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—before the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a mist, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the nourishment of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will deliver. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human was rather meaningless. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was far more carefree—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no hands or feet in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Has he been killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I destroyed him. To his subordinates, I claimed that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still firmly believed that Shui Miao was their team leader and was just saying this intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world and read his memories, wanting to understand how the Prophet could foresee the future and predict events before they happened.
Through accessing these memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… that the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak of nature. Born without hands or feet, he nonetheless possessed the intellect of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. Ironically, this ability only brought him greater suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no hands or feet, could only cry out from the doghouse. His voice grew hoarse from shouting, yet no one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without hands or feet, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death from suffering, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. More than anyone, he yearned for freedom.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own future.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. Do you have any advice?”
These envoys radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any ghost with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling ingratiatingly. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld envoys.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening a bit. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness never offends, and ghosts were no exception. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without hands or feet and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you gentlemen appear. I don’t mean any offense—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what comes next—how he’ll be judged and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to collect him when the time comes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past sins. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, retribution without fail.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hands. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes continuously. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil, again and again. For ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he faces this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge—we know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the envoys hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does it mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not something Shui Miao wanted to miss.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit into the ground and vanished.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see the spirits and had only witnessed Shui Miao talking to himself. Unable to hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The word “fate” now dominated Shui Miao’s thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—a thread that, if followed, could lead him to a method of defying heaven and changing destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“Wait! Who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had a guess—they were obviously ghost officers.
Hearing his question, the ghost officers turned to look at him.
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost. It takes forty-nine days after leaving the body for a spirit to transform into a ghost.
However, with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you anymore. But I am a man of my word—what I promise, I deliver. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost offered far more freedom—a light, floating body capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit appeared exactly like that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip something and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!” Elemental Girl bowed her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, struggling to grasp the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked doubtfully, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Was he killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, yet Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, merely pretending.
“Good, very good!” The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished and, in front of Watson and the others, found himself at a loss for words.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is now quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…” The Wheelchair Prophet felt somewhat bewildered, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Some things are too complicated to explain in just a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…” The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly grew worried and fearful.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental prowess.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world, reading his memories to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery: the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a peculiar being. Born without limbs, he possessed the mind of a normal person from birth and the ability to foresee future events. Yet this very gift brought him immense suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At three years old, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to escape, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he awoke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even end his own life.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. More than anyone, he yearned for freedom.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own liberation.
“Alas!” Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He understood why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate can be so cruel. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know how to respond, nor why fate could be so tormenting. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind echoed through the air.
Shui Miao turned toward the noise and saw five sinister, imposing Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards materialize from the ground. Dressed in ghostly robes and armed with chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks, they wasted no time clamping the restraints onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?” Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Recognizing Shui Miao as a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands in greeting and said, “Fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys of the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. Do you have any advice?”
These envoys radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never encountered any spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them with a smile. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation.”
These elixirs were valuable supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only sought information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I’ve just learned of his extremely tragic life—born without limbs, he endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you’ve arrived. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’d like to understand why he’s considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s simple enough to explain.” The Horse-Face guard waved his hand dismissively and pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner across ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes and accumulating immense evil. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. Had he repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for his final judgment and the duration of his hellish punishment, that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!” Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet let out a helpless laugh and murmured listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. So be it… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was lost in thought.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face guard prepared to leave, Shui Miao thought of something else and quickly cupped his hands. “Honored envoy, I have one more question. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating sins across ten lifetimes? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face guard waved his hands. “It wasn’t about accumulating sins over ten lifetimes. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil. Again and again, across ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he faced such retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge—we know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
As the Horse-Face guard finished speaking, he prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up a finger. Seeing that the guards hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it.
“You?” The Horse-Face guard looked Shui Miao over and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could process this, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Elemental Girl was equally shocked.
Watson and the others, unable to see spirits or hear the underworld guards, wore expressions of confusion.
“Everyone, leave…” Shui Miao waved his hand gently and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated Shui Miao’s thoughts.
He felt as though he had seized a thread of fate’s clue—if he followed it closely, he might discover a way to defy the heavens and alter his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
The ghost officers radiated intense yin energy, even stronger than Old Cai’s.
Other than underworld spirits, Shui Miao had never encountered ghosts with such powerful yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-lifetime evildoer,” Shui Miao quickly took out several soul-nourishing pills and offered them with a smile. “A small token of appreciation. I just want to understand the situation.”
These pills were a rare delicacy for the ghost officers.
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was far more carefree—his body light and ethereal, capable of flight.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit was identical to that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip something and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, if all of you are here, where is the team leader? Has he been killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, merely saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t sure how to continue.
“Heh, Senior Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat lost, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It will save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s divine will.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world, reading his memories to understand why he could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak—born without limbs, yet with the mind of a normal person and the ability to foresee future events. This very ability, however, brought him even greater suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At the age of three, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. No one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until he was on the verge of death, when Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his focus and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in ghost official robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Fellow Daoist, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any advice?”
These envoys emanated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any spirit with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for ghost officials.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone a bit friendlier. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic—born without limbs, he suffered immensely in this life. Finally, as a ghost, he found relief, but then you gentlemen arrived. I don’t mean anything by it—I just want to understand this ten-life evil-doer matter.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what comes next—how he’ll be judged or how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to collect him when the time comes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives’ sins. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, retribution without fail.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape nine times?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hands. “It wasn’t accumulated over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil, again and again. For ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. As for the specifics of the judgment, that’s up to the judge. We know very little. So, Fellow Daoist, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not to be missed.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see spirits and had only witnessed Shui Miao talking to himself. They hadn’t heard the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now filled Shui Miao’s entire mind.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—if he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness never hurt, even with ghosts. After thanking them, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I just learned about his tragic life. Born without arms or legs, he suffered endlessly in life. Now that he’s finally free as a ghost, you’ve come to take him. I just want to understand this ‘ten-lifetime evildoer’ thing.”
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost. It takes forty-nine days after leaving the body for a spirit to transform into a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still want to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that meaningful. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was much freer—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said, although the Wheelchair Prophet had no hands or feet in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then telepathically communicated to the Wheelchair Prophet, “I was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I eliminated him. I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed Shui Miao was their team leader, thinking he was just saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Heh, Elder Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world to read his memories, wanting to understand how the Wheelchair Prophet could foresee the future and predict events before they happened.
Through accessing these memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak. Born without hands or feet, he nevertheless possessed the cognitive abilities of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. This very ability, however, only brought him greater suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog. Without hands or feet, he could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. Still, no one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without hands or feet, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the verge of death from suffering, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He longed for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in underworld official robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Friend, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any instructions?”
These guards emanated an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any spirit with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone a bit friendlier. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely harsh. He was born without hands or feet and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found some relief, you all show up. I don’t mean any offense—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s sentenced and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re just here to collect him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled bitterly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bring about the effects of this life—the cycle of cause and effect, retribution without fail.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoner, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes continuously. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little. So, friend, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” Shui Miao held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—maybe my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve had such good fortune in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does it mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not something Shui Miao wanted to miss.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit into the ground and disappeared.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see the spirits and only saw Shui Miao talking to himself. They couldn’t hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so everyone wore expressions of confusion.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The word “fate” now filled Shui Miao’s entire mind.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate. If he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
“I see…”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly gave a helpless smile and muttered, “No wonder I’ve been so unlucky all my life. It was all due to sins from past lives. Well then… self-inflicted suffering cannot be undone.”
Silence fell in the basement. Everyone was quiet.
No one could resist fate. The consequences of past actions had returned in this life—karma never failed.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a mist, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost. It takes forty-nine days after leaving the body for a spirit to transform into a ghost.
However, with the aid of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost felt far more carefree—light-bodied and capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had lacked limbs in life, his spirit appeared no different from that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!” Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, struggling to grasp the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, if all of you are here, where is the team leader? Has he been killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, yet Watson and the others remained convinced that he was still their team leader, merely pretending.
“Good, very good!” The Wheelchair Prophet was astonished and, in front of Watson and the others, found himself at a loss for words.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is now quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his lingering doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…” The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Some things are too complicated to explain in a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It will save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…” The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly grew worried and fearful.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having only recently become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental prowess.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world, seeking to understand how he had been able to foresee events and predict the future.
Upon accessing his memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery: the Wheelchair Prophet was indeed a peculiar individual. Born without limbs, he possessed the cognitive abilities of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. Yet this very gift brought him immense suffering.
Disasters had followed him since the day he was born.
Three days after his birth, his family home caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
At the age of three, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to free himself, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he awoke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
Helpless and unable even to end his own life, he endured one unimaginable hardship after another.
It wasn’t until he was on the verge of succumbing to these torments that Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, having been saved by Yi Tianwen, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It was only after foreseeing Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own liberation.
“Alas!” Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently, understanding the reason for Shui Miao’s sigh. “Fate can be so cruel. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know how to respond, nor could he comprehend why fate could be so merciless. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind filled the air.
Shui Miao turned toward the noise and saw five imposing, sinister-looking Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground. Dressed in the robes of underworld officers, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?” Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Recognizing Shui Miao as a cultivator with immortal power, one of the Horse-Face guards casually cupped his hands in greeting and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
These guards emanated an aura of extreme Yin energy, far stronger than that of Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never encountered any spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s interest was piqued. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling ingratiatingly. “Honored soul-summoning envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation.”
These elixirs were highly beneficial even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only sought information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face guard nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you wish.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Politeness was never wasted, even on spirits. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic. Born without limbs, he endured immense suffering his whole life. Finally, as a ghost, he found a chance for liberation, only for you esteemed envoys to arrive. I don’t mean any offense—I simply wish to understand why he is considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can explain,” the Horse-Face guard waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner across ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes and accumulating immense evil. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living torment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. Had he repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for his final judgment and the duration of his punishment in hell, that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!” Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet let out a helpless, listless sigh. “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all due to the sins of my past lives. So be it… one reaps what they sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was lost in thought.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face guard prepared to leave, Shui Miao thought of something else and quickly cupped his hands. “Honored soul-summoning envoy, I have one more question. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating sin across ten lifetimes? Did he evade punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face guard waved his hands. “It wasn’t about accumulating sin over ten lifetimes. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil. Again and again, across ten lifetimes, he never once acted as a good person. That’s why he faced such retribution. The specifics of the judgment are the judge’s concern. We know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
As the Horse-Face guard finished speaking and prepared to leave, Shui Miao called out, “Wait, brother! Just one more minute, please!” He held up a finger. Seeing that the guards hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. Given my good fortune in cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my past life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it.
“You?” The Horse-Face guard looked Shui Miao over and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could process this, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was equally shocked.
Watson and the others, unable to see spirits or hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, wore expressions of utter confusion.
“Everyone, leave…” Shui Miao waved his hand gently and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated Shui Miao’s thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a thread of fate’s clue—if he followed it, he might find a way to defy heaven and alter his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still want to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that interesting. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was far more carefree—light-bodied and able to fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no hands or feet in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, which ended up harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, if you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then telepathically communicated to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I destroyed him. I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still firmly believed that Shui Miao was their team leader and was just saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Hehe, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. Now we’re even. How about we chat about something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind and leave.
“Oh, sure, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world and read his memories, wanting to understand why the Wheelchair Prophet could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through accessing these memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak. Born without hands or feet, he nevertheless possessed the intellect of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. It was precisely this ability that made his life even more painful.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog. Without hands or feet, he could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. Still, no one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without hands or feet, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until he was on the verge of death from suffering. That was when Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him. Most of the time, Yi Tianwen didn’t treat him as human at all!
As time passed, he grew weary of it all. He longed for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own future.
“Ah!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Friend, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any advice?”
These envoys exuded an extremely Yin aura, stronger even than Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any other spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone a bit friendlier. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face, “Well, I just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without hands or feet and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you all show up. I don’t mean any offense—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, utterly wicked and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s sentenced and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re just here to collect him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled bitterly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution is inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes continuously. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the sentencing are up to the judge. We know very little about that. So, friend, thanks for the elixirs. Farewell…”
As the Horse-Face finished speaking and prepared to leave, Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” Shui Miao held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was not something Shui Miao wanted to miss.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, and they vanished.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
As for Watson and the others, they couldn’t see the spirits and only saw Shui Miao talking to himself. They couldn’t hear the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards either, so everyone wore expressions of confusion.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now filled Shui Miao’s entire mind.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate. If he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost. It takes forty-nine days after leaving the body for a spirit to transform into a ghost.
However, with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you anymore. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that meaningful. Even if he could walk and move freely, what difference would it make? Being a ghost seemed far more carefree—light-bodied and capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit appeared exactly like that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!” Elemental Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, why are you all here? Where is the team leader? Was he killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then, I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, merely saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!” The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised and, in front of Watson and the others, found himself at a loss for words.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. We’re even now. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…” The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things are too complicated to explain in a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…” The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s divine will.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world to read his memories, hoping to understand how the Prophet could foresee the future and predict events.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery: the Wheelchair Prophet was indeed a freak of nature—born without limbs, yet with the mind of a normal person and the ability to foresee future events. This very ability, however, brought him immense suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to escape, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Alas!” Shui Miao withdrew his consciousness and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…” Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind echoed through the air.
Shui Miao turned toward the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?” Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
These envoys radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any spirit with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without limbs and endured immense suffering. Now that he’s finally become a ghost and found relief, you’ve arrived. I don’t mean any disrespect—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can explain.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively and pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s sentenced and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“I see!” Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet let out a helpless laugh and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past lives’ sins. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was speechless.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoner, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating sins over ten lifetimes? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It wasn’t about accumulating sins over ten lifetimes. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to commit evil deeds. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the sentencing are up to the judge. We know very little about that. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was just thinking—perhaps my fate in this life has also been predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity, and Shui Miao didn’t want to waste it, even if it meant asking half a question more.
“You?” The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards dragged the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Elemental Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see spirits and had only witnessed Shui Miao talking to himself. They hadn’t heard the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…” Shui Miao waved his hand lightly and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated Shui Miao’s thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about destiny—a thread that, if followed, could lead him to a method of defying heaven and changing fate.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the help of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human—at least you don’t need others to take care of you. But I’m a man of my word. If I promise something, I’ll see it through. If you still want to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of a normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human wasn’t all that interesting. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost was much freer—his body was light, and he could even fly.
It had to be said that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no hands or feet in life, his spirit was exactly like that of a normal person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme. I harmed you, and I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, a bit confused by the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly destroyed.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I was deliberately pretending to be weak to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and then I eliminated him. I told his subordinates that I took over Shui Miao’s body, which is why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao told the truth, but Watson and the others still believed Shui Miao was their team leader, thinking he was just saying this intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly surprised. In front of Watson and the others, he wasn’t quite sure how to continue.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already very strong now. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I helped refine your spirit. Now we’re even. How about we chat about something lighter?” Shui Miao felt he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything and was eager to resolve the doubts in his mind before leaving.
“Oh, sure, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed a bit lost, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “How about this—some things are too complicated to explain in just a few sentences. Don’t resist; let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Shui Miao didn’t give him time to overthink it. He focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Wheelchair Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual world and read his memories, wanting to understand why the Wheelchair Prophet could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through reading his memories, Shui Miao was astonished to discover… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak. Born without hands or feet, he had the mind of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. Ironically, this ability only brought him more suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog. Without hands or feet, he could only cry in the dog’s den until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. After fainting from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without hands or feet, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, all sorts of unimaginable disasters plagued him until he was on the verge of death—then Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was just using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew tired of it. He longed for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Sigh!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say. He didn’t understand why fate could be so cruel and could only look helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Shui Miao followed the sound and saw five sinister-looking, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground beside him. They wore ghostly robes and held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands and said, “Fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. Do you have any advice?”
These guards emanated an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any other spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out a few spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just want to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening a bit. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness never offends, and even ghosts appreciate it. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face, “It’s like this—I just learned that his life was extremely bitter. He was born without hands or feet and suffered immensely in this life. He finally became a ghost and found relief, but then you gentlemen showed up. I don’t mean anything by it—I just want to understand this ten-life evil-doer situation.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can tell you.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes—wicked to the core, guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his last lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what happens next—how he’s sentenced and how long he’ll suffer in hell—that’s not our concern. We’re just here to take him back when the time comes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly let out a helpless laugh and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. Oh well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell eerily silent. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, retribution without fail.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother soul-summoning envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes in a row. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to do evil. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the sentencing are up to the judge. We know very little about it. So, fellow cultivator, thanks for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” Shui Miao held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly said, “I was just thinking—maybe my fate in this life was also predetermined. If I’ve had such good fortune in this life, cultivating the immortal path, does it mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity. Even half a question more was something Shui Miao didn’t want to miss.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, disappearing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see spirits and had only seen Shui Miao talking to himself. They hadn’t heard the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards, so they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The word “fate” now filled Shui Miao’s thoughts entirely.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about fate—if he followed this clue, he might find a way to defy heaven and change his destiny.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
It was a rare opportunity. Shui Miao didn’t want to miss even half a question.
“You?”
Not even ten minutes had passed—only about four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit appeared like a misty haze, but under the nourishment of the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
It takes forty-nine days after the spirit leaves the body for it to become a ghost.
But with the elixir’s nourishment, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit—so overwhelmed with emotion that it couldn’t speak—smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being a human. At least you won’t need others to take care of you anymore. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess and let you live a few days of a normal life.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost felt far more carefree—his body light and capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had lacked limbs in life, his spirit appeared exactly like that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let slip something and fell into the team leader’s scheme, causing you harm. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, unsure of the situation. He quickly turned to Shui Miao and asked, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Was he killed by you?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and then sent a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak earlier to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the complete truth, yet Watson and the others still firmly believed he was their team leader, thinking he was merely saying these things intentionally.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished. In front of Watson and the others, he hardly knew how to respond.
“Heh, Senior Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he no longer owed the Wheelchair Prophet anything, Shui Miao was eager to resolve the lingering questions in his mind and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things can’t be explained in just a sentence or two. Don’t resist—let me enter your thoughts and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Not allowing him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his mind, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was completely unable to resist Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world, reading his memories to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events yet to come.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a peculiar individual. Born without limbs, he nevertheless possessed the cognitive abilities of a normal person from birth and could foresee future events. Yet this very ability brought him immense suffering.
From the moment he was born, disaster followed him relentlessly.
Three days after his birth, his family home caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three years old, his grandmother passed away, and he became an orphan.
After his grandmother’s death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to free himself, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice grew hoarse. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he awoke to find his mouth filled with a stray dog’s vomit…
He felt utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even end his own life.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death from suffering, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. More than anyone, he yearned for freedom.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own liberation.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He understood why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate can be so tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know how to respond, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind arose.
Following the sound, Shui Miao saw five sinister-looking, robust Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards emerge from the ground nearby. Dressed in the robes of underworld officers, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly inquired, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld guards.
Hearing Shui Miao, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face guard casually cupped his hands in salute and said, “Esteemed fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life evil-doer. May I ask if you have any instructions?”
These guards emanated an extremely Yin energy, stronger than even Lao Cai and the others. Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never encountered any spirits with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the title “ten-life evil-doer,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them, smiling apologetically. “Honored soul-summoning envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my respect. I have no other intentions—I merely wish to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld guards.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want directly.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness is never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked the Horse-Face, “Well, I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic. He was born without limbs and endured immense suffering his whole life. Finally, as a ghost, he found a chance for liberation, but then you arrived. I don’t mean any offense—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life evil-doer.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can explain.” The Horse-Face waved his hand dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was an evil-doer for ten lifetimes—wicked to the core and guilty of heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for what comes next—how he’ll be sentenced and how long he’ll endure hell—that’s not our concern. We’re only here to collect him when the time comes.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled wryly and murmured listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of the sins of my past lives. Ah, well… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one can resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives bear fruit in the present—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution is inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother Soul-Summoning Envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical judgment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hand. “It’s not about accumulating ten lifetimes continuously. After each lifetime’s judgment, he continued to commit evil. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once acted as a good person. That’s why he faces this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge—we know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the Horse-Face and the others hadn’t left, he quickly added, “It just occurred to me that my fate in this life might also be predetermined. Given my great luck in cultivating the path of immortality in this lifetime, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity—even half a question more was not to be missed.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could process this, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing from sight.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was equally shocked.
Watson and the others, unable to see spirits and hearing only Shui Miao’s side of the conversation, wore expressions of complete confusion.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated his thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a thread of destiny’s clues. By following this thread, he might find a way to defy heaven and alter fate.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
Not even ten minutes had passed—just four or five—when the spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet separated from his corpse.
His spirit looked like a misty haze, but nourished by the elixir, it was rapidly growing stronger.
At this stage, the spirit couldn’t yet be considered a ghost.
A spirit must remain separated from the body for forty-nine days before it becomes a ghost.
But with the nourishment of the elixir, the Wheelchair Prophet quickly attained the strength of a ghost and regained all his memories.
Shui Miao channeled his immortal power and, looking at the speechless, excited spirit of the Wheelchair Prophet, smiled faintly and said, “I think being a ghost suits you better than being human—at least you won’t need others to take care of you. But I am a man of my word. If I promise something, I will see it through. If you still wish to be human, I can find a corpse for you to possess, allowing you to live a few days as a normal person.”
“No… no need,” the Wheelchair Prophet quickly waved his hands.
He felt that being human held little meaning. Even if he could walk and move, what difference would it make? Being a ghost offered more freedom—a light, ethereal body capable of flight.
It was worth noting that although the Wheelchair Prophet had no limbs in life, his spirit appeared exactly like that of an ordinary person.
“Godfather, I was wrong before. I accidentally let something slip and fell into the team leader’s scheme, harming you. I apologize!”
Element Girl hung her head in shame.
“…”
The Wheelchair Prophet was slightly stunned, struggling to grasp the situation. He turned to Shui Miao and asked doubtfully, “Brother Shui Miao, since you’re all here, where is the team leader? Did you… kill him?”
“Haha, of course. I am Shui Miao. Yi Tianwen was no match for me—he’s been utterly annihilated.” After saying this, Shui Miao smiled and transmitted a mental message to the Wheelchair Prophet: “I pretended to be weak to lure him into possessing my body. He took the bait, and I destroyed him. Then, I told his subordinates that I had taken over Shui Miao’s body. That’s why I’m here now.”
Shui Miao spoke the truth, but Watson and the others still believed he was their team leader, merely saying these things deliberately.
“Good, very good!”
The Wheelchair Prophet was greatly astonished. In front of Watson and the others, he hardly knew how to respond.
“Heh, Prophet, your spirit is already quite strong. You helped me break the Invisible Shield’s defense, and I refined your spirit in return. Now we’re even. How about we discuss something lighter?” Feeling that he owed the Wheelchair Prophet nothing more, Shui Miao was eager to resolve his doubts and leave.
“Oh, alright, sure…”
The Wheelchair Prophet seemed somewhat dazed, sensing that Shui Miao had something important to say.
Shui Miao nodded. “Well, some things are too complicated to explain in a few sentences. Don’t resist—let me enter your mind and access your memories. It’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
“Uh…”
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly felt worried and afraid.
Without giving him time to overthink, Shui Miao focused his energy, channeled his immortal power, and reached out to sense the Wheelchair Prophet’s spiritual memories.
Having just become a spirit, the Prophet was no match for Shui Miao’s mental power.
Shui Miao forcibly entered the Wheelchair Prophet’s mental world, reading his memories to understand how he could foresee the future and predict events.
Through these memories, Shui Miao made a startling discovery… the Wheelchair Prophet was truly a freak of nature. Born without limbs, he possessed the intellect of a normal person from birth and the ability to foresee future events. Yet, this gift only brought him greater suffering.
Disasters had followed him since the day he was born.
Three days after his birth, his family’s house caught fire, and his father went bankrupt.
Three months later, his parents divorced and went their separate ways, leaving only his grandmother to care for him.
When he was three, his grandmother died, and he became an orphan.
After her death, his fate took even stranger turns. He was carried away by a dog and, with no limbs to escape, could only cry out from the doghouse until his voice gave out. No one came to save him. When he fainted from hunger, he woke to find his mouth filled with the stray dog’s vomit…
He was utterly helpless. Without limbs, he couldn’t even commit suicide.
Later, one unimaginable disaster after another plagued him until, on the brink of death, Yi Tianwen appeared.
Logically, since Yi Tianwen saved him, he should have been grateful and loyal.
But as he grew older, he realized Yi Tianwen was merely using him, often treating him as less than human.
Over time, he grew weary of it all. He yearned for freedom more than anyone else.
It wasn’t until he foresaw Shui Miao’s arrival that he decided to plan for his own escape.
“Alas!”
Shui Miao withdrew his mental probe and let out a long sigh.
The Wheelchair Prophet shook his head gently. He knew why Shui Miao sighed. “Fate is truly tormenting. That’s why I’d rather be a ghost than a human.”
“…”
Shui Miao didn’t know what to say, nor why fate could be so cruel. He could only gaze helplessly at the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the sound of wind echoed through the air.
Shui Miao turned toward the noise and saw five sinister, burly Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards materialize from the ground. Dressed in ghostly robes, they held iron chains, shackles, wooden cangues, and iron forks. Without a word, they immediately began fastening the chains and cangues onto the Wheelchair Prophet.
“Wait, who are you?”
Shui Miao quickly asked, though he already had an idea—they were undoubtedly underworld envoys.
Hearing Shui Miao’s question, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards turned to look at him.
Seeing that Shui Miao was a cultivator with immortal power, one Horse-Face envoy casually cupped his hands and said, “Fellow cultivator, we are soul-summoning envoys from the underworld, here under orders to retrieve the spirit of a ten-life sinner. Do you have any instructions?”
These envoys radiated an extremely Yin energy, stronger even than Lao Cai and the others.
Aside from underworld guards, Shui Miao had never seen any spirit with such powerful Yin energy.
Hearing the term “ten-life sinner,” Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly took out several spirit-nourishing elixirs and offered them with a smile. “Honored envoys, you’ve worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I have no other intentions—I just wish to understand the situation, that’s all.”
These elixirs were excellent supplements even for underworld envoys.
Seeing that Shui Miao only wanted information, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards accepted the elixirs. The lead Horse-Face nodded slightly, his tone softening. “We have a few minutes. Ask whatever you want.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
Politeness was never wasted, even on ghosts. After expressing his gratitude, Shui Miao smiled and asked, “I’ve just learned that his life was extremely tragic. Born without limbs, he suffered immensely in this life. Finally, as a ghost, he found relief, but then you arrived. I don’t mean any disrespect—I just want to understand why he’s considered a ten-life sinner.”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I can explain.” The Horse-Face waved dismissively, then pointed at the Wheelchair Prophet. “He was a sinner for ten lifetimes, committing heinous crimes. The judge sentenced him to ten lifetimes of living punishment, followed by suffering in hell. This was his final lifetime. If he had repented in time, he might have suffered less. As for his final judgment and time in hell, that’s not our concern. We’re only here to retrieve him when the time comes.”
“I see!”
Shui Miao looked at the Wheelchair Prophet.
The Wheelchair Prophet suddenly smiled bitterly and muttered listlessly, “No wonder… no wonder I was so unlucky. It was all because of my past sins. So be it… you reap what you sow.”
“…”
The basement fell into dead silence. Everyone was quiet.
No one could resist the arrangements of fate. The causes of past lives determined the effects of this life—the cycle of cause and effect, where retribution was inevitable.
Just as the Horse-Face was about to leave, Shui Miao thought of something and quickly cupped his hands. “Brother envoy, there’s one more thing I don’t understand. Since this is a cyclical punishment, why was he punished only after accumulating ten lifetimes of sin? Did he escape punishment for nine lifetimes?”
“No, no, no…” The Horse-Face quickly waved his hands. “It wasn’t accumulated over ten consecutive lifetimes. After each lifetime’s punishment, he continued to commit evil. Again and again, for ten lifetimes, he never once did a good deed. That’s why he deserves this retribution. The specifics of the judgment are up to the judge. We know very little. So, fellow cultivator, thank you for the elixirs. Farewell…”
After speaking, the Horse-Face prepared to leave.
Shui Miao hurriedly called out, “Brother, wait! Just one more minute, please!” He held up one finger. Seeing that the envoys hadn’t left, he quickly added, “I was thinking… perhaps my fate in this life was also predetermined. If I’ve been so fortunate in this life, cultivating the path of immortality, does that mean I did many good deeds in my previous life?”
This was a rare opportunity—even half a question more was worth seizing.
“You?”
The Horse-Face looked at Shui Miao and shook his head. “Your previous life was in the immortal realm. You’re not under our jurisdiction.”
Before Shui Miao could react, the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guards escorted the Wheelchair Prophet’s spirit underground, vanishing without a trace.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was also stunned.
Watson and the others couldn’t see spirits and had only witnessed Shui Miao talking to himself. Unable to hear the envoys, they all wore puzzled expressions.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao waved his hand lightly and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
The concept of fate now dominated his thoughts.
He felt as though he had grasped a clue about destiny—a thread he could follow to find a way to defy heaven and change his fate.
So, he needed to calm down and think carefully.
※※※
Shui Miao was stunned.
Element Girl was stunned too.
Watson and the others couldn’t see ghosts—they only saw Shui Miao talking to himself and heard nothing the ghost officers said. Everyone wore a puzzled expression.
“Everyone, get out…”
Shui Miao gently waved his hand and sat cross-legged on the spot.
The word “fate” now filled his mind.
He felt as if he had caught a thread of fate. If he could follow this thread, he might find a way to defy fate itself.
So, he needed to sit quietly and think.
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