The corpse chaos in the Northern Frontier finally calmed down.

Gradually, people left the city to collect the bodies.

Wanting to prevent plague, and feeling fear themselves, they had the bodies gathered up.

Then they set fire to them all.

Fierce blazes rose everywhere across the Northern Frontier.

Thick, black smoke billowed from countless places, carrying a foul stench.

Out of over fifty thousand people, only twenty thousand survived.

Many families were torn apart, homes destroyed forever.

The thirty-seven survivors had their Blood Worms carefully removed by Chen Changsheng.

Seeing the crisis resolved, the Old Dragon King said, “The matter is settled. Will you return with me, Mr. Chen?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “The Dragon Lord may go ahead. I wish to observe for a while longer.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the Blood Cultivator had more tricks planned.

The Old Dragon King nodded, “Very well. Find me for drinks when you return to Qingshan City.”

“Agreed.”

The Old Dragon King departed with Yingyuan and Ying En.

The day soon came to release the survivors.

The thirty-seven people rescued earlier were set free.

…

Initially, these individuals were kept apart and watched carefully.

After all, they had been walking corpses; bringing them back to life required close observation.

On the morning of their release, a large crowd gathered outside.

“Why are so many here?” Chen Changsheng asked.

Lv Shan explained, “They all hope to find family members among the survivors…”

Chen Changsheng paused, looking out.

As the thirty-seven filed out and saw the sea of people, they stood frozen.

Shouts immediately pierced the air.

“Father! Father!!”

A young boy burst from the crowd, throwing his arms around a middle-aged man.

“Son? What is happening?”

The man looked utterly bewildered by the massive gathering.

Chen Changsheng watched people push through the throng, calling out.

“Please! Look for my wife! She has a mole near her lips!”

“My daughter, please see if…”

A scholar shoved his way desperately to the front.

His frantic eyes scanned the line of survivors.

“Not here… not her…”

He muttered, checking each face.

His shoulders slumped. The last hope vanished.

“Hah…”

The scholar walked away like a man drained of all spirit, utterly defeated.

Parting by death remains one of life’s hardest trials.

For some, it became the final breaking point.

Lv Shan felt a heavy sadness. He glanced at Mr. Chen, whose face was calm.

Perhaps this is Cultivation too, Lv Shan thought.

Dao Follows Nature. Emotions hidden deep.

Yet a doubt flickered: Is this truly Dao Follows Nature?

…

Trouble struck that day.

At noon, someone rushed past the Government Soldiers guarding a City Tower.

They leaped from the high wall. No one could stop them.

They died on impact below.

Later, Government Officers blocked the tower’s access, fearing more deaths.

But it didn’t help.

In a poor courtyard shelter on East Street, a man hanged himself.

Another body was later pulled from a well, bloated from days underwater.

All were lifeless when found.

In just one day, the Yamen handled nineteen deaths.

Nineteen bodies lay covered in white sheets in the Yamen courtyard.

A coroner inspected them long into the afternoon. He found no wounds, no signs of murder.

“Could it be…” he began hesitantly.

The Yamen Master understood instantly.

Evil Spirits!

“Fetch Immortal Elder Lv!” the Master ordered.

Government Officers raced to find Lv Shan.

“Nineteen deaths?!” Lv Shan gasped. “I’ll come at once.”

He urgently sought out Mr. Chen.

Chen Changsheng was eating a steamed bun outside. After hearing the news, he frowned.

He set the bun down. “Take me there.”

They hurried to the Yamen.

A deathly stench greeted them even before they entered.

Inside, nineteen white-shrouded forms lay in rows.

Government Officers stood watch.

The coroner, the Yamen Master, and others waited anxiously.

“Hail, Immortal Elders!” they greeted.

Lv Shan waved formalities aside. “Tell us what happened.”

The Yamen Master said, “Immortal Elder Lv, since this morning, reports flooded in. Many deaths: hangings, drownings from wells. Neighbors knew little. And today at noon, the City Tower jump…”

He listed the grim details.

Lv Shan stepped forward, examining the bodies.

“All died today?”

“Not all. That well victim was there a few days already.”

Lv Shan lifted sheets, checking for traces of Evil Qi.

He found none.

He turned to his companion. “Mr. Chen…”

“And this is…?” the Yamen Master inquired cautiously.

Lv Shan said, “This is Mr. Chen.”

“Deepest respect, Immortal Elder Chen.”

Chen Changsheng waved it off and approached a body. He uncovered another sheet.

Both men stared in silence.

The pale corpse beneath the sheet wore scholar’s robes.

They had seen him just that morning.

After a long pause, Chen Changsheng stated, “No Evil Spirits here. Do not fear.”

“Then why…?” the Yamen Master pressed, confused.

Lv Shan met his gaze. “They took their own lives.”

Those words dropped heavy silence over the courtyard.

.

.

Leaving the Yamen, Chen Changsheng led Lv Shan to a noodle stall.

He ordered two bowls of Yangchun Noodles.

Lv Shan hadn’t spoken the whole way.

He feared another Blood Fiend attack.

Instead, the grim truth left them shaken.

Chen Changsheng tapped his chopsticks clean on the table and started eating.

He asked Lv Shan, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Lv Shan picked up his chopsticks obediently.

But after a few bites, he stopped.

Abruptly, he said, “Sir, we saw him. The scholar.”

“Yes.”

“He didn’t find his wife.” 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“That’s right.”

Lv Shan sighed deeply. “They were so young. Sir, can love in this Mortal World really bind life and death?”

Chen Changsheng’s chopsticks paused mid-air.

He thought briefly. “Perhaps, for some.”

He added softly, “For those who believe, if everyone dear to them is gone… why remain? Joining them might seem simpler.”

“Gone with the wind.”

Lv Shan never finished his noodles.

He felt his Cultivation journey had much farther to go.

Strangely…

The Green-Robed Gentleman, Mr. Chen, didn’t finish his bowl either.

He left much behind.