Chapter Text
If you ever find yourself in the delicate position of being a disembodied soul, and you've suffered the additional misfortune of having had your mortal remains destroyed by your enemies, then Cai Zhifei has some important advice for you: Choose your next body wisely!
Ideally, you'd find someone who is already weakened to facilitate the soul swap. You should keep your eyes out for the ill and disabled, the insane and old. It's much easier to push out a soul when it doesn't put up too much of a fight. The best moment is during a near-death experience, when their soul naturally prepares for departure and gently detaches from the body. This poses a number of risks, however; if the body really is about to die, you'll be tossed right back out again at the moment of death, and your soul will be worse for wear. So, you'll want someone who thinks they're about to die, but won't actually kick the bucket.
Now, not just any weakened person will do; you actually can't be too picky about their age and health. After all, what use is there in finding a new body and then realizing it is too old to get anything done with? You'd be stuck there for a good few years until dying of old age, and who knows if you can keep your soul intact through a second death. You want to aim low, so you can enjoy the vigor of youth for as many years as possible. At the same time, you'd also best stay away from the permanently infirm and insane; you can't enjoy your second chance at life to the fullest if you have to deal with the various afflictions of the former host the whole time. Indeed it is a temporarily injured or ill person who will be your best bet, as most other types of physical and mental impairment will carry over into your new life and turn it into an unnecessary ordeal.
Lastly, let us not forget about cultivation. Many demonic cultivators mess up at this stage; they find some healthy young body that's close to kicking it and eagerly possess it, only to find that it has no golden core to speak of, nor the innate talent to ever cultivate one. At this point they may as well give up their career and turn to farming or local politics, since they'll never be a cultivator worth their salt ever again. Cai Zhifei had shuddered when he'd heard stories of formerly infamous terrors of the cultivation world whose names inspired fear and reverence, now reduced to common innkeepers and craftsmen.
Determined not to step into the pitfalls of his unfortunate predecessors, Cai Zhifei had roamed the lands as a disembodied soul for four whole years before settling on a suitable candidate. On a bit of a whim, he had returned to the sect he once defected from (or was chased out of, depending on who you ask), and was delighted to find a young man cultivating on his own in one of the meditation caves. The man was swaying and mumbling incoherently, visibly on the verge of a severe qi deviation. This is my lucky day, Cai Zhifei thought. The young man seemed in otherwise good health, had advanced cultivation, and was about to completely lose his marbles in a place where no one was going to find him for hours, if not days. He also looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps some shidi from his time at the sect? He looked to be around 25, which meant that he was a good three years younger than Cai Zhifei. During his time at Liang Sect, Cai Zhifei hadn't been in the habit of doting on his juniors, though, so you really couldn't ask him to remember any of those kids' names or recognize them more than ten years down the road.
Cai Zhifei watched on as the young man fell on all fours, scraping at the ground before him with a despairing wail. His hair, gathered into a low ponytail, fell in thin, long strands around him. He was experiencing an anguish like never before; when scratching his fingers bloody on the ground didn't alleviate his torment, he began to howl and tear at the skin of his face. Hey now, don't touch that. I'm gonna be the owner of that pretty face soon and I'd like it to be in good condition, Cai Zhifei grumbled.
Still, he had to wait a little longer. The young man's soul was still firmly attached, and when Cai Zhifei prodded it, it obstinately refused to budge. He made himself comfortable on a nearby rock and took a moment to inspect his future body.
The young man was handsome, although it was hard to tell with his face distorted from madness and smeared with the blood from his fingertips. He was definitely shorter than Cai Zhifei had been, and their appearances differed like night and day. Cai Zhifei's black hair had been wild and untamed, his face arrogant as if frozen in a perpetual smirk, his eyes endlessly dark and almost hypnotic. This man seemed much more proper; in a healthier state, he likely had the air of a distinguished young master, with perhaps a bit of a nervous streak despite the pride and ambition that were written on his face. His hair was copper brown and his eyes were almost unnaturally light, his gaze intense and unyielding. The young man's body was reasonably trained, and he wore the uniform of the sect elders of Liang Sect, but lacked the cinnabar mark on his forehead that would denote him as a member of the Liang Clan that ran the show. Cai Zhifei felt that the difference in their ages and appearance was a plus; he'd be less likely to be discovered that way.
The man was winding and clutching at his chest now. His golden core was likely fracturing from the disordered qi flow. Cai Zhifei sighed. He was going to have to do a good job mending the damn thing. He floated over, gave the man's soul another nudge and found that it had begun to detach from his body. Great, let's get this over with, Cai Zhifei thought cheerfully. The man's soul was now much like the meat of a mollusk; sitting loosely in his body, only attached to the heart by a soul bond that thinned with every passing second. Cai Zhifei extended his hand and ripped it out at the root, then pushed the entire soul out to dissipate on its own. The man's body fell limply to the ground. Cai Zhifei nestled inside and began attaching his own soul. He had never done a soul transfer before, but he knew that he couldn't let his focus waver for the day and a half it took for him to attach. And so he began the tedious work of stitching his soul in place, thread by thread.
***
"Bai Yingxi." A flat voice spoke close to Cai Zhifei's ear. Or rather, it really had been Bai Yingxi's ear until quite recently.
Cai Zhifei opened his eyes and found that he had successfully taken possession of his new body and must've promptly lost consciousness right there in the cave. The whole possession and qi deviation business had done a number on his new body and old soul, and he realized that he didn't have the strength to sit up. Instead, a pair of hands supported his chest and back, lifting him up until he was sitting. As soon as they were removed, he fell forwards again, and the owner of the hands put them back into place to keep him steady.
He looked around through bleary eyes and recognized the person crouched next to him. Four years had passed, but the man hadn't changed one bit, and also... Cai Zhifei wouldn't so easily forget this person. After all, they had been... Well, it had been complicated.
Surprised, he thought, "A-Yun...?" and then passed out again as a wave of his out-of-control qi barreled through his disturbed meridians.
***
When Cai Zhifei awoke next, he found himself in a room at Liang Sect. It was much nicer than the one in the disciple's quarters that he'd called home during his time there, and he surmised that it belonged to the former owner of his new body. The guy really must have worked his way up the ranks; the room was exquisite and clean without being ostentatious. The window was half open and a light breeze caressed the white silk curtains. Bai Yingxi, was it? Liang Haiyun had called him by that name, so he'd better start responding to it. Hearing the name, Cai Zhifei actually somewhat remembered the kid from back in the day; he'd been no outstanding talent, but very sincere in his cultivation and fiercely loyal to the sect; in short, the type who tended to get on Cai Zhifei's nerves. Who'd have thought that in his absence, that little moralist had had such a cozy career at Liang? But then the Sect Leader had always been partial to suck-ups.
Cai Zhifei sat up in bed, satisfied to see that he had no issues moving his new body now that his soul had fully settled inside. He felt a cool hand on his shoulder and turned to look. Of course it was that guy again.
"Don't move too much. You've suffered a qi deviation," Liang Haiyun said. His voice still sounded as cold as ever, but there was the hint of a sympathetic smile on his lips. Liang Haiyun was sitting on the edge of the bed and was now putting his arm around Cai Zhifei's shoulders, drawing him close. Quite chummy, are we? Cai Zhifei thought dryly. Didn't think you were the type.
Liang Haiyun gently caressed his shoulder and to Cai Zhifei's absolute horror, he pressed a kiss to his forehead. Ugh, how much taller than him he now was! One really couldn't be too cautious when choosing one's next body. This was going to bother Cai Zhifei forever. And what was with the kiss? Were Liang Haiyun and Bai Yingxi in that kind of relationship?
Cai Zhifei managed to suppress a frown, but the confusion must've been evident on his face, because Liang Haiyun loosened his grip on his shoulder and withdrew a little bit.
"Bai Yingxi...? Do you recognize me?" he asked, sounding concerned as he stared intently at Cai Zhifei, his expression inscrutable. He really looked the same as before; he hadn't aged a day thanks to his high cultivation, and he'd changed nothing about his personal style. His eyes were upturned and slender beneath a set of thin and severe eyebrows. His bangs were cut short at cheek level, and the lengths were gathered into a very neat, high ponytail. The only touches of color were the cinnabar mark on his forehead and the perpetual flush on his lips that so rarely looked pleased.
Cai Zhifei nodded and put on an easy smile. "Of course, how could I ever forget you, Liang Haiyun? I apologize if I worried you." Liang Haiyun had addressed him by his full name, so he chose to do the same, hoping that Bai Yingxi didn't usually refer to him with some pet name of sorts. No, he hadn't seemed like someone who would do that.
This answer seemed to satisfy Liang Haiyun and his expression relaxed.
"Your meridians are wrecked and your qi is still in turmoil. Let me help," he said in a voice that almost sounded... tender? Seductive, even? Cai Zhifei shuddered inwardly. This was a side to the Sect Leader's son that he'd never seen in his first life and didn't much care to experience in his second. Not after everything that had happened. But he had to play his part, so he put on a bashful expression.
"I'd hate to trouble you."
"It's no trouble at all. Come on now."
So pushy, too! Is he terribly in love with Bai Yingxi or something?! Cai Zhifei had kind of hoped that their relationship wasn't all that serious. Hell, he thought that maybe upon losing him, Liang Haiyun had sought comfort in the arms of another man, but it was a purely physical thing... On the other hand, what if he hadn't grieved him one bit? That was far more likely, given what Cai Zhifei had done in his time as the Scourge of the South. The two of them had parted on extremely bad terms when he left Liang Sect and never had a proper conversation again thereafter. And there was the matter of the Sect Leader, too, may he rest in peace, and their last meeting hadn't exactly been a tearful reunion, either. Cai Zhifei concluded that Liang Haiyun had never burned paper money for him, rather, he'd probably spat on his grave and wouldn't hesitate to dig him a second one if his return became known.
Obedient for lack of other choices, Cai Zhifei closed his eyes and allowed Liang Haiyun to kiss him, letting his even and tempered spiritual energy flow through him to ease the turmoil within. The qi warmed his meridians and tamed the roiling energies in his core. When they parted, Cai Zhifei couldn't help but touch his own lips. This guy... Even his kiss still feels the same.
Liang Haiyun smiled softly at him now. "Feeling better?"
Depends on what you're asking, Cai Zhifei thought. "Yes, thank you," he said out loud. "But I still feel a little tired. Liang Haiyun, I hate to send you away, but I feel like I should rest a while longer."
"That's no problem," Liang Haiyun said unconcernedly, climbing under the blanket with him. "I'll stay with you until you wake up." He gently pulled Cai Zhifei's head over and made him rest on his chest.
Cai Zhifei had no time to comment on how shameless and immoral Liang Haiyun had become, because what he saw next made him almost spit blood. There, hanging around Liang Haiyun's neck, was a sturdy cord. The item dangling from it had fallen out of his robes as he settled into bed. Right there, in front of Cai Zhifei's eyes, was a small earthenware bottle containing his own ashes!