"My eyes?" Weiqi was startled by the touch and the revelation.

"Mhm. You told me you inherited your eyes. Who did you inherit them from?" King Yama inquired.

"I was told that my eyes were inherited from a great-great-great grandmother. She died about 200 years ago; I do not remember much else about her. Every other generation in our family inherited the eyes."

Weiqi responded, still a little dazed about the revalation.

Then Weiqi shot up to his feet excited. "You meant to tell me that my grandmother did not die but came to this world instead?"

King Yama shook his head. "No. If you remember, I told you she came here from a world of abundant Qi. It was definitely not your world."

Weiqi sat back down like a deflated balloon, but King Yama continued.

"Her starting point might not have been your world, but her endpoint probably was. So tell me, how did she die? Her soul had an abundance of Qi, and even if there was no Qi in your world, she should still be able to live for another 100 to 200 years."

Weiqi's eyebrows were wrinkled in thought. "It was so long ago I don't remember. My grandpa told me stories about her, but I was very young then, so I don't remember much. All I remember is that he said she was a celestial fairy."

King Yama's shoulders sagged in disappointment.

But suddenly straightened up, saying, "I would like to try stimulating your soul; it could clear things up. It is even beneficial for your soul. It is a win-win."

King Yama was willing to use his energy to help this boy refine his soul. He did not tell Weiqi that the process was anything less than pleasant. He was still a little selfish. He wanted to know what had happened to his friend.

Weiqi was a bit apprehensive about letting the King of the Underworld do anything to his soul, but then remembering all the information the other told him, he consented. King Yama seemed like a nice person.

"Ok," he said, breathing deeply, still nervous.

King Yama smiled at him and then touched his forehead.

Weiqi felt a minor cold sensation on his forehead, not unlike what Heng Taio had done to him prior. But before he could relax, the sensation intensified and spread.

He closed his eyes and tried leaning away in discomfort.

But King Yama held him in place, and the coldness poured into him like a surging wave.

He felt it wash over and burrow into every part of his body, and his skin felt like it was about to crack from the pressure.

Weiqi was so cold that he felt like he was burning, engulfed in a cold white flame. His mind was numb with pain, and tears leaked from his eyes.

His soul shuddered, and then something shattered inside, rendering him unconscious.

Weiqi's consciousness slowly returned, and he was floating in a body of water. The water was slightly cool but wasn't uncomfortable.

He didn't know where he was, so he just floated there, unwilling to move.

His soul was still experiencing aftershocks, and little shivers went through him.

He eventually turned his head and looked around, but all he could see was water.

This damned King Yama killed me. The first time I died, I ended up in a different world, but at least I was on dry land. Where the hell am I now? Life is just too hard. These were the thoughts that were running through Weiqi's head.

He then heard a ringing in his ears, and his vision dimmed. He blinked and tried to clear his head.

He opened his eye wide and saw that he was still in King Yama's throne room. What was that? Was he hallucinating? He questioned himself as he tried to stand up.

"So, how is it? Do you remember now? How did she die?"

King Yama was sitting there, his eyes burning with anticipation.

But Weiqi shot him a sour look, pressing his lips together. He was not happy.

King Yama saw that Weiqi was upset and tried soothing him, "I did not harm you at all. Your soul is now much purer and can refine Qi more smoothly. I could feel the Qi of my friend through you, so you are definitely related to her. Even your body has been purified making it easier for your soul to connect to it. You gained so much through this, so what is a little pain?"

Weiqi started to calm down, but when he heard King Yama say that last thing, he got angry again and shot him a stormy look.

Weiqi slowly got up off the ground and dusted his pants, ignoring King Yama.

"Oh, come, don't be angry." King Yama tried placating him again.

He was not used to apologizing to people. "I spent a lot of my own energy to purify your soul, this is tiring for me, but I still did it. It is really hard for me to replenish the energy I expanded, so you have really benefited a lot."

Weiqi took a deep breath and tried calming down. In the end, the latter had supposedly helped him.

He does feel the benefits mentioned. His body feels lighter, his mind is much clearer, and he can actually feel the energy moving around.

Is this Qi? he wondered.

And more surprisingly, his memories were incredibly sharp. He remembered his childhood as if it had just happened.

Remembering his grandfather's smile, he calms down completely.

"Yes, I remember now."

Weiqi sat back down, crossed his ankles, and stretched out his legs in front of him.

"My grandfather said that my great-great-great grandmother was a celestial fairy. My great-great-great grandfather found her wandering the wood while he was out farming. He fell in love at first sight and took her home; his family was unhappy and accused her of using her eyes to bewitch him. But he did not care, he moved away from his family, and they lived happily for 20 years in a small town with their 2 children.

There was a small fire in the village where they lived, and she died saving the villagers.

My great-great-great grandfather was devastated and died of a broken heart shortly after."

King Yama listened to the story and was saddened. His friend was always righteous and would always help when needed.  He understood that she died without regret.

"Ah, at least she lived a happy life, even if it was just a blink on an eye." He bowed his head and whispered softly.

He was wistful, but as King of the Underworld, he understood that life and death are inevitable.

"Thank you for telling me about my friend. What was her name in your world?"

"Her name was Wang Yingyue."

"She still kept her name then." A smile could be heard in King Yama's voice, and then he waved his hand.

A neatly stacked pile of clothes appeared on the table, and Weiqi leaned back in surprise.

"These are Yingyue's possessions. She had them on her when she disappeared."

Then King Yama grabbed a jade pendant on top of the clothes.

The pendant was made of black and white jadeite, forming a Ying/Yang symbol, and the word fate was delicately carved in the middle.

"She called this "Echoing jade of fate" and spent many years creating it. It is a protective amulet, and I think she would have wanted you to have it."

King Yama said while stroking the pendant.

"She died protecting a village of strangers, and I think she would be unhappy if she could not protect her own descendant." King Yama continued with a melancholic smile.

Weiqi reached and took the amulet. As soon as he touched it, the amulet disappeared, and he felt a warm wave envelop him.

"What is with everything disappearing in this world?" Weiqi exclaimed. He just can't get used to this broken world.

King Yama chuckled. "Yingyue refined the talisman with her Qi and kept it in her soul. Now that the talisman recognized part of Yingyue's Qi in you, it merged with you. Don't worry; the talisman will not hurt you. And a talisman left by Yingyue is a treasure. Now that it merged with you, it can never be lost."

Weiqi touched his chest and said softly, "thank you, Grandma Yue."

 King Yama smiled and then patted Weiqi's shoulder, saying

"You have been here for over a day, and it is time for you to return. It isn't good for a living being to stay too long in the Underworld."

"Am I going to be stuck here if I stay for longer than a day?" Weiqi tucked his legs under him and got up abruptly.

"No," Chuckles King Yama, "But the Underworld tends to block Qi, so it is not beneficial for your body to stay here. Especially after I refined your soul."

The throne hall doors opened, and Heng Taio walked.

"The Underworld does not get involved in human affairs, and since you are a living human, we cannot intervene in your life. However, as a favor to an old friend, I asked Heng Taio to find you a place to stay."

King Yama then touched Weiqi's forehead again. Weiqi was so traumatized by what happened earlier that he fell on his butt as he scrambled back.

King Yama's laughter boomed, reverberating off the hall's walls.

"I am not going to hurt you. I just wanted to contract with you. It is just a small seal that allows us to communicate. Oh, and to help us when we need to subdue a soul."

When Weiqi heard about helping subdue souls, his face paled. He understood what subduing souls meant. King Yama was actually asking him to exorcise ghosts, okay? Weiqi was reluctant.

Observing Weiqi's face, King Yama then amusedly asked. "What, are you unwilling? You don't want to? After everything I helped you with, you won't help me with this tiny favor? Ah, such ingratitude."

Weiqi didn't want to; he really didn't want to. But he could not say that. Because King Yama was right, he really did help him a lot, and now he was about to find him a place to stay.

So Weiqi reluctantly nodded and got up.

Heng Taio was watching from the side, shaking his head, thinking, the Underworld King was willing to contract with a human, and the human, rather than feeling honored, was reluctant.

This boy really is a contradiction. Brave one moment and cowardly the next.

When Weiqi felt King Yama's finger on his forehead, he tensed as he felt a cool sensation.

"Ok, done." Weiqi heard King Yama's voice, and he finally relaxed.

Weiqi showed a small smile, waved, and turned to leave.

He didn't want to stay here much longer; this place was cold and not beneficial for him.

He suffered the purification earlier and did not want to have done that in vain. He would never want to repeat the experience.

"Ah, before you go, leave that here." Said King Yama and pointed to Weiqi's chest.

Weiqi's eye widened, looked down at his chest, then back up at King Yama with wrinkled brows.

"You want to take the amulet back? You just gave it to me."

King Yama chuckled and said, "No, not the amulet. Leave what is inside your shirt."

Weiqi was puzzled as he unzipped his jacket, then reached into the collar of his t-shirt. He then pulled a red string.

His eyes widened like saucers as he stared at the two coins at the end of that red string. How come he never felt that?

King Yama motioned with his hand for Weiqi to bring the coins over.

Weiqi was still surprised as he handed the coins over and watched as King Yama closed his fist tightly and crushed them, turning them into a fine mist.

Then Weiqi's worldview was upended again as he watched three transparent figures slowly appear in front of King Yama.

A man and a woman were tightly protecting a boy in the middle, and they stared warily at King Yama.

"Do not be afraid. Everything is ok, your duty is over, and you can rest now." King Yama said in a relaxed sort of way, his voice calming the three people in the middle.

When the couple relaxed and separated, he could see the figure in the middle. The figure turned his head, and Weiqi noticed that it was a boy who looked familiar, then his mouth slackened.

Isn't this the face I am currently wearing? He thought, furrowing his brow, alarms ringing in his head.

Is this the soul of this body? What if he wants his body back? What happens to me? Do I die?

Weiqi's back was cold, and he kept looking between King Yama and the people, unsure of what was going to happen.

"In your next life, you will all be reincarnated as a family again. I hope you enjoy the love and happiness that eluded you in this life."

When the three heard that, they bowed to King Yama in gratitude and respect.

The boy then turned around and walked toward Weiqi.

Weiqi forced his spine upright and clenched his hands, thinking,

If this boy wants his body back, I'll just give it to him, he thought. It's not even my body, and he died too young. He is indeed more pitiful than me. And then aimed a smile at the boy.

The boy said, " I cannot continue living, so I hope you live for the both of us." Then bowed and added, "Take care of my body, and don't let them bully you."

He smiled sweetly at Weiqi, then turned and ran back to the two adults waiting for him, calling "Mom, Dad."

The three figures were smiling as they were escorted out of the hall.