When the other shore lilies bloom, old friends return.

Obsidian stared at Yanluo in disbelief; once again, this icy-faced man had shattered his understanding of the world. Yanluo cast a sideways glance at his son, who was snuggling and sobbing in Obsidian’s arms, and spoke coldly, “Get down.”

Yan Nianqing pouted and shot a dissatisfied glare at his father, then buried his head in Obsidian’s neck. “No, I won’t.” Mother’s back—why should I listen to you now? Yan Nianqing’s entire body radiated resistance.

Obsidian looked helplessly at the little one in his arms. Though chubby, he wasn’t actually very heavy and was easy enough to carry. Seeing Yanluo about to speak again, Obsidian worried the man might frighten the child and quickly intervened, “Alright now, how can an adult argue with a child? Weren’t you planning on taking me back? Let’s be on our way. I imagine you have plenty to attend to.”

Yan Nianqing contentedly clung to Obsidian, refusing to let go. Mother was, as always, on his side. When Obsidian wasn’t watching, Yan Nianqing mischievously stuck out his tongue at Yanluo; seeing his father’s odd expression, he hummed with satisfaction.

Obsidian, carrying Yan Nianqing, saw Yanluo unmoving and had to ask the child for help. “Little one, do you know how to get back?”

Yan Nianqing immediately lifted his tear-stained face, sniffing, “Little one? Mother used to call me Little Qing, why is it different now? Sob… has Mother stopped loving me? Or did that old man bully Mother? Tell me, Mother, I’ll get justice for you.”

Old… old man? Obsidian couldn’t help but laugh at Yan Nianqing’s antics; the tension of recent days eased considerably. It must be that the child dearly missed his “mother”—or perhaps he truly resembled her. The little one was simply clinging to him out of longing. Thinking this, Obsidian’s gaze grew tender as he looked at Yan Nianqing. “Alright, as you wish. Little Qing, which way should we go?”

Yan Nianqing pointed out a direction at once. Obsidian, smiling, kissed the chubby cheek. “Good boy.”

Yan Nianqing’s face instantly flushed like a boiled shrimp, and he buried his head deeper into Obsidian’s chest.

Yanluo’s already peculiar expression darkened even further at the sight. This mischievous brat.

Obsidian and Yanluo walked one after the other. The further they went, the more Obsidian felt a strange redness creeping into his vision. Soon, he understood the cause.

The heavens were awash in a blood-red hue, and so were the flower buds by the shore—red, even deeper than the sky’s color.

Obsidian held Yan Nianqing closer and asked, “Little Qing, why is everything here so…”

Yan Nianqing pouted, unhappy, “What do you mean, everything here? Mother’s become so distant from me since coming back. It wasn’t like this before, but ever since Mother disappeared, it’s been this way.” Strange, very strange; Father must be hiding something. How did Mother become like this? Her manners are so polite and distant.

Obsidian gently rubbed Yan Nianqing’s head in comfort and said no more. Since arriving here, his questions had multiplied endlessly. Everything seemed to involve him, yet at the same time had little to do with him; he felt lost, as though wandering in the heart of a fog, unable to find a way out.

“Ding-ling, ding-ling, ding-ling…” The sound of bells rang again.

Yan Nianqing looked at the bells, which had started ringing on their own, in frustration. “What’s going on? They’re not obeying anymore, Mother, please help me check…”

Obsidian, still carrying him, walked straight into the sea of flowers. Yan Nianqing panicked at the sight of his mother’s vacant eyes. “Mother! Mother, wake up! Don’t walk that way! Mother!”

He turned in haste toward Yanluo. “Father, Mother—”

Yanluo, who had been ten paces behind, appeared instantly at Obsidian’s side. “Don’t panic.”

Yan Nianqing bit his lip and nodded. The three walked together into the heart of the flower sea. Only when they reached the center did Obsidian stop. He gently set Yan Nianqing down; the buds began to sway, as if sensing something.

Fragments of memory flickered hazily through Obsidian’s mind, gone before he could grasp them. Words spilled out uncontrollably. He gazed at the sea of flowers and said, “I will keep the promise made that day.”

A strange wind swept by. One flower, two, three…

The flowers of the Other Shore bloomed. It was an indescribable feeling. Yanluo smiled bitterly: at last, you have returned, you have finally come back.

In an instant, thousands of blossoms opened. Yan Nianqing was utterly astonished by the sight—was this Mother’s power? Even the Other Shore submits willingly. Someday, someday, he too would be like Mother!

At the heart of the flower sea, as the blossoms opened, something slowly rose. Yanluo focused his gaze—Soul-Seeking Tassel? The missing Soul-Seeking Tassel had been hidden here all along.

The tassel circled Obsidian playfully, and when ignored, quietly tied itself to his waist.

In his haze, Obsidian felt truly exhausted. When had he grown so frail, fainting day and night? Was he unaccustomed to the land?

Yanluo caught Obsidian steadily, and in the blink of an eye, they were back in the room. Who knew what Obsidian would think if he saw this scene? Yan Nianqing, who had appeared four or five years old before, now looked like a youth of fourteen or fifteen. His slightly matured features, the shape of his eyes and brows, bore traces of both Obsidian and Yanluo. His face was filled with worry. “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Yanluo tucked Obsidian under the blanket. “His soul is unstable; he pushed himself too hard just now.”

Yan Nianqing frowned, his expression mirroring Yanluo’s. “How could that be?”

“His soul is still incomplete.” Yanluo thought: he should have noticed sooner; with his abilities, he wouldn’t have been deceived by mere wild nightmares.

“What will happen then?” Yan Nianqing asked anxiously.

“He’ll lose all powers, his memory will fade. Right now, he’s no different from an ordinary person.” Before Yanluo could answer, Ghost Lantern spoke up, as elusive as ever.

Yan Nianqing’s face turned pale; his mother, his mother didn’t remember him? No wonder, no wonder she was so distant.

Yanluo said, “The flowers have bloomed.”

Ghost Lantern replied calmly, “I know.”

…

At the sea of Other Shore flowers, Dizou gazed nostalgically upon the once-glorious sight. “At last, you have returned. Dizou has fulfilled his charge!”

The cycles of karma swirl in the world—may your return dissolve all disasters and save the lives of the Five Realms. Thus, may Dizou’s own debts be settled.

The Seventeenth Layer of Hell.

“Heh heh heh heh, returned, heh heh heh heh, finally returned! My lord is wise and holy, for all eternity, my lord is wise and holy, for all eternity!” A figure bound in chains of thousand-year ice shouted in excitement.

Wonderful, truly wonderful—his preparations, his waiting, all had paid off. A flash of red gleamed in his eyes, and with a clatter, the chains shattered. “Master, wait for me!”

The patrolling constable trembled in terror at the escaped prisoner, and managed to shout his last words before his life ended: “Bad news! There’s a jailbreak! Someone broke out!”

“Heh heh heh, so noisy!”

“Aaah!”