There was no reason to doubt Wei Huan's abilities, and therefore the friends were not at all surprised to see the destination point mentioned earlier. The small village appeared exactly where Wei Huan had said. But it was completely different from the village, breathing with peace and calmness among the boundless fields of green, which Hao Ning got into, in the beginning of his journey through the Middle World.

That place was gloomy, cold, shrouded in mist, and filled with groans of restless souls. It was lonely, twisted, and endlessly oppressive. Everything there was saturated with grief and mixed with hopelessness.

Hunched spirits, like grim reapers, oblivious to the world around them, cycled through the deserted streets. Destroyed, rotten houses, gaping their mangled wooden mouth-slits, finished the horrific sight. The sound of soaked earth accompanied each step and echoed in the ears with a disgusting squelch. Quiet howls and weeping mixed into a complete cacophony, making it impossible to understand whether the bitterness of living people was heard around the area or that were the creaks of broken boards that roared along with the wind.

This place had absorbed death, as if incarnating the idea of many about how terrible the fate of wandering soul was. This realization caused Hao Ning to look away from the ghost of a very young girl who sat dejectedly, her head down.

– How terrifying, – Wu Zhe Kai expressed the thought that flashed through everyone’s minds. – But now I understand why the energy of this place was practically not palpable. Even though I'm here, I can barely feel it.

Wei Huan glanced up at the sky as the first drops of rain touched his skin.

– Such ghostly villages are not uncommon, – he uttered. – In fact, this is the true face of the Middle World. Dispossessed and frightened souls wait, living through the time allotted to them in the void of despair. Their weak energy keeps them alive and nothing more. A sad fate, but nothing can be done about it.

– Can they be helped? – asked Hao Ning quietly.

– It's their own choice. Someone falls into madness and turns into a defiled spirit. Someone comes to terms with death and accepts new existence. Their fate is in their own hands.

Wei Huan unemotionally looked at the spirits roaming nearby, making sure that there were no demons hiding in the depths of the dark doorways, and led the friends further down the street.

– The rain grows stronger. We have to find the shelter.

No one argued.

The raindrops were cold. Hao Ning covered his face with his palm and continued looking around. He simply could not help but feel compassion for these unfortunate souls. The impossibility of helping them stirred up his sympathetic heart even more.

***

They found an empty house in the very center of the village. It was half-rotten but still retained. Judging by the interior decoration, it could well have served as a tea house, but due to the lack of energy that would maintain the structure in the proper form, only a few elements of the decor hinted at the remnants of the former luxury.

Wei Huan led Hao Ning to the most intact part of the building and helped to sit at a wooden table. The chair creaked but did not fall apart, which was already pleasing. Jin Yu Ming remained at the door on guard while Wu Zhe Kai took care of the herbs, cautiously checking the his medical kit to see if something got wet in the rain.

General Wei shook off a few raindrops from his sleeves and pushed wet bangs back. Watching him, Hao Ning could not help noticing that now the man looked younger.

Although he did not know the age at which Wei Huan died, and could only guess about the quantity years of his current of existence, for some reason, Hao Ning was sure that the strict warrior was not much older than himself.

The young scholar looked at the street again. An impenetrable wall of rain blurred the view, hiding the gloomy shadows of souls tormented by expectation and uncertainty.

– They haven’t gone, – Hao Ning said quietly, touching the edge of the moisture-soaked window with his fingers. – Men, women, old people, and children… they are all standing in there.

– It doesn’t matter to them, – Wei Huan sat down on the opposite side of the young man. – As well as to us. The human needs – to eat well, to drink good wine, to sleep well, to hide from the heat or to shelter from the rain – are nothing for the ghosts.

– So you are saying that you have given up all human needs, Lord Wei?

– True. Previously, they kept me hopeful and the unquenchable flame of life, but then I realized that this was just a mere illusion but no life. Now the coals in me do not even smolder.

– But you never stopped protecting the village and its inhabitants. You wanted them to enjoy the remnants of existence they bestowed until the very end.

– I could not have done otherwise. That village... – the man fell silent, trying to find the right words. – It is a rare treasure in this world. I wanted to protect this beautiful illusion of life. But this decision and act did not give me back the will to live.

Wei Huan said no more, and Hao Ning did not answer. He only scowled at the man for a moment before abruptly rising from his seat and hurriedly walking deeper into the tea house. After some time, there was a crackling and clanking of dishes. The men in the main hall looked at each other in disbelief. Even Jin Yu Ming looked up from his post, becoming interested in what was going on.

Wei Huan leaned his head against his palm with a slight grin when Hao Ning reappeared, carrying several dry pieces of broken wood and a rusty pot found somewhere.

He piled it all in one place, plopping it down on the cold floor. Wu Zhe Kai wanted to say something, but Yu Ming stopped him just in time, squeezing his shoulder with his hand and silently shaking his head.

Hao Ning looked too preoccupied with his idea, and therefore no one said a word against.

Soon the boards were neatly stacked, and the bright flames from a small fire with a characteristic crackling sound exuded heat. Satisfied with the work done, Hao Ning put the flint back into his bag but pulled out several prepared baozi from it.

Wu Zhe Kai, who had been holding back all this time, could no longer remain silent. He approached his friend, squatting down and watching the young man cook.

– What are you doing?

– I want to thank you for your help. That’s why I am preparing the dinner. I’ve made some blanks at Madam Ba's place. She kindly allowed me to use everything I needed.

– How nice of you, Xiao Hao! But… – Wu Zhe Kai tilted his head to the side with an uncertain smile. – Is this the only reason?

Hao Ning did not answer. He silently removed the lid from the cauldron, spearing a muffin on a dry branch and handing it to the healer.

– That's it. Please, enjoy your meal.

Jin Yu Ming was next to receive his portion, and bowed politely. The last one to get his meal was Wei Huan. The man was resting at the table. He occasionally glanced at the youth, then at the incessant rain, but mostly restored his energy.

– Lord Wei, please, eat. I have prepared it for you.

– Thank you, Hao Ning, but you'd better eat it yourself. I stopped eating food a long time ago.

– And how long?

– Long enough to forget the taste of it.

Hao Ning sighed softly, shaking his head, but instead of stepping back, he removed the cooling bun from the end of the branch and placed it in the man's palm. The General, who did not foresee such an action, opened his eyes wide with surprise.

– Hao Ning...

– Please, just give it a try.

– I am a ghost and...

– You don't need food. I know. Me too, the youth smiled, clasping his hands behind his back and leaning forward slightly in anticipation. – But make an exception. I beg thee.

Wei Huan frowned, not understanding what exactly this annoying boy was trying to achieve, but the youth's eyes were blazing with such excitement and honesty that he did not find the strength to refuse him once again.

– Just one bite, please.

– Ok, only one.

Hao Ning quickly nodded.

Wei Huan didn't believe him at all. These cultivators from the Temple of The Ten were truly unpredictable individuals — especially those who were the Scholars of Harmony.

The general lifted the bun to the level of his eyes, looking at the steam rising from it. The soft dough felt pleasant under the fingers, and hidden inside was an amazing aroma of fried vegetables, meat, and spices. Wei Huan didn't feel hungry, but for some reason, that airy texture beckoned to taste it with just one small bite. The man did just that.

Fragrant meat juice welled out on the tip of the tongue, saturating not only the body but also the memories carefully erased from memory. This simple meal, just one piece of it, recalled the faces of long-gone friends, their childish tales and loud weaves of laughter; warm snacks at the crackling fire before the next significant battle, incomparable homemade dishes. This piece of food, filled with sincere effort, gave Wei Huan painful feelings similar to those he experienced a long time ago when he was alive.

His own low voice, asking a question, sounded alien to him.

– Why did you give me this?

Hao Ning took his seat in front of the man and calmly explained:

– You said that the decision to protect did not return you the will to live. It seemed to me that with these words, you only deceive yourself. You still want to feel and live, you just... secluded yourself from such thoughts. I don't know why did you... lose the will to keep on fighting, but your desire to protect still gave away your true feelings, – Hao Ning pointed to the bun in the general's hands. – Just as you have tasted food, you can rekindle the fire of life within your heart. We will not return to mortal existence, yes. But this does not mean that we should not cherish the time allotted to us here, in the world beyond. We are still here. We exist. We live. Isn't that the most important?

The young man smiled slightly, lowering his gaze and squeezing the fabric of his trousers with his fingers. His words probably sounded arrogant and unceremonious because he came to the Middle World quite recently and knew little about it, but he did not want to see Wei Huan's blank loo. He didn't want to see the man slowly turning into a restless spirit, similar to those Hao Ning saw in this village.

The general kept silence, and that was frightening, but Hao Ning still decided to raise a wary look. He expected to see anything but not Wei Huan calmly eating his baozi.

When felt a stunned look, the man glanced slightly toward Hao Ning.

– Tasty, – he uttered.

Hao Ning's blossoming smile was comparable to a bright ray of sunlight breaking through a veil of dense clouds to illuminate the earth and bestow warmth on those in need.

– Oh... you are welcome! I'll cook some more.

The young man jumped up, hastening to throw dry branches into the blazing fire. His undisguised enthusiasm caused Wei Huan to discreetly touch his chest at the heart area.

Nothing had changed, the beating was still not felt in the spiritual shell, but today, for the first time in a long while, it seemed to the man that he finally remembered how measured and unshakable its throbs had once been.