Grandpa Hui’s face broke into a kind smile. "You truly look so much like him!"
Before Yu Daofen could speak, Grandpa Hui walked out the door and instructed Fifth Master Hui, "Take good care of that fellow!"
Fifth Master Hui nodded respectfully. "As you command, Old Master."
Grandpa Hui nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Ma Shenyue and the immortal on her shoulder. "I will give you two choices."
"First, to be suppressed in the Hui family ancestral hall for three hundred years."
"Second, to cripple your own cultivation, but without damaging your foundation, and from this moment forth, you will no longer be a Hui family immortal."
"Which do you choose?"
Grandpa Hui's tone was devoid of any emotion, and his once kind face was now etched with extreme seriousness.
The immortals standing nearby were all taken aback by the Old Master's decision.
Unauthorized use of Glazed Fire was a capital offense, punishable by utter annihilation.
The so-called Glazed Fire was the bridge connecting an immortal and its possessed disciple.
Once the Glazed Fire was taken, the immortal and its disciple would completely lose their medium of possession.
This immortal had privately misappropriated the Glazed Fire to heal Ma Shenyue's critically ill mother.
However, regardless of the reason, the unauthorized use of Glazed Fire invariably led to utter annihilation, without exception.
Grandpa Hui was clearly offering this descendant a way to live.
Though they couldn't understand it, they were powerless to intervene.
Not a single immortal dared to speak.
Grandpa Hui represented the Hui family; the Hui family did not represent Grandpa Hui.
Ma Shenyue had intended to plead for mercy, but she saw the immortal on her shoulder speak, "Little girl, don't displease Old Master Hui. Being spared a life is already Old Master Hui's grace."
Hearing this, Ma Shenyue could only fall silent.
The immortal on Ma Shenyue's shoulder then turned to Grandpa Hui and said respectfully, "Thank you, Old Master Hui, for sparing my life. This junior chooses the second option."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Hui's expression shifted slightly, and he asked with a hint of confusion, "Cultivation is not easily attained. Why choose the second option?"
Logically, the first option was the best choice.
After all, three hundred years, though long, would be but a fleeting moment to an immortal.
It took the intelligence of one in ten thousand animals to embark on the path of cultivation, and only one in less than a hundred thousand.
To reach the level of a demon was a rarity of one in a million.
The improbability was immense.
Yet, this junior was willing to cripple his own cultivation and start anew.
To cripple one's cultivation was equivalent to becoming an ordinary animal with nascent intelligence.
Whether it could embark on the path of cultivation again was unknown.
This was something all immortals feared.
Seeing Grandpa Hui's question, the immortal replied respectfully, "Returning to Old Master, this junior has always cherished freedom. If I were to be suppressed for three hundred years, I would rather cripple my cultivation."
Ma Shenyue looked worried. "Master Hua, please don't joke. Being suppressed for three hundred years is nothing compared to crippling your cultivation."
The immortal on her shoulder shook his head, a smile on his face. "Little girl, you know Master Hua is used to a free and unrestrained life. I dislike being confined."
Grandpa Hui nodded with satisfaction, admiringly. "You have backbone, young man. Are you certain you choose the second option?"
The immortal on Ma Shenyue's shoulder nodded, confirming, "This junior has decided. I choose the second option!"
"Good."
Grandpa Hui nodded.
Lord Hua then leaped from Ma Shenyue's shoulder and transformed into a rat about a meter tall.
Grandpa Hui spoke, "Young man, after receiving this palm strike from me, you will no longer be a Hui family immortal. Tread carefully on your path of cultivation."
Lord Hua nodded, cupped his fists in salute, and spoke human words, "Many thanks, Old Master!"
Grandpa Hui nodded slightly, then raised his hand and unleashed a palm strike.
A palm print instantly struck Lord Hua's chest.
He staggered back two steps, seemingly unharmed.
However, the yellow gas seeping from his body indicated that his cultivation was rapidly draining.
Before the cultivation completely dissipated, Lord Hua turned to the surrounding immortals, cupped his fists in salute, and said, "Thank you, esteemed seniors, for your care over the past two hundred years. This junior expresses his gratitude."
Sixth Master Hui shook his head helplessly and admonished, "Young man, be careful on your future path of cultivation. Don't bring shame to our Hui family."
Lord Hua nodded, cupped his fists in salute, "This junior will certainly not bring shame to Sixth Master."
Sixth Master Hui nodded, also sighing with resignation.
In truth, this young fellow was a direct descendant of his lineage.
But having tampered with the Glazed Fire, not only him, but even Sixth Master Hui himself would have been annihilated.
Just as his cultivation was about to vanish completely, the assembled immortals cupped their fists in salute, speaking in unison.
"Farewell, Lord Hua! May your path of cultivation be victorious!"
As the blessings concluded, Lord Hua's body rapidly shrank, finally becoming a rat the size of an ordinary rodent with a severed arm, its eyes losing their luster.
At this moment, he was an ordinary rat, and moreover, one with a severed arm.
Yu Daofen, watching from the doorway, could only let out a helpless cough.
This was the way of the Northeast spirit mediums, where grievances were settled with a smile.
One moment they were adversaries, and the next, all the immortals were offering him blessings.
In this regard, humans truly fell short of animals.
However, Grandpa Hui's actions were the greatest concession he could make.
After all, being alive represented hope.
Everything was possible through human effort.
But the prerequisite was to be alive.
For all great deeds could only be accomplished while one was still alive.
Ma Shenyue cradled Lord Hua in her hands, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master Hua, you will forever be my family's guardian spirit. I will do everything in my power to help you return to the path of cultivation."
Grandpa Hui looked at Ma Shenyue, his somber expression having long since vanished. He said, "Little girl, with you as his possessed disciple, his life has not been in vain."
Just then, Zhou Fu was brought over by two immortals.
Seeing that Zhou Fu was unharmed, Yu Daofen breathed a sigh of relief.
Yu Daofen and Ma Shenyue both approached Zhou Fu.
Upon seeing Yu Daofen, Zhou Fu was slightly surprised. "Master!"
Yu Daofen smiled faintly, patting the young man's head. "Silly boy, are you alright?"
Zhou Fu shook his head, a simple, honest smile on his face. "I'm fine, Master."
Yu Daofen nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "You, boy. You only ask for your master's help when you can't solve something yourself, don't you?"
Zhou Fu shook his head, a smile on his face. "No, I just didn't want to trouble you, Master."
Yu Daofen sighed with resignation. "Alright, let's drop this. What do you plan to do next?"
Zhou Fu then looked at Ma Shenyue beside him and smiled. "For the rest of my life, I plan to be with her!"
Their eyes met, and they gazed at each other with deep affection.
Ma Shenyue looked at Lord Hua in her hands and said, "I plan to help Master Hua recover his true form first!"
Zhou Fu's face softened into a gentle smile, and he said tenderly, "Whatever you want to do, I will accompany you!"