"When can we finally leave?"
Entity 001 in the car had woken up again. The sky was dim, the sun had already set, and there were almost no cars left on the road. This highway, which ended at Universal Temple, was still about thirty kilometers from the fork leading back to the city.
"I'm hungry. There's a rest stop ahead. Let's get burgers there."
Agent Seven said this, and I smiled helplessly and replied.
"Just a little longer."
Before my eyes, a white tree had already grown, its trunk enclosing the black humanoid form of the Law of Karma. My current method was to let the Law of Karma settle completely, then gradually wrap it from the outside with my own power, sealing it tightly with my innate abilities. It couldn't be rushed—only done slowly.
From what I know about the Law of Karma, this thing can't be forced or bargained with. No matter what you do, it will always find a way to consume your body from the inside out.
I glanced at my left hand. Two fingers had already been sacrificed, and I hadn't even noticed at first—maybe because my mind was occupied with other things. As soon as the Law of Karma senses even a trace of power, it grows more violent, devouring faster. The more you resist, the stronger it gets.
It's like chasing the sun or the moon—no matter how hard you try, you can never catch up. So the only way is to slowly soothe the Law of Karma with your power, working from the outside, layering your strength like bricks in a wall, building a seal. At the final moment, you tighten it all at once, giving the Law of Karma no time to react, locking it down. This way, its power stays at its initial level and doesn't grow.
Once all the preparations are done, all that's left is to wait—for the Law of Karma to fade away naturally. The only one I've ever seen overcome the Law of Karma is Old Cat, the leader of the Nether Syndicate; everyone else is still trapped in their own karma.
I still remember how, in the past, Zhang Qingyuan tried to escape Ouyang Meng's entanglement by seeking help from Aunt Zinian of the Nether Syndicate. She defied the Law of Karma and was ultimately consumed by it, dying in the end. But at the moment of her death, she fell into the Nether Pit—a place built by Old Cat, whose purpose remains unknown, and is the only place in this world that can evade the Law of Karma. Perhaps he built it for himself.
Later, we saw Aunt Zinian in the Nether Pit once more. That time, Zhang Qingyuan used John Chou's Bloodbane Power to destroy the Nether Pit, but I know for sure that there are more than just one or two such places—there must be many, to welcome the dead of the Nether Syndicate.
A sudden snap startled me—I had lost focus for a moment, and one of the filaments of power wrapping the outside broke. Instantly, the Law of Karma inside made a noise. I quickly closed my eyes and carefully reinforced the wrapping with my power.
Any slip, no matter how small, would make my strategy fail. It was getting later and later, and I could hear Entity 001's stomach growling in the car behind me.
"Are you done yet? I'm starving."
I smiled and continued.
"Just a little more."
But Agent Seven seemed to know something. He looked around, left and right.
"The road isn't too far. I'll run ahead. I remember there's a small village by the roadside near the intersection—we should be able to find something to eat there."
I looked at Agent Seven helplessly. It was nearly thirty kilometers one way, and at least fifty kilometers round trip. There were no cars on the highway now, and the road wasn't too winding—a round trip would take at most fifty minutes.
The car started up. Entity 001 still had to stay here, but I didn't want anything to happen during this time, because the problem at hand was even trickier. The reason I left 001 behind was the fear that someone might try to snatch her away.
While the Earthly Soul is absent, 001's daily needs are all under my supervision. I can't afford to be careless, because there really are some unidentified people trying to approach 001. But they seem to know about my presence, so they haven't acted rashly.
Even here at Universal Temple, after I received word from the Earthly Soul, I arrived in less than half an hour. Agent Seven came later. I sensed someone watching 001—it's been happening for days. I didn't want to alert them, so I did nothing. If it were up to the Earthly Soul, those people would probably be dead by now. I have no interest in killing.
I thought about our current speed—it would probably take another four or five hours, meaning we'd arrive after midnight. 001 already seemed desperate from hunger, angrily kicking stones before sitting down on the ground.
"When will it be ready, Heavenly Soul? I'm starving."
All I could do was smile awkwardly and helplessly.
Gradually, 001 fell asleep again, lying on the dry grass. I finally breathed a little easier. Everything was stable now—if I just followed the method, I could completely lock down the Law of Karma.
Karma is different for everyone, but never quite the same. The Buddhist sect is especially concerned with karma; they believe nothing should be forced, and maybe they have better ways of dealing with it.
But after thinking it over carefully, it seemed pointless. I didn't plan to contact them. I smiled to myself—Howard Zhang is a good example. When I arrived at Universal Temple, I went up the mountain and watched him from afar. He was already better; his Karmic Affliction was almost gone.
Karmic Affliction, as a form of the Law of Karma, is something every Buddhist must face. Only when karma cycles normally can it be overcome. He seemed just the same as before—not much had changed.
The reason I checked on Howard Zhang was because Zhang Qingyuan's memories showed deep concern for his cousin, hoping he'd live out the rest of his life peacefully. Most of the happy childhood memories were thanks to Howard Zhang.
(Irrelevant passage about continuing to the next page—skipped as per guidelines.)
Right now, what worries me most is Zhang Qingyuan in the illusion—he might be facing the same situation. Next is the Earthly Soul; he probably doesn't know how to handle the Law of Karma, but he should be clear-headed. The Earthly Soul is the only one I can reach, so I just hope to find a way to contact him soon. I don't know where he is now, but I feel he's no longer in either realm.
But maybe he'll find another way. I glanced at the highway—there's someone in Universal Temple who might have already escaped karma, but I'm not sure. Brother Owen, that monk, died years ago when his Karmic Affliction erupted. He became a ghost, normalizing his karma, but thinking about it, he might have to face his Karmic Affliction again.
Using pure power to achieve reincarnation is already a violation of karma. Because of his reincarnation, someone who was supposed to be reborn died instead.
I truly detest people like him. His actions are even worse than those of the Immortality Society—their evil is out in the open, but his is hidden deep inside.
The car engine sounded—Agent Seven had returned. As soon as he rolled down the window, the aroma drifted out. 001, who had been sleeping, woke up instantly and rushed over.
After they'd eaten their fill, 001 went back to sleep, while Agent Seven kept watch over me. Time ticked by, and at last, I was nearly done.
Now, only a single bright white tree stood before me. The black humanoid form of the Law of Karma had completely vanished.
"It's finally over."
With a thought, the entire white tree instantly turned into flowing light and merged into my body. I finally breathed a sigh of relief—my instincts would handle the next part of the work.
"We can go now. You must be tired—want me to drive?"
Agent Seven looked at me in surprise.
"You know how to drive?"
I smiled and nodded.
"I've never done it myself, but I've seen it many times—I've memorized everything."
Agent Seven still looked a little uneasy, so he sat in the passenger seat. 001 was sound asleep in the back.
The car started and quickly sped down the highway, running smoothly. Agent Seven spoke in surprise.
"You really are a genius."
I smiled and shook my head.