Rain drizzled relentlessly from the sky as Zachary Justice quietly moved corpses, working in silence. His two disciples helped in the rain, and most of the bodies had already been loaded onto the truck.
The county town was completely deserted. Once bustling with life, it had emptied out days ago after the prison incident with Lenny Lee. All the decent people had fled, leaving mostly members of the Immortality Society behind.
Corpses lay everywhere, most of them belonging to the Immortality Society. Elder Peach joined in, helping to move the bodies.
"Master, how long are the four of us going to keep doing this? Why not call the ghosts to help?"
Zhang Anle muttered under his breath, prompting Zachary Justice to turn immediately, looking at Zhang Anle with displeasure.
"Anle, what has your master told you?"
"The dead must be buried to rest in peace. I get it, I'll keep working, okay?"
Elder Peach watched as Zachary Justice loaded even the corpses of Immortality Society members onto the truck.
"Master, didn’t you say these people weren’t worthy of being called human? Why are you still—"
"They weren’t worthy in life, but in death, they’re just rotting flesh. No matter what, they’re still human remains. After death, they’re still people. Hurry up—night’s coming soon, and this might take days!"
After repeated trips, by nightfall, some of the corpses had been simply buried. Master Zachary Wu had been digging graves at the mass burial ground, now so exhausted he could barely move, unable even to eat.
Although Zhang Anle was tired, he perked up at the sight of food.
"Eat something."
Zachary Justice carried a bowl of hot porridge to Elder Peach, but Elder Peach shook his head, uninterested in eating. He was keenly aware that his actions today mirrored those of the past, unable to trust or even believe in himself. At this moment, he kept pondering Zachary Justice’s words: What is the true limit of being human?
"What are your plans next?"
Zachary Justice asked, and Elder Peach shook his head.
"How about I give you a suggestion?"
Elder Peach turned and nodded slightly.
Just trust your master for once. Follow his last wishes. Don’t think about anything else. A year from now, come find me at Clearview Mountain. Then you can decide what to do next.
Elder Peach gave a quiet "Mm" and nodded.
A whole week passed before the four of them managed to bury all the corpses. Afterward, Elder Peach prepared to leave.
"Thank you, Zachary Justice. If you hadn’t been here during this time..."
"Don’t mention it. Don’t think about anything. Just do as your master said. Remember, come find me in a year."
Elder Peach bowed deeply, then turned to leave. Every few steps, he looked back, his eyes full of emotion. He had decided to do as Zachary Justice said.
To honor his master Elder Peter Pine’s final wishes, Elder Peach began his journey. In just a few short months, he traveled through many places, searching for a disciple worthy to inherit the teachings. He thought of nothing else, living each day wandering, eating whatever he could find, sleeping wherever he could.
For Elder Peach, none of this mattered anymore. He understood his own life clearly—though he still had more than nine years left, those years would soon pass, and then he’d step into death. Whenever he thought of death, he found it impossible to sit still. Only the teachings of Zachary Justice remained etched in his heart.
A year passed quickly. As promised, Elder Peach arrived at Clearview Mountain, a beautiful peak admired by many below for being home to Zachary Justice.
As Elder Peach walked up the mountain path, his steps, once heavy, grew lighter. Inside, he was filled with joy—he couldn’t wait to see Zachary Justice.
Gradually, he saw a Taoist temple, three humble little tile-roofed houses, and vegetable fields outside. Everything was tidy and clean.
"Senior brother, my stomach’s not feeling well today. I’ll leave the rest to you."
Zhang Anle tossed aside his broom and was about to leave, having only swept half the fallen leaves. Master Zachary Wu grabbed him by the arm.
"Junior brother, your stomach hurts? Let me take a look. I’ll give it a good massage."
Zhang Anle quickly slipped away from Master Zachary Wu and ran off, but Master Zachary Wu soon caught up. The two started a playful chase, one grabbing, one dodging, almost like a game.
"Ha ha, you haven’t changed at all."
Bright, cheerful laughter rang out, catching the attention of both disciples. Zhang Anle immediately turned and ran off again.
"Master, Elder Peach from the previous generation is here."
Master Zachary Wu walked over, now taller and stronger than before. Zhang Anle was the same. Elder Peach smiled gently and walked over at a relaxed pace.
Inside the temple, Zachary Justice rose from meditation and walked out with a gentle smile.
"I’ve heard a lot about you lately, Master Zhiqing. You’ve only just returned, haven’t you?"
Zachary Justice gestured for Elder Peach to join him at the small rattan table outside, sending the two disciples off to make tea.
"So, how was your year?"
Elder Peach shook his head.
"Still the same, Master Zhiqing. I’ve never found anyone suitable to inherit our teachings. Maybe I never will."
"You never know."
Zachary Justice could tell Elder Peach’s mind was troubled. Elder Peach immediately stood up and bowed deeply.
"Of course nothing escapes Master Zhiqing. I did find someone suitable, but he’s from a wealthy family. I once visited, but was sent away. For some reason, I can never do things the way I wish."
"Maybe you just don’t want to follow your master’s last wishes! Ha, it’s fine, stay a few days."
For several days, Elder Peach talked with Zachary Justice every day, mostly about things he’d seen and heard on his journey. He never spoke about himself, and Zachary Justice never asked.
On the seventh day, Elder Peach prepared to leave. The Taoist Grand Assembly was about to begin.
"Master Zhiqing, are you really not going?"
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Elder Peach asked, and Zachary Justice waved his hand.
"There’s nothing left to say to those people. They only care about their own cultivation, never about anything beyond themselves. I won’t go, and I doubt they want me there anyway."
Elder Peach then prepared to leave.
"Don’t think about anything. Just do as your master wished. Next year, I’ll still be here waiting for you."
Elder Peach paused, staring at everything before him. He didn’t dare look back, afraid those eyes, bright as the sun, would burn him. He trembled slightly and nodded, his emotions barely contained.
"I’ll remember what Master Zhiqing said. Thank you."
A month later, Elder Peach arrived at the site of the Taoist Grand Assembly. The faces were mostly unfamiliar, new disciples for the most part. Yet he noticed something strange—many were discussing Zachary Justice, and the newcomers looked at him with awe, just as he had the first time he saw Zachary Justice.
Yet Zachary Justice hadn’t attended the Grand Assembly for days, and without him, something seemed missing. Many felt it keenly.
"Elder Peach, forgive me for being abrupt, but I want to ask—has Master Zhiqing been around lately? Someone said they saw you with him before."
The one asking was Wandering Sage Yu. Elder Peach nodded.
"Very well."
Afterward, Elder Peach kept getting questions about Zachary Justice. Many asked, even about his current situation—something Elder Peach had never seen before. In the past, no one cared about Zachary Justice; when they mentioned him, it was always with pride. Now, because of his reputation, the Temple of Justice was spoken of everywhere, but no one mentioned the Immortality Society.
It was as if he was just passing through. When the Grand Assembly ended, Elder Peach left in silence.
Another year passed. Elder Peach returned to Clearview Mountain. The familiar faces and words were still there, reminding him to continue following his master’s last wishes.
This time, Elder Peach felt oppressed. He stayed for three days, then left again, resuming his search. The weight of finding a successor pressed on him like a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe.
Then, a powerful new sect appeared: Ghost Sect. They were pure ghost-servants, trading and exploiting ghosts for profit in the living world.
Naturally, such practices were frowned upon by Taoists. Still, this group didn’t seem ambitious or aggressive. They never clashed with the spiritual world or ghost sovereigns, always keeping to themselves.
At the start of the third year, Elder Peach returned again to Clearview Mountain.
"So, how was this year?"
Elder Peach, looking defeated and despondent, shook his head.
"It’s no use, Master Zhiqing. I still can’t get past this obstacle."
"Your lifespan is almost at its end, only seven years left. Do you mean to keep running away like this?"
Elder Peach lowered his head, silent.
"This year, try a different approach. Elder Peach, you must find a successor within your limited time."
Zachary Justice’s words stunned Elder Peach. All the repressed questions in his heart seemed to explode at once, and his face grew anxious.
"Do you remember what I told you before? The limit of being human—I’ve already surpassed it. Maybe I’ll die soon, but I won’t truly die."
Elder Peach watched Zachary Justice, his eyes full of emotion. Zachary Justice smiled, gesturing toward the two disciples still playing nearby.
"Everything I have will be passed down to them, for good or ill. As their master, the last thing I can do is stay with them—until the day I die."
For a moment, Elder Peach thought of his own master, Elder Peter Pine. Back then, Elder Peter Pine knew his own end was near, so he always kept Elder Peach close, no matter where he went.
"Right or wrong, you should do what you must. When the limit of being human arrives, maybe you’ll finally understand."
I’ve finally woken up. My memories end here. Elder Peach looked at me with a sorrowful gaze.
Only now do I finally understand the true meaning of Master Zhiqing’s words. I am a coward, a failure, and I’ve been running away for a long time. But now, this is my limit—the limit of being human, Ethan Zhang.