After weeks of aimless walking, Li Yuan felt a strange longing for something he hadn't had in three hundred and eighty years: a permanent place to live.
It wasn't because his consciousness body needed shelter, but because something in his human soul yearned for the feeling of having a place in the world. An address. A home to return to.
A small town called Hexin appeared before him in the afternoon, with a name that sounded soothing. "Harmonious Heart." The sign at the town's entrance was a bit weathered, but the writing was still clearly legible.
Li Yuan paused at the gate, sensing the atmosphere. Not too big, not too small. Crowded enough for him to blend in without standing out, but small enough to get to know the faces in it.
"This is the place," he murmured softly.
Before entering the town, Li Yuan sat under a large tree by the roadside. He closed his eyes and focused on his Zhenjing. The fourteen understandings vibrated in harmony, each emitting a subtle but strong resonance.
To live as an ordinary human, he needed to wrap most of his understandings.
Li Yuan felt the Understanding of Wrapping move like a gentle hand, gathering the other thirteen understandings—Water, Doubt, Existence, Breath, Sky, Loss, Silence, Fear, Soul, Chaos Qi, Chaos, and Memories—into a single point within his consciousness body.
In his stomach, to be exact.
One by one, the understandings coiled like neatly wound threads, forming a warm, solid ball of light. Not gone, just... stored. Ready to be used at any time, but no longer radiating outwards passively.
But he let three understandings remain active: Body, Existence, and the Wrapping itself.
The Understanding of Body was needed to maintain his physical projection and provide realistic sensations. The Understanding of Existence made him feel "real" to others. And the Understanding of Wrapping protected it all.
Li Yuan opened his eyes and felt the difference. The three-meter radius of his Ganjing was almost gone. He was still Li Yuan, but now he was more like... an ordinary human who happened to have a deep wisdom neatly stored away.
"Li Qingshan," he said to himself, solidifying his new identity.
Li Yuan—now truly Li Qingshan—entered Hexin with a light step. The streets were dusty with simple houses on either side. A few residents passed him, nodding politely without undue suspicion.
In the town center, he saw a bulletin board with various papers pinned to it. Job openings, items for sale, and what he was looking for: a house for rent.
"Small house for rent. Two rooms, backyard. Contact Chen Daming, Harmony Street number 7."
Li Yuan smiled. Harmony Street. A fitting name.
Chen Daming's house wasn't hard to find. It was a simple house with a small garden in front, where a middle-aged man was watering tomato plants.
"Good afternoon, Sir," Li Yuan greeted. "I'm looking for Mr. Chen Daming."
The man turned, stopping his activity. "That's me. Can I help you?"
"I'm interested in the house you're renting."
Chen Daming looked at him from head to toe, not with suspicion but with the normal appraisal of a landlord. "Where are you from, Mr....?"
"Li Qingshan. I've... just decided to settle down after a long journey."
"Ah, a wanderer." Chen Daming nodded with understanding. "It's about time to settle down, isn't it? Follow me, I'll show you the house."
They walked to the back of the main house, where a separate small building stood. Simple but well-maintained. One bedroom, a small living room, a simple kitchen, and a backyard big enough to sit in the afternoon.
"Thirty silver coins a month," Chen Daming said. "Including water from the well. Electricity from your own oil lamp."
Li Yuan walked around the small house, feeling... something. Not a spiritual resonance or a cosmic sign. Just the simple feeling that this was the right place. A place where Li Qingshan could live as an ordinary human.
"I'll take it," he said without hesitation.
Chen Daming looked a little surprised by the quick decision. "Don't you want to think about it? Look at other places?"
"No need. This is perfect."
"Alright then." Chen Daming smiled. "First month's rent upfront, plus a deposit. And... welcome to Hexin, Mr. Li."
Li Yuan took coins from a small pouch he carried—money he had earned by selling a few simple pieces of jewelry he created using his Understanding of Body. His hands didn't tremble, there was no doubt.
For the first time in two hundred and eighty years as a pure soul, Li Yuan had a permanent address.
That night, Li Yuan sat in the backyard of his small house, staring at the stars. The house was empty behind him, with no furniture other than a simple mat he bought from a merchant at the market.
But there was something special about this moment. Not because of a spiritual achievement or a new understanding. Rather, because, for the first time in centuries, he had a place to return to.
A door he could close. A yard he could call his own. An address he could give if anyone asked where he lived.
Li Yuan felt the warm ball in his stomach—the thirteen understandings neatly wrapped, still there but not interfering. The Understanding of Body vibrated softly, helping him feel a pleasant exhaustion after a productive day.
An interesting side effect: his consciousness body could now feel "tired" and "refreshed" like a real human body. The Understanding of Body even helped him recover from fatigue faster, like a very healthy body.
"Tomorrow," he mumbled with a yawn—a new and interesting sensation, "I will start living as Li Qingshan."
He went into his small house, lay down on the mat, and for the first time, slept in his own home.
The dream that came was simple: he dreamt he was sweeping the yard, watering plants, and greeting neighbors.
A dream about a normal life.
A beautiful dream.