Every full moon, during a new cycle, I would suffer excruciating pain as my ginseng spirit and human body clashed violently. This agony lasted three days and three nights, each time worse than the last.
I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I sought help from a healer in the next village. But the medicine they prescribed only alleviated my symptoms for half a month. Every full moon, I had no choice but to endure this torment again.
It wasn’t just pain—it was despair. After thousands of reincarnations, countless attempts at survival, betrayals, and deaths, I thought I had already endured the worst fate. But now…
Every full moon, the new body I inhabited would sprout leaves. During those moments, the scar near my heart revealed its horrifying secret: the mark of a ginseng spirit spanning nearly eighty years.
The pain was unbearable.
Those tiny sprouts seemed to absorb all my energy, feeding on it, transforming it into vitality for themselves. Except for that scar, the rest of my body was left frail and lifeless.
I finally realized something: my new life would be worse than death itself.
By the fourth full moon, I endured another three days and three nights of torment. Lying pale and weak on the grass, reflecting on my miserable existence, I suddenly heard voices outside the village. A group of people shouted excitedly:
“An immortal has descended! Immortal, please save us!”
As the pain from my ordeal faded, I felt the frail body I inhabited finally break free. I sat up straight, only to hear someone exclaim:
“An immortal! He’s here to save the world!”
So, immortals… truly exist in this realm.
This realization filled me with indescribable emotion. If I could capture even a drop of his blood, or extract just a single strand of his essence, I would be able to rid myself of this cursed body and regain my vitality. Surely, that would be enough to shatter this mortal form and restore my ginseng spirit!
But alas, it was only wishful thinking.
Dragging my exhausted body, I staggered toward the village. By the time I arrived, I could barely stand. I collapsed on the ground, staring ahead. In my blurred vision, I saw an immortal dressed in plain white robes, surrounded by a crowd of humans. His aura was serene and unworldly, completely detached from the chaos around him.
“Ah…” Summoning the last of my strength, I let out a feeble cry. The villagers turned to me. Some exclaimed in surprise, others murmured words I couldn’t hear. My focus was on that immortal figure.
He stood there, distant and indifferent, but something about him seemed vaguely familiar. It was as though he carried traces of an ancient warmth, a feeling I hadn’t encountered in centuries.
“Immortal…” I gritted my teeth and forced out my last breath, “Please… grant me salvation…”
The effort left me completely drained, but I felt a strange sense of relief. It seemed like my suffering had finally come to an end.
As my consciousness faded, I heard the villagers shouting in panic. My body, wracked with pain, finally felt light and untethered. When I next opened my eyes, I realized I was lying in the immortal’s arms.
For a moment, I felt as though I had become weightless, a mere shadow drifting toward him.
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