Within the swirling cyclone of Qi.

Chris reappeared. The crimson lustre of his soul mostly faded away. Only a faint tint was left behind.

And once again, floating beside him was a ‘pearl’.

Although still very disorientated from the earlier ordeal, he turned to stare warily at the object.

What is it you want with me? He growled. For the first time in a very long time, he displayed anger on his face.

“Calm down, little one,” Tui and La intoned from within the ‘pearl’.

You want me to calm down? he asked angrily. First, you shoot me with a fucking goddamned drop of blood or whatever that bullshit was, then you set me on fire, your crazy dragon friend almost killed me, and then you decided to go around tossing me in wormholes without my consent, and now you expect me to calm down?!

You guys must be batshit crazy if you expect me to just calm down after all the bullshit you just put me through!

“...”

What? He growled, miffed when the occupants of the pearl suddenly fell silent. Cat got your tongue?

“We understand you are angry, little one”—What did you expect, Sherlock!—” but you need to understand that we mean you no harm.”

Chris’s chest heaved in outrage, his translucent body trembling under the strain it had been through.

So, what now? He asked, managing to rein in his anger. Will I now also be forced to spend the rest of my entire existence as a wandering soul…

You know, he said after a momentary pause, gears turning in his head, that doesn’t sound half-bad. I could work with that.

Now calm enough to notice anything else, he looked around to notice he was currently standing in the eye of some weird-looking cyclone. Outside the twister, he noticed the outline of several individuals. He turned his gaze back inward to discover a wooden, antiquated cradle before him.

He glanced inside to see an infant child, eyes closed, silently grasping at the air. By its side, another laid seemingly asleep.

“No, you are not spending the rest of eternity as a soul-based lifeform,” Tui and La said with tired sighs, “your almost non-existent cultivation would not allow you to keep this form for more than a few minutes. Anything after that and your soul dissipates due to Xuan starvation and is absorbed back into the afterlife to face Samsara... Again.”

...Oh, okay. I didn't understand half of what you just said, but whatever. So what now?

“The Great Dao has already prepared a mortal shell for you to reincarnate into,” Tui and La said, dragging Chris’ attention towards the ‘sleeping’ infant. “All you need to do is possess it and wait for your soul to recuperate from the strain it has undergone.”

Chris froze for a second before asking hesitantly. Is the baby dead?

“No,” they replied, “just unanimated. Once you possess the body everything should theoretically fall in place.”

Theoretically?

“There shouldn’t be any major issues,” the duo assured.

Chris glanced at the infants in the cradle and fell in thought for a moment before hesitantly asking. Are there no other options? I would rather not have someone changing diapers for me for the next couple of months.

“No.”

He sighed before saying. Ok, how do we do this?

“Just touch the vessel,” the duo replied.

Hesitantly, Chris walked up to the cradle. He stretched one translucent arm at the mortal vessel, pausing just before he made contact.

“We don’t have much time left, little one,” Tui and La intoned behind him.

He sighed, grazing his fingers on the infant’s cheek. A sharp current travelled through his body right before he felt a suction pull on the digits, dragging his soul into the body.

Immediately Tui and La got to work, a stream of Qi flowing from the ‘pearl’ into the still infant body, firmly attaching Chris soul to the mortal vessel. The procedure caused numerous yin and yang runes to manifest from the surrounding twister, before moving to cement the fusion. A small number of yin runes were attracted away from the process to the other infant’s yang aura.

The neighbouring child instinctively accepted the yin runes into his body, fusing it with his constitution, his physique undergoing minute alterations.

At the apex of Chris fusion with the new vessel, the ‘pearl’ moved, suddenly phasing into the body at the abdomen just above the navel.

Slowly, it also fused with the body.

Seconds later, the fusion was complete and the twister began to unfurl itself, dissipating.

...

Everything felt lucid.

Chris struggled to open his eyes, his vision swimming. Although the sounds he heard were a tad muffled, he still heard a series of gasps as he opened his eyes.

Where the fuck am I? He asked himself

Chris could still see the dreamy outline of three giant figures standing over him.

“Daoshi,” one said hesitantly. “My newborn son just opened his eyes.”

Chris focused his attention on the source of the sound, swivelling only his gaze as he now seemed unable of controlling his head.

A moment later, his vision grew sharper and the feature of the speaker became visible.

A man— a rather handsome one at that one might add— possibly in his mid-twenties leaned over him. His obsidian black hair was tied in a neat bun and his goatee appeared properly trimmed. The individual face was one of bewilderment, his originally sloe-like eyes widened in shock as far as they possibly could.

Also, for some reason, everything in sight looked much larger than normal. Much, much larger than normal.

Hmm...

“I can see that,” another voice said calmly from the side. Chris swivelled his gaze to face the individual.

Standing at the foot of his cradle was an old man. He was bald with a chin of long grey hair and eyebrows that hung low enough to touch his beard. Wearing what looked like old tattered Taoist robes, the elder’s serene gaze stared down at Chris.

“How do you do, little one.”

Chris frowned.

For some reason, he knew he hated that nickname but he just couldn’t tell why. Everything felt oddly hazy. It was almost like he was forgetting something particularly important.

But before he could think too much about it, he felt a pair of gentle hands scoop him up, caressing him protectively.

“My child,” a woman sobbed as she caressed Chris in her arms. She pulled the newborn out from her bosom before planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Don’t scare Mother like that again, ok?”

Chris turned his gaze to meet that of the woman holding him. As he stared at her soft, limpid brown eyes, perfectly symmetrical face and flowing lustrous hair, he quickly came to the conclusion that she was the most beautiful person he had ever had the chance to lay his eyes upon.

“Yu’er,” the first male called pulling the woman’s attention away from him.

She turned with Chris in her hands to face the man. He stood there gently holding another child in his. He gestured to the infant’s pristine head of white hair, his face still stuck in a befuddled expression.

“Was his hair not black like his brother’s? Why is it white now?” he asked with a confused frown.

The elder turned his attention to Chris.

“Was this your doing, little one?” he asked, peering suspiciously at him.

Chris frowned again as he stared at the old monk(?).

What’s it with this old mop? he thought to himself, starting to find the elder somewhat annoying.

He wanted to ask the old man to keep his opinions to himself, but surprisingly instead of words, only an infantile cry escaped his lips.

Chris was so surprised by the sound, his features morphed into one of confusion. He tried again as was met with the same result.

A moment later, a dreadful thought crossed his mind.

He raised his hands, albeit strenuously, to stare at a tiny hand balled up in an adorable looking fist.

He flexed the fingers that appeared to his for a moment before understanding flashed in his gaze.

...Oh.

The woman holding him chuckled, smiling as she stared at the expression on his infantile face morphed into a misplaced replica of shock and despair.

“Both infants are perfectly alright, there is nothing to worry about,” the old monk said, also chuckling at the sight. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he stared at Chris. “I would advise you to bring them to the before an altar before the auspicious moment passes.

The handsome man nodded, slowly schooling his expression into one of neutrality. “I understand, Daoshi. Ju’er, get the incense ready.”

With the white-haired infant in his arms, he led the trio out of the building, a young maiden following some distance behind with three lit incense in her hands.

Outside, a beautifully decorated edifice stood before them, but Chris was too shell-shocked by his newest discovery to notice any of this.

As they walked out, a line of servants stood by the left side bowing towards the group as they walked towards the altar arranged underneath the edifice.

The handsome man passed the child in his hand to the woman carrying Chris. Turning to the maid that was following behind, he collected the incense she held before turning back to the altar.

He solemnly held the burning incense sticks and bowed. Once to the least three cardinal directions, twice eastward towards Nuwa's resting place and thrice to the earth and nine heavens before sticking the incense in a holder on the altar. Picking two Spirit jade pendants from the table, he turned back to face the infants and hung the items on their necks.

The pendant of the white-haired child glowed. The ambient qi in the air swirled around the glowing object, craving the characters 白雪, Bai Xue(pure snow), on its surface.

Chris pendant glowed as well, qi swirling as the character 恭雪, Xiao Xue(reverent snow), appeared.

With another bow eastward towards the heavens and earth, Chris watched, mystified as the ceremony concluded.

“Thank you, Daoshi,” the younger man said turning back to the old monk with a solemn bow.

“I did nothing, young man. Here, have this,” the elder said as he pulled a talisman out from his sleeve before imbuing it with his qi. The piece of paper glowed dimly, a few characters appearing on it. “A curse technique is sealed within. In case you are ever in need of help, just rip it in two, it should prove useful.”

“I cannot, Daoshi—” the younger man wanted to reject but the elder shook his head with an admonishing gaze.

With a grateful sigh, the younger man received the talisman, carefully storing it in his robes.

“Take care, little ones,” the aged monk said turning to the twins, his body fading away like smoke in the wind. His amiable voice echoed unnaturally as he disappeared from where he stood.

“May the Great Dao guide with your paths.”