Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

The siblings grew up little by little, and life went on little by little.

In Wang Ergou's memory, one summer when he was seven years old, his sister took him to the riverbank.

In my memory, my sister wore a ripped t-shirt, her pants rolled up to her knees, and she swung barefoot along the riverbank.

That day, my sister was exceptionally gentle, letting him sit on her lap, holding his hand, and pointing to the koi in the river.

"Ergou, do you think this golden fish is pretty?"

"It looks good," the boy answered instinctively.

"These are koi carp. The old scholar in the village says that koi carp are the most powerful fish, and they will one day leap over the Dragon Gate and become a real dragon!"

The boy didn't know anything about koi fish, but he waved his fist at his sister and said seriously.

"I too will one day leap over the Dragon Gate and become an extraordinary figure!"

The girl by the river paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

She gently patted her younger brother's head and said softly.

"That's really something. If Er Gou becomes a big shot in the future, won't he take revenge on me, sister? I don't want to get a beating at the county office..."

The girl's teasing made the boy even more anxious, and he turned around to meet his sister's eyes.

Under his sister's gentle gaze, the boy imitated the adults and raised his right hand.

"I, Wang Ergou, swear to God that I will be family with my sister for the rest of my life, and I will never, ever do anything to betray her."

The girl's smile grew even brighter. She pinched her brother's cheeks and pulled them apart, causing Wang Ergou to stammer for quite a while.

"I've remembered what you said today. Er Gou, you'd better behave and listen to me from now on. Don't cause me any more trouble, understand?"

The boy nodded repeatedly, then lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly and said in a very soft voice.

"About what happened last time..."

The sound stopped abruptly, and a lotus flower suddenly appeared before the boy's eyes.

"Clang! The old scholar said the lotus is a symbol of purity and nobility. I don't have much to give you, so I picked the most beautiful lotus from this river as a gift for you, Er Gou. Don't be offended..."

"I don't mind! I don't mind! I'll like anything my sister gives me..."

The riverbank gradually quieted down, and the brother and sister sat by the river, gazing at the distant mountains and forests.

As the mountain breeze blew, the boy tugged at his sister's clothes and whispered.

"Does my sister think I, Er Gou, can become a big shot someday?"

The girl smiled again and took the boy's hand.

"My second dog has been smart since he was a puppy; he's bound to become a great person someday!"

"When that time comes, I'll stay at Er Gou's house and eat a big bowl of meat every day!"

Her words, as gentle as a spring breeze, swept away the gloom in the boy's heart. He stretched out his right hand and solemnly swore an oath to his sister.

"My sister will always be Er Gou's sister, and we'll be family for life..."

"Okay, we'll be family for life!"

……

The fire raged and engulfed the peaceful village.

Driven by extreme greed, a small village in the mountains was chosen by a captain who wanted to be promoted and was turned into ruins.

The seven-year-old boy escaped death by hiding in the mountains and embarked on a journey to survive on his own.

……

"I am Danqingzi, and we are destined to meet. From now on, you shall follow me in your cultivation."

……

"Wang Ergou? That's a bad name. My disciple, you have exceptional talent and innate genius, a cultivation prodigy that comes along only once in a century. How can you use such a name?"

"Please bestow a name upon me, Master."

"You were reborn from the flames, so from now on I shall call you Crimson Fire."

……

"Master's wife, the firewood has been chopped. May we leave it here?"

"What firewood? Xiao Huo, are you alright? You're such a small child, so thin. Why aren't you resting in the house? Why are you going into the mountains to chop firewood? Come here quickly, let your master's wife take a good look and see if you're hurt anywhere."

"Little Fire, remember this: let your senior brothers do the chopping of firewood. You just need to rest and recuperate here with your master's wife and focus on your cultivation in the future."

……

"Little Huo, look! Your master's wife has knitted you new clothes. Do you like them?"

"Thank you, Master's wife! I really love this dress..."

"If you like it, that's fine. If there's anything that's not right, just tell me, and I'll fix it for you anytime."

……

"Little Fire, what are you doing kneeling here? And why are you holding a stick? Get up, get up!"

"Please punish me, Master's wife. Today I had a conflict with my senior brother, and the new clothes you prepared for me were torn during the fight."

"Really, it's just a piece of clothing, why are you making such a fuss, Xiao Huo? Get up! Get up! Tomorrow, your master's wife will take you to the city. Just tell me what clothes you want..."

"I……"

"Little Fire, are you alright? How did you end up fighting with your senior brother? They were hitting you pretty hard, didn't they?"

Tears streamed down the boy's face. In a daze, the boy asked the woman a question.

"Master's wife, why are you so good to me?"

"Silly child, what are you saying? We're all family. If I'm not good to you, who else can I be good to?"

……

"Master's wife, Senior Brother Li said some strange things to me today. I have a feeling he's ill. Do you think we should call a doctor to take a look at him?"

"Strange talk? What did your Senior Brother Li say to you?"

"I didn't quite understand either, but it was something about a great elixir and refining people. He also spoke ill of my master, and I got so angry that I beat him up."

"Little Fire, don't worry. It's probably because it's too lonely on this mountain. Your Senior Brother Li couldn't stand the loneliness and developed a mental demon, which is why he's hallucinating. In a few days, I'll take him down the mountain to the city to see a doctor, and he'll be fine."

……

"Master's wife, why didn't Senior Brother Li come back with you?"

"Alas... inner demons are hard to cure, and the allure of the mortal world is too strong. Your senior brother Li couldn't bear the loneliness after all and has no intention of coming back..."

……

"Master's wife, why are there fewer and fewer senior brothers in the temple? Has Master encountered some problem in his cultivation?"

"Don't worry, they've all gone down the mountain."

……

"Master's wife, we're family, aren't we?"

"Of course, after all these years, my dearest is still you, Xiao Huo. We will always be family."

……

"Little Fire, your master..."

"Oh...you mean my master? He devoted himself to cultivation, but in the end he couldn't overcome the tribulation of inner demons. During his cultivation, he went astray and fell into the elixir cauldron."

Alas... Master diligently cultivated himself throughout his life, yet he ended up in such a tragic state. It is truly pitiful and lamentable.

But you don't need to worry, Master's wife. You are my most respected elder. With me here, I will definitely protect you for the rest of your life.

……

"Master's wife, why are you doing this?"

"I've already said that you are my dearest family member, and I will be with you for the rest of my life, so why do you have to do this?"

"Very well... I'll drink this poison today. From now on, you and Master will stay by my side..."