The Almighty Mystic Just Wants A Quiet Life - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Return of the Master

Bo Nan opened his eyes. He seemed to be falling.

Before him was a hazy expanse of gray; everything had been swallowed by a milky white mist. Subconsciously, he used his “Qi field” to cushion himself. A second later, a soft current of energy wrapped around him, insulating him from the impact of gravity.

What’s going on?

Bo Nan clearly remembered being consumed by molten lava.

“Holy sh*t! Old Bo—! Old Bo, are you okay?!”

Someone was calling him. The voice was unfamiliar yet strangely intimate, as if heard in a distant memory.

Suddenly, a beam of light pierced through the mist, swaying unsteadily before landing on him. The voice drifted down clearly: “He should be fine, it’s only about two meters high.”

Bo Nan’s fingers twitched. He was clutching something. Lifting his hand, he saw a pale green jade piece that felt warm to the touch… the Yang Fish?

How?

Shouldn’t this thing have been destroyed long ago? He remembered personally shattering both the Yin and Yang fish in front of his enemies to show them how foolish their greed had been, leaving them to die in endless regret.

Soon, a figure emerged from the mist. A safety line was clipped to his waist, stretching back into the white void. The man had a shock of eye-catching purple hair. Seeing Bo Nan sitting there dazed but unharmed, he couldn’t help but curse: “Old Bo! Why didn’t you say something? I thought you’d broken something!”

“I’m fine.” Bo Nan studied him, looking at this younger version of his companion with disbelief. “Li Zhou?”

“What is it? Are you hurt?” Li Zhou ran over but hesitated to pull him up. Seeing Bo Nan’s silence, he whispered, “…Did you fall and turn stupid?”

“…No.” Bo Nan lowered his eyes, hiding an unreadable expression. He allowed Li Zhou to pull him up and secure a safety rope around his waist. Under Li Zhou’s direction, they were slowly hauled upward.

“Good. You scared the hell out of me. If you’d broken a leg out here in the middle of nowhere, what would we have done?”

Actually, I did break it, Bo Nan thought. In his previous life, this fall had shattered his leg. It was only because he had instinctively used his Qi field as a buffer this time that he remained unscathed.

As they rose through the brilliant beam of light, Bo Nan looked up at the source and squinted. It sounded absurd, but he had indeed… been reborn.

He was back to the day he was twenty, before everything had begun.

In the dozen years of his past life, he had hallucinated countless times about returning to this year—how he would handle the coming tragedies, how he would save his family, and how he would deal with those people… He just hadn’t expected to actually get the chance.

Right. I need to go home. If I don’t go home soon, it will be too late.

For a group of wealthy, bored “Second-Generation Rich” heirs seeking thrills, there wasn’t much they wouldn’t do. For instance, “checking in” at various viral horror spots—places rumored to be mysterious, where people had vanished or died, bolstered by terrifying local folk tales.

After contributing to the local GDP of several such sites, the group realized that no matter how scary a place seemed online, it was usually just marketing.

Unexpectedly, their final stop turned out to be the real deal. Ghost or no ghost, they were currently trapped. They had been stuck for a day and a night; today was the second day.

“Old Bo, you sure you aren’t hurt? Don’t tough it out!” Li Zhou patted his shoulder, worried. “That was at least three meters. We’re pampered city boys; there’s no shame in being injured!”

“I’m really fine.” Bo Nan’s expression was peaceful. He didn’t say much, but one look at him gave the impression he was in a very good move.

Li Zhou looked at him suspiciously. Bo Nan was born with a “smiling face”—sharp, elegant features with a subtle, natural upturn at the corners of his mouth. At a glance, he always looked like he was smiling, and his good looks often distracted people from his true emotions.

However, as his childhood friend, Li Zhou could tell his mood apart.

“Don’t lose heart, everyone! The Earth God Temple shouldn’t be far. We’ll spend the night there and find our way out tomorrow once the mist clears,” the guide at the front shouted. The group responded half-heartedly, but their morale picked up enough to keep moving.

Li Zhou pointed to a welcoming pine tree. It looked like a soaring crane, a distinctive shape everyone remembered—especially since it bore a mark they had left earlier.

“This is the third time we’ve passed this, isn’t it?”

“Since the guide said so, we believe him,” Bo Nan said. He studied the tree, picked up a small stone, and carved a third mark into the bark. He pocketed the stone and added, “Otherwise, wouldn’t our money be wasted?”

“Pfft,” Li Zhou snorted in disdain.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew, thinning the mist. The guide’s eyes lit up as his flashlight hit a narrow path. “I found it! This is it! This path leads to the Earth God Temple!”

The group exhaled in relief. After twenty minutes of walking, a dilapidated temple appeared. Looking at the crooked plaque and the faded colorful banners visible through the broken windows, no one dared enter.

Li Zhou grabbed Bo Nan’s arm, swallowing hard. “Uh, are we really going in? Based on horror movie logic, shouldn’t we stay out?”

Bo Nan’s brow twitched, flashing a hint of chilling, rebellious charm. “It’s fine. According to horror movie logic, we’re going to die whether we go in or not.”

“Old Bo! Can you say something helpful for once?!” Li Zhou wanted to argue, but Bo Nan had already stepped inside. The guide recovered and followed. “Alright, everyone inside. We’ll build a fire to stay safe.”

The humidity was too high for the damp wood outside to burn. As the guide wondered what to do, Bo Nan reached up and decisively tore down the five-colored prayer banners hanging from the beams. “Use these.”

“You…” The guide gasped. “We’re guests here! How can you tear down the host’s things?”

“People are about to die, and you’re worried about this?” Bo Nan said with a smile. “Once we’re out, I’ll fund a golden statue for the Earth God and renovate the temple. I’ll even hire a priest to keep the incense burning year-round. I’m sure the old man won’t mind a few banners helping us in an emergency.”

Li Zhou raised his hand. “Count me in for the donation!”

The others followed suit. “If we get out, I’ll pay double!”

“Well, if you put it that way…” The guide trailed off, remembering these were rich heirs for whom a temple renovation cost less than a car. He sighed. “Fine, but no more tearing things down. This place gets travelers occasionally, so there should be supplies in the backyard. The main hall has historical value; don’t touch anything else.”

The guide sat for a moment, ate some chocolate, and said, “I’ll check the backyard for supplies. Stay here and don’t wander off.”

Bo Nan stood up. “I’ll go with you. Two people are better than one.”

The guide nodded. Bo Nan was clearly the most fit among them. “Follow my lead and don’t wander, got it?”

“Sure, sure,” Bo Nan patted the guide’s shoulder. “Let’s go. It’s freezing in these mountains.”

The mist outside was even thicker now. As they walked along the wall, the guide whispered to break the silence, “Don’t be scared. This temple is a landmark. Search and rescue will find us tomorrow.”

Bo Nan said nothing.

“The mist these few days is so strange,” the guide continued. “Usually it clears by morning when the sun comes out… Bo Nan?”

The guide turned around. There was no one behind him. Bo Nan was gone.

“Bo Nan?!”

Bo Nan had intentionally slipped away. He had things to do.

The guide was right; the mist was strange. Every effect has a cause; mist doesn’t break the laws of nature for no reason.

As if guided by an invisible hand, Bo Nan walked into the dense fog. After exactly ten steps, he stopped. One more step and he would have fallen into a small pond. He leaned down to touch the water—it was a shade of green so vibrant it was eerie. He smiled, pulled the stone from his pocket, and tossed it in.

Instantly, a violent wind erupted, blowing Bo Nan’s hair back and revealing his sharp, piercing eyes. The wind seemed to be physically pushing the stone back, trying to prevent it from entering the water. With a clack, the stone was blown out and hit the ground.

Yet, the pond remained perfectly still, as if the wind didn’t exist for the water.

Bo Nan chuckled. There’s some mystery here.

In his past life, they hadn’t found the temple on the second night. They had found it on the fourth, starving and injured. The mist hadn’t cleared until the fifth night. Back then, he hadn’t understood why.

The mist around him began to ripple like water. He looked around, his expression calm, but the world in his eyes had changed.

The Qi field centered on his body began to churn the surroundings. The chaotic energies swirled around him before being absorbed into his own field, spreading out like ripples on a lake.

Where is it…

His gaze caught a flicker of energy.

Everything else was moving. Only “it” remained still.

—Found you.