[Dual Female Leads: A Power-Hungry Disciple and Her Gentle, Compassionate Master / Seme POV / Both Pure / Cultivation / Traveling Through Multiple Worlds to Collect Pieces of a Primordial Spirit: Cultivation, Ancient Times, Strange Tales, Republican Era]
All things flourish together, and I watch their return. Though things are myriad, each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; this is called returning to one's fate.
“Ling Wen, you cursed me to meet a wretched end in this life and suffer miserably in the next, never to be reborn until I had atoned for my sins. You ordered me to observe the living creatures of every world, remain clear-minded, and understand the essence of life. After weathering countless ups and downs, I must still keep hope in my heart.”
The Peach Blossom Water Town sunk beneath the pool was a curse.
The half-corpse trapped in the Yunmeng marsh was a tribulation.
In this life, having become an immortal, I travel through many worlds in search of you. That is my atonement.
I, Shen Fuguan, owe many people, in both my past and present lives. I was wicked in every way, defied my superiors, and was consumed by greed and desire. My sins are beyond measure.
I accept responsibility and punishment for what I have done.
But I will not accept a single punishment I do not deserve.
Seven stories: Serpent of the Grudge Sea (pirate and captive), The Splendor of Fucheng (fallen princess and enemy general), Defying One's Superiors (empress dowager and powerful minister), Peach Blossom Water Town (water ghost and ghost hunter), My Master Ling Wen (master and disciple), Autumn Hard to Recount (opera performer and unscrupulous businessman), Extra: The Newly Crowned Queen (song queen and rookie actress).
It's a good read, the writing is excellent, and the plot is compelling.