After Burying the Dao, They Came Looking for Her

The world has its Way, and the Way will decay. The mighty attain the Way, reflecting it across heaven and earth. But people have limited lifespans, and the Way has an end. When the day comes that the Way collapses, if it is not buried, its decayed remains will become a dead Way, turning those who cultivate it into the afflicted. Gu Yi is the last Way-burier. Every Way he buries leaves a trace of its Dao resonance inside him: both power and a debt. Someone once asked Gu Yi what he feared most about burying Ways. Without a moment’s thought, Gu Yi replied, “Burying someone who’s still alive.” The person asked again, “And what’s the second-worst thing?” “Burying someone who’s still alive, and having her refuse to leave.”