Several dozen feet, for an immortal, is just a blink of an eye. It is time for a falling flower to slowly fall into the water. It is enough time for a person to say a word of love, and it is enough time for a dying person to have a moment of clarity and to thrust out a sword with his last breath.
Xue Huai’s lifelong enemy—although Xue Huai still doesn’t know his name until now, he only knows his identity; the empty space behind him opened wide, and thousands of soldiers’ magic spells rushed towards his back, but he did nothing.
Seeing that Xue Huai had no backup plan, he also used all his strength. The sharp sound of the wind pierced his ears, almost making it impossible for him to hear anything else. This was a desperate move. The seventeenth level of demonic cultivation was higher than all the immortals known so far. Facing the Yindan level, with the strong starlight enhanced several times by the spiritual fire gun, it was unknown what realm he could reach. Both sides no longer had any way to retreat. In their eyes, there was only the strongest hatred in their lives, leaving everything else behind.
Jade and stone burned together1To destroy indiscriminately..
At that moment, Xue Huai no longer felt the pain. He only felt light all over. The silence and fear that enveloped him like a tide, like death, surrounded him, and everything in front of his eyes was blank.
He did not realize that what he saw was a pale sky—Xue Huai was pierced through the chest by the longsword in that person’s hand. At the moment of the confrontation, he was instantly thrown more than ten feet away and fell heavily to the ground.
That person opposite had been reduced to dust and turned into ashes.
The person had disappeared, but a strange scene began to emerge in the sky—heavy snow mixed with flying ash and smoke, with millions of unknown flowers and red maple leaves gently falling in between.
It’s both beautiful and quiet—as quiet as a dream.
The devilish, heart-pounding voice echoed in the air: “Even if I die, I’d rather die in your hands, Xue Huai. I’ll show you the scenery of the four seasons. You are mine. We’ll be together again on the road to the underworld.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a flying petal touched Xue Huai’s eyelashes and then disappeared silently.
It’s an illusion.
But at this moment, the surging grievance and sadness pulled Xue Huai back, accompanied by severe pain—his whole body felt as if it were cut and rubbed by a frozen cold blade, but he had no time to cry. Anger and grievance completely controlled him at this moment.
He just felt that he had become a little kid again, and the grievance he felt when he found out that his mother and father had teamed up to tease him, pure and warm, filled his heart.
How is this possible?
Why did that person let him see this scenery?
Why does he say that he wants him to accompany him on the road to the underworld?
In his life, he will never wait for anyone else on the Naihe Bridge except two people.
One was his mother, who had passed away before him; the other had deep red eyes and long silver hair, and he hadn’t had the chance to show him such a view yet, so why should the others?
In a daze, he saw Yun Cuo’s face, which was full of panic and seemed to be still crying.
But Xue Huai could no longer hear any sound. He remembered the sound of Yun Cuo crying loudly and instinctively wanted to smile at him, but he was in so much pain that he couldn’t even blink or breathe.
He saw Yun Cuo kneeling down in front of him, repeating the same sentence over and over again. It took a long time for Xue Huai to figure out what he was saying: “I beg you.”
He said, “I have finished my work. I did not let you down. I defeated all the demons before coming to find you. But Xue Huai, I beg you, I beg you…”
Xue Huai was slightly absorbed in the conversation.
He lay in his arms, and all he could see were his dark red eyes, Yun Cuo’s devilish eyes. In the past, these eyes were full of change, as if there were thousands of burning clouds surging inside, but now they have become dim and can no longer reflect his figure.
In order to rush over and fulfill his wish, he overused his strength and lost a pair of eyes.
Xue Huai sighed softly.
This light sigh was followed by the gushing blood foam splashing onto the ground, and Xue Huai actually uttered a complete sentence.
It was low, warm, and soft and seemed to carry a certain sense of loss.
He said, “Yun Cuo ya…”
When he just died in his previous life, he saw the all-white universe, the black-and-white impermanence, and the lingering red spider lilies. He was not afraid of death, but only the desolate loneliness of being the only one in the world.
On the Naihe Bridge in the previous life, a little ghost was talking about the latest news in the immortal realm with others, his eyebrows dancing with joy: “Hey, do you know that the immortal lord’s favorite left protector died in the war against the Demon Realm? That left protector was very famous, and half of the boys and girls in the Immortal Realm admired him, right? His name was Xue Huai, and he was the only son of the Xue family in Dongzhou.”
“I know him. He was such a good man. It’s a pity that he died so early. It’s just that his Lord is not worthy. The person is already dead, and he still said that the protector was incompetent. What a sin…”
At that time, Xue Huai was staring at the Meng Po soup in front of him in a daze. The thing at the bottom of the bowl looked like the chicken soup that his mother had cooked for him.
Meng Po said: “Drink it, drink it, and hit the road, and your next life will be a new beginning.”
Just as he remembered, the blue and white bottom of the bowl was his last attachment to the world. But after hearing those words, he loosened his grip, and the celadon bowl shattered.
He said, “I will not enter the cycle of reincarnation, I will seek revenge.”
The dead are just souls, they can’t see each other’s appearance and don’t know who is who. Others laughed at him: “Brother! Forget it. If you seek revenge after death, if you really did something, you will be caught and sent to the eighteen levels of hell to suffer; if you didn’t do anything, you will become a vengeful spirit, which will delay your reincarnation! By then, everyone you know in the world will be dead one by one, and then you will be truly homeless.”
But he doesn’t care.
He felt aggrieved—why did he treat him like this?
He only remembered that when he was walking back against the flow of ghosts, he heard the people behind him whispering, “Ai, another one has gone crazy. Most likely, he won’t have a good ending.”
It feels strange to be a ghost.
He returned home and visited his father, who was bedridden and sometimes conscious and sometimes drowsy; he visited his grandmother, who was almost blind, and his grandfather, whose hair turned white overnight.
He felt sorry for them, but as a ghost without true love, he couldn’t speak or go over to hug them.
He went to see the little glutton that eats garbage in his room. The glutton could see him, but when it excitedly pounced on him with its tail wagging, it missed. After trying this so many times, the little glutton started crying. While it was crying, it followed him closely and helped him tear apart the evil spirits that was around and wanted to devour him.
He went to his own grave and saw half red and half white flowers; he saw people he knew or didn’t know coming to the grave to pay their respects.
He saw a handsome, bookish young man standing in front of his grave with a melancholy look, a ferocious smile flashed across his face for a moment, and then he started crying again. There were many people crying in front of his grave, including strangers, most of whom were people who had admired him.
Because he didn’t see Yun Cuo, he went to look for him, but saw the once iron-fisted and cold-blooded monarch holding his urn, crying and trembling all over.
In his previous life, Xue Huai’s memory was broken here. He had no idea of the causes and consequences of all this.
But when he once again felt the call of pure white and the extreme emptiness of death, he suddenly remembered something.
That was his last memory before he turned to ashes.
He looked at Yun Cuo crying and thought to himself, Does this person like him a little bit?
He had been with him for most of his life, even after his death.
He was a little ghost, floating around, always following him, watching him become more and more haggard day by day, watching him become possessed overnight and his black hair turn white.
The more he looks, the more he vaguely understands.
It turns out that this person likes him.
He saw Yun Cuo traveling thousands of miles, carrying his ashes to visit the Tathagata in West Heaven, asking for a way to bring the dead back to life; he saw him leading a large army to the underworld, hoping that the underworld would hand the person over.
But Panguan told Yun Cuo, “Such things are not uncommon. The Great Sage Equaling Heaven reversed the Book of Life and Death and made people immortal; Bian Que brought the dead back to life, which is not impossible; but to return the soul, the body of the deceased must be intact. Immortal Lord, if you only give a handful of ashes, even if it is the will of heaven, it will be difficult to fulfill your wish ah.”
He watched him neglect his government affairs and devote himself to cultivation all day, and his cultivation improved by leaps and bounds.
He really didn’t lie to him. In order to marry him, Yun Cuo had been suppressing his own cultivation to the Yindan level in the immortal path and the fifth level in the demonic path.
Yun Cuo read medical books, ghost stories, and ancient scrolls and knew that the highest level of immortal cultivation was called “unaffected by cause and effect.” He wondered, What if he could reverse it?
If cause and effect are broken and death no longer separates people, will he be able to see his little immortal again?
The only person who has reached the state of not being affected by cause and effect is Emperor Xing Yi of Fuli, who is said to have lived for tens of thousands of years. However, Yun Cuo is only twenty-five years old.
But he continued to practice like this, day and night, living a life of drunkenness and dreams. He hid Xue Huai’s letters in his sleeves. Sometimes when they didn’t have time to write letters in person, they used magic to preserve the sound and asked the green bird to deliver them.
He listened to it over and over again, practicing over and over again, living in a dream, as if Xue Huai were still alive and beside him. The voice controlled his emotions, making him firmly believe that Xue Huai must still be alive.
In the silent cave of the Demon Realm, the Immortal Emperor, who was supreme, looked at the scenery below the cliff and murmured softly.
“…Why isn’t it snowing?”
Xue Huai loves snow.
Why isn’t Dongzhou snowing?
“Just live your life well by yourself.” Xue Huai told him gently, “I’m already dead.”
He knew that he couldn’t hear these words. His ghost couldn’t bear the yang energy of the human world and would soon be reduced to ashes. On the last day before Yun Cuo came out of seclusion, he kneeled beside him and told him these words softly.
Of course, Yun Cuo wouldn’t hear it.
But Xue Huai saw him cry, and then he smiled again—that was a confident and stable smile. Xue Huai noticed that Yun Cuo’s hostility suddenly increased a lot and knew that his skills had been perfected.
Xue Huai looked at his own floating body that was about to dissipate and said, “Then I will accompany you for a while.”
He actually didn’t know where Yun Cuo was going after he came out of seclusion, nor did he know what he was going to do.
He only knew that in just a few months, the achievements they had spent decades of hard work to build had collapsed. But he no longer cared. Achievements were just empty names. After death, no one would recognize each other. How many people would listen if they talked about it?
Yun Cuo came to his grave.
The seventh day has passed, and the Xue family has been renewed with new faces.
Yun Cuo stood in front of his grave, gently swept away the remaining snow on his tombstone, and looked at the name on it tenderly.
He called him, his voice full of attachment: “Xue Huai.”
In his hands, the dark red butterfly knives gleamed, clear and cold, like the red teardrop mole under Xue Huai’s eyes.
There was no epitaph for his young boy, those people were so careless that they even carved Xue Huai’s name, let alone an epitaph.
And if he, Yun Cuo, has an epitaph in this life, these should be written on it: sixteenth level of the demonic path, free from the cause and effect of the immortal path; a child who has a mixed bloodline of the purest immortal family and the most fierce demon royal family, who grew up bearing sin and cold eyes, will one day finally step onto the throne and become the supreme of all immortals.
——Then he committed suicide in front of the unknown grave.
The butterfly knives pierced his heart steadily and powerfully and then twisted it with the last bit of strength. He killed himself silently, calmly, and attentively. He was taking a risk, gambling on whether heaven would have mercy on him and whether cause and effect would be reversed for him.
The death of a person is like the dissipation of a soul. The two of them evaporated like drops of water and disappeared from then on, no longer existing in this world.
“Xue Huai, I’ll wait for you on the Naihe Bridge.”
When Xue Huai woke up, he felt that his life was over.
There was no one else around him. The gluttonous ghost was lying next to him, suddenly awakened, and then pounced on him in ecstasy, licking his cheeks frantically and running around in circles around the room.
Not long after, a little gray cat jumped in from outside the door and rubbed his arms, head, and face like crazy.
Xue Huai was a little dazed, and his body was still in pain.
But he forced himself to get out of bed.
He also slowly recognized the room—it was his own bedroom.
Although the furnishings had changed a bit, the familiar scene was still vivid. It was just that because it was too familiar, he couldn’t tell where he was at the moment, so he had to walk out and look around.
The old man who was sweeping flowers was standing in the yard. When he saw him coming out, he was stunned for a moment and then shouted out in ecstasy, “——Young Master??? You’re awake!”
Others also came over after hearing the noise. They were all loyal servants of the family. They were all very happy, and they asked him about his health. When they asked him if he was still feeling unwell or if he wanted to eat something, he shook his head.
He looked around, a little confused, and his reaction was much slower. Finally, he remembered to ask, “…Where are the others?”
“The master has gone out to discuss business and will be back in the evening. Aiya, you are awake. We will report it to him immediately!” said the old man. “You were seriously injured in the war and have been sleeping for half a year.”
Half a year.
Xue Huai looked at the newly renovated mansion and felt uneasy. Others told him that the immortal realm won a great victory in that battle, and Yun Cuo annexed a total of 19 continents, including the demons. Now everything is under control and stable. The people of Fuli Palace and Shenhua Terrace also returned to their respective positions.
Of the other three reborn people, one was the right protector in his previous life, one was Yun Cuo, and the remaining one was Xue Zong. His father was reborn here three years before him, and he learned from the lessons of his previous life and suspected Mrs. Liu and Xue He. He fought alone, so he didn’t expect that his son would be reborn later, and neither side thought of talking about it.
In the past six months, Murong Jinchuan has also recovered.
Xue Huai listened to the conversation quietly, but his mind was filled with the name of another person. Perhaps it was because he had just woken up from a dream.
Since Yun Cuo was not by his side when he woke up, he must have gone to do something else.
He said, “I’ll go out and take a look.”
But someone immediately reminded him with difficulty: “Young Master, you are not in good health. There just happen to be a hundred ghosts parading outside at night today. It would be bad if you went out and provoked them. This…”
Xue Huai suddenly became interested after hearing what he said: “A hundred ghosts parade at night? It’s fun. I’ll go and have a look. Xiao Tao, follow me, don’t be afraid.”
It turned out that it had been exactly two years since he started over again in this life.
The gluttonous ghost immediately climbed up, holding his thighs, directly climbing onto his shoulders, then hugged one of his arms and refused to move.
The old man wanted to scold the little gluttonous, but Xue Huai smiled and touched the gluttonous ghost’s head with his other hand. “It’s fine.”
The little gray cat’s claws were not flexible. It jumped on the spot for a long time but couldn’t jump onto Xue Huai’s shoulder. Xue Huai squatted down, picked it up in his arms, and went out with the two little pets.
The weather was fine, there was no snow and no wind. Xue Huai walked a few steps and stopped a few times. He felt a little tired, and he easily sweated.
He was still very weak, but the feeling of waking up from the dream of death and being reborn was still as fresh as yesterday.
He went to a familiar shop, asked the boss, and looked upstairs with his spiritual vision. He saw his father drinking with others. He smiled and said nothing, just like when he first came to this life, and continued walking downstairs.
His steps were casual, but his destination was very clear.
At the end of the alley, there is a small bridge, a house, a painted stage with willow trees, and a magnificent and spacious pavilion, which appear peaceful and tranquil in the snow.
It is the Xunxian Pavilion.
He walked in and asked, “Is there anyone else up there?”
The boss knew him and said, “No one, there’s no one. Who would come at this time? There are hundreds of ghosts parading at night. Everyone remembers what happened last year. Who else would dare to come today except the brave ones?”
Xue Huai walked up slowly with a smile.
The Xunxian Pavilion was indeed empty, as if it had been prepared for his arrival at this moment.
Xue Huai was very comfortable. He went to the balcony outside the second floor and sat there, drinking tea and eating snacks. Snow fluttered down. The attic was quiet, but the commotion outside was getting louder and louder.
Wherever the ghosts pass, no grass grows.
Xue Huai stood up, looked downstairs, and saw that no one was leaning on the railing, so he pursed his lips, stood up to go back, closed the door, and scattered a handful of golden melon seeds.
No one rushed to grab them, they just rolled to the ground with a tinkling sound, like broken jade, which was very pleasant to hear.
After finishing his duties, Xue Huai was distracted for a while and then prepared to close the door.
Then he heard the gentle wind passing by——
The scenery outside suddenly changed. Xue Huai held onto the door frame, and before closing it, he saw the snow suddenly change color, turning into the same pink as peach blossoms.
Looking more closely, it was not the snow that had changed color, but real peach blossoms. The towering peach trees in the courtyard suddenly sprouted, grew, and quickly blossomed in the biting cold wind. The petals fell with the wind, gathering into a flower mist that filled the sky, and the fragrance of the flowers was overwhelming.
Then, all the trees in the mountains and forests lost their flowers and grew lush green leaves. The clouds and haze dispersed, and the sunlight shone through, dazzling the eyes. The snow that was still falling melted into rain, turning into long, thin strands, crystal clear, round, and sweet; then the green leaves turned red, dyeing the eyes red, the wind and clouds changed endlessly.
New leaves grow, new flowers bloom everywhere, and red maple leaves fall and branches wither. Clouds, fog, rain, and wind are almost blinding.
This was the promise he made to him. It was not an illusion created by an illusionist, but the result of truly learning how to command the growth of all things and being able to control the seasons at will.
Only the Immortal Lord of the nine continents has such means.
“Why aren’t you coming out yet?” Xue Huai said with a smile.
There was a sound of someone stepping on fallen leaves. The next moment, a young man in black clothes, white hair, and bright red eyes appeared in front of him, stepped into his sight from the pavilion, and looked at him deeply.
Xue Huai smiled, tilted his head, turned around, and ran back. He ran slowly in front, but the person behind him hurriedly chased after him. It was not until Yun Cuo pulled him back and carefully pulled him into his arms that Xue Huai laughed out loud.
Yun Cuo looked down at him, breathing slightly, his shoulders shaking, and his eyes dark and without any light.
“Xue…”
Yun Cuo seemed to be recognizing him. He suddenly stepped forward, suddenly increased his strength, and hugged him tightly in his arms.
He was so strong that Xue Huai felt like his waist was about to be broken by him, and even breathing became difficult.
At that moment, it was as if one who approached a flame felt the heat. Xue Huai vaguely grasped some of the emotions of the person in front of him at that moment. It was a deep and suffocating despair and relief, as if he had survived a calamity, or as if he had recovered what he had lost.
It was fate that brought them together again. The man who had been abandoned by everyone since birth finally received the favor of destiny.
——Don’t be afraid, your name is Xue Huai, right? I’ll take you home.
Then a timid young man followed him all the way and finally gave him a pair of shoes.
Xue Huai laughed softly.
He stood on tiptoe and hugged the person in front of him back even harder.
He said, “May I ask this gentleman, what is your name, where are you from, and where are you going? Why are you so disrespectful that you rush up to hug me the first time you see me?”
Yun Cuo looked down at him and said softly, “My last name is Yun, name is Cuo. I came from the Xue family in Dongzhou. I want to find someone back and marry him.”
Xue Huai also said, “Then what do you think of me? My name is Xue Huai, and I am waiting for someone to take me back and marry him.”
Outside the window, peach blossoms and snowflakes fluttered together and fell down. The bright sunlight illuminated the two people’s clear eyes.
This is the most suitable first meeting, it feels like old times at first sight, and we regret meeting too late. Because of lovesickness and drunken separation, in the end, on the branches of the moon, flowers fall and water flows, and I meet you again in the attic.
Everything is just right, it’s not too late to meet.
——End of text——