For a long time, Qiao’er no longer stayed within the Guantian Yuan. She traveled with the Taoists of the Hao family to exorcise demons everywhere and commanded her three disciples to distribute grain regularly. Mount Cuiwei and the Guantian Yuan also collaborated several times to subdue monsters; the rift between the two sects seemed to have been smoothed over by these events.
During that time, though disasters plagued the mortal realm, humanity was exceptionally united. In the midst of famine, the elderly left their food for the young, and the young left theirs for the children. Although countless people perished from disease and starvation, the core strength of the race was preserved.
In this post-cataclysmic world, there was no theft, no robbery, and no banditry. Everyone bound themselves together like a single rope to resist these natural disasters that had left even the God Realm in a state of frantic disarray. At night, the sound of weeping could be heard, but after the crying came the wiping of tears and the burying of kin, followed by a more courageous will to live—or to let others live.
Legend says that humans are creatures composed of extreme good and extreme evil. In moments of crisis, the seeds of evil were stripped away; death and sorrow instead stimulated the innate courage and stubbornness within the race’s bones. Without national borders or factions, having discarded selfish desires, cowardice, and fear, whenever a demon appeared, everyone would swarm forward, unafraid of death to protect their own kind.
Souls without sorrow or fear are without flaws. Demons found them difficult to manipulate, and for a time, it was even hard to claim their lives.
Under this tenacious and united resistance, some demons were eliminated by the God Realm and the Taoist sects, while others threw themselves into the Beyond-Heaven seeking protection. The strength of the Beyond-Heaven surged instantly. Yet, after the natural disasters, humanity continued to live and multiply, and the Path of Humanity flourished once more.
The Master of the Beyond-Heaven, its power greatly increased, was not prepared to give the God Realm a chance to catch its breath. The two sides once again faced off at the border of the Demon Realm. The God Realm had the Lord of the Solar Star, while the Beyond-Heaven had added countless ancient fallen gods to its ranks; war was on the verge of breaking out. By then, Guanyin had been released. As a deity who sought to save the world, he was extremely busy when the Path of Humanity was wounded. Facing Qiao’er’s visit, he felt an even greater headache: "Benefactor Gongxi, the first time I fell for your trick, it was my lack of observation; the second time would be my own stupidity. This time, no matter what, I will not take you to the Demon Realm."
However, Qiao’er did not ask to go to the Demon Realm. "Bodhisattva, I have devised a formula that can purify the Hou’s turbid energy. I wish to see him once. If he is willing to use this formula, the war between the God Realm and the Beyond-Heaven can be completely avoided."
This was no small matter. Guanyin immediately reported it to the Heavenly Emperor. The Emperor examined the formula: essence from the holy water of the Celestial Pond, combined with water from Guanyin’s Pure Vase, refined together with Holy Fruit. He sent someone to consult Fan Shaohuang. After reading the formula, Fan Shaohuang merely shook his head. "On the surface, this is a purification formula, but in reality, it is as incompatible with turbid energy as fire is with water. If this formula is used, the Hou will certainly be struck by the righteous energy contained within these holy items. When light and darkness collide, only his body will suffer. Does this girl intend to put him to death?"
The next day, the Heavenly Emperor granted Gongxi special permission to meet with the Master of the Beyond-Heaven.
By the side of the Demon Realm, the Hou saw Qiao’er walking toward him from the divine army. His expression was calm as usual, but in his gaze, it seemed as if all the gods and demons of the heavens had faded away, leaving only her in his sight. She wore a light blue Taoist robe, her long hair tied high, with Shadow-Breaker strapped across her back. Beneath her feet, the Soaring sword-intent over the Wangchuan River was like mist, stretching for miles without end.
Silence. At the banks of the San-tu River where the two armies faced each other, it was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop.
"You were looking for me?" His voice was still gentle, yet it carried a distance that kept people a thousand miles away.
Qiao’er was as gentle as ever. "I want to make one last effort. This formula might purify the turbid energy in your body. Will you try one last time?"
A commotion broke out among the demons behind him. The green-eyed zombie quietly observed her, and after a long while, he lowered his eyes. "And if I refuse?"
Qiao’er looked at him with a smile, her expression unchanging. "I can do nothing. Since we met, all my selfishness and demands have relied solely on your love. Without it, I have nothing left to lean on."
The green-eyed zombie finally met her gaze. After a long moment, he said softly, "I promise you. One last time."
Behind him, the Fiend-Soul Fetus was saying something, but he could not hear it. He only saw her smile, blooming slowly like a spider lily, making heaven and earth lose their color. His voice was extremely low, a sentence spoken to no one else: "You are right. My love is your only reliance. While this love still exists, I grant you anything."
Refining the pill required seven days. The God Realm specially provided a furnace for her, with divine guards stationed outside, changing shifts every hour. Aside from the ingredients on the formula, no items were allowed into the alchemy room.
There were four young boys in the room to control the heat and, incidentally, to monitor the alchemist. Qiao’er did not object.
Guanyin visited twice, looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitating each time.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. The gods placed the pill in a brocade box; to prevent it from being swapped, it was kept by a celestial boy at all times. Heavenly generals escorted Qiao’er and the pill to the edge of the Demon Realm. All the demons of the Beyond-Heaven knelt, disagreeing with the Hou consuming this pill.
But the Hou simply took the silver-white pill from the box. His expression was calm and unruffled. Under the gaze of all the gods and Buddhas, he placed the silver pill into his mouth without the slightest hesitation. Before him, Qiao’er’s voice was very low: "Hou, may I ask one last thing of you?"
Everyone pricked up their ears. Even though her voice was extremely low, how could it be hidden from these deities and demons who had cultivated for thousands of years? The green-eyed zombie swallowed the silver pill and said softly, "Speak."
"Can you reside in the Demon Realm for a period of time? Not for too long—ten years. After ten years, you may continue your imperial ambitions. Whether you want to destroy heaven and earth or overturn the Three Realms, it will be up to you. I will no longer—and of course, I will no longer be able to—interfere." Her smile was too brilliant as the gods and demons watched. "Right now, the God Realm has the Lord of the Solar Star. How could you win?"
Once one entered the Demon Realm, a heavy price had to be paid to leave again. It was a restriction sealed by all Three Realms; even the Hou would not attempt it lightly. The Hou looked at her silently, his voice low like the heavy waters of the Wangchuan: "But ten years later, the Hou will certainly not remember Gongxi."
Qiao’er reached out to touch his face. His brows were faint, but his eyelashes were very long, and his green eyes were like deep autumn pools. Her fingertips brushed across his handsome face, her voice carrying a smile, bright and gentle: "Ten years later, Gongxi will also forget the Hou."
The demons of the Beyond-Heaven clamored. The Hou waved his hand, ordering them to return to the Beyond-Heaven. The Fiend-Soul Fetus tried to dissuade him several times to no avail, finally stomping its foot and leading the demons away. The green-eyed zombie turned to look at Qiao’er, a beautiful smile gracing its lips. Qiao’er could not help but stand on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead. Her voice was very, very low, carrying the shyness of life’s beginning: "I love you, Hou."
He closed his eyes and let her kiss him, responding with equal shyness: "I know."
*Yes, I know. If all you have to rely on is my love, then what is it that I rely on?*
The green-eyed zombie turned and walked toward the Demon Realm—that restriction sealed by the Three Realms, easy to enter but difficult to leave. It was the legendary desolate land for exiled fallen gods and demons. The Demon Realm was devoid of spiritual energy year-round, forcing the gods and demons within to prey upon each other’s flesh and blood to sustain their own power.
He stepped forward, then looked back to smile at Qiao’er. Just as his figure was about to vanish into the Demon Realm, Qiao’er slowly turned her face away, only for him to suddenly reappear before her. "After I leave, what will you do if you have to undergo a divine tribulation to ascend?"
Qiao’er answered in a muffled voice, "Guanyin will help me."
He was reassured and walked toward the Demon Realm’s restriction again, slowly disappearing once more after a while.
The faces of the gods and Buddhas turned grim when, sure enough, he appeared yet again. "I really want to stay a bit longer. Actually, I’m not afraid of the desolation of the Demon Realm, but my heart feels a bit heavy right now. We’ve come all this way; I truly wanted to walk with you until the very end."
Qiao’er turned her face away and teased him with a smile, "Glittering tongue."
He departed again, and Qiao’er watched him once more. After a long while, he appeared again and gently returned Qiao’er’s kiss. His voice was very, very low, also carrying a hint of a smile: "Actually, I love you too. I don’t know what this turbid energy wants me to seek. I’ve cultivated for a long time, but except for you, I’ve never loved anything else. When I’m truly gone, don’t cry."
Qiao’er looked up; his face had actually turned red, and he was hiding his shyness with a smile. He departed again, and she smiled as she watched him for the third time. The wind by the Wangchuan River stirred his silver hair, his sleeves fluttering, leaving a lingering aftertaste like a meeting at the end of the world.
A long time later, when the God Realm began to withdraw its troops, Qiao’er knew he had truly gone into the Demon Realm. Many years ago, when Nüba played this game with her, she thought that ancient goddess of war simply had lingering attachments. Many years later, when the green-eyed zombie played this game with her, she finally understood that the constant turning back was simply because he didn’t want the person seeing him off to be sad.
She stood in that spot for a long time, until the gods and Buddhas had all dispersed and only the sound of the wind remained by the Demon Realm. She was still smiling, her voice very low: "I won’t cry."
*We have come all this way; having relied on and accompanied each other is already enough. I am just an ordinary human. I don’t know where the end of time lies, much less what "forever" means. If, in the end, the path for two people is left for only you to walk, do not cry. If this encounter in a floating life has already surpassed all happy endings, what does it matter if one person or two reaches the end?*
*And so, I do not cry, because you have never truly left. The crystalline brightness moored in my eyes is nothing more than the wind stirring dry branches or waves striking the rocks.*
***
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