For a short time, there would be no further movement from the Realm Beyond the Heavens. The God Realm was occupied with pacifying the mortal world and stabilizing the Heavenly Dao; for a while, the fires of war were extinguished. Only Guanyin remained suspicious. "Hou clearly consumed that pill, yet he remains unharmed. You have always been renowned for your mastery of alchemy, yet it seems even you have finally miscalculated."
Fan Shaohuang refused to believe it. "Nonsense. That formula was certainly... wait. Can you be sure nothing else was added?"
Guanyin spread his hands. "The Heavenly Emperor sent men to investigate strictly. He is far more cautious than you or I."
The following day, when Qiao’er came to the Observation Court to deliver wine, Fan Shaohuang was struck with horror upon seeing her.
"Stupid!" He used that same word to describe her again.
The young immortal attendant who had been guarding the alchemy lab that day had finally, after much thought, told the immortals investigating the pill: "Perfected Gongxi indeed did not smuggle in any ingredients. However, when she opened the furnace, I do not know if it was the smoke in her eyes, but she shed a single tear."
The Heavenly Emperor found a fragmented record in an ancient book of divine medicine: *The Lover’s Tear, a substance born of the world’s creation, shed only from the most steadfast, sincere, and profound love. Once purified by ten thousand thoughts and blessed by endless immortal fate, it can harmonize all irreconcilable things. After this tear is shed, one shall age a year for every passing day and night.*
Gongxi had made a fool of the God Realm. The Heavenly Emperor was incensed and ordered her captured and cast into Avici Hell. Guanyin, however, disagreed. "Your Majesty, I believe this course of action is unwise. In the eyes of the Three Realms, Hou entered the Demon Path because of Gongxi’s words. In a sense, she has performed a great service for Heaven. If Your Majesty casts his lover into Avici Hell the moment he enters the Demon Path, would it not paint Your Majesty as ungrateful and unjust? In my humble opinion, it would be better to..."
He whispered into the Emperor's ear. After a long silence, the Heavenly Emperor closed his eyes. "Fine, fine. To bicker with a mere girl would make me, the Master of the Three Realms, appear petty. Go."
Qiao’er brewed many more jars of Autumn Dew White at the Observation Court. As she sat by the formation with her knees pulled to her chest, she let out a sigh. "Daoist Fan Shaohuang, if Daoist Fan Shaojing successfully transcends his tribulation, he should be able to free you, right? I just don't know how long it will take. Daoist Fan Shaojing looks like... well, like he still has a very long life ahead of him..."
Fan Shaohuang drank his wine. The woman outside the formation was only in her twenties, yet she now looked to be in her forties. Wrinkles had begun to appear at the corners of her eyes, silver threads were woven into her long hair, and her skin had begun to lose its former vibrant luster.
"Why go to such lengths?" He tossed a pebble from his hand. "Gongxi, is it worth it?"
Outside the formation, she lifted a jar and smiled, offering him a remote toast. "Daoist Fan Shaohuang, you are skilled at divining fate, but everyone’s destiny has variables. The reason the ancient goddess Nüba met such a desolate end was not because it was fated, but simply because no one truly loved her."
Fan Shaohuang stood up, a hint of pain finally entering his voice. "But Qiao’er, if he kept you by his side from the start and pampered you just for this final Lover’s Tear, would you still have no regrets?"
Qiao’er turned to look at him, the smile never fading from her words. "You have lived a long time, Great God Yinglong, but you still do not understand love. Between the people of the world and me, I trust the people. Between the people of the world and him, I trust him."
"Even if he lied to you?"
"Even if he lied to me."
After that, Qiao’er forcibly unraveled the life-binding restriction between herself and Guiche. She then sought out the Daoists of the Hao family. Although Yaoguang’s cultivation had improved, she was still young; Daoist Hao Ren was honest and kind, so she entrusted him to look after the Observation Court. She also instructed Yaoguang that whenever Guanyin was unable to come to the Observation Court to shake the golden leaves, she must remember to deliver wine to Daoist Fan Shaohuang.
She was a meticulous person and arranged everything perfectly. Fan Shaohuang, for his part, found himself at a loss for words—she had studied under him for a significant time; she was capable of divining her own fate.
Two months later, the green-eyed zombie began to violently strike the seal of the Demon Path. He could observe the celestial phenomena, and at some unknown point, Qiao’er’s life star in the night sky had begun to dim. He slammed against the seal again and again, every inch of his flesh feeling as though it were pierced by ten thousand needles and scorched by raging fire. All the demons watched him, but none dared to step forward.
Over these two months, everyone had learned of his strength, his temper, and the consequences of offending him.
With every strike, a thunderous boom echoed through the Demon Path. In his heart, he suddenly thought of Ba. *So, back then, was this how she left the Demon Path?*
His magic power drained away in massive quantities. His indestructible body became like bronze under high heat; he could feel a slow melting, his mind going blank. He simply stared at that dimming star in the sky.
It took him a day and a night to break the seal of the Demon Path. When he finally emerged, he reached for his waist and realized his sachet was missing. He turned back to search the vicinity and unexpectedly re-entered the Demon Path.
All the spectating demons fled—the Master of the Realm Beyond the Heavens had gone mad. Having tasted the agony of breaking the seal, he had turned back into the Demon Path just to find a sachet.
The green-eyed zombie raced frantically toward the Observation Court. Someone from the Underworld tried to stop him, but his strength was severely depleted; it took him a full day just to make his way out. His black robes were soaked with blood and sweat, though the color of the blood was indistinguishable from the fabric.
Fortunately, the sky had not yet brightened when he emerged from the River Lethe. The Observation Court was silent in the night. Winter had arrived, and the sea breeze was cold and biting. He rushed to the small wooden hut, but it was empty. He searched the halls for a while, but Qiao’er was nowhere to be found. As he was about to head down the mountain, he spotted a figure standing by the sea. He ran over, only to find a hundred-year-old woman. Her long hair was like withered autumn grass, her body was terrifyingly thin, her skin was parched and crusty, and her face was a map of deep wrinkles.
She leaned heavily on a staff with her right hand, her eyes clouded and completely devoid of spirit. "Young man, who are you looking for?"
Her voice was hoarse, like the sound of rusted iron scraping together. The green-eyed zombie was covered in bruises, his black robes stained with blood. He clutched the sachet tightly in his hand, his voice frantic. "Where is Qiao’er? Where is Qiao’er?"
The old woman looked at his scarred body. She was missing many teeth, and her breath whistled as she spoke. "You are looking for Perfected Gongxi..." Perhaps due to her age, she spoke very slowly. "She has gone traveling. Before she left, she said she was going to the place where everything began."
She did not look at the green-eyed zombie, occupied with drawing strange patterns in the sand with her staff. The green-eyed zombie did not linger. He turned and left, his steps staggering and slow. In the past, he would never have allowed anyone to see his retreating back.
But now, he was gravely injured. Entering and exiting the Demon Path twice had exhausted his strength, and the life star growing ever weaker in the sky had thrown his mind into chaos.
He ran all the way, blood dripping in his wake. The mountains and seas were vast, cutting off the long gaze behind him. Only spots of blood remained on the beach, soon to be covered by wind and sand.
Once his figure vanished into the distance, only the sound of the tide remained between the sea and sky. The hundred-year-old woman turned back to look at the ancient god Yinglong within the formation. She was smiling. That face, crisscrossed with deep furrows, was devoid of any beauty when she smiled, yet her expression remained as bright as sunshine. "Daoist Fan Shaohuang, do you think Qiao’er’s life was worth it?" By then, the sky was beginning to brighten. The crimson dawn dyed the emerald sea, as brilliant as woven brocade. She sat down tremulously on the beach, her smile growing even more radiant. "Haha, was it worth it?!"
The tears in her eyes reflected the morning glow, clouded like her aged pupils. Amidst her long laughter, her head slowly drooped, and she closed her eyes as if falling into a deep sleep. The red sun leaped from the clouds, bathing the earth in the light of a thousand crimson rays. The emerald sea shimmered with gold; it was a rare, beautiful clear day in winter.
Within the formation, the ancient war god Yinglong did not respond. The person sitting alone in the sea breeze looked peaceful and serene in the morning light. He slowly turned his face away.
The green-eyed zombie searched the ruined temple of the old Daoist Chong Ling and many desolate mountain caves. He searched every dense forest, crying out hoarsely from the mountain peaks: "Qiao’er—!"
The echoes of the mountains rose and fell, calling out for him in layers, but there was no response. In the starry sky, that teetering life star finally fell. He wailed in agony upon the mountain peak, a sound so piercing that all living things were moved.
He did not know how long he stayed on the peak. The morning sun filtered through the treetops, softly caressing him. The larch needles on the mountain floor lay in a thick carpet, and a distant stream flowed happily. The world, awakening from the darkness, lazily opened its eyes, waiting for the winter sun to adorn it. The green-eyed zombie reached out his hand; the light danced and jumped in his palm. He realized he was no longer afraid of the sun.
No one could purify a soul tainted by turbid miasma, so she had washed away the curse of Ba that remained upon him. The curse from the very source of his bloodline had been unraveled; nothing could stop his footsteps now.
Only, ten years later, Hou would no longer remember Gongxi, and Gongxi... would also forget Hou.
*If all you relied upon was my love, then what was it that I relied upon?*
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
情人泪 | Lover's Tear | A miraculous substance born of sincere love, capable of harmonizing conflicting energies at the cost of the shedder's lifespan.
无间地狱 | Avici Hell | Also known as the Infinite Hell, the lowest level of Naraka where suffering is eternal and uninterrupted.
命星 | Life Star | A natal star in Chinese astrology that represents a person's life force and destiny.
浊气 | Turbid Miasma | Foul or chaotic energy/qi, often associated with demons or corruption.
秋露白 | Autumn Dew White | A specific variety of wine mentioned in the text.
冲灵 | Chong Ling | The name of the old Daoist priest from Qiao'er's past.
