Chapter 18 Separation and Reunion

However, the good times didn't last long. The forces of abundance soon swept through the immortal ship, causing widespread panic.

All the immortal ships were on high alert, united in their fight against the overwhelming army of the bountiful empire.

The situation was sudden; General Teng Xiao recalled you from your leave. Thus, you were forced to separate from Danfeng less than two weeks after your marriage and rushed to the battlefield.

Before you left, Danfeng repeatedly reminded you to be careful.

You smiled and comforted him, telling him it was alright, but deep down you knew how brutal this battle was.

Even though I was reluctant to part with you, Danfeng still watched you board the starship and head to the turbulent battlefield.

As soon as the war broke out, the Dan Ding Division became very busy.

Danfeng was extremely busy, shuttling between the Pill Cauldron Division and Lin Yuan Realm all day long.

Even so, whenever he has time, he will write you a letter to express his longing for you.

You were gone for months without any news. All I heard from the returning Yunqi were reports of the tense situation at the front, which wouldn't end anytime soon.

Unable to bear the longing, Danfeng sought out Bai Heng and Ying Xing, who were still in Luofu, to drink and relieve his boredom.

Whenever they met, he would ask the two of them if they had any news about you, but they would both shake their heads, which made Danfeng even more worried.

"Don't worry, there's still Jing and Jingyuan. She'll definitely be alright," Bai Heng tried his best to comfort Danfeng.

"Bai Heng is right. You should also take care of your health. Don't fall ill before she even gets back." Ying Xing empathized with Dan Feng and patiently advised him.

“…I understand.” Danfeng stared at the peach tree that had already withered, her thoughts drifting back to the day you married him.

That day, the peach blossoms were in full bloom. He welcomed you into his home with a grand wedding procession, presented you with a ring, and confessed his feelings.

He thought that he would live happily ever after with you, but in just over ten days, the situation changed drastically.

His duty compels him to step onto the dangerous battlefield.

He often wondered, if you were just ordinary people, would you be able to live a peaceful and smooth life?

...

The Fengrao people came with great force, and the war lasted for two years before it was finally quelled.

During this time, you also received letters from Danfeng. In his letters, he spoke earnestly, expressing his longing for you and urging you not to linger and to reply to him as soon as possible.

You've missed him terribly after two years apart. You specially wrote several letters and sent them to Lin Yuan Realm to let him know you're safe and sound.

Today is the day you return home. You packed your bags and eagerly boarded the starship to go home.

In this battle, the Cloud Cavalry suffered heavy losses and barely managed to gain the upper hand, achieving a brief period of peace.

Teng Xiao hosted a banquet to welcome you and reward the Yunqi who fought bravely. As a general, it was inconvenient for you to be absent from such an occasion, so you could only cooperate with the general to complete the formalities.

It wasn't until evening that you left the General's Mansion. Looking at the happy men, women, and children on the street, you felt that your efforts were worthwhile.

After inquiring with Bai Heng and learning that Dan Feng was currently at the Dan Ding Division, you immediately rushed there.

Two years have passed, but the Dan Ding Division remains unchanged. Most of the alchemists have already completed their shift changes, with only a small number still diligently performing their duties.

You look around, and your legs unconsciously lead you toward the room you remember.

As you get closer, just as you expected, Danfeng is indeed in the pharmacy.

Looking at Danfeng counting the medicinal herbs, a deep sense of longing quickly welled up in her heart.

You quickly stepped forward and hugged Danfeng from behind around the waist.

"Feng—" As soon as he said that, Danfeng paused in his hand holding the prescription.

He smelled your scent, turned around slowly in disbelief, and froze on the spot the moment he saw you.

Is that you? Is it really you? Or is it just a hallucination?

The person he had been waiting for for two years stood before him with tears in their eyes, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"...Is it you?" After a long pause, he managed to utter a few words with difficulty.

"It's me, I'm back." You stepped forward and hugged him, your deep longing turning into silent tears that fell onto his shoulder.

"My dear wife, I miss you so much." He hugged you tightly, his eyes reddening as he expressed his longing for you.

The prescription in his hand fluttered to the ground. The Dragon Lord, who rarely shed tears, now had tears welling up in his eyes. They were tears of longing for you for two long years.

You two embraced tightly, neither of you speaking, feeling each other's beating hearts and savoring this hard-won reunion.

After a long while, he turned away from you and wiped away his tears. Then he broke free from your embrace and used the handkerchief he always carried to wipe away your tears.

"Was the journey smooth? Were you injured?" he asked about your condition.

"We've temporarily repelled the Fengrao people, and they won't cause too much trouble in the short term." You summarized the current situation simply. "I'm fine, don't worry."

I received your letter and wrote back to you. I wonder if it has arrived yet.

Judging from Danfeng's expression, the letter must have arrived before the person, otherwise he wouldn't have been so surprised.

"It's okay, I'm back anyway." You smiled casually and asked him what he was doing.

"It's just sorting out some medicinal herbs." Danfeng quickly composed himself and tried his best to remain calm.

"Then I'll help you."

"Okay." Danfeng knew your temperament and said no more.

Soon, the two of you finished organizing the medicinal herbs and returned to Lin Yuan Realm hand in hand.

That night, Danfeng kissed your eyebrows and eyes, expressing his longing for you through physical contact.

He held you in his arms all night, his fingers intertwined with yours, fighting off sleep as he traced your features over and over again, wanting to etch your image into his mind forever, so that he would never forget it.

"Madam, Madam." He called you over and over again, afraid that you would disappear without a trace, afraid that this was just a dream he was having, and that he would wake up to find it was all in vain.

"I'm here." You respond to his calls again and again, patting his shoulder to lull him to sleep.

Only by experiencing loss can we truly appreciate what we have.

You only understand this now, and therefore cherish the time you spend alone with Danfeng even more.

You just wish time could slow down so you could have more time to see your sweetheart.

...

37

The temporary truce has given you a chance to catch your breath, allowing you and Danfeng to meet.

However, the task of postwar reconstruction was extremely arduous, and the wounded urgently needed treatment, so you two were busy with your own work and could only meet once a night.

When the immortal ship was in peril, you put the greater good before your own families, contributing your strength to the long-suffering Luofu.

You and Jingyuan were sent by Teng Xiao to comfort the Yunqi and distribute supplies to the Dan Ding Si.

There's a shortage of manpower at Danshi. After you're done, stay here and help out. Let Jingyuan go back and report on his own.

Danfeng has been in a state of utter chaos these past few days. The Chiming were seriously injured, and many Chiming were killed in the war before they could be reincarnated. As a result of the great war, the Chiming population has plummeted.

Meanwhile, many remnants of the alchemist faction lurking within the Dan Ding Division began to stir up trouble. They secretly colluded with the Dragon Master, hoping to use the power of abundance to resurrect the deceased Chi Ming.

Danfeng has been having a headache over this matter for the past few days. It involves many people and requires extreme caution. If not handled properly, he could be accused of being a remnant of the Fengrao clan.

Furthermore, the constant brainwashing by the Dragon Master made Danfeng's already tense mental state even more precarious.

You noticed that Danfeng was acting strangely, but you were too busy to spare a single moment.

To better coordinate with work, you moved back to your original residence, living apart from Danfeng, and not seeing each other for ten days or half a month at a time.

Even the gatherings that the six of you planned to have always fell through and never materialized.

The good times didn't last long. The wealthy people made a comeback, and Luofu, which had only been calm for a few months, was plunged into crisis again.

You will have to go back to the battlefield, for anywhere from a year or two to a few months. With little time to spend together, you'll be too busy taking care of yourself to even think about Danfeng's situation.

Danfeng gradually got used to sleeping and eating alone.

Although you are husband and wife, you only see each other a handful of times throughout the year. Even when you do meet, you only share good news and not bad news, and the two exhausted people find comfort in each other.

Danfeng wore the jade you gave him, hoping to ease his longing for you.

Through the ring's sensory connection, he can sense your inner confusion and unease.

War broke out everywhere, and the air was thick with smoke; this great war seemed to have no end.

He witnessed the hasty burial of the Yun cavalry, their bodies wrapped in horsehide; he heard the anguished cries of the Yun cavalry's families; he saw the orphans, whose lives had been destroyed by the war, weeping loudly…

These things wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been a war.

If there is no death, there is no suffering.

How can he save these people? How can he save the precarious state of Vidyadhara?

If he could bring them back to life, wouldn't that stop the spread of suffering?

Danfeng already had the answer in his heart. He began to secretly study the Dragon Transformation Technique, attempting to transform the deceased into a Vidyadhara and give them a new life.

No one knew his plan, nor did they know that his decision would rewrite his life...