Chapter 224 The Rift She had to leave.

The betrayal finally came.

Roots intertwined, binding memories. She heard the Rain Master telling the Moon Goddess and the others about her story with that human each time she returned, and saw a flock of divine birds behind the Moon Goddess, including herself from her past life, chasing and playing.

The happier you are, the more your heart rises, until it reaches your throat.

The final act.

Consciousness returned from the drifting leaves, pollen, and roots, overlapping with the tree once more. There were still two figures, one dressed in bamboo green, the other clad in silver armor, their swords gleaming coldly. They stood amidst the fragrant blossoms, their faces grim, their eyes flashing with icy light.

Taiyin Jun brandished her silver sword and said, "Jianbing." She hadn't called her that in a long time. That day, after the dance, she called Jianbing Jun "Little Cat" one moment and "Mountain Lord" the next, so affectionately.

She continued, "If the verdict is withdrawn now, we can still reconcile."

judgment……

Shen Lixia heard herself sigh inwardly.

What story of the Rain Master, what tale of fortune and misfortune? From beginning to end, it was all misfortune.

The words of the military supervisor were not unintentional, but a warning of an impending storm. As a divine bird, the Rain Master's knowledge of humanity also originated from the higher gods. She was undeniably innocent and generous, imparting all her knowledge. The boy brought back this knowledge, enlightening the tribe—helping them understand destiny and reason, as if dispelling a layer of hidden mist from the idols. Afterwards, some gods, losing their followers, gradually declined. The word spread like wildfire, and some began to think that gods were no longer so great.

Even worse, some people made despicable statements: "It's harder to be a human than a god. Gods rise from the ground, while humans plant a few crops and work hard for half a year."

As someone living in the present day, Shen Lixia understands that the trend of gods distancing themselves from humans is inevitable. Those lesser gods who lost their followers and were forced to live aimlessly and idly in Youdu back then didn't think so. But they endured it.

The real turning point came when people started creating their own gods.

In this world, who among those with spirituality hasn't cultivated their spiritual energy and wielded the power of creation? Looking across the land, there are only three: the Heavenly Dao, the Lord of the Moon, and the Lord of Lingguang. The gods they created were worshipped, and one day, they were actually elevated to the Netherworld.

It was immediately annihilated. Then, the overseer, the military governor, came to punish it, and after much back and forth, the little divine bird that had initially imparted knowledge of the gods to humanity was taken away. The followers of the false god were suppressed beneath a mountain by the enraged supreme god, forced to atone for their sins for a thousand years.

Lord Taiyin was naturally dissatisfied with this outcome.

Their supposed second meeting was arranged because she wanted her elder sister to see the magnificent scenery of Kunlun Mountain. Now, the two of them are facing each other, the air almost frozen, how could they possibly have a pleasant conversation?

The military supervisor said coldly, "You really know how to cause me trouble. I warned you last time, but it was like talking to a brick wall. It's one thing if you're alone, but Ling Guang is the same; you've led him to become lawless."

A sharp sword light slashed down, but the woman didn't even raise her hand before the light dissipated. The Moon Lord's face turned ashen, and in silence, he pointed his sword at her again.

"If I hadn't smoothed things over for you..."

"Who told you to settle things for me? And who told you to distort the truth?!" the young man roared. "The fault lies with me for not managing things properly, but you banished the entire tribe and forced them to cripple themselves. What are your intentions?!"

The warden pressed his hand to his brow: "A supreme god rushes to the judgment platform, confesses in front of everyone, admitting that he has blasphemed the Heavenly Way and destroyed the faith of all the gods. How wise is that? If I hadn't tried my best to protect you, you would be just like that false god, obliterated and despised! Mother wouldn't even let you have it so easy. She would probably suppress you under the Netherworld, never to see the light of day again! Is this what you wanted, Taiyin? You are no longer a child!"

"Then why don't you just support me? Why can I impart knowledge, but they have to be punished? I confess my guilt for the sake of justice. If you truly care about me, why don't you first admit that I did something wrong, and then come to my aid when I make amends to others? You hypocritical scoundrel!"

The military supervisor frowned, veins bulging on his forehead, and said in a deep voice, "This is exactly what I wanted to tell you: you have abused your power, and I have tolerated it for too long. After the verdict is implemented, you will come back to Youdu with me. Xuanming thinks so too. Let this mountain be left to grow wild."

Taiyin Jun took a deep breath, raised his sword, and said, "I will defeat you and prove you wrong."

A flash of light, and the two blades clashed.

Before her, the woman who had drawn her sword sneered, "Is that so? Don't forget, I've been letting you have your way all along." She advanced step by step, her sword flashing, unstoppable. Moments later, the young man's face turned pale, cold sweat poured down his face, and he bit his lip tightly, stubbornly parrying her sword. Anyone could see that she was about to give in; the sound of clashing weapons grew louder, and the force of each falling blade became increasingly heavy.

A dazzling silver light, a resounding clang.

The military supervisor slowly said, "Look, look, it's Taiyin."

She flicked the tip of her knife.

"Look closely—you can never beat me!"

The sword spun in the air before falling to the ground. Taiyin Jun's wrist trembled, and she breathed softly. Her expression held a pain Shen Lixia had never seen before. Great joy and great sorrow had both been consumed by the person before her.

With a sweep of his longsword, the fierce blade shattered the grass. Flower branches scattered in disarray.

“Utterly foolish. Let’s go, take Ling Guang back with us.” The military commander finished speaking and turned away. The person behind him remained silent for a moment, prompting her to ask again, “Taiyin?”

Just as I was about to turn around, another cold light flashed.

It was a sword, nearly piercing her abdomen, its killing intent palpable. A god, of course, wouldn't die, but she had indeed enraged her. The overseer's gaze was icy, and he clenched his fist tightly in a sinister manner.

With a crisp sound, the sword broke.

Blood gushed from her palm as she suddenly thrust out a knife. A pain a thousand times worse than her own was returned to the young man before her. The knife pierced her chest even faster than she could react, leaving her so stunned that she didn't even utter a sound before choking on a mouthful of blood.

The soldier drew his sword. With a splash, drops of blood splattered onto the ground.

She shook her head. Sheathing her long sword, she picked up the young man whose clothes were stained red, sighed again, ignoring his faint murmurs, and whispered, "I've really spoiled you all."

The bright red blood trembled and dripped onto the grass, winding into a path of blood.

It hurts so much.

It hurts her no matter who gets hurt. They are each other's only family in this world, and any wound they inflict will cause her pain as well.

Shen Lixia couldn't feel the moisture, yet she knew her heart was weeping. Inside this tree, there was nothing she could do. Perhaps their fate of mutual destruction was sealed at this moment. She heard the Moon Goddess frowning, struggling to utter a few words:

"Never...again..."

Those warm fingertips turned pale.

"I forgive you."

Rain Master was punished, of course. To protect her, her people voluntarily exiled to a desolate place. The Moon God found them a slightly better place.

The birds were deeply grateful, but they also pleaded with her not to argue for them anymore.

The young man, whose sickly appearance still lingered between his brows, seemed to have finally had one of his pride broken, and silently nodded.

The punished divine bird was scarred and its wings had long lost their luster. She begged to return and see her friend one last time, only to learn that the friend had also been ostracized by their own kind because of this incident and had died in despair. She circled and cried out above the tomb, her mournful song filled with blood.

Three days and three nights.

When the clansmen went to check again, she was lifeless, kneeling before the grave with tears streaming down her face. They buried her there, alongside her first and last friend.

The vegetation grew wildly and unruly once again.

At that time, she was still Ling Guang and knew nothing about any of this. Her elder sister and the others had protected her too well.

All she knew was that the Moonbird was leaving, so she stood guard in an open area on the mountain, watching the procession depart. She heard the mournful cry of the Rain Master, echoing through the sky.

Her consciousness returned to Ling Guangjun's body, and she heard staggering footsteps behind her. Shen Lixia turned around and suddenly realized that she was no longer bound by the past. A weak young man stood behind her, his lips pale and his body faintly smelling of bitter herbs. Upon seeing Shen Lixia, he gently smiled, maintaining an appearance that seemed unchanged before her eyes.

But what hasn't changed? Everything has changed. The Imperial Guard returned in triumph, the criminals were punished, and they were safe and sound. Only one thing has vanished from the heart of the Moon Goddess.

Shen Lixia knew that it was after this incident that she stopped liking to go back to Youdu.

At that moment, the Moon Goddess smiled and softly called to her, "Little bird. Come back with your older sister. The Winter Festival in the human world is coming soon, and everyone is preparing for the feast. They're even planning to disguise themselves and go out to play..."

The Four Seasons Festival is a celebration for the four spirits. Four seats are set up, two for civil officials and two for military officials. The civil officials compose poems, while the military officials perform martial arts. Finally, wine is passed around and riddles are guessed, all to wish for harmony among the four spirits, abundant harvests, and blessings from the gods. After the festival, the spring festival is celebrated with the largest banner of the Moon Goddess, and the most lanterns are lit for her; the winter festival, naturally, is celebrated with the Guardian of Soldiers. She remembered a huge, imposing statue of the deity. Back then, the Moon Goddess had taken her inside to play, and had drawn six cat whiskers on the statue's majestic face.

Of course, they also lit a lamp for her.

After the argument, the Moon Goddess was clearly unwilling to go any further. However, the playful children beneath her couldn't bear to part with her, so she insisted on accompanying them.

The Moon Goddess took her hand. An unusual fragrance grew stronger and stronger, overpowering the bitter herbal scent emanating from her elder sister. Shen Lixia took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, sister." She took a step back, tears streaming down her face. "I can't go back with you."

She had too much to do. She needed to remember the anger and pain of the person before her. If she indulged in illusion, who would avenge her? The rustling of intertwined tree roots grew closer. She had to go.

Even though she knew it was an illusion, she still choked up, stood still, her gaze fixed inch by inch, wanting to remember her face and never forget it again.

The Moon Goddess paused for a moment, then smiled. Her eyes were filled with a gentle light.

"Fly, little bird," she said. "My little bird, fly onward without hesitation."

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Author's Note: I've been rushing to finish the story lately.

I want to finish this quickly. I'm praying someone will grant me the speed and inspiration to write 6,000 words a day.