Chapter 48 Name [Second Update] "You are the most orthodox celestial being in the Six Realms..."

It all felt like a dream.

The origin of the dream is devoid of bloodshed and sandstorms; the tranquil night, the moonlight like water, the air filled with the delicate fragrance of bamboo, the shadows of flowers, and a beloved man as beautiful as jade.

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips.

There was no lust, nor any scheming.

He was simpler than anything else in the world, innocent and ignorant; he just wanted to kiss her.

He was drawn to her; his heart pounded like a drum, a subtle fragrance wafted through the air, and his gaze was uncontrollably fixed on her alone.

Feeling lost and helpless, I can only follow my instincts—instincts that I don't even understand.

"It's better this way, I'm not your biological brother. Mengmeng, I've long since stopped wanting to be just your brother."

"Mengmeng, I'm sorry. I was rude to you... If you're angry, just hit me or scold me."

He offered a perfunctory explanation.

They are also revealing themselves without realizing it.

“Look at your brother.”

"You've come to see me, do you know how happy I am?"

His eyes and brows were gentle and warm, his gaze serene and full of deep affection.

It wasn't something that came out of nowhere, but rather something that came spontaneously.

“Mengmeng, I can no longer be your brother and sister like before. I will wait for you, but…”

"But you need to think about it seriously, okay?"

True feelings and false intentions, reality and illusion—how much was acting? How much was genuine affection? He himself didn't know.

Perhaps only the moonlight knows that in the beginning of everything, in the origin of countless past events, his true heart was once pure and untainted.

Ah, that pristine beginning.

You can look back, but you can never go back.

...

In the first year after Mu Qingheng's death, the people of the Celestial Clan were wary of the silver-haired man he had summoned before jumping off the cliff, but the Heavenly Emperor appointed him as a clan guest and allowed him to freely enter and leave the Celestial Clan and its subordinate territories.

This person had no demonic energy and had never harmed anyone over the years, so gradually no one paid any attention to him anymore.

The year after Mu Qingheng's death, Mu Luo was appointed as the Regent Princess of the Celestial Clan, overseeing and managing all affairs. She was the popular choice, and the Celestial Clan enjoyed a period of peace and harmony.

In the third year after Mu Qingheng's death, the East Sea was in turmoil and plagued by constant troubles. The clan elders requested Zhongli Wei to regain the throne. After quelling the rebellion, Zhongli Wei led the East Sea to submit to the Heavenly Clan and became a subject of the Heavenly Clan.

Five years after Mu Qingheng's death, Mu Meng went into seclusion to refine the Crimson Heart Pill.

...

***

Two hundred years later.

"I'm speechless. If I had to say who I admire most in the Six Realms, it would definitely be you." Mu Meng pushed open the stone door and walked out of the inner room, immediately seeing Feng Xixue standing outside with a blank expression.

He not only stood at the entrance to her seclusion, but also tied an iron chain around his neck, with the other end of the chain firmly fixed to the stone wall with a seal.

He was exceptionally handsome, with a somewhat ascetic air about him, but Mu Meng found him irritating.

“I’ve told you so many times, don’t stand at my door when I’m in seclusion. And you still look like this,” Mu Meng glanced at the iron chain around his neck, speechless. “This is making things difficult for me. What will people outside think of me?”

Feng Xixue said indifferently, "Why should you care about what outsiders think?"

“But there wouldn’t have been any gossip otherwise. You don’t have to stand in such an obvious place. If you insist on doing it this way, it would be better to stand by the back wall, where it won’t attract so much attention.”

As Mu Meng spoke, he walked out. When he was seven steps away from Feng Xixue, he frowned and took two steps back: "We can't stand this close."

Seeing his expression of chastity, avoiding her like the plague, Mu Meng understood that he had his own set of male virtues to uphold, but she still sneered silently. Just as she was about to speak, she heard him say again:

“Normally I wouldn’t be this close to you, but when you’re in seclusion, your defenses are weak. Your secluded stone palace only has one door, so if there are any outsiders, they will only enter through this door. I live on the edge of Kunlun Realm, which is too far away, so I can only stand here to guard it.”

After Feng Xixue finished speaking, she added in a deep voice, "Just bear with it for a little longer, and you won't have to see me for another hundred years."

Mu Meng was almost laughing in anger. He told her to be patient, but she thought he was the one who was putting up with it. For someone as chaste as him to have a woman as his guard was worse than killing him.

But this person was meticulous in everything he did because of that clue, and he was also very open-minded. He didn't care at all what was said outside that the young prince of the Celestial Clan kept a silver-haired guard dog in his private domain.

Forget it, he's the one being slandered as a dog anyway, and he doesn't care. So she'll just ignore it and go into seclusion as she pleases, letting him do whatever he wants.

Mu Meng walked forward with her hands behind her back, her eyes constantly watching Feng Xixue. Seeing that he kept staring at her as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, she knew what was going on. "Do you want my help again?"

She held up one finger. "I'm happy to help you, but I have one condition—when I come out of here, could you please remove the chain around your neck? You're not crazy anymore, and this isn't your... um... old home. You don't need to keep yourself chained up like this every day."

Feng Xixue thought for a moment, then waved her hand without saying a word, and the iron chain around Ruyu's neck disappeared.

Is this okay?

Mu Meng nodded: "That's great. It looks much better now."

"Then... could you take me to the Ghost Realm?"

“Didn’t we just agree? I’ll take you there once you remove the chain,” Mu Meng smiled. “You don’t need to be so careful. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve helped you. Once is enough, and it’s not a big deal.”

A relieved smile appeared on Feng Xixue's face. After thinking for a moment, she opened her hand, and a section of jet-black chain appeared in her palm: "I'll give it to you. If I suddenly lose my senses on this journey, you can use it to restrain me. You must..."

"Okay, I know," Mu Meng said without being polite, taking the chain and putting it away. "I will keep an eye on you and make sure you don't hurt anyone or take anyone's life. I've memorized it all. This is the sentence I've heard you say the most since I met you."

Feng Xixue watched as Mu Meng packed her things before glancing at her. In the Celestial Clan, Mu Meng was still a young woman who had only recently come of age, but she had experienced so much that she had shed much of her naivety. However, the burdens of her past hadn't remained; instead, they had been tempered and refined, giving her a more carefree and easygoing air.

Sometimes, unintentionally, it can even have a touch of playful mischief.

She's doing very well; she really knows how to treat herself well. Feng Xixue smiled slightly and said, "Thank you."

Mu Meng waved his hand: "Alright, let's go, let's go to the Ghost Realm."

***

In the Ghost Realm, there is a unique flower called the Si'an Flower, which is the best medicine in the Six Realms for strengthening the body and repairing the soul. However, it does not grow freely; it needs to be nourished by spiritual power.

The Ghost Realm opened up trade a long time ago, and people from all six realms can cultivate Si'an Flowers. Depending on the person, they will ask them to pay different prices, and they will also take good care of the flowers until they are in full bloom.

Feng Xixue had long wanted to cultivate a Si'an Flower, but firstly, he had been searching for his lover for a thousand years without finding any trace of her, and if he prepared it too early, it might wither away; secondly, even if he had developed a flesh heart, he was still a member of the demon race, and this flower was pure and holy, which his spiritual power could not cultivate.

He now has a three-hundred-year deadline, and the day he can reunite with his lover is just around the corner. However, he cannot cultivate the Si'an Flower, and because he has set countless bottom lines for himself, he does not want to use force to coerce anyone. He has no other choice but to ask Mu Meng for help.

He originally thought that Mu Meng wouldn't agree to his request because he was a demon, or at least that she would negotiate some terms. But to his surprise, she agreed immediately.

This is the seventh time I've come to the Ghost Realm to water this Si'an flower.

Upon entering the Ghost Realm, Feng Xixue looked around at the cold, gloomy stone walls, nodded once more, and whispered, "Thank you so much for condescending to come to this chilly place..."

Mu Meng quickly raised her hand to stop him: "Don't thank me anymore. Sigh—I don't know if it's because you're much older than me and therefore a bit forgetful, but you've already said that eight times."

She knew that Feng Xixue would become a completely different person when it came to matters related to his lover—she even felt that every time she personally set foot in the Ghost Realm, Feng Xixue was so grateful that he wanted to kneel down before her.

His demeanor was completely different from that of someone who chained himself to the doorway yet still looked down on others with arrogance.

Cultivating the Si'an Flower was something Mu Mengzhen felt was just a simple task, not difficult at all, and didn't require much effort. Besides, given her status, the Ghost King wouldn't dare to make unreasonable demands of her.

Just then, she looked up and saw the Ghost King personally coming out to greet her: "Mengmeng, you little ingrate, it's been so long since you've come. But don't worry, I've always taken the best care of your flower."

Ghost King Lu Zhaoxin, a thousand-year-old scourge who stood out from the twelve kings of the ghost realm five hundred years ago, ruled strictly. Since taking over as Ghost King, the human and ghost realms have been peaceful and harmonious, except that the human is a bit frivolous.

His clothes were a fiery red, adorned with shimmering gold tassels on his chest and embroidered with subtle gold patterns on the hem. Yet, they did not appear gaudy; instead, they accentuated his handsome and dashing appearance, adding a touch of brightness to the chilly ghost realm.

Mu Meng gave a slight smile. "Lu Zhaoxin, lead the way. I need to go take care of my flowers."

Given their interactions, they shouldn't have been so intimate. He should have addressed her respectfully as "Your Highness," and she should have addressed him with a distant and polite "Lord Ghost King." But Lu Zhaoxin was naturally outgoing, and even after Mu Meng corrected him twice, he wouldn't change, so she had no choice but to let him be.

The two of them walked outside, and Feng Xixue subconsciously followed.

Lu Zhaoxin cleared his throat and glanced at him: "What are you doing? This flower can only be viewed by the grower. If outsiders see it, it might wither and ruin Mengmeng's flower. Can you take responsibility for that?"

Having served as a guard for a long time, and with his longing for her, he valued this flower highly and forgot about it for a moment. He stopped and bowed his head to apologize.

Mu Meng nodded to him: "You just wait here. Don't worry, there won't be any problems."

Lu Zhaoxin sighed softly, "He really is a loyal silver-haired watchdog."

"What did you say?"

"No, Mengmeng, this way please."

Upon arriving at the flower bed, Mu Meng glanced at the Si'an flower she had been tending from afar—its blossoms were full, its branches and leaves lush, and it was indeed growing quite well.

However, it seems to be growing too well. "Judging from the appearance of this flower, it looks like it will bloom prematurely, before it even reaches three hundred years."

Lu Zhaoxin grinned and said, "That's nothing. Once this flower blooms, it won't wither as long as it doesn't leave this land of the Ghost Realm. Mengmeng, you can come and get it whenever you want."

That's good. Mu Meng nodded. She was already very familiar with how to care for this flower and completed the task without Lu Zhaoxin's guidance.

After infusing the spiritual energy, Mu Meng thought for a moment and then asked, "By the way, did you take the time to look through Yu Sheng's Book of Reincarnation? Did you still not find any trace of it?"

"Of course I looked through it, and I looked through it carefully. How could I not take your instructions seriously?"

Lu Zhaoxin sat casually by the flower bed, patted his thigh, and said, "It's strange, really. Under my rule, I haven't been able to find a single reincarnated human."

Among the six realms, the human realm and the ghost realm have the deepest connection. The two realms alternate in reincarnation and are deeply intertwined. However, all reincarnations are controlled by the Ghost King. Logically speaking, it should not be difficult to find an ordinary human girl.

But no matter how hard they searched, they couldn't find it. Lu Zhaoxin also found it strange. "Mengmeng, are you sure you're not mistaken? Is this person really human?"

Right? Feng Xixue said she was human. How could he, the number one Demon Envoy of the Demon Realm, not be able to recognize her clan?

"It's alright, forget about that place. It's fine if we can't find it right away. We'll deal with it when I have a clue later."

Well, it's just a question anyway. If there's a result, great. If not, there's no need to worry. Just wait patiently for the three hundred years to pass.

“Okay, as long as you have a clue, that will make things much easier. I promise to find the person for you right away.”

After Lu Zhaoxin finished speaking, he suddenly looked Mu Meng up and down, and disdainfully lifted her sleeve with two fingers: "What kind of taste do you have? It's so plain. You should wear something nicer."

Mu Meng yanked his sleeve back and kicked him in the knee: "Mind your own business. The tastes of the Heavenly Realm and the Ghost Realm are different. Unless it's an important occasion, who would dress like you every day? I'm leaving. Take good care of my flowers."

Lu Zhaoxin laughed heartily, watching Mu Mengqing's retreating figure. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and loudly instructed, "Mengmeng, remember that the seventh and eighth times are closely linked. The next time is the eighth time you water the spiritual energy. You must come back here after fifty-six days, otherwise there will be something wrong with the Si'an Flower!"

Mu Meng turned around and smiled: "I understand!"

After bidding farewell to Lu Zhaoxin, on the way back, Mu Meng asked Feng Xixue, "Could it be that Miss Yu Sheng is not human? Perhaps she belongs to a branch of another race and went to the human realm to undergo tribulation for some reason?"

She knew that Feng Xixue was suffering, and who knew what might happen in the cycle of reincarnation? Perhaps her soul would become weaker and weaker. Wouldn't it be better to find someone sooner?

Feng Xixue remained silent for a moment, a hint of worry in her eyes: "Of course it's possible. I've been searching for a thousand years and have considered this possibility. But if that's really the case, finding her would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, with very little effect."

That is indeed true.

In the Six Realms, apart from the Ghost Realm and the Human Realm which have a comprehensive and detailed Book of Reincarnation, the other realms have countless clans, branches, and alien races of all kinds. Even the smallest households have their own Book of Reincarnation. Once reincarnation occurs, things become even more chaotic. Add to that the mistakes, confusions, and losses, and it's truly difficult to find one in the vast Six Realms.

But... if Miss Yu Sheng wasn't a pure human, but rather someone who had undergone tribulation, wouldn't Feng Xixue have noticed? Mu Meng couldn't help but ask further, "What exactly happened back then? Can you still recall any clues about Miss Yu Sheng's identity?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Feng Xixue paused in her steps.

It was almost visibly as his face drained of color, his lips trembled, and he slowly reached out to clutch his heart.

His appearance was exactly the same as when he was consumed by longing every few days. Mu Meng had seen it before, and she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." She really didn't mean it; she had only meant to help him find someone, but she didn't expect that her words would elicit such a strong reaction from him.

"It's nothing, it's my own fault," Feng Xixue shook her head and said softly.

After the excruciating pain subsided somewhat, his expression was still mixed with shame and pity as he stared blankly into the void ahead: "I have no face to mention what happened before. I am sorry to her. At that time, I was young and in love, and I only knew how to take and demand, but I did not pay attention to the details. Now... I can only add to my regret."

Seeing his pain, Mu Meng paused for a moment and said, "But it's alright. Fortunately, the future is promising. You will eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel."

After speaking, Mu Meng suddenly pursed his lips and his eyes shifted slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

Feng Xixue glanced at her, her mind clear: "Don't worry, he won't lie to me." The person in question had also suffered greatly from the heart-wrenching pain. In the end, they were truly kindred spirits who shared the same fate and understood each other's hearts.

Mu Meng, having his thoughts read, cleared his throat and smiled slightly: "That's good."

The past cannot be retrieved, so let's leave those words aside. Mu Meng changed the subject: "By the way, I need to go back to the Celestial Clan. Are you coming with me, or returning to Kunlun Realm?"

Because it was inconvenient for the Celestial Clan to cultivate in seclusion, the Heavenly Emperor bestowed the Kunlun Realm upon Mu Meng many years ago. After she had her own private realm, Feng Xixue lived on the edge of the Kunlun Realm and rarely set foot in the Celestial Clan.

“I will go with you. The young master’s New Year’s gift will be coming soon, and I should go and offer my congratulations.”

Mu Meng raised an eyebrow at him slightly, then smiled: "It's rare that you actually remembered that my little nephew's New Year's gift is coming soon." She clasped her hands in a serious manner, "Thank you very much. It's quite impressive that you can keep something else on your mind."

Feng Xixue curled her lips and said in a low voice, "The King of Donghai knelt outside the Princess's door for nearly a hundred years before the Lady turned back. I used to feel sorry for him, but now that he has a perfect life, I envy him and only hope that I can be like him in the future."

He lowered his eyes, his dark pupils deep and unfathomable.

The King of Donghai was much luckier than him, but he was much luckier than Mu Qingheng.

...

In the serene bamboo grove, there is a simple thatched cottage.

An elderly man with white hair slowly entered the room, carrying a bowl of dark soup. He walked unsteadily to the bedside and looked down at the man lying on the bed with his eyes closed.

This person should have been extremely handsome and unparalleled in appearance, but there were several sharp marks on his face, and they did not seem to have been caused by swords or knives; the wounds looked too blunt.

These scars covering his face diminished his perfect handsomeness, adding a sense of brokenness, like shattered jade.

Even so, one can tell from his picturesque eyebrows and eyes, and his beautifully defined jawline, that he is still a man of unparalleled elegance.

Without a word, the old man dipped his finger into the dark soup, then hovered it above the man's cheek, black energy slowly emanating from his fingertip and seeping into the man's brow.

After finishing, he frowned and looked him up and down for a while. After waiting for a long time, he scratched his head in confusion and said, "Hiss—it's time to wake up..."

"Hiss—" The old man leaned closer, puzzled, to take a closer look.

Before he could even finish exhaling, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.

The old man nearly dropped the bowl in his hand. He whirled around and patted his chest. "I told you it was time to wake up. Humph, sure enough..."

He put the bowl aside, sat leisurely on the bamboo chair opposite him, and looked at him with a forced smile: "I know you must have many questions in your heart, but there's no need to doubt it, you are indeed not dead. My name is Gui Chengzi, and I saved your life. As for... the injury to your tongue, I have already thought of a way to fix it, you can try to speak, but as for your legs, I really can't do anything about it."

As Gui Chengzi spoke, he glanced at the man—he was covered with a thin sheet, and it was clear that the man's left knee was empty.

"But you don't need to worry too much. After all, it's a miracle that you survived. You're lucky to have fallen off the Endless Cliff and landed here with me. But your leg—it wasn't so lucky. Two hundred years have passed, and it's long gone."

After rambling on for so long, he belatedly realized that although the person had woken up, he hadn't said a single word yet.

No, not only did he not speak, he didn't even move, didn't show any sign of relief, and didn't even blink once.

Gui Chengzi found it strange, reached out and probed the air, his face darkening: "Hey, you're alive now, stop pretending to be dead. I still have questions to ask you."

His tone was rather unfriendly. "Do you think I'm some kind of philanthropist who would lend a hand to anyone who falls down? If I weren't suspicious, I would have kicked you down the moment I saw you."

He cleared his throat with his hands in his pockets, his tone rather impolite: "Hey, what's your name?"

The man finally reacted. He propped himself up with his hands and slowly sat up, his dark eyes devoid of any light as he stared silently at the person opposite him.

A thought suddenly popped into the old man's mind: I'm afraid even the dead don't have such a desperate aura of death on them.

Just when I thought he wouldn't speak, he slowly opened his lips and began to speak, but his voice was low and hoarse, like tearing silk, extremely unpleasant to hear.

“My lowly name is not worth mentioning. I am the son of a demon, whose crimes are monstrous. I am ashamed that you have saved me. I hope you will kill me with your sword to uphold the righteous law of the world.”

The old man listened with a frown, his face expressionless for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh: "I told you, don't think that just because I saved you I'm some kind of saint. I don't like people who give irrelevant answers. I asked you what your name is, and you just need to answer immediately."

After waiting for a long time, apart from sensing the increasingly strong aura of wanting to die from the other party, there was no other intention to answer his questions.

"Alright, it seems you don't know me very well." Gui Chengzi smiled, then suddenly flicked his hand, sending out several transparent, almost ethereal threads. He firmly controlled one end with one hand, while the other end quickly wrapped around the man's thin, pale wrist, abruptly lifting his hand into the air.

"I'll ask you one more time. If you don't hit me, I'll cut off one of your fingers."

"May I have your name?"

After a moment of silence, Gui Chengzi and Gui Hao raised their hands without hesitation. A thin light flashed, and the man's little finger landed on the ground.

"May I have your name?"

A moment later, the man's ring finger fell to the ground.

Gui Chengzi felt extremely ashamed—not to mention answering, even his screams, groans, and breathing seemed nonexistent.

This person doesn't care about death, so why would they care about a few fingers? Gui Chengzi thought for a moment, then put away the silk threads: "Don't think I can't do anything to you just because you have no will to live. If you don't answer my questions honestly, I'll take care of the person you're thinking of—"

He extended his hand and said, "Please come and be my guest."

Gui Chengzi watched with satisfaction as the man's long eyelashes trembled slightly, a crack finally appearing in his expression. He then asked again, "What's your name?"

Before he could answer, he immediately added, "Tell the truth. You were supposed to die, but since you've been given the chance to be reborn, you can't start your new life by lying."

The man remained silent for a while before finally speaking.

"My original name was Mu Heng. Later, I was adopted by someone. Since the men in their family were ranked according to the water element, they went to great lengths to add a character to my name, so I became Mu Qingheng."

Who will adopt them?

"Demons."

Gui Chengzi shook his head: "No. You're lying."

Mu Qingheng did not react at all, as if he had answered the question and therefore did not need to give any further response.

“When I saved you, I already examined your bloodline. You claimed to be a demon and even asked to die… Hmph, the demonic energy on you might fool others, but forget about fooling me. Your bloodline is clearly that of a child of the Celestial Clan.”

He scratched his head, emphasized, and repeated: "Both the legitimate heir and the eldest, he is the most orthodox celestial bloodline in the Six Realms."

Mu Qingheng remained silent and made no movement, but a slight tremor flickered deep within his dark pupils.

Gui Chengzi chuckled: "Didn't expect that, did you? I actually know your secrets. But it's nothing, who is born to stay in this gutter and rat hole?"

He hummed twice, as if sighing or questioning, "The Heavenly Emperor of the Celestial Clan, his Heavenly Empress passed away after giving birth to his beloved son. His only legitimate eldest son should be an extremely noble person in the Six Realms, how could he be... um—"

He held up one finger and pointed it up and down at Mu Qingheng, "—How do you look now?"