Chapter 228 The End I'm already this old, and she…

The sky and earth were shrouded in a dim yellow light, and broken steles stood everywhere.

Jiang Yuhuo walked alone for a long time; strictly speaking, she wandered for a long time.

Once she arrived at this place, she no longer needed to move; she could go anywhere she wanted simply by thinking.

It's as if she's entered a divine realm...

But she didn't see a single god, and she didn't want to stay here, but her mind couldn't find the exit. It seemed like she couldn't get out.

She didn't die, but she was trapped in this place where no one could come to rescue her.

At the same time, she found that her body was changing rapidly. Her feet had turned into claws, and feathers began to grow on her face and body. She would even forget who she was from time to time.

Is this what becoming a god is all about? Degenerating into your most primal form, forgetting who you are…

No, she doesn't want to become a god. She wants to leave this place and return to the human world.

A golden-winged bird started following her at some point.

“Tell me, the exit…” Before she could finish speaking, the bird turned and flew off in another direction. She then realized that in the divine realm, people could communicate without words.

The golden-winged bird perched on a monument, most of which was buried by sandstorms. The inscriptions were illegible, and she had to strain to make out a few words.

"The Divine Realm has been sealed."

Is it true that you can only enter but not exit?

The golden-winged bird gestured for her to continue downwards, saying, "With the combined power of the two gods, we might be able to open a spatial rift."

Two gods? She looked closely and saw that there was another character at the bottom of the text, which seemed to be a signature, a single character signature, but unfortunately the handwriting was too blurry to be recognized at all. She could only see what appeared to be a "woman" on the left.

Where did this senior go? The Divine Realm is deserted. Has she left?

"I'm here."

Connected by consciousness, Jiang Yuhuo looked up at the golden-winged bird on the monument. She had forgotten. Humans who come here degenerate; this golden-winged bird senior must also be a member of the Feather Clan.

The golden-winged bird continued, "I can help you leave."

Help her? Jiang Yuhuo was somewhat taken aback. "Then aren't you leaving, senior? Aren't you going back to see the people you want to see?"

Jiang Yuhuo looked at her and then noticed that she had a pair of incredibly bright golden eyes.

“The gap is only big enough for one person to pass through, so I won’t go any further. As for the person I wanted to see…” the golden-winged bird looked at her, “I have already seen him.”

The eternally silent divine realm was only lively for a moment before returning to nothingness. The golden-winged bird gazed at the departing figure for a long time, wanting to keep her by its side forever, but in the instant their consciousnesses connected, it saw the longing in her heart.

Where the fishing lights on the river cannot be seen, the wind and sand are blown away. Beneath the stone tablet, there is an even clearer inscription—"Si".

*

The fifteenth year of the Tianqi reign of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

A black-clad monk walked into the Zhaoming City Palace without any hindrance.

Everyone in the palace knew this cultivator; he would return to visit His Majesty every year during the Immortal Spirit Festival. Year after year, he did this, and the elders in the palace remembered that this was his sixtieth year. Sixty years had passed; the young His Majesty had become an old man, but this cultivator remained unchanged.

An old palace attendant led the way, frequently turning back. "Immortal Lord Wen, perhaps it's the dryness of autumn, His Majesty has been unwell lately, eating very little. Your arrival is a good opportunity to examine him..."

This monk was very close to His Majesty and was always kind and gentle to the palace servants. When they spoke to him, the palace servants became less reserved.

Wen Yizhan entered the main hall.

The person in the seat of honor raised his eyes, revealing a pair of eyes that exuded authority without anger, and the pupils were the jet black that was inherited by the Ji family.

"Brother Yizhan, you've arrived." Ji Yujing put down her memorial, and the elegant old woman rose to greet her. Palace attendants immediately helped the emperor over, and she said with a smile, "With your arrival, I've aged another year. Sometimes, I truly envy you immortals..."

"Xiao Jing".

Upon hearing the emperor's name being called out directly, all the palace servants immediately bowed their heads respectfully. Only this cultivator dared to use such a title.

"Here you go." The black-clad cultivator ignored His Majesty's reply and simply conjured a mechanical eagle in his hand.

He released his hand, and the eagle made of mechanical puppets took flight without wind.

The palace servants saw the emperor, who had long held a high position and was usually inscrutable, suddenly become very happy. She looked at the circling eagle, her aged eyes sparkling. In the years since her ascension to the throne, she had been ruthless, not only completely annihilating the remnants of the Dayong army but also bringing peace and prosperity to the Great Zhou, which had been devastated by natural disasters and man-made calamities. Zhaoming City was also more prosperous than ever before.

She was already the undisputed restorer of the Great Zhou Dynasty, yet she was as happy as a child because of a flying eagle.

Ji Yujing's gaze drifted into the distance, and she murmured, "That eagle back then, it was so big, my aunt and I could both sit on it..."

All the palace servants were dismissed, leaving only the two of them in the vast palace. Ji Yujing sat back down, looking somewhat tired. Wen Yizhan took her pulse but didn't say much.

“Brother Yizhan, you don’t need to hide it from me. I know I’m about to die.” The aged emperor, disregarding etiquette, slumped on his throne. “I’ve lived for a long time, it’s time for me to go.” She smiled. “If I don’t go soon, my descendants will get impatient…”

Wen Yizhan's face was calm, neither sad nor happy. Over the years, he had traveled abroad, and his temperament had become more and more peaceful. It seemed that nothing could stir his emotions anymore.

He asked, "Is there still a wish you haven't fulfilled?"

Ji Yujing's eyes immediately dimmed.

The hall remained silent for a long time before the aged emperor on the golden throne finally shook his head, "That's all..."

Three days later, late at night, the palace gates of Wen Yizhan's palace were urgently knocked open by palace servants.

The emperor is critically ill.

When he arrived, the emperor, with his hair disheveled and white, sat up from his couch and was ordering the palace servants to help her change her clothes, while the princes and princesses knelt on the ground.

"...I don't want this outfit, I want the bright red one, the one that's so vibrant. Sigh...I just tried it on a few days ago, how come I can't find it?"

"It's that outfit made of Yunluo brocade... Auntie loves seeing me in red the most. She'll be back soon, and that's the best color for me, so I have to find it quickly..."

She muttered to herself, then suddenly rose from the bed. Moments later, as if regaining her strength after several near-fainting spells, the palace servants were terrified and immediately surrounded her cautiously, fearing something might happen to her. The servants knew perfectly well that His Majesty, having aged, had not worn brightly colored clothes for many years. The red dress she spoke of was decades old, long since decayed and vanished.

The palace servants hurriedly found the brightest red robe, but His Majesty wasn't very satisfied with it. He reluctantly put it on anyway. Suddenly, he saw the black-clad swordsman standing behind him and perked up again. "Brother Yizhan, what do you think of this outfit? Will Auntie praise me when she sees it?"

She forgot that the person had long since died; she only remembered that she had promised to come back to see her.

An older palace maid knew which aunt she was referring to, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, secretly wiping away tears.

White hair and a weathered face are not really suited to such bright colors, and the size is also unsuitable.

Wen Yizhan smiled and nodded at her.

Ji Yujing smiled with satisfaction, but the smile quickly froze at the corner of her mouth as she saw herself in the bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror clearly reflected her face in the candlelight, showing her aged, decaying, and frail appearance.

She stared blankly, then reached out and touched it. So she had grown this old… so much time had passed…

The aging and frail ruler of the Great Zhou Dynasty collapsed in the arms of the black-robed cultivator, wailing like a child.

"Brother Yizhan, I'm so old now, why hasn't she come back yet..."

"She promised... she'd be back soon, she promised me..."

Sixty years ago, after the war, she never imagined that it would be the last time she would see him.

The person in his arms was gradually losing their breath, and was on the verge of death. Wen Yizhan held the emaciated person in his arms, feeling endless sorrow in his heart.

He heard her weak apology.

"Auntie...I'm sorry..."

"Xiao Jing... I can't wait for you anymore..."

On a night without stars or moon, the palace bell tolled three times, its sound echoing throughout the entire city of Zhaoming.

...

The Great Zhou Dynasty was in mourning, with the entire city draped in white. The funeral lasted for a full month, and the successor and the people mourned this restorer of the dynasty with the highest honors and rites.

Inside the Temple of the God of War, candles burned for half the night, their wax overflowing and the wicks soaking into them, causing the flames to gradually weaken and threatening to go out. But then a hand deftly removed the wick; that hand was strong and long, covered in calluses from sword wounds, showing no fear of the burning pain.

The fire then blazed back on.

Compared to the historically significant Temple of the Four Gods, this place is small, so the firelight illuminated the only statue in the Temple of the God of War.

His long hair was tied up high, his brows and eyes were sharp, and he held a long sword in front of him. In the hands of the best craftsmen in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the man's face and posture were lifelike.

"Xiao Jing is gone. I thought about it and decided I should tell you..."

Wen Yizhan poured a glass of wine onto the ground, instantly filling the room with the aroma of wine.

“Her soul has gone to the underworld; I watched her cross the River of Oblivion. You know her nature; she'll probably be doing well there.” He paused. “So… if you find that she never comes to see you again, don’t worry.”

"She lived a very good life. I asked her if she had any regrets, and she answered no."

A sigh echoed through the silent Temple of the God of War.

"When she left... she forgot you were gone and cried out that you didn't come back to see her..."

A night breeze blew in, and the candlelight in the room flickered for a moment.

Wen Yizhan sat down against the wall, took a swig of wine from the wine pot, and didn't see the tremor that moment.

"Junior sister...sometimes, I really want to forget..."

He hadn't touched a drink in a long time, but at this moment, he suddenly longed to get completely drunk and have a dream. In the dream, there was no Heavenly Pillar, no Earthly Fire, no calamity, and she didn't perish with her enemy... only Zhenyang Peak, Zhenyang Peak where she and her master were.

However, he could no longer get drunk, and he could no longer return to Zhenyang Peak. After that, he never went back to the empty Zhenyang Peak again.

I cannot go back, I dare not go back.

There was nowhere left for him in the world; he wandered the earth like a lost soul. Only this Temple of the Goddess of War, built by the people to commemorate her, was his final resting place.

But that wasn't actually her.

Wen Yizhan tilted his head back, gazing intently at the high place. The face of the statue, illuminated by the candlelight, remained as solemn and stern as ever for decades.

The world only knows Ji Hongyu, the eldest princess of the Zhou royal family who destroyed Yong with a single sword.

Her astonishing swordsmanship and her monumental achievements that brought about the downfall of a nation... the name Ji Hongyu has been passed down through generations among the people and recorded in history books for millennia. Even though she has vanished, they still build temples in her honor, regarding her as a martial goddess who protects the Great Zhou Dynasty. Little do they know that on the day the sky collapsed and the earth caved in, a person walked alone to the Heavenly Pillar, sacrificing her soul and bones to quell this cataclysmic disaster.

Nobody knows...

No one knows her real name—

River fishing lights.

"Senior brother, please teach me swordsmanship tomorrow."

"Senior brother, I will protect you."

"Senior brother, I have something I must accomplish."

"Senior brother..."

That person is like a flame; once you see her, you want to get close. She can easily burn scars on people's hearts, making them ache terribly whenever they think of her.

This scar will never heal.

"Senior brother."

In the quiet night, a soft female voice drifted into the Temple of the God of War on the night breeze.

Wen Yizhan smiled, knowing he was hallucinating again. He took another sip of wine, hoping to prolong this hallucination.

"Senior brother, it's me."

The voice continued to call to him from behind, accompanied by the sound of something light and fluttering down.

Light as a feather.

Wen Yizhan turned around.

At the entrance of the palace stood a woman dressed in crimson, her toes barely touching the ground, her figure light and graceful, her white hair and golden eyes shining like stars.

"I'm back, senior brother."

Outside the main hall, a white-robed, blue-haired merman stood silently under the eaves, not wanting to disturb the long-separated brother and sister. His gaze remained fixed on the main hall, not allowing that figure to leave his side for even a moment.

Six months ago.

Strange things began to happen frequently in Mingyue Mountain to the south. One after another, the bronze mirrors in the homes of the mountain people disappeared. People could only see their reflections in the water. Those with a little wealth also lost polished mother-of-pearl inlays, silver hairpins, etc. Some people even said that they saw a bird taller than a person playing in the water on the moonlit river at night.

People were filled with fear, and as soon as it got dark, everyone stayed indoors, afraid that the big bird would catch people and eat them.

But not two days later, an immortal arrived at Mingyue Mountain. The immortal had a beautiful and ethereal appearance, and his divine bearing was lofty. His rare blue eyes made people dare not look directly at him.

The immortal asked about the bird's whereabouts.

The mountain people thought they had been saved and hurriedly led the person to the forest where the birds often appeared.

It's actually quite easy for them to find; they just need to see which way the birds like to perch, and that's where the birds are.

When they arrived, the mountain people dared not go any further, watching the immortal's figure disappear into the forest.

There was a rustling sound in the dense forest, and birds chirped in the treetops.

As Jia Yue casually parted the dense branches, she met a pair of golden eyes.

The first moment was one of bewilderment, and the next moment tears streamed down my face.

The winged woman looked at the newcomer's tearful eyes, her wary gaze turning to curiosity. She then extended her sharp claws; the beads inside were translucent and bright. She liked them; she wanted them. Unaware that her other hand was already firmly grasped.

Sharp fingernails landed around the eye socket; with just one more movement, they could pry out that beautiful bead.

Golden eyes peered curiously, a beastly innocence and cruelty.

Jia Yue stared at her without blinking, seemingly oblivious to the sharp claws that could rip out her eyes at any moment, and simply gripped her even tighter.

"Fishing Light, I've found you..."

Even though she was covered in feathers, he recognized her at first glance.

Jiang Yuhuo, he searched for her for sixty years, in the heavens and on the earth, in the mountains and in the waters. He even went to the underworld and ascended to the ninth heaven to ask all the winged people... For sixty years he never gave up, he believed she would come back.

The winged woman suddenly felt that this thing looked better left where it was, so she released his eyes. But he still clung to her tightly. With a mere thought, she repelled him with an invisible force, leaving him severely injured and collapsing to the ground. Divine power in this world is absolute and overwhelming.

But the man who was lying on the ground and unable to get up dared to grab her foot, disregarding her life or death.

"Don't leave... I'll never let you leave again..."

He used all his spiritual power to barely touch her, and could no longer maintain his human form; a fish tail appeared beneath him.

The fish tail shimmered in the morning light, captivating the winged woman's gaze once again. She turned to look at it.

Once I looked back, I couldn't look away.

Do you like this mountain forest?

By the stone pool, Jia Yue sat down beside her, occasionally dipping her brush in water to groom her feathers. The feathered person held a fish scale in her hand, playing with it. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but she felt that the person's hands were very soft, so she let him groom her.

Jia Yue held her close, pulling the soft feather into her arms, and whispered in her ear, "Then let's stay here."

From then on, a courtyard was built deep in the forest of Mingyue Mountain. It had three rooms, just like the courtyard in the former Liyue Village.

When Yu Ren first saw this courtyard, she didn't react much. But ever since she got this place, she never rested in the tree again, and at night she would lie down on the couch in her old spot.

Jia Yue waited for her at the innermost part of the bed, watching her for a whole night.

He learned about the past later, and looking at her now-beast-like body, the thought that she had almost been imprisoned forever in the unreachable realm of the gods filled him with dread. Only when he held her in his arms could he find some peace of mind.

They settled down in the courtyard.

He stayed by her side day and night, never leaving her side, tirelessly removing the impurities from her body. Gradually, she began to change. She no longer instinctively wanted only his eyes and scales; she began to feel remorse for hurting him, and started to kiss him and love him in his own way…

Her animalistic nature is gradually fading away.

Until one morning six months later, he felt warmth on his eyelids, the corners of his lips... a light kiss like a feather brushing against him.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of golden eyes, sparkling and adorable.

With her smooth and beautiful face so close to his, she smiled and said to him, "Xiao Hai, thank you."

Look down.

Overnight, the feathers on the face and body of the person in his arms had completely disappeared, leaving only a pair of wings to cover her equally smooth body.

Her beast form has completely disappeared.

Jia Yue wrapped her arms around her waist, tilted her head back, and kissed her chin and the front of her neck. "Just a thank you?"

"Not enough..."

Far from it.

[End of text]

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Postscript]

The story ends here.

I've finally finished writing this, thank you so much everyone who read this far! Since there aren't many people left, let's do a giveaway!

I often have a lot of feelings when I'm writing, but when it's finally finished, I don't know what to say. I've been writing this story since the end of February, almost 10 months now. 800,000 words in 10 months isn't exactly a prolific writing schedule, but I originally planned to write 500,000 words. I didn't expect it to take so long in the end.

The story was too long, the serialization period was too long, and I think I went off-topic, so many people left along the way. Although some people came back intermittently afterward, after experiencing a wave of people abandoning the story, my first reaction to new readers was: "It's all temporary, you'll leave soon too..." My only belief was that I had to finish the story and give the characters an ending. After writing for 10 months, I've developed feelings for the fictional characters. Each character started as a simple persona, but later I felt they were increasingly alive. It might be a bit sentimental, but sometimes when I couldn't write anymore, I really thought about how Xiao Jiang would comfort me if she were by my side. [Facepalm with laughter and tears][Facepalm with laughter and tears]

When this story first started to gain traction, many people criticized it for abusing the female lead. I was initially very confused because I really, really love Xiao Jiang, and almost all the highlights of the story revolve around her. I wanted to write a story about a female lead who grows and matures, but I didn't expect it to make so many people uncomfortable. It was my first time writing, and I didn't quite get the balance between hardship and angst right. If it weren't for readers saying how angsty it was later, I wouldn't even have thought it was an angsty story; I just thought it was a bit melodramatic... If any readers who were offended by my writing have read this far, I apologize.

Then there's Li Mengbai's storyline, which is a point of contention for many. Similarly, I initially didn't see any problem with it because that's how the character was in the story's premise, and he occupies a significant portion of the narrative. I kept thinking that readers would understand later on, but in reality, nobody read it anymore. Looking at the data now, the scene where Li Mengbai and Xiao Jiang are alone is the biggest reason for readers to abandon the story, but at the time I wasn't aware of the problem. I felt this chapter was well-written, but every update resulted in a drop in favorites, which lasted for a long time. My resolve was shattered… Only recently did I realize that this problem stemmed from the synopsis. The synopsis described it as a two-person story between the male and female leads, but the actual story doesn't follow that. Only Xiao Jiang is the true protagonist; the male characters are just companions for a certain part of her journey. Therefore, several male characters have a lot of screen time, and Yu is the male lead because it was initially set up that Xiao Jiang would end up with him. But this doesn't align with the expectations of the synopsis…

There are just too many problems with the writing to list them all, since the data has already proven them well. But while writing is painful, there are still some joys, especially when some of my little tricks are discovered, like some references to "Lurking," hehe... I also put some thought into the names of the main characters, but it seems no one got it, so I'll just show off a little myself.

First, there's Xiao Jiang, a fishing light on the river, a tiny spark on the dark surface of the river, surrounded by cold, darkness, and strong winds, yet she still burns, just like her personality. People in the surrounding darkness are drawn to her light. The fish represents the moon in the high sky, seemingly bright but actually very cold. The river and the moon, one in the sky and one on the ground, are incredibly distant, yet often paired together as images. The sea is even more so, the sea being the river's final destination. As for Li, Meng Bai is a parody of Zhuangzi's butterfly dream, a neurotic butterfly beauty, seemingly beautiful and fragile, but actually very poisonous. He borrows the habits of a moth, making his instinct to fly into the fire inevitable, so of course, the ending won't be good. The senior brother is a lamp, a warm lamp, a safe place to hold a weak flame. The senior brother is there to hold Xiao Jiang's flame, a kin-like presence to her.

Sigh, although there are many problems, I still really like these people... Filming has wrapped up, I hope you are doing well in another dimension.

That's all for now. In any case, this is the best I can write at the moment.

The following side stories may be updated more slowly. I can only think of two for now: one is a slice-of-life story about Xiao Jiang and Yu, and the other is an "what if" storyline about Li Mengbai.

Then I need to read a lot of books and learn writing methods properly, so I don't just blindly rush into it again.

I hope my writing will be better in the next book. If you're interested, please add my pre-order to your favorites. If not, that's okay too; let's meet again when I've written a better one!