Xie Lian grabbed him and asked in astonishment, "Sanlang?! What's wrong with you?"

Hua Cheng remained calm and said, "It's okay. I just went a little too far."

Xie Lian was stunned when he heard this: "...Why didn't you tell me earlier? How can this be called okay?!"

Mana, that's the mana!

Hua Cheng always gave Xie Lian his magic power, and it always seemed as if it was inexhaustible. He smiled as if he had no burden at all. But that was his own magic power, not sand washed away by the waves. How could it be really inexhaustible?

This wasn't Hua Cheng's fault for not telling him earlier; it was his own fault for not thinking of it sooner. Xie Lian felt regretful and anxious, saying, "I'll give it back to you."

He cupped Hua Cheng's face and kissed him. Feng Xin and Mu Qing had been about to come over, but upon seeing this, they instantly retreated several feet, creating some distance between them and left them there to do what they wanted.

The curse now lifted, he desperately channeled all his available magical power towards Hua Cheng, hoping to help him recover as quickly as possible. However, after kissing him for a long time, he released his kiss and saw that the red sleeves of Hua Cheng's shirt and silver wristbands were still transparent, even translucent!

Xie Lian was stunned for a long moment, feeling panic in his heart. He subconsciously cupped Hua Cheng's face again, ready to kiss him. However, Hua Cheng was quick to act and cupped his face instead, kissing him. He smiled and said, "Although I'm happy that you're so proactive, you still don't have to lend me your magic power. However, if you're not borrowing your magic power and simply want to kiss me, I don't mind at all. The more the better, and you're most welcome."

“…”

Xie Lian clung to him tightly, on the verge of collapse: "What's going on?!"

Hua Cheng said, "Just taking a short break, brother, don't be afraid."

Xie Lian clutched his head and said, "How could I not be scared? I'm going crazy!"

Given Hua Cheng's personality, if the problem wasn't so serious that he couldn't hide it anymore, how could he let Xie Lian see him like this?

Just how much mana was there, enough to explode both curse shackles? It was no exaggeration to say it was as vast as the sea. How could he not be affected at all?

Finally, finally, he finally settled all the mess. He talked it out with Feng Xin and Mu Qing. The curse that had bound him for over eight hundred years was finally broken. He finally confessed everything he had always wanted to confess to Hua Cheng but hadn't dared.

But when he turned around and ran over with a smile on his face, the flower city that greeted him had become like this. How could he not be afraid? He was so scared that he was going crazy!

Feng Xin and Mu Qing sensed something was amiss and called out from afar, "Your Highness? What's wrong?!" They ran a few steps toward him, but for some reason stopped midway, feeling it was unwise to rush closer. Xie Lian was completely oblivious to the others at this moment. He clutched onto Hua Cheng, his heart nearly stopping, terrified. "What should we do?"

Hua Cheng sighed slightly, stretched out his arms, and hugged him again, saying: "Your Highness, I have been watching you."

This was the second time he said this, and his voice was even softer than before. Xie Lian clutched the red shirt on his chest and said blankly, "I know, I know. But... what should I do now?"

Hua Cheng gently combed his messy hair with his slender fingers and said, "Your Highness, do you know why I refuse to leave this world?"

Xie Lian couldn’t understand why Hua Cheng was still so calm. He was trembling with anxiety, but in his bewilderment, he still asked foolishly, “Why?”

Hua Cheng whispered, "Because I have a beloved person still in this world."

Hearing this, Xie Lian was slightly stunned.

He seemed to have heard this sentence somewhere.

Hua Cheng continued, "My sweetheart is a brave nobleman from a wealthy family. He saved my life, and I've looked up to him since I was very young. But I want to catch up with him and become a better and stronger person for him. Although, he probably doesn't even remember me, we haven't even exchanged a few words. I want to protect him."

He stared at Xie Lian and said, "If your dream is to save the world, then my dream is to save you alone."

“…”

Xie Lian, relying on his memory, asked in a trembling voice, “…But…if that happens, you won’t be able to rest in peace…?”

Hua Cheng replied, "I wish to never rest."

Instantly, Xie Lian's breathing stopped. He vaguely heard two voices questioning and answering each other.

"If your loved one knew that you couldn't rest in peace because of them, they would probably feel troubled and guilty."

"Then I won't let him know why I'm leaving."

"You'll know it after you see it often."

"Then I hope he won't find out that I'm protecting him."

That will-o'-the-wisp. The feeble will-o'-the-wisp he'd bought for a few coins on Lantern Festival night. The will-o'-the-wisp that tried to pull him out of the mass grave on a cold winter night. The will-o'-the-wisp that stopped Bai Wuxiang from getting close to the danger. The will-o'-the-wisp that screamed for him when a hundred swords pierced his heart!

Hua Cheng said calmly, "Your Highness, I know everything about you.

"Your bravery, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hatred; your intelligence, your stupidity.

"If possible, I would like you to treat me as a stepping stone, a bridge to be demolished before crossing the river, a corpse to be stepped on when climbing up, a sinner who deserves to be cut into pieces. But I know you won't."

As he spoke, the red maple color on his clothes faded.

Xie Lian held onto him with trembling hands, but he still didn't stop sending him magic power, nor could he stop Hua Cheng's figure from gradually fading.

His eyes were blurred, and he stammered incoherently: "...Okay, don't say anymore, I understand...but, but please don't do this, Sanlang. I...I still borrowed a lot of your magic power and haven't returned it. Also, I haven't finished what I said just now, there's still a lot left. No one has listened to me for years, you will stay, right? You really...don't do this. I can't stand it, Sanlang. I really can't stand it. Twice, twice already! I don't want a third time!!!"

Huacheng has disappeared from this world twice because of him!

Hua Cheng said, "To die fighting for you is my greatest honor."

“…”

This sentence was like a fatal blow. Xie Lian could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes and they burst out.

As if grasping at the last straw, he said, "You said you wouldn't leave."

Hua Cheng said, "All good things must come to an end."

Xie Lian lowered his head deeply, his chest and throat aching so much that he couldn’t speak.

Then, he heard Hua Cheng say above him: "But I will never leave you."

Hearing this, Xie Lian looked up suddenly.

Hua Cheng said to him, "I will come back. Your Highness, believe me."

Although his voice was firm, his pale face began to fade, becoming transparent. Xie Lian reached out, wanting to touch this face, but his fingertips passed through it. He was stunned and looked up again.

Hua Cheng's gaze was gentle yet blazing, his only remaining eye filled with love as he stared at him silently. He seemed to say something, but no sound came out. Xie Lian refused to give up, stretching out his arms and hugging him, wanting to hear clearly.

But before he could use any strength, the person he was hugging and who was hugging him disappeared.

In front of him, Huacheng instantly shattered into thousands of silver butterflies, transforming into a gorgeous star wind that could not be embraced or held.

Xie Lian's arms found nothing, maintaining the embrace, motionless. He didn't know whether he hadn't reacted or was simply unable to move, but he knelt in the dreamlike butterfly formation, eyes wide open.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing below had never expected such a scene to occur. Their faces turned pale and they rushed forward and shouted, "Your Highness!"

Feng Xin was the first to rush over and said, "Why did this happen so suddenly?! Wasn't he fine just now? Is it because of the curse?!"

Mu Qing limped and jumped twice, but couldn't jump up. He looked up and shouted to the silver butterflies, "Blood Rain Tanhua! You must be joking. If you're not dead, come out quickly!"

Of course, the silver butterflies wouldn't answer him. Instead, they flapped their wings and flew off into the sky. Feng Xin reached out to pull Xie Lian, but Xie Lian sat on the ground, unable to get up. Feng Xin didn't know what to do. "Is there anything we can do to help? Do you need mana? Can we save him? What should we do?"

Mu Qing had already seen through something and said, "Forget it, just shut up! There's no need to do anything."

The sky was full of twinkling lights and butterfly wings were shining, just like the first time they met after eight hundred years.

A silver butterfly fluttered past, touching the back of his hand, his cheek, his forehead, and so on, lingering over it with a lingering affection, as if whispering a parting word. Xie Lian blankly stretched out his hand, letting it rest on it.

The silver butterfly seemed overjoyed, flapping its wings and indeed staying for him. But it couldn't stay for long, and soon it was blown away by the wind.

However, where it had stopped, on Xie Lian's third finger, the red line was still bright.

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"Then what?"

"It's over."

"Finished?"

"It's over."

Pei Ming finally couldn't help himself: "No. How could it end here? Even an outsider like me can see that it's not over yet?"

Mu Qing placed a thick stack of account books on the table and said coldly, "This is what I calculated. That's all. I can calculate it again right here. General Pei, please listen carefully: deduct 8.88 million merits, add 6.66 million merits, then add 17.2 million merits, and then deduct..."

Feng Xin said, "Alright, no need to calculate. The number is correct, but there must be a lot missing. Otherwise, it wouldn't add up at all!"

Mu Qing said, "Then it's not my problem. Anyway, I didn't make a mistake. Or you can find someone else to do the calculation. If I had known this, I wouldn't have interfered."

After the destruction of Xianjing, the scattered and devastated priests finally reunited and established a temporary heavenly court on the deserted summit of Mount Taicang. Currently, the priests are enthusiastically discussing the renovation and reconstruction of the new Xianjing.

But, unfortunately, the fire not only burned down the magnificent golden palaces of the priests, leaving them with no choice but to gather on this desolate and broken mountain and rest in makeshift sheds, but also caused all the documents to be burned, with a large number of records disappearing. It has been several days since the matter was settled, and they still can't figure out the details!

Pei Ming had one arm bandaged and hanging around his neck. He touched his chin with his other hand and said, "I don't know if it's my imagination, but Xuan Zhen's tone has been getting more and more sarcastic lately."

Feng Xin said, "Hasn't he always been so sarcastic? Now he's just too lazy to put on a show."

Mu Qing rolled his eyes, and everyone pointed at him: "That's outrageous!"

Mu Qing turned and left. Quan Yizhen was wrapped in bandages, like a human dumpling, with only a head of messy curly hair showing. He said in a vague voice, "What should we do now? Who will decide?"

Everyone looked at each other, coughed, and quietly retreated, no one willing to take on this thankless task. Seeing this, Pei Ming sighed and said, "Ah, if only Lingwen were still here. After all, her work is impeccable. She's got all this mess in her head, so she wouldn't be afraid even if Lingwen Hall burned down. She'll definitely deliver results within a day."

After struggling on this broken mountain for so long, everyone had already thought so in their hearts, but they didn't dare to say it out loud. Seeing someone taking the lead, they all echoed: "Yes!"

"I will never criticize Lingwen Palace for its inefficiency again!"

"I haven't cursed for a long time..."

At this moment, someone outside reported: "Everyone, the Master of Rain has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, all the priests were delighted and took the initiative to go out to greet him. Only Pei Ming had a subtle expression. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but decided not to go out. At this time, another voice said, "Your Highness, you are here too!"