Unaware of the world for three hundred years 2

The melody faded, and the organ fell silent.

Tears welled up in Huaiwen's eyes. She looked at the pale water lilies, then at Bai Bumian, and then at the man's body as it sank into the water and disappeared without a trace.

How could Huaiwen feel at ease knowing that he had sacrificed his life for her own safety? Clutching her aching chest, she suddenly collapsed to her knees by the pool, her strength failing her.

Bai Bumian went over to help her up: "What's wrong, Huaiwen?"

Huaiwen was speechless and choked with emotion. It took her a long time to recover. She gripped Bai Bumian's hand tightly and said calmly, "I want to activate the Rewind Technique."

Bai Bumian exclaimed in surprise as he shook his head, urging Huaiwen to calm down.

“I need to know what happened. I can’t live like this without knowing the truth, and let others die in my place,” Huaiwen said. “I can’t be ignorant of these three hundred years.”

Bai Bumian knew he couldn't dissuade him, so he could only say, "Are you sure? With the Rewind Technique, once a wisp of soul is given away, it may not be able to be retrieved. Then you might end up like your master."

Huaiwen chuckled: "The great way of the world is not just for me to escape punishment. You have to pay the price for what you want. I am willing to accept whatever happens."

Bai Bumian exclaimed, "Since there is a great path, then I will lend you a hand. Huaiwen, I will surely protect you and bring you back safely."

With that in mind, everything is ready, and the technique of rewinding should be used immediately.

Huaiwen extracted a wisp of her soul. She gazed at the wisp of soul, which shone with golden light and was placed in the air. She used the mountains and forests as a vessel, offered her soul as a sacrifice, consecrated it with her blood, and paid for it with her life.

"In the beginning of chaos, the Dao was born in pairs. With the power of the gods, I unravel the past. I transform into the void, offering my soul as a divine sacrifice. I trace back through the abyss, opening the ethereal Heavenly Eye."

As the incantation was recited, Huaiwen shone with golden light, and the surroundings began to quiet down. Gradually, the water stopped flowing, the trees stopped swaying, the people stopped moving, and everything became still.

A vortex appeared high in the sky. Huaiwen spread his arms and flew towards the vortex, entering it without looking back.

The portal to time and space, leading back to the past, is now open.

If time were to rewind three hundred years, when Canglun's token was returned to the God Realm, the fate of Xu Jing and his group was already decided.

When Fu Lin arrived at the Void Mirror, Xuan Ye had already severely injured all the officials, leaving them crippled and barely clinging to life. Zhen Li and the other officials descended and took them back. Fu Lin, on the orders of the Heavenly Lord, came here to purify them.

The illusory mirror was in complete disarray. Fu Lin personally buried Bai Yuqi in the illusory realm and purified it to prevent Bai Yuqi from following Pei Suqin's old path and becoming a vengeful ghost.

For thousands of years, the illusory realm was completely pierced by light, leaving him feeling lost and forlorn. How could he repeat the same mistakes? He couldn't repeat them.

Fu Lin stood in the light and shadow, quietly sensing the illusory realm. Once the arrow was released, there was no turning back; he knew very well what he wanted.

As Fulan cast her spell, a net that had enveloped the entire illusory realm began to shrink, becoming smaller and smaller. Then, Fulan conjured a small water lily emitting multicolored light. The budding water lily absorbed the enormous net.

Fu Lin placed the water lily in her palm: "A-Jun, your master wants to give you a new life."

Having said all he had to say, Fu Lin left the Void Realm. He did not return to Fengqin Mountain, but instead took Huai Wen to the place where the ancient war god ascended to heaven. There, in the desert where no one approached, he planted water lilies.

Watching the water lily take root in the earth, grow with all its might, and finally hide away, Fu Lin set up a protective barrier here, keeping everything secluded from the world, before leaving.

When Fu Lin arrived at the transvestite center, Liu Min was already bedridden, with Uncle Li and Uncle Lin handling Huai Wen's funeral arrangements. The entire center was in disarray, everyone harboring their own secrets.

White became the dominant color for the demons, and the Ruan family sent a large procession. New rumors began to circulate among the people: the death of Ruan Shiyun, the daughter of the Ruan family and a member of the demons, was caused by a demon.

It is said that while she was slaying demons for everyone in the illusory realm, she was murdered by the demon king Lingshan Xuanye. A group of Taoist priests and immortals were also killed. But for the sake of the Taoist priests, she risked her life to save them.

People began to sing praises of Ruan Shiyun, wanting to write stories about her, to celebrate her great achievements, and to rid the people of a scourge. The entire city of transvestites was filled with excitement, and even the emperor learned of it.

Human beings are beyond our control, and the course of events is unpredictable. Fu Lin unconsciously frowned. He avoided the crowd and went to Liu Min's room alone at night. He entered and found Liu Min coughing. He quickly stepped forward and took his pulse.

Liu Min grabbed the talisman, tears welling in her eyes: "God, how could I, Huaiwen, end up like this?"

Fu Lin didn't answer. Liu Min cried out in unbearable pain, "Can't you save her? Why can't a whole group of priests save her? Why, why..."

"It's all my fault... I sent her to find that Immortal Sorrow Grass. I only wanted her to share a body with the Demon King so he wouldn't kill her. But who knew she would die because of it?"

“It’s my fault for not being able to protect her. She’s not even grown up yet…” Liu Min released his hand from the lotus flower. “It’s all my fault… I’m the culprit…”

After a long while, Fulin finished healing Liu Min before speaking, "It's not your fault. Fate is predetermined, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please, try to accept it. That way, A-Jun can leave in peace."

Liu Min sighed deeply, his eyes still red. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Finally, he waved his hand, lay down on the bed, and let the tears flow.

As soon as Fu Lin stepped out of the room, she was ambushed. After exchanging blows for two or three rounds, the two deliberately left the place where the transvestites lived and moved to the side.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, the mountain wind was chilly, and the bright red-clad young man was handsome. It was none other than Ling Shan Xuan Ye.

Fu Lin said sadly, "I won't stop you from sending A-Jun to her burial. But you can only see her off for a while; you can't do anything else."

Xuan Ye asked with a dark face, "Her remains have dissipated, so how should she be buried? Do you have a way to save her?"

Fu Lin shook his head in silence. Xuan Ye's pupils dilated, and blood vessels turned red. He pulled out Wei Yuan and slashed at Fu Lin: "You couldn't save her, so why did you set up this scheme? You couldn't save her, so why did you give her the Manjusaka flower? You couldn't save her, so why did you make her kill Pei Suqin for you? You couldn't save her, so why did you become her master!"

Fu Lin cried out, "That day, you asked A-Jun if Pei Suqin was her calamity, and she said yes. But A-Jun lied to you. Her calamity wasn't Pei Suqin, it was you! It was you, Ling Shan Xuan Ye! Even if she didn't go to the Void Realm to find Pei Suqin and investigate the truth, she would still die because of you!"

Xuan Ye forced Fu Lin back step by step, shouting, "You lied to me! You killed A-Jun! You orchestrated this!"

Swords clashed under the moonlight, Xuan Ye's Wei Yuan Blade and Fu Lin's Fusang Sword locked in a fierce battle. Fu Lin blocked one of the blows: "This is a preordained calamity, why should I orchestrate it? A-Jun's fate is sealed here, not by our will, and we cannot defy destiny."

"Destiny!" Xuan Ye sneered. "Fate is never determined by Heaven!"

Fu Lin cleaved with his sword and said, "If you want Ah Jun to pass through the cycle of reincarnation peacefully, then don't cause any more trouble."

"I just want her to live!"

Ah-Jun's calamity was him, Ah-Jun's death was because of him. These words kept repeating in Xuan Ye's mind, how could he accept it?

With a roar from Xuan Ye, Wei Yuan slashed down, illuminating half the night sky. Cherry blossoms exploded in the night sky like lightning, meeting the Fulin Fusang Sword and exploding into fireworks, burning in the night.

The aftershocks were too strong, and the two of them retreated more than a hundred meters away. Seeing that Xuan Ye was determined to revive Huai Wen, Fu Lin remembered something and immediately said, "A-Jun told me that she believed you were never cruel. Just like you didn't kill Chu Xu and the others. Ling Shan Xuan Ye, I am A-Jun's master, how could I not love her? Now, only by guiding her through reincarnation can she find peace."

Huaiwen's dying words echoed in Xuan Ye's ears. He was stunned, on the verge of collapse. He kept slashing at Fulin, and in the clash of swords and blades, he finally lost his strength because of Huaiwen.

Xuan Ye clutched Wei Yuan, his eyes deep and filled with resentment: "How long will it take for her... to reincarnate..."

"It is unpredictable, taking anywhere from a hundred years to a thousand years. Reincarnation is not simply a matter of time. It is all arranged by God."

Xuan Ye clenched his fists, and after a long while, he spoke through the pain: "When she is reincarnated... tell me."

Fu Lin sheathed the Fusang sword: "If that's the case, I will let you know."

Xuan Ye looked at the place where the demon and human were once again, and sorrow and grief surged through his heart. He suppressed his anger and stared solemnly at Fu Lin: "I will search the Three Realms to find her reincarnation. If you dare to deceive me in the slightest, I will raze your Fengqin Mountain to the ground and exterminate your entire family. I will then ascend to the Divine Realm and mercilessly kill those useless officials, ensuring they are forever condemned to eternal damnation."

Fu Lin's expression remained calm. After a moment's thought, he replied, "Lingshan Xuan Ye, A-Jun's wish is for peace and prosperity throughout the world, and for her descendants to continue. You must not do this."

Xuan Ye coldly mocked, "Isn't A-Jun's wish the same as the wishes of all you gods? You should all take this as your guiding principle, practice it diligently, and not let it down."

“This world is in chaos. If you cannot make your promise, then this world should be ruled by a different master.”

As Xuan Ye finished speaking, he vanished. Fu Lin stood on the mountainside, gazing down at the distant scene where the long-hidden plan between the human and the demon was about to unfold.

This world is nothing more than power and money, life and death. He crosses the river with his prayer flag and also wants to help others. Huaiwen is the disciple he has found with great difficulty, a disciple who can fully accept everything from him and inherit his mantle.

How could he bear to see her die?

He has already made a mistake once, and he cannot afford to make the same mistake again this time.

He wants to rebuild a future for Huaiwen.

On the day the empty coffin was buried, the gods wanted to come from the divine realm to see them off, but they had been severely injured by Xuan Ye and were bedridden, making it impossible for them to descend from the divine realm. Zhen Li then went to the place of humans and demons on their behalf to see them off.

The procession was long, and Zhenli hid in the crowd, watching the people of the city weep for her. He couldn't help but sigh, "Self-sacrifice for others, worthy of praise from the world." Zhenli only felt regret; Huaiwen had rid the people of evil so many times, and according to the usual Taoist principles, she should have attained immortality and ascended to become a divine official.

Such a person cannot become an immortal, which is a loss to the divine realm.

Zhenli sighed again. Huaiwen's path to ascension would inevitably be different from others. His path to greatness was ultimately deeper than that of ordinary people. The tribulations he would face would also be far more numerous and difficult than those of others.

Just as he was lamenting his loss, Zhenli passed through the farewell procession and saw Fulin. He was about to step forward, but after only two steps, Fulin disappeared.

When I looked at the procession again, they had already left the city of transvestites.

Fu Lin returned alone to the place of humans and demons, and entered the library. He pulled out the scroll concerning Ling Shan Xuan Ye and saw Huai Wen's annotations on it. Lost in thought, he wrote beside it: "When will I return again? Do not be his enemy, only then can I live in peace."

She then went to Huaiwen's room at the transvestite brothel, recalling the scene of her first encounter with Huaiwen. At that time, Huaiwen had just killed the scorpion demon, was at the height of her power, and was a bright and clever young girl.

Huaiwen, who was twelve or thirteen years old, still had a somewhat childish face, but his heroic demeanor was impossible to hide.

That day, she was playing and making bets with a few little demons outside the city of transvestites. The little demons didn't have money to buy equipment for the city, so they remembered hearing that if they won a bet with Huaiwen from the transvestite community, she would give them equipment for free.

So, a few little demons, through the two little demons, Onikiri and Oni-slayer, summoned Huaiwen, wanting to make a bet and have some fun with her. Huaiwen was overjoyed and, with Onikiri in tow, went to meet them.

Huaiwen asked with a smile, "What do you want to play with me?"

"We..." The little demons stammered for a while, "You... do you keep your word? If we beat you, you have to give us equipment!"

Huaiwen nodded: "Of course. So what are you planning to do with me?"

A little dog demon bravely stepped forward: "We won't compete with you in martial arts or magic, we'll compete with you in... who can identify more things by smell with their eyes closed!"

Huaiwen laughed and nodded in agreement. She asked Onimei to find some items nearby and hide them behind the bushes. They closed their eyes and stepped through the bushes to smell and identify them.

Naturally, the little dog demon won the game. The little demons jumped and clapped their hands. But they were afraid that Huaiwen would change his mind, so they dared not be too happy.

Huaiwen feigned disappointment, then asked, "How do you manage to distinguish every single thing by smell?"

"I'm a puppy, of course my nose is sensitive."

Huaiwen asked, "If your nose is stuffy, can you still smell anything?"

The little dog demon waved its hand: "We can smell it, it's just a bit slow. Our noses are very sensitive."

Huaiwen stroked his chin: "So when will you be able to temporarily stop smelling it?"

The little dog demon exclaimed excitedly, "Of course there is! As long as our noses are covered by a certain scent and it lingers for a long time, then it will be difficult to distinguish other scents. Or if our noses malfunction, then we naturally won't be able to smell them."

Huaiwen got what he wanted, clapped his hands, and the little dog demon was startled. Huaiwen smiled and handed them the little prop that allowed the demon to transform into human form, chuckling as he reminded them, "Now that you're human, you can't do bad things!"

Fu Lin, who had been observing from behind, smiled as well. This little girl was clever and quick-witted. It turned out that she had others make bets and exchanges with her in order to find the right weaknesses, understand them, and use them for her own purposes.

Such intelligence reminded Fu Lin of someone whose smile was radiant but fleeting.

Wasn't he here for that one person too?