Shao Cheng's perspective

Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death. I try not to think of you, but I cannot forget you.

A lonely grave a thousand miles away, nowhere to speak of my sorrow.

Even if we met again, you wouldn't recognize me, my face covered in dust, my temples white as frost.

While browsing through the "Collection of Chinese Poetry" today, I came across these few sentences by chance. I lowered my eyes and stared blankly for a long time.

It's as if through these thin three lines of text, I can see the old man from before, sitting alone in the imperial tomb, drinking wine.

To be precise, it should be called... an old half-demon.

My name is Shao Cheng. I was brought to the palace by that old half-demon and raised by his side. Otherwise, I, a lowly illegitimate son who was unloved by my father and mother and kicked by my brothers and sisters, would not have the chance to become the emperor here.

Oh, I forgot to introduce that old half-demon. His name is Shao Linyuan, and he is my father.

However, he abdicated in favor of me five years ago and became the retired emperor.

Hmm, the retired emperor sounds like the most prestigious and leisurely position in the world.

Many people envied him, thinking he was tired of being emperor and wanted to enjoy a few years of undisturbed life.

But at this moment, he resolutely went to the imperial mausoleum and lived in the same tents as the imperial guards, enduring wind and sun to keep vigil for his lover.

This was within my expectations, because his hair turned white because of his lover; it turned completely white on the day his lover passed away.

However, her appearance has not changed at all over the years.

After his lover passed away, he went to Wan Yao Mountain and searched the secret chamber of the demon's scripture pavilion for a long time, almost emptying the entire pavilion, before finally finding a forbidden book that could maintain one's appearance.

It is said that if you practice it well, you can not only maintain your appearance, but also live forever.

I find it absurd. Everything in the world, from birth to old age, sickness, and death, follows certain laws that even demons cannot defy, let alone humans.

But he said that even if it meant death, he would still train.

Because he made a promise with his lover to meet again in the next life, at most a thousand years.

He didn't want to break his promise.

I don't want to meet you again with a face covered in dust and temples white as frost.

That would be too ugly, like an old monster harassing a child.

I couldn't stop him, and at the time I didn't know what harm it would do, so I let him practice day after day. At least that way, he still had some will to live.

But soon I discovered that his will to live went beyond that.

Even when he was in the palace, he still maintained his habit of sleeping in Qiwu Hall every night, because he said that was where he and the little fox first met.

The little fox couldn't bear to part with him, so it didn't leave.

He slept there and every night he would meet the little fox. He could even feel the little fox kissing and hugging him.

During that period, I felt he had gone mad and was mentally unstable.

Fortunately, his magical skills improved day by day, becoming so powerful that he could control wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, and conjure objects out of thin air. He was also very efficient in handling memorials to the emperor, and all the officials knelt in submission.

I couldn't bear to shatter his beautiful dream, so I never tried to dissuade him.

However, there is no magic to immortality in this world, and the result of defying fate is...

Short-lived.

He passed away last year.

Three months before he passed away, he returned to Qiwu Palace, saying he wanted to revisit all the places he and Jinjin had visited together before, and finally stay in Qiwu Palace for a while longer.

As she left, she smiled and told me, "I can finally see Jinjin."

I thought he was crazy, but I just went along with him and said, "Yes, the little fox will be waiting for you in the future."

"Put me in a crystal coffin." He continued, "I've used magic to ensure that when he comes, he won't know which coffin... will contain me..."

I thought my father was hopelessly insane, but I still did as he said.

Since it was his last wish, I will do my best to fulfill it.

There's only one thing that's amazing.

Even after he was placed in his coffin, his appearance remained unchanged, still radiant, as if he were still in his twenties, able to make many young palace maids blush.

He had a smile on his face, as if he had made an appointment with someone and was going to keep a date that he would never miss.

After burying my father, I personally cleaned up the Qiwu Palace, with a few little demons following behind me who came to visit.

The moment the little demon entered the hall, it seemed to feel some kind of pressure, and involuntarily bent its knees and knelt down.

They bowed respectfully and said that demons could sense demonic power that humans could not see, and that their king had lived here for a long time.

I was puzzled. Although my father's lover was the Demon King, he had been dead for ten years. Even if there was pressure, it shouldn't have lasted until now.

I voiced my question.

The little demons said, "The king will be here for at least seven days."

At that moment, I suddenly remembered what my father had once told me: that when he slept in the Qiwu Palace, the little fox would come back and kiss him.

I was jolted awake, as if my inner meridians had been suddenly opened, and I had a profound realization.

Perhaps what Father said is true.

His little fox really did stay with him in the Qiwu Palace, even if it was in the form of a spirit.

Perhaps, in the future, they really will keep their promise to never part.

A gust of wind blew, scattering the pages of the book. I snapped out of my daze, closed the book, and rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought.

Father, what will the future hold?

Have you and the little fox reunited?