The incident of the bachelor angrily burning down the Marriage Temple in Chapter 66 had just ended...

No sooner had the matter in Haishi ended than Yin Chi received news that he was going to arrange a welcome-back dinner for the three of them at Banxianfang. This was also to celebrate Ade's complete escape from her suffering. Such a good occasion was naturally not to be refused. Besides Yan Chao and his group, Yi Shang and Lu Yang also came.

Yin Chi hadn't invited him, but since he was already there, there was no reason to kick him out, so Yin Chi acquiesced. During the meal, everyone raised their glasses to celebrate with Ade, and Yi Shang said, "Shan Qiaoying, congratulations on starting anew!"

Adele said, "What did you say?"

Yi Shang paused for a moment, then realized what he meant and spat out a "Pah!" before saying seriously, "I misspoke, I misspoke! It's Adele, congratulations on becoming the person you wanted to be. Although we often bicker, as your friend, I'm genuinely happy for you."

Adele pursed her lips and said, "I don't have a friend like you."

Yi Shang took a deep breath, put his hands on his hips, and tried to remain calm as he said, "We just bicker every time we meet, occasionally have a fight, and occasionally I mooch a few meals from you! You're practically a local deity. You should have a heart as broad as the earth, don't be so petty!"

Adele replied, "Then give me some of your money."

Upon hearing this, Yi Shang slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying, "How can you say something nice to me and still try to steal my money?! Besides, it's not my money! I've already said, Yi Ze..."

Yao Xu couldn't stand it anymore: "Alright, alright, how many times do you have to say that? You're a young and promising money god, but people who don't know you might think you're some kind of long-winded old man. I'm telling you, you're too stubborn. Why do you get so anxious whenever someone talks to you about money?"

Yan Chao looked at them and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "It's the same place, but this time the feeling is completely different from last time."

Feng Xi suddenly suggested, "I left in a hurry last time and didn't get a chance to show you Chunshan Tower. Would you like to go take a look?"

Yan Chao exclaimed excitedly, "Of course! Shall we go now?"

Feng Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "Aren't you worried about being discovered if you leave halfway through?"

Yan Chao glanced around. The two who had been bickering just moments before were now sitting around playing a drinking game with Yao Xu and Mi Qing, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Lu Yang, who had been drinking alone, had somehow joined Yin Chi with his wine jug, and the two of them, both a little drunk, were talking about something. Yan Chao said, "Look, everyone's busy. Who's going to notice us?"

Feng Xi said, "Then let's go."

The two quietly left their seats and went out onto the street, heading straight for Chunshan Restaurant. Chunshan Restaurant was located in the most bustling part of the street, with a constant stream of people coming and going. The shop was smaller than the Chunshan Restaurant in the human world, but still quite imposing. Compared to the surrounding shops, Chunshan Restaurant appeared more understated. As soon as they entered, a waiter with flowers in his hair and painted red cheeks greeted them warmly, saying, "Gentlemen, what would you like to order? Xiao Cui is happy to serve you."

Yan Chao smiled and said, "Your name is Xiao Cui?"

Xiao Cui flashed an enormous, exaggerated smile and said, "Yes! Do you also think my name sounds nice, sir?"

Seeing Xiao Cui's appearance, Yan Chao thought to herself, "As expected of the Ghost Realm, even at Chunshan Tower, the waiters are so unique." She chuckled twice and said, "It does sound nice. Coincidentally, what I want to buy is also related to your name?"

Xiao Cui asked, "Sir, would you like to buy Cui Chun?"

Yan Chao said, "That's right."

Xiao Cui giggled and said, "Oh, sir, you have such good taste! I'll go get it for you right away!"

Feng Xi asked, "What is Cui Chun?"

Yan Chao deliberately kept everyone in suspense, saying, "You'll find out in a moment."

A moment later, Xiao Cui floated back carrying a tightly sealed jar: "Sir, take a look. This is the finest wine from the top floor of Chunshan Tower!"

Yan Chao glanced at the bottle, paid, said "thank you," and left with the wine.

Xiao Cui escorted him to the door, waving warmly and saying, "Take care, sir! Come again next time!"

Yan Chao placed Cui Chun in Feng Xi's hands and said, "Here, this is for you. I remember the moon is quite big here too, how about we go there for a drink?"

Feng Xi looked at the wine in his hand, paused for a moment, then smiled, took Yan Chao's hand, and said, "Come on, let's go drink!"

The two arrived at the edge of the Thousand Crossings River. Feng Xi put his arm around Yan Chao's shoulder, and with a leap, they sat on the moon. Yan Chao looked down at the scenery with curiosity, never expecting that sitting on the moon would feel like this; it was quite cool.

Feng Xi opened the wine seal, and a fragrant aroma wafted out, along with a faint hint of coolness. He poured a cup for Yan Chao first, but Yan Chao declined, saying, "This is for you. Firstly, to make up for the Su Li wine you didn't get to drink when Chunshanlou opened; secondly, to remember what you said on the small boat when we went to the South China Sea."

Feng Xi downed the wine in one gulp. It was fragrant, sweet, and had a long aftertaste. The coolness turned into a warm current that surged into his heart. "Such good wine, and I'm enjoying it all by myself?"

Yan Chao nodded and said, "Yes, look how generous I am."

That night, the moonlit night was filled with the sounds of people, while I drank alone in silence under the moonlight.

The next morning, Yan Chao had just woken up when he heard Yi Shang shouting outside, "It's terrible! A matchmaking temple outside is on fire! It looks like the temple keeper burned it down!"

When they arrived, the once-prosperous temple dedicated to marriage had been reduced to a sea of ​​fire. Thick smoke billowed, and flames raged, devouring the bright red silk and the statue of the goddess in blue.

The firelight illuminated a gaunt, hunched figure—the old temple keeper who had spent his entire life tending the temple. He clutched the extinguished torch, his cloudy eyes fixed on the crumbling statue in the flames. With a final, hoarse roar, each word a tear of blood, he cried out, “Ren Yuanshan! You lied! You said you would reunite them! Mo Li is dead! She’s dead! It’s all your fault! Liar—! You’re all liars—!”

This desperate accusation, piercing through the crackling of the flames, soared straight into the sky.

Heavenly Capital. The Hall of Marriage.

Ren Yuanshan was just picking up his pen, preparing to sign his name on a new marriage register, when suddenly, a strong, unpredictable palpitation struck him, and his wrist jerked violently.

Snap!

A drop of vermilion ink, as red as blood, slammed onto the pristine white paper, spreading a shocking red stain.

Her heart skipped a beat, and an extremely uneasy premonition gripped her instantly. Almost simultaneously, hurried footsteps and panicked whispers came from outside the hall.

"Something's happened! The mortal realm... the mortal realm's marriage temple..."

"It's been burned! Mortals... are denouncing Lord Ren!"

Ren Yuanshan abruptly looked up, the color draining from her usually cold face, leaving only astonishment. The Temple of Marriage had been burned down? The old temple keeper was cursing her for killing Mo Li?

In an instant, priests from all walks of life arrived upon hearing the news, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

"How could Lord Ren..."

"It must be the work of evil spirits!"

"The old temple keeper's cries and wails... didn't seem fake..."

Xia Shenfan, dressed in a long green robe, squeezed to the front. Looking at the raging fire below, his brows furrowed and he roared, "Outrageous! It must be some kind of ghost causing trouble and framing the God of Marriage! Once I find out, I will definitely drag it out and interrogate it severely!" His voice was loud and clear, filled with an unquestionable sense of justice.

Qiu Shen Fuye stood slightly behind him, her white robes flowing like water. Unlike Fan Yu, she didn't immediately express her opinion. Her indifferent gaze swept over the towering flames and the roaring old man, then she keenly turned to the entrance of the Marriage Hall, where Ren Yuanshan stood, his face pale. The emotion surging in his eyes was not the shock of being wronged, but the intense pain and bewilderment of having one's most hidden wounds suddenly exposed.

The old temple keeper's hoarse accusations carried clearly to the ears of every priest: "You lied to Wei Qing! You never intended for them to be together! Mo Li... my child... you killed him! What kind of priest are you! You liar!"

"You betrayed him! He risked everything just so you could live!"

Xu Weiqing was already standing not far behind Ren Yuanshan, unnoticed. His previously gentle face, tinged with weariness, turned deathly pale upon hearing the words "Mo Li is dead." He swayed violently, instinctively grabbing a nearby pillar for support. His eyes, usually filled with respect and seriousness, were now empty and filled with despair. Mo Li was dead? Because of Lord Ren's deception?

Ren Yuanshan didn't turn around to look at him. She just stared intently at the burning temple, listening to the heart-wrenching accusations. Some vague memories uncontrollably assaulted her consciousness.

The stench of blood was nauseating, and her clothes were cold and sticky from sweat. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard Wen Yuan's hoarse voice in her ear: "Yuanshan...look at me! Don't sleep! I...I won't let anything happen to you!" After a long silence, she seemed to hear a fleeting, painful groan from Wen Yuan. Was it a hallucination from her impending death?

She waited for Wen Yuan her whole life, and she hated him her whole life. In the end, all that was left was this withered skeleton and this rotten rope? Is love a vow to stay together for life, or a shackle that tightens around each other?

When Ren Yuanshan came to her senses, she suddenly realized something: it was her "proper and long-term" arrangement that indirectly caused Mo Li's death.

But who is "he" in that question about "him"? Could it be Wen Yuan? What did he do?

Countless speculations bombarded her, and she couldn't believe any of them. She immediately decided to descend to the mortal realm to find the temple keeper and get to the bottom of things, with Xu Weiqing following closely behind.

Amidst the billowing smoke of the ruins, Ren Yuanshan suddenly appeared, rushed to the old temple keeper, and asked in a trembling voice, "What did you mean by what you just said? Who took my life?"

The old temple keeper struggled to open his eyes, looking at her with a complicated expression, and said, "Wen Yuan, your husband, he... he used his own life... cough cough... and Gongzi Lian... to save your life..."

Ren Yuanshan was struck dumb: "Impossible! He abandoned me during my difficult childbirth back then, and now he says he traded his life for mine? I don't believe it!"

The temple keeper gave a bitter laugh and said, "Whether you believe it or not... whether you hate it or love it... he just wants you to live..." Before he could finish speaking, the old temple keeper's head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

Feng Xi suddenly appeared behind Ren Yuanshan, his gaze sweeping over the old temple keeper's corpse before settling on Ren Yuanshan. He calmly said, "He didn't lie to you. Wen Yuan and you are destined to be together through countless lifetimes, but in each life you were unable to grow old together. His obsession with you was so deep that his soul was unstable, and he could not obtain your love in several lifetimes... In the life before your ascension, he begged me to exchange my life for yours. Wen Yuan had been kind to the temple keeper, which is why he came to guard your temple. The person you have always hated did not truly want to betray you."

First incarnation.

She was a refugee ravaged by war, collapsing in front of the Temple of Marriage, where she was rescued by the silent temple keeper. The two relied on each other for survival in the chaos of war. He took a knife for her and was seriously wounded, his last words being, "Live... and get out." She fled the Temple of Marriage alone, only to find the flames of war behind her.

Second incarnation.

She was a lowly palace maid in the cold palace, he was a guard protecting the palace walls. On a cold night, they offered each other charcoal, their eyes meeting and warmth spreading between them. Beneath the high walls, they stole a moment to embrace, promising to endure until the day they could leave the palace. The handkerchief she embroidered for him was his secret light. On the night of the palace coup, he died protecting her from a hail of arrows, the handkerchief stained with blood, falling into the mud.

The third generation.

He was a herb gatherer, she was a hunter's daughter. Their love blossomed by a mountain stream. They made their home in a bamboo hut, finding sweetness even in simple meals. She sang folk songs for him, and he taught her to identify herbs. Suddenly, a flash flood struck. He pushed her up a tall tree, but he was swallowed by the mud and rocks. She clung to a broken branch, her voice hoarse from crying.

The fourth generation.

She was a noblewoman fulfilling a vow, he was a lay Buddhist practicing in a temple. Their chance encounter before the Buddha was breathtaking. Through scriptures and incense, their eyes spoke volumes. He repeatedly broke his vows, while she dared not transgress. When her family suffered misfortune and she was sent to a brothel, he descended the mountain upon hearing the news, only to be beaten to death on the temple steps while trying to see her one last time.

The fifth generation.

He was a diligent scholar, she was the lively girl next door. Childhood sweethearts, their love deeply rooted. She waited for him to pass the imperial examinations, while he buried himself in his studies, always saying, "Wait a little longer, wait until I pass." She fell seriously ill and was stranded on the road due to a torrential rain. When he rushed back, he only held her cold hand. The examination papers, blurred by blood and tears, marked his journey to the capital.

The sixth generation.

She was a wealthy merchant's favored concubine; he was a down-on-his-luck musician. A single melody stirred their hearts. They secretly slept together, indulging in pleasure several times. She gave him gold and pearls; he gave her a bamboo flute. When their affair was exposed, the merchant crippled his hands in the courtyard, and she committed suicide by running into a pillar, her gold and pearls scattering across the ground.

The seventh generation.

In an ordinary farming family, their marriage was arranged. She was a gentle wife, he a taciturn husband; their lives were poor, but peaceful. When she became pregnant, he clumsily learned to care for her. She laughed at his nervousness, and he wrung his hands in embarrassment. On the night of her difficult labor, she bled profusely. He knelt outside the delivery room, listening to her voice grow weaker, and in despair, he roared, "Let her live! No matter the cost!" In the burning pain of his soul, he saw her one last time.

boom--!

The heartless man she hated her whole life actually sacrificed his soul to save her life?!

"Ah—!!!" A piercing scream erupted from the side—it was Xu Weiqing! His eyes were bloodshot, his face filled with rage and despair. He pointed at Ren Yuanshan and said, "Did you hear that? Did you hear that?! Why do you use your past grievances to inflict on us?! You killed Mo Li! You killed Grandpa! You tore us apart! What a good person! What a matchmaker! You deceived us and you deceived yourself!!!"

Just then, a semi-transparent, sorrowful figure of a young girl materialized beside the flames. She looked at the distraught Xu Weiqing, then at the utterly lost Ren Yuanshan, her voice as soft as a sigh: "Priest... the place you sent me to is very good. But I've gone mad... I can't hold on any longer..." She slowly shook her head, "What you gave me... wasn't a path to life, but a colder... path to death."

It turned out that Ren Yuanshan had valued Xu Weiqing and wanted to promote him. However, at that time, Xu Weiqing was already in love and unwilling to abandon his lover. Ren Yuanshan agreed to take them both with her, but she wanted to test them. She believed that if they could both successfully ascend to immortality and their hearts remained unchanged, they would stay together. At that time, she thought there was no need for too many hardships; given enough time, one of them would eventually give up. This separation lasted for thirty years.

Ren Yuanshan didn't tell them about his trial, but simply sent Mo Li to be taught by a priest she knew, while he took Xu Weiqing with him. The two were grateful and diligently practiced, believing that one day they would see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment of Mo Li's ascension, the priest, drunk, revealed that Ren Yuanshan had never intended for them to be together. Mo Li then suffered a qi deviation and became a ghost.

Mo Li's words were like the last straw. All the guilt, regret, shattered perceptions, and exposed self-righteousness overwhelmed her like a tidal wave. She prided herself on seeing through love, but it turned out she was the most foolish person there!

Ren Yuanshan staggered back a step, looking at the raging flames behind her. So many sins, so many deaths that could not atone for them, so many emotions that she could not resolve. She glanced one last time at Xu Weiqing and Mo Li, and said, "I'm sorry."

Without saying much, without hesitation.

Amid Xu Weiqing's furious roar, Mo Li's sorrowful gaze, and the stares of the crowd, Ren Yuanshan resolutely stepped into the raging flames. The woman in green was instantly engulfed by the fire, leaving only a barely audible sigh. In her dying moments, memories of her past with Wen Yuan flooded her mind.

"Husband, what if I poison myself one day because my cooking is so bad?"

"Fool, you promised to let me do it. Don't worry, my wife, you won't die. As long as I'm here, that day will never come."

Fan Yu and Fu Ye arrived last, and seeing the scene before them, Fan Yu was filled with rage. Her gaze swept across the ruins, then suddenly fixed on a charred yet cold black line. This aura... it felt strangely familiar?