Chapter 23 Danfeng's Last Words
After you were released from prison, Huaiyan settled you in his home and invited many doctors to treat you. They all shook their heads, saying that your body had developed a chronic illness that could not be cured.
You comforted Huaiyan with a smile and actively cooperated with the treatment.
A century has passed, and you've come to take life and death in stride, maturing considerably.
Huaiyan asked you what your plans were for the future, and you said you wanted to become a sea patrol ranger, travel across the stars, and see the outside world.
Huaiyan agreed to your request. He knows you need time to recover. He just told you to be careful on the road and that his place will always be your safe haven, and you can come back anytime.
Not long after, you bid farewell to Huaiyan and embarked on your journey.
The first stop on your journey is the Immortal Boat Luofu, where you find your old friend, Jingyuan.
By then, he had become a general of Luofu, clad in armor, mature and composed.
Upon seeing his old friend, he specially set aside his official duties to have tea with you in the backyard of the Shence Mansion and reminisce about the past.
After a century apart, his eyes were filled with deep longing. Whether you were a friend or a lover, his feelings for you remained unchanged.
You began to chat idly, about Luofu today and about old friends. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he pulled a yellowed letter from his sleeve and handed it to you.
"This is a letter Danfeng wrote to you before shedding her scales, instructing me to deliver it to you personally."
Danfeng?
You haven't heard his name in so long that you've almost forgotten what he looks like.
You thought a hundred years would be enough for you to forget everything, but when you hear that name again, all the moments about you and him unfold vividly in your mind, scene after scene, replaying in your mind like a movie.
You took the letter with trembling hands. The envelope was slightly yellowed, and the words "To My Wife" were written crookedly on the cover. Even though you could hardly read the characters because of your trembling, you still recognized his handwriting at a glance.
It is indeed Danfeng's handwriting.
He wrote you hundreds of letters, and he held your hand as you wrote his name on paper. Each stroke was a familiar pause and a distinct style of his pen.
You've seen it so many times, you'd never mistake it.
His face is vividly reflected in your mind. You remember his aloof and otherworldly face, the face that captivated you at first sight, the face that whispered sweet nothings to you.
Before you went to prison, the Dragon Master stole almost everything Danfeng had given you, even the scale that symbolized your love was ruthlessly taken away. Except for the ring on your ring finger, everything related to him has vanished.
ring?
You touch the brand-new ring on your right ring finger and remember the magic he infused into you.
You tried to recall how to activate the spell, but to no avail; you couldn't sense any information flowing through it. It lay quietly on your finger, indistinguishable from an ordinary ring.
Your heart aches uncontrollably, and a wave of bitterness washes over you.
This letter in front of you is your only connection with him.
You take a deep breath, as if you've made a decision, and tremblingly take the letter out of the envelope.
"To my wife:
Autumn is deepening and the first signs of cold dew have arrived. I hope you, my lady, will take good care of yourself, add layers as needed, and avoid getting chilled. The pastry shop on the east side of the street has some new delicacies that I have already tried. They are very delicious, and I think you will like them. You can try them when you have some free time.
Since birth, I have been shackled and walked alone, never knowing the warmth of human kindness. Fortunately, Heaven took pity on me and I met you, my wife, and only then did I know that there is affection in the world and love in my heart. My heart for you is as bright as the sun and moon, and Heaven and Earth can bear witness. To have you as my wife is the greatest fortune of my life, and even if the road ahead is thorny, I will have no regrets.
Now I am imprisoned, my guilt inescapable, and I fear I will be unable to fulfill my promises. This is my fault, and I am ashamed before my wife's deep affection. Throughout my life, I have acted with a clear conscience, but I owe my wife a great debt. I am powerless to repay her kindness, and I only hope that she will forgive my incompetence.
May you forget the past and begin a new chapter. Amidst the world's splendor, may you find true companionship; may you enjoy the peaceful years to come.
Though I cannot be there in person, my heart is always with you, Madam. I hope you take care of yourself and do not worry about me.
maple"
At the end of the letter was Danfeng's signature: "Feng". As you carefully read every word of the letter, you could almost picture him writing to you from prison, shackled in chains.
What immense sorrow and pain did he endure while writing this letter? You can never know.
Your tears fell silently onto the letter, blurring the ink.
You hurriedly put away the letter and hastily wiped away your tears with the back of your hand.
But your tears are like pearls from a broken string, impossible to wipe away.
Through your tear-filled eyes, a handkerchief appears before you.
It is Jingyuan.
“…I’m sorry…” You reached out and took the handkerchief, burying your face in it and silently shedding tears.
"He clutched a jade pendant in his hand the whole time he was shedding his scales, refusing to let go even in death." Jing Yuan choked up a little.
That was the gift you gave him when you parted ways with him; you never expected him to wear it all this time.
"How is he now?" After calming down a bit, you ask about his current situation.
"He has already shed his scales and reincarnated, and is now under the guard of the jailers." Jing Yuan briefly summarized the current situation, and then asked if you wanted to see him.
"No need. He has passed through the cycle of rebirth and is no longer the same person he once was." You don't want to see that face again, afraid that you won't be able to hold back your tears.
Your husband is dead; he is no longer your husband.
Jingyuan could only say some comforting words to you, and then they started talking about happy topics, asking you what your plans were for the future.
You mentioned that you were going to travel to the Milky Way to become a sea patrol knight-errant who fights against evil.
"That's good, go out more often and change your mood." Jingyuan completely agrees with your idea.
If he could, he would love to abandon everything and become a free-spirited knight-errant with you. Unfortunately, he is now General Luofu, and his fate is beyond his control.
After that, you chatted casually for a while. After composing yourself, you said goodbye to Jingyuan, telling him that you still had other places to visit and wishing him good health.
"Alright, remember to come back and visit when you have time, and tell me about your experiences in the starry seas. I've been busy with worldly affairs and haven't been able to set sail for a long time."
You nodded and agreed to Jingyuan's request, making a promise.
Jingyuan watched you leave, his eyes filled with longing and reluctance.
Though the sea of stars is vast, we will meet again.
...
After leaving the Shence Palace, you went to the Earth Balance Bureau. The reason was simple: ever since you restored communication, you received a notification from the Earth Balance Bureau a hundred years ago, saying that you needed to come over.
You don't know if this notification is still valid, but you still want to find out.
You handed the message to the staff member, who quickly searched the database. After a long time, he finally found the source of the notification.
"Found it. It's a divorce application from 'Danfeng' a hundred years ago. Here are the details; please take a look."
Following his instructions, you look through the documents and discover that this is a divorce application submitted by Danfeng, dated three days before the "Yinyue Rebellion".
It turns out he had already planned an escape route for you; it turns out he was already prepared to die back then.
He wants to sever all ties with you completely, and whether he succeeds or not, you will not be implicated or affected by him.
He prepared the divorce papers, drugged you... everything was part of his plan. He had already left you a way out, creating evidence that you were unaware of the situation, so that you could escape unscathed from this rebellion.
Unfortunately, you made a big mistake before the application even took effect, going against his original intention.
Danfeng, oh Danfeng, so you had already planned this all along? You risked everything to protect you, like a fool who thought he was being clever.
Your nose stung with tears, and you held back the urge to cry, asking if the application was still valid.
The staff member shook their head and said it was invalid. If you want a divorce, you can reapply.
So with his help, you reapplied for divorce, and after signing and stamping the papers, everything between you and him came to a complete end today.
After leaving the Earth Balance Office, you looked up at the sky.
From now on, you and he are no longer husband and wife.
...
After that, you went to the Pill Refining Bureau and heard that Bai Heng had been reincarnated as the Wisdom Master. You wanted to come and see her, but you were stopped at the door by the Dragon Master.
So you can only go to other doctors to see you, but all the doctors shake their heads and say that your illness cannot be cured. They just tell you to take good care of yourself and not to overwork.
You thanked the doctor and took the prescription to the familiar pharmacy. You happened to pass by a small consultation room, the place where you and Danfeng first met.
I really miss those days. Back then, you were just a stubborn little kid, enduring the pain of illness to practice swordsmanship with Jingyuan. In the end, you collapsed to the ground, and when you woke up, you saw him, who was astonishingly beautiful.
You fell in love with him at first sight then and kept trying to entangle yourself with him.
You and he were entangled like this for decades, getting to know each other, falling in love, and finally parting ways.
It's only been a few decades—insignificant compared to the immortal species, as fast as a lifetime.
Decades are enough time for you to remember him and never forget him.
Even after more than a hundred years, you still haven't forgotten the face you fell in love with at first sight.
Countless days and nights, you watched that face transform from cold and indifferent to beaming with joy. When he lowered his head to kiss you, when he clung to you pitifully, when he passionately entwined himself with you, you could always see tenderness and love in his perpetually icy face.
After watching it for so many years, you still haven't had enough, you're tired of it, and you're fed up with it.
As the book says, "You shouldn't meet someone too amazing when you're young, otherwise you'll be lonely for the rest of your life because you can't forget them. If you meet someone too amazing too early, you'll either spend the rest of your life with them or spend the rest of your life with their memories."
You quickened your pace, lowered your head, and ran around the room towards the pharmacy.
You're afraid that if you stay here for even a second longer, your tears will involuntarily fall.
This place holds so many memories for you and him, it's hard not to be moved by the sight of it.
You've made up your mind to start a new life, so you shouldn't dwell on the past anymore.
After getting the medicine, you walked onto the Starship without looking back, bidding farewell to this place of memories forever.
...
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