Chapter 64: The Clone, the Clone, and the Original Body.
In the vibrant courtyard, the flowers sway in the breeze, their fragrance attracting colorful butterflies to dance.
The birds' chirping was clear and melodious.
Hua Xun was awakened by the chirping of birds. When she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar light blue curtains above her head, with a string of gently swaying tassels hanging beside her.
The depleted spiritual energy within the body has been restored and is now flowing peacefully between the dantian and meridians.
Hua Xun stared at Liu Su for a while, then suddenly remembered something, abruptly got up, got off the bed, and went out the door.
In the morning light, the deity stood among the flowers, his snow-white robes as white as the snow on the summit of Kunlun Mountain, with not a single wrinkle on his hem, and no protective divine light around him.
Birds and butterflies fluttered around him, but he simply stood with his hands behind his back, admiring them with a gentle smile.
Hearing footsteps, the deity turned around and smiled: "A-Xun".
Hua Xun blinked, and with just one glance, she recognized that this was the Divine Lord's clone.
Even though her clone was the same god who accompanied her every day, seeing him standing safely before her still made her eyes well up with tears.
The deity's gaze fell on her feet, which were only covered by a blouse. He frowned slightly in disapproval and stepped forward: "Go put on your shoes first."
Before he could finish speaking, he felt a weight on his chest.
The girl rushed over and hugged his waist, just like she had during their training.
The deity paused for a long time, then wrapped his wide sleeves around her shoulders to shield her from the morning chill.
"You've finally recovered," Hua Xun looked up from the God's embrace, her eyes still red-rimmed. "That's wonderful!"
"Yes," the deity smiled, "I have been restored."
"Thank you, Ah Xun."
Hua Xun shook his head vigorously, then suddenly remembered something: "Although you and the God of White Mist Cliff share the same feelings, I will still go and tell the God so that your soul can be restored as soon as possible..."
As she spoke, Hua Xun turned and headed towards the house.
Before she could take even half a step, she stopped.
The deity took her hand: "There's no need to be in such a hurry."
Hua Xun turned around in confusion: "Divine Lord?"
The deity was silent for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Doesn't A-Xun want to stay with me a little longer?"
“Of course I want to,” Hua Xun nodded, then added, “But you and the Divine Lord… are essentially the same person.”
This time, the deity did not speak, but simply took her hand and slowly walked into the house.
Although Hua Xun felt puzzled, she still followed the God into the room.
It wasn't until the deity pressed her down to sit beside the bed and picked up the neatly arranged shoes from the floor, intending to grasp her ankle, that Hua Xun suddenly realized what was happening. Startled, she quickly pulled her foot back in.
"My Lord, I... I can do it myself."
As Hua Xun spoke, she reached out to take her shoes.
But the deity did not let go. He still held the pair of shoes with emerald tassels and looked at her: "It has been a long time since I have seen A-Xun. Have we become estranged?"
Hua Xun paused, what "long time no see"?
She had clearly just parted ways with the God yesterday.
Looking into the God's gentle and focused gaze, she couldn't bring herself to refuse, and in the end, she silently withdrew her hand.
The deity smiled, and through her tunic, held her ankle and gently put her shoes on.
His expression was as peaceful as a flowing spring, and even when he bowed his head, he exuded a sense of compassion and holiness that shone upon all living beings.
After putting on her shoes, Hua Xun quickly pulled her feet back and stepped on the ground, her ears burning: "Thank you, Divine Lord."
The deity smiled and shook his head, then said, "Back then, I only took A-Xun to tour the celestial realm. Would A-Xun like to see the mortal world?"
Hua Xun's eyes lit up: "Is that alright?" Then, as if remembering something, she added, "Does the God-King really not return to his original form? If the God-King finds out, he might summon you back..."
The deity gently explained, "If the abandoned soul does not choose to be, even the original body cannot retrieve it."
Hua Xun asked in surprise, "Then aren't the Divine Lord and the Divine Lord now independent of each other?"
Only after she finished speaking did she realize that all her titles were mixed up.
The deity chuckled softly, raised his hand slightly, and a golden light emerged from beneath his feet.
Hua Xun felt her body float up lightly, and following the God Lord, they flew into the distance.
In an instant, countless scenes flashed by.
In the misty rain of the Jiangnan water towns, awning boats ripple across the water's surface.
On the grasslands of northern China, the wind howls, the grass stretches to the horizon, flocks of sheep scatter like white clouds, and galloping horses raise clouds of dust.
In the mountains and forests, the red leaves are like fire, the forests are dyed in layers of color, and the streams flow gently, carrying the fallen maple leaves into the distance.
There are also magnificent winter scenes, resembling jade palaces and a silver-clad landscape.
Hua Xun initially stood on the golden light, but later she lay on it, stretching out her hands to feel the scenery flying past below.
They enjoyed themselves for the entire day, and it wasn't until the evening of the following day that the two returned to their small courtyard in Liangyi Town.
Hua Xun was still savoring what she had seen and heard when the deity asked her, "Are you hungry?" She suddenly realized what was happening.
She wasn't actually hungry, but her stomach, which was used to eating at least one meal a day, felt empty. Hua Xun nodded, remembering that there was still some rice left in the room, and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"I will go," the deity said with a smile.
Hua Xun opened her eyes wide in astonishment.
The deity looked around the courtyard. He had protected the human race for a long time, but had never experienced the so-called human world.
Now, because of Ah Xun, I've developed some worldly desires.
The deity paused for a moment, gently patted Hua Xun's head, and walked into the kitchen.
Hua Xun stared blankly as the deity stood by the stove, lighting the fire and cooking porridge, a strange and inexplicable emotion suddenly welling up within her:
At this moment, the unapproachable gods seemed to truly see the little demons of the mortal world.
"Ah Xun, go and fetch some rice." The deity's gentle voice rang out from inside the room.
Hua Xun snapped out of her daze, quickly responded, and ran back to her room in a few steps. She scooped up a spoonful of rice, but stopped in her tracks when she reached the doorway.
The deity who was just in the kitchen is now standing in front of the flower bushes, quietly admiring the flowers swaying in the wind, the golden light around him gradually fading away.
Hua Xun, holding the rice, called out in confusion, "Lord?"
The deity turned to look at her, his usually smiling lips now slightly pursed, gazing intently at her.
Hua Xun hesitated for a moment: "Weren't you in the kitchen? I already have the rice..."
“Ah Xun,” another gentle voice sounded from the kitchen doorway, “Just give me the rice.”
Hua Xun's body stiffened, a chill ran down her spine, and she turned to look at the kitchen.
An identical deity stood behind her, smiling as he looked at her.
Hua Xun looked forward again, then glanced behind him, and finally stopped in front of him: "Are you the original body? You've come down to the mortal realm?"
The original form of the deity bowed.
"Are you here to see the Divine Lord... or to see your clone?" Hua Xun then looked at the Divine Lord's clone.
The original God-King glanced at his clone, walked towards Hua Xun, stopped in front of her, and said slowly, "I have come to find you."
Hua Xun blinked: "Huh?"
The clone deity quietly stepped forward, took the rice from her hand, and casually took her hand: "Aren't you supposed to just watch from the sidelines?"
Hua Xun was led by the clone of the God Lord by the hand and walked towards the kitchen, only managing to leave behind the words, "God Lord, the God Lord and I will go and cook porridge first."
Jiuqing watched as the girl was pulled away by her clone, her long eyelashes drooping slightly.
He could feel the joy of his clone, and he could also feel... his own displeasure at this moment.
This kind of rupture, which felt as if his soul had been split in two, gave him an unprecedented sense of alienation.
He wanted to recall his clone, but the soul that had been abandoned by the gods could no longer be forcibly taken back into his body.
He could only watch as his clone held the girl's hand, stirring the fragrant porridge in front of the neat stove.
*
Although Hua Xun knew perfectly well that the God and his clone were originally one, she still sensed the strangeness in the atmosphere when the clone God held her hand while the original God stood alone in the courtyard.
"What is Ah Xun thinking about?" The deity's fingers brushed across the stove, and the fire in the stove weakened slightly.
Hua Xun looked at the clone of the Divine Lord, his gaze constantly drifting towards the door, and whispered, "Is the Divine Lord really not going back to his original body?"
The clone of the deity smiled gently: "A-Xun, there's no need to be so careful. He knows everything that has happened between us."
But she felt embarrassed!
Hua Xun cried out silently in her heart.
Perhaps sensing her emotional fluctuations, the clone of the deity said leisurely, "Just like when I accompanied A-Xun to the mortal realm for training in the past, wouldn't it be better for me to continue accompanying A-Xun?"
Hua Xun's mind stirred slightly, but fortunately she quickly realized: "What about the God Lord?"
She looked towards the door.
“My memories are the same as his; what I have experienced is what he has experienced.”
But……
Hua Xun looked towards the door again.
The original god was quietly watching her, a solitary god, a sight that evoked pity.
The clone of the deity followed her gaze, and the two gods' eyes collided in mid-air.
Just like that brief eye contact when he abandoned his clone.
He quickly withdrew his gaze, and there was no further reaction.
In a strangely tense atmosphere, dinner was finally ready.
Hua Xun breathed a long sigh of relief, volunteered to serve the porridge, and then pushed the clone of the deity out the door.
He secretly prayed that the original God and the clone God could take this opportunity to have a good talk, recognize each other, and make the clone willingly return to the original body.
Otherwise, wouldn't she have wasted her efforts repairing the Divine Lord's soul in vain?
Thinking this, Hua Xun deliberately slowed down her movements when serving the porridge, taking a full cup of tea's time before carrying the two bowls of porridge back to her room.
"My Lord, the porridge is ready..."
The last word was abruptly cut off when the two identical deities opposite her at the square table in the room looked at her at the same time.
Hua Xun pursed her lips, froze for a moment, then steeled herself and stepped forward, placing the two bowls of porridge in front of the two deities.
"Please have some porridge first," Hua Xun said quietly.
Two bowls of porridge were pushed in front of her again: "Ah Xun, you go first."
Their gentle voices overlapped, speaking in unison.
Hua Xun looked at the two bowls of porridge in front of her, pushed them back, and said dryly, "You drink first, I'll go get more."
After saying that, Hua Xun quickly turned around and ran back to the kitchen, where she stayed for a long time once again.
Inside the room, the original form of the deity looked at the congee in front of him and said calmly, "You frightened A-Xun."
The clone opposite him lowered his eyes and said, "You broke A-Xun's heart."
Upon hearing this, the original form of the deity paused slightly.
After driving A-Xun away from White Mist Cliff, he learned that A-Xun had confined herself in Flowing Cloud Immortal Palace for five days without ever leaving.
The naturally optimistic girl shed many tears during those five days.
For the first time, the original God-King felt a hint of anger: "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been born."
The clone god-king sensed the fluctuations in his heart and looked at him as well: "If it weren't for me, A-Xun would not have returned to White Mist Cliff with you."
After these words were spoken, the room fell silent.
"Have you... finished eating?" A cautious voice sounded, and Hua Xun quietly peeked out.
The two deities looked over at the same time, and Hua Xun couldn't bear it for a moment. She cleared her throat and said, "I just ate outside. If you deities have finished eating, you should rest now."
Take a rest!
Hua Xun sighed inwardly, needing to sort out her thoughts.
She didn't understand how things had turned out this way. Why would the clone god not recognize the original god?
This time, the two deities were obedient and quietly finished their congee.
But when it came to arranging housing, Hua Xun was faced with another problem.
Her courtyard was small, consisting of two rooms, a kitchen, and a yard.
When I was alone, it was quite spacious, but with two gods added, it became much more cramped.
In the end, Hua Xun decided that since the clone of the Divine Lord had only recently regained his divine body and his divine light was still unstable, he should stay in the inner room.
The original form of the deity did not need to sleep and remained in the courtyard.
She was in the outer room.
After settling in, Hua Xun was the first to extinguish the candles, which were of no use to the others, and went to sleep on the couch in the outer room.
After a moment of silence, the two deities finally did as she had said: one returned to the inner room, and the other walked out of the room.
Hua Xun lay on the couch, unable to sleep.
She had never imagined that a disagreement would arise between the God-King and his clone.
Could it be that something went wrong during the repair of the soul? Or perhaps I forgot something?
Why don't we go to the woods tomorrow to find Qingyan and ask her for clarification?
Thinking this, Hua Xun's wavering heart gradually calmed down. Just as she was about to turn over and take a light nap, she caught a glimpse of light flashing outside the window.
Hua Xun was slightly taken aback, then quietly sat up, opened the window a crack, and looked outside.
The deity stood with his hands behind his back amidst the flowers, his protective divine light as hazy as celestial mist, appearing both lonely and solitary.
Hua Xun couldn't bear to see the God-King like this, especially since... the God-King had specially descended to the mortal realm in his true form to find her, yet she hadn't been able to properly accompany him.
After thinking it over carefully, Hua Xun quietly got off the bed and pushed open the door.
The deity turned around and looked at her, then smiled gently: "A-Xun".
“My Lord,” Hua Xun stepped forward, “I wish to repair your soul, but I don’t know why it has become like this…”
“It’s not A-Xun’s fault,” the deity said slowly. “I should thank A-Xun for helping me repair my soul.”
Hua Xun quickly shook his head.
"Ah Xun," the Divine Lord pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile, "When Ah Xun returned to White Mist Cliff with me, was it because of my clone?"
Hua Xun lowered her eyes guiltily: "If so, will you be angry?"
The deity smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear: "I will not be angry with A-Xun."
“I just…” He paused for a moment, then said softly, “I think I’m sad.”
His sorrow was different from the grief of being deceived by all living beings, nor was it like the sigh that arose after hearing the curses, insults, and greedy desires in his mind's ocean of consciousness.
It was more like Chang Sang Jiuqing's emotions were being stirred.
Hua Xun felt as if she were also affected by the God's emotions, and a pang of sadness welled up in her chest: "How can the God stop being sad?"
The deity was slightly taken aback, gazing at the girl with clear, bright eyes before him.
After a long while, he followed his heart, leaned down, and gently kissed her lips.
inside the house.
A snow-white figure stood silently behind the half-open door, calmly watching the couple kissing in the courtyard.
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