Extra Chapter 10: The Water of Forgetfulness
Beside the lotus pond of Shanjian City, there are always some little things that shouldn't exist. For example, a pot of "Forget Worry Wine" forgotten in a corner, condensed with night dew. Legend has it that it's made from the waters of the Wangchuan River mixed with the nectar of the dwarf dwarf dwarf flower. It's said to be meant to cleanse the mind and temporarily forget worries, but its potent properties are so potent that one wouldn't dare try it lightly.
Indra hadn't meant to drink. He was merely sorting through some old belongings in the now-deserted palace that once belonged to the Heaven of Light, trying to uncover deeper evidence of the celestial beings' guilt. The night was chilly, and his mind was in turmoil. He caught a glimpse of the clear, slightly fragrant liquid in the white jade pot and, mistaking it for ordinary nectar, poured himself a cup and drank.
It tastes sweet at first, followed by a sudden sense of emptiness.
When he awoke again, it was already dawn. Indra opened his eyes, his golden pupils filled with a complete, almost indifferent clarity. He stood up, his demeanor still flawless, but he felt as if something in his heart had been gently wiped away, leaving him feeling empty, yet neither painful nor itchy.
He walked out of the palace as usual, ready to handle today's government affairs. However, as he turned the corner of the corridor, he bumped into a figure that was in a hurry, almost with the momentum of thunder and lightning.
It's Asura.
He looked like he hadn't slept all night, his silver-gray hair a little messy, and his eyes were filled with a rare anxiety. When he saw Indra, he immediately strode forward, habitually trying to grab his wrist, his voice hurried and hoarse: "Where did you go last night? I searched all over Shanjian City..."
Emperor Shitian took a half step back, avoiding his touch just in time. He raised his eyes and looked at the aggressive Ghost King in front of him, his gaze calm, with a hint of the appropriate distance and courtesy that belonged to a prince of the Celestial Clan.
"Your Majesty Ashura," he said, his voice clear and gentle, yet as if it were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, "What do you want from me?"
Asura's hand froze in mid-air, his words stuck in his throat. He stared at Indra in disbelief, his crimson pupils clearly reflecting Indra's current appearance—a face so familiar to the core, yet with a pair of completely unfamiliar golden eyes devoid of any emotion.
"...Your Majesty?" Seeing that he did not move, Emperor Shitian called out again with a hint of doubt, as if wondering why the king of the ghost clan was blocking here so early in the morning and behaving so inappropriately.
"What did you call me?" Ashura's voice dropped, a barely perceptible tremor in it. He took a step closer, trying to find a trace of amusement or irritation in those eyes, but there was none, nothing. Only a polite, empty calm.
"Your Majesty Ashura," Emperor Shitian repeated, frowning slightly, as if he found the other party's question a little puzzling. "Is there anything wrong?"
Inappropriate? Absolutely inappropriate!
Ashura felt a chilling panic grip his heart, a chill worse than the ice at the bottom of the abyss. The Indra before him looked at him like... a stranger, a king from another race who needed to be kept at arm's length.
"Indra!" Ashura suddenly grabbed his shoulders with such force that Indra gasped softly. "Look at me! Don't you recognize me? I'm Ashura!"
Indra was shaken a little by him, his brows furrowed even more tightly, and his tone became a little colder: "Your Majesty, please respect yourself. I naturally recognize you, Asura, the Lord of the Ghost Clan. But your behavior is extremely disrespectful."
He struggled a bit, trying to break free from Asura's grip, and the soft golden light on his body faintly glowed, which was a subconscious defensive posture.
Asura suddenly loosened his grip as if burned, taking two steps back, his crimson eyes filled with shock and... hurt. He wasn't afraid of Indra arguing with him, quarreling with him, or even plotting against him, but he couldn't stand Indra looking at him like a stranger, even with a hint of wariness.
"You...what's wrong with you?" Ashura's voice was very low and hoarse. "What happened? Who did what to you?" Countless conspiracies and tricks flashed through his mind in an instant. Was it possible that some celestial being who had escaped the net had done something evil to him again?
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Emperor Shitian straightened his wrinkled robes and returned to a calm tone. "If Your Majesty has nothing to do, I will go and take care of government affairs first."
After he finished speaking, he nodded slightly and actually wanted to bypass Asura and leave.
Ashura was completely frantic. He suddenly blocked Indra's path, almost at a loss, and tried to approach him in another way. He softened his voice, pleading without even realizing it, "Indra...don't be like this. Did I do something to make you angry yesterday? Tell me, and I'll change."
He tried to touch Indra's sleeve, like he had done countless times before, with a bit of rogue stickiness.
Emperor Shitian dodged again, his eyes even showing a subtle hint of... trouble? As if he couldn't understand why this Ghost King, known for his bravery and brutality, had suddenly become so... entangled.
"Your Majesty, you seem a little out of character today," Indra commented objectively. "If you're feeling unwell, you should seek medical attention."
Ashura: “…”
A huge feeling of powerlessness and panic washed over him. All his tried-and-true methods were ineffective. His Indra, the Indra who would smile at him, tease him, cunningly plot against him, yet also sincerely protect him, seemed to be frozen in an invisible layer of ice.
The entire next day became a nightmare for Asura, and also a spectacle for the entire Shanjian City and the ghost soldiers who were watching in secret.
The cold and arrogant King of the Ghost Clan followed closely behind the Prince of the Celestial Clan, trying various methods to "ask for affection".
While Emperor Shi Tian was reviewing documents, he forced his way into a seat next to him and tried to lean over to read. Emperor Shi Tian gently pushed him away with a scroll, saying, "Your Majesty, this is against the rules."
When Indra was having a meal, Asura pushed his favorite nectar cake in front of him. Indra thanked him politely, and then... put the cake aside without eating a single bite.
Indra went for a walk by the lotus pond. Asura wanted to walk side by side with him, but Indra always cleverly kept a distance of one body length from him, just like a most polite minister treating his monarch.
Ashura tried to bring up the past, their encounter in the abyss, their journeys together in the mortal world, their days of fighting side by side and their secret, tender memories... Indra simply listened quietly, nodding occasionally, his golden eyes filled with pure, story-telling curiosity. He even offered an objective comment, "I see. It seems Your Majesty and 'my past self' had a close friendship."
"You in the past?" Ashura caught the word and his heart sank.
"Hmm," Emperor Shitian replied calmly, "I heard that I had close contact with Your Majesty some time ago. But now it seems that my memory of that time seems a little fuzzy. If I have been disrespectful, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
He said it so lightly, as if what he had forgotten was just an insignificant little thing.
Asura was so anxious that his eyes turned redder. He circled around Indra like a trapped and anxious lion, but he didn't dare to really use force on the "ice" in front of him, for fear that it would break and he would never be able to find it again.
He even tried, and when Indra politely asked him to "keep his distance" again, he rushed forward regardless and pecked the soft lips quickly.
Time seemed to stand still.
Indra was completely stunned, his golden eyes slightly widened, and his hand subconsciously touched his lips. There was still a lingering trace of Asura's hot and familiar scent.
Ashura looked at him nervously, his heart pounding, hoping to pry open a crack in the ice.
However, Emperor Shitian just slowly put down his hand, frowned slightly, looked at him, and asked very seriously and confusedly:
"Your Majesty... Is this the new etiquette of the ghost tribe?"
Ashura: “…”
It's over.
His Indra seemed to have completely forgotten all his feelings for him, along with all the entanglements, love, hate, and lingering emotions.
The ghost king stood there, looking at his lover with clear but distant eyes. For the first time, he realized what it meant to be helpless. He was so anxious that he wanted to turn back the flow of the River of Forgetfulness, but he could only clumsily try to get closer to the person who had completely forgotten him over and over again in the most straightforward and anxious way.
Indra just looked at him calmly, as if he was watching a somewhat disturbing farce that had nothing to do with him.
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