Three days later, the wedding will be held.
Sunlight streamed into the bedchamber as Xie Jin and I helped each other put on our clothes.
The movements were slow, like a devout ritual. We went from being completely exposed to gradually concealing ourselves, using layers of clothing to distance ourselves from each other.
But after tying the knot on their belts, they hugged each other tightly.
After a long, intoxicating, and tiring night.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, vaguely climbing up the window. In an instant, a gust of light swept through, dispelling the damp unease and regretful gloom within the bedroom.
As dawn broke, Xie Jinhui gently rubbed my back.
Even without substantial progress, the ordeal has been quite arduous.
We know and we've experienced that after this night, all the hazy distance between us has vanished.
Xie Jinhui's embrace had also changed; it was more thorough and more profound.
I can recall every detail of him when I close my eyes, and I can't help but laugh as I lean on his shoulder.
Xie Jinhui must have guessed what I was thinking, he asked me in his most charming voice.
"Yuan'e, am I pretty?"
My face flushed, so I quickly coughed.
Shut up!
Because it wasn't just me coughing, but also my seven older brothers.
Although they witnessed the events of the previous night as Xie Jinhui, overcome with lust, consciously kept their eyes closed, neither looking nor asking questions.
But I know they might have listened.
My brothers spat out the Ten Lifetimes of Red Entanglement Wine they had each swallowed onto Xie Jinhui, which really infuriated me.
But we can't blame them. If they were to get under the influence of alcohol and do something strange in Xie Jinhui's sea of consciousness, they might damage the furnace.
They were quick to vomit, but regretted it afterward.
Relying on Xie Jinhui's willpower is a huge gamble.
Fortunately, I won the gamble. Xie Jinhui not only has self-control, but also love for me.
Although he took off my clothes, what he wanted to take off even more was our fate.
When Xie Jinhui nestled close to my ear, I vaguely remember that his breath was half awake and half intoxicated.
We wallow tirelessly in the mire of desire, but eventually emerge intact.
This soul-merging yielded an unexpected gain: I was able to sense my brothers' movements without even entering Xie Jinhui's body.
Perhaps, because we are all branches of Emperor Sumio in the end, once we are bound by emotions, we become a whole that is both separate and coexisting.
The brothers' coughs gradually subsided; coughing like that all the time was taking a toll on their throats.
Seeing that Xie Jinhui and I only said one thing—that this would not happen again—they were completely uncooperative.
My brothers became seven happy flying fish, twisting wildly in my consciousness.
As I twisted and turned, I saw a golden elixir slowly rising above the ice layer where my seven brothers were.
Compared to the rising objects, the sun on Seventh Brother's hair was much less vibrant in color.
Sixth Brother is a man of vast learning; his wise eyes may not see much else, but they will definitely lock onto any treasure he sees.
He gestured with his hand, as if to express something indescribable.
Finally, he excitedly said, "Brother-in-law, you're amazing! Your desires were not leaked out, and you transformed them into the Golden Elixir. This is a treasure, an absolute treasure!"
As he spoke, Sixth Brother took a step forward, his legs heavy from years of deep thought and lack of exercise, and then…
Of course, it was Fifth Brother, with his flowing robes and the fact that he had just stood up, who was several steps ahead of him, holding the golden pill in his palm.
Third Brother sniffed it, Fourth Brother wondered if he could brew wine, Seventh Brother scratched his head in shame, Eldest Brother's eyes gleamed with golden light, only Second Brother looked deep in thought, thinking of me.
"Eighth Sister!" he said, "Why don't you take this golden pill?"
In an instant, I felt my throat was on fire and I coughed violently.
Xie Jinhui's face was a mixture of white and red, and he forced a dry laugh with his mouth open.
I refused repeatedly in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to."
The second brother, a simple-minded idiot, asked doubtfully, "That was meant for you, if you don't want it, who will..."
I……
Can I sever ties with these brothers? You shameless people only care about the fundamentals. I can't do it. My mind is full of the colors in Xie Jinhui's private little book.
My head felt heavy, turning into a red stone, and I wanted to smash it directly into Xie Jinhui's arms, hoping to hide inside.
No, if I go inside, those older brothers will pin me to the table, pry my mouth open, and force-feed me that precious elixir.
They had to tell me from the bottom of their hearts that this thing was very beneficial to the immortal body.
Xie Jinhui sneered, rubbing my head as he said to his seven brothers in a gloomy tone, "Brothers-in-law, you can keep them for yourselves. Maybe you can refine some handy magical artifacts."
The older brothers, having received a tacit approval as if given a command, immediately gathered around the fifth brother.
Then, before they could gather together, the golden elixir split open and divided into seven equal parts, which floated in front of the seven brothers respectively.
With a gentle touch of his seven fingertips, each fragment of the golden elixir cast a sharp shadow, enveloping his seven brothers.
Golden light, spreading across the shadows, gradually seeps into body and mind.
The brothers' faces lit up with joy, and they bowed deeply.
Hearing his elder brother laugh out loud, "Su Ling, you don't need to doubt it, you are Su Ling."
Last night, we saw your secret when you let your guard down.
You think you're Xie Jinhui, and you're trying to hide it from us.
No, Suomi, you are Suomi.
I struggled out of Xie Jinhui's arms, startled.
Xie Jinhui and I looked at each other, finding it hard to believe what our elder brother had said.
The secret can't be hidden, but that's alright, since my seven brothers and I are already inseparable accomplices.
My brothers said Xie Jinhui is Su Ling, how could that be?
"Brothers," I asked in confusion, "since you already know that he is just a furnace formed from a wisp of Emperor Su Ling's divine consciousness, why do you say that he is Su Ling?"
I know that Emperor Su Ling's true form is pure water, but Xie Jinhui is at most a drop of water; how could he possibly be the true form itself?
The older brother chuckled: "For us, whether it's a drop of water or all the water, the feeling it brings us is the sensation of flowing water."
If Su Miao can transform herself into Xie Jinhui, then Xie Jinhui could also become Su Miao!
"How will it change?" I blurted out anxiously.
The older brother scratched his head and said cheerfully, "I don't know, I'm just expressing my feelings."
"Maybe, that's possible, but how likely, I don't know."
It was all for naught. It turned out that the memories of Su Ling and Xie Jinhui in their elder brother's and the others' minds were perfectly overlapping, giving them the feeling of being inside Su Ling again.
I was very disappointed. If Xie Jinhui could become Su Ling, it would be a glimmer of hope for him.
Xie Jinhui lifted my drooping face and laughed, "Yuan'e, are you trying to find a way to survive again?"
"Didn't we agree to live and die together? Whether I live or die, do you know what I'll do if I can't see you?"
"Who cares what you do!" I said with a smile, but also glared at him. "If you're alive, you can help me out if you can. If you can't, then take good care of your love and don't let it go."
Xie Jinhui's eyes glazed over for a moment. He said, "Yuanhe is the root of Saint Shengtian Emperor's love. If I am truly Suo, I would rather dig out my own root of love again and replace it with you."
I stopped laughing, stared straight at him, and said clearly and distinctly, "That's cruel! I won't allow it!"
Just then, the brothers' cries of pain came from their side as they collided, followed by the sounds of something flying far away.
Xie Jinhui and I were drawn to them, and focused our divine senses on them.
The seven older brothers were scattered like chess pieces on an ice chessboard, scattered all over the place.
Upon realizing we had noticed them, the seven figures quickly flashed back to the octagonal table and nodded to each other.
Seventh Brother was pushed forward like a star surrounded by the moon, followed closely by Fifth Brother, and then Third Brother and Fourth Brother also formed a pair.
My elder brother said that the golden elixir fruit we just tasted was truly a wonderful thing.
"With this golden body blessing, if I encounter those seven bad boys again, I guarantee I'll pull them in and capture them the moment they show their faces!"
Talk is cheap; I still don't understand what "sucking" and "catching" mean.
Seventh Brother and Fifth Brother stood opposite each other, their bodies simultaneously radiating golden halos. One halos spun left and the other right, and then they were instantly sucked together.
Then look at the third and fourth brothers; they're playing back-to-back, creating a swirling halo.
I watched as they bounced each other far away, and then, like Seventh Brother and Fifth Brother, they spun out different beams of light.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, they were attracted to each other from thousands of miles away, and finally collided head-on.
I understand now. The brothers are planning to use this ability to capture the seven desires of the lower realm, which are already one with them, with a single breath!
Then, I looked at Xie Jinhui and exclaimed, "Huihui, so your desires can be transformed into black iron!"
*
For me, the goddess Yuan'e, joyful days are never short.
All the sorrow, pain, and disappointment may exist, but they can only occupy a small part.
Just as sweet fruit contains both tartness and bitterness, Xie Jinhui's mind contains both holiness and color.
He's developed a new problem lately; he's been getting a little handsy with me, but I'm not much better off.
This matter will not be discussed further.
Seven days have passed since the day I was tainted by "attraction".
Aside from occasionally handling affairs of the Purple Extreme Palace and urging progress at Youqing Peach Abode, Xie Jinhui mostly took me back to Moxu Dust Abyss to steal books, chat with the pond, and feed the mountain buns with immortal power.
Although Zu Jun didn't say anything, he had already allowed his fake son and real daughter-in-law to sit in his house for a while.
Things may have twists and turns, but fate is real. Sometimes, Zu Jun would brew a pot of tea that was said to be the favorite of Emperor Su Ling, and silently wait for us in the void.
I feel that Zu Jun is different from before. He has started to pay attention to every flower and tree in Moxu Chenyuan, and he has taken care of them so that each one has its own unique characteristics and is a rare gem.
How long can such a clever and eccentric mind stay in the incomplete "nothingness" of the Moxu Chenyuan imagination?
He probably realized that after Xie Jinhui and I left completely, the entire Immortal Realm would become dependent on him.
*
When Yifengqu arrived, I had just returned from Moxuchenyuan and was chasing after Xie Jinhui, who had stolen my sketchbook.
He was running ahead, and I threw a stone at him. The stone changed direction and hit Yifengqu on the forehead.
Oh dear, this emperor's staged accident technique is quite cunning. He controlled the stone to hit himself, and even tricked me into running over to apologize to him.
I moved ahead of Yifengqu and smiled as I bowed to him.
Yi Fengqu didn't stand on ceremony. He held a perfectly round ball in one hand, and with the other hand, he lifted up his bright red sleeve and reached out to support my arm.
I looked up curiously, and was about to say, "Don't be shy, I'll just bow. After all, you're the god of gods."
But I was actually being stared at by him.
In that instant, Yi Fengqu bent slightly, a series of pink tremors flashing in his eyes.
I was drawn to him because he seemed familiar; his bright face drew me into a memory of his.
It was like a wild mountain wilderness, filled with soft and delicate peach blossoms, teeming with free and unrestrained souls, and teeming with innocent and carefree creatures.
Peach blossoms surrounded me like a garment, and he said to me, "Sister, is that you? Sister, have you had enough of this dream?"
"Sister, sister, sister?"
Sister? What sister?
I struggled to shake my head and found that I could move. Xie Jinhui had already pulled me to his side.
Xie Jinhui's voice carried a provocative tone, "Yifengqu, give me the Spirit Gathering Pearl."
You're useless now, go!
Yi Fengqu generously placed the Spirit Gathering Pearl, used to summon the parents of the spirit creatures, into Xie Jinhui's palm, and even hooked his finger with it.
He curled his red lips, pointed at me and laughed brazenly, "Su Ling, how come she looks so much like her?"
My gaze lingered between two figures. Who was she? Who did I resemble? Who was who?
I had guessed long ago that Emperor Su Ling might have someone he cares about a lot.
But Xie Jinhui said he didn't remember, while Yi Fengqu clearly did, and this "who" must have been very important to him as well.
Xie Jinhui chuckled softly, not avoiding Yi Fengqu's scrutinizing gaze, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Otherwise what?"
Yi Fengqu shrugged, seemingly a little disappointed.
"Alas, she is only like her, but she is not her."
Suo Ling, I never imagined that after traversing 320,000 years, you would settle for second best.
Ugh! I'm not happy about this. Even though you're playing games and beating around the bush, who's in charge?
This goddess is no ordinary person, Yi Fengqu. I have no good feelings towards you, so watch out.
Xie Jinhui pulled me to his side, and we passed each other at the far end of Yifeng Canal.
"Yifengqu, go find her." Xie Jinhui's voice sounded full of bitterness and helplessness, but he was just pretending...
Then they heard Yi Fengqu sigh hesitantly, "He's lost, we can't find him."
The emotion in his words was quite melancholy and lonely. For some reason, I actually wanted to pat Yifengqu's head.
But I held back and didn't even turn my head.
Then we heard him laughing and speaking behind us.
"Su Mio, when do you plan to leave?"
Xie Jinhui stopped walking, and I froze.
To leave is to face certain death.
"Three days later." Xie Jinhui's voice was calm. He looked at me, and I responded with a smile.
"Let's try the Spirit Gathering Pearl tomorrow. If everything is ready, it will be three days from now," he said.
The shadow of Yifeng Canal was very long, falling at the feet of Xie Jinhui and me.
The dust, grass stalks, and leaves on the stone path swirled strangely, creating a funnel-like sound that carried the echoes of the Yifeng Canal.
“You two should get married in three days!” he proposed.
Xie Jinhui and I turned around at the same time to look at the red leaf in the wind. He was dressed in red like the sunset and had a deep smile on his face.
"Anyway, getting married and turning to ashes are only one word apart, so I'll just assume you're married."
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