Chapter 44
Back in school, our teacher taught us that "no one is perfect."
As long as one is human, one will have seven emotions and six desires, including greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt; desire for wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep; and desire for resentment, anger, and annoyance.
But we are not; we are not human.
We have no dignity or weakness. We do not understand time and years, nor do we understand birth, aging, sickness and death. We do not understand fear, nor do we understand gain and loss.
It may seem that we have humans at our fingertips, but it is precisely because we lack abundant emotions that we judge everything so objectively.
This objective reality is often described as "ruthless."
I often wonder, are we "perfect people"?
Neither do we.
We have feelings and heartbeats; we have thoughts and breaths.
As long as these things tether our thoughts, we are not "perfect".
But how can a truly "perfect person" become a deity? How can they relieve suffering and provide blessings? How can they save all living beings?
...
I've thought of a lot of things.
I don't know who they're trying to cover for.
My vision was completely blurred, and I stared wide-eyed, unable to focus.
Wu Qi panicked; I had never seen him so flustered. His palms were sweating profusely, and he could barely hold me. He pulled me closer to his chest, his heart pounding so hard it was deafening.
He was running.
I tried to call his name amidst the jolts, but I couldn't utter a single sound.
He said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
I want to say I'm not afraid.
I have lost everything.
I'm not afraid.
My consciousness faded away once again, and I have no idea what happened next.
In a daze, I felt as if I had returned to my childhood, lying on the lap of the Moon Goddess, who was gently stroking my head.
It was cold on the moon, but her hands were warm.
I can't bear to shatter this dream. Like a lost lamb finally finding its way back, like a pedestrian in the rain seeking shelter, let me stay a little longer. I'm so tired.
After a while, Chang'e's smile came from above, and her breath touched my face. I suddenly realized that all of this was real.
The rabbits around were busy with their own things, some cleaning, some braiding ropes, and some playing around, creating a harmonious scene.
As always, Chang'e teased me, "Child, is the human world interesting?"
I was stunned for a moment, and my eyes instantly welled up with tears.
I wanted to answer, but found that all I could do was squeak once. I'm still a little rabbit.
“I’ve been there,” she said. “You won’t come back without suffering.”
I snuggled closer to her.
She added, "You must have suffered a lot."
My throat felt dry, and I didn't want to think about it anymore.
But I still want to say something.
That's not entirely true.
I've enjoyed so much happiness in this world, only to suffer a little. Perhaps it was because everything was so sweet before that the difference between heaven and earth is so stark, making my current pain all the more apparent.
"It seems you've gained quite a bit as well." Sister Chang'e seemed to read my mind and smiled. "Don't use human nature to test every sincere emotion, Ah Yue."
She got up, held me in her arms, and faced the starry sky.
"They may not have done anything wrong; their nervous system simply received the signal."
I closed my eyes, trying to process what I was saying.
“That child Wu Qi hasn’t had it easy either,” said Sister Chang’e. “You’ve made him wait so long for nothing.”
At this point, I suddenly felt a little embarrassed and covered my eyes and ears.
"I won't keep you any longer. Go back to him."
After saying that, she exhaled a breath of immortal air towards me.
I drifted aimlessly in the air like a piece of paper, not knowing how many days and nights I had been drifting. Everything around me was gray and hazy, as if I had lost my way in a fog.
At the brink of despair, I was suddenly grabbed by a hand, which pulled me towards the light.
Without warning, I saw the light.
Above the clouds, an ethereal atmosphere pervades, with towering palace gates adorned with glittering gold...
I've gone back to heaven.
Before I could even catch my breath, I saw a celestial being walking quickly towards me. The celestial being looked very familiar; he was tall and slender. I searched my memory carefully before I remembered that this was my master's senior brother, Changying.
Didn't he go into seclusion with my master a few years ago?
Before I could figure it out, he walked straight towards me. I raised my hand to greet him, but he passed right through me; I was as if I were invisible.
I touched my heart; it felt like it had been muted.
...
broken.
The legendary matchmaker, who has acted as both a human and a ghost, must have quite a fascinating experience to write on his resume.
“Junior Brother Wu,”
Senior Brother Changying bent down and said, "Master wants you to come with me."
I turned my head and saw Wu Qizheng kneeling at the entrance of the main hall, still wearing his school uniform from his time in the mortal world. His white shirt was loosely draped over his body, making him look out of place with the surrounding scenery.
He was such a spirited person, it seems inappropriate to describe him as "helpless and confused," but now that he was kneeling there, I suddenly felt that he was like a poor little dog that had been abandoned.
What is he doing?
She was also holding a half-dead rabbit in her arms...
oh--
That half-dead rabbit was me.
Without the red rope binding me, I could no longer maintain my human form. My ears drooped, and my breathing became shallow.
Upon hearing the Immortal Lord's words, Wu Qi slowly stood up, his legs trembling.
He seemed to have already prepared for the worst, and the panic in his eyes was replaced by despair.
The puppy felt he had made a terrible mistake and wanted to make amends, but he didn't know who to turn to. Finally, with nowhere else to turn, he knelt before the palace, seeking his last hope.
I walked with him into the hall, but he didn't say a word; his face was ashen.
My heart is throbbing with pain.
What exactly did I do?
This world is already terrible, yet I dumped all of this on Wu Qi, leaving him to bear it all alone. I hate myself for that.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind.
Senior Brother Changying stopped and turned around, opening his mouth as if to say something, but saw that the person went straight to Wu Qi and grabbed the ignoring Wu Qi.
"Sister Yueyue..." The person who came was Zhou Huai, his face full of expressions, like a traffic light. "How is she?"
Wu Qi had no desire to communicate.
She quietly broke free from Zhou Huai's hand and walked forward step by step.
"What do you mean by this?" Zhou Huai was furious. "Release Sister Yueyue first—"
Suddenly, a crack appeared in the air.
A long blade slashed through the air and instantly pressed against Zhou Huai's neck. The size was just right; it was only a millimeter away from taking his head.
This is……
Wu Qi's Divine Martial Arts.
It seems that ever since I met him, this knife has been hidden in the hall, and he only takes it out to practice his skills occasionally when teaching martial arts.
He thought it was just a weapon for practice, but he never knew when he had mastered it to the point where he and the sword were one. Whenever his heart stirred, the sword would break and return to its original state.
Wu Qi finally spoke: "I really will kill you."
Zhou Huai swallowed the rest of his sentence.
“No…” he said, “My intentions were good. If it weren’t for this, how would you know that humans can be like this?”
Wu Qi ignored him and continued walking into the hall.
Zhou Huai brushed the knife aside with his hand and followed with small, quick steps: "How does it feel to see them treat you like monsters? Aren't you extremely disappointed? Don't you think they're ungrateful? Hahahaha—that's right, that's how humans are!!!"
“You’re wrong,” Wu Qi said calmly. “I don’t hate humans, I only hate you.”
Zhou Huai looked incredulous: "What?"
“If anything really happens to Sang Yue,” Wu Qi said coldly, “I will kill you.”
It was as if lightning had struck Zhou Huai on the head; he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
The doors to the main hall were then opened, and a voice roared from inside, seemingly echoing, "Come in, all of you."
The area outside the hall fell silent instantly, demonstrating the immense intimidating power of the place.
I know this timbre all too well...
Half awe, half excitement.
They used to scold me, teach me, answer my questions, and plan for me. I've thought about that voice for a very long time.
My master, who had been in seclusion for many years, actually came out of seclusion because of me.
I felt both frustrated and guilty. If I hadn't let my emotions get the better of me, none of this would have happened.
But it's too late now. My master just glanced at me and then closed his eyes, his eyelids trembling.
"I let you go out to clear your head, and you've caused me such a huge mess!" Master said in a deep voice.
Wu Qi and I were both taken aback, then we realized that those words were probably not meant for us.
—But rather, he was looking at Zhou Huai behind him.
What is their relationship?
I was completely stunned.
First of all, how did my master come to know people from the demon race? When did they meet?
Secondly, what kind of relaxation is being "letted out to clear your mind"?
Finally, what's with this tone? It sounds exactly like what you'd say to any naughty student in school.
Zhou Huai was even more eccentric.
Just moments ago, it was a bewildered and disoriented creature, but now, a mighty serpent has become a tiny mudskipper. Its eyes have changed from cunning and treacherous to timid and submissive, not daring to utter a single word.
There are too many problems.
I wish I could open my mouth eight times right now and ask as many questions as I wanted.
Master seemed extremely helpless, with a look of utter disappointment. He then sighed and gestured for Wu Qi to place me on the table.
Wu Qi was cautious, his usual arrogant demeanor completely gone. His pride seemed to have been bent, and a hint of dejection appeared on his youthful face.
After putting the rabbit down, he was worried that it might press on my ears, so he moved it around several times to make sure I wouldn't feel any discomfort.
His caution caused his master to look at him several times over.
"You've switched to a vegetarian diet?" his master asked him, sounding rather annoyed.
"What?"
Wu Qi's brain was completely blank; he didn't understand that it was a joke, or rather, he didn't expect his master to joke with him at a time like this.
The master just chuckled and waved his hand, saying only, "If you had shown even a tenth of the attitude you have now when you made mistakes in the past, I wouldn't have blamed the whole pond of fish that died."
Wu Qi: "..."
He didn't dare to say anything, but his tense expression relaxed a lot.
Everyone in the Heavenly Realm knows that Master dotes on the little rabbit in the Moon God's Palace the most. Seeing that I wasn't worried and even joked around, Master couldn't help but wonder if it was nothing serious.
"Alright," the master said, "You're only thinking about your wretched rabbit. I doubt you're in the mood to play with this old man."
Wu Qi: "..."
Broken Rabbit: "?"
Despite saying that, my master still transferred some of his cultivation into my body, checked my breathing, and then began to circulate his energy.
When Master was practicing his internal energy, he never allowed outsiders to be present. Even Senior Brother Changying would politely withdraw.
Wu Qi was led outside, along with Zhou Huai. As a ghost whose fate was uncertain, I didn't linger there either.
It's been so long since I've been here. The fish in the pond in the yard have changed time and time again, and the frogs are croaking nearby.
Memories were also rewound, going back many years. Back then, there were koi fish, hundreds of them.
Whenever students come to visit, they rush to stand on the small bridge in the middle of the river to feed the animals, and Wu Qi and I are no exception.
We agreed to feed the fish together, but we ended up arguing in class and stayed sulking until the end of get out of class.
Even though we were sulking, we still had to feed the fish. We were eight feet apart and neither of us paid any attention to the other.
The arguments were incredibly childish. First, he drew my portrait in a book, making me look like a big-faced monkey whose head had been flattened by sitting on it. Not to be outdone, I drew a crooked-mouthed donkey with epilepsy in my notebook.
Then he pointed to the donkey and then to him.
The meaning is very clear: "This is you."
Wu Qi: "..."
He immediately got angry; he's incredibly petty and might have secretly vowed never to talk to me again.
I can't afford to offend the young master.
After leaving the classroom, I thought about how the donkey I had drawn might have been too exaggerated. Wu Qi might just not have drawn well, but he genuinely wanted to give me a portrait, and I didn't appreciate it and drew that kind of picture to attack him.
Thinking about this made me a little embarrassed, so I tried to make amends: "I felt that my drawing was pretty good, right? Is it really that unacceptable?"
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw him backlit... he seemed to be rolling his eyes at me.
That's right, the people in that painting have nostrils practically sticking up to the sky, so it definitely can't be considered "okay".
I had no choice but to apologize, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to draw you so ugly..."
Wu Qi interrupted me calmly: "I did it on purpose."
"..."
What do you mean he did it on purpose?
Did he deliberately draw me such an ugly picture?
What's the point of arguing about this?
My temper flared instantly: "I didn't finish what I was saying."
Wu Qi: "?"
“What I’m trying to say is—” I took a deep breath, recited a spell, and pulled the painting in the room over, “I didn’t paint you so ugly on purpose, it’s because you’re already this ugly.”
Wu Qi: "..."
Me: "This crooked-mouthed donkey looks exactly like you."
Wu Qi: "…………"
He pretended to be calm, but I could tell that little Wu Qi was about to go crazy with anger.
Then he threw all the fish food into the pond and said to me sternly.
"Then I wish you success in marrying him in the future."
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