Long time no see, goodbye
Lying on the bed, tossing and turning, I felt a mix of trepidation and longing as I approached home.
How should I face Zhu Xun? Has he changed? What will his expression be when he sees me? Will he blame me?
My heart was burning with anxiety and I felt really uncomfortable. So I simply sat down and started chanting that damned Pure and Quiet Sutra.
You Youju is, after all, a time traveler. The Compassionate Fruit he transformed into earlier has probably already been digested. He still harbors all the vices of greed, anger, and ignorance, and hasn't even completely eradicated the three corpses. I don't know what he's doing still holding onto this identity; he should feel ashamed of himself.
He rarely wanted to tidy himself up, so he changed into a refreshing outfit and quietly went down the mountain alone.
Outside the palace, You Youju looked at the dark, imposing palace walls that resembled ferocious beasts, but still decided to enter through the main gate. After informing the guards of her identity and reporting back to them, she waited for a full hour before a figure finally arrived from afar.
It was Zhaohua; she could occasionally be seen chatting and laughing with Chaolan on Chaoyun Mountain.
This person is not mentioned in the novel, which is one of the variables.
Zhao Hua bowed and said, "Elder, please get on board."
She was followed by a carriage drawn by two flying horses, a magnificent and luxurious sight.
You Youju thought to herself, "At least Zhu Xun didn't suffer any material loss."
You Youju couldn't help but observe Zhaohua.
Her dress was bright orange-red, and she was as energetic as she was.
The hem and cuffs of the dress were trimmed with ruffles, and the dress reached the knees. The pure white trousers were tucked into the boots.
Her sleeves were gathered tight, blooming like trumpet flowers, allowing for easy movement while maintaining a quirky and playful style. She wore pointed little boots and adorned herself with jingling jewelry and a waist chain, exuding a charming and flamboyant air.
Her nose was small and delicate with a pointed tip. Her lips were painted with shimmering lip rouge, and her two fishbone braids were adorned with colorful ribbons and small flowers, making her quite charming and lovely. She exuded a faint floral fragrance. A pouch for all things hung from her waist, and even the pouch was orange, embroidered with tiny white flowers.
I felt no awkwardness at all when I met him; on the contrary, he was very composed and poised, which made me feel comfortable.
You Youju thought, "She's just like an idol singer from an anime. No wonder Si Chuitang dotes on her so much."
He asked knowingly, "Are you Zhaohua?"
Zhao Hua turned her head and said, "Yes, we met at Chaoyun Mountain. I sometimes go to Yundi Peak to visit my senior brother! Although you didn't see me, I actually think the elder is very kind!" She then grinned, looking very playful and cute.
Hearing her words, You Youju couldn't help but laugh: "How long have you been following the Bamboo... Demon Lord?"
Seeing You Youju smile, Zhao Hua subconsciously praised, "Elder, your smile is so beautiful."
You Youju replied, "Your smile is also very lively and cute."
Zhao Hua hurriedly explained, "I didn't mean to offend the elder again! I deserve to be punished! I've been serving His Excellency for several years now."
Years? This little girl lies without thinking.
You Youju smiled and shook his head. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Your name is 'Zhaohua,' so is 'Yuehua' here?"
Upon hearing this name, Zhao Hua's expression stiffened for a moment: "Zhao Hua doesn't know, but is this someone the elder knows?"
Youyouju recalled the face of the woman with waist-length red hair. Could it be that Yuehua had met with misfortune again?
He couldn't help but feel melancholy. Even without the moon's radiance, there was still the brilliance of the moon, and at the very least, he was a "Juhua" (a type of flower). If fate wanted to play a trick on you, it would do everything in its power to create a problem tailor-made for you.
You Ju's gaze towards Zhao Hua also carried a hint of scrutiny.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at a palace gate, where three characters were written in bold and flowing strokes.
The Frost-Proud Palace.
The structure and layout of this demon palace look so familiar... I think I've seen it in a TV series.
"Zhaohua, go down." Zhu Xun's voice came from inside the hall, clear and pleasant.
Zhao Hua put away his smile, replied, "Your subordinate obeys!" and waved to You Youju before leaving.
You Youju composed his facial expression, knocked on the door, and then entered his bedroom.
Upon entering the hall, a strong fragrance wafted over, the scent of Chinese tallow tree flowers, refreshing and pleasant.
After passing through a hall separated by a screen, there were some books and blueprints on the table, which was probably where Zhu Xun usually worked. Then there was an inner room separated by beaded curtains and gauze curtains. The person inside could not be seen clearly, but a white figure could be vaguely seen leaning against the bed.
Bamboo is usually simple and elegant, indifferent to material possessions. However, along the way, whether in the palace or the hall, the decorations are as luxurious as those of royalty, magnificent and extravagant. Even the jingling beaded curtains are made of colorful glass inlaid with red pearls from the South China Sea and embroidered with gold thread.
Stepping inside, only the gauze curtains swayed gently in the wind, like layers of green mountains and the smoke of a beautiful woman.
Silence, a long, drawn-out silence. So quiet that Youju seemed to hear her own heartbeat.
You Youju covered her mouth and coughed lightly: "Cough, why don't you come into the courtyard and hand over the Red-tailed Snake Bone to me in person?"
"I saw that my uncle was busy." Softly, without a trace of emotion.
"..." You Youju bit her lip lightly, unsure of what to say.
The figure behind the curtain flickered and said weakly, "I am not able to receive guests today. If you have anything else to say, Uncle, I have already poured tea. Please lift the curtain and come in to sit on the small couch."
Before Youyouju could even lift the gauze curtain, it opened wide in the wind, as if pushing Youyouju forward, sometimes fluttering and sometimes falling.
You Youju sat silently by the couch. The tea was still hot, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
With trembling hands, You Youju picked up the teacup, skimmed off the foam, took a sip, and finally mustered the courage to look at that spot.
The person in the account book was not clearly visible, and a corner of it was lifted by a gentle breeze, only to be met with a pair of sad and sorrowful rose-red almond eyes.
Her eyes burned with a fierce, scorching red light, and the grievances within them were like a raging storm, crashing down on You Youju one after another.
It was as if he was asking why he was still alive and never saw him again, why he didn't go home, why he didn't want him.
You Youju panicked, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground, splashing tea fragrance all over the floor. The rising steam moistened the eyes of the two of them.
"Are you sick?" You Youju stepped forward and lifted the curtain.
Zhu Xun could no longer hold back and rushed into Wu Mei Si Fu's arms, his immortal.
Sobs and tears soaked the blue-clad woman. After so many sleepless nights, she had been making wishes in her dreams, and today those wishes finally came true. But these wishes had come true far too late.
"Uncle... Uncle." That's how it was. Even though there were a thousand words in her heart, all that could be said at the last minute was a sob and a few repeated words. These repeated words carried a thousand pounds of weight, making it hard for Youju to breathe, and she burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. Zhu Xun was wrong." The murmur was broken by the crying.
The joy, fear, resentment, complaint, shame, and bitterness of saying goodbye...
In truth, it was nothing more than this person raising his eyes slightly, and with just one glance, spring came to life for all things, healed the desolation of waiting, and instantly buried the sea of anger.
The entire front of her clothes was covered in bright red blood and tears, a torrent of blood that had stained the time that Yu Ju had been missing.
What did he do wrong?
"It was Uncle who was wrong."
The crying had subsided for a long time, but Zhu Xun remained nestled in his arms, motionless. You Youju patted his back helplessly, but felt pain from his thin, pointed hand: "Have you taken your medicine?"
These words seemed to touch a sore spot, and the child in his arms began to shed tears again. The child held You Youju even tighter, like two wooden sticks, squeezing You Youju painfully.
It seems there's no more... Sigh... I'm the one who let him down.
“Look up, let your uncle see.” You Youju’s voice was as soft as cotton.
Zhu Xun shook her head. The child in her arms acted spoiled for a moment, but still raised his head with a shameful expression, his eyebrows raised, his eyes darting around, but his face was stubborn.
You Youju scrutinized him for a moment, then smiled brightly. He stroked Zhu Xun's head, but his own tears once again flowed uncontrollably. He could only cover his face with his hands, hiding in his palms, and sobbing silently.
Too thin, that child is too thin.
A fresh wound ran across the bridge of his nose, already scabbed over. His face was somewhat sunken, his nose high and prominent, lacking a touch of humanity and instead exuding a fierce intensity. His eyes, however, remained the same sweet, rosy red they had been since he left.
A knife scar on her lip, clearly an old wound, only a thin white line, had transformed into a white ribbon that had been severed from a peach-colored one, splitting into two red rivers.
Her eyes were round and bright, and her gaze seemed to have never changed, always looking at him with clear eyes.
Huan Zhuxun panicked at this moment, flustered and unsure how to touch him. He cried, he missed her, but wasn't this exactly what she wanted?
You Youju turned his head away, realizing he had lost his composure. But the ache he felt was being squeezed from the very core of his heart.
He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "If you become the Demon Emperor, will they stop feeding you?"
Zhu Xun finally smiled: "Without my uncle, every meal is tasteless."
You Youju wanted to reach out and touch Zhu Xun's forehead, but he turned his head away.
You Youju withdrew her hand, her face full of worry: "What's wrong?"
Zhu Xun looked up at him, but she wasn't happy. Her clear, rosy eyes and her defeated face gave him a bewitching air.
Seeing that he didn't answer, You Youju became a little nervous. The scars on his face were still glaringly obvious to You Youju: "Zhu Xun, can you tell me?"
Zhu Xun's eyes held a hint of reproach as she weakly replied, "Suddenly taking on such a huge burden, how can I win everyone's hearts so quickly? Cough cough, I'm all alone, living under the shadow of backstabbing. I know my uncle has always been frugal and can't stand extravagance."
Cough cough.
Even the interior decoration of the house is not something I can decide on myself. Cough cough... I've only recently settled into this position that I don't really like. If only I could stay with my uncle all the time." Her tone was like a sob, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
You Youju truly felt sorry for him. She guessed that it was because she had deprived him of experience and kept him by her side, preventing him from being bullied by others, which is why his personality was not as violent and tyrannical as in the book.
Although Zhu Xun is not indecisive, and I didn't raise him to be a compassionate person, compared to the Demon Emperor in the book, he is definitely far less ruthless. Zhu Xun is a good child, but he is probably too submissive.
He held Zhu Xun's hand, speechless for a moment, and took a deep breath to keep himself from becoming too sad.
"I'm sorry, it's all because of your uncle that you've suffered."
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