Chapter 98 The Mirror Appears - Part 2 of the Ending - Important Author's Note^^
It was yet another fatal decision.
Jiang Geyun clutched her chest, remaining silent.
She always seems to find herself in this situation, time and time again, inexplicably ending up on a dead end, with no choice she makes being problematic.
Therefore, she always fought desperately for a glimmer of hope, risking everything to escape from a desperate situation.
If I had to say something, things seem a little better right now; at least on the surface, it seems like she's been given a choice.
Although she didn't really have a choice.
Choosing to kill Su Heng like this, I can steal everything I could not take from him in the past.
She seemed to have saved the world, but in reality, she only slowed down the pace of destruction. How could she possibly kill Su Heng for this slowdown, which had so many unknown implications?
Choosing to "change" the world with Su Heng, even if you believe he can solve the problem of stealing the heavens, still leaves you with the dilemma of whether his actions are right or wrong.
On this basis, one must always be on tenterhooks, fearing that this god-king who entered the Dao through "theft" might one day steal the heavens and change the world.
No matter which side she chooses, she's only making a wedding dress for the god.
...
Above the withered tree in the sea of evil, the blackbird once again spreads its wings.
—He was getting impatient.
The murky eyes, composed of part of the Sea of Sin, slowly turned, looking at Jiang Geyun and the boundless hellish realm behind them, seemingly utterly calm.
The sea of evil has never been calm.
What surges beneath it, neither liquid nor solid, is the eternal recurrence of billions of near-death moments, a tangible torrent formed from the sharpest, most desperate cries of countless souls before their complete dissolution.
Once any external consciousness penetrates deeply, what one suffers is not a simple shock, but rather being forced to synchronize with every painful fragment in this torrent—the greedy will forever drown in unfulfilled desires, the hateful will forever be burned by resentment and hatred, and the infatuated will be reborn in the cycle of eternal separation.
All emotions and all memories transform into the sharpest blades, subjecting the soul to endless torture.
Deeper still, the remaining fragments of souls, not yet fully decomposed, are like being trapped in an endless quagmire. They tear at and devour each other, trying to piece together the forms they have long lost from one another.
This is not a scattered sea; here... the Sea of Sin itself is an endless, indescribable monster that devours itself in agony.
There is no hope, no salvation.
Existence dissolves, meaning vanishes.
To be tainted by the sea of sin is to throw one's entire consciousness into this relentless meat grinder made of suffering itself.
There is no way to fight back; one can only integrate and become part of this boundless sea of suffering, experiencing the destruction of every moment while remaining clear-headed.
What it brings is far beyond physical pain; it shakes the very foundation of existence, annihilates reason in absolute chaos, and is the most primal curse that even immortals would not wish to be tainted by.
Now, even if He can seize a portion of the Sea of Sin, it is still only a portion, and in this portion, He inevitably suffers pain He has never experienced in over a hundred years.
The Sea of Sin is truly not to be underestimated.
If being an immortal is not enough, what if one becomes a "god"?
What would happen if the title "Divine Lord" truly lived up to its name?
Speaking of which, her expression when she saw the answer was really good.
Paying such a high price...
Jiang Geyun, don't let people down.
...
"I don't think I've asked yet..."
Jiang Geyun looked up, her voice calm.
Su Heng's gaze had never left her, and now, upon hearing her words, his eyes became even more focused, concerned, and intense.
He concluded that she couldn't bear to do it.
She was certain that she could not bring herself to point the blade at him, nor could she stand by and watch the world slide into known destruction before her very eyes.
All his plans, the obsession and ideals he showed her, even his undisguised focus and passion at this moment, are all a carefully woven net to guide her toward the path he desires.
However, out of habit, he naturally prepared for that minuscule "what if".
if……
If she really had the heart to do it.
Then, in the instant before she takes action, or even the moment she has the thought, the final restriction he buried deep within her newborn heart, the one that originated from the same source as that wisp of light, will be quietly triggered.
It would gently soothe all her hesitation, pain, and guilt, making her convinced that killing him was the only right thing to do at that moment, and the only glorious sacrifice that she had to make.
He wouldn't let her suffer even the slightest struggle in killing him.
If she is to save this place, then let her have no more worries and resolutely save this place.
After she takes action, with his death, she will know what he stripped away to reshape her body, she will know what the flame that guided him to her was burning.
After that, she would have no reason to forget him, and no reason to take back her love.
This realization gave him a sense of almost thrilling satisfaction.
Regardless of how the world views him, even if he ultimately falls into ruin, he can use his body, his heart, and his actions to ensure she will never forget him...
He is very happy now.
...
“I don’t think I’ve asked yet…” Jiang Geyun said, “You don’t like being bothered by the noise here, do you?”
Su Heng was slightly taken aback.
From the moment he became conscious, he was troubled by the echoes of the Sea of Sin, and it took him a long time to adapt to and resist the malice within them.
Being able to hear the innermost thoughts of others, for someone in that position, is not a blessing, but the deepest curse.
Jiang Geyun wasn't sure when she first became aware of this difference in the person in front of her, nor was she sure when she concluded that he was indeed going through these things. However, she was probably right.
She smiled and said, "I won't ask you if you're tired. This time I'm asking you, do you not like this?"
A long time, or perhaps just a moment.
Su Heng said, "Yes."
Jiang Geyun nodded, and then said in a consultative tone, "Killing Qie Tian might be difficult, and it would take you some effort... But killing me should be relatively easy, right?"
Su Heng's pupils suddenly contracted!
He gripped her hand tightly, his other hand holding the lamp handle so hard that his knuckles turned white, and the flame flickered violently.
"Absolutely impossible!"
Jiang Geyun was startled.
She could roughly predict his reaction, but this was still...
He hardly looks like him anymore.
She took his hands in both of hers, shook them, and said in a playful tone, "It's just talk, but it's still a trick, isn't it?"
She looked around.
Su Heng's expression was tense as he stared intently at her. The blackbird not far away seemed quite satisfied with what it was seeing, its eyes revealing a dark emotion that Jiang Geyun couldn't fully understand and could only make a rough guess.
Forget it, what's the point of guessing?
It doesn't matter anymore.
Jiang Geyun asked in a relaxed tone, "Why isn't everyone moving? What are you waiting for?"
No one answered.
She knew they were waiting for her.
Wait for her to make a choice.
Jiang Geyun looked at Su Heng with exceptional seriousness.
“My husband, thank you for your answer, and thank you for everything. After thinking it over carefully, I still don’t want to regret coming here,” she sighed after a moment of inner struggle. “You know everything about me, although it’s a little scary… but right now, I’m still very happy.”
at last.
“I’m a little conflicted,” she said, her voice very soft, smiling apologetically, “Actually, I’m quite afraid of pain, but…”
She looked at him earnestly and said:
"I promise you to cleanse this vast blue sea."
The moment the words left his mouth, Su Heng's pupils constricted!
His aura suddenly turned dangerous, and the power he had been suppressing was no longer concealed. He reached out to grab her wrist, trying to forcibly pull her away!
However, in that instant, there wasn't even time to utter a "no".
Jiang Geyun did not resist his approach.
After all, no one is as fast as the endless, indescribable monsters around us, devouring us in their own agony.
There was no struggle, and no loud noise.
The moment she decided to reveal herself, the "ground" beneath her feet silently softened and yielded, as if it had been waiting for her return.
The murky, liquid-solid substance of the sea of sin gently and swiftly submerged her ankles and waist until it completely enveloped her.
Her figure sank downwards and disappeared in an instant.
Just like water dissolving in water.
The entire process was eerily quiet.
She doesn't want to destroy this place.
As she said, she chose to immerse herself in it, using her own clear will to personally experience every bit of pain and sin accumulated over millions of years, to distinguish them one by one, and to cleanse them one by one.
Like Jingwei carrying a tiny piece of wood to throw into the sea.
She was willing to gamble her own life on a vague possibility, to fight for a clear-cut future for this land of despair.
In the very end, the lamp in his hand left a faint, lingering glow in her vision, which was now completely shrouded in darkness.
That's all.
...
...
After she disappeared, the once calm sea of evil began to churn, as if a "tide" was rising, or perhaps it was just an illusion, the small turbulence caused by the blackbird earlier seemed insignificant in comparison.
Something seemed to be struggling violently as aquatic creatures were stranded, a thick, reddish-black mass churning up, utterly disgusting. At the same time, something else was swimming upstream, floating and sinking, facing its final, tidal fate of evaporation. Whether it would gather again as rain, no one knew.
Everyone will have a nightmare, a nightmare that is destined to be unspeakable upon waking, grand, solemn, silent, turbulent... This monster is churning, like a proclamation in the deathly silence before the end of the world, or like the buzzing at the beginning of the cosmic explosion.
The tide rises and falls.
...
...
...
The Great Zhou Dynasty, the twenty-sixth year of Cheng'an.
A lot happened this year.
First came that strange rain before winter. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't light either. What was strange was that almost every prefecture and county in the world was touched by a few drops. The people talked about it over tea and after meals, guessing that some dragon king had sneezed or some passing deity had appeared. They discussed it for a few days and then it was over.
However, the capable people in the Xuandu Bureau dared not slack off. Some observed the stars, others performed divination, and they were busy for quite some time. In the end, it was the Regent Princess Zhengyi who made the final decision: "Whatever kind of supernatural power it is, can it shake the mountains and rivers of my Great Zhou? Disperse." Only then was the matter put to rest, with only a few vague lines added to the archives of the Astronomical Records, and gradually no one mentioned it again.
In the same year, the old emperor died, or rather, collapsed. In short, those were the words that made no difference to most people. Not many people cared about the cause of death, since the transfer of power was smooth and did not cause any turmoil. Officially, it was said that he was summoned by the grace of the immortals. Previous emperors of the Great Zhou had also died in this way, and there were even more before the Great Zhou. It sounded reasonable enough, and that was enough. The court was stable and there were no waves, which was a blessing for the people.
However, His Majesty has few children, and the new emperor is a little girl carefully selected from the imperial clan. She is intelligent and clever, and is now being raised in the deep palace by Princess Zhengyi. Her Highness is highly respected and has previously served as the head of the Xuandu Supervisory Office. With her acting as regent, the court and the people are at ease. As for the future... whether the young emperor will grow up and get along well with the princess, or whether there will be another story, is another matter.
The overall situation in the world appears to be stable.
The northern territory of Tulan had been plagued by internal strife in recent years, with several major tribes fighting each other fiercely. However, it was recently rumored that a little-known prince had suddenly risen to prominence, displaying remarkable abilities and showing signs of unifying the various tribes. When the news reached the capital, the elders mentioned it briefly during their discussions, but they were not overly worried. After all, the Great Zhou was at its peak, with a strong and well-equipped army, and a newly unified Tulan could not cause any major trouble.
However, there have been some changes among the people, subtle yet intriguing. The once-thriving temples of "Yuantian Shenjun" seem to have become much quieter in recent years. News has come from various places that his temples have either collapsed due to disrepair, closed due to a sharp decline in believers and the inability of temple keepers to maintain the temples, and even in some places, the statues have become covered in dust overnight and lost their efficacy. The reasons are varied and no one can say for sure what is going on. It just feels like this deity... doesn't seem to be as efficacious as before.
As for the once illustrious Crown Prince Su Heng, his whereabouts are the subject of much speculation. The most common theory is that he and his Crown Princess retired to enjoy the beauty of nature, thus relinquishing the throne to others. This romantic notion is quite appealing to the common people.
However, those inside the Xuandu Bureau knew something different. The prince had not retired; on the contrary, he had taken over the affairs of the Xuandu Bureau. Now, the bureau was dealing with all sorts of troublesome cases of "evil spirits causing trouble" and "evil spirits disturbing the people." His shadow was often behind them. It was rumored that he was very powerful and unpredictable, but his whereabouts were elusive and ordinary people rarely saw him.
Strangely enough, in recent years, those troublesome "evil spirits" seem to be different from before. Normally, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Even if they linger due to obsession, they are all confused and vicious creatures. Without special means, they can't even communicate. Even if they do communicate, it's just asking a few questions. They have no intelligence at all. But now, occasionally some souls with clear minds appear. These souls have clear goals. After settling their karmic debts with their enemies, they sometimes appear in dreams to their living relatives. They not only tell them that the revenge has been taken, but also earnestly urge them to build a shrine to "Judge Jiang" to express their gratitude.
The name "Judge Jiang" quietly spread among the people. Some said he was an immortal who had attained enlightenment and was in charge of distinguishing between good and evil and clearing the names of the innocent. They gave Judge Jiang another nickname, "Azure Mirror." As for who Judge Jiang really was, no one knew. This name carried a sense of justice and compassion, which made the wicked fear him and the good grateful to him. That was enough.
Compared to the ethereal "Judge Jiang," another matter was undeniable within the Xuandu Bureau—the former Crown Prince, who was in charge of the Xuandu Bureau, was deeply in love. It was said that the Crown Princess had long since passed away, but no matter where he was, he always carried a dagger at his waist, never letting it leave his side. Everyone said that the dagger was a token of their love, and His Highness could not let go of the Crown Princess. Such a handsome man ended up alone, which made many people sigh. However, after sighing, his colleagues would always remind him: instead of sighing about yourself, you sigh about His Highness, who has seen everything and has immense power and extraordinary ability. What kind of logic is that?
However, behind these widely circulated rumors, there is one thing that no one in the world knows.
Only Su Heng himself knew that the endless whispers that had followed him since the day he was born, filling his ears, gradually, gradually, all faded into silence.
Only he knew that the peace she had promised had truly arrived.
Heaven and earth are peaceful and serene.
—End of text—
-----------------------
Author's Note: First, chapters 97 and 98 are very closely connected, and I strongly recommend reading them together; second, don't worry! There will be an epilogue! And it will be updated very soon!!
But before that, allow me to release a super-long afterword that's already at the top of the main text—another one that I started writing before the main text was even finished:
What should I say in my first sentence?
Of course, thank you! As always, this book wouldn't have been possible without the readers. You are all very important to me, and I am very grateful for your company and support!
My writing luck was terrible this week. I often encountered situations where there were good rankings a week before or after, but the week in between was bad. Also, I would miss good rankings by the time I finished writing the synopsis. I wasn't familiar with Jinjiang's rules, and with bad luck, it was really difficult. During many exhausting moments, seeing familiar authors really provided me with tremendous spiritual support, especially in the later stages when I was extremely busy. Looking back, I just feel numb with exhaustion.
Besides, without the experience of serialization, there are many questions I might still not understand. So I am especially grateful to all the readers who accompanied me during the serialization phase, whether they appeared in the comments section or just read silently. Your existence is very important to me.
The following is the rest of the postscript.
The first category is follow-up arrangements related to the content of this article, and the second category is personal reflections and musings on writing. Adults can choose whichever they prefer.
【related】
■Bonus Chapter Arrangement: There will be an epilogue, which will be updated in the next few days. It won't really end here, leaving us feeling melancholy! It will definitely stop a step further than our beautiful dreams—the story truly enters a wonderful state. It's impossible to write a bad ending or a happy ending.
Considering this story is a reverse-V (paid subscription) and many readers haven't subscribed to the entire series, side stories related to the main plot (such as epilogues) will be released as side stories. Additionally, there might be some crime-solving and sweet daily life scenes during the newlywed period before the main characters' identities are revealed, tentatively titled "Endless Summer." There's also a (potentially written) IF (what would happen between He Heng and Yun, where Yun appears as a ghost from the mountains) storyline. These two are primarily romance storylines, purely about the couple's sweet moments, relatively independent and not related to the main plot. Perhaps they will be updated as fan service side stories? It depends on your opinions. If you have any other ideas you'd like to see, feel free to comment!
■Revision Arrangement: Revision will begin after the side stories are completed and the story is officially marked as finished. The plot will not change. The main revisions will be to fix typos, add footnotes, improve the pacing, etc. Due to the limited serialization time, I am not entirely satisfied with some of the descriptions. If the problems I find are minor and there are comments on this chapter, I may leave it unedited. The content will only increase and not decrease.
■Initial concept: It came from two scenes in the copy: in the height of summer, cicadas chirping outside the window, a cool breeze blowing, her lover looking at her with affection, but she sensed danger in this extremely beautiful scene. Then came the second half, the scene when she finally saw the truth. And that's how I came up with the copy and designed the whole story.
I once considered writing it as a wife-chasing romance novel (there was also an old version of the story with this style), but the characters of the two were already set (and have not been changed since the beginning), and they were not suitable for the traditional wife-chasing romance novel, so I gave up on it. In short, the final story is what it is now. I wonder if the adults are happy reading it?
■Others: I can't think of too many right now... Most of them have already been included in the author's notes in the main text (I'm quite talkative, to be honest). If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section before the side stories are finished and the main text is completely "closed and archived"~
[Irrelevant]
■ Reflection: By taking the wrong path, I discovered many problems in my writing. For example, the opening was too over-exposed and lacked excitement and suspense; there was too much explanation of the setting and it wasn't placed appropriately; the characters were designed but lacked sufficient plot support, making them seem empty; the plot design was immature and lacked richness and realism; and my writing lacked foreshadowing, and I had poor pacing. Things I had planned would be revealed all at once, without enough buildup! Why did it all seem so sudden when it was supposed to be planned?! And so on… I tried to correct these issues continuously and seem to have grasped what a writing system is. I will continue to work hard!
■ Progress: I need to emphasize again that while the outline and setting were fixed during the storytelling process, I gradually adjusted the narrative focus. Adult readers should notice this more clearly. I designed so many things, but didn't know how to present them most effectively. I could only try one thing at a time, and then use your reactions to confirm whether my direction was correct. So, I am truly, truly grateful to the readers who have followed the story. Your existence is very important, more important than you imagine. You are my guiding light in the fog. Thank you for your companionship.
■ My initial motivation: My initial goal in writing was "I want to write something that I myself find incredibly impressive and interesting! That way I'll never run out of things to write about!" So when setting up the plot, I would deliberately avoid certain so-called clichés (the symptoms were so severe that I would get anxious if an isolated plot had even the slightest similarity to other works—this was somewhat cured by the persuasion of friends and family). Then I discovered that there's a reason why clichés are formed; they really work. On the other hand, if something new doesn't work out well, it will drive readers away. It's like skipping the tutorial and immediately having to fight the boss. So, some plots will still... I will write the slightly clichéd developments that came to mind first. After finishing them, I will feel a slight sense of loss. However, I will still insist on writing more "things that only I can write," not a certain genre, but simply writing whatever comes to mind.
Personally, I feel that I'm better at creating settings than plots. Setting settings haven't caused me any pain, but plots have really troubled me countless times.
However, compared to the first book, which felt like a few lonely stars, this book's "night sky" is much clearer, so it's an improvement.
I hope that one day I will be able to write a work that will excite me greatly after I finish each chapter. At that time, if I can meet again with the adults I have met in the past and present, I hope and believe that we will all become better and better.
[Pre-order]
■Option 1: "Ex-Husband", estimated to be around 600,000 words. I started writing it once in 2024. It was very difficult at that time because I was in a bottleneck period. I felt that something was wrong but did not know how to improve it. I was also busy and overwhelmed. I was not satisfied with rewriting 100,000 words, so I had to stop. After starting this book, I had a flash of inspiration and came up with a new synopsis. It all made sense at once. It is about a unique dark moonlight and the "retribution" she attracts. It is an attempt at a novel with a popular female lead, a love triangle, and a male-dominated competition.
■Option 2: "Comic", estimated at around 400,000 words, a fantasy romance novel with a main setting in both school and another world. It tells the story of the teenagers' daily school life and their journey to explore the stars in another world. They find themselves, grow, and meet their love interest in both worlds.
■Option 3: "Tyrant", wow, this one will definitely be an extremely long novel, I think it should be at least a million words long, so I will prepare more. However, I have the most inspiration for this one. If the adults like it, I might start reading it first...?
■How to start: I'll write about all of them, but which one I start with depends on my book's collection (and the progress of the outline). I hope my next book won't go through the same agonizing beginning as this one, so I'll prioritize those with more collections. This will make it easier for them to appear on the charts and get exposure. If you're interested, please don't hesitate to collect my book! It's really super important to me!
In any case, I will definitely start and finish at least one book in 2026 (one book a year is my minimum goal). All the pre-orders I release are books that I will definitely write and finish (including Demon King). You can choose with confidence.
—End of Postscript—
Still, I wish you continued enjoyment of good stories.
I also hope to meet you again in the future.
Knowing the morning and talking about the night, left in the winter of 2025.
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