Immortal Envoy (IV)
Above the Yaochi Lake, fairy mist is lingering and golden light is flowing.
The towering palace is suspended in the clouds, with pearls and colorful jades hanging under the flying eaves, reflecting the eternal rays of light, so dazzling that it is beyond comparison.
He Shu came on a cloud with many immortals to attend the Peach Banquet.
Around him, unicorns roared and phoenixes cried. On the long steps covered with auspicious clouds, there were immortal kings and goddesses with fluttering robes and jingling jewelry. Each of them had a graceful demeanor and extraordinary bearing.
When he returned to his hometown, the scenery of Heaven was exactly the same as he remembered, yet it seemed as if everything was different.
I don’t know if it’s because of my change in mood, but the jade buildings and fairy gardens that I used to think were neat and boring now seem to exude a rare beauty and peace.
He Shu stood quietly outside the group of immortals. He had no interest in the delicious peaches and was just waiting for the opportunity to quietly withdraw.
Unexpectedly, a voice sounded from the side and called him:
"Crane Book!"
Tao Hua approached with a smile and greeted her loudly. A hint of realization and deliberate teasing flashed in her eyes:
"Oh, look at my memory, I should call you 'He Wuming' now.
"Peach painting."
He Shu had no choice but to put aside the thought of leaving for the time being. With a polite smile on his lips, he responded:
"Long time no see, you and Heqi...are everything okay?"
Although this was their first meeting since their last meeting in Lingxiao Palace, Tao Hua's attitude was still deliberately familiar.
Maybe... because of what happened back then, I still feel an indescribable guilt towards him.
He Shu thought so, his eyes slightly lowered.
"We are all fine. Madam took pity on me for being seriously injured and didn't punish me."
Tao Hua smiled and then looked at him with concern.
"What about you? How have you been doing these years in the mortal world? When do you plan to return to Heaven? I heard that Lianxu Palace is looking to recruit new disciples soon. With your aptitude and qualifications, you will definitely be selected. Your status will be different from before, far more noble than that of ordinary immortal servants like us."
"Lianxu Palace...is indeed a good place."
He Shu spoke calmly.
"However, I have no intention of returning to Heaven."
"Not coming back?"
Tao Hua seemed to be extremely surprised, and she slightly widened her beautiful eyes.
"Do you want to stay in Luzhu Mountain forever and become a mountain immortal messenger?"
"Um."
He Shu didn't want to waste his words, fearing that he would make mistakes if he spoke too much, so he simply borrowed Xuan Tongzi's name and made up a lie:
"It is Emperor Xuan, Emperor Xuanyue who cannot bear to part with me and is determined to keep me by his side."
“It’s just like that…”
Tao Hua was skeptical. She frowned and pondered for a moment before saying:
"When I first learned that it was the Emperor who forced you to descend to the mortal world, I didn't believe it... Now it seems that old... no, the Emperor really loves you."
There was just the right amount of envy in her tone:
"How enviable! Back when I was an immortal messenger in Luzhu Mountain, I could barely even see the Emperor."
As she spoke, her eyes seemed to casually sweep over the bustling crowd of immortals around her, a hint of doubt in her eyes:
"I looked around a bit just now, but I don't seem to see the Emperor's carriage. Has he not arrived today? That's strange. He never missed such a feast in the past, and he always took away a lot of immortal wine."
"……this……"
He Shu paused, looked up and took a closer look at Tao Hua.
On the outside, her old wounds seemed to have healed, but she didn't know whether the wound in her heart that was torn by the shadow demon had truly healed, whether she still had any grudges against that person, or... still had some residual feelings for him.
He considered and said:
"It's that shadow demon... It seems we've spotted it, and the Emperor has personally gone after it."
He Shu carefully observed Tao Hua's expression and saw that she indeed stiffened. The smile on her face faded a little in an instant, and then she quickly lowered her head to hide the thoughts in her eyes.
"Traces? How could it be..."
She muttered a few words in a low voice, then quickly raised her head. Her expression had returned to normal, as if her previous loss of composure was just an illusion. She then brought up the previous topic again:
"By the way, are you really determined not to return to Heaven? You have finally survived the natural disasters and catastrophes. If you stay in the mortal world, there will be no chance of immortality."
"No."
He Shu answered without any hesitation. He lowered his head slightly, so he couldn't see the thoughtful look that flashed across Tao Hua's eyes.
"OK……"
Tao Hua's smile deepened when she heard this. Her tone was light and playful, but she was serious inside.
"You actually said you won't return to the Ninth Heaven. Such a detached state of mind is truly rare. But if you have the intention to return, it would seem that your words today were too light."
"I only hope that you can maintain this freedom in the future and not be entangled by trivial matters in heaven."
The words sounded like a blessing, but also carried a hint of relief, as if she truly didn't want to see him in heaven again.
"Naturally, naturally."
He Shu quickly calmed down, chuckled twice, and responded vaguely.
He found an excuse to hurriedly say goodbye to Tao Hua, and then took advantage of the banquet being in full swing and the immortals coming and going noisily to quietly withdraw and head straight for the Heavenly Prison.
Without the guidance of the Immortal Lord Baicao this time, it would be impossible for him to sneak in with his current status. Fortunately, Xuantongzi left him a token before leaving.
Only twenty days had passed in heaven, but the cat demon before him had become emaciated and almost unrecognizable.
The Heavenly Court did not continue to torture her, but simply bound her wrists with black iron. The places where they were locked had wounds so deep that the bones could be seen.
He Shu walked into the prison alone.
The cat demon lay quietly on the smooth and cold lapis lazuli ground, motionless. She no longer struggled or whimpered, and even the rise and fall of her breathing was so weak that it was barely noticeable.
"Chiyu..."
Hearing the sound, she mechanically raised her head, and when she saw that the person coming was He Shu, a hint of vitality seemed to be injected into her empty eyes.
The cat demon was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stood up and staggered forward, dragging the heavy chain.
"Heh... Qing... Qingle..."
The long silence had made her almost speechless, and she could only squeeze out hoarse and broken sounds from her throat.
He Shu hurriedly took two steps forward, reached out to support the cat demon who was about to fall to the ground, and helped her sit down against the wall:
"Don't worry, Qingle is safe now. I just saw him not long ago."
He paused, lowered his voice, and subconsciously touched the tip of his nose with a guilty conscience:
"It's just... I haven't delivered the hairpin to him yet. I'm sorry."
"I accidentally lost the hairpin when I came to the mortal world... But don't worry, I will find it as soon as possible and return it to Fu Qingle intact."
He spoke faster, not daring to look at the cat demon's reaction, and then said quickly but clearly:
"But the elixir in the hairpin...please forgive me, I can't give it to him."
"The fate of mortals is predetermined by heaven. If you forcibly change or reverse it, the consequences will backfire, and the consequences... you and I cannot bear..."
He Shu's voice became low. Thinking of his entanglement with Qingshan in those lifetimes but the ultimately futile fate, an unspeakable bitterness rose from the bottom of his heart, blocking his throat.
The cat demon's breathing suddenly became heavy. She didn't suddenly explode in anger like before. She just lowered her head and stubbornly repeated the same words over and over again:
"But you promised me... you promised me..."
He Shu couldn't help but turn his head and met her gaze filled with despair and resentment. His heart trembled and he hurriedly turned his head away.
He understood the cat demon's obsession and knew very well that unless she was willing to let go of this desire, no amount of persuasion from others would be of any use.
"You promised me, you promised me!"
The hoarse and hollow murmur suddenly rose in pitch, the cat demon's body began to tremble violently, and the iron chain on its wrist immediately made a teeth-grinding friction sound.
He Shu was frightened and could not help but stand up and retreat a few steps:
"The Shadow Demon's whereabouts have been exposed. Emperor Xuanyue has personally gone to hunt her down. I believe she will be captured soon..."
He tried to comfort her in another way, giving her hope.
"If you voluntarily return the elixir at that time, you may soon be free and return to the mortal world soon. Maybe... you can be reunited with your Qingle..."
"No--"
A shrill scream interrupted He Shu's persuasion.
The cat demon suddenly jumped up, and the black iron chain dug deep into the old wound, instantly tearing the skin and flesh, and blood gushed out. The strong smell of blood instantly filled the cramped cell.
He Shu was so frightened that he took several steps back and turned to leave.
He had said everything he needed to say. The cat demon was still in an unstable mental state, and if he stayed any longer, complications would probably arise.
"It's you! You must have embezzled the elixir!"
The cat demon's shrill accusation sounded behind him, filled with crazy hatred.
"You must have killed my Qingle in order to save that sickly girl—"
"Don't go! Don't go! Give the elixir back to me! Give the elixir back to Qingle!"
The miserable scream attracted the heavenly soldiers. He Shu heard the hurried footsteps approaching from afar. He stamped his feet helplessly, but finally couldn't bear it anymore and turned back.
"I didn't lie to you. The elixir was indeed lost along with the hairpin..."
"Qingshan... he has been dead for many years... what use would your elixir have to me?"
When he met those amber cat eyes filled with tears, He Shu couldn't help but feel a sore nose and red eyes.
He suppressed the sob in his throat, and when he felt the heavenly soldiers approaching the prison door, he lowered his voice:
"Qingle is at least still alive. He lives in Luzhu Mountain. Although his life is poor, it is still peaceful."
"Besides, Chiyu, he still remembers you."
"Don't be so stubborn. Even if you forcibly change his fate and make him take the elixir, have you ever considered the karmic consequences you'll have to bear? Do you want to see him suffer for your stubborn actions?"
"No……"
"But I'm not willing to give up. I'm not willing to give up..."
The cat demon seemed to have lost all its strength and gradually fell to the ground, shaking its head.
"I, I won't force it..."
She suddenly raised her head, struggled, and used all her strength to move closer to He Shu.
"You don't have to look for that hairpin anymore... But I beg you, tell Qingle... Tell him to wait for me to come back..."
He Shu didn't dodge, he nodded, which was considered as his agreement.
The warm airflow made the earlobes feel a little itchy, and the neck also felt numb, as if a cat demon had dropped a few cat hairs on it.
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