Qiu Niang's mother fell ill from the stress and soon passed away. Her father, grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, was nearly killed, though he did not die from the illness. How could he accept this?
So, with almost everyone in favor of him, the general died, and the general's family's century-old legacy vanished from the world, forgotten within two years.
Tears of blood streamed down Qiu Niang's face. She no longer knew what she was feeling. She had already died once, but she wanted to sleep forever.
Qiu Niang's behavior startled Shang Lin, but he was also exhausted of his spiritual power at the moment, so he could only advise, "Qiu Niang, change back first, don't make us worry."
Qiu Niang looked up at Shang Lin and said, "My benefactor, I'm sorry."
I'm sorry you always wanted me to stay conscious and live like a normal person. I'm sorry you always protected me, but I still want to sleep forever. I'm sorry I finally have a home, but I still can't stay...
But in the very end, all the words she wanted to say condensed into three words: "I'm sorry." Then she closed her eyes and collapsed, but as she collapsed, she transformed back into the graceful lady she once was.
Shang Lin was startled, truly worried that Qiu Niang's soul would be scattered, and hurriedly said to the Divine Lord, "Quickly bring Ji Xiaoyao in."
The Divine Lord acted swiftly. As soon as Ji Xiaoyao returned, he saw the Dragon Spirit Tower shrouding the living room again, and Qiu Niang lying peacefully on the sofa. He rushed over, "This is..."
Ji Xiaoyao suddenly dared not ask, fearing that if he asked something he shouldn't have, this person would disappear from his sight like the wind, so he just subconsciously looked at Shang Lin.
With just one glance, the emotions in those eyes were so complex that they were hard to describe. Shang Lin was also very worried, but he could only tell the truth, "I don't know what's wrong with me either." Mainly because he had rarely come into contact with ghosts before, so he had never seriously studied them.
Ji Xiaoyao hurriedly asked, "What about the ghost bride?"
The deity replied, "It has already turned into powder."
Ji Xiaoyao looked at Qiu Niang again and saw that she hadn't changed at all. He felt a dull ache in his heart. Old Man Chai, whose internal injuries hadn't healed, actually coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Shang Lin hurriedly advised, "Don't get agitated. Qiu Niang needs someone to watch over her. Do you want to collapse and stand shoulder to shoulder with her?"
Ji Xiaoyao raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his tone resolute, "Sect Master, don't worry, I'm fine. It's Old Man Chai who's unwell."
Shang Lin really wanted to say, "You even know that Old Man Chai's health isn't good?"
But Qiu Niang herself was extremely worried, and seeing Ji Xiaoyao's condition, if anything happened to Qiu Niang, he would definitely follow her.
Therefore, Shang Lin could only ask the tower spirit, "Does the Divine Lord have any solutions?"
The deity looked at the peaceful Qiu Niang and remained silent for a long while before saying, "Her condition is very bad. Perhaps one day her soul will become unstable and she will be completely destroyed. Unless we can find a soul-nourishing wood to nurture her soul, it is uncertain how long it will take for her to wake up!"
Ji Xiaoyao hurriedly asked, "Is there any other way?"
The deity looked at Ji Xiaoyao and said with great certainty, "Yes, but I don't know if you can bear to part with it?"
Shang Lin looked at the Divine Lord with some helplessness, "At a time like this, please stop keeping us in suspense."
The deity readily agreed, saying, "The first option is to perform a ritual to help her pass on to the afterlife; the second is to help her reincarnate. It's uncertain whether she can be reincarnated through ritual, but if we help her reincarnate, she will forget her past life and start anew. Can you bear to do that?"
Shang Lin suddenly recalled the scene when Qiu Niang first regained her senses, kneeling before him and saying she didn't want to be reincarnated, that being a woman was too painful and she'd rather be a ghost. However, at this moment, to prevent her soul from being scattered, the best way was to help her become a human.
Shang Lin glanced at Ji Xiaoyao subconsciously. If Qiu Niang were alive, they would be separated by death again. Not long ago, he had advised this man that there was plenty of time in the future, but now…
The atmosphere was so oppressive that it made one's heart ache. Even Hu Tangdi, who was usually playful, seemed to be nonexistent. Although she didn't understand human emotions, Qiu Niang was still a fellow disciple, so she was somewhat worried.
Ji Xiaoyao looked up at Shang Lin, his sharp eyes slightly reddened, now filled with despair, but he asked in a calm tone, "Sect Master, may I leave Old Man Chai for a while?"
Despite Old Man Chai's internal injuries not yet healed, Shang Lin couldn't bring himself to refuse. He simply looked to the tower spirit for help, "Divine Lord, please help me exchange with General Ji."
The deity sighed, "It's possible, but I can't hold out for long."
Ji Xiaoyao then looked at the Divine Lord, "It's nothing. I just wanted to face Qiu Niang in my own image. Once she leaves... she will never remember me again."
People who have been searching for each other for hundreds of years not only failed to recognize each other, but also had very little time to spend together before being separated by death. Even if they meet again one day, they will not recognize each other. How pitiful, tragic and lamentable!
Even more tragically, Ji Xiaoyao could perish along with Qiu Niang, but he couldn't be reborn with her. It wasn't that Shang Lin couldn't do it, but rebirth meant forgetting the past, which he didn't want to forget, nor could he.
If I don't forget, there might still be a future. But if I forget too, then there will be nothing between us. In that case, it would be better for us to be scattered together.
The deity wanted to say, "You don't need to be so sad. When Qiu Niang is reincarnated, Shang Lin can take her into his sect again and teach her cultivation methods. If all else fails, he can take her soul into his sect when she dies of old age."
However, there are too many variables in the future. This sounds very reasonable, but what will the outcome be? No one can be sure.
For example, everyone previously thought that Ji Xiaoyao and Qiu Niang had plenty of time to gradually determine whether Qiu Niang was the wife he had been searching for.
If so, they could gradually get to know each other and let Qiu Niang believe in love again, and they could rekindle their romance. But it only took a year for things to turn out like this, so the God-King simply silently switched "positions" with Ji Xiaoyao.
When Ji Xiaoyao left Old Man Chai's body, he was no longer in the state he had when he was injured and died. This shows that Shang Lin's generous feeding of healing pills had been quite effective.
Ji Xiaoyao sat down next to Qiu Niang, gently holding her hand. He didn't say anything, just watched her quietly, as if trying to etch her into his mind.
Shang Lin silently walked to the window, his mood was truly heavy. Although he had no romantic experience, he was not a god who was indifferent to the world and looked on with detachment. He had the heart of a mortal, but he just hadn't met the one he couldn't live without.
Hu Tangdi followed. She didn't understand the complexities of human emotions, but she could feel an endless sorrow weighing on her heart, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
So the two of them silently looked out the window. The weather outside was nice, and the sky was blue, but unfortunately, it couldn't lift their spirits.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
