Chapter 87 Southern Yue - Star River Tracker (Part Six) Next time we meet...
Shi Xianxue's figure completely disappeared from sight.
Pei Zheng's smile vanished, replaced by a sticky greed in his eyes. He glanced coldly at the crack in the tracker, where the abundant blood caused the seal to glow with a light like falling plum blossoms, clearly defining the boundary between yin and yang.
Just now, the two jumped into opposite dividing lines.
Pei Zheng formed a hand seal and slapped the tracker's seal without hesitation.
Even though more than a decade has passed, he is still as proficient as ever in the hand seal techniques taught by Lou Su.
Wei Quan originally intended to help the unconscious Qi Lingyu, but he touched something icy cold.
Wei Quan was horrified and fell to the ground, but his fingers touched Pei Huaguang's still warm body.
The tracker emitted a blinding light. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the uncomfortable glare, as if he understood something, and stopped looking at Pei Zheng.
All these years have passed, and the only one who has remained cold-blooded and heartless is still that person.
When the light of blood and the light of the seal are brought to their extreme, they can cause temporary blindness.
Wu Xiutang allowed himself to sink completely into the sealed passageway.
He didn't struggle because he sensed the blood kinship aura that the spirit of the Lord had spoken of.
The Wheel of Order in the center of the forehead began to stir in disorder, clearly sensing the message of impending freedom.
Wu Xiutang's body was enveloped in warm, thick water, every inch of his skin was soaked, but it was not unpleasant, but rather carried a sense of boundless comfort. He felt a subtle buoyancy, and he did not need to eat or breathe, as if a lake overflowing with water was naturally pouring out, enticing him to fall asleep.
Indeed, a gentle flow of water can be very effective at numbing the nerves.
But the next moment, Wu Xiutang, expressionless, tore open the membrane, and water gushed down, flowing freely, while his clothes remained dry.
Wu Xiutang knew what the people on the ground were doing, but he didn't care.
He did this intentionally; to awaken the soul of the Lord and regain his status as the God of Order, he had to sever the seal between himself and his blood relatives.
Beneath the Star River Tracker lies an underground palace. After traversing the network of passageways, the entire palace is revealed to Wu Xiutang.
Wu Ying jumped onto Wu Xiutang's shoulder and observed the surroundings: "Is the tracking device located underground in a tomb?"
It's called a tomb, but no coffin has been found. Who would build a tomb underground in the imperial city?
The underground palace was very large, with a smooth floor and walls painted with images of ladies wearing flowers in their hair. The golden paulownia trees were the only source of light in the palace.
There was neither a coffin nor any burial objects, so this was clearly not a tomb. There was no water or light here, yet the paulownia trees were growing so well, and the goddesses and ladies had different expressions, showing a bit of divinity in the golden light emanating from the paulownia trees.
Wu Ying seemed to have noticed something and was about to remind him, but the master had already stepped inside as if he were in an empty place, striding forward.
The painting of court ladies erupted at this moment, attacking them.
This was the ladies' territory, and something was continuously supplying them with energy. It was inexhaustible and numerous, so Wu Ying and the others were quickly scattered.
After a demon and a human form a pact, the demon servant is naturally closely related to the master. When the master is healthy and strong, the demon servant can exert its abilities to the maximum extent. If the master is weak and frail, the demon servant will naturally be restricted.
The miasma demons were quickly entangled and unable to escape.
Wu Ying glanced at its master's pale and thin profile, its heart filled with worry. It knew how weak its master was; the blood on his face seemed impossible to wipe away, and lightning had formed a huge energy ball in his body that could explode at any moment. Moreover, his protective spirit was gone... This trip was truly a do-or-die situation.
The lady holding the pipa wrapped herself around Wu Xiutang's waist like a water snake. She was slender and graceful, covered with a thick lead mask, and stuck out her scarlet tongue to lick Wu Xiutang's chin.
If she hadn't tried to take advantage of her master... Wu Ying silently mourned for her.
Sure enough, the next instant, Wu Xiutang grabbed her neck with a sinister glint in his eye, and with a livid face, snapped her in half at the waist—it was utterly bloody…
Even after being struck by more than a dozen bolts of lightning and learning that his own mother had been sacrificed and sealed away, the master had never been so vulnerable.
Severed limbs streaked through the air, leaving afterimages, and blood splattered everywhere, making it impossible to tell whose they were. By the time the ladies noticed Wu Xiutang's intentions, the figure had already approached the golden paulownia tree.
The ladies immediately broke free, their five fingers transforming into sharp claws as they reached for the boy's heart.
"Don't hurt anyone."
Amidst the chaos, the golden phoenix tree uttered a sound—a gentle female voice, tender and soft, with the innate lightness of a young girl.
The ladies froze, then transformed into golden threads of light and flew back onto the wall.
Wu Xiutang also withdrew his hand, his thick black eyelashes obscuring the shimmering light. His eyes were still uncomfortable. He was only three steps away from the sycamore tree, so he raised his arm to shield his eyes.
As the light faded, a graceful young woman appeared before them.
She was dressed in white holy robes, her hair was like clouds, her eyes were clear, and her skin was like the snow of Bei Yong. She was stunningly beautiful even without makeup.
Wu Xiutang slowly lowered his arm.
Those deep eyes, so similar to his own, now held a curious look as they scrutinized him. "What's your name? Are you here to keep me company?"
It differed somewhat from what Wu Xiutang had envisioned.
Sealed underground in darkness for nearly twenty years, she was not consumed by resentment; her soul remained as pure as moonlight. Was it due to her unwavering will, or foolishness, or something else entirely...?
Wu Xiutang stared at her silently for a long while, then suddenly curled her lips in a mocking smile.
A longsword crackling with blue-purple lightning appeared out of thin air in his hand, its tip pointing at the person opposite him. He smiled with narrowed eyes, like a crescent moon gradually shrouded in gloom, which suddenly shone brightly, sending chills down one's spine.
"I'm here to kill you."
As the cicadas chirped mournfully, their nearly transparent membranous wings vibrating at a frequency that seemed to freeze time for a moment, a dark-colored cicada landed beside a tree root, sucking its sap, and was eventually encased in its woody egg. A young palace maid came excitedly with a cicada-catching net, then returned to the palace with a blank expression.
The autumn heatwave was fierce. After sweeping the entire outer courtyard of Zhaode Hall, Shi Xianxue was already high in the sky. She was sweating profusely and starving. Just as she was about to go inside to eat some leftover food from last night, she suddenly heard a sharp announcement. Her eyelids twitched, and a figure in dark gold quickly and forcefully squeezed into her line of sight.
She immediately knelt down, waiting for the powerful gust of wind to pass.
But that person just didn't do as she wished.
The gold-trimmed soap boots stopped right in front of her, and a clear, gentle male voice, along with the scent of ambergris, filled the air.
"Nianrong?"
"This servant is here."
Are you tired?
Shi Xianxue couldn't help but roll her eyes, but her tone was respectful: "It's my duty."
"Oh," he said with a smile, "I thought you were secretly cursing me in your heart."
"This servant dares not."
"You dare not? You better not dare." The young emperor's brows furrowed, and his tone suddenly turned sinister. "Otherwise, it won't be as simple as being demoted to a palace maid."
Only after he had completely left did Shi Xianxue angrily walk out of Zhaode Hall, carrying a broom.
The sounds of men and women joking and teasing rang out crisply behind them.
She walked a long way and sat down by the koi pond, where plump koi carp frolicked among the grass like jewels in the shimmering water.
Shi Xianxue kept swallowing her saliva.
She didn't want to eat steamed buns and vegetables anymore. She wasn't a vegetable worm; she needed to eat meat!
She selected the fattest, golden koi, scaled and gutted it, found a secluded corner of the palace where no one passed by, gathered some branches for firewood, and started a fire to roast it.
So be it if I die.
She could accept dying even if she ate a bite of delicious fish.
Taking a bite of koi meat, it was simply... loose and unpalatable, with a faint earthy taste.
It was so bad I cried.
No wonder she reacted so strongly.
Because it's been two months. She's been in the past for a full two months since she transmigrated to eighteen years ago. Of course, it's also been two months since she was demoted to a lowly palace maid who struggles to even have food and drink.
This was exactly the third year of Pei Zheng's reign.
When she first arrived, she thought it was another illusion or something, until she discovered that it wasn't, and that her every move would change the course of the story.
She wasn't in a hallucination; she had actually returned to eighteen years ago.
This explains her inexplicable familiarity with the imperial city. Thinking back to the strange incantations at Tianyi Pavilion... they must have originated from her.
And she was right.
The Empress Dowager Daqi actually existed.
Her name was Qi Lingjie, and she was Qi Lingyu's older sister. She entered the Eastern Palace at the age of fourteen and became the Queen of Nanyue.
For three years, she has been unable to conceive.
Shi Xianxue's spirit entered the body of Nianrong, Qi Lingjie's dowry maid.
On the night she was sent back eighteen years by the Star River Tracker, by sheer bad luck, she happened to catch Pei Zheng having an affair with Qi Lingyu in the pavilion.
Men and women disregarded their dignity, status, and identity, uttering lewd words and engaging in sexual acts in the pavilion.
Before Shi Xianxue could even get used to this body, she was hit head-on by the scene in front of her, and unsurprisingly, she made a sound.
She was discovered, and the two adulterers planned to kill her.
She needed to protect herself, and sensing that the energy within her body was still there, she clenched her fists.
Just as she was about to reveal her identity and retaliate, Lou Su appeared silently.
Shi Xianxue could hardly describe how she felt when she first saw him. Her face was pinched, and she was forced to look directly into his jade-like pupils.
The high priest, who held a high position of power, was extremely young, with a face as beautiful as a fairy in a painting. Qi Lingyu, who had not yet recovered from the surge of passion, peeked out from behind Pei Zheng to steal a look at him.
Her head full of silver ornaments jingled as she bowed her head, as if she had just stepped out of the illusion of Misty Mountain, causing Shi Xianxue to momentarily lose her sense of reality.
Shi Xianxue blinked. The autumn wind carried the fresh scent of new snow from Beiyong. He looked her up and down, as if trying to confirm something.
Shi Xianxue couldn't break free, and Lou Su's image was reflected in her clear eyes.
He seemed like a snow demon sealed and trapped atop a snow-capped mountain, awakening only after a thousand years of slumber, always carrying a sense of sleepiness and weariness.
Shi Xianxue's gaze began to wander uncontrollably.
He was so young, with firm skin, yet his deep green eyes were like green agate that had been forged and polished over thousands of years, a mixture of clear and alluring emotions that defined him.
"Your Majesty, this woman has a deep connection with you; you must not kill her."
Shi Xianxue was taken aback.
Although Pei Zheng couldn't understand how an ordinary palace maid could have such a connection with him, he always regarded Lou Su's words as gospel and never disobeyed them.
Because Nianrong was close to the Empress and was a maid who came with the Empress's dowry, Pei Zheng found a pretext to send her out of the palace to serve her, and she was not allowed to disturb the Empress unless necessary.
Shi Xianxue wanted to resist; she wasn't afraid of them.
But now, within Nianrong's body, there is a fear of harming the innocent and disrupting the order of time and space.
After all, she didn't know where her body had gone, she hadn't found Wu Xiutang, Da Qi hadn't gotten pregnant, and Chongyang Palace and the Star River Tracker didn't exist.
Abandoned alone in this unfamiliar time and space, with no main quest, she felt lost, confused, and helpless, with nothing to do but endure heavy and monotonous labor every day.
She couldn't take it anymore. After finishing the fish, she would go find Lou Su and die together.
Before she could finish eating, a fluffy, round little thing fell from the sky and landed right in the palm of her hand holding the fish.
Before Shi Xianxue could react, the little creature had already bitten the fish she had painstakingly grilled.
At least three groups of palace servants came looking for the cat. They searched everywhere, including the grass and trees, but found nothing and had to leave in frustration.
Shi Xianxue lifted it up by the thin layer of flesh at the back of its neck.
The little white cat was gripped by the neck of fate; its body suddenly froze, its limbs stiffly spread apart, and a piece of burnt fish meat still dangling from its mouth.
Shi Xianxue gazed into its innocent, ocean-blue eyes and finally softened.
The kitten looks only two or three months old; it's still a little baby who doesn't understand anything.
She tore the fish into strips, placed them on a leaf, and handed them to the kitten, which tilted its head.
Shi Xianxue thought it was cute and wanted to pet it: "You look just like Wu Ying."
She missed Wu Xiutang so much. Where did he go? Couldn't he be in a different time and space from her? Or was Wu Xiutang's appearance related to Qi Lingjie?
Just as she was distracted, the little white cat bared its teeth and bit Shi Xianxue's tiger's mouth.
Shi Xianxue cried out in pain, only then realizing that two bloody holes had been bitten into the tiger's mouth.
The little white cat quickly opened its mouth, its teeth stained with blood, and looked puzzled.
"You, you, you! I kindly gave you fish to eat, how could you bite me?" Does this cat have an owner? Could she have rabies?
The little white cat couldn't understand, so it licked its paws and jumped into the grass.
Shi Xianxue returned to the palace and washed her wounds with clean water. She sobbed in grievance. When she opened the door, she found Nianjiao sitting on a chair in the room with steaming Dongpo tofu and pickled crab beside her. Seeing that Nianjiao's eyes were red, she thought she had been upset again.
He quickly pulled her down to sit: "Nianrong, don't be sad. Look, Her Majesty knows you like these foods, so she specially told me to save them for you. Her mistress still cares about you."
Shi Xianxue was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. She nodded, but didn't know what to say.
After all, she's not Nian Rong.
The two were speechless for a moment.
Nianrong used to be lively and adorable. She was young, straightforward, and especially talkative, and was the life of the party in Zhaode Palace. But who knew that she harbored such despicable thoughts?
She dared to dream of climbing into the emperor's bed and rising to power in one step. The empress, mindful of their childhood friendship, couldn't bear to punish her. But the emperor was not one to be lenient, so he transferred her outside the palace to be a cleaning maid, unwilling to see her again and cause the empress heartache.
Thinking of this, she said in a reproachful tone, "Nianrong, the Empress is so good to you, you shouldn't have such thoughts."
Shi Xianxue pursed her lips and remained silent.
Nianjiao, Nianjiao, so that's what these two characters mean.
Thinking of that black mist, Shi Xianxue quietly lowered her head.
When the wound on Shi Xianxue's hand healed, she saw the little white cat again. It was lazily sunbathing, its round belly exposed in the sunlight.
The sunlight made its fur shine; it was a very beautiful lion cat with slightly curled fur around its ears.
Shi Xianxue also followed its example and lay down beside it.
Sure enough, sunbathing feels so good; all my bad moods were wiped away by the sunlight.
The little white cat noticed her, that strange person with the bloodline of the creator god.
I ignored her and continued doing my own thing.
The two spent a pleasant afternoon together.
For the next month, the two became sunbathing partners.
At least Shi Xianxue believed that they had formed a revolutionary friendship through sunbathing. Taking advantage of Xiaobai's inability to speak, she began to complain about Pei Zheng and Qi Lingyu. She felt that Lou Su was difficult to deal with; she couldn't find him, nor could she reveal her identity at this time, making it extremely difficult for her to move forward.
Little White closed its ears.
One day, Shi Xianxue suddenly turned over, and the little white cat felt her burning gaze and its eyelids trembled.
"I've realized that it's not sunbathing that makes me feel comfortable, but being by your side that makes me feel incredibly safe."
"Is it because you look too much like Wu Ying, or have we known each other for a long time?"
ill.
The little white kitten curled up.
"Listen to me, I don't have any friends in this time and space anyway, so why don't we be friends?" She tried to scratch its belly with her nails, but received a warning glance from the cat. "That way I won't hold it against you for biting me."
The little white cat seemed to be annoyed by her noise and jumped away with its tail held high.
Shi Xianxue stood up regretfully.
It's okay. If they don't agree this time, we can just send the friend request again next time we meet.
But when she came to find him again with crab roe buns, Xiaobai was on the verge of death.
Its condition was extremely poor; its white fur was grayish and mixed with bloodstains, and its eyes were covered with bloodstains and could not be opened at all. It curled up in a small ball in the corner and quietly waited to die.
Shi Xianxue didn't know what kind of expression she had. She carried the food box and walked over.
My whole body aches, and my internal organs are screaming in pain.
This body must have almost run out of blood.
He should be dying soon.
He laboriously raised his paw and added a stroke in the air.
The 3,844th death experience.
The cat's short life, filled with hunger, cold, and abuse, was an experiment that didn't go well, and it encountered a strange, eccentric person.
It's okay, it will be over soon. What will he become in the next restart?
Hmm? Wait, something is lifting it up? It looks like a human hand, and it smells of food.
He struggled to open his eyes a tiny slit.
It's her again.
What is she going to do, use her healing power to save him?
Ugh, this is so troublesome.
He's dead, so what? What does it have to do with her? He wasn't her son. Can she please stop meddling in other people's business?
So he used his last bit of strength to roll out of her hand and into the koi pond. To his surprise, the woman cried out and jumped in after him, refusing to give up.
ill.
He doesn't do anything productive all day long, and this dead woman's ghost keeps haunting him. What is he doing here?
He finally managed to dodge her, but she swam towards him again like a water ghost.
His heart was pounding.
I was just angry.
He only ate two bites of fish and bit her, why is he so determined to bite her like this?
He silently added the label of stinginess to humanity.
As the species with the lowest affinity for this continent, it's unclear what madness the Creator God was thinking to treat them so favorably.
Anyway, he hates it. Even if the world is destroyed and completely restarted, he will never choose to become human again.
Thinking this, he turned his body away, dodging her hand, and let his body sink to the bottom of the pool.
He finally died as he wished.
The Wheel of Order was spinning wildly, reminding him to immediately disconnect from the restart. He angrily slammed the Wheel of Order shut, telling it not to move.
What's the rush? What's the restart? Let him break free and give her a good beating first.
But why is she trembling while hugging herself?
"I'm sorry, I was so oblivious. I didn't even realize your health had deteriorated to such a state." She choked back tears as the serpentine holy runes lit up inch by inch, but the kitten in her arms showed no signs of waking up.
She remembered Wu Ying's words and slumped into a huddled position.
As if recalling something extremely painful, she said, "I can't save the dead, I can't save you, and I can't save Pei Huaguang."
She's so useless.
The urge to punch her inexplicably subsided a little, and he detached himself from the little white cat, disappearing into the wind.
Looking at her bright pupils after being washed by water, I suddenly felt an urge to gouge them out and keep them for myself.
As he directed the gust of wind across her eyes, the surrounding air entered a strange, cyclical flow, the sounds of birdsong and human chatter suddenly faded into the distance, and the soul with the serpentine holy markings squeezed out of the little palace maid's body.
The young palace maid's body went limp and she collapsed.
As the golden crow was engulfed by darkness, her vision suddenly dimmed, but Shi Xianxue had no time to pay attention, because she sensed a familiar presence.
She seemed a little excited, though she couldn't see or touch it, but she could feel it.
"Wu Xiutang, is that you?"
Wu Xiutang? Whose name is that?
He has no name; he is the God of Order, born of nothingness and destined to return to nothingness.
The wind wrapped tightly around her limbs, and in those beautiful, jewel-like eyes, he saw himself appearing in this world eighteen years later, in human form.
And the noble, incomplete soul belonging to the God of Order, existing within the body of this second-generation little goddess.
He hissed, seemingly a little confused.
Just how powerful are she to transform herself into a human and steal her protective spirit?
Further in, the mark of the Parasitic Curse was imprinted on the goddess's soul.
Ha, a trivial skill.
He then made this goddess of unknown origin disappear completely.
Just as the proud and arrogant God of Order was about to make a move, something soft and fragrant brushed against his lips.
lip?
He looked down in astonishment.
The human form manifested in him at an irresistible speed.
As a god of order, he has been flowers and plants, wind and lightning, and all sorts of wild beasts and monsters. Whenever he wants, he can be a blazing lamp wick or a moth drawn to a flame. He is similar to a concept god, sharper and more fearless than the creator god, and is also an omnipotent being.
But he never imagined being born into the world in human form.
It's not that they are difficult to control, have many weaknesses, or have short lifespans; it's because the creator god was biased. He created humans to counter his own power.
He doesn't want to be human.
Upon dissecting the Parasitic Curse, a divine contract was discovered.
He couldn't believe it.
What is that?
Not only must he be a slave, but his soul must also be corrupted? Is his human form missing a screw? He can't accept it; he'll go back eighteen years and beat himself up right now.
In that moment of distraction, the human form from eighteen years later gradually materialized and was exposed to the air, right before the eyes of the little goddess.
The two were so close that he could clearly see his reflection in the girl's clear pupils.
She was so close that Shi Xianxue could reach him by standing on tiptoe and raising her head.
"Wu Xiutang, I knew it was you. Where have you been all this time?"
"Were you the one who kissed me just now? You missed me too, didn't you?"
She stood on tiptoe, cupped his face, and kissed him, wanting to show Wu Xiutang how much she missed him.
At the same time, the sun was completely swallowed up.
This is a miracle of the entire universe. The world is no longer noisy, but quietly looks down, and the corona, like a light and flowing veil, dreamily wraps around the golden sun.
The ultimate fusion of light and darkness creates miracles for this land.
A damp smell wafted through the stagnant air, and something soft and slippery was licking him, urging him on. Dark eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and his tightly pursed lips were pried open. As the ambiguous air rushed in, he caught sight of the other's nimble tongue.
The relentless wind and rain caused countless petals to shatter and fall in profusion.
That unfamiliar feeling fascinated him; his vibrant heart began to pound strongly, his emptiness transformed into a surge of heat, and his mind exploded relentlessly.
She started touching him, and an indescribable tingling sensation surged up her spine with her movements.
Damn it, what the hell are you doing?
Why does it feel a little comfortable?
His gaze was unfocused as he was kissed, and he even forgot to struggle.
By the time they realized they should do something, it was too late.
The divine contract was imprinted into the Wheel of Order, and his divine soul began to soften, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.
He knew what this meant.
He began to feel a helpless rage: How dare she blaspheme against the true God! She deserves divine retribution! That madwoman!
But what he found even more unacceptable was that he had so willingly fallen for the trap.
He's so angry! He's so angry!
The little goddess in his arms had become a motionless little wooden puppet. He lowered his eyes and stared at the culprit's face for a long time, then suddenly lowered his head and bit his bright red and moist lips in a fit of anger.
Damn humans, they dared to drag him into this mess.
The girl was oblivious to his surging emotions, and quietly leaned against him, looking incredibly well-behaved.
asshole.
He held her dejectedly.
After a long while, the proud and childish fool finally managed to appease himself.
Since he couldn't break free, he decided to go with the flow and become Wu Xiutang.
At that time, the proud God of Order did not think that this second-generation goddess would have the ability to change his destiny. He was just suddenly curious about the story that would happen between them.
But he didn't know that the slightest difference in the flapping of a butterfly's wings could often cause a devastating hurricane.
The wheel of order began to turn rapidly, and his soul and spirit, like dandelions that had matured in late autumn, would scatter in all directions with a gust of wind.
Before putting Shi Xianxue's spirit back, he lowered his body and touched the corner of her lips.
"Little Goddess—"
It is both a request and a command.
"Let's start our story this way next time we meet."
That way, I'll definitely remember you.
--
When Shi Xianxue opened her eyes, the solar eclipse had already ended. She stood up in a panic and searched around for Wu Xiutang's figure.
"Wu Xiutang! Wu Xiutang, where are you?!"
She burst into tears, fearing that everything she had just experienced was a dream created by her longing and illness.
But before she could find Wu Xiutang, Nianjiao, who had come looking for her with a joyful expression, grabbed her arm.
"Nianrong, I've been looking for you for so long! What are you doing here? Come back with me."
Shi Xianxue stumbled from the pull, trying to break free, "Nianjiao, wait a minute, I have something to do..."
"What could possibly happen to you? Could anything be more important than the Empress's affairs?" Nianjiao couldn't contain her joy.
Shi Xianxue rarely saw Nianjiao's eyes widen with joy.
"Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant!"
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