Shangguan Qing's figure gradually became clearer on the dark path of the underworld, and the ghost lights around her swayed, lighting the way forward for her.
She walked on the cold stone slabs, and every step seemed to be stepping on the dust of time.
In front of the Temple of Pluto, towering stone pillars stand, carved with ancient totems, exuding a eerie atmosphere.
Shangguan Qing pushed open the heavy palace door and saw Hades sitting on the dark throne. His figure was huge and majestic, with a faint light flickering in his eyes.
Seeing Shangguan Qing return, Hades was slightly startled, and asked in a low voice: "Why did you come back suddenly? Is there anything unfinished in the human world?"
Shangguan Qing's figure looked particularly thin in the dim candlelight.
She bowed slightly, with a gleam of determination in her eyes: "Lord Pluto, I want to go to the human world to find the meaning of life. I hope you can help me."
Shangguan Qing's voice echoed in the Pluto Palace with a barely perceptible tremor.
She looked up at Hades, her eyes flickering with mixed emotions.
The flickering candlelight in the hall stretched her shadow out, as if even her shadow was telling of her hesitation.
She bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes passing across the majestic face of Hades and falling on the dark bridge of rebirth not far away.
The bridge seems to still bear the traces of past souls, and every stone slab carries a heavy story.
The figure of Cheng Ji appeared in her mind, the messenger from the underworld who always silently accompanied her, his smile was warm and familiar.
"Master, I suddenly don't know whether I should walk on the Bridge of Rebirth."
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, but it was clearly heard by Hades, "It seems that I am used to the way I am now, and I have Cheng Ji by my side..."
Hades' gaze was as deep as the abyss. He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the empty hall: "You must regain your memories before you die, to be a complete you.
Now you are nothing but an empty shell without any memories, wandering on the edge of the underworld and the human world."
As he spoke, Hades waved his sleeves lightly, and a faint light overflowed from his palm, transforming into an ancient bronze mirror with intricate spells engraved on the mirror surface, faintly emitting a faint fluorescence.
Shangguan Qing walked towards the bronze mirror involuntarily, and when her eyes touched the mirror, the picture suddenly changed.
Blurry yet familiar scenes flashed in the mirror, like broken dreams, gradually piecing together the outline of her past life.
Seeing her dazed look, Hades' eyes were full of tenderness and encouragement: "Shangguan Qing, you used to be so tenacious, how could you be trapped by such a small confusion? You are not a woman who can be defeated so easily. There is an eternal flame hidden in your soul."
He gently stretched out his hand, palm facing up, as if to lift up the lost courage in Shangguan Qing's heart.
The faint light danced on his fingertips, transforming into a ray of warm power that slowly poured into Shangguan Qing's heart.
Her eyes gradually regained focus, and the confusion in her eyes was replaced by determination, as if a beam of light penetrated the fog in her heart and illuminated the way forward.
Shangguan Qing's eyes flickered with a gentle light, and she whispered, "Maybe it's because of Cheng Ji that everything seems to be fine, and I'm content."
As she spoke, she seemed to see Cheng Ji's warm smile, which was like a bright light in the darkness of the underworld, illuminating every step she took forward.
Her thoughts drifted towards the Bridge of Rebirth, where Cheng Ji was accompanying her. Every time she looked back, she could meet his gentle gaze.
She seemed to be able to feel the warmth of his palm, warm and powerful, as if it could dispel all the coldness and confusion.
At this moment, Shangguan Qing's heart was filled with gratitude and happiness.
She smiled gently, and that smile looked particularly bright in the dim candlelight, like the brightest star in the night sky.
The voice of Hades echoed in the empty hall, like the sound of an ancient bell, deep and distant.
"Shangguan Qing, you have to find the real you. It may be difficult, but you can't give up."
His words were like an invisible force, stirring Shangguan Qing's heart.
She looked up at Pluto, her eyes gleaming with determination, as if she had made some kind of decision.
Outside the palace, the night was as dark as ink, with twinkling stars. Shangguan Qing walked out of the palace slowly, his figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight.
She gazed at the dark Bridge of the Dead in front of her. The stone slabs on the bridge swayed gently in the night breeze, as if telling the endless past.
An inexplicable urge surged in her heart, as if she wanted to cross the bridge and find her true self.
The night wind blew through her hair, bringing a hint of coolness, but it also blew away the confusion in her heart.
Shangguan Qing nodded gently, with a determined light in his eyes, "I know what to do."
She looked at Pluto, his deep eyes seemed to be able to see through all the secrets of the world.
She mustered up her courage and asked softly, "Lord Pluto, have you... have you ever loved anyone before?"
Pluto's body trembled slightly, and his eyes became distant and deep, as if he was lost in distant memories.
Inside the hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated his chiseled face, adding a touch of softness and warmth.
He spoke slowly, his voice low and magnetic,
"Love? That is a forbidden land that I dare not touch. In the endless years, I have witnessed too many joys and sorrows, but I have also locked my heart in endless darkness."
Pluto fell into deep thought, his eyes penetrated the barriers of time and space, as if he saw that distant and familiar figure.
The corners of his mouth curled up into a bitter smile, and he whispered in his heart: "Yes, I have always loved her, but with her, it is no longer possible."
Pictures emerged before his eyes, those were the wonderful times he spent with her. Her smile was like the warmest sunshine in spring, illuminating his lonely heart.
However, those images shattered like bubbles, turning into endless darkness and coldness that wrapped him tightly.
There was a flash of pain in his eyes, and then he regained his calm, as if burying the deep love once again in the abyss of his heart.
Shangguan Qing looked into the deep and complex eyes of Hades, as if he could read the story in his heart. He decided not to ask any more questions, bowed gently, and turned to leave.
Her figure gradually disappeared into the dark corridor of the underworld, and every step she took was filled with determination and relief.
On both sides of the corridor, faint blue flames burned quietly, illuminating her lonely and determined back, as if silently bidding farewell to her departure.
The air in the underworld is filled with a faint sadness, yet mixed with a hint of relief.
Shangguan Qing's footsteps became faster and faster, and finally turned into a stream of light, breaking through the boundaries of the underworld and returning to the human world.
The sunshine of the world shone on her, warm and bright. She took a deep breath, as if she was reborn.
The sunlight shines through the mottled window frames of the antique shop and onto the wooden floor, forming patches of light.
Shangguan Qing pushed open the door, and a familiar and old smell hit him in the face, mixed with the faint scent of ink and wood.
Inside the store, Youxuan was wiping an antique with his head down. His movements were gentle and focused, as if he was having a conversation with these ancient objects.
Hearing the door open, he looked up with a look of surprise in his eyes: "Shangguan Qing, you're back? Lei Jiaojiao came just now and said she had something urgent to discuss with you. When she saw you weren't there, she left a letter and left in a hurry."
As he spoke, he handed over a yellowed envelope. On the envelope, Lei Jiaojiao's handwriting was elegant and powerful, revealing an urgency that could not be ignored.
Shangguan Qing took the envelope and felt an inexplicable premonition in her heart. She opened it gently, quickly scanned the contents of the letter, and her brows gradually furrowed.