Another her
"Mother, Mother, the seven stars aligned last night, why didn't I time travel?"
Chao Du gently patted his youngest daughter Fu Yixi's head and said tenderly, "Silly child, those are just stories in novels. Go practice your swordsmanship, or your father will be disappointed."
Fu Yixi turned her head away and said with dissatisfaction, "The esteemed Alliance Leader doesn't care about us. It's no use me practicing swordsmanship for a hundred hours every day!"
"You're not listening to your mother? Just do it for your mother's sake, go practice now." Chao Du was serious at first, then softened her tone to coax her, "I'll make you your favorite golden honey shrimp tonight."
"Yay! Golden Honey Shrimp!" Fu Yixi immediately perked up, picked up her little wooden sword, and skipped out the door. Just before reaching the door, she turned back happily and said, "Mommy, make more this time! I didn't get enough last time!"
"Alright." After watching the child leave, Chao Du looked at the maid beside him and said, "You all leave. I want to be alone."
"Yes." The few maids in the hall withdrew and closed the door.
The vast palace was suddenly left with only Chaodu, so quiet it was almost suffocating.
She sat wearily in front of the bronze mirror in her dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror.
Those who cultivate immortality do not change their appearance, so why does she feel that she has aged a lot in recent years?
Perhaps appearances will not change, but true feelings will.
Decades ago, on the night the seven stars aligned, he stayed with her all night, holding her hand, and jokingly said that if he could really travel through time, he would definitely be with her, no matter where they went, he would never let her be alone. No matter what they became, they would always be a couple, the envy of everyone else.
"If we dress up as butterflies, we'll linger among the flowers together; if we dress up as birds, we'll fly wing to wing; if we dress up as two stones, we'll watch the sunrise and sunset together, until the sea turns into mulberry fields."
"Can't you wear adult clothes?"
"If we're dressed as adults, then... then we'll grow old together and never be apart." The boy's cheeks flushed slightly, and his eyes were bright.
Both of them knew that the time travel on the night of the seven-star alignment was just a mythical legend, but his eyes were so bright that night, his hands so warm, and the way he spoke so earnestly…
But last night, she lit a lamp alone and waited from dusk till dawn, but she didn't even see his shadow.
"Maybe he's just too busy. He's always so busy, and he's getting busier and busier..." she murmured, trying to find excuses for him, but deep down she had a feeling that she was making excuses for him not for his sake, but for her own.
In order to avoid facing certain truths.
But who can fool themselves?
"He must be too busy. Recently, recently, right, there's the once-in-a-decade New Sword Trial Competition to select new talents in the cultivation world and balance the various forces. He's really busy..." she said, tears streaming down her face.
But when he was busy, he would keep her by his side, complain to her, and take time to go out with her to relax.
Everything has changed, everything has changed, it changed a long time ago.
She could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
"Knock knock".
The knocking came from in front of me, but there was no door in front of me.
She looked up in a daze, wondering if she had misheard, but through her teary eyes she saw herself in the mirror raise her hand and tap the mirror.
"Knock, knock, knock." A sound like knocking on a door.
She suddenly stood up and took a sharp step back: "Who?!"
Instead of stepping back, she stepped forward and out of the mirror.
"Who are you? A spy sent by the Demon Lord?!" Chao Du asked warily. After the person left the mirror, his face did not change, but his gorgeous clothes changed into a simple white robe.
But Chao Du was a man of considerable experience and knowledge, and he immediately recognized that this white robe was no ordinary item: the fabric was extremely light and soft, radiating an icy blue luster, and with faint dragon scale patterns visible. It must have been woven from the finest ice silkworm silk, a specialty of the Snow Cave Mountain in the North, and then tempered with dragon scales. It was impervious to cold blades and sharp swords, and unaffected by karmic fire or weak water. This one piece of clothing alone was priceless.
Looking at her figure again, one could see that she had an extraordinary bearing, bright eyes, and a sense of ease between her brows, like a sharp sword lazily sheathed. Although her sharpness was not yet revealed, no one dared to underestimate her in the slightest.
Even more unbelievable is that the other person has a face that looks exactly like hers.
"Who exactly are you?!" Chao Du was increasingly astonished as she looked at him. The other person was also staring at her, replying, "I am another you, here to help you. Where is your sword? How did you end up like this?"
...
After enduring countless tribulations over hundreds of years, Chao Du finally ascended to immortality.
Even after ascending to immortality, she never slacked off in her cultivation.
After another breakthrough in her cultivation, in a state of resonance with heaven and earth, she suddenly heard a faint, ethereal voice: "Save me, save me, please, someone save me!"
That voice...it sounds so familiar...isn't that her own voice?!
But when has she ever begged someone in such a pathetic and helpless state?
Not the past her, perhaps the future her?
Chao Du felt it was impossible.
Perhaps that was someone's illusion, a new immortal being born during their seclusion? Impressive cultivation, but what grudge do they hold against her? Why are they here to torment her?
She focused her mind and tried to find the source of the faint sound, but it drifted further and further away.
It doesn't drift towards some place within the world, but rather towards beyond the world!
She also encountered a barrier that defied description; the barrier's power was unpredictable and incredibly subtle, something she had never seen before.
Chao Du became increasingly interested and raised seventy percent of her cultivation... no, that wasn't enough. She raised all her cultivation, condensed it into a needle-like thin sword, and suddenly pierced the barrier.
Her current cultivation level is enough to shake a region, yet she only managed to create a tiny hole in the barrier.
A tremendous gravitational force swept over her instantly, carrying her through the extremely thick yet extremely thin starry sky.
It seemed like a fleeting moment, yet also like ten thousand years passing by in a flash.
She saw another world, similar to her original world yet different.
For example, if you lower your eyes, you can see a jade palace floating in the clouds below, covering the sky and the sun, and not far below that is the location of the Immortal Alliance, Mount Wenxuan!
What is the origin of this jade palace that the Immortal Alliance can tolerate it floating above them?
Moreover, following a subtle connection, she used her divine sense to discover that in the nearest palace, there was a weak version of herself, weeping bitterly.
...Is this really her?
Asahi wanted to take a closer look at her surroundings, but found that her power was severely restricted by an invisible force. This was something that human power could not achieve; it was the Heavenly Dao of this world that was suppressing her.
She tried to mobilize her power, and suddenly large, thick black clouds gathered in the sky, with fierce winds and faint flashes of lightning—a warning and a deterrent.
"Huh? Lei Lei, don't you recognize me?" Chao Du said, feigning sadness. "You were the one who tested me when I ascended to immortality. I only passed after being struck by your lightning eighty-one times. You've already forgotten? You heartless Lei Lei!"
The lightning seemed to pause for a moment, but the dark clouds did not disperse; in fact, they continued to gather, covering the entire sky and sweeping across an area of at least a hundred miles.
Amidst the howling wind, Asaka's hair swayed slightly, just like her own leisurely and carefree demeanor.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't touch this world." Asawa withdrew his power, opening his empty palm as a gesture of friendliness. "But since I'm already here, I can at least wander around and see some acquaintances, right?"
The dense black clouds gradually dissipated, and many cultivators flew into the air like flocks of birds to check the situation, forming a vast, dark mass.
"Interesting, interesting." She smiled, becoming even more interested.
Since becoming an immortal, she hadn't encountered anything so interesting and challenging in a long time.
Chao Du observed the palace layout and the distribution of various formations from a high vantage point for a while, and with a clear understanding, he concealed his aura, hid his form, and flew towards his weaker self.
Asahi leaned into the mirror and looked at her for a long time. She could hear her inner thoughts, how she tried to deceive herself, and how she completely collapsed.
Hearing this, she felt a surge of anger.
She tapped the mirror to remind the other party of her presence, but the other party did not take any initiative to attack or defend, but only retreated... How beautiful, gentle and harmless she was.
Asaka stepped out of the mirror and returned to her original appearance, but the other person couldn't recognize her.
"I am another version of you. Where is your sword? How did you end up like this?"
Her beloved sword, Qianjun, which she never parted with, was nowhere to be found on the other person.
Not only was there no sword, but the opponent had no other weapons at all, only a few pieces of passive defensive jewelry, like a docile and harmless lamb.
The other woman was still in shock, still asking in a daze, "Who are you?! How did you get here?"
Chao Du closed her eyes briefly, suppressing her anger, and softened her tone as she explained, "I am you from another world. I heard your cry for help, and I've come to help you." Her experience told her that in this situation, provoking the other person would only backfire, so it was best to calm them down and understand the situation first.
"The other me... save me...?" The other Asakawa was initially puzzled, then seemed to realize something, his eyes brightening slightly. "You... the aura on you is indeed the same as mine, but your power is much stronger than mine..."
"This is all the power I have left after it was suppressed to one percent." Asakawa spread his hands, looking around at the extremely luxurious yet lifeless furnishings.
The other Asakawa was taken aback: "Then what was your original level of power?"
Chao Du's gaze swept over the many restrictive formations within the palace, and he casually replied, "Well, that means you've become an immortal."
"Become an immortal?!" Another Chao Du suddenly widened his eyes. "Impossible! Even my husband hasn't found a way to become an immortal, and his power isn't enough! He's already the strongest in the world!"
Chao Du raised an eyebrow: "What's impossible about that? It just means I'm better than him. Judging from what you just said, he must have too many distracting thoughts and be obsessed with power and beauty. It's normal that he can't become an immortal; it would be strange if he could."
The other Asakawa was speechless, staring at her with a complicated expression. After a long while, he asked again, "...You, are you really me?"
“That’s right.” Asakawa nodded. “Besides our bodies and breaths, even our souls are the same. Our original destinies should have been the same as each other. So I want to ask you, how did you end up living like this?”
Asahi asked the question sincerely, and another Asahi burst into tears, unable to stop them. She covered her face and cried again.
Chao Du looked at her and sighed softly: "You should have become an immortal like me, free to roam between heaven and earth, wielding your sword to test the talents of all under heaven, appreciating all the magnificent scenery of the world, and protecting the world with peace and tranquility. Who has harmed you to this extent? I will help you take revenge."
Another man looked up at her, his face streaked with tears, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a word.
Chao Du pondered for a moment before asking, "Is this your husband? What's his name?"
"...Fu Buci, he didn't really harm me, he just... doesn't love me as much anymore." Another Chao Du lowered his head deeply, choking back tears, and said, "It was those women who harmed me. They poisoned me and my children, and even hired assassins to kill us, wanting us to die sooner so they could make room for us!"
She suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with hope, and asked, "Can you help me get rid of them? Maybe without them, he'll love me again!"
Chao Du was trying to remember who Fu Buci was when he heard what she said next, and he laughed in anger.
"Even you yourself said 'maybe,' but if they're gone, will he really love you again?" Chao Du retorted. "You know perfectly well that if they're gone, he'll just find a few new women, and maybe even a few male concubines."
Another person, Asakawa, remained silent for a moment before weakly saying, "He probably wouldn't like men..."
Chao Du hadn't laughed this happily in a long time, although this time it was a laugh born of deep anger: "Fu Buci, what kind of bewitching drug did he give you? How did he make you so devoted? If it were anyone else who saw me, the first thing they would ask me would be how to cultivate and ascend to immortality, how to withstand the tribulation of lightning. But you, all you can think about is how to win back a man's heart."
Oh, I remember now, Fu Buci is just an elder of the Yaoxuan Sect in her world now, and her status is not even as high as her good friend Xie Luyao.
A hundred years ago, when she was still an ordinary disciple, she met him a few times. If it hadn't been brought up today, she would have almost forgotten about him.
She looked at the memories she found in her mind: Fu Buci was young then, good-looking, cheerful, handsome and capable young man was indeed very likable, but was it enough to make another her so infatuated?
Another voice, low but firm, said, "I really don't care about ascension. I just want him to love me again, and only me. By the way, since he wants to ascend so much, can you tell me how you ascend? Then I'll tell him, and he'll definitely value me again!"
Chao Du stared at her, making her look away guiltily. But she stubbornly insisted, "I just want him to love me. Is that wrong? People have different pursuits. You pursue immortality, and I pursue his love. Both are fine."
If it weren't for the fact that the other person's soul aura was the same as hers, she would really suspect that she had been possessed.
Asaka suppressed the urge to go straight back and thought seriously: How could someone be so obsessed with love? Could she really save him?
She's just become an immortal; at most, she can subdue demons, split mountains and seas, summon wind and rain, and change the color of heaven and earth. How could she possibly save someone with such a delusional mind?
Asahi increasingly wanted to know: where exactly did her and her fate, which should have been aligned, diverge from?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com