Chapter 74

#The Past

February 12th…

Exactly like the events I remembered, “I” met Xie Zhuo just like that.

After that, it seemed like there was nothing else I needed to do. I floated in the air, watching my past self and the Xie Zhuo I had guarded until now relive the “past.”

“I” carried him back to the mountain cave within the Snow Bamboo Grove, cared for him for half a month—bandaged his wounds, changed his medicine, cleaned his body. “I” was curious about his injuries and also quite fond of that beautiful face of his.

At this point in time, Xie Zhuo was to “me” a figure both mysterious and dangerous, yet filled with allure.

People are always drawn to those kinds of things.

At the end of February, Xie Zhuo finally regained consciousness for the first time.

His injuries were too severe—he couldn’t move at all.

At the time, “I” was sitting beside him, injecting soul force into his body, hoping he’d wake up sooner.

When he opened his eyes, what he saw was “me,” nodding off while continuing to feed him soul energy.

He frowned slightly, looked at the wounds on his body, then looked at me. He moved his fingertips slightly, seemingly trying to sit up more, but the injuries were too much—even that little movement left him gasping for breath.

“I” was startled awake by his movement.

“You’re awake!”

“I” sat up straight in surprise, looking him over.

“How are you feeling? Is it okay…? I’m not really a professional healer. I’ve just been learning the basics these past couple days from one of the doctors in the camp. I was really worried I might mess you up… but turns out I’m not too bad.”

“I” smiled at Xie Zhuo. “Your body’s something else too, managing to survive all those injuries.”

Xie Zhuo’s gaze stayed on “me,” and when his eyes met “mine” filled with a smile, he paused for a moment, then blinked and turned away slightly.

Back then, I probably didn’t know why Xie Zhuo turned his gaze away.

But now, having walked so far with him, I understand.

Someone who’s always lived in struggle and between life and death—how often do they get to see a smile so free of gloom?

Feeling warmth in the midst of cold and numbness—of course it would feel unfamiliar.

“Why did you save me?” Xie Zhuo asked hoarsely, his voice like it had been scraped by a blade.

“What, was I supposed to just watch you freeze to death in the snow?”

“I” blurted out, then thought for a moment and added, “You saved me once too, back in the Snow Bamboo Grove. Not reporting you counts as paying you back. I’ll take care of you until you’re healed. Once you are, you can slip out of Kunlun quietly. I won’t tell anyone.”

Xie Zhuo didn’t say anything more.

The severity of his wounds clearly sapped his strength. After a while, he closed his eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness.

“I” stayed by his side, transferring a bit more soul force into him. Seeing his breathing even and steady, “I” picked up my basket for digging snow bamboo shoots, hummed a tune, and left the cave.

In the next three months, Xie Zhuo remained in the cave to recover.

“I” came to see him almost every day with the basket.

At first, it was to transfer soul force and change his medicine.

Later, as the bandages were gradually removed and his external wounds mostly healed, “I” began to realize that his internal injuries were beyond my help, so I let him handle them himself.

But “I” still came every day.

“I” came to talk, even if he didn’t like talking.

“I” would often chatter on, telling him all about the little things that had happened recently—happy things, unhappy things—everything.

Occasionally, “I” would ask about his past, but if I sensed he didn’t want to answer, I’d casually brush it off and change the subject.

“I” also brought him little trinkets from the Kunlun marketplace and would tell him, “Lately, the demonic aura outside Kunlun seems to be getting weaker…”

Upon hearing that, Xie Zhuo would always lower his eyes and nod.

I knew that news brought him comfort.

But the me of that time didn’t understand those emotions—completely unaware, and would go on cheerfully: “Queen Mother of the West plans to expand the marketplace. All sorts of new and fun things have been coming in. Come play with me!”

Xie Zhuo never refused “me” in such matters.

Even though the “new” things I brought out were all things he’d already seen in his many years outside of Kunlun.

Still, he would accompany “me” and fiddle with those little things inside the cave.

Back then, the goods sold at Kunlun’s market were a real mix of stuff. And since “I” had lived in Kunlun my whole life, I really hadn’t seen much. Sometimes, the things I brought back would include some odd and strange items.

Once, “I” pulled out a metal flower to give to Xie Zhuo.

“The person at the market said it’s a magical tool! It’s good for people who are recovering from injuries…”

Before “I” could finish the sentence, Xie Zhuo suddenly raised a hand and grabbed the entire flower and its petals tightly in his palm.

“I” looked at him in confusion. “Wha—”

Before I could finish the word, the metal flower exploded in his hand with a loud boom, startling “me.”

“It’s a hidden weapon, not a magical tool,” Xie Zhuo said calmly.

“I” snapped out of it the moment he spoke. “What about your hand?”

“I” reached out to take his hand, but hesitated, afraid of hurting him. “Open your hand, let me see?”

But Xie Zhuo only turned his palm toward himself. With a near-cold expression, he pulled the flower’s stem out of his hand—along with skin and blood—and tossed it aside. “Just flesh wounds. It’s nothing…”

Before he could finish, “I” grabbed his wrist with both hands—gentle, but firm—and pulled his hand over.

His palm was full of embedded metal petals, blood and flesh mingled—horrible to look at.

“I” looked at Xie Zhuo, eyes full of guilt and distress. “Does it hurt?”

“I” asked, voice breaking with heartache. “It must hurt so much… I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I believed those little demon vendors.”

Tears fell one by one, dropping onto Xie Zhuo’s palm.

“I won’t buy random stuff again. I’ll go settle the score with them!”

Xie Zhuo looked at “me,” stunned—not deliberately silent, but truly at a loss.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again—over and over—until finally he managed to get a sentence out, stiffly:

“Don’t cry. It doesn’t hurt.”

“How could it not hurt…”

“It really doesn’t.”

“It went right into your flesh…”

“It’s fine. I’ve had worse. This is nothing…”

“Then your past wounds must’ve hurt even more?”

Xie Zhuo fell silent. He looked at “me”—a pair of dark eyes, brimming with tears, filled with his reflection.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” He raised his other hand and wiped the tears from “my” face. “Jiuxia, smile, don’t cry.”

“I” pursed my lips for a long while, but still couldn’t smile. In the end, I buried my head down. “I can’t smile… but I can stop crying. I’ll help you take care of all your wounds.”

“I” carefully tended to his injured hand, bit by bit. Xie Zhuo let me take his hand, just tilting his head to the side, quietly watching “me.”

Time passed, little by little.

On May 25th, Xie Zhuo was finally able to stand up and move around a little.

Previously, I had caught the monster who was maliciously selling hidden weapons and reported it to the Queen Mother of the West. She cleaned up the Kunlun Market. Just in time, with the cleanup done, a small festival was to be held at the market.

Because I had been tricked earlier and nearly caused harm to Xie Zhuo, I felt extremely guilty. I also thought it had been a long time since he had left the cave, and now that he had finally recovered from his injuries, I could take him out for a stroll.

So I invited Xie Zhuo to go to the market with me on the 28th.

Naturally, Xie Zhuo agreed.

May 28th.

The festival in Kunlun was incredibly lively. During the day, the market was bustling with food and entertainment. I took Xie Zhuo from one end of the street to the other, eating our way down one street and into another.

As night fell, lanterns were lit all along the streets. Sky lanterns carrying prayers rose into the air, and colorful fireworks bloomed in the distance.

The atmosphere was simply wonderful.

I took Xie Zhuo to a quiet, elevated spot overlooking the market. I bought some wine, took a couple of sips, then turned to him and said:

“Xie Zhuo, I think I might like you.”

Under the moonlight of Kunlun, amidst the sound of fireworks, Xie Zhuo froze beside me.

“What about you? Do you like me?”

I waited for Xie Zhuo’s response.

The fireworks stopped blooming, and the moon was gradually veiled by clouds.

Finally, Xie Zhuo opened his mouth: “I… don’t know…”

The light in my eyes faded instantly. Embarrassment and awkwardness rushed to my face.

It was as if I had sobered up from the wine—I straightened up, scratched my head nervously, and took a small step back.

“Uh, yeah, that was weird, saying something like that out of the blue… Kind of abrupt. It’s getting late, I’ll head back first. You… you can stay a bit longer if you want. I’m going now, goodbye!”

I didn’t even turn around. I just jumped off the ledge and ran away without looking back.

Xie Zhuo watched me run off, stood there for a while, then lowered his head and gently covered his chest with his hand. “Like?” he muttered in confusion, looking up again.

But I had already disappeared into the crowd of Kunlun Market.

Xie Zhuo didn’t feel like wandering anymore either. After a long silence, he returned to the cave.

May 29th.

A heavenly tribulation struck down upon my immortal abode. Heartbroken from Xie Zhuo’s rejection the day before, I was caught completely off guard.

I hastily adjusted my internal energy to face the lightning tribulation. The thunder raged on for a full day. I thought I wouldn’t make it. During one of the strikes, I completely lost consciousness.

And just as another bolt descended, Xie Zhuo came.

He blocked the lightning, and even fed a drop of his own blood to my dying self.

I had already passed out, so I didn’t see what happened next. When the blood oath between me and Xie Zhuo was made, red light surged around us. The rays of light were scattered by the tribulation lightning and turned into pink powder, swirling all around us.

As if the tribulation itself was bestowing heaven’s blessings upon us.

Blessing us with a blissful union and a beautiful fate…

May 30th.

I woke up amidst the ruins of my thunder-blasted immortal abode.

Having narrowly survived and ascended to a higher immortal rank, the first thing I did was gather my courage and go find Xie Zhuo again.

Just then, Xie Zhuo had finished watching over me through the night. Seeing that my breath had stabilized, he had returned to the cave in the Snow Bamboo Forest to rest for a while.

When I showed up, I got straight to the point: “I was almost struck dead by lightning yesterday, and while I was lying there, I regretted it—I should have gone all out at the market! People should live in the moment! So! I’ve decided…”

As I spoke, my face flushed bright red.

“Let’s get married, Xie Zhuo!” Like I was trying to hype myself up, or afraid he’d reject me, I shouted it out loud. “I don’t want to miss out on you!”

Xie Zhuo looked at my completely red face, but didn’t hesitate or pause. He nodded and said:

“All right.”

When I heard that word, my eyes widened in disbelief. Then, joy and relief surged uncontrollably through my heart, to the corners of my mouth, to my brows.

I burst out laughing and lunged forward, hugging Xie Zhuo tightly.

Xie Zhuo staggered back a step under my embrace, caught off guard.

He looked down at me, rubbing my cheek against his chest like a little animal. The tension in his face and brows finally softened a little.

June 1st…

I finally introduced Xie Zhuo to my friends in Kunlun.

They could tell Xie Zhuo was a demon—the aura around him was unfathomable. They forced smiles through dinner, and afterwards, they pulled me aside one by one to ask:

“Where did this demon come from?”

“Do you even know who he really is?”

“Marriage isn’t a joke! Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”

One by one, I answered them.

“Who cares where he came from.”

“I just know he’s not a bad person.”

“Marriage isn’t a joke to me either. I’m dead serious. I don’t need to know everything about his past—his character is enough for me!”

One by one, I shut them all up. But Mengmeng still couldn’t let it go and said:

“You’ve ascended to a celestial now. Your marriage isn’t a small matter. If you want to marry a demon, there’s no precedent for that in Kunlun. You have to get the Queen Mother of the West’s approval. Otherwise, he won’t be allowed to stay.”

June 2nd…

To let Xie Zhuo stay, I brought him to see the Queen Mother of the West.

In the great hall, all the immortals looked at us and sighed. The Queen Mother didn’t say anything right away—she just asked me if my heart was truly set.

Of course I nodded right away.

The Queen Mother didn’t make a decision in court. She just gave Xie Zhuo a long, meaningful look and let us go.

That night, I felt uneasy.

I felt like the Queen Mother’s attitude was too vague, and I was afraid she wouldn’t allow Xie Zhuo to marry me or stay in Kunlun.

Lying in the half-ruined immortal abode, I tossed and turned. Xie Zhuo quietly stayed beside me and only said one thing: “There’s nothing to worry about.”

I thought at the time—yes, if she really won’t agree, then I’ll just move out of the Kunlun barrier with Xie Zhuo.

After all, Kunlun has opened up the market now. During the day, I can come into Kunlun to handle my duties with the defense forces. At night, I can go back and live my quiet life.

Work and life—both taken care of.

Anyway, this marriage will happen.

Once I’d made up my mind, I finally fell asleep in peace.

So, I didn’t know that that very night, Xie Zhuo also went to see the Queen Mother of the West…