Chapter Seventy-One: Memories of Dust (Conclusion)
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“My dear husband, you should think of it this way: when I act unreasonable, it is a sacrifice on my part, highlighting your magnanimity and tolerance. If I were not lazy, how could I have nurtured such a capable husband? Isn’t it a good thing to be so talented? They say, ‘The more skills, the better.’ If I were not troublesome, how could your life be so rich and colorful, instead of dull and monotonous like others?”
“If that’s the case, then my wife has suffered grievances.”
“Husband, I want to change our furniture.”
“My dear, what would you like to change?”
“The washboard has two dents, and it’s exhausting to do laundry.”
“My wife, when have you ever done laundry? It seems I am always the one washing clothes.”
“Isn’t it because I feel sorry for you?”
“...In that case, I’ll kneel somewhere else and save the money to buy you something nice to eat.”
“Husband, you treat me so well.”
“It’s not that I treat you well. I just think that even if we buy a new one, we’ll end up changing it again soon. This way, we can save some money.”
“Husband, go fix the washboard now.”
...
“Husband, I’m hungry...”
“It’s already late. Let me offer you my hand to gnaw on.”
“But I don’t like pig’s trotters... Well, I’ll just go to sleep.”
“Husband, I can’t sleep. I’m so hungry.”
...
...
“So you don’t love me anymore, do you? Sob, sob...”
“Sigh, I’ll go make you a midnight snack right now.”
“Husband, you’re so good to me.”
...
...
“My lady, it’s cold outside. Let’s go back inside first.”
“No, I want to wait for my husband to return. He’s renowned for his filial piety. Today is his mother’s ninetieth birthday—he will surely come home.”
“My lady...”
“Then I will wait with you for the master to return.”
“My lady, it’s already dark. Why don’t we go back in?”
She gazed reluctantly at the official road, but in the end, she returned to the residence.
On the couch,
*Cough, cough* “Xiaochun, have the plum blossoms bloomed yet this year?”
“Not yet, my lady. Please drink your medicine.”
“No need. It’s a pity—I’ll never see the flowers bloom again.”
“My lady, you will surely get better.”
“I know my own body. I’m afraid... I won’t last until the blossoms.”
“My lady, sob~” “Xiaochun, help me sit up.”
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“My lady, sob~” “Xiaochun, help me sit up.”
Outside the window, the breeze was gentle and the clouds were white, but he was not there. Where had he gone? I suppose I will never see him return.
That night, the plum blossoms bloomed, bright and seductive. That night, white lanterns were hung throughout the residence, so white it broke the heart...
He once said, “The road ahead is long, I do not know when I shall return.”
She replied, “The night is dark and deep, but I will hold a lantern for you.”
In the distance, someone seemed to be traveling by night—could it be him?
[Since you left, ten years have passed.]
These unforgettable memories haunted Night Without End’s mind! Hot tears streamed down his face...
“If only I had not pursued immortality!”
“If only I had not left her!”
“If only I had returned sooner!”
If only, if only...
“Hahaha, the path to immortality! For this path, I have given up too much!”
“They say immortals can bring someone back to life, even someone who once existed!”
“I seek immortality only to revive her!”
“But does immortality truly exist in this world?”
“Is there really such a thing as reincarnation?”
“No one can give me the answer!”
“If that’s the case—!”
“Then I shall seek the answer myself!”
“Hahaha!” The young man laughed wildly.
“Who held my hand, calming my half-lifetime of madness,
Who caressed my face, soothing my half-lifetime of sorrow,
Who warmed my heart, melting my half-lifetime of ice and frost,
Who abandoned me, leaving me a lifetime of solitude,
Who understood my thoughts, leaving me without regrets in this life,
Who aided my arm, unrivaled for ten thousand years,
Who covered my lips, recalling my wandering past lives,
Who embraced me, dispelling my former frivolity,
Who held my hand, keeping me company in madness for a thousand lives,
Who kissed my eyes, accompanying me through endless reincarnation,
Who pitied my heart, never speaking of parting, exhausting all their thoughts for me.”
“I am coming—wait for me!”
“Aaaaaah!” An endless roar shook the entire cultivation world!
“Purgatory Sword Demon! Ultimate form, disintegrate!”
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...
The world of cultivation.
Atop the mountain peaks, the wind swirled and the clouds dispersed. Gentle golden sunlight streamed through the lingering clouds, painting the sky with purplish hues that seemed to descend to earth, almost within reach.
An ancient tree, twisted like a coiled dragon, stood silently between heaven and earth, spreading its vast canopy since the dawn of time. The breeze gently swayed the swing, accompanied by the soft murmur of falling leaves, and the old, creaking sound echoed through the ages.
Amidst this gentle sway, a veiled maiden waited—was she waiting for someone?
Pale blue mist curled around her, and beneath her feet stretched a sea of blooming reeds. The white, delicate flowers exuded a faint fragrance, their slender necks leaning together in whispered intimacy, while the downy plumes unfurled like velvet.
As the gaze stretched into the distance, a crystal-clear blue river wound its way to infinity, its waters murmuring, merging with the sky. Towering trees flourished along the riverbank, their verdant crowns lifting the soft pink clouds with effortless grace.
The maiden’s face was hidden by a white veil, her delicate figure enveloped in a gown of Ninefold Jade Silk. Her eyes gazed quietly into the far distance, as if piercing through time and space, the long river, darkness and daylight alike.
She looked toward the horizon, to where thunderclouds surged.
“Night Without End, you bastard! After all this time, you still can’t forget her? Even after ten thousand years, is your heart only for her?”
Two silent tears traced down the veiled maiden’s cheeks, her voice choked with grief, “Night Without End, you liar, I hate you! You promised to marry me…”
“Ascend to immortality? What a joke! The Immortal Realm? A joke!”
“Hahahaha!”
The veiled maiden laughed wildly, her laughter full of anguish, heartache, and soul-rending pain.
With a single step, she appeared beneath the lightning tribulation. Boundless, nine-colored thunder raged and surged!
Within the tribulation, endless sword intent roared, sword energy sweeping a hundred thousand miles. The Purgatory Sword Demon howled, raged, and went mad!
“Become immortal? Ha! Is there such a thing as an immortal in this world?” she mocked herself.
The veiled maiden watched the figure within the immortal tribulation, dancing amidst heaven and earth, and fell into memory.
That year—
Beneath the peach tree, beside the flowing stream, falling blossoms drifted on the water, blending pale green with deep red, their fragrance tinting her sleeve. Ten miles of peach forest, ten miles of blooming flowers, a mountain sea of fiery splendor.
When the peach blossoms bloomed, they painted spring across the southern lands. When peach petals turned red, they reflected the face of a long-lost love beyond the fence. When the petals danced, their color stained the white sleeves beneath a paper umbrella. When peach wine was brewed, one could drunkenly sing and sword-dance through the fleeting years.
“Why do you always wear a veil, Senior Sister?” he had asked.
“My mother said, whoever sees my face must marry me. Or else…”
“Or else what?” he pressed.
“Kill him!” she replied.
“What, do you want to see my face?” she asked.
“No, no, I already have a wife. After this seclusion, I’ll return to bring her here,” he answered.
A gentle breeze lifted the veil from the young woman’s face...
The awakening maiden was already in tears.
“She waited for you ten thousand years, but what about me?”
“I have waited for you ten thousand years as well!”