Duan Xu seemed to have come to life, his tired face was now a little more lively. He patted the seat beside the bed and said to He Jia Feng Yi, "Your Majesty, why don't you sit down and have a chat?"
He Jia Fengyi looked at Duan Xu warily, then sat down beside his bed reluctantly.
During this year or so, He Simu always stayed by Duan Xu's side. Although she would not fall asleep at night, she would not leave him. Some time ago, the war settled down, and Duan Xu was curious about what He Simu was doing when he was asleep. After pretending to sleep for a few days, he found that after he fell asleep, He Simu would start writing a diary.
What she used was the notebook that He Jia Fengyi had mentioned to him, which was stuck three hundred years ago. She didn't know when she started to record the trivialities of life like before, those small and ordinary trivialities, and the words carefully portrayed every detail of the person "Duan Xu".
"She wants to remember me." Duan Xu talked about this with He Jia Feng Yi. He frowned slightly and said frankly, "I also know that my health is not good and I can't go anywhere. I will probably have to lie in bed every day to rest. If so, what can she remember every day? I hope that notebook can contain more beautiful memories. This world is a gift to me, and I want to pass this gift on to her."
He Jia Fengyi looked at Duan Xu silently, thinking that this was really a restless guy who was tossing around until the moment of his death.
If it weren't for such a person, how could the stagnant days of our ancestors be turned upside down?
"You don't have much time left. If you really give all your five senses to Simu at once, it will only take an hour. It's hard to say whether you can survive a day after the exchange."
Duan Xu nodded as if he had expected it, and said, "I know."
"It can be done, but it must be approved by our ancestors. General Duan, you can die without regrets, but I still have to live." He Jia Fengyi spread his hands and said bluntly.
Duan Xu smiled, his eyebrows curved with a sly look: "Okay, I'll persuade Simu. She has been more indulgent towards me lately, she will agree."
He Jia Fengyi narrowed his eyes and looked at Duan Xu. When they were in Nandu before, Duan Xu was the one who was loved but could not be obtained, but now he has taken advantage of the old ancestor.
"Duan Shunxi, you are about to die and leave our ancestors, aren't you sad?"
Duan Xu's eyes flickered, and his smile faded. He said, "In my life, from falling in love to death, I have only loved such a girl. I feel very lucky. Now, I don't want my last days to be sad."
"But maybe when I die, I will hold her and cry."
The sound of rain was trickling, and Duan Xu seemed like a flower that was about to be beaten by the rain and blown away by the wind. Even at this moment, he was still the boy who spoke lightly and loved to laugh.
He Jia Feng Yi closed the door and looked at Zi Ji who was standing outside. Zi Ji was standing quietly with an umbrella in her hand. When she saw him coming out, she raised her dark eyes, walked towards him silently and opened her umbrella.
He Jia Fengyi turned around and walked down the steps into the courtyard where the spring rain was falling. The umbrella in Zi Ji's hand firmly covered his head.
His cane made crisp tapping sounds on the ground, like a careless heartbeat. Feng Yi suddenly turned his head to look at Zi Ji beside him.
"When I die, will you be sad? Will you also hold me and cry?"
Zi Ji was stunned. She bit her lips lightly, as if she was unwilling to answer.
He Jia Feng Yi couldn't help but sneer. After so many years, she still avoided talking about his death date. It was really ridiculous.
"What are you running away from? Aren't you the ones who planned the short-lived fate of the Yinghuo clan?"
After a pause, he said, "My Lord God."
Ziji paused.
The lineage of the Mars disaster star is born with rebellious nature and is also a natural genius. Hejia Fengyi was even more rebellious when he was young. He suffered from illness since childhood and was entangled with the prophecy of early death. At the age of fifteen, he borrowed the bloodline of Mars and the method of his ancestors to open the gate of heaven and see the gods.
He pointed at the gods who set up the world's order and cursed them, saying that since they had never come to the human world and did not know the sufferings of life, they were not worthy of ruling the human world. He was determined to die, but after he finished cursing, in the dazzling white light, there really was a voice saying that it wanted to go down to the human world with him to experience human nature.
At this moment, He Jia Fengyi looked at the taciturn beauty in front of him whose eyes were like the deep night sky, as if he saw the day when she walked out of the light.
He said, “Do you think you are wrong?”
Zi Ji stepped over the threshold and held Feng Yi's hand. She raised her eyes and looked at him: "The gods are not wrong. The concept of 'right and wrong' in the human world is also established by the gods."
Feng Yi also stepped over the threshold. He chuckled and said, "Yes, it's really wonderful. Then what was your original intention in establishing this set of rules?"
"For the smooth functioning of the world and for the happiness of the majority of people."
"So you're taking advantage of our kindness? Ziji, we've maintained the happiness of the majority of people, but you have no choice but to suffer for it. Don't you think it's too arrogant for you to torture us in a high-sounding manner?"
Zi Ji looked at him seriously and said calmly, "This is why I am here."
Hejia Fengyi looked at her for a moment, smiled noncommittally, and said, "If you never feel that you have done anything wrong, why don't you go back? To be honest, Ziji, I am tired of playing this game."
He suddenly walked out from under the umbrella into the drizzling rain. His hair and clothes were quickly wet by the rain. The clothes stuck to his thin body due to years of illness, making him look even more emaciated.
Zi Ji's calm expression turned into panic. She said, "You... you'll get sick if you do this!"
She took a few steps forward, but Hejia Fengyi raised his hand to stop her. He smiled and stepped back, and at the end of the stone steps behind him was a cliff.
"Zi Ji, you arranged for me to die early, and arranged for me to be entangled in illness and pain for the rest of my life, unable to break free. Then I will die today, so that falling off the cliff should not be too painful."
He Jia Fengyi was already standing on the edge of the cliff. The ground was covered with moss and was very slippery. He staggered a little and Zi Ji immediately dropped her umbrella and tried to run towards him.
"Zi Ji!" He Jia Feng Yi shouted at her, pointed at her with a scorching gaze and said, "You are a god, you are the thousand-year-old divine supervisor, the plans for the human world are made by you and you monitor them. You have to think clearly, if you interfere in human affairs, there is no reason to retreat. If you save me now, it means you admit that you are wrong."
Zi Ji paused, she stood still and said angrily: "He Jia Feng Yi, stop making trouble!"
He Jia Feng Yi looked at Zi Ji's expression and suddenly burst into laughter. He said, "Master Divine Supervisor, it turns out that you can get angry too. I thought that after you guys ascended to become gods, you no longer have human hearts."
"But I am a person, Lord Divine Supervisor. I am not your order. I breathe, I have a heartbeat, I can be happy and sad. I am a person, you look at me, I am alive."
He Jia Feng Yi took another half step back, almost hanging on the edge of the cliff. His hand pointing at Zi Ji slowly loosened, with his palm facing up, as if he was reaching out to wait for her to hold him.
"We have been together for ten years. As for today, Lord Shenjian, do you want to save me?"
Zi Ji stood there and clenched her fists. The rain soaked her beautiful features and her dress. In the wet air, she whispered, "Stop making trouble."
Almost begging.
Hejia Fengyi laughed and said, "Would you also be reluctant to part with an insignificant nail in your perfect order, Ziji?"
He saw Ziji's pupils shrink after he called her "Ziji". Hejia Fengyi smiled, closed his eyes and leaned back. In the rain on his face, he felt the freedom of falling without being able to control his body.
After a life trapped in the cage of illness and prediction of early death, I can finally be free.
Then his hand was grabbed.
The hand that grabbed him was shaking, very strong. In just a moment, his body was pulled back and crashed into an embrace with the scent of lilac flowers. The man held the back of his head and just said angrily: "He Jia Feng Yi! You... You don't force me."
Hejia Fengyi raised his head, the rain seeping into his eyes, but he looked at Ziji without blinking and said, "But you have already caught me."
Ziji's lips trembled. It might have been too long since she had such a fluctuating emotion that she couldn't express it. She said, "The one who caught you... was Ziji."
It was the humanity she had before she became a god that she gradually picked up.
He Jia Feng Yi stroked her cheek and said calmly, "Isn't Zi Ji the Lord of the Divine Supervisor?"
Ziji blinked her eyes, and the rain ran down her cheeks.
She finally bowed her head and admitted: "Yes... First it was Ziji, and then it was the God."
Duan Xu and He Simu had a big fight about the exchange of five senses. He Jia Fengyi could probably guess the grand occasion by listening to the discussion of the disciples. But after seven days, He Simu still agreed.
He Jia Fengyi thought, this young general has indeed never lost a battle in his life.
On the day they exchanged their five senses, He Simu brought Duan Xu to Nandu at his request. They sat together on the roof of Yuzao Tower. He Simu put a thick cloak on Duan Xu, and Duan Xu held his hand, and they intertwined their fingers.
The sun rose from the end of the sky, and at that moment, the whole world came alive in He Simu's eyes.
She saw the color of the sun, the color called orange-red, like a fire that would not burn people, warm and bright. Everything was covered with its light, as if it had gently grown golden fluff, and even the pavilions and towers seemed to breathe.
The person next to her was very warm, and the fur of the cloak rubbed against her face, which was a bit hot and itchy. The tiles under her were hard and cold, but were being warmed by her gradually rising body temperature.
From Yumozuo Tower came the noisy voices of the guests, the crisp sounds as falling pearls and the melodious sounds as mellow wine, echoing together in a lively manner.
"What's that sound?" He Simu asked.
"In the morning, there are usually pipa, guzheng and flute. Just wait a moment, Qiu Chi will come out to sing." Duan Xu leaned on her shoulder and said with a smile.
Sure enough, a gentle and beautiful female voice came from downstairs, singing a minor tune whose words were unclear. It was so gentle and lingering that it seemed to melt my internal organs.
The aroma of food floated up, and He Simu slowly distinguished which was Dongpo pork, which was mutton soup, and which was beggar's chicken. Countless wonderful smells intertwined and floated in the air. Perhaps he could get enough of smelling like this.
"Do you want to drink?" Duan Xu took out a pot of wine from his arms. His fingers were pale and slender, with dark wounds, which were also dyed golden by the sunlight.
He Simu took the wine from his hand and took a sip. The spicy and fragrant smell filled his lungs.
This is the world of the living.
How wonderful and unique every day of theirs must be. Living like this for a hundred years would be a blessing.
He Simu's eyes trembled, and he slowly turned his head to look at Duan Xu.
Her Little General Duan, her Duan Fox, had the most beautiful skull in the world, picturesque eyebrows and eyes, especially those eyes, which were as clean and clear as a piece of water jade and always with a smile.
The sun shone on the side of his face, dividing the light and shadow along the bridge of his nose, and he kissed her slowly. It was a very soft and warm kiss. She tasted the bitterness in his mouth, but she didn't find it disgusting.
The perception gained from him is that even though it is painful, it is precious.
"Simu, what do you think of this world?" he asked.
He Simu rubbed his forehead and said, "It's great, it feels like home."
Even when she was young, she was a person who lived anywhere. After entering the ghost realm, she no longer had any sense of home. But at this moment, when such a splendid and grand world appeared before her, she suddenly felt like a person who had been away from home for many years and suddenly saw home.
"Duan Xu, Duan Shunxi, please... don't leave."
She finally said it.
Such ridiculous and illogical words could actually be uttered by the Ghost King, who has lived for four hundred years and is accustomed to birth, old age, sickness and death.
But Duan Xu did not answer. He leaned on her shoulder and fell into a deep sleep, not knowing whether he would wake up again.
She hugged Duan Xu's shoulders, buried her head in his neck, and trembled slightly.
"Duan Xu... Duan Xu... Duan Shunxi... Duan Shunxi... Duan Shunxi!" He Simu held his shoulders and called his name, from testing to fear, to anger and sorrow.
In her life, she had never cried loudly, never called out a person's name until she was hoarse. She didn't know how to keep someone, nor did she know what she could keep. She had never been able to keep anything.
"… He Simu."
Duan Xu's voice rang in her ears. He Simu was stunned for a moment. She raised her head and met a pair of bright eyes.
As if it was her illusion, he seemed not so pale anymore, and some color had returned to his face, as if he was back before.
Duan Xu opened his eyes wide. He stretched out his hand, brushed her face with the back of his fingers, and murmured, "He Simu, you... you are crying."
He Simu then realized that her face was full of tears. She was actually crying.
Evil spirits never have tears, so how could she cry?
"You are... warm, I can feel it..." Duan Xu stroked her face and said in a daze.
The scent of lilac wafted in the air, and a purple figure appeared beside them. He Simu turned around and unexpectedly saw the always silent and mysterious Zi Ji.
Zi Ji waved towards He Simu, and the Ghost King Lamp on her waist flew into Zi Ji's hand. As the blue ghost fire flickered, He Simu's soul separated from the lamp and returned to He Simu's body.
This is something that no evil ghost, including He Simu, can do easily, but Zi Ji does it effortlessly.
"From now on, you are no longer a ghost king, but a mortal." After Zi Ji said this to He Simu, she turned to look at Duan Xu and said calmly: "Your death date is not today."
She put away the Ghost King Lamp, then lowered her eyes to look at them and said slowly: "In the name of the gods, I will grant you a new destiny. I hope you take care of yourself."
He Simu was stunned, her eyes passed Zi Ji and fell on the distant figure behind Zi Ji. The man was wearing a green palace robe with an exquisite embroidered twenty-eight constellations, and waved at her with a bright smile.
Just like when he was a child, she went to Xingqing Palace to pick him up. At that time, he often asked her, "Grandfather, why did you die so alone? Grandfather, can we have a new destiny?"
On that rainy day, Zi Ji pulled He Jia Feng Yi aside and they had a long talk.
- Ziji, you see, everything in this world that comes in pairs must be done in an orderly manner. The two sides of the city gate were built at different heights, and didn’t they remove the bricks on the east wall and use them to repair the west wall? "
—What do you want to say?
- You can turn He Simu into a human, shorten her long life, and give it to Duan Xu, so that they can live together as mortals. God's order should have mercy on those who sacrifice themselves to save the world?
In the end, He Simu stayed in the world.
Duan Xu became the first person she kept in her life.
Two years later.
"Duan Shunxi! Duan Xu!"
A shout was heard in the summer woods, but when I looked up I saw only green trees. I could only hear the voice but not see the person - because the person had fallen into a hole in the ground.
He Simu stood at the bottom of the cave, looking at the high cave entrance. He tried to jump twice but failed, so he frowned and folded his arms.
Although she had adapted to mortal life in the past two years, she still missed her magic power before this moment. If her magic power was still there, it would be effortless to get out of this hole - she would not have fallen in at all.
"What's wrong? Are you not injured?" Duan Xu appeared at the entrance of the cave, squatting down to observe He Simu's condition. He had regained his agility and healthy appearance, wearing a blue round-necked robe with tight sleeves, just like the young general he had first met in Liangzhou City.
He Simu stretched out his hand: "Hurry up and pull me up."
Duan Xu saw that the cave was not too deep and the bottom of the cave was covered with straw, so he knew that He Simu should not be injured.
When she was a demon, she often possessed people. She was familiar with all things in the human world, but she had no idea that she was getting hurt. She thought she was omnipotent, but ended up getting hurt all over. Sometimes she was too proud to tell anyone.
Seeing that she was alright, Duan Xu smiled leisurely, squatted at the entrance of the cave and said, "If you want me to pull you up, call me husband first."
He Simu raised his eyebrows, took back his hand and smiled, "What did you say?"
Duan Xu put his arms on his knees and sighed, "At the beginning, you said that I would be your He family's son-in-law, but now there is no three letters and six engagements, three matchmakers and six gifts, eight sedan chairs, and ten miles of red dowry. It will be my tenth anniversary next year, and I can't always be like this without a name and status, right?"
As he spoke, he seemed quite aggrieved.
He Simu smiled leisurely: "You want a lot, but unfortunately I am no longer the Ghost King, so I don't have that much wealth."
"But the Ghost Realm is still your mother's home, the Ghost King is your aunt, and the Crown Prince is your brother. How can you say you don't have any family background?" Duan Xu said with a smile, "Besides, a painting is worth a thousand gold coins. It's enough for you to welcome me. If you don't welcome me, do you want to welcome someone else?"
"The famous Jade-faced Yama, formerly Duan Shuai, is asking for such a low price?"
"That depends on the person. If others want to marry me, the price they charge would be sky-high. If they are in love with you, I can give you a discount." Duan Xu smiled and stretched out his hand to her.
"Time waits for no one. If you hold my hand, it's a deal."
He Simu looked up at him for a long while, the sun pouring in from behind him, vigorous and warm. She chuckled, reached out to hold his hand, and said, "Deal, husband."
"Okay, ma'am."
She was pulled out of the cave by the warm and strong hands, and when the sunlight came towards her, she remembered the time many, many years ago when she pulled him up from the ground on a New Year's Eve.
Now she can finally tell him, I love you.
I will love you forever, I will love you all my life and never forget you.