Chapter Eighty: After the Slumber, Strange Encounters

“What? Someone from the Celestial Realm! Did she do anything to you?” Lan Bingxian asked anxiously upon hearing this, for the domineering nature of Celestial beings was well known since ancient times, and the Celestial Realm was always at odds with other worlds. Given that Yuanyuan was from the Demon Clan, it was unlikely she would be spared so easily. Lan could only hope that the woman possessed a shred of kindness and did not make things difficult for Yuanyuan.

“If Yuanyuan had truly encountered trouble, she wouldn’t be sitting here chatting with us now, would she?” Xun Mishuang replied helplessly. Was it that once someone became involved with those they cared about, they would lose their composure and fail to think rationally? Or perhaps Lan Bingxian was simply too worried, hence the question that left others speechless.

“Don’t worry, Brother Xian, she was very friendly and didn’t do anything to me. She just said some rather strange things,” Meng Youyuan said, still unable to decipher the meaning behind the woman’s words. The oddest thing was that, upon first seeing her, Yuanyuan felt certain that she knew the woman, as though there was some inexplicable, special connection between them.

“You really know how to leave us hanging, little girl. Every time it gets important, you fall silent. Hurry, tell us what that woman said to you!” Leng Huaiyi urged impatiently from the side. It was rare to see him, usually indifferent to worldly matters, so eager—this matter had clearly piqued everyone’s interest.

“She said to me, ‘Do you still remember this place? Maybe you’ve forgotten everything, but perhaps forgetting isn’t so bad, at least you won’t suffer anymore.’” Meng Youyuan imitated the woman’s tone as she recounted. Yet she truly could not recall ever being there, let alone forgetting anything. Everyone who knew her knew she had never left the academy since childhood.

“And what did you reply?” Yu Shang asked, intrigued. He was quite curious as to why the Celestial Realm, normally hostile to other clans, would be entangled with the offspring of the Demon King. What could possibly make two natural enemies sit peacefully together and talk, and what reason would cause Yuanyuan to forget everything she ought to remember?

“I confidently told her, ‘How could a demon like me have any impression of your Celestial Realm? Perhaps you’re mistaken, confusing me with someone else?’ Honestly, since learning of my heritage, I’ve felt nothing but resistance toward that so-called Celestial Realm. Maybe it’s because other clans have always despised the sanctimonious Celestials. In any case, I have no fondness for that place.”

“You spoke so bluntly—wasn’t she angry enough to attack you?” Yu Xiaoran, recalling his own youthful encounters with Celestial women, remarked. They were always proud, never allowing anyone to question them. Yet Yuanyuan, with her indirect refusal, gave no room for compromise. He suspected that with the temperament of those from the Celestial Realm, trouble was inevitable, perhaps even a lesson to be taught.

“How do you know so much about the temperament of Celestial women? Seems you’ve had quite the experience!” Yan Xuesu teased with a mischievous smile. She wasn’t jealous, merely enjoyed poking fun at Yu Xiaoran and listening to his sweet words when he tried to placate her. Though she knew not to take everything he said to heart, she still liked hearing it—as all women do.

“Haha, I was just making a casual remark. I don’t care about other women; I only want to pay more attention to you!” Yu Xiaoran didn’t mind her teasing, in fact, he liked it, as it proved she cared for him. If someone truly didn’t care, they wouldn’t even lift an eyelid if he died in front of them.

“Yu Brother, be careful—talk too much and you’ll make mistakes. Women are most fond of nitpicking when jealous!” Lan Wu laughed and teased from the side. She enjoyed these moments, everyone chatting and laughing together. She dared not imagine the pain of losing any of them, nor the sorrow of their eventual separation. Though they could not always be together, she hoped that day would come as late as possible.

“You naughty girl, siding with others—just wait and see how I deal with you!” Yan Xuesu exclaimed, grabbing Lan Wu as she tried to escape and tickling her, filling the tunnel with laughter. The others couldn’t help but smile; these two girls, who appeared proud and untouchable to outsiders, were wild and playful among their own.

“Yan Sister, I’m wrong, spare me! I swear I’ll never tease you again, and I’ll always stand by your side to help you deal with others,” Lan Wu laughed until tears nearly streamed down her face. She had always been most afraid of tickling; as soon as someone used that tactic, she surrendered immediately without resistance. Everyone has their weak spot!

“Yan Sister, show mercy—look how you’ve tormented my Lan’er, she’s pitiful enough to make anyone ache!” Xiao Yin pleaded, though his heart was delighted. He hadn’t expected to discover Lan Wu’s weakness by accident. Even the heavens seemed to favor him—this little girl was destined to be his, now and forever.

“Someone’s feeling protective now. Weren’t you always fearless? How come you surrender when your woman gets teased?” Xun Mishuang laughed, mocking him. Xiao Yin, who usually seemed indifferent and rough, turned out to be tenderhearted after all. Her view of him might need to change.

“I must defend Brother Yin here. It’s not just about him protecting his woman. If it were Cold Brother being teased, you’d be the first to speak up for him, wouldn’t you?” Yin Boxuan chimed in mischievously. Since becoming familiar with this so-called elder, he no longer minded the difference in seniority, treating her as a friend. Despite her outward aloofness, everyone knew her heart had already been melted by them.

“Hmph, of course I would! But if I were the one being teased, someone here would probably stand aside and not care at all!” Xun Mishuang looked deliberately at Leng Huaiyi, raising her voice to see his reaction. Unfortunately, he only smiled faintly and said nothing.

“Alright, stop teasing each other, like a bunch of children who never grow up. Don’t you want to hear Yuanyuan finish her story?” Yu Shang laughed at the playful crowd. Sometimes, watching their banter was its own pleasure—far more interesting than wandering the world alone. He realized, suddenly, that he was reluctant to leave this cheerful chaos behind.

“Yes, I’m quite concerned about what happens next! Yuanyuan, ignore them and continue!” Lan Bingxian urged, anxious not for the outcome of the story, but whether his beloved had been bullied or wronged.

“She wasn’t bothered by my rudeness. Instead, her eyes radiated melancholy, her tone full of world-weariness as she said, ‘So what if you’re from the Celestial Realm, or from the Demon Clan? It’s only a difference between past and present lives. No matter who you become, you cannot escape your destined fate, just as I cannot escape the path laid out for me by heaven.’” As Meng Youyuan spoke, her heart ached, nearly bringing her to tears. In that moment, she seemed to understand the woman’s unspeakable sorrow and the tragic fate she could never outrun.

“What past and present lives? I don’t quite understand. Is she saying your previous incarnation was a Celestial? And what is this inescapable fate?” Yu Shang was confused. If Yuanyuan was destined to be a Celestial, what need was there for talk of past lives? Did she die in her previous life and reincarnate as a demon? It was difficult to comprehend.

“I asked her too, but got no answer. She only said everything was fate and beyond one’s control, and that knowing too much too soon would do no good,” Meng Youyuan repeated the woman’s words, unable to fathom why her identities in past and present lives were so different—surely such a thing was impossible!

“It’s well known that Celestials can control the life and rebirth of their own people. Even if a Celestial dies, they reincarnate as another Celestial in the next life. Unless someone maliciously interferes, the Celestial Realm would never allow its people to reincarnate among enemy clans or other worlds!” Leng Huaiyi explained slowly. It was difficult for them to believe.

“If there really was someone deliberately meddling, their cultivation must be unfathomably deep. But people with such power usually ascend to other realms long ago—why would they go to such lengths to disrupt Yuanyuan’s rebirth?” Yu Shang wondered at the motive, though he felt certain the actions were not benign.

“Did you ask her who you were in your previous life, and who the woman was—how she could know so much about you?” Lan Bingxian mused, determined to investigate further, lest their future be plagued by unrest. At the very least, such a mysterious person would not let them go easily.

“I wanted to ask, but before I could speak, she slowly said, ‘Don’t ask who you are, don’t ask who I am. This isn’t something that can be explained in a moment. Besides, knowing too much now will only invite disaster.’” Whenever Meng Youyuan recalled the look in the woman’s eyes as she spoke, a chill ran down her back; that expression was cold and venomous.

“It seems she won’t tell you anything more. Just be careful in your actions from now on. I suspect, since she had the power to change your fate, she can monitor you at any time, ready to play you like a puppet,” Xiao Yin, who had been silent for some time, spoke softly. He’d listened for long, and knew only a handful of people could wield such power—but which one, he still couldn’t guess.

“How did you know? After she finished speaking, she vanished into thin air. Then I struggled to find an exit, and finally woke up.” Meng Youyuan said slowly. She herself hadn’t expected her origins to be so bizarre. Nor could she understand whom she might have offended so deeply that they hated her enough to drag her from paradise to hell, refusing to let go—even in this life, still entangled, never granting her peace for all eternity.