After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 19

The Yiu Realm, Shen Yuan.

Mo Ze, the cat demon guarding Shen Yuan, was already trembling with anxiety, but upon seeing the visitor, he began to shake like a leaf. His true form was that of a black cat; although he was nearly five thousand years old, he had not yet fully cultivated a human form. He could not hide the pair of cat ears on his head and still maintained the appearance of a delicate youth.

“Demon Sovereign, why have you come?”

“I said I would come to admire the flowers today. Can I not come?”

Ji Xun Yue knew he was always timid, but seeing him this terrified, she didn’t need to guess to know what had happened. The expectations she had held onto vanished. Her throat felt uncomfortably dry as she forced out a cold laugh, mocking her own naive thoughts.

Mo Ze shuddered at the sound, his face falling as his cat ears drooped. “Demon Sovereign, please forgive me!”

Ji Xun Yue ignored his words and strode inside. Mo Ze, filled with a sense of impending doom, followed tremblingly behind her.

He was lazy by nature. Since taking on the task of guarding Shen Yuan three thousand years ago, he had constantly slacked off, as the Shen Yuan flowers only bloomed once every thousand years and few people ever visited. Furthermore, because Shen Yuan was filled with abundant spiritual energy, his cultivation would increase slowly even without effort. Consequently, he became even more negligent, slipping out to play every few days.

Now, things were dire. He had failed to guard Shen Yuan again, and this cushy job was surely lost.

Ji Xun Yue walked in silence, her pace actually slowing as she went deeper. Shen Yuan, true to its name—meaning “Abyssal Mirage”—was a deep abyss. Looking down from above, one might see lush mountains and fragrant flowers, or swirling sands and smoke; the scenery changed every time because it was all an illusion.

Shen Yuan was saturated with the spiritual energy released by the flowers at the bottom. Once a person stepped inside, this energy would merge into their body, creating different illusions based on their current emotions. The blooming of the Shen Yuan flowers would last for one hour, during which the mist would clear, revealing the true scenery of the abyss floor. After the flowers withered, only barren land remained for three days before they sprouted again, repeating the cycle.

No one could judge whether the scenery during the blooming was merely a grander, unrecognizable illusion, for it happened only once a millennium.

A thousand years ago, Xuan Huai had forced the flowers to bloom an hour before she arrived. When she got there, she saw only withered remains. Now, she was looking at the same scene.

Ji Xun Yue gazed at the field of ruined flowers, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow. To see the flowers bloom early, forcing them just one day ahead required a massive expenditure of cultivation. Besides Xuan Huai, who would waste their power just to force a premature bloom?

She wished she hadn’t drunk that wine. If she had caught him in the act of destroying the flowers with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have to deal with this frustration.

Seeing her face as cold as ice, Mo Ze knelt down hurriedly to beg for mercy: “This subordinate has neglected his duty! Demon Sovereign, have mercy!”

Ji Xun Yue glanced at him and asked, “When did this happen?”

“Just two hours ago. I was suddenly hit with a Body-Fixing Curse, and then that person strolled right in. This subordinate’s cultivation is too poor to resist; I have failed your trust, Demon Sovereign!”

Two hours ago—exactly when she was unconscious. She had held on for so long; why did she have to fall asleep right then?

“What did the person look like?”

“I don’t remember clearly, but he was quite handsome… It was too dark, and it happened so fast that I only got one look.” Mo Ze stood on his tiptoes and gestured with his hand, “He was about this tall.”

It was roughly Xuan Huai’s height. Ji Xun Yue grew increasingly frustrated. “Did he leave a name?”

Mo Ze froze, not daring to look at her. “I… I don’t know. I was terrified at the time…”

He suddenly remembered that a thousand years ago, someone had also ruined the Demon Sovereign’s flower-viewing. He wondered if she had ever settled that score. Seeing that the Demon Sovereign was about to erupt, he realized he needed to redirect her anger elsewhere, or he would be the one to suffer. Since that person had done it once, it wasn’t impossible for him to do it again.

Sorry, brother.

Mo Ze acted as if he had a sudden realization: “I remember! He… he said his name was Xuan Huai!”

“…”

Ji Xun Yue looked at the withered flowers at the bottom of the abyss, her expression calm. If it hadn’t been his doing, she would have been willing to honor him as her Master and treat him with respect. Now, the truth was clear, stuck in her throat like a bone, a thorn in her side. She hated it. She hated herself for being distracted by his beauty and forgetting her purpose; she hated him for being so deep and secretive; and she hated… that the paths of immortals and demons were different.

So be it. After settling things in the Immortal Realm, she would return to the Demon Realm and be done with this frustration.

Seeing Ji Xun Yue walking out, Mo Ze followed hurriedly, secretly observing her expression. Why did the Demon Sovereign look more disappointed than angry? However, he was more concerned with keeping his job.

Once out of Shen Yuan, Ji Xun Yue stood still and looked back with a faint expression, her gaze then falling on Mo Ze. Mo Ze shrunk his neck, waiting for his punishment.

“Considering your father’s contributions during the War of Gods and Demons, I will let you off this once. But there will not be a next time.”

Before he could react, she left.

“Thank… Thank you, Demon Sovereign!” Mo Ze was overjoyed, watching her back with a surge of gratitude. It turned out the Demon Sovereign still remembered his late father’s merits; he wasn’t the only one who remembered. Seeing that his job was safe, Mo Ze breathed a sigh of relief. He could slack off for another thousand years—no, he decided he would cultivate hard so that next time, he wouldn’t let anyone ruin the flowers!

But for now, the sun was just right. He might as well lie down and take a nap—

“You are coming with me,” a cool female voice sounded behind him.

“Meow!” Mo Ze’s soul nearly left his body. He lunged forward, arching his back as he turned around. Seeing who it was, he said in terror, “Demon Sovereign, why… why are you back again!”

She hadn’t made a sound; she had scared him half to death! Luckily he hadn’t fallen asleep yet, or he would have been caught slacking again.

Ji Xun Yue frowned at Mo Ze’s sequence of reactions. Even after five thousand years, he hadn’t fully cultivated a human form, and his habits remained like those of a cat. Not like Xuan Huai—

She clicked her tongue, forcing the thought away and gritting her teeth. Composing herself, she said, “Follow me to Youdu.”

Mo Ze straightened his back, looking confused. “Me?”

Youdu was the royal city of the Yiu Realm. Why was the Demon Sovereign taking him there? He suddenly cried out in horror, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t punish me? Demon Sovereign, please show mercy! I… I won’t do it again!”

“Am I such an untrustworthy person?” Ji Xun Yue glared at him and turned to leave. “Keep up.”

Why did she turn back? Because… she still hadn’t given up hope.

Youdu, Lingluo Palace.

A giant white python was coiled up, admiring its own shimmering scales. A crane demon guard came in to report: “Yiu Leader, the Demon Sovereign has arrived. She is at Taihe Palace.”

The python looked at the crane demon, hissing and flickering its tongue. A flash of surprise crossed its green vertical pupils. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human. A handsome man walked to a standing mirror, carefully checking his hairstyle and attire. He asked nonchalantly, “What is she here for?”

The crane demon hesitated, “This subordinate does not know.”

The Yiu Leader, Xi Lin, changed his posture while looking in the mirror and gave a satisfied smile. “Understood. I will head over immediately.”

After the crane demon left, his face turned cold. The serpentine pupils vanished, but his eyes still held a chill. The Yiu Realm had suffered heavy casualties in the war four thousand years ago. Since succeeding as the Yiu Leader, he had rarely interacted with the outside world to allow the realm to recover. The Demon Realm had agreed with his approach, and the new Demon Sovereign rarely interfered or visited. Had something major happened?

Just as he arrived outside Taihe Palace, Xi Lin heard the sound of a teacup shattering against the floor. Inside, the little rabbit demon serving tea had merely locked eyes with the woman in front of her, and her legs gave out, causing the tray and teacup to crash to the ground.

“Demon Sovereign, have mercy! Demon Sovereign, have mercy!”

Ji Xun Yue looked at the little rabbit demon who kept kowtowing, and she awkwardly withdrew the hand she had reached out to take the cup. Looking up, she saw the other small demons in the hall were all trembling.

“…”

Do I look that terrifying?

“Are you alright?” She looked at the rabbit demon’s violently shaking white ears and momentarily envisioned Xuan Huai again.

Stop thinking about him!

She massaged her temples in frustration, not expecting the little rabbit demon to actually burst into tears.

“Rongrong, why do I see you crying as soon as I walk in?” An elegant male voice came from the doorway.

The little rabbit demon, with tears in the corners of her eyes, looked pleadingly at Xi Lin. “Yiu Leader…”

“Fine, all of you may leave,” Xi Lin waved the small demons away. The palace fell quiet with only the three of them remaining.

Ji Xun Yue said curiously, “Xi Lin, why are they so afraid of me?”

Xi Lin said lazily, “Because they don’t want you here.”

Mo Ze, standing behind Ji Xun Yue, was shocked. How did the Yiu Leader dare to speak to the Demon Sovereign like that?

Ji Xun Yue wasn’t angry, her tone casual: “Understood. I will avoid coming here as much as possible in the future.”

They’re just afraid I’m bringing news of another war, aren’t they?

The last time she came to the Yiu Realm was a thousand years ago when the Shen Yuan flowers bloomed, though she only stayed for a short while. This time, as she looked around, the once-ruined Yiu Realm had become prosperous after four thousand years of recovery. Xi Lin was a bit narcissistic, but he certainly knew how to govern.

“I wonder what important business brings the Demon Sovereign here?” Xi Lin asked, observing her. She was as clear and beautiful as she had been years ago, but the position of Demon Sovereign had smoothed out her temperament; she was used to keeping a composed face and had lost the vibrancy of her youth.

“I remember you have the Image-Manifesting Mirror. Let me borrow it.”

Xi Lin smiled, “This Yiu Realm belongs to the Demon Sovereign. Why talk of ‘borrowing’?”

“Is that so? Those little demons didn’t seem to acknowledge me much.”

“That is because they don’t know how good of a person the Demon Sovereign is.”

Ji Xun Yue gave him a look of disgust. How could a cold-blooded snake demon say something so sappy?

A flamboyant smile appeared on Xi Lin’s handsome face. He raised his hand and tapped the air, summoning the Image-Manifesting Mirror. With another flick of his finger, the mirror flew toward Ji Xun Yue.

“I am speaking the truth. Your reaction is truly hurtful, Demon Sovereign.”

After all, she was the one who had pushed through all opposition to support the powerless him in becoming the Yiu Leader. Rather than “Demon Sovereign,” he missed the days when he called her “Young Master.”

Ji Xun Yue took the mirror. “Fine. You can leave now.”

“There are things I am not allowed to see?” Xi Lin walked to the door reluctantly and couldn’t help but look back. She was holding the mirror, her brow slightly knit as she pondered something. Regardless, she certainly wasn’t thinking about him.

Back then, he had hesitated for centuries before deciding to confess his feelings to her, only to hear that she had become engaged to someone else. Before he could let her know his heart, he had already experienced heartbreak. Xi Lin withdrew his gaze and regained his usual coldness. Still, being able to see her again brought him joy.

Inside Taihe Palace, Ji Xun Yue thought of Xuan Huai’s appearance and injected spiritual energy into the mirror. Ripples appeared in the mirror, water droplets splashed, and a face slowly materialized. She remembered it so clearly.

Ji Xun Yue looked at that face, unsure which answer she hoped to find. She pondered for a moment and then handed the mirror to Mo Ze, asking, “Is it him?”

If it was him, then everything was settled. If it wasn’t. then what had her years of resentment been for?

Mo Ze took a look and exclaimed in shock, “It’s him?”