After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 20

Ji Xun Yue’s heart sank. After all that effort, the result remained the same. What exactly was she hoping for?

However, Mo Ze looked up at her, appearing puzzled. “Demon Sovereign, isn’t this Lord Huai Lin of the Fox clan? Is he still alive?”

Ji Xun Yue froze. Huai Lin? Was that Xuan Huai’s name when he was in the Yiu Realm?

If the person who forced the flowers to bloom was Xuan Huai, how could Mo Ze have failed to recognize him?

“First, tell me: Is he the one who came to Shen Yuan during the night?”

Mo Ze didn’t look back at the mirror. He shook his head firmly. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure. That person did not look like this.”

The scenery of Shen Yuan is entirely illusory, yet those who wish to enter it cannot use disguises; they must maintain their absolute truth.

A glimmer of joy slowly rose in the depths of her heart, though it was quickly blocked by suspicion. Why would that person borrow Xuan Huai’s name? Or were they acting under Xuan Huai’s orders?

Meanwhile, seeing Ji Xun Yue lost in thought, Mo Ze grew increasingly guilty. He had just blurted out a name to stall her; if the Demon Sovereign actually sought out this “Xuan Huai” for punishment only to find it was a misunderstanding, what if Xuan Huai came back for revenge? He was just a cat demon with meager skills; he didn’t want any trouble.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. With a thump, he knelt down. “Demon Sovereign, please forgive me! I… I lied to you about one thing!”

Ji Xun Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at him coldly. “Speak.”

Mo Ze lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down. “The person who ruined the flowers didn’t actually leave a name. I just remembered a man named Xuan Huai ruined the flowers a thousand years ago, so I instinctively assumed it was him again…”

“Is it the truth this time?”

“I swear, not a single word is false!”

Ji Xun Yue couldn’t be bothered to settle accounts with him. “Don’t let it happen again. Get up.”

Since Mo Ze actually knew what Xuan Huai looked like, it seemed the person who went to Shen Yuan a thousand years ago wasn’t him either. According to the style of the culprit over the last millennium, they couldn’t wait to leave their name after every act, yet this time, they hadn’t.

Was someone acting in Xuan Huai’s name without his knowledge, or was he hiring a proxy? What seemed like a clear truth had suddenly become shrouded in mystery again.

Ji Xun Yue looked at Xuan Huai’s face in the mirror, unsure if she was relieved or disappointed.

“Not a word of this to anyone.” She said it, but still felt uneasy. She raised her hand and simply wiped this segment of his memory—a technique known to only a very few among the God and Demon races.

A moment later, Mo Ze blinked, his ears twitching blankly. “Demon Sovereign, why did you bring me to Youdu again?”

“It’s already resolved. You can go back,” Ji Xun Yue instructed. “Remember to cultivate diligently.”

As Ji Xun Yue stepped out of Taihe Palace, she saw Xi Lin standing in the courtyard, his arms crossed as he gazed into space. Hearing her movement, he turned around. “All finished?”

She returned the Image-Manifesting Mirror to him and gave a slight nod.

Xi Lin took it and asked, “Leaving already?”

Ji Xun Yue couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes. You can all throw a celebration now.” Her mood was inexplicably brightening; suddenly, she felt like joking around.

Xi Lin, however, looked at her coldly. “Do you have someone you like?”

“What?” Ji Xun Yue was startled at first, then said with solemn dignity, “I am here on official business.”

The grievances between Immortals and Demons are certainly official business.

Xi Lin didn’t press the matter. Instead, he opened his palm to reveal a lustrous white python scale. “I was thinking just now: I’ve never given you anything.” Seeing her surprise, he added, “To repay you for your… grace of appreciation. Break it when you need my help.”

Ji Xun Yue didn’t take it, asking instead, “Is there anything I can’t handle?”

Xi Lin was perfectly composed. “Then you manage the Yiu Realm; I want to rest for a century or two.”

“…”

Since it was to repay a favor, it wouldn’t be right to brush off his sentiment. Ji Xun Yue picked up the white scale to examine it; a cool sensation traveled from her fingertips. Xi Lin watched her silently, an unconscious smile gracing his lips.

When was the last time he saw her? Was it two thousand years ago, or three? There were too many things he wanted to say, but they turned into, “Safe travels, Demon Sovereign. I won’t see you out.”

Better to have fewer lingering thoughts.

After Ji Xun Yue left, Xi Lin took out the Image-Manifesting Mirror. With a slight injection of spiritual energy, the face she had erased reappeared. He looked at the features in the mirror, frowned, and murmured the name.

“Huai Lin…”

Returning to Cangxing Province with a heavy heart, Ji Xun Yue sat on Luoxing Terrace and spent the entire afternoon in a daze. Xuan Huai hadn’t returned by evening. As the sky grew dark, she went back to her room.

Not long after, she heard a woman calling from outside.

“Jinyue, are you there?”

That voice…

Ji Xun Yue opened the door to see a familiar figure looking around anxiously. “Imperial Princess Ling Ran?”

Ling Ran turned toward the sound and walked over quickly, her expression frantic. “Where is your Master?”

“Master was summoned by the God Realm. Do you have urgent business with him?”

Ling Ran raised her brows in shock. “Your cultivation level…”

Explaining would be too much trouble, so Ji Xun Yue quickly changed the subject. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Ling Ran didn’t press her, but a troubled look appeared on her face. After a moment’s hesitation, she sighed. “Sigh, forget it. Just come with me to Guiyuan Province first.”

Wasn’t that where Shi Yuan lived?

As Ling Ran led her there, she briefly explained the situation. She had gone to see Shi Yuan during her free time, only to find that he had somehow downed an unknown amount of wine and refused to be reasoned with.

Ling Ran said dejectedly, “I’ve rarely seen him so distraught in all these years. If your Master were here, he might be able to talk some sense into him. If Shi Yuan is willing to talk to you about his troubles, just listen and try to comfort him. I hope he can… let go soon.”

Ji Xun Yue nodded, though she was only half-understanding. She suddenly remembered Shi Yuan’s strange behavior when he saw her yesterday. Was his drinking related to that? Worries were piling up one after another, yet none had a clear lead.

At Guiyuan Province, Ling Ran led Ji Xun Yue up a low mountain. Near the summit, she stopped. “Jinyue, you go ahead.”

“The Princess isn’t coming?”

Ling Ran shook her head. “I’m afraid he’ll be even more annoyed if he sees me.”

In the twilight, she looked toward the summit, her beautiful face appearing somewhat dim. In truth, Ling Ran’s personality was quite similar to Shi Yuan’s; usually bright and generous, but prone to keeping silent when something was on her mind, bottling everything up inside.

Ji Xun Yue nodded and walked toward the summit. The top of the mountain was very open. From a distance, she saw a man sitting on the ground, surrounded by empty wine jars.

She called out tentatively, “Martial Uncle?”

Shi Yuan turned at the sound, his eyes hazy with drink. He identified her carefully before saying, “Oh, it’s Jinyue. Why are you here?”

“I came to… visit you, Martial Uncle.”

Ji Xun Yue sat down beside him, looking at the mess on the ground.

Shi Yuan said knowingly, “Your Master is away, so Ling Ran asked you to come?”

Surprisingly, even after drinking so much, his thinking was quite clear; his state didn’t seem as severe as Ling Ran had described.

Ji Xun Yue said with a light laugh, “Yes. I wonder what is bothering you, Martial Uncle? Would you like to tell me about it?”

Shi Yuan said gloomily, “There’s nothing much to say. If you can drink with me, stay. Otherwise, let me be alone.”

Since she was commissioned by Ling Ran, she naturally couldn’t go back. Ji Xun Yue picked up a jar, tore off the seal, and tilted her head back for a drink, her movements as smooth as flowing water.

“Sss—” However, as the wine hit her throat, she knit her brows tightly.

How is he drinking something this strong?

Seeing this, Shi Yuan raised an eyebrow and laughed boldly. “Regretting it?”

Ji Xun Yue’s competitive spirit was sparked instead. “I’m not afraid.”

But since she was there to comfort him for Ling Ran, she only took small sips after that. Shi Yuan continued drinking in silence, no longer engaging with her.

After a period of silence, Shi Yuan grew thoughtful and asked, “Jinyue, do you think being an immortal is good?”

Seeing that he was finally willing to talk, Ji Xun Yue pondered for a moment. “Eternal life… I suppose it’s a good thing.”

Shi Yuan said, “But what if the longer you live, the deeper you remember certain things?”

The memories buried deep in her heart were accidentally triggered by these words, and Ji Xun Yue fell silent. She still remembered the feeling of blood rushing to her head, on the verge of collapse, when she heard of her sister’s death. She remembered the powerlessness of watching her mother’s life being drained by venom bit by bit, no matter how many spiritual medicines she used.

And her friends, the Demons and Yiu who trusted her, their lives were once vibrant, only to wither in an instant during the war.

Ji Xun Yue turned her head to look at him and said, “Perhaps some things simply can’t be forgotten no matter what. They shouldn’t be forgotten, and one doesn’t want to forget them.”

Shi Yuan gazed into the distance, silent for a while before saying, “I mentioned to you before that my aptitude is mediocre. I cultivated slowly from the start. After the Great War, my Master died, and I had no one to rely on.”

Speaking of the past, his expression was plain, revealing a cold underlying tone. Ji Xun Yue didn’t respond; she stayed still so as not to disturb his thoughts, waiting quietly for him to continue.

Shi Yuan went on, “After the war, there were many people like me in the Immortal Realm. We were like wandering souls that no one cared about. But after a period of reorganization, many found new sects. I didn’t. At that time, I had cultivated for over six hundred years and had barely passed the Fourth Realm. Since my Master was a traitor, no one wanted to take me in. I stayed on my Master’s Guiyuan Province to fend for myself.”

She had heard these things a few days ago, but hearing them again, they still felt bitter.

Shi Yuan said, “That was when I was most lost. The war overturned my view of cultivation. It let me directly feel the coldness of the struggle between Gods and Demons. To the God Realm, the Immortal Realm is just a combat force—a consumable force. People like us, who aren’t even true Immortals, are just expendables that can be easily discarded and replaced by mortals.”

Ji Xun Yue opened her mouth, but she didn’t know where to start with words of comfort; in the end, she couldn’t say a single word. What Shi Yuan said was the truth. Ever since the God Race had ruled the world in ancient times, they had always maintained a high and mighty posture. Gods and Demons shared the same origin, and the Demon Race had held the same ideology when creating the Yiu Race.

Seeing her silence, Shi Yuan looked at her and laughed. “Look at me. You’ve only been in the Immortal Realm for a month, and I’m already talking about heavy topics with you.”

Ji Xun Yue quickly said, “It’s alright. What you’re saying is very enlightening to me. Please, go on.”

Shi Yuan sighed. “Actually, it’s nothing much. I just didn’t know the meaning of cultivation for a while. But I’ve lived for centuries, and having lived this long, I don’t want to die. So sometimes I go to see the competitions, trying to learn something from them.”

He suddenly moved his gaze away, his look becoming far-reaching. The sky darkened quickly. Shi Yuan seemed to see the past through the heavy clouds, a nostalgic look appearing on his face. “That’s when I met her. I never thought someone of her status would have moments of embarrassment.”

It seemed this was the person Shi Yuan had been avoiding mentioning.

Ji Xun Yue asked, “I wonder which lady she is? Would you be willing to tell me her name?”

“She is not a lady of the Immortal Realm.” Shi Yuan shook his head slightly and looked at her again. “Speaking of which, you and she… actually look quite similar.”

Ji Xun Yue didn’t quite understand his words, assuming the woman he spoke of was a cultivator like herself. She continued listening, but Shi Yuan was unwilling to go further.

“Forget it. The past should stay in the past,” Shi Yuan muttered to himself, rubbing his brow in frustration. He closed his eyes drowsily, appearing to be on the verge of sleep.

Seeing this, Ji Xun Yue stopped disturbing him. She gently set down the wine jar and sat with her knees hugged, watching the last trace of sunlight vanish from the horizon as the moonlight took over the world.

If Shi Yuan didn’t want to talk, she couldn’t force him. She didn’t know what he was troubled by—perhaps she should ask Xuan Huai when she got back?

Thinking of Xuan Huai, and influenced by Shi Yuan’s mood, a shadow fell over her heart as well. She truly couldn’t figure out the reason. Xuan Huai’s social circle seemed very narrow; even though some people didn’t like him, if they really wanted to harm him, why would they only cause minor incidents that didn’t stir up any real trouble? Was it him himself? Yet she couldn’t accept such a truth.

Her thoughts entered a dead end, and she couldn’t help but let out a light sigh.

At the same time, Shi Yuan also let out a heavy sigh and said gloomily, “Forget it! Drink, drink!”

With that, ignoring Ji Xun Yue’s reaction, he said nothing more and began drinking in large gulps. After downing nearly half a jar, he suddenly stopped. Ji Xun Yue watched his actions silently. Seeing he had something to say, she pushed aside her wandering thoughts and waited for him to speak.

Shi Yuan’s face grew darker and darker. He said hatefully, “What right does she have? She was the one who said she liked me, and she was the one who said she didn’t. She was the one who provoked me, yet now I’m the one distraught because of her?”

Ji Xun Yue couldn’t help but laugh softly. He really was troubled by matters of love. She wondered which girl had tricked him out of his feelings, leaving him still unable to forget to this day.

Shi Yuan knit his brows and looked at her, his speech already showing a bit of drunkenness. “What exactly is so good about her? She bottles everything up inside, leaving me to guess everything.”

Sometimes, drunk people don’t actually know what they’re saying; they just want someone else to agree. Ji Xun Yue didn’t know how to respond, so she just nodded silently.

Shi Yuan complained, “She was the one who suggested the engagement, yet in the end, she was the one who broke it. She ran away and left me to become a joke.”

There was actually an engagement? No wonder he can’t forget.

“I was like a fool, thinking of her for thousands of years, only to find out she had long since forgotten me. Then what have these years been for?” Shi Yuan took a massive gulp of wine, dazed for a moment before continuing, “Tell me, isn’t she a heartless person?”

Ji Xun Yue had no answer and could only nod.

Shi Yuan looked at her, his gaze becoming increasingly unfocused yet turning tender. “…Why don’t you like me?”

Ji Xun Yue’s eyes widened. She quickly realized that Shi Yuan was so drunk he had mistaken her for the person he longed for. Although she didn’t know if cursing would make him feel better while drunk, she wasn’t the one being cursed anyway, so she didn’t argue. She just watched him quietly, letting him vent his grievances to her.

Her silence indeed drew more complaints from him. Shi Yuan said, “You are truly a master of acting; you played me for a fool.”

Ji Xun Yue nodded.

His expression was full of melancholy. He was speaking words of accusation, yet his tone refused to be even a little harsh. Precisely because his hatred wasn’t deep enough, the past had entangled him for so many years.

“In truth, you just wanted someone to stay with you through your most painful times. It just so happened you met me. You are truly selfish to the extreme.”

Being treated as an emotional substitute. She nodded sympathetically again.

Drunkenness tinged the corners of Shi Yuan’s eyes red. His gaze was burning, his deep eyes staring fixedly at her. “Why is it that you can start over, but I still can’t get out?”

Ji Xun Yue felt guilty under his gaze, as if she were the one who had wronged him.

Shi Yuan continued, “Ji Xun Yue, why do you not remember?”

Ji Xun Yue nodded along by instinct.

Wait, something felt wrong.