The Weeping Emperor of Northern Plains!
"I, Tian Yu, the Emperor of the Northern Heavens, inscribe this record with a heart burdened by grief and regret, for these may be the last words I leave in this world. My beloved... I remember the first time I met her, like it was carved into my very soul."
The scroll began with the Emperor's tale—a vivid memory that seemed more like a dream.
He described traveling through the desolate Northern Plains, where the winds howled like ghosts and the rain lashed the earth endlessly.
Seeking shelter, he had stumbled upon a small, broken-down hut. As he opened the door, soaked to the bone, he saw her.
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Su Xiaobai's breath caught as he read on. The story like a tragic melody, the first strains laced with bittersweet memories.
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"The first time I saw her, the heavens wept, for even the skies knew that their most beautiful creation was no longer their own. I found her on the Northern Plains, lost and fragile in the cold. I had taken refuge in a small, broken-down hut as rain poured down from above. And there she was, a girl no older than fourteen, soaked to the bone, trembling in the storm. She was a vision of delicate strength, her eyes holding the wild strength of someone who had lost everything but refused to yield to fate."
"I had seen many beauties in my time, but none like her. Yue'er. That was her name. Her presence struck me like a blade to the heart. Even as I saved her from bandits that descended upon the hut, she showed no gratitude. No, instead, she raised her dagger against me, a foolish attempt to take my life. Ha-ha-ha ...But even in her weakness, even in her desperation, there was a fire in her that called to me, and I knew... I could never let her go."
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Su Xiaobai could feel the Emperor's longing and awe as he recalled that first encounter. The rain, the violence, and that one unforgettable look that bound their fates together. But Tianyu's tale wasn't just one of admiration—it was a story of unshakable devotion, and the bitter price he paid for it.
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"She was no ordinary girl. Yue'er told me that she was dying, a cruel disease had already begun to devour her vitality, consuming her slowly, painfully, from within. It had left her wandering the world, seeking a cure she knew she would never find. How could someone so fierce, so young, be condemned to such a fate?"
"I could not accept it. I bound her with chains at first to keep her by my side—she hated me for it, fought me every step of the way. But over time, we fought side by side. I vowed to find a cure for her as we conquered the North together, and then the South. Together, we united lands, defeated warlords, and brought peace to realms that had known nothing but chaos. Together, we forged the White Jade Sword, and I stole the strings from the heavens themselves to craft the Heavenly Bow as my gift to her. We were unstoppable. I believed, with all the arrogance of a young Emperor, that we could conquer even death itself."
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Su Xiaobai swallowed, his heart tightening with every word.
The 'White Jade Sword', gifted by Yue'er when she touched the brink of false immortality, and the 'Heavenly Bow', a token of love stolen from the very heavens—these were symbols of a love that transcended mortal ambition.
But Tianyu's dream of immortality was never realized. Instead, the disease that had plagued Yue'er returned with a vengeance.
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"We built the 'Lost City', a monument to our victories, and within it, the 'Heaven's Library', a place where the knowledge of the world could be preserved. But all the knowledge, all the power we had amassed—none of it could save her. As the days passed, I watched helplessly as her vibrant spirit withered. The disease came back fiercer than ever, draining her vitality at a terrifying pace. I... I was powerless to stop it."
"Yue'er, always the stronger of us, made me promise to live on after her. To ascend alone if I must. Even as her strength faded, she smiled at me, telling me to look at the stars and not mourn her. But how could I? How could I live on, knowing the only person I ever loved was taken from me? I vowed that day... I would never let her go. I wouldn't abandon her, not to the cruel hands of fate, not to the heavens."
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Su Xiaobai could almost see the scene unfold before him—the Emperor, once mighty and proud, brought to his knees before the woman he loved, her last breaths slipping away as he vowed in desperation to defy the very stars for her.
Quite foolish — but something inspirational nevertheless.
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"I sealed her body in the Fate-Deceiving Coffin, a relic that even the gods themselves would covet. It preserved her, kept her beauty and essence intact, hidden from the prying eyes of the heavens. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough. I needed to bring her back."
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Su Xiaobai's breath hitched. The words were laced with growing desperation. Tianlong's love had turned to obsession—an all-consuming desire to cheat death itself. He refused to let her go.
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"I searched for centuries, no longer an Emperor but a grieving man chasing shadows, until I found mention of the Immortal Fetus, a legendary creation said to be born in places rich with qi. To consume it was to gain the strength of a genius who appears once in a million years. I became obsessed. I believed—no, I knew—that if I could create one artificially, I could use it to bring her back to life."
"For this, I built the Soul Refining Array, a monstrous thing that feeds on the souls of those who wander into this cave, lured by rumors of treasure. I became the monster I once swore to destroy. For thousands of years, I harvested the souls of the foolish, all to fuel the creation of this Immortal Fetus. And yet, I failed. Again and again, I failed."
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Su Xiaobai's eyes stung with the weight of Tianyu's confession. The once mighty Emperor had fallen into darkness, consumed by his grief. The man who had conquered continents and stolen from the heavens was reduced to a shadow, clinging to a hope that grew more distant with every passing year.
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"Now, even as I write this, I feel it—the Immortal Fetus has begun to devour me as well. The very thing I created to save Yue'er is draining my vitality. My body weakens. My life slips away, just as hers did. The irony of it... I cannot help but laugh bitterly."
"Please. If anyone finds this, I beg you—use the Immortal Fetus to bring her back. If you delay too long, the Fetus will mature into an Immortal Embryo, and it will bring nothing but calamity. But if you act quickly, you can still save her. You must save her. I have failed her, but perhaps... perhaps someone else can succeed where I could not."
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The scroll ended abruptly, the final words trailing off as if the Emperor's strength had finally given out.
Su Xiaobai felt the weight of the centuries, the sorrow and longing, pressing down on his chest.
This was no ordinary treasure. This was a grave, built on the love and obsession of a man who could not bear to let go.
He looked up at the Immortal Fetus, pulsing with faint light, suspended above the Fate-Deceiving Coffin. A coffin that held not just a body, but the broken dreams of a man who had tried to defy the heavens—and lost.
Su Xiaobai clenched his fists, feeling the heavy burden of the Emperor's plea. What was he supposed to do now? Could he carry out the wish of a man long dead? Could he bring back a woman who had been gone for millennia?
And even if he could... at what cost?