Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three: River of Forgetfulness

Yes, she was a demon, and he had always known. But what of it? Hadn't he always known?

In despair, he laughed madly, his heart tearing apart. He wielded the Soul-Eating Slash, but with just one swing, the raging flames were extinguished.

He gathered the girl from the ground into his arms. He wanted to take her away, far away, where no one could find her, to hide her forever.

But he couldn't. The person in his arms dispersed like scattered smoke, little by little, disappearing before his eyes, slipping away, slipping away, until he couldn't grasp her anymore.

"...Sang'er..."

He cried out weakly, as if by shouting louder, with enough despair and longing, she would be able to hear him and respond.

The people on the clouds dispersed, the sun emerged, casting its light upon him, yet he felt no warmth from it.

A wry smile crept onto his face. It was futile. He smiled bitterly and said, "...Sang'er, look, the rainbow is here..."

The rainbow emerged. Come back quickly and watch it with me!

After that, no one ever saw this deity again. Some said he went insane, spending the rest of his life in madness, eventually dying alone in a deserted desert. But there were also rumors that he fell from grace, turning to darkness.

The last time anyone saw him was in the underworld...

Some said he wore a crimson robe, crossed the Manjusaka Desert in crimson, seeking the other shore, with a twelve or thirteen-year-old child trailing behind him, holding a crimson umbrella, swaying as they followed.

At the bridge of the other shore, there were three Life Stones. They stopped there for a long time. Mempa leaned on her staff, sighed heavily, and asked, "Does the deity still have unresolved matters?"

The man lost his former vigor, staring blankly at the peculiar stone, nodding numbly. "Can it resolve my doubts?"

Mempa nodded and shook her head, asking, "Knowing too much can only add to one's troubles. Besides... this is fate. If you go against the heavens, you will face retribution. Are you still willing?"

The man smiled, "It doesn't matter. At least I'll die content."

Mempa shook her head helplessly, lifted her staff, and struck the stone...

In a previous life, he was a general undefeated in the human realm, but he fell into enemy schemes by chance, severely wounded, and nearly perished in the underworld.

The first thing he saw upon waking up was that faint blue figure. He knew he was saved. The girl saved him and healed his injuries day by day. As his wounds gradually healed, he had to leave.

He asked her, "What's your name, miss?"

She remained silent, so he continued, "Then can I call you Nian? Ah Nian!"

Nian! It meant reminiscence.

But she shook her head and said dismissively, "Whatever."

He laughed with joy and shouted loudly, "Ah Nian, wait for me. After I report to the Holy Sect, I will come back to marry you."

And he did. He wanted to marry her grandly with the formalities of marriage. She refused. He tried again and again, never considering giving up.

But things changed unexpectedly. There were constant rebellions in the court, and he was unjustly accused of treason and condemned to execution. His family fell from grace, and he narrowly escaped death. He took the bridal clothes he had prepared for her and bid her farewell, along with the only valuable thing on him, a glass ball, leaving it to her.

"You keep it. I won't come to disturb you again."

She was puzzled, with a hint of concern on her indifferent face.

"Are you in trouble? I heard... "

"It's nothing!" he hastily interrupted, pushing his bundle into her arms. After hesitating for a moment, he asked softly, "If the situation calms down, if I come back, would you marry me?"

...

From then on, he fled everywhere. In his later years, he fell seriously ill with no cure. He returned to the place where he first met her with the last bit of his strength, standing under the wutong tree, the place they parted ways, looking from afar.

How wonderful! She was still here! What a relief! He could see her again!

Warm liquid dripped unnoticed from the corners of his eyes. Amidst the sadness, a smile emerged, not a forced one, but a genuine one from the bottom of his heart. "Thank goodness I waited for you!"

Past karma, reincarnation in this life continues.

Junfeng closed his eyes, exhaling deeply, as if he had finally let go.

After leaving the underworld, he cast a spell to pull Ye Bai out of the umbrella. Without looking back, he said, "You can go now! No one will be able to confine you anymore."

Ye Bai pouted, stubbornly turning his head away, disgruntled. "It was you who caught me in the first place, and now you don't want me, it's still you, hmph!"

Junfeng's lips curved slightly, extremely faint. If one didn't pay close attention, it would be hard to notice. "Silly boy, are you reluctant to leave now?"

"Who said that! I've wanted to leave long ago. If it weren't for this broken umbrella trapping me, I would have left already." Ye Bai huffed angrily, stomping his foot.

But the man didn't turn around, gradually disappearing from view. The red celestial umbrella, which seemed to have been forgotten, lay lonely on the ground. Wherever the wind blew, it went...