Part 6: The So-Called Truth

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Xiao Jiu gathered Wang Jiu into his arms and, with all his strength, drew the sword from the wound. Cold blood sprayed across his face, but he did not notice at all.

“Come, I’ll take you home! Xiao Jiu will take you home!”

The people beside him saw that Xiao Jiu had lost his reason and tried to pull him away, but Xiao Jiu wailed, “Get lost! All of you, get lost!”

“Ah! ...” He kept crying out, clutching the person in his arms so tightly. How could this be? How could this be? He had clearly promised to come ask for my hand in marriage. He had clearly promised.

Suddenly, several streaks of crimson lightning split the air beside Xiao Jiu. The Xiao family fell back a great distance, staring dumbly at the strange scene before them. The ground around Xiao Jiu was scorched to ash, and many translucent figures drifted around him.

Startled by this uncanny occurrence, Black Slave and Chi rushed to the mortal realm. Seeing the scene, Chi asked, “What should we do? Shall we kill these people?”

As expected of their master, the Rebirth Pool could wipe away his memories, but it could not seal away his power. Looking at the souls summoned by their master, Black Slave said helplessly, “No need. If our master finds out, he’ll blame us. Just erase their memories.”

After finishing this, Black Slave and Chi concealed themselves and followed Xiao Jiu, lest anything else go awry.

Xiao Jiu still had a splitting headache. Fragments flashed through his mind, all of them about Ye Min—times Ye Min had stayed by his side, taken him to temple fairs, bought him a pig-faced mask and candied figurines. The fragments ended with the moment after Ye Min had gone to the ancient temple to save him, and then the words he had said to Ye Min, the word he used most often being “Get lost”...

As though he had finally found the exit from a maze, everything became clear at once. Ye Min was Wang Jiu: Ye Min, who had accompanied him from childhood to adulthood, and Ye Min, who vanished from his world after he told him to get lost. He remembered the scene when they met again in Clear River Town...

No wonder. No wonder he had frightened Wang Jiu.

Biting his lip, Xiao Jiu paid no heed to anything around him. Guided only by instinct, he lifted Wang Jiu, took Wang Jiu’s sword, and in an instant returned to the Xiao residence and into his own room. He laid Wang Jiu properly on the bed, then took out the hastily finished wedding robe. He had told his mother that once it was done, she was to send it straight to his room.

Xiao Jiu smiled as he changed into the wedding robe, then dressed Wang Jiu in the set meant for him. Looking at the quietly sleeping Wang Jiu, he said, “Didn’t expect that, did you? You definitely didn’t expect that I would come ask for your hand. From now on, you’re mine. You’re Xiao Jiu’s wife.”

Wang Jiu gave no response, and Xiao Jiu did not mind. He lay down on his side of the bed, took Wang Jiu’s hand, and with both hands together, gripped Wang Jiu’s sword and drove it fiercely into his own chest. After all the days spent together, how could he leave Xiao Jiu behind like this?

Xiao Jiu wore a look of utter contentment as he held one of Wang Jiu’s arms. Do not think that by going to the Yellow Springs you can rid yourself of him...

Seeing this, Black Slave frowned, while Chi burst out laughing. “Our master is truly the straightforward type! He even went and chose the path of martyrdom in love!”

Black Slave gave a sharp rebuke. “Shut your mouth. If you don’t hurry off before our master returns, what are you waiting for?”

Chi stuck out his tongue and followed Black Slave away. Indeed, if their master learned that they had left without permission, a harsh punishment would be unavoidable.

The Ghost Sovereign opened his eyes, only to find that he was still in the mortal realm. He looked at the pair upon the bed and frowned. As if sensing something, he raised a hand.

A sphere of white light rose from Wang Jiu’s abdomen. Before the tiny light cluster could even take shape as a small flesh lump, it had already lost its life. It wavered and drifted into the Ghost Sovereign’s palm, brushing against his hand, while a soft, delicate voice sounded in his sea of consciousness.

“Mother...”

The Ghost Sovereign was stunned. He stared at the little light cluster in his hand and remained silent for a long time. Only after quite a while did he let out a faint sigh and answer, “Good child.”

He placed the little light cluster into his arms, his movements somewhat stiff. In a moment of indulgence he had drunk too much, and when he awoke again he even had a child. This was something he had never imagined. Memories concerning Xiao Jiu slowly stirred in his sea of consciousness, beyond even his own expectations.

This time, however, he could no longer pretend not to see. The Ghost Sovereign, who had never known sorrow, was at something of a loss before the bitterness welling up in his heart. His fingertips trembled faintly; his chest felt tight, as though some tiny figure were relentlessly stabbing at his heart, bringing wave after wave of dull pain.

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He closed his eyes to gather his emotions. When he opened them again, there was still a slight ripple in their depths. He cast one quiet glance at the people on the bed, then vanished through the void.

At the same time, in Xiao Xian’s courtyard, the door was thrown open with a bang by Mo Zhu. Mo Zhu laughed heartily. “I won. I still won. Do you know, old friend? Ye Min is dead. He’s really dead. I ended him with my own hands!”

Xiao Xian’s eyes widened. He rose and slapped Mo Zhu hard across the face. “You beast! Do you know, do you know—”

Mo Zhu was knocked to the ground by the blow and sneered, “They’re all dead. How good that they’re dead. Dead means no one ever has to see me again. Isn’t that what he wanted?”

Overcome by grief and rage, Xiao Xian instead grew calm. “You truly think that what you believe is the truth? Since you want to know, I’ll tell you everything!” A madman like Mo Zhu was not worthy of Ye Feng’s exhausting concern!

Mo Zhu staggered to his feet and sat down to one side. Xiao Xian said coldly, “Whose son do you think Ye Min is?”

Mo Zhu let out a contemptuous laugh. “Whose else could he be? Isn’t he the son of Ye Feng and that shameless woman?”

Xiao Xian gave a mocking smile. “Ye Min is the son of you and Ye Feng!”

At this, Mo Zhu said without hesitation, “Impossible!” His hand froze. How could that be? How could a man father a child?

Xiao Xian was nearly angered into laughter. This was the man Ye Feng had loved so desperately. “Why impossible? The Ye family’s bodies are unusual. So long as they lie with someone, whether they are the one on top or the one beneath, they may father children. Have you forgotten the absurd things you did when you were drunk?”

Drunk? That time? Panic rose wildly in Mo Zhu’s heart.

Xiao Xian continued, “And why do you think Ye Feng left? He originally meant to tell you. Even if you could not accept it, he still wanted to bear the child. But when he reached your room, he happened upon you and a woman fooling around inside...”

“Only then did Ye Feng come to me and ask me to help him escape the Mo household. Though my Xiao family has guarded your Mo family for generations, Ye Feng is my friend. How could I not help? He never married that woman. It was nothing more than an excuse to keep from seeing you, because by then he was already nearly due...”

“But he could never have imagined that the person he loved so deeply would lead others in slaughtering the village where he was staying. Childbirth is hard enough for a man as it is. He finally gave birth to Ye Min, and then Ye Feng died from excessive blood loss. He wanted someone to send Ye Min to me... yet never expected it would be delayed for nine years!”

“Are you satisfied now? You killed the one you loved, then personally ended your own son. Are you satisfied with this ending?”

As Xiao Xian spoke, he turned, intending to see Mo Zhu’s expression, only to discover that Mo Zhu was already gone.

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. “Old Master, it’s bad! It’s bad!”

Xiao Xian asked, “What happened?”

The servant replied, “The little young master, the little young master is in his own room, and he’s already... already gone cold...”

All the color drained from Xiao Xian’s face. “What...”

...

So it was this way! So it was this way!

Mo Zhu stood atop a cliff. He had personally brought an end to everything that was his. Ye Feng—his Ye Feng! Xiao Xian was right; he was unworthy. How could he be worthy?

Mo Zhu raised his hand, gathered tenfold his strength, and pierced his own chest, then fell from the cliff.

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A bolt of black lightning struck straight down into the Demon Abyss. The demonic aura within that lightning was abundant and pure. Those in the Demon Abyss who witnessed it could scarcely contain their delight.

“Wonderful! Another one has fallen into darkness! Such a pure demon seed is truly a blessing for the Demon Abyss!”

The people of the Demon Palace had been waiting there for some time. When the newly born demon awoke, they stepped forward to greet him. “May we ask your name, my lord?”

Mo Zhu was somewhat dazed. His dark red pupils narrowed slightly as he repeated, “Name?”

The attendant who had come to welcome him broke into a cold sweat under Mo Zhu’s gaze. As expected of a pure demon seed, what pressure... He explained, “Once one has become a demon, someone like you—whose newly awakened form is already so pure—will naturally receive a title, such as the Music Demon, the Sixth Demon, the Wind Demon, and so on. As for you, my lord, what shall your title be?”

Mo Zhu lowered his head and laughed. For someone like him, if death would not accept him, he was simply cast into demonic life instead? Very well. Very well.

“My title is Maple Demon.”

The words suddenly flashed before the other man’s eyes as Maple Demon. The man smiled and said, “Maple Demon, please come this way. The Demon Lord has specially prepared a banquet for you, intending to welcome you properly!”

...

In Clear River Town, the people led by Xiao Qi had defended the town. Just as they were about to return separately to report, Xiao Qi was stopped by the couple Qi Lu and his wife. Holding a wine jar in his hands, Qi Lu said, “Please wait, benefactor. Since you know Wang Jiu, would you be so kind as to carry this wine to him for us?”

Xiao Qi accepted it, puzzled. “This is?”

The couple exchanged a smile. “This was the first jar of wine Wang Jiu brewed when he came to the town two years ago to learn winemaking. He said the person he liked loved to drink, so he wanted to brew the first jar for him. Now that Wang Jiu is going to marry Xiao Jiu, we must trouble you to bring this back for him. And please tell Wang Jiu this as well: we’re sorry.”

Xiao Qi nodded, indicating that he understood.

Everyone in the town came out to see Xiao Qi and the others off, yet only Tao Hong was absent. Standing by the river, Tao Hong cast the willow hairpin into the water, then turned and went home. There was no Wang Jiu in Clear River Town anymore; it was time for her to let go as well.

Xiao Qi raced back to the Xiao residence without pausing, only to find that all the red decorations had been replaced by white. Everyone he saw wore plain white mourning garments, each face filled with grief.

Xiao Qi entered the main hall, where Xiao Muran and Xiao Xian were both pale as death. Madam Xiao was in tears. In the center of the hall stood a very large coffin. Xiao Qi approached it in a daze, and when he looked inside, he saw at once Xiao Jiu and Ye Min embraced together...

A few days later, the Xiao family carried the coffin and buried Xiao Jiu and Ye Min together. Xiao Qi buried that jar of wine before the tombstone.

They met by fate, came to know one another, and fell in love, yet were denied the chance to stay together, to accompany and support one another until old age.

Xiao Qi picked two blossoms of the mimosa tree and placed them before the graves of Xiao Jiu and Ye Min. If these two lovers are granted another life, may they in their next rebirth keep faith with one another forever and never part until their hair is white.