Chapter 3: Compassion

To reach the Fragrant Xiangze Palace , one had to traverse a forest of bones.

As Liu shuang stepped over the white bones, the eerie crunching sounds sent shivers down her spine on such a night. Having lived among mortals after her transformation, she had picked up some of their habits over time.

For instance, being afraid of dark and sinister things.

Yan Chaosheng, the ghost cultivator, was probably the person she had loved with all the courage and boldness she could muster in her lifetime.

The twin fish pendant in her palm grew warm, encouraging her to press on. The journey was indeed long, and after what seemed like an eternity, Liu shuang finally caught sight of the Fragrant Xiangze Palace .

The palace still exuded an ominous aura, yet it was the most splendid place aside from the main hall.

She had walked all the way here without anyone stopping her. Liu shuang knew that in the Ghost Realm, Yan Chaosheng was absolute. No one dared to defy his commands.

The Fragrant Xiangze Palace  was a forbidden area, and without his permission, naturally, no one dared to approach it on ordinary days.

In truth, Liu shuang herself didn’t know why she was challenging his authority. The crack in the twin fish pendant had filled her with such unease that she urgently wanted to prove something.

For example, that Yan Chaosheng loved and cherished her.

He forbade others from coming here, but even if she defied his order, he wouldn’t truly punish her, right?

The grand doors of the Fragrant Xiangze Palace  stood before her. She placed her hand on the door, gritted her teeth, and prepared to push it open.

Her heart was in her throat—the answer lay behind this door. But in the next moment, her wrist was seized by a hand so cold it felt piercing.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she saw Yan Chaosheng standing beside her, his expression icy.

“What is this? You dare to ignore my command?”

She had never heard him speak to her in such a cold and terrifying tone before. An overwhelming pressure descended upon her, and she knew he was furious.

A dull ache spread through her internal organs, and she coughed lightly, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth.

“No, my lord, I…” She wanted to explain but didn’t know what to say. Had she come here to repair the pendant, or to see who the honored guest in the palace was, or to gauge Yan Chaosheng’s reaction to her trespassing into the “forbidden area”?

But wasn’t his reaction already clear?

Liu shuang’s eyes grew warm with tears. She lowered her head, flustered, unsure whether to wipe the blood from her lips or the tears brimming in her eyes.

Yan Chaosheng watched her coldly, his dark eyes devoid of emotion, as her tears fell like a broken string of pearls.

Under the dark, blood-like sky, she looked utterly aggrieved, burying her head like a little ostrich, her shoulders trembling.

He forcefully lifted her chin, and seeing the blood at the corner of her mouth, Yan Chaosheng paused, frowned, and roughly wiped it away with his thumb.

Yan Chaosheng scooped her up horizontally. It had taken her nearly half an hour to get here, but in the blink of an eye, he carried her back to her chamber.

The demon lord’s cloak almost completely enveloped her delicate frame. She trembled in his arms, shaking like a withered leaf on the verge of falling.

“Don’t cry,” he said, turning and sitting with her on the bed. His hand rested on her fragile back, and with a flip of his palm, spiritual energy flowed into her body.

His spiritual energy was cold and domineering, while what she could endure needed to be as gentle as a trickling stream. So weak that she couldn’t even withstand his anger. He controlled the energy, transforming it from ghostly power to celestial energy, gradually transferring it to her.

Even though he had healed her wounds, her eyes were still red like a rabbit’s, staring blankly at the ground.

Yan Chaosheng turned her face to make her look at him. Since becoming the Demon King six hundred years ago, he had been arrogant and domineering. No one dared to defy his laws, and those who did were utterly destroyed.

She had dared to test his limits. A minor injury from his pressure was nothing; no matter how he punished her, it wouldn’t be excessive.

Meeting her red eyes and tear-stained lashes, he spoke with a mocking tone, “You dare to trespass into the forbidden area, and I haven’t punished you, yet you’re the one crying?”

She shook her head, tears still falling.

He wiped her tears away, then pressed his finger against her lips, threatening, “If you keep crying, I’ll throw you into the water prison to keep company with the water ghosts. Believe it?”

She sobbed, “Then throw me in.”

Despite her defiant words, her fingers secretly clutched his robe. He glanced down, his lips curling slightly, “Really want me to throw you in? The water ghosts won’t like having you as a neighbor. Don’t come crying to me later.”

His words were harsh, but after half a year with him, Liu shuang knew this was his way of yielding, clumsily trying to comfort her.

In the past century, he hadn’t shown much tenderness. After wiping her tears, his hand remained on her back, continuing to transfer spiritual energy into her body.

Liu shuang cherished this moment of warmth. The desperate courage she had mustered dissipated in this tenderness. She had trespassed into the forbidden area, yet he hadn’t punished her. Although he couldn’t control his pressure and had hurt her, he was still healing her.

He did care for her, didn’t he? Her nearly withered heart began to bloom with resilient life once more.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck, “My lord, you promised to return soon, but you’ve been gone for so long.”

He reached up, stroking her head.

“So, you blame me?”

She shook her head, pulling out the twin fish pendant from her robe and handing it to him, “It’s my pendant. It… somehow cracked, and I can’t fix it no matter what. I wanted you to help me.”

Her small hands enveloped his.

He glanced at her, complying, as spiritual energy emanated from his palm. The power of the Demon King was immense, and the already exquisite twin fish pendant seemed to come to life, the two fish almost moving.

She watched intently.

But after a long while, though the pendant glowed with a soft light, the cracks remained, showing no signs of being repaired. Yan Chaosheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Divine Farmer’s Jade?”

The jade crafted from the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron, an ancient artifact, could divine the future, but once cracked, it could not be reversed.

Liu shuang was stunned, taking the pendant back from him, “It’s fine if it can’t be fixed. It’s just… a piece of jade after all. My lord, perhaps you could give me a prettier one someday.”

Yan Chaosheng looked at her, not pressing the matter further, “Tell Su Lun what you want.”

She nodded, finally managing a faint smile. As Yan Chaosheng was about to put her down, she clung to him, “My lord, it’s so late. Is there really something urgent you must attend to? Stay here with me, won’t you?”

Meeting her expectant gaze, he paused, then nodded, lying down with her in his arms.

The soft cloud-like quilt was as gentle and warm as she was.

The glass lamp swayed gently, casting shadows of paper cranes on the windowsill. Yan Chaosheng knew that his little wife was skilled in many peculiar things.

Such as brewing tea, paper-cutting, embroidery, and sewing…

When she first transformed, she was found by a mortal couple who were seventh-rank officials. Their own daughter had died young, and seeing her as a lost, jade-like child, they took pity and adopted her.

She, naive and clueless, didn’t realize that a little fairy grass wasn’t supposed to live among mortals. In those days, the human realm valued scholarly refinement, and she, a little fairy grass, was raised as a delicate official’s daughter, learning many things mortal women did.

But when it came to cultivation, she lacked both talent and interest, and wasn’t diligent.

What she should have learned, she didn’t; what she shouldn’t have, she picked up a mishmash of skills.

Ghost cultivators naturally revered power, and Yan Chaosheng was no exception. Yet, her “lack of proper learning” over the past century hadn’t been “corrected” by him. Instead, he silently allowed it.

“My lord,” Liu shuang counted on her fingers, “there are three months and four days left until my tribulation.”

He pulled the quilt over her, responding indifferently.

Neither giving a response nor extending the topic. Her true form was at odds with the Ghost Realm, where there was no trace of celestial energy, making cultivation nearly impossible. But whether demon or fairy, all faced two types of heavenly tribulations in their lives.

One was the “cultivation tribulation,” a test of their efforts and breakthroughs in cultivation, passing which would elevate their power.

The other was the “bloodline tribulation,” a trial of their bloodline’s refinement, occurring every fifty years. Enduring it would make their bloodline purer and stronger.

For Liu shuang, her cultivation had stagnated, making the idea of a breakthrough a distant dream, so she didn’t have to face the cultivation tribulation. But the bloodline refinement was unavoidable; she couldn’t escape it.

To withstand such a tribulation, she needed sufficient cultivation power. Fifty years ago, he had helped her through it.

Back then, not long after their grand wedding, Yan Chaosheng had returned victorious from a battle with the celestial realm, brimming with pride. He could have easily helped her through the tribulation with a wave of his hand, but instead, he chose a more… intimate method.

He spent three days in dual cultivation with her in their chamber, until she could barely move a finger, then pinched her cheek and laughed freely, “If you can’t get through this tribulation on your own this time, don’t go around saying you’re Yan Chaosheng’s wife.”

But when the heavenly thunder struck, seeing how weak she was, he still scoffed and blocked most of it for her.

Now, another fifty years had passed.

This time, he had returned victorious once more, with the eight realms at peace, holding authority over two realms, his rule strict and unyielding.

Recalling the past, a sweet warmth filled Liu shuang’s heart. Under the cloud-like quilt, she took Yan Chaosheng’s hand, intertwining her slender fingers with his.

With a boldness she didn’t know she had, she turned over, “My lord, this time, I want to face the tribulation on my own.”

She thought she spoke loudly, but her voice came out much softer, her ears turning red. Even though the ruler of two realms lay beneath her, his imposing presence remained undiminished.

His handsome features were like a painting, and at her words, a faint ripple appeared in his eyes, whether of mockery or disdain, it was unclear.

He said, “You sure?”

Liu shuang’s small hands gripped his robe, her cheeks flushing, “You… you’re capable.”

He lowered his gaze, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He remained still, letting her take the lead, curious to see if her timid self would dare.

Liu shuang had never taken the initiative before. Her hands trembled as she untied the knot of his robe.

Yan Chaosheng looked up at her. The young girl, having just removed his outer garment, was already tense, a sheen of sweat on her skin. Her previously pale cheeks were now a delicate pink, quite lovely. His expression remained cold, but a faint ripple appeared in his eyes as he reached up to touch her cheek.

Soft and delicate, her skin like jade.

Growing impatient, he was about to take control when, outside the window, a ghost crow cawed five times, accompanied by the faint, sorrowful notes of a flute. The mournful melody was filled with sorrow.

His fingers paused, his eyes darkening, and he held her hand still.

The young girl tilted her head, looking at him in confusion, “My lord?”

He pushed her away, got out of bed, and draped his cloak over himself, his voice returning to its cold tone, “You sleep first. I just remembered there’s something urgent I need to attend to.”

He stepped out the door.

Liu shuang sat curled up on the bed, the twin fish pendant slipping from her sleeve, still bearing its cracks, causing her eyes to tremble.

“My lord!”

She didn’t realize she had raised her voice in that call.

Yan Chaosheng paused, turning back to look at her, his expression unreadable, “Speak.”

“I’m scared.”

“The four Rhinoceros Generals are guarding you, Madam.”

At that moment, many words threatened to spill from Liu shuang’s lips, but in the end, they became a gentle reminder, “The night wind is cold, my lord. Dress warmly.”

Through the shadowed window, she watched as the wind brushed against his sleeve, and he walked along the winding corridor, once again the decisive and ruthless Demon King.

Liu shuang picked up the twin fish pendant from the bed, its cracks now deeper than before.

After Yan Chaosheng left, Liu shuang slept restlessly and had a dream in the latter half of the night.

She dreamed of the time when she had just transformed, during a summer in the mortal realm.

Just as foxes are naturally cunning, the nature of fairy grass is to stay rooted. They rarely like to move around, especially before their transformation. So, every ten years, when the thunder and calamitous fire came to Canglan lake, apart from aquatic plants, few managed to escape.

Their lazy nature was ingrained in their bones, aware of the danger yet repeatedly failing to change.

Though they were homebodies, they were perhaps the purest and kindest race in the world, as they were nurtured by heaven and earth, living in the most beautiful and serene place adjacent to the mortal realm, learning to care for one another from birth.

When Liu shuang transformed, Sister Lotus made her a dress from lotus leaves, the crabapple blossoms on the branches turned into bracelets around her slender wrists, the butterfly flowers sent by Wind Granny a half-elegant blue hairpin to adorn her forehead, and Old Tree Grandpa shielded her from the sun, teaching her how to avoid the calamitous fire.

She bathed in the moonlight and morning dew, drinking from the mountain streams.

Everyone cared for her, congratulating her on becoming a fairy. Old Tree Grandpa asked her, “What do you want to do now? Where will you go?”

She thought for a moment, “I want to find that celestial lord who fell injured into our Canglan lake. I accidentally consumed his blood and couldn’t help but absorb his spiritual energy. It wasn’t intentional. I’ll find him and return it to him.”

“Oh dear, he wasn’t a celestial lord but a ghost cultivator. Didn’t you see the black sacrificial flame mark on his forehead?”

She asked curiously, “What’s a ghost cultivator?”

Old Tree Grandpa touched her head with a hanging branch, “They’re bad and fierce people who can crush you with a flick of their finger. Don’t go looking for him. Once you’ve cultivated enough, go to the celestial realm. It’s said to be even more beautiful than our Canglan lake, the perfect place for fairies to live.”

“What about the ghost realm? Is it beautiful?”

“The sky is like ink mixed with blood, cold and piercing, filled with ghostly energy, without a trace of celestial power. Little fairies like you wouldn’t survive there, even if they didn’t eat you.”

Ants busily moved things at her feet, and she built a bridge for them across a puddle, sighing, “Then he’s really pitiful.”

Living in such an ugly ghost realm, with no seasons or celestial energy, and with such cruel and unfriendly clansmen. If she could grow up safely, she would bring him out, return his spiritual energy, and let him live in Canglan lake while she started her cultivation anew.

When she grew up and became a delicate young girl, she realized how naive her past thoughts had been. The ruler of two realms wasn’t pitiful at all and didn’t need the sympathy of a little fairy grass like her.

And she had become the dumbest fairy in Old Tree Grandpa’s eyes, having lived with Yan Chaosheng in the cultivation-barren ghost realm for nearly a century. If not for his profound cultivation protecting her, she would have perished long ago.

The dream was peaceful and beautiful, but when she woke up, she felt an ache in her heart.

She rubbed her chest, filled with melancholy. It had been a long time since she dreamed of Canglan lake. Mortal storytellers said that people only yearn for their beautiful past when they’re unhappy.

But she was clearly living well. The Demon King had only her as his consort, and no ghosts or demons dared to harm her. She had Changhuan to care for her.

Where had things gone wrong? She, who had always felt happy, was now starting to feel sad.

Liu shuang remembered the words she hadn’t been able to ask last night.

She took a deep breath. No, she had to figure it out. She and Yan Chaosheng were going to spend a lifetime together; there couldn’t be any unresolved issues or misunderstandings.

She had been mistaken before. Why should she be afraid? Her lord loved her dearly; he wouldn’t betray her. Today, she would get to the bottom of it.