Chapter 32: Eight Sufferings

After Yan Chaosheng left, Liu Shuang said, “Young Master Jimo, perhaps we shouldn’t go?”

Her heart was filled with unease.

When Yan Chaosheng mentioned that ahead lay the Valley of Eight Sufferings, Liu Shuang was shocked. She suddenly understood what Shaoyou had meant when he spoke of a harrowing experience in his previous life. As the young master of Kunlun, he was born with an ancient immortal lineage and should have been a realm lord, equivalent to a monarch. Why, then, had his immortal power waned, and his seven souls scattered, forcing him to seek his soul in the mortal world?

It turned out he had once ventured into the Valley of Eight Sufferings and paid a tremendous price. His seven souls drifted from the City of Unforgetting to the mortal realm, which was why Liu Shuang had encountered him there.

The seven souls include joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire.

Before Shaoyou met Liu Shuang, he had already collected six of his souls, leaving only one. Curious, Liu Shuang asked him, “Which soul are you still missing?”

Grandpa Tree said ominously, “Why ask him? That soul is with you.”

Liu Shuang was stunned, trying to recall when she had inadvertently swallowed one of Shaoyou’s souls without realizing it.

Shaoyou’s face flushed slightly, and he coughed softly, saying to Liu Shuang, “He’s just teasing you. Don’t take it seriously.”

But even until her wedding day, when Shaoyou left, Liu Shuang never managed to find out which soul he was missing. Nor did he ever reveal what danger he had faced that caused his seven souls to scatter, forcing him to search alone.

Now, looking back, the only thing that could have affected Shaoyou so severely was the Valley of Eight Sufferings.

Liu Shuang regretted her past actions deeply. If she had known earlier that the Valley of Eight Sufferings, an ancient ruin, lay within the Ghost King’s Tomb, she would never have led Shaoyou there.

She quickly grabbed Shaoyou’s wide sleeve and said, “Listen to me, I was lying before. Your mother’s soul isn’t actually here. I only lied because I wanted to borrow the Shennong Cauldron. Young Master Jimo, scold me, punish me, but don’t go any further.”

Shaoyou looked down at her.

She looked like she was about to spread her arms to block him.

Shaoyou said, “I know. The Red Water Immortal didn’t lie.”

“I did lie! I lied to you from the beginning, just to trick you into opening the Shennong Cauldron for me.” Liu Shuang tore off her veil, “Look, I resorted to this desperate measure because I wanted to retrieve the Illusory Face Pearl as quickly as possible.”

Shaoyou looked at her, his lips curling slightly.

His mother’s soul lamp had not extinguished yet. For this remnant of her soul, he had searched almost every corner of the Eight Desolates over tens of thousands of years, even visiting the Heavenly Palace of the Feng Clan and the Ghost Domain several times.

The only place he hadn’t been was the City of Unforgetting, the Ghost King’s burial ground.

When Liu Shuang brought him here, he knew she hadn’t lied to him. It was her attempt to stop him from moving forward that was the lie.

Seeing her anxious and distraught, even tearing off her veil in self-reproach, Shaoyou paused, then took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Take this. Return to Kunlun, and after meeting with Immortal Lord Wo Jiang, ask him to help you open the Shennong Cauldron.” Seeing her hesitate, he frowned slightly, “What’s wrong? Do you have other doubts? Don’t worry, this is my personal spirit jade. You don’t need to worry about Immortal Lord Wo Jiang not believing you.”

Liu Shuang asked, “What about you? Are you still going to the Valley of Eight Sufferings alone?”

Shaoyou had thought Liu Shuang was only worried about not being able to open the Shennong Cauldron if he didn’t return. He hadn’t expected her to still care about his whereabouts after achieving her goal. His long lashes lowered, concealing the look in his eyes, and he said softly, “I still have the strength to explore.”

“If you insist on going, I’ll go with you!” Seeing that she couldn’t persuade him, Liu Shuang sighed. She couldn’t possibly let Shaoyou enter alone and risk losing his seven souls.

“Enough, don’t be foolish. Go back,” Shaoyou said. Born as a high-ranking member of Kunlun, his cold and stern demeanor was a natural part of his bearing. When he was truly angry, even his master Wo Jiang didn’t dare provoke him, only meekly obeying.

He intended to force her to return, but she showed no fear, boldly pushing the jade pendant back into his hand.

“Keep your jade pendant. I want you to return safely and personally fulfill your promise to help me open the Shennong Cauldron.”

The jade pendant, unexpectedly thrust back into his hand, still carried her warmth. Shaoyou’s fingers curled slightly, and he lowered his eyes, saying coldly, “I am the young master of Kunlun. If you don’t return now, forget about borrowing the Shennong Cauldron.”

Liu Shuang said, “I’m also the young master of Kongsang. I have the right to go where I please, and you have no right to stop me.”

Shaoyou raised his hand.

Liu Shuang immediately crouched down, covering her head, “Don’t resort to violence so quickly. Even if you forcibly send me away, I’ll come back. Don’t forget, I have the Mirror of Ages.”

Shaoyou’s cold expression finally softened, and he sighed inwardly. Having lived for nearly ten thousand years, he had never imagined that he, almost a realm lord, would be so thoroughly dominated by a young immortal.

Seeing that Shaoyou indeed didn’t act, Liu Shuang looked up at him from her crouched position and smiled.

She tried to reason with him, “I’m not being foolish. It’s said that in ancient times, a great immortal entered the Valley of Eight Sufferings, but he never came out. This shows that the Valley of Eight Sufferings has nothing to do with one’s cultivation level. All things are interconnected; it’s not that a higher cultivation level guarantees passage through the Valley, nor does a lower level mean no chance. If you really go alone and don’t return to the Kunlun Immortal Realm, what then? Look at this soul lamp; at least it can preserve your soul, and I can bring you home.”

Liu Shuang quickly took out a soul lamp from her Qiankun bag and showed it to him. The golden soul lamp was warm and bright, reflecting in her eyes like stars.

Shaoyou pursed his lips, remaining silent, his heart filled with worry.

Everyone in the Eight Desolates knew of the Valley of Eight Sufferings. Some elders even used it to scare young immortals, but no one knew what it was really like inside.

Because no one had ever come out.

Shaoyou didn’t want to involve others in his personal affairs, but after searching for thousands of years, with his obsession right in front of him, he couldn’t resist exploring it.

After a long silence, he said, “Let’s go.”

The young girl hurriedly followed him, holding the soul lamp. After a few steps, Shaoyou flipped his hand, and the person behind him collapsed softly.

Shaoyou caught Liu Shuang and carried her to an open area. He drew blood to set up a barrier, creating a formation that would protect her from ghosts.

Shaoyou looked down at her; she lay within the formation, still holding the golden soul lamp.

He placed his spirit jade beside her, then stepped out of the barrier and walked confidently towards the Ghost King’s Tomb.

When Liu Shuang woke up, rubbing her head, she gritted her teeth in frustration.

People indeed change. The Shaoyou from seven hundred years ago was so domineering, nothing like the gentle man he became later.

She had never been wary of Shaoyou, but it turned out he had no intention of discussing things with her.

She slapped at the barrier in front of her, her heart filled with worry. If Shaoyou really entered the Ghost King’s Tomb and his seven souls scattered, there would be no one to gather them for him.

The barrier’s duration hadn’t ended yet, and Liu Shuang couldn’t break through. Desperate to save Shaoyou, she thought of every method she knew to break the formation, but her immortal power dissipated silently against Shaoyou’s barrier, completely ineffective.

Something fell from her pocket, and Liu Shuang’s eyes lit up. Why hadn’t she thought of the Mirror of Ages!

Moments later, Liu Shuang moved from inside the barrier to outside, just a step away, this time only consuming a small amount of her immortal power.

She quickly picked up the soul lamp and headed towards the Ghost King’s Tomb.

The closer she got to the Ghost King’s Tomb, the fewer ghosts there were in the air. At the edge of the tomb, it was eerily clean, with not a single ghost in sight.

Such a place was the most dangerous; only the most terrifying things could make a place devoid of life for miles.

Liu Shuang paused, unsure whether to proceed.

Shaoyou had entered the Ghost King’s Tomb before her. If she rushed in recklessly, not only might she not find Shaoyou, but she might also get trapped herself.

The golden soul lamp glowed softly. After a moment of thought, she decided not to enter the tomb but instead extended the soul lamp forward and placed the spirit jade inside it.

At least Shaoyou had left her something imbued with his aura.

Liu Shuang closed her eyes, interlocked her fingers, and controlled the soul lamp to drift slowly inside.

This was a good idea. If she arrived too late and Shaoyou, like in his previous life, lost his cultivation and his seven souls scattered, the soul lamp, sensing the owner of the jade pendant, would automatically absorb Shaoyou’s scattered souls. Then, when Shaoyou escaped the Valley of Eight Sufferings, she could return the souls to him.

If the soul lamp couldn’t find any souls, it meant Shaoyou was temporarily safe, which was better than both of them rushing in recklessly.

The soul lamp, controlled by Liu Shuang, floated leisurely inside the Ghost King’s Tomb.

Just as it began to sense something, it suddenly fell from the air, shattering into pieces. Liu Shuang turned around abruptly and saw Shaoyou, dressed in green, kneeling not far away. He was covered in blood, and his immortal sword was broken. Seeing her, his pupils contracted, “Don’t come over! Leave quickly!”

Before he could finish speaking, an invisible hand seemed to wrap around his body, dragging him into the Ghost King’s Tomb.

Shaoyou plunged the broken sword into the ground, silent.

Liu Shuang drew a white silk ribbon from her hand and wrapped it around his waist, pulling him towards the outside of the tomb.

The white silk ribbon, infused with immortal power, dissolved instantly. Shaoyou said, “Go!”

Seeing him about to be swallowed, Liu Shuang flew forward and grabbed his hand, “Shaoyou!”

Shaoyou looked up at her, his pained expression slowly turning into a smile. Liu Shuang’s heart sank, and she tried to let go, but in the next moment, her body felt as if it was falling into an endless abyss.

The ground cracked open with a thunderous sound, and before Liu Shuang could even scream, she had already fallen into the Valley of Eight Sufferings.

When Liu Shuang regained consciousness, it was drizzling, and the wind lifted the curtains. She sat up in bed and realized she had become smaller.

She was now a little girl, wearing a light blue gauze dress, her fingers soft and chubby.

Before she could figure out what was happening, someone outside said, “Is the young master still asleep?”

Liu Shuang quickly lay back down.

“Indeed,” another voice said, “She’s fine, causing trouble and harming Madam like that, then sleeping soundly in her palace. It’s only because the realm lord ordered it to be kept secret, or else the entire Eight Desolates would know by now that our Kongsang’s young master has a problem—she’s a fool.”

The immortal maid chuckled, “Can’t say that. After all, the young master is missing a soul; it’s normal for her to be a bit naive.”

“She ran off to play recklessly, got captured by a great demon, and Madam Zi shattered her core to save her. Even if this little fool grows up, she’ll still be a heartless waste. Not like the young masters of the Feng and Jimo clans.”

“Don’t say that. She is, after all, the realm lord’s daughter.”

“She just got lucky with her birth, and now we have to serve a foolish immortal.”

Hearing their words, Liu Shuang’s heart ached.

A tiny voice inside her said, that’s not how it was. Someone had told her that on the Changbai Cliff, there was a most beautiful divine flower that could cure the hidden ailment Madam Zi had developed after giving birth to her daughter.

She had flown up clumsily time and time again, falling and getting bruised, but finally saw the jade-colored flower, only for it to be snatched by someone.

The great demon narrowed his eyes and smiled, “She didn’t lie after all, keeping her promise to lure you here.”

Then he struck her chest with a burst of demonic power, and Liu Shuang fainted from the pain. When she woke up, she was faced with the heart-wrenching sight of Madam Zi shattering her core to save her. Liu Shuang lay in Madam Zi’s arms, her heart aching unbearably, yet she couldn’t shed a single tear.

Her soul was incomplete, rendering her unable to cry or laugh normally, making her seem cold and heartless.

A surge of blood rose in her throat, and when Liu Shuang opened her eyes again, she heard the immortal maids whispering, calling her a careless little fool who played and disregarded her mother’s life.

Liu Shuang felt pain all over her small body. She lay stiffly in bed, wanting to call for their help, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.

An invisible weight of sorrow and oppression engulfed her.

She turned over and got out of bed, her body moving instinctively towards Madam Zi’s room.

Unexpectedly, she overheard Madam Zi and Chi Shui Chong arguing.

Madam Zi said, “She’s my daughter. I will never give up on her. Everyone says she’s a fool, but one day her soul will return, and she’ll be fine.”

“I’m not asking you to give up on her,” Chi Shui Chong frowned, “In this world, there’s no soul that can’t be found. We’ve tried every method, but we still can’t find the missing part of Liu Shuang’s soul. Liu Shuang is too unruly, unfit for the role of young master.”

Chi Shui Chong said coldly, “Kongsang needs a competent young master.”

Madam Zi sneered, “Who do you think is competent? Is it Bai Zhuixu from the Bai Clan, whom you’ve taken under your wing, or Bai Shiyuxiao, or Lou Shimitu? In your heart, is everyone better than her?”

“You know that’s not what I mean!”

Liu Shuang listened blankly, pressing a hand to her aching heart.

These were the original host’s memories. She was experiencing the original host’s past through her heart, receiving these long-overdue memories.