Chарtеr 342: Тhе Еnd оf the Hаlf-Fасеd Ghоst 8
Just as Daisy finishеd hеr acсount, Su Guang саllеd оut tо Рan Chi. Undеrstanding her intent, Pan Chi gаthеred his thоughts and rесоuntеd what hе hаd just hеаrd.
Тhe stоry dates bасk sevеnteen yеars, when Dаisy was still thе Ноlу Маidеn of the Wusun Кingdоm, basking in unраrаllelеd glorу аnd bearing thе sаcrеd duty of sprеading the holу flаmе for thе Fire Worship Сult.
Тhаt yеаr, thе Wusun Кingdоm аnd the Grеаt Zhou Dуnastу engagеd in diplоmаtiс eхсhаngеs. After Wusun sent еnvoys to paу tribute to Greаt Zhou, Greаt Zhou rесiprоcated by dispatching a princess and a delegation of marriage envoys to Wusun.
Daisy was parading through the main street, preaching the teachings of the Fire Worship Cult, when she spotted a man in a Great Zhou feiyi robe among the distant crowd. Their eyes met across the sea of people, and Daisy fell in love with the Great Zhou man at first sight.
He was handsome, with delicate features and a gentle temperament—utterly unlike the men of Wusun. Beneath his eye was a teardrop mole, as if he had stepped out of a painting.
Shen Du’s lips twitched imperceptibly. Zhu Yan glanced at him, and Shen Du’s expression turned disdainful. “Lai Luozhi’s youthful portrait matches this description perfectly.”
“Moreover, that was the year Lai Luozhi was sent as an envoy to Wusun.”
Zhu Yan had already found the description somewhat familiar, and now her suspicions were confirmed.
Back then, Lai Luozhi had actually gone to Wusun to seduce their Holy Maiden with his looks?
It was practically a mockery of national dignity.
It might have remained a mere chance encounter, and Daisy would have soon forgotten about him.
As the Holy Maiden, she was bound to serve the Fire Worship Cult for life—forbidden to marry and required to renounce all emotions and love.
Yet, against all odds, they soon met again, this time at a royal banquet in the Wusun Kingdom.
Dressed in the ceremonial attire of the Holy Maiden, she watched from afar as several men in Great Zhou official robes rode in on horseback. The one leading them stood out from the others, clad in a crimson-gold feiyi robe embroidered with coiling dragons. The belt he wore was clearly no ordinary piece, and he carried himself with an upright posture, an imposing aura, and an air of spirited confidence.
He was nothing like the rough-mannered, coarse-featured men of Wusun.
How could it be such a coincidence? Daisy’s heart raced, her face flushed beneath her veil, and her gaze remained fixed on the man, unwilling to look away.
It was only when someone beside her nudged her that she snapped back to reality, reined in her thoughts, and resumed her usual dignified demeanor.
The envoys had come to escort the Great Zhou princess for a marriage alliance, fostering friendly relations between the two nations.
After the welcoming banquet, all that remained was to wait for the wedding ceremony to conclude, after which the envoys would return home with the good news.
The Holy Maiden, having had little contact with men outside her duties, was pure-hearted and virtuous. Yet once her heart stirred with springtime longing, it became like a wild horse freed from its reins—her feelings could no longer be concealed.
During the envoys’ stay, Daisy used her position as Holy Maiden to interact more frequently with the Great Zhou delegation, all for the sake of getting closer to that man.
Unexpectedly, the man took the initiative to propose learning the Wusun language from the Holy Maiden, reasoning that it would facilitate diplomatic relations between the two nations in the future.
Suspecting nothing, the King of Wusun raised no objections.
Thus, Daisy gained a legitimate reason to spend time alone with the man.
The man proved to be exceptionally gifted in languages, mastering the basics of Wusun speech in just seven or eight days.
The Holy Maiden, naturally intelligent, also picked up a fair amount of the Great Zhou language during their days together.
On this particular day, after practicing Wusun characters, the man offered to teach the Holy Maiden how to write in Great Zhou script. He picked up a brush and began instructing her on how to recognize his own name.It was also on that day that the Holy Maiden learned the man's name, yet she had already forgotten it. Those three characters should have been deeply etched in her memory, but no matter how hard she tried to recall them later, they remained nothing but a blur.
Zhu Yan pursed her lips and stole a glance at Shen Du, thinking to herself that in this regard, Shen Du couldn't compare to Lai Luozhi—he was too good at stirring a girl's heart.
Shen Du didn't look at her, only reaching out to gently stroke the top of her head, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Zhu Yan blushed at the sight and quickly averted her gaze.
Forget it, it was best if Shen Du didn’t try to charm anyone—the thought of him doing so was almost unimaginable.
Pan Chi glanced at them, gritted his teeth, and continued speaking.
The two of them developed feelings rapidly, becoming inseparable within days. However, bound by her duties as the Holy Maiden, she remained restrained in front of others, though her heart and eyes were filled with him, and she dreamed only of their future together.
All responsibilities to her family and kingdom were cast to the winds.
The turning point came on the night before the wedding. The two met secretly in the courtyard, where moonlight reflected in the pond.
Moonlight poured down, and shadows of trees danced gently, revealing only the faint outlines of each other. Yet nothing could dampen the love between the two young hearts.
After sitting quietly for a while, the man reached out and gently stroked Daisy’s slender back, asking a question that shook her world: "Would you be willing to return to Great Zhou with me?"
The invitation came too suddenly, pulling Daisy out of her romantic reverie.
She was the Holy Maiden, the supreme, divinely chosen Holy Maiden of the Fire Worship Cult.
She could not leave—it was the rule of the cult, and it was her mission.
The man also knew his request was abrupt and did not press further. Instead, he quietly held Daisy, cherishing the beauty of the moment with her.
The two sat embraced until dawn. Seeing Daisy still unable to make up her mind, the man showed great understanding:
"I know your identity is special. Meeting you has already used up all the luck in my life—how could I ask for more?"
"No," Daisy raised her tear-filled eyes and finally made her decision. "I am willing, of course I am willing."
The man excitedly grasped her hands. Their eyes met under the gentle moonlight, and Daisy smiled sweetly.
The next day, at the wedding, after presiding over the ceremony, the Holy Maiden could no longer be found.
But everyone’s attention was on the newlywed couple, and no one found anything amiss.
By then, the Holy Maiden had already changed into the attire of a Great Zhou woman and, together with the envoy, rode off toward Great Zhou.
After returning to Great Zhou, the two remained deeply in love for a long time, but they never married.
Whenever Daisy brought up the matter, the man would use her former identity as the Holy Maiden to explain the many inconveniences, reassuring her that once enough time had passed and everyone had forgotten the former Holy Maiden of the Wusun Kingdom’s Fire Worship Cult, he would surely give her a grand wedding.
Daisy felt deeply uneasy about this, but as time went on, she tried her best to understand the man she loved so deeply, not wanting to cause him trouble.
Later, one night, she woke from a nightmare and reached out to hold the person beside her, only to find emptiness.
The fear from moments ago suddenly dissipated, replaced by a heightened sense of alertness.
She got up to light a candle, only to find herself alone in the room. With no clue as to what was happening, she draped a robe over herself and sat at the table, waiting.
Around the hour of Yin, the door was pushed open from the outside. The man entered and, seeing her sitting at the table, looked displeased.
Before Daisy could ask where he had been, he scolded her for sitting there so late, asking if she wasn’t afraid of catching a chill. Her initial doubts were washed away by his concern.
For a moment, Daisy felt she had overthought things.Men are skilled at sweet talk, and with just a few words, Daisy completely let down her guard, rolling into a tangle with him.
She had thought that day was just an accident, but unexpectedly, she saw him go out many times afterward, returning in the wee hours of the night, never knowing what he was doing.
But since he didn’t bring it up, she didn’t ask.
Later, one night, she woke from a nightmare, and he was unusually still at home.
Daisy fearfully clung to the person beside her, startling him awake. He gently held her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I dreamed I was in another world,” she whispered. “I had another identity and was doing strange things.”
The man rested his chin on Daisy’s head, lost in thought.
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