The Last Immortal

Chapter Two

"Hey, hey, girl, are you dumbstruck?" Xiuyan glanced at his own reflection in the River of Oblivion and immediately felt displeased. He was, after all, the undisputed number one handsome man in the Ghost Realm, yet Ayin had never looked at him with such wide-eyed fascination. He added with a hint of pettiness, "He's far inferior to me. What's there to stare at?"

Ayin withdrew her gaze, too lazy to argue with Xiuyan's blatant lie. Rubbing her hands together, her eyes sparkling, she asked, "Who is this Immortal Lord?" Ayin leaned so far forward that her body was almost parallel to the Water Mirror, hovering over the River of Oblivion. Fortunately, she was now just a weightless ghost; otherwise, she could never have managed such an astonishing pose.

Xiuyan clicked his tongue mischievously and said, "Him? Don't even think about it. That's High Lord Pu Yan of Great Marsh Mountain, one of the candidates to succeed as the next Celestial Emperor."

"Oh." So he was a candidate for the next Celestial Emperor—the difference in status was like comparing the moon in the sky to a toad in the Underworld. Ayin clicked her tongue in awe, reluctantly withdrawing her gaze, but she couldn't resist digging for gossip. "With his status, why has he come to the Underworld?"

Xiuyan leaned lazily against the air and, for once, sighed. "I know a bit about this. Six hundred years ago, a Female Immortal Lord fell in love with the Demon Emperor and helped him destroy the spiritual mountains of the Immortal Realm, slaughtering immortals and throwing the Three Realms into chaos. Later, the two tribes fought a great battle in Rakshasa Land. The Demon Emperor was severely injured and fled, and that Female Immortal Lord died. Only then did the two tribes settle down. Ah, back then, True God Bai Jue sacrificed himself to protect the Three Realms with immense effort. Yet that Female Immortal Lord managed to destroy the harmony between the two tribes—quite a feat!"

"What does that have to do with him coming to the Underworld?" Ayin had become a ghost long after that earth-shattering war had passed. Over the years, as she reincarnated and experienced life, she had vaguely heard about it.

Xiuyan scratched his chin and continued recounting the history. "I heard that the Female Immortal Lord who fell in love with the Demon Emperor was High Lord Pu Yan's beloved. Even if an immortal dies, they must reincarnate. He came to the Underworld to search for her soul."

Ayin was quite surprised. "Even though that Female Immortal Lord betrayed him, he's still willing to search for her soul. He's truly devoted." She glanced at Pu Yan in the Water Mirror and genuinely felt pity for him, her voice softening. "It's been so many years. Has he still not found her?"

Xiuyan shook his head. "That Female Immortal Lord died under the Primordial Spirit Sword. Even a Demigod struck by that sword would have their Primordial Spirit scattered and dispersed, leaving no soul behind in this world. He simply refuses to believe it, and with some lingering affection between them, he comes here year after year to seek peace of mind."

This sounded particularly strange. Ayin was taken aback and turned back. "Peace of mind? What do you mean?"

"I forgot to tell you..." Xiuyan smiled, his eyes unfathomable. "The Primordial Spirit Sword is Pu Yan's weapon. Within the Three Realms, only he can wield it."

As the name suggests, the only person in the world who could have used the Primordial Spirit Sword to kill that Female Immortal Lord was the white-robed youth beneath the peach tree.

How deep must the hatred have been for him to personally scatter his beloved's soul and spirit, erasing her from this world? Or was it for the greater good of the Three Realms that he willingly sacrificed the lover who had betrayed the Immortal Tribe?

Hearing such a tragic story end so coldly, Ayin felt a heavy weight in her heart, and a sense of discomfort washed over her. For a moment, a cold, hidden pain throbbed in her chest. Over five hundred years ago, to gather her soul and take form, she had forcibly consumed the extremely yin and cold Soul-Transforming Pill. The pill's toxicity had invaded her soul, leaving her with the chronic ailment of heart palpitations in every lifetime.Count your blessings. For a wandering soul like her, struggling to survive at the bottom of the Underworld, to be able to reincarnate is already a tremendous fortune—far better, at least, than that Female Immortal Lord who perished under the Primordial Spirit Sword, her soul scattered and spirit dispersed.

What use is it for someone to remember? What use is it to search the Underworld year after year? Once dead, one is gone forever; it’s merely a performance for the living.

Ayin smiled self-mockingly, yet in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for that centuries-old past. Unable to resist, she stole another glance into the Water Mirror. This time, her gaze froze.

Beneath the peach tree, the Immortal Lord happened to turn his head, looking toward the direction beyond the Water Mirror.

His white robes and jade crown, his splendid countenance—none could compare to the shock of his eyes, so indifferent they seemed utterly lifeless.

Profound yet seemingly shallow, filled with the world yet as if detached from it, a contradiction too intense to bear direct sight.

Though she knew it was merely a casual glance, Ayin felt as if caught red-handed and guiltily turned away.

Ayin wondered: Did he truly love her? If he did, how could he have personally scattered her soul and reduced her to ashes?

A voice full of doubt echoed on the Bridge of Helplessness. Xiuyan looked at her in surprise. “Ayin?”

Only then did Ayin realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She was rather taken aback. After all, she considered herself an old ghost well-versed in worldly affairs, having witnessed the fickleness of life. Who would have thought she’d still succumb to melancholy? Perhaps it was because she envied that Female Immortal Lord—dead as she was, at least two people still remembered her wholeheartedly.

Feeling weary, Ayin jumped down from the bridge railing and stretched out her hand toward Xiuyan. “Hurry up and give me Granny Meng’s Soup. I’m in a rush to move on—don’t delay my future of wealth and glory!”

Xiuyan, long since worn down by her antics, waved his hand. A jade-green bowl on the table filled halfway with fragrant soup. He said irritably, “Go on, go on. It’ll be quieter once you’re gone.”

Ayin grinned, picked up the bowl, and drank the soup in one gulp. Xiuyan shook his head. This Ayin—while others reincarnating often cherished their past lives and clung to old connections, she showed not the slightest hesitation.

After finishing the soup, Ayin prepared to jump into the River of Oblivion but suddenly remembered something. She halted, hesitated for a long moment, then turned to look at Xiuyan.

“Xiuyan, in your thousands of years on the Bridge of Helplessness, have you ever seen a fate more wretched than mine?”

Xiuyan shook his head earnestly. “No, not even half a one.”

“Then what’s the reason for my fate? Is there any way to change it?” Ayin gazed at him eagerly.

Xiuyan extended two fingers, wagging them back and forth. “Two possibilities. One, you offended some formidable figure or committed some heinous deed that angered both heaven and humanity, and now heaven is punishing you…”

Ayin couldn’t be bothered with him. The most formidable person she’d encountered in centuries was Xiuyan himself—how could she have offended anyone? She snorted. “And the second?”

Xiuyan blinked at her, drawing out his words. “The second… you yourself are that formidable figure. Isn’t there an old saying in the mortal realm: ‘When heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve with hardship…’”

Before he could finish mumbling, a loud splash echoed—Ayin had already jumped into the Rebirth Cave beneath the Bridge of Helplessness, vanishing without a trace.

After Ayin disappeared, the playful smile faded from Xiuyan’s face, returning to his usual calm demeanor. He gazed thoughtfully toward the end of the Yellow Spring Road.

He had hoped to take advantage of today’s quiet to rest and gather his thoughts, but once again, his wish went unfulfilled. A gentle breeze swept by, stirring the dense Immortal Power on the Bridge of Helplessness.Xiuyan turned his head and saw the Immortal Lord who had just been standing under the peach tree, captivating all eyes, now appearing on the bridge without warning. In those usually cold eyes, there was a faint ripple of emotion.

Even knowing the newcomer’s noble status, Xiuyan maintained his lazy demeanor, offering a casual, indifferent salute to the young man. “High Lord Pu Yan, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

Pu Yan ignored Xiuyan’s greeting, instead lifting his gaze to survey the surroundings of the River of Oblivion. Only after a long moment did he turn his attention to Xiuyan, his expression indifferent. “Ghost Lord Xiuyan, was it you who was spying just now?”

Without a hint of hesitation, Xiuyan replied with a smile, “High Lord, tonight is the Lantern Festival. I’ve been guarding the Bridge of Helplessness all alone, feeling quite lonely. Unable to bear the solitude, I took a look around. I apologize if I disturbed you.”

Pu Yan continued to stare at him, his gaze intense. “Has the Ghost Lord been alone the entire time?”

Xiuyan nodded, gesturing toward the desolate bridgehead with an open palm. “Of course. You can see for yourself, High Lord.”

Pu Yan watched him for a long while before finally glancing at the tranquil River of Oblivion below the bridge. Without another word, he turned and headed toward the Ghost Realm.

He had thought she might still be alive, but in the end, it was all in vain.

He had personally sent her into the endless hell, destroying her soul. Even if she were still alive, for thousands upon thousands of lifetimes and endless years, she would never appear before him again.

His tribulation, which began six hundred years ago, would never come to an end.

The white figure slowly vanished at the end of the Yellow Spring Road. Xiuyan gazed at the River of Oblivion and began to miss Ayin—willful, sharp-tongued, and with a rare fondness for handsome men.

Another cycle of reincarnation. Who knew how many years this foolish girl would manage this time?

Strangely enough, starting from this lifetime, Ayin’s fate of dying young finally began to change.

In her twenty-eighth reincarnation, she became the daughter of a small merchant family, inheriting the family workshop. Through immense hardship, she became the wealthiest person in Jiangnan, living to the ripe old age of sixty.

In her twenty-ninth life, she was born into a military family on the frontier, joined the army, subdued barbarian tribes, and became a legendary female general.

In her thirtieth life, she grew up in a scholarly family in the capital, renowned for her mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

In her thirty-first life, she was reborn into the royal family once more. With the crown prince still young, she served as regent for fifteen years as the eldest princess, enjoying the pinnacle of worldly power and wealth.

…

Yet, after each death, she still remembered the events of every past life. The Ayin Xiuyan met at the Bridge of Helplessness grew more composed, dignified, and authoritative with each lifetime, and better at hiding her vengeful, scheming, and petty tendencies.

Xiuyan never expected that Ayin, the timid, introverted, and insecure female ghost from centuries ago, could refine herself to such elegance.

But anyone who, like her, experienced dozens of lifetimes without forgetting their past would likely end up the same.

Such reincarnation could hardly be called a blessing or a curse.

Another five hundred years passed, and Ayin once again walked the Yellow Spring Road, greeted as always by Ghost Lord Xiuyan.

“Girl, time flies! It’s been a thousand years since you began reincarnating!” Xiuyan teased her on the Bridge of Helplessness. “You’re truly fortunate. Let me see—your soul has grown even more stable. Even the souls cultivated by Immortal Lords in the Immortal Realm aren’t as robust as yours.”

Cultivating immortality, divinity, demons, or dark arts—all of it revolves around strengthening the soul. Ayin’s extraordinary cycle of reincarnation truly proved more reliable than cultivating as an immortal or demon in the upper realms.Ayin turned her head, hiding the cunning in her eyes, and assumed an imposing demeanor. With her hands clasped behind her back, she tilted her chin and challenged Xiuyan: "Xiuyan, I've thought it through. I no longer seek wealth or power. I just want to live an ordinary life as a human. Don't you always boast about being the most formidable Ghost Lord in the Ghost Realm? Do you have a way to seal away my memories of a thousand years of reincarnation, so that when I become a ghost again, I won't remember?"

Now, whenever she spoke with her eyes fixed, she unconsciously exuded a steady and commanding presence of someone in authority.

Xiuyan stroked his chin, looking rather skeptical. "Do you really want to do this? Don't forget, although you don't remember your past lives each time you reincarnate as a human, the experiences of a thousand years are imprinted on your soul. That's what subconsciously ensures your safety, wealth, and status in every life, making you superior among humans! Once all your memories are erased, you'll be reduced to an ordinary ghost. Your future reincarnations will be utterly mundane. Weren't you always talking about wanting handsome suitors, power, and status back then?"

"No more, no more. They're all vulgar things," Ayin waved her hands repeatedly, though inwardly she was rolling her eyes. Anything becomes tiresome after seeing too much of it—like handsome suitors, imperial thrones, and mountains of gold and silver in the mortal realm, or even... Xiuyan's face, which was breathtaking at first glance but became less appealing than a passerby's after a hundred encounters.

Of course, she only dared to think this to herself. After all, Xiuyan was the only reliable ally she could cling to in her endless cycle of reincarnation spanning thousands of years. She had to cherish him a little, didn't she?

"Alright, for the sake of our thousand-year friendship, I'll help you this once." Unaware of Ayin's thoughts, Xiuyan pondered for a moment before reaching out and casually drawing a few strokes in the air.

At first, Ayin watched leisurely, even yawning, but soon she couldn't remain calm.

As Xiuyan gestured, emerald-green incantations slowly appeared in mid-air. With the increasingly clear symbols, the slumbering waters beneath the River of Oblivion were awakened, stirring up colossal waves. The entire Bridge of Helplessness suddenly began to tremble without warning, and this terrifying momentum and vibration rapidly spread outward in all directions. In less than half a breath, it had extended throughout the entire Underworld. A strange and mysterious crimson Divine Power abruptly surged from the River of Oblivion, piercing through the Underworld and soaring into the sky.

Ayin stared dumbfounded at the shaking stone bridge beneath her feet, then glanced at the towering waves on the River of Oblivion. She swallowed hard and said dryly, "Xiuyan, I'm just reincarnating. Isn't the commotion a bit too much?"

If reincarnating destroyed the Bridge of Helplessness in the Ghost Realm, would she be captured by the Ghost King, skinned, and fried in boiling oil? Her ordinary, peaceful human life hadn't even begun yet!

Xiuyan dug at his ear, watching Ayin, who appeared calm and composed on the surface but was inwardly roaring with frustration. He gestured toward the river with his chin. "Jump in. I guarantee your wish will come true."

Although Ayin was eager to reincarnate quickly, she still cared about her own life. She looked suspicious. "Don't I need to drink Granny Meng's Soup?"

"No need," Xiuyan waved his hand, a hint of brilliance flickering in his usually lazy eyes. "In your next life, Ayin, it will surely be as you wish. The suffering of your reincarnated memories will be gone forever."

Ayin secretly rejoiced, stepped onto the bridge railing, and prepared to embrace her ordinary, mundane next life with heroic resolve. However, just as she was suspended in mid-air, Xiuyan called out to stop her.

"Ayin!"

Ayin turned her head back.

"You've lived through a hundred lifetimes and reincarnated for a thousand years. Is there anything you particularly regret?" Xiuyan still wore his lazy expression, asking her playfully and innocently.A particularly regrettable matter? This was indeed a cautious and thought-provoking philosophical question about life, one she needed to ponder carefully. After all, a thousand years of existence ought to have one or two such incidents to do justice to her tumultuous and colorful path of reincarnation.

Ayin blinked, reflecting on the past, and for some reason, suddenly recalled the High Lord Pu Yan she had glimpsed in the Water Mirror during the Lantern Festival five hundred years ago.

Clad in white robes with a handsome face, his eyes seemed to contain the splendor of the Three Realms.

Behind him, the waves of the River of Oblivion surged and churned, the stone bridge beneath his feet trembled incessantly, and the entire Ghost Realm was in chaos.

Yet Ayin seemed to suddenly lose all sense of sound. She turned around and, for the sake of the person she had glimpsed five hundred years ago, asked, "Xiuyan, I forgot to ask back then—what was the name of the Female Immortal Lord that High Lord Pu Yan fell in love with five hundred years ago?"

Xiuyan was taken aback, staring at her for a long moment before saying, "Ayin..."

Ayin leaned in closer. "What was her name?"

"Ah!"

Just as Xiuyan was about to speak, in her eagerness for knowledge, she lost her footing and tragically tumbled backward into the whirlpool of the River of Oblivion.

The young man sitting on the bridge grew farther and farther away, a look of helplessness on his face, and in the end, he never answered her question.

Ayin thought that in her next reincarnation, she would likely no longer remember that there was a Ghost Lord named Xiuyan in this world, who had accompanied her through over forty lifetimes, witnessing all the beauty the world had to offer.

A thousand years of memories would ultimately turn to dust.

All fell silent, and the Bridge of Helplessness, which had just been tinged with a hint of worldly liveliness, quieted down once more.

Only that path, that bridge, and that person remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Attached: Extra Chapter of "Shang Gu"

No one knew from which year it began, but Shang Gu’s habit of frequently visiting the Mortal Realm for leisurely strolls disappeared. By the time the gods of the Ancient Realm realized it, the True God Shang Gu had already been leisurely admiring the setting moon and fading stars in her Star-Gazing Pavilion for over a decade.

Yue Mi was aware of this matter and, having a respectable hobby of collecting treasures, often wandered into Shang Gu’s palace to take some fine items back to her own residence. Shang Gu couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, turning a blind eye and pretending not to notice—until Yue Mi, this troublemaker, set her sights on the Flowerless Wine.

As the name suggests, Flowerless Wine is brewed from the fruits of the Flowerless Tree. This tree is both proud and difficult to care for, bearing fruit only once every fifty thousand years. The wine brewed from it is so potent that even True Gods can become intoxicated after drinking too much. It is exceedingly rare and truly a treasure.

Yue Mi loved fine wine and spent several years visiting the Flowerless Fruit God’s residence to ask for the fruit, only to be turned away each time by the old god leaning on his cane. It wasn’t until the tenth year, when she overturned the old god’s grotto abode and used his cane as firewood, that the Flowerless Fruit God began to weep and lament.

"Oh, my High God Yue Mi, the Ancient True God Shang Gu picks them clean every year. If you have the courage, don’t throw your weight around here with a minor god like me—go make a scene at the Ancient Divine Palace! Not only can you not get your hands on any, but even I, guarding my own doorstep, haven’t seen so much as a fruit pit in over a decade..."

Thus, the High God Yue Mi, who had rampaged through the Divine Realm with unmatched ferocity, stepped into the Ancient Divine Palace.

Bold as she was, she secretly rummaged through the palace’s treasure vault and wine-making workshop but couldn’t find even a single fruit pit. Not only did she alert the palace guards, but she was also dragged before Shang Gu.

"Aren’t you ashamed? Stealing is one thing, but doing it so brazenly is another. And if you’re going to steal so brazenly, at least don’t get caught by the guards."Shang Gu held the teacup with an air of divine dignity. Yue Mi rolled her eyes and scoffed, "No matter how much I mess around, can I compare to you? The Fig God hasn’t missed a single fig for ten years straight, and you have the nerve to say that?"

Shang Gu narrowed her eyes, understanding dawning. "You want fig wine?"

"With over a hundred thousand years of friendship, how about a few jars?" Yue Mi sat up straight, ready to cash in on their bond.

"No." Shang Gu refused without a second thought and began shooing her away. "It takes me ten years to brew just ten jars. Don’t even think about it."

"You don’t even like wine. What’s the point of keeping it?" Yue Mi, ever sharp-eyed, noticed Shang Gu’s distracted gaze fixed on the Peach Abyss Forest. Suddenly inspired, she darted in front of Shang Gu. "What were you just looking at?"

Shang Gu raised a meaningful eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Yue Mi gasped, her hand trembling as she pointed toward the Peach Abyss Forest. "It’s not what I’m thinking, is it?"

Bai Jue loved wine, especially fig wine—a fact known throughout the entire Divine Realm.

"It’s exactly what you’re thinking," Shang Gu’s voice chimed in perfectly.

Yue Mi was momentarily stunned. When it sank in, she felt as though she had played a part in making this happen.

Ten years ago, on her grand birthday, moved by pity after seeing Bai Jue’s lonely vigil for tens of thousands of years, she had taken Shang Gu to witness the scene. Shang Gu had left without a word, and Yue Mi assumed nothing would come of it. She had even mourned Bai Jue’s plight for a few days, never expecting Shang Gu to take it to heart.

Thinking she deserved some credit as the matchmaker, Yue Mi was furious to have been kept in the dark. "The two of you sit together so politely, practically treating each other like honored guests—what a model pair of True Gods, hiding it so well!"

Shang Gu soothed the flustered female High God darting around the Star Pavilion and pointed toward the Peach Abyss Forest. "Why are you angry? You found out before he did."

Yue Mi froze, turning back in disbelief. "He doesn’t know?"

"He doesn’t."

"You’ve been sending him the wine?"

"Yes, every year."

"Is he an idiot?" Fig wine was truly precious—even when brewed with True God’s Divine Power, only one in ten jars survived, and it required immense Divine Power to make.

"Oh, when I sent someone to deliver it, I said it was from Blazing Sun. He doesn’t know I brewed it."

Yue Mi was puzzled and reached out to feel Shang Gu’s forehead. "Are you an idiot? Secretly liking someone for over ten years, doing so much—why not tell him?"

Shang Gu shook her head, utterly serious. "It’s not enough."

She gazed toward the Peach Abyss Forest, where the white-robed True God sat leaning against a tree, his dark hair and handsome features unparalleled across the six realms.

"It’s not enough," Shang Gu repeated, turning back. "A mere ten years—how could I dare face him to repay tens of thousands of years of time and waiting?"

Yue Mi glanced at Bai Jue and understood the meaning behind Shang Gu’s words.

To be loved so wholeheartedly by someone like him for tens of thousands of years—even for someone as exalted in the Divine Realm as Shang Gu—was overwhelming and unsettling upon learning of it.

She really likes him a lot... maybe more than just liking... Yue Mi looked at Shang Gu, her eyes curving into a smile.

What a pair of fools, worrying their friends to death.

High God Yue Mi didn’t manage to get any fig wine, but she left Shang Gu’s divine hall with a beaming smile.Half a month later, a minor disturbance erupted in the Mortal Realm. Mu Guang, the ruler of the Celestial Realm, followed protocol and reported the matter. The memorial was spotted by Yuemi, who oversaw military conflicts across the Three Realms. Without hesitation, she sent a petition to Bai Jue’s Divine Palace, stating that with the continuous warfare in the Mortal Realm, Bai Jue, as a revered True God, ought to conduct an inspection. Having ignored worldly affairs for thirty thousand years, Bai Jue paid no heed to Yuemi’s pestering. Yet, to his surprise, her petitions arrived three times a day, fluttering into his palace like snowflakes, drawing the attention of the entire Divine Realm. Many began to believe that the Three Realms were in chaos and the mortal world had fallen. Unable to bear the disturbance any longer, Bai Jue quietly slipped away one early morning and descended to the Mortal Realm.

Since he had descended, Bai Jue, true to his nature, would not make the journey in vain. Transforming into a mortal, he journeyed eastward toward the capital. Along the way, witnessing the joys and pleasures of the mortal world brought him a sense of solace. Half a month later, he arrived in Chang’an, coinciding with the Lantern Festival. The Mortal Realm was adorned with lanterns and decorations, brimming with the festive spirit of the new year.

The Divine Realm did have its lively days, but given his esteemed status as a True God and his aloof nature, no one dared to act recklessly in his presence. The past tens of thousands of years had passed in dull monotony. Suddenly arriving in the mortal world and witnessing its bustling energy, he couldn't help but shake his head with a light chuckle.

"No wonder she hasn't returned home for hundreds or even thousands of years—it turns out she's been captivated by the mortal world."

Having completed his inspection of the mortal realm and seen its liveliness, Bai Jue thought it was time to leave. Yet before his words faded, a clamor of laughter and commotion erupted from the crowd ahead, accompanied by a voice so familiar it could not be more so.

"Innkeeper, if you lose again today, these ten jars of Daughter's Red will all be mine. Don't you dare try to weasel out—the entire city of Chang'an is watching!"

Ripples stirred in Bai Jue's calm and unperturbed eyes. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode forward, his robes billowing as he carved a path through the sea of people, arriving at the very front of the crowd.

A young man dressed in Jin-style attire stood with his hands behind his back in front of a tavern, his phoenix eyes raised high and an air of arrogance about him. It was none other than Shang Gu, disguised as a man.

Accustomed to seeing her in divine robes with long sleeves, this attire was indeed a rare sight.

Bai Jue would never admit that just moments ago, he, a dignified True God, had nearly resorted to a Divine Light Illumination in his urgency to clear the way and catch a glimpse of the one he longed for.

Since Shang Gu returned to the Divine Realm a decade ago for Yue Mi's grand birthday celebration, they had occasionally crossed paths, but always with other High Gods present, never having a moment alone together. Though the surroundings were now filled with the clamor of the crowd, they were, after all, in the Mortal Realm.

At the center of the crowd was a small tavern named Qin Chu, with a banner above it reading "Centuries of Heritage." The tavern was modest in size, yet the aroma of wine inside was intoxicating, especially the ten sealed jars of Daughter's Red displayed at the entrance. Even Bai Jue couldn't resist taking a subtle sniff.

Listening carefully to the conversations around him, he finally understood the reason for the commotion.

It was the New Year festival, coinciding with the Qin Chu Tavern's centennial celebration. The owner had brought out ten jars of Daughter's Red passed down through generations and set up a ten-day challenge. He declared that any winery in the Central Plains could bring their own wine to compete. If their wine could rival Qin Chu's Daughter's Red, they would be rewarded with a jar. Unexpectedly, on the very first day of the challenge, a young man in Jin-style attire appeared in Chang'an, possessing an otherworldly grace. Day after day, he brought wines of unconventional styles, unheard of yet capable of standing toe-to-toe with the ten jars of Daughter's Red.

Within a few days, the reputation of the young man in Jin attire had spread far and wide, even reaching the imperial palace. Today was the final day, and the people of Chang'an had long been eagerly awaiting, rubbing their hands in anticipation. In the nearby high-platform teahouses, many scions of noble families had gathered, and even members of the royal family had come to witness the spectacle.

As expected, when the time arrived, the young man in Jin attire arrived with his wine. The nobles in the teahouses, unlike the common folk, noticed the young man's demeanor, which carried the lingering elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Intrigued, they assumed he must hail from a prestigious family and were eager to befriend him, sending their attendants to inquire about his background.

In front of the Qin Chu Tavern, the owner, having tasted fine wine for nine consecutive days, was already impressed by the young man. Though he heard the young man's bold words, he still replied with a smile.

"Young master, if you have fine wine, please present it. The Qin Chu Tavern has stood for a hundred years. If we lose, we shall concede with genuine admiration." As he spoke, his eyes were fixed eagerly on the jar of wine in the young man's hands, as if he were about to step forward and unseal it himself.

Beside them, Bai Jue also grew curious. Though this was the mortal world, the ten jars of Daughter's Red from the Qin Chu Tavern were in no way inferior to the rare wines of the Divine Realm, even surpassing half of his own collection. Where had Shang Gu found so many fine wines to compete with them? Even if she had, after nine days, it would be nearly impossible to find another rare wine capable of surpassing Qin Chu's Daughter's Red.

Given Bai Jue's expertise in fine wine, if he said there was none, then there truly was none.Under the glow of lanterns filling the street, the youth in dark clothing glanced at the wine jar in hand, a rare flicker of regret in his eyes—five thousand years of cultivation, just given away to the people of this city.

With a sweep of his arm, he tossed the wine jar into the sky. The seal opened, and the entire jar spun once in the air before landing steadily back in the youth’s embrace. In that brief moment, no more than a breath or an instant, the fragrance of the wine filled the street, intoxicating everyone who caught its scent.

Upon smelling the wine and seeing the entranced expressions of the people, Bai Jue was taken aback—it was actually fig wine.

Figs in the Divine Realm were rare even once in ten thousand years. For the past decade, Blazing Sun had taken them all to brew wine and sent them to his divine hall. How could Shang Gu have any?

“Proprietor, have a taste! This wine of mine is called ‘Flowerless’—can it surpass your Daughter’s Red?” Shang Gu pushed the jar of fig wine toward the master of the Qin Chu Tavern with a bold flourish.

The master of Qin Chu Tavern, a man who reveled in fine wine, had long been captivated by the aroma of the fig wine and could hardly move his feet. Overjoyed, he was about to take the jar when he suddenly remembered something and asked, “This old man once heard a tale from the past. Might the young master enlighten me?”

“What tale?”

“Ten years ago, the Zhao family of Guanxi; nine years ago, the Bai family of Jinnan; six years ago, the Hu family of Mobei; and three years ago, the Liu family of the Central Plains—all were challenged with wine and defeated by a visitor. Might I ask if they were from the young master’s household?”

Over the past decade, the renowned wine-brewing families of the imperial dynasty, including the Qin Chu Tavern, had all been thoroughly defeated in such challenges. Judging by age, it likely wasn’t this youth before him, but he must have some connection to it.

Hearing this, the surrounding people gasped in astonishment, looking at the youth in dark clothing with newfound awe, speculating which clan in the imperial dynasty still possessed such capability.

Shang Gu was startled, never expecting that his few trips to the Mortal Realm to challenge others with wine would leave traces and be remembered.

“Proprietor, today’s challenge is between the two of us. Why bring up such old tales?” Shang Gu waved impatiently, spilling a few drops of wine. “Are you going to drink this Flowerless wine or not?”

“Ah! Drink, drink, drink!” The master of Qin Chu Tavern had only asked out of curiosity. Seeing the wine spilled on the ground, he felt a pang of regret and hurriedly reached out. “This old man has been waiting to taste it!”

But before he could take it, a hand reached out from the side and steadily caught the wine jar.

The master of Qin Chu Tavern missed his chance and looked up in annoyance, only to freeze in place.

A young man in white robes, wearing a fashionable belted gown, with dark pupils and phoenix eyes, stood there—handsome and ethereal, exuding an air of unparalleled nobility.

He stood beside the youth in dark clothing, his slender hand holding the wine jar as he looked toward the master of Qin Chu Tavern.

“My younger brother is still young and lacks understanding. To have taken the proprietor’s family heirloom treasure—this challenge need not continue. We concede.”

After speaking, he gave a slight nod to the master of Qin Chu Tavern. With one hand holding the wine and the other grasping the still-dazed Shang Gu, he walked toward the edge of the crowd.

His ethereal presence cleared a path wherever he stepped, with the people making way and stepping aside.

The master of Qin Chu Tavern watched the pair of brothers, who had appeared and vanished so abruptly, depart with mixed feelings—joy at finally preserving the last jar of his family heirloom, and regret that the fig wine, which smelled extraordinary, would remain untasted in his lifetime, a true pity!

And so, Bai Jue led Shang Gu away with transcendent grace, disappearing from the bustling and noisy Eternal Peace Street, leaving behind a street full of gazing commoners and admiring noble youths.When Shang Gu was pulled away from Qin Chu's tavern, she was momentarily dazed, but after just two steps, she snapped back to reality. With great interest, she looked at her hand being held, wondering if this blockhead had finally realized that the fig wine was brewed by her? Had he understood his own feelings? Was he going to bravely confess? What would he say when he turned around? This was too sudden—how should she respond? Should she be reserved or bold? With such an auspicious day today, should she just tie him up and take him back to the Shang Gu Palace to settle the matter?

In the short time it took to walk a stretch of road, the Ancient True God, who had lived for over a hundred thousand years, experienced a whirlwind of thoughts, her heart leaping with joy. Yet, her face remained utterly composed, exceptionally calm.

Only after walking halfway down Eternal Peace Street, when the hand he held grew increasingly warm, did Bai Jue suddenly realize he was holding the hand of another True God. Turning leisurely, under Shang Gu’s expectant gaze, he finally uttered his first words.

“This is reckless. The fig wine was brewed with Blazing Sun’s Divine Power. You used it to compete in drinking with mortals. Drinking it could extend their lifespans by at least a hundred years, or even cause them to ascend directly to immortality. You’ve thrown the Book of Life and Death into chaos, stirring up trouble between the realms of ghosts and immortals. After serving as the ruling deity for tens of thousands of years, how can you still be so childish?”

As he spoke, he very naturally straightened Shang Gu’s slightly disheveled collar.

Bai Jue had always been aloof by nature, and even when admonishing Shang Gu, his expression remained gentle. However, the protectiveness in his words and the intimacy in his actions, which Shang Gu had failed to notice in the past, were now clear to her.

Though none of the words she had anticipated were spoken, Shang Gu listened with immense delight. She tugged at Bai Jue’s sleeve, setting aside the dignity and boldness of a ruler of a realm, and instead displayed the rare, youthful charm of her younger days.

“I just wanted to give these people a bit more fortune. Since such fine wine was brewed, they deserve this blessing.”

If someone with such brewing skills were to die young, who would brew wine for Bai Jue? Shang Gu understood this perfectly. If Bai Jue hadn’t inadvertently stopped her, she would have happily continued bestowing blessings on these mortals.

Bai Jue knew she was unconventional in her ways and assumed it was just her youthful nature, so he refrained from further scolding.

“Where did you get the fig wine? Did you ask Blazing Sun for it?”

Shang Gu, who had been brimming with bold ambition just moments ago, now realized Bai Jue still hadn’t discerned her feelings and immediately retreated like a turtle into its shell. She laughed it off, saying, “Yes, yes, I don’t know what’s gotten into the old man these years—he’s obsessed with brewing wine. I had nothing better to do, so I asked for a jar to compete in drinking in the Mortal Realm.”

“If you wanted it, you could have just come to my divine hall to take it. He sends a jar every year, and there are still four or five jars left in the wine pavilion. Why bother asking him?”

Shang Gu was lazy by nature. Competing in drinking occasionally was one thing, but spending ten years searching for wine in the Mortal Realm was clearly unusual. Could it be…

Bai Jue knew his own preferences well, and a sudden realization struck him, followed by an overwhelming, almost unbelievable joy.

Could it be that Shang Gu had been collecting fine wine for him? Just the thought of it stirred emotions that had remained untouched for millions of years, like waves surging across a vast ocean, leaving him somewhat flustered.

Afraid that Bai Jue would notice something amiss, Shang Gu nodded repeatedly, eager to change the subject.

But this time, for some reason, Bai Jue’s voice grew slightly deeper, and he pressed on, “You don’t even like wine. Why compete in drinking in the Mortal Realm?”

As if her fears had come true, Shang Gu took a deep breath, wanting only to hide her feelings, and blurted out, “All of you enjoy wine. I just wanted to win more to bring back to the Divine Realm as birthday gifts.”All fond of wine? With just that single word "all," Bai Jue's eyes darkened, the surging emotions forcibly suppressed as his dark pupils returned to tranquility. He remained silent for a long while, until Shang Gu sensed something amiss, then he took a step back, his gaze calm and unreadable.

"So that's how it is. Then this year for my birthday, I shall await your gift."

Among the four True Gods of the Ancient Realm, aside from Bai Jue, Tian Qi was also fond of wine.

He had thought she was interested, but perhaps he had overthought it again.

Just as Bai Jue was about to roll up his sleeve, not yet able to mock himself, his hand was suddenly grabbed.

Shang Gu had not yet restored her immortal form, still dressed as the young man in blue from earlier. Holding Bai Jue's hand, her smile was clear and bright.

"It's rare to visit the Mortal Realm. Today happens to be the Lantern Festival in the mortal world. Accompany me to observe the customs of the people before returning to the Divine Realm—it won't be too late."

As she spoke, she pulled the young man into the surging crowd. Bai Jue, captivated by that radiant smile, tightened his grip and ultimately did not let go.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival—a time for family reunions in the mortal world. This saying had never been false since ancient times.

In the Ancient Divine Realm, at Yue Mi's residence, Yue Mi shook her head while munching on melon seeds and watching this scene through the Water Mirror, sighing deeply with a mix of exasperation and disappointment.

"Two blocks of wood! After all the effort, energy, thought, and favors I spent trying to bring them together, they still can't figure out their own feelings... Their combined ages are older than the Divine Realm itself. What on earth did they grow up eating..."

The Star-Moon Goddess lamented to herself. Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye, soon approaching the birthdays of Bai Jue and Tian Qi.

Shang Gu had long instructed the divine guards of her palace to deliver the fine wines she had collected over the past decade from drinking contests in the Mortal Realm to Bai Jue's palace, along with the nine bottles of premium Nü'er Hong she had won at the Qin Chu Tavern.

The wine jars departed from Shang Gu's divine palace, paraded through the streets—three full carts, dazzling the entire Divine Realm.

Shang Gu thought to herself: though it couldn't compare to Bai Jue's tens of thousands of years of silent guardianship and waiting, having saved up a "wife fund" for ten years should give her some confidence to propose. So she lay back in the Star-Gazing Pavilion, waiting for Bai Jue's birthday, ready to seize the auspicious day to enter his palace, accomplish her goal, and joyfully bring her husband home.

When Bai Jue heard the news, though surprised and delighted, he dared not assume too much this time as he had before. After a moment of contemplation, he instructed the divine guard:

"Find out how many gifts Tian Qi's palace received and report back."

A short while later, the divine guard returned with the report.

"Yesterday at the hour of Yin, three carts of wine jars entered through the back gate of Tian Qi's palace. According to the gatekeepers, all were of superior quality."

The divine guard reported nervously, not daring to look up. From above, there was only silence, until finally, a sigh was heard.

For the sake of someone she truly liked, he had been used as a genuine decoy.

For some unknown reason, in the 137,800th year of the Shang Gu calendar, the day before True God Bai Jue's birthday, he journeyed to the Mortal Realm. After that, he did not return for many years, and no one knew his whereabouts.

Shang Gu's grand ambition to win a husband ultimately failed, so she spent her days idling away at Yue Mi's residence, sighing in frustration.

For some reason, Yue Mi had recently become particularly disdainful of her, rolling her eyes at every turn.

"Ah, it's too hard! Why is pursuing a husband so difficult? A man's heart is as deep as the ocean's needle, ahhhhh~ Where on earth has he run off to, la la la~"

Shang Gu asked the same question every day. Yue Mi leaned against the corridor, gazing toward the northwest, and couldn't help but mutter:

"If I had known your method was so unreliable, I wouldn't have followed your advice on silent devotion and 'grinding an iron rod into a needle.' I sent three carts of fine wine, and not even a ripple was stirred. After all my efforts—fighting across the Three Realms and kicking through the Eight Wastelands, working hard for over a decade—he didn't even return to the realm for his birthday..."

The direction she gazed toward happened to be Tian Qi's palace.Shang Gu's thoughts were wholly fixed on Bai Jue, who had departed, and she did not hear Yue Mi's muttering. She only waited for Bai Jue to return to the Divine Realm, so she could confess her feelings and win her beloved's heart.

The two waited in the Star-Gazing Pavilion for several years, yet Bai Jue and Tian Qi never returned.

Perhaps it was fate's design—that year, before Tian Qi's birthday arrived, he remained alone in the Qiankun Pavilion, aware that the Chaos Calamity was approaching. From then on, he descended to the Mortal Realm and never returned.

Instead of Bai Jue returning first, Shang Gu received news that Tian Qi had activated a world-destroying formation array in the Mortal Realm to annihilate the Three Realms.

Blazing Sun and the True God Tian Qi returned upon hearing the news to discuss countermeasures.

From that day on, the female High God of Yue Mi's residence no longer wore a carefree smile on her lips, nor did she indulge in her habit of plundering treasures everywhere.

The day before Shang Gu resolved to sacrifice herself to save the Three Realms, she drank with Yue Mi in the Star-Gazing Pavilion.

Yue Mi asked her, "Bai Jue has returned. Why haven't you spoken to him?"

Shang Gu remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "I am the ruler of a realm, a True God of the Three Realms. There are things I must do. If I am destined to lose it all, it would be better never to have known."

She suddenly turned to look at Yue Mi beside her.

"There is something I have wanted to ask you for many years."

"What is it?"

"You dislike wine. Why did you ask me for fig wine that year?"

Yue Mi was taken aback, then fell into a long silence before finally smiling. "I never thought a blockhead like you would one day see the light. No need to guess—it is exactly as you think."

True God Tian Qi loved wine, a fact known throughout the realm.

She turned and left, leaving behind the ethereal voice of the Star-Moon Goddess on the long steps.

"Like you, I never found the right opportunity. All these years, I simply wasted them and missed my chance. Shang Gu, no matter what happens, protect him for me."

Shang Gu did not understand the meaning behind Yue Mi's words. Had she understood, she would not have spent tens of thousands of years in regret afterward.

The next day, she ultimately did not succeed in sacrificing herself. High God Yue Mi led a group of deities to the Mortal Realm and perished within Tian Qi's world-destroying formation array. The only one who managed to return to the Ancient Divine Realm with her life intact was an unremarkable little phoenix. At that time, she was not yet Empress Wu Huan, merely a divine beast under Shang Gu's command.

The day the news arrived was also a sunny one. Shang Gu, holding the jar of fig wine that Bai Jue had taken from her many years earlier, gazed at the residence of the Star-Moon Goddess and drank herself into a stupor, with no one daring to stop her.

What followed was the beginning of all stories.

True God Shang Gu sacrificed herself, the Ancient Realm was sealed away, and True God Bai Jue remained alone in the world, beginning over sixty thousand years of long waiting and guardianship.

More than sixty thousand years later, when everything was settled, Tian Qi retrieved Shang Gu's sealed three hundred years of memories from a statue weathered by tens of thousands of years in the Vault of Heaven. Yet he never understood why, within the statue of the goddess who had perished sixty thousand years earlier, there was a single tear.

He had always believed it was left by Yue Mi for Shang Gu.

There were many things he never knew. He did not know sixty thousand years ago, nor did he know sixty thousand years later.

There was one thing Shang Gu said that was indeed true.

If one is destined to lose it all, it is better never to have possessed it.

This was not only the choice of Shang Gu and Bai Jue but also Yue Mi's final choice and release.

Yet in the end, it was all too regrettable.

Shang Gu ultimately heard those words: "I am Bai Jue."

But what of Yue Mi?

The three cartloads of wine stoves she spent ten years carefully collecting remain sealed in the wine cellar of Tian Qi's divine hall. For over sixty thousand years, no one has opened them.

—End of the Epilogue to "Shang Gu"