Fragrant breezes drifted through the air, celestial music echoed softly, and a dazzling array of vibrant colors swirled together in a mesmerizing blur. Laughter rang out, light and carefree.
Amidst it all, a lone figure stood with an air of absolute grace. His embroidered robes shimmered with intricate patterns, his bearing exuding sacred majesty, as if the entire scene existed solely for him. Yet, no matter how one looked, his face remained obscured, impossible to discern.
From afar, a delicate voice called out, slightly anxious:
“Divine Lord! Divine Lord!”
Despite the surrounding laughter and merriment, he noticed at once. With a simple wave of his hand, the noise hushed into silence.
“What is it?” His voice was gentle.
“I… can I be your divine queen?” The words were spoken with shyness, laced with hopeful anticipation.
Laughter erupted all around.
“What are you laughing at? I like the Divine Lord! I want to be the divine queen!” she huffed, both embarrassed and indignant.
“Then cultivate immortality.” His voice carried a trace of amusement.
…
In an instant, the scene shifted. Waves of clouds churned endlessly, stretching vast and boundless. Amidst the mist, two figures stood—both indistinct, blurred by the haze. One was tall and imposing, the other noticeably smaller.
“Divine Lord, I beg you to grant me this.” A soft, feminine voice.
“We are not of the same kind. If you insist on this path, you will defy the natural order and bring divine punishment upon yourself.” The man’s voice remained as gentle and melodious as ever. “Humans are bound to the six paths of reincarnation, but you are not. If you sever your essence, the only fate awaiting you is the complete annihilation of your soul.”
“So what? I only wish to repay him for one lifetime.” Her voice was filled with pride.
The man was silent for a moment before sighing. “This is water from the Jade Pool. If you drink it, your true form will dissolve, and your soul will be allowed to reincarnate alongside his.”
“Thank you, Divine Lord.” Her voice brimmed with joy.
“If you drink this water, you will no longer be one of our kind. All you gain is a single lifetime by his side. Is he truly more important than becoming a divine queen?”
Silence.
“I am merely a lowly demon spirit, unfit for the path of immortality. The Divine Lord… is far beyond my reach.”
“To be forever trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, to sever your ties to the immortal path—do you understand what you are choosing?”
“I do not seek immortality. I only wish to live as a mortal, lifetime after lifetime.”
“You will never regret this?”
“I will not.”
A searing pain, as if her entire body were being flayed and her bones wrenched apart.
Hong Ning let out a piercing scream, her voice raw with agony—until the pain jolted her awake. She sat up abruptly in bed, drenched in sweat, her clothes sticking to her back. Running her hands over her skin, she found it intact. Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, she sat there in a daze, as she always did after waking from that nightmare.
From as far back as she could remember—even before she crossed over into this life—she had been haunted by this strange and absurd dream. And even now, after her reincarnation, it continued, occurring nearly once a month. Sometimes, she even suspected that this dream had plagued her for multiple past lives.
Who was that woman? What connection did she have with her?
And that so-called Divine Lord—who was he?
Yet no matter how hard she tried, she could never clearly see their faces.
A knock at the door.
“Hong Ning! Are you awake?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Master says to come eat.”
“I’m coming.”
The voice outside faded. Hong Ning quickly rolled out of bed, changed into fresh clothes with practiced ease, and dashed out the door.
The dining area was simple—a wooden table under the thatched eaves.
On the table were two dishes and a bowl of soup, all plain and rustic. Three people sat around it, yet only Hong Ning was eating. The other two sat quietly with nothing but cups of clear water before them. One was a man in his thirties, dressed in plain blue robes, while the other was a cold and handsome youth of seventeen or eighteen.
The man spoke with a trace of affection in his tone. “Hong Ning, you don’t look well.”
Hong Ning continued shoveling rice into her mouth. “Had a nightmare.”
The man frowned. “Again?”
Seeing his concern, Hong Ning quickly smiled. “I’ve had this dream for years, haven’t I? And nothing’s happened. What’s there to worry about, Master?”
The man nodded. “Today is the fifteenth. The yang energy is weak, which makes it a good time for your senior brother to absorb the essence of the sun. I will also be entering seclusion. Since you do not cultivate, why don’t you go out and gather some herbs?”
Hong Ning agreed absentmindedly, then muttered under her breath, “Cultivating all day—what’s the point?”
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