CH 154

A life for a Life

It was early winter in the year 13.45 million and 10 of the Xianchen calendar.

There was a rare snowstorm in the Heavenly Realm, and the Nine Heavens were colder than ever. The gods, who could maintain their body temperature with their spiritual energy alone, had to add more clothes and warm themselves with divine fires in their palaces.

Occasionally, immortal cranes swept through the air, wailing like they were on the verge of death.

Visions began to arise, and the Emperor Star was about to fall.

The windows of Dongji Hall were blocked by thick silver curtains, impermeable to the wind, and several nine-dragon, four-legged heaters were distributed throughout the bedchamber, with the divine fires blazing. The fairy attendant entered the room and was sweating in no time, but the man in white on the bed was pouting about the cold to the man in black at his side.

"A'Po... I'm so cold..." Yan Yuan weakly held Xuan Long's hand, his face was no different from the cold snow outside. His half drowsy eyes looked at Xuan Long, and he was already out of breath, "Hold me... okay..."

"...... Okay."

Xuan Long gently lifted Yan Yuan's upper body and leaned him against himself. Yan Yuan lay on his side, resting on Xuan Long's leg, holding his hand against his chest, feeling a little warmer.

The outside sky was bright, but covered by the window tent, the hall was dark and dreary. The candle flame flickered, outlining Yan Yuan's thin, pale face, and he closed his eyes and spoke inaudibly:

"A'Po... I… my body hurts..."

"Am I... going to die..."

Ten years had passed with the snap of a finger; A'Zhi was still a child, Ye Ling Shenjun was pregnant, his belly had not yet bulged, but Yan Yuan was at the end of his journey, unable to get out of bed for a long time.

The gods had never given up their search for a way to change fate, but they had failed time and time again.

Yan Yuan was about to die, and everyone knew it.

Xuan Long knew it too. He watched over Yan Yuan day and night, seeing him grow weaker day by day, and he knew better than anyone that his beloved was leaving him.

But he could not show his grief.

Xuan Long put his palm over Yan Yuan's weakened back and said soothingly:

"No, A'Yuan is just sick, drink the medicine and you will be fine."

"Don't you believe me?"

Yan Yuan smiled, "Believe... whatever A'Po says, I believe..."

"But the medicine is too bitter... I don't want to drink it today... okay..."

Xuan Long tilted his head, and after a moment of silence, he hoarsely replied, "Okay."

Yan Yuan looked at the flickering fire not far away and said, "Drinking that medicine... will always make me sleepy, I want to... talk to A'Po more..."

Xuan Long: "… Okay."

"The iris flowers by Zijue Lake have all withered, I can't send you flowers in the future... will A'Po still like me... " Tears came out of the corners of Yan Yuan's eyes.

The irises bloom in the spring and wither after May. Xuan Long loves the irises and Yan Yuan used his divine power to keep the flowers in bloom when his mind was still clear, but now that his divine body has become crippled and his divine power is weak, the spells don't work anymore.

Last month, when Xuan Long was not looking, Yan Yuan struggled to get up and went to Zijue Lake. He was shocked to find that the large iris field had withered into dried branches, and he came back so sad that he cried for a long time.

"I will." Xuan Long's fingers wiped away his tears.

"Without the flowers, I will like you just the same, don't cry."

"Really..." Yan Yuan strained to turn around and lie flat, trying to see Xuan Long's expression to make sure the man wasn't just trying to make him happy.

Xuan Long curled his lips, "En."

Yan Yuan lifted his hand, hooked his pinky finger and smiled, "Then let's make a promise, there are no more irises… A'Po won't hate me... and will treat me as good as before..."

"Okay... promise." Xuan Long raised his hand and hooked Yan Yuan's pinky finger, listening to him mutter under his breath. "Pull the hook... hang it up... ten thousand years, no change… A'Po, if you lie to me, then... then..."

Yan Yuan wanted to use a method to threaten Xuan Long, so as to tell him to always like him, but if the promise was too vicious, he could not let Xuan Long swear, because in case it came true, it was himself who would be upset.

After thinking for a long time, he said seriously:

"If A'Po lies to me, I'll... never be with you again."

Xuan Long: "Mmm, if I lie to you, you will not be with me again."

Their pinkies hooked together and their thumbs touched.

Yan Yuan: "Then don't lie to me..."

Xuan Long: " Okay..."

As the words fell, Yan Yuan's hand dropped, landing weakly on the edge of the bed.

Xuan Long's hand froze in mid-air and he remained frozen for a moment before returning to his senses, his fingertips touching Yan Yuan's face: "A'Yuan..."

His body was so cold, almost capable of giving Xuan Long frostbite., which was in no way the temperature that should be found in a living person, and that temperature had been in Yan Yuan's body for months.

That was why he always cried out about the cold and the pain.

"A'Yuan..."

Yan Yuan did not respond, and his faint breath told Xuan Long that he was still alive.

Like a prisoner being escorted under the tiger's head and about to be beheaded, Xuan Long did not know when the sharp blade would fall and take his lover's life.

He could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.

It was more upsetting to him than having him tortured alive.

In the evening, Ye Ling Shenjun came to see Yan Yuan in Dongji Hall. Yan Yuan was still sleeping, so Xuan Long went out alone on the pretext of going to the academy to pick up A'Zhi from school.

It was snowing heavily outside the hall. The man in basalt clothes, holding an oil-paper umbrella, walked across the snow-covered road, leaving a trail of footprints.

At the end of the Heavenly Realm there is a temple where a statue of a deity whose yin and yang are indistinguishable is worshipped. On one side is a man and on the other a woman. The man's left hand is in front of his chest, his thumb and forefinger twisted together, while the rest of his fingers were loose, and his eyes were downcast and smiling. The female figure has a beautiful and elegant face, her hair is in a flying bun, her middle finger is twisted with her thumb, her palm is facing upwards and her face is peaceful. No matter which direction she was facing, she was sacred and inviolable.

Legend has it that this is the true form of the Heavenly Way.

No one has ever seen the true face of the Heavenly Way, and no one knows the truth, but when the immortals and gods in the Heavenly Realm are troubled, they go there to ask for help, offering their most precious things to the Heavenly Way in exchange for getting what they want.

It was snowing so heavily today that there was not a single god on the road, and the wind howled outside the temple, causing the branches of the sacred trees to rustle.

Xuan Long put away his oil paper umbrella and placed it outside the temple, patting the snow off his shoulders and allowing himself to enter the temple in a clean state.

The Heavenly Way had condemned him to be born a Lonely Heavenly Star and to suffer a great deal, but he had never hated anything. He had only thought that he had done something evil in his past life and had to pay for it a hundred times over in this life.

But Yan Yuan was born as the Emperor Star, the ruler of all things, so honourable. If he had done anything wrong, it would be that he should not have met and fallen in love with him.

If he had never appeared in Yan Yuan's life, how could they have come this far, and how could Yan Yuan have come to this point?

It was wrong from the start...

He regretted it.

He didn't want Yan Yuan to love him.

Didn't want Yan Yuan to meet him.

Step by step, slowly but firmly, Xuan Long walked towards the divine statue, knelt down on the futon in front of the divine statue, joined his hands together and opened his thin lips softly:

"The Heavenly Way is above everyone, I as a Lonely Heavenly Star... should have been alone until death, but I have acted against Heaven and harmed others and myself, I know I was wrong, I beg the Heavenly Way to be merciful and spare my love, I am willing to scatter my life's work and fall into hell forever, not to enter the reincarnation, I only beg the Heavenly Way to be merciful... spare my love..."

"Please be merciful... spare my love..."

"Please be merciful... spare my love."

Xuan Long bowed down, kowtowed, and remained still for a long time.

He had lived up to this day and never believed in gods and Buddhas; he himself was a god in the Nine Heavens, but he could not even control his own destiny. Worshipping gods and Buddhas might be useful for mortals, but for him it was all in vain.

But when he was forced into a corner, he had to try the most foolish solution, just like a mortal. If the Heavenly Way was kind enough to let Yan Yuan live, he would be the most loyal follower of the Heavenly Way.

He had nothing precious to offer, and the only thing he could exchange was his own life.