Chapter 104: Three Lifetimes of Love, A Curse from the Gods
In the clash between masters, life and death often hinge in an instant—perhaps, in the blink of an eye, one side dies at the other’s sword. Everyone was watching intently. Some might pity the ruler of the Eternal City, while others might say he was just unlucky to encounter Bo Cangqiong from the Divine Gate. Yet, nothing is certain until it happens; speculation is merely human psychology, incapable of proving anything in reality.
Looking at Liu Yi, aside from that swift move earlier, he made no further action. By now, those representing the righteous path and the dark magic path in the arena were shaking their heads. They weren’t pitying Liu Yi—they were admitting that Bo Cangqiong had lost. His opponent had used just one move, yet it encompassed eleven swords. Bo Cangqiong had lost miserably…
Finally, the outcome of this match was decided in that instant. As Bo Cangqiong unleashed a massive bolt of lightning and ten “Centrifugal Guns” flew to within three feet of Liu Yi, eleven white sword lights appeared in an X shape above them, vanishing in an instant. With that flash, all the “Centrifugal Guns” in front of, behind, and around Liu Yi turned to ashes. The massive bolt of lightning was split into four pieces by those X-shaped sword lights, shooting in four different directions.
The immense power of the falling lightning instantly disrupted the crowd below the arena…
At that moment, Bo Cangqiong’s expression shifted erratically—unclear what it meant. After all, he was an elder of the Divine Gate, having dominated the martial world for a century. How could he suffer such a defeat? His opponent had used just one move to turn his famous weapon, the “Centrifugal Gun,” to ashes and split the lightning into four directions with the speed of a sword. He was filled with anger and frustration, but he also realized that if his opponent had used twelve swords in that move, would he have been able to dodge them?
Liu Yi looked at Bo Cangqiong and said arrogantly, “Do we still need to continue?”
Bo Cangqiong’s face turned green and red alternately. Of course, he knew what would happen if they continued, but he was heartbroken over the destruction of his “Centrifugal Gun.” His conflict reached its peak, and finally, he made up his mind. He shouted, “The winner takes all. I have nothing to say. The gap between us is far too great.” With that, he turned and walked down from the arena, disappearing into the crowd.
Watching Bo Cangqiong leave, Liu Yi sighed softly. A gentle breeze blew, causing his white hair to flutter again. The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed. Amidst the swirling dust, Liu Yi slowly stepped down from the arena and left the competition grounds…
That was how it ended. Everyone was watching, but they couldn’t see anything clearly. Had this match really ended just like that?
The old man with a white beard announced loudly, “In this match… the ruler of the Eternal City advances. Now, let’s proceed to the next match…”
Everything returned to calm, and it was all over again. Looking at the waning moon in the sky, Liu Yi suddenly thought of a question: Had he changed? Bao Cangqiong of the Divine Gate was a generous man—why had he suddenly become so cruel, dealing him such a heavy blow after all these years of fame? Perhaps he was no longer the scholar he had been ten years ago, but he knew that his longing for Jili’er would never change, forever and ever…
“Huh… It’s so late. Why are you still here?” A woman’s voice pulled Liu Yi out of his thoughts and back to reality.
Liu Yi turned around. It was Tianjiao, the woman with a face similar to Jili’er’s, the goddess who had descended from heaven. Liu Yi calmly replied, “Aren’t you awake either?”
Tianjiao smiled and said, “Thank you for saving me today.”
Liu Yi shook his head and replied, “It wasn’t me who saved you. I was thinking about something else at the time and suddenly said those words. I think maybe July herself didn’t want to kill you.”
Tianjiao continued, “I still need to thank you.”
Liu Yi shouted, “I said, stop mentioning thanks!”
“Oh… How can you be so harsh on a girl? It’s strange that so many women like you. The world is really odd.” Liu Yi looked in the direction of the voice. It was none other than the mysterious blue-eyed woman, Lan Ren.
As Lan Ren walked over, a red glow flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes. The sadness and weariness vanished, replaced by a desire for killing. Liu Yi asked, “What exactly do you know?”
Lan Ren replied calmly, “What do I know? I don’t know anything. I just read a story—a story about a fairy who fell in love with a devil. That’s why I came here. I really want to know if there are such devoted men in the world, if there are women as heartbroken as those in the story, if there truly exists such a deeply unforgettable love.”
Liu Yi could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, “What story did you read?”
Lan Ren replied, “A story passed down within our clan.”
Liu Yi asked further, “And what was the outcome?”
“For now, this story only has a beginning, no ending. Its ending lies with you. Only you can write the conclusion to this story.” Lan Ren’s words once again left Liu Yi confused. What was this mysterious woman talking about?
Liu Yi tilted his head and asked, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
Before Lan Ren could answer, Tianjiao hurriedly asked her, “Is the story you’re talking about about my sister and the Nie people?”
Lan Ren nodded and said, “Yes. There’s also you in that story. You may be puzzled about why you appeared in this world, but everything will become clear in the story. Although I don’t know what your future holds, I think… you’re destined to follow in your sister’s footsteps.”
After saying that, Lan Ren took out a book from her possession. Its cover was made of gold—or perhaps not gold—surrounded by sixteen blue gems that were crystal clear, beautiful, reflecting the light of gold…
Liu Yi asked, “What is this?”
Blue Blade smiled slightly and said, “This is that story. It can be called a book of heaven. The book was created by the elders of our tribe, and this story is ‘Cursed Love.’ Everything in it was written by the book itself. Whenever a story appears, it is automatically recorded in the book.”
Liu Yi stared at the book emitting a yellow glow, seemingly lost in thought…
Blue Blade paused for a moment before continuing, “I grew up reading this book. Gradually, I began to doubt the descriptions in it. So, at my request, my brother accompanied me to this world.”
Liu Yi replied, “You say you’ve been reading it since you were young, but back then, my story hadn’t even begun yet!”
Blue Blade calmly replied, “Your story hasn’t started, but the stories of the Nirvana Man and the Heavenly Maiden, as well as Wei Lingfeng and Qiong Yese, have already appeared. Twenty years later, when I grew up, I found a third man in the book—Liu Yi and Jiliel. I knew that ‘Cursed Love’ only writes about stories of three lifetimes of reincarnation. So, I believed that your story with Jiliel was the final one. Although it had no ending, I still continued to read it…”
“I can’t believe that this ‘Cursed Love’ is so profoundly beautiful and unforgettable. Perhaps I’ve become obsessed with the men in this book. Maybe I just wanted to see if such men existed in this world. Although the Heavenly Maiden was cursed by the gods for falling in love with the Nirvana Man, enduring suffering through three lifetimes of reincarnation, I still envy her greatly. I envy her for meeting such a man, and I envy the depth of her love, which moved heaven and earth and gave rise to this book of love.”
It was hard to tell whether these words were true or false. All the stories appeared in that book, leaving Liu Yi and Tianjiao both confused.
Blue Blade glanced at Tianjiao and smiled, “Miss Tianjiao, I can lend you this book. You’ve always hated the man who sent your sister through three lifetimes of reincarnation. Now, I let you experience these words, feel that love from seven thousand years ago. Read it with your heart and judge with your most sincere words—whether it’s worth it or not.”
Tianjiao slowly took the book, appearing hesitant, but she still accepted it and said politely, “Thank you.”
Blue Blade smiled and said, “I hope that after reading this story, you won’t become as obsessed with the men in the book as I am, running from another world to this one.” With that, she turned and walked inside…
Liu Yi watched her figure and had a absurd thought: “This mysterious woman seems to be observing this world from a third-party perspective, watching his love with Jiliel. Perhaps I’ve really become part of the story?”
Without saying anything, Liu Yi also went inside…
Perhaps that ‘Cursed Love’ is currently a story without an ending, but one day, it will complete this tale of suffering across three lifetimes. It’s just unknown when that will be, or what the outcome will be… But our story continues. The Record of the Demon Sword is writing classic romance, about swords and love, about the martial world and struggles for power…
Part Two, Volume Eight: Drawing the Sword, Riding Through the Ghostly Rain