Chapter 210: Worlds Apart, July’s Longing Turns to Dust

Flowers do not bloom forever, nor does the moon remain full all the time. Even if hearts are connected, they seem worlds apart. Endless longing separates lovers, leaving them in solitude…
…
It all happened so suddenly. In Liu Yi’s mind, within this dream, the only person he hadn’t expected to see was July. Yet, in this strange oasis, outside that wooden house, the familiar figure of that old acquaintance reappeared before Liu Yi’s eyes. In an instant, it seemed as though his mind stopped thinking. He didn’t know why, but he felt a sourness in his heart. Looking at the person before him, he couldn’t say a word.
Ye Luobaihua’s beautiful eyes stopped on July. She was confident enough to tell herself that she was far more beautiful than the woman before her. Yet, July’s cleverness, her wild aura, combined with that purple tight-fitting outfit, gave her an indescribable charm. Even though Ye Luobaihua saw her, she seemed to feel that she was inferior in some ways to the woman before her.
When beautiful women meet, they naturally compare themselves. Although Liu Yi was highly skilled, he didn’t understand this aspect and ignored Ye Luobaihua’s observations, focusing instead on July.
Yet, in July’s eyes, there was a hint of sadness and confusion. After pushing open the door and seeing the two of them standing there, she asked, “Where did you come from?”
It was a simple question, but one that couldn’t be answered. Liu Yi thought to himself, “Why would she ask that? Should I tell her we came from the outside world? That would seem absurd in July’s eyes.” For a moment, he felt troubled by this question and glanced at Ye Luobaihua, hoping she could answer. At the same time, Ye Luobaihua also looked at Liu Yi, her eyes filled with confusion. Clearly, they couldn’t answer July’s question.
July didn’t press further but instead asked, “Do you come from afar?”
Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua were even more puzzled, especially Liu Yi. July couldn’t possibly not recognize him. But why did the July before him seem so strange? And why ask such nonsensical questions? Suddenly, Liu Yi remembered something. Right, the July here couldn’t be real, because this was a dream. The real July had been taken away by Yu Chenxing. So, it didn’t surprise him that the July before him said strange things. After all, anything could happen in this strange dream.
As Liu Yi figured this out, he said, “Yes, we come from a distant place. And you? Do you know us?”
Although Liu Yi’s words were strange, Ye Luobaihua quickly understood what he meant. This was a dream—nothing was real. Liu Yi was just testing how much this dreamlike July knew about him.
July didn’t answer Liu Yi’s question. Instead, she walked over to the sandy shore by the lake and sat down gently. She looked so harmonious, so peaceful. The warm sunlight shone on her, and the plants around her seemed to emit some kind of joy, blooming purple flowers at the same time. Then, July shook her head and said, “You come from a distant place. How could I possibly know you?”

In one sentence, Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua were surprised, but they quickly recovered, as this was a dream, not reality. Liu Yi glanced at Ye Luobaihua and said, “Let’s rest for a while. We’ve been walking for so many days; we seem very tired.” Although their bodies felt no fatigue, their spirits were indeed exhausted. Walking endlessly in this vast desert for days, repeating the same task every day, naturally led to exhaustion.

Ye Luobaihua nodded and sat down on the soft sand with Liu Yi. The constant walking had indeed worn them out, and sitting on the ground now gave them an indescribable sense of relief. Such simple pleasure must be the greatest joy in life.

While gently massaging her legs—though she didn’t feel tired, she subconsciously believed it could relieve fatigue—Ye Luobaihua said, “Walking the same path day after day, I wonder when we’ll find the prophet. This desert has no end in sight. I really don’t understand how this world can be like this.” Feeling relieved, she voiced some of her dissatisfaction. Though she knew this wasn’t the real world, speaking it out made her feel much better, less oppressed.

Just as Ye Luobaihua finished speaking, July spoke softly, “In this dream, you shouldn’t feel tired. Even if you walk the same path every day, what does it matter? It’s just a process. Results will come when the time is right. There’s no need to rush.” Her voice was gentle, completely different from July’s usual tone in reality.

Watching July speak, Ye Luobaihua couldn’t help but wonder—did this woman belong to the human world or the celestial realm? If she belonged to the human world, she must be an elf from the forest; if to the celestial realm, she must be a fairy from the Jade Pool. Unconsciously, Ye Luobaihua developed a favorable impression of July in this dream.

But Liu Yi didn’t think so. He wasn’t focused on July’s actions but on her words. If she knew this was a dream, then she must also know where they came from. And what did her words mean? “Walking the same path day after day is a process; results will come when the time is right?” These words kept echoing in Liu Yi’s mind. Though he felt no danger, the strangeness of the dream made him grip his sword tightly.

But when Liu Yi raised his head and saw July’s eyes filled with a hint of sadness, his hand weakened—no, it should be said his heart softened. Would she harm him? Everyone knew the answer to that ridiculous question. Even in a dream, July would never do anything to harm Liu Yi.

July leaned back, using her left hand to support herself as she gently raised her right hand. At that moment, the sun suddenly disappeared, and the sky darkened. Then, the light of the waning moon illuminated the surroundings, with morning stars filling the sky. The entire sky turned deep blue. After a moment of shock, Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua returned to normal. They knew it wasn’t July’s doing, as they were already accustomed to the irregular time here—the sun might vanish suddenly, the moon might appear suddenly, trees might bloom or wither…

As July gently raised her right hand, a yellow glow slowly descended from the sky. It was faint, but stood out sharply against the deep blue night. When a white meteor streaked above the three of them, the yellow light landed in July’s hand. She turned to Liu Yi and asked, “Do you know what this is?” Liu Yi glanced at the slightly glowing object in July’s hand and said in confusion, “Isn’t this sand?” He wasn’t mistaken—the small yellow-glowing thing in her hand was indeed a grain of sand. July nodded softly, turned away, and examined the grain carefully, as if it were extremely precious. At that moment, Ye Luobaihua also reached out to catch it, because she noticed countless yellow dots slowly drifting downward in the deep blue sky under the cold moonlight, appearing even lighter than snowflakes… In an instant, the whole world became beautiful, turning the dream into a fairy tale. Liu Yi curiously stretched out his right hand to catch the yellow sand grain. Against the backdrop of his black glove, the grain glowed faintly, making it even more visible. July looked at the grain in her hand and said softly, “Do you know? There were no deserts in this world originally.” Liu Yi glanced at July and then at the yellow sand grains falling around them, saying, “How could there be no deserts? Look, sand is falling from the sky now. So, this world must have been a desert from the beginning.” July turned to look at Liu Yi, her expression complex. Liu Yi felt something indescribable—why did she say she didn’t know him, yet her gaze was so special? July turned back to focus on the sand in her hand and said calmly, “It’s true. There were no deserts in this world originally—longing from afar caused a grain of sand to fall from the sky. With each act of longing, another grain appeared. As longing repeated itself, time overshadowed space, and sand began to fall from the sky. In endless longing, oceans turned into farmlands, and farmlands were buried by deserts, turning the world into a sea of deserts…” Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua had originally been casually watching the yellow sand, but when they heard July tell such a story, they were both shocked. However, their reactions were different. Ye Luobaihua seemed very interested and asked urgently, “Is what you saying true? You mean one grain of sand represents one act of longing, right?” She stretched out her snow-white hand and asked July. July didn’t speak or turn around; she just stared at the grain in her hand, as if it were a symbol of hope or a source of sorrow. Her eyes grew misty, and a tear slowly fell. As the tear landed, something strange happened—it didn’t immediately merge with the sand but slid gently down the grain before finally flowing into the clear lake in front of the three of them… Ye Luobaihua stared at the tear, shocked and wanting to ask something, but not knowing how… At that moment, July turned back and said to Ye Luobaihua, “Do you want to ask why my tear didn’t disappear in the sand?” Ye Luobaihua simply nodded.

July then turned her gaze to Liu Yi’s face, as if speaking to him: “When longing turns into sand, and sorrow turns into tears, how can they ever merge? Longing brings happiness, while tears bring sorrow—they should be kept apart…”
Liu Yi looked at July, feeling indescribable emotions. She had said herself that she didn’t know him. Even he knew that July was not real in this dream. Yet, this story seemed so real, and her words were so irrefutable. Liu Yi’s eyes grew blurred—no, it was better to say his heart was confused. At this moment, he truly couldn’t tell whether the July before him was a dream or reality.
Ye Luobaihua looked at the sand in her hands and said, “This story is beautiful, but… why are the people in it so miserable? If every grain of sand in this world represents longing, isn’t it endless? If this lake is filled with sorrow, wouldn’t the tears run dry?”
July glanced at Liu Yi beside her and then said to Ye Luobaihua, “This world is just like that… The outside world is equally cruel, just like the Border Flower—flowers without leaves, leaves without flowers, separated forever, unable to meet. But the affection in our hearts is an eternal belief. We must believe in that, right?”
Ye Luobaihua wasn’t surprised or concerned that July knew about the Border Flower. Instead, she continued asking, “Don’t you think it’s unworthy to long for someone like this? With no hope, no future—why don’t you give up?”
July gently stood up, looking at the two who stood with her. Then she glanced around. The yellow sand continued to fall slowly, and the deep blue world became beautiful. A gentle breeze scattered a strand of her hair. Under the cold moonlight, her eyes were filled with sorrow. She shook her head lightly and said, “A scholar once told me… Once a person is engraved in your heart, how can you fall in love with another? If love has nothing lovely about it, how can you give up? Here, there is only what I desire; what’s lacking is the concept of worth or unworth.”
Hearing July’s words, Ye Luobaihua felt even more moved and admired her. Each of July’s words seemed like an experience, a story, irrefutable, sorrowful yet beautiful.
Liu Yi, however, was different. He didn’t know what was happening to him. He clearly knew that July was an illusion from his dream, but the feelings he had were real. Especially her words—each one cut deep into his heart like a knife. Looking at her, he wanted to say something, but for a moment, though he had countless words, he didn’t know where to start.
At that moment, July looked at Liu Yi and said, “You’ve rested enough. You can leave now.”
Hearing her words, Liu Yi wanted to say more, but suddenly, the entire space twisted. July’s figure gradually disappeared, and the world around them became blurred. The yellow sand in the sky fell in distorted patterns. Liu Yi suddenly felt an urge to reach out and grasp July—whether it was a dream or reality, her love shouldn’t be filled with sorrow.

But suddenly, everything changed. Everything around turned white; he couldn’t see anything with his eyes, and he wasn’t sure whether he was standing or lying down. Gradually, Liu Yi began to feel blurred, as if floating among clouds. Time passed in an indistinct manner—like an instant, yet also like a century. When Liu Yi opened his eyes again, he found himself in a sea of flowers…

As Liu Yi woke up, Ye Luobaihua also slowly opened her eyes. Everything here was so beautiful, so enchanting, that it completely captivated her. There was an endless expanse of pink and white flowers all around, with the gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of the blossoms. The sunlight warmed everything, and from time to time, the calls of birds could be heard in the air. Ye Luobaihua couldn’t help but exclaim, “Where is this? It’s so beautiful!”

Liu Yi had already regained his senses. His attachment to July had long been overshadowed by memories. Yes, this was the Human Realm, the Flower Snow Sea in Lotus Town. There were so many memories here, memories that plunged Liu Yi into deep thought.

He casually replied to Ye Luobaihua, “This is the human world.”

Ye Luobaihua looked around, seemingly delighted, and said, “This dream is so amazing! It even brought us to the human world. I’ve never left the Netherworld. This place is a thousand times more beautiful than where we are…” At that moment, she paid no attention to Liu Yi at all; her beautiful eyes were busy taking in everything around her.

Meanwhile, Liu Yi felt waves of sadness as he recalled the past. They had been so happy in their youth, so sweet amidst these flowers. But now, like morning dew and fleeting flowers, they were separated by distance despite their love. The sorrow of curses, and the curses of sorrow, kept overwhelming him. And he knew he had to endure it…

Just then, a voice came from all directions in the air. It was a pleasant voice, spoken by a young woman. Hearing those words, Liu Yi suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart: “Scholar, if one day Jili’er dies, please don’t grieve… Look at this warm sunlight, this vast sky, this sea of flower snow, and enjoy the scent of the wind. The world remains just as wonderful. Jili’er’s departure hasn’t taken away your world. Please bury her deeply in your memories, will you?”

The voice was clear, coming from all sides. Ye Luobaihua asked in surprise, “Who is that?”

Liu Yi replied, “My wife.”

But as soon as he finished speaking, he instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, sensing danger—though he didn’t know where it came from. It was very real. Liu Yi quickly added, “Be careful, there’s danger.”

Ye Luobaihua moved closer to Liu Yi. Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, a vague figure appeared before them, gradually becoming clearer. Finally, a young scholar in blue appeared before Liu Yi’s eyes…

Ye Luobaihua couldn’t help but stare at the scholar before her. No matter how she looked at him, he seemed familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but the sense of familiarity wasn’t strong enough, so she couldn’t recall who he was. Throughout her life, she had only interacted with a limited number of people, yet she couldn’t remember this one.

Liu Yi looked at the blue-clothed scholar and said, “Lan Ying.”

Liu Yi’s words immediately reminded Ye Luobaihua of something. Yes, this man was the emperor of the netherworld, but she had never seen him as an adult. Suddenly, Ye Luobaihua focused her gaze on Liu Yi’s face and was shocked—why did Lan Ying’s face bear some resemblance to Liu Yi’s?

Lan Ying then nodded gently and said calmly, “The Demon Lord still remembers me, huh? What a good memory.” After saying that, a sinister smile appeared on Lan Ying’s face.

Liu Yi subconsciously gripped ‘Sorrowful Dream’ and asked, “Are you here to stop me?”

Lan Ying replied with a welcoming smile, “The Demon Lord overvalues me. How could I possibly stop you? It’s just that someone else wants to kill you. Please be careful, Demon Lord. Haha.” His laughter echoed far and wide, fading away as Lan Ying’s sinister face gradually disappeared from this world…