Chapter 269: Tears of Fidelity, The Sorrow of a Snowflake Sea

The sky wept in the cold wind, with blue ice rain seemingly expressing its sorrow. A magic sword had accompanied him through countless days and nights, enduring all kinds of hardships. Suddenly, it seemed he had reached the end of his path. Without saying much goodbye, his lonely figure grew even more desolate on this barren land.

It had been a day since leaving Tearless City. Liu Yi originally planned to use the stone given by the matchmaker to enter the Divine Realm, but for some reason, he found himself unknowingly in the Netherworld for a whole day. Anxious and worried, years of waiting hadn’t allowed him to enter the Divine Realm directly.

The desolate road was interspersed with occasional winds, and the soil emitted a mournful scent. The once young scholar had now become a domineering demon lord. Countless tangled thoughts made him walk slowly across this land he was about to leave. He made his final decision—neither fully exiting the Divine Realm nor staying. Even though he had obtained the Heart of Darkness and possessed dark magic, the Divine Realm was in turmoil seven thousand years later. What would Pangu’s strength be like in the future? Who would be the new ruler of the Divine Realm?

As he thought this, the figure of a celestial maiden suddenly appeared before him. Her snow-white robe exuded loneliness, and her sorrowful eyes seemed to tell of a thousand years of desolation. As the figures in front of him changed, he seemed to see the chosen one—Pangu’s creation as a substitute. A life without a future was so persistent, yet it was ended by the one she trusted most. The six realms of reincarnation seemed predestined, even beyond the reach of gods.

His footsteps stirred up yellow dust on the barren land, which was blown away by the wind. After the figure of the chosen one disappeared, he saw the beautiful faces of July, Ye Luobaihua, and Yu Chenxing. Their thin lips moved slightly, as if voices reached his ears: “We will wait for your return in the City of Eternity.” What was that? Was it willingness, or a promise of waiting?

The figure slowly faded away. A familiar and beautiful face appeared before Liu Yi once again—Lan Yu Chenxing, that lively girl. But why was her face so pale, her gaze so weak? That long-lost yet familiar voice came again: “No matter where you are, in heaven or on earth, in the realm of asuras or hell, Chenxing’s love will always pray for you. Your happiness is my joy…” Unconsciously, his eyes filled with tears, but he smiled as he removed his black gloves and slowly wiped away his tears. He said to himself, “A thousand years of injustice, a bitter life. How fortunate is Liu Yi to have such a kindred spirit? Yet love is gone, affection is dead, the heart is ash. The celestial maiden returns to her place—no regrets in life or death.” At these words, Liu Yi stopped in his tracks. Facing July, Ye Luobaihua, and Yu Chenxing, he owed them too much. Perhaps it would be best for them if it ended sooner.

Liu Yi took out the stone leading to the divine realm, but he didn’t let go of it for a long time, as he thought of Jillie from ten years ago and the conversation they had in the sea of flowers—such a deeply unforgettable, heart-wrenching moment. Suddenly, Liu Yi grasped the black long sword with his right hand and said, “It’s time to end this longing.” Then, with a whoosh, the black sword emitted light. As space twisted, a crack appeared before Liu Yi’s eyes. He sheathed the sword and stepped directly into that black rift.

His affection made him return to the human world once more, to the place of his past happiness and sorrow—the Snowflake Sea. There were his old vows, his old love. Of course, that love was also mixed with past pain. When his feet touched that familiar ground again, he saw the endless white flowers.

In his memories, one day the endless sea of flowers had withered, but now it seemed those wounds had healed. He didn’t know how much time had passed; only that the flowers were blooming once again. So… had his wounds healed? No, they were wounds etched deep into his heart, wounds that could never heal.

In this endless sea of flowers, Liu Yi seemed to hear Jillie’s voice from years ago again. At the same time, he also remembered the pain of that moment. Unconsciously, he blurted out, “Are you okay?” It was just four words. Facing the empty space, only he knew to whom they were addressed.

Just then, a familiar voice made Liu Yi’s breath stop—he could hardly think. “I’m not okay.” Just three words, spoken by a woman. With his current cultivation, no living being within a hundred feet could escape his hearing. Yet in the Snowflake Sea, he didn’t notice anyone behind him—someone who was a woman. If he had to blame anyone, it was the emotions triggered by the scene, which made him forget his surroundings.

But upon hearing those three words, Liu Yi felt as if struck by lightning—his whole body went numb. Though it was just three words, the voice and the emotions were so familiar, so intense—so much longing, so much sorrow…

At that moment, the voice behind him spoke again, “Do you still remember me?” After those words, Liu Yi didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly turned around, though it seemed extremely difficult. For some reason, his body was trembling. It felt like ten thousand years had passed. Finally, he fixed his gaze on the woman. Something seemed to shimmer in his eyes as he shook his head gently and said, “How could I… How could I forget? Love has engraved you in my heart.” Standing across from him was a woman in white. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, petite, with long black hair swaying in the wind. Her hands were placed in front of her, and her eyes also seemed misty. Hearing Liu Yi’s words, she shook her head gently, as if wanting to say something but never did.

Liu Yi stepped forward, grabbed her shoulders, and said excitedly, “Jillian, do you remember me? Do you recognize me?” It turned out that the person standing in front of Liu Yi was none other than Jillian, who had once brought him happiness as well as sorrow in the sea of flowers. But now, Jillian showed no expression at all, merely staring at Liu Yi with her bright eyes.

The sudden coldness made Liu Yi regain some clarity. Slowly, he lowered his hands. Looking at Jillian before him, his heart ached once again. By now, he could no longer tell whether her words were true or false. He had lost his eyes because of her lies, just as his heart was now controlled by her indifference.

Seeing Liu Yi’s change, Jillian slowly stepped back, about thirty feet away, before stopping again. With a deep and sorrowful voice, she asked, “Do you hate me?” Liu Yi didn’t answer right away. In silence, he studied Jillian before him before saying, “Why?” Jillian slowly took out a bell from her sleeve—a purple bell. As she lifted it slightly, the wind blew, causing the purple bell to emit a clear sound. Looking at the bell, Liu Yi seemed to remember something. Weren’t those the bells of Tianjiao? He had seen them with her before and heard that they were lovers’ bells. Why was it in her hands?

While looking at Liu Yi through the bell in her hand, Jillian said, “Lovers’ bells… No matter how far apart they are, whether at the ends of the earth or in heaven and on earth, whenever the bell rings, the beloved will appear before their eyes. What a beautiful fable, what a beautiful story.” Liu Yi exclaimed in surprise, “How do you know that?” Jillian slowly turned her head to the side and said, “He told me.” Only then did Liu Yi realize that, at some point, an old man had appeared beside Jillian. The old man wore white armor and carried a long sword at his waist. Although it had been a long time, Liu Yi quickly recognized that the old man was none other than the “War God.” It could be said that the War God had played a significant role in his journey to where he was now.

The War God looked at Liu Yi and said softly, “It’s been a long time.” Liu Yi ignored the War God’s words and stepped forward in surprise, saying, “Do you really recognize me? Jillian?” As he spoke, he moved toward her.

Suddenly, Jillian raised her hand and said, “Stop, don’t come closer.” The sudden change made Liu Yi halt. He didn’t understand why Jillian, who had remembered him, would say such things. Could it be… that she no longer loved him?

Jillian slowly shook her head and said, “I’m sorry. Forget me…” By the end, she couldn’t even speak anymore.

Jillian’s sudden words left Liu Yi frozen. After a long while, he finally spoke, “Why? Do you not love me anymore?” Hearing his words, Jillian shook her head violently, speaking tremblingly, “Love? How could I not love you? Over these ten years, my love for you has never diminished. If life has a beginning, then you are my end—love for a lifetime. But… how could I have known that the right love might fall to the wrong person? It’s my fault. I’ve hurt you time and again. It’s all my mistake. Forget me.” Liu Yi quickly shook his head and said, “No, I don’t blame you, nor do I hate you. You are the one I love, forever, forever… You shouldn’t say that, nor think that way.” Jillian shook her head and slowly raised the bell in her hand. In the wind, the purple bell rang clearly once again. Jillian’s sad words slowly reached Liu Yi’s ears: “But I can’t, Jillian. I hate myself. I hurt the scholar’s heart and also damaged his eyes. I blame myself. Perhaps, as Uncle War God said, our fate ended ten years ago. There is no happiness, only sorrow… If only, one day, the scholar could remember Jillian, then I would be very happy.” With that, Jillian raised her right hand and threw the purple bell at Liu Yi.

In the air, the purple bell rang clearly. Liu Yi’s gaze was once again drawn to it. As he heard the sound, it seemed as though time in the whole world stopped. The sound of the bell seemed to bring Jillian back to Liu Yi’s side. With a clatter, Liu Yi stretched out his right hand to catch the flying bell, but at the same time, he seemed to hear Jillian’s faint moans.

In an instant, a strong sense of crisis arose in Liu Yi’s mind. He hurriedly looked up and saw a dagger piercing through Jillian’s heart. At that moment, a sad expression appeared on Jillian’s face as her body slowly collapsed. Liu Yi instinctively shouted, “No.” As the sound came out, he rushed to Jillian’s side like the wind.

When he held her again, he seemed to feel her body trembling, slightly cold, as if taking his memories back to ten years ago. The scene from that time reappeared before his eyes. Liu Yi shook his head violently and shouted, “Why? Why did you do this?” Jillian’s small hand grasped Liu Yi’s shoulder. The painful expression on her face gradually turned into sadness. She shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, scholar. You must know that I love you, love you forever. But… when I learned the truth, I couldn’t face myself, I couldn’t forgive myself. I hurt… I hurt the person I loved the most. If only, I hope you can forget Jillian.” By then, the mist in Jillian’s eyes seemed even thicker.

Liu Yi shook his head hurriedly and said, “Why are you so foolish? Do you know? Leaving like this is hurting me. I’m not blaming you…” By now, Liu Yi’s voice was trembling—he was scared, truly scared, afraid that Jillie would leave him again like this.
Hearing this, tears finally streamed down Jillie’s eyes as she said softly, “I’m sorry. Jillie no longer deserves your love…” Her voice had become very faint by then.
At that moment, a weak red glow emanated from Liu Yi’s body, gradually growing brighter. Then, a floating, illusory flower appeared before him. As the flower appeared, new leaves grew from it—the eighth leaf. Looking at this ethereal and elusive flower of the other shore, Liu Yi’s eyes moistened. He didn’t know the name of those tears, but he knew that Jillie’s love and her tears represented her loyalty.
Jillie’s eyes gradually became vacant, yet the sorrowful tears kept falling. Looking at Liu Yi’s clear face, she smiled and said, “Scholar, what a beautiful flower.” Liu Yi nodded. Suddenly remembering something, he pulled the dagger from Jillie’s chest with his right hand. A wave of black energy swept in, forming a vortex that sealed her wound. The blood stopped flowing, and the wound began to heal quickly. Yet, Jillie’s face remained eerily pale.
Liu Yi knew Jillie’s heart was broken. All he could do was protect her body, but he couldn’t bring her back to life. Seeing Liu Yi’s expression, Jillie smiled painfully and said, “Scholar, don’t be sad… Do you still remember what we said here ten years ago? Even if Jillie dies like this, her love will still be with you.” Hearing Jillie’s words, Liu Yi’s thoughts were once again taken back to the sea of flowers ten years ago. How happy ignorance could be. When the truth came to light before them, sorrow followed. It seemed everything was predestined—to obtain the flower of the other shore, Jillie had to die; otherwise, where would those tears come from?
When Liu Yi looked down again, Jillie’s breathing had stopped, her face still wearing a smile, as if she had never shown any pain. Liu Yi simply shook his head gently and bent down to touch Jillie’s face. For a long time—how long, he didn’t know—suddenly, he raised his head, his eyes turning blood red as he fixed his gaze on the War God beside him.

As the God of War saw Liu Yi’s gaze, he involuntarily stepped back. But as soon as his feet stopped moving, a gust of wind swept past him, and a long black sword appeared before his eyes. The wind from the sword blew his snow-white hair. At that moment, Liu Yi’s eyes turned blood-red as he said coldly, “What did you tell Jillie?” The God of War showed no sign of fear and simply said, “I just helped her regain her memory.” Liu Yi shouted, “Regain her memory… Why didn’t you appear earlier to help her?” The God of War looked at Liu Yi’s expression, shook his head, and said, “Are you sad? Everything is already settled. Even if you don’t blame Jillie, she herself cannot forgive herself. Even if I had appeared earlier, it would be useless. Only when that bell returns to her side can I help her regain her memory.” Hearing the God of War’s words, Liu Yi’s mood gradually calmed down. Finally, he put down the long black sword and said, “Why did you do this?” The God of War shook his head and said, “There’s no reason. I just can’t stand Pangu’s methods.” Hearing the God of War’s simple reply, Liu Yi slowly sheathed the sword at his waist and said, “Can you do one last thing for me?” The God of War nodded and said, “Go ahead.” Liu Yi turned to look at Jillie lying on the ground and said, “Help me take her body to that crystal cave from ten years ago. Take care of her until she wakes up again.” The God of War nodded and said, “I can do that.” Liu Yi replied, “Then go.” As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, the God of War walked over to Jillie, lifted her body, and transformed into a white light, disappearing among the sea of flowers.

The wind blew across the endless sea of flowers once again. That solitary figure, with flowing white hair, told the story of a sad love…

Watching the departing God of War, Liu Yi slowly shook his head and murmured to himself, “My lover, thousands of years of suffering are gone now. Sleep well. When you wake up again, you will be free from that damned curse.” Then, Liu Yi slowly raised his hand, looking at the pink lotus flowers in his hand and the eight petals representing eight kinds of tears. He smiled again…

…

The lotus flowers bloom.
Flowers bloom on the other shore, where there is no shore.
Souls fall into the River of Forgetfulness, yet it remains.
In drunkenness, unaware of the vast waves.
In dreams, faintly seeing the cold lights.
Flowers and leaves never meet for a thousand years.
Fate ends and begins, dancing endlessly.
Flowers cannot speak; they only nod their heads.
Buddha saves my heart, yet sighs in emptiness.

The lotus flowers bloom for a thousand years and wither for a thousand years. When the flowers appear, the leaves have already fallen; when the leaves grow, the flowers begin to wither. Though the flowers and leaves share the same roots, they will never meet again, generation after generation.

The lotus flowers bloom—flowers and leaves cherish each other eternally!
The lotus flowers bloom—flowers and leaves are separated forever!
The lotus flowers bloom—I pass by you…