Devilish Disciple [Transmigration] 85

Chapter 85: “Take Me to the North Sea.”

The sea was a boundless, inky blackness.

Her body sank, as if pulled towards the deepest depths.

The icy water enveloped her, threatening to steal her last breath, her heartbeat.

A hand gently grasped hers.

She struggled to open her eyes, only seeing a hazy green light.

…

The shadow of the gnomon shifted silently.

The distant past, a blur of fading memories.

Only the endless wind and snow, falling relentlessly upon a heart trapped in eternal night.

But the storm eventually subsided.

And she opened her eyes.

She saw the boundless, dark blue sea, the towering tree rooted in its depths,

Its blue leaves swaying gently in the sea breeze, a soft, blue light swirling around it.

And above, in the starless night sky, hung a solitary moon, its light painting the distant waves a silvery white.

A faint image of the Jinxu Gui shimmered on the tree, moonlight and spiritual light intertwined.

The gnomon’s shadow stopped, as if waiting for someone to awaken.

She stared at the scene before her, her soul adrift,

Her gaze finally settling on the moon.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen this moon.

But only now did she truly understand its origin, this solitary moon that had appeared in her dreams.

The Heavenly Mirror, meant to protect the human realm, lost in the cracks of time, had traversed four thousand years and found refuge in the deepest part of her sea of consciousness, the most unlikely hiding place.

Even she had only glimpsed it briefly in that dream where she received the Jinxu Gui.

She thought, if she hadn’t taken the Heavenly Mirror then, it would have been entrusted to “Li Yu,” along with the Upper Spirit Lamp and the Jinxu Gui.

But if that were the case, the moon would have been visible to everyone, and Si Qinglan would have known that the object of her millennia-long search was the fallen god who died in the North Sea four thousand years ago.

And Si Qinglan, two hundred years ago, wouldn’t have helped bring Mu Tao to Mount Chao Yao.

Everything was interconnected, every piece essential.

Her return to the past hadn’t changed anything, merely fulfilled a predetermined destiny.

No wonder the system had insisted on it.

If she hadn’t activated the Jinxu Gui to save Mu Tao, none of this would have happened.

Lost in thought, she gazed at the moon, a heavy silence settling upon her.

Her heart felt empty, as if she had lost something precious.

It wasn’t the first time.

No matter how much she tried to avoid it, she was always the one who broke her promises.

The little wolf four thousand years ago, Mu Tao four thousand years later, all they wanted was her companionship. She had promised, yet she always failed them.

The first time, her vows had unknowingly turned into lies.

The second time, it was a deliberate deception.

She knew she couldn’t stay with the little wolf for long, yet she still made that promise, because she didn’t know how else to comfort it on that long, lonely journey away from the North Sea.

Thankfully, there was the Unasking Flower; the little wolf would eventually forget.

It would grow up on Mount Chao Yao, and she would arrive in this world, their destined reunion.

She seemed to hear someone calling her name.

An anxious, desperate cry, laced with fear.

Perhaps it was time to wake up.

The events of four thousand years ago were settled, a fixed point in time.

No matter her regrets, she couldn’t change anything.

She sighed softly, lowered her gaze, walked towards the towering tree, and gently touched it under the moonlight.

Ripples of blue light spread from where her fingers touched, illuminating the dark blue sea.

The shadow of the gnomon moved again.

The darkness, the light, the sea, the tree, all blurred and faded.

As everything dissolved into nothingness, she stared at the shadow of the gnomon, her body feeling heavy again.

A hazy consciousness, and faint, urgent voices echoed in her ears.

“Li Yu…”

“Li Yu! Wake up!”

A gentle warmth enveloped her, easing the deep-seated pain.

She slowly opened her eyes and, through the green light, saw a pair of worried eyes.

Netherbloom Flowers bloomed in her peripheral vision, their faint light a gentle glow.

So much time seemed to have passed, she had almost forgotten she was supposed to be in the Demon Realm.

“You finally decided to wake up!” Si Qinglan’s voice was filled with anxiety and annoyance. “Why wouldn’t you come out no matter how hard I tried to pull you?”

“…”

“Why didn’t you just die in there and save me the trouble?!”

“…”

Seriously, what was this?

Demanding that she wake up, then complaining about her not dying…

“Do you have any idea, the Jinxu Gui almost stopped working! I don’t even know how to activate it!” Si Qinglan sounded close to tears. “If you hadn’t come out in time, your soul would have been lost in some random time period, and no one could have saved you!”

“I didn’t know…”

“You!” Frustrated, Si Qinglan rolled her eyes, her own eyes slightly red.

Li Yu: “Thank you, Si Qinglan.”

Si Qinglan: “…”

Li Yu: “For trusting me, two hundred years ago.”

Si Qinglan: “…”

Li Yu chuckled softly, her pale lips barely forming a smile.

Her breath was shallow, her body weak, as if she could faint at any moment.

But she couldn’t afford to lose consciousness; the system showed less than four days remaining for her final mission.

The surrounding barrier dissipated, and healing spiritual energy enveloped her. She struggled to sit up, focusing on regulating her breathing.

The Jinxu Gui reappeared in her palm, and she put it into her spatial pouch.

Si Qinglan frowned and muttered, “It wasn’t just…blind trust.”

Li Yu: “I know.”

Si Qinglan: “Everything was so strange, I just…wanted to know the truth.”

Li Yu: “And how close are you to figuring it out now?”

Si Qinglan lowered her gaze, then said softly, “After you activated the Jinxu Gui…I think I understand… The you from that year…was indeed the you from now.”

Li Yu smiled faintly, closed her eyes, and took a deep, shaky breath.

“What happened four thousand years ago? That moon you showed me, was it from the North Sea?” Si Qinglan asked, her eyes filled with confusion. “And Mu Tao’s Demon Bone, how is it connected to the Heavenly Demon?”

“The North Sea four thousand years ago…it was a beautiful place…” Li Yu’s voice was low, her eyes filled with a deep sadness as she looked at Si Qinglan. “It was home to the kindest god, and it had the brightest, gentlest moonlight.”

“…”

“The ancient god they say willingly fell into darkness…she was the one who absorbed the world’s resentment, prevented the calamity.” Li Yu lowered her gaze, a bitter smile on her lips. “She sacrificed herself, accepted millennia of infamy, to cleanse the human realm.”

“…”

“But she also had…things she couldn’t let go of, attachments to this world.” Li Yu clutched her sleeve tightly. “The Demon Bone…wasn’t originally a Demon Bone, just a fragment of obsession, a piece of herself she left behind. And the child she raised, unable to bear seeing that last piece of her disappear…merged with it…”

Si Qinglan stared at Li Yu’s red-rimmed eyes, speechless.

“That moon…is called the Heavenly Mirror. Like the Upper Spirit Lamp, it’s another lock sealing the Heavenly Demon…” Li Yu said. “A hidden lock, unseen by the world.”

“But it’s not just a lock, it’s also…the only light in the cold, dark, eternal night of the North Sea.”

“If you had seen that moonlit island, the snow falling under the moonlight, the silver waves on the dark sea…”

“Or…seen that frail figure, walking resolutely into the starlight as the moonlight faded…”

“You would also understand…how difficult it is…to let go of that past, buried in darkness and snow…”

Her soft words, her gentle tone, couldn’t hide her sadness.

She knew everything, yet she couldn’t change anything, could only watch as that past crumbled before her eyes.

“Li Yu…” Si Qinglan wanted to offer comfort, but the words felt hollow.

She had never seen Li Yu so heartbroken, yet even now, she was holding back, trying to maintain her composure.

Couldn’t she cry?

She saw Li Yu raise her hand.

A flash of light, and a snow-white pearl appeared.

Si Qinglan: “This is…?”

Li Yu: “This is…from that ancient god, for you.”

Si Qinglan stared at the pearl, her eyes widening slightly.

“She said, she could give you divine power, but not immortal destiny. You achieved immortality through your own efforts, you shouldn’t have…given up your opportunity because of her.” Li Yu’s voice was soft. “She offers you this…as a token of apology, hoping it will help you progress further on your path.”

“…”

After a long silence, Si Qinglan solemnly accepted the pearl.

As the snow-white light flowed into her palm, she seemed to see, once again, that gentle moonlight amidst the falling rain and the green mist.

Her lifelong obsession, beginning with a sliver of divine power, now ending with it.

She could finally let go.

“Si Qinglan,” Li Yu said, “Take me to the North Sea, there are still things…I need to tell you.”

“Okay,” Si Qinglan replied softly, gently helping Li Yu up.

She didn’t ask any further questions,

Just saw, in Li Yu’s eyes, an unwavering resolve she had never seen before.

There were people in this world who, even on the verge of collapse, could still keep going.

And she believed that such a person could withstand the darkness.