Jiang Wan was holding the lantern. Her fair face, illuminated by the lamplight, seemed even whiter than frost and snow. Her eyes didn’t hold Anu’s coldness, but rather a profound compassion.
Shen Sheng hadn’t expected the other party to recognize her. She pointed at the mirror. “What is this?”
“The Prajna Mirror. It reveals your past. Prajna City doesn’t accept gods or Demigods of unknown origin.” Jiang Wan approached Shen Sheng, lifting a hand to gently trace her brows and eyes.
Jiang Wan’s body temperature was on the warm side, her warmth radiating outwards.
The familiar touch reminded Shen Sheng of their wedding night. She understood the source of this heat.
Shen Sheng froze, her breathing slightly unsteady.
Jiang Wan’s fingertip pressed gently against her brow, and a beam of light entered it. She withdrew her hand, clasping them behind her back as before. “Let’s go.”
Her familiarity left Shen Sheng rooted to the spot. “Go where?”
“To my home.” Jiang Wan, holding her lantern, led the way.
Shen Sheng followed her through the city gate, looking left and right. There wasn’t a single guard in sight. Curious, she asked, “No one guards it?”
“It’s not necessary. You were able to approach because Prajna City sensed the Divine Power within you.” Jiang Wan’s voice was gentle, her tone melodious. Lacking that cold aura, it was extremely pleasant to hear.
Passing through the gate, the street ahead resembled the mortal world. But here, every house left its doors open through the night. You could hear people talking inside.
Jiang Wan explained to her, “Here, there are no rules, no laws. You can do almost anything you want.”
Shen Sheng was incredulous. “How can there be no rules?”
“Those who can enter Prajna City are all inherently kind,” Jiang Wan said.
Shen Sheng pouted. To put it simply, no one was here to govern, a lack of proper administration.
Walking along the deserted night path, the sound of their footsteps weighed on Shen Sheng’s heart. Finally, her anxious heart settled. She asked, “Do you know me?”
“I don’t know you, but I know there is a Lovesickness Gu linking us.” Jiang Wan was frank. “You might not know the origins of the Lovesickness Gu. I can tell you.”
She was vastly different from the State Preceptor. She would carefully explain the history of the Lovesickness Gu.
She said, “The Lovesickness Gu isn’t actually a poison, but a bond. If two people are in love, planting the Lovesickness Gu allows one to bear the other’s pain. If one betrays the other, both will be annihilated, body and soul. It’s a gamble with one’s life.”
“If you win the bet, you gain a lifetime of happiness. If you lose, both your divine soul and spirit are extinguished. Soul Dissipated.”
Shen Sheng was deeply shaken. “Why gamble? Isn’t simply loving each other enough?”
“After love, people can become greedy, or unwilling to see the other suffer, wanting to bear their pain instead. They think their love is deep, but it’s actually a form of bondage.” Jiang Wan’s tone was light, filled with compassion.
Standing in the darkness, Shen Sheng looked at her, as if seeing a gentle side of the State Preceptor.
She said, “I came to tell you that the South River Water will dry up. That Evil Devil might not necessarily be an Evil Devil. If you kill it, the gods will fall, and the South River Water will be gone.”
“I know,” Jiang Wan’s voice was soft and gentle. “I’ve known for a long time.”
Shen Sheng was puzzled. “How did you know?”
Jiang Wan gave an enigmatic smile. “Because of you.”
Shen Sheng was bewildered. “Why because of me?”
Jiang Wan didn’t answer. Instead, she gazed into the distance. Her face slowly paled, but a smile rose on her lips. “Shen Sheng, let’s get married. Accept the blessings of the gods. We can have beautiful children.”
Shen Sheng: “…” Wait, the latter part of this story feels familiar.
Shen Sheng said, puzzled, “We just met.”
“Is that so? Can we not marry just because we’ve just met?” Jiang Wan’s smile deepened. She reached out and grasped Shen Sheng’s cold wrist. “Am I beautiful?”
At the straightforward question, Shen Sheng’s cheeks flushed. Embarrassed, she nodded. “Yes, beautiful.”
“A beautiful woman will make people pause and take a second glance. That is our confidence.”
Jiang Wan’s voice was very soft and light, like a gentle breeze, as if afraid to disturb all things.
Shen Sheng touched her own ear, her heart involuntarily warming. She smiled foolishly. “Your voice is so nice.”
Jiang Wan smiled shyly. A blush rose on her cool, white cheeks. “I’m glad you like it.”
They arrived before a grand hall. Jiang Wan led Shen Sheng into her home.
The interior was magnificent, wreathed in ethereal Immortal Qi. Shen Sheng felt a pleasure in both body and mind. Here, she had an impulse to act freely and recklessly.
Sitting on a soft cushion, Jiang Wan brought her favorite pastries. Maidservants stood outside the hall, whispering. When Shen Sheng looked over, they boldly smiled at her.
Jiang Wan didn’t shoo them away. Instead, she asked them, “Isn’t she beautiful?”
Shen Sheng was not a soft maiden. The killing intent she carried had transformed into a heroic spirit. Her every gesture held a sense of righteousness.
The maidservants nodded, then left, giggling amongst themselves.
After they left, Jiang Wan closed the door and sat down in front of Shen Sheng with practiced ease. She told her, “There is an Evil Devil who has slaughtered countless Immortals. We are trying to find a way to eliminate it.”
“Who exactly is this Evil Devil?” Shen Sheng feigned curiosity. The fact that the South River Water dried up after the Evil Devil was killed was very suspicious.
Jiang Wan didn’t elaborate. She just looked at Shen Sheng deeply and asked, “Have you been well?”
“I came here under the instructions of your future self, hoping to prevent a tragedy. Why are you looking at me like that?” Shen Sheng feebly rubbed her blushing cheeks.
Jiang Wan lowered her gaze. “The Evil Devil is at the river bottom. They don’t know it’s at the bottom of the river. The Evil Devil has taken over the South River. To kill it, the South River must be destroyed.”
“This…” Shen Sheng was shocked, instinctively looking at the hall she was in.
Prajna City’s entire existence depended on the South River.
She asked Jiang Wan, “What has the Evil Devil done?”
“It devours the souls of Divine Beings to cultivate. If it’s not stopped, it will become incredibly powerful in time. When that happens, darkness will cover the world.”
Shen Sheng cupped her chin in her hand. These matters felt far too distant from her.
Back home with the Shen Family, under her parents’ protection, all she’d heard about was how the common people lived in peace and prosperity, and how clear and bright the world was.
Later, when her father and brother died in battle, the Shen family was ridiculed. Unable to bear the mockery, she shouldered her pack, led her horse, and—as the youngest daughter of the Shen family—took command of the Shen Family Army.
She used her martial skills and the knowledge taught by her father and brother to recapture Juzhou City.
In that moment, she felt like a hero. But now, she felt her previous thoughts had been too narrow-minded.
The nation in peril, the very existence of the world… she had suddenly gained a broader perspective.
She nodded and said, “Shall we go to the river bottom and take a look?”
“You can’t. You don’t know anything,” Jiang Wan said, lifting Shen Sheng’s hand and slipping her own hand into Shen Sheng’s sleeve.
Shen Sheng tried to pull back, but her arm was held firmly. A numbing sensation spread from her skin, and she froze.
From Shen Sheng’s sleeve, Jiang Wan pulled out a thick stack of talisman papers. She was taken aback.
Jiang Wan laughed. Her finger brushed against the girl’s soft skin. She took the Talisman Papers and said, “These talismans are good against Little Demons, but here, they’re not very useful.”
Shen Sheng laughed awkwardly, wanting to say these were your gifts. In a thousand years, these talismans would be immensely useful.
They talked for a while longer. As dawn broke, Shen Sheng grew tired. Jiang Wan led her to her bed. “Sleep if you’re tired.”
Shen Sheng hadn’t slept in a proper bed for a long time. She gave a sheepish smile. To have the luxury of sleeping in a bed here was extremely rare.
Jiang Wan was beautiful and gentle. How could she become that crazy, obsessive Anu?
Shen Sheng couldn’t figure it out. She was tired. Closing her eyes, she decided to sleep first and think later.
Once she was asleep, Jiang Wan left and went to the main hall.
Prajna City was a symbol of the South River’s power—a city in the sky, a unique and beautiful existence.
Jiang Wan sat alone on the throne, leaning to one side, gazing into the void.
The Elders of Prajna City entered. Seven figures, each representing a color. Jiang Wan straightened up. “For you to come together, it can’t be for a simple matter.”
“I heard the South River sent you a beautiful girl?” Fu Kong was the first to smile. “Didn’t you say you would pursue the Great Dao?”
“Who cares about the Great Dao? Having a beauty is enough,” Luo Shui teased, her curiosity piqued. “I hear she shares a Lovesickness Gu with the Clan Leader.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Jiang Wan said, without hiding anything.
Sang Xuan said, surprised, “That wife of yours has returned?” The world assumed the Clan Leader was pursuing the Great Dao, but the truth was, she’d had the Lovesickness Gu for a long time.
Betrayal under the Lovesickness Gu meant Soul Dissipated. Even separation didn’t permit a change of heart.
“She somehow came back again,” Jiang Wan slightly raised an eyebrow, a rare hint of youthful pride in her expression.
Yet her features remained gentle. She softly stroked the patterns on her sleeve.
Since she came back, she came. Jiang Wan looked up at the others. “Instead of searching for the Evil Devil, why are you all here?”
“Since she’s back, should you marry? Clan Leader, if you marry, she won’t run away. Drink the South River Water and if a little one comes, Prajna City will have a little Clan Leader,” Sang Xuan said with a mischievous laugh. Er Kong glared at her, “Your head is always full of bad ideas.”
