Bai Yunsheng picked up the book and began reading its contents aloud.
If anyone is reading this book, it means we are no longer alive...
Greetings, traveler, my name is Ren-Shu. I am the personal bodyguard of Princess Zhu Xing-Xing of the Dongfang Kingdom. Now former...
After reading the first lines of the book, Bai Yunsheng frowned, trying to remember where he had heard that name.
"The Dongfang Kingdom... Wait..." memories from the book began to come to mind.
« — Excuse me, could you tell us what this place is?" Zhou Yulong asked, approaching the guards at the entrance to the city.
They looked at him with raised eyebrows, but answered.
— How could you not know you're in the capital of the Dongfang Kingdom if you came here yourself?...»
"Volume 3, Chapter 50, Paragraph 45. Zhou Yulong ascended to the Immortal Realm at the end of Volume 3, and Volume 4 is about him joining a low-ranking cultivator sect and raising their ranks."
"But most importantly, the Dongfang Kingdom is in the Immortal Realm. So how did an immortal's item end up in the Mortal Realm?!"
"Did an immortal descend into the Mortal Realm?!" Bai Yunsheng whispered softly.
Li Yuhua, watching his reaction, raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.
Shaking his head, Bai Yunsheng continued reading.
I dedicated my entire life to serving the princess and protecting her from all adversity.
One day, His Majesty Zhu Shou-Xing gave me the task of clearing out a village on the outskirts of the kingdom, rumored to be inhabited by a disciple of the demonic arts.
Clutching my sword tightly, I set out with a determined gaze toward the village, determined to fulfill His Majesty's will and save the locals from the oppression of the demons.
Upon arriving, I discovered a strange scene. The locals were living peacefully and enjoying life. And although demonic energy lingered within each of them, their health was in no danger. Something was wrong...
I continued exploring the village. The locals welcomed me and treated me well, as if I weren't some stranger, but a native of their village who had finally returned to his homeland.
As soon as I was led to the healer, I froze in place.
An incredibly beautiful girl with long black hair and porcelain skin appeared before me. A gentle smile and half-closed eyes painted her face. She was dressed modestly, but that seemed to make her even more beautiful. And all I could think was that the goddess herself had descended before me.
However, as soon as she opened her eyes and lips to greet me, I froze again, but this time not because of her beauty.
A pair of demonic eyes with dark crypts and red pupils stared at me. Her teeth were sharpened, and her fangs were long, like those of a venomous snake.
Only then did I sense the demonic energy within her. A wave of powerful energy washed over me, suppressing any desire to fight. A shiver ran down my spine, my mouth rolled down my cheek, my grip on my sword tightened, and every instinct screamed at me, "This creature must be killed immediately!"
But something unexpected happened. This demon, out of nowhere, grabbed my cheeks and kissed me passionately.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. For a second, I was stunned, but when I came to my senses, I pushed her away and wiped my lips. My face was flushed crimson.
— Finally, I've found you, my love! — she said, looking at me with a happy face and hugging me tightly.
I tried to push her away again, but her grip was insanely tight.
— What are you talking about, demon?! Leave me alone!" I screamed, my face flushed with anger and embarrassment, trying to break free from her grip.
But the demon didn't let up. She pressed herself tightly against me, burying her face in my chest and sniffing me with a strange smile.
— Even though your body is different, I'll never forget that scent! Hehehe~
The locals of this village looked at us with affection, as if witnessing a long-separated couple reunited.
— What the hell is going on here?! Who the hell are you, demon?! — I screamed, trying to push her away, but I felt her drool soak into my shirt.
She froze for a moment, then looked up at me with a sad expression and stroked my cheek.
— My name is La-Mei. And I'm your wife!
These words struck me like lightning, and I looked at her as if she were crazy.
— You may not remember me, but in our past lives we were truly a couple, but the heavens themselves were against our love, and we were attacked. All our loved ones betrayed us, and only we remained.
— Day after day, year after year, you and I fled from pursuit and fought side by side. However, due to my pregnancy, we couldn't escape for long and ultimately fell in battle.
— But now fate granted us a chance to start over, and now we're together again! — she finished her story and snuggled into me again.
I still couldn't believe it. I mean, who would even believe such nonsense, when some woman claims to be your wife from a past life and throws herself at you?! Especially if she's a demon!!!
As if she were feeling my skepticism, La-May looked at me with a gentle smile and stroked my cheek.
— I understand. It's hard to believe, but I know how to prove to you the truth of my words... — she said, and before I could ask "how," she kissed me on the lips.
I was stunned again. However, this kiss was different from the last one. This time, I felt her pouring her energy into me. Not demonic, but something else. Something cool.
I felt my energy, which usually rages like a storm, calm and cool slightly.
Instinctively, as if I did this every day, I responded to the kiss, pouring my energy into her.
And then, all sorts of information flooded my head. Images of a man and a woman who had always been together, always enjoying every moment of their lives, and how they rejoiced at the news that the woman was pregnant, flashed before my eyes. Then I saw them fight together, how they perfectly matched each other's rhythm, how they covered each other's weaknesses, and how they complemented each other.
And finally, I saw them meet their end.
The man, covered in countless wounds and pierced by swords, lay in the lap of his beloved, who was no less wounded.
They were both on the brink of death, and the woman had been ripped open in the stomach, making childbearing impossible.
But... They were smiling! Despite the tears streaming down their faces, they were happy that they could at least die together.
And the last thing I saw was their kiss. Their last kiss...
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I didn't notice how we had long since broken apart.
La-May, seeing my tears, took my cheeks and rested her forehead on mine.
I hugged her tightly, as if afraid she might disappear, and buried my face in her shoulder. Tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking into her clothes, and I felt her caress my back.
When I looked at her, I saw her smiling happily, her cheeks also wet with tears.
Holding her tightly, I firmly resolved that this time I would protect her and not let her be alone and suffer in solitude anymore!
Bai Yunsheng continued reading, trying to learn as much as he could, even though this kind of information made him feel sleepy.
Looking at Li Yuhua, he sighed, seeing her cry, as if reading a touching drama.
The days passed, and La-Mei and I began living together. I decided to make up for the lost time we spent after reincarnation.
With each passing day, I learned more about her, and she learned more about me.
When I learned how the cultivators of the righteous and demonic paths treated her, I was angry, but I couldn't help it. After all, I had originally come to kill her. However, I still tried to remember the names of everyone who had hurt her.
Meanwhile, whenever La-Mei heard anyone talk about the princess, she clenched her fists and smiled tensely. She squeezed my hand and pressed herself closer to me.
With each passing day, we grew closer, and our bond grew stronger.
I also understood why the locals treated me so well. It turns out I grew up in this village until I was five, and as soon as I turned six, I was taken to the capital as a servant.
It's strange that these old people still remember me...
However, our happy reunion didn't last long. Soon, a few months later, armed men came to the village.
I recognized them... They were warriors in the service of the king.
La-May and I hid and watched from afar, but as soon as our eyes fell on the village elder, who had come out to negotiate with the captain, he was killed on the spot.
Without further ado, the warriors began slaughtering the innocent villagers.
Without a single merciless slaughter, they killed men, women, the elderly, and children.
I wanted to intervene, but La-May and one of the local children talked me out of it.
Gritting my teeth, I fled the village with La-May while the child tried to distract the warriors.
Just before leaving, one woman begged us to take her newborn baby with us, and we swore an oath to take care of her child.
So the three of us fled the village, and the last thing I saw were the happy smiles of the locals as the capital's warriors mercilessly slaughtered them.
After that, I was accused of conspiring with a demon and a bounty was placed on my head. But I didn't care. What mattered most was the safety of my wife and now our child.
So, just like in our previous life, La-Mei and I once again fled from our enemies.
Using the technique we developed together in our previous life, we grew stronger. And the child grew up healthy, and we named him Yun Lang, caring for him like our own son.
As the years passed, La-Mei and I continued to live on the run, fighting enemies when the situation demanded, earning the title "Demonic Lovers."
Yun Lang grew up under our care, and when he turned five, we learned that he had a golden cultivation root, signifying rapid growth and talent for cultivation.
We were delighted by this news and trained our son together.
Thanks to me, Yun Lang became a master of close-quarters combat and various fo techniques and he learned many demonic techniques thanks to La-Mei, which didn't require sacrifice and had few significant side effects.
When Yun Lang turned 16, we received further news. La-Mei was pregnant. So we celebrated two holidays at once.
However, even this happiness didn't last long.
The heavens thundered. The seas raged. Beasts roared in frenzy, and across the world, the phrase "Kill the sinners who mixed blood!" rang out in the minds of every living being.
It was the same as in our past life, and we fled again.
The pregnant La-Mei couldn't fight, so Yun Lang protected her, while I fought off our enemies alone. And so it was for a whole year, both before and after the birth of our second child.
Nine months later, a girl was born, whom we named Ming-Zhu.
Three months later, the Ascension Gate opened. An event that happens once every 100 years. When the Ascension Gate opens, someone who has become immortal in the mortal realm can enter the immortal realm.
When I was working as Princess Zhu Xingxing's bodyguard, I found a book that said the Ascension Gate also works in reverse, meaning an immortal can descend into the immortal realm! This is our chance!
Having gathered all our things, La-Mei, Yun Lang, Ming-Zhu, and I headed for the Ascension Gate.
When the inhabitants of the mortal realm began to emerge from the Ascension Gate, we sent an opportune time and, unbeknownst to everyone, entered the portal.
However, for unknown reasons, only La-Mei and I were able to pass through the gate, leaving our children outside.
— Father! Mother! — Yun Lang cried, holding the crying Ming-Zhu in his arms.
— My children! — La-Mei shouted back, trying to walk back, but something was blocking us.
My wife and I tried to get back to our children, but the gate wouldn't let us, and as soon as the last person from the mortal realm passed through, the gate began to close.
— Yun Lang! Listen carefully! Mom and I will figure something out and come back for you! And you take care of your sister while we're gone! — I shouted, trying to force my way through the gate.
The sight of my children crying crushed my heart.
Yun Lang, realizing there was nothing we could do now, nodded decisively.
— We will wait for you! And I definitely will take care of my sister! — was the last thing La-Mei and I heard before the gate closed.
And so we separated. The parents remained in the mortal realm, and the children in the immortal realm.
La-Mei and I created a special space within Wangmei Volcano and were determined to find a way back.
Bai Yunsheng felt conflicted as he read the book. On the one hand, it was a touching love story, but on the other... He was still trying to recall the details of his sister's original novel.
Meanwhile, Li Yuhua sadly read the book, crying like a girl reading a sad drama.
"Is this really the Li Yuhua from my sister's book?" — Bai Yunsheng thought every time he looked at her...
He continued reading:
If you, traveler, are reading this book, then we are no longer alive. La-Mei and I did everything in our power, but nothing worked.
Deciding to leave behind at least something before we died, my wife and I left behind the instructions for the dual cultivation technique...
To be continued...