Within the painted realm.

Huang Rang finally found that swing. She sat down on it, her hands gripping the ropes on either side. Sunlight shone down softly, split precisely by the maple leaves, scattering a patch of dark gold upon her.

Beneath Huang Rang’s feet was a stretch of soft grass. She touched down lightly with her toes, and the swing began to sway leisurely. She closed her eyes, feeling as if she were a leaf drifting through the air.

Finally, she rested her head against the rope and actually fell asleep.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when footsteps sounded. The footsteps were extremely light, yet Huang Rang jolted awake—I mustn’t be dreaming!

She looked up in alarm to see Di Yiqiu still wearing purple official robes, with a jade belt at his waist and official boots on his feet. He wore a black official hat embroidered with golden thread depicting wings spread as if ready to take flight.

Over all these years, he had rarely changed his attire.

Ah, he simply had no other clothes.

Huang Rang gazed at him. Because his beard had grown so long, he no longer looked like the image in her memory. Yet she still laughed aloud, and the alarm from moments ago vanished without a trace in that instant.

—Di Yiqiu, as long as you are here, I am willing whether this is dream or reality.

Di Yiqiu walked behind her, placed both hands against her back, and gave a gentle push. The swing then soared high into the air.

Huang Rang’s pale golden dress fluttered in layers in the clear breeze and bright sunlight. Her hands gripped the ropes as her entire body rose high to meet the blue sky, then slowly retreated back to the ground.

Di Yiqiu stood behind her and realized that her entire being was even more radiant than when they first met. And himself… He turned his head and glanced at the sunlight filtering through the maple leaves.

—And he himself no longer liked such bright light.

“Di Yiqiu?” Huang Rang called softly.

Behind her, Di Yiqiu responded, “Mm?”

Hearing his response, Huang Rang finally felt at ease and said, “Not being able to see your face makes this feel so unreal.”

So when the swing retreated to the ground again, Di Yiqiu held the ropes still. He slowly walked in front of Huang Rang, knelt down on one knee, and reached out to embrace her. Huang Rang put her arms around his neck, her fingers gently playing with his earlobe.

Such a wonderful atmosphere—of course it called for a reunion after a long separation.

—I really am impure in the six roots. Whether I become a deity or not, this is my nature.

While Huang Rang scorned herself, she leaned closer, her red lips parting slightly to nibble on his ear.

Di Yiqiu should understand such a hint. After Di Sanmeng, he had certainly weathered great storms. But at this moment, after a slight hesitation, he immediately released Huang Rang. He stood up and turned his back. After a long while, he said, “Though this place is tranquil, it is merely a void realm within a painting. Let me take you outside for a walk.”

Having said this, he formed a hand seal, and Huang Rang’s entire view changed abruptly.

The jade lake, crimson maples, the swing—everything receded. She had returned to the not-yet-completed Goddess Temple.

Di Yiqiu stood before her, slowly rolling up the painting scroll and putting it away.

He had bathed and his robes were fresh, but the beard on his face had indeed gone untended for quite some time.

Huang Rang knew he was deliberately avoiding something. Though puzzled, she wouldn’t say so directly.

—During these decades she was absent, he must have lived through tremendous hardship. Strange behavior was nothing unusual. She took Di Yiqiu’s hand and said, “We can go see my…”

She paused, then smiled again and said, “My mother must no longer be here.”

Di Yiqiu was silent for a moment, then said, “Right after I pulled out the Soul-Anchoring Bone-Fixing needle from your head, she and Huang Yang both…” He exerted effort several times but still couldn’t speak the remaining words. Though Huang Rang’s heart ached, she still smiled and said, “As expected. Come, then I’ll go see my sister, and Uncle and Aunt…”

The tears forced out by those wounds were slowly swallowed back. She took Di Yiqiu’s hand and said, “They should all still be here, right?”

Di Yiqiu hummed in acknowledgment, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Huang Rang understood and asked, “Don’t tell me that over these years, you haven’t kept in touch with them?”

Di Yiqiu didn’t answer. Huang Rang raised her hand and gently smoothed his beard and hair, asking, “How long has it been since you returned to the Si Tianjian?”

But this question too was met with his silence.

Huang Rang embraced his neck and pressed her head forcefully into his chest. After a long time, she took a deep breath and said, “Come, let’s go find Uncle and Aunt first! In Di Sanmeng, my sister learned swordsmanship from Aunt, so maybe she’s at the Ruyi Sword Sect right now!”

She led Di Yiqiu forward, and he didn’t object.

Both moved quickly, and before long, the Ruyi Sword Sect appeared before them.

Time had hurried through thirty-seven years, but for an immortal sect, this span of time wasn’t enough to change much.

Huang Rang stood before the sect gate, looking at that heaven-piercing treasured sword. In that instant, past events overlapped and intersected.

Di Yiqiu didn’t step forward. Huang Rang said quietly, “Better if you send your calling card. My sudden resurrection from the dead might frighten them.”

“Me?” Di Yiqiu frowned.

Huang Rang was surprised. “Won’t that work?”

Di Yiqiu said nothing and could only present his calling card. Before long, the gate-guarding disciple emerged and said, “The Jianzheng begs pardon. Today the Sect Master and his wife are not available. The Jianzheng please return.”

The words were spoken politely, but Huang Rang froze.

—If the people weren’t present, the gate-guarding disciple wouldn’t have announced him.

This response now clearly indicated that the couple He Xijin and his wife were unwilling to receive visitors.

Huang Rang looked at Di Yiqiu, but he wasn’t surprised. He said, “I’ll think of another way.”

“They… is it because you pulled out my Soul-Anchoring Bone-Fixing needle back then?” Huang Rang forcefully suppressed the trembling in her voice.

Di Yiqiu hummed in acknowledgment, his expression bland, as if this were merely an insignificant matter. Huang Rang grasped his hand, unable to imagine what kind of cold and lonely world he had lived in after she left.

Huang Rang took a deep breath, then forced out a smile and whispered in his ear, “Do you think the two of us could sneak in?”

Di Yiqiu frowned and said, “Force our way in?”

As someone from the imperial court, he had always been mindful of propriety. He said, “Such behavior is probably not appro—”

Before the word “appropriate” could leave his mouth, Huang Rang took his hand and, her form swift as wind, brazenly charged inside!

The guard disciples hadn’t reacted yet when they felt two whirlwinds blow past them. Only after the whirlwinds had long passed did the two disciples see two faint afterimages.

“Someone is trespassing into the sect!” The entire Ruyi Sword Sect immediately descended into chaos.

The two afterimages charged inside like madmen until they crashed into Qu Manying, sending her sprawling!

Qu Manying had first heard the sect disciples’ warning. She had just stepped out her door when she was struck full-on by a tremendous force. Her eyes filled with stars. With great difficulty, she made out one person—Si Tianjian’s Jianzheng, Di Yiqiu!

Upon first seeing Di Yiqiu, Qu Manying was also stunned.

The beard on his face showed clear signs of long neglect. But quickly, Qu Manying’s compassion vanished entirely. Her willow-leaf eyebrows rose sharply as she said coldly, “The Jianzheng trespasses into our sect—does he not know what propriety means?”

Just then, the other afterimage also scrambled up from the ground and called out, “Aunt!”

Qu Manying started. When she turned around, she saw that all-too-familiar person!

“A-A-A…” She stared at the person before her, both shocked and uncertain. At this moment, He Xijin had already arrived. Sword in hand, but upon seeing Huang Rang at a glance, he too was struck dumb.

After a long while, he finally asked, “Wh-what what is go-going on here?”

He was so agitated he almost stopped stuttering. Qu Manying looked around and said, “Come inside to talk.”

He Xijin sensed something unusual and first led the two inside. Qu Manying pacified the sect disciples before hurrying inside herself.

Huang Rang held her hot tea and explained everything about how she had awakened.

He Xijin listened with deeply furrowed brows. After a long time, he said, “You-you’re say-saying that you-you, be-be-because of of of in-incense of-offerings, you re-re-revived?”

Huang Rang said, “Precisely.” She closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then said, “Now all my power comes entirely from the incense offerings at the various Goddess Temples.”

Even someone as well-traveled as He Xijin felt quite alarmed.

After thinking briefly, he said, “What-what what ev-evidence is is there?”

Qu Manying’s brow creased as she understood her husband’s meaning. Could this be some demon from somewhere impersonating Huang Rang?

She examined Huang Rang carefully. Huang Rang said, “Inside the sword hilt of that treasured sword at the sect gate, I discovered Uncle’s secret stash…” Before her words finished, He Xijin grabbed a tribute fruit from the table and forcefully shoved it into her mouth!

Qu Manying looked at He Xijin. He Xijin said, “Non-non-nonsense!”

Lady He stood up and strode out!

Sect Master He immediately said, “Wi-wi-wife…” He wanted to chase after her but didn’t dare! After a long time, he turned back and flicked Huang Rang on the forehead!

Qu Manying quickly returned, clutching a large stack of banknotes. She pointed at Sect Master He and said, “You just wait!”

Having said this, she took Huang Rang’s hand and said, “Good child, that you can have this day is truly Heaven’s great blessing. Aunt will immediately send someone to fetch Jun’er. Our family will celebrate properly!”

Sect Master He had lost all his secret stash but dared to be angry yet not speak out. He said, “This-this mat-matter must-must not be pu-publicized!”

“Why not?” Qu Manying said, “Ah Rang’s revival precisely demonstrates that the Heavenly Dao rewards good and punishes evil, supremely great and impartial!”

He Xijin said, “No-no no…”

Di Yiqiu supplemented, “Sect Master He means that because Ah Rang was revived through incense offerings and people’s aspirations, it could very likely cause those with ulterior motives to develop greedy thoughts again.”

He Xijin quickly said, “Right!”

Qu Manying was slightly stunned but quickly understood as well.

He Xijin was right.

The path Huang Rang was now walking was one that no predecessors had ever attempted.

If everyone knew, those who sought immortality and eternal life—who knew what they might do?

He Xijin said, “Shi-Shi Wen-Wenyu’s ca-calamity has just-just been qui-quieted. Can-cannot let an-another di-disaster ar-arise.”

Huang Rang pondered for a long while, then said, “Uncle speaks truly. It seems I cannot reveal my identity. This is actually fine—Huang Rang is already dead anyway. In the future, I’ll just change my name.”

Huang Rang’s current reputation was revered by all people. Yet she unhesitatingly and decisively abandoned it.

He Xijin sighed and said, “This-this is al-also for-for your your good.”

Huang Rang nodded and said, “Uncle’s far-sighted vision commands admiration!” Having said this, she wore a grateful expression and said, “Then I won’t tell Aunt about the secret stash Uncle hides in the soles of his shoes!”

Di Yiqiu had just taken a mouthful of hot tea and sprayed it all over the floor with a “pfft.”