Er Sheng suddenly remembered something from long ago, when she and Chang Yuan were together in the Return Dragon Valley – those massive dragon pillars reaching into the sky, covered in dense characters for “resentment,” like swords formed from unwilling qi pointing straight at the heavens.

“Because you harbor such sky-piercing resentment, I mistakenly thought you were a great evil one and admitted you into the Desolate City,” Nu Yuan said. “The Desolate City does not accept the innocent. When the time is right, I will open the city gates and send you out.”

When Er Sheng heard she could soon leave this savage place, her eyes lit up with joy, completely forgetting about the resentment in Chang Yuan’s heart. She had just grabbed Chang Yuan’s hand with a giggle when she heard him ask in a slightly cold voice: “What about Er Sheng?”

Er Sheng froze, finally understanding Nu Yuan’s earlier words – she would release Chang Yuan, not both of them together.

“She is a criminal, she cannot be released,” Nu Yuan said blandly, though her words were eerie. “With the Evil Spirit Zhenzhu harbored in her body, she will eventually commit terrible crimes.”

“Why am I a criminal?” Er Sheng protested indignantly. “I didn’t want to eat that pearl or whatever it was. I love flowers and grass and the common people, I love Master and Senior Sister, I love the Immortal Lord and Wufang, and most of all I found my beloved Chang Yuan – why would I commit terrible crimes? I’m not stupid.”

The soldiers in the hall were all amused by Er Sheng’s retort, except for Chang Yuan who nodded seriously with a stern face: “Er Sheng is indeed wise.”

Nu Yuan maintained her deathly expression: “No matter what you say, the city gates will never open for you again.”

Er Sheng grew angry: “But I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“You bear Heaven’s punishment mark, placed by one above. If you hadn’t already committed a great wrong, why would the Celestial Court punish you?”

Chang Yuan’s eyes grew cold as he took Er Sheng’s hand, quietly checking her pulse while asking: “When were you punished by the Celestial Court?”

Er Sheng was bewildered: “What punishment? What Celestial Court? How do I not know about this myself?”

Nu Yuan said: “The Desolate City is a place of extreme punishment. As its Lord, I naturally know all manner of punishments from heaven and earth. If I’m not mistaken, this punishment mark was personally placed by the Jade Emperor himself. Since the Emperor has decreed punishment, you are destined to enter the Desolate City sooner or later. You cannot leave.”

Hearing the words “Jade Emperor,” Chang Yuan’s eyes darkened slightly. Unable to determine what punishment the Emperor had given Er Sheng, he grew worried that she would suffer.

Er Sheng suddenly understood: “So it was his doing!” She clutched Chang Yuan’s hand, fuming: “It was that fellow called Tian Di who chased us to Return Dragon Valley then! He put this unremovable circle on me, said some nonsensical things, and even declared that Chang Yuan would abandon me…” Er Sheng’s eyes reddened as years of buried grievances welled up. She complained somewhat reproachfully, “I cursed at him then, but… I never expected you really would abandon me!”

Chang Yuan had been feeling gloomy hearing the first part of Er Sheng’s words, but seeing her eyes redden made him suddenly panic. He blinked in confusion for a moment before realizing he should comfort her, hurriedly saying: “Uh… I never intended to be gone so long, I…”

When had an ancient divine dragon ever had to comfort someone? In the past, when Siming got angry she would simply blast him with lightning, never looking at him with tearful eyes and bitter reproach. In his panic, Chang Yuan could only stroke Er Sheng’s head while apologizing over and over: “I never realized that person was the Jade Emperor, nor did I expect him to be so persistent. I returned late – it was my fault. Don’t be angry, Er Sheng.”

When Chang Yuan had fought that person, he had wondered why such a seemingly minor pursuer was so powerful. He had suspected his techniques had grown rusty, left behind by the times. To think that person was the Jade Emperor… If he had known then, Chang Yuan would have risked everything to land one more claw strike—

Making such a good girl as Siming suffer in body and spirit, he surely couldn’t be anything good.

“It’s Chang Yuan’s fault.” Er Sheng didn’t know what Chang Yuan was thinking, focused only on her complaints as tears welled in her eyes.

“Yes! It’s Chang Yuan’s fault!” He hastily agreed.

Having the old wound reopened, Er Sheng forgot what they had been discussing or where they were. Wiping away bitter tears, she began rambling, as if wanting to tell Chang Yuan all the words she had spoken alone these years, all the heartbreak and discouragement she had experienced:

“You don’t know how I searched for you.”

Chang Yuan defended himself quietly: “I do know…”

“You don’t know.”

“Alright, I don’t know.” Chang Yuan carefully smoothed the loose hair on Er Sheng’s forehead. “Er Sheng is right about everything. Please don’t cry anymore.”

On the dais, Nu Yuan narrowed her eyes, her fingers curling as thick resentment slowly gathered. Just as a killing move was about to be ready, she saw Chang Yuan kiss Er Sheng’s forehead – an entirely unconscious gesture, a physical touch conveying comfort when he was too awkward to express his feelings in words.

Chang Yuan didn’t notice himself, and Er Sheng was too busy complaining to notice.

That gentle touch on her forehead was full of cherishing and heartache.

The man’s expression was as gentle as spring sunshine and summer breeze, every bit considerate and sincere.

Nu Yuan found herself staring in a daze as her mind inexplicably recalled that year under flowers and moonlight, in the Ten-Mile Pavilion covered with vines outside Liubo Immortal Mountain. Willow cotton filled the air as his lips were cool but his gaze burned hot…

Such a wonderful moonlit night would never come again in this lifetime.

Jealousy surged in her heart as the resentment that had nearly dispersed from her fingertips gathered again, suddenly crashing toward the embracing pair in the hall.

This killing move came with tremendous force, causing Chang Yuan to release Er Sheng and turn to block it. Though Chang Yuan’s nature was not violent – he could even be called somewhat detached and slow – his techniques were not as mild as others’. Inheriting the dragon’s blood, he preferred confrontation without finesse, overwhelming opponents with pure spiritual power.

Thus, where others might have tried to dissolve Nu Yuan’s resentment attack, Chang Yuan merely narrowed his eyes and met it head-on with a palm strike.

The consequence of such direct collision was obvious – no one knew how many times the historic roof of the Boundless Desolate City’s tower had been mercilessly torn off, crumbling to sand and scattering in the wind. Everyone in the room was exposed to the hot, dry wind that blew endlessly through the Desolate City, coating their faces with yellow sand.

Nu Yuan’s expression remained blank and Chang Yuan stayed equally impassive. The guards wailed in dismay while Er Sheng, who had just been crying, found the sand sticking uncomfortably to her tear-stained face as she spat out sand while trying to clean it.

“Don’t blame me,” Nu Yuan said. “I warned them.”

“Lord!” a guard shouted in frustration, “This is the nineteenth time we’ve had to rebuild the roof! Nineteen times!”

“Mm.” Nu Yuan nodded. “Next time will make an even number.”

With the roof gone, everyone had no choice but to relocate to the courtyard below the tower. This courtyard was Nu Yuan’s usual residence, where the high city walls blocked the wind and sand, making it one of the few cool places in the Desolate City.

As the guards went to find materials to rebuild the roof, Nu Yuan looked at Chang Yuan and said: “Young master, stay in my courtyard for some time. When the time is right, I will help you leave.”

“I will leave together with Er Sheng.”

Nu Yuan nodded faintly: “In that case, you can leave when she dies.” She said this matter-of-factly, not as mockery but as a well-intentioned suggestion.

Chang Yuan frowned. With his long lifespan, spending decades in the Desolate City was no great matter, but for Er Sheng, this would be her entire life. Even if this life was just part of Siming’s tribulation, he couldn’t bear to watch the vibrant Er Sheng die imprisoned in such a place.

As Chang Yuan pondered this, Er Sheng suddenly said seriously: “I haven’t committed any crime, you shouldn’t imprison me, even with Tian Di’s punishment.” Er Sheng met Nu Yuan’s resentment-filled gaze without flinching. “The Boundless Desolate City is a place for criminals. If you’re so certain I will commit crimes in the future, why not wait until I do so to arrest me? Then I would willingly come with you. Now you’re arbitrarily convicting me of imaginary crimes – it’s neither reasonable nor convincing.”

Nu Yuan studied Er Sheng for a moment: “Your words make sense. Let me think it over.” She arranged lodgings for Er Sheng and Chang Yuan before returning to her quarters.

Watching Nu Yuan leave, Er Sheng tugged Chang Yuan’s sleeve and said proudly: “This is how Senior Sister usually talks to me. I’m afraid of Senior Sister, and sure enough, she’s afraid too.”

Chang Yuan stroked Er Sheng’s head, smiling faintly. In his view, Er Sheng’s manner just now resembled Siming more than Jiling – that same seriousness, that same fearlessness. Chang Yuan thought that even in reincarnation, a god’s spirit remained – Er Sheng was always different from ordinary people.

“Who wants to spend their whole life in a place like this,” Er Sheng grumbled, then looked at Chang Yuan with a brilliant smile. “I promised Chang Yuan that I would accompany you to see all the world’s ways, travel all its famous mountains and rivers with you, experience its warmth and coldness, and taste all its flavors. Now I know magic and can fly, I can stay with you forever!”

His heartbeat inexplicably skipped as he saw Er Sheng’s serious expression, making his gaze soften further. He knew how vast the world was – Er Sheng could never traverse it all with him in one lifetime. He knew that for him, Er Sheng’s “forever” was barely an instant. But her earnest promise made him want to believe despite himself.

Countless feelings passed through his heart, but all Er Sheng heard was a soft “Alright.”

Just that single word made Er Sheng grin foolishly for a long while until his ears burned red with embarrassment. Chang Yuan stared into Er Sheng’s clear eyes and suddenly asked with slight hesitation: “Er Sheng, I…”

“Mm?”

“May I bite you?” He paused. “Just gently…”

Er Sheng froze.

Chang Yuan watched her nervously for a moment before sighing, his voice hiding a trace of plaintiveness: “I really can’t help myself anymore.” With that, he lowered his head to peck Er Sheng’s lips lightly, then caught her lip between his teeth… and just held it there.

Just kept holding it…

After a long while, he finally released her reluctantly, looking at her with moist eyes: “Will you not hit me?”

How could Er Sheng hit him? After being stunned for quite a while, she suddenly said imperiously: “Won’t you take another bite?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Chang Yuan froze while Er Sheng wanted to slap herself. She remembered the teacher saying that women should be reserved. She wiped her face and said coyly, “How can my lord say such things? Er Sheng… Er Sheng is already at your disposal.”

Chang Yuan stared at Er Sheng for a long moment, his eyes crinkling with mirth before he lowered his head again, their lips meeting once more.

Suddenly, arrow-like yin energy shot toward them. Chang Yuan pulled Er Sheng aside to dodge as the energy struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Nu Yuan stood not far away, watching them expressionlessly, the mournful energy around her making even Er Sheng stiffen. But thinking of how she had disturbed her sweet moment with Chang Yuan made Er Sheng furious: “Didn’t you leave?”

Nu Yuan gazed at the distant sky as if unaware of what she had just done: “I saw many red bubbles and smelled something very sweet. It bothered me, so my hand slipped.”

Er Sheng was grinding her teeth in anger but didn’t know what to say. She pulled Chang Yuan toward their quarters. Nu Yuan quickly glanced at them before following step for step behind them – when they walked, she walked; when they stopped, she stopped.

Er Sheng finally exploded: “Being unable to bear others’ happiness is one thing, but what kind of problem is this!”

Nu Yuan continued staring at the sky: “Patrolling the city.”

What kind of city patrol was this…

Er Sheng pouted, suddenly realizing that when she used to pester Jiling, she must have seemed just as shameless. No wonder Senior Sister always gave her the cold shoulder…

Chang Yuan was more magnanimous, saying softly: “Her birth was special. Women’s resentment inevitably contains elements where love and hate are inseparable, joy and grievance indistinguishable. She acts this way out of envy, I suppose.”

Nu Yuan froze her gaze toward the distance growing dark. She shot Chang Yuan a cold look: “Young master, please speak less within the Desolate City.” She swept away, her expression unchanged, but she was truly angry.

Er Sheng watched Nu Yuan gradually disappear before suddenly turning to ask Chang Yuan: “What is she envious of?”

Chang Yuan was stunned by the question. A word jumped up and down in his throat several times before he finally swallowed it. He shook his head: “I don’t know.” He looked back at Er Sheng, unconsciously reaching to pat her head while worrying – if it was that, how could he make Er Sheng grow horns…

And scales, tails, and claws… she didn’t have any of them!