Er Sheng froze completely when she pushed open Nu Yuan’s door.
Setting aside the gloomy atmosphere permeating the entire room, a blood-red tombstone without inscriptions stood eerily in the center, its resentful energy making Er Sheng shudder. Nu Yuan was leaning against the tombstone, singing softly. Her room had no underground chamber, no bed, no blankets, not even tables or chairs. In other words, she had spent hundreds of years living in this room, resting against a tombstone heavy with resentful energy…
Er Sheng found it inconceivable.
Having her singing interrupted, Nu Yuan closed her mouth and fixed her lifeless eyes on Er Sheng. “What is it?”
Er Sheng didn’t answer her question, instead asking curiously, “There’s nothing in this room—how do you rest?”
Nu Yuan stood up, steadying herself against the red tombstone. Her red clothes billowed with her movement like a ghost from hell: “I wasn’t born human. I do not need rest.”
What kind of being doesn’t need rest? Er Sheng thought privately. The endless orange-yellow of the Desolate City was exhausting enough after just two days—even if the body didn’t need rest, surely the mind did. Staying in such an environment all day was pure self-torture. But Er Sheng kept these thoughts to herself and only scratched her head, saying, “I couldn’t sleep thinking about leaving soon, and I heard your singing was more sorrowful than usual. I wondered if you’d miss us, so I came to check on you and thank you.”
Nu Yuan and Er Sheng had barely interacted. To Er Sheng, parting from anyone you knew should naturally involve some reluctance, but Nu Yuan couldn’t generate such emotions. She gave Er Sheng several strange looks, thinking her presumptuous. After a moment, she asked, “Why thank me?” It had been many years since she’d heard that word.
“You’re helping Chang Yuan and me leave the Desolate City, so of course I should thank you.”
“Unnecessary,” Nu Yuan said coldly. “His entry into the Desolate City was my misjudgment, so he should be released. As for you, your crimes aren’t yet confirmed. When they are, I’ll certainly capture you again and imprison you until your destined lifespan ends.”
Er Sheng secretly stuck out her tongue: “Don’t be so certain. I’m not foolish enough to commit such serious crimes.” She glanced at the stone tablet in the room and asked, “What is… this?”
“A tombstone,” Nu Yuan answered curtly without raising her head.
Er Sheng persisted, “Whose tombstone?”
Nu Yuan frowned, seemingly reluctant to answer, but after a long silence, she replied honestly: “A tombstone I erected for my loving husband and myself.”
Er Sheng was stunned: “Husband? But aren’t you formed from women’s resentment?”
Nu Yuan stroked the blood-red surface of the tombstone, her gloomy eyes showing a rare hint of nostalgia: “Before I became Nu Yuan, my husband…” She didn’t finish, her expression darkening as some thought struck her. She stared at Er Sheng and said, “You should go prepare to leave.”
Er Sheng blinked repeatedly, clearly disappointed: “But you haven’t finished your story.”
“And what of it?”
Er Sheng pouted: “Your personality isn’t likable.”
Nu Yuan ignored her, turning her back and gazing absent-mindedly at the blood-colored tombstone. As Er Sheng was about to leave out of boredom, Nu Yuan suddenly asked in a hollow voice, “Have you heard of the Fallen Immortal Chang An?”
Er Sheng didn’t immediately grasp what she meant, taking a moment before exclaiming in realization: “That, that powerful immortal who inexplicably attacked people!”
Er Sheng’s impression of Chang An came from that moment in her childhood when she nearly died. If Chang Yuan hadn’t blocked that palm strike for her, she would have surely perished.
Only after entering Wu Fang to cultivate did she learn that the one who had troubled her was the Fallen Immortal Chang An. Rumors said Chang An’s spiritual power could rival the gods themselves. He had achieved immortality three times, yet each time was dragged down by mortal affairs, finally falling from grace to become a demon. Er Sheng still didn’t understand why such a figure had targeted her back then.
Hearing Er Sheng describe Chang An this way, Nu Yuan’s brows creased almost imperceptibly. After a long moment of contemplation, she said, “When you return to the outside world, help me gather news of him. When you return to the Desolate City, I will treat you well.”
“I won’t come back,” Er Sheng reflexively retorted, then suddenly understood the implications behind those words. She asked, “Is that Fallen Immortal Chang An your husband?”
Nu Yuan’s fingers, still caressing the tombstone, paused slightly before she nodded in acknowledgment.
Er Sheng’s mind began racing, wondering what could have happened to make one fall from immortality to become a demon while the other became eternally trapped in the Infinite Desolate City. But before her thoughts could wander too far, the city bell rang, announcing the arrival of a new day.
Nu Yuan spoke flatly: “Go prepare. I’ll open the gates and guide you shortly.”
Er Sheng wanted to hear the story but was more eager to leave. She hurriedly asked with what little time remained: “You want me to gather news of him, but what kind of news?”
“I only want to know that he’s suffering,” Nu Yuan said. “If he suffers, then I am well.”
Er Sheng couldn’t understand this logic. Having been husband and wife, they must have truly cared for each other. If so, shouldn’t one always wish for the other’s well-being? Like how she felt about Chang Yuan—even when she didn’t know where he was, she always hoped he was doing well.
Why wish for his suffering… when it would surely bring pain to oneself as well?
Er Sheng wanted to ask more, but suddenly heard Chang Yuan calling for her from outside. She quickly responded and rushed out.
The gloomy room returned to silence. Nu Yuan bit her finger and began writing characters on the tombstone with her blood. Each stroke was carefully drawn, the blood slowly trickling down the stone. At first brilliant red, the characters gradually blurred. As she finished writing one character, the previous one would vanish, absorbed into the blood-red background.
This blood-colored tombstone seemed to have been written upon with Nu Yuan’s blood drops year after year…
After staring at the tombstone for a while, she looked back toward the door. Er Sheng had left in such a hurry that she’d forgotten to close it. Nu Yuan caught sight of Er Sheng happily throwing herself into Chang Yuan’s arms, nuzzling his neck like a puppy. Chang Yuan was slightly bent over, supporting Er Sheng’s back so her tiptoed embrace wouldn’t be so tiring.
Nu Yuan’s eyes darkened slightly, an inexplicable jealous fire igniting in her heart. Resentful energy gathered at her fingertips, but just as she was about to act, she saw Chang Yuan’s deep gaze fixed on her—containing no killing intent, yet clearly warning.
The resentful energy at her hands dissipated, and Nu Yuan closed the door with a sweep of her sleeve. It wasn’t that her jealousy had subsided, but rather that she understood that man was beyond her ability to deal with.
Outside, Er Sheng was naturally unaware of the exchange between Chang Yuan and Nu Yuan. She suddenly remembered something and pushed Chang Yuan away forcefully, nearly causing him to fall in his surprise. Er Sheng nervously looked around before breathing a sigh of relief: “Good thing Nu Yuan didn’t come out.” She stretched out her arms and smiled, “Come on, Chang Yuan, let’s continue hugging.”
Chang Yuan looked at her with mixed amusement and exasperation before saying helplessly: “Let’s wait until we’re out of the Desolate City.”
Learning that Er Sheng was leaving today, the city guards were the most reluctant to see her go. They hadn’t seen someone so interesting and fond of storytelling in a long time, and faced with returning to their boring lives, they all became glum. One hunchbacked guard with bow legs even grabbed Er Sheng’s hand and wept properly for a while. The crying made Er Sheng’s eyes redden as she looked at Chang Yuan, as if begging, “Let’s stay two more days, three more days, a few more days…”
Er Sheng had been lonely since childhood and had never received such sincere farewells, so she shamefully softened her heart, and Chang Yuan shamefully softened his heart as well.
He knew clearly that Er Sheng only wanted to stay now—she definitely wouldn’t want to remain in such a place for another fifty years. Seeing Er Sheng so reluctant to leave, Chang Yuan felt reluctant too, but only because he couldn’t bear to see Er Sheng upset.
He just… wanted Er Sheng to live the life she wanted to live.
However, the world’s operations follow their own rules, which even ancient dragons must obey.
“What’s all this wailing about?” Nu Yuan approached slowly from the distance, dispersing the grieving guards.
She gave Er Sheng a cold look, frowned, and unexpectedly said: “A woman’s tears should be precious things, not shed so cheaply.”
All the guards were surprised that the city lord would lecture someone when she was usually someone who only vented her dissatisfaction through force… However, what surprised them even more was that someone dared to talk back to the city lord.
Er Sheng glared at Nu Yuan and said solemnly: “Though my time with them was short, we developed genuine feelings. Their sincere reluctance to see me go and my sadness to leave are both precious things—how are they cheap!”
Nu Yuan was slightly taken aback, then narrowed her eyes to study Er Sheng carefully. For the first time, she truly saw Er Sheng as a person, rather than simply envying what she possessed.
Chang Yuan stroked Er Sheng’s head, then pointed at the tightly closed city gates: “The time has come, if you please.”
Nu Yuan set aside her thoughts and walked to the front of the massive city gates. From her sleeve, she pulled out a head the size of a fist—a small head crafted with lifelike detail, with skin white as porcelain and loose black hair, appearing almost alive. Nu Yuan began chanting, and the small head’s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, slowly rotating in Nu Yuan’s hand as its mouth joined her in chanting the spell.
The ever-present wind and sand of the Desolate City seemed to pause for a moment. The city gate cracked open with a “ka” sound, then slowly widened, its creaking sound making people’s hearts flutter.
Outside the gate was a mass of black fog, obscuring both the path and its destination.
Nu Yuan said: “Once inside, keep walking straight ahead and don’t look back. Continue until you see the outside world.”
Er Sheng hesitated at the sight of the dense black fog. Chang Yuan took her hand and led her decisively into the darkness.
His steps were firm, and Er Sheng thought that even if Chang Yuan were walking into a sea of fire right now, she would follow him in.
After all, she couldn’t bear to let go of his warm hand.