That night, Mo Xi did not sleep. He sat by the bed, watching San Sheng’s sleeping face throughout the night.
He wasn’t the only one lying awake—in the starlit plum forest, Si Ming was also sleepless.
Though she didn’t know Er Sheng and Chang Yuan, the familiar scenes recorded in the book deeply stirred her heart. The records were concise, without excessive embellishments or flowery vocabulary, yet these straightforward words painted a story that made her laugh and cry foolishly along with the characters within.
Page after page she turned until her finger froze at the last written words—
“Chang Yuan re-entered the Void of Ten Thousand Heavens, while Er Sheng returned to his position, resuming the duty of Si Ming.”
Resuming the duty of Si Ming…
Si Ming?
A sudden realization dawned on her, and the color drained from her face.
Incredulous, she flipped back to the first page and began reading again, word by word.
The Book of Fate couldn’t be false. Si Ming was certain she had lost some crucial memories. However, perhaps what she had lost wasn’t just this mortal life in the lower realm. For instance, after drinking so much wine from the Jade Pool, how had she suddenly awakened from her drunken state, and what had sparked her interest in writing this fate? Moreover, why had she wanted to create the “Dragon’s Return to Heaven and Earth”? Er Sheng and Chang Yuan had met because of a carelessly dropped belt, but how had “Si Ming” known Chang Yuan before that?
There were far too many mysteries that needed her investigation and answers…
The next morning, before dawn had fully broken, the Celestial Palace was unusually busy. Several celestial physicians were invited to the War God’s mansion, and after a bustling morning, the entire heavenly realm learned that Mo Xi’s wife was with a child.
By noon, immortal officials came on clouds to offer congratulations. Soon, a dense crowd gathered outside the Ten Mile Plum Forest, every one bearing gifts and offering felicitations, taking the opportunity to flatter the War God’s might.
In this atmosphere, no one noticed the newly awakened Star Lord Si Ming, pale-faced and grave, rushing out from the Ten Mile Plum Forest.
Her appearance was completely at odds with the celebration in the Celestial Palace. Si Ming hurried toward the Heavenly Palace, but when she finally reached the cloud stairs before the palace gates, she halted her steps.
As her emotions gradually settled, Si Ming thought that she shouldn’t be so rash. If the Heavenly Emperor meant to keep things from her, no amount of questioning would yield results. Regardless of how the Heavenly Emperor might answer, she already knew what she must do. What she needed now was a complete plan…
With this thought, Si Ming turned and returned to the Qin Tian Palace.
In the days that followed, she shut herself in the Qin Tian Palace. Some immortals who had heard of her awakening from drunkenness came to visit, but all were turned away without exception. Rumors spread through the heavenly realm that Star Lord Si Ming must be sulking about the little fox spirit who had seduced the Heavenly Emperor, secluding herself to make the Emperor come to see her.
The immortals secretly laughed, waiting to see Si Ming suffer another rebuff from the Heavenly Emperor. After all, such scenes had played out countless times over thousands of years.
However, to everyone’s surprise, five days later, several boxes of betrothal gifts adorned with red silk were carried to the gates of Qin Tian Palace. Festive gongs and drums sounded outside the palace all day long. On the sixth morning, Si Ming finally opened her doors.
She wore moon-white robes, her face bare of powder and rouge, with a white flower in her hair—she looked more like she was in mourning than matching the joyous betrothal procession outside.
The celestial envoys were made uncomfortable by her attire. Si Ming, coldly expressionless, showed no awareness that her appearance might be inappropriate. Her gaze swept across everyone’s faces before finally settling on the large black wooden boxes containing the betrothal gifts. She curved her lips in a mocking smile: “It truly resembles a coffin. Is the Emperor planning to bury me?”
The gongs and drums fell completely silent. Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of her meaning.
“How could I refuse the Emperor’s kindness? I accept these things, and I’ll go thank him now.” Without heeding the chorus of voices crying out that this was “against propriety,” she waved her sleeve and rose on a cloud, vanishing in an instant.
At the Heavenly Palace, Si Ming climbed the steps and strode straight toward the Emperor’s chambers, as if no one else existed. She knew his schedule better than anyone—at this hour, he would surely be sitting at his desk reviewing documents.
When she reached the chamber doors, guards tried to stop her, but she carelessly brushed aside their hands. Taking two steps to the door, she pushed it open with a bang. The guards were shocked, but from within came the Emperor’s calm voice: “No matter, let her enter.”
Si Ming stepped inside, brazenly raising her middle finger at the guards who had detained her. The guards’ faces darkened as Si Ming rudely slammed the door.
Following the familiar path through layers of pearl curtains, she indeed found the Heavenly Emperor reviewing documents. Si Ming casually found a place to sit, and then the room fell silent as she stared absently at the smoke rising from the incense burner.
The Heavenly Emperor continued reviewing documents for a while, hearing no sound from Si Ming. He raised his head to glance at her, saw the white flower in her hair, and immediately frowned: “Have you no other ornaments to wear?”
Si Ming lowered her head: “After sleeping so long, I can’t find many things.”
“What’s lost is lost,” the Heavenly Emperor said dismissively. “Yesterday I had people choose many new things for you, all sent over. Use those from now on.”
“Alas, Si Ming cherishes the old…” she blurted out, then suddenly noticed the Heavenly Emperor’s hand pause on his vermillion brush. Si Ming’s thoughts turned, and she added, “Of course, I’m not like you, Your Majesty, who only delights in the new.”
At these words, the Heavenly Emperor’s mood seemed to improve. His brow smoothed as he set down his brush and looked up at Si Ming, his lips carrying a trace of a smile: “Jealous.” He leaned back in his chair and asked, “I heard you dealt with that little fox spirit a few days ago?”
“Does Your Majesty miss her?”
“If you dealt with her, so be it. In any case, before long you’ll bear the title of Heavenly Empress. I grant you such authority.”
Si Ming started slightly, falling silent for a good while as if lost in thought: “Why do you want to marry me now?”
“Are you unwilling?”
Si Ming nodded: “Unwilling.” Not giving the Heavenly Emperor a chance to speak, she continued, “I’ve given you so much before, and now you say you’ll marry me, trying to pay me off with mere objects. Si Ming feels I’m selling myself too cheaply. I’m extremely unwilling.”
The Heavenly Emperor regarded her leisurely: “Tell me, how should you be sold to appear precious?”
“That depends on how sincere Your Majesty is.”
The Heavenly Emperor stared at Si Ming for a moment, noting her flushed cheeks and gleaming eyes. His heart stirred, and he averted his gaze, picking up his brush again: “Whatever you want in the Heavenly Palace, take it.”
Si Ming was silent for a long time before suddenly smiling: “So, Your Majesty does have me in your heart. I’ve chased for so long, and now suddenly getting what I wanted… it feels quite strange.” In truth, Si Ming had only realized that what she had once pursued with all her might now seem nothing special.
Because she no longer cared, neither gaining nor losing mattered much anymore.
Hearing Si Ming’s words, the Heavenly Emperor recalled his previous indifference toward her and felt somewhat guilty. He consoled her: “You’ll gradually get used to it.”
“Since Your Majesty is so generous, Si Ming won’t be polite. I want the treasure from Shu Hun Palace.” Atop Shu Hun Palace was a treasure called “Soul Washer.” It could cleanse all souls—whether demon, ghost, or spirit, all impurities would scatter before this treasure. It was one of heaven’s greatest treasures.
Hearing Si Ming’s request, suspicion arose in the Heavenly Emperor’s heart: “What do you want it for?”
“No particular use. It’s just that those idle immortals are waiting to see me suffer another rebuff from you. They’ve laughed at me for thousands of years, and now that I’ve finally endured until our marriage, I need to show off before them?”
“Petty.”
“Who’s petty? In any case, I still have to marry you, so that treasure will eventually return to your embrace.” Si Ming said coolly, “Just let me borrow it to show off and blind those busybodies’ dog eyes.”
“Lacking ambition always caught up in petty squabbles with small people.” The Heavenly Emperor sneered. However, this was indeed the Si Ming he knew. Willing to play tricks, shamelessly demanding rewards—the Heavenly Emperor shamefully discovered that he missed this troublesome nature of hers. Si Ming should be exactly this way: impervious to weapons or persuasion, yet relentlessly persistent.
“Will you give it or not?”
The Heavenly Emperor bent back over his documents: “The Soul Washer cannot leave the heavenly realm.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll bring it back after the wedding.” Si Ming waved her hand and rose to leave. At the door, she suddenly asked, “When will the wedding be held?”
“Three months hence.”
Si Ming crossed the palace threshold and looked up at the sky, calculating in her heart—three months should be enough, right?
News travels extremely fast in the heavenly realm. Just days after news spread of the War God’s wife’s pregnancy, word came that the Heavenly Emperor would marry Star Lord Si Ming. This was a major event, and the heavenly realm immediately began bustling with preparations.
Si Ming was no less busy than anyone else. The immortal maidens Zhao Yun and Wan Xia were responsible for making her wedding clothes, visiting daily to ask her preferences and take measurements. Every piece of cloud brocade had to be personally approved by her. Indeed, these two immortal maidens were extremely responsible, but this also delayed many of her plans, effectively keeping her under surveillance.
Si Ming tried to hint at this to them several times without success, but she couldn’t appear too anxious lest others grow suspicious.
After a month of such delays, Si Ming finally thought of a way to slip away.
The orchid grass on her windowsill was nearly ready to take human form, though, by normal cultivation standards, it would still need a year or two. Si Ming took advantage of tonight’s full moon, using the lunar essence along with her divine power to catalyze its transformation into an immortal, forcing its human form to emerge early.
The orchid was a proud little immortal, very angry at Si Ming for forcing her transformation without permission. She turned her small waist and sat on the windowsill, refusing to acknowledge Si Ming.
Si Ming tried sweet talk all night without success. Seeing dawn approaching and knowing Zhao Yun and Wan Xia would soon arrive, she grew impatient. She grabbed the orchid’s hair with one hand and covered her face with the other, directly transforming her to match Si Ming’s appearance.
The orchid was shocked: “You female bandit!”
“I’m not just a bandit, I’m a female hooligan and even a female tyrant.” Si Ming coldly smiled as she threatened: “I’ve raised you for so many years, you know my temperament well. If you don’t handle this matter properly today, when I return, I might boil you with pig feed and feed you to the pigs.”
The orchid’s eyes filled with tears as she pointed at Si Ming, face turning blue with anger, yet too frightened to speak a word. After a long while, she could only cry quietly like a young wife.
Si Ming stroked her hair, gentle in touch but with a sinister smile: “We’re grasshoppers on the same string now. From today on, don’t think about escaping my palm.” Si Ming looked at the sky outside and told the orchid, “Soon two chatty immortal maidens will come. You’ll pretend to be me and deal with them. I have matters to attend to today…”
“Hmph! I know you’re going to do bad things! I won’t be your accomplice, I won’t…”
“Do you want to feed the pigs?”
The orchid began crying again, but Si Ming ignored her and continued: “‘Mm,’ ‘good,’ and ‘whatever’—these three phrases are enough to handle all their questions. Don’t say anything more, understand?”
“Whimper…”
“Including these crying sounds.”
“…Fine.”
Si Ming patted the orchid’s head, fully confident in the cleverness of the spirit she had raised. Si Ming made a hand seal for invisibility and went out the door.
Everyone in the heavenly realm was busy with their affairs. Si Ming carefully avoided the eyes and ears of the heavenly gate guards and quietly descended to the mortal realm. She carried that blue-covered Book of Fate against her chest, following its records to seek a place.
A place where Er Sheng and Chang Yuan’s fate both began and ended.