“The thing you speak of, is it a mountain god?” Yan Shao opened Jiang Yue’s backpack and took out the stone.
Yin Yue was delighted and nodded quickly, “Yes, it’s this Moon Gazing Stone. But this stone isn’t a mountain god, it was stolen by Shao Xin Ran, my treasure. Can you return it to me?”
The staff in Yin Yue’s hand vanished, and her hands turned towards Yan Shao.
“Returning it to its rightful owner.” Yan Shao didn’t ask further and placed the Moon Gazing Stone into Yin Yue’s hand.
The stone, which had only been glowing faintly, now shone brightly in Yin Yue’s hands, dispelling the dark mist that enveloped everyone. The moonlight from the night sky bathed the land.
All the wolf packs’ fur shed their blackness, transforming into a silvery sheen, as beautiful as wolf gods descending, leaving one awestruck.
“Why do you call him Lord Lu Zhi?” Yan Shao suddenly asked.
Yin Yue looked puzzled, “A lord is a lord.”
What was the difference between saying that and saying nothing?
“You knew me in the past.” Lu Zhi stated with certainty.
Yin Yue hummed and smiled so sweetly, “Lord, why have you appeared here? And where is the other young divine official?”
“Are you referring to Shen Qi?” Lu Zhi could only think of Shen Qi.
“Ah, so the young divine official’s name is Shen Qi? Did you, Lord, have the young divine official break the seal on the Long Kan?” Yin Yue was very happy, “Besides you, Lord, and the young divine official, Yin Yue hasn’t seen any other divine lords for a very, very long time. I thought you and the young divine official had also perished.”
At this point, Yin Yue became sad, “Only I am left.”
Everything Yin Yue said left Yan Shao and the others very confused, yet it also made them clearly understand that Lu Zhi’s identity was very special.
If Yin Yue was a god and called Lu Zhi lord, did that mean Lu Zhi’s identity was a higher god than Yin Yue?
“Can you tell me what happened here? And what do you mean by the seal on the Long Kan being broken?” Lu Zhi pressed.
Yin Yue pointed to the Qingshen Village behind them, “This is the village Shao Xin Ran created. My bones are buried beneath it, and as soon as I approach, Qingshen Village disappears, preventing me from finding them.”
“My bones were retrieved, and then I sensed your presence, Lord.” Yin Yue suddenly ran towards the side with joy, “My bones!”
Shen Qi, holding a maiden’s skeleton, appeared before everyone with a grim expression.
Lu Zhi, “You left to help Yin Yue retrieve her bones?”
“No.” Shen Qi returned the skeleton to Yin Yue, “I saw it while looking for something, so I brought it out for her.”
“My little skeleton, you’re finally back, I’ve missed you so much.” Yin Yue hugged the skeleton and laughed heartily.
Her next action stunned everyone.
Yin Yue took out the Moon Gazing Stone, broke it into crescent moon shapes, and placed them into the skeleton’s eyes. Then, the skeleton moved, joyfully waving its limbs. The two held hands happily, as if sharing endless words in hushed whispers.
Everyone: …
This development seemed a bit off.
“Isn’t that her skeleton?” Jiang Yue patted Yan Shao’s arm.
Yan Shao calmly replied, “Isn’t this kind of thing normal within the Long Kan?”
Li Le and Shi Yu nodded in unison.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Lu Zhi withdrew his gaze and looked at Shen Qi’s hand, which had been hidden in his pocket.
“En…” Shen Qi reluctantly extended his hand. A transparent teardrop lay quietly in his palm.
“What is this?” Lu Zhi reached out curiously, wanting to touch it, but the transparent teardrop suddenly emitted a dazzling light and shot into Lu Zhi’s brow.
The next second, Lu Zhi fainted.
“Lu Zhi!” Yan Shao and Jiang Yue exclaimed in concern.
Shen Qi, holding Lu Zhi, said faintly, “It’s nothing, just retrieving some useless memories.”
Saying this, Shen Qi’s gaze swept towards Yin Yue with a sinister glint.
Yin Yue and the skeleton, frightened, hugged each other.
—
Grass and flower scents bloomed in the spring.
Lu Ming’s voice was ethereal and distant.
Lu Zhi sat by the lake, holding a fishing rod, lazily basking in the sun.
“Lord, Lord~” Yin Yue’s voice drifted from the other side of the lake, lively and enthusiastic.
Lu Zhi still had his eyes closed, merely humming lazily, and said, “The fish today are too cunning, I haven’t caught any yet.”
Rustle, rustle…
The branches behind him were pushed aside, and the fishing rod was picked up by a hand. A low voice slowly said, “Lord, you forgot to bait the hook again.”
Lu Zhi grunted, “What’s the saying? Grandfather Lu fishes, waiting for the willing to bite. This is called sentiment, don’t you understand~”
“Lord isn’t surnamed Lu, your surname is Lu.” After saying this, the person baited the hook and quietly retreated to a corner.
Yin Yue ran breathlessly to Lu Zhi’s side and said, “Lord, my father has betrothed me to someone, will you come to my wedding banquet?”
Lu Zhi finally opened his eyes, “You’re only sixteen and already betrothed?”
Yin Yue pouted, “Lord, I’m sixteen now.”
Lu Zhi sighed, reached out to pat Yin Yue’s hair, and gave her a silver bell, “So you’ve grown up. I will come.”
Yin Yue’s laughter was full of longing and happiness.
However, on the day of Yin Yue’s wedding, Lu Zhi learned of the appearance of a newly born pseudo-god nearby and went to eliminate it. This trip was also Lu Zhi’s most regrettable one.
Festive red cloth hung from the houses.
Yin Yue, clad in wedding attire, lay quietly in a coffin on the altar. A maiden’s skeleton, still stained with blood, was nailed to the altar’s divine pillar.
Yin Yue was married, but she married the rotten and ugly evil customs of a feudal village.
Lu Zhi could not change, nor could he alter such an outcome. He could not interfere in mortal affairs.
What he could do was take Yin Yue’s body and skeleton and return to the valley where they first met. By the lakeside, he built a grave for Yin Yue.
Every year after that, Lu Zhi would return to pay respects to Yin Yue.
Until one day, when Lu Zhi arrived, he saw the white-haired maiden Yin Yue sitting by the lake, smiling happily and saying, “Lord, you’re back.”
Crackling, crackling…
The skeleton sitting with Yin Yue made crisp crackling sounds, as if greeting him.
Lu Zhi, a god, granted all things he worshipped the chance to be enlightened.
And Yin Yue became a spirit living in symbiosis with the skeleton.
“Was it you?” Lu Zhi asked the person behind him.
The person replied, “Don’t you like her, Lord? If she becomes a spirit, she can be resurrected.”
Lu Zhi closed his eyes, “Did you put something inside?”
The person said, “I put the Moon Gazing Stone, Lord. Only then can she stay with you, and you won’t be sad. Did I do wrong? I just wanted to make you happy.”
“Eternal life is very lonely,” Lu Zhi finally turned to face the person, “Shen Qi.”
—
Lu Zhi suddenly opened his eyes and met Shen Qi’s gaze, which always held a hint of coldness amidst its indifference. He asked, “Why did you make Yin Yue a spirit?”
Shen Qi stared at him and suddenly smiled, “Only this way, she won’t be your concern. Didn’t you turn back and look at me?”