Zhisu was the only daughter of Emperor Zhongqi of the Ninth Heaven, and had been cherished since childhood.
But while fighting the evil spirits of Dongning, she and her foes were both badly wounded. The spirits took advantage of the moment and cast her down into the mortal realm, stripping her of all her powers.
When she was gravely injured, a young man rescued her.
His name was Xie Yan. Dressed in white, he stood tall and graceful. He took Zhisu home and cared for her devotedly, seeking doctors and medicine for her, keeping her company as they watched the moon and played chess.
The warmth of mortal life stirred her emotions and awakened her heart. She began to dream of spending her life with a mortal.
She thought she had given Xie Yan her sincere affection, and that he must surely feel the same.
Until she entered the Shaluo Illusion, where her divine bones were carved out and her divine roots severed, and she fell beneath Xie Yan's sword.
In unbearable pain, she could barely call out his name.
But then she saw him standing in a pavilion ten miles away.
His gaze was so cold that all the warmth they had shared seemed like no more than a dream.
Only when she had completely lost consciousness did Zhisu finally understand.
There had never been any mortal named Xie Yan!
It was all a carefully spun lie by the young lord of the Demon Realm!
When Zhisu awoke again, she was back in the Ninth Heaven.
Her father told her that her immortal soul had shattered, and she had spent a thousand years in a deep dream.
After learning her lesson through suffering, Zhisu devoted herself to cultivation and cast off all attachments.
When she met Xie Yan again, she was a noble goddess and he was the emperor of the Demon Realm.
Xie Yan softly called her:
"A Wu."
Zhisu's expression did not change. She looked at him as if he were dust.
"Who are you?"
For Xie Yan, he pacified the Southern Mirror and subdued the demons and spirits. Only after countless efforts did he finally ascend to the throne of the Demon Realm.
The higher one's position, the lonelier one becomes. When the glory of the day faded,
he often dreamed of the young woman in a red skirt from Heyun Town.
Only then did he realize that what he missed was that most ordinary stretch of time.
There had been no schemes from outsiders, no difficulties imposed by the clan elders, and not even a goddess and a young lord. There had only been A Wu and Xie Yan.
He finally understood what it meant to miss someone to the depths of one's soul.
But later, even when he was as low as dirt, his soul broken and his spirit scattered, she still refused to turn back for him.
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Cover art by: Bai Xue Chuan Ting Zuo Fei Hua
Theme: We cannot change what is past, but we can still pursue what lies ahead.
