Love & Redemption
Chapter 258: Final Volume: I Am Liuli - 17: The Descent of the Gods (Part 4)

Chapter 258: Final Volume: I Am Liuli Chapter 17: The Descent of the Gods (Part 4)

Yu Sifeng saw she was not joking, he truly believed she had indeed died, feeling both sad and reflective, he found himself at a loss for words.

Zi Hu said, "Our group, brimming with confidence, ventured to Heaven prepared to die together. Dying earlier than others isn’t really significant. Looking back, when we all meet in hell, it will be a lively gathering."

These words were originally spoken by Liu Yihuan in front of her corpse, at that time her soul lingered, unwilling to leave Wuzhiqi’s side, until Liu Yihuan spoke these words. She then found peace and drifted off to hell.

Yu Sifeng had seen the ruthlessness of those Yin Cha, who were utterly unreasonable. It is said that it’s easier to meet King Yan than to fend off the troublesome little ghosts, and that’s exactly what the Yin Cha do. No matter if one was a mighty leader, immortal, or demon, after death, everyone returns to hell as equals. Once Forget River Water was ingested, they’d be taken to the court where various Judges would review the life details and administer punishment or immediately reincarnate them, with fortune varying from soul to soul, no exceptions. Zi Hu was lucky not to have encountered any Yin Cha on the Huangquan Road; had she been caught by them, even with ten Wuzhiqis at her side, she would have remembered nothing of her past life.

Seeing her about to move forward, Yu Sifeng hurriedly said, "Wait, once you go, you cannot return. After drinking the water from Forget River and entering reincarnation, you will be someone else in your next life, how could we then talk of lively reunions in hell?"

Zi Hu sighed and said softly, "I understand this, but whether as a demon or a ghost, one must hold on to some hope to live merrily. Maybe I will be lucky enough to stay in Yidu and wait for them. Are there not also old ghosts in Yidu who refuse reincarnation?"

Yu Sifeng wanted to remind her that their group had ventured to Kunlun Mountain unsanctioned, a crime unforgivable, and it was highly likely they would be cast into Abyss Hell. Wishing to stay in Yidu was pure folly. But seeing her innocent expression, he found he couldn’t bring himself to speak such a cruel truth.

He grabbed Zi Hu’s sleeve and gently said, "I will take you to Yidu."

Zi Hu happily linked arms with him like close sisters. Yu Sifeng remembered the times she had beguiled him with her Bewitching Technique and felt slightly embarrassed. Yet considering her death and their shared experiences along the journey, their friendship was beyond ordinary, so he chose not to mind it and softly said, "You’ve said yourself that after death everything turns to nothing, yet you still long for everyone to come to hell and play with you, isn’t that contradictory?"

Zi Hu chuckled and replied, "There are too many easy principles talked about in the world! Having one for show isn’t a big deal. Although they haven’t arrived yet, having you here is just as good, much better than being boringly alone."

Yu Sifeng sighed and said, "I... might not be able to keep you company for long."

Zi Hu widened her eyes, looking at him blankly, clearly not understanding that he too had died, and aside from hell, where else he could go. Yu Sifeng didn’t explain; he didn’t know how to either. Together, they headed to the great gates of Yidu, naturally encountering many new ghosts and Yin Cha along the way. However, everyone knew of the Heavenly Emperor’s mark upon Yu Sifeng and thus did not dare to question him or Zi Hu, silently making way for them to pass.

Zi Hu, unaware of the reason, assumed that everyone traveled their separate ways on the Huangquan Road, proceeding with a shake of her head and lively spirits as if she was not going to Yidu but on an outing instead. Seeing her joyful expression and the extreme delight shining in her eyes as she hummed a little tune, devoid of the desolation typical of a recently deceased person, Yu Sifeng secretly marveled and asked with a smile, "Why are you so happy?" Xuanji and the others still don’t know how to feel sad yet here you are, delighted. If they knew, they’d likely be at a loss whether to laugh or cry."

Zi Hu’s face turned red, wanting to voice her feelings, but facing Yu Sifeng instead of Xuanji, she felt embarrassed to discuss her emotional intricacies with a man. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "I... Let me tell you, if someone you’ve been chasing for a long time... well, Xuanji, for instance! She finally shows that she somewhat reciprocates your feelings, wouldn’t you be happy?"

This time, it was Yu Sifeng’s turn to blush. He and Xuanji had been intimately involved, but as a naturally cautious and shy person, he felt embarrassed and self-conscious every time someone mentioned his and Xuanji’s relationship. Seeing his blush, Zi Hu burst out laughing, exclaiming, "You’re blushing! You really do have a coy personality!"

Yu Sifeng felt amused himself, touched his chin, then quickly grasped Zi Hu’s metaphor and asked, "Oh, did Wuzhiqi confess to you?" Suddenly he recalled that she had died, and that Wuzhiqi might not have been telling the truth, feeling a twinge of distress.

Zi Hu shook her head and said softly, "That sort of awkward thing, he couldn’t possibly do. If he truly came and confessed to me, then he wouldn’t be Wuzhiqi anymore. I used to think he didn’t care about me, but now I know I still held a place in his heart, and with that, I have no regrets in death."

She recalled Wuzhiqi’s last words to her, as the flames engulfed her corpse and his expression had looked utterly sorrowful. She had expected him to say something heartbreaking, but instead, he mentioned that she was in his dreams, and it wasn’t a lie. At the moment of her death, as if under a spell, she hadn’t asked whether he liked her, clinging instead to that dream. As if obtaining his confirmation was her ultimate wish, even though she didn’t believe it, it still brought her peace. Later, when he actually admitted it was true, how could she not be both shocked and delighted?

Of course, behind the shock and delight, there was a bit of regret. If only she had asked him if he liked her, he would definitely have nodded. Why bother asking about such a trivial dream? Silly Zi Hu!

Yu Sifeng said softly, "You were so good to him, Wuzhiqi must have been touched, and there’s no way he could ignore you."

Zi Hu still shook her head and replied, "I don’t want his pity. If a person must do something for another to feel touch, then the latter harbors feelings of guilt, making the relationship rather joyless."

Seeing Yu Sifeng fall silent, Liuli immediately realized she had touched upon a painful part of his past. He had been too kind to Xuanji in those days, so she knew she had to be cautious around him.

Zi Hu said, "This is just my own little opinion and might not be accurate. Besides, even if the actions of someone deeply in love fail to move the other person, at least they move themselves. Those of us who fall in love first always suffer a bit, and there’s nothing that can be done about it."

Yu Sifeng remained silent.

As the two approached the gates of Yidu, they were immediately stopped by Divine Generals and despite Yu Sifeng having the Heavenly Emperor’s seal, he still had to follow the rules of the Netherworld. Several little ghosts rushed over hurriedly, chronicling Zi Hu’s important life events on a plaque, and handed it to the Gate God. Skimming it briefly, just as the Gate God was about to raise an eyebrow to speak, a golden light suddenly shot out from Yu Sifeng’s chest.

Catching sight of that light, everyone panicked, not knowing what to do, and many little ghosts knelt down, trembling all over. Zi Hu looked at Yu Sifeng in astonishment, who was equally baffled, gazing upwards as if sensing something. The golden light burst forth from his chest, Zi Hu unable to dodge in time, and it steadfastly embedded itself into her left shoulder as the light gradually receded.

Yu Sifeng said softly, "I have to go now. Zi Hu, take care. With the Heavenly Emperor’s seal on you, the little ghosts will naturally take extra care of you. We’ll meet again in hell after a hundred years."

Zi Hu was still in a daze when she saw his figure gradually becoming transparent, and she cried out in alarm, "Where are you going?! Hey! Don’t leave, Si Feng!" Yu Sifeng disappeared into the gloomy mist before he could answer, leaving no trace behind.

The little ghosts bowed towards the empty space several times, and upon seeing the Heavenly Emperor’s seal on Zi Hu’s shoulder, they too dared not treat her as an ordinary new ghost. The Divine General spoke very politely, "Please follow the little ghosts to the Judge, where your fate will be determined."

Zi Hu was not willing to leave; she lingered near the gate for a long time in hopes of finding Yu Sifeng. Since the little ghosts did not dare to urge her, they let her be. After searching around, she finally accepted that he was indeed gone, realizing through some twist of fate they had met there.

A little ghost quietly urged her to enter Yidu, and Zi Hu reluctantly nodded, following the little ghosts to the Judge in an orderly manner. With the Heavenly Emperor’s seal on her, no one dared to harm her, and not only did she not see a shadow of Abyss Hell, but she did not even catch a glimpse of Forget River Water. She wandered around Yidu all day long, eventually making a group of friends and gradually settling down in Yidu. Of course, these are stories for another time, to be told later.

****

When Xuanji and her companions reached the cliff where the Kaiming Gate was located again, the Kaiming Beast that had been sleeping in front of the gate was nowhere to be seen. The majestic and stunning Kaiming Gate, unexpectedly wide open, surprised everyone, surrounded by misty fog that made it impossible to see what lay inside.

Tengshe said curiously, "Strange, with the Heavenly Emperor descending to the Lower Realm, all gates should be closed, right? Why is this one open?"

He took a couple of steps forward, glanced inside the gate, and suddenly his face drastically changed, frozen in place unable to move.

"What’s the matter, are there ghosts inside?" Wuzhiqi asked with a laugh, following him and looking inside in the same manner. Just one glance made him freeze too, a very odd expression on his face.

Xuanji was slower than them in climbing the cliff and had just reached the top, panting heavily and complaining, "You guys walk... so fast! You left me behind!"

Seeing their strange expressions, she too became curious, walked over, and tapped Tengshe on the head, saying, "What’s going on! Why aren’t you going inside if the gate is open?"

Tengshe shushed her and said in a solemn tone, "Fool! There are immortals inside!"

Xuanji was slightly shocked and hurriedly looked up to see, through the dense mist, countless people standing densely inside the Kaiming Gate, radiance reaching the sky and auspiciousness in thousands of strands, all immortals from the heavens, each with an expressionless face standing at the entrance, staring back at the three of them.

For a moment, the scene fell into an eerie and tense silence.

With just a brief glance, Wuzhiqi instantly recognized Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger among them, and a few who had been defeated by him in the past. He involuntarily clenched the Sea Strategy Hook tucked in his belt and muttered, "Wow, a big fight is coming."(To be continued, for more details, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)