Love & Redemption
Chapter 264: Final Volume: I Am Liuli - 23: Liuli (Part 3)

Chapter 264: Final Volume: I Am Liuli Chapter 23: Liuli (Part 3)

After the door was kicked open, a wild wind whirled, sending flames shooting straight into the sky. Xuanji, heedless of much else, floated in after it. She saw the War God General brandishing her sword to enter, causing the serving Jade Girls and warriors in the hall to scream in panic, scampering while clutching their heads. Those who were courageous and loyal tried their utmost to block her way. However, the flames on the Ding Kun Sword were scorching, and the heat was astonishing; even getting slightly close resulted in burning pain.

Empowered by the Heavenly Fire she bore, wherever she reached was like a sharp blade cutting through tofu, unstoppable. The eunuchs who rushed forward to block her path, seeing her in such a state, felt their courage falter and stepped back, allowing her to smash the Luminous Glass Vase, light up the Ice Silk Curtain, topple the bronze lamp, and wreak havoc in the hall.

"I want to see the Heavenly Emperor!" Her voice was still so cold, and as she turned to look back at everyone in the hall, not a single person dared to respond.

Xuanji, seeing her in such a wild guise, suddenly felt stirred. For what matter could a person without desires act out to such an extent? Could it be that since then, she had already learned to think for herself?

"Let the Heavenly Emperor come out to meet me!" she repeated, and this time, finally, a Jade Girl cowering in a corner timidly answered, "The Heavenly Emperor... isn’t here... Right now, Emperor Bai is, is, is taking a nap!"

She seemed to think for a moment, then said, "It’s all the same! Let him come out!"

A warrior said with a forced smile, "General, only subjects are supposed to go to see their king; even with your unmatched bravery, General, this protocol... does not entail summoning the Heavenly Emperor."

The War God General coldly said, "From today onward, there is such a reason! Hmph, subjects! Who are their subjects! I indeed have several questions I dearly want to ask them!"

Xuanji’s heart jolted again—she knew! She must have known her own origins by then! What was going to happen next? Would the Heavenly Emperor and Emperor Bai meet her and tell her everything?

No, they definitely didn’t tell her, and they even greatly punished her, which is why I was punished to the Lower Realm, and they said it was the crime of defiance!

What kind of heaven is this? What kind of earth is this? Such a heaven and earth surely invite contempt!

Xuanji took a deep breath. Although she lacked a physical body at the moment, she still felt her whole body burning hot and then ice cold, with stars dancing before her eyes.

The War God General lingered in the front hall for a while, and seeing that no one came out, she kicked the Jade Screen behind the hall. With a loud crash, the magnificent screen made of white jade, as large as half a wall, was kicked into powder, scattering all over the floor.

The door behind the hall was slightly ajar. She leaped over the rubble, charging towards the back door with ferocity, but her movements suddenly stiffened, then she slowly retreated. Xuanji stared towards the back door and saw someone slowly pushing it open; a person in white garments, handsome and stately, with a golden seal on his forehead, a strikingly beautiful young man—Emperor Bai.

For some reason or perhaps by instinct, she involuntarily looked at Emperor Bai’s hands, and both of his hands were still there!

Xuanji’s heart chilled again, a bad premonition faintly emerging.

Emperor Bai’s hair was somewhat disheveled, and his clothes seemed to have been hastily fastened, clearly having been asleep and woken by the War God General’s intense presence. When the eunuchs in the front hall saw him, they knelt down hurriedly, some feeling relieved and others anxious, not knowing what kind of mighty wrath he might unleash.

He surveyed the hall, and upon seeing the chaotic and sorry state of it, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He turned and looked at the War God General beside him, his voice carrying reproach, "My beloved official, what caused this uproar? Look what you’ve done to this place!"

She snorted softly through her nose, saying nothing. Emperor Bai watched her for a while, a look of displeasure on his face. Below him, an alert eunuch gathered the courage to report, "Just now, the War God General forcefully broke in, carrying Heavenly Fire. We couldn’t stop her and disturbed Your Majesty..."

Before he could finish, Emperor Bai waved his hand, "You may leave."

The crowd was extremely reluctant; they were the eunuchs on duty today. If anything happened to Emperor Bai, they would all be in trouble. The lighter penalty would be banishment to the Lower Realm, but the heavier punishment could involve being cast into hell to endure endless suffering. The War God General looked murderously furious, and if she really intended harm to Emperor Bai, even having nine heads wouldn’t be enough. Though they knew staying would help little, at least later, when asked, they could provide a proper account.

Emperor Bai clapped his hands sharply, "Leave, now!"

The crowd had no choice but to retreat slowly, yet they dared not close the door completely, leaving a small gap just in case they needed to rush back in.

Emperor Bai beckoned to the War God General, "My beloved official, come with me."

He led the War God General through the back door. Beyond it lay a small garden courtyard followed by a resting palace.

Emperor Bai stood in front of a peony, gazing at her. After a long pause, he said, "Beloved official, have you come to me regarding Wuzhiqi’s matter?"

True to his title, Emperor Bai hit right on the mark with his first question. Xuanji, watching her past self, didn’t know how she would respond.

"Not just about him! It’s also about my own origins..."

"Wuzhiqi has been locked in the Heavenly Prison, and a judicial officer is handling his trial and sentencing. Your contributions in this mission are not insignificant, and rewards will come in the future; there’s a bright future ahead, so why unleash such furious thunder for a mere reckless Monkey?"

It seemed Emperor Bai didn’t want her to bring up the matter of her origins, as he quickly interrupted her.

The War God General coldly said, "Future rewards are hollow; I only have a few questions for you—why am I called General, yet command no soldiers? Why do I have no name? Why am— do I differ so much from others?"

She suddenly tore off the Golden Armor, revealing only a thin inner garment beneath, the contours of her youthful form faintly visible. She showed no shame whatsoever and ripped apart the inner garment as well, revealing her pale, naked upper body like a blossoming flower under the sunlight. Her skin was luminous and fair, her curves delicate—she was the epitome of beauty. However, on her shoulders, neck, inside her elbows, and at her heart, there were stark and ferocious scars. Those scars, like thick, blood-red centipedes, coiled around her joints, making one’s skin crawl.

Xuanji felt as if someone had heavily punched her in the chest, the scene before her turning darkly dim. She couldn’t help wanting to press her hand to her chest, seemingly forgetting she had no physical form; naturally, the gesture was unsuccessful.

When Xuanji was first born, there were distinct blood-red birthmarks at all her joints, just like the War God’s torso before her eyes. He Danping was shocked at first sight and, together with Chu Lei, they marvelled, joking that their daughter must have been some kind of criminal in a previous life, probably died by being dismembered by horses, each piece cleanly severed.

As she grew older, the birthmarks slowly faded, and today, unless you looked very closely, it was almost impossible to tell she had had so many. She had heard about the birthmarks and felt a bit stirred, but had never thought deeply about it until today, when she saw the War God’s body. Various speculations she had suppressed bubbled up uncontrollably like a breached dam.

Emperor Bai, looking at her girl’s torso, didn’t even twitch a brow but simply said, "My minister, presenting yourself in such naked disgrace, what is the propriety in that? Quickly put your clothes on."

The War God, pointing to the large scar over his heart, whispered, "Answer me! What is this?"

Emperor Bai said, "The general has been battling on the front lines for years. Which Divine General on the battlefield doesn’t bear scars? If you find them ugly, later let the royal physician apply some medicine, and they will be gone."

The War God pressed the scar on his heart and said miserably, "You dare not answer."

Emperor Bai was silent for a while, then took off the white robe from his body, walked over, and draped it over her shoulders, whispering, "My minister, go back. You have indeed been straining yourself lately. I will report to the Heavenly Emperor and ask him to grant you a few days of leave. You should rest well."

The War God smiled faintly, "Do you all have even the slightest sense of guilt towards me?"

"General!" Emperor Bai finally darkened his face.

She, unafraid, boldly said, "Shouldn’t you be calling me by Luo Hou and Jidu?"

Emperor Bai frowned and remained silent while she continued, "This body, every piece, who assembled it for me? I’m exposing it under the bright sun, and that’s not proper? When you were piecing it together, why didn’t you speak of propriety then?"

Her wrist began to tremble slightly, and a strange light shot from her eyes as she continued, "That day in the garden, I overheard two Divine Generals talking about me. It turns out everyone knows what I am, where I come from, everyone but me. Ha, War God General, must be nice, must be impressive, right? You—the entire Heaven—used me!"

"You don’t answer my question, no matter, I will answer for you. I have no soldiers under my command because while you rely on my strength, you also fear me, afraid that I might remember something and lead a rebellion. I have no name... because you refuse to mention that name! The reason I am so different, is because I am not myself! You’re so sure, thinking I will always be at your disposal?"

Emperor Bai, not waiting for her to finish, calmly said, "General, you are tired and speaking nonsense. I understand your fatigue from battling, now leave."

She shook her head and laughed softly, "I’m not talking nonsense. All these years, I’ve been living in a daze! I have never been as clear-minded as I am today, at this moment!"

She patted her chest, producing a thumping sound, then displayed a sinister smile, murmuring, "Can a heart made of Luminous Glass not understand worldly affairs?"

Emperor Bai’s expression changed drastically, suddenly shouting, "Instruct the executioner! Execute Wuzhiqi today! Cast him into the Abyss Hell, never to rise again!"

He was still shifting the topic! Xuanji almost screamed out, and the War God, indeed, had her attention diverted by his words, said sternly, "Do not kill him!"

Emperor Bai said ominously, "Is the General trying to bargain with me?"

The War God’s face turned deathly pale, Emperor Bai’s previously draped white robe rustling in the wind and soon being blown away, falling to the ground. She remained silent, not speaking a word. Emperor Bai softened his voice, "Why plead for a demon?"

She casually said, "Because he is my friend! Unlike you all! I know what friends are for, friends are not to be used!"

Emperor Bai said, "I will not kill him. Now leave, and let’s not speak of today’s affairs again!"

The War God shivered violently, looking up at him with a gaze chilling to the bone. Emperor Bai, intimidated by that look, stepped back twice and said sternly, "Leave! I do not wish to repeat myself a third time!"

She stared at him intently, murmuring, "It was you! I remember now! The person who brought over the Luminous Glass Vase that day—it was you!"

Emperor Bai’s face went through a drastic change, he raised his hand as if to grab her, but suddenly, the sound of a sharp clang near his ear and a cold light flashed before his eyes, his left shoulder suddenly felt cold, and blood fell like rain.

His left arm was forcibly severed, flying far away.

*************

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