Love & Redemption
Chapter 278: The Final Volume of I am Liuli Final - : Forgetting Three Lives (Complete)

Chapter 278: The Final Volume of I am Liuli Final Chapter: Forgetting Three Lives (Complete)

Xuanji soon knew what Yu Sifeng meant by a "spectacular show" for her.

On the day of the grand wedding, when Xuanji, dressed in her dazzling attire, was escorted out of the courtyard, a series of loud bangs suddenly erupted in the air, startling the bride so much that the red cloth on her head fell off. She looked up and saw a stunning series of fireworks streak across the sky. It was near dusk, the sky slightly darkened, displaying color-changing phoenixes spreading their wings and peacocks opening their fans unpredictably, creating a truly rare and mesmerizing spectacle.

Xuanji was so captivated that she didn’t even care about the veil that had fallen to the ground. He Danping and Linglong scrambled to cover her again, when suddenly from the procession ahead there came a robust chant, thunderous as if splitting rocks yet impeccably uniform, "A hundred years of good harmony! Growing old together! A hundred years of good harmony! Growing old together!" This caused some of the faint-hearted girls in the crowd to panic, quickly covering their ears.

Xuanji found it both amusing and annoying as she spotted Yu Sifeng riding a sleek dark horse up the hillside. He Danping quickly covered her head again, while Linglong and Zhong Minyan had already rushed over, laughing and chatting with him about the grandeur of his bridal procession, truly a rare sight. Yu Sifeng said with a smile, "The interesting part is still to come, although it might be a bit presumptuous, I couldn’t care less."

Linglong, eager for the excitement, repeatedly asked him what else was fun, but Yu Sifeng just smiled and gave no reply. Finally reaching Xuanji’s side, he dismounted his horse. He Danping handed him the red silk and whispered, "Be careful not to make any more loud noises, the bride isn’t fond of being frightened."

Yu Sifeng agreed with a smile, thinking that Xuanji must be the bride least likely to be scared in the world. The more bizarre the event, the happier she probably was. Words like ’delicate’ would never apply to her.

He led the red silk, amidst a crowd of laughing and chattering people, towards the main hall. Holding the silk, which quivered in his hand, he felt a tender softness from the girl on the other end, like that of a little dove. Suddenly, a deep affection sprouted from the bottom of his heart. Today was their grand wedding after all, his wife, whether fragile or strong, was unique at this moment, irreplaceable, meant to be savored slowly, not hastily or carelessly walked through. From now on, they would be together in everything, never to be apart again.

After the laborious wedding rites of paying respects to the heavens and parents, Chu Lei and He Danping, beaming with joy, held the couple close and imparted many words of advice. Among the guests, Dongfang Qingqi couldn’t resist teasing them, "Little Xuanji, you can’t complain about your father favoring you now, right? Marrying such a desirable groom, you have all the happiness to look forward to."

The bridal veil stifled Xuanji so much that she found it hard to breathe, and although she heard all the talking and laughing outside, the festiveness was unbearable because she couldn’t even lift her head. She hated the veil more than anything at that moment, wishing she could tear it off and join in the laughter effortlessly. Just then, she heard that gifts were being announced. Given her lavish wedding as the cherished daughter of the Shaoyang Sect Leader, various sects had sent mountains of gifts, exotic treasures, divine weapons, and an array of animals, a truly eye-opening collection, so the mention of gifts didn’t invoke any reaction from Xuanji.

Speaking of which, among the many gifts, her favorite was a white gibbon sent by Dongfang Qingqi. It was said that its blood could cure all diseases, but the little gibbon’s yipping and yapping made it sound so adorable yet pitiful that no one could bear to harm it, so they decided to keep it as a pet. Valley Master Rong of Dianjing Valley still sent a divine weapon, a pair of Mandarin Duck daggers. The male dagger was pitch-black and lusterless yet so sharp that it could cut hair upon slight contact, and it emitted an intense chill, truly a rare and formidable weapon. The female dagger, on the other hand, was the exact opposite, completely pink as if made from crystal and agate, exquisitely beautiful, but whether it was practical was yet to be determined.

Chu Lei heard that someone had sent a gift and hurriedly ordered it to be brought in, but he also felt some puzzlement. The wedding ceremony had already concluded, yet there were still guests who had not arrived, truly an unprecedented occurrence.

A little while later, Du Minxing came in swiftly, holding a sandalwood box, and said, "Master, there is a child at the foot of the mountain who says he was entrusted by someone to deliver this congratulatory gift. I could not determine who the sender was, nor did I dare to open it myself. Please decide what should be done, Master."

Chu Lei uttered an "Oh", took the sandalwood box, and felt its heavy weight. The box was adorned with gold and jade, depicting carps frolicking under lotus leaves and blossoms, incredibly lifelike and exquisitely crafted. There was also a faint, pleasant fragrance emanating from the box itself, clearly indicating it was also a highly valuable treasure.

Not knowing who had sent the congratulatory gift, Chu Lei hesitated to open it, fearing some trickery, and asked, "Where is this child?"

Du Minxing replied, "He’s the little boy from the pickle shop at the mountain’s base. I asked him a long time who sent the gift, and he said it was a wine merchant from the next town who had been entrusted by someone else."

Chu Lei "Oh"ed again, his suspicions deepening. Looking down, he saw a small and intricate golden lock on the box, with a few lines of verse inscribed on the bottom, the key to unlocking it. This type of intricate lock was very ancient, used among the nobility in the old days to convey valuable secrets. Because the manufacturing process was extremely cumbersome, it had long been phased out, but unexpectedly, it appeared today.

He followed the hints in the verse, turning the lock left three times, right twice, then pushing up and down once, and heard a "click" as the lid of the box slowly opened a crack. Chu Lei was already prepared for any sudden activation of mechanism weapons within, ensuring that he would not be harmed in the slightest.

However, when the lid was lifted, there were neither poison nor needles inside, and everyone was dazzled by a soft glow emanating from the box, casting much light upon Chu Lei’s face. It turned out that the box contained nothing else but dozens of pearls the size of soybeans. Everyone present was quite knowledgeable, especially Yu Sifeng, who had never before seen such lustrous and flawless pearls at Li Ze Palace, despite having seen countless pearls and gems. For a moment, everyone was nearly breathless from the jewels’ brilliance, this gift truly an inestimable treasure, probably impossible to purchase with any amount of money.

Chu Lei moved the pearls aside and saw a pale blue note at the bottom of the box with the words "From Xuanji" written on it, and immediately knew that it must have been sent by his daughter’s eccentric friends from abroad. He handed the note to Xuanji and said with a smile, "See who it is from."

Xuanji finally found an excuse to lift her bridal veil and took the small note to open it, only to see the ink on it was dripping, the handwriting round and soft, with a line written: "Forever united in heart, inseparable till death. Your happiness, my comfort." There was no signature, but Xuanji immediately knew who had sent it.

She carefully held the sandalwood box in her hands, her fingertips delicately tracing those beautiful pearls, feeling their warm and moist touch, and her heart couldn’t help but be filled with many emotions.

"It’s Ting Nu." she whispered softly, picking up a pearl and placing it in Yu Sifeng’s hand, "Do you know what this is?"

Yu Sifeng smiled faintly and said lightly, "Merfolk tears."

Xuanji couldn’t help but remember how, after they returned from Kunlun Mountain, she had run to the East Sea Coast, hoping to find Ting Nu and see if he was truly safe and sound. However, despite going five or six times, she could never find him. Now thinking about it, he was deliberately avoiding them. Ting Nu’s feelings for the former War God were unclear and indescribable; he always looked at her so tenderly, treated her so gently, he must have mistaken Xuanji for that aloof woman from the past.

But she was no longer the War God, nor was she Shura; she was a mortal girl named Chu Xuanji, getting married today. So he avoided her, so he did not wish to see her. What meaning was there to see her? Just like he had come unexpectedly, without any warning, now he was leaving just as suddenly, without any words.

But it was just the boundless East Sea Coast, on a full moon night, when the silver light spilled over the sea, would this Merfolk be swimming among the corals with seaweed-like long hair dripping wet, softly singing a song only he could hear? That heavenly voice, she would never hear in this lifetime.

Xuanji gently closed the box, silently. Yu Sifeng laughed and said, "It’s time, let’s go."

Xuanji nodded quickly, raising her hand about to lower her bridal veil, continuing to play her shy bride role, when Yu Sifeng laughed out loud, "No need! How could I see you with your face covered?"

He took Xuanji’s hand, and they walked out of the hall; by then, it was already dark, and the sunset left only a trace of afterglow. He Danping quickly instructed the disciples to light the lanterns, but Yu Sifeng shook his head, "No need."

As soon as he spoke, everyone suddenly felt a brightness before their eyes, as if seven or eight suns had risen from the ground, sparkling brilliantly, unbearable to gaze at, bursting up from the ground and flickering in mid-air. Looking closely again, they could see a long, vermilion carriage hanging in the air, its embroidered curtains and tassels rustling in the wind, and around the carriage flew eight Golden Winged Birds, their long golden necks emitting jewel-like cries in the air.

Everyone was shocked; though it was no secret that the people of Lize Palace were Golden Winged Bird Demons, revealing their true forms in such public, indeed, was still shocking and outrageous. Traditional elders among the guests had already begun muttering, stirring up the mood. Chu Lei was also very surprised, opened his mouth to inquire but was pre-empted by the couple who turned around and bowed deeply to him and his wife together, respectfully kowtowing three times.

Yu Sifeng declared loudly, "My father-in-law, mother-in-law, my wife and I bid you farewell now."

Only then did Chu Lei truly show panic, having thought that the new couple would stay at Shaoyang Sect for a few days before leaving, but they wanted to leave right after the ceremony, leaving the parents unprepared. He hurriedly said, "Sifeng, there’s no need to rush..."

Linglong immediately started crying, shouting, "How can you leave so soon? Sister, at least stay a few days! There’s still so much to talk about!"

Xuanji smiled and shook her head, "There’s no banquet under the sky that doesn’t end, this is just fine. Dad, Mom, Linglong, brother-in-law, Senior brother... we will still come back someday, don’t worry."

Once she finished speaking, she turned and walked away, her steps light, and in an instant, she had already left the hall. Everyone hastily followed; Du Minxing watched with a complex expression and softly called, "Little Junior Sister!"

Xuanji looked back and waved at him; that expression exactly like when she was a child, laughing heartily, carefree. His heart felt sour, and his eyes slowly moistened.

Suddenly, flames burst from the ground, shooting up several meters as if a lotus flower in full bloom. Xuanji, supported by the flames, drifted lightly into the carriage. Yu Sifeng controlled his sword and flew through the blazing flames, reappearing with the Golden Winged glittering magnificently behind him. The eight Golden Winged Birds soared through the fire and in a blink, they vanished from everyone’s sight, leaving behind glittering sparks and golden specks, a reminder of the incredible spectacle that had just occurred.

Yu Sifeng referred to a grand event, and it turned out to be this: he was a demon, she was a Shura, and neither of them cared about their identities as they openly revealed themselves—this was the true grand wedding ceremony.

*****

In the three years that followed, Chu Xuanji and her husband visited the Shaoyang Sect annually to see their relatives.

Linglong’s intuition faltered when she gave birth to a beautiful, spirited daughter, not a son. The daughter, resembling her greatly and seldom crying, loved to smile cheerfully at everyone who came to play with her. Zhong Minyan loved her deeply, wishing he could keep his precious girl in his mouth. Yu Sifeng named the child: Zhong Wenjun. The following year, Linglong gave birth to a son, named: Zhong Xijun.

Three years later, Yu Sifeng passed the role of Palace Master of Lize Palace to Elder Tang and left Lize Palace with Chu Xuanji, carrying nothing with them, and crossed the ocean. Initially, they still sent messages back and forth, but gradually there was no news from them, and before they knew it, four years had passed.

On a certain day, under the clear and sunny sky of a certain town overseas, Yu Sifeng had closed his apothecary shop and, together with Chu Xuanji, spread out herbs on a bamboo mat to dry in the sun. A white monkey on the rooftop was chattering and laughing, evidently having found something fun, thoroughly enjoying itself. Halfway through drying the herbs, Chu Xuanji grew too lazy to move, so she simply lay down on the bamboo mat to bask in the sun, feeling the warm coziness around her and only wanting to doze off.

"Si Feng, how long has it been since we’ve been back? Do you remember?" she asked drowsily.

Seeing her slacking off, Yu Sifeng grew lazy himself and sat down beside her, answering leisurely, "Probably... three or four years, I guess."

Chu Xuanji patted her swollen belly and looked up at him, "See this? Should we find some time to go back and make our parents happy?"

Yu Sifeng grabbed her hand, frowning as he said, "What’s this and that about? This is a child, how can he take it if you pat like this?"

Chu Xuanji simply rested her head on his thigh, half-asleep, and murmured, "Wenjun must be seven this year, and Xijun six. Our child is still sleeping soundly in mommy’s belly. When they see Linglong again, who knows how proud she’ll be. Maybe she’s had more children these past few years... Ah, those two can really produce."

Yu Sifeng laughed and said, "Let’s wait for the child to be born and then take him back to meet his grandparents. You’re pregnant; it’s better not to travel long distances to avoid stirring the fetal Qi."

"What even is this fetal Qi? Can it stir just like that? The baby is fine in my stomach; how could a little movement stir anything?"

Yu Sifeng ignored her chaotic questioning. These sorts of lazy afternoons, even the talk was lazy—perfect for a nice nap. These idle, carefree days were their favorite. Over the years, whenever they arrived at a new place, they would stay for a few months; Yu Sifeng would gather some herbs to sell for travel expenses and occasionally helped dispel some demons. Once tired of a place, they’d just leave and continue to the next spot for more adventures and settle down again.

If they hadn’t discovered Chu Xuanji was pregnant, they might have returned to the Shaoyang Sect to visit family, especially after four years without contact—surely their elders were worried sick.

After a while of talking nonsense, Yu Sifeng couldn’t resist lying down on the bamboo mat, his eyes sleepy.

Suddenly, Chu Xuanji stirred, her eyes wide open, and she listened intently. Yu Sifeng asked curiously, "What’s wrong?"

After listening for a while, she suddenly broke into a smile and swiftly jumped up, exclaiming, "Someone has returned."

Someone returned? Besides them, who else would "return"? Yu Sifeng also got up, and they both opened the door to be greeted by endless fields of lush green, with the wind rustling through, waving like countless green waves.

A person wearing a bamboo hat was slowly walking on the ridge, the wind lifting waves of green and his silver-white hair fluttering behind him. He was singing loudly, "Heaven is unpredictable, and paths can’t be planned; life has its pace, how can one foresee its timing? Lo, as the heavens and earth act as furnaces, creation as artisan; with yin and yang as charcoal, all things are but copper..."

Both leaned on the door, watching and smiling at each other. This scene, this feeling, was oh so familiar. Chu Xuanji said with a smile, "Finally, he’s back, that rascal!"

As the person approached, he took off his bamboo hat, his silver hair dancing with the wind, and he lifted his head defiantly saying, "I want food."

Chu Xuanji tugged at his sleeve and pulled him inside, while Yu Sifeng gently closed the door, with the white monkey chirping on the rooftop.

Today, it’s another reunion.

(The End)

*********

Finally, I’ve concluded this long, long journey of Glazed Beauty, ^_^

It wasn’t easy.

The interaction with everyone during the writing process was the most amusing and a very splendid experience. I appreciate everyone’s continuous support. This story has many loopholes and might seem prolix when I’m not in the best state, but you all supported it steadfastly which deeply moved me.

However, Glazed Beauty has reached a fulfilling conclusion, and as I mentioned long ago, Shisi is a loving creator who would never write a tragedy.

In China, everyone likes to aim for a perfect ending, even if it’s cliché, but as long as it brings joy, that’s what matters. I’m not exempt from this cliché; I always feel both within and outside the book, happiness makes a perfect ending.

Shisi’s new book has already started serialization on September 1.

The title is "Running around the world and doing small tasks," book number 1051666.

This name has been called strange by more than one person, but through this title, one can see that this book has a tone of joy and is a light-hearted comedy. For those interested, please give lots of support, bookmark, and recommend. Your joy is my motivation.

Also, I’m advertising for a friend: book number 1024260, "One Dream Such As Autumn Water," One dream thus, another thousand years of dreams, looking back, the skies are as long as autumn waters... What? This time it’s your turn to love me? Cut it! Who needs you!

So, Glazed Beauty is thus concluded.

Lights out, bow, exit stage. (To be continued, for further details, please visit www.qidian.com, with more Chapters to support the author and legitimate reading!)