Volume One: Hidden in the Azure Abyss Chapter Thirty-Six

“Yes, Ruan Tu belongs to me. You are not allowed to harm him.” Jin Li stared unflinchingly into his eyes, which were shrouded in mist and darkness, brimming with murderous intent. Many times before, she had gazed into those eyes, lost in their clarity, as if they were pools of water reflecting his joys and sorrows. But now, a black fog clouded them, hiding any emotion from view.

Geng Yuan looked at her, then suddenly reached out and gripped Ruan Tu’s neck tightly. Ruan Tu’s feet gradually left the ground as Geng Yuan squeezed. Fury surged in Jin Li’s heart. She could not understand why Geng Yuan had become like this. A mere hundred years had transformed him into someone capricious and cruel, so foreign that she wondered if perhaps this was his true nature all along.

She struck his chest with her palm, sending Ruan Tu tumbling to the floor. With a glance, she signaled Yun Xiang, who hurried to help Ruan Tu out of the room.

Geng Yuan collided with the desk behind him, making it shake, and everything atop slid off, shattering on the floor. He looked at her, his gaze bottomless and inscrutable. Jin Li shouted, “Geng Zi Bei, what are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? I want you to love me and only me, forever. You can never love another.”

Jin Li strode forward and slapped his face, leaving a pink imprint on his handsome, pale cheek. Geng Yuan sneered, flexing his jaw, exuding a dangerous aura. His eyes, once charming, now carried an unfeeling allure. He watched Jin Li quietly, his gaze filled with countless desires and possessiveness. Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms, imprisoned her, and cradled the back of her head before forcing a kiss upon her. The kiss was rough, domineering, and Jin Li struggled fiercely. Geng Yuan seized both her hands, holding them tight. A metallic taste flooded her mouth; the sweetness and sensation only fueled her craving for more, as the Beauty Venom within her activated without warning, demanding more.

But she couldn’t let herself succumb; she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Geng Yuan released her, wincing in pain. Jin Li lashed out, but he easily caught her hand, rendering her helpless. He swallowed the blood, a smile on his lips, but his gaze was icy.

His voice was magnetic and seductive, “Ah Jin, don’t make me angry again, alright?”

Jin Li grew even angrier, glaring at him. “We’re finished! Finished! Don’t you understand?”

A flicker of panic crossed Geng Yuan’s eyes. He lifted Jin Li’s hand, seeing how flushed it was from the slap, and gently blew on it, sending tingles through her body. He spoke softly, “I know you won’t forgive me. Tell me, what must I do for you to forgive me? What must I do for you to treat me as you once did?”

As he spoke, his head bowed, eyes fixed on her palm, turning red with emotion. “I know I’m a monster, but I’m so afraid of losing you. Truly afraid.”

He raised his tearful eyes, lashes heavy with a forming pearl of a tear, making him appear hauntingly beautiful and pitiable.

He released her hand, then noticed the blood at her lips. He reached up and gently wiped it away, letting out a bitter smile. “Ah Jin, what do you want me to do?”

Seeing him like this, Jin Li couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity.

Geng Yuan slowly crouched, hugging his knees, choking back sobs. “Ah Jin… Ah Jin…”

Jin Li watched him, then caught sight of the blood on his hand. She quickly spoke, diverting her gaze, afraid she might soften. “I’ll fetch you some medicine.”

She turned to leave, then paused. “After you’ve used the medicine, Sea Lord, you should go. Don’t come back again.”

Geng Yuan watched her disappear, tears streaming down his face once more.

When she returned, Geng Yuan was gone. The chaos had been tidied, and the table was filled with dishes she loved.

She could no longer hold herself together and collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest, the taste of him lingering on her lips. The Beauty Venom seemed to sense it, raging wildly within her.

She hurriedly took out the Marrow Cleansing Pill and swallowed it. After some time, she finally felt better.

The Beauty Venom had grown so severe it needed blood to settle.

Was she truly doomed this time?

Jin Li sat in the lotus pavilion, gazing at the pure white pear trees, their blossoms shining splendidly. As she watched, drowsiness overcame her, and she drifted into sleep, dreaming of the sacred temple she had not seen in ages. Yet in the dream, the temple was soaked in blood...

She awoke at dusk. The lotus pavilion was bathed in sunset, casting a gauzy glow over the water, so beautiful that she could not look away.

She sat quietly, remembering the darkness that had enveloped Geng Yuan. Over the past twenty years, his bloodlust had grown ever more intense. Though immortality was possible through cultivation, the demonic aura lurking in him—was it real, or just her imagination?

Her heart was uneasy. Sure enough, Yun Xiang rushed in. “Mistress, the back mountain...”

“What about it?”

“Sea Lord is drunk in the back mountain.”

Jin Li hesitated, then vanished in a flash.

She walked through the blooming pear flowers. Hadn’t he already left? Yet there he was, Geng Yuan, holding a wine jar, eyes hazy, half-reclining beneath the pear trees, clearly drunk.

“Geng Yuan?”

Jin Li called softly. Geng Yuan slowly raised his head, affection returning to his eyes. “Ah Jin, you’re here.”

Jin Li squatted to examine the wine jars scattered around him, frowning. Geng Yuan laughed, “See, all this pear-blossom wine—I brewed it myself. At first, it tasted awful, undrinkable. So I learned, and finally I mastered it, making plenty every year. I always hoped you’d return and we’d drink it together...”

He began to choke up. “But... but... no matter how much I brew, you still haven’t come back... still haven’t come back... the Ring of Fate couldn’t bring you to me... couldn’t... I’ll never see you again...”

Jin Li quietly wiped away her tears, helped him up, but her strength was lacking. So she covered him with a thin blanket, bandaged his wounds, and left Lianchuan. That night, she slept in Yanhezai.

At dawn, Jin Li ordered Yun Xiang to summon the people from the Southern Sea.

“Take him back to the Southern Sea. When he wakes, tell him you cared for him last night, understood?”

“Yes, mistress, I understand.”

She rubbed her aching shoulder and pushed open the door, just as Qi Sui arrived.

“Qi Sui?”

Twenty years had passed since she last saw him. Qi Sui had shed his youthful innocence, smiling gently. Seeing Jin Li was like seeing light itself. “Mistress, it has been so long.”

Jin Li smiled, and together they strolled through Pear Blossom Valley, the petals cascading around them, the two of them standing together like a painting.

Their sleeves brushed against each other from time to time. Jin Li spoke of her travels across the six realms, recounting the sights she’d seen, reminiscing about their shared past.

“Mistress, do you remember what you said to me the first time we met?”

Jin Li laughed, “Of course I remember.”

In her youthful arrogance, she had boldly declared she would marry Qi Sui.

“Back then, you were the most beloved mistress in the whole valley. You gave us a home, a place to belong, a paradise to enjoy peace and happiness. Thank you.”

Jin Li clasped her hands behind her back, smiling. “Why thank me?”

He wanted to thank her for entering his life.

Jin Li leaned against a tree, and Qi Sui sat beside her. He gazed at her, lost in joy.

Young love leaves a deep mark. As they recounted the stories of their youth, Jin Li’s eyes shone, stirring something in Qi Sui’s heart, as if drawn by some new force. Qi Sui leaned closer just as Jin Li turned her head, and his lips brushed softly against her brow. Jin Li was startled, but Qi Sui became flustered. “Mistress... I’m... I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to.”

Before Jin Li could respond, Qi Sui solemnly declared, “Mistress, let me protect you.”

He was now chief of the Butterfly Clan, determined to guard Jin Li. If she wished to leave, he would take her away. The past twenty years had not been kind to her, though she hid it well; her wounds and weakened energy made him worry.

Jin Li was momentarily stunned. She knew Qi Sui’s feelings, but such a good person could not remain by her side.

She smiled gently, “Qi Sui, I was the joy you cherished in your youth, but I am not a suitable match. Someday, someone better will appear in your life. But that person will never be me. In the end, I will fail you.”

Qi Sui was saddened, but smiled softly, “But you will not fail the six realms.”

The Divine Maiden was the hope of the six realms, their very existence depended on her.

Jin Li was that hope.

Yet sometimes he wondered selfishly: if Jin Li were not the hope, would she have lived a happier life?

Jin Li smiled, then asked, “By the way, how is the Weak Water Barrier?”

“In recent days, the demonic aura has grown stronger. The Demon God seems close to awakening. But do not worry, Mistress, we are strengthening the seal—the Butterfly Clan will handle it.”

After they finished their wine, perhaps due to her declining health, Jin Li felt dizzy as she stood, and stumbled forward. Qi Sui quickly caught her, holding her close. They were pressed together, but before they could regain their composure, a shadow flashed by, and Qi Sui was knocked to the ground.

Jin Li looked up—it was Geng Yuan.