Emperatrices transmigradas (hombres y mujeres)

Capítulo 38

"Yes, I created it from the very beginning."

"Why? What will happen to the Realm of Light?"

"Why? Is that even a question? It's because you are my sister, because even though I am the king of the realm of light, I cannot give my sister happiness, because I want to watch her grow in every reincarnation, hoping that she will suffer less harm. Do you understand?" Ku Zhu sighed softly.

"Brother... Brother... I finally understand why Zhu'er said after meeting the God last time that she understood why I am a hunter in every reincarnation. It turns out that you have always been by my side protecting me!" Ling'er hugged Ku Zhu and cried bitterly. She felt so happy that so many people loved her so deeply. And just a moment ago, she was thinking about ending her life. How could she do something so irresponsible?

Tears welled up as she softly sobbed. If love is the most beautiful thing in the world, then family is the warmest. When anyone is hurt or sad, there will always be family by their side. Even if the whole world abandons you, family will warm you in your coldest moments. Back then, in the Realm of Light, she wanted to plead for Qingluo and see the God, but instead, she met his confidant, a man named Shugan. He had no choice but to tell her the whole story. When she learned the truth, she was so shocked she couldn't speak. She had originally wanted to tell Ling'er then, but she worried about her memory returning, so she had to give up.

"Alright, stop crying. My sister is the strongest, isn't she?" Ku Zhu wiped away Ling'er's tears, choking back sobs. In these six lifetimes, he had never felt so at ease. Although he watched over her constantly, he couldn't tell her that he was her biological brother. Now he was going all out, because he had made up his mind not to submit to fate any longer. For Ling'er's sake, he would fight against destiny, he would break that damned curse.

"Brother, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so desperate just now..." Ling'er sobbed.

"Brother doesn't blame you, but can you tell me why you did that? Your memory hasn't returned yet."

"Ling'er and I have both been tricked by others!" Chang Xiao said bitterly.

"What? Did he contact you too?" Ling'er looked at Chang Xiao in surprise.

"Yes, he claims to be the Old Man of Destiny. He says he can know people's past and future. As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion. When I saw that it was related to you, and he did indeed know about our past, so..."

"So you want to commit suicide? You worthless thing!! You're the number one expert in the Dark Realm, and you're my brother! Have you ever thought that although no one can hurt you, who knows the destructive power of Crimson Flame better than you? Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to reincarnate again? That your soul will be shattered? Don't you think about what will happen to the Dark Realm if you're really gone? What will happen to me?" The Dark Queen turned her head away, wiping away her tears. She was truly utterly disappointed.

"Sister, I know I was wrong. But in every life, Ling'er has been like this. If it's really as the Old Man of Fate said, that if I die, the curse will cease, and Ling'er will still be her Holy Lord, still the number one expert in the Light Realm, then I'll think it's worth it. Maybe you think I'm useless, that I'm not good enough, or even unworthy to be your brother. I have nothing to say about that, because that's truly how I am. But, as long as my beloved woman can be happy, what does any sacrifice matter?" Chang Xiao gazed affectionately at Ling'er leaning against Ku Zhu. Her still bright eyes were covered with tears, making her look so pitiful and heartbreaking.

"You big fool! You think I can still be happy even if you don't exist? You're so cruel, to leave me to live aimlessly alone..." Ling'er struggled to her feet and slowly walked towards Chang Xiao.

"Ling'er, I'm sorry. I was out of my mind. I really don't know what to do. You don't know, I'm almost exhausted..."

“I know, I know everything. Hu Yi is right, the curse isn’t just on me, it’s even crueler to you, making you know everything, yet powerless to change anything. It even makes you remember how I died in front of you in every life, this pain is more terrible than death! Compared to you, I am happy.”

Chang Xiao held Ling'er tightly in his arms. She understood his suffering. He had indeed not loved the wrong person. The pain of the past thousand years was transformed into happiness in this instant.

“When the old man of fate said you were going to kill me, I was disappointed at first, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate you. I cried not because I was afraid of death, but because I was afraid that if I wasn’t by your side, what would you do if you were sad? What would you do if you were lonely?” Ling’er murmured.

"That damned old man of fate! Once I catch him, I will punish him cruelly!" Hatred flashed in Ku Zhu's eyes.

"But are there really people in this world who can know the past and the future? Why have I never heard of them?" The Queen frowned deeply.

"The past events he showed included things about me and my brother when I was little, and a dream I had. He shouldn't have known these things, but they were all shown in the crystal ball. As for the future, apart from Xiao wanting to kill me, the other two things he predicted also came true," Ling'er said.

"What about the future?" Chang Xiao asked, puzzled.

"Yes, he used a crystal ball to show me future events. The first thing was that two people were arguing in the supermarket downstairs. The content of their argument and their expressions were exactly the same as what was shown in the crystal ball. The second thing was Hu Yi..."

"It's me?" Hu Yi exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, the second image is of you looking haggard, and you are saying roughly the same thing."

"The third thing is that Laugh wants to kill you?" the Dark Queen asked.

"Yes, but I'm now certain it's his scheme! Pearl said I would only lose him after I regained my memories, but my memories are still sealed. How come I didn't realize that before?"

“It’s not your fault, he’s just too cunning! Just who is this old man of fate?” Ku Zhu said softly.

"Ling'er, we have distinguished guests. It seems we've really alarmed quite a few people this time," Chang Xiao suddenly said with a smile. "Distinguished guests?" Ling'er looked at Chang Xiao in confusion. Who could be the guest he called a distinguished guest at this crucial moment?

Just as Ling'er finished speaking, the doorbell rang. Hu Yiyi heard that a distinguished guest had arrived, so she hurriedly went to open the door.

"This is the legendary distinguished guest??" Hu Yi pointed outside the door, staring at Chang Xiao in disbelief.

"Eighteen, Meiniang, you're back?" Ling'er was also very surprised.

"Yes, why are there so many people? Hunter Emperor... Eighteen pays respects to Hunter Emperor..." When Eighteen saw Ku Zhu on the sofa, he immediately knelt down on one knee and said respectfully.

“Eighteen! He’s not the Hunter King, he is…” Ling’er said.

"What? Not the Hunter King? Goodness! Of all people to look like, this one looks like the Hunter King. It gave me quite a fright..." The respectful expression on Eighteen's face was quickly replaced by dissatisfaction. "Sigh, Master, you can't believe there's someone in the world who looks so much like him, ah..." Eighteen was swept away by Teardrop's snake tail.

"Sister Pearl, what are you doing..." Eighteen protested. Ever since Pearl and Wolf King got together, she rarely used force against them. He had thought he could finally live a peaceful life, but his hopes were dashed so quickly.

"When I said he wasn't the Hunter King, I meant he was the God Lord..." Ling'er crouched down and whispered to the Eighteenth, who was still lying on the ground, her smugness evident in her eyes.

"What? The God Lord??" Meiniang exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Ku Zhu looked at the woman in front of him with a smile. He could sense that she was also from the Realm of Light.

"Lord God...Meiniang has something to report to you..." At this moment, the door was kicked open again, and a man and a woman rushed in.

"King of the Underworld, Queen of the Underworld, are you the distinguished guests I'm talking about?" the Wolf King exclaimed in surprise.

"Xiao, what happened to you?" Hades' brows were furrowed with worry. Meanwhile, Hades bit her lower lip tightly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. Her gaze followed Ling'er, but she didn't utter a single word.

"Old ghost, I'm sorry to have worried you. Ling'er and I really fell for someone's trick," Chang Xiao said, patting Hades on the shoulder.

"You really scared Xue'er and me to death!" Hades glanced at his beloved wife beside him, hugged her in his arms, gently stroked her hair, and said softly, "Don't cry, see, she's safe and sound."

Upon hearing this, Xue'er's tears flowed even more fiercely, but she still stared intently at Ling'er.

"Xue'er, go say hello to Ling'er," Chang said with a smile.

"I...can I?" Xue'er asked in surprise, her eyes filled with tears. Her shoulders heaved with sobs, a truly pitiful sight.

“Okay. I’ve thought it through. Running away isn’t the solution. But I selfishly prevented you from seeing her before because I was afraid she would regain her memories. Xue’er, please forgive me.” Chang Xiao sighed.

Xue'er leaped into Ling'er's arms, hugged her tightly, and cried like a child.

"Please, don't cry, okay?" Ling'er was at a loss, completely bewildered. What was going on today? Her senior brother, the Hunter King, was actually her own brother from the Realm of Light; the Dark Queen was Chang Xiao's sister; and this woman Chang Xiao called Xue'er was crying incessantly whenever she saw her…

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Ling'er, but I really miss you so much, I'm so worried about you, you know? And, and the third time, if I hadn't been so willful..." Xue'er said incoherently.

"Laugh?" Ling'er looked at Chang Xiao with a questioning gaze.

"Xue'er was also from the Realm of Light before she was married. She was your closest friend. You two talked about everything. The third time she mentioned refers to our third reincarnation. Xue'er's appearance that time accelerated the recovery of your memories, so I..."

"So you've been preventing her from contacting me?" Ling'er interrupted him.

“Yes…” Chang Xiao lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

"Laugh, you're so silly. It's futile for us to stop what's meant to happen." Ling'er wiped away Xue'er's tears and said, "Xue'er, although I don't remember, I felt a sense of familiarity with you the first time I saw you. Xue'er, we'll always be good friends!"

Upon hearing this, Xue'er's eyes reddened again, tears welling up in them. At that moment, Hades said, "Your Majesty, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"You really live up to your nickname. After all this time, you finally found me." The Dark Queen rarely made a joke.

"Nickname? What nickname?" Ling'er asked, puzzled.

"This...this...Ling'er, don't listen to the Queen's nonsense, I don't have any nickname..." Hades scratched his head awkwardly. "By the way, who is this..." He quickly changed the subject, looking at Ku Zhu with a questioning gaze.

"I forgot to introduce him to you, this is the God Lord," Chang said with a smile.

"What? The God Lord??" Xue'er rushed over and stared intently at Ku Zhu, saying, "You're the God Lord's brother? How could you be the God Lord's brother? Why is the God Lord's brother you?..." (N questions omitted)

Ku Zhu frowned and said with a wry smile, "Oh no, it's happening again..."

"What's coming again?" the Dark Queen asked, puzzled.

"A thousand-year-old questioner! Before Xue'er left home in the Realm of Light, she was known as the 'thousand-year-old questioner.' She could ask you one hundred and eight questions in one go. Of course, no two questions were repeated, and every question was nonsense..." Ku Zhu looked at the Queen with a wry smile.

"Wife?? Your nickname is 'The Infallible Question'? I've never heard you mention that before?" Hades' mouth was agape enough to fit a basketball.

"What's wrong? You never told me your nickname is 'Old Turtle' either. It's all thanks to Brother Changxiao who told me..." Xue'er rolled her eyes at him.

"Old Turtle? Why is it called Old Turtle?" Ku Zhu asked.

"Because he's notoriously slow to react! Often, if you ask him a question, he won't answer you for hours!" the Dark Queen laughed, surprised that she could actually chat and laugh with her mortal enemy.

Everyone laughed at this, except for one person: Meiniang. Seeing this, Shiba asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?"

Mei Niang didn't say anything, but just shook her head, looking quite troubled.

"Ling'er, you still haven't told me what happened between you two?" Xue'er asked, unable to bear seeing her husband's embarrassed state.

Ling'er recounted the whole story to Xue'er, from meeting the Old Man of Fate to Xiao drawing the Crimson Flame and the timely appearance of the God.

"Brother God, what will happen to us if you're not in the Realm of Light?" Xue'er asked thoughtfully.

"You don't need to worry about that. Shugan will take care of everything for me. I have complete confidence in his abilities, and besides, there are experts assisting him," Kuzhu said confidently.

"A master? Who is it?" Ling'er asked.

"Few people have seen him, but Ling'er, you have. He is Master Shenji!"

Upon hearing the words "Master Divine Strategist," Mei Niang trembled violently, her beautiful face turning deathly pale! Seeing Mei Niang's drastic change in expression, everyone was bewildered. Ku Zhu stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Mei Niang's body trembled slightly as she said, "Reporting to the Divine Lord, Master Shenji is plotting a rebellion!"

"What?" Ku Zhu exclaimed in surprise. Master Shenji was always a low-key person, and few people in the Light Realm even knew of his existence. Now, this woman in front of him actually said that he intended to rebel!

"Meiniang knows that I am but a lowly woman, and the God may not believe me at all. However, Meiniang swears on the honor of the divine artifact of the Realm of Light—Eternity, that if any of the above is a lie, may I be condemned to a terrible death in every lifetime!" Meiniang knelt on the ground, her hands crossed in front of her chest, her face shining with piety.

"Get up!" Ku Zhu frowned deeply. He knew that a subject of the Bright Realm could do evil and bully the weak, but would not dare to swear an oath easily, especially not in the name of the protective artifact, Yong. Yet, this strange woman before him had done so...

"Meiniang, how did you know that the fortune teller was plotting a rebellion?" Ling'er asked, puzzled.

"To be honest, Meiniang once said that she used to be a cook. I wonder if Your Majesty still remembers?"

“I remember,” Ling’er nodded.

"Three years ago, Meiniang was the cook in Master Shenji's household. You and the Holy Maiden have seen what I looked like before... Because of my ugly face, despite my excellent cooking skills, no one was willing to take me in. But Master Shenji didn't care about that. I was so happy then; it was the first time someone treated me like a human being... I was truly grateful to him, so I spent every day painstakingly cooking to repay his kindness. I was very happy during that time. There, I met Lanya, Master Shenji's personal maid. Lanya was a kind-hearted and intelligent girl. She never mocked my appearance, which moved me deeply. Since meeting her, I realized that friendship still exists in this world. But one day, Lanya suddenly ran to me in a panic, telling me to leave immediately." I was puzzled and asked her what had happened. She said she had overheard Master Shenji plotting a rebellion. If I didn't leave, I might face certain death. I asked why we didn't tell the God Lord, but Lan Ya shook her head in despair, saying it was useless. Even if we met the God Lord, he might not believe us. Besides, the God Lord wasn't even in the Realm of Light. My shock at that moment was indescribable. She told me to go to Mount You Ran and wait for her. If I didn't hear from her after a few days, it meant she couldn't come. Naturally, I refused, saying we should go together. That was the first time she had ever been angry with me. Helpless, I had to leave and wait for her in a cave on Mount You Ran. Day after day, I still had no news of Lan Ya. I was tormented by fear and worry every day…”

Before anyone could process what Meiniang had said, Ling'er's door was smashed open again. A dark figure burst in, and Chang Xiao immediately shielded Ling'er. The Wolf King pulled Lei Zhu'er behind him, the Underworld King held Xue'er in his arms, and Kuang Ao stood to Chang Xiao's left, Hu Yi to his right. Shi Ba held Meiniang at the front, while the God Lord erected a barrier, protecting everyone, including the Dark Queen. All of this happened in an instant; Ling'er's view was blocked. Who was that dark figure? All that could be heard was Ku Zhu's anxious voice: "Shu Gan! What happened to you?" Ling'er's gaze pierced through the many figures blocking her way, and she saw a tall man in silver armor kneeling precariously before Ku Zhu. His armor was tattered, his body covered in blood, and blood still dripping from his spear: "Your Majesty! Master Shenji has rebelled! Three hundred thousand rebel soldiers have besieged the Hall of Light! The Six Heavenly Generals are about to collapse!" The man finished speaking, coughed up blood, and fell to the ground. "Brother Zengzhangtian!" Xue'er cried out, rushing over immediately. She lightly touched Shu Gan's brow with her right index finger, and a soft white light enveloped him. Shu Gan slowly opened his eyes...

Seeing Xue'er's anxious eyes, Shugan weakly comforted her, "Little Xue'er, Brother Zengzhangtian won't die! Ah...you...!" Shugan looked at Ling'er in surprise, then immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, I have failed in my duty and failed to protect the Bright Realm! Please punish me, Your Highness!" When Ling'er heard Xue'er's cry of "Brother Zengzhangtian!" her mind went blank. After hearing Shugan's words, she slowly said, "King Zengzhangtian, you don't need to blame yourself! After resting for a while, immediately set off for Kuangjie Mountain and mobilize Jixiangtian, Shumengtian, and Chenfeitian—the three Heavenly Departments—to return to the Bright Palace with you. This is my token!" After saying this, she reached for her waist, but unexpectedly, she grabbed a hand. Ji, Hu Yi, Shi Ba, and Kuang Ao collapsed to the ground with a "bang." Ling'er smiled awkwardly and looked around, unsure of what she had just said. "Ling'er, your waist token is here!" Ku Zhu pulled a blue token with gold trim from his pocket. Shu Gan was overjoyed, took the token, and said, "Your subordinate obeys!" He turned and walked towards the door, but when he reached the door, he suddenly turned back, raised his right fist above his head, and shouted loudly, "Holy Spirit is invincible!" Then he disappeared. A moment later, all that could be heard was cursing throughout the building, because Shu Gan had shouted way too loudly!

"Brother, who is he?" Ling'er asked, looking at Kuzhu.

“Shu Gan, which is also called Zengzhang Tian,” Kuzhu said.

"I was just talking to them for ages, and now I don't even know who they are..." Kuang Ao muttered to himself.

Ling'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "Brother, what do we do now? Let's hurry back to the Realm of Light!"

"We are going back, but not us! I can go by myself!"

“Ling’er, I admit that you used to be the number one expert in the Light Realm, even your brother couldn’t compare to you. But now your memories haven’t fully recovered, which means your abilities haven’t returned. I’m afraid it will be dangerous if you go back,” Ku Zhu patiently advised.

Upon hearing this, Ling'er didn't say anything more. The situation in the Bright Realm was extremely urgent, and every second was precious. So she said, "Then let Xiao go with you, okay?"

"Oh no! Xiao wants to protect you. How about this, let Leizhu come with me, then you can rest assured, right?"

"I want to go too!" Mei Niang's resolute voice rang out.

(10) Entering the cycle of reincarnation

The final decision was that the Dark Queen would return to the Dark Realm first. The Underworld King, Wolf King, Teardrop, Arrogance, Eighteen, and Meiniang would return to the Light Realm with Bitter Bamboo. Chang Xiao, Xue'er, and Hu Yi would remain in the mortal realm to protect Ling'er and investigate the whereabouts of the Old Man of Fate.

The morning sunlight shone on the gauze curtains, and Ling'er felt a tickle on her ear. She opened her sleepy eyes and saw Xue'er supporting her chin with one hand and brushing her long hair around her ear with the other.