Qin Moyu sighed helplessly. He smiled, but there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "It seems like everyone suffers."
I didn't understand why I was suffering, but I learned that everyone in the world suffers the same way.
Love, hate, separation, greed, ignorance, anger, and obstacles.
Even someone as powerful as Shen Mo struggled with Dugu's cultivation, let alone other weak ordinary people.
"but."
Qin Moyu paused, then a bright smile bloomed on her face, pure and relieved: "After the bitterness, it seems to turn sweet."
If one remains immersed in the bitterness of life, then when he looks back on the past, he can only recall those painful memories, licking the bitter honey on the tip of a knife again and again, painful yet addictive, just like Qin Moyu in his previous life.
The dean raised him and was the person he was most grateful to in his past life; but in this life, what brought him peace of mind were Master Xuanjing and Shen Yebai.
Master Xuanjing was not one to preach. He never discussed any profound life principles with Qin Moyu, but he taught Qin Moyu how to face fate through his actions.
That day, he told Qin Moyu that he would go down the mountain to gain experience in a few days. When Qin Moyu asked him why he was suddenly letting her go down the mountain, he replied, "I don't want you to stay on the mountain timidly for the rest of your life, so after you go down the mountain, you only need to remember one thing."
Master Xuanjing patted Qin Moyu's shoulder heavily. The seemingly frail old man clenched his fist and swung it fiercely: "If anyone bullies you, beat them up. If you can't beat them, then wait for your master to beat them up!"
At that time, Qin Moyu thought he was just bragging and never actually did it, but the fearless appearance of Master Xuanjing was etched in his heart.
And Shen Yebai...
Qin Moyu felt the warmth of his palm, then turned to look at Shen Mo, a smile flashing in his clear, glassy eyes.
Because he heard Shen Mo say:
"With me here, it won't happen again."
Long, long ago, in different places, the same people said the exact same thing to Qin Moyu.
Qin Moyu has always asked for very little: a hug, a friend, and a place to belong.
Fortunately, he has had more in his life than he ever imagined.
…………
The two sat together and talked for a while before Qin Moyu remembered the strange "Gu Jia" from earlier. She then told Shen Moyu everything that had just happened and how she had transmigrated.
Qin Moyu couldn't figure out who possessed Gu Jia, but Shen Mo remembered someone else.
To be precise, he wasn't even sure if that was a person—the mysterious person he saw planting flowers in the void when he broke through his tribulation.
But if he was the one who sent Qin Moyu to this world, the one who hid Qin Moyu's memories, and the one who let Qin Moyu know about Nanxun's story, then why did he choose this time to awaken Qin Moyu's memories?
Their opponent's strength far surpasses theirs. If the opponent is on the side of Heaven, why would Heaven go to such lengths to scheme? But if the opponent is on their side, something seems amiss.
However, after discussing it, the two concluded that although they couldn't determine whether the other party was friend or foe, they were certain that he couldn't interfere too much in the affairs of this world, otherwise there would be no need to send Qin Moyu here to "save the world".
Qin Moyu couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it. In any case, no matter what the other party wanted to do, they would hold the ceremony as planned tomorrow and then head to the extreme cold.
Qin Moyu glanced at the sky, stretched lazily, and returned to her carefree self.
"Let's go, it's getting late, and Master will worry if we don't go back soon."
Shen Mo nodded.
As soon as he entered, Master Xuanjing strode over aggressively, his face stern as he asked Qin Moyu where she had gone, much like an angry father who was upset because his child had run off at night.
Before Master Xuanjing could start nagging, Qin Moyu rushed over and hugged him.
"What are you doing! You're such a grown man, yet you still act like a child. Aren't you ashamed?" Xuanjing Zhenren was caught off guard and suddenly found himself in a full embrace. With his disguise removed, he looked no older than Qin Moyu. He spoke words of disdain for Qin Moyu, but his body obediently returned the embrace.
Qin Moyu laughed twice and said, "Master is the one who's shy. I can see your ears are red."
"Nonsense!" Master Xuanjing bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shouting that he could never be shy because of a hug.
However, the earlobes hidden under the hair were still uncontrollably stained with a touch of color.
Qin Moyu smiled and stopped provoking Xuanjing Zhenren. He turned to look at Shen Mo, who was standing at the door, and the two smiled at each other.
No matter what happens tomorrow, they will face it together.
…………
The pagoda's shadow stretches far into the verdant valley, while the bell's toll rises high into the azure sky. [1]
The majestic sound of the bell pierced through the thick clouds, spreading outwards like ripples. If someone were looking down at that moment, they would witness an extremely awe-inspiring scene—
The massive altar was clearly divided into two parts. On the left were the ministers of the Southern Kingdom, all dressed in official robes, lined up in an orderly fashion. On the other side were the people sent by various powers from different continents to observe the ceremony. They were dressed in different clothes and stood in twos and threes with different expressions. Some of them had probably been warned in advance not to cause trouble, otherwise they would probably have already started fighting.
"Gentlemen."
Everyone below the altar raised their heads in unison.
A person appeared on the once empty altar. The people standing here today could see for thousands of meters without any problem, but when they looked at the person on the altar, they found that they could not see the person's face clearly.
His face seemed shrouded in mist, with only a deep, cold voice coming from above, followed by a chilling majesty.
"Now that you have seen the Emperor, why do you not kneel?"
A seemingly casual remark carried immense weight; some people, unable to withstand the unexpected pressure, knelt down with a thud.
The sound seemed to flip a switch, and in an instant, a huge crowd knelt down.
At this moment, no one cared about their inner thoughts—resentment, fear, awe… all emotions were suppressed. Regardless of their motives for coming here, Shen Mo only wanted them to know one thing.