A note from the author:
The crematorium has begun.
Chapter 55
Shao Yan's question was clearly a way of telling Huan Changming that he was not the Pianpian Huan Changming was talking about.
But he was clearly identical to Lu Pianpian. The only difference was that when his Pianpian left him, she was still a boy, but now, two hundred years later, she had grown into a more elegant and graceful woman.
Huan Changming was the same; they had both grown up, which would only prove that the person in front of them was his Pianpian.
The Underworld King huddled behind Shao Yan and whispered, "Divine Child, in my opinion, we shouldn't get entangled with him any longer. Let's go..."
Shao Yan had the same idea, but the Night Demon and the Snake Demon crawled out of the ruins and blocked their way. "Demon Lord Changming! This is not your demon territory. Don't push your luck!"
These two demons were speaking to Huan Changming, while the humans were flanking Shao Yan from the front and back, their intentions self-evident.
His clothes fluttered without wind as he glanced at the Night Demon and the Snake Demon. "Trying to take me hostage?"
The Night Demon declared, "I advise you not to resist, or I'll swallow you whole!"
Huan Changming drew his sword, his voice restrained: "If you dare to touch him in the slightest, I will make you pay a thousandfold."
The Underworld King chuckled and tried to smooth things over, "I also advise you two not to bother with this person..."
The Night Demon and the Snake Demon wouldn't listen to any advice, and attacked Shao Yan from both sides with their demonic claws—a sudden change occurred.
The vines of life-giving flowers flew out quickly from Shao Yan's sleeves and tightly wrapped around the arms of the snake demon and the night demon. The snake demon and the night demon tried to break free, but the vines of life-giving flowers only tightened their grip on them.
The Night Demon and the Snake Demon felt their spiritual energy being rapidly drained. The vines grew wildly, constantly enveloping their entire bodies, and soon they were wrapped in vines from head to toe.
Pollen filled their noses, and the Night Demon and the Serpent Demon experienced a hallucinatory vision. Dozens of handsome men draped in thin veils lay on the bed, beckoning to them. "Lord Night Demon, Serpent Lord, we have been waiting for you for a long time..."
How could the Night Demon and the Snake Demon resist such temptation? Blinded by lust, they quickly climbed up.
With a few words, he retracted the vines, and the Night Demon and the Snake Demon fell from mid-air and crashed heavily to the ground. However, the two of them smiled infatuatedly, as if they were having a beautiful dream.
The two great demons were easily dealt with without bloodshed. The remaining people in Jiuyou Huoshi who had planned to watch the show immediately fled in panic, and the scene was in complete chaos.
Huan Changming's sword was useless; he had clearly seen the spell Pianpian had just used. "Why did you use such a spell?"
His Pianpian practiced swordsmanship and always used swords to defeat her enemies. He had never seen Pianpian use such techniques before.
Shao Yan ignored him and flew away with the Underworld Lord.
Huan Changming's mind raced. This face must be his Pianpian. Something must have happened to Pianpian during the two hundred years they hadn't seen each other to cause these changes.
He was convinced that Shao Yan was Lu Pianpian, so he quickly chased after them and stopped them in the long corridor of Jiuyou Huoshi.
Shao Yan was getting impatient. "What exactly do you want?"
“Pianpian, don’t you recognize me?” Huan Changming explained earnestly, “We were once fellow disciples, and also lovers and… husband and wife.”
The Underworld King hurriedly looked at the Divine Child's expression and found that there was still no fluctuation in the Divine Child's calm eyes, which reassured him slightly.
Shao Yan glanced at the scar on Huan Changming's left cheek and said, "Talking about husband and wife is absurd."
The burn, which had long since died down, returned with a vengeance when he was lightly brushed away. He touched the scar on his face and gave a smile that was more like a grimace. "You despise me?"
Does this mean that you still recognize me, that you still have me in your heart?
Huan Changming couldn't wait to take Pianpian's hand, but suddenly, the flowering vines flew out from Pianpian's sleeves and attacked him. He lowered his hand that was holding the sword and let the vines bind him.
Shao Yan looked into his eyes and said, "I'll say it one last time, I'm not Pianpian."
"I don't believe it! If you're not my Pianpian, then who are you?"
The Underworld King shoved Shao Yan away, saying, "No need to get entangled with him any longer, let's hurry up and leave..."
Huan Changming glared at the Underworld King, "Are you in such a hurry to let him go because you feel guilty? Because he is my Pianpian, isn't he?"
"Demon Lord, you jest... I have never met Lu Pianpian before, so why would I feel guilty?" The Underworld Lord coughed. "The identity of the person beside me is not convenient to explain to the Demon Lord, but he... is indeed not Lu Pianpian."
"Then why does he have the same face as Pianpian?!"
"The world is full of wonders, so it's not surprising that there are people who look alike. Please, Demon Lord, stop making things difficult for us." He gestured for Shao Yan to leave quickly. "Besides, Demon Lord has already obtained the Bodhi Pearl, so the purpose of this trip can be considered accomplished..."
"I haven't used the Bodhi Bead yet. What if you lie to me? I can't let you go right now."
Huan Changming was just looking for an excuse to keep the Underworld Lord here. Pianpian was clearly after the Underworld Lord, so keeping the Underworld Lord was the same as keeping Pianpian.
His intentions were far too obvious, leaving the Underworld Lord both amused and exasperated. "Demon Lord, he's really not Lu Pianpian, he is—"
Shao Yan suddenly flew out from beside him, grabbed the vines binding Huan Changming and pulled him in front of her. Looking into Huan Changming's eyes, she said, word by word, "If you've lost someone, go look for them elsewhere. Don't come to me and act like a jerk. I'm not your friend, and I won't tolerate your temper."
Their faces were so close that Huan Changming could see every inch of the other's face clearly.
“I lost him.” Huan Changming’s eyes reddened. “Now, I want to find him.”
The vines suddenly recoiled in fright at the aura emanating from Huan Changming. Now free, Huan Changming wrapped his arm around Shao Yan's waist and said, "We've found him, and we won't let him go again."
The next moment, the two figures turned into a streak of blue light and disappeared without a trace.
The King of the Underworld could no longer stand still and turned back to report to the Heavenly Realm that a great disaster was about to occur!
For nearly a century, under the rule of the new Demon Lord, the Demon Realm has lived in peace with the demon race. The two factions have a harmonious relationship, the war has ceased, and they get along extremely well.
Behind the Demon Palace, there was a bamboo forest where Mu Lingzi was cultivating. Suddenly, he sensed the Demon Lord's return and thought that the Demon Lord must have brought something back, otherwise he would never have returned empty-handed.
He had been by Huan Changming's side for the past two hundred years and knew that Huan Changming would stop at nothing to find Lu Pianpian's reincarnation in order to revive her.
Mu Lingzi quickly sat up and rushed to the Demon Palace, intending to check on Huan Changming's condition, only to find the Demon Palace gates tightly closed. Looking at the demon general at the gate, she asked, "Was this at the behest of the Demon Lord?"
"That's right, the Demon Lord brought someone back with him."
"Carry someone?"
It seems the sun is about to set in the east today.
Huan Changming couldn't wait to carry Pianpian into the Demon Palace. Only by settling her in his territory could he feel at ease.
He placed Pianpian on his couch, sat down below, and held her hands to his face. "Pianpian, look at me. I am Huan Changming! We were married...we are husband and wife. You can't possibly have forgotten me completely!"
Shao Yan looked down at him, her tone indifferent: "You brought me to the territory of the Demon Realm. In less than half a day, the people of the Heavenly Realm will arrive here. If you do not want to fight against the Heavenly Realm, then do not entangle yourself with me anymore."
"The Heavenly Realm is going to try and take you away from me?" Huan Changming's heart and eyes were filled with Pianpian, and he didn't care about anything else. "I'll kill them all! No one can take you away from me, Pianpian..."
The Demon Lord, who was described by others as ruthless and arrogant, was now prostrate at Shao Yan's feet, as humble as dust, repeatedly saying that he would never let anyone take Shao Yan away.
Shao Yan recalled how others described the Demon Lord, saying he was insane, and he now felt the same way.
"madman."
A flowering vine flew out from Shao Yan's sleeve and pierced Huan Changming's shoulder bone.
Huan Changming was stunned for a moment, then, using the vines connecting him and Pianpian, he suddenly stood up and pulled Pianpian into his arms. "These vines of yours, do they allow people to see the scene of what they desire..."
With barely a word, he thrust the vine in another inch, forcing Huan Changming to let go. "So what if it is?"
But Huan Changming seemed oblivious to the pain, holding him tightly. "Two hundred years... I felt like each day was an eternity. It's understandable that you've forgotten me after such a long time... Why don't you use your vines to see if what I'm saying is true?"
Since he was not willing to engage in pretense with him, he smiled and said, "You don't want to see it because you still remember me, but you just don't want to admit it."
"absurd."
Enraged by him, Shao Yan's vines sprinkled pollen, drawing the two of them into the memories that Huan Changming longed for.
Inside the river cave, the bride in red, her limbs severed, lay on the ground in despair.
A boy who looked exactly like the taciturn man appeared and rescued him.
Huan Changming couldn't wait to tell Pianpian beside him, "This is the first time we met. You saved me; you're my savior. From that moment on, I've always felt sorry for you..."
He suddenly fell silent, and the scene in the river cave was abruptly replaced by a raging fire.
Shao Yan watched as Lu Pianpian, whom Huan Changming had mentioned, resolutely jumped off the bone-burning furnace. Shao Yan's expression remained expressionless, while Huan Changming chased after her like a madman, crying out, "Pianpian, don't!"
After Shao Yan dispelled the illusion, Huan Changming still couldn't catch Lu Pianpian. He knelt on the ground, his face pale, tears silently streaming down his face, "Pianpian, Pianpian..."
It was just an illusion from two hundred years ago, yet Huan Changming was still trapped in it, unable to extricate himself.
With a few words, he raised his hand and swiftly withdrew the vine that had pierced Huan Changming's shoulder bone, then silently walked out of the Demon Palace.
He walked to the door, about to summon Yun back to the Heavenly Realm, when Mu Lingzi flew back from afar, staring at him with wide eyes, "Lu Pianpian, you're really alive?"
Shao Yan glanced at him, stepped onto a cloud, and a sudden gust of cold wind blew up behind him, scattering the cloud beneath his feet.
"Stop him." Huan Changming lightly wiped the corner of his eye with his fingertip, but the corner of his eye was still red. "We can't let him go."
"What exactly do you want to do?" Shao Yan's patience ran out. "I've already done so many pointless things with you, what more do you want?"
Huan Changming softened his tone, "When you saw those images, didn't you remember anything?"
"All I saw was a kind-hearted boy saving you, only to be forced by you to jump off the furnace and commit suicide." Shao Yan's eyes flashed with malice. "What do you think I should remember? Or do you think I should be forced to commit suicide by you again, just like that boy, before you'll be satisfied?"
"I...I didn't." Huan Changming tried to approach him. "I never intended to force him to his death, not two hundred years ago...and certainly not now..."
"Don't come any closer." Shao Yan was ready to unleash the Blooming Vines again at any moment. "I've tolerated you only because you are the Lord of the Demon Realm and for the peace of the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm. If you dare to bother me again, don't blame me for killing you!"
"Pianpian, even if you kill me, my soul will haunt you forever."
Having said all he could say, Huan Changming stubbornly persisted in pursuing him. He released the life-giving vines once more, which transformed into a sharp sword in his hand, slashing mercilessly at Huan Changming.
When Huan Changming saw him with a sword, he was overjoyed and did not even try to avoid him, becoming even more certain that he was Pianpian.
Mu Lingzi, unable to bear watching any longer, pulled Huan Changming aside, dodging Shao Yan's attack. "Demon Lord, are you out of your mind!"
Huan Changming brushed aside Mu Lingzi and smiled at Shao Yan, saying, "When you wield the sword, you become him."
With a cold snort, Shao Yan swung his sword again, unleashing a massive gust of wind that toppled and shattered the buildings of the Demon Palace.
"Demon Lord, stop daydreaming! Lu Pianpian's formation is deadly!" Mu Lingzi quickly gave the order on behalf of Huan Changming, "Demon Generals, heed my command, protect the Demon Lord!"
"yes!"
Huan Changming ordered, "Stop! No one is allowed to lay a hand on him!"
However, these demon generals could not harm Shao Yan at all; as soon as they stepped into Shao Yan's sword wind, they were swept away.
At this moment, two figures descended from the sky, with guards on either side of Shao Yan.
Upon seeing the two of them arrive, Shao Yan sheathed his sword and asked, "Why are you here?"
Su Rou quickly said, "The Underworld Lord came to the Heavenly Realm to report that you had been captured by the demon. We were worried about you, so we asked the Heavenly Lord for permission to come down and find you."