While Xiang Yu returned to watch Jing Yi, Xin Lan made his way to the Nine Heavens. Entering the capital city, he went over to the God of Love's palace. Ah, this really was a place he hated. He still vividly remembered the first time he had come here.
Just like today, he had walked down the path to the palace. It was just that today everything around him stayed silent without a god in sight while back then their whispers had accompanied him with every step.
"Look! Isn't that him? The one that wasn't cursed?"
"Yes, yes, I've seen him before."
"I've heard people call him Senior even if they were of the older generation. Is it really true that he isn't affected by Tian's curse at all?"
Even now, thinking back to it Xin Lan couldn't help but clench his hands. Three millennia hadn't been enough for people to forget. Tian's curse was still in everyone's mind. Well, how couldn't it? Those that had lived back then and those that had been born in the future, they were all affected by it, their lives changing forever. Only the handful of children that had been about to be born in the three immortal races when Tian spoke his curse had been spared from his curse. And in those three thousand years, half of them had already died.
Now, all these years later, he was the only one left. The only one not inflicted with that damn curse.
Xin Lan reached the gate and nodded at the guards. "Xin Lan from the dragon race has come to ask the God of Love for assistance."
The two hurriedly nodded and one of them led him inside, announcing him to the God of Love. Xin Lan ignored him and just waited for the door to close behind him.
Seeing the white-haired god standing up from his desk, his brows furrowed. Ah, back then, it had been another person occupying this position and now, this one had gotten old. It faintly made him aware of how old he himself had gotten.
"Senior Xin Lan."
"God of Love." Xin Lan pushed the thoughts aside and nodded at the old god. That time was long past. He already wasn't the same person anymore. So what if there was nobody destined for him in the High Heavens? He had already found the person he cared for. Even if he was with somebody else, it wouldn't change his feelings.
The God of Love smiled and motioned at the chair at the other side of the table. "What brings Senior Xin Lan here?"
Xin Lan went forward but didn't sit down. "I'm searching for information on a person. Unfortunately, I don't know much but I hope that the God of Love might be able to help me find out more."
"I'll try my best. What does Senior Xin Lan know about that person?"
"His name is Xiang Yu and was originally a trueborn god but married into the demon realm some ten thousand years ago. I don't know what happened but sometime after leaving the Nine Heavens, he became a fallen god."
"That …" The God of Love furrowed his brows. "I'm afraid I don't know how I can help Senior Xin Lan with that. Our task is only to tie the red thread for the humans and the gods attempting their trials in the human realm."
Xin Lan nodded. "Precisely. Since he was a trueborn god he has to have attempted a trial. He came to the demon realm to marry. I think the likeliest place to have met that demon would have been in his trial but then things might not have turned out the way he hoped, hence leading to him becoming a fallen god. Otherwise … maybe this person was his true love but then the God of Love should be able to make sure whether that Xiang Yu had a partner destined for him from the High Heavens."
The God of War slowly nodded. "Alright. I can check for these things. Please follow me." He left the room, leading Xin Lan to the middle of the palace.
Xin Lan's brows drew together when they stepped into the courtyard. This was where he had gone before too. Just like on the way to the palace, everything was still the same.
A tree towered above the building, the silver leaves rustling in the breeze, giving off the faint sound of bell chimes. They glowed faintly as if they were stars condensed into another form.
At first glance, this tree was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on but his heart squeezed when he saw it. He couldn't help but gulp. If he went forward and plucked one of those leaves off … it would still stay blank, wouldn't it? In the three immortal realms, there was nobody destined for him. In the human realms, there was nobody to look for either.
From the moment he had been born different from the other dragons, he had been destined to be alone and to remain alone for all eternity.
Xin Lan's curled up in ridicule and he looked at the sky above the tree. Tian … the three immortal races looked up at him but in the end, wasn't that guy just an asshole that liked to torment others? He hadn't been able to fulfill his own wishes so he wanted to see everyone just as miserable.
Making the demons unable to love, forcing the dragons to remain attached to just one person for their entire lives without guaranteeing them to fall for each other, making the gods attempt trials that were nothing more than living a life full of misery … What was it for? Would it bring his lover back? Would it make that child come to life again? Could he turn back time by doing that?
No. Nothing of this would help him. He really … was just making others as miserable as him. Well, at the very least, he was very good at doing this. One really couldn't say he hadn't put effort into this.