I Beg Your Help! . . .
"And then..." Zhao Pingtian's face held a mix of emotions, as he continued his tale. "I dug her grave like I was crazy. I wanted to see her. But what I saw was only the lifeless shell of her, skeletal and frail. She lay there quietly, devoid of any signs of life. I felt overwhelmed with grief and frustration and spat out blood, then fainted right there."
"I lay in the grave with her, unwilling to leave. I wanted to be with her... until her parents and mine knelt down, begging me to come out."
Reliving that agonizing moment, Zhao Pingtian's voice quivered. "I emerged from the grave. I didn't want to, but I had to. Rou-Er was gone, but our parents were still alive. I couldn't bear to break their hearts once more. I had to carry on and take care of them. I had no idea what I could do with the rest of my life."
His eyes glistened with tears as he recounted what happened next. "I placed the Yin Fruit in her grave, even though I knew it was meant for a spirit, so I left it for Rou-Er. Placing it on her body, the fruit slowly vanished, as though it had entered her being. At that moment, I felt as if the gods had blessed me. I even dreamt about it. When I consumed the Yang Fruit, it boosted my cultivation by sixty years. I thought that maybe, if she ate the Yin Fruit, she would return from the dead and be with me once more. But reality is often cruel. She never returned. The Yin Fruit disappeared, and nothing changed. Why? Why did nothing change? She had received the Yin Fruit. Why? Why can't you bless me, oh, God?"
Overcome with grief, Zhao Pingtian grabbed Cha Eun Xiao's collar and demanded answers, his eyes reddened by the alcohol. "Why, why, why, why, why? Do you know why? Please, tell me why!"
Cha Eun Xiao observed Zhao Pingtian's agony, then turned his gaze towards the gentle girl in the gray fog. With a heavy sigh, he spoke softly. "Brother Zhao, you have no idea... The Yin Fruit worked. Rou-Er didn't come back from the dead, but she's still with you in another way. You just don't realize it."
In that moment, Cha Eun Xiao finally comprehended the peculiar situation surrounding Zhao Pingtian and why things had been so extraordinary for him. When people passed away, their souls typically transitioned into the Nine Serene World, entering a cycle of reincarnation.
However, the girl Zhao Pingtian had loved, Rou-Er, still retained her soul, enveloped in a substantial mass of gray fog, which seemed to shield her. She remained by Zhao Pingtian's side and even appeared to have a physical presence, even in broad daylight. She never left his side.
That was the explanation for these inexplicable events. Zhao Pingtian had placed the Yin Fruit in Rou-Er's grave.
It hadn't been long since Rou-Er's passing, only seven days. A significant part of her soul must have lingered during that time. It absorbed the spiritual energy from the Yin Fruit, which accounted for her current state. As her soul teetered on the edge of vanishing, it was the time when she recalled the most. Rou-Er underwent a transformation that preserved all her memories, a true miracle.
The two fruits they had taken were from the same tree, born as a pair. Fate worked in mysterious ways: the Yang Fruit saved Zhao Pingtian, while the Yin Fruit saved Rou-Er. Although they existed in two different worlds, one fighting in the mortal realm and the other accompanying him, they remained inexorably intertwined in life and death. Sometimes, the world revealed its wondrous nature.
"Yin Fruit worked? What do you mean? Rou-Er has been with me all the time? How is it possible? What are you talking about? If she is with me, how come I've never seen her? What exactly are you saying?" Zhao Pingtian inquired anxiously.
Ye Xiao sighed. "Alas, you miss her, and she gazes upon you. She sees you often but cannot touch you, while you long for her without realizing she has been with you all this time. There is nothing sadder in the world. Do you know why I can see the lady? It's because of you. You placed the Yin Fruit on Rou-Er's body. The fruit entered her, and while it didn't bring her back to life, it nourished her soul. She didn't undergo transmigration but instead lives in a different form, remaining with you all these days."
"That's why I can see her," Ye Xiao explained.
The girl in the fog nodded in agreement.
"Are you serious? Rou-Er is with me and has been with me all these days?" Zhao Pingtian was taken aback. He looked at Ye Xiao with disbelief. "So, you truly see her? Tell me, what... what does she look like now?"
Ye Xiao observed the girl and began his description. "She wears white clothing. She is slender with double knots in her hair. The right one is a bit crooked. She appears beautiful and hails from an ordinary family. She has a lovely and charming appearance..."
Zhao Pingtian couldn't contain his excitement. "Yes, yes, that's her! She's my Rou-Er! When we were children, Rou-Er and I went out, and she fell, hitting her head on the ground. There was a wound on her right forehead. Ever since that day, she'd always conceal it with the knot... Feng Monarch... You..."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhao Pingtian stood up and approached Ye Xiao, then he knelt before him. "Monarch Feng, please! I beg you. There must be a way for me to see her! Let me catch just one glimpse of her! Please! I implore you!"
The killer king, usually brimming with dignity and prestige, was now unreservedly kneeling before another, all for the chance to see his beloved once more.
That was his sole desire!
Amidst the ethereal grey fog, the girl wept, her fragile form quivering. Her tears flowed ceaselessly as she gazed at the man she loved, who knelt before her. Her heart ached with a profound sorrow, and eventually, she descended to her knees as well.
She understood that Cha Eun Xiao could see her. In the absence of a voice or words, she conveyed her own silent plea to him.
Cha Eun Xiao swiftly lifted Zhao Pingtian from his kneeling position. "What are you doing? You've already done so much for me. For the enduring love you both share, I'll do my utmost to assist you. Please rise. Stand up, and let's converse."