Jingheng woke up as the morning star faded and the faint light of dawn emerged. The soft clouds at the horizon were like the screen in a beautiful woman's tent, shielding a patch of clear blue. A young man was lying sideways on a tree branch with a lotus leaf covering his face. Suddenly, he shuddered, causing the leaf to fall, and he nearly tumbled off.
His eyes, still somewhat dazed, squinted as he raised a hand to shield himself from the sunlight. "Where did such clear skies come from in the underworld?" he wondered. He shook his head lightly, still unsure if he was dreaming, then lazily covered his eyes with his sleeve to block the warm rays of light. His body relaxed, yet his heart felt an indescribable sense of longing. Perhaps only in dreams could he feel so carefree and comfortable.
Suddenly, his throat itched, and he coughed. When he raised his head, he caught a glimpse of what was beneath him, and a shiver ran through his entire body, sending chills down his spine.
"Why is there a snake here!" he exclaimed. He looked down to see a branch thicker than a man's waist, with a green-patterned python slithering toward him, tongue flicking.
His body reacted instinctively. A golden spirit fire manifested in his hand, forcing the python to retreat before vanishing without a trace. Jingheng smirked at himself, realizing he'd forgotten he no longer had a physical body and couldn't use spiritual fire. But then, he froze. His heart raced.
The spirit fire had just forced the python back! This couldn't be a dream—this was the Celestial Realm!
Jingheng felt a mix of excitement and shock. His skills hadn't improved much, and the ability to summon his primal spirit fire was something he could only do in the Celestial Realm. But he had drowned in the underworld's river, his soul shattered by vengeful ghosts. How could he be alive and well in the Celestial Realm now?
He climbed down the tree and looked around, recognizing the scenery. It was all so familiar that he felt as if he were in an illusion. Tears welled up in his eyes as waves of emotion swept through him, touching every tender spot in his heart.
The young man ran barefoot back to the Golden Lotus Hall, where he was drawn to a well-grown cornel tree in the garden. When he was first born, the Nine Heavens Fairy had gifted him a cornel plant from the mortal world. But after he left with Chou Zhi, the lotus pond was destroyed, and the cornel tree turned to ash. He had once thought about planting a cornel tree in the underworld, but that place couldn't even grow weeds.
Jingheng bit his lip, memories flooding his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled all the injustice from his previous life. "Cornel..." he muttered softly, and a small fruit fell into his hand, red like the vermilion dot on a beautiful woman's forehead, vibrant and enticing.
The cornel tree had grown alongside him for a century, gaining consciousness but unable to take human form. It was offering him comfort.
Jingheng felt a stab of pain in his heart. He conjured a water mirror with a gesture and saw that his face still carried the innocence of his hundredth year, but the tears in his eyes no longer had the clarity of his previous life.
He pressed his cheek against the cornel branch. "Cornel, I made a mistake. I miss you."
"Jingheng, you made a mistake?" A voice made him tremble, and a gust of wind caused all the flowers to lose their color. A woman walked in gracefully, her steps creating lotus blooms with each stride.
"Lady Rong Wan," Jingheng said, composing himself. He stood near the cornel tree, his eyes no longer sad but guarded and evasive.
Rong Wan frowned slightly, seeming displeased, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion. The golden lotus plant was noble and outside her jurisdiction, but Jingheng was of her kind, and they had always been close. Why was he suddenly acting like a different person?
Jingheng closed his eyes, reflecting on his situation. He had not only been reborn, but it was the same day as before. Chou Zhi's pursuit of the ghost path led to his persecution by the heavens, resulting in a massive battle that took the life of the Celestial Realm's flower lord. The heavens later determined that the flower lord's death was caused by Jingheng, leading to a massive fire that consumed the lotus pond.
Before he was reborn, Jingheng had found a letter in Chou Zhi's study, written in the delicate handwriting of the flower lord. It was then he realized that Rong Wan was alive and well, while he had become a pawn in her schemes. The lord he had respected for a lifetime practiced ghostly arts, and the man he had loved cared only for his eyes, which resembled those of the flower god.
How ironic.
He stepped forward, causing Rong Wan to feel a sudden sense of discomfort. Had she made the wrong move in approaching Jingheng?
"Lady Rong Wan, what brings you here?" Jingheng asked.
"Oh, Yan Qing from the Clear River Palace sent some wine, and I was wondering if you'd like to come by and have some," she replied.
The Clear River Palace's wine was a rare treat. In his previous life, he'd eagerly accepted the offer, but after just one bottle, he'd lost consciousness. When he woke up, the flower lord was dead, and his own cultivation was gone, sending him down the path to the underworld.
This time, knowing the traps of the past, would he let Rong Wan ensnare him again?