As Elysia walked through the bone forest on her way to Fragrant Marsh Hall, the crunching of bones beneath her feet sent chills down her spine in the eerie night. Having lived among mortals for so long, she had adopted some of their habits, such as fearing dark and terrifying things.
Lucian was perhaps the man she had fallen in love with using all the courage she could muster in a lifetime.
The double fish jade pendant in her palm grew warm, encouraging her to move forward. The journey seemed endless, but finally, Elysia saw Marsh Hall. Though still gloomy, it was the most magnificent place besides the main hall.
Surprisingly, no one stopped her on her way. In the Ghost Realm, Lucian's word was absolute, and no one dared disobey his orders. Fragrant Marsh Hall was forbidden ground, and normally no one would dare to come without his permission.
Elysia wasn't sure why she had come to challenge his authority. The cracked jade pendant had caused her too much anxiety, and she desperately wanted to prove something. Perhaps that Lucian loved and valued her.
He had forbidden others to come, but if she disobeyed his order, he wouldn't truly punish her, right?
As she was about to push open the doors of Fragrant Marsh Hall, an ice-cold hand gripped her wrist. She saw Lucian standing beside her with a cold expression.
"How dare you disregard my orders?" he said in a frighteningly cold tone. She had never heard him speak to her like this before.
A tremendous pressure descended upon her, causing her internal organs to ache. She coughed lightly, a trace of blood appearing on her lips.
"No, I..." she tried to explain, but didn't know what to say. Had she come to repair the jade pendant, to see who the honored guest in the hall was, or to test Lucian's reaction to her trespassing?
His attitude was now quite clear.
Elysia's eyes grew warm with tears. She lowered her head, flustered, unsure whether to wipe away the blood on her lips or the tears about to spill from her eyes.
Lucian watched her coldly, his dark eyes seemingly devoid of emotion, as her tears fell like strings of pearls.
Under the dark, blood-red sky, she looked utterly wronged, burying her head like an ostrich, her shoulders trembling.
He forcefully lifted her chin, noticing the blood on her lips. Lucian's hand paused, his brow furrowing as he roughly wiped away the blood with his thumb.
In an instant, Lucian carried her back to her chambers, a journey that had taken her nearly half an hour.
The Demon Lord's cloak almost completely covered her delicate body. She trembled in his arms like a withering leaf.
"Stop crying," he said, sitting on the bed with her in his arms. His hand caressed her fragile back, infusing her body with spiritual energy.
His spiritual energy was fierce and domineering, while she could only handle gentle, flowing energy. So weak that she couldn't even withstand his anger. He controlled his energy, transforming it from ghost cultivation power to fairy spiritual energy, gradually transferring it to her.
Though he had healed her injury, her eyes were still as red as a rabbit's, staring blankly at the floor.
Lucian turned her face, making her look at him. Since becoming the Demon Lord six hundred years ago, he had been so arrogant that no one had ever defied his orders. Those who did were utterly destroyed.
She had tested his law with her own body. This light injury from his pressure was nothing compared to the punishment she could have received.
Meeting her red eyes and tear-stained lashes, he said sarcastically, "You dare to enter the forbidden area, and I haven't punished you. Yet you're still feeling wronged?"
She shook her head, tears still falling.
He wiped away her tears, his fingers finally pressing against her lips. He threatened, "If you cry again, I'll throw you into the water prison to keep company with the water ghosts. Do you believe me?"
She choked out, "Then throw me in."
Despite her words, her fingers secretly clutched at his clothes. He glanced down, his eyes slightly raised, and said, "Do you really want me to throw you in? Water ghosts don't like neighbors like you. Don't come crying to me later."
His words were harsh, but Elysia, having spent so much time with him, knew this was his clumsy way of comforting her.
In the past hundred years, he hadn't shown much tenderness. His hand, having wiped away her tears, still rested on her back, transferring spiritual energy into her body.
Elysia cherished this moment of warmth. Her reckless courage dissipated in this tenderness. She had entered the forbidden area, yet he truly hadn't punished her. Although he had injured her with his uncontrolled pressure, he had been healing her all along.
He did care about her, didn't he? Her nearly withered heart once again bloomed with tenacious life.
She hugged his neck, burying her small face in the crook of his neck. "Dear… you promised to return soon, but you didn't come back."
He raised his hand, stroking her head.
"So, you resent me?"
She shook her head, taking out the double fish pendant from her bosom and handing it to him. "It's my jade. For some reason, it has cracks that I can't repair. I wanted you to help me."
Her small hands enveloped his.
He looked at her, complying with her wish, his palm emanating spiritual energy. The Demon Lord's power was so strong that the already exquisite double fish pendant seemed to come alive, the two fish almost moving.
She watched without blinking.
But after a long while, although the double fish pendant was glowing brightly, the cracks remained, showing no signs of repair. Lucian raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Shennong jade?"
Jade refined in the ancient divine artifact, the Shennong Cauldron, could be used for divination, and once broken, it could not be reversed.
Elysia was stunned for a moment, then took back the double fish pendant from his hand. "It's alright if it can't be repaired. After all, it's... just a piece of jade, you can give me a prettier one another day."
Lucian looked at her without pursuing the matter of the jade. "If you want anything, tell Sulon."
She nodded, finally showing a faint smile. Lucian was about to put her down, but she hugged him tightly. "Dear, it's so late. Do you really have something important to do right away? Can't you stay here and keep me company?"
He met her expectant gaze and after a while, grunted in agreement, choosing to lie down with her in his arms.
The cloud quilt was soft, just like her - soft and warm.
The crystal lamp swayed gently, casting shadows of paper cranes on the windowsill. Lucian knew that his little wife knew many strange things.
Such as brewing tea, paper cutting, embroidery, making clothes...
When she took human form, she was found by a seventh-rank official couple in the mortal world. The couple's own daughter had died early, and seeing her jade-like beauty, they thought she was a lost little girl from some family and took her in out of pity.
She was foolish too, not knowing what kind of being she was, not realizing that a little fairy couldn't live with mortals. At that time, the human world was fond of elegant and cultured behavior. As a little fairy, she was raised as an official's daughter, pampered and taught many things that only mortal women would learn.
But when it came to cultivation, she lacked talent on one hand and interest on the other, and wasn't diligent enough.
She didn't learn what she should have, and learned a bunch of useless things instead.
Ghost cultivators had always valued power, and Lucian was no exception. But despite her ignorance, he hadn't corrected her in the past hundred years, instead silently allowing it.
"Dear…" Elysia counted on her fingers, "in three months and four days, I'll have to face my tribulation."
He pulled up the blanket to cover her, responding with a faint sound.
He didn't give a response, nor did he actively extend this topic. Her true form was incompatible with the Ghost Realm, which had no fairy energy and made cultivation almost impossible. But whether demon or fairy, there were two types of tribulation in one's life.
One was the "cultivation tribulation," which came from diligent cultivation and breaking through realms. Passing it would advance one's cultivation to the next level.
The other was the "bloodline tribulation," which refined one's bloodline every fifty years. Surviving it would make one's bloodline purer and stronger.
For Elysia, her cultivation had almost stagnated, so breaking through realms was a pipe dream, and she didn't need to face cultivation tribulations. But bloodline refinement was inevitable; she couldn't escape it.
However, to face such tribulation, she needed matching cultivation. Fifty years ago, he had helped her through it.
It wasn't long after their grand wedding, and Lucian had just returned victorious from a war with the Fairy Realm, full of pride. He could have easily helped her pass the tribulation with a wave of his hand, but he chose a more intimate method.
They dual cultivated in the bedchamber for three days, leaving her so exhausted she could barely move a finger. Then he pinched her cheek and laughed arrogantly, "If you can't pass the tribulation on your own this time, don't say you're Lucian Umbra's wife when you go out."
But when the heavenly lightning actually struck, seeing how weak she was, he still scoffed and blocked most of it for her.
Now, another fifty years had passed.
This time, he had once again returned victorious. With the eight realms pacified, he held power over two realms, ruling with strict authority.
Elysia recalled the past, feeling sweetness in her heart. Under the cloud quilt, she held Lucian's hand, intertwining her slender fingers with his.
Summoning courage from somewhere, she suddenly sat up. "Dear, this time, I want to face the tribulation on my own."
She thought she spoke loudly, but her voice came out much softer than intended, and her ears turned red. Even with her above him, the lord of two realms didn't lose an ounce of his imposing aura.
His handsome face were like a painting. Hearing her words, his eyes rippled slightly, though it was unclear if it was mockery or contempt.
He said, "Can you handle it?"
Elysia's small hands gripped his clothes tightly, her cheeks flushed. "You, you can handle it."
He lowered his gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He decided not to move, allowing her to do as she pleased, curious to see if this rabbit-hearted girl would dare.
Elysia had never taken the initiative before. Her hands trembled as she undid his clothes.
Lucian looked up at her. The beautiful woman had barely finished undressing him when she was already nervous and sweating. Her previously pale cheeks were now flushed pink, looking quite beautiful. His expression remained cold, but ripples appeared in the depths of his eyes as he raised his hand to touch her cheek.
Soft, delicate, with skin like ice and jade.
He was growing impatient and was about to take charge when the ghost crows outside cawed five times, accompanied by the faint sound of a melancholic flute.
His fingers paused, his eyes darkening as he held her hand.
The woman tilted her head, looking at him in confusion. "Dear?"
He pushed her away, got out of bed, put on his cloak, and spoke in a cold tone once more. "Sleep first. I just remembered I have some important matters to attend to."
He strode towards the door.
Elysia sat curled up on the bed. The double fish pendant slipped out of her sleeve, still cracked, causing her pupils to tremble.
"Dear!"
She didn't realize she had almost shouted.
Lucian stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with an unreadable emotion. "Speak."
"I'm afraid."
"The Four Rhino Generals are guarding you."
At that moment, Elysia had many words on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she only managed a reminder: "The night wind is cold. Please dress warmly."
Through the window's silhouette, she watched as the wind swept through his sleeves. He walked along the winding corridor, seemingly transforming back into the decisive and ruthless Demon Lord.
Elysia picked up the double fish pendant from the bed. The cracks on it had imperceptibly deepened.
After Lucian left, Elysia slept restlessly. In the latter half of the night, she had a dream.
She dreamed of things from when she had just taken human form, during the summer in the mortal realm.
Just as foxes are naturally cunning, the fairy clan is naturally homebodies. They often don't like to move, especially before taking human form. So every ten years when lightning and karmic fire came to Azure Lake, apart from aquatic plants, few could escape.
Their lazy nature was ingrained in their bones. They knew the danger but never learned their lesson.
Although they were homebodies, they were the purest and kindest species in the world. Because they all grew naturally and lived in the most beautiful and peaceful fairy land adjacent to the human world, they learned to look after each other from birth.
When Elysia took human form, the lotus sister made her clothes from lotus leaves, the crabapple on the branch transformed into a bracelet for her slender wrist, the butterfly weed asked the wind grandmother to bring half a graceful blue flower ornament to decorate her forehead, and the old tree grandfather shielded her from the sun and taught her how to avoid the karmic fire.
She bathed in moonlight and morning dew, drank from mountain springs.
Everyone cared for her, congratulating her on achieving a fairy form. The old tree grandfather asked her, "What do you want to do now? Where will you go?"
She thought for a moment. "I want to find that immortal lord who was injured and fell into our Azure Lake last time. I accidentally consumed his blood and couldn't help but absorb his spiritual energy. I didn't mean to, I want to find him and return it."
"Oh my, he's not an immortal lord, but a ghost cultivator. Didn't the little fairy see the black sacrificial fire mark on his forehead?"
She asked curiously, "What's a ghost cultivator?"
The tree grandfather used his hanging paper strips to pat her head. "They're a group of bad and fierce people who can crush you with a flick of their finger. Don't go looking for him. Once you've cultivated well, go to the Fairy Realm. I hear it's even more beautiful than our Azure Lake, most suitable for fairies to live in."
"What about the Ghost Realm? Is it nice?"
"The sky is like ink and blood, bone-chillingly cold, filled with ghostly energy, without a trace of fairy spiritual power. If a low-level little fairy goes there, even if they're not eaten, they won't be able to survive in such a place."
Ants were busily moving things at her feet. She built a bridge over a puddle for them and couldn't help but sigh, "Then he must be so pitiful."
Living in the unattractive Ghost Realm, with no seasons and no fairy spiritual power, where his people are fierce and unfriendly. If she could grow up successfully, she would bring him out, return his spiritual energy to him, let him live in Azure Lake too, and she would start her cultivation from scratch.
When she grew older and wiser, developing from a girl into a delicate woman, she realized how laughable her earlier thoughts were. The lord of two realms wasn't pitiful at all and didn't need the sympathy of a little fairy.
And she had become the silliest fairy in the tree grandfather's eyes, actually living with Lucian in the Ghost Realm where she couldn't cultivate for nearly a hundred years. If it weren't for his profound cultivation protecting her, her soul would have been destroyed long ago.
The dream was peaceful and beautiful, but when she woke up, she felt an ache in her heart.
She rubbed her chest, feeling lost. She realized she hadn't dreamed of Azure Lake for a long time. Storytellers in the mortal realm say that people only reminisce about the good old days when they're not doing well in the present.
But she was clearly doing well. She was the Demon Lord's only wife, no ghost or demon dared to harm her, and she had Huan to take care of her.
'Where had things gone wrong? Why had I, who had always felt happy, started to feel sad?'
Elysia remembered the questions she couldn't ask last night.
She took a deep breath. No, she must find out. She and Lucian were to spend a lifetime together, how could there be any misunderstandings or unresolved issues?
She had been thinking wrongly before. Why should she be afraid? Her husband loved her so much, he surely wouldn't betray her. She would ask for clarity today.