"Congratulations, Master, the quest in this chapter is complete!"
The system upgrade notice may have flashed by, yet Cendrarsa celebrated with a burst of fireworks in her mind.
"Master? If you pretend to be dead again, Zagonnas might truly perish," the system lamented quite helplessly upon seeing Cendrarsa's silence.
"I understand."
Cendrarsa replied in her mind to the system, then extended her hand, wrapping her waist around Zagonnas'.
"Are you so certain that I will be waiting for you at the Gates of Hell?" Zagonnas, in a state of spiritual trance, longed for even the slightest response from Cendrarsa. When he heard her voice within his arms, he did not deem it improbable, but rather steadfastly believed her soul had returned.
"It's alright if you don't wait for me. I am swift, and I will catch up to you."
"But what if I... what if I forget about you?"
"Fear not. Even if you were to forget me, I will find you again and make you fall in love with me once more."
Listening to Zagonnas' words, any residual anger in Cendrarsa's heart dissipated.
"Silly man, if you were to recall all that had been, to relive with so many memories, how much pain would that bring?"
"Because of you, I would not feel any pain."
Zagonnas spoke as he held her tighter as if fearing she might slip away at any moment.
"My lord, do you mind that I am already deceased? Are you willing to entwine with me once more?"
Having lingered over this thought for over two months, today witnessing the boudoir's candlelight, she spoke as her delicate hand touched the buckle of Zagonnas' belt.
"How could I mind."
Zagonnas, now even more spellbound, felt as though in a dream yet also in reality.
Once more, the two confided honestly, reuniting in an embrace where all the yearning and love transformed into a prolonged kiss.
As the string of golden bells at their ankles chimed, the red candles in the room extinguished.
Early the next morning.
Zagonnas awoke as if from a night of intense dreaming.
He embraced the soft, warm body beside him, and habitually rested his chin on the strand of emerald hair.
Although accustomed to early rising, due to his wife's penchant for sleeping in, he typically remained in bed even after waking.
But just as he closed his eyes again, he suddenly opened them once more.
Reflecting on the events of last night, and gazing at the woman sleeping deeply beside him, he placed his hand gently and slowly on her chest.
Thud, thud, thud...
It was a heartbeat, a fervent, pulsating heartbeat.
"Hmm? Husband, I'm a bit thirsty, I'd like some water."
Cendrarsa cooed softly, much like every other morning.
Zagonnas blinked his eyes, then picked up a piece of clothing to cover himself before leaving the bed.
Upon his return, he already held a cup of lukewarm water in his hand.
"Wife, water."
"Mm."
Cendrarsa opened her eyes, propped herself up, and Zagonnas brought the cup to her lips.
After gulping down half of it, Cendrarsa lay back down.
Yet Zagonnas remained seated at the edge of the bed, unmoving, his eyes fixed on her rosy and charming cheeks, feeling a prickling sensation in his eyes.
Sensing his gaze on her, Cendrarsa rolled over, turned her face toward Zagonnas, and remarked, "Why are you staring at me like I've come back from the dead?"
"It's nothing, I just... I just feel..."
Zagonnas had many thoughts in his heart, but not a single one made its way to his lips.
"What do you feel? Lucky? Dreaming now? Or do you feel fate has been kind to you?" Cendrarsa lazily chuckled, then sat up, stretching out her arms to hang around Zagonnas' neck.
"Zagonnas, if you dare abandon me again, I will kill you, then inherit your vast wealth, become a wealthy woman, and keep a group of young lovers for myself every night. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Good, as long as you are so obedient. Now, I'm hungry."
"Hungry? Hungry it is, wait here."
In this world, there is nothing better than the feeling of finding what was lost.
His wife, was not dead—she was alive and well.
In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
Cendrarsa did not return to the Southern Frontier; the position of the Poison Cult's leader was temporarily taken over by the Poison Phoenix.
Zagonnas did return to the Sword Sect once, in front of Randolph, burning the sect's emblem and forcing him to write a confession, admitting to accidentally killing his former wife.
Skoll, finally free from the aura of the sect, embarked on a solitary journey to explore the world as a renowned Grandmaster.
As for Maple Village, though distant from the Southern Frontier, it remained under the protection of the Poison Cult's dominance.
In the vibrant summer of Jiangnan, Cendrarsa played marbles with a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg and a few maidservants.
The old butler hurried over.
"Madam, the lord has returned."
"He's back?"
Cendrarsa dropped the pearl she held and rushed outside to greet him, eager to share some good news with him.
Zagonnas, equally eager to see his beloved, hurried into the courtyard.
Upon seeing Cendrarsa, he lifted her into his arms.
"Missed me?"
"Why did you return only now?"
"I took a detour to Maple Village."
"Oh, my lord, I have some joyful news to share with you."
Cendrarsa's smile was particularly radiant.
Zagonnas set her down but didn't release his grip on her hand.
"What news?"
"I am pregnant."
"Pregnant?"
Zagonnas lowered his gaze to Cendrarsa's still-flat stomach, his face a mix of surprise and wonder.
"I'm going to be a father?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to be a father? I, Zagonnas, will be a father?"
Zagonnas repeated this several times, while Cendrarsa continued to nod and smile.
In this life, Cendrarsa chose to leave her soul here. In the brief moments of human existence, she wished to devote her entire being to accompanying Zagonnas—observing sunrises, sunsets, and seasons together.
"My wife, I have a surprise for you as well."
Zagonnas spoke, releasing Cendrarsa, then beckoning someone from behind.
Cendrarsa looked up and saw Zagonnas' disciple walking in from outside.
"Why are you here?"
"Master."
As Zagonnas' disciple entered, he knelt before Cendrarsa, his eyes brimming with tears.
Cendrarsa understood his expression immediately.
"Good child, get up. This will be your home from now on in my absence."
After several months apart, Zagonnas' student had grown taller, his dark visage having softened, and he seemed quite handsome.
"Dear wife, I plan to take him as my apprentice. The legacy of the Xiu Shui Sword must have a successor. I've also changed his name to White. What do you think?"
"I think that's fine. But I also want to take on an apprentice. Why don't we teach him together and nurture the world's finest?"
"Agreed." Zagonnas nodded in approval.
Zagonnas' student blinked his clear eyes, wondering if he had come here only to enjoy a life of luxury with his master. But observing the interactions between his master and mistress, he realized that his prospects might not be as auspicious as he had assumed.
"Master, Mistress, if you both teach me all your skills, what will your child study?"
"Our child?" Cendrarsa countered playfully before bursting into laughter.
"Our child will, of course, inherit this vast wealth, becoming the lord of the city? As you are the elder brother, striving for greatness worldwide suits you best. Our child: learning farming skills back in the village."
White: "..."
White: I'd rather go back to the village to farm.
This time, the system, contrary to expectations, did not fall silent; it stayed alongside Cendrarsa.
Not for any other reason, but to correct the constantly destabilizing plot that could shatter this world at any moment.
Yet even as Cendrarsa silently made many corrections, the grand heroic plot still crumbled.
Many years later, White, who inherited the Xiu Shui Sword and mastered both medicine and poison, was forcefully taken back to the Southern Frontier by the Poison Phoenix to become the leader of the Poison Cult at just eighteen years old.
Meanwhile, Skoll ascended to become a Grandmaster and ruler of the world.
Though the revolving door of female protagonists in grand heroic tales continued, Skoll remained uninterested in all, with only one goal—rescuing his nephew from the Dark Sect and ensuring he would grow into a valuable and upright individual...