Before the Gates of Hell, Zagonnas, though engrossed in slaying those who had committed to ending his life, never shifted his gaze from Cendrarsa.
Seeing her once again approaching Lupan, he instinctively followed in pursuit.
Upon noticing that both lunatics were advancing toward him, Lupan steeled himself. A wily man, he was no easy target—he was full of cunning tricks.
Feigning to draw his sword and engage Cendrarsa, he subtly clasped a poisoned dart in his other hand.
Being a master of hidden weapons herself, Cendrarsa discerned Lupan's intentions at a glance. Just as the dart was about to leave his hand, she prepared to evade, but in that instant, the system inside her head shouted.
"Master, don't dodge! The divine system granted you a boon—you are now immune to all poisons. Catch the dart with your shoulder."
"Must I use my shoulder? Your demands are quite excessive."
Having reached this critical juncture, Cendrarsa abandoned all caution and gracefully allowed the dart to strike her shoulder instead of evading it.
"Ah!" she exclaimed theatrically, pretending to be propelled back by the force of the poisoned weapon, rolling onto the grass.
Zagonnas, witnessing this scene, felt a chill run through him, but his first instinct was to point his sword at Lupan.
With no words wasted, Zagonnas swiftly cut Lupan's throat with a single stroke of his sword.
Before Lupan could even feel the sting of pain, Zagonnas had sheathed his sword and rushed to Cendrarsa's side, lifting her in his arms.
Wordlessly, he pulled the poisoned dart from her shoulder, tearing the fabric from her wound to suck out the venomous blood, but just as he leaned down, she stopped him.
"It's futile; the poison has already entered my bloodstream," she declared.
Though she was now immune to toxins, Cendrarsa had employed a slight ruse to appear near death.
"No, no, no! That's not possible! You won't die! I'll find the antidote on him!"
Gazing at Cendrarsa's waning complexion, Zagonnas began to panic.
"Don't waste time." Cendrarsa grasped Zagonnas by the collar, preventing him from moving.
"Have you forgotten who I am? I am the Master of the Poison Cult, the living fairy of Maple Village! I know my condition—I don't have much time left." Cendrarsa spoke through choked sobs.
Zagonnas' eyes turned red; a thousand apologies battled on his tongue, yet at that moment, he couldn't utter a single word.
"Zagonnas, I shall give you one last opportunity—will you retract that divorce letter?"
"Beloved, it is all my fault! I was wrong! I should never have written any divorce letter! I was so wrong…"
"And so? Are you saying you wish to reconcile with me?"
"Yes." Zagonnas nodded through tears, his vision blurred with the image of the one he loved.
"I too long for reconciliation, but… we have lost our chance." Cendrarsa struggled to lift her hand, her icy fingertips lightly tracing Zagonnas' face.
"Beloved, will you marry me once more? You promised me a grand wedding."
"Yes, yes! Today, we shall marry."
"Ah, how delightful! Alas, I will not be able to see it. Cough, cough…"
"No! Don't leave me! I beg you…"
"Stop the killing; find peace with this world."
As those words left her lips, Cendrarsa's eyes fluttered shut.
Zagonnas clutched her tightly, overwhelmed with grief, unable to cry; why, oh why, in the end, was it she who died and not him?
If she was gone, what meaning did his life hold?
"Master!"
"Master!!!"
By the time the Poison Phoenix and her entourage arrived, Zagonnas' tears had parched, his face eerily calm, as if Cendrarsa cradled in his arms was merely asleep rather than lifeless.
"Phoenix, tell the survivors that anyone seeking peace for their remaining days must come into the city and attend my wedding."
"The Master is dead; you cannot marry her."
"No, she can! She deserves this from me—I owe her this debt, lest she be displeased when I descend to hell to find her."
With that, Zagonnas hoisted Cendrarsa into his arms and rose from the ground.
Meanwhile, those who narrowly escaped the massacre shared a fleeting thought—the chaos of this world hardly compared to the contentment of returning home to tend the fields; a simple life seemed far more appealing than engaging in relentless power struggles.
Hours later, the entire city of Linxian, including those who had survived the arena, lined the long streets.
The sound of firecrackers echoed for an eternity.
A magnificent chestnut horse adorned with a red flower bore Zagonnas, clad in a vibrant red wedding garment, as he approached slowly from the city gates.
Behind him followed eight men carrying a coffin draped in red cloth embroidered with auspicious symbols.
Upon the coffin rested Zagonnas' sword, the Xiu Shui Sword.
At that moment, everyone realized that the lord of Linxian City was none other than Zagonnas.
Moreover, the rumours that he intended to marry a spirit on Tomb-Sweeping Day had curiously come to fruition.
The mansion of the lord was situated at the heart of Linxian City.
Although Zagonnas had seldom returned in recent years, the wedding preparations had been made over a decade earlier when his mother was still alive.
Over the years, the housekeeper had added lavish embellishments to create an extravaganza of unparalleled splendour.
As the ceremony commenced, Zagonnas knelt with Cendrarsa, similarly adorned in wedding attire and veiled beneath a crimson bridal canopy.
The followers of the Poison Cult wept openly, and Skoll was not exempt from sorrow.
Though Zagonnas was certainly a madman, he was also the Young Lord, a family member—his plight elicited empathy from the people of Linxian City.
As for those who had been coerced into attending the wedding, they no longer craved revenge against Zagonnas; as long as they could safely exit the city once the ceremony concluded, they deemed themselves fortunate.
Finally, the ceremony reached its conclusion.
Zagonnas embraced Cendrarsa as they entered the bridal chamber, gently laying her down on the bed before settling beside her.
When they had first wed, they resided in a humble dwelling.
Now, they had everything, and the bed would not collapse, yet she was no longer there.
Beneath the flickering candlelight, Cendrarsa's face appeared as vibrant as if alive, still retaining warmth.
Zagonnas lay beside her, wrapping his arms around her.
"My beloved, we are wed again. In truth, I have amassed considerable wealth. When we married in Maple Village, I swore to grant you a grand wedding—do you like today's spectacle?
You told me to reconcile with this world, and I am listening to you; all those grudges and resentments—I have set them aside.
However, I— I cannot part from you. If you can hear me, wait for me by the Bridge of Helplessness. I am coming to find you."