Chapter 57: The Fourth Month of Huaiyu
Chapter 57: The April of Pagoda Tree Sequence
Amidst the deep and passionate kiss (Xing, Pan, Li: ?), Lu Li's inner thoughts were not nearly as socially agonizing as his outward appearance suggested.
After all, in his field of vision, Miss Pagoda Tree Sequence was present.
Deep down, he was actually conflicted.
Pagoda Tree Sequence had not really done anything to him.
On the contrary, she was even very good to him.
Moreover, although she looked quite bold, only during the kiss could one feel her nervousness and awkwardness.
Yet her body was exceptionally mature.
To be honest, Lu Li could even understand the female characters in movies and television shows who threw themselves into the embrace of wealthy, handsome men.
Put himself in her shoes: a breathtakingly gorgeous, immensely privileged woman who was utterly devoted to you and showered you with all kinds of kindness.
To be frank, it was truly hard to resist.
Furthermore, Lu Li was not the one who initiated it; Pagoda Tree Sequence was.
Though awkward, she was proactive.
Though proactive, she was awkward.
Yet Lu Li still sensed the lingering attachment, fear, and... reluctance to part hidden deep within her heart.
That kind of feeling was probably something someone with no romantic experience could never understand.
How should he put it? Lu Li felt absolutely no negative emotions directed at him from Miss Pagoda Tree Sequence.
Yet that was precisely the most terrifying part.
Clearly never intending to harm him, she still wanted to kill him and turn him into a spirit.
Because in her perception, killing him was not a negative thing at all.
One could even call it a positive thing.
Indeed, I should make a move after all.
I'm sorry...
During the kiss, Lu Li quietly retrieved from his mustard seed pouch a dagger with restrictive properties against ghosts, and thrust it straight toward Pagoda Tree Sequence's abdomen!
But he stopped immediately!
Because a thought struck him!
Wait a minute!
In fact, the demeanor Pagoda Tree Sequence displayed was exceptionally methodical, coupled with the blind date app's description of her personality...
She was not a yandere at all!
Everything she did was simply to make him strike!
But that was impossible...
It made no sense. Why would she want him to stab her?
And why play the role of a villain?
What could she possibly gain?
Lu Li could not fathom it at all.
Yet, caught in that moment of hesitation, Pagoda Tree Sequence instead leaned forward on her own, allowing the dagger to pierce into her abdomen.
"Mm..."
Looking at Pagoda Tree Sequence's painful yet desolate expression, Lu Li was stunned. "Why..."
"Yes, why indeed..."
She raised her hand and gently stroked Lu Li's face.
Pagoda Tree Sequence wore a desolate expression, her vision gradually blurring.
She recalled the past.
That was one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine snowy days ago.
It was also six hundred and sixty-seven thousand seven hundred and fifteen days and nights ago.
The sky on that day had been obscured by smoke, with flames soaring into the heavens.
That was also the day she first met Lu Li.
Only Lu Li...
At that time, she had already wandered for more than thirty days and nights among the ruins burned to bare ground.
She had no memories of the past, no one could see her, and no one could hear her voice.
Until that day, the first words she ever heard:
"Found you."
Afterwards, she lived by following Lu Li everywhere.
Lu Li taught her what time was, what survival was, the difference between a man and a woman, and much, much more common sense.
That period was the most unforgettable time of her life.
Later on, she learned that it was called "joy."
They just kept living like that, on and on.
She always thoughted how wonderful it would be if things could just go on like this forever.
After living with Lu Li for a while, she learned many new common senses.
For instance, a man and a woman of similar age living together were either siblings or husband and wife.
She and Lu Li should be husband and wife?
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.
And, everyone had a name.
Yet she had no name.
That day, she asked Lu Li what her name was.
Lu Li paused, then smiled and answered, "Want to know about your past?"
"No."
That was her answer.
Yes, she did not want to know about the past.
Following Lu Li, she had witnessed far too many things.
Some good, some bad.
But overall, they were mostly bad.
People slaughtered each other, the common people lived in misery, and anyone could be killed at any moment. The entire realm was a desolate wasteland of empty houses; almost everywhere they went, they could see birds feeding on rotting flesh and bleaching bones exposed in the wilderness.
Fortunately, she was able to stay with Lu Li.
If she learned about the past, she would probably have to leave Lu Li.
She did not want that.
Therefore, she did not want to know the past.
"Well... since you don't want to know the past, how about we start over?"
Lu Li looked at a pagoda tree not far away. "The Chinese scholar tree blooms in July and August, while the locust tree blooms in April and May. I found you at the end of April and the beginning of May, so let's call you Pagoda Tree Sequence."
Looking at his sunny smile, she lowered her head instinctively.
She felt as though her face was burning slightly.
"Okay..."
Pagoda Tree Sequence, was this her name?
She liked it very much.
Because he gave it to her.
If only things could continue like this.
She anticipated it so.
Yet, the day finally came when he had to leave.
"Does my beloved lord wish to abandon this concubine?"
"Beloved lord" was what wives in the outside world called their husbands; she had secretly overheard it.
However, "wife" and "husband" were taught by Lu Li. How strange, Lu Li seemed different from everyone else in the world.
"Beloved lord, concubine... never mind, as long as you're happy."
Lu Li rubbed the top of her head. "There's no help for it. Debates owed must eventually be repaid. There are also pitiful yet hateful fellows like you waiting for me... I can't just leave them unattended."
So there were others like her...
Then they truly couldn't be left alone.
As a virtuous and good wife, she ought to support Lu Li.
It should have been like that...
Yet why did it feel so heartbreaking?
"Can you really not take this concubine with you?"
Her heart ached so much...
"There's no helping it. It's not somewhere very, very far away; it's a place only I can go."
Lu Li rubbed her head. "Rest assured, we will meet again someday."
"When?"
"When the pagoda trees bloom, I will wait for you in the future."
Lu Li left.
Pagoda Tree Sequence waited quietly.
The Chinese scholar tree bloomed in August, and she waited until the arrival of summer.
The pale yellow fragrance was subtle and elegant, but Lu Li did not return.
Perhaps the tree he spoke of was a different kind of pagoda.
Green leaves turned red.
Red leaves withered.
White snow thawed.
New buds sprouted on the branches.
Another year of Pagoda Tree Sequence.
The pure white fragrance was rich, but Lu Li still did not return.
Waiting and waiting...
Waiting and waiting...
Day after day.
Year after year.
The peerless scholar-statesman renowned across the realm gradually aged and withered.
The Great Han perished, and a new realm was established.
Then came another period of chaos and a world in agony.
Followed by time and time again...
Pagoda Tree Sequence still waited.
Yet Lu Li still did not return.
Liar...
Liar.
Liar!
Liar.
Liar...
No, Lu Li was not a liar.
He had said she must believe him.
And so, Pagoda Tree Sequence began searching for a new pagoda tree.
Countless more snows melted and tree branches sprouted anew.
She finally found that ancient pagoda tree born in the netherworld.
Legend had it that the souls of all the dead would return here, and once this pagoda tree absorbed enough souls, it would bloom with the most beautiful blossoms in the entire world.
Thus, she guarded this place, waiting for it to bloom.
How much more time passed, she knew not; many spirits came to address her as the Underworld Sovereign.
They built official residences and systems.
From then on, the Yellow Springs had a ferryman, and all past deeds had their rules.
Yet she cared nothing for those; she merely waited for the blooming.
However, this tree was merely a vessel of the Samsara Sutra; those souls passing through this tree ultimately shed all their past lives and proceeded to reincarnation.
Therefore, it would never bloom.
Because it would never gather enough souls for it to bloom.
And so, one day, she controlled the pagoda tree and no longer allowed the souls to reincarnate.
They could only serve as nourishment for the pagoda tree to bloom.
As long as it bloomed... Lu Li would return.
Later, some powerful entities banded together to crusade against her.
Even those who had called her the Underworld Sovereign betrayed her.
She died.
People turned into ghosts after death.
What did ghosts turn into after death?
She did not know, but she did not want to die.
Because once dead, she would not be able to wait for Lu Li.
And so, she lived again.
This time, even ghosts and demons could no longer see her.
She did not care.
She merely waited for her beloved lord to return.
A very, very long time passed...
She sensed a familiar aura.
It was those entities that had once crusaded against her.
They were going to find someone.
That familiar name... Lu Li!
One million souls of powerhouses, was it...
To her, it was easy.
And so, she went.
She truly saw that person.
Her beloved lord, Lu Li.
At that moment, the resentment in her heart was gone.
Why did you leave me behind and not return?
It no longer mattered.
As long as she could see him again, that was enough.
Yet he no longer recognized her.
She suddenly recalled what he had said when he left.
So... was this concubine's past her beloved lord's future?
August, truly the season when Chinese scholar trees bloomed.
Her beloved lord had indeed not deceived this concubine.
Only this time, it was this concubine who found you first...