“Achoo!”
Nan Shan sneezed again, curled up like a sickly cat on the bed, wrapped tightly in a quilt.
Shou Xin, ever the attentive one, tugged the quilt a little tighter, causing the embroidered mandarin ducks on the red wedding blanket to “kiss” each other.
Looking at Nan Shan, who seemed utterly drained, Shou Xin couldn’t help but tease, “You really have a talent for this, huh? You’ve even figured out how to steal a ship now.”
Nan Shan lazily glanced up at him, her eyelids heavy, but said nothing.
Shou Xin, with a grin, leaned in, “What exactly is it about our Immortal Lord that’s so off-putting? Why do you resist marrying him so much?”
Nan Shan didn’t reply, remaining in her sulking silence.
“Could it be… you like uglier men?”
Shou Xin suggested, his tone almost mockingly.
At this, Nan Shan finally met his eyes.
“You really like ugly ones?” Shou Xin continued, looking genuinely surprised. “Well, that’s a problem, because our Immortal Lord is a sight to behold. His grace and elegance could never be described as ‘ugly.’”
Nan Shan snorted, “Who would like someone ugly?”
Shou Xin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, ever the philosopher: “Ah, the mortal women! I may never have left Dongyi, but I’ve seen enough outsiders. You mortal women are strange creatures.
You put so much effort into looking neat and beautiful, yet when it comes to picking husbands, you go for the ugliest ones. And then you strut around like you’ve won some prize! If you’re anything like them, it’s no wonder you don’t want to marry our Immortal Lord.”
Had it been before, hearing about these outsiders who visited Dongyi—especially the “before” part—Nan Shan would’ve perked up, eager for any possible clue to help her escape, maybe send word to Lingye or her immortal father for help.
But after the failed escape on the ship, all she could think of was Jiyue’s piercing gaze that seemed to see right through her, leaving her with no will to resist.
“Hey! Are you ignoring me?” Shou Xin’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“I’m talking to you!”
Nan Shan reluctantly looked back at him.
Shou Xin smirked.
“What’s so bad about marrying the Immortal Lord? He’s gentle and kind, revered by all, and just look at the effort I put into this wedding room. Without needing his instruction, I arranged everything and even dressed you in your bridal gown…”
“You’re the one who dressed me?” Nan Shan interrupted, her tone sharp.
Shou Xin nodded casually, unfazed. “Yep.”
Nan Shan shot him a long, incredulous stare before pulling her quilt tighter around herself.
“Do you have no shame? You changed my clothes without asking me first?”
“I’m only seven!” Shou Xin protested indignantly.
“And I’m still a guy, even if I’m three years old!” Nan Shan shot back, unamused.
Shou Xin scoffed.
“Don’t take out your frustrations on me just because you failed your little escape attempt.”
Nan Shan froze.
Being seen through by a seven-year-old made her feel oddly exposed, but she only huffed and wrapped herself more tightly in the quilt.
“Fine, I’m not forcing you to be Immortal Lord’s wife,” Shou Xin continued, noticing her despondency.
“I’m not asking you to die for it either. Just marry him, and I’ll treat you with the same respect I treat him. I’ll never argue with you.”
Nan Shan raised an eyebrow.
“Weren’t you the one saying I’m not worthy of Jiyue?”
Shou Xin gave a cold laugh.
“Do you think I want this? If Immortal Lord wasn’t so insistent, I wouldn’t be bothering myself with this at all.”
“Then why him?” Nan Shan asked, her tone suspicious.
“Because you’ve tried to run twice now. With his personality, he should’ve let you go, but he brought you back both times. Doesn’t that tell you everything?” Shou Xin answered, his tone laced with something almost teasing.
Nan Shan wanted to refute him, but something in his words felt true.
She stared at Shou Xin for a long moment, her mind whirling.
Jiyue’s interest in her wasn’t about her, it was about her spiritual bone, wasn’t it?
Before Nan Shan could gather her thoughts, the sound of the door creaking interrupted them.
“The hinges on this door must need oiling, it’s so loud…” Shou Xin started to say, but his voice cut off when he saw who had entered.
Nan Shan’s eyes widened as she immediately pulled the quilt tighter, pretending to be asleep.
Jiyue walked in and gave both of them a casual glance, then his gaze rested on Shou Xin.
“You go. I need to speak with the young lady.”
Shou Xin, ever quick on his feet, hurried out of the room.
But as he passed Jiyue, he leaned close and whispered, “If she says anything that upsets you, don’t take it to heart. She’s already here, and she’ll have to marry you one way or another.”
Nan Shan, who had been eavesdropping, felt her stomach churn.
It felt like she was being sold into some dark cave.
Jiyue said nothing in response, but gave Shou Xin a look.
Shou Xin immediately raised a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet, and scurried out, shutting the door behind him.
The room was quiet now.
It felt oddly still.
The air was thick with a sense of inevitability.
Her words, as innocent as a child’s, made Ji Yue chuckle softly.
“There’s something blocking the way ahead. I can’t pass through.”
Nan Shan only saw a mass of air, but looking at Ji Yue’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was lying…
Of course, there was no need for him to fabricate such an easily debunked lie.
After a long hesitation, she slowly walked to the front of the boat, cautiously stretching out her hand.
Halfway through, something blocked her path.
Nan Shan blinked, her hands wildly feeling around, and soon confirmed that there was an invisible wall before her.
The lively, bustling world of mortals lay not far across the shore, yet she was trapped here.
Nan Shan turned to look at Ji Yue, who remained silent, and in a sudden moment of determination, she leapt into the sea.
The water was both salty and bitter.
Holding her breath, she dove down, swimming as deep as she could before turning to head toward the opposite shore.
She was still blocked.
With her attempt failing, Nan Shan surfaced, clinging to the side of the boat as she spat and spluttered.
Just as she was focusing on expelling the salty water, a slender hand reached out to her.
Nan Shan hesitated for a moment but then grabbed the hand.
Ji Yue gave a slight tug, effortlessly lifting her back onto the boat.
“Dongyi is located at the farthest eastern reaches of the mortal realm. The only way to interact with other regions is through this sea route. But for some reason, a wall has appeared here, cutting off all connections. Dongyi has truly become an isolated island.” Ji Yue spoke slowly, explaining.
Nan Shan wiped her face, still processing the information.
“So what? You brought me here just to have me accept the reality and give up escaping? But if the only route is gone, how did you get out, and how did you bring me back?”
“You have many questions. Which one should I answer first?” Ji Yue asked in return.
Nan Shan squinted, a little exasperated.
“I think that’s one question.”
“No, it’s many questions.”
Ji Yue’s voice was calm, his rebuttal casual, like he was merely chatting.
Nan Shan stayed silent for a while before suddenly throwing her hands up in resignation.
“Answer however you want. I can’t win against you anyway.”
Ji Yue chuckled again.
“Then let’s start with how I got out. Actually, it’s quite simple. I didn’t leave physically, I only released my soul. Once twenty years ago, once after your twentieth birthday, and once now. Each time was difficult, nearly exhausting all my cultivation, but luckily, I returned just in time every time.”
He looked at Nan Shan.
“As for why I brought you here, that story goes back even further.”
Nan Shan’s eyes darted quickly.
“After Dongyi was completely cut off, I kept trying to reopen the only route. But no matter what I did, it always ended in failure. Just when I was about to give up, I caught a glimpse of the heavens and saw that you were the one who could break this wall. So after you were born, I took the red string your father offered and brought you to Dongyi.”
Ji Yue paused, his gaze drifting to the vast emptiness ahead, like he was staring at the opposite shore, or perhaps the invisible wall itself.
The sea breeze was strong, making his hair tie flutter, and his lean figure seemed as if it might merge with the sky and sea.
“Now, I can answer your first question,” he said, his gaze turning back to her as if he were returning from the heavens.
“I brought you here to show you the true state of Dongyi and to ask you to stay until this route is reopened.”
Nan Shan stared at him, her expression suddenly shifting.
“How much did you see? Do you even know that I tied five marriage strings?”
Ji Yue didn’t expect her to ask that, and after a brief silence, he answered honestly.
“I didn’t know the details. Honestly, when I came to get you, I was a bit surprised.”
Nan Shan frowned.
“Nan Shan, can you help me?” Ji Yue asked, his clear eyes filled with centuries of warmth.
Nan Shan hesitated, giving him a doubtful look. “Anyway, people like you never leave Dongyi. If the path is blocked, so be it. There aren’t many outsiders here. Isn’t that better?”
“The wall blocks not just people, but souls as well,” Ji Yue said.
Nan Shan froze.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Ji Yue remained silent, simply watching her.
In the Three Realms, most living beings have souls.
Upon death, the soul returns to the underworld, crosses the Yin-Yang River, and is reincarnated to continue the cycle of life.
But what if they are stopped at the very first step?
Nan Shan couldn’t imagine what that would be like, and she suddenly felt a coldness creeping over her.
At some point, the waves had calmed.
The sea shimmered under the light, the glare from the water was almost painful.
She rubbed her eyes and when she looked up again, the waves and boat were gone.
She was back on the wedding bed, covered in a thin bridal quilt.
“You should rest now,” Ji Yue’s gentle voice interrupted her thoughts, and he began to stand, ready to leave.
“Wait!” Nan Shan, instinctively reaching out to stop him as he tried to leave, miscalculated the distance and ended up grabbing his waistband.
Ji Yue paused, glancing down at her hand buried in his robes, his eyes showing no emotion.
Nan Shan quickly released him, offering a nervous smile.
“Sir, Ji Yue, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I really don’t have any cultivation talent. I don’t know how I can help. To be honest, the five marriage strings were exposed on my twentieth birthday, and besides you, there are four others eyeing me. If I don’t return, my parents will be in trouble.”
Ji Yue gave a faint smile.
“Only one of them is from the Qingqiu clan, and he was poisoned by you. Without an antidote, he won’t cause any trouble.”
Nan Shan blinked.
“You know I poisoned him…?”
“I saw it,” Ji Yue answered.