The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 28: My hatred for you is Inescapable

My hatred for you is Inescapable . . .

"I have already received some information," the man in black began, his head respectfully lowered as he spoke with a hint of nervousness. "Our agents have successfully reached out to our sources and are diligently following your instructions. Your plan, my lord, is truly brilliant. It is merely a matter of time before we receive some promising news."

A nod from the man in white acknowledged the report. "Very well," he replied, his tone carrying a sense of measured expectation. "I trust that you and our operatives will not disappoint me."

The man in black, now visibly perspiring under the weight of responsibility, responded with fervor, "We shall not falter, my lord!"

The man in white chuckled softly, an air of amusement dancing in his eyes. With a subtle gesture, the girls in attendance moved forward to push his wheelchair, guiding him away from their current location.

The enigmatic man in white, it seemed, was physically disabled—a fact that had remained hidden until now.

Before they departed, the man in black seized a moment to broach another matter. "My lord, with regard to Cha-Eun Xiao..."

Without turning to face him, the man in white, comfortably ensconced in his wheelchair, responded with a tone of indifference. "When the time comes for a violent upheaval, we shall no longer require Cha-Eun Xiao, will we?"

"You are absolutely correct," the man in black affirmed, a newfound inspiration lighting up his features.

The man in white proceeded to enter a house situated at the center of the courtyard, his movements graceful and unhurried.

Suddenly, shadows danced and quivered, and in the blink of an eye—Puff!—the entire courtyard house vanished from sight. It was as if the bamboo trees themselves had sprung to life, shifting and rearranging with uncanny agility, concealing the open space where the courtyard had once stood beneath their verdant canopy.

In an instant, the area that once housed the courtyard now seamlessly blended with the surrounding bamboo forest, as though it had always been a part of it.

A faint voice, tinged with a hint of melancholy, whispered, "My Camouflage Array of Inversing Five Elements still lacks perfection... If only it could render us soundproof and impervious to detection from the outside, it would become the ultimate Anti-location Array…" The voice, undoubtedly belonging to the mysterious man in white, faded into the ether.

One of the girls, Wan-Er, spoke in hushed tones, "Master, the auction for the supreme dan beads..."

"Go," the man in white responded gently. "Secure at least three of those beads for me. Supreme dan beads imbued with dan clouds are a rarity even I have never encountered."

Wan-Er expressed her uncertainty, "Master, there may be fewer than three beads available at the auction. Perhaps only one."

Confident in his assertion, the man in white reassured her, "There will be more than three."

With that, their voices vanished into silence, leaving no trace behind.

The man in black, crouching momentarily, then soared into the air, disappearing into the horizon.

Meanwhile, in the days that followed the conversation with the three officers, Cha-Eun Xiao, now free, chose to remain cloistered within the confines of his home. Every moment was precious, and he dedicated himself to focused cultivation, channeling the qi within his body into a frigid form to further enhance his strength.

During this period of intense training, he made a remarkable discovery. The scorching qi that had emerged alongside the icy energy had not dissipated but rather concealed itself within his Jing and Mai, permeating his entire being. Though it remained subtle, it was undeniably present.

In essence, the East-rising Purple Qi had evolved to encompass two distinct skills—one manifesting externally, while the other operated quietly within. This revelation meant that Cha-Eun Xiao needed to practice both aspects of the present level of East-rising Purple Qi diligently.

Motivated by this newfound understanding, he intensified his efforts, forsaking his customary tea-drinking breaks. He was wholly absorbed in either reading or cultivating, becoming the paragon of dedication among a group of diligent scholars.

The steward couldn't contain his excitement as he observed the changes in his young lord. To him, it seemed that Cha-Eun Xiao had finally grown into a new, transformed persona. He believed that General Zuo would be elated if he were to witness this remarkable change.

Little did the steward know that Cha-Eun Xiao's transformation was indeed significant, but not in the way he had imagined.

Zuo Wu-Ji and Lan Lang-Lang had made multiple attempts to approach Cha-Eun Xiao, seeking his company or assistance, but they were met with swift rejection. Cha-Eun Xiao had brushed them off, his words dripping with arrogance. "Piss off! You foppish black sheep, don't disturb me as I strive to become a supreme cultivator. Attend to your own affairs!"

Zuo Wu-Ji and Lan Lang-Lang were left utterly speechless by his audacity.

"What a scoundrel! He dares to call himself a supreme cultivator..."

"He must be lost in some sort of delusion!"

"I doubt he'll ever snap out of it!"

"I'm tempted to give him a good beating, but I fear we wouldn't stand a chance. He might not be a supreme cultivator, but he's still too formidable..."

"He'd probably knock us senseless!"

"It's bad enough that he's indulging in his daydreams, but to label us as foppish black sheep..."

"That's true. We're clearly in the same boat. Weren't we all mocked as the 'three lords'?"

"Of course! We walk side by side as equals."

"Humph! That foppish fool will get what's coming to him one day."

"Right! We can't allow him to tarnish the reputation of the illustrious 'three lords'."

"Just wait and see! Humph!"

"Humph!"

Despite the ease with which Cha-Eun Xiao had dismissed the two, there was someone who proved far more persistent and unyielding. No matter how hard Cha-Eun Xiao tried to drive her away, she remained resolute, clutching a whip—a gift from Cha-Eun Xiao's father intended for what he euphemistically referred to as "strict discipline."

This tenacious individual was none other than the endearing Princess Ye-Yue, Su Ye-Yue.

Her father held a unique position as the only prince in the Kingdom of Chen to bear a non-royal surname. To achieve this distinction, he must have earned remarkable merits and wielded significant power.

Prince Hua-Yang, Su Ye-Yue's father, had three sons and a daughter. While he paid little attention to his sons, his daughter Su Ye-Yue enjoyed his doting affection. She was the apple of his eye, receiving special treatment as if her father feared she might vanish if he ever loosened his grip. She was truly spoiled.

Legend had it that when her father named her, he gathered every great scholar in his household to ponder the perfect name. Ultimately, he settled on the concept of "When the world revived, the moon shined in the night sky," capturing both her surname and given name beautifully.

And so, she became Su Ye-Yue.

Fortunately, despite her pampered upbringing, Princess Ye-Yue didn't possess an overbearing demeanor. This made it considerably easier for Cha-Eun Xiao to tolerate her presence.

However, at the moment, all Cha-Eun Xiao could think of when she gazed at him was how he could quickly escape her company. It was a feeling of guilt that stemmed from past experiences.

This guilt was rooted in the memories of his previous life.

In his previous existence, the Xiao Monarch had been exceptionally powerful, cultivating the Pure Yang Martial Arts and maintaining his purity as a male virgin. He had missed out on countless beautiful women who had fallen deeply in love with him.

But all he could do was watch them from a distance. He had always maintained a cold and indifferent demeanor, unintentionally hurting more hearts than he could count. As they departed, one after another, he would turn his back on them and sigh deeply in his heart.

Now, faced with Su Ye-Yue, his legal fiancée, Cha-Eun Xiao's heart raced. He felt an overwhelming urge to flee, driven by his ingrained habits.

In fact, another face lingered in his mind—a face with beautiful, sorrowful eyes. It was as though this visage emerged to block his view, gazing at him with tearful love and longing.

"You..."

Cha-Eun Xiao reached out his hand and began to speak, but he was only able to utter a single word before snapping out of his trance. A self-deprecating smile formed on his lips, tinged with a hint of loneliness.

...

This scene unfolded within the ethereal realm of Qing-Yun. A majestic palace with billowing clouds and mist floated in the air, shrouded in silence and reverence.

In the palace's secluded rear courtyard, there stood a newly erected grave, distinguished by a colossal three-meter-wide and ten-meter-high slab of Qing-Yun Purple Jade—an object of great rarity and desirability. This exquisite gem, coveted by many, served as a simple gravestone.

Suddenly, a streak of swordlight darted through the air, causing sparks to erupt from the surface of the Qing-Yun Purple Jade. Tiny fragments of the precious stone fell to the ground.

Carved deeply into the gravestone were six words:

"笑尽天下英雄!" (To laugh at all heroes in the firmament!)

The swordlight came to an abrupt halt, and the wielder of the sword let out a sigh before turning to depart. As she moved, she vanished from sight.

In a room atop the palace, a young woman with a flawless figure and a silk veil over her face stood in quiet contemplation of the calligraphy adorning the wall. Her gaze lingered on the elegant characters, and after a while, she closed her beautiful eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I will avenge you!"

"Even though you never acknowledged me as your wife in life... I've decided to be your widow! If you were alive, I'd stand by your side unwaveringly. But since you're gone, how can you refuse me the role of your widow? Cha Eun Xiao, you scoundrel! I hate you! I hate you! I'll hate you in all my future lives!"

Though her words were filled with anger, her tears betrayed a deep well of emotion. The sword embedded in the floor seemed to quiver, as if echoing its master's tumultuous feelings of love and hatred, yearning for bloodshed.

On the wall, alongside the sword, was a piece of calligraphy that captured the essence of freedom and grace. Its main lines read:

'一生惧见红颜泪;谨慎莫伤美人心;待到飘然消失日,化作天边不羁云!' (To fear the tears of a beauty in one's lifetime; to be cautious not to hurt a maiden's heart; when the day of departure arrives, to transform into an unrestrained cloud in the distant sky!)

Beneath it, a smaller line added:

'今生有悔,害你形单影只;若有来生,许你四海八荒.' (I regret in this life, leaving you to solitude; if there is a next life, I promise to journey with you across the four seas and eight wildernesses.)

The author's name inscribed at the bottom was Cha Eun Xiao

The young woman in white gazed at the calligraphy with tear-filled eyes, overcome by a sense of inconsolable loss. "You liar! You promised me in your next life! But there's no such thing!"

"You didn't want to hurt a girl's heart, but you've hurt mine so deeply!"

"You wished to become an unrestrained cloud after death... Now that you're gone, where is my unrestrained cloud?"

"Liar! Liar! Liar! You're a terrible liar!"

She turned away, resting her head and arms on the table, and her lamentations filled the room once more.

"Today marks the first week of your passing. I will mourn you for seventy-five days and tend to your grave for a year," she declared as she stood up, wiping her tears. "After that year, I will take up my sword and avenge you! With such hatred, I won't rest until justice is served, even if it costs me my life!"

...

"What's the matter? Are you feeling unwell?" Su Ye-Yue noticed Cha-Eun Xiao's distant expression and waved her hand in front of him. "Hey, don't make such a grim face. What's going on?"

Cha-Eun Xiao quickly snapped back to reality, assumed a composed demeanor, and cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"