Chapter 140
Dazed and hazy.
Her entire being was soft with heat, even her usually icy sea of consciousness now suffused with mist, perpetually steaming.
Yu Yi clung to Song Pianxian’s shoulder, tears welling at the corners of her eyes from sheer delight. She whimpered softly, like a kitten, her pleas uncertain whether born of desperation or affection.
Through her teary gaze, she couldn’t clearly see Song Pianxian; instead, her sea of consciousness grew increasingly tumultuous. Amidst swirling white fog, there stood a block of ice tormented by raging flames, both pitiful and intense.
Drip—
Melting ice intermingled with fire, cascading down and splashing within the sea of consciousness, stirring up a dense haze that billowed like smoke.
Beneath Song Pianxian, Yu Yi began dreaming again.
In her previous dream, she had seen a woman whom Song Pianxian called “Big Sister.” This time, she dreamed of three Song Pianxiangs—three women.
Though their faces varied slightly, Yu Yi knew they were all Song Pianxian.
And those women… Those women…
Within the dream, Yu Yi felt a hint of unease but struggled to articulate her confusion. Carefully, she observed the interactions between the different versions of Song Pianxian and these women.
In the bustling chaos of a film set, with people coming and going, Song Pianxian stood quietly as an observer. Her gaze fixed on a woman reclining against a deep blue velvet sofa, clad in a plain white qipao adorned with red plum blossoms.
The woman gracefully waved her sandalwood fan, exuding captivating charm. A flicker of admiration crossed Song Pianxian’s eyes.
Yu Yi also witnessed Song Pianxian buying butterfly pastries for this qipao-clad woman. Whenever crumbs dusted the woman’s red lips, Song Pianxian would conveniently hand her a tissue. Yu Yi didn’t miss the unmistakable tenderness in Song Pianxian’s gaze during these moments.
Finally, on a snowy night lit by shimmering neon lights, the butterfly gently kissed the woman’s forehead before they both melted away, blending into the pristine snow and vanishing from this world.
Within the dream realm, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, another scene emerged, steeped in antiquity.
This world resembled the mortal realms of the cultivation sphere but was not quite the same. In it, Song Pianxian sometimes dressed in men’s attire, occasionally reverting to women’s clothing. Regardless of her outfit, she was always accompanied by an exceptionally beautiful yet ruthlessly formidable woman.
Yu Yi observed them within a resplendent palace, its candlelight flickering. The usually upright and unyieldingly strong, coldly alluring woman knelt on one knee before Song Pianxian, lowering her head to reverently kiss the back of Song Pianxian’s hand with unwavering devotion.
Yu Yi saw the woman willingly submitted and allowed herself to be commanded, clearing every obstacle for Song Pianxian—slaughtering all demons and fiends—to ultimately elevate her to the supreme position of Emperor.
They remained inseparable, like shadows following their form, until Song Pianxian left that world.
The realm collapsed once more.
Next, Yu Yi witnessed the third vision—the woman she had first encountered in her dreams was indeed the third.
Song Pianxian departed from her again.
“Yu Yi,” came a tender voice close by. “Are you tired? Your eyes are closed.”
“If you’re weary, let’s just call it a day—”
“No.” Before opening her eyes, Yu Yi murmured softly and nestled into Song Pianxian’s embrace, showering her face with fervent kisses until droplets cooled against their warm cheeks.
Only then did Yu Yi realize she was crying.
Somewhat startled, she blinked through her hazy tears as large beads rolled down her face. Even Song Pianxian noticed this time.
Song Pianxian paused, hastily wiping away the tears with her fingertips, her expression filled with concern.
“Why are you crying so much?”
Yu Yi shook her head blankly, burying her face in the crook of Song Pianxian’s neck, seeking refuge.
It felt strange.
Yu Yi couldn’t bear the thought of Song Pianxian belonging to someone else. Even in her dreams, witnessing Song Pianxian with the third woman had made Yu Yi acutely aware of her insatiable possessiveness.
Yet tonight, as Yu Yi clung tightly to Song Pianxian, why did the emotions flooding her heart…mostly consist of sorrow?
Who were those people?
Yu Yi gently breathed in the reassuring scent from Song Pianxian, burying her nose against Pianxian’s neck. These women felt both entirely unfamiliar yet…strikingly familiar.
As Song Pianxian’s soothing caresses brushed down Yu Yi’s back, she gradually emerged from the lingering sadness and commanded herself to remain calm, focusing on deeper contemplation.
Recalling across the three worlds, Yu Yi remembered that Song Pianxian had given butterfly pastries to each counterpart. Although the specific circumstances differed slightly in the second world, in the more similar first and third worlds, the butterfly pastries Song Pianxian gifted them were virtually identical.
And it seemed as though Song Pianxian was intimately acquainted with all three women… A bold conjecture suddenly struck Yu Yi.
If Song Pianxian’s soul landed within a puppet body, could it be that before reaching this world, she had traversed not just one but multiple realms?
Having traversed so many worlds, could it be that Song Pianxian…never lost her memories?
And those three women who all loved butterfly pastries and shared subtle similarities in temperament—could they also possess the same soul? Yu Yi gently drew a breath. If Song Pianxian had come to her side now, did this imply—
“If you’re tired, let’s rest here. You’ve used enough spiritual fluid for today.” Song Pianxian spoke with tender concern, neither hurried nor languid.
Yu Yi snapped back to reality.
This time, the pure spirit jade nectar transferred from Song Pianxian directly elevated Yu Yi to the mid-to-late stages of Gold Core cultivation. Some excess spiritual fluid remained within her tissues; if she were to meditate and assimilate it fully, she would likely reach the peak of the Gold Core stage, just a step away from Primordial Infant.
Previously, Yu Yi was only at the Gold Core level, and transcending to Primordial Infant required enduring the Calamity of Transcendence. When that moment came, celestial thunder would roar, calamitous clouds spreading across the sky—a spectacle not easily concealed.
Of course, it wasn’t impossible to slip by unnoticed, but… Yu Yi subtly shifted, her fingertips tracing over Song Pianxian’s delicate, jade-like collarbone, gently pressing into the small hollow there.
Song Pianxian caught her hand, her brows unfurled as she smiled, a hint of languor in her eyes:
“Feeling more awake now?”
Yu Yi composed herself and half-seriously accused Song Pianxian, “Big Sister, you tested me during the day.”
“So, has tonight’s Yu Yi decided to tell me everything?”
Everything.
Yu Yi rose from Song Pianxian, her long, loose hair cascading behind her. She draped her snow-white inner robe loosely around herself and adjusted it slightly.
“It’s not that I can’t,” Yu Yi said with a smile as she looked at Song Pianxian. “However, will Big Sister share her own story with me?”
A sudden silence fell over the room.
“My story?” Song Pianxian seemed puzzled. “Ever since being awakened, I’ve been your puppet.”
“Mother once mentioned before her passing that life-substituting puppets ‘come alive’ because they contain a soul when initially awakened.” Yu Yi gazed intently at Song Pianxian, emphasizing each word slowly, “Whether fragmented or whole, there must be a soul present. And a complete soul knows its origin and destiny.”
“Big Sister, do you remember anything from before you came to my side?”
Do you recall who you were before becoming mine?
The people you encountered in those worlds, were they truly—me?
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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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