Nan Shan cried for a long time before suddenly losing consciousness.
Ling Ye confirmed that she had only fallen asleep and did not force her to wake up.
Instead, he used spiritual fire to burn down the entire Eastern Yi, holding her in his arms as he turned and left.
The fire burned for three days, reducing all the old bones to ashes, and the sins and greed were completely buried by the smoke.
After the fire, heavy rain fell from the sky, and on this isolated island, new sprouts began to grow, ushering in a new cycle of life.
Nan Shan slept for a long time.
When she woke up again, she found herself lying in a strange room.
Memories from before she slept rushed into her mind, but she wasn’t sure if they were real memories or illusions brought on by grief.
As she was at a loss, the door suddenly opened, and in the next moment, she locked eyes with Ling Ye.
Ling Ye paused for a moment and asked, “You’re awake?”
Nan Shan nodded silently and smiled at him after a long while.
“When you were asleep, I checked your spiritual bones,” Ling Ye went to the washbasin, heated the water inside, twisted a towel, and then sat back by her side, gently wiping her face, “Your spiritual bones are almost fully formed.”
Nan Shan responded with an “Ah?”
“Really?”
Ling Ye looked into her eyes, about to ask something when Nan Shan suddenly became enthusiastic and asked, “How did you find Eastern Yi?”
It seemed she didn’t want to talk about the spiritual bones.
Ling Ye paused and answered truthfully, “It was Xi Yuan who used a soul summon to locate your position.”
Nan Shan was taken aback and instinctively touched her neck.
After the barrier shattered, the soul summon was revived.
She had felt heat there before she fainted, but now there was no sensation left.
The room fell silent for a moment before Nan Shan asked, “How did you end up working with him?”
“You suddenly disappeared, and I had no one else to ask, so I had to ask him,” Ling Ye explained.
Nan Shan frowned, “That guy is too cunning, be careful of getting hurt.”
“It won’t happen,” Ling Ye, feeling relieved since she finally had the strength to worry about him, smiled slightly, “He has leverage over me.”
Nan Shan smiled back, “That’s good.”
The room fell silent again.
“R…”
“Where are we now?”
Both of them spoke at once, and Ling Ye gave in first:
“We’re at an inn in Hexi Town.”
“Hexi Town? It’s very close to my home.”
Nan Shan’s eyes lit up.
Ling Ye nodded, “You were in a coma for so long, and I was afraid your parents would worry, so I decided to wait for you to wake up before we go back.”
Hearing him refer to her parents as “father-in-law” and “mother-in-law,” Nan Shan was momentarily stunned.
After a while, she recalled their marriage, “Ah… I was taken away the day before our wedding. How did you and my immortal father deal with the marriage?”
The fact that the heir to the Underworld was getting married and the bride disappeared the day before was a major issue for the Underworld, whether she left willingly or not.
“Did I cause you trouble?” Nan Shan asked cautiously.
Ling Ye watched her worried expression for a while before curling the corner of his lips, “No, my father declared that I had fallen seriously ill, and the wedding was postponed.”
“Will that work?” Nan Shan hesitated.
Ling Ye: “Anyway, to the public, I am no different from a sickly person, so the excuse is quite reasonable.
Besides, who would dare laugh at the Underworld?”
Nan Shan understood and finally felt relieved.
They exchanged a quiet look.
Nan Shan couldn’t bear his focused gaze and looked down for a moment before looking back at him.
“Anyway, I’ve caused trouble for you and my immortal father. After I visit my parents, I’ll go to my immortal father to apologize.”
Ling Ye quietly watched her, and once again, the unease appeared.
But Nan Shan didn’t bring it up again, only thanking him for coming to find her.
Ling Ye kept hearing things that didn’t sit right, and finally couldn’t hold back: “Isn’t it natural for me to come find you?”
Nan Shan froze.
“You are my wife,” Ling Ye said seriously, each word clear and firm.
Nan Shan was still in shock, unsure how to respond.
Ling Ye looked at her confused expression, his heart sinking slowly, but then he felt it wasn’t necessary…
“Forget it, let’s not talk about this for now. You’ve been away from home for ten years. You should go back and see your parents first.”
Ling Ye sighed.
Nan Shan sighed in relief, “Okay, I’ll go home first… Wait, what did you say?!”
Her voice suddenly rose, her eyes full of shock.
Ling Ye was stunned by her reaction and looked just as confused.
“I said… what?”
Nan Shan grabbed his arm in a panic, “How long have I been gone?”
“In about a month, it will be ten years,” Ling Ye finally realized something was off, “You don’t know how long you’ve been gone?”
Time on Eastern Yi Island was chaotic.
She felt like the days were too long and the nights too short.
She knew she had been on Eastern Yi for a long time.
But she hadn’t realized it had been ten years.
Ten years… Nan Shan jumped out of bed and immediately walked toward the door.
Ling Ye quickly followed, “No need to hurry. I have made arrangements for your parents.”
“What arrangements can you make?”
Nan Shan was nearly frantic.
“How many ten years does an ordinary person have? They haven’t seen me for so long, and no matter what excuse you use, you can’t fool them.”
“I really…”
“Hurry, I need to see them now!”
Ling Ye, seeing she wasn’t listening to anything, fell silent.
They left the inn, and as Nan Shan was about to use spiritual power, Ling Ye had already wrapped his arm around her waist.
She stiffened, instinctively trying to dodge, but he pulled her into a flying magic tool.
“This will be faster,” Ling Ye lowered his gaze and said.
Nan Shan nodded and anxiously looked ahead.
Hexi Town was not far from Sunjia Village.
They used the flying magic tool and reached it in just a quarter of an hour.
It was noon, and smoke was rising from the chimneys of every household.
The scent of burning firewood immediately brought Nan Shan back to the mortal world.
They didn’t encounter any familiar faces on the way.
Nan Shan quickly walked to her family’s fence and was about to push the door open when Ling Ye suddenly stopped her.
“You might scare them if you go in now,” he reminded.
Nan Shan immediately denied it, “Impossible, why would they be afraid of me?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, someone came out from the living room, and when Nan Shan locked eyes with him, her eyes widened in shock.
“Oh, you’re back so soon?”
The person walked into the yard and looked at Nan Shan through the low fence with a smile that seemed half-amused.
“It’s been so long.”
The person before her looked exactly like her, with the same voice, and even the clothes they wore were the ones she used to wear.
Nan Shan stared blankly at the person in front of her.
After a while, she tentatively asked, “Xi Yuan?”
“You’re still as smart as ever. It seems the resentment from Dong Yi Island hasn’t harmed your mind.”
Xi Yuan, facing her, flashed a grin that was almost begging to be slapped.
Nan Shan’s suspicion was confirmed, and she immediately looked at Ling Ye.
Ling Ye explained, “He’s from the Qing Qiu clan, best at describing transformations and concealing his aura. He used this very skill to steal the Wan…”
“…So for the past ten years, he’s been pretending to be me?”
Nan Shan hesitantly asked.
Ling Ye nodded, about to speak when Liu Jin Hua’s voice came from the main room, “Nan Shan, did you find the potatoes?”
Nan Shan quickly lifted her head.
“I found them.”
Xi Yuan responded loudly, watching Nan Shan with a smile that was neither kind nor genuine.
“Since the real one is back, does that mean I no longer need to pretend?”
“You can leave now.”
Ling Ye spoke coldly.
Xi Yuan snorted and snapped his fingers.
His body began to change, and before long, his appearance returned to its original form, and his simple clothes were replaced with a luxurious robe.
“This is much more comfortable.”
He stretched lazily.
Nan Shan tugged at the corner of her lips, about to ask him what kind of leverage he had over Ling Ye to make him obey his commands.
Before she could ask, Liu Jin Hua suddenly appeared from the main room.
“Wash those potatoes, I’m making braised rice for you today. Didn’t you say you wanted to eat it yesterday…”
Before she could finish, she froze when she saw the three of them in the yard.
“BOJ…”
The moment Nan Shan saw Liu Jin Hua, her eyes reddened, and she stepped forward, unconsciously pushing open the bamboo gate.
“You’ve grown so much white hair…”
Liu Jin Hua stared at her, stunned for a long time, before finally snapping back to reality.
“Y-You suddenly changed your clothes?”
Nan Shan froze, then realized she was still wearing the short-sleeved shirt commonly worn by Dong Yi fishermen.
“…”
“She got her clothes dirty, so I brought her a new set.”
Xi Yuan smiled.
Liu Jin Hua then looked at him. When she saw his reddish-gray hair and overly beautiful features, she froze again.
“Who is this…?”
“He’s Nan Shan’s fiancé.”
Xi Yuan kindly explained.
Liu Jin Hua: “?”
Nan Shan:
In the ensuing silence, Ling Ye slowly spoke:
“Mother-in-law, he’s joking.”
Liu Jin Hua snapped out of her daze.
“Ah, Ling Ye, come inside.”
The familiarity in her tone made Nan Shan look at Ling Ye once more.
“I occasionally come to check on them.”
Ling Ye explained.
Nan Shan nodded and looked at the white hair at Liu Jin Hua’s temples once again.
Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, leaving a clear mark on her mother’s appearance.
For the first time, Nan Shan realized how cruel time could be, so cruel that it displayed aging so plainly before her.
Her eyes couldn’t help but redden.
“What’s wrong?”
Liu Jin Hua laughed, walking over to take her hand.
“What are you upset about?”
“Nothing…” Nan Shan forced a smile.
“I’m just hungry.”
“Then wait a moment. I’ll cook.”
Liu Jin Hua patted her hand, giving her one more look before turning and heading to the kitchen.
Xi Yuan calmly followed behind.
“The potatoes are in the basket.”
“Ah… okay.”
Liu Jin Hua glanced at him strangely but didn’t refuse.
Once Liu Jin Hua was out of sight, Nan Shan finally felt as if she could breathe a little easier.
Ling Ye didn’t say anything, just comforted her with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Nan Shan smiled faintly and asked, “Am I a disobedient daughter?”
“Unable to return home, and not by your own choice.”
Ling Ye whispered, “You’ll make up for it in the future.”
Nan Shan nodded and then asked, “What leverage does he have over you?”
“Do you remember the poison you gave him?”
Ling Ye asked, waiting for her nod before continuing, “I have the antidote, and I give it to him once a year.”
Nan Shan laughed.
“Not bad, Ling Ye, you’re really sly.”
The familiar feeling returned, and Ling Ye grinned with delight.
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