Chapter 1104: Jasmine, Little Jasmine

In a world of darkness, his consciousness slowly revived.

Yun Che opened his eyes and saw a delicate red figure standing silently in front of him. Her exquisite face held an air of arrogance and coldness. She was still wearing her favorite crimson immortal dress, and her long, fiery red hair cascaded down to her waist and hips, making her already slender figure appear even more delicate.

"Jasmine..." Yun Che called out softly. Even though he knew he was dreaming, his soul still trembled with uncontrollable excitement.

"You've hurt yourself like this again. Is it because of some woman, again?" Jasmine stared at him, her gaze and tone familiar, her posture attempting to project a master's authority.

"Heh heh..." Yun Che chuckled. "It really is. Her name is Little Jasmine."

"Hmph!" Jasmine was angered. "When will you ever learn to value your own life! In all the years I've been with you, I've made many misjudgments about you, but one thing I will never be wrong about—if you ever die a miserable death, it will definitely be because of a woman!"

"If it were for you," Yun Che said firmly, looking at her, "I wouldn't hesitate for a moment."

"...Idiot!" she cursed heavily, turning her back to him, her gaze leaving him. "When we parted, I already said it all. Our fate is over, there are no more ties between us, and there will be no more meetings."

"Live well, and don't hold onto any more futile hopes... even if it's for my sake."

The voice faded into the distance, and the hazy figure gradually blurred.

"Jasmine... Jasmine! Don't leave yet, I have so many things to tell you... Jasmine!!"

Yun Che suddenly sat upright, the sharp pain assailing his entire body instantly sobering him and clearing his vision. This seemed to be a natural cave, with a pile of burning kindling casting bright light. A girl in colorful clothes sat in front of him, her legs tucked, resting her chin in her hands and staring at him with wide, dark eyes.

"You woke up so fast. I thought you'd sleep for a long time." Little Jasmine was still resting her chin in her hands, her adorable face squeezed between them. After speaking, she mumbled softly, "After all, you're so badly hurt."

"How long have I slept?"

His head throbbed. Yun Che subconsciously covered his head, and it was a long time before the pain slightly subsided. This time, the mental exhaustion far surpassed the physical damage. It would probably take a long time for him to recover.

Little Jasmine tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment before saying, "It seems like two or three hours. Oh right, Brother-in-law, you kept calling Sister Jasmine's name just now."

"..." Yun Che held his breath briefly, then slowly straightened his body, leaning his back against the stone wall. A faint glow had appeared in the darkness outside; it was already past midnight. "Where is this place? Did you bring me here?"

"Of course it was me. Were you expecting the bad guys?" Little Jasmine pouted. "I don't know where this is either, but it's very safe, there's nothing around. You should thank me properly, Brother-in-law. If I hadn't worked so hard to bring you to such a safe place, you would definitely have been eaten by mystic beasts by now."

"..." Yun Che said nothing, slowly recovering his spirits. But the red figure from his dream kept floating before his eyes, refusing to disappear.

"Jasmine..." His eyes grew misty, and he murmured unconsciously.

Little Jasmine's lips parted slightly. She stared blankly at Yun Che's dazed expression for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother-in-law, are you very angry with me right now?"

"..." Yun Che turned back, finally glaring at Little Jasmine. "What do you think!" he said fiercely. "Last time was bad enough, but this time, you almost got me killed!"

"Hehehe." Little Jasmine stuck out her little tongue. "Actually... actually, both this time and last time, I deliberately let those bad guys find me, because I knew you were nearby, Brother-in-law. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to find me."

"You!" Yun Che's head snapped around, his gaze fixed. "You're clearly not as simple as you seem. Who exactly are you... why are you trying to harm me!?"

"I wasn't trying to harm you, Brother-in-law, I just..." Little Jasmine curved her eyebrows and said with a smile, "I just wanted to see if you would brave the danger to save me."

"Hmph!" Yun Che frowned and snapped impatiently, "We're not related by blood or anything. Where do you get the confidence that I'd risk my life to save you!"

"Of course, it's because I'm so pretty and cute," Little Jasmine chirped without hesitation. "You wouldn't bear to see me get even a little bit hurt."

Yun Che: "..."

"Hmm, actually there's another... very small reason." Little Jasmine's voice dropped several decibels. "I wanted to know if you, Brother-in-law, would be unwilling to abandon me because I have the same name as Sister Jasmine... I didn't expect you to really be such a big idiot!"

Little Jasmine's words struck Yun Che's Achilles' heel. The reason he risked his life time and again to save this girl, who was originally unrelated to him, was largely—in fact, arguably solely—because her name was "Little Jasmine." Whether it was a coincidence or something she just made up on the spot, for Yun Che, who had come alone to the God Realm for Jasmine, with his entire soul filled with her, the name "Little Jasmine" couldn't help but deeply touch his heart. He disliked her using that name and resented her forcefully calling Jasmine "Sister Jasmine" and him "Brother-in-law"... Yet, imperceptibly, it had left a subtle mark on his heart. When Little Jasmine was in deep danger, the constant recurring sense of overlap made it impossible for him to ignore her.

"...There won't be a next time, and don't call me Brother-in-law anymore. Hiss..."

His tone was a bit harsh, triggering his wound. Yun Che winced in pain, his body twitching slightly. Unexpectedly, facing Yun Che's reprimand, Little Jasmine was no longer the defiant and indifferent girl she had been. Instead, she pressed her lips together, her little face showing a mix of guilt and grievance, and said timidly with tears welling up, "Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong. At that time, I just thought it was fun; I didn't expect to hurt you like this."

She reached out, gently hovering her hand over the wound on Yun Che's chest, wanting to touch it but not daring to. "Does it hurt a lot? I promise I won't do it again, definitely not."

Her pitiful, apologetic expression made Yun Che, who had been simmering with anger and resentment, unable to express it anymore. He then shook his head and said helplessly, "Never mind, as long as you know you were wrong..."

Before he could finish speaking, Little Jasmine's eyes lit up, and she chirped excitedly, "I knew Brother-in-law wouldn't be angry with me, hehehehe! Brother-in-law, when you were sleeping, you called Sister Jasmine's name more than a dozen times. You risked danger to save me because of Sister Jasmine. You're so good to Sister Jasmine; no wonder she was willing to marry you!"

"..." Yun Che took a light breath and said, "Since you've confessed to me, I'll confess something to you too. Jasmine... she's not my wife, but my master."

"Eh?" Little Jasmine's mouth gaped open. "Master? Ah... Oh... Then you must respect her very much, right, Brother-in-law?"

"Respect?" Yun Che raised his head. "I don't know. I don't know what kind of feeling I have for her. She is my master, yet she is more than just my master."

Little Jasmine didn't interrupt, quietly watching him, her eyes unblinking.

"She taught me so many things, but I've never had the reverence for her that one has for a benevolent teacher. She saved me countless times; without her, I would have long since perished somewhere unknown. But I never seemed to have the gratitude for her that one has for a life-saver. She is the one who scolded me the most and most fiercely in this world, yet I never felt the slightest anger because of it. On the contrary... I dream of her scolding me a thousand, ten thousand more times." These words were spoken unconsciously. He had come to the God Realm for Jasmine, and though he had met countless people, he had always remained solitary. Here, Jasmine, deeply buried in his heart, was a terrible taboo, unspoken. At this moment, in front of this "Little Jasmine" who so eagerly called him Brother-in-law, his words poured out uncontrollably in his hazy state of mind.

"I always knew that she and I were from two different worlds. But I never expected our separation to be so sudden, so absolute."

"After she left, I suddenly felt half-empty. I thought I was accustomed to relying on her power and the sense of security she gave me. But later, I gradually understood that I was accustomed to her, to everything about her. Without her, there would be an eternal, unfillable void in my life."

Little Jasmine opened her mouth slightly and whispered, "So... are you looking for her?"

"Mm," Yun Che, in his hazy state of mind, didn't notice the strangeness of Little Jasmine's question and murmured to himself, "I came from the lower realms to the God Realm solely to see her again... No matter what, I have to find her, even if it's for a complete farewell."

Yun Che closed his eyes... If, after finding Jasmine, all he got was a farewell, could he truly accept it and let go?

"You came to the God Realm to find Sister Jasmine... Is that the only reason?" Little Jasmine asked.

"Yes." Yun Che answered without hesitation.

"..." Little Jasmine's eyes flickered with a hint of confusion. She bit her lip and asked softly, "Then where is she, and how will you find her?"

"I know where she is, but it's a place I can never go." Yun Che chuckled faintly. "But I've found a way to see her again. As long as I find two more items, I will definitely be able to see her in two years."

"Huh? What items?" Her small hand gripped Yun Che's arm, unconsciously shaking it gently. "Tell me, tell me quickly! Maybe I've heard of them."

Yun Che smiled and said casually, "The two items are called the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade and the Imperial Immortal Grass."

"Nine-Star Buddha God Jade... Imperial Immortal Grass..." Little Jasmine murmured the names, blinking her eyes... Had she heard of them, or not?

"These are very rare items, it's normal that you don't know about them." Not surprised by Little Jasmine's bewildered expression, and after speaking so much unconsciously, Yun Che's consciousness began to grow heavy again. He glanced at the sky outside, began to compose himself, and then quietly circulated the Great Way of the Buddha. "I need to heal now, so it's best not to disturb me. You should also get some rest. After dawn, I'll take you out of here."

"Oh." Little Jasmine replied distractedly.

As the Great Way of the Buddha circulated, Yun Che quickly entered a meditative state, and both his body and spirit began to recover rapidly.

"What strange names. My family doesn't seem to have them either." Little Jasmine remained in a thoughtful state. After thinking hard for a long time, her eyes finally lit up.

"That's right, I can go ask those old grandpas from the Heavenly Mystery Realm!"

With her mind made up, the girl instantly became cheerful, immediately got up and flew away, disappearing in a flash.