Chapter 467: Butterfly

Ning Changjiu sat at the stone table, looking at the marriage contract, lost in thought.

The marriage contract lay still, like a delicate, unfurling petal, untouched by autumn dew, yet imbued with the unique melancholy of an autumn day.

Ning Changjiu looked around.

Unaware if he was a guest in a dream, he couldn't distinguish whether he was currently in a dream or in the Immortal Realm. Regardless, this marriage contract had to be the key to breaking free.

Ning Changjiu decided to try again.

He picked up the brush, wrote "Ye Changong" on the marriage contract, and once more knocked on the Daoist temple's door.

Inside the temple, white veils fluttered, and graceful figures swayed.

"The marriage contract is ready."

This time, Ning Changjiu didn't wait for Ye Changong to speak, nor did he respectfully kneel. He stood confidently, holding the marriage contract, and spoke first: "I've written 'Ye Changong' on the contract, which is your name, Master."

The hall was silent for a moment, the white veils swaying as before.

"So, this marriage contract is for me?" Ye Changong's question remained unchanged.

Ning Changjiu grew increasingly certain that this was still a dream.

He composed himself and said, "Yes, I hope Master will forgive your disciple's audacity, and... accept the marriage contract!"

"You are, indeed, very bold," Ye Changong's voice drifted out.

Ning Changjiu immediately said, "Master, if you wish to annul the marriage, could you give me a reason?"

Ye Changong replied, "What reason do you have for giving this contract to me?"

Ning Changjiu sincerely said, "Master and I have been together for thousands of years, only for our fate to be severed by the collapse of the Heavenly Dao. Now, thankfully, we've met again. Master... you must have waited for many years, haven't you?"

"That reason isn't enough," Ye Changong said. "The marriage is annulled."

The white veils stopped swaying.

Ning Changjiu woke up at the stone table again, looking at the blank marriage contract, his expression dazed.

Master... what's happening?

Ning Changjiu rubbed his forehead, looking at the temple, unable to understand how he could make Master agree.

He tried several more times, changing his approach, his emotions becoming increasingly sincere and intense. He even used terms like 'Miss Ye,' 'Changong,' and 'Chan'er.'

But Master remained behind the white veils, never letting him see her face.

Ning Changjiu thought, "Master appears aloof and ethereal, but could she actually be like Xueci?" So, this time, filled with nervousness and excitement, he boldly burst in with the marriage contract, directly tearing aside the white veils and rushing to the center of the temple!

Things did not go as planned; this attempt ended even quicker. He had barely entered past the white veils, still some distance from Master, when he heard Ye Changong's slightly cold reprimand, followed by a strong gust of wind that pushed him out.

Ning Changjiu woke up again.

"Phew..."

He sighed softly, suddenly regretting accepting the marriage contract. Living with Master in the Obscure Temple used to be peaceful and leisurely, unlike now, which was full of challenges.

"Master, please let your disciple go."

Ning Changjiu yearned to return to that peaceful life.

No one responded.

Ning Changjiu called out a few more times, but still, his pleas went unanswered.

Clearly, by initiating this dream, Ye Changong had no intention of letting him off easily.

"This isn't a marriage contract at all; it's clearly a challenge issued by Master."

Ning Changjiu gripped a corner of the marriage contract, thinking how deceiving Master's appearance could be. He recalled his dozens of previous setbacks and failures, then remembered Master's ethereal, youthful beauty after she transformed into a maiden, her innocent charm subtly revealed. A competitive spirit flared within him, and he suddenly felt an urge to grab Master and spank her.

In the Sword Pavilion, Lu Jiajia put away her sword. The white-clad immortal walked through the flourishing summer woods to a secluded pavilion.

Siming was meditating in the pavilion.

Ning Changjiu had resisted the meteorite, his physical body destroyed, and his soul confined to the Immortal Realm. He was now separated from them by a vast distance, as if between heaven and earth.

Months had passed unconsciously. Despite their sorrow, they didn't lose heart; instead, they composed themselves and practiced even more diligently. Eight years later, they had to work together to defeat the Dark Lord. Otherwise, the reunion they so longed for might become a permanent farewell.

When Lu Jiajia arrived, Siming opened her eyes, temporarily pausing her cultivation.

Besides their cultivation, they often chatted and confided in each other.

Siming brewed tea for Lu Jiajia and slowly brought it to her with a respectful demeanor.

Lu Jiajia looked at her with a strange expression. "What's wrong, Sister Xueci, today?"

Siming teased, "Of course, Xue'er has to curry favor with the Empress, otherwise, when my husband returns, won't I be in trouble?"

As she spoke, Siming plucked a fallen petal from her sleeve and placed it in the teacup, letting it float amidst the green tea.

Lu Jiajia gave her a slight glare and said, "With my husband away, and no one to punish you, are you getting a bit too brazen? Why don't you take a trip to the Three Thousand Worlds?"

Siming hesitated, "Next time."

Lu Jiajia took a sip of tea and smiled faintly.

Siming gazed at the clear sky outside, unconsciously reaching out as if to grasp the clouds in the sky.

The summer was hot, cicadas chirped incessantly. They wore thin garments, black and white complementing each other, embodying an ethereal or coolly elegant beauty.

"Ah..." Siming suddenly sighed softly.

Lu Jiajia knew she was thinking of her husband again. She gently pursed her lips, took Siming's hand, and stood up, saying, "Since husband isn't here, let your younger sister comb your hair for you, elder sister."

Siming sat before the mirror, and Lu Jiajia stood behind her.

The comb's teeth glided through her silver hair.

Siming looked at herself in the mirror and said wistfully, "We are here, with sisters for company. But husband is alone in the Immortal Realm. If he were unconscious, it would be fine, but if he's awake, how lonely he must have been all these years."

Lu Jiajia's combing motions unconsciously slowed. She said softly, "Don't worry, Master is with him."

Siming shook her head and said, "Master is so taciturn and distant. Wouldn't two such people together be twice as boring?"

Lu Jiajia nodded gently. In her heart, Master was also an image of an otherworldly, ice-cold beauty.

Although they were a couple in their previous life, it was clear that what truly bound them together was not marital affection, but the centuries-long conflict between gods, demons, and immortals.

They were the sun and the moon, but in the human world, the sun and moon naturally appear alternately.

"Yes, how lonely husband must be..." Lu Jiajia echoed, a faint sadness in her voice.

Clearly, Ning Changjiu had disappointed their worries.

His battle of wits with Ye Changong was escalating.

Ning Changjiu tried to find a way out from other places.

He wrote Ye Changong's name again, but instead of entering the Daoist temple, he pushed open the courtyard gate and walked towards the outside of the Obscure Temple.

Ning Changjiu discovered that a dense fog enveloped the area outside the Obscure Temple, a fog that seemed to be generated by dream power.

Ning Changjiu stepped into the fog, which grew thicker and thicker. Soon, his movements became increasingly sluggish, and he found it difficult to move, forcing him to retreat to the courtyard.

So, he couldn't get out from the inside?

Was the only path open to him through the Daoist temple?

Master had truly restricted him tightly.

Ning Changjiu returned to the courtyard.

Having failed to submit the marriage contract multiple times before, Ning Changjiu was somewhat traumatized. He lingered at the temple entrance for a while, walking around the building, trying to find other ways to enter.

All attempts ended in failure.

It seemed the only way for him to break free was to openly enter the temple.

Ning Changjiu no longer held onto any illusions.

He pushed open the temple door, entered, and knelt before Master's white veils in the manner of a disciple.

"Is the marriage contract ready?" Ye Changong's familiar voice drifted in.

Ning Changjiu nodded and asked directly, "Master, what exactly do you need to accept this marriage contract? Could you give me some hints?"

Ye Changong was silent for a moment, then said, "When I feel I should accept it, I naturally will."

Ning Changjiu pondered, then asked, "So, is this my dream, or Master's dream?"

Ye Changong did not answer the question. She said, "Let's get back to the matter at hand."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly and said, "Even if I give you the marriage contract now, you'd still annul it, wouldn't you? ...I'll do it myself."

Ning Changjiu erased the name on it.

He woke up again at the chessboard.

Ning Changjiu looked at the marriage contract and thought for a moment. This time, he surprisingly wrote Zhao Xianger's name again.

The Obscure Temple was Master's domain, leaving little room for maneuver. He would try a "circuitous salvation" instead.

In an instant, Ning Changjiu found himself in the Three Thousand Worlds.

Zhao Xianger, with her dark hair and youthful face, wore a phoenix gown and sat across from him, rubbing her slightly red, sleepy eyes.

Zhao Xianger held a black piece, lightly tapping the chessboard. She complained, "You woke me up so early just to play chess?"

Ning Changjiu smiled slightly. "This is to help you wake up, Xianger."

Zhao Xianger glared at him. "You're the one who isn't clear-headed!"

Ning Changjiu picked up a white piece and placed it on the board.

Zhao Xianger looked at him, then suddenly smiled charmingly. "Last night, weren't you begging 'Your Highness Xianger, spare me' repeatedly? Why are you pretending to be so calm today?"

Ning Changjiu said, "On the chessboard, you'll be the only one begging for mercy."

Zhao Xianger snorted, "My chess skills have improved greatly recently; I'm afraid you're no match for me anymore."

"Is that so?" Ning Changjiu replied casually.

After making his move, he looked around, as if searching for something.

If Master was secretly watching him, where would she be?

Zhao Xianger noticed his unusual behavior and asked, "What's wrong? Why is your face so pale? Are you sick?"

Ning Changjiu's heart tightened. He knew that if he answered with anything about lovesickness, he would immediately repeat his past mistakes and be severely beaten by Xianger.

Ning Changjiu smiled and shook his head. "Nothing, my body has been a bit weak lately."

He made another move and asked, "By the way, Xianger, do you know where Master is?"

"Master..." Zhao Xianger thought for a moment. "Master, of course, is in the Obscure Temple. Where else could she be?"

The Obscure Temple...

That was the obvious answer.

Ning Changjiu nodded gently.

Zhao Xianger frowned. "Why are you so distracted? If you keep this up, this group of pieces will die."

"Yes," Ning Changjiu replied, snapping back to attention. "But don't worry, Xianger, I won't lose."

"Oh? Where does that confidence come from? Your Highness is invincible both on and off the chessboard!" Zhao Xianger boasted.

"Don't boast, Xianger. If you lose, you'll also be punished," Ning Changjiu said.

Zhao Xianger bit her thin lips, recalling the scene in the imperial palace back then, and whispered, "Shameless!"

The two continued to play chess.

In the end, Ning Changjiu's chess skills proved superior, and he won by seven pieces.

Ning Changjiu took out seven white pieces and offered them, saying, "Xianger, will you do it yourself, or shall your husband help you?"

"You... you dare to bully me like this."

Zhao Xianger lowered her head, clenched her fists, and once again turned dark. True to her nature, she overturned the chessboard, and the pieces flew like a shower of arrows towards Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu had played this game with her primarily to see if this 'Xianger' was secretly Master in disguise.

Clearly, Xianger had played very hard, and her chess strategy was completely different from Master's.

It seemed it wasn't Master...

Looking at Zhao Xianger, who had overturned the chessboard, Ning Changjiu thought, "This is my dream. How can I allow this girl to be so presumptuous?"

This was his dream; he should be the master of this dream.

Ning Changjiu imagined himself possessing infinite power.

Yet, when the chess pieces hit him, the pain still came like raindrops.

His imagination was useless!

Ning Changjiu groaned in pain, glanced at Xianger, who was still turning dark and walking towards him, and quickly erased the name on the marriage contract, leaving the dream.

In the Obscure Temple, Ning Changjiu regrouped and wrote Zhao Xianger's name again.

This time, he was a bit smarter. He played a 'triple ko' with Xianger on the chessboard, resulting in a draw, which prevented Xianger from turning dark.

After successfully navigating this game, Ning Changjiu sincerely praised her for her improved chess skills, then said he had a headache and wanted to go for a walk.

Zhao Xianger asked if she should accompany him, but Ning Changjiu subtly declined, stating he just wanted to wander around.

After coaxing and tricking Xianger into staying put, Ning Changjiu fled from the Three Thousand Worlds as if escaping.

He knew that as long as they were together, Xianger turning dark was only a matter of time. He had to leave the Three Thousand Worlds and, from this dream, go to the Obscure Temple to find Master!

He chose Xianger's dream because Xianger couldn't leave the confines of the Three Thousand Worlds. If it had been anyone else, they might have chased him across the entire world, and he might not have been able to escape.

Ning Changjiu left the Three Thousand Worlds, walking from the dream's Western Kingdom towards the dream's Obscure Temple.

If he were to walk directly to the Obscure Temple, then his roundabout approach seemed pointless.

In what manner should he approach Master?

Ning Changjiu thought and tried again.

This was a dream; he could do many things he couldn't normally do.

The first time, Ning Changjiu wove a sky lantern, placed the marriage contract inside it, and released the lantern in Monster City, letting it float higher and higher, drifting towards the Obscure Temple.

The lantern passed through clouds and fog, carried by a long wind into the courtyard, and was then struck down by Master.

The second time, Ning Changjiu made a kite, tied the marriage contract to it, and let the wind carry it to the Obscure Temple.

Master tied a stone to the kite. Unable to bear the weight, the kite, along with the marriage contract, fell from the sky.

Ning Changjiu, reaching his limit, abandoned his romantic and subtle approach, becoming increasingly aggressive.

He drew his bow, notched an arrow with the marriage contract tied to it, and shot it towards Ye Changong.

Ye Changong caught the arrow, took out an ancient zither, used it as a bow, and shot the arrow back.

Ning Changjiu refused to concede. This time, he was even more aggressive.

He conjured countless terrifying demons, each a notorious ancient beast: the Taotie, Nine-Headed Infant, Wilderness King, Peacock Wisdom King, and the Ten-Thousand-Footed Great Worm... A combined army of gods and demons arrayed behind him. Ning Changjiu seized the moment as the giant Kun soared, and the multitude of demons followed him grandly. This world-ending army, terrifying and ferocious, marched as if a king were on campaign. Under his command, they surrounded the Obscure Temple layer upon layer. Ning Changjiu, relying on his vast army, entered the temple alone in white, intending to force a marriage!

"Why do you disturb the peace of the temple again?" Ye Changong's pleasant voice drifted out.

With one hand behind his back, relying on his vast army, Ning Changjiu said, "I hope Master will accept this marriage contract."

Ye Changong didn't answer, merely glanced indifferently at him, who was at the brink of attacking, then casually plucked a lotus flower and threw it out.

The lotus flower flew with the wind, whistling as it pierced through tall demon bodies. The once-unrivaled demon gods were all pierced through, and the dense, dark army of thousands was entirely annihilated by that single lotus, instantly turning into mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Ning Changjiu looked back and gasped slightly.

Inside the Obscure Temple, Ye Changong's voice came out again: "And now, what is the matter?"

Ning Changjiu sighed, took out the marriage contract, and said, "Your disciple... has come to surrender."

The temple was silent for a moment. Then, Ye Changong said, "Come in."

Ning Changjiu walked through the temple, entered the main hall, and sat down before the white veils.

He was clearly somewhat tired.

"Since you brought the marriage contract, why don't you give it to me?" Ye Changong asked.

Ning Changjiu shook his head. "No, Master would definitely annul it again. I want to use this opportunity to talk to you more."

Ye Changong was silent for a moment, then hummed in affirmation.

Ning Changjiu asked, "Master... are you angry with me?"

Ye Changong shook her head. "No."

"Then why do I always hit a wall, no matter what I do?" Ning Changjiu lowered his head and asked, "Or are you just toying with me, Master, and don't like me at all?"

"No," Ye Changong said immediately, her voice slightly hurried.

This slight change was a rare loss of composure for her.

Ye Changong covered her lips, closed her eyes, and said, "No... I just want to know what kind of feelings you hold for me now."

Ning Changjiu said, "How can such complex emotions be expressed in just a few words? They are very intricate... and among them, there's even a thought of revenge."

"Revenge?" Ye Changong questioned, confused.

Ning Changjiu smiled slightly. "Master, you stabbed me with a sword in our previous life. I'll never forget it, and this grudge will be settled sooner or later."

Ye Changong asked, "Do you still want to stab me back?"

Ning Changjiu didn't answer. Instead, he continued, "I've been thinking about how to leave this dream. I believe one truly leaves a dream only when they are genuinely awake. But if Master were to actually accept the marriage contract, that would truly be the dream, wouldn't it?"

Ye Changong lowered her head and said softly, "Don't think that way. From the moment we came into this world, we were destined to be together for life. This is... true destiny."

Listening to her words, Ning Changjiu looked up at the shimmering silhouette behind the white veils.

"Then why are you unwilling to accept this marriage contract?" Ning Changjiu's voice suddenly became calm.

Ye Changong did not answer.

Ning Changjiu seemed to have confirmed some thoughts. He spoke each word distinctly: "Master, why have you trapped me in this dream under the pretense of a marriage contract? What are you deliberately hiding from me?"

A strong wind blew, and golden butterflies swayed like swings.

A breeze came from outside the window, making the veils ripple like smoke.

Ye Changong didn't answer, seemingly hesitating about something.

Ning Changjiu continued, "Actually, the dream must have begun the moment I received the marriage contract."

Ye Changong asked, "Why do you think so?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Because these clothes fit unexpectedly well."

Earlier, he had mentioned that his clothes suddenly seemed large. Ye Changong had said it was because he was tired and thin, telling him not to worry about it.

Before, he had been preoccupied with the marriage contract. Now that he was calm, he noticed these subtle changes.

Ye Changong asked, "What about it?"

Ning Changjiu continued, "In this world, I always feel like something is missing."

"What?"

"Mirrors."

Ning Changjiu said, "This world lacks mirrors. There are no mirrors in any of the Daoist temples, nor is there water in the Obscure Temple's release pond; fish even fly around in the sky. Did Master hide all the mirrors because you were afraid of what I might see?"

Ye Changong said, "Don't overthink it. This world is just like this."

Ning Changjiu, however, shook his head, his voice firm: "Actually, there's also a life thread on my head. Just before I entered this dream, that life thread was cut, and because of it, I became a bit smaller. Is that right?"

The gauze curtain swayed incessantly in the wind.

Ye Changong was silent for a long time, then said, "Actually, this time, if you were to give me the marriage contract, I would have accepted it."

Ning Changjiu said, "After you accept, I would stay in this dream with you forever, wouldn't I?"

Ye Changong softly hummed in affirmation.

She finally revealed the truth: "Everything in the Immortal Realm, except for me, possesses a life thread. Deer will gradually shrink until they become butterflies, and butterflies will slowly transform into even smaller fireflies. This is the rule of the Immortal Realm."

Ning Changjiu was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, when they shrink completely, does their spirit perish?"

Ye Changong said, "No, in eight years, I will restore your spirit and reshape your physical body. You will awaken again, and everything will be as it was."

Ning Changjiu smiled and said, "So, this is just the Immortal Realm's trickery with life?"

"Yes, this is a rule of the Immortal Realm that I cannot change," Ye Changong said. "In seven years, you will turn into a butterfly and have to endure a year of oblivion, forgetting life and death. I don't want you to experience that kind of life, so I wanted to keep you forever in my dream until you wake up safely after eight years."

"I... don't want you to become a butterfly," Ye Changong's voice grew softer and softer.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes and said, "So that's how it is."

Ning Changjiu looked at the white veils and said, "But Master, maintaining the dream's authority for eight years must be very difficult, right?"

Ye Changong remained silent.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly and said, "You don't have to do this. As it's said in tales of evil, we must embrace reality. I will always be by your side, even if I gradually shrink, even if I become a deer, a fish, or a butterfly, I will still stay with you... Master, you have worked hard enough for so many years. Please rest well."

The white veils trembled continuously.

After a long time, Ye Changong's voice finally came again.

"The marriage contract, give it to me," she said.

Ning Changjiu handed the marriage contract to her.

Ye Changong unfolded the marriage contract and found it blank. She asked, "Where is the name?"

Ning Changjiu returned the brush to her and said, "This time, you write the name."