The Divine Emperor halted the heavenly thunder, frowning at the Flower King as he asked, “Does the Flower King have any further instructions?”
The Flower King ignored him, instead turning to me with a grave expression. She asked, “Yousu, if I were to let you die alongside Lüli, would you be willing?”
I nodded—I nodded frantically.
The one who loved me most and whom I loved most was already dead. What meaning was there in living alone in this world…?
As if she had anticipated my reaction, the Flower King turned back to the Divine Emperor and said, “Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life… Lüli never intended to steal the treasure. Now that he has perished, let Yousu repay the debt in his stead. One life for another—let Yousu’s death ensure Lüli’s soul remains unbroken!”
“Hmph! Flower King, the one who commits the crime must bear the punishment! Didn’t you just say that lowly servant was innocent?
This Divine Sovereign heeded your words and deemed her blameless. Therefore… I shall not slay the innocent. The one who erred must pay the price!
That little demon dared to steal a treasure from my Divine Realm—this Divine Sovereign will ensure his soul is scattered to the winds!”
As the Divine Emperor raised his hand to strike, the Flower King’s expression darkened. She glared at him and said coldly, “Even if Lüli was at fault, he never trespassed into your Divine Realm to steal!
I care not how your Divine Realm’s treasure ended up in Mingxi Lake, but answer me this—when you placed it there, did you leave any mark declaring it belonged to the Divine Realm?”
The Divine Emperor stiffened.
The Flower King sneered. “You left no mark, so my subject Lüli assumed it was an unclaimed treasure. He took it back to our clan to gift to his soon-to-be bride!
In this matter, Divine Emperor, you bear undeniable responsibility—that is the first point!
Furthermore, when you came to our Flora Clan to demand the treasure’s return, I, as Flower King, promptly restored it to you upon learning the truth. Yet you refused to relent—without even consulting me, you took it upon yourself to slay one of my people.
As the saying goes, ‘Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master!’ Yet you killed my subject without so much as a blink.
I dare ask the Divine Emperor—was your action not utterly improper?!”
Cornered, the Divine Emperor could only roar in fury, “The Three Thousand Worlds revere my Divine Clan above all! Are you implying that I, the sovereign of the Divine Clan, lack the authority to punish a mere demon?”
“Of course you lack it! While the Three Thousand Worlds may revere the Divine Clan, do not forget—my Flora Clan is the exception!
Since ancient times, it has been decreed: all members of the Flora Clan, whether they become gods, immortals, demons, or ghosts, answer only to the Flower King! Only the Flower King—or those she authorizes—may govern them!
If they err, it is my duty as Flower King to mete out punishment!”
“So, by your reasoning, all blame lies with me? Hmph!” The Divine Emperor’s rage was palpable. “You accuse me of placing the treasure in Mingxi Lake without marking its ownership, but do you know why I left it there?!
Let me make this clear: a plague had broken out in the Water Clan’s Mingxi Lake, claiming countless lives. The Dragon King pleaded for my intervention.
Unable to bear such suffering, I bestowed the Sun-Moon Heavenly Light Pearl upon the lake!
Do you realize how many of the Water Clan’s subjects perished because of your so-called ‘innocent mistake’—because Lüli selfishly took the pearl away?!”
“Divine Emperor, further argument is pointless. If we trace responsibility, both sides bear fault. Let us each take a step back and let this matter rest!”
“Fine! I acted without your consent in slaying your subject—that was my oversight…”
The Divine Emperor’s tone softened. “I agree to spare the demon’s soul in exchange for the maid’s life… but…” His voice sharpened again. “Though his soul may remain intact, mere death is insufficient penance for their crime!
Since they loved each other so dearly, I shall curse them to pine for one another across countless lifetimes—never to meet!”
“How cruel!”
Hearing this, Yun Qingxue couldn’t help but sigh.
It seemed that across all realms, the gods’ favorite pastime was tearing lovers apart.
Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy, torn asunder by the Jade Emperor; the Goddess of Huashan, imprisoned for yearning for the mortal world; the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, separated by the Milky Way…
Of course, those were but myths—yet here was a firsthand account of divine cruelty.
Yousu’s long lashes trembled as she continued, “The Flower King’s expression, which had softened slightly, darkened once more at the Divine Emperor’s words.
She looked at me with anguish.
I understood—unless absolutely necessary, the Flora Clan must never provoke war with the Divine Clan!
Moreover, this incident involved the Water Clan. If escalated, the Flora Clan would suffer greatly.
The Flower King had already exhausted every effort for Lüli and me. As ruler of her people, she could not—would not—sacrifice the entire clan for two individuals.
Knowing we could burden her no further, I knelt and said, ‘Yousu thanks Your Majesty for years of nurture and care. I failed in loyalty, yet forced my liege to fret over me—I deserve death…
Your Majesty’s grace, Yousu shall never forget.’
With that, I took my own life before the Divine Emperor.
Seeing me dead, he cast a spell upon Lüli and me—one that would ensure we remembered our love eternally, yet never meet again.
Once done, he departed with his celestial army.
The Flower King gazed at me with sorrow. ‘Yousu,’ she asked quietly, ‘do you resent me?’
I shook my head. ‘Without Your Majesty’s protection, Lüli and I would have perished utterly under the Divine Emperor’s thunder. For all you’ve done, we are eternally grateful.’
After a night of contemplation, the Flower King personally escorted us to the Netherworld.
She told us that rather than endure the torment of endless reincarnation without reunion, we should forsake the cycle of rebirth.
She brought us before the King of the Netherworld. After a private discussion, she returned to announce that Lüli and I would remain in the Netherworld as guides for lost souls.
She would craft new bodies for us through magic—but we would share one form…
In this new existence, I became the flower’s spirit, Lüli the leaf’s…
The new plant would be named the Red Spider Lily…
Cursed by the Divine Emperor, though bound in one body, our blossoms would never coincide—when the flowers bloomed, the leaves would wither; when the leaves grew, the flowers would fade. We were doomed to eternal miss.
Perhaps out of pity, the Flower King and the Netherworld’s ruler jointly cast a spell upon us.
Through their magic, Lüli and I could meet briefly—once every thousand years, during the fleeting moment when flower and leaf exchanged places.”
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