TMWTGD CH54

Xie Jianwei carefully settled the body.

Because “it” was dead, the body had reverted to its true form; it was indeed an Archdemon.

Naturally, Xie Jianwei would not actually bury it. There was no reason to discard such a readily available gift.

Even if the little skeleton became human, lasting forever would still be difficult, and without that permanence, he still would not feel at peace. But becoming an Archdemon was a different story altogether.

As for how to go about it? No rush for now.

After arranging all of this, he returned to the Demon Realm.

Lu Li had been waiting there early on.

Xie Jianwei looked somewhat weary, forcing himself to rally his spirits as he said, “It is finally over.”

Heart aching for him, Lu Li said, “That wasn’t Yali Vance. Don’t think too much about it.”

“Whether it was him or not makes no difference.”

Lu Li had no answer for that.

That Archdemon understood human nature remarkably well. At the start, Xie Jianwei had told Lu Li, “The Archdemon showed himself. He disguised himself as a mortal who looks remarkably like Yali.”

Hearing this, Lu Li was surprised, but hadn’t taken it too seriously. When Xie Jianwei suggested they stage an act together, Lu Li had still thought little of it.

Yet when he actually laid eyes on “Yali” and Xie Jianwei, he almost forgot it was a performance.

It was far too realistic. Though this “Yali” was an imposter, he had flawlessly displayed what the real mortal youth would do if reincarnated with his memories intact.

He would still love Xie Jianwei and loathe Li Fu’er to the bone. Meanwhile, Xie Jianwei truly owed him a debt; under the interference of such guilt, even if Yali couldn’t steal Xie Jianwei away, he could easily sow discord between them.

It was a vicious cycle, and where it would have led in the end was horrifying to contemplate.

Fortunately, mercifully, it was all fake.

Lu Li let out a soft sigh, drawing him into an embrace. “It was my fault back then.”

Xie Jianwei nuzzled against his chest. “I was in the wrong as well. I should have been more careful.”

Though rehashing this now was pointless, it was all they could do.

Several centuries had passed, a span of time sufficient for mortals to erase any trace of their existence.

It had all passed, yet sadness lingered nonetheless.

A single slip in judgment had destroyed such a fine youth.

Over the next few days, Xie Jianwei seemed somewhat listless. Assuming he hadn’t yet stepped out of the shadow, Lu Li coaxed him with gentle care, hoping to lift his spirits.

Yet after nearly half a month, Xie Jianwei’s energy did not improve; instead, he grew increasingly exhausted.

Growing anxious, Lu Li asked cautiously, “Would you like to step outside for a walk?”

Xie Jianwei shook his head. “No.”

Lu Li moved to suggest something else, but Xie Jianwei reached out his hands. “Hold me.”

Lu Li hurried to wrap his arms around him. Leaning against his chest, Xie Jianwei closed his eyes before long.

Lu Li looked down at him, his heart heavy like the sky before a tempest: dense with storm clouds, threatening thunder and lightning at any second.

Xie Jianwei rested with eyes closed. His skin was pale and flawless like smooth jade, only it appeared a little too pale, lacking vitality.

Lu Li’s heart gave a sudden thud, unable to stop himself from calling out softly, “Ah Wei?”

Xie Jianwei did not respond.

Panic seized Lu Li, his voice unintentionally rising, “Ah Wei!”

Xie Jianwei finally heard him, opening his eyes slowly with a faint, weary smile. “What is it?”

“You…” The words reached Lu Li’s lips, yet he didn’t dare utter them.

Xie Jianwei closed his eyes once more. “Let me sleep for a bit, Li Fu’er. I am feeling tired.”

He rarely displayed such vulnerability, acting spoiled in his arms like an exhausted cat. Under ordinary circumstances, Lu Li would have bubbled over with joy, but right now he felt only dread. An intense unease hung over him, as though a boulder was suspended above his heart, wobbling on the verge of falling.

Lu Li held him with exquisite care, his thoughts in utter disarray.

Why was he so weak?

Xie Jianwei slept for a long time, from bright midday straight into the dead of night. Lu Li laid him onto the bed, yet he showed no sign of waking.

Were it not for his steady breathing, Lu Li might have feared he had…

Even contemplating that word brought immense terror.

After tucking Xie Jianwei in, Lu Li spent the night scouring countless archives.

They were records regarding non-native demons.

Casting the spell was not difficult; the difficulty lay in needing the life of one’s beloved as a catalyst.

Without question, Lu Li loved only Xie Jianwei, so only his life was required.

Under normal circumstances, once the spell succeeded, the beloved would perish immediately, exchanging one life for another.

Yet Xie Jianwei’s situation was different. He was a Grim Reaper. A Reaper’s lifespan was vast and boundless, so even after the spell succeeded and Lu Li became an Archdemon, Xie Jianwei had not died.

Or perhaps it shouldn’t be said that he hadn’t died, but rather that his death progressed far slower than a mortal’s.

The moment this thought formed in Lu Li’s mind, he clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

No, a Grim Reaper could not die.

Didn’t everyone believe this? He was a Reaper; how could a Reaper die?

Lu Li tried desperately to convince himself, but it proved utterly futile. A terrible thought spread rapidly like a plague, ultimately consuming every nerve.

Xie Jianwei was going to die, dying for his sake.

At this realization, Lu Li felt plunged into an icy cavern, his numb body stripped of all sensation.

“Li Fu’er?” Slowly awakening, Xie Jianwei caught sight of a stunned Lu Li.

As if jolted from a nightmare, Lu Li’s eyes regained focus, though he hadn’t wiped the thin layer of cold sweat from his brow. Watching Xie Jianwei carefully, he finally couldn’t help asking, “Can a Grim Reaper die?”

Xie Jianwei froze visibly, but quickly managed a strained smile on his pale face. “Why ask that?”

“Tell me!” Lu Li’s voice was hoarse and restrained.

A sharp ache wrenched Xie Jianwei’s heart, his tone tinged with bitterness. “If… I’m only saying if…”

He had spoken only half a sentence, yet Lu Li felt as though his internal organs were being torn to shreds, radiating a metallic, bloody pain. “If what…”

“If I die.” Xie Jianwei seemed to muster tremendous courage just to speak those words.

Lu Li stared at him blankly.

Xie Jianwei seemed to realize he could no longer hide it. Rather than leaving abruptly later and plunging Lu Li into deeper despair, it was better to lay everything bare now.

He smiled faintly, raising a hand. “I want to touch you.”

Lu Li took his hand.

Xie Jianwei touched his face, trace by trace, gentle and meticulous, as if seeking to engrave every contour into his memory forever.

“Li Fu’er, I am very happy.”

Lu Li’s brow furrowed tightly.

Xie Jianwei said softly, “Every day spent with you brought me immense joy. Whether in the Heavenly Realm or the Demon Realm, anywhere you were was wonderful.”

Lu Li’s voice fell impossibly low. “Don’t… don’t be like this…”

Xie Jianwei said, “What must come will come. To have earned this time together, I am truly content.”

“Grim Reapers cannot die,” Lu Li’s eyes reddened. “You told me that yourself!”

“I’m sorry,” Xie Jianwei murmured weakly. “I lied to you.”

Lu Li’s eyes widened, the terror and despair in his gaze impossible to conceal any longer. “Ah Wei, you… you…”

“I still have regrets,” burning tears spilled from the corners of Xie Jianwei’s eyes, his voice choked with emotion. “Why did we have to miss each other for so many years? Li Fu’er, I want to be with you. I truly… truly want to be with…”

Toward the end, he seemed unable to go on, exhausted to the extreme and sorrowful to the bone.

Lu Li held him tightly, his gaze hollow, yet his voice was exceptionally resolute. “You will not die. You definitely will not die!”

Xie Jianwei offered a faint smile, leaning against him as he drifted off to sleep again.

Anyone with eyes could see that Xie Jianwei had reached his limit.

Perhaps he could no longer hold on long ago, clinging to life solely through an obsession, an obsession that he had never been able to stay together with Lu Li.

Now that everything had been laid bare between them and they were together with their feelings aligned, that tension finally relaxed.

With that release, the precarious tower he had propped up collapsed entirely, turning to ruins in an instant.

While Xie Jianwei remained comatose, Lu Li began an urgent search for ways to prolong his life.

Regrettably, Lu Li’s reputation had been abysmal, and the Grim Reaper realm avoided him like venomous snakes, refusing to meet with him at all.

Exhausting every method, Lu Li resorted to kidnapping a six-star Grim Reaper.

Upon seeing Xie Jianwei, the six-star Reaper gasped, “How did he end up like this?”

Lu Li said hastily, “Can’t Reapers return to the Black Domain when in danger? As long as he returns there…”

“It’s no longer possible,” the six-star Reaper shook his head. “His Domain Soul has scattered. Without it, how could he return to the Black Domain?”

“Domain Soul?” The affairs of Grim Reapers had always been esoteric, and few knew their exact mechanics.

Though brought here by force, seeing Lu Li’s state made the Reaper realize how deeply he cared for Xie Jianwei, so he explained, “The source of a Reaper’s immortality is the Domain Soul, which acts as the key to entering the Black Domain. However, his Domain Soul… barely any remains. He cannot enter the Black Domain at all.”

Unable to return to the Black Domain, one could only wait for death.

Lu Li asked urgently, “Is there no other way? How can a Domain Soul be restored?”

The six-star Reaper shook his head. “I have never seen a Reaper’s Domain Soul scatter. It is our wellspring of life. Aside from voluntarily offering it up, no one can harm it. But who would be foolish enough to surrender their own Domain Soul?”

The wellspring of life, voluntarily surrendered…

Lu Li closed his eyes. How could he not understand now?

The life of one’s beloved; this spell was cruel beyond belief.

Mortals died immediately, but for a Grim Reaper, death was a slow depletion, the Domain Soul gradually dissipating until death arrived.

Xie Jianwei had…

Refusing to accept it, Lu Li demanded once more, “Tell me, what method can restore a Domain Soul!”

“None,” the six-star Reaper replied helplessly. “There are no such records anywhere in the Intermediate Realm.”

Miraculously, Lu Li regained his composure. “There is. There must be one!”

Lu Li threw himself into searching for a way to restore Xie Jianwei’s Domain Soul.

Xie Jianwei spent fewer and fewer moments awake, slipping into comas for nearly entire days. Fortunately, his life signs never disappeared.

He didn’t want to die. Lu Li knew it; Xie Jianwei wanted to be with him too, and he would definitely stay with him! With this thought driving him, Lu Li searched relentlessly for a breakthrough.

Yan Ke was also looking for information, but almost no one knew what a Domain Soul was, let alone how to heal one.

While at a complete loss, Yan Ke unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

Loren? That shameless five-star Grim Reaper?

With a shift in thought, Yan Ke decided to sound him out.

Due to some past friction, the moment Yan Ke showed up, Loren snarled in fury, “You dare show your face in front of me again!”

Yan Ke laughed, “All is fair in war.”

“Bullshit!” Loren spat crudely, “You set a trap to use me from start to finish.”

Yan Ke replied, “Who told you to be so gullible?”

Choking with rage at those words, Loren’s chest heaved.

Finding his behavior rather amusing, Yan Ke wanted to tease him a bit more, but Loren took the initiative himself.

Slamming something onto the table with a loud crack, he declared, “Let’s make another bet! If you win, this item is yours. If you lose, you become my eternal familiar!”

An eternal familiar was no laughing matter. With his status as an Archdemon, Yan Ke could overturn an ordinary familiar bond, just like when he tricked Loren earlier by signing a contract under the guise of an ordinary demon. Such a contract had weak binding force; it could constrain a lesser demon at most, completely useless against an Archdemon like him.

An eternal familiar was different. Once signed, he would be at Loren’s mercy for the rest of his life.

Yan Ke scoffed, “You think I’m as foolish as you? Why should I bet with you? Who wants your piece of junk?”

Loren snapped in irritation, “Take a proper look at what this is before running your mouth!”

He shook the book-like object in his hand. Yan Ke cast a casual glance, but froze abruptly upon seeing it clearly.

“Demonic Restoration Technique?”

Loren said smugly, “How about it? Good stuff, right? I heard only an Archdemon can cast this spell. Pretty impressive that it can restore anything.”

Yan Ke’s thoughts stirred. “It can restore anything?”

Loren grunted, “It can even restore souls you demons have eaten. Come to think of it, it’s pretty amusing. If you master this, you could be self-sufficient: eat half, cast the spell to restore it, then eat half again. Truly… tsk tsk…”

Steeling his resolve, Yan Ke struck the table. “Deal.”

“If you lose, you have to be my eternal familiar.”

“Me, lose?” Yan Ke mocked, “Trick you once and you actually think you’re hot stuff.”

“Talk is cheap, I care only about skill.”

Their wager was remarkably… well, remarkably straight-laced. Traveling across the Three Realms, whichever woman they came across, regardless of what she wore or her age, they had to guess her bust size. One point for a correct guess, zero for an incorrect one. After observing 6,666 women, the one with the higher score would win.

Without another word, the two began calling out bust measurements with startling accuracy, remaining neck and neck throughout.

The fake Loren, who was actually Xie Jianwei, was utterly speechless. “You two are truly…”

Yan Ke inside his mind was still rattling off numbers, “87, 88, oh wow, 96! That one is incredible, such a tiny waist with such a spectacular bust…”

Thank goodness he had Yan Ke in his mind, otherwise Xie Jianwei wouldn’t have stood a chance competing against Classmate Yan Ke.

Though he was destined to lose, losing too badly wouldn’t match Loren’s reputation.

Xie Jianwei could act out Loren’s mannerisms, but he truly lacked this specific talent of Loren’s.

When it came to women’s bust measurements, Military Advisor Xie had to admit he was genuinely out of his depth.

Fortunately, the genuine Yan Ke was here.

Yan Ke was enthusiastically competing against “himself.” Finding a rare moment to be genuinely useful made him immensely happy.

After tossing and turning for quite a while, they finally reached the critical juncture.

Their score was currently tied at 6,574 to 6,574.

Only one person remained, the decisive moment to determine victory.

Yan Ke cautiously gave a number, “88.”

Yan Ke in his mind also wanted to say this number, being the exact same person after all, but he couldn’t. Saying it would result in a tie, and according to plan, he was supposed to lose.

So he told Xie Jianwei, “Say 87.”

Xie Jianwei deferred completely to Classmate Yan Ke on this matter, so he spoke that number aloud.

Yan Ke chuckled instantly, “You lost.”

Losing was the whole point. Wearing a face full of reluctance, “Loren” tossed the book over to him. “Tsk, just you wait, I will definitely beat you next time.”

Collecting his trophy, Yan Ke smiled, “I’ll be waiting.” A gullible lug like him practically begged to be fleeced.

Xie Jianwei had finally managed to deliver the solution straight to Lu Li, a truly painstaking effort.

In truth, he had been genuinely frail recently, though death was still quite a distance away. After all, the little skeleton was waiting for him; even if he wanted to die, he likely couldn’t.

The Demonic Restoration Technique was something Xie Jianwei had uncovered quite early on. When scouring for ways to restore the little skeleton’s physical body, he had practically turned every ancient tome inside out. Xie Jianwei had considered using this technique before, but its restrictions were severe. First, it could only be cast by an Archdemon of sufficient power; second, after casting, the Archdemon would fall into a slumber lasting nearly a century.

These two conditions were exceedingly harsh, far more difficult than asking an Archdemon to willingly offer blood.

Offering blood required only a tiny amount, which an Archdemon could replenish by consuming half a soul. By comparison, a century of slumber was far too steep a price.

Although Xie Jianwei abandoned the idea at the time, he kept the technique handy.

It was bound to come in useful, especially that hundred-year slumber effect, which held considerable value.

Step by step, things had unfolded until now.

When Yan Ke delivered this restoration technique to Lu Li, to Lu Li it was nothing short of salvation from the brink of disaster!

Lu Li asked, “Where did you get this?”

Yan Ke laughed, “From a foolish Grim Reaper.”

“How would he have something like this?”

“Ghost knows. He wanders around aimlessly all day, probably sweet-talked it out of some female demon’s embrace.”

Lu Li could not care less about such details. With this in hand, Xie Jianwei would not die, and they could finally be together! It was merely a hundred years of slumber. They had already endured the past several centuries, so why would a mere hundred years bother them?

Lu Li hurried back into the room in high spirits. Seeing the feeble Xie Jianwei, his eyes filled with tender heartache.

“Ah Wei, do not be afraid. I have found a way to restore your Domain Soul!”

Watching him like this, Xie Jianwei felt somewhat guilty. Even though he had deceived him for the greater good, a lie was still a lie.

Yan Ke consoled him, “My Lord, do not overthink it. This is already the most ideal solution. The dream will definitely end long before a hundred years pass! Curing him successfully is what is truly best for the Lord Marshal.”

Xie Jianwei understood everything he said, yet he simply could not bear to see Lu Li suffer.

Yan Ke added, “Besides, look at it this way. Thank goodness this is happening in a dream. If the Lord Marshal in reality had completely split physically and this took place, what would you have done?”

Those words were incisive.

In reality, had Xie Jianwei not caught wind in time of Lu Li’s suicidal tendencies toward himself and initiated treatment, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

If the events of the dream had unfolded in reality, even Military Advisor Xie would have been utterly helpless.

What could he have done? The palm and back of the hand are both flesh. To him, they were all his lover, but to Lu Li, it was a completely different story.

Naturally, a cool-headed and prudent person would always nip the worst possibilities in the bud.

Therefore, such a catastrophe would never occur in reality.

Settling his emotions, Xie Jianwei asked, “What method is it?”

Lu Li recounted everything about the Demonic Restoration Technique without reservation.

Xie Jianwei paused in apparent surprise. “A slumber of a hundred years?”

Clasping his hand, Lu Li said, “It is merely a hundred years! Once that century passes, we can be together forever!”

“Yet…” Xie Jianwei still looked uneasy.

Kissing him tenderly, Lu Li comforted him, “This is wonderful already. I only need to take a long sleep to reclaim your life. It is far more than worth it!”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Is that truly all?”

“I would never lie to you.”

Xie Jianwei seemed unable to believe such a miracle could exist, involuntarily anticipating the worst. “Is there any possibility you might never wake up?”

Lu Li smiled gently. Cradling his face in his palms, he said with utmost earnestness, “If I die, will you stay with me?”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes widened abruptly.

Lu Li said, “I know this is selfish, but if we cannot be together, I would rather die by your side.”

To Xie Jianwei, these were the most beautiful sweet words in the entire world. The corners of his lips curved upward, and radiance returned to his eyes. “If you die, I will never live on alone.”

“Mm,” Lu Li said, “I could never bear to leave you all alone either.”

With such a vow, Xie Jianwei finally appeared at ease.

Had he not possessed complete confidence, Lu Li would never have dared utter such words.

Without wasting any time, Lu Li cast the spell that very day. The result was plain to see: Xie Jianwei’s scattered Domain Soul miraculously knitted whole, while Lu Li drifted into deep slumber.

Xie Jianwei pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, murmuring, “Rest well. We will be together forever.”

Yan Ke moved to settle Lu Li.

Xie Jianwei said, “I want to bring him to the Intermediate Realm.”

Yan Ke asked in surprise, “Pardon?”

Xie Jianwei explained, “The Demon Realm is far too chaotic. If word leaks of Lu Li falling into slumber, it will surely invite endless trouble. The Intermediate Realm, by contrast, is much safer, and I am confident I can keep him secure.”

His reasoning was thoroughly sound. Demon Lu Li had always been haughty and aggressive, making enemies far and wide. If word got out that he was in a coma, troublemakers would swarm in droves.

While Yan Ke and the others were undeniably loyal, loyalty did not automatically equate to absolute martial might. They might have the heart but lack the strength to protect him.

Bringing Lu Li back to the Intermediate Realm with Xie Jianwei was vastly safer.

For one thing, Grim Reapers lived aloof from worldly conflict, exceptionally idle and uninterested in outside affairs. For another, Xie Jianwei was a formidable six-star Grim Reaper, far stronger than Yan Ke and his peers.

Furthermore, Yan Ke knew the depth of love between Xie Jianwei and Lu Li all too well.

Xie Jianwei was undoubtedly the person who cherished Lu Li most, so placing him in his hands gave complete peace of mind.

Yan Ke agreed, “Then we must trouble Mr. Xie.”

Xie Jianwei replied, “It is only right.”

Xie Jianwei finally returned to the Intermediate Realm. He naturally settled the slumbering Lu Li with great care. Since this dream world had not yet concluded, Lu Li remained exposed to a degree of danger, requiring diligent protection.

Fortunately, the other “it” was attached to Demon Lu Li’s body. With Lu Li asleep, it was rendered powerless, able only to watch in frustration.

Even so, Xie Jianwei did not drop his guard entirely. Leaving it unresolved would always remain a latent hazard.

Meeting the little skeleton again after half a year, the little fellow was still the same, bubbling over with unadulterated joy.

Xie Jianwei’s heart melted into tenderness. Cupping his bony face, he planted a sweet kiss on him.

The little bubbles instantly transformed into little floating hearts.

Xie Jianwei could not resist chuckling, “Did you miss me?”

The little skeleton answered, “Yes.”

“I missed you too.” Xie Jianwei took his hand, speaking softly, “I went to investigate a few matters recently.”

The little skeleton looked at him, “Does it concern me?”

“Mm.” Xie Jianwei looked into his eye sockets, “Do you want to know why you ended up like this?”

Hearing those words, the little skeleton grew noticeably nervous.

With an expression heavy with remorse, Xie Jianwei said, “It is my fault.”

The little skeleton said hurriedly, “You are the best.”

Xie Jianwei shook his head, speaking slowly, “It was my fault for failing to recognize you.”

The little skeleton could not recall anything, so hearing him say this only made him fret in helplessness.

Xie Jianwei sighed softly, continuing, “I am not certain whether you will remember in the future, but I want to tell you about these things.”

The little skeleton said, “Alright, I want to know too.”

Xie Jianwei said, “We were together for thirty-three years. In the end, you passed away from an illness. On your deathbed, you said you wished to meet me again in your next life. I promised you, and since I was a Grim Reaper, I tampered slightly with your soul when reaping it…”

He spoke at a steady pace, each word crisp and distinct, acting like a catalyst that dredged up an ambiguous strand of memory.

It felt familiar yet completely altered; he was using a blend of truth and fabrication to overturn that entire memory.

The little skeleton’s willpower possessed the innate capability to reshape this world. Now, receiving Xie Jianwei’s account first, even if the past had not occurred this way, it would rewrite itself into this truth.

Xie Jianwei said, “I do not know what went awry during your soul’s reincarnation, but when you were reborn, I failed to recognize you. In that life, your name was Yali Vance, the young master of a prominent clan. You were unhappy about family affairs, snuck out on your own, and were abducted by a mortal villain. Passing by on a mission, I happened to rescue you.”

What Xie Jianwei recounted afterward was entirely factual: how he spent time with Yali, how he urged him to return home, detailing every single moment.

However, every mention of Li Fu’er was altered. Xie Jianwei said, “The reincarnated you still loved me. I could sense it, but… I did not know it was you. Because I had placed a mark upon your soul, I was firmly convinced that only a soul bearing that mark was you, and one without it could never be you. In truth, I vaguely felt it was you, yet because of my unshakeable faith in my own mark, it blinded me even more from recognizing you.”

The little skeleton listened in a daze, vaguely experiencing that agony of unrequited longing that could never be voiced.

Xie Jianwei continued, “In that lifetime, I broke your heart completely. Sensing your feelings and unable to reciprocate, I devised a terrible scheme…”

The little skeleton suddenly grew tense.

With eyes laden with guilt, Xie Jianwei said, “I asked an angel to pose as my lover, hoping to make you give up. Yet in the end… it brought ruin upon you.”

The little skeleton trembled. Although he still could not remember, he vaguely envisioned the scene of Xie Jianwei being with someone else, and a piercing, bone-gnawing ache enveloped him entirely.

Xie Jianwei spoke with painful remorse, “I never imagined that angel would be so cruel, nor that he would hurt you so terribly. By the time I realized it… your entire family was dead, and you had broken down. Though I avenged you in the end, still…”

He seemed unable to speak any further, for those memories were truly horrifying.

Xie Jianwei had genuinely immersed himself in the emotion. After all, that was Lu Li; imagining Lu Li subjected to such tragedy made his own breath catch.

The little skeleton chimed in hurriedly, “Ah Wei, do not blame yourself. Those things…”

“It was my fault!” Showing rare emotional agitation, Xie Jianwei said, “If not for me, you would never have had to suffer through that!”

At a loss, the little skeleton said, “It is fine. Look at me, aren’t I doing well right now? It is all in the past, those things are over.”

Xie Jianwei shook his head, “That will not do. You have no memories right now, so you can forgive me. If you remember everything… you…”

“No matter what you did,” the little skeleton said, “I will always love you.”

Xie Jianwei paused.

The little skeleton said, “No matter what form I take, no matter what I went through, even if I am no longer human, the moment I lay eyes on you, I am helplessly drawn to you. Ah Wei, as long as you are by my side, I…”

“Yet I truly hurt you so deeply. I committed acts that could never be undone. I…”

The little skeleton said, “If you mind those things so much, then I simply will not remember them.”

Xie Jianwei looked at him in a daze.

The little skeleton gently touched him with his bony palm. “You will stay with me from now on, right?”

Xie Jianwei nodded vigorously. “I will never be separated from you again.”

The little skeleton said, “Then that settles it. Let the past remain in the past.”

His gentle voice soothed Xie Jianwei, whose emotions gradually calmed. Yet as if having made up his mind, he continued, “I must still tell you everything. Whether you can remember or not, they genuinely happened, and the fault lies with me, so I cannot run from it.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jianwei said, “You have the right to know and the right to choose. Love cannot be blind; I want you to know it all.”

He laid out the rest of the tale.

Broken, bearing the lives of his entire clan, Yali walked in despair toward death.

Yet he could not die.

The mark Xie Jianwei had left on his soul shielded him from the sight of Grim Reapers.

Originally, Xie Jianwei intended to discover Lu Li’s soul immediately upon death and shelter it forever. Fearing other Reapers might reap it away, he had deliberately cloaked it.

Who could have foreseen that Xie Jianwei would fail to recognize Lu Li, while the concealment placed on Lu Li’s soul persisted, hiding him from all other Reapers as well?

Without a Reaper guiding the soul, a soul could not enter reincarnation on its own.

Yali’s mortal flesh died, but his soul remained undying. He lived on wretchedly, like a walking corpse.

As time wore on, his body gradually decayed. When even his brain weathered away with the wind, his memories as a human grew hazy, leaving only a skeleton bound to an unyielding soul, wandering the mortal world in blank confusion.

Until he met Xie Jianwei once more.

The little skeleton listened in a daze.

Finally, Xie Jianwei said, “You probably cannot remember your memories from when you were Lu Li. Even if you recover anything, it will only be what happened as Yali.”

Because this skeleton belonged to Yali, not Lu Li.

And Yali’s memories were far too painful, a tragedy from beginning to end.

The little skeleton remained stunned for a long time.

Xie Jianwei murmured, “Although doing this is selfish, I truly do not want to lose you ever again.”

The little skeleton said, “Actually, staying like this forever would be fine too…”

“No!” Xie Jianwei insisted, “I want to try. I want to…”

The little skeleton asked, “Do what?”

“A mortal body is too fleeting and frail. I… I was wondering if it might be possible to guide your soul into a demon’s vessel.”

The little skeleton was taken aback, “A demon?”

Xie Jianwei said, “Demons possess immense lifespans. If it works, we will never have to fear parting again.”

Those words struck a deep chord in the little skeleton’s heart. He could not help asking, “Can it truly be done?”

Xie Jianwei said, “I want to try.”

With that, he pulled the little skeleton into an embrace, his voice thick with devotion. “Ah Li, I truly cannot bear to lose you again. I have no confidence in finding you once you reincarnate, so… please do not leave me ever again.”

Mr. Skeleton was even less willing to part with him. He had been prepared to keep him company forever in this skeletal form, yet now another possibility had emerged.

Could it truly work?

Xie Jianwei soothed him, “It can. I am a Grim Reaper; I can certainly make it happen.”

The little skeleton believed him, and wanted only to believe him.

Xie Jianwei murmured softly, “All living things possess souls, do they not? Whether angels or demons, all of them have souls.”

This was a vital psychological suggestion, one that would alter the very rules of this world.