Chapter 7 — The Peacock's Vow

Perhaps everything that occurred in the realm of the beast-kin was nothing more than a fever dream. The mere thought of Yu Jing Chuan left a hollow, aching void in my chest. After finishing a quiet meal, I prepared to head out for a walk; having endured such tumultuous events in that strange world, I desperately needed time to process my reality. Unexpectedly, my eyes were drawn to the largest digital screen in the central plaza. My heart skipped a beat—the face I had longed for, day and night, was staring back at me. Yu Jing Chuan? I drew closer, noticing that the news broadcast was covering the newly appointed Chancellor. The man on the screen was unmistakably him, or perhaps someone who bore a striking, haunting resemblance. I offered a self-deprecating chuckle and lowered my gaze, trying to dismiss the absurdity of the moment. Suddenly, a shadow fell over me. I looked up, my vision blurring as tears welled in my eyes, rendering the figure before me hazy and indistinct, yet somehow perfect.

Yu Jing Chuan? Is this just another phantom of my mind?

I whispered to the air, but the man before me didn't hesitate—he pulled me firmly into his embrace.

It is no phantom, my love. I have come to find you.

According to Yu Jing Chuan, after I had perished, both Jiang Kuo and he had sacrificed half of their spiritual essence to resurrect me, casting my soul back to my original world. White Sound had returned to that same pivotal moment as well. Time in the human world had remained frozen during my absence, which explained why everything felt like a fleeting dream. In the realms of the sea, the land, and the sky, my death had spurred Jiang Kuo and Yu Jing Chuan to declare a truce, finally bringing peace to those fractured lands. From then on, both men desperately sought a path to my world, though every attempt proved futile. It was not until Yu Jing Chuan remembered the mirror I once used to locate him that he found a way. He placed his half of the jade pendant against the glass, and miraculously, he arrived in my world. However, this blue planet was vast and densely populated. He knew he could only stand in the highest, most visible place, hoping I would spot him. He trusted that I would come looking.

You are such a fool, I wept, leaning against his chest, my heart overflowing with a sweetness that transcended language.

My lady, I told you before: our fates are intertwined, bound together through all lifetimes, never to be parted.

Yu Jing Chuan held me tightly, his gaze fixed upon me as if I were a lost treasure finally reclaimed. I asked him if he had been aware of our reincarnation all along, and he confessed that he had. Indeed, all four of us had been reborn.

If you knew, why were you so kind to me this time around? I asked, still puzzled.

Yu Jing Chuan’s eyes crinkled with warmth as he explained that in our previous life, it was only after he had taken my life that he discovered White Sound had framed me. He was consumed by profound remorse; thus, upon being reborn, he vowed to treat me with the tenderness I deserved. Yet, to his own surprise, he found he had fallen truly and deeply in love with me.

Then did you treat White Sound just as kindly in our previous life? I asked, a sudden surge of jealousy pricking at my heart.

Absolutely not! Everything you possess is uniquely yours alone, he said, his voice laced with frantic sincerity. Very well, I decided, I would graciously forgive him. We held our wedding ceremony once more in this world. On our wedding night, as I prepared to turn off the lights and go to sleep just as we had before, Yu Jing Chuan leaned down and pressed me against the mattress.

May I?

His throat tightened as he spoke, his eyes burning with a dark, smoldering desire.

But I thought you were cold and detached? I stammered, my face flushing bright crimson.

A cold temperament does not mean I am indifferent to such things, he murmured with a soft laugh before sealing my lips with his own.

Appendix: Jiang Kuo’s Chronicle. I once possessed a small human. Although she arrived alongside her sister, I was drawn to her from the very first moment. Fortunately, her sister chose the Peacock King, allowing her to belong solely to me. However, my wife was expected to bear heirs incessantly. Though I did not wish to burden her, it was tradition, and I was powerless to stop it. I did not realize then that she despised it so. Her constitution was unique, and she could carry several children at once. She bore me many heirs, but in the process, she withered and grew heavy with the toll of labor. I must confess, I did not love her as fervently as I once had, yet she remained my Queen. Her children would be the next rulers of the Sea Clan. Thus, when she proposed an attack on the Heaven Clan, I agreed. Yet, she perished at the hands of the Peacock King! It was only then that I realized I had loved her all along. The miracle was that I had been reborn. It seemed I was not the only one. Because she had chosen the Peacock King this time, her sister came to me instead. I thought her sister might fill the void she left behind, but I quickly discovered they were nothing alike. I still yearned for her. When I saw her again, nestled in the arms of the Peacock King, I was consumed by a jealousy that burned like fire. I want to reclaim her, no matter the cost, even if she refuses me. I know I failed her in our previous life, but this time, I will make it right.