April 18, 2018

In the meticulously arranged tea room by Zhao Chenlu, two old friends with a friendship spanning thousands of years finally have the chance to talk face to face.

There’s a saying that in this life, one comes naked and goes naked.

In essence, power and wealth are just fleeting clouds, unable to be brought in at birth or taken away at death.

This saying fully embodies an optimistic and open-minded outlook on life, becoming the motto for many—such as Zhao Chenlu.

"So, are you fulfilling your motto by lying naked in the Sword Pool before the ultimate battle, performing a ’birth imitation show’ for me to watch?"

Wang Jiu asked, raising his eyebrows, sensing there might be more to the story.

Though he indeed conceded that Zhao Chenlu’s character could be described as optimistic and open-minded, running around naked in the Sword Pool owing to that didn’t quite make sense.

If one enjoys running naked, one can do so anywhere, as Shen Kaishan never cares about time or place, always expressing passion freely. Why must Zhao Chenlu insist on doing it in the Sword Pool? Though the Sword Pool’s edge has dissipated somewhat after the sacrificial refining of the Celestial Divine Sword, its waters remain sharply unmatched, making even a Heaven Shattering Realm cultivator uncomfortable, their bodies suffering direct harm.

Wang Jiu’s memory serves him well, vividly recalling the scene. Mr. Zhao lay by the pool, completely submerged from the neck down in the clear, transparent water. Despite the smile blooming on his face, his body in the pool constantly endured a thousand cuts, leaving his already sparse body hair utterly gone. He looked incredibly pitiful.

Even to fulfill a motto, isn’t that suffering unnecessary?

"Hmm, you’re right, that reason might not be very valid." Zhao Chenlu himself nodded in agreement. Then, thinking for a moment, he added, "It’s widely known that your Sword Dao talent is unparalleled in the world, and this talent likely stems from the Sword Pool’s baptism you received at birth. Typically, a baby immersed in the Sword Pool would soon be ground down into a baby solution by millions of Sword Qi. Yet, you managed to forge a Sword Bone with Sword Heart clarity. So I started wondering, could there be some embodiment of universal truth hidden in your birth posture? If I can mimic its essence, could I also forge a Sword Bone with Sword Heart clarity?"

Wang Jiu immediately furrowed his brows, beginning to re-evaluate his old friend.

After thousands of years, having experienced life, death, reincarnation, and rebirth, her intelligence index seems to be nearing that of the Shen Family’s descendants.

Lying in the Sword Pool to forge a Sword Bone with Sword Heart clarity... Whose absurd theory is that? If becoming the world’s greatest sword god were that easy, the Sword Pool would long have been stained with the blood of countless aspirants.

"Eh, does that not work either? You’ve become more suspicious than you used to be." Zhao Chenlu felt somewhat disheartened. "Clearly, you didn’t even say anything back then."

Wang Jiu said, "Because you told me ’please don’t say anything’."

"...Your memory is really too good." At this point, Zhao Chenlu finally relented, abandoning the tactful approach and opting for directness. "I like you."

Wang Jiu said, "Thank you, I like you too."

Zhao Chenlu wasn’t unfamiliar with this response, her smile tinged with helplessness. "I mean the kind of like between a man and a woman."

Afraid Wang Jiu might misunderstand again, Zhao Chenlu added, "Or maybe love, the kind directly related to mating and reproduction." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Wang Jiu fell silent for a moment, then said, "So you called me here hoping I could cure this fetish-like mental illness of yours?"

"I don’t think I have mental illness..."

"Yet your symptoms are exactly like those of a mental illness." Wang Jiu said seriously, "Long before you and Jiulong executed the Jiuzhou Blood Ritual, I had transcended humanity, no longer human, what’s before you now is merely the Sword Spirit of the Celestial Divine Sword—and just a phantom sword technique. Currently, the body specially crafted for Sword Spirit actions is only 75% completed and can’t be publicly used yet. So in essence, according to human definitions, I’m nothing more than an item with living characteristics. The love you talk about naturally falls under the category of fetishism, regardless of whether it’s the Jiuzhou Era or today’s Xiangzhou Era, fetishism undeniably is a type of mental illness..."

"I know, but I don’t care." Zhao Chenlu said, "So what if it’s fetishism? How can the Celestial Divine Sword be compared to ordinary stuff? You have the appearance of a human and a wisdom and power surpassing humanity. You turned the tide in humanity’s dire straits, saving the Jiuzhou Continent, so what’s wrong with liking and admiring you?"

Wang Jiu remained silent for quite some time.

Zhao Chenlu’s words truly left him astonished.

He never expected that this optimistic and open-minded old friend had already fallen critically ill.

Reflecting on their previous encounters, Zhao Chenlu’s various behaviors... Wang Jiu suddenly felt a whole new door opening, his historical perspective about to be overturned.

So even back then, Zhao Chenlu had already entered a distorted estrous cycle?!

And while Wang Jiu was silent, Zhao Chenlu said, "Previously, I dared not speak to you because I feared breaking the delicate balance between you and Jiu Immortal Venerables, but now... the Immortal Demon war is over, the Jiuzhou Continent is no more, with only the two of us surviving from those who fought side by side, there’s nothing I need to worry about anymore."

After a pause, Zhao Chenlu added, "In fact, after dying and resurrecting, I have no other wish, only hoping to marry you, to stay by your side forever."

Finally, Wang Jiu spoke, "However, your feelings are fundamentally flawed, not worth your investment... Have you ever considered why, as an outstanding member of the human race, you happen to develop affection for an outsider?"

Zhao Chenlu said, "Of course I have considered, but is the issue really that important?"

"It’s very important because there’s a fundamental issue of fairness here," Wang Jiu explained seriously. "Much of the humans’ goodwill towards me is due to my origins. I am the essence of Jiuzhou, carrying the hope for the continent’s survival, so all creatures across the continent naturally have a good impression of me. Just as I have a natural fondness for human existence, therefore..."

"I liked you before you transformed into a sword."

Wang Jiu’s lengthy discourse was suddenly cut off, the voice halting abruptly.

After a moment, with Zhao Chenlu smiling with great interest, Wang Jiu asked, "So we have to return to the previous topic: it seems your mental illness is very serious and needs proper treatment."

In Wang Jiu’s view, the impressions of life before becoming a sword had become quite vague, but a few points could be confirmed.

I was never good at communicating with people.

I was never a person with charm or charisma.

I was never meant to survive as a human.

Although by the standards of a sword, I am considered perfect, if measured by human standards, I am severely lacking.

As for Zhao Chenlu, by human standards, she scores almost the highest. Her intelligence index is second only to Shang Lanfei, reaching the top tier among humans. She is revered as the Jiu Immortal Venerable, boasting exceptional strength, with unparalleled beauty, praised as the most beautiful woman in Jiuzhou.

If humans were scored comprehensively, Zhao Chenlu would likely have the highest overall score. Why would someone like her fall for a non-human?

"Because you’re the first who can completely resist my beauty. When we first met, I was all dressed up, but you didn’t even glance at me," Zhao Chenlu tilted her head and smiled, "Just like those tsundere young ladies in stories, I too was drawn to your uniqueness."

Wang Jiu said, "Because I was never strictly a human..."

"Does it matter?" Zhao Chenlu asked again, "Whether or not you’re human, I like you as you are. Whether this is a mental illness or not, I don’t care and don’t want it cured. Is that not okay?"

Wang Jiu was stumped once more.

As a friend and comrade, Wang Jiu felt obligated to take good care of Zhao Chenlu, providing timely treatment when she was injured. But if she herself chose to forego treatment, should he respect her wishes?

After considering for a while, Wang Jiu posed a new question: "But, I cannot give you an equally reciprocated response, I cannot harbor love towards humans based on reproduction."

"I know, I knew that long ago," Zhao Chenlu said, "But I’m willing."

Wang Jiu reiterated, "Then between you and me, there could be a severely unequal emotional relationship."

"I’m still willing, I prefer you over equality," she said.

"But by the conventions of human society, such an unequal emotional relationship is likely to trigger intense conflicts and confrontations in the future."

Zhao Chenlu laughed, "I have loved you for a whole ten thousand years."

The words ’ten thousand years’ carried an incomparable weight.

As a result, Wang Jiu was unable to speak for a long time.

On the other side, Zhao Chenlu eagerly and somewhat anxiously watched Wang Jiu’s reaction, seeing him lower his head and fall into deep thought, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The long-prepared conversation had finally cornered him into an inescapable corner.

Next, unsurprisingly, he should agree, after all, since long ago, he has been someone who’s soft-hearted towards friends.

If it weren’t for Shang Lanfei and others interfering back then, she would have achieved her goal long before he became the Celestial Divine Sword.

Fortunately, though a ten thousand years have passed, it’s ultimately not too late. This revival finally fulfilled the dream of the past life.

Just when Zhao Chenlu finally felt a bit relieved, beginning to lift her teacup for a sip...

Wang Jiu raised his head and said, "Thus, the possibility of us becoming adversaries is far greater now than it was ten thousand years ago."

Crash!

The teacup in Zhao Chenlu’s hand shattered in response.