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The moment she felt her heart stir, Chu Yue'er clenched her fists, resisting the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
No.
She could not let herself falter.
She had spent years feeding this hatred, shaping it into the very core of her existence. If she let go now, then what would remain of her? What purpose would she have?
She bit her lip, suppressing the storm raging within her.
But Jun Mo Xie saw through her in an instant. With a knowing smirk, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
"Still trying to lie to yourself?" His voice was a low whisper, carrying amusement yet also something deeper. "Then let me show you something."
Before she could even react, her vision blurred, the world spinning around her.
The brothel walls, the scent of wine, the faint sound of musicāall of it vanished in an instant.
When her feet touched the ground again, a chill ran down her spine.
A desolate land stretched out before her.
Her breath hitched.
Even without looking closely, she knew this place.
She had been born here. She had laughed, played, and lived here.
And yet now, all that remained were ruins and ashesāsilent tombstones of a once-thriving nation.
The remnants of Yan Country.
Her body trembled. The sight of her homelandālifeless, barrenāpierced her heart deeper than any blade.
A strangled sob escaped her lips and then another.
And then, unable to hold back any longer, she fell to her knees, crying bitterly.
Jun Mo Xie stood beside her, silent.
Neither did he comfort her nor mock her.
He simply let her cry, letting the weight of years of suppressed grief pour out.
After a long moment, he finally moved, his eyes scanning the desolate land before him. Then, as if finding what he was looking for, he raised his hand.
"Arise."
The command carried through the wind, not loud yet infused with an undeniable force.
The very air trembled.
The land quivered, as if awakening from an eternal slumber.
The next moment, a dark, chilling energy burst forth.
The world itself seemed to cry in response.
The sky darkened. And then, amidst the wails of the wind, two figures slowly rose from the earth.
Chu Yue'er's breath caught in her throat.
The shadows that had taken form slowly solidified, revealing human shapesāfamiliar human shapes.
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs with her eyes widened in horror and disbelief.
The figures became clearer.
Noā¦
No, it couldn't beā¦
The moment she saw their faces, her entire body froze.
"G-Grandfatherā¦? F-Fatherā¦?"
A wave of dizziness struck her.
It was them.
Even though their bodies were shrouded in a ghostly glow, even though they looked like specters pulled from the depths of the underworldāshe could feel it.
It was truly them.
Chu Tiechan.
Chu Changfeng.
Her grandfather and fatherātheir noble postures, their dignified gazes, their warmthāit was all the same.
She wanted to speak, to move, to reach out but her entire body was paralyzed in shock.
Meanwhile, the two men, upon seeing Jun Mo Xie, bowed to him.
She watched, unable to comprehend why her own family was showing respect to him.
Jun Mo Xie simply waved a hand, his tone relaxed. "No need for formalities. Go on and talk to her. She's waited long enough."
The moment he said those words, her grandfather and father turned to her, their ghostly forms radiating an almost lifelike warmth.
"Yue'erā¦ my little girl."
Her father's voiceāwarm, deep, and so painfully familiarābroke what little restraint she had left.
"Fatherā!!"
She rushed forward, her arms trembling as she reached out.
And then she felt them.
Not just an illusion. Not just a trick of the mind.
They were there.
They embraced her, just like before.
Chu Yue'er sobbed, gripping onto them as if afraid they would vanish again.
Jun Mo Xie watched for a moment before turning away, giving them their space. He walked a few steps, gazing at the ruined land.
Taking a sip of his wine, he exhaled.
"Two nations clash, and countless lives are lost," He muttered to himself. "And yet, only a few are remembered while the rest become nameless ghosts."
He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of unseen gazesāthe countless souls left behind by history.
----
Half an hour passed.
The wind howled softly, carrying whispers of the past.
Then, light footsteps approached him.
Jun Mo Xie didn't turn around. He simply took another sip of wine.
A moment later, Chu Yue'er knelt before him. Her eyes were red from crying, but her gaze was filled with a newfound resolve.
"Jun Mo Xie," She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can youā¦ can you bring my family back to life as well?"
Jun Mo Xie remained silent.
"If you canā¦ please."
Tears welled up in her eyes again.
"I will do anything you ask."
For the first time, Jun Mo Xie's hand holding the wine paused.
He tilted his head slightly, glancing at her with an unreadable expression.
"And if I can?"
His voice was slow, almost lazy, but there was an undercurrent of something deeper.
Chu Yue'er clenched her fists, her desperation bleeding through her words.
"Then I will offer myself to you completely. I will even become your slaveājust please, bring them back."
A sharp breath.
A moment of silence.
Then, a low chuckle escaped Jun Mo Xie's lips.
"Foolish girl," He murmured, shaking his head. "You're thinking only of yourself."
Chu Yue'er flinched.
At that moment, both Chu Tiechan and Chu Changfeng approached. They patted her head, sighing.
"Yue'er," Her grandfather said softly. "You're making things difficult for Young Master Junā¦ and embarrassing us as well."
She looked up, eyes wet.
"Butā"
"We are soldiers," Her father added. "How could we live while our loyal brothers remain in the underworld? If we return, who will stand beside them in that dark, cold place?"
Chu Yue'er's lips trembled.
"But what about meā¦?"
Her voice cracked.
"Who will think about me?"
A moment of silence.
Then, the two men exchanged a glance before turning to Jun Mo Xie.
"Young Master Jun," Chu Tiechan said solemnly. "We entrust our Yue'er to you. Please take care of her from now on."
Jun Mo Xie finally turned around, meeting their pleading gazes.
For a moment, he didn't speak. Then, with a long sigh, he nodded.
"Fine."
The two men smiled in relief, bidding their final farewell before slowly fading away.
Chu Yue'er remained kneeling for several minutes before she finally stood up, wiping her tears.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself.
"You know," Jun Mo Xie said suddenly, "I can't bring them back to life nowā¦"
Chu Yue'er stiffened.
"But that doesn't mean I can't give them a new lifeāone free of war, one with good fortune."
Her body trembled.
Slowly, she nodded.
Jun Mo Xie smirked and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the desolate land disappeared and they were back in the brothel room.
Chu Yue'er stared at him, utterly bewildered.
"ā¦Who are you?"
Jun Mo Xie leaned back leisurely, raising his cup.
"A god, of course," He joked.
But Chu Yue'er didn't laugh.
She was starting to believe it might actually be true.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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