Suddenly everything blurred. Qing Li slowly woke up. His head pounded and his vision was blurry. He heard voices first. "Qing Li?" It was Wang Xio's voice. "Can you hear us?" Hei Long's voice followed after. Qing Li blinked several times before his vision slowly focused. He saw both of them standing in front of him. Then he noticed something else. Hei long's hand was holding his.The moment Hei Long realized Qing Li was awake, he immediately let go and pulled his hand back quickly, almost instinctively, expecting rejection, expecting discomfort, expecting the same distance that had existed for so long. An old habit that never left him.
Qing Li simply stared at him for several seconds before quietly saying, "You still hide flowers behind your back whenever you're nervous." Everything froze. Hei Long's eyes widened instantly. Even his breathing stopped for a moment because that was something only the old Qing Li knew. Only him. Only before everything broke. Wang Xio froze too. Qing Li slowly pushed himself up and sat properly. A faint smile appeared on his face.He looked at Hei Long and softly said, "What? You thought I wouldn't remember that?"
Hei Long's expression completely broke. His lips trembled slightly as his eyes immediately reddened. "Qing Li?" Qing Li smiled softly and tilted his head. "What do you think?" For a few moments nobody spoke. None of them knew what to say because the answer was already there. Qing Li remembered.Then, unexpectedly, Wang Xio suddenly laughed.
Both Qing Li and Hei Long immediately turned toward him at exactly the same time. Qing li blinked in complete disbelief and pointed at him. "He can smile?!" Hei Long stared too and added with genuine confusion, "He can laugh?!" Wang Xio's laughter instantly disappeared and he glared at both of them. "You two!"
Qing Li immediately looked at Hei Long in shock. "Wait… did you see that?" Hei Long nodded seriously. "I saw it." Qing Li slowly looked back at Wang Xio dramatically and gasped. "Impossible." Wang Xio crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Why is that impossible?"Qing Li straightened his posture and started imitating him. He deepened his voice and said, "'No. Stop. That's dangerous. Don't touch that. Think first.'" Hei Long instantly joined him. He kept a completely straight face and copied Wang Xio too. "'Absolutely not.'" Qing Li burst into laughter and pointed at Hei Long. "Yes! Exactly that!"
Wang Xio stared at both of them in disbelief. "Are you making fun of me?" Qing Li grinned immediately. "A little." Hei Long nodded honestly. "A little."Wang Xio pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed helplessly. "I was worried about both of you."Qing Li's expression softened instantly. He smiled at him and quietly said, "We know." Hei Long looked at Wang Xio too before softly adding, "Thank you."Wang Xio froze for a second. He looked away awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Don't suddenly become serious." Qing Li laughed and pointed at him. "See? He's embarrassed." Hei Long nodded immediately. "He is."Wang Xio glared at both of them again. "You two are impossible."
But this time, neither Qing Li nor Hei Long missed it.The corners of Wang Xio's lips were still slightly raised.
Meanwhile shrine fell into complete silence after the battlefield memory disappeared. Nobody moved and spoke. Even threads floating around the shrine seemed quieter than before. Lin Chen stared at the empty space where Shou Heng and Yue Ning had been moments ago.His expression looked disturbed. He swallowed once before finally speaking. "So… what happened after this?" His voice echoed softly inside the shrine. "Did he die?" He frowned deeply and let out an uneasy breath."Heaven is really good at sacrificing people in a very complicated way."
Yan Luo sighed and folded his arms. "Don't forget I'm heaven members too." Lin Chen instantly pointed at him. "That somehow makes this worse." Yan Luo opened his mouththen closed it again.Because unfortunately… he couldn't argue against that.Nearby, Zhao Ming remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on the exact spot where the memories had appeared. His brows slowly furrowed. Something inside him felt strange. Meanwhile, Hei Long stood quietly beside everyone. His gaze slowly wandered toward the countless threads surrounding the shrine.They floated through the air like living veins. His eyes narrowed slightly. These things… What exactly are you?
Then everything stopped.Every single thread froze in place. The entire shrine instantly became silent.Everyone immediately sensed it. Chen Yu frowned. "Something changed." Xu Yang slowly stood up and took half a step closer to everyone.Even Yan Luo's expression became serious. Then man's voice echoed throughout the shrine. From everywhere."You Heaven members are interesting." Everyone became alert.
Lin Chen looked around quickly. "Who's there?!" No answer came. Instead,threads slowly began moving again. The voice continued. "You create rules." Thousands of threads swayed. "You create boundaries." They circled around the shrine pillars. "You call yourselves protectors." A brief silence followed. Then the voice softened. "But when someone cries…"
Several Threads slowly drifted downward. "When someone is lonely…" They gently brushed against the floor. "When someone simply wants to stay beside another person…" The entire shrine darkened slightly. "you call it wrong." Nobody spoke The voice became quieter and sadder. "Have any of you ever wondered how painful it is?"The threads began trembling. "...to be treated like a mistake simply because you love someone?"
Xu Yang's eyes widened slightly. Yan Luo's expression changed immediately. Hei Long slowly lowered his gaze. Something inside his chest suddenly hurt.His fingers unconsciously curled slightly. Why… Why does hearing him hurt this much…? Why do I feel… sad? Chen Yu frowned. "That voice…" Then Zhao Ming quietly spoke. "It's him." Lin Chen blinked. "Him?" Yan Luo slowly answered. "Shou Heng." Chen Yu's eyes widened. "So these threads are Shou Heng?" He looked around at the countless black lines surrounding them. "But why?" The threads suddenly laughed. "Why?" Thousands of threads rippled throughout the shrine. "After everything…"The voice laughed again. "You're still asking why?" The entire shrine shook and they saw Shou heng and Yue Ning again.
Shou Heng lay motionless on Yue Ning's lap, his breathing uneven and shallow, each inhale sounding like it cost him something he no longer had enough of. His body was restrained by golden talisman chains that wrapped tightly around his wrists, arms, waist, and ankles, each one glowing faintly whenever he even attempted to shift,The radiant seals hummed with oppressive divine pressure, pinning him down more through authority than force, while his torn robes clung to his bloodied skin.
His Flower Demon form was gone entirely, leaving only his original appearance pale, fragile, and stripped of all the overwhelming presence he once carried. Yue Ning held him carefully, her hands trembling as she wiped the blood from his face again and again, as though refusing to accept how much of it kept returning. Her tears fell without restraint, dropping onto his cheek and mixing with the crimson stains as she shook her head desperately.
" Please...open your eyes!" she whispered, her voice breaking as she leaned closer to him. "Shou Heng… Open your eyes." Her fingers tightened slightly in his hair, careful not to hurt him but terrified of losing him. "Look at me!" she pleaded, her voice rising in panic. "You promised… you said you wouldn't leave first." Her breath hitched as his eyelids fluttered weakly, and she pressed her forehead closer to his."You said you'd stay." she continued, her voice cracking completely now. "So stay. Please… just stay." Her words came faster now, spiraling into fear rather than logic. "I'm right here. I'm here. So don't you...don't you dare disappear on me like everyone else did…"
Shou heng's lips parted slightly, a faint exhale slipping out instead of a proper response. His eyes barely managed to open, unfocused at first, before slowly turning toward her. Even in that state,even while bound and bleeding, his gaze softened the moment he saw her face. His hand twitched faintly against the talisman chains,restrained instantly by a flare of golden light that forced a weak, painful breath from his throat. Yet he still tried to move his fingers toward her,"Yue…" he whispered faintly, voice barely audible, broken between breaths. She shook her head harder, tears spilling faster.
"Don't talk!" she said urgently, gripping his sleeve as though that alone could keep him here. "You don't need to talk. Just… just stay awake." Her voice dropped into something softer, almost pleading in disbelief. "Please… don't leave me talking to nothing again." Her hands trembled as she held him closer, refusing to let even a fraction of space grow between them, while the golden seals continued to glow around his weakened body like Heaven's final judgment refusing to loosen its grip.
Then they saw Heavenly Court.Endless clouds stretched beneath vast skies, layered like mountains of white mist that never ended.Thousands upon thousands of colossal white pillars rose through them, each carved with ancient divine scripts that shimmered faintly with sacred light. Between these pillars flowed floating waterfalls that poured upward and downward at the same time, merging into rivers of luminous energy that drifted through the air like living constellations.
Golden dragons circled slowly around immense celestial palaces, their bodies weaving through the architecture like guardians of the sky. Ancient silver-leaved divine trees floated in midair, their branches glowing softly as if lit by moonlight trapped within wood.Beneath everything, the crystal floor reflected the entire heavens above, mirroring stars, palaces, and drifting light.
Rows upon rows of Heaven officials stood in strict formation, their robes flowing in perfect symmetry. Immortal officers whispered among themselves in low, controlled voices, their words barely breaking the silence. "So it's true… he crossed the boundary again," one murmured. Another replied quietly, "This is no longer simple interference… this is rebellion." A war god standing nearby narrowed his eyes. "He should have been eliminated the first time." A goddess of fate glanced down at her scroll and whispered, almost reluctantly, "The threads of destiny around him… they don't stabilize anymore." The murmurs spread like a current through the hall, building tension without ever breaking decorum.
At the very center of it all, above a long staircase of white marble, sat the Heavenly Father upon an enormous throne carved from celestial jade and gold. Behind him floated ancient rings of light engraved with divine runes, slowly rotating like the judgment of time itself. He did not speak. He did not move. He only watched, as if everything unfolding had already been written long before it happened.
Shou Heng was forced onto one knee at the center of the vast court. Golden talisman chains coiled around his wrists, arms, waist, and ankles, each link inscribed with divine seals that flared brighter every time he struggled. The sound of metal rattling echoed sharply through the hall as he tried to steady himself, but another wave of pain forced him to cough violently, blood spilling onto the crystal floor beneath him like a crack in the reflection of the sky. His breathing was uneven, strained, every inhale shallow and controlled.
Yue Ning stood several steps away before suddenly rushing forward. "Shou Heng!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she reached for him. But two heavenly attendants immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She froze for only a moment before struggling against them. "Let me go!" she cried out, her eyes wide and frantic. "He's injured! Can't you see that?!"The attendant's expression remained cold. "Remain where you are." he said firmly. "This is Heavenly judgment."
Yue Ning's voice rose, trembling with desperation. "Judgment? He's bleeding!"She tried to push forward again. "Shou Heng!"
But Shou Heng did not hear her immediately.
Slowly,he lifted his head. Despite the chains, despite the blood, despite the weight of Heaven pressing down on him, his eyes searched the hall instinctively. Not for the Heavenly Father, not for the officials and not for judgment but for her.And the moment he saw her standing there, alive, unharmed his expression softened slightly.
Yue Ning saw it and that was what destroyed her.Her breath hitched and her knees nearly gave out as tears rushed down her face again. "You idiot…" she whispered, shaking her head. "Why are you smiling like that…?" Her voice cracked completely as she stepped forward again, though still restrained. "Why are you looking at me like that when you're the one on the ground…"Around them, the court remained silent, watching and judging. And in the center of it all, Shou Heng, still kneeling under Heaven's chains, kept his eyes only on the one person.
Yue Ning struggled against the attendants again, her voice breaking. "Let me go! He can't even stand properly!" One of the attendants tightened his grip. "This is not your place." "Then where is my place if he's there?" she snapped, tears falling faster. The attendant did not answer.At the highest step of the court, the Heavenly Father finally moved.The faint sound of divine rings turning behind his throne echoed through the hall as he leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. His voice, when it came, was calm but it pressed down on everything like an invisible weight. "Shou Heng!" he said slowly, "do you understand what you have done?"
Shou Heng lifted his head slightly, chains rattling softly as he steadied himself. His voice was weak, but clear. "I protected someone."A faint ripple of reaction moved through the court. A war god scoffed under his breath. "Protected? He calls rebellion protection?" Another immortal officer murmured, "He still refuses to acknowledge reality…"The Heavenly Father's gaze darkened slightly. "Answer the charges." he said coldly. "Invading Heaven's authority, attacking Heaven's officials and disrupting divine order."
Mu Qing stepped forward immediately, his tone sharp and formal. "He fought against Heavenly enforcement forces without authorization. He ignored repeated warnings and escalated conflict within sacred territory." His eyes narrowed slightly. "This is not misunderstanding. This is deliberate defiance."Li Cang followed, his voice colder. "He did not stop even when restrained. He continued to interfere with judgment and resisted divine suppression." His gaze flicked briefly toward Shou Heng. "He chose chaos over order."
A low wave of murmurs spread through the hall. "He fought against enforcement?" one official whispered. "With that level of restraint seals?" another replied. A goddess of fate frowned slightly. "He shouldn't even have been able to move under those talismans…"
Then Hua Lin stepped forward, holding her glowing scroll. For a brief moment, her expression hesitated just barely. Then she spoke. "Records confirm repeated interactions between Guardian Yue Ning and Demon Territory resident Shou Heng over the past two years."
The hall shifted instantly. "What?" an immortal officer muttered."Two years?" "That long in secret?" another whispered sharply. "No wonder Heaven intervention failed earlier…"someone added.The murmurs grew louder, no longer controlled. "So they've been meeting in secret…" "A guardian of Heaven and a demon?" "This is worse than rebellion…"Yue Ning froze where she struggled, her face pale."No!" she whispered. "That's not..."But no one was listening anymore.All eyes slowly returned to Shou Heng kneeling at the center of the court, as the weight of Heaven's judgment deepened around him, and the truth whether fully understood or not began to reshape the entire hall against him.
Yue Ning stopped struggling for a moment. Her voice came out broken. "Stop…" she whispered toward the court, though no one acknowledged her. "He didn't hide anything wrong… he just… he just existed near me…" Her hands trembled violently as she looked at Shou Heng again. "Why are you doing this to him?"The Heavenly Father's gaze shifted slightly toward her, but his voice remained directed at Shou Heng. "You continued contact despite knowing Heaven's laws." A pause. "Do you deny it?"
Shou Heng exhaled slowly, blood still faint at the corner of his lips. His voice was quiet, but steady. "I don't deny it."A ripple ran through the hall immediately. "He admits it…" someone whispered. "So he truly defied Heaven knowingly…"Mu Qing's expression hardened further. "So there is no misunderstanding." he said coldly. "Only intent."Li Cang added without hesitation, "He chose repeated violation over correction."
The Heavenly Father's fingers rested lightly on the arm of his throne. "Then explain!" he said, voice lowering slightly, "why you continued?"
All eyes focused on Shou Heng.Even Yue Ning stopped breathing for a moment.Shou Heng did not look at the officials. He did not look at the accusations. Slowly, painfully, he turned his head just enough to find Yue Ning again. When he saw her still crying, still trying to reach him despite everything his expression softened in a way that did not belong in that place then he answered. "Because I didn't want to stop."The hall froze.
A low wave of shock passed through the officials. "What…?" one of them muttered. "He's admitting it so plainly?" another said. "No justification?" a war god scoffed. "Just desire?"
The Heavenly Father's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is not an answer," he said.
Shou Heng lifted his gaze a little higher. "It is."Another silence.Then he continued, voice quieter but clearer. "Because every time I left, she still existed in my thoughts." A faint pause. "And every time I returned, she was still there… waiting."Yue Ning's lips trembled. "Shou Heng…"But he didn't stop."I didn't invade Heaven for power," he said. "I didn't attack for ambition." His chains tightened slightly, but he didn't react. "I only refused to accept that being near her was forbidden."
Yue Ning suddenly stepped forward again, breaking free from the attendants with a desperate force that surprised even them. "No!" she cried out, her voice shaking but firm. "You're all saying he violated laws, but you're ignoring what he actually did!" Her eyes were red, but she refused to lower her gaze. "He never hurt anyone!" She pointed toward Shou Heng, her hand trembling. "He protected me. When I was in danger, he stood in front of me. When the flower field was attacked, he saved it. He didn't destroy anything...he protected it!"
A ripple of discomfort spread through the hall. An immortal officer frowned. "That doesn't justify interference in Heaven's order." Another added coldly, "Intent does not erase violation." Li Cang stepped forward slightly, his tone firm. "Protection does not override divine law. The result of his actions still disrupted Heaven's authority." Mu Qing followed immediately. "Feelings cannot replace law!" he said flatly, eyes sharp. "No matter how emotionally framed, rules exist beyond individual attachment." Yue Ning's hands clenched tightly. Her voice broke for a moment, but she forced it out anyway. "Then maybe…" she said, breathing unevenly, "…maybe the law is unfair."
"Did she just..." "Say Heaven is unfair?" "A guardian speaking against divine law?" Several attendants stiffened. Even Hua Lin looked up sharply from her scroll.The Heavenly Father did not react right away his gaze slowly turned toward Yue Ning. The entire hall fell into suffocating silence again.
Then his voice echoed."Yue Ning." She flinched slightly but did not step back."Why did you fight Heaven?" he asked.All eyes turned toward him once again.Chains around his body glowed faintly, but he did not lower his head. He breathed in slowly, as if the answer had already lived inside him for too long."Because Heaven was taking her away." Shou Heng said quietly.He lifted his gaze slightly, toward Yue Ning, then back to the throne. "If protecting someone I love is a crime…" His voice did not waver, even as blood faintly marked his lips. "then I will accept the punishment."
A few officials stirred uncomfortably. "He still calls it love…" someone muttered. "He's completely unrepentant!" another said under their breath. A war god narrowed his eyes. "This is not conviction. This is obsession."
The Heavenly Father's expression remained unreadable. After a long pause, he spoke again, slower this time."Even if that means dying?"Shou Heng did not hesitate. "Yes." Officials looked at one another in stunned silence. Some frowned and some looked away. A few simply lowered their heads, as if unwilling to witness what came after an answer like that.Yue Ning's lips trembled. "Shou Heng…" she whispered.
The Heavenly Father spoke again. His voice echoed throughout the entire heavenly court, "You think your death changes everything?" Shou Heng remained kneeling at the center of the crystal floor. Blood slowly dripped from his fingertips onto the transparent surface beneath him. Every crimson drop landed among the reflected stars below his feet, sending ripples through their shimmering light. The demon-binding talismans wrapped around his body glowed quietly, pulsing every few seconds like a reminder that Heaven still held him captive.
The Heavenly Father continued speaking, "You love someone you cannot have. You broke Heaven's laws. You challenged divine authority." He leaned forward slightly upon his throne. Ancient rings of divine light slowly rotated behind him. "And for what?" His eyes narrowed. "Don't you regret it?" The entire Heavenly Court fell silent. Thousands of eyes instantly landed on Shou Heng. Even the floating waterfalls surrounding the palace seemed quieter now. Yue ning's fac paled and ears gathered inside her eyes once more as she shook her head desperately. "No…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please don't ask him that…" But nobody listened to her.
Shou Heng slowly lifted his head. His face was pale from blood loss. Several strands of hair stuck to his forehead. Crimson stains covered his robes, yet his eyes remained calm. Then he quietly spoke. "Regret?" He let out a small breath before answering. "No." Instantly, murmurs spread throughout the Heavenly Court. "Even now?" one official whispered in disbelief. Another frowned deeply. "He's still refusing." A war god shook his head. "Unbelievably stubborn." Another official stared at him with complicated eyes. "Or perhaps… unbelievably sincere."
The Heavenly Father narrowed his eyes. "You don't regret any of this?" Shou Heng slowly turned his head. His eyes searched through the crowd immediately. They found yue ning without hesitation.The moment he saw her, the coldness around him disappeared.Then he smiled faintly."No." The Heavenly Father stared at him for several moments. "Explain yourself."
Shou Heng inhaled slowly. His breathing was uneven now, but he still spoke clearly. "I don't believe loving someone is wrong." His voice wasn't loud, but somehow every single person inside the endless Heavenly Court heard every word. He looked toward Yue Ning again. "Yue Ning never forced me." His eyes softened. "She never manipulated me." Then he smiled weakly. "We simply met." Silence spread across the court. Then he continued. "Day after day." His eyes remained on her. "Conversation after conversation." His smile grew softer. "Smile after smile."
He lifted his gaze toward the Heavenly Father. "That's all it took." The enormous palace became completely quiet. Then Shou Heng spoke again. "If Heaven says that's a crime…" He paused for several seconds. "...then perhaps Heaven should ask itself why." Gasps instantly erupted throughout the Heavenly Court. "How dare he?!" one official exclaimed. "He's questioning Heaven itself!" another said in disbelief. "He's gone too far!" a war god shouted.
Several attendants looked nervous. Even Hua Lin slowly lowered the glowing scroll in her hands. Mu Qing's expression tightened. Li Cang stepped forward and his cold voice echoed throughout the palace. "Watch your words, Shou Heng." But Shou Heng continued anyway. He slowly looked around the enormous Heavenly Court. His gaze passed over every god, every official, every attendant standing there. "You all speak of laws." His voice remained steady. "You speak of rules." His eyes hardened slightly. "You speak of boundaries." Then he quietly asked, "But none of you have explained why love itself is forbidden."
Shou Heng slowly looked toward Yue Ning again. His expression softened instantly. "Did she become weaker because she met me?" He looked back at everyone. "No." "Did she abandon her responsibilities?" "No." "Did we hurt innocent people?" "No." His chained hands slowly clenched.The golden talismans sensed his movement.BZZZZZZT! Blinding light exploded from every talisman at once. Agonizing pain surged through his body. His entire body jerked violently. Blood spilled from his lips as he coughed onto the crystal floor.
Yue Ning's face lost all color. "SHOU HENG!" She tried to run toward him again. The attendants grabbed her arms. "No!" she cried desperately. "Stop activating them!" She looked toward the Heavenly Father with tears pouring down her face. "Please!" Nobody answered. Shou Heng inhaled shakily. His chest rose and fell unevenly now. Yet despite the pain, despite the blood, despite everything… he still continued speaking. "I protected her…" He swallowed another painful breath. "...because she matters to me." His voice weakened slightly. "I fought…" He closed his eyes for a brief second. "because she was afraid." Then he slowly lifted his gaze toward Heaven itself. "I stood against Heaven…" His voice became softer. "...because Heaven stood between us."
Yue Ning covered her mouth. Her entire body trembled. "Please stop…" she sobbed. "Please stop talking…" But Shou Heng simply smiled at her. The same smile he had always shown her. Then he looked back toward everyone and continued. "There is nothing evil about loving someone." The entire Heavenly Court became silent. "There is nothing shameful about protecting them." Even Li Cang said nothing this time. "Love isn't a sin." His eyes softened again. "The world became brighter after she entered it."
Yue Ning broke down completely and tears poured endlessly down her face. She shook her head over and over again, begging him to stop before these words became the last words he would ever say. But Shou Heng never looked away from her. Instead, his smile became gentler. Then he quietly spoke one sentence. "If I could choose a thousand times over…" He paused. His eyes never left Yue Ning. "...I would still choose to meet Yue Ning every single time." Silence Even Mu Qing lowered his gaze slightly. Hua Lin closed her scroll. Several officials quietly looked away. A few attendants clenched their hands behind their backs. Even Li Cang remained motionless. Only the Heavenly Father sat upon his throne.Then, after several long moments, his voice echoed throughout the endless Heavenly Court once more. "Is that truly your final answer, Shou Heng?"