From the moment of the ritual with the lotus, the obsession dissipated until Yujin’s death. For the parties involved, time felt interminable, while for bystanders, it was but a fleeting moment.
Not long ago, the pristine Qinglian Lake was left with nothing but a pool of dead water soaked in ashes. With Yujin’s last breath, the “Lord of Qinglian,” who had been standing dazed on a lotus leaf, quietly collapsed, turning into a cluster of black ashes floating on the lake’s surface.
Among the surrounding cultivators were several from the Outer Heavens. They quickly discerned something amiss and exclaimed, “The Lord of Qinglian seems to have been controlled by the sect leader’s puppet technique…”
Initially bewildered by the bizarre turn of events, the cultivators gradually regained their composure, whispering among themselves. Standing nearby, Shang Can was not in the mood to listen to their chatter. She took a few steps toward Yunduan, pulling her away from Yujin’s corpse, and whispered with concern, “She didn’t say anything unpleasant to you, did she?”
Regarding Yujin’s death, Shang Can did not feel particularly sorrowful; it was more of a complex emotion. Perhaps due to her half-demon heritage, she felt more regret for the ritual with the lotus than for Yujin and had nothing much to say. If Yunduan hadn’t mentioned wanting to speak to Yujin one last time, Shang Can would have likely allowed Yujin to die alone.
Even though she followed Yunduan’s request, Shang Can couldn’t shake the feeling that Yujin was quite stubborn—this seemed to be a common flaw among all cultivators from the Outer Heavens. Looking at the current situation, the root cause was most likely the poor example set by leadership. Though she distanced herself out of consideration and did not deliberately eavesdrop on their conversation, worry was inevitable. At that moment, Yunduan, whom she had pulled closer, seemed a bit dazed. Fortunately, as Shang Can furrowed her brow, Yunduan came to her senses, slightly shook her head, and softly replied, “She said… she envies us.”
As Yunduan spoke, there was a hint of wistfulness in her tone, and she instinctively leaned closer to Shang Can. Just as she began to move closer, a commotion erupted from the nearby crowd of cultivators, followed by the dull clanging of metal clashing, causing her to halt.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The stern and imposing voice of Chu Ming rang out. The two turned to see him pressing his unsheathed sword forcefully against a cultivator’s hand. The cultivator’s hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, and despite several attempts, he couldn’t break free, looking both embarrassed and awkward.
Clearly, Chu Ming had quickly stopped the cultivator when he attempted to draw his sword and sternly said, “The leader of the Outer Heavens, Yujin, who set a trap to harm us, is dead. Why are you still trying to draw your sword?”
Everyone turned to look at the restrained cultivator. His face turned pale, and his eyes darted towards Shang Can’s direction. After a long pause, he grit his teeth and shouted, “Can… Can is still here; how can we let our guard down!”
His shout was deafening, and the attendees suddenly remembered the issue at hand, turning their attention to Shang Can. She had quietly extinguished the heavenly fire of Qinglian Lake, her eyes, which had shone with a golden hue, now dimmed, as she stood beside Yunduan with an innocent expression.
Although she had just been submerged in the lake for quite a while, Shang Can had dried herself thoroughly after breaking free from her shackles, with only the tips of her hair still slightly damp. She looked exceptionally graceful and charming, reminiscent of the brightness of the sun and moon. If they hadn’t just witnessed her commanding the heavenly fire as if it were part of her own body, no one would connect her to the rumored Can.
No one knew what the long-masked Can looked like, but there were those among the cultivators who recognized Shang Can’s face. Soon, a voice emerged from the crowd, filled with uncertainty, stuttering, “Shang… you are Shang Can?”
Before her identity was exposed, she had felt anxious, but now that she had reached this point, she was surprisingly calm. Knowing that being recognized was expected, Shang Can had no particular feelings about it. She simply looked up and smiled, “Isn’t that Elder Huang from the Outer Heavens?”
The elder, who had been in charge of regulating disciple etiquette during her studies, stared wide-eyed in shock, looking her up and down. Shang Can remembered this Elder Huang had been part of the group that confronted Pei Chen at the gates of the Biluo and Huangquan sects, scolding her a few times. Now, he seemed to struggle to process this information. He quickly snapped back to reality, his expression a mixture of emotions, and finally murmured, “You… how come…”
However, Shang Can didn’t continue the conversation, as she felt the person beside her tense up. She soothingly rubbed Yunduan’s palm and turned to look at her, asking softly, “By the way, were you trying to hug me just now?”
Yunduan seemed taken aback by the unexpected question in the midst of such a tense atmosphere. She met the curious gazes around her and couldn’t help but blush. Slightly turning away, she softly said, “… Let’s talk about it later.”
The small wounds she had sustained during her fight with Yujin had already been tended to by Shang Can, stopping the bleeding. Fortunately, the blood loss was not significant, and the surrounding Outer Heavens weren’t as tightly surrounded by ghostly beings as before; it hadn’t reached the point of triggering a demon tide. However, with Shang Can being so close, her sweet and pristine aura stirred something within Yunduan, making her feel restless.
It felt a bit inappropriate. Shang Can let out a light breath, feeling her own breath was warm. She was still clear-headed enough to realize that the stirring was mostly due to the residual demon blood from their fierce battle and Yunduan’s unguarded presence beside her, making her find Yunduan adorable.
Shang Can swallowed unnoticeably, instinctively glancing at the somewhat intrusive cultivators around them. Over there, Chu Ming was still sternly admonishing the crowd, saying things like, “If it weren’t for them, we would have been flattened by the Outer Heavens’ leader long ago,” and “At least don’t try to lay blame right after the crisis has passed,” while the flower demon beside him, Yanyan, chimed in with support. It seemed she quickly returned to her senses from her mother’s startling glance, frequently supporting Chu Ming while subtly signaling to Shang Can that they should leave as soon as possible.
After what had just happened with Yujin and the lotus, Shang Can now felt surprisingly relaxed. However, she was also aware that the current situation was quite chaotic, and it wasn’t the right time to complicate things with her identity. Just as she was contemplating how to escape with Yunduan, a voice from the crowd suddenly erupted in righteous indignation, halting her thoughts: “Let’s not talk about whether she is Can—why is she holding Yunduan’s hand! Isn’t Yunduan’s partner here? Where are they? Can we just overlook this?”
…The topic had taken a wild turn. Shang Can felt amused and exasperated, and suddenly, an audacious idea flashed through her mind.
With a mischievous glint in her enchanting peach blossom eyes, she turned to Yunduan and slowly winked at her, reaching up to gently tuck away Yunduan’s long hair, her eyes filled with focused affection.
Shang Can had always been a bold person.
Under the heavenly path, in front of numerous cultivators, she kissed Yunduan.
It couldn’t be called a resolution, but at least it marked a conclusion.
The leader of the Outer Heavens had already fallen into demonic practices, and rumors of his intent to harm cultivators during the discussion had spread like wildfire through the cultivation world. The Outer Heavens, having lost both their leader and acting leader, suffered a significant blow to their vitality, and their reputation plummeted in the ensuing chaos. Although Yujin’s plans were thwarted before they could be fully executed, resulting in minimal actual casualties, the outcry from numerous sects would undoubtedly continue for a long time. It seemed the Outer Heavens would struggle to regain their former status for decades, if not centuries.
In this situation, Qingyu should have emerged as a prominent figure, but due to some unexpected circumstances, Qingyu’s current situation appeared somewhat strange.
“Yunduan’s partner?” While helping to clean up the aftermath in the Outer Heavens, Wang Yue smiled and nodded in response to the crowd’s inquiries, “Of course I’ve met her.”
“I’m very satisfied, and I see Yunduan is quite satisfied too.”
“Elder Huang, you mentioned Yunduan’s partner is Can and resembles Shang Can?” In response to a male cultivator’s private inquiry, Wang Yue smiled lightly, “Then let it be so.”
“—Isn’t that her? Not denying, not explaining, not rebutting, letting everyone speculate freely.” After the matter was settled, Chu Ming seemed quite pleased, patting his chest and saying, “It’s alright, Shang Can. I don’t think our Qingyu intends to contradict Elder Wang’s words. Elder Huang from the Outer Heavens hasn’t said anything more, and perhaps, out of consideration for you sneaking away while studying years ago—just hold on for a bit, and when I strive to become the sect leader, I’ll announce to the world that you belong to Qingyu!”
Finding his fervent ambition to become the leader paired with such a petty purpose quite unrefined, Shang Can fell silent for a moment. However, upon realizing that he might genuinely be the most likely candidate for the next sect leader of Qingyu, she ultimately sighed in amused exasperation, “Alright, I’ll wait for that day.”
Due to Qingyu’s free-spirited and ambiguous attitude, after a stunning act on the battlefield, the identity of Yunjun’s partner became momentarily blurred. Although many cultivators were present, they were merely a small part of the vast cultivation world. People had different opinions; some swore it must be Can, others claimed it was the once-great talent Shang Can, and some simply remarked on how good-looking that person was, standing beside Yunjun like a pair of perfect figures.
Meanwhile, the center of this lively discussion was engaged in bargaining.
“Just one month.”
Shang Can casually leaned back, the heavenly fire crackling ominously behind her, exuding a sense of threat. “No more than that.”
The ghost king, Nanshuang, who had been pulled from her leisurely travels with her wife to negotiate, wore a displeased expression and glared at Yunjun. “Can’t you manage your partner? Why is she trying to lowball right from the start?”
Yunjun glanced at her and replied coolly, “You can choose the month.”
“……”
So, that meant she didn’t intend to intervene.
Nanshuang, who had initially offered a six-month timeframe, was furious. She frowned, considering for a long moment before finally half-conceding with a huff, “Then let’s make it July. Open the passage every July and allow our ghost clan to ascend.”
The moment she said this, Shang Can’s expression fell by three points, her demeanor shifting as she grimaced, “… You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“What else? I died in July, so isn’t it reasonable for me to come up and visit my own grave?” Seeing her discontent, Nanshuang perked up, her mood brightening as she pointedly remarked, “You can’t expect everyone to avoid July just because something happened to you then.”
Shang Can, noticing the deliberate provocation, felt a headache coming on. However, since Nanshuang had indeed fulfilled her request despite the intentional choice of month, she helplessly rubbed her temples, momentarily pushing aside her deep-seated memories of July 17th, and sighed, “Fine, we’ll go with July.”
Whether it was sheer coincidence or deliberate design, after returning from the celestial realm, Shang Can found herself with newfound knowledge about sealing the ghost realm passage.
“… Maybe my mother is up to something.” Wanshao, who understood the situation regarding Jilian well, said nonchalantly, “If she can forcibly extract someone’s memories to show you a segment, it’s possible she could rummage through Yujin’s mind and dig out the secrets of the celestial realm as well…”
The way she described Jilian sounded like a skilled mover, one who intrudes without so much as a word.
“It’s also possible Yujin did it,” Yunjun offered a different guess. “When one is about to die… perhaps she realized that once she’s gone, this technique would be lost to history, and with no attachments left, she might have passed it on to you without thinking.”
Regardless of the source of this technique, Shang Can decided to put it to use. After a verbal spar with Nanshuang, they finalized their agreement: the passage would remain closed throughout the year and would only open every July, allowing the ghosts to return to the human realm. However, they must not commit any heinous acts, or consequences would ensue.
“Considering you managed to get our leader sorted out, I’ll give you face—after all, looking at it this way, I certainly can’t beat you.” Surprisingly, Nanshuang showed little resistance. When Shang Can couldn’t help but ask, she shrugged, saying, “I’ve had my fill; I now believe the ghost flower should bloom in the ghost realm… when only I can see it, it looks the best.”
…Those from the celestial realm seem to be incredibly stubborn, whether human or ghost. Shang Can quickly sent her away and turned to Yunjun, heading off to seal the passages.
From then on, July became known in the cultivation world as the Ghost Month. People who lost loved ones were willing to hold memorials during this month, and so forth—details set aside for now.
Even though Nanshuang’s ghost clan didn’t seem as vicious as recorded, sending them back to the underworld after lingering in the cultivation world for years was a significant matter. Shang Can no longer concealed her identity and openly displayed her presence, always accompanied by Yunjun.
Despite the unceasing gossip surrounding Shang Can and whispers regarding her half-demon status, new discussions began to emerge. The pair of beautiful cultivators, graceful in their movements and deep in their cultivation, gradually became a subject of admiration in the cultivation world, especially after achieving what had eluded even the largest sects for years. A subtle warmth began to circulate within the community.
The ability to wield heavenly fire didn’t seem so extraordinary either; besides the convenience of starting a fire, Yunjun’s partner didn’t run rampant with it… After all, people thought, they couldn’t keep referring to her as “Yunjun’s partner.” Thus, after much discussion, a new name for Shang Can slowly emerged.
In time, people came to call Shang Can the Eastern Lord.
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