“It’s your retribution, retribution! I am here to haunt you, to share one body with you. You want to shake me off? Impossible, unless you die. Otherwise, I will always be with you! You want to suppress me? Ha ha, ridiculous, I will push you to the edge, drive you to collapse! I will make you see your beloved man entangled with another woman. Do you know? He knew you would come; he did it on purpose for you to see. Do you know why? Naturally, it’s because of me, because I forced him to do so. Do you know what I told him? I forced him to leave you, and if he didn’t, you’ve seen the consequences — he has lost even the last bit of his goodness, becoming a thoroughly cruel and violent demon king. Perhaps you find it strange, how I have such great power to control him, to unleash the demonic nature within him.” At this point, her speech suddenly paused. Poppy, looking at Xiaotu’s current state, felt a thrill of vengeance. Her hands hung powerlessly at her sides, and those golden eyes were filled with such complex emotions. No wonder he told me to trust him but never revealed the truth, no wonder he now treats me this way. Xiaotu fell into deep thought… her head bowed, filled with regret.
“Spirit Cherry, don’t forget, I am the true ruler of darkness, the Dark King. He’s just a little demon king; what can he do to me? But because he has demonic traits, he can be controlled by me. He isn’t a pure demon; he’s half-human, half-demon, the shame of the demon realm because of his impure lineage. If I spread this news, what would happen? Let me think, then he would surely be hunted down by the demons. Oh, by the way, he doesn’t even know he’s a half-breed. I’m looking forward to his reaction when he learns his true identity, ha ha.” The arrogant voice echoed, so gleeful in its schadenfreude. Seeing Xiaotu’s changing expression, she laughed with delight, her blood-red eyes full of pride. Spirit Cherry, you are such a foolish woman to give your true feelings; you are destined for total defeat. Her white hair covered her delicate face, Poppy’s blood-red eyes still so terrifying, filled with the scent of blood and slaughter, yet now filled with mockery, scorn, and disdain. If you, Wang Xie, were to hear this news, what would you do? I dare not imagine, really dare not imagine, you, so stubborn and proud, with your noble status, ruling the entire demon realm, feared even by the gods. He would collapse, he would.
Tears fell again, unbidden, for Wang Xie, a heart-wrenching suffocation. None of this was his will. Wang Xie, I’m sorry, it’s my fault for not trusting you, for pushing you to the brink, I’m sorry…
“I don’t understand, why are you targeting me like this? What grudge do we have? And why do you look exactly like me? What is all this about?” She lifted her head, wiped away her tears, gathered her white hair, she needed to be strong, to face this person before her. Her intuition told her that this woman was intricately connected to her, she was definitely not simple.
“Ha, I almost forgot, you’ve reincarnated and lost your memory, but I remember it all clearly.”
“What exactly is the relationship between us?” Regarding her past life, she only had a vague image from that night in the cold palace, with those fragmented scenes. She had no other memories.
“I won’t tell you. I want you to be baffled, to suffer in pain, to remember everything on your own. That would be more satisfying.” It seemed she was ready to enjoy the show, her tone so mocking, so expectant. Knowing that asking her wouldn’t reveal anything, Xiaotu desperately tried to remember what had happened, but her mind remained blank. Suddenly, a sharp pain hit her head, overwhelming her like a tidal wave, as if sharp claws were gripping her skull, squeezing it tightly, the blood-red nails digging in, tearing away at her scalp. Some memories seemed to be slowly draining away. Her golden eyes opened wide in pain, but there was no one around, only Willow Green sleeping beside her, her breathing erratic, the blood on her chest growing, forming a large, vibrant peony flower, so eerie, so heart-stirring. There was no one around, yet the sensation was so real, her head slowly lowered, her weak body unable to withstand such oppression, the sharp nails breaking the skin on her scalp, the slight prickling pain, her mind growing heavier. A blankness, the feeling of being drained was so vivid…
“Spirit Cherry, from now on, you will compensate for everything you did to me.” A sinister laugh, and Xiaotu began to see a figure emerge before her… the owner of those blood-red eyes… Her skin was like congealed fat, her hands like green onions, the shock of seeing a face exactly like her own, as if carved from the same mold. She was the woman from her dreams, but now, in the light, she could see every detail clearly. Her eyebrows, her nose, and when she saw her eyes, her heart trembled slightly. Why did those blood-red eyes cause such panic yet feel so familiar? Those eyes seemed to condense blood, exuding a strong scent of blood. Her hair was black, unlike Xiaotu’s white, shining with an eerie luster, like the river of grudges, chilling the heart. Seeing the black poppy on her forehead, so enchantingly evil, so familiar, Xiaotu was startled, her hand unconsciously touching her own eye corner, her fingertips gently brushing over the silver pattern, the same as the tattoo on the woman’s forehead. Surprised, what was the connection here? Why did they share the same appearance? This was all a mystery, but deep down, there was a voice telling her that when her memory returned, all would be clear.
Everything will be remembered, and all mysteries will be unraveled. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck, and a thunderous roar echoed in her head, as if something was being drained away. She felt her energy slowly seeping out, and fear overwhelmed her; she was at a loss in the face of death. “Lingying, I want your will to remain asleep forever. I want to completely possess you, to take over your entire body. Hahaha, from now on, you will be me, Papaver. There will be no more Goddess Lingying in this world, only me, Demoness Papaver.” In the secret chamber, her wild, triumphant laughter echoed, stirring up a storm in Lingying’s heart. How could I just give up like this? A sharp pain from fingernails scraping her scalp came from above, along with a deep-seated despair that seemed to have existed for a long time, now slowly surfacing.
Suddenly, she remembered vividly, remembered the dazzling Flower Fairy bowing to her, the immortal beauty scattering into oblivion. Yes, I haven’t saved him yet; how can I just leave like this? She thought of that gentle figure, Shui Shui, who had always silently protected her from behind. How could she bear to disappoint him? She recalled the three-year promise with the Four Elders; how could she avoid it again? She had promised to return after three years. She remembered Xia Yu Ye, Brother Xia, and the promise tied with that silk scarf. Perhaps he was still waiting for her in that mysterious palace. Then she thought of that adorable girl, Ying Li, whom she had given hope, promising to protect and care for, and to help her find her mother and father. How could she break her promise to her? And there was Wang Xie; there were still many unresolved matters between them, unfulfilled destinies, and friends like Lian Lian and Gu Dong. They were her best friends. And yes, she was Goddess Lingying; she had her duties, her mission was not yet complete. How could she leave just like that?…
