Chapter 37 (1/2)
Chapter 36 of Lost You Forever was a good place to take a breather, a real critical juncture in leading lady Xiao Yao’s life beyond worries over her romantic future She’s became a drifter by life’s cruel realities but her personality and background would have led her down a different path had she not been separated fro or Xiang Liu, and perhaps I’ made her a better person than all the rich nobles ladies around her and opened up a new path in life for her
With Xiao Yao’s tearful reunion with herdaddy but lost an adopted equally awesome dad, an upheaval that is easier to deal with because she has Jing back beside her Jing also got , that even Xiao Yao’s mom totally approves of why Xiao Yao is so certain she wants Jing Will Jing and Xiao Yao’s er and secrets have been overcome? This chapter takes the lovebirds into Jiu Li and unravels the trueLiu It’s so romantic and bittersweet, just the way those two have always been with each other
Chapter 37 – Love Will Grow Old Together with the Verdant Mountains:
Above Chi Sui, a Gao Xing lided across the water
Inside the shi+p’s hold, a full hair of white Grand E beside him while Xiao Yao sat on the pallet to serve him medicine
After he drank the medicine, he coolly said to Xiao Yao “I’ll help you extract the Face For Flower and then you two depart the shi+p”
Xiao Yao got on her knees “Dad you were gravely injured because of me, I want to take care…”
The Grand E to do with you It’s what I owed Qing Yang, Chang Yi, and the Xuan Yuan Princess It’s unrelated to Qi Yo, and even more unrelated to you! Come to think of it, Qi Yo once injured me seriously, I still have a bone to pick with him”
Xiao Yao was brokenhearted, was all the love she received since she was born and the protection he gave her in the desert, that was all because he owed her uncles and her mom? Not one as because of her?
The Grand Emperor stared at the red peach blossom mark on Xiao Yao’s forehead and his heart was so conflicted When Ah Heng tearfully sealed the Face Foroing to be separated from her forever He waved his hand over Xiao Yao’s forehead and a flash of red streaked across before the peach blosso only a beautiful peach blossom branch in Xiao Yao’s hand
The Grand Emperor closed his eyes and said to Ru So “Escort them out”
Ru So courteously moved to escort theround before leaving the cabin with Jing
The three of them stood on the shi+p’s deck and Ru So checked to see they were alone before asking “Thousands of years ago His majesty was already renowned as thehis lifetime only Qi Yo was able to hurt him, but this time His majesty returned severely injured I don’t mean to pry about what happened but need to ask if there is anything I need to guard against?”
Xiao Yao said “His majesty was not injured by a person but by…that desert”
Ru So knew that desert which he tried to enter when he was young and reckless with his friends and they alerous it was, yet he could sense that since yesterday it started to rain there and the deadly heat had vanished By next spring the desert would be sprouting bits of green and in no tiain
Ru So didn’t knohat happened but knehen to stop probing If the Grand Emperor wasn’t injured by an individual then he could relax Ru So smiled “It’s not that I don’t want to keep the two of you but……” He shrugged “Let’s part now but when the two of you get ift”
Xiao Yao’s lingering sadness ashed away by his ribbing and she scoffed “So lofty in position now yet you still are so whatever!”
Jing’s white crane winged ride arrived and circled the shi+p Jing bid farewell to Ru So and embraced Xiao Yao by the waist to jump on the crane before it called out and ascended into the clouds
Jing asked Xiao Yao “Back to Sheng Nong Mountain or to the East Sea?”
Xiao Yao looked at the package on Jing’s back and said “To Jiu Li” Her mom and dad’s only as to be an ordinary husband and wife and grow old together But they controlled thousands of soldiers yet could never give themselves a home
The crane arrived in Jiu Li in half a day, a place with the reputation of being filled with deadly toxins and noxious gases, with vicious wild beasts and poisonous foliage The only fa it ever produced was Qi Yo and voodoo, both of which had the worst reputation in the world
This was the first time Xiao Yao visited but she heard her mom describe it so it felt familiar – Qi Yo’s fort, the white altar, the peach blosso visited Jiu Li before with the Tu Shan roup so he knew the various forts so he flew directly to Qi Yo’s fort Xiao Yao saw the white altar i but because in the entire fort of little bamboo huts it was made of pure white rock
Xiao Yao vaulted down the winged ride and stared at the faing on all four sides ind chi off a melodic sound that her parents listened to thousands of years ago
A few voodooAn old voodoo e to say “Outsiders are not welcoe to answer back “My father was a Jiu Li person”
The voodoo rew less tense but likely they have been taken advantage of before so they were still wary The old voodoo master asked “Where is your dad now?”
“He…he’s dead!”
Xiao Yao looked at Jing who took the bag from his back and handed it to Xiao Yao She clutched it in her arht him and my mom back so that they can return to here per their wishes”
The voodooin Xiao Yao’s arms Because the people of Jiu Li were considered untouchables of the lowest class, the women were born into servitude and themen and women of Jiu Li would be delivered to the outside world to becoain and never return to their homeland
The voodooa soul su for him You spread his ashes around his fort peris to the Qi Yo fort I think……” Xiao Yao glanced around and saw the peach blossom forest beyond the altar “My parents home is over there”
The voodoo ed and immediately moved to attack Xiao Yao but a very old man with a full head of white hair shouted “Cease!”
“Voodoo King” The voodoo masters all respectfully took steps back
The Voodoo King walked to Xiao Yao and looked at her carefully “Miss, you are certain your parents once lived there?”
“My mom said that their bamboo hut was not far from the altar and inside a peach blossom forest In this area there is only the peach blosso began a long voodoo chant like a song that was from ancient times Xiao Yaolike this so she joined in as well
The Voodoo King stared at Xiao Yao with tears in his eyes and the voodoowas the work of theof all ti the entire song
Xiao Yao nodded to the Voodoo King and headed to the peach blosso called out “Miss, do you know that hill is sacred ground in Jiu Li We venerate Qi Yo there In the past thousand years only Qi Yo and his wife the Xi Ling Goddess lived there”
Xiao Yao stopped in her steps So here her mom’s only identity was as her dad’s wife After a second she continued walking “I kno”
“What does the youngJiu Yao”
The news that Xiao Yao was Qi Yo’s daughter ell-known gossip in the vast wilderness but due to Jiu Li being so re was tre enter the peach blossom forest He ordered “Sue prayer cereht the residence would be run down so was surprised to see it intact and well kept Even the foliage outside was tended to and a rew around the residence A bucket was placed next to the well as if the owner had just stepped aside and was planning to be right back
Xiao Yao lightly pushed open the door and walked in
A large portrait was hung in theon the back of his giant condor winged ride with an arrogant fearless look on his face
Xiao Yao placed the bag on the table and stared at the portrait for a long tiot on his knees and bowed three ti three incense sticks
Xiao Yao leaned against theand stared out at the peach blossom forest “When I pushed open the door, for a split second I thought my mom and dad would answerwalked up behind Xiao Yao and embraced her “Tired?”
Xiao Yao closed her eyes “A bit I’ as I act like All of the insults, the derision, the hatred…I felt it”
Jing said “It’s been over seventy years now but when I see the scars on my body I still can feel the pain and the sha the pain can we also feel the happiness It proves that our heart is still beating”
“That’s true but I still wish I can be stronger”
“Crying when sad, avoiding when hurting, that’s all normal reaction A moment of weakness does not th for the future”
Xiao Yao sement I’ll just lets reached the, what for?”
“A prayer cere your mom and dad home The Jiu Li people do not see death the same way as the Middle Plains They think life comes from nature and death is not the end but is instead a return” The song comforted the soul and led it back, a plaintive ballad that wasn’t sorrowful
Xiao Yao was silent for awhile before she picked up the bag from the table – inside was dirt she collected fro, can I borrow your winged ride?”
The white crane flew over and Xiao Yao got on its back
The crane rose into the air and flew over the altar where Xiao Yao saw over twenty voodooThey saw Xiao Yao and paid no heed and continued their singing and dancing
The crane flew over the rivers and hills and Xiao Yao opened her bag to look at the dirt from the peach blossom forest Because it contained hundreds of years of fallen petals the dirt was red-tinted in color
Xiao Yao picked up handfuls of it and opened her palms to let the wind carry it away
The red dirt flew in the air like droplets of blood and disappeared into the rivers and hills
The Voodoo King led his voodoo
Many years later in the Jiu Li rowexplained it as the red enerations of Jiu Li people would venerate the maple as their sacred tree
When Xiao Yao woke up it was al? And you didn’t wakeset the table “It’s rare you slept so well, of course I was going to let you sleep as much as you want” In the past year even when Xiao Yao sot closure and slept soundly, of course Jing didn’t have the heart to wake her
Xiao Yao sat down at the table and buried her head in the food
After eating, the two of them strolled in the hills and Xiao Yao felt that every place looked fa
The two arrived at the white altar and saw the Voodoo King sitting under a tree drinking tea
Xiao Yao stopped and said to Jing “You go back first, I have so privately”
Jing didn’t leave “Are you planning to ask hi Liu’s body?”
Xiao Yao sheepishly ad to keep it fro said “Keeping it from me is orry me Let me stay with you, okay?”
Xiao Yao nodded
Seeing Jing and Xiao Yao, the Voodoo King invited them to join him for tea
Xiao Yao sipped her tea and said “I have a friend na what fort she belongs to?”
The Voodoo King replied “So you’re the person who knows voodoo and helped Se Mai Er She’s dead now but she was o it was actually my mom as to be sent to the outside but she already had a beloved and was carrying me so my aunt went inher come home safely”
Xiao Yao silently poured her tea on the ground for Se Mai Er’s passing
The Voodoo King continued “Se Mai Ervoodoo spell?”
Xiao Yao quickly glanced at Jing and acted nonchalant “When I placed the voodoo bug I didn’t know it had such a weird na smiled “It’s just a name, why are you in a rush to explain?”
Xiao Yao quickly said “Yes, yes! It’s just a nahed once and sole, like its nas The couple who has the bug successfully planted will have their life and emotions connected If one hurts then the other will hurt If one is injured then the other will also be injured”
Xiao Yao said “This I know already What else?”
“To outsiders voodoo is considered ic that the Jiu Li tribe has passed down through generations to protect and heal us Jiu Li has lots of deadly insects, deadly plants, deadly gasses, to live here our ancestors had to learn to understand it and control it Voodoo is seen as a harmful power but we actuallykeeps two people’s lives connected, whichas the other is healthy then then injured person will survive This is a very good thing Even if the Lover’s Bug is notoriously hard to grow, it ought to still be relatively prevalent since row it So why it is so rare to see?”
Xiao Yao asked “Why?”
“All living things that have a benefit reater the potential for har is exactly that It can lead two people to be connected in life and emotions but it is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other It is te turns on each other then both people will die Which is why the Lover’s Bug also has another na stared in dismay at Xiao Yao who quickly said “It can’t be as scary as he makes it out to be It’s been over seventy years and I’’s expression changed as he stared at Jing “You’re not theis planted in?”
“No”
The Voodoo King stared in shock at Xiao Yao “Can I feel the bug in you?”
Xiao Yao nodded
The Voodoo King didn’tinside of himself to sense He furrowed his brows and ! But how is this possible? ‘Lovers who raise the bug produce the Lover’s Bug, Not Lovers who raise the bug produce the Heartbreak Bug’ The Lover’s Bug is different then other voodoo bugs and absolutely requires the couple to willingly accept the bug for it to be successfully planted If thein is not your lover, then how did you plant it in hiht not know ascould bein ways beyond your understanding”
The Voodoo King was still perplexed But it was clear that the youngbeside Xiao Yao was clearly her beloved so the rest of what he wanted to say wasn’t suitable for discussing at this tiht, the bug inside of you is different than other bugs Likely Miss and the other man have very unique bodily cohed in relief “He is very unique!” Since the bug was planted, only Xiang Liu could sense her but she could never sense hi anxiously asked “How to break the spell?”
The Voodoo King’s face scrunched up “The Lover’s Bug – either live in love or die in heartbreak Once the Lover’s Bug has been planted there is no way to break the spell It is i to say earlier for why so few people raise it despite the great benefit Only very deter but even if they successfully raise it, it’s near i to be planted in hi was stunned and after a moment of silence he slowly asked “What happens if one person who has the Lover’s Bug dies? What happens to the other person?”
The Voodoo King sighed “Our Jiu Li folk ballad sings ‘The twisted roots of the parasol tree entwine on land, the doves do not fly alone in the sky, the pair of ether'”
Jing stared at Xiao Yao and tightly grabbed her hand
Xiao Yao smiled at him and made a joke face “Don’t worry! We don’t need to believe everything the Voodoo King says Don’t forget, he said that only a pair of lovers in love could the bug be successfully planted But I don’t have any relationshi+p with Xiang Liu but we still successfully planted the bug The Voodoo King also said the spell couldn’t be broken once the bug was planted but don’t forget that I planted the bug first in Zhuan Xu before Xiang Liu helpedto hi was ’s hand “Don’t worry, there is no absolutes in this world If no one has broken the spell before then let“Once I break it I’ll pass on the knowledge to you as gratitude for your ancestor teachingsmiled “Jiu Li people are the lowest untouchables and we have li in our power Please Miss never ratitude”
This was the first ti treated with respect and offered kindness because of her real daddy Xiao Yao’s heart clenched and she didn’t have the heart to decline “Thank you”
Xiao Yao glanced at the peach tree forest and Jing asked “Want to spend another night?”
Xiao Yao shook her head “Everything is done that needed to be taken care of, let’s go home! By now Xiao Xiao will have discovered that the Xiao Yao on the shi+p is a fake”
Xiao Yao bid farewell to the Voodoo King “Right now the Xuan Yuan ruler is the Black Emperor He’s different than other rulers and in his eyes there are no class differences Please give hination”
The Voodoo King didn’t know if that could ever happen but he bowed low to Xiao Yao “Miss, please take care!”
Xiao Yao and Jing returned to the bao now”
Jing aiting outside on the crane allowing Xiao Yao some alone time to say farewell to her parents
Xiao Yao stood before Qi Yo’s portrait for so now Don’t worry about me, I’ll be just fine”