Madam, please ascend.

Chapter 328: Looking at the Plum to Quench Thirst
A piece of jade, its color a deep blue-red, holds a poignant longing that seeps into my bones—do you know?

This jade pendant was a token of love between Pei Jianjia and Yu Wuxia, and also an object of Yu Wuxia's spiritual connection, making it of extraordinary significance to him.

Therefore, when Zhao Wuxiang saw this Love-Sickness Charm, his mind was severely injured, his body trembled uncontrollably, and his mind was undergoing an unseen battle.

It was the pain of two memories constantly entangled and battling, each vying to gain the upper hand.

This pain is not like physical suffering, but more like the "Heart-Questioning Thunder" in the Nine Heavenly Tribulations. Those who are struck by it feel pain deep in their souls, and for a moment they are so disoriented that they can hardly even tell who they are.

In desperation, Zhao Wuxiang decided to resort to his old tricks again and forcefully tear off his face once more.

But the flawless face had long been integrated with him; how could it be taken away? Besides, he only had one hand fiddling with his face, while the other hand was restraining himself.

His face also changed into two expressions, one of pain and the other of indifference, making him look like a demon in the dim light of the secret room.

Yun Yi and the other two appeared behind Pei Jianjia at some point, presumably having escaped the secret room through the hidden passage they had left behind. They returned only after Zhao Wuxiang had fallen into their trap.

Looking at the deranged man, Ye Nianyi felt a pang of pity and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Yun Yi explained to her, "He wanted to be both Yu Wuxia and Zhao Wuxiang, so he ended up looking like this."

"Why wasn't he like this when he disguised himself as Prince Xian, Su Xin?"

"That's because Su Xin is only at the Nascent Soul stage, not enough to make him lose himself. But Senior Yu Wuxia is different; he was born a thousand years ago, and his cultivation and experience far surpass Zhao Wuxiang's."

Ye Nianyi seemed to understand something and nodded, saying, "It's like Zhuozhuo and I sharing a body."

Yun Yi said, "You can live in peace because you trust each other completely. But Zhao Wuxiang's situation is different now. He craves power too much and will never let go, which has locked him into this predicament."

Everyone else was looking at Zhao Wuxiang, but Zhuque was paying attention to Sister Pei's condition. Seeing her mood swings, she felt heartbroken for her.

If Yun Yi were to suffer such pain, Zhu Que thought she absolutely couldn't bear to watch, and she wished she could take his pain away, or even die in his place.

As Zhao Wuxiang fell to the ground, his limbs tangled and fighting amongst themselves. He used his left hand to chop at his right hand and his right foot to crush the bones of his left foot. His aura kept changing, and his face sometimes turned into a faceless monster and sometimes into Yu Wuxia.

It turns out that some masks, if worn for too long, really can't be taken off.

Just like the saying "evil purple usurps the red".

For Yun Yi and the others, it was only a short time, but for Zhao Wuxiang himself, it felt like a lifelong struggle between heaven and man.

Finally, he grew tired, lost the strength to resist, and fully accepted Yu Wuxia's identity.

He got his wish and obtained the "Path of Longing" out of thin air. Moreover, after being tempered by heavenly tribulations, it became even more wondrous.

But he also lost himself. From then on, Zhao Wuxiang became something suppressed in the corner of his heart, while the handsome Yu Wuxia became him.

Yu Wuxia's body suddenly trembled, and his eyes regained their clarity. He stood up and looked at the woman in front of him who haunted his dreams and caused him great suffering from unrequited love.

Finally, unable to contain his emotions, he pulled her into his arms.

Pei Jianjia was in tears, murmuring, "I thought I would never see you again."

Yu Wuxia had no idea how long Pei Jianjia had waited for this meeting, but he could feel the warmth of the woman in his arms, exactly the same as that of the one he loved.

With this matter settled, Yun Yi felt that Zhao Wuxiang would have a hard time turning things around, so he took Zhuque and Ye Nianyi outside, leaving the two of them some alone time.

Zhuque looked unwell, so Yunyi asked, "Your sister Pei has finally met her sweetheart, why do you seem unhappy?" "But he's not Yu Wuxia, he's that fool Zhao Wuxiang. What's the difference between this and quenching thirst with a mirage?"

"In fact, both Zhao Wuxiang and Pei Jianjia are people who quench their thirst by looking at plums. For one person, the plum is the ethereal remains of an ascension, while for the other, the plum is the beloved."

Yun Yi sighed, "Just like when Yu Wuxia created a woman exactly like Pei Jianjia out of thin air in order to cultivate the Dao of Longing, treating her as the object of her unrequited love. I never thought that Pei Jianjia would have to go through something similar now. Perhaps after this, she will also feel the same way about her husband."

Zhuque had already heard that story from Sister Pei, and she suddenly said fiercely, "You mustn't make such a foolish mistake!"

What kind of confusion?

"To fabricate a non-existent person for the sake of cultivation? I mean... if one day Miss ascends to heaven, you must remember that there is still me and us in the mortal world."

Ye Nianyi nodded firmly, "That's right."

Yun Yi felt a surge of warmth in his heart and smiled, "I won't do that, I definitely won't."

Ye Nianyi said, "When we were on Ling'ao Island, the Master talked to me and Zhuozhuo about some principles of ascension to immortality. At that time, Brother Yun and Sister Song were in the world of the painting, so they couldn't hear it."

"What did Master say?"

He said that the path of love is the hardest to ascend to immortality because there are too many worldly ties that are difficult to sever.

“The Path of Longing and the Path of Painting Eyebrows are of this kind.” Yun Yi suddenly realized: “In that case, the Supreme Path of Forgetfulness of Love of the New Porcelain is actually the easiest to ascend to.”

He couldn't help but sigh, thinking that his master had long foreseen that he and Xinci would face such difficulties today.

At this point, we can only take one step at a time.

……

After the night passed, Yun Yi gave the two people some private space and deliberately did not disturb them.

Unexpectedly, Pei Jianjia brought "Zhao Wuxiang" to their door early in the morning, and the two looked radiant.

Yun Yi continued to rest with Bai Ze. There was nothing he could do; Zhuque was being monopolized by Ye Nianyi. No one knew what secret the two of them were hiding, as they had even set up an array outside the room to prevent anyone from peeping.

However, upon further reflection, Yun Yi realized that Pei Jianjia was currently using Qianji's body, and his mind immediately cleared.

Yun Yi said, "Senior Pei's eyebrows look particularly beautiful today."

Pei Jianjia said with a charming smile, "I drew it myself. He's really not very skilled right now, and he insisted on practicing first before he would draw my eyebrows."

Yu Wuxia smiled and nodded, saying to Yun Yi, "My husband and I are able to reunite thanks to your great help."

Yun Yi looked the man up and down. "May I ask whether you are Zhao Wuxiang or Yu Wuxia?"

With the "Love's Melody" hanging from her waist, Yu Wuxia replied, "You are both Zhao Wuxiang and Yu Wuxia."

Pei Jianjia explained, "I spoke with Zhao Wuxiang last night and promised that once I fulfill my wish, Wuxia will leave her cultivation to him."

Whether this is true or false is uncertain, but after receiving this promise, Zhao Wuxiang finally gave up his body willingly.

That's why Yu Wuxia said that she was "both".

(End of this chapter)