Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Shen Jue noticed that You Xu seemed busy with something, keeping it from him.
She did it while he slept, so he would see her when he woke up.
Shen Jue subconsciously became concerned, noticing she was running around the entire Medicine Spirit Valley, drawing a bunch of blueprints, seemingly making some kind of handicraft.
Thinking she was probably just doing something she enjoyed, he didn’t pay much attention.
One night, half a month later, You Xu led Shen Jue to the highest pavilion in Medicine Spirit Valley, from which one could see all the houses scattered throughout the valley.
She then dismissed Cui Zhi, leaving only the two of them.
They sat on the cloud-shaped couch that had been prepared, You Xu warming him with a hand warmer and wrapping him tightly in a cloak; although Shen Jue wasn’t sick, she was still worried he would be cold.
The bright moon hung in the sky, the evening breeze was gentle, and all was quiet.
You Xu placed her hands on the back of his hands, her eyes lowered, her gaze fixed on his heart. She then pursed her lips, her voice low: “What will happen to your heart?”
These past few days, she had racked her brains, thinking of artificial meat from her own world, cloning technology, heart transplant surgery— all sorts of wild ideas, endlessly pondering them, only to realize she couldn’t create any of them.
You Jingyan was also helpless. He could heal the sick and save lives, but no matter what, he couldn’t create a heart.
Shen Jue raised his hand and took hers: “Don’t worry, as long as there’s still flesh and blood, it can grow back.”
You Xu glanced at him, suspiciously asking, “Really? Are you kidding me? How long will it take to heal?” His wound healed so slowly, let alone his heart growing back.
“A hundred years. If the heart is damaged, it will be restored on the hundredth day of the hundredth year,” Shen Jue’s long eyelashes drooped slightly. “This is the most closely guarded secret of the Heart-Eating Fox Clan.”
You Xu instantly understood. Those greedy people who plucked the hearts from the Heart-Eating Foxes were unwilling to leave even a single piece, so outsiders never knew this. If they did, it was unimaginable what a disaster it would be.
After being framed, the Heart-Eating Foxes would be imprisoned and kept in captivity. Every hundred years, they would have to endure the torment of having their hearts cut out, leaving only a piece of their heart, waiting for the next hundred years, never to be reborn.
You Xu bit her lower lip, subconsciously clenching her fingers. “Then how painful must those hundred years be?”
“I wouldn’t feel any pain.”
It wasn’t just a comforting remark; Shen Jue truly believed it. Although his heart was mostly empty, like a cracked empty jar, the blood flowing through it felt like blades scraping against his lungs.
But when he thought of his heart flowing in her blood, coursing through her body, and finally merging with hers, he didn’t feel empty inside; instead, he felt his heart was filled with something.
Shen Jue lowered his head to meet her gaze, his voice soft and gentle: “You Xu, I have selfish motives.”
Of course, he was selfish. Human lifespans were too short, a few decades passing in the blink of an eye, while he had to live for hundreds or even thousands of years, with no end in sight.
Having his heart ripped out would certainly hurt, but the thought of them living forever together made any pain worthwhile, even if it meant licking honey from a knife’s edge.
One heart, for her entire life.
You Xu wiped her eyes and took something from her bosom, handing it to him.
Shen Jue took it and saw a red string with a star-shaped transparent crystal hanging from it, containing a bright red liquid. As the crystal moved, the liquid inside swayed gently, and when light shone on it, the red color combined with the crystal’s reflection was exceptionally beautiful.
This must be the handicraft made by You Xu. Shen Jue smiled and put it on.
Just then, the outside suddenly burst into bright light, the light streaming into the pavilion and illuminating it inside and out.
Shen Jue looked up and saw that the Xuan paper covering the lit candles was slowly floating upwards, illuminating the night of Medicine Spirit Valley with one bright lamp after another.
The entire Medicine Spirit Valley was lit with such lamps, floating in the dark night like a warm-colored starry sky close at hand.
Shen Jue counted them roughly and found that there were over a thousand.
Meanwhile, people appeared on the previously deserted alleyways, rooftops, and high platforms, shouting in unison, “Happy birthday, young master!”
Other exclamations followed: “Young master is the most handsome!!!”
“Young master is the strongest—”
Although Medicine Spirit Valley had many demon hunters, most of them had spent their entire lives in the valley, cultivating herbs and doing odd jobs, becoming an integral part of it. They rarely clashed with the demon race and therefore held little prejudice against them. Many who didn’t want to be demon hunters also came to Medicine Spirit Valley.
The Valley Master and the young lady were their great benefactors and family, providing them with a place of rest in this war-torn world. They had lived together until now and would continue to do so. Upon learning that the young lady had been rescued by the Demon King, and that she harbored feelings for him, they willingly began calling him “young master.”
Some time ago, the young lady had asked them to make lamps, which they had naturally done with utmost care, and they had then waited for this moment.
Shen Jue was taken aback: “My birthday?”
He suddenly remembered that You Xu had asked him about his birthday before, but since the Demon Lord had a concept of birthdays, he didn’t remember his own. But seeing You Xu’s serious and solemn expression, he could only confirm a general date. He himself had long forgotten, but he hadn’t expected You Xu to be preparing so diligently.
Shen Jue turned to look at You Xu, who pulled out a small wooden box from somewhere.
You Xu handed it to him, saying, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember, I’ll remember for you from now on. Today is your birthday.”
Outside the pavilion, the crowd laughed and cheered, the bright lights in the sky were warm and inviting, and the person beside him was her.
Shen Jue thought, so this is what a birthday is like.
Shen Jue took the small wooden box and asked her, “What kind of lantern is that?”
“A Kongming lantern,” You Xu gestured to him, “Open it and take a look.”
Shen Jue opened the small wooden box, inside were twenty small porcelain bottles with blue and white patterns. “Medicine?”
“No,” You Xu said, “This is a big surprise gift to commemorate the first time I celebrated your birthday. It depends on your luck. There are twenty porcelain bottles inside, ten of which have different gifts written on them, and the remaining ten are empty. Come on, let’s see our Demon King’s luck.”
Actually, she wanted to use a wishing bottle, but since she couldn’t make glass, she took these small porcelain bottles from You Jingyan’s medicine cabinet.
Shen Jue saw her mischievous eyes crinkling with laughter and couldn’t help but smile as well. He casually picked up a small porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and poured out the note inside.
It only had six words on it— ‘Marry the person before you.’
In an instant, a memory flashed through his mind: someone had once written him many orange sticky notes, each with a smiley face on it.
Shen Jue paused, then slowly raised his head.
The moonlight, mingled with the warm yellow lamplight, fell upon her, bathing her beautiful face in a halo, her bright eyes reflecting his image.
His fingertips caressed the note, a warm and surging emotion coursing through his body.
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the scent of an unknown flower.
In this high pavilion, against the backdrop of moonlight and lamplight, amidst the blessings of the crowd, Shen Jue said in a low, husky voice, ‘I want to marry the person before me.’
‘You Xu.'”
….
A faint light appeared in the distant twilight sky, and the gradually brightening light by the window illuminated the room.
Shen Jue hadn’t slept all night.
He seemed to have thought about many things, yet also seemed to have thought about nothing at all.
Still clutching the note in his hand, he thought for a moment, then carefully rolled it up, put it back in the porcelain bottle, and pressed the stopper.
Opening the small wooden box containing nineteen porcelain bottles, Shen Jue placed the bottle in his hand inside. Just as he was about to close the box, his gaze swept over the other bottles, and he suddenly wanted to know what gifts she had written for him.
Shen Jue opened one of them, and after seeing the contents, he was slightly taken aback.
Then he opened all the bottles and spread all the notes out on the table.
Shen Jue couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile, his eyes as gentle as the moon reflected in a still lake.
It turned out that there were no ten different gifts, nor ten empty bottles.
All twenty bottles contained notes, and all of them had the same six words—
‘Marry the one before you.
The author has something to say:
You Jingyan: Who’s calling me “brother-in-law”?! Huh?! Did they get my permission? Grab them all and flick their foreheads!!!
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