Beside the bed, a figure in white stood there quietly, having appeared without a sound.
Empress Xi Yao's beautiful eyes widened slightly. She doubted whether she was seeing things, whether this was an illusion. But at this moment, even Song Youwei seemed to sense something. Memories that did not seem to belong to the present, memories that did not belong to this era, surged within her mind.
Startled, she turned.
"Alliance Leader..." She saluted toward Gu Changge, then left Empress Xi Yao's side and withdrew.
"I never thought it would really be you. But, this should not be the you of the present, right?"
Empress Xi Yao looked at Gu Changge's handsome face, so close at hand, and murmured. She was indeed worthy of being the Empress of the Demon Realm; though she sensed the aura upon Gu Changge that did not belong to the present age, she quickly calmed down.
Still, she turned her head away, seemingly not wanting Gu Changge to see her current appearance.
"I have come from five hundred years in the future to see you," Gu Changge said, walking to her bedside and slowly sitting down where Song Youwei had just sat.
Though mentioning things that involve the future space-time would entangle tremendous causality and cause great changes, to the current Gu Changge, such influences and changes were negligible. He did not care about them at all.
Moreover, this was only within Dao Prosperity True World, not out in the Vast Expanse.
"So that means you only learned of my death five hundred years after I died..." Empress Xi Yao was briefly stunned, then said faintly.
Gu Changge remained silent. He could not lie, nor did he wish to. Though these words sounded cruel, they were indeed the truth.
If not for Song Youwei seeking him out, he probably would never have known anything related to Empress Xi Yao, nor would he have taken the initiative to probe or peer into these matters.
Because in his heart, there had never been any place reserved for her.
"The truth is truly cruel and laughable. Only five hundred years after my death did you remember me. It was because you returned to Dao Prosperity True World that Youwei found you and told you about me, correct?"
Empress Xi Yao's emotions suddenly surged violently. She turned her head away, her eyes red and wet, yet her voice was very calm.
Intelligent and sharp as she was, merely from these few simple sentences, she had guessed the events of the future.
At this moment, although Gu Changge sat right before her, close at hand, she felt he was very far away, a stranger, as if in another world beyond her reach.
His heart was just as cold, just as heartless as when he left the Demon Realm back then. So many years had passed, he had not changed, and neither had she—always so ridiculous and foolish.
Two streams of cold tears slid down Empress Xi Yao's cheeks. Her beautiful eyes open, she wept silently.
Countless fantasies, countless expectations, countless times she had waited on tiptoe outside the hall—all shattered like bubbles at this moment, leaving only a floor of pallor and desolation.
Gu Changge watched her head full of white hair, her jade hands already showing wrinkles and signs of age, remaining silent.
"Since it was like this, why did you make those promises to me back then? Making me feel that I could rely on you, making me feel that I finally had arms and a bosom to set my heart at ease..."
"Do you know how envious I was on the day of your wedding? But I also knew that such a scene would never happen for me. You are Young Master Changge of the Gu Family, the master of the Divine Kingdom, the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, the Demon Lord who once shook the myriad heavens..."
"And I am merely an insignificant Empress of a tiny Demon Realm, an old woman who was over six thousand years older than you and didn't even realize it."
"I'm not complaining about you. I just think I'm very foolish, holding on to an empty hope for so many years."
Empress Xi Yao's voice grew weaker and weaker, yet every word was extraordinarily clear and calm.
Gu Changge stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The jesting words he had spoken back then—she had actually taken them seriously, and for so many years had been longing and hoping for them.
But, thinking about it from the perspective of that time, it was indeed the case. Though she was already an Empress, how much difference was there between her heart and that of a naive, romantic young girl?
"I'm sorry..."
Gu Changge said softly. If he could return to that moment, he still would not change his decisions or thoughts, nor would he make any different choice. He never regretted the things he did or the decisions he made. This "I'm sorry," he simply wanted to sincerely apologize for the deception and use of her back then.
Perhaps it sounded laughable, but to him, at this moment, he truly felt a sense of guilt and apology. This feeling was so similar to when he had lived as a mortal in Green Mountain Village.
Empress Xi Yao seemed not to have expected that words like these would ever come from Gu Changge's mouth.
"You... truly have no heart," she sighed faintly, saying nothing more.
In truth, for many matters, no matter how much was said, it would be of no use.
Gu Changge also said nothing more, merely holding her hand. All of Empress Xi Yao's current physical conditions were clear to him at a glance.
Still, it depended on her own will. Facing the inner demon tribulation, she clearly knew it was a shadow, knew it was false and illusory, knew the outcome would be like this, yet she still chose to proceed without hesitation.
If she wished to live, Gu Changge would let her live. But if she sought death wholeheartedly, Gu Changge would also respect her will.
"Don't bother with me anymore. I've lived enough in this life. I don't want to be so tired in the next life, don't want to be anyone's chess piece again..." Empress Xi Yao seemed to know what Gu Changge was thinking. She turned her head to look at him. Though her eyes were still red, she was very calm.
Countless images and scenes from this life flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern: being deceived by her mother, doubted by the ministers, the great demons from all directions running rampant, countless assassinations, the betrayal of trusted maids... and even at the end of her life, she could not earn a single backward glance from the man she loved most.
If there were a next life, she didn't want these experiences anymore...
The bloom of youth was no longer on her face, but at this moment, before Gu Changge's eyes appeared that peerlessly beautiful figure in a phoenix robe he had seen back at the True Immortal Academy.
"Can you hold me? This way, I should have no more regrets in this life." She suddenly asked softly, her eyes gazing at Gu Changge with a humble plea.
Gu Changge looked at her and nodded. "Alright."
Empress Xi Yao suddenly smiled, bright as ever. She laboriously propped herself up and leaned over. Gu Changge reached out and embraced her, letting her rest her head upon his shoulder.
"This feeling of peace... is truly wonderful..."
Empress Xi Yao gently closed her eyes, murmuring softly, her voice growing fainter and fainter.
Gu Changge held her quietly, just like this, feeling her strength and spirit slowly withdraw from her body, bit by bit, feeling the warmth of her body gradually dissipate, drift away, and finally lose all heat.
Her head at last heavily drooped down. The arms that had encircled his neck also loosened.
In her final moments, Empress Xi Yao breathed her last breath, a smile still on her face, very peaceful, without any regret.
In the Demon Realm, in the 13,500th year of Fengyi, Empress Xi Yao passed away. The entire demon race mourned together, and all subjects grieved.
...
Returning to the present world, Gu Changge carried in his arms a white, clean jade porcelain basin. Within it, the water was clear and pure. A beautiful fish swam about freely, suddenly darting away, occasionally lifting a pair of eyes that seemed to hold spirit yet also be ignorant, looking toward him.
"In my last life, I wronged you..."
"In this life, we shall start anew. I hope that when you recover your memories, you will not resent my selfishness."
He looked at her and said softly.