"You foolish boy, do you really think she wants to go to the mortal realm with you? Who would give up being a princess of the divine realm to be with a nobody like you?"
As the Wine Immortal spoke, Zhao Xue lowered his phoenix eyes, his gaze darkening. "Xu Xu wouldn't do that."
"Just because you say so? You're still too young to understand what these immortals are thinking," the Wine Immortal said, taking another swig of wine. His eyes, tinged red, held a deeper weariness than usual.
"I don't know." But he wanted to be with Zhu Xu, no matter the circumstances.
The Wine Immortal paused his drinking and looked at Zhao Xue, seeing a wildness and obsession in his eyes that didn't match his celestial aura.
"You know that you don't know?" the Wine Immortal asked, surprised, not realizing he was speaking in a tongue-twister. "Since that's the case, come play chess with me."
The Wine Immortal's thoughts were as fragmented as ever, jumping from one idea to the next. He staggered to his feet from under the peach tree and stumbled towards Zhao Xue, nudging him. "Come, let's play chess."
When his tugging proved ineffective, the Wine Immortal slowly squatted down, placed his wine gourd carefully on the ground, and then stood up, using both hands to push Zhao Xue. His strength increased, even unconsciously employing some spiritual energy. Zhao Xue, growing annoyed by the Wine Immortal's persistence, turned to glance at him, but his gaze quickly flickered away. With a shove, he pushed the Wine Immortal aside.
That wasn't enough. Zhao Xue then raised his hand and struck the stone chess table, shattering it into several pieces.
The Wine Immortal, angered, scrambled to his feet, intending to demand an explanation from Zhao Xue. However, he stopped when his gaze fell upon Zhao Xue's eyes.
"Why are they black?" the Wine Immortal slurred, pointing a shaky finger at Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but when he looked again, Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes were as they always were. "Strange," he muttered. He then walked over to Zhao Xue, picked up his wine gourd, and turned to leave, a vague sense of familiarity clinging to him about that fleeting darkness. As he walked, his thoughts drifted again.
Time ticked by as usual, but for Zhao Xue, it crawled. The sky transitioned from the rosy hues of sunset to the starlit canvas of night, and he had waited for three hours. Zhao Xue could now conjure any excuse for Zhu Xu. Perhaps Xu Xu was simply delayed. Perhaps she was saying goodbye to her friends. Perhaps she had too many things to pack. Or perhaps Xu Xu had simply fallen asleep.
Yet, no matter how many reasons Zhao Xue invented for Zhu Xu, the unease in his heart remained. Perhaps Zhu Xu had never intended to give up her divine status for him. He was merely a fool, tricked by her. Under the bright moonlight, the demonic energy in Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes flickered and grew more intense. No longer waiting, he moved like a phantom, exiting the peach grove within moments.
However, just as he was about to leave, he was abruptly blocked by a barrier of profound spiritual energy, glowing with a white light. Zhao Xue gazed at it, his eyes burning with a destructive rage. With a raised hand, his fury erupted, and the barrier quickly cracked open, then shattered into countless fragments that dissipated into the air.
"Let me out!" In the Princess's Hall, Zhu Xu looked up at the night sky, her heart collapsing. She didn't want to break her promise, nor did she want Zhao Xue to be disappointed. More than anything, she feared that Zhao Xue would believe she had deceived him and seek out another goddess. The thought made her increasingly agitated, her voice rising several octaves.
The deities of the Nine Heavens, caught off guard without time to erect soundproof barriers, marveled at Zhu Xu's piercing voice. Zhu Xu wasn't shouting from outside her hall but from her courtyard, as it was filled with a phalanx of divine soldiers. While Zhu Xu believed she could defeat them, these soldiers were different from General Huo Gui. General Huo Gui might consider acting on his own discretion, but these divine soldiers were loyal to their orders and would truly fight to the death. Zhu Xu could neither inflict nor bear to harm the soldiers of the Nine Heavens.
"Hey, has the Jade Emperor said when he plans to release me?" Zhu Xu asked, rubbing her disheveled hair. The divine soldiers standing before her remained unresponsive. Zhu Xu paused, then began pacing, her steps quickening. Behind her, Bi Lian watched Zhu Xu's distress and grew anxious herself. If only she hadn't stopped the Princess from leaving, perhaps she would be feasting and enjoying herself in the mortal realm by now. With this thought, Bi Lian lowered her head.
Zhao Xue, now near the Princess's Hall, heard the commotion within. The darkness in his eyes gradually cleared. So, Xu Xu was merely trapped. With this realization, Zhao Xue's expression, movements, and demeanor seemed to soften, no longer possessing the eerie, sinister aura from before. He didn't linger, and with a flick of his hand, conjured a firefly emitting a faint green glow. The firefly flew over the wall and slowly landed on Zhu Xu's shoulder.
Zhu Xu was still pacing anxiously. The tiny firefly, almost falling due to the initial inertia, quickly steadied itself on Zhu Xu's shoulder. "Xu Xu, I know you're trapped. It's getting late, go get some rest."
Zhao Xue's voice reached Zhu Xu's ears. Her pacing stopped, and she calmed down. Recalling the divine soldiers watching her, Zhu Xu deliberately took a few more agitated steps, then declared to the soldiers, "You are so annoying," before turning back into her room. The soldiers exchanged glances. *Who's annoying?*
"Zhao Xue, Zhao Xue, are you still in the peach grove?" As soon as she entered her room, Zhu Xu erected a soundproof barrier, eager to speak with Zhao Xue.