AEOGA CH103: Extra

Time marches on relentlessly; the rolling wheels of fate grind callously across the long river of years, turning vibrant figures of the past into black-and-white history, while vermilion palace walls crumble into handfuls of yellow dust.

The antique pavilions and terraced towers of old have given way to row upon row of towering skyscrapers; candlelight has been replaced by bright incandescent bulbs; horse-drawn carriages have vanished, with four-wheeled automobiles running everywhere along the roads; longing for distant loved ones no longer relies on carrier pigeons, but can be fulfilled face-to-face across space via a simple phone call or video link; and children’s recreation is no longer limited to kickball and polo, enriched instead by all manner of electronic games…

To the gods, a thousand years pass in the blink of an eye—a mere fleeting cloud.

The ways of the world have completely transformed.

As the saying goes, a great recluse hides in the city. Inside a villa nestled in the heart of a certain metropolitan downtown area:

A youth of noble, refined posture sat upon the sofa, looking down at a tablet in his hands as he played a game. Though clad in a simple modern white T-shirt and sporting a crisp, neat short haircut, he looked as if he had stepped straight out of an ancient painting—a noble young scion exuding an aura untouched by mortal dust.

Displayed prominently on the tablet screen was an emperor-cultivation game titled ‘Xiang Jian Huan‘. Set against the backdrop of the Xichao era of the Changli Kingdom a millennium ago, it was a traditional-style game featuring Emperor Jinchao (Xie Chongjin) and Empress Lu Xuechao as its historical prototypes.

Recognized even by history books as true soulmates, the duo boasted extraordinary achievements unmatched by predecessors and unequaled by successors. Movies, television dramas, novels, and games adapted from their lives had emerged endlessly. Yet, the game Xiang Jian Huan stood out from the crowd from the moment it launched, becoming an instant sensation.

The creator of the game was not only a meticulous history enthusiast who depicted Changli’s local customs and culture down to the finest detail—far more thoroughly than surviving historical records—but the entire game boasted exquisite artwork and rich storylines. The court governance mechanics were so intricate it felt as though the author had actually served as emperor himself. Depictions of famed historical figures such as the renowned minister Fu Xinian, the legendary general Qin Yulong, the imperial merchant Wang Yiming, and the divine agriculturist Lin Chanzhi were exquisitely detailed and vividly alive. Alongside the rich career trajectory, the exclusive romance line with Empress Lu Xuechao was handled with immense delicacy. Players raised Emperor Jinchao from his youth all the way to old age; whether as childhood sweethearts or growing gray together, the sole companion at his side was always Lu Xuechao. Decades of warm, unchanging daily life left players squealing from the sheer sweetness.

Regrettably, the creator chose to remain anonymous. Otherwise, countless archaeologists and historians would have given anything to converse with them in person.

None knew that the developer behind this game—which had swept the entire nation—was none other than Emperor Jinchao himself.

Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao, having endured torturous lifetimes of twisted fate, had finally achieved lifelong union and shared old age in their recent mortal existence.

Furthermore, turning a misfortune into a blessing, their selfless act of saving the world earned them divine merit. Upon completing that mortal life, they received official appointments into the divine pantheon as celestial civil servants, tasked with guarding this realm.

Only after receiving their divine posts did Xie Chongjin learn that every world across the cosmos possessed its own designation number. Their world was designated 3344—as if ordained by fate that he and Qingshu should be intertwined for all eternity.

In the words of Lord Snow God, most deities are born alongside their respective worlds as inner gods, but outer gods are not unheard of. If a mortal possesses a heart dedicated to protecting the world alongside great saving merit, they attain a divine nature. Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao were originally mere mortals blessed with exceptional fortune—preeminent among men, yet lacking celestial fate. In truth, their original destiny dictated a peaceful, smooth mortal life, after which reincarnation would sever their past bond forever.

However, an unexpected disaster unforeseen even by Heaven brought them a life of tragedy and displacement. Yet because both possessed unyielding willpower, refusing to collapse—thereby preventing their luck from scattering and the realm from collapsing—they successfully restored the shattered world line back onto its rightful path, protecting all living beings. This immense virtue granted them true immortality, allowing them to reap sweet rewards after enduring endless bitterness.

On the day of their ascension ceremony, four supreme beings of the Myriad Gods Realm—Chief God Yan Zhao, Demon King Rong Yu, Snow God Qi Baicha, and Evil God Qi Ye—personally graced the occasion to offer congratulations.

Ordinarily, the birth of a new god in a small world hardly warranted the presence of four Chief God-level entities from the Myriad Gods Realm. But Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao were different; they had personally corrected a corrupted destiny through sheer willpower, defying heaven to break free from the mortal fate of a single-lifetime bond. Across the vast worlds, deities and children of destiny were countless, yet those capable of defying heaven to rewrite their fate were few and far between. As it happened, those four supreme beings of the Myriad Gods Realm were all individuals who had accomplished similar feats, making them deeply intrigued by the couple. Over time, frequent visits for tea turned into genuine friendship.

After achieving godhood, Xie Chongjin didn’t change much. It was said that gods possessed timeless existence and that immortality often dulled one’s perception of time, yet Xie Chongjin still conscientiously celebrated Lu Xuechao’s birthday every year, pouring his heart into birthday gifts—just as he had done every single year from youth to old age during their mortal lives.

His gifts evolved with the times, transitioning from ancient knick-knacks to modern high technology. This year, he went so far as to self-teach programming to build a web game. His primary goal was to give Lu Xuechao something fun to play, while incidentally publishing it online to let the whole world witness how deeply in love they were.

The previous game Xiang Jian Huan created by that black-hearted system had been utter garbage. Xie Chongjin built one himself that not only poured full effort into the career trajectory, but packed the romance line with Lu Xuechao to the brim with sugar, capturing every single detail of their real interactions. To outsiders, it was merely a game; to Lu Xuechao, it served as a memoir.

Lu Xuechao looked down at the game, a subtle, barely perceptible smile gracing his lips as he saw the young version of himself on screen.

Huaiyun, this fellow… puts so much thought into his gifts year after year. Every time I think he’s exhausted everything there is to give, he always manages to come up with new tricks.

Xie Chongjin emerged from the kitchen—for although deities transcended mortal hunger, who could resist the culinary delights of the human world? Across a thousand years, Xie Chongjin’s cooking skills had been trained to perfection. In the past, it was always Qingshu cooking for him; now, he wished to personally wash his hands and prepare broth for Qingshu.

Seeing Lu Xuechao absorbed in the game, Xie Chongjin smiled warmly as he walked over carrying a plate of delicate pastries. “Qingshu, take a break from playing and have some pastries.”

Lu Xuechao was deeply focused on the game’s plot and couldn’t free his hands, so Xie Chongjin fed a piece directly to his lips.

Without lifting his head, Lu Xuechao parted his lips and accepted the soft pastry.

Feeding each other like this was a routine both were thoroughly accustomed to.

Playing so intently that he won’t even spare me a glance?

Xie Chongjin let out a fond laugh and glanced down at the tablet screen. The in-game story happened to be progressing to the moment of their youthful pledge of love—their first kiss beneath the tree.

Every illustration and CG graphic in the game had been drawn by Xie Chongjin himself, faithfully reproducing every scene from back then to the greatest extent possible.

In the innocence of first love, the youth had been overly cautious, only daring to kiss his beloved’s forehead.

Evidently drawn into distant memories by this plot segment, Lu Xuechao hadn’t paid attention to his posture, leaving a tiny crumb of pastry on his soft lips.

Xie Chongjin watched with a smile. Bypassing the tissue on the coffee table, he chose to lean in directly, kissing his lips to taste the sweet, soft pastry.

Engrossed in the story, Lu Xuechao was caught unprepared by the sudden interruption. Turning his head away slightly in mild protest, he murmured, “Why so sudden…”

Xie Chongjin chuckled: “Back in my youth I was timid, needing to be timid just to kiss your forehead. Now that I am your husband, if I wish to kiss my spouse, do I still need a reason?”

…Indeed, he did not.

The endless years of godhood had not dulled their feelings into blandness; rather, their love was like fine wine, growing richer and more fragrant with every passing year. Time had smoothed away the bitterness of past trauma, leaving behind pure, unadulterated sweetness.

Lu Xuechao’s eyes curved gently. Closing the tablet, he turned his head to return the kiss.

Just as Qi Baicha descended into the living room, he was greeted by the sight of the couple embracing and kissing on the sofa.

Averting his gaze, he cleared his throat softly: “It seems I have arrived at an inconvenient moment.”

The two on the sofa separated instantly.

Xie Chongjin sat upright, unable to hide his annoyance at having a tender moment interrupted: “Lord Snow God, descending upon our home without giving advance notice?”

Thank goodness they were merely kissing and hugging; if passion had taken over and he had undone Qingshu’s clothes, what then!

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done so in the living room before…

“If I had sensed your presence in the bedroom, I would not have come,” Qi Baicha offered a polite apology. “Forgetting that I might interrupt you in the living room was my oversight. My apologies.”

Xie Chongjin: “…”

How can someone use such elegant language to state something so bluntly?

Lu Xuechao remained the calm one, asking composedly, “Does Baicha have urgent business?”

As far as he knew, Lord Snow God was exceptionally busy during his work shifts, while his off-time was spent traveling the vast worlds with his partner, the Evil God; he would not appear here without cause.

“I do have business, though it has already been resolved,” Qi Baicha said. “I just finished repairing a spatiotemporal tear in neighboring World 3345. Passing by your world, I decided to drop by and visit Xuechao.”

Lu Xuechao possessed a pure, snow-like aura, making him deeply compatible with Qi Baicha, the Snow God. The two were close friends who addressed each other by name.

“I have no engagements today. Since I am already here, I wonder if I might borrow Xuechao for a day to let him show me around this world?” Qi Baicha asked.

Xie Chongjin gritted his teeth: “Do you not have a partner of your own?” Is the Evil God not accompanying him? Why must he come steal my partner?

“He has his own duties to attend to.” After all, as a Chief God holding real authority, he wasn’t idle, nor could they remain glued together every single second.

Xie Chongjin: “We are also very busy—” Busy being in love.

Lu Xuechao smiled softly: “Sure, I happen to have free time today.”

Xie Chongjin: “…”

Qingshu abandoned him just like that.

Truly valuing friendship over romance!

“In that case, I wish you two a wonderful time,” Xie Chongjin forced a deeply understanding smile. “Come home early.”

Qi Baicha’s lips curved upward. Taking Lu Xuechao’s hand, both dissolved into a flash of white light, whisking Lu Xuechao away in the blink of an eye.

–

High in the sky above the city:

“Baicha has experienced the vast worlds; for a moment, I cannot think of where to take you,” Lu Xuechao seemed quite perplexed. “What scenery could there be that Baicha has not seen?”

Qi Baicha replied, “There are no two identical leaves in the world, nor are there two identical worlds across the cosmos. Even in parallel worlds with roughly similar backgrounds, if the trajectory of history shifts by the slightest margin, the entire world becomes vastly different. Places I have not stepped upon are all scenery I have yet to behold.”

“Could Xuechao show me the history of this world?”

Lu Xuechao asked, “Reversing time and space—is that not something Baicha can easily accomplish?”

“Why would I reverse time and space? To alter your history?” Qi Baicha laughed softly. “There is no need for such grand effort. Simply take me to a school, and I shall see how the history books write of it. In the past… being a god was rather dull, so I often walked the mortal realm under human disguises, taking on countless identities over time. Later, I served as a history teacher in a school; seeing my own deeds from centuries ago printed in the textbooks was quite amusing.”

…

Inside a middle school classroom, the teacher on the podium was colorfully describing the deeds of the Emperor and Empress of the Changli Xichao era. The students sat below listening attentively, entirely unaware that two invisible deities had quietly descended into the room.

“Emperor Jinchao, Xie Chongjin, an emperor for the ages! His epitaph reads: ‘I received no mandate from Heaven; Heaven itself bowed before me.’ Arrogant, isn’t it? But he possessed the capital to back it up. Historical evaluations state: ‘Not merely a Son of Heaven, but a true Sovereign of Men.’ During his reign, Emperor Jinchao recruited talents broadly, constructed water conservancy projects, developed agriculture, opened trade, and brought the Changli Dynasty to its absolute pinnacle. The populace lived in peace and prosperity, free from the suffering of war. The Grand Canal he ordered to be dug continues to benefit future generations to this day. He was also the inventor of gunpowder! Back when Yelang invaded Changli’s border, kicking off the Battle of Wolong, Emperor Jinchao deployed this secret weapon—yet without harming a single civilian. After slaying Emperor Chongxing with his own hands, he departed cleanly, paving the way for the wise ruler Ye Yang to save Yelang’s citizens from misery… That is for the next unit, so we’ll skip it for now. This lesson focuses mainly on Emperor Jinchao.”

“We live in a great era today with gender equality, where both homosexual and heterosexual couples can openly love and marry within the same country and society. It wasn’t like this in the past! During the Era of the Four Kingdoms, having a different sexual orientation from the norm in certain countries was viewed as heresy and punishable by death. For instance, if a man in Yelang liked men, he was treated as a traitor aligned with Changli, subject to execution if discovered. If a man in Xifeng liked men, that was also considered treasonous. Similarly, women in Leyang were required to marry women, while women in Xifeng and Yelang could not love women, and men in Changli could only love men… But in a nation so vast, how could outliers not exist? Take Prince Helian Xi, the Ninth Prince of Xifeng who came for a marriage alliance—was he not naturally attracted to men? Being of high status and power, he could attain happiness, but how many ordinary people dared to make their true orientation known? Emperor Jinchao took these groups into consideration, decreeing that sexual orientation was not a crime. If Changli citizens felt no attraction toward men, they could venture to other nations to find happiness. At that time, the other three nations held friendly relations with Changli and enacted similar laws in emulation. Thus, cross-border marriages became frequent, gradually fusing us into the diverse, inclusive, and powerful nation we are today.”

“Emperor Jinchao’s achievements did not stop there. As everyone knows about ancient times, human trafficking and brothels were legal before Emperor Jinchao’s reign. During his rule, Emperor Jinchao ordered the total eradication of the brothel industry and revised the penal code to severely punish traffickers, rendering both practices illegal and saving countless victims fallen into red-dust misery or abduction. For a feudal monarch to possess such enlightened thinking was truly unprecedented and unequaled…”

After gushing endlessly about Emperor Jinchao’s grand contributions, the teacher took a sip of water to moisten his throat before continuing: “Having covered Emperor Jinchao, we must mention his Empress, Lu Xuechao.”

“From ancient times to the present, emperors have been countless, and empresses equally numerous. Yet very few empresses left their full names in history books, usually glossed over as mere appendages to the emperor. But this person was different—Emperor Jinchao’s brilliance could not overshadow him in the slightest, and modern research on him even exceeds that on Emperor Jinchao.”

“Lu Xuechao was a natural prodigy of supreme intelligence. During wartime, he campaigned alongside his husband, devising strategies for Changli as its premier military strategist. Later, he assisted Emperor Jinchao in state governance; many policies benefiting millions were proposed by him—he was an exceptionally brilliant politician. Furthermore, he was a medical scholar, a gourmet, a musician, a painter, and a Go grandmaster… virtually omniscient and omnipotent. Anesthetic powder was invented by him, and medical textbooks feature a dedicated page introducing him! Not only could he critique food, but he was a master chef himself. At a time when cooking techniques were sparse and food was bland and tasteless, he personally refined recipes and opened the world-renowned Huaman Pavilion. Later, he made those recipes public, allowing common folk to improve their diets. Many of his recipes survive to this day as representations of our country’s traditional cuisine. As for his accomplishments in music and fine arts, I won’t elaborate—your music and art teachers will cover those…”

This teacher was clearly a massive fan of these two historical figures, growing increasingly passionate as he shared details not found in textbooks: “If you students have anything else you’d like to know, feel free to ask me.”

The students were listening with rapt attention. One student raised a hand: “Teacher, is it true that Emperor Jinchao’s tombstone is carved with the words ‘Tomb of Xie Chongjin, Husband of Lu Xuechao’, and placed right beside ‘Tomb of Lu Xuechao, Wife of Xie Chongjin’?”

The teacher nodded: “Absoluty true.”

This sounded remarkably like romantic wild history.

In truth, when archaeologists first discovered the imperial mausoleum and saw the inscription on the stele, they nearly assumed it belonged to some commoner couple sharing the same names, rather than the immortalized Emperor Jinchao.

Throughout history, which emperor’s tombstone lacked long, grand, and prestigious posthumous titles carefully chosen to showcase their lifelong honor and nobility? Yet Emperor Jinchao—one of the greatest emperors in history—had no titles denoting his imperial status on his tombstone. It bore only ‘Husband of Lu Xuechao’, as if in a common household—the single identity he held proudest in his lifetime.

—My beloved and I rest here together for eternity; sharing a blanket in life and a coffin in death, never to suffer separation again. Should future generations view this stele, all treasures within the mausoleum—save for the Xiangshou Zither—may be taken. Do not disturb the peaceful slumber of the one beside my pillow.

No expert who read that inscription could keep their eyes from welling with tears. It was precisely because of this that the joint tomb of the Emperor and Empress was never opened, and the millennium-unrotted Xiangshou Zither was not moved to a museum, remaining peacefully inside the tomb to guard the loving couple.

Qi Baicha smiled warmly: “Knowing full well he would become a god after death, he still insisted on such sense of ritual. He truly pours his heart into everything concerning you.”

“The history of this world was rewritten beautifully by you two.”

Lu Xuechao asked, “What was the original history supposed to be like?”

Qi Baicha remained silent for a moment.

In the original Book of Destiny, there was no calamity of being trapped in a game. Lu Xuechao would not have pursued medical studies, meaning those life-saving medications would not have appeared so early, resulting in more deaths from illness. Xie Chongjin would not have invented gunpowder out of a drive for vengeance, which propelled military weaponry an era forward and kept Changli flourishing for a millennium. Without gunpowder, Qin Yulong would have fallen on the battlefield, dying a heroic general. Lin Chanzhi would not have entered the palace; he would have lived a peaceful life with Wang Yiming, but his grand dream of feeding the world would have found no place for realization. Hua Yan would never have been redeemed, becoming a famed courtesan in the capital with countless patrons—seemingly glorious, yet filled with tragedy. Helian Xi would not have entered a marriage alliance, remaining unmarried for life to serve his elder sister as Xifeng’s first and last male general.

Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao would have grown from youthful sweethearts to an aged couple, living a smooth, harmonious life without trials—a perfect existence. Yet precisely because it was too perfect, when that single lifetime ended, they would not have shared even a chance encounter in their next lives.

They had not merely restored everyone’s fate back onto its original track; they had enabled everyone to live a far better life.

“There is no ‘supposed to be’,” Qi Baicha smiled softly. “It was meant to be exactly as it is now.”

Lu Xuechao’s eyes flickered, and he did not press further.

The bell rang for the end of class, but the students were still enthralled, begging the teacher to tell them more.

Qi Baicha suddenly spoke: “My husband is calling for me; I must return. Yours must be getting impatient as well.”

Lu Xuechao nodded: “Farewell.”

–

Upon returning home, Xie Chongjin was still sitting on the sofa. He remarked, “I just saw Hua Yan on television.”

“Oh?” Lu Xuechao waited for him to elaborate.

“In this life, he became a popular star. He was just photographed holding hands with someone on the entertainment news, and netizens exposed the other person as a law professor from a top university… Fu Xinian really possesses a deep love for the law; putting him in the Ministry of Justice back then was truly the right choice.”

Lu Xuechao smiled faintly: “It seems their bond remains unbroken.”

“What’s wrong?” Sensing that his mood wasn’t particularly high, Xie Chongjin adjusted his posture attentively.

Lu Xuechao shook his head: “I was merely thinking… I often felt bitter about that cruel twist of fate, wondering why out of all the people under heaven, it had to be you and I. Yet if everything had been completely smooth, ending forever after a single lifetime with no further bond, would I have been content?”

“I would never have been content,” Lu Xuechao stated with absolute certainty.

“Thinking of it this way, I can view those lifetimes of suffering as a form of cultivation, suddenly finding it sweet and worthwhile.”

“I used to consider myself open-minded, yet only now have I truly let it go.” Lu Xuechao turned his head and took Xie Chongjin’s hand. “I have let it go, Huaiyun; you should let it go as well.”

Xie Chongjin paused, tightening his grip on his hand: “Qingshu constantly enlightens me, yet I know you were struggling with yourself as well.”

“What is there from the past that I cannot let go of? No matter when or where, the only thing I cannot let go of is you.” Xie Chongjin’s brow relaxed as he smiled. “Now that Qingshu’s knot is untied, I am naturally happy as well.”