ISWTDB Ch177

Chapter 177: Return

Seeing this, the Zhu Que next to him flashed a knowing expression on his face.

He directly patted Bai Rui’s shoulder and said to him, “It’s related to Bai Yi, isn’t it?”

Bai Rui was momentarily stunned upon hearing Zhu Que’s words. He hadn’t said anything, yet the other party had already seen through it.

But it made sense; they had traversed countless small worlds together, so how could their understanding of each other be so superficial?

In fact, after Zhu Que regained his memory, he had some guesses about the last few small worlds. Now, looking at Bai Rui’s expression, he confirmed his thoughts.

The entanglement between Bai Rui and Bai Yi was something everyone knew.

After the creation of the world, Nuwa simultaneously created Bai Yi and the serpent Tengshe Bai Rui.

Bai Rui had once followed Nuwa to mend the heavens, resulting in his soul being shattered, just like Zhu Que, who was also in a precarious situation.

Thus, Ju Mang spent ten thousand years refining a spirit tool that could nourish souls, all for the sake of saving his beloved.

Bai Yi was female, and Tengshe was male; both were born into this world at the same time.

Ten thousand years of companionship was originally better than that of family.

However, Bai Yi, due to her unfulfilled desire for Bai Rui, was willing to follow him into the spirit tool and retaliated against him.

In the end, Bai Yi couldn’t succeed and jumped into the abyss.

Her soul perished, and she died without a trace.

This became an eternal pain in Bai Rui’s heart.

Yet, no one could have imagined how deep Bai Yi’s obsession for Bai Rui truly was.

Even though the real Bai Yi had already died, her obsession still lingered in this spirit tool.

In this myriad of worlds, it grew into an energy with self-awareness, akin to the Heavenly Dao.

It had been lurking within, waiting for an opportunity to move, attempting to seize control of the entire spirit tool.

Upon hearing Zhu Que’s explanation, Ying Zhao finally understood the secret.

No wonder Ying Zhao didn’t want them to take direct action against that thing.

Because the consciousness formed by that obsession was the only remaining thing left of Bai Yi in this world.

Seeing Bai Rui so tangled in his emotions, Ying Zhao also felt a pang of sympathy.

He directly said to him, “The urgent matter is still to quickly find out where the other party is hiding.”

Bai Rui nodded upon hearing this, temporarily setting aside his worries.

However, he still chose to remain in this old house; after all, it was closer to the village, making it easier for him to observe the situation.

Of course, before settling in, Zhu Que and Ying Zhao helped Bai Rui renovate the place, making it considerably more comfortable.

In the following days, after Bai Rui’s arrival, he didn’t take any special actions.

He understood that the other party was born from Bai Yi’s obsession; as long as he stayed here, the other party would come looking for him.

Ying Zhao also thought that waiting for the rabbit might be the best approach, so he and Zhu Que kept a close watch on Bai Rui’s surroundings.

However, perhaps because of Bai Rui’s appearance and the family background he publicly claimed, many families in the village began to have their thoughts about him, hoping to marry their daughters off to Bai Rui.

The same thing had happened to Zhu Que before.

When he encountered it, he found it quite frustrating; now it was Bai Rui’s turn, and he found himself in a position to gloat.

Among those who frequently visited Bai Rui with the most enthusiasm was a girl named Wang Cuicui.

Wang Cuicui was not particularly beautiful, but she had a bold personality.

After visiting Bai Rui several times, she resolutely decided to marry him.

She even confessed her love for Bai Rui in front of everyone.

It should be noted that most of the young women in the village were quite reserved.

Even if they expressed affection, no one had ever spoken so directly before.

Bai Rui naturally rejected her without a second thought.

However, what surprised everyone was that that very night, Wang Cuicui suddenly died at home.

Moreover, her death was extremely tragic, clearly showing signs of having been tortured to death.

This made Bai Rui and the others, who originally planned to start their investigation from those nearby, feel a chill in their hearts.

Without needing to think deeply, they already knew who the real murderer was.

Although this was just a small world, they did not want to carelessly take a life.

After all, if this realm was not destroyed, there would be no possibility of reconstruction.

Then if someone died immediately, they would truly be dead, unable to come back to life.

Thinking about the girls around Bai Rui, they could all be in danger.

They could no longer delay this matter.

So, Ying Zhao straightforwardly thought that they might as well have Bai Rui pretend to get married.

At that time, the other party would surely appear.

However, to prevent the other party from detecting their intentions, the marriage partner could only be chosen from Zhu Que and Ying Zhao.

As soon as Zhu Que heard Ying Zhao’s suggestion, he immediately expressed his opposition.

The thought of his beloved marrying someone else—even if it was just for show—was something he was unwilling to accept.

Thus, in the end, Zhu Que had to take on this role.

Fortunately, although Ying Zhao and Zhu Que lived in the old house, the villagers were unaware of their relationship in their daily lives.

At this moment, news was released that Bai Rui and Zhu Que were to get married, which truly shocked the entire village.

After all, a marriage between two men was something that only families who couldn’t afford to marry a wife would do.

However, in their eyes, neither Bai Rui nor Zhu Que seemed to belong to such families.

After the news spread, although many young women in the village felt quite disappointed, nothing else unexpected occurred. The three of them remained especially composed.

Because they knew each other well enough to understand that she would definitely seek an opportunity to strike.

Soon, two days later was the day they had announced for the actual wedding.

Bai Rui had a premonition that if the other party was indeed present, they would surely act within these two days.

Although he currently had the ability to kill the other party, this was the only remnant of Bai Yi, and how could he bear to take action?

He also considered finding a way to trap the other party, but even if they succeeded now, what would happen afterward?

Seeing the confusion in Bai Rui’s eyes, Ying Zhao felt somewhat guilty.

He went back to their room with Zhu Que, not wanting to disturb Bai Rui.

At this moment, he found himself missing Mu Qing a bit.

After all, among those around him, Mu Qing had the most clever ideas.

He remembered that Mu Qing had even come into the spirit tool to look for him and had brought him the Rewind Stone.

Yes, the Rewind Stone!

In an instant, Ying Zhao felt as if he had grasped a key point.

However, he quickly lowered his head in disappointment.

The Rewind Stone rewound the time of the entire realm.

Even if they could make the other party return to the moment she first gained consciousness, would they have to relive the whole experience themselves?

Zhu Que, who had been keeping a close eye on Ying Zhao, naturally sensed the changes in his beloved’s emotions.

Knowing his beloved’s troubles, Zhu Que narrowed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Before long, it was the night before the wedding, and Zhu Que was in his own room.

The night was deep, and he lay in bed, seemingly having fallen completely asleep.

After an unknown period of time, when the entire room was shrouded in darkness, suddenly a cold light flashed, and a sharp dagger plunged straight into Zhu Que’s body.

Instantly, the whole room was illuminated, and Bai Rui and Ying Zhao, who had been lurking in the shadows, immediately revealed themselves.

Just as Zhu Que was stabbed, in this small world, as a ghost immortal, he naturally was not afraid of blades.

He feigned a movement and reappeared completely unharmed behind the intruder.

However, when they saw who the intruder was, they were shocked to find that it was Wang Lian, the village chief’s daughter.

Bai Rui recalled that Wang Lian often came to visit him in the past.

Although she was attentive, she had always kept her distance, which hadn’t raised his suspicions.

At this moment, upon seeing that her plan had been exposed, Wang Lian’s expression changed immediately, transforming to resemble the true Bai Yi.

Her beautiful eyes gazed at Zhu Que with unwillingness, filled with hatred, clearly wishing to slay Zhu Que immediately.

The Heavenly Dao also appeared at the right moment, using its own power to form ropes that tightly bound Wang Lian, preventing her from escaping.

After struggling for a while to no avail, the woman angrily shouted at Bai Rui, “Why? Why did you have to choose someone else? Why can’t I be the one?”

The pain and obsession filling her eyes made Bai Rui feel as if he had returned to the past.

On the abyss, Bai Yi had once asked him similar questions, but feelings were the most unforceable of things.

He knew that this moment would be a definitive conclusion to their relationship.

With the other party being so obsessed, he couldn’t possibly persuade her otherwise.

Yet even so, he found it hard to take action.

Just then, the previously silent realm began to tremble.

It seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Bai Rui froze for a moment, then revealed a relieved smile.

Indeed, Bai Yi had always been like this.

How could she bear to be trapped? Even if it meant destruction, she wanted a conclusion.

Since this was his karma, it should be brought to an end by him.

Then, Bai Rui, with reddened eyes, grasped the magic tool in his hand, intending to throw it at her.

But at the critical moment, Zhu Que suddenly blocked Bai Rui’s path.

At that moment, Xiao Bai also sprang out from Ying Zhao’s sea of consciousness and joined with the Heavenly Dao to form a barrier.

This enveloped the woman across from them, cutting her off from this space.

Zhu Que then activated a device in his hand and forcefully threw it toward the barrier.

In an instant, green light enveloped the entire barrier, isolating everything within.

The woman’s form slowly shrank, gradually transforming into that of an infant.

Her appearance represented her consciousness.

Just like when she had first been born into this world. 

At this moment, although she was also the manifestation of Bai Yi’s lingering obsession.

Yet still not understanding more love and hate, it was merely a wisp of unclear consciousness that had just been born.

It could be taught, it could be changed.

Seeing this, Bai Rui’s eyes widened in disbelief as he covered his mouth.

He had never expected that Zhu Que would suddenly take out the Reversal Stone, and even thought of such a wonderful use for it.

At this moment, that wisp of consciousness had not yet formed a complete self.

The other party appeared so pure and adorable, no longer holding onto deep-rooted resentment and hatred.

After the reversal ended, Zhu Que let Heavenly Dao and Xiao Bai withdraw the barrier.

He walked over, held the baby girl in his arms, and brought her to Bai Rui.

Looking at Bai Rui’s bewildered expression, he smiled and said, “I was worried it wouldn’t succeed before, so I didn’t tell you in advance.”

“Alright, you little rascal, why don’t you quickly give this girl a name?”

“Now, can you let go of your heart’s burden?”

Bai Rui’s eyes were filled with tears as he nodded vigorously at Zhu Que, sincerely saying, “Thank you.”

He gently held the baby girl in his arms and softly said, “Then from now on, you shall be called Bai Xi, how about that?”

“Bai Xi, I hope you can meet someone who truly loves you in the future and be happy forever.”

Although the baby girl couldn’t understand Bai Rui’s words, she opened her small hands and grasped Bai Rui’s fingers, giggling.

She obviously showed great affection for him.

Bai Rui couldn’t help but wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, revealing a smile.

This child was the continuation of Bai Yi, the only one left behind by his sister who had accompanied him for thousands of years.

Due to Bai Xi no longer supporting this dimension, the world, which was already structurally incomplete, began to gradually dissipate.

Ying Zhao and the others saw this, including Heavenly Dao, and all went to the system space.

They left this dimension, which could collapse at any moment.

However, upon arriving in the system space, they found that Ju Mang had already been waiting there.

After greeting everyone, he walked to Bai Rui’s side.

Seeing the relieved smile on his lover’s face, Ju Mang, who was constantly observing the condition of the spiritual artifact, had understood the entire situation.

At this moment, seeing his lover so lovingly holding a baby girl, although he felt a twinge of jealousy, he still held it back.

However, there was one thing he had to say now.

“Xiao Rui, although this child can be regarded as part of Bai Yi, after all, she was born from this spiritual artifact world.”

“She is not like Heavenly Dao here, so she cannot be considered a spirit of the artifact. I fear she will never be able to leave the spiritual artifact.”

Bai Rui pursed his lips upon hearing this; he also understood this principle.

But since the other party had been reborn, he felt satisfied.

After seeing his lover didn’t seem too disappointed after he spoke, Ju Mang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, his gaze shifted to another person in the system space.

Even though it was the first time they met, Ju Mang could recognize this person by their aura.

This person was the consciousness he had birthed within the spiritual artifact—Heavenly Dao.

The spiritual artifact itself was forged by Ju Mang, and he had recognized it as his own by dripping blood onto it.

Heavenly Dao could naturally feel the suppression that Ju Mang brought.

At this moment, Heavenly Dao was on high alert, firmly holding Xiao Bai’s hand beside him.

He thought that no matter what, he could not be separated from his lover.

Ying Zhao and Zhu Que watched Heavenly Dao’s guarded demeanor.

They quickly spoke up to inform Ju Mang about their past and the relationship between Heavenly Dao and Xiao Bai.

Although Heavenly Dao had indeed caused them some trouble at first, after he and Xiao Bai got together, he had genuinely helped them a lot.

Moreover, without Heavenly Dao’s help, they wouldn’t have been able to trap Bai Xi.

Bai Rui was momentarily taken aback upon hearing about Heavenly Dao and Xiao Bai’s situation, feeling a bit sentimental about the wonders of fate.

Since even Zhu Que, who had been attacked multiple times, could forgive and forget, Ju Mang and Bai Rui naturally wouldn’t act as the villains.

Moreover, he could not stay in the spiritual artifact forever, and Bai Xi needed someone to look after her.

Thinking of this, Bai Rui directly handed Bai Xi to Xiao Bai.

He turned to Heavenly Dao and said, “Although Zhu Que no longer holds you accountable for the harm you caused him, you still disrupted too many dimensions to absorb luck. This is a responsibility you must bear.”

“And Bai Xi cannot leave here. Heavenly Dao, are you willing to stay within the spiritual artifact?”

“I can allow you to completely control the spiritual artifact freely, even take form in the present world.”

“However, you must take care of Bai Xi and rectify all the damaged worlds to atone for your mistakes.”

This was obviously the best outcome.

However, after Bai Rui finished speaking, Heavenly Dao did not answer him, but instead stared directly at Xiao Bai beside him.

Seeing this, Xiao Bai naturally knew what his lover was thinking.

He quickly nodded vigorously at Bai Rui and said, “He is willing! I am also willing to stay here with him!”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Heavenly Dao beside him, tightly holding his hand.

Softly, he said, “Chen Tian, I will stay in this spiritual artifact with you, okay?”

“We will change these worlds together and make amends for all the wrongs we have done.”

Upon hearing Xiao Bai say this, Heavenly Dao’s body relaxed.

He didn’t care where he was or whether he could control the spiritual artifact or take form.

He only cared whether this person beside him would be with him forever.

Beside them, Ying Zhao watched as Heavenly Dao and Xiao Bai finally had no more worries, feeling very happy.

Thinking of the countless headache-inducing plots and disrupted storylines he had seen in various worlds, he couldn’t help but murmur to Heavenly Dao, “Chen Tian, it’s really too cumbersome for you and Xiao Bai to manage the thousands of worlds within this spiritual artifact.”

“I think it would be better to establish something like a dimension management bureau and arrange for several sub-departments.”

“Talented individuals from the small worlds can also be recruited and trained to prevent anyone who needs to cultivate in this spiritual artifact from being troubled by these melodramatic plots.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Heavenly Dao appeared thoughtful.

Soon, he nodded in agreement, feeling that what Ying Zhao said was quite reasonable.

After all, if the dimensions were managed separately, he would have more time to accompany Xiao Bai.

Once everything in the spiritual artifact was settled, everyone returned to the present world.

Ying Zhao woke up at the edge of the spiritual artifact.

However, when he awoke and looked around, he didn’t see Zhu Que anywhere.

This made him feel a bit anxious, and he hurried to Zhu Que’s residence.

Yet, he found that Zhu Que wasn’t at home either.

For a moment, Ying Zhao panicked because Ju Mang had clearly said that Zhu Que could rapidly reform his body as soon as he returned.

Why couldn’t he find Zhu Que anywhere?

Just as he was feeling flustered, the main door to the residence suddenly opened.

A tall man entered the courtyard, dressed in a fiery red robe, with a magical white jade crown on his head.

His features were handsome yet sharp, and his piercing phoenix eyes locked onto Ying Zhao, filled with affection.

“Zhu Que!” Ying Zhao couldn’t help but call out, immediately pouncing towards his lover.

Tears welled in his eyes, clearly still anxious from not being able to find Zhu Que moments ago.

After a while, Ying Zhao finally calmed down.

Feigning a fierce demeanor, he questioned the man, “Where on earth have you been? I couldn’t find you anywhere!”

Seeing Ying Zhao’s aggrieved expression, Zhu Que hurriedly soothed him with a kiss on his forehead.

In a gentle voice, he said, “As soon as I woke up, I went to your residence to find you.”

“I waited there for a while, but when I saw you hadn’t returned, I thought maybe you came to find me instead.”

Upon hearing Zhu Que’s explanation, Ying Zhao realized they had made a big misunderstanding.

He shot Zhu Que an indignant glare.

But it didn’t last long before his heart softened again.

His lover had already suffered too much for him; how could he be angry at him the moment he returned?

He gently buried his head in Zhu Que’s shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of his partner.

In his heart, he kept shouting: He’s back! He’s really back! He has finally returned to my side!

They had missed so many days and nights together; from now on, he would make sure to compensate for everything.

Just as Ying Zhao was still feeling sentimental, Zhu Que couldn’t wait any longer.

He swept Ying Zhao up and carried him back into the house, simultaneously setting up a thick barrier outside his residence.

Once they returned to the present world, Ying Zhao was pushed onto the bed, looking at the man in front of him with a surprised expression.

His flustered demeanor clearly delighted Zhu Que.

Zhu Que kissed the tip of Ying Zhao’s nose and chuckled, “Why are you so dumbfounded? Don’t you like your old partner now that we’re back in the present world?”

Hearing Zhu Que’s words, Ying Zhao immediately shook his head vigorously.

Although he felt shy and wanted to hide, he still stubbornly gazed at Zhu Que.

He missed this person, missed the real him.

He didn’t want to miss a single expression from him, wishing he could firmly imprint his lover into his soul.

The two lovers were finally together in the present world.

Compared to countless small worlds, there was no moment that made Ying Zhao feel more nervous yet brought him such indescribable joy.

That sense of joy from finding something lost made him want to hold his lover tightly at all times, never wanting to part from him.

To Ying Zhao’s surprise, afterward, Zhu Que told him that he had already sent out invitations for their Dao couple ceremony, scheduled for three days later.

Although Ying Zhao was shocked that he hadn’t even known when Zhu Que had sent the invitation, he understood that Zhu Que had waited for so many years.

So, it was only natural for him to accept this.

However, he didn’t expect that just before they went to the Dao couple ceremony, he would still be forced to lie on the bed.

Tears welled up in Ying Zhao’s eyes as he looked at the obviously overly energetic man, feeling very complicated.

After all, his combat strength was considered quite formidable among all spiritual beasts.

So this was the difference between him and one of the Four Spirits?

Fortunately, there was still spiritual energy in this world.

Thus, with Zhu Que’s help, Ying Zhao quickly recovered his strength.

The two accepted everyone’s blessings on the ceremonial platform.

Even Xiao Bai and Heavenly Dao were invited to take seats at the ceremony.

Watching their host’s happy expression, Xiao Bai held Heavenly Dao’s hand tightly, feeling this happiness deeply.

However, when Ying Zhao and Zhu Que finished their vows before heaven, the two newcomers suddenly disappeared right before everyone’s eyes.

Seeing Zhu Que casually leaving the task of entertaining guests and toasting to himself and Ju Mang, Bai Rui couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Thinking of the countless times in small worlds when Lao Hei had complained about him and Ju Mang, and now seeing Zhu Que so eagerly wanting to whisk Ying Zhao home, Bai Rui secretly mocked him: I didn’t expect you’d have your day!

Fortunately, the guests who came to congratulate didn’t mind; as long as there were celestial fruits and spiritual wine, they felt their trip was worth it.

Especially Mu Jin, who had replaced Mu Qing as the new Flower Goddess, was already seated at the table.

He was happily drinking, surrounded by a circle of intoxicated immortals.

Looking at the little guy with a baby face and a head full of clever ideas, Bai Rui couldn’t help but sigh.

Indeed, Mu Qing’s unreliable, retrieved disciple was also quite a headache.

On the other hand, Ying Zhao hadn’t expected that their Dao couple ceremony would happen so swiftly.

He was immediately taken back to their residence by Zhu Que.

Looking at the man beside him who was being so carefree, Ying Zhao found it somewhat amusing.

However, facing their newly arranged home, he felt a surge of sweetness.

But once Ying Zhao entered their wedding room, he couldn’t maintain his composure at all.

Because after opening the big door, he found that the enormous wedding bed nearly occupied half the room.

The remaining half of the room contained a pool filled with hot spring water.

Ying Zhao stared blankly at Zhu Que beside him, as this clearly did not conform to the typical layout of a wedding room.

But the man next to him leaned in close to his ear and gently said, “Darling, the me in the small worlds is incomplete!”

“You were too good to them, and I’m so jealous!”

“So darling, you will definitely make it up to your old partner, right?”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhao glanced at the wedding room and then at his lover, suddenly having a feeling of ominous premonition.

Soon, as Zhu Que insisted on reliving every small world, Ying Zhao finally understood what that ominous premonition was about.

The preparations in the room were ample, and the space was spacious.

Even the reliving of experiences in the beastman world and the mermaid world could be fully satisfied.

Completely defenseless against his lover, Ying Zhao could only continue to resentfully think about his man’s deep scheming.

And their happiness had only just begun…