[In the snowstorm, the words the man spoke to the woman were a vow made beneath the snow, one he would spend his entire life fulfilling.]
--+--
Lumine: 「Damn it! That man is as infuriatingly perfect as ever!」
Stelle: 「Absolutely! Bai Heng is—the man among men, the alpha among males, the dominator of men, the ruler of men, the King! The Master, the God among men! The Emperor! The Demon King! The eternal, peerless pinnacle of the Creator's character creation history!」
March 7th: 「Stop it, stop it! Don't put such a cursed melody in my head!」
Elysia: 「My, my, Mr. Bai Heng is always so reliable in these matters, isn't he?~ That steadfastness of his is so captivating, even I'm starting to fall for him~」
Kiana: 「So, Miss Firefly, after Bronya and Jingliu, you've gained another powerful rival?」
Silver Wolf: 「Wonderful. A world where only Firefly gets hurt is now complete.~」
Sparkle: 「Eh~ Since you're all so happy, let me tell you something even more amusing.」
Sparkle: 「Bai Heng and Jingliu journeyed together across the cosmos, searching for any possibility to eradicate the Mara. But until the very end of Bai Heng's short-lived life, they ultimately never found an answer.」
Sparkle: 「And Jingliu, unable to bear her lover's departure, could no longer suppress the Mara. It completely took hold of her body, turning her into a monster that knows only slaughter.~」
Stelle: 「You're really asking for it, Masked Fool~ You don't actually think something like that can break my defenses, do you? How dare you look down on me! The power of love—is infinite!!」
--+--
After the lively discussion died down, everyone turned their attention back to the screen.
[After that vow made in the snow, you and Jingliu set out on your journey once more.]
[This time, you stopped dwelling on all those complicated worries, because you both understood one thing clearly: as long as you could hold each other's hand, that was better than anything else.]
[During your subsequent observations, you were surprised to discover that Jingliu's Mara-Struck state would periodically enter a calm phase. Each time this happened, she would remove her white blindfold and gaze intently at your face.]
[Having never seen your own appearance, you suddenly grew curious. What exactly did you look like?]
[To this, Jingliu offered this reply: "A bit ugly. Guess I'm the only one who'd want you."]
[And your response was: "That just means your standards are a little too high~"]
[Twenty years later, as you visited more and more planets with Jingliu, you grew older. Though walking the Path of Abundance meant your appearance and bearing hadn't changed much, the fact that your black hair was turning white was something even the power of Abundance could not reverse.]
[Another ten years later, you could clearly feel your stamina was not what it used to be. Although your swordsmanship had subtly reached a level on par with Jingliu's, your declining physical strength meant you had never once managed to win a bout against her.]
[Five more years later, through records related to the Vidyadhara, you vaguely grasped the shadow of an answer.]
[Finally, based on an anecdote from the Denizens of Abundance, you used the molted cocoon garments left behind by the Vidyadhara during their rebirth cycle to create a medicinal formula.]
[The pill produced from this formula could impart some characteristics of the draconic descendants, reverting a long-life species' vitality to a state from a hundred years prior. It might not work on the long-entrenched Mara, but for Jingliu, who had been afflicted for less than a century, it would be effective.]
[You happily brought the pill to Jingliu and explained its effects. Throughout, she smiled faintly, seeming happy that you had found this answer.]
[But just as you urged her to take it, she lifted her eyes to look at you and said:]
"Then, what is the cost?"
The sudden question caused the air to freeze momentarily.
Today happened to be one of Jingliu's calm days. Her vermilion eyes regarded Bai Heng, waiting for his answer.
Yes, as a Xianzhou native, Jingliu understood perfectly.
Reversing vitality, even by just a hundred years, must surely come with a price.
To gain something, one must lose something.
This was the eternal, unchanging law of this world, this cosmos.
Bai Heng smiled bitterly, his tone somewhat forlorn. "I really... can't hide anything from you."
"Reversing vitality by a hundred years also means... the memories from those hundred years would vanish along with the reversal..."
"...Scattered away...."
Crunch!
The moment Bai Heng's words fell, Jingliu crushed the pill in her hand into powder.
Her red eyes stared fixedly at Bai Heng, glistening with tears.
"In other words..."
"You want me to trade all the memories associated with you... for a cure to the Mara...."
As she spoke these words, Jingliu bit her lip, her tone even tinged with disbelief.
"Have you forgotten the vow you made that day..."
"Or do you intend to be a... complete and utter liar..."
Faced with his beloved's relentless questions, Bai Heng had no strength to answer.
Decades ago, in that snowstorm, he had made a promise to Jingliu.
He said: "In the days to come, I will always stay by your side, the kind that can't be driven away."
But now, by doing such a thing, Bai Heng had clearly broken that promise.
In the silence, Bai Heng heard the sound of Jingliu turning and walking away.
[This was the first argument you'd had in a full eighty years. Though only a few words were exchanged, it felt as if everything had been said.]
[The next day, without any warning, you collapsed.]
[It was as if every organ in your body had reached its limit. Even the simple act of moving a finger required all your strength.]
[You knew your life was nearing its end. For a short-life species, eighty years was just about right—not too long, not too short.]
[Perhaps because she hadn't heard your voice or seen you for a full day, by evening on the second day, you heard the door push open, followed by hurried footsteps. A moment later, you felt yourself gathered into a slightly cool embrace.]
[You knew it was her.]
[Even at a time like this, you found yourself smiling inexplicably.]
[Summoning your last strength, you managed your usual playful tone and said to her: You know, we never did get married. How about... we pick a date sometime....]
[Jingliu said:]
"Then let it be now."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.