Chapter 1398: You'er (Part 2)
Yun Che raised his hand and waved it through the darkness. "The aura here has changed greatly. You must be able to feel it. Actually, it's not just here—the outside world has also undergone some kind of change, growing stronger and stronger."
"..." The dual-pupiled girl listened quietly. She had no physical body, and even her soul body was incomplete. She had no ability to speak, nor could she express emotions.
"When I came last time, you were in this Netherworld Flower Sea, and now you're still here. It seems you not only cannot leave this dark world, but you probably rarely leave this Netherworld Flower Sea either." Yun Che said with a faint smile. He wondered if she liked these Netherworld Brahma Flowers, or if her form couldn't stay away from them for too long... probably the latter, since after an unimaginably long period of time, even the most beloved things would eventually become tiresome.
Her answer, of course, was only the pitch-black silence and the girl's colorful but utterly lifeless eyes.
"Perhaps you are used to it, and maybe even like the darkness," Yun Che said, his voice especially gentle as he looked at the girl. "But loneliness is a terrible thing for any living being. Yet you are forced to stay here alone. It truly pains me to think about... The reason I haven't been able to visit you these past years is that I went to another world, and after returning, I lost my power. I only recovered a few days ago... but it came at the cost of my daughter's talent forever. Haa."
"After hearing this, you must think I'm a terrible, failed father too, right?" Yun Che smiled bitterly. These past days, he had acted normal and cheerful in front of Yun Wuxin and the others, but as a father, this deep guilt was impossible for him to let go of in such a short time... perhaps never.
"..." The girl gently shook her head. Her strange pupils stared at him without blinking, never deviating for even a moment.
"I promise you," Yun Che's face regained its smile, "from now on, I will come to see you often."
The girl's lips parted slightly, and her pure white hand lifted, gently touching Yun Che's chest... but it passed right through.
But what she wanted to convey was something Yun Che could truly feel—she was happy because of his words.
It was a very subtle feeling... Even though he knew nothing about her and had only met her once, there was always an indescribable closeness between them.
"By the way, you know my name is Yun Che, but I still don't know yours." Yun Che finished speaking, and facing the girl's confused, colorful pupils, he thought for a moment and asked softly, "Do you remember your own name?"
"..." The girl shook her head.
"Ah..." Yun Che tapped his chin. "Then... how about I give you a name?"
"..." The girl was startled for a moment, then obediently nodded.
"Let me think..." Yun Che's gaze wandered over the girl's form, then he smiled. "Your existence is as a wandering soul, dwelling in darkness, lying in the netherworld. From now on, I'll call you 'You'er,' how about that?"
"..." The girl extended her hand, shimmering with pure light, towards Yun Che, as if trying desperately to touch him. The colors in her eyes became even brighter.
She nodded, her silver hair dancing lightly. Yun Che could feel her joy—whether it was because she liked the name, or because he had given it to her.
"Alright, You'er... You'er. Hmm, it feels perfect for you."
Yun Che called out twice, looking at the girl's cheeks and eyes... His gaze gradually blurred, and the figure of a girl with the same face but red eyes, red hair, always radiant and spirited, surfaced deep in his heart.
...
"Red palace gown, red hair, red eyes... and she herself said she likes red the most... Hmm... Let's call her 'Hong'er'!"
"Hong'er... Hong'er... Hong'er... Hong'er... From now on, I'll be called Hong'er... Hehe! I have a name! Hong'er, Hong'er... From now on, you can't call me little sister, little girl, not even little beauty—only Hong'er!"
...
He shook his head slightly, trying to force her spirited image out of his mind. But immediately, the scene at the end of the Star God Realm, where she appeared beside him crying bitterly, surfaced clearly again... The heaviness in his heart lingered for a long time.
"Do you still remember... that girl who looked a lot like you, with beautiful red eyes and red hair?" he unconsciously let out. "Back then, an old man, who was also just a remnant soul like you, entrusted her and the Primordial Mystic Ark to me. When Mo Li left, she also told me to take good care of her... Over these years, she has been by my side every moment. She is not just a partner who gives me great power, but my most important Hong'er... But..."
He shook his head, his gaze growing more distant. During this time, he had been trying hard not to think about Hong'er. But looking at You'er, who looked exactly like her, the pain he had tried so hard to bury was inevitably touched: "I have always been a terrible scourge. I want so badly to protect them, yet I end up harming one person after another around me."
You'er: "..."
Slightly snapping out of it, Yun Che forced a smile. "I came to visit you, but I ended up telling you so many unhappy things. Let me think... Hmm! Next time I come, I'll bring you a gift. I just don't know if you'll like it."
As he spoke, Yun Che already had a plan. Before his next visit, he would ask the Black Moon Merchant Guild to prepare some inscribed Mysterious Shadow Stones, so You'er could see the outside world and perhaps dispel a bit of her loneliness.
"..." You'er's lips parted slightly, and then she reached out her hand again. But this time, she was not reaching for Yun Che's chest, but for his left hand.
Her crystalline, diamond-like hand touched Yun Che's palm, passing through without question. Then, her finger paused on the back of Yun Che's hand.
"You'er?" Yun Che looked down. He didn't move his left hand away, but his face showed confusion.
Just as he finished speaking, a dark, gloomy black light suddenly flickered on You'er's fingertip.
In a world originally shimmering with purple light, the moment this black light appeared, it instantly became dim and lightless... The Netherworld Brahma Flowers did not emit ordinary light, but soulseizing radiance with extremely strong penetrating power. And this wasn't just one or two flowers, but an entire vast Netherworld Flower Sea...
Yet in just an instant, all the purple Netherworld light was completely devoured!
Yun Che's expression changed, and he was about to speak when he suddenly noticed that beneath the black light on You'er's fingertip, a sword mark slowly emerged on the back of his left hand.
"...!!" This scene made him lose his voice, and his entire body trembled violently.
Because the shape and form of this sword mark were exactly... exactly the same as the sword mark of the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword that Hong'er had transformed into!
It was the mark that had not reappeared after he regained his power, the mark he thought had been forever lost!
But the difference was that the original mark was the same vermilion red as Hong'er's eyes and long hair, while the one now appearing was a pitch-black sword mark. Beneath You'er's slender finger, the sword mark gradually became clearer from blur, and its light deepened, until it was as dark as the black light on You'er's fingertip.
"This... is?" Yun Che didn't dare move, but his eyes were wide open.
The girl was silent. The black light on her fingertip continued for several breaths before slowly fading. Her finger left the back of Yun Che's hand... And on the back of Yun Che's hand, a pitch-black sword mark was clearly imprinted.
You'er's small figure trembled lightly, and then her form became momentarily hazy... Her face was even paler than before.
Yun Che stared for a long time at the black sword mark that had appeared on the back of his hand. He turned his gaze, about to ask a question, when he saw You'er's condition. His heart jolted, and he forgot all about his questions, urgently asking, "You'er, are you... all right?"
"..." The girl gently shook her head. Then, her colorful pupils slowly closed, and closed again. She tried to resist, but finally closed completely. Her body, along with the cascade of silver hair, slowly collapsed.
"You'er!" Yun Che stepped forward, wanting to catch her... but could only helplessly touch an illusion.
She lay quietly on the cold ground, falling into a powerless slumber. Although she was only a remnant soul that had existed for who knew how long, Yun Che could still clearly feel her weakness.
For a moment, Yun Che was at a loss. He turned his eyes to the sword mark on the back of his hand... Obviously, in order to create this sword mark, her soul force had been consumed to an extreme degree. He just didn't know what You'er had done to him, or what this black sword mark, which looked the same as Hong'er's sword mark, signified.
Just as he was in shock and confusion, the black light of the sword mark on the back of his hand began to silently dissipate, gradually fading away as it dispersed... And replacing it was a glimmer of... an increasingly deep vermilion light!
Yun Che's gaze froze, unable to look away.
The black light dispersed, the red light appeared... until finally, as if the black shell had been peeled away, the vermilion sword mark that Yun Che was most familiar with, the one that belonged to Hong'er, that belonged to the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword, fully revealed itself!
At that moment, He Ling's excited shout came from within his soul: "Master... Hong'er! It's Hong'er!"
His heart shook violently, as if struck by something invisible. Yun Che quickly steadied his mind, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into the Heavenly Poison Pearl.
In the world of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, everything was emerald green and pure. He Ling stood there gracefully, and in front of her, a girl in a red palace gown was curled up, sleeping soundly with her head resting on her own long red hair. She slept deeply and sweetly; even He Ling's excited shout hadn't woken her.
"Hong... er..." Yun Che stood there stunned, whispering softly, as if in a dream.
It was Hong'er, a living Hong'er. Her sword mark had reappeared on his body, and her figure had reappeared in the Heavenly Poison Pearl, returning to his world.
A huge void in his soul and heart was filled. Yun Che's inner agitation was beyond words. He exhaled heavily for a long time, confirming that everything was not an illusion, then walked over to Hong'er, gently picked up her soft, petite body, and placed her on the small bed she liked to curl up in when she slept.
She was indeed fast asleep. When Yun Che picked her up and put her down, she let out a very soft murmur but didn't wake up. Only the sound of her even, adorable snoring could be heard.
The two most beautiful things in the world: one is a false alarm, and the other is recovery after loss.
Hong'er was his sword, but she was also his Hong'er. She was always in his world every moment. He had thought that Hong'er, who was soul-bonded to him, would never leave him. He had long been accustomed to her presence and had unconsciously come to rely on it.
And it was only after losing her that he realized with extreme clarity that Hong'er had long been an indispensable part of his life.
Now, having regained her... His finger gently touched Hong'er's fair little face. The soft, jade-like sensation was undoubtedly a beauty beyond words, like a dream.