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墨書 Inktalez
I turned my head away, ignoring him as I silently picked up the broken pieces.
My wrist was injured, a large bruise forming, yet my hand tightly clutched a gift I had prepared for him.
It was a pale blue silk hairband for men.
The look in his eyes was no longer one of pity, but of tenderness.
"It’s my fault."
I felt wronged, tears welling up in my eyes, and I continued to ignore him, letting my emotions take over.
Tonight, I was alive thanks to the things I had prepared.
At that time, I wanted to earn some money to repair the River God Temple, and I had heard from passing miners that blasting the mountains for minerals could be sold. That’s why I had gathered those supplies.
Initially, I thought I was quite brave; now, I felt a sense of relief.
I murmured, "I almost couldn’t wait for you."
Longyin crouched down amidst the chaos, sitting in front of me.
I gazed at his handsome features, no longer distant like glaciers but infused with a touch of warmth from the mortal world.
"I went out to buy this for you."
He waved his sleeve, revealing a delicate little copper mirror in his palm.
The mirror reflected my image—a beautiful girl of sixteen or seventeen. I remembered complaining to him a few days ago about how inconvenient it was to wash up in the temple every day; if only I had a mirror.
Back then, I had shamelessly said, "I’m known as one of the prettiest girls around here; now I can hardly remember what I look like."
"Longyin." My eyes reddened as I looked at him and took the copper mirror into my hands.
I suddenly felt that my outburst was quite unwarranted. Blushing, I shoved the hairband I had intended to give him into his hands.
"Here, a token of gratitude," I said, refusing to look at him any longer.
I quietly began to tidy up the items in the temple, while Longyin chuckled softly.
Longyin carefully tucked away the hairband, then stood up and waved his sleeve. In an instant, everything returned to its original state, with no trace of the earlier chaos.
"Stay here in the temple for the next few days. Don't go out."
I nodded in agreement.
As he rose to leave again, I stopped him. "Don't go looking for trouble with them anymore."
He was surrounded by a shimmering silver light; according to the texts, this usually indicated a deity of high status who had perhaps made a mistake and was now confined here to cultivate once more.
If he were indeed carrying a burden of guilt, then he should avoid causing more trouble for me.
"I am not a fragile flower who relies solely on my family's status. I won't allow them to bully me."
"The last time I was thrown into the river, it was because... they drugged me when I was unprepared. I fell into their trap."
My cheeks flushed slightly. "I won't let them succeed again."
In the end, Longyin acquiesced to my wishes. I received his gift and happily went to reheat the food.
From that day on, there were more topics of conversation between Longyin and me.
At night, while sleeping in the temple, I would occasionally gaze at his statue and share thoughts that could not be known by outsiders.
Longyin's gaze toward me grew increasingly peculiar, as if he wanted to say something but held back several times.
I was at a loss, my feelings for him growing stronger each day. Every night before falling asleep, I would gaze at his statue in silence for a long time.
Finally, one night, Longyin couldn't hold back any longer.
"I can hear your true feelings," he said.
"What?"
My mind exploded with confusion.
Longyin looked at me seriously, yet awkwardly. "You and I are different; you must stop thinking about this."
Suddenly, my mind went blank. It wasn't just the embarrassment of him knowing my youthful infatuation; it was his words that struck me!
He knew, and he rejected me...
I felt a pang of sadness but tried to act indifferent. "Do you think being a god makes you untouchable? Though we are different, I can enjoy delicious food and fun experiences. Humans can have emotions and desires, and they can find someone to share their bed with. But what about you? You can only watch from afar, cold and alone. Even when we are together, I can't touch you or hold your hand. Why should I care about you?"
"You don't need to remind me," I said stubbornly, turning my head away to look out the window.
I felt the temperature drop around us, and Longyin remained silent for a long time.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally turned back to look at him. He stood at the edge of the light, his lips pressed tightly together, an indescribable loneliness surrounding him.
Then he vanished before my eyes.
From that day on, Longyin and I became like strangers for a long time. I went about my duties in the temple while he occasionally appeared for brief moments, no longer sharing meals or conversations with me.
That night, Longyin performed a ritual in the temple. I felt a sense of curiosity but deliberately chose not to ask.
After a long while, Longyin finally spoke up. "Tomorrow is the first day of the month; I will be leaving River God Temple for a day. This barrier will protect you; do not go outside."
He did all this to prevent those villagers from harming me.
I wanted to thank him, but out of stubbornness and a desire to hold my ground, I kept silent.
In the early morning, Longyin left as usual.
I got up to wash my face, when suddenly I heard footsteps outside the temple.
Remembering Longyin's words, I resolutely stayed inside and merely peeked out.
What I saw outside was strange: an old woman in tattered clothes lay beneath the locust tree in front of the temple, crying out in pain, "Young lady, please help me!"
I felt a surge of caution. "What’s wrong, grandmother?"
"I have a sore on my waist that won't heal, and I'm about to die... Someone said there’s a deity in this temple who could help me. I'm old and have been walking for three days and nights; I can’t go any further. Please come and help me up."
As she spoke, she lifted part of her clothing to show me a large wound that was festering.
The old woman cried, "Please, young lady, help me. Saving a life is worth more than building seven pagodas. If the River God is here, he will surely help me."
I was torn. Here was someone in need during these chaotic times, someone who believed Longyin could save her...
I hesitated to step outside, but the old woman's cries grew more desperate until she finally fainted.
Watching the frail old woman collapse before my eyes pained my heart, and I decided to risk it to save her.
"Grandmother!"
But as soon as I stepped over the threshold, several villagers sprang out from around me.
Leading them were none other than my unscrupulous uncle and Aunt.
"Aunt," she said, "It’s been a while, Lianyi. You’ve actually gained some weight and have become even more radiant."
I realized I had fallen into their trap and stepped back repeatedly, trying to escape into the temple. But the old woman I had intended to save suddenly stirred awake and, taking advantage of the chaos, grabbed my leg. "Good girl, don’t run away. I’m trying to save you."
"Save me?" I laughed.
A group of people who had tried to take my life multiple times were now claiming they wanted to save me?
I looked at them coldly. "I’m just a poor orphan. Why would you go so far as to put me to death?"
My uncle wore a serious expression. "How could we want to put you to death? We’re here for your own good. Since you’re still alive, it means heaven doesn’t want to take you yet. Staying in the temple will only disturb the peace of the gods, and the whole village will suffer because of it. You might as well go to town and enjoy yourself."
Aunt smiled sweetly. "Just so happens that Mr. Wu in town is looking for a concubine. The village has discussed it, and everyone thinks you’re the most suitable."
I forced a smile; did they think I was foolish?
It was clear that Mr. Wu had said he would only fund the village well if they sent a girl to him.
Besides, I had heard of Mr. Wu—a perverted old man in his fifties. There were not just hundreds but dozens of girls who had perished under his torment. If I went, there would be no way out for me.
Anger surged within me as I struggled desperately, but they remembered their lesson from last time and wouldn’t let me use any tricks to escape.
Before long, I was tied up, and some even groped me inappropriately, making my blood boil with rage.
I pushed against them fiercely, and in the scuffle, my small copper mirror fell to the ground and shattered.
Moments later, a sudden flash of silver light appeared around me.
Longyin had arrived, and I cried.
I hadn’t shed a tear while fighting those people, but now, looking at Longyin, tears streamed down my face.
Longyin untied my bindings, and I stumbled into his arms. Before he could react, I was once again burned by Celestial Aura.
I collapsed to the ground, wiping my tears and sobbing.
Longyin looked pained, wanting to hold me but unable to do so, his gaze frighteningly cold.
He stared at the fleeing villagers and said, "You stay here; I will go into the village."
"What are you going to do?"
He fell silent.
Regaining my composure, I grabbed his sleeve. "They may be ungrateful and unjust, but you absolutely cannot commit murder."
"After what they did to you, you still want to protect them?"
"Longyin, I'm not trying to protect them; I'm trying to protect you!"
I looked up at him, tears in my eyes. "If you harm someone because of this, then all the suffering over these hundreds of years would have been for nothing."
Longyin stood frozen in place as I struggled to get back on my feet.
"Longyin, it hurts."
My frail appearance evoked pity, and he helplessly softened his gaze, choosing to care for me first.
After this incident, we no longer held grudges, and our relationship returned to how it was before.
I knew that my previous words had hurt him deeply, so I became more cautious in the future.
I would always remember the way he wanted to hold me but couldn't.
"Longyin, help me tidy up the herbs in the courtyard." To make him feel better, I frequently assigned him tasks on purpose.
With a flick of his sleeve, all the scattered herbs were instantly organized back onto the shelf.
I teased him with a smile, "You always get things done with just a wave of your hand. It takes away so much of the fun."
"Fun?"
I cleared my throat, pretending to be serious. "You see, this is household work; it’s only enjoyable when you do it yourself. And as for the meals we eat, I know you immortals only consume morning dew, but food can satisfy one's cravings too. Isn’t that all part of the fun?"
Once he finished with the herbs, I had prepared the meal and set out the bowls and chopsticks for him. "You must try this today."
Longyin couldn't help but chuckle, unable to withstand my eager gaze, and he really picked up the bowl to eat.
I knew he simply wasn't used to eating; it wasn't that he couldn't eat.
Seeing my anxious yet expectant expression, he suddenly smiled.
"It’s indeed quite good."
Longyin reached out and gently ruffled my hair.
I looked up and met the deep affection in his eyes.
...
To protect me, Longyin cast a spell directly on me.
If anyone harbored ill intentions towards me, the spell would rebound to shield me. On every first day of the month thereafter, Longyin simply took me along when he left.
Although I still didn’t know what he did on those days he left each month, I only knew that every first day of the month, he would take me to an inn in town early in the morning.
He went to take care of some business and promised to accompany me to the nearby market when he returned.
I could clearly see that Longyin's smile had increased, and he no longer seemed so cold.
I always enjoyed finding new and interesting things to make him laugh. Sometimes, he couldn't hold back his expression, and just like that, the celestial lord from the heavens became my earthly husband.
As time went on, I grew increasingly fond of being with him, even though I could only tug at his sleeve and do nothing more.
I was well aware of the chasm between mortals and gods, so I decided to keep my feelings tightly hidden, never letting him know.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it was the Lantern Festival in the mortal realm.
That day, Longyin and I did not return to the River God Temple; instead, we stayed in town to enjoy the lantern festival.
The streets were bustling with people, lights twinkling from every home. I brushed against Longyin's hand through our sleeves.
Longyin looked down at me, our eyes met, and a pang of bitterness surged in my heart.
It was a beautiful time in the mortal world, with the person I admired by my side, yet I felt utterly powerless.
I started to withdraw my hand, but he caught it firmly.
Through the fabric of our sleeves, I felt his hand was cold—bone-chillingly so.
At night, Longyin and I stayed at an inn. After he settled in, he prepared to disappear again, but I held onto him.
"Longyin, I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
I fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "I'm afraid you will leave me."
"Today, as I walked with you and saw the bustling lights of countless homes, I suddenly thought of this matter." I looked at his profile. "You are a deity, eternal and unchanging, while I am merely a mortal with a lifespan of only a few decades."
Longyin remained silent.
I stared blankly at the ceiling. "Longyin, do you think mortals can become immortals?"
Longyin turned to look at me and tucked the blanket around me.
"It's getting late; you should sleep."
I pouted, fully aware that I was indulging in foolish dreams.
After that night, although I didn't speak of it, I secretly began to seek ways to achieve my goal.
For instance, whenever there was a market, I would find someone to inquire about various cultivation methods, trying to make connections with wandering heroes and extraordinary individuals. Unfortunately, most of them turned out to be frauds.
I saved up some silver coins, only to have them all swindled away.
I kept all of this hidden from Longyin.
Later on, I went to several lantern festivals with Longyin. Each time, I would unknowingly fall asleep and wake up back at River God Temple.
During these outings, I felt the chill in Longyin's fingertips growing stronger.
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