Chapter 1295: Woman In The Coffin
"Buzz." The runes resembling a tree of life flashed. Next, they jumped into the coffin as if the tree wanted to take root within.
After their disappearance, one could hear a clank as if something was sliding within the coffin. Shortly afterward, the clicking of a lock could be heard. The tightly shut coffin suddenly came loose.
Qianbei excitedly blurted: "It's open, it's open!"
"What, how can this be? It opened just like that?" Ruyan was slack-jawed while staring at Li Qiye. She and Jianshi didn't notice Li Qiye doing anything special.
Li Qiye only placed his palm on the coffin; he didn't do anything, yet he was still able to open the coffin. This was simply inconceivable.
In fact, Qianbei wondered the same thing. He had the coffin for several days and used many methods in order to try and open it, but they all ended in failure.
But now, Li Qiye opened it in such a simple manner.
"This is not an ordinary coffin. It already had this form upon its inception, an object created by the heaven and earth. Brute force is of no use, so we have to do it like this." Li Qiye pointed at his heart: "You must use your heart to feel and your mind to sense before awakening it. Only your heartbeat will let it know the location of life."
These words were incredibly profound and inexplicable. The two girls carefully savored his teaching. As for Qianbei, even though he didn't quite understand, he still did his best to memorize them.
With that, Li Qiye slowly opened the lid in a very gentle and cautious manner, as if the ultimate treasure was contained within.
The girls were very curious, so they inched closer in order to take a better look.
After seeing what was inside, both were gobsmacked with flaring eyes. They stared at the coffin in complete disbelief.
Qianbei thought that he was seeing things and rubbed his eyes. However, his vision was perfect. He murmured in shock: "Fairies do exist in this world…"
Ruyan emotionally commented: "The word 'beauty' is not enough to describe her…"
There was a very young woman lying inside the coffin, a beauty beyond the limits of the brush and ink.
Ruyan and Jianshi were ranked among the top beauties in Heaven Spirit. As schoolmasters, they didn't rely on their beauty, but it was a source of pride for them. However, both of them were overshadowed by this woman.
Words failed to envision her lying in the coffin. Her beauty had reached an unrealistic level. Her ten slender fingers rested on her stomach. She slept soundly and peacefully; although there was no smile on her face, her demeanor made it seem as if she was having a good dream.
After a while, she slowly opened her eyes and eventually climbed out of the coffin, stupefying the three.
The girls were drowned in admiration and felt that her dream-like beauty did not belong in this world.
She was matchless and had a profound and immaculate gaze that stole the light from the celestials in the sky, causing them to be too ashamed to show themselves.
Her figure, with flawless curves, was out of this world. Even the most scrutinizing critique would fail to find any flaws. Her body seemed to be one with the world, the most beautiful of all objects.
Her oval face was exquisitely stunning, an impeccable masterpiece from the heavens. Anyone who caught sight of it would be in awe and shock.
Even though she wore a plain white dress, this didn't diminish her presence. She was someone who didn't require any decorations, jewelry was simply superfluous.
This ordinary dress was the most suitable for her. Its simplistic style when adorned by her created the most beautiful charm.
Ruyan and Jianshi looked like two maids compared to her.
Among all of Li Qiye's female acquaintances, Ming Yexue and Mei Suyao were one of a kind. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the prettiest girl in their respective worlds.
However, they seemed to be missing a little something compared to this woman. It must be her elegant refinement that came from countless years.
She was a fairy of the ages, groomed for an eternity with the aura of time, empowered by the spirit of the world. She had a charm that others could never hope to attain. It was an innate aura. One either had it at birth or didn't.
Jianshi couldn't help but praise: "Such beautiful eyes!"
"It isn't an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful in the nine worlds!" Ruyan was quite proud of her appearance, but she was full of admiration.
Qianbei was stupefied as he murmured: "She's the most beautiful fairy in this world."
In his eyes, she could only exist in dreams to be appreciated from a distance.
Among them, only Li Qiye remained normal. He wasn't stunned by the beauty of the woman before him.
The woman looked at the group. She seemed to be slightly hazy. Eventually, she looked at Li Qiye and asked: "Was it you who woke me?"
Her voice was intoxicating; it was the sound of nature. The voices of the other two girls were quite alluring and pleasant as well, but there was still a great gap compared to this woman's speech.
"Yes." Li Qiye smiled and stretched out his hand to gently caress her face. Such an action was rude and befitted a cad. However, it seemed incredibly natural when performed by Li Qiye.
She didn't reject him. Her astral eyes met with his head on. Their gazes locked onto each other and seemed to be crossing time itself back to an untraceable past.
As he touched her pretty face, he slowly closed his eyes while she did the same.
The whole scene turned quiet. Their physical contact assisted her in feeling his aura. Time seemed to have stopped as the two were falling into a deep slumber.
Even the wind stopped blowing and time halted its flow. Nothing in this world wanted to disturb the two.
It was a destined moment decided from long ago. It looked as if they knew each other for a long time and had a deep affection for one another.
After a long time, the two of them opened their eyes at the same time. Their movements were of the same beat.
Li Qiye said with emotion: "Indeed… the eons are too numerous to count, so much have been lost."
The woman slightly tilted her head. Her eyes indicated her slight confusion and wisdom as she spoke: "Are you a philosopher?" 1
"No. I'm not a philosopher." Li Qiye smilingly replied: "Others call me a murderous devil while some prefer the dark hand. There are all kinds of titles, but philosopher is a first."
"You are a philosopher." The confused woman still gave this verdict. Despite her slightly bewildered expression, her eyes had cleared up with great conviction.
"Fine, I'm a philosopher then." Li Qiye gave up: "It is only a title, nothing too important."
With that, he took his time sitting down and patted at the chair next to him. She also sat down with a leisurely and natural demeanor. It was just a simple action, yet she seemed to be in tune with nature.
"What's your name?" Ruyan asked with interest while looking at this mysterious beauty.
"Name?" She curiously stared at Ruyan.
I put some thought into this one. Wise man, sage, or philosopher. I've used sage for different words in the past, leaning towards the holy aspect rather than wisdom. This is a new word entirely in ED; it has never been used before, at least in my memories. Philosopher is a good fit for it. Wise man seemed out of place since I believe it is a type of status or position. Who knows? Just the nature of translating ED sometimes, especially when dealing with the past. ↩Chapter 1296: Fairy
Ruyan noticed her confusion and quickly elaborated: "Yes, name, mine is Liu Ruyan. This is my senior sister, Zhuo Jianshi. What's yours?"
She introduced themselves to her. The woman glanced at Ruyan then Jianshi and tilted her head in contemplation. She seemed to be trying to remember her name, but after a long time, she replied: "I don't know…?"
The girls felt a bit sad while looking at the hazy woman who couldn't recall her name. It looked like something was missing from her life.
The woman's eyes darted over to Li Qiye as she questioned: "Do I have a name?"
Li Qiye looked at her peerless appearance and mused for a moment before smiling: "You have no name in this world. Let's call you Fairy then, a woman from a distant world." 1
Fairy repeated her name and had no objections. Although "fairy" was not a name, the girls felt that it was very appropriate. It seemed that outside of her, no one else should be called "fairy".
Fairy seemed to be without joy and worries. She sat down next to Li Qiye and curiously looked at him: "What's your name, then?"
"Li Qiye." Li Qiye smiled and gently fixed the loose hair on her forehead: "My parents said that I cried for seven days and nights after being born. However, crying is not necessarily a bad thing. It shows that there are still things in this world that can make you sad. If one can't even feel sadness, then their world would be too bleak."
He paused for a moment before continuing: "They also said that I was really cute and cried a lot as a baby. Of course, those were tears of happiness, showing that this world was still splendid and beautiful. On the other hand, if everyone sheds tears instead of just one individual, then that world would be filled with despair. Once its inhabitants lose hope, it would face destruction."
With that, he softly sighed with a complicated expression.
This comment of his seemed to be random and confusing, but Fairy listened carefully with amusement as if she was feeling something else.
The other girls were intrigued as well. They thought about it and felt that his words encompassed many different meanings.
It sounded like he was talking about himself but also not at the same time. Crying was definitely the topic, but it wasn't the fundamental focus.
There were some secrets hidden within these words that the two girls were unaware of. Fairy sat there quietly without replying. Her expression was melancholic, even a bit lonely and dazed.
Her astral eyes were flashing as if she was recalling something but couldn't quite grasp it.
"My heart aches." In the end, she told him this. It was a sudden remark without any reasons.
Li Qiye held her jade-like hand and solemnly looked into her eyes: "Pain is good, it shows that you are alive."
"Is it the same for you?" She stared at his eyes as if wanting to peer into the windows of his mind. Her clear gaze would illuminate his inner world.
Li Qiye contemplated her question before revealing a smile: "As long as the heart is alive and beating, it will feel pain. However, a long-lasting pain will eventually lead to numbness. Life and death, departures and farewells — all of this will lead to calluses."
The confused woman asked: "Will it eventually be torn apart?"
"That depends on the person." Li Qiye still had a smile on his face: "I won't let my heart be torn because I am a murderous devil, the hand of darkness. In this world, where I am shall be filled with corpses and blood. I am numb to life and death, so regardless of how the world is, I will never taste that tearing sensation again."
"Really?" Her eyes were both clear yet hazy. She stretched out her hand to touch his face as if wanting to feel his existence and heartbeat.
He didn't answer her question. A long silence ensued.
"Your heart will feel pain." Eventually, she sincerely looked at him with the demeanor of a serious child.
Li Qiye's expression turned stiff for a moment. After a long while, he replied: "That day will not come. I won't allow it."
She curiously asked while tilting her head: "Why?"
"Because I am Li Qiye. After making preparations for ages… my hands will find the answer to everything." With that, he slowly closed his eyes.
These words incited some memories within her, but not anything specific. It was as if there were matters or things that had been lingering in her mind. She seemed to hear crying in the distance. It was intangible and surrealistic.
Fairy asked: "Did you hear the cries?"
Li Qye slowly answered: "I have never heard the cries before, not that I'm able to."
"Why not?" She acted like a little girl ignorant of this world.
He took his time answering: "A murderous devil does not care for the lamenting wails, so I do not hear them."
"You are not a devil." She frowned. Despite her current innocent state, she was quite firm in this response.
"I'm not a savior either." Li Qiye couldn't help but smile.
Fairy ruminated the answer and found it logical before nodding in agreement.
The rest of the group stared at them while listening to this strange conversation. These two behaved so naturally that if they hadn't been watching from the start, they would have mistaken them for old friends.
Moreover, their dialogue was incredibly bizarre and inexplicable beyond comprehension, as if they were from a different world.
She eventually asked him like an inquisitive student: "What must be done for the heart to not ache and the ears to not hear the cries?"
Li Qiye looked at her in contemplation before holding her hands and earnestly saying: "There has never been a right answer for this issue, but I can give you two possible choices if you must know. First, stop worrying about it, you will grow numb as time passes. One day, you will stop feeling pain and the cries shall disappear."
Fairy pondered and found that this was not the answer she wanted. She looked at him again and asked: "What about the second?"
"Kill the villainous heavens." Li Qiye was completely serious: "This is a solution to your question. Alas, there is a chance that what you will find is … more pain and cries…"
She wholeheartedly considered this second answer for a very long time. This prompted the next question: "Would killing the villainous heavens really give an answer? One without pain and anguish?"
Li Qiye sat back down and spoke with sorrow: "I don't know because no one has been successful before, thus there is no answer. As I said before, what you might find after killing him is even more agony."
She carefully savored his answer. Her star-like eyes were flashing randomly. The same fluctuations in her memories appeared again. In the end, nothing returned.
She eventually inquired after a long reflection: "What should I do, then?"
"That's up to you." Li Qiye gently sighed in response after showing a brief smile: "Everyone has their own path, but not all wish to start this journey in fear of failure for not reaching the end. It might be better to stop halfway."
He sentimentally concluded: "Ignorance can be bliss. Being in charge of the present is to have everything. Some have love, some have authority, and others are content with just having offspring. That is happiness to them. Ignorance is wonderful and very enviable."
Note, fairy here = immortal + woman. Ren hates using the word fairy for immortal woman. He advocated femmortal instead at one time. The reason I'm pointing this out is because the word immortal is always in high emphasis, especially when Li Qiye said that she is from a distant world. Fairy alone doesn't connect the two. ↩