Three ex-husbands and a marriage

Xue Zhanglun

A black shadow flew at breakneck speed towards a lonely hut located on the peak of a snow covered mountain. The mountain sits along a ridge of similarly tall and treacherous mountains that protected the Middle Empire from the ambitious hoards of the west and the dangerous tribes under the Man banner in the northwest.

The physical challenges in crossing these mountains makes moving masses of people dangerous and deadly. Thus the natural barrier has effectively prevented what would be devastating wars born from peoples' greed. However, the warring states, the bloodshed and men's ambitions has nothing to do with the man inside the hut.

The hut itself is protected by an invisible and impenetrable barrier. Even if an unfortunate person or animal could stumble into the base of the mountain and survive the tortuous climb up the mountain they will be incinerated as soon as they touch the invisible barrier. A powerful charm protects this lonely mountain from unwanted visitors and only its master can breach the barrier unscathed.

This is why the hut and the mountain is an oddity, even more so compared to the others. The place is bathed in deadly silence. An unnatural stillness and silence that envelops the mountain in a blanket of barrenness, making the place so undesirable that it seems even the prevailing westerly winds avoids blowing against the mountain. Despite the dense trees and lush green vegetation, that are now covered under a thick layer of snow, there is nothing but utter silence.

The hut stood within a time capsule, untouched against the turn of time, standing tall and aloof as empires and civilisations rises and falls around it. This is just as it's master's wishes.

The black shadow found its target and flew straight into the heart of a man sitting in a meditation position. After months of separating from his physical body, the soul soaks into each cell greedily like rice paper dissolves when it touches the water.

The peerlessly handsome man opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly. He touched his lips, reliving the lingering sweetness of her lips. He has been in this meditative state for months now, enjoying every second he spent with her.

Regrettably, he had to kiss her in another's body, but this is the first time in nearly a thousand lifetimes that she allowed him to touch her so intimately. This is the second last lifetime before the curse is lifted and he can finally pursue her unfettered. Nearly a thousand lifetimes, a thousand worlds and the sentence is finally coming to an end. He persevered unflinchingly, paying for his crimes by enduring endless pain caused by the toxic combination of obsessive love, jealousy and helplessness.

"Jiang Jiang...I know that our love endures...every lifetime, I have stood by your side, enduring and unable to declare my love for you. Your curse is too cruel...Jiang Jiang...so cruel," he whispered.

He touched his lips and frowned. She kissed Hanli, another man...after all these time, she finally kissed him but in someone's body. Pain shot through his heart, a deadly pain worst than death. He is undeniably jealous of the man's shell, a sick thought flashed through his head. He must destroy Hanli, destroy the shell that dared touch her.

"No...no...she will not like it. Once she knows, she will not forgive me. Everything I do will be judged and weighed once she recovers her memories. I managed to toe the line in all these lives. One more will not matter. But...I still want him to die. At the end of this lifetime I will destroy this world and he will be the first to go...Hanli...you will be the first to disappear," he whispered and laughed manically.

He suddenly stopped laughing and wiped tears from the corner of his eyes.

"Xue Zhanglun, you idiot. You idiot."

He stood at the only window in the hut and looked out at the dense and towering forest that surrounds the hut. The man is shrouded in melancholy and helplessness, muttering silently to himself.