THE LEGEND OF SHENLI

CHAPTER 32

The day was getting late, and the setting sun cast a brilliant glow on the water's surface.

Such a gorgeous view was rarely seen in the Demon realm. Shěn Lí drank her wine as she gazed at the reflection.

“I have suspected it for a while, but I couldn’t figure out why you would want to go the Lower realms, and as a mortal at that.”

“Hm.” Xíng Zhǐ shook his head. “You get bored when you live as long as I have. And when you’re bored you do strange things. I went to the Lower realm with the desire to incarnate as a mortal and experience the ordinary life of a commoner.” Xíng Zhǐ gave a helpless laugh. “I drank from the river and I gained an ordinary body but my god knowledge could not be erased.”

Shěn Lí looked at Xíng Yún in surprise. She had not expected him to drink from the water of forgetfulness. Unfortunately, one bowl was not enough to wash his memories away. That was why he knew so many arrays and was able to see the spirits of the dead even though he had no magical aura.

“No mortal body can bear the burden of a god. No wonder you were so sickly.” Shěn Lí understood now. “But since you remembered, why did you pretend not to know me?”

Xíng Zhǐ glanced at Shěn Lí out of the corner of his eye. “The same reason you left for the Demon realm with Mò Fāng and the Demon emperor.”

He hadn’t wanted to delay her on his behalf. Besides that, as Xíng Yún, he hadn’t replied to her declaration before she returned to the Demon realm. It was only more awkward after returning and meeting her again as Xíng Zhǐ.

Shěn Lí understood he couldn’t reciprocate her feelings, so had pretended they were strangers in order to douse any lingering affections. She looked down.

Sever all ties of affections huh?

Shěn Lí laughed then sighed. “So, what you were trying to do was make me not like you? You know, your behavior was the complete opposite. You were acting like a man trying to seduce someone!" Was he really that unaware of himself?

“Were you seduced?”

Asking a question like that when he was trying to cut off relations . . . this man was too reckless.

Shěn Lí spoke into her wine bottle. “How is that even possible? High God is thinking too much of it. How can I, the Azure Sky king, behave so inappropriately? That time in the Mortal realm, I met and fell for an ordinary mortal name Xíng Yún. That was in the past. Now you are an ancient high god. How could I possibly feel the same way about you?”

Xíng Yún retained an aloof smile but his hand had tightened into loose fists.

Shěn Lí continued. “Your current identity is too troublesome. Like the prince who had to kill his brothers to gain the throne. Prince Ruì loved his princess, but ultimately, in order to produce an heir, he had to accept an imperial concubine. He didn’t do anything wrong; it was simply something required of him because of his identity. If one day we were to meet on the battle field, I wouldn’t just be Shěn Lí, I would be Azure Sky king, Shěn Lí."

Xíng Zhǐ stared at Shěn Lí with a fixed gaze as she continued. “The marriage to unite the Demon realm and the Immortal realm should be happening soon. What I want to say today is just this. You are unwilling to be Xíng Yún so Xíng Yún doesn’t exist for me anymore. As far as I am concerned, Xíng Yún died in the Mortal realm long ago. The you facing me now is the Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, so there is no need for further subterfuge on your part.”

“Shěn Lí, from the start, both identities have always been mine.” Xíng Yún was simply the mortal him in the Mortal realm. His body changed but he was still the same person, with the same memories. He didn’t want Shěn Lí to see him as two separate individuals.