Chi Lian's original form was a Red Lotus from the Ice Heart Pond. Falling into the water was like returning to his old home; coupled with his exhaustion, he fainted the moment he entered it. He was carried by the stream out of Xuanjian Pavilion and washed all the way to the edge of the Heavenly River waterfall.

The Heavenly River is where the water systems of the Nine Heavens converge, running through the borderlands between the White Jade Capital and the Mortal Realm. After crossing the Star Bridge, one could enter the Mortal Realm directly. This was also a desolate area seldom visited by immortals. Almost no one knew that beneath the Heavenly River waterfall, there was a stone platform, a place a certain Heavenly Emperor used to test formations in his leisure time.

As Chi Lian fell from the waterfall, Emperor Cangze was just about to cut off the water's flow to lay out a formation. Seeing a bloody figure plummeting down, he took a small step back. He pressed down with his right palm, instantly dispersing the already-formed array and transforming it into a ball of snow-white misty cloud, which gently enveloped the person and placed him on the stone platform.

The misty cloud dissipated, revealing a shocking face.

It wasn't that Chi Lian's beauty was so stunning as to startle Emperor Cangze at first sight, but that his condition was simply too tragic—although the blood all over his head and body had been washed away by the water, his soaked white clothes were now dyed in shades of deep and light red. His exposed wrists and neck were covered in bruises and small wounds, and his abdomen was still ceaselessly seeping blood. But the most grievous injury was on his tightly shut eyes, from which two shocking streams of bloody tears flowed incessantly down from the corners.

Chi Lian's face was a deathly gray, his breath so faint it might not even stir a piece of paper. He was the very picture of a lamp running out of oil. But perhaps he was in too much pain, for when Emperor Cangze moved him, he actually regained consciousness and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Emperor Cangze saw that he looked as if he could stop breathing at any moment, yet he was still struggling to tighten his grip on his longsword in a defensive posture. He did not answer his question directly, but instead asked his own, "Why are you injured?"

"There was a giant snake in Xuanjian Pavilion. I don't know where it came from. It ate two Immortal Attendants and was rampaging in the garden, hurting people." Chi Lian coughed twice, turning his head to spit out a mouthful of blood. "I fought it... I think I killed it with a strike of my sword..."

But Emperor Cangze said, "Today is the Ten Directions Annual Banquet. Xuanjian Pavilion should have Immortal Officials on duty. Why was it you fighting a vicious beast? Where were those Immortal Officials?"

"I don't know..." Chi Lian murmured, the back of his head resting against the stone wall. "Perhaps they were too busy... and didn't notice..."

In truth, he knew very well. If the transformation of a mere lotus in the middle of the night could alert the stewards, it made no sense that something this major would happen without anyone investigating. It was probably because the snake's background was far more significant than his; a hundred of him likely wouldn't be enough to compensate for it. But it didn't matter. He was about to die anyway. Even if the snake's owner sought compensation, they wouldn't be able to get it from him...

How could Emperor Cangze not think of what he had thought of? His expression immediately darkened. Had it been anyone else, even Heavenly Emperor Luanhua himself, they would have had to brace themselves and respond with caution. But now, before him, was only the blind Chi Lian, who, far from being terrified, instead urged, "Your turn... You still haven't said who you are."

Emperor Cangze: "..."

The waterfall roared, and Chi Lian was too gravely injured. He didn't recognize the Emperor's voice, and when no reply came, he simply gave up asking. "Forget it, be whoever you want... Where is this?"

Emperor Cangze: "The Heavenly River."

"The Heavenly River, huh..." Chi Lian's eyes were closed, yet he turned his head outward, following the sound of the water as if he could still see. "I'm about to die. If you don't intend to save me, could you step away for a moment... and let me have some peace?"

Emperor Cangze: "..."

He looked at the bloody tears on Chi Lian's pale cheeks and suddenly asked in a low voice, "Do you regret it?"

Chi Lian's ears twitched. He moved his head back a little, clearly with some effort. "What?"

"You saved the other Immortal Attendants, but you're going to die because of it. Do you regret it?"

"I regret it. Of course, I regret it." Chi Lian began to laugh. "I regret not practicing my swordplay diligently, I regret that my skills were inferior... But when you're saving someone, who has time to think about all that? Besides, the reason I got to live as an immortal for half a year was also because someone else saved me..."

Previously, when Emperor Cangze heard him say he had slain the giant snake, he had assumed he had at least a hundred years of cultivation. Now, hearing this, he was finally and truly astonished. "You only transformed half a year ago?"

To dare fight a mythical beast with only half a year of cultivation—what kind of courage was that? What in the world did he grow up eating?

Chi Lian gave a listless "Mm," and muttered, "Half a year is a bit short, but at least I accomplished one thing. It wasn't a life lived in vain. It's just a pity I've let down the revered deity who lent me power to transform, wasting his kindness..."

He raised a hand to cover his eyes. Though he was still smiling, his voice was so soft it was almost a sigh. "In my next life... if there is a next life, I would rather be an ordinary lotus in the Mortal Realm, sleeping in the mud for a hundred years. Whenever I feel like it, I'll bloom a flower... and when the flower withers, I'll sleep for another hundred years..."

His voice gradually faded. Emperor Cangze's palm hovered over the back of his hand, releasing a stream of faint blue spiritual light that gently brushed over Chi Lian's wounds.

As the pain gradually faded, a hazy, gentle weariness washed over his mind. And even gentler than this sleepiness was the slow, deep whisper of the person beside him.

"What... is your name?"

He didn't remember what he answered, nor could he see the look of astonishment that flashed across the Emperor's face, and he fell asleep in that very position.

Emperor Cangze watched him quietly for a while. Only when Chi Lian was sound asleep did he reach out to check his pulse, discovering that the snake venom had indeed invaded his organs and meridians. So, he waved his hand to summon a cloud blanket, wrapped him up in it, and personally brought him back to Jiangxiao Palace.

When he woke up again, Chi Lian thought he was dreaming.

In fact, he wasn't even sure if he could be considered "awake," because his vision was a field of nothingness and his entire body throbbed with a pain like pins and needles, making it impossible to tell where exactly it hurt. His nostrils were filled with the scent of blood, and the only thing clear was his consciousness. It might have been more appropriate to call it a final flare of consciousness before death.

Just as his thoughts were running wild, the air around him suddenly stirred. Very light footsteps approached from a distance, eventually stopping beside him. A pair of hands, not soft but dry and slightly warm, touched his forehead. The person's voice was gentle and clear, like a gurgling spring: "Are you awake?"

Blind and heavily injured, Chi Lian's wariness was like a snail's, retreating into its shell at the slightest touch. "Who?"

The hair on his body stood on end. Enduring the pain, he rolled aside to dodge, nearly hitting his head on the headboard. Luckily, the other person was quick to react, placing a hand in between to block it. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. It's alright."

Seeing that Chi Lian was no longer struggling, he gently explained, "You were gravely injured. It was Emperor Cangze who brought you back to Jiangxiao Palace from the bank of the Heavenly River. Right now, the Emperor has gone to Lizhou of the North Sea to find the antidote for the Ran Dragon Poison for you. Before leaving, he entrusted me to take good care of you. My name is Mingshu, an Immortal Official under the Emperor. If there's anything you want, or if you feel any discomfort, you can tell me, alright?"

Chi Lian had no mind to quibble with his child-coaxing tone, and he murmured, "Emperor Cangze?"

"Mm. The Emperor said that you have a fateful connection with him, and that meeting him meant you were not fated to die," Mingshu gently soothed. "So don't be afraid. Your blindness is only temporary. Once we get the antidote, your blindness can be cured and won't leave any lasting ailments."

Chi Lian was silent for a long time, seemingly digesting his words. Mingshu wasn't in a hurry. While waiting for him to think things through, he opened a bottle with a clinking sound and picked out a crimson pill, bringing it to Chi Lian's lips. "First, take this pill for your internal injuries. It's not very bitter. Open your mouth."

Chi Lian woodenly opened his mouth. The pill dissolved into a slightly bitter spiritual liquid upon entering his mouth, but he didn't even frown. Then he heard Mingshu ask, "Do you want a sweet?"

"Immortal Lord," Chi Lian said with difficulty, "I'm only blind, I didn't have my brains dashed out. You don't need to be so cautious."

Mingshu popped a small, amber-colored piece of candy into his mouth and, hearing his words, chuckled softly. "You're still young. It's good to have a strong character, but don't be too hard on yourself. There now, sleep a while longer. By the time you wake up, the Emperor should be back."

Chi Lian: "..."

He heard Mingshu get up, as if preparing to leave, and suddenly spoke, "Immortal Lord."

"What is it?"

"Is the sword I carry with me still here?" Only after asking did Chi Lian realize how ungrateful his words sounded, and he quickly added, "I'm not on guard against you, Immortal Lord... It's just that I'm used to holding it, and it feels strange now that it's gone. If it's not here, it's alright..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a weight in his hand as a familiar, cold longsword was pressed into his palm.

"It's still here. The Emperor made sure to bring it back as well." Mingshu patted the back of his hand and said warmly, "Don't worry about a thing. Your wounds will heal faster if you rest well. Sleep peacefully now."

After taking the medicine, Chi Lian drowsily fell asleep again. When he reawakened, he felt the pain in his body had lessened slightly, and his thoughts were a little clearer than before. He couldn't even distinguish between dawn and dusk, let alone the passage of time, and had no idea how long he had slept. But he felt as if his bones would go soft if he lay there any longer, so he propped himself up with his hands and slowly sat up, attempting to move his stiff limbs.

The moment he moved, the scent of cold iron, mingled with the faint smell of blood, wafted past his nose. Chi Lian immediately realized someone else was nearby. His body reacted faster than his mind; the longsword in his hand was instantly drawn three inches from its sheath. "Who is it?"

A hand reached out from nowhere and, gently but firmly, grasped his hand, pushing the sword back into its sheath.

This time, he recognized the person's voice. It was exactly the same as in his first memory—the tone was even, without fluctuation, but like a great rock on a high mountain, it would always make one feel calm and stable, no matter how the world outside raged with stormy waves.

"It's me," he said calmly. "Be careful not to cut your hand."

The voice was too close, almost as if speaking right next to his ear. Chi Lian, having no sense of direction, was startled and instinctively turned his head to dodge, only to slam into the other's arm, which hadn't been retracted in time. A sharp pain shot through the bridge of his nose, so stinging that tears almost burst from his eyes. He bent over, clutching half his face, and was finally held still by the person who clearly couldn't bear to watch any longer. "Don't move. Just stay still."

Immediately after, a silken brocade, smooth as water and with a slight weight to it, was draped over his inner robe. Chi Lian was gently lifted from the bed, settled steadily against a warm arm, adjusted into a half-reclining position, and tucked snugly into a nest of soft pillows.

Fighting back the stinging sensation that shot to the crown of his head, he asked, flustered and in disbelief, "...Emperor?"

Emperor Cangze helped him sit up properly, then sat down on the edge of the bed himself. He took one of Chi Lian's hands, guiding it from his own fingertips to his wrist, then up to his shoulder, letting him trace his form bit by bit through touch to ascertain his position and the distance between them.

"I am here."