The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 428: What Does Laugh Mean?

What Does Laugh Mean? . . .

"Of course, it's a reality," Cha Eun Xiao assured with a smile. "Today is the 8th of July. In seven days, on the 15th, I will have prepared a Soul Restraint Dan bead. That will be the day when you two can finally meet, revealing your true feelings to one another."

For Zhao Pingtian, the emotions he experienced were a whirlwind of profound disappointment, sinking despair, and finally, an unexpected glimmer of hope. This overwhelming spectrum of feelings filled his heart. He stood in silence, his eyes fixed on Cha Eun Xiao, still grappling with the surreal nature of the opportunity that had just been presented to him. It was as if he teetered on the precipice of a life-altering revelation, and he couldn't help but feel that it was too good to be true.

Astonishingly, the man who had earned the moniker of the "killer king," renowned for his ruthlessness, found himself succumbing to the tidal wave of emotions. He began to weep, his tears flowing freely. For years, he had carried an immense burden of longing, love, regret, and the agony of waiting. All of these sentiments that had weighed him down seemed to evaporate in the face of newfound hope.

This once indomitable figure now resembled a traveler who had been carrying a heavy load for an eternity, and for the first time, he was permitted to set it down. His heart swelled with the burden he had borne for so long, one that had grown heavier with time. Now, he was unburdened. It was as though he had nothing to live for, but he persisted in the hope that the moment when the Yin Fruit merged with Rou-Er's body would yield this very opportunity.

He had been caught in a relentless struggle, desolation his constant companion. He sobbed uncontrollably, his cries reverberating throughout the room as he collapsed onto the table.

For countless years, he had considered himself a man with nothing left to lose, his only purpose the pursuit of vengeance for his sect. In the absence of Rou-Er, he had found no reason to carry on. The road to the netherworld was long and arduous, and he was determined not to let her make that journey alone. Yet, the one thing that had kept him going was the faint hope that she might, somehow, always be with him.

Fifteen years prior, he had encountered a fortuneteller who had predicted their fates to be eternally separate due to their existence in different realms. The fortuneteller's words, although he knew them to be untrue, had become the lifeline he clung to in the darkness of his existence. He admitted, amidst sobs, "When I had resolved to end my life, the fortuneteller's words would echo in my dreams. They provided me with a sliver of hope, the belief that he might not have lied to me. Today, that hope becomes a reality... It appears that faith has indeed given me hope."

His tears fell like a torrential rain, collecting into a small pool on the ground. He wept openly, a testament to the depth of his emotions. It was a poignant moment, an instance where a man was allowed to shed tears, unburdened by the weight of his past. The "killer king" had, in this profound moment, transformed into a vulnerable soul, undone by the enormity of what was to come.

Cha Eun Xiao, with a deep understanding of Zhao Pingtian's feelings, witnessed the powerful convergence of hope and despair that had dominated this man's life.

Zhao Pingtian had seen his beloved Rou-Er's lifeless body with his own eyes. He had stood by her grave, and the weight of her loss had been etched into his soul. Yet, against all reason, he had been told that he might have another chance to reunite with her. It was an incredible notion, one that defied the bounds of believability, but Zhao Pingtian harbored an unwavering faith in this nearly impossible dream. He had clung to it with an unwavering desperation.

A renowned killer king, Zhao Pingtian was a man of unwavering resolve. In the face of the fortuneteller's words, he had chosen to believe, an act that could not have been inspired by mere trickery. Even though he had wanted to place his trust in the fortuneteller from the outset, there was an aura of extraordinary wisdom and insight that accompanied the man's words, compelling Zhao Pingtian's faith.

Curious about this mysterious fortuneteller, Cha Eun Xiao inquired, "Brother Zhao, can you recall anything about this fortuneteller? His abilities are truly remarkable."

However, Zhao Pingtian could provide little information. "I don't know him. Since that day, we've never crossed paths again."

Cha Eun Xiao found this revelation surprising. He had assumed that such an extraordinary figure must have been renowned and highly esteemed in the Land of Han-Yang. Perhaps he was a famed fortuneteller with titles like 'Iron Words' or 'Inerrant Prediction,' someone who had left a profound impact on the region. Yet, Zhao Pingtian's lack of knowledge about the man's background was puzzling.

Zhao Pingtian elaborated, "He simply referred to himself as Mister Destiny. He told me that if I held onto my faith, we would be reunited. Following that encounter, I never encountered him again. I searched for him exhaustively, but he had seemingly vanished completely. I don't understand why, but there was an inexplicable trust that anchored me to his words. I may have initially convinced myself that he was a charlatan, but deep within my heart, an unshakable belief in his prophecy remained."

"The entire situation was bizarre," he added. "It was as if my instincts, or perhaps my heart, assured me that my faith would lead to this day."

Ye Xiao was intrigued by this account. It raised questions in his mind about the existence of inerrant predictions and fortunetellers in the world. "Mister Destiny" was a name that had yet to cross his ears, and if such an influential fortuneteller existed, he should have been celebrated across the Land of Han-Yang.

However, the central question remained: "What did Mister Destiny specifically tell you?" Cha Eun Xiao asked, seeking to uncover the precise words that had kindled Zhao Pingtian's enduring faith.

Cha Eun Xiao listened intently to Zhao Pingtian's recollection of the fortuneteller's words, intrigued by the cryptic message that had guided the killer king's life. It was clear that Zhao Pingtian had faith in those words, even if he hadn't fully comprehended their meaning at the time.

"Mister Destiny told me this," Zhao Pingtian began to recall, "Recent years in the martial world, bones of the dead are everywhere; a clear conscience in your heart, a smiling monarch it leads you to; struggle for two lives, brightness in one life; one laugh at the present life, the other at the road he comes; one laugh at the time, the other at the ancient; a couple will meet again, if only they have a laugh."

Zhao Pingtian ruminated on the meaning behind these enigmatic words. As he recounted the phrases, he noted how they might apply to his own life. His role as a killer king in a world filled with death certainly resonated with the "bones of the dead are everywhere." He took pride in his clear conscience, having adhered to a code of ethics in his line of work. However, other aspects of the message remained shrouded in mystery, such as "a smiling monarch it leads you to."

"The first four phrases," Zhao Pingtian continued, "I think it is talking about me, how I live in the martial world, killing people. Although I do not know what the 'smiling monarch it leads you to' means, I surely have a clear conscience. For all these years, I am an assassin with principles. I never killed any innocent people. I am with a clear conscience, and I am sure about it."

He pondered the subsequent lines. "Maybe that is the reason why I got to meet you, Feng Monarch, and you bring me hope."

As he unraveled the fortuneteller's words further, he said, "The 'struggle for two lives' must be talking about me and Rou-Er. Basically, we are both living a second life now."

Yet, the remaining phrases remained elusive in their meaning. "The next, 'one laugh at the present life, the other at the road he comes,' that is hard to explain. 'A couple will meet again, if only they have a laugh.' I have no idea what it is talking about... I just know that me and Rou-Er, we must be related to the word 'laugh' a lot. However, this laugh... What does it mean? Is it a person, an item, or something else? I truly don't have a clue."

Cha Eun Xiao found himself intrigued by the apparent puzzle embedded in these cryptic verses. The mention of laughter seemed significant, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning to these words.