Reaper of the Martial World

Book 8: Chapter 129: Ravages of Time (1)

historical

Dyon stood in a plain hall on the 9^th floor of the Sage Tower similar to the rooms he raised the rodents in. He almost didn’t notice when two hands grasped either one of his own. Their owners were none other than Ri and Amphorae.

“Play it.” Dyon gripped their small hands, staring toward the tower spirit resolutely.

The blank walls before Dyon shifted. For the first time, he saw Evangeline’s, no Jade’s, beauty in full force.

Dyon rewatched his fight against the effects of the Nine Cloud Yang aphrodisiac. Seeing Dyon struggle to the point of passing out instead of jumping on a beauty right before him made it easier for Ri and Amphorae to accept what happened next.

“… I’m proud to be your wife…” Jade’s words hung under the night sky as her appearance morphed one final time into her true self.

She could only be described as a goddess descended. Her golden hair shimmered more like lights filled with purity instead of individual strands. Her eyes sparkled, swirling with fog-like colors of violet, blue and green. Her every feature was the pinnacle of perfection, from her small button nose, to her full pink lips, even down to the slender fingers that caressed Dyon’s cheeks.

“… I’m shameless, aren’t I?” Jade smiled, cradling Dyon. “You’ve no choice but to accept me now.”

Jade giggled to herself. The happiness in her eyes was evident for all to see, it was a kind of love that had grown to the point of being unconditional. It was impossible to tell if there was anything Dyon could ever do to garner Jade’s hatred, but what made the possibility even more impossible was the fact Dyon almost always seem to make the perfect choice.

“You probably don’t recognize me, but I think it’s better this way, Little Husband. You know a version of myself that I loathe to this day, a version I hope to wipe away with my sacrifice…”

Jade kissed Dyon every so often between her words. It wasn’t to take advantage of him, but rather to curb the aphrodisiac for a little longer so that she could continue to speak. She knew well that the Sage Tower was capable of recording everything. After all, she knew all of Dyon’s most intimate secrets although she was never officially given the title of wife.

“… I’ll start by telling you what happened to me, though if you’re watching this, you’ve most likely figured it out by now. My Little Husband was always so smart.”

For some reason, watching Jade’s eyes light up with happiness every time she said the word husband tore Dyon’s very soul apart. That innocent, pure joy… He wanted to avert his eyes, he wanted to pretend it didn’t exist.

“After Meiying escaped from the Daiyu Clan, she had no idea that my pseudo True Empath abilities had seen through her long ago… Though it was actually a selfish motivation that caused me to let her go despite being aware of her plans, I have to say that it’s one of the few of my actions that I don’t resent from those times…

“I switched out the ice and fire phoenix feathers she thought she had taken and used my Eostre Clan’s manifestation to conjure a fake image she believed was real. After this, I hid the real feathers and used them as leverage to break my engagement with Chenglei. However, I asked for many other things as well.

“The most important reward I asked for was the yin soul kernel. Originally, I had planned to use this new found power to seek out revenge on you, Little Husband. But, after I absorbed it, something surprising happened.

“The injuries to my soul that my clan’s manifestation caused me were healed. It wasn’t as instantaneous as it sounds… At first it was a small feeling. My thoughts grew less dark and I began to feel emotions like remorse and regret once more.

“Weeks later, it finally clicked what I had done… It was then that I entered the Elvin Kingdom once more and had Primrose help me seal myself.

“I don’t want Little Husband to blame her. In fact, if I could make a small request, please do help her. She’s carried this burden all alone for so long…”

‘Primrose…’ Ri trembled. This girl was once her best friend. In fact, it was Primrose who pretended to be the Elvin Princess in Ri’s stead for so many years.

“… This is likely where our timelines begin to deviate. In my timeline, 30 or 40 years after I made this choice, Head Void ravaged our home Planet. He killed so many, Sister Alexandria lost her parents, and hardly anyone remained.

“The only Earthen Elf remaining was Ri… As a result, she took pity on my Eostre Clan and released us. We became among the only elves remaining.

“Back then, I had no idea what happened. After I was awoken, my memories were sealed and I lived life without being aware of the horrible deeds I committed.

“I watched as little husband tore a path toward revenge and smiled joyfully when you finally took Head Void’s life with your own hands.

“You continued until you stood atop of the world, curbing the rebellion of every clan across the Mortal Plane. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and Little Husband died during your final battle…

“The moment your life ended, the seals on my memories shattered and I was faced with the reality of my actions. But, the heavens had given me a chance, a chance to do for Little Husband what you had done for me. I entered the Timeless Library.”