Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng finally remembered.
Of course.
He only remembered who Su Hua was in her previous life, nothing more.
To be honest.
His impression of Su Hua from her previous life wasn't particularly deep. As for what status or background she had in that life, he didn't know, and he didn't even know her name from back then.
He only vaguely remembered meeting her a few times. On the day she was to be married and form her cultivation bond, he had indeed gone for revenge. He also remembered that family was a very prestigious ancient clan within the Nine Heavens Immortal Dao. After killing the family's patriarch, Gu Qingfeng had intended to leave, but Su Hua from her previous life had begged him to take her away. Gu Qingfeng hadn't thought much of it at the time; seeing that previous life's Su Hua looked familiar, he had casually taken her along.
It just never occurred to Gu Qingfeng that Su Hua had such a story in her past.
This made him sigh in wonder—the workings of fate were truly marvelous and unfathomable.
"Back then, many in the Great Desolate Heavenly Realm thought Emperor Jiuyou had kidnapped me. In truth, they didn't know I had asked Emperor Jiuyou to take me away. The truth of this matter remains unknown to anyone even now, including my parents."
Su Hua seemed to be reminiscing about those past events, speaking with regret: "I had wanted to thank him, but unfortunately, after he took me away, he left alone again. I didn't even get a chance to say thank you. Later, Emperor Jiuyou threw the Great Desolate Heavenly Realm into chaos, and I never got the opportunity to thank him in person...
Because of this, I've always felt regretful. What's even more regrettable is that Emperor Jiuyou probably doesn't even know who I am, or even my name."
"What's there to regret? Didn't you say he was guilty of monstrous crimes?"
"That's just what others say about him. I've never said that. Besides, even if Emperor Jiuyou truly was guilty of monstrous crimes, that doesn't conflict with my wanting to thank him. I don't know or understand what grievances existed between Emperor Jiuyou and the Three Thousand Great Daos back then. I only know that if it weren't for Emperor Jiuyou, I probably would have died of depression because of that arranged marriage."
Gu Qingfeng laughed. "Was it that serious?
It was just forming a cultivation bond, wasn't it?"
"How would a heartless, faithless scoundrel like you understand how important forming a cultivation bond is to a woman? If I couldn't form a cultivation bond with the man I love in this lifetime, I'd rather grow old alone."
"What's this?
You've lived two lifetimes and still haven't found a man you love?"
"I have."
"Who?"
Su Hua smiled faintly. "Emperor Jiuyou, of course. He's the god in my heart, the one and only under Heaven and Earth."
"Emperor Jiuyou?
Didn't that guy die?"
"Who told you Emperor Jiuyou died?"
"Didn't you just say Emperor Jiuyou was annihilated by Heaven and Earth?"
"That's just a rumor, okay?
No one knows for sure whether Emperor Jiuyou was truly annihilated by Heaven and Earth during the Ancient Cataclysm."
"Oh? So you still have fantasies, huh."
"Of course. Can't I even fantasize a little? But..." Su Hua said somewhat dejectedly, "...it can only be a fantasy. Leaving aside whether Emperor Jiuyou could have possibly survived, even if he really isn't dead, it probably wouldn't be the turn of an ordinary woman like me to form a cultivation bond with him...
He is the peerless, indomitable Emperor Jiuyou, while I... I am nothing..."
"Hey now, don't be so modest. 'Ordinary'? If you're an ordinary woman, then there are no extraordinary women left in this world."
Women always like to be praised.
Su Hua was a woman, and naturally no exception.
Even though Gu Qingfeng's words were crude, Su Hua was still quite pleased inwardly.
But mentioning Emperor Jiuyou quickly dampened that inner joy. Just as she had said, even if Emperor Jiuyou were truly alive, she knew it was impossible for her to form a cultivation bond with him. Firstly, Emperor Jiuyou's existence was considered monstrously criminal, intolerable to Heaven and Earth—though that wasn't important. What was important was that Su Hua clearly understood she probably wasn't Emperor Jiuyou's type. If she had been, he wouldn't have taken her away back then only to abandon her. And most importantly, Su Hua had self-awareness. She knew that even if she were Emperor Jiuyou's type, and even if she threw caution to the wind to be with him, she could never hope to control a god-like man such as he.
Therefore.
She admired Emperor Jiuyou, worshipped him, and respected him deeply.
She regarded him as the god in her heart.
As for forming a cultivation bond, she had never dared to think about it, let alone entertain the idea.
Gu Qingfeng asked again, "Apart from that so-called Emperor Jiuyou, haven't you ever met anyone else you fancied?"
"There was one once. In my eyes, though he couldn't compare to Emperor Jiuyou, he could absolutely be called a heroic, indomitable champion. His cultivation underwent nine destructions and nine rebirths, his fate knew nine lives and nine deaths, his achievements encompassed nine immortals and nine demons, he ascended to the peerless throne, his destiny was wholly unique and rebellious. He toppled an immortal dynasty, severed an immortal river, dominated the Nine Heavens, trod upon the Nine Palaces, defied the Nine Heavens. Throughout the Three Thousand Endless Great Worlds under Heaven and Earth, since ancient times, there has been no second like him. He was known as Monarch Chixiao."
Su Hua turned, facing Gu Qingfeng, and took a few steps backward. Her face, capable of toppling kingdoms, wore a slight smile as she asked, "Well?
Does that sound familiar?"
"It does sound somewhat familiar," Gu Qingfeng laughed. "What, you've taken a fancy to me?"
"Hey, you surnamed Gu, don't flatter yourself, okay? I'm talking about the Monarch Chixiao in my heart, not you, the Monarch Chixiao."
"Is there a difference?"
"A huge difference."
Su Hua said, "After reincarnating into this world, I've been to every place you stayed, walked every path you took, investigated every deed you performed. In my heart, I always regarded you as a hero, a truly remarkable, peerless hero. You know, for a time, I even wondered if I had fallen for you."
"Was it that intense?"
Su Hua shrugged noncommittally. "During that period, I was truly obsessed with searching for you...
I thought about you every day, and often fantasized about whether, if you were still alive, something might happen between us...
It's just...
So regrettable, alas!"
"Regret what?"
"Regret that your appearance shattered every fantasy I had about Monarch Chixiao to pieces. Not only did it shatter my cherished fantasies, it also made me completely understand one thing: the gap between reality and fantasy is just too vast. So vast it's hard to believe it's real."
Gu Qingfeng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Am I that bad?"
"Let me put it this way: the Monarch Chixiao I fantasized about in my heart should have been an aloof, domineering, free-spirited, indomitable hero. But the real you? You're a lazy, casual, incorrigibly flirtatious, willful rogue, scoundrel, and good-for-nothing."