Chapter 21: Reincarnation and Continued Fate (Patreon)

[March 7th: There it is — the legendary lifespan debate!]

[Jing Yuan: A romance between a long-lived race and a short-lived race is, in the end, always a tragedy.]

Watching the scene unfold, Jing Yuan found himself drifting back to the past.

He'd never been in love, never had a lover of his own — but he'd had short-lived friends.

Each of them had left a deep impression on him.

One was Yingxing. As a short-lived being, he was, unsurprisingly, a legend of his generation — surpassing craftsmen who had lived for centuries during Xianzhou's Zhuming Era to earn the title of Master Smith. Together with Jing Yuan and three others, he formed the High-Cloud Quintet, and the five of them built a legacy that became legend.

Back then, everyone had lamented that Yingxing was short-lived, fearing the day he would suddenly be gone.

At the time, Jing Yuan had understood exactly how Gusttave felt.

Though certain events had eventually turned Yingxing into a long-lived being, Jing Yuan still couldn't bring himself to feel glad about it.

The perspective shifts back to the dungeon world.

Belle was still gripping Gusttave's sleeve, refusing to let go, her small face flushed red. Her mouth stayed stubborn as iron, but her fingertips trembled so hard she was nearly tearing a hole in the fabric.

Wise, who had been brewing tea, finally came back to herself. She wiped a tea stain from the back of her hand, lowered her eyes, and said softly, "Daoist Priest, it's only a matter of lifespan. There's no need to dwell on it so much. Being able to walk this far with you — my sister and I are already content."

That's what she said, but the hand holding the tea ladle had lost the steadiness it always had when she brewed tea.

Gusttave looked at Belle's hand clutching his sleeve, nearly tearing through the fabric, then glanced at Wise's fingers trembling faintly behind the tea ladle. Something in his chest went soft and bitter at once.

He reached out and ruffled Belle's puffed-up pink ponytail, then looked up at Wise standing before the stone stove, and said, half-joking, "You two might feel like you've had your fill, but I haven't. Two wives this beautiful — there's no way I'm ever letting go."

"Since I can't make you long-lived, then I'll just have to cling to you life after life — so that from now until forever, you are and will only ever be my wives!"

The moment Gusttave finished speaking, Belle jolted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bouncing half an inch off the ground, her pink ponytail puffing out like a dandelion.

"Wh-who wants you clinging to them life after life! How is your face thicker than the walls of Heaven's Gate Pass!" She hollered at the top of her lungs, craning her neck, but the hand gripping Gusttave's sleeve didn't loosen at all — if anything, it wrinkled the fabric into even more folds. Her eyes quietly reddened around the rims, her mouth still stubborn as iron. "It's only a few decades! I've lived plenty long enough already — who'd want to be tangled up with you again in the next life!"

[March 7th: Wuwuwu, the ultimate soft-hearted tsundere! Her tears are practically welling up and she's still being stubborn!]

[Kiana Kaslana: So this is the legendary sharp tongue, soft heart! Mei, Mei, I kind of want to cry too!]

[Raiden Mei: All right, Kiana, stop shaking my arm and just watch properly.]

[Jing Yuan: The regret between the long-lived and the short-lived — some things, in the end, are simply hard to let go of.]

"Daoist Priest, it's only a matter of lifespan. You don't need to force something as impossible as defying fate for our sake," she said softly, raising her eyes to Gusttave, unable to hide the emotion in them. "Being able to walk this far with you — my sister and I are already content."

"How would we know without trying?" Gusttave said firmly. "No matter what, I won't let either of you leave me. If the Bitter Love Tree doesn't work, then I'll raise hell in the underworld and tear your souls straight out of the Huangquan Clan's hands!"

In the end, Wise said helplessly, "If you want to try, Daoist Priest, I'll go with you. Just don't be too disappointed if the great Bitter Love Tree refuses to acknowledge it."

Belle's eyes went wide. "Sister! Why are you going along with his nonsense too!"

Wise set the tea tray down on the stone table, lowered her eyes, and poured the tea, her voice quiet. "It's not nonsense. If there really is a way, I'd also like to…"

She never finished the sentence, but Belle understood.

What she meant to say was — I'd like to meet him again in the next life too.

In truth, Wise wasn't the only one who wanted to stay with Gusttave — how could Belle not want the same?

But she didn't want Gusttave doing anything foolish for her sake.

A Pledge of Love directly between two humans — how could that even work?

If it succeeded, fine. But if it failed, knowing Gusttave, there was no telling what he might do.

Just then, Gusttave scooped the still-bristling Belle up into his arms with one hand, took Wise's hand with the other as she stepped forward, and started walking deeper into Tushan.

Belle thrashed in his arms like a fish just hauled out of the water, her pink ponytail whipping fiercely, mouth still going nonstop. "Hey! Let go of me! Who wants to go to the Bitter Love Tree with you! I'm telling you, Gusttave, even if you tear a hole in the sky today, I'm not making any next-life pact with you!"

[March 7th: Queen of stubbornness, Belle! Her mouth says no, but her body's so honest she's basically clinging to him!]

[Kiana Kaslana: Go for it, Gusttave! Make that Pledge of Love happen! I want to see life-after-life sweet romance!]

[Hu Tao: Ho! This Director is placing a bet! I'm betting he pulls it off! If he does, I'm setting up a mortal Pledge of Love service at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor right away!]

[Zhongli: By common reasoning, we in Teyvat have no concept of reincarnation to speak of.]

[Elysia: A pact that spans life and death, a love that endures through every lifetime — what a beautiful story, don't you think?]

The moment the three of them reached the base of the Bitter Love Tree, they ran straight into Feixiao, arms crossed, blocking their way.

Feixiao eyed Belle still clinging in Gusttave's arms and asked, puzzled, "What are you bringing Wise and Belle here for?"

"What else," Gusttave said, as if it were obvious. "Of course it's to set up a Pledge of Love for me, Wise, and Belle."

Hearing that, Feixiao looked at Gusttave like he'd lost his mind. "Did you get your head slammed in a door?! The Pledge of Love is for humans and yao! What are you doing trying that with two humans! If the Bitter Love Tree actually accepts your application, I'll eat every mountain in Tushan!"

Gusttave grinned wickedly at that. "No need to eat any mountains. Just put on the outfit I picked out for you and come to my room tonight."

"Ha? Now you're really pushing your luck!" Feixiao bristled on the spot. "I am not wearing that embarrassing outfit of yours!"

Just thinking about the outfit Gusttave had prepared for her, Feixiao's face went bright red.

[Kiana Kaslana: What outfit? Let me see, let me see!]

[Lumine: I want to see too!]

[Siegfried: These two sure know how to have fun.]

[Honkai Impact 3rd · Bronya: Feels like we've become part of their little play.]

Seeing this, Gusttave said nothing more, and instead led Wise forward to make a wish to the great Bitter Love Tree.

"I am willing to give up one-tenth of my magic power as an oath, so that we may meet again in our next lives—"

Wise answered without hesitation, "I do!"

Having received both their wishes, the great Bitter Love Tree responded to them.

As one-tenth of Gusttave's magic power flew out from his body, the Pledge of Love contract was sealed in that very moment.

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