Chapter 231: The Country of Water’s Song

Chapter 231: The Country of Water's Song

The corpse puppet cut Lu Yan off with a single sentence:

"There is no need."

He had no curiosity. His orders were simply to keep Lu Yan in the Xuanzhu Palace until the Sword Inquiry Conference ended, nothing more.

Lu Yan, however, seemed to ignore his words and continued on his own: "Speaking of thousands of years ago, when humanity thrived and immortals, buddhas, demons, and devils retreated..."

The corpse puppet coldly interrupted: "I said I don't want to hear it."

Lu Yan glared at him: "Who said I was talking to you? Can't I talk to myself if I want? What's it got to do with you?!"

"..."

The corpse puppet fell silent.

Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Lu Yan found a spot under the corridor by the palace entrance and sat down, continuing to speak to himself: "In the distant southern realm, there was an ancient country that had long since perished—the Country of Water's Song."

Water... Song... Country...

These three words struck a chord in the corpse puppet's heart, evoking an inexplicable sense of familiarity and unease. He closed his eyes and slowly tightened his grip on the golden spear, suppressing the strange feeling.

"Speaking of this Country of Water's Song, it was truly remarkable. Its people were descendants of the Rain God, and the royal family possessed the divine power to summon rain. Thus, the seasons were always favorable, the people lived in harmony, and though not powerful, it was a land of bliss."

"However, during a great drought across the human world, where no rain fell for three years, surrounding countries suffered crop failures and extreme heat—heat so intense it could melt gold and turn stones into ash. You can imagine how hot the sun must have been. Only the Country of Water's Song, protected by the Rain God, escaped this calamity."

"But did they really rely on the Rain God's protection?"

Lu Yan suddenly changed the tone of his narration:

"In fact, the Country of Water's Song had a national treasure called the Feather Dragon Cloak, made from blue feathers, light and beautiful. Wearing this cloak could summon rain, without fail. This was the true secret behind their ability to call rain."

An innocent man bears no guilt, but possession of a treasure invites peril.

For some reason, these words suddenly surfaced in the corpse puppet's mind. Lu Yan mentioned that the Country of Water's Song had weak military strength and possessed a valuable treasure. During the prolonged drought, if other countries learned of this, it would inevitably lead to war and chaos.

Lu Yan asked meaningfully: "General Corpse Puppet, what do you think happened next?"

The corpse puppet replied indifferently: "I won't guess."

Lu Yan: "Actually, it's obvious. The Country of Water's Song faced the covetous eyes and attacks of other countries. They besieged the city, forcing the ruler to surrender the Feather Dragon Cloak. If not, they would slaughter everyone. The ruler had no choice but to give up the treasure. However—"

Lu Yan deliberately emphasized these two words: "However, in times of turmoil, there are no gentlemen. After obtaining the Feather Dragon Cloak, those people wouldn't let go of the fertile land of the Country of Water's Song. War and slaughter still ensued, and within half a month, they reached the capital, turning it into a river of blood."

"The ruler of the Country of Water's Song had countless princes but only one princess, whom he cherished dearly. She was a celestial beauty, resembling a goddess. Despite being a goddess, she couldn't help but fall in love. During one year's Rain God Festival, she wore the Feather Dragon Cloak and danced on a white jade platform several feet high, amidst a bustling crowd..."

Outside the Xuanzhu Palace, the air was quiet, except for the rustling of red blossoms falling from a tree nearby. As Lu Yan narrated, fragmented images flashed through the corpse puppet's mind.

On the white jade platform, the goddess danced in the rain. Her blue figure moved gracefully, captivating the audience who craned their necks to watch her.

Suddenly, a crack appeared on the platform, and pieces of stone fell. The blue figure stumbled and fell like a broken-winged butterfly. The crowd gasped, but another figure clad in golden armor leaped into the air and caught the princess just in time.

Such a meeting would be considered beautiful in myths or legends.

Yet, Lu Yan commented:

"If given a chance to start over, the goddess would rather die than fall, and the young general would rather sever his arm than allow this fateful encounter."

The usually cold corpse puppet slowly turned to look at Lu Yan. His sharp features were bathed in shadows, exuding a murderous aura, yet he looked no older than twenty, indicating he died young:

"Why?"

He had broken his silence.

A princess of unparalleled beauty and a valiant young general— even as a lifeless corpse, the corpse puppet knew they were a perfect match. Why did Lu Yan make such a comment?

"Why?"

Lu Yan responded with interest: "Misfortune led them together, fate played a cruel trick. Simply put, they were not meant to be. What good could come from two mismatched people?"

"From the moment the princess saw the general at the Rain God Festival, she became infatuated with him. Raised in luxury, she was used to getting her way and directly asked the ruler to grant her the brave and handsome young general. The weak and foolish ruler agreed."

"However, the young general already had someone he loved and showed no interest in the princess, politely declining the ruler's offer... Of course, it was useless. She was a princess, and he was just a general. Unless he planned to rebel, he had no choice but to submit."

For some reason, the corpse puppet found Lu Yan's half-smile irritating, as if he was waiting for something amusing to happen. Lu Yan continued calmly: "After the general and princess married, their relationship remained cold, almost like strangers. Three years after their marriage, various countries attacked, and the Country of Water's Song struggled to resist, suffering heavy casualties."

"The ruler had no choice but to lead all able-bodied citizens southward to relocate the capital, leaving the elderly and sick to die. The princess wanted to take the general with her, but they argued over it."

As Lu Yan spoke, he produced a folding fan and snapped it open, creating a crisp sound. This sound triggered memories from the corpse puppet's past, causing his head to ache intensely. His body uncontrollably slid down, and he fell to his knees.

Those memories were distant and vague, but he could faintly hear two people arguing. A woman's voice was sharp with anger, while a man's voice remained cold throughout, interspersed with the sound of breaking vessels.

"Now that the country is about to fall, why won't you leave with me?! Zhan Liu, today I give you two choices: leave or die!!"

"Do as you wish, Princess."

The woman drew her sword with a clang, her eyes red: "Do you really think I can't kill you?!"

The man closed his eyes calmly, the sounds of chaos outside the city still audible: "Zhan Liu is a general. Failing to protect my country is already a failure. To flee would be no different from an animal."

The woman sobbed: "But the enemy has hundreds of thousands of troops. How can you resist? We should follow the emperor and the people south and rebuild our capital."

"There are still the sick and elderly in the city."

"There are too many of them. The army can't protect them all. The emperor said, in times of turmoil, we must sacrifice the small to save the large..."

The man, who had remained unmoved, suddenly opened his eyes, his icy gaze carrying a rare hint of mockery, albeit derisive: "Large? What is large? The esteemed ruler, or the esteemed princess?"

"The princess enjoys rich food and fine clothes, all provided by the hard work of the people. Now that disaster is upon us, are we to abandon them like worn-out shoes?"

The man's accusations made the woman burst into tears: "Even if I don't abandon them, it won't change the outcome of the battle!"

Zhan Liu closed his eyes again and spoke calmly: "I know, which is why I'm letting the princess leave. You don't need to worry about me."

For three years, the land had suffered from severe drought, rivers had dried up, and the sea had withered. The surrounding countries had no harvests, leading to cannibalism. Enemy troops killed the elderly, children, sick, and disabled wherever they went, drying their bodies for sustenance. When the country fell, the remaining civilians in the city would become food for the army.

The woman cried out hoarsely: "If you stay, you'll die!"

Zhan Liu replied: "Dying for a cause is acceptable."

In anger, the woman smashed a vase: "You just hate me, don't you? Your beloved was trampled by a horse last year and lost a leg. She was left in the city with those other civilians. You're just trying to save her, so why make up these excuses!"

She then coldly swept her sleeves and walked out, but suddenly paused, pulling out a divorce letter from her sleeve. She slowly released her grip, allowing the paper to flutter to the ground.

The woman's face was blurred, but the corpse puppet remembered her blue dress, which was very beautiful:

"Zhan Liu, you are utterly boring. I truly regret forcing my father to give you to me."

Lu Yan slowly fanned himself. After spending time in the hall, he had absorbed the scent of incense, a sweet yet metallic smell lingering around him, carried away by the wind, reminding one of blood flowing everywhere.

"That day, the enemy attacked the city, their cries shaking the sky."

"Shuiyin had already moved its capital, leaving only the remnants of the population behind. General Zhan Liu led a thousand old soldiers to defend the city gate. The enemy came in three waves, their iron hooves thundering, outnumbering them a hundredfold."

The overwhelming disparity turned the battle into a one-sided slaughter. Eventually, even the civilians joined the fight, but the enemy generals merely laughed from their horses, ordering their soldiers to toy with these pitiful 'ants', stabbing here and there.

Zhan Liu fought fiercely, killing eight hundred enemies before finally collapsing from exhaustion, covered in blood among the dead.

The enemy general raised his hand to stop his subordinates who wanted to continue the slaughter, sneering: "Don't damage the corpses; otherwise, the meat will be spoiled. I want to taste the difference between the renowned General Zhan Liu and ordinary civilians."

Lu Yan's story reached its crucial point:

"Thus, Shuiyin fell, with tens of thousands of civilians crushed into pulp."

"However, as the enemy prepared to enter the city, a stunningly beautiful woman in blue emerged, adorned with a red dot on her forehead and a white-feathered witch's crown. She was the only princess of Shuiyin."

The corpse puppet's breathing grew heavy. His cold body began to feel alive due to Lu Yan's narration, the black patterns on his face fading, and something seemed to be beating wildly in his chest, perhaps his shattered heart.

But Lu Yan remained oblivious, fanning himself slowly, his voice distant and deep: "The enemy saw her beauty and did not kill her, intending to capture her for their ruler. The princess said: 'I am the descendant of the Rain God, with dragon blood. Only I can wear the Feather Dragon Cloak to pray for rain. Please return it to me, and I will pray for rain for your army.'"

"The enemy had failed to summon rain with the Feather Dragon Cloak, and their soldiers were thirsty. Seeing she was alone, they did not refuse and brought the cloak to her."

Lu Yan folded his fan and pointed:

"As the princess wore the Feather Dragon Cloak and ascended the high platform, the sky changed. Thunder rolled, but no rain fell. Instead, a massive water dragon descended, scattering the enemy forces!"

"As she danced, the sky darkened, and the Feather Dragon Cloak began to suck her blood like a beast. She continued spinning faster, using an ancient ritual to sacrifice herself."

"Any ritual that defies the natural order comes at a cost. The princess sacrificed her flesh and soul to the Rain God, blocking the enemy outside the city. When she exhausted her strength, the cloak was stained dark red with blood."

The enemy general, enraged, screamed: "Shoot! Shoot! Kill that wench!! Quickly!!!"

The unnamed princess stood on the wall, tears streaming down her face. She thought of her pampered life, the peaceful country, and the countless corpses below—her people, now gone because of the enemy's hooves.

She faced the rain of arrows, arms spread wide, her dress billowing in the wind:

"May the land of Shuiyin never see war again!"

"May the parched earth receive abundant rain!"

"May my loyal general,"

Her red silhouette fell from the wall, silently mouthing:

"May your soul never perish..."

"Boom—!"

The water dragon roared, driving back the enemy, then exploded, releasing countless droplets that formed a gentle spring rain, nourishing the parched land.

The princess's body landed near the general. Looking at the arrow-riddled man, she smiled bitterly and whispered:

"See, you died like a general, and I died like a princess..."

Lu Yan, tired from telling the long story, paused.

The corpse puppet trembled, head bowed, lost in thought. Suddenly, he looked up at Lu Yan, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes red: "Continue!"

He gritted his teeth: "The story isn't finished, keep going!"

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow: "The princess sacrificed herself to the Rain God, summoning the water dragon to repel the enemy. Before dying, she made three vows, all of which came true. The land was spared from drought, but the general, consumed by deep attachment, refused to move on, lingering over Shuiyin's land."

Lu Yan paused, perhaps because this part involved someone familiar:

"One year, the Demon Lord Fuguang passed through here and found his soul filled with malevolence, with missing soul fragments. Without protection, he might vanish within a century."

"Fuguang intended to guide him, but the general refused, stubbornly guarding the ruins of the fallen kingdom. Fuguang asked why, and he said his wife died there."

"Fuguang replied that the world changes, and wandering souls either reincarnate or vanish. He was the only spirit left, and might soon disappear, less than a fart, which at least leaves a stench. You'll be gone without a trace."

Lu Yan, lost in thought, continued, his tone lively and spirited, unlike his usual cold demeanor:

"General Zhan Liu refused, asking Fuguang to turn him into an immortal corpse puppet. Since the princess sacrificed herself and didn't reincarnate, she might also be a wandering spirit. As long as he lived, they might meet again."

But being a corpse puppet means becoming a mere shell of existence, devoid of any joy except for the mere act of living. As Lu Yan recounted the tale, the corpse puppet seemed to recall the scenes from long ago: broken walls, scorched homeland, a man in red and a fragmented soul standing face to face, exchanging words:

"Even if you have lost all memory and forgotten her?"

"Even if I have lost all memory and forgotten her."

"Even if you feel no sorrow or joy and become a mere shell of existence?"

"Even if I feel no sorrow or joy and become a mere shell of existence."

The corpse puppet muttered to himself, his mind dazed. With red eyes filled with unspeakable pain and regret, he looked at Lu Yan and spoke hoarsely, with a glimmer of hope:

"What about her?"

"Is she still among the living...?"

Lu Yan slowly nodded. "She sacrificed herself, and after death, her soul drifted to the Eastern Sea. Later, she was found by the Demon Lord Fuguang. Due to a trace of dragon blood, she transformed into a 'Water Sprite' and offered the Feathered Dragon Cloak for protection. For centuries, she has remained by Fuguang's side."

At this point, even if the corpse puppet were a fool, he would have realized the truth: he was General Zhan Liu, and the Holy Maiden Water Sprite was the princess of the Water Chant Kingdom. They had seen each other day after day, yet he had never recognized her in all those centuries!

Ignoring the corpse puppet's shocked expression, Lu Yan, who had been sitting for a long time, stood up from the bench and stretched lazily. "Later, when the Demon Lord Fuguang was suppressed under the Bone Sword Furnace by the hundred righteous sects, it was the Feathered Dragon Cloak that shielded him from most of the Scarlet Lotus Hellfire, barely saving his life. He then changed his name and became the new ruler of the Demon Realm. Unfortunately, now he is taking the Water Sprite to the Sword Inquiry Conference to settle scores with those righteous sects, which could be very dangerous."

Lu Yan suddenly turned around, squatted down, and grabbed the corpse puppet's shoulder, looking at him with a serious expression. "So, we must hurry to the Sword Inquiry Conference. Don't lock me up anymore. How about we go together?!"

Worst comes to worst, he'll cover the travel expenses!