C1 I Told You!

The sky was overcast, with dark clouds blanketing the heavens. Gusts of wind swept through one after another, quickly followed by a fine drizzle, like cow hair floating down.

In the southern part of Gliatol City, a humble breakfast shop stood, its atmosphere heavy with an unusual oppression. A wreath of white flowers lay at the entrance, and occasionally, black ashes carrying faint sparks twirled out the door. Inside, a coffin had been placed among the tables and chairs.

Zhu Zhaofeng, clad in simple mourning attire, had tear-streaked cheeks and wobbly legs, her gaze heavy with grief. The young man lying serenely in the coffin had sharp, striking features – not conventionally handsome, but he had a pleasant countenance. He was Zhu Zhaofeng's only son, Liu Changqing, a college student on the cusp of graduation.

Zhu Zhaofeng had believed that once Liu Changqing graduated, their days of hardship would finally be behind them. But fate had cruelly snatched him away, leaving her to mourn the unthinkable – a mother burying her child.

"Zhaofeng, try to find peace. Don't let sorrow overwhelm you."

"Aunt Feng, please stop crying. Death is final, and tears won't change that. Don't ruin your health."

"Zhaofeng, remember, we're all here for you. If you ever need anything, just ask. We'll be there to help."

"Poor Changqing, such a fine young man. How could his life be cut so short? It's just not fair!"

The old neighbors around the breakfast shop offered their condolences to Zhu Zhaofeng, but her mind was elsewhere, consumed by the image of her deceased son and the woman she blamed for his death – Ling Chuchu.

"My son's death will not go unavenged! I'll call the police! I'll take them to court! My son shall not rest until justice is served!"

Overwhelmed by her grief, Zhu Zhaofeng's voice erupted in a furious roar. The neighbors, taken aback by her outburst, stood frozen, unsure of how to respond.

But amidst the commotion, as all eyes were fixed on Zhu Zhaofeng's anguished cries, the young man in the coffin – Liu Changqing – subtly arched an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Where is this? Wasn't I obliterated by the cosmic laws? Could it be that I've been reborn? The heavens have spared me! Liu Chuan, my faithful disciple! Bai Wuqing... you would never have imagined this turn of events! Hahaha!"

Beyond Earth lies the cosmos.

This vast universe is split into four grand star domains, each aligned with one of the four symbols: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

Liu Changqing hailed from the Eastern Azure Dragon Domain and was the Evergreen King, a ruler who had reigned supreme over the domain for millennia.

He had a disciple, Liu Chuan, whom Liu Changqing had treated as his own son, despite having severed all personal desires.

Yet, he could never have anticipated that as he prepared to delve into the enigmatic forbidden zone at the heart of the four star domains, the Eye of the Universe, his most trusted disciple would conspire with Bai Wuqing, the Immortal Emperor of the White Tiger Star Region, to ensnare him in a trap!

Emerging from the Eye of the Universe, bloodied and bearing a black stone, Liu Changqing was confronted by Bai Wuqing, who lay in wait. They were cast into the Law Zone of the Eye and erased by the cosmic laws!

Convinced of their impending doom, they could not have imagined that a fragment of their soul would cling to the black stone and find its way to inhabit Liu Changqing's body.

"Liu Chuan, Bai Wuqing, your reckoning awaits. Your demise will come upon my return!"

A chilling glint sparked in Liu Changqing's eyes, his intent to kill permeating the air.

Gradually, Liu Changqing grew accustomed to his new vessel.

"So, this body's original owner was also named Liu Changqing? What serendipity... But how did such a young man come to die?"

Driven by curiosity, Liu Changqing closed his eyes and began to assimilate the memories of his namesake.

It turned out that Liu Changqing's girlfriend had left him for a wealthy heir at the university. Unwilling to let it go, Liu Changqing confronted Lee Ming, only to discover that the entire scenario had been orchestrated by Lee Ming, and Ling Chuchu had always been his partner.

Ling Chuchu had drawn close to him solely to swindle the antique ring he had found.

On the day he failed to wear the ring, an enraged Lee Ming had him thrown from a building, staging the scene as a suicide.

"Lee Ming, Ling Chuchu, you've played your parts well."

Though this tragedy bore no relation to Liu Changqing, now that he inhabited this body, their memories had fused, and they had become one.

His enemy was now his own!

"I owe you for taking over your body. I'll avenge you. From this moment on, we are one and the same. Rest easy, Ling Chuchu, I will ensure she faces retribution. And Lee Ming, I'll seek justice for you as well!"

"From here on out, I want the name Liu Changqing to echo across the world. I want you to stand at the peak, looking down upon humanity with a smile!"

Liu Changqing silently vowed to himself.

The ambition was grand, but his current body was far too frail. While Liu Changqing knew numerous ways to enhance his physique, the Earth's environment was a formidable barrier. The spiritual energy here was so scarce, it rendered many of his methods useless.

"How should I begin my cultivation?"

The state of Earth was even more dire than he had anticipated. Liu Changqing sifted through his memories, searching for a viable strategy.

Just then, a voice as clear as a bell drifted in from outside the breakfast shop.

"Auntie, please, take heart! Don't let your grief harm you!"

A figure appeared at the wake, and her arrival shifted the mood palpably.

Ling Chuchu!

Her presence caught many off guard, as no one had expected or invited her to come.

"You've already caused her death. Isn't it enough? Must you also desecrate the wake? The dead deserve our respect, not this display of arrogance."

"Get out! I can't bear to look at you!"

Upon seeing Ling Chuchu, Zhu Zhaofeng's emotions surged. Her hand shook violently as she pointed towards the door, her voice a thunderous roar.

"Auntie! I swear it wasn't my fault. I just wanted to bid Changqing a final farewell."

Tears welled up in Ling Chuchu's eyes as she spoke, spilling over despite her efforts to hold them back.

Ignoring Zhu Zhaofeng's protests, she approached Liu Changqing's coffin, her fingers grazing its edge, her gaze intently searching the interior for something.

Alas, Liu Changqing was clad in a loose shroud, concealing whether the ring was on his person.

"Don't you dare come near my son! Leave! Don't defile my son's memorial hall!"

Zhu Zhaofeng, seeing Ling Chuchu by Liu Changqing's coffin and associating her with her son's untimely demise, was filled with rage. She quickly moved to Ling Chuchu's side and yanked her away from the coffin, desperate to protect her son's last vestige of peace.

"Auntie! You're hurting me!"

Ling Chuchu, with tears brimming in her eyes, wrenched her arm from Zhu Zhaofeng's grasp, her voice laden with grievance.

"Hurting you? Consider yourself lucky I haven't killed you! You and your lover murdered my son and staged it to look like a suicide! My son was so full of life; he would never take his own life. You're a murderer!"

Zhu Zhaofeng's anger flared at the sight of Ling Chuchu. Had it not been for Liu Changqing's funeral, she would not have hesitated to exact her vengeance on this seemingly pitiful woman.

"Auntie, you mustn't defame me! Murder is a crime! And how could I harm Changqing when I loved him so deeply? If Changqing could speak, he would surely trust me and defend my innocence!"

As Ling Chuchu absorbed Zhu Zhaofeng's accusations, tears cascaded down her cheeks, painting a picture of injustice greater than that of Dou E herself.

"You..."

Zhu Zhaofeng was so incensed by Ling Chuchu's plea that she nearly passed out with rage.

Liu Changqing lay silent in his casket, their heated exchange echoing clearly in his ears.

The truth was unknown to the onlookers, who might have been swayed to pity Ling Chuchu, but only Liu Changqing was acutely aware of the vile nature of this woman, who outwardly resembled a pure white lotus.

"Hehe! Ling Chuchu, since you believe I would speak on your behalf, then listen well!"

A chilling voice suddenly pierced the somber silence of the mourning hall.