Three Lives Three Worlds
Wherever Step Goes, Lotus Blooms:
Vol 1, Metamorphosis
三生三世 步生莲之化茧
When the Demon Locking Pagoda collapsed, it caused a devastating upheaval that threatened to destroy Heaven and Earth. At that moment, the 27th Heaven was surprisingly quiet, the immortals sighed and left one by one. No one noticed that the Red Lotus Fairy from the Jade Pond was trapped under the nine-storey pagoda.
She was awakened by the pain and when she opened her eyes, she saw a sea of blood. Her legs were severed by the demon-trapping boulder, and the blackened ruins of the Demon Locking Pagoda lay horizontally in front of her. Amidst the cold moonlight, the pain was like a layer upon layer of dense spider web, tightly enveloping her like a pupa that could not break out of its cocoon.
The evil miasma, no longer confined by the gods, roamed freely like a dragon soaring above the Eastern Heavens, turning smoke into bloody rain, weaving a beautiful crimson sash across the river of stars.
As the crimson rain landed on her face, a wave of ice-piercing chill permeated her skin. Big droplets of cold sweat broke out on her forehead and rolled down her face, her dry throat unable to utter a sound.
Pain, endless and continuous pain.
She did not know if she should beg for her life or her death, and who she should beseech. The pain prevented her from moving even an inch... and even if she wanted to end her agony by her own hand, she couldn’t.
Beneath the rain and fog, she recalled the reason why she was here. She had accompanied her good friend, Sang Ji, to help him free his beloved from the Demon Locking Pagoda. How could she not be aware that breaking into the Demon Locking Pagoda was a serious enough crime to warrant the perpetual removal of her title in the Immortal Registry? It was merely because she had set her hopes high, believing in her consistently good fortune.
But no matter how much luck one has, there will come a day when it will finally be used up.
This time, however, the ones intending to be rescued managed to leave safely, while the rescuer who exhausted all of her luck had to take their place in bearing the wrath of the nine-storey pagoda.
When the pagoda came crumbling down, the demon trapping boulder made a loud rumbling sound and began falling from the roof of the tower. With the speed of a meteorite, the boulder split the scorched ground barely three inches in front of her.
She had just enough time to say, “Don’t turn around”.
Don’t turn around.
The last thing she saw before the demon-trapping boulder blocked her sight was Sang Ji carrying his beloved woman close to his chest, carefully avoiding the dust and crushed rock. He had listened to her and not turned around.
One cannot see the Heavenly Palace from the 27th Heaven. She did not know if they had safely escaped. To save them, she had thrown in her life. She had no idea that it would be this dangerous. Before embarking on this rescue, she had convinced herself that this was the last time she would do such a thing. As long as they escaped from the Nine Heavens, she would no longer put herself on the line for friendship, she could finally look forward to an easy life.
Who knew that her thoughts would come true. It was indeed the last time, the very last time for her.
For an immortal, dying inside the Demon Locking Pagoda was really a loss of dignity. She wanted to clamber out of the ruins little by little, but surrounded by bloodied broken rock, every movement caused her unbearable pain, as if a thousand blunt knives were repeatedly slashing her body.
She watched as her own blood oozed out from under the demon-trapping boulder winding straight into the mirror-like Sea of Agony. Red lotuses bloomed along the meandering trail of blood. In just an instant, the 27th Heaven had transformed into an enchanting crimson sea.
In the three thousand worlds, no matter where the red lotus existed, its final bloom would be one of unprecedented beauty. Besides, she was the Flower God who held the highest position as the Flower Master in the Four Seas and Eight Realms.
She was about to die. Her last bloom was so resplendent it outshone the ten thousand miles of flowers blooming along the Jade Pool in spring.
The evil miasma shrouding the horizon suddenly amassed into an enormous human form, viciously ramming against the four sides of the Tian Gang shield, letting out a horrifyingly deep growl.
It was the break of dawn. And the precise hour to meet evil.
She no longer placed any hopes that someone would come back and rescue her, though such thoughts did flash through her mind when she had just awakened.
But the Demon Locking Pagoda had collapsed, and with it, tens of thousands of evil monsters had chaotically emerged. Moreover, the gods' use of the Tian Gang shield to seal the 27th Heaven showed that no one in the Nine Heavens could contain the resentment of those monsters that had been locked up for many thousands of years.
She had already accepted her fate.
She had not been born of immortal origin but had cultivated in spirit form to become an immortal. By right, she should have eliminated the Seven Emotions and given up the Six Desires. Even if she got lucky this time and was saved, what she truly desired in her heart was still unattainable. So it was just as well that this befell her.
There was nothing for her to look forward to in this life, so it was perfectly fine if she could not escape from the Demon Locking Pagoda. She might become a laughing stock in the future, but she wouldn’t be around to hear it anyway.
Just as she was about to close her eyes peacefully, the sudden mellow notes of a flute floated across the vast sea of clouds. Under the harmonic sound of the flute, the evil miasma that had gathered across the Eastern Heavens began behaving like a trapped beast that had been stabbed at its vital point, snarling and struggling hysterically.
The pain that enveloped her suddenly faded away, she opened her eyes just in time to watch the scene unfold before her vast, obscure vision.
Not far in the distance, a towering wave suddenly arose from the clouds. Hovering behind the white waves was a large magnificent, resplendent silver dragon.
She raised her hands wanting to rub her eyes, but could not find the strength to do so.
Each onrushing wave rose taller than the previous one, it was as if a thousand cavalry were dashing forth, the roiling evil miasma instantly disappearing as each wave washed over it. The rain shed its crimson colour, the melodious sounds of the flute permeating the river of stars, and the 27th Heaven returned to its pristine state.
Across the Four Seas and Eight Realms, only one person, she knew, could make an entrance amidst such a magnificent landscape, accompanied by the melodic sounds of the flute. But at this time, the said person should be engaged in battle, fighting in the great Southern Realm occupied by the Demon race.
Before she could think any further, a pair of white brocade shoes appeared in her line of vision. Although there was blood everywhere, the shoes remained spotless. A male voice rang coldly above her, “I merely left for a few days, and you have already gotten yourself into such a sorry state.”
Straining to raise her head, she looked at the white-robed immortal Lord who had crouched down beside her. A bitter smile appeared on her pale face as she haltingly replied, “I just thought… this time will also… be lucky…”
The misty smoke gradually dispersed, the white sunlight passed through the Tian Gang shield, reaching out to every corner of the 27th Heaven. She couldn't see his expression clearly, but she could feel his cold fingers stroking the side of her face, “You really think all that has occurred was purely luck?”
This was the first time he spoke to her in this manner. He had never said such things to her before.
Maybe she was nearing death, many things that she had not thought about before suddenly became clear in her heart. It was funny, she was an immortal, yet she believed that good luck existed in the world.
Despite experiencing the immense pain of being crushed under the Demon Locking Tower, she had not shed a single tear. She had never cried in her life, not because she was strong, but because the red lotus was born without tears.
The red lotus had no tears, but a broken heart will shed tears of blood. A drop of blood fell from the corner of her eye, gliding down her pale cheeks.
She understood it all too late but didn't know how to reply. The blood tear solidified into a red jade and fell into his hand. She opened her lips and tried her best to complete what she wanted to say, “If there is a next life, your Third Highness…”
Clutching his hand, “If there is a next life…” Her last moment had arrived, the sea of red lotuses around her withered in an instant, but her words remained incomplete. Her pale fingers slipped off his hand, a tiny drop of blood tear still brewing in the corner of her now-closed eyes.
He lowered his head and looked at her. After a long time, he placed the red jade in her icy, cold palm, clenching it tightly, “If there were a next life, what would you do, Chang Yi?”
Waves rose a thousand feet in the Sea of Agony, the floating epiphyllum flowers bloomed one after another, the white flowers fluttering in the rain.
If there were a next life... But how could an immortal have a next life?
Credits
Dragon : Vincent Coviello
Digital manip of final scene: Ninky
Story: 唐七 | Tang Qi
Book Title: 三生三世 步生莲之化茧 | Wherever Step Goes, Lotus Blooms: Metamorphosis
Copyright Statement
The above translation is completed by our translation team from Chinese author, Tang Qi’s original work, Three Lives Three Worlds, Wherever Steps Go, Lotus Bloom: Vol 1, God's Metamorphosis, Prologue. All copyright belongs to Tang Qi.
以上的英语翻译都是本翻译组从唐七原作， 三生三世步生莲之化茧，楔子所翻译的。版权都是作者唐七所拥有。