"Do you think this King Yan has truly abdicated and will no longer concern himself with anything?"
"He likely has. After all, with this great victory, the junior King Yan's contributions were immense, and his capabilities were thoroughly proven."
"But he's still too young. I suspect His Majesty won't fully retire and will still offer guidance."
"Minister Wu, what's your opinion?"
"Me?" I was taken aback, wondering why I was being brought into this. "I have no particular opinion. It makes no difference whether they both become King Yan; both are widely supported."
"Minister Wu certainly knows how to speak," they chuckled obsequiously.
The entire ceremony lasted a full five hours. Afterward, as per custom, the junior King Yan departed on his month-long tour.
I couldn't accompany her for that long, so I took my leave.
With no one in charge of the Underworld Emissary's Office, a commander I had met at Black Wind Cliff but wasn't well-acquainted with was temporarily overseeing its affairs.
Returning to the mortal realm, it was already the evening of the next day. With the New Year approaching, Shengjing was filled with festive cheer.
However, I hadn't been to the underworld in a long time, and my body was unaccustomed to it. I rested at Chen Lu's home in Shengjing for two days before I completely recovered. My days consisted of eating my fill, taking simple strolls in the villa district, then returning home to lie on my bed and rest with my eyes closed.
Shabia used the lunar calendar, and this was their New Year. Shen Xingyue returned to the capital to report, and I accompanied her. I met Bai Qingcheng and Lin Xi and had dinner with them. Afterward, I visited Old Master Lin's home. When I returned, I brought Bingbing back with me as well.
On New Year's Eve, Chen Lu booked an entire floor of a hotel. Xu Ran, Shao Chen, and those who had been traveling like Daji and Diana also returned for the New Year. I made an arrangement with them to gather every year on the Qingming Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and New Year's Eve, so I wouldn't miss them so much. They all agreed, as they were all idle anyway, and it didn't matter where they stayed.
On New Year's Day, it snowed outside. As the saying goes, a timely snow promises a good harvest. The few of us played together in the hotel courtyard. After our fill of fun, we had lunch, and then they all departed.
Yao Yao and I watched television in the room. She held the remote, switching between the news and movies, thoroughly entertained.
"Yao Yao," I asked tentatively, "Xingyue mentioned that she'd like to plan a wedding around this time next year. She wanted to ask for your opinion."
"That sounds good," Yao Yao replied, her eyes still fixed on the television.
"You don't have any objections?" I inquired.
Yao Yao finally turned her head, a lollipop in her mouth. "What objections could I have? It's your and her affair; you two decide. Do you need my help?"
"No, that's not necessary... I'm glad you don't have any objections."
Yao Yao had cried the night before, and I hadn't dared to ask. I thought it might be related to this matter, but it seemed not. Perhaps she was missing her home from four hundred years ago, her father, her master, and so on.
In March, school resumed, and I officially reported to Shengjing University, beginning my postgraduate studies. Although postgraduate students were required to live on campus, I was an exception. I didn't have a dormitory and attended classes with my classmates as usual. They were unaware of my background and simply assumed I was a rich second-generation student here for a diploma.
Not long after school started, I joined the postgraduate football team. My physical fitness had been enhanced, and compared to ordinary people, I was on a completely different level. My excellent "martial skills" finally found an outlet.
Days passed, and I gradually forgot about my past, casting aside previous events and embarking on a new life that was ordinary yet entirely different. The story of Wu Chengfeng reborn, his journey across two worlds and three races, the reality that no one knew until this very day, had concluded.
Then one day, with the gentle spring breeze, I sat by the window in the study hall. The warm sunlight spilled onto the desk, and my thoughts flowed freely, my pen gliding across the paper with a smooth, quick rhythm. By the time Yao Yao called me to pick up Shen Xingyue for dinner, the sun was already setting.
I stretched, then flipped back to the first page of the thick stack of manuscripts on my desk.
"I recently encountered a peculiar incident. Since June, every night, I've dreamt of the same girl."
I wasn't entirely satisfied with this opening, but I decided to continue writing, to record every story worth remembering, every person worth cherishing.
The End.