Chapter 305: 305. Chapter 305: New heavenly rules and regulations are born

305. Chapter 305: New heavenly rules and regulations are born

Pingyi lightly embraced the beauty in his arms, their faces flushed crimson, they clung to each other in abandon; aside from the faint sound of the stream, only Hongye's weary, soft breathing remained.

"Playboy, you have taken my body; I must know your name. Don't forget you promised never to let me down."

Facing Hongye's unease, Pingyi simply held her tightly in his arms, leaned down and kissed her earlobe, and whispered, "My name is Pingyi; you must have heard of it, for in this Yunmeng Ze, my name is naturally known."

After Pingyi spoke, Hongye's face suddenly turned ashen, losing all color; upon hearing his name, she was instantly overwhelmed with boundless dread.

She had grown up in Yunmeng Ze since childhood; the name Pingyi was like thunder in her ears, as countless goddesses waited endlessly, until their beauty faded and their strength waned, becoming a legend of Yunmeng Ze.

It is a pity that what is sung is not the love between gods and mortals, but the tragedy of a god and mortal loving each other—forever beginning as romantically as she does, forever ending in gloom.

Hongye gazed at Pingyi before her, a flicker of sorrow and a hint of hope crossing her eyes, having lost her former confidence and coquettishness, she timidly asked, "Will you stay? You won't abandon me, will you?"

Pingyi merely nodded naturally, gave his promise, and said, "Put your mind at ease; I will always be with you, unless you no longer want me, then I will still be with you."

Upon hearing this, Hongye's heart eased a little; she fell into a deep sleep in Pingyi's arms, and Pingyi merely looked at her with pity, letting her slumber in his embrace.

When Hongye awoke, dusk had already fallen; countless stars dotted the night sky, but Pingyi's figure was nowhere to be seen—only the light and shadow from a nearby bonfire, and the occasional crackle.

Not seeing Pingyi, Hongye panicked, rose hastily, causing the cloak draped over her to slip off, revealing endless spring light.

Hongye paid no heed, continually scanning with her gaze, but saw nothing, only feeling a growing sense of grievance.

Hongye had always considered herself strong, yet at this moment tears welled in her eyes; clutching the cloak Pingyi had left behind, she burst into loud sobs beside the bonfire.

As she suffered divine anguish, Hongye heard the sound of snapping dry twigs behind her, turned sharply, and saw Pingyi holding some dry firewood, smiling at her.

"Whose little fox, why are you crying like this? I merely noticed the bonfire was a bit small, so I gathered some firewood; know that although it is still midsummer, the night still carries a chill."

"I am fine myself, but I fear letting the little fox catch a chill; that would be my fault."

Hongye wanted to leap up and rush to Pingyi, to hold him in her arms, but she felt weak and sore all over, as if she had cried for too long, and the day's exhaustion left her without strength to rise.

Seeing this, Pingyi casually set the firewood beside the bonfire, squatted beside Hongye, drew her into his arms, and softly said, "Don't cry anymore; I am always here—trust me, I will not abandon you."

Upon hearing his words, Hongye burst into loud sobs, burying herself in his chest; only after a while did she gradually grow calmer.

Her sobs made Hongye's voice break intermittently, as she whispered, "Pingyi, I open my eyes and cannot see you; I thought you truly did not want me."

Pingyi said nothing, merely patting her back gently with his hand; he knew Hongye needed not promises but silent comfort, showing her by his presence that he was there.

The bonfire beside them continued to burn, its flames swaying wildly in the night wind, casting light upon the two of them and even making the distant stars appear more beautiful.

Thus, the couple lived in Red Maple Mountain for over three hundred years, gradually developing the Red Maple Fox community, and their affection grew like honey and oil, increasing day by day.

Hongye rose from the bed, never having felt such happiness before; she met the Divine Lord, fell in love, and for three hundred years they shared life's joys and hardships.

Such happiness and beauty—if this were a dream, Hongye would wish never to wake.

Yet as Hongye hummed a tune with a smile, she felt that the past legends about Pingyi were utterly false, mere slander by outsiders.

Hongye suddenly lifted her head and saw herself in the bronze mirror—once smooth as jade, youthful and radiant—when a wrinkle abruptly appeared at the corner of her eye.

In that instant, Hongye lashed out, knocking the bronze mirror to the ground.

The bronze mirror struck the stone steps with a loud bang; its formerly smooth surface bent, leaving a dent from the impact.

Hongye picked up the bronze mirror from the ground, gazed at the damaged mirror, and saw that the dent resembled the wrinkle at her eye corner—so conspicuous, so fear‑inducing.

At that moment, Hongye seemed to understand something, yet she could not bring herself to believe it, still holding a sliver of hope.

From afar, Pingyi heard the sound, walked to Hongye's side, took the bronze mirror from her hand, placed it on the table, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Hongye shook her head, gazing at Pingyi, who still looked as radiant and extraordinarily handsome as before; a sudden sadness welled in her heart, yet she forced a smile and said,

"Pingyi, let's have a child."

Upon hearing this, Pingyi frowned slightly and said softly, "Innate divine sages have perfect lives and exalted origins; without a fortunate coincidence, it is hard to bear offspring. Moreover, isn't it fine for us to continue living this happily?"

Saying this, Pingyi gazed at Hongye, as if discovering something, and asked,

"Are you anxious because your beauty is fading and your life span waning? I command Yunmeng Ze and am a heavenly deity of the Heavenly Court; I have countless spiritual roots and herbs, so there are ways to preserve beauty and prolong life."

"You need not worry about this; if you are willing, we can live together until the end of time, remaining as happy as we are now."

Hongye's heart eased considerably, yet she still felt a tinge of disappointment at being unable to bear children; nevertheless, her mind settled.

Indeed, the next day Pingyi brought Hongye a jade fruit; eating it restores youth and extends life by three thousand years.

It was not that Pingyi was unwilling to give better things; rather, Hongye's body was too frail for these spiritual treasures, unable to consume the finer ones.

Yet treasures that impose no demand on the flesh can only be obtained when the Heavenly Court convenes its assembly, giving Pingyi a chance to acquire them.

Otherwise, one could only pray or appeal to Fuxi and the like; since Pingyi felt there was a solution, he saw no need to cling so obsessively to top‑grade spiritual fruits.

Hongye felt nothing about it; since the problem was solved, she naturally was happy to continue getting along with Pingyi, not wanting to think further.

After another thousand years passed, the couple remained as they always had been; Hongye's appearance, once restored to youth, underwent no further change.

Hongye had thought they could continue like this forever, but when she woke one day and looked at Pingyi beside her, she suddenly felt her heart hollowed out.

Having awakened Pingyi beside her, Hongye spoke hopefully,

"Pingyi, let's have a child."

Facing Pingyi's puzzlement, Hongye spoke, her heart full of anticipation,

"I have been thinking lately that if we could have a child, watching him grow little by little, seeing him marry and have children of his own—how wonderful that would be."

"Do you know? Pingyi, even in my recent dreams I constantly envision this scene—we live a peaceful life, our child running freely in the courtyard—how happy that would be." Pingyi felt bewildered; this scene, which to Hongye seemed the utmost happiness, held no appeal for him.

Regarding Hongye's expectation, Pingyi merely assumed she still did not trust him, and offered comfort,

"We two will remain happy forever; as for a child, as an innate divine sage I would find it exceedingly difficult to produce offspring."

"Unless heavenly signs point the way, heavenly timing and earthly advantage are present, and the Great Dao aligns, there is hardly any chance of bearing offspring; and for the two of us, isn't it fine to keep living just as we are?"

These words struck Hongye's heart like a thunderclap; the bronze mirror from a thousand years ago seemed to appear before her eyes once more.

The legends long circulated in Yunmeng Ze, Hongye finally grasped their meaning; looking at Pingyi, who remained utterly unaware, she rose, embraced him, and laughed, "Pingyi, do you know? Humans and gods are different—I have just learned that divine emotions are too heavy and too enduring for mortals to bear."

Hongye's smile held such complex meaning that even she herself could not tell whether it leaned more toward relief or toward pain.

Pingyi looked at Hongye clinging tightly to him, and a sudden ill‑formed premonition arose in his heart; he wanted to speak but could not find the words.

Hongye leaned in Pingyi's embrace for a long time, and finally spoke.

Pingyi, go, you are free. Love is important to people, but a person's life cannot consist solely of love.

Pingyi asked, bewildered, "Is it just because we have no child that you want to leave me? If you really want a child, we could simply adopt one."

Hongye, however, seemed to have set down the burden in her heart, her tone utterly relaxed, and she said, "People need something to entrust their feelings to, in order to keep them forever—whether as descendants continuing the bloodline or something else—but ultimately there must be something to bear them, so that people can endure eternally."

"Pingyi, I still love you, valuing your life even more than my own; whether you leave or not, I will continue to love you."

"But compared to staying, I would rather you be free—or, let my selfish self be free."

Hongye buried her head in Pingyi's chest; the two of them, naked, felt no trace of desire, which made Hongye ever clearer about what she should choose.

Between them there was silence; after a long while, Hongye sighed again:

"The love of the gods is too heavy."

Pingyi finally spoke:

"I understand; tomorrow I will leave, and let me stay with you for one last day."

Pingyi's gaze remained fixed on Hongye, and Hongye responded with a smile, just as when they first met, saying:

"You philanderer, why do you stare at me like this? I'm not something you can eat, yet you can't take your eyes off me."

Pingyi also smiled gently and said:

"Little Ye'er, how would you know you can't be eaten as food? Haven't you heard that a beautiful sight is a feast? In my eyes, little Ye'er, you are warmer to the heart than any delicacy."

"Don't believe me? Smell the wind—what home's cooking could be this fragrant and sweet? It makes me reluctant to leave."

Upon saying this, they fell into silence again; after a moment, Hongye spoke:

"How about we revisit the creek of years past together?"

Pingyi hummed in agreement and followed her.

Meanwhile, in the heavenly realm, Di Jun and Taiyi finally returned, and Qi, Nüwa, and Fuxi came out to greet them together.

Hongjun did not appear; at this moment he was wandering in the heavenly realm, having three hundred years ago suddenly expressed a desire to see the realm, and Qi did not refuse, allowing him to wander there.

Di Jun, Taiyi, and Qi returned together to the Hall of Ascending Heaven; everyone conversed happily, the matter of the starry sky was temporarily settled, and even Qi felt a certain ease in his heart.

Although aware that Hongjun was then in the heavenly realm for the sake of the starry sky, Qi believed the other would certainly not force him.

The Great God Yangmei is Qi's confidence; as the Heavenly Court that unifies the three powers of heaven, earth, and man, it is the capital whereby Qi now fears not Hongjun.

The East Emperor Bell trembled constantly in Taiyi's hand; Taiyi felt quite perplexed, yet never knew why.

And in Red Maple Mountain, Pingyi and Hongye beheld the stream that had long since dried up; its former channel had vanished, turned into a forest, and their hearts were filled with mixed feelings.

The bonfire blazed, the sky gradually darkened, specks of starlight swayed; Hongye embraced Pingyi from behind, a tear slipped down, and she whispered softly, "Philanderer, sorry, you never let me down, but I..."

Hongye did not utter the rest; the tears streaming down, the sorrow of parting in her heart, had already left her voiceless.

Pingyi, however, turned and embraced Hongye, saying, "You can still change your mind."

Hongye did not speak, merely shaking her head continually in Pingyi's embrace, her tears soaking his chest; the two gazed at each other in silence.

At dawn, Pingyi gazed at the sleeping Hongye, draped his great cloak over her, and turned to walk toward Yunmeng Marsh.

And at that very moment in the heavenly realm, the East Emperor Bell suddenly rang forth, its tone faint yet long-resonating.

Di Jun, Taiyi, Qi, Fuxi, and Nüwa all understood everything upon hearing that bell; in the end, Nüwa let out a long sigh, but spoke no words.

Di Jun merely glanced at the assembled crowd, reached down, took a golden brush from the table, and slowly wrote in the air:

"From this day forward, in heaven and earth, within the universe, gods and men may not love each other; violators shall be put to death."

Nine thunderclaps exploded in the sky; all within the primordial wilderness—whether god, immortal, or mortal—felt something in their hearts.

PS: Yesterday I suddenly realized my writing had gone a bit off track; I need to wrap up the main plot, otherwise the story will move too slowly.

For stories like these heavenly rules and regulations, if you have no objections, from now on I can only compile them into one big chapter and release it as an extra.

Please vote for me! Please recommend! Please support!

Moreover, over the next three days I will write 5000 words each day, in thanks for your past support! (End of chapter)