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  The snow is as fine as cotton, and it's another severe cold season. The entire Qingliang Mountain is covered with a blanket of white snow, and all things are silent.

  Wrapped in a thick sable coat, Han Xiu walked along the snow-covered mountain path to the pavilions behind Qingliang Temple. His footsteps were slow and heavy, his brow furrowed with worry from not having seen a smile for many days. A hint of melancholy lingered between his eyebrows, and his broad, sturdy back seemed especially lonely in this vast expanse.

  Today is the death anniversary of his birth mother, Mrs. Han. He is now busy with many things and has no time to return to Xining to visit his mother's grave, so he can only come to Qingliang Temple to add some lamp oil for his deceased mother, burn a few incense sticks, and miss the figure that is becoming increasingly blurred in his memory.

  Thinking back, a beautiful and elegant figure inevitably emerges in his mind. In this hall, there is also the long-lasting lamp of Ming Xuan's mother. He habitually lit incense in front of Lu Shi's spirit, and the fragrance wafted around, seeping into every inch of his skin, igniting those emotions that he couldn't express or forget, making his chest feel stiflingly painful.

  Han Xi left Lian Tang as if he was escaping, but couldn't bear to leave the serene and peaceful Qingliang Temple immediately. He let out a deep sigh, sent his attending guards far away, and walked slowly towards the back mountain with his hands behind his back.

  Behind the mountain, there were many levels of stairs. The mountain path was covered with ice and snow at this time, which made it a bit difficult to walk, but he didn't fear at all. He picked up his pace and slowly walked to a steep cliff, which was where he had pushed Ming Xuan down that day.

  It was precisely because of her determination that time, he wavered for the first time in his conviction that he must have her. He also became introspective and pained, stopping his relentless pursuit of power to think carefully about what he had done all these years. What had he gained? What had he lost? Did what he gained have any significance? Could what he lost be regained?

  When he finally figured it out, he suddenly realized that he had gone too far and couldn't turn back, couldn't go back, and fundamentally couldn't go back.

  Han Xi let out a low sigh, brushed away the snow on the cliff stone, leaned half of his body against it, and stared blankly at the distant scenery.

  He thought of the time he heard that she was taken away by the remnants of Lin Nan Wang. Those few days were exactly when she was about to give birth, and every pore on his body opened up, like a raging lion. With the most acute sense of touch, the most rational analysis, and the fastest speed, he almost arrived at Tongzhou at the same time as Pei Jingxuan.

  She was so close, but he didn't have the chance to take care of her in a proper manner. He didn't even have the qualification to check if she was doing well, this might be the greatest punishment from heaven for him. But all these were already too late, he gradually accepted his fate, no longer indulging in the imagination that couldn't let go of the past, learning to face himself and learn to put down.

  So at the moment he entered Tongzhou's territory, he didn't rush to Mingxuan's side like Pei Jingchen did, but instead decided to express his emotions in another way. Yes, he wanted to capture Zhou Yuan, capture the person who had put her in crisis, no matter the cost.

  After a battle that could be described as extremely arduous and exceptional, Han Xi's first move was to have someone go and ask about Ming Xuan's situation.

  At first, the news was that both mother and child were in danger. He looked worried and wanted to rush into the farmhouse several times. Later, it was said that the child was born safely, an 8-pound boy, but the woman was unconscious due to excessive blood loss. He felt half relieved and half full of worry and fear. Yes, he was afraid because after his rebirth, many things changed, which directly altered Ming Xuan's fate.

  If he hadn't been so reckless and had taken his time, how would Ming Xuan have met with this disaster? It's worth noting that although Ming Xuan in her past life suffered because of him and didn't live a good life, she still gave birth to three children safely. At least before he was wrongly killed, they were all alive and well, which was at least four or five years later.

  It wasn't until later that he received the news that Ming Xuan had woken up and both mother and son were safe, that his hanging heart was finally put to rest.

  For over a decade, he didn't send any visiting cards or approach the small courtyard even half a step. He didn't even let anyone see that he cared about her whereabouts. When she woke up safely and reunited with her husband, it was time for him to retreat and disperse. He quietly left and from then on only paid attention to her news in secret, but never dared or could intervene in her life which had become completely different from before.

  That was his own choice, and he should have let go of it long ago.

  It's easy to say let go, but it's hard to do. After all, the bond between him and her is a love that spans two lifetimes. She occupies too much of his life, so much so that they are inseparable like bones and flesh. Trying to tear them apart would only lead to his downfall.

  The mountain peak reached the clouds, a cold winter, the mountain wind was icy and bone-piercing. Han Xiu gazed at the scenery in front of him, his heart filled with desolation. At this moment, a bright and clear laugh suddenly echoed from behind him, he turned his head alertly, and saw a man in purple robes supporting a woman wrapped in a brocade cloak walking down from the medicine hut on the mountain peak, it was Pei Jingchen and Ming Xuan couple.

  He instinctively wanted to dodge, but was stopped by a woman behind him, "Han Xiang, please stay!"

  Ming Xuan smiled warmly and said to him, "It's better to meet by chance than to make an appointment. As it happens, I have something to say to Minister Han, may I trouble you to step aside for a moment?"

  She was open-minded and didn't have the slightest bit of petty housewife's air about her. As a man who stood tall and proud, being one of the pillars of the country of Zhou, he naturally couldn't show any cowardice either, so he also learned from her to smile and say it was good.

  She thought she was going to thank him, after all, he had been injured while capturing the Crown Prince of Lin Nan, Zhou Yun, and this was a meritorious service to the imperial court. He thought she should understand that if it weren't for avenging her, why would the Grand Marshal of the Zhou Dynasty personally take action to capture an escaped prisoner? His previous move not only foiled Zhou Yun's plan but also saved Madame Pingnan from danger.

  He thought she was thanking him for it.

  But she sent away her husband, and stood in front of him, only a grasp away from being able to grab him. What was she saying? She wasn't the original Ming Xuan anymore, she had already died in her own world, but unexpectedly lived on here, becoming Ming Xuan? Was this...the meaning of returning a soul to a corpse?

  Han Xi was shocked and bewildered, but after calming down, he thought that if he could be reborn to his younger years and relive his life again, then what's impossible about borrowing a corpse to revive the soul? He wouldn't consider the woman in front of him as a ghost, because if she were a ghost, then what would he be? Although she was no longer the same person he deeply loved for two lifetimes on the inside, she was still truly alive, just like himself, with breath, pulse, and temperature.

  She finished speaking, bowed her head and left without saying a word more, nor did she remind or beg him to keep the secret, as if it were an ordinary greeting. She walked away, leaving him with a heap of shock and emotion.

  He had thought that his arrogance would not harm the woman he loved, Ming Huan. However, she had already passed away at the time of their wedding ceremony, and her body was possessed by someone else. His later regret, reminiscence, and efforts were all in vain because the woman he loved had long been dead. After his rebirth, the two most important things he wanted to do were to avenge himself and give her a beautiful life that was completely different from their past one. In the end, the first thing proved to be a futile effort.

  And the second thing was cut off while he still wanted to climb up in a more rapid way.

  He didn't even have a chance to make amends.

  Does it hurt? Gnawing at the bone and burning in the heart.

  Does he hate? He hates himself.

  Does he regret it? If heaven gave him another chance, he would never let her down again.

  Do you want to drive out the woman who occupied his wife's body? Han Xiu had such a thought for an instant, but finally put it down.

  The real Ming Xuan is already dead, and no matter what he does, he can't bring her back to life. Even if he kills that vengeful spirit, it's impossible for her to come back to life. So why bother creating more karma? After all, the woman now occupying Ming Xuan's body is still Ming Xuan, so if he really takes action, he'll only end up hurting Ming Xuan. It's better to let that woman continue living in Ming Xuan's skin, and have someone to tend to the Longming lamp on Lian Tai at Qingliang Temple, while also giving himself another thing to think about.

  As long as he sees that beautiful appearance in his memory, vividly alive, it is already the greatest comfort for him.

  Moreover, after the extreme pain, it cannot be denied that Han Xiu also had a thread of luck in his heart. The woman he loved for two lifetimes still deeply loved him until death, although this was not the result he wanted. However, in the midst of the greatest misfortune, this realization made him feel much better. At least, he no longer felt defeated because the woman who fell in love with another man was no longer the one he had loved so much; they were different, and the one he deeply loved had always only loved him.

  For him, this comfort is a spark, enough to light up the cold night in his emotions.

  After the most painful grief had passed, his heart gradually calmed down. Knowing the truth, he suddenly seemed to have put down all his obsessions. Towards that woman who could move his emotions with just a smile or a tear, or even just a frown, his attitude became unprecedentedly calm. He no longer loved her, nor did he hate her anymore. He only wanted her to take good care of the shell of his wife's body, to live on, to be happy, and to share that happiness with his wife Ming Huan.

  When going down the mountain, Han Xiu's back was still lonely, but more relaxed than when he came, letting go of others is equivalent to letting go of oneself.

  Actually, many things are fine once you understand them.