Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

Chapter 236: RETURN

Mo Xing sat on the edge of the bed, his form perfectly still save for the rise and fall of his chest, as he watched Li Hua rise from the jade tub. Steam curled around her like ethereal silk, momentarily veiling then revealing her form as she stepped gracefully onto the polished stone floor. Droplets of spirit water traced luminous paths down her body—following the elegant curve of her neck, cascading between her shoulder blades, channeling along her spine before collecting briefly in the twin dimples at the small of her back.

The herb-infused bathwater had left a subtle luminescence on her flesh, highlighting the perfect balance of softness and strength that defined her current incarnation. Her body was a testament to this life's journey—lean muscle sculpted through years of rigorous strength training. So different from the ethereal perfection of her princess form, yet infinitely more compelling in its earned magnificence.

His hands gripped the edge of the bed, fingers digging into the sheets with such force that his knuckles blanched white. The cultivation marks beneath his skin pulsed with restrained desire, obsidian patterns flowing toward his fingertips as if responding to his emotional state. He wanted more—an eternity more—of her presence, her touch, her essence merging with his. The week they had shared had barely begun to quench a thirst that had persisted countless years since their separation.

Yet, even as desire coursed through him, another emotion tempered its force: respect. He knew she needed this separation—not just for practical reasons but for her own development. She needed to stand among her brothers, to forge alliances, to grow into her power without his shadow constantly at her side.

The Celestial Princess had been powerful but sheltered; her second life as a ruthless assassin had been deadly but isolated from genuine connection; this current incarnation had the potential to become something greater than either. She deserved the space to integrate these aspects of herself, to become the multidimensional force of nature she had always been destined to be.

Besides, now that they had reunited, he could no longer afford to merely observe and manipulate his enemies from a distance. The calculated patience that had defined his centuries in this world must give way to decisive action. It was time to systematically eliminate or neutralize any force that might threaten what they had reclaimed—no longer playing the long game but bringing the full weight of his power to bear. Their enemies would soon discover the being he truly was.

His strategic thoughts fragmented as he watched her methodically dry her body with slow, deliberate movements. She seemed completely unaware of his attention—a masterful illusion that shattered the moment she angled her body toward the light, a movement so precisely calculated it could only be deliberate.

Water droplets still clung to her skin, capturing the ambient light as she bent to retrieve her inner robes. The simple movement caused a momentary disruption in his carefully maintained composure as her perfect form came fully into view—the elegant curve of her hips, the gentle swell of her breasts that had fit so perfectly in his hands just moments before.

A low groan escaped him before he could suppress it, his throat working as he swallowed hard against re-surging desire.

At the sound, she turned her head toward him, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips before she deliberately caught her lower lip between her teeth—a gesture she had undoubtedly learned affected him particularly strongly. The calculated seduction was so perfect in its simplicity that he couldn't even pretend immunity.

"Fuck," he whispered. This woman—this divine embodiment of perfection standing before him—would certainly be his undoing. And he would welcome this sweet surrender with his entire being—heart, soul, power and body freely offered at the altar of her existence. To be undone by her love was the greatest indulgence the heavens could offer, a privilege he'd gladly spend eternity savoring, one precious moment at a time.

"Ready?" Li Hua asked as she walked over to him, her robes now perfectly arranged, her hair bound in a simple yet elegant style befitting her beauty.

Mo Xing nodded, but instead of rising immediately, his hands reached for her, drawing her gently between his knees. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against her stomach, his arms wrapping around her waist with a tenderness that contrasted with the latent power in his frame. For a moment, he simply held her, as if committing the feel of her to memory—one final indulgence before their temporary separation.

Li Hua's fingers threaded through his hair, allowing this moment of vulnerability.

"Ready," he finally whispered against her robes, his golden eyes meeting hers.

Shadows began to coalesce around them—darkness answering the call of its master. It hummed with an ancient authority that didn't belong to this reincarnation but his first life. The darkness thickened and swirled, forming patterns that resembled the cultivation marks on Mo Xing's skin, creating a cocoon of absolute void around them both.

They felt the familiar sensation of void-walking—a momentary suspension between realities as the physical world dissolved around them.

Then reality reasserted itself, shadows peeling away like petals opening to reveal the familiar four walls of Li Hua's room in the Beast Tamer's Sect. The transition was jarring in its abruptness—one moment surrounded by ancient power in a timeless shrine, the next standing in the simple elegance of her quarters.

"Too quick," Li Hua whispered, almost breathlessly, her fingers still entwined in his hair as if reluctant to break the final physical connection between them.

Mo Xing chuckled against her stomach, his arms tightening around her waist rather than releasing her. "Agreed," he murmured, the simple word carrying layers of meaning—too quick the journey, too quick their reunion, too quick the inevitable separation that loomed before them.

He felt her body soften as she leaned over him, cradling his head in her arms with tender reverence. Her fingers traced patterns down his back that matched the cultivation marks beneath his skin.

"Stay just a bit longer?" she asked, her tone hopeful tinged with reluctance.

Mo Xing nodded, his hold on her finally releasing. He watched as she climbed onto her bed and moved to lie beside her, pulling her into his arms and inhaling her sweet scent—memorizing it, storing away the memory of her to sustain him through their coming separation.

He watched as her breathing gradually slowed, his senses detecting the precise moment when consciousness yielded to slumber. Her face softening into an expression of peaceful vulnerability that few in this world had ever witnessed. Mo Xing leaned close, inhaling deeply to capture her scent one final time.

With infinite care, he adjusted her position, gently laying her head upon the embroidered pillow. He drew the covers over her form with reverence, tucking the edges around her shoulders to ward off any chill.

Mo Xing moved to the foot of her bed, golden eyes luminous in the darkness as he allowed himself one final indulgence—simply watching her sleep. Her long, curled eyelashes rested against sculpted cheekbones, creating delicate shadows in the moonlight that filtered through her floor to ceiling window. The subtle movement beneath her eyelids suggested dreams already forming—perhaps fragments of memories returning, or new visions of a future they would build together.

A gentle smile curved his lips as he rose with silent grace.

"Until we meet again, my Love," he whispered, his voice barely disturbing the air between them.

Then, his form dissolved into darkness as he exited her quarters.