Humankind Cultivation Origin

Duan Feng held Mingyue tightly in his embrace, unwilling to let go, as if she would slip away like she had in their past life. The night stretched around them, the flickering lantern casting long shadows on the walls. The room was silent except for their quiet sobs, the raw emotions flowing freely between them.

After a long moment, Duan Feng took a deep, shuddering breath and loosened his grip slightly, enough to look into her eyes. "Mingyue, after you… after you left me in our past life, I was never the same again."

Mingyue looked up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with sorrow. "Tell me… tell me everything," she whispered, gripping his hand tightly as if bracing herself for the pain of his story.

Duan Feng let out a heavy sigh. His voice was hoarse, filled with the weight of past wounds. "After you died, my world collapsed. I had always been strong, always had something to fight for. But when you left… everything became meaningless."

Mingyue squeezed his hand, urging him to continue.

"I became a man with no purpose. At first, I tried to hold myself together. I told myself you would want me to live well, to keep moving forward… but I couldn't. Every place, every moment reminded me of you. The home we shared became empty, just a lifeless structure without your laughter to fill it."

Mingyue’s eyes welled up with tears again, her heart aching for the man before her.

Duan Feng chuckled bitterly, but there was no joy in it. "I stopped caring about anything. I stopped working, stopped seeing people. I drowned myself in alcohol, thinking maybe—just maybe—I could blur the pain, even for a moment. But it never left. The loneliness, the agony of knowing you were gone, it never left."

Mingyue covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a sob.

"A month passed like that. A month of wandering like a ghost, waiting for something—anything—to take me away from the emptiness I had become. And then… it happened."

His fingers tightened around hers. "I was drunk, stumbling across the street late at night. I didn’t even care where I was going. I remember the headlights, the blaring horn… but I didn’t move. I just stood there, numb. And then…" His voice trailed off, his eyes distant, lost in the memory of his final moments.

Mingyue gasped softly, her body trembling. "You… you died like that?"

Duan Feng smiled faintly, but his eyes held endless sorrow. "Yes. Just like that. A meaningless end to a meaningless existence. I didn’t fight, didn’t struggle. In that moment, I was almost relieved. I thought… maybe I would finally see you again."

Mingyue could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down her face, her chest heaving with emotions she could barely contain. She reached out, her fingers tracing the side of his face gently. "I’m so sorry, Feng… I never wanted you to suffer like that…"

Duan Feng caught her hand, pressing it against his cheek. "It wasn’t your fault, Mingyue. You were my everything. And when I lost you, I lost myself. But now…" His eyes softened as he gazed at her. "Now, I have another chance. We have another chance."

Mingyue nodded through her tears, her heart aching for the pain he had endured. "We do," she whispered. "And I will never let you go again."

A moment of silence settled between them, heavy yet comforting.

Then, Duan Feng inhaled deeply and spoke again, his voice carrying a sense of mystery. "But Mingyue… my story does not end there."

She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Duan Feng’s fingers intertwined with hers as he continued. "After I died, I thought it was the end. But instead… I woke up again, in this body, in this world. At first, I was lost, but my memories of our past life remained intact."

Mingyue's eyes widened in shock. "You… you transmigrated?"

Duan Feng nodded. "Yes. I don't know why or how, but the heavens gave me another chance. A chance to live again… and now, I know why. It was to find you."

Mingyue’s lips trembled, her heart overwhelmed by emotions. "So… even death couldn’t separate us?"

Duan Feng held her gaze firmly. "Never. Not in this life, not in the next. I thought I lost you forever, but fate has reunited us. In this life, I will never leave you alone."

Mingyue wiped her tears, unable to contain the warmth spreading through her heart.

They stayed like that for a long time, lost in the past, in the grief and the solace of being reunited.

Then, after a quiet moment, Duan Feng exhaled and asked gently, "And you, Mingyue… what happened to you after I was gone?"

Mingyue’s expression wavered, a mix of hesitation and sorrow flashing across her face. "My story…" she murmured.

Duan Feng squeezed her hand, his gaze filled with patience and warmth. "I want to know everything."

Mingyue took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. The past was painful, but now, she was ready to share it with him.

And so, the night stretched on, carrying the weight of their untold stories.