Under One Umbrella, a Truth Revealed

He thought the white-clad woman’s voice was beautiful, so he turned back and called out to her.

“This young lady seems to admire the Skeletal Emperor quite a bit, even humming her opera while walking.”

The woman in white turned around.

Seeing that he was carrying a large bundle yet had nothing to shield himself from the rain, she stepped closer.

Her oil-paper umbrella covered them both from the wind and rain.

Under that umbrella, the two of them seemed to share a world that held no one else.

Only after doing this did she reply,

“This young sir, you should know that among the countless women in this world, many admire the Skeletal Emperor the most.”

“She was an exceptional female cultivator. What’s wrong with admiring her?”

Among cultivators, where men far outnumbered women, a woman who could rise to the title of “Emperor” was indeed worthy of being called someone “most admired by many women.”

Before becoming an Emperor, the Skeletal Emperor had naturally been an ordinary cultivator.

She had also been a prostitute.

If one wished to put it more elegantly, she could be called a courtesan of chivalry.

Many women admired her.

They admired her freedom and unrestrained way of life.

They admired her kindness and her chivalrous heart.

And most of those admirers carried a trace of envy, because it was difficult for them to see through the illusion of appearances and reputation as she had.

Yet even more men and women despised and detested her.

The reasons were not something outsiders could easily speak of.

When compared like that, “many” no longer seemed like that many at all.

And yet the woman in white could still so naturally say, “many women admire the Skeletal Emperor.”

“You are quite an interesting person, miss.”

A stiff smile appeared on the black-clad youth’s face.

It had been a long time since he had smiled.

At the same time, he thought to himself—

‘If I had met this woman earlier, perhaps many things would have turned out differently.’

‘But there is no such thing as ‘if.’’

Remembering that he still had other matters to attend to, the black-clad youth hurriedly said his farewell and prepared to leave.

“Wait a moment, young sir—don’t go.”

Just as he was about to leave, the woman in white stepped in front of him to stop him.

Though she was tall and slender, her frame was too thin.

To block him—burdened as he was with large bundles—she had to spread both her arms wide.

To keep him in front of her, she even threw aside the umbrella she had been holding.

The rain soaked through her clothes, outlining every curve of her body.

Yet she seemed completely unaware, maintaining a posture as though she were about to throw herself into his arms.

In truth she really did hug him.

“This young sir, I can tell you’ve had a hard life.”

“And right now, your heart must be filled with pain you want to let out.”

“But still, I hope you can find some light in this dark world.”

“I hope this hug can make you feel even a little better.”

At the end, she picked up the oil-paper umbrella again and placed it into his hands.

“My destination is just ahead, so I’ll give this umbrella to you.”

“Hurry along—don’t let your family worry.”

‘My entire family is lying in the graveyard.’

‘Soon, I’ll go join them… just not yet.’

‘There is light in this world, of course.’

‘But for me, the light is on the shore, while I’m stuck in a boundless sea of suffering.’

‘You say you admire the Skeletal Emperor…’

‘Truthfully, someone like you, who would hug a stranger so freely, is just like her—kind, unrestrained, different from ordinary people.’

‘But I wonder… have you also learned what she was like behind closed doors…?’

“Hey, hey—why is your face getting so red and hot?”

“My apologies—I lost my composure.”

Realizing he had been thinking thoughts he absolutely shouldn’t have, the black-clad youth quickly steadied himself.

Then he suddenly noticed something off about her voice just now.

“You… are you a man dressed as a woman?”