Till the end of life #bingjiu
It was roughly two decades after his reign that Luo Binghe's harem was dissolved. Most of them returned to their hometown, some passed in their personal disputes against each other, while some chose to spend their remaining lifespan there.
Luo Binghe gave them the freedom to choose their own fate. However, the only one occupying him every night since then was his empress, Shen Jiu. A century passed had since they resolved all misunderstandings and got rid of their heart demons.
Shen Jiu took the position seriously, taking care of all household matters and getting rid of anything that threatened Luo Binghe.
Did his consort look sexy when he ordered for a traitor to be executed? Well, the throne can attest to that, it witnessed all the shameless things they did - things that Shen Jiu would never admit, no matter how much he enjoyed it.
It was truly strange whenever he thought about it sometimes. He could get tired looking at ten different women, but Luo Binghe could never get enough of Shen Jiu no matter how many years passed.
However for the past few weeks Luo Binghe now noticed Shen Jiu had been spending most of his time sleeping. He no longer even wanted to join the court meetings (understandable, who wants to listen to those demon elders rambling?)
He joked that his consort was growing old. Shen Jiu bonked his head lightly, but said nothing.
He even gradually seemed to be losing interest in Luo Binghe's favorite sexy times. Luo Binghe kept checking if his body smells, if his pillar wasn't working well, if maybe.... well, if maybe shizun wants to top now?
(He used to be weirded by the idea, but if it was Shen Jiu, Luo Binghe would immediately get the oil ready before Shen Jiu could even blink.)
But Shen Jiu asked for cuddles instead, and how could Luo Binghe refuse that?
Horror dawned upon him as one night while cuddling in bed together, Luo Binghe brushed his fingers in Shen Jiu's hair and noticed white strands. "Shizun, your hair..."
Shen Jiu snorted. "You only noticed now?"
Even if they were called immortals, they weren't really 'immortal'.
No matter how good their cultivation, a human's lifespan couldn't compare to a heavenly demon. And Shen Jiu, whose cultivation was ruined in his younger days, couldn't achieve his max potential - including a longer lifespan.
All healers were summoned. But they couldn't find anything wrong.
It was because there was nothing wrong. It was simply a natural passage of time, something that nobody could stop - not even a heavenly demon.
As days passed, Luo Binghe sat by his consort's bed in despair. By now Shen Jiu could barely walk. His time was mostly spent sleeping. There would soon come a day when he wouldn't wake up anymore.
Luo Binghe refused to accept that. He held Shen Jiu's hands. "Shizun...would you let me..."
Shen Jiu shook his head. "You promised you would never use it on me again."
Luo Binghe vowed that he would never use his blood on Shen Jiu, the day of their marriage. But how could he simply watch now?
Shen Jiu gazed fondly at him. He slowly linked their fingers together. "This is fine."
Luo Binghe trembled. "How can you say it's fine?"
Shen Jiu held his hand tighter. "Let me go before you, Binghe."
"I wouldn't be able to live if you were gone first, anyway."
Luo Binghe buried his face in Shen Jiu's palms. What about him? Did Shen Jiu think Luo Binghe could keep living without him?
Shen Jiu sighed. "My days are short, compared to other immortals...but the days with you weren't bad at all."
Those words were as close to a love confession he had ever heard from Shen Jiu.
Luo Binghe stubbornly stayed by Shen Jiu's side. All duties were taken over by his children and subordinates.
On a cool autumn day, Shen Jiu breathed his last.
For an entire day, Luo Binghe pondered quietly, eyes staring at the map of the holy mausoleum.
Then few days later, his children noticed that there were now also white streaks on Luo Binghe's hair.
Luo Binghe didn't want to disappoint Shen Jiu, not when he had passed peacefully. However, he couldn't bear to live centuries more without Shen Jiu.
He thus suppressed his own demon side and let himself age like a mortal.
Perhaps one day, his soul too will enter the next cycle, and they will reunite.
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