A Moment But Forever – Tiffany Tang, Liu Xueyi

The divine lady Wu Shuang, Ji Tan Yin, awakened. As the creator of the Divine Hand, she descended to the mortal realm to search for the concept of the Divine Hand but was unable to return due to the collapse of the celestial ladder. Forced into slumber in the human world, she awoke to discover that a genius youth had emerged within the Youhu Clan.

She suspected that the Divine Hand was likely in his possession and rushed to the battlefield of Pinghu, where a war was taking place. Upon seeing the young man, Ji Tan Yin confirmed that he was indeed the host of the Divine Hand. However, he had yet to fully control its power, accidentally unleashing a devastating attack. To save the people, Ji Tan Yin intercepted half of the strike.

Although many were spared, she was ultimately swallowed by the sea—only to be awakened once again. Ji Tan Yin was then informed that she must retrieve the Divine Hand from Fangwai Mountain because the Great Jisi of the Youhu Clan was a cruel person unworthy of being its host. Since the human race depended on the Youhu Clan, they were forced to offer endless treasures and beautiful women as tribute every year.

Ji Tan Yin planned to use this opportunity to infiltrate Fangwai Mountain. However, when paying respects to the mountain forest, she refused to kneel, drawing the attention of the Youhu Clan members who had come to welcome her. Within Fangwai Mountain, a small stream flowed gently, surrounded by green hills, resembling a paradise on earth. The Great Jisi of the Youhu Clan, Yuan Zhong, sat leisurely by the lake, fishing.

A human sorcerer leading a donkey happened to pass by and noticed that Yuan Zhong’s fishing spot was the very site he had chosen for his employer’s burial grounds. He asked Yuan Zhong to move elsewhere, but Yuan Zhong merely smiled and told him that this was Fangwai Mountain. Upon realizing this, the sorcerer became fearful but, upon hearing that Yuan Zhong was an immortal of Fangwai Mountain, immediately flattered him.

The sorcerer, Wei Qing, performed a divination and told Yuan Zhong that he would soon meet his fated benefactor. Yuan Zhong simply smiled, showing little concern. Ji Tan Yin received special treatment—extra stones were added to her lantern. Noticing this, she removed them, coincidentally catching Yuan Zhong’s attention. Because her lantern had been tampered with, Ji Tan Yin lost her way and asked Yuan Zhong for directions.

Sensing that she was no ordinary person, he inquired about her reasons for coming. Ji Tan Yin lied, claiming that she admired the Great Jisi of the Youhu Clan and willingly came to serve as a maid. Yuan Zhong personally escorted her up the mountain, and before they parted, Ji Tan Yin gifted him a lucky egg.

Sheng Xiang led Ji Tan Yin and the others to Xiaoxiang Peak, where all maidservants had to complete their training before being selected for service. The instructor, Zhi Dai, was extremely strict, warning everyone that regardless of their past status, they were now mere servants in Fangwai Mountain. The artifact spirit, Zi Fei, delivered medicine to Yuan Zhong, and the two exchanged playful banter, demonstrating Yuan Zhong’s kind and easygoing nature toward his subordinates.

Yuan Zhong instructed Zi Fei to retrieve the registry of maidservants. Although Zi Fei found it unreasonable, he still obeyed. Ji Tan Yin asked the other girls in her quarters how she could get close to Yuan Zhong, but the four of them informed her that he had not chosen a maid in years. Zhi Dai distributed magical artifacts to all the new maidservants, placing them on their left wrists.

However, Ji Tan Yin quickly realized that the bracelets were restrictive devices and refused to wear one. Long Bo inquired about Ji Tan Yin’s experience in Fangwai Mountain. Although she had not yet met Yuan Zhong, she had heard others describe him as ruthless and relayed this information to Wang Long Bo. Hearing this, Long Bo no longer worried, as he feared Ji Tan Yin’s kind heart might lead her to pity Yuan Zhong.

He reminded her not to use too much divine power in the mortal realm, as doing so would trigger severe backlash. Ji Tan Yin, however, remained confident that she could retrieve the Divine Hand even without excessive power. Ji Tan Yin recalled that when she was frozen in ice, a small white fox had awakened and saved her. She wanted to find it but understood that after so many years, it might have changed beyond recognition.

Meanwhile, Shen Ying found Zhi Dai—it turned out they knew each other. Zhi Dai was the daughter of the city lord, while Shen Ying was his subordinate. Shen Ying wished for Zhi Dai to return to Yandu and offer the secret of eternal youth to prolong the old city lord’s life, ensuring the survival of humanity. From her roommates, Ji Tan Yin learned that today was the Youhu Clan’s White Robe Festival.

Seizing the opportunity, she planned to search for the Great Jisi but unexpectedly ran into Yuan Zhong. Upon returning, she found Zhi Dai frantically searching the room—someone had secretly performed a curse, and the culprit was wearing a maid’s uniform. Zhi Dai was determined to find the perpetrator.

Chi Yi was possessed and attempted to assassinate Yuan Zhong but ultimately failed, choosing to end his own life. Ji Tan Yin took advantage of the night to find Yuan Zhong, who was weak and unconscious at the time. She intended to retrieve the Divine Hand, but doing so would mean Yuan Zhong’s death. Ji Tan Yin, believing Yuan Zhong to be guilty of numerous crimes, felt little remorse.

However, as she attempted to take the Divine Hand, she discovered a restrictive artifact on Yuan Zhong’s body. She refrained from taking the Divine Hand and instead used her spirit to leave her body and return to the divine realm, where she asked Han Nv about Yuan Zhong. She began to suspect that the rumors of Yuan Zhong’s cruelty were false—otherwise, he would not have been bound and controlled.

Han Nv, however, insisted on retrieving the Divine Hand regardless of morality, as Yuan Zhong’s theft of it was a crime in itself. Still, Ji Tan Yin believed she should investigate the matter thoroughly before making a decision. While Ji Tan Yin’s spirit was away, her physical body remained, and Yuan Zhong discovered it. At that moment, Ji Tan Yin’s spirit returned to her body, and she found Yuan Zhong in an extremely weakened state.

Due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding Chi Yi’s actions, the Grand Elder gathered everyone for a discussion. Tang Hua suspected that Chi Yi had used the Art of Descent, but many elders dismissed this possibility, believing it to be an evil technique belonging to the War Demons and impossible to reappear. Ji Tan Yin, seeing Yuan Zhong injured, attempted to help him change his bandages.

However, due to the overwhelming number of items in her Qiankun Pouch, she took out many objects before finally finding the medicine. Yuan Zhong was intrigued by Ji Tan Yin’s pouch, and upon learning that it was a Qiankun Pouch, he realized it belonged to Wu Shuang, the divine maiden. Ji Tan Yin, however, falsely claimed it was just an ordinary artifact.

Before the conversation could continue, Zi Fei arrived to take Yuan Zhong to see the Grand Elder, interrupting them. Yuan Zhong, using the excuse of unfinished studies, refused to go to the main hall, and instead, he asked Zi Fei to inform the elders that the War Demons had been completely annihilated in the Battle of Pinghu, making it impossible for them to be behind the recent incidents.

The next day marked the grand selection event, a decisive moment for everyone’s fate. Yuan Zhong unexpectedly appeared, causing a stir, as he had not chosen a handmaiden in a long time. During the competition, Ji Tan Yin displayed outstanding abilities through various means. Meanwhile, Zhi Dai attempted to sneak into the forbidden grounds but found it impossible due to the tight security. As the competition reached its final round, contestants were allowed to showcase their own talents.

Ji Tan Yin boldly removed the restrictive bracelet on her wrist, shocking Lord Wen Ying. She also attempted to remove the shackles on Yuan Zhong, but the crowd opposed it, believing the restraints were crafted by the entire Youhu Clan specifically for Yuan Zhong. However, Yuan Zhong had long wanted to remove his shackles and spoke in Ji Tan Yin’s defense. In the end, he chose Ji Tan Yin as his handmaiden, and she readily accepted.

At that moment, Xia Zhi, who had lost all reason due to external control, suddenly appeared and attempted to kill Yuan Zhong. However, Zi Fei, Yuan Zhong’s artifact spirit, struck Xia Zhi down. Before dying, Xia Zhi uttered a series of cryptic words. Ji Tan Yin officially became Yuan Zhong’s handmaiden and moved into his residence.

Meanwhile, Zhi Dai discovered that the rejuvenation method she had acquired was ineffective for her father, so she set her sights on the Youhu Clan’s elixir of immortality. The elders gathered to discuss the Art of Descent, with some believing it was indeed orchestrated by the War Demons, suspecting that not all of them had been eradicated back then. Panic began to spread.

To maintain order, the Grand Elder decided to start a thorough investigation within the War Division, as the two previous victims of the Art of Descent were both from that faction. The Grand Elder, worried that Yuan Zhong would lose control over the Divine Left Hand, suggested sealing it temporarily with a golden ring. Yuan Zhong, not wanting to cause concern, falsely claimed that he had already mastered it.

However, the Grand Elder remained uneasy, knowing that true mastery of the Divine Hand required one to become a true god. Beneath the surface, unseen turmoil was brewing. When Ji Tan Yin learned of these developments, she was both surprised and felt a growing sense of injustice for Yuan Zhong.

Ji Tan Yin learned that Yuan Zhong had been shackled because the elders had deceived him into believing it was necessary for him to ascend to godhood. In truth, they feared him and had deliberately tricked him into wearing the restraints. Hearing this, Ji Tan Yin felt it was unfair to Yuan Zhong. He had defeated the War Demons for them, yet after his victory, everyone sought to seal him away.

At that moment, Ji Tan Yin coughed up blood—she had suffered a backlash from recklessly using divine power. Yuan Zhong had a dream in which he relived the torment he endured during his imprisonment and suddenly woke up. When he pushed open the door, he found Ji Tan Yin standing in the courtyard. He asked why she was there so late at night, but when Ji Tan Yin looked at Yuan Zhong, her gaze carried an unfamiliar hint of sympathy.

Unable to resist, she stepped forward and embraced him. The next day, Ji Tan Yin returned to the divine realm and revealed her findings about Yuan Zhong, shocking the divine realm’s inhabitants. Yuan Zhong was equally surprised by Ji Tan Yin’s sudden actions and confided in Zi Fei, his artifact spirit. Zi Fei believed that Ji Tan Yin had developed feelings for Yuan Zhong, but Ji Tan Yin explained that it was only pity.

She suspected that Yuan Zhong’s reputation for cruelty might have been fabricated by the Youhu Clan, using his name to commit atrocities. Ji Tan Yin told Yuan Zhong that with the Divine Left Hand, he should have been immune to all ailments, yet now he was as frail as an ordinary person. She believed this was due to the restraints and urged him to remove them.

While tidying up the Hexagonal Hall, Ji Tan Yin received medicine and supplements from Lü Yao, a fellow handmaiden. However, she quickly noticed that they were poisoned. Seizing the opportunity, she also took out a cursed object that had been used before and warned Lü Yao to stop her scheming. Meanwhile, Yuan Zhong had altered his training method without permission, resulting in severe physical weakness and putting his life in danger. To save him, Ji Tan Yin worked tirelessly.

Zi Fei had also exhausted himself, and Elder Xin Yao assisted in Yuan Zhong’s treatment. Ji Tan Yin, too worried to rest, kept vigil outside his door. Ji Tan Yin watched as Yuan Zhong obediently followed the Elders’ orders, relentlessly training to become a god so he could control the Divine Left Hand. However, no matter how hard he trained, there was no sign of progress, and his body only grew weaker.

In contrast, Ji Tan Yin had seen many others ascend to godhood in the divine realm without undergoing such grueling efforts. She began to suspect that Yuan Zhong’s training method was a lie and that everyone had been deceiving him. Unable to hold back, she warned Yuan Zhong, but he dismissed her doubts as mere stubbornness and ignored her concerns. Frustrated, Ji Tan Yin had no choice but to walk away.

Zhi Dai came to Yuan Zhong’s residence in search of Ji Tan Yin. She brought up the past incident involving a curse and informed Ji Tan Yin that the previous night, Lü Yao had betrayed her. Since the human clan wanted to break free from the Youhu Clan’s control, Zhi Dai understood Lü Yao’s actions. However, she could not comprehend why Ji Tan Yin continued to protect Yuan Zhong.

She had even secretly investigated Ji Tan Yin, only to find that her background was impeccably clean. Ji Tan Yin directly asked Zhi Dai why she was looking for her. Unable to keep it a secret any longer, Zhi Dai requested Ji Tan Yin to remove her bracelet and lift its restraints.

Ji Tan Yin saw Yuan Zhong preparing to train again and felt a deep ache for him, fearing he would once again push himself into a state of extreme weakness. She volunteered to accompany him. Together, they arrived at Ququ Peak, where the guards reprimanded Yuan Zhong for being late. Since Ji Tan Yin was not allowed to enter with him, she had to wait outside.

Meanwhile, Zhi Dai continued searching for a life-extending elixir and accidentally discovered Yuan Zhong’s training process. Ji Tan Yin remained outside, waiting anxiously. By noon, she grew even more worried, recalling how weak Yuan Zhong had been after training the previous day. Zhi Dai eventually found the beauty-enhancing elixir she sought—only to realize that it had been made by extracting liquid from Yuan Zhong’s body.

Yuan Zhong was pushed out in a wheelchair, extremely weak. Ji Tan Yin questioned Elder Ding Xu about why he had harmed Yuan Zhong, only to learn that Ding Xu had been secretly extracting Yuan Zhong’s blood under the pretense of training him. Ji Tan Yin, pushing the frail Yuan Zhong back to his residence, entrusted him to Zi Fei.

At that moment, the divine realm summoned Ji Tan Yin back urgently—she was being called to the Thunder Department’s Disciplinary Hall. Upon arriving at the Disciplinary Hall, Ji Tan Yin found all five Thunder Department Gods assembled. They inquired about her search for the Divine Left Hand, and Ji Tan Yin revealed that it resided within Yuan Zhong.

The five gods questioned why she had not brought it back to the divine realm, to which Ji Tan Yin explained that she could not. This angered them greatly. Ji Tan Yin further explained that Yuan Zhong had no choice but to become the host of the Divine Left Hand in order to protect his entire clan.

The rumors of him being an evil spirit were spread by others who had falsely acted in his name—it had nothing to do with Yuan Zhong himself. Ji Tan Yin insisted that Yuan Zhong was kind-hearted and refused to kill him just to retrieve the Divine Left Hand, which led to a confrontation with the five gods. She even staked her own life as a guarantee.

The five gods, wanting her to understand their stance, gave her a chance to reflect on her actions. Yet, Ji Tan Yin remained steadfast, suggesting they wait until Yuan Zhong’s natural death before reclaiming the Divine Left Hand. Faced with her unwavering resolve, the five gods had no choice but to accept her proposal.

However, they imposed strict conditions: Ji Tan Yin could not reveal her identity, had to stay by Yuan Zhong’s side at all times, must prevent him from committing evil, and was absolutely forbidden from falling in love with him. Ji Tan Yin was delighted that the gods had agreed to give Yuan Zhong a chance and accepted their conditions.

However, the five gods placed a seal on her body—should she break her promise, she would suffer a backlash, with the worst consequence being the complete destruction of her soul. Upon returning, Ji Tan Yin personally prepared a meal for Yuan Zhong, but it turned out to be barely edible. She even declared that she would stay with him for a lifetime and set rules forbidding him from leaving her side.

Since she did not understand human emotions, she did not grasp the true meaning of a lifelong commitment. Yuan Zhong was stunned upon hearing this, and even Zi Fei, who was nearby, found it unbelievable. Meanwhile, Zhi Dai obtained the beauty-enhancing elixir and handed it to No. 5. No. 5 wanted to take Zhi Dai away with him, but she still had unfinished matters to attend to and could not leave yet.

Ji Tan Yin brought Yuan Zhong a wild fruit, which surprised him. The fruit came from a very distant place, and with her restraints, Ji Tan Yin should not have been able to travel that far. At that moment, she effortlessly removed the bracelet from her wrist, making Yuan Zhong suddenly realize that the restraints had never affected her—she could take them off at any time.

However, by the time she had returned with the fruit, too much time had passed, and it was no longer edible. Just as Ji Tan Yin was about to leave, she noticed a faint glow from Yuan Zhong’s restraints. Moving closer, she lifted his clothing slightly to inspect it. At that moment, Zi Fei walked in, witnessing their seemingly intimate posture and misunderstanding the situation. Zhi Dai was deep in thought in her room when she suddenly heard commotion outside.

Upon inquiring, she learned that something had been stolen from Tianqu Peak, and a large-scale search was underway. Ji Tan Yin returned to the divine realm, seeking a way to remove Yuan Zhong’s restraints. The next time she brought him fruit, she continuously observed the location of the restraints on his body. Using the excuse of tidying his table, she closely examined them.

She became so engrossed in her observations that she momentarily forgot to hide her intentions, causing Yuan Zhong to notice and drive her out. That night, Ji Tan Yin continued researching ways to unlock Yuan Zhong’s restraints. She decided to investigate them more thoroughly and secretly sneaked into Yuan Zhong’s room while he was sleeping. Sitting beside his bed, she gently pulled aside his clothing to examine the restraints. She even leaned in closely, making their interaction appear rather intimate. At that moment, Yuan Zhong woke up and asked her what she was doing.