Novel Name : Heaven Official’s Blessing
Heaven Official’s Blessing Chapter 211-220
Chapter 211-220
Ch.211: Forks in the Road; Spirits Alarm the Underground of the Heavenly Capital
RuoYe had already unwrapped itself from his wrist, waiting at the ready, but it retreated and
calmed after Xie Lian saw who it was. Xie Lian said, “You… Yin Yu?”
Since who knows when a giant hole that could allow the entry of two persons had appeared,
and Yin Yu poked half of himself out from the hole, a sharp shovel in his hands. He let out a
breath and wiped away his sweat, “Your Highness, it’s me. Thank goodness I didn’t dig to the
wrong spot, let’s get out of here!”
He had actually forgotten there was a holy spiritual device in Yin Yu hands – the Earth Master’s
sacred shovel! That this device wasn’t confiscated, it’s a blessing from the heavens! It seemed,
sometimes it was a good thing not to have too much sense of a presence, such as when amidst
the chaos of battle, the enemy would for sure not go for this person; yet on the flip side, his own
troops might injure him by accident. Xie Lian was just about to go to pull him out when his body
involuntarily took a step back. Yin Yu was puzzled, “Your Highness? What is it?”
Xie Lian was also puzzled, why would he back away? Then soon after he realized the one who
was backing away wasn’t him but Shi Qing Xuan who had moved into his body.
That shovel of the Earth Master was considerably familiar, so it wasn’t hard to think of the ones
who had utilized it in the past. An inexplicable wave of terror filled Xie Lian, and it was probably
Shi Qing Xuan’s subconscious reaction. Fortunately, Shi Qing Xuan’s reaction wasn’t overly
agitated, and quickly returned the body’s control back to Xie Lian. Xie Lian also quickly forgot to
ask Hua Cheng who the one they must enlist the help of to ascend the heavens, and hastily
jumped down into that hole, dropping into the Heavenly Capital’s underground with Yin Yu.
Above them, it didn’t take long before the hole closed. They crawled inside the dark tunnel for a
bit when Xie Lian suddenly realized something, “Yin Yu, can this Earth Master shovel dig
through the barrier locking down the Heavenly Capital?”
“I… don’t think so?” Yin Yu replied.
“Huh?”
Shi Qing Xuan spoke up, “Then that means although this sacred shovel is a spiritual device, but
digging all around you’d still be in the Heavenly Capital. Doesn’t that make it useless?”
Yin Yu scratched his head, “It’s not entirely useless… A barrier array has been set up outside
the palaces of every martial heavenly official to slow the recovery of their injuries. I thought if
they continued to remain in their palaces, they wouldn’t be able to recover their fighting powers
for years, so why not use the Earth Master shovel to dig out a secret room in the underground
somewhere and move all the martial gods there, and after everyone’s mostly recovered we can
try to break out?”
“Wait!” Shi Qing Xuan called out, “Hua Chengzhu says you tell those usel… those martial gods
to hide themselves and heal on their own; you’d be seeking your own deaths if you try to break
out under Jun Wu’s hands.”
Yin Yu was shocked, “Your Highness, you… can communicate with Chengzhu? I thought it’s
impossible?”
“No no no,” Xie Lian said, “The one talking to you just now wasn’t me.”
Shi Qing Xuan said, “It’s me! It’s me, Your Highness Yin Yu!”
But no matter how they spoke the words came from one mouth, and Yin Yu was confused, “It’s
you, but it’s still you, isn’t it you, Your Highness?”
Shi Qing Xuan said, “Gah, it’s me, me, the Wind Master! Wait, now you should call me the
Former Wind Master. I’ve used the Soul Shifting Spell. Sigh, relaying messages is such a pain.”
He entered this side to listen and watched, then returned to his body on the other side to relay
everything to Hua Cheng, repeatedly coming in and out, just thinking about it was tiresome. Yin
Yu quickly replied, “Oh oh oh, such hard work. So that was it!” And he returned to digging with
renewed vigour. The two crawled forward for a while before Yin Yu spoke up again, “Here…
should be good! Your Highness, please stay hidden here for now, I’ll go pick up the next
heavenly official.”
The tunnel they entered at the beginning was gradually closing, and Xie Lian said, “Huh? By
yourself? I’ll go with you.”
“No, it’s alright.” Yin Yu said, “Truth to be told, Your Highness, the bigger the hole the Earth
Master shovel digs, the more power it’d use, so it’ll probably be faster if I go by myself. The
closest martial god palace near here is…” He seemed to have thought for a moment before he
continued, “In any case, I’ll be right back.”
Shi Qing Xuan had been using the Soul Shifting Spell repeatedly, and the exhaustion from the
frequent immense use of spiritual powers was also affecting Xie Lian, so he sat on the ground,
nodding tiredly, feeling both his head and body were somewhat heavy, and he used his hand to
support his head up, “…Alright.”
Thus, Yin Yu opened a new hole by himself and continued to dig forward while Xie Lian laid
down on the ground and closed his eyes.
An unknown amount of time had passed before he suddenly jolted awake, “Yin Yu?”
It was pitch black all around, a blanket of dead silence. It was obvious Yin Yu hadn’t yet
returned. Shi Qing Xuan spoke up and also verified this fact, “Your Highness, you’re awake? It’s
tiring, right? Yin Yu hasn’t returned yet.”
After resting for a bit, Xie Lian regained his energy, “How long has he been gone for? How come
he hasn‘t come back yet?”
“It’s almost been two incense time.” Shi Qing Xuan said, “He couldn’t have gotten lost, could
he?”
Xie Lian sensed something was wrong and said, “I’ll go look for him.”
Then, he rolled over and crawled towards the tunnel Yin Yu had left in. Since Yin Yu still needed
to use this tunnel to return, after the Earth Master shovel had burrowed through it didn’t
automatically close up. Xie Lian crawled carefully within it, and a moment later, Shi Qing Xuan
spoke up, “Crimson Rain Sought Flower says: “Gege, you best not go”.”
Xie Lian stopped crawling, “Something’s probably not right, right?”
“Yea.” Shi Qing Xuan replied, “Hua Chengzhu’s tone sounds pretty serious.”
“But it’s precisely because it doesn’t seem right that I have to go find him.” Xie Lian said,
“Otherwise if Yin Yu ran into trouble…”
Right then, a chill ran down his spine. Xie Lian was startled and whipped his head around.
Shi Qing Xuan also sensed that chill down his back and exclaimed, “My god, what was that?
The back shudders!”
Behind him was the empty, pitch black tunnel, and there wasn’t anything. However, Xie Lian
stared at it for a long while before he replied, “It’s nothing.”
Shi Qing Xuan instantly shut his mouth and held his breath, because, right after Xie Lian said
the words “It’s nothing” out loud, he then soundlessly mouthed, “Don’t make a sound,
something’s here!”
There was someone else in this tunnel. They were right behind Xie Lian just now, but the
moment he looked back they were gone.
Xie Lian’s gut instinct for danger was never off, so he couldn’t allow the other party to discover
he had already noticed, and pretended as if there was nothing going on. However, Shi Qing
Xuan hated situations like these the most, and goosebumps popped all over his arms. He
mouthed back, “Is it not His Highness Yin Yu?”
“If it was him there wouldn’t be a need to sneak around.” Xie Lian replied.
After a moment’s silence, Xie Lian asked soundlessly, “Has San Lang said anything?”
Shi Qing Xuan replied, “Uuhh, umm, that San Lang of yours looks really scary right now… he
said, “Gege, if the situation calls for it, use the Soul Shifting Spell to move into the Wind
Master’s body”.”
However, nevermind that he didn’t have enough spiritual powers at the moment to use the Soul
Shifting Spell, and even if there was enough, Xie Lian couldn’t possibly just dust off and get the
heck out leaving the mess that was the Heavenly Capital behind. Xie Lian replied, “Don’t worry
about it, San Lang.”
He hadn’t even specified what not to worry about before he shot his head up to look. Ahead!
That sense of danger earlier had come from behind him, but now it was coming from ahead. Yet
when he looked over, it was still pitch black and nothing couldn’t be seen clearly. Shi Qing Xuan
mouthed, “Your Highness, what did you notice now? What should we do? Does this mean we
should go forward or back?”
After observing intently for a moment, Xie Lian replied, “This means forward or back makes no
difference, so whatever!” Then, he crawled forward. He crawled and crawled but then stopped,
feeling slightly flabbergasted.
Shi Qing Xuan said in spite of himself, “How could this be?”
What was before ‘them’ was actually a fork in the road. There were two tunnels!
“Um… Could Yin Yu have dug a path and discovered he was going in the wrong direction so he
dug another one?” Shi Qing Xuan wondered.
Xie Lian thought inwardly, ‘Yin Yu must be very familiar with the roads of the Heavenly Capital,
so how could he have made this mistake? This is probably something worse.’ However, he
didn’t say this out loud, and only said, “Qing Xuan, can you help me ask San Lang to pick a
path? Left or right?”
A moment later, Shi Qing Xuan said, “Crimson Rain Sought Flower said… He doesn’t
recommend any one, “Don’t pick either”.”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. While he also figure there were probably bad
things waiting for him at the end of either path, he still couldn’t just stay where he was. After
some contemplation, he said, “Then Qing Xuan, you pick one.”
“Huh? Me?” Shi Qing Xuan asked.
“Yea.” Xie Lian said, “If you pick, then there’s still a fifty percent chance you’d pick the better
route; if I pick, then…” Shi Qing Xuan instantly replied, “Alright, I get it.” After much deliberation,
he turned his head to the left.
Xie Lian nodded and crawled over.
The deeper they crawled, the narrower this tunnel became, it was almost suffocating, but still
passable. After turning and winding, crawling for a long while before suddenly, they became
delighted as they entered a much larger space.
Thank goodness. While they were tense and cautious the entire way, they didn’t actually run
into any real danger. Xie Lian looked over the surroundings for a moment and said, “What is this
place?”
Shi Qing Xuan said with uncertainty, “I don’t know, I can’t see clearly. But how come it feels a
little familiar… HUH?!”
He wasn’t the only one who noticed; Xie Lian noticed too.
It was indeed familiar! Wasn’t this place the secret room where Xie Lian had laid down and
rested for a bit to await Yin Yu’s return??
He was absolutely certain. There was also another tunnel, and it was the one Yin Yu had dug
out with the Earth Master shovel when he left, and the same one Xie Lian crawled out of to go
find him!
Shi Qing Xuan was creeped out, “How did we come back here? Was there… was this path we
used to crawl back from here before??”
Of course not! Earlier when they left, there was only one tunnel going out. The path they
crawled in to return was one that appeared from nowhere. When they ran into that fork in the
road, the path on the left detoured for a big circle and brought them back!
It must not have been Yin Yu who dug this; he wouldn’t have wasted so much effort for such a
meaningless act. It appeared he probably also bumped into this peculiar incident. Xie Lian
thought he really should have pushed to go with him earlier after all, and without another word,
he crawled into the tunnel he used to leave from before, and quickly came to the fork in the
road. This time, he chose the right path, and as he crawled, Shi Qing Xuan spoke up, “It looks, it
looks like this time my luck wasn’t that great either. I picked the wrong path. I should’ve chosen
the right from the beginning!”
However, Xie Lian said, “No, I think your luck is still really good.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Shi Qing Xuan said.
Xie Lian tried to word this delicately, “Hm, how do I say this… because, this path on the right
might be even scarier than the one on the left.”
Then, both of them heard. From behind them came the scratching sound of something rapidly
crawling and closing in.
Xie Lian unwrapped RuoYe and threw it behind, “RuoYe! Help block it for a moment!” Then he
started madly crawling forward, almost a meter per push, and Shi Qing Xuan was losing his
mind in panic, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HOW EXCITING, EXCITING!
EXCITINGEXCITINGEXCITING!”
Xie Lian called out, “The most exciting part hasn’t come yet! Come! Take a look–!”
“WHAT’S THAT NOW?!” Shi Qing Xuan exclaimed.
Xie Lian stopped his mad crawling and exhaled a long breath, and before them was once again
another fork in the road!
Shi Qing Xuan cried without thinking, “RIGHT!”
Xie Lian turned right resolutely, but on the following path, endless forks in the road kept
appearing. Shi Qing Xuan cried: “LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT!” And had already stopped being
conscious of what he was even yelling. And under such dire circumstances, with the situation
changing at a moment’s notice, it was even less possible for him to leave Xie Lian’s body to ask
Hua Cheng what should be done, because it was very possible that with the next turn at the
fork, the situation would change completely. The thing behind them was blocked by RuoYe for a
bit, but it was still closing in on them, and the tunnels were also growing more and more narrow,
more and more cramped, until finally, they reached the point where arms couldn’t move at all!
Xie Lian’s shoulders were already stuck, and he exclaimed, “I can’t crawl any further!”
“Then what should we do??” Shi Qing Xuan cried, “DO WE HAVE TO BACKTRACK??” The
thing pursuing them from behind was going to catch up any time now!
“No fear!” Xie Lian exclaimed, “A man can both charge and withdraw, if moving forward is not an
option then we’ll take a step back! If we have to then so be it! COME!” Then he took two steps
back, freeing a hand, and was just about to grip for the hilt of Fang Xin and fight that thing
behind him to his heart’s content when suddenly, his head stiffened.
Xie Lian’s mind froze too. When he looked up, he hadn’t even seen what the thing was but there
seemed to be someone who chuckled in the darkness, and a hand had reached out, placing it
on Xie Lian’s head. He widened his eyes and the next moment, he lost consciousness.
It was an unknown amount of time that passed before Xie Lian slowly came to.
It was only after he became conscious that Xie Lian found he was sitting on a chair and his
entire body was firmly and securely bound. He struggled a bit and discovered it was RuoYe that
was binding him.
Xie Lian was perplexed, “RuoYe, what are you doing?”
RuoYe was aggrieved too, and it drooped, nuzzling against him. Xie Lian then looked closer and
found RuoYe was actually tied in a dead knot.
No wonder RuoYe couldn’t fight back; it was scared of being tied into a dead knot the most. In
the past, before it wised up it liked to wrap itself around mindlessly to play, and as it played it’d
pile itself into a mess of dead knots, and it was Xie Lian who’d exasperatedly untie him every
time. Later, it learned to be good, smarter, and had never knotted itself dead again. Feeling
helpless, Xie Lian tried to see if he could struggle and break the chair apart directly, but
unfortunately, the chair wouldn’t move at all. It seemed, it was cemented by the injection of very
strong spiritual powers.
Since he couldn’t move, then he would just observe his surroundings first. Xie Lian scanned
around; this place should be the inside of whichever palace, rather new and glamourous, but he
didn’t know which one it was. Either way, it wasn’t the Great Martial Hall.
Just as he was thinking this, a hand rested on his shoulder, and from above his head came the
gentle voice of someone, “Xian Le, my dear Xian Le, you really are too mischievous.”
Hearing this voice, Xie Lian instantly froze. From behind him, that man came forward and turned
around with a hand behind his back. It was indeed Jun Wu.
His other hand was still on Xie Lian’s shoulder, and he spoke with each step, “In the past half
year you’ve come back, the Heavenly Capital broke here and there, destroyed all over, so
wouldn’t you say you’re quite the mischief? You’re not a little mouse, what are you doing
burrowing underground sneaking about? Is it very fun?”
This gentle, kind voice like an elder watching his beloved child mess about was giving Xie Lian
chills, making him incredibly unnerved, and he really didn’t know how he should respond. He
then suddenly felt a wave of chill by his feet, and when he looked down, he saw it was a bundle
of something white that had hugged his boots, watching him with an exceedingly malicious
gaze.
It was that fetus spirit.
Xie Lian looked up and had pretty much figured it out. Yin Yu was digging tunnels with the Earth
Master shovel but was captured by Jun Wu. Jun Wu then sent some things to stop him in the
underground, which was why he went through that terrifying experience earlier.
Xie Lian finally knew what he should say, and after a moment of speechlessness, he said,
“…You have such a despicable hobby.”
That chase in the tunnels reminded him of how he was suffocatingly pursued by White No-Face
back then, and Xie Lian passed his days in panic and anxiety. If he wanted to capture him, then
just capture him directly, why must he rouse such disturbing terror and cause such fright?
However, Jun Wu appeared to be quite cheerful and he smiled, “But Xian Le is now much
braver than before.”
He couldn’t continue that line of conversation so he asked instead, “Where’s Yin Yu?”
Jun Wu placed his hands on the back of the chair, and turned Xie Lian’s entire person around,
“No rush, you will see. And not just him.”
Xie Lian was turned around and was now facing a mirror. However, what the mirror reflected
wasn’t him, but a pale-faced Yin Yu.
And next to his feet laid another person whose head was covered in blood, his face black and
blue, completely unconscious. But from that head full of curls, Xie Lian could tell it was Quan Yi
Zhen.
Xie Lian was immediately alarmed, “What are you planning?”
———-
Ch.212: Unable to be Perfect; A Heart Filled with Regrets
What the mirror reflected was what was on the other side of the wall. On the other side. Yin Yu
shook Quan Yi Zhen vigourously, “Wake up, wake up?”
Quan Yi Zhen finally came to and mumbled semi-consciously, “Shihong, who bea me uh jus
now? Wha sih ye?”
…Poor Qi Ying, he was so bruised up his speech was now unclear, and Xie Lian felt sympathy in
spite of himself. “Did you think I could’ve beaten you?” Yin Yu asked.
Quan Yi Zhen scratched his head, and only then did he seem to recall, “Oh, ih was the emperer
who bea me uh.” Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he became pumped up
again, “He snach away your shovo, do you wan me to hel snach ih back?”
“Do you think you can beat him…” Yin Yu asked.
Xie Lian finally figured it out. This was the Palace of Qi Ying.
It seemed, Yin Yu was captured by Jun Wu when he came to look for Quan Yi Zhen.
Using the chance Jun Wu had circled back to behind his person, Xie Lian lowered his head and
mouthed soundlessly, “Lord Wind Master, are you still there?”
However, it wasn’t Shi Qing Xuan who responded but Jun Wu. Jun Wu spoke up from behind
him, “Of course not.”
“…”
Jun Wu said, “I suddenly remembered that the barrier locking the Heavenly Capital seemed to
have leaks, so I’ve only just barred the Soul Shifting Spell too.”
“…”
Jun Wu patted his shoulder and said amicably, “And to think, it was I who taught you the Soul
Shifting Spell back then. Xian Le has been making practical usage of all the things I’ve taught
you, I’m very pleased.
Then, he left. It didn’t take long before Jun Wu’s figure showed up inside that mirror. Quan Yi
Zhen was the first to notice, “!”
Yin Yu also whipped around and called out in alarm, “My Lord?!”
Quan Yi Zhen jumped to his feet ready to fight, but Jun Wu only used a swing of his hand and
Quan Yi Zhen was smacked back onto the futon, and the entire futon collapsed. Quan Yi Zhen
fell back to the ground, his head lolled and lost consciousness again. Yin Yu was extremely
guarded, however, Jun Wu said, “No need to be so tense. Think of it this way: even if you’re on
guard it’d be pointless, so why not relax a bit?”
That was certainly true. Yin Yu didn’t know what to say and could only smile awkwardly as he
had always done, but then it was quickly withdrawn. Jun Wu on the other hand, appeared to be
relaxed and at ease, “My dear Yin Yu, I don’t think I’ve ever chatted with you like this before in
the past, am I right?”
Yin Yu replied cautiously, “…That seems to be the case.”
In the past, while he was the martial god that ruled the west, his believers base and merits
weren’t strong and his rank wasn’t high. Even though he wasn’t the lowest of the heavenly
officials in the Upper Court, but he was probably still below average, so he had practically no
chance to be near the highest in the Upper Court, the Heavenly Martial Emperor. In the past, he
was probably nervous even if Jun Wu was just passing by the entrance of his palace, and now,
he was even more nervous. He added, “But there are many heavenly officials I’ve never
conversed with before in the first place, and those who didn’t know of me.”
However, Jun Wu replied, “That’s not necessarily true. There are many who know you. Even if
they’ve never met you before, they know of you.”
Yin Yu was taken aback, “Really?”
“Because, many know of your shidi.” Jun Wu said, “And when your shidi is mentioned, the
subject of you would often be raised. The one that’s a foil.”
Those were extremely piercing words. While it was only a colourless description without any
emotions, but it was precisely because the one describing it was objective, and was only
speaking the truth, which made it sting more. Quan Yi Zhen was still dizzy, not yet back to his
senses, and Yin Yu hung his head low, clenching his fists.
Xie Lian could vaguely guess what Jun Wu was planning.
It was a good while before Yin Yu gathered his courage, “My Lord, what do you want? You’re
already the Heavenly Martial Emperor, nothing can bar you, the greatest martial god of the three
realms, no one can shoulder your position, so why are you doing this? Just… what do you
want?”
Of course Jun Wu didn’t answer him. He said abruptly, “Yin Yu, do you want to return to the
Upper Court?”
“What?!”
Xie Lian was also surprised by this question. What was Jun Wu planning? What was the
meaning in coaxing Yin Yu to change sides at a time like this???
“I don’t think you actually like being a mere errand boy in the ghost realm in the lower world?”
“…”
Yin Yu finally snapped to, “My Lord thinks too much. There’s never a choice of like or dislike.”
Xie Lian cried ‘oh no’ mentally, ‘You can’t answer like that. Now he’ll probably find your weak
point!’
Sure enough, Jun Wu gave a small smile, “Did you know that if you answer like this, what you
actually mean is ’I dislike it; I’d rather not talk about it.’”
“…”
Indeed. If Yin Yu really felt confident, and that he really liked his current position in the ghost
realm, he would’ve responded with “I like it very much” directly. Yet to evade being
straightforward, his answer was instead very obvious.
Jun Wu continued, “You’ve come from a renowned household, an orthodox clan that never
traversed the path of evil, raised and grew up in the sect, and was influenced since young that
to ascend was the ultimate goal in life. A pursuit such as this is very difficult to give up. To fall to
the ghost realm could only said to be a forced situation, an act borne of helplessness. Of course
you’re not able to say you’re satisfied with the current position in the ghost realm, because it
wasn’t what you wanted in the first place.”
Indeed Yin Yu didn’t have enough confidence, and said weakly, “Chengzhu has shown me
grace, he saved me…”
“I know.” Jun Wu said, “He even helped you pacify and send off the resentful spirit of Jian Yu
who died during banishment, am I right?”
“…Yes.” Yin Yu said, “So whether I’m satisfied with the current position, it’s all…”
“That’s dissatisfaction.” Jun Wu said, “You are bound by his grace and had nowhere to go, so
you are only forcing yourself.”
“…”
Yin Yu hung his head and didn’t speak. Xie Lian was breaking out in cold sweat.
He could now somewhat guess how Jun Wu planned to attack, and Yin Yu’s every expression,
every gesture, from head to toe, was full of weakness!
“Then,” Jun Wu said, “Let’s turn this around. Let me ask you another question: Have you shown
Quan Yi Zhen any grace?”
“…”
Jun Wu continued, “On what basis must you place yourself in a dissatisfactory position to
devote yourself and repay kindness when someone irrelevant shows you grace, but when you
show Quan Yi Zhen grace, he made you fall this low?”
“Yin Yu, to be in the habit of belittling yourself in order to help others is no good habit. You must
know, no one will thank you.”
He was pushing on every step, and each step was trampling where Yin Yu hurt the most!
Jun Wu then continued, “You’ve spent your entire life desiring to ascend. You desired for a good
position in the Upper Court, and join the ranks within the Great Martial Hall. Even after Quan Yi
Zhen made you such an embarrassment, his background accessory, the joke of the heavens,
you still endured it and struggled to remain in the Heavenly Capital. Wasn’t that because you
wanted to stay here?”
“You belong here, but Quan Yi Zhen made a mess of everything, and easily robbed away
everything that should’ve been yours.”
“Who did he think he is?”
“Have you not given as much as him? No, you’ve given more than he did. And. When it came to
overall abilities, he might not even compare. How come Qi Ying is now alone without aid nor
support in the Upper Court? Because his mind is simple, ignorant and dumb, blunt and savage,
so he’s unable to have anyone respect him. But you. Your mind and wisdom are much more
mature than his, you know the ways of the world better than him, you know when to charge and
when to withdraw, and are more willing to put in an effort. If you had his natural talent, his
spiritual powers, then your achievements would be many, many times greater than his, and all
would respect you.”
Yin Yu was starting to grow restless, “I’m not understanding why My Lord is saying all this. All
‘ifs’ are meaningless, his spiritual powers are his…” Suddenly, he screamed and raised his own
hand, crying in alarm, “WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS??”
Pure white spiritual light suddenly burst from one of his hands, so blinding it couldn’t not be
looked at directly. Jun Wu appeared apathetic and said, “No need to be afraid, it’s just a bit of
spiritual power.”
Only then did Yin Yu calm down a little and said in disbelief, “Whose spiritual powers? …Mine?
I’m not this…” His spiritual powers weren’t that strong.
“It’s not yours yet.” Jun Wu said, “But whether if it will become yours will depend on what you
choose.”
Yin Yu exclaimed, “If it’s not mine then whose is it?? Could it be…”
Someone instantly came to mind and he looked over. Coincidentally, Quan Yi Zhen whose life
force was stubbornly strong also became conscious again, looking dumbfounded. It seemed he
was confused again. Jun Wu replied, “That’s correct. This is Quan Yi Zhen’s spiritual powers.”
“Huh?” Quan Yi Zhen gaped.
“Why is his spiritual powers inside me?” Yin Yu questioned, “How can spiritual powers be
transferred like this?? How is this possible???”
“Even fate can be switched, so why not spiritual powers?” Jun Wu said, “There are many things
that aren’t as difficult as you think. It’s only a matter of some words and some brush strokes
from great heavenly officials, that’s all.”
Yin Yu shuddered, “This… THIS…!!”
He tossed his hands as if he wanted to toss away some scalding hot yam, but that forcefully
strong spiritual power leapt happily on his hand, blasting wherever his fingers pointed, and
abruptly, an entire row of walls inside the Palace of Qi Ying were blown apart by him. The divine
statue collapsed and the roof was almost going to cave in. Yin Yu became even more shocked
and didn’t dare to toss his hand randomly anymore. Jun Wu smiled, “Don’t be nervous, take
your time, just keep it packed in.”
Yin Yu held that hand with his other hand, shaken and terrified, both his arms trembling. Jun Wu
said, “Yin Yu, let me ask you again. Do you wish to return?”
Yin Yu panted a few breaths, his eyes red with blood, and he gazed over. Jun Wu said, “If you
wish to return, not only can I help you remove the cursed shackle, I can also transfer all of Quan
Yi Zhen’s spiritual powers to you.”
Quan Yi Zhen seemed to never have thought this kind of evil spells existed, and his entire
person was dumbstruck. Xie Lian exclaimed dumbfoundedly, “??? ARE YOU CRAZY??!!”
Jun Wu said slowly, “And from now on, there will never be another who only knows of Qi Ying
but not of Yin Yu. Who would dare not to remember your name? Nevermore will there be
anyone.”
Yin Yu stumbled a few steps back, his mind in jumbles, “I… I… I…”
Xie Lian was so high strung and tense he’d even forgotten he was still tied onto the chair by
RuoYe. He held his breath, his hands gripped the chair, his body leaning forward.
There was one thing Jun Wu wasn’t wrong about. Xie Lian could tell too. Deep in Yin Yu’s heart,
he looked up to the heavens more. He had belonged to the Upper Court in the first place. This
was something that was planted deep within his mind, hard to change.
And, did Yin Yu really have not a single resentful thought towards Quan Yi Zhen?
He couldn’t be sure.
Between those with so much to happen between them, it was completely impossible to utter the
words “I don’t hate you” so easily. This ‘hatred’ could be big or small, and Yin Yu wasn’t a
determined character; what he wanted to do was probably greatly influenced by those around
him. Since they hadn’t been well acquainted, Xie Lian couldn’t be sure either just what Yin Yu
would do, and could only pray silently in his mind.
Your Highness Yin Yu… watch out!
“I…I…”
Yin Yu was going out of his mind for a long while, and he sat down, covering his face with his
hands. A moment later, he finally looked up, and his eyes also grew cold and somber.
He stared at Quan Yi Zhen who had been beaten to a pile of trash for a long time before
whispering, “…My Lord, are you, really… able to give me, all of his spiritual powers?”
Xie Lian’s heart sank while Quan Yi Zhen gaped, his mouth wide open, “…Shixiong?”
“Why don’t I give it to you now, so you can see for yourself whether if I am able.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu still seemed to be concerned and asked, “Then… can he still steal them back? It’s his
own spiritual powers after all, so if he wanted to steal it back…”
“Unless you yourself are willing to return it to him, or if you die, then it would be impossible for
him to steal it back.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu hesitantly asked, “Then if his spiritual powers are transferred to me, will Quan Yi Zhen…
die? Or would something else happen…”
No matter what, he probably still didn’t want Quan Yi Zhen to die by his hands. Jun Wu replied,
“Nothing will happen, it’s just the process that’s a bit painful, that’s all, but who hasn’t suffered
pain in this world? How you want to deal with him afterwards, whether he lives or dies, will be all
up to you.”
Yin Yu then asked, “What about the other heavenly officials? There’s so many heavenly officials
in the Upper Court who saw what happened at the Great Martial Hall, if it got out…”
Jun Wu smiled, “So what if they know? They’re all but ants that can be squished with but one
hand. Annihilate them all, bring up a new batch of heavenly officials and you change your face
and your name, make up a new background, who would be the wiser?”
When he said this his expression was nonchalant, as calm and easy as if he was saying the tea
in the cup had gone cold, to pour it out and change a new cup.
Finally, Yin Yu asked, “In the new Upper Court, me, what… would be my new identity?”
“Ling Wen if my left hand, and you shall be my right.” Jun Wu said, “There will be no others
above you besides me.”
Yin Yu gritted his teeth, and finally, he said, “…Very well!”
He said darkly, “Pray My Lord will remember the promise made to me today. Then, now…”
He didn’t continue, and only moved his gaze to Quan Yi Zhen. Jun Wu replied, “As you wish.”
The moment those words left his lips Quan Yi Zhen suddenly started writhing, his faces twisting,
and he screamed, blood flowing from all of his orifices as he clutched his head and rolled
around, seeming to be in great agony. As for Yin Yu, a sudden spiritual light emitted from his
body.
His entire face was shining and illuminated, and he raised an arm, swinging it above, and the
entire Palace of Qi Ying collapsed in a rumble!
A giant hole appeared upon the golden palace. Standing among the wreckage, Yin Yu bowed
his head to look at his hands, slowly clenching them into fists. Jun Wu’s expression was like he
was watching a small child playing with his new toy, “How do you feel?”
It a moment before Yin Yu replied, “…I’ve never possessed such strong powers before.”
He gazed at Quan Yi Zhen who was howling on the ground on the side, his expression
complicated, “My master once said, Quan Yi Zhen was someone born to ascend, an ability
gifted by the heavens. Is this the power bestowed by the heavens?”
“From now on, it’s yours.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu slowly nodded.
Then the next moment, he raised his palm and blasted.
This blast used all of Quan Yi Zhen’s powers, its strength terrifying, and a white light erupted
from the mirror. Soon after, Yin Yu drew a giant circle in the air with his right hand, grabbed that
circle from the air and hurled, trapping Jun Wu. Jun Wu looked at the circle of light around his
feet, frowned slightly, seeming to be wary, and cautious not to touch it. Then he looked at Yin Yu
who was pulling at Quan Yi Zhen on the ground, appearing indifferent, “Yin Yu, to renege at the
last minute, are you not going to give me an explanation?”
“…”
Yin Yu had his back turned to him as he carried Quan Yi Zhen on his back and didn’t respond.
Jun Wu said, “What you’re doing is certainly worthy of praise, a man of class. However, is this
your true heart? You’ve endured and aggrieved yourself for hundreds of years, are you going to
keep enduring?”
“…”
“Do you truly not resent the one you are saving right now? Even if you do not resent, do you not
hate?”
“…”
Yin Yu finally couldn’t take it anymore.
He clenched his fists tight, his knuckles cracking, and he whipped around, “I DO RESENT HIM!
I DO HATE HIM!!! BUT, SO WHAT??”
Quan Yi Zhen was flustered and ruffled, speaking as blood spewed from his nose and mouth,
“Shixiong…”
“SHUT UP!!!” Yin Yu shouted.
He then turned to Jun Wu again, “My lord… My lord… YOU! WHY MUST YOU REMIND ME OF
THIS?? SAYING IT LIKE YOU ALL UNDERSTAND ME OR SOMETHING! YES, I HATE HIM!
BUT, SO WHAT?? HE’S GIVEN ME SO MUCH TROUBLE, OF COURSE I HATE HIM??”
“…”
Xie Lian’s sunken heart was suddenly thrown high from the deep valley once again, not knowing
whether to laugh or cry, almost falling over. What kind of mess up logic was this??
Then, Yin Yu continued, “…BUT… But I only… I only wanted to just hate him, it doesn’t mean I
have to hurt him. What’s that “should’ve been mine”? Other than natural talent, there is nothing
that belonged to anyone from birth. OTHER PEOPLE’S POSSESSIONS, I DON’T WANT
THEM!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes lit up and shouted, “WELL SAID!”
Yin Yu continued, “I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!
BUT! If I didn’t manage all that on my own then it’s completely meaningless! I’m unlucky, I
accept it! If I’m not as powerful as him, then at the very least I can admit I’m not as powerful as
him!”
“ADMITTING THAT I CAN’T COMPARE IS NOT THAT HARD!”
Such pride!
In that instant, Xie Lian finally saw once again on Yin Yu that glorious shine and pride of his
youth.
“WAH!” Quan Yi Zhen burst out in tears on his back, blood mingling with tears and snot all
spewed, splattering Yin Yu with a face full of blood, and Yin Yu broke down, “STOP THAT!!!”
Quan Yi Zhen sobbed and moaned, “Shixiong, I’m sorry!”
Yin Yu couldn’t endure it any longer, “You don’t need to apologize to me anymore either! Either
way you won’t understand no matter how much you say sorry. I’ve really had enough of you…”
Jun Wu sighed and rubbed his temple. Yin Yu added, “Besides… besides, I’m not completely
useless either. You’ve said it yourself. When it came to overall abilities, he might not compare to
me. I’ve got my own…”
Oof.
Jun Wu turned around and casually swept a hand, “Exhilarating. I imagine, you and Xian Le
must get along very well.”
…
What?
What happened?!
Xie Lian was still tied onto the chair but his heart was pounding so hard it was going to jump out
of his chest. What happened to Yin Yu?
He had only stopped talking and his expression also turned odd. As for Jun Wu, he rested his
hands behind his back and calmly crossed over that seemingly powerful circle of light, not
feeling the restriction in the least. “I had pretty much guessed that’s how you would respond. So,
I didn’t remove your cursed shackle beforehand.”
Cursed shackle?!
There was indeed a cursed shackle on Yin Yu’s arm! Xie Lian quickly looked over, and Yin Yu
also raised his wrist.
That typical band of cursed shackle had tightened greatly, so much so that it looked like it was
going to snap Yin Yu’s hand, and Yin Yu’s entire arm had already turned tragically pale like
paper, and that whiteness was spreading.
That cursed shackle was sucking his blood!
Xie Lian lunged forward, and his entire person along with the chair fell over on the ground in a
heap. Now, he couldn’t even see the mirror. He struggled crazily on the ground but it was
useless, and could only hear the sound of crazed beating from the mirror.
After a good while, a pair of white boots appeared before his eyes, and it was Jun Wu who had
returned.
In his hand was a dark crimson “cursed shackle” that was sucked full of blood, probably
removed from Yin Yu. He crouched down and petted Xie Lian’s head, “Go bid your farewells
with your little friend.”
RuoYe’s dead knot was finally untied. Xie Lian crawled to his feet and threw a punch to his face.
Of course the punch didn’t land and he almost fell over himself, but he didn’t actually expect to
hit Jun Wu anyway and was only venting. He dashed madly to the hall next door.
Yin Yu was lying on the ground, dried up and shriveled, white and thinned like a paper doll, and
even his cheeks were sallow. All the spiritual powers in his body were gone, returned to the
more bruised and beaten Quan Yi Zhen whose face was now completely unrecognizable. It
seemed, those spiritual powers had returned to their master.
Xie Lian rushed over, “YOUR HIGHNESS YIN YU!!!”
Yin Yu blinked with a pair of eyes that were more gaunt than before, and when he saw him, he
croaked, “Your Highness…”
Quan Yi Zhen was clinging onto the ground crying at the top of his lungs, screaming to the
heavens, “I’M SORRY SHIXIONG, I ONLY KNOW HOW TO FIGHT, BUT I CAN’T BEAT HIM!”
The blood from his mouth and nose splattered onto Yin Yu’s face and eyes again, and just
watching it looked miserable, and veins popped on Yin Yu’s forehead, shouting with the last bit
of his life, “I TOLD YOU TO STOP THAT!! Sigh! Nevermind… Just drive me to my death…”
He lost his vigour once again. Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn’t tell if he wanted to moan and groan
or cry, or perhaps he wanted to break out in laughter.
Suddenly, Yin Yu’s dried eyes were filled with tears.
He whispered, “I knew.”
He said, “Yi Zhen is a genius, I’m a commoner. The most I could climb was only so high. I knew
this.”
A sense of powerlessness and pain swarmed Xie Lian’s heart.
“Even though I knew I still couldn’t accept it.” Yin Yu said, “In truth, I thought the same as Jian
Yu. I felt even more indignant than he did. It’s not that I’ve never felt resentment, it’s impossible
not to feel resentment. After the incident, I never dared to think why I told Yi Zhen to go die even
though I knew he was wearing the Brocade Immortal. Was I really just driven to madness or
have I really wanted him to die?”
Xie Lian hugged him, “It’s alright, it’s alright. These are all small matters, really. Your Highness
Yin Yu, just live in this world for another few hundred years and you’ll know that none of that
really matters. Either driven to madness or really wishing someone would die, whichever. Who
in the world had never had such thoughts? I’ve even thought of massacring all in the world who
had wronged me, it’s true, and no lie, I’d almost done it. But look at me, haven’t I shamelessly
lived until now? You haven’t actually done anything in the end, and that’s the most important
thing.”
“But… in the end, I… still think… it’s so unfair.” Yin Yu sobbed, “If I was already destined to be
no one remarkable, then at the very least, I… wanted to be a kind and perfect person. But… I
couldn’t even do that. It’s really… so unfair. And truth to be told, even in this moment, just
thinking that I’m dying for Yi Zhen, this little dummy, I still can’t get over it. I can’t even let go and
die with a heart with no resentment and no regrets, what is that.”
Xie Lian comforted softly, “Your Highness, you’ve already worked really hard. And, you’ve done
very well. You’re already much, much better than most people.”
Yin Yu finally gave a small chuckle arduously, “Better than most people, huh?”
After he stopped, he sighed, and the sound of his last regret passed along with his soul as he
mumbled, “But, I wanted to be a god…”
Xie Lian bowed his head deeply, “But, Your Highness Yin Yu, there is actually no god in this
world…”
————
Ch.213: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift
Suddenly, a light suddenly turned on in his head, and Xie Lian put Yin Yu down, rising to his
feet, “…The cursed shackle. He took the cursed shackle!”
If that thing was unimportant, then Jun Wu wouldn’t have taken it, yet he went out of his way to
remove the cursed shackled sucked full of Yin Yu’s blood and took it, so perhaps, not only did
that thing suck away Yin Yu’s blood, it also imprisoned his soul!
Having thought of this, Xie Lian left the beaten and bruised Quan Yi Zhen behind and dashed
out to the back of the Palace of Qi Ying. However, Jun Wu was no longer there. He then turned
around and charged out.
Upon the great avenue of the Heavenly Capital, there was not a soul and completely cold and
deserted. There were only the expressionless guards watching over the palaces that used to be
bustling and lively with all the great gods, and none of those guards cared for him. Xie Lian
didn’t care for them either and ran straight for the Great Martial Hall.
Sure enough, Jun Wu had returned here, and was seated upon the throne, still gazing at that
cursed shackle. The moment Xie Lian charged in he heard a weird gurgling noise, and when he
looked up, that fetus spirit was hanging off the glamourous ceiling with all four of its limbs, and
was crawling upside down rapidly like some cold-blooded creature, incredibly creepy.
Even a wicked creature such as this could enter the Great Martial Hall, it really made one
wonder how the heavenly officials who struggled for centuries to step into this hall would think if
they should see this. Xie Lian marched over with his arms open wide, and Jun Wu asked, “What
do you want?”
Without another word, Xie Lian thrust his hand and snatched for that cursed shackle, but of
course Jun Wu would not let him have his way. It was a good while and Xie Lian still couldn’t
manage to steal the thing, and he cried angrily, “WHAT USE DO YOU HAVE FOR THAT
THING? YIN YU ISN’T EVEN A THREAT TO YOU, COMPLETELY INSIGNIFICANT IN YOUR
EYES! WHY DID YOU SAY ALL THAT TO HIM? WHAT’S THE USE IN YOUR KEEPING THAT
THING??”
However, Jun Wu said, “Who says it’s of no use? Seeing how angry you are over it, doesn’t this
prove it’s very useful?”
He was like an adult who placed a bowl of fruits on the table just out of reach of his son, and
was smiling cheerfully on the side watching the child tipping his toes trying to grab for it but
couldn’t no matter what, enjoying that he was both angry and desperate, wailing loudly. Xie Lian
was going to go mad from fury, “ARE YOU MENTAL?”?”
“Xie Lian, that tone you took is rather disrespectful.” Jun Wu said.
Xie Lian had been enduring but he couldn’t hold back any longer and cussed, “I’LL SHOW YOU
SOME FREAKING RESPECT…”
All of his curses in this life were probably all directed to this man. Yet unexpectedly, before he
could finish his curse, his throat suddenly constricted, and he suffocated!
Xie Lian’s eyes went black, his hands clutching his own throat, his knees buckled and he
dropped to his knees. Jun Wu sat before him, petting that fetus spirit calm and composedly,
brushing through its hairs, caressing that smooth and round head while black auras permeated
from its palms. That fetus spirit seemed to be enjoying itself, cooing in a weird cheer.
Listening to Xie Lian burst into a series of violent coughs, his face swelling and flustered, Jun
Wu said, “Xian Le, I suggest you behave like before, a little more obedient, a little more
respectful. Only then will I not be angered. Don’t forget, you’re wearing this thing on your person
too, and, you’re wearing two of them.”
“Cough cough cough… cough cough… YOU…!”
Xie Lian shot up to his feet, his eyes brimming with red as he glared at him. Jun Wu said, “I
what? I’m sly? Xian Le, don’t forget, you were the one who asked for them.”
What a joke, how could he have known what this bloody thing was back then!
Could it be? At the time when Guoshi saw him, his face dropped and came strangling his neck,
he wasn’t trying to kill Xie Lian but was instead trying to remove this thing?
It was a good while before that cursed shackle on Xie Lian’s neck gradually loosened, and he
could finally breathe normally again. He was gasping harshly, subconsciously covering his own
neck and feeling that cursed shackle. A touch, and other than the cursed shackle, Xie Lian also
felt something else.
It was a very thin, silver chain. It used to be cold, but because he’s worn it for so long, his body
had already warmed it through. Hanging on the silver chain was a crystal clear ring.
After having felt it, Xie Lian’s shoulders immediately stiffened, and he gripped that ring tight. For
some reason, his heart was pounding faster and faster, as if he had learned an incredible
secret. Right then, Jun Wu spoke up behind him, “It’s me. What is it?”
It’s him what? What did he mean?
Xie Lian stuffed that silver chain back into his robes and turned around in a frown. Only when he
did so did he find that what Jun Wu said just now wasn’t directed at him.
Jun Wu had two fingers raised and pressed against his temple. This posture; he was
communicating with someone!
While he didn’t allow for any other heavenly officials in the Heavenly Capital to communicate
spiritually, he himself had none of those restrictions and could do as he willed. After a pause,
Jun Wu continued, “Nothing much. Because of the case with the impersonated Earth Master
recently, many other spies and false personalities within the Heavenly Capital were also
unearthed one after the other. Seeing as how it’s been a season of incidents recently, there
must not be any careless mistakes, and so all heavenly officials are currently being investigated,
which was why the entire Heavenly Capital has been locked down. It’s currently not open to the
outside nor is spiritual communication to the outside permitted, so of course you aren’t able to
connect with anyone.”
Xie Lian panted lightly and held his breath.
It sounded as if the one communicating with Jun Wu at the moment didn’t know what the
situation was in the Heavenly Capital, so Jun Wu was also nonchalantly lying to the other party.
And, the excuse he used was intricately appropriate; with the case of Black Water
Impersonation surfacing, the waves it caused were atrocious, worthy of attention, so it was
reasonable for the entire court to be locked down.
Even if Xie Lian screamed and yelled, the person on the other end wouldn’t be able to hear him,
so he decided to just observe calmly and act accordingly. It was a good while before there was
an unnoticeable, miniscule flash of change in his expression.
He replied warmly, “Oh? You wish to come to the Heavenly Capital? Of course you can. The
case this time is indeed not a small one, so since you have the heart to come help, you are of
course most welcome.”
…
The other party actually volunteered to come help out in the Heavenly Capital?!
If they volunteered several hours earlier then it would be more than helpful, since they were
definitely in need of aid. But, this timing? The entire Heavenly Capital had already fallen and
became the lair of demons, so this was no different than jumping into a fire pit!
On the side, Jun Wu said a few more simple words and ended the communication. Xie Lian
immediately questioned, “Who’s coming?”
That fetus spirit seemed to know that it was not a creature of light and quietly crawled into the
shadows and hid. Jun Wu on the other hand, only gave a small smile, “What’s the rush? You’ll
see soon enough.”
That was out of his expectations. Xie Lian wondered incredulously, “You’re gonna let me see?
Didn’t you tell the other party that the entire Heavenly Capital is in lockdown and every heavenly
official is being investigated?
“Of course.” Jun Wu replied, “But I should at least have trustworthy left-right hands.”
Ling Wen was technically still on the run, so naturally she couldn’t play the role of Jun Wu’s left
right hands, which was why this task fell on Xie Lian’s head. Just as he was contemplating, Jun
Wu studied him for a moment and said warmly, “Xian Le, just be good and cooperate. Don’t
bother with any silly tricks, I know you too well, I know everything on your mind.”
“…”
Jun Wu played with that blood-filled cursed shackle in his hand absentmindedly and added,
“You’ve said it yourself, to me, Yin Yu was completely insignificant. Actually, it should be said
that all heavenly officials in the Heavenly Court, big or small, are all insignificant in my eyes. If
you expose anything, you understand what will happen.”
“…”
“So, don’t give anything away. Tidy yourself up, they’ll be here soon.”
Xie Lian didn’t speak but he did indeed crawl up from the floor, dusted himself off, and really did
tidy himself up, walking over to stand in the position he had always stood next to Jun Wu’s side.
Jun Wu approved, “Just like that.”
While Jun Wu’s threat was very effective, Xie Lian also discovered something – he didn’t seem
to want whoever was coming to realize the truth of how the Heavenly Capital had fallen. This
made him want to know even more just who exactly was coming!
After two incense time later, before the Great Martial Hall, several figures finally appeared. They
saw a lady cultivator in verdant robes riding a burly black ox, a sacred sword hanging on her
waist, approaching languidly with several farmers following behind, each varying in sizes.
It was actually the Rain Master who had come!
Xie Lian was slightly surprised. Based on how Jun Wu acted – the way he acted after he was
exposed, he’d kill whoever would block his way, and should’ve locked up anyone who
approached, so why was he wary of the Rain Master?
Naturally nothing could be learned right now. The moment she entered the Great Martial Hall,
the Rain Master inclined her head slightly towards the two, “Your Royal Highness, My Lord, how
do you do.”
Xie Lian pretended nothing was the matter and also returned the greeting, “Lord Rain Master.”
He appeared polite and unfazed but his mind was spinning, just what could he do to tell the
Rain Master the real situation here at the Heavenly Capital?
Jun Wu spoke, “It has been a long time since Rain Master last came to the Heavenly Court.”
The Rain Master however, gave an irrelevant answer, “This lockdown at the Heavenly Capital is
rigorous.”
Her words sounded as if she was puzzled, and Jun Wu responded, “It couldn’t be helped. With
the Black Water case thus, the Middle Court had already plucked out over fifty some fake
heavenly officials. It’s deeply concerning whether if there are other pawns planted in the Upper
Court.”
“I see.” The Rain Master said.
The three of them chatted simply for a bit, and only then did Xie Lian realize that when Jun Wu
spoke, no matter it be truth or lie, his bases were always perfectly covered without any flaws,
exceedingly amazing. He had the mind to warn, but first, he was afraid Jun Wu would notice
and take it out on the other heavenly officials; second, he was also afraid to involve the Rain
Master who didn’t know what was going on, so his hands were tied. The Rain Master didn’t
seem to notice anything unusual either, and only inquired if there was anything that needed her
help. Jun Wu replied, “Not at the moment. However, once the investigation is complete, I’m sure
there will be plenty of need of your assistance.”
“Then, I will remain in the Heavenly Capital for now, and await for summoning.” The Rain Master
said.
Jun Wu maintained his smile, his thoughts couldn’t be told, but even when they’ve reached this
point, he still hadn’t shed all pretenses, “Sounds good. You’ve left the capital for years, so it’s
good to take this chance to refamiliarize yourself. Your Rain Master Residence has been empty
for many years now.”
The Rain Master nodded and slowly stood down. Xie Lian knew that the moment she’s gone
she’d be monitored, and felt slightly anxious. Suddenly, the Rain Master turned back around and
spoke up, “Your Highness.”
Xie Lian’s heart skipped, “Does Lord Rain Master have guidance to impart?” Could she have
finally noticed something wrong?
However, the Rain Master said, “Nothing to impart. I’ve been gone from the Heavenly Capital for
many years, so I’ve brought some souvenirs and thought I’d gift you some. Would you be willing
to receive them?”
Xie Lian hadn’t expected it to be something like this and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,
“Huh? Ah… Thank you.”
Jun Wu of course never took gifts, and smiled as he allowed the Rain Master’s escorts to enter,
“Xian Le, Lord Rain Master is to gift you presents, why don’t you accept quickly?”
“…”
The way he said it made Xie Lian out to be a young child in need of discipline; guests came to
make visit, brought a gift for the child, and the elder would make the child come out to receive it
before having the child utter thanks. Xie Lian had no choice, and a farmer approached,
presenting with both hands a package of something very tightly wrapped. Xie Lian uttered his
thanks casually, taking the package distractedly, but suddenly, his face changed, like he
discovered something unusual.
His back was facing Jun Wu, and Jun Wu shouldn’t be able to see his expression, but still he
inquired, “What kind of gift is this?”
When the Rain Master saw he had taken the gift, she raised her hands in courtesy and smiled,
“Nothing valuable, just some local specialty grown from the earth. If there is nothing else, I will
take my leave.”
“Please.” Jun Wu said.
Thus, the Rain Master pulled that black ox, took her escorts, and slowly moved towards that
Rain Master Residence that’s been abandoned for many years. Xie Lian was still holding that
present in his arms and was just about to leave when Jun Wu called out, “Hold it.”
Xie Lian indeed stopped, as if his feet were nailed to the ground. Jun Wu then said, “Come
here.”
Xie Lian went back into the Great Martial Hall and turned around to look at him. Jun Wu stepped
off of the throne and took the package that was tightly gripped in his hold before he said, “Now
you may go.”
He certainly was a distrustful one, and directly look away the gift the Rain Master had given. Xie
Lian glanced at him, and wordlessly returned to his Palace of XianLe.
Once he returned to the Palace of XianLe, Xie Lian was restless, so he paced back and forth
within the hall. An unknown amount of time had past when suddenly, he heard a bright and clear
voice, “Your Highness?”
Xie Lian whipped around, and saw a ragged clothed young man with a headscarf wrapped
around his head had somehow unnoticeably hopped onto the window sill, and was just perching
atop it, grinning playfully at him!
Xie Lian was overjoyed and dashed out for two steps before he suddenly remembered this
youth had called him “Your Highness” just now, and Xie Lian stopped in his step, asking a little
uncertainly, “Are you… San Lang?”
That youth laughed heartily, hopped down from the window, and yanked off the headscarf. Black
hair flowed down but was immediately tied up high, revealing under the black hair a handsome
and pale face that was completely different. It was a face Xie Lian was infinitely familiar with.
Hua Cheng twirled that headscarf leisurely and sighed, “Gege, my dear gege, this time, wanting
to see you is as hard as ascending to the heavens.”
Earlier, at the Great Martial Hall, the moment Xie Lian received the Rain Master’s gift, he did
indeed notice something unusual. However, what was unusual wasn’t the gift itself, but the
person who was delivering the gift.
When he took the package, he felt the other party held his hand and squeezed.
It had to be said, this gesture was frivolous, and if it was done to the ladies, then it’d be
intentionally flirty. At the time, Xie Lian only blinked but didn’t express anything, and gazed over
without sounding any alarm. The one who was standing before him was a tall youth.
While that youth was dressed the part of a farmer, wearing patched, muddy clothes with a
headscarf wrapped around his head, still his face was handsome and delicate, the light in his
eyes twinkling.
However, that light only twinkled in that instant when the two met eyes, and when Xie Lian
blinked again to see, that youth had returned to his shy and naive disposition and stood down
with bowed head.
Since now Hua Cheng had come seeking to the Palace of Xian Le, then naturally all the
monitoring eyes in the surrounding area had been taken cared of. The moment Xie Lian saw
him, he felt him to be incomparably dependable, and there was nothing left to worry about!
———-
Ch.214: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift 2
Hua Cheng hadn’t even walked over before Xie Lian had already forcefully glomped over.
This was a powerful glomp, and Hua Cheng actually wasn’t pushed back for a few steps by the
force, not even a wobble. He only placed his hands on Xie Lian’s back, chuckling lightly without
speaking. Xie Lian was just feeling cheered when he suddenly remembered another thing and
quickly said, “Wait, San Lang! The Empe… Jun Wu is quite wary of you, and you should’ve
been guarding the human array at the royal capital. He must’ve sent eyes down to watch you,
so if you vanished all of a sudden, wouldn’t he notice? Besides, is it really alright for the Wind
Master to be guarding the array by himself?”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “Don’t worry, gege, that’s already been taken cared of. No flaws
will be exposed for the moment.”
Xie Lian figured he probably blocked the eyes Jun Wu sent or left a clone down below, so he
didn’t press for more on how things were taken cared of. Just then, Hua Cheng remarked
leisurely, “It seems, gege really missed me very much.”
“…”
Xie Lian remembered the messed up, inadmissible words they exchanged through spiritual
communication in front of Jun Wu, then noticed how he himself was currently holding Hua
Cheng tight, not letting go, and he immediately loosened his grip, straightening himself, and
replied with a schooled voice, “…En, en. You said we needed to enlist the help of someone, so
that someone was Lord Rain Master.”
Hua Cheng smiled at him cheerfully, “Correct. The Rain Master has been in the lower realms for
years, and just so happened to be roused by the opening of Mount TongLu. To return to the
heavens to check things out is perfectly logical. And, if Jun Wu refuses to allow her up without
proper reasons, the Rain Master would no doubt notice things amiss. So, of course he had to let
her come back up. Gege, don’t worry, it’s fine, you can keep holding me like that, I don’t mind.”
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat, “No, it’s alright, thank you…But why can’t he do anything to
the Rain Master?”
“Gege might not know this. The Rain Master is a heavenly official who manages agriculture.
This godly position might seem dreary on the surface without any major benefits, so most aren’t
interested, but it’s actually quite unique, Currently, there’s only Yu Shi Huang who is a heavenly
official that manages agriculture.
Xie Lian mused and deduced the intricate reasons. Hua Cheng continued, “If the Rain Master
was killed directly, and a better heavenly official couldn’t be found to replace her, the people put
food above all else; if agriculture isn’t running smoothly, the world will be thrown into chaos. You
don’t let people eat, people won’t give you a job. Besides being displeased with the Rain
Master, the people of the world might also begin to be dissatisfied with the great god above Rain
Master’s head, which means, if he wasn’t careful the fire can burn all the way onto him. If things
aren’t controlled adequately, it might incur riots to topple gods.
Which was to desecrate his temples and topple his divine statues, just as what the people of
XianLe did once.
Hua Cheng added, “On top of that, the Rain Master doesn’t establish temples or shrines, hasn’t
resided in the Heavenly Capital for years, and has no desire to be promoted, so there isn’t really
anything to hold against her with. Externally, it’s hard for him to find a proper reason to banish
the Rain Master so it’s difficult to make a move; internally, his position can remain stable so long
as the Rain Master continues to manage agriculture, so, he would keep up the pretense for as
long as he can. Deceive her first, and decide what to do after should the truth come out.”
Xie Lian was relieved, “I see, thank goodness, that was close. That Lord Rain Master would
help really is coming to aid in a time of need. Hopefully her acting is extraordinary. Oh by the
way, we must go find Guoshi first! There are many things that I must ask him to get proper
answers.”
The two didn’t dally any longer and sped out of the Palace of XianLe. The moment Xie Lian
crossed over the threshold he was startled by the row of guards watching the entrance, and was
just about to whip them out with RuoYe when he noticed each of them were like wooden dolls,
and not just in posture, but even their expressions didn’t change. They were all petrified by Hua
Cheng.
As they went, Hua Cheng’s vambraces shimmered silver, transforming into silver butterflies, and
they gradually lost colour, hiding into the air. There were probably hundreds of thousands of
wraith butterflies by now that were dispersed throughout the Heavenly Capital. Along the way,
they’d suddenly go up or go down, abruptly hide or appear, perfectly dodging every patrolling
guard.
Hiding in an alley while watching troops of patrolling guards stomp by, Hua Cheng said standing
next to Xie Lian, “After this stretch, we’ll take the path above.”
Xie Lian nodded and leapt onto the roof following Hua Cheng. The two fled across the roofs one
after the other, leaving no traces behind. A short while later, Xie Lian dropped onto the edge of
an eave and abruptly stopped, looking back at Hua Cheng seeming to be pensive.
Seeing him stilled, Hua Cheng also stopped, “What is it? Have you noticed something?”
Xie Lian frowned slightly and nodded, and said pensively, “No. It’s just, it feels like this scene
had played somewhere else before…”
Before he finished, Hua Cheng suddenly hugged his waist. The next moment, the two ‘fell’ from
the rooftop.
Xie Lian only felt the world spin, going topsy turvy, his bamboo hat slipping off from his back,
about the fall to the ground, and he swiftly and lightly snatched it back. Meanwhile. Hua Cheng
held him in his embrace as the two hung upside down down the eaves of some roof while above
them, something pata-pata crawled past rapidly.
Xie Lian was no stranger to that sound – it was the sound of the fetus spirit crawling!
Who knows whether if it was patrolling in a showy manner or what. Just then, another voice
came from below, “Cuo Cuo, Cuo Cuo?”
Jian Lan!
Xie Lian cried “oh no!” in his head. That fetus spirit was still on top of the roof, and if Jian Lan
was to walk over from below, wouldn’t they be discovered? Xie Lian couldn’t be sure what Jian
Lan’s reaction would be, whether if she’d still be grateful for Hua Cheng saving her life or if she
would yell to alert people.
Those light and hurried steps were coming closer and closer and was just about to turn the
corner when thankfully, right then, that fetus spirit finally jumped down the other side of the roof.
The two immediately flipped over and hopped on top of the building. Xie Lian let out a breath of
relief.
When Jian Lan peeked out from the corner of the wall and saw her son who had jumped onto
the ground, she’d also let out a breath of relief and came out, “Cuo Cruo! Don’t run around
randomly, this is a strange and unfamiliar place, rather scary, if you ran off and disappeared,
mom won’t even know where to go to find out… why did you come here?!”
She casually glanced around and saw the establishment plaque of this palace, and backed
away a couple steps. It was only after seeing this reaction that Xie Lian remembered that the
golden palace beneath their feet seemed to be the Palace of Nan Yang.
Which meant, Feng Xin was currently locked inside here!
Jian Lan must also know this, and her face twitched lightly. A moment later, she looked down to
scold that fetus spirit, “What are you doing coming here?!”
However, that fetus spirit was hugging something white and chunky, “crunch crunch” like it was
gnawing at it. Jian Lan then yelled at it, “What’s that? What are you blindly eating? Spit it out!”
Xie Lian looked closely and discovered that was a solid, big white radish, and didn’t know
whether to laugh or cry. No need for her to say anything, that fetus spirit obviously also thought
it didn’t taste good, and p-tui p-tui, spat the radish forcefully out, shrieking as he did so, like it
was throwing a tantrum. Jian Lan instantly went up to cradle it, coaxing, “Okay okay okay, Cuo
Cuo is a good boy, if it doesn’t taste good then just don’t eat it anymore. Only poor bastards and
silly gods like to eat those things, we don’t eat those.”
Only a birth mother could cradle such a deformed and horrifying creature in her arms and still
comfort it in a gentle voice. That fetus spirit wiggled is chubby white body in her arms and
purred happily. Xie Lian watched this scene play out and a sudden inexplicable sympathy grew
in his heart, but he was also puzzled, “How is there such a large white radish in the Heavenly
Capital?”
Hua Cheng raised his brows and replied, “Gege, have you forgotten? It’s the gifts grown from
the earth, the souvenirs the Rain Master brought you.”
“…”
So that was the present the Rain Master gifted him!
Xie Lian tried to imagine what Jun Wu’s face would look like when he opened that wooden box
to see it was a giant white radish, but it was impossible to imagine, his attempt a failure. It
appeared that after Jun Wu had finished inspecting the gift and determined it to be nothing
suspicious, he casted the giant white radish off to feed this fetus spirit.
It was practically like feeding a dog.
At first after that fetus spirit had spat it out, it kicked that giant white radish away in disgust, but
after hearing Jian Lan’s words, it seemed to be pensive, then leapt out of its mother’s embrace,
hopping over and picked it up with its mouth before hopping into the palace. If Xie Lian didn’t
look closely, it did look like a smooth skinned, hairless white dog. Jian Lan called out, “DON’T
GO IN! THAT’S…”
The soldiers guarding before the Palace of Nan Yang were probably informed by Jun Wu
beforehand that this fetus spirit was his pet or hunting dog, and they didn’t blink nor did they
stop it. Without any choice, Jian Lan could only follow it inside. That fetus spirit seemed to be
harbouring deep animosity towards Feng Xin, and Xie Lian was worried that it would cause
harm to Feng Xin. He turned his head, “San Lang?”
On the tip of Hua Cheng’s fingertip rested a transparent butterfly, “A wraith butterfly is already
perched on her person.”
Xie Lian nodded, and the two monitored the situation inside the Palace of Nan Yang. They saw
Jian Lan was bent low, sneakily slipping into the palace as if she didn’t want anyone to discover
her, and she whispered, “Cuo Cuo–”
However, it was impossible not to be discovered. That fetus spirit hopped into the main hall, and
there was one man meditating in the main hall. He blinked open his eyes and they met hers,
both of them taken aback.
Feng Xin was stunned first then delighted, rising to his feet, “Jian Lan! Why have you come?
Are you alright? You’ve come just in time, help me…”
Just then, that fetus spirit suddenly started howling, jumping between the two, spitting that giant
white radish onto the ground, and kicked it forcefully with its back legs. That giant white radish
with a few bites missing was sent flying and smacked squarely on Feng Xin’s face, creating a
big DONG! Noise!
After it kicked the radish it was also feeling rather proud and pleased, crying WAH-LAH!
Randomly, cackling evilly, as if it was waiting for its mother to praise itself. Feng Xin was almost
knocked out by this thing, and a line of blood instantly streamed down from his nose. He wiped
it away and yelled angrily, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STAY STILL, WILL YOU!”
He was fierce, but that fetus spirit was even more ferocious, and screeched at him while
slithering its tongue. Feng Xin took a sharp step forward, ready to grab for him, but got his arm
bitten by its wide, bloody mouth, and couldn’t get rid of it no matter how hard he tossed his arm.
This familiar scene was both horrifying and hilarious, and when Feng Xin couldn’t be rid of it no
matter what, he was even more outraged, “WHAT THE FUCK!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A BEATING?? WHAT THE HELL!”
Jian Lan had snapped out of it too and cried, “STOP! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO YELL
AND BEAT HIM??”
To be yelled out, Feng Xin was startled, and half of his spirit diminished as he argued, “He… he
recognized a crook for a father!! Why would he be on Jun Wu’s side… How did he turn out like
this??”
Jian Lan clicked her tongue, “How? Isn’t it because of you?! “It’s the father’s fault for only raising
without educating”*, if it wasn’t you slacking off on your duty as the father, would your own son
be dug out from his mother’s womb to be made into something like this? WHAT THE HELL?
THE HELL YOU GAVE LIFE TO!”
With every reproach Feng Xin backed a step, and his voice also diminished greatly, “But… but I
didn’t know about this at all. And at the time, it was you who told me to scram…”
“HA!” Jian Lan exclaimed, “I told you to scram to help you! You come to this bitch’s bedside
everyday with that godforsaken gloominess, you think I don’t know what you’re thinking?? You
had to serve that crown prince of yours and collect enough money to redeem my freedom at the
same time, you were battered and bruised, tired and annoyed! You were too embarrassed to
just toss your sleeve and leave, then I might as well send you off!”
“I was very tired at the time!” Feng Xin cried, “But I was never annoyed with you! I wanted to
redeem you!”
Jian Lan jabbed at his chest, “PLEASE! Redemption, redemption, you knew very well in your
heart whether if you could actually redeem the price tag of this bitch with the meagre skills you
had back then! You’d wish you could split every penny in half and spend it as double everyday,
going on the streets each day to busk and still had to go back to pay your respects to your
crown prince and your ol’ emperor, it’s already pretty good that I didn’t throw myself at you to
add to your burdens. Expecting you to redeem my freedom? WHAT A DREAM!”
“You didn’t say this at the beginning, we’ve even made promises! I always keep my words…”
Jian Lan cut him off, “There’s plenty of promises, swears, and oaths out there, but think a bit for
yourself, what have you given me, huh? Other than that golden belt, oh, wait, it was ONLY that
golden belt, and you even exhorted over and over never to sell it!”
Feng Xin had been backing step after step by her jabbing, his expression both stiff and shamed.
The more Jian Lan spoke the angrier she became, “OR, did you mean that godforsaken
protection charm? My heart must’ve been smeared with pig’s grease to believe that shitty
protection charm could protect anyone! There was barely any good luck, BUT THERE SURE
WAS A SHIT TON OF BAD LUCK! YOU, had less and less money, but your temper was bigger
and bigger, what was I to do if I didn’t let you go, HUH? TORMENT YOU TO DEATH THIS
WAY?? TORMENT YOU TO THE POINT WHERE YOU’D COMPLAIN ABOUT ME HATE ME
ANNOYED WITH ME AND NO LONGER WANTED TO SEE ME EVER AGAIN??”
“…”
It wasn’t just Feng Xin, even Xie Lian who was currently above the Palace of Nan Yang didn’t
know what to say anymore.
So this was how it was.
Xie Lian recalled many things. The early morning departures and late night returns of back then,
the exhausted Feng Xin, the randomly happy, randomly depressed Feng Xing, and the Feng Xin
who tried once to borrow money from Xie Lian with great difficulty.
The insignificant unusual gestures suddenly all had an explanation.
Feng Xin was Xie Lian’s servant, his good friend, but not his slave. He could’ve built his own
home, had his own family, and he had actually already met those people, but the encounter just
had to be during Xie Lian’s first banishment, the toughest days they suffered back then.
At the time, Xie Lian was having trouble surviving himself, so how could he possibly have
noticed those details.
He was suffering, Feng Xin was also suffering. Everyone was suffering. And in the end, the two
finally couldn’t keep it going. Perhaps, Jian Lan had long foreseen this ending.
But, even if it was during that period of time, Feng Xin still did his utmost to try and support him.
He’d even gifted Jian Lan his protection charms that no one cared for anymore, and told her that
this thing could grant good luck, which was why Jian Lan would carefully put it away, tucking it in
the little robes of the unborn child.
Of course, in the end, it was proven that that protection charm didn’t bring them any good
fortunate at all.
Jian Lan looked as if she said things she shouldn’t have, and picked up the fetus spirit on the
ground in a hurry turning to leave. Feng Xin called out, “JIAN LAN!!!”
He pulled at his hair, and actually looked to be at a loss, sighing and lamenting.
“Come… come back.” Feng Xin begged, “I’m still… Sigh, I still feel I, I… I want to take care of
both of you. I should take care of both of you. I have a duty, I’ve promised you.”
Jian Lan turned around and stared at him intently for a moment, tightening the hug of the fetus
spirit in her arms, and humphed, “No need. I know, you’re disgusted with this son of yours. It’s
nothing but some demonic creature in your eyes. It’s fine, I’m not disgusted.”
Feng Xin finally came back to his senses and countered, “I’M NOT DISGUSTED!”
“Then how come you’re so mean to him every time?” Jian Lan questioned, “Can you really take
him for your own son?”
“As long as it can return to the right path, how can I not?” Feng Xin replied.
Jian Lan sneered, “Then let me ask you again: you’re a heavenly official, do you dare to
recognize it as your son?”
Feng Xin was taken aback.
This reaction was natural. That fetus spirit clung in its mother’s arms, baring its teeth and
growling at him, like it was an ugly, poisonous vermin that wasn’t fully grown, or perhaps like a
crippled baby savage beast, but either way it was not human.
What kind of heavenly official would dare admit to such an affair? To recognize such a demonic
creature as their own son? This was definitely a giant stain, and his worshippers, his merits, his
reputation, would all be greatly affected!
——-
Ch.215: The Path Shan’t Go Astray But the Mandates Are All the Same
However, Feng Xin wasn’t dumbfounded for too long before he had an answer. He was just
about to respond but Jian Lan only sneered, “Forget about it, you don’t need to say anything.
You’re someone else’s prisoner right now, whether if you dare to claim your son would all be
empty words, I won’t believe anything you say. Don’t say anymore. Even if you’re willing, I might
not be!”
That fetus spirit was curled in her arms, slithering its tongue at Feng Xin, snickering in a grown
up voice. Jian Lan spanked it forcefully with a slap on its behind, scolding, “What faces are you
making still? I told you not to run off, you’re driving me mad!”
That ugly little face of the fetus spirit shrivelled a bit and finally stayed still. The mother and child
hurried out of the Palace of Nan Yang while Feng Xin yelled from behind, “JIAN LAN! JIAN
LAN!” No response. In the end, there was only him left once again within the Palace of Nan
Yang, and Feng Xin slumped, falling back into his seat, glaring at that giant white radish with
rows of crooked teeth marks that was left behind. He glared for a good moment, his right hand
supporting his head up, then he laid flat on the ground, even the energy to curse had left him.
Above the Palace of Nan Yang, Xie Lian also sighed.
Just then, Hua Cheng suddenly spoke up, “Gege, do you still remember that night at Mount Yu
Jun, that fetus spirit had also appeared?”
Xie Lian knew he was purposely changing the subject, plus that business with the fetus spirit
appearing at Mount Yu Jun was also questionable, so Xie Lian was cooperative and forced
himself to lighten up, “I remember. At the time, when I was riding the marriage sedan, it used a
nursery rhyme to give me hints on how to find the Ghost Bride, which was Xuan Ji. It also didn’t
let anyone else hear, only to me specifically, I wonder why.”
“Probably by Jun Wu’s direction.” Hua Cheng said.
“Then the answer to the riddle would be Jun Wu’s objective.” Xie Lian said, “And the reason as
to why it’s become a fierce spirit under Jun Wu’s command, I’m afraid those are all questions for
Guoshi.”
“Then let’s go ask.” Hua Cheng said, “I’ve got good news for gege, the wraith butterflies have
already found where the Guoshi is held.”
Xie Lian’s spirit was immediately raised, “Where?”
The Palace of Ling Wen.
Inside and outside of the palace, the innumerous civil gods with scrolls stacked high as the
mountains rushing in and out were missing, instead the new addition was the expressionless
Heavenly Martial Guards patrolling rigidly. They dropped onto the corner of one of the roofs
soundlessly, and Xie Lian spoke up, “Guoshi is locked up here? Is Ling Wen watching him?”
“Correct.” Hua Cheng replied, “With the Brocade Immortal on her, Ling Wen is considered both
a civil god and a martial god right now.”
After observing intently for a moment, Xie Lian commented, “Then this is going to be tricky.”
Whie the Brocade Immortal was no match for them, it still possessed a high cultivation, and it
must be sharper than those patrolling guards on the grand avenue of the Heavenly Capital.
If Xie Lian and Hua Cheng snuck into the Palace of Ling Wen recklessly just like this, even if the
Brocade Immortal couldn’t defeat them, it could still very well detect them, and once the
Brocade Immortal discovered them, then Ling Wen would also know for sure.”
“Ling Wen and Jun Wu must be able to communicate with each other spiritually. If Ling Wen
discovers us then Jun Wu will discover us.” Xie Lian said, “Unless the Brocade Immortal isn’t on
her at the moment, then she’d only be a civil god and will not be able to detect us; and a
removed Brocade Immortal is a mere robe, it won’t be able to alert Jun Wu either. We have to
think of a way to separate the two.”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “We don’t need to think of anything specifically, she’ll have to take
off that robe sooner or later.”
No explanations required, Xie Lian understood.
The Brocade Immortal wasn’t anything good after all; its aura of evil was thick and heavy, and
since Ling Wen wasn’t formally banished, she was still considered a heavenly official, so to
always be wearing it on her person would be bad for her health. She’d also needed to maintain
the male form which would exhaust her spiritual powers, and there probably weren’t many who
could keep up with that kind of exhaustion. There had to be a time everyday when she took it off
to rest.
The two were whispering plans with each other when just then, a black clad man strolled out
from within the Palace of Ling Wen with a hand behind his back. He gave some sort of
instructions to the soldiers guarding outside, then stepped into the side chambers. A moment
later, he exited the side chambers by himself and entered the main hall anew.
That man was Ling Wen. When he went in he was in his male form, when he came out, she was
in her original form. The black outer robe on her person had also disappeared, and her steps
weren’t as light and energetic as when she was in her male form, visibly skilled in martial arts.
She had indeed removed the robes, and now, that Brocade Immortal was in that side chamber!
The two exchanged a look. Hua Cheng said, “Now, they’re separated. Gege, you’ve got pretty
good luck.”
Xie Lian also puffed a breath and gave him a look, “It’s San Lang’s luck that’s pretty good.”
Hua Cheng grinned, “Main hall? Side chamber?”
After a thought, Xie Lian decided, “Let’s go with the side chamber! Who knows what the
situation is like inside the main hall of the Palace of Ling Wen, and if Guoshi is guarded right
next to Ling Wen then we won’t be able to get around her. But, if we can get our hands on the
Brocade Immortal, maybe we’d still have room to talk.”
Thus, the two waited for a bit, and when the guards were changing, they took advantage of that
timing and hopped off the roof, sneaking into the side chambers.
The moment they leapt inside, Xie Lian wiped away his cold sweat.
No matter what, sneaking into the private chambers of a lady official wasn’t anything to be proud
of. However, after he saw the state of this side chamber, his nervous expression faded a bit.
Xie Lian’s old chamber was more sumptuous than this, Feng Xin’s was more disorderly, and Mu
Qing’s was more tasteful and exquisite. In any case, this didn’t look like the private chamber of a
lady official at all, so Xie Lian didn’t feel as stressed.
There weren’t many furniture inside the chamber so it was difficult to hide anything. It didn’t take
long before Xie Lian fumbled out a chest. However, the moment he opened it his face darkened.
It wasn’t because dark energy slammed his face the moment he opened it, but because within
the chest were stacked full of black robes that were exactly the same.
This again!
It was the same thing last time, where they had to try and find the real Brocade Immortal within
hundreds of different clothes. It was a mess looking for the thing, practically a nightmare. This
time there weren’t as many sets, only a few dozen, but every robe was black with barely any
difference. It was hard to tell which circumstance was the more dispiriting. Was the Brocade
Immortal actually here?
Feeling his head throb, Xie Lian asked miserably, “San Lang… what’s Jun Wu doing right now?
Do we have enough time?”
Hua Cheng had been monitoring all movements everywhere closely, and when he heard Xie
Lian’s inquiry, he replied languidly, “Gege, relax. We’ve got plenty of time. Jun Wu hasn’t noticed
you’d gone. He’s currently at the Great Martial Hall and had brought Mu Qing in to interrogate.
By the looks of it, it’ll be a while.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian was taken aback, “Mu Qing? He’s interrogating Mu Qing? Why?”
“Wraith butterflies can’t enter the Great Martial Hall, I can’t hear clearly.” Hua Cheng said, “But
you know.” He stared at Xie Lian, “It must not be anything good.”
Xie Lian recalled how Jun Wu had treated Yin Yu and felt vaguely anxious. But even if he
worried now it’d be pointless, so he said resolutely, “Let’s hurry then. Let me try each of the
robes on. San Lang, come give me orders.”
If the Brocade Immoral didn’t want to be discovered or if it didn’t want to take the life of whoever
put it on, it could just be worn casually. However, if someone made the other wear it and gave
that person orders, then that person must obey the orders. Using this method, they should
definitely be able to expose the real thing, the only downside being it was a bit dangerous. Hua
Cheng said, “Let me do it.”
Xie Lian shook his head, “San Lang, you’ve worn the Brocade Immortal before, but for some
reason it doesn’t really work on you. Maybe it’s ineffective against ghost kings? Only I could do
this.” He said as he removed his outer robe, dropping the white robe on the ground by his feet.
Hua Cheng raised his brows and picked a black robe to hand to him, “Then, I will take up your
offer.”
Xie Lian swiftly put on that robe. Thank goodness, thank goodness. Ling Wen’s black robe
wasn’t revealing in the bosom area, wasn’t sensual in any way, and was very conservative and
proper, so putting it on wasn’t difficult. Xie Lian looked up, “Okay, you can now give me an
order.”
“…”
Hua Cheng’s right hand was holding his left elbow while his left hand supported his chin, and he
looked at Xie Lian, seeming to be thinking very seriously for a moment before he said, “Then,
gege, my order is–”
A moment later came the anticipated command. Hua Cheng smiled happily, “–Let’s borrow
some spiritual powers.”
“…”
Of course Xie Lian understood what he meant by “Borrow spiritual powers” and his head almost
smoked. He quickly took off the robe and said, “It’s, it’s not this one!”
“Ah, what a shame. It’s not this one.” Hua Cheng lamented.
Xie Lian schooled his expression, “San Lang, you… this isn’t right. You have to be more serious,
don’t give orders like these.”
Hua Cheng replied modestly, “Am I not serious enough? Then what kind of orders do you mean,
can gege be more specific on that?”
“…” Xie Lian coughed twice softly and replied with seriousness, “Either way, you can’t make me
borrow spiritual powers from you. Everything else is fine, like turn around in a circle, jump twice
or something, whatever you want.”
Hua Cheng cocked an eyebrow, “Everything else is fine, right? Very well, I understand.”
Then, he handed Xie Lian another set of robes. Xie Lian swiftly put it on and looked up again at
Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng watched him for a moment, “Gege…”
A short moment later, he smiled widely, “Don’t borrow spiritual powers from me.”
“…”
He’s been careless! How could Hua Cheng do this!
Xie Lian hastily removed that robe, “OKAY! It’s not this one eith…” But Hua Cheng stopped him,
“Wait, gege, who says it’s not this one? You haven’t proven it yet.”
“Don’t borrow spiritual powers from me” was Hua Cheng’s order. If Xie Lian was to prove the
robe he was wearing right now wasn’t the Brocade Immortal then he must not obey Hua
Cheng’s order. Which meant, he had to do the opposite thing – “Borrow spiritual powers from
Hua Cheng”.
Going around in circles and they came back to the same starting point!
Xie Lian was shaken while staring at Hua Cheng’s serious face, “…That’s, you’re too cunning,
you can’t do that.”
Hua Cheng hugged his arms, “Why not? Gege, didn’t you say so yourself? Other than to borrow
spiritual powers from me, everything else is fine. Since you didn’t like that command then I gave
something that was the complete opposite, so how can you say I’m cunning? Wasn’t I just
staying true to your words?”
“…”
Xie Lian didn’t know what to say to retaliate at all, and he raised his finger to point at him for a
moment, “You… you, ah, I can’t win with you, stop playing around!” Then without any delay, he
rushed up and “chu”-ed. Even though he knew there was clearly no one around, but after he’d
done the deed he still looked around, as if cautious of anyone who might be peeping.
Hua Cheng’s face didn’t twitch in the slightest, and said calmly, “Very good. It’s been verified,
this one is indeed not it either.”
Xie Lian removed that black robe, “…Don’t give that order again either, alright?”
Hua Cheng passed the third one to him and smiled, “Fine, fine. As gege wishes.”
Xie Lian took the robe from him woefully, thinking to himself, ‘It feels like San Lang is harder and
harder to deal with… is this just my imagination?’
He was still worried Hua Cheng might give more prankish orders, but after joking around twice,
Hua Cheng indeed stopped teasing him. Yet now that he was being serious, Xie Lian actually
felt it odd.
However, after trying on the few dozens of robes inside the chest, Xie Lian didn’t obey any of
the orders.
Could the real Brocade Immortal not be here?
That was impossible. Ling Wen must’ve already taken it off, and the entire chest was tainted
with its aura of evil, so it must be in here!
Hua Cheng leaned against the door bar, “Gege, it seems, this Brocade Immortal isn’t just
ineffective against me, it doesn’t work for you either.”
What was the problem?
———-
Ch.216: Hard to Put On; Harder to Take Off
Xie Lian then pulled out all of the black robes out, blindly picking at them trying to find the
Brocade Immortal, no success, and could only put on the white cultivator robe he tossed on the
side anew and turned to Hua Cheng, “This really isn’t working… looks like we’ll have to take the
entire chest of clothes with us…”
Hearing this, Hua Cheng “pfft” and snickered, and Xie Lian felt a little woeful, feeling rather
ridiculous himself taking a few dozen robes as blackmail material, so silly. But with things as
they stood, there really weren’t any better ideas.
Yet unexpectedly, just as he was stuffing all the randomly strewn black robes back into the chest
and was about to carry the thing, the doors to the side chamber opened, and Ling Wen walked
in with a hand behind her back, looking exhausted.
“…”
“…”
Ling Wen was probably done resting and was ready to return to put the Brocade Immortal back
on, yet ran into the two uninvited guests who had broken into the chamber, one looking
incredibly innocent while the other looked nonchalant. With no words to say about the situation,
two of her fingers were instantly put together and pressed against her temple.
She was going to inform Jun Wu!
However, Hua Cheng moved faster than her, and with but a look, the two doors to the side
chamber rapidly shut close, and Ling Wen’s face also suddenly appeared to have dropped as
she lowered her hand, “…Hua Chengzhu is indeed incredible.”
“San Lang, you’ve created a ward?” Xie Lian asked.
“I’ve established a small one.” Hua Cheng said, “The perimeter is only set to this side chamber.”
Jun Wu could establish a ward within the Heavenly Capital, isolating everyone within the ward
from the outside world, then naturally Hua Cheng could also create an even smaller ward,
sealing the spiritual powers of those within and prevent them from communicating spiritually. A
small ward within a larger ward, in this moment, this side chamber had become a chest within a
chest.
However, this was Jun Wu’s power domain after all, so the ward established couldn’t be built too
big lest Jun Wu would notice. Xie Lian nodded, “Ling Wen, I’m sure you can see that the
Brocade Immortal is currently in our hands. If you don’t want to have it burnt down by ghost fire,
please don’t make any reckless moves.”
Yet unexpectedly, when Ling Wen heard him she laughed.
“But, Your Highness,” Ling Wen said, “The Brocade Immortal isn’t actually in your hands.”
To be honest, Xie Lian had suspected as much. Nonetheless he still voiced the most logical
deduction of the current situation, “Ling Wen, after you’ve come in and out, you didn’t wear it
anymore. I don’t think the Brocade Immortal is anywhere else but here inside this side
chamber.”
However, Ling Wen said, “Your Highness, have you perhaps misunderstood something? I only
said it’s not in the chest on your hands, but I didn’t say it wasn’t here inside this side chamber.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian suddenly thought of a possibility, and slightly turned his head.
Hua Cheng must’ve thought of the same thing he did, and the two both moved their gazes to the
white robe on Xie Lian’s person.
“En, you’ve guessed right.” Ling Wen said, “Right now, it’s being worn by Your Highness.”
Earlier when Xie Lian was trying on the other black robes, he had casually thrown aside the
white robe he wore, and later when he inspected the clothes, all the robes had already been
lumped together. Somehow, that Brocade Immortal had unsuspectingly turned into the
appearance of that white cultivator robes of his, and then picked up and put on his person!
Xie Lian looked down at his clothes and wondered inwardly, ‘Then where’s my original outer
robe?’
Hua Cheng casually lifted his hand and that chest of robes toppled over, the black robes within
spilling onto the ground. Hidden deep within dozens of black robes, there was one white robe
that was crushed at the very bottom.
That was the real outer robe Xie Lian had worn coming in!
Needless to say, this must be a wicked spell that Brocade Immortal had casted, and while the
two were trying on clothes randomly, it took the chance and dragged Xie Lian’s outer robe into
the chest, while it slipped out itself, transforming into that robe’s appearance to replace it,
allowing itself to be picked up and put on by Xie Lian.
Xie Lian wasn’t surprised in the least, but was only confused, “…Isn’t this a little too cunning?”
It was only an article of clothing! Besides, didn’t they say the Brocade Immortal itself wasn’t very
clever?
However, it wasn’t hard to guess either that it was most likely Ling Wen who taught it this idea.
Sure enough, Ling Wen said, “I gave it this idea and didn’t actually think it’d would come to use.
So, now, it’s as if it was I who made Your Highness wear this Brocade Immortal.”
If it was Hua Cheng who handed the robe to Xie Lian and Xie Lian put it on, then the
commander would be Hua Cheng. However, if the Brocade Immortal used Ling Wen’s idea and
tricked Xie Lian into wearing it, then the commander was Ling Wen. Which meant, the Xie Lian
now would obey Ling Wen’s words, and heed her every order!
“Ling Wen,” Xie Lian tried, “Have you never thought that the Brocade Immortal might not work
on me?”
Ling Wen smiled, “I won’t know until I’ve tried – Your Highness, from now on, you cannot attack
me. If you hear me then nod your head.”
Xie Lian didn’t intend to nod. Yet unexpectedly, after Ling Wen gave her order, before Xie Lian
knew it he had already involuntarily nodded!
How come it was now effective?! It clearly didn’t work earlier when Hua Cheng gave orders!
Could it be, it was only ineffective when the commander was Hua Cheng?
If that was the case, then the tables had suddenly turned. Xie Lian didn’t move, Hua Cheng
didn’t move either, and the two only exchanged looks, both very calm and steady.
Ling Wen was calm and steady too, “Then, now, will Hua Chengzhu please remove the ward
from this side chamber.”
Xie Lian instantly said, “San Lang, don’t do it.”
“Are you sure, Your Highness?” Ling Wen said, “I can order you to do anything.”
Hua Cheng still remained still, and Xie Lian thought, ‘Even if I can’t touch Ling Wen it’s alright,
no one else is under restrictions. As long as San Lang catches her off guard and seizes her,
preventing her from giving any orders, then the problem would be solved.”
However, Ling Wen was sharp and guessed their plans and added, “Hua Chengzhu, I suggest
you not to waste your time thinking of ways to catch me off guard to hold me down. Your
Highness, listen well: If, Hua Chengzhu is to attack me, or do any sort of harm towards me, then
you will attack him.”
With this, she blocked the plans the other party could’ve possibly used first!
“Alright, Hua Chengzhu, time to remove the ward.” Ling Wen said, “I have work to do still, the
Palace of Ling Wen is piled with civil matters I need to manage that haven’t looked through yet,
can we solve this little problem quickly?”
Hua Cheng only smirked.
The next moment, Ling Wen’s eyes widened, and she appeared as if she wanted to speak but
no voice was coming out.
If there was anyone standing behind her right now they would discover that on the back of her
neck perched a wraith butterfly with silver fluttering wings since who knows when. It was this
tiny little creature that stopped her body from moving and her voice unable to sound.
Hua Cheng hugged his arms and showed that incredibly insincere, fake smile. He said lazily, “If
I wanted to hold anyone down, did you think I’d need to catch them off guard?”
“…”
Ling Wen couldn’t speak, but the words in her eyes were clear: Hua Chengzhu, have you
forgotten? I’ve already given His Highness an order!
And right then, the Brocade Immortal activated its powers. Xie Lian turned around abruptly,
raised his hand and lunged towards Hua Cheng!
An unknown amount of time had passed before Xie Lian’s vision suddenly cleared, and he
instantly came to his senses, “…SAN LANG!”
Hua Cheng was standing right before him, and upon his red robe over his heart was a crushing
hand. It was Xie Lian’s hand.
Hua Cheng didn’t dodge this blow at all and only stood there, letting Xie Lian strike full force on
his heart!
“…”
Xie Lian hadn’t yet come around to react before Hua Cheng had firmly gripped his wrist, his
voice low, “Alright. Attack complete. Command release.”
Sure enough, after Xie Lian succeeded in his attack, he felt his body slacken, his freedom
returning.
For the sake of releasing Xie Lian from the command Ling Wen gave, Hua Cheng actually just
stood there and took that blow without dodging. Once the order was released, Xie Lian instantly
withdrew his hand, his face dropping, and it was a moment before he asked, “…San Lang, are
you hurt?”
He observed Hua Cheng’s face closely. However, because Hua Cheng wasn’t a live human
being, his skin was the colour of snow that hadn’t seen sun, and no visible changes could be
seen at the moment. However, his tone of voice certainly didn’t change, and he smiled, “Gege is
indeed incredible, what a beautiful blow.”
Xie Lian’s face was dark, like he’d been scared by him, and said solemnly, “I wasn’t joking
around. I used a seventh of my strength in my hand earlier, are you really alright?”
When Ling Wen gave her order, the word she used was “attack”. Typically when Xie Lian
exchanged blows with people he never used “attack” as the reason to make a move. Usually it
was for self-defense or for holding the other down, so once he moved with “attack” as the
reason, he really wasn’t sure what would happen to the other if he was to strike directly.
Hua Cheng replied slowly, “I wasn’t joking. Gege really is incredible. If you weren’t wearing
those two things on your body, perhaps not even Jun Wu would be your match.”
Xie Lian unconsciously touched his neck, and when he felt that cursed shackle, he immediately
dropped his hand. Just then, Hua Cheng added, “Gege, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?” Xie Lian asked.
“You had a chance to remove those cursed shackles.” Hua Cheng said, “Why did you keep
those things to bind you?”
Xie Lian hadn’t expected he’d ask that question and was taken aback, “Maybe… it was to
remind myself of some things.” He then said, “San Lang, don’t… don’t change the subject. What
kind of bad habit is this? The situation just now, it’d be fine if you’d just hold me own, why did
you have to take the blow yourself?”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “Gege, you knew this is a bad habit too? When it comes to taking
a beating, you have no right to lecture me, you know.”
“Oh, really?” Xie Lian said.
But the moment the words left his mouth he felt guilty. It must be known that that time he fought
the fetus spirit in the water, Hua Cheng caught him red handed for almost swallowing a sword.
Hua Cheng replied, “’Oh really? Why use other ways if I can solve the problem by taking a
beating’ is your bad influence on me.”
“…” Xie Lian waved his hand, “Nevermind, San Lang, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s look
at these robes first.”
He pulled at the hem of that white robe, feeling extremely woeful. This was just great; the
Brocade Immortal sure was found, but now, they must think of a way to take it off.
———–
Ch.217: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering
Since the robe was already being worn, there was definitely no way it could be burnt now, lest
Xie Lian got burnt along with it. Xie Lian suggested, “I’ll just keep the robe on me for now. It’s
not like it can suck my blood, and Ling Wen shouldn’t be able to give any more commands
either.”
A draft of blue smokey mist blew by, and where Ling Wen was standing had now only a blue
daruma doll, its expression very serious, and there even seemed to be scrolls in its arms. Xie
Lian picked it up and tucked it away in his robes and the two left this side chamber, sneaking
into the main hall.
It wasn’t his imagination; the main hall of the Palace of Ling Wen appeared to be much gloomier
than before, and the mountains of scrolls of reports piled high from the ground up looked to be
perilous and dangerous, like it would collapse at any given moment and crush the people below
to death. The two didn’t run into any guards as they sprinted straight for a set of crimson doors
in the deep heart of the palace.
Before they even got close Xie Lian heard a trembling, shocked voice, “…How is this possible?
How could this be?”
It was Guoshi! Could someone have gotten to him before they did? Xie Lian instantly kicked the
door down and growled, “LET HIM GO!”
Sure enough, it wasn’t only Guoshi alone inside the chamber. After the door was kicked down,
everyone turned their heads to look at the new intruders. The shock on Guoshi’s face still hadn’t
faded, “…Your Highness?”
“…”
“…”
Guoshi didn’t look up for more than a moment before his head lowered again, “You just wait a
sec – How could this be, what kind of luck is this?!”
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were both speechless.
Within the chamber, Guoshi and three others formed a full table and were just in the middle of a
heated game of cards, their passion and obsession blinding them from their surroundings. While
it’s said it was three other ‘people’, they weren’t actually alive, and were roughly crafted paper
dolls very crudely made. Who knows what kind of bizarre spell was casted for them to move and
could even play cards. As for Guoshi, his exclamations just now were only his lament after
getting his hand of cards.
Xie Lian had originally thought perhaps Guoshi might suffer torturous interrogation and would
look rather ghastly, but he hadn’t expected that Guoshi would actually still be playing cards at a
time like this, and while he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, the whole scene was incredibly
dear.
How could it not be dear? Back then when he and Feng Xin resided at the Royal Holy Pavilion,
whenever they went to look for Guoshi, seven out of ten times he would be playing cards, cards,
cards! Over eight hundred years had past, but seeing once again the Guoshi playing cards, it
was as if it was only yesterday. Even the crazed passion on Guoshi’s face was exactly the
same. He stared unblinkingly at the cards in his hands and spoke up without looking back, “Your
Highness, you’ve finally come. But let me finish this round first…”
Xie Lian just knew his old bad habit of recognizing no one when gaming was happening again.
Compared to the him at the Great Martial Hall, they were practically two different people, really
quite the sad sight. Xie Lian went up to try to drag him away from the table, “Master, what time
do you think this is? Stop playing!”
Guoshi’s eyes were red and he yelled, “NO, DON’T, LET ME FINISH!!! I’M ALMOST DONE!
JUST THIS ROUND! LET ME FINISH THIS HAND! IT’S ALMOST DONE, I MIGHT JUST WIN
THIS TIME!!!”
“You won’t win, you really won’t win!” Xie Lian cried.
…
Thankfully, this round really did finish fairly quickly, While Guoshi swore he was going to win, but
in actuality he indeed did not win. He waved his hand and withdrew those three paper dolls, and
Guoshi finally returned to his normal calm.
He sat poised and said solemnly, “Your Highness, I knew you would come. I’ve been waiting for
you.”
“…”
‘It didn’t look like you were waiting for me at all…’ Xie Lian thought. But of course he didn’t say
so out loud, since the respect for elders must still be maintained. Guoshi continued, “I knew you
must have many questions.”
Hua Cheng stood on the side, leaning against the door, looking rather at leisure but was
probably standing guard. Xie Lian also sat proper and poised before the Guoshi, “Yes.”
After a pause, Xie Lian asked, “First, I want to confirm, is Jun Wu… is he really White No-Face,
and also the Crown Prince of WuYong?”
“There’s no need for doubt. He is.” Guoshi replied.
“I have no relation whatsoever with the Crown Prince of WuYong, right? We’re two completely
different people.” Xie Lian asked.
“The only relationship you share with the Crown Prince of WuYong is that he destroyed your
kingdom, XianLe.”
“…”
Xie Lian said softly, “But, Guoshi, you once told me that you didn’t know what White No-Face
was, and you were certain he was born because of me.”
“Your Highness, at the time, I genuinely did not know what he was.” Guoshi replied, “And by the
time I found out, it was already too late. And, to say he was born because of you was not
incorrect.”
“Just what exactly does that mean?” Xie Lian asked, “And, the same question as before – why
did he want to destroy XianLe?”
Guoshi looked him in the eyes, “Because of that one phrase you said.”
Xie Lian was taken aback, “The one phrase I said? What phrase?”
“Body in abyss; heart in paradise.” Guoshi replied.
“…”
Xie Lian was speechless for a moment. Then he asked incredulously, “…That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Guoshi said.
“…Just that one line?” Xie Lian questioned, “What’s wrong with those words?”
Guoshi replied darkly, “Everything. Everything all started with that phrase of yours!”
Xie Lian could vaguely tell that what Guoshi was about to say next would be something he’d
have a hard time to swallow, and he wanted to call for Hua Cheng, but before he could do so
Hua Cheng had already come forward and sat down next to him.
“You saw those murals at Mount TongLu, correct?” Guoshi asked.
“Yes.” Xie Lian replied, “Were you the one who left those murals behind?”
“Yes, it was me.” Guoshi replied, “Every time when Mount TongLu opens its gates I would sneak
in; on one hand, it’s to prevent a new ghost king from being born, and the other is to use all
manner of ways to leave some sort of clue to tell others about the Kingdom of WuYong, and
about the Crown Prince of WuYong.”
Xie Lian wondered solemnly, “Why not just tell people directly? Why must you use such a
roundabout method?”
“Your Highness, why do you think there’s now practically no one in the world who knows about
the Kingdom of WuYong?” Guoshi asked.
Before Xie Lian answered Hua Cheng had spoken up, “Everyone who knew had been cleaned
away, right?”
“That’s right.” Guoshi replied, “If the clues left behind were too obvious, or if words spread
directly, then I will have the danger of exposure. Anyone who’d seen might all vanish from this
world. It won’t matter how many people. Even if it’s a city fortress, he could turn it into flat
ground within three days. You should know I’m not joking.”
Of course Xie Lian knew. And the ironic thing was, he was once thankful that Jun Wu had
ascended and became a god instead of fallen into becoming a ghost, otherwise the world would
fall into chaos. Guoshi continued, “This is why I can’t let him notice that there are still people in
this world who knows about those events, but still I can’t accept the fact that I’m the only one
who knew. I thought, those who are attentive enough and brave enough, would naturally
discover the truth. Since I don’t have the power to fight him straight on, I’ll just go more with the
flow.”
“Throughout the years, I’ve been hiding and running, and have concealed myself well. Except
for that time eight hundred years ago I almost couldn’t get away, he had never been able to
capture me. He was able to this time because he discovered the murals I left behind in that
divine temple within the red forest of TongLu, plus later on you correctly guessed his identity,
and so it came to him that I might still be alive, and also left behind many things he didn’t want
people to know about.”
Xie Lian remembered that at the time, when they were passing through the last divine temple
within the red forest of TongLu, the last couple of murals, the most important ones, were already
destroyed by someone. At the time, both he and Hua Cheng suspected that someone was
hidden inside the temple, but they weren’t able to find the person. Now that he thought back on
it, there was actually a very real possibility that White No-Face really was hidden in some corner
within that divine temple.
Xie Lian asked, “But, Guoshi, why do you have to keep hiding and running?”
Guoshi replied, “Of course it’s because of…”
“Betrayal.” Hua Cheng said.
The word was a little sharp, and Guoshi gave him a look. However, Hua Cheng’s expression did
not change, “You’ve betrayed him, right?”
“Pretty much.” Guoshi said, “That’s about it.”
He turned to Xie Lian, “How do I say this, Your Highness…
“Everything told on the murals were all true. The esteemed Highness the Crown Prince of
WuYong was like the one and only sun in the Kingdom of WuYong. Back in the day when you
were the Crown Prince of Xian Le, however glorious you were, he was many times more.
“Me and my three peers, the four of us, were once his vassals. After the Crown Prince
ascended he appointed us all up to the heavens, and there, we have also witnessed many
forms and colours of various celestial beings. Without any exaggeration, even within the sea of
gods in the heavenly realm, he was also like the sun, shining so brightly that others next to him
would lose their colours.”
As Guoshi spoke, a flash of the smallest of smiles appeared unconsciously. Xie Lian felt, when
he was addressing the other as “His Highness”, he wasn’t talking about “Jun Wu” nor “White
No-Face”, but that young Crown Prince of two thousand years prior.
“I think you’ve also told me something similar in the past.” Xie Lian said.
“Have I? When people get old their memory is bad.”
“You have. But, you told me he didn’t ascend. That he died.”
“That’s probably because, I’d rather he didn’t ascend.” Guoshi said.
“Was it because Mount TongLu the volcano erupted?”
Guoshi didn’t answer his question and only said, “His Highness’ spiritual powers were too
strong.”
“In his dream he foresaw the future of WuYong was a sea of fire, and so he started thinking of
ways to save his people. If the me now was there, I would never have let him do so. But, at the
time, none of us had thought things would turn out the way they did. We only thought that there
were people who were going to die, so what’s wrong with saving them?
“But, things weren’t so simple.
“It was impossible to stop the volcano from erupting, and if we wanted no one hurt, then the only
option was to migrate. However, the affected areas were too great; it wasn’t just a matter of one
or two city fortresses. To the nobles and the common people, the best way was to invade other
Kingdoms, take over new land, otherwise the other Kingdoms wouldn’t so easily allow such a
great number of people from WuYong to move in.
“However, to His Highness, that wasn’t an option at all. Blood would shed in war, and once
blood flows eyes would grow red, turn people violent, and become less than human.
“Still, the Kingdom of WuYong dispatched troops. Wherever the soldiers went, not a single soul
was left alive, and since the objective was to ‘clear land’ for future people of WuYong to move in,
the generals had given the order to slaughter the citizens of the other Kingdoms, the more the
better, and blood flowed like rivers, corpses piled high like mountains.
“Once His Highness found out, he was very angry. As you all have seen, he descended upon
the battlefield, and punished those soldiers of WuYong.”
When Xie Lian realized this was about the young Jun Wu, and also the young White No-Face,
he felt rather intrigued. Guoshi continued, “Yet, he wasn’t the only one who was angry. This
whole affair also angered the nobles of WuYong, and also a part of the people. Many went to
the divine temple to question His Highness: We only wanted to survive, we need more land, and
we only invaded others because we had no choice, so how could we be wrong?”
“The effect of this affair had greatly exceeded all of our expectations, and it was becoming more
and more serious, with some already calling for the desecration of his statues, the burning of his
temples, but His Highness withstood all of it.
“He said, if WuYong was the one being invaded, he would die defending the Kingdom, allowing
the enemy to step not a single foot across the border. However, if it was themselves, they must
never invade others. He earnestly requested for everyone to abandon war, and wait until he’s
built something – his Heaven Crossing Bridge.”
Guoshi said slowly, “There wasn’t anymore land in the mortal realm, so let’s bring the people up
the heavens to shelter them for a while. While this idea was practically impossible, but all four of
us believed in His Highness absolutely, convinced that he could do it. Or rather, we would do
our utmost to support him in whatever he endeavours. Of course, the other heavenly officials
didn’t think the same. The entire heavenly realm was against it, but His Highness still withstood
it.
“He took on three things at once: The ignorance and grumbling complaints of the nobles and
people of WuYong; the incessant outrage of all the gods in heaven; and that giant Heaven
Crossing Bridge.”
However, Hua Cheng snorted, “Against it? They probably weren’t just opposing it.”
Guoshi nodded slowly, “If it was only mere opposition, it wouldn’t have mattered. But…”
Xie Lian could vaguely guessed what had happened, but still he asked, “But?”
Guoshi said, “That bridge required an enormous amount of time and terrifying spiritual powers
to fully build, and His Highness couldn’t be distracted at all. He had practically stopped going
anywhere else, stopped doing anything else, and stopped listening to the prayers of believers.
He could only focus on doing this one thing.”
“However, a god that could only do one thing will never be able to keep followers. The first day
he took on that bridge, the people were grateful to him and remembered him; the second day,
the third day, the fourth day, were also the same. A month, two months, they still were grateful
and remembered him. But, when time dragged on, it wouldn’t do.
“The volcano hadn’t erupted yet, but His Highness wasn’t doing anything else and had been
silently storing his powers. The people couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t as powerful as he once
was, that he wasn’t as dedicated anymore even. At a time like this, inevitably, a new god will be
worshipped.
“The Kingdom of WuYong was greatly populated, the wealth abundant, and the power of belief
of the believers were also quite strong. This was obvious, seeing how His Highness prospered
back then. There were many heavenly officials who had long since been salivating over this
domain and the believers within it, so…”
Xie Lian understood.
He said, “So… the heavenly officials took advantage of this opportunity, used the resentment
and dissatisfaction the people of WuYong bore from the descent of that Crown Prince to
withdraw the troops, tempted them, and divided his believers and the source of his spiritual
powers… right?”
———–
Ch.218: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering 2
“It’s not that His Highness didn’t know this, but, he didn’t know what to do about it.” Guoshi said.
Xie Lian inclined his head slightly and commented, “He’s a god, of course he couldn’t say to the
devotees that I won’t allow you to worship a god other than me. He probably felt disdain for such
a demand too.”
“Naturally, you understand him very well.” Guoshi said.
Xie Lian added, “But, this just had to be when he can’t afford to lose devotees and spiritual
powers, otherwise the construction of the Cross Heaven Bridge would be affected.”
“That’s exactly it.” Guoshi said, “So, it was up to the four of us to relay to the people what the
stakes were.”
“And how did that go?” Xie Lian asked.
“Probably nothing remarkable,” Hua Cheng said.
“Nothing remarkable indeed,” Guoshi replied, “At least, nothing that met our expectations. A part
of the people worried the construction of the bridge might fall apart and returned, but there was
a larger part of the people who thought instead His Highness was being domineering. Their
prayers were not fulfilled, so it couldn’t be helped that they turned around to worship other gods
that could fulfill their wishes. They were free devotees, they could believe in whatever they
wanted to believe, it’s all more than natural.”
“It wasn’t that he didn’t want to please everyone, it’s just he really was…”
Xie Lian sighed and whispered, “…He had the heart but not the strength.”
Guoshi continued, “After His Highness learned of this, he stopped us, and said if they wanted to
go then let them go. If they were forcefully kept, they wouldn’t be believing in him
wholeheartedly anyway. That certainly was the case, and even though we’ve warned them over
and over again, the hearts of the devotees had already dispersed. Even if they forced
themselves to come back, they were only placating us.”
“He couldn’t be angry at the devotees and he couldn’t request the help of other heavenly
officials either.” Xie Lian commented.
“Even if he went and asked, the other heavenly officials would never help him anyway.” Guoshi
said, “If they were actually willing to give a hand, then they wouldn’t have opposed this in the
first place, and they wouldn’t have taken advantage of the opportunity to lure away his devotees
later either.”
“His Highness became more and more silent and closed up, using his own powers to construct
that bridge and supported it up. I watched him everyday, and while he said nothing, but I could
tell just how much he suffered inside. And this suffering could only be bore by him on his own;
no matter how much the four of us wanted to help him we couldn’t lighten his burden.”
“Finally, after enduring arduously for three years, the volcano was about to erupt.”
“The moment the news broke out, the people fought to swarm the bridge, and the four of us
directed the hustling crowd while worrying over His Highness who was supporting this up all by
himself.
Guoshi sighed, “In the past we would never have worried he wouldn’t be able to do anything,
but at that time, we actually started worrying.”
“At first, the bridge was still considerably stable. However, when the swarming crowd grew and
grew, the time it took to support the bridge became longer and longer, and His Highness’ hands
started shaking, his face also growing paler and paler.”
“No one else could see, only we could see. I sensed things weren’t right and told the people to
please wait a moment to give him a little bit of time, and not to swarm towards him all at once,
just let him catch a breath, he will definitely save all of you. But the volcano was about to erupt,
lives were in danger, and no one was willing to wait. They all rushed onto the bridge like mad,
some were even trampled to death, and we couldn’t hold them back at all!”
“In the end, what we feared the most still happened.”
“During those three years, because we kept losing devotees, His Highness’ spiritual powers
were no longer as strong as before. As over hundreds of thousands of people swarmed that
bridge, celebrating their salvation, and was just cheerfully walking towards the heavenly realm,
the bridge collapsed.”
Xie Lian’s breathing hitched.
Guoshi continued, “The heavenly rainbow was ripped, and millions of people, a dense and
crammed crowd suddenly dropped from the sky in an instant, wailing and screaming
heart-wrenchingly as they fell into a sea of fire, and burnt to ashes right before the eyes of His
Highness!”
“I was completely stupefied at the time, and didn’t dare to look at His Highness’ face at all. The
bridge couldn’t be repaired, the people couldn’t be pulled up, and the fires couldn’t be
extinguished – there was no way to help at all! And there were many more who hadn’t yet
climbed onto the bridge; they were entombed by lava, sealed by flying ashes. Screeching,
wailing, cursing. That scene was truly too horrible… I had never seen anything as horrid since.”
Xie Lian tried to imagine it for a bit and his heart chilled. Guoshi continued his tale.
“The bridge collapsed. The people of WuYong also went mad.”
“They set fires to burn down His Highness’ temples, toppled his divine statues, used blades to
pierce his heart until it was mush, cursing that he was a useless creature, a bullshit god. He was
a god, and gods should’ve been mighty and strong; gods couldn’t fail.”
“But he did fail. And so, he could no longer be positioned above.”
“The heavenly officials in the heavenly realm had long been waiting for this moment. They said,
‘We already told you long before that this endeavour was impossible. You’ve caused a huge
problem, so now we have to ask you to leave and go back down below.”
“And His Highness asked a very foolish question. He asked: ‘Why didn’t any of you help me?’
“Why would anyone help for no good reason? Besides, if they allow him to successfully pass
this enormous calamity for the Kingdom of WuYong, then wouldn’t he never again have a match
in the heavenly realm?
“So, that was a very foolish question. I imagine he knew this, yet he still asked.
“Of course no one answered him, and His Highness was banished.
“He had fallen back to the mortal realm, no longer a god, and no longer a crown prince. We
followed him and we all told him you can definitely ascend again, and so, he began cultivating
anew. But, it was much too difficult. I’m sure you understand.”
Of course Xie Lian understood.
The higher one stood, the harder one fell. After falling from the heavens back to the mortal
realm, what awaited him would be endless coldness and maliciousness.
Guoshi continued, “The volcano was still blowing, and the Kingdom of WuYong had fallen into a
crisis it never had before in history. Refugees, riots, the disorders were incessant, and everyone
was at the end of their wits, and their attitude toward His Highness had changed completely,
entirely different than before.”
“Even then, His Highness still wanted to help them. However, another thing just had to happen
right then.”
“Many other heavenly officials began to show their graces.”
“Even though they weren’t willing to prevent the volcano from erupting, but they were quite
happy to grant little blessings, deliver a bit of medicine and food, or something. Since at this
time His Highness was already banished, what he could do of course couldn’t be compared to
those heavenly officials at all.”
“It was as if the people of WuYong suddenly grabbed onto a lifeline, their parents reborn, and
the devotees were lost even faster. Though in truth, there weren’t that many left anyway. All the
praises and adoration for His Highness from before were all given away to the other heavenly
officials without fault, and what was left behind for him was only hate and rejection.”
Guoshi closed his eyes, “At the time, we really felt betrayed, that everything was so unfair.”
“Those heavenly officials clearly didn’t give them that much, and only made appearances after
the disaster was over. His Highness was the one who did the most, he gave it his all, and he
should’ve been successful too, it was just one more step! Why, in the end, it was he who was
fallen? Why was the one who had given the most ignored, and those who’d only given a little
were praised and thanked?
“That was also the time when my thinking began to change.
“I couldn’t help but think, if, His Highness had chosen to pretend never to have foreseen the
future in his dreams from the start, and chose to sit back and observe under the belief that ‘This
is fate, the gods can do naught’, and only granted blessings after the volcano erupted like the
other heavenly officials, then surely the people would also be crying tears of gratitude for him.”
Hua Cheng said flatly, “Have you only thought that then? You should’ve thought that from the
beginning. Slicing off a piece of flesh to save one person, the person would be grateful. But the
more that’s sliced, the more the person would demand, and in the end, even if all is sliced to
nothing but bones, the person would still not be satisfied.”
“I didn’t dare to tell him any of these thoughts,” Guoshi said, “But His Highness was becoming
more and more somber, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, if he had thought the same
things.”
“Day after day, the volcano was still blowing unceasingly, and all of the Kingdom of WuYong was
sunken in terror, unable to escape. No one knew how to make it stop, to end this nightmare.”
“One day, His Highness suddenly said to us, he found a way to make the volcano stop.
However, when he told us the method, we had a huge fight.”
“Let me guess,” Hua Cheng said, “That method is the sacrifice of the living.”
“Correct.” Guoshi replied, “His Highness said, find a batch of bad people, use those fiends as
sacrifice, throw them into the Kiln, and pacify the fires of fury of the Kiln.”
“The four of us all had different thoughts on this, but the general consensus was disagreement.
Something like must never be done. In the beginning, His Highness didn’t want WuYong to use
force to invade other Kingdoms precisely because he didn’t want to use a life to save a life. If we
were to choose to sacrifice the living to the Kiln, then how is that any different? It’d be even
worse, in fact. There were a couple who were extremely opposed to the idea and directly had a
huge quarrel with His Highness.
“That quarrel was too great, and they even used their fists. I was against it too at first, but
compared to the attacks from the outside, it was harder for me to withstand having internal
quarrels. You must know, the four of us had always supported His Highness, but now we are his
only pillar of support. Yet that time, not only were blows exchanged in the heat of the moment,
someone even accused His Highness that he’s changed, that he’s forgotten his heart, that he
was no longer the highness of the past.
“Those words truly executed the heart, I couldn’t stand it. If even we stood against His Highness
to berate him, then there was truly no one in this world who stood by his side. So, in the end, I
didn’t disagree, and only told him to let it go, to stopped minding those affairs. The heavenly
realm, the mortal realm, all the refugees, stop caring for everything. It really was too tiresome.”
“However, no one listened to me. After that huge fight, besides me the other three all left.”
Xie Lian shook his head, not knowing what to say. Only, to leave at a time like this, it was adding
frost to snow.
“Only I stayed behind.” Guoshi said, “His Highness didn’t say much either, and only asked me,
‘Are you leaving?’
“To see the expression on the face of the once prince when he asked me this question, at that
moment I genuinely felt, even if he did throw people into the Kiln as sacrifice, I could
understand. I said, ‘Your Highness, I won’t leave.’
“His Highness still didn’t say much, but he never mentioned using live sacrifices again and
changed his mind. He set up a ritual near the Kiln, and I went with him, enduring the cursing and
thrown rocks from the refugees, and conducted services, trying to push down the fury of the
volcano.
“I thought that affair was over just like that. Yet who knew, one day, I discovered something that
chilled me to the bones.”
Having spoken to this point, Guoshi’s face had turned terrifying, as if he was once again seeing
the same image that chilled him. Xie Lian’s heart also felt like it was being squeezed tight by an
invisible hand, and he asked, “What was it?”
“He… He suddenly started covering his own face.” Guoshi said.
“…”
“His Highness is handsome in appearance and never hid his face.” Guoshi said, “And there
wasn’t anything that could injure his face. It’s been so many years and I’ve never seen him like
this, so I was perplexed. I asked him, Your Highness, what’s happened to your face? He said,
he was accidentally burnt by a fire.”
“I didn’t know where he suffered this injury at all, and he wouldn’t let me examine the wounds,
only applying some herbs on his own, and his whereabouts suddenly became unpredictable.
That was supposedly unusual, but then, a great thing happened and temporarily distracted my
attention – the volcano suddenly stopped blowing.
“The Kiln returned to its dead silence and gradually calmed, and for a long time it stopped
blowing. Since it was only His Highness who worked hard on this, many people of WuYong
thought it was him who pushed the volcano down, and some began to worship him anew. His
Highness’ path to cultivation also started becoming more successful. At least, there weren’t any
more people shaming him or throwing rocks, and the people gradually started smiling at him
again.
“Still, I always thought there was something not right,
“There were many things not right. While my three friends all had different personalities, but I at
least know them, and know they wouldn’t have really just left like that without care. Even if they
were really angry against His Highness, they wouldn’t be angry with me too, and at the very
least, they wouldn’t have stopped all communication with me.”
“What was the most unusual was his high highness’ face. He kept using something to cover his
own face; at first it was rags and mantles, later, he started wearing a mask, and wouldn’t
remove it for any reason.
“At the time I even suspected whether if this person was even His Highness, and was instead
actually an impersonator, because the way he spoke and acted, even his personality had
completely changed. Sometimes kind and dear, sometimes abruptly enraged. There was once
when he was in the house by himself, he smashed all the mirrors. Who knows where the blood
was flowing from, but everything was bloody. What was even more horrifying was I’d often hear
strange voices.”
“What voices?” Xie Lian asked.
“Sometimes, deep in the night, there would be human voices coming from His Highness’ room,
like a few people were whispering and arguing. But when I’d go in to check, there was only him
inside the room. After this happened a few times, His Highness stopped allowing me into his
room.”
“One night, I heard those strange voices again, and this time, I noticed, they sounded like the
voices of my three friends!
“I really couldn’t hold back anymore, and thought could they have perhaps snuck back? Why
would they hide this from me? So, I got up and ran into His Highness’ room.
“What was strange was there really was no one else inside the room, and there was only His
Highness lying on the bed, his mask still unremoved. I then stood there and listened for a
moment, and heard those voices again, and they seemed to have been coming from His
Highness.
“Or more accurately, it was coming from under his mask.
“I slowly walked to His Highness’ bedside, and the closer I got the more I was certain that the
voices really were coming from underneath the mask. Was His Highness sleeptalking? Could he
have missed his friends too much that he’d learned their voices in his dreams?”
“I hesitated for a long time, and in that time His Highness had never moved. I figure he was
asleep, so, I gently and lightly took off the mask on his face, then saw something.
Inconcealable terror flowed from Guoshi’s eyes.
He said, “I saw my three friends.”
“The ones talking wasn’t His Highness, it was them. Upon His Highness’ face were messy
gashes from some sharp weapon, his flesh overturned, blood half dried, and, since who knows
when, there grew three more faces, their mouths all moving, opening and closing. It was their
faces!!!”
Xie Lian shuddered, “He… threw the three vassals who left him into the Kiln too??”
——–
Ch.219: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering 3
Guoshi didn’t answer him. He was now completely sunken into the indispelible terror that scene
still brought him.
“Those faces hadn’t seen light in a long time,” He said, “So even the moonlight of the night was
painful to them. When I suddenly removed the mask, it was as if they were shocked, and they
squinted their eyes, their voices stopping. But after a moment, when they saw it was me, they
began… to scream my name.”
I was completely stunned. I’ve said earlier that I’ve never seen anything more horrific than
millions of people falling from the skies and burnt alive in a sea of fire, but the scene before my
eyes then was more horrifying than that by a million fold!”
“My hand that was holding the mask was shaking nonstop, and if it wasn’t for my entire person
already petrified and frozen still, that mask would’ve probably dropped to the ground and wake
His Highness. Meanwhile, those three faces seemed to be anxious to tell me something, the
opening and closing of their mouths became even more erratic, but still they suppressed their
voices, like they were afraid to wake His Highness.”
“When I saw their appearances I was both disgusted and scared, but I still couldn’t help but be
curious to find out what they wanted to tell me, so I bent down, held my breath, and leaned
close to His Highness’ face to listen.”
“Coming so close, I could smell the thick stench of blood and rot that herbs couldn’t conceal. I
heard them say, quick! Run away! His Highness had gone mad!”
“Turns out, after the other three had left, they were still worried so they secretly returned to find
His Highness. Yet unexpectedly, they just happened to run into His Highness taking a large
number of people rushing towards the direction of the Kiln.”
“Only then did they find out that His Highness had never abandoned the idea of sacrificing the
living. In a fit of shock and rage, they went to stop him and started a fight with His Highness. Yet
unexpectedly, His Highness actually bore and killed them, and threw them into the Kiln along
with the other few hundreds of people!”
“The other citizens were of course burnt to dust and ashes after being thrown in, but the three of
them were cultivated, and were also murdered by His Highness, so their resentful attachment
was extremely deep, and their souls actually took his body as host, growing upon his person,
and nagged at him in rage everyday, hoping to prevent him in all of his endeavours.”
“As I listened, I felt horror and confusion, and I didn’t know what to do at all. What was
horrifying? I wasn’t actually clear; was tHis Highness scarier or those three things on his face?!”
“Right then, I felt, a hand rest on my head.”
“I stiffened and slowly looked up, and saw His Highness.”
“I didn’t know when he had woken. He and the three faces on his face, a total of four sets of
eyes, were all staring at me!”
“The expressions on those human faces became even more exaggerated, as they twisted they
tore the gashes on his face, and a lot of blood streamed down.”
“He stared at me for a long, long time, then, he sighed: ‘Haven’t I told you not to come in here?’”
“Suddenly, I understood all the abnormal behaviours of these past few days.”
“When His Highness discovered his face had grown three such creatures, he wasn’t able to
accept it, and he couldn’t tolerate this inhuman, demonic appearance of himself in the mirror, so
he smashed all the mirrors. The bleeding was because he wanted to use a blade to slice them
off; the rotting smell was because the injuries wouldn’t heal, and no matter how many times he
cut them, they would always grow back!”
Guoshi covered half of his face, his pupils violently shrinking.
He said, “I… instantly fell to my knees at his bedside.”
“His Highness slowly sat up on the bed and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. They became like this
because they betrayed me. As long as you don’t do the same, I will still treat you as before. As
long as you are my loyal servant, nothing will change’.”
“But how could I not be afraid?! And how could nothing be changed? Everything had changed!”
“His Highness was very smart. He had never had to watch people’s faces, but after banishment,
he had learned to observe expressions. He had guessed what I was thinking and asked me
slowly: ‘Are you leaving too, then?’”
“To be honest, I didn’t know. If he had only thrown the ‘fiends’ he spoke of into the Kiln, maybe I
could’ve pretended nothing had happened, and I did say I could’ve understood.”
“But, he had personally killed and thrown our bestest friends into the Kiln too. We only had each
other! This really was… madness. I… wasn’t able to accept it.”
“His Highness said to himself, it’s okay, I had expected it, no one would stay after I’ve become
like this. I can go on on my own. I understand now, I’ve always been alone!!! I DON’T NEED
ANYONE!!!”
“His expression suddenly turned savage, and he eyed me unblinkingly as he strangled me with
one hand, repeating nonstop: I can be on my own, all alone, alone, alone alone alone alone
alone, I don’t need anyone, I don’t need anyone I don’t need anyone I don’t need anyone…”
“His Highness’ strength is powerful, and if he really wanted to kill me my neck should’ve been
snapped instantly without making a sound. But I didn’t immediately die, and when he started to
act up, my three friends all started screaming from his face, and, as if they’ve done something to
him, he started yelling with an agonizing headache too, and I was also screaming. The five of us
were all screaming wildly, yelling in madness, like we had all gone crazy. His Highness gripped
his own head with one hand, and the other was strangling me harder. My vision was growing
dark, I couldn’t hold on much longer, but right then… I saw something underneath his pillow.”
“Under his pillow was a sword. It was cushioned underneath when he slept, and it was a habit
he developed after banishment. I caught hold of the hilt and pulled out the sword. The chilling
light shimmered and His Highness laughed heartily, his eyes blood red, asking ‘Are you going to
kill me too? COME! STAB ME, QUICK! STAB ME RIGHT IN THE HEART! YOU CAN ADD TO
THE COUNT! I’VE GOTTA SEE WHO WILL BE THE LAST TO DIE! YOU LOT, OR ME!’”
“Of course I didn’t stab him. I only flashed the sword before him and cried with my everything,
:”Your Highness! Your Highness! Please come back! Look at yourself! LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE
BECOME!!”
“He had smashed all the mirrors and it had been a long time since he last looked at his own
reflection. The blade of that sword was sharp and bright; it reflected his appearance then, and
he also saw his own face.”
“When he saw himself in the mirror, he suddenly stopped.”
“The strength His Highness used to strangle me did not lessen, but, after who knows how long,
he looked and looked, and suddenly, two lines of tears streamed from his eyes.”
“When I saw his tears, I couldn’t help but cry too. That reflection on the sword, such ugliness!
Even with just a glance I found it disgusting, so why did I make him look at himself like this, to
remind him that he was now such an ugly creature?”
“I still couldn’t bear it, and the sword fell from my hand, dropping to the ground.”
“In the end, His Highness threw me away forcefully and said, scram.”
“I ran away crawling and stumbling.”
Having listened to this point in one go, that breath held in Xie Lian’s throat finally let go some.
Guoshi also lowered his hands, “I’ve run far away, and escaped the Kingdom of WuYong. And it
wasn’t long before the volcano of the Kiln erupted once again.”
“This time, the entire Kingdom of WuYong was completely buried, not a single soul saved. An
entire country, disappeared just like that.”
“I escaped this calamity, but afterwards I’ve never heard any news of His Highness again. It was
as if he was also buried along with the Kingdom of WuYong.”
“I’ve trekked to the heavens before, and I’ve also cultivated on my own, so I’ve a small bit of
achievements. I maintained the state of my body and drifted aimlessly throughout the mortal
realm. I’ve served His Highness since I was young, and now that I didn’t need to serve him any
longer, I actually didn’t know what to do.”
“His Highness was gone, my three friends were also dead. I created three empty shelled fakes,
and made the fakes to speak in their voices to talk to me, and play cards sometimes.”
Having heard ‘Empty-shelled fakes’, Xie Lian’s expression grew solemn. Guoshi continued,
“Later, my magic improved, so I also instilled the skills of my three friends into the fakes.”
Xie Lian asked softly, “Were they the other three Guoshis?”
No wonder he always thought the other three Guoshis were rather strange; they never acted on
their own, and they never socialized with him one on one either. So they were fakes, and if they
left Guoshi’s side they would be exposed, Guoshi replied, “It’s them. So, I suppose you are also
the disciple of my three friends. Alas, I’m not them after all, and the most skills I could instill into
the fakes were only twenty or thirty percent of their true strengths, so not much could be taught.
And those three fakes that had kept me company for so long had also been long destroyed by
him too.”
“After another one or two centuries, the heavenly dynasty changed, and the heavenly officials of
the past were all fading away. Gradually, a new batch of heavenly officials had replaced them.
However, none of that was any of my business, and I was also just living shamelessly waiting
for death.”
“Until one day, in some Kingdom, a crown prince was born under the Ominous Star.”
“That was you, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of XianLe.”
It was here at last. The hands Xie Lian rested on his thighs clenched slightly.
Guoshi sat cross legged, and spoke, hugging his arms, “I thought it was quite coincidental, very
much an affinity. But in truth, by then WuYong had been destroyed for many, many years. Of
course there’d be one or two after some hundreds of years, so it wasn’t really a coincidence at
all. But still, with a feeling even I didn’t understand, I casually made up a name and went and
became the Guoshi of XianLe.”
‘I knew that name was made up…’ Xie Lian thought.
“No offense to your XianLe,” Guoshi said, “But to muddle in and get the Guoshi position was
much too easy for me. There was only one problem, and that was people always thought
“without a beard one is incapable”, those who were young must be inexperienced and
incompetent, and would be looked down upon. If I went to the interview with my current face, I
might not pass, so I changed my face a little, added some ten, twenty years, and sure enough, I
muddled right in. But to be the Guoshi, it meant I had to speak to the heavenly officials of the
heavenly realm directly.”
“Thus, I came to face with Jun Wu.”
“Jun Wu’s appearance and that highness I knew was completely different. Still, I was too familiar
with him after all, so after exchanging words a few times, I’ve already had my suspicions. But
they were still only suspicions.”
“And even if I was suspicious, I didn’t want to expose anything.”
“He had already turned into someone else completely, and the faces on his face had also
vanished. I thought the resentment of my three friends had dispersed, and if that was the case,
then there was no need to bring up any old history and break this peace. So wasn’t it fine if we
both pretended not to have recognized each other?”
“If it was me, I would probably do the same.” Xie Lian said.
“But we still couldn’t pretend to the end.” Guoshi said, “Because we both saw you.”
“Your Highness, you must’ve guessed by now why I had such high hopes for you. You’re very
much like him. So, I had hoped you would become someone or a god he had wanted to
become, and do what he couldn’t do. You could use your perfection to remedy our regrets.”
Hua Cheng however, said flatly, “You’ve been mistaken from the start. They’re not alike at all.”
Guoshi gave him a look and said, “Of course you’d say they aren’t similar now, but back then
they were very much alike. And the bad thing was, they were too much alike.”
He turned to Xie Lian again, “That time with the God-Pleasing ceremony, you saved a small
child fallen from the city wall, and I wasn’t too pleased. It wasn’t just because that incident
stopped the ceremony, it was more so because that incident was too conspicuous. You had
aroused Jun Wu’s attention.”
“Jun Wu started talking to me about you. He was very interested in you, and every time we
spoke of you, I could vaguely tell there was something not right. But I could tell he genuinely
likes you; it was the delight of having found a suitable good sprout, and was thinking of
appointing you up. Only, every time I’d use all sorts of reasons to urge him not to do so.”
Xie Lian also didn’t want to believe that Jun Wu’s attitude towards him was all fake, but when he
heard Guoshi say so, his feelings became complicated, hard to describe.
“The turning point was Yi Nian Bridge.” Guoshi said.
Having heard those three words, Xie Lian snapped back to attention. Guoshi said, “Do you still
remember that ghost at Yi Nian Bridge?”
Xie Lian replied quietly, “That was my chance at ascension, of course i remember.”
“I already sensed something was wrong when you ran into that ghost.” Guoshi said. “This ghost
haunted upon the broken bridge in the barren wild, was donned in broken armours, the flames
of karma beneath its feet, and blood and sharp weapons covered its body, leaving footprints of
blood and flames behind with every step, and those three questions it asked you – all of that
made me very concerned, worried even, and I couldn’t quite put my fingers on what was wrong.
And after defeating that ghost at the bridge, you ascended so quickly, I didn’t have the chance
to figure things out.”
“Thankfully, after you ascended Jun Wu’s attitude towards you was good as always, granting
you favours, thinking very highly of you, like nothing had changed, and so I also told myself not
to think too much.”
“And then, it was the great drought of XianLe, the rebellion of YongAn, and – the appearance of
that creature, White No-Face.”
Xie Lian held his breath and was hanging on to every word. Guoshi said, “I’ve said so before,
but at first I didn’t know what that creature was at all. And even if the Human Face Disease had
manifested, I only had suspicions, since parasitic resentful spirits wasn’t anything new, it’s just
never so widely spread before. Plus, I was fairly resentful towards fate, so in the beginning, I
thought White No-Face was borne of nature, that it was the heavens that wanted to punish you.”
“But as you came more and more in contact with that creature, and the Human Face Disease
was going more and more out of control, plus many, many other things on top of that, all of it
was forcing me to think in the worst case scenario.”
“Many, many other things?” Xie Lian asked, “What do you mean? Such as?”
“That family of three who fell to their deaths at the gates of the royal capital of XianLe.” Guoshi
replied.
Xie Lian stopped breathing, “That… was…?”
“Afterwards, I examined the corpses of those three people.” Guoshi said, “And I discovered they
weren’t human at all, but three empty shells.”
Xie Lian exclaimed, “But empty shells are hollow, they don’t have organs and they can’t
bleed??”
“There wasn’t any need for organs.” Guoshi said, “Falling from such a height, the innards would
of course be damaged. Just stuff some mushed flesh in the belly of empty shells and pour in
some bloody fluids would’ve been fine. Among my three friends, there was one who was an
expert in creating such crafty things, and something like empty shelled fakes was his creation
from the start. He had only taught the skill to us, and the method in creating empty shelled fakes
wasn’t as widespread then, so since they were all dead, who do you think could make such
realistic empty shelled fakes other than me?”
Xie Lian hung his head, his pupils shrunken.
That family of three who fell to their deaths before the gates of the royal capital of XianLe was
the direct catalyst of war. And, those lives weren’t real at all, they were a trap!
“Then why… Didn’t you tell me at the time?” Xie Lian questioned.
“I didn’t dare to at all.” Guoshi said, “If it really was him and I told you, then with your personality
back then, wouldn’t you have charged right up for vengeance? That wouldn’t have saved you or
XianLe at all, and would only hasten your annihilation. Besides, even without those three empty
shells, there would sooner or later be…”
There would sooner or later be some other incidents that’d spark war. Just like that missing dog
inside the capital.
“Later, you were defeated. Xian Le was also defeated.”
“I really couldn’t hold back any longer, thus, I first sent away everyone at the Holy Royal
Pavilion, then requested for his grace inside the Great Martial Temple. Then, I unmasked him
directly.”
This was what Jun Wu had mentioned their meeting of eight hundred years ago. Guoshi said, “I
questioned him on a lot of things, but he wouldn’t admit nor deny anything. Finally, I asked him:
‘Your Highness, just what exactly do you want?’”
“He finally answered. He said, he wants you to become his perfect heir.”
“If there was anyone in the world who could understand him completely, it was you. Once he
succeeded, then you would never betray him!”
“I understood his intention. In the heat of argument, we started fighting with our fists. I can’t fight
at all, and if I should then I would die without a doubt. He could kill me without moving a single
finger. But right then, his expression suddenly changed and he covered his face.”
“I was startled, and only then did I notice that upon his face, those three faces surfaced again!”
“Turns out they didn’t vanish at all, and he had been suppressing them with his spiritual powers!
And now, for some reason, perhaps it was because of his high emotions or because of me, they
had come out again!”
“And just like that, my three friends came out to stir up a riot, causing him agonizing headaches,
his expression terrifying, and I once again used that chance to run away.”
“I started drifting in the mortal realm once again, and this time I had to hide all over the place
too. I wondered, just how were things at the Kingdom of WuYong of back then? Thus, I returned
to look.”
“What I hadn’t imagined was this time when I returned, I made great discoveries.”
“For some reason, the land that belonged to the past Kingdom of WuYong was sealed
completely, isolated from the outside world. I walked for a long time in that land, and ran into my
three friends again.”
“Were they those three mountain spirits, Old Age, Sickness, and Death?” Xie Lian asked.
“Correct.” Guoshi replied.
“The Kiln devoured their bodies and the ashes of their bones that were burnt to nothingness
mixed with the ashes of the volcano, and was then blown out. Along with time, more and more
residues layered, and after a thousand years, they transformed into three large mountains in the
end with parts of their souls resting within.”
“Finding ways to communicate with the them who had become mountain spirits took me a long
time, but after I succeeded, I learned many things.”
“Turns out, the previous dynasty of heavenly officials didn’t fade away naturally. Instead, they
were killed slowly, one by one, by him. He… slaughtered the entire Heavenly Court, leaving no
one behind!”
“And after awashing the heavenly realm with blood, he returned to the mortal realm once again,
and patiently waited for a time, changed to a new name, forged a new identity, became ‘a mortal
man’, then ‘ascended’. All of the heavenly officials of the entire heavenly realm were dead, no
one knew who exactly he was, and no one knew who he looked like before. The widespread
backstory of ‘The Heavenly Martial Emperor’ in the mortal realm, his background, his literary
references, his interesting hearsays, appearance, character… it’s all fake. They’re all intricate
lies he fabricated!”
“This Heavenly Capital is the new heavenly realm he single-handedly created that’s completely
under his control. As for the corpses and ashes of the heavenly officials of the previous dynasty,
they’re all mixed in the soil of the foundation of this Heavenly Capital, trampled and stepped on
by him each and everyday. Right now, perhaps there’s also someone beneath your feet.”
“…”
Guoshi continued, “The him now is the number one martial god of the heavenly realm, looking
glorious and scintillating on the surface. However, in his heart, an infinite darkness is
suppressed deep within. Resentment, pain, anger, hatred… those things needed release. Only
then could he maintain balance within himself and continue to be the number one martial god
who ruled all three realms without murdering everything.”
“The once Kingdom of WuYong had been turned into hell, and the Kiln was fed countless
number of the living and three former heavenly officials, so it already recognized him as the
master. Thus, he would regularly release those dark emotions within the Kiln, using the millions
of deceased souls of WuYong as kindle to start the flames of karma, and forged many malicious
things.”
“The method in forging those malicious things is different than creating a ‘Supreme’, right?” Xie
Lian asked.
“Indeed.” Guoshi replied, “‘Supremes’ were something that came later, since he… changed the
refining method.”
“What do you mean by that?” Xie Lian asked.
“The ‘Quality’ and ‘Quantity’.” Guoshi said.
He gave Hua Cheng another look, “You both must know already that a Supreme is only born
once every hundred years, several hundred years even, so they are extremely rare, and the
difficulty in their creation is also immense. And, the past life of the Supreme is an independent
existence. The Kiln only provided an environment to increase the process of their explosive
birth. Those who can become Supremes can become Supremes anywhere, and would become
Supremes sooner or later.”
“In fact, the word ‘Supreme’ was extracted from the meaning of ‘Peerless’ and ‘Top’. It doesn’t
have much connection with whether if one was trained inside the Kiln. Still, to be able to endure
the quenching of the Kiln would certainly make one such an entity, since there aren’t that many
who could suffer through in the first place. Up until now, aren’t there only three?”
Xie Lian glanced at Hua Cheng who was right next to him, and it just so happened Hua Cheng
was also looking at him. Although he didn’t know why Xie Lian looked over, he still smiled.
Guoshi continued, “However, the earlier productions of the Kiln weren’t like this. In the early
days, there’d be a session once every few years, and each time the results would be different,
as batches and batches poured out. Perhaps this had something to do with his unstable
emotions. Everything produced were monsters forged by his hatred and resentment, and there
are probably a few familiar names among them. For example – the Reverend of Empty Words.”
“The Reverend of Empty Words is also something born of the Kiln?!” Xie Lian exclaimed.
“Correct.” Guoshi replied. “Those creatures, some have their own consciousness and broke
away from him; some don’t, and they could be considered as his clones. The Reverend of
Empty Words had its own consciousness, and after it left, it’d even divided itself into many
smaller clones. My three friends guarded within the borders of the Kingdom of WuYong to
prevent those things from leaving the ward, while I spent my years in the outside world
searching for those creatures, trying to fix the situation.”
Xie Lian suddenly recalled the strange attitude Guoshi had when he saw Shi Qing Xuan,
“Master! Lord Wind Master… the skilled fortune telling master who told Shi Qing Xuan’s fortune
back then, the one who told his family not to host feasts, was that you?”
“Duh.” Guoshi said, “Other than your master, me, which other skilled fortune telling master could
be this accurate? Which fortune telling master would be so free? That a bowl of porridge could
pay for a session?”
“…”
“That Reverend of Empty Words had wanted to try and devour the young Shi Wu Du at first,”
Guoshi said, “But Shi Wu Du that little bastard was too vicious, difficult to deal with even at such
a young age. Nothing could get to him, and he was afraid of nothing, his fate so tyrannical it
couldn’t be swallowed, and if it tried to bite forcibly it might just crack all of its teeth in a bloody
mess, so it could only turn to his common little brother with a fate of wealth. Although it still
didn’t manage to bite, but it caused so much grief the two brothers couldn’t live in peace, plus it
bit one who originally had the fate to ascend, so it wasn’t aggrieved. That I didn’t kill that thing
dead really gets to me.”
“It’s already been killed dead.” Hua Cheng said.
“Devoured by He Xuan, right?” Guoshi said, “I’ve heard. I was going to watch over the Shi
brothers until everything blew over, but at the time the Kiln was about to open its gates, so I
couldn’t follow them closely before I had to return to the Kiln. And by the time I came back,
things were already a mess. Shi Wu Du turned to wickedness and caused a huge havoc,
completely out of hand! It gave me such a headache, even if I wanted to care I couldn’t at that
point.”
It really did turn into something that couldn’t be minded even if he wanted to. Guoshi added,
“But truth to be told, the Reverend of Empty Words wasn’t even considered anything powerful
among those monsters, it just likes to go out to stir up trouble. Strictly speaking, it could only be
considered a defective product, not even rankable. There were more, such as…”
Xie Lian said quietly, “Such as… the soul of the dead who died in battle at Yi Nian Bridge?”
Guoshi sucked in a breath, “…It’s him.”
“Otherwise why did you think I’d say everything started because of your one phrase? That ghost
at the bridge was a black clone he forged out of the Kiln, and every so many years it had to
come out to haunt and kill to vent its hatred. But, you just had to defeat that monster!”
“He could sense that ghost at the bridge was killed by someone, so he descended immediately
to see, and he saw you. And you. You just had to say that phrase to his face – ‘Body in abyss;
heart in paradise’. This was a mad jab at him, a fatal blow…”
“This, was the turning point of everything.”
————
Ch.220: The White Emperor Sets Life and Death Riddles in Secret
Xie Lian clenched his fists, his breathing going erratic.
A phrase. It sounded so unbelievable, laughable even, but he couldn’t laugh at all.
Guoshi said, “There’s more besides those monsters. Your Highness, do you remember that
child you saved at the bottom of the city walls and how I was so shocked after you brought him
up to the Royal Holy Pavilion?”
“…”
Xie Lian instantly snapped back and swiftly stole a glimpse at Hua Cheng, “I remember. What’s
with that child? You said he was…”
“A Star of Solitude!” Guoshi exclaimed.
He said darkly, “At the time, I only felt that small child was covered too heavily with the essence
of evil, too incredibly abnormal. It was only after I’ve confronted the other three at the Kiln before
I learned that not only could the Kiln produce monsters, it could also curse. Just as you could
disperse your fortune, the Kiln could also dispel the misfortunes it’s accumulated, and after
they’ve been released they would rampage everywhere.”
“That small child’s birth was already extremely perilous; if his fate was fortunate then it’d be the
best of fortunes; if it was vicious it would be the worst of misfortunes. The day he was born, he
probably absorbed all the dispelled misfortunes, which was how he became so terrifying. The
moment he came up the entire Mount TaiCang was almost burnt to the ground by him!”
The more Xie Lian listened the more alarmed he became, and he slowly turned his head, gazing
towards Hua Cheng. They were clearly discussing his own affairs, but Hua Cheng’s expression
didn’t change, but instead gave Xie Lian a smile.
Guoshi continued, “Based on normal circumstances, the parents of that child must die early, and
if they don’t, then they would be disgusted with or abandon that child. He would suffer endless
abuse, so it’d actually be better if his parents are dead. And, he wouldn’t live past eighteen, and
would also cause those around him to die, to separate, to suffer misfortunes, as if Disaster itself
was reborn. That’s why at the time I told you to quickly get rid of him, not to get close…”
Xie Lian couldn’t listen anymore, “Master! …Please don’t say anymore.”
Guoshi nodded, “I’ll stop. I was just giving you an example, telling you just how scary the Kiln
is.”
Xie Lian didn’t know what to say, but Hua Cheng chuckled, “It’s not as scary as it seems, but,
Guoshi really is quite accurate in his readings.”
“…”
When Xie Lian thought Hua Cheng probably really didn’t live past eighteen, his hands trembled
lightly. Just then, a hand came reaching forward, and gently covered the frosty back of his
hands.
Both of their hands were equally icy, but after they were stacked one over the other there was
warmth.
“He had always been setting riddles for you to test you,” Guoshi said, “The Human Face
Disease of XianLe was the first question. Based on his answer, as long as you chose to unleash
the Human Face Disease against YongAn back then, then you would’ve passed. Not only would
he not have banished you, he would even help you cover up, and truly turn you into his trusted
heir, taking one step to reach the top of the heavens while taking two steps against it. But you’ve
answered wrong.”
“The period when you were banished, he should’ve set another riddle for you, but you still didn’t
give him a satisfactory answer, so the moment you ascended, you were immediately beaten
back down.”
A pale, smiling mask appeared in Xie Lian’s mind, and after a pause, he said quietly, “It was
actually my own request.”
Hua Cheng spoke up, “Gege, trust me. Even if you didn’t request it he’d have thousands of
ways to send you back down.”
“But, White No-Face was beaten by him too.” Xie Lian said.
“But he didn’t die.” Hua Cheng said.
“Then why go through all that trouble?” Xie Lian asked.
“Of course ‘White No-Face’ could kill you,” Guoshi said, “But, what he wanted wasn’t to kill you.
In fact, I already said, he really likes you, and didn’t want you to die at all. He only wanted to
turn you into someone he wanted you to become.”
Hua Cheng also added, “Killing you won’t achieve that end. If you died in that state, then you
would never change, and he’d be able to accept that even less. But White No-Face had no
reason to let you go so easily, and what’s a better way to solve this than to have the Heavenly
Martial Emperor descend to the mortal realm to dispel evil and save you from the brink of
danger? With this, you would also become even more trusting and grateful of him. But he failed
twice, he must’ve been extremely vexed.”
“The second time you were banished and drifted in the mortal realm, he had countless
opportunities to slowly ‘educate’ you, slowly wait until you’ve changed your mind.” Guoshi said,
“Based on my observation, he was already calmed down at first, but this calm was disrupted
recently.”
“The reason being your third ascension.”
“If you were a puddle of rotten mud, then whatever. But you, even after you’ve become like that,
completely ignoring everything he’s planned for you, you actually were still able to ascend for
the third time, and still the same as before, completely unchanged… I don’t know what he
thought when he saw you, but I felt he would definitely set out more riddles to test you.”
“It’s obvious seeing all that he’s done afterwards.” Hua Cheng said, “Gege, think back well,
what’s all happened after you ascended for the third time?”
Xie Lian quickly got into gear, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, “The first incident
was Mount Yu Jun. Taking down the female ghost Xuan Ji. At first I didn’t find the Ghost Groom,
and it was the fetus spirit who guided me halfway through with a nursery rhyme. I imagine that
was under his instructions. But I thought he was helping me with that case.”
“Helping you finish the mission, that’s all.” Hua Cheng said, “The direct consequence was the
seizing of the female ghost Xuan Ji, but what of the indirect consequences?”
Xie Lian ventured, “…Stabbing the beehive that is General Pei’s old flame, and brought him
some small troubles?”
“This could be considered a small riddle, I think.” Guoshi said, “If you had known you’d offend
Pei Ming, would you have managed this case of the Ghost Groom differently? For example,
inform Pei Ming secretly to have him suppress the affair, let Xuan Ji continue to keep causing
small troubles in a small area, and not let things get out of hand, or something.”
Xie Lian sweated, “Well… To be honest, it was a long time after before I learned this had
something to do with General Pei. At the time, the female ghost was taking hostages, and with
so many people present, the arrow on the bow had to shoot. There was no time to think about
whether if anything would offend anybody.”
Hua Cheng smiled, “Gege, you were already making a decision then.”
He continued to analyze, “The second incident, an empty-shelled cultivator came to PuQi
Shrine, and lured you to the Banyue Pass. Let’s skip on who sent that shell first. What was the
consequence of this case?”
“General Pei Junior was kicked out, and one of General Pei’s arms was snapped.” Xie Lian
answered.
“Gege, you see, after those two incidents, you helped him greatly weaken Pei Ming’s strength,
and you thoroughly offended Pei Ming at the same time.” Hua Cheng said, “He didn’t show his
face at all; all the grudges came to you, and you had to be grateful to him still.”
“…”
Hua Cheng added, “If I’m not wrong, in these eight hundred years, he didn’t slack on watching
you. Gege, he probably also knew that you were once a Guoshi in YongAn and also taught Lang
Qian Qiu, yet he still sent Lang Qian Qiu on a mission with you. From my point of view, this was
done purely out of malintent.”
Guoshi was surprised, “Wait a second? Your Highness, you went to YongAn and took up the
position of Guoshi? You’ve taught Lang Qian Qiu before?”
“Yea…” Xie Lian replied.
“You were the Guoshi Fang Xin???” Guoshi questioned.
“En… Is something the matter?” Xie Lian asked, and he gave a brief account. Guoshi replied, “If
he knew about this, then he must be furious with you.”
Hua Cheng continued, “The case with the Reverend of Empty Words, gege you didn’t want to
be involved at first, but in the end you were still pulled in, thankfully not too deeply. The
hundreds of fishermen in the South Sea that were dragged into the Heavenly Calamity wasn’t
Black Water nor Shi Wu Du’s doing, but besides those two, who was the most capable in doing
so?”
Only after each incident was laid out in the open did Xie Lian realize, that every step he took
after his return was perhaps under the close watch and push by Jun Wu.
Hua Cheng crossed his arms, “I’m assuming that he’s doing this because on one hand, it’s
because of that perverted mentality that he kept throwing riddles at you to test and see what
path you would choose, hoping you would go down the road he paved for you; on the other
hand, it was also probably for using you as a sword to cut down on the powers of those
heavenly officials.”
“The heavenly officials of the previous heavenly dynasty must’ve left an extremely dark
psychological shadow in his mind. He’s extremely vigilant, needing absolute control over
everything, permitting none to threaten his power and status, and allowing no heavenly officials
to catch up to him. And, I think…”
Xie Lian was also thinking over the same points, “What?”
Hua Cheng said, “That Shi Wu Du changed Shi Qing Xuan’s fate, and that Black Water had
infiltrated the heavens to investigate, could he really not know anything about it?”
Xie Lian also thought this.
Could Jun Wu, who sat on the highest chair, really knew nothing? Not very plausible.
All the reports and scrolls that passed through Ling Wen’s hands could be directly examined by
him, so if there were any forgeries, could he really not notice anything amiss?
Perhaps, he had noticed from the very beginning, only, back then the status of the Water Master
hadn’t yet threatened him, so nothing was exposed. If it was exposed early on, and Shi Wu Du
was banished, then a new Water Master would ascend. The new Water Master might not have
such a huge hold and transgression to be seized.
The Water Master committed such a heinous crime, almost deceiving the world but lived
peacefully for many years, yet it just had to be when he started domineering the Heavenly Court
that he was exposed, his head plucked by He Xuan.
If Jun Wu wanted to get rid of the Water Master, he didn’t need to use his own hands at all. He
only needed to watch quietly as the Water Master became more and more outrageous, arrogant
and fearless, and when Shi Wu Du breached the line of his tolerance, the affair with switching
fate was leaked to He Xuan.
Of course He Xuan would go and avenge himself and his deceased family.
Hua Cheng said, “As for him gathering millions of ghosts in the Kiln to birth a new Supreme, it
was probably because…”
Xie Lian came to and said, “…To create balance.”
“Yea.” Hua Cheng said, “On the one hand, he was probably delighted to see a malicious
Supreme born to cause havoc in the mortal realm; on the other hand, as long as there are
creatures causing havoc in the mortal realm, there will be people praying.”
As long as there are devotees praying, then the spiritual powers of a god would become even
stronger!
Guoshi sighed, “Every time the Kiln opens its gates, us four would go to stop it, but we were
successful every time. This time it’s even more… things have gotten even more out of hand.”
“Those resentful spirits of WuYong, he killed a small part, sent the majority away with the
Distance Shortening Array, then sent everyone else away while he himself remained behind to
inspect and destroy some things. He figured I would go find you, so after taking care of Mount
TongLu he rushed over, and sure enough he captured me first.”
“I thought, things can’t go on like this anymore. The Kingdom of WuYong had resurfaced, and
with his high caution, it was most likely time to change dynasty in the heavenly realm again. If
you all continue to suspect nothing, then sooner or later you would all be buried under the
Heavenly Capital as foundation. It just so happens Feng Xin that little brat brought HongJing, so
I gave it my best shot. Originally, his spiritual powers had grown stronger and stronger, and
HongJing could no longer reflect the things on his face. But since he had only just battled with
those three mountain spirits, the human faces were activated again.”
“I’ve pretty much covered everything. Do you have anything else you wanted to ask, Your
Highness?”
Xie Lian was still pensive when Hua Cheng spoke up, “I do. Guoshi, do you still remember your
WuYong tongue?”
“The Kingdom of WuYong had long been forgotten, and no one uses its words or language
anymore, so myself and my three friends had long learned something new, otherwise we
wouldn’t be able to fathom what His Highness was planning to do, and dealing with that mess of
monsters and demons would be a pain too. The language is still remembered, just very rarely
used now.” He said honestly, “I don’t really want to use it either.”
Xie Lian remembered, and turns out at the time, when Guoshi told the mountain spirit “His
Highness is beyond saving”, “Almost awakened”, it really wasn’t referring to him, and was
referring to the White No-Face who was possessing Lang Ying, killing as he went to suck in
powers to recover.
For the Corpse-Eating Rats that spewed human words, there really was a hit in the number of
possible candidates who infected him with their memories, it was in fact two hits: Jun Wu and
White No-Face.
And within the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods, to make fake skins of Feng Xin and Mu Qing was
most definitely not anything hard for White No-Face, because of course Jun Wu knew them very
well!
“He… seemed to always want to lead me to believe I am the Crown Prince of WuYong himself,
or that I am a part of his soul.” Xie Lian said.
“Of course he does.” Guoshi replied, “Since the existence of WuYong could no longer be
hidden, anyone who saw the Crown Prince of Xian Le and the Crown Prince of WuYong would
think the two were very alike, so it was the perfect solution in leading it all to you. Besides, as
long as you start doubting yourself, doubting your true heart, your actions and objectives, then
it’d be easy for him to lead you in the direction he wanted.”
“If you thought: ‘I am the Crown Prince of WuYong’, the possibility of you repeating his fate
would be greater. He was leading you proactively, hoping to make you walk the same paths he
did, so it wasn’t that your paths were somehow destined to be similar.”
“He couldn’t tolerate how similar you both were, but walked different paths.”
A long while after, Hua Cheng spoke up, “I already said, they aren’t alike at all.”
Guoshi turned to him, “You, young man, what’s wrong with you?”
Xie Lian was startled and thought, ‘What’s wrong?’
It was as if Guoshi couldn’t hold back any longer, and he rolled up his sleeves, speaking to Hua
Cheng with a somber and heavy tone, “I’ve been wanting to say this since earlier. You young
man, how come your smile isn’t sincere at all? Don’t think just because you’re a Supreme Ghost
King that you can be impolite towards me. Sure, Supreme Ghost Kings are rare, but do you
know how old I am? Of course it’s an elder like me with such an age who is the more rare.”
“…”
Hua Cheng raised his brows.
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead, “Ah, master, it’s not that San Lang is impolite, he’s just…” He was
just too used to smiling fakely at others.
Guoshi made a hand gesture at Hua Cheng, telling him not to come over, before pulling Xie Lian
aside and said seriously, “Your Highness, I saw it.”
“Huh?” Xie Lian asked, “What did you see?”
“On top of that giant divine statue.” Guoshi said.
That giant divine statue? What happened on top of it? Xie Lian thought for a bit before suddenly,
his brain buzzed.
He had borrowed spiritual powers!
Xie Lian coughed nonstop, “No.. that was only borrowing spiritual powers… no, actually it wasn’t
just borrowing spiritual powers, in any case it’s just…”
Guoshi’s voice became even more somber, “Your Highness, what’s going on? Could it be, that
because you’ve been cultivating for so long and avoided women that you’ve… changed your
ways???”
“…” Xie Lian waved his hand crazily, “IT’S NOT ANYTHING LIKE THAT!”
Guoshi was doubtful, “Then… could it be… a trait from birth? Well… I never noticed. Hm…
alright, this part of you certainly isn’t like him…”
Xie Lian, “??? WAIT!? THAT’S NOT IT EITHER!”
Guoshi puffed a breath and sighed, “Don’t be afraid, Your Highness, I wasn’t going to lecture
you on anything. I won’t guide you on something I myself aren’t an expert in. Besides, you’ve
already come through after so much, what’s there left to worry about? Men or women it doesn’t
matter, as long as you yourself are happy.”
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead so much it was very red, and he said in a small voice, “En… I’m
very happy.”
However, Guoshi added in glum confusion, “…But after searching for eight hundred years, how
did you end up finding a Supreme Ghost King?”
Xie Lian was taken aback. Guoshi said, “I’m not saying you’ve got bad taste, it’s not bad, I’m
sure big girls and little maidens all like your type. But a Supreme Ghost King is very aggressive,
I’m telling you. Your Highness, you gotta think things through, alright? Once people like that
cling onto you, you can forget about ditching them.”
“Uh, master, hold on…”
“I’m absolutely right on this. I’m telling you, by the looks of this Crimson Rain Sought Flower, I
can tell his fortune must be twistedly, contortedly fierce, each mountain higher than the next, the
essence of evil smotheringly suffocating, it’s practically like…”
Hua Cheng was right behind them, and said lazily, “Practically like the Star of Solitude, right?”
Xie Lian was already desperately trying to stop Guoshi from talking, but he still didn’t succeed,
so he covered his face and silently shuffled back behind Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng smiled and circled his arm around him, raising his brows, “My smile certainly is quite
insincere, but, to tell to the face of the man himself that he is the Star of Solitude, Disaster
reborn, worst of misfortunes, his parents both dead and can’t live past eighteen – it’s not very
nice, is it.”
“?”
Guoshi’s eyes slowly widened, “…You, are?”
———–
Ch.211: Forks in the Road; Spirits Alarm the Underground of the Heavenly Capital
RuoYe had already unwrapped itself from his wrist, waiting at the ready, but it retreated and
calmed after Xie Lian saw who it was. Xie Lian said, “You… Yin Yu?”
Since who knows when a giant hole that could allow the entry of two persons had appeared,
and Yin Yu poked half of himself out from the hole, a sharp shovel in his hands. He let out a
breath and wiped away his sweat, “Your Highness, it’s me. Thank goodness I didn’t dig to the
wrong spot, let’s get out of here!”
He had actually forgotten there was a holy spiritual device in Yin Yu hands – the Earth Master’s
sacred shovel! That this device wasn’t confiscated, it’s a blessing from the heavens! It seemed,
sometimes it was a good thing not to have too much sense of a presence, such as when amidst
the chaos of battle, the enemy would for sure not go for this person; yet on the flip side, his own
troops might injure him by accident. Xie Lian was just about to go to pull him out when his body
involuntarily took a step back. Yin Yu was puzzled, “Your Highness? What is it?”
Xie Lian was also puzzled, why would he back away? Then soon after he realized the one who
was backing away wasn’t him but Shi Qing Xuan who had moved into his body.
That shovel of the Earth Master was considerably familiar, so it wasn’t hard to think of the ones
who had utilized it in the past. An inexplicable wave of terror filled Xie Lian, and it was probably
Shi Qing Xuan’s subconscious reaction. Fortunately, Shi Qing Xuan’s reaction wasn’t overly
agitated, and quickly returned the body’s control back to Xie Lian. Xie Lian also quickly forgot to
ask Hua Cheng who the one they must enlist the help of to ascend the heavens, and hastily
jumped down into that hole, dropping into the Heavenly Capital’s underground with Yin Yu.
Above them, it didn’t take long before the hole closed. They crawled inside the dark tunnel for a
bit when Xie Lian suddenly realized something, “Yin Yu, can this Earth Master shovel dig
through the barrier locking down the Heavenly Capital?”
“I… don’t think so?” Yin Yu replied.
“Huh?”
Shi Qing Xuan spoke up, “Then that means although this sacred shovel is a spiritual device, but
digging all around you’d still be in the Heavenly Capital. Doesn’t that make it useless?”
Yin Yu scratched his head, “It’s not entirely useless… A barrier array has been set up outside
the palaces of every martial heavenly official to slow the recovery of their injuries. I thought if
they continued to remain in their palaces, they wouldn’t be able to recover their fighting powers
for years, so why not use the Earth Master shovel to dig out a secret room in the underground
somewhere and move all the martial gods there, and after everyone’s mostly recovered we can
try to break out?”
“Wait!” Shi Qing Xuan called out, “Hua Chengzhu says you tell those usel… those martial gods
to hide themselves and heal on their own; you’d be seeking your own deaths if you try to break
out under Jun Wu’s hands.”
Yin Yu was shocked, “Your Highness, you… can communicate with Chengzhu? I thought it’s
impossible?”
“No no no,” Xie Lian said, “The one talking to you just now wasn’t me.”
Shi Qing Xuan said, “It’s me! It’s me, Your Highness Yin Yu!”
But no matter how they spoke the words came from one mouth, and Yin Yu was confused, “It’s
you, but it’s still you, isn’t it you, Your Highness?”
Shi Qing Xuan said, “Gah, it’s me, me, the Wind Master! Wait, now you should call me the
Former Wind Master. I’ve used the Soul Shifting Spell. Sigh, relaying messages is such a pain.”
He entered this side to listen and watched, then returned to his body on the other side to relay
everything to Hua Cheng, repeatedly coming in and out, just thinking about it was tiresome. Yin
Yu quickly replied, “Oh oh oh, such hard work. So that was it!” And he returned to digging with
renewed vigour. The two crawled forward for a while before Yin Yu spoke up again, “Here…
should be good! Your Highness, please stay hidden here for now, I’ll go pick up the next
heavenly official.”
The tunnel they entered at the beginning was gradually closing, and Xie Lian said, “Huh? By
yourself? I’ll go with you.”
“No, it’s alright.” Yin Yu said, “Truth to be told, Your Highness, the bigger the hole the Earth
Master shovel digs, the more power it’d use, so it’ll probably be faster if I go by myself. The
closest martial god palace near here is…” He seemed to have thought for a moment before he
continued, “In any case, I’ll be right back.”
Shi Qing Xuan had been using the Soul Shifting Spell repeatedly, and the exhaustion from the
frequent immense use of spiritual powers was also affecting Xie Lian, so he sat on the ground,
nodding tiredly, feeling both his head and body were somewhat heavy, and he used his hand to
support his head up, “…Alright.”
Thus, Yin Yu opened a new hole by himself and continued to dig forward while Xie Lian laid
down on the ground and closed his eyes.
An unknown amount of time had passed before he suddenly jolted awake, “Yin Yu?”
It was pitch black all around, a blanket of dead silence. It was obvious Yin Yu hadn’t yet
returned. Shi Qing Xuan spoke up and also verified this fact, “Your Highness, you’re awake? It’s
tiring, right? Yin Yu hasn’t returned yet.”
After resting for a bit, Xie Lian regained his energy, “How long has he been gone for? How come
he hasn‘t come back yet?”
“It’s almost been two incense time.” Shi Qing Xuan said, “He couldn’t have gotten lost, could
he?”
Xie Lian sensed something was wrong and said, “I’ll go look for him.”
Then, he rolled over and crawled towards the tunnel Yin Yu had left in. Since Yin Yu still needed
to use this tunnel to return, after the Earth Master shovel had burrowed through it didn’t
automatically close up. Xie Lian crawled carefully within it, and a moment later, Shi Qing Xuan
spoke up, “Crimson Rain Sought Flower says: “Gege, you best not go”.”
Xie Lian stopped crawling, “Something’s probably not right, right?”
“Yea.” Shi Qing Xuan replied, “Hua Chengzhu’s tone sounds pretty serious.”
“But it’s precisely because it doesn’t seem right that I have to go find him.” Xie Lian said,
“Otherwise if Yin Yu ran into trouble…”
Right then, a chill ran down his spine. Xie Lian was startled and whipped his head around.
Shi Qing Xuan also sensed that chill down his back and exclaimed, “My god, what was that?
The back shudders!”
Behind him was the empty, pitch black tunnel, and there wasn’t anything. However, Xie Lian
stared at it for a long while before he replied, “It’s nothing.”
Shi Qing Xuan instantly shut his mouth and held his breath, because, right after Xie Lian said
the words “It’s nothing” out loud, he then soundlessly mouthed, “Don’t make a sound,
something’s here!”
There was someone else in this tunnel. They were right behind Xie Lian just now, but the
moment he looked back they were gone.
Xie Lian’s gut instinct for danger was never off, so he couldn’t allow the other party to discover
he had already noticed, and pretended as if there was nothing going on. However, Shi Qing
Xuan hated situations like these the most, and goosebumps popped all over his arms. He
mouthed back, “Is it not His Highness Yin Yu?”
“If it was him there wouldn’t be a need to sneak around.” Xie Lian replied.
After a moment’s silence, Xie Lian asked soundlessly, “Has San Lang said anything?”
Shi Qing Xuan replied, “Uuhh, umm, that San Lang of yours looks really scary right now… he
said, “Gege, if the situation calls for it, use the Soul Shifting Spell to move into the Wind
Master’s body”.”
However, nevermind that he didn’t have enough spiritual powers at the moment to use the Soul
Shifting Spell, and even if there was enough, Xie Lian couldn’t possibly just dust off and get the
heck out leaving the mess that was the Heavenly Capital behind. Xie Lian replied, “Don’t worry
about it, San Lang.”
He hadn’t even specified what not to worry about before he shot his head up to look. Ahead!
That sense of danger earlier had come from behind him, but now it was coming from ahead. Yet
when he looked over, it was still pitch black and nothing couldn’t be seen clearly. Shi Qing Xuan
mouthed, “Your Highness, what did you notice now? What should we do? Does this mean we
should go forward or back?”
After observing intently for a moment, Xie Lian replied, “This means forward or back makes no
difference, so whatever!” Then, he crawled forward. He crawled and crawled but then stopped,
feeling slightly flabbergasted.
Shi Qing Xuan said in spite of himself, “How could this be?”
What was before ‘them’ was actually a fork in the road. There were two tunnels!
“Um… Could Yin Yu have dug a path and discovered he was going in the wrong direction so he
dug another one?” Shi Qing Xuan wondered.
Xie Lian thought inwardly, ‘Yin Yu must be very familiar with the roads of the Heavenly Capital,
so how could he have made this mistake? This is probably something worse.’ However, he
didn’t say this out loud, and only said, “Qing Xuan, can you help me ask San Lang to pick a
path? Left or right?”
A moment later, Shi Qing Xuan said, “Crimson Rain Sought Flower said… He doesn’t
recommend any one, “Don’t pick either”.”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. While he also figure there were probably bad
things waiting for him at the end of either path, he still couldn’t just stay where he was. After
some contemplation, he said, “Then Qing Xuan, you pick one.”
“Huh? Me?” Shi Qing Xuan asked.
“Yea.” Xie Lian said, “If you pick, then there’s still a fifty percent chance you’d pick the better
route; if I pick, then…” Shi Qing Xuan instantly replied, “Alright, I get it.” After much deliberation,
he turned his head to the left.
Xie Lian nodded and crawled over.
The deeper they crawled, the narrower this tunnel became, it was almost suffocating, but still
passable. After turning and winding, crawling for a long while before suddenly, they became
delighted as they entered a much larger space.
Thank goodness. While they were tense and cautious the entire way, they didn’t actually run
into any real danger. Xie Lian looked over the surroundings for a moment and said, “What is this
place?”
Shi Qing Xuan said with uncertainty, “I don’t know, I can’t see clearly. But how come it feels a
little familiar… HUH?!”
He wasn’t the only one who noticed; Xie Lian noticed too.
It was indeed familiar! Wasn’t this place the secret room where Xie Lian had laid down and
rested for a bit to await Yin Yu’s return??
He was absolutely certain. There was also another tunnel, and it was the one Yin Yu had dug
out with the Earth Master shovel when he left, and the same one Xie Lian crawled out of to go
find him!
Shi Qing Xuan was creeped out, “How did we come back here? Was there… was this path we
used to crawl back from here before??”
Of course not! Earlier when they left, there was only one tunnel going out. The path they
crawled in to return was one that appeared from nowhere. When they ran into that fork in the
road, the path on the left detoured for a big circle and brought them back!
It must not have been Yin Yu who dug this; he wouldn’t have wasted so much effort for such a
meaningless act. It appeared he probably also bumped into this peculiar incident. Xie Lian
thought he really should have pushed to go with him earlier after all, and without another word,
he crawled into the tunnel he used to leave from before, and quickly came to the fork in the
road. This time, he chose the right path, and as he crawled, Shi Qing Xuan spoke up, “It looks, it
looks like this time my luck wasn’t that great either. I picked the wrong path. I should’ve chosen
the right from the beginning!”
However, Xie Lian said, “No, I think your luck is still really good.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Shi Qing Xuan said.
Xie Lian tried to word this delicately, “Hm, how do I say this… because, this path on the right
might be even scarier than the one on the left.”
Then, both of them heard. From behind them came the scratching sound of something rapidly
crawling and closing in.
Xie Lian unwrapped RuoYe and threw it behind, “RuoYe! Help block it for a moment!” Then he
started madly crawling forward, almost a meter per push, and Shi Qing Xuan was losing his
mind in panic, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HOW EXCITING, EXCITING!
EXCITINGEXCITINGEXCITING!”
Xie Lian called out, “The most exciting part hasn’t come yet! Come! Take a look–!”
“WHAT’S THAT NOW?!” Shi Qing Xuan exclaimed.
Xie Lian stopped his mad crawling and exhaled a long breath, and before them was once again
another fork in the road!
Shi Qing Xuan cried without thinking, “RIGHT!”
Xie Lian turned right resolutely, but on the following path, endless forks in the road kept
appearing. Shi Qing Xuan cried: “LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT!” And had already stopped being
conscious of what he was even yelling. And under such dire circumstances, with the situation
changing at a moment’s notice, it was even less possible for him to leave Xie Lian’s body to ask
Hua Cheng what should be done, because it was very possible that with the next turn at the
fork, the situation would change completely. The thing behind them was blocked by RuoYe for a
bit, but it was still closing in on them, and the tunnels were also growing more and more narrow,
more and more cramped, until finally, they reached the point where arms couldn’t move at all!
Xie Lian’s shoulders were already stuck, and he exclaimed, “I can’t crawl any further!”
“Then what should we do??” Shi Qing Xuan cried, “DO WE HAVE TO BACKTRACK??” The
thing pursuing them from behind was going to catch up any time now!
“No fear!” Xie Lian exclaimed, “A man can both charge and withdraw, if moving forward is not an
option then we’ll take a step back! If we have to then so be it! COME!” Then he took two steps
back, freeing a hand, and was just about to grip for the hilt of Fang Xin and fight that thing
behind him to his heart’s content when suddenly, his head stiffened.
Xie Lian’s mind froze too. When he looked up, he hadn’t even seen what the thing was but there
seemed to be someone who chuckled in the darkness, and a hand had reached out, placing it
on Xie Lian’s head. He widened his eyes and the next moment, he lost consciousness.
It was an unknown amount of time that passed before Xie Lian slowly came to.
It was only after he became conscious that Xie Lian found he was sitting on a chair and his
entire body was firmly and securely bound. He struggled a bit and discovered it was RuoYe that
was binding him.
Xie Lian was perplexed, “RuoYe, what are you doing?”
RuoYe was aggrieved too, and it drooped, nuzzling against him. Xie Lian then looked closer and
found RuoYe was actually tied in a dead knot.
No wonder RuoYe couldn’t fight back; it was scared of being tied into a dead knot the most. In
the past, before it wised up it liked to wrap itself around mindlessly to play, and as it played it’d
pile itself into a mess of dead knots, and it was Xie Lian who’d exasperatedly untie him every
time. Later, it learned to be good, smarter, and had never knotted itself dead again. Feeling
helpless, Xie Lian tried to see if he could struggle and break the chair apart directly, but
unfortunately, the chair wouldn’t move at all. It seemed, it was cemented by the injection of very
strong spiritual powers.
Since he couldn’t move, then he would just observe his surroundings first. Xie Lian scanned
around; this place should be the inside of whichever palace, rather new and glamourous, but he
didn’t know which one it was. Either way, it wasn’t the Great Martial Hall.
Just as he was thinking this, a hand rested on his shoulder, and from above his head came the
gentle voice of someone, “Xian Le, my dear Xian Le, you really are too mischievous.”
Hearing this voice, Xie Lian instantly froze. From behind him, that man came forward and turned
around with a hand behind his back. It was indeed Jun Wu.
His other hand was still on Xie Lian’s shoulder, and he spoke with each step, “In the past half
year you’ve come back, the Heavenly Capital broke here and there, destroyed all over, so
wouldn’t you say you’re quite the mischief? You’re not a little mouse, what are you doing
burrowing underground sneaking about? Is it very fun?”
This gentle, kind voice like an elder watching his beloved child mess about was giving Xie Lian
chills, making him incredibly unnerved, and he really didn’t know how he should respond. He
then suddenly felt a wave of chill by his feet, and when he looked down, he saw it was a bundle
of something white that had hugged his boots, watching him with an exceedingly malicious
gaze.
It was that fetus spirit.
Xie Lian looked up and had pretty much figured it out. Yin Yu was digging tunnels with the Earth
Master shovel but was captured by Jun Wu. Jun Wu then sent some things to stop him in the
underground, which was why he went through that terrifying experience earlier.
Xie Lian finally knew what he should say, and after a moment of speechlessness, he said,
“…You have such a despicable hobby.”
That chase in the tunnels reminded him of how he was suffocatingly pursued by White No-Face
back then, and Xie Lian passed his days in panic and anxiety. If he wanted to capture him, then
just capture him directly, why must he rouse such disturbing terror and cause such fright?
However, Jun Wu appeared to be quite cheerful and he smiled, “But Xian Le is now much
braver than before.”
He couldn’t continue that line of conversation so he asked instead, “Where’s Yin Yu?”
Jun Wu placed his hands on the back of the chair, and turned Xie Lian’s entire person around,
“No rush, you will see. And not just him.”
Xie Lian was turned around and was now facing a mirror. However, what the mirror reflected
wasn’t him, but a pale-faced Yin Yu.
And next to his feet laid another person whose head was covered in blood, his face black and
blue, completely unconscious. But from that head full of curls, Xie Lian could tell it was Quan Yi
Zhen.
Xie Lian was immediately alarmed, “What are you planning?”
———-
Ch.212: Unable to be Perfect; A Heart Filled with Regrets
What the mirror reflected was what was on the other side of the wall. On the other side. Yin Yu
shook Quan Yi Zhen vigourously, “Wake up, wake up?”
Quan Yi Zhen finally came to and mumbled semi-consciously, “Shihong, who bea me uh jus
now? Wha sih ye?”
…Poor Qi Ying, he was so bruised up his speech was now unclear, and Xie Lian felt sympathy in
spite of himself. “Did you think I could’ve beaten you?” Yin Yu asked.
Quan Yi Zhen scratched his head, and only then did he seem to recall, “Oh, ih was the emperer
who bea me uh.” Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he became pumped up
again, “He snach away your shovo, do you wan me to hel snach ih back?”
“Do you think you can beat him…” Yin Yu asked.
Xie Lian finally figured it out. This was the Palace of Qi Ying.
It seemed, Yin Yu was captured by Jun Wu when he came to look for Quan Yi Zhen.
Using the chance Jun Wu had circled back to behind his person, Xie Lian lowered his head and
mouthed soundlessly, “Lord Wind Master, are you still there?”
However, it wasn’t Shi Qing Xuan who responded but Jun Wu. Jun Wu spoke up from behind
him, “Of course not.”
“…”
Jun Wu said, “I suddenly remembered that the barrier locking the Heavenly Capital seemed to
have leaks, so I’ve only just barred the Soul Shifting Spell too.”
“…”
Jun Wu patted his shoulder and said amicably, “And to think, it was I who taught you the Soul
Shifting Spell back then. Xian Le has been making practical usage of all the things I’ve taught
you, I’m very pleased.
Then, he left. It didn’t take long before Jun Wu’s figure showed up inside that mirror. Quan Yi
Zhen was the first to notice, “!”
Yin Yu also whipped around and called out in alarm, “My Lord?!”
Quan Yi Zhen jumped to his feet ready to fight, but Jun Wu only used a swing of his hand and
Quan Yi Zhen was smacked back onto the futon, and the entire futon collapsed. Quan Yi Zhen
fell back to the ground, his head lolled and lost consciousness again. Yin Yu was extremely
guarded, however, Jun Wu said, “No need to be so tense. Think of it this way: even if you’re on
guard it’d be pointless, so why not relax a bit?”
That was certainly true. Yin Yu didn’t know what to say and could only smile awkwardly as he
had always done, but then it was quickly withdrawn. Jun Wu on the other hand, appeared to be
relaxed and at ease, “My dear Yin Yu, I don’t think I’ve ever chatted with you like this before in
the past, am I right?”
Yin Yu replied cautiously, “…That seems to be the case.”
In the past, while he was the martial god that ruled the west, his believers base and merits
weren’t strong and his rank wasn’t high. Even though he wasn’t the lowest of the heavenly
officials in the Upper Court, but he was probably still below average, so he had practically no
chance to be near the highest in the Upper Court, the Heavenly Martial Emperor. In the past, he
was probably nervous even if Jun Wu was just passing by the entrance of his palace, and now,
he was even more nervous. He added, “But there are many heavenly officials I’ve never
conversed with before in the first place, and those who didn’t know of me.”
However, Jun Wu replied, “That’s not necessarily true. There are many who know you. Even if
they’ve never met you before, they know of you.”
Yin Yu was taken aback, “Really?”
“Because, many know of your shidi.” Jun Wu said, “And when your shidi is mentioned, the
subject of you would often be raised. The one that’s a foil.”
Those were extremely piercing words. While it was only a colourless description without any
emotions, but it was precisely because the one describing it was objective, and was only
speaking the truth, which made it sting more. Quan Yi Zhen was still dizzy, not yet back to his
senses, and Yin Yu hung his head low, clenching his fists.
Xie Lian could vaguely guess what Jun Wu was planning.
It was a good while before Yin Yu gathered his courage, “My Lord, what do you want? You’re
already the Heavenly Martial Emperor, nothing can bar you, the greatest martial god of the three
realms, no one can shoulder your position, so why are you doing this? Just… what do you
want?”
Of course Jun Wu didn’t answer him. He said abruptly, “Yin Yu, do you want to return to the
Upper Court?”
“What?!”
Xie Lian was also surprised by this question. What was Jun Wu planning? What was the
meaning in coaxing Yin Yu to change sides at a time like this???
“I don’t think you actually like being a mere errand boy in the ghost realm in the lower world?”
“…”
Yin Yu finally snapped to, “My Lord thinks too much. There’s never a choice of like or dislike.”
Xie Lian cried ‘oh no’ mentally, ‘You can’t answer like that. Now he’ll probably find your weak
point!’
Sure enough, Jun Wu gave a small smile, “Did you know that if you answer like this, what you
actually mean is ’I dislike it; I’d rather not talk about it.’”
“…”
Indeed. If Yin Yu really felt confident, and that he really liked his current position in the ghost
realm, he would’ve responded with “I like it very much” directly. Yet to evade being
straightforward, his answer was instead very obvious.
Jun Wu continued, “You’ve come from a renowned household, an orthodox clan that never
traversed the path of evil, raised and grew up in the sect, and was influenced since young that
to ascend was the ultimate goal in life. A pursuit such as this is very difficult to give up. To fall to
the ghost realm could only said to be a forced situation, an act borne of helplessness. Of course
you’re not able to say you’re satisfied with the current position in the ghost realm, because it
wasn’t what you wanted in the first place.”
Indeed Yin Yu didn’t have enough confidence, and said weakly, “Chengzhu has shown me
grace, he saved me…”
“I know.” Jun Wu said, “He even helped you pacify and send off the resentful spirit of Jian Yu
who died during banishment, am I right?”
“…Yes.” Yin Yu said, “So whether I’m satisfied with the current position, it’s all…”
“That’s dissatisfaction.” Jun Wu said, “You are bound by his grace and had nowhere to go, so
you are only forcing yourself.”
“…”
Yin Yu hung his head and didn’t speak. Xie Lian was breaking out in cold sweat.
He could now somewhat guess how Jun Wu planned to attack, and Yin Yu’s every expression,
every gesture, from head to toe, was full of weakness!
“Then,” Jun Wu said, “Let’s turn this around. Let me ask you another question: Have you shown
Quan Yi Zhen any grace?”
“…”
Jun Wu continued, “On what basis must you place yourself in a dissatisfactory position to
devote yourself and repay kindness when someone irrelevant shows you grace, but when you
show Quan Yi Zhen grace, he made you fall this low?”
“Yin Yu, to be in the habit of belittling yourself in order to help others is no good habit. You must
know, no one will thank you.”
He was pushing on every step, and each step was trampling where Yin Yu hurt the most!
Jun Wu then continued, “You’ve spent your entire life desiring to ascend. You desired for a good
position in the Upper Court, and join the ranks within the Great Martial Hall. Even after Quan Yi
Zhen made you such an embarrassment, his background accessory, the joke of the heavens,
you still endured it and struggled to remain in the Heavenly Capital. Wasn’t that because you
wanted to stay here?”
“You belong here, but Quan Yi Zhen made a mess of everything, and easily robbed away
everything that should’ve been yours.”
“Who did he think he is?”
“Have you not given as much as him? No, you’ve given more than he did. And. When it came to
overall abilities, he might not even compare. How come Qi Ying is now alone without aid nor
support in the Upper Court? Because his mind is simple, ignorant and dumb, blunt and savage,
so he’s unable to have anyone respect him. But you. Your mind and wisdom are much more
mature than his, you know the ways of the world better than him, you know when to charge and
when to withdraw, and are more willing to put in an effort. If you had his natural talent, his
spiritual powers, then your achievements would be many, many times greater than his, and all
would respect you.”
Yin Yu was starting to grow restless, “I’m not understanding why My Lord is saying all this. All
‘ifs’ are meaningless, his spiritual powers are his…” Suddenly, he screamed and raised his own
hand, crying in alarm, “WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS??”
Pure white spiritual light suddenly burst from one of his hands, so blinding it couldn’t not be
looked at directly. Jun Wu appeared apathetic and said, “No need to be afraid, it’s just a bit of
spiritual power.”
Only then did Yin Yu calm down a little and said in disbelief, “Whose spiritual powers? …Mine?
I’m not this…” His spiritual powers weren’t that strong.
“It’s not yours yet.” Jun Wu said, “But whether if it will become yours will depend on what you
choose.”
Yin Yu exclaimed, “If it’s not mine then whose is it?? Could it be…”
Someone instantly came to mind and he looked over. Coincidentally, Quan Yi Zhen whose life
force was stubbornly strong also became conscious again, looking dumbfounded. It seemed he
was confused again. Jun Wu replied, “That’s correct. This is Quan Yi Zhen’s spiritual powers.”
“Huh?” Quan Yi Zhen gaped.
“Why is his spiritual powers inside me?” Yin Yu questioned, “How can spiritual powers be
transferred like this?? How is this possible???”
“Even fate can be switched, so why not spiritual powers?” Jun Wu said, “There are many things
that aren’t as difficult as you think. It’s only a matter of some words and some brush strokes
from great heavenly officials, that’s all.”
Yin Yu shuddered, “This… THIS…!!”
He tossed his hands as if he wanted to toss away some scalding hot yam, but that forcefully
strong spiritual power leapt happily on his hand, blasting wherever his fingers pointed, and
abruptly, an entire row of walls inside the Palace of Qi Ying were blown apart by him. The divine
statue collapsed and the roof was almost going to cave in. Yin Yu became even more shocked
and didn’t dare to toss his hand randomly anymore. Jun Wu smiled, “Don’t be nervous, take
your time, just keep it packed in.”
Yin Yu held that hand with his other hand, shaken and terrified, both his arms trembling. Jun Wu
said, “Yin Yu, let me ask you again. Do you wish to return?”
Yin Yu panted a few breaths, his eyes red with blood, and he gazed over. Jun Wu said, “If you
wish to return, not only can I help you remove the cursed shackle, I can also transfer all of Quan
Yi Zhen’s spiritual powers to you.”
Quan Yi Zhen seemed to never have thought this kind of evil spells existed, and his entire
person was dumbstruck. Xie Lian exclaimed dumbfoundedly, “??? ARE YOU CRAZY??!!”
Jun Wu said slowly, “And from now on, there will never be another who only knows of Qi Ying
but not of Yin Yu. Who would dare not to remember your name? Nevermore will there be
anyone.”
Yin Yu stumbled a few steps back, his mind in jumbles, “I… I… I…”
Xie Lian was so high strung and tense he’d even forgotten he was still tied onto the chair by
RuoYe. He held his breath, his hands gripped the chair, his body leaning forward.
There was one thing Jun Wu wasn’t wrong about. Xie Lian could tell too. Deep in Yin Yu’s heart,
he looked up to the heavens more. He had belonged to the Upper Court in the first place. This
was something that was planted deep within his mind, hard to change.
And, did Yin Yu really have not a single resentful thought towards Quan Yi Zhen?
He couldn’t be sure.
Between those with so much to happen between them, it was completely impossible to utter the
words “I don’t hate you” so easily. This ‘hatred’ could be big or small, and Yin Yu wasn’t a
determined character; what he wanted to do was probably greatly influenced by those around
him. Since they hadn’t been well acquainted, Xie Lian couldn’t be sure either just what Yin Yu
would do, and could only pray silently in his mind.
Your Highness Yin Yu… watch out!
“I…I…”
Yin Yu was going out of his mind for a long while, and he sat down, covering his face with his
hands. A moment later, he finally looked up, and his eyes also grew cold and somber.
He stared at Quan Yi Zhen who had been beaten to a pile of trash for a long time before
whispering, “…My Lord, are you, really… able to give me, all of his spiritual powers?”
Xie Lian’s heart sank while Quan Yi Zhen gaped, his mouth wide open, “…Shixiong?”
“Why don’t I give it to you now, so you can see for yourself whether if I am able.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu still seemed to be concerned and asked, “Then… can he still steal them back? It’s his
own spiritual powers after all, so if he wanted to steal it back…”
“Unless you yourself are willing to return it to him, or if you die, then it would be impossible for
him to steal it back.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu hesitantly asked, “Then if his spiritual powers are transferred to me, will Quan Yi Zhen…
die? Or would something else happen…”
No matter what, he probably still didn’t want Quan Yi Zhen to die by his hands. Jun Wu replied,
“Nothing will happen, it’s just the process that’s a bit painful, that’s all, but who hasn’t suffered
pain in this world? How you want to deal with him afterwards, whether he lives or dies, will be all
up to you.”
Yin Yu then asked, “What about the other heavenly officials? There’s so many heavenly officials
in the Upper Court who saw what happened at the Great Martial Hall, if it got out…”
Jun Wu smiled, “So what if they know? They’re all but ants that can be squished with but one
hand. Annihilate them all, bring up a new batch of heavenly officials and you change your face
and your name, make up a new background, who would be the wiser?”
When he said this his expression was nonchalant, as calm and easy as if he was saying the tea
in the cup had gone cold, to pour it out and change a new cup.
Finally, Yin Yu asked, “In the new Upper Court, me, what… would be my new identity?”
“Ling Wen if my left hand, and you shall be my right.” Jun Wu said, “There will be no others
above you besides me.”
Yin Yu gritted his teeth, and finally, he said, “…Very well!”
He said darkly, “Pray My Lord will remember the promise made to me today. Then, now…”
He didn’t continue, and only moved his gaze to Quan Yi Zhen. Jun Wu replied, “As you wish.”
The moment those words left his lips Quan Yi Zhen suddenly started writhing, his faces twisting,
and he screamed, blood flowing from all of his orifices as he clutched his head and rolled
around, seeming to be in great agony. As for Yin Yu, a sudden spiritual light emitted from his
body.
His entire face was shining and illuminated, and he raised an arm, swinging it above, and the
entire Palace of Qi Ying collapsed in a rumble!
A giant hole appeared upon the golden palace. Standing among the wreckage, Yin Yu bowed
his head to look at his hands, slowly clenching them into fists. Jun Wu’s expression was like he
was watching a small child playing with his new toy, “How do you feel?”
It a moment before Yin Yu replied, “…I’ve never possessed such strong powers before.”
He gazed at Quan Yi Zhen who was howling on the ground on the side, his expression
complicated, “My master once said, Quan Yi Zhen was someone born to ascend, an ability
gifted by the heavens. Is this the power bestowed by the heavens?”
“From now on, it’s yours.” Jun Wu said.
Yin Yu slowly nodded.
Then the next moment, he raised his palm and blasted.
This blast used all of Quan Yi Zhen’s powers, its strength terrifying, and a white light erupted
from the mirror. Soon after, Yin Yu drew a giant circle in the air with his right hand, grabbed that
circle from the air and hurled, trapping Jun Wu. Jun Wu looked at the circle of light around his
feet, frowned slightly, seeming to be wary, and cautious not to touch it. Then he looked at Yin Yu
who was pulling at Quan Yi Zhen on the ground, appearing indifferent, “Yin Yu, to renege at the
last minute, are you not going to give me an explanation?”
“…”
Yin Yu had his back turned to him as he carried Quan Yi Zhen on his back and didn’t respond.
Jun Wu said, “What you’re doing is certainly worthy of praise, a man of class. However, is this
your true heart? You’ve endured and aggrieved yourself for hundreds of years, are you going to
keep enduring?”
“…”
“Do you truly not resent the one you are saving right now? Even if you do not resent, do you not
hate?”
“…”
Yin Yu finally couldn’t take it anymore.
He clenched his fists tight, his knuckles cracking, and he whipped around, “I DO RESENT HIM!
I DO HATE HIM!!! BUT, SO WHAT??”
Quan Yi Zhen was flustered and ruffled, speaking as blood spewed from his nose and mouth,
“Shixiong…”
“SHUT UP!!!” Yin Yu shouted.
He then turned to Jun Wu again, “My lord… My lord… YOU! WHY MUST YOU REMIND ME OF
THIS?? SAYING IT LIKE YOU ALL UNDERSTAND ME OR SOMETHING! YES, I HATE HIM!
BUT, SO WHAT?? HE’S GIVEN ME SO MUCH TROUBLE, OF COURSE I HATE HIM??”
“…”
Xie Lian’s sunken heart was suddenly thrown high from the deep valley once again, not knowing
whether to laugh or cry, almost falling over. What kind of mess up logic was this??
Then, Yin Yu continued, “…BUT… But I only… I only wanted to just hate him, it doesn’t mean I
have to hurt him. What’s that “should’ve been mine”? Other than natural talent, there is nothing
that belonged to anyone from birth. OTHER PEOPLE’S POSSESSIONS, I DON’T WANT
THEM!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes lit up and shouted, “WELL SAID!”
Yin Yu continued, “I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!
BUT! If I didn’t manage all that on my own then it’s completely meaningless! I’m unlucky, I
accept it! If I’m not as powerful as him, then at the very least I can admit I’m not as powerful as
him!”
“ADMITTING THAT I CAN’T COMPARE IS NOT THAT HARD!”
Such pride!
In that instant, Xie Lian finally saw once again on Yin Yu that glorious shine and pride of his
youth.
“WAH!” Quan Yi Zhen burst out in tears on his back, blood mingling with tears and snot all
spewed, splattering Yin Yu with a face full of blood, and Yin Yu broke down, “STOP THAT!!!”
Quan Yi Zhen sobbed and moaned, “Shixiong, I’m sorry!”
Yin Yu couldn’t endure it any longer, “You don’t need to apologize to me anymore either! Either
way you won’t understand no matter how much you say sorry. I’ve really had enough of you…”
Jun Wu sighed and rubbed his temple. Yin Yu added, “Besides… besides, I’m not completely
useless either. You’ve said it yourself. When it came to overall abilities, he might not compare to
me. I’ve got my own…”
Oof.
Jun Wu turned around and casually swept a hand, “Exhilarating. I imagine, you and Xian Le
must get along very well.”
…
What?
What happened?!
Xie Lian was still tied onto the chair but his heart was pounding so hard it was going to jump out
of his chest. What happened to Yin Yu?
He had only stopped talking and his expression also turned odd. As for Jun Wu, he rested his
hands behind his back and calmly crossed over that seemingly powerful circle of light, not
feeling the restriction in the least. “I had pretty much guessed that’s how you would respond. So,
I didn’t remove your cursed shackle beforehand.”
Cursed shackle?!
There was indeed a cursed shackle on Yin Yu’s arm! Xie Lian quickly looked over, and Yin Yu
also raised his wrist.
That typical band of cursed shackle had tightened greatly, so much so that it looked like it was
going to snap Yin Yu’s hand, and Yin Yu’s entire arm had already turned tragically pale like
paper, and that whiteness was spreading.
That cursed shackle was sucking his blood!
Xie Lian lunged forward, and his entire person along with the chair fell over on the ground in a
heap. Now, he couldn’t even see the mirror. He struggled crazily on the ground but it was
useless, and could only hear the sound of crazed beating from the mirror.
After a good while, a pair of white boots appeared before his eyes, and it was Jun Wu who had
returned.
In his hand was a dark crimson “cursed shackle” that was sucked full of blood, probably
removed from Yin Yu. He crouched down and petted Xie Lian’s head, “Go bid your farewells
with your little friend.”
RuoYe’s dead knot was finally untied. Xie Lian crawled to his feet and threw a punch to his face.
Of course the punch didn’t land and he almost fell over himself, but he didn’t actually expect to
hit Jun Wu anyway and was only venting. He dashed madly to the hall next door.
Yin Yu was lying on the ground, dried up and shriveled, white and thinned like a paper doll, and
even his cheeks were sallow. All the spiritual powers in his body were gone, returned to the
more bruised and beaten Quan Yi Zhen whose face was now completely unrecognizable. It
seemed, those spiritual powers had returned to their master.
Xie Lian rushed over, “YOUR HIGHNESS YIN YU!!!”
Yin Yu blinked with a pair of eyes that were more gaunt than before, and when he saw him, he
croaked, “Your Highness…”
Quan Yi Zhen was clinging onto the ground crying at the top of his lungs, screaming to the
heavens, “I’M SORRY SHIXIONG, I ONLY KNOW HOW TO FIGHT, BUT I CAN’T BEAT HIM!”
The blood from his mouth and nose splattered onto Yin Yu’s face and eyes again, and just
watching it looked miserable, and veins popped on Yin Yu’s forehead, shouting with the last bit
of his life, “I TOLD YOU TO STOP THAT!! Sigh! Nevermind… Just drive me to my death…”
He lost his vigour once again. Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn’t tell if he wanted to moan and groan
or cry, or perhaps he wanted to break out in laughter.
Suddenly, Yin Yu’s dried eyes were filled with tears.
He whispered, “I knew.”
He said, “Yi Zhen is a genius, I’m a commoner. The most I could climb was only so high. I knew
this.”
A sense of powerlessness and pain swarmed Xie Lian’s heart.
“Even though I knew I still couldn’t accept it.” Yin Yu said, “In truth, I thought the same as Jian
Yu. I felt even more indignant than he did. It’s not that I’ve never felt resentment, it’s impossible
not to feel resentment. After the incident, I never dared to think why I told Yi Zhen to go die even
though I knew he was wearing the Brocade Immortal. Was I really just driven to madness or
have I really wanted him to die?”
Xie Lian hugged him, “It’s alright, it’s alright. These are all small matters, really. Your Highness
Yin Yu, just live in this world for another few hundred years and you’ll know that none of that
really matters. Either driven to madness or really wishing someone would die, whichever. Who
in the world had never had such thoughts? I’ve even thought of massacring all in the world who
had wronged me, it’s true, and no lie, I’d almost done it. But look at me, haven’t I shamelessly
lived until now? You haven’t actually done anything in the end, and that’s the most important
thing.”
“But… in the end, I… still think… it’s so unfair.” Yin Yu sobbed, “If I was already destined to be
no one remarkable, then at the very least, I… wanted to be a kind and perfect person. But… I
couldn’t even do that. It’s really… so unfair. And truth to be told, even in this moment, just
thinking that I’m dying for Yi Zhen, this little dummy, I still can’t get over it. I can’t even let go and
die with a heart with no resentment and no regrets, what is that.”
Xie Lian comforted softly, “Your Highness, you’ve already worked really hard. And, you’ve done
very well. You’re already much, much better than most people.”
Yin Yu finally gave a small chuckle arduously, “Better than most people, huh?”
After he stopped, he sighed, and the sound of his last regret passed along with his soul as he
mumbled, “But, I wanted to be a god…”
Xie Lian bowed his head deeply, “But, Your Highness Yin Yu, there is actually no god in this
world…”
————
Ch.213: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift
Suddenly, a light suddenly turned on in his head, and Xie Lian put Yin Yu down, rising to his
feet, “…The cursed shackle. He took the cursed shackle!”
If that thing was unimportant, then Jun Wu wouldn’t have taken it, yet he went out of his way to
remove the cursed shackled sucked full of Yin Yu’s blood and took it, so perhaps, not only did
that thing suck away Yin Yu’s blood, it also imprisoned his soul!
Having thought of this, Xie Lian left the beaten and bruised Quan Yi Zhen behind and dashed
out to the back of the Palace of Qi Ying. However, Jun Wu was no longer there. He then turned
around and charged out.
Upon the great avenue of the Heavenly Capital, there was not a soul and completely cold and
deserted. There were only the expressionless guards watching over the palaces that used to be
bustling and lively with all the great gods, and none of those guards cared for him. Xie Lian
didn’t care for them either and ran straight for the Great Martial Hall.
Sure enough, Jun Wu had returned here, and was seated upon the throne, still gazing at that
cursed shackle. The moment Xie Lian charged in he heard a weird gurgling noise, and when he
looked up, that fetus spirit was hanging off the glamourous ceiling with all four of its limbs, and
was crawling upside down rapidly like some cold-blooded creature, incredibly creepy.
Even a wicked creature such as this could enter the Great Martial Hall, it really made one
wonder how the heavenly officials who struggled for centuries to step into this hall would think if
they should see this. Xie Lian marched over with his arms open wide, and Jun Wu asked, “What
do you want?”
Without another word, Xie Lian thrust his hand and snatched for that cursed shackle, but of
course Jun Wu would not let him have his way. It was a good while and Xie Lian still couldn’t
manage to steal the thing, and he cried angrily, “WHAT USE DO YOU HAVE FOR THAT
THING? YIN YU ISN’T EVEN A THREAT TO YOU, COMPLETELY INSIGNIFICANT IN YOUR
EYES! WHY DID YOU SAY ALL THAT TO HIM? WHAT’S THE USE IN YOUR KEEPING THAT
THING??”
However, Jun Wu said, “Who says it’s of no use? Seeing how angry you are over it, doesn’t this
prove it’s very useful?”
He was like an adult who placed a bowl of fruits on the table just out of reach of his son, and
was smiling cheerfully on the side watching the child tipping his toes trying to grab for it but
couldn’t no matter what, enjoying that he was both angry and desperate, wailing loudly. Xie Lian
was going to go mad from fury, “ARE YOU MENTAL?”?”
“Xie Lian, that tone you took is rather disrespectful.” Jun Wu said.
Xie Lian had been enduring but he couldn’t hold back any longer and cussed, “I’LL SHOW YOU
SOME FREAKING RESPECT…”
All of his curses in this life were probably all directed to this man. Yet unexpectedly, before he
could finish his curse, his throat suddenly constricted, and he suffocated!
Xie Lian’s eyes went black, his hands clutching his own throat, his knees buckled and he
dropped to his knees. Jun Wu sat before him, petting that fetus spirit calm and composedly,
brushing through its hairs, caressing that smooth and round head while black auras permeated
from its palms. That fetus spirit seemed to be enjoying itself, cooing in a weird cheer.
Listening to Xie Lian burst into a series of violent coughs, his face swelling and flustered, Jun
Wu said, “Xian Le, I suggest you behave like before, a little more obedient, a little more
respectful. Only then will I not be angered. Don’t forget, you’re wearing this thing on your person
too, and, you’re wearing two of them.”
“Cough cough cough… cough cough… YOU…!”
Xie Lian shot up to his feet, his eyes brimming with red as he glared at him. Jun Wu said, “I
what? I’m sly? Xian Le, don’t forget, you were the one who asked for them.”
What a joke, how could he have known what this bloody thing was back then!
Could it be? At the time when Guoshi saw him, his face dropped and came strangling his neck,
he wasn’t trying to kill Xie Lian but was instead trying to remove this thing?
It was a good while before that cursed shackle on Xie Lian’s neck gradually loosened, and he
could finally breathe normally again. He was gasping harshly, subconsciously covering his own
neck and feeling that cursed shackle. A touch, and other than the cursed shackle, Xie Lian also
felt something else.
It was a very thin, silver chain. It used to be cold, but because he’s worn it for so long, his body
had already warmed it through. Hanging on the silver chain was a crystal clear ring.
After having felt it, Xie Lian’s shoulders immediately stiffened, and he gripped that ring tight. For
some reason, his heart was pounding faster and faster, as if he had learned an incredible
secret. Right then, Jun Wu spoke up behind him, “It’s me. What is it?”
It’s him what? What did he mean?
Xie Lian stuffed that silver chain back into his robes and turned around in a frown. Only when he
did so did he find that what Jun Wu said just now wasn’t directed at him.
Jun Wu had two fingers raised and pressed against his temple. This posture; he was
communicating with someone!
While he didn’t allow for any other heavenly officials in the Heavenly Capital to communicate
spiritually, he himself had none of those restrictions and could do as he willed. After a pause,
Jun Wu continued, “Nothing much. Because of the case with the impersonated Earth Master
recently, many other spies and false personalities within the Heavenly Capital were also
unearthed one after the other. Seeing as how it’s been a season of incidents recently, there
must not be any careless mistakes, and so all heavenly officials are currently being investigated,
which was why the entire Heavenly Capital has been locked down. It’s currently not open to the
outside nor is spiritual communication to the outside permitted, so of course you aren’t able to
connect with anyone.”
Xie Lian panted lightly and held his breath.
It sounded as if the one communicating with Jun Wu at the moment didn’t know what the
situation was in the Heavenly Capital, so Jun Wu was also nonchalantly lying to the other party.
And, the excuse he used was intricately appropriate; with the case of Black Water
Impersonation surfacing, the waves it caused were atrocious, worthy of attention, so it was
reasonable for the entire court to be locked down.
Even if Xie Lian screamed and yelled, the person on the other end wouldn’t be able to hear him,
so he decided to just observe calmly and act accordingly. It was a good while before there was
an unnoticeable, miniscule flash of change in his expression.
He replied warmly, “Oh? You wish to come to the Heavenly Capital? Of course you can. The
case this time is indeed not a small one, so since you have the heart to come help, you are of
course most welcome.”
…
The other party actually volunteered to come help out in the Heavenly Capital?!
If they volunteered several hours earlier then it would be more than helpful, since they were
definitely in need of aid. But, this timing? The entire Heavenly Capital had already fallen and
became the lair of demons, so this was no different than jumping into a fire pit!
On the side, Jun Wu said a few more simple words and ended the communication. Xie Lian
immediately questioned, “Who’s coming?”
That fetus spirit seemed to know that it was not a creature of light and quietly crawled into the
shadows and hid. Jun Wu on the other hand, only gave a small smile, “What’s the rush? You’ll
see soon enough.”
That was out of his expectations. Xie Lian wondered incredulously, “You’re gonna let me see?
Didn’t you tell the other party that the entire Heavenly Capital is in lockdown and every heavenly
official is being investigated?
“Of course.” Jun Wu replied, “But I should at least have trustworthy left-right hands.”
Ling Wen was technically still on the run, so naturally she couldn’t play the role of Jun Wu’s left
right hands, which was why this task fell on Xie Lian’s head. Just as he was contemplating, Jun
Wu studied him for a moment and said warmly, “Xian Le, just be good and cooperate. Don’t
bother with any silly tricks, I know you too well, I know everything on your mind.”
“…”
Jun Wu played with that blood-filled cursed shackle in his hand absentmindedly and added,
“You’ve said it yourself, to me, Yin Yu was completely insignificant. Actually, it should be said
that all heavenly officials in the Heavenly Court, big or small, are all insignificant in my eyes. If
you expose anything, you understand what will happen.”
“…”
“So, don’t give anything away. Tidy yourself up, they’ll be here soon.”
Xie Lian didn’t speak but he did indeed crawl up from the floor, dusted himself off, and really did
tidy himself up, walking over to stand in the position he had always stood next to Jun Wu’s side.
Jun Wu approved, “Just like that.”
While Jun Wu’s threat was very effective, Xie Lian also discovered something – he didn’t seem
to want whoever was coming to realize the truth of how the Heavenly Capital had fallen. This
made him want to know even more just who exactly was coming!
After two incense time later, before the Great Martial Hall, several figures finally appeared. They
saw a lady cultivator in verdant robes riding a burly black ox, a sacred sword hanging on her
waist, approaching languidly with several farmers following behind, each varying in sizes.
It was actually the Rain Master who had come!
Xie Lian was slightly surprised. Based on how Jun Wu acted – the way he acted after he was
exposed, he’d kill whoever would block his way, and should’ve locked up anyone who
approached, so why was he wary of the Rain Master?
Naturally nothing could be learned right now. The moment she entered the Great Martial Hall,
the Rain Master inclined her head slightly towards the two, “Your Royal Highness, My Lord, how
do you do.”
Xie Lian pretended nothing was the matter and also returned the greeting, “Lord Rain Master.”
He appeared polite and unfazed but his mind was spinning, just what could he do to tell the
Rain Master the real situation here at the Heavenly Capital?
Jun Wu spoke, “It has been a long time since Rain Master last came to the Heavenly Court.”
The Rain Master however, gave an irrelevant answer, “This lockdown at the Heavenly Capital is
rigorous.”
Her words sounded as if she was puzzled, and Jun Wu responded, “It couldn’t be helped. With
the Black Water case thus, the Middle Court had already plucked out over fifty some fake
heavenly officials. It’s deeply concerning whether if there are other pawns planted in the Upper
Court.”
“I see.” The Rain Master said.
The three of them chatted simply for a bit, and only then did Xie Lian realize that when Jun Wu
spoke, no matter it be truth or lie, his bases were always perfectly covered without any flaws,
exceedingly amazing. He had the mind to warn, but first, he was afraid Jun Wu would notice
and take it out on the other heavenly officials; second, he was also afraid to involve the Rain
Master who didn’t know what was going on, so his hands were tied. The Rain Master didn’t
seem to notice anything unusual either, and only inquired if there was anything that needed her
help. Jun Wu replied, “Not at the moment. However, once the investigation is complete, I’m sure
there will be plenty of need of your assistance.”
“Then, I will remain in the Heavenly Capital for now, and await for summoning.” The Rain Master
said.
Jun Wu maintained his smile, his thoughts couldn’t be told, but even when they’ve reached this
point, he still hadn’t shed all pretenses, “Sounds good. You’ve left the capital for years, so it’s
good to take this chance to refamiliarize yourself. Your Rain Master Residence has been empty
for many years now.”
The Rain Master nodded and slowly stood down. Xie Lian knew that the moment she’s gone
she’d be monitored, and felt slightly anxious. Suddenly, the Rain Master turned back around and
spoke up, “Your Highness.”
Xie Lian’s heart skipped, “Does Lord Rain Master have guidance to impart?” Could she have
finally noticed something wrong?
However, the Rain Master said, “Nothing to impart. I’ve been gone from the Heavenly Capital for
many years, so I’ve brought some souvenirs and thought I’d gift you some. Would you be willing
to receive them?”
Xie Lian hadn’t expected it to be something like this and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,
“Huh? Ah… Thank you.”
Jun Wu of course never took gifts, and smiled as he allowed the Rain Master’s escorts to enter,
“Xian Le, Lord Rain Master is to gift you presents, why don’t you accept quickly?”
“…”
The way he said it made Xie Lian out to be a young child in need of discipline; guests came to
make visit, brought a gift for the child, and the elder would make the child come out to receive it
before having the child utter thanks. Xie Lian had no choice, and a farmer approached,
presenting with both hands a package of something very tightly wrapped. Xie Lian uttered his
thanks casually, taking the package distractedly, but suddenly, his face changed, like he
discovered something unusual.
His back was facing Jun Wu, and Jun Wu shouldn’t be able to see his expression, but still he
inquired, “What kind of gift is this?”
When the Rain Master saw he had taken the gift, she raised her hands in courtesy and smiled,
“Nothing valuable, just some local specialty grown from the earth. If there is nothing else, I will
take my leave.”
“Please.” Jun Wu said.
Thus, the Rain Master pulled that black ox, took her escorts, and slowly moved towards that
Rain Master Residence that’s been abandoned for many years. Xie Lian was still holding that
present in his arms and was just about to leave when Jun Wu called out, “Hold it.”
Xie Lian indeed stopped, as if his feet were nailed to the ground. Jun Wu then said, “Come
here.”
Xie Lian went back into the Great Martial Hall and turned around to look at him. Jun Wu stepped
off of the throne and took the package that was tightly gripped in his hold before he said, “Now
you may go.”
He certainly was a distrustful one, and directly look away the gift the Rain Master had given. Xie
Lian glanced at him, and wordlessly returned to his Palace of XianLe.
Once he returned to the Palace of XianLe, Xie Lian was restless, so he paced back and forth
within the hall. An unknown amount of time had past when suddenly, he heard a bright and clear
voice, “Your Highness?”
Xie Lian whipped around, and saw a ragged clothed young man with a headscarf wrapped
around his head had somehow unnoticeably hopped onto the window sill, and was just perching
atop it, grinning playfully at him!
Xie Lian was overjoyed and dashed out for two steps before he suddenly remembered this
youth had called him “Your Highness” just now, and Xie Lian stopped in his step, asking a little
uncertainly, “Are you… San Lang?”
That youth laughed heartily, hopped down from the window, and yanked off the headscarf. Black
hair flowed down but was immediately tied up high, revealing under the black hair a handsome
and pale face that was completely different. It was a face Xie Lian was infinitely familiar with.
Hua Cheng twirled that headscarf leisurely and sighed, “Gege, my dear gege, this time, wanting
to see you is as hard as ascending to the heavens.”
Earlier, at the Great Martial Hall, the moment Xie Lian received the Rain Master’s gift, he did
indeed notice something unusual. However, what was unusual wasn’t the gift itself, but the
person who was delivering the gift.
When he took the package, he felt the other party held his hand and squeezed.
It had to be said, this gesture was frivolous, and if it was done to the ladies, then it’d be
intentionally flirty. At the time, Xie Lian only blinked but didn’t express anything, and gazed over
without sounding any alarm. The one who was standing before him was a tall youth.
While that youth was dressed the part of a farmer, wearing patched, muddy clothes with a
headscarf wrapped around his head, still his face was handsome and delicate, the light in his
eyes twinkling.
However, that light only twinkled in that instant when the two met eyes, and when Xie Lian
blinked again to see, that youth had returned to his shy and naive disposition and stood down
with bowed head.
Since now Hua Cheng had come seeking to the Palace of Xian Le, then naturally all the
monitoring eyes in the surrounding area had been taken cared of. The moment Xie Lian saw
him, he felt him to be incomparably dependable, and there was nothing left to worry about!
———-
Ch.214: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift 2
Hua Cheng hadn’t even walked over before Xie Lian had already forcefully glomped over.
This was a powerful glomp, and Hua Cheng actually wasn’t pushed back for a few steps by the
force, not even a wobble. He only placed his hands on Xie Lian’s back, chuckling lightly without
speaking. Xie Lian was just feeling cheered when he suddenly remembered another thing and
quickly said, “Wait, San Lang! The Empe… Jun Wu is quite wary of you, and you should’ve
been guarding the human array at the royal capital. He must’ve sent eyes down to watch you,
so if you vanished all of a sudden, wouldn’t he notice? Besides, is it really alright for the Wind
Master to be guarding the array by himself?”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “Don’t worry, gege, that’s already been taken cared of. No flaws
will be exposed for the moment.”
Xie Lian figured he probably blocked the eyes Jun Wu sent or left a clone down below, so he
didn’t press for more on how things were taken cared of. Just then, Hua Cheng remarked
leisurely, “It seems, gege really missed me very much.”
“…”
Xie Lian remembered the messed up, inadmissible words they exchanged through spiritual
communication in front of Jun Wu, then noticed how he himself was currently holding Hua
Cheng tight, not letting go, and he immediately loosened his grip, straightening himself, and
replied with a schooled voice, “…En, en. You said we needed to enlist the help of someone, so
that someone was Lord Rain Master.”
Hua Cheng smiled at him cheerfully, “Correct. The Rain Master has been in the lower realms for
years, and just so happened to be roused by the opening of Mount TongLu. To return to the
heavens to check things out is perfectly logical. And, if Jun Wu refuses to allow her up without
proper reasons, the Rain Master would no doubt notice things amiss. So, of course he had to let
her come back up. Gege, don’t worry, it’s fine, you can keep holding me like that, I don’t mind.”
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat, “No, it’s alright, thank you…But why can’t he do anything to
the Rain Master?”
“Gege might not know this. The Rain Master is a heavenly official who manages agriculture.
This godly position might seem dreary on the surface without any major benefits, so most aren’t
interested, but it’s actually quite unique, Currently, there’s only Yu Shi Huang who is a heavenly
official that manages agriculture.
Xie Lian mused and deduced the intricate reasons. Hua Cheng continued, “If the Rain Master
was killed directly, and a better heavenly official couldn’t be found to replace her, the people put
food above all else; if agriculture isn’t running smoothly, the world will be thrown into chaos. You
don’t let people eat, people won’t give you a job. Besides being displeased with the Rain
Master, the people of the world might also begin to be dissatisfied with the great god above Rain
Master’s head, which means, if he wasn’t careful the fire can burn all the way onto him. If things
aren’t controlled adequately, it might incur riots to topple gods.
Which was to desecrate his temples and topple his divine statues, just as what the people of
XianLe did once.
Hua Cheng added, “On top of that, the Rain Master doesn’t establish temples or shrines, hasn’t
resided in the Heavenly Capital for years, and has no desire to be promoted, so there isn’t really
anything to hold against her with. Externally, it’s hard for him to find a proper reason to banish
the Rain Master so it’s difficult to make a move; internally, his position can remain stable so long
as the Rain Master continues to manage agriculture, so, he would keep up the pretense for as
long as he can. Deceive her first, and decide what to do after should the truth come out.”
Xie Lian was relieved, “I see, thank goodness, that was close. That Lord Rain Master would
help really is coming to aid in a time of need. Hopefully her acting is extraordinary. Oh by the
way, we must go find Guoshi first! There are many things that I must ask him to get proper
answers.”
The two didn’t dally any longer and sped out of the Palace of XianLe. The moment Xie Lian
crossed over the threshold he was startled by the row of guards watching the entrance, and was
just about to whip them out with RuoYe when he noticed each of them were like wooden dolls,
and not just in posture, but even their expressions didn’t change. They were all petrified by Hua
Cheng.
As they went, Hua Cheng’s vambraces shimmered silver, transforming into silver butterflies, and
they gradually lost colour, hiding into the air. There were probably hundreds of thousands of
wraith butterflies by now that were dispersed throughout the Heavenly Capital. Along the way,
they’d suddenly go up or go down, abruptly hide or appear, perfectly dodging every patrolling
guard.
Hiding in an alley while watching troops of patrolling guards stomp by, Hua Cheng said standing
next to Xie Lian, “After this stretch, we’ll take the path above.”
Xie Lian nodded and leapt onto the roof following Hua Cheng. The two fled across the roofs one
after the other, leaving no traces behind. A short while later, Xie Lian dropped onto the edge of
an eave and abruptly stopped, looking back at Hua Cheng seeming to be pensive.
Seeing him stilled, Hua Cheng also stopped, “What is it? Have you noticed something?”
Xie Lian frowned slightly and nodded, and said pensively, “No. It’s just, it feels like this scene
had played somewhere else before…”
Before he finished, Hua Cheng suddenly hugged his waist. The next moment, the two ‘fell’ from
the rooftop.
Xie Lian only felt the world spin, going topsy turvy, his bamboo hat slipping off from his back,
about the fall to the ground, and he swiftly and lightly snatched it back. Meanwhile. Hua Cheng
held him in his embrace as the two hung upside down down the eaves of some roof while above
them, something pata-pata crawled past rapidly.
Xie Lian was no stranger to that sound – it was the sound of the fetus spirit crawling!
Who knows whether if it was patrolling in a showy manner or what. Just then, another voice
came from below, “Cuo Cuo, Cuo Cuo?”
Jian Lan!
Xie Lian cried “oh no!” in his head. That fetus spirit was still on top of the roof, and if Jian Lan
was to walk over from below, wouldn’t they be discovered? Xie Lian couldn’t be sure what Jian
Lan’s reaction would be, whether if she’d still be grateful for Hua Cheng saving her life or if she
would yell to alert people.
Those light and hurried steps were coming closer and closer and was just about to turn the
corner when thankfully, right then, that fetus spirit finally jumped down the other side of the roof.
The two immediately flipped over and hopped on top of the building. Xie Lian let out a breath of
relief.
When Jian Lan peeked out from the corner of the wall and saw her son who had jumped onto
the ground, she’d also let out a breath of relief and came out, “Cuo Cruo! Don’t run around
randomly, this is a strange and unfamiliar place, rather scary, if you ran off and disappeared,
mom won’t even know where to go to find out… why did you come here?!”
She casually glanced around and saw the establishment plaque of this palace, and backed
away a couple steps. It was only after seeing this reaction that Xie Lian remembered that the
golden palace beneath their feet seemed to be the Palace of Nan Yang.
Which meant, Feng Xin was currently locked inside here!
Jian Lan must also know this, and her face twitched lightly. A moment later, she looked down to
scold that fetus spirit, “What are you doing coming here?!”
However, that fetus spirit was hugging something white and chunky, “crunch crunch” like it was
gnawing at it. Jian Lan then yelled at it, “What’s that? What are you blindly eating? Spit it out!”
Xie Lian looked closely and discovered that was a solid, big white radish, and didn’t know
whether to laugh or cry. No need for her to say anything, that fetus spirit obviously also thought
it didn’t taste good, and p-tui p-tui, spat the radish forcefully out, shrieking as he did so, like it
was throwing a tantrum. Jian Lan instantly went up to cradle it, coaxing, “Okay okay okay, Cuo
Cuo is a good boy, if it doesn’t taste good then just don’t eat it anymore. Only poor bastards and
silly gods like to eat those things, we don’t eat those.”
Only a birth mother could cradle such a deformed and horrifying creature in her arms and still
comfort it in a gentle voice. That fetus spirit wiggled is chubby white body in her arms and
purred happily. Xie Lian watched this scene play out and a sudden inexplicable sympathy grew
in his heart, but he was also puzzled, “How is there such a large white radish in the Heavenly
Capital?”
Hua Cheng raised his brows and replied, “Gege, have you forgotten? It’s the gifts grown from
the earth, the souvenirs the Rain Master brought you.”
“…”
So that was the present the Rain Master gifted him!
Xie Lian tried to imagine what Jun Wu’s face would look like when he opened that wooden box
to see it was a giant white radish, but it was impossible to imagine, his attempt a failure. It
appeared that after Jun Wu had finished inspecting the gift and determined it to be nothing
suspicious, he casted the giant white radish off to feed this fetus spirit.
It was practically like feeding a dog.
At first after that fetus spirit had spat it out, it kicked that giant white radish away in disgust, but
after hearing Jian Lan’s words, it seemed to be pensive, then leapt out of its mother’s embrace,
hopping over and picked it up with its mouth before hopping into the palace. If Xie Lian didn’t
look closely, it did look like a smooth skinned, hairless white dog. Jian Lan called out, “DON’T
GO IN! THAT’S…”
The soldiers guarding before the Palace of Nan Yang were probably informed by Jun Wu
beforehand that this fetus spirit was his pet or hunting dog, and they didn’t blink nor did they
stop it. Without any choice, Jian Lan could only follow it inside. That fetus spirit seemed to be
harbouring deep animosity towards Feng Xin, and Xie Lian was worried that it would cause
harm to Feng Xin. He turned his head, “San Lang?”
On the tip of Hua Cheng’s fingertip rested a transparent butterfly, “A wraith butterfly is already
perched on her person.”
Xie Lian nodded, and the two monitored the situation inside the Palace of Nan Yang. They saw
Jian Lan was bent low, sneakily slipping into the palace as if she didn’t want anyone to discover
her, and she whispered, “Cuo Cuo–”
However, it was impossible not to be discovered. That fetus spirit hopped into the main hall, and
there was one man meditating in the main hall. He blinked open his eyes and they met hers,
both of them taken aback.
Feng Xin was stunned first then delighted, rising to his feet, “Jian Lan! Why have you come?
Are you alright? You’ve come just in time, help me…”
Just then, that fetus spirit suddenly started howling, jumping between the two, spitting that giant
white radish onto the ground, and kicked it forcefully with its back legs. That giant white radish
with a few bites missing was sent flying and smacked squarely on Feng Xin’s face, creating a
big DONG! Noise!
After it kicked the radish it was also feeling rather proud and pleased, crying WAH-LAH!
Randomly, cackling evilly, as if it was waiting for its mother to praise itself. Feng Xin was almost
knocked out by this thing, and a line of blood instantly streamed down from his nose. He wiped
it away and yelled angrily, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STAY STILL, WILL YOU!”
He was fierce, but that fetus spirit was even more ferocious, and screeched at him while
slithering its tongue. Feng Xin took a sharp step forward, ready to grab for him, but got his arm
bitten by its wide, bloody mouth, and couldn’t get rid of it no matter how hard he tossed his arm.
This familiar scene was both horrifying and hilarious, and when Feng Xin couldn’t be rid of it no
matter what, he was even more outraged, “WHAT THE FUCK!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A BEATING?? WHAT THE HELL!”
Jian Lan had snapped out of it too and cried, “STOP! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO YELL
AND BEAT HIM??”
To be yelled out, Feng Xin was startled, and half of his spirit diminished as he argued, “He… he
recognized a crook for a father!! Why would he be on Jun Wu’s side… How did he turn out like
this??”
Jian Lan clicked her tongue, “How? Isn’t it because of you?! “It’s the father’s fault for only raising
without educating”*, if it wasn’t you slacking off on your duty as the father, would your own son
be dug out from his mother’s womb to be made into something like this? WHAT THE HELL?
THE HELL YOU GAVE LIFE TO!”
With every reproach Feng Xin backed a step, and his voice also diminished greatly, “But… but I
didn’t know about this at all. And at the time, it was you who told me to scram…”
“HA!” Jian Lan exclaimed, “I told you to scram to help you! You come to this bitch’s bedside
everyday with that godforsaken gloominess, you think I don’t know what you’re thinking?? You
had to serve that crown prince of yours and collect enough money to redeem my freedom at the
same time, you were battered and bruised, tired and annoyed! You were too embarrassed to
just toss your sleeve and leave, then I might as well send you off!”
“I was very tired at the time!” Feng Xin cried, “But I was never annoyed with you! I wanted to
redeem you!”
Jian Lan jabbed at his chest, “PLEASE! Redemption, redemption, you knew very well in your
heart whether if you could actually redeem the price tag of this bitch with the meagre skills you
had back then! You’d wish you could split every penny in half and spend it as double everyday,
going on the streets each day to busk and still had to go back to pay your respects to your
crown prince and your ol’ emperor, it’s already pretty good that I didn’t throw myself at you to
add to your burdens. Expecting you to redeem my freedom? WHAT A DREAM!”
“You didn’t say this at the beginning, we’ve even made promises! I always keep my words…”
Jian Lan cut him off, “There’s plenty of promises, swears, and oaths out there, but think a bit for
yourself, what have you given me, huh? Other than that golden belt, oh, wait, it was ONLY that
golden belt, and you even exhorted over and over never to sell it!”
Feng Xin had been backing step after step by her jabbing, his expression both stiff and shamed.
The more Jian Lan spoke the angrier she became, “OR, did you mean that godforsaken
protection charm? My heart must’ve been smeared with pig’s grease to believe that shitty
protection charm could protect anyone! There was barely any good luck, BUT THERE SURE
WAS A SHIT TON OF BAD LUCK! YOU, had less and less money, but your temper was bigger
and bigger, what was I to do if I didn’t let you go, HUH? TORMENT YOU TO DEATH THIS
WAY?? TORMENT YOU TO THE POINT WHERE YOU’D COMPLAIN ABOUT ME HATE ME
ANNOYED WITH ME AND NO LONGER WANTED TO SEE ME EVER AGAIN??”
“…”
It wasn’t just Feng Xin, even Xie Lian who was currently above the Palace of Nan Yang didn’t
know what to say anymore.
So this was how it was.
Xie Lian recalled many things. The early morning departures and late night returns of back then,
the exhausted Feng Xin, the randomly happy, randomly depressed Feng Xing, and the Feng Xin
who tried once to borrow money from Xie Lian with great difficulty.
The insignificant unusual gestures suddenly all had an explanation.
Feng Xin was Xie Lian’s servant, his good friend, but not his slave. He could’ve built his own
home, had his own family, and he had actually already met those people, but the encounter just
had to be during Xie Lian’s first banishment, the toughest days they suffered back then.
At the time, Xie Lian was having trouble surviving himself, so how could he possibly have
noticed those details.
He was suffering, Feng Xin was also suffering. Everyone was suffering. And in the end, the two
finally couldn’t keep it going. Perhaps, Jian Lan had long foreseen this ending.
But, even if it was during that period of time, Feng Xin still did his utmost to try and support him.
He’d even gifted Jian Lan his protection charms that no one cared for anymore, and told her that
this thing could grant good luck, which was why Jian Lan would carefully put it away, tucking it in
the little robes of the unborn child.
Of course, in the end, it was proven that that protection charm didn’t bring them any good
fortunate at all.
Jian Lan looked as if she said things she shouldn’t have, and picked up the fetus spirit on the
ground in a hurry turning to leave. Feng Xin called out, “JIAN LAN!!!”
He pulled at his hair, and actually looked to be at a loss, sighing and lamenting.
“Come… come back.” Feng Xin begged, “I’m still… Sigh, I still feel I, I… I want to take care of
both of you. I should take care of both of you. I have a duty, I’ve promised you.”
Jian Lan turned around and stared at him intently for a moment, tightening the hug of the fetus
spirit in her arms, and humphed, “No need. I know, you’re disgusted with this son of yours. It’s
nothing but some demonic creature in your eyes. It’s fine, I’m not disgusted.”
Feng Xin finally came back to his senses and countered, “I’M NOT DISGUSTED!”
“Then how come you’re so mean to him every time?” Jian Lan questioned, “Can you really take
him for your own son?”
“As long as it can return to the right path, how can I not?” Feng Xin replied.
Jian Lan sneered, “Then let me ask you again: you’re a heavenly official, do you dare to
recognize it as your son?”
Feng Xin was taken aback.
This reaction was natural. That fetus spirit clung in its mother’s arms, baring its teeth and
growling at him, like it was an ugly, poisonous vermin that wasn’t fully grown, or perhaps like a
crippled baby savage beast, but either way it was not human.
What kind of heavenly official would dare admit to such an affair? To recognize such a demonic
creature as their own son? This was definitely a giant stain, and his worshippers, his merits, his
reputation, would all be greatly affected!
——-
Ch.215: The Path Shan’t Go Astray But the Mandates Are All the Same
However, Feng Xin wasn’t dumbfounded for too long before he had an answer. He was just
about to respond but Jian Lan only sneered, “Forget about it, you don’t need to say anything.
You’re someone else’s prisoner right now, whether if you dare to claim your son would all be
empty words, I won’t believe anything you say. Don’t say anymore. Even if you’re willing, I might
not be!”
That fetus spirit was curled in her arms, slithering its tongue at Feng Xin, snickering in a grown
up voice. Jian Lan spanked it forcefully with a slap on its behind, scolding, “What faces are you
making still? I told you not to run off, you’re driving me mad!”
That ugly little face of the fetus spirit shrivelled a bit and finally stayed still. The mother and child
hurried out of the Palace of Nan Yang while Feng Xin yelled from behind, “JIAN LAN! JIAN
LAN!” No response. In the end, there was only him left once again within the Palace of Nan
Yang, and Feng Xin slumped, falling back into his seat, glaring at that giant white radish with
rows of crooked teeth marks that was left behind. He glared for a good moment, his right hand
supporting his head up, then he laid flat on the ground, even the energy to curse had left him.
Above the Palace of Nan Yang, Xie Lian also sighed.
Just then, Hua Cheng suddenly spoke up, “Gege, do you still remember that night at Mount Yu
Jun, that fetus spirit had also appeared?”
Xie Lian knew he was purposely changing the subject, plus that business with the fetus spirit
appearing at Mount Yu Jun was also questionable, so Xie Lian was cooperative and forced
himself to lighten up, “I remember. At the time, when I was riding the marriage sedan, it used a
nursery rhyme to give me hints on how to find the Ghost Bride, which was Xuan Ji. It also didn’t
let anyone else hear, only to me specifically, I wonder why.”
“Probably by Jun Wu’s direction.” Hua Cheng said.
“Then the answer to the riddle would be Jun Wu’s objective.” Xie Lian said, “And the reason as
to why it’s become a fierce spirit under Jun Wu’s command, I’m afraid those are all questions for
Guoshi.”
“Then let’s go ask.” Hua Cheng said, “I’ve got good news for gege, the wraith butterflies have
already found where the Guoshi is held.”
Xie Lian’s spirit was immediately raised, “Where?”
The Palace of Ling Wen.
Inside and outside of the palace, the innumerous civil gods with scrolls stacked high as the
mountains rushing in and out were missing, instead the new addition was the expressionless
Heavenly Martial Guards patrolling rigidly. They dropped onto the corner of one of the roofs
soundlessly, and Xie Lian spoke up, “Guoshi is locked up here? Is Ling Wen watching him?”
“Correct.” Hua Cheng replied, “With the Brocade Immortal on her, Ling Wen is considered both
a civil god and a martial god right now.”
After observing intently for a moment, Xie Lian commented, “Then this is going to be tricky.”
Whie the Brocade Immortal was no match for them, it still possessed a high cultivation, and it
must be sharper than those patrolling guards on the grand avenue of the Heavenly Capital.
If Xie Lian and Hua Cheng snuck into the Palace of Ling Wen recklessly just like this, even if the
Brocade Immortal couldn’t defeat them, it could still very well detect them, and once the
Brocade Immortal discovered them, then Ling Wen would also know for sure.”
“Ling Wen and Jun Wu must be able to communicate with each other spiritually. If Ling Wen
discovers us then Jun Wu will discover us.” Xie Lian said, “Unless the Brocade Immortal isn’t on
her at the moment, then she’d only be a civil god and will not be able to detect us; and a
removed Brocade Immortal is a mere robe, it won’t be able to alert Jun Wu either. We have to
think of a way to separate the two.”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “We don’t need to think of anything specifically, she’ll have to take
off that robe sooner or later.”
No explanations required, Xie Lian understood.
The Brocade Immortal wasn’t anything good after all; its aura of evil was thick and heavy, and
since Ling Wen wasn’t formally banished, she was still considered a heavenly official, so to
always be wearing it on her person would be bad for her health. She’d also needed to maintain
the male form which would exhaust her spiritual powers, and there probably weren’t many who
could keep up with that kind of exhaustion. There had to be a time everyday when she took it off
to rest.
The two were whispering plans with each other when just then, a black clad man strolled out
from within the Palace of Ling Wen with a hand behind his back. He gave some sort of
instructions to the soldiers guarding outside, then stepped into the side chambers. A moment
later, he exited the side chambers by himself and entered the main hall anew.
That man was Ling Wen. When he went in he was in his male form, when he came out, she was
in her original form. The black outer robe on her person had also disappeared, and her steps
weren’t as light and energetic as when she was in her male form, visibly skilled in martial arts.
She had indeed removed the robes, and now, that Brocade Immortal was in that side chamber!
The two exchanged a look. Hua Cheng said, “Now, they’re separated. Gege, you’ve got pretty
good luck.”
Xie Lian also puffed a breath and gave him a look, “It’s San Lang’s luck that’s pretty good.”
Hua Cheng grinned, “Main hall? Side chamber?”
After a thought, Xie Lian decided, “Let’s go with the side chamber! Who knows what the
situation is like inside the main hall of the Palace of Ling Wen, and if Guoshi is guarded right
next to Ling Wen then we won’t be able to get around her. But, if we can get our hands on the
Brocade Immortal, maybe we’d still have room to talk.”
Thus, the two waited for a bit, and when the guards were changing, they took advantage of that
timing and hopped off the roof, sneaking into the side chambers.
The moment they leapt inside, Xie Lian wiped away his cold sweat.
No matter what, sneaking into the private chambers of a lady official wasn’t anything to be proud
of. However, after he saw the state of this side chamber, his nervous expression faded a bit.
Xie Lian’s old chamber was more sumptuous than this, Feng Xin’s was more disorderly, and Mu
Qing’s was more tasteful and exquisite. In any case, this didn’t look like the private chamber of a
lady official at all, so Xie Lian didn’t feel as stressed.
There weren’t many furniture inside the chamber so it was difficult to hide anything. It didn’t take
long before Xie Lian fumbled out a chest. However, the moment he opened it his face darkened.
It wasn’t because dark energy slammed his face the moment he opened it, but because within
the chest were stacked full of black robes that were exactly the same.
This again!
It was the same thing last time, where they had to try and find the real Brocade Immortal within
hundreds of different clothes. It was a mess looking for the thing, practically a nightmare. This
time there weren’t as many sets, only a few dozen, but every robe was black with barely any
difference. It was hard to tell which circumstance was the more dispiriting. Was the Brocade
Immortal actually here?
Feeling his head throb, Xie Lian asked miserably, “San Lang… what’s Jun Wu doing right now?
Do we have enough time?”
Hua Cheng had been monitoring all movements everywhere closely, and when he heard Xie
Lian’s inquiry, he replied languidly, “Gege, relax. We’ve got plenty of time. Jun Wu hasn’t noticed
you’d gone. He’s currently at the Great Martial Hall and had brought Mu Qing in to interrogate.
By the looks of it, it’ll be a while.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian was taken aback, “Mu Qing? He’s interrogating Mu Qing? Why?”
“Wraith butterflies can’t enter the Great Martial Hall, I can’t hear clearly.” Hua Cheng said, “But
you know.” He stared at Xie Lian, “It must not be anything good.”
Xie Lian recalled how Jun Wu had treated Yin Yu and felt vaguely anxious. But even if he
worried now it’d be pointless, so he said resolutely, “Let’s hurry then. Let me try each of the
robes on. San Lang, come give me orders.”
If the Brocade Immoral didn’t want to be discovered or if it didn’t want to take the life of whoever
put it on, it could just be worn casually. However, if someone made the other wear it and gave
that person orders, then that person must obey the orders. Using this method, they should
definitely be able to expose the real thing, the only downside being it was a bit dangerous. Hua
Cheng said, “Let me do it.”
Xie Lian shook his head, “San Lang, you’ve worn the Brocade Immortal before, but for some
reason it doesn’t really work on you. Maybe it’s ineffective against ghost kings? Only I could do
this.” He said as he removed his outer robe, dropping the white robe on the ground by his feet.
Hua Cheng raised his brows and picked a black robe to hand to him, “Then, I will take up your
offer.”
Xie Lian swiftly put on that robe. Thank goodness, thank goodness. Ling Wen’s black robe
wasn’t revealing in the bosom area, wasn’t sensual in any way, and was very conservative and
proper, so putting it on wasn’t difficult. Xie Lian looked up, “Okay, you can now give me an
order.”
“…”
Hua Cheng’s right hand was holding his left elbow while his left hand supported his chin, and he
looked at Xie Lian, seeming to be thinking very seriously for a moment before he said, “Then,
gege, my order is–”
A moment later came the anticipated command. Hua Cheng smiled happily, “–Let’s borrow
some spiritual powers.”
“…”
Of course Xie Lian understood what he meant by “Borrow spiritual powers” and his head almost
smoked. He quickly took off the robe and said, “It’s, it’s not this one!”
“Ah, what a shame. It’s not this one.” Hua Cheng lamented.
Xie Lian schooled his expression, “San Lang, you… this isn’t right. You have to be more serious,
don’t give orders like these.”
Hua Cheng replied modestly, “Am I not serious enough? Then what kind of orders do you mean,
can gege be more specific on that?”
“…” Xie Lian coughed twice softly and replied with seriousness, “Either way, you can’t make me
borrow spiritual powers from you. Everything else is fine, like turn around in a circle, jump twice
or something, whatever you want.”
Hua Cheng cocked an eyebrow, “Everything else is fine, right? Very well, I understand.”
Then, he handed Xie Lian another set of robes. Xie Lian swiftly put it on and looked up again at
Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng watched him for a moment, “Gege…”
A short moment later, he smiled widely, “Don’t borrow spiritual powers from me.”
“…”
He’s been careless! How could Hua Cheng do this!
Xie Lian hastily removed that robe, “OKAY! It’s not this one eith…” But Hua Cheng stopped him,
“Wait, gege, who says it’s not this one? You haven’t proven it yet.”
“Don’t borrow spiritual powers from me” was Hua Cheng’s order. If Xie Lian was to prove the
robe he was wearing right now wasn’t the Brocade Immortal then he must not obey Hua
Cheng’s order. Which meant, he had to do the opposite thing – “Borrow spiritual powers from
Hua Cheng”.
Going around in circles and they came back to the same starting point!
Xie Lian was shaken while staring at Hua Cheng’s serious face, “…That’s, you’re too cunning,
you can’t do that.”
Hua Cheng hugged his arms, “Why not? Gege, didn’t you say so yourself? Other than to borrow
spiritual powers from me, everything else is fine. Since you didn’t like that command then I gave
something that was the complete opposite, so how can you say I’m cunning? Wasn’t I just
staying true to your words?”
“…”
Xie Lian didn’t know what to say to retaliate at all, and he raised his finger to point at him for a
moment, “You… you, ah, I can’t win with you, stop playing around!” Then without any delay, he
rushed up and “chu”-ed. Even though he knew there was clearly no one around, but after he’d
done the deed he still looked around, as if cautious of anyone who might be peeping.
Hua Cheng’s face didn’t twitch in the slightest, and said calmly, “Very good. It’s been verified,
this one is indeed not it either.”
Xie Lian removed that black robe, “…Don’t give that order again either, alright?”
Hua Cheng passed the third one to him and smiled, “Fine, fine. As gege wishes.”
Xie Lian took the robe from him woefully, thinking to himself, ‘It feels like San Lang is harder and
harder to deal with… is this just my imagination?’
He was still worried Hua Cheng might give more prankish orders, but after joking around twice,
Hua Cheng indeed stopped teasing him. Yet now that he was being serious, Xie Lian actually
felt it odd.
However, after trying on the few dozens of robes inside the chest, Xie Lian didn’t obey any of
the orders.
Could the real Brocade Immortal not be here?
That was impossible. Ling Wen must’ve already taken it off, and the entire chest was tainted
with its aura of evil, so it must be in here!
Hua Cheng leaned against the door bar, “Gege, it seems, this Brocade Immortal isn’t just
ineffective against me, it doesn’t work for you either.”
What was the problem?
———-
Ch.216: Hard to Put On; Harder to Take Off
Xie Lian then pulled out all of the black robes out, blindly picking at them trying to find the
Brocade Immortal, no success, and could only put on the white cultivator robe he tossed on the
side anew and turned to Hua Cheng, “This really isn’t working… looks like we’ll have to take the
entire chest of clothes with us…”
Hearing this, Hua Cheng “pfft” and snickered, and Xie Lian felt a little woeful, feeling rather
ridiculous himself taking a few dozen robes as blackmail material, so silly. But with things as
they stood, there really weren’t any better ideas.
Yet unexpectedly, just as he was stuffing all the randomly strewn black robes back into the chest
and was about to carry the thing, the doors to the side chamber opened, and Ling Wen walked
in with a hand behind her back, looking exhausted.
“…”
“…”
Ling Wen was probably done resting and was ready to return to put the Brocade Immortal back
on, yet ran into the two uninvited guests who had broken into the chamber, one looking
incredibly innocent while the other looked nonchalant. With no words to say about the situation,
two of her fingers were instantly put together and pressed against her temple.
She was going to inform Jun Wu!
However, Hua Cheng moved faster than her, and with but a look, the two doors to the side
chamber rapidly shut close, and Ling Wen’s face also suddenly appeared to have dropped as
she lowered her hand, “…Hua Chengzhu is indeed incredible.”
“San Lang, you’ve created a ward?” Xie Lian asked.
“I’ve established a small one.” Hua Cheng said, “The perimeter is only set to this side chamber.”
Jun Wu could establish a ward within the Heavenly Capital, isolating everyone within the ward
from the outside world, then naturally Hua Cheng could also create an even smaller ward,
sealing the spiritual powers of those within and prevent them from communicating spiritually. A
small ward within a larger ward, in this moment, this side chamber had become a chest within a
chest.
However, this was Jun Wu’s power domain after all, so the ward established couldn’t be built too
big lest Jun Wu would notice. Xie Lian nodded, “Ling Wen, I’m sure you can see that the
Brocade Immortal is currently in our hands. If you don’t want to have it burnt down by ghost fire,
please don’t make any reckless moves.”
Yet unexpectedly, when Ling Wen heard him she laughed.
“But, Your Highness,” Ling Wen said, “The Brocade Immortal isn’t actually in your hands.”
To be honest, Xie Lian had suspected as much. Nonetheless he still voiced the most logical
deduction of the current situation, “Ling Wen, after you’ve come in and out, you didn’t wear it
anymore. I don’t think the Brocade Immortal is anywhere else but here inside this side
chamber.”
However, Ling Wen said, “Your Highness, have you perhaps misunderstood something? I only
said it’s not in the chest on your hands, but I didn’t say it wasn’t here inside this side chamber.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian suddenly thought of a possibility, and slightly turned his head.
Hua Cheng must’ve thought of the same thing he did, and the two both moved their gazes to the
white robe on Xie Lian’s person.
“En, you’ve guessed right.” Ling Wen said, “Right now, it’s being worn by Your Highness.”
Earlier when Xie Lian was trying on the other black robes, he had casually thrown aside the
white robe he wore, and later when he inspected the clothes, all the robes had already been
lumped together. Somehow, that Brocade Immortal had unsuspectingly turned into the
appearance of that white cultivator robes of his, and then picked up and put on his person!
Xie Lian looked down at his clothes and wondered inwardly, ‘Then where’s my original outer
robe?’
Hua Cheng casually lifted his hand and that chest of robes toppled over, the black robes within
spilling onto the ground. Hidden deep within dozens of black robes, there was one white robe
that was crushed at the very bottom.
That was the real outer robe Xie Lian had worn coming in!
Needless to say, this must be a wicked spell that Brocade Immortal had casted, and while the
two were trying on clothes randomly, it took the chance and dragged Xie Lian’s outer robe into
the chest, while it slipped out itself, transforming into that robe’s appearance to replace it,
allowing itself to be picked up and put on by Xie Lian.
Xie Lian wasn’t surprised in the least, but was only confused, “…Isn’t this a little too cunning?”
It was only an article of clothing! Besides, didn’t they say the Brocade Immortal itself wasn’t very
clever?
However, it wasn’t hard to guess either that it was most likely Ling Wen who taught it this idea.
Sure enough, Ling Wen said, “I gave it this idea and didn’t actually think it’d would come to use.
So, now, it’s as if it was I who made Your Highness wear this Brocade Immortal.”
If it was Hua Cheng who handed the robe to Xie Lian and Xie Lian put it on, then the
commander would be Hua Cheng. However, if the Brocade Immortal used Ling Wen’s idea and
tricked Xie Lian into wearing it, then the commander was Ling Wen. Which meant, the Xie Lian
now would obey Ling Wen’s words, and heed her every order!
“Ling Wen,” Xie Lian tried, “Have you never thought that the Brocade Immortal might not work
on me?”
Ling Wen smiled, “I won’t know until I’ve tried – Your Highness, from now on, you cannot attack
me. If you hear me then nod your head.”
Xie Lian didn’t intend to nod. Yet unexpectedly, after Ling Wen gave her order, before Xie Lian
knew it he had already involuntarily nodded!
How come it was now effective?! It clearly didn’t work earlier when Hua Cheng gave orders!
Could it be, it was only ineffective when the commander was Hua Cheng?
If that was the case, then the tables had suddenly turned. Xie Lian didn’t move, Hua Cheng
didn’t move either, and the two only exchanged looks, both very calm and steady.
Ling Wen was calm and steady too, “Then, now, will Hua Chengzhu please remove the ward
from this side chamber.”
Xie Lian instantly said, “San Lang, don’t do it.”
“Are you sure, Your Highness?” Ling Wen said, “I can order you to do anything.”
Hua Cheng still remained still, and Xie Lian thought, ‘Even if I can’t touch Ling Wen it’s alright,
no one else is under restrictions. As long as San Lang catches her off guard and seizes her,
preventing her from giving any orders, then the problem would be solved.”
However, Ling Wen was sharp and guessed their plans and added, “Hua Chengzhu, I suggest
you not to waste your time thinking of ways to catch me off guard to hold me down. Your
Highness, listen well: If, Hua Chengzhu is to attack me, or do any sort of harm towards me, then
you will attack him.”
With this, she blocked the plans the other party could’ve possibly used first!
“Alright, Hua Chengzhu, time to remove the ward.” Ling Wen said, “I have work to do still, the
Palace of Ling Wen is piled with civil matters I need to manage that haven’t looked through yet,
can we solve this little problem quickly?”
Hua Cheng only smirked.
The next moment, Ling Wen’s eyes widened, and she appeared as if she wanted to speak but
no voice was coming out.
If there was anyone standing behind her right now they would discover that on the back of her
neck perched a wraith butterfly with silver fluttering wings since who knows when. It was this
tiny little creature that stopped her body from moving and her voice unable to sound.
Hua Cheng hugged his arms and showed that incredibly insincere, fake smile. He said lazily, “If
I wanted to hold anyone down, did you think I’d need to catch them off guard?”
“…”
Ling Wen couldn’t speak, but the words in her eyes were clear: Hua Chengzhu, have you
forgotten? I’ve already given His Highness an order!
And right then, the Brocade Immortal activated its powers. Xie Lian turned around abruptly,
raised his hand and lunged towards Hua Cheng!
An unknown amount of time had passed before Xie Lian’s vision suddenly cleared, and he
instantly came to his senses, “…SAN LANG!”
Hua Cheng was standing right before him, and upon his red robe over his heart was a crushing
hand. It was Xie Lian’s hand.
Hua Cheng didn’t dodge this blow at all and only stood there, letting Xie Lian strike full force on
his heart!
“…”
Xie Lian hadn’t yet come around to react before Hua Cheng had firmly gripped his wrist, his
voice low, “Alright. Attack complete. Command release.”
Sure enough, after Xie Lian succeeded in his attack, he felt his body slacken, his freedom
returning.
For the sake of releasing Xie Lian from the command Ling Wen gave, Hua Cheng actually just
stood there and took that blow without dodging. Once the order was released, Xie Lian instantly
withdrew his hand, his face dropping, and it was a moment before he asked, “…San Lang, are
you hurt?”
He observed Hua Cheng’s face closely. However, because Hua Cheng wasn’t a live human
being, his skin was the colour of snow that hadn’t seen sun, and no visible changes could be
seen at the moment. However, his tone of voice certainly didn’t change, and he smiled, “Gege is
indeed incredible, what a beautiful blow.”
Xie Lian’s face was dark, like he’d been scared by him, and said solemnly, “I wasn’t joking
around. I used a seventh of my strength in my hand earlier, are you really alright?”
When Ling Wen gave her order, the word she used was “attack”. Typically when Xie Lian
exchanged blows with people he never used “attack” as the reason to make a move. Usually it
was for self-defense or for holding the other down, so once he moved with “attack” as the
reason, he really wasn’t sure what would happen to the other if he was to strike directly.
Hua Cheng replied slowly, “I wasn’t joking. Gege really is incredible. If you weren’t wearing
those two things on your body, perhaps not even Jun Wu would be your match.”
Xie Lian unconsciously touched his neck, and when he felt that cursed shackle, he immediately
dropped his hand. Just then, Hua Cheng added, “Gege, I have a question for you.”
“What is it?” Xie Lian asked.
“You had a chance to remove those cursed shackles.” Hua Cheng said, “Why did you keep
those things to bind you?”
Xie Lian hadn’t expected he’d ask that question and was taken aback, “Maybe… it was to
remind myself of some things.” He then said, “San Lang, don’t… don’t change the subject. What
kind of bad habit is this? The situation just now, it’d be fine if you’d just hold me own, why did
you have to take the blow yourself?”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “Gege, you knew this is a bad habit too? When it comes to taking
a beating, you have no right to lecture me, you know.”
“Oh, really?” Xie Lian said.
But the moment the words left his mouth he felt guilty. It must be known that that time he fought
the fetus spirit in the water, Hua Cheng caught him red handed for almost swallowing a sword.
Hua Cheng replied, “’Oh really? Why use other ways if I can solve the problem by taking a
beating’ is your bad influence on me.”
“…” Xie Lian waved his hand, “Nevermind, San Lang, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s look
at these robes first.”
He pulled at the hem of that white robe, feeling extremely woeful. This was just great; the
Brocade Immortal sure was found, but now, they must think of a way to take it off.
———–
Ch.217: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering
Since the robe was already being worn, there was definitely no way it could be burnt now, lest
Xie Lian got burnt along with it. Xie Lian suggested, “I’ll just keep the robe on me for now. It’s
not like it can suck my blood, and Ling Wen shouldn’t be able to give any more commands
either.”
A draft of blue smokey mist blew by, and where Ling Wen was standing had now only a blue
daruma doll, its expression very serious, and there even seemed to be scrolls in its arms. Xie
Lian picked it up and tucked it away in his robes and the two left this side chamber, sneaking
into the main hall.
It wasn’t his imagination; the main hall of the Palace of Ling Wen appeared to be much gloomier
than before, and the mountains of scrolls of reports piled high from the ground up looked to be
perilous and dangerous, like it would collapse at any given moment and crush the people below
to death. The two didn’t run into any guards as they sprinted straight for a set of crimson doors
in the deep heart of the palace.
Before they even got close Xie Lian heard a trembling, shocked voice, “…How is this possible?
How could this be?”
It was Guoshi! Could someone have gotten to him before they did? Xie Lian instantly kicked the
door down and growled, “LET HIM GO!”
Sure enough, it wasn’t only Guoshi alone inside the chamber. After the door was kicked down,
everyone turned their heads to look at the new intruders. The shock on Guoshi’s face still hadn’t
faded, “…Your Highness?”
“…”
“…”
Guoshi didn’t look up for more than a moment before his head lowered again, “You just wait a
sec – How could this be, what kind of luck is this?!”
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were both speechless.
Within the chamber, Guoshi and three others formed a full table and were just in the middle of a
heated game of cards, their passion and obsession blinding them from their surroundings. While
it’s said it was three other ‘people’, they weren’t actually alive, and were roughly crafted paper
dolls very crudely made. Who knows what kind of bizarre spell was casted for them to move and
could even play cards. As for Guoshi, his exclamations just now were only his lament after
getting his hand of cards.
Xie Lian had originally thought perhaps Guoshi might suffer torturous interrogation and would
look rather ghastly, but he hadn’t expected that Guoshi would actually still be playing cards at a
time like this, and while he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, the whole scene was incredibly
dear.
How could it not be dear? Back then when he and Feng Xin resided at the Royal Holy Pavilion,
whenever they went to look for Guoshi, seven out of ten times he would be playing cards, cards,
cards! Over eight hundred years had past, but seeing once again the Guoshi playing cards, it
was as if it was only yesterday. Even the crazed passion on Guoshi’s face was exactly the
same. He stared unblinkingly at the cards in his hands and spoke up without looking back, “Your
Highness, you’ve finally come. But let me finish this round first…”
Xie Lian just knew his old bad habit of recognizing no one when gaming was happening again.
Compared to the him at the Great Martial Hall, they were practically two different people, really
quite the sad sight. Xie Lian went up to try to drag him away from the table, “Master, what time
do you think this is? Stop playing!”
Guoshi’s eyes were red and he yelled, “NO, DON’T, LET ME FINISH!!! I’M ALMOST DONE!
JUST THIS ROUND! LET ME FINISH THIS HAND! IT’S ALMOST DONE, I MIGHT JUST WIN
THIS TIME!!!”
“You won’t win, you really won’t win!” Xie Lian cried.
…
Thankfully, this round really did finish fairly quickly, While Guoshi swore he was going to win, but
in actuality he indeed did not win. He waved his hand and withdrew those three paper dolls, and
Guoshi finally returned to his normal calm.
He sat poised and said solemnly, “Your Highness, I knew you would come. I’ve been waiting for
you.”
“…”
‘It didn’t look like you were waiting for me at all…’ Xie Lian thought. But of course he didn’t say
so out loud, since the respect for elders must still be maintained. Guoshi continued, “I knew you
must have many questions.”
Hua Cheng stood on the side, leaning against the door, looking rather at leisure but was
probably standing guard. Xie Lian also sat proper and poised before the Guoshi, “Yes.”
After a pause, Xie Lian asked, “First, I want to confirm, is Jun Wu… is he really White No-Face,
and also the Crown Prince of WuYong?”
“There’s no need for doubt. He is.” Guoshi replied.
“I have no relation whatsoever with the Crown Prince of WuYong, right? We’re two completely
different people.” Xie Lian asked.
“The only relationship you share with the Crown Prince of WuYong is that he destroyed your
kingdom, XianLe.”
“…”
Xie Lian said softly, “But, Guoshi, you once told me that you didn’t know what White No-Face
was, and you were certain he was born because of me.”
“Your Highness, at the time, I genuinely did not know what he was.” Guoshi replied, “And by the
time I found out, it was already too late. And, to say he was born because of you was not
incorrect.”
“Just what exactly does that mean?” Xie Lian asked, “And, the same question as before – why
did he want to destroy XianLe?”
Guoshi looked him in the eyes, “Because of that one phrase you said.”
Xie Lian was taken aback, “The one phrase I said? What phrase?”
“Body in abyss; heart in paradise.” Guoshi replied.
“…”
Xie Lian was speechless for a moment. Then he asked incredulously, “…That’s it?”
“That’s it.” Guoshi said.
“…Just that one line?” Xie Lian questioned, “What’s wrong with those words?”
Guoshi replied darkly, “Everything. Everything all started with that phrase of yours!”
Xie Lian could vaguely tell that what Guoshi was about to say next would be something he’d
have a hard time to swallow, and he wanted to call for Hua Cheng, but before he could do so
Hua Cheng had already come forward and sat down next to him.
“You saw those murals at Mount TongLu, correct?” Guoshi asked.
“Yes.” Xie Lian replied, “Were you the one who left those murals behind?”
“Yes, it was me.” Guoshi replied, “Every time when Mount TongLu opens its gates I would sneak
in; on one hand, it’s to prevent a new ghost king from being born, and the other is to use all
manner of ways to leave some sort of clue to tell others about the Kingdom of WuYong, and
about the Crown Prince of WuYong.”
Xie Lian wondered solemnly, “Why not just tell people directly? Why must you use such a
roundabout method?”
“Your Highness, why do you think there’s now practically no one in the world who knows about
the Kingdom of WuYong?” Guoshi asked.
Before Xie Lian answered Hua Cheng had spoken up, “Everyone who knew had been cleaned
away, right?”
“That’s right.” Guoshi replied, “If the clues left behind were too obvious, or if words spread
directly, then I will have the danger of exposure. Anyone who’d seen might all vanish from this
world. It won’t matter how many people. Even if it’s a city fortress, he could turn it into flat
ground within three days. You should know I’m not joking.”
Of course Xie Lian knew. And the ironic thing was, he was once thankful that Jun Wu had
ascended and became a god instead of fallen into becoming a ghost, otherwise the world would
fall into chaos. Guoshi continued, “This is why I can’t let him notice that there are still people in
this world who knows about those events, but still I can’t accept the fact that I’m the only one
who knew. I thought, those who are attentive enough and brave enough, would naturally
discover the truth. Since I don’t have the power to fight him straight on, I’ll just go more with the
flow.”
“Throughout the years, I’ve been hiding and running, and have concealed myself well. Except
for that time eight hundred years ago I almost couldn’t get away, he had never been able to
capture me. He was able to this time because he discovered the murals I left behind in that
divine temple within the red forest of TongLu, plus later on you correctly guessed his identity,
and so it came to him that I might still be alive, and also left behind many things he didn’t want
people to know about.”
Xie Lian remembered that at the time, when they were passing through the last divine temple
within the red forest of TongLu, the last couple of murals, the most important ones, were already
destroyed by someone. At the time, both he and Hua Cheng suspected that someone was
hidden inside the temple, but they weren’t able to find the person. Now that he thought back on
it, there was actually a very real possibility that White No-Face really was hidden in some corner
within that divine temple.
Xie Lian asked, “But, Guoshi, why do you have to keep hiding and running?”
Guoshi replied, “Of course it’s because of…”
“Betrayal.” Hua Cheng said.
The word was a little sharp, and Guoshi gave him a look. However, Hua Cheng’s expression did
not change, “You’ve betrayed him, right?”
“Pretty much.” Guoshi said, “That’s about it.”
He turned to Xie Lian, “How do I say this, Your Highness…
“Everything told on the murals were all true. The esteemed Highness the Crown Prince of
WuYong was like the one and only sun in the Kingdom of WuYong. Back in the day when you
were the Crown Prince of Xian Le, however glorious you were, he was many times more.
“Me and my three peers, the four of us, were once his vassals. After the Crown Prince
ascended he appointed us all up to the heavens, and there, we have also witnessed many
forms and colours of various celestial beings. Without any exaggeration, even within the sea of
gods in the heavenly realm, he was also like the sun, shining so brightly that others next to him
would lose their colours.”
As Guoshi spoke, a flash of the smallest of smiles appeared unconsciously. Xie Lian felt, when
he was addressing the other as “His Highness”, he wasn’t talking about “Jun Wu” nor “White
No-Face”, but that young Crown Prince of two thousand years prior.
“I think you’ve also told me something similar in the past.” Xie Lian said.
“Have I? When people get old their memory is bad.”
“You have. But, you told me he didn’t ascend. That he died.”
“That’s probably because, I’d rather he didn’t ascend.” Guoshi said.
“Was it because Mount TongLu the volcano erupted?”
Guoshi didn’t answer his question and only said, “His Highness’ spiritual powers were too
strong.”
“In his dream he foresaw the future of WuYong was a sea of fire, and so he started thinking of
ways to save his people. If the me now was there, I would never have let him do so. But, at the
time, none of us had thought things would turn out the way they did. We only thought that there
were people who were going to die, so what’s wrong with saving them?
“But, things weren’t so simple.
“It was impossible to stop the volcano from erupting, and if we wanted no one hurt, then the only
option was to migrate. However, the affected areas were too great; it wasn’t just a matter of one
or two city fortresses. To the nobles and the common people, the best way was to invade other
Kingdoms, take over new land, otherwise the other Kingdoms wouldn’t so easily allow such a
great number of people from WuYong to move in.
“However, to His Highness, that wasn’t an option at all. Blood would shed in war, and once
blood flows eyes would grow red, turn people violent, and become less than human.
“Still, the Kingdom of WuYong dispatched troops. Wherever the soldiers went, not a single soul
was left alive, and since the objective was to ‘clear land’ for future people of WuYong to move in,
the generals had given the order to slaughter the citizens of the other Kingdoms, the more the
better, and blood flowed like rivers, corpses piled high like mountains.
“Once His Highness found out, he was very angry. As you all have seen, he descended upon
the battlefield, and punished those soldiers of WuYong.”
When Xie Lian realized this was about the young Jun Wu, and also the young White No-Face,
he felt rather intrigued. Guoshi continued, “Yet, he wasn’t the only one who was angry. This
whole affair also angered the nobles of WuYong, and also a part of the people. Many went to
the divine temple to question His Highness: We only wanted to survive, we need more land, and
we only invaded others because we had no choice, so how could we be wrong?”
“The effect of this affair had greatly exceeded all of our expectations, and it was becoming more
and more serious, with some already calling for the desecration of his statues, the burning of his
temples, but His Highness withstood all of it.
“He said, if WuYong was the one being invaded, he would die defending the Kingdom, allowing
the enemy to step not a single foot across the border. However, if it was themselves, they must
never invade others. He earnestly requested for everyone to abandon war, and wait until he’s
built something – his Heaven Crossing Bridge.”
Guoshi said slowly, “There wasn’t anymore land in the mortal realm, so let’s bring the people up
the heavens to shelter them for a while. While this idea was practically impossible, but all four of
us believed in His Highness absolutely, convinced that he could do it. Or rather, we would do
our utmost to support him in whatever he endeavours. Of course, the other heavenly officials
didn’t think the same. The entire heavenly realm was against it, but His Highness still withstood
it.
“He took on three things at once: The ignorance and grumbling complaints of the nobles and
people of WuYong; the incessant outrage of all the gods in heaven; and that giant Heaven
Crossing Bridge.”
However, Hua Cheng snorted, “Against it? They probably weren’t just opposing it.”
Guoshi nodded slowly, “If it was only mere opposition, it wouldn’t have mattered. But…”
Xie Lian could vaguely guessed what had happened, but still he asked, “But?”
Guoshi said, “That bridge required an enormous amount of time and terrifying spiritual powers
to fully build, and His Highness couldn’t be distracted at all. He had practically stopped going
anywhere else, stopped doing anything else, and stopped listening to the prayers of believers.
He could only focus on doing this one thing.”
“However, a god that could only do one thing will never be able to keep followers. The first day
he took on that bridge, the people were grateful to him and remembered him; the second day,
the third day, the fourth day, were also the same. A month, two months, they still were grateful
and remembered him. But, when time dragged on, it wouldn’t do.
“The volcano hadn’t erupted yet, but His Highness wasn’t doing anything else and had been
silently storing his powers. The people couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t as powerful as he once
was, that he wasn’t as dedicated anymore even. At a time like this, inevitably, a new god will be
worshipped.
“The Kingdom of WuYong was greatly populated, the wealth abundant, and the power of belief
of the believers were also quite strong. This was obvious, seeing how His Highness prospered
back then. There were many heavenly officials who had long since been salivating over this
domain and the believers within it, so…”
Xie Lian understood.
He said, “So… the heavenly officials took advantage of this opportunity, used the resentment
and dissatisfaction the people of WuYong bore from the descent of that Crown Prince to
withdraw the troops, tempted them, and divided his believers and the source of his spiritual
powers… right?”
———–
Ch.218: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering 2
“It’s not that His Highness didn’t know this, but, he didn’t know what to do about it.” Guoshi said.
Xie Lian inclined his head slightly and commented, “He’s a god, of course he couldn’t say to the
devotees that I won’t allow you to worship a god other than me. He probably felt disdain for such
a demand too.”
“Naturally, you understand him very well.” Guoshi said.
Xie Lian added, “But, this just had to be when he can’t afford to lose devotees and spiritual
powers, otherwise the construction of the Cross Heaven Bridge would be affected.”
“That’s exactly it.” Guoshi said, “So, it was up to the four of us to relay to the people what the
stakes were.”
“And how did that go?” Xie Lian asked.
“Probably nothing remarkable,” Hua Cheng said.
“Nothing remarkable indeed,” Guoshi replied, “At least, nothing that met our expectations. A part
of the people worried the construction of the bridge might fall apart and returned, but there was
a larger part of the people who thought instead His Highness was being domineering. Their
prayers were not fulfilled, so it couldn’t be helped that they turned around to worship other gods
that could fulfill their wishes. They were free devotees, they could believe in whatever they
wanted to believe, it’s all more than natural.”
“It wasn’t that he didn’t want to please everyone, it’s just he really was…”
Xie Lian sighed and whispered, “…He had the heart but not the strength.”
Guoshi continued, “After His Highness learned of this, he stopped us, and said if they wanted to
go then let them go. If they were forcefully kept, they wouldn’t be believing in him
wholeheartedly anyway. That certainly was the case, and even though we’ve warned them over
and over again, the hearts of the devotees had already dispersed. Even if they forced
themselves to come back, they were only placating us.”
“He couldn’t be angry at the devotees and he couldn’t request the help of other heavenly
officials either.” Xie Lian commented.
“Even if he went and asked, the other heavenly officials would never help him anyway.” Guoshi
said, “If they were actually willing to give a hand, then they wouldn’t have opposed this in the
first place, and they wouldn’t have taken advantage of the opportunity to lure away his devotees
later either.”
“His Highness became more and more silent and closed up, using his own powers to construct
that bridge and supported it up. I watched him everyday, and while he said nothing, but I could
tell just how much he suffered inside. And this suffering could only be bore by him on his own;
no matter how much the four of us wanted to help him we couldn’t lighten his burden.”
“Finally, after enduring arduously for three years, the volcano was about to erupt.”
“The moment the news broke out, the people fought to swarm the bridge, and the four of us
directed the hustling crowd while worrying over His Highness who was supporting this up all by
himself.
Guoshi sighed, “In the past we would never have worried he wouldn’t be able to do anything,
but at that time, we actually started worrying.”
“At first, the bridge was still considerably stable. However, when the swarming crowd grew and
grew, the time it took to support the bridge became longer and longer, and His Highness’ hands
started shaking, his face also growing paler and paler.”
“No one else could see, only we could see. I sensed things weren’t right and told the people to
please wait a moment to give him a little bit of time, and not to swarm towards him all at once,
just let him catch a breath, he will definitely save all of you. But the volcano was about to erupt,
lives were in danger, and no one was willing to wait. They all rushed onto the bridge like mad,
some were even trampled to death, and we couldn’t hold them back at all!”
“In the end, what we feared the most still happened.”
“During those three years, because we kept losing devotees, His Highness’ spiritual powers
were no longer as strong as before. As over hundreds of thousands of people swarmed that
bridge, celebrating their salvation, and was just cheerfully walking towards the heavenly realm,
the bridge collapsed.”
Xie Lian’s breathing hitched.
Guoshi continued, “The heavenly rainbow was ripped, and millions of people, a dense and
crammed crowd suddenly dropped from the sky in an instant, wailing and screaming
heart-wrenchingly as they fell into a sea of fire, and burnt to ashes right before the eyes of His
Highness!”
“I was completely stupefied at the time, and didn’t dare to look at His Highness’ face at all. The
bridge couldn’t be repaired, the people couldn’t be pulled up, and the fires couldn’t be
extinguished – there was no way to help at all! And there were many more who hadn’t yet
climbed onto the bridge; they were entombed by lava, sealed by flying ashes. Screeching,
wailing, cursing. That scene was truly too horrible… I had never seen anything as horrid since.”
Xie Lian tried to imagine it for a bit and his heart chilled. Guoshi continued his tale.
“The bridge collapsed. The people of WuYong also went mad.”
“They set fires to burn down His Highness’ temples, toppled his divine statues, used blades to
pierce his heart until it was mush, cursing that he was a useless creature, a bullshit god. He was
a god, and gods should’ve been mighty and strong; gods couldn’t fail.”
“But he did fail. And so, he could no longer be positioned above.”
“The heavenly officials in the heavenly realm had long been waiting for this moment. They said,
‘We already told you long before that this endeavour was impossible. You’ve caused a huge
problem, so now we have to ask you to leave and go back down below.”
“And His Highness asked a very foolish question. He asked: ‘Why didn’t any of you help me?’
“Why would anyone help for no good reason? Besides, if they allow him to successfully pass
this enormous calamity for the Kingdom of WuYong, then wouldn’t he never again have a match
in the heavenly realm?
“So, that was a very foolish question. I imagine he knew this, yet he still asked.
“Of course no one answered him, and His Highness was banished.
“He had fallen back to the mortal realm, no longer a god, and no longer a crown prince. We
followed him and we all told him you can definitely ascend again, and so, he began cultivating
anew. But, it was much too difficult. I’m sure you understand.”
Of course Xie Lian understood.
The higher one stood, the harder one fell. After falling from the heavens back to the mortal
realm, what awaited him would be endless coldness and maliciousness.
Guoshi continued, “The volcano was still blowing, and the Kingdom of WuYong had fallen into a
crisis it never had before in history. Refugees, riots, the disorders were incessant, and everyone
was at the end of their wits, and their attitude toward His Highness had changed completely,
entirely different than before.”
“Even then, His Highness still wanted to help them. However, another thing just had to happen
right then.”
“Many other heavenly officials began to show their graces.”
“Even though they weren’t willing to prevent the volcano from erupting, but they were quite
happy to grant little blessings, deliver a bit of medicine and food, or something. Since at this
time His Highness was already banished, what he could do of course couldn’t be compared to
those heavenly officials at all.”
“It was as if the people of WuYong suddenly grabbed onto a lifeline, their parents reborn, and
the devotees were lost even faster. Though in truth, there weren’t that many left anyway. All the
praises and adoration for His Highness from before were all given away to the other heavenly
officials without fault, and what was left behind for him was only hate and rejection.”
Guoshi closed his eyes, “At the time, we really felt betrayed, that everything was so unfair.”
“Those heavenly officials clearly didn’t give them that much, and only made appearances after
the disaster was over. His Highness was the one who did the most, he gave it his all, and he
should’ve been successful too, it was just one more step! Why, in the end, it was he who was
fallen? Why was the one who had given the most ignored, and those who’d only given a little
were praised and thanked?
“That was also the time when my thinking began to change.
“I couldn’t help but think, if, His Highness had chosen to pretend never to have foreseen the
future in his dreams from the start, and chose to sit back and observe under the belief that ‘This
is fate, the gods can do naught’, and only granted blessings after the volcano erupted like the
other heavenly officials, then surely the people would also be crying tears of gratitude for him.”
Hua Cheng said flatly, “Have you only thought that then? You should’ve thought that from the
beginning. Slicing off a piece of flesh to save one person, the person would be grateful. But the
more that’s sliced, the more the person would demand, and in the end, even if all is sliced to
nothing but bones, the person would still not be satisfied.”
“I didn’t dare to tell him any of these thoughts,” Guoshi said, “But His Highness was becoming
more and more somber, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, if he had thought the same
things.”
“Day after day, the volcano was still blowing unceasingly, and all of the Kingdom of WuYong was
sunken in terror, unable to escape. No one knew how to make it stop, to end this nightmare.”
“One day, His Highness suddenly said to us, he found a way to make the volcano stop.
However, when he told us the method, we had a huge fight.”
“Let me guess,” Hua Cheng said, “That method is the sacrifice of the living.”
“Correct.” Guoshi replied, “His Highness said, find a batch of bad people, use those fiends as
sacrifice, throw them into the Kiln, and pacify the fires of fury of the Kiln.”
“The four of us all had different thoughts on this, but the general consensus was disagreement.
Something like must never be done. In the beginning, His Highness didn’t want WuYong to use
force to invade other Kingdoms precisely because he didn’t want to use a life to save a life. If we
were to choose to sacrifice the living to the Kiln, then how is that any different? It’d be even
worse, in fact. There were a couple who were extremely opposed to the idea and directly had a
huge quarrel with His Highness.
“That quarrel was too great, and they even used their fists. I was against it too at first, but
compared to the attacks from the outside, it was harder for me to withstand having internal
quarrels. You must know, the four of us had always supported His Highness, but now we are his
only pillar of support. Yet that time, not only were blows exchanged in the heat of the moment,
someone even accused His Highness that he’s changed, that he’s forgotten his heart, that he
was no longer the highness of the past.
“Those words truly executed the heart, I couldn’t stand it. If even we stood against His Highness
to berate him, then there was truly no one in this world who stood by his side. So, in the end, I
didn’t disagree, and only told him to let it go, to stopped minding those affairs. The heavenly
realm, the mortal realm, all the refugees, stop caring for everything. It really was too tiresome.”
“However, no one listened to me. After that huge fight, besides me the other three all left.”
Xie Lian shook his head, not knowing what to say. Only, to leave at a time like this, it was adding
frost to snow.
“Only I stayed behind.” Guoshi said, “His Highness didn’t say much either, and only asked me,
‘Are you leaving?’
“To see the expression on the face of the once prince when he asked me this question, at that
moment I genuinely felt, even if he did throw people into the Kiln as sacrifice, I could
understand. I said, ‘Your Highness, I won’t leave.’
“His Highness still didn’t say much, but he never mentioned using live sacrifices again and
changed his mind. He set up a ritual near the Kiln, and I went with him, enduring the cursing and
thrown rocks from the refugees, and conducted services, trying to push down the fury of the
volcano.
“I thought that affair was over just like that. Yet who knew, one day, I discovered something that
chilled me to the bones.”
Having spoken to this point, Guoshi’s face had turned terrifying, as if he was once again seeing
the same image that chilled him. Xie Lian’s heart also felt like it was being squeezed tight by an
invisible hand, and he asked, “What was it?”
“He… He suddenly started covering his own face.” Guoshi said.
“…”
“His Highness is handsome in appearance and never hid his face.” Guoshi said, “And there
wasn’t anything that could injure his face. It’s been so many years and I’ve never seen him like
this, so I was perplexed. I asked him, Your Highness, what’s happened to your face? He said,
he was accidentally burnt by a fire.”
“I didn’t know where he suffered this injury at all, and he wouldn’t let me examine the wounds,
only applying some herbs on his own, and his whereabouts suddenly became unpredictable.
That was supposedly unusual, but then, a great thing happened and temporarily distracted my
attention – the volcano suddenly stopped blowing.
“The Kiln returned to its dead silence and gradually calmed, and for a long time it stopped
blowing. Since it was only His Highness who worked hard on this, many people of WuYong
thought it was him who pushed the volcano down, and some began to worship him anew. His
Highness’ path to cultivation also started becoming more successful. At least, there weren’t any
more people shaming him or throwing rocks, and the people gradually started smiling at him
again.
“Still, I always thought there was something not right,
“There were many things not right. While my three friends all had different personalities, but I at
least know them, and know they wouldn’t have really just left like that without care. Even if they
were really angry against His Highness, they wouldn’t be angry with me too, and at the very
least, they wouldn’t have stopped all communication with me.”
“What was the most unusual was his high highness’ face. He kept using something to cover his
own face; at first it was rags and mantles, later, he started wearing a mask, and wouldn’t
remove it for any reason.
“At the time I even suspected whether if this person was even His Highness, and was instead
actually an impersonator, because the way he spoke and acted, even his personality had
completely changed. Sometimes kind and dear, sometimes abruptly enraged. There was once
when he was in the house by himself, he smashed all the mirrors. Who knows where the blood
was flowing from, but everything was bloody. What was even more horrifying was I’d often hear
strange voices.”
“What voices?” Xie Lian asked.
“Sometimes, deep in the night, there would be human voices coming from His Highness’ room,
like a few people were whispering and arguing. But when I’d go in to check, there was only him
inside the room. After this happened a few times, His Highness stopped allowing me into his
room.”
“One night, I heard those strange voices again, and this time, I noticed, they sounded like the
voices of my three friends!
“I really couldn’t hold back anymore, and thought could they have perhaps snuck back? Why
would they hide this from me? So, I got up and ran into His Highness’ room.
“What was strange was there really was no one else inside the room, and there was only His
Highness lying on the bed, his mask still unremoved. I then stood there and listened for a
moment, and heard those voices again, and they seemed to have been coming from His
Highness.
“Or more accurately, it was coming from under his mask.
“I slowly walked to His Highness’ bedside, and the closer I got the more I was certain that the
voices really were coming from underneath the mask. Was His Highness sleeptalking? Could he
have missed his friends too much that he’d learned their voices in his dreams?”
“I hesitated for a long time, and in that time His Highness had never moved. I figure he was
asleep, so, I gently and lightly took off the mask on his face, then saw something.
Inconcealable terror flowed from Guoshi’s eyes.
He said, “I saw my three friends.”
“The ones talking wasn’t His Highness, it was them. Upon His Highness’ face were messy
gashes from some sharp weapon, his flesh overturned, blood half dried, and, since who knows
when, there grew three more faces, their mouths all moving, opening and closing. It was their
faces!!!”
Xie Lian shuddered, “He… threw the three vassals who left him into the Kiln too??”
——–
Ch.219: Hundred Years of Pain; Thousand Years of Suffering 3
Guoshi didn’t answer him. He was now completely sunken into the indispelible terror that scene
still brought him.
“Those faces hadn’t seen light in a long time,” He said, “So even the moonlight of the night was
painful to them. When I suddenly removed the mask, it was as if they were shocked, and they
squinted their eyes, their voices stopping. But after a moment, when they saw it was me, they
began… to scream my name.”
I was completely stunned. I’ve said earlier that I’ve never seen anything more horrific than
millions of people falling from the skies and burnt alive in a sea of fire, but the scene before my
eyes then was more horrifying than that by a million fold!”
“My hand that was holding the mask was shaking nonstop, and if it wasn’t for my entire person
already petrified and frozen still, that mask would’ve probably dropped to the ground and wake
His Highness. Meanwhile, those three faces seemed to be anxious to tell me something, the
opening and closing of their mouths became even more erratic, but still they suppressed their
voices, like they were afraid to wake His Highness.”
“When I saw their appearances I was both disgusted and scared, but I still couldn’t help but be
curious to find out what they wanted to tell me, so I bent down, held my breath, and leaned
close to His Highness’ face to listen.”
“Coming so close, I could smell the thick stench of blood and rot that herbs couldn’t conceal. I
heard them say, quick! Run away! His Highness had gone mad!”
“Turns out, after the other three had left, they were still worried so they secretly returned to find
His Highness. Yet unexpectedly, they just happened to run into His Highness taking a large
number of people rushing towards the direction of the Kiln.”
“Only then did they find out that His Highness had never abandoned the idea of sacrificing the
living. In a fit of shock and rage, they went to stop him and started a fight with His Highness. Yet
unexpectedly, His Highness actually bore and killed them, and threw them into the Kiln along
with the other few hundreds of people!”
“The other citizens were of course burnt to dust and ashes after being thrown in, but the three of
them were cultivated, and were also murdered by His Highness, so their resentful attachment
was extremely deep, and their souls actually took his body as host, growing upon his person,
and nagged at him in rage everyday, hoping to prevent him in all of his endeavours.”
“As I listened, I felt horror and confusion, and I didn’t know what to do at all. What was
horrifying? I wasn’t actually clear; was tHis Highness scarier or those three things on his face?!”
“Right then, I felt, a hand rest on my head.”
“I stiffened and slowly looked up, and saw His Highness.”
“I didn’t know when he had woken. He and the three faces on his face, a total of four sets of
eyes, were all staring at me!”
“The expressions on those human faces became even more exaggerated, as they twisted they
tore the gashes on his face, and a lot of blood streamed down.”
“He stared at me for a long, long time, then, he sighed: ‘Haven’t I told you not to come in here?’”
“Suddenly, I understood all the abnormal behaviours of these past few days.”
“When His Highness discovered his face had grown three such creatures, he wasn’t able to
accept it, and he couldn’t tolerate this inhuman, demonic appearance of himself in the mirror, so
he smashed all the mirrors. The bleeding was because he wanted to use a blade to slice them
off; the rotting smell was because the injuries wouldn’t heal, and no matter how many times he
cut them, they would always grow back!”
Guoshi covered half of his face, his pupils violently shrinking.
He said, “I… instantly fell to my knees at his bedside.”
“His Highness slowly sat up on the bed and said, ‘Don’t be afraid. They became like this
because they betrayed me. As long as you don’t do the same, I will still treat you as before. As
long as you are my loyal servant, nothing will change’.”
“But how could I not be afraid?! And how could nothing be changed? Everything had changed!”
“His Highness was very smart. He had never had to watch people’s faces, but after banishment,
he had learned to observe expressions. He had guessed what I was thinking and asked me
slowly: ‘Are you leaving too, then?’”
“To be honest, I didn’t know. If he had only thrown the ‘fiends’ he spoke of into the Kiln, maybe I
could’ve pretended nothing had happened, and I did say I could’ve understood.”
“But, he had personally killed and thrown our bestest friends into the Kiln too. We only had each
other! This really was… madness. I… wasn’t able to accept it.”
“His Highness said to himself, it’s okay, I had expected it, no one would stay after I’ve become
like this. I can go on on my own. I understand now, I’ve always been alone!!! I DON’T NEED
ANYONE!!!”
“His expression suddenly turned savage, and he eyed me unblinkingly as he strangled me with
one hand, repeating nonstop: I can be on my own, all alone, alone, alone alone alone alone
alone, I don’t need anyone, I don’t need anyone I don’t need anyone I don’t need anyone…”
“His Highness’ strength is powerful, and if he really wanted to kill me my neck should’ve been
snapped instantly without making a sound. But I didn’t immediately die, and when he started to
act up, my three friends all started screaming from his face, and, as if they’ve done something to
him, he started yelling with an agonizing headache too, and I was also screaming. The five of us
were all screaming wildly, yelling in madness, like we had all gone crazy. His Highness gripped
his own head with one hand, and the other was strangling me harder. My vision was growing
dark, I couldn’t hold on much longer, but right then… I saw something underneath his pillow.”
“Under his pillow was a sword. It was cushioned underneath when he slept, and it was a habit
he developed after banishment. I caught hold of the hilt and pulled out the sword. The chilling
light shimmered and His Highness laughed heartily, his eyes blood red, asking ‘Are you going to
kill me too? COME! STAB ME, QUICK! STAB ME RIGHT IN THE HEART! YOU CAN ADD TO
THE COUNT! I’VE GOTTA SEE WHO WILL BE THE LAST TO DIE! YOU LOT, OR ME!’”
“Of course I didn’t stab him. I only flashed the sword before him and cried with my everything,
:”Your Highness! Your Highness! Please come back! Look at yourself! LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE
BECOME!!”
“He had smashed all the mirrors and it had been a long time since he last looked at his own
reflection. The blade of that sword was sharp and bright; it reflected his appearance then, and
he also saw his own face.”
“When he saw himself in the mirror, he suddenly stopped.”
“The strength His Highness used to strangle me did not lessen, but, after who knows how long,
he looked and looked, and suddenly, two lines of tears streamed from his eyes.”
“When I saw his tears, I couldn’t help but cry too. That reflection on the sword, such ugliness!
Even with just a glance I found it disgusting, so why did I make him look at himself like this, to
remind him that he was now such an ugly creature?”
“I still couldn’t bear it, and the sword fell from my hand, dropping to the ground.”
“In the end, His Highness threw me away forcefully and said, scram.”
“I ran away crawling and stumbling.”
Having listened to this point in one go, that breath held in Xie Lian’s throat finally let go some.
Guoshi also lowered his hands, “I’ve run far away, and escaped the Kingdom of WuYong. And it
wasn’t long before the volcano of the Kiln erupted once again.”
“This time, the entire Kingdom of WuYong was completely buried, not a single soul saved. An
entire country, disappeared just like that.”
“I escaped this calamity, but afterwards I’ve never heard any news of His Highness again. It was
as if he was also buried along with the Kingdom of WuYong.”
“I’ve trekked to the heavens before, and I’ve also cultivated on my own, so I’ve a small bit of
achievements. I maintained the state of my body and drifted aimlessly throughout the mortal
realm. I’ve served His Highness since I was young, and now that I didn’t need to serve him any
longer, I actually didn’t know what to do.”
“His Highness was gone, my three friends were also dead. I created three empty shelled fakes,
and made the fakes to speak in their voices to talk to me, and play cards sometimes.”
Having heard ‘Empty-shelled fakes’, Xie Lian’s expression grew solemn. Guoshi continued,
“Later, my magic improved, so I also instilled the skills of my three friends into the fakes.”
Xie Lian asked softly, “Were they the other three Guoshis?”
No wonder he always thought the other three Guoshis were rather strange; they never acted on
their own, and they never socialized with him one on one either. So they were fakes, and if they
left Guoshi’s side they would be exposed, Guoshi replied, “It’s them. So, I suppose you are also
the disciple of my three friends. Alas, I’m not them after all, and the most skills I could instill into
the fakes were only twenty or thirty percent of their true strengths, so not much could be taught.
And those three fakes that had kept me company for so long had also been long destroyed by
him too.”
“After another one or two centuries, the heavenly dynasty changed, and the heavenly officials of
the past were all fading away. Gradually, a new batch of heavenly officials had replaced them.
However, none of that was any of my business, and I was also just living shamelessly waiting
for death.”
“Until one day, in some Kingdom, a crown prince was born under the Ominous Star.”
“That was you, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of XianLe.”
It was here at last. The hands Xie Lian rested on his thighs clenched slightly.
Guoshi sat cross legged, and spoke, hugging his arms, “I thought it was quite coincidental, very
much an affinity. But in truth, by then WuYong had been destroyed for many, many years. Of
course there’d be one or two after some hundreds of years, so it wasn’t really a coincidence at
all. But still, with a feeling even I didn’t understand, I casually made up a name and went and
became the Guoshi of XianLe.”
‘I knew that name was made up…’ Xie Lian thought.
“No offense to your XianLe,” Guoshi said, “But to muddle in and get the Guoshi position was
much too easy for me. There was only one problem, and that was people always thought
“without a beard one is incapable”, those who were young must be inexperienced and
incompetent, and would be looked down upon. If I went to the interview with my current face, I
might not pass, so I changed my face a little, added some ten, twenty years, and sure enough, I
muddled right in. But to be the Guoshi, it meant I had to speak to the heavenly officials of the
heavenly realm directly.”
“Thus, I came to face with Jun Wu.”
“Jun Wu’s appearance and that highness I knew was completely different. Still, I was too familiar
with him after all, so after exchanging words a few times, I’ve already had my suspicions. But
they were still only suspicions.”
“And even if I was suspicious, I didn’t want to expose anything.”
“He had already turned into someone else completely, and the faces on his face had also
vanished. I thought the resentment of my three friends had dispersed, and if that was the case,
then there was no need to bring up any old history and break this peace. So wasn’t it fine if we
both pretended not to have recognized each other?”
“If it was me, I would probably do the same.” Xie Lian said.
“But we still couldn’t pretend to the end.” Guoshi said, “Because we both saw you.”
“Your Highness, you must’ve guessed by now why I had such high hopes for you. You’re very
much like him. So, I had hoped you would become someone or a god he had wanted to
become, and do what he couldn’t do. You could use your perfection to remedy our regrets.”
Hua Cheng however, said flatly, “You’ve been mistaken from the start. They’re not alike at all.”
Guoshi gave him a look and said, “Of course you’d say they aren’t similar now, but back then
they were very much alike. And the bad thing was, they were too much alike.”
He turned to Xie Lian again, “That time with the God-Pleasing ceremony, you saved a small
child fallen from the city wall, and I wasn’t too pleased. It wasn’t just because that incident
stopped the ceremony, it was more so because that incident was too conspicuous. You had
aroused Jun Wu’s attention.”
“Jun Wu started talking to me about you. He was very interested in you, and every time we
spoke of you, I could vaguely tell there was something not right. But I could tell he genuinely
likes you; it was the delight of having found a suitable good sprout, and was thinking of
appointing you up. Only, every time I’d use all sorts of reasons to urge him not to do so.”
Xie Lian also didn’t want to believe that Jun Wu’s attitude towards him was all fake, but when he
heard Guoshi say so, his feelings became complicated, hard to describe.
“The turning point was Yi Nian Bridge.” Guoshi said.
Having heard those three words, Xie Lian snapped back to attention. Guoshi said, “Do you still
remember that ghost at Yi Nian Bridge?”
Xie Lian replied quietly, “That was my chance at ascension, of course i remember.”
“I already sensed something was wrong when you ran into that ghost.” Guoshi said. “This ghost
haunted upon the broken bridge in the barren wild, was donned in broken armours, the flames
of karma beneath its feet, and blood and sharp weapons covered its body, leaving footprints of
blood and flames behind with every step, and those three questions it asked you – all of that
made me very concerned, worried even, and I couldn’t quite put my fingers on what was wrong.
And after defeating that ghost at the bridge, you ascended so quickly, I didn’t have the chance
to figure things out.”
“Thankfully, after you ascended Jun Wu’s attitude towards you was good as always, granting
you favours, thinking very highly of you, like nothing had changed, and so I also told myself not
to think too much.”
“And then, it was the great drought of XianLe, the rebellion of YongAn, and – the appearance of
that creature, White No-Face.”
Xie Lian held his breath and was hanging on to every word. Guoshi said, “I’ve said so before,
but at first I didn’t know what that creature was at all. And even if the Human Face Disease had
manifested, I only had suspicions, since parasitic resentful spirits wasn’t anything new, it’s just
never so widely spread before. Plus, I was fairly resentful towards fate, so in the beginning, I
thought White No-Face was borne of nature, that it was the heavens that wanted to punish you.”
“But as you came more and more in contact with that creature, and the Human Face Disease
was going more and more out of control, plus many, many other things on top of that, all of it
was forcing me to think in the worst case scenario.”
“Many, many other things?” Xie Lian asked, “What do you mean? Such as?”
“That family of three who fell to their deaths at the gates of the royal capital of XianLe.” Guoshi
replied.
Xie Lian stopped breathing, “That… was…?”
“Afterwards, I examined the corpses of those three people.” Guoshi said, “And I discovered they
weren’t human at all, but three empty shells.”
Xie Lian exclaimed, “But empty shells are hollow, they don’t have organs and they can’t
bleed??”
“There wasn’t any need for organs.” Guoshi said, “Falling from such a height, the innards would
of course be damaged. Just stuff some mushed flesh in the belly of empty shells and pour in
some bloody fluids would’ve been fine. Among my three friends, there was one who was an
expert in creating such crafty things, and something like empty shelled fakes was his creation
from the start. He had only taught the skill to us, and the method in creating empty shelled fakes
wasn’t as widespread then, so since they were all dead, who do you think could make such
realistic empty shelled fakes other than me?”
Xie Lian hung his head, his pupils shrunken.
That family of three who fell to their deaths before the gates of the royal capital of XianLe was
the direct catalyst of war. And, those lives weren’t real at all, they were a trap!
“Then why… Didn’t you tell me at the time?” Xie Lian questioned.
“I didn’t dare to at all.” Guoshi said, “If it really was him and I told you, then with your personality
back then, wouldn’t you have charged right up for vengeance? That wouldn’t have saved you or
XianLe at all, and would only hasten your annihilation. Besides, even without those three empty
shells, there would sooner or later be…”
There would sooner or later be some other incidents that’d spark war. Just like that missing dog
inside the capital.
“Later, you were defeated. Xian Le was also defeated.”
“I really couldn’t hold back any longer, thus, I first sent away everyone at the Holy Royal
Pavilion, then requested for his grace inside the Great Martial Temple. Then, I unmasked him
directly.”
This was what Jun Wu had mentioned their meeting of eight hundred years ago. Guoshi said, “I
questioned him on a lot of things, but he wouldn’t admit nor deny anything. Finally, I asked him:
‘Your Highness, just what exactly do you want?’”
“He finally answered. He said, he wants you to become his perfect heir.”
“If there was anyone in the world who could understand him completely, it was you. Once he
succeeded, then you would never betray him!”
“I understood his intention. In the heat of argument, we started fighting with our fists. I can’t fight
at all, and if I should then I would die without a doubt. He could kill me without moving a single
finger. But right then, his expression suddenly changed and he covered his face.”
“I was startled, and only then did I notice that upon his face, those three faces surfaced again!”
“Turns out they didn’t vanish at all, and he had been suppressing them with his spiritual powers!
And now, for some reason, perhaps it was because of his high emotions or because of me, they
had come out again!”
“And just like that, my three friends came out to stir up a riot, causing him agonizing headaches,
his expression terrifying, and I once again used that chance to run away.”
“I started drifting in the mortal realm once again, and this time I had to hide all over the place
too. I wondered, just how were things at the Kingdom of WuYong of back then? Thus, I returned
to look.”
“What I hadn’t imagined was this time when I returned, I made great discoveries.”
“For some reason, the land that belonged to the past Kingdom of WuYong was sealed
completely, isolated from the outside world. I walked for a long time in that land, and ran into my
three friends again.”
“Were they those three mountain spirits, Old Age, Sickness, and Death?” Xie Lian asked.
“Correct.” Guoshi replied.
“The Kiln devoured their bodies and the ashes of their bones that were burnt to nothingness
mixed with the ashes of the volcano, and was then blown out. Along with time, more and more
residues layered, and after a thousand years, they transformed into three large mountains in the
end with parts of their souls resting within.”
“Finding ways to communicate with the them who had become mountain spirits took me a long
time, but after I succeeded, I learned many things.”
“Turns out, the previous dynasty of heavenly officials didn’t fade away naturally. Instead, they
were killed slowly, one by one, by him. He… slaughtered the entire Heavenly Court, leaving no
one behind!”
“And after awashing the heavenly realm with blood, he returned to the mortal realm once again,
and patiently waited for a time, changed to a new name, forged a new identity, became ‘a mortal
man’, then ‘ascended’. All of the heavenly officials of the entire heavenly realm were dead, no
one knew who exactly he was, and no one knew who he looked like before. The widespread
backstory of ‘The Heavenly Martial Emperor’ in the mortal realm, his background, his literary
references, his interesting hearsays, appearance, character… it’s all fake. They’re all intricate
lies he fabricated!”
“This Heavenly Capital is the new heavenly realm he single-handedly created that’s completely
under his control. As for the corpses and ashes of the heavenly officials of the previous dynasty,
they’re all mixed in the soil of the foundation of this Heavenly Capital, trampled and stepped on
by him each and everyday. Right now, perhaps there’s also someone beneath your feet.”
“…”
Guoshi continued, “The him now is the number one martial god of the heavenly realm, looking
glorious and scintillating on the surface. However, in his heart, an infinite darkness is
suppressed deep within. Resentment, pain, anger, hatred… those things needed release. Only
then could he maintain balance within himself and continue to be the number one martial god
who ruled all three realms without murdering everything.”
“The once Kingdom of WuYong had been turned into hell, and the Kiln was fed countless
number of the living and three former heavenly officials, so it already recognized him as the
master. Thus, he would regularly release those dark emotions within the Kiln, using the millions
of deceased souls of WuYong as kindle to start the flames of karma, and forged many malicious
things.”
“The method in forging those malicious things is different than creating a ‘Supreme’, right?” Xie
Lian asked.
“Indeed.” Guoshi replied, “‘Supremes’ were something that came later, since he… changed the
refining method.”
“What do you mean by that?” Xie Lian asked.
“The ‘Quality’ and ‘Quantity’.” Guoshi said.
He gave Hua Cheng another look, “You both must know already that a Supreme is only born
once every hundred years, several hundred years even, so they are extremely rare, and the
difficulty in their creation is also immense. And, the past life of the Supreme is an independent
existence. The Kiln only provided an environment to increase the process of their explosive
birth. Those who can become Supremes can become Supremes anywhere, and would become
Supremes sooner or later.”
“In fact, the word ‘Supreme’ was extracted from the meaning of ‘Peerless’ and ‘Top’. It doesn’t
have much connection with whether if one was trained inside the Kiln. Still, to be able to endure
the quenching of the Kiln would certainly make one such an entity, since there aren’t that many
who could suffer through in the first place. Up until now, aren’t there only three?”
Xie Lian glanced at Hua Cheng who was right next to him, and it just so happened Hua Cheng
was also looking at him. Although he didn’t know why Xie Lian looked over, he still smiled.
Guoshi continued, “However, the earlier productions of the Kiln weren’t like this. In the early
days, there’d be a session once every few years, and each time the results would be different,
as batches and batches poured out. Perhaps this had something to do with his unstable
emotions. Everything produced were monsters forged by his hatred and resentment, and there
are probably a few familiar names among them. For example – the Reverend of Empty Words.”
“The Reverend of Empty Words is also something born of the Kiln?!” Xie Lian exclaimed.
“Correct.” Guoshi replied. “Those creatures, some have their own consciousness and broke
away from him; some don’t, and they could be considered as his clones. The Reverend of
Empty Words had its own consciousness, and after it left, it’d even divided itself into many
smaller clones. My three friends guarded within the borders of the Kingdom of WuYong to
prevent those things from leaving the ward, while I spent my years in the outside world
searching for those creatures, trying to fix the situation.”
Xie Lian suddenly recalled the strange attitude Guoshi had when he saw Shi Qing Xuan,
“Master! Lord Wind Master… the skilled fortune telling master who told Shi Qing Xuan’s fortune
back then, the one who told his family not to host feasts, was that you?”
“Duh.” Guoshi said, “Other than your master, me, which other skilled fortune telling master could
be this accurate? Which fortune telling master would be so free? That a bowl of porridge could
pay for a session?”
“…”
“That Reverend of Empty Words had wanted to try and devour the young Shi Wu Du at first,”
Guoshi said, “But Shi Wu Du that little bastard was too vicious, difficult to deal with even at such
a young age. Nothing could get to him, and he was afraid of nothing, his fate so tyrannical it
couldn’t be swallowed, and if it tried to bite forcibly it might just crack all of its teeth in a bloody
mess, so it could only turn to his common little brother with a fate of wealth. Although it still
didn’t manage to bite, but it caused so much grief the two brothers couldn’t live in peace, plus it
bit one who originally had the fate to ascend, so it wasn’t aggrieved. That I didn’t kill that thing
dead really gets to me.”
“It’s already been killed dead.” Hua Cheng said.
“Devoured by He Xuan, right?” Guoshi said, “I’ve heard. I was going to watch over the Shi
brothers until everything blew over, but at the time the Kiln was about to open its gates, so I
couldn’t follow them closely before I had to return to the Kiln. And by the time I came back,
things were already a mess. Shi Wu Du turned to wickedness and caused a huge havoc,
completely out of hand! It gave me such a headache, even if I wanted to care I couldn’t at that
point.”
It really did turn into something that couldn’t be minded even if he wanted to. Guoshi added,
“But truth to be told, the Reverend of Empty Words wasn’t even considered anything powerful
among those monsters, it just likes to go out to stir up trouble. Strictly speaking, it could only be
considered a defective product, not even rankable. There were more, such as…”
Xie Lian said quietly, “Such as… the soul of the dead who died in battle at Yi Nian Bridge?”
Guoshi sucked in a breath, “…It’s him.”
“Otherwise why did you think I’d say everything started because of your one phrase? That ghost
at the bridge was a black clone he forged out of the Kiln, and every so many years it had to
come out to haunt and kill to vent its hatred. But, you just had to defeat that monster!”
“He could sense that ghost at the bridge was killed by someone, so he descended immediately
to see, and he saw you. And you. You just had to say that phrase to his face – ‘Body in abyss;
heart in paradise’. This was a mad jab at him, a fatal blow…”
“This, was the turning point of everything.”
————
Ch.220: The White Emperor Sets Life and Death Riddles in Secret
Xie Lian clenched his fists, his breathing going erratic.
A phrase. It sounded so unbelievable, laughable even, but he couldn’t laugh at all.
Guoshi said, “There’s more besides those monsters. Your Highness, do you remember that
child you saved at the bottom of the city walls and how I was so shocked after you brought him
up to the Royal Holy Pavilion?”
“…”
Xie Lian instantly snapped back and swiftly stole a glimpse at Hua Cheng, “I remember. What’s
with that child? You said he was…”
“A Star of Solitude!” Guoshi exclaimed.
He said darkly, “At the time, I only felt that small child was covered too heavily with the essence
of evil, too incredibly abnormal. It was only after I’ve confronted the other three at the Kiln before
I learned that not only could the Kiln produce monsters, it could also curse. Just as you could
disperse your fortune, the Kiln could also dispel the misfortunes it’s accumulated, and after
they’ve been released they would rampage everywhere.”
“That small child’s birth was already extremely perilous; if his fate was fortunate then it’d be the
best of fortunes; if it was vicious it would be the worst of misfortunes. The day he was born, he
probably absorbed all the dispelled misfortunes, which was how he became so terrifying. The
moment he came up the entire Mount TaiCang was almost burnt to the ground by him!”
The more Xie Lian listened the more alarmed he became, and he slowly turned his head, gazing
towards Hua Cheng. They were clearly discussing his own affairs, but Hua Cheng’s expression
didn’t change, but instead gave Xie Lian a smile.
Guoshi continued, “Based on normal circumstances, the parents of that child must die early, and
if they don’t, then they would be disgusted with or abandon that child. He would suffer endless
abuse, so it’d actually be better if his parents are dead. And, he wouldn’t live past eighteen, and
would also cause those around him to die, to separate, to suffer misfortunes, as if Disaster itself
was reborn. That’s why at the time I told you to quickly get rid of him, not to get close…”
Xie Lian couldn’t listen anymore, “Master! …Please don’t say anymore.”
Guoshi nodded, “I’ll stop. I was just giving you an example, telling you just how scary the Kiln
is.”
Xie Lian didn’t know what to say, but Hua Cheng chuckled, “It’s not as scary as it seems, but,
Guoshi really is quite accurate in his readings.”
“…”
When Xie Lian thought Hua Cheng probably really didn’t live past eighteen, his hands trembled
lightly. Just then, a hand came reaching forward, and gently covered the frosty back of his
hands.
Both of their hands were equally icy, but after they were stacked one over the other there was
warmth.
“He had always been setting riddles for you to test you,” Guoshi said, “The Human Face
Disease of XianLe was the first question. Based on his answer, as long as you chose to unleash
the Human Face Disease against YongAn back then, then you would’ve passed. Not only would
he not have banished you, he would even help you cover up, and truly turn you into his trusted
heir, taking one step to reach the top of the heavens while taking two steps against it. But you’ve
answered wrong.”
“The period when you were banished, he should’ve set another riddle for you, but you still didn’t
give him a satisfactory answer, so the moment you ascended, you were immediately beaten
back down.”
A pale, smiling mask appeared in Xie Lian’s mind, and after a pause, he said quietly, “It was
actually my own request.”
Hua Cheng spoke up, “Gege, trust me. Even if you didn’t request it he’d have thousands of
ways to send you back down.”
“But, White No-Face was beaten by him too.” Xie Lian said.
“But he didn’t die.” Hua Cheng said.
“Then why go through all that trouble?” Xie Lian asked.
“Of course ‘White No-Face’ could kill you,” Guoshi said, “But, what he wanted wasn’t to kill you.
In fact, I already said, he really likes you, and didn’t want you to die at all. He only wanted to
turn you into someone he wanted you to become.”
Hua Cheng also added, “Killing you won’t achieve that end. If you died in that state, then you
would never change, and he’d be able to accept that even less. But White No-Face had no
reason to let you go so easily, and what’s a better way to solve this than to have the Heavenly
Martial Emperor descend to the mortal realm to dispel evil and save you from the brink of
danger? With this, you would also become even more trusting and grateful of him. But he failed
twice, he must’ve been extremely vexed.”
“The second time you were banished and drifted in the mortal realm, he had countless
opportunities to slowly ‘educate’ you, slowly wait until you’ve changed your mind.” Guoshi said,
“Based on my observation, he was already calmed down at first, but this calm was disrupted
recently.”
“The reason being your third ascension.”
“If you were a puddle of rotten mud, then whatever. But you, even after you’ve become like that,
completely ignoring everything he’s planned for you, you actually were still able to ascend for
the third time, and still the same as before, completely unchanged… I don’t know what he
thought when he saw you, but I felt he would definitely set out more riddles to test you.”
“It’s obvious seeing all that he’s done afterwards.” Hua Cheng said, “Gege, think back well,
what’s all happened after you ascended for the third time?”
Xie Lian quickly got into gear, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, “The first incident
was Mount Yu Jun. Taking down the female ghost Xuan Ji. At first I didn’t find the Ghost Groom,
and it was the fetus spirit who guided me halfway through with a nursery rhyme. I imagine that
was under his instructions. But I thought he was helping me with that case.”
“Helping you finish the mission, that’s all.” Hua Cheng said, “The direct consequence was the
seizing of the female ghost Xuan Ji, but what of the indirect consequences?”
Xie Lian ventured, “…Stabbing the beehive that is General Pei’s old flame, and brought him
some small troubles?”
“This could be considered a small riddle, I think.” Guoshi said, “If you had known you’d offend
Pei Ming, would you have managed this case of the Ghost Groom differently? For example,
inform Pei Ming secretly to have him suppress the affair, let Xuan Ji continue to keep causing
small troubles in a small area, and not let things get out of hand, or something.”
Xie Lian sweated, “Well… To be honest, it was a long time after before I learned this had
something to do with General Pei. At the time, the female ghost was taking hostages, and with
so many people present, the arrow on the bow had to shoot. There was no time to think about
whether if anything would offend anybody.”
Hua Cheng smiled, “Gege, you were already making a decision then.”
He continued to analyze, “The second incident, an empty-shelled cultivator came to PuQi
Shrine, and lured you to the Banyue Pass. Let’s skip on who sent that shell first. What was the
consequence of this case?”
“General Pei Junior was kicked out, and one of General Pei’s arms was snapped.” Xie Lian
answered.
“Gege, you see, after those two incidents, you helped him greatly weaken Pei Ming’s strength,
and you thoroughly offended Pei Ming at the same time.” Hua Cheng said, “He didn’t show his
face at all; all the grudges came to you, and you had to be grateful to him still.”
“…”
Hua Cheng added, “If I’m not wrong, in these eight hundred years, he didn’t slack on watching
you. Gege, he probably also knew that you were once a Guoshi in YongAn and also taught Lang
Qian Qiu, yet he still sent Lang Qian Qiu on a mission with you. From my point of view, this was
done purely out of malintent.”
Guoshi was surprised, “Wait a second? Your Highness, you went to YongAn and took up the
position of Guoshi? You’ve taught Lang Qian Qiu before?”
“Yea…” Xie Lian replied.
“You were the Guoshi Fang Xin???” Guoshi questioned.
“En… Is something the matter?” Xie Lian asked, and he gave a brief account. Guoshi replied, “If
he knew about this, then he must be furious with you.”
Hua Cheng continued, “The case with the Reverend of Empty Words, gege you didn’t want to
be involved at first, but in the end you were still pulled in, thankfully not too deeply. The
hundreds of fishermen in the South Sea that were dragged into the Heavenly Calamity wasn’t
Black Water nor Shi Wu Du’s doing, but besides those two, who was the most capable in doing
so?”
Only after each incident was laid out in the open did Xie Lian realize, that every step he took
after his return was perhaps under the close watch and push by Jun Wu.
Hua Cheng crossed his arms, “I’m assuming that he’s doing this because on one hand, it’s
because of that perverted mentality that he kept throwing riddles at you to test and see what
path you would choose, hoping you would go down the road he paved for you; on the other
hand, it was also probably for using you as a sword to cut down on the powers of those
heavenly officials.”
“The heavenly officials of the previous heavenly dynasty must’ve left an extremely dark
psychological shadow in his mind. He’s extremely vigilant, needing absolute control over
everything, permitting none to threaten his power and status, and allowing no heavenly officials
to catch up to him. And, I think…”
Xie Lian was also thinking over the same points, “What?”
Hua Cheng said, “That Shi Wu Du changed Shi Qing Xuan’s fate, and that Black Water had
infiltrated the heavens to investigate, could he really not know anything about it?”
Xie Lian also thought this.
Could Jun Wu, who sat on the highest chair, really knew nothing? Not very plausible.
All the reports and scrolls that passed through Ling Wen’s hands could be directly examined by
him, so if there were any forgeries, could he really not notice anything amiss?
Perhaps, he had noticed from the very beginning, only, back then the status of the Water Master
hadn’t yet threatened him, so nothing was exposed. If it was exposed early on, and Shi Wu Du
was banished, then a new Water Master would ascend. The new Water Master might not have
such a huge hold and transgression to be seized.
The Water Master committed such a heinous crime, almost deceiving the world but lived
peacefully for many years, yet it just had to be when he started domineering the Heavenly Court
that he was exposed, his head plucked by He Xuan.
If Jun Wu wanted to get rid of the Water Master, he didn’t need to use his own hands at all. He
only needed to watch quietly as the Water Master became more and more outrageous, arrogant
and fearless, and when Shi Wu Du breached the line of his tolerance, the affair with switching
fate was leaked to He Xuan.
Of course He Xuan would go and avenge himself and his deceased family.
Hua Cheng said, “As for him gathering millions of ghosts in the Kiln to birth a new Supreme, it
was probably because…”
Xie Lian came to and said, “…To create balance.”
“Yea.” Hua Cheng said, “On the one hand, he was probably delighted to see a malicious
Supreme born to cause havoc in the mortal realm; on the other hand, as long as there are
creatures causing havoc in the mortal realm, there will be people praying.”
As long as there are devotees praying, then the spiritual powers of a god would become even
stronger!
Guoshi sighed, “Every time the Kiln opens its gates, us four would go to stop it, but we were
successful every time. This time it’s even more… things have gotten even more out of hand.”
“Those resentful spirits of WuYong, he killed a small part, sent the majority away with the
Distance Shortening Array, then sent everyone else away while he himself remained behind to
inspect and destroy some things. He figured I would go find you, so after taking care of Mount
TongLu he rushed over, and sure enough he captured me first.”
“I thought, things can’t go on like this anymore. The Kingdom of WuYong had resurfaced, and
with his high caution, it was most likely time to change dynasty in the heavenly realm again. If
you all continue to suspect nothing, then sooner or later you would all be buried under the
Heavenly Capital as foundation. It just so happens Feng Xin that little brat brought HongJing, so
I gave it my best shot. Originally, his spiritual powers had grown stronger and stronger, and
HongJing could no longer reflect the things on his face. But since he had only just battled with
those three mountain spirits, the human faces were activated again.”
“I’ve pretty much covered everything. Do you have anything else you wanted to ask, Your
Highness?”
Xie Lian was still pensive when Hua Cheng spoke up, “I do. Guoshi, do you still remember your
WuYong tongue?”
“The Kingdom of WuYong had long been forgotten, and no one uses its words or language
anymore, so myself and my three friends had long learned something new, otherwise we
wouldn’t be able to fathom what His Highness was planning to do, and dealing with that mess of
monsters and demons would be a pain too. The language is still remembered, just very rarely
used now.” He said honestly, “I don’t really want to use it either.”
Xie Lian remembered, and turns out at the time, when Guoshi told the mountain spirit “His
Highness is beyond saving”, “Almost awakened”, it really wasn’t referring to him, and was
referring to the White No-Face who was possessing Lang Ying, killing as he went to suck in
powers to recover.
For the Corpse-Eating Rats that spewed human words, there really was a hit in the number of
possible candidates who infected him with their memories, it was in fact two hits: Jun Wu and
White No-Face.
And within the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods, to make fake skins of Feng Xin and Mu Qing was
most definitely not anything hard for White No-Face, because of course Jun Wu knew them very
well!
“He… seemed to always want to lead me to believe I am the Crown Prince of WuYong himself,
or that I am a part of his soul.” Xie Lian said.
“Of course he does.” Guoshi replied, “Since the existence of WuYong could no longer be
hidden, anyone who saw the Crown Prince of Xian Le and the Crown Prince of WuYong would
think the two were very alike, so it was the perfect solution in leading it all to you. Besides, as
long as you start doubting yourself, doubting your true heart, your actions and objectives, then
it’d be easy for him to lead you in the direction he wanted.”
“If you thought: ‘I am the Crown Prince of WuYong’, the possibility of you repeating his fate
would be greater. He was leading you proactively, hoping to make you walk the same paths he
did, so it wasn’t that your paths were somehow destined to be similar.”
“He couldn’t tolerate how similar you both were, but walked different paths.”
A long while after, Hua Cheng spoke up, “I already said, they aren’t alike at all.”
Guoshi turned to him, “You, young man, what’s wrong with you?”
Xie Lian was startled and thought, ‘What’s wrong?’
It was as if Guoshi couldn’t hold back any longer, and he rolled up his sleeves, speaking to Hua
Cheng with a somber and heavy tone, “I’ve been wanting to say this since earlier. You young
man, how come your smile isn’t sincere at all? Don’t think just because you’re a Supreme Ghost
King that you can be impolite towards me. Sure, Supreme Ghost Kings are rare, but do you
know how old I am? Of course it’s an elder like me with such an age who is the more rare.”
“…”
Hua Cheng raised his brows.
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead, “Ah, master, it’s not that San Lang is impolite, he’s just…” He was
just too used to smiling fakely at others.
Guoshi made a hand gesture at Hua Cheng, telling him not to come over, before pulling Xie Lian
aside and said seriously, “Your Highness, I saw it.”
“Huh?” Xie Lian asked, “What did you see?”
“On top of that giant divine statue.” Guoshi said.
That giant divine statue? What happened on top of it? Xie Lian thought for a bit before suddenly,
his brain buzzed.
He had borrowed spiritual powers!
Xie Lian coughed nonstop, “No.. that was only borrowing spiritual powers… no, actually it wasn’t
just borrowing spiritual powers, in any case it’s just…”
Guoshi’s voice became even more somber, “Your Highness, what’s going on? Could it be, that
because you’ve been cultivating for so long and avoided women that you’ve… changed your
ways???”
“…” Xie Lian waved his hand crazily, “IT’S NOT ANYTHING LIKE THAT!”
Guoshi was doubtful, “Then… could it be… a trait from birth? Well… I never noticed. Hm…
alright, this part of you certainly isn’t like him…”
Xie Lian, “??? WAIT!? THAT’S NOT IT EITHER!”
Guoshi puffed a breath and sighed, “Don’t be afraid, Your Highness, I wasn’t going to lecture
you on anything. I won’t guide you on something I myself aren’t an expert in. Besides, you’ve
already come through after so much, what’s there left to worry about? Men or women it doesn’t
matter, as long as you yourself are happy.”
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead so much it was very red, and he said in a small voice, “En… I’m
very happy.”
However, Guoshi added in glum confusion, “…But after searching for eight hundred years, how
did you end up finding a Supreme Ghost King?”
Xie Lian was taken aback. Guoshi said, “I’m not saying you’ve got bad taste, it’s not bad, I’m
sure big girls and little maidens all like your type. But a Supreme Ghost King is very aggressive,
I’m telling you. Your Highness, you gotta think things through, alright? Once people like that
cling onto you, you can forget about ditching them.”
“Uh, master, hold on…”
“I’m absolutely right on this. I’m telling you, by the looks of this Crimson Rain Sought Flower, I
can tell his fortune must be twistedly, contortedly fierce, each mountain higher than the next, the
essence of evil smotheringly suffocating, it’s practically like…”
Hua Cheng was right behind them, and said lazily, “Practically like the Star of Solitude, right?”
Xie Lian was already desperately trying to stop Guoshi from talking, but he still didn’t succeed,
so he covered his face and silently shuffled back behind Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng smiled and circled his arm around him, raising his brows, “My smile certainly is quite
insincere, but, to tell to the face of the man himself that he is the Star of Solitude, Disaster
reborn, worst of misfortunes, his parents both dead and can’t live past eighteen – it’s not very
nice, is it.”
“?”
Guoshi’s eyes slowly widened, “…You, are?”
———–
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