南禅

Nán Chán

by 唐酒卿

Táng Jiǔqīng

Translation by Lianyin

Synopsis

I have experienced all the eight sufferings¹ of this world.
I do not ask for nirvana, but for you.

Wild and hard-to-tame demon (gong) X Cold, ascetic and childish immortal (shou)

1v1, HE.
Carp is gong, gong, gong.
Gong is older, older, older.

The perspective in the story is not fixed; i.e. story is told from both characters’ perspectives.
(A quarter of the story will be flashback; a quarter will be on casework.)

** Warning: novel may touch on dark and disturbing themes in certain story arcs. Nan Chan is NOT for everyone due to some of the heavy themes it covers. Also has DUBCON between main CP. If this isn’t your cup of cappuccino, then please move on. Thank you!

** Some of the terms may be inconsistent in some chapters. Once the whole novel has been translated, I’ll do another read through and re-edit to weed out typos, clean up sentences, standardize terms, and such.

八苦, the eight sufferings in life – birth, old age, sickness, death, parting (with loved ones), encounter (with hated ones), unfulfillment (of wishes and desires), and inability to let go.

Notes

◆ This is a BL (Yaoi) novel.

◆ This is a completed novel; translation is completed and undergoing editing. [Raws on JJWXC]

◆ Page on Novel Updates

BOOK I

Chapter 1: The Past

MAY 29, 2019 ~ TL by Lianyin

“What do you see?”

“A mountain of corpses amidst a sea of blood.”

“Why have you come?”

“To kill.”

“Jing Lin.” The True Buddha lowered his gaze in compassion. “Turn back, and salvation is at hand.”

Jing Lin raised his head. His hair cascaded loosely over his body. His gaze was frosty, and the hems of his clothes were soaked in blood. The tip of his sword hung down to the ground, scratching it. He was surrounded by a boundless sea of blood, with countless deities and buddhas overhead.

Jing Lin said softly, “It’s too late.”

Jing Lin stepped up the stairs, and the Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven retreated simultaneously. Every step he took, the Three Thousand Armored Warriors took a step back. Everyone was as silent as a cicada in winter when they came face-to-face with him. He was clearly just one man, but the deities of Heaven and Earth behaved as though they were confronted with a formidable foe. He walked this slowly, as if he was just taking a casual stroll. As if, he was still that same old Lord Linsong that everyone was familiar with.

The lotus pond of the Brahma Altar rippled, turning turbid from the dripping droplets of blood. Li Rong, the commander-in-chief of the Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven, kneeled facing the lotus pond with a long spear in his hand. He shouted in a hoarse voice, “Jing Lin… why go to this extent? Once the day ends, there will be no place in the world that can accommodate you. Exactly how much hatred and resentment do you harbor?! Even if he was at fault, he should be handed over to Ninth Heaven Realm for punishment. Why don’t you say something? Why won’t you ever say something? You are always so hell-bent on going your own way, even to the extent of ending up isolated and forsaken by friends and allies alike. Jing Lin—!”

Li Rong coughed out blood. His eyes were red, and he was trembling all over, choking with sobs.

“—Don’t you want to live?”

Jing Lin has already reached the last step of the stairs. It was as if he had pried out all the warm, tender feelings away, leaving behind only a penetrating chill. The True Buddha of the Brahma Altar faced Jing Lin with a flower in his hand as the monks behind him chanted the sutras in unison. The sky was filled with masses of people, but none of them stood with Jing Lin. The blade of his sword rapped lightly on the ground. He finally halted in his tracks.

A large golden coffin without a lid was laid horizontally in front of Buddha. A man was lying in the coffin under the tripled-sealed layers of chains made up of Sanskrit words. His eyes were closed, and his expression was serene. He looked as if he was in a deep sleep.

“You’ve committed a heinous crime, and yet you’re still stubborn.” With a merciful expression, the True Buddha gazed at Jing Lin. “The Supreme Father is right in front of you, and you are still unwilling to lay down your blade. Do you want to destroy the virtuous merits of your entire life and go to the extent of slaying your father and friends before you will stop?”

It was as if Jing Lin did not hear his words. He suddenly swept his sword, Yanquan, across in a horizontal arch that glowed azure. The chanting of the monks came to an abrupt stop. Immediately right after, a violent gale blustered out from the azure arch. For a moment, the masses shielded their faces as their bodies staggered in the wind; only the True Buddha stood firm.

“Jing Lin.” The True Buddha said with benevolence. “Bow and submit to the Brahma Altar. Repent, and you will be absolved of your sins.”

Lotus flowers bloomed all around him as the light from Buddha illuminated every corner. The chanting of sutras started up again. The Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven bellowed in unison and charged forward. The tolling of the bell on Ninth Heaven Terrace in the distance sounded far away, and the Goddess Shengyue looked as if she was weeping. Yet, Jing Lin did not retreat. He lunged forward, and a slash of azure merged into the expanse of clanking silver armors. Dark red blossoms of blood erupted all around. The clouds were tinged with a layer of red as Yanquan flashed around like flowing mercury. The stench of blood threw everyone off balance. Some among the deities covered their mouths and noses as they retreated, glancing at Jing Lin in shock and fear. They did not know how Lord Linsong, whom they had seldom associated with in the past, had suddenly turned into such a god of carnage.

Blood trickled down the steps where Jing Lin passed through. He could not hear the words of dissuasion spoken by the bystanders; the only thing he could see and think of was that golden coffin. The True Buddha seemed to sigh, but to Jing Lin, it sounded so far away. When he walked past Li Rong, Li Rong held up an arm to block his way, but his fingertips only managed to brush past the hem of Jing Lin’s clothes. At the very moment the golden ray of light and crimson clouds intersected, they ceased to walk the same path.

“Jing Lin—!” Grief suddenly welled up in Li Rong’s heart. He staggered up and reached out a hand, wanting to chase after him. But he was severely wounded, and his armor was crushing down on him, holding him in place. He watched as Jing Lin’s back disappeared into the golden light. The True Buddha lowered a finger as azure light from Yanquan Sword burst forth. Violent winds raged between Heaven and Earth. Yanquan Sword had already pierced through the chains made up of Sanskrit characters to remove the head of the man in the coffin. The next moment, an infinite sea of blood surged forth in waves. The Four Lords of Ninth Heaven cast a seal simultaneously, and Ninth Heaven shook violently as if the clouds have been dealt a heavy blow.

The brilliance from the stars gathered, and the Sanskrit characters spun around as the golden light transformed into a hurricane. The chanting of monks quickened, and Jing Lin was besieged. He had fulfilled his wish. He threw the head in his hand down the stairs and slowly looked back. Li Rong’s face was awash with tears. In that very instant, he saw Jing Lin’s reply to him.

Don’t you want to live?

The way my life is now, forget it.

In a flash, Li Rong saw Jing Lin outflanked and annihilated; even that azure glow was obliterated. From then on, Lord Linsong no longer existed in Heaven and Earth. His past was gone and buried in the wind, eventually fading away into nothingness.

Chapter 2: Brocade Carp

JUNE 4, 2019

A brocade carp was lounging inside a porcelain jar.

It seemed as if it was bored to death, not wanting to even move. The window in the inner chamber was open, and three or four specks of snowflakes drifted in from outside. It swished its tail and swam around in a circle, then touched the snowflake with its mouth. Stunned by the cold, it suddenly sank into the water, shaking its head in surprise. It played alone for a while, but it was still lonely, so it floated up again and looked up at the man on the wooden couch who was sleeping with his clothes on.

This brocade carp had never seen another person, so it did not know how to appraise the beauty and ugliness of this world. But it often gazed upon this person in fascination, as if its entire day of fun was all concentrated on this moment. With a wanton gaze, it sized up the man’s eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and nose, catching a glimpse of sentimentality and tenderness among those facial features. Yet when this person woke up, his face would take on a very different kind of frostiness, becoming extremely estranged and distant like looking at a handful of tantalizing blossoms submerged under a layer of ice. Fortunately, the man seemed to be injured and spent most of his day sleeping.

The brocade carp watched him for a while before it saw that the snow was getting heavier outside and much of the snow was leaking in through the window. This man was still oblivious as a snowflake laid down upon his forehead and gradually melted.

The brocade carp watched and felt crossed. It had been with this person for so many months, and it had never gotten this close to him. Yet today, this audacious snowflake had beaten the brocade carp to it. On what grounds?!

The brocade carp swatted at the porcelain wall loudly, stirred up the water, and leaped in and out, splashing water everywhere. The din it created made the man frowned lightly before he opened his eyes. After a slight moment of delay, the man’s gaze turned towards the white porcelain jar. Right at that exact moment, the brocade carp “plopped” into the water, splashing a puddle of water onto the small table.

It thought the man should get up to comfort it now, but who would expect that he would only look askance at it, then raised a finger and pointed at it before he closed his eyes again to sleep. That one move fixed the brocade carp in position; it did not even have the time to flick its tail and could only float stiffly on the water. It opened its mouth, wanting to call out, but it could only blow bubbles. It grew angry and thought, I’m going to ignore him these few days; no matter how he is going to coax and persuade me, I’m going to ignore him!

The man slept until the next morning. When he got up to get dressed, he still looked tired and exhausted. The brocade carp had been stuck in the same position for the whole night, and its “I’m going to ignore him” had become “farewell, once and for all; from now on, we are strangers”. Unfortunately, the man could neither hear nor understand it. He placed some food in his palm. The brocade carp felt its body lightened, and it began to move again. As soon as it could move, it forgot everything it had just thought and chased after the food to gobble it up. When it was done, it even rubbed itself against the man’s fingertip and pretended to be docile.

The man’s complexion was fair. When the brocade carp circled around his fingertip, it felt as if the man would melt at a touch. That was because the man looked as if his heart was not in the moment, but then again, he seemed like he had no “heart” in the first place. It was like he might never wake up from his sleep one of these days. The brocade carp was afraid that he would really melt, so it nibbled on his fingertip with its mouth, wanting to feel him. Unexpectedly, his flesh was cold to the touch, and yet he also felt soft and moist. The brocade carp was astounded and nibbled a few more times until the man returned to his senses by the slight itch on his fingertip and looked down.

He stirred the water a little and asked, “Haven’t you eaten enough?”

As soon as he spoke, the north wind on the veranda came to a momentary rest.

The brocade carp swam around his fingertip, rolled over, and looked at him expectantly. The man understood and turned to look out of the window. It was snowing heavily at the moment, and it was not suitable for him to venture outdoors, but instead of conforming to common sense, he stepped out.

A small pile of snow sitting below the steps suddenly shook apart to reveal a little stone figure. Using both its legs and hands, the little stone figure climbed over the threshold of the door, carried the white porcelain jar on the top of its head, then staggered out to chase after the man. The man had already stepped onto the snow. With the porcelain jar on its head, the little stone figure followed behind the man. The snow dancing all over the sky avoided falling upon them as if they had some misgivings.

The brocade carp was initially depressed when it saw that the man did not personally carry it in his arms. But at the sight of the sky covered in flying snow and the garden grounds blanketed in a sea of white, it cast that bit of dejection away and floated up and down excitedly.

It usually lived in the inner chamber and hardly ever saw the scenery outside. it was only when the man was in a good mood that they would venture outdoors. It was the first time today it went out to see the snow; its excitement was palpable. For a moment, it forgot itself and bobbed about so much that the porcelain jar wobbled dangerously. The little stone figure staggered and struggled to maintain its balance in the snow, but in the end, it still ended up falling over onto the ground, and the porcelain jar slid along the snow. Fortunately, the jar was not smashed and remained intact, but unfortunately, the brocade carp was sent flying out.

The brocade carp broke into a golden red arch in mid-air and plunged head-on into the snow, leaving only its tail flapping violently and slapping at the snow in panic. Less than a moment later, someone picked it up by its tail. It originally meant to put on a meek and aggrieved act, but when a young and handsome face entered its field of vision, it immediately began to struggle in indignation.

A-Yi revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth. “Jing Lin! Can I have this fish? It’s so fat it will be delectable whether it’s stewed or braised.”

Jing Lin had already stopped in his tracks to look back. He said, “Give it back to me.”

The little stone figure climbed to its feet. Holding on to the grass crown that had been bent out of shape on its head, it chased after A-Yi, wanting to get the brocade carp back. A-Yi deliberately lifted the brocade carp and swung it in mid-air, laughing, “Take it if you can reach it. Jing Lin, you are really boring. You only know how to sleep all day long. Why don’t you descend the mountains and play with me? The lands of Zhongdu are vast and so much more fun. It is entirely different from Heaven. I guarantee that it will dazzle you and make you forget yourself.”

If there was a person the brocade carp hated the most, that honor would go to this A-Yi. He was originally a five-colored bird¹ of the Canli Tree and often transformed into a human to play in the garden. Every time he came, he was sure to drool over the brocade carp and make all sorts of friendly overtures towards Jing Lin. Being swung around in the air only made the brocade carp dizzy, and now it heard A-Yi trying to lure Jing Lin down the mountain again. It flew into a rage, but it was powerless to do anything to A-Yi.

The little stone figure kicked A-Yi in the calf. A-Yi hugged his leg in pain, and the brocade carp seized the chance to break free. The little stone figure caught hold of it and turned to run. But this brocade carp was so plump that the little stone figure could only move half of it, leaving the remaining half in the snow as it ran like mad. The head of the brocade carp was dragged along in the snow, with accumulated snow hitting it all over its face. It could not even blow bubbles now, and it was knocked around so much that it near about blacked out.

Jing Lin picked it up, but it was still paralyzed and looked particularly pitiful. Jing Lin looked at it for a moment. When it feebly opened its mouth, Jing Lin sent it into his sleeve. As soon as it entered the sleeve, it was instantly full of life and vigor. There was naturally a Qiankun² – a universe – in Jing Lin’s sleeves. Immersed in it, the brocade carp could finally catch its breath with all the abundance of spiritual energy brimming in its surroundings. It stuck close to Jing Lin, feeling indescribably at ease.

This was why it must rely on, cling on to, and dominate Jing Lin. As long as it stayed close to Jing Lin, Jing Lin’s spiritual energy would nourish it. Although it still did not understand what this implied, it was nonetheless especially enamored with the feeling of being nourished. It felt that this spiritual energy was much more delicious than bait food, and it was always greedy for more. It did not even have its fill; how would it allow others to even get a glimpse of it? Thus, it would automatically classify anyone who got close to Jing Lin as those who were here to steal his spiritual energy, thereby earning them its deep hostility.

As the brocade carp devoured the spiritual energy, it listened to the conversation between A-Yi and Jing Lin.

“Can’t we leave the mountain? You are always sticking around here. Whether it’s for one hundred years or five hundred years, it’s still all the same. It’s too lonely.” With his hands behind his head, AYi kicked at the snow and asked, “Are you like this too in Heaven?”

It’s none of your business.

The brocade carp thought coldly.

Jing Lin’s sash fluttered in the wind. He simply asked, “What do you want from me?”

“Can’t I come without reason? Aren’t you a bit too callous? In your heart, am I that kind of person?” A-Yi asked in disdain.

“One never goes to a temple for no reason—there’s always a motive.” Jing Lin’s voice was colder than the wind.

A-Yi could not bear this iciness and wrapped his outer cloak tightly around him like a loser. He buried his chin in the fur, revealing only a pair of dark eyes; it gave him an androgynous appearance. He turned his eyes to gaze at Jing Lin, saying softly, “Jing Lin-gege, there is a demon in the east who bullied me, but I can’t win him in a fight. Go down and teach him a lesson. There is no need to kill him, just break his arms and legs and make him listen to my orders from now on. Okay?”

Jing Lin paused in his steps and cast a sidelong glance at A-Yi.

A-Yi took a step back under that stare, feeling as if he was not facing a man but a slinking behemoth. He sweated out of fear and could barely maintain his composure, so he gave a light snort and kicked at the snow again as he braced himself to ask, “Will you help me or not?!”

Jing Lin looked at him with indifference for a while and asked, “You want to break others’ arms and legs that much?”

There was a chill in A-Yi’s heart as fear inexplicably seized hold of him. He clenched his cloak tightly and did not dare to answer. Jing Lin paid him no more attention and continued to move forward.

A-Yi remained where he was and gnashed his teeth. He could not understand which of his words had displeased this man. It was not as if he wanted the other party’s life. He only wanted to break the other person’s arms and legs. So what did it matter? What had riled him up so much that he would not even give him face?!

A-Yi had been spoiled and pampered since young. His sister, the deity of Canli Tree who was in charge of the growth of the vegetation in Zhongdu, doted on him very much. He always got his way, and he was used to running amok in Zhongdu, so where in the world would he know what the word “well-behaved” meant? Now that he was ‘bullied’, he stopped chasing after Jing Lin to plead with him and simply metamorphosed back into a five-colored bird and flew away through the heavy snow.

♦     ♦     ♦

It was night, and Jing Lin was asleep while the brocade carp remained motionless against the porcelain wall. There was no light in the inner chamber, and the garden was completely dark. Making just a soft sound, A-Yi flew into the inner chamber and changed into his human form. He grabbed the porcelain jar and crept out the door with it.

Once out in the garden, A-Yi started to break into a run. The brocade carp was startled awake by the churning of water. On seeing the oppressive darkness of the night and the incessant gale of snow all around it, it knew that it was in trouble.

“He has always treasured you. I only have to throw you down the mountain, and he will surely follow after you!” A-Yi pulled at his clothes to cover up the porcelain jar and snorted, “It’s fine even if he doesn’t come. You have slapped me on the cheek more than once with your tail. Since he doesn’t want you, I’ll throw you into the river and feed you to demons!”

The brocade carp’s blood was boiling with anger when it heard A-Yi speak again.

“Don’t pretend you don’t understand me. Do you think I don’t know? You rely on Jing Lin every day just for the sake of his spiritual energy. You want to swallow him up to enhance your cultivation so you can evolve³ early.” A-Yi leaped up, turned his arms into wings, and soared through the clouds. “Do you think Jing Lin doesn’t know? Fool! I’ll see if he comes or not.”

The brocade carp leaped with all its might, but its escape path was completely blocked off by AYi’s clothes. It sensed itself getting farther and farther away from Jing Lin. All it could hear was the sound of the wind howling; A-Yi had actually flown for the entire night.

The brocade carp gradually calmed down in the cold wind. It buried itself in the water, blowing bubbles as it thought.

It’s always hard to wake Jing Lin up once he sleeps. It’s like he’s half-dead. Who knows when he would wake up? What if this time he sleeps until spring, won’t I be an utter goner by then?

It pondered to itself; it had to find a chance to escape.

♦     ♦     ♦

But although Jing Lin was still in a deep sleep, the little stone figure that was leaning against the snow shook its head and woke up. It rubbed its tiny black bean-like eyes and yawned as it started to run. In a moment of inattention while it was descending the stairs, it slipped and skidded down the steps towards the bottom of the mountain with a “bam, bam, bam” until it finally fell flat on its back. A carp kip-up⁴ got it back on its feet, and it adjusted its grass crown before pulling over a withered branch to use as a wooden crutch, limping as it chased after them in the direction where A-Yi had flown off.

五色鸟 – technically, the words would translate to a barbet bird. But here, it refers to a mythical creature in Chinese mythology (to be revealed in later chapters, but the hint was already dropped. For now, I’ll stick to the original text and label it a ‘five-colored bird’).

乾坤 Qiankun means Heaven and Earth, or a universe. Refers to an interspatial ‘universe’ in Jing Lin’s sleeve, which would be like a different world in there or an interspatial inventory Jing Lin could use as.

When demons and ghosts cultivated enough to transform their appearance and shape. The most common form is usually the human form when they evolve.

GIF
鲤鱼打挺 carp kip-up, a martial arts move where one leaps from a supine position into a standing position.

Chapter 3: Vivacious

JUNE 12, 2019

The brocade carp was jolted awake. The cloth that had been covering the jar had already been removed. It swam swiftly to the wall of the jar, only to find an unfamiliar scenery in front of its eyes.

A-Yi was eating grapes as he cocked his chin and said haughtily, “There, look ahead. Do you know where this place is? Fool, I bet you don’t.” He smiled wickedly. “This is a pool on the coast of the Eastern Sea. It’s unfathomably deep, and an evil sea serpent lurks in its depths. It has not eaten for many years and is so hungry that it would eat anything, even humans. If I throw you in, you wouldn’t even be enough to fill the gap between its fangs.”

The brocade carp considered its figure and felt it was still possible for it to fill the gaps between the sea serpent’s fangs. But it was not born to fill gaps between fangs, so it did not want to become a filler even if it could. Thus, it looked at A-Yi expressionlessly, thinking if it were to become a human in the future, it would pluck out the feathers on this brat’s tail, hang his real form upside down, and make him wander around the world with his bare ass.

However, A-Yi could only see it staring blankly at himself, looking extraordinarily silly. He threw a grape at it and leaned forward to scrutinize it. “Although it is said that all the carps in the world look alike, I don’t believe that Jing Lin would simply just rear one at random. Are you from Heaven? If you are, then you must be a spy! At present, Lord Chengtian has drawn clear the boundaries between the Three Realms¹ and established a strict hierarchy of ranks, boosting the Ninth Heaven until it almost exceeds Heaven. In passing, he even trampled over our land, Zhongdu, and set up a Demarcation Division to put Zhongdu under surveillance. Anyone who descends to the Mortal Realm at this point in time must be a mole. Are you or are you not?”

The brocade carp let out a snort. A-Yi smacked at it again.

“Why are you so dumb and silly? You’ve stayed by Jing Lin’s side for so long, and you can’t even speak. It’s obvious that you have no innate talents. You’re really a fool all right.”

You’re the one who’s the fool. All of your entire family are fools.

The brocade carp silently cursed him although it continued to put on a naïve and ignorant act as it cluelessly looked at A-Yi from the water. A-Yi found it boring. It would not fight back when hit or talk back when scolded; it was no fun at all. A-Yi sat cross-legged on the stone and waited and waited until he finally ran out of patience. He thought since it was already noon and Jing Lin had yet to come, he must not have cared. Thus, A-Yi jumped off the stone and raised a leg to push the jar to the edge of the pool.

“You hit me three times.” A-Yi touched his cheek. “I’ve never forgotten it. In the past, I only endured it on Jing Lin’s account, but it annoys me that you have seen him humiliating me. Now you have seen my sorry state, how can I allow you to continue living? Well, well, he doesn’t care, anyway. All I have to do is plead with Ah-jie later. He has to give me face even if he doesn’t want to.”

A-Yi gave the white porcelain jar a kick, and it toppled over towards the chilly pool. The brocade carp dropped into the water and sank.

A-Yi felt a little uneasy and muttered to himself with his hands clasped behind his back. “You can’t blame me for this. I gave Jing Lin time, but he was the one who didn’t come. Such is the fate of this fool.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The moment the brocade carp entered the water, it felt unusually cold. This pool was enclosed all around, and there was no way out. It tried to sink down a little more but was forced back up by the bottomless darkness. Having developed a little spirituality and intelligence, it could sniff out a massive creature looming underneath.

So much for this fucking fate.

The brocade carp remained motionless against the rock wall. It had not seen any vegetation where it had passed earlier. The pool was lifeless. But although the brocade carp remained fixed in position, it still had the impression that it was being watched. The area beneath it was all swallowed up by darkness, so it might not detect anything even if something swam up from the bottom. It had never been so unsettled ever since it had gained its own consciousness.

After about four hours, the spot the brocade carp was in dimmed. Its entire body of gold and red was covered up by the shadows, which put it a little more at ease. However, it could not stay here for long. The sea serpent’s aura was faintly oppressing the brocade carp, making it uneasy all over.

The brocade carp made a round trip along the rock wall. There were no other openings on all sides of the rock wall. It was evident that whoever had sealed away the sea serpent had put in effort in selecting the location. The brocade carp could not leave the water, so it could only wait for a chance to seek an escape route.

The brocade carp looked up at the stars reflected upon the water and grew colder. Only now did it realize the advantage of staying indoors. It was never this cold even though Jing Lin liked to open the window. Its stomach was empty, and it was unbearably hungry. Even waiting had become extremely difficult to bear.

It kept thinking Jing Lin was still not awake. But if Jing Lin woke up, would he really come for it? Jing Lin had never smiled at it, nor had he hugged it to bed. He had only got up occasionally during his naps to play with it. It felt that the small stone figure was probably worth more than itself in Jing Lin’s heart.

But it still wanted to remain by Jing Lin’s side.

Because it wanted to devour Jing Lin.

It always saw Jing Lin frowning and sweating in his sleep. It had also always seen Jing Lin sitting all alone on an empty veranda. It did not know if there was anyone else in this world who was as lonely as Jing Lin. However, it understood that Jing Lin had not recovered from his serious injuries, and he was only using sleep as a cover. As long as it could devour Jing Lin, it could skip those hundred years of painstaking cultivation. It had already developed its own consciousness; thus it was no longer satisfied with remaining in the water. Its desires continually grew as its spiritual energy increased. It wanted to go ashore. It wanted to lean over and gnawed apart that exquisite neck of Jing Lin one of these nights. Possess him. Proclaim itself king. Dominate him.

The brocade carp was so lost in thought it did not notice the silent approach of the shadow beneath it. When it turned around to swim, it was confronted with a pair of golden pupils the size of copper bells staring at it. Its body that was covered in azurite blue scales were only partially showing on the water surface like the tip of the iceberg. The water rippled as those scales glided by slowly, stretching endlessly into the darkness. Trying to guess how long this creature was based on its exposed length was no different from peeping at a leopard through a narrow tube²; it was hard to get the measure of it.

The winter night was still, and the surroundings, silent.

The brocade carp was tightly wound up with tension. Fear crushed down on it when it was confronted with this massive body coiling in the water, and yet the fear also aroused a sense of excitement in it. Amidst the tremors in the water, it was unexpectedly tempted by the sea serpent’s boundless expense of spiritual energy. Lumps of flesh were protruding from the sea serpent’s forehead. It was obviously going to evolve into a jiao. The brocade carp greedily and conceitedly thought:

If I devour it…

The sea serpent was so hungry that it abruptly widened its jaw. It did not even have the mood to tease its prey. The sea serpent had been subdued and suppressed in this place. Other than that bird which was here recently to create a disturbance, it had never seen any other living creature. So the moment it had seen the brocade carp with wisps of spiritual energy emanating from it, the only thought it had was to gulp that carp down into its stomach.

Realizing that it was in danger, the brocade carp turned and fled. Making use of its size, it swiftly swam between the sea serpent’s body. It was agile and nimble. There was a loud bang as something collided with the rock wall. The sea serpent was trapped in this pool with a magic seal pressing down on it from above to restrain it; thus its movements were severely limited. This was also the crucial period of its evolution into a jiao, and so it could not shrink its size as it pleased. It could only let its body violently steamrolled the wall as it slithered past. Cracks appeared at the bottom of the wall with a violent swing of its tail.

The brocade carp dodged the falling rocks and fled for its life. The sea serpent’s bulky body was taking up much of the surrounding space, which narrowed down the amount of space the brocade carp could hide. The water current shoved it towards a narrow gap, and the snake serpent curled its body up to trap the brocade carp in between. The instant the sea serpent opened its jaws, the brocade carp darted through the sharp edges of its fangs and dashed towards the surface of the water.

Some scales on the back of the brocade carp were scraped off by the sea serpent’s fangs, but it did not look back. It could only go all out and swim its way up. The water current beneath it stirred as the sea serpent catapulted itself forward and caught up with it in a blink of an eye.

The massive jaws spread wide open and sucked pool water in. Everything surged back wildly towards those jaws. The brocade carp swam against the flow with difficulty. The surface was close at hand, but it was swiftly being sucked back into the jaws.

I’m going to be eaten!

The brocade carp had already been sucked into the mouth when it saw the sea serpent shutting its jaws. With a burst of energy, it desperately strove towards the closing gap.

Ahead, a hand with pale joints suddenly plunged into the jaws of the sea serpent and brutally wrenched it open, revealing the brocade carp inside. The brocade carp crashed right into Jing Lin’s bosom, slipped down his loosened collar, and clung close to his skin, refusing to show its head again.

Jing Lin’s face was pale as he pointed a finger between the sea serpent’s eyes. The sea serpent was startled for a moment, then put on a fearful front as it let Jing Lin turned around. But the moment Jing Lin turned his back, it showed its true colors and pounced on him for a bite. Jing Lin’s spiritual energy was only skin-deep. It was just a pretense that could be used to intimidate ordinary spirits, but it was useless in the face of a sea serpent that was going to evolve into a jiao.

Jing Lin had expected this reaction, so he pushed a foot against the wall to spin himself around. The sea serpent flung its tail up to obstruct him, but Jing Lin dodged it and used the momentum of that tail fling to kick and propel himself out of the water. The sea serpent followed him partially out of the water, its thickset body savage and hideous as it chased and snapped its jaws after him. The seal on the pool glowed and suddenly bore down on the sea serpent, forcing it back into the water. Water splashed all around as Jing Lin came ashore and threw the brocade carp at the little stone figure waiting at the side.

The little stone figure looked up and ran. It caught the brocade carp and tumbled into the snow with it. The brocade carp waited for it to get up, but there was no movement for a long time so it looked askance at it. The small stone figure was covered in frost, and its movements were sluggish.

Jing Lin had not even tied up his hair and his drenched ivory-white clothes stuck to his body. He grabbed and wrapped a dark blue wide-sleeved robe over his upper body and loosely tied the sash around his waist. The water droplets on his white neck dripped slowly down his collarbone and merged with the color of his skin.

Jing Lin covered his mouth and coughed a few times. His body was thin and frail, and he looked even more feeble in the harsh and frozen landscape.

He murmured, “Go.”

He felt something off when he turned around so he looked back again. There was no brocade carp. Only a fair and plump little boy sitting in the snow!

The brocade fish lowered its head and turned pale with fright when it saw arms like lotus roots. Without thinking, it ran right at Jing Lin and threw itself into Jing Lin’s arms. It tightened its arms around Jing Lin’s neck and glued its face to Jing Lin’s cheek as it said with imprecise enunciation, “Ji…… Ji Li!”

Jing Lin had not been in contact with anyone for hundreds of years, and he instantly retreated. For a moment, he was at a loss. The brocade carp latched on to Jing Li’s neck, its tears pouring down in torrents as it looked at Jing Lin miserably and helplessly. Jing Lin felt a throb in his temples and the headache he had not had for a long time returned.

The brocade carp took advantage of this opportunity to innocently cling on to Jing Lin again. Jing Lin’s neck was cold, and so the brocade carp was reluctant to release its hold on Jing Lin.

It was actually so frightened by this encounter that it had evolved and changed its form!³

Its — His psyche had yet to fully develop; therefore, he had only learned to more or less imitate an innocent expression. He leaned on Jing Lin like a warm mass melting against Jing Lin’s chest, and that sensation pierced through Jing Lin as if this had been a thing a lifetime ago.

Jing Lin tilted his head and frowned. The brocade carp blinked and tried to figure out his expression. He said softly, “Ji Li… Fat… Home.”⁴

He could not articulate clearly, and it was tough for him to speak. He was obviously clumsily imitating “humans”. Jing Lin could allow a fish to be with him, but he could not allow a human to be with him. This was because his emotions and worldly desires had been wholly cut off hundreds of years ago. To this day, he had not loved anyone and did not desire to learn how to love someone. “Human” relationships had once tormented him greatly, and he had paid a heavy price for it. If there was an emotion he had ever understood, then that emotion might be “hate”.

For “hate”, he had not hesitated to take up a blade and start a bloodbath.

Therefore, he could not help but shudder with fear in the face of this vivacious and warm child’s dependency on him.

三界 Three Realms refer to the Heavenly Realm, Mortal Realm and the Netherworld. For more details on the realms, please refer to Realms Glossary.

管中窥豹 looking at a leopard through a narrow tube; have a limited view of something.

化形 to evolve or change form. E.g., when demons and ghosts cultivated enough to transform their appearance and shape. The most common form is usually the human form when they evolve.

Supposedly, he was trying to say “Jing Lin, let’s go home.”

Chapter 4: Opportunity

JUNE 19, 2019

The brocade carp did not know how to put on clothes, so he wrapped himself in Jing Lin’s clothes. A good part of the hem was dragged on the floor as he ran bare-footed along the veranda. A copper bell under the eaves swayed in the wind. Between each chime of the bell, the brocade carp – with a headful of messy hair – skipped and jumped around.

The little stone figure chased after him and picked up the hem of the clothes trailing behind on the floor. The brocade carp ran to the end of the veranda. There was a small pond with a hundred-year-old ginkgo tree planted beside it. He crouched down and cupped the water up with his hands. It was so freezing he shivered from the cold.

“Being a human, feels like this.” The brocade carp mumbled to himself. After a night, he could speak a lot more fluently.

The little stone figure kicked his buttocks. The brocade carp was caught unaware and fell over into a kneeling position on the wooden plank. Instead of being angry, he laughed and raised his palms to examine them over and over again.

“Falling down, hurts this much!” He exclaimed.

He had learned to run only a short while ago. Before that, he always wanted to lie on the ground and swish his tail around. He needed to get used to using his hands, not fins. He sat down with his legs crossed and gathered the wide robe tightly around him. His white, chubby feet were red from the cold. Lowering his head, he buried it under the shirt to observe his own body. Then he popped his head out and muttered softly to the little stone figure.

“Do humans have other parts besides arms and legs? This is so strange.”

The little stone figure could not speak, so it squeezed its head in beside the brocade carp’s and watched with him for a brief moment. Seeing the brocade carp’s confused face, it did not know how to explain to him either.

The brocade carp grabbed hold of the little stone figure, looked beneath it, and asked out of curiosity. “Why don’t you have it?”

The little stone figure was embarrassed. It covered its head and kicked the brocade carp. The brocade carp immediately bared his teeth and threatened, “If you kick me again, I’ll throw you away! You will never see Jing Lin again!”

The small stone figure took several steps back and turned to run indoors. The brocade carp was afraid it would tell on him, so he hurriedly got up to chase after it. His movement was light when he entered the door as Jing Lin was resting. When they returned last night, Jing Lin had coughed for half the night and only fell asleep when it was nearing dawn.

The brocade carp stepped onto a small table and climbed onto a chair before he jumped onto the bed and kneel beside Jing Lin’s pillow. Jing Lin’s face was paler than the night before. He looked like a person with a chronic illness, as if being bedridden was the norm for him. His ink-black hair was spread out over the pillow mat. The brocade carp carefully scooped up a handful of his hair, but they flowed through the gaps between his fingers. The brocade carp mustered up the courage to sprawl the upper half of his body over Jing Lin to listen to his breathing. His fingers touched Jing Lin’s cheeks and neck. Astonished, he withdrew them. Then he stretched his fingers out again to probe him.

He was warm.

Jing Lin was warm. And he felt smooth to the touch.

This differed entirely from what the brocade carp had known before. Did it mean that even his sense of touch would become different when he turned human?

The brocade carp lay down beside Jing Lin. In this way, he sized Jing Lin up and realized something different about him. He had never looked at Jing Lin from this direction before. He never knew that Jing Lin’s nose was this straight, Jing Lin’s lips were this thin, and Jing Lin’s… Jing Lin was this beautiful, as if he was some exquisite porcelain that would shatter with just a grasp.

The brocade carp pinched his own nose and touched his own cheeks. He thought, I won’t look better than Jing Lin in the future, because the world needs only one of him. It’d be better for me to be more powerful and stronger than him.

As he was thinking about it, he felt a pain in his back. He looked back and saw the little stone figure sitting at the edge looking at him unhappily. With a snort, the brocade carp drew closer to Jing Lin and pushed the little stone figure away with his foot. But the little stone figure held on to his calf, wanting to drag him off the bed. Anxious, the brocade carp turned around to grab onto the front of Jing Lin’s clothes and wrapped his arms around Jing Lin’s neck, refusing to let go.

The little stone figure stomped his foot in annoyance, but the brocade carp ignored it. The brocade carp was so near to Jing Lin that he subconsciously absorbed his spiritual energy. Jing Lin’s spiritual energy now was near-depleted and erratic. He gradually furrowed his brows, vaguely looking as if he could not withstand his spiritual energy being absorbed. For some reason, the little stone figure stopped moving and turned into two pieces of stones rolling around at one side.

Jing Lin did not wake up for a long time. The brocade carp gulped down a mouthful of saliva.

This was a good opportunity to devour Jing Lin.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s consciousness drifted atop an empty stone platform. He walked alone, lost. The restoration of his broken body was slow, and lustrous light was scattered all over, making it hard to form a human figure. His breathing grew labored as if he was being strangled in the throat. His chest felt heavy, and the feeling of being pinned down made him feel doubly exhausted.

Even so, when the wind rose on the veranda under the eaves, he opened his eyes instantly. The first thing he saw was a fluffy head with hairs sticking out pressed against his cheek. The brocade carp was sleeping soundly while hugging him tightly.

Jing Lin looked at the roof and closed his eyes as he let out a breath of air. When he reopened his eyes, he had regained his composure.

“What is it?” His voice has always been without emotion.

Someone knelt down on the veranda and said softly, “My younger brother is willful and has distracted my lord from your solitary cultivation¹. He deserved to die for his sins. I’m here to apologize and beg for forgiveness. My lord, please punish him as you deem fit and do not hold back.”

Jing Lin was silent for a moment before he remembered who was kneeling outside the door.

“I’m not your lord.” Jing Lin said.

The prostrate body of the person outside the door remained still. After a moment, the person said, “I’m under the command of Lord Linsong of the Ninth Heaven. Everyone knows this. Even if Canli Tree is now under the control of the Demarcation Division, my heart remains like a rock—firm and unswerving.”

Saying so, she raised her head, straightened up to face the door, and made another bow.

“Don’t call me lord.” Jing Lin paused after each word, his hatred engulfing his frostiness.

The maiden outside was quiet for a long time before she said in a low voice: “…Jiu-ge.”

Jing Lin felt smothered, and his hands and feet grew cold. He raised a hand to cover his eyes as his Adam’s apple bobbed silently. His chest heaved up and down unsteadily as he forced down the urge to choke on his blood.

Don’t call me.

His eyes were submerged under the shadow of his hand as if he would never struggle out of the darkness. This “Jiu-ge” was like a bramble of thorns, pricking him until he was drenched all over in blood.

The maiden beyond the door took only a moment to calm herself. Even when her eyes were red, her voice remained stable. She raised a hand to haul her younger brother up. A-Yi was bound and had already changed back into his original form. He thrashed around on the ground.

“A-Yi has been pampered and spoiled by me at Canli Tree, that’s why he is now so arrogant and disobedient. Since he has done something wrong, he must bear the consequences on his own. I’m handing him over to Jiu-ge. Whether he lives or dies, I’ll let Jiu-ge decide.”

Having said so, she kowtowed again in obeisance and turned to go. On seeing this, A-Yi banged his head until it broke and stared at his Ah-jie, looking as if he would cry. When his Ah-jie – Fu Li – was about to descend the stairs, she stopped.

“I know Jiu-ge does not want to see me.” Fu Li’s eyelashes drooped as she gazed into the night. “But I’m contented to know that Jiu-ge is still alive. On the day when the True Buddha raised his finger and the Ninth Heaven shook, I was overwhelmed with grief on hearing of Jiuge’s death. No matter what the others said, Jiu-ge is still Jiu-ge. Although I don’t know the past feud between you and your father, I’m not willing to believe that you are such a bloodthirsty person. Jiu-ge…”

“You’re wrong.” Jing Lin said. “Killing him was a long-cherished wish of mine. It was not because of principles, or for righteousness. I wanted to kill him, so I killed him. It has nothing to do with you. I am not your Jiu-ge. Lord Linsong died at the Ninth Heaven Terrace, and the person you see now is also but a dead man. Take him away. Scram.”

A-Yi understood nothing about Lord Linsong, nor did he know anything about Jiu-ge. The only thing he heard was Jing Lin telling his Ah-jie to scram. This made him burned with anger. When he was born, there was no longer any five-colored bird left in Canli Tree. Fu Li was his elder sister, and could even be considered his mother. Although he was a jerk and a bully, he could not tolerate anyone dissing his sister.

He instantly opened his mouth to rail at him, “Jing Lin! How dare you tell my Ah-jie to ‘scram’?! Who do you think you are?! You’re just an invalid hiding in the mountains. Who’s afraid of you?! Just a mere sea serpent can make you bedridden, so what kind of hero are you pretending to be now?! You are only…”

Fu Li turned around at once and hollered, “Shut up!”

The copper bell under the eaves on the veranda rang abruptly as the sound of wind whistling among ten thousand pines in the mountains rose and fell. A strong wind rose from among the trees and sent A-Yi tumbling down the verdana toward the mountains.

A-Yi was still tied up and could not break free. He could only stubbornly shout into the air. “Just you wait!”

Fu Li still wanted to say something when the door of the inner chamber closed, shutting out her voice. Not getting to say what she wanted to say, she could only stand silently for half a night before she finally left.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin waited for her to leave before he gave a muffled cough and spat out blood. The little stone figure stuffed a handkerchief in his palm. Jing Lin covered his mouth and wiped away the bloodstains before he asked, “Still not waking up?”

The brocade carp tentatively opened an eye and rubbed it as he pretended to be roused from sleep. He sat up like a ball of soft dough, still clinging on to Jing Lin’s neck. Revealing his little white teeth, the brocade carp flashed Jing Lin an adorable smile.

Jing Lin raised his eyebrows slightly and stared at the brocade carp with an extremely oppressive aura. He said coldly, “To eat someone, you must be fast and ruthless. You keep dallying. What are you hesitating for?”

His lips were stained with blood earlier, giving them a reddish tinge.

The brocade carp innocently withdrew his hand, looking scared. Jing Lin looked up slightly, his chin almost touching the brocade carp’s forehead. His eyes were lifeless, as if he was just relating the life and death of someone else, not his own.

“If you miss the chance, you have to wait for a year, a hundred years, or even a thousand years.” What was cold was not his skin, but his soul. He drew closer to the brocade carp, like an awakened mammoth beast arising from its sleep. This was a deterrent far more overpowering and daunting than the baring of sharp fangs.

The brocade carp was keenly aware that Jing Lin was not his usual self. He wanted to shrink back. But Jing Lin grabbed him by the arm, planting him under the shadow of the beast. The brocade carp found it getting harder to bear. This was not pain, but the immense pressure of being towered over as he was being scrutinized. The mounting pressure pushed against the vulnerable boundary of his limits, and he trembled involuntarily.

“Jing… Jing Lin…” The brocade carp painfully called out Jing Lin’s name. His internal organs felt like they were being crushed by something heavy. Even his breathing grew ragged.

Jing Lin looked at him for a moment and released his grip on him. The brocade carp swung backward and rolled several times on the quilt, feeling as if he had been granted amnesty. Silence descended upon the inner chamber. Inwardly, the brocade carp was gnashing his teeth, but he still put on a pitiful expression on his face. Teardrops tumbled from his eyes as he pressed down on the back of his hand and sobbed softly.

Jing Lin turned his head and gazed at the snow against the backdrop of the night sky. He sat for a long time looking on with little interest before he looked back at the brocade carp.

“Come here.”

The brocade carp was wary, but he still crawled back like a small animal. The more compliant he looked on the surface, the more composed he was. Hiding in the body of this child, he yearned to dissolve Jing Lin’s guardedness of him. But to his disappointment, Jing Lin seemed to see through him and paid it no mind.

The brocade carp crawled beside Jing Lin. Jing Lin raised his hand to stroke his head but stopped midway and reached over to take a clean handkerchief from the little stone figure instead. He wiped away the brocade carp’s snots and tears. Then he lay down again without saying a word more.

♦     ♦     ♦

The next day, the sky was clear after an entire night of snow, and the sound of clothes being laundered² broke through the morning. Jing Lin had obtained an outfit for the brocade carp. The brocade carp pushed his head against the cuff of a sleeve, but he could not get his head through no matter how hard he pushed. The little stone figure grabbed the clothes, corrected it, and put it on for him. It even wrapped a small velvet cloak around him. A pair of carps were embroidered on his shoes, and the brocade carp could not help but keep touching them when he was putting them on.

Then Jing Lin stood up and went down the stairs. As usual, he was flimsily dressed. He stood at the foot of the steps and looked back. His eyes were cold and empty.

The little stone figure led the brocade carp by the hand down the steps and followed Jing Lin down the mountain. The mountain was enveloped by the morning fog, and the mountain steps were wet and slippery. The little stone figure fell several times. The brocade carp kept a straight face initially, but then he started to run and frolic in the snow with the little stone figure until he had a head full of snow from all the tumbling. Jing Lin never looked back once, his eyes remained half-closed as if he was dreaming.

At the foot of the mountain, the brocade carp ran a few steps ahead. But when he did not see the small stone figure, he turned his head back. He saw the little stone figure sitting on Jing Lin’s shoulder, waving its arm at him.

Before he could understand what it meant, he heard Jing Lin say:

“Leave.”

清修 solitary cultivation, or more literally translated as quiet cultivation. Unlike sects cultivation, it refers to the practice of silence as one cultivates his own morals and innermost being, letting things take their own courses. In Buddhism, it also refers to cultivation at home or self-cultivation.

砧声 the sound of laundering clothes by pounding them with a stick or rod. People in those days wash clothes that way by the river or other water sources.

Chapter 5: Deceitful

JUNE 24, 2019

The brocade carp was stupefied. He tilted his head, wondering if he had misheard. But with a wave of his sleeves, Jing Lin had already begun to ascend the stairs. The mountain fog was an eyesore at this moment, obstructing the brocade carp’s view and causing Jing Lin’s back to nearly vanish from his sight.

The brocade carp returned to his senses and chased after Jing Lin. Hugging Jing Lin’s calf, he cried out, “Jing Lin!”

Jing Lin stopped moving and looked askance at him.

The brocade carp looked up. It was so cold that his body tensed. He said with urgency, “Jing Lin, don’t cast me away!”

“You originally weren’t mine.” Jing Lin flicked his sleeves and moved up the stairs.

“Jing Lin!” The brocade carp grasped the hem of his clothes and sobbed. “Jing Lin… the wild beasts in the mountains want to catch and eat me. I don’t want to be separated from you.”

Jing Lin remained silent.

The brocade carp refused to let go. Tears poured down his face as he looked up. Jing Lin’s entire image was reflected in his eyes. It was as if he always had Jing Lin in his heart, depending totally on him. Jing Lin stared back at him with unfeeling eyes.

“I want to be with you!” The brocade carp choked on his sobs and said emphatically, “You were the one I saw when I opened my eyes. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

“You know who I am.” Jing Lin replied. “And you still dare to say that?”

“You are Jing Lin!” The brocade carp was dragged along the ground even as he remained in a kneeling position. He held on to the edge of Jing Lin’s garment as if this piece of cloth was his lifeline. His vocabulary was limited, so he could only repeat dejectedly, “You are Jing Lin… Jing Lin…” He sobbed, “Don’t throw me away.”

This time, the brocade carp’s tears were real. To him, this was like the dawn of civilization. Looking at the world was like looking at flowers through the fog. He knew nothing about human emotions, and his general knowledge of the world was undeveloped.

His only thought was to eat, but even if he wanted to eat Jing Lin, he had never wanted to leave Jing Lin. Wasn’t eating Jing Lin a kind of eternal companionship? This was what he had always thought, and he had never felt that there was anything wrong with this thinking. Many of his memories when he was a fish had long been forgotten. He only remembered Jing Lin, since he was always with Jing Lin. He had never been so sure that if he were to leave Jing Lin this very moment, he would perish, buried all alone in the boundless snow.

He could not let go of Jing Lin. At least, he could not let go of Jing Lin until he had devoured Jing Lin. This was the prey he had been coveting, the meal he had been yearning. His tightly clenched teeth revealed his resolution to persevere. So when Jing Lin pulled his sleeve away, the brocade carp suddenly threw himself on the steps. His forehead knocked heavily against the edge of the stairs, and he toppled over onto the ground. Then he felt warm, dark red blood flowing down his brows, stinging his left eye until it ached.

The brocade carp sprawled on the ground and sobbed silently. He managed with some difficulty to cover his left eye and looked up at Jing Lin. It was as if he had cast everything else aside, wanting nothing except for Jing Lin’s embrace. The redness of the young child’s frozen fingers could not conceal the blood. He trembled as he timidly called out, “Jing Lin…”

Jing Lin’s expression was cold as frost.

Isolated and helpless, the brocade carp crawled on his stomach. He ignored the blood as his hand clutched at the snow. His hand was so red it made one’s heart ached. He had sobbed until his breathing was uneven, but all he could see was the diminishing back view of Jing Lin as it receded in the distance. Each of his cries was heart-wrenching, and his childish voice had grown hoarse from all the crying.

“You can’t… Jing Lin!” The brocade carp feebly trembled all over. “I beg you… Don’t… Don’t throw me away.”

It was as if he could not maintain his balance on the stairs and tumbled back down. He laid in the snow, his vision blurred, as resentful sobs escaped through his clenched teeth. The blood stuck between his fingers as he clutched at the freezing snow and turned over to stand up. He stood where he was, wiping his eyes and smearing his hands with blood and tears. He could do nothing except to stand and look at Jing Lin’s departing back as he wailed like a mere mortal child.

The crying toppled the snow on the branches of the cedar trees by the side of the steps, and the powdered snow mingled with the dense fog to conceal Jing Lin’s silhouette completely from view. Only the sound of crying echoed in the mountains until the spirits and beasts stuck their heads out in curiosity. The brocade carp was tired of crying. Jing Lin was gone.

A wild boar emerged from a cluster of snow and sniffed its way towards the brocade carp. The wild boar was huge and it looked as if a mountain was moving around as it moved. It obviously had cultivated some spiritual energy for itself. Circling around the brocade carp, it asked in a low, muffled voice. “You want to follow him? You have no idea who he is.”

The brocade carp stopped crying. With red and swollen eyes, he retorted, “It’s none of your business.”

The wild boar snorted and pushed the brocade carp down with its snout. “This mountain belongs to me. Why must you pester him? He’s the most unfeeling. All the immortals are the same. Don’t stay with him. Isn’t it better for you to remain on this mountain with the other demons? You were originally a fish, anyway.”

“What do you care?” The brocade carp ran a few steps ahead and climbed the steps with difficulty. He thought for a moment, then threw away the cloak that had been wrapped around him that morning, even tearing apart his outer coat until it was all a mess. He shivered uncontrollably in the freezing wind, inhaled deeply, then followed after Jing Lin’s footsteps.

“Why did he strip?” A goshawk stuck its head out and uncertainly asked the wild boar beneath it. “Isn’t he afraid of the cold?”

“When you become human, you become eccentric too.” The wild boar tugged at the cloak with its mouth. “It’s bizarre.”

As the spirits and wild beasts around chimed in, the brocade carp had already climbed his way into the mountain. He could not walk fast. It had begun to snow, and his legs trudged slowly in the snow, feeling as if his toes had become stones.

Ice was hanging off the cedar trees, and the creek flowed briskly. The more the snow fell, the thicker the fog became.

The brocade carp could not walk that far. He thought, How could Jing Lin be so cruel? He was like a man without a heart. He also thought of leaving for good so that Jing Lin would regret his decision. But no matter what he thought, he never walked away. Soon, he did not even dare to breathe through his mouth, because the wind was so strong and the cold was so cutting that even his mouth and tongue felt like they would freeze. He could also no longer express his emotions as freely as before; a depressed expression had been frozen on his face by the wind and freezing cold, like a carved mask. His limbs were so stiff that he could not even bend his fingers.

After a period of time, there was a sudden, gentle puff of wind in the brocade carp’s ear. The brocade carp slowly turned his eyes and saw a face floating in the snow. The silver hair of the other party fluttered in the wind, with the ends of his hair gradually turning into snow.

“Where are you heading to?” The other party offered patiently. “You can’t enter Zhenchan Garden like this. Jing Lin had hidden the garden in a subtle corner between Heaven and Earth.” He whispered softly in the brocade carp’s ear. “You will never, never find it.”

“It’s none of your business.” The brocade carp could sense an evil aura. His eyelashes and hair were all covered with frost and snow, revealing his feral nature.

Xue Mei¹ let out a mocking chuckle in the snowstorm. His limbs were virtually transparent; his cultivation was inadequate, and so he could not maintain a human appearance. He lay comfortably in the wind as he followed the brocade carp around.

“You have been abandoned by Jing Lin at the foot of the mountain. Are you aware that he had abandoned many fishes before?” Xue Mei whispered. “Do you know who he is? I know all about him. I’ll tell you.”

Unexpectedly, the brocade carp ignored the last part of his words as he swiftly raised his head. “Did he have that many fishes before? That’s not right. You lied to me. I’m clearly the only one he has!”

Xue Mei laughed and spun around in a circle. “You don’t believe it? Do you truly think you’re the only one? You see, he looks cold and distant, terminally ill and bedridden. There is no one else in that garden but himself. Wouldn’t he feel lonely? He would surely be afraid of being alone.”

“…… I don’t believe you.” The brocade carp’s footsteps slowed down. He shook his head vigorously. “I’m the only one Jing Lin has.”

“If you are the only one he has, why would he forsake you?” Xue Mei said sorrowfully. “He discarded you, and never even looked back once. How can he be so heartless? Does he not have a heart? You were companions in the past. Even if you were a fish, does he not even miss you a little? Yet the more fickle and ungrateful he is…” Xue Mei’s tone changed, and he started to laugh devilishly. “The more you want to swallow him, tear him apart, devour him, and stuff him all into your stomach. You little demon, greedy and cunning.”

Xue Mei was right on the money, and the brocade carp flew into a rage out of shame. “It has nothing to do with you!”

Xue Mei drifted over to the other side of the brocade carp. “What are you afraid of? You must have not dared to let Jing Lin know, because you are afraid he would think that you are just a common demon, and being insatiably avaricious is in your nature.” He chuckled and whispered, “You shouldn’t be afraid. You have no idea how much more ruthless and heartless he is than any other demons in this world. A long time ago, he killed his own sovereign father. He also killed many other people and started a bloodbath in the Ninth Heaven. Have you ever seen a Heaven and Earth awash in red, with burning crimson clouds? That was the sight of the Ninth Heaven Realm when Jing Lin slaughtered those people. He also butchered hundreds of thousands of demons. His sword contains both the bones of demons and the blood of immortals. He is a bloodthirsty immortal whom everyone spurns, hates, and fears…”

But the brocade carp rubbed his frozen cheeks with no traces of surprise or fear. He said impatiently, “You’re making so much noise that I can’t tell the direction. Don’t remain here, go elsewhere.”

Xue Mei floated around the brocade carp. “Aren’t you afraid of him?” Understanding dawned on him right after his question. He continued, “You must have been deceived by his skin. This skin of his is deadlier than any other guise in the world.”

“You think he is good-looking too, huh?” The brocade carp said.

Xue Mei said grudgingly, “… I want to peel his skin off and put it over my face.” He said as he stroked his face with the wind. “If I had his skin, there will be no place I can’t go in the Three Realms.” He abruptly turned sinister. “How hateful of him to imprison me here, leaving me stuck here for hundreds of years, unable to leave this place! He’s afraid that I would spread the word that he’s still alive. He’s afraid that… Well, he’s no big deal either! Little demon, if you really want to eat him, I’ll lend you a hand.”

As expected, he saw the brocade carp’s eyes lit up, even as he carefully suppressed it and pretended not to give a damn.

Xue Mei gloated, “You have to agree even if you don’t want to. I have already disclosed Jing Lin’s past to you. Since you have heard it, then you are bound to me. If you want to live, you must do as I say.”

The color drained from the brocade carp’s face as he said, “You’re so devious!”

Xue Mei continued. “You will not suffer if you obey me. And you can even get Jing Lin’s spiritual energy for free. Don’t you want it? As long as you eat him, there is no way he can ever discard you.”

The brocade carp hesitated for a moment and said, “Is what you say true? I don’t want to be bound to you.”

“Unless I die, no one can extricate you from this bond. You have to do whatever I tell you to. Although I can’t kill you, I can freeze you in the snow until you’re half-dead, never to walk out from it.” Xue Mei coldly scrutinized the brocade carp. When he saw that the brocade carp was slightly scared, he laughed. “Be good, and I will show you the way back.”

Zhenchan Garden had been blanketed by the dense snow fog. The brocade carp saw the familiar garden from a distance away. The wound on his forehead had been so frozen by the cold that it had stopped hurting.

Xue Mei crouched on the brocade carp’s back and whispered, “You must hide the grass I gave you. The pain it causes would be so unbearable that even an immortal would be immobilized if he swallowed it. You don’t know how fearsome Jing Lin is. Even if he can’t move, we still cannot let our guards down. Once he has swallowed it, I’ll teach you what to do.”

The brocade carp looked ahead and exhaled. He suddenly asked, “Does it works on demons too?”

Xue Mei rolled his eyes, and the wind tightened its grip around the brocade carp’s neck. He said, “Don’t try anything funny. That grass doesn’t work on me. If it can harm me, do you think I would give it to you?”

The brocade carp’s neck turned red from the freezing cold. He snorted coldly and trotted a few steps ahead to ascend the last step.

The small stone figure was sitting under the eaves shaking its legs and ringing the copper bell when its gaze fell upon the brocade carp who was standing at the entrance looking all battered and exhausted. Stunned, it jumped up and ran over to him, circling around him as if it was looking at some rare object.

The brocade carp kicked it and sent it staggering. He said resentfully, “Don’t you recognize me? You and your master have hearts of stone!”

The little stone figure rolled over and sat in the snow as it dug out a snowball and threw it at the brocade carp. The brocade carp did not dodge or evade it. His eyes were red and swollen, and he looked miserable.

The brocade carp said to Xue Mei, “Are you going in with me? Jing Lin must be sleeping at this time.”

Xue Mei was sizing up the small stone figure as if he could not figure it out. When he heard the brocade carp, he urged him on. “This is a rare opportunity! Take me in quickly!”

The little stone figure tossed the snowball up and down as it watched the brocade carp walk past him. However, it did not block the brocade carp’s way or pick itself up from the ground. Xue Mei had found the little stone figure unusual when he approached the garden. From the looks of it, the little stone figure did not seem to be a gatekeeper either. Then, it dawned on him and he cried out in alarm. “It’s—”

The brocade carp tripped against the threshold and fell headlong onto the ground. The wooden planks in the inner chamber seemed to be affixed with a layer of a spiritual barrier. There was a sizzling sound when Xue Mei neared it. Xue Mei harshly ordered, “Fool! Carry me up quickly!”

Who would have expected the brocade carp to trip over a small table again and fall on Xue Mei’s semi-solid body? Xue Mei realized something was wrong when he saw the brocade carp struggling to raise his hands to pin him down on the floor. The ground was so scalding hot that Xue Mei wanted to scream, but a clump of grass was forcefully stuffed into his mouth.

Xue Mei could not spit or vomit it out and could only swallow it. His mouth was covered, and he was burning up so much he was about to melt. The pain in his stomach was unbearable. Before he boiled, he heard the brocade carp whispering in his ear:

“Thanks.”

The brocade carp retreated in panic and frantically climbed up the couch. He threw himself into Jing Lin’s arms, choking with sobs as his entire body trembled. “Jing Lin, Jing Lin, I’m scared!”

The insides of Xue Mei were churning violently. He crashed into the threshold, having almost evaporated. His expression was savage as he howled dismally, “You—”

You deceitful demon!

Jing Lin had just woken up. He raised his eyebrows as he saw the brocade carp shivering as he nestled against Jing Lin.

His clothes were mostly gone, and he was only wearing a small robe and an inner coat. It was clear that it had not been easy for the brocade carp to follow him all the way back here. The abrasion on his forehead had been frozen, and he had yet to wipe away the blood on his face. Jing Lin’s image was still reflected in those pair of clear, innocent eyes. On seeing that Jing Lin had woken up, the brocade carp drew his hands back in fear and aggrievement.

“Jing Lin…” His eyes danced with tears. “Jing Lin.”

There was a “plop” as the little stone figure squashed the snowball in its hands, dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before it.

雪魅 (pinyin: xuě mèi). A snow incarnate or a snow demon. I’ll be using “Xue Mei” from now on because it’s easier to type than “the snow incarnate” ._. I’ll continue to use “snow incarnate” if referring to snow demons in general, while “Xue Mei” will be used to refer to this particular snow incarnate.

Chapter 6: Cang Ji

JUNE 30, 2019

The shrill cry of the snow incarnate made it difficult for Jing Lin to compose himself. He waved his hand, and Xue Mei¹ was flung out into the snow. The coldness of the snow unexpectedly eased some of his pain. He was terrified of Jing Lin and did not dare to linger, so he endured the pain, transformed into powdery snow and beat a hasty retreat.

The brocade carp was still covering his face, wailing. Jing Lin felt a splitting headache coming on. He could not even raise his hand to lift the brocade carp away. He could only partially close his eyes and said:

“Why are you so heavy?”

The brocade carp looked up and saw Jing Lin’s pale face and the exhaustion between his brows. He looked even more sickly than last night. He did not know exactly where and how Jing Lin was injured, nor did he know why Jing Lin had turned so frail all of a sudden. His heart ached a little, and he raised his hand to hold Jing Lin’s cheeks.

“Jing Lin.” The brocade carp sobbed and murmured, “Don’t die.”

He was only a child at present. As he cupped Jing Lin’s face, the sadness welled up in him, and he began to sob again. But he was an adorable child, and the sight of him crying as large tears rolled off his cheeks was a sad sight for anyone to behold.

“I am but a dead man.” Jing Lin replied, his eyelids heavy.

“How can you be dead!” The brocade carp’s head knocked against Jing Lin’s chin, almost drowning him with his tears.

Jing Lin felt his collar getting soaked through as the tears slid across his neck and seeped into the pillow. He suddenly felt a little “alive”, as if these little scalding tears had stirred up ripples in a world that had been dead for a long time. It had been a very long time since he had been this close or had spoken this casually to anyone.

“Why do you have so much tears?” Jing Lin’s voice dropped gradually. “… Leave this place and explore the vast lands beyond. Like fledglings leaving the cage, you will come to understand that remaining here is no different from being a walking corpse. You don’t know the world, so this lease of life will be your awakening. It’s by a twist of fate that you could evolve. Your destiny isn’t here.”

“Can’t I just stay with you?” The brocade carp asked.

Looking at how naïve the brocade carp was, Jing Lin endured his fatigue and repeated the words he had said that morning in a slightly mocking tone. “You know who I am, and you still dare to say that?”

“Then, who am I?” The brocade carp looked up. “I don’t even have a name.”

Jing Lin looked like he was asleep. After a while, he said, “Let’s just call you Cang Ji.”

The brocade carp wanted to continue chatting with him, but Jing Lin’s breathing grew heavier as he fell asleep for real. Once Jing Lin was sleeping, it would be impossible to wake him up. If not for his chest that was still heaving, one would almost believe that he was truly dead.

The little stone figure suddenly stretched its arms and waist. It leaped up with vigor, entered the inner chamber, and climbed up the couch to look at the brocade carp. The expression on the brocade carp’s face changed. He dragged the small stone figure off the couch and pushed it aside.

“What you saw and heard just now doesn’t count for anything. I don’t know that demon, and I don’t know what he is here for. Don’t feed Jing Lin any nonsense.” He caught hold of the little stone figure to prevent it from running off, then said harshly, “If you dare to tell on me, I’ll throw you into the pond.”

The little stone figure nodded quickly. It was pinned to the edge of the small table, and its toes could barely reach the ground.

Satisfied, the brocade carp released his hand and said, “From now on, stop calling me ‘fish’. My name is Cang Ji.”

The little stone figure originally had no mouth. It just went along and nodded its head vigorously. Cang Ji felt good to be obeyed. He pulled up his sleeves and said, “I want to wash my hands and face.”

The little stone figure poured water for him. Cang Ji wiped the filth away with a handkerchief. The wound on his forehead felt cool and did not hurt. He looked at his reflection in the basin for a moment, then asked the little stone figure. “He really didn’t look back? I fell so hard. Did I not fall painfully enough?”

The little stone figure kicked him, and Cang Ji hissed and hopped on his leg.

“You didn’t look back either. You are exactly the same as Jing Lin!”

The little stone figure thought it was fun to see him hopping around in pain. Thus, it went around to the other side and kicked him again. Cang Ji wrapped his arms around its leg and tossed it down to the ground with all his strength before he saddled it. Tugging at the grass crown on the small stone figure’s head, Cang Ji said, “How dare you kick me? Now that I’ve become human, I’m much stronger than you. So I’m now your big brother.”

The little stone figure raised its head and thumped him so hard that Cang Ji felt dizzy. Venting his anger, Cang Ji messed up its grass crown. Both of them tumbled around on the ground wrestling each other, even knocking over the table. Finally, Cang Ji rolled over on his back, panting.

“I’m hungry. Jing Lin can’t be eaten in his present state. I have to find something else. “Cang Ji kicked the small stone figure and climbed to his feet. “Come with me to the mountains.”

On the other side, A-Yi was unable to turn back into his human form and could only remain as a five-colored bird as he searched for food in the mountains. He was accustomed to luxuries and had no interest in eating insects. Thus, he forcefully took over nests among pine trees and even tyrannically appropriated food others had stocked up for hibernation, driving them away.

A-Yi despised the other birds. He thought they were dull-looking and dumb. When he had slept enough, he would even kick the baby chicks in the nest that were crying out in hunger before he flew off the branch to look for water.

Cang Ji was bundled up again in fur clothes as he followed the little stone figure to pick mushrooms. And because Cang Ji wanted to eat meat, they went through the forest and dug through the snow to search for small animals.

Cang Ji pulled the shrubs apart and poked his head out to look around. From a distance, he saw a bright, colorful bird drinking water by the stream with its tail sticking out. Cang Ji felt that this bird looked very familiar to him.

“Isn’t that A-Yi?” Cang Ji pressed down on the small stone figure until it was buried in the snow. It struggled desperately. Cang Ji motioned for it to keep quiet and continued to stare at A-Yi for a moment. He saw the bird combing its wings from time to time, looking all arrogant and condescending.

“It must be him.” Cang Ji bared his teeth and said to the little stone figure, “You wait. I’ll hold him down. Come out when I call you.”

Then he removed his fur clothes, folded it, and placed it aside before he crawled over.

A-Yi was fondly admiring himself near the water. He felt that his color was so gorgeous and unique that not even a phoenix could match it. The more he looked at himself, the more absorbed he became. He was unaware of who was crawling towards him from behind. Unable to control himself, A-Yi hung his head closer to the water to take a clearer look at himself.

Such feathers…

Before he had finished praising himself, someone kicked him in the ass. A-Yi was caught off guard and fell into the water. The stream was not deep, but it was cold. It also wet his wings, causing him to flail about wildly in the stream.

“Ignorant fool! How dare…”

Water splashed around as A-Yi was grabbed by the foot. Cang Ji’s strength was much greater than that of a bird, and he dragged A-Yi onto the snow. A-Yi flapped his wings and tried to escape, but Cang Ji sat on him to pin him down.

“What are you doing? You fool! What the hell are you doing?!” A-Yi fumed in anger.

Once Cang Ji was settled down, he told the little stone figure to come out and shove A-Yi’s bird head into the snow. The little stone figure was more than happy to comply. Once it was done, it even rode on A-Yi’s long neck. A-Yi could not break free and could only cuss, “How dare you?! I’ll kill you!”

Cang Ji was facing A-Yi’s tail as he counted the feathers on his tail. He tugged at one and snorted heavily. “What did you say? Speak louder.”

“How dare you pluck my feather?! I’ll kill you!” A-Yi lashed out at him.

“Easy.” Cang Ji’s heart stirred. “If you don’t want me to pluck them, then you must tell me your sister’s history with Jing Lin.”

“Bah! Are you even worthy of asking about my Ah Jie?!” A-Yi spat back. “Don’t even think about it!”

Cang Ji pulled out a feather and waved it in his hand. It was so bright it hurt his eyes. A-Yi cried out in pain, not expecting him to really have the guts to pluck it out.

“Just you wait!” A-Yi said ferociously. “I’ll scrape off all your scales and make you…”

Cang Ji pulled off another one. “Are you telling me or not?”

A-Yi choked in anger. But he braced himself and pushed on, “I won’t tell you! If you kill me, my Ah Jie will not let you off…”

“You are so strange. You’ve already evolved and amassed spiritual energy, but you still cry for your sister all day long. You cry until you are all a mess. You don’t look like a male bird at all.” Cang Ji perplexedly yanked out the feather on A-Yi’s tail. “Are you actually female?”

A-Yi was red-eyed with rage.

Cang Ji thought for a moment and said, “I’m not curious about your Ah Jie. You just need to tell me about Jing Lin.”

“I don’t know!” A-Yi rebuffed him.

“How was the taste of being in the water just now?” Cang Ji hardened his voice, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll pluck out all your feathers and let you soak in it for a few days. We’ll see how you can face your Ah Jie. Without this body of feathers, you will be nothing but a bald chicken. Do you think your Ah Jie will still recognize you?”

He spoke harshly, but he also meant what he said. He knew nothing about human relations; he only understood that he should do whatever he wanted to do. Even if you told him that the Jade Emperor did not allow such acts, he would challenge back with, Who is this Emperor? Who is he to Cang Ji? Who does he think he is? Whatever Cang Ji wanted to do, nobody could stop him!

A-Yi was dragged to the edge of the water. He was trapped in the snow. Gritting his teeth in fear, he said, “I’ll tell you! Stop it! I’m just afraid you don’t dare to hear me out even if I dared to say it!”

“Cut the crap.” Cang Ji kicked him and said impatiently.

“You promise me first. If I tell you, you will let me go and scram!” A-Yi struggled with his wings.

“I promise you.” Cang Ji sat on A-Yi’s back with his back facing him. He propped his cheeks in his hands and said, “I always keep my word.”

A-Yi calmed himself down before he continued, “My Ah Jie treated him differently – with respect and fear. She didn’t tell me anything except to call him ‘Jiu Ge’. But I knew there must be a reason, so I made a special trip to the central section where the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods was displayed to check it out. In Heaven and Earth, there was only one person who dared to call himself Jing Lin. Who do you think he was? He was Lord Linsong, the man who killed the sovereign five hundred years ago!”

He deliberately paused for a moment after finishing, obviously pleased with himself. He wanted Cang Ji to admit that he was “scared”. It did not matter if he was not familiar with the name “Jing Lin”, but “Lord Linsong” was well known. Five hundred years ago, the turmoil he stirred up had caused instability in the Three Realms for countless years. The Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven were nearly wiped out. Lord Shage of Ninth Heaven, Li Rong, sank into a deep sleep because of this incident. If Lord Chengtian had not sought help from the True Buddha of the Brahma Altar, no one would not have been able to take down Lord Linsong.

It was a pity Cang Ji was not acquainted with all the well-known characters in Heaven and on Earth, and so he was not afraid at all. He simply kicked A-Yi again to prompt him to continue.

A-Yi fumed, “I’ve already told you! Why kick me again?!”

“That’s all?” Cang Ji frowned. “That’s all you know?”

“This was enough to make the gods of Zhongdu lose their heads. You are so stupid! Jing Lin killed his sovereign father. Among all the gods of Ninth Heaven, who can condone him? He clearly died, and yet he’s still alive. Humph, he can’t hide the truth from me. My guess is that he achieved the Great Accomplishment Stage that day. Do you know what that is? Jing Lin was previously ranked as a Lord, but there were only six in the universe who could be addressed as ‘Lord’. No more than six. He killed Lord Jiutian, the sovereign who established the Ninth Heaven Realm. Lord Jiutian was both his father and his king! Since then, six lords were reduced to four lords. Now, the only one who can be considered to have achieved the Great Accomplishment Stage is Lord Shage, Li Rong. If Jing Lin had reached that stage too, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he didn’t die.”

 “Why?” Cang Ji asked.

“Because those who have cultivated until the Great Accomplishment Stage can never die or be destroyed. They will live as long as Heaven lives.” A-Yi’s voice deepened as he spoke. “… but I think he is faking it because he is not even the least powerful! There is so much hype about him outside but look at him. His expanse of spiritual energy is empty, and he looks like he has reached his limits. After hanging on for so long, he is still an invalid. He is weak and cowardly, not even daring to descend the mountains after so many years! What’s the point of living like this? He might as well die.”

He had yet to finish talking when his head was smacked a few times, the force of it nearly sending him into the snow. The little stone figure stepped on his head, then continued to stomp on him several times as if it was venting its hatred.

A-Yi was furious, but he dared not speak. He could only continue, “My Ah Jie was originally a five-colored bird under Lord Linsong, so it’s not strange for her to know him! I’m done talking. Now scram!”

Unexpectedly, Cang Ji looked back and said sinisterly, “Scram? You think it’s so easy? You’re unrepentant and almost fed me to a snake. If I let you off this easily, wouldn’t I be on the losing end?”

A-Yi spat out hatefully. “You deceived me?! Don’t you dare touch me! You! You… Ah Jie! Jing Lin! Save me—”

雪魅 (pinyin: xuě mèi). A snow incarnate or a snow demon. I’ll be using “Xue Mei” from now on because it’s easier to type than “the snow incarnate” ._. I’ll continue to use “snow incarnate” if referring to snow demons in general, while “Xue Mei” will be used to refer to this particular snow incarnate.

Chapter 7: Overturn The Mountain

JULY 10, 2019

Cang Ji kicked his shoes off and pushed the inner chamber door open. He had been running about outdoors until his cheeks felt hot and he was sweating all over. It was even more sweltering inside the inner chamber. Jing Lin was still asleep. Cang Ji climbed up the couch and watched Jing Lin with bated breath for a moment, exhaling only when he was sure Jing Li would not wake up.

The little stone figure ran in, shook off the bird feathers on its head, and climbed up after him.

Cang Ji asked, “For how long is he going to sleep?”

The little stone figure naturally could not answer. Cang Ji took off his fur clothes and robe, wanting to snuggle up to Jing Lin. He had only lifted the corner of the quilt when someone grabbed his back collar.

He looked back and said, “Do you want to sleep beside him too? No way. Go outside. You usually sleep outside.”

The little stone figure stepped on Cang Ji’s back and dragged him away from Jing Lin, but Cang Ji was unwilling. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed Jing Lin’s neck and forcibly squeezed in next to Jing Lin. He threw a fierce glare at the small stone figure, totally disregarding their earlier camaraderie when they were plucking feathers together. It was not a stretch to say he had fallen out with a friend over Jing Lin.

The little stone figure butted its head against Cang Ji’s back, causing him to grimace even though he did not dare to utter a sound. He could only let the small stone figure thump him on the back. It was so hot in the room, but Jing Lin was not even sweating. Cang Ji closed his eyes, tempted by the neck right under his nose. Even if he just had a full meal, he still wanted to bite off a piece of Jing Lin’s flesh.

The small stone figure punched Cang Ji from behind, which hurt and surprised him although it also cut his desire short. He licked his teeth and touched Jing Lin’s neck. He supposed he would not be able to rip off Jing Lin’s flesh in his current state and thought how nice it would be if he could grow up a little more.

But the strange thing was that he was a fish, not a beast. He should not have been so ravenous for meat, nor should he have been so clear about the vital parts of a body that would have been fatal if wounded. But these were like natural instincts embedded in him, so much that even he found it odd.

Am I truly just a fish?

Cang Ji’s mind was wandering when he fell asleep.

It was night when the fog receded and the snow stopped falling.

The copper bell under the eaves shook as someone rapped urgently and continuously on the door.

Cang Ji curled up and felt the warmth beneath him. He did not want to wake up, but the person beyond the door would not stop knocking. He clung on to Jing Lin and asked, vaguely, “Who is it?”

The person at the door called out, “Jiu Ge.”

Cang Ji was suddenly awake, having recognized A-Yi’s sister as the person at the door. He had plucked out A-Yi’s tail feathers during the day, balding him so much that A-Yi was both ashamed and resentful. Thus, he kept his eyes peeled as he climbed out of bed and put on his robe.

“What do you want?”

Fu Li saw a gap in the door of the inner chamber and poked her head through. She seemed to be in a hurry and simply asked, “Is Jiu Ge still asleep?”

“He’s sleeping, and can’t be woken.” Cang Ji played innocent as he observed minute details about her. On seeing that she was not here to avenge A-Yi, he continued, “Jiejie, would you like to come in for a cup of tea? It’s uncertain when Master will wake up.”

Sure enough, he heard Fu Li saying, “I’m afraid I have to give the tea a miss. Open the door and let me in.”

“Can’t jiejie enter?” Cang Ji asked.

Fu Li’s expression froze, and her eyes dimmed slightly. “Jiu Ge’s spiritual barrier is everywhere in this garden. I can’t even touch you, let alone enter the inner chamber.”

The copper bell under the eaves corridor shook again.

Fu Li took a step forward. “This is bad! The Eastern Sea Division has caught up with us. It’s inadvisable to remain here. Open the door, fast!”

Cang Ji sniffed; the salty tinge of sea tide was rapidly saturating the air. The sound of the waves seemed to have pervaded the mountainside, and an invisible power surged forth swiftly and violently. The starry sky suddenly darkened, and Cang Ji stared up at it. The sky was not covered by dark clouds, but by a massive body making its way through the sky.

Fu Li knew it was already too late. She shook herself, and there was a great rush of light all at once in the darkness of the night. Her original form was absolutely not something A-Yi could match up to; she almost stole the brilliance away from the starry sky.

Fu Li waved her wings, and Cang Ji was blown into the room. The doors and windows were shut tight, and the entire garden was blanketed with fluttering, accumulated snow. Fu Li soared into the sky and whistled in a clear voice. The massive object in the air followed the sound, and a head emerged from the clouds.

This was a bona fide Jiaolong!¹

“The Northern Deity of Can Li left her place without authorization to come to the coast of the Eastern Sea. What matters of importance do you have here?” The Jiaolong censured in a low voice.

“Zong Yin!” Fu Li spun through the clouds. You have lived in the Eastern Sea for a hundred years, devoted to cultivation with the aim of evolving into a dragon. Now the Dragon Gate² has yet to appear, but you have left for an inspection tour without permission. So, what brings you here?”

“I’m in charge of the Eastern Sea, and it’s my duty to inspect my land.” Zong Yin’s gaze was deep. “I’ve been frank with you, and I hope you will give me a straight answer. What are you doing here? This place is deserted and barren of spiritual energy. Even if you’re here to go into seclusion, you should not have chosen this place.”

“I am the Deity of Can Li, and wherever Can Li tree points to are my lands to oversee. I am surprised too. There are no aberrations in the stars anywhere else except this place. So I rushed here, but it turned out that you were the cause of it.”

Zong Yin scrutinized her and said, “Don’t deceive me. A snowstorm broke out here this morning. A snow incarnate informed the Eastern Sea that there is evil lurking here. Evil beings are not trivial matters. I need to go through this place with a fine comb. You were from the Ninth Heaven Realms, so you’re well aware of how heavy the consequences of an evil contagion is. Don’t be lead astray, leave quickly.”

When Lord Linsong had killed his way to the Ninth Heaven, Zong Yin was at the crucial point of his evolution into a Jiao. Therefore, he did not see the tragic state of the Ninth Heaven. All he knew was that Lord Chengtian had said that Lord Linsong had been tainted by evil and was reaping what he had sowed.

“The snow incarnate is cunning, greedy, and fond of inciting trouble. You actually believe the words of such an ill-reputed being?” Fu Li said. “The stars are unstable. I can’t return now. Don’t hinder me doing my job.”

Zong Yin swirled his body around. “There must be a reason you are trying to stop me from inspecting this place!”

As soon as he said that, the Jiaolong suddenly transformed into a topless man and dived towards the ground. Fu Li spread her wings, and five colors cut through the sky as she chased after him.

When Zong Yin landed on one knee, he noticed spiritual energy wandering all over. He stood up and looked towards the garden, saying in a cold voice, “There are demons with such level of cultivation in this place. You hide them instead of reporting them. If my Lord asks about this someday, you and I will be held responsible for it!”

Fu Li raised the wind to obstruct him. He was a difficult opponent to deal with! She would still have countermeasures if the one who came was not Hai Jiao Zong Yin.³ But of all people, it just had to be Zong Yin. Among the lands of Zhongdu, Zong Yin was the most loyal to Lord Chengtian. This person was upright and tenacious; he would never give up until he got to the bottom of the matter!

The snowstorm rushed at him, and Zong Yin waved a hand to reverse its direction. In that instant, the soughing of the wind among the pines surged, and the entire mountain of accumulated snow flowed backward and started to quake violently.

Cang Ji could not see outside the house, but he felt the sudden tremor under his feet. It made him dizzy and nauseated. Jing Lin’s sleeping body slipped towards the ground, and Cang Ji hugged half of Jing Lin’s body tightly and dragged him back to the couch. Unexpectedly, the next moment, he staggered and stumbled, rolling off the couch with Jing Lin. As he collided with the small desk and chairs in the room, a fire raged within him; he could not wait to bite the perpetrator to death.

It gradually became harder for Cang Ji to maintain his grip on Jing Lin, so he bent over to protect Jing Lin’s head, saying through clenched teeth. “I haven’t eaten you yet! How can I let someone taste your blood first!”

The small table smashed into his back, pinning him down and making it hard for him to breathe. He did not have any hands free and could only endure and resist it. Among the complete mayhem in the room, he suddenly saw the little stone figure deftly dodging the debris as it came to his side.

Cang Ji almost choked on his blood. “Stop playing! Give me a hand…”

The little stone figure stretched out its arms and stepped on Cang Ji’s arm to climb onto his shoulder, pressing Cang Ji down even lower. Cang Ji fumed, “How dare you step on my head!”

The little stone figure stomped on him. Cang Ji bent his neck to stick close to Jing Lin. Even at this moment, he was still thinking idly: this man has a romantic air about him when he’s asleep. He’s totally a different person from when he’s wide awake. Even if he were to remain unconscious forever, it wouldn’t…

“What are you doing?!” Cang Ji ground his teeth.

The little stone figure pulled a strand of his hair as if he knew what Cang Ji was thinking. Then, the weight on Cang Ji’s back disappeared as the small table was pushed off him. Cang Ji was gasping for breath when the room was turned upside down. Apparently, Zong Yin could find nothing unusual, so he had intended to overturn the entire mountain.

Even Jing Lin’s spiritual barrier would be unable to withstand this blow. The garden was located at the top of the mountain. If it was flipped over, they would fall to the very bottom. With the weight of the entire mountain on them, even if Jing Lin was able to prop it up, Cang Ji did not want to take the risk! If Jing Lin coughed out blood and the spiritual barrier was shattered, they would all be crushed into a mass of minced meat instantaneously.

Fu Li stomped on the ground, jolting the toppling mountain back into its original position. The birds in the mountain scattered and the wild beasts fled, miserable beyond words.

“Overturning the mountain to destroy a soul! Do you want to end the lives of all living spirits here? Stop at once!”

The slapping sounds of the sea tide permeated the air. Zong Yin said, “I know my own limits. Get out of the way.”

“How can I stand by and do nothing when you are behaving like this!” With a sweep of Fu Li’s tail, a violent wind swept past and pushed Zong Yin off the ground, sending him towards the Eastern Sea.

Zong Yin steadied himself mid-air and tore the wind apart. Scales swiftly sprang up on his arms as he pounded heavily towards the ground. The gale receded and disappeared without a trace, while the ground cracked rapidly as the pine forest toppled over.

“I must see who is hiding here! You must be acting so timidly and cautiously because you’re afraid to alert others. This person is no small fry, who is it? Fu Li, who are you hiding?!”

The ground tilted and collapsed.

Cang Ji crashed into the wall, aching all over. He exhaled in a hoarse voice, unable to stop the situation from deteriorating. Jing Lin lurched towards him following the tremors, and his arms slid to his sides. Cang Ji’s gaze subconsciously followed Jing Lin’s arm down to one of his fingertips when he had a sudden brainwave. He extended his neck, desperately drawing closer to Jing Lin’s finger.

“Hey!” Cang Lin hissed at the small stone figure. “Give me Jing Lin’s finger!”

Just a little closer and he could touch it. But it was tilting even more, and he could only watch as Jing Lin’s fingertip swayed lightly before him.

This body was useless. It was neither tall nor strong. There were no other uses for it except to play dumb and act obedient! He wanted to grow up; he wanted to grow up; he wanted to grow up!

The fingertip was like white jade, and it drooped and came into contact with Cang Ji’s lips. Without even thinking about it, Cang Ji bit down on it! He pressed his milk teeth down hard on Jing Lin’s fingertip and drew blood. The blood entered his mouth, tasting like sweet dew when it flowed down his throat. It turned into a surging wave of spiritual energy, gushing throughout Cang Ji’s viscera and organs. There was pain all over his body as his bones cracked, forced by the spiritual energy to grow within his body.

Cang Ji was like a pine tree that had a sudden and frenzied growth spurt. In the blink of an eye, he could feel the complete difference in his surroundings compared to the past. He could clearly see the texture of the wall corner and hear the waves in the distance. Tempestuous waves rose from his expanse of spiritual energy, and the pain silenced him.

What kind of treasure was Jing Lin?! It was only one mouthful of blood, but it was worth more than a hundred years of pure cultivation. It grew his body in such a violent way, but internal organs were all fine, and he remained in one piece. Except for the pain, he was unharmed.

The rope of the copper bell under the eaves broke, and the copper bell tumbled into the snow and disappeared from view. The spiritual barrier faded away at a speed visible to the naked eye, immediately exposing a garden that had been hidden from sight.

Jing Lin seemed to be heavier. Behind him, Cang Ji heard a “plop”. The little stone figure had somehow turned into two pieces of ordinary stones, rolling to one side.

Cang Ji could think no more of it, because the door behind him was smashed into smithereens before he had time to move.

The overwhelming sense of oppression drew closer as Zong Yin stepped onto the threshold and said in a chilly voice.

“Found you.”

But what he saw was a man sitting with his back to him in the shade of the inner chamber, his clothes tattered and barely covering him, and his hair, disheveled. The man looked back. It was clearly the face of a haughty and arrogant youth, yet his gaze was wild and ferocious. He spoke resolutely and decisively,

“Scram.”

Zong Yin did not blow his top.

Because that glare unexpectedly gave him a sense of déjà vu.

蛟龙 Jiaolong (Jiao dragon), or Jiao, is a mythical, aquatic creature capable of invoking storms and floods; sometimes also known as a flood dragon.

龙门 Dragon Gate, mythical dragon gate where a carp can transform and evolve into a dragon.

海蛟宗音 literally Sea Jiao (Dragon) Zong Yin

Chapter 8: Hai Jiao

JULY 16, 2019

Cang Ji tightened his arms around Jing Lin and picked him up. The lean muscles on his back rippled like a beast that would burst out of the shadows any time in an attack. With a slight tilt of ear, he could hear his heavy breathing.

Zong Yin leaned over to enter the room. He was tall in his human form, blocking even the last ray of light. He was lost in memories, looking at Cang Ji with a gaze that was part scrutiny and part speculation.

“Who are you?” Zong Yin asked.

Zong Yin’s intimidating presence stimulated Cang Ji to the point that his spiritual expanse was unstable. The aura of the Hai Jiao¹ saturated the surrounding air, holding Cang Ji captive at the corner with nowhere to run. But Cang Ji had no intention to flee. His extreme greed and terrifying desire were rekindled, hiding an insatiable thirst in his heart.

Cang Ji did not reply. He pressed the back of Jing Lin’s head to bury Jing Lin’s face in his neck. It was easy for him at the moment to even break Jing Lin’s waist by exerting a little more force. His displeasure was reflected in his eyes as he stared at Zong Yin’s every move. It was as if he had already expressed all he wanted to say with the word “scram”.

“Zong Yin.” Fu Li sighed behind him. “As you have seen, this isn’t an evil being but a brocade carp that has cultivated enough to evolve into human form. What else do you want to do?”

“That’s not right.” Zong Yin countered. “You said he is a brocade carp, but I saw a reverse scale² below his neck. There are countless things in the world, but only the dragon is born with a reverse scale. He is not a fish at all.”

There were no longer any dragon and phoenix in the realms between Heaven and Earth. Even after a hundred over years of hard work and cultivation, Hai Jiao Zong Yin had yet to see the Dragon Gate³, nor had he gotten the opportunity to pass through it, so he had remained in the Eastern Sea, unable to ascend to the Nine Heavens Realm. It was because of this that he was sure he was right. Cang Ji was an oddity. Zong Yin had looked at Cang Ji’s original form; even his spiritual expanse was built in the form of a brocade carp, and he did not have the bearings of a dragon at all. More importantly, his eyes were full of malice and ferocity. He was clearly a demon that had yet to set foot in the mundane world — it was evident that he would not listen to reasoning nor play by the rules of Heaven and Earth.

Strange.

Zong Yin could not help taking a step closer.

This was too strange.

“Zong Yin!” Fu Li grabbed hold of Zong Yin’s arm. “How could you get close to him? Have you forgotten what you are? Take a good look again. He’s just a brocade carp. The spiritual energy of this garden is blocked off, even more so for the inner chamber. If you go closer, he will not be able to withstand your tremendous power and die. You have no grudges or enmity with him, so why hurt the innocent?!”

“If he’s really just a brocade carp, why do you have to be so secretive?” Zong Yin asked in a steady tone.

“I have a past affinity with him, so I’m just lending him a hand. As you know, the Demarcation Division is paying close watch. My helping him isn’t that big or small of a deal if someone reports me, but it’s still against the law of Heavens and the rules of Ninth Heaven.” Seeing Zong Yin’s unreadable face, Fu Li sighed heavily and continued hesitantly, “You know that I used to be a subordinate of Lord Linsong, and our current Lord hates Lord Linsong the most. All these years, I’ve never wanted to displease him, fearful of incurring his wrath. So naturally, I’ve to be careful. Can’t we forget about today’s incident on account of our years of relationship?”

Fu Li was the Deity of Can Li, and the astronomical phenomena of the North all fell under her charge. The five-colored bird was born after phoenix, a divine bird designated into service by the Supreme Father himself back in those days. Unlike Hai Jiao Zong Yin, Fu Li was a true immortal who had been officially conferred a title in the records of the Ninth Heaven Realm. Technically speaking, she was one rank higher than Zong Yin. But as she said, it was well-known that she had slumbered in the palm of Lord Linsong even when she was still a fledgling. At that time, the roots of Can Li Tree were damaged, and so she had grown up under the command of Lord Linsong. She was a divine bird that had been raised by Lord Linsong. Therefore, when Lord Linsong rebelled against the Heavens, she had been implicated and imprisoned in Zhui Hun Prison and interrogated by the Supreme Lord. Eventually, after their investigations, Zhui Hun Prison had determined that Lord Linsong had acted alone. That was how she had managed to escape death, and it was also why her glory had lost its shine and no longer what it used to be in the Ninth Heaven Realm.

Zong Yin saw her sincerity and looked at Cang Ji again. He had initially suspected that Fu Li was hiding someone that Heaven and Earth could not tolerate. But it was a fact that he had never seen Cang Ji before. No matter how fierce Cang Ji was, he was still not at fault.

Except for that piece of reverse scale.

“I’m afraid the reason you hid him here isn’t just to help him. The Canglong⁴ had not appeared for thousands of years, and it is even harder to find the right time to evolve into a dragon. I could not succeed even after seeking it for a hundred years. The reason you pick him up is likely because you have taken a fancy to that peculiarity of his. I know you are deeply depressed over Lord Linsong’s case, and you are determined to prove his innocence. But a word of caution. Fu Li, you saw with your own eyes how Yan Quan sword had beheaded the Supreme Father in front of Buddha; you saw how the Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven were totally wiped out; you saw how Ninth Heaven had been awash in a sea of blood and buried under a mountain of corpses. Even if Lord Linsong used to be a good person, he had already sunk into the Way of the Devil after that incident. His death is not worth lamenting. You shouldn’t harbor any ill feelings towards the Supreme Lord, vainly attempting to use a Canglong to turn Heaven and Earth into chaos.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Fu Li panicked and said, aghast. “How could you doubt my loyalty? The lives of all the birds and beasts from Can Li tree are all connected here. If I had the intention to rebel, would I have the face to return to the tree? If you don’t believe me, feel free to hand me over to those above. I’ve been through Zhui Hu Prison. Would I still be afraid?!”

Zong Yin finally stepped back and gave way. He said, “I can pretend not to know anything today, but this demon can no longer stay on the coast of the Eastern Sea. If you want to help him, then lead him onto the right path. From what I see, his nature is unrestrained and untameable. If he sets foot on a wrong path, he will surely become a calamity. Take him away.”

Fu Li’s expression was heavy as she raised her hands in a gesture of thanks. Cang Ji was just about to get up when Zong Yin spoke up again.

“He may follow you away, but the man in his bosom must stay.”

Cang Ji’s eyes moved, and he said in a hoarse voice. “Don’t even think about it. He’s my man. Why should I give him to you?”

“He’s your man or your meal?” Zong Yin asked.

Cang Ji wavered as he hugged Jing Lin tightly. Zong Yin remained where he was, having firm control over the way out. Fu Li sensed the situation deteriorating and was about to speak up again when Zong Yin turned his head to the side.

“I could understand going to the extent for a fish, but you also want to make such demands for a man. Why? Do you have a past affinity with mankind too? There are no mortals beneath Can Li Tree, and yet you wish for it. I’m afraid that’s not going to be easy. I’ve already allowed you to take him away, but you can’t even leave a man behind?”

Fu Li maintained her composure and cast a few glances at Cang Ji. She said, “If he is really a man, there is no problem leaving him with you. But he was sculpted out of stone; he just looked human. Silly boy, there is no need to conceal it anymore. It wouldn’t hurt to show him to this Great Master.”

“No way.” Cang Ji lowered and buried his head in Jing Lin’s hair, looking as he cherished him very much. “He’s mine, I don’t want to show him to anyone. I won’t be able to defeat him if he falls in love with this skin and takes it away by force.”

“There’s no need to hide him. I’ve never believed in love.” Zong Yin said.

Cang Ji scoffed. “You have relied on the higher status of your cultivation to censure me so many times today. Are you not afraid it will become a long-standing grudge the next time you and I meet again? I just took a shine to a piece of stone, and you want to forcibly steal a look at it. Do immortals always do things this way? Are they always this rude?”

“Don’t argue with me.” Zong Yin said, “Show him to me quickly.”

Cang Ji lifted the hair on the side of Jing Lin’s face, revealing a vague shape underneath. Zong Yin could only see a profile, but that complexion that was whiter than snow was so alluring and aloof to the point that it did not seem to be that of a living man. Cang Ji’s palm was pressed against Jing Lin’s back. In this long moment, he almost believed that Jing Lin was dead. Jing Lin’s head was inclined to the side, motionless, and at Cang Ji’s disposal. There was no warmth in his body. The temperature and moisture that Cang Ji had initially felt had all turned cold and hard. His skin felt satiny to the touch, like porcelain. There was no sign of life.

Cang Ji’s heart beat uncontrollably. He wondered in alarm and doubt. Was Jing Lin awake? Or dead? 

Fu Li took a step forward and said tartly, “Why would you even want a stone? Can’t you just let this silly boy have his fun with the stone so he won’t stir up trouble in the mortal world?”

Zong Yin remained silent when he saw that she was angry to the point of tears. He was skeptical, but could not voice his suspicions to Fu Li. He stared at Cang Ji for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry. I have a duty to check. You may leave.”

But there was no relief in Fu Li’s heart. She was aware of Zong Yin’s character. The incident today would have definitely aroused his suspicions. He could not put them in a spot, but he would investigate in secret. However, they did not have a choice. The longer they stayed, the harder it would be to extract themselves from their predicament if more people got involved.

“I’ll take this garden with me and leave no trace. We won’t give you a hard time.” Fu Li said.

Zong Yin nodded slightly, retreated a few steps, and transformed into a Jiaolong. Before he took to the sky, he said to Cang Ji, “I don’t know why you were born with a reverse scale. I expect you are not far from evolving into a dragon. Behave yourself, or there will be bloodshed the next time we meet.”

Cang Ji did not even look at him, giving no indication of how much he had heard. As soon as Zong Yin left, Fu Li quickly stepped forward and looked at Jing Lin in shock.

“Jiu Ge?”

Jing Lin’s brow wrinkled, and he opened his eyes, choking on his blood. His breathing was weak as his chest heaved again, and the iciness in his limbs slowly faded away.

It had only been a hundred years, and that little snake frolicking in the water beneath his seat had become so powerful that it had almost shocked him into giving himself away.

Cang Ji met Jing Lin’s eyes. Before he had time to adjust himself, he saw the frostiness in Jing Lin’s eyes. Jing Lin stared at him until it made Cang Ji nervous. He had a pair of exquisite eyes. When his eyes were cold, they would look haughty, sharp, and extremely wild. But when his eyes were smiling, they would overflow with liveliness and cheerfulness. Cang Ji let his smile reach his eyes, looking earnest and sincere as he raised one of Jing Lin’s hands and held it in his palm.

“I was so scared. I thought you wouldn’t wake up.” Cang Ji lowered his eyes and said.

Cang Ji’s grip on Jing Lin’s hand was so tight that Jing Lin thought his hand would break. He could not break free. Cang Ji felt uneasy about Fu Li’s presence and hid the bite wound on Jing Lin’s hand in his own hand. Given Jing Lin’s temperament, he was sure that Jing Lin would not ask Fu Li for help.

As expected, Jing Lin gradually let out a cold smile and said softly, “I just took a nap, and you’ve grown up so much.”

Cang Ji picked him up and said, “That’s right. You don’t have to be afraid in the future. I will treat you well, just like how you treat me.”

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony.” Jing Lin let Cang Ji picked him up. “Just keep whatever I’ve given you.”

Fu Li found it odd and asked, “What has Jiu Ge given him? Since Jiu Ge is indisposed at the moment, you can leave him in my care.”

Jing Lin narrowed his eyes and said lazily, “I’m afraid you can’t afford to feed him.”

It suddenly hit Fu Li, and she turned towards Cang Ji, seething in anger. “How dare you?! I was wondering how you could have grown up in such a short period of time when you were just a child the last I saw you. Even your disposition had stabilized so much! You actually dared to consume Jiu Ge’s flesh and blood?!”

Cang Ji embraced Jing Lin tightly and nimbly dodged her. He said with aggrievement, “Jiejie, it’s a misunderstanding! The situation was so critical that I had no choice. Otherwise, none of us could survive today if that Hai Jiao had gotten a clear look.” He inclined his head to sniff Jing Lin’s hair and smiled. “Besides, I respect and adore Jing Lin so much. How I wish I could hold him in my palm every day and pamper him. How could I bear to take a few more mouthfuls of him?”

Even if he wanted to take a mouthful, it had to be a time when he was fully prepared and would not leave any loose ends behind.

Fu Li noted that Cang Ji differed totally from when he was a child; even his inner state seemed to have changed. This kind of demon was certainly unusual! However, Jing Lin did not look like he was being held hostage. For a moment, Fu Li was uncertain.

“Return Jiu Ge to me. I’ll not pursue today’s matter.” Fu Li had no wish to jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

“I’m afraid.” Cang Ji did not want to antagonize Fu Li today, so he said, “But what I’ve said is all true. If jiejie doesn’t believe me, you can ask Jing Lin. Would he rather let me hug him, or let you hug him?

Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji for a moment. Cang Ji felt like his gaze was a solid, icy cold hand roaming around his neck.

“I’ve raised him for so many days, he can take a few steps more.” Jing Lin shifted his eyes away. “Go to the porch.”

Cang Ji smiled at Fu Li and stepped out of the door. He asked, “What are you looking for?”

“I’ll move the garden away. It won’t be too late for Jiu Ge to search for it when we arrive at Can Li.” Fu Li followed closely behind Cang Ji.

Jing Lin did not answer. His eyes searched through the edge of the eaves. After a pause, he asked, “Where is the copper bell?”

Cang Ji blew at the broken rope. “I’m afraid it was lost when the mountain was overturned.”

“I can’t lose it.” Jing Lin said, “I want that copper bell.”

Cang Ji wanted to tease him, but Jing Lin did not look like he was joking. The gears in his mind turned, and he asked in a low voice, “What object is that important? Do you use it to lull you to sleep? I rarely see you treasuring it that much.”

Jing Lin raised his chin slightly and motioned for Cang Ji to move closer to him. Cang Ji lowered his head towards Jing Lin’s lips, feeling that looking down at Jing Lin like this was quite a sight to take in.

“What you have devoured was just a couple hundred years of my cultivation.” Jing Lin said, “What truly matters is all in the bell.”

“I’ve only tasted a mouthful; I can’t tell what’s genuine or not.” Cang Ji was unhurried. “What if you deceive me?”

Unexpectedly, Jing Lin chuckled and the warm flow of air tickled Cang Ji’s earlobe. Cang Ji raised his eyebrows slightly. The corners of his lips curled up in a smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He said, “You’re so sure I’ll look for it.”

Jing Lin answered, “Aren’t you calling the shots now?”

“I can search for it if you want me to.” Cang Ji whispered, “Make this jiejie stay away, and I’ll go wherever you point to.”

If Fu Li kept following, Cang Ji would not dare to act rashly. He already knew the benefits of Jing Lin’s flesh and blood. Right at this moment, Jing Lin was like a piece of meat dangling right before his nose. It was definitely impossible for Cang Ji to have a heart of benevolence and not to be greedy. Moreover, their positions were now reversed; he could hold Jing Lin in his arms, or flung him to the ground. He was at the helm, and the pleasure of looking down at someone instead of looking up was indescribable.

Jing Lin said, “She has to hold you to lead you in the right direction.”

Cang Ji played dumb. He inserted his fingers into the gaps between Jing Lin’s fingers and lifted their holding hands. “My dear Jing Lin, aren’t we already holding each other? If it’s not enough, I can even let you wrap yourself around me or hug me.”

After waiting and not getting a response, Fu Li tentatively stepped forward. Cang Ji took a step back and patted Jing Lin’s lower back with the palm that was behind Jing Lin, coaxing him amiably.

“Jing Lin, what were you going to say to this jiejie?”

海蛟 literally Sea Jiao (Dragon), a 蛟龙 Jiaolong (Jiao dragon), or Jiao, is a mythical, aquatic creature capable of invoking storms and floods; sometimes also known as a flood dragon.

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touched that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

龙门 Dragon Gate, mythical dragon gate where a carp can transform and evolve into a dragon

苍龙 Cang Long, or Blue Dragon, is another name for the Azure Dragon (青龙), one of the Four Symbols, mythological creatures that are viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions – The Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North.

Chapter 9: Westbound

JULY 24, 2019

A-Yi was perched on a tree when he suddenly saw the night sky awash in brilliant lights. That was how he knew that it was his sister. He did not see Jiaolong and thought his sister had come to find him and take him home. Thus, he jumped off the branch and dug into the snow to hide. The sight of him sticking his tail up as he burrowed into the ground was both funny and awkward because his tail had already been stripped bare by Cang Ji.

A-Yi was running when he woke the birds up. He could hear the mountain woods spirits snickering, so he put up a tough front and scolded them severely. “Who was that? Whoever laughs again, I’ll gouge out his eyes and cut off his tongue!”

But the spirits were everywhere around him, hiding in the trees and in the snow. Their laughter grew, and A-Yi hopped in a fury, feeling as if he had been stripped bare and placed on display for all to see. He was both furious and resentful, and said in irritation, “Don’t laugh! You’re not allowed to laugh!”

 A-Yi was so humiliated and full of hatred towards Cang Ji that he wanted to skin him alive. The fury consumed him, and he turned around, intending to make a trip to Jing Lin’s garden to drag Cang Ji out to give him a severe beating. But he had only taken a couple of steps when the ground shook below him and the mountain tilted. The mountain was full of birds taking flight into the air. Concerned that his sister was still at the top of the mountain, he raced there.

A wild boar came crashing out. Unable to avoid A-Yi in time, it bowled him over and sent him tumbling onto its back as it continued running. Sprawled on the back of the wild boar, A-Yi was tossed around so much that he was all a mess.

“Are you blind?! Do you want to die?!” A-Yi cranked his neck and cursed.

“We’re going to die!” The wild boar panted heavily as it lowered its head in a mad rush. “Hai Jiao is overturning the mountain! If we don’t flee now, we will die!”

“It’s just a Jiao, not even a dragon. What are you afraid of?” A-Yi felt relieved. “That’s the Jiao in charge of the Eastern Sea. He will not hurt the innocent. Most likely, he’s just patrolling this mountain. Hey, have you seen my Ah Jie?”

“I saw her. I saw her! The flapping wings of the Deity of Can Li hurt my eyes so much!” The wild boar dashed maniacally towards the foot of the mountain.

A-Yi looked up and smiled. Spreading both his wings, he said smugly, “That’s natural. My Ah Jie is…”

Before A-Yi could finish his words, a burst of snowstorm swept by him and grazed his wings. A-Yi heard a tinkling sound as a copper bell dropped out.

A-Yi stared at it and asked, “What are you doing stealing someone else’s bell?”

Xue Mei¹ assembled into form; half of his face had already been destroyed. He hid his face, revealing only an eye. He looked fearfully at A-Yi and forced a smile. “It was blown away by the wind. No one wanted it. So I picked it up to play with it.”

“Is it that fun?” A-Yi sneered. “Then gift it to me. I’ll play with it too. Now, scram.”

Xue Mei suddenly exposed the savage-looking half of his face and met A-Yi’s eyes before settling on pleading with him, “I’ve remained here for hundreds of years without venturing out. It wasn’t easy for me to find a toy. Please let me keep it.”

A-Yi shook the copper bell and said, “What’s so interesting about a broken bell? Do you think I’ll believe you?”

There was a chill in the depths of Xue Mei’s eyes, and his voice sounded as if he were sobbing with aggrievement. “What treasure is there that you can’t get your hands on? I just want a bell to relieve my boredom. You even want to snatch it from me?”

A-Yi’s voice turned shrill. “Snatch? Bah! Who gives a damn about the broken bell of an invalid? I don’t want it even if you pay me! What the hell, you actually said I snatched it from you! Then, all the more I won’t give you, what can you do?! Scram!”

The malevolent aura of Xue Mei was apparent as he moved to seize it. “Return it to me!”

There was a seal cast by Fu Li on A-Yi’s body, keeping ghosts and demons away from him. When A-Yi saw the audacity of Xue Mei to strike out at him, he dumped all his hatred for Cang Ji onto Xue Mei and kicked him over. Xue Mei had only lunged a little nearer to him when he was scalded by A-Yi’s five-colored feathers, causing him to shriek in pain.

“Are you blind?! You even dare to fight with me over it?!”

Xue Mei whimpered like a woman weeping. In a demonstration of his might, A-Yi jumped off the back of the wild boar and paced around Xue Mei as he haughtily flaunted his feathers.

“Do you acknowledge your mistake?! Are you scared of me now?! I won’t hit you if you kowtow and beg for mercy.” A-Yi stepped on Xue Mei with his claws. “Hurry up! Otherwise, you’ll die here tonight with not even a soul left.”

Xue Mei wept even more mournfully. Even A-Yi could not go on listening. He hugged his head and yelled, “Stop crying!”

“Give it back…” Even if it was wishful thinking, Xue Mei persisted. “Return it to me.”

“Why are you so obsessed about a broken bell?” A-Yi was perplexed. “Could it be that you have a past with it?”

For a moment, Xue Mei simply cried without saying a word. A-Yi was alarmed. “But this obviously belongs to Jing Lin. Don’t tell me you bear him some grudges. If that’s the case, why do you still want it? If it isn’t a grudge, oh—” A-Yi continued opinionatedly. “Is it because you have a past love affair with him? You know, I was wondering why he had to imprison you here but not others. So, I see! I get it now! Then you need not kowtow to me. Tell me, is Jing Lin…”

A-Yi had yet to leap in excitement when the surrounding beasts dispersed in an uproar. The wild boar was the first to flee, bellowing as he ran, “Run! Run!”

“Run for?” A-Yi was still stepping on Xue Mei and asked blankly, “What are you running for?!”

A-Yi realized something was wrong when everyone was gone. Xue Mei had also stopped crying as he lay motionless on the ground. This gave A-Yi the creeps, and he retreated a few steps. When he saw that there was no one looking at him, he turned around to flee. Who would expect that he had only just taken a few steps when someone picked him up by the wings?

A-Yi was caught off guard. At the same time, understanding dawned on him, and he said resentfully to Xue Mei, “You dare to summon a human to catch me?!”

He had been wondering why Xue Mei had cried like a woman; so it had all been an act to lure a human over. They had already arrived at the foot of the mountain, and within a few miles, there were signs of human habitation. The strange disturbances in the mountains had probably startled them, and this was likely someone who was taking advantage of the chaos to hunt for treasures. A-Yi could not flap his wings as someone wrenched him up by the wings and stuffed him into a sack. Right now, A-Yi was filled with resentment, but he did not know who to hate! His Ah Jie had confined him in his original form, and he was no different from an ordinary bird if he encountered human beings. If he could not escape, then the only thing left was to make a last-ditch struggle.

“You want this bell? Fine!” A-Yi held on to the copper bell tightly as he tumbled in the sack. He was so infuriated he burst out laughing and said contemptuously, “Don’t even think about it! If I were taken away, there would be no escape for it too. Without Jing Lin’s orders, you can never leave this mountain in this life! How’s this for you? You will never see it again!”

He heard Xue Mei throwing itself at him, and there was a rustling sound of snow sliding off. “Return it to me!”

The man dragging the sack could only feel the chilly wind pouncing at him, and he shivered from the cold. He did not want to linger, so he turned and left, taking A-Yi with him.

“Humph! Serves you right!” A-Yi shook the bell. “You will never see it.”

Xue Mei burst out bawling as if he was genuinely sad.

Jing Lin looked to the West. The night was black, and the view was obstructed with snow. He could see nothing. Fu Li remained at one side, a strange feeling nagging at her. This was because when she was under Jing Lin’s command, she had never seen him so intimate with anyone. Even Lord Shage, Li Rong, who could be considered a close friend of Jing Lin, was only served a cup of tea from Jing Lin at the very most. She felt that Cang Ji was evil by nature, but she did not dare to speak rashly when she was still uncertain about Jing Lin’s likes and dislikes. Now that she has lost Jing Lin’s favor and trust, she dared not intervene more than she should.

This apprehension was exactly what Cang Ji had hoped for.

“You may leave.” The frown on Jing Lin’s face deepened as he sensed the copper bell moving further away. He had no wish to stick around any longer.

Fu Li prostrated herself in response and retreated after receiving the command, not even daring to question him. With a wave of her hand, she turned the garden into a dot of fluorescent light and took it with her as she soared into the sky.

“There’s only you and me left now. There’s no one to disturb us.” Cang Ji said. “I would save a lot of energy if you are this obedient every day.”

“Remove your hand.” Jing Lin said.

Cang Ji’s palm had been caressing Jing Lin’s back all the way to his tailbone, occasionally kneading his back with varying amount of force as he probed it carefully. He said, “So this is how touching the back of a human feels like. You actually have soft spots too.”

Jing Lin naturally had soft spots; his skin was soft everywhere. Cang Ji was well aware of this, but he wanted to appraise Jing Lin himself with his palm. It was not a loss to him if Jing Lin flew into a rage from shame. It was a pity Jing Lin remained expressionless even as Cang Ji placed his arm around the softness of Jing Lin’s waist to support him.

“All you have to do is lie on the ground.” Jing Lin said, “And I’ll help you find a softer spot on your body.”

“All I did was to hug you, Jing Lin. Why are you so fierce towards me? I’m still in a panic now. I’m so scared.” Cang Ji looked back and watched as the figure of Jiaolong receded among the clouds. “Where’s the copper bell?”

“It’s heading west.” Jing Lin answered.

Cang Ji remained where he was. He knew that the West was a prosperous and bustling area in Zhongdu, where all kinds of spirits mingled. His momentary hesitation was not because of fear, but because he was weighing the pros and cons.

If he devoured Jing Lin here, he would have Jing Lin all to himself. But once at the West, he would not know if anyone else would also be eyeing Jing Lin’s flesh and blood. He did not intend to share Jing Lin with others; this was born out of an instinct to protect his food.

Jing Lin clearly saw through him and said sarcastically, “Since it scares you, why not devour me now? Consuming lesser cultivation is still better than nothing.”

“You are truly considerate.” Cang Ji’s brows relaxed, and the gloom disappeared, and yet he said, “Before we hit the road, I need to make it clear that no matter what we come across, don’t let them touch you. Although I’m magnanimous and generous by nature, I’m very particular about food. I won’t tolerate even a strand of hair missing on those I want to swallow into my belly.”

“Today, I’m fish meat.”² Jing Lin said. “It’s pointless to tell me what the knife would do.”

“Let’s put it another way.” Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin’s cheeks and said slowly. “I’m amassing cultivation now, and I’m now at the point when I’m ravenous for food. Whoever dares to snatch my fish, I’ll make them pay back with interest. If they touch you once, feel you once or bite you once, I’ll chew them all up and gobble them down, regardless of whether they are demons or mortals. But if you touch someone, wanting to make use of the chance to escape. Jing Lin.” Cang Ji lowered his head, his eyes vicious. “Then I’ll drag you back, tear you up inch by inch without spilling a drop of your blood for others to taste. We will become one, never to part again.”

“We have been companions for so many days.” Jing Lin stared at him as if looking at a child. “And I actually never discovered how naïve and adorable you are.”

He did not seem to be a human or a fish; he was clearly like a beast. Avaricious and insatiable. Stubborn and opinionated. Great at pretense, yet silly and thickheaded. It was as if Jing Lin was looking into a mirror and seeing himself in it.

“Why be modest? You are well-aware of it. You are only just indulging me on purpose.” Cang Ji released his grip and asked. “So, how was it? You were the one who fed me until I turned out this way. Is this what you wanted? Are you satisfied?”

Jing Lin did not answer, and Cang Ji leaped down to the foot of the mountain. The sleeves of Jing Lin’s robe fluttered in the wind, and its color of azure was like spring water, soaking Cang Ji in it. They both seemed interdependent on each other as they rose and fell, and yet they were both silent.

Cang Ji went west in pursuit. There was a weight at the back of his neck, and the small stone figure popped out. Cang Ji burst out laughing, more affectionate than when he had seen Jing Lin. “I thought you were dead, never to wake up again.”

For some reason, the little stone figure punched him several times. Unaffected by the punches, Cang Ji shook himself lightly, and the little stone figure tumbled and fell into Jing Lin’s arm. Cang Ji glanced at Jing Lin, only to find that he had closed his eyes again. He huffily snorted to himself and thought:

He’s always like this. Sometimes I really want to bite him to death.

With this thought, he said to the small stone figure, “Although you are just a piece of stone, you are much warmer than a living man.”

Jing Lin did not seem to hear him. The small stone figure sat on Jing Lin’s chest and looked down. Cang Ji said, “You are not happy even though I praised you. Are stones this stupid? You are the same as your master; you’re just like a…”

The small stone figure head-butted Cang Ji. Cang Ji coughed and almost face-planted into the snow, swallowing back the words he had yet to say.

雪魅 (pinyin: xuě mèi). A snow incarnate or a snow demon. I’ll be using “Xue Mei” from now on because it’s easier to type than “the snow incarnate” ._. I’ll continue to use “snow incarnate” if referring to snow demons in general, while “Xue Mei” will be used to refer to this particular snow incarnate.

Jing Lin’s quote is based on the idiom 人为刀俎，我为鱼肉, which literally translated as “he’s the knife and chopping board; I’m the fish meat”. It means to be the meat on someone’s chopping block, i.e., to be at someone’s mercy.

Chapter 10: Luocha (1)

JULY 28, 2019

Several copper pearls rolled on the ground, and a weathered man bent down to pick them up. One by one, he wiped them clean before placing them into his money pouch. It let off a tinkling sound as he closed the pouch. The old man standing opposite him flicked the beads on his abacus, making a series of clanking noises.

“Please leave if you’re done.” The old man casually waved him off without raising his head. “Make way for those behind you.”

Without saying a word, the man turned and pushed through the crowd to make his way to the streets. Along the way here, A-Yi had been flung around so much that everything had turned dark before his eyes. At the moment, he could only lie on the ground with scarcely any breath left as he was weighed, watching as the culprit blended into the crowd.

The man secured a hat¹ over his head, hiding his reticent face under its shadow and revealing only a slight contour of his frosty face. He looked straight ahead as he moved through the jostling crowd like a stone shuttling through the bustling street—uninterested and inconspicuous. He cut into an alley and pounded on a small, narrow door.

The door opened slowly, stopping midway to reveal a woman’s tired face. The rouge on her face had already partially faded away. Huadi leaned against the door, not even bothering to put on an outer garment. On seeing the man, she said, “Another futile trip, and your pocket is now empty, am I right? Jerk, aren’t you pushing your luck treating this place like an inn?”

Although Huadi was swearing at him, she still stepped aside for him. The man sidestepped her, and a wave of fragrance hit him in the face as he entered. He removed his hat and sat hunched over on the woman’s couch. Wine and porridge were simmering on the small stove; he could finally warm up his frozen hands and legs.

Huadi slipped into the quilt with her back to him and closed her eyes for a moment. Hearing no movement behind her, she chided him again. “Have you forgotten how to eat after a trip to the wilderness?!”

The man brewed the wine and gulped it down. He sat civilly with eyes half drooping. The house was quiet. As soon as he stepped into the house, he had seen the sundries that had not been put away and knew that Huadi had received patrons last night. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and a low sigh escaped. He fell back and curled up on the small couch, then closed his eyes.

“Are there any news from the north?” The man kept his voice down and asked.

Huadi opened her eyes and stared at the gaudy drapery. The mirror hanging above was so small it could only show one of her eyes and the fine lines at the corner of that eye. She lifted a finger and smoothed her sideburns. Her reply was sharp. “I thought you’ve given up. You’ve not asked about it for half a month. So you’re still concerned, huh?”

There was no space for the man to turn over, and he cut a sorry figure stooping over on the narrow couch. But he looked as if he was already used to it.

He said, “I have only one daughter.”

There was a lump in Huadi’s throat, and she hurriedly pressed down on the corners of her eyes. Pushing herself to harrumph in a steady voice, she said, “Your wife is dead, and you are so poor you can’t even make ends meet, who would be willing to follow you? How many daughters do you expect to have if you can’t even get a wife?”

The man replied, “I’m content with just one.”

Huadi said, “No one has come from the north yet. It’s hard to trudge through the snow. It will take a few days more. Moreover, the lands of Zhongdu are vast. It won’t be that easy to find those abducted children. Do you still not understand?”

The man stopped talking and went to sleep. It was not easy for him to run all the way here, after having realized that there was a demon chasing after him. Fortunately, he had a treasure on him that could hasten speed, and that was how he could make his escape. Now that he has reached the city, he need not worry about the demon following him as long as his scent mingled with those in the city.

Cang Ji’s nose twitched slightly as he said, “I can’t trace him anymore. This place is too packed with people. It’s hard to tell him apart from the others once he has melted into the crowd. Jing Lin, where is your bell?”

Jing Lin’s eyes swept through the crowd and said, “It’s gone.”

This place was under the supervision of the Demarcation Division at the top, while it relied on the mortals’ state bureau to suppress evil at the bottom. There was also an assortment of countless human and demons, and the layers of obstruction meant that the odds of sensing the copper bell were weakened.

“This town isn’t small. Finding a copper bell is undoubtedly trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Cang Ji said, “My guess is that he will definitely not dare to venture out at will, so there’s no need for us to be anxious for the time being. Hey, I’ve been on the move for the whole night. I’m starving.”

Jing Lin picked up the little stone figure and walked along the street. When he closed his eyes slightly, he could sense demonic aura all around him. Demons donning human skin could be seen everywhere. Not only that, he could even detect the deity-in-charge of this place patrolling between the temples with alert eyes.

This proved to be even more tricky.

“Can I eat?” Cang Ji suddenly leaned over from the side and spoke into Jing Lin’s ear. “Give me food, or I’ll hunt for my meal. There are so many people here, it won’t be strange if one or two go missing.”

“You can try.” Jing Lin said, “The deity-in-charge of this place is Hui’an, who is under the command of Lord Shage, Li Rong. He has eagle eyes bestowed by Heaven which can discern a demon’s original form, unobstructed by illusions. Plus, he has vast spiritual consciousness. He will watch each of your actions like a hawk when he isn’t sleeping or at rest.”

“Isn’t that an invasion of privacy? What virtue is there to speak of?” Cang Ji said and touched his chest. “Can he see through clothes?”

Jing Lin threw him a look, as did the little stone figure.

Cang Ji raised his chin slightly. “Don’t hesitate to speak up if you want to see too. But for someone like him, won’t his eyes swim? There are more humans here than demons.”

Jing Lin said, “He sees only demons when his eyes are opened and only mortals when his eyes are closed.”

“Then, if he wants to see you, should his eyes be opened or closed?”

Jing Lin replied, “Blinded.”

“It’s just a little chat.” Cang Ji held on to Jing Lin’s shoulders, as if supporting him, and shielded him under his body. “Why are you nervous?”

“When you start being touchy-feely,” Jing Lin raised his hand to brush off Cang Ji’s hands. “it ceased to be just a chat.”

“Are you a prude or just stubborn? You and I have known each other for such a long time; it’s normal to be on such intimate terms.” Cang Ji draped an arm over Jing Lin’s shoulder. “Come closer. You are now the meat closest to my heart; I can’t afford to lose you.”

“Then, I’ll have to trouble you.” Jing Lin said. “Lead the way.”

Cang Ji led him through the crowd, occasionally meeting gazes that harbored malicious intentions. Cang Ji sized them up in his mind: this one is too thin; that one is too fat; all of them are too ugly. He could not stomach any of them.

Jing Lin followed Cang Ji’s eyes and saw a bashful and smiling leopard cat. Her ear tips flushed red as Cang Ji stared at her, and a pair of eyes coquettishly gazed back at Cang Ji.

“The size is just right.” Cang Ji said, “But it’s not convenient to decapitate it and eat it raw. There is nowhere here to bury a head.”

“You just want to eat her?” Jing Lin asked.

Cang Ji gave him an expression of “what else do you expect?”, then said in understanding, “It’s unsightly to eat it raw, so I won’t eat it in front of you. However, you and I cannot be separated. You can just close your eyes while I’m having my meal. Or do you still have compassion for demons?”

“No.” Jing Lin answered and asked no further questions.

Cang Ji was initially fascinated as he walked along the street, but then he grew bored. Those who came and went were human, and their conversations and activities did not cater to his preferences. He could barely comprehend them. He felt as if he was still on the mountain, looking at humans from a distance. He did not understand why humans laughed or blushed. The heart beneath his skin was cold and hard, and he did not find humanity beautiful, nor did he yearn for it.

Jing Lin entered an inn. His altered appearance was average like a commoner and no longer as captivating. He looked nothing out of the ordinary. Cang Ji knew he was concealing his looks. He watched as Jing Lin handed over a silver pearl, then followed him up the stairs.

“Do humans live here?” Cang Ji plopped down on the bed, rolled around once, then propped his head up to look at Jing Lin. “It’s no different from home.”

Jing Lin said, “Since there is no difference, go to your room.”

“It’s not a problem if you want me to leave. Just pick me up and cast me away like what you did in the past.” Cang Ji raised his hand and grasped a corner of Jing Lin’s clothes, tugging it. “You know a lot about the human world. Have you ever been here before?”

Jing Lin did not respond. The little stone figure leaped onto Cang Ji’s stomach. Cang Ji raised a finger to flick it away without even thinking about it. He continued to pull Jing Lin.

“Reply me.”

Jing Lin took off his outer garment and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, Cang Ji swiftly got up and held Jing Lin between his arms as he gripped both Jing Lin’s hands and pulled him into a hug.

“Even after we came all the way here, you still don’t understand.” Cang Ji dangerously leaned against the side of Jing Lin’s head. “You and me, who is the master now?”

Jing Lin’s sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing his wrist that had reddened from Cang Ji’s grip. He said lightly without changing his expression. “It won’t do you any good to bring superiority into every single matter.”

“What’s good for me is all here.” Cang Ji said, “In my hands. Other than myself, no one else can decide for me.”

“How very gratifying.” Jing Lin said at a neutral pace.

Cang Ji resented Jing Lin’s attitude. He dragged Jing Lin onto the bed and pressed down on Jing Lin’s back to pin him down on the bedding. Cang Ji lowered his head, revealing a trace of malice. Yet he was smiling. “You have no intention to submit to me at all. You aren’t even afraid. This reminds me. You were like this too when you threw me away; there was neither sorrow nor pity. I wonder now whether you really have a heart. Are you even considered a human?”

Half of Jing Lin’s face sank into the bedding, exposing a patch of white at the back of his neck. His lips were tightly pursed, and he gave a cold laugh when he heard Cang Ji. “Don’t you remember? I’m a dead man.”

“The dead mostly can’t speak.” Cang Ji could not help but stir when he saw that the back of Jing Lin’s neck was within easy reach. He said, “I’ll give you another chance. Let’s have a good talk. Have you been here before? Were you a mortal before you became an immortal?”

“Before I have my meals, I never ask my food how they feel and where their homes are.” Jing Lin looked askance at him. “When it comes to certain aspects, you always seem to be exceptionally…”

Jing Lin closed his eyes and sucked in a breath before he could finish his words.

Cang Ji bit down on the meat at the back of Jing Lin’s neck. It was warm. This untouched and unexplored spot was like a delicacy, so much that Cang Ji was unable to stop himself. As expected, he tasted that kind of unrestrained spiritual nourishment again. The spiritual energy surged forth into his body in such torrents that he could barely hold himself back.

Devour him. As long as he devoured Jing Lin, Jing Lin’s indifference and wariness would all be swallowed into his lower abdomen, never to be seen again.

Cang Ji ground his teeth slightly and broke through the skin. He greedily licked that drop of blood and was about to swallow it when he realized that Jing Lin’s head had drooped and he was motionless.

Cang Ji hastily released his mouth and lifted himself up. Turning Jing Lin over, he found that Jing Lin had fallen into a slumber and was cold all over.

That’s not right.

Cang Ji thought something felt off. It was true that he had wanted to devour Jing Lin all this while. But he had not been this frantic even if he had been lured by the temptation of flesh and blood. Ever since he had been stained with Jing Lin’s blood, he could vaguely feel that the one who seemed to have been consumed was him instead. He needed to get to the bottom of precisely what Jing Lin was. Otherwise, he would feel as if he was just a puppet in someone else’s fingers, dancing to someone else’s tune.　

Cang Ji wiped the corners of his lips and gazed out of the window. The little stone figure staggered and fell between the bedding. Cang Ji poked it a few times, noting that it seemed dispirited.

“The one I bit was Jing Lin.” Cang Ji poked his finger against the little stone figure’s face and stared at it. He said, “What are you being all weak for?”

The little stone figure remained motionless and swatted Cang Ji’s finger away, then buried itself in the bedding. Cang Ji picked it up and put it on his chest, then lay on his side to gaze at Jing Lin.

“If only he could not speak like you.” Right at once, he regretted his words and said, “Forget it. He has been like an enigma all along. Hey, how long have you been with him? Why is he so kind to you? We were all raised for him to have fun with, and we still have to be sorted according to seniority?”

The little stone figure turned over to sprawl on Cang Ji and looked at him. Then it turned its head away as if it was going to sleep. Cang Ji forced its head back, prompting it to wrap itself around Cang Ji’s finger to punch it.

Cang Ji played with it for a moment, oblivious to the gradually darkening sky. It was now night, and Cang Ji was drowsy after having eaten his fill.

The wind started blowing in the middle of the night, causing the branches outside the window to sway wildly. Cang Ji suddenly woke up and rolled off the bed. He gently pushed the window open, and the snowstorm came hurtling towards him in the face. Cang Ji warily gazed out into the night and caught a whiff of an unusually foul stench.

Suddenly, a massive gray crane with white claws and eyes like flashing phosphorescence flew through the night, a stink permeating the air where it passed. Cang Ji furrowed his brows. He did not know what bird it was. He could only see it leaping over the roof, pressing forward through the flying snow and swooping down in the distance. Then the sound of clanking chains rang out from the deserted street as Ghost Guards² sprinted towards the direction where the huge bird had flown. As they passed by below, one of them sensed something and looked up.

The window shut abruptly. Jing Lin covered Cang Ji’s mouth and nose to conceal his breathing. Cang Ji was slightly short of breath, and he had already revealed his demonic appearance.

Jing Lin’s eyes remained fixed on the paper window.³ Tilting his head slightly, he whispered in Cang Ji’s ear, “Don’t bite. Don’t move. Don’t say a word.”

Cang Ji’s tense body gradually relaxed, and the glow of the scale that had started to emerge on his neck vanished from sight. He remained still in Jing Lin’s arms.

As if praising him, Jing Lin said, “How obedient.”

Some kinds of hats used in those days. May come with or without a veil.

鬼差 Hell guards or ghost guards are like grim reapers who guide the souls of the recently deceased to the realm of the dead.

The coverings of the windows in ancient times were made of paper.

Chapter 11: Luocha (2)

AUGUST 3, 2019

The Ghost Guard’s gait was hurried as he dragged the heavy chain past the window. It was as if he suspected nothing, or perhaps he had something to attend to and did not want to complicate matters. When they left, Jing Lin withdrew his hand.

Jing Lin dusted the front of his clothes with his fingers, and his garment fell opened to reveal his shoulder. He absent-mindedly secured his waistbelt, looking as if he was deep in thought.

Cang Ji followed closely after him and asked, “What was that just now?”

“A bird.” Jing Lin was about to take a step forward after tidying himself up when someone blocked his way.

Cang Ji leaned against the door, obstructing Jing Lin’s path. He pushed on adamantly. “Why are the Ghost Guards of the Underworld chasing a bird? It stinks all over and does not seem to be a demon but a malicious spirit.”

“That’s a Luocha Bird¹. It’s created out of the accumulation of corpses’ energy and is a master at shape-shifting. It’s…” Jing Lin paused, then continued solemnly. “It’s fond of eating fish.”

Cang Ji swiftly crossed his arms and leaned over. “Fond of eating fish? Then why didn’t it come here to find me?”

“The fish elsewhere is fatter.” Jing Lin replied with a straight face.

Cang Ji sized Jing Lin up with dubious eyes. He thought something was off, but he was used to Jing Lin’s solemnity and have never seen him lied to anyone before. So he asked again, “Why are the Ghost Guards chasing after a bird that eats fish?”

“Maybe they aren’t chasing after it.” Jing Lin said, “But taking a soul into custody.”

One had to be ferried across the banks of Li Jin on the way to the underworld. The Ghost Guards escorting the souls had to cross the river before they could reach the Hall of the King of Hell. There were countless spirits and souls of the dead in Zhongdu, so this was not an easy job to undertake. It was common to miss a soul that was due to be detained just because they were a little late. Therefore, once someone’s life ended in the Registry of Humans’ Life Expectancy, the Ghost Guard would lie in wait nearby until that person breathed his or her last. Then they would fetter the soul with chains before leading them away. But the Registry of Humans’ Life Expectancy could only identify those who died of natural causes. As for those who have died unjustly or abruptly, they had to rely on the various deities-in-charge to notify their respective divisions who would in turn hand it over to the Hall of the King of Hell. The Ghost Guards would then be dispatched. If there were even a moment’s delay during the entire process, they would lose the soul slated for capture. Trying to hunt down and recover a soul in the vast lands of Zhongdu was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. And yet this Soul Custody Record was often tied in with the Ghost Guards’s promotion to a higher rank. As such, the moment a human life ends, the Ghost Guards would all yearn to split their legs into four to rush over.

But it was slightly different tonight; the Luocha Bird was actually ahead of the rest. Clearly, someone with deep resentment had died in the town. This matter was so unusual that the copper bell was likely behind it.

Cang Ji threaded his way through Jing Lin’s sleeve to grab his thumb, then looked outside. Shrinking smaller than even the little stone figure, he hid in Jing Lin’s sleeves. All because Jing Lin had said that the Luocha Bird was fond of eating fish and he was still not strong enough to devour a bird if it came for him now.

The night was still silent. The wind had stopped, but the snow had started to fall.

Dressed in navy, Jing Lin soundlessly stepped on the thin layer of soft snow, cutting a desolate figure as he carried a lantern with him. He left no footprints behind as he walked and searched along the street for a long time.

“You are becoming more and more like a mortal.” Cang Ji looked up for a moment and said, “Or are you originally a mortal?”

Jing Lin did not answer, but said, “Hide in the sleeve later. Don’t show your face.”

“There must be a reason you always avoid answering me.” Cang Ji lazily wrapped the material of Jing Lin’s sleeve around himself, revealing only his head. “Are you hiding your precious away because you are afraid that I’ll devour it someday and gain knowledge of worldly desires?”

“You’re contradicting yourself.” Jing Lin said.

Cang Ji knew that Jing Lin was talking about the words he had said before he bit Jing Lin’s neck. He could not help but push the tip of his tongue against his teeth. He said, “Words spoken in a fit of pique are not to be believed. Didn’t anyone tell you that before?”

Jing Lin looked at him without answering. Cang Ji knew that justice was not on his side, but he did not think that he was wrong. He was only brooding over the question of whether Jing Lin was a mortal, a deity or a ghost, but Jing Lin always maintained his silence on this issue. This unsettled him so much that he just had to get to the bottom of the truth.

As he was thinking about it, Jing Lin came to a stop. Before Cang Ji could look around, Jing Lin gently pushed him into his sleeve. Cang Ji tumbled in Jing Lin’s sleeve, then did a carp kip-up² and sat cross-legged as he craned his neck to listen to the movements outside.

Jing Lin’s lantern suddenly went out as he stood before a closed door. The eaves of the door were covered with grass, and the wooden planks³ were old. The snow on the earthen steps had iced over, seemingly for a long time, but no one cleared it.

Under the darkness of the night, the metallic smell of blood permeated the air, its stench making one’s throat tighten and scalp tingle. Cang Ji heard the sound of a demon in the midst of having its meal, as crunching sounds of bones being chomped into pieces rang out.

“It was only in the daytime that I mentioned this place wasn’t suitable for hunting.” Cang Ji let out a laugh as he placed his hands behind his head. “But now it seems this is clearly a good place for feeding.”

As soon as he spoke, the chewing noises stopped.

The door creaked open at the touch of Jing Lin’s toe. The Ghost Guards were long gone. There was a pool of congealed blood on the floor, with a trail of blood leading from the low, narrow door. Jing Lin crossed the threshold. This courtyard was narrow and had only two buildings: a chamber for sleeping and a woodshed. The door did not have a hanging screen, and one window was badly damaged. Blood had splattered through the hole onto the windowsill. Not long ago, there was a face stuck to it, but now the paper of the window had been soaked red.

There was no corpse in the courtyard. It looked as if someone had been dragged from the house to the front of the woodshed, where the person had been smashed beyond recognition with the bolt of the door when it was realized that he or she was still alive. They were then finally dragged back the same way. There were still signs of a struggle in the snow, but the size of the footprints in the snow were those of a child.

Jing Lin stood still and looked around. Cang Ji suddenly said, “I smell the scent of a human. It’s the one who stole the copper bell.”

But this place was already deserted. What was a bandit doing here? He knew very well that he was being chased by a demon, so he should have gone into hiding upon fleeing back to the town.

Jing Lin entered the inner building again. The darkness swallowed him. The flame of his lantern leaped into life as his lantern glowed. However, the instant it lit up, a battered and malevolent face confronted Jing Lin and stared at him with bitter resentment.

Jing Lin abruptly took a step back, not out of fear, but revulsion. The mouth of this man could barely close, and the flesh and blood that he had gobbled up seemed stuck in his throat, causing him to retch with effort.

“Mine…” He stuffed his hands into his mouth and staggered towards Jing Lin. “M… Mine…”

Cang Ji’s nose twitched. “It stinks to high heavens. This is it. It’s that bird.”

The Luocha Bird stooped over, swallowing as spittle and pieces of flesh trickled down its mouth. It stretched forward towards Jing Lin.

Right at once, Cang Ji said harshly. “Don’t let it touch you, or I’ll rip its skin apart!”

Jing Lin flicked his sleeve to silence Cang Ji. But it was too late. The Luocha Bird had heard the sound, and an evil thought came to its mind. Cackles escaped from its throat as it pounced on Jing Lin’s sleeve, trying to grab Cang Ji. Cang Ji was tossed around inside the sleeve until he saw stars. He clasped Jing Lin’s finger tightly and took a bite without even thinking about it.

Cang Ji’s lanky body immediately appeared, with one hand full of scales as he imitated Hai Jiao Zong Yin’s appearance the day he transformed into a human form. Pressing the back of the Luocha Bird’s head, he slammed it down and smashed its face into the ground.

“I don’t care who you are.” Cang Ji said menacingly. “But you dare to snatch my food?!”

Before Cang Ji could finish speaking, Jing Lin dragged him back by his collar, causing him to bend over backward. Another body nosediving heavily from above barely brushed by him.

Jing Lin’s keen sense of hearing caught the sound of the copper bell. He lifted his foot in a kick, and a sudden surge of strong wind in the cramped room forced the Luocha Bird back. He lifted a combative Cang Ji in one hand and cast a spell with the other. There was a glow of green light, and the hologram of a talisman instantly grew in size before them, shielding them. However, Jing Lin had been bitten twice by Cang Ji in a single night. Where in the world would he have the spiritual energy to maintain the spell? The next moment, the green light of the charm flickered under the shrill cries of the Luocha Bird and shattered into fragments.

Jing Lin’s chest felt heavy as he covered his mouth and choked on his blood.

Both Luocha Birds fused and simultaneously launched an attack together, aiming right for Jing Lin’s eyes. Cang Ji blocked it with his arms. Scales swiftly emerged on his arms, but even so, the Luocha Bird managed to draw blood with its claws.

“It has been only a moment.” Cang Ji said, “How did it become so strong?!”

Jing Lin’s breathing was uneven as both of them retreated at the same time. He waved his sleeves to summon the wind, and snowflakes rained down in clusters. The Luocha Bird finally revealed its real appearance, shifting from its imitation of two corpses into an aged person with facial deformities. The snowflakes whirled around it like cutting knives. The Luocha Bird screeched, yet there were no wounds on it.

“It ate the copper bell.”

Before Jing Lin could finish his words, the Luocha Bird’s back split open and sprouted gray wings. The Luocha Bird tore through the wind and swept through the snow to rush towards them.

Cang Ji’s cultivation had only been established, and his expanse of spiritual energy was still unstable. It was only because of his insatiable desire for Jing Lin’s spiritual energy that he could build up his original form. Even if he fought with his life now, there was no guarantee that he could defeat the Luocha Bird. Unless he took a few more mouthfuls of Jing Lin and devoured him a few more times. It went without saying that Jing Lin has already emptied his expanse of spiritual energy because of his injuries. He was merely hanging to his life by a thread. He could still get by back in the garden because there was the copper bell to hold the fort and keep his souls together. If the copper bell was still around, they would not be in such a mess. But now Jing Lin had lost the bell, he was already at a disadvantage.

Cang Ji promptly raised his foot and stepped on a door plank to pin down the Luosha Bird trying to race outdoors. He trampled down on it heavily, and the Luosha Bird struggled wildly, its wings thumping behind the door.

“Spit it out!” Cang Ji’s voice deepened as he looked down. The door plank could no longer withstand the heavy battering and pounding of the Luosha Bird.

The head of the Luocha bird suddenly broke through the door plank and shrieked, “Mine… Mine!”

Jing Lin said, “It’s just like you.”

Right away, Cang Ji grabbed Jing Lin’s arm and said resentfully, “Bullshit! Do I look like this? Is this how I look like to you?”

Jing Lin saw that he had misunderstood, but there was no time to correct him. He turned around and threw himself at Cang Ji, causing Cang Ji to take a few steps back and slide to the ground. Cang Ji’s back collided with something, and scattered firewoods came crashing down on him. He let out a curse and waved away the debris. Cang Ji picked up Jing Lin by his waist and hoisted him over his shoulder and rose nimbly.

The gray wings of the Luocha Bird shrouded the sky. Even its face was transforming into its original bird form. Carrying Jing Lin, Cang Ji grabbed the top of the wall and swiftly vaulted atop it to make his escape.

“You deceived me. It doesn’t eat fish at all. It eats humans, eyes, and demons!” Cang Ji leaped onto the roof and made a mad dash for it in the night snow.

It was the first time Jing Lin was carried this way over a person’s shoulder. He was jerked around so much until his stomach turned and he nearly regurgitated its contents. A sigh escaped his mouth as he pressed down on the back of Cang Ji’s neck to lift himself up. Unexpectedly, there was a crackle as the Luocha Bird brushed past the crown of his head and swooped down. Its strange and ugly face leaned towards Jing Lin’s face as if doggedly zeroing in on them.

Jing Lin stared back at it icily. The night wind rose again, ruffling its feathers. It was right at this moment that the Luocha Bird lost its nerve and cowered. Cang Ji seized the opening to leap across several houses before he dropped down and continued to gallop through the streets.

The night scene was all a blur to Jing Lin. At the moment of impact upon landing, vague memories of the past came back to him. He grasped tightly onto Cang Ji’s clothes as his head felt as if it was splitting open. Cang Ji realized something was wrong with him and pulled him into his arms.

“Jing Lin?” Cang Ji sprang up again, trudging through the heavy snow as he pinched Jing Lin’s face. “Don’t sleep!”

Jing Lin closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Cang Ji’s lapels. He said, “There is something wrong with this place.”

Cang Ji was fleeing with the Luocha Bird in such hot pursuit that even his breathing grew irregular. He could not tell the direction in this heavy snow, but no matter how much he ran, the rooftops around them seemed to stretch on forever! A gush of chilly wind pounced on Cang Ji from behind, and he dropped down to evade it. But he did not expect an iron lock to come flying at him right in the face from the left. He could not dodge it; it seemed as if he would get hit. In that split second, a white wrist materialized on Cang Ji’s left and grabbed ahold of the chain as frosty ice speedily enveloped the back of the hand. Droplets of blood dripped from Jing Lin’s hand, although there were no clear signs of wounds on it. Jing Lin wiped the drops of blood with his other hand and rubbed his fingers between Cang Ji’s lips.

“Eat your fill.” Jing Lin shook his hand lightly, and the ice shattered. He enunciated, “We aren’t running away anymore.”

The paper-like Ghost Guards stood around them in solemn silence as the chains clattered and encircled the two men.

They were clearly one step slower than the Ghost Guards and should not have encountered the Ghost Guards at all. But yet, here they were, with the Ghost Guards before them. There was obviously something odd with this place. It almost seemed like someone was trying to trap them.

Cang Ji had long lost his patience while they were fleeing. The tip of his tongue flicked across that smudge of red and licked Jing Lin’s generous gift clean.

罗刹 Luocha, or rakshasa in Sanskrit, is a man-eating demon in Buddhism. In this arc, the Luocha mentioned specifically refers to the Luocha Bird (罗刹鸟), an evil bird-like creature that looks like a gray crane with a white beak and claws; it’s fond of eating human eyes.

鲤鱼打挺 carp kip-up, a martial arts move where one leaps from a supine position into a standing position.

Doors in the old days were mostly made of wood. The ‘doors’ of some houses, especially of the commoners, were either a set of two door planks that could be opened from the center (picture 1) or simply several wooden planks to cover up the opening of the entrance (picture 2).

Chapter 12: Luocha (3)

AUGUST 10, 2019

The taste of that bit of blood at the tip of Cang Ji’s tongue turned into a surge of spiritual energy, and the sweetness irrigating his throat swelled until Cang Ji could not help but reveal his ivory teeth.

The Luocha Bird swooped down on them, but before it could land, Cang Ji grasped its silver claws and swung its massive body around. The Ghost Guards could not retreat in time and were sent flying as the Luocha Bird crashed into them.

“Surrender!” The Ghost Guards snapped and spun around to throw out their long chains.

The chains shook off the heavy snow, revealing themselves like hissing pythons dealing a crushing blow. Cang Ji dodged it, his form robust as he somersaulted to stand atop the network of chains as they intersected with one another. The tip of his foot pressed down on the intersection point of the chains before he yanked them up. The Ghost Guards holding on to the chains were simultaneously hauled towards him, crashing into one another in a ball of bodies.

On seeing this, the Luocha Bird sprang up and attempted to flee. Jing Lin took a step forward, and it tumbled onto the ground with begrudging cries as if it had collided into a wall of wind. It twitched on the ground, its wings and claws convulsing, shaking so much that the ringing of the bell grew louder. Sensing imminent danger, a demonic visage shrieked as it revealed itself beside its bird face, cramming in together with the other face on one head. It looked grotesque. Before long, the stench of rotting corpses permeated the surrounding air. It was actually attempting to digest the copper bell in its belly to break through the stalemate and flee.

“Where is the copper bell?” Cang Ji brushed past Jing Lin and took him by the arm as he kicked the Luocha Bird up to thwart the Ghost Guards’ surprise attack.

Jing Lin replied, “In its stomach.”

The Luocha Bird tumbled onto the ground, then suddenly flapped its wings and sprang up with a shrill cry. All its senses had taken leave of it as it tugged and tore away at the Ghost Guards’ iron chains. The head with a human face ripped one of the Ghost Guard into two with its mouth as if shredding paper. Then it raised its head to gulp him down.

“So, it’s a glutton.” Cang Ji cracked his knuckles, facing the Luocha Bird as it pounced on him. Amidst the cracking sounds, he smiled and said leisurely, “Coincidentally, I’m your granddaddy.”

Cang Ji burst into action right after saying so. His body was like a swan goose as he stepped on the snow and soared into the air. He weighed the chains in his hands. Before the Ghost Guards who were busy fleeing for their lives could notice him, a strong force dragged them back. The Luocha Bird had already gone berserk with anger, tearing away at anyone it encountered. Wails of anguish rang out as Cang Ji fed the Ghost Guards to the Luocha Bird.

“How was it?” Cang Ji stepped on the back of the Luocha Bird’s head with one foot and shook the iron chain, making it rustled in the falling snow. “Acknowledge me as your daddy, and you will never need to worry about food again.”

The Luocha Bird thrashed its head but failed to shake Cang Ji off. In a moment of folly, the Luocha Bird turned its sight to Jing Lin. Before it could spread its wings, the iron chains tightened around it to restrain it. There was a heaviness on the back of its neck as its head was slammed onto the ground. The iron chains stretched taut, strangling it until its neck was almost deformed. The Luocha Bird let out a blood-curdling scream, its various faces falling over one another to beg for mercy.

“Where are you going?” Cang Ji kicked its two heads.

Both faces of the Luosha Bird said in unison, with one face wailing and the other currying favor. “Spare me… spare me!”

“Spare you?” Cang Ji crouched before it and smiled. “Sure I can, but you have to answer a few questions.”

One pair of the Luocha Bird eyes swiveled around while the other pair looked miserable. Their voices overlapped as they said, “Ask away.”

Without waiting for Cang Ji to beckon him over, Jing Lin moved over to his side.

Jing Lin asked, “Who gave you the copper bell?”

The Luocha Bird covered its faces as its gaze wandered all over. It let out a hoarse cackle as it replied evasively, “At random. I ate it at random!”

Jing Lin nodded slightly without disputing its claim. He continued to ask, “You live in graves and was born out of heaps of corpses. Why have you come here to look for food?”

The Luocha Bird replied, “The taste here is delicious.”

Jing Lin stopped questioning it. When the Luosha Bird saw Cang Ji standing up, it said with a malicious look on one face and a pleading look on the other. “Let me go. Hurry.”

The chains in Cang Ji’s palm dropped to the ground. He raised his chin to Jing Lin and said, “Turn your back or close your eyes. Take your pick.”

The side of Jing Lin’s face was coated white with snow. He pulled out his cotton handkerchief, wiped his fingers carefully, and said, “Don’t dirty your clothes.”

“It doesn’t matter if it gets dirty, just put a new one on for me.” Cang Ji used his feet to prop the Luocha Bird’s face up and smiled down condescendingly on it. “Don’t worry. Daddy is just cutting open your belly to extract something.”

All four of the Luocha Bird’s eyes widened in a stare as it started to struggle violently. The iron chain tightened around its neck, and the head under the sole of Cang Ji’s shoe went even tauter. Both of the Luocha Bird’s faces swelled as the vague bobbing in its throat gradually gave way to a spluttering sound until its body stopped convulsing. It was as if a small blade had scraped off its entire spiritual energy, not even sparing those in the crevices of its bones. Four of its eyes rolled upwards in unison as it breathed its last.

Cang Ji squatted in the pool to wash his hands and held them up to his nose to take a sniff. It felt as if there was a lingering stench. He splashed the water irritably and stormed ashore. “It stinks to hell.”

Jing Lin was so sleepy at the moment that he only gave a perfunctory grunt from where he was atop the tree. He was too lazy to even open his eyes. Before the night was over, the tip of his nose had already turned red from the freezing cold outside.

Cang Ji stood naked in the water. In a split second, the heavy snow cloaking his shoulders and arms turned into water droplets. He did not seem to know what the cold was and found nothing wrong with being half-buried up to his waist in the water.

“Hey.” Cang Ji shook the water droplets away. “That bell really doesn’t belong to you?”

Jing Lin dragged himself back to consciousness and uttered an “uh-huh” in reply. Cang Ji had taken a few drops of his blood tonight, and it was hard for him to maintain his consciousness. He had to sleep. Water splashed as Cang Ji waded ashore. Bracing himself with his arms, he flipped into a standing position before Jing Lin and stared down at him.

“We wasted our efforts only to find out it was a fake. Even if I did not earn any merit, I still toiled hard. You have no idea how much of a stink its belly is.” Cang Ji lifted his arm and sniffed it while giving Jing Lin’s waist a light kick. “Do I still smell?”

Jing Lin opened his eyes wearily and instantly saw this fat fish’s brazen stomach, sturdy legs, and that naked, uninhibited secret part.

Jing Lin averted his gaze and said, “Not anymore.”

Cang Ji crouched down and moved closer to Jing Lin. His face was exquisite and his eyes, charming. He was so close to Jing Lin that Jing Lin subconsciously and hurriedly diverted his eyes.

“Or perhaps you had already noticed that it was a fake and intentionally deceived me into fishing for it?”

A mild look of surprise sprang up on Jing Lin’s face, looking almost ‘innocent’. He asked, “Why would I deceive you?”

Cang Ji cast him a suspicious look and said, “It sure is full of puzzles tonight. It does not seem to be a coincidence. It was as if we were being drawn into someone’s scheme. Why did the Ghost Guards turn back to chase us?”

“Their chains were empty, so they did not get their hands on the soul. Someone else must have gotten to it first.” Jing Lin leaned back slightly. “Get dressed.”

Instead of retreating, Cang Ji advanced and asked, “Then, what does that have to do with us?”

Jing Lin explained, “All four members of a household lost their lives. This case is already strange, and it even attracted the Luocha Bird. Yet, the Ghost Guards could not find the soul. It’s reasonable for them to suspect us when we showed up by coincidence.”

The copper bell had lured them here. And yet, the bell from the Luocha Bird’s stomach was not the one that Jing Lin lost.

“Who would set you up?” Cang Ji asked. “We left the mountain in secret, and the deity-in-charge of this place can’t see you. Who else knows?”

Jing Lin’s identity was sketchy at best. To date, it was still hard to determine whether his body was that of a human, a demon, a ghost, or a deity. But from the narratives that Cang Ji knew, everyone thought Jing Lin was dead. So, who would know the significance of the copper bell and Jing Lin’s temperament?

“Perhaps not.” Jing Lin covered his mouth with his stiff, frozen hands and blew them. “It would be hard for a copper bell overflowing with spiritual energy to remain undetected when it falls into the hands of a mortal. Those who have some cultivation would know the value of this bell. Since this person had substituted a raccoon for the crown prince¹, he must have already gotten hands on the real one. Worried that we would chase after him, he intentionally sent out a fake one to obstruct us.”

But the timing was so perfect that it raised Jing Lin’s suspicions. But if he had someone in mind, he said nothing of it.

“Then, the real copper bell is no longer traceable?” Cang Ji wondered.

“That’s right.” Jing Lin looked at him quietly. “It’s a good time to devour me now.”

“That’s my affair.” Cang Ji almost said, “it’s none of your business”, but he held himself back and said, “Do you want to die that much?”

Jing Lin questioned, “Is it that strange?”

His eyes were surprisingly pure at this moment as if he were genuinely curious but had never received an answer before.

Cang Ji was speechless for a moment. He wanted to refute him, but yet he had nothing to say.

It’s none of my business whether Jing Lin lives or dies. As long as I devoured him, he would be with me forever, never to leave, and never to abandon me. It was fine this way. Even if their friendship ended, what did Jing Lin’s desire to live or not had to do with Cang Ji, who just wanted to eat him?

Yet, the other side of Cang Ji’s heart piped up.

I’m just not happy about it.

So he gruffly pulled out new clothes from the air and replied as he put them on. “Strange. It’s too strange!”

After putting it on for a while, he saw Jing Lin’s subtle gaze, looking as if he wanted to say something. Cang Ji said smugly, “Where are you eyeing me? You are allowed to praise me. If you’re not complimenting me, then don’t even open your mouth.”

Jing Lin held his peace. When both of them got off the tree and headed back, Cang Ji felt troubled and inconvenienced by his clothes. They returned to the inn in silence, and Jing Lin had just closed his eyes when someone pounced on him from the back.

Cang Ji said ferociously, “Why didn’t you warn me I’ve worn my trousers inside out?!”

He flipped Jing Lin over, only to see Jing Lin with his eyes closed as if he were already deep in sleep. Annoyed and resentful, Cang Ji said in a low voice, “Go on pretending!”

The little stone figure popped out from under the pillow and rolled with laughter. Cang Ji released Jing Lin and plopped down at one side, punching the bedding with stifled hatred. He glared fiercely at Jing Lin’s calm and indifferent profile, itching so much to bite him a few more times.

The next day, when Cang Ji sat up and saw that Jing Lin was not awake yet, he grabbed the small stone figure and placed it on his shoulder, yawning as he went downstairs to have some fun. He imitated Jing Lin and threw a few silver pearls to the innkeeper. After listening to the innkeeper praised the chef to the sky, Cang Ji casually placed his order.

“Do you want to eat?” Cang Ji propped his arm on the chair and said to the small stone figure, “Come to think of it, it’s odd. You don’t have a mouth, and you don’t consume spiritual energy. What do you live on all day?”

The little stone figure sat on his knee and held on to the chopsticks as if waiting for food. Finding it both ridiculous and adorable, Cang Ji could not help but shake his leg. His mood brightened on seeing it totter before giving him a few kicks indignantly.

As he was teasing it, he suddenly heard someone whispering in the hall.

“Something big happened today! You know Old Man Chen, who sells sugar figures² on the west side? This morning, his neighbor made a report to the authorities. When those from the prefectural yamen went over and smashed the door open. Whoa! A family of five, all gone!”

A family of five?

Cang Ji’s heart skipped a beat.

Wasn’t it four?

狸猫换太子 literally substituting a raccoon for the crown prince. A folklore where a scheming imperial consort swapped another imperial consort’s baby son with a skinned raccoon (or civet cat, or leopard cat) out of jealousy, causing the latter to be driven out. The boy, supposed to be killed, was saved and later taken in by a prince and eventually ended up being the crown prince and subsequently, the Emperor. This idiom is now used to describe swapping something authentic for a fake.

糖人; sugar figure is a traditional Chinese form of folk art using hot, liquid sugar, or sugar syrup, to create three-dimensional figures that come in a variety of shapes from animals to objects. A dragon sugar figure is shown in the picture above.

Chapter 13: Luocha (4)

AUGUST 13, 2019

Jing Lin was already awake when Cang Ji kicked the door opened. Not only was he awake, but he was also soaking in steaming hot water. From the doorway, Cang Ji could see Jing Lin’s smooth—

no, smooth but scarred back that looked like the cracks on broken porcelain. Those exposed scars formed a light web that caught Cang Ji off guard as if he was a beast trapped in it. He could not even avert his eyes.

“… You don’t bolt the door when you’re taking a bath?” Cang Ji folded his arms. Turning a blind eye to the latch he had damaged, he leaned against the door panel as if Jing Lin would eat him if he took a step in.

Jing Lin cast a sidelong glance at Cang Ji, revealing the exquisite curve of his chin and neck. Cang Ji was jealous of the water droplets. One by one, they accentuated Jing Lin’s facial features, unveiling his allure and elegance for all to see in the bathtub.

“The latch is useless.” Jing Lin closed his eyes for a moment and asked, “What information have you gathered?”

Instead of answering, Cang Ji asked, “Who gave you that many strokes on your back?”

Jing Lin replied, “No one.”

Cang Ji laughed. “You have already ‘bare all’ of yourself to me, so why hang on to that last fig leaf? In this world, you win some, you lose some. Who have you lost to that you need to keep it under wraps? Even if you don’t say it today, will you still be able to hide it tomorrow?”

“You have a point.” Jing Lin said, “But what has it got to do with you?”

“Our relationship is special.” Cang Ji said, “You sleep with me on the same bed every day. Isn’t it too heartless of you to forget it all when you wake up?”

“What’s wrong with being heartless?” It sounded as if Jing Lin was laughing, but there was no change in his expression. “It’s easier to devour someone if you’re heartless.”

Cang Ji was about to respond when he saw Jing Lin standing up, splashing water droplets all over. With his back to Cang Ji, Jing Lin summoned his clothes and put them on. Cang Ji watched as the inner shirt covered up that snow-white skin of his, casting an obscure veil over the scars. It was as if he was looking at them through a thin fog. He never knew that Jing Lin could look so beautiful from behind. With this covering up, Jing Lin nipped all notions of flirtatiousness in the bud, although a sensual mood had permeated the room as he put on that undershirt. The room no longer felt cold, but hot—the kind that would make one sweat and one’s throat dry.

Cang Ji wanted to avert his eyes, but then he felt that to avert his eyes now was to admit defeat, so he watched on as Jing Lin dressed himself. Although that snow-white skin was cloaked under layer after layer of clothes, it still seemed to seduce him. Cang Ji thought, might as well tear the clothes all off, what’s the point of wearing them? He had not even touched that patch of skin yet.

“No one put those strokes on my back. They just shattered.” Jing Lin looked back and was stupefied to see Cang Ji on his guard. “Why are you clinging to the door?”

“For fun.” Cang Ji let his impure thoughts drift, although he still kept his cool on the surface. “Shattered? What? Are you a porcelain spirit?”

Jing Lin retorted coldly. “Why? Are you one too?”

Both of them faced each other. Jing Lin was evidently shorter than him by a head, but Cang Ji still felt that he should be even taller than Jing Lin. Without giving Jing Lin a chance to speak, he moved in closer to Jing Lin and tilted his head to scrutinize Jing Lin’s neck, brushing his gaze across it.

“There’s none on the neck.”

“It’s partially shattered.” Not wanting to linger on this issue, Jing Lin asked, “What information have you gathered downstairs?”

Cang Ji raised his hand and stood before Jing Lin like an immovable mountain. He said, “There is no free information in this world.”

“The prefectural yamen of the mortal realm will surely investigate.” Jing Lin ignored him and said, “The girl of that household has gone missing.”

Cang Ji hauled the little stone figure out in horror. “Did you tell him secretly?!”

Jing Lin remained composed. “We saw the footprints last night, but there was no body. Someone must have taken her away. This case initially has nothing to do with us, but what happened last night was unusual. I’m afraid the one who has the copper bell is involved, so… stop it.”

Cang Ji threw the little stone figure, which he had been dangling upside down, onto the bed. He plopped down onto the bed as well and rested his head on his hands. With his eyes following Jing Lin, he said, “So, you are going to investigate too. I’ve also heard another piece of news. Beg me if you want to know.”

Jing Lin opened the door, ready to leave. Cang Ji abruptly sprang up and dragged him back from a distance with a luminous thread. Jing Lin raised his wrist and saw himself tethered to Cang Ji by the thread.

“I’m only asking you to beg me.” Cang Ji sat down and laughed. “Do I have to use my hands to teach you how to move your mouth?”

Jing Lin lifted his wrist. The thread was tightly secured. It was obviously something that Cang Ji had refined to bind him. Cang Ji clamped his long legs around Jing Lin to sandwich him in between.

Cang Ji threatened. “Time waits for no one. Don’t keep me waiting for too long.”

Jing Lin’s mouth remained tightly pursed.

Cang Ji looked up at him. “You are really strange. Are humans all these strange? I usually can’t tell whether you are cold-blooded or warm-blooded.”

“Cold.” Jing Lin answered. “How can a dead man be warm?”

“Don’t deceive me.” Cang Ji stared at Jing Lin. There was a trace of wickedness at the corners of his lips as he pressed his lips against the inside of Jing Lin’s wrist and slid down to Jing Lin’s palm. “It’s so warm here that you’re sweating.”

With half-closed eyes, he sank into Jing Lin’s palm as if he were a tiger sniffing roses, and yet he also looked like an ignorant, guileless stag. If innocence could go hand in hand with wickedness, then this magnificent appearance was it. Jing Lin’s fingertip shrank back, but Cang Ji did not notice it and simply raised his eyes. He remained this way in Jing Lin’s palm, looking as if he would not release his hand if Jing Lin did not say those words. It was as if he found joy in bullying Jing Lin, in putting Jing Lin in a difficult spot, and in stoking Jing Lin’s anger. Apart from devouring his food, this brocade carp had found delight in the art of seduction.

Jing Lin finally gave in. He was so estranged from others that he could not withstand such candor, so he said softly, “I beg of you—like this?”

Cang Ji happily released his hand and said, “Not too bad.”

Just as Cang Ji was about to give Jing Lin the details, the snowstorm burst the window open, and the sudden sound of howling wind exploded in his ears.

Cang Ji and Jing Lin moved as one in tacit understanding. He fell backward on his back with Jing Lin still between his legs. A staff overflowing with a malevolent aura – the Xiang Mo Staff¹ – swung between both of them as the sound of smashing tables and chairs in the room filled the air.

“What impeccable timing.” Cang Ji smiled grimly as he stayed down. With eyes only for Jing Lin, he said, “You can’t blame me. Someone’s here to spoil our fun. Let’s keep the rest for later.”

Who would expect Jing Lin to bend his knees, pressing against the inner side of Cang Ji’s thighs as he threw his upper body into Cang Ji’s arms? Cang Ji welcomed him with open arms and tightened his legs around Jing Lin. By the time Jing Lin fell into his embrace, the snowstorm had gushed into the room, filling the entire room with white flying flakes.

Cang Ji heard the man at the window grinning as he said, “I’m here to offer my respects. This old man is Zui Shan Seng², of the Ninth Heaven Realm Zhui Hun Prison. Who cut short my Netherworld brothers’ work last night? This old man has made a special trip here to seek advice.”

As soon as he said that, Cang Ji felt the roof of the room suddenly pressing down on him. The scene before him closed in as the surrounding space rapidly shrank. It was as if just one word from this person had trapped him within Wu Zhi Shan (The Mount of Five Fingers)³, gripping him tightly by the throat. As soon as the man dealt a blow with Xiang Mo Staff, a faint blue wave of light rose for several miles. Countless demons covered their faces as they moaned, nearly revealing their true forms with this blow.

How was this someone from the Netherworld? This was clearly a sanctioned deity from the Ninth Heaven Realm!

Cang Ji’s spiritual expanse grew agitated. If Jing Lin had not preempted the man and shielded Cang Ji, Cang Ji would have choked on his blood and revealed his true form. But even so, a fiery pain shot through his entire body as if someone had whipped him in the spine.

Jing Lin had not expected it; they could hide from Hai Jiao Zong Yin, but not Zui Shan Seng. Even if Cang Ji devoured him now, he would not be able to hold up against a blow from Zui Shan Seng!

Cang Ji lifted a finger to wipe away the blood and stood up to beat a retreat. But the opportunity was gone. How could it be that easy to escape from the grip of Wu Zhi Shan? Cang Ji had only just gotten up when the head of a skinny old monk with a bamboo hat dangled upside-down outside the window.

“Is it you? Don’t go. Don’t go. Play with this old man!”

This old monk was none other than Zui Shan Seng from Zhui Hun Prison. This person had experienced Zhongdu for nine hundred years before he ascended to the Ninth Heaven Realm. Because he was a drunkard and a lunatic, he had obtained the name of “Zui Shan”, or Drunken Mountain. Many years ago, because of love, he had renounced worldly desires and bowed before the Brahma Altar Buddha. And yet, he had never truly converted to Buddhism because he had yet to cut off all earthly ties. Jing Lin had met him several times while he was still Lord Linsong, only that he did not know what had happened to him these five hundred years to turn him into the old man he was now.

Blocking off the window with his staff and leaning over to cut off their path, Zui Shan Seng made a sudden grab for Cang Ji. Cang Ji slipped away and evaded him, causing Zui Shan Seng to burst out laughing, “How slippery. As expected, he’s a brocade carp!”

With just a glance, he saw through Cang Ji’s original form and looked past him into the interior of the room. On the contrary, when he saw Jing Lin, he anxiously shook his legs and scratched the back of his neck, shouting, “But what are you? You look neither human nor ghost. I must say you’ve concealed yourself pretty well.”

Jing Lin pressed down on Cang Ji’s shoulder and stepped over to face Zui Shan Seng. As Cang Ji supported Jing Lin, he could feel that it was not just Jing Lin’s appearance that had changed; even his temperament had undergone a sharp change.

“What I am.” Jing Lin said, “Can’t you tell?”

Zui Shan Seng was drunk, and his pair of eyes were cloudy. His gaze lingered over Jing Lin’s face. “I can’t tell. Who cares which one you are?!”

He hit out with his palm, sending a gush of wind hurtling towards Jing Lin. Jing Lin swung his body to dodge it, his steps composed. Zui Shan Seng’s eyes shone, and he sat up with a “hmm?”. Xiang Mo Staff could not be wielded easily, so he could only use his hands to chase after Jing Lin as if he was playing with him. However, he realized that Jing Lin was even harder to catch than Cang Ji. Unable to grab hold of Jing Lin or even the hem of his clothes, the gears in Zui Shan Seng’s mind started turning as he sobered up.

“Who are you?” Zui Shan Seng suddenly hit out at Jing Lin, and a whirl of wind ripped a hole in the hem of Jing Lin’s robe.

“Can you even call yourself a hero, being all secretive like this?” Zui Shan Seng shoved Xiang Mo Staff into the ground and struck a pose with bare fists. “Your techniques are mysterious. How odd! How odd! This old man will exchange blows with you!”

Zui Shan Seng was still speaking when Jing Lin made his moves. The collision between both sides erupted indoors like a flurry of gale and storm, smashing tables and chairs. Although Jing Lin’s spiritual expanse was weak, he had extraordinary skills, and all his moves were ruthless. This feeling restored his spirits. Zui Shan Seng leaned aside to block him, but Jing Lin grabbed and twisted his arm. Zui Shan Seng’s build was thin, and yet he could not move a muscle. Instead, he closed in and brazenly struck out with his fist. This strike was as fast as lightning. He thought he could force Jing Lin to retreat. Unexpectedly, Jing Lin nimbly turned his wrist around and warded off Zui Shan Seng’s blow. Then, Jing Lin pinched Zui Shan Seng’s vitals with two fingers, struck his shoulder and slammed Zui Shan Seng to the ground before dusting off his own hem. His entire sequence of movements was smooth and natural.

Zui Shan Seng lay there for a few moments before getting up. As he stepped on the ground with one foot, the land around them started rocking violently. Xiang Mo Staff whirled as it jingled.

“Who are you?” Zui Shan Seng turned serious as he placed his hand over the staff. He probed again, “The only one who can quash my moves is Lord Shage. Who are you? Reveal yourself!”

The golden rays of the Xiang Mo Staff surged, and demons within a few miles immediately fled in a hurry like startled hares. Jing Lin was not intimidated, but he was up to the chin with Zui Shan Seng’s swift and forceful counterattacks. Snow swirled around Zui Shan Seng’s golden staff, and his sudden moves were powerful like Mount Tai⁴ crushing down on them; the pressure was impossible to bear. Jing Lin’s spiritual expanse fell short. It was not a problem for him if they were exchanging pure blows, but with this change, he was forced into a retreat.

“For you to be so secretive, there must be a conspiracy! What evil being are you?!”

Jing Lin’s expression was unruffled. “Why? Afraid now?”

Touching Xiang Mo Staff with his foot, Zui Shan Seng twirled the long staff in his palm and struck out at Jing Lin!

“This old man will smash open this skin of yours and get to the bottom of your identity!”

It was as if the body of Xiang Mo Staff was wrapped in gold. As it bore down on Jing Lin, the sound of the wind tearing apart could be heard as everything around him split into two like parting waves. If the blow hit Jing Lin, Jing Lin would shatter yet again! But in this perilous moment, Zui Shan Seng’s wrist drooped, and a massive power hauled his entire person backward. Zui Shan Seng was only negligent for a moment when he saw Jing Lin turning his hand over as the flying snow transformed into a sword and swept across his throat decisively.

Zui Shan Seng immediately made use of the force to lean back as the tip of Jing Lin’s sword brushed past his throat. He was someone who was acquainted with the combat abilities of the various Ninth Heaven’s deities, and yet, at this very moment, he was flustered by Jing Lin’s might. The next moment, the sword transformed back into flying snow. Jing Lin kicked his foot out, and Zui Shan Seng crashed into debris and slammed upside down onto the wall.

Jing Lin gave a slight gasp. Cang Ji grabbed his wrist and pulled him into his arms. Zui Shan Seng had already sprung to his feet, furious. “Fine! This old man must see exactly who you are today!”

Cang Ji was blinded by the golden light. Jing Lin’s cold hand was already patting the side of his neck as he said in a hoarse voice, “Run!”

Cang Ji embraced him and rolled over. The door had already broken apart, and both of them tumbled down the stairs together. Touching Jing Lin’s trembling hands, Cang Ji tugged them around his neck and jumped outside without even thinking about it. Zui Shan Seng snorted coldly, and the golden light surged like monstrous waves towards them. Cang Ji tapped his feet at the threshold of the door and leaped into the air.

Zui Shan Seng said, “Don’t run, don’t run! This old man still wants to play!”

The wind howled between his words as he hurled Xiang Mo Staff out with all his might. The blizzard between heaven and earth split into two, with even the wind making way for Xiang Mo Staff. Like a sharp arrow, it chased after Cang Ji with ease. Cang Ji tried his best to leap, but no matter what he did, he could not deny it its approach. The chill at his back was piercing, and the pressure was mounting. It was as if his blood would freeze at this very moment.

The golden light exploded, brightening up the snowy night. Thousands of miles around, waves of snow billowed as the demons in the town let out shrill cries of pain. Jing Lin rolled over atop Cang Ji and pressed down his head. Right after that, Xiang Mo Staff pummeled into him heavily on the back. There was a heavy weight in Cang Ji’s chest as both men were hammered into the snow amid the turbulent wind. Warm blood splattered onto Cang Ji’s cheeks and dripped from Jing Lin’s body onto Cang Ji’s chest, soaking it. Cang Ji crashed into the ground in great pain and caught hold of Jing Lin as Jing Lin slid off him.

His palms were drenched with blood.

降魔杖 Xiang Mo Zhang, literally Subdue Evil Staff.

醉山僧 Zui Shan Seng, literally Drunken Mountain Monk. This is like a title or a nickname, it’s not his real name.

五指山, Wu Zhi Shan, literally Five Fingers Mountain or the Mount of Five Fingers. In Journey to the West (西遊記), a Chinese classic, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, was trapped by Buddha under a great mountain known as Wu Zhi Shan (also said to be Buddha’s palm and fingers) for five hundred years until the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang, came to his rescue.

泰山 Taishan, or Mount Tai, is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai’an, in Shandong province, China. It’s one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China.

Chapter 14: North Wind

AUGUST 19, 2019

Shades of gray and white cloaked the night as the North Wind stirred up the snow. Bits of snow poured into Cang Ji’s collar and rubbed against his skin, the cold penetrating his bones.

Why did it hurt so much?

Cang Ji tightened his grip. Jing Lin’s back was a bloody mess. He climbed up, turned Jing Lin’s face over and wiped Jing Lin’s cheeks with his bloodstained thumb. Jing Lin was still trembling earlier on, but now, Cang Ji was the only one shaking. It was then he realized that shivering was sometimes beyond humans’ control.

Resentful, Cang Ji gritted his teeth so hard they made a sound. He should be jumping for joy as he devoured this jumble of blood and meat into his belly. But for some unknown reason, he wanted to rip Zui Shan Seng’s throat apart right this very moment.

Xiang Mo Staff returned to its master’s hand. Zui Shan Seng had removed his hat earlier, revealing a head that looked as if there was a layer of green tangerine peel¹ on it. He was initially haggard, but now he looked young. Zui Shan Seng carried his staff and approached, all traces of playfulness gone. Snow drenched his tattered clothes. His dark brown cassock was worn out, but on his body, it seemed like a stolen article.

“You are just a fish that has just come into existence. Even if you had accidentally gone astray, there is still a chance for you to return to the right path. This man is strange. It is not surprising for him to confuse your heart with some heretical remarks.” Zui Shan Seng stood still. “When I finish him off, you will get your way out.”

With this change in appearance, he had even stopped addressing himself as “this old man”. But those pair of eyes were still cloudy and at odds with his facial features. All traces of drunkenness had also vanished. It was as if his earlier appearance was all just a facade, and this was the real Zui Shan Seng.

Zui Shan Seng was very much aware of Cang Ji’s cultivation. If Jing Lin was still of value enough for him to be willing to watch out for him, then Cang Ji was not worth mentioning at all. With just a slight movement of his finger, he could wipe this brocade carp out. However, he did not see himself as a murderer, so he was unwilling to deal another killing blow to Cang Ji.

Cang Ji did not reply. When Zui Shan Seng saw that he had no intent to mend his ways, he raised a hand to urge him to step aside. Cang Ji sprang up like a wolf, his strong and long body pouncing on Zui Shan Seng like a sharp flying blade.

Zui Shan Seng rebuked, “You’re overestimating yourself!”

Cang Ji broke through the snow barrier and grabbed Zui Shan Seng’s left shoulder. Zui Shan Seng remained as firm as a rock as he retracted his shoulder and hit back with his bare hands. Cang Ji’s fingers were taut as he took the blows without retreating, using pure brute force to force Zui Shan Seng back. Zui Shan Seng did not expect Cang Ji to know such a crude and relentless way of combat; he was totally disregarding his own life. Zui Shan Seng immediately dodged the blows.

Crumbled snow flew all over, blanketing the ground with misty snow. Thumping sounds incessantly popped up from Zui Shan Seng’s arms. He had always despised this kind of fight-to-the-death struggle, but he never expected to encounter such a troublesome opponent today! He was unwilling to kill people at will, so he kept giving in again and again. Scales had emerged on Cang Ji’s shoulders, arms, and neck. Hitting Cang Ji with his fists only made Zui Shan Seng feel as though Cang Ji was impregnable and indestructible.

Zui Shan Seng took a step back and steadied himself, then suddenly whirled around and thrust his knee up. Cang Ji blocked the blow with his arm, but the impact still made his internal organs turned, and his whole body ached. Jing Lin’s blood melted between his tongue, and the fire in Cang Ji burned more intensely. It seemed as if he was ready to fight to the end.

Screw this!

Cang Ji tasted his own blood. With tightly clenched teeth, he abruptly head-butted Zui Shan Seng on his head. Even Zui Shan Seng had never seen such a rogue move! He immediately saw stars. Cang Ji pushed him down into the snow and punched him on the cheek with a fist before tightening his hands around his neck. Zui Shan Seng decisively raised his legs and struck Cang Ji on the back with bent knees. It felt as if a mountain was crushing down on Cang Ji, but Cang Ji refused to release his grip.

Zui Shan Seng had difficulty breathing. He smacked the ground with a palm and Xiang Mo Staff came flying diagonally. Cang Ji stomped down on his palm, his entire person like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey. Xiang Mo Staff fell to the ground in response as Zui Shan Seng’s face gradually turned green.

“Re… repent, and you’ll be delivered from… sin.” Zui Shan Seng gnashed his teeth in anger. “Otherwise, I…”

Cang Ji’s breathing was short as he tightened his grip.

Zui Shan Seng dug his fingers into the snow and messily drew an array. The snow came to a standstill as gloomy clouds swirled overhead. Suddenly, an inverted immortal mountain descended on them. The wind swept over the mountain as it plummeted and broke into a massive image of a fist mid-air and swung towards Cang Ji. But it was already too late. The enormous shadow was nearing Cang Ji when pain shot out from Zui Shan Seng’s arm. Zui Shan Seng hissed in pain as his spiritual energy burst forth from the part that had been gnawed opened and surged uncontrollably towards Cang Ji.

Zui Shan Seng had never experienced his spiritual energy being consumed by demons before. For a while, he shivered all over as his spiritual expanse poured out of him. Even as he shook Cang Ji’s grip off, the intent to kill had already taken hold of his heart.

This demon was abnormally evil! He should not let him live, or he will become a calamity in the future!

The Demarcation Division’s horizon rippled, and the deity-in-charge of the sacrificial temples suddenly spoke up. “Zui Shan Seng, stop!”

The likeness of the giant fist smashed apart the barrier of the town, and the light dispersed. Houses collapsed in unison and the streets caved in. Everyone, human or demon, all scampered off like frightened rats. Zui Shan Seng’s metaphysical spirit and pseudo-form were tremendous enough to shroud the sky; if this punch hit its target, it would likely wipe the town off the map.

A white figure suddenly appeared in the air with one hand behind him. The man’s long hair swayed as his robe fluttered in the wind. He met Zui Shan Seng’s pseudo-form head-on with a hand. The gigantic fist struck the man’s palm, shattering into rays of light before dispersing.

With his eyes blindfolded with a piece of white cloth, Hui’an said in a low voice, “Zui Shan Seng, do not hurt him.”

Zui Shan Seng was lying in the snow, his arm soaked with blood.

“You’re obstructing me again!” Zui Shan Seng pressed his head into the snow and banged his head against the snow a few times. He cursed, “I was too careless to make such an error of judgment!”

Hui’an dropped beside him and reached out a hand to help him out, but Zui Shan Seng slapped his hand away and grabbed Hui’an by the lapels. He raged. “Chase him quickly! That boy must not be kept alive! Whether we live or die, it all depends on tonight!”

The nose below Hui’an white blindfold was straight. He raised a hand to cover his eyes gently, and the white cloth slipped off. Then, he opened a pair of sharp, eagle eyes.

Cang Ji banged the courtyard door open with all his might, and the door panel finally gave way. He tumbled in with Jing Lin in his arms and lay on the snow, breathing painfully. The spiritual energy that he had devoured was not what he had expected. Unlike Jing Lin’s sweet and gentle energy, this was a penetrating cold running amok in his body.

Cang Ji finally felt chilly. He touched Jing Lin’s back; Jing Lin’s blood had already congealed into ice. He lowered his head and grabbed the back of Jing Lin’s collar with his mouth and pulled him into his arms.

“Jing Lin.” Cang Ji shouted into Jing Lin’s ears, “Jing Lin.”

Jing Lin looked lifeless. Cang Ji dragged him to the corner of the wall. Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy was still creating havoc in his body, causing Cang Ji’s hands and feet to shake. He leaned his forehead against Jing Lin’s temples and licked the blood on Jing Lin’s cheeks clean. The cooling sweetness was like handfuls of hot springs water, rising from the Cang Ji’s throat with gentle warmth. The heat calmed his tremors and gradually suppressed Zui Shan Seng’s energy. However, what Cang Ji could not see was that the fish form in his spiritual expanse had changed. Its shape was slightly different from before, only that the change was still not as obvious.

Having regained some of his strength, Cang Ji had to find a hiding place immediately. He knew that Zui Shan Seng would not let them off easily, and there was also Hui’an conducting strict patrol around this place. Cang Ji looked around, it was a humble and narrow courtyard. He closed the door with a foot but did not linger for long. Instead, he picked Jing Lin up, somersaulted onto the roof with a hand and fumbled around in the darkness of the night to a short lane that was even darker. He silently hopped down into the lane and moved along the wall to enter the interior.

There was a low door that was tightly secured. Cang Ji listened but heard no signs of life inside, so he heavily banged it open. The excess heat in the inner chamber was like waves caressing his face, driving away the cold and simmering his body. He closed the door and placed Jing Lin down on the bed amid the debris.

The room was small, but the dressing case was full to the brim. The makeup mirror was wiped clean, and the flimsy upper garment and thin fabric spilling out from the old cabinet was mostly gaudy. The small stove was still warm, as was the jug of wine.

Cang Ji lay down next to Jing Lin and looked at Jing Lin’s pale lips. He rubbed them with his fingers a few times as his face gradually took on a ferocious expression. He rubbed Jing Lin’s lips with force until color gradually returned. Then, avoiding Jing Lin’s wounds, he drew Jing Lin into an embrace.

He held Jing Lin this way as if it was enough to warm and wake Jing Lin up. Huadi was so frozen from the cold that she wrapped herself tightly in her woolen coat and stumbled to the door wanting to take a rest. Her body was still filthy, and she reeked of alcohol. She was so nauseated, she almost vomited. Unexpectedly, she had only just leaned against the door when she toppled over into the room.

“Which fucker burgled my house…” She swore as she climbed up and propped herself up against the dresser. Clutching her waist, she continued to curse, then stopped abruptly and said awkwardly, “… Fucker is still sleeping on my bed.” 

Huadi turned her head and raised her voice in a shriek, “Catch the thief!”

She had only just yelled when Cang Ji nimbly covered her mouth and shut the door with a foot as he heaved her back. Huadi struggled like a quail. She felt the tremendous strength in Cang Ji’s arm; she would have died if he had gripped her tighter.

Cang Ji said in a low voice, “Let’s make a deal? We can talk about money. How about letting us stay for a few days?”

Huadi opened her mouth and said, “That’s a nice way to put it! Are you avoiding your enemies? Uh, if they find and hack their way to my house, whose shoulders should I cry on?!”

Cang Ji relaxed his arm and finally let Huadi fall to the ground. Huadi crawled to the other side, grasping her hairpin tightly as she swiftly retreated. She touched her neck, gasping.

Cang Ji squatted down. The feral look in his eyes had been completely wiped clean, leaving only a trace of embarrassment and hesitation lining the face of this fledgling young man.

His gaze was earnest as he pleaded, “Jiejie, can’t you give me a way out?”

Huadi was not a gullible person, so she did not relent. “My dear didi, I’m just a woman trying to make a living in the three contemptible trades.² There is no reason to put me in a spot, right?” She looked up, “Turn right a few steps outside the door, and you can put up at the available inn.”

The lines on Cang Ji’s face gradually loosened and turned into a distressed expression. He pointed at the bed, and it took him a long time to get his words out, “Please save a life.”

Huadi would not have believed him if he had said some honeyed words. But his looking as though he had some unspeakable trouble had roused a sense of compassion in Huadi. Huadi was not without children at this age, but as she said, for a woman trying to make a living in the three contemptible trades, how would she dare have a child to demand repayments from? She would not even know who the father is.

Cang Ji understood it at a glance. He had even perfectly imitated the uneasiness of a youth right down to the details. Thanks to this face, his expression did not look strange or out of place.

Huadi’s wariness receded slightly although she remained seated. Instead, she gazed at the bed and asked, “Brothers?”

Cang Ji looked awkward and tongue-tied. Huadi was worldly-wise and raised her eyebrows slightly as she said, “What’s so hard about saying it? Cut sleeve³, right? There are many such people behind closed doors, although they are all just pretending to be what they are not on the surface.” She inserted her hairpin back into her hair and got up as she clutched her waist in an obviously artificial manner. “Were you driven out?”

Cang Ji did not know what “cut sleeve” was, but he was used to putting on an act, so he merely nodded his head in response without revealing any emotion on his face.

Huadi looked at the bedding , and the color abruptly drained from her face. “Why is there so much blood!” She lifted it with a finger and forgot all about keeping up appearances as she exclaimed in shock, “He’s so badly hurt. If we don’t get him a physician, he will die!”

Cang Ji’s heart felt stifled as he furrowed his eyebrows.

青皮 Qing Pi or green tangerine peel. Basically saying the top of his head looks like the picture on the right.

下三滥, refers to the three contemptible trades in the ancient days, i.e. courtesans (prostitutes), scholars, and beggars. Here, it’s suggesting that Huadi is in the flesh trade.

断袖 literally cut sleeve. It is a euphemism for gays and homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han. The story goes that Emperor Han Aidi was in bed with his lover Dong Xian when he had to attend a court audience that morning. Rather than waking up Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the Emperor’s sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off his sleeve. “Cut sleeve” was then used to refer to gays in those days.

Chapter 15: Spiritual Sea

AUGUST 22, 2019

Everyone who cultivates would beget themselves a spiritual sea¹. Depending on the temperament of the cultivator, his spiritual sea could be a turbulent expanse of raging waves or a placid expanse of calm waters. Thus, it was Zui Shan Seng’s hot temper and abhorrence of evil that caused his spiritual energy to run amok in Cang Ji’s body.

Cang Ji was unwilling to enter a state of meditation as long as Jing Lin remained unconscious. Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy was like fish bones piercing through his throat, pricking him until he could not quell it from within. Cang Ji furrowed his brows as spells after spells of stinging pain erupted from the stimulating exchange between spiritual seas. He sat on the edge of the bed. Unable to stretch his legs, he could only curl up in aggrievement. He was in such torment that he had black circles under his eyes even as he leaned against the back of the chair and stared unrelentingly at Jing Lin.

Huadi had called for a physician last night, but how could an ordinary physician have an idea of Jing Lin’s injury? He had only crudely cleaned up and dressed Jing Lin’s wounds. Early this morning, Cang Ji had felt Jing Lin’s temperature raise.

With two fingers, Cang Ji parted Jing Lin’s hair and saw that Jing Lin’s sideburns were wet and soaked with sweat. He touched Jing Lin’s ear with his fingertips, then slipped down to the side of Jing Lin’s neck, finally feeling that velvety spot. Cang Ji’s fingers stayed there for a long time, his expression gloomy.

Just a little more force and he could take Jing Lin’s life. Once Jing Lin died, he could tear apart this ice sculpture’s skin to examine precisely how unfathomable Jing Lin’s heart was.

“Are you a man or a ghost?” Cang Ji asked in a low voice. “Were they only hoodwinking me when they praised you to the sky?”

His voice dropped as he spoke. His fingertip raked across Jing Lin’s skin, leaving behind a faint red mark. The red line was faintly indiscernible under his fingertip, extending along Jing Lin’s white neck like a piece of string, putting Jing Lin’s fate in his hands.

Huadi squeezed through the door, carrying a fat five-colored bird in her delicate hand with painted nails. As she unbuttoned her coat, she looked towards the bed.

“Since he won’t be waking up for a while, don’t keep standing watch over him. My good didi, the house is only so big, you don’t have to keep your eyes on him all the time. He can’t run away, anyway.” Huadi said and picked up the money pouch with her index finger. Swinging it in mid-air, she said with joy and complacency, “Those stingy medicine hall fellows! They made me wasted so much effort just to negotiate the price. I bought a chicken on the way back. We can stew it in the evening for nourishment.”

Cang Ji tiredly turned his head. Before he could thank her, his eyes met the eyes of that five-colored “chicken”. The chicken was stunned, then it angrily kicked its claws and flew into a rage.

“You despicable fools!” A-Yi was so furious that he hiccuped. “You’ve put me in such a terrible state!”

Initially, A-Yi was sold away by the thief. At first, he had attracted onlookers because of the rare colors of his feathers. But after a few days, the novelty faded and still, no one came to buy him. He was also too picky about his food and looked weak and weary all day long. The seller was afraid he would not remain alive for long, so he sold A-Yi away with the pheasants in a hurry. Poor A-Yi. He was a small colored bird of the magnificent Can Li tree, and yet he was almost pecked bald by the pheasants in the cage. A-Yi’s tears were like the pouring rain as he cried and flapped his wings. He looked up, wanting so much to drown everyone in this room to death.

Cang Ji rose abruptly, took A-Yi, and smiled at Huadi, “How would I dare to bother jiejie with such rough chores? I’ll do it.”

There was a chill on A-Yi’s neck. He suddenly looked like a quail although he put on a bold front with his words, “I’m not afraid of you! We’ll see if you really dare to butcher me!”

Cang Ji picked up a knife and carried A-Yi out of the door. There was no one in the lane, and the winter cold showed up as ice at the edge of the eaves. He threw A-Yi onto the ground and squatted with his face to the wall. Without waiting for A-Yi to speak, he stabbed the knife into the ground beside A-Yi’s claw, with the edge of the blade sticking right next to the claw. A-Yi shivered.

A-Yi said, “I won’t yield even if you put the knife on my neck!”

“Call your Ah Jie over.” Cang Ji said.

“You think my Ah Jie is someone you can see on a whim?! I can still consider it if Jing Lin was the one to ask for her. But you? On what grounds?” Not daring to pace around, A-Yi could only give a few heavy snorts.

“You have only two uses today.” Cang Ji said, “Call your Ah Jie, or be slaughtered for stew.”

A-Yi wanted to make impertinent remarks when he saw Cang Ji’s cheerless eyes. He subconsciously shuddered under the intimidating pressure and cautiously retracted the claws that had been ready to make a run for it.

“You… you, why do you want to see my Ah Jie? At least give me a reason!”

“Jing Lin has not woken up from his sleep.” Cang Ji paused.

A-Yi saw his expression getting heavier as if he were suppressing something. After a moment, Cang Ji continued, “I want your Ah Jie.”

“Doesn’t this invalid need to sleep all the time? What’s so strange about it?” A-Yi pondered. “Oh, I know. You must have encountered Zui Shan Seng. I was wondering why there was such a big commotion the night before. How was it? He must have been terrified when he saw Jing Lin. Now that he has seen you, why haven’t you flee with Jing Lin? No, that’s not right. If the Ninth Heaven Realm finds out that Jing Lin is still alive, you wouldn’t be able to escape at all. Even calling for my Ah Jie would be pointless. But I didn’t see the Demarcation Division making any moves. I guess they didn’t recognize him. Why? Is Jing Lin hurt?”

Cang Ji’s heart stirred. “Did your Ah Jie mention anything?”

Instead of answering, A-Yi said, “I can call for my Ah Jie, but you have to tell my Ah Jie to release me from my original form.”

Cang Ji gently pulled the knife out. “That can be easily arranged.”

Jing Lin was like the deep, abysmal sea. His body transformed into fluorescent stars and disappeared into a boundless sea of blood. Influenced by the sounds of the copper bell, his mind gradually moved away from its original position and drifted towards the dense, hazy light. He seemed to see someone swinging the copper bell, frolicking and dashing around with little black plaits fluttering in the air. Finally, a pair of sincere and bright eyes revealed itself from the fog.

Who is this?

Jing Lin did not recognize this person, nor had he seen this person before. He was about to take a closer look when someone behind him gently called out to him, “Jiu Ge”. His spiritual sea surged and swiftly reunited with the vast expanse of spiritual energy, hauling his wandering mind back.

Jing Lin suddenly opened his eyes and found himself lying between unfamiliar pillow mats. With his mind restored, he took a moment to refresh his spirits and memory.

“Jiu Ge.” In the shape of a small colored bird, Fu Li hopped beside the pillow. “That was a close call! If you hadn’t sealed your mind and soul at the critical moment, you probably wouldn’t survive the blow from the staff long enough for me to arrive.”

Jing Lin propped himself up and asked, “What did you feed me?”

Fu Li replied, “The fruit of Can Li Tree is the best for nourishing the spiritual expanse, so I’ve brought some.”

No wonder Jing Lin had found his spiritual sea abundant.

Fu Li added, “That fish could not digest all those Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy that he had consumed, so I gave him one too, only that I don’t know how much he can ingest. But with this mouthful of Zui Shan Seng, his cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds. So, we can see it as a blessing in disguise.”

Jing Lin saw Cang Ji with his eyes closed and knew that he was assimilating Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy. So, he put on his clothes and said, “Zui Shan Seng dedicates his life to Zhui Hun Prison. He wouldn’t descend to the mortal world without reason. What happened up there in Heaven?”

Fu Li’s gaze dropped. Huadi was still sleeping soundly on the couch, and there were no other outsiders around. She said, “Not to deceive Jiu Ge, it was Lord Chengtian who sent me. Recently, the water current of Li Jin is flowing in reverse, and the underworld fears the birth of evil beings. The King of Hell truthfully reported it to the Ninth Heaven Realm. Lord Chengtian thus sent Zui Shan Seng down. Who would expect him to come face to face with Jiu Ge?! Zui Shan Seng is both righteous and evil, and he had exchanged blows with Jiu Ge. I’m afraid he…”

She was speaking when she suddenly saw Jing Lin putting a finger to his lips. She stopped talking and followed Jing Lin’s gaze. One of Cang Ji’s eyes was opened, and there was a shadow of a smile on his face.

“I can’t even listen?” He raised his hand to prop his head up and looked at Jing Lin with a deceptive smile. “You and I have made a trip to the Gate of Life and Death once; we are so intimate we can’t be any closer. Is there still a need for you to hide anything from me?”

“Children are innocent.” Jing Lin said. “I’m just afraid it will scare you.”

“What would I be scared of?” Cang Ji said. “I have you to protect me.”

“I can take the first blow from the staff, but I can’t take a second blow from it.” Jing Lin’s smock was unfastened, so he raised his hand to fasten the clasp on the lining as he spoke. “How was the taste of Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy?”

“Bad.” Finally able to stretch his legs from his spot, Cang Ji lazily lounged in his chair, looking relieved. “His is nothing compared to yours.”

Fu Li jumped up. “Frivolous lad!”

Having been nourished by the fruit of Can Li Tree and having ingested Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy, Cang Ji’s entire body was now vigorous, and his spiritual expanse was brimming with spiritual energy. Thus, he was not afraid to face off Fu Li and merely smiled at her. “Jiejie, I’ve always been honest.” Turning serious, he continued. “Many thanks for jiejie’s gift of fruit.”

Appropriately dressed now, Jing Lin said, “Hui’an’s eagle eyes are extraordinary. It isn’t suitable for you to remain in this place.”

Fu Li said, “Even if this is my double², I’m still better than this fish. Jiu Ge, given Zui Shan Seng’s presence here, I’m afraid he will eventually notice something. Why don’t you leave with me?”

“It’s too late even if I want to leave.” Jing Lin turned to gaze out of the window. “Besides, there is something I need to do.”

Unable to persuade him, Fu Li could only give up. When she took A-Yi away, she heard A-Yi ask, “I remember he always brings along a stone man when he goes out. Ah Jie, what is that stone?”

Fu Li was still worried and replied offhandedly as she looked back again, “What stone? That’s just Jiu Ge’s double.”

Hearing this, A-Yi blurted out, “WHAT?!”

Even after Fu Li left, the atmosphere in the inner chamber was still precarious. Cang Ji sat on the chair. Tall and strong now, he struck a domineering presence even though he was stuck in a corner.

After being stared at for quite a while, Jing Lin asked coolly, “Don’t recognize me already?”

“You know I’ll eat you.” Cang Ji got straight to the point. “Why did you take the blow for me?”

Jing Lin gazed at him for a while and replied, “I just felt like it.”

“You sound hesitant, but your actions are decisive and clear-cut.” Holding on to the bedpost, Cang Ji stood up and said cynically, “Even if you treat me this way, I still won’t spare you. Jing Lin, I’ve put you deep in my heart. I know you seek death, but it’s for me to decide when you should die.”

“As it happens,” Jing Lin fastened his collar, put on his coat, and said, “the words I hate most are ‘life and death are predestined by Heaven’. This suits me just fine. From now onward, my life and death are in your hands.” He rose and took a step closer without touching Cang Ji. “——There’s a scar on my neck. Why? You’re already at the last step, but you can’t deal the last blow?”

Cang Ji’s smile disappeared, and something sharp and cold flashed in his eyes. His pretense evaporated, exposing the savage callousness of a demon. Yet, his tone was gentle and soft. “Yeah, I changed my mind. I feel that our friendship has not reached the endpoint yet; it could go even deeper. It hasn’t been long since I evolved into a man, how in the world could I bear to leave you alone?” Then Cang Ji whispered into Jing Lin’s ear. “I don’t think you understand. You will stay with me while you’re alive. Even if you die, you will die in my belly. Since you raised me, there is no reason for you to abandon me.”

Jing Lin conjured out a paper fan out of the air and propped it against Cang Ji’s chest to push him away. He said, “Before I die, we still have something to do.”

Cang Ji went along with him and raised his hands to back off. He said, “Where are we going?”

Jing Lin replied, “The dead man’s place.”

He had just finished talking when he transformed into a frivolous young master with upturned eyes. He closed the fan and tapped Cang Ji on the chin.

“May I trouble you,” The young master had a pair of smiling peach blossom eyes³, and yet he was expressionless when he said, “to put up with it for a moment.” Before Cang Ji could reply, there was a “poof”, and he turned into a man the size of a palm. He climbed up Jing Lin’s shoulder and hid in Jing Lin’s hair. Just as they were about to set off, he suddenly said into Jing Lin’s ear, “Hold on. Where is the stone?”

Jing Lin did not answer, but there was a rustle in his sleeve, and the head of the little stone figure popped out. It blinked its little eyes at Cang Ji and withdrew back into the sleeve.

Cang Ji slipped down the sleeve and followed it in. He somersaulted and pounced on the little stone figure. With a “thud”, Cang Ji pinned it under him, causing it to hit its head.

“I’ve been looking for you for so many days, but you have been hiding in his sleeve.” Cang Ji clutched the little stone figure’s grass crown, “What’s wrong with following me? Why follow him? Does he take you out to play?”

The little stone figure lowered its head and struggled.

Cang Ji sat down on its lower back and said, “You are another heartless one!”

灵海 the literal translation is spiritual sea although I’ll be using spiritual sea and spiritual expanse (as in a vast expanse of spiritual energy) interchangeably.

分身 a double or doppelgänger. Double here refers to the same person but in separate form. E.g. he may split himself into two identical selves or take on a different form from his original, but they are both him.

桃花眼 literally peach blossom eyes, the shape of eyes is said to have an exceptional ability to attract the opposite sex.

Chapter 16: Complicated

AUGUST 27, 2019

Jing Lin lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, partially revealing his face. His gaze fell on the entranceway of the Chen household. Many people were gathered here, all for the murder case.

“Could it be that the copper bell is connected to this family?” Cang Ji said from the inside of Jing Lin’s sleeve. “But this place is clearly that of a common household.”

Jing Lin leaned over to get off the sedan chair and said, “I can still sense the copper bell’s presence here. If we don’t get to the bottom of this case, I’m afraid we will not be able to find it.”

“This case is bizarre; it doesn’t seem to be done by a human.” Cang Ji recalled the scene from a few days back and said, “There are five members in his family, but a little girl is missing. I heard talks of demons from next door. Perhaps a demon had taken her for her blood.”

“If it’s a demon,” Jing Lin closed his fan and put it in his sleeve. “Hui’an and the Demarcation Division will not sit by and do nothing.”

Cang Ji had not noticed it, but Jing Lin remembered it clearly. Although the corpse in the courtyard that night had been feasted upon by the Luocha bird, it still left many traces behind. Among them, the trail of blood was the most conspicuous. The murderer had clearly tortured the person to death rather than finishing the person off in one stab.

“Investigate the case, huh.” Cang Ji rested his head on the small stone figure, crossed his legs, and said, “Can we still enter this place? Zui Shan Seng has probably set up traps everywhere, waiting for you to walk right into the ambush.”

“The Demarcation Division takes charge of everything, except for cases involving human life.” Jing Lin lifted his head. Catching a glimpse of the constables from the prefectural yamen entering and exiting the courtyard, he changed directions and moved away.

The waiter was stretching his neck to watch the show. When someone bumped into him, he immediately turned his head and fumed, “Are you blind…”

Jing Lin was splendidly dressed. His expression was arrogant, and there was a dignified air about him. Standing at the outer edge, his gaze followed the crowd to the center of the drama. He asked with great interest, “What’s up? The one who bumped into you wasn’t others, but the God of Wealth.”¹

The quick-witted waiter quickly swapped the towel on his shoulder to the other side, grinning as he made way for Jing Lin. Moving closer beside Jing Lin, he said, “It’s indeed the God of Wealth! Grandpa² looks unfamiliar, you don’t usually come here, do you? A few days ago, the prefectural yamen posted a notice announcing the death of a household. It’s just right here.”

“No wonder everyone is crowding around here.” Jing Lin glanced at the people nearby with disdain in his eyes. He pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his nose, then asked with raised eyebrows. “Waiting to pick up a story?”

“A waiter like me depends on my mouth to get by. How would I dare to miss it?” The waiter plastered on a smile. “My shop is just over there a few steps away. Grandpa, please go and have a seat when you have the time!”

“That’s for sure.” Jing Lin said, “Who lives here?”

“This is the Chen family. Every day, Old Man Chen would take his sick wife to sell sugar figure³ on this street.” The waiter pointed it out to Jing Lin. “Just right in front of our shop; we usually come across each other. He also has a son by the name of Chen Ren. The surname of Chen Ren’s wife is Zhou. This is not the end of the story. There is still a little maiden about seven or eight years old in the family. She’s the little girl left behind by Old Man Chen’s deceased daughter. There are five people in the family, all of whom survive on the sugar figures that Old Man Chen sells every day. Where in the world would this be enough for the entire family? They are so poor that Old Woman Chen often brings along her daughter-in-law Zhou to borrow rice from others.”

“How about the son?” Jing Lin’s interest was sparked.

The waiter pursed his lips and replied, “Chen Ren fools around all day in that gambling den over there. He has amassed a big debt and has been beaten up more than once. If you ask me, the perpetrators of this case were likely those from the gambling den. Last month, I saw them chasing for repayment at the Chens’ door. Old Man Chen had to kowtow several times to get rid of them. They are all ruffians.”

Jing Lin swept a glance across the gambling den and smiled. “It’s so easy to fool those ruffians? Just a few kowtows and they’ll leave? They’re even easier to chase off than beggars.”

“Grandpa, you are wise!” The man flattered him, then added cheekily, “They are hard to deal with because Dong Lin was often seen hanging around the Chens’ house after that incident. It’s probably because the gambling den could not swallow their anger and got Dong Lin to wait for the chance to take revenge.”

“Dong Lin?” Jing Lin asked.

“That’s right.” The waiter grinned and whispered. “He’s famous in the martial arts fraternity! He has great skills and comes and goes without a trace. The yamen has put out wanted notices of him everywhere, but so far, no one has caught him yet. However, waiters like us keep our ears open. I heard that he lives in the town. Can you guess where he always stays?” The waiter made eyes at Jing Lin. “In the brothel on the East Lane. It’s said that he’s on good terms with a woman named Huadi.”

Jing Lin had yet to notice it, but Cang Ji abruptly sat up inside Jing Lin’s sleeve.

Jing Lin asked again, “What does this person do?”

The waiter whispered. “The Great Bandit of Jiang Yang. He has a hand in many major cases.”

“Bandit.” Cang Ji spat out the word through clenched teeth and gave the small stone figure a cold laugh. “I knew it. That’s why there was a familiar scent in that house.”

The waiter had more to say, but someone lifted him up from behind. He staggered with a cry of “oof!” and shouted, “Which God of Wealth is it this time?”

The waiter looked back and saw a familiar face. All at once, his knees turned weak. He fawned on the person even more than he had Jing Lin. “Constable Gu! Are you here to handle the case?”

Gu Shen was holding on to a blade in one hand. He was not young, and his eyes were exceptionally sharp. He pulled the waiter up to him, although he was sizing Jing Lin up from the corners of his eyes. He said, “What you said is plausible and logical. Go straight to the yamen and get your statement taken.”

“What has this got to do with me?” Startled, the waiter stammered, “Anyone you find at random on this street would know better than me! That, that Qian Fuzi, Qian Fuzi. Doesn’t he live next door to Old Man Chen? Go look for him?!”

“I’ve been there earlier this morning.” Gu Shen handed the waiter to the subordinate behind him. The tablet⁴ on his waist swung as he wiped his hands. Then he raised his chin to Jing Lin and threw him a boorish smile. “You look unfamiliar.”

This man had such a pair of sharp eyes that even ordinary demons would not dare to look into them.

Jing Lin’s handkerchief remained where it was, still masking his nose and mouth. His eyes narrowed, then smiled in apparent recklessness and licentiousness.

“I’m afraid Your Honor ought to find law-abiding citizens like me unfamiliar.”

Gu Shen laughed, turned to look at the alley, and said, “Is Young Master also interested in this murder case?”

“Naturally.” Jing Lin answered, “I’ve never encountered such cases before. It’s all very novel.”

“This is a case where the victims had been silenced. The body parts are scattered all over. It’s brutal and tragic beyond compare.” Gu Shen tapped his finger at the hilt of the blade and said, “Shouldn’t the average person be afraid?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Jing Lin countered him. “Why would mere hearsay make me tremble in fear? Rumor has it that three men make a tiger.⁵ So I’ll just have to wait for Your Honor to find out the truth.”

Gu Shen rubbed the stubble on his chin and said, “If Young Master is curious, why not ask me about it? This case is now in my hands. What I know is more than what the waiter knows.”

Jing Lin kept away his handkerchief and tilted his head slightly, his expression turning several shades paler. He asked, “How many pearls does Your Honor want? There’s no need to beat about the bush. Just speak your mind.”

The yamen constables were not like the rest of the other hired hands. They worked themselves to death all year round for only twenty silver pearls, and this was just expanses for their meals. The yamen did not pay them a monthly salary, and this had led to repeated cases of extortion by local constables taking advantage of their positions.

Gu Shen was taken aback, then he raised his head and burst out laughing. Waving his hand, he said, “Isn’t Young Master’s opinion of me a little too low? What are a few pearls? Please don’t ruin my reputation. I’m sorry, I was rude earlier.”

He was about to continue when he heard someone behind him prompting him. “Dage, we found Liu Shirong.”

Gu Shen cupped his hands as a gesture of farewell. Jing Lin nodded and watched as Gu Shen turned around and walked away.

“This man isn’t easy to fool.” Cang Ji said, “Can a human be this sharp? His hand hardly left the blade. Jing Lin. He was trying to bait you.”

Jing Lin was still staring at Gu Shen’s back and said. “The case is complicated and complex. We still need him to be on the frontline looking for clues. What were you saying earlier in the sleeve?”

“The thief who stole the copper bell is Dong Lin. As expected, he is involved in this case.” Cang Ji held his arms. “Why did he kill the Chen household? The family is so poor they have to beg for food. I doubt they can give him money.”

“Maybe someone asked him to do it.” Jing Lin said, “Money makes the world go round. It’s not impossible for the gambling den to hire him for murder.”

“But he took the little girl?” Cang Ji rebutted. “Why not silence her?”

Jing Lin pondered in silence and finally said, “It’s hard to get the full picture from just one side of the story. There’s someone else involved.”

Qian Weishi’s hands shook as he kept wiping his palms. The water in the basin was as clear as ever, but it was as if he had filth on him that could never be wiped clean. He scrubbed them harder and harder until his skin turned red.

There was a sudden knock on the door. Qian Weishi abruptly stood up and knocked the basin over to the ground. He quickly tidied it up in apprehension, and asked softly at the door, “Who is it?”

“Qian Fuzi, I’m sorry to impose on you.” Gu Shen waved his waist tag between the crack of the door.

Clenching his fists warily, Qian Weishi propped himself against the door and peeped out from the crack. He said, “I’ve already told Your Honor everything I know. What else can I do for Your Honor?”

Gu Shen only smiled and said in a coarse voice, “There are some things I need to hear again from Fuzi.”

Qian Weishi gulped under Gu Shen’s gaze. He removed the latch and opened the door. Gu Shen stepped through the door and let his eyes roved over the courtyard. He said, “I didn’t notice it in the morning. Fuzi’s courtyard wall isn’t that high. It is easy to attract the attention of thieves.”

Qian Weishi’s courtyard was very close to the Chens’. In actuality, the wall separating the courtyards was not that high. A person with just about the right height only had to stand slightly on tiptoes to take a clear look into their neighbors’ courtyards. The Chens’ house was nestled on the inside of the alley. Staying further down was an old widow with her grandson, while Qian Weishi’s house was on the other side of the Chens’ house, on the outside of the alley.

Qian Weishi followed Gu Shen and said, “Lives have been lost. There is indeed a need to increase the height.”

Gu Shen added, “You washed your hands? Haven’t you taken your meal yet?”

Qian Weishi forced himself to look at him and said, “I just had a look at the corpse with Your Honor. I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat anything these few days.”

“I have handled numerous cases, and this is the first time I have encountered such brutality. Murder and dismemberment, how shocking.”

Qian Weishi motioned for Gu Shen to have a seat. Gu Shen sat down unreservedly and said, “Let’s cut to the chase. Go through the statement you have given the yamen with me again.”

Qian Weishi sat cautiously with his back straight. His tone was amiable when he spoke. This teacher was nearly forty of age, but he was still smooth-skinned, which suggested that he hardly encountered hardships in his life. He was on the skinny side. Compared to Gu Shen, he was like a woman too feeble to truss a chicken.

“That night, I slept more soundly than usual after returning early from school and drinking some wine. In the first half of the night, all I heard was the din made by the wind. It was so cold I could barely sleep. Shocked to realize that the window had not been closed, I put on my clothes and rose. As I was closing the window, I heard a ruckus from the Chens’ courtyard. I thought Chen Ren had returned home.” Qian Weishi’s furrowed his brows subconsciously, “Chen Ren loved to gamble. He would even grab his parents’ pension to gamble. He would remain away from home for a long time, and if he returns, it’s always for money. This person has the habit of physically and verbally abusing his parents and wife. So every time he returns, he would make a racket. I was drunk and annoyed at the constant cursing, so I stuffed my ears.” He covered his face and choked with sobs. “How would I know they would lose their lives later that night? Poor Caoyu. Someone actually abducted her. She is only seven years old. Who knows what the murderer intends to do?”

Gu Shen said nothing.

Qian Weishi made a slight rectification. When he looked up, his eyes were red. He said, “Chen Ren is a scoundrel! He is the scourge of the family. This man is guilty of monstrous crimes, and his death is not worth lamenting over. But it is regrettable that he still takes others with him. It really saddens me.”

“I heard from the waiter that Chen Ren owes the gambling den a lot of money.”

“Sixteen gold pearls.” Qian Weishi wiped his eyes. “Even if he sells Caoyu, he won’t be able to repay it!”

Chen Caoyu was the little girl of the Chen household.

“The case is vicious. Before it is solved, Fuzi should be careful. Don’t leave the house to teach these few days. The yamen may come for you any time.” Gu Shen stood up. As he was leaving, he suddenly turned around and handed Qian Weishi a handkerchief. “Fuzi, wipe the sweat behind your neck.”

Qian Weishi’s consternation almost instantly turned into fear. It took him a moment to react. Taking the handkerchief, he hurriedly nodded and said, “Thank you. Thank you.”

Gu Shen cupped his hands to bid him farewell and stepped out of the door to leave. As soon as he left, Qian Weishi calmed down. His brows were tightly furrowed as he stared at the handkerchief in his hand for a moment. He had finally noticed something off.

Since when did a brash Gu Shen speak of “imposing” on others when knocking on doors? The prefectural yamen had recorded his statement clearly. If Gu Shen wanted to, he could look at it any time, why did he have to make another trip down? He was originally a suspect in this case, but Gu Shen still needed to make a special trip to call on him and tell him not to leave the house?

Qian Weishi broke out in a cold sweat. His hair stood on end.

If the person who came was not Gu Shen, then who was he?!

When “Gu Shen” stepped out of the alley, he brushed past the street vendors. As if emerging from a cocoon, he instantaneously grew taller and revealed a pair of sensual peach blossom eyes.

Jing Lin pinched his throat and fastened his collar while he was at it.

Cang Ji gossiped to the little stone figure, “Look at him. He’s so skilled at deceiving others. He’s evidently more impressive than me.”

The little stone figure made a funny face at him, surprisingly looking somewhat smug.

财神爷 Cai Shen Ye, literally, God of Wealth. He’s a mythological figure worshiped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. Also used to refer to someone who is very rich and generous with his money. Jing Lin is referring to himself as the “God of Wealth” here.

The waiter calls him Yeye (爷爷) here. A single “ye” (爷) is also used as “Master”. It was customary for waiters or shopkeepers to address their male patrons as Surname+(Lao/Shao) Ye, which means “(Old/Young) Master Surname”. Ye is also affixed behind titles to turn it into an honorific form of address. Jing Lin called himself the “God of Wealth” i.e. Cai Shen Ye (财神爷). So the waiter called him Ye Ye (爷爷). However, Yeye also literally means Grandpa. I’m just going to take it as he’s calling Jing Lin ‘grandpa’ as a form of respect for an ‘(slightly) older, super-rich man of a higher social status’ LOL.

糖人; sugar figure is a traditional Chinese form of folk art using hot, liquid sugar, or sugar syrup, to create three-dimensional figures that come in a variety of shapes from animals to objects. A dragon sugar figure is shown in the picture above.

腰牌 literally waist tablet, it’s a small tablet hung at the waist to prove one’s identity, especially for people in governmental posts or acting in an official capacity.

三人成虎, literally three men make a tiger. i.e., three people spreading reports of a tiger would make one believe that there is really one around. Basically, a repeated rumor becomes a fact.

Chapter 17: Fuzi

AUGUST 31, 2019

“Only half of Qian Weishi’s words can be believed.”

Gu Shen spread out the files, circled the table, and said, “This man is strange. He looks flustered as he spoke, and he keeps averting his eyes. It’s as if he’s afraid that I wouldn’t doubt him.”

“Dage, maybe he has something to hide, that’s why he’s afraid when he sees you.” His subordinate stuffed several steamed buns into his mouth and said.

“He’s afraid of me?” Gu Shen rapped on the table and scoffed. “He’s not afraid at all. He just wants you to think he is afraid. This man is crafty. He must be hiding something.”

“But all the neighbors are full of praises for him. There are five households in this alley; there’s not one who has not received his kindness. Even beyond the alley on that street, others would still respectfully address him as ‘Qian Fuzi’.” The subordinate drank cold tea to swallow down the bun and continued, “Besides, his arms are so skinny. It would be difficult for him to murder and dismember four people overnight.”

“Is he from Jingzhen?”

“No. He is a native of Xitu. Five years ago, there was a great drought in Xitu. He fled the famine and came here to settle down. Several affluent families in the town wanted to hire him as a private teacher, but he rejected them all and continued to live in the alley.” The subordinate also found it strange at this point. “He obviously could not get along with Chen Ren, and yet he was unwilling to move out. Moreover, Chen Ren had extorted money from him several times as he was penniless due to his debt.”

“How did he get along with the rest of the Chen household?”

“According to the neighbors’ replies, Qian Weishi was amiable and approachable. Apart from Chen Ren, if the others from the Chen household had any requests, he would do his best to help.” The subordinate flipped through the statements and continued, “He was especially good to the little girl of the Chen family, that seven-year-old Chen Caoyu.”

Gu Shen closed the file and asked, “Then, how did the Chen household treat Chen Caoyu?”

“Naturally, they treated her well.” The grizzled old widow leaned against her crutches and walked falteringly as she told Jing Lin, “Caoyu’s mother was adored by her parents ever since she was a child. When she was young, Old Man Chen often took her out with him. Although they were poor, he was never stingy with his daughter’s clothes and snacks. They had prepared her dowry early, and the young man who asked for her hand was about to marry her. But that maiden somehow gave herself to someone in secret. Oh my, she got pregnant even before she had the wedding ceremony.”

As Jing Lin helped her down the stairs, the old widow lamented.” The lad ran away, so they could not marry the maiden off. She passed away just a few days after the child was born. Old Man Chen lost his baby, so naturally, he would treat his little granddaughter as the apple of his eye.”

“I heard that the little girl’s uncle was a good-for-nothing. How did he usually treat her?”

“Good.” The old widow grabbed Jing Lin’s wrist and said, “Don’t let Chen Ren’s reputation make you misunderstand his treatment of Caoyu. Although Chen Ren was nothing good, he was devoted to his niece. He married early, but he had no children. The physician looked at him for a few days and said it was untreatable. From then on, his wife Zhou often told the young ladies in this area that Chen Ren wanted to choose a day to let Caoyu take his own name so he can raise her as his own daughter.”

“This is truly regrettable.” Jing Lin took the old widow to the door and said, “This alley is deep. I’m afraid it’s inconvenient for an elderly like you to live here.”

“I’ve stayed here for so many years.” The old widow took the vegetables from him and said amiably to him, “Our Hong-er is sensible. He doesn’t give me any worries at all.”

As she was saying this, a seven or eight-year-old child came running out of the house. The child was plump, tender, and round. When he saw Jing Lin, he immediately showed his white teeth.

Jing Lin was exchanging civilities with them when he heard Cang Ji whispered in his sleeve. “He’s fat and tender. He should taste good. Jing Lin…”

The little stone figure conked Cang Ji on the head with a fist. Cang Ji dodged it and said, “It’s just a thought!”

Jing Lin entered their courtyard. The old widow’s courtyard was smaller than the Chens’ and walled up. A few stones were placed under the low wall, likely because the young child would often sprawl over the wall to look next door.

“Hong-er often plays with Caoyu. When they are free, they will lean over the top of the wall to chat.” The old widow saw Jing Lin looking at the stones and explained.

“Alright.” Jing Lin smiled politely. “Then I’ll take my leave. I should report to the yamen earlier, or else, dage will get anxious waiting.”

“Take care. Be safe.” The old widow saw him out.

It was only after Jing Lin stepped out of the door that Cang Ji said, “This case is a mess. First, Dong Lin took the copper bell. When he realized that we were chasing after him, he hid here and vanished without a trace. Later, the Luocha bird showed up, and an entire household died. The Ghost Guards unexpectedly set their sights on us, drawing Zui Shan Seng to us. I wouldn’t believe it if you tell me now that this case has nothing to do with Dong Lin. But as much as he seems involved, this case also doesn’t seem to have anything to do with him.”

“He is bound to slip up and leave clues behind.” Jing Lin said, “There is no perfect crime in this world.”

“Humans are truly cunning.” Cang Ji said, “I can see that they are all saying one thing but meaning a different thing. Only this old woman is somewhat sincere.”

“Listen to only one side of the story, and you’ll remain in the dark.”¹ Jing Lin said, “Humans not only speak contrary to what they think, but they are also especially good at pretending.”

Cang Ji was about to continue when he suddenly fell silent.

Jing Lin took a few steps forward. As expected, he heard footsteps behind him. As he was about to leave the alley, someone grabbed his sleeve. Jing Lin looked back, his face void of emotions.

“You are also from the yamen investigating this case, right?” Ah Hong,² whom they had just met earlier, took a few steps forward and hugged Jing Lin’s leg. Looking up, he said with naivety, “If you buy me candy, I’ll tell you a secret.”

Jing Lin led Ah Hong by the hand and bought him a lot of food. Cang Ji gnashed his teeth in hatred and anger. He coldly sized Ah Hong up, feeling that this fat kid deserved to be eaten. Because Jing Lin had never held his hand this way to lead him when he was a young child.

“He is so fat he has become a ball, and he still can’t walk on his own?”

The little stone figure sat on one side and took off the grass crown off the top of its head to rearrange. When it heard this, it gestured to Cang Ji, implying you were also once as fat as a ball.

Cang Ji retorted, “Am I the same as him? In your eyes, am I like him?”

The little stone figure blinked and pretended not to understand.

Cang Ji said, “You and Jing Lin…”

The little stone figure placed the grass crown on Cang Ji’s head, causing Cang Ji to be at a loss for words. This grass crown was precious because this stone could not bear to take it off even when Zong Yin was overturning the mountain. Cang Ji had always been one who was amenable to coaxing but not coercion. So, with the grass crown on his head, he could only steel himself and said fiercely to the little stone figure, “He is ugly, while I look good fat, okay?”

Jing Lin raised his eyebrows slightly and turned to look at Ah Hong. This was likely not the first time Ah Hong had made demands of others, pointing out the things he wanted with familiarity. The child was clearly so young, and yet he had exhibited the traits of an opportunist so prematurely.

“What secret did you want to tell me?”

Ah Hong sucked his finger and glanced around.

“Go ahead and tell me what else you want to eat or play.” Jing Lin said.

Ah Hong stood on tiptoe to look at the food stands. After glancing around for a moment, he said, “I want to eat sugar figure.”³

No one else on this street sold sugar figure except for Old Man Chen, so Jing Lin did not respond to him. After waiting for a while, Ah Hong tugged at Jing Lin’s sleeve anxiously and cried, “Sugar figure. If you don’t give it to me, I won’t tell you!”

“Then I won’t listen.” Jing Lin swung his sleeves to leave.

Ah Hong instantly wailed. He grabbed Jing Lin by the sleeve and trailed behind on the ground bawling.

“If you don’t give it to me!” Ah Hong said, “I’ll tell my grandmother you’re going to kidnap me! You’re going to abduct me!”

Cang Ji said coldly. “Not only that. I can also eat you.”

Ah Hong thought Jing Lin was the one who said those words. He could see through this kind of people, and so he was not afraid; he simply saw it as a threat from Jing Lin. Throwing a tantrum, he rolled on the ground and howled incessantly, attracting a fair bit of giggling spectators.

It was inconvenient for Jing Lin to be the focus of attention; thus, he lifted Ah Hong by the rear collar and stepped past the crowd. Ah Hong clung onto his arm, but before he could get a firm grip, he was thrown to the ground. He fell so hard his ass hurt, and tears streamed down his cheeks again.

“What secret were you going to tell me?” Jing Lin looked at him.

Ah Hong still wanted to cry, but he felt cold all over and could not help shivering. He kicked his feet in annoyance and glared at Jing Lin with puffed up cheeks.

“Tell me honestly.” Jing Lin softened his voice. He grabbed Cang Ji from his sleeve and waved him in front of Ah Hong. “And I’ll give you a ragdoll to play with.”

Cang Ji was caught unawares. He remained still in the air, not daring to move. His eyes caught a glimpse of Ah Hong’s palm that was sticky with snot, and he nearly climbed back into Jing Lin’s sleeve. Fortunately, Jing Lin only shook him and did not hand him over to Ah Hong.

Ah Hong did not forget to wipe his snot during this time. He wiped away his tears and stammered. “I… I know who… the killer is.”

Jing Lin prompted him with an “uh-huh.”

Ah Hong sobbed. “I, I saw it. I’ll tell you… you… you buy me candy again. I’m scared… you… don’t tell anyone. Qian, Qian Fuzi killed someone!”

He peeked at Jing Lin. Children were far more sensitive to a person’s emotions compared to adults. But he did not understand why such a horrible incident did not frighten Jing Lin.

So Ah Hong yelled shrilly at Jing Lin, “Qian Fuzi ! Killed someone! So much blood! Red blood, flowing! Right in the courtyard.”

Jing Lin crouched down, raised his index finger, and motioned for him to be quiet. Ah Hong gasped for breath. He was mad that he did not get the reaction he expected. He glared at Jing Lin and grabbed a handful of soil, but he did not dare to throw it at Jing Lin.

“Tell me.” Jing Lin probed, “Are you and Chen Caoyu playmates?”

“No!” Ah Hong said resentfully. “No! She stinks to death.” Without waiting for Jing Lin to continue, Ah Hong scrambled to say, “She is a slut! Her mother is a whore! She’s dirty and smelly. I don’t want to play with her. She also cheated Qian Fuzi of his candy. She loves to lie the most! I saw her run into Qian Fuzi’s courtyard. She ran into Qian Fuzi’s room. They hugged, and Qian Fuzi even kissed her.”

Jing Lin’s eyes sharpened as he heard Ah Hong utter obscenities far beyond his age in a childish voice full of malice and disgust.

“Little harlot.” Ah Hong almost puked out the words. “Little hussy!”

Jing Lin abruptly stood up. Cang Ji noticed his peculiar mood. Jing Lin’s expression was somber and grim as he stared fixedly at Ah Hong.

“Qian Weishi?”

Ah Hong shrank back and nodded with his might. He spat at a corner and said, “Disgusting! They took off their clothes…”

“You.” Jing Lin towered over him. “When did you see it?”

Ah Hong was shocked. He was so scared that he began to cry. However, Jing Lin firmly trapped his body under him. Ah Hong shook his head. “I don’t remember. I don’t remember! Many times, too many times…”

Cang Ji did not understand. What’s ‘too many times’? What’s so disgusting? Why take off their clothes? What did Qian Weishi do to Chen Caoyu to make Jing Lin look so severe to the extent that his murderous intent had even permeated the air?

Gu Shen went through the files in the middle of the night. His subordinate repeatedly yawned as he tapped on the desk and murmured, “Dage, tell me. Why did he take Chen Caoyu away after killing people? He would only expose his whereabouts with a seven-year-old girl following beside him. Neither Dong Lin nor Qian Weishi has the reason to do so.”

Gu Shen was so sleep-deprived, his eyes were red. He said, “How do I know?” After another pause, he continued, “… Kidnappings are rife in recent years. It’s also possible she was taken away to sell. But if that was the case, then the perpetrator is definitely not Dong Lin.

“Why not? Isn’t he a bandit himself? Or does he only steal objects and not people?”

Gu Shen put the file aside and raised his head to say, “Because Dong Lin’s little girl was abducted. He has been running around all these years looking for his daughter. This kind of person would only have nothing but intense hatred for human traffickers.”

The subordinate thought of something and glanced at Gu Shen in embarrassment.

Gu Shen wiped his weathered face and said with scorn, “Why do I understand him? Because I was abducted and sold myself.”

The subordinate was not in a position to comment, so he could only bury his head in the pile of statements. His eyes flitted across a sentence, prompting him to sit upright with a “huh”.

“Dage.” He said, “Why is there still a statement here? I’m sure I didn’t see this yesterday while logging it in.”

Gu Shen reached out to extract it from the pile. Understanding dawned on him. “Just coaxing a child…” His voice faltered. He suddenly sat up and concentrated on the words in the statement.

“Does Qian Weishi often take Chen Caoyu home?”

The subordinate nodded and said, “Not only does he take her home, he was often seen leading her out of the house too.”

Gu Shen tightened his grip on the paper, crumpling it. His face was ashen as he cursed, “… Fuck.”

From the idiom, 兼听则明，偏信则暗. Listen to both sides, and you will see the light; heed only one side, and you will remain in the dark. Basically saying one needs to listen to both sides of the stories to be enlightened.

阿鸿 Ah Hong is the same child as 鸿儿 Hong-er mentioned earlier. They just addressed him differently. The “Ah” is a prefix used before monosyllabic names to indicate kinship and/or familiarity while the “Er” (which also means ‘son’) is a suffix normally used as a term of endearment.

Recap: 糖人; sugar figure is a traditional Chinese form of folk art using hot, liquid sugar, or sugar syrup, to create three-dimensional figures that come in a variety of shapes from animals to objects. A dragon sugar figure is shown in the picture above.

Chapter 18: Truth And Lies

SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

The waiter was on pins and needles as he went to the prefectural yamen again. He scratched his head and said, “Qian Fuzi? I’m not really that familiar with Qian Fuzi… He comes to the shop often, but so does everyone in this street! I’m just an illiterate waiter; I don’t have any personal relationship with him. You’re asking me who’s on good terms with him? There’s probably none. He’s kind to others, but he also keeps his distance. It’s no surprise, though. All scholars are like this.”

“How does he treat children? Pretty good. He would buy food for the children every few days. All the children on this street like him. It’s common for them to go in and out of his house. About a year ago, a carriage that was passing through the street overturned and crushed Little Girl Chen’s foot. He was the one who gave her a piggyback to the physician. After this incident, Old Man Chen was even more grateful to him and would tell everyone he met what a good man Qian Fuzi was.”

“Why didn’t Qian Fuzi marry? How would I know? But everyone knows that he likes children, especially Caoyu. He’s even more attentive to her than the Chen household themselves. How did the Chen household treat Caoyu? This, I truly don’t know. I only know that her body is weak, and she seems to fall sick all year round. Her complexion isn’t that good, and she’s so small and skinny. Chen Ren? How would I know about Chen Ren? But his wife Zhou’s treatment of Caoyu isn’t bad. She’s always talking about her even when she’s outdoors. Everyone here knows she treats Caoyu well; she even makes clothes for her to wear when the weather gets cold.”

“Borrow money? I never borrow money. Qian Fuzi doesn’t have much money either. He has nothing in common with me; even if I want to borrow money, I wouldn’t ask from him.” The waiter shifted his body and continued, “Ah Hong? Don’t be deceived by his tender age. He’s good at making unreasonable demands and creating a scene.”

Finally, Gu Shen gestured for him to leave. When the waiter stepped through the threshold, he turned back and added, “Ah Hong often follows Qian Fuzi around. Children are innocent. Who could say if they could tell better than others? I heard Ah Hong saying that…”

Gu Shen’s gaze turned sharp.

The waiter faltered and continued, “… Qian Fuzi treats Caoyu differently. He’s closer to her than normal.” He smiled uneasily, “I used to hear that the people of Xitu has a penchant for this kind of stuff.”

“Qian Fuzi? Qian Fuzi has nothing to do with our Hong-er.” The old widow tapped her walking stick anxiously. “They have nothing to do with each other, Constable Gu! Children are slow-witted. How can you believe his nonsense?! What statement? Can you speak louder? I can’t hear you that well. Oh, my! Others must have taught him this kind of filthy words! Our Hong-er has always been reasonable; he would never say such words to others.”

“Hong-er seldom leaves the house. He has never been to Qian Fuzi’s house.”

“Hong-er does indeed play with the Chen girl. The courtyards are so close together, and we bear no grudge against the Chens. Why can’t I ask the children to play together?”

“I don’t know what person Qian Fuzi is, and we have received none of his kindness whatsoever.”

The old widow tugged Ah Hong to hide him behind her and turned more and more aggressive towards Gu Shen, almost hitting Gu Shen with her stick. She stretched out her neck and glowered, saying, “Which of you is asking for a beating?! Slandering us widow and orphan like this! How many times have I said that Qian Fuzi has nothing to do with us! Why do you need to ask Hong-er? Honger doesn’t know! Constable Gu, this case has been dragging for so many days. Now that the deadline is approaching, you decided to pick on the old and the weak, the women and children, haven’t you? How unreasonable! I’m not leaving today. I’ll stay here and lie on the steps of the prefectural yamen and let incorruptible officials see for themselves how you people handle the case!”

The old widow’s spit flew all over and spattered on Gu Shen’s face. The more she scolded, the more vigorous she became. She even dug out Gu Shen’s eight generations of ancestors to torment him with, not letting up until he asked for forgiveness. Feeling his head spin, Gu Shen could not help but waved his hand to get someone to see the old widow out.

He squatted down and said to Ah Hong, “I’ll ask you a few questions. Don’t be nervous. You just need to answer the questions.”

Ah Hong glanced around, wanting to find his grandmother. Gu Shen said, “If you answer me, I’ll not only let you go, but I’ll also give you candy to eat. You surely know what this place is. I can tell you that there are deities above watching you. You cannot lie.”

Sitting atop the beam of the building, Jing Lin’s eyelid twitched. Cang Ji somersaulted out of his sleeve and climbed onto his shoulder with the little stone figure.

Gu Shen asked, “Does Fuzi often take Chen Caoyu out to play?”

Ah Hong clutched the hem of his clothes as he glanced around and nodded his head.

“Does he often take Caoyu home?”

This time, Ah Hong nodded heavily and said, “Takes her home, gives her new clothes and food.”

“He only gives to Caoyu?”

Ah Hong inhaled and revealed a look of exasperation as he clenched his shirt and yelled, “Only to her! He even read poems to her.” Ah Hong wrung his shirt until it was wrinkled. “Fuzi let her sit on his lap.”

“Sit on his lap.” The subordinate asked gently. “Was his behavior towards Caoyu… intimate?”

“He kissed her on the face.” Ah Hong became more excited the more he spoke. “Take off her clothes. I saw, saw him touch her…”

Everyone around him sucked in a breath. Only Gu Shen stared fixedly into Ah Hong’s eyes.

The crowd’s reactions were like encouragement to Ah Hong. He gradually loosened his grip on his shirt and animatedly said, “Fuzi also hid her clothes. He hid many of them!”

“The Chens didn’t notice?” The subordinate asked, stunned.

“Second Uncle Chen.” Ah Hong did not swallow his saliva in time and choked for a moment before continuing impatiently. “Second Uncle Chen hates Fuzi and told Fuzi to scram. But Fuzi didn’t. Second Uncle Chen said Fuzi is a bad person! They fought, right in the courtyard. Fuzi was hit until he fell into the water jar.”¹

The subordinate took a quick glance at Gu Shen and asked, “When did this happen?”

Ah Hong said, “The last time when Fuzi bought cakes for the little bitch.”

“This kid is so incoherent.” Cang Ji sprawled beside Jing Lin’s ear. “Does his words stand?”

“If the details match, then it stands.” Jing Lin was slightly tickled by his breath. His shoulder tilted imperceptibly.

“That’s too bad.” Cang Ji said, “It’s hard to tell the truth from lies from everyone’s words.”

Below them, Ah Hong was still reliving his memories. When he said “the blood came flowing like a river”, Gu Shen’s expression finally changed.

“How were you able to see it?” Gu Shen asked. “Why weren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night?”

A bubble of snot popped out from Ah Hong’s nose. He wiped it away and began to glance around again. He heard his grandmother cursing outside. He continued. “The little bitch was being beaten. Her cries woke grandmother up. Grandmother went out to see and told me, told me not to look.”

“You saw Qian Fuzi?”

Ah Hong nodded without hesitation this time and grabbed Gu Shen’s sleeve to ingratiate himself with him. He said, “Qian Fuzi was dragging someone…”

What a thrill it was. In the snowy night, the usually mild and amiable Fuzi turned into a murderer, killing and dismembering all the people in the courtyard. The courtyard was awash in blood as the corpses were dragged out of the house and exposed in the pitch-black night with their heads raised, presenting a savage view. The only survivor was truly an innocent to be deceived into being toyed by the wolf in sheep’s clothing because of her young age. From the hints gleaned from just a few words, everyone could surmise the truth behind this case of family extermination. The typically overbearing Chen Ren discovered Qian Weishi’s crime, so he beat him up and swore at him. Because of this, Qian Weishi held a grudge against him, the animosity festering to a point until it ended in tragedy days later.

“What an inhumane beast.” The subordinate slammed on the desk with righteous indignation. “How dare he do this? He is not fit to be a scholar! Toying with those in the three contemptible trades² in the brothel is one thing. But he even dared to lay his hands on his neighbors! Chen Caoyu is only seven years old… this beast!”

Cang Ji chuckled and pondered. “How strange. Who is he referring to as those in the ‘three contemptible trades’? Why do these people deserve to be ’toyed’ with? Aren’t they human too? Why do humans segregate themselves so clearly that even the rules vary from person to person? If that’s the case, then what’s the use of having rules?”

Jing Lin looked as if he had recalled something. His eyes were calm. “Do you think demons can escape such rules too? All spirits in Heaven and Earth are bound by the rules.”

“I don’t believe it.” Cang Ji said, “If anyone treats me this way, I’ll certainly treat him the same.”

Jing Lin paused for a moment, then raised a finger to press down on the back of Cang Ji’s head and said, “You want to eat me, does that mean I want to eat you too?”

“If you can, feel free to. Life and death are neither decided by heaven nor by man.” Cang Ji said, “They are decided by ourselves.”

Their conversations were once again interrupted. The subordinate was furious and wanted to arrest Qian Weishi to bring him to justice. Gu Shen, however, still had some misgivings. He was skeptical of some of Ah Hong’s words. First of all, how could Qian Weishi take down four people? Even if two of them were elderly, the power of their resistance at the critical moment of life and death should not be underestimated, unless, all four of them were caught unaware when the crime happened. Second, it would be tough to convince the public that they had caught the perpetrator simply based on a few words from Ah Hong.

Just then, Ah Hong stood on tiptoes and whispered into Gu Shen’s ear, “Give me three copper pearls, and I’ll tell you… I, I saw Fuzi hid the knife.”

The knife was not your average knife; it was the type used by the butcher shop in town. It was wide and heavy. Even bones could not withstand a blow from it, let alone flesh. The blood-stained knife was hidden behind the adjoining woodsheds in the Chens’ and the old widow’s courtyards. It had been thrust firmly into a crack, and so it went undetected when the yamen conducted their search.

When Gu Shen knocked on Qian Weishi’s door again, the Fuzi seemed prepared. He folded an old white handkerchief and placed it into his bosom, then looked on calmly as the constables searched his courtyard and dug out pieces of girls’ clothing in a small chest. There were not only clothes but also shoes and little toys. It was apparent that Chen Caoyu did not wear much. Most of the outfits were brand new, but they had been put aside for so long that moths had already damaged some of them. He had lured an ignorant little girl with such cheap and crude stuff. And because he knew the truth, all the subordinate could think of when he looked at Qian Weishi’s face was how filthy this person was.

“How could you bear to lay your hands on her?” The subordinate was in the prime of youth. When he arrested Qian Weishi, he was so rough that Qian Weishi fell to his knees and slammed into the pavement. He gave Qian Weishi a heavy kick again, although it did nothing to relieve his anger, so he could only curse. “You are worse than an animal!”

Qian Weishi gasped heavily with his face stuck to the ground. He gritted his teeth as he was dragged out. He was set upon by the public before he was taken to the yamen. By the time he was shoved before Gu Shen, he was so beaten up he was barely recognizable.

“Qian Weishi.” Gu Shen approached him. “Did you kill the Chens?”

Qian Weishi squeezed out a little smile from his bruised and swollen face. This had finally worn down his gentleness and civility to nothingness. He said to Gu Shen with hatred and bitterness, “Shouldn’t the Chens die? I’m telling you, they all deserve to die!”

“I don’t believe you.” Gu Shen yanked him off the ground. “You did it? The way you are, you can’t even move one of Chen Ren’s fingers. You duped me first, and now you want to obstruct me from investigating the case? Who do you think I am? Do you think I’ll believe you? Bah!”

Qian Weishi’s feet left the ground. His throat tightened, and he choked on the blood that had risen in his throat due to his injuries.

“I… drugged them.” His throat rattled. “An unconscious Chen Ren was mere poultry waiting to be slaughtered! Whether you believe it or not… is none of my business! The corpses were dismembered, and can’t be pieced whole again, the coroner can’t… can’t distinguish between them!”

“You have no grudge or enmity with him, why kill him?!”

“I…” Qian Weishi suddenly choked up. He bit his lower lip, looking devastated. “I had taken a fancy to… the little girl. That hateful, hateful Chen Ren… he got into my way… humiliated me… I couldn’t bear it, I couldn’t bear it! I’m worse than a beast!”

Gu Shen was about to continue speaking when his subordinate rushed through the door.

“What’s the matter?!” Gu Shen snapped.

The subordinate looked lost and stammered, “Dage, that, that Dong Lin… has come to give himself up.”

Stunned, Gu Shen released his grip.

“He said he killed four members of the Chen household that night five days ago. Chen Caoyu is now in his hands.”

水缸 water jar; it’s a big jar used to hold water in the old days. It’s usually big enough to contain a child and sometimes even a person inside.

下三滥, refers to the three contemptible trades in the ancient days, i.e., courtesans (prostitutes), scholars, and beggars.

Chapter 19: Debt

SEPTEMBER 5, 2019

It was not the first time Gu Shen had met Dong Lin before. He once had a chance encounter with Dong Lin in his early years. No matter who saw Dong Lin, they would not imagine him to be a renowned bandit. Because Dong Lin was a truly inconspicuous person. When Dong Lin sat all hunched over against the wall, even Gu Shen had to take a second look before he could spot him.

“So that’s him.” Cang Ji sized him up. “He’s tough to find.”

Jing Lin tapped his folding fan on his knee and said, “He didn’t bring the copper bell with him today.”

“Who cares?” Cang Ji bared his sharp teeth slightly. “If we can’t find it, we’ll eat him.”

Gu Shen sat before Dong Lin. He looked at Dong Lin for a moment before he said, “Who would expect you to end up in this state?”

“You reap what you sow.” Dong Lin took off his woolen hat, revealing his face in its entirety. He looked gaunt, barely able to open his half-drooping eyes, and only the contours of his face were still sharp. He scrutinized Gu Shen and said, “You haven’t gone home yet.”

“There has been no news for over thirty years. It’s not that easy to return to my hometown. The trafficker who abducted me is already six feet under. I don’t know how long I still need to search for.” Gu Shen raised his hand, and his subordinate brought over two jars of cold wine. He opened a jar and threw it over to Dong Lin.

At a narrow corner, both of them clank the jars of wine together, then raised their heads to drink. Gu Shen wiped his mouth, placed the jar on its side, and said, “Speak.”

“Chen Ren was addicted to gambling and owed me six gold pearls. I didn’t earn much this year, so I had to collect some debts as the year drew to an end. I called on him many times, but he repeatedly tried to fob me off. I had no choice but to go to his house late at night to ask for repayment. Who would expect his entire family to be still awake? I had a dispute with Chen Ren, and that old man wanted to report me to the yamen. How could I let him do so? On a whim, I cleaned out all four members of the family.” Dong Lin sipped cold wine and slowly exhaled. He continued, “… Just that, I didn’t know there was still a little girl in his family. I don’t touch children, so I spared her.”

“With your skill, getting out of the city is easy. Once you’re out of the town, all you need is to find a family for her and you can make your getaway. Although I’m on orders to investigate, I’ll still have to report to the higher authorities when the deadline is up. Then, I’ll have to wait three to five days for the new official orders to be issued before I can leave town to take you down.” Gu Shen said, “This is such a good opportunity. And yet you deliver yourself right into my hands?”

“As soon as he met this Dong Lin, he changes from a tiger into a cat.” Cang Ji caught hold Jing L

in’s fan and drew it closer. He asked, “His treatment of this person is so different. Aren’t the others worried that they are in cahoots with each other?”

“Fellow sufferers tend to commiserate with each other.” Jing Lin tapped Cang Ji’s head lightly with his fan and the little figure sprawled over on his back.

“The Chens deserve to die, but not Caoyu. Seeing her reminds me of my daughter. I spent my whole life in hiding, moving within the darkness. I’m not a good man.” Dong Lin raised his eyes and looked at Gu Shen with a faraway look in his gaze. “That’s why I had to suffer the heart-wrenching pain of having my flesh and blood torn away from me. There’s no turning back for me, so why drag another one down with me?”

“If you didn’t massacre her entire family, I can still tolerate those words. But you wiped out her entire household.” Gu Shen put his foot on the stool. He held himself back for a moment, then said, “She is now all alone, and she has no other family. What do you want her to do…?”

“The Chens deserve to die.” Dong Lin repeated.

“Deserve to die? You pay scant regard to the law, and you still dare to say such words.” The veins popped out on the back of Gu Shen’s hand. “Dong Lin, are you really that lawless?”

Dong Lin finished up the cold wine and lifted his hand to throw the jar away. He said to Gu Shen, “I’m already here. What are you waiting for?”

“I’m waiting for the truth.” Gu Shen abruptly stood up and said, “You said you are the murderer. Qian Weishi said he is the killer. Why are both of you fighting to be the perpetrator?”

“I don’t know that man.” Dong Lin said, confounded.

“Perhaps he recognizes you.” Gu Shen said, “Qian Weishi, do you know who he is?”

The subordinate brought Qian Weishi out. The scholar covered his face with his bound hands and used only his eyes to glance at Dong Lin. He answered, “Never seen him before.”

Dong Lin gave a scornful laugh.

“Chen Ren was always hanging around the streets, and his ability to harass others and stir up trouble was remarkable. If Qian Weishi is the culprit, he would need to have a meticulous plan. However, Fuzi is skinny, and his arms are weak, so even if he killed them, he would not be able to dismember them. Dong Lin has extraordinary talents. It is indeed a breeze for him to commit murder. But it would take quite a while to finish the time-consuming and laborious task of dismembering a corpse when there was still a need to watch after the Chen household’s little girl.” Gu Shen held the blade towards him and enunciated each word. “Unless both of you joined forces to divide the work.”

“If I need help, why would I find a scholar?” Dong Lin placed his hands on the table and allowed himself to be restrained. He said, “Even now, I still clearly remember the entire murder and dismemberment process. First, I knocked Chen Ren unconscious in the inner chamber, then gagged his wife Zhou’s mouth. However, I saw that his old man and old woman wanted to rush out and shout for help, so I struck down Old Woman Chen with my blade first. By this time, Old Man Chen had reached before the door. I ran the blade through his chest from the back and hoisted him back. These two were old and feeble, and very much dead. When I looked back, I saw Zhou trying to climb over the wall to flee, so I grabbed her hair, dragged her into the courtyard, and ended her with a slice of my blade. When I went back inside, I stabbed Chen Ren thrice and dragged him out of the room. As I passed by the woodshed, I noticed that he was still breathing and struggling. Thus, I grabbed a bolt at random and smashed him a few times in the face, only stopping when he was all a bloody mess. Right at this time, I heard someone sucking in a breath to the left of the courtyard and saw a white-haired old woman scrambling her way back into the house in a panic before shutting the door. I wanted to silence her, but it was unwise to leave the bodies in the courtyard for too long. And I suspected she might not have seen who I was, so I turned back and continued to deal with the bodies. Initially, I didn’t want to dismember the corpses.” Dong Lin’s voice was steady. That very instant, he revealed the malice of an outlaw. “But I didn’t want to let Chen Ren off lightly. Even cutting him into pieces was not enough to vent my hatred of him. I braved the snow to steal the knife used to dismember the body from the knife shop three streets away. It was inconvenient for me to take it away with me, so I shoved it into the gap between the woodsheds and covered it up shoddily, thinking it was of no importance even if you found it. How was it? Ask him again, how did he kill them? I supposed he can’t even lift the knife.”

Not once had Qian Weishi looked at Dong Lin, but his hand trembled at every word Dong Lin said.

“No… I, I first drugged the Chens two months ago…”

“Would Chen Ren let you in? Besides, there are usually only women and children at home. You dare to enter their house openly?”¹ Dong Lin’s eyes were fixed on Qian Weishi. “I don’t know why you are taking the blame for me, but you and I are strangers. I can’t afford to owe you this favor.”

Qian Weishi suddenly trembled. His tears fell as he choked and said, “You …”

“Ever since I entered the martial art fraternity, the word ‘Dong Lin’ is my trademark. To claim responsibility for my acts is to smear my reputation and rob me of my rice bowl.”² Dong Lin’s expression was cold. “This crime is on par with the act of committing patricide. Do you want to die that much?”

Cang Ji felt Jing Lin paused when he heard the last sentence. The folding fan that he was turning with his fingers slowed down for a moment and fell onto his knee again. Although that moment had passed, Cang Ji felt as if Jing Lin had been disturbed by that remark.

Do you want to die that much?

Cang Ji vaguely felt as if he had heard it before. The folding fan obscured his face. Jing Lin looked at him sideways and asked, “Why are you staring at me?”

“You already said it, staring at you.” Cang Ji replied. “I’m looking at you.”

Jing Lin did not answer. The little stone figure intermittently jabbed Cang Ji’s back as if it was also in a low mood. Cang Ji caught the little stone figure’s finger and turned back to ask, “Why are you suddenly unhappy?”

The stone cocked its head and gave him a light kick.

Below them, Qian Weishi remained quiet, looking calm with his hands lowered. He wiped away his tears, looking gaunt. It had been only a few short days, and streaks of white hair had begun to show on his head.

“The white-haired old woman saw the incident clearly but feigned ignorance.” Dong Lin said, “The child from her household urinated at the corner of the wall and locked eyes with me. Why did he turn around and say it was someone else? Their testimonies are so conflicting, and yet the authorities still believed them?”

“Even if what you said is true, it’s also a fact that we found the clothes in Qian Weishi’s house. The neighbors all saw him and Chen Caoyu…” The subordinate disputed him.

“All those have nothing to do with me.” Dong Lin said, “I’ll only admit to my crimes.”

“If you genuinely want the best for Chen Caoyu, then you shouldn’t cover up for Qian Weishi.” Gu Shen refused to budge. “You must be acquainted with each other.”

“The future fate of Chen Caoyu is none of my business. As for what kind of person Qian Weishi is, that’s even none of my business. By dragging unrelated people into this case, are you trying to make me give false testimony so you can use me to eliminate them?” Dong Lin questioned. “If that’s really your intent, I don’t mind giving you a hand.”

“The more unreasonable you are, the more I won’t believe it.” Gu Shen said.

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not.” The chains on Dong Lin’s wrist clanked as he pushed his arms forward to sprawl on the desk. He said to Gu Shen, “You have hit the deadline for this case, and the prefectural yamen will have to give an explanation to the higher-ups. A shocking massacre of an entire household has already been proven beyond doubt with irrefutable evidence. Even if you don’t believe it, the prefectural magistrate would have to believe it.”

“You sure have the time limit of the case down pat.” Understanding suddenly dawned on Gu Shen. “You have been lying low in the town for a few days, waiting for the deadline of this case to pass.”

A smile slowly emerged on Dong Lin’s face. His finger traced a circle around his neck. “Off with my head, and everyone will be satisfied.”

“I have to unravel this case.” Gu Shen said, “I must get to the bottom of the truth!”

“Why persist?” Dong Lin sat up straight. “Gu Shen, why can’t you admit it? This case is clear for all to see.” His eyes drifted away again as he mumbled. “Send me on my way quickly so I can catch up with my Nan-nan.”³

Gu Shen was filled with pent up anger with nowhere to vent, but he just had to hear Qian Weishi speak up right at this moment. Qian Weishi bent over forward and pushed apart the messy hair out of his face. With this movement, he met Dong Lin’s eyes for the first time that day.

“… I want to seek redress for a grievance.”⁴ Qian Weishi said in a trembling voice.

“You owe Qian Weishi money! Your aged mother had a sudden medical emergency, and you did not have enough money, so you plead with Qian Weishi. He lent you fifty copper pearls, but he didn’t put it down on paper.” Gu Shen frowned and interrogated the waiter. “Is that right or not?!”

The waiter was so terrified his face was ashen.

“There is no written evidence, so if anything happens to him, you would not have to return the money.” Gu Shen urgently tapped his fingers on the desk. “What was that you said to me? ‘I never borrow money’. If he hadn’t lent you these fifty pearls, what would you have used to save your mother?!”

“I…” The waiter stammered, inarticulate. “For, for the sake of the case…”

“My ass!” Gu Shen said, “Do you want me to repeat what you have been scheming?”

“I, I wouldn’t dare!” The waiter dropped to his knees hurriedly and panicked. “I, I did indeed borrow money from him… but, but I didn’t want him to die! How would I dare to fabricate tales when the prefectural yamen is investigating the case? He… he, he does often bring along Chen Cao, Caoyu… if he didn’t have any ulterior motives, how would have the prefectural yamen found all those evidences?!”

“You gave false testimony to obscure the facts.” Gu Shen pointed a finger between the waiter’s eyebrows. “You’re fucking dead!”

Panicking, the waiter hugged Gu Shen’s leg and pleaded. “I really have nothing to do with this case! Gu, Gu Dage! Gu Dage is wise! Ah, I’m just afraid, afraid of being involved in this case, then my, my mother…”

“At the very least, he saved your mother once.” Gu Shen looked down at him and said, “And you repay him with lies?”

“Money can be returned, repaid!” The waiter tightened his grip on Gu Shen. He was so agitated he burst into tears. “But if I’m implicated and end up in prison… then… then…”

Gu Shen kicked him away, finding it hard to swallow.

Dong Lin was brought to trial by the prefectural yamen and thrown into prison. The case was then closed as he awaited execution. Qian Weishi suffered for several days in prison, yet he was able to leave unharmed. When he stepped out of the yamen, he saw Gu Shen.

Gu Shen did not have that high of an authority, so he was not involved in all the subsequent investigations. Being a constable might look imposing, but in actuality, he was not as favored as the one who cleared the magistrate’s chamber pot. He had been squatting there since early morning just to wait for Qian Weishi.

“I saw Chen Caoyu last night. There’s something I still want to ask Fuzi.” Gu Shen said.

Qian Weishi slowly returned his greeting, looking as if he was all ears.

“If Dong Lin had not given himself up, you won’t be able to escape being beheaded.” Gu Shen stepped through the snow and approached. His old coat had been worn short, with some cotton fillings spilling out from the elbow area. Actually, he had something in common with Qian Weishi—

the air of solitude emanating from their slovenly appearances. He said, “After contemplating it, I find you an intriguing person. There are at least a dozen children on this street, and yet you have to set your sights on Chen Caoyu. Why? If you have a secret fetish, you shouldn’t be finding a girl with such a plain face. After turning it over in my mind, I thought about it in reverse, and I think I can understand some of what’s true and false.”

Gu Shen exhaled a puff of hot air, covering his face behind a veil of haze. He said, “The reason the child is so thin, is not because of sickness, but hunger. Ah Hong said that you fought with Chen Ren. Yet it was not because of what you did to Chen Caoyu, but because you knew of what Chen Ren did to the child. Qian Fuzi—exactly what did the Chen Household do to her?”

Qian Weishi clutched his thin sleeves. His fingers hurt as he clenched the sweat-stained sleeves. Several times, he wanted to speak but could not get it out because of his trembling.

“… Death is too lenient a punishment for the Chens.” Qian Weishi whispered in a hoarse voice.

In those days, it wasn’t really proper for a man to have physical or close contact with a woman unrelated to him, especially alone. (男女授受不亲). In this case, they might have invited scandals if Qian Weishi had openly gone to their house when there was only a woman at home, especially a married one. Reputation in those days was a pretty big thing, especially for women and scholars.

饭碗 literally rice bowl. It’s used to refer to one’s own job or livelihood.

囡囡 Nan-nan. The words itself actually meant “little darling” or “baby” although Dong Lin apparently used it for his daughter’s name. Whenever he says “my Nannan” he’s also saying “my little baby”, etc.

Just a tidbit. In the past, when someone wants to report an injustice or demand redress for a grievance at the yamen, they would beat the drum outside the court yelling or crying “seeking redress for a grievance” (or equivalent) before being allowed in to voice their grievances before the magistrate.

Chapter 20: Dong Lin (1)

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

Cang Ji was rendered speechless as he watched Chen Caoyu. “She’s so tiny. She’s not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”

Jing Lin sidestepped the table and approached the bed. He looked at the little maiden sleeping under the quilt. Her face was smaller than a palm, and she was so skinny she was just a bag of bones. His fingertips lightly brushed across the little girl’s eyebrows. As he noticed her black little plaits, the sound of a bell reverberated in his ears.

“I saw her before.” Jing Lin said. “In my dreams.”

The dense smoke gradually parted, revealing Chen Caoyu with her back to him as she played with the bell. She sprang forward in high spirits, often looking back to smile at Jing Lin with curved eyes. Everything around him suddenly reversed. Jing Lin heard the jingle of the copper bell before he heard Dong Lin say to Chen Caoyu.

“Watch your steps.”

“Uncle Dong.” Chen Caoyu beckoned to him The copper bell rang, and she shouted, “Are you going elsewhere again? I want to go too. Uncle Dong, will you take me too?”

Dong Lin’s hand fell upon her head. Jing Lin felt the strong affection in it. They seemed deeply entrenched in Dong Lin’s heart. Because he had lost the opportunity once, he gave it all to Chen Caoyu this time. The weight of this emotion was so heavy that Jing Lin subconsciously took a step back.

It was as if he had felt it once.

The copper bell rang noisily, leaving Jing Lin with a splitting headache. He saw Chen Caoyu’s face faded into another face he was familiar with. The little girl no longer called him “Uncle Dong” but “Jiu Ge” as she held onto the bell.

“Jing Lin?” A weight pressed down on him from his back. With his arm around him, Cang Ji waved a hand before him. “Why are you blanking out?”

Jing Lin felt as if he had woken up from a dream. He was sweating profusely. He paid no heed to Cang Ji’s close up face. As if in a daze, he said, “I get it now… Dong Lin was not the one who stole the copper bell. It was the copper bell that found Dong Lin.”

Cang Ji was surprised. “I never realized that. It grew legs too?”

Cang Ji was about to continue when he felt the man between his arms turned around and tightened his grip on his waist. Jing Lin had actually hugged him. Cang Ji nearly bit his tongue. Even though he spoke impudently, he had never been hugged. Under his conceit, he was still as pure as a blank piece of paper.

“I saw Dong Lin’s story.”

Right after Jing Lin said so, Cang Ji heard the copper bell. In a split second, the scene before him shattered into luminous light before it reconstructed into another image.

He saw it too.

It was on a snowy night one late autumn, with an incessant stream of cold rain.

Dragging legs that felt like lead, Dong Lin slid and fell along the edge of the bridge. He was disheveled, and his breathing was barely perceptible. The rain trickled down his back in streams, causing him to gasp intermittently. Dong Lin’s gaze gradually slackened and his consciousness drifted. He sprawled in this manner, with his hands and feet already white from the soaking.

Dong Lin clenched his teeth as cries rang out from his throat in succession. He buried his face in the filthy mud and icy water, as if he wanted to hide tears in it and mislead others into thinking it was just the noise of the rain. He cried so hard his exposed back in the rain heaved unceasingly in the endless, pelting rain.

The rain lasted a whole night. He cried the entire night.

It was morning when the rain cleared up. As a bullock cart ran over him, the bull lifted its tail and several lumps of fresh, wet objects broke off and splattered over half of his face. Dong Lin’s heart was dead, and he remained still. The bullock cart passed by, and the whistling faded into the distance as the first light of dawn broke through the sky, startling the entire town awake. Not once had Dong Lin closed his red and swollen eyes. He languished for death, placing no expectations on anyone who came and went.

A skinny dog came over to sniff Dong Lin, making its way up from his back to his head before licking the cow dung on his face. The warmth spread over his face, igniting a flicker of life within him. The thin dog bent over Dong Lin’s head and dragged him by his shoulder towards the archway under the bridge. Sludge and dirt were piled up on the ground. Several bones, which had been licked so clean that they shone, pressed up against Dong Lin’s face. This dog was about to treat him as its meal; it was about to gnaw him clean before casting his bones aside together with the other bones.

With the moist drool on his face, Dong Lin closed his eyes. He felt the thin dog tearing away the cloth on his shoulder to gouge his flesh. Sharp fangs dug into his flesh, and the pain caused Dong Lin to bark out a stifled laugh. He coaxed in a hoarse voice. “Break my neck before you gouge my flesh…”

The skinny dog could not wait, but it was old and weak. Even if it could gnaw on the meat, it could not tear it off. It grunted and wagged its tail in anxiety. Dong Lin smacked it and crawled closer.

“Use more force.” Dong Lin grabbed the thin dog by the nape of its neck and pressed it towards himself. “Bite this spot. Open your mouth.”

With the back of its neck in a hold, the skinny dog cowered and did not dare to be impetuous again. It wagged its tail continuously and licked Dong Lin’s eyes and nose.

Dong Lin pushed it away. “Scram…”

He collapsed back into the filth and wiped away the remaining cow dung. He was waiting to die, but then he heard a “plop” as someone fell into the river. Dong Lin did not want to care; it had nothing to do with him. He heard the person submerged into the water. Other than the initial splash of water, there was no other reaction.

“She fell.” The passer-by with folded arms on the bridge looked around. “Or did she jump?”

“I didn’t get a clear look.” The vendor of the stall pulled his head back. “A seven or eight years old little maiden. How pitiful…”

They had yet to finish speaking when they heard the sound of water under the bridge. That filthy and stinky beggar had plunged into the water and dove in. Not a moment later, he hauled a little girl out.

Dong Lin carried the little girl ashore. He wiped his face and patted her cheeks. The girl’s face was even smaller than his palm. He only had to use a little more force to hurt her. Dong Lin hesitated for a moment, then gave her light taps with two of his fingers instead.

“Didn’t anyone tell you not to play with water?” Dong Lin gasped from the cold and hugged his shoulders. “It’s such a cold day. No one will bother about you the next time.”

Chen Caoyu shivered as she struggled to stand up. She was shockingly thin. She did not even weigh as much as a stray cat when Dong Lin had carried her. Dong Lin reached out to give her a hand, and she immediately covered her head and cowered. She was so frightened that she sobbed.

Dong Lin looked at her and retracted his hand. Both of them said nothing. The girl never put down her arms again.

Dong Lin asked, “Do you get beaten often?”

Chen Caoyu peered at him through a gap in her arms and shook her head vigorously.

Dong Lin’s eyes swept over her wrists and saw bruises and welts the result of a rod beating all over her arms. The spots where the beatings had been severe had already festered and were frostbitten. Even the thin dog earlier looked more presentable than she did. Dong Lin looked away and fell silent. Chen Caoyu was so cold her teeth chattered. Having lost a shoe, she stood in the mud with one foot bare. As long as Dong Lin said nothing, she dared not move.

Dong Lin fumbled in his pocket. His hand touched a few pearls. In the end, he could not help himself. He stood up to lift Chen Caoyu by her back collar and took the stumbling girl up the bridge to buy a hot steamed bun¹ for her.

Chen Caoyu took the steamed bun in her hands and wolfed it down, stuffing her thin jaundice cheeks full. She sobbed as she gulped, all the while looking at Dong Lin with her big, protruding eyes. Dong Lin felt as if he was crumbling into dust under her gaze. He could not bear it. He only felt pain.

“Scram.”

Dong Lin crudely stuffed the rest of the steamed buns into Chen Caoyu’s arms, then turned her around by her back collar to give her a gentle push.

“Go home.”

Chen Caoyu looked up to stare at him, covering her mouth to prevent the steamed bun from falling out. She swallowed with all her might, unwilling to let go of that bit of minced meat. She took a few steps as Dong Lin shoved her. As if fearing him, she finally ran into the crowd.

Dong Lin watched for a moment, then scolded, “Ingrate.”

Unshaven, unkempt and smelly, he squeezed into the crowd and returned to the archway under the bridge to wait for death. The next morning, Dong Lin was clad in wet clothes and sleeping with his face to the wall when someone pushed him a few times in the back.

“Scram.” Dong Lin felt weak all over. He was burning so hot he felt muddled. He half-opened his eyes and said, “I don’t have money to buy you buns again.”

Chen Caoyu kneeled behind him and stuffed a scalding hot sweet potato into his arms. This potato was the size of his finger; it was obviously something some family used to feed their livestock.

The sweet potato scorched Dong Lin’s chest. He stared at the wall of the bridge and murmured, “Why can’t you leave me alone?”

Chen Caoyu hung back in a corner and blew at her potato before peeling it. Dong Lin turned over and sat with his legs crossed. He flipped the potato over to look at it, then raised his hand to throw it back into Chen Caoyu’s arms. Chen Caoyu looked at him in surprise and shrank back.

Dong Lin leaned against the wall and said, “I’m not eating.”

Chen Caoyu peeled it and stuffed it into her mouth. Dong Lin sized her up. She was wearing new clothes today, although it did not fit her well. The shoes were also too big; it looked like something a boy would wear.

“You have someone looking after you.” Dong Lin said. “Is that right?”

Chen Caoyu turned a deaf ear to him. She was so focused on eating that one might even find her dull-witted. Dong Lin shifted over and pulled her arm to lift her sleeve. Someone had applied medicine to her wounds from yesterday. She was still eating even with him pulling her arm.

“Since there’s someone caring for you, don’t come and look for me again.” Dong Lin released his hands and said. “Stay with your family.”

Chen Caoyu suddenly shook her head. Pulling her sleeve down, she looked at Dong Lin and shook her head with all her might.

“Are you a mute?” Dong Lin asked.

“No.” Chen Caoyu’s voice was as soft as that of a mosquito. “I’m not.”

“Then listen here.” Dong Lin said. “I’m a bad guy. Don’t stay with me. Scram back home. Don’t come here again.”

Chen Caoyu did not move. Dong Lin hauled her up and pushed her out. She desperately stepped back. Dong Lin lifted her and was about to throw her out when Chen Caoyu gave a shrill cry and grabbed Dong Lin’s hand. Shaking her head, she shouted, “Not going back! Not going back! Please!”

Dong Lin said nothing.

Chen Caoyu kicked off the shoes that were a size too big for her and leaned against Dong Lin’s body almost deliberately. Clinging on tightly to Dong Lin’s hand, she sobbed, “I beg you, please… don’t send me back…”

Dong Lin felt suffocated. He abruptly released his grip and Chen Caoyu slid to the ground. She swiftly crawled back to a corner and hugged herself as she clung close to the wall and sobbed incessantly. Dong Lin crouched over to pick the shoes and put them on for her.

“You…” Dong Lin buried his head into his arms despondently. “Why won’t you go home?”

Chen Caoyu wiped her tears. “It hurts…”

“What?” Dong Lin raised his eyes. “Did your parents hit you?”

How could there be parents who could bear to hit their child? Dong Lin thought, at least I won’t. If I find her, I will hold her in my palms and give her everything she wants. How I wish to give her everything in this world. I won’t bear to hurt even one of her fingers.

Chen Caoyu was unwilling to say more. She cried until her face was streaked like a cat. Dong Lin wanted to wipe her tears, but he realized he was too dirty. So he pulled up her sleeve for her to blow her nose. He wiped her nose until it turned red, while she put up with the pain.

Dong Lin could not chase her away, so she came every day. Dong Lin had been dragging out his feeble existence, but now he had another concern. At first, he thought Chen Caoyu had parents to care for her, and she was only merely throwing a tantrum. But then, he started to notice something wrong. This girl kept wearing new clothes, and she was clean every day. But once he lifted her sleeves, he could see various kinds of physical trauma caused by a rod. There were new injuries over old wounds. Even as someone applied medicine for her, there was also someone who would hit her even harder. It was as if by virtue of that layer of bright skin, they could do anything to their hearts’ desires.

Dong Lin squatted under the archway of the bridge and waited for Chen Caoyu to finish eating the cake. He asked, “Where is your house? You head back home.”

Chen Caoyu looked at him blankly.

He stood up and wrapped his stinky clothes around his head, transforming his appearance into that of a complete lunatic.

“You walk.” He said. “I’ll watch.”

包子 baozi or steamed bun is a filled bun or bread in Chinese cuisine. Its fillings range from meat to vegetables, or paste, and could be either sweet or savory.

Chapter 21: Dong Lin (2)

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Chen Caoyu walked along the road to return home. From time to time, she looked back at Dong Lin as she trotted through the crowd. Dong Lin lay low within the crowd. Ignoring the looks of contempt and disdain, he followed her from a safe distance. As Caoyu skipped in happiness, she bumped into someone.

Qian Weishi kept his books and leaned over to lead her by her hands. He asked, “Why are you in a hurry? Watch where you are going.”

Chen Caoyu smiled at him and gesticulated as she skipped.

Qian Weishi pulled out a candy from his sleeve and stuffed it into Chen Caoyu’s palm. He said, “Are you going for private classes with me?”

Chen Caoyu ate the sweet and shook her head. Qian Weishi did not insist on it. Stroking her fluffy head, he said, “Then go home… he is not at home today.”

Chen Caoyu walked past Qian Weishi and waved happily to him. Hidden within the sea of people, Dong Lin sized Qian Weishi up. The Fuzi was waving back to Chen Caoyu. Dong Lin continued to follow Caoyu. On seeing the little girl entering the lane, he flipped onto the rooftop. He stepped against the tiles as he watched her stop before the courtyard entrance.

Unable to find Dong Lin around, Chen Caoyu turned back anxiously, unwilling to go in.

Dong Lin thought, what a silly girl. He was about to throw a stone down when he saw a woman in the courtyard open the door.

Zhou smilingly uttered a “yo” and stepped out to hold Caoyu’s hand. She glanced left and right but saw no one.

“Why are you back so early today?” Zhou bent over and said. “Our good Yu-er.¹ Uncle and auntie were just thinking of you.” Chen Caoyu shook her hand off. She was still looking for Dong Lin. Zhou whispered, “What? Do you still want to go out to play?”

Chen Caoyu shook her head quickly and covered her face with one hand. Zhou pulled her by her hand and dragged the girl inside. The moment the door closed, her expression changed. Raising her eyebrows in anger, she pinched and twisted Chen Caoyu’s skin and slapped her on the head with one hand.

“You are not at home every day. Who are you hiding from? Don’t be a little whore like your mother and get pregnant without warning!” Zhou said meanly. “You’re so young and you’re already a seductress, staying out day and night. What? You still want to go and beg Fuzi? On what grounds would he help you? You must be feeding him nonsense, that why he got suspicious, right?”

Chen Caoyu shielded her face under her palm and cried, “I don’t dare to… I didn’t tell him… Aunt, auntie…”

“Keep your mouth shut!” Zhou yanked Chen Caoyu’s hair, and jabbed her between her eyebrows, “if you dare to say a wrong word to others, father-in-law will not spare you! Your uncle will punish you too!”

Her scalp hurt so much that Chen Caoyu sobbed as she nodded.

“What are you crying for?” Zhou bellowed at her and hit her. “Who are you putting on a show for? Do you want others to think I treat you badly? I treat you as the apple of my eye! New clothes, new shoes and socks. Not one item is lacking! Whatever my son did not have the fortune to enjoy, I gave them all to you. Yet you don’t know how to be content. Why are you crying?!”

Her eyes were wide open in a glare. She pinched Chen Caoyu so hard that the latter cried out in pain. Zhou released her hand and circled around the same spot a few times before grabbing the door bolt. She raised her head to hold up her slightly messed up bun. Pointing to the steps, she said to Chen Caoyu, “Put on a coat and sprawl over.”

Caoyu instantly burst into tears. She retreated and mumbled, “Auntie, auntie… I was in the wrong…”

“I haven’t even started my punishment.” Zhou kicked her and used a rod to smack Caoyu on the waist. But then she heard a swish as her blow was deflected.

Zhou shrieked. “You dare to dodge?!”

The sound of an old lady coughing rang out from the inner chamber. She said, “Keep your voice down. The others can hear you…”

“Let them hear it then.” Chen Ren lifted the door curtain and emerged as he rubbed the peanut with his fingers. He smiled and said, “Which household doesn’t hit their child? Can they interfere in our affairs?!”

Compared to the others, Chen Caoyu was even more frightened to see him. She trembled all over, not even daring to cry now.

Chen Ren flirtatiously raised Caoyu’s chin and studied it for a moment before saying, “My dear Yu-er, you haven’t been beaten silly by auntie, right? Tch. You. How many times have I told you not to hit her face! When she grows up, we can still sell her for a good price.”

Like a rascal, he pinched Chen Caoyu’s sharp and thin chin.

“Don’t count on it.” Zhou sneered. “Selling used goods for a good price? You have to refrain from touching her first. What? You still want to play with your dear niece when she has grown up a little?”

“Who said we can’t?” Chen Ren’s gaze was ruthless. “We shouldn’t let one’s own fertile water flow into others’ field.² You can’t lay eggs, and I have to sow a seed. We should dote on our own family.”

Zhou snorted and pinched Caoyu’s flesh with her fingertips. She said, “Bitch! Did you hear that? Your uncle is concerned! Grow up quickly and give him twins to make him happy. You can have everything when he is happy.”

Chen Ren held her in his arms. His palms restlessly strayed over her. He said, “What are you saying to her? What does she know? It has nothing to do with whether she’s grown up or not. The small ones are more satisfying. I prefer them.”

Caoyu’s tears streamed down as she stared at Chen Ren in fear. Chen Ren patted Zhou’s hand and lingered on the spot between Caoyu’s elbows for a moment. He said. “It’s hard to grab ahold of her. I want to play for a little longer. But the gambling den demands urgent attention. I’ll come back later. Prepare some wine and meat.”

Despite Zhou’s complaint, he stuffed his pocket with silver pearls and left. He walked out of the door, humming a tune. As he was about to leave the lane, someone struck him on the back. He toppled over, incapacitated.

In his dirty clothes, Dong Lin dragged Chen Ren to the narrow corner of the lane. Chen Ren wailed in pain, thinking he had come across a robber.

Dong Lin stomped on Chen Ren’s lower back. Chen Ren’s voice quivered from the pain as he pleaded, “Let’s talk this over! Goodness me! Which hero…”

“You owe me money.” Dong Lin’s hoarse voice pressed in from behind. He held down Chen Ren’s head, not letting Chen Ren look at him. He put the blade of the dagger on the nape of Chen Ren’s neck and wiped it on his skin. “I’ll follow you every second of the day. I’ll watch you. I want not just your money, but your life too.”

“Money! That’s easy…” Stuck to the ground, Chen Ren forced a smile. “My pocket is waiting to pay tribute to you…”

Dong Lin stepped on the pit of his leg and gagged his mouth with his stinky clothes. Chen Ren shivered from the pain. His mouth was stuffed so full that he could only gasp for breath.

“I have a fetish.” Dong Lin said in a monotone. “I love to kill scums who physically and verbally abuse women and children. I’ll boil oil and pour it down here.” Dong Lin’s dagger scraped across Chen Ren’s neck. “Pour oil on the flesh and cook it until it rots. The experience is very refreshing. Do you want to try?”

Chen Ren shook his head frantically.

Dong Lin growled. “I’m watching you… Don’t give me an opening.”

Chen Caoyu was wearing a new hat, while Dong Lin was still in tatters. His beard was so prickly and dirty that one could no longer see his original appearance. Other than sleeping daily on the Chens’ rooftop, he did not seem to have other places to go. The day the snow fell, he had thought of Huadi. That silly woman was still waiting for him at the door.

Dong Lin saw her quarrel with others with her arms akimbo. Then, she turned around and cried on the pillow until it was soaked. It was not that he did not care about Huadi, but he was just too incompetent.

He was a man with no ability. Other than stealing, he knew nothing. Heaven was not blind; that was why Heaven sent someone to abduct his daughter. He was destined to have a short life, so he had never told Huadi to be with him. He would only watch her and Caoyu as if he could make up for it by looking at them. He had never made a promise to anyone because he knew he could not keep his promises.

Chen Caoyu had followed him, from when snow was light until it turned heavy. When Dong Lin was in a good mood, he would carry her on his shoulder and tread lightly. But he was always in a bad mood. However, Caoyu was not afraid of him. She became more and more cheerful, and her voice was loud and clear whenever she greeted “Uncle Dong”.

Dong Lin squatted with her under the archway of the bridge to release the lantern. It was only worth several copper pearls and yet it could keep Chen Caoyu delighted for a long time. She lit the lantern and said softly to Dong Lin, “Fuzi said I can make a wish.”

“That’s a lie.” Dong Lin said.

“Fuzi does not lie to people.” Chen Caoyu meticulously adjusted the rabbit lantern and said, “Uncle must make a wish too.”

Dong Lin touched his face and said. “… You make it for me.”

Chen Caoyu kneeled at the edge of the water and said with all sincerity. “I want to leave with Uncle.”

“Oh.” Dong Lin responded in a hoarse voice.

After Chen Caoyu was done wishing, she looked at him. The child’s eyes were pressing, imploring him to answer “yes”. But Dong Lin pretended not to see and averted his eyes. He felt a little downcast.

“It’s fine if you don’t take me away.” Chen Caoyu patted her cheeks and smiled. “Uncle Dong should eat well, bathe well, and live well. Don’t go anywhere else… occasionally go elsewhere.” She wiped her eyes and whispered, “If only you were my father.”

“How can I be your father?” Dong Lin clenched his hands, helpless. “… Where is your father?”

“I’ve never seen him before.” Caoyu picked up the lantern and sent it into the water.³ “Only my mother has seen him. You have a child too. Where is your child’s mother?”

“Dead.” Dong Lin replied.

Caoyu watched as the lantern drifted away. She gripped the hem of her clothes and asked timidly, “Are you going to leave with your daughter if you find her?”

Dong Lin was silent for a moment, then lifted his hand to stroke Caoyu’s head. He stared at the river lantern and replied despondently. “… Uh. Maybe.”

Caoyu nodded her head. The adult and the child both fell silent.

Dong Lin opened his mouth several times, but each time, there was no sound. He heard Caoyu’s soft cries, but no matter what, there was no way he could answer truthfully. He felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart. His eyes burned. But he only patted the back of Caoyu’s head to comfort her.

This was what was bad about humans. As long as they were together day and night, they would come to care for each other. This concern was not only heartwarming but also dangerous. Dong Lin sensed this emotion growing within him, so he decided to bid farewell to Caoyu.

He could never replace anyone else to be Chen Caoyu’s father, nor could Chen Caoyu erase his past to become his daughter. He could perhaps continue to look at her, but there was no longer a need for any affection. This was his remaining responsibility. All Caoyu had to do was to grow up well. As long as she no longer suffered, he would have done his best in this brief friendship across generations.

“I will leave after the Spring Festival.”⁴ Dong Lin withdrew his hand and said to Cao Yu. “I want to continue searching for my daughter.”

Caoyu gazed at him. She had cried until her nose was red. She asked meekly. “Can’t you take me with you?”

“… I can’t.” Dong Lin replied. “I can’t.”

Caoyu looked at him blankly as her tears fell. She said, “I don’t eat much. I don’t want new clothes. I won’t bully her… You really can’t take me along?”

There was a lump in Dong Lin’s throat. He said without mercy. “You are not… You are not my daughter.”

Cao Yu said, “I want to be your daughter too.”

Dong Lin nearly let out a sob. He lowered his head and uttered, “Oh.”

I want to be your daughter too.

It was with this sentence that the heaviness in Dong Lin’s chest seemed to dissipate. The warmth it brought him was extraordinary. He spent so many years on an aimless journey all for this sentence. He finally heard it, but it was not what he had expected.

He said with reddened eyes, “If someone bullies you, shout for me. I can fly through the sky and burrow through the earth. I’ll rush back to beat him up. Do you hear me? I’m not your father, but I won’t let others bully you.”

Dong Lin gave her a piggyback home. Caoyu was obedient all the way. She did not cry, neither did she plead with him again. When she landed, she held on to Dong Lin by the hem of his clothes.

“If I shout for you,” Caoyu asked as if seeking confirmation. “You will come?”

“Shout for me.” Dong Lin bumped her little finger and said, “And I will come.”

Caoyu released her hand and gave a soft shout in the snow, “Uncle Dong.”

Dong Lin crouched down and promised, “I mean what I say.”

儿 “Er” means son or child. It is a suffix normally used as a term of endearment. Thus, Yu-er is a more endearing form of address for Caoyu.

肥水不流外人田 literally let one’s own fertile water flow into others’ field, i.e., to keep the good stuff within the family.

Floating lanterns (or water lanterns). These are usually lit during certain festivals (Yuan Jiao, etc), then set adrift on water (rivers, lakes, etc). Like Kongming lanterns (or sky lanterns), it’s possible to make wishes on them before letting them adrift.

过年 celebration period of the Lunar/Chinese New Year; also known as Spring Festival.

Chapter 22: Dong Lin (3)

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Dong Lin had intended to conceal himself. He did not expect to take a trip away. He had found the account book from Huadi’s dresser, with her redemption price¹ carefully delineated on it.

He decided to make one last trip.

The Jiaolong’s appearance on the coast of the Eastern Sea was said to be a sign of a treasure in the mountains. There was no treasure in the world that Dong Lin did not dare to steal, but he did not want to steal this last round. So, he packed his bags and hurried towards the Eastern Sea. Before leaving, he reined Chen Ren in yet again.

“I won’t leave before I get the money.” Dong Lin kept his voice low and said. “I’m still watching you. You’d better watch out.”

Chen Ren nodded his head in a panic. Dong Lin kicked him again.

“Tell your woman to be careful too.” Dong Lin added. “If any of her actions annoy me, I’ll skin her alive.”

To date, Chen Ren still did not know who this man was. But this man knew the contents of his pillow talk with Zhou. As long as he cussed or hit anyone, the man would drag him to the corner of the alley and beat him up. After several times, Chen Ren did not dare to be impetuous. Now, he would speak in a soft voice whenever he returned home.

Dong Lin climbed over the wall and disappeared. Chen Ren crawled up from the ground and rubbed his lower back as he cursed under his breath. He stumbled into the house. When Zhou saw his injuries, she exclaimed, “He’s here again?”

“Shut up!” Chen Ren jostled her. “Bring me some medicine. This son of a bitch… He’d better not let me find out who the fuck he is.”

Zhou glanced around as she went to take the medicine. She whispered. “What should we do? We can’t just let him snoop on us like this! Think of something!”

“He comes and goes like the wind…” Chen Ren applied pressure on his injuries. Not daring to continue, he glanced around suspiciously. “Money, money, money. Why don’t you give me money?! This matter will be settled the earlier we give him the money and send him on his way.”

“You’ve emptied father-in-law’s pension. Where can we find more money?! This wouldn’t have happened if you had not gambled! Now you have dragged everyone in the family down with you. I’ve suffered ever since I married you, do I still have to pay with my life?!” Zhou hurled the medicine bottle at him. “I don’t have money! You want money? Not unless we sell Caoyu!”

She had yet to finish speaking when Chen Ren booted her. He bellowed. “What are you yelling for? Do you want him to find out?!”

Zhou knocked against the table and covered her face to sob. Unwilling to let the matter rest, she stomped her feet and shouted, “Then what can we do? Can’t I even just talk about it now?! She’s a child from our household. Isn’t how we get rid of her our family affair? How can an outsider interfere?! If you are not selling her, then are you going to sell me?! Chen Ren, if you dare to get ideas about me, I’ll fight you to the death! How are we going to live like this?!”

Chen Ren was fuming. The ruckus this shrewd was creating as she stomped her feet vexed him. He hurled her up, wanting to slap her. Zhou cried out. “You want to hit me? You dare to hit me?!”

Chen Ren made a show of releasing his hand, then tidied his clothes and said, “Go. Call Father back.” He took a few steps and listened intently. When he saw no movement, he walked back and slapped Zhou so hard she had to support herself with the table. Nothing happened.

Chen Ren’s eyeballs darted all over the place as he whispered, “Shout again, and I’ll beat you to death!”

The rooftop was silent. There was no stone being thrown down as usual. Chen Ren clapped his legs and cussed, “That son of a bitch scared me!”

Zhou covered her face and said, “He… He’s not here.”

Chen Ren quickly pulled the door open and urged Zhou on. “Quick! Quick! This is a rare opportunity! Call father back. It’ll be too late if that man returns later!”

A few days later, Caoyu climbed up to peer through the crack in the woodshed. Four of the Chens were gathered in the inner chamber, deep in discussion. Having been confined in the woodshed all night, she was now cold and hungry. She could sense that this did not bode well. A little while later, Old Man Chen lifted the door curtain and came out to place a pot of soup at the door of the woodshed. Caoyu kneeled and shuffled over to the hole to peek at his expression.

“Eat.” Old Man Chen rubbed a few handfuls of snow and said, “There won’t be your portion for the next meal.”

Caoyu stuck close to the crack and looked at him. Old Man Chen knocked on the wooden plank and squatted nearer to her.

“Did you say anything to outsiders?”

Caoyu shook her head.

Old Man Chen forced a smile and said, “Are you itching to be beaten? If you said nothing, why would Qian Weishi get suspicious? Was he not the one who applied those ointments for you? My good grandchild. You have been living off us. You should be grateful to us for not killing you to feed the dog when your mother gave birth to you.” He touched Caoyu’s arm, weighed the meat on her and said, “Ungrateful fool.”

Caoyu struggled to pull her hand out. The old man tightened his grip on her and yanked her thin arm through the gap. He cursed, “Your mother is another ingrate! I’ve raised and fed her for nothing! She had to go and do that shameless deed when she should have repaid my debt! And now you are taking after her. How dare you?! Who does that Qian Weishi thinks he is? If he dares to report to the authorities, I’ll accuse him of taking money and ruining your honor. Is he scared now? That’s why he thought he could intimidate me by seeking help from someone of a dubious background? I’m telling you, not a chance!”

Caoyu cried out in horror. The world seemed to her to be full of demons as she looked out beyond this gap. The old man’s rough skin hung on his mouth as his saliva splattered all over, reeking of decay.

“… Uncle Dong…” Caoyu choked on her sobs as she cried out. “… Uncle Dong…”

Old Man Chen was hard of hearing and could not hear her well. He released his hand and slapped the curtain aside as he entered the building. Before Caoyu could catch her breath, she saw Chen Ren emerging. By this time, it was getting dark. Chen Ren sneaked his way to the woodshed, opened the door, and made his way in.

Caoyu gave a shrill cry and clambered away. Chen Ren grabbed the little girl by her foot, yanked her back, and pinned her down beneath him. He undid his trousers and slapped her.

“Who are you calling out for? Who?! It’s all your fault! You made me suffer so much! How can I live it down if I don’t pay you back?”

Caoyu’s lips bled from the blow. She struggled violently and bit down on Chen Ren’s arm. Chen Ren slapped her again. The impact was so strong she nearly passed out. She shrieked. “Uncle Dong! Uncle Dong…”

“What is going on?” The old widow tiptoed to look across the courtyard wall. Her eyes met Chen Ren, and her voice turned small as she muttered. “Such a din…”

Caoyu raised her head and sobbed, “Grandmother… Help me…”

Chen Ren covered Caoyu’s mouth and looked up at the old widow calmly. “If you keep watching, I’ll strangle that little bastard of yours! You still haven’t returned the rice you borrowed from us last time, have you? Mind your own business.”

The old widow faltered and trembled as she tapped her crutch and returned to her house. She murmured. “It’s none of my concern… I can’t see clearly… Hong-er! Don’t lean against the wall… This is too disgusting.”

Ah Hong stood on the stone to watch. Chen Ren gave him a couple of strange cackles. When Ah Hong saw Caoyu looking at him, he spat out the melon seeds in his mouth and said to Caoyu, “Bah!”

Chen Ren continued and said, “You’ll be sold in a few days, and then you’ll be gone! Before your next father arrives, let me enjoy myself first. That way, I wouldn’t have raised you all these years for nothing.”

Caoyu cried out aloud, “Uncle Dong…”

Chen Ren pinched her cheeks and was about to bend over when he heard a bellow behind him.

“What are you doing?!” Qian Weishi scrambled over the wall. The Fuzi picked up a piece of firewood and waved it at Chen Ren. “What are you doing?! Are you a beast?! Get away from her! I’ll report you to the authorities at once!”

On seeing Qian Weishi, Ah Hong shrank back. He sucked on the only broken bit of candy left in his pocket, thinking he would demand more candies from the Fuzi later.

Chen Ren clicked his tongue in frustration as his desire died down. He pulled up his trousers, got out of the woodshed and fastened his pants as he smiled at Qian Weishi. “What am I doing? Can’t you see? What are you doing here? I’m the one who should report you for trespassing!”

Qian Weishi could scarcely breathe. He gritted his teeth and charged up to Chen Ren to beat him up. He said, “What kind of man are you? You’re not human!”

Chen Ren easily pushed him over to the ground. He grabbed Qian Weishi’s stick and used it to clobber the latter, saying, “I’m your father. You still want to interfere in my affairs?”

Chen Ren did not hold back at all. He hit Qian Weishi so hard the latter could only curl up on the ground, unable to get up. Chen Ren kicked Qian Weishi and circled him once. Then, he weighed the stick and struck Qian Weishi on the side of his waist.

“And what kind of a good egg are you? I want to report you to the authorities too! I’ll take you to court for using sweets to coax my niece into committing dirty acts! What a fair-faced hypocrite! I’ll accuse you until your reputation is ruined! So go. Go on!”

Chen Ren dragged Qian Weishi a few steps to the side of the courtyard entrance. Lifting the lid of the jar², he shoved Qian Weishi into the water. Then he thumped Qian Weishi on his back and continued, “Go report me!”

Qian Weishi choked on the water and shook his head. Chen Ren lifted him and said, “Shame on you.”

Having said so, he dunked Qian Weishi back into the water. Qian Weishi choked as he was submerged under the water. He could not breathe.

Go die.

Qian Weishi repeated his curse as he dug his fingers into the edge of the jar.

Go die!

The corpse energy thousands of miles away stirred, revealing the eyes of the Luocha bird.

Qian Weishi coughed out water as he was thrown to the ground. His eyes were empty. The sky was completely dark by now, and the snowstorm started to pelt snow on his face. Qian Weishi repeated, “Go die…”

Chen Ren stomped on him a few more times. Zhou descended the steps to look at him. Worried, she asked, “He’s half dead. What should we do if he reports to the authorities tomorrow?”

“How dare he!” Old Man Chen was sitting in the inner chamber looking for his pipe. He faced the window and said, “If he dares to lodge a report, then we’ll just say he had tarnished Caoyu’s innocence. Doesn’t he love to be around children? So many people are watching. Let’s see how he can clear his name if we stick to our words.”

“That’s right!” On the bed, Old Woman Chen clapped her hands together. “We can still ask him to compensate us with silver. He wouldn’t dare refuse with the officials watching!”

“How much money would a poor scholar have?” Chen Ren spat with contempt and said to Zhou, “Hurry and take Caoyu inside the house.”

Zhou reluctantly moved and dragged Caoyu out of the woodshed, leaving a trail of footprints in the fresh snow. Zhou lifted the curtain and pushed Caoyu onto the bed.

“We have to burn more charcoal³ if there are more people in the house. Can’t you just finish your business outside then come back in? At the end of the day, I’m the one who has to suffer.” She yanked Caoyu by the hair and swore at her, “Slut! Look at how mesmerized your uncle is with you!”

As Caoyu fell onto the bed, she knocked over the sewing kit on Old Woman Chen’s knees. The old woman cried out in annoyance and stood up to whack Caoyu on the back. She said, “Hurry and pick them up! The needles are all sticking into the bedding!”

Caoyu hid the small scissors and hastily tidied up the needles and rolls of thread. Then, holding the kit in her arms, she shrank back into the corner of the wall.

Outside, Chen Ren was still humiliating Qian Weishi. The snow intensified, and Chen Ren shivered as he blew hot air on his hands. He hauled Qian Weishi over to the door.

“Scram now. Tomorrow morning, don’t let me…”

The courtyard door opened with a creak. Chen Ren fell back as if he had seen a ghost. He staggered and scrambled up the steps, stumbling over his words. “How, how…”

In the heavy snow, the courtyard door closed.

Dong Lin stepped in. There was the indistinct ringing of the copper bell. His steps were so light that even the sound of the blade scraping against the ground was louder than his footsteps.

“Hero, hero…” Chen Ren slipped and fell onto the ground. He hurriedly retreated as he raised his hand to stop Dong Lin’s approach. “We, we can talk it out!”

Dong Lin swiftly moved in and hauled Chen Ren up without giving him the chance to explain and flung him through the door. Chen Ren toppled over and tumbled as he cried out in pain. It was chaos inside the chamber with the women screaming. Old Man Chen gripped onto the pipe as he shouted out a reprimand. “What are you going to do?!”

However, the old man had yet to finish his words when he heard Chen Ren scream. Blood splattered. Chen Ren covered his abdomen as he crawled in an attempt to hide.

“Save me! Save me!”

His voice broke as Dong Lin grabbed his legs from behind. There was the sound of bones shattering as he crushed both of Chen Ren’s knees. Chen Ren’s howls turned into odd whimpers permeating the snowy night. Zhou covered her mouth as she cried out in horror and pushed Old Woman Chen to hide behind her. Old Woman Chen’s vision was bad and she could not tell the directions. Scared out of her wits by the shrieks in the room, she groped around. Dong Lin stood up. He kicked Chen Ren aside and entered the house.

“If you want money, we can talk about it!” In a moment of desperation, Old Man Chen tore a hole in his cloth bag. Copper pearls tumbled all over the floor. He fell to his knees in a panic to grab the beads, then held them up to Dong Lin with both hands. “Let’s talk about it! Here you are. I give them all to you!”

Dong Lin took off his hat, and his sweaty and clammy hair tumbled down. He turned over the hand that was holding on to the blade and used the back of his hand to wipe away the beads of sweat.

“I don’t want your money.” Dong Lin paid no heed to Old Man Chen’s terror. “I want your lives.”

赎身价 Redemption price; a fixed (and jacked up) price where those who have been sold into trades, e.g. slaves and courtesans (i.e. prostitutes), need to pay to redeem their freedom. Otherwise, they had to keep ‘working’ until they have earned enough to pay it off, or when someone else pays it off for them or buys them.

水缸 water jar; it’s a big jar used to hold water in the old days. It’s usually big enough to contain a child and sometimes even a person inside.

Common folks in those days use charcoal or firewood to keep the house warm during cold weathers.

Chapter 23: Pitch-Black Night

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

Zhou was spattered with blood as Old Man Chen collapsed to the ground. Crying and cowering, she wiped the stickiness away with trembling fingertips and pleaded, “This has nothing to do with me! It has nothing to do with me… Don’t kill me!”

Zhou trembled in fear as she crawled towards Caoyu.

“I’m her aunt, aunt!” Zhou desperately pulled Caoyu into her arms. “We rely on each other! He’s usually the one… it’s him!” She involuntarily cried out as she pointed at Chen Ren. “He’s the one who beat and scolded her and planned everything! He also wanted to lay his hands on Caoyu. Caoyu, Caoyu is so young, I didn’t want to comply… I didn’t want to comply! Don’t kill me!”

Dong Lin’s hand was stained with blood. He moved the blade to his other hand and wiped the blood on his robe. The way he looked at Zhou was just like the kind of gaze you could encounter anywhere on the street. After wiping his hand clean, he beckoned to Zhou.

Zhou’s hair stood on end. She gripped Caoyu tightly and refused to go nearer. Caoyu struggled in her arms. The little girl had cried until her voice was hoarse. She shouted for him, “Uncle Dong.” Panic-stricken, Zhou held on to Caoyu as if she was hanging on to a lifebuoy. Caoyu could barely breathe from her tight hold.

“We are as close as a mother and daughter!” Zhou cried herself hoarse. “Please spare me… You can’t kill me! If you kill me, what will happen to the child? Caoyu will definitely be frightened. So… have mercy!” As she wept, she turned Caoyu’s head towards Dong Lin and urged her on. “You, you tell him. Tell him auntie treats you well! Caoyu, oh Caoyu, tell him… Tell him!”

Caoyu shook her head in defiance. Zhou clutched Caoyu’s arms and wailed. “Say it… Tell him, tell him!”

Dong Lin stepped forward. Zhou was startled and leaned against the wall. With nowhere to run, she pulled Caoyu in front of her to use as a shield. The woman with disheveled hair and reddened eyes held Caoyu by the neck and said, “Hero… please spare my life! I’ve never skimped on her meals and clothing! I’m good to her. I treat her well!”

But no matter how hard she wailed, Dong Lin was not the slightest bit moved. He did not even say a word. His shadow obscured the dim light, completely killing off Zhou’s last hope. On the verge of insanity, Zhou suddenly tightened her grip around Caoyu’s neck.

“Spare me, spare my life! Otherwise, I’ll strangle her to death! We will end it all! If I can’t live, then she can forget about living too!”

Caoyu burst into tears from the fright and pushed Zhou. She was choking and suffocating, but she could only pound on Zhou’s chest with all her might as she shouted, “Uncle Dong, save me!”

Dong Lin gave Zhou a violent kick, and Zhou rolled onto the ground and cried out. Dong Lin picked up Caoyu, and the small scissors in her palm fell to the ground with a clank. She hugged Dong Lin’s neck as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Uncle Dong… Uncle Dong…”

Zhou slumped to the ground. Her chest was bleeding, and the blood soaked her lapels. She yet had to breathe her last. Her throat gurgled as she clutched her chest in disbelief.

Qian Weishi slipped and fell on his backside at the threshold of the door. He was in a state of utter stupefaction; the pool of red all over the entire ground scared the living daylight out of him. “Murder… Murder…”

Chen Ren crawled with his arms and shouted, “Help me… Fuzi, help me! Both, both of them are killers…” He grabbed Qian Weishi’s leg and plead with him with his tears and mucus flowing profusely. “Fuzi, Fuzi, save me!”

Qian Weishi trembled as he moved back, but Chen Ren would not let go of his leg. Fumbling around the ground, he picked up a broken bowl, then slammed it down on Chen Ren’s face with all the force he could muster.

“Go to hell…” Qian Weishi said. “Beast!”

Chen Ren crumpled onto the ground. Qian Weishi panicked and threw away the shattered bowl. After stumbling a few times, he managed to climb up. He fearfully shifted over to Dong Lin. There were several times he almost fell when he slipped on the blood. Although he was scared out of his wits, he still held out his arms tentatively.

“Caoyu…” Tears were streaming down Qian Weishi’s face. “Caoyu…”

Out of breath from all the crying, Caoyu raised her head to look at him. Qian Weishi covered her eyes and said to Dong Lin, “Flee… Flee quickly, both of you…”

Dong Lin said, “The coroner will examine the corpses. Since the wounds aren’t the same, it will rouse the suspicions of the prefectural yamen. Even if I run, Gu Shen still wouldn’t believe that you were the one who did it.”

“Then what should we do?” Qian Weishi shrieked. He looked at Zhou; she was about to breathe her last. He could not help but say out of fear. “What would they do to Caoyu? I’ll tell, tell them that Chen Ren…”

Dong Lin turned around and interrupted him. “What’s your relationship to this girl?”

Qian Weishi cowered and stuttered, “I… I am…”

He cut even more of a sorry figure as he uttered a word. Dong Lin looked at him steadily after hearing it. He had already relaxed his grip on Caoyu. Caoyu held on to Dong Lin’s hand as Qian Weishi took her into his arms. With her eyes covered, she could only hold on to Dong Lin’s hand as she asked over and over again. “Uncle Dong… Isn’t Uncle Dong coming with me…? I want to be with Uncle Dong!”

Dong Lin raised his hand to stroke her head for a mere moment. He turned his head away and said, “Take her away first. Go to Tong Ming Bank on Wuliu Street in the East Market. I’ll be there later.”

Qian Weishi asked, “Hero, what are you going to do?”

“Hero.” Dong Lin mouthed the word and replied, “Just cleaning up the mess. You two go ahead. Also.”

He flipped the blade behind his arms and turned his back to Qian Weishi.¹

“I’m not a hero, but an outlaw.”

The old widow’s mutterings woke Ah Hong up. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and mumbled to the old widow. “I want to pee.”

The old widow put her arms around him and whispered, “My good grandson, you can’t now. Let’s wait…”

“I want to pee!” Ah Hong kicked his legs and pushed the old widow away. He slipped out of bed and ran outside holding up his trousers with his hands.

The old widow draped her clothes around her, felt for her crutch, and ran after him. She nagged, “Hong-er, slow down! Come back as soon as you are done peeing. It’s cold outside! Don’t look next door. Everyone in that house is rotten. Tomorrow, when you go with grandma to pick vegetables, don’t play with that little whore. She’s dirty.”

Ah Hong dropped his trousers in puzzlement and stared at the corner of the wall as he listened to his grandmother’s trite remarks.

“A whore gives birth to a whore. My precious grandson, you must not touch her! She’ll contaminate you. That girl has so many schemes up her sleeve. Every day, she coaxed that Qian Fuzi until he’s so mesmerized he gives her everything. But how many sweets has he given you? He gave it all to her! Look at that Chen Ren. He’s nothing good either. Such disgusting filth. He even lays his hands on his niece! Bah! Hong-er, oh Hong-er, you mustn’t learn from them and strip your clothes. It’s dirty! Despicable to the bones!”

Ah-Hong yawned and lifted his trousers. He looked down at the blood trickling down the wall. The warm and sticky blood seeped past the bottom of his soles and converged with the yellow puddle he had left behind. He stepped on the stone, climbed up the wall, and looked over.

The lamp in the Chen’s house was still lit, casting a dim yellow light into the courtyard. Second Uncle Chen was gagged as he was dragged out of the inner chamber with his eyes wide open. He was still alive; his chest was still heaving.

There was a man with his back to him, picking up the bar that was used to bolt the door.² 

“I’ve told you before.” Dong Lin squatted and gripped Chen Ren’s face. “What did I tell you?”

With the gag in his mouth, Chen Ren shook his head furiously.

“You remembered.” Dong Lin looked down at him and whispered, “I made you remember.”

Chen Ren made an “uh, uh” sound as he looked at Dong Lin in despair.

Dong Lin breathed hot air into his palms and said. “There’s no oil in your house, so you’ve escaped a calamity. But I’m concerned that you wouldn’t remember the pain on the way to the Underworld, so I still must give you a warning.”

Chen Ren watched as that wooden bar was held high above him and came bearing down on him. As it drew nearer, he struggled to move away. A muffled, blood-curdling scream escaped his mouth. The sound of the blow made Ah Hong’s nose sour. He covered his face in fear. At the very last moment he fell off the stone, he saw the man turned back. The gaze was so much like the penetrating stare of a ferocious ghost that he cried.

The old widow quickly hobbled towards him. He threw himself into his grandmother’s arms. He was so afraid that he could not stop shivering. The old widow’s repeated ramblings continued in his ears.

“Qian Fuzi despises us orphan and widow… Don’t look for him anymore in the future! He can continue on with that little whore… They are all unclean… Who knows where else they have been secretly hugging each other?! Hong-er… Hong-er, have you bear it in mind? My good grandson, don’t follow Qian Fuzi anymore…”

Ah Hong gave a perfunctory nod and repeated after her, “Qian Fuzi… Qian Fuzi…”

It was not until the middle of the night that Dong Lin finally washed his hands clean. He carefully folded his waistbelt and stepped through the door. Qian Weishi was the first to be startled awake. Chen Caoyu had already fallen asleep in his arms with her eyes swollen.

Dong Lin half-kneeled on the ground and watched the little girl for a moment. Qian Weishi motioned for him to hug her, but he shook his head without taking her.

“My…” Dong Lin said, “My hands are dirty.”

He just stayed there and looked at her blankly for a long time, then he suddenly leaned over and touched Caoyu’s forehead with his own.

Caoyu woke up in a daze and uttered, “Uncle Dong…”

“This is how it is.” Dong Lin said, “Uncle actually doesn’t know how to fly and burrow through the earth. I shouldn’t have lied to you like this.”

Caoyu’s eyes were right before him. The little maiden’s eyes were clear and bright, cleansing Dong Lin of his uncleanness.

“Have you found her?” Caoyu asked in concern.

Dong Lin said. “I’ve found her. I’m going somewhere else with her. I won’t be able to see you again.”

Tears slowly filled Caoyu’s eyes. She wiped them away. “Uncle Dong, can’t you take me with you this time?”

“She won’t be happy.” Dong Lin answered, “She and her mother have been waiting for me for too many years.”

Caoyu persisted. “Then I won’t go with you. I’ll just look at you, can’t I?”

“Zhongdu is so vast.” Dong Lin said, “You won’t find me. So why waste your effort? Now that the bad guys have been eliminated, all you have to do is live happily and you would have repaid my kindness. From now on, there is no need for you to remember the day I fished you out from the water.”

“Are you going to abandon me?”

“… I’ll never abandon you.” Dong Lin’s Adam’s apple throbbed. It was hard for him to reply. “Don’t cry…”

He looked at Caoyu’s weeping face, but all he heard was that late Autumn rain.

“My Nan-nan³ had gotten into the carriage heading North. Where is she? Tell me, I’ll look for her myself.”

“Dong Lin, there is no need for you to go.”

“How can I not go?!”

“… Dong Lin.” His old friend avoided his eyes. “They encountered heavy snow along the way that year. All the girls in that carriage… froze to death.”

Froze to death, huh…

Dong Lin could barely control himself as he trembled and lowered his head. Tears tumbled off his eyes. Several times, he opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to get the words out. He raised his head despondently and tried his best to smile at Caoyu.

“How could I abandon you?” Dong Lin said in a hoarse voice. “But I’ve stayed too long. I’m a creature of the winter night. Leaving is a kind of temptation to me. Uncle wants…” His eyes met Caoyu’s teary eyes, and his voice broke. Yet he persisted in completing his sentence. “… I want to be free from it all.”

Caoyu reached out to touch Dong Lin’s cheek. She asked, “Did I…” She choked on her sobs. “… make Uncle sad?”

Dong Lin gently placed his cheek in her little palm and answered. “You have made me braver than I have been over the past few decades.”

Caoyu whispered, “But I don’t want to be separated from Uncle.”

“We have different paths to walk.” Dong Lin told her. “You go on ahead, and we’ll say goodbye here.”

Caoyu was unusually stubborn. She pressed against Dong Lin’s cheek and shook her head desperately, sobbing as she said, “I don’t want to be separated from Uncle.”

Dong Lin stood up and retreated. Caoyu started to struggle, wanting to break away from Qian Weishi. However, Qian Weishi held on tightly to her. As she watched Dong Lin turn to leave, she could not help but cried out, “Uncle Dong… Uncle Dong!”

It was as if she wanted to take every drop of tears she had from the past and in the future and shed them all now. She bit her mouth until the skin broke and hit Qian Weishi’s arms. Caoyu was inconsolable. She lowered her head to bite Qian Weishi’s arm, choking on her sobs. Qian Weishi hugged her tightly. All Caoyu could do was to watch on as Dong Lin opened the door and turned sideways to look back at her.

“Uncle is leaving.”

Caoyu felt as if that door was not a wooden plank separating them, but a chasm. Even though she wailed and pounded on Qian Weishi’s arm, Dong Lin would only look at her from afar. He had left her in a place he could never go near, just like he would never reach the place where his daughter still lives.

With teary eyes, Caoyu took a last look at him as his figure gradually vanished into the pitch-black night. And then, light broke through the eaves as the rays of a new morning shone through.

Winter was over.

Something like this.

门闩杖 it’s a bolt in the shape of a horizontal bar, or rod, that’s used to hold a door closed in ancient days. Could be long or short. Something like the above.

囡囡 Nan-nan. The words itself actually meant “little darling” or “baby” although Dong Lin apparently used it for his daughter’s name. Whenever he says “my Nannan” he’s also saying “my little baby”, etc.

Chapter 24: Death Wish

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

Cang Ji heard Caoyu’s cries receded into the distance. His body felt as if it had plunged into the water. The surrounding scene shattered into fragments of light. It was as if he had just woken from a dream. There was a sudden burst of coughing beside him and a heaviness in his arms. He saw Jing Lin curling up in pain.

“What’s happened?” Cang Ji scooped him up. Jing Lin was icy to the touch.

“Just a relapse of an old ailment.” Jing Lin covered his mouth. “The hour is approaching. Dong Lin’s end is near.”

“He is bent on dying. Even if we save his life, we can’t restore his will to live.” Cang Ji pried open Jing Lin’s clenched fists. He frowned upon seeing the residual smudge of red on Jing Lin’s lips. “It’s just a walk in an illusionary scene. Why are you so weak?”

A fatigued Jing Lin said, “… This isn’t right. Even if Qian Weishi’s hatred was enough to spawn the Luocha bird, it was not enough for it to rush all the way here.” He gradually closed his eyes. After a while, he continued. “Dong Lin must have done something. I want to see him before his head rolls.”

Dong Lin sprawled over the ground and listened to the din below the platform. The sun was too glaring. His nape came into contact with the crude board.¹ The executioner stepped on his back. Dong Lin gasped for breath. His forehead was soaked with sweat.

The ground of the market was filthy with discarded chicken heads, dog blood, rotten vegetables and fruits covered by the snow. Now, the stench was overwhelming Dong Lin’s senses. It would not be long before he would be a part of them—a mess of rotten meat and a pool of dirty blood.

“Dong Lin!” A cry rang out from among the mob of people. There was the sound of a woman’s unreasonable swearing as she pushed her way through the crowd. Standing on tiptoes, Huadi saw Dong Lin’s face through the myriad of humans’ heads. She was beside herself as she looked at Dong Lin and began to shove the others with even more force. “Make way… make way! All of you, make way for me!”

“What are you jostling for?!” A man in the crowd pushed her back and rebuked her, “I was wondering which woman is so shameless to squeeze in among the men! So it’s the whore from the alley!”

“Bah!” Huadi spat at him, pulled her clothes back, threw out her chest and said with her head high, “So what if I’m a whore? Did a whore dirty your bed? Look at those shifty eyes of yours wandering over my body. You are even more low-down than a whore! Get out of the way! Otherwise, I’ll slap you until you can’t tell the directions!”

“Hear, hear!” The man pulled Huadi’s hand towards his own face to give his cheek a gentle pat. He said with a glib tongue. “I’ve let you slap me for free, then are you also going to let me…”

He had yet to finish talking when he let out a wail. Huadi kicked him and slapped him right in the face with her palm. It threw the crowd into disorder. No one could hold Huadi back as she gave the man several hard slaps. She adjusted her lapels, then pointed at the crowd with the other hand on her waist.

“Get out of my way! Look at you all getting in the action and creating a disturbance! Bah! All of you are in such a rush to watch the beheading. What’s the rush? Who knows whose head the blade will fall next? You said I’m low down, but all of you are even more despicable than me! It pleases you to see someone in distress. You can’t wait to see everyone in this world to live just like me! Wastrel! Pervert! The mud on the sole of a whore is even cleaner than all of you!”

Huadi could scarcely catch her breath as she swore at them. She rubbed her face and wiped her tears, then said unreservedly. “I’m not a whore today. I’m not here to be part of the spectacle.”

She exchanged looks with Dong Lin. Dong Lin heard her say, “I’m here to send off my husband.”

The man burst out cussing, “Do you know who that is? He’s the evil man who killed the Chens! Oh well, only such a savage can put up with you! You still dare to hit people? Your lover deserves to die for massacring an entire family!”

“The fart you know!” Huadi shrieked, “What nonsense!”

“The prefectural yamen’s notice had it down in black and white! Are you going to deny it?” The man incited both sides of the crowd. “How good would the woman of an evil man be? No doubt she’s malicious too! For all we know, she has something to do with this case too! Beat her up! Four of the Chens are dead. Why should the murderer pay with only his life? Beat her to death! A life for a life!”

“Beat her to death!” Some of them shouted in excitement, “Avenge the Chens!”²

Huadi could not dodge in time and was struck by the miscellaneous items flung at her. Countless faces flashed before her as the mob dragged her into the crowd and pushed her down so hard her bones hurt. They pulled at her hair. She could barely suppress her cries as she crawled towards Dong Lin even as she kicked and bit them back.

Dong Lin’s hands were bound behind his back. The executioner was afraid that he would escape and stepped on him even harder. Dong Lin pushed against the wood. His eyes were bloodshot.

“Stop it!” Dong Lin roared. “Fucking stop it! A life for a life. Cast your blades at me! I’m the one who killed and dismembered them. What does it have to do with her?!”

He straightened his neck and gasped for breath, gritting his teeth so hard they made a sound.

“Come on. Come after me! Not only did I kill the Chens, but I also cut them opened one at a time and trampled over them.” Smiling intermittently, he struggled against the restraints until his neck reddened. His insane appearance conformed to everyone’s idea of what an outlaw was like. “I killed one! Then another! Chen Ren’s legs were broken first. I was the one who crushed them. I didn’t kill him with a blade. I used a wooden staff³ to smash that beast’s face into a pulp. Why did I dismember them? Because I don’t want them to make their way to the Underworld! What Path of the Beast

s?⁴ I want them to be wandering ghosts with no chance at reincarnation!”

Dong Lin burst into laughter as his tears trickled down. He said, “How refreshing. This has to be the most delightful action I’ve ever done in my life! What can you do to me? Kill me, kill me!”

The whole audience was horrified, even those who had been braying for justice had all been scared into silence. Like frightened quails, they retreated in a panic. Huadi stumbled to her feet and staggered her way to the front of the platform.

“I’ve asked you so many times, but you never take me away.” Huadi spat and slapped Dong Lin. She choked on her sobs and shed silent tears as she scolded him. “Look at what happened now?! You are going to become a real ghost! What am I to do with you gone? What about Nan-nan?”⁵

“There is a bag of gold hidden under your chest.” Dong Lin bit on her sleeve and finally lowered his head to kiss Huadi’s palm. He whispered, “I know you are too much of a spendthrift to save money, so I hid it under the chest. Go back and take it to the procuress to redeem yourself. There should be some balance. Take it with you. It doesn’t matter where you go, you…”

Huadi threw him a hard slap.

Dong Lin’s head tilted to the side, but it only made him more gentle. 

“I’ve let you down.” He turned his eyes. “I dragged it on for too long, and make you wait for me year after year. Silly woman, don’t be so harsh with your words when you marry someone else.” He gave a hasty smile and continued. “Forget it. Don’t change yourself. Let that man put up with it. After receiving all my good fortune, he deserves to be scolded by you for the rest of your lives.”

Huadi turned Dong Lin’s head back to her and clung on to him without a care. She said bitterly, “I won’t be stupid this time around! You want to abandon me and leave so you can live freely with that dead woman of yours? Well, I never! I insist on following you! They behead you here; I’ll bang my head and die here. I want to go with you. I want to go with you!”

“I’m not taking anyone along.” Dong Lin turned and propped his forehead against Huadi’s. He let out a sudden burst of laughter. “Nan-nan is just before me. This feels so good. I’ve searched all over Zhongdu, and I thought I would never meet her again in my life. The funny thing is, I forgot that I can see her when I die.”

“I forbid it!” Huadi hugged him. “You forgot about me again. You always forget me! You heartless man. You want to forsake me to live happily with your family?!”

Dong Lin said, “There are many men with two legs in this world. Each one of them is better than me

.”

“That’s right, everyone is better than you.” Huadi said, “But who asked me to meet you and not anyone else? Your creditor is your lover. You owed me this half of your life, anyway. Now you have repaid me, you’d have also freed me from my concern.”

“That won’t do.” Dong Lin said, “We’ll talk about it next life. You have to tide over this life. Meeting me has delayed you. It’ll be easier for you without me in the future. You should live a carefree life. Go. Go home. Take that gold and redeem yourself. I’ll wait for you.”

The hour had come. The attendant on duty from the prefectural yamen came forth to haul him up. Huadi held on to him and refused to let go. The attendant was put on the spot and could only get a few people to haul Huadi back. Huadi choked on her sobs and cursed, but she could not stop herself from being hoisted away. Her feet dragged on the ground as she moved farther and farther away from the platform.

There was a heaviness on Dong Lin’s back. He saw his name plate⁶ fall to the ground. Behind him, the executioner raised his blade and the wind swooshed as he brought it up. The burning pain on his forehead made him grind his teeth and shout out loud. There was a “crack” from the blade, and the head tumbled to the ground. Huadi let out a shrill scream and collapsed to the floor in a faint.

The Ghost Guards who had been waiting for a long time on both sides shook their chains together. After securing Dong Lin’s soul, they prepared to leave.

“This is bad.” Jing Lin appeared in mid-air, whirled around and threw out a folding fan. “Leave his soul behind!”

The wind shot forward together with the fan. The iron chains of the Ghost Guards were pressed down and held in place by Jing Lin from a distance away. He looked up and saw Jing Lin’s beautiful peach blossom eyes. He had never seen them before and knew that Jing Lin must have used some kind of camouflage to hide his appearance. A Ghost Guard sank to his feet and bellowed, “Who dares to stir up trouble when the Underworld is executing its duties? Thieves like you must have been waiting for a long time!”

As soon as he said that, he saw countless scrapes of shadows on the ground. The pack of Ghost Guards shook their chains together and stood ready in formation. Xiang Mo Staff hurtled towards at the heart of the town where Zui Shan Seng stood on one foot with both palms together. With a hard push, golden light instantly filled the sky.

“You’ve sure kept me busy looking for you!” Zui Shan Seng removed his bamboo hat, revealing his green tangerine peel head.⁷ He gave a cold smile. “Let’s see where you can run to this time.”

The golden light surged like a massive wave, and Jing Lin took a step back and pulled out Cang Ji with one hand. Cang Ji soared into the air and plunged into the mouth of the wave. Like kicking a ball, he kicked the golden wave back in a counter-attack.

“It has been a while since we last met.” Cang Ji’s evil aura was imposing. “Old man, teach me a few more moves.”⁸ 

Zui Shan Seng turned the raging waves into clouds of smoke and said, “As expected, you are not an ordinary demon.”

“That’s natural.” Cang Ji shrugged it off. “There’s only one of me in heaven and earth. I’m very precious. You are just in time. I’m hungry today. Why don’t you give me your remaining spiritual energy? You’ll be considered half of my shifu.”

“A teacher for a day, a father for a lifetime.”⁹  Jing Lin whispered behind him, “Do you want to call him father? He is not as old as I am.”

“If you want to be my father,” Cang Ji gripped Jing Lin’s shoulder and leaned on him as he enunciated, “You’ll need to have a certain charm. Why? You want to try since he can’t make it?”

“It’s my first time being a father.” Jing Lin said, “Call me once. We’ll see if it sounds right.”

“If it sounds nice,“ Cang Ji leaned over and spoke into Jing Lin’s ears. “Will you let me eat?”

Jing Lin’s eyes followed Cang Ji’s gaze and dropped to his own half-opened collar, where his collarbone could be vaguely seen. He raised his eyebrows and said in a light tone. “Brittle bones are easy to chew. You can try.”

He had only just said that when the wind howled behind Cang Ji. Cang Ji smiled at Jing Lin and bent over abruptly. Xiang Mo staff swept across over him. Jing Lin raised his arm to open the fan in his grip and took several steps back.

“I’m frail and weak.” He raised his slightly exposed chin from under the fan. “I’m counting on you, my good son.”

“You have to pay me back double for taking advantage of me.” Cang Ji stopped Xiang Mo staff with an arm, steadied himself and lifted it.

Zui Shan Seng felt as if golden staff in his palm was wedged in a massive wall, and yet Cang Ji managed to move it. Although he did not show it on his face, he was internally alarmed.

This brocade carp was truly remarkable. Not only did he devour his spiritual energy, he even merged it into him. In just a few short days, even Xiang Mo staff could not tell from his aura whether he was foe or friend!

“Hui’an!” Zui Shan Seng shouted. “What are you waiting for?! Come quick. Join forces with me to take them down!”

Prisoners slated for execution by decapitation would be restrained by either rope or a wooden board around their neck with a wooden plaque with their name placed on their back or behind their neck to indicate that they were due for beheading at a specific time (usually high noon).

They remind me of this meme lmao
GIF

To recap, the wooden staff here is a bolt in the shape of a horizontal bar, or rod, that’s used to hold a door closed in ancient days. Could be long or short. Something like the above.

畜生道 Path of the Beasts. The Six Paths or Realms of Reincarnation is a cycle of death and rebirth in Buddhism, where a person is reincarnated into one of the six paths or realms depending on their accumulated karma from their past life. They are the Paths or Realms of Hell (Underworld), Hungry Ghosts, Beasts, Asura, Humans, Heaven. Dong Lin wanted them to suffer for eternity, with no chance for redemption and reincarnation.

囡囡 Nan-nan. The words itself actually meant “little darling” or “baby” although Dong Lin apparently used it for his daughter’s name.

It’s that wooden plaque behind their neck or back, as mentioned earlier. The executioner would remove it and cast it to the ground right before he does the beheading.

青皮 Qing Pi or green tangerine peel. Basically saying the top of his head looks like the picture on the right.

He’s referring to martial arts strokes or moves.

日为师终生为父; he who teaches me for one day is my father for life. Basically saying a teacher, no matter how long he teaches a person, is like a father for life.

Chapter 25: Intoxication

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

His white sleeves fluttered like the wings of birds as he descended, and his facial features were obscured with the ribbon masking his eyes. With his hands on his back, Hui’an rebuked him, “He has not even run yet and you are already in such a hurry to strike. Let me question him and clear things up before you make a move.”

“Question my ass!” Zui Shan Seng stomped his feet. “Demons are cunning. They will make a mockery out of your benevolence. Just throw him right into Zhui Hun Prison. He won’t be able to hide his schemes!”

“Indiscriminately imprisoning others without distinguishing between right and wrong.” Cang Ji said, “Zhui Hun Prison must have plenty of wronged souls.”

“Ever since its independence, Zhui Hun Prison has been taking its investigations seriously. There has never been a miscarriage of justice!” Zui Shan Seng stood as he shook his staff. “Your original form was a fish, but you have an insatiable greed for human souls. It’s not an injustice to capture you! Do you know that ever since the Supreme Father separated the Ninth Heaven Realm as an individual entity, there have been no dragon and phoenix in Heaven or on Earth? Creatures that consume souls breeds evil spirits. Not only do you consume spirits, you have a wild and evil disposition. How can we not be on guard against you?!”

“Such is my talent.” Cang Ji lazily pulled back. “Are you jealous?”

“I’m afraid not.” Hui’an faced Cang Ji as the ribbon slipped off. His gaze was penetrating. It was as if he could see through Cang Ji. He said, “I notice that your spiritual sea is newly formed. My guess is that it has not been long since you evolved. As they said, you cannot be faulted for being ignorant. This man is called Zui Shan Seng. Although he looks fierce and burly, he is a well-reputed heavyweight in the Ninth Heaven Realms. The time he used to complete his tribulation and ascend to the realm was even shorter than Lord Linsong. In terms of talents, none of the deities today are probably his equal. It’s a pity he is now old and ugly, and puts all his mind to catching demons. Little friend, stop messing around with us and go with him. If he has wronged you, we will release you.”

“I want to go too. But unfortunately, someone doesn’t agree. Jing…” Cang Ji mischievously corrected himself. “Jing gege, someone is kidnapping me.”

Jing Lin said, “One moment it’s father, the next moment it’s brother. Exactly who am I to you?”

Cang Ji dodged and brushed past Xiang Mo staff. He replied, “Family!”

Hui’an flew over. Just as Cang Ji was right before him, a fan blocked his path and cut off his view. Jing Lin snapped his fan shut and swept it around his fingers. Feeling a chill around his neck, Hui’an decisively leaned back. The wind from the fan sliced off his sideburns.

With a frown, Hui’an caught his hair and asked in a deep voice, “Manipulating and using the wind as a blade. Who are you?”

Jing Lin tapped the fan on his lips and replied with a distant expression and a light tone. “This fat fish’s family.”

Hui’an used his sight on Jing Lin but saw nothing. It was empty underneath that skin. Even Jing Lin’s spiritual energy was so obscure and isolated that he could not see or distinguish it clearly. How strange! Could there really be such a non-human, non-demon, and non-deity existence in this world?!

“There’s something strange about these two!” Zui Shan Seng treaded on air and threw a blow at Cang Ji with his staff. “I fear they are not to be taken lightly!”

“I could still spare you earlier.” Hui-an followed up with a strike. “But now, you’ve caught my interest!”

The city below was greeted with a clamor. The sky was obviously clear for miles around, but for some reason, there was a sudden gale so violent that it sent the crowd staggering. Unstable on their feet, the commoners used their sleeve to cover their faces and stooped over as they searched for shelter. The demons were keenly aware of the powers above them, so they all dove into crevices to hide, not even daring to watch. The Ghost Guards dragged Dong Lin’s soul, staggering as they attempted to leave.

Jing Lin covered his mouth to cough several times. Hui’an noticed that Jing Lin was lacking in attack power, but he was skilled in dodging. That was how he knew that Jing Lin’s internal spiritual sea had dried up and his spiritual energy was inadequate. Hui’an made a sudden move to seize him with his white sleeves swishing. Jing Lin avoided him and teetered a few steps.

On seeing that the Ghost Guards were about to leave, Jing Lin drew a talisman in the air with his fan. The green light surged and the land under their feet sank. Caught unaware, the Ghost Guards stumbled. The light was so glaring that Hui’an had to cover his face with his sleeves. Cang Ji felt a tightening on his waist as Jing Lin hauled him back by his sash. Zui Shan Seng’s staff struck the empty air. He turned his head, only to see the green light hitting him right in the face. Unable to take a clear look around him, he hissed and retreated.

When he raised his head again, the two figures had disappeared.

Instead of flying into a rage, Zui Shan Seng changed his bearing, folded his arms, and asked, “What do you make of them?”

Hui’an covered his eyes and said, “I can’t see the spiritual sea of the one with a void beneath his skin. Most likely, he is severely injured and has yet to make a full recovery, so he is unable to gather spiritual energy by normal means. This kind of injury is not something an ordinary person can inflict. He must have received a critical blow to destroy his soul and almost died from it.” Hui’an revealed his eyes. Unlike his earlier zeal, he was methodical as he continued, “He received a hit from your staff that night. So he should be aware of your prowess. Yet when he heard your name again today, there was no sign of panic on his face. He’s either too shrewd or truly not afraid. The amount of demons in Zhongdu who are not afraid of you are few and far in between, but there are plenty in the Ninth Heaven Realm who doesn’t fear you. It’s hard to tell with that fish, but it’s probable that this man came from the Ninth Heaven Realm.”

“He has great skills. There’s another thing fishy.” Zui Shan Seng stroked his chin. “I always find this person familiar.”

“In the past hundred years, none of the deities has been banished to the mortal realm, nor has any demons escaped from Zhui Hun prison. As for who can give you a sense of familiarity.” Hui’an turned his head. “You should have a guess.”

“You’re right. I have someone in mind.” Zui Shan Seng said, “Five hundred years ago, Lord Linsong was eliminated before Buddha. The Four Lords of Ninth Heaven were all watching. Even if he didn’t die, he wouldn’t have escaped the eyes of the various Lords. If it’s not him, then there’s only one left. That is…”

“My Lord.”¹ Hui’an picked up on it and shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it. You know the temperament of that lord of mine. Even if he forgot the past and descended to the mortal world to undergo trials and tribulations, his personality shouldn’t be like this.”

“Since he has forgotten the past, it is not impossible for him to somehow model himself on what’s on his mind.” Zui Shan Seng said, “Lord Shage has been asleep for a hundred years. I know he can’t get over Lord Linsong’s death tribulation. I just hope it’s not him this time.”

Hui’an fell silent, then said, “They were as close as brothers. Lord Linsong has committed such a sin, how can my Lord not feel grieved by it? Back then, the Supreme Father took in a few children, but now the situation has deteriorated to the point where only Lord Chengtian is the only one left unscathed. It’s still not known if my Lord will ever wake up from his sleep.”

“No matter what, I must get to the bottom of this.” Zui Shan Seng kicked his staff and hoisted it over his shoulders. “Precisely who that person under that skin is.”

Jing Lin was so tired that he sprawled over Cang Ji’s back and started to doze off. Cang Ji jolted him and said, “The soul is still here. After you are done questioning him, send him off to be reincarnated.”

Supporting his forehead and neck, Jing Lin rested on the back on Cang Ji’s shoulder and asked, “Dong Lin?”

There was no answer from the sleeve; Only the little stone figure poked its head out.

After walking for a while but hearing nothing else, Cang Ji jolted Jing Lin again. He asked, “You’re done asking?”

In a daze, Jing Lin embraced Cang Ji’s neck, propped his head against his back, and uttered an “uh-huh. Feeling something wrong, Cang Ji felt his way along Jing Lin’s wrist into his sleeve. But there was only the small stone figure.

“We lost him?”

“Most likely, he left.” Jing Lin closed his eyes and said.

“He is now a wandering ghost. Where can he go?”

“I don’t know.” Jing Lin replied. “Maybe he went home.”

Cang Ji stopped in his tracks and said, “Humans and ghosts have different paths. Even Huadi can’t see him, let alone that little girl. He was determined to die, and he wanted to be set free. He should cross into the Underworld and drink from Meng Po.² Thereupon he would forget all these mortal affairs and seek a new life. If he runs away like this, he will be alone forever.”

“He will go if he wants to.” Jing Lin’s voice grew heavier. “Now that he’s free…”

“Then what about your question?” Cang Ji looked back and saw Jing Lin asleep on his shoulder.

This time, Jing Lin slept for a long time, waking up only during early spring when there was still a chill in the air. He became so sluggish and easily tired that he would not sit if he could lie down. Cang Ji used the gold pearls to find a good place to stay; not only did it come with a veranda and a courtyard, but there were also people to wait on them.

Although Jing Lin had never mentioned it, Cang Ji felt that Dong Lin’s case had left a knot in Jing Lin’s heart. There seemed to be something different about him. In the past, he used to sit idly in the mountains all day long. But now, his expression was often wan and drowsy when he sat and listened to the rain.

“Where have you been?”

With a scroll in his hand, Jing Lin leaned on the veranda as he watched Cang Ji hold up the umbrella and change his shoes.

Cang Ji took his cloak off and raised his hand to dismiss the servants. He took Jing Lin’s warm tea and drank it to warm himself up, then sent someone to heat the wine and send it over.

“Money makes the mare go.” Cang Ji closed the lid. “Now that I have money, it’s natural for me to enjoy myself.”

“Tell me about it to relieve my boredom.” Jing Lin put the scroll aside and wrapped himself in the cloak. The fatigue on his face remained unchanged; he was about to snooze again.

The smooth and clean chin hidden in the fur, coupled with the smooth contours of his cheeks, made Jing Lin’s half-closed eyes even more captivating. Cang Ji squatted down and raised his hand to pinch Jing Lin’s chin.

“There is not the slightest trace of the copper bell. You should fatten yourself up. I’ll find a good day and gobble you down.”

“Then hurry up and do it.” Jing Lin yawned.

Cang Ji’s fingertips were still wet, so Jing Lin’s skin felt even smoother to the touch than usual. Cang Ji felt as if he had fallen into Jing Lin’s trap. There would be certain times Jing Lin would leave him at a loss. But Jing Lin always appeared normal, as if he had not done or thought about that before.

This man is even harder to deal with than anyone else.

Cang Ji opened his mouth. “There is plenty to eat and play outside. Isn’t there anything you like when you were a human?”

“No.” Jing Lin nudged Cang Ji’s fingers away with his folding fan.

“How boring.”

“Indeed.” Jing Lin concurred. “That’s why I kept a fish.”

“I don’t even remember.” Cang Ji sat down beside Jing Lin, draped his hands over the railing, and watched the rain. “It seems like the first person I saw when I opened my eyes was you.”

“Time remains unchanged in the mountains.” Jing Lin propped his fan at his temples and racked his brain. “I can’t remember how long it has been either.”

Cang Ji poured wine for Jing Lin. Jing Lin scrutinized it for a moment, prompting Cang Ji to say, “Now that you’re old, you’ve even forgotten about wine?”

Jing Lin took the wine and said, “I often feel that the human world is lacking in one dish.”

“What?”

Jing Lin sipped the wine and said slowly, “Steamed fish tongue.”

“There’s indeed no steamed fish tongue. But we can try human tongue.” Cang Ji looked at him. “Your tongue isn’t that likable either.”

“Remember to pluck it out when you eat me.” Jing Lin poured himself another cup.

“I’ll have to taste it first.” Cang Ji scrutinized Jing Lin and said, “Dong Lin has been reincarnated.”

Jing Lin’s expression remained unchanged.

Cang Ji continued, “I chased after his soul and saw him drifting around for a few days. After Huadi redeemed herself, he surrendered himself to the Ghost Guards. He wouldn’t answer my questions. The weird thing is that he did not even take a single look at Chen Caoyu.”

“Chen Caoyu has her biological father with her now. His destiny has come to an end, so he seeks ‘death’.” Jing Lin tilted his cup. Over the pitter-patter of the rain, he said as if in a trance, “Death is a kind of relief.”

“He’s gone.” Cang Ji asked, “What are you still feeling blue about?”

Jing Lin swallowed the wine. He was slow to respond. It was a while before he raised his head, still looking blankly at Cang Ji. Under his gaze, Cang Ji felt as if he was a prey caught under a cat’s paws. He watched as the corners of Jing Lin’s eyes reddened, his usual frosty face looking as if he wanted to cry.

“You don’t understand.” Jing Lin’s fingers glided across the wine cup and pushed it away as if in a fit of pique. He threw the folding fan at Cang Ji and murmured, “You don’t understand.”

Cang Ji’s heart stirred. He sat up straight and caught the folding fan. With gentleness, he hooked Jing Lin’s fingers into his own and drew closer. His provocative eyes smiled as he coaxed Jing Lin. “That’s right. I don’t understand. Why don’t you tell me? My good Jing Lin, tell me.”

Jing Lin let him hold his hand and drew him closer. Both of them sat face-to-face, within reach of each other. Beyond the veranda, the rain droplets were pelting the branches of the trees, but Jing Lin felt hot all over. His cheeks were flushed from the wine. He held back the hiccups and said, “… She’s about the same age as my little sister…”

“Your sister?” Cang Ji’s arm half-encircled Jing Lin’s lower back as he silently lured Jing Lin into an embrace. He was still speaking patiently and gently. “So Jing Lin has a sister, huh?”

“I have brothers too.” Jing Lin looked at him expectantly and pointed it out to him with his fingers. “Yun Sheng, Li Rong, Lan Hai…”

Cang Ji did not know any of them.

Jing Lin leaned in closer and looked right into Cang Ji’s eyes. His eyes were teary and misty at the moment. He did not look like Jing Lin at all. He said, “So many of them.”

“Are you on good terms with them?” Cang Ji whispered.

Jing Lin replied honestly, “Some, yes. Some, no.”

“Who are you on good terms with?” Cang Ji asked, “Li Rong?”

Jing Lin nodded. “Li Rong, yes.”

Cang Ji teased him. “Is Cang Ji good?”

Jing Lin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head hard. “He’s always biting me. No.”

Cang Ji laughed aloud and said, “Then what should we do? He will definitely bite you again in the future.”

“Then.” Jing Lin replied in all seriousness. “Bite me gently.”

Cang Ji held Jing Lin with the other hand and leaned back against the railing. He looked at Jing Lin and asked, “Don’t you want to kill or abandon him?”

Jing Lin shook his head. Cang Ji took his hand and pinched his cheek. His gaze was complicated, and his words, teasing.

“But the way you look makes my mouth water, how can you ask me to stop now?”

君上Junshang; a term a subject or official used to address his own master or lord. Said person has to hold the title of a Lord. E.g. Jing Lin, as Lord Linsong, would be addressed as “Junshang” by Fu Li. I’ll translate this term as “Supreme Lord” for the highest ruler of Ninth Heaven Realm (Jing Lin’s ‘father’), and “My Lord” when it’s used to address the other lords (e.g. Lord Linsong, Lord Shage, etc).

孟婆 Meng Po. Meng Po is a character in Chinese mythology. Her task in the Realm of the Dead is to erase the memories of souls who are about to be reincarnated, and she does this by serving a decoction (typically as a bowl of soup or tea) to induce amnesia so they can be reincarnated and start afresh.

Chapter 26: Demon

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

The rain poured, and the metal chimes under the eaves swayed. Cang Ji watched as a dazed Jing Lin threw himself into his arms and hit his forehead on his chest. Then, without making a sound, he curled his body up and remained still. Cang Ji was still holding onto one of Jing Lin’s hands. He called out to him several times, but there was no response. Instead, it was the little stone figure who heard his calls. It pushed aside the layers of clothes sheltering it and dropped onto the ground. Dragging the corner of Cang Ji’s clothes, it picked up a branch that the wind had broken off.

“He’s as drunk as a skunk.” Cang Ji thought it wanted him to take it out to play, and so he said, “I’m not going out tonight.”

The little stone figure twirled the branch like a sword flower¹ and took a stride forward to strike a martial art pose. But before it could turn back, it tripped over itself. Cang Ji burst out laughing. The stone sat on the ground rubbing its head, its black eyes looking angry and vexed.

“He’s drunk. Are you drunk too?” Cang Ji held Jing Lin in his arms and propped up his head. “What are you trying to show me?”

The stone picked itself up and picked up the branch. It righted its grass crown and made a show of bowing to Cang Ji to pay its obeisance. Cang Ji watched as it lifted the branch and started wielding it. As it drew an arch with the brittle branch, a cool breeze rose and swirled around it.

The sound of the rain faded as the sound of the wind beyond the veranda amplified.

The shadows of the stone figure overlapped as the withered branch gradually lost its sluggishness and took on the momentum of a swift, roaming dragon. Droplets of rain splashed and splattered. The stone’s pace was unhurried. A jab of the withered branch, and the raindrops wandered beside the small stone figure like pearls teasing a dragon. The withered branch manipulated the wind like a blade. Raindrops slid off when the stone figure turned and sprang into the air when the stone figure shook its wrist. With a gentle push of the wind, the raindrops flew straight towards Cang Ji. Cang Ji sat and leaned against the railings when the chilly wind brushed past his cheeks. Before he could raise his hand, the raindrops suddenly splashed to the ground. He lowered his eyes. The stone figure was already sprawled out on his knee snoring.

That indistinct whistling of the wind among the pines was still reverberating. Cang Ji almost believed himself to be drunk too. He carried Jing Lin in his arms and picked up the stone figure. On entering the inner chamber, Cang Ji threw the stone figure onto the cushion without a moment’s hesitation.

“So you taught it how to use a sword in secret. Just you watch. I’m going to throw it away.” Cang Ji put Jing Lin down, clamped the latter’s cheeks, and said bitterly, “I’ll make sure you can’t find anyone else. The only one you can teach will be me.”

Jing Lin gave a vague response and fell asleep with the cloak half-draped over him.

When Jing Lin woke up the next morning, the rain had stopped. He put on his clothes and faced the window. The soil outside was flat, and three or four green shoots had sprouted in the courtyard. Cang Ji passed by his side and brought Jing Lin a cup of hot tea on his way back after he had rinsed his mouth. With his head spinning, Jing Lin drank it.

Cang Ji leaned on the other side facing him. When Jing Lin had downed his remaining tea, Cang Ji asked in an unhurried tone. “Look at those black circles under your eyes. What did you dream of yesterday?”

Jing Lin pursed his lips and said nothing. He had just woken up with a hangover and was now feeling unwell all over.

“Haven’t you touched it before?” Cang Ji clasped the cup and stared at him, then said in a mysterious tone. “Wine is good stuff.”

Having caught a slight cold, Jing Lin held back a cough and said, “Spring is near. It is time for Dong Jun to descend to the mortal realm to rouse the spirits.”

“Who is Dong Jun?”

“The Deity of Spring.” Jing Lin said. “We can’t remain long in this place. He is not like Hui’an. I can’t hide from him.”

“So it’s an old acquaintance.” Cang Ji asked, “What do rousing spirits mean?”

“Zhongdu is vast, and there is a shortage of manpower in the Demarcation Division. Thus, Lord Chengtian designated various deities in charge to hold down the boundaries. Most of these minor deities are major demons who have never been to the Ninth Heaven Realm, even though they heed the orders of the Ninth Heaven Realm. There are many of them, so their habits vary. Every winter, there would be some who would return to their nests to hibernate. When spring approaches, Dong Jun has to pay them a visit and wake them up to ensure that they can return to their posts and continue their duties.”

“What an arduous and unrewarding task.” Cang Ji patted the wood of the window. “A pity this pleasant courtyard will go to someone else.”

“Even if Dong Jun doesn’t come, we should make a move.” Jing Lin conjured out his folding fan and swatted away the little stone figure climbing up Cang Ji’s sleeves. He said, “I know where the copper bell is.”

Cang Ji was in a good mood, so he did not curse the bell and simply said, “It followed Dong Lin and stirred up so much trouble. Where has it run to now?”

Jing Lin tapped on the window lattice and said in a heavy voice. “It went to look for Gu Shen.”

Gu Shen left town and headed north. He traveled light with a horse, braving the elements. He had returned the constable waist tablet² to the yamen, although he kept his blade with him. Qian Weishi and Chen Caoyu sent him off. He felt complicated, but in the end, he just let out a sigh. Dong Lin’s death had become a knot in his heart. He decided that he had to find his home and see his parents again this lifetime.

Gu Shen came across an inn on his way and dismounted to take a rest. He took a few steps, but before he could lift the screen, he saw a rolled-out red woolen carpet beneath his feet. He strode in and was almost blinded by the display in the inn.

Jing Lin was wiping his hands as a line of servants waited quietly. The old table in the inn had been carried out, and a new one with all four corners in gold was set up. The tabletop was so polished it reflected light. All the cups, bowls, and chopsticks were thrown away and replaced with expensive porcelain and ivory. It was all fastidiously done, and every single item was valuable. The only thing left was to tag a word on his face.

Rich. 

It was precisely such an intolerably crass way of doing things that was in tune with Jing Lin’s current face. His peach blossom eyes sparkled, yet they were serious. The folding fan was placed beside his hand, and even his handkerchief had been folded neatly. It was all so meticulous that one could not help but laugh. He gave the impression that he was not only pampered but also effeminate.

Gu Shen recognized this face, but he did not expect Jing Lin to have a companion this time. An unruly young man in a brocade robe sat opposite Jing Lin. Although he did not get up, Gu Shen could already imagine his oppressive aura when he stood up.

Jing Lin looked askance at him and said, “What a coincidence, Your Honor Gu.”

Gu Shen noted that his tone seemed unenthusiastic. It did not seem to be a “coincidence”. Rather, it was more like he had been waiting for a long time. Gu Shen removed his blade and sat down, saying, “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“I never thought I would meet Your Honor here, too.” Jing Lin said, “Has that shocking case been solved yet? I’ve heard a lot along the way, but I can’t tell which is true or false.”

“And what I say is the absolute truth?” Gu Shen gave a self-mocking smile. “I’m no longer working in the yamen now. Young master may just call me Gu Shen.”

“I wouldn’t dare. Since Your Honor isn’t here for official duties, then why would you come to such a remote place?”

“I’ve come for a personal matter.” Gu Shen paused. “This place is indeed remote, and the journey here isn’t smooth. Young master is such a distinguished person. Why would you come here too?”

Jing Lin faltered and looked towards Cang Ji. He said, “My younger brother is still young, and has never traveled far from home. I’m here to show him around the famous spots.”

Cang Ji’s chopsticks jerked and the peanut tumbled off. The little stone figure sitting on his knee reached out to catch hold of it. Cang Ji cast Gu Shen a look, just in time to see Gu Shen watching him. Their eyes met for only a split second, but the seeds of doubt have been planted in their hearts.

Gu Shen was weary from his travel and hurried upstairs to rest after eating his meal. Cang Ji put aside his chopsticks and said, “When he looked at me just now, I actually felt as if he could see through me.”

“He has a pair of sharp eyes.” Jing Lin said, “Although this man is a mortal, we should not underestimate him.”

“If he knew that we are not human, why didn’t he flee?”

“What does he have to fear?” Jing Lin drank his tea. “He has been alone since young. Having roamed all over the country for so many years, what he has heard and seen would surpass those of the average person. It is reasonable for him not to feel surprised when coming across a few demons.”

“Then why is the bell following him?” Cang Ji asked.

Jing Lin did not answer because someone came into the hall. He closed his folding fan and pointed upstairs. Cang Ji grabbed the little stone figure, threw gold pearls to the waiter who was lifting the curtain to enter, and followed Jing Lin upstairs.

“I have yet to ask.” Cang Ji asked the moment he entered the chamber. “What exactly is this copper bell?”

Jing Lin took off his coat and casually replied, “A bell.”

Cang Ji hooked the stool with his leg to block Jing Lin’s path. However, Jing Lin sidestepped it and swaggered past it. Cang Ji sat on the stool and stretched out his legs to trip him, and Jing Lin smoothly skirted around them. His interest piqued, Cang Ji hooked his legs back. Jing Lin turned back, and Cang Ji bumped into him.

Looking calm and composed, Jing Lin said, “If it isn’t a bell, then what could it be? A human?”

“That’s hard to say.” Cang Ji said, “Where did you get it?”

Jing Lin replied, “An old friend gave it to me.”

Cang Ji paused for a moment. Just as Jing Lin was about to move a step, he heard Cang Ji ask, “Did Li Rong give it to you?”

Jing Lin looked surprised.

“Ninth Heaven’s Lord Shage, Li Rong.” Cang Ji stepped on the stool. “I heard this person is such an accomplished cultivator that demons would all be terror stricken at the mention of him. With just his silver spear, he commands the Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven. He’s the brother of the current Lord of the three realms, Lord Chengtian.”

And also the brother of Jing Lin. 

The Supreme Father, Lord Jiutian, had eight sons under his command. Five of his sons lost their lives during the Blood Sea Battle, and only three of them went on to be bestowed with the title of a Deity Lord. One was Lord Chengtian, Yun Sheng. The second was Lord Shage, Li Rong. And, the third one was Lord Linsong, Jing Lin. Other than that, to secure world peace during the initial establishment of the Ninth Heaven Realm, he took in Dong Jun and Lord Pu Man to form the Six Lords of the Ninth Heaven, with each of them in charge of a jurisdiction. In other words, the current Lord of the Three Realms, together with this Lord Shage, Li Rong, were all Jing Lin’s kindred brothers. Other than the True Buddha to hold the fort during the time Jing Lin was besieged and annihilated after committing patricide five hundred years ago, the remaining Four Lords all had a major hand in it too.

Cang Ji had learned from the demons that most people believed that the reason Lord Linsong, Jing Lin, had lost was because of this Lord Shage, Li Rong. Because he had led the Three Thousand Armored Warriors of Heaven to battle Jing Lin heads-on until it had all ended in a bloodbath and both of them had ended up severely injured. After Lord Linsong’s obliteration, he sank into the Blood Sea as well and lapsed into a deep sleep.

Jing Lin had used a “good” word to describe such a person. Cang Ji could not fathom it, and now it had stirred up his interest.

“Since you are so interested in him.” Jing Lin said, “You might as well go to the City of Tongtian. The Registry for the Doctrine of Gods on the various Ninth Heaven Deities is on exhibit there. Li Rong is listed under Lord Chengtian. Just turn a page, and you can see it.”

“I’m not as interested in him than I’m in you.” Cang Ji said. “You’re right here. Why would I reject what’s near at hand and seek what’s far away?”

“He has nothing to do with the bell.” Jing Lin tilted his head to think about it and said, “There’s nothing unusual about the origins of this bell. It has been with me for so many years, and there had been nothing peculiar about it in the past. Who would expect it to acquire intelligence during one of my sleep?”

“Alright.” Cang Ji folded his arms in understanding, then leaned back and looked at Jing Lin.

Jing Lin said, “Hmm?”

“I’m curious.” Cang Ji gave a frank smile. “Have you fallen out with each other?”

“Brothers falling out with each other. Kin and friends turning their backs on one another.” Jing Lin’s lips spread into a cold smile. “How delightful.”

On seeing Jing Lin’s expression, Cang Ji had the subconscious desire to lick him. He shivered and smiled in excitement. Because every time Jing Lin did this, it was as if he had shed his skin and mask, leaving behind a savage and ominous beast like himself. They were cold-hearted and unfeeling kindred spirits who have cast aside all logic.

Cang Ji pressed the tip of his tongue against the tip of his teeth and said greedily. “How delightful can this be? I would only relish it if you become someone no one would believe, remember, or miss. Only this way would you truly belong to me when I devour you.” Then he slid his finger across Jing Lin’s cheek and suppressed his voice to seduce him. “Why do you even need others? In this world, I’m the only one who treats you with all my heart. This is how I’ve been wholeheartedly thinking about devouring you all day and night. Flesh and blood brothers are all untrustworthy. I’m far more reliable than them.”

“Have you ever wondered?” Jing Lin turned his head aside. His cheek brushed against Cang Ji’s fingertips. Yet his eyes were aloof and cold. “If the one to be devoured in the end would be you or me?”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m the one.” The craftiness of a demon flashed through his eyes. Cang Ji said, “As long as I’m together with you.”

His eyes were sincere as he used all of his pretenses to lay his hands on what was most important to Jing Lin. He feared nothing, and cared about nothing. He was not all that bothered about what he would seize from Jing Lin. He would only give his best, and he did not expect himself to lose.

But it was just too bad.

Jing Lin was an impregnable fortress.

挽剑花 Literally ‘draw a sword flower’. It’s a technique in swordplay, although the exact stance may differ from sect to sect. Something like this video.

腰牌 literally waist tablet, it’s a small tablet hung at the waist to prove one’s identity, especially for people in governmental posts or acting in an official capacity.

Chapter 27: Mountain City

OCTOBER 2, 2019

At night, they slept with their backs to each other. The stone figure slept on Cang Ji’s chest, rising and falling with each heave of his chest. It was asleep, but Jing Lin was awake. Rain had started to pour again outside. Thunder boomed.

Jing Lin listened to the rain as he meditated. He was about to rest when he heard the faintly discernible sound of the bell ringing in the rain. The bell led his mind drifting out of the chamber where he saw another scene.

The rain was still pouring.

A bare-footed child emerged from the bamboo fence and hopped towards the thatched hut with a fat leaf on his head. It was dark inside the house, and it reeked of foul medicine. The youngster ran to the inner room, leaving muddy footprints behind. A sickly and scrawny man was asleep on the old couch.

The young child kneeled down at the edge of the couch. Awash by the rain, his eyes shone even brighter. He took out an oil paper package from under his thin cloth and pulled it apart layer by layer. Lying inside was a sugar cake the size of his palm. Looking at the sugar cake, he could not help swallowing his saliva. He gave the man a push.

The man’s eyes were closed.

The child whispered. “Father, have some cake.”

The man turned a deaf ear.

The child pushed the cake beside the man’s pillow and rose to run outside. He had only just stepped over the threshold when he turned back. He dabbed his fingers on the sugar cake residue and put it in his mouth to taste. Before he could savor the sweetness, he heard footsteps outside the door.

“Chuanzi.” The woman took off her wet headscarf, exposing her plain face. She was sturdier than others, which was how she had been able to carry firewood and wield a hoe to raise a husband and a child. Wiping away the rain from her face, she sat down at the door to rest her feet and beckoned to her young child. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes again?”

The young child giggled and stretched out his muddy legs to show her. The woman’s face was hidden in the shadows. Jing Lin could not get a clear look at her. He could only sense the child taking a few steps forward. The child then threw himself into the woman’s arms and called her “mother” affectionately. The woman embraced and spoke to him with her head against his. The sounds of the rain muffled those words, so Jing Lin could not make out what she was saying. The child raised his arms to hug the woman’s neck, acting like a pampered child.

Jing Lin looked on coldly. He had no mother, so he did not know where the fun in having one was. He saw the child jumped for joy, then fell asleep in the woman’s arms. The woman held the child in her arms, with one hand on his back. As she gazed at the rain outside, she hummed a tune to lull him to sleep.

The sound of the rain quickened.

There was a heaviness on Jing Lin’s back, which almost pressed him into the bedding. He woke up in an instant. With some difficulty, he rolled over. Cang Ji’s face was right before him; He was sound asleep.

Jing Lin extracted his hand and kneaded his eyebrows. Cang Ji suddenly sniffed and said with his eyes still closed, “Let me take a bite while it’s dark and rainy.”

“Now that you can swallow all things, you can take grains too.” Jing Lin groped beside his pillow but did not find his fan.

Cang Ji raised his hand to open the folding fan and waved it a few times, saying, “Mortal grains can only fill the tummy. I don’t give a damn about it. You just had a dream, didn’t you?” He opened an eye slightly. “You called out for ‘mother’ earlier.”

Jing Lin said, “That wasn’t me.”

“The word came from that mouth of yours.” Cang Ji sat up and waved the fan forcefully. “Whimpering like a little kitten.”

As he said that, the little stone figure that had fallen off his chest bumped its head. Cang Ji watched it hold up its head as it sprawled back. It was only after it rolled around a few times that he heard Jing Lin’s reply.

“Where on earth would I have a mother?” He answered in a lazy tone. The little stone figure stretched its limbs and lazed around in the bedding. Jing Lin did not even want to move. He said, “This bell is cunning. Every time it takes me to see the scenery, it uses my energy.”

“You mean.” Cang Ji tilted his head. “That was Gu Shen’s dream? But what does it want us to do by calling us here?”

“I don’t know.” Jing Lin looked slightly weary. He said, “It isn’t cheap to take a look.”

He only took a few looks, and he was already sleepy. The dried-up feeling of having exhausted his spiritual expanse made him weak. It was a huge strain on him to follow the copper bell now. The last time when he took Cang Ji along had been much better. This bell even knew how to play favorites.

The next day, it was still dark and the rain was heavy. Gu Shen put on his straw rain cape and hat¹ to mount the horse again. He wandered aimlessly among the mountains, trying to get a grasp of that sense of familiarity. He had been too young the year he left home. Except for the bamboo fence in front of the thatched house, he could only remember the strong smell of medicine during rainy days.

Cang Ji watched by the windowsill as the sight of Gu Shen’s back disappeared into the curtain of rain. He asked, “How long is it going to take if he keeps on searching like this?”

“There is no end to it.” Jing Lin watched as that figured vanished.

“Why does he have to be so persistent?” Cang Ji asked. “He can set up a family anywhere. Why insist on the one in the past?”

“It’s different after all.” Bits of rain splashed onto Jing Lin’s fingers. He said, “He’s almost past his prime, but he’s still all alone. Even if he’s accustomed to loneliness, he would not necessarily want to be alone forever. There are people in his family whom he has been missing for so many years, as well as the part of himself he had discarded.”

“I don’t understand.” Cang Ji turned around and sat on the window. “This is too tough to understand. So what if he finds them? The lifespan of a human is so short. Even if he finds them, his family might not remember him. Besides, the world is vast. It is only by oneself that one can truly be free. A family is a burden. It’s fine without one.”

“That’s why you aren’t human.” Jing Lin wiped away the water. “Neither am I.”

“This is the best for you and me.” Cang Ji lifted and hooked his finger in the air. Shaking his fingertip, he said without a care. “Since he took a special trip here, he must have some other purpose All we have to do is to just follow him, is that right?”

“I don’t know the bell’s intention.” Jing Lin said. “Just follow him.”

“Then, before we set off, I have to fill my stomach.” Cang Ji patted his knee and gestured for Jing Lin to come over.

The sound of the rain outside the window was urgent and intermingled with grunts of pain. The grip of Jing Lin’s four fingers on the wooden windowsill loosened and tightened. Rainwater soaked the trimmed and rounded fingertips, making them wet and cool.

In the end, Cang Ji was only half-full. Jing Lin was lacking in blood and vital energy. He had broken out in a cold sweat after being bitten by Cang Ji. Cang Ji was afraid he would die with one hard bite, so he licked reluctantly around the bleeding spot. Ever since he had consumed Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy, his cultivation had not only improved by leaps and bounds, but even his appetite had grown. His greed was becoming more like an arrow on a bowstring, ready to spring anytime.

Both of them had yet to notice the two bumps that had silently formed on the scaly forehead of the brocade carp – Cang Ji’s original form – sleeping in a curled up position in his spiritual sea.

The hoof prints of Gu Shen’s horse extended from the winding mountain road towards the deeper part of the mountain. After passing through the desolate precipice, he could see a wide-open flatland. This was a mountain city in the North. Looking down from a high spot, he could see rows of various buildings lined up in an orderly way.

Cang Ji and Jing Lin entered the city. The stone figure sat on Cang Ji’s shoulder and sneezed. Cang Ji rubbed the tip of his nose as well and said, “The demonic aura is overwhelming.”

They had just stepped through the gate when prying eyes all around gathered on them. They did not just drool over Jing Lin, but even Cang Ji. Looking around, it turned out that this place was overrun with demons in human skin.

“I was wondering how there could be a city in the mountains.” Cang Ji slid his fingertips across his lips and revealed an innocent smile to all those around him. Yet, the words that came out of his mouth were, “There’s enough of them to fill my stomach.”

Holding an umbrella, Jing Lin said, “There is also a deity-in-charge here.”

“The Demarcation Division even manages a demon city?”

“It’s their duty. However, “Jing Lin sized up the street market. “For the demonic aura to leak out like this, the deity-in-charge of this place is most likely still in hibernation.”

“Other than that Dong Jun, can’t anyone else wake them up?”

“It depends on luck.” Jing Lin said, “Dong Jun… If you get the chance to see him, you will understand why it has to be him to carry out such an undertaking.”

“Is it because he has three heads and six arms that even demons are afraid of him?”

“On the contrary.” Jing Lin said, “He’s good-looking.”

While both of them stood shoulder to shoulder under the umbrella whispering, Gu Shen had already dismounted and entered a shop. Just as he was having his meal in the hall, he saw a barefooted boy looking at him pitifully. Gu Shen broke apart the steamed bun and handed it to him.

The child took the steamed bun and took a small nibble at it. Gu Shen pointed to the empty seat before him and said, “Let’s eat together.”

The child climbed up the table. Instead of taking the chopsticks, he leaned on the table and stared at Gu Shen with his drool almost spilling over. On seeing how ravenous he was, Gu Shen gave him more steamed bun.

The lady from the shop held on to the wine on the tray and bent over to give Gu Shen a warm and enchanting smile as she pushed the child aside. Then, she slid into the seat beside Gu Shen as if she were rubber. With her face in her hands, she gazed at him and said affectionately, “Warrior, where are you from?”

Gu Shen ate his food. “South.”

The lady blinked her almond eyes² as she moved closer. “The south is prosperous…” Her expression stalled for a moment before she laughed.

With a swing of her embroidered shoe, she kicked the child who had made his way under the table. The child staggered onto the ground and bared his fangs at that dainty foot.

The lady continued. “Having lived in the mountains all these while, I’ve never even seen a boat.”

Gu Shen cleaned his plate in a few mouthfuls and wiped his mouth to drink the wine. The lady’s soft hands squeezed Gu Shen’s arm and inched her way down. The feel of those buff muscles made her even more eager and attentive.

“There is hardly anyone who comes to this city. I’ve never seen such a valiant man like you.” She placed her hands over her heart and said bashfully. “My heart is still pounding now.”

Gu Shen clutched her hand and scrutinized her for a moment. He smiled. “Such a well-made face. Did your parents teach you?”

The woman turned pale. Gu Shen took out a talisman from his bosom and swallowed it with the wine. The hand Gu Shen had gripped transformed into a furry claw in an instant. She hurriedly covered her face and wailed.

“How rude! Don’t peek at my real face!”

The surrounding diners were horrified.

Gu Shen released his hand. “I have no wish to disrupt your cultivation. Don’t hold me up either.”

The lady hid her face and retreated as she wept. When Gu Shen saw that the people around him were all looking at him, he ignored them. Instead, he pulled the small child out from under the table and stuffed some silver pearls into his hands.

“This shop is run by demons. Go elsewhere to beg for food.”

The child was speechless and stammered, “De, De, Demons!”

Gu Shen patted him on the head. “Just a common monkey spirit. It won’t harm humans. Don’t be afraid. Go.”

The teeth of the small boy chattered in fear as Gu Shen patted him on the head. He hugged the silver pearls tightly and turned around to run away. Gu Shen put his money aside and left to lead the horse in search of another inn. As he passed through a busy street, he noticed that the rain had stopped. What he did not know was that everyone had raised their heads to look at each other and at him as he passed them.

The small child tumbled and his head went rolling on the ground. He quickly picked it up again, lifted it in his hand and said to the others, “I met an immortal! He not only saw through Hou-niang’s³ original form, but even gave me money!”

“Money!” Several radish heads with sky braids⁴ surrounded him, “Gege! Gege! We want money too!”

The child took out the silver pearls and handed them to his younger brothers for a look. He pushed his head back on, and furry ears popped up between his hair. He twitched his ears and said, “The immortal even touched my head.”

The radish heads widened their eyes in unison. They jumped on him and scrambled over themselves to touch his head.

“Gege!” They spoke at once, trying to get a word in. “We want to touch your head too!”

The child let his younger brothers climb onto his body and put up with it with delight and affection as they touched his head. He said, “I’m now basking in immortal aura after the immortal has touched my head! It’s different now. If mother comes back, she will definitely find us.”

“Then we should follow the immortal.” One of them piped up with eloquence. “Mother said she went to find the immortal. The immortal must surely know where she is!”

“Gege!” They danced with excitement.“Let’s follow him to find mother!”

Cang Ji was about to ask what’s so good-looking about Dong Jun when he saw a bunch of radish heads giggling and tittering as they rushed towards them. Then, they breezed past beneath their umbrella like the wind and ran barefoot to the other side, sending their sleeves and robes fluttering.

Cang Ji stared after them for a very long time, prompting Jing Lin to ask in suspicion. “You like children?”

Cang Ji rubbed his stomach. “They look fresh and tender. It’s just that I can’t tell what demons they are.”

Jing Lin said, “Other than the leader being a mouse, the rest are all wild ghosts.”

杏眼 almond eyes; a kind of eye shape said to give off a younger, adorable or pure vibe.

侯娘 Hou-niang; Hou (侯) is a family surname, but it also has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for ‘monkey’ (猴).

冲天辫 Something like this

Chapter 28: Thread

OCTOBER 5, 2019

Gu Shen had only just stepped into a new tavern when someone tugged the back of his shirt. Looking back, he saw the child who had run away earlier holding on to his clothes, following him.

“What is it?” Gu Shen suspected the boy had latched on to him.

The child’s lapels slipped off his shoulders, and he hurriedly pulled it up. Gu Shen could not see it, but there was a little ghost hanging on the child’s chest. The child had to carry his younger brother.

“I, I…” The child stammered. “I’m looking for mother!”

The ghost kids sang in unison. “Looking for mother! Looking for mother!”

“I’m looking for my mother too.” Gu Shen folded his arms and put on a fierce look.

The child’s eyes brightened, and he stood on tiptoe to hold on tightly to Gu Shen. “We, we are all looking for mother!”

Gu Shen said, “Your mother is not my mother. Everyone should look for their own mother.”

The child exclaimed with joy. “They are all mother!”

Gu Shen felt that this child was not only inarticulate but also a little dull in the head. He slowed down and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Fanshu.”¹ The child replied, “My mother likes to eat it.”

“A child with a lowly name is easy to raise.”² Gu Shen rubbed the child’s head. “Go play by yourself. I’ll still have to hurry after resting my feet.”

Fanshu nodded vigorously, and his younger brothers imitated him. He took a step forward and followed Gu Shen into the tavern. The last tavern was run by a monkey spirit, while this was by a pig spirit. The innkeeper was too fat to fit behind the counter and could only squat outside to grunt as he licked a plate.

When Innkeeper Zhu³ saw Mouse Fanshu and the little kids, he quickly waved his plate at them to drive them away. “Shoo, shoo, shoo! Go find food elsewhere!” He hastily wiped his mouth with his sleeve and glanced at Gu Shen with his small eyes. He smiled. “Gentleman, this way!”

One by one, the younger brothers jumped to the ground and made their way under the table to Gu Shen, staying by his legs. Gu Shen was unaware. Fanshu was about to go over to Gu Shen when Innkeeper Zhu lifted him up. He did not dare to struggle and simply let his hands hang before his chest as he shrank back.

“I can tell at a glance what you’re plotting! You want to sneak in for a bite, don’t you? No way! I encountered a fresh one only after hundreds of years. He can fetch a good price if he’s butchered on the spot. Scram aside and play with the mud!” Innkeeper Zhu twitched his big nose as he sniffed snuff and threw Fanshu onto the ground before kicking him. “Take that bunch of little ghosts and scram! Otherwise, I’ll cook you guys to serve the patrons tonight!”

Fanshu tumbled onto the ground and hissed at Innkeeper Zhu. Then, giving him a flying kick on his meaty thigh, he turned around and leaped into the hall. Grunting and shifting while holding his big belly in his hands, Innkeeper Zhu cursed, “Stinky mouse has grown some freaking guts!”

Fanshu knocked over the waiter and crashed into the female spirit coming down the stairs. Then, stepping on her back, he stumbled towards Gu Shen. The female spirit cried out as she was trampled, the back of her waist as flat as paper. It took a while for it to revert to its original state.

“Good grief!” The female spirit shrieked. “See how I’ll bite…”

Gu Shen held his blade and snorted coldly. Feeling wronged, the female spirit blinked and clutched her waist as she stood up, saying, “Oh my, it hurts like hell.”

Gu Shen picked Fanshu up and asked, “Why are you still following me?”

“Let’s look for mother together.” Fanshu hugged Gu Shen’s hand in delight.

The ghost kids swarmed around Gu Shen and hugged his hands too as they said, “Look for mother together!”

Gu Shen felt his arms getting weighed down; this boy had become heavier in an instant. Suspecting it was just his imagination, he said to Fanshu, “That won’t do! Your mother is not my mother. How can we find her together?”

Fanshu was puzzled. “Aren’t they all mother?”

Gu Shen paused. He noticed that the boy did not understand that “mothers” were all different. He truly believed that everyone’s “mother” was the same person. He was really a silly kid. Gu Shen could not wash his hands off him, neither could he rebuked him. For a moment, he was in a bind.

“Where do you live? When did you get lost?”

Hauling the little ghosts along, Fanshu followed Gu Shen into the room. He was not as tall as the table, and his skinny and dirty shoulders peeked through the tattered clothes on his body. He flushed with joy and replied in a loud voice. “At, at the bottom of the slope! I don’t remember when. In a flash, mother was gone.” Then, afraid Gu Shen did not understand, he added, “Mother said she went to look for the immortal.”

Gu Shen moved the stool for Fanshu to sit on. Fanshu felt restless and wanted to swing his tail. But he did not dare to be impetuous before the immortal, so he could only endure it. His younger brothers were all crowding behind him and staring at Gu Shen with their heads sticking out. Gu Shen took out a pack of beef from his bosom and told Fanshu to eat it. Fanshu held on to the meat and sniffed it for a while before burying his head in it to gnaw on it. The little ghosts watched quietly as they leaned beside Fanshu.

“There are slopes everywhere in the world.” Gu Shen said, “How are you going to search for it?”

“Not searching for house.” Fanshu said with bulging cheeks. “Searching for mother!”

“Did your mother only leave behind those words?”

Fanshu nodded and said. “Mother also didn’t allow us to go out as there are people trying to catch us outside.” He wiped his mouth “But we were too hungry. Mother, mother never came back.”

Gu Shen radiated authority as he said, “How preposterous! They still dare to kidnap children in broad daylight? Do you remember them? When I find them, I’ll bundle them up and deliver them to the prefectural yamen!”

“They want to catch us to sell for money.” The ghost kids butted in noisily. “Sell us for money!”

“But the sale didn’t go through.” Another one sucked his finger as he racked his brains to form a sentence. “They were afraid of, of getting caught by the prefectural yamen, so, so…”

Fanshu said, “The yamen did not catch them.” He scratched his head as if he could not comprehend it. “The yamen said they, they are good and innocent citizens.”

“Bullshit.” Gu Shen suppressed his anger. “Which yamen handles matters so shoddily?! Since you said ‘we’, you must have brothers and sisters, right?”

Fanshu replied without hesitation. “We are all looking for mother. We are brothers.”

Gu Shen asked again, “Then, where are they now?”

Fanshu looked around curiously and said, “Right, right here.”

Gu Shen fell silent. He let out a sigh and stroked the back of Fanshu’s head.

“Never mind.” Gu Shen said, “You can come with me.”

Innkeeper Zhu was gasping as he stroked his belly and focused on flicking the abacus. He murmured, “Crispy ears, fifty gold. Uh, the recent customers are rich, so it’s fine if I raise the price a little. Look at those spirited eyes, there’s no need to fry them. Just dig them out and display with cauliflowers. Seeing that it’s a happy event, one eyeball, three hundred gold. He’s not young, but he looks valiant. There shouldn’t be any fat on him; it’s all muscles. There’s not much to weigh. Let’s just price them per dish. One dish…”

A string of gold pearls suddenly tumbled over the account book. Innkeeper Zhu’s smile widened as the pearls rained down, and he bent even lower. He clasped the gold pearls fondly and said in an amiable and gentle tone. “Gentleman, this way, this way!”

Innkeeper Zhu looked up at the patron, and a short, shrill squeal erupted from his throat. His chest was pounding. With two hands clasping his cheeks, he said with even more gentleness, “I’ve never, never seen you before.”

Cang Ji leaned against the counter and smiled. “I’m new here. This place sure is big.”

Innkeeper Zhu pushed aside the abacus bashfully. “Big, it’s especially big! Gentleman, you…” He did not dare to look straight at Cang Ji. “You are so good-looking. Who do you take after? Why are you so handsome?”

Cang Ji said, “After myself.”

Innkeeper Zhu tried to squeeze out from behind the counter, but his waist was stuck. He panicked and tried to pull himself out, wanting to take Cang Ji upstairs personally. Cang Ji indicated that he was not in a hurry and flung the gold pearls as he asked. “I heard you earlier. Is there any catch tonight?”

“Yes! There is.” Innkeeper Zhu was so stuck his face flushed red. He wiped his sweat away and said, “There’s a human! There’s enough of him to set up a banquet. If you’re interested, I’ll reserve a seat for you!”

“Thanks.” Cang Ji threw another handful of gold pearls, “But I want two seats.”

With the folding fan on his shoulder, Jing Lin swaggered out from behind Cang Ji. His expression was indifferent as he looked askance at Innkeeper Zhu. Innkeeper Zhu’s hairs stood on end. Jing Lin’s stare made his blood curdle. He withdrew the hands that were pawing Cang Ji and wiped them on his own body.

“That can be easily arranged.” Innkeeper Zhu’s face was pale. “Gentlemen, this way upstairs.”

While both of them ascended the stairs, Innkeeper Zhu was still trapped downstairs; he had broken out in a cold sweat. The waiter tried to pull him out, but he fell flat on his butt and sat on the ground. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his sweat with trembling hand, then waved his hand at the waiter.

“Go! Go quickly!” Innkeeper Zhu said, “Tell them to hide well. I’m worried those two do not have any good intentions.”

Cang Ji stuck close behind Jing Lin as they went upstairs. He asked offhandedly, “Why did you scare him?”

Jing Lin took a step up. “Hmm?”

“I still have questions.” Cang Ji’s long legs took two steps up.

“He’s hiding something.” Jing Lin said, “That’s why he’s afraid.”

“It’s not unusual for him to have something to hide.” Cang Ji said, “What’s unusual is that there are ghosts everywhere in this place. Earlier, I noticed that the street market in this city is just as strict as those in human cities. Now, that’s strange.”

Humans were particular about the various grades, classes, ranks, and so on. The street market buildings were divided systematically and no one could overstep their authority unless in special circumstances. But demons did not have that many rules and regulations, so it was only natural for the Mingyue Pavillion to be next to a thatched hut. Who gives a damn about who’s noble or lowly? It was when people stand on too much ceremony that Cang Ji felt strange instead.

“The city is a human city.” Jing Lin closed the door. “Yet it’s the demons that live there.”

Then, where had the entire city of humans gone?

Cang Ji moved his foot away and wondered, “Buried?”

Jing Lin pondered over it. “Whether they have been buried or eaten, it’s still an entire city of souls. The North Demarcation Division should have noticed, let alone the Underworld. Even if the Demarcation Division was not aware, the deity-in-charge of this place would have sent in an official report. Human-eating demons are dealt with according to the law. Once the Ninth Heaven Realm realizes this, none of the demon in this city will survive.”

“No wonder.” Cang Ji relaxed and leaned back into the chair. “We were watched as soon as we entered the city. They don’t want to eat us, but silence us.”

“Gu Shen won’t be here for no reason.” Jing Lin said, “There must be an explanation somewhere.”

“Compared to Gu Shen.” Cang Ji lifted his sleeve and stared at the spot that Innkeeper Zhu had touched earlier. “How dare he leave a brand on me?”

Jing Lin slid two fingers across his skin and caught a glimpse of Cang Ji’s scales. He tilted his head as his fingertips traced Cang Ji’s scales.

“You.” Jing Lin’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed. But he did not voice out his thoughts.

The brocade carp’s scales were a little dark. It was no longer the original eye-catching color of golden red. The longer Cang Ji cultivated, the more Jing Lin did not find them to feel like fish scales on the occasions he touched them. That tough and firm feel brought him back to the past; it felt as if he had touched them before.

Cang Ji caught hold of his fingers. His eyes twinkled. “What are you thinking of, staring at me like that?”

“Thinking of making stew.” Jing Lin withdrew his hand.

Instead, Cang Ji stretched his legs out and said wickedly, “Yuanyang Hotpot.⁴ Take a dip with me?”

“Sure.” Jing Lin sized him up and said, “Remove the scales and into the pot you go. Do I do it or do you want to do it yourself?”

Cang Ji pulled his sleeve down and chided him playfully. “You’re so bad!”

番薯 Fanshu; literally means sweet potato

贱名好养 (A child with) a lowly name is easy to raise (in a rough environment). In farming villages in the old days, the commoners would give their child a lowly name (after food, animals, etc) so that they would be easier to raise in such a rough environment.

朱掌柜 Innkeeper Zhu; Zhu (朱) is a family surname, but it also has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for ‘pig’ (猪).

鸳鸯锅 Yuanyang Hotpot, or (a pair of) Mandarin Ducks hotpot. It’s a hot pot with a divider containing spicy soup on one side and mild soup on the other. Mandarin ducks are also regarded as mates for life and are a symbol of love and conjugal bliss in Chinese culture.

Chapter 29: Another Encounter

OCTOBER 9, 2019

It was dusk when the clouds cleared and the weather turned windy. The streets livened up. There were puddles of rainwater on the ground. Business at the inn was brisk with endless streams of customers. The main hall was full to the max with patrons, and the waiter was holding a tray as he collected money from the table. Innkeeper Zhu was over the moon as he listened to the “ka-ching” sounds of money. He made his way to the kitchen and watched as his people busied themselves.

The chef was sharpening his knife. Innkeeper Zhu urged him on. “It’s almost ready. Stand in the hall later and remember to drain all the blood into the vat. Many have placed requests for it.”

The chef said, “That person has lots of guts. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to deal with him later. We have to beat him half to death first, or it won’t be easy to slaughter him.”

“It’s exactly because he’s hard to slaughter that everyone wants him.” Innkeeper Zhu said shrewdly. “Put on a fierce fight later and let all the patrons watch to their hearts’ content. There will be no shortage of rewards.” 

“What about those two upstairs?” The chef asked awkwardly. “We still don’t know where they are from. I’ll be eaten if they are major demons from beyond the mountains.”

“I’ll take care of it. You need not worry about them.” Innkeeper Zhu grunted. “I have already sent someone to squat and wait outside. If they are here to spoil our fun, I’ll not let them off.”

The chef made a compliant sound of acknowledgment and sharpened the knife even more. 

Cang Ji could hear their conversation from where he was upstairs. He raised his foot to step on the window edge and watched as the sky darkened.

“An entire city of demons are all gathered here. What a remarkable man Gu Shen is to entice countless demons to spend money on him.”

“There’s something odd about this city.” Jing Lin said. “Even if they have been cooped up for a long time in the mountains, they still shouldn’t be in such a furor over a human.”

“I have a question.” Cang Ji said, “Does the Demarcation Division usually forbid demon to enter or leave?”

Jing Lin said, “No.”

“But it seems as if the demons here have never seen a living human before.” Cang Ji leaned out of the window, and his long hair fluttered in the wind. He listened to the commotion in the city. The demons who came for the banquet were in high spirits. Even the streets were decorated as if there was a festival going on.

Jing Lin leaned his shoulder against the window and followed Cang Ji’s gaze outside. Tapping his folding fan on his knee, he glanced at the nearby street market all the way to the horizon in the distance.

“Yeah.” Jing Lin mused. “… This shouldn’t be the case.”

This shouldn’t be the case at all.

Since this place was originally a human city, he could more or less guess why it was occupied by the demons now. But if these demons were the ones who ate those humans, then they should not find it strange to see Gu Shen today. But their eyes were so ravenous when talking to Gu Shen that they almost showed their real demon forms.

Both of them were watching when they heard the door next door opened. Gu Shen took a few steps downstairs for his meal. The bell “jingled” and followed in his footsteps as he walked down the stairs. The little stone figure stood on tiptoe and looked out through the gap in the door. It saw a big, dark eye staring at it.

“Gege.” A little wild ghost stuck his face through the crack of the door and giggled. “Stone!”

Startled by the fingers hooked through the door, the little stone figure plopped back onto the ground. Then, it picked itself up and ran towards Jing Lin.

Cang Ji lifted it up and scoffed. “You’re even timider than a ghost.”

The little stone figure slid along Cang Ji’s finger and made his way into Cang Ji’s sleeve. Seeking shelter in there, it refused to come out again.

The moment Gu Shen went downstairs, he was jostled around by the crowd in the hall. He picked Fanshu up, but Fanshu was trembling all over as he covered his eyes with both hands.

“Two bowls of noodles.” Gu Shen threw a pearl at the waiter. But realizing there was nowhere to sit, he said, “Bring it to the room.”

The waiter took the pearl and threw him a malicious smile. “I’ll find you a good seat.”

The hall abruptly fell silent, and everyone cast their eyes on Gu Shen. Fanshu trembled even more. Carrying his blade, Gu Shen took a step and swept his glance across the crowd. He found it weird.

Innkeeper Zhu wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and took small steps into the hall. He smiled obsequiously around him. “What do all of you think? I guarantee that this one will be well worth the money spent! For the sake of ‘freshness’, I’ll send someone to slaughter and cut him up now. How beautiful it is to dip thin slices of meat into a sauce of blood!”

The entire hall cheered. All the men and women, young and old, in this jam-packed inn stared at Gu Shen. Gu Shen felt unsettled when he saw them gradually revealing their fangs. He gripped the table wood.

“How long do we have to wait?” They urged. “Serve the dishes!”

Innkeeper Zhu grunted in acknowledgment and the chef lifted the curtain to walk out. Carrying a knife, he strode towards Gu Shen. Gu Shen took a few steps back, only to find hideous looking demons crowding behind him. He composed himself and looked around, but there was not a single human around. The patrons all shed their skins and revealed their real forms. Demons swarmed all over in the darkness of the night!

Gu Shen slipped his blade out of its sheath and let out a roar. Innkeeper Zhu nearly slipped from the shock. Gu Shen hugged Fanshu with one hand and said, “I thought it was strange. So it’s because all of you are demons!!”

As he was speaking, he felt a slight itch on his cheek. Gu Shen lowered his head and saw the large ears of a mouse right before him. Fanshu covered his protruding mouth and sobbed, “Immortal, flee quickly!”

This one was a little demon too!

Gu Shen was about to release his hold, but Fanshu jumped to the ground before he could do so. Twitching his ears, he pulled Gu Shen by the hand. The wild ghosts shouted and rushed at the chef to pound him on the thighs with their little fists. Taking advantage of the chaos, Fanshu dragged Gu Shen and ran. He was skilled at fleeing and dodged his way through the empty openings.

“Run, run!” Fanshu yelled as he was thrown into confusion. He did not know how he could help Gu Shen escape.

The whole city was full of demons. Where could they run to?!

Sure enough, Fanshu had only taken a few steps when a cat demon caught hold of him. He shrieked and struggled, shouting, “You can’t eat him! You can’t eat him!”

“If we don’t, then are we supposed to raise him and fatten him up?” The cat demon sharpened its claws in impatience. “Before eating him, I’ll eat you as an appetizer.”

A blade flashed as Gu Shen put on a brazen show of strength. He cursed, “Don’t you dare!”

“Take his blade!” Innkeeper poked his head out from behind the table. “This person has no cultivation. All he has is a word of ‘righteousness’. Take him down, and you can divide him as you wish!”

“I’ll cut your pig ears to brew wine!” Gu Shen burst out laughing as he wielded his blade in a show of might. “How dare demons dare to stir up trouble in the lands of Zhongdu! Since I dare to come alone, did you think I wouldn’t have reinforcements?” His fury frightened the mountain demons. Without a trace of fear, he said to the cat demon, “Give me back that little mouse! Since he dares to deceive me, I’ll feed him to my blade tonight!”

“He’s imposing enough.” Cang Ji snorted. “A pity he’s a little lacking in capability. Jing Lin, he’s just like you. Both of you rely on subterfuge to make your way through life. If they eat him tonight, then that’s his fate. There’s no need to save him. All we have to do is to get the bell back.”

Jing Lin leaned against the railing and looked down. Under the shadows of the lanterns, his face took on a more common appearance. He said, “I’m afraid your plans are going to be in vain.”

Cang Ji raised a finger to touch his nose and sneered. “How stinky. That smelly monk is really persistent.”

“Stinky?” Jing Lin’s nose twitched. “Not really.”

“That’s because I’m fragrant from within.” Cang Ji placed a palm on Jing Lin’s nose to let him take a sniff. “It cancels out the stench from his spiritual aura.”

Downstairs, the sly cat demon rolled his eyes. Skeptical of Gu Shen’s words, he shook Fanshu and moved his feet, saying, “What reinforcements? It’s all nonsense! You are just bluffing!”

Gu Shen said, “Truth or lies, try me and you’ll find out.”

The cat demon hauled another demon out and shoved him. “Bite him twice!”

Instead, everyone became courteous. The chef was too busy dealing with the wild ghosts that were hammering him; he had just removed one when a bunch of them pounced on him. On realizing that things did not bode well for him, Innkeeper Zhu poked his head out again and said in an urgent voice. “What reinforcements could a mere mortal have? If he is that formidable, why did he realize we were demons only now? Everyone, attack! Such a good opportunity comes once in a blue moon. If he runs away, we will have to wait donkey years for another one to come along! Besides, when the mountain deity wakes up, you and I will not be able to have such a good, hot meal again!”

The cat demon could not hold it back and pounce. “I don’t want his internal organs, but those breast meat are mine!”

Gu Shen lifted his foot to kick him. The cat demon was nimble as he sprinted and leaped on all fours. Before Gu Shen could swing his blade, the demon bit it into two with a snap. When the rest of the demons saw that he did not have the means to fight back, their beast blood boiled over in excitement as they swarmed towards him.

Fanshu hugged his head and cried, “You can’t eat him! I haven’t found mother yet!”

There was a pressure on Gu Shen’s shoulder as he was thrown to the ground. A stab of pain erupted from his thigh as he was bitten. Lifting his hand to prop himself up, Gu Shen pulled out a talisman from his bosom and shoved it into his mouth with lightning speed. As soon as he swallowed it, the demons cried out in alarm. It was as if his flesh and blood had turned into iron. The mouth of the one who had taken the first bite was all bloodied.

“The Golden Ray of the Ninth Heaven!” The cat demon transformed into a large cat and attempted to flee. “This is bad. It’s the fiend of Zhuihun Prison!”

The golden light in the horizon swelled as the rays shone through the clouds at the peak of the mountain range. Xiang Mo staff came flying in a swing, and cracks appeared on the ground of the street market. Gravel scattered all over. As soon as the staff plunged into the ground, the golden light surged. The group of demons shrieked in unison, and all kinds of beastly howls reverberated in the air. Innkeeper Zhu bent over and transformed into a wild boar, knocking over tables and stools as he fled. For a moment, all they could see were terror-stricken beasts scurrying for their lives.

Zui Shan Seng lifted his wine gourd¹ and leaned against a tree as he guzzled the wine and gave a satisfied burp. He walked with an unsteady gait and pointed all around him. “Run, why are you running?! Although I’m a deity, I’ve never been on a killing spree. What the hell are you all afraid of?!”

Cang Ji cracked his knuckles and said in a frosty tone. “Having half his spiritual energy now makes it seem as if I’ve lost to him.”

“He must be truly insane to treat half of those spiritual energy he had thrown to you as a form of amusement.” Jing Lin said, “They should have left him a spot as one of the Six Lords of Ninth Heaven that time.”

Zui Shan Seng staggered and stumbled into Gu Shen. He swept a glance around the inn and scoffed. “The one who should have run didn’t run.”

Cang Ji laughed. “Seeing as you were toiling so hard to pursue us, we took a break to buy you a drink.”

“Kid.” Zui Shan Seng raised his head to take a drink. Then he pointed at Cang Ji. “Just a few short days, and you’ve become more evil. What benefits did he give you to make you hell-bent on going astray?”

“I feel so wronged.” Jing Lin said flippantly.

“Indeed.” Cang Ji laughed aloud. “Righteousness and I do not get along by nature, and now I’ve met such a cold-hearted and cold-faced villain like him. It’s only natural that I’ve turned out wrong.”

“I’ll give you another chance.” Zui Shan Seng put back his gourd and pulled out Xiang Mo staff. “If you come with me, I’ll let bygones be bygones and find a righteous path shifu for you. Other than Lord Chengtian and Lord Shage, I can convince anyone else you may admire. Will you do it or not?”

“He’s baying for blood again.” Cang Ji raised his eyes to look at the sky. He said, “How much of his words should I believe?”

“Eighty to ninety percent.” Jing Lin said. “Zui Shan Seng means what he says.” 

Cang Ji said, “Then, I do have a person in mind. Monk, you said anyone will do except for Lord Chengtian and Lord Shage, right?”

“Why?” Zui Shan Seng hoisted the thousand jin²  Xiang Mo staff over a shoulder. “You couldn’t be thinking of accepting me as a master, could you?”

“Not interested in baldies.” Cang Ji said half in jest. “But I admire Lord Linsong.”

酒葫芦 Wine gourd, a portable container for storing wine.

斤 jin, a unit of weight (=1/2 kilogram)

Chapter 30: Satisfaction

OCTOBER 12, 2019

“I advised you to repent, but you still refuse to realize the errors of your ways.” Zui Shan Seng’s face was ashen. “Lord Linsong succumbed to evil and committed patricide. He deserves to be punished. His soul had been obliterated before the True Buddha altar. Since you want him as your master, I’ll send you on your way tonight!”

Xiang Mo Staff whirred as Zui Shan Seng leaped. There was a wave of golden light, and the furnishings in the inn were pulverized. Jing Lin dropped to the ground and threw his folding fan out. It hit Cang Ji at the back of his head. Cang Ji caught it and slapped the fan shut.

“Since you want what’s left of him.” Jing Lin said, “Then, help yourself.”

Zui Shan Seng had already sprung over to him. The entire wooden stairs collapsed. Xiang Mo Staff swept past the broken wood and aimed right for Cang Ji’s waist, but then the top pillar of the inn snapped. The instant the roof of the inn went tilting, Cang Ji drew closer to him and pointed the fan at the tip of Xiang Mo Staff. Then, he rebounded in the wake of Zui Shan Seng’s tremendous power. The building shook, and the ground caved in hot on Cang Ji’s heels. Zui Shang Seng slammed the staff onto the ground and used the momentum to pursue him relentlessly.

Cang Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks and Xiang Mo Staff swept past him. There was a stab of pain as the golden light scraped the side of his face. Scales emerged, and he looked back. Tiles scattered wherever Zui Shan Seng treaded. He saw Cang Ji come to a halt. This was too good an opportunity to miss; thus, he slammed the staff towards the side of Cang Ji’s waist.

A burst of wind rushed towards him. Everything around him was a blur!

Cang Ji’s hair fluttered backward. He staggered under the overwhelming power; his entire body was vulnerable with open weaknesses. Cang Ji held Jing Lin’s folding fan in the palm of his hand and twirled the sword¹ as he swayed his body and brandished the fan. As it turned out, it was the swordplay the drunken stone figure had demonstrated that night. Following the fluid movements of the tip of the fan, the strong wind turned its head, changed sides, and shoved aside Zui Shan Seng’s Xiang Mo Staff.

Apart from water, the wind was the only thing in the world that could conquer strength with gentleness. Zui Shan Seng’s staff technique was like himself; once wielded, it would be powerful and devastating. But coming across this Drunken Swordplay² had made a mockery out of his strength; his blows were not fatal, and his strikes did not injure.

It was a pity that Cang Ji was only imitating the swordplay crudely, so the wind kept breaking up. It was all by the virtue of his quick-wit that he could block the blows. One moment, he turned the wind too much; the next moment, he could not pull back his punches. Although there was a certain beauty in it, it was also a bumpy fight. Zui Shan Seng had long lost his patience and struck out at the wind like a ferocious tiger. The folding fan was just a common object Jing Lin had bought from a street shop for fun. There was a ripping sound, and the paper of the fan tore. The impact of the staff on Cang Ji’s body was so forceful it rattled his internal spiritual energy and made him dizzy. He retreated swiftly as rubble was strewn around.

But beating a retreat was the last thing one should do when facing up to Zui Shan Seng. Sure enough, Zui Shan Seng’s power grew. The more he fought, the more ruthless and intense he was!

The wood of the fan cracked. It was only a matter of time before it broke.

Cang Ji’s sleeves billowed. He was about to turn his hands into claws when there was a tightening on his wrist as someone pulled him back. The luminous thread was so fine it was barely visible in the night. Yet this was the one Cang Ji had previously tied it on himself.³ Zui Shan Seng stayed hot on his trail. He let out a “heh” just as he was about to strike Cang Ji.

There was a blast of chilly wind at the nape of Cang Ji’s neck. Jing Lin had somehow come up behind him. His palms slid over Cang Ji’s shoulders and arms before nudging him between his wrists. “Still your heart like deep water. To deal with this person, you can’t be impatient.”

The fan twirled, and the original noisy and chaotic atmosphere quieted down in an instant. The night wind swirled around his arms like swirls of water. Cang Ji’s turbulent spiritual sea went still.

Even with his back against Jing Lin, he felt boundlessness all around him. The wind sounded unhurried in his ear, and the indistinct sound of the whistling of the wind among the pines rose like tides. Jing Lin’s chilly fingers gently led Cang Ji by his wrists. With just a wave of the fan, he used the wind and dispelled Zui Shan Seng’s thousand jin⁴ force; it was as if all that power had simply sunk into the boundless sea.

Cang Ji could not see Jing Lin, but he could feel Jing Lin everywhere. He could sense Jing Lin’s breathing near the nape of his neck. Those warm sensations surged like torrents into Cang Ji and spread to his limbs. He was initially sober, but now he felt a little tipsy. Those icy hands led his chaotic spiritual energy and circulated it through his entire body, turning them around for his own use.

“Put what you’ve learned into practice.” Jing Lin instructed him. “Everything in this world can be conquered. Even the most formidable person will have weaknesses.”

Xiang Mo Staff struck Cang Ji, but Cang Ji remained as steady as Mount Tai.⁵ With a sweep of the folding fan, the wind reversed and nudged away that renowned staff. The staff toppled to the ground, and the ground around Zui Shan Seng caved in. He steadied himself and struck back against the force. Debris was strewn all over the ground as he bellowed, “I’ll disperse your soul. We’ll see how you can delude others with heresy!”

A gale hurtled towards them in an attack, and Jing Lin’s sleeves flew backward. He looked like a white bird so light he could be blown away anytime. Scales rapidly covered Cang Ji’s arms. His sleeves ripped into pieces under the immense pressure as both of his arms transformed into savage claws. Zui Shan Seng advanced towards them, and Cang Ji’s arms gave a violent jerk as he took on the staff with a claw and stepped on the ground.

The golden light struck his arm. The sharp sound of scales being scraped was piercing. Zui Shan Seng gritted his teeth and pressed down on him. Cang Ji’s feet sank into the ground, and he heard and felt the pain of crushing bones. The golden light swelled on both sides, and sweat rolled down Cang Ji’s temples. When he heard Jing Lin say, “It’s coming”, he pummeled the ground with his other claw!

Violent wind and spiritual energy exploded under Zui Shan Seng’s feet. His golden staff slipped and shook, exposing his weakness. Cang Ji grabbed onto Xiang Mo Staff, making it difficult for Zui Shan Seng to beat a hasty retreat. Cang Ji slid over in an approach. The two men confronted each other with their legs. Cang Ji’s force was terrifying as he struck Zui Shan Seng’s shoulder and threw him backward. As a vast expense of spiritual energy converged at this very moment, Zui Shan Seng felt as if he were reliving that nightmare from that night. His own spiritual energy reversed and gushed all over as the impact from a similar spiritual pulse overturned his internal organs. Right after that, Cang Ji dealt a blow to the back of Zui Shan Seng’s head and flung him down!

The inn could not hold up any longer and collapse. Zui Shan Seng could hardly prop himself up with his head pressed against the ground. He coughed out blood among the chaos. It was only then that he realized his head was bleeding. Xiang Mo Staff clattered to the ground. Zui Shan Seng propped himself up for a moment. There was an unbearable pain in his shoulder; it was as if it had been seared by fire.

He could battle anyone. But he had never expected to cross sword with half of himself!

“What a remarkable demon…” Zui Shan Seng clenched his teeth and pushed on. A sneer escaped his throat. “To devour half of me… How very remarkable!”

Cang Ji’s breathing was irregular, and the strength had left his arms. He did not expect the blow to be so forceful. It was obvious that he might be quick in consuming spiritual energy, but he might not necessarily be able to turn it around for his own use. He was now like a rough, unpolished diamond.

Zui Shan Seng was right; he needed a shifu.

Jing Lin pushed through the rubble and stopped before Zui Shan Seng. Zui Shan Seng raised his head to stare at him and hollered, “Where are you running to? I’ll chase you down like a mad dog! Who are you… who exactly are you?!”

Jing Lin lowered his eyes to look at him and said, “Why belittle yourself? There are countless mad dogs in the Ninth Heavens. You are the only one who can still be considered human.”

“You’re nurturing a tiger⁶ on intention.” Zui Shan Seng gasped for breath. He looked at Jing Lin but pointed to Cang Ji. “For you to be raising a demon deliberately, you must be harboring evil intentions. What are you scheming?!”

“Give a dog a bad name.”⁷ Jing Lin said, “He is still ignorant of this world. He is not evil.”

“We are just taking preventive measures!” Zui Shan Seng wiped away his blood. “When he grows, he can devour heaven and deities and create havoc. How will he be innocent by the time there are countless casualties?!”

“You can’t figure it out yourself, so why act rashly and determine others’ futures on their behalf?”

Jing Lin said coldly. “Since you want to seek refuge in religion away from mundane affairs, why don’t you look within your heart and do some soul searching?”

Zui Shan Seng blew up in fury. “I shaved off my hair⁸ to show my will. I’m not tied down by love.”

Jing Lin did not answer. His silence made Zui Shan Seng even more furious. He gripped his chest almost insanely and said in a fierce tone, “I’m free from the shackles of love. In this world, “love” is the only word that’s hard to deal with. I’ve never laid my hands on it…” He gritted his teeth and said bitterly, “Never!”

“The bald donkey⁹ is lying.” Cang Ji raised his arms and pulled back. But the malice in his eyes was deep. “From the way it looks, you’ve been deeply touched by it. You said you’re free from human desires, and yet worldly affairs remain on your mind.” Cang Ji sneered. “How shameless.”

Zui Shan Seng rebutted in anguish. “… Shut up!”

Cang Ji had sniffed out an even bigger weakness. He was accustomed to doing this. Compared with physical pain, it was even more satisfying to literally give someone grief. Once he found an opening, he would relentlessly press on until he scored a victory. The more pain the person felt, the more gratified he felt. However, because Jing Lin was here this time, he played it smart and did not move in for the attack. He did not want to complicate matters at this point in time. But whether or not he might do so in the future was hard to say.

Zui Shan Seng scratched his green tangerine peel head.¹⁰ He had an implacable hatred for the word “love”. He was not like the common human; when he suddenly went crazy, he would even forget where he was. He muttered to himself, “Don’t you slander me! I’ve had a tonsure so many times,¹¹ I’ve already cast aside earthly desires and eradicated the root of love! I, I!” He shouted frantically, “I don’t remember who… I’ve never harmed anyone… Why won’t you leave me alone? !”

He cried and laughed so hard it was absurd; he even rolled on the ground as he rambled on ceaselessly.

Cang Ji pressed down on Jing Lin’s shoulder and let Jing Lin support him as they moved on. Silence reigned in the city. All the demons had darted into the mountains. Collapsed buildings were everywhere, all thanks to the impact earlier.

“I thought he was a cut above others.” Cang Ji’s sleeves was all ripped away. Placing his bare arm on Jing Lin’s shoulder, he said, “Turns out he’s a lunatic.”

Jing Lin said, “He wasn’t mad in the past.”

“How would I know how he was like in the past?” Cang Ji leaned against Jing Lin. “Tell me.”

“… It was too long ago.” Jing Lin propped Cang Ji up by the waist and said, “Why do I remember that you’ve only hurt your arm earlier?”

“Who says so?” Cang Ji lifted his left leg. “It hurts all over. Where are we going? What about Gu Shen?”

“He can’t leave this city.” Jing Lin said. “Let’s find a place to sleep. Zui Shan Seng will be here for a while.”

“My arms are weak.” Cang Ji said, “I won’t be able to change my clothes later.”

Jing Lin replied, “Use your legs.”

Cang Ji snorted. “Why don’t you ask me to use my mouth?”

“You still have such a special ability?” 

Cang Ji asked in a roundabout way. “Was Zui Shan Seng called Zui Shan Seng then?”

“He should have a layman name before ascending. But he forsakes it all when he kneeled at the Fantan Altar. From then onwards, he only goes by Zui Shan Seng.”

“Jing Lin.” Cang Ji cast a sidelong glance at him and asked, “Is the word ‘love’ that hard to deal with?”

Jing Lin’s profile was calm as he kicked open a door that had not yet collapsed. The demon of this home had run away in so much of a hurry that carrots had toppled all over the floor; likely, it was a rabbit spirit. Jing Lin supported Cang Ji and made his way in, then released his hands and turned around to look for the stone figure.

“I don’t—”

Before Jing Lin could finish his words, Cang Ji grabbed his wrists and bore down on him. He secured Jing Lin’s wrists above his head and pinned him against the wall. Jing Lin’s sleeves slipped down, exposing both wrists along with his neck. The wild beast’s nose hovered around Jing Lin’s smooth nape, causing Jing Lin to shudder.

A person might disguise his expression and control his words, yet he could not and would not be able to spur his body into pretending that nothing was wrong. For instance, right at this moment, Jing Lin’s expression might not have changed, but the nape of his neck had already betrayed him.

“Put what you’ve learned into practice.” Cang Ji repeated Jing Lin’s words. “Everything in this world can indeed be conquered.”

Jing Lin said nothing. Cang Ji buried his head in Jing Lin’s nape and took a deep breath. His breath blew on Jing Lin. “What exactly is your motive? Are you thinking of being my shifu or my father? Satisfy me. Make it clear early on.”

挽剑花 Literally ‘draw a sword flower’. It’s a technique in swordplay, although the exact stance may differ from sect to sect. Something like this video.

醉剑 Drunken Sword(play); It’s a swordplay technique, although the exact stance may differ from sect to sect. Generally though, it was meant to imitate a drunkard wielding a sword and supposed to throw off opponents with its unpredictability. Something like this video.

Refer to Chapter 13

斤 jin, a unit of weight (=1/2 kilogram)

泰山 Taishan, or Mount Tai, is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai’an, in Shandong province, China. It’s one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China.

养虎 from 养虎为患 asking for trouble by raising a tiger

The full idiom is 欲加之罪，何患无辞 If you want to condemn someone, you can easily make up a charge to accuse them. The English proverb equivalent is “give a dog a bad name, then hang him”, i.e. a negativity bias.

In Buddhism, a tonsure (shaving of hair and beard) is performed as a part of the ceremony of ordination as a monk to symbolize the person’s renunciation of worldly desires and affairs.

秃驴 literally bald donkey; it’s also a mocking term for a Buddhist monk.

青皮 Qing Pi or green tangerine peel. Basically saying the top of his head looks like the picture on the right.

Tonsure’s explanation as mentioned above. The tonsure is renewed as often as required to keep the head cleanly shaven.

Chapter 31: Continued Dream

OCTOBER 15, 2019

“If I want to be your father, will you obediently call me dad?” Jing Lin frowned and looked up as Cang Ji moved. He slowly exhaled, although his eyes were still icy and unapproachable.

“Instead of killing me, you went to great pains to guide me.” Cang Ji narrowed his eyes. “I thought about it, and I always feel as if you’re weighing me up for the purpose of buying and selling.”

“It’s not like I can sell you for much if we go by weight.” Jing Lin did not struggle. “You’ve more or less believed what Zui Shan Seng said.”

“That’s right. The more I think about it now, the more I’m afraid. I’m so afraid my heart is flustered and pounding. But.” Cang Ji paused for a moment, then smiled. “You are more scared than I am.”

Pressed against the wall, Jing Lin said nothing. Cang Ji used his thumbs to caress him between his wrists. He said, “I’ve never noticed that you get frightened the moment I go near you. You’re so frightened you tremble in fear.”

“I’m not.” Jing Lin’s forehead came into contact with the wall.

“What’s the cause for your weakness? Is it because of that word “love”, or is it because of me?” Cang Ji did not bite Jing Lin and simply held him captive. He was being more and more adept at this.

Cang Ji felt a certain part of his body swelled. This was not his fault. This was Jing Lin’s fault. It was because Jing Lin led him on, indulged him, and gazed at him with those seemingly emotionless eyes that Cang Ji had become even more insatiable.

How could he be so kind to a demon?

Jing Lin is doing this on intention.

It’s all Jing Lin’s fault.

“Is the copper bell real?” Cang Ji’s finger inched its way down along Jing Lin’s wrist bone. “Or have you been lying to me even before we left the mountain?”

“What I’ve said is the truth.” Jing Lin felt the forbidding aura of sharp teeth. However, this was not what he feared. What he dreaded was a Cang Ji smoldering with such passion.

“Oh, well.” Cang Ji suddenly released him and slid over to lean beside him. “… Just treat it as I’m amusing myself.”

“Zui Shan Seng said you have the power to devour heaven and deities, and you believed him.” Jing Lin hid his red wrists under his sleeves. “It’s so easy to coax a child.”

“I often feel like I’m different.” Cang Ji’s eyes followed Jing Lin. “Was I already a brocade carp when you raised me?”

After a period of silence, Jing Lin replied, “I don’t remember.”

Jing Lin looked out at the night sky. His mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. To tell the truth, he no longer remembered. He still remembered the day he killed his father, but he had no memories of how he had come to live in seclusion in the mountains. It was as if Cang Ji was already in the jar the moment he woke up. They had spent so many days this way that they had worn down the desire to probe further.

Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin. The contours of Jing Lin’s face, while he was deep in thought, were distinct. The lantern outside the window cast a partial, hazy glow over him. He hid under the haze, as if he would have nowhere to flee to if he left this shelter. In Cang Ji’s eyes, Jing Lin’s charming skin was not as remarkable as those eyes. They made Cang Ji’s blood raged like the storm and kept his killing intent up. This complicated his behavior. When Cang Ji was still a fish, all he wanted was to devour Jing Lin. Yet, he now felt as if this notion was like both sugar and arsenic to him. Cang Ji could not get it at all.

This is all Jing Lin’s fault!

Cang Ji thought in irritation.

It’s all on him; it’s all him…

All of a sudden, Jing Lin turned his face. Cang Ji had moved in closer to him without him knowing. Both of them slid down to sit on the floor. The distance between them under the window was so, so close. Cang Ji did not know where he could put his eyes. He was too greedy. He wanted to stare into Jing Lin’s eyes, and yet he could not move his eyes away from Jing Lin’s lips.

Those lips were lustrous and moist. It added a touch of color to the scene. Cang Ji saw it parted slightly, and a nimble tongue flitted across those lips. He had been deceived… Jing Lin seemed to be leading him on. He felt dizzy. He was already within reach of him. It was the same recently. Jing Lin stuck close behind him and used his fingers to stroke his arms to guide him on how to face the enemy head-on. He was so close, so…

Cang Ji crashed right into Jing Lin’s arms. He leaned against Jing Lin’s shoulder and held on tightly to Jing Lin’s arm as if despondent. It was only then he realized that his entire body was in great pain.

“You…”

“Hmm?”

Cang Ji’s eyelids were heavy. He said in a daze. “Don’t look at me…”

Cang Ji pressed Jing Lin’s back against the wall, with the back of Jing Lin’s neck against the window edge. The demon heavily draped himself over half Jing Lin’s body and buried his face into the side of Jing Lin’s neck. Tightening his hold on his arm, he trapped Jing Lin against the corner in a posture that would leave the latter with no room for discussion.

Jing Lin’s fingers nimbly dug into Cang Ji’s hair and stroked his head as if comforting him. He raised his head to gaze at the stars, flinching imperceptibly from Cang Ji’s scalding heat, yet tempted by Cang Ji’s burning intensity at the same time.

The little stone figure sat on the window edge and shook his legs as he gazed at the stars with Jing Lin.

Jing Lin whispered. “So warm.”

The little stone figure retracted its leg and touched Jing Lin’s forehead, then slid down the window edge to Cang Ji’s shoulder. It crept into the remaining small gap between them and curled up quietly.

It was as if Cang Ji was hugging a mass of cotton. He dominated it all and waited sleepily for his spiritual sea to be restored. However, he fell into a trance and heard the tinkling of the copper bell. He parted the thick clouds of fog, suspecting that the bell had come to get him to look at Gu Shen.

It was as he expected. When Cang Ji raised his head, he saw a young boy squatting opposite him. When the child saw him, he stood up and waved his hand at him, shouting, “Mother!”

“Mother my ass.” Cang Ji blurted out.

The young child dashed up to him barefooted, like a baby swallow seeking refuge in the forest. Cang Ji swung aside to dodge him. The child brushed past him and threw himself into the woman’s embrace.

The woman picked up the child in her sturdy arms and pulled off her towel to wipe off her sweat. She said, “Mother was delayed as Mother was helping others to grind soybeans.”¹

“I have steamed the rice.” The child gave her a laugh.

“Let’s go. We’ll go home to try it out.” The woman passed by Cang Ji, staggering a little.

The child stepped on the stool to scoop rice for his mother. He said it was rice, but it was actually a water-based soup mixed with cornflour. The woman sat in the bamboo-fenced yard, took off her shoes and looked at the blisters on the soles of her feet. Her back was aching. She propped her forehead to rest for a while. The child brought her a bowl, and she ate it with two coarse steamed buns.

“Father is better today.” The child squatted in front of her and said, “He talked to me for a while during breakfast and taught me how to read a word.”

“What word did you learn?” The woman wiped her mouth.

“Chuan.” The child drew out the character for her on the ground, “Chuan—”

With her head against her child’s, the mother studied the word with him. But a moment later, the woman heard a loud crash indoors. She hurried in and saw a man sprawled on the ground, holding his arm as he climbed onto the bed.

“Get out.” The man’s ghastly face was ashamed and resentful. “I’ll do it myself.”

The woman rolled up her sleeves to grasp him. He did all he could to struggle. “I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it…”

The woman held him and dragged him onto the bed. On seeing the child watching by the side of the door, he flew into a rage. He shoved the woman and shouted, “Get out… Get out!”

The woman felt under the quilt. The man’s face was deathly pale. He curled up and held his head in shame and repeated, “Why won’t you let me die? It’s better for me to die.”

“Chuanzi.” The woman turned her back on her young child and said, “Go boil a basin of hot water and bring it to me.”

The child nodded and retreated. The man was still in the inner chamber repeating his words. The woman swiftly lifted the quilt, stripped the man’s pants, and removed the soiled part. She tugged at the man’s damp hair and said gently, “The physician said that you will be fine once you have taken enough medicine. How could you speak of death so easily? Chuanzi is still waiting for you to take him to school.”

Her gentle voice calmed the man. He was still looking vacant as if resigned to his fate. The woman wiped the sweat from his face, her not-very-graceful profile giving way to one with an unswerving determination. As she spoke, she patted the man on the back until he fell asleep. Only then did she wipe the filth clean with the hot water.

“Chuanzi.” The woman pulled out a few dirty copper pearls from her waistbelt. “Go to town and ask the physician over. Mother will wait for you at home. Be careful on the way.”

The child took the money and turned to run out the door. It was hot outside, and he was drenched in sweat. But he disregarded it all as he ran barefooted. He had yet to make it to town when he felt too tired and thirsty to continue, thus he wiped his sweat and kept on walking.

A Daoist priest with a goatee turned around the narrow and winding path, jingling his bell and chanting as he walked. The child was giddy from the scorching heat, and his throat was parched as he panted.

The Daoist priest untied his water bag² and handed it to the child. He squatted down and asked in an affable tone, “Where are you going, little buddy?”

The child drank the water and replied gullibly. “Looking for the physician.”

“Oh, who has contracted an illness back home?”

“Father.” The child wiped away the never-ending sweat. His palm was wet and sticky. He said, “Father is ill.”

The Daoist priest sized him up, smiled and asked, “What illness? Perhaps I could take a look.”

“He can’t move.” The young one replied truthfully.

The Daoist priest put his hand on the child’s shoulder and beamed, “That’s easy. I can treat this sickness! Shall I carry you back?”

The Daoist priest carried the child home. Upon entering the courtyard, he glanced around for a moment before stepping in. He half bowed in deference and called out tentatively, “Is the master of the house here?”

There was no response from inside the house.

The child wanted to get down, but the Daoist priest did not release his grip on him. So, the child yelled, “Mother! The physician is here!”

The woman was away elsewhere. The Daoist priest entered the house. It was quiet inside. He rummaged around in the outer room as he coaxed the child, “Where is the money? Tell me. I’ll consider prescribing medicine.”

The Daoist priest’s grip on him was so tight that the child felt uncomfortable. Scared, he shook his head blankly.

The Daoist priest started to ransack the place even more hurriedly. He swept away the dishes on the table and even checked the corners of the cupboard and under the stove. At last, he entered the inner chamber. The man was resting with his eyes closed. At first, the Daoist priest did not dare to act rashly, so he went about his search quietly. The child started to struggle. He shouted, “No money! No money!”

The man on the bed woke up with a start. He pushed himself up and shouted at the Daoist priest, “Who are you?!”

The Daoist priest had rummaged his way to the wardrobe. He dug out the clothes and finally got his hands on a bag of copper pearls. He immediately tucked it into his bosom and turned to glare at the man. Even if the child did not know what the Daoist priest was going to do, he knew that his family was poor and that his mother had kept that money for his father’s treatment. So he punched and kicked the Daoist priest and yelled. “It’s not yours!”

The Daoist priest slapped him and hoisted him over the shoulder before making his way outside. Alarmed, the man propped himself and grabbed hold of the corner of the Daoist priest’s robe. With his lower body paralyzed, he could only keep a firm grip on the Daoist priest’s clothes as he was hauled off the bed.

“What are you doing? Return the child to me!” As he was being dragged along the floor, he said, “You can have the money, but not the child!”

The Daoist priest tried to pull his clothes back but failed. He lifted his foot to stomp on the man’s chest and cursed, “Screw you! You’re so fricking poor. Only the damn child is worth some money!”

The man’s expression had turned malevolent from the kicking. He tightened his grip and grabbed hold of the Daoist priest’s leg with one hand. Raising his voice, he shouted, “Su-niang! Su-niang!”

The child wailed as he pounded on the Daoist priest. “Father! Father!”

“Let go of me!” The Daoist priest stomped on the man so hard the latter spat out blood. “Are you releasing your hands or not? If you don’t, I’ll hit you even harder!”

The man held on the Daoist priest’s leg and coughed out the blood he could not swallow. He said, “Return the child to me! The child, give him back to me!”

On seeing this, the Daoist priest flipped the small table beside the bed and smashed it down on the man. Even badly battered, the man refused to loosen his grip. The Daoist priest picked up a broken jar and slashed away at the man’s fingers. “Release me! Fast!”

The man’s hands were a bloody mess. The Daoist priest kicked him away and stepped across the threshold with the child. The man pushed himself up in an attempt to chase after him and heard the returning woman bumping into the Daoist priest.

The child cried out, “Mother!”

The woman swung her hoe and charged. The Daoist priest had initially thought the woman in this house was weak and could be easily bullied. If she was petite, he could kidnap her along with the child. He had never expected her to be such a sturdy woman! He turned around and took to his heels. The child tore at his collar and rained kicks on him.

The woman chased after him as if her life depended on it, all the while calling out his name, “Chuanzi, Chuanzi!”

The Daoist priest had good running skills and gradually shook the woman off. He made his way into the thickly forested mountains and picked a bumpy road. One of the woman’s shoes fell off. She ran barefooted, stepping on the scattered rocks and branches until she stumbled and fell. The Daoist priest took the opportunity to make a swift getaway. As the figure of his mother receded into the distance, the child heard her let out a heart-wrenching cry.

The child trembled and sobbed as he watched the distance between them grew further and further apart.

磨豆腐 grinding soybeans to make soybean milk and beancurd, or tofu.

水囊 water bag, a portable water bag typically made out of animals’ hide. Travelers usually secured it around their waist for easy access

Chapter 32: The Arrival

OCTOBER 17, 2019

Cang Ji did not understand the pain of the word “separation”, and so he was unmoved by the cries of the child. But the last sound made by the woman made his hair stood on end. He was just about to push aside the branches to investigate further when he felt the illusion sinking like water and shattering at his feet in the blink of an eye. The bell tinkled madly. It created such a din that Cang Ji opened his eyes instantly.

He did not expect the bell to be still ringing rapidly when he opened his eyes.

Cang Ji’s six senses were sharp. He took a sudden look back and saw Gu Shen sitting in the room shaking a bell.

Gu Shen stopped the bell when he saw that Cang Ji had woken up. He was wary and fearful of Cang Ji, so he held a talisman between his fingers as he said to Cang Ji, “Both of you have followed me for several days. What exactly do you want?”

Cang Ji replied, “We saw how firm your flesh is; it’s just right for making dishes.”

“You’ve had many chances on the way, but both of you didn’t make any moves. I’m afraid it wasn’t because of gluttony.” Gu Shen propped himself up as he sat cross-legged and said with a serious expression, “I’m so poor that I’m stranded here. Why don’t you tell me exactly what is it you want?”

“Since you know that I have been following you for several days, why are you asking about it only today?” Cang Ji poured himself a cup of cold tea from the table, took a sniff at it, and then splashed it away.

“I couldn’t be sure until last night when I saw both of you again.” Gu Shen said, “If there’s something you would like to ask me to do, feel free to spit it out.”

“There’s nothing we want to ask of you.” Jing Lin suddenly opened his eyes. “But there’s something we can be of help to you. Haven’t you come to the realization that you are being manipulated by others all the time you’ve been searching for your family and wandering around the mountains?”

“Manipulate?” A look of doubt emerged on Gu Shen’s face. “Was I led into the city just to end up as a dish for the demons?”

“The key is in your search for your family.” Jing Lin said, “If Dong Lin’s death can be attributed to the word ‘death’, then the reason the copper bell looks for you is because of the word ‘parting’.¹ The dream last night reminded me. Since the bell is here, it won’t be without a reason.”

“I don’t even know where my family is, how can bystanders help me? Don’t tell me…” Gu Shen’s voice stalled.

“You don’t know.” Jing Lin was finally able to massage his nape. Closing his eyes, he said, “But someone here knows.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Innkeeper Zhu was firmly bound. He wanted to cry, but no tears came, so he could only beg. “Gentlemen, please spare me! I was just being greedy; I didn’t want to kill anyone.”

“The knife was even sharpened and held against my neck.” Gu Shen folded his arms. “And you still want to bullshit us.”

“You, you didn’t die.” Innkeeper Zhu blinked his beady eyes and squeezed out tears. His body shook as he wept. “We are just insignificant mountain demons. It took us several hundred years just to see a living mortal. How can you blame us?!”

“Your skin is thin, and your meat, tender. It must be pretty delicious if we roll it in oil and fry it until it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.” Cang Ji stepped on his back and pressed the pig spirit down.

“No! No!” Innkeeper Zhu wailed. “There are many demons in this mountain that are much more delicious than me! Please have mercy on me and go fry someone else!”

“Do all the demons here live in the city?” Jing Lin parted the branches that had already started sprouting leaves and walked out.

“They’re all, all living here.” Innkeeper Zhu’s mouth trembled. He felt extremely aggrieved. “There are so many of them who bared their claws last night. You can’t be so biased! Eat us all if you want to eat me. At least I’ll be able to accept it…”

“Aren’t you satisfied enough to remain in the mountains? Instead of coming to a human’s settlement and put on an act.” Showing some mercy, Cang Ji did not stomp Innkeeper Zhu into the mud.

“They do live in the mountains.” Innkeeper Zhu wiped his face with a meaty hand and licked his lips before he continued, “This was originally a mortal city. Later, the humans died out. Mountain Deity Grandpa was lonely living alone, so he asked us to move in. It’s only when winter and spring intersect each year that we can leave the city to meet up with friends. Usually, no one can enter the city.”

“Why did the people in the city die?”

Innkeeper Zhu averted his eyes, touched his stubby nose, and resentfully kept his silence.

“Pluck off his pig ears and enjoy it with wine.” Gu Shen pulled out his dagger from his waist. “All day long I’ve heard of demons eating humans. Today, I must try how a demon tastes like.”

Innkeeper Zhu hurriedly buried his head into the mud and held his breath as he said in a panic. “No hurry, no hurry! I’ll tell you! There was originally no mountain deity in this place, so the people in the city did not worship deities. That’s why demons crowded around them. Even the Demarcation Division did not want to take over control. This city was odd. The women were mostly reticent and hardly venture out on the streets. They stayed cooped up in their houses all day. On the occasions I went in for a look, I would even assume there were only men in this city. However, although they did not worship the Ninth Heaven deities, they were blessed with offspring and had an abundance of descendants; they reproduced even faster than those mouse spirits and rabbit spirits! At that time, when I came out of the mountains to take a look, I found this city so listless it scared me. The weirdness at this point did not seem to be the actions of a demon, but an evil spirit. After that, a few years later, the Demarcation Division probably couldn’t bear to watch any longer so they sent Mountain Deity Grandpa over and stationed him here. Within three days, everyone in the city was wiped out.”

Gu Shen gasped in astonishment. “All of them died?”

Innkeeper Zhu continued, “The mob of demons rejoiced, thinking that they could feast on the corpses to their hearts’ content. No one expected Mountain Deity Grandpa to prohibit us from doing so. Instead, he buried an entire city of ten thousand humans underground. I, I don’t know if he’s keeping them for himself or simply just leaving them like this…”

Cang Ji was about to open his mouth when a folding fan tapped him gently on the lips. Jing Lin looked pensive, but he did not voice his question.

Innkeeper Zhu hugged his head and burst into tears. “I have told you everything I know! Gentlemen, please spare me! It took me a hundred years of cultivation before I could take on a human form. I’m not only old, but my skin is rough and my flesh is tough. If you eat me, it’ll be like chewing wax!”

“The Mountain Deity…” Gu Shen also seemed to find something fishy about this. “Where is the Mountain Deity now?”

“When the afterglow of the setting sun sweeps across the foot of the mountains, he will sleep at whichever mountain the light falls on.” Innkeeper Zhu said, “Gentlemen, please do not mention that I’m the one who told you! The Mountain Deity often roams the mountains when he wakes up. He did not seem to be on night patrol, but more like on the search for someone. He has been searching year after year, but no one passes by this place at all.”

When Innkeeper Zhu finished replying, Cang Ji kicked him back into his original form. The wild boar rolled around once in the muddy water and bolted, its body filthy all over.

“How could an immortal kill indiscriminately?” Gu Shen said. “I don’t believe it.”

“Perhaps it’s not an immortal.” Jing Lin’s eyes followed the sun. He said, “It’s rare for the minor demons in the mountains to come across an immortal. The Ninth Heaven’s official documents are not something anyone could set their eyes on either. If someone intentionally forged one, no one here would be able to tell.”

“Such courage.” Cang Ji said, “Demons with low cultivations wouldn’t have that big of a gall for that.”

“You have to see it with your own eyes before you can understand it.” Jing Lin said.

The sun was setting now. The hour of You² was approaching.

♦     ♦     ♦

Zui Shan Seng was slapped awake.

Lying on his side on the ground, he whined begrudgingly. “Don’t disrupt my dreams! Scram, scram, scram! Spring is drawing near. The seedlings have been planted in the various lands of the South. You haven’t even made a damn trip to all the freaking mountain ranges near the North! If you delayed the Northerners’ farming season, then don’t blame them from cursing you!”

“My, my.” The lowered sleeve of a bluish-black daily outfit swept across Zui Shan Seng’s face. The arrival untied Zui Shan Seng’s wine gourd, shook it for a moment, and said with a glum expression. “Why didn’t you leave a drop behind? I walked all the way from the South and I’m thirsty.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t your job well. Who are you blaming?!” Zui Shan Seng turned over.

“We haven’t met for a few days, you’re in an even worse state than before. There are countless marvels in the Ninth Heaven, and you are the most outstanding one. At the very worst, others would sleep on tree branches and they could still intimidate others. But you just lie across this shabby street, living as if you have been beaten up by humans.” Dong Jun flung aside his wine gourd and sat down on Zui Shan Seng’s back. “Let me rest my feet.”

“Scram.” Zui Shan Seng said in irritation. “I’ll sleep wherever I like. It’s none of your business.”

“Am I not here to make it my business?” Dong Jun looked around and said, “I was right. You were really trounced by someone. Interesting. There are still such heroes among the lands of Zhongdu. Dare I ask the other party’s name? I’m going to write him a compliment myself and praise him well. This is truly gratifying.”

Zui Shan Seng abruptly got up. He could not pick up Xiang Mo staff in time and simply took off his shoe to throw it right onto Dong Jun’s face. Dong Jun nimbly dodged it and grabbed hold of the shoe. Then, with a look of awkwardness and disdain, he lifted his fingers to cast it away.

“Look at you flying into a rage out of humiliation.” Dong Jun clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Well fought, well fought!”

“One of these days, I’ll tear your mouth to pieces.” Zui Shan Seng spat. “What an unbearable stink! So despicable you need a spanking!”

There was a folding fan inserted into the back of Dong Jun’s collar. If he stood still and silent, just his face alone would give him a reputation in Ninth Heaven. But this man loved to open his mouth and turned his good name into one of ill repute loathed by tens of thousands of people. Which of the deities in Ninth Heaven was not afraid of him? Even Lord Chengtian would beat a retreat and pretend to be asleep on learning of Dong Jun’s arrival at the palace hall.

Dong Jun hummed a merry tune intermittently. He was not in the least angry and simply laughed. “Why speak out of pique? You and I are as close as brothers. How could you bear to? Moreover, this skin might not captivate the crowd, but it is still possible to get a pardon out of it. Zui Shan Seng, I’m sorry~!”

Zui Shan Seng took off his other shoe. “Will you scram or not?”

“Scram!” Without saying a word more, Dong Jun promptly rolled over on the ground,³ then he stood up and continued, “And there’s that. How was it? It’s not just one of them who exchanged blows with you last night.”

Zui Shan Seng put his shoes back on. “I’m here in the official capacity of Zhuihun Prison. You…”

“I saw the cracks on the ground originating from a collapsed spot. Presumably, you were the one who made the first move by flinging the staff onto the ground. This place is hidden in the mountains. It is by no means the place where Zhuihun Prison would go for official purposes. Obviously, you’ve traced and followed someone here for your own personal grudge. You would not put the common man’s grudge on your mind, while the common demons aren’t even worth a mention. Looks like this “someone” is related to the Ninth Heaven Realms. I haven’t heard of anyone else descending into the Mortal Realm, so I’m afraid this “someone” is an old acquaintance.” Dong Jun bent over to pick up a stone fragment and marveled. “You fought with him, not expecting him to be something else. Haha, you must have had suffered in silence, so you slept on the ground in a fit of pique, thinking that you can pursue them for another battle after you’ve recuperated and built up your strength. This makes me rather curious though. Those two…”

He came to a sudden stop and turned the stone around between his fingers. The sun had sunk into the West now and the city gradually fell dark. He caressed the stone and said softly.

“This resembles an impression from a sword. What object did he use? You don’t have to say it. My guess is that it’s a fan. Interesting. Interesting. His blows with the fan are so swift and forceful that it reminds me of someone.”

Zui Shan Seng immediately asked anxiously, “Who?”

Dong Jun threw the stone away and pulled out the folding fan from his back. He snapped it open and said, “Wouldn’t that be me?”

Zui Shan Seng kicked Xiang Mo Staff up and grabbed hold of it. Without further ado, he moved to strike Dong Jun on the head with it. Dong Jun evaded it unhurriedly and stopped the staff with his fan. It sank slightly, and Dong Jun let out a laugh.

“Don’t be so violent.” He said, “How could you not realize whose strokes he was imitating when you exchanged blows with him?”

Zui Shan Seng was taken aback. He watched as Dong Jun swayed his body drunkenly and twirled his sword.⁴ The wind followed after his fan, like a startled dragon encircling it. Although Dong Jun had yet to drink wine, his gait was sufficiently drunk! Zui Shan Seng was greatly stunned; he almost suspected he had turned into someone else to deceive his own self.

Who exactly were those two?

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin suddenly coughed a few times. Cang Ji was carrying him on his back and turned his head to ask him. “Are you cold?”

Jing Lin said, “… A chill just ran down my back.”

八苦, the eight sufferings in life (which the bell is leading Jing Lin through)–so far, we have encountered death (Dong Lin) and parting, or separation from loved ones (Gu Shen). The others are birth, old age, sickness, encounter (with hated ones), unfulfillment (of wishes and desires), and inability to let go.

酉时 hour of You, 5-7 pm (time in those days was divided into 12 two-hour blocks)

滚 not only means to get lost or scram but also “to roll”.

挽剑花 Literally ‘draw a sword flower’. It’s a technique in swordplay, although the exact stance may differ from sect to sect. Something like this video.

Chapter 33: Mountain Deity

OCTOBER 22, 2019

It was pitch black at night in the mountains. There were no birds and animals in sight and no sounds of insects within hearing distance. The entire mountain was silent. Fanshu held on to Gu Shen’s clothes. He was as silent as a winter cicada, just like the rest of the little wild ghosts. They did not know where the Mountain Deity was. The atmosphere was one of furtiveness. The road ahead was getting more and more unpredictable.

Cang Ji stepped on a decaying leaf and said, “There is nothing in this mountain, not even a bug.”

Gu Shen picked the leaf up and sniffed it, then crushed it between his fingers. Although he did not have any supernatural ability to fly or burrow through the earth, he had a good eye for observation. Gu Shen looked around at the towering trees and said, “This mountain has an abundance of trees and their roots are much more intricate and complicated than trees elsewhere. Could it be that the Mountain Deity has an ability to bring on decay?”

“It shouldn’t be.” Jing Lin said, “Dong Jun is the one who is able to revive all living things and induce decay to expedite rebirth. If this deity has the same ability, they would have a spot for him in the Ninth Heaven Realm.”

The assembly of the various deities in the Ninth Heaven Realm each had their own special prowess. For example, Zui Shan Seng’s Xiang Mo Staff’s suppression of evil relied not on his enviable talent, but his true form. All cultivators would beget themselves a spiritual sea, and this vast spiritual expanse would surround their true form. The true form was constructed by the heart and motivated by the spirit. Everyone was different. Zui Shan Seng’s true form was “Zui Shan”,¹ due to his steadfast and unyielding nature, as well as the weight of his obsession. It was also the reason he had never been able to rid himself of his worldly desires.

Dong Jun was even more different. When Lord Jiutian appointed him, the three realms were in so much of an uproar that it showed how much of a controversy it was. He was a Deity Lord, and yet he still had to carry out duties such as the beckoning of Spring. It was not because the current Lord Chengtian wanted to hold him in check, but because there was no one other than him who could do this job.

The conversation between Jing Lin and Gu Shen had yet to finish when they saw Cang Ji encircling a tree and using his foot to push aside the thick pile of accumulated, rotting leaves. He drew nearer to take a sniff and said, “It smells strange here. There is a stench in the mud that I have never smelled before.”

Gu Shen crouched and rubbed the mud between his fingers before sniffing it. “I can’t smell it.”

Cang Ji gave Fanshu a light kick in the ass and said, “You do it.”

Fanshu clenched his collar. His ears drooped as he said in fear and terror. “There’s no, no need to sniff it. It’s the stench of corpses…” He cried. “Many people have died here.”

Gu Shen dug into the mud with his scabbard. At the depth of about two palms down, he dug out a new phalanx. He said, “I suppose the skeletons of all those ten thousand humans the pig spirit mentioned are all here.”

If they unearthed the soil at this moment, they would be able to see a mound of piled up bones on this mountain. The towering trees had their roots in them. The entire mountain of greenery all had their bases built on bones.

Gu Shen prodded the phalanx and said, “There are scars on the bone. If this person was strangled to death, the scars should be on the neck. Why would it leave a trace on the phalanx?”

“That depends on what exactly this Mountain Deity Grandpa is. He shouldn’t be a beast, and he doesn’t seem to be an insect or reptile either.” Cang Ji brushed his fingertips across the strangulation marks between the phalanges. “It’s too thin. You guys were born in the city too. Haven’t you seen him before?”

Fanshu replied with trepidation. “Never, never seen him before… If we did, we would have been able to find mother.”

All this while, Jing Lin had not uttered a word. He lifted his finger to stroke the trunk of the tree. The leaves of the forest shook. There seemed to be a rhythm as they grazed against each other.

Gu Shen said. “Even they had not been able to catch sight of him. He couldn’t possibly be able to burrow through the earth, could he?”

“Although we have never seen him,” Fanshu whispered, “Mountain Deity Grandpa would know every single movement in the city. He has never allowed anyone to go out without permission. So, no one has been able to leave.”

“There is no spiritual barrier in sight here. If you want to flee, you can just run away.” Cang Ji said, “How did he get everyone to be so submissive?”

“Fear.” The little wild ghost clutched their hems and replied in unison. “Gege, fear!

“What is rarely seen and is able to hide right before our eyes?” Gu Shen pondered.

“Instead of saying that it’s rarely seen.” Jing Lin’s robe fluttered in the wind as he raised his hand to caress the tree. “You might as well say it’s the most commonly seen.”

The ancient wood hunched over and went still.

The starlight shimmered. He closed his eyes to listen. The wind breathed softly, and the surrounding trees swayed with each breath. The waves of sound rose to a crescendo among the mountains. Then, it dispersed among the wind and faded away into the night.

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun abruptly stopped in his tracks and pricked up his ears, putting a pause to Zui Shan Seng’s questioning. He said, “Listen.”

Zui Shang Seng erected his staff and listened with rapt attention. After a moment, he said, “Not even a fart.”

“Such a wonderful sound, and all you want to hear is a fart.” Dong Jun said, “It’s clear that there is a reason why you have been lonely all your life.”

“Cut the crap. What did you hear?”

There was a glint of delight in Dong Jun’s half-closed eyes. He said, “This land is surrounded by mountains that formed a natural barrier around it. If left undisturbed by external influence, it would have been a haven away from the rest of the world. Because of this, the plants and trees are of one mind, and mountains and rivers share a common source. But it was unfortunate that humans would build a city here. Not only did they messed up the spiritual energy here, but they also caused a buildup of lifelessness due to karma.”

“From what I see, the terrain here is favorable and fertile with heavenly spiritual energy. It’s because of its nourishment that living things could evolve into spirits. There are so many demons that the mountain is overrun with them. Where’s the lifelessness you speak of?” Zui Shan Seng asked in confusion.

“It’s only natural that you couldn’t detect it.” Dong Jun placed a hand behind him. “Otherwise, why would you still need me? However, you are the Grand Secretariat of Zhui Hun Prison, and yet you can’t even remember the Zhongdu jurisdictions of the various deities-in-charge. It’s no wonder they are always thwarting you in public or in secret whenever they saw you.”

“There are so many deities-in-charge in Zhongdu that I can’t remember all of them even if my hair grows out.” Zui Shan Seng asked, “Who is in charge here?”

Dong Jun replied briskly. “No one.”

Zui Shan Seng took a few steps and looked around. He said, “Since this place is teeming with heavenly spiritual energy, why wasn’t a deity-in-charge dispatched?”

“Because the karmic debt here has not been fully repaid.” Dong Jun explained. “The Demarcation Division would weigh up the various places. Where offerings are abundant, a sacrificial temple would be set up and a deity-in-charge would be stationed based on merit. The fact that the city you stayed in earlier could draw such a qualified immortal like Hui’an to be stationed there and protect it would have something to do with the endless stream of incense offerings for hundreds of years. This place does not worship Heaven, nor do its people pray to deities. Instead, they kowtowed to the devil of the Blood Sea. Even the common major demons have no desire to take over this place, let alone the Demarcation Division.”

“How ridiculous. Since they worship evil, then just eliminate them! How could this matter be simply brushed aside?”

“It has only been five hundred years, and you have forgotten.” Dong Jun shot a glance at him. “You slay demons. But when it comes to subduing devils, the only other person apart from Li Rong who can do so is Lord Linsong, isn’t it?”

Zui Shan Seng choked for a moment before he said stubbornly, “Although I’m responsible for slaying demons, it’s still not impossible for me to subdue devils. Moreover, after Jing… Lord Linsong, couldn’t they just choose someone else in the entire Ninth Heaven Realm for the job?!”

Dong Jun sighed softly and said in a faint voice. “How in the world would it be that easy to pick someone for the job? It is easy to slay demons, but tough to subdue devils. Between Heaven and Earth, other than those few who lost their lives in the Blood Sea, there are only Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear and Jing Lin’s Yan Quan Sword. Today, Po Zheng is in a deep sleep, and Yan Quan is broken. Where could Lord Chengtian find someone else to take up the mantle? It’s easy to find someone with the right cultivation, but hard to find someone with a true form that’s a perfect fit. Subduing devils and defending against them often means the Blood Sea is involved. If not for an unwavering, steadfast will, who would dare to take up the responsibility?”

“There are various Buddhas in the Brahma Altar. I don’t believe there is no one else who can eliminate devils.”

Dong Jun looked up and burst out laughing. With a hand behind his back, he walked off and said, “Idiot! When will you understand the complication in this? If it was easy to invite the True Buddha, why would Li Rong sink into slumber in the Blood Sea? In this world, it’s always one thing for another. All along, it has been a balance of merits and virtues, with karma coming full circle.”

Zui Shan Seng followed closely behind him. “You said the people here worship the devil, but all I see are demons. Where are the humans?”

Dong Jun shrugged his shoulders. “Gone to repay their debts.”

“That’s not right.” Zui Shan Seng said, “Since the evil has not been eliminated, who could ask them to repay their debts?”

“Themselves. Just the resentment of a few of them could accumulate and give form to a bird, but the Luocha Bird isn’t anything formidable. However, if the blood of tens of thousands of humans had been spilled, then even I would not be able to guess what might be born out of their accrued resentment.” Dong Jun was exhilarated. “I’ve encountered it.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The sound of breathing lured Gu Shen over. He stepped forward gingerly and touched the trunk. The unmoving ancient wood suddenly dropped its branches and felt its way up from Gu Shen’s shoulder to his face. The withered branch was rough, and it scratched Gu Shen as it slid up inch by inch, hurting him.

“He…” A sob abruptly welled up in Gu Shen’s throat, but he forced it down. “Does he recognize me? I may have been to the north, but I have never set foot on this place before.”

The ancient tree pulled his roots out of the soil, subsequently raking up white bones along with it. His vines gradually increased. Weighed down by it, he bent over, turning into a colossal monster dragging its muddy roots. His roots glided as he ambled along. His branches stroked Gu Shen’s face as if identifying him, then they moved past him and reached out towards Fanshu.

Fanshu landed on all fours. The vines caressed his ears. He watched blankly as this monster moved to stand before him. Then, without rhyme or reason, he called out.

“Mother.”

The little wild ghosts stepped on the mud and climbed up the monster’s vines. With innocent and lively smiles, they lowered their heads to sprawl out on the branches of the vines. They cried out joyfully in unison. “Mother!”

The vines lifted Fanshu and encircled the little wild ghosts. He had no face or mouth, and yet Cang Ji and Jing Lin heard the sound of humming. Among the vague and indistinct hum with tens of millions of voices, he swung the young children with gentleness. Fanshu hugged his vines and cried aloud.

“Mother.” Fanshu leaned against him. “It’s mother!”

“It’s mother!” The little wild ghosts laughed as they frolicked in the mud and among the vines. “It’s mother!”

“He” took the children and moved down the mountain. The vegetation in the mountain split into a path. White bones constantly fell from his vines onto the muddy ground. It was as if he was still on a search as he shuffled further away.

“Where is he going?” Cang Ji turned to Gu Shen, only to find Gu Shen in tears.

Gu Shen held the scabbard of his blade and wiped away the tears in bewilderment. “… I thought he recognized me.”

Jing Lin looked at the road ahead and did not answer him. He looked as if he had come to a realization, but could not spill it all to Gu Shen.

Gu Shen looked back. When he saw that “he” was moving further away on his mountain patrol, he felt a sudden, unbearable pain. He could not even tell exactly where the pain was. All he could do was to repeat, “… I thought he recognized me.”

In the dark of the night, with the vast sky of stars as a guide, the Mountain Deity patrolled the mountains. In this way, he wandered and circled the mountains over and over again. More and more little ghosts emerged from the underbrush. They played barefoot and rode on the Mountain Deity’s vines while irregularly calling him “Mother”.²

The copper bell swayed and rang at the side of Gu Shen’s waist, urging him to follow. The bell jolted Gu Shen to his senses, but not Jing Lin. Jing Lin’s eyes lingered on the copper bell as if he had seen an old friend.

The little stone figure jumped out of his sleeve and ran towards Gu Shen’s side, then sprang up to take the copper bell. The copper bell circled around Gu Shen and hid in his belt. The stone figure fell to the ground and watched as Gu Shen took the copper bell along and chased after the Mountain Deity. For some reason, his back looked lonely.

Cang Ji squatted behind it and pressed a finger between its grass crown. “We’ll get it back. There’s no need to rush it.”

The stone figure hugged Cang Ji’s fingers as the latter picked it up and placed it on his shoulder.

“Since you said nothing, you must have understood something.” Cang Ji looked ahead. “This thing is not a demon or a devil. He’s not malicious, but he carries the sin of killing. He has no spiritual sea. Everything within and outside him is a mess. What exactly is he?”

Jing Lin stepped on the bones. He lowered his head to observe for a moment, then said, “If my guess is right, then Gu Shen can never return home.”

“What has it got to do with him? Cang Ji asked.

“It has nothing and everything to do with him.” Jing Lin mercilessly kicked away the bones. “This place was originally a Feng Shui³ treasure, but humans messed up its heavenly spiritual energy. This city was built by humans, but it is located in the remote mountains. It is neither accessible by roads nor open to outsiders. There is only one way out of the city, with heavy doors and iron locks. Even demons find it impossible to escape, let alone mere mortals.”

“Like a stone jar.” Cang Ji said. “It is surrounded by mountains, and the path to it is naturally dangerous and arduous. It’s inconvenient for humans to live here. However, the city was meticulously constructed. And it also did not seem as if they were fleeing from a calamity.”

“It was indeed built for fleeing.” Jing Lin said, “but it was to flee from penal punishment. Dong Lin could attract the Luo Cha Bird just by killing all four members of the Chen household. Yet there is no sight of evil being here where ten thousand humans had died. The reason the Demarcation Department was unaware of this was because the Underworld did not report it.”

“Why?” Cang Ji asked. “There’s a relative of the King of Hell here?”

“The King of Hell probably wouldn’t dare to acknowledge him if there is.” Jing Lin paused. “Most likely, the humans’ souls were devoured right after they were killed.”

“Then, where did these many little ghosts come from?”

Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji and said, “The children died early.”

Cang Ji asked, “What exactly is this place?”

“This city is not a utopia, but a hideout. There’s a quote in Dong Lin’s case, ‘all the girls in that carriage froze to death’. The lands of Zhongdu may be vast, but isn’t the place that is able to freeze someone to death precisely the very road we are now standing on?” Jing Lin paused and did not continue.

But he still heard Cang Ji asking the key question.

“Why?” Cang Ji’s expression was frosty. “Why was it just the girls who were sent over?”

醉山 Zui Shan literally means “Drunken Mountain”. Thus Zui Shan Seng (醉山僧) can be literally translated as “Drunken Mountain Monk”. (For someone who loves to drink, he got pwned by Jing Lin’s Drunken Swordplay, lmaoooo.)

I need to clarify here. So far, the pronoun used for the tree and the mountain deity is “he”. But Fanshu and the ghosts called ‘him’ “mother”. This will make sense once the truth is revealed.

风水 literally “wind-water”. By definition, Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese system for balancing the yin and yang energy of a space to maximize the flow of positive energy in the built environment and to protect against negative energy.

Chapter 34: Gu Shen (1)

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Why was it just the girls who were sent over?

Because they could maintain the livelihood of the city’s original inhabitants while allowing them to build up a fortune. It did not matter whether they were young and tender or mature. Once they entered the city, they would all become a single kind of person—the kind who would live a life worse than death, and who would never see the light again.

Rows of carriages from all over Zhongdu would gather here, then disperse. More than a dozen innocent lives would be crammed into those sealed compartments. Whether it was a woman who entered regardless of age, or a child who exited regardless of gender, they would all turn into other animals. There were no longer human beings, but livestock up for human trade. Their necks were secured with ropes, and they were unkempt and shabbily dressed. It made no difference where they were transported to, because it would all be perpetual night everywhere they went.

There were innumerable brokers in Zhongdu. If someone were to draw a winding line from North to South, they would be able to trace out a long journey forged in blood and tears. En route here was Dong Lin’s daughter who had frozen to death, and a solitary Gu Shen who had yet to find his home.

This was a meticulously constructed and isolated spot that was cleverly hidden in the remote mountains to evade the authorities. From here, they could reach out to the human world with the most cold-hearted claw ever. It would tightly clench the hearts of those who lost their women and children; at the same time, it would drag in even more innocents into its den.

The reason the copper bell summoned Gu Shen here was not to tell him where his home was; rather, it was to urge him to search for that fixation in his heart.

Those memories about his “mother”.　

♦     ♦     ♦

Gu Shen was not called Gu Shen. Before learning martial arts, his name should be Chuanzi. The Daoist priest carried him through the forest for half a month before he reached a densely populated place.

The Daoist priest had intentionally starved Chuanzi until both his legs were weak. He sprawled over the Daoist priest’s back, not even having the strength to jump off. Both of his eyes were swollen from crying, and he had lost his voice from wailing. It had only been half a month, and he was so starved he was emaciated. His back was dripping with cold sweat even though he was lying on the Daoist priest’s back, and his stomach was so empty that he could not even regurgitate the acid in it.

“The child looks as if he’s almost dead from hunger.” The man weighing him turned Chuanzi’s head. With his hand at the side of his neck, he said, “This isn’t fucking easy to sell. Who wants to buy an invalid? People spend money to buy sons, not masters.¹ This thing can’t run or jump, how do you expect me to convince others?”

“He’s not sick. As you can see, he’s hungry. How is this sick?! If he’s sick, then won’t I be asking for trouble myself by carrying him? The prefectural yamen has been conducting searches during my journey here. If he died on my back, I could never clear my name!” The Daoist priest was initially following the man with his waist bent and his sleeves before him.² When he heard this, he quickly fiddled with Chuanzi and weighed his arm. “Look at this bone. When he grows up, he is guaranteed to be a capable farm worker. He’s easy to raise; all you need is to feed him a mouthful. Doesn’t everyone who comes here to buy children want a capable, hardworking child who can carry on the family name in the future? This one fits all the requirements! His mother is sturdy from what I’ve seen. How bad can he be?”

“You even saw his mother?” The man laughed as he cussed him. “Why didn’t you grab her?”

“I didn’t even dare to look back. I fled the moment I hoisted this kid over my shoulder. The woman chased me for an entire two li.³ If I hadn’t hit on a bright idea and ducked into the forest, I wouldn’t have shaken her off.”

“She sounds like a good choice for childbearing. If you had brought her along, I’d have given you a good price without another word.” The man got up. He felt that Chuanzi fell short of expectations, and so he said offhandedly, “A batch of them had just died recently. I’m urgently looking for women ideal for childbearing to fill the vacancies.”

The Daoist priest said, “Wasn’t there a new batch of supply before the New Year? Why are they dead now?”

“The small ones are difficult to raise.” The man pulled out the ledger and added a new sum for the Daoist priest. He continued, “Those fuckers in the North behave as if they have never seen a woman before. The moment the women entered the city, they tormented them like crazy. At least thirty or forty of them were tortured to death just in that month alone. How could the younger ones withstand the abuses? They can’t last for a few nights. The sturdy ones are better; they can bear children and are easy to raise.”

“But that won’t be easy.” The Daoist priest frowned and said, “Most of those who can endure hardships are women from rural villages who can work on farms. They looked out for themselves and wouldn’t give would-be captors any openings. Even if we get our hands on them, it won’t be easy to straighten them out. If we slap them, the petite ones won’t be able to withstand it. If it’s a child, we can just pick them up and run. It won’t attract that much suspicions on the way either. Why not you tell them to miss out on some business for once? It’s not like we are that short of money now, are we?”

The more the Daoist priest spoke, the more the man’s face darkened. He snorted. “Lad, I think you’ve forgotten how hard it was for us in the beginning. If you feel that you have too much money, we can pay you less. Why don’t you think about how many mouths we have to feed? We still have to rear women. When autumn arrives, the ‘cargo of babies’ from the previous batch will be born. Before we sell them, we still need to feed them.”

The Daoist priest went silent. He did not dare to retort.

The man set aside the brush and said, “Go. Go to the counter for your money and scram. I’m telling you. No matter where you are, you have to return to hand over the accounts when snow falls. If you can’t deliver the number Old Daddy is satisfied with, then you and I will have a hard time in the coming year! You don’t want to be hauled back and reared as a stallion in a stud farm, do you?”

The Daoist priest shuddered. He quickly apologized, then hurried to the counter to get his money and take his leave.

Chuanzi was dragged into a prison cell. He was so weak and limp all over that the rope would not stay on him. The man threw him some steamed buns before he locked the door and went about busying himself.

Chuanzi felt as if he was crushing someone underneath him. He did not do it on purpose. This cell was so narrow and cramped it was impermeable. It was as if it was specially dug out to hide children. Even two adults would not be able to lay down in the cell. But there were over ten children crammed in there, with their shoulders and arms pressing against each other and scraping against the wall until their skin was rubbed raw. Even a tiny movement would give rise to vague cries.

Chuanzi’s dirty fingers clasped the steamed buns and, with some difficulty, delivered them to his mouth. He moistened the crumbs with his saliva and swallowed them bit by bit. He leaned on his side, and tears trickled from the corners of his eyes, pricking them.

I can’t cry anymore; my eyes are going blind.

The person under his body moved a few times and went still. Chuanzi was not in a position to be concerned about others. He ate more than half of one of the steamed buns before his stomach felt a little better. The acid in his stomach rose. Unable to hold it down, he let it dribble down the corners of his mouth. Chuanzi felt nauseated. The stench in the cell almost made his stomach cramped. But he gritted his teeth and swallowed hard to keep the steam buns down.

One meal he ate was one meal less. He had to hide one of these two steamed buns, because he did not know when he would get them again.

Chuanzi laid down. The person below him was pressed against him, and the heat made him sweat. His sweat dripped down like rain onto the person below him. But there was not a single reaction from the person. Chuanzi slowly turned his head over. His eyes met the empty eyes of the person beneath him.

Dead.

A small hand made its way onto the dead child’s feet and pulled the shoes off to wear on his own feet. The children jostled. Their wails were so low they were almost inaudible.

Chuanzi looked at the dead child, and the dead child stared back at him with glassy eyes. They looked at each other for a moment. Two bubbles of tears welled up in Chuanzi’s eyes. His lips trembled. The sobs in his throat were small and soft. He felt terrified, and at the same time, he felt as if he was looking at himself.

He pressed the word weakly against the tip of his tongue and chewed on it with all his strength. It was as if he wanted to live on by the strength of this word. It was as if he could get everything he yearned for right now from this word.

He cried out in a feeble voice. “Mother.”

♦     ♦     ♦

They were held captive in the cell for a night. The next day, the children were bundled into sacks that were then tightly secured. The lads unconcernedly carried the burlap sacks through the bustling streets. Among the commotion of livestock trading, they delivered the sacks to a horse carriage full of animal excrement. Chuanzi had a stroke of bad luck. He was thrown upside down, and so he could only thrust his head down and kicked his legs up. The entire weight of his body was pressing down on his neck. He gradually felt his arms and legs going cold and numb. The pressure on his neck caused him to cry out in pain involuntarily. A sense of panic from not being able to breathe assailed him. He struggled until he finally caught the attention of one of the lads. After enduring a few kicks, he was returned to the correct position.

Chuanzi’s throat was stuck, and he gasped for breath. The carriage jolted and headed for some unknown location. Chuanzi curled into a ball and pressed himself against the edge as he gripped the sack with his long fingernails.

The crudely made hemp rope was not that durable. He tore out a small hole with his nails and pressed his eyes against it to look out. The pitch-black carriage rattled. There was no one guarding them.

Chuanzi stabbed his finger into the small hole and tugged at it vigorously. When his hands had no strength left, he tore at it with his teeth and pulled apart the flaxen threads. He ground it so hard that his mouth was a mixture of scraps, blood, and saliva. His heart was pounding wildly. The intelligent him had realized that if he did not make his escape during this journey, he would never be able to return home.

Chuanzi wanted so much to turn himself into a mouse, or a wild dog. He had to get out! He kicked out at a corner of the sack and swallowed whatever scraps he had torn out with his mouth but did not spat out in time. His throat burned with pain. He gnawed away like a maniac until he finally heard a ripping sound. There was a hole in the sack big enough for him to claw his way out.

Chuanzi spat out the rope and stretched his arms out. Even when his shoulders got stuck, he ignored it. He struggled desperately to squeeze out of the sack, sending out his head after his arms. The hole was so tight around his chest he felt strangled. He choked and clawed at the wall. He felt no pain even when his fingernails were scraped off. He wrestled with the sack and fell face down in the carriage. A thud rang out as he hit the wooden planks. His lower body was still in the sack.

The carriage stopped instantly. One of the men in front who had been chatting away came down and lashed out with the whip as he made his way around the carriage.

Chuanzi heard the man unlock the door. His heartbeat quickened. It was as if there was a rainstorm in his tiny chest.

“What the fuck…” The man swore and cussed as he pulled open the door to the carriage. He poked his head in and brandished the whip.

The sunlight outside was glaring. In the instant he squinted into the darkness, the sound of his rantings slowed down.

Chuanzi suddenly burst into action, using up all the strength he had obtained from the steamed buns yesterday. He pounced on the man, just like those times he had wrestled with others among the fields. Chuanzi crashed his head hard into the man’s nose. The man’s eyes watered as he lowered his head to cover his nose and berate him.

Chuanzi fell to the ground along with his sack. When he bent over to get up, the man had already grabbed him by his back collar. A desperate scream like that of a cornered cub escaped from Chuanzi’s throat. He bit the man’s hand in despair, kicked off the sack, then kicked the man in the crotch. The man immediately released his hand. Chuanzi dropped to the ground and ran on all fours like a canine, even tumbling once before he got to his feet.

The snarls of rage behind him were almost pressing in on him. Chuanzi did not dare to look back. He put an entire lifetime of effort into this pair of legs, and poured in all the strength he had spent in the past running around the mountain into this pair of legs.

Run!

Chuanzi gritted his teeth. His eyes blurred from the tears. It was hard to tell in the wind whether he was crying or laughing. Right this moment, his facial features had transformed into those of a savage beast. He darted towards the deep forest, stepping on scattered rocks and thorny undergrowth. He ran as if he were flying.

Run!

Chuanzi sobbed.

Once I run home, I’ll be able to see mother.

Basically saying they buy sons to serve them and their needs (e.g. work on the farm or carry on the family line, etc), but if the child was an invalid, they would end up taking care of the child instead of the other way round.

Kind of like this. Partially bowing with hands/sleeves before you in a show of humility or subservience.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m, so two li is about 1km (0.62 miles)

Chapter 35: Gu Shen (2)

OCTOBER 30, 2019

Chuanzi ran until he was gasping for breath, but still, he did not dare to stop. He made his way through the shrubs, twigs in hair. His arms were raised to shield his face, and now they were burning with pain from the scrapes. He heard nothing except his own urgent breathing.

Chuanzi ran, disoriented, until he tripped and rolled down the slope into the stream. His arms were shaking as he propped himself up. He wanted to continue running, but his legs refused to obey. Chuanzi supported himself with his elbows and lifted the upper half of his body out of the stream. He sprawled on the muddy grass and took big gasps of breath. His head was spinning. Finally, he buried his head among the grass to retch.

It was not until the sun sank in the western hills that Chuanzi was able to recover. His hand trembled as he groped around his chest and took out the flattened steamed bun. He took big bites out of it. As soon as he filled his stomach, he braced himself against the trees and walked on gingerly.

The pitch-black night was like a dream. Chuanzi could not tell reality from hallucinations. His body alternated between feeling cold and hot. He felt as if he could make his way home if he continued on like this. When he touched himself later in the night, his body was scalding hot, while his soaked clothes were cold from the blowing wind. He was so feverish he felt dizzy; even the sound of his breathing sounded far away.

Chuanzi collapsed onto the ground. He could no longer get up. He seemed to hear the dogs barking. A pair of boots stepped across the thorny undergrowth and stopped before him.

♦     ♦     ♦

Chuanzi was burning up. Someone wiped him down and changed the cold handkerchief on his forehead all night. The woman leaned against the bed and wiped his tears away. Through the night, her jade-like hand never stopped brushing his damp hair and stroking his forehead.

In his dreams, Chuanzi was dreadfully pale, like an exposed corpse under the hot sun. He longed for those fingers. It reminded him of a woman, but he had forgotten her appearance. The ensuing pain overwhelmed him. He had left home, and it seemed as if he could no longer return home.

Chuanzi was at a loss. He could only wail under this fiery torment. He feared it all, because he could no longer remember how his mother looked like. The illness stripped him of his remaining courage, turning him back into a defenseless child. Crying was the only way he could vent it all out.

The woman embraced Chuanzi, and her gentle and warm shoulders and arms became Chuanzi’s refuge. He leaned against it and plunged into the bottomless darkness.

♦     ♦     ♦

It was the daytime when Chuanzi woke up. He inclined his head in a blank stare. He did not remember fleeing, nor did he remember cowering. He gazed at the scene outside the window as if he had not seen the flowers and plants for a very long time.

The door opened and a man of a stocky build entered. He sat down at the edge of Chuanzi’s bed and reached out a hand to feel the latter’s forehead.

“Wait a moment.” The man’s voice was booming. “The porridge is coming. It’s not too late for you to talk after eating.”

Chuanzi’s gaze shifted towards him. The man could not help but inwardly sing his praise. Chuanzi’s eyes were sharp and bright; there were no traces of fear in those eyes.

Yet, the sharpness in this pair of eyes was not innate.

“My surname is Gu.” The man said in a prim and proper manner. “My name is Zhi. This place is an armed escort bureau along the river. Don’t be afraid. My wife was by your side last night. Although we are childless, we have seven or eight disciples. We aren’t baddies. When you can speak, tell us your hometown and I’ll send someone to take you back.”

Gu Zhi was an upright and aboveboard person, but Chuanzi never got to return home. That was because his mind was all a blank by the time he could speak. He could not even remember what his mother looked like, let alone remember his hometown. Many times, Gu Zhi and his wife took him up and down the river to ask around, but they never found out where Chuanzi’s family was. Gu Zhi could not bear to place him under the care of another person, so he took him in as his little disciple.

“Since you can’t remember your name, then you can take after my surname. Let’s call you Gu Shen.”

♦     ♦     ♦

From then on, Gu Shen was on the go for half of his life, all for the word “return”. At first, he worked as an armed escort, then as a constable. He lived in poverty, but he never stopped moving. Whether it was the cities along the river or the various lands in the south, he made trips there to make inquiries. But no matter where he went, the places were all unfamiliar to him. His memory of “mother” was gradually replaced with his shiniang’s¹ gentleness, while “father” almost seemed to be a man of indomitable spirit like Gu Zhi.

However, he had never understood why he never stopped looking. Something seemed to push him on as he stumbled through this aimless journey. He carried the burden of his own debt on his shoulders, one that had no end in this lifetime.

♦     ♦     ♦

The copper bell tinkled. Gu Shen made his way behind the Mountain Deity. He slowed down and walked beside the Mountain Deity. Weighed down by the vines, the Mountain Deity was now a sluggish, hideous monster.

Gu Shen took a step closer and felt his heart softening. He asked the Mountain Deity “… Do you recognize me?”

The Mountain Deity gently embraced the little wild ghosts and turned a blind eye to Gu Shen. Gu Shen followed him, even though he did not understand why. It was as if Gu Shen was possessed and was not moving of his own accord.

Cang Ji carried Jing Lin on his back and stepped into the air across the swaying branches to chase after them. They looked down. More and more little wild ghosts came running out of the underbrush. They chased after the Mountain Deity, who welcomed them with open arms and placed them securely among the vines.

“So many little wild ghosts.” Cang Ji said, “How many children have died here?”

“Hundreds of thousands.” It was windy among the branches. Jing Lin and the little stone figure held on tightly to Cang Ji’s clothes. Jing Lin’s hair fluttered in the wind. He said, “They kidnapped those people, held them captive here, and forced the girls to receive patrons. Then they sell away the children those girls give birth to. Look at how those houses in the city were constructed in such a stringently segregated way. How would they be able to take good care of those children when they were born? If they can’t sell them off in time, then the children will die in the city.”

“They were all buried in the mountains?” Even with a heart of stone, Cang Ji was aghast by the sight of all these little wild ghosts overrunning the mountains.

“Maybe they were fed to the devil.” Jing Lin tightened his grip, his mind going into a rare state of blankness. Cang Ji could not see, but it was not easy for Jing Lin to voice this out.

“The children are of mortal flesh.” Cang Ji said. “The humans who treat other humans like this and humiliate them to such a point are even worse than beasts. The devil has occupied this place for a long time and has even been fed by humans. I’m afraid he won’t be easy to deal with.”

“Supposedly, he’s hard to deal with.” Jing Lin brushed aside Cang Ji’s hair and directed him to look at the Mountain Deity. “He’s neither god nor demon. He’s not an evil spirit either. He’s born here and raised by the heavenly spirits in the mountains. That’s why he can evolve earlier to his current form. It’s also how he can move around freely. Do you know who he is?”

Cang Ji saw the Mountain Deity creeping forward as countless vines inched and crawled like snakes. But the little wild ghosts were not afraid. They laid peacefully in the arms of the Mountain Deity and listened as he hummed a tune under the moon and rocked them under the starry night.

They all called him “Mother”.

With some difficulty, Cang Ji probed. “Could it be Gu Shen’s mother?”

“It’s Gu Shen’s mother.” Jing Lin confirmed. “And also the mother of all the children in this world who has suffered because of this sin.”

As they said, all living creatures have spirits, and even plants have hearts. The mountains could hear the cries of the children over the years, and it had also seen the countless mothers who had searched for their child until they reached this spot. The city in the mountains was impregnable. The mountains listened day and night as the echoes of those incessant cries irrigated the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Yet the most devoted, sincere love still abounded amidst such resentment and hatred. The matter that had angered both humans and deities had yet to attract the Ninth Heaven’s attention, but the mountain rocks had been moved by it.

Gu Shen’s mother had probably tracked him down to this place. Many years ago, the sturdy woman had leaned against the wall and listened, grieved by the incessant crying throughout the night within the city. She had looked for him for half a lifetime, chasing until her hair grew white, pursuing until her eyes went blind.

My son, my son.

The calls beyond the mountain never ceased. The rocks wept with them, and the plants grew hearts because of those cries. They became the women, a creature that was neither human nor demon.

“If Gu Shen’s mother is within it.” Cang Ji asked, “Why did she ignore him?”

“Gu Shen was only six or seven years old when he left home.” Jing Lin said, “It has been over thirty years. Even if his mother is still alive, she may not recognize him.”

Cang Ji stopped in his tracks. He remained atop the trees and watched the wind howling in the mountains. It was as if he could also hear those calls and cries.

“I don’t understand.” Cang Ji said.

Surely Gu Shen’s years of hardships and half-a-lifetime of toiling could not be all for a mere encounter between strangers. Even if Cang Ji knew nothing of suffering, he could still taste the bitterness as he chewed it over. The first taste of human emotions he had as a brocade carp, from Dong Lin to Gu Shen, had all been nothing but “suffering”.

Was there no other word for the love in this world besides suffering? If so, what was there to be happy about being a human being? He might as well be born a fish, sleeping soundly in the clear pond, ignorant of the world, living his entire life without a care in the world.

Both of them observed from a height and saw Gu Shen following blindly. It was a tragic sight to behold. But while they were waiting in silence, they heard Zui Shan Seng’s voice among the wind.

“This creature is still like a blank piece of paper. It’s hard to tell if he’s good or evil. Although he has done a meritorious deed by annihilating devils, he also bears the sin of killing humans. Furthermore, the heart of a plant is not like bedrocks. It’s common for it to change at a moment’s notice. If, in the future, he develops the lust to kill, then wouldn’t he become the scourge of humanity in this place?!”

Xiang Mo Staff glowed with golden light and cut off the Mountain Deity’s path. But the Mountain Deity had no concept of awareness and merely embraced the children as he advanced in a trance.

“You have performed a meritorious service by eliminating evil. Follow me to Zhuihun Prison. Once I report to the Lord, you will be able to atone for your sins. Wise sages are aplenty in Ninth Heaven. I’ll find a shifu for you to teach you to distinguish good from evil. It won’t be too late to repent then.” Zui Shan Seng flipped his staff into a horizontal position with one hand and held it out before him. “I’m here. I won’t let anyone dispose of you as they deem fit.”

“This sounds so familiar.” Cang Ji scoffed and shouted into the distance. “What has he done wrong? This place worships evil. Handling this matter should have been the responsibility of you deities. He personally took over your tasks, and now he still has to receive punishment for it?”

“This is the rule.” Zui Shan Seng swung his sleeve at Cang Ji. “This is the law of Heaven and Earth!”

“I can neither ascend to Heaven nor descend into the Earth.” Cang Ji sneered. “What the fart does the laws of Heaven and Earth have to do with me? I want him to remain here tonight. What can you do?”

“What nonsense!” Zui Shan Seng was exasperated. “Your cultivation is still shallow, but you’re so arrogant you have the audacity to censure the laws of Heaven and Earth! Do you know? Thousands of years ago, the Three Realms were just a mass of primal chaos where evil ran rampant, and all living creatures cried out with endless grievances. If it was not for the Supreme Father’s efforts to save the situation and enact the law, you and I would not be here discussing this matter here today!”

“I don’t know who he is, neither do I know of this law.” Cang Ji pointed a finger towards the sky. “I was born in white porcelain, not of Heaven. Your Supreme Father probably doesn’t even recognize me. So why do I still need to listen to him? You guys are already good sons of his, and now you still want others to follow in your footsteps and be his grandsons. You’re really benefiting at the expense of others. Stinky monk.”

Zui Shan Seng’s staff jolted with golden light, and the little wild ghosts in the crooks of the Mountain Deity’s arms simultaneously cried out in pain. The Mountain Deity’s vines sheltered them, and the muddy roots turned into a partition in an attempt to block off Zui Shan Seng’s light.

Zui Shan Seng shouted out a severe warning. “We don’t need your nod of approval to abide by the law. If I want to capture him, then I will! How’s that for you? What can you do?”

The staff struck a critical blow to the Mountain Deity, and the mountains howled as the foliage cried out in pain. For some obscure reason, rage swelled up within Cang Ji. He leaped down through the air, and Jing Lin separated from him. Cang Ji somersaulted and stepped on Zui Shan Seng’s staff. He put all his weight on it and pressed down on Xiang Mo Staff.

“You don’t know what’s good for you!” Zui Shan Seng bellowed and flipped the staff with sudden force.

Cang Ji raised his body back and heard the sound of the staff right beside his ear. He dodged the staff. Just as he wanted to grab it, he saw Zui Shan Seng, who had always charged forward boldly, sidestepping him. Cang Ji’s palm turned up empty. Before he could turn back, Zui Shan Seng landed a blow on his left side. Cang Ji instantly went sliding on the ground.

Cang Ji extended the five fingers that had been struck numb and swept himself off the ground. Zui Shan Seng saw a blur before him before he was pummeled in the chest. He choked and backed away, twisting Xiang Mo Staff to briefly delay Cang Ji from retracting his fist. Zui Shan Seng immediately turned to kick out at him. Cang Ji crashed into the ground with a “thud”, and Xiang Mo Staff came smashing down on his face. There was an earth-shattering sound of a collision. Zui Shan Seng felt as if he had struck metal. His eyes focused, and he saw that Cang Ji had, in a moment of desperation, blocked the attack with a raised arm. Those scales were slippery. Xiang Mo staff could not advance further! Cang Ji shoved his arms up, and Xiang Mo Staff could no longer hold him down.

Zui Shan Seng opened his mouth and said, “You’re courting death!”

Cang Ji lifted his feet to kick out at him, and Zui Shan Seng staggered back in a retreat. The impact was so strong that the purlicue² on the hand that was gripping the staff hurt. It was apparent that Cang Ji’s cultivation was increasing at an astonishing rate. It actually seemed as if he was progressing every single day! This was truly shocking. He had originally expected him to turn out to be a calamity in the future, but now, this “future” did not seem to be too far away!

“Heretic.” Zui Shan Seng spat. “The development of your cultivation is abnormal. What did he feed you? What goes around comes around. You’ll have to pay with your life if you kill humans!”

“I told you not to be jealous.” Cang Ji’s arms still felt numb from the blows. A sudden wave of unhappiness washed over him. He felt as if something was wrong. It was only when he looked back that he realized that Jing Lin was gone!

“You can stop looking for him. I’ve asked someone to unmask him tonight.” Zui Shan Seng said in a cold voice. “We’ll find out who exactly the hell he is!”

师娘 Shiniang. The wife of one’s master (shifu/shizun).

虎口 i.e the purlicue. the area between the thumb and forefinger.

Chapter 36: Deity Lord

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

The scene before Jing Lin was suddenly small. Trapped in the whirling grasses revolving around him, Jing Lin saw buds sprouting on withered branches, blooming in the colors of spring. When the grasses stopped and the scene cleared up before his eyes, he was standing by a pond of flowers. Jing Lin lowered his eyes and looked at his reflection on the clear surface of the pond.

It was the face of Lord Linsong.

“Dong Jun.” Jing Lin turned his eyes towards the pavilion in the heart of the pond and said, “A tiny lease of life creates this world.¹ It’s not worth making such a big fuss to get to the bottom of the matter.”

“That depends on who you are.” Dong Jun sat under the pavilion and poured wine as he observed from the side. “If you are someone like Li Rong and Jing Lin, I’d be delighted to create millions upon millions of overlapping realms, let alone this one world.”

“Then, in your opinion.” Jing Lin asked. “Who am I?”

“This pond is the mirror to one’s heart. You know who you are best. It’s a pity I can’t gaze upon it, so I can’t see through you.” Dong Jun motioned to him. “If you don’t mind, come to the pavilion to take a break. Once Zui Shan Seng starts fighting, he won’t end the fight that fast. Let us have a chat and make each other acquaintance.”

Jing Lin knew that Dong Jun must have sealed off the realm. Since Dong Jun was taking his own time, then he would too. The hardest part of dealing with Dong Jun was not with his combat skills, but his words. This person’s greatest strength was his insight.

Dong Jun urged him to drink. “As the saying goes, we drink to drown our sorrows. I’m anxious to move on. You’re vexed over shaking off that blockhead. You and I can have a few drinks to fraternize with each other.”

Jing Lin did not turn him down. With a folding fan in his hand, Dong Jun said, “I feel a sense of kinship with you the moment I saw you. Looks like it’s affinity. If that’s the case, then all the more we should get to know each other. However, it’s really strange. Both of you have nothing to do with Zui Shan Seng, so why is he hot on your heels?”

“It’s a long story.” When Jing Lin shook the cup, he saw a few words engraved on it. Lord Jiutian had a penchant for doing this. It was likely the Supreme Father had influenced Dong Jun in this respect when he took the latter in as his adopted son. They were simply cut from the same cloth when it came to their preferences. However, this was even more loathsome to Jing Lin. He detested the Supreme Father to the point he would rebel whenever he saw someone similar.

“I’m not afraid of people having a long conversation.” Dong Jun said. “I’m only afraid of people living a long life. It’s a pity that my old father was also a short-lived man, even my brothers are all ill-fated. Have you ever heard of my brothers? You are so familiar with the Ninth Heaven’s deities that you even know of Zui Shan Seng’s sore point. I bet you must have heard of them.”

“Who doesn’t know,” Jing Lin brushed his fingertips across the words on the cup. “Zui Shan Seng’s sore point? The Three Realms are all aware he can’t convert² yet; it’s not a secret.”

“I’m not referring to his conversion.” Dong Jun leaned over, slightly sweeping across the table surface. He said, “I’m talking about him going crazy for ‘love’. He’s now insane to this extent all because he is sick. He’s lovesick from yearning and infatuation. Even if this is known throughout Ninth Heaven, it has never been revealed in Zhongdu. Where did you learn of this?”

“The various deities were once human.” Jing Lin was unconcerned. “As long as he’s human, he will have weaknesses. Not everyone is as tight-lipped as you are.”

“That’s true.” Dong Jun was well aware of this. He said, “Have a few more cups of wine.”

Jing Lin covered the cup with his fingers and said, “As they said, there is no such thing as a free lunch.”³

“Your little fish consumed half of Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy, why hasn’t his mouth collapsed yet?” Dong Jun poured the wine leaving no room for doubt. “Speaking of which, I have a brother who doesn’t drink. Guess who it is.”

Jing Lin said, “I’m neither kith nor kin of yours. I don’t know.”

“Let me tell you then. Among my brothers, there’s a special one called Jing Lin, also known as Lord Linsong. This man is odd. Among all the brothers, he’s the most unlikeable. Yet, he was the one the Supreme Father favored the most. A pity the benevolent father spoiled the child and raised him to be the greatest evil among Heaven and Earth.” Dong Jun’s profile was calm as he poured the wine. He raised his eyes slightly. “Do you know why he’s called Lord Linsong?”

Jing Lin felt as if the cup in his palm was a dagger laced with poison, stabbing his empty chest through his palm. He looked at Dong Jun; he was most familiar with this gaze of his. They all looked at him this way. Long before the day he committed patricide, they were already looking at him like this.

The corners of Jing Lin’s lips spread into a relaxed smile. He said. “I’ve no idea. This person’s name is not as renowned as Lord Shage, Li Rong. How would I know?”

“That’s really some history.” Dong Jun widened his eyes as if he encountered someone who had said something bizarre. He said, “It was said that the day Jing Lin came under the Supreme Father’s roof, the whistling of the wind among ten thousand qing⁴ of pines mingled with the sound of rain. When he kneeled down to kowtow to Father, the sea of pines rose in waves despite the lack of wind. The entire mountain reverberated with the sounds of pines and rain. He kowtowed trice. His spiritual sea had yet to be constructed, but the form of his heart was already completed. No one else in this world has begotten their true form first before their spiritual sea. Furthermore, his original form was so advantageous that it put a smile on the Supreme Father’s face and he even personally helped him up.”

It was as if the soughing of wind among the pines was right beside his ears. Jing Lin twirled his cup and asked with some interest, “What’s the true form of this person?”

“A sword. Since birth, his abilities were on full display; he was pretty unlikable. And yet, he was also a rarity. With his original form being a sword, it meant that he should be eliminating evil and defending the righteous way his entire life. It also meant that he had an unwavering heart of stone. If there was ever someone in the human realm who was born without a heart, that’d be him. No one can ever warm the heart of a man whose heart is like a sharp blade.” With that, Dong Jun looked at Jing Lin and continued. “But the Supreme Father regarded him as a blessing from Heaven and looked upon him like his own. Among the brothers, he was ranked ninth, yet he was the first to be conferred the title of a Deity Lord. This honor is something that even the current Lord of Heaven and Earth, Lord Chengtian, can’t match up to, let alone Lord Shage, Li Rong. Yet, it was he who turned evil. Don’t you find it strange? I can’t figure it out at all.”

“Since he has turned evil, just kill him.” Jing Lin said, “There is no sword in the world that can’t be destroyed.”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a forthright person too.” Dong Jun poured more wine and smiled. “You’re right. Since he has turned evil, just kill him. But I heard your little fish saying that he admires Lord Linsong. How terrible is that? If he becomes evil in the future too, then he will end up as nothing but dust as well.”

“Then, if he says he admires Dong Jun, wouldn’t he be a Deity Lord commanding the masses in future?” Jing Lin tilted the cup, and the wine spilled onto the ground. He said, “As expected, immortal wine tastes bad. Now that you’ve said your piece, I’ll say my farewell.”

“Come and go as you wish.” Dong Jun leaned against the table and spread out his hands, saying rather shamelessly. “If you can get out of here, go ahead. I’ve said so much, and you are still unwilling to reveal yourself?”

“I’m a stone’s throw away from you.” Jing Lin cast his cup aside and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his fingertips carefully. “If you can see through me, then look all you want.”

Sounding someone out was all because doubts existed. As long as doubts remained, there would be loopholes to exploit.

Dong Jun said, “Jing Lin, don’t fool gege.”

Jing Lin readily followed his advice. “Gege.”

This roused Dong Jun’s suspicions instead. Because Jing Lin sat upright and looked at him unflinchingly in the eyes. But how could he believe that Jing Lin would call him gege?! Even when it came to Lord Chengtian, Jing Lin had always addressed him by name, never gege.

“It’s the first time I entered this realm.” Jing Lin stared at Dong Jun. “And I found its construction remarkable. There is no place that doesn’t symbolize something. It’s only after listening to the story I realized you are here to acknowledge your didi. How was it? Do I look the part? I think I do—otherwise, why are you afraid?”

“I can’t wait to dote on you. Why would I be afraid?” Dong Jun said, “All my brothers are my precious darlings.”

“I’d advise gege to remove the thorn in your heart as soon as possible.” Jing Lin gave him a sarcastic smile. “If this becomes your inner demon in a few days, Zui Shan Seng will not be the only one who’s insane.”

“In order for me to remove the thorn in my heart, let me look at your true form. If you are really Jing Lin, I can’t wait to be reunited with you.” Dong Jun had only just finished speaking when he saw a waterspout rising beneath the pavilion.

“Since you want a reunion.” He pointed down. “Then, you can accompany him.”

The waves swirled into dragons and swooped in. The small pavilion shook, but Jing Lin remained still. He even folded his handkerchief without taking a single glance at the commotion. Before the water dragons arrived, the illusionary realm fell apart, scattering flowers and birds. The rift in the clear sky sent the entire realm rocking violently. The fissure widened, revealing a pair of hands before Cang Ji’s face tore through it. There were cracking sounds as it broke apart. Cang Ji impatiently leaped down from the sky and bellowed through clenched teeth.

“Return him to me!”

Blocking the light with his folding fan, Dong Jun raised his head and shouted, “Not returning, not returning! I’ll cook and eat him today!”

Cang Ji landed in the pond, sending water droplets splashing all over. Dong Jun sensed a black shadow flashing before him. He unhurriedly tapped his fan on Cang Ji’s fist, as if stopping a wayward child from messing around. The wind grazed past the side of his body towards his back. He heard it smash into the edge of the pond, sending debris flying. Cang Ji was panting.

Dong Jun looked at his slightly indented fan and said, “I heard that you are very formidable. In that case, I’ll try you for myself.”

There was a heavy weight on Cang Ji’s fist and he sank into the pond before he could recover his senses. Dong Jun had only tapped lightly with his fan, and even so, it was as if Mount Tai⁵ was crushing him from above.

Cang Ji rose to his feet. Dong Jun gave him a kick and asserted, “How mediocre. How about this? However much Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy you have consumed, spit them all out today.”

Cang Ji was pinned down so hard he was almost ready to regurgitate the acid in his stomach. He heard Dong Jun say with a smile.

“I’m the most unreasonable person ever. We’ll take as much as you can vomit out. If you can’t puke it out, then we can only beat your ass off.”

The ground caved in an inch with every word Dong Jun uttered. He did not even need to brandish a staff and glower like Zui Shan Seng. All he did was to stand in such a laid-back way for Cang Ji to have a taste of how intimidating a “Deity Lord” should be. He looked up at Dong Jun from the water. That spiritual sea under that skin was like a boundless expanse. Jing Lin’s spiritual sea was inexhaustible, but it was never a revealing, frightening sight like this. Standing erect between the surging waves of Dong Jun’s spiritual energy was Dong Jun’s true form.

Dong Jun’s original form was as savage as his physical face was beautiful. His wrathful appearance was like a malignant deity, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it stood silently in his spiritual sea.

Cang Ji’s heartbeat stalled as his spiritual energy spun around crazily. His true form retreated out of his own accord in fear. Before he could let out a curse, he felt a sharp pain in his ears and plunged into deep water. He had only sunk less than a moment when he felt someone clinging to his back. Lips pressed against his lips, and the taste of blood gushed into Cang Ji’s mouth. With wisps of his hair blocking his face, Cang Ji backhandedly held down the back of Jing Lin’s head and forcefully swiped away that bit of blood. He took the lead over from Jing Lin, keeping it going.

Jing Lin’s hands and feet were icy as he reached out to grab Cang Ji’s hair, but Cang Ji was oblivious to it. He had been deeply stimulated by the earlier intimidation, and now, darker thoughts kept gushing out.

Devour him.

Devour him now!

Jing Lin felt Cang Ji’s grip tightened around his waist, making it hard for him to breathe. Cang Ji gulped, and Jing Lin felt as if his tongue was going to be sucked away and swallowed up by him! The water slid across his cheeks, giving Jing Lin the illusion that he was about to be eaten. Trapped in Cang Ji’s arms, it almost seemed as if Cang Ji was going to crush him and gobble him up.

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun dusted off his robe and saw Zui Shan Seng walking towards him as he dragged his staff behind him. He took out two fruits from his sleeve and threw one to Zui Shan Seng.

Zui Shan Seng caught hold of it and asked, “Where are they?”

“How am I going to answer that?” Dong Jun gnawed at the fruit. “They are probably alive now, and dead the next instant.”

“You know who he is already?”

“I had a guess initially, but I don’t think so now.” Dong Jun stroked his chin. “This man is both genuine and bogus. His act is so flawless he doesn’t reveal a thing. If you have a guess, he will imitate that person you think he is. This makes me uncertain. But that fish is intriguing. Who do you think that fish resembles? Forget it, you haven’t seen that person before.” He “crunched” the fruit core and chewed it between his teeth. “There’s a reverse scale⁶ on his throat, and he can devour all things—isn’t that the power of canglong?”

Without waiting for Zui Shan Seng to answer, he continued, “But he’s still a brocade carp at present. All I can say is that he has the aptitude to evolve into a dragon. Why fret over it? There’s no harm to let him off for a few days. Even if he turns into a scourge one day, he’s just a mere dragon and won’t be able to make any waves. Without a shifu to guide him, he’s too delusional if he thinks he can dominate the world just by devouring others.”

“We have to nip the source of trouble in the bud. You can’t even see through that man; how can I feel at ease to let him raise a creature of chaos?” Zui Shan Seng jolted Xiang Mo Staff. “I must catch them both.”

“Who says I can’t see through him?!” Dong Jun snorted. “Just wait…”

Before he could complete his sentence, he felt the tension in the air. Water erupted before him. In a flash, Cang Ji grabbed and swung Dong Jun by his lapels. The massive “thud” of a collision rang out as Dong Jun was flung onto the ground.

Cang Ji’s eyes were covered. Jing Lin was gasping for breath as he shielded both of Cang Ji’s eyes and leaned in close to Cang Ji’s ear to say, “He’s neither human nor demon. He uses his true form to confuse others. As long as you don’t look at him, he will have weaknesses you can exploit.”

Dong Jun chuckled as he lay on the ground and blinked his eyes.

“—I understand it now, my dear didi.”

一点生机，成此世界。A line from “What the Master Would Not Discuss” (子不語) is a collection of supernatural stories compiled by Qing Dynasty scholar and writer Yuan Mei.
“男欢女爱，无遮无碍。一点生机，成此世界。俗士无知，大惊小怪。”
Full translation at 1.3. 清凉老人 The Old Man Qing Liang [Link]

Essentially convert to religion, i.e. Buddhism here. To clarify, Zui Shan Seng can’t be a true monk yet because he still can’t let go of worldly desires, specifically “love”. His past will be revealed later in the novel.

The author uses the phrase “吃人嘴短”. The full proverb is 吃人嘴软, 拿人手短 Literally, “The mouth that eats the meals of others is softened; the hand that takes the gifts of others is shortened.” When people give you something out of the blue (e.g. a gift or a meal), they usually have something to ask of you. And since you have taken their gifts, it’d be harder for you to turn them down, so you (usually) end up doing them the favor. The closest modern adage to explain this is “there is no such thing as a free lunch”, that is, there is nothing people will let you take or eat (or drink) for free.

顷 Qing; unit of area equal to approximately 6.67 hectares for 1 Qing

泰山 Taishan, or Mount Tai, is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai’an, in Shandong province, China. It’s one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China.

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touched that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

Chapter 37: The Youth

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Jing Lin’s wet hair was spread out over his body. His lips had been bitten until the skin broke, but the blood had all been licked away. His complexion was pale. He cut such a sorry figure that he did not look like Lord Linsong at all. Dong Jun’s words did not move him, because he was certain that Dong Jun was only trying to unnerve him.

Dong Jun had taken a solid blow. The front of his outfit was wrinkled. When he saw Cang Ji stupefied after hearing Jing Lin’s words, he immediately struck a palm out between Cang Ji’s arms and watched as the latter retreated. With his eyes covered by Jing Lin, Cang Ji could only distinguish the directions with his ears. As soon as he landed on his feet, he dodged. Without waiting for Zui Shan Seng to strike with his staff, he took Jing Lin and leaped a few li¹ away.

“Neither human nor demon.” Cang Ji was burning hot all over. His abundance of spiritual energy made him impatient. He was itching to find the exit. Holding his breath, he dashed and asked, “Then what is he?!”

Jing Lin slipped down Cang Ji’s back. Cang Ji hauled him back up. He sank his head into the side of Cang Ji’s neck and said drowsily. “He was originally one of the evil spirits of the Blood Sea.”

“Evil spirit?” Cang Ji sprang into the forest and raised his voice. “He’s an evil spirit!”

“His true form is his original appearance.” The wind hurt Jing Lin’s lips. He released his hand and said, “This is the reason your true form retreated in alarm.”

It was also for this reason that a shock wave rippled through the Three Realms the day the Supreme Father appointed Dong Jun. If not for the Brahma Altar’s consent, this matter would still be up for discussion.

The moment Jing Lin finished his words, the air behind him tensed. He propped himself against Cang Ji’s shoulder and loosened his grip to slide down. Cang Ji stepped on the stone and caught hold of Jing Lin. Both of them spun around; they were already forced into the corner at the steep side of the mountain. Zui Shan Seng descended from the sky, and Xiang Mo Staff struck the ground. The mountain split. Cang Ji slipped and fell with Jing Lin in his arms.

Zui Shan Seng wanted to give chase, but the roots of the Mountain Deity broke through the ground and sealed off the cracks.

“You can’t even fend for yourself, and you still want to shield others.” Zui Shan Seng smashed his staff.

The vines of the Mountain Deity entangled with its roots, and the soil in the mountain disintegrated like flowing water. He did not seem to understand Zui Shan Seng’s words. He bundled up the ball of mud with Jing Lin and Cang Ji trapped inside into a dumpling and stuffed it under his body with its vines grasping them as it buried them. It looked as if he was eating them.

Zui Shan Seng furrowed his brows, but he did not move to take them down. He looked back from where he was standing and bellowed, “Come out!”

Dong Jun poked his head out. “What?”

“I asked you to help me take them down!” Zui Shan Seng said, “But you let them get away.”

“When did you ask me to help you? It’s clear you told me to investigate. I did investigate. I even set up an illusory realm. Not only do you not praise me, but you also blame me.” Dong Jun felt very wronged.

“That fish has already feared your true form. If you were willing to use your godly speed earlier, he wouldn’t be able to walk a single step away, let alone flee!” Zui Shan Seng was furious and itched to strike him with his staff.

“Will he spill it all out if you catch him?” Dong Jun turned and asked again, “Do you think this is something you and I can solve if you catch hold of him?”

Xiang Mo Staff was suddenly pointed at Dong Jun’s nose. Zui Shan Seng glowered at him. “You said, ‘I understand’. What have you understood?!”

Under the intimidating pressure of Xiang Mo Staff, Dong Jun raised a palm and answered frankly, “Nothing. I was just fooling him.” As he watched the color of Zui Shan Seng’s complexion change, he added, “I seem to understand a little now.”

Zui Shan Seng said, “So, do you understand or not?!”

“I understand. I understand.” Dong Jun said. “Even though he answered smoothly and it was hard to tell if his words were true or false, there’s still something strange about it. No matter who he should be, he shouldn’t be this weak. It’s always the fish who saved him the few times he was in danger. It’s truly bizarre. If he’s Jing Lin, he would have to reach the Great Accomplishment Stage in order to escape death. Since it’s the Great Accomplishment Stage, how would we be able to catch him? Even if I reveal my true form, I might not defeat him. However, his actions are frivolous, he doesn’t reveal his real face, and he had also deliberately passed himself off as Lord Linsong. It’s just that…”

“Just that?”

Dong Jun said, “It sounds really nice when he calls me gege.”

“Don’t digress! What do we do now?” Zui Shan Seng looked at the Mountain Deity. “We can’t kill him or get rid of him. Don’t tell me we have to leave him here?”

“Weren’t you yelling about capturing him and taking him back? I want to see how you’re going to capture him.” Dong Jun said. “The mountains here are all his body. You have to hoist them all back to Zhuihun prison for it to count as a ‘capture’.”

Even if he was Zui Shan Seng, he could not hoist the mountains to Heaven.

“I sought a pardon for him because I thought he was compassionate towards the children. Plus, we can also consider it as subduing an evil. However, if we indulge him and let him be, we may have trouble again in the future. In that case, it is better to help him with his tribulations and ascension.” Dong Jun said.

“You want to make him a deity?” Zui Shan Seng was astounded. “Stop joking! We have to report this to Ninth Heaven first and let the Lord…”

Dong Jun said casually, “I’ll tell him later. It’s not a big deal if it’s just a mere deity-in-charge.”

Zui Shan Seng hesitated and endured it for a moment before he leaned over to Dong Jun’s ear and whispered. “If you act first and report later, the Lord will not be happy.”

Dong Jun whispered back. “When have you ever seen him happy before? Don’t worry about it; he’s my brother.”

Zui Shan Seng spoke no further when he sawDong Jun’s insistence. However, after being led around in two circles, he forgot to ask how he should deal with those two men who had been swallowed up by the Mountain Deity. When he finally remembered later on, he could no longer find Dong Jun and had lost all traces of Jing Lin and Cang Ji.

Dong Jun had smilingly coaxed Zui Shan Seng until the latter’s mind was in a muddle, but throughout it all, the hand that had touched Cang Ji had remained behind him. Zui Shan Seng was unaware of the half-exposed white bones on that hand, with its skin and flesh burned and melted away.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin propped himself up on the ground to regain his composure. Beside him, Cang Ji had curled up into a ball like a brocade carp chasing its tail. He had devoured too much, and Dong Jun’s ferocious appearance had intimidated him. This made it hard for him to maintain his human form, so he had to change back to his original form to digest. Jing Lin collapsed to one side and listened to the sound of roots digging into the soil. It dawned on him that they were trapped in the confined intersection of roots and mud. Not only were they sinking deeper, but it was also getting darker.

Jing Lin’s body felt heavy, while his arms felt light. He wrapped his arms around Cang Ji; it was as if he was cradling a pool of water between his arms. The brocade carp slid into his arms and remained still. Jing Lin fell into a slumber, embracing an expanse of water. Water droplets dripped off the Mountain Deity’s vines. Jing Lin felt as if he had also turned into a fish trapped in warm water. The more he soaked, the dizzier he felt. Dong Jun’s words echoed in his ears.

“Among the brothers, he was the most unlikable.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji felt nauseous by the swinging of the copper bell. As he sprawled over the desk, he saw a youth in a white robe and a silver crown passing by with a sword. His stomach was busily churning at this point in time, yet he still found this lad familiar.

Isn’t this Jing Lin?!

Cang Ji rolled off the desk and stepped on the window to lean out for a look. He said, “Why are you so…”

The sunlight was glaring. Cang Ji squinted his eyes to observe. Jing Lin’s face was young, and he was a lot shorter than he was now. He only reached Cang Ji’s chest. Cang Ji guessed that the memory this time was none other than Jing Lin’s.

The youth, Jing Lin, cut an elegant figure in his white robe. When he reached the foot of the steps, he removed his sword and kneeled on one knee. Cang Ji got his wish to hear his childish voice.

“Father.” With one of his arms on his knee, the youth, Jing Lin, bowed his head and reported, “I’m back.”

Several people came out of the hall atop the stairs, and Jing Lin’s brothers, who were similarly dressed in white robes and silver crowns, split up to stand at both sides. The man in a dark purple robe in the middle came down the steps with steady strides and personally helped Jing Lin up.

“How did the trip go?”

The youth, Jing Lin, replied. “It went fine.”

The man then asked with concern, “Were you hurt?”

The youth, Jing Lin, paused for a moment and said, “Never.”

The man then patted his shoulder and commended him. “Father has been waiting for you for a long time. Let your various brothers entertain you with a welcome back dinner.² Your merit is immeasurable this trip south! If there’s anything you desire, just tell me.”

There was silence on both sides. Each of their expressions was unreadable.

Cang Ji found it strange. Even though he did not have brothers and did not understand the beauty of reunion, he also knew that this was not how the atmosphere should be like when brothers reunited.

Only the two lads on the direct left and right side of the man came forward. One of them was dashing and radiating with vigor. He raised a hand to grasp Jing Lin’s arm and threw him a private smile.

“I predicted that you would be home any time now.” He said a little smugly. “Yun Sheng said you’ll take longer.”

“I didn’t know you’d move this fast. As long as you’re back.” The other one looked delicate and pretty, giving one the impression of spring breeze. Cang Ji never thought that this lad would later go on to be Lord Chengtian, Yun Sheng.

They led the youth, Jing Lin, into the chamber. A head popped out from behind the screen.³ A little girl with glittering black eyes waved to Jing Lin from a distance away.

“Qingyao mustn’t cry anymore.” Li Rong said, “Your Jiu Ge is finally back.”

Qingyao covered her ears and said, “I’m not listening. Si Ge’s⁴ chanting sutras!”

Feeling his heart softening, Cang Ji clutched his chest and froze. However, it hit him right away that this feeling was not his, but Jing Lin’s. In the past, they had also accessed other people’s dreams, but they had never shared the feelings of the dreamer. Finding this novel, Cang Ji pressed his chest.

This must be the younger sister Jing Lin mentioned.

Cang Ji touched the tip of his nose. This was not quite what he expected. Although there was some awkwardness around the table, it could still be considered harmonious. If that was how it was, then he could not figure it out.

Why did Jing Lin kill the Supreme Father?

The side profile of the youth, Jing Lin, was much more immature than it was at present. He was so quiet it was as if he was a soul drifting in the sky. Cang Ji could tell from his silence that his mind was elsewhere. He only answered the questions the Supreme Father asked. He never bantered with his brothers nor looked at them.

The meal went faster than expected. Yun Sheng and Li Rong sent the young Jing Lin back to his residence and stood in the courtyard to speak for a moment. Cang Ji saw the gingko above Jing Lin’s head hanging down onto his hair. Jing Lin grasped it with a mild smile. There was some change in him now; he was a lot more relaxed now than he was during the banquet.

His voice remained the same, but his tone was now a little lighter. “Although there are many demons down south, they are all minor demons. To make headway, elder brothers should head north.”

“We will swap around the upcoming month. You’ll supervise the studies at home, while I’ll make a trip to the north for a look.” Li Rong was taller than both of them, and his strength was faintly evident in his arms. He said, “The phoenix lies under Can Li Tree in the north, while the dragon wanders among the sea and clouds. Father wants to join forces with both of them to battle the Blood Sea. I’ll sound them out.”

“The phoenix is fine, but that dragon.” Yun Sheng said in a mild tone. “I’ve heard he’s arrogant and wild. I’m afraid he would be hard to deal with.”

“The east has now fallen into enemy hands, and the Blood Sea is pressing in on us. No matter what, we ought to notify him.” Li Rong said. “If it doesn’t go the way we want, then forget it.”

The youth, Jing Lin, twirled the gingko with his fingers and said, “If it doesn’t work, I’ll go.”

“What’s the hurry?” Li Rong patted Jing Lin on the back and looked at him and said, “Father hasn’t said anything yet, so you’ll just stay and wait at home. I have already discussed with them this time. They won’t make things difficult for you again.”

“You should smile more at them.” Yun Sheng said, “As brothers, we shouldn’t be so distant with each other. Even if the bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons.⁵ The situation now is getting more dangerous. It’s better for us to stabilize our familial relations.”

The youth, Jing Lin, nodded his head and said nothing. The two of them then left together. Cang Ji followed Jing Lin into his chamber. It was cold and cheerless. How very boring. He lay on Jing Lin’s bed and propped his head up with a hand to watch Jing Lin take off his sword, loosen his garment, and carried water into the bath bucket⁶ himself.

Cang Ji picked up the gingko that Jing Lin was holding earlier and smiled. “As expected, he’s still the same. Even his habit of taking a bath has never changed.”

Jing Lin filled the bucket with cold water and sat on the edge of the bed. With one eye closed, Cang Ji watched as the youth with his back to him shed his clothes. A body eighteen or nineteen of age was tempting. Other than eating it raw, frying it also seemed to be a good idea. Cang Ji watched on as that white robe slid to the ground, exposing the wounds on his back.

Those intersecting wounds of various sizes and depth revealed how it had not been easy to travel while bearing a sword. What had he said about “never”? When Jing Lin tore off the gauze, new wounds overlapped the old like a hauntingly beautiful pattern on white satin.

Cang Ji’s throat was dry. He could not help but turned to get up. He watched as Jing Lin doused himself with cold water and wiped himself with familiarity without even using a mirror. The blood droplet trickled down and dripped into his slightly concave back dimple right before Cang Ji’s eyes. It was as if Cang Ji could hear the intriguing sound of the drop of blood sliding down. Carrying with it enough power to kill a man, it gently and delicately slid into the dent that could accommodate the caress of his thumb.

Desire.

Cang Ji recited the words silently. It was as if he did not recognize it. Yet it also felt as if he was well acquainted with it.

The youth, Jing Lin, was still wearing the crown. He abruptly looked back with a freezing gaze. Cang Ji met his eyes and pressed the tip of his tongue against his teeth.

A laugh escaped his throat as he repeated in a low voice.

“This is the desire you’ve taught me.”

As if he had learned something, Cang Ji lay back on the bed and laughed on and on. He turned over to look at Jing Lin again, feeling as if the young man was caged in light. It was as if Jing Lin was both within and out of his reach. Even though Jing Lin’s expression and gaze were frosty, Cang Ji still somehow felt that his heart was soft and tender.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m.

接风洗尘, literally ‘to welcome the wind and wash the dust off’. i.e. to welcome someone (usually who come or return from afar) and relieve their tiredness with a meal, wine, or other forms of leisure.

屏风, a single screen or folding screen that typically serves as a partition, e.g., before the bed and so on.

四哥 Fourth (Older) Brother

打断骨头还连着筋 literally, broken bones are still connected by tendons. Even if there are conflicts or disagreements, blood is still thicker than water, and they are still family after all.

In the old days, people used a big wooden bucket or basin as a bathtub for bathing.

Chapter 38: The Pain of Separation

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

However, the upsurge of desire never found a release, because Cang Ji heard the copper bell swinging urgently, telling him to leave. It was as if the bell was absorbing his divine consciousness. The backtracking scene shattered, and in a blink of an eye, Cang Ji sank into his own spiritual sea. The brocade carp had swelled to double its size at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a deep dark color had crept upon its original color of golden red. The surface of its scales was slightly protruding and sharp. It no longer looked like a brocade carp at a glance.

Cang Ji transformed into human form. His arm extended out from the side of Jing Lin’s waist as his neck adhered to Jing Lin’s cheek. His shoulders seemed to have become broader. By the time his legs fully appeared, he could already hide Jing Lin in his arms. In the dark, the demon constructed a new human body. It was just as he had wished back then. He had become taller, far surpassing Jing Lin.

Cang Ji opened his eyes. He could hear the chirping of insects a few li¹ away. Those tiny things that were once invisible were now magnified, clear, and visible. The heat current in Cang Ji’s body underwent a change as his spiritual energy converged in his limbs and body; he could now use them as he wished.

He moved a little and realized that he was wrapped in a cocoon of vines and mud. The Mountain Deity’s hum lingered. Cang Ji felt around his bosom. Jing Lin was icy cold all over; he was still asleep.

Cang Ji said, “Thanks.”

The ball of mud opened slightly and sunlight penetrated through it. Cang Ji squinted and rose to his feet, pulling off the roots of the vines. He looked out amidst the waves of dust. He thought he would come face to face with a monster Mountain Deity. He did not expect to see a human face on a body of vines.

Cang Ji broke free of the mud. The surrounding grasses reached his knees. Flowers bloomed on thousands of branches in the mountains, washing the mountains in a sea of purplish pink. Birds and beasts ran among them in a relaxed and free manner. Fanshu sat atop the vines, while the little wild ghosts frolicked on the ground in contentment. The low humming and whisperings of the Mountain Deity formed a peculiar tune. He let the children run around him as he dragged his massive body and sat among the grasses to weave garlands with his vines.

Fanshu swung his tail and hopped off the vines. He circled around Cang Ji and said, “Why are you still alive? You have slept for many days.”

Cang Ji asked, “How long?”

Fanshu sat in the grass and twitched his ears. He said, “The Grain Rain² has passed. It’s now the start of summer.³”

Cang Ji took the new clothes and draped them over himself to cover himself up. He was not concerned about the time; instead, he asked, “Where are those two immortals?”

“They left.” Fanshu said, “The one who’s pretty said Mother will live here from now on. Only that she cannot kill for no reason, and she must report to that whatever division and follow its rules.”

It’s that easy to get rid of Dong Jun? 

Cang Ji asked again, “And where did Gu Shen go?”

Fanshu rolled on the ground, rubbing his fur against the grasses. He raised his claws and said, “Gone.” He tilted his head. “He said he has found his mother. But he left crying… Where are you going?”

Cang Ji picked Jing Lin up on his back and leaped through the mountains as he stepped on branches, making a dash for it.

He was wondering why he had dreamed of Jing Lin’s past. So that bell was simply trying to delay them. When he woke up, that chap had run off again!

Cang Ji could not take it lying down, but he found that his body seemed lighter when he soared through the air. Not only that, his senses had become more acute. When he swept through the vast sea of flowers, he even had an impulse to plunge into it and swim. Cang Ji landed abruptly on the ground. The wind rose in a swirl around him as countless fragments of flowers fell from the impact and drifted through the air.

Cang Ji walked down the descending mountain path through the forest, with layers of flowers cushioning his soles. He had not even taken two steps when he felt the arm around his neck tightened. That was how he knew the man on his back had woken up.

“I could tell from Gu Shen’s scent that he’s still here.” Cang Ji said. “Can you still sense the copper bell?”

Jing Lin’s nose twitched. Flower petals hit him in the face, and he could not help but sneeze. He buried his head into Cang Ji’s back and said in a hoarse voice, “I can’t.”

Even though Jing Lin buried his head, he still felt as if the petals were everywhere. He sneezed repeatedly. Then, there was a weight on his head as he was covered with a garment.

Jing Lin’s eyes were half-opened. Speckles of sunlight piercing through the swaying flower branches fell onto his garment, leaving residues of heat on his cheeks. He rested his head on Cang Ji’s back and said, “You’ve gotten bigger.”

“I’ve eaten my fill. Naturally, I’ll grow.” Cang Ji recalled the height of the youth, Jing Lin, and said, “I’m so much taller than you.”

“Although you have made some headway with your cultivation, your use of it is way too haphazard.” Jing Lin said.

“It’s all good if I can find a shifu.” Cang Ji jerked him up his back and said, “I’ve even encountered Dong Jun now, there’s no way an ordinary person can be my shifu.”

Jing Lin asked, “Since when have you ever met an ordinary person?”

“That’s true.” Cang Ji added, “The copper bell has fled again. Where should we go next to look for it?”

“I don’t know.” Jing Lin sighed. “Let’s go… and take a look at Gu Shen.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Although Gu Shen had descended the mountain, he had yet to leave. He built a simple courtyard at the foot of the mountain and moved in there. Every night, he could observe from the fence in the courtyard and watch as the Mountain Deity conducted his nightly patrols.

On seeing that bamboo fence and thatched cottage, Cang Ji had a sense of déjà vu. Jing Lin knocked on the door, and Gu Shen answered. He actually looked surprised to see both of them.

Jing Lin said, “A farewell is imminent. We would like to ask for a bowl of water.”

Gu Shen led them to the courtyard and sat around the table under the newly planted tree. Gu Shen poured plain tea and uttered a “please” to them.

“Where are you heading for?” Gu Shen said, “I saw that deity flying into a rage that day. He probably fears you.”

“We have nowhere in mind for the moment.” Jing Lin sipped the tea and asked, “Is Your Honor intending to reside here permanently?”

Gu Shen said, “I originally came to look for my home, but I can no longer carry on now.”

“I heard you mentioned having found your mother.” Jing Lin pointed leisurely to the mountains. “Is that the one?”

“Yes, and no.” Gu Shen rubbed his calloused palms against his cheeks and said, “I didn’t know who he is initially. But I figured it out when Fanshu asked me a question that night.”

“A question?”

Gu Shen said, “He asked me, ‘Who is Chuanzi; why did Mother keep reciting this name?’. My mother came all the way here from thousands of li away. She probably thought I was held captive inside and tried ways and means to enter and save me. But once someone enters that city, they could never exit again. She cried until she went blind. Furthermore, she was worried about my father who was holding up the fort alone at home. After a long time, she…” He said with difficulty. “… couldn’t remember much anymore. There were too many people who lost their lives in this city. Their grievances were buried in the mountains, while the plants and trees wept. That was how they congregated into what we now know as the Mountain Deity. The Mountain Deity wiped out the city and buried the people. Although he has no divine intelligence, thousands of motherly hearts exist in him. He wanders among the mountains at night, searching for his lost children. Though I have found my way here, my appearance has changed. What she’s⁴ looking for is her child Chuanzi, not the present Gu Shen.”

“So, you have made up your mind to keep watch here?” Cang Ji said. “You know that she has been fused into the Mountain Deity; she has a lifespan of thousands of years. She will remain and stand guard here forever, searching day and night for a child named ‘Chuanzi’. In just a few more decades, it’ll be your time to meet your maker. Once you’ve passed Li Jin, you will be reincarnated and forget all about this life. But, she will still be here. The moment both of you were separated from each other, you were doomed to never see each other again. It will change nothing even if you remain here.”

With a hand on the tree, Gu Shen gazed at it and said, “Even if she doesn’t recognize me, even if it’s just a few decades, I still want to stay together with her.”

Cang Ji finished his tea and said, “As expected, I don’t understand humans.”

Gu Shen said, “If you want to be human, you must understand the hardships of being one. Because there are eight hardships in life: birth, old age, illness, death, partings of loved ones, encounters with hated ones, unfulfillment, and the inability to let go. Just look at Dong Lin. His entire life has been all about death, and he was dogged by separations, yet he still fell in love. It can be seen that these eight hardships are distinguishable from one another, and yet they are not. If you ask me, I’d advise you not to become human but remain a demon forever.”

“I never wanted to be a human. Since there is no pleasure in being a human, it’s better to remain a fish forever. I find it terrifying when I see you people abandon yourselves to it without cognizance of those deep feelings.” Leaning his chair back, Cang Ji swept his eyes across Jing Lin and said, “Humans are selfish and greedy creatures, sinking to such depths for love. They are worse than beasts, yet they can die for justice. Although they are all humans, every one of them is different.”

“The hearts of men differ, so each of them is different.” At the end, Gu Shen poured tea for them and said, “Today, I’ll substitute the wine with tea. Here’s wishing you both a smooth voyage. May your wishes be fulfilled.”

With the tea drunk, it was time for the three of them to part.

Jing Lin and Cang Ji stepped out of the door, while Gu Shen stood before it. He waited until they were a distance away before he spoke. “I know that partings are a thing aplenty in the human world,⁵ but I still have a question for Heaven. My mother and I, my father and I, the thousands of people who lost their families and children and I… exactly what sin have we committed in this life that we have to suffer the pain of separation?”

White hair had already started showing at the man’s temples. He posed his question in a daze. The tears had started to flow.

“We are all common folks. We have neither committed atrocities nor have we belittled human lives. Why make us suffer such anguish? Although everyone is different, they are all born of flesh. Why go to such lengths to do such a heartless thing to us?” Gu Shen supported himself against the doorframe with a hand and tightened his grip on it. He continued, “I have searched for all my life, but all I have to show for it in the end is still the word ‘separation’. If I make my way to the underworld, I hope that I won’t be a human my next life. Even being a tree would be better than the parting of flesh and blood and the separation of closest kins.”

Jing Lin looked back and saw Gu Shen’s body gradually stooped over. He stayed his feet for a long time without saying a word. Cang Ji tilted his head to look at him and finally heard him say.

“… This is how life is.”

The flowers in the wind among the mountains filled Jing Lin’s robe. His hair fluttered for a split second, and his side profile looked stumped. In that instant, Cang Ji seemed to see him as a youth again—alone with his sword, reticent, and yet with still a trace of warmth. But when he looked again, he realized that Jing Lin was already moving on.

“Where are we going?” Cang Ji caught up with him and turned his head to blow away the petals on the tip of Jing Lin’s ear. Jing Lin cast a sidelong glance at him and covered his ears. Cang Ji had already noticed it. He laughed and asked, “It will go red after just a blow? Why didn’t it go red previously?”

Jing Lin said, “It’s not red.”

“Put your fingers down and let me see.” Cang Ji placed his hands behind his head and said, “This is really strange. Why have you become smaller again?”

Jing Lin was now shorter by Cang Ji by a head. He looked frail walking next to Cang Ji. He had hardly changed since his youth, except that his features were more developed and the childishness in his features had evened out.

Cang Ji held on to Jing Lin’s shoulder and said, “I don’t know why.” He lowered his eyes to look at Jing Lin’s hair. “But I actually think this height is the most appropriate. I used to think that there was something off when I looked at you in the past. But now, looking at you like this, I think it’s just right. It’s as if this is the way it should be.”

Jing Lin’s body was slightly askew as Cang Ji held on to him. He took a wrong step and stepped on Cang Ji. The little stone figure fell out of his sleeve and kicked Cang Ji’s ankle, then waved its arms to gesture to him to walk normally. Cang Ji bent his foot, ready to give it a light kick and send it tumbling. He did not expect Jing Lin to grab the front of his outfit and pulled it open. The little stone figure climbed up along his leg and pounded its fists hard on Cang Ji’s chest.

Cang Ji did not find it painful, only ticklish. He raised his hand to pick up the stone figure and said to Jing Lin, “This lad is not reliable at all. Every time there’s danger, he will shrink back and hide. He only knows how to bully me. What’s the point of keeping him? I’m discarding him.”

The stone figure swiftly latched on to Cang Ji’s arm with its limbs. Cang Ji flung his hand, intending to throw it when he suddenly heard it and Jing Lin say in unison. “No!”

Cang Ji clutched the back of the stone figure’s neck and swung it before his eyes. “So you can talk!”

The stone figure covered its mouth and shook its head, pedaling its legs.

Cang Ji gave a cold laugh. “You deceived me for so long.”

Before the stone figure could deny it, Cang Ji turned it upside down. It stretched its arms out in the air, giddy from being swung around. Cang Ji was about to speak when there was a “thud” behind him. Jing Lin had bumped into his back as if he was dizzy too.

The collision jolted Cang Ji’s mind. He blurted out, “Your voice.” He asked suspiciously. “Why does it sound like Jing Lin’s?”

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m.

谷雨 Guyu, or Grain Rain. The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into twenty-four solar terms (six per season). Grain Rain, as the last solar term in Spring, starts on April 20 and ends on May 5. You can read more here

立夏 Lixia, or the Beginning of Summer, is the seventh solar term in the twenty-four solar terms in the lunar calendar. It is also the first solar term in summer, signifying the beginning of the hot summer. You can read more here

In case anyone’s still confused about the pronouns, the Mountain Deity, a creature born out of the multitude of mothers’ grievances, (and the essences of the mountains and plants, etc, etc) is referred to as a “he” by non-involved people like Dong Jun, Zui Shan Seng, etc. But to people like Fanshu, Gu Shen, and the others whose ‘mothers’ (or their grievances) are part of the creature, the Mountain Deity is also a “she”. In short, collectively as a deity, he’s a “he”. But individually to each of the lost child like Gu Shen and Fanshu, he’s also a “she”, their mothers who still lives on in/as the Deity.

人间离别易多时 a line from the poem 《江梅引·人间离别易多时》 by Jiang Kui (姜夔), a famous Chinese poet, composer, poetry theorist and calligrapher of the Song Dynasty, particularly famed for his ci (song lyric poetry).

Full Poem
丙辰之冬，予留梁溪，将诣淮南不得，因梦思以述志。
人间离别易多时。见梅枝，忽相思。几度小窗幽梦手同携。今夜梦中无觅处，漫徘徊，寒侵被，尚未知。
湿红恨墨浅封题。宝筝空，无雁飞。俊游巷陌，算空有、古木斜晖。旧约扁舟，心事已成非。歌罢淮南春草赋，又
萋萋。漂零客，泪满衣。

Chapter 39: Right or Wrong

NOVEMBER 13, 2019

The little stone figure did not reply to him and simply closed its eyes and stayed still with its arms hanging at its sides. No matter how Cang Ji shook it, it ignored him. Left with no choice, Cang Ji gave up and turned back to look at Jing Lin.

Cang Ji asked, “Was it originally able to speak?”

Jing Lin’s dizziness had passed. He replied in an even tone, “Perhaps.”

Cang Ji stuffed the little stone figure into his sleeve and stepped back to size Jing Lin up. He asked, “It couldn’t be your double,¹ could it?”

Jing Lin was unaffected and calm. “If you think it is, then it is.”

On the contrary, Cang Ji was uncertain. Because the little stone figure and he could be considered comrade-in-arms. Not only had they plucked A-Yi’s feathers together, but they had also even joined forces to help him gnaw on Jing Lin’s fingers during the fight with Hai Jiao Zong Yin… They had been up to so many misdeeds that Cang Ji could not transpose Jing Lin’s face over the stone figure. But he inexplicably felt guilty, so he scrutinized Jing Lin for a moment.

The summer heat had just made its first showing, but Jing Lin never sweated even as he stood under the sun. He said, “The copper bell is heading west. We are walking in the opposite direction.”

Cang Ji’s doubts had yet to be cleared when Jing Lin raised his hand to lead him by the arm towards the other side. Cang Ji kept on walking and seized the chance to ask, “If it’s really your double, then you’ve been using it to watch me day and night. Hey, don’t tell me you intend to eat me too?”

An unperturbed Jing Lin replied, “Yeah.”

Cang Ji asked. “You’ve plenty of chances all this time, but I’ve never seen you make a move. Why is that?”

Jing Lin said, “Old men’s teeth are too feeble to gnaw on you.”

Cang Ji grasped him back and asked menacingly. “Are you deceiving me?”

Who would expect Jing Lin to reply as usual? “Yeah.”

Flummoxed by Jing Lin, Cang Ji decided not to ask him again, because he could not distinguish the truth from the lies in his words. Yet Jing Lin was such an old hand at teasing the fish that he could not stop himself.

♦     ♦     ♦

Both of them left the mountains in the north and traveled all the way west. Along the way, they passed through the famous spots in Zhongdu as they headed up the river. Although Cang Ji was a valiant general in the water,² he had such motion sickness on the boat that he had bouts of vomiting and diarrhea.

Cang Ji collapsed on the couch³ with his arm hanging to the ground. Uncertain if he had fallen asleep, the hired servant from the boat carried the basin to his side and wiped the sweat from his nape.

Cang Ji asked in a muffled voice, “Where is he?”

The little servant was young, but he was quick-witted. Upon hearing this question, he immediately understood who Cang Ji was asking about. He cleaned the handkerchief and answered, “The young master has gone to ‘Ting Yuan Fang’. Before he left, he instructed me not to prepare dinner. I’m afraid he’ll only be back at night.”

Cang Ji retracted his arm and rolled over to lie on his back. He said, “How heartless. I’m half dead here, and yet he still went to have fun with others. He wouldn’t even return home!”⁴

The little servant said hurriedly, “The young master had sent someone to reserve porridge for you so you can have it at your convenience.”

Cang Ji sneered. “He wants to dismiss me with a few pots of porridge.” He rolled up the quilt and sat up, “What does one do at ‘Ting Yuan Fang’? Drink wine? Sip tea?”

The young servant stammered.

Cang Ji propped himself up and stared at him with cold eyes. “Don’t deceive me.”

The young servant broke out in a cold sweat and said, “It’s the pleasure boat of Xijiang’s courtesan,⁵ You Xiangwan. Every spring and summer, Ting Yuan Fang would sail on the river. Renowned scholars from all over would be invited for a literary meet. It was grand every year, and common folks were barred from entering. Although this Lady You was born in a brothel, she’s talented. Those qualified enough to be her guests are mostly famous scholars and talents from all over the world. I’ve seen them paying repeated visits to the boat. Lady You must have picked the young master out when she passed by the boat.”

Cang Ji was about to open his mouth when he felt dizzy. Even if he did not know what a courtesan was, he could still more or less guess.

When the servant saw this, he said out of consideration. “The young master said that you are too sick to venture out. All you need to do is to wait for him to return. If you want to leave the boat to take a breather, you have to eat the porridge first.”

Cang Ji’s stomach churned as soon as he heard the word “porridge”. He waved the servant out. The servant had only waited for a moment outside the door when he heard Cang Ji talking to someone.

Cang Ji pinched the little stone figure’s cheeks and said, “Speak! What is he busy with these days? I thought he went to catch the bell. It turns out he went to look for women.”

The stone figure had been a lot more obedient ever since that day onwards. It sat on the couch and let Cang Ji pinched it. Anyway, stones were sturdy. It was not afraid of being pinched.

Cang Ji asked again, “Why is he looking for women?”

The little stone figure blinked, looking as if it had no idea.

All of a sudden, Cang Ji was affable. He patted the little stone figure and drew it nearer to the tip of his nose. He said, “Although we are buddies, we have never been on intimate terms before. Now that Jing Lin is not around today, we might as well make use of the chance to get close to each other. Your clothes are almost tattered. Why don’t we change it?”

On seeing the change in Cang Ji’s expression, the little stone figure knew that things did not bode well for it, so it turned around and got to its feet to make its escape. Before it could jump off the bed, Cang Ji picked it up by the back of its collar and hauled it back. He rubbed his palms, wanting to strip it. The stone figure would rather die than yield. Cang Ji hooked away its waist belt with a finger. It tugged at its inner garment and raised its arms to cover its face. It actually looked as if it was about to cry between Cang Ji’s palms.

Cang Ji flicked a finger at its grass crown and said, “I doubt you’re Jing Lin.”

How would Jing Lin make this kind of expression? It looked so pitiful.

The stone figure seemed to be wiping away its tears. Cang Ji moved his head closer and said, “Just teasing you…”

Before he could finish speaking, the little stone figure raised its hand to punch him, catching an already seasick Cang Ji off guard. As the world blurred before him, he dimly saw the stone figure slowly fastening its belt and straightening its back as it sat up.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin held the cup for a moment. The maidservant at his side urged him to drink the wine. Jing Lin placed the cup down. He swept his gaze through the various people, finally finding a reserved young man dressed in a blue robe among the crowd of chattering courtesans.

“May I ask,” Noble Young Master Jing Lin shifted his peach blossom eyes,⁶ sending a light wave of ripple across the maidservant’s face. “Who is that?”

Even if the maid was used to seeing various countenances, she was defenseless against such a marvelous face. She moved her knees slightly and whispered to Jing Lin, “To reply Young Master, that’s His Honor Chu from Dongxiang. His first name is a single character of Lun. He’s the new top scholar on this year’s list. Lord Chu has been well-known in Dongxiang ever since he was young. His essay⁷ was lauded by the Emperor to be a splendid piece. He’s the new Hanlin⁸ upstart this year.”

Jing Lin pondered for a moment as he tapped his slender fingers on the edge of the table. He smiled. “Tonight, the “Double Yuan”⁹ gather and dazzle. But since Lord Chu is here, I probably won’t get to see Xiangwan tonight.”

The maidservant responded with a smile. “Young Master, why belittle yourself? The Lady has been waiting for you for days.”

A pity Jing Lin only had eyes for Chu Lun. With his acute sense of hearing, he could hear the copper bell swinging along with the movements of the man. He was just about to pay closer attention when he felt a heat in his left ear.

Cang Ji seemed to be speaking into his ear. “Lead the way. We are going to look for Jing Lin. If you can find him, I’ll let bygones be bygones.”

“If Young Master feels warm, I can lead you outside to get some fresh air.” The maidservant saw that Jing Lin’s ears were red as if he was feeling hot.

Jing Lin turned her down and rose to his feet to drink the wine. Then, he refilled the cup and walked over to Chu Lun.

This new top scholar was not like what he had heard; he was even a little timid and shy. The young man sat upright, with his back as straight as an arrow. Somehow, that posture looked uncomfortable. He still did not know how to refuse a toast, and now he had drunk so much that both his cheeks were flushed.

Jing Lin made his way before Chu Lun. Unexpectedly, Chu Lun looked terrified when he saw Jing Lin. With his figure under the shadows, Jing Lin furrowed his eyebrows.

Chu Lun went weak in the knees when he saw Jing Lin frowned. He even jerked back, knocking the seat over to its side. He looked at Jing Lin with increasing panic. Then, for some reason, he covered his face with his sleeves and said in a fluster, “The, the wine has gotten to my head, so, so, so, I’ll take my leave!”

Jing Lin set aside his wine cup on the table and said, “Your Honor looks pale.”

“I, I’ve caught a slight chill outside earlier.” Chu Lun was scared out of his wits by Jing Lin. He pulled the maidservant beside him and pleaded with her in an almost sobbing tone. “May, may I trouble this lady to lead, lead, lead me…”

Jing Lin reached a hand out and said, “I’m willing to lead Your Honor.”

Chu Lun was so terrified he hiccuped. He said, “I, I, I wouldn’t dare!”

With that, he clambered off and fled. The others merely laughed at him for being drunk as a bunch of maidservants crowded around him to lend him a hand. Chu Lun resented not being able to extract himself from the crowd. He flailed around and struggled like a drowning landlubber. All that was left for him to do was to yell “let me out”!

Jing Lin placed a firm hand on Chu Lun’s shoulder and soothed him, “Stay calm, Your Honor. I’ll lead you.”

At this touch, Chu Lun unexpectedly plopped to the ground. He pointed at Jing Lin with his teeth chattering. Then, as if realizing he was being impetuous, he bit his finger. Tears streamed down his face.

“Lord, Lord, Lord…” Chu Lun cried. “Please spare me!”

Jing Lin’s expression was unreadable. The maidservants snickered. On hearing the din, You Xiangwan came out, helped up Chu Lun and said in a gentle tone, “Your Honor is drunk. This is Young Master Jing of Donghai.”¹⁰

Chu Lun looked as if he was about to hide under You Xiangwan’s sleeves. He was so scared that he was inarticulate and incoherent. “He’s Lin, Lin, Lin, Lin…”

Chu Lun did not dare to say his name out, so he simply hugged his head and wailed. Everyone at the banquet found him comical and absurd. Who knew that he was tottering on the boundary between life and death? One careless move, and he would be consigned to eternal damnation with no hope of reprieve.

Jing Lin wanted to make his move. He did not expect the sheer fabric in the banquet hall to flutter in the wind as someone pounced inside. Jing Lin was weighed down from the back as someone hugged him from behind. Chu Lun grabbed the opportunity to flip over the railing and throw himself into the water.

Jing Lin staggered as he leaned close to the edge. He said, “Release me!”

Cang Ji clasped him tightly and said in a fierce voice, “Where are you running off to again?”

Before he could finish his words, Cang Ji felt Jing Lin’s body toppling over. He turned and took a stride to move him back. But because he felt nauseated from the rocking, he stepped onto the empty air instead and splashed into the water with Jing Lin. Cries of alarm rang out from the boat as the women’s chaotic shouts reverberated along with the water ripples.

Cang Ji felt comfortable all over the moment he went into the water. He caught hold of Jing Lin and swam away from the boat, emerging from the water at a secluded spot. Both of them were thoroughly drenched. Hugging Jing Lin, he waded through the water to a shallow spot. But instead of going ashore, he cornered Jing Lin in the water under the dense weeping willows.

“No more than ten mutual steps away.” Cang Ji wrapped the luminous thread around Jing Lin’s wrist several times and pulled his hand before him. “And yet you want to elope with another man?”

The river was so cold Jing Lin’s face turned white. He said, “The copper bell is nearby, but you let it away.”

Cang Ji said, “Then let it go. You can’t run from me.”

Jing Lin pursed his thin, cold lips and stared at Cang Ji. Then he suddenly pinched Cang Ji’s chin with two fingers and pulled it down towards him.

“If I wanted to run, I’ll stew you first. After puking for several days, did you even puke your brains out somewhere? If you are still not sober yet, then I’ll help you.”

Cang Ji was subdued by his frosty voice. He clasped Jing Lin’s wrist and said, “There are countless major demons here. Every one of them can smell you! Before you have time to flee, they would have already butchered you. And you still dare to rave given your current state?”

Cang Ji grasped Jing Lin so hard that Jing Lin’s wrist hurt. Both of them faced off each other without conceding. Cang Ji flew into a sudden rage. He pressed his head against Jing Lin’s and said, “Even if your heart is loftier than Heaven, you are but a caged bird at present.”

The water droplets between their foreheads dripped onto a single spot. Cang Ji watched with his own eyes as the fury in Jing Lin’s eyes receded, like the calming of a tempestuous wave. Wet hair stuck to his neck. He did not even need to use force to snap that neck, and the wrist in his palm was beyond frail. In Cang Ji’s eyes, Jing Lin was gradually becoming a man who was both contradictory and hard to understand. No matter how others made Lord Linsong out to be omnipotent, he was always this fragile in Cang Ji’s hands.

They did not understand each other at all. It was as if they were living in two different worlds. Jing Lin did not remember Cang Ji’s past, nor was Cang Ji well-acquainted with Jing Lin’s history. They were only connected by the word “devour”. Cang Ji’s devouring of Jing Lin’s flesh and blood, and Jing Lin, Cang Ji’s warmth.

Each with his own needs. Each with their own ulterior motive.

Cang Ji heard Jing Lin say.

“That’s a good point.”

Jing Lin loosened his fingers and disengaged his hand from Cang Ji’s palm. He turned around and waded ashore. Behind him, Cang Ji looked at the nape of his neck and recalled how he had been covered with wounds in his youth. He also recalled the scars on his back now. Each of them had a story he had never known. They were all inextricably linked to Jing Lin. Across hundreds of years, they had witnessed how Jing Lin had changed from a person who still had warmth into someone without.

But Cang Ji knew nothing about him.

For the first time in his life, he understood that even if he ate Jing Lin, they would not become one, not to mention never to part from each other. Jing Lin had tempted him, but those desires were still a stranger to him. Such subliminal seduction gave Cang Ji no outlet for the intensity of his emotions. He could not fathom it, nor could he figure it out.

Cang Ji’s palm gradually turned cold. He stood a long time in the water. His gaze was apathetic as his eyes followed Jing Lin’s back.

But he was not wrong.

It was not wrong of him to desire Jing Lin.

分身 a double or doppelgänger. Double here refers to the same person but in separate form. E.g. he may split himself into two identical selves or take on a different second form from his original, but they are both him.

水中猛将 literally a valiant general in the water, a warrior who fights bravely in the water. Refers to his battle with Dong Jun earlier and also with the jiao when he was still a carp, etc.

榻, a long and narrow wooden couch that also functions as a bed.

Cang Ji is jesting here. He said “连门都不回了” 回门 is also the first return of the bride to her parental home after the wedding.

花魁 Huakui, or “queen of flowers”, a term used to refer to a famous courtesan.

桃花眼 lit. peach blossom eyes, a shape of eyes said to have an exceptional ability to attract the opposite sex.

策论 essay on current affairs submitted to the emperor as policy advice.

翰林 Hanlin, refers to academics employed as imperial secretaries in the Hanlin Imperial Academy (翰林院).

双元 “Double Yuan”. In the past, the imperial examination system was split into various levels, the provincial exam (乡试), metropolitan exam (会试), and the final imperial exam (殿试). The titles for the top scholar in each exam were known as the Jieyuan (解元), Huiyuan (会元) and Zhuangyuan (状元). These three are known as the “Triple Yuan”. A “Double Yuan” would either be a scholar who had came in tops in the imperial exam and one of the other two exams, or two people who had ranked first in either one of the exams.

东海 Donghai, also Eastern Sea

BOOK II

Chapter 40: Doctrine of Gods

NOVEMBER 16, 2019

It was hard for Jing Lin to sleep through the night. Sleep always brought with it dreams, and dreams always came bearing his past. He did not want dreams, nor did he want his past, so he always lay down to take a nap instead. The place where he woke up had been stripped bare; there was nothing left.

At first, the days he was awake were short. The pain in his body was not even worth a mention. It was his fragmented spiritual sea that was the source of his agony. His spiritual sea had been shattered into pieces and those sharp fragments stuck all over his mind, piercing him so badly that even his soul hurt.

When Jing Lin could move, he would often sit with his clothes draped around him. He could not seem to find a reason to continue, and yet he could not find a reason to end it all either. Awakened from a dream, his past gone with the wind. Spring and Autumn came and went, year after year. His pain gradually receded, and his body seemed to have recovered too.

The only thing was that he had lost his sword. Not only were his hands empty, there was also a void in his heart. His spiritual sea had been damaged, and his original form was nowhere in sight. Yan Quan had roamed with him for half his life, but in the end, he could not even find a piece of a broken blade. Jing Lin had a thought once, to die among the mountain forest and be buried beside Yan Quan. A pity he was standing in the wind now, unable to hold on to anything except the shirt on his shoulder. Until water splashed out of the white porcelain jar as a frolicking brocade carp sprang out.

Jing Lin touched its scales with his fingertip, and the lively creature swam against his fingers. They seemed to coexist, interdependent on each other.

As Jing Lin was in a daze, he saw the brocade carp turning into a child. Fair, plump fist tugged at his sleeves. The child rapidly turned into a youth, with the same arrogance and willfulness in his facial features. Then, he became a man in black who was now taller than himself, gripping his wrist.

“Where are you going to escape to?” Frost blanketed Cang Ji’s eyes. He was resolute. “You can’t run. You’ll remain in my hands!”

Jing Lin patted him on the cheek with his other hand and stroked it. His fingertip traced Cang Ji’s side temple, as if he could not figure out where this man came from. And yet he seemed to have met him before. He needed to get to the bottom of this. Every time he traced an inch, Cang Ji pulled him closer to him. Jing Lin could barely breathe. He clutched a wisp of Cang Ji’s hair and motioned for him to loosen his grip.

But Cang Ji merely stared at him and took his finger to his lips, kissing it, wetly and hotly.

“Let me eat you.” Cang Ji cunningly put on a look of aggrievement. “Alright?”

Jing Lin had never been this hot before. He looked on blankly as Cang Ji kissed his fingertips. He actually felt ambiguous and strange. He pursed his lips and shook his head in fear.

Cang Ji’s palm caressed the back of Jing Lin’s head. It was as if he treated him like a child, but yet he kept closing in on him until their lips nearly touched. In this enchanting, clingy moment, Jing Lin’s breath quickened, and the world turned hazy before his eyes.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin abruptly opened his eyes. His breath was still hot. He turned his head, and sure enough, he saw Cang Ji propping up his head to watch him. The night was not yet over, and it was dark inside the boat. Cang Ji nonchalantly turned his eyes away.

Jing Lin’s mouth felt parched. He felt a lingering warmth on his lips as if they had touched something warm. He could barely tell dream from reality, so he subconsciously lifted his arm to block his face and turned over to face the wall to cool his head for a moment.

Cang Ji turned a blind eye and said, “Throughout the night, Chu Lun headed west to the capital to report on his mission. I can’t sense any human aura on the cup he left behind. He should be a minor demon.”

Jing Lin’s hair scattered over the pillow mat. Even when he wanted to open his mouth, he could still feel Cang Ji’s breath in the dream lingering in his mouth. He shut his eyes and remained quiet for a moment. When he opened them again, he could be described as calm.

“It’s a brush¹ demon.” Jing Lin said, “He recognized me.”

“Demon Slayer Lord Linsong.” Cang Ji lay down. “No wonder he wants to run. But it’s interesting what others have said. They all made the same comment about this Chu Lun.”

“What?”

“It’s like he’s a different person.” Cang Ji replied.

A different person?

“‘Chu Lun’ is indeed a mortal. He was born in a small village in Dongxiang. His family was poor and his parents passed away one after another. It was only because of the financial assistance of his close relatives that he could continue to study. This child was born weak, and he seemed to have an ailment of the legs. But he was good at studying. By the age of twelve, his name had spread among the countryside for his poetry. The prefectural magistrate of Dongxiang recommended him repeatedly, so he was able to enter the capital at nineteen of age, but he failed the imperial examination twice. He was even more diligent in his studies after returning home. His wish is fulfilled now that he has won the top scholar title this time. But some people said that his temperament has undergone a great change ever since he entered the capital for the third time to take the imperial examination.”

Jing Lin asked, “In what way?”

“No idea.” Cang Ji said, closing his eyes. “It’s not convenient to question them in detail en route, but there must be someone in the capital who knows.”

Then, he seemed to fall into a deep sleep and spoke no further.

Jing Lin stared at the wall in silence until daybreak.

The capital city was located in the southwest. Heading up along the river merely took them half a month to arrive at the capital city. The more they headed west in Zhongdu, the more concentrated the Demarcation Division was, with the bases of all kinds of deities-in-charge nearby. It was hard for the minor demons to penetrate through the barrier.

Jing Lin was still locked in a stalemate with Cang Ji, but it did not stop him from giving Cang Ji pointers on how to utilize his spiritual energy. Half a month was too brief a period. Cang Ji had yet to fully grasp the crux of it when the boat reached the shore.

The weather was blazing hot when Jing Lin disembarked. The capital city was filled with travelers from all over. Its streets were well-organized and bustling. The passenger boats in the port were small, with huge dragon boats towering over them. The waterways were orderly and noisy with the din of human voices. He looked into the distance. For a moment, he could not see the end. All he could see were the buildings and pavilions around him, and a magnificent, towering palace.

Cang Ji let out a laugh. He looked around his surroundings, thinking that the so-called Ninth Heaven Shrine was nothing special. How could it be compared to the hustle and bustle of the mortal world? Dancers shuttled among them, with gold bracelets on their hands and silver bells on their feet. Crisp ringing sounds rang out as they walked. A traveler played the flute as he walked along the street, drawing the passing dancers into a dance. Sheer fabric of various colors twirled in the air.

Guangtun Wansui Mountain boasted of thousands of dynasties of happiness.² For this reason, the Ninth Heaven Goddess, Shengyue, was placed in control of this place. She lived as long as the Heaven, and her mind was one with the earth. She was omnipresent and ethereal. The day the Supreme Father, Lord Jiutian, initiated the start of the new year among the Three Realms, the Goddess Shengyue was nowhere in sight. But the Supreme Father still honored her as an esteemed guest. Even Jing Lin had never seen her before.

Both of them found an inn to stay, but unfortunately, it was also run by a demon. The only difference was that the demons in the capital were all big-league demons.

♦     ♦     ♦

When Cang Ji stepped across the door and entered the inn, he saw a feather fan flicking the abacus beads. Those abacus beads were made of gold, and the abacus itself was inlaid with precious gems along the border, giving it an air of nobility. The proprietress sat, haughtily and arrogantly. Her jade white fingers were overburdened with rings, each of them as large as pigeon eggs. Splendidly dressed, she cut a poised figure. Nine furry tails swayed leisurely beside her legs.

Cang Ji had seen a fox demon before, but this was the first time he saw a nine-tailed fox demon.

The proprietress placed her slender fingers over the fan and revealed a pair of alluring eyes as she looked them over. She said lazily, “Fifty gold for a room. Don’t grumble if you find it expensive. If you can pay up, you can choose a room as you please. If you can’t pay up, then go elsewhere. We don’t take in paupers here.”

Cang Ji slid two fingers across the countertop. Gold beads and precious stones clattered as they piled up into a long, resplendent line on the countertop.

The proprietress did not even look at them as she half-lifted the feather fan and sized Cang Ji up. She said. “Your facial features are pleasing to the eyes, and your gaze is penetrating. Good skin. This kind of appearance is the most popular among the demons. There’s no hurry to settle the bill just yet. Just for your face alone, jiejie will provide for your entertainment in the capital. All those fair and refined looks are no longer rare. What we want is precisely your kind of…” She half-pondered it over, then leaned over suddenly. “You bear a remarkable resemblance to Cangdi of the North.”

Cang Ji did not know who this “Cangdi of the North” was, but Jing Lin raised his eyebrows and looked towards the proprietress.

The proprietress snorted. “You are in good luck. Of all things, I have a fondness for Cangdi’s type. Your food and drinks are all on the house. Go up and choose a room for yourselves.”

After saying this, she ignored them and went inside with her fan, then lowered the curtains to play with silk cards.

The little fox holding a plate and serving at the side flapped its ears and wagged its tail as its shoeless paws trod lightly on the red rug. It had a pink face with rosy cheeks and bright almond eyes.³ It lifted the curtain, curtsied to them, and said, “Please come with me, gentlemen.”

Cang Ji followed it in. The stairs were broad, and the furnishings were luxurious all around. He slowed down his pace and walked alongside Jing Lin.

Jing Lin said softly, “Before Ninth Heaven Realm was established, both the dragon and phoenix occupied the northern regions. Later, the phoenix headed south and joined forces with Ninth Heaven Sect to fight against the devils. Only canglong remained in the north and did not comply. There were countless major-league demons under his command, and his honorific title was “Cangdi”. After canglong, the title of “Cangdi” repeatedly passed through the hands of minor demons, and so they added the word ‘North’ to his posthumous title to honor him.”

“He’s already dead.” Cang Ji said, “Why not just give his title to others to have fun with?”

Jing Lin said, “That won’t do.”

Cang Ji looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “The deities are also poking their noses into this?”

Jing Lin stepped up the stairs. After a slight pause, he said, “They aren’t.”

Cang Ji asked, “Then what does this dragon have to do with you? Is he a friend of Li Rong?”

Jing Lin had already walked to the door. The little fox pushed the door open and welcomed them in. But Jing Lin zoned out for a moment. Cang Ji shoved him in from behind with his chest. The little fox closed the door and retreated.

Jing Lin replied, “He has nothing to do with me. He’s not a friend of Li Rong either.”

Cang Ji uttered an “oh”. He did not probe further or continue the conversation. He ducked out from behind Jing Lin and poured a cup of tea for himself. A short while later, he heard several little foxes standing outside the door saying cheerfully, “The wine in the hot springs of the Northern Courtyard has been prepared. If both gentlemen are interested, you may head there any time to relieve the summer heat.”

There was silence in the room. A moment later, Cang Ji opened the door, stepped out, and descended the stairs to have some fun. Just before he left, he threw a gold pearl to one of them and said, “You lead the way for me. The rest will remain here to attend to him. He will go later.”

A fox caught the gold pearl and followed Cang Ji. The remaining waited. Sure enough, Jing Lin emerged a while later with a new change of clothes and headed for the bath.

♦     ♦     ♦

The little fox was called Xiyan. He was in his early hundreds this year. The proprietress had raised him by her side all his time, and thus he knew all about the entertainment spots in the capital. Cang Ji was generous with his money, handsome, and forthright with others. Gradually, Xiyan had dropped his guard around him, even addressing him as “dage” as they journeyed together.

Cang Ji asked with nonchalance, “I heard the Lady Boss mentioned ‘Cangdi of the North’ earlier. Who is he?”

“Dage doesn’t know?” Xiyan was much shorter than Cang Ji. Carrying the goods as he followed behind Cang Ji, he shook his head and said, “I guess it’s to be expected. Dage must have remained in the east to concentrate on cultivating, so you weren’t aware of the other matters. This Cangdi of the North is renowned among the demons. Even our Lady Boss has admired him for many years. Every time she spoke about his deeds, she would hide her face behind the fan and weep.”

“What deeds?” Cang Ji prompted, “Let’s hear it.”

“Cangdi resided in the north, where he was proclaimed emperor. He turned down Lord Jiutian thrice, refusing to have any contact with him. This was because, for a very long time, he had gathered the demons all on the basis of his own strength to fight against the Blood Sea. Thus, he was unwilling to bow down to others. As such, the alliance with Ninth Heaven fell through six times. Oh man, it’s strange to say, but Ninth Heaven Sect had become the number one powerhouse in Heaven and Earth back then. Lord Jiutian’s eight sons were all well-reputed, distinguished men. Although there were a great number of capable demons under Cangdi’s command, they were at odds with Ninth Heaven Sect. It would only end up with heavy losses on both sides.”

“Then let them both suffer losses.” Cang Ji tossed his pearls and leaned against the railings. Squinting his eyes against the sun, he said, “That what-you-called-him, Lord Jiutian, used the excuse of joining forces to resist evil in order to seize over power from all around. No matter how you put it, he doesn’t seem to be a virtuous sage with the common folks in mind. Since this man could take up post as the common ruler of heaven and earth, then why can’t Cangdi? Rather than to be a minion of another, one might as well be free and unfettered to the very end.”

Xiyan poked his ears out from the bundles of goods and said in surprise, “Dage, how do you know that Cangdi thought this way?! Lady Boss said that although he never yielded to Ninth Heaven Sect, he had always stood firm in the dangerous zones of the north, never letting the evil spirits advance for even half a step. Later on, the Blood Sea calmed down. Ninth Heaven Sect changed its name to Ninth Heaven Realm, and Lord Jiutian became the common ruler of Heaven and Earth, the Supreme Father. All parties were rewarded according to their meritorious deeds, but Cangdi remained in the north and paid them no attention. Lord Jiutian could not do nothing about him, so he sent Lord Shage, Li Rong, down to persuade and soothe him. At first, both sides did not harbor resentment towards each other; instead, they were cordial. But for some reason, Lord Shage, Li Rong, suddenly turned against him and started a great battle with Cangdi in the northern lands…” His ears drooped as he continued. “Lady Boss said, this Li Rong must have resorted to subterfuge. Otherwise, how would he have been able to fight against Cangdi given that his cultivation had yet to reach the Great Accomplishment Stage?”

“So.” Cang Ji said, “Cangdi must have lost to Li Rong.”

“Li Rong was also ordered to hack off his scales and scrape away his flesh.” Xiyan said, “Ninth Heaven Realm severed the dragon bloodline. From then on, for so many years, there has been no sight of a dragon in this world.”

Unexpectedly, Cang Ji laughed and said, “I’m afraid it’s only by rooting out the source of trouble that they can set their mind at ease.”

“But something odd happened because of this incident.” Xiyan leaned over the railing and tilted his head as he nibbled at the sugar figure.⁴

“Something odd?”

“According to the current Doctrine of Gods, if we were to talk about meritorious military service, Lord Shage should take the first place. But if we were to talk about unrivaled merits, then Lord Linsong tops all. Because he roamed the various lands of Zhongdu even before the Blood Sea. They all said, ‘One ought to see Yan Quan when it comes to slaying demons and subduing evil.’ Those that had perished under Yan Quan Sword included ghosts and deities. Although his title did not sound lethal, the way he wielded his sword was clean and efficient. But he still discerned between good and evil, and had never hurt the innocent nor harm the good demons.” Xiyan said. “The strange thing was that, Cangdi was killed by Li Rong. Lord Linsong was Li Rong’s brother, and he had nothing to do with Cangdi. Yet I heard that both of them parted ways with each other because of that incident, giving rise to the Ninth Heaven’s rumor that ‘Lord shuns Lord.’ What’s even stranger is that, after the demons in Zhongdu lost their chief, they all declared themselves kings and proclaimed themselves emperor. But anyone who took the name ‘Cangdi’ for themselves all met their ends under Yan Quan Sword. After a long time, no one dared to call themselves Cangdi any more. Lord Linsong preserved Cangdi’s honorific title for him. Lady Boss said, we could be considered to owe a debt of gratitude to him. It’s just that we never expect him to slay the Supreme Father later. Somehow, it could be regarded as having taken revenge for Cangdi.”

Cang Ji could not fathom it. “Do they know each other?”

Unexpectedly, Xiyan shook his head and said in bafflement. “They don’t. I heard that Lord Linsong had never even seen Cangdi’s face before. They did fight side by side once during the Blood Sea Battle. But Lady Boss said that the army was out in full force that day, with thousands upon thousands of troops and horses. Lord Linsong and Cangdi were not acquainted with each other. It’s just that they seemed to have brushed past each other during the deployment of troops. Other than that, they had no further interaction.”

乐 used here could mean happiness/joy (le) or music (yue) depending on the pinyin used. The JJWXC audio used le, so I’m going with happiness in the translation, although it could be both based on the description above.

杏眼 almond eyes; a kind of eye shape said to give off a younger, adorable or pure vibe.

糖人; sugar figure is a traditional Chinese form of folk art using hot, liquid sugar, or sugar syrup, to create three-dimensional figures that come in a variety of shapes from animals to objects. A dragon sugar figure is shown in the picture above.

Chapter 41: Doubt

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

While Cang Ji was still in doubt, Zui Shan Seng had left Zhui Hun Prison. Carrying his staff, he had only taken a few steps when someone pulled him by the back collar. He did not even have to turn his head around. Sure enough, he heard Dong Jun’s voice.

“I want to make a trip to the Blood Sea, but that guard dog blocked my way! He always shows you consideration, so I’ll have to trouble you to go with me.”

“Why are you heading for the Blood Sea out of the blue?” Zui Shan Seng frowned and turned back.

Dong Jun paced between the clouds and said, “I haven’t been to see Li Rong for a long time. I miss him a lot.”

“What a load of crap.” Zui Shan Seng flicked his sleeves and prepared to leave.

“Oh man, please hold on.” Dong Jun went around Zui Shan Seng and stood before him, refusing to let him pass. “What’s wrong with me missing my brother? Why did you turn your back on me again? Come with me. I have something important to ask.”

“Li Rong’s body has sunk into the Blood Sea, and his divine consciousness has descended to the Mortal Realm. Who are you going to ask? You must be planning to stir up trouble again!”

“I always go by the book. I’m much more well-disciplined than you are. You said earlier that his consciousness has descended to the Mortal Realm, but I’ve never heard the Supreme Lord mention it before.” Dong Jun mused, “There’s really a reason why I’m looking for Li Rong.”

Zui Shan Seng noted that he did not seem to be lying, so after a moment of hesitation, he led him there. After the curtain fell on the Blood Sea Battle, the Blood Sea was subdued and confined in Zhui Hun Prison, watched by the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors. Zui Shan Seng was the Grand Secretariat of Zhui Hun Prison. In fact, he was Li Rong’s custody deity. With him leading, it was naturally easy for Dong Jun to enter and exit.

It was just that they could not blame the gatekeeper deity for being strict. Dong Jun’s origins had always been controversial. In order to avoid suspicion, he should never step foot into this place again. But it was precisely because of this that Zui Shan Seng believed that he truly had something to attend to.

Both of them descended the stairs. Golden patterned spells to subdue devils were everywhere around them, tracing out a path of dark gold as numerous spells flowed along it. Even ordinary devils could not walk through this passage with steady steps, let alone demons. Dong Jun’s original form was terrifying, and yet he still felt a stabbing pain in his soles. The key location was the heart of the incantation, with a heavy spear covered in frost in the center. This was Lord Shage’s Po Zheng Spear.

Dong Jun pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and covered his mouth and nose as he passed by Po Zheng Spear. He was already feeling a little sick because of this spear’s overwhelming murderous aura, ferocity, and power. Just going a little nearer to it gave him the chills.

On seeing him covering himself with the handkerchief, Zui Shan Seng clicked his tongue. “Your action reminds me. I’ve been thinking lately about how familiar that man seems to me. Look at your action—he’s indeed imitating you! That disguise, and those peach blossom eyes¹… if his cultivation were to be even more unfathomable, he would be exactly you, wouldn’t he?!”

“How rare for you to observe in detail.” Dong Jun passed Po Zheng Spear. Wiping his sweat with the handkerchief, he said, “All along, he has been imitating me. Although he did not master every single one of my movements, he had already more or less learned those mannerisms that would raise suspicions. Hey, if he commits some shocking transgression one day, and some single-minded fool reports it to the higher-ups, I’d be hard-pressed to clear my name.”

“There is nothing in this world that you can’t clear up with your words.” Zui Shan Seng halted in his tracks. The stone slabs under their feet had ended. Before them, the endless redness of the Blood Sea roiled with countless faces of humans flowing within. All they could hear was the howls of those on the brink of death.

“Is he a pig?” Dong Jun whispered. “They are creating such a din, and he could still sleep for five hundred years! If it were me, I’d fricking quit.”

“He was heavily injured that day. His sleeping here was beyond our expectations.” Zui Shan Seng flung his staff out, and golden light forced apart a narrow path. He stepped onto it and continued, “Yan Quan Sword went straight through his chest. Lord Linsong really went all out.”

“Come to think of it, it’s strange. It has been baffling me for a hundred years.” Dong Jun spoke slowly. “It’s one thing for evil to enter a body to deceive a child. For so many years, Jing Lin had been bearing his sword and upholding the way. The most remarkable part of him is his nature. This person wasn’t anyone else but Lord Linsong, whose original form was a sword. How could he have suddenly turned so hostile that he could even stab Li Rong? The entire ground was soaked in blood that day. Good thing Father was in a sound sleep. Otherwise, it’d be another father-and-son feuding drama. That’d be even more exciting than brothers falling out with each other.”

“You’re shooting your mouth off! How dare you say such words?” Zui Shan Seng turned back to reprimand him. “If not for evil possession, then what? Don’t tell me he encountered a ghost. He killed his father and his brother. All his past merits are now nullified. He’s already a devil now.”

Dong Jun tapped his lips with his fan and said. “It’s just some idle chat. There’s no need to take it seriously.”

It was then Zui Shan Seng dropped the matter. Having already stopped in his tracks, he made way for Dong Jun. A few steps beyond, Dong Jun saw a platform constructed out of bluestone. Lord Shage, Li Rong, was lying atop it.

Dong Jun circled around him once and said, “I didn’t notice it clearly that day. Was it Li Rong who picked up the pieces after Jing Lin was pulverized?”

“No.” Zui Shan Seng said. “By then, Li Rong could barely move due to his serious injuries. What’s more, his divine consciousness was too far gone. It was left to the Sage Yining to clean up the mess.”

Dong Jun spread open his fan and said, “I heard that the Sage Yining has been with the Supreme Lord ever since the Ninth Heaven Sect days. I’m afraid he has some personal relations with Jing Lin, too.”

Zui Shan Seng was not a fool. He immediately retorted. “Surely you don’t suspect he had done something on the sly, do you? This remark concerns the various Lords of Ninth Heaven. Don’t bring it up indiscriminately. Besides, the Sage Yining is not acquainted with Jing Lin. During the reign of Lord Jiutian, he repeatedly denounced Jing Lin for being antisocial.”

“So I see.” Dong Jun’s interest was piqued. For some reason, he smiled and said, “This will be interesting. You said Li Rong’s divine consciousness has descended to the Human Realm. Do you mean that he has forgotten all about the past, and his divine mind is now undergoing tribulations?”

“That’s right. That battle with Jing Lin injured him a good deal. I’m afraid he realized that he would bear grudges before he slept, and so he chose this spot to facilitate him in his tribulations. Those so-called inner demons are hard to defeat. It would be better to forget it all, immerse himself into the human world, and re-experience the eight sufferings² before achieving enlightenment again to regain his divine self.” Zui Shan Seng answered.

“In that case, he should be in Zhongdu now too. Being the authority in charge, do you know where he has been reborn?”

“He has already achieved the Perfection Stage.” Zui Shan Seng said. “How would a bystander be able to track him down? He has already forgotten everything and has descended to search anew for enlightenment. It’s for certain that he wouldn’t want us to look for him. What is it that you want to ask him? Wait for another few hundred years. Perhaps you’ll be able to get your answer then.”

“Why would I want to wait for him? I may have a cushy job, but I’m a warm-hearted, passionate man who can’t stand idleness!” Dong Jun swept a gaze across Li Rong’s sleeping face. “It’s just that there’s something bothering me lately, and I can’t figure it out, so I wanted to ask him.”

“And what is it?” Zui Shan Seng said, “If it’s about Lord Linsong, I’d advise you not to interfere. The Supreme Lord now is all alone. It’s so nerve-racking every time his brothers are mentioned and he takes out his anger on others. Why stir up a hornets’ nest?”

“What are you anxious for?” Dong Jun closed his fan and turned around. “When have I said I was going to interfere? The True Buddha oversaw this matter, and Li Rong made his reports with so many eyes watching. There’s nothing in this case worthy enough for me to review.”

“And that’s it?” When Zui Shan Seng saw that he was only here for a tour, he flew into a rage. “You deceived me! If you dare to do this again the next time, I’ll beat the crap out of you!”

Dong Jun gave an ambiguous, wry smile and said nothing.

♦     ♦     ♦

The sky was getting dark when Jing Lin returned to the room. Cang Ji looked as if he had been waiting for a long time. When he heard him open the door, he turned his head to watch him. They looked at each other for a moment. Cang Ji sensed the moist, steamy heat of Jing Lin’s skin. Both of them hastily averted their gazes away.

Cang Ji said, “Chu Lun is temporarily staying at Chonghua Street.”

Jing Lin’s hair was damp. He uttered a sound of acknowledgment. Cang Ji rose to put on his outer garment and strode past him to head downstairs. Jing Lin arrived later and saw the proprietress, Huashang, leaning against the cabinet with Xiyan painting her nails for her. She exhaled lightly and looked at them out of the corners of her eyes.

“A piece of advice for this young master.” Huashang flicked her tails. “Spiritual energy leaking from the spiritual sea is comparable to an imminent catastrophe. “Even if you hide among the common folks, those with an acute sense of smell will still be able to detect it. The Goddess Shengyue is in charge of this place, but whether she saves you or not when the time comes will still all depends on your luck.”

Jing Lin nodded his thanks and stepped across the door to leave.

The night market during the summer was brightly lit, and the streets were dazzling. Although there were few women around, there were many pedestrians. Cang Ji was ahead by Jing Lin by half a step and led him through the sea of people. Jing Lin was so frail that he seemed to be buried by the crowd as he walked among them. He was like a wandering soul, with his complexion looking like fair jade under the light and shadows.

An arm swung out before him, and a veiled, barefoot dancer twirled slowly before him. Those differently colored eyes were bashful and timid. Silver bells jingled as a tune from a pipa³ rang out.

The crowd cheered and cleared out a space around Jing Lin, leaving Jing Lin surrounded by red gauze and silver bells. The dancer spun around as she circled around him. A faint heart-stirring fragrance wafted in the air. The sounds of her laughter accompanied the music as she vaguely traced Jing Lin’s facial features with her fingertips. The tip of her tongue appeared slightly; she was unexpectedly a snake beauty.

She spoke in a soft voice. “You are so dashing. Why not…”

The beauty had yet to finish her words when she saw the frostiness in the eyes of this “dashing” man. It was so cutting she retreated in alarm.

Jing Lin merely said, without laughter or anger, “Excuse me.”

He sidestepped the beauty and coldly brushed past her.

Cang Ji had been watching at the side. He looked on as Jing Lin walked to his side and said, “You’re so unromantic.”

“I could say the same of you.” Jing Lin frowned and sniffed the fragrance on his body.

Cang Ji held him by the shoulder and looked back as he lowered his head to avoid the lantern. The snake beauty was still in a state of trepidation. When she saw Cang Ji’s stare, she unexpectedly took another step back. It was a truly sorry sight. After passing by the lantern, Cang Ji retracted his hand. Jing Lin did not seem to be aware.

Both of them crossed several streets and finally reached Chonghua Street. The place was jam-packed with scholars and learned men, while brothels and carriages were common sights. Cang Ji lifted the curtain and went straight up the stairs. But when they arrived at Chu Lun’s quarters, it was empty.

“The sound of the bell is faint.” Jing Lin looked down from the railings. “He must be nearby.”

Cang Ji’s nose twitched as he reached the door. “What scent is this?”

Jing Lin said, “The scent of a beauty.”

“I’m not talking about your scent.” Cang Ji swept his finger at the edge of the door and sniffed, “There is a non-human scent here. It’s the same scent as the one he left on the cup that day.”

Cang Ji took a step closer and turned his fingertip towards Jing Lin for him to take a sniff. Jing Lin leaned his head toward Cang Ji’s chest. It looked as if he was throwing himself into Cang Ji’s arms.

Jing Lin said, “This is the fragrance of a brush.⁴ Although it’s similar to the classics⁵, there are still some slight differences.”

“A brush demon.” Cang Ji said. “What does he want to do on behalf of Chu Lun? Be an official?”

“We will know when we meet him.” Jing Lin shifted and pulled away from him. He said, “Since he recognizes me, he wouldn’t dare to reveal himself.”

“Since the copper bell has found him, he won’t be able to run. It’s just that you’ve disguised your appearance, and yet he saw through it.” Cang Ji scrutinized the door. “Common demons cannot do that. He has probably seen you before.”

Jing Lin said, “I’ve never used this face before.”

“Could he actually be a formidable character who is just playing dumb to fool his enemies?”

“A brush demon.” Jing Lin repeated. “It is hard for a typical brush to gain intelligence and become a spirit. This must have been a treasure brush. It’s made of raw materials that are scarce. Perhaps it has been in the hands of a deity or immortal before.”

“Acquaintances.” Cang Ji asked. “Do you have someone in mind?”

Jing Lin looked at him. “As it happens, I do.”

“Who?” The instant the words came out of Cang Ji’s mouth, they heard the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs.

Chu Lun was dressed in a wide-sleeved attire of a scholar. He was holding a packet of oil paper in his hand. On seeing two distinguished men standing in front of his door, he was at first startled before he raised his hands to say his greetings. He asked, being neither obsequious nor supercilious. “May I ask these two gentlemen the reason you are looking for me?”

Cang Ji and Jing Lin exchanged glances as they thought to themselves in understanding.

He’s truly like a different person. 

桃花眼 literally peach blossom eyes, the shape of eyes is said to have an exceptional ability to attract the opposite sex.

八苦, the eight sufferings in life – birth, old age, sickness, death, parting (with loved ones), encounter (with hated ones), unfulfilment (of wishes and desires), and inability to let go.

琵琶 Pipa, a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments.

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

Chapter 42: Wolf Demon

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Chu Lun was gifted, having had a photographic memory ever since childhood. He was certain that he had never seen these two men before, so he was on alert after saying his greetings.

Jing Lin returned his greetings, promptly turning from the dandy young master into a modest gentleman. He said, “I’m Lin Jing of Donghai. I have had a chance encounter with Your Honor Chu on the boat on the river half a month ago. Does Your Honor still remember me?”

It was worthwhile to ruminate over Chu Lun’s reactions. He was neither dismayed nor flustered and hid his emotions perfectly as he said with all sincerity, “I beg your pardon, but I don’t remember you. May I know the purpose of your visit today?”

Jing Lin smiled meaningfully in response.

Chu Lun said, “I had too much to drink and was dead drunk that night, hence, the memory lapses. Please, just speak your mind.”

Jing Lin replied spontaneously, “That night, Your Honor seemed to have some pressing matters to attend to. Before you left in a hurry, you borrowed fifty gold pearls from me. I’m ashamed to say this. But when I first came to the capital, I squandered away all the money my family had given me in a moment of impulsiveness. That’s why I’ve come to pay Your Honor a visit tonight.”

Chu Lun asked, “Do you have any evidence of debt?”¹

Jing Lin said, abashed, “The situation was urgent back then. We did not put it into writing.”

Since there was no written evidence, Chu Lun could simply deny it. But he tacitly acknowledged it as if this was a common occurrence for him.

“As luck would have it.” Chu Lun finally looked somewhat embarrassed. “I’d be hard-pressed to gather fifty gold for quite a while. Why don’t we put it down in writing tonight? I’ll repay you the next time you call on me.”

Jing Lin presented a gentle front as he assented to it. “Alright.”

Chu Lun led both of them into the residence. Although he was the new top scholar, he was only assigned to Hanlin,² and his rank and official post were still unknown. He still had to wait for the ministry to discuss and finalize it these days, that was why he was still putting up here for the time being. The furnishings in his residence were simple. It was obvious that Chu Lun was rather short of money. He was about to be an official of the ruling dynasty, and yet there was not even a servant around him.

Cang Ji glanced around to search for the scent, but he did not see any “brush”. It did not take long for the written agreement to be established. Jing Lin and Chu Lun engaged in civilities for a moment before those who should take their leave left and those who should send off the guests saw them out.

Cang Ji discovered that once Jing Lin had put on a disguise, he would often become a different kind of person. That is, the kind of person who was smooth and natural when conning and deceiving others. As they were about to leave the house, another “Chu Lun” happened to step through the door. A pair of them on each side, coming face to face with each other.

How would this “Chu Lun” know that he would bump right into this carnage deity? His expression changed as he retreated in horror. Without even saying a greeting, he flipped over and jumped off the railings and took to his heels.

Jing Lin slowly shoved the document into his sleeve and said to the other Chu Lun behind him, “Why haven’t I heard that Your Honor still has a twin brother?”

The gears in Chu Lun’s mind turned. He spread out his arms to block them and said, “Please hold on! That’s indeed my brother. It’s just that…”

“It’s just that he’s a demon.” Cang Ji leaned against the door and smiled as he watched. “He runs pretty fast too.”

“Since we’ve met the real debtor tonight.” Jing Lin said, “We will not bother Your Honor Chu any further.”

Chu Lun wanted to obstruct them, but they disappeared right before his eyes. He lifted his robe and descended the stairs in a hurry, wanting to give chase. But his legs were uncooperative and he tumbled down the stairs. His fall was a truly sorry sight to behold. Someone on the side of the street recognized him as the top scholar. Chu Lun rose to his feet and staggered a few steps, but he could no longer find any traces of the other three.

The brush demon ran like he was running for his life. He leaped across the roofs along the street, like a frightened, panicked rabbit fleeing amid the rising and falling eaves. Jing Lin strolled along, while Cang Ji charged ahead. The brush demon sensed a gust of chilly wind at the back of his neck. No matter how hard he tried, he could not shake it off.

The brush demon sobbed aloud as he galloped ahead. He turned his head and shouted at Cang Ji without a trace of dignity, “The Lord isn’t even chasing me. Why do you keep pursuing me?”

Cang Ji leaped and came to a stop, and the brush demon crashed into Cang Ji’s chest. He fell to the ground and reverted back to his original appearance; he was still a young man with red lips and white teeth. Shocked, the brush demon cried and looked back at the path he had come from, only to see Jing Lin standing behind him. Covering his face, the brush demon rolled over and wailed, “I don’t want to die! I’ve done nothing wrong in my life! Even if I’ve ever, ever scolded you, it wasn’t out of my own volition!”

Jing Lin asked, “Whose brush are you?”

The brush demon wailed without answering. Jing Lin was about to ask again when he noticed a change in the night sky overhead. A claw suddenly dug out of the clouds, and the massive head of a wolf demon popped out.

“How fragrant!” The wolf demon swept his eyes below him. It stared at Cang Ji and snorted. “It’s the rule of the capital that demons may not hunt for food privately without permission. Where is a small demon like you from? How dare you break the rules!”

The wolf demon gave a mighty jerk. Numerous demons in the capital whispered among themselves, and responses rang out everywhere. Huashang was drying her fingers just before the window. When she heard it, she said, “Why bring up the rules? You are the one who wants a share of the food after smelling the aroma.”

“Even so.” The old tortoise holding the fishing rod under the bridge said in a drawl, “You shouldn’t fight on the eaves. Your private grudge is trivial. But if you attract the attention of the Demarcation Division, everyone will get into trouble.”

“Old man, continue to be a coward hiding in your shell.” Huashang’s pearl hairpin swayed lightly as she rose and swung her tails. “Who does the Demarcation Division think they are? When we were still under Cangdi’s command with Zhongdu under our thumb, they were still beggars in the streets. Now that the tables have turned, we have to be at their mercy even when we eat?”

The aroma of the brush demon intensified, and the wolf demon salivated even more. He tore apart the clouds to reveal himself and leaned over to study Cang Ji and Jing Lin with his eyes.

“Rules are dead, but humans are alive. It is not impossible for me to sit by idly and do nothing. As long as one of you follows me obediently, you may deal with this brush demon as you please.”

However, Cang Ji said, “How would one of us be enough to fill your stomach? Why don’t you take both of us? This man and I can even be a pair of mandarin ducks³ in the afterlife.”

“Then wouldn’t this pitiful brush be left all alone?” Jing Lin said, “Just eat all three of us together.”

The brush demon burst into tears. “I don’t want to die!”

“The way I see it, you have a death wish.” Jing Lin retorted frostily.

The brush demon trembled and stuttered. “Lord, Lord…”

The roof under Cang Ji’s feet rumbled and collapsed, and the brush demon’s words were cut off as he fell into the hole. Cang Ji’s robe fluttered. The wolf demon pounced at them, its swooping shadow so huge and shocking that the eaves shook violently. The “jingles” of bells under the various eaves rang out as they collided with one another.

The wolf demon was not only massive, but it was also fast. Cang Ji saw a flash of shadow, and the steely wolf’s claw swiped across his brows. Cang Ji dodged it and stepped onto the ridge of the roof, not allowing the wolf demon to even touch the corner of his robe. This scene was by no means unfamiliar, because it had happened the first time Jing Lin dueled with Zui Shan Seng.

Dong Jun was correct in his guess. Even if Cang Ji had the ability to devour the masses, he would not necessarily turn out to be a catastrophe. This was because he had no shifu, so even if he was brimming with spiritual energy, he would not be able to release his potential to its fullest. But what Dong Jun had never considered was that the most suitable person in this world to be Cang Ji’s shifu had always been right under his nose.

Cang Ji’s taunting attitude and moves made the wolf demon’s fury hit through the roof. He was a mere brocade carp. His cultivation might be unusual, but the disparity between them was still wide, and yet he still led the wolf demon around like a dog. The wolf demon gave it its all. A violent wind scraped its face as black clouds enveloped its fist. Then, it struck out towards Cang Ji’s abdomen.

. . .

“There are but two kinds of formidable foes. The tough and unyielding ones are unstoppable, like floodwaters triggering an avalanche and tidal waves striking land. Do not fear when you’re faced with such foes. Fear leads to confusion, confusion leads to distraction, and distraction leads to exposure of your vulnerabilities that the enemy can exploit.”

Cang Ji asked. “I’m not afraid at all. To have no fear is to face it head-on. And that means an assured victory?”

Jing Lin did not look up from the scroll he was holding. He said, “No hurry. Wear him down first. Play him like a puppet on a string.”

. . .

Cang Ji blocked the fist, but the force of the black clouds sent his robe flapping. The spiritual energy instantly congregated, and a faint light resisted the force like the surface of a mirror. Cang Ji’s spiritual aura lugged the wolf demon’s arm, and for a moment, the wolf demon could not extract himself. The wolf demon gave a sudden roar, expecting to go along with it and catch hold of Cang Ji in this manner. He did not expect Cang Ji to move like an ungraspable, intoxicated wave. The wolf demon lost his chance. The next moment, he felt an intense, piercing pain in his arm as Cang Ji flung his body with terrifying brute force and sent him tumbling in the air.

All at once, the eaves along the long street exploded into pieces, and lanterns broke apart and fell. An entire roof collapsed as the wolf demon was flung into a house.

The wolf demon painfully grabbed hold of Cang Ji’s arm, but Cang Ji merely let him be. A loud “bang” rang out as the door and windows broke apart, not by Cang Ji’s hands, but by the crushing force of his power.

This stance was none other than a move used by Zui Shan Seng and Dong Jun to awe and cow their opponents. His spiritual expanse was like the raging sea. It was as if that invisible but intimidating power was pushing against his throat, far more dangerous than a mere punch and kick could be.

The wolf demon felt grossly humiliated to be flung and pinned to the ground by a fish! How could he put up with this shame? Thus, he tensed his four limbs and swept his giant tail across as he revealed his true form.

. . .

“Once you wear him down, his fury will rise.” Cang Ji said. “If this was Zui Shan Seng, it’d be time to utilize the original form. But my true form is not up to par. What should I do?”

Jing Lin picked up a page and raised his head slightly. “… Well.”

Cang Ji asked, “Well?”

“Anger clouds the mind.” Jing Lin tapped his finger against the edge of the cup. “Just fight him to the death.”

. . .

A mere moment after the wolf demon revealed his true form, scales enveloped Cang Ji’s arms. Those scales were like tough armor, impregnable and indestructible. The howl had yet to leave the wolf demon’s mouth when it pounced on Cang Ji. Massive fangs crushed Cang Ji’s shoulder, but they could not tear through the scales. Cang Ji turned his hand to grab the wolf’s head. Before the wolf demon could react, Cang Ji shoved it against the wall. The giant wolf whined. Even if it let go of Cang Ji’s shoulder now, there was no way for it to run. There was a loud “boom” as the wall broke. The wolf’s hind paws kicked against the floor as its head was smothered by a scaly claw. The claw slammed it into the wall.

The force of the power pressed on towards the brush demon. Realizing that the situation was against him, the lad tried to break into a run. Jing Lin floated to the ground and grabbed him by the back of his collar.

“I’m not done with my questions. Where are you going?”

The words had only just left Jing Lin’s mouth when the wolf demon choked and crawled out between the smashed walls before him. There was a claw wound on his back, and his hind paws were limp against the floor. The brocade carp had pummeled him until he had turned into a dog on his last breath, trying to escape with his tail between his legs. He had yet to take a step when Cang Ji hauled him back by the tail.

The wolf demon no longer cared about his dignity as he sprawled on the ground and wailed for mercy. He had initially thought that Cang Ji was merely a fish. Greed had gotten the better of him when he had seen Cang Ji’s brimming spiritual sea. Although he was not as mighty and awe-inspiring like Nine-Tailed Huashang, he had never expected to be defeated and reduced to this state in just a blink of an eye!

“Consider me blind for not recognizing a hero!” The wolf demon said, “Grandpa, please spare me!”

Although it had not been long since Cang Ji came into being, it was Zui Shan Seng who had been exchanging blows with him all this while. When it came to being tough, how could the wolf demon be compared to Zui Shan Seng’s swift and mighty Xiang Mo staff?

Cang Ji turned his claw into a hand and grabbed hold of the wolf demon by his nape. His nose twitched. He smiled and asked, “Spare you what?”

The wolf demon replied, “Spare my life.”

Cang Ji smoothed the wolf demon’s fur with his fingertips and said wickedly. “But I’m starving too.”

The brush demon started trembling, and his breathing grew short. He hurriedly retreated and cowered. He blocked his eyes, not daring to watch. Jing Lin waited in silence until he heard the brush demon sobbing and asking him a question amidst the wails and howls of the wolf demon.

“My Lord, Lord once, slew demons and subdued evil… But why is that today…” The youth covered his face and wept. “… you could bear to see such a scene playing out, and even let demons devour others as they desire?”

The brush demon blocked his ears with his arms, closed his eyes, and burst out wailing. Cang Ji had frightened the hell out of him. But he could not understand it. Lord Linsong slew demons to defend the Way.⁴ How could he indulge such behavior?

Jing Lin seemed to smile as his icy fingers brushed aside the brush demon’s stray hairs. He lowered his frosty eyes to look at the young man and said, “My Way has disintegrated.”

The night wind brushed against his sleeves. A chill ran down the brush demon’s spine. His sobs were soft. He did not dare to exhale under Jing Lin’s gaze.

Lord Linsong is dead. 

The thought flashed through the brush demon’s mind out of the blue.

Basically an IOU

翰林 Hanlin, refers to academics employed as imperial secretaries, forming the Hanlin Imperial Academy 翰林院.

鸳鸯 Yuanyang, or (a pair of) Mandarin Ducks. Mandarin ducks are regarded as mates for life and are a symbol of love and conjugal bliss in Chinese culture.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

Chapter 43: Chu Lun

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

The wolf demon was in dire straits, but none of the demons who had spoken out earlier came to his aid. Cang Ji finally ate his fill. He wasted no time in devouring it, and so it was all over in a flash. When he stepped out from the debris, he saw Jing Lin stroking aside the brush demon’s hair and heard him saying, “My Way¹ has disintegrated.”

The brush demon had stopped crying and was now kneeling with his head lowered. When Cang Ji stepped closer, the young lad visibly shrank back. Feeling sated, Cang Ji washed his hands with the pot of water from a stall along the street. Both of his hands were silky smooth. There was no sign of those terrifying scales earlier.

“Since we are done horsing around, let’s have a heart-to-heart chat through the night.” Cang Ji wiped his hand at random before lifting the brush demon by his back collar. Then, as if hauling a gunny sack, he threw the brush demon onto a small wooden stool.

The brush demon could hardly maintain his balance and nearly fell flat on his back. He wanted to cry again. Cang Ji gave the stool a hard kick and caused him to fall on his butt to the ground. He did not even dare to cry and could only hold back his tears as he looked at them.

Jing Lin repeated his words. “Whose brush are you?”

The brush demon said tearfully, “The, the Sage Yining’s.”

The Sage Yining was not well-known because he had not made any outstanding contributions nor did he have a talent for counsel despite spending several years under the command of the Supreme Father. He was more like a shadow of the various deities. He did not stand out of the crowd, but he was wherever they were. However, it was his one and only duty to be omnipresent. He did not have a deity post; he only took orders from the Supreme Father. From Ninth Heaven to the Underworld, even the mere rustle of leaves in the wind would not escape his ears. And that meant that it would not escape the Supreme Father’s ears either.

This person did not seem to have made any achievements, yet he had won the favor of the Supreme Father. However, he had an eccentric temper, and had only appeared a few times before the Supreme Father to censure Lord Linsong. Therefore, although he had no personal relationship with Jing Lin, they were no strangers to each other. What was most worthy of mention was that he loathed Jing Lin to such an extent that he had once penned a scathing essay the height of a man to criticize him.

As Sage Yining’s brush, one could hardly fault the brush demon for being so afraid. This was because this brush was very likely used by the Sage Yining to pen all those articles. That was why he knew Lord Linsong in such details.

After a slight pause, Jing Lin continued, “How is it possible that you can wander around Zhongdu alone when Yining is still around?”

It was fine if Jing Lin did not mention it. But the moment he brought it up, the brush demon, who had been holding back his tears, began to wail out loud again. He cried so bitterly he even hiccuped.

“This is all Dong Jun’s fault!” The brush demon wiped away his tears. “He had nothing to do, so he took me with, without permission to pen poems at the Brahma Altar. This caused the various monks to lodge a complaint against him to Lord Chengtian. Lord Chengtian took it out on the Sage and punished him to re, reflect on his mistakes in solitude. The more the Sage thought about it, the more furious he became. He said, ‘I don’t want what Dong Jun has touched before.’ And so he threw, threw me down here. I’m all alone and helpless with no family or friends in Zhongdu. How, how miserable!”

“There’s no one to bother you here.” Cang Ji teased him. “How carefree.”

“I’m scared to death!” The brush demon clutched a hollow rod to his bosom and said, “There are demons everywhere. I, I, I‘m too weak to hoist or lift a thing. I can’t defeat them at all. I can barely eat or sleep well every day. And I can’t drink ink nor write anymore. I’m scared, scared, scared, scared, scared to death!”

Speaking of which, this brush demon was a little special.

Although he was a demon, he frequently worked on divine cases. As such, he did not like demons and would rather have people for company. Furthermore, he was a little dull after having resided in the Ninth Heaven Realm all this while. He was also frequently scolded by the Sage Yining, and now his guts were even smaller than a needle. Just a scare would make him reveal his true form and cause him to cry nonstop. After descending to the mortal realm, he would even take to his heels if he came across a rabbit demon that was a little sturdier than average. What’s more getting into a fight? Yet, his fragrance lingered, never fading. This made it even more easy to attract the attention of demons salivating over him. As time passed, he had become an old hand at fleeing.

“Since you are fleeing, why are you staying with Chu Lun?” Cang Ji asked. “Don’t tell me you’re even helping him to cheat.”

Unexpectedly, the brush demon leaped to his feet, wanting to refute him. But he deflated on seeing Cang Ji’s gaze on him. He hung his head down in dejection and said, “You… you mustn’t put it that way. Shenzhi is a man of learning. He’s the top scholar; he doesn’t need me to cheat for him. Moreover, I may be a demon, but I wouldn’t tolerate such conduct either. Shenzhi is not that kind of person. If you say that again, I’ll… I’ll fight… talk, talk reason with you.”

“You got acquainted with Chu Lun.” Jing Lin picked up the copper pearls rolling out of the rubble. “… and were together with him day and night. You even spared no effort to accompany him to the capital. I’m afraid what you have with him is not just mere friendship.”

The brush demon stumbled over his words. “I, I have an appreciation for talents.”

Jing Lin handed the copper pearls to the brush demon and said, “You appreciate him so much that you even meticulously handle his accounting for him and personally managed his savings.”

The brush demon hugged his money pouch and took a big step back. Jing Lin had seen through him. He realized that he was now caught in a dead-end. Although there were major demons that had been conferred official titles and could assume the post of a deity-in-charge, it did not mean that the Ninth Heaven Realm had reached the point of magnanimity where they could condone humans and demons overstepping their boundaries.

Jing Lin cast the copper pearls back into the brush demon’s palm and said, “He was gravely sick, and should not have lived to this day. If you are just accompanying him on his last days, the Demarcation Division could still close an eye to it. However, you have already violated the decree by changing the Life Registry out of your own selfish reason. Even if the Demarcation Division doesn’t bring it up, neither of you will still be able to escape once the Underworld launches a thorough investigation.”

The brush demon suddenly fell to his knees with a “thud” and cried out timidly. “How can this be so?! The only one who broke the decree was me. If the Demarcation Division and the Underworld look into this matter, then the one to be held responsible for this is a demon like me. What does it have to do with, with a human?!”

Jing Lin said, “What does it have to do with him? Chu Lun has now snatched the title of the top scholar. Because of this, the original top scholar lost his chance. The Life Registry has now been altered because of a single action of yours. It will be hard to predict the fate of these two men in the future.”

The brush demon kowtowed and choked with sobs. “I’ve realized the errors of my way. But, but! Now that things have come to this point, surely you don’t mean to tell me Shenzhi still has to die? This is how his life should be! If he lost his life in accordance with his destiny, then everything he had worked hard for this life will be reduced to nothing. How could I have the heart to…”

Cang Ji said, “You saved Chu Lun. But another man out there will fall into obscurity. It can be seen that it’s not just humans who form relationships of varying proximity with each other. Demons are the same. All the back-and-forth affections in the world are truly nothing but trouble.”

Jing Lin stood in silence for a moment and said, “Tell me everything about you and Chu Lun.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Chu Lun might have difficulty walking, but his ambitions were lofty. When he was young, he survived on his relatives’ leftovers. It was at the age of twelve when his fame started to spread that he grew ashamed of the handouts he received and refused to accept any more alms. He was so destitute and poor he was always short of food. Any book he used, he personally copied them by hand. Even so, there was not a single speck of dust in his humble abode.

It was often the case that Chu Lun would study until he even forgot to eat and sleep. He had an ailment of the legs, and his health was not that good either. He received a recommendation at the age of nineteen and went to the capital to take the imperial examination, but he returned empty-handed. After his return, he became even more studious. During this time, he worked as a legal counsel, but he often took on cases from the poor folks. Because of this, he had to endure the hardships of being frequently exposed to the elements and hunger. That was how he came to be even more cognizant of the suffering of the people.

When he was twenty-two, he entered the capital again to retake the imperial examinations. Once again, his name did not make it to the list of those who passed. By this time, Chu Lun’s body was worn out from his old ailment. He was still young, but he was frequently steeping in medicine. Failure had not only demoralized his spirit, but had also put him in financial straits. One night, as he was midway through writing, he choked on his blood and passed out. When he came to, he was already lying on the bed. The noodles on the table were still warm, and the medicine was already simmering on the stove.

After this one time, Chu Lun would often fall asleep while he was writing. There was a time he turned over the remaining sections by chance and realized that the pages had been filled up in his handwriting. But even when Chu Lun racked his brains, he could not remember when he had resumed writing. Gradually, he came to the realization that someone had been accompanying him at his side. Although he could not see him, that person was always there.

One day, Chu Lun slept with his head propped up with his hand. He could hear the sound of the wind and the rain beating against the window at night. But he still did not wake up, as if he was in a deep sleep. A moment later, he heard light footsteps across the table as someone leaned over it to observe him up close.

Chu Lun did not move.

That person gently shifted the paper, dipped the brush in the ink, and began to chew the top of the brush as he pored over it. Chu Lun stealthily opened his eyes and saw the crown of the person’s head facing him as he wrote furiously with his sleeves rolled up. Chu Lun stretched his head forward to look. The man heard the movement and raised his head. He turned out to be a young man.

Both of them looked at each other. The young man got such a big shock that his elbow knocked into the ink and sent the ink splashing all over and splattering onto his face. He yelled. Chu Lun got a fright too. Seeing the ink come flying again, he abruptly leaned back. This sent the chair flipping over, causing him to fall hard onto the ground.

A fall would be merely a fall for any ordinary person. But the fall ended up badly for Chu Lun. The chair smashed against his chest, causing him to vomit out blood. He propped himself up and gasped for breath. It felt as if his body had broken out in a cold sweat. His heart palpitated so wildly that the more it thumped, the more flustered his heartbeat became, and the more the world darkened before his eyes. In short, it did not bode well for him. The young man rushed to help him up and held him in his arms. Strangely enough, Chu Lun felt a slight relief in his chest when the man hugged him. Even his cold sweat eased off.

The young man cried as he hugged Chu Lun. “It’ll be all my fault if you die tonight! What am I to do? I don’t harm humans!”

Teardrops came pattering down like rain. There were a few times Chu Lun wanted to open his mouth to speak, and every time, he almost drank a mouthful of those tears. The young man cried harder and harder until he simply raised his head and wailed. His cries were loud and clear. He had already forgotten about Chu Lun who was still in his arms. Chu Lun soaked in tears for quite a while. It was only when he almost drowned that the young man remembered him.

“Seeing the buildup of the pathogenic qi in your body…” The young man touched the middle of his eyebrows and said while sobbing, “I’ll help you get rid of it.”

Chu Lun finally got to speak. “May I ask…”

The young man huffed out a puff of air, and Chu Lun felt his body lightened. Even the pain in his chest faded away. He thought he had encountered a little immortal. He did not expect to hear the young man say,

“Although it’s demon aura, it has been slightly imbued with the immortal aura of a sage. I blew it all to you. Consider it as my gratitude for your kindness. I can only hope your aspirations are still strong, or…”

The young man had blown out too much aura in one breath. Chu Lun was now fine, but the young man’s head drooped down. With a “poof”, he turned back into a brush and fell onto Chu Lun’s chest. Chu Lun lay on the floor stupefied for half the night. Then, he rose to pick up the brush, noting that it looked common.

Chu Lun asked tentatively, “… May I ask your esteemed name?”

There was no response from the motionless brush between his fingers. Chu Lun clutched his chest, feeling uneasy. He almost thought he was dreaming. He took the brush onto the couch and lay down. Then, he tactfully placed the brush on the pillow and covered it partially with a quilt. After doing so, he stared blankly at it for a moment. He thought he was beyond cure; he was already starting to display abnormal behavior.

While Chu Lun was holding his head and doubting himself, he heard the brush shrink back into the quilt. Chu Lun did not dare to move. The brush remained still too. After a long period of silence, he heard the brush sob. “… Ex, excuse me. May I trouble you? I’m suffocating to death…”

Chu Lun stared at the white window, then sat up. Very gently, he lifted the corner of the quilt and respectfully invited the head of the brush out.

The brush said, “… Ex, excuse me… May I trouble you? My head is in the wrong direction…”

Chu Lun immediately turned it around and laid it down properly on the pillow. As Chu Lun stared at it without even blinking, the brush shrank back down and stammered, “It, it scares me a little… when you, you stare at me like that.”

With that, the brush hid its head under the quilt and refused to let Chu Lun watch it any further.

Chu Lun tucked in the corner of the quilt for the brush and slept with his back facing him. It was nearly dawn. Chu Lun thought blankly to himself.

Father and mother, I’m too ashamed to face you. I fear I’ve gone insane from all those studying.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

Chapter 44: Le Yan

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

The question of whether Chu Lun was insane or not could be set aside for now. But the way others saw it, he had already gone bonkers, and it was pretty serious. When Young Master Chu took a break while selling his literary services¹ on the street, he would, with a pleasant countenance, say regularly to the brush, “It has been hard on you.”

A passer-by stretched out his neck and asked, “How has it been hard on this brush?”

Chu Lun said, “It has been busy for the whole day. Naturally, it hasn’t been easy for it.”

The passer-by added, “The brush is just a tool. How would it understand you?”

Chu Lun was about to reply to him when he stopped and spoke to the brush in his hand. “Don’t cry. The ink is dripping out.” Then, when he raised his head again, everyone around him was looking at him like he was loony.

Chu Lun also felt that he had gone mad. The whole day, he took out paper after paper and re-dipped the brush in the ink the moment it ran out. Thanks to his reputation for being a wacko, his business improved. After all, it was really rare to have a lunatic who could not only write well, but was also good-looking. Chu Lun’s life grew more comfortable; he could even afford to buy medicine now. However, what he did not know was that even if he tried his best, his life would still come to an end before his third trip to the capital.

Because, in the Underworld’s Registry of Human Life Expectancy, Chu Lun would succumb to an acute illness in the spring of the twelfth year of Tianjia.² Before he met his end, he would be adrift on a boat³ all alone with no one to rely on. His body could no longer take in medicine, and it would take two days before he finally breathed his last. After his death, someone would roll him up in a straw mat⁴ and throw him into a mass grave, burying all those so-called talents and reputation with him in the soil. Furthermore, the Life Registry even clearly named another talent with the surname Zuo as the top scholar.

The more the brush demon saw Chu Lun studying hard through the night, the worse he felt. He wanted to tell Chu Lun, but time and time again, he swallowed back his words. Chu Lun was like the spring breeze, and so, out of his own selfish reasons, the brush demon was willing to stay with him.

Seeing that winter had come, Chu Lun put things into order and prepared himself for spring. But the luggage he had packed was always stolen and hidden away, and his remaining silver would somehow disappear for no reason.

One day, Chu Lun held up the brush and called out to it, saying, “I’ll head for the capital by river in spring. Do you have any plans for yourself?”

The brush demon rolled to a side and transformed into a youth sitting cross-legged on the table. He said, “Why do you have to go to such a faraway place? Stay at home. I’ll play with you.”

Chu Lun said, “The preliminary round of the imperial examination is around the corner. I have to go.”

The brush demon knew that it was of no use, but he still persisted, “You are already renowned in Dongxiang. Why seek those so-called positions and riches?”

“Regardless of my fame, I’ve yet to have the opportunity to serve my country.” Chu Lun moved his legs. They frequently hurt during winter. He covered them with a thin coat and said, “For over ten years, I’ve persevered in my studies despite my hardships. All I wish is to be of use in the future.”

The brush demon’s mood was waning. He clenched the paper tightly and leaned forward to ask, “Even if you die?” Chu Lun was stunned. The brush demon immediately tried to frighten him. “There are many demons in the capital. All of them are major demons! They all have a particular liking for scholars like you.”

Chu Lun asked, “Are you a major demon too?”

The brush demon nodded. “My former master is the Sage Yining of Ninth Heaven. Of course, I’m a major demon.”

He did not expect Chu Lun to laugh upon hearing this. Although Chu Lun was usually gentle, it was rare for him to burst out laughing like this. It was as if his laugh had dispelled the gloomy clouds over them.

“If all of them are like you.” Chu Lun said. “Then all the more I want to take a look.”

The brush demon felt Chu Lun’s gentle gaze on him. His forward-leaning body jerked back as if he had been pricked. With a hand behind him, he said sulkily, “You don’t understand… You don’t understand! Shenzhi, listen to me.”

“You called me Shenzhi.” Chu Lun sat up straight and looked level at him. “But how should I address you?”

The brush demon lowered his legs and sat down on the edge of the table with his side facing Chu Lun, refusing to let himself look into Chu Lun’s eyes. He said vaguely, “My name is Le Yan.”

Chu Lun had made up his mind to go. Le Yan understood him, and yet he could not comprehend it. He followed behind Chu Lun all day long. Even if he turned into a brush, he still had to keep harping on it until Chu Lun’s ears grew callus. Even in Chu Lun’s dreams, Le Yan the brush would still be standing upright offering him well-meaning advice.

His fellow townsfolk would often see Young Master Chu walking a few steps before turning back to grab the brush to talk to it. This horrified them more. All they felt for Chu Lun was admiration; they had to hand it to Chu Lun for not forgetting to head to the capital for the imperial examination despite being this nuts.

No matter how Le Yan tried to stop him, Chu Lun would eventually board the boat. On the eve of his departure, Le Yan said to him, “In that case, take me with you.”

Chu Lun said, “If anything untoward were to happen to me on the way, you would be adrift on the river for many days.”

On hearing that, Le Yan wanted to cry again. He said, “How can you say it like that? It’s as if you know for certain that you would meet the King of Hell.”

Chu Lun pushed the books together, lit the oil lamp, and said to Le Yan with a smile, “I’m afflicted with an old ailment. Lately, it has been hard for me to remain at my desk. I can more or less understand what’s to come. You have saved me once that night and repaid any kindness you’ve owed. Why tag along with me again?”

Le Yan dripped water droplets and said, “You are fully aware of that, and yet you still want to go ahead. I can’t fathom it.”

Chu Lun sighed and said, “Even if I don’t go, I’ll still die… I’m originally without kin. But you have cried for me again and again. This is already enough for me.”

Le Yan wiped away his tears and said, “I don’t want to cry either, but I, I was born this way. The Sage always scold me too! You know it’s impossible, and yet you still do it. You remind me of another person five hundred years ago. Whenever I think of him, I always want to cry.”

Chu Lun asked, “Who?”

Le Yan sobbed, “Spring, spring water weeps over precipitous rocks; morning light shrouds green pines in frost.”⁵

Chu Lun handed him a handkerchief. He did not know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m asking you who. Why are you reciting a poem instead?”

“Because that person is from this poem.” Le Yan blew his nose with the handkerchief and said, “I admonished him for so many years, although it couldn’t be helped since the Sage doesn’t like him. But I feel guilty. Alas, you have no idea. He once slew demons and eliminated devils. Yan Quan is Ninth Heaven’s most powerful sword! Seeing you like this reminds me of him before he met his end.”

“He must have his own reasons.” Chu Lun folded up the handkerchief and said to Le Yan, “… Although this illness holds me up, I still have to give it another try. You and I met by chance, and I’m indebted to you for your care and concern… I don’t know how I should thank you.”

Le Yan said, “I’m a demon. I’m very powerful. I don’t need anyone to thank me!”

Chu Lun could not help but laugh. “I never knew that demons are such crybabies.”

Le Yan lowered his head and choked with sobs. “I’m originally a brush. I have to discharge ink every day, so I could only cry all day. As time passes, it became impossible for me to stop.”

The corner of the quilt had been soaked with Le Yan’s tears. Even Chu Lun’s handkerchief was not enough. Chu Lun watched as Le Yan cried until he started to hiccup. Then, Le Yan turned over and continued to cry. His hiccups sounded like the little rooster pacing around next door. Chu Lun felt amused again. The sound of Le Yan’s weeping receded, and with a “poof” he turned back into a brush thick with the fragrance of ink.

Chu Lun put his handkerchief under the brush. His back was slightly curved; he looked emaciated under the light.

“There are benefits to being demons.” Chu Lun whispered. “Even if you encounter a chronically ill person like me, you don’t have to be afraid of getting infected. It’s just that time is too short… it’s getting harder to be contented with my lot.”

The brush wept ink and said nothing more.

♦     ♦     ♦

Chu Lun boarded the boat and departed from the shore. Le Yan was in his luggage. The weather was chilly during early spring, and Chu Lun’s illness took a sharp turn for the worse. In less than a month, he was already unable to get up from bed. He lay on his deathbed, beseeching Le Yan to burn his books for him.

“I’m afraid I can’t make it to the capital.” Chu Lun smoothed the paper and said, “Many of the remaining chapters have yet to be completed. If I leave them behind, they would also end up as kindling for others. We might as well use them today to keep ourselves warm.”

Le Yan refused. There seemed to be quite a number of affidavits.

Chu Lun continued, “The cases in Dongxiang have yet to have their verdicts reversed. My fellow countrymen have entrusted me with these. After my death…”

Le Yan said urgently. “You won’t die! You won’t die!”

Chu Lun gave a bitter laugh. “Things have already come to such a point. Why are you still deceiving me?”

Le Yan bundled the papers back into the luggage. Then he rose to pat Chu Lun’s cheeks and said with red eyes, “You are dedicated and talented, how could you die here? You must top the scholar list and petition on behalf of the common folks. Just you wait. Although I, I love to cry, I’m very loyal to my friends! I won’t let you die.”

Chu Lun laughed it off and said, “Every man has his own destiny.”

“You met me.” Le Yan stood up. “Nothing will happen to you.”　

♦     ♦     ♦

Le Yan headed for the Underworld. He had the Sage Yining’s nameplate,⁶ so no one stopped him from entering or exiting Li Jin. He used to tag along at Sage Yining’s side, so all the various grades of Ghost Guards did not dare to act rashly and offend him. Because the Sage Yining was exceptionally skilled at penning condemnation missives. Even Lord Linsong was not spared, so how would they be able to defend against him?

Le Yan’s entire journey went smoothly, with no one getting into his way. It was when he got his hands on the Registry of Human Life Expectancy that he knew that the battle was already half won. Although he had trained himself to be good at fleeing, he was still the most proficient when it came to words. No matter who wrote it, as long as he had seen it before, he could imitate them precisely. Le Yan surreptitiously found Chu Lun’s page, erased the section “dies of acute illness” and replaced it with “lives his life pursuing his ambitions, and meets his end after fulfilling his dreams.” After a moment’s thought, he searched for the page that originally had “Top Scholar in the Twelfth Year of Tianjia” on it and wiped away this man’s top scholar title.

Expressing his shame quietly, Le Yan looked at this man’s name, written neatly in three characters, “Zuo Qingzhou”. He did not know who this “Zuo Qingzhou” was, but he understood that his rescindment would cause him to miss the top scholar title this year. He looked at the man’s life. It was clearly written that he would be “successful in his official post, eliminating corruption and cleaning up the imperial court” until the end of his life at seventy. Only then did he feel reassured enough to return the Life Registry without anyone noticing and left with a peace of mind.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Then he would gradually recover, make it to the examination in time, and fulfill his dreams.” Cang Ji interrupted Le Yan. He poured cold wine from the stall, tasted it, and continued, “Nothing is that easy in this world. Although I have no idea what that Life Registry is, I can still guess that even if you change Chu Lun’s fate, someone else will have to pay with his life. Who knows who will be that unlucky scapegoat?”

“No, he won’t!” Le Yan said in a panic. “I’ve checked that registry and ascertained that no one will die!”

“Life is full of uncertainties.” Cang Ji gave a mocking smile. “You have gotten your wish. Why give a damn about others?”

Le Yan said, “Shenzhi’s illness came out of the blue. Who should he give his life for then? This kind of arrangement is wrong to begin with.”

“I often hear an old man talking of the ‘decree of heaven and earth’. In that case, everything planned in the Human Life Registry must have been orchestrated by someone.” Cang Ji said, “Each man has his own destiny. Why not just resigned yourself to your fate?”

Le Yan suddenly raised his head and looked at Jing Lin. He did not even bother to cry and merely said, “Is… is My Lord also resigned to your fate? This kind of arrangement… How can I accept it?! Don’t tell me Heaven and Earth gave him life merely to have him go through his entire life sick and full of regrets? I… I can’t accept this…”

Cang Ji tapped on the mouth of the cup and said, “The word ‘love’ is all but a mess of rotten debts.”

Le Yan kowtowed. “I’m willing to pay with my life. All I ask is…”

The night wind rose violently and sent Jing Lin’s sleeves fluttering. Before Le Yan’s voice died down, his words had already dispersed in the wind. Cang Ji looked up and saw something approaching them from the east. He downed the cold wine and rose to walk towards Jing Lin.

“I smell…” Cang Ji frowned, “the fragrance of a brush?”

Jing Lin said, “That is the fragrance of classics.”⁷

Both of them saw the creature from the east traversing the sky; it turned out to be a white fox. The fur of the fox demon was soaked in the scent of the classics. It held a person in its mouth as it leaped and dashed towards Huashang’s inn. However, there was another person with a whip in his hand in hot pursuit behind the fox. He berated out loud,

“Fox demons bring ruins upon humans by luring them with lust! How dare you dream of having an affair with a human! You’ve caused him to lose his life. Release him!”

The fox crashed to the ground. Cang Ji saw that his tail was broken in half and he had been beaten until he was bloodied all over. What was more shocking was that the man in his mouth no longer looked human. The fox sobbed and whined, but he refused to let go and held onto the man as he limped and fled into the inn.

The person with the whip was about to give chase when he heard Huashang snorted.

“Wu Ying, this place has the Goddess Shengyue at the helm. Who do you think you are? How dare you chase him all the way here!”

Wu Ying cracked his whip and said, “When demons harm humans, I’ll enforce justice on behalf of heaven!”

Huashang rapped on the window with her polished nails and coldly said, “You’re neither deity nor ghost. Are you even worthy?”

Wu Ying was furious. On the contrary, Cang Ji folded his arms to watch the show. This was his first time watching the commotion others had stirred up. But then, he heard Jing Lin say.

“You lied to me.”

Le Yan held his head and said nothing. Jing Lin turned back.

“You secretly changed the fate of a human—You made another man stand in for Chu Lun. All you’ve said are half-lies and half-truths… You did not do it for the sake of friendship, but for ‘love’. You knew someone would die, but you were still bent on getting your own way.”

Le Yan shook all over. Sobs tumbled out of his throat. “What else could I do?! Lord… Lord…”

Jing Lin could not hear Le Yan’s voice in the wind. All he could hear was the copper bell, which was originally on Chu Lun, splitting into two and ringing incessantly on the fox demon.

The suffering of “illness” was entwined with another suffering.⁸

Right at this time, the mournful cries of the fox in the inn reverberated through the sky. A gale tore its way from south to north. The lanterns in the entire capital suddenly went out as the lantern poles broke. Cang Ji raised his hands to shelter himself from the wind even as he held Jing Lin tightly.

“What’s happening?”

Jing Lin said, “Someone’s dead.”

卖字 literally to “sell words”, or one’s own literary skills. Many common folks in ancient times were illiterate, and sometimes, scholars and learned men would offer to help the common folks with reading or writing such as penning letters, affidavits, and so on in exchange for some money.

天嘉 The Era of Tianjia, 560-566, during the Chen Dynasty, also known as The Southern Chen Dynasty

蓬船

One of the simplest forms of burial. For the poor who couldn’t afford a coffin, or the unidentified dead, their corpses were usually simply wrapped in a straw mat before being buried or thrown into a mass grave.

泉声咽危石，日色冷青松 a line from the poem 《過香積寺》 Passing By Xiang Ji Temple by 王維 Wang Wei.

A small tablet identifying the bearer, either to prove their identity or as a token of authority (e.g. if they are there in an official capacity, or running errands on behalf of their masters).

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

Chapter 45: Another Situation

DECEMBER 1, 2019

Cang Ji lifted Jing Lin to his side amidst the billows of demonic aura. The stall’s benches and tables broke. The long street was suddenly emptied, leaving only the wind raging on endlessly. The wind shoved Jing Lin back. Cang Ji reached out an arm to grab him by the back of his waist and pressed him against his chest, then he turned his back against the wind to block it off.

The wind howled. Cang Ji was like a safe harbor. Pressed against his chest, Jing Lin could clearly hear his heartbeat. Cang Ji’s breath intimately surrounded him. All he could smell was Cang Ji’s scent.

Le Yan had been blown until he was pressed up against the wall. It was only because he had turned into a brush and fell into a gap that he was not blown away. The mournful cries of the fox gradually tapered off into broken sobs. Jing Lin listened to the urgent sound of the copper bell; it was clearly urging them on. But there was nothing he could do at the moment; it was both equally hard to retreat or advance.

Wu Ying was caught off guard. The demonic wind sent him toppling over to the ground. The sound of the cries had unexpectedly sent a wave of sorrow over him.

The fox in the inn limped forward and turned into a tall man covered in human blood. He kowtowed repeatedly to Huashang.

With a heavy expression, Huashang caught hold of the fox’s hands and sat down to whisper to him, “Silly lad, he’s dead.”

Blood had splattered on the fox’s face. He hummed and hawed in a hoarse voice several times, wanting to speak. But all that gushed out was blood. Huashang pointed to his chest and commanded, “Take the man away.”

The little foxes all came up together, but the fox held on tightly to the man, refusing to release him. It was as if his chest was hurting. He kneeled on the ground, embracing the man without relenting. His heart hurt so much he almost retched.

“Hua-niang…” The fox’s voice was hoarse. “… Save him…”

“He has long stopped breathing. Release him quickly.” Huashang could not bear to see him like this, thus, she was gentle with him. Disregarding the blood on his face, she cupped his cheeks and said firmly, “Qianyu, he’s already dead.”

The copper bell chimed. The entire capital seemed to reverberate with the toll of the bell as it rang through the night. Jing Lin’s mind jolted. He clenched on to Cang Ji’s clothes, feeling as if he was being channeled elsewhere.

Jing Lin said, “This situation—”

He stopped mid-sentence. The past flashed in his mind. In that instant, it actually seemed as if Heaven and Earth had been turned upside down, and he had plunged into a sea of clouds. Every scene before his eyes was illusory, and every sound besides his ears was hallucinatory. Chu Lun and Le Yan’s scenes shattered, and the luminous light scattered. As Jing Lin sank into darkness, he saw Cang Ji’s figure receded into the distance until he was all but gone from his sight.

♦     ♦     ♦

Raindrops plopped onto the tip of his nose.

Jing Lin instantly woke up. He felt dizzy upon waking up and knew that the copper bell had stolen his spiritual energy again. Fighting back his nausea, he looked up and found himself trapped in a narrow corner. He could not help but lean forward. But then, when he moved forward, he extended not his hand, but a furry paw.

Jing Lin was stunned. His ears involuntarily shuddered. He shook off the water droplets, climbed out of the narrow corner, and looked into a pool of water, only to see that he had turned into a snow-white fox.

Jing Lin shook his head in alarm and stamped his paws where he stood. He could barely keep his composure. He had done everything in Heaven and Earth, but he had never been a fox. Swinging his head made him realize that there was something weighing down his tail. He leveled his tail for a look. To his surprise, it was that elusive bell.

Jing Lin fixed his eyes on his surroundings and walked along the rocks to make his way down the long corridor. This was a large courtyard, even bigger than the one he lived in with Cang Ji in the past. Elegant setups could be seen everywhere. It seemed to be midsummer now. As Jing Lin shook off the water droplets on his fur, he took cursory glances at both sides. He did not know why, but it was as if something was urging him on along the corridor into the library¹ amidst the flowerbeds.

The library was permeated with the scent of the classics.² Lure by the fragrance, Jing Lin trod into it, not noticing that he had left his paw prints on the white rug. He jumped onto the bookshelf.³ Then, as if recognizing all the words, he dug out the book he wanted with his mouth and nudged it onto the carpet to read.

Jing Lin frowned. On seeing that the content was a script for a play, he wanted to shut the book. What he did not expect was that his body remained unmoved no matter how hard he “thought”. He was trapped in this body, forced to play the role of another soul.

The fox read with relish, even rolling around on the carpet when things got interesting. Jing Lin did not want to laugh, but he had to perform the act of rolling around too, so he rolled awkwardly for a few rounds, thinking he looked stupid as hell. In his distress, he heard someone coming up the stairs and changing his shoes before the door.

Jing Lin swiftly squeezed into a pile of books and exposed a tiny part of his ears to eavesdrop. He heard the person murmured “leave” to his attendants, then wiped his hands clean before entering. Jing Lin sprawled onto the ground with both paws and lowered his head to conceal himself.

That person should be a man. A small gust of wind rose beside the hem of his robe as he stepped past the pile of books. As he searched the bookshelf for books, he saw the paw prints. He turned his back to flip the book even as he spoke, “Book thief, have you finished reading the previous book?”

Jing Lin poked his head out. Seeing that the man had yet to turn around, he changed directions with light steps, wanting to make his escape. Unexpectedly, the moment Jing Lin moved, the copper bell on his tail rang. Before he could stride forward, the man caught and lifted him by the fur at the back of his neck.

“I don’t see you eating the food I left for you in the library.” The man rubbed his furry ears. “Are you only here to steal books to read?”

Jing Lin’s spine tingled with numbness as the man stroked him with his palm. He did not want this! But his tail kept wagging involuntarily, and his front paws trod the air in pleasure and comfort. He rubbed himself against the man’s palm, trying to ingratiate himself with him. The man turned him around and embraced him in his arms. Jing Lin raised his head to look at the man and nearly dropped his tail in shock.

The fair-complexioned “Cang Ji” had a smile in his eyes as he sandwiched Jing Lin between his arms and lifted his robe to climb the steps. The wooden steps led to a narrow space at the top which was surrounded by books. Instead of lighting a candle, Cang Ji took out a night luminous pearl the size of his palm from his sleeve.

Jing Lin was set down onto the ground, and his paws stepped upon an even softer rug. He lay down beside the night luminous pearl to watch Cang Ji put the books in place. The scent of the classics saturating the room intoxicated him. Jing Lin had nothing to do, and so he sized this Cang Ji up.

It was as if Cang Ji was aware of his gaze. Even if he did not incline his head, he still had to say, “You stole the books, and refused to admit your mistake. I have punished you to face the wall and reflect on your mistakes. Why are you still looking at me?”

The fox gave a bark as in defiance and openly inspected his surroundings. He trod behind Cang Ji and leaped onto his shoulder. With both paws pawing at Cang Ji’s clothes, he poked out his head to look at the opened book on his thighs. Cang Ji raised his hand to stroke his neck. It was so comfortable he tumbled down from Cang Ji’s shoulder into his arms.

The narrow space was still and quiet. The night luminous pearl thawed Cang Ji’s penetrating aggressiveness into a different kind of softness. Jing Lin lay on his lap, realizing only now that “Cang Ji’s” face could also be this gentle.

Jing Lin was thinking about it when he saw himself reach his paw out. He placed his paw gently below Cang Ji’s chest and slid it about as if it was a finger.

This fox!

Jing Lin immediately wanted to retract his paw, but his body did not obey him. He watched as that furry paw turned into fingers. Long arms and legs gradually revealed themselves, and silver threads cascaded over his body like a waterfall. He could see his own face in Cang Ji’s eyes. But that face showed an unfamiliar expression he had never shown before.

What was the most terrifying thing in this world?

Jing Lin did not know in the past. But now, he knew. It was to see “oneself” becoming another person. Like tearing down all his previous masks, baring himself stark-naked to do stuff he had never done before.

“He” was seducing “Cang Ji”. His fingers slid into the front of Cang Ji’s clothes and veered down his chest towards the back of his waist.

Jing Lin did not know why he was sweating. He suspected that the fox had put a spell on him, but yet, he could feel the texture of those muscles under his palm. Jing Lin wanted to avert his gaze in consternation, but there was nothing he could do. He can only stare at Cang Ji, gradually drawing closer to him.

The night luminous pearl was nudged aside by his toe. The silver-haired fox curiously leaned in close to Cang Ji’s face and blew a gentle puff of air at Cang Ji. With a “thud”, Cang Ji was pinned against the bookshelf. The book between his legs crumpled under Jing Lin’s weight. Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin’s rosy cheeks as the latter’s fingers scraped the back of his waist imperceptibly.

Damn this to hell!

Cang Ji wanted to grab hold of Jing Lin’s chin, but he discovered that he could not move. He had become another man. And yet he was obviously being intimate with Jing Lin. Even his temperature and the way he felt to the touch were the same.

The copper bell is ruining me! 

Both of them silently swore in unison.

Jing Lin was so close to him he could not be any closer. Not only was his face sticking close, but even his legs were sticking to the sides of Cang Ji’s waist. He sat on Cang Ji’s thighs, still sizing him up as if his curiosity had not diminished in the slightest.

Cang Ji felt his throat throb as Jing Lin lifted himself. He almost thought Jing Lin was going to kiss him. But Jing Lin did not. His narrow eyes were lowered and reserved as he opened his mouth to take a nip at the tip of the Cang Ji’s nose.

For a moment, Cang Ji could not tell whether he should heave a sigh of relief or simply sigh. The next moment, he returned Jing Lin’s embrace and wrapped his arms around Jing Lin’s waist. Then, sticking his cheeks to Jing Lin’s, he kissed him on the lips.

The wet and hot kiss took place in a narrow, dim corner, but it was also because of this that the kiss was even more intense. Holding Jing Lin’s back, Cang Ji lifted him from the bookshelf and kissed him hard. They should have done it countless times before. That was why they were moving with such ease and familiarity. Even their mutual scents were no strangers to each other.

Jing Lin wanted to open his eyes, but this dumb fox closed them instead. Immersed in the darkness, he could sense everything even more distinctly. He touched Cang Ji without a single trace of reservation. He could sense Cang Ji brushing apart the silver hair over his shoulders. Then, his wide-sleeved garment slid to the ground.

Jing Lin did not even have the time to express his shock. He was like the silky smooth satin being folded over wantonly. He was simmering with rage. The copper bell hung between his hair. But all he could do was to gasp for breath with his mouth.

This was no substitution.

This was them both. Because the caressed spots all felt undeniably familiar.

Jing Lin heard Cang Ji breathed out the name “Qianyu” as his warm mouth took in Jing Lin’s ear. Jing Lin could not help but lift his arm to hide his face, wanting to block away this cursed shame. The copper bell started to swing. Jing Lin seemed to be caught in a tug-of-war with his body. Cang Ji turned him over and shoved him against the bookshelf. Jing Lin tightened his grip on the edges of the bookshelf, but there was no spot he could grasp on to maintain his footing. Jing Lin raised his head, and Cang Ji kissed him from behind.

Jing Lin took all his grit in the past and bet it all at this very moment. He abruptly turned his head away and felt Cang Ji’s scorching heat pressed up against him. Kisses rained down on the nape of his neck. Jing Lin’s eyes were icy. Like a child learning to walk, he controlled his body and stiffly pulled his fingers away from its original action towards the other side.

Behind him, Cang Ji suddenly weighed down on him. Jing Lin heard the curses in his throat, restrained yet unbearable. This was none other than Cang Ji, who was similarly pulling himself back.

One of Jing Lin’s hands had already left the bookshelf. While he was breathing heavily, Cang Ji had already stripped away his inner garment, exposing his collarbone and shoulders. Cang Ji pinned him down, and Jing Lin swiftly grabbed the copper bell between his hair.

“Zuo Qingzhou!”

Jing Lin shouted out the name in a hoarse voice.

“It’s Zuo Qingzhou…” Jing Lin blurted. “The man who died is Zuo Qingzhou. I now know what his relationship with the fox is! You can stop it now!”

The copper bell disappeared from his palm with a “poof”.

Jing Lin’s body slackened against the bookshelf. Behind him, Cang Ji was already poised for action. Cang Ji braced his arm and lowered his head to pant for breath. Both of them felt as if they had a close brush with death. Just a little more and…

Cang Ji struggled to avoid Jing Lin’s body. This was his first and only time to cut such a sorry figure. It was even his first time to let such an unfamiliar impulse dictate his actions. He stared darkly at Jing Lin’s bare nape. He felt as if “Zuo Qingzhou” still existed within his body. Because he was burning to continue to do what he did not know and what he had never experienced before.

Cang Ji hastily pulled back his clothes and wrapped Jing Lin up, refusing to reveal even a tiny bit of Jing Lin’s skin.

Cang Ji cursed. “Let it die.”

Jing Lin brushed aside his hair and turned his head. Without any hesitation, Cang Ji pushed Jing Lin’s face back. Jing Lin’s lips were slightly hurting from the kiss. He knew he did not look too good at the moment. He brushed his thumb across the corner of his lips and rose to his feet.

“It wanted to tell us,” Jing Lin said calmly, “that ‘Qianyu’ and ‘Zuo Qingzhou’ had this kind of relationship. A fox demon forming an intimate bond with a human… but Zuo Qingzhou is dead.”

“Zuo Qingzhou.” Cang Ji stepped away from his body and said, “This name sounds so familiar to me.”

“The brush demon, Le Yan, revised the Life Registry, and Chu Lun became the top scholar. Because of this, Zuo Qingzhou lost his life.”

Cang Ji raised his hands to fasten the clasp and said, “You mean the man who died in place of Chu Lun is Zuo Qingzhou?”

Jing Lin tapped his forehead on the bookshelf with his forehead and said in a deep voice. “It won’t be that simple… As they said, every cause has its effect, and every effect has its cause. You and I first need to figure out what the fox’s suffering⁴ is, and how Zuo Qingzhou died.”

With their backs to each other, Cang Ji picked up the night luminous pearl on the rug. That tantalizing, unique scent in that narrow corner had yet to dissipate. Cang Ji did not know what that smell was, but he had no desire to open his mouth to ask.

“Before figuring others out, you and I need to get out of here first.” Cang Ji said as he passed Jing Lin the waist sash that had just been pulled off.

Jing Lin took it, and a delicate, sobering atmosphere promptly descended upon them.

书阁 literally a book pavilion but it also refers to a physical archive, or library.

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

Example of how a bookshelf looks like in those days.

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

Chapter 46: Probe

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Jing Lin fastened his waist sash. Fortunately, “Zuo Qingzhou” did not use that much force, so his clothes were still intact. It was only after Jing Lin secured his flowing silver hair behind his head that Cang Ji turned around.

The collar was still unable to cover Jing Lin’s neck. The spots that have been sucked red were all the more striking in the darkness. Fortunately, the night luminous pearl was not bright enough, allowing Cang Ji to snap back to his senses. Jing Lin sat back on the rug. All the desires earlier had been sealed away under firm ice, suppressed until there was no sight of it left.

“This place is like Dong Jun’s ‘illusion’. It’s an illusory scene of another person that the copper bell has replicated. It led us here to point out that Zuo Qingzhou is Qianyu’s ‘suffering.’¹” Jing Lin paused for a moment before continuing, “Le Yan changed the Life Registry out of his own selfish interests. What was Zuo Qingzhou’s original fate?”

“The top scholar.” Cang Ji leaned against the bookshelf. “Zuo Qingzhou was supposed to be the top scholar this year. Chu Lun and Zuo Qingzhou were both at the site of the imperial examination. Could they have some kind of relationship?”

That was hard to say.

Jing Lin sensed a big change in the way the copper bell was acting now. It was more urgent than the previous two times. But why was that? Was it because these two matters could not be delayed any longer, or was something making it impatient? But what had these matters got to do with him? What was worth forcing them to experience this “in the flesh”?

Jing Lin mused. “Le Yan saw Zuo Qingzhou’s fate. This man was not someone who would die prematurely. Not only was he not a short-lived person, but he was also born under a lucky star and had a good life with a successful official career. Even if such a person were to die, there must be a reason for it.”

“He specifically mentioned the name ‘Zuo Qingzhou’. Presumably, it’s not that simple.” Cang Ji backhandedly picked up Zuo Qingzhou’s book and flipped over a few pages. He said, “Since Zuo Qingzhou went for the imperial examination at the same time with Chu Lun, Le Yan should have seen this person before. Since he thinks so much about Chu Lun’s top scholar title, he must have checked out Zuo Qingzhou to see who he is. Perhaps…”

Cang Ji’s voice came to an abrupt stop. There were a few strands of hair sandwiched between the pages of this book. These should be Jing Lin’s hairs that had inadvertently come off when Cang Ji had been passionately caressing him earlier. Following his earlier impulse, Cang Ji felt a rush of heat shooting down his abdomen. He immediately closed the book and bent up a leg.

“… Le Yan was afraid there was a change to the Life Registry, so he made the first move and killed Zuo Qingzhou.”

Clueless about Cang Ji’s thoughts, Jing Lin said, “Le Yan might have lied, but he wouldn’t kill humans.”

“You haven’t seen him in five hundred years. How can you be sure he wouldn’t kill?” Cang Ji scoffed. He had no sympathy for the brush demon.

“I don’t believe him, but I trust Yining.” Jing Lin’s wrist bone was apparent as he gathered his sleeves. The dim light accentuated the smoothness of his silhouette. He said, “Yining and Zui Shan Seng are on good terms with each other. Both of them detest evil to the point of hatred. Many times, they have lamented about not making each other acquaintances earlier. Yining is not the kind of person who is hard on others but not himself. On the contrary, he is extremely harsh on himself. He might have cast Le Yan down to the Human Realm, but that does not mean that he would totally turn his back on him. If Le Yan dares to kill a man, he will definitely not stand by and do nothing.”

“Then, what untruth has Le Yan said?” Cang Ji asked. “You said he was lying.”

“He was contradictory in his account of Chu Lun.” Jing Lin raised his eyes to look at Cang Ji and suddenly asked, “What are you doing so far away?”

Cang Ji said, “Just in case the need arises. If the copper bell comes again, would you still be able to make a run for it if I’m too close to you?”

“It’s so big here.” Jing Lin tilted his head slightly, and the night luminous pearl cast a soft glow over his facial features. He said lightly, “It has already made its point clear. It won’t do that kind of stuff again.”

“And what stuff is that kind of stuff?” Cang Ji covered his lap with the book. “Eating someone?”

“I don’t know.” Jing Lin answered.

Cang Ji asked, “Have you ever done it with others before?”

Jing Lin said, “… Le Yan’s desire to save Chu Lun is real. But he wants Chu Lun to get the title of the top scholar. They must be hiding something.”

“That means you have done it before.” Cang Ji cut him off and asked, “With whom?”

“If I’m the one who taught you to probe until you get to the bottom of things,” Jing Lin said, “then throw that all away right now. It’s not a good habit to have.”

Cang Ji looked at him for a moment and said, “You couldn’t have forgotten, could you?”

“Don’t tell me you want to help me remember?” Jing Lin asked.

Cang Ji paused for words. Jing Lin continued. “It’s obvious that the keyword is ‘top scholar’. It’s important to Chu Lun, and also to Zuo Qingzhou. The top scholar title is the key to the changes in both men’s’ fates. We need to know what happened on the days of the examination.”

“But it obviously has no intention of letting you and me out.” Cang Ji flicked the night luminous pearl. “I’m still ‘Zuo Qingzhou’.”

What did the copper bell mean by this?

It could not possibly want them to play along with the actions of “Qianyu” and “Zuo Qingzhou” in order to continue, could it?

They glanced at each other, then simultaneously averted their gazes. The delicate atmosphere lingered in the air. It was so stifling Cang Ji broke out in a sweat. As soon as he shifted his body, the book that his shoulder had been pressing against dropped. Cang Ji realized that this book was different from the others; it was compiled by Zuo Qingzhou himself. He flipped through the pages nonchalantly.

“The old cases of Dongxiang.” Cang Ji turned the book around and pushed it towards Jing Lin. “Chu Lun is from Dongxiang. Didn’t that brush demon mentioned that Chu Lun was looking into the past cases of Dongxiang too?”

Following Cang Ji’s fingers, Jing Lin skimmed over the page. Although there were many things he did not remember, he was still very observant about everything that had happened recently, right down to the smallest details. When his eyes fell upon a certain part, his heart gave a skip.

“Dongxiang is thousands of li² away from Xitu. What cases would require the presence of the Inspector-General of Xitu…” Jing Lin paused. His eyes darkened during his silence. He said, “The route from east to west is arduous. Xijiang and the capital lie between them. If you take a detour down south, there would be many layers of waterway checkpoints to go through. It’s both energy and time-consuming. The only suitable route would be to take a detour from the north.”

Cang Ji was on the same wavelength. “The connection between Dongxiang and Xitu lies in the mountain ranges in the north that they must pass through.”

Jing Lin turned over the page and saw Zuo Qingzhou’s detailed list of the names of all those involved in the case. All of them were missing cases of women and children. Since the first year of Tianjia, more than a hundred people have gone missing in Dongxiang alone. The constables of the Dongxiang yamen were up to their ears in investigations. But so far, none of the missing have been found. The most peculiar was Zuo Qingzhou’s single-lined annotation in the footnotes.

[Human traffickers run rampant in the four lands. I’ve resided in the capital for many years and not once have I ever caught news of it.]

“That’s strange.” Cang Ji leaned over next to Jing Lin and said, “Isn’t the capital of the mortals the residence of the Emperor? By all rationale, a major human trafficking case that had occurred in all the various places should have been reported to the capital’s central administration, isn’t it?”

“The mountains are high, and the Emperor is far away.³ It’s not impossible to stem the flow of information.” Jing Lin said. “However, if you’re talking about sweeping it totally under the rug, then that’s impossible. The local yamen would report it to their higher-ups, who would then send it forward to the capital. There must be someone in the capital who is intentionally obstructing the course of justice. Someone who can put the clamps on such a major case must be an influential man in a high-ranking position, making it hard for the common man to offend him.”

Cang Ji turned back a few pages. Zuo Qingzhou must have investigated these cases in detail; he even made a special trip to Xitu. Cang Ji’s gaze moved down. He saw an acquaintance in the list of Dongxiang’s personnel transfers to the other localities.

“Gu Shen.”

Both of them glanced at each other. Jing Lin said, “Gu Shen was transferred from Dongxiang to Xitu. He was originally pursuing these cases.”

“Gu Shen knew Dong Lin. Then what about Zuo Qingzhou and Chu Lun?” Cang Ji connected the books to form a line. “Dong Lin was constantly on the move for this, as were Gu Shen, Zuo Qingzhou and Chu Lun. The city in the mountains has been destroyed, but these cases remain unresolved because most of the missing people are dead—in that case, the thread of investigation has been cut off.”

“No.” Jing Lin pressed his fingertip on the last book. “It hasn’t. Because the copper bell is still in pursuit, and the eight sufferings remain incomplete. All these indicate that these cases are still ongoing. Perhaps, even happening right now.”

“Humans and demons are all involved in this.” Cang Ji warned. “Don’t tell me we still have to deal with the Demarcation Division in the future?”

“There are doubts there too.” Jing Lin raised his head. His neck was exquisite. He leaned slightly toward Cang Ji. “Demons are involved. But why hasn’t the Demarcation Division act yet?”

Cang Ji paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. He wondered, “Could it be that the deities are involved too?”

Jing Lin did not continue this thread of conversation. Cang Ji noted that his face had turned pale as if he had thought of something. Jing Lin pursed his lips tightly and suddenly began to cough. He covered his mouth and bent over. Cang Ji extracted a handkerchief to cover it for him. Cang Ji embraced Jing Lin, because Jing Lin coughed so hard his entire body shook. He concealed the portion of the handkerchief that had been stained with blood.

“The top scholar.” Jing Lin suddenly grabbed Cang Ji’s hand. “The top scholar! Chu Lun and Zuo Qingzhou both wanted to top the examination to win the title of the top scholar. Because all along, the top scholars have always been in the ministry’s good books. After spending several years at the Hanlin Imperial Academy,⁴ they can join the central administration for an official post. By then, they would have authority. Once their luck reaches the point where they are officially a part of the ministry, all the power and influence in the world will be within reach. They are not only investigating these cases, but they also want to redress the grievances in all these cases.”

Jing Lin lifted his eyes to inspect the bookshelf and said, “The copper bell arranged for us to come here because this place is important. All records of Zuo Qingzhou’s investigation are here. For him to take this up with others… He must have found the crux of the matter. Le Yan said that his entry in the Life Registry indicates that he would be ‘successful in his official post’. That’s right. These words form the basis of who Zuo Qingzhou is. His top scholar title was erased, but still, it shouldn’t be to the extent that he has to die. With his talent and knowledge, his destiny would still prevail even if he takes the imperial examination in the coming years. But he’s dead. Because he was discovered.”

“The top scholar title was his protection. The person he was investigating discovered him. Going by his original fate, the other party would have been indisposed to silence him because he had scored the top scholar title and had the eyes of tens of thousands of people on him.” Cang Ji said in a deep, heavy voice. “But the brush demon changed his fate.”

Then, what about Chu Lun?

Jing Lin turned to the last page. “Chu Lun and Zuo Qingzhou are acquainted with each other.”

However, these two men were far apart from each other, and there was a disparity in their status. How would they get to know each other? Chu Lun was a gifted scholar from Dongxiang, but his family was poor and he still relied on farming to scratch out a meager existence even while selling his literary services.⁵ He had come to be aware of these cases only because his circumstances had forced him to work as a legal counsel. Zuo Qingzhou was born in the capital. His family was well-off, and his courtyard had been specially equipped with a library for his collections of books. He was very well-read. Obviously, someone of his father’s generation was working as an official in the imperial court. The only thing was that he was not a high-ranking official. Because the setup in his courtyard was quiet and secluded. Most likely, he was from a family of scholars.

How did they come to know each other?

Cang Ji said, “Zuo Qingzhou addressed Chu Lun as ‘Shenzhi’. They not only knew each other, but were also on familiar terms.”

“If they were on familiar terms,” Jing Lin said, “how could Le Yan not recognize Zuo Qingzhou if he has been with Chu Lun for a year?”

“Perhaps, there was no written correspondence between them this year.” Cang Ji rose to his feet and began to search according to Zuo Qingzhou’s archival order. “Based on what you have said, they are both pursuing these cases, which implicates high-ranking officials in the capital. If someone had set their eyes on them, then breaking off communication to play it safe would be a sound strategy.”

“In that case, the best opportunity would be the day of the imperial examination.” Jing Lin said, “Scholars from all over would assemble in the capital. Chu Lun’s arrival would not cause someone to launch a probe into it. At the same time, it would be just the time for fellow students and countrymen to socialize with one another. Even if Chu Lun and Zuo Qingzhou happened to sit at the same table, they would not arouse suspicion.”

Cang Ji inclined his body and said with some regrets, “From how I see it, someone has already suspected Chu Lun. The brush demon said he would have originally died of sickness all alone on a boat. If he were to die of sickness, the brush demon only had to give him a few mouthfuls of spiritual energy and he would be able to live for a few more days. But the brush demon just had to go to the Underworld.”

“He did not die of illness.” Jing Lin said.

The other party very likely had something to do with the original “Death of Chu Lun” in the Life Registry. Le Yan was very well aware of this, that’s why he had risked condemnation to modify the registry.

“Interesting.” Cang Ji said, intrigued. “Why do I find the schemings of the mastermind behind this deception so familiar?”

Jing Lin said softly, “It’s like going through it all over again.”

“Hmm?”

“… Nothing.”

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m.

山高皇帝远 i.e. difficult to get justice because central authorities have little influence over local affairs. Also often used in reference to corruption.

翰林 Hanlin, refers to academics employed as imperial secretaries, forming the Hanlin Imperial Academy 翰林院.

卖字 literally to “sell words”, or one’s own literary skills. Many common folks in ancient times were illiterate, and sometimes, scholars and learned men would offer to help the common folks with reading or writing such as penning letters, affidavits, and so on in exchange for some money.

Chapter 47: Implication

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Cang Ji looked through the bookshelf in chronological order and found a small box at the top of the fourth frame.¹ He took it down, turned it over in his palm for a look, and noticed a small iron lock on it. Tilting his ear towards the box, he gave it a slight shake and wondered, “This area is full of documents and case files. Why is there a box?”

“Can you tell what’s inside?” Jing Lin asked.

“Papers.” Cang Ji replied. “He put a pile of paper inside.”

“It’s letters.” Jing Lin said with absolute certainty. “Only letters would require him to hide them away like this.”

Cang Ji sat back down. He used two of his fingers to break open the small iron lock and opened the box. It was exactly what Jing Lin had expected. Sure enough, he saw papers of letters in the box, neatly organized from the latest to the oldest, with detailed annotations of the date and time. Jing Lin picked up the top bundle of letters and saw the word “Xijing”.

“Zuo Qingzhou.” Jing Lin said, “Courtesy name, Xijing.”²

“Shenzhi.” Cang Ji looked towards the end of the page and said, “This is a letter from Chu Lun.”

It was the last letter in the tenth year of Tianjia³ that Chu Lun had sent to Zuo Qingzhou from Dongxiang.

To: Xijing,

⁴ concern. Di⁵ has found a job and no longer has to worry about livelihood. When di headed south along the river during springtime, di could hear the news of this case everywhere di passed by. Xiong speaks of the truth. This case has been dragging on for many years. It implicates over a hundred people, and there are spies everywhere from east to west. As much as the in-depth investigation is appalling, we must not act impetuously.

⁶ Gu-xiong is well-aware of the intricacies of this case. He is willing to follow the trail of the traffickers and has asked for a transfer to Xitu to continue his investigations in the north. It’s just that after years of conniving by the imperial court, this case has now ballooned into a monstrous beast. It’s hard to crack down on this deeply entrenched atrocity in Zhongdu. After thinking it over, di hopes that xiong will give His Excellency Liu’s matter further consideration. This case is an arduous undertaking; it cannot be eradicated without the various powers joining forces.

Di knows that xiong’s mind is made up, but di would still advise xiong to go slow on this. The imperial court is crafty and cunning, and this case involves too much. Not only are our lives at stake, but also the lives of our families and clans. If we make one wrong move, we will lose the entire game.

“According to Chu Lun’s letter, Zuo Qingzhou had wanted to make a move two years ago.” Cang Ji said, “Two years ago, both of them were mere commoners. Even if Zuo Qingzhou had someone in the imperial court, he would still not be able to shake up the mastermind. How would he dare to strike out at them?”

“Not strike. At most, a light rap.” Jing Lin folded back the original letter and smoothed it carefully between his fingers. The gears in his mind turned. He said, “Although Chu Lun’s letter did not mention it outright, we can tell that they had gotten to the crux of the matter in their investigations. Even if they had yet to identify the mastermind behind this, they were getting close. It’s precisely because of this that they broke off communications with each other. Zuo Qingzhou must have realized that he was being watched, that was why he didn’t reply.”

“They must have other communication channels that would allow them to exchange information.” Cang Ji said.

“Hmm?” Jing Lin was surprised. “Why do you think so?”

“Chu Lun went for the imperial examination despite his sickness. Even the brush demon could not dissuade him. Do you still remember the brush demon’s words the night before Chu Lun’s departure in his statement to us?” Cang Ji said, “He said, ‘you know it’s impossible, and yet you still do it.’ This shows that Chu Lun was aware that he would most likely die on the way to the capital. If he could come to that realization, then he must have gotten some reliable news. He risked his life to come, perhaps because the communication channel was no longer available, and he had to make a special trip down to inform Zuo Qingzhou of some crucial information. Based on the timing, when Zuo Qingzhou died, Chu Lun had already been in the capital for several days. The fact that they had not been able to meet those few days shows that the matter had reached the point of urgency. The other party had already discovered the connection between them.”

“Of all times, the other party had to make a move at this precise moment.” Jing Lin pondered, “They must have done something to enrage the other party during the preliminary round of imperial examinations. That’s why the other side could wait no longer and have to silent Zuo Qingzhou.”

“In that case, we must first know how Zuo Qingzhou died.” Cang Ji said, “What did the man with the whip say? He said that the fox demon killed Zuo Qingzhou.”

“The fact that Zuo Qingzhou is Qianyu’s ‘suffering’⁷ is enough to show Qianyu’s deep love for Zuo Qingzhou. Furthermore, from what we can see of the situation earlier, both of them are not only mutually in love, but also very intimate with each other. I fear they have already promised themselves to each other.” Jing Lin thought back to the sound of Qianyu’s wails and said, “It won’t be him.”

“Why not?” Cang Ji suddenly drew a slash with his finger before Jing Lin’s neck and said, “Killing intent exists even between you and me, what’s more them? What trickery has love resort to that even demons succumb to it? Is it really that powerful? I don’t believe this absurdity.”

“If you have the chance, you can give it a try.” Jing Lin answered

“You and me.” Cang Ji said, “I doubt you understand it either. Isn’t this just perfect?”

Jing Lin said, “How do you know I don’t?”

“If you did, you wouldn’t blush at just a mere touch. Although there was Qianyu to cover it up for you earlier, your inexperience was still obvious.” Cang Ji reflected on it. “You have never done this with anyone before at all.”

“You sound like a connoisseur.” Jing Lin tapped the surface of the letter lightly. It was a very subtle move, but it clearly revealed his displeasure.

“But even if we look at it from another way.” Cang Ji retracted his hand, “I have no idea why Qianyu wouldn’t kill Zuo Qingzhou either. Because in my opinion, if I’m him, as long as you get friendly with others, you can expect me to eat you up.”

Jing Lin gave a small sigh. “Qianyu will not eat Zuo Qingzhou.”

“If you like someone, then you should devour him into your belly.” Cang Ji said, “Otherwise, others will snatch him away.”

“If there’s someone you love in the future.” Jing Lin said, “He must be a very competent person among all the three realms.”

“Thank you for the compliment. If I really have one in the future, I’ll pass along your words to him.” Seeing Jing Lin close the box, Cang Ji asked, “Aren’t you reading anymore?”

Jing Lin rose to his feet with the box in his arms. “I’m going to the courtyard for a look. Zuo Qingzhou must have left some clues.”

“Haven’t you noticed?” Cang Ji said. “It’s as if the time here has never changed.”

When Jing Lin descended the stairs, he realized that Cang Ji was right. When he woke up, it had been drizzling, and the time was near noon. Both of them had remained in the narrow spaces for several hours, but the sky outside was still the same.

“This copper bell is different from before. In the past, when it made use of human dreams, you and I can only watch by the side and not experience it first-hand. We can still walk away if we sense something wrong. But now, our divine consciousness is trapped in someone else’s body, let alone talk about leaving easily.” Unable to mobilize his spiritual energy, Cang Ji asked, “What else does it want to tell us?”

Jing Lin had no idea either.

Both of them walked through the veranda and went around the Zuo clan’s courtyard. The pitter-patter of raindrops continued endlessly, but the sky never turned dark. It was until they were on their third round around the courtyard that Cang Ji sensed something off.

“Earlier on, when we passed by this place, I’ve plucked the Chinese flowering crabapple⁸ here.” Cang Ji’s eyes focused on the spot. “But just one round later, it had grown back on its own.” Jing Lin was about to speak when Cang Ji took a few steps away from him and asked, “Why have you shown your ears?”

Jing Lin was stunned. Sure enough, he discovered that his own furry ears had revealed themselves. He frowned and said, “I’ve never…”

Before he could finish his words, he saw Cang Ji suddenly growing bigger. Everything around him grew longer. As Jing Lin was having second thoughts, his tail reappeared with a “poof”. He turned back into a fox almost instantaneously. The box in his hand tumbled to the ground. Cang Ji abruptly vanished before him. Just as he realized that things did not bode well, he blacked out.

♦     ♦     ♦

Raindrops plopped onto the tip of his nose.

For the second time, Jing Lin woke up again. He was still as dizzy as before. He shook his furry ears again, made his way to the long corridor and started to head for the library. The fragrance of the classics⁹ permeated the air. Jing Lin watched coldly as he rolled over with laughter while reading the script of the play. The sounds of footsteps heading up the stairs of the library rang out. Cang Ji’s lines were exactly the same as the last time. He picked him up and tousled his fur again.

Unable to control himself, Jing Lin stretched out his paws in pleasure. At the same time, he was inwardly struggling with himself. He realized to his shock that his divine consciousness seemed to have been chained with shackles so heavy that he could not snatch back control of his body. Cang Ji had already picked him up to ascend the stairs. Jing Lin’s heart leaped to his throat. The situation that had just been demonstrated earlier was now pressing in on them!

What exactly did the copper bell want to tell them?

Jing Lin broke out in a cold sweat as he quickly searched for an answer.

Zuo Qingzhou? What else had Zuo Qingzhou hidden during this time that he had not yet noticed? Or, did he and Cang Ji have to do what Zuo Qingzhou and Qianyu had done to the very end?

Once again, Jing Lin’s fingertips scraped the back of Cang Ji’s waist. The repeated kiss came again. This time, Jing Lin could even feel the sturdiness of the thighs he was touching. Cang Ji was lithe yet powerfully built That heat seeping through his clothes was so scorching that Jing Lin shuddered.

Zuo Qingzhou’s…

Jing Lin was pinned against the bookshelf. His breathing was urgent. Cang Ji’s touches almost shattered his composure into pieces. Jing Lin felt his consciousness clouding over, as if he had caught a cold. For a moment, he could not tell whether he was Qianyu or himself. Cang Ji pressed against him from behind, gripping his arm so hard that it hurt. His kisses were as pressing as the times he was devouring his meals. Jing Lin even broke out in a sweat during his intermittent gasps for breath.

So hot. 

No, not hot!

It’s Zuo Qingzhou’s, Zuo Qingzhou’s what? Zuo Qingzhou had laid out all his cards here. He was already on the trail of the other party. For what reasons would he die of? For what reasons… 

There was a coolness on Jing Lin’s shoulders. And the nape of his fragile neck tingled with waves of numbness from the stimulation. He could sense where Cang Ji’s thighs were now pushing up against.

Jing Lin was sweating profusely, as was Cang Ji. Cang Ji was sweating even more than him. His sweats slid down his temple and dripped onto the pit of Jing Lin’s neck. It was so searing that Jing Lin sucked in a breath in a low voice.

Zuo…

“Young Master!”

There was a sudden shout from an attendant at the bottom of the stairs.

It was as if Jing Lin was jolted awake from a dream. Cang Ji stopped his actions. Their bodies and breathing were intertwined, and the drops of sweat melting between their glued skins turned abnormally viscous and sensual. “Zuo Qingzhou” bent his head to nudge against “Qianyu’s” cheek. They exchanged a wet, passionate kiss. Then, Cang Ji pulled up Jing Lin’s clothes and asked,

“What’s the matter?”

Since there had been a precedent before, Jing Lin did not dare to relax out of fear that the copper bell would come at it again. Fortunately, the copper bell did not ring or appear. The attendant at the bottom said, “His Excellency Liu is here. He’s waiting in the front hall.”

Cang Ji arranged his clothes while Jing Lin leaned against the bookshelf. It seemed as if both men were loath to part, but the attendant butted in just in time. “Old Master is urging you on.”

It was then Jing Lin heaved a sigh of relief. But before he could let it all out, he was picked up in a hug. He was secretly horrified. Aren’t Zuo Qingzhou and Qianyu done yet? Just a short moment, and yet they couldn’t bear to tear away from each other.

Cang Ji’s fingers swept through Jing Lin’s hair as if soothing him. Jing Lin was expressionless—yet one of his fingers hooked on to a wisp of Cang Ji’s hair, refusing to let him go.

“Let’s have a meal later together.” Cang Ji lovingly brushed aside Jing Lin’s silver hair. His gaze sent a tingle down Jing Lin’s spine.

Cang Ji’s action also sent a tingle down his own spine.

Both of them could not bear to look into each other’s eyes, yet they had to continue to gaze at each other with such tenderness.

Jing Lin felt his chest thumping. This should be how “Qianyu” was feeling. The fox was so full of adoration for Zuo Qingzhou as he and the mortal soaked in each other tenderness, unable to extricate himself. Even though Jing Lin had never experienced it, he could understand Qianyu right this very moment—this was how much he loved Zuo Qingzhou.

They could have been together. Even if the law did not permit them to, they could still be intimate in this narrow space in the library, exchanging words of love.

Cang Ji had already turned sideways and stepped down the stairs. Jing Lin propped himself up into a sitting position on the rug to watch him. He looked on as Cang Ji suddenly took a step up and beckoned stiffly to Jing Lin. Jing Lin thought there was something he wanted to say, so he turned his ear to him. Unexpectedly, Cang Ji dropped him a light kiss on his ear. Then, he whispered into his ear.

“This is from me.”

Jing Lin was stunned as he saw Cang Ji descended the stairs with his eyebrows raised.

Jing Lin remained blank where he was for a very long time before it dawned on him who the “me” was. His hands flew up to cover his face, as if he could no longer tell himself apart from “Qianyu”.

Example of how a bookshelf looks like in those days.

字 A courtesy name, also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one’s given name.

天嘉 The Era of Tianjia, 560-566, during the Chen Dynasty, also known as The Southern Chen Dynasty

兄: Xiong, Elder Brother. In this letter, it refers to the recipient, i.e. Xijing, aka Zuo Qingzhou.

弟: Di, younger brother. In this letter, the “di” refers to the letter writer, Chu Lun.

Gu-xiong, then it literally means (Elder) Brother Gu

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

海棠花 Haitang, Malus spectabilis, or Chinese flowering crabapple

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

Chapter 48: Sinking

DECEMBER 8, 2019

Cang Ji went down the stairs and stepped out from behind the bookshelf to see the attendant standing at the foot of the stairs. He raised his arms to let the man change his clothes for him. Then he descended the stairs, walked past the flowerbed, and headed for the front hall. All his earlier tenderness was swept away as he put on a composed demeanor.

“When did His Excellency Liu arrive?”

“To answer Young Master, an hour ago.” The attendant quickened his pace to follow him. “The moment Old Master received his calling card,¹ he invited His Excellency Liu to the hall to meet him. He only sent someone to call for you a while ago.”

His Excellency Liu?

Inside the body, Cang Ji thought back to the letter he had just read. In the last message in the tenth year of Tianjia² that Chu Lun had sent to Zuo Qingzhou, Chu Lun had mentioned “His Excellency Liu”. Could they be the same person? He wanted to question further, but “Zuo Qingzhou” was silent the entire way, deep in his own thoughts.

Cang Ji left the garden to walk past a corridor, then crossed the bridge. It was only after passing through a wall opening³ that he walked into his father’s courtyard. When the maidservant waiting in the hallway saw him enter, she raised the curtain to welcome him in.

Cang Ji stepped through the door. Two men of similar age, making small talk from the host and guest seats⁴ in the hall, paused in their conversation and simultaneously turned to look at him. Cang Ji scrutinized them through the eyes of “Zuo Qingzhou” as the latter said his greetings.

“I’m sorry to have kept Teacher waiting.”

The man with a goatee sitting on the guest seat put aside his tea and said to Cang Ji, “Xijing,

⁵ there’s no need to stand on ceremony.”

The moment he opened his mouth, Cang Ji heard the copper bell ring violently. In that very instant, the scene before his eyes turned into a hazy blur. The distorted surroundings let out a “crack” as if the scene was about to shatter. Cang Ji regained control of his body. However, this strange feeling only lasted for a moment before Cang Ji felt his divine consciousness suppressed once again under this body as control returned to “Zuo Qingzhou”.

Cang Ji fixed his eyes on the other party.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin was still “Qianyu”. He had gotten ahold of the box again, but did not manage to open it because Qianyu was not interested. Jing Lin rose to his feet and pulled out a book from the shelf, turned it over, and put it back. He was not interested in these, but he handled them gently as he maintained his original form for “Zuo Qingzhou”.

Jing Lin leaned against the bookshelf. While “Qianyu” was daydreaming, Jing Lin swiftly glanced around out of the corners of his eyes to find the reason he was kept here. But to his regret, “Qianyu” covered his cheeks and gave a silly grin as he lay back on the rug to think about Zuo Qingzhou.

Jing Lin moved in tandem with “Qianyu”. He could wholly feel “Qianyu’s” high spirits and joy. For some reason, Jing Lin felt exceptionally patient today. Perhaps it was because he had seen their ending, so he felt pity for them. The deeper “Qianyu” lost himself in it, the more Jing Lin’s heart sank.

If Zuo Qingzhou’s death was as he expected, then how would Qianyu be able to face it? This naïve fox suffered the painful loss of his lover. He would surely bare his claws out of rage because of this. Such a blazing love, after losing Zuo Qingzhou to hold him together, would inevitably turn into the most blistering hatred. His “suffering”⁶ arose out of love, and his vengeance appeared out of the blue; it was bound to engulf everything in its path.

Vengeance.

Jing Lin mouthed the word in silence. He tilted his head to look at his fingers. All the previous traces of having held a sword had been hidden. Jing Lin slowly lifted and spread out his index finger. He was as cold as ice in the face of “Qianyu’s” blissfulness. The warmth Cang Ji had given him earlier gradually dissipated until there was nothing left.

“Qianyu” had fallen asleep, but Jing Lin was still wide awake in the dark. He sat idly in this body and listened to the rain outside as it pitter-pattered its way into his heart.

Qianyu slept soundly. His sleep sweetened as Zuo Qingzhou’s scent enveloped him, and he became more luscious and enchanting like a honey peach coddled by Zuo Qingzhou. Even though Jing Lin’s refined features had substituted his face, it was still hard to conceal that captivating allure of “Qianyu’s” androgynous charm. This was a beauty bestowed upon him by the word “love”. It radiated from deep within him.

Sometime later, just as Jing Lin was getting drowsy, he heard the sound of Cang Ji ascending the stairs. The rain was making a din outside. It was only when Cang Ji picked up Jing Lin that Jing Lin could open his eyes. But Cang Ji was obviously in a bad mood. Jing Lin could tell that he was tense.

Tensed?

Was Zuo Qingzhou feeling tense, or was it Cang Ji?

“Qianyu” wrapped his arms around “Zuo Qingzhou’s” neck. Puffs of warm breath tickled Zuo Qingzhou’s neck as Qianyu snuggled up against him, still half-dreaming. Jing Lin could not make out his vague mumbles, but he knew the fox was acting like a spoiled child. “Qianyu” was not even willing to get off the bed and had to be carried down by “Zuo Qingzhou”.

The sky outside had darkened. Cang Ji walked at a steady pace. There was something he had to tell Jing Lin. But “Zuo Qingzhou” had such complete control of his body that there was no opening Cang Ji could exploit.

Cang Ji returned to the courtyard with Jing Lin in his arms. When he took off his shoes, Jing Lin felt a pressure on his feet. He saw the bulging veins and the sweat trickling down Cang Ji’s forehead as the latter raised his head to look fixedly at him.

Cang Ji had something to say.

Jing Lin waited for him to continue, but then he suddenly relaxed and turned back into “Zuo Qingzhou”. Jing Lin figured that Cang Ji had been trapped yet again under the body.

Resting his head between the quilt, “Qianyu” hugged “Zuo Qingzhou’s” waist as he nibbled on his ear and whispered, “What happened?”

Jing Lin felt Cang Ji’s palms sticking against the back of his waist. They were so close they were inseparable.

“There has been a change in the situation. Teacher wants me to wait a little longer.” Cang Ji’s fingers brushed aside the wisp of hair covering Jing Lin’s cheeks and traced them over his facial features. “But… I feel uneasy.”

Uneasy?

Zuo Qingzhou felt uneasy? Who had he gone to meet?

Jing Lin had not given it much thought when he saw Cang Ji’s eyes right before him. He leaned his head over and kissed his eyes like a cat. Jing Lin knew it was not him, but he still burned up under Cang Ji’s gaze.

Zuo Qingzhou obviously would not reveal too much to Qianyu. As he went along with Qianyu’s kisses, he noticed that Qianyu had burrowed his way into the crooks of his arms. He could no longer tell if he was the one embracing Qianyu, or vice versa. He contemplated a lot that night, but not once had he ever said a word.

Both of them slept embracing each together, but Jing Lin and Cang Ji were wide awake. Cang Ji kept trying to wrestle back control. It was only until “Zuo Qingzhou” was sound asleep that he suddenly squeezed Jing Lin’s waist.

“Liu…” Cang Ji’s chest heaved as he grasped Jing Lin’s waist tightly and struggled to squeeze out his words through clenched teeth, “Liu… kill…”

Liu?

His Excellency Liu? Who did His Excellency Liu kill? 

Jing Lin broke out in a sudden sweat. He felt as if the bed had become extremely heavy as the darkness penetrated their surroundings. As if stirring up trouble, the copper bell rang again, causing both men to break out in goosebumps.

Cang Ji sluggishly spat out the words, “… Kill… His Excellency Liu killed Zuo Qingzhou!”

The tilting foot of the sinking bed came to a stop after Cang Ji finished his sentence. There was a release in the pressure around them as the copper bell “jingled” briskly as if praising them both.

Both of them exhaled at the same time and immediately broke away from their embrace. If he kept touching him, Cang Ji’s back would be utterly soaked through!

“His Excellency Liu, His Excellency Liu.” Jing Lin swiftly recalled. “Chu Lun mentioned this person. Who is he to Zuo Qingzhou?”

“Teacher. Zuo Qingzhou addressed him as ‘Teacher’.” Cang Ji sat up and saw that the furnishings around him were nearly smashed. Even now, he still felt as if his hands and feet were a little slow to react. He asked, “What is the copper bell trying to urge you and me to do?”

Jing Lin was still lying on the couch. He raised his hand to wipe off the sweat from his forehead and said, “His Excellency Liu, His Excellency Liu. Chu Lun mentioned this person before. Since he is Zuo Qingzhou’s teacher, why would he kill him? Killing Zuo Qingzhou means that he is on the other party’s side. In that case, what would he have to do in order to kill Zuo Qingzhou?”

The bed beneath Cang Ji abruptly sank. Inch by inch, the darkness started to swallow it up. The room was being crushed to smithereens by the darkness. The copper bell rang relentlessly.

Cang Ji lifted Jing Lin. “This fellow has turned into a spirit!⁷ It wants to make use of the illusionary realm to swallow us!”

Their surroundings were becoming more and more cramped. Cang Ji and Jing Lin crowded at the head of the bed. The darkness started to devour their legs.

“It won’t.” Jing Lin was still thinking about His Excellency Liu. But the ruckus the copper bell was making muddled his mind. He did not know why he was sweating, but he guessed that no one would ever feel comfortable to be consumed by darkness.

“It’s changing its method. It’s not satisfied with us being onlookers. But what does this matter has to do with you and me? It used such a way to force us to be participants. What else does it want to tell me besides these cases? “Jing Lin quickened his tone. “What have I forgotten…”

The parts where Cang Ji had been engulfed felt like mire. He simply stood still and raised his arms to lift Jing Lin up. He said, “It has gone bonkers. It’s treating us as if it’s making a sport out of us. Haven’t you realized it? It sneaked these people into the illusion. It definitely wants us to figure everything out in order to avoid being put into a predicament.”

“Uh-huh.” Jing Lin could not reach the ground with his feet. Still turning something else over in his mind, he asked, “Why are you carrying me?”

“So you can think of the answer fast!” Cang Ji hoisted Jing Lin onto his back. “As long as you guess what it wants, it will not continue. I don’t want to be Zuo Qingzhou anymore!”

Jing Lin was hoisted so high he almost plunged headlong into the darkness. He said, “It’s no good. I can’t think of anything.”

Cang Ji had been swallowed up to his thighs. He said out of the blue, “I’m suspecting that it’s acting out of its own selfish interests to put me on the spot!”

If he sank through and this whole thing replayed all over again, the one stuffed in his embrace would still be Jing Lin. Then, should he devour Jing Lin, tear Jing Lin apart… or seize the opportunity to kiss Jing Lin?

“If you are the one who offended it, why do I have to start over again as well?” Jing Lin’s fingertips were dangling into the darkness. He tried to lift them and found that the darkness was like wet sediment.

“Exactly what…” Cang Ji’s voice was indistinct. “… answer does it want…?”

“No idea.” And so, Jing Lin sank into the darkness with Cang Ji still hoisting him. At the very last moment, he even comfortingly patted him on the back and said, “Zuo Qingzhou is still “alive” in this scene. If nothing goes wrong, then the purpose of the upcoming scene will be for us to understand how he died… You… take care.”

The layers of sediment stacked upon each other, and both of them plunged into the shattered scene. The ringing of the copper bell reassembled. They saw Qianyu’s smiling face shattered instantly while Zuo Qingzhou’s body melted into the darkness. Cang Ji was clearly grasping Jing Lin’s hand tightly, but as he went under, he sensed his hand being pulled away from Jing Lin’s until he could no longer feel it.

This cursed copper bell. 

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji woke up sprawled on the ground. To his surprise, he was no longer superseded by “Zuo Qingzhou” and could move at will this time. He climbed to his feet in silence, but his hands had only just moved when he realized that he was chained to the ground. Cang Ji had never really given a damn about the mortals’ shackles and chains. But when he raised his arms, his limbs lacked strength, and his spiritual sea remained frozen in place.

He fucking got sealed again. 

Dejected, Cang Ji loosened up and raised his eyes to look around. It was dark all around. Under the light cast by the oil lamp, he could see fingers scratch marks on the mottled gray walls. A thick stench permeated the air from even darker places. The ground was wet, with various kinds of torture racks erected on it.

Cang Ji smelled the stench of blood on the ground. The salty, metallic stink of fresh blood mingled with the acrid odor of dried blood. It made him lose his appetite.

Cang Ji could only hear the sound of his own breathing. Although he had not turned into “Zuo Qingzhou” again, he was now “Zuo Qingzhou’s” body”. He turned over the wrist stuck in the shackles and saw that it was already severely mutilated from the chafing. It seemed as if he had lost a lot of weight.

Cang Ji’s vision was fuzzy. He bent his elbows to prop up half of his body but realized that his left leg was weak. He moved the shackles and shifted over to the torture rack amidst the clank and clatter. He bumped into it and leaned below it, then he turned over to drag his legs over.

But his left leg.

Cang Ji was stunned.

Where had his left leg gone?

名帖 (also 拜帖), a name card (or visitation card) written or paper or wood used by officials, nobles or distinguished people to notify the other party of their visit. It would usually indicate his name, position, and so on. It’s like a name card in the modern world.

天嘉 The Era of Tianjia, 560-566, during the Chen Dynasty, also known as The Southern Chen Dynasty

洞门 An opening in a wall separating different courtyards within a residence. (e.g., Zuo Qingzhou and his father very likely stayed in different wings with their own courtyards.)

The host usually sits in the center, with the guests at the side, although exceptions may be made for nobles and high-ranking officials as a sign of respect. For example, the Emperor will usually take the ‘host’ seat even if he’s a guest at a residence.

Xijing is Zuo Qingzhou’s courtesy name, a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one’s given name.

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

成精 literally, become a spirit. For example, when animals and even objects have cultivated enough, it might gain intelligence and turn into a spirit. A common non-living spirit example in Chinese mythology is the Pipa Jing (琵琶精), or pipa spirit.(although technically, this pipa spirit will be classified as a demon; for a clarification on this you can refer to the glossary.) It’s also used to say someone is intelligent or skilled, but in a derogatory way (i.e., to belittle someone).

Chapter 49: Deathtrap

DECEMBER 10, 2019

The door clicked open, and the jail wardens entered with lamps in their hands. They just had a satisfying meal. Before shutting the door, they selected someone to stand guard at the door. A warden hauled Cang Ji up by his hair and shone an oil lamp on his face.

“Have you thought it through today?”

Cang Ji’s face was ghastly pale. He burst out laughing and said, “I’ve forgotten it all after taking a sleep.”

These wardens were no ordinary men, but men dressed in flying fish attire¹ with tablets² hanging on their waists. If Jing Lin was beside him, he could tell Cang Ji who these people were. Maybe he would not have to suffer that much then.

As soon as Cang Ji said so, the warden smashed and pressed his head down onto the ground. A hiss escaped Cang Ji’s throat. The impact was so great his forehead hurt. The next instant, the man hauled him up by his hair again. One of the wardens held the swinging lamp before Cang Ji’s eyes while another squatted down to interrogate him.

“Zuo Qingzhou, have you thought it through today?”

Blood oozed out between Cang Ji’s teeth. He licked the blood and spat it out. He said to the man, “Your Honor, I’ve already said I’ve forgotten it all. Can you give me some hints here?”

His forehead crashed back to the ground. The knock held back his curses. The warden pressed his face against the sodden ground while his other hand took over a cup of hot tea. He sipped it and said, “We have been courteous to you these past few days, but you are really not doing us any favors. We found a document in your residence of you bribing the chief invigilator. The evidence is conclusive, and your crime deserves the death penalty. Are you still not going to admit it?!”

Cang Ji attempted to piece together the sequence of events, but he was missing some crucial information. Who did Zuo Qingzhou bribe? Given his talents, there was no need for him to do so at all.

“There’s no need to deceive me.” Cang Ji wanted to push him into saying more. Thus he said, “I’m innocent.”

The warden poured half a cup of hot tea over his head. The scalding water splashed onto Cang Ji, causing him to quiver. He tried to raise himself, but he was forced to endure it until the half cup of tea had all been poured onto him.

“There has never been a mouth that our imperial prison can’t pry open. It doesn’t matter if you insist on not pleading guilty; we still have a way. It’s just that, Zuo Qingzhou, our buddies have been courteous to you thus far only on account of His Excellency Liu.” The warden placed the teacup on the back of Cang Ji’s head and said, “Now that His Excellency Liu needs to avoid arousing suspicions, there’s no one to look after you.”

Cang Ji answered the warden with his own question. “His Excellency Liu?”

“Inspector-General Liu Chengde. Isn’t that His Excellency Liu?” The warden patted Cang Ji on the back of his neck. “If you tell the truth, you might still be able to obtain a pardon once we get to the bottom of the case. But if you remain stubborn, then don’t blame us for being hard on you.”

The teacup at the back of Cang Ji’s head trembled because of the pain. There was no other reason. At the same time the warden was talking, a sharp pain hit the pit of Cang Ji’s legs. These people were really “courteous”. They did not even give prior notice when meting out torture; they simply pinned the person down and did it. The chains on Cang Ji’s wrists chafed against his hands so much that they went limp. He bit the tip of his tongue as his breathing grew urgent.

The warden rose to his feet and paced with his hands behind his back. He said, “It’s fine if you won’t say it. I’ll help you understand it. Before the examination, you invited the chief invigilator for a private banquet and asked him to reveal the examination topic to you. At first, he did not agree, but you made use of your family fortune and paid him three hundred gold to buy the topic. It would have been fine if that was all, but after the examination, you found out that he had given you a fake topic, and so you beat him to death while he was traveling at night.”

Cang Ji said craftily. “I’m afraid it’s impossible for a scholar like me to hit someone to death.”

“Naturally, you can’t.” The overbearing warden partially turned around with malice in his eyes and kicked Cang Ji’s wrists. “But you have a fox demon.”

Cang Ji was yanked up. Chains circled his arms as the warden hung him up. Hanging by both arms, he felt the sweat burrowing into his eyes. But he could still see the light dimly illuminating the corner where a wooden cage was being dragged out. The wooden enclosure was only half the size of a human being, and it was padded with hay. A bound man with a white tail huddled within.

“Damn you,” Cang Ji choked on his words. “How dare you—”

Screw this copper bell. Even until now, he had never laid a hand on Jing Lin like this!

Jing Lin was burning up so much that both his cheeks flushed red. He was unable to stretch in the cage. Both his ears drooped, and there were wounds inflicted by a whip on his back. Cang Ji could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary flogging; it was the brutal work of an experienced torturer.

“You raised a fox demon privately and threw the capital into turmoil. You even disregard the law and clubbed the chief invigilator to death. With such irrefutable evidence against you, how dare you still deny it?” Holding on to the wooden cage, the warden looked inside and said, “Your luck in the romance department is pretty good.”

“I never use a stick to kill people.” Cang Ji no longer wanted to play along with the copper bell. “I’m not playing anymore!”

The copper bell remained hidden and silent.

The warden was dumbfounded at first, then he burst out laughing. “Zuo Qingzhou, have you gone mad?”

Cang Ji yanked on the lock of the chain and said in a frosty voice, “Release him!”

The warden waved a finger, and the wooden cage opened. He grabbed Jing Lin by the ankle and dragged him out. Blood seeped through the outfit on Jing Lin’s back as his body scraped against the hay from the dragging. Cang Ji could hardly bear to see the warden touching Jing Lin. His wrists pushed against the chains forcefully as his body swung in the air.

The warden picked up Jing Lin’s tail and threw it back. Then, he clicked his tongue and turned his head to look at Jing Lin’s face. He said, “It’s a pity to raise such a fine specimen then make him kill for you. What a waste of Heaven’s gifts.”

Jing Lin seemed to be still unconscious. Cang Ji saw his tightly furrowed eyebrows and realized that it was the copper bell’s doing; it was delaying the moment Jing Lin regained consciousness. He truly hated the copper bell to the core right now! In the twinkling of an eye, he saw the warden taking the whip and blurted out, “What do you want me to admit to? Release me from this chain now, and I’ll admit to it!”

The warden brushed the whip across Jing Lin’s face and said to Cang Ji, “You have held on for half a month. Why are you so obedient today? I don’t really believe you.”

He sneered. Standing in the dimness, he flung out the whip. The crack of the whip on flesh made Cang Ji gnashed his teeth. His heart gave a sudden jump on seeing another slash appear on Jing Lin’s back. It was as if he was the one who had been whipped. It wrung his heart so much he felt flustered.

Cang Ji said in a hoarse voice. “Why lash out at him? It doesn’t hurt me the slightest. Since I’m the murderer, it’s only natural for me to pay with my life. You whip… Stop it. I’ll flay your skin!”

He had yet to finish his words when saltwater was splashed at him right in the face. Searing pain overwhelmed him. Having suffered this treatment, Cang Ji’s feral nature broke free. He glared at the man until his eyes were nearly red. The twisting and jolting of his wrists turned violent, shaking so much that the entire chain clattered. Who gives a damn about these eight sufferings,³ nine sufferings?! Cang Ji wanted the copper bell to show its face, now!

The trickling of the water droplets into his wounds felt like the prickings of needles. Cang Ji’s spiritual sea was frozen and deathly still. He was utterly reduced to being “Zuo Qingzhou”. Half a month earlier, Zuo Qingzhou had been hanging in his spot, watching on as every single lash fell on Qianyu’s body. Each lash sliced through Zuo Qingzhou’s heart until it was all bloodied. His solitary bravery turned into rivers of cold sweat streaming down his eyes until his entire face was wet.

Cang Ji found himself choking with sobs. This was not his voice. This was Zuo Qingzhou. It was the Zuo Qingzhou the copper bell wanted to tell him about. Zuo Qingzhou jerked his trembling hands feebly. He heard Qianyu calling out for him, “Zuo-lang.”⁴

What had Zuo Qingzhou done wrong?

Cang Ji involuntarily cried out. He asked himself in resentment, what had Zuo Qingzhou done wrong? He was looking into the case that merited an investigation the most under the sun. What he wanted was the person who loved him most in this world. What sin had he committed that he had to suffer such a death? Zui Shan Seng spoke of the decree of Heaven and Earth. What kind of decree was this? Deities and immortals were stationed in all parts of the country. Yet they permitted such a thing to continue uninterrupted and allowed a man like this to pay with his own life.

Cang Ji’s chest was pounding. His original form slowly turned in the frozen spiritual sea. That brocade carp with protruding horns slapped its tail. Wisps of spiritual energy stirred, and the spiritual sea that had been suppressed by the copper bell instantly broke out in turbulent waves. His body grew as it turned back into “Cang Ji’s” body.

The shackles broke immediately, as did the scene. The surging of Cang Ji’s spiritual sea made the copper bell shriek in pain as it swung wildly. It could no longer maintain the original scene.

Jing Lin abruptly opened his eyes and felt the stabbing pain on his back. His limbs were bound under a layer of spiritual sphere that rendered his entire body weak. There was initially no wind in this realm, but Jing Lin felt a breeze brushing against his face. He watched as his silver hair faded into black along with the cleansing of the wind.

Scratch marks appeared on the wardens, prison, and the copper bell. The warden, who was still lashing out with the whip, was still smiling. The distorted and warped scene resulted in Qianyu’s splattering blood flowing back from top to bottom. It trickled past Zuo Qingzhou’s tightly clasped fingers, then onto his face.

Hanging in the darkness and drenched in Qianyu’s blood, Zuo Qingzhou mumbled to himself like a man gone insane.

“I plead guilty.” Zuo Qingzhou stared into the darkness and swallowed his blood. “I pleaded guilty. I failed to bribe the chief invigilator and clubbed him to death in the lane at the city south. I deserve to die for my sins. I deserve to be beheaded in accordance with the law.” The clattering sound of his teeth amplified the despair in his voice. “I plead guilty… Stop hitting him. Don’t hit him anymore.”

Blood soaked Zuo Qingzhou all over and dripped from his remaining toe. He had been hanging for too long. Salt congealed on his wounds. He could hardly pronounce his words clearly. In this very short moment, he seemed to have reached the end of his life, and yet he did not get the release he wanted.

“I…” Zuo Qingzhou’s chapped lips quivered, “I plead guilty…”

Qianyu’s cries permeated the air. The fox gnawed on the chains, but he could not help Zuo Qingzhou down.

Zuo Qingzhou’s eyes turned, and his gaze fell upon the fox. Tears fell as he opened his mouth to call out, “Qian…”

Qianyu had chewed on the chains until his lips were torn and bloodied. The fox dragged the chain around his wrist. Zuo Qingzhou lay flat. White bones protruded from his wrists under the shackles. He lay amidst the rubble, so unkempt that he did not look like a man from the Zuo Clan. Qianyu dragged him out of the debris with the latter’s blood in his mouth. Zuo Qingzhou’s body slid along, creating a trail of blood in its path.

Zuo Qingzhou’s breathing was weak, and all he could see was darkness. He could no longer see where Qianyu was. But his cracked open fingers touched Qianyu’s fur. That silky and soft fur was like a mass of cloud as Qianyu nudged against his fingers with force, staying with him for his remaining lifespan.

Zuo Qingzhou’s consciousness was fading. He summoned the strength to call out urgently, “… Qianyu…”

He cupped Qianyu’s face in his palms and raised his head. Qianyu’s warmth pressed against his forehead as his soaked hands embraced his cheeks. He lowered his head to drop a kiss on his eye.

Zuo Qingzhou clung to Qianyu’s knees and said, “… Go…”

Qianyu choked on his sobs as he shook his head and embraced Zuo Qingzhou tightly. He said, “Where am I supposed to go? I’m not leaving you.”

Zuo Qingzhou tapped on Qianyu’s wrist with his fingers and pushed him gently to drive him away, “… Leave…”

Qianyu glued himself to his cheek and shook his head stubbornly and helplessly. He said, “I want to be with you. I want to be with you forever. I don’t want to leave you.”

Zuo Qingzhou’s lips moved slightly. He sighed intermittently in a hoarse voice. Qianyu’s tears slid onto his cheeks. Even when Zuo Qingzhou breathed his last, Qianyu feigned ignorance. He limped as he embraced and dragged the upper half of Zuo Qingzhou’s body, mumbling, “I know the way to the Underworld. I’ll catch up with you. Wait for me. I’ll break my tail off for you. Then we will share a life, never to part forever. Zuo-lang… my Zuo-lang is unparalleled in the world… No one can take you away.”

Wu Ying’s abrupt bellow quashed the illusionary scene. Jing Lin saw Qianyu picking up Zuo Qingzhou in his mouth. Before the scene could continue, he saw the urgent ringing of the copper bell. Cang Ji landed beside him.

“The scene has been shattered.” Cang Ji ran his palm over Jing Lin’s back. It was only after seeing that he was safe and sound that he turned Jing Lin’s face to him and shouted into the fragments of light. “Have you gone silly from the whipping? Jing Lin? Does it hurt?”

Jing Lin touched Cang Ji’s cheek with the back of his hand. Cang Ji’s warmth returned him to his senses.

Cang Ji grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s hand and said, “Hey.”

“We’ve gotten it wrong.” Jing Lin looked at the disintegrating light as Zuo Qingzhou’s face dispersed like a dream. He said, “This suffering isn’t Qianyu’s, but Zuo Qingzhou’s inability to let go.”

飞鱼服, literally “Flying Fish Attire” (no idea what its official name in English is). It’s the official outfit of the imperial court’s secret service (锦衣卫), who not only serve as elite bodyguards but were also given authority to overrule judicial proceedings in prosecutions with full autonomy in arresting, interrogating and punishing anyone, including nobles. (Extra Pic).

腰牌 literally waist tablet, it’s a small tablet hung at the waist to prove one’s identity, especially for people in governmental posts or acting in an official capacity.

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, and Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’.

郎 Lang, young man; a form of address. Also used as a term by a woman (or a man in this case) to address a lover or husband.

Chapter 50: Truth And Falsehood

DECEMBER 12, 2019

The light fragments of the illusory realm fell like rain onto their shoulders and melted away into the night, becoming one with Heaven and Earth. Cang Ji was still grasping Jing Lin’s hand. He surveyed the surroundings and finally saw the capital again. It seemed as if they had been dreaming all night as they stood holding hands with each other amidst the sea of people and lantern lights.

The din swept over their ears like tidal waves. Both of them simultaneously released their hands at the same time. Cang Ji’s palm felt empty. He asked, “… And that’s all?”

“The copper bell hasn’t rung yet. Nor has it left.” Jing Lin turned back and searched among the crowd. “This matter remains unresolved.”

“When we entered the realm, this place was still a mess. Don’t tell me this is still the illusory realm?” Cang Ji followed behind Jing Lin and pushed his way through the crowd.

Jing Lin combed through the faces of the people in the crowd and said, “This place is real. They are all commoners. This is no illusory realm. However, the capital is different from other places; you cannot judge it using common yardsticks.”

“Where are you going?” Cang Ji caught hold of Jing Lin by the wrist again and stepped to the side to block the way of the passersby around Jing Lin, thereby creating a space so that others could not touch him.

Jing Lin swept his gaze past the spot Cang Ji was grasping, but he did not shake his hand off. He said, “To the inn. Qianyu knows that nine-tailed fox. She must know what happened after.”

“How are we going to deal with the brush demon and Chu Lun?” Cang Ji said, “The brush demon changed the Life Registry for selfish purposes, which led to Zuo Qingzhou’s ‘inability to let go’. Don’t tell me we are going to overlook the brush demon’s actions and let him continue?”

“Le Yan’s fate lies with Chu Lun, and Chu Lun’s fate is tied to Zuo Qingzhou’s in the Life Registry. Getting to the bottom of Zuo Qingzhou’d death will clear up those issues concerning Chu Lun.” Jing Lin swung his wrist lightly and led Cang Ji back.

“There’s something I can’t figure out. Qianyu is able to change form. Presumably, his cultivation is completed. Under such circumstances, what’s the harm in killing those people? Why would he put up with it to such an extent? “Cang Ji asked.

“In that realm, you and I couldn’t mobilize our spiritual energy. The copper bell must be pointing this out on intention.” Jing Lin said. “Qianyu was held captive in a wooden cage. His wounds did not seem to be inflicted by the common man.”

Jing Lin paused for a moment and leaned in close to Cang Ji’s ear.

“The copper bell left out the starting and the ending and erased many key points. This doesn’t seem to be its original intention. It’s more like it had no other choice.”

“So.” Cang Ji said, “Deities are involved in this. But what’s the purpose of them committing such atrocities?”

Jing Lin turned his eyes to the inn and said, “Who knows.”

For no reason, Cang Ji thought of Jing Lin’s “My Way¹ has disintegrated.” He could not help but feel bitter. Amidst the jostling crowd, his five fingers slipped down and, almost as if by accident, touched Jing Lin’s fingertips.

♦     ♦     ♦

Facing the mirror, Huashang affixed the flower embellishment.² When she was done, she saw Xiyan entering. Before Xiyan could say a word, Huashang gracefully went down the stairs. She stopped midway and leaned against the railings and watched as Cang Ji and Jing Lin stepped through the entrance.

“My inn is too delicate to stand up to even a gust of wind.” Huashang frowned. “Both of you gentlemen sent the wind blowing until it gave my heart the jitters. I thought you have already left. I’ve never expected you to be still in the capital. What? Don’t tell me you want to enforce justice on behalf of Heaven too.”

Jing Lin accepted the new cup of tea the little fox offered and took a few sips before he said, “I’m not worthy enough to mete out justice on behalf of Heaven. It’s just that I’ve lost something important and needs Lady Boss’s advice.”

“Now that you have something to ask of me.” Huashangsnorted softly. “You’ve turned so eloquent.”

“Jiejie, look at him. He hardly even gives me face. You can tell he’s originally a cold-hearted person. So why get angry with him over this?” Cang Ji sat on the chair with familiarity and smiled at Huashang. “It’s true we have something to ask of you.”

It was then Huashang continued down the stairs and sat down on the other side of the table. She folded her arms and said, “With that face of yours, how could I turn you down? Go ahead and say it. What do you want to ask of me?”

Cang Ji poured tea for Huashang and said, “We saw a snow-white fox that night and reckoned that he’s jiejie’s friend. I wonder where he is now?”

Huashang was about to take the teacup when she pushed it back with her fingertips. She said, “Why are you asking about him?”

“Because the color of his fur is rare.” Jing Lin replied. “It’s truly beautiful.”

Cang Ji inwardly snorted to himself. He thought, my whole body is gold and red. It’s no less rare and pretty than that shiny white fox. Yet I don’t see him praising me? But he still put on a smile and went along with it. “I’ve been to the lands in the East and West, and I’ve never seen it either.”

“If both of you can spit out the truth this smoothly, I can think about it.” Huashang said in a light tone. “There are men of hidden talents in this capital. It’s hard to tell who’s genuine or fake. If you use lies to fob me off, then I fear we can’t even be friends. Now, what’s the important thing you have lost? Don’t tell me it’s still on Qianyu’s body?”

“It’s indeed on Qianyu.” Cang Ji gave a wry smile. “… This is really damn hard to explain.”

Naturally, Jing Lin could not tell her the truth. Thus, he said that he had a bell that had turned into a spirit³

and was fond of following others. They had been in pursuit of it for a long time, and it was now on Qianyu.

Whether or not Huashang believed him was another story. But it seemed as if she had some difficulties and needed outside help. So she said, “Qianyu is not here now. Even if you find him, you won’t be able to recognize him.”

Cang Ji asked, “We just saw him only a few days ago, and now he’s no longer here?”

“The night you saw him was a month ago.” Huashang said, “Have you both gone senile?”

Jing Lin asked, “… Then, where did he go?”

Huashang turned her eyes to Xiyan, and the little foxes immediately lowered the screen and closed the door. Huashang said, “Let’s not talk about where he has gone first. I only have one question for you. Are you determined to get your hands on that bell?”

Cang Ji replied, “Yes. Jiejie, is there a problem?”

Huashang raised a leg and leaned her hand on it as she covered her face with the feathered fan. She looked at Jing Lin coolly and said, “Not so much a problem. It’s just that I find this gentleman very familiar as if I’ve seen him somewhere before. It puts me in an even more of a fluster. He couldn’t be someone from above, could he?”

Jing Lin’s thin lips spread in a smile, and his peach blossom eyes raised slightly. More or less imitating Dong Jun’s demeanor, he said, “Look at how empty my spiritual sea is. How could I be an immortal?”

Huashang scrutinized him. “You resemble Dong Jun, and yet you are not like Dong Jun. Of all people to impersonate, you had to pick the one who is the hardest to imitate. From what I see, your spiritual sea is not empty. It has clearly yet to heal from a serious blow. Like a fine jar with two open ends, it⁴ can only flow without being stored.”

“Heaven doesn’t have a personality like me.” Jing Lin said. “If you look at the quality of this fat fish, you will know that he’s a demon. He’s one of us.”

Huashang said, “You want to find Qianyu, but he is truly not here.”

“He left the capital?” Cang Ji asked.

“He still has unfinished business. He can’t leave the capital as long as he still has grievances.” Huashang’s face sank. She said, “Besides, the outskirts of the capital has been surrounded by the Demarcation Division. How would he be able to walk away? Didn’t Wu Ying himself make use of the interval before he received official anointment as a deity to enter and exit the capital to find Qianyu?”

“He’s in the capital.” Jing Lin’s expression changed. “He’s… seeking vengeance?”

Huashang said, “A mortal kills his darling and expects to get away scot-free by banking on the protection of the deities? That’s right. He’s seeking revenge.”

Cang Ji said, “Of all times, the Demarcation Division has to surround the capital this crucial juncture. Even ghosts would not believe it if you say that they have never condoned all that happened.”

“There is still much I don’t understand.” Jing Lin said to Huashang, “I hope jiejie can advise me. What law had Qianyu broke that the Demarcation Division has to surround the capital in order to investigate?”

“Qianyu was on close terms with a mortal, but the cause of the man’s death was unclear. Someone instigated Wu Ying, making him believe that Qianyu was the culprit.” Huashang scoffed at this point. “But this Wu Ying had always been very astute. Why is it that, when it comes to this matter, he had become a fool willing to be deceived and used as a tool by others?”

If it was not because he had turned into a dimwit overnight, then it must be that the person who wanted to use him as a tool was someone he did not dare to resist.

“Can a mere fox demon,” Cang Ji cast a questioning gaze at Jing Lin, “attract the attention of such a character?”

Jing Lin lowered his eyes and said nothing. Huashang said, “Both of you are unaware, but the capital is close to Xijiang, and the lands surrounding Xijiang are all under the control of a deity-in-charge. Five hundred years ago, ‘Shao Luan’, who was guarding this land, was a deity under the command of Lord Linsong, Jing Lin. He had always been strict and impartial; he would not allow demons to create troubles, and no deities had been sighted acting presumptuously either. Later on, everyone under Lord Linsong ended up implicated. Other than the five-colored bird Fu Li, the other deities were all demoted and sent to be reincarnated. This land ended up vacant, and so it was handed over to someone else to make arrangements for it. Coincidentally, this Wu Ying happened to be in someone’s favor. He took over this land even before he was conferred a title. My guess is that this lad has a backer in Heaven. And his current orders to take down Qianyu comes from above too.”

“Just Qianyu?” Cang Ji asked, “Is there no mention of a brush demon named ‘Le Yan’?”

“They only want Qianyu.” Huashang revealed a look of displeasure. “There’s something strange about this matter. It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.”

Of course it did not seem to be a coincidence.

They pursued the copper bell here, and now they ran into the Demarcation Division. Even the Ninth Heaven Realm was involved. Had it not been for Jing Lin’s lack of doubt, Cang Ji would almost believe that the copper bell was doing it on purpose, like a hand nudging them towards the Ninth Heaven Realm.

Jing Lin drank the tea to compose himself. He said, “The Goddess Shengyue guards over the capital. Others will not be able to lay a hand on it easily. Qianyu will be safe as long as he does not leave this place. But I’m curious. Qianyu wants to seek revenge. How does he plan to do that?”

Huashang smiled coldly. “If you ask me, just kill that man.”

Cang Ji said, “Clean and efficient. Don’t tell me he’s going to use another method?”

Huashang almost flew into a rage, but she kept her fury down and said, “That’s what’s so strange about it! Based on his cultivation, even if he seized Zuo Qingzhou by force, he would still be able to escape with his life. And yet he was unable to.”

Cang Ji pondered over it. “It didn’t work?”

“When he wanted to get a move on, he felt all his spiritual energy dispersed. It was even tough for him to maintain his human form. Leaving Zuo Qingzhou’s fate aside, the way I see it, it’s as if someone had their eyes on him, determined for him to die! There must be an enlightened man⁵ helping behind the scenes of this shady business. It’s just that this person has never revealed himself. I can’t ferret him out.”

But, was Zuo Qingzhou worth it? He was investigating mortal cases. Originally, it was supposed to be a case of government corruption, but now, it rooted out something else. This had truly answered their guess. Even nine-tailed fox Huashang could not uncover his identity. This person was by no means an ordinary villain. Since he was no ordinary villain, why would he make a sport of a mortal’s life and death in such a roundabout way?

Cang Ji suddenly clenched Jing Lin’s sleeve. He had a sense of foreboding.

Jing Lin filled his stomach with cakes on the table and wiped his hands. While the other two were silent, he said, “Jiejie has made a pretty good guess. But in my opinion, the mastermind behind this is not an enlightened man, but a real deity.”

Wiping his fingers clean, he touched the spot where there was a remnant of a callus and sank into deep thought. Seeing the fatigue on his face, Cang Ji guessed that the copper bell’s illusory realm had siphoned the spiritual energy off Jing Lin again. So he asked Huashang for a room and took Jing Lin back to rest. Before Jing Lin slept, Xiyan brought him some hot water. Thus, Jing Lin took a bath behind the screen. Cang Ji lay on the bed and looked at him through the screen.⁶

“Isn’t it too simple if Chu Lin is ‘illness’?⁷ Might as well say it’s Le Yan’s ’sickness of the heart’, because he had been touched by worldly desires and was willing to stake his life on Chu Lun. But he’s from Ninth Heaven Realm. Doesn’t he know the decree? It would be far more appropriate to beg the Sage Yining than to make changes privately. But he still did so, and so Zuo Qingzhou died.” Jing Lin leaned against the edge of the bath bucket⁸ as his skin reddened from the steam. He shut his eyes for a moment before he continued, “This is not a coincidence. It’s the inevitable result of someone’s instigation. Zuo Qingzhou must die—Why? Do you still remember the Life Registry Le Yan recited? If Zuo Qingzhou were still alive, he would ‘eliminate corruption and clean up the imperial court’. He would have gotten to the bottom of those cases and exposed the mastermind. Leaving aside mortals, the deity behind this must have expected it, so, Zuo Qingzhou had to die.”

“But why does a deity need to abduct and peddle mortals?” Cang Ji looked at the shadow projection of Jing Lin’s shoulder. His gaze followed his shoulder down.

“The city in the mountains.” Jing Lin buried his face in his arms and said, “They kept the humans in the city and fed them to evil…”

“Do deities eat humans too?” Cang Ji saw his shoulder bones dip.

Jing Lin did not answer or move.

Cang Ji waited for a moment, then rose and headed past the screen. Sure enough, he saw that Jing Lin had fallen asleep sprawled against the edge. The steaming water had turned the corners of his eyes red, and his shoulders and back were exposed under Cang Ji’s gaze. As Cang Ji carried Jing Lin out of the water, he could not help but feel his back. Cracks littered the white porcelain, so shattered that it made his heart tremble. Cang Ji watched for a moment, then pulled his clothes apart to wipe him down before bundling him back in his clothes. Then he hoisted him over his shoulders and placed him back onto the bed.

Cang Ji’s robe was soaked. Before getting onto the bed, he cleaned himself with Jing Lin’s water. As he tugged the quilt and rolled over, he pressed down painfully on an object. He fished it out for a look. It turned out to be the little stone figure he had not seen for a long time. The little stone figure was also sleeping with its head cocked. Cang Ji stuffed it into Jing Lin’s embrace and noted how similar this master and slave looked like while they slept. He could not help but pinch the tip of Jing Lin’s nose.

With his breathing obstructed, Jing Lin opened his mouth slightly even as he was sleeping sweetly. The tip of his tongue was faintly discernible between his teeth.

Cang Ji suddenly squeezed Jing Lin, along with the little stone figure, into his arms. He stroked Jing Lin’s hair and tightened his embrace.

Jing Lin guessed that there was a deity behind this matter. But Cang Ji guessed that the intention of the person behind this had been Jing Lin all along. After being Zuo Qingzhou once in the illusory realm, Cang Ji felt as if a change had overcome him, somehow, somewhere.

He could not explain, nor could he fathom it.

In his arms, Jing Lin partially opened his eyes and remained still.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

花钿 known as huadian, these are flower embellishments affixed or painted onto the forehead for cosmetic purposes. Flowers are common patterns, although there may be others.

成精 literally become a spirit. For example, when animals and even objects have cultivated enough, it might gain intelligence and turn into a spirit. A common non-living spirit example in Chinese mythology is the Pipa Jing (琵琶精), or pipa spirit. (Technically, this pipa spirit will be classified as a demon; for clarification on this, you can refer to the glossary.) It’s also used to say someone is intelligent or skilled, but in a derogatory way (i.e., to belittle someone).

Referring to his spiritual energy from his spiritual sea

得道之人 literally an enlightened man or a mortal who has achieved the way (to ascend to immortality). It’s also used to refer to an official with power and influence.

屏风, a single screen or folding screen that typically serves as a partition, e.g., before the bed and so on.

He’s talking about Chu Lun’s suffering among the eight sufferings.

In the old days, people used a big wooden bucket or basin as a bathtub for bathing.

Chapter 51: Inexplicability

DECEMBER 15, 2019

The matter was still not resolved, so Jing Lin did not sleep for long. Before dawn the next day, both of them were up and running on the streets. Xiyan led the way with a lantern in hand and came to a stop before a fork in the road.

“Qianyu-gege left from here.” The little fox scratched his ear. “And then he disappeared.”

“There’s the lingering scent of the classics¹ here.” Cang Ji sniffed the cool breeze of a new morning. “He even took along Zuo Qingzhou’s writings.”

“Qianyu-gege said that they are all of crucial importance. He had to take them with him.” Xiyan wore a troubled look. “There’s now Wu Ying standing guard outside the city, while bad guys abound within. Qianyu-gege is unable to use any of his skills. But he’s of the firm opinion that Zuo-lang² has been wronged. He insists on clearing Zuo-lang’s name before ending his own life.”

“He has done nothing wrong. Why does he need to kill himself?” Cang Ji said, “Since we can’t go out, then we will make a ruckus and turn the capital upside down. The more they want to cover this up, the more I want to dig up the truth.”

“That’s true. But Qianyu-gege’s tail is broken. He doesn’t have long to live.” Xiyan extinguished the lantern and wiped off the dew with his tail. He said, “The person who framed Zuo-lang is a man named Liu Chengde. If you can find him, perhaps you will be able to find Qianyu-gege too.”

Now that Xiyan’s words had reached this point, all that remained was the powerlessness to help. The little fox bowed several times and said, “Lady Boss is being suppressed by the Ninth Heaven Realm. She is not in a position to intervene for fear of attracting the attention of Zui Shan Seng and the likes. So we can only implore both of you to find Qianyu-gege and bring him back to the inn as soon as possible. Lady Boss’s nine tails are powerful. She is willing to give up one tail to help him wake up to reality and forget his past relationship.”

“She wants Qianyu to forget Zuo Qingzhou?” Cang Ji’s chest felt heavy. He said, “Qianyu wants to be together with Zuo Qingzhou. And that’s his intention. Even if Huashang has his best interests at heart, she shouldn’t make him forget his past ties.”

“Even so.” Xiyan heaved a long sigh like a child wise beyond his years. He said to Cang Ji, “How would Qianyu-gege be able to live on if he can’t forget? He will definitely not want to remain alive alone.”

“If you want him to forget,” Cang Ji said, “you might as well let him die.”

Xiyan did not understand the meaning behind Cang Ji’s words. In his confusion, all the little fox could think of was whether there was anything else worth cherishing more than staying alive. He tugged his ears again. Eventually, he bowed to them a few more times before heading back on his own.

Cang Ji saw Jing Lin standing amidst the morning mist with his hair slightly damp. He asked, “Cold?”

Jing Lin looked back at him and replied, “No.”

Cang Ji found the way Jing Lin looked when he compliantly answered questions adorable. He could not resist taking a couple more glances at him, but Jing Lin merely kept staring at him. Thus, Cang Ji asked, “What are you looking at?”

Jing Lin said, “If he can’t forget, then he will never be able to let go. If he can’t let go, then he will never forget. The wheel of life and death turns ceaselessly. Zuo Qingzhou is dead. His soul will return to the Underworld. By this time, he has probably entered the path to reincarnation. Qianyu can’t forget him, nor will he ever catch up to him. This is torture.”

“By the time Zuo Qingzhou forgets him, he would also forget Zuo Qingzhou. Both sides meet again as if they are strangers. No one gets hurt.” Cang Ji said, “Do you think this is good?”

Jing Lin stood silently for a moment and said, “Good.”

Cang Ji’s heart stopped. Jing Lin’s “good” caused his mind to go blank for a moment. After a while, he said, “How boring.”

The wind rose amidst the fog. It started to drizzle.

Jing Lin held up the umbrella he had been carrying the entire way and shielded Cang Ji from that bit of rain. He said, “Look at them both. From now on, they will suffer more than they will bask in happiness. It will hurt them to think of it, and it will hurt them to reminiscence about it. Unless Qianyu has a heart of stone, how would he be able to live with the agony of loneliness for hundreds or even thousands of years to come? If he can’t remember, he would still be able to live a free and carefree life. This…”

Cang Ji abruptly grasped Jing Lin’s hand that was holding up the umbrella. The umbrella tilted over and cut off Jing Lin’s retreat path. Rain suddenly pounded onto his features. Cang Ji’s eyes were so sharp and intimidating as he lowered his head to stare at Jing Lin that Jing Lin took half a step back. A pity Cang Ji closed the gap right after with a mere strode forward. Jing Lin bumped into the stone wall. The back of his hand was hurting from Cang Ji’s grasp. Cang Ji blocked his way and pressed in towards him, asking in a deep voice.

“Are you Qianyu?”

Jing Lin replied. “… I’m not.”

“You aren’t.” Cang Ji tightened his grip on Jing Lin’s hands. “Since you aren’t, then on what grounds do you get to care about whether he’s hurting or not? Don’t tell me you and Huashang get to decide for him just because you feel that he will be in pain? He lives to such an age, and he can’t even decide how to live his own life, huh? There is no one in Heaven and Earth who can do such a thing on behalf of others. If he won’t forget, then he won’t. That’s Zuo Qingzhou and his own affair. It’s not something bystanders can interfere with or do on his behalf. Because other than themselves, no one else is worthy.”

“As they said, deep love can withstand several cycles of reincarnation.” Jing Lin’s eyelashes grew heavy with raindrops. He looked at Cang Ji. “Even if they die one after another for ‘love’, they would still never get to have a moment of reunion. Under the circumstances—”

“Under the circumstances.” Cang Ji raised his voice. “You still shouldn’t forget his past on his behalf! Since his love is as deep as the ocean to the extent that he could break off his tail to prolong Zuo Qingzhou’s life and suffer all those excruciating tortures with him, then who gives a shit about the pain?! Do you think he never expected that? He was willing.” He wiped Jing Lin’s eyes roughly with his thumbs. “What are you telling him to forget? Zuo Qingzhou? I’m telling you, even if you and Huashang went ahead and do so, he still wouldn’t live long. Those so-called deeply etched love doesn’t stay in the memories, but in here!”

Cang Ji yanked over Jing Lin’s hand and pounded it on his chest. That was a heart beating in there. Once someone made their way in there, how would memories alone be enough for it to pretend that nothing had ever happened before?

Jing Lin’s fingertips came into contact with the vivid, scalding heat. The heat transferred to his palm amidst the thumps and made its way all the way to his own chest. Both of his eyes have been rubbed red by Cang Ji. In the rain, it almost looked as if he had been bullied.

Jing Lin’s fingertips shrank back slightly. He wanted to escape. But, Cang Ji was pressing down on his hand tightly, with his five fingers dug in between Jing Lin’s fingers, forcing his palm to receive this searing punishment.

“You said Qianyu would not kill Zuo Qingzhou because he loves Zuo Qingzhou. But if you tell him to forget Zuo Qingzhou, then that’s no different from asking him to kill Zuo Qingzhou.” Cang Ji’s shoulders had been soaked through. He snapped, “You are instigating him to kill his beloved, you know?”

Jing Lin stared transfixed at him for a moment. Cang Ji saw that his eyes had been rubbed raw, and his hair was dripping wet, so he restrained himself and put up the umbrella again.

“You know absolutely nothing about the ‘love’ you’re talking about.” Cang Ji looked into the distance in the rain. “In the future, you should just call me shifu.”

Jing Lin lowered his head and sneezed.

♦     ♦     ♦

The scent of the classics eventually dissipated at the corner of the street, with the carriages, horses, and people trampling all over it until it was no longer distinguishable. Cang Ji shut the umbrella and leaned against a door pillar to watch as Jing Lin sat under the awning of a tea stall to drink a bowl of ginger tea.

His eyes were still red. He looked really pitiful.

Cang Ji rubbed his thumbs gently on the umbrella handle. He felt as if he could not use even a tiny bit of force on Jing Lin. A moment of inattention, and he would leave a clear imprint on his skin.

Cang Ji felt a little listless. But he did not know what was wrong. It seemed as if the rain had messed up all traces of Qianyu. In any case, he was in low spirits as he leaned against the wooden pillar without looking at Jing Lin again.

This feeling was very unpleasant, like a punch on cotton.

Jing Lin drank his ginger tea and frowned at the overwhelming aroma of ginger. His mouth tasted entirely like ginger. Gingerly, he swallowed the last mouthful and placed his palms at the sides of the bowl to counteract the heat he had felt earlier with the warmth of ginger tea.

The warmth relaxed his body that had been held hostage by the cold.

Jing Lin sat for a long time. He organized Dong Lin, Gu Shen, Chu Lun, and Zuo Qingzhou in order, then turned their cases over and over in his mind, one at a time.

There was a deity hiding in the capital. Perhaps he was the instigator behind the abductions and trafficking in Zhongdu. He even killed humans because of this. But for the deity to go around in such circles, he was definitely not doing this for a mere moment of gratification. What was the lure in there for deities to kill humans? What they wanted often transcend the illusion of life and death, and what they sought were all elusive desires. Furthermore, for deities to partake in the worldly affairs in Zhongdu, they had to pass the scrutiny of the Demarcation Division first. Perhaps a deity could commit such atrocities, but not every deity in Heaven were fools. This kind of matter must never see the light of day. So this deity lay hidden in the deepest recesses and pushed out mortal after mortal to be his chess pieces until it got to the point where he was willing to kill off Zuo Qingzhou to protect his perpetrator of a chess piece.

Liu Chengde killed Zuo Qingzhou. This person first appeared in Chu Lun’s letter, and he had even won Zuo Qingzhou’s trust. Then, was he already long aware that Zuo Qingzhou’s fate would be exchanged with Chu Lun?

If he knew of it, then why would he rather Chu Lun survive but not Zuo Qingzhou? Was it just because Zuo Qingzhou’s entry in the Life Registry indicated that he would get to the bottom of all the trafficking cases in the future? That he would unearth all the chess pieces in the capital, and mess up the game of the deity behind it? Couldn’t Chu Lun do the same? Chu Lun and Zuo Qingzhou were clearly united in their hatred for the same adversary, and Chu Lun even had the same evidence in hand. If this were the case, then Qianyu was a variable. He was inseparable from Zuo Qingzhou, so he was sure to avenge Zuo Qingzhou. Since the mastermind had the capability to capture Qianyu, then why didn’t he kill Qianyu as well to stamp out the source of all future troubles?

Why indeed?

There were too many questions.

Looking at the pattern markings of the old wooden table, Jing Lin felt that this series of cases were like those disordered markings thrown in together. Everything was so disorganized that they were like the sesame seeds on sesame balls³. It was unbearable to be without leads, but having too many clues was a kind of torment too. The various leads were so obvious, it was as if they had been specially leaked. They lured Jing Lin closer step by step, encircling him even while he was relentlessly dismantling each clue.

Jing Lin loosened his grip on the tea bowl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dog demon sniffing Cang Ji’s back. He looked wretched and repugnant. Jing Lin cast a frosty glance over, but that dog demon seemed not to notice him.

As the dog demon sniffed Cang Ji, Cang Ji raised his hand to hurl him forward. He let out a succinct word, “Scram.”

Instead, the dog demon kept on sniffing him. He said, “No can do! Buddy, you have the scent of classics on you. It smells nice.”

Cang Ji said, “Why? You want to take two bites out of me?”

The dog demon tucked his tail between his legs and said something to Cang Ji in a submissive manner. Cang Ji’s expression relaxed. He cast Jing Lin a look, then turned his body sideways and said something to the dog demon.

Jing Lin could not hear a word. His tea bowl was refilled with fresh tea as he sat, unperturbed.

A short while later, the little stone figure felt its way out of Jing Lin’s sleeve. It ran past human feet and stool legs, sprawled behind Cang Ji’s leg, and poked it head out to listen. It was just in time to hear the dog demon whispering something along the lines of “that’s right” and “exactly”. The little stone figure could not help but stood on tiptoes to lean in closer.

Without even turning his eyes, Cang Ji grabbed hold of the little stone figure. He picked it up with his fingertips and swayed it. He asked, “Did you come here to eavesdrop on his behalf?”

The little stone figure’s legs swung as it shook its head.

The tip of the dog demon’s nose twitched. It said, “Gee! Buddy, this stone of yours is so unusual. Whose is…” There was a chill on his back, and he inexplicably turned his head back to see a grim-faced young master looking askance at him. He immediately shivered and said, “Then… then, it’s a deal.”

What deal?

On seeing that the dog demon was leaving, the little stone figure was at a loss; it could not make heads or tails out of their conversation. Cang Ji picked it up, put it into his sleeve, and said, “Let’s go. It’s time to bully Jing Lin.”

Jing Lin looked on as Cang Ji flung down a few silver pearls and sat dauntlessly on the stool. His leg bumped into Jing Lin’s leg.

“I have some idea of Qianyu’s whereabouts.” Cang Ji said, “This news doesn’t come free. If you promise me one thing, I’ll lead you there.”

Jing Lin said, “The demons from these street stalls are tainted with human aura. When it comes to being unscrupulous, they are no less inferior. The news you bought with gold pearls is naturally available to anyone else who can pay for them.”

Cang Ji pressed the tip of his tongue against his teeth and smiled at Jing Lin. “Why not you just conjure out the money?”

Jing Lin picked up the silver pearls and said, “It doesn’t matter if you won’t tell me. We can split up and act separately.”

“Don’t even think about splitting up.” Cang Ji said, “I don’t have to give a damn about this matter. To hell with the copper bell’s eight sufferings. If I want to take you away, who can stop me?”

Jing Lin asked, “You don’t want the copper bell anymore?”

“It wasn’t mine to begin with.” Cang Ji kicked aside the stool at the side that someone was about to sit on. “I didn’t understand when I first left the mountain, but from how I see it now, it’s just too lame. If it wants to leave, let it go. It can’t run far if you are by my side.”

Jing Lin could only say, “What do you want me to promise you?”

Cang Ji looked at him. “Promise me that even if we find Qianyu, you won’t tell him to forget his past.”

“I’m not related to him in any way. My words mean nothing.”

“No.” There was an abyss in Cang Ji’s eyes. “I only want you to promise me that you won’t make him forget Zuo Qingzhou.”

Jing Lin released his fingers, and the silver pearls tumbled onto the table. He asked, “Do you want me to promise you that I won’t make Qianyu forget Zuo Qingzhou, or do you want me to promise you that I won’t forget you in the future?”

The silver pearls rolled off the table and bounced to the ground.

Jing Lin turned his head to look Cang Ji right in the eyes.” You’re very persistent when it comes to this.”

Even when Jing Lin touched his raw nerve, Cang Ji remained composed. He said, “Then, promise me.”

Outside, raindrops splattered all over. The travelers on horses that galloped past all became part of this table’s backdrop.

Jing Lin said, “If I die, my soul will be all but gone. There’s nothing to say about forgetting or not.”

“I just want you to say it.” Cang Ji said, “Who cares about life and death?”

“What if I can’t fulfill it?”

“That would mean you lied to me.” Cang Ji stared at him. “If you lie to me, Jing Lin, even if you turn to ashes, I’ll piece you back together and force you to come back and pay it all back to me in full.”

Inexplicably, Jing Lin seemed to have heard a particular phrase before.

“This is the debt you owe.”

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

郎 Lang, young man; a form of address. Also used as a term by a woman (or a man in this case) to address a lover or husband.

麻团 Sesame Balls, a fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour and coated with sesame seeds.

Chapter 52: Toying

DECEMBER 17, 2019

It was as if a stone had dropped into Jing Lin’s heart, stirring up a wave that hit him so hard it muddied his mind. He said with trepidation, “What a debt collector.”

Cang Ji was confused. “I haven’t even demand repayment yet.”

Jing Lin grasped the silver pearls and said, “I will not interfere with whatever Qianyu wants to do.”

“Uh.” Cang Ji sat upright and said, “That’s not what you said earlier.”

“That’s all I’ve heard myself saying.” Jing Lin rose to his feet. “Let’s go.”

Cang Ji strode over to his side, and both of them walked out together. Standing under the awning, Cang Ji opened the umbrella and sighed. He said in a bleak tone, “I knew you were a very cunning person.”

“You’ve simply outdone yourself.”

Both of them stepped into the rain, shoulder to shoulder. Cang Ji said, “Three streets away, there’s a red-light district. The scent of classics¹ showed up there before. Qianyu is probably there.”

“He is trying to think of ways to get close to Liu Chengde.” Jing Lin said, “He couldn’t reveal his true form, nor could he make his intention known.”

“Since Qianyu has gotten his hands on Zuo Qingzhou’s box of letters, then he must know that Chu Lun once spoke highly of this Excellency Liu. If he wants to know more about Liu Chengde, all he needs to do is to look for Chu Lun, doesn’t he?” Cang Ji asked.

“That’s right.” Jing Lin said. “But he rather seeks far and wide for an answer instead of looking nearby for Chu Lun.”

It suddenly hit Cang Ji. “Could it be that he knew about the brush demon’s modification of the Life Registry?”

“Not only that.” Jing Lin wrung the corner of his robe dry. “He doesn’t trust Chu Lun. He might have learned of something and thus came to regard Chu Lun as the other party’s man.”

“Wait, let me reorganize this.” Cang Ji said, “In the tenth year of Tianjia², Chu Lun recommended Liu Chengde to Zuo Qingzhou in his last letter and asked Zuo Qingzhou to consider this person. Because there was no way they could push these cases forward based on just their combined efforts and power. As they say, having a man in the imperial court would grease the wheels and make their work easier. So, Zuo Qingzhou acknowledged Liu Chengde as his teacher and made use of their teacher-student relationship to let Liu Chengde participate in their investigation. But then, the situation took a critical turn, and Zuo Qingzhou and Chu Lun broke off communications. Yet Liu Chengde was still able to access Zuo Qingzhou’s residence as usual. Why would Zuo Qingzhou put his trust in this Liu Chengde?”

“Liu Chengde probably brought him some hard-to-get news.” Jing Lin said, “The best way to win the trust of another is to prove that you are on his side. No one dared to investigate this case, and the news is blocked from reaching this place. Someone in the capital specially thwarted and concealed it. If Liu Chengde used his capacity as Inspector-General to provide information that Zuo Qingzhou could not obtain, then he would have made it clear that he was willing to risk his head to participate in the investigation. Furthermore, there’s Chu Lun to add fuel to the fire. It’s not a surprise that Zuo Qingzhou trusted him.”

“Don’t tell me Chu Lun is really the other party’s man?” Cang Ji thought it over. “The brush demon wouldn’t tell the truth about Chu Lun’s real cause of death in the Life Registry. What else are we missing?”

“He doesn’t seem to be…” Jing Lin hesitated. “As the Sage Yining’s brush, Le Yan will certainly be unwilling to conspire with the corrupted. The reason he took a fancy to Chu Lun was most likely because Chu Lun had integrity. However, the Chu Lun in Zuo Qingzhou’s case is just too full of flaws. Just the fact that he holds Liu Chengde in such high esteem is truly beyond my understanding.”

“So what you are saying is.” Cang Ji said. “Chu Lun shouldn’t have recommended him? But there’s indeed something suspicious about this. Chu Lun is far away in Dongxiang. He is a commoner. How would he get to be acquainted with Liu Chengde, a high-ranking official in the capital?”

Jing Lin stepped over a puddle of water and said, “You aren’t aware of the workings of the imperial court. Although Liu Chengde is now a third-grade official, his position is that of the Inspector-General Vice-Censor-in-Chief. He has both the opportunity to go on inspection tours around the various lands, and the responsibility to supervise hundreds of officials in the capital. If he puts on a show of being an upright official, he would have fit the requirements of Zuo Qingzhou and Chu Lun back then.”

“Then, what is it that you don’t understand?”

“What I can’t understand is,” Jing Lin frowned and said, “how the timing of Liu Chengde’s appearance is too perfect. It’s as if Heaven specially sent him over to assist them. As the saying goes, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. And Chu Lun sensed nothing off about this?”

“If Chu Lun is the other party’s man,” Cang Ji said, “then his action is merely taking advantage of the situation to send Zuo Qingzhou on his way.”

“That’s not right, either.” Jing Lin said, “If he’s the other party’s man, then he wouldn’t have failed the imperial examination twice. Since the other party is in a position of such influence and power, it would be a piece of cake for him to put Chu Lun’s name on the scholar list.”

“What a mess.” Cang Ji was baffled. “Why is it that the more we investigate, the more dead ends we get?”

Both men crossed the street. Jing Lin reached out a hand to catch the rain and noted that the rain was thinning. He said, “But I’m now clear of one thing.”

“Hmm?”

“Liu Chengde is a third grade Imperial Censor. There are few in the capital who can command and manipulate him. Only a few people above him can do so.” Jing Lin lowered his fingers and let the raindrops slide off them. He seemed to recall something. “Speaking of which, I’ve looked into this kind of case before.”

“How long ago was that?” Cang Ji stopped in his tracks and looked at his side profile.

Jing Lin replied, “Five hundred years ago. Perhaps even earlier.”

“Demon Slayer Lord Linsong even investigate cases?” Cang Ji’s interest was piqued.

Jing Lin raised his eyes to look at the sky and said, “The reach of that case was so widespread. There was no one I know who wasn’t a participant in it.”

“What about yourself?” Cang Ji asked.

Jing Lin drew his fingers back into his sleeves and said to Cang Ji, “I’m not important.”

Cang Ji thought that he seemed somewhat different. So he drew out his voice and looked as if he could barely understand. “So, did you get to the bottom of the truth in the end?”

Jing Lin stepped out of the umbrella without answering. Cang Ji held up the umbrella and looked at him. For some reason, he felt as if the case Jing Lin was talking about involved that Supreme Father of his. The contours of Jing Lin’s shoulders and back were smooth. Cang Ji recalled the way Jing Lin looked like in his youth. The youth in a white robe and a silver crown could still show a slight smile when he turned his head back, like a real person.

Not hearing the sounds of footsteps, Jing Lin turned back to look at Cang Ji.

“If you smile at me,” Cang Ji closed the umbrella and said to Jing Lin, “then you need not make any promise. I’ll come to collect the debt myself.”

The rain had stopped, and the layers of clouds gradually parted. Sunlight shone through the clouds and fell upon Jing Lin’s shoulders. As if he could not bear this intense warmth, he took a step back, wanting to avoid it. He did not expect Cang Ji to put his arm around his shoulders and led him forward.

“Let’s go.” Cang Ji said. “I detect the scent of classics.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The scent of classics overlapped with the fragrance of rouge. Cang Ji sneezed the entire way. He tugged at Jing Lin’s sleeve to cover his nose and mouth. The smell of rouge powder overwhelmed him so much his eyes were red. He could hardly bear it. As Jing Lin spoke to the procuress, Cang Ji stood behind him and glared at the others with his eyes, frightening the procuress so much that her heart pounded.

“Where are we going?” Cang Ji hurriedly pulled Jing Lin’s sleeve and asked in a muffled voice when he saw that Jing Lin was about to head upstairs.

“Going in.” Jing Lin turned and looked at him. “Various parties are invited to the banquet today. Liu Chengde might make an appearance. Qianyu is likely hiding among them to make use of this opportunity to get close to him…”

Cang Ji nudged Jing Lin into his embrace and raised an arm to ward off the passionate gazes of those ladies. He sulked, “Change your appearance.”

Jing Lin glanced at him with his peach blossom eyes³ and said, “Men like Dong Jun only incur jealousy and not love among women.”

Cang Ji was about to argue back when he felt someone’s delicate hands pinching the back of his waist. It made his hairs stand on end. He instantly shoved Jing Lin, still in his embrace, up the stairs. They squeezed their way out of the mass of rouge into a wave of men.

The boys here were all pretty and tender like scallions. Cang Ji ascended the stairs and made his way through the crowd. He felt them groping all over his back again and heard someone laughed and said, “What a sturdy master!”

Cang Ji’s fur was about to explode,⁴ but a pity he did not have fur, so his scales were about to explode. It was not easy for him to squeeze his way into a booth with Jing Lin. When he saw that the others outside were about to follow them in, he promptly tugged the drapes shut to indicate his desire not to be disturbed.

“What is this?” Cang Ji poured himself some tea to clear his throat. “All these male patrons of the brothel with their slim waists!”

Jing Lin noted that the entire second floor had their drapes down. There was a space with a flower-depicted stage half the size of a man in the hall. Obviously, they were going to make a song and dance about the banquet that night. The booths were all close to each other, with only a thin screen⁵ and a flimsy drape on each side that could barely cover anything. He sat down at the table and said, “Those are from the brothel.”

“From the brothel?” Cang Ji sat down beside Jing Lin, right next to a vase of painting scrolls. He leaned back and rocked his chair. Pinching his stuffy nose, he wondered, “What? So men do ask for men?”

Laughter rang out from the booth beside them. Some male courtesans probably had yet to find a patron, and so they boldly responded, “There’s much pleasure to be had when men look for men. Why don’t you choose one of us to try it out?”

Cang Ji propped up his leg and said, “Exactly what kind of pleasure is there? Let’s hear it.”

The male courtesans huddled over in laughter across the screen. They traced out the shadows of one tantalizing figure after another on the screen and said, “What kind of pleasure, huh? Why don’t you just choose one of us? We will take turns to serve you. We’ll guarantee that you will be floating on air when you leave later.”

Cang Ji laughed. “Without seeing the real moves, it will be hard to say who will end up floating on cloud nine.”

“Then, why don’t you let us have a taste of it?” A male courtesan leaned against the screen and hooked a finger at Cang Ji’s direction as if seducing his soul over.

Cang Ji raised his eyebrows and glanced at Jing Lin. Jing Lin was stirring his bowl of sour plum soup and did not lift his head. Cang Ji leaned over and pressed his arm against Jing Lin’s back to whisper, “Do we choose one?”

Jing Lin coldly looked askance at him and said, “Sure.”

Cang Ji thwarted Jing Lin’s fingers and snatched away the spoon from his fingers. Then he raised his hand and gulped down Jing Lin’s sour plum soup. He said in a clear voice, “Unfortunately, I’ve already booked a cold-faced master who loves to put on airs.”

Jeers rang out behind the screen. Jing Lin took back his spoon and shook off Cang Ji’s arm. Cang Ji conveniently leaned back against the chair and stopped fooling around. The taste of sourness filled his entire mouth. He took a light breath and said, “How very sour.”

Jing Lin looked at his empty bowl and put the spoon away.

Cang Ji propped up his head with a hand and asked, “So what would you consider the relationship between Qianyu and Zuo Qingzhou to be? Is it the same as this?”

“It’s not the same.” Jing Lin said. “There’s a little difference between loving someone and toying with someone.”

Instead, Cang Ji asked, “Do you like men or women?”

Jing Lin turned the bowl and thought it over for a moment. He said, “I don’t feel anything towards either.”

Without rhyme or reason, Cang Ji recalled Jing Lin’s panting in the illusory realm. He felt for the tea and drank it all. He wanted to ask, you don’t hate it when we were being Qianyu and Zuo Qingzhou, do you? But until now, he still did not understand what Zuo Qingzhou and Qianyu were going to do. What could they do with their clothes pried apart?

Boil each other to eat?

♦     ♦     ♦

The lantern lights in the hall were extinguished, and people appeared on the stage. It was then Jing Lin understood what was going on tonight. So, putting up new chicks for sale was an old rule of this brothel. But would Qianyu be able to meet Liu Chengde by coming here?

Jing Lin wiped his sweat with his fingertips and continued to wait patiently.

Cang Ji stayed under the darkness. In his boredom, he kicked the vase of painting scrolls. He pulled out a few scrolls at random, but he could not see them clearly when he spread them apart, so he raised his hands to look at them against the light.

Jing Lin was not paying attention to what Cang Ji was doing. He felt for the tea, wanting to pour a cup for himself. But then, he saw Cang Ji abruptly sitting up straight and turning towards him.

Jing Lin asked warily, “Hmm?”

With a “swoosh”, Cang Ji spread his arms and pulled out a scroll painting. Presenting it to Jing Lin for a look, he asked, “Is that what they were going to do that day?”

Jing Lin tilted his head to fix his eyes on it and nearly spat out his tea all at once. His ears burned red as he raised his hand to cover his mouth to cough until even his face turned red from all the coughing.

Cang Ji really could not get a clear look at it, so he moved in closer and asked, “Can you see it?”

The little stone figure jumped onto the table and turned around in circles with its face buried in its hands. It bumped its head into Cang Ji’s arms and attempted to stuff the painting back. But Cang Ji was unwilling and raised his arms to lift the painting up as he rocked his chair and said, “That’s why I said you’ve never done it with anyone else.” He pondered, “How would you be willing to let someone do…”

Jing Lin stuffed a cake into Cang Ji’s mouth with a hand. Cang Ji raised his head to gobble it up before grabbing Jing Lin’s wrist to pull him over. He maintained his grip on Jing Lin’s wrist as he sandwiched Jing Lin’s waist between his knees. He stared at him and asked, “This is what you meant when you kissed me that time in the water—you wanted to peel off my clothes?”

Jing Lin turned his wrist over and swatted Cang Ji’s fingers away. Cang Ji tightened his knees around him. He could hear Jing Lin’s breathing.

“Tell me.” Cang Ji breathed on him. “Did you want to?”

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

天嘉 The Era of Tianjia, 560-566, during the Chen Dynasty, also known as The Southern Chen Dynasty

桃花眼 literally peach blossom eyes, the shape of eyes is said to have an exceptional ability to attract the opposite sex.

炸毛 literally explode or puff up fur, i.e., fur standing on end, which usually happens when a feline is frightened, angry, startled, or threatened. Also refers to a character losing his temper or is very emotional and prone to outbursts of anger in the same situation.

屏风, a single screen or folding screen that typically serves as a partition, e.g., before the bed and so on.

《我一见你就笑》” I smile when I see you” is a song by Teresa Teng (邓丽君). Link.

雨过天晴 the sky (will) clear up after the rain.
霖 The “Lin” in Jing Lin refers to a continuous period of heavy rain.
霁 The “Ji” in Cang Ji refers to the sky clearing up after a period of rain or snow.

Chapter 53: Dragon Roar

DECEMBER 20, 2019

Before Jing Lin could answer, he heard a moan next door. Cang Ji was about to turn his head when Jing Lin blocked his face with a hand.

“The sound of the bell.” Jing Lin broke away from Cang Ji’s hold on him in time. “Liu Chengde is here.”

Cang Ji was still in a daze, and Jing Lin made his escape while he was not on his guard. He put the painting scroll back into the vase and strained his ears to search for the tinkling of the bell amidst the din and ruckus. The intriguing panting next door intensified. That hot and wet sensation was like a hook tickling Cang Ji’s ears, interrupting his search.

“It’s too noisy.” Cang Ji got up and brushed aside the bead curtain facing the stage. His sense of smell had also lost its effectiveness amidst all those rouge powder. He swept a look around. “If he was hiding on the second floor, we wouldn’t be able to find him.”

Furthermore, there were dancers in this brothel. The silver bells on their ankles tinkled along with their wavelike sashaying, sending a tingle of numbness down one’s spine. The jingles of the copper bell were neither striking nor prominent, and so it was swiftly buried by the other sounds until it all but vanished.

“He’s in the building.” Jing Lin turned the teacup upside down, spilling the tea over the table. The little stone figure picked up the tea leaves and pieced them into several little tea leaves figures before running out.

At this moment, those on stage were striking the drums and tapping their feet away to the rhythm. Cang Ji suddenly took a few steps back. Enduring the fragrance of rouge, he made out the scent of the classics¹ from it and said, “Qianyu!”

“Where?” Jing Lin asked.

“Upstairs.” Cang Ji lifted the drapes and stepped out.

The corridor was still crowded. The scent of classics was dissipating fast. If they don’t hurry, they would never be able to catch up to it. Cang Ji shoved aside the people in the crowd to move forward. The wooden stairs to the third floor a short distance away were totally obstructed by the crowd. The assault of rouge and powder made him sneeze non-stop. He did not expect the little stone figure to turn back all of a sudden. The little tea leaf figure jumped onto Cang Ji’s shoulder and jabbed its hand at a room on the second floor.

Now we are really all fucking packed like sardines!

“I’ll head upstairs.” The jostling of the crowd had already shoved Jing Lin to the front. He took a step up the wooden stairs. “You …”

Cang Ji held on to Jing Lin’s sleeve across the human heads. His eyes had turned red from all the sneezing. He said to Jing Lin, “Don’t you run away!” Before Jing Lin could answer, Cang Ji released his grip and said, “Wait for me. I’ll catch you later.”

Both men were suddenly thrust apart. Jing Lin looked at him for a moment before turning around to continue up the stairs. Cang Ji rubbed the tips of his fingers, and a tiny sprinkle of luminous light slid off. He turned back to continue in the little tea leaf figure’s direction and squeezed his way through until he came to Liu Chengde’s door. He reached out to lift the curtain, but felt a searing heat on his fingertips. A door guardian deity² materialized and glowered at him.

With a horsewhip in his hand, the door guardian deity rebuked Cang Ji, “Little demon, retreat!”

The crowd behind him surged, nudging Cang Ji a step nearer. The door guardian deity’s expression instantly changed as he struck out a blow at him, disregarding the entire corridor of mortals.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin headed upstairs. The crowd had thinned out. All that crowding and jostling earlier had made him break out in a sweat. His face was slightly flushed, and there were drops of sweat on his forehead. He looked like he had drunk wine. He had only just started scrutinizing his surroundings when a girl came up with quickened steps to him. She pouted at him and stamped her feet. “You’ve been drinking again, right? You jerk. You know jolly well what day it is today, and you still covet those few drops of drinks? Hurry and come over, they are waiting over there!”

Having said that, she indiscriminately led Jing Lin away by his clothes. Jing Lin caught a waft of the scent of classics in her direction, and so he went with her without saying a word. Along the way, he passed by many doors. Some were open, and some, closed, but inside all the rooms were pretty men and women putting on their makeup and changing their clothes. From all appearances, it looked as if they were going on stage.

“I told you repeatedly to hurry! But you just had to drink!” The girl turned back to fan her hand and looked askance at Jing Lin. “Fortunately, you don’t reek of wine! Otherwise, you will be reported to Madam and end up getting a beating from her tonight! What good are those gold and silver? Are they worth being so short-sighted to such an extent? Go change your clothes and tidy yourself up. Someone will pick you up right away. Your good life in the future will all depend on this night!”

With that, the girl pushed open a door. There was already a person sitting with his face to the mirror. The girl nudged Jing Lin in and said softly to the person inside, “Yu-jiejie, he’s here. Please take a look at him and tidy him up. I’ll wait outside.”

The door shut with a “thud”. From the mirror, Jing Lin looked on as the fox turned his head to him. His playful and joyful self in the illusory realm was now all locked away under a veil of gloom, adding a touch of mystery to his beauty even in that female getup.

Qianyu sized Jing Lin up and asked, “Why is there a change of people?” Without waiting for Jing Lin to answer, he rose and put a chain of precious gems around Jing Lin. He said, “But you’re of better quality than the original one. Time waits for no man. Strip.”

Jing Lin asked, “Have you hidden Zuo Qingzhou’s body?”

The color drained from Qianyu’s face. Jing Lin heard the bell rattling wildly downstairs and realized that something must have happened over at Cang Ji’s side. He took a step forward and asked Qianyu, “If you stop now, there will be a chance to turn things around. Although Zuo Qingzhou lost his life, his soul has yet to disperse.”³

The jeweled chain between Qianyu’s fingers broke into pieces. He stepped back to hold himself up himself against the table and stuttered, “You, you…”

“Just your effort alone will not be enough to deal a blow to the man hiding in the capital.” Jing Lin looked up at the room, “Even Huashang would not dare to confront a man from the Ninth Heaven Realm head-on. So why continue doing this?”

“But Liu Chengde is a mere mortal!” Qianyu said in a cold voice. “This old beast has let down Zuo-lang’s⁴ years of respect and adulation. And now he even wants to bank on the backing of deities to get away scot-free? I want his bloodline to be severed, and his entire clan to be exterminated!”

“Liu Chengde is but a worthless pawn. The real perpetrator who killed Zuo Qingzhou is someone else. You must have already guessed it yourself. If you persist in continuing, then even his soul will be hard to preserve, let alone his remains. “Jing Lin said.

Tears welled up in Qianyu’s eyes. He endured it and said, “Since he’s a deity, then why make things difficult for Zuo-lang?”

Jing Lin fell silent. He could only say, “Why did you come here? Huashang is waiting for you at the inn.”

On hearing the word Huashang, Qianyu knew Jing Lin was no outsider. He said, “Liu Chengde is an official of the imperial court, but he is in fact entrusted with the task of nabbing beauties. However, I still don’t know whether he is working for a human or for a deity. That’s why I came here to approach him to find out who the mastermind behind this is.”

“You don’t have to go anymore.” Jing Lin heard footsteps coming from the stairwell and asked, “Beauties? What beauties are he looking for?”

“Men and women of ravishing appearance…”

Before Qianyu could finish his words, the girl at the door started to say her greetings ardently. “You’re early, Master Liu. He’s not ready… Hey!”

Qianyu opened the window with the intention to let Jing Lin escape. Who would expect Jing Lin to hit the fox on the back of his neck and knock him unconscious? Immediately right after, an azure light circled around Qianyu a few times to bind him tightly before rolling him under the bed.

The door smashed open, and Liu Chengde’s quickened steps came to a stop. His eyes froze.

He saw a maiden sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked frosty, and yet she had a blazing brilliance about her. She was so stunning, she dazzled.

The girl clapped her hands together with a smile. “Take a look. Is this one all right?”

Jing Lin was indifferent as he scattered the gems in his hand. The frostier he was, the more bewitching and captivating this appearance was.

A few laughter bubbled up Liu Chengde’s throat. “She’s rather… unique.”

Before the old lecher could utter a few more words of praise, the ground shook beneath him. A pillar on the second floor had been smashed broken. Liu Chengde saw that the door guardian deity was unable to hold off Cang Ji and feared that he would be hard-pressed to explain a deviation in their plans, so he said urgently, “Get him into the sedan chair! Leave quickly!”

“Don’t you dream of running!”

Below, Cang Ji hooked an arm around the railing and was about to flip himself over. He did not expect a grip to tighten around his ankle. That door guardian deity had been pummeled until he had all but turned paper,⁵ but even so, he did not forget to fling the whip to haul Cang Ji back. Cang Ji plummeted down. He heard the “crack” of the railing on the third floor as they exploded into pieces. The entire room tilted.

Liu Chengde scrambled to prop himself up and tried to drag Jing Lin with him. Jing Lin sidestepped him to the window, but before he could leave, the entire wall panel near the window was smashed rotten by those downstairs. Caught off guard among the panicking and dodging people on the stage, Jing Lin fell.

Cang Ji could hardly be bothered about the door guardian deity on seeing that plunging figure in white. He caught the whip to cast off the obstacle and leaped out of the second floor.

Jing Lin fell into the crooks of Cang Ji’s arms. Cang Ji pressed the back of Jing Lin’s head onto his chest and held out an arm to protect him as he somersaulted a round on the stage before coming to a stop and to a big round of applause!

“I finally caught you.” Cang Ji lowered his head and froze. He could not even speak coherently. “… Jing Jing, Jing…”

Jing Lin threw away the pearl hairpin. There were still some traces of makeup left on his face. A tint of red remained on his lips as it did on Qianyu’s appearance. He clearly looked effeminate all over, yet his frosty expression was teeming over with a murderous aura.

“Jing your head.” Jing Lin said. “Liu Chengde is taking him away!”

There was a slash of wind behind Cang Ji’s neck. He immediately lowered his head and grabbed the chance to take a sniff at Jing Lin’s neck. He said, “Babe, you smell so good.”

Jing Lin pushed his chest, and Cang Ji released his hands. Both of them parted in an instant. With his free hand, Cang Ji caught hold of the heavy blow that came smashing down on him from above. The stage beneath his feet split apart. He raised his head for a look and saw a group of ferocious demons charging at him with their fangs and claws out!

Cang Ji gave a few cheery laughs and spread his arms open to wait for them.

“Look at how anxious you guys are to be my wine dishes.” He exposed his sharp teeth. “I’ll give you a chance.”

All kinds of demons swarmed around him, concealing him from view. “Crunching” sounds that made one’s tooth ache rang out incessantly. But no one could clearly see what was happening within.

Jing Lin knew that Cang Ji would not refuse any of them, so he surveyed his surroundings to search for Qianyu, whom he had stuffed under the bed. All the mortals in the building scrambled over themselves to flee. Jing Lin saw Liu Chengde’s figure scurrying out of the building with his escorts. The man they were carrying with them was precisely Qianyu.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji’s spiritual sea surged endlessly. Under Jing Lin’s guidance, the original way he had been crudely devouring and absorbing his ‘meals’ had been refined into a delicate kind of fine dining. The brocade carp amidst his spiritual sea seemed to have doubled its size. Its color had also darkened. Dark crimson wandered along its scales as it swung around. The two bulges on its head were even more prominent.

Cang Ji wiped the corners of his mouth with his thumb. The stage was completely dark now, and half of the rotten brothel had collapsed. All that remained of the nest of demons Liu Chengde had released were scraps and dregs. Cang Ji was feeling good all over, although he felt inexplicably hot. He said, “Why did he release a horde of demons? If…”

The spot where someone had been standing earlier was now empty. Cang Ji gnashed his teeth and fumed, “Jing Lin!”

Jing Lin’s body rocked inside the speeding sedan chair. An unconscious Qianyu was leaning against the wall of the sedan. With his fingertip, Jing Lin scraped a thin layer of dust off the sedan chair’s window. He had finally figured out what had felt so strange about Liu Chengde and his cronies.

They had just as many demons as there were deities mixed in their syndicate.

They could provide Liu Chengde with a door guardian deity for protection, and they could summon a mob of demons to follow Liu Chengde’s orders. The deity behind this was so mysterious and unfathomable, it reminded him of Dong Jun.

This was too much of a coincidence.

Jing Lin had been imitating Dong Jun all the way. Was this person imitating Dong Jun too?

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun was sleeping soundly in the Ninth Heaven Realm when he suddenly sat up, pulled out his handkerchief, and sneezed. He kicked the sentry before the palace hall and asked, “Is the Supreme Lord still not willing to see me?”

The sentry folded his arms in helplessness. “Even if you sleep here again, the Supreme Lord will still not see you.”

“That’s really strange.” Dong Jun picked up his fan to fan himself with it. “He usually loves me most. Why is he suddenly snubbing me? I won’t hear of it~~”

The sentry broke out in goosebumps. He said with a headache, “No one is allowed to disturb the Supreme Lord when he sleeps.”

“Oof.” Dong Jun tapped his temple with his fan, his words barely sufficient to express all that on his mind.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji had taken to his heels to give chase. He had rubbed his own luminous light onto Jing Lin’s sleeve, so he would be able to see it glittering under the darkness of the night. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a bellow. That Wu Ying stood atop the building with a whip in his hand, looking like a dung-stirring rod⁶ as he stood in Cang Ji’s way.

“A good dog doesn’t block the way.” Cang Ji said. “Scram.”

Wu Ying flung his whip high up into the air, and an army of generals emerged behind him. Holding himself high and aloof, he said coldly, “This demon conspires with the fox demon to throw the capital into chaos. I’m here upon orders of Ninth Heaven to arrest him. Take him down, alive or dead!”

“Who is your master?” Scales covered Cang Ji’s arms as he said in a frosty tone, “He went around in such a big circle. Does he really think that I don’t know who he is trying to lure?”

Wu Ying said, “With just your level of cultivation, you aren’t even worthy to hear my master’s name.”

“Those who pry into my affairs,” Cang Ji’s intent to kill surged in the sudden gust of wind. “I don’t care whether he’s a man or a dog; they will all be greeted with my fists!”

The long streets in the capital quaked throughout the night. Wu Ying’s army pulled out their blades and somersaulted onto the ground before charging towards Cang Ji. Cang Ji caught hold of the whip and slid it across his arm to flung Wu Ying up. He stomped on the ground, and a surge of wave rose. The building shattered with a resounding bang, shocking the generals into a retreat. His demonic aura boiled over. Cutting an imposing and commanding presence, he bellowed, “Out of my way!”

Bricks and tiles collapsed, and hordes of demons lay low and quivered.

When Huashang opened her eyes, her nine tails had already appeared. She rolled over to get off the crouch, and pushed open the window to gaze out. Xiyan was so frightened he had transformed back into a fox trembling uncontrollably. Huashang clutched her chest with a hand. She heard herself speaking in a choked voice.

“… That’s the roar of a dragon? Did I hear it wrong?”

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

镇门神 a door god or divine guardians whose main duties were to protect a building, threshold, or household against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. Usually, stickers or papers of these deities are pasted on the door to signify their protection.

In Daoism, it’s believed that man has three immortal souls and seven mortal souls (baser instincts that motivate a human being) that contrast the spiritual and carnal side of man. (三魂七魄). So a man, if missing a part of the soul, might not be dead, but would be lacking in the sense corresponding to the soul or spirit that has gone missing (e.g., his emotions might be flat.) It’s also possible to recall and reclaim the MIA soul to a living person, but a man is truly gone for good (with no chance for reincarnation) when all his souls dispersed. Basically,
• Alive + complete soul = living person
• Alive + lacking a part of soul/spirit = alive but lacking in certain senses/emotions (e.g., flat emotions)
• Dead + complete soul = dead; now a soul/ghost with the possibility to re-enter the wheel of reincarnation
• Dead + scattered soul = cease to exist; no chance for reincarnation.

郎 Lang, young man; a form of address. Also used as a term by a woman (or a man in this case) to address a lover or husband.

纸糊 is literally paper (kind of a word play since door deities are usually placed as paper or stickers on door) but here ‘paper’ also refers to being so weak he is unable to withstand a blow. From the phrase 纸糊老虎 which is literally translated as a paper tiger. It refers to something that appears strong and powerful but is actually ineffectual and unable to stand up to any blows.

搅屎棍 literally a shit-stirring stick used in the old days to mix and even up the poo (the toilet is usually a vat buried underground) to use as fertilizers, etc. It’s now used to refer to someone who’s a troublemaker and who always screw up others’ affairs, etc

Chapter 54: Evil Spirit

DECEMBER 24, 2019

Jing Lin put on a “feeble and powerless” appearance as he made a show of submission. Liu Chengde was so anxious that his moustache was soaked with sweat. He wiped the sweat away with his handkerchief, occasionally brushing aside the window curtain to look back. He feared that Wu Ying could not stop that demon who had gone berserk.

The sedan-bearers used their legs as wheels and ran so fast they were almost flying. It was clear they were not mortals. They dodged left and right, picking all the obscure paths along these interwoven streets to make their escape. They did so with such ease and familiarity that they were like mice burrowing through mouse holes.

Jing Lin realized that they were merely taking the circuitous route as a smokescreen. There was only one destination all along—the towering, magnificent palace in this capital.

Liu Chengde’s sedan chair stopped before a secluded doorway. His legs were still shaking as he got off the sedan chair. After huffing and puffing for a bit, he directed the little demons who were carrying the sedans to lift the curtains and get the men off. Both Jing Lin and Qianyu were asleep. The little demons looked hideous and comical as they kicked out their legs and lengthened their arms to squeeze inside the human skins. Forming two teams, they hoisted Jing Lin and Qianyu up before making another dash for it with their long, slender legs in shoes too large for their feet.

Jing Lin caught a waft of the fragrance of lotuses as the chilly breeze brushed past his face. The little demons made an all-out effort as they scurried along the palace corridors and alleys. Liu Chengde, who was also being supported by the little demons, did not dare to pause for a rest. And so it was in this way they rushed to their destination in one breath. The human skins of the mob of demons had all gone wrinkled after soaking in sweat.

Liu Chengde collapsed to his knees with a “thud” on the ground at the bottom of the stairs. He fell so hard that the impact shook some leaves off the potted flowers and plants at the sides. He steadied his voice and called out cordially, “Your Majesty, this old subject¹ has not failed you. I’ve brought the men back for you!”

It was dim inside the palace hall. Eunuchs stood under the shadows, rooted to the ground like dead men. They did not announce his arrival, nor did they come down the stairs to welcome or greet him. Every single one of them hung their heads down with their sleeves drooping at their sides as they stood motionless.

Liu Chengde was stricken as he kneeled. He was keenly aware that the time had been delayed tonight, and he had delivered the men late. He was afraid that he had incurred His Majesty’s wrath, and so he watched his steps and words even more. He did not even dare to wipe his sweat.

About less than an hour later, he heard a soft voice from the palace hall. “Bring them up and show me.”

Liu Chengde responded and turned around to let the little demons put down the two men. The eunuchs inside walked out, woodenly and rigidly, and lifted both men to send them in. It was sweltering hot at the moment, but there were heavy drapes hanging in the hall. The eunuchs entered in a single file. Only then could one catch a glimpse of a faint glint of light through the opening.

Jing Lin was placed on a woven mat, side by side with Qianyu. The tabletop was so spacious that it could even accommodate two more people without a problem. Set up at the side were an incense burner and talisman papers with the cinnabar² on it running along the rug to leave what seemed like a trail like blood leading further inside. The faint smell of residual smoke from something incinerated permeated the air. There was also a stench concealed under the thick, heavy aroma of sandalwood.

The eunuchs withdrew one after another, and the hall regained its furtive atmosphere. The flames from the candles never burned bright, as if an unknown person was pinching their candle wicks. Someone with their shoes on ambled to the side of the mat. That body reeking of decay was already aged, and his wrinkled hands were like withered, rotting leaves. The old emperor scraped his knuckles across Qianyu’s cheek and squinted his eyes to stare fixedly at him for a moment. Then he shivered and moved over to look at Jing Lin.

“How young.” The old emperor’s voice sounded pinched. He wiped the drool he could not stop with his handkerchief. Hunching over at the waist, he lamented, “So fresh and juicy. Just a pinch, and they seemed as if they would ooze water. From how I³ see it, these are better than the ones delivered from the previous batches.” He continued speaking alone in the hall. “This one. This one looks good.”

Jing Lin looked solemn with his eyes closed. The old emperor felt a thirst in his heart when he saw that tint of red on Jing Lin’s lips. As if he was in discussion with another person, he said, “You,⁴ when you’re finished, leave me a mouthful of rouge.⁵ This one is rare. I have yet to get a taste of this before.”

A perfunctory snort rang out from the inner part of the hall.

The more the old emperor looked, the more his heart itched. He said, “Why have I never heard those underlings mention the existence of such a looker? They, they have certainly kept me waiting for so long!”

“They are always giving you the runaround.” Someone inside said. “They love to fob you off like this. You think you are the master of the world, but they think you are old and useless.”

The old emperor sat down with resentment and said, “I have been diligent ever since ascending to the throne, but they are never satisfied. Those people, those people’s greed knows no bounds!” He stamped his feet in indignation. His chest heaved as he pronounced the word “greed”.

“If they give you the runaround,” The person inside laughed. “Then kill them all. Who can lord it over you? You’re already the ruler of all the lands under Heaven! Kill one to make another submit to you until they all kneel to you in subservience. By then, the foundation for your so-called empire would be unshakable, wouldn’t it?”

“Kill one.” The old emperor’s face lit up with joy. “Kill one to make another submit! Contemptible wretches, deserve to die!”

“Just like the one with the surname Zuo.” The man inside lowered his voice. “He was the most abominable.”

“He was hoping for me to die!” The old emperor stood up and paced restlessly. “He saw that I’ve grown old. He saw me…”

“Uh-huh.” The man inside continued. “They all think you are old now.”

“No! I’m not old! “The old emperor raised his voice. “How could I be old? I don’t want to be old! I should live a long life to protect my empire!” His breathing was urgent as he scrambled on his knees to make his way inside. He whimpered as he kowtowed. “Please enjoy these, then give me some men I can use. I want to capture them all! Who does Zuo Qingzhou think he is? Anyone who hinders me from selecting tributes⁶ for you, anyone who forbids me to prolong my life… I’ll kill them all!”

Mocking laughter from within bounced wildly across the hall. The man compassionately lowered his fingers and lifted the old emperor’s face.

“You fear old age.”

The old emperor nodded his head in a fluster.

“You want me to keep on prolonging your life for you.”

The old emperor acknowledged it in a trembling voice.

“Then don’t ever stop hunting for tributes. Send me all the beautiful men and women you have in Zhongdu. Tell those minions of yours to kill every obstacle in the way.” The man raised the old emperor’s face with his fingers and said, “I’m doing it all for your own good… They are all waiting for you to grow old, but I want you to live longer, look younger.”

“You are doing it for my own good.” The old emperor wept with gratitude. “You are a deity of Heaven. I’ll do everything you say!”

“Good dog.” The man released his hand and stroked the old emperor’s hair. “Good dog.”

The old emperor was so choked with gratitude that he fawned over him like a dog wagging its tail, even barking out several “woof”.

Following “illness” and the “inability to let go”, “old age” was also close at hand. Three sufferings⁷ were all so embroiled together, they made Jing Lin’s mind stumble.

Jing Lin and Qianyu were both dragged into the deepest recesses of the darkness. There was finally a face put to that foul stink—the stench of blood sediment. The stone platform was stained brown with blood. Countless people who had been kidnapped away from their loved ones were picked by the human traffickers and delivered here, batch by batch. Those screened out would be sent to the city in the mountains, while the ones selected would be presented as tributes here. There were simply too many beautiful women that it became tough to find attractive men. It was as if all the men and women in the entire world could be livestock and objects as long as the master of this place desired so.

How was this a deity? It was clearly a devil.

The candles around them were removed. Without windows in the inner chamber, all traces of light were kept out. The darkness was like thick ink shrouding their bodies. It seemed as if they had sunk into the deep, bottomless sea as they gasped for breath like the lowly beings they were.

A flush crept up Qianyu’s face as if he had caught a chill. He seemed to be suffering in his dreams as he choked with vague sobs. Zuo Qingzhou’s brush and ink clung to his chest. They were the only remaining treasures he possessed now.

The old emperor was still on his hands and knees, imitating a dog. The darkness made it inconvenient to crawl, and he bumped around a few times. Uttering an “oh, my”, he rose to his feet while supporting himself against the wall. He asked fearfully, “Aren’t you going to light the lamps here?”

The evil spirit⁸ kicked the old emperor back on to the ground with one foot and said, “I’ve missed the hour today. I need to wait.”

The old emperor crawled forward. There was a weight on his back as the evil spirit sat down on him. The old emperor chortled with laughter as he crawled a few steps with both hands and feet. He said, “I’m basking in your divine aura, basking in your divine aura!”

The evil spirit said, “How is that a mere dog can speak human language?”

The old emperor wiped his sweat and looked up. “Woof, woof!”

“As expected, you are a miserable wretch too.” The evil spirit hurled abuse at him in a soft voice. “Look at how willing you are to suffer the humiliation of crawling under another man’s crotch, all for the sake of a miserable life.”

The old emperor concurred. “You cannot compare my crawling between your legs with anything else. This is a blessing, a blessing! If you bestow favors on me, I will carry your shoes for you to serve you.”

“There’s no need to.” The evil spirit made a show of kicking him. “You just have to slouch on your throne and do a proper job of choosing tributes. Seeing as you are obedient, I’ll give you another way to prolong your life.”

The old emperor could not help but “woof” a few times to show his delight.

“I know that they are still selling children underground. Why don’t you ask them to pick a few pleasant-looking ones and send them in together? Although you can’t lay your hands on these lovely tributes, you can still have fun with those exquisite children.” The evil spirit salivated and said greedily, “I’ll eat a few mouthfuls less and save them for you.”

The old emperor hurriedly acceded in response, then asked with some apprehension. “But these, these children will die the moment we are not careful…”

The evil spirit said, “Then, so be it. Throw them into the lotus pond to feed the demons. Someday we might even raise a ferocious creature to play with. You reside deep in the palace. It’s inevitable for you to be ignorant and out of touch. Do you know who is the most ferocious person between Heaven and Earth?”

The old emperor toadied to him and said, “Of course, you are the most formidable.”

The evil spirit was amused and said, “Naturally, he would fall short if we are comparing who is more formidable. But when it comes to being fierce, it’s tough to beat him. You are the True Dragon Son of Heaven,⁹ while he was the True Dragon Cangdi of the Three Realms. Both of you are dragons. But if you meet him, you would have to greet him as grandpa.”

The old emperor was about to fawn on him when the evil spirit kicked him back. There was a sudden change in the evil spirit’s expression as he said coldly, “He only came to be because of all the things he ate. He devoured everything he came across. If he set his eyes on you, there wouldn’t even be a piece of bone fragment left of you.” He spoke in a furious tone. “If it were not for the fact he had died a long time ago, I would have cut off his flesh like Li Rong did.” Then, he swerved away from the topic. “How are you considered a dragon? Are you even worthy?!”

The old emperor said with thick skin, “I’m just your lapdog, the ant at your feet! I’m not considered a dragon. Nope, not a dragon!”

The temperamental evil spirit said in agitation, “How spineless can you be?! You don’t even dare to refute me? If this is the way you are, then who out there will be willing to submit to you?”

The old emperor endured a few kicks and said in a panic, “I dare not! How can you be compared to those pigs and dogs? You are a deity of Heaven. You are like my second parent!¹⁰ Where, where in this world would a son refute his father?”¹¹

The evil spirit said with contempt, “You look dignified, but you turned out to be so low-class. All those outside pay homages to you and regard you as their father. If they are pigs and dogs, then what are you?”

“I’m a dog of yours!” Currying favor with him, the old emperor raised his hands to his bosom to imitate the front paws of a dog. He panted. “Everyone in the world is my dog. At the end of the day, we are all your dogs!”

The evil spirit was as pleased as punch. He rose to his feet with his hands behind him and kicked the old emperor. He said, “If I were to have dog meat for every meal, would you be willing to comply?”

The old emperor’s legs were trembling. How would he dare to say “no”? All he wanted was to be an emperor who lived a long, long life.¹² How he wished this evil spirit would eat more and well so that he would restore his youth and prolong his life for hundreds of years to come. So he wiped away his sweat and said, “Yes, yes. Just pick anyone, and I’ll catch them here for you.”

“What should you do if they said you are fatuous and tyrannical?”

“Kill!” The old emperor let his hands fall and smiled. “Grab all of them to the imperial prison. Flay their skins and force them to confess their crimes. Then, break their legs and throw them into mass graves alive to feed dogs. I’ll kill whoever dares to say that about me!”

“Then go.” The evil spirit stood in the darkness and instigated him. “Go. Skin those two men on the platform. Don’t you like to get a taste of the rouge of beauties? After peeling off their skins, you can hold them in your hand to satisfy your cravings.”

On hearing this, the old emperor rose and supported himself with the tables and chairs as he bumped and crashed his way to the bottom of the platform. Steadying his royal crown with a trembling hand, he clambered up and groped towards the surface of the platform. As his fingers brushed past the icy surface of the platform, he asked suspiciously, “Where, where are they…”

“Here.” With a light tap of Jing Lin’s fingertip, an azure light lit up the platform. He had been sitting all alone for a very long time. All that remained on his frosty face sans makeup was a murderous aura so cold it was imposing.

The old emperor was caught off guard. He cried out in alarm and stumbled back hurriedly. As he crawled backward, he bumped into the evil spirit’s legs. The latter kicked him back as if he was kicking a ball. The old emperor rolled over to the table leg, then covered his face and said, “It’s not me. This isn’t my doing!”

Half of the evil spirit’s body was hidden in the shadows. A thick, heavy cloak slid down beside his legs. Remaining fixed in place, he suddenly burst out laughing. The more he laughed, the more savage his laughter became. He laughed until the door to the dark room slammed shut with a “thud”. He laughed until Jing Lin furrowed his eyebrows in a frown.

“You are utterly devoid of conscience. You hide here, manipulating a monarch that rules above all to harm ten of thousands of lives.” Jing Lin said, “Who are you?”

The evil spirit’s stature gradually took on a change in the dim light. He bent over to step out of the shadows, revealing his face as though he was stepping out from behind a raised curtain.

“I’m Jing Lin.” Those facial features that bore a striking resemblance to Jing Lin were aloof and cold, with a streak of savagery. “I have come bearing Yan Quan, for the purpose of slaying demons.”

Jing Lin raised his eyes in a split second.

臣 chen, an official, minister, or subject of the emperor. It’s also used to refer to oneself while conversing with the emperor, it has the same connotation as “I, your servant/subject”

Talismans are usually drawn with cinnabar (or sometimes black ink).

Emperors actually used the word 朕 (Zhen) when referring to themselves. I’ll just be using “I”, “me”, “my”, etc, in the text for easier reading, but the human emperor in this novel always uses “zhen” when referring to himself.

The emperor here uses 您 (nin) whenever he addresses this person. 您 (nin) is a more respectful “you” than the regular 你 (ni). You can thus see the dynamic between the emperor and this person from this since it’s typically others who have to show respect to the emperor.

胭脂 rouge but may also refer to women. e.g.,. 胭脂马 refers to an untamed woman.

The word he uses is ‘tributes’ but it’s really more like sacrificial offerings.

Refers to the eight sufferings the bell is leading Jing Lin through. So far, we have Dong Lin’s ‘Death’, Gu Shen’s ‘Parting’, Chu Lun’s ‘Illness’, and Zuo Qingzhou’s “Inability to let go”.

邪魔 an evil spirit or a devil. A devil has its origin in human souls that have turned evil (Soul → Evil Spirit → Devil according to one source; for details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary). Immortals and deities may also descend into evil and turn into a devil. In this novel, I’ll use the terms devil and evil spirit interchangeably.

真龙天子 literally “true/real dragon, son of heaven” The people in ancient times believed that the emperor was the son of Heaven and the incarnation of a dragon. The dragon thus came to be a symbol associated with rightful emperors who are considered to be the “mandated son of heaven” acting as Heaven’s representative on earth to do good for the people. Emperors also wear a dragon robe to reflect this ‘belief’.

再生父母 refers to one’s great benefactor who is like a second parent.

Filial piety was (and is still) a thing in those days. Children were expected to obey their parents without question back then.

万岁 literally ten thousand years old, but it’s used to refer to a long life when paying obeisance to the emperor. E.g. his subjects and the commoners would shout “long live his majesty” (万岁, 万岁, 万万岁)

Chapter 55: Yan Quan

DECEMBER 27, 2019

“Jing Lin” scrutinized Jing Lin solemnly, the frost coating the tips of his brows. When he rose, his movements were exactly the same as Jing Lin. Even the way he lowered his eyes as he brushed his sleeves was identical. He was a carbon copy of Jing Lin.

“Slay demons to protect the Way.”¹  He let out a light scoff. “If not me, then who?”

“All the talents of the world,” Jing Lin’s voice was a little hoarse, “are replaceable.”

“There is no one else who can rival this heart that can cast sword. Before Yan Quan, all the so-called talents are but reduced to mere mediocrity. “He paused for a moment, mimicking even Jing Lin’s tone perfectly. “It may well be asked who among the various fellow disciples would be able to hold a candle to me?”

“How presumptuous.” Jing Lin lightly spat out two words.

“It’s only by being sufficiently presumptuous that I would live up to the name of Lord Linsong.” He said with malice. “Lord Linsong has to be arrogant, haughty, and hard-hearted enough. Otherwise, how could he speak of defending the Way? How could he have taken the lives of the living? How could he have committed patricide?”

Jing Lin gazed at himself. He was keenly aware that the evil spirit was messing with his mind, but there was no way he could stay out of it. He stared at himself coldly. It was as if he was seeing how insane he had been a few hundred years back.

Turn back, and salvation is at hand.

That was what the True Buddha had benevolently said to him that day.

Jing Lin, repent, and you will be absolved of your sins.

But what had Jing Lin replied?

The evil spirit raised his hand to pull out Yan Quan. The cold edge of the blade concealed within the blunt sheath emerged with a “clang”, and the mercury-like body of the sword suddenly came into view inside the dark room. He stepped up the stairs, just like how Jing Lin had ascended the Ninth Heaven Terrace with his sword hanging down to the ground five hundred years ago.

“Upright Lord Linsong of the Righteous Way.” The evil spirit and Jing Lin looked at each other. It was as if Jing Lin was questioning himself. “How is it that I didn’t manage to keep my corpse intact?”

“Obliterated among the Three Realms.” Jing Lin said. “It was a worthy death.”

“The feeling of knifing Father was really gratifying.” The evil spirit flicked a finger at the sword. “The blade slashed across his neck, and I saw Father’s head fall to the ground with his blood gushing forth like spring water. That was the head of the man that doted on me the most in the entire world. It rolled from the side of my legs down the stairs, tumbling, tumbling. And then, the position for the Lord of the Three Realms changed hands. With my sword in hand, I defended the Way until I was reduced to a beast in human form by slaying my Father and my Lord. I even got myself destroyed. How delightful!”

Jing Lin clenched his fist as he pursed his lips. But still, he continued to respond without skipping a beat. “That’s right.”

“And so, I died.” The evil spirit snapped the sword into two and discarded the pieces beside his feet. He sneered with condescension.

Jing Lin said, “Yeah.”

The evil spirit looked at Jing Lin and let out a mocking laugh. He lifted his neck to look into the pitch-black darkness. Thick fog wafted out behind him and assembled in the dark room. It enveloped Jing Lin’s eyes and covered his face from view. The evil spirit asked, “Why weren’t you fully annihilated?”

“Probably because the old debts have yet to be repaid.”

“How do you even have the gall to keep breathing until now?”

Jing Lin replied, “Guilt.”

The evil spirit transformed into a dense fog. Like the clingy wind, and like the shadow of a nightmare, he wandered beside Jing Lin’s ears. The fog had already cloaked all of Jing Lin’s body until he could not even see his fingers.

The evil spirit murmured, “Guilt? You? No, you are Lord Linsong. You are the omnipotent and righteous Lord Linsong. You killed your brothers without blinking an eye. You harbor no guilt, because you don’t possess a heart.”

Jing Lin felt a dull pain, but he did not know where he was hurting. Perhaps he truly had no heart; he did not even frown in the face of this denouncement.

The fog suddenly opened up. Winding mountains and clouds appeared before his eyes. Groves of pine trees swayed like waves among the wind. The Ninth Heaven Sect’s platform welcomed guests from all over. Ten of thousands of people congregated, all to watch a bout of combat. There was a row of sages, each of them impressive-looking with white robes and silver crowns. Yet there was still one who was kneeling on one knee below the Supreme Father’s throne. When he stood up, he stood out among them like a crane among a flock of fowls.

He turned around, and Jing Lin saw himself.

“That day, you guarded the Sect with your sword, never suffering a single defeat for all thirty-three rounds of battles. The way you defeat those feudal lords was truly a sight in itself. You never looked back, so you never knew that we stood behind you for just as long, and yet we couldn’t even receive a single word of solace from Father. He helped you up by the arms and personally put on your crown for you. He even lamented about how there was no one else worthy within the Ninth Heaven Sect. You, Jing Lin, were the Sword of Ninth Heaven Sect. The Face of Ninth Heaven Sect. Then, what were we?” The evil spirit mocked himself. “The way you look at us was just like the way you look at mud and grass. You looked down on your fellow disciples. Did you think we look up to you?”

Jing Lin suspected that a certain part of him that had once scarred over had been, yet again, torn apart. It was now a battered pulp of meat hanging by its skin, dripping blood.

“Doesn’t matter.” He said in a hoarse voice.

“You have always been a cut above the others.” The evil spirit said, “Do you think the Way is within you? When you sent me to my death, you wouldn’t even say a word in passing. How is a person like you worthy of calling yourself the ‘Way’?”

“Killing you,” Jing Lin said, “wasn’t wrong.”

The evil spirit roared with laughter. “You weren’t wrong. How could you have admitted your mistake? Even though you were the most ruthless person in the world, you could still look dignified like a human. How ridiculous, how ludicrous! Did you think that you could be human if you pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes?” The temperature suddenly fell, and the evil spirit said through clenched teeth, “You don’t understand at all. The ordinary human would not slay his brothers, relinquish his human desires, and commit patricide! The common human is made of flesh and blood, and the hearts of the common folks cannot cast swords. You called others a devil, but what about you? What are you? Why don’t you just eat your sword and slice your throat to off yourself?!”

Jing Lin remained as immovable as the mountains. He said, “How about being like you then? Would an ordinary human take another’s woman by force, plunder another’s wealth, slaughter another’s mother?”

The evil spirit replied, “The strong prey on the weak. They deserve it all!”

Jing Lin shifted his gaze and said calmly, “If that’s the case, then there’s nothing wrong with me killing you.”

The evil spirit crackled with laughter and said, “You have a guilty conscience. Oh—you’re guilty. Was your leaving others in the lurch also a case of the strong preying on the weak?”

The evil spirit melted away, and the surroundings darkened. Jing Lin’s sweat had already soaked through his clothes. The sound of a child’s sobbing suddenly rang out from his left side. A little girl wailed, “Jiu-ge, Jiu-ge! Yao-er hurts so much… Jiu-ge!”

Jing Lin tightened his fists until his fingernails broke. He could not spit a word out of his throat. He felt as if his entire body was immersed in fire and ice. It hurt so much he trembled.

The little girl tripped in the black fog and fell. Without her legs, she rolled about in pain. The fog was like the raging flames, burning her up until her voice broke. She cried out, terror-stricken, “Jiu-ge… Jiu-ge, save me…”

Jing Lin took a sudden step closer. His teeth made subtle gnashing sounds. Even his veins were bulging.

A youth suddenly sprang out from the right. There was still a trace of boyishness in his face as he looked at Jing Lin in horror. Hugging his head, he cowered and pleaded as he choked with sobs, “Jiu-ge, Jiu-ge, don’t kill me! Jiu-ge… I beg of you! I’ve realized the errors of my way. I know I was in the wrong!”

Jing Lin cut a sorry figure as he stopped in his tracks and looked back.

The youth cried until his face was all scrunched up. He threw himself down on his knees, hugged Jing Lin’s leg, and raised his head to plead with him in a hoarse voice, “Jiu-ge! I will not do it again! I beg of you, please…”

The girl crawled over too. They grabbed the hems of Jing Lin’s clothes as if they were clutching on to a lifebuoy. Jing Lin remained still. The youth let out a howl of pain as the blood gushed from his chest.

“Jiu-ge… Don’t kill me…” The youth curled up into a ball and sank into the ground. He pawed at Jing Lin’s shoes, leaving behind a few trails of bloodied fingerprints. At last, the ground swallowed him up. His rancorous gaze, full of contempt and hatred, followed Jing Lin until the moment he met his end.

The girl stuck to the ground too, her fingers still clutching at Jing Lin’s clothes. She was, however, no longer breathing.

Jing Lin finally exhaled. He wanted to lend a hand, to help someone up, but there was no one around him. The sounds of footsteps rang out behind him. Jing Lin turned his head back again and saw Li Rong looking at him in astonishment. Jing Lin felt as if he were simmering in this very moment. Because it was precisely this moment that he fell out with his brother, Li Rong. Until the moment he died, he and Li Rong had never again addressed each other as brothers.

Li Rong said, “You can stop investigating. A life for a life. I’ve already brought it back.”

He opened his palm, and dragon scales rained down from his hand. Jing Lin took a step back. The taste of blood filled his mouth.

Li Rong said, “It’s already too late even if you rush your way here. Let us consider this matter closed, alright? Don’t do this again. This is all shixiong can do for you.” He took a step closer, “Jing Lin…”

Jing Lin suddenly shut his eyes and said in an icy voice, “Show yourself!”

All the scenes dissipated, and the evil spirit suddenly turned into the rustling wind. He smiled and said, “Aren’t you greedy? You thought you could save them. How laughable that turned out to be when you ended up harming both of them and saving neither of them! Lord Linsong, you ended up saving no one!”

“Damn you!” Wisps of spiritual energy surged out of Jing Lin’s spiritual sea, sending his hair fluttering up. A whirlpool rose in the initially empty spot in his spiritual expanse as his spiritual energy boiled over. A mottled old sword covered with blood loomed out of it.

The copper bell jingled, and all the bells in the capital rang together to let forth a wave of tinkling sounds.

The evil spirit re-absorbed the fog and materialized into the youth who had been crying and pleading earlier. His face was as pale as paper. He said with a shadow of a smile, “Looking at how much of a loser you look like now, don’t tell me you still dream of deciding my life and death again? Jing Lin! Did you know? When you pierced my heart with your sword and allowed me to plunge into the Blood Sea, I had to suffer the excruciating pain of tens of thousands of demons consuming my heart! I hate you so much every day. Every single day! I’ve endured so much misery! All for the day I get to avenge myself!”

“Hate.” Jing Lin spat the word out through clenched teeth. His gaze was like frost. “Who in this world dares to speak to me of hate!”

The evil spirit slashed his hand in mid-air, and a sword that was the very image of Yan Quan emerged in response. His arrogance was staggering as he spat with scorn and said, “I swallowed tens of thousands of humans from the mountain city into my belly, and I’ve also devoured half of Shengyue’s divine body. Even if Li Rong comes here tonight, I’ll still be able to escape unscathed!”

The dark room blew apart. The old emperor coughed up blood and hid himself behind the heavy drapes. Azure light burst forth, and the milky way turned topsy-turvy. Armed with a sword, the evil spirit flashed before Jing Lin. The edge of his sword collided with a “clang”. Jing Lin was clearly unarmed, yet the sword of the evil spirit was stopped in its tracks mid-way. A gale, along with the azure light, whirled between them, engulfing them both from sight.

“I have Yan Quan in hand!” The evil spirit’s sword was like the pelting rain slashing at Jing Lin until the hem of his clothes were torn. He snapped, “I have devoted myself to mastering the sword, and I can already imitate you to perfection! This world can do without you. There’s me to take your place!”

Sparks flew. Jing Lin slid back a few inches amidst the evil spirit’s outburst of violent wind.² Taking advantage of the momentum, the evil spirit charged. “I want to vilify the name Lord Linsong even more! Tarnish it further! I don’t want myself to be the only one hating you; I want the whole world to hate you too!” He burst out in maniacal laughter. “Jing Lin! You are the one who killed all those people. You are the one who is completely devoid of conscience! You deserve to die!”

Jing Lin looked at him across the sword and said, “A scrap of metal of unknown origin, is unworthy of its name.”

Both of them separated and crossed swords again. The spiritual energy of the evil spirit was immense. Wind swept through the darkness of the night, while clouds raced to gather as claps of thunder crashed through the sky. Jing Lin was no match for him when it came to their spiritual seas, but he could transform whatever little spiritual energy he had into power. Both his palms had been scratched until red lines dripping with blood had appeared on them.

The color of the sky changed. This devil³ was right. He had devoured tens of thousands of people from the mountains, and he had sneaked a bite of half of the Goddess Shengyue’s divine body. What’s more, he had received a cleansing by the demonic waves of the Blood Sea. Even if Zui Shan Seng was here, he would not be able to stop him.

Jing Lin’s robe fluttered up. Amid his exhausted spiritual sea, he complied with the ringing of the bells and mobilized the wind to cast the remnant of a sword. Half of the body of a sword instantly materialized in his palm. Yan Quan, who had once held sway over Heaven and Earth, now took after its master. The edges of its blade were chipped all over, effectively dulling its sharpness. It was so battered it could not be any more broken!

The evil spirit turned his blade in his hand and said, “Yun Sheng should thank me! He will never have a moment of peace as long as you are alive! If I take your head to meet him now, then that would be a case of all’s well that ends well, wouldn’t it?!”

Jing Lin gathered his strength to brandish the sword. His sword aura lurked among the wind as he swept his sword through the air. But the evil spirit raised his arm to dispel it and mimicked his move to counter his blow. Violent wind came assaulting him, and Jing Lin’s blade met it head-on.

Jing Lin already had his hand on the fully emerged sword. He cut an imposing, magnificent figure the very moment that old, worn-out sword landed in his palm. Even though there was a wide disparity between his spiritual sea and the evil spirit’s, he still stood as solid as a rock in the face of the approaching storm.

Very, very softly, Jing Lin let out a sigh.

Immediately right after, the palace ground was smashed amid a thunderous crash. Blood mixed with sweat splashed onto the back of Jing Lin’s hand, and boundless power surged through his arms. Jing Lin’s spiritual sea skyrocketed. The rust of blood on Yan Quan instantly vanished, and rays of frigid light abruptly burst forth. The gleam of his sword crashed over like raging torrents of monstrous waves amidst the booming thunders. Fearing its malevolence, the evil spirit’s sword shattered. Against the sudden anomaly in the nebula and the howls of the tempestuous sea, the power of this sword was tantamount to the force of thousands upon thousands of infantry and cavalry leveling ten thousand zhang⁴ of lands.

When Yan Quan leaves its sheath, 
All beings kneel in defeat!

The evil spirit met the blade head-on and hissed. The wind sliced all over him, sending blood splattering. He growled with pain. The sword in his palm shattered into dust and scattered into the wind. Blood spurted from Jing Lin’s cheek. He bent over slightly, gasping, all the while standing firm even as heaven and earth were being torn asunder.

Yan Quan dissipated into the air. Jing Lin took a few shaky steps forward and fixed his gaze before him.

Cang Ji had the urge to flinch under that somber gaze. But this was the first time he saw such a Jing Lin. This Jing Lin, with his eyes full of malice and his body brimming over with murderous aura, actually gave Cang Ji a strange sense of gratification.

Blood dripped between Jing Lin’s fingers. Sliding his hand down from Jing Lin’s arm to his palm, Cang Ji lifted Jing Lin’s hand to his lips and licked it clean. That blood trickled into the cavity of his chest, blooming into an expanse of tenderness so scalding that Cang Ji pulled Jing Lin towards him by his arm and wrapped him tightly in his embrace.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

罡风 a strong wind; also astral wind on which immortals may ride in Daoism. It’s also used as a simile for evil forces.

魔 devil vs. 邪魔 an evil spirit. A devil has its origin in human souls that have turned evil (Soul → Evil Spirit → Devil according to one source; for details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary). Immortals and deities may also descend into evil and turn into a devil. In this novel, I’ll use the terms devil and evil spirit interchangeably.

丈 zhang, a measure of length, ten Chinese feet (3.3m)

Chapter 56: Doubt Again

DECEMBER 30, 2019

The old emperor had been scurrying and fleeing helter-skelter amidst the wreckage when he saw the evil spirit taking a blow from the sword. The fog receded, revealing an originally skinny youth. The thunderstorm and the anomalies in Heaven and on Earth persisted, showing no sign of abating.

“His soul has absorbed ten of thousands of people, and he has devoured Shengyue. He has now been cast into the body of a Great Devil.¹ My cultivation cannot measure up to his. I’m afraid it’ll be hard to exorcise him.” Jing Lin’s fingers were pried apart. A vague warmth blanketed the spots that have been licked, making his wounds sore and ticklish.

“Look at how soft and tender he is.” Cang Ji said, “Might as well let me eat him to get this done and over with.”

Jing Lin retracted his hand and stood sideways to face the evil spirit across a distance. He said, “His original body is dead. The current body is flesh and blood reconstructed out of the Blood Sea.”

“What about it?” Cang Ji turned to look over too. “Too salty from all that steeping?”

Jing Lin was speechless. Cang Ji asked, “Guess what I just ate?”

Jing Lin said, “… What?”

Cang Ji spread out his hand and unveiled the remnants of a whip. Like a satiated lion that had stealthily gobbled up another’s provision, he looked as if he was showing off about it, showing nary a trace of shame or guilt at all.

After a moment’s pause, Jing Lin asked, “You ate Wu Ying?”

Cang Ji found nothing surprising about it. “He led a bunch of people to block my way. They all jumped into my arms one after another.”

This fat fish was truly shameless. It was evident that he had brandished Wu Ying’s whip and dragged the others towards him to devour them clean. Yet, he still looked bewildered, as if it was not his intention to consume Wu Ying, but was forced by Wu Ying to gobble them all down into his tummy.

Although Jing Lin knew that Cang Ji had the ability to consume spirits and souls, he did not expect him to devour everyone and anyone he caught. The scales that had fallen from Li Rong’s palm earlier smashed their way into his heart, piece after piece, compelling him to gaze at Cang Ji deeply.

Cang Ji asked, “Why did you run away with someone else? You even got your eyes red. Don’t tell me he dared to bully you? That fella has been staring daggers at you. What’s the relationship between you two?”

Jing Lin knitted his eyebrows and made a sudden grab at Cang Ji’s shoulder to take a closer look at his original form. Who would expect Cang Ji to make a weary half-sweep with his feet and slid along Jing Lin’s arm to make a turn and pressed his back against Jing Lin’s chest? Clasping his wrists, Cang Ji lifted Jing Lin to give him a piggyback on his back.

“You wouldn’t answer honestly, and you still want to hit out at me.” Cang Ji shook him. “How very vicious of you.”

Jing Lin nearly puked from all the jerking. He was exhausted all over as he sprawled on Cang Ji’s back like a salted fish.² He said, “The bell has been drawing us to him. We mustn’t let him get away tonight.”

Cang Ji’s backhandedly secure a luminous thread between Jing Lin’s wrists as his body flashed away from his original spot. Thunder rolled among the clouds. The spot where he had been standing earlier was smoking. The evil spirit sinisterly turned his head back among the smoke.

“Jiu-ge, have you sold yourself to a demon just to seek a life of quietude?” A mocking smile appeared on a face so fair it looked as if it had been powdered. “Oh well, this is not the first time you’ve done it. As they say, practice makes perfect. I suppose you’ve been putting all your heart and soul into studying the Way of Seduction,³huh?”

Jing Lin paid him no attention, but Cang Ji asked him. “Your granddaddy me is not ashamed to ask, but what Way⁴ is the Way of Seduction?”

The evil spirit raised his palm to strike out at him. His martial arts stance was extremely profound. Cang Ji could catch a glimpse of Jing Lin’s shadow in it. But too bad for the evil spirit, Cang Ji had been through tough times with Jing Lin these six months. He might not have eaten much, but he had learned plenty. He was making a sport out of the evil spirit at present, never allowing him to lay a hand on him as he remained out of his reach. He even threw out a few snarky comments.

“All of people, you had to learn from your Jiu-ge.” Cang Ji dodged him and caught hold of the evil spirit’s arm. He took a stride, about to take a swing at him. “Without him to whip you into shape day and night, you’d be like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi’s frown,⁵ making a laughing stock of yourself!”

The evil spirit’s arm suddenly transformed into the fog and escaped from his blow. Immediately right after, it formed back into a human arm in the fog and made a sudden grab for Jing Lin. With the tip of his foot, Jing Lin kicked Cang Ji in a secret spot at the side of his waist. Cang Ji instantly bent over, short by a few inches, causing the evil spirit to pounce at the empty air.

Cang Ji caught hold of Jing Lin’s rebellious foot and turned back to rebuke him. “Kick me again, and I’ll laugh!”

The little stone figure was the only one who knew about the ticklish spots on the sides of his waist. He did not know if Jing Lin had touched it by coincidence, or if the little stone figure had told on him. In any case, this was not really an opportune moment for Cang Ji to talk about it. Thunder rumbled overhead as lightning crackled and came striking down on them without rhyme or reason. If he got hit, he would be completing his tribulation⁶ ahead of time.

The evil spirit gripped his sword with his palm. His flurry of attacks forced Cang Ji back in a retreat. Cang Ji swung his body to dodge the blade and turned his leg around to kick the body of the blade, almost breaking it with a “crack”. With his fingers, the evil spirit weighed down on the sword body to hold it upside down as he instantly shoved it towards Cang Ji’s abdomen. Cang Ji saw the blade slicing through the wind and swinging down on him. There was a sudden heaviness on his shoulders, and Jing Lin grabbed hold of the sword with his bare hands. The body of the sword melted away as if it had sunk into the icy water. Cang Ji seized the opportunity to throw a blow at the evil spirit in the chest, beating him into a retreat with one fist. In a split second, the surrounding mist receded. The sky above howled with thunderous fury.

Not only was the evil spirit unscathed, his complexion even grew rosier during the battle. Cang Ji wanted to continue raining blows on him, but Jing Lin abruptly yanked his back shoulders and sent Cang Ji rolling sideways on the ground. An ear-splitting thunderbolt struck the ground close by, sending the debris of shattered rocks flying into Cang Ji’s arms and shoulders. Before Cang Ji could get up, Jing Lin, who was now beneath him, bent his knees to push against Cang Ji’s abdomen. The moment Cang Ji’s body tilted, Jing Lin turned over to his feet.

Under cover of striking thunderbolts the girth of pythons, Jing Lin scrawled out a talisman spell. Azure light expanded into a shield covering their backs. Thunderbolt struck. Right at the point Cang Ji received the impact of it, he saw the color drained from Jing Lin’s face. Jing Lin turned his head and choked on his blood. Cang Ji dug his thumb between Jing Lin’s teeth out of fear that Jing Lin might bite his tongue during the onslaught of thunderbolts.

The evil spirit stood amidst the thunderbolt shower. He waved his arms leisurely. On seeing tens of thousands of houses in the capital all under his feet, he could not help but say, “Back then, we fought a bloody battle stretching tens of thousands of li⁷ all for the sake of taking over this Zhongdu. But now, we have to submit to the rules of humans, reduced to having to endure the tyrannical abuse of demons. On what grounds?! There’s only a fine line between demons and devils.⁸ Since demons can exist on this land, then evil spirits and devils shouldn’t need to retreat back to the Blood Sea. Jing Lin, have you ever opened your eyes to take a good look? There is no longer any land where you need to use force. Be it Ninth Heaven or Zhongdu, they all no longer need a Lord Linsong!” He glared at Jing Lin. “Your death is a foregone conclusion, yet you are so oblivious to it. How hilarious. Back then, you died during the course of your investigation. Tonight, you will die again while investigating! You’ve muddled along once, and yet you still have not seen the light—Tell me, do you not deserve death?!”

Before he could finish his words, he saw a burst of strong wind before his eyes. With a sudden sweep of his fog, he drew his sword forward. He did not expect Cang Ji to boot him in the back. The spectacular sound of something collapsing rang out amidst the thunderous peals of thunder as the evil spirit went crashing into the debris of collapsed tiles. He straightened his back to whisk the sword. The fog was just blocking Cang Ji’s fist when there was a deafening “bang”, and the body of the sword bent over until it broke. Cang Ji promptly struck the evil spirit in the chest, sending his arm all the way through!

However, the next moment, Cang Ji smelled a rat. His arm felt as if it had sunk into a puff of cloud. Sure enough, he saw the evil spirit turning into the mist upon landing. The clothes on Cang Ji’s back immediately burst apart as he received a slash from the sword. However, the evil spirit’s sword was thwarted, unable to penetrate through Cang Ji’s flesh. The evil spirit fixed his eyes on him and saw an impressive layer of solid, dark scales peeking out from under those ripped-open clothes.

“You!” The evil spirit hissed and retreated, terrified. “It’s you!”

Cang Ji’s muscles were athletic and sturdy. Those scales swiftly fused into his skin. When the evil spirit looked again, there were no longer any traces of them. His clothes could hardly cover his body, so Cang Ji simply ripped off his tattered upper garment, revealing his bare arms as he strode towards the evil spirit. The evil spirit no longer had the desire to engage in close combat with him, so he threw himself among the thunder and transformed into a gust of fog, looking as if he was about to flee. Cang Ji sprang into the air to chase after him, but the evil spirit spiraled upwards in the azure smoke and dispersed in all directions.

Jing Lin immediately turned over a stone with his foot and sent it flying with a kick to its side. The stone hurtled through the air in swift pursuit. The smoke hissed out a human face and shrieked, “We’ll meet again another day!”

Amidst the thunderstorm, the azure smoke vanished without a trace.

Jing Lin stood in the rain and turned over his palm. Scratches decorated the back of his hand, but thanks to Cang Ji’s licks, not a single drop of blood flowed. His mind was like the deep, unfathomable sea as the evil spirit’s “it’s you” echoed in his ears. He looked at Cang Ji again. Cang Ji was standing on the collapsed eaves, his silhouette indistinct amidst the claps of thunder and lightning flashes. Sensing Jing Lin’s eyes on him, he looked back.

Jing Lin said, “… He clearly had the upper hand, but he fled without fighting.”

“Seeing as I have such an extraordinary bearing,” Cang Ji leaped off. “It only makes sense for him to flee.”

Jing Lin was still looking at the direction where the evil spirit had fled. Cang Ji bent his waist to hoist Jing Lin over his shoulder and said, “This kid is crafty. It’ll be hard to chase him. The capital is in chaos, and the men from Ninth Heaven Realm are probably already on the way. If we come across Zui Shan Seng again, we will get embroiled in another fight with him. You aren’t even steady on your feet, so let’s just drop this tonight.”

Water trickled down Jing Lin’s temples. He was beginning to feel weary. He said quietly, “Put me down.”

Cang Ji kicked away the rubble of tiles. Ignoring him, he asked, “Where is Qianyu?”

Jing Lin ignored him too. Cang Ji propped his head against Jing Lin’s waist and rubbed against it indiscriminately, wiping an entire head of rainwater onto Jing Lin. Sniffing at him, he said, “Were you both hugging together? There’s the scent of classics⁹ all over you. You wouldn’t be able to wash it off even if you soak in water for two hours.”

Jing Lin patted his cold hand on the back of Cang Ji’s neck. It was so icy that Cang Ji sucked in a breath. He rather let Jing Lin curse him than to put him down. Jing Lin was jolted around by him so much that he bumped his head several times against Cang Ji’s back, making him even dizzier.

“Qianyu is trapped underneath.” With narrowed eyes, Jing Lin watched as the water droplets dripped down the side of his temples onto the back of Cang Ji’s waist and slid down. He could not help but push himself against Cang Ji’s shoulder blades to put a distance between them.

The muscles on Cang Ji’s back rippled as he squatted down, and the sensation of his well-built, strong body hit Jing Lin in the face. That waist of his looked sculpted, with the curves of his muscles clearly, and glaringly, delineated. As he squatted, Jing Lin could see the water droplets slipped into the waistband of his pants, sinking into an unknown depth.

Jing Lin did not really want to watch, but his eyes swept past several times, clearly perplexed about the whereabouts of the water droplets. Their damp and hot bodies were pressed up against each other so closely that even the puffs of air he breathed out came into contact with Cang Ji’s sleek and clean waistline.

Cang Ji pressed one hand behind Jing Lin’s leg and lifted a heavy beam with the other. The muscles on his back instantly bulged out. Jing Lin panicked and struggled to get off. And walked right into the trap.

Cang Ji’s “okay” stalled in his mouth. He said, “My back isn’t ticklish. Feel free to touch.”

The tips of Jing Lin’s fingers and palms were all intimately sticking to those bulging muscles. In such a heavy downpour, Cang Ji was still as hot as a stove, heating him up so much that Jing Lin did not know which part of him was burning up. Even his earlier train of thoughts had all melted away.

“But you are not allowed to bite.” Cang Ji quipped. “And stop breathing on me.”

The man on his back went silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted himself. Cang Ji hurriedly pressed him back down and said, “Hahaha, just breathe.”

“Breathe, my foot.” Jing Lin said. “Qianyu is right below!”

“I’ve found him.” Cang Ji dragged Qianyu out with one arm. Seeing the pearl hairpin sliding down to his temple, he asked, “Why is he dressed like this?”

“The evil… Tao-di¹⁰ fancies beauties. Even if he sees an attractive man, he has to get him to dress up like a girl before he would be willing to accept and take him in.”

“Tao-di?” Cang Ji patted Qianyu’s cheeks and asked, “Your brother?”

Jing Lin uttered an affirmation and said, “Qianyu has fallen under evil influence. Put me down. I’ll wake him up.”

“But I don’t want to put you down.” Cang Ji sneered. “The moment you grow legs, you will run away without saying so much as a word. And you still want to get back on the ground? Just grow on my body.”

Dumbfounded, Jing Lin asked, “Why don’t you ask me to bloom you a flower as well?”

“Go ahead.” Cang Ji picked Qianyu up, showing absolutely no tenderness for the fairer party.

Qianyu choked in agony and turned over to retch.

Cang Ji took out Jing Lin’s handkerchief and handed it to Qianyu. He said, “Let’s cut the chatter. I’ll get straight to the point. Do you know Chu Lun?”

Qianyu raised his head. Wisps of hair stuck his hair to his cheek. Instead of taking the handkerchief, he wiped the corners of his lips himself and said, “Of course I do. How could I forget him? He usurped someone else’s life for his own personal gain. He’s definitely involved in Zuo-lang’s¹¹ death!”

“Chu Lun is in the dark about what happened with the Life Registry. Isn’t it a little too much to blame him?” Cang Ji paused. “Are you going to kill him too?”

Qianyu’s sneer was cold and painful. He raised his head to soak in the rain and said, “In the dark? In the dark! Do you really think he didn’t know? No! He knew it very well! He has been plotting this for a long time. He has longed to frame Zuo-lang! It isn’t his body that’s sick, but his heart! If this man doesn’t die, Zuo-lang will never rest in peace!”

Jing Lin asked, “What makes you say that?”

Qianyu pulled off the pearl hairpin, wiped his face clean, and said, “It all started three years ago.”

魔 devil vs. 邪魔 an evil spirit. A devil has its origin in human souls that have turned evil (Soul → Evil Spirit → Devil, progression chart according to one source; for details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary). Immortals and deities may also descend into evil and turn into a devil. In this novel, I’ll use the terms devil and evil spirit interchangeably.

咸鱼 literally salted fish. In Cantonese, a salted fish is a metaphor for a corpse. In net lingo, it refers to people who don’t want to move or do anything at all.

色侍(一道) From 以色侍人 or 以色事人 which refers to using one’s own beauty to win the adoration and favors of men

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

东施效颦 Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi’s frown. It’s a fable about an ugly woman trying to imitate the famous beauty, Xi Shi, by knitting her brows but ended up getting the opposite effect. Also, an idiom which refers to someone mimicking another’s idiosyncrasies but ended up making a fool of himself.

渡劫 Tribulations; a Daoism term for heavenly trials that cultivators have to transcend in order to progress through certain stages of their cultivation and before they finally ascend to Heaven as an immortal. These are usually a series of lightning strikes aimed at the cultivator who needs to survive it to “pass” their tribulation and progress to the next stage and/or ascend.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m.

Demons (妖) have their origins in plants, animals, or objects.
Devils (魔) and evil spirits (邪魔) have their origins in human souls that have turned evil, demonic cultivators, or fallen deities.
For details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary).

经(香) could refer to literary classics or scriptures , i.e. books and scrolls. Books and scrolls in the old days were written in brush and ink. Thus, the scent is similar to brush (and ink), except it also has the smell of paper (or bamboo for scrolls) too. Refer to this image for an example of the inside written in ink.

陶弟 Younger brother Tao

郎 Lang, young man; a form of address. Also used as a term by a woman (or a man in this case) to address a lover or husband.

Chapter 57: Rainy Night

JANUARY 2, 2020

“In the ninth year of Tianjia, Chu Lun headed for the capital to take the imperial examination. It was the second time he failed to make it to the list of successful scholars, so his return journey was mainly to distract himself. Instead of taking the Xijiang waterway route, he took a horse carriage south. He left the capital with empty pockets. Zuo-lang gave him some traveling expenses and even helped to bribe the relay stations along the way to ease his journey. There was initially nothing out of the ordinary that year, but after turning it over in my mind later, it was that particular year Chu Lun got to know Liu Chengde.”

Qianyu leaned against the side of the coffin and sprawled over to gaze at Zuo Qingzhou. He had hidden Zuo Qingzhou’s body under Huashang’s inn, preserving it with ice and incense. Zuo Qingzhou’s collections of books were piled up all around them.

“How do you know it happened that year?” Cang Ji put on the new clothes Xiyan had brought him. As he secured his waist sash, he cast a sidelong look and saw Jing Lin dozing with his head propped up in his hand. Except that he was not really dozing.

“I checked the Inspector-General’s travel logs. In the ninth year of Tianjia, Liu Chengde went on an inspection tour to the south. It wasn’t just his route that coincided with Chu Lun’s; his timing coincided too. Both of them made each other acquaintances in the south. It was also after this trip that Chu Lun repeatedly mentioned in his letters how Liu Chengde could be trusted.” Qianyu said softly, “The situation was critical at that time, as people in the capital were already beginning to suspect Zuo-lang. Liu Chengde’s appearance was too timely. He appeared at a time when Zuo-lang was in urgent need of help. Through Chu Lun, he met Zuo-lang and told him that the difficulty in the case was not with the traffickers, but with the imperial court. Because of this first encounter, Zuo-lang came to believe that Liu Chengde was a man of integrity, and so he formally acknowledged Liu Chengde as his teacher. Using the name of teacher and student made it convenient for them to act.”

“Since he could fool Zuo Qingzhou, then it wouldn’t be surprising for him to fool Chu Lun too.” Cang Ji sat down and asked, “What happened later?”

“It was the tenth year of Tianjia. With the help of his father and elder brother, Zuo-lang presented a memorial to the emperor to impeach the Imperial Censure on inspection for his incompetent supervision and for turning a blind eye to the rampant trafficking taking place in the various lands. Back then, the emperor would still hold court sessions. When he heard about this incident, he summoned all the local government offices implicated in the case to head for the capital to make their reports. However, everyone he met insisted that there was no such incident. As a result, the Zuo clan’s reputation took a beating, and they were denounced.” Qianyu said, “Zuo-lang is prudent by nature. He would never act rashly unless he has concrete evidence. At that time, Liu Chengde was backing him in secret, and Zuo-lang was filled with even more gratitude to him. But it was also at this time that Liu Chengde persuaded Zuo-lang to cut off communication with Chu Lun temporarily. He ended up being the one to relay all the future information Zuo-lang and Chu Lun had.”

“Bridge.” Jing Lin abruptly opened his eyes and piped up.

“Bridge?” Cang Ji thought about it and recalled their conversation in the copper bell’s illusory realm. Jing Lin had once guessed that Zuo Qingzhou and Chu Lun had remained in contact with each other after the tenth year of Tianjia. Only that they no longer relied on letters, but some other communication channel. Who would expect it to be Liu Chengde?

“Why didn’t I think of it?” Jing Lin frowned and pinched the middle of his eyebrows with his fingers. “As the Inspector-General Vice-Censor-in-Chief, Liu Chengde would be able to enter and exit the capital freely by using his duties as an excuse. Both of them trust him deeply. The one with the ability to pass on the messages could only be him.”

“That’s right. It could only be him.” Qianyu said, “All the information in the eleventh year of Tianjia was passed on by Liu Chengde. The situation became more and more tense. There were already people in the imperial court targeting Zuo-lang. The Zuo Clan found themselves in an even more precarious position in the capital. The case pressed on ahead at full steam. The standoff lasted only a few months. Acting under orders, Liu Chengde headed for Dongxiang on an inspection tour. Once again, he met up with Chu Lun. But this time, he did one thing.”

“Which is?”

Qianyu propped himself up and went over to the table to pour a cup of tea. Picking it up, he raised it towards Jing Lin and said, “Liu Chengde gave Chu Lun a brush.”

Jing Lin’s heart sank, but his expression remained unchanged as he repeated. “A brush?”

“It was that demon who brought about the change.” Qianyu raised his head and gulped down the tea. “Although I’ve never probed into Chu Lun’s fate in the Life Registry, I’ve a very clear idea of Zuo-lang’s. According to the Life Registry, Zuo-lang would be conferred the title of the Top Scholar in the twelfth year. In the seventeenth year, the emperor would pass away suddenly, and Zuo-lang would get to the bottom of these cases in the third year of the new emperor’s accession to the throne. No one in the various lands among Zhongdu would escape! Dongxiang, Xitu, Qunbei and Nanxia—every single official involved in the case, major or minor, would all stand before the Highest Judiciary. The imperial court would be purged, and all the injustices of the old cases would be redressed. Because of this case, Zuo-lang would reach the peak of his career in the central administration. He would be open and above board for life! Chu Lun is not involved in this whole thing, nor should he be involved. But at the most crucial juncture, Liu Chengde gave Chu Lun that brush.” Hatred filled Qianyu’s eyes. “That brush tampered with the Life Registry and messed up a mortal’s fate. As a result, Zuo-lang was unjustly framed and thrown into prison. He had to suffer all kinds of tortures in there!”

“That brush.” An even bigger guess vaguely took hold in Jing Lin’s mind. Once again, it overturned the conjecture Jing Lin had been confident of thus far and threw it all into disarray like the seeds on sesame balls.¹ He frowned and asked, “How did you know that that brush has the ability to tamper with the Life Registry?”

“I didn’t.” Qianyu supported himself on the table and leaned in, his foxy eyes vicious. “If I knew, I would definitely kill Liu Chengde first, then break that brush. It was precisely because I didn’t know that I let him fall into Chu Lun’s hands. It was later when I went to the Underworld again that I discovered the Life Registry had been touched and changed beyond recognition. The only one in this whole world who could have such a brush with this kind of special ability is the Sage Yining! But it’s really strange! Is the Sage Yining totally in the dark about this? He was the one who cast this brush away into Zhongdu—Don’t tell me the deities in Ninth Heaven Realms have fallen so low that they now interfere with human affairs and abet evildoers?!”

Jing Lin said, “Yining is an upright person. There are perhaps some other complications in this matter.”

“I don’t believe it.” Qianyu enunciated each word, “I don’t trust every single deity and demon in this world. I only believe my eyes. If they are all involved in this case, then even if it’s the Sage Yining, or Divine Lord Jiutian, I will sort them out one by one and make them pay with their lives to avenge Zuo-lang.”

Jing Lin’s fingers half-covered his narrow eyes as he stared at Qianyu and said, “If you had that kind of capability, Zuo Qingzhou wouldn’t have died in prison.”

Qianyu’s lips reddened. His breathing quickened, and his fingers tightened into fists.

“You formed illicit ties with a mortal, and indiscriminately killed the living. If you get hunted down and captured by Zhuihun Prison or the Demarcation Division, you’ll be sent to reincarnate through the Path of the Beasts.²  If they add a few more strokes to your fate in the Life Registry, then it would be hard for you to preserve your life even if you were to be a beast, let alone a demon.” Jing Lin closed his eyes wearily. After a while, he continued, “Do you know why am I here?”

Qianyu averted his head and said in a hoarse voice, “I heard it’s because of a bell.”

“That’s just an excuse.” Jing Lin said, “I’m here because of Zuo Qingzhou.”

Qianyu immediately retreated and stammered, “You, you…”

Jing Lin’s eyes were cold and cheerless when he opened them again. He said, “Truth be told, both of us have been entrusted with a task. Zuo Qingzhou has entrusted me with only three words. If you can remain calm, I’ll tell you.” Qianyu looked at Jing Lin, but Jing Lin flipped over his teacup and turned the conversation around. “But you can’t follow us to persist in your investigation.”

“I won’t give…”

“How long can you put Zuo Qingzhou’s body here for? A month? A year? He is already dead, through and through. “Jing Lin said callously, “He will rot and disappear before your eyes. You won’t even have a chance to summon his soul back to his body.”

“What has this got to do with you?! I have my ways.”

“It has nothing to do with me.” Jing Lin said, “But it has something to do with what Zuo Qingzhou has entrusted me with.”

“You are lying to me.” Qianyu glared at him. “Zuo-lang and I are inseparable. He will not entrust a task to someone else without telling me.”

“Just like you thought nothing would go wrong with the Life Registry.” Jing Lin said.

Shaken and uncertain, Qianyu said, “If you truly want to help me, then why won’t you let me investigate?!”

“I’m not doing this to help you.” Jing Lin said, “This mortal body of Zuo Qingzhou is already useless. Your most urgent task on hand isn’t in this place. Even if I allowed you to investigate, you can’t go any further. As a fox demon, you have already overstepped your boundaries. And now you’re also investigating this matter. Not unless you are like Huashang with extra lives to spare. But your fox tail is already broken, and you will only end up hindering my investigation. I’ll point you a way out as Zuo Qingzhou asked of me. Bury this corpse. Go to the Underworld and wait for a person at the entrance of Li Jin.”

“Who?”

Jing Lin replied with a shadow of a smile. “Who you would wait for this life.”

Qianyu suddenly widened his eyes. He grabbed Jing Lin’s sleeve and said in an urgent voice, “The Ghost Guards took his soul. By the time I chased my way to the Underworld, I had already missed the time. Don’t tell me he has yet to be reincarnated?”

“Who knows?” Jing Lin pulled his sleeve out of his hand and said, “The Ghost Guards have always been fond of loafing on the job. Just wait. Perhaps so.”

“If you lie to me,” Qianyu said. “You…”

Jing Lin suddenly put on a severe countenance and said, “The souls passing through Li Jin are aplenty. If not ten thousand, there would still be around eight thousand. You have to search for him, and identify him, a soul at a time. But if you miss even this chance, then you will truly never meet him again.”

Qianyu looked dazed. Jing Lin rose to his feet and said, “Zuo Qingzhou only entrusted me with three words.”

Qianyu said, “… Tell me.”

Jing Lin said, “Can’t let go.”

Qianyu’s eyes suddenly reddened. He turned his head to gaze towards the coffin with a lump in his throat, more or less already believing Jing Lin’s words.

♦     ♦     ♦

When they came out, Cang Ji bumped into Jing Lin and pressed his chest against half of Jing Lin’s shoulder. He whispered, “Didn’t you say Zuo Qingzhou was long gone?”

“Yes.” Jing Lin said, “That’s right.”

Cang Ji looked at his composed expression and let out an “ooh”, then said, “You tricked him, huh?”

“Yeah.” Jing Lin said.

“Whatever for?” Cang Ji said, “If he can’t find him, wouldn’t that hurt much more than not looking for him in the first place?”

“Didn’t you say,” Jing Lin raised his head. “not to let him forget Zuo Qingzhou? If that’s the case, then let him remember him to his death.”

“That’s not right.” Cang Ji took advantage of his own height to block Jing Lin’s way. He said, “You saw that this case has been traced to the Sage Yining. You fear that too many people would be implicated in the ensuing investigation, and he would end up getting silenced. So, this case really concerns those from the Ninth Heaven Realm?”

With some difficulty, Jing Lin moved the corners of his lips. Seeing that the rain had no intention of abating, he stood beside Cang Ji under the eaves. After a moment of pondering, he said, “In the brothel, Liu Chengde set forth a door guardian deity to obstruct you, is that right?”

“The horsewhip deity.” Cang Ji said. “Tastes like paper.”

Jing Lin looked at him, driven beyond the limits of his forbearance. He asked, “You ate him?”

Cang Ji got a bad feeling about it, and so he deliberated over his answer. “… I ate him midway, then spat him out.”

“That was indeed paper.” Jing Lin thought about it. Then, without batting an eyelid, he patted Cang Ji on the back of his shoulder in silent comfort.

Cang Ji’s face turned ashen as he blurted out, “Paper?!”

“That’s the art of drawing deities.” Jing Lin said and raised his hand to illustrate it in mid-air for Cang Ji. “Pour spiritual energy into brush and ink, and the drawing will come to life. Most of the powerful people from the Ninth Heaven Realm can draw objects without paper. Zui Shan Seng can’t do it, but Dong Jun can.”

Azure light swam along with Jing Lin’s fingertip and suddenly turned into a fat carp amidst the curtain of rain. The carp leaped into the rain with a “plop” and swam in mid-air for a moment before it transformed back into green light and dispersed.

“In other words.” Cang Ji leaned against the pillar and looked at Jing Lin with lowered eyes. “Only the divine lords can draw objects without paper. But that horsewhip deity that day was on paper.”³

“That’s where the mystery lies.” Jing Lin said, “Even though it was just a painted object, not everyone can paint it in such intricate details. There aren’t many people in Ninth Heaven who have such drawing skills.”

“Since that evil spirit is your brother, couldn’t he have drawn it?”

“Tao-di has been willful and mischievous since young.” Jing Lin paused, then said to Cang Ji, “Other than being pretty good in drawing old tortoises,⁴ everything else he drew would all turn from cats to rats and wolves to rabbits. Even if he were to live for another five hundred years, he would not necessarily be able to draw a door guardian deity with details so meticulous that every single line and pattern on the armor was fully rendered.”

Cang Ji gazed at the rain and said, “As expected, this is going to implicate the Ninth Heaven Realm.”

“Not only that. We know much more than that.”

“Such as?”

Jing Lin wiped away the raindrops splashed on the back of his hand and said, “As far as I know, there is only one person who can draw to such an extent.”

Cang Ji asked, “The Sage Yining?”

Instead of answering, Jing Lin said, “I haven’t seen Zui Shan Seng for several days. I kind of miss him.”

“Do you miss Zui Shan Seng or his integrity?” Inexplicably enough, Cang Ji laughed. “Looks like even our Jing Lin will be proven blinded for once.”

Jing Lin folded his arms and said, “I don’t know him that well to begin with.”

Cang Ji parroted him. “Who was the one who swore ‘I don’t believe Le Yan, but I trust Yining’? Not a single one of your old acquaintances is reliable.” He patted his own sturdy arm to show his magnanimity and willingness to let bygones be bygones.

Jing Lin kicked him in the calf, and Cang Ji retreated to dodge him. Jing Lin advanced a step and managed to get his kick in. But Cang Ji reached out to pull Jing Lin’s upper body into the crooks of his arms. Covering their heads with his wide-sleeves clothes, Cang Ji led Jing Lin out into the rain.

After taking a few steps, Jing Lin said, “… I have an umbrella.”

Cang Ji gazed at the night rain and said to Jing Lin, “It’s just a few steps away.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “This is how it looks to have ‘our scents entwined’.⁵ You have me in you, and I have you in me. Get rid of the fox’s scent of classics on you without delay. My scent is the best.”

Jing Lin jabbed the umbrella into the middle of Cang Ji’s waist. Then, with a “thud”, he unfurled that plain, paper umbrella.⁶

麻团 Sesame Balls, a fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour and coated with sesame seeds.

畜生道 Path of the Beasts. The Six Paths or Realms of Reincarnation is a cycle of death and rebirth in Buddhism, where a person is reincarnated into one of the six realms depending on their accumulated karma from their past life. They are the Path/Realms of: (Bad) Hell (Underworld), Hungry Ghosts, Beasts and (Good) Asura, Humans, Heaven.

To recap, a door guardian deity is door god or divine guardians whose main duties were to protect a building, threshold, or household against evil influences or to encourage the entrance of positive ones. Stickers or papers of these deities are usually pasted on doors to signify their protection.

Drawing pictures of tortoises, mostly to stick on others’ backs. Lianyin always did this as a kid. (●‘ω｀●)ゞ

He uses the word ‘气味相投’ here which is actually an idiom for being two of a kind, or kindred spirits, but literally translated, it also means scents (气味) on each other (相投), i.e., his scent is on Jing Lin, and Jing Lin’s scent is on him. Cang Ji not only means they are kindred spirits but that it’s by being this close together, with Jing Lin in his arms, that it will seem as if they belong to one another (marked with each other scents).

May come in different colors

Chapter 58: Old Ailment

JANUARY 5, 2020

The rain had almost stopped by the time they arrived before the building. As Jing Lin kept away the umbrella, Cang Ji raised his head to survey the wind still howling among the clouds. He said, “Who will they send from the Ninth Heaven Realm? If it’s Zui Shan Seng, we should be seeing him by now.”

“Wu Ying was able to take charge of an area even before being conferred a title. There must have been someone eminent in the Ninth Heaven Realm showering favors on him.” Jing Lin gently tapped the water off the umbrella and said, “This is no small matter. Even if the one who comes isn’t Zui Shan Seng, you and I will still have a hard time.”

The two of them ascended the stairs and saw the rain-soaked lanterns at the head of the stairs dripping with water. Jing Lin went around the railings, turned, and arrived at Chu Lun’s door with Cang Ji right behind him.

“There’s no one.” Cang Ji wiped a finger on the lock and pushed the door open. “The scent of the brush has long dissipated. That little demon was prepared for this.”

The decor in the room remained unchanged. Jing Lin placed his hand on the body of the teapot on the table and said, “It’s still warm. They haven’t left for long. We can still catch up.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Le Yan held his breath as he watched with rapt attention. He waited for a moment. Once he was convinced that Jing Lin and Cang Ji had left, he rolled out from under the bed and dragged Chu Lun out.

“Shenzhi? Shenzhi! “Le Yan pushed Chu Lun, “Are you alright? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Chu Lun was still feverish. He said vaguely, “There’s no need to be alarmed.”

“How did you become like this all of a sudden?” Le Yan pressed his forehead. “You were still fine before sleeping.”

Chu Lun felt cold one moment and hot the next moment. He did not look too good. His legs were so weak as he lay back on the bedding that it was hard for him to move. Le Yan picked up his legs to place them on the bed and hastily covered him with a quilt. He said, visibly distressed, “You’ve been falling ill ever since you’ve entered the capital. Even if you were made of iron, you wouldn’t be able to withstand it.”

Chu Lun placed his hand on the back of Le Yan’s hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. In the future, I’ll get a stipend every month. There is no longer a need to fret over the lack of money for medicine.”

Le Yan said, “The commotion in the imperial city is pretty serious this time. If anything were to happen to the emperor, what would happen to you?”

“The Hanlin Imperial Academy has already nominated me. There is no mistake about it.” Struggling to turn over to face Le Yan, Chu Lun said, “Wait another two years. Once I take office, we will be able to have our own courtyard. You can do whatever you wish in it every day. You won’t have to worry about the way others look at you.”

Le Yan perked up with joy, only to wilt again in dejection. Lowering his head to their holding hands, he said, “But I feel uneasy. I keep having a bad feeling.”

Chu Lun gently brushed aside Le Yan’s hair with his fingertips and said, “You are clearly doing this all for my change of fate, and yet you torment yourself day and night.”

“Your worries are mine too.” Le Yan said, “… It’s just that I’m still afraid. The Demarcation Division is guarding over the lands of Zhongdu. I’m worried that they will find out about our ties sooner or later.”

Chu Lun said, “No matter what, you and I will always be together.”

Le Yan merely nodded his head, still on tenterhooks.

Right then, they heard a stone falling off the roof. It let out a string of intermittent sounds as it tumbled and eventually dissolved into a laugh.

Cang Ji knocked on the door and asked, “Everyone should be in now, huh?”

The color drained from Le Yan’s face. He turned his head back to see Jing Lin standing by the door. All at once, he rose to his feet and asked, “My Lord, why do you keep pestering us?!”

“Who’s pestering you?” Cang Ji picked up the pot to pour himself some tea and said, “You are the ones who went around in circles to mislead others. You’ve worn Jing Lin and me out by making us run all over the place.”

“I…” Le Yan propped himself up on the edge of the bed and said, “I’ve already told you the truth…”

“That’s debatable.” Jing Lin said coldly.

Gritting his teeth, Le Yan glared at them with tears in his eyes and said, “Zuo Qingzhou is already dead! There is no way to turn this around. Even if My Lord investigates further, you won’t be able to save him!”

Jing Lin set the umbrella aside and said, “So?”

Le Yan shielded Chu Yu. His tears finally flowed as he pleaded. “So, I beseech you to please have mercy on us!”

Jing Lin fell silent and did not answer. He watched until Le Yan’s eyes reddened from crying. Chu Lun coughed incessantly. Compared to the first time they met, Chu Lun was now sick to the bone. If It weren’t for Le Yan changing his fate, he would have already been buried a long time ago.

But Cang Ji tossed the teacup aside and sat on the table to look at Le Yan from a distance away. He said, “Have mercy on you? You got to save your sweetheart, but you made that fox suffer a pain worse than death.”

“Life and death in the Registry of Human Life are all accounted for. Save one, and another will die. I had no other alternative but to make such an unwise move. But I have never plotted to take Zuo Qingzhou’s life.” Le Yan said. “I’m willing to pay with my life for his.”

“He has already gone cold.” Cang Ji said lightly. “Isn’t it a little too late for you to talk about paying with your life now?”

“This happened all because of me.” Chu Lun propped himself up with some difficulty. “If we have to atone for it with a life, then it should be mine… Please…”

Jing Lin raised a finger, abruptly cutting off Chu Lun’s voice. On seeing him making a move, Le Yan could not help but stumble backward in a retreat as he looked at him nervously. Jing Lin did not approach them but remained standing where he was. It was only when both of them had calmed down that he said, “Cut the small talk.”

“Let me ask you.” Jing Lin’s gaze was penetrating. “How did you die?”

Chu Lun felt the temperature in the room dropped. He could not help shivering. The barely discernible sound of the rain beyond the window sounded far away. There was nothing around them except Jing Lin’s emotionless question. Chu Lun lowered his eyes to look at the bluish-green patch of skin at the back of his hand. After a moment’s pause, he spoke.

“In the twelfth year of Tianjia.” He said gloomily. “Autumn.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Chu Lun did not die alone on a small boat, as Le Yan had said. On the contrary, according to his records in the Life Registry, he was originally supposed to emerge as the tanhua¹ in the imperial examination in the twelfth year and enter Hanlin together with Zuo Qingzhou. During the imperial banquet in Autumn, he would incur the emperor’s wrath by boldly admonishing him. Then, taken into custody and imprisoned, his old ailment would flare, and he would pass away within a few days.

“Le Yan couldn’t bear for this to happen, so he took up his brush to change my fate.” Chu Lun looked askance. “Only that, neither of us expected the person who ended up paying with his life for mine to be Xijing.”

“You never expected it.” Jing Lin did not mince his words. “Or did you already come to a tacit understanding?”

Chu Lun coughed as Le Yan held him. He wiped the blood with his handkerchief and said to Jing Lin, “Xijing and I might be far away from each other, but we are as close as real brothers. We have neither old grudges nor unhappiness between us. Why would I do him harm?”

Jing Lin took no notice of his words and merely waited for him to continue.

Chu Lun rested for a moment, then continued, “If I had known it could come to this today, I would not have let Le Yan rush all over the place for me.” His eyes reddened. “I really deserve death for causing Xijing harm.”

“Le Yan is the Sage Yining’s brush. How could he have fallen into your hands?” Jing Lin asked.

Chu Lun’s eyes met Jing Lin’s gaze. He covered his mouth and said slowly, “… Several years back, His Excellency Liu gifted me a brush when he saw that I was so poor I had to use my brush repeatedly until it was just a bald stick. That brush was Le Yan.”

Jing Lin nodded his head as if in understanding and asked again, “Are you on good terms with Liu Chengde?”

“His Excellency Liu is a man of high moral standing. Although he is a member of the imperial court, he would rather break than bend.” Chu Lun said, “Xijing and I joined forces to investigate the case, but it was only through the help of His Excellency Liu that our investigations could continue until now.”

“There’s something I don’t understand.” Jing Lin suddenly changed the topic. “You are but a mere mortal. How did you get to know about your fate in the Life Registry?”

Chu Lun paused for a moment. He was about to speak, but his words stalled in his mouth when he saw Jing Lin’s deep and unfathomable gaze on him. He coughed a few more times, his expression chilling a few degrees.

“… His Excellency Liu told me during a chat when he got drunk after drinking.”

“You even believed the nonsense he spouted in his drunken state.” Cang Ji rapped against the rim of the cup to amuse himself. “Both of you are even closer than we thought.”

Although Chu Lun was the one who made the recommendation, the one who acknowledged Liu Chengde as his teacher was Zuo Qingzhou. The camaraderie between teachers and students could hardly be compared to that acquaintances. So, by all logic, this made no sense at all.

“Liu Chengde told you about your fate and even gifted you a brush demon.” Cang Ji stretched out his legs and said, “Your relationship isn’t just good; you are simply ‘as close as real brothers’. If there’s genuinely a sage like him, even I would want to make his acquaintance.”

Chu Lun said, “There is nothing like the mutual appreciation of talents.”

“He didn’t mention Zuo Qingzhou’s fate when he mentioned yours?”

Chu Lun forced a smile. “No.”

“You’re lying.” Jing Lin’s words killed the coughs that were about to leave Chu Lun’s throat. He said, “Not only did you know your fate, but you knew Zou Qingzhou’s too. You know everything, so why hide it?”

Chu Lun kept his voice under control. “Both of you look menacing, and I don’t know if you are one of the good or bad guys. So I didn’t dare to answer rashly.”

“You are indeed cautious.” Jing Lin said, “Your answers are all watertight.”

When he learned that Zuo Qingzhou had died – persecuted and wronged – in prison, his eyes had swum with tears when he spoke about him. Yet, he had returned to normal after the topic moved on. What was his relationship with Zuo Qingzhou? He was the one who said that they were as close as brothers. If a brother had died, the average man would not have the ability to cooperate to the point it suited his purposes. His answers were as smooth as flowing water. Although he did not look as if he was defending himself, his words absolved him completely. Even if Jing Lin abruptly changed the subject, he could still give a calm, cautious, and fitting answer.

“The Divine Lord has limitless power, so why put us in a difficult spot?” Chu Lun’s cough intensified. Amid Le Yan’s comforting pats, he looked at Jing Lin and said with sorrow, “I’ve barely escaped death, but I’m still an invalid. There is no way I can and dare to fool the Divine Lord.”

“You have yet to realize your ambitions because of ‘illness’. ‘Illness’ was originally meant to be the end of you.” Jing Lin said, “But from the moment Le Yan usurped the life of another, your ‘illness’ was already cured. Because of this, you got a new lease of life. Since you lived, why pretend to be an invalid again?”

Sweat had soaked through Chu Lun’s temples, and he looked despondent. But on hearing this, he was so furious that he wanted to rise. Le Yan held him, not understanding Jing Lin’s words.

Jing Lin continued, “A serious illness that’s cured immediately will arouse suspicions. The way things stand now, you might as well go all the way out. Since you can’t die, why not find ways and means to use illness as your cover? The reason Liu Chengde was afraid of Zuo Qingzhou, but not you, was because you were critically ill. He had no more fear of an attack from the rear after seeing your life sustained with pots of medical decoctions. And so you could execute your plans without a hitch. But how was he to know that it’s no longer your body that’s sick, but your heart?”

“Give a dog a bad name, then hang him.”² Chu Lun coughed out blood, staining his lips red. He pulled out his handkerchief to press against his lips and stared at Jing Lin. “Just because I lived, the Divine Lord must pin the blame on me?”

“I was merely making a guess.” Jing Lin took the tea from Cang Ji’s hand and sipped it to moisten his throat. “And you already find yourself guilty?”

“Xijing’s death has enraged both humans and deities, but that was definitely not at my behest. I have never plotted to harm a man or even an animal!”

“Of course, you didn’t.” Jing Lin touched the lingering warmth on the cup and said, “I’ve only ever held a sword. It’s only today that I realized that men who wield brushes are even more remarkable.”

“My Lord, what are you trying to say?” Le Yan’s nose reddened as he murmured. “Shenzhi has always been by my side. He has never harmed anyone… even his change of fate was something I did out of willfulness…”

“Because it was you who killed him.” Jing Lin cast him a sidelong glance. “It was Liu Chengde. The emperor. The mysterious mastermind. Everyone except him. He only found out about it by chance. He had no intention of instigating anything.

“I’ve never.” Chu Lun clenched his handkerchief. He was almost gnashing his teeth. “I didn’t!”

“Then it has nothing to do with me.” Jing Lin set down his teacup and got down to business. “I just want to know who was the one who told you about your fate?”

Cang Ji sat up straight and asked with curiosity, “Wasn’t it Liu Chengde?”

“Liu Chengde is merely the tip of the iceberg. Sooner or later, he will end up as a sacrificial chess piece. What he knows is perhaps not even as much as what His Excellency Chu knows.” With that, Jing Lin tapped the table with a fingertip and questioned with an expressionless face. “Then, may I be so bold as to ask His Excellency Chu, who revealed your fate to you?”

探花 tanhua, the candidate who came third in the Hanlin examination

欲加之罪，何患无辞 If you want to condemn someone, you can easily make up a charge to accuse them. The English proverb equivalent is “give a dog a bad name, then hang him”

Chapter 59: Shuang Xue (Frost & Snow)

JANUARY 8, 2020

The window welcomed in the first light of the morning sun, its first ray of brilliance. The seats in the room were all taken. Jing Lin’s wrist bone peeked out of his white sleeves, giving him an edge of hardness despite his thinness. Chu Lun’s head was lowered, with the sides of his face concealed among the handkerchief he was using to wipe his blood. Even his expression had turned dark. He shifted his gaze towards Le Yan and saw the brush demon sobbing lightly as he gazed back at him. He wanted to open his mouth, but it was as if a ball of unmeltable snow had been stuffed into it, rendering him inarticulate and unable to justify himself.

“I don’t understand all that my Lord has said.” Le Yan murmured, “When I met Shenzhi, he was a mortal. The affairs of mortals have always been inconceivable and unpredictable. So, how could you blame Shenzhi just because of this coincidence? If he were capable of this, there would be no need for him to be tortured by the suffering of ‘illness’.”

“The only one who can blame him, Zuo Qingzhou, has already lost his life. There is no longer anyone in this world who can speak of ‘blame’ to him.” Cang Ji said, “We are merely just asking him some questions. Why does he have to beat around the bush?”

“It is only natural that Shenzhi is unable to answer what’s sheer fiction!” Le Yan suddenly spread his arms apart to block Jing Lin’s line of sight and cried, “Why aren’t you leaving already?!”

“The wind is lovely here.” Cang Ji crossed his legs and said leisurely, “Even if you cry until this building collapses, I still won’t budge.”

His carefree manner infuriated Le Yan so much that he went red in the face. Vexed and furious, all he would do was to shield Chu Lun so that Jing Lin and Cang Ji could not set their gaze upon him.

Jing Lin’s fingertips paused a fraction. He threw Chu Lun a sudden question. “Look at how he protects you every way he can. Aren’t you the slightest bit moved to reciprocate and protect him in return?”

The sound of Chu Lun’s coughing intensified. He said, “If the Divine Lord had not kept pushing us into a corner, we would not have to throw ourselves at your mercy.”

“If you think this is pushing you into a corner, then your suffering tomorrow will be a tempestuous struggle.” Jing Lin said, “Destiny isn’t something he can change with just a mere wave of his brush. He robbed another man of his life for selfish reasons. How would the Demarcation Division let him get away? If both of you were to shoulder all the misery, then that loose-lipped man would be able to reap the spoils of victory without lifting a finger. You sew a trousseau for another,¹ but have you ever taken pity on the heartfelt devotion this brush has shown you?”

Chu Lun retorted, “What does the calamity brought about by the deities and devils have to do with us?! Since you want to probe, why don’t you start with the Ninth Heaven above?!”

The words had only left his mouth when he saw a hint of a smile flashed across Jing Lin’s lips.

“If it was possible to get to the bottom of the matter from Ninth Heaven,” Jing Lin mocked. “Then why would he take the roundabout route to come to you?”

Chu Lun stalled for a long time, then looked towards Le Yan. His mind went through a rollercoaster of thoughts before his tongue loosened. He said, “The one who revealed this to me was…”

The morning light suddenly distorted, and they heard a faint “clang” in the air. Cang Ji’s scales abruptly enveloped his arms, and his acute sense of smell kicked in. He burst up from his chair and pounced on Jing Lin, sending them rolling onto the ground. Upon landing, Jing Lin took his time to draw a talisman with a hand and smacked it towards Le Yan and Chu Lun. Azure light materialized and cocooned them within. The roof collapsed with a “BANG”. The instant the wood broke and the tiles shattered, Cang Ji heard that clanging sound break through the wind as it came charging at him.

They took their time coming, yet they moved fast when it came to hunting them down!

Le Yan covered his ears and groaned in pain, unable to bear the sound of it tearing and piercing through the air. Chu Lun placed his hands over Le Yan’s to cover his ears too, but Le Yan was in so much pain that blood trickled out of his ears.

Strong wind poured through the hole in the already damaged roof. Cang Ji saw a long arrow cast out of ice and bearing a surging, chilly aura shooting right towards his face. He shifted his spiritual energy, intending to grab the arrow with his bare hands.

Jing Lin raised his voice. “Don’t!”

However, the long arrow was already right before Cang Ji’s eyes. Cang Ji grasped hold of the arrow to stop it. As he heard Jing Lin’s voice, he saw the body of the long arrow crack and explode apart. An icy blade came right in his face, sharp and threatening. The side of Cang Ji’s cheek slashed open. A blizzard followed right after in an assault. The cold ice between his fingers rose rapidly. Cang Ji’s arm sank, frozen in place by the ice. The next moment, the ice suddenly receded, dragging Cang Ji along as he smashed through the wall and sank into the heavy snow!

Being midsummer now, it was initially unbearably sweltering. But now, the houses in the entire capital were blanketed with white snow, and its lands, frozen in ice.

Who was the one who came? Had Cang Ji ever exchanged blows with such a man before?! He looked up and found the man standing in midair exceptionally familiar.

“When Shuang Xue Arrow and Po Zheng Spear joins, there will be no escape among the Three Realms in Heaven and Earth.” Jing Lin’s voice grew hoarse. “So, he’s the one they sent.”

The white robe of the man among the snow fluttered in the wind. His black hair hung down his back and scattered amidst the frost. There was nothing masking his face. That white ribbon that had initially covered his eyes was now wrapped around his wrist. He revealed a pair of sharp, hypnotizing eagle eyes. He was Hui An, with whom they had parted ways in Xitu.

“I’ve never thought we would meet here again after we parted ways in winter. This little buddy has grown in stature. I expect the food along the way has been wonderful, and you’ve eaten your fill.” Hui An smiled. “Now that you’ve made something of yourself, why not do good for the people instead of being reduced to the likes of demons and devils to bring calamity upon the human world?”

Cang Ji’s arms were frozen solid. Unable to break away from it, he could only contend with Hui An. He said, “A scholar who has been away three days must be looked upon in a different light.² Is the man before me now the same as the person-in-charge of Xitu whom I’ve seen the last time?”

“Of course.” One had the sense of being bathed in a spring breeze when Hui An spoke. He said, “I’ve been ordered to stand guard over Xitu. A person-in-charge has no use for malicious aura, so I have concealed and restrained this bow in Ninth Heaven Realm and handed it over to Zui Shan Seng to control it on my behalf. But lately, the Realm has been besieged by too many trivial matters. I heard that there’s an evil spirit in the capital that has brought about anomalies in Heaven and Earth. Zhuihun Prison could not spare an extra hand for the time being, so they could only send an untalented person like me to come and take a look. I can tell that this little buddy’s cultivation is already developed. I hope you will go easy on me if you wish to spar and swap pointers.”

Cang Ji raised both arms and said, “I’m now unarmed and defenseless enough for you to take down as you wish. But permit me to ask of you, what does the turmoil in the capital caused by an evil spirit have to do with me?

“It didn’t at first.” Hui An sighed, “But it was already decided that Wu Ying would take over a side in the near future. Although he had yet to be conferred a title, he was already registered in the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods. You devoured his spiritual sea, crushed his original form with your teeth, and tore apart his soul to gobble it all into your belly. You have already violated the law of slaying a deity. It isn’t an injustice to capture you.”

“So I see.” Dragging along the ice, Cang Ji strode a few steps forward and said, “I am already here. Just come and take me down.”

“There’s no hurry.” Hui An’s eagle eyes shifted over to Jing Lin. “The other one…”

Jing Lin gathered force in his fingertips, and an azure light suddenly appeared. A floating, giant talisman materialized above the ground. A stream of warm current poured into Cang Ji’s body all over. His spiritual sea charged forth and shattered the ice with a “crack”. With a sweep of his foot, Cang Ji stirred up the wind, and the white snow abruptly reversed. The snow danced around like scattered flowers and sent Hui An’s hair fluttering all over his eyes. For a moment, he could not get a clear look below him. The metal chimes under the eaves of the various houses in the capital “jingled” as they collided together. The wind wreaked havoc in the streets. In an instant, hanging signboards overturned and went flying all over, while lanterns tumbled against the wind. It was a chaotic mess all around.

Hui An said with composure among the chaos, “I’m here on orders. How could I return empty-handed? If this little buddy refuses to submit, then I can only take you down by force.”

As soon as he said that, Cang Ji burst through the blizzard of snow and sprang up before him. A sudden gust of wind exploded forth from his fist, sending the sleeves of Hui An’s robe flapping!

Hui An raised his hand to thwart his fist. The sounds of punches and kicks as they exchanged blows reverberated through the flying snow. Cang Ji’s strikes were hard and swift, but his moves were elegant and hard to follow. The combination of both flavors as different as chalk and cheese turned it into a stance that was particularly tough to deal with. Hui An welcomed all his moves, countering every single blow Cang Ji threw at him. His footwork changed in response to Cang Ji’s moves. Under the fine snow, they fought until it was difficult to tear them apart.

Not a moment later, Hui An flipped over his hand to grab Cang Ji’s arm. Moving as if he was flowing water, he turned around to jerk against his shoulder. The invisible force of it swept apart the surrounding snow. Cang Ji stalled for only an instant before he turned his arm to cleave a palm down on Hui An, striking out at him until the latter retreated a step.

The instant one retreats a step, the moment one’s weakness will show!

Compared to how he was not long ago, Cang Ji had been trained by Jing Lin into a steady and grounded fighter. His restlessness swept away like floating leaves on the water as he forged on ahead unhurriedly. He saw the weakness Hui An exposed, but he did not aim right for it. Instead, from start to end, he took on a defensive stance and maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too close from Hui An.

The so-called “Shuang Xue Arrow” referred to how this arrow of Hui An could transform into ice and change its form with the wind. When in pursuit of another, it would never retreat even if it had to chase all the way high up into the heavens and deep down into the earth. It would relentlessly continue its pursuit until the person had nowhere to hide. Since his arrow was this powerful, the other side would not allow him to release it!

Cang Ji was lithe yet powerfully built. His legs were long and his body, strong. The moment Hui An neared him, Cang Ji’s scales formed an armor to protect him; so even if he was hit, he felt no pain. He could be said to be the foe toughest to deal with among all the thorny opponents. Cang Ji had long recalled how Hui An was at a disadvantage when they were fighting each other at close range during their encounter in Xitu. It was clear that this man was not skilled at close combat; all he relied on was the advantage his eagle eyes gave him to differentiate his opponent’s moves.

Sure enough, after a long battle, Cang Ji could sense Hui An’s strength weakening. The latter looked as if he intended to retreat. But, now that Cang Ji had fought to gain an advantage over him, how could he let him off that easily?

“The stance ‘Autumn Wind Sweeping Leaves’ may have been incorporated into your strikes, but it cannot deceive my eyes.” A “crack” rang out as Hui An received Cang Ji’s fist. He said, “This little buddy’s shifu is from the Ninth Heaven Sect too. I wonder which of the Divine Lords he is?”

Cang Ji said, “You people love to guess. So just make another guess.”

The azure talisman under their feet was completed by now. The bell rang in Hui An’s ears. As if he had recalled something, he withdrew and bore down on Jing Lin.

The sound of the copper bell rose and fell like waves. Jing Lin pinched his fingers to break off the wind. The azure talisman under his feet sparkled like crystalline water. When Hui An came at him, it pounced on Hui An in an attack. Hui An felt as if he had plunged into a force field of tension. Every single one of his moves became abnormally sluggish. Seeing that Cang Ji and Jing Lin were about to make their escape, he twisted his body to pull at a string. A huge, erected bow that was half the size of a man materialized. The ice string jerked with a “thwack”, and the long arrow shot towards them with a powerful “swoosh”!

That chilly aura made a comeback. The capital grounds swiftly froze into ice at a speed visible to the naked eye as the frostiness followed the trajectory of the arrow. In the twinkling of an eye, it had spread to where they were.

Le Yan’s ears were temporarily deaf. He helped Chu Lun’s body up. There was barely time for him to make a seal, so he threw himself forward, transformed into a brush, and stood upright as if he was the Sea-Anchoring Divine Needle³ standing before Chu Lun to block and shield the latter from the cold. Chu Lun’s hands and feet were already frozen stiff, but his chest felt as if there was a stove on it, warming him up so much it stirred his mind.

Jing Lin saw the arrow coming and waved his hand. The markings on the azure talisman suddenly materialized before his eyes. The azure light dimmed, and golden light surged, with Sanskrit characters intersecting within. A ring of small talismans linked together high in the air and spun around to form a surface. The surging wind swiftly transformed into a massive sword that seemed to hold up the sky, casting a barricade before Jing Lin.

An ear-splitting crash resonated through the air the instant the long arrow struck the sword. Both sides shattered into fragments among the flying snow, turning into blades of ice and specks of azure light.

Not wanting Hui An to figure Jing Lin out further, Cang Ji picked Jing Lin up and withdrew. As he carried Jing Lin under his arm, he shouted, “I’ve never heard you mention this move before!”

Jing Lin replied modestly, “Just a little trick.”

If the two men wanted to camouflage themselves among the flying snow, then they had to cover their tracks. But unexpectedly, Hui An was not the slightest bit concerned by the earlier collision. His eagle’s eyes remained locked on Jing Lin’s back. Even as he saw them turning around, he had already released the second arrow under his fingers towards them.

Shuang Xue Arrow sped forward amid the howling wind. Even when Cang Ji abruptly swapped to a zigzagging route, he could not shake off its pursuit. With a foot, he turned over a hanging banner in the street market and tipped over the long pole to smash the long arrow and break off its trajectory. Who would expect this arrow to behave as though it had eyes? The moment the long pole came hurtling towards it, it swept its tail to change direction and lunged for Jing Lin.

Cang Ji’s fists and arms turned into claws, about to grab hold of it once again! A sudden, frosty snort rang out from the capital, and a jade-white fluffy tail materialized. The tip of the tail coiled around Shuang Xue Arrow and flung it away into midair where it broke.

Xiyan stood on tiptoe to hold up an umbrella for the proprietress, leaving small and exquisite plum blossom footprints in the thin snow. Huashang was luxuriously dressed as she stood on the street with folded arms, with not a single trace of snow on the embroidered shoes on her feet. Nine tails swayed wildly behind her.

Making eyes at Hui An, she said, “Why did they send you here and not Zui Shan Seng?”

Hui An closed an eye so that he would only see Huashang as a nine-tailed white fox. The bow in his palm dissolved away like melting ice. It was only after he gently pulled out his ribbon to secure it on his eyes that he smiled and replied,” For fear that he might alarm you. So they could only send me.”

Seeing that those four had already disappeared, Huashang said smilingly, “I came at a bad timing and disrupted you from discharging your duties. How should I be punished for this crime?”

Hui An, however, turned to gaze in the direction where Jing Lin had vanished. He said meaningfully, “Rather than calling it that, you might as well say it was perfect timing.” Sighing again, he dusted off his sleeves and said, “A pity that without my Lord’s Po Zheng Spear now, this Shuang Xue Arrow of mine is unable to unleash its full power. It can’t even catch a fish.”

为他人做嫁衣 to work hard to benefit another with no benefit to oneself; also being a cat’s paw.

士别三日，刮目相看 a person who has been absent for some time would have improved for the better and so he must be looked upon in a different light.

定海神针 Ding Hai Shen Zhen, literally “The Sea-Anchoring Divine Needle”. According to the novel Journey to the West 《西游记》, this was a divine ‘needle’ (or pole) that could shrink and grow according to its owner’s wish. At first, it was a treasure of the Eastern Sea Dragon King’s Dragon Palace, but Sun Wukong (孙悟空) later took it away to use as his weapon and changed the needle’s name to the Ruyi Golden Cudgel (如意金箍棒)

Chapter 60: Keeping Watch at a Tree

JANUARY 11, 2020

Chu Lun hurriedly touched Le Yan after getting out of their predicament. The brush demon lay motionless in his hand. Chu Lun called out to him several times, but there was no response from the brush. Chu Lun grew so anxious that the sounds of his coughs intensified.

“Divine Lord!” Chu Lun covered his lips and said at a rapid pace, “Please save his life. I’m willing to lay down my life for the Divine Lord!”

Jing Lin merely raised Cang Ji’s arms to scrutinize them. His scales were covered with scratches caused by the flying ice blades earlier. He could not help but see Hui An in a different light.

When Chu Lun saw Jing Lin turning a deaf ear to him, he knew what answer the latter wanted. All at once, he said, “The one who told me about the Life Registry isn’t a deity but a demon in a painting!”

“Tell me the details.” Jing Lin stared at Cang Ji’s scratch marks and frowned. “Le Yan will be fine for the moment.”

“These scars are common.” Cang Ji inclined his head to study Jing Lin’s expression. He asked, “Why are you frowning?”

“Zui Shan Seng exchanged blows with you thrice. This plate of armor is something that even Xiang Mo Staff can’t damage. Yet, those three arrow strikes from Hui An today have left gouges on it.” Jing Lin wiped away the scars on the scales with his fingertips. It was clear he already had a suspicion, but he was unwilling to reveal too much here. Thus, Cang Ji, who had already caught on, did not probe further.

Chu Lun was tactful enough not to listen in on their conversation. He continued, “In the ninth year of Tianjia, I went to study in Dongxiang and passed through a temple. The one being worshipped was neither a doctrine nor a statue, but a painting.” He held back his urge to cough and said, “The appearance of the figure in the painting was unrivaled. He held a folding fan in his hand, looking as if he had the remarkable ability to enlighten rocks into spirits¹ and make splintered branches bloom.”

“Dong Jun.” Cang Ji frowned as well.

“I don’t know his origins. But during the time I put up at the temple, I heard him speak while I was burning the midnight oil late at night. He could actually leave the painting to strike up a conversation with me. When he saw how sickly I was, he told me that my life would come to an end in the twelfth year of Tianjia. If I wanted to escape this calamity, I would have to get acquainted with Liu Chengde. The brush would be the turning point in my life.” Chu Lun paused for a moment. “I was already acquainted with Xijing then, so I asked about it. The man in the painting said that the Emperor is involved in the cases we are pursuing, and there are many officials in the capital implicated. It would be difficult to eradicate the root of the problem just by Xijing’s efforts alone. It’s only by joining forces that we can cure the disease at its source.”

By this point, he could bear it no longer and bend over, all drenched in sweat. He continued, “I never expected that… to change a life is to pay for it with another life… A life for a life. And the one who paid for mine was Xijing.”

“Even if it weren’t Zuo Qingzhou, it would be someone else.” Cang Ji looked down at him. “So, it’s fine if it was someone else?”

Cang Ji was looking at Chu Lun, but it seemed as if it was Dong Lin’s case he was seeing. When the yamen arrested Qian Weishi, they had said the same, exact words as what Chu Lun had said today. If Qian Weishi had sunk so low to be a beast in a human’s clothing and did something to Caoyu, then that would have been a heinous crime. But would that have been fine if Caoyu was replaced with someone else? Someone like an orphaned, homeless girl? It was wrong to kill Zuo Qingzhou. But was it alright to kill another man whom he had never met before?

Cang Ji was thinking about it when he burst out laughing. He suddenly felt bored stiff as his interest waned. This was rather meaningless. He turned his eyes to Jing Lin and said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

With that, he smacked away the curtain and stepped out to stand under the eaves, saying nothing more as he leaned against the pillar.

♦     ♦     ♦

It was an hour later when Jing Lin emerged. Cang Ji was squatting at the top of the stairs, making a similarly sized snowman for the little stone figure out of Hui An’s remaining snow. The little stone figure was holding a snowball to make an even smaller brocade carp. With their heads together, they doubled up with laughter.

Jing Lin noted that the trace of unhappiness in Cang Ji’s forehead had vanished. Cang Ji was still as playful as ever. Thus, he raised his eyebrows and gave him a light kick. Without lifting his eyes, Cang Ji flipped over his hand to grab hold of his foot.

“How should both of them be dealt with?” Cang Ji reached out a finger to trip over the little stone figure before he picked it up by the back of its collar to return it to his bosom.

“What goes around, comes around. Let karma run its course.”

Cang Ji exhaled into his hands and looked up at the sky. He said, “I think the decree of Heaven and Earth is all a load of crap. They let the chaos in Zhongdu go unchecked and even sent some idlers down to upset the applecart. What do they want? Bring trouble upon themselves?”

Jing Lin did not answer.

Cang Ji said, “I can’t take this lying down.”

His facial features grew frostier and severe amid the smattering of snow and heavy fog. The childishness that had been on his face the time he left the mountain was now all fading away. With time, it had been reduced to fragments as a different kind of contemplativeness took over.

“Who are the ones who should be held accountable for Qianyu and Zuo Qingzhou’s debt? If all the suffering can be written off just like this, then what’s the point of being born? Human lives are as cheap as grass. Even being a fish would be much happier than being a human. I have never understood what Dong Lin, Gu Shen, and even Zuo Qingzhou, had done wrong. What goes around comes around is merely just using a human’s life to fill in for another man’s life. Whether Chu Lun dies or not is no longer important. After today, there will still be tens of millions of people who will be ruined all because of a momentary slip. You and I have been in pursuit all the way here, and yet we are only midway through the eight sufferings.”

Jing Lin gave a delayed sigh. “You have already begotten a heart of compassion.”

But Cang Ji said, “I’m merely a bystander looking from the sidelines.”

“Once your heart knows compassion, you will no longer act without scant regard for life.” Jing Lin lowered his eyes. “You are already more human than I am.”

Cang Ji raised his head and met Jing Lin’s eyes. He asked, “Then, what are you thinking?”

Jing Lin stood still for a long time, then caressed the bits of snow away from Cang Ji’s forehead. He said slowly, “I’m thinking… whether Dong Jun is the demon in the painting Chu Lun mentioned, or was it a disguise created out of the art of drawing deities?”

“If we have never met door guardian deity, I would suspect that it was Dong Jun playing games with us. But at this very moment, I don’t think it’s him.” Cang Ji said, “Exactly what is so special about Dong Jun that everyone is imitating him?”

“There won’t be a better choice than him in many situations.” Jing Lin said, “Just the fact that he was born of the Blood Sea had made him the target of blame. You have seen his horrifying original form. There’s hardly anyone who could be his foe among the various deities in the Ninth Heaven Realm. He is the most dangerous person in the Ninth Heaven Realm after the Supreme Father’s death and Li Rong’s fall into slumber. Also, he is in charge of the beckoning of Spring, which makes it convenient to descent to the Mortal Realm and easier to cover up one’s tracks. The most important thing is that Dong Jun is a man who does not bother himself with trifles. He is rather proud and arrogant of his talents and doesn’t mince his words. The number of deities he has offended is even more than those he can remember.”

“Even so, going to the extent of using Dong Jun’s appearance in this case won’t be just a simple matter of bearing his grudges.” Cang Ji rose to his feet and patted away the snow on his shoulders. “And this Hui An. I keep feeling from our fight today that he isn’t here to capture me. It’s more like he’s here to muddy the waters.”

“His words aren’t convincing enough.” Jing Lin said. “There are three hundred deities in Zhuihun Prison. Even if Zui Shan Seng is unable to get away from his obligations, he shouldn’t have looked for Hui An. Hui An has been bestowed with Zhongdu, and he has also lost the assistive power of Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear. He isn’t a suitable candidate.”

“Perhaps he wasn’t the one who was sent.” Cang Ji reflected on it. He said, “When Wu Ying blocked my way that night, he brought along some manpower. Although they weren’t outstanding, they could still be considered reinforcement. But today, Hui An was all alone.”

“If he didn’t have a special order from Ninth Heaven, he would not have been able to escape the eyes of the Demarcation Division along the boundary if he wanted to leave Xitu.” Jing Lin felt as if something was off, and yet he was vaguely about to get a handle on it.

“This is how you should be thinking.” Cang Ji stuffed the little stone figure back into his sleeve and asked, “If it was someone else the Ninth Heaven Realm had sent down, then what was Hui An’s motive for impersonating him and arriving ahead of him?”

Jing Lin asked, “What?”

Cang Ji looked sideways at him and said, “Wouldn’t that be you?”

Jing Lin froze. Then, his mood took a dip for the worse.

“It’s not advisable to remain here for long.” Cang Ji said, “Lord Linsong is more sought-after than I expected.”

“No matter what Hui An’s motive is, he still has to deal with the mess in the capital.” Jing Lin said, “An evil spirit has devoured half of the Goddess Shengyue’s divine body. This matter is far more pressing than catching you and me.”

“That being said, don’t tell me both of us need to stand guard here day and night to watch over them?” Cang Ji turned back. It was silent inside the room. Who knew if Chu Lun was still waiting?

“You can think of them as trees.”

“Trees?”

Jing Lin went down the steps, surveyed the neglected side courtyard, and said, “The other party has taken so much trouble to implant Chu Lun. He must have some other uses. Now he is in our hands. This is what we call keeping watch at a tree to await a rabbit.”²

♦     ♦     ♦

For the next few days, Chu Lun remained in the house to recuperate. He had been ruthless on himself to make himself ill, and now, he had to put in some effort to nurse himself back to health. Le Yan was rarely happy ever since he woke up. Other than decocting medicine for Chu Lun and feeding him medicine, all he did was to sit under the eaves and stared blankly at the grass in the courtyard.

Cang Ji sat cross-legged on the roof, holding a fishing rod with a little grass spirit hanging at one end. He dangled it in mid-air to tease the twittering little spirits in the courtyard.

“Why aren’t you playing with the others?” Cang Ji bumped lightly into the little stone figure. It went tumbling over the roof-top until it narrowly came to a stop at the eaves. It walked back and sat down.

It sat cross-legged as well, even propping its head up as if it was deliberating over something.

Cang Ji shook the rod, and the little grass spirit cried in a squeaky voice. The crowd of strong-looking spirits darting around the courtyard with their long legs all simultaneously raised their heads and gasped.

Under the eaves, Le Yan sighed. The little stone figure followed and sighed. Cang Ji could not help but sigh as well. He said, “What’s with this man? Chu Lun is alive and well, and he did not have to pay with his life for Zuo Qingzhou. So why is he sighing all day long? This makes me feel so uncomfortable all over.”

The little stone figure spread open his arms and collapsed back on the tiles, revealing an equally uncomfortable expression.

“Once all these issues are resolved,” Cang Ji said, “I’ll take you out to play.”

The little stone figure rolled over and lay there, showing Cang Ji its butt.

“Learn from Jing Lin. Meditate quietly like an old monk. See, he’s so young, but he just has to be this boring. No one is going to laugh at him even if he comes up to play with us.” Cang Ji’s eyes drifted to the corner of the courtyard. Jing Lin was lying in a rattan chair with a book covering him, deep in sleep.

On hearing that, the little stone figure leaped up and charged over to Cang Ji’s back. It scrambled up to his shoulders and sat on it to play with Cang Ji’s hair by braiding it.

“I’m talking about him coming over to play with us. Not you.” Cang Ji shook the rod again, scaring the little grass spirit so much its soul was about to leave its body. The spirits at the bottom hurried over in the direction it went flying, wanting to get it down. Cang Ji felt like lying down too; thus, he said, “I’ll go down later and make that chair of his bigger. We might as well just sleep together.”

The little stone figure’s fingers were clumsy, and that wisp of hair it had braided looked as if it had been bound with grass. After listening to Cang Ji, it made a few cold laughs. Seeing that it had imitated Jing Lin’s expression to perfection, Cang Ji felt amused and said, “Did you learn from him after being in his sleeves all day long? Luckily, you haven’t evolved into a spirit.³ Otherwise, you would have been able to pass yourself off as the genuine article.”

But when the little stone figure heard this, it rolled off Cang Ji’s shoulder. It paced a few steps with its hands behind its back, holding a leaf as a fan and waving it a few times.

Cang Ji said with feigned seriousness. “You do look like him, but you are too smug. When have you ever seen Jing Lin smug? He always maintains his composure.”

The little stone figure threw away its leaf and climbed back onto Cang Ji’s shoulder. Cang Ji watched as the sun set in the horizon and surveyed the capital. There was no longer any sign of the flying snow, and it was now the summertime dusk. His gaze shifted to the corner of the courtyard and saw the shadows cast over that spot. Jing Lin’s fingers were covering the back of the book. He looked particularly beautiful.

“Lately, I’ve been finding it strange.” Cang Ji whispered as if he was spellbound. “No… I have always found it strange. Since I have the ability to devour others, why am I still that deeply obsessed with him? Once the belly empties, I should feel as if we are of one body. It’s as if I won’t ever lose him if I ate him. Could I have fallen under a spell? This notion keeps replaying over and over again in my head.” He stroked his nose again and continued, “Later, I’m going to sleep in that chair. I’ll pretend to be dreaming, then bite him. Do you think he will wake up?”

He had only just said then when he saw Jing Lin, who had been lying there for a whole day, slowly pulling down the book to reveal a pair of bright, clear eyes, staring at him.

Other than cultivating oneself, which is a slow process and takes time, another way is for an immortal (or some other powerful beings) to “enlighten” it (typically plant/animal/object) instantly by bestowing it some of his or her cultivation and/or powers. That way, they can obtain intelligence and change form right away (or in a much shorter span of time) without having to spend hundreds or thousands of years cultivating.

From 守株待兔, keeping watch at a tree to await a rabbit or a hare, is a fable about a farmer waiting every day by a tree stump in the hope that a hare would kill itself by crashing into it. It refers to someone who sits back and does nothing except to wait for good things to drop into his lap.

成精 literally become a spirit. For example, when animals, plants, and even objects have cultivated enough, it might gain intelligence and turn into a spirit.

Chapter 61: To Await A Rabbit

JANUARY 14, 2020

Jing Lin stared at Cang Ji until Cang Ji felt a gust of chill on his back. He almost suspected that Jing Lin had heard his words earlier. But Jing Lin merely stared at him for a moment before covering himself back with the book again. Cang Ji touched his chest with his heart still thumping.

Glows of light were floating all over the courtyard by the time the sky had completely darkened. Le Yan headed back in to feed Chu Lun his medicine. Both of them spoke in whispers. Cang Ji could not hear the details clearly, but he knew that their conversation was something an outsider like him was not privy to. So he benevolently released the grass spirit and grabbed the little stone figure to get off the roof to look for Jing Lin.

Jing Lin was wearing a deep azure blue wide-sleeved outfit today. His wrists, along with those long, slender fingers, were all laid bare in the night, stirring up the crickets among the grasses. The book covered his face but exposed his neck in full view. The graceful contours of his neck lay wedged and hidden between those tightly fastened collars, with the deep azure blue and sleek white complementing each other. It aroused in one a desire to delve further far more than if he had bared it all.

Cang Ji pulled over the rattan chair with his fingers. It soundlessly expanded to twice its size. He rolled over to get on it. Putting his arms under his head, he immersed himself in Jing Lin’s scent. However, he was pretty tall, so it was still a squeeze even though the rattan chain was twice as large. His shoulders, arms, and legs were all pressing up against Jing Lin.

Both men were silent for a moment when Cang Ji suddenly asked, “Could the way I’m relying on you be like that of a fledgling seeing you as its mother?”

Under the cover of the book, Jing Lin kicked him. Cang Ji let loose a laugh and picked up the book on Jing Lin’s face. Flipping through it casually, he said, “Aren’t you afraid of leaving ink on your face by covering it with this wordy thing… there’s really ink left behind.”

Jing Lin was about to get up when Cang Ji pressed down on his shoulders and leaned over to scrutinize his face. Spouting nonsense, he said, “Half your face is so gaudy with ink now. Touch it if you don’t believe me.”

Jing Lin touched his cheek in a daze. Cang Ji frowned and said, “Not here. I’ll show you.” With that, he took Jing Lin’s hand and stroked Jing Lin’s cheek with his index finger on Jing Lin’s index finger. He said while feeling him, “I’ll wipe it off for you.”

The tip of Cang Ji’s finger pressed down a little harder on Jing Lin’s cheek, rubbing it until it left red marks behind. Jing Lin looked at him. Cang Ji’s reflection squeezed its way into Jing Lin’s eyes until the latter’s eyes could contain nothing else. Cang Ji smiled as he scrubbed. When he was done, he even refused to show Jing Lin. Instead, he pulled out a handkerchief and moved behind Jing Lin to pretend to wipe his hands. Jing Lin’s cheeks had gone hot from the rubs. The more expressionless he was, the more Cang Ji felt that this kind of teasing only served to make his heart ache and swell with love even more.

Heart ache? Love?

Love what?

Cang Ji could not figure it out. So he merely laughed at himself and thought that he must have really seen Jing Lin as his mother.

Mosquitoes were aplenty on summer nights, buzzing around the lanterns so ceaselessly to the point they were irksome. Chu Lun and Le Yan seemed to be asleep in the room. It was somehow so restless in the courtyard that even the fireflies were an eyesore.

Cang Ji got what he wanted, but he had also broken out in a sweat. Pulling his collar, he asked Jing Lin, “Aren’t you hot to fasten your collar that tightly?”

The little pillow under Jing Lin’s nape had gone crooked from all the squeezing. He righted it and replied, “No.”

Cang Ji puffed out a mouthful of air into the gaps of Jing Lin’s collar and said, “A portion has already been soaked through with sweat.”

Jing Lin was slow on the uptake as he touched his neck, only to realize he had not sweated at all. Cang Ji leaned over to sprawl on the chair and said to Jing Lin, “Cool me down. It’s a hot day. I’m all out of shape due to dehydration. I feel so weak.”

Jing Lin said, “You’re hot, and you still want to crowd in here?”

Cang Ji turned his head sideways and said, “I’m still a baby fish. It’s only normal that I can’t leave you.”

Jing Lin could not help but kick him again. Cang Ji burst out laughing. His shoulders and arms looked well-built even when he was lying down. His laughter grew lazier; his eyes were already half-closing.

“Come to think of it now,” Cang Ji was so tired that he yawned repeatedly. “It has only been half a year. Yet the times in the mountain seemed to be a thing of the past. There’s so much that I can no longer remember.”

“Once you’ve lived even longer,” Leaning back to enjoy the clear breeze brushing across his face, Jing Lin continued, “There will be more you can’t remember.”

Cang Ji did not answer, as if he had fallen asleep.

As Jing Lin enjoyed the night breeze, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. He opened his eyes feebly and saw that the lanterns under the eaves had gone out. The derelict courtyard was once again shrouded in the moonlight with the fireflies perched on the grasses. Jing Lin closed his eyes too, and silence descended around him. It was as if everything around them were deep in slumber.

A moment later, a shadow from outside the courtyard infiltrated its way in. The new arrival was as light as a feather as he stepped among the grass and moved soundlessly among them. Like a ghost, he made his way to the door where it opened all by itself. Le Yan was sleeping soundly inside. The person summoned out a rope and made a few gestures, intending to tie him up.

The grass spirit crashed against the door plank and raised both arms to let loose a shrill scream. Its scream sent the fireflies flying all over and past the person’s face. He swiftly raised his sleeves to cover his face and kicked away the grass spirit in a rage.

The grass spirit rolled once on the steps and fell onto the ground with a “thud”. Having bound Le Yan, the person rushed out of the door. He did not expect the grass in the courtyard to grow instantly at an insane speed, intertwining and surging forth like threads of hair to surround the entire courtyard until it was impenetrable.

The person said crossly, “How dare you get in my way! I’ll stab your eyes!”

He struck at the grass with a palm until they swelled outwards. But they were interwoven so firmly that there was no gap for him to make his way out. He raised his foot to flip over Le Yan’s little stool and watched as the stool overturned and hurtled towards the grass spirit in an attack. With a flower bud on the grass spirit’s head, it turned around to flee. It blindly climbed into the rattan chair and, without letting up, charged over to hide itself in the empty space between Cang Ji and Jing Lin.

Cang Ji immediately opened his eyes when he felt an itch on his back. The rattan chair beneath him felt as if it had plunged into the sea as it floated like a boat among the waves of grass. He backhandedly picked up the grass spirit before the next wave made him dizzy.

When the person saw that the grass had thoroughly encased the entire courtyard, he flicked his sleeves to make a seal with his hands. A golden pattern speedily winded its way around him and charged towards the rattan chair.

Cang Ji rolled over and bumped into Jing Lin. With his head hurting, he said, “Stop swaying it! Your granddaddy is seasick!”

All the grass spirit cared for at present was to scream. How would it give a hoot about what he was saying? With a “swoosh”, the rattan chair swished along with the waves among the sea of grass. Cang Ji almost barfed his guts out.

“Help!” Cang Ji yelled at Jing Lin. “Jing… feel like puking…”

Jing Lin had already woken up from all that shaking. With one hand, he covered Cang Ji’s mouth and nose. His legs swept across the sea of grass as he rolled over and sat up. The whole rattan chair instantly stabilized. He propped up Cang Ji’s upper body, but before he could continue, he sensed the golden pattern lunging towards them in an attack like an impending rainstorm. The startled grass spirit nearly sent the rattan chair, which had only just stabilized, toppling over. Cang Ji’s face had gone all white. Amidst all the shaking, he fell over and crushed Jing Lin beneath him. The grass overhead surged downward in a frenzy to cocoon them close together.

The grass spirit was already scared out of its wits. Grass indiscriminately surged all over and tightened its hold over the wall so hard that it cracked. It also bound Jing Lin so tightly that he could not breathe. Cang Ji was atop him, pinning him down. The grass swaddled him so tightly that he was pressed up against Cang Ji.

“You…” Cang Ji had yet to let out a curse when he felt Jing Lin being stuffed deeper into his arms. This time, they were both truly lying together in each other’s embrace.

Jing Lin was bound so tightly he was in pain. The sound of the breath he sucked in was buried in Cang Ji’s neck, while the hot breath he exhaled made Cang Ji’s neck tingled with numbness and his scalp itched. Cang Ji wanted to turn away his head, as did Jing Lin. Both of their faces rubbed against each other, and Jing Lin felt a warmth on his lips. The shock hit him like a truck. Immediately right after, that warmth moved to say something, but it only resulted in the intertwining and fusing of their lips.

Cang Ji was panting in his throat. His sweat trickled down his temples and seeped into the collar on Jing Lin’s neck. His palms felt as if he was kneading a ball of snow. He could sense his own rush of heat catalyzing the other party. It melted Jing Lin into nothing more than a puddle of water, all of which Cang Ji took into the crooks of his arms.

Compared to a “Qianyu-like” Jing Lin, the real Jing Lin was what made Cang Ji greedy for more. All the pounding in his chest could be attributed to the sweetness of this very moment. Even his dizziness was gone, leaving only behind the exhilaration of probing deeper.

Jing Lin raised his head back, but Cang Ji pursued him closely. Jing Lin heard the rattan chair letting out a whiny “creak”, as if it could not bear the fiery passion on it. His collar was about to be soaked through. It was as if he had been besieged by something so soul-stirring that it shook him to the core and took his breath away. The danger called “Cang Ji” was closing in on him every step of the way, submerging him, drowning him. Even his cries for help were gobbled up clean. All he could do was to slump and gasp for breath as he was licked, bitten, sucked.

Cang Ji kept him in his lips and thought about how obedient this man was. So it turned out that his usual composure was all fake. Was he deceiving others while believing his own lie? Why was it that the moment Cang Ji held him with both hands, all that surrounded his fingers and heart was a bundle of softness?!

The grass spirit had been squashed until there was no place for it to escape. The flower bud on its head bloomed open with a “poof”. It wept and sniffled as it leaned close against both men’s cheeks and held Cang Ji’s collar to plead for help.

Cang Ji ground against Jing Lin until the tips of Jing Lin’s ears and the corners of his eyes were glaringly red. Cang Ji was all drenched in sweat as if he had just been resurrected. The moment he left Jing Lin’s lips, he was already regretting it. But the “bang bang bang” of the impatient third wheel behind him did not permit him to continue mulling over his feelings with his actions any further.

♦     ♦     ♦

The person was hoisting Le Yan over his shoulder. He could not see what they were doing inside. He had only lost his temper because they were blocking his way. When he saw that the golden pattern did not work, he stomped his feet to shake the ground.

The grass spirit was jolted down onto the chair. Flustered, it protected the flower on its head, afraid that its petals might fall off.

“Get out of my way!” The person said bossily. “Otherwise, I’ll burn all eighteen generations of your ancestors!”

The words had only left his mouth when he heard Jing Lin gave a frosty snort. Feeling a chill behind him, he dodged. Cang Ji’s fist arrived at the back of his neck. He turned over to parry it, but the force of its impact sent him back several steps, hurting and numbing his chest. He could not take it lying down, and so he lifted his robe to kick Cang Ji back. His legs were as swift as the wind as he repeatedly struck out at Cang Ji’s mingmen acupoint.¹ Cang Ji warded off every single one of his attacks. He inexplicably hated this person, finding him to be extremely lacking in tact!

Although the person got in a few kicks, it hurt like hell. He hopped around a couple of steps, hissing and cussing, “You scoundrel! What the hell are you? Why are you so hard?!”

Cang Ji found this voice familiar. He twisted the person’s arms back in a grip and flung him onto the ground before giving him another kick. He replied, “I’m your grandfather.”

“Bah!” The captured person flew into a rage and cursed out loud. “I’m your grandfather’s grandfather!”

“Is that so?” Cang Ji sneered. He was still thinking about Jing Lin’s earlier heat and promptly rewarded the person with another few kicks. “My grandfather is probably already in his nth reincarnation! Since you wish to be him, I’ll send you on your way!”

“How dare you!” The person below Cang Ji kicked out their legs. “If you dare to hurt me, I will desecrate your ancestral grave!”

Cang Ji was so infuriated by this person he almost laughed out. He removed the rope on Le Yan and bound this person up securely before throwing him into the courtyard.

“I’ll see how you are going to desecrate my ancestral grave today!”

The grass spirit came running over with the wind and leaped onto the person’s body to stomp on him. It jerked around so much that the flower on its head closed up again.

Chu Lun coughed violently in the inner room as he felt around the bed and called out, “Le Yan, Le Yan!”

Le Yan was still sleeping soundly. Cang Ji threw him into the room, then turned around and rolled up his sleeves. He crouched down and said, “Let grandpa see what you look like first!”

The lanterns under the eaves suddenly lit up. Cang Ji and the lad on the ground looked at each other and shouted in unison.” Why is it you?!”

A-Yi lay on the ground, all covered in dirt. On seeing the situation he was in, he rolled around in shame and anger and said resentfully, “It’s you again! You, you this—!”

His curses accumulated at the tip of his tongue, but he did not dare to spit them out. All he could do was to bend over the grasses muttering until his face turned red.

“I just want to catch this brush demon!” A-Yi could bear it no longer. “And you guys even have to interfere with this? What the hell has it got to do with you?!”

With his back to the light, Cang Ji smiled coldly and said nothing. It made A-Yi’s hairs stand on ends. He recalled the two embracing shadows that he had caught a glimpse of earlier and blurted out without thinking, “—I know it now! How shameless of you and Jing Lin! You came all the way here to get all lovey-dovey! Oh, good heavens. I can’t believe I can even come across such a thing in the middle of the night. I’m so jelly² my feathers are falling off!”

命门(穴) Mingmen acupoint, or Gate of Life, is an acupoint in the lower back.

酸 literally sour, though the closest English equivalent in this context would be “jelly”. It’s used to refer to feelings of jealousy or envy over someone else’s relationship or public displays of affection. It’s also used (sarcastically) when someone ridicules or takes a dig at another person.

Chapter 62: Chessboard

JANUARY 17, 2020

Cang Ji found this lad to be a lot more pleasing to the eye right after the words left A-Yi’s mouth. He lifted the rope to haul A-Yi up and asked, “Why do you need to catch this brush demon?”

A-Yi wiped the dust off his fair face and spat out a few mouthfuls of the soil before saying, “He was originally the Sage Yining’s brush. He has the ability to alter the Doctrine of Deities and the Life Registry. My Ah-Jie has been accused by Yining of misconduct back at the Ninth Heaven Realm. Of course, I’m going to use him to make changes to the charges.”

“Fu Li has guarded the Can Li Tree for so long, and she has always been meticulous in her duties. What is Yining impeaching her for?” Jing Lin stepped out from the shadows, his residual heat having faded away.

A-Yi said, “Yining said that my Ah Jie has been guarding Can Li Tree for a hundred years, and yet there is no sign of her evolving into a phoenix. Apparently, this is because she has been consumed by her own personal grudges and, therefore, harbors ill intent.”

A seed of doubt was planted in Jing Lin’s heart, but he only asked, “Were those his precise words?”

A-Yi sat up straight on the ground and said, “Exactly! How pointless can he be? There has been no sign of my Ah Jie evolving into a phoenix only because it isn’t her time yet. Isn’t that Zong Yin of the Eastern Sea still the same after hundreds of years? He’s still a Hai Jiao!¹”

Jing Lin asked, “Did he censure only Fu Li this time round?”

A-Yi answered, “Not really. He also denounced Dong Jun and Zhuihun Prison. Even the sleeping Li Rong was not spared.”

Cang Ji asked, “If that’s the case, then what are you worried about?”

A-Yi fumed, “The thing is that Lord Chengtian took no notice of the others and only reproached my Ah Jie! He not only wants to withdraw my Ah Jie from her Can Li post, but also wants to transfer her back to Heaven to stand guard beside the Brahma Altar’s Lotus Pond. What’s the fun in that? They are all just a bunch of bald donkeys² who chant scriptures all day long! Furthermore, my Ah Jie is still unmarried. If she is reassigned back to Heaven, she would be lonely for hundreds of years to come, wouldn’t she?

“So you came here wanting to capture the brush demon to help your Ah Jie amend the Ninth Heaven’s special edict?” Cang Ji mocked. “Brat! Who is Lord Chengtian? He’s the current Lord of the Three Realms; he’s not a man to be trifled with. If he commands Fu Li to be reassigned and you tamper with his orders without explicit approval, both you and that brush demon will not be able to escape culpability. You would have implicated your Ah Jie for no reason too. Who knows what other blame might fall upon her shoulders?”

A-Yi retorted in a fit of pique. “Even so, I still want to capture him! Yining harmed my Ah Jie for no rhyme or reason. So I’ll clutch this brush in my hands and humiliate him every way I can!”

Cang Ji flicked A-Yi’s forehead with his finger so hard it turned red. His bullying of A-Yi made the latter recall the feathers he had once lost. A-Yi could not help but hate him even more. Although this lad was willful, he knew how to size up the situation. Perhaps it was because Cang Ji had taught him a brutal lesson in the city of Xitu the last time that he no longer spoke irresponsibly now even though he was so full of hatred he was gnashing his teeth.

Jing Lin asked, “How did you know that the brush demon was here?”

A-Yi glared smugly at that grass spirit out of the corner of his eyes. “I have eyes all over the lands of Zhongdu. If I so much beckon to them, which of the demons from all over would dare to ignore my call? Even the Underworld has to give me face. This brush demon openly went to the Underworld a few days back to change the Registry of Human Lives. It’s a piece of cake for me to hunt him down.”

A sudden brainwave struck Cang Ji. If even A-Yi knew about this, then how could the Sage Yining and the Demarcation Division in the various lands not know? So which was it? Did they have knowledge of it but could not be bothered to interfere, or was someone covering it up?

“However, I heard a few days back that there was an evil spirit creating havoc in the capital. After a thorough investigation, ha!” A-Yi said. “Jing Lin, do you still remember that short-lived younger brother of yours? There is an abundance of heroes in the Ninth Heaven Sect, but there is plenty of scum too. After you died, he emerged from the Blood Sea again. If one can make his escape today, then there will be two, three, four, or five of them who can make their escape some other day. Every one of them was evil that you, Lord Linsong, eliminated. If they know that you were still alive, they would never be appeased until they get their revenge on you.”

“Rather than worry about Jing Lin, you should worry about yourself.” Cang Ji undid A-Yi’s rope. “This is not a place you should be. At such a critical juncture, your Ah Jie still has to be on tenterhooks worrying her little heart out about you.”

“In my Ah Jie’s heart, Jing Lin comes first.” A-Yi moved his wrists. “How is it that you guys have been wandering around for so long in Zhongdu?”

“Little kids should stay out of adults’ affairs.” Cang Ji said, “Now, scram.”

“That won’t do. It’s too cowardly to walk away like this.” A-Yi patted the grass and said, “That demon has been with Yining for so long. He surely knows something. Let me question him so that I can get something on him!”

Jing Lin tilted his head and remained silent as both of them conversed with one another. He gazed out into the long night. A piece of thread extending into an unpredictable direction unfurled in his mind. It tied all those that they had experienced together on the same thread, letting him get a feel of what was odd.

The copper bell had first sought out Dong Lin and led them to arrive at their conjecture of the “eight sufferings” before this shocking case followed right after hard on its heels. Then Gu Shen led them into the city among the mountains to catch sight of the suffering of parting. Now that they were in the capital, the intertwining of “illness”, “old age” and “the inability to let go” dragged what was initially a clear thread into something even more unexpected and convoluted. He could no longer tell if the “eight sufferings” themselves were all part of these cases, or if the cases had merely touched on the “eight sufferings”. However, the increasing number of acquaintances Jing Lin had encountered convinced him that this was no coincidence.

Zui Shan Seng, Dong Jun, Hui An, the Sage Yining.

Of all the people in the Ninth Heaven Realm, he had to come across these four. And these four more or less had something to do with Jing Lin. Was the copper bell reminding Jing Lin something? Or was there someone who wanted the copper bell to remind Jing Lin something? Or perhaps these four were already aware of Jing Lin’s identity and had come as intermediaries to drop him hints of the messages that were not convenient for Lord Chengtian to voice.

Dong Lin’s death was what started the chain of incidents that happened after. But why Dong Lin? Even if he had to suffer from the trial of these eight sufferings, why did it have to begin with “death”?

Surviving the kiss of death.

Jing Lin narrowed his eyes.

Was it referring to him?

“As they said, a catastrophe survived is a blessing in store.”³ A-Yi picked up a fruit from the tray Le Yan had left under the eaves and said, “But why is it that when it comes to you two, it’s just keep getting worse. First, you incurred the wrath of Zong Yin, then you placed yourselves right under Hui An’s nose. Rather than a coincidence, it’s more like you have been going around in circles in the same spot.”

Cang Ji’s mind took an abrupt turn as if he had been enlightened.

He had once heard Jing Lin mentioned in the city that this case was so familiar it was as if he was going through it all over again—That’s right, going through it all over again! How did Jing Lin die? He was investigating a case. But who was he investigating?

Cang Ji looked towards Jing Lin.

He killed the Supreme Father. That’s to say, he was investigating the Supreme Father, Lord Jiutian.

Exactly what case was Jing Lin investigating?

“Going around in circles.” Cang Ji mouthed to himself. He seized the fruit A-Yi was gnawing on and took advantage of his height to keep it out of A-Yi’s reach. He asked, “There is one thing I find strange. Jing Lin can’t remember how he got on the mountain. I don’t remember how I came to live in the jar either. Then how did your Ah Jie know that he’s still alive? From the way she spoke, it was clear that she only found out much later.”

“Of course Jing Lin said so himself. It’s such a secretive matter after all.” Unable to reach the fruit, Ah Ji hopped and said, “Return it to me! Ask away if you want. Why take my food? I rushed all the way here from the North and have yet to drink a single drop of water. I’m hungry!”

“I have never set foot out of the mountain ever since I woke up.” Jing Lin’s heart thumped. “When Fu Li came, I merely treated it as she had done something to piece back my divine consciousness.”

“Impossible.” A-Yi spoke without hesitation. “You died on Ninth Heaven Terrace five hundred years ago. The Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors have long kept an eye on my Ah Jie. Under those circumstances, my Ah Jie won’t be unable to lend you a hand, let alone piece you back! Shouldn’t surviving the siege of the True Buddha and the Four Lords be the result of your indestructibility after attaining the Great Accomplishment Stage? Otherwise, who would dare to save you? Wouldn’t that be making an enemy out of Ninth Heaven Realm?! The one you killed was none other than the Supreme Father—the man who divided the Three Realms and established Ninth Heaven Realm!”

A-Yi had just finished speaking when he saw Jing Lin with tightly knitted eyebrows, looking particularly grave as he stood among the shadows cast by the lanterns. A-Yi subconsciously touched his bum, wondering if he had said something that would make both of them pluck his feathers again.

“… Hey.” A-Yi shuffled back. “Didn’t we come to a tacit understanding regarding this matter? My Ah Jie knew that Jing Lin was still alive when she received his copper bell at the Can Li Tree. After that, all of us met with each other frequently… There’s nothing strange about this, right?”

“Copper bell.” Cang Ji felt as if a massive wave had crashed into his chest, turning it topsy-turvy. “Didn’t you say that the copper bell has no consciousness and could not evolve into a demon?”

Jing Lin was stunned as well. He said, “It’s cast out of the fragments of Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear. It cannot turn into a demon.”

“That’s right.” A-Yi could not make heads or tails of it. “That’s why my Ah Jie was sure that you are still alive.”

Jing Lin’s knuckles turned white.

He had taken one step after another to make his way here. He couldn’t have been reduced to being another man’s pawn again, could he? Who saved him? Who had the ability to save him? Was it Li Rong? But Li Rong was clearly locked in a fierce battle with him that day. He had sworn to defend the Supreme Father’s head with all his life, refusing to let Jing Lin get close by even half a fraction.

Cang Ji was a step ahead as he grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s wrist. He gripped Jing Lin tightly, as if Jing Lin would disappear the next moment. This feeling of being maneuvered and plotted against every step he took was comparable to being made a fool of! He was already certain that no matter who the mastermind was, their target was Jing Lin.

A-Yi looked at their odd expressions and said, “What? That copper bell couldn’t have the ability to overturn Heaven, could it? Even if it did, what’s there to be afraid of? I can see that the damage in your spiritual sea has already healed. Presumably, it won’t be long before you fully recover. You don’t look like an invalid anymore, either. With Yan Quan Sword in your hands, there’s no longer a need to sneak around anymore. Jing Lin is notorious. Which ghost or demon would dare to provoke him? You can do as you please in the days to come!”

Jing Lin wanted to touch his abdomen, but Cang Ji was a step faster. He saw the darkness in Cang Ji’s eyes as the latter looked back at him.

“Already healed?” Cang Ji enunciated each word coldly. “You didn’t even mention a word to me.” But when he saw Jing Lin in a rare daze, he softened his tone and asked hesitantly, “… You didn’t know either?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin shed off his clothes. The inner chamber was steaming with heat. He stood before the mirror with his hair still dripping water. Cang Ji’s figure had been standing for a long time behind the screen where the obscured, yellowish light in the room had cast smudges of shadows at the top.

“Are you done?” Cang Ji asked.

Jing Lin uttered a sound of affirmation, and Cang Ji stepped out from behind the screen. Jing Lin’s hair was blocking his own back, but that only made the contours of his narrow waist all the more conspicuous. Cang Ji stared at Jing Lin’s back, barely caring where he felt hot. He raised his hands and parted Jing Lin’s damp hair. The spots that had once been covered with cracks were now barely discernible.

“They have faded.” Cang Ji stroked his fingertip along the fine lines. “… There’s none left on the waist.”

“And yet I still couldn’t sense it.” Jing Lin looked at the man in the mirror. “I don’t see an abundant spiritual sea either.”

“When we first arrived in the capital, Huashang said that your spiritual sea was damaged.” The skin under Cang Ji’s finger was as smooth as grease. He leaned in a fraction. “It has only been half a month.”

“In the palace, I encountered Tao-di,⁴ who has fallen so low to walk the path of an evil spirit.” Jing Lin inclined his head slightly and said to him, “He also said that my spiritual sea was defective and my cultivation, destroyed.”

“But in the rain that night, you summoned the remnant of Yan Quan.”

Jing Lin could only see Cang Ji’s chest from the corner of his eye. He said, “I thought that was because of your help.”

“It was already there before I helped you.” Cang Ji said, “Furthermore, your spiritual energy and mine aren’t of the same Way.⁵ How could my spiritual energy help you to rebuild your original form?”

At this point, Jing Lin turned his head around.

“That’s not right.” Jing Lin said, “When you came in, I didn’t feel any resistance.”

Cang Ji was slightly dumbfounded. “Went in?”

Jing Lin backhandedly grabbed Cang Ji’s wrist and placed it over the front of his abdomen. He said in all seriousness, “Here.”

Drops of water from the tips of Jing Lin’s hair splashed onto Cang Ji’s hand. That particular spot Cang Ji’s palm was pressing against felt smooth and exquisite to the touch. He knew deep down what Jing Lin was saying. But his mind had gone blank all of a sudden.

“You came in here.” Jing Lin continued, “And it wasn’t unbearable or torturous for me. The meeting of two streams of spiritual energies in the spiritual sea felt just like the spiritual energy of a single person. There was hardly time for me to give it further thought back then, but how could there be such harmonious spiritual energies in this world?”

“I did not find it torturous either when you entered mine too. I knew it was sweet long before I had a taste of it, and once I tasted it, I found it tough to quit. On the contrary, Zui Shan Seng’s made me very uncomfortable.” Cang Ji’s throat felt hoarse as his Adam’s apple throbbed. It was only after he paused for two full blinks that he continued, “… but you are going to put me in an even more of a torture if you still don’t release my hand.”

海蛟 literally Sea Jiao (Dragon). A Jiao, or Jiaolong (蛟龙) is a mythical, aquatic creature capable of invoking storms and floods; sometimes also known as a flood dragon.

秃驴 literally bald donkey; it’s also a mocking term for a Buddhist monk.

大难不死, 必有后福。i.e. blessing awaits those who survived a catastrophe.

陶弟 Tao-di, or younger brother Tao.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

Chapter 63: Fog

JANUARY 20, 2020

Jing Lin put on his clothes. The ambiguity lingered like a dense mist swirling around him until he felt a little breathless. The hot water in the room turned the air damp and warm. It was only after Cang Ji pushed open the window that the heat and dampness dispersed a little.

Cang Ji rubbed his fingertips together as if he wanted to wipe away all the earlier warmth and sensation. However, the thumping in his chest was hard to suppress, and his rubbing gradually took on an undertone of reminiscence. He looked out of the window, but the wall of the derelict courtyard blocked his line of sight. He was about to say something when he saw A-Yi lying with his legs crossed¹ on the rattan chair below the bed.

A-Yi shook his leg and said, “I can’t understand a word of what you guys were saying in there about coming in and going out.”

Cang Ji leaned over the window and said in annoyance, “You deserve another beating for eavesdropping.”

“Ha.” A-Yi snorted. He sat up and said, “But there’s one sentence I understand! You ate Jing Lin’s and even Zui Shan Seng’s spiritual energy, am I right?”

“Eating spiritual energy fills the stomach.” Cang Ji said. “I thought you knew?”

“But I didn’t know you could even eat Zui Shan Seng’s!” A-Yi said hastily. “This is great. Follow me in future. Don’t follow Jing Lin. I’ll take you all over Heaven and Earth to eat your fill!”

“Just scram the sooner you can. You aren’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth!” Cang Ji looked back at Jing Lin and said, “Have you and your Ah Jie ever had a mutual exchange of each other’s spiritual energy?”

“We are from the same bloodline. Of course, we can.” A-Yi followed his gaze. “But I doubt you and Jing Lin can. One of you is human, and the other is a demon. You have nothing in common, not unless you are related by flesh and blood.”

“It’s hard to say.” Cang Ji said, “Perhaps Jing Lin and I are really brothers.”

“I might probably believe it if you said father and son.” A-Yi said, “Even if you were to say you are brothers, Jing Lin’s brothers are all not related by blood. They are only the adopted sons of the Supreme Father. As for father and son, huh…” He said wickedly, “I haven’t heard anything of Lord Linsong’s romantic exploits. But if you ask me, a man like him will keep it tightly under wraps even if he has a lover. You lived with him in the mountains for so long. Of all things to raise, he just had to raise you. So, it’s indeed hard to say!”

Cang Ji immediately smacked A-Yi on the back of his head and asked, “Does he look like my father?!”

“Then, how do you want me to answer?!” Smacked for no reason, A-Yi bared his teeth as he covered his head and fumed, “It’d be too much of a coincidence if you are father and son! Looking at how indecent your relationship with each other is, that’d really be an illicit…”

Jing Lin cast a sidelong glance at him, and A-Yi immediately shut his mouth. He did not dare to shoot his mouth off even as he bad-mouthed and cussed them in his heart. Thus, he begrudgingly asked, “So how was it? Has it healed?”

“The fragmented parts have been filled in.” Jing Lin placed his hand on his lower abdomen and looked at Cang Ji. Then, recalling what had happened earlier, he let his hand down without batting an eyelid. He said, “The spiritual sea is integrated into the abdomen, while the original form is constructed in the heart. Although the defective parts in my spiritual sea have healed, my original form has yet to manifest. Have you ever heard Fu Li mention a word about it?”

“My Ah Jie has no idea either.” A-Yi replied. “The amount of people who have achieved the Great Accomplishment Stage in this world are as rare as the feather of a phoenix and the horn of a qilin.² Even if my Ah Jie wants to probe around on your behalf, she won’t be able to find out anything. It’s just that while you were still in the mountain, you had to sleep in order to meditate. Do you still need to do so now?”

Jing Lin replied, “Not anymore after the summer started.”

When he and Cang Ji had just left the mountain, he had to sleep for several days after just a bite from Cang Ji. Then, during Dong Lin’s case, he also needed several days of sleep to recover after entering the copper bell’s illusory realm. However, this kind of situation had become few and far between after they set foot into the capital.

“It can be seen that this is a gradual process.” A-Yi said, “Imperceptibly, huh.”

“And one more thing.” Jing Lin stood by the window and said to them both, “I have yet to attain the Great Accomplishment Stage.”

Cang Ji remained as usual. But A-Yi sprang to his feet as if he had been pricked with a needle and asked in astonishment. “You haven’t? Then how did you survive?!”

Jing Lin looked at the horizon where dawn was breaking and replied, “I don’t know either.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Le Yan woke up as the first rays of the morning sun shone upon the interior of the derelict courtyard. Hugging a wooden basin, he saw A-Yi sitting on his little stool and eating his handful of melon seeds until there was none left. He could not help but frown. His eyes reddened.

“You, you…” He rubbed his eyes and pointed at A-Yi.

A-Yi was waiting to bask his feathers in the sun. On hearing him, he imitated Jing Lin and cast a sidelong glance at Le Yan before saying, “Why? Can’t I sit? Go stand in some other corner.”

“I, I…” Le Yan was indignant.

“I, I…” A-Yi parroted him and said, “What the hell are you crying for? Yining has earned that reputation of his in vain. Why hasn’t he fixed you yet?! Cry, cry, cry. Cry again, and I’ll catch you to feed the demons!”

Le Yan stomped his foot. He was so infuriated his face turned red. A-Yi ignored his display of anger and tossed a fruit to play with even as he spoke – unreservedly and bluntly – with barbed words so stinging that it drew blood.

“This is truly amazing.” A-Yi said, “How can there be such detestable people like you and Yining in this world?! One nitpicks on everyone he meets. The other one harbors selfish desires that go against conscience! You hook up with an invalid, and you still have to screw up others until they are separated by death. You must be feeling really good now, but look at how pitiful that fox demon is now? Why hasn’t he come to capture you? He should just bite you into two, you little scourge!”

Le Yan wept. “I didn’t harm anyone!”

“Bullshit.” A-Yi raised his head and stretched his body. “You are the scourge of humanity, and Yining is the bane of the deities! Master and slave are both nothing good. I have plenty of time in the future to settle accounts with you both!”

Le Yan was so incensed that he stood under the eaves and burst out crying. The basin dropped as he covered his face and sobbed incessantly. He had been feeling guilty these days until he almost fell sick. And now, A-Yi’s rebuke made him feel worse. But it would not do for him to regret it. If he regretted it, then Chu Lun would have to die. He could endure such cutting and devastating words, but he could not bear to let Chu Lun die. Yet, thinking of the dead Zuo Qingzhou only made him more acutely aware of how pitiful Qianyu was.

But he had no choice! Where on earth would there be such a perfectly sound strategy? He could only think of Chu Lun, and do it all for Chu Lun. How could he scrimp on Chu Lun’s fate just so someone else could live? This Life Registry stipulated that someone must die. He rather turned into a despicable vermin himself than to let Chu Lun die.

A-Yi was so irritated he was about to fly into a rage again. But he swallowed back his words when he saw Jing Lin leaning beside the window looking at Le Yan. He muttered to himself and gave Le Yan a light kick. Then he frowned and said, “Shut up!”

He was really vexed, okay?! He had initially meant to capture this brush demon to amend the decree to transfer his Ah Jie. But that was not possible now, and Jing Lin had dropped such a bombshell on him that it disconcerted him.

If Jing Lin had not attained the Great Accomplishment Stage, then he would not be able to save himself. If he couldn’t even save himself, then who else would be able to save him? If this person was someone from the Ninth Heaven Realm, did it mean that there was some other conspiracy? If that was the case, wouldn’t it implicate his Ah Jie?! His Ah Jie was already getting the cold shoulder from Lord Chengtian. If she committed any further wrongdoing, then she would really end up with a punishment for real.

Unlike these two with a myriad of thoughts flashing through their minds, Cang Ji was a lot calmer. He had been leaning for a long time. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jing Lin near the window looking over at Le Yan.

Jing Lin could sense his gaze without looking back. He said, “Come to think of it, Le Yan is also sick beyond cure.”

“He is suffering from an affliction of the heart that’s tough to cure. He will have to owe this debt for the whole of his life.” Cang Ji said as he propped his head up. “Has there been any sign of activity from the copper bell these days?”

“No.” Jing Lin answered, “I haven’t heard any sound from it.”

“Looks like these three sufferings are still unresolved.” Cang Ji said, “Everything is in such a mess that it strains the mind to think about it in depth.”

“Yeah.” Jing Lin responded in a soft voice.

Cang Ji paused for a moment before he asked, “You once said that this copper bell isn’t yours. Then, is it Li Rong’s?”

“Although it was cast out of the fragments of Po Zheng Spear, it’s not Li Rong’s.” Jing Lin looked back. “It was assembled and forged by Lan Hai.”

Cang Ji suspected that he had forgotten it all. How could he not have a single memory about this “Lan Hai”? He had never even heard anyone mention this name before.

Jing Lin knew what he was thinking and explained, “He died early and had yet to be anointed a deity. Even in the Doctrine of Gods, there’s only just his name. But Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear and Dong Jun’s Shan He Fan were all created by his hands.”

“Didn’t he mention anything when he made that copper bell and gifted it to you?”

Jing Lin was silent for a moment before he said, “He gave it to Qing Yao. Qing Yao was very young at that time, and children love tinkling objects. So he created the copper bell to coax her to play.”

Cang Ji waited for Jing Lin to continue. But all he saw was Jing Lin’s facial features bathed under the sunlight, looking penetratingly cold. He seemed to be immersed in a certain past that Cang Ji did not know of. It was as if they were separated by a fog of frost. Although Cang Ji did not understand what had happened later, he could guess that it did not have a happy ending.

“The copper bell was the only thing that survived the fire after Qing Yao’s death. So I took it and kept it by my side.” Jing Lin said, “Not long after, I died too.”

A sudden glare of sunlight illuminated the entire ground in white. It was so blinding that Cang Ji raised his fingers to shield his eyes. He leaned back into the chair and pondered over it a little.

“The copper bell is crucial.” Cang Ji’s gaze was resolute. “We have to get our hands on it to find out more.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The old emperor prostrated himself on the ground and mumbled under his breath before the incense.³

“Oh, omnipotent Divine Lord… please manifest yourself quickly..” His tears flowed freely. “There are still sacrifices in my prison… You mustn’t leave! I’ll present them to you all clean and fresh… Please hurry back…”

The interior of the crudely propped up palace hall was so dark that one could not even see the shadows. Like a ghost, the old emperor huddled into a ball and clung to the ground piously in worship. He mumbled to himself as his hands trembled uncontrollably. He had been like a tightly wound bird startled by the mere twang of a bow⁴ ever since that rainy night. Without the protection of the evil spirit, he did not dare to eat the humans wastefully. In just a few days, he felt his old ailment ravaging his body. His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.

Outside, the eunuchs stood like wooden pillars. The old emperor’s terror intensified until he began to sob and cry. He had been living half of his life in dread, and old age was his greatest fear. A deity had come to help him, and longevity was within his reach, but who would expect someone to mess it up to the point of no return? He could not take it lying down, nor did he want to give up hope.

The old emperor was exhausted after kneeling for half a night. The incense sticks on the incense table had burned out. His kowtowing movements shook the incenses’ ashes off onto his hair. He was about to rise to his feet when he was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness. He trembled and slumped back into a kneeling position on the ground, unable to get up.

The candles in the hall suddenly went out, and a cold miasma crawled up from the ground onto the old emperor’s calves. The old emperor shivered, then cried out in delight, “You’re here!”

Tao Zhi transformed into a dense fog and wrapped himself around the old emperor. Thin ice crept up the incense table inch by inch. The old emperor’s joy gradually turned into fear. He climbed to his feet and stumbled over himself as he scampered around the hall, mumbling, “It’s so cold! So cold… Please spare me…”

The parts of his body enveloped by the thick fog felt as if an icy tongue had licked them. The old emperor’s breathing was ragged as he was knocked down onto the ground. He clutched his chest, feeling the life in him ebb away into the pitch-black abyss. He wanted to cry for help, but he was being strangled by the throat. At the same time his eyes widened, he felt as if his body had plunged into an icy pool.

A mass of flesh and blood turned into a mist of blood amidst the sounds of gurgling as it was devoured clean by the creeping black fog. Once the fog receded, Tao Zhi sized up his entire body worth of old skin.

“How filthy and stinky.”

He righted his crown and lifted the curtain to step out. The eunuchs simultaneously kneeled to pay their obeisances, but all of them eerily said nothing.

Tao Zhi gazed out into the morning light in the distance. With a sweep of his robe, he hopped onto the dragon carriage.⁵

翘着二郎腿

麒麟, or Qilin (Kirin), a mythical Chinese creature said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler.

Incense sticks or joss sticks are typically burned as offerings to a deity while praying.

惊弓之鸟 someone who is easily frightened due to past experiences. i.e., someone afraid of his own shadow

龙辇 literally Dragon Carriage, it’s the imperial carriage used by the emperor

Chapter 64: Life For Life

JANUARY 23, 2020

Innumerable dwellings in the capital had collapsed after the disaster of that rainy night. The public opinion that it was due to the wrath of Heaven gradually started making its rounds in the imperial court, but the emperor simply carried on as usual. The beauties held in captivity in the imperial prison were routinely delivered into the palace, while traffickers in the various lands continued to operate as usual.

It was near dusk by the time Xiyan found the derelict courtyard. The little fox stepped forward to knock on the door. After a few knocks, the desolate and gloomy scene before him rippled like water as it turned into an entire garden bustling with activity. He carefully tiptoed and leaned against the door.

“Sorry to impose on you!”

♦     ♦     ♦

After entering, Xiyan sneaked a peek at A-Yi, because A-Yi was pretty, and he looked androgynous in his brocade robe and with his hair tied up. A-Yi was proud. He knew the fox was full of admiration and envy, and so he was itching to puff up his tail feathers and spread out his wings to strut before Xiyan. Cang Ji sent him away, but he stubbornly refused to. Instead, he made his way back through the window, determined to hear what they were saying.

Instead of sitting down, Xiyan held the tea with both hands and drank it all up before he said to Jing Lin. “The Lady Boss sent me here to inform you that you no longer have to fear that Hui An. He was merely making a trip here so that he can report back. He will do the Lady Boss a favor and not make things difficult for you both again.”

“He came at us so viciously.” Cang Ji said, “He doesn’t look like he will leave easily.”

“It was initially a thorny issue, but something happened. Even if he’s Hui An, he can’t take matters into his own hands. His urgent need to return to the Ninth Heaven Realm is far, far more pressing than capturing both of you.”

“What happened?”

“The evil spirit hidden in the capital devoured half of the Goddess Shengyue’s body. That Goddess Shengyue is no ordinary deity. If Hui An delays his report, he will have to bear the blame for it.” Cupping the teacup with both hands, Xiyan put it back and said, “The Lady Boss said, if this matter is reported to Ninth Heaven Realm, both of you will get drawn into it. If you have already found what is missing, then leave as soon as possible. In addition, both of you have been of great help in helping us to find back Qianyu-gege. The Lady Boss is willing to assist you to the best of her abilities to repay this favor.”

“The object is still in the capital. If we can’t get it back, then we can’t leave.” Cang Ji said. “That evil spirit had fled in fear. Why did he return this fast?”

“Hui An saw him with his eagle eyes.” Xiyan put on the appearance of a troubled adult. “But he has been concealing himself ever since he entered the capital, so Hui An was no longer able to find him. And now, we don’t know where he is hiding.”

“His eagle eyes can only see through evil spirits of human origins. Hui An’s inability to find a devil¹ comes as no surprise.” Jing Lin said.

A-Yi listened for a while behind the chair, then popped his head out and said. “Those eyes of Hui An are nothing. My Ah Jie’s and mine are better. I can see him even if he hid himself in the soil.”

Cang Ji pressed his head back and asked, “What has it got to do with you?”

A-Yi pushed his head up and said in a huff, “It’s so boring for you guys to just stay here! You might as well take me along to subdue evil. The five-colored birds² are the best when it comes to searching for people! But if you want to borrow my eyes to look for that evil spirit, you’ll need to remunerate me for it.”

Cang Ji considered it and felt that they might really have to rely on A-Yi to look for that evil spirit, and so he released his hand and asked, “What remuneration do you want?”

A-Yi said with a serious expression, “It’s not a problem to help you on account of my Ah Jie. I only hope that if we get investigated in the future, you will not implicate her. Just push all the responsibility to me.”

Jing Lin looked at him and said, “Worrywart.”

“I only have this one elder sister. Of course, I’ve to worry!” A-Yi said impatiently. “So, do you promise or not?!”

“Find the evil spirit first before we talk about it.” Cang Ji said.

But A-Yi did not fall for it and said to Cang Ji, “I know you are cunning! If I don’t get a definite answer from both of you today, then I won’t go anymore! You are free to find someone else!”

“I promise you.” Jing Lin said, “If we end up being investigated, the five-colored bird clan will not be implicated.”

A-Yi folded his arms and motioned to Cang Ji. But Cang Ji merely poured tea slowly and said, “I’ll do as Jing Lin says.”

A-Yi found his words vague, but after mulling it over, he found nothing wrong about it. Thus, he nodded and said, “I sensed something off with this place the moment I entered the capital. He is like a deity and a devil, and yet he is neither. It’s really odd. So he ate Shengyue. No wonder it’s so difficult to trace him down. But since I have agreed to it, I’ll have my ways. All you two have to do is to follow me. But if we leave, then what’s going to happen to that brush demon and that invalid?”

Jing Lin covered his teacup with the lid and said, “A mountain dweller naturally has his own plans.”

³

♦     ♦     ♦

The next day, the “Chu Lun” who had taken leave for several days to recuperate from his illness returned to Hanlin. He was in great spirits, and his complexion looked good. Chu Lun entered and presented his name card⁴ before heading into the academy without a hitch. There was nothing unusual in his exchange of conventional greetings with the others; on the contrary, he was a lot more pleasant to socialize with than before. Lifting his robe, he stepped into the chamber and took his seat to listen to the discourses and exchanges around him while he waited. But then, his sleeve stirred a few times.

Cang Ji occupied most of the territory within the sleeve. A-Yi was furious, but he did not dare to voice his displeasure. The five-colored bird hung his head in dejection as it huddled into a ball and squeezed into a corner, crestfallen.

“What are you worried about? Search for him properly. Dage will reward you.” Cang Ji put an arm around the back of the bird and said, “I’ll even share half of Jing Lin’s sleeve with you.”

A-Yi snorted, feeling that this “dage” was truly hard to utter. But he was too used to suffering under Cang Ji’s hands, and so he could only grit his teeth and shouted, “… Thank you, dage. But I’m not worried at all.”

Cang Ji said, “Look at how unwilling you sound.”

A-Yi immediately tilted his head like an innocent chick⁵ and gnashed his teeth to call out in a cheerful tone.“Dage!”

“How do you feel after coming in here?” Cang Ji asked.

A-Yi said, “It’s brimming with evil aura. As expected, this evil spirit is hiding in the palace. I’m afraid we have to head further in.”

Jing Lin was listening to them ‘waxing philosophical’ with one another when he saw a sudden flash of figures at the wall opening.⁶ Four or five eunuchs accompanying Liu Chengde entered. He recognized those few eunuchs as the little demons carrying the sedan chair that other night. Using Chu Lun’s appearance, he paid his obeisances to Liu Chengde from afar. Liu Chengde took a few steps up the stairs and exchanged civilities with the others before he sat down beside Jing Lin. The eunuchs stood guard at the bottom of the stairs. It was obvious that they were here to protect Liu Chengde.

Tao Zhi must be truly lacking in people to use if he could even treat a chess piece with so much care.

“I⁷ heard that my dear younger brother⁸ has been bedridden with illness a few days ago. This elder brother has been especially concerned, so I’ve sent someone to deliver some top quality medicinal herbs to you. I wonder if my dear brother has put them to use? By all reasoning, I should have paid you a visit in person. But there are too many trivialities to attend to in the capital these days that it was hard for me to get away.” Liu Chengde said and carefully sized Jing Lin up. He nodded and continued, “You seem to be more spirited now compared to the past few days.”

Jing Lin could barely hear what he was saying over the din both men were making in his sleeve. So he took the chance to shake his sleeve and said to Liu Chengde, “It’s all thanks to dage’s concern. I’m already much better.”

Cang Ji thought, this person really doesn’t take it to heart when he’s pretending to be someone else; he could even greet “dage” with such sincerity! 

Liu Chengde let loose a few sighs and said, “To be perfectly honest with my dear brother, I have been disheartened ever since Xijing departed this world. It’s only when I see you getting better now that I feel I have not failed what has been entrusted to me back then.”

A-Yi muttered. “This man not only looks benevolent; he’s also a loyal friend.”

Although A-Yi knew about Le Yan’s usurpation of fate, he knew very little about Zuo Qingzhou. Thus, he did not know who Liu Chengde was. He thought that Liu Chengde was still missing the wronged and deceased Zuo Qingzhou.

Cang Ji, however, was sick and tired of it and started to instigate Jing Lin, “We mustn’t let this man off easily once this is over. Look at how loathsome that crafty look of his is. You might as well just feed him to me.”

How would Liu Chengde know what the “Chu Lun” before him was currently listening to? He immersed himself deeper into his role. “Before Xijing passed on, he knew that it would be hard for him to escape, and so he secretly sent some men to my residence and handed those ‘letters’ over to me. My dear brother, from now on, there’s only you and me left. If there’s any headway in this case, we need to think of a plan together. You mustn’t act presumptuously on your own again.”

Jing Lin sighed and said nothing.

When Liu Chengde saw this, he simply thought that Chu Lun was still harboring guilt over the matter. So he whispered, “All that talk about changing fate is just nonsense. My dear brother mustn’t take it as gospel. It isn’t your fault that Xijing ended up in such a state. If you have to blame, then let the blame falls on this murky water⁹ that’s so fathomless the few of us have to risk our lives for it.”

Cang Ji saw how hard he was trying and could not help but think of Zuo Qingzhou whom he had met once in the illusory realm. Despite all of Zuo Qingzhou’s scheming and planning, he never expected the people around him to harbor ulterior motives. Perhaps one day, his suspicions might be roused, but fate never gave him that opportunity.

Jing Lin saw Liu Chengde’s hand on his sleeve to hold him up and surreptitiously moved it away. He wanted so much to fish out his handkerchief to wipe it clean. But Liu Chengde showed no signs of moving back. So Jing Lin said, “Dage is right. It’s just that I’ve been sick for so many days and have no idea how the case has been progressing.”

Liu Chengde wiped away those few drops of tears and said, “This isn’t the place for discussion. It isn’t too late to come to my residence to discuss in detail after we knock off today.”

A-Yi had caught a waft of something fishy when Liu Chengde held him earlier and said, “Go with him! Jing Lin, there’s incense ash between his fingers. He must have seen that evil spirit!”

Thus, Jing Lin nodded and responded, “Then, I shall obey.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Liu Chengde’s residence was located on Fenghua¹⁰ Street. It was not the kind that was imposing and opulent. Instead, it was simple, refined, and extremely quiet, with few servants serving in a residence with bamboo and plum blossoms. It even looked a little impoverished. If one did not know this person’s true nature, he would have been easily fooled by this pretense of his.

Jing Lin had entered the interior for only a moment when he saw Liu Chengde, who had already changed into his usual clothes, stepping out to welcome him. He sent someone to set up a table of wine and dishes, then led Jing Lin to his seat. As he poured wine for the latter, he said, “It felt as if my heart had been stabbed with a knife when Xijing left this world. How I regret never taking the opportunity to drink and chat merrily with him back in those days! It’s really too late for regrets now. Shenzhi, there is no need to restrain yourself tonight. This elder brother knows of your pain.”

Jing Lin touched his chopsticks as a gesture but did not pick up the food to eat. Instead, he accepted the wine and said, “I’ve been in the dark these days because of my illness. I wonder what crimes were the Zuo clan charged with after Xijing’s death?”

Liu Chengde raised his head to gulp down his wine before he let out a long sigh. “What crime is there to speak of for people dealt with in the imperial prison?! You have no idea, but the instant Xijing was taken into prison, I went around trying to bribe them. But those people only accept gold and silver and wouldn’t even leak any information to me. The half month Xijing was in prison, I wasn’t even able to find out anything.” At this point, the tears started streaming down his face.

Jing Lin scrutinized Liu Chengde as if he had seen a rarity. But he was not in a position to reveal too much, and so could only pretend to be wistful and at a loss for words.

Liu Chengde lifted his sleeve to wipe away his tears and continued, “Acting on this matter in the capital is like treading on thin ice. There is no room for carelessness. Now that you have joined Hanlin, you and I will have to look out after each other in the future. As time passes, you will begin to understand the struggle in many of these matters. Although you are determined to eradicate evil, you must not be impatient.”

Jing Lin lowered his hand and said, “Dage always warns me not to be impatient. But the situation is so pressing now that it has become a major problem. People who have lost their families and children abound everywhere in the east and the west, and the various local yamen are unable to stop the voice of grievances. You and I already have the evidence in hand, and yet we still have to endure this without saying a word or acting on it. Then, in dage’s opinion, when can we make a move? Don’t tell me you want Xijing to lose his life in vain while we pretend nothing happened.”

As if he did not understand, Liu Chengde asked, “What evidence?”

Jing Lin looked at him and said, “All of Xijing’s ‘letters’ are in dage’s hands. Yet dage doesn’t know of the evidence?”

Liu Chengde was shocked. He feared he might have let slipped something. But then, he remembered that Zuo Qingzhou made no mention of it during the execution. Afraid that Chu Lun might have found out something, Liu Chengde put on a troubled frown and said, “If I have the evidence, why would I ask you to wait? Did Xijing tell you something?”

Jing Lin suddenly smiled. Even though he was borrowing Chu Lun’s face, he still looked strangely bewitching. He poured the wine onto the ground¹¹ and said, “Of course Xijing told me. I saw him repeatedly calling out for dage when he was thrown into prison, so I thought he had told you something.”

Liu Chengde stood up in fright and retreated amidst the sound of a “clatter”. His expression was ghastly. “Xijing was in the imperial prison. How did you get to see him?!”

Jing Lin threw away the wine cup. When he raised his head, he had already become “Zuo Qingzhou”. He said coldly, “Didn’t you come to see me too? You did not even frown when that kind of torture fell upon my body. We were once teacher-and-student, but why have we become so estranged?”

Liu Chengde tried to flee, but the door remained tightly shut. He pounded on the door in terror and called out to the demons outside. Cang Ji squatted at the entrance of the door and listened to the incessant thumping behind him. With a “crunch” between his teeth as he chomped down on something, he told A-Yi to draw on the door for fun.

A-Yi did not stand on ceremony as he wrote “Return Me My Life” in blood with a flourish. Finding it not intimidating enough after he was done, he added a fish monster that did not look like a fish at the end.

“You eat so much in one meal.” A-Yi stuck out his tongue and whispered. “How does Jing Lin even feed you enough?”

Cang Ji merely smiled and said, “He has his ways to feed me.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Liu Chengde looked back and saw that “Zuo Qingzhou” was now standing under the lanterns. His shadow caged him in, cutting off all his retreat paths. He pretended to be calm on the surface, but his legs had gone as soft as cotton; he could not even stand straight.

“Xijing…” Liu Chengde’s voice trembled. “Xijing! You can’t blame me! I was also forced into a corner. I had no choice but to do so!”

Jing Lin said, “I’m now a lonely wandering ghost. I’ve been backed into a corner too. On account of our teacher-student relationship, it’s not too much to demand you to pay with your life.”

“No! That won’t do!” Liu Chengde’s face was red as he panted and brandished his arms wildly. “You don’t know it yet. You weren’t aware! But His Majesty has received pointers from a deity to live a long life! You kill me, if you kill me! You won’t be able to escape from His Majesty’s clutch!”

Jing Lin’s eyes were frosty. His hand was on the side of his waist. There was clearly nothing there, yet Liu Chengde seemed to hear the sound of a sword blade being drawn out from its sheath. He was petrified when he saw the scene before his eyes shook. Then, there was a “thud”, and his head landed on his own lap.

The corpse toppled over onto the ground, and his similarly headless soul was gradually pulverized into sand so fine he could not even get to be a ghost.

Jing Lin kicked the door open and strode across the threshold.

魔 devil vs. 邪魔 an evil spirit. A devil has its origin in human souls that have turned evil (Soul → Evil Spirit → Devil according to one source; for details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary). Immortals and deities may also descend into evil and turn into a devil.

五色鸟 – technically, the words would translate to a barbet bird. But here, it refers to a mythical creature in Chinese mythology (to be revealed in later chapters, but the hint was already dropped. For now, I’ll stick to the original text and label it a ‘five-colored bird’).

山人自有妙计 basically mean “I have an idea/a plan”. I left it as the literal translation as Jing Lin once lived in the mountains, so he’s literally referring to himself.

名帖 (also 拜帖), a name card (or visitation card) written or paper or wood used by officials, nobles or distinguished people to notify the other party of their visit. It would usually indicate his name, position, and so on. It’s like a name card in the modern world.

洞门 An opening in a wall separating different courtyards within a residence or palace, etc.

He refers to himself as 愚兄, or yuxiong (or this older brother), which means “I” in a modest form when addressing someone younger in the same generation.

He refers to Chu Lun as 贤弟, or xiandi (or my worthy/dear younger brother), which a deferential term to address a close friend or sworn brother who is younger.

Refers to the case

风华 also means magnificent, elegant

In Chinese customs, rice wine or tea is poured onto the ground (usually in front of an altar or tombstone) as an offering to the deities or in honor of the deceased.

Chapter 65: Nocturnal

JANUARY 28, 2020

“These are demons from the Eastern Coast.” A-Yi flung away the bloodstains on the femur and said to Jing Lin. “It’s really strange. The Eastern Sea is under Zong Yin’s jurisdiction. There had never been any unrest there for hundreds of years. He would never allow demons to cross the boundary to harm humans.”

Jing Lin looked at that still twitching corpse and used his cotton handkerchief to wipe his hands. He was particularly bothered by the blood splattered onto A-Yi’s robe, so he shifted over to Cang Ji’s side before opening his mouth. “We won’t know the details unless we see Zong Yin. He won’t be able to leave the Eastern Sea easily. You can head over to pay him a visit once this matter is over.”

“You’re asking me to make a special trip to see Zong Yin just for the sake of a demon?!” A-Yi threw away the bone and said, “No way! He started a feud with my Ah Jie that last time. I don’t want to talk to him. Hell, I’d even applaud if something really happens to him.”

“Have you found any clues yet?” Cang Ji asked. “This courtyard is only this big. It won’t be able to conceal a devil.”

A-Yi said, “Since that evil spirit is willing to dispatch demons to follow this person, he must not have wanted him to die. But Jing Lin beheaded him before I got the chance to ask!”

“There’s no need to ask.” Jing Lin wiped his fingers and said, “Liu Chengde scouted around for beauties on behalf of the emperor. Tao-di must have some control over him if he’s willing to give him free access. An interrogation takes time and will only make it more likely for information to leak to Tao-di.”

“But Chu Lun will not be able to enter the inner palace based on his identity alone.” A-Yi said. “If I don’t see the old emperor, I’ll not be able to tell exactly where the evil spirit is hiding within the palace.”

“That’s why Liu Chengde has to die.” Cang Ji took Jing Lin’s handkerchief and said, “It’s only if he dies that our ‘Liu Chengde’ can enter without any fear.”

As soon as the words left Cang Ji’s mouth, he saw Jing Lin’s appearance change into that of “Liu Chengde”. He had interacted with Liu Chengde for so long today that imitating him for just a moment would be more than sufficient to pass himself off as the real deal.

♦     ♦     ♦

It was midnight when there was a knock on the courtyard gate. The gate was bolted from the inside, and it took quite a while before it was unlatched. A eunuch with a wooden expression stood outside the gate. When he saw the door open, he pointed a finger towards a sedan chair. “Liu Chengde” stepped out of the door and bent over to enter the sedan. The sedan chair jerked and began to move forward at full speed.

The sedan bearers’ feet never touched the ground as they crossed the streets under the thick cover of the night all the way to the palace gate. The eunuch accompanying the sedan followed closely behind with swift steps to protect the man within. When the sedan arrived at its destination, it sank to the ground again. The eunuch lifted the curtain to stare at a sleepy Liu Chengde and stepped aside as a signal for him to get off the sedan.

Jing Lin lifted the hem of his robe, got off the sedan, and lowered his head to follow the eunuch. The eunuch carried his horsetail whisk¹ over an arm, while someone else at his side with a lantern in hand led the way to a richly ornamented hall. Jing Lin’s eyes lingered on the eunuch’s shoes and noted how the soles of his shoes never touched the earth. Some guesses about the eunuch’s real form started forming in his mind.

The eunuch proceeded with his head lowered until he came to their destination less than an hour later. He flicked his horsetail whisk and stepped aside for Jing Lin to move past. Jing Lin ascended the stairs, but before he could come to a standstill, he heard the man inside say, “There’s no need to kneel. Come in and talk.”

Jing Lin recognized this as the old emperor’s voice, so he stepped across the threshold to enter. The hall was still as dimly lit, and the old emperor was reclining against the dragon throne.² A beautiful woman was kneeling by his feet, presenting a fruit with both her hands beside the emperor’s hand. Her bare back looked as if it was carved out of jade. She was shivering, although Jing Lin did not know if it was out of cold or fear.

The old emperor snorted. He plucked out a fruit, threw it at Jing Lin’s robe, and said, “You have been here for so long, and you still haven’t grown some guts. Look at you cowering. Are you afraid I’ll eat you?”

“Liu Chengde” held the fruit and repeatedly uttered, “I wouldn’t dare”. The old emperor said, “You sound like you have fallen ill. When you leave later, get an imperial physician to take a look.” His compassion ended here, and he followed up with a question, “Have you found anyone these days?”

“Liu Chengde” replied in a fluster. “I’ve found a fine-looking one from the north. Do you wish to take a look?”

The old emperor patted the beauty at his feet with the back of his hand and commanded her to show her face to Liu Chengde. He said, “If she’s not as comparable as this one, then there’s no need to send her over.”

The beauty’s face reddened from his pats. She lowered her eyes and shrank back, and a fruit in her palm tumbled off. She did not dare to pick it up nor looked at the old emperor in the eyes. The next thing she knew, the palm on her cheek threw her a slap so hard that she fell over to the side on the ground and trembled.

“You can’t even hold a fruit.” The old emperor lowered his eyelids. “What’s the point of keeping you?”

On seeing this, “Liu Chengde” said in a quiet voice, “To answer Your Majesty, the new one I found isn’t just pretty, but very gentle too.”

The old emperor seemed to be listless. When he heard this, he rubbed the back of his hand impatiently and said,” Then present her to me quickly! Don’t make me wait.”

“Liu Chengde” bowed his head in compliance and hurriedly turned around to wave his hand at the attendant following behind him. This attendant signaled the eunuch with his eyes. The eunuch hurried down the stairs and detoured around the bricked path to receive the person from the sedan that had just arrived.

The old emperor’s eyes wandered. He asked abruptly, “Why aren’t you using the men assigned to you?”

“Liu Chengde” replied in trepidation. “They have been following me for the whole day, so I told them to rest for tonight. This man was transferred over from my hometown. He knows some martial arts, but he’s deaf.”

“Knows some martial arts.” The old emperor sneered. “Is he better than those few I gave him? Could it be that you are plotting something after having grown tired of being watched by me?”

“Liu Chengde” nearly fell to his knees out of fright and maintained “I dare not” in a panicked voice. Sweat poured off him as he explained himself until the old emperor’s mood turned for the better. The old emperor glanced at the attendant a few times and saw him standing blankly behind the drapery. He dropped the matter after noting how wooden and slow-witted he looked.

Just then, the eunuch brought in the new beauty. The old emperor looked through the dim light and vaguely caught sight of the shiny hairpin on that willowy figure who was paying her obeisances. That slightly exposed nape piqued his interest. He sat upright a little more and ordered the figure to raise her head.

A-Yi suppressed his urge to fly into a rage as he assessed Cang Ji’s fist out of the corner of his eyes. Left without a choice, he forced a smile and slowly raised his head to cast a shy, dainty smile at the old emperor.

His smile was like the sparkles of jewels brightening up the entire chamber. Even Tao Zhi, who was used to seeing beauties, could not tell for a moment that this person was a man. Through the old emperor’s skin, Tao Zhi lifted his fingers to caress Ah Yu from his bangs to his neck. There was not a spot he did not cherish; every single spot made his throat dry.

“Liu Chengde” lost no time in asking. “How does Your Majesty find him?”

This was actually a question for A-Yi. A-Yi exchanged glances with the emperor and saw his dark forehead and malevolent eyes. His entire body seemed to be shrouded in a black fog. Thus he lowered his head even more bashfully as a nod in response to Jing Lin’s question.

“During the morning court tomorrow, take the prefectural yamen from the north with you to receive your reward!” Tao Zhi clapped his hands together and sighed. “I will reward you heavily!”

Without waiting for Jing Lin to say his thanks, he grasped A-Yi by the hand. The sight of A-Yi’s side profile dazzled him, and he kept addressing A-Yi as “darling” as he pulled A-Yi towards the inner chamber.

Tao Zhi kneaded A-Yi’s hand and found it a little large, but it was so slender and pretty that it did not seem to be the hands of a laborer. He felt around his hand a few times, then wrapped his arm around A-Yi’s waist only to realize how slender it was. He took a sniff at the scent of rouge on A-Yi, completely entranced by his every frown and smile.

Good Heavens!

A-Yi was shocked. He had never expected himself to be pretty to such an extent. So it turned out that he had been underestimating himself all these while!

The old emperor led A-Yi inside. A-Yi twisted his body around to pinch his throat as he daintily and gently shoved the old emperor’s chest. He chided, “Your Majesty is too impatient.”

Tao Zhi caught his hand and caressed A-Yi’s wrist, kneading it as if he was flirting with him. He said, “I’ve been waiting for so many days just for you. The night is short. We shouldn’t delay.”

A-Yi wanted to contend further. But the hand that was grasping him suddenly tightened its grip until it was almost dragging him to the bed to pin him down. Even though Tao Zhi was clouded by lust, he did not forget to keep track of the time. The foundation for his cultivation had been unstable when he escaped from the Blood Sea. His current foundation was one stabilized by eating humans in the mountain city. Later on, he had come to the capital and devoured half of the Goddess Shengyue’s body, expecting to have the ability to swallow up Heaven. He never expected Shengyue’s foundation to have already withered to the point that it could not even maintain his current body. So he cultivated the evil path and relied on these beauties to sustain himself. If his interest was piqued, he would use them. When his interest waned, he would eat them. The only thing was that he had a penchant to do things by the timing. It would not do for him be a minute quicker, or even an instant slower.

A-Yi was pinned face down onto the bedding. The fury rose within him as soon as his face scraped against the bedding. He detested this evil spirit. This lecher loves screwing around so much that who knew how many people had lain here before? How dare he let him sleep on it?! 

A-Yi’s wrists hurt, but he could not break free no matter how he struggled, so he slammed the back of his head into Tao Zhi’s face. Tao Zhi hissed in pain and released his hands. A-Yi lifted his skirt and turned around to stomp on Tao Zhi’s chest, sending him crashing into the table and chairs, overturning them.

Tao Zhi realized that the situation did not bode well as he rolled on the floor. He lifted his arm, wanting to summon his men. A-Yi went up to him and stomped down on him, and several golden patterns smashed into Tao Zhi’s back. This golden, glittering spell was not effective on the grass spirit, but to an evil spirit, it was no different from being branded by a smoldering iron.³

Tao Zhi’s back was so badly scalded that it melted. He sucked in a breath and bellowed, “The Brahma Altar Buddhist scripts!”

A-Yi stepped on his wrist and said hatefully, “How very gutsy of you to take liberties with me! You even dare to provoke me! I’ll smash you into oblivion today!”

The flesh and skin on Tao Zhi’s back split open from the searing heat. He shook and jerked himself free of the “old emperor’s” skin as if he were molting. Black fog intensified and surged towards A-Yi in an embrace. With a lightning move of his hands, A-Yi formed a seal. The golden Sanskrit scripts spun around him and shocked the black fog three chi⁴ back in a retreat!

♦     ♦     ♦

The eunuch outside jerked his horsetail whisk, but he did not expect to be interrupted midway by someone else. In the blink of an eye, the deaf attendant stretched his arms and grew taller. That arm wrapped itself around the horsetail whisk. Without waiting for the eunuch to retreat, he closed in before him and hauled the man up.

Jing Lin had already reverted to his original appearance. He pressed down on Cang Ji’s arm and said, “This is a bird of the Eastern Sea. You can’t eat it.”

Cang Ji thought he feared Zong Yin and asked, “Just because he’s a bird of the Hai Jiao, I can’t eat him?”

Jing Lin heard a tinge of aggrievement in his tone and said, “That isn’t it.”

Cang Ji said, “Then, I’m going to eat him?”

Jing Lin explained, “This bird loves to eat poison. Its flesh and blood have steeped in toxin for such a long time that it stinks.”

He had only just said that when he saw the horsetail whisk break into pieces. Before this eunuch bird could let out a warble, Cang Ji gently broke its neck. Jing Lin saw him gently put the bird back onto the ground before he gently released his hands. As if relieved of a heavy load, he said, “Luckily I didn’t crush it. The smell is still alright.”

Before either of them could continue, they heard the candlestick in the palace toppled over with a “crash”. The candle flame rolled and licked at the drapery. A-Yi still had the upper hand earlier, and now his pearl hairpin had fallen to the ground. Grasping his sleeves, he began to jump among the flames and said in horror, “Stop chit-chatting! Why are you two always doing things at inappropriate times?! My feathers are going to be burned!”

With that, he sprang three chi high and covered his ass while fleeing frantically and cursing, “Fucking son of a bitch! We are now sworn enemies since you dare to lay your hands on my feathers! What are you guys waiting for? Hit him!”

The black fog charged forth, and Cang Ji dealt him a head-on blow. His strike stirred up a surge of wind, but his punch felt as if it had sunk into cotton. A face loomed out of the fog and clung on to Cang Ji’s arm, saying, “You came at the right time. If I can devour you, no one in the Three Realms will be able to take me down!”

Scales instantly covered Cang Ji’s arms, but the sinister cold grazed its way into his flesh along the gaps between the scales. Half of Cang Ji’s body sank as he was almost dragged into the black fog.

A-Yi fumed. “Bite him!”

Cang Ji steadied his lower body and swiftly threw himself to the floor. He gripped the face in the fog and slammed it onto the ground. The bricks cracked. The face had been pummeled until its appearance was indistinguishable.

“Why isn’t he devouring that evil spirit?” A-Yi slapped away at the fire anxiously. “He could even devour Zui Shan Seng. Don’t tell me he’s afraid of the evil spirit?!”

Jing Lin clapped A-Yi on his back shoulder, and A-Yi felt the powerful force of the wind as it pushed him towards the black fog. Buddhist scripts surged forth like a golden chain coiling around the black fog to cage him within.

“He’s not afraid.” Jing Lin said. “He just dislikes the stink.”

拂尘 Horsetail whisk. Eunuchs in those days carried a horsetail whisk with them wherever they went. They usually followed the emperor around to serve him, and the horsetail would come in handy when they need to dust seats clean for the emperor whenever the emperor wants to take a seat

龙椅 Dragon throne, the imperial throne of the emperor.

铁烙 iron branding is one of the tortures in ancient China where a piece of scorching iron is seared into the flesh. Slaves are also sometimes branded to mark them as their owner’s ‘properties’.

尺 a Chinese foot; one-third of a meter

Chapter 66: Played For The Fool

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

The chain of Buddhist scripts caged Tao Zhi within. Like ice thawing, the black fog suddenly melted into the Cang Ji’s arm. Cang Ji’s right arm felt as if it were being irrigated with metal. He watched Tao Zhi’s countless faces swept towards him in a whirl. Jing Lin flipped A-Yi around right at once, and the golden chain immediately twisted and tightened itself around Tao Zhi, causing those spreading faces of his to pull back and transformed into a person again.

Waves of the cold washed over Cang Ji’s scales. The facial features on Tao Zhi’s face, which he had been wrestling down in his palm, changed suddenly. He spread his arms open and waved his sleeves. A stench burst out of his sleeves—as it turned out, they were the hundreds of demons he had devoured into his belly. Cang Ji steadied the golden chain with one hand and gave it a sudden jerk that yanked Tao Zhi’s entire body up. The next moment, a massive force toppled Tao Zhi over. Countless demons swarmed against the flow as if they were being sucked into the abyss. In the blink of an eye, they were all crushed in mid-air. Following his victory, Cang Ji pressed home his advantage and stirred up a monstrous wave of spiritual energy with his arms. The howling wind sent the newly constructed palace chamber toppling like a deck of cards.

Tao Zhi could not flee, so he could only bear the brunt of this force within the restraint of the golden chain. He feared Cang Ji because he had seen how much Cang Ji resembled Cangdi. The mouth of that dragon could swallow the four seas, and his vital energy could accommodate hundreds of rivers. He was a character who was even better than him at devouring all living creatures. He might have just received a heavy blow to the chest, but he could sense that Cang Ji did not seem to be as terrifying as he had imagined.

Tao Zhi’s handsome face was pale, yet he laughed. “Good one there! Had it not been for our exchange of blows today, I’d still think that you had the ability to evolve into a dragon with the ability to devour all living creatures. Who would know that you are just an imposter?!”

Cang Ji cut off Tao Zhi’s retreat route and said, “It will only go according to your wishes if I become a dragon. As it happens, I like to be a fish!”

“Excellent!” Tao Zhi said, “I’m the blade, and you are the fish!¹ Isn’t that wonderful?!”

As soon as he said that, both of them rose into the air together. Tao Zhi’s body moved like the flowing wind. If he could not withstand Cang Ji’s blows, he would transform into the wind to dodge his attacks. Although Cang Ji was never hurt, he could not injure Tao Zhi either. It seemed like this was going to be a bitter, never-ending battle. But just then, they heard a storm rose under the darkness of the night along with the ringing of the swaying copper bell.

When the sound of the copper bell appeared, Jing Lin sensed an immeasurable amount of spiritual energy abruptly gushing out from his spiritual sea. Immediately right after, a whirling Yan Quan materialized in the hollow of his chest. Spiritual energy congregated beside his waist into the shape of a sword scabbard. Jing Lin pushed the blade out with his thumb and saw that Yan Quan was already able to take on a solid form even though it was still mottled and rusty.

Tao Zhi’s ears twitched. He swiftly transformed into a black fog and rammed against the golden chain. It was becoming harder for A-Yi to sustain the spell. He shouted, “He is going to break out!”

The sky clouded over as thunder and lightning flashed. Dust swirled all over the collapsed ruins, while summer insects leaped all around.

Cang Ji seized the black fog with his arm. There seemed to be something clasped in his palm. He pulled it out forcefully and saw Tao Zhi throwing him a smile.

“You want to be a fish. How can you be a fish? Jing Lin harbors ulterior motives. Did you know? Back then, he harmed…” The black fog suddenly surged forth towards Cang Ji and enveloped him. Tao Zhi whispered into Cang Ji’s ear. “He harmed you!”

There was a flash of light from a sword as Jing Lin threw himself into the fog. He grabbed hold of the back of Cang Ji’s collar and bumped into his back.

“An evil spirit messes with your mind.” Jing Lin nailed his sword into the ground at his feet, and azure light under his soles shone to disperse the darkness. With his back sticking to Cang Ji’s back, he said in a steady tone, “Don’t listen to him.”

Tao Zhi’s laughter circled around them. One moment, he took on Jing Lin’s appearance. The next moment, he reverted to his own looks. His voice was different every time as if he was swapping voices with hundreds of people.

“Listen.” Tao Zhi said to Cang Ji. “He’s flustered and frightened. How can you believe him? Perhaps he treats you tenderly… But he does that when he’s making use of others. He’ll get a hold over you and control you… How could you still believe him?!”

A fine, bloodied wound appeared on Cang Ji’s arms where he had been scratched. He thought nothing of it and did not even bother to wipe it. He merely said, “Don’t tell me I’m supposed to believe you if I don’t believe him?”

“You and I are both demons.” Tao Zhi landed on the ground and looked back. It was Jing Lin’s face. He said, “You and I are kindred spirits.”

“You and I are different.” Cang Ji said.

Tao Zhi looked heavyhearted as he said in a mild tone, “How are we different? You eat others to increase your cultivation. I eat others to increase my cultivation, too. Has Jing Lin instigated you for so long that you can’t even remember who you are anymore?”

Cang Ji was conscious of the fact that Jing Lin had gone silent behind him. That was how he knew that both of them had sunk into a formless mass of chaos amidst this evil spirit’s swirling fog. It had also cut their senses off from one another.

“So, you know who I am too?”

“Not only that.” Tao Zhu laughed suddenly. “I know even more.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“You might as well watch it.” Tao Zhi’s voice sounded far away and distant. “See for yourself.”

The bloodied wound on Cang Ji’s arm blackened slightly. He looked up and saw that his surroundings had been swallowed up by the black fog. All he could see was billowing clouds of smoke. He was about to shout for Jing Lin when he saw Jing Lin descending from the myriads of human shadows above his head.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s white robe fluttered as he walked unhurriedly amidst the drizzle. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw the door and windows in the hall wide open. His various brothers all put on different expressions as they stared coldly at him. His shoulders were already soaked from the rain. A few wisps of hair hung over them, fluttering in the wind.

The Supreme Father on the seat remained silent. Jing Lin kneeled out of his own accord at the foot of the stairs. His knees knocked against the azure slabstone, and his kneeling pose exposed his entire back and nape to the rain. As if sensing this somber atmosphere, the Heavens sent the rain pouring even harder, turning it from a drizzle as light as ox’s fur into a downpour of jade pearls that soaked Jing Lin’s robe through.

“You are so mighty now that you no longer need others’ guidance. Lord Linsong has such an impressive reputation that it won’t be long before he may even abandon his father, brothers, and teachers.” The Supreme Father took a sip of tea, brushed the foam away, and continued unhurriedly, “No one in Heaven and Earth can manage you now.”

Jing Lin lowered his head to look at the ground. The hair on his shoulders slid down.

“Please have mercy, Father. Although he made such a big mistake this time, he has his own difficulties! Today, everyone looks upon the Ninth Heaven Sect as a role model. All eyes are on each and every one of our brothers’ actions. Even if his method is ruthless, he has the best interests of the Ninth Heaven Sect at heart. It’s just that the grace of Father is as deep as the sea. He shouldn’t have acted on his own initiative and slain first before he made a report!” Li Rong turned to kneel on the ground and braced his arm to intercede. “Jing Lin! Aren’t you going to acknowledge the error of your ways?!”

Jing Lin pursed his lips. Rainwater trickled down his cheeks, but he maintained his silence. The rain came down in heavy torrents, drenching Jing Lin all over. Yan Quan Sword clung to his back. The rain washed away the traces of the mundane world on the sword scabbard, exposing more of its frigid aura.

A man under the eaves said in a cold voice, “Acted on his own initiative? How is he acting on his own initiative? He is obviously plotting something else! As much as Tao-di may be immoral, he is still Father’s son. Father is the one who decides on all matters regarding the Ninth Heaven Sect. For hundreds of years, nobody has overstepped this authority before! If he has the audacity to act on his own initiative and kill Tao-di today, then he will be able to act on his own initiative to kill all of us in the future! A brother is gone just like that. If others were to see this, they would think that it’s only Jing Lin’s words that matter now in our Ninth Heaven Sect!”

“Don’t spout nonsense!” Li Rong bellowed to stop him. “Even if Jing Lin’s action is wrong, he would not harbor another motive! Father nurtured him all these years; he knows him best!”

“I’m spouting nonsense?” The man under the eaves gave a cold snort. He flung his sleeves and swiftly descended the stairs to stand before Jing Lin. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Spit it out! How did you kill Tao-di? Did you pierce his heart in just one stab without giving him a chance to say a word?! If you weren’t up to something, then why are you so anxious for him to die? You could have taken him back and handed him over to Father to deal with. Or did you think Father could not tell right from wrong and let him off lightly?!”

“He wouldn’t know which question to answer if you keep on bombarding him with questions like a firecracker.” Yun Sheng said gently. “Jing Lin, why didn’t you escort Tao-di back? There are too many people in the north, each with their own version of the story. And we are just at the point of time to negotiate with Cangdi. Everything must be handled with care.”

Jing Lin’s lips turned white. He lifted his hand to remove the dagger at the side of his waist and laid it across the ground. He said, “Father.”

Under the clamor of the rain, he raised his head and stared coldly at the man on the seat.

“Tao Zhi took along this dagger and acted under orders to guard the north. Lan Hai put in all his effort to forge this dagger before he left. I’ve brought it back in the hope of returning and presenting it before Lan Hai’s grave. Tao Zhi killed humans like flies while he resided in the north, so I executed him—Should I not have killed him?”

A chilly silence descended upon the courtyard the moment the words left his mouth. A clap of thunder boomed through the sky, sending the Supreme Father’s mood oscillating.

“How can you be so cold?!” The man before Jing Lin took a few steps back. “Even if Tao-di commits a mistake, he’s still our brother. It’s kinship forged over hundreds of years! And yet you simply just killed him at the drop of a hat without even blinking your eyes…”

Jing Lin coldly shifted his gaze. He suddenly rose to his feet, like a towering mountain ridge rising in the rain.

“Tao Zhi raped and killed a woman and forcibly abducted the innocent. Anyone who attempted to advise or admonish him, or intended to report back, all met their ends under his sword. Dare I ask where my fault lies in killing him? Today, he violated the laws of Heaven and treated human lives with utter disregard. The death of someone who rebelled is not to be regretted. Any other brothers who degenerate into evil in the future – regardless of my proximity with them – I, Jing Lin, will draw my sword and face them off, never to let it rest.”

The entire courtyard of people was horrified upon hearing this. They had never expected Jing Lin to be serious in disregarding the brotherhood between them. He could even voice out such treacherous words. Li Rong knew that this did not bode well. Sure enough, he saw the Supreme Father’s face turned livid as he slammed the table and stood up.

“Then.” The Supreme Father enunciated each word. “You would even kill me too?!”

Jing Lin gazed at him as he stood in the rain. It seemed as if he was always like this—in a place far beyond the others’ reach, running counter to tens of thousands of people. He knew that he must not continue this conversation. Yet, he suddenly felt at a loss.

There were many things he did not understand. At the same time, there were many people who did not understand him.

“Father!” Li Rong kowtowed to the ground. “How can an unfilial son who has no respect for the law be compared to Father? Jing Lin’s execution of Tao-di was dictated by circumstances and in accordance with the righteous way! Tao-di resided in the north, taking on the important duty of appeasing Cangdi. But he ignored his teachings and indulged in carnal pleasure! Bearing his sword, Jing Lin headed north and saw how the cities and towns within thousands of li² had all fallen into ruins. There were untold suffering everywhere Tao-di went. If we were to turn a blind eye to these acts, then how would others look upon our Ninth Heaven Sect?”

“Father had set up demarcation control in the north. If Tao-di was guilty of evil conduct, how could we have known nothing about it?! I’m afraid it’s just someone secretly colluding with Cangdi to take possession of the north!”

“Jing Lin and Cangdi do not know each other.” Li Rong said, “San-di’s³ words are too far-fetched to be believed.”

“Whether they don’t know each other or are just pretending not to be acquainted, he’s the one who knows it best.” San-di’s gaze was venomous. “Your discussion to draw him over to our side the last time fell through. But Jing Lin went for only half a month, and Cangdichanged his attitude and disinclination to rope us in. Wouldn’t it be precisely because someone is working hard behind the scenes that he would change tack on a whim?”

“Tao-di often resides in the north right next to Cangdi. Even if there is something, it wouldn’t have to do with Jing Lin!” Li Rong said, “Tao-di massacred cities and towns. This is absolutely not something the Ninth Heaven Sect has taught!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji was observing Jing Lin’s side profile when he heard Tao Zhi speak into his ear. “Do you understand now? From this moment onwards, both of them have been working together to do you harm!”

Cang Ji asked, “What has it got to do with me?”

“You have been hoodwinked by Jing Lin’s honeyed words. You thought that he was truly willing to think of your best interests, that’s why you let your guard drop against that Li Rong. But how laughable that both of them had not been upfront with you. If it wasn’t for Jing Lin’s bewitching you, how would you have suffered such torment?!” Tao Zhi transformed into the shape of a young man as he spoke. He stared at the same scene and said in a faint voice, “Jing Lin killed me to silence me. Li Rong was the most vicious to besmirch me just because I couldn’t speak for myself! I might have toyed around with those decent families when I lived in the north, but I have never carried out a massacre!”

“Every scene we saw are but mere illusions.” Cang Ji said, “I don’t believe you.”

Tao Zhi raised his head and laughed out loud. When he stopped, he was as cold as a withered tree. He said, “That’s right. You don’t believe it. You just need to remember this scene. Remember this one time. When you recall this after evolving into a dragon, you will know who is telling the truth today.”

“Evolve into a dragon.” Cang Ji breathed out lightly. The Jing Lin in the scene glanced over blankly as if the breath of wind had brushed against him. Cang Ji ruminated over the expression on this youth’s face and said, “I’ve been hearing this recently. Why is everyone saying that I’m going to evolve into a dragon? A pity I’m convinced now that it’s happier to be a fish. Why would I want to be a dragon? Someone else had already been one several hundred years ago. All along, I have been unwilling to submit to others. There’s no way I can afford to take up the challenge with a dead man.”

Tao Zhi let out a scornful laugh upon hearing this. With a few swaying steps, he floated in the rain. He suddenly said, “You must evolve into a dragon. Ever since I saw you with him, I took a peek at the Will of Heaven. Our fates are all preordained. No one can escape from it! Both of them slandered me back then. I’ll never let it go.”

“You want to leave before you finish speaking?” Cang Ji’s fingertips transformed into claws. Under Tao Zhi’s gaze, he gouged out the contaminated and blackened flesh on his arm. Evil ran unbridled in his eyes. “Is this mass of flesh and blood a souvenir for me?”

Tao Zhi watched as he gouged out his own flesh with nary a furrow of his brows. Even as he let the blood drip, he continued talking and laughing as if nothing had happened. Tao Zhi could not help but transform into fog out of fear and pounced on him head-on.

“No matter how novel a new trick is, it will not work if you use it too many times. Others will get sick of it.”

Cang Ji scraped the fog apart with his scaly claws and listened to the thunderous sound of tearing as he devoured the black fog into his tummy, like a hundred streams of rivers returning to the sea. Tao Zhi’s main body had been evolved into Shengyue’s divine body, so he was not afraid of getting ripped apart by Cang Ji. But Tao Zhi had barely escaped by the skin of his teeth to steal the cultivation in this body. If he lost it, getting it all back would be even harder than ascending Heaven.

Tao Zhi instantly revealed the savage, beastly appearance of the evil spirit. It tore at the bloodied flesh Cang Ji had gouged out earlier with its teeth and gulped it down. Then it pounced, intending to fight a life-and-death battle with Cang Ji until one of them was devoured.

The meat on the back of Cang Ji’s original brocade carp had been gnawed off. The sounds of the black fog chewing and sliding scales mingled into one. It gradually became harder to see where Cang Ji was.

The copper bell jerked with a “buzz”. Azure light beneath his foot blazed so brightly that the writhing of the black fog was conspicuous. Thunder rumbled in the sky. Amidst the rainstorm, Yan Quan left its sheath bearing a malicious aura along with it. The sound of its blade sliced through the wind and pierced through the night, cutting his face. Tao Zhi suddenly shrank back and laughed at Cang Ji.

“See!” Tao Zhi’s hair was disheveled as he hissed amidst the swishing sound of Jing Lin’s sword. “He doesn’t even care about you when he wants to kill someone. He’s merciless!”

Cang Ji broke one of his arms. When he looked back, the glint of the sword was already right before his eyes. He felt its impact on his back, and then the gale began to wreak havoc as the resulting wind from the sword ripped the clothes on his back to pieces. Yan Quan’s blade pressed against his skin and sliced its way in. Cang Ji was caught off guard as the sudden pain assaulted his back. In a split second, his spiritual sea surged against the flow, and he immediately choked on his blood. Tao Zhi seized the opportunity to rally himself and widened his mouth to tear at Cang Ji’s arm until it was drenched in blood!

“He harmed you once.” Tao Zhi giggled. “And he will still harm you again.”

我为刀俎, 你为鱼肉 literally translated as “I’m the knife and chopping board; you’re the fish meat”. It means to be the meat on someone’s chopping block, i.e., (fish) to be at someone’s (blade) mercy.

里, li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500m

Third Younger Brother

Chapter 67: Coax

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

The fog dissipated. Blood dripped down from Yan Quan’s slanting blade and soaked Jing Lin’s sleeve red. Without even blinking his eyes, he pulled his blade out. Cang Ji staggered. Blood gushed out and dampened his entire back. His body toppled over to the ground. Jing Lin quietly swung his blade as the blood spattered at his feet. His robe remained untainted as he stepped over Cang Ji and walked towards Tao Zhi.

Crying and laughing, Tao Zhi said, “I’ve seen with my own eyes today how heartless you are. Jing Lin, the path of the Way¹ is bumpy. No wonder Father gives you special treatment. Because you are the only one who can be ruthless to such an extent.”

“A life for a life.” Jing Lin was expressionless. “I can give my life all to him. But if I miss this moment, I’ll never find another good opportunity to kill you.”

“And so you stab him in the back!” Tao Zhi covered his face to hide his appearance. Having been disfigured because of the earlier attack, he immediately moved to dodge and said, “Everyone in this world can be the sword in your hands, the road under your feet. You defended the Way until you have lost your mind. You have gone off the deep end!”

“That’s right.” Jing Lin stood under the darkness of the night and said, “Anyone who obstructs me from defending the Way, be it kin or friend, I’ll kill them all.”

“You are insane.” Tao Zhi stooped over as he stepped back and circled around Jing Lin with his unrecognizable face. He said in a hoarse voice, “You lunatic. You are the one who’s the evil spirit. You are the greatest devil in the world! Your conscience is all but gone… No, you are no longer a person. You are naturally lacking in feelings and desires. You are the perfect killing machine.”

Jing Lin turned his blade over, and cold light penetrated through the thickness of the night. His eyes were unfeeling, and his strikes, merciless. All at once, his sleeves went flapping in the wind. Between the glints of his sword, his strokes were as smooth as drifting clouds. Tao Zhi instantly drew his sword and crossed swords with Jing Lin. The sound of blades colliding reverberated through the air.

“Back then, my skills were not up to par, and I deserved what was coming! But you and Li Rong kept pushing the blame for the massacre of the city to me. Is this the ‘Way’ you speak of?” Tao Zhi forced Jing Lin back a few steps. With their blades between them, he vented his hatred. “The land in the north is so vast that Ninth Heaven Sect couldn’t interfere. You know jolly well who carried out a massacre of the entire city! To protect his reputation, you made me out to be unpardonably wicked. Is this the Way? How is this also the Way?! It’s just the most shameless deception of all!”

Jing Lin’s one-handed attack almost sent Tao Zhi’s long sword flying out of his hand. His expression was as still as water as he remained unmoved.

“You tricked him into treating you as his confidant by virtue of such deceit. But he never expected that you and Li Rong would join forces to slay him in just a blink of an eye!” A blossom of blood burst forth from Tao Zhi’s palm. He swiftly retreated a few steps and said, “So I see, so I see! What’s your reason for being this ruthless? The position of the Lord of the Three Realms?! Oh, Jing Lin, how ludicrous. How laughable that you never expected Li Rong to turn against you eventually because of this! What a waste of all your machinations. In the end, you helped another man accomplish his aim and got yourself reduced to such a state!” He kicked Cang Ji and said coldly, “He no longer remembers his past. That’s why he let you play him for the fool yet again. How marvelous. Jing Lin, look at how shrewd you are. You said I regard others as animals, but so do you!”

“Look at you taking up the cudgel for him.” Jing Lin closed in on him. “Why not just kill me now to pay with my life for his? Who would have thought that you would still think of Cangdi this much even after a journey through the Blood Sea?”

Tao Zhi kept retreating. His breathing was unstable. Spiritual energy kept leaking out of the gash Cang Ji had torn apart, making it inadvisable for him to engage in a long battle. Yet he kept on spouting nonsense, clearly trying to drag the battle on.

Jing Lin looked coldly at the sky and said, “The reinforcements are in Heaven? Who guided you through the Blood Sea? Who gifted you the paper talisman of a drawn deity? Why don’t you call him down tonight to meet me?”

“I’m afraid you don’t even dare to meet him!”

Tao Zhi suddenly drew the heavenly thunder forth and flung the electric python towards Jing Lin with a fling of his sword. Gravel whirled around them, with Heaven and Earth sandwiching Jing Lin in between. A thunderstorm came bearing down on them, dumping the roaring and distorting streaks of lightning all onto Jing Lin. Jing Lin’s sleeves went flapping in the air. Azure light beneath his soles intertwined to trace out the patterns of a massive talisman which floated in the air to receive the blow from the earth-shattering thunderbolt.

During the interval Jing Lin caught the strike, A-Yi transformed into a five-colored bird² and took to the air with a cry. His long feathers appeared in the sky, gorgeous and dazzling. He bore his way through the thunder and lightning and coiled the golden chain of Buddhist scripts in his mouth around Tao Zhi, preventing the latter from rising into the air.

Tao Zhi’s face was drained of all colors. He stepped on the ground, wanting to flee. He did not expect his ankle to be grasped in a tight hold. Cang Ji, who had been lying motionless for a long time, instantly opened his eyes and struck the ground with one arm. Cracks immediately appeared on the ground, sending exploding earth and dust all over. The whole ground suddenly caved in. Even the stone slabs were crushed into powder. Tao Zhi could not react in time and was dragged into the collapsing ruins. Repeating the same trick, he transformed into a fog and fled.

Yan Quan Sword stirred up a violent wind in a sudden sweep of attack!

Tao Zhi rolled across the ground in pain and turned back into human form. With a tap of his foot, Cang Ji sprang. Seeing Tao Zhi turning over to get to his feet, he grabbed hold of the back of Tao Zhi’s head with his claw and slammed him back down onto the ground. Right at once, Tao Zhi coughed out filthy blood. The back of his head felt as if Mount Tai³ was pressing down on it, immobilizing him.

Tao Zhi spat, “To think I even cursed him for you. You actually joined hands with him to deceive me!”

“There is a difference between kin and stranger. One needs to distinguish between insiders and outsiders.” Cang Ji leaned over. “I don’t believe a single word of everything you have said.”

Blood oozed out of Tao Zhi’s mouth. He knew he could not escape this time, so he whispered in a hoarse voice. “You don’t believe me? The man who killed you five hundred years ago is Jing Lin! You’ve been hoodwinked by him! And you are still willing to believe him!”

“There are millions upon millions of people coming and going in this world. The only one I trust is him.” Cang Ji tightened his grip. “Who do you think you are? Who are you to dream of driving a wedge between us with just your words?”

Tao Zhi coughed violently. All he swallowed was blood. He said, “How do you know he won’t lie to you? Haha! You fool! How would you know he won’t deceive you?! You wait. Just you wait. One day, you will come to regret today!” He summoned up an iota of strength to lift his head a little and exerted all his force to shout, “It’s true that I, Tao Zhi, have killed humans! But I have never massacred a city! There is no spot in this world that doesn’t abide and abet evildoers and evildoings. And yet there is no room for me? Jing Lin, I’m waiting for you—I’m waiting for you to pay with your life…”

Tao Zhi’s voice ceased abruptly. Yan Qian Sword moved in to stab him, and the golden chain above came smashing down at the sound of the impact. Fire broke out everywhere. Cang Ji released his hand among the fire and tilted his head to lick away the bloodstains on his fingertips.

If he deceives me one day.

Cang Ji stared at Jing Lin as the latter walked towards him with an obscure gaze amidst the flickers of flames.

I’ll kill him, eat him, chew him into pieces. I’ll permit him to become one with me, so that he can never lie to me again. 

As if sensing this, Jing Lin leaned over to reach a hand out. Cang Ji did not want his hand. Instead, he fell into his arms.

“You stabbed me.” Cang Ji kept his head down and said, “My back is hurting all over. I’m too frightened to walk.”

He crashed into Jing Lin so hard that the latter coughed. Jing Lin dragged him under his arms and touched his back. He said, “You agreed not to eat him. Why did you still devour him?”

“I’m hungry.” Cang Ji simply lifted the hem of his clothes and pulled Jing Lin’s hand over to stroke his muscles. “I’ve lost this much blood. Oh, Jing Lin, I’m going to die.”

Jing Lin’s fingers touched the blood; it was wet and warm. He uttered his acknowledgment repeatedly, wanting to retract his hand. But Cang Ji would not let him go and instead led Jing Lin’s hand to feel him all over his body. He said, “It hurts so much here!” He sensed Jing Lin still trying to extract his hand and could not help but fumed. “Don’t you even feel a little heartache?!”

Jing Lin could bear it no longer. He propped his leg against Cang Ji’s abdomen and half-dragged and half-hugged him up. He said, “It’s easy for an evil spirit to invade the spiritual sea. If you don’t exorcise it fully, you will descend into the Way of Evil too.”

Cang Ji moved in closer to Jing Lin’s neck. His hair brushed against a spot. He said, “Then, give me a piggyback.”

All at once, Jing Lin, who had been lying on his sickbed for many years, started coughing incessantly. It was as if he would collapse to the ground the next moment. Even his footsteps grew feeble and unstable.

Cang Ji, “…”

♦     ♦     ♦

The lone candle flame burned in silence, and the damp and warm handkerchief wiped away all the filth. Cang Ji sprawled over the couch, while Jing Lin bent over to pick open his wound. He saw a black thread-like aura tightly clasped in between.

Cang Ji was dozing when there was searing heat on the back of his waist. He instantly propped himself up and hissed in exclamation. He said, “You are going to cook me first even before you scald that evil spirit to death.”

Jing Lin said, “Eat!”

Cang Ji collapsed back. The quilt only covered him below his waist. The contours from his shoulders to his waists were no doubt conspicuous with every one of his moves. He said, “He was a glutton for living humans, and he had also devoured Shengyue. It isn’t possible to burn him to death just with Buddhist scripts alone. But if he’s in my stomach, we can still do something in the future.”

Jing Lin held a knife between his fingers and picked at the black thread. The residual aroma of the wine was faintly discernible. Cang Ji turned his head to the side and said, “Come on up and sit.”

Jing Lin said, “There’s no space.”

Cang Ji said, “Such a big couch. Sit anywhere you like.”

This couch was not big at all. It was crammed with a small table crowded with small bottles and jars on it.⁴ If Jing Lin wanted to take a seat, then he could only sit on Cang Ji’s thighs. Otherwise, he could only stand. Thus, Jing Lin ignored him and crushed the azure talisman into the wine to heat the blade in. When he picked at the black thread again, he could hear the sound of it dissolving.

Cang Ji stretched out his arms and said, “Whoever stands is a fool.”

There was silence behind him for a moment, and then there was a sudden heaviness on his thighs as Jing Lin straddled him. When Jing Lin lowered his body again, his hair assailed the back of Cang Ji’s waist, tickling him so much that Cang Ji’s heart itched.

“You are as light as a bird.” Cang Ji said, “I haven’t been biting you lately. Why are you still so thin?”

“Too many worries.” Jing Lin’s hands were extremely steady. He must have done this to himself many times before.

“Worrying about who?” Cang Ji asked, despite knowing the answer. “A-Yi?”

Jing Lin gently patted his nape to indicate for him to behave himself and lie on his stomach. On the contrary, Cang Ji could not stop laughing. He asked, “Cangdi can do this too? Devour everything and anything?”

“Yeah.” Jing Lin thought of something and added, “… I’ve never seen him before.”

“Then why did you treat him that way?” Cang Ji glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes. “This person carries a lot of weight in your heart.”

Jing Lin did not answer and merely poured the wine nimbly to burn the evil aura. Cang Ji had been scalded until his forehead broke out in a sweat. He stared at the space before him and said, “Since he’s dead, then don’t remember him. What’s so good about a dead man? He can’t…”

Jing Lin suddenly leaned in close to him. Cang Ji sensed an icy softness landed near the stinging wound. He nearly propped himself up and turned his head back, but he froze mid-action, not daring to startle Jing Lin. The breath of chilly air Jing Lin gently blew out assaulted Cang Ji’s wound and made that painful scalding sensation vanish into thin air. Not only did it not hurt anymore, it almost made him sigh aloud.

“I stabbed you today.” Jing Lin whispered, “You can strike back.”

Cang Ji did not wipe away the droplets of sweat. He remained motionless.

Jing Lin lifted himself and said, “I have picked them all out. You’ll be fine after a night’s rest…”

The candlestick suddenly overturned and went out before it could burn out. The small table crashed over to the ground, knocking over the wine bottle. All at once, the aroma of wine permeated the entire room. Jing Lin had been flipped over and was now lying below with his wrist pulled apart. Five fingers forcefully inserted themselves between his fingers. Cang Ji pressed down on him with his bare arms and lowered his head to breathe close to him. The sweat that had yet to be wiped away dripped onto Jing Lin’s neck and trickled down his collarbone.

“You stabbed me once. This enmity is enough to make us sworn enemies.” Cang Ji said in a frosty voice. “You think it will make us square if I retaliate?”

With his hair splayed out over the couch, Jing Lin closed his eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m tired of hearing that.” Cang Ji pulled Jing Lin’s arms apart and said, “What’s the use of being sorry?!”

“Then tell me what you want.” Jing Lin’s half-opened eyes looked particularly perplexed in the darkness. “I’ll do it.”

“I’m in so much pain.” Cang Ji said into his ear. As his breath intertwined with Jing Lin’s, he led Jing Lin’s hand down to his abdomen.

Jing Lin said, “Is the evil spirit creating havoc? Don’t be afraid. I’ll…”

Cang Ji yanked his hand and tugged it further down. Jing Lin froze and Cang Ji pounced on him. Lips entwined as the tips of their noses rubbed against each other. Jing Lin’s breathing quickened as the only softness he had was coaxed and sucked. The blood rushed to his head, causing him to choke on saliva.

Cang Ji tightened his fingers around Jing Lin’s. His breathing was unstable. He snuggled up to him again and said vaguely, “A real man never goes back on his words. I’m leaving it in your hands.”

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道).

五色鸟 – technically, the words would translate to a barbet bird. But here, it refers to a mythical creature in Chinese mythology (to be revealed in later chapters, but the hint was already dropped. For now, I’ll stick to the original text and label it a ‘five-colored bird’).

泰山 Taishan, or Mount Tai, is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai’an, in Shandong province, China. It’s one of the Five Sacred Mountains of China.

榻, a long and narrow wooden couch that also functions as a bed. It’s possible to put a small table on it so it could seat two people on it with the table for tea, chessboard, and stuff.

Chapter 68: Husband And Wife

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Jing Lin once traveled north during the end of spring. He remembered the boat making a solitary journey among the vast expanse of water and clouds, where Heaven and Earth were of one hue. The front of his robe was damp with rain, and his wide-sleeves, infused with fragrance. Falling blossoms on both river banks caged in the long sword on his back. He looked into the water and saw that one side of the clouds had split into the character ‘八’ where a tail of black had merged into the sea of clouds.

Jing Lin could not help but look up at the tiered layers of clouds. The shadow of the dragon traversed the river, shrouding the small boat beneath it. The fine mist on the river moved along with the prodding of the wind. Jing Lin took a step to the side as his eyes followed the trajectory of the dragon’s shadow.

Jing Lin was in a daze when he heard the “jingle” of the copper bell secured on his wrist. He raised his hand for a look and saw a red thread leading from the hanging bell on his wrist into the layers of clouds.

Jing Lin did not know what this thread was.¹ He lifted his arm to pull at it and heard the cry of the dragon in the sky. The mist suddenly dispersed, and a pair of dragon eyes popped up before the boat. The water around him suddenly went splashing as canglong’s massive body plunged into the water. It encircled the boat within a square cun.²

The hairs on Jing Lin’s temples were slightly wet. Looking at the dragon’s eyes staring fixedly at him made him a little afraid. He wanted to retreat, but the red thread tightened around his wrist and pulled him, along with the boat, even closer to the dragon. Cold, wet, and slippery scales rubbed over his shoulders and arms. The massive body gradually tightened itself around him, holding Jing Lin in captivity. It was getting hard for Jing Lin to breathe. He could not help but cry out in pain. His palms pushed against dragon scales that were so hard and sharp they almost scratched his hands.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin suddenly opened his eyes. The flush had yet to fade away, and he was drenched in sweat. The world before him flashed by. He no longer knew what time it was. All he could see was Cang Ji’s bare shoulder as the latter sprawled over him. He closed his eyes to calm his breathing. It was only when he felt the pain on his waist from Cang Ji’s embrace that he realized where the realism in his dream had come from.

Jing Lin extracted a hand from the gap between them. As he brushed aside his tousled hair, he recalled something. Frowning, he sniffed at what seemed to be a lingering scent between his fingers. He looked around his wrist and saw that Cang Ji’s spiritual thread had bound him securely. His head could not help but hurt.

“Listen to you panting. What did you dream of?” Cang Ji’s eyes remained closed, but he had long woken up.

“A little of the past.” It felt heavy and hot atop Jing Lin’s body. He pushed Cang Ji’s shoulder and motioned him to get out of the way.

“Who did you dream of?” Cang Ji steadfastly stood his ground.

“… I don’t remember.” Jing Lin replied.

“If you want to lie the next time, don’t hesitate.” Cang Ji suddenly propped himself up and stared at Jing Lin. “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to.”

When Jing Lin saw the light leaking through the window, he turned around intending to get up. But there was a sudden weight on his waist as Cang Ji grabbed him and dragged him down under him.

“Who’s that important person?.” Cang Ji said, “Are you really not going to tell me? Then all the more I have to find out.”

Jing Lin said, “Telling you is not a problem, but let’s talk about it again after you put on a pair of pants?”

Cang Ji looked at him and said, “That won’t do. Once I put my clothes on, you’ll turn your back on me.”

Jing Lin sighed. “I dreamed of the scene during the time I was heading north. I saw canglong swimming amongst the clouds.”

On hearing that, Cang Ji straightened up and said, “This dragon sure has some special affinity with you.”

Jing Lin said, “A coincidence.”

“If coincidences in the world are so common, then I want to ‘coincide’ with you too.” Cang Ji took Jing Lin’s hand and pressed his nose against the latter’s palm to take a sniff at it. It was all his own scent. He said, “I feel so good when you did that last night. Do all humans know how to do that?”

Jing Lin’s fingertips curled a little. He replied, “… No idea.”

“I …” Cang Ji felt along Jin Lin’s fingertips all the way to his inner wrist and said in a low, ambiguous voice, “I want to play like this every day in the future.”

His breath was damp and hot. It made the strangulation marks on Jing Lin’s wrist itched a little. The heat from last night when he had done the job on behalf of a certain person materialized again on his cheeks. Jing Lin blocked his face with an arm, unwilling to respond. Thus Cang Ji gently nudged Jing Lin’s inner wrist with the tip of his nose, heating him up further as he breathed upon that snowlike skin. Sweating incessantly, Jing Lin bent his knees to put a little distance between them.

“Alright?” Cang Ji refused to budge. Pressing down on Jing Lin’s arm, he leaned over and asked, “Can we?”

The hair on Jing Lin’s temples had been tousled up from the nudges. Even if he closed his eyes, he could not shy away from being cornered like this. He wanted to say no, but Cang Ji sucked and nibbled his wrist, leaving a little tooth mark on the inside of his wrist. Jing Lin endured the pain and sucked in a breath, and Cang Ji repeated “alright?”. Jing Lin did not answer, and Cang Ji continued to nip him. From both of Jing Lin’s wrists to Jing Lin’s neck. Sharp teeth lingered at every spot that could be potentially exposed.

Jing Lin felt numb and painful. Just as Cang Ji was about to bite his nape, he finally let out a forceful “okay”. Then he said, “You have already grown this big. There are many things…” He hissed softly and grabbed Cang Ji’s hair. “That hurts!”

Cang Ji blew a breath on his nape and said, “I’m already this big, and there are many things you have not taught me. Like bedroom pleasures, right? I understand it. Zuo Qingzhou stripped off Qianyu’s clothes that day to do this.”

Jing Lin said, “The so-called bedroom pleasures should be a private matter between husband and wife. You and I are not husband and wife.”

“Since Zuo Qingzhou and Qianyu could do it, why not us?” Cang Ji felt that Jing Lin’s neck and shoulders did not seem to be the same as before. He wanted to take a bite everywhere, but he did not want to draw blood. He only wanted to bite him and leave his marks. Bite him until Jing Lin cried out in a hoarse voice.

“Zuo Qingzhou and Qianyu are different.” Jing Lin did not know how to explain it and could only give a vague answer.

“They are indeed different.” Cang Ji frowned and mulled it over. He said, “Unlike last night, they did not do what they did that day with their hands. Why did Zuo Qingzhou push Qianyu against the side of the bookshelf?” Jing Lin let out a muffled cough. Cang Ji pressed against him and asked, “Why can’t we do it? Besides using our hands, are there some other ways?”

Jing Lin said, “… No.”

“Then, what was that drawing?” Cang Ji wrapped his arms around him. “On the painting we saw in the brothel that day.”

When Jing Lin stretched his arm forward, he saw that his shoulder had reddened from the gnawing. He pulled out new clothes and draped it over Cang Ji’s head to cover it, then forcefully rubbed Cang Ji’s head through the clothes. Beneath the clothing, Cang Ji suddenly reached his hands up between Jing Lin’s palms and lifted a corner of the garment to cloak Jing Lin underneath too.

“What’s so hard about being husband and wife?” Cang Ji exchanged gazes with him at a close distance. “We can be husband and wife too.”

“For a fleeting illusion,³ you’d even entrust the remaining half of your life to others?” Jing Lin coolly took him by the chin. “You’ve only met a few people, and you already know the meaning of ‘husband and wife’.”

“You’ve met so many people, and yet you don’t seem like you understand it.” Cang Ji pressed in closer and persisted. “You teach me, and I, you. Isn’t that good?”

“What are you going to teach me?” Jing Lin let him draw closer.

“Something exhilarating.” Cang Ji’s lips parted slightly. “Something about treating each other with sincerity and honesty.”

“You and I have been pretty ‘sincere and honest’ with each other last night.” Jing Lin released his fingers. “I don’t want exhilaration.”

Cang Ji hooked Jing Lin’s little finger and said, “That won’t do. I want to give it to you. You have taught well last night. I like it very much.”

Jing Lin said, “Lust makes you lose your mind.”

“Then how could you simply beat a retreat? I’ve already lost my mind!” Cang Ji tore off the garment covering his head and continued, “My scent is all over your entire body, and you still want to keep it under wraps? I just have to see who still dares to be tactless and come between us! If a husband and wife do not do it, then so be it. But if you want to do it with someone else—Don’t even dream about it.”

Jing Lin shook open his clothes to put them on. Cang Ji noted his usual expression from his side profile and could not help but gnash his teeth again. He nailed down Jing Lin’s clothes with his elbow and demanded, “Turn your head around.”

With his clothes partially put on, Jing Lin turned his head. Without even thinking about it, Cang Ji kissed him hard on the corner of his lips. He was so domineering that he cut an imposing figure.

“I want to have fun doing even more deeds many times over with you.” Cang Ji said, “I don’t want anyone else.”

Jing Lin’s lips were slightly reddened, and the redness almost seemed to blossom at the corners of his eyes too. He asked, “You aren’t going to eat me anymore?”

“If I’m with you, I can still seek pleasure without eating you.”

Jing Lin fastened his buckle and rose to his feet. He said, “You better eat me as soon as you can, while it’s still boring.”

Seeing that he was going out, Cang Ji lay down and said, “My spiritual energy is secured on your wrist. You can’t leave my side more than ten steps away.”

Jing Lin looked back and said, “Get up. We’re still not done with the matter.”

♦     ♦     ♦

A-Yi apprehensively bit down on his steamed bun, unable to turn a blind eye to the obvious teeth marks on Jing Lin’s nape. He stabbed his own eyes, stomped his foot, and said, “The evil spirit has been subdued. I’m going do as I please now! Let’s part ways here!”

Cang Ji looked at him with some surprise. “The door is over there. Why are you still here?”

A-Yi glowered at him, “I helped you increase your cultivation by so much, and you are still driving me away!”

“That’s why I didn’t throw you out last night.” Cang Ji surveyed the palace and asked, “Now that the old emperor is dead, what will happen next?”

“He has countless sons. Just choose any of them, and that will settle it.” A-Yi wiped his hands clean and continued, “As per Jing Lin’s intent, I handed the letter to Chu Lun last night. But what if he becomes a second Liu Chengde?”

“Le Yan is in Huashang’s hands.” Jing Lin said, “If Chu Lun is consumed by his obsession again, there’s no way he can survive.”

“Strange.” A-Yi said, “Huashang has always deigned to associate with immortals. Why did she help you this time? Could it be that you have a past with her?”

“She isn’t helping me.” Jing Lin shifted his gaze and swept it across Cang Ji’s face. He paused for only a moment before he said to A-Yi, “After you return home, you don’t have to worry about your Ah Jie again. Yun Sheng’s transfer of her back to the Realm is definitely not a bad thing in the long run.”

“Then, where else are you heading?” A-Yi said, “Tao Zhi recognized you. There’ll be others who will recognize you too.”

But Jing Lin said, “I won’t be able to avoid it the way things stand now. There are too many matters that I don’t understand. I must get to the bottom of it for myself. Besides, unless my divine consciousness is obliterated, there will be people who can recognize me even if I re-enter the wheel of reincarnation.”

A-Yi felt bored when he heard this. He had been initially hoping that these two would not get close to him again. The suffering they had inflicted on him these days was more than enough. Especially Cang Ji. He could be said to be the person A-Yi did not want to see the most now.

“The mountains stand unchanged, and the rivers flow forever.”⁴ A-Yi retreated a few steps and transformed into a five-colored bird to soar into the sky. “As I wander carefree among Zhongdu, I hope to never see you both ever! Farewell!”

Once A-Yi left, Cang Ji said, “You sent him away so urgently… because you sensed something?”

Jing Lin buckled the golden chain A-Yi left behind and threw it into his sleeve. He said, “Evil spirits are not easy to eliminate. There is the Demarcation Division to keep watch from the top, while evil aura is difficult to suppress on the grounds. So Hui An came, and from then on, the Demarcation Division vanished without a trace. Then, A-Yi came too, and gifted us the golden chain of Buddhist scripts to subdue evil—This did not seem to be a coincidence; it’s more like Heaven is helping us.”

Cang Ji said, “Why is it that for someone who digs a pit every step we take, there’s also someone else building a bridge each step of the way? How surprising that those targeting Lord Linsong are actually not of the same gang.”

“It’s just a wild guess.” Jing Lin pulled down his sleeves to cover his wrists and said, “Qianyu hasn’t returned yet, so he must still be in the Underworld. The evidence Zuo Qingzhou collected over the years is all in his hand. If we want to seize the chance to root out the source of evil in this case, then we’ll need Zuo Qingzhou’s notes. Let’s go see Qianyu.”

“You deceived him into going to the Underworld Cang Ji asked, “What if he refuses to give it to us?”

“Sincerity will move even a heart of stone.” Jing Lin took a few steps down the stairs and said, “Perhaps I didn’t deceive him?”

“It may not be a bad idea to meet him.” Cang Ji said, “Coincidentally, I have something to ask him.”

Jing Lin was a little bothered about it. “What?”

Cang Ji placed his arms behind his head and snorted at Jing Lin. “Not telling you.”

Jing Lin, “…”

The red thread is a Thread of Fate or Marriage, which is used to connect and bring two destined lovers together.

方寸 square cun; Chinese unit of area: 1 cun × 1 cun, or 3⅓ cm × 3⅓ cm

一场春梦 a spring dream, or fleeting illusion. 春梦 also refers to wet/erotic dreams.

青山不改 ,绿水长流 (我们后会有期). Literally, just as the mountains stand unchanged and the waters flow forever, (we are bound to meet again some day in the future). i.e., We shall meet again as long as time stands. It’s used to bid farewell to another. This is the original line, but apparently, A-Yi didn’t want to see them again lmao.

Chapter 69: King of Hell

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

The path to the Underworld was paved with red spider lilies.¹ Slabs of stones meandered among the lush waves of red. This place was dark and gloomy and shrouded in layers of fog. They could hear the clattering of chains as the Ghost Guards rushed back from all over Zhongdu. Countless shackled souls wandered along the road, where cries and faint sobs sounded like the pitter-patter of rain lingering in their ears. There was a viewing tower constructed among the flowers. Every ten steps, a Ghost General would be designated to guard the tower. Heavy chains formed a net so that the souls of the departed that had set foot onto this path had nowhere to escape.

Jing Lin’s face was like thin paper, pale and without life. With a rod in hand and holding on to the chains in his other hand, he led a shackled Cang Ji and followed the mass of souls to slip his way in. Donning a mask, Cang Ji ambled on and glanced around in between movements to take in the surroundings.

“This place has been chosen well.” Cang Ji bent his upper body slightly and said next to Jing Lin’s ear. “After coming down here, they would be trapped deep in the ravines. Flanking both sides are all thousand-year-old sturdy rocks that brace each realm of Zhongdu. It’s only through the path of the sea of flowers that one could go back and forth smoothly. If an ordinary person were to come down here, they would not be able to return back up again.”

“Life and death come to a closure before the outpost. By the time an ordinary person makes his or her way here, he or she is already dead. Walk on for another hour, and they will be at the entrance to Li Jin.” Jing Lin jabbed Cang Ji with his elbow. “Your yang aura² is leaking.”

Cang Ji pushed the mask and asked, “Why do all the souls need to wear masks to cover their faces? Wouldn’t that make it hard to detect if they caught the wrong person?”

“There are detailed records in the Registry of Human Lives. Before the Ghost Guards collect the soul, they have to verify the identity of the person.” Jing Lin said, “They didn’t have to wear a mask in the past, but the former King of Hell was eaten by someone else, and the new one who took over was afraid of passing out if he were to see ghosts with wretched appearances, so he told the Ghost Guards to issue masks when they lead the souls over.”

Cang Ji said, “What a joke. The King of Hell is actually afraid of ghosts. The way he is, how does he even get to become a King of Hell?”

“Because he loves to eat. He was originally in seclusion beneath the wall of the Underworld, and his hunger was unbearable when he woke up. Then, he caught a whiff of the smoke from the soulfires and, in one gulp, devoured tens of thousands of souls from the Underworld. He even ate half of the King of Hell’s Palace.” As if he had thought of something else, Jing Lin turned his head to admonish Cang Ji. “Watch what you eat.”

Cang Ji asked in curiosity, “But isn’t the dragon the one with the ability to devour all living creatures? Why can he do that too?”

“He was only devouring them to fill his belly.” Jing Lin said. “When he found something he could eat, he spat out the souls along with the King of Hell.”

The poor old King of Hell had always been conscientious in his duties. After the reform of the Underworld, he had been diligently working as a Ghost Guard, toiling hard to achieve results. After nearly a thousand years of holding the post, he was finally promoted by the Ninth Heaven Realm to assume the duties of the King of Hell. Who would have known that he would be doing this for only a few hundred years when he was swallowed, without rhyme or reason, into someone else’s stomach and then vomited out all encased in saliva? In a fit of pique, grief, and indignation, he resigned. No one in the Ninth Heaven Realm was willing to humble or lower themselves to take up the post. Eventually, they punished this demon who had devoured and spat out the former King of Hell to assume command of the Underworld, thus becoming the new King of Hell.

Cang Ji touched his Adam’s apple and considered it, “He could devour forty-three thousand souls in Li Jin in one gulp. What’s this person’s original form? He has such a big appetite.”

Jing Lin said, “His original form is ferocious. Li Jin specially built a stone statue of his original form as a warning to future generations. You’ll be afraid too if you see him.”

Cang Ji asked, “Even more ferocious than me?”

Jing Lin nodded, piquing Cang Ji’s curiosity even more. Following the long procession of souls, both of them walked on for quite a while until they heard the rapid currents of the river. Cang Ji finally got to take in the whole sight of Li Jin’s ferry crossing.

The sea of red spider lilies swayed in billows of waves, and they saw a city sitting amidst the mist of red. The river flowed through the entire city, where boats stood side by side with horse carriages. Lanterns of various colors hung in complex formation over the heads of millions upon millions of souls as if it was the boundless Milky Way suspended above them. Small curtains of pearls and jade hung in the pavilions near the river. They could hear the chords of pipa³ flowing along with the water currents, while the souls on the streets surged like tides. The small boat that could ferry the souls to the King of Hell’s Palace was extremely narrow. Two rows of Ghost Guards armed with name cards⁴ called out names after names, and one soul left for each one called. However, this place was already jam-packed with tens of thousands of souls. At the rate they were going, even five hundred years would not be enough to call out all the names.

Cang Ji shifted his eyes and saw a stone carving erected high up in the city. The forelimbs of the stone sculpture were hanging over its chest, and its two claws had been polished until it shone. Its hind legs were bent in a standing position as it thrust its chest forward and held its head high. It looked out into the distance in the brazen manner of a ferocious beast. This must have been the original form of the King of Hell that Jing Lin had mentioned.

With such a posture and bearing, Cang Ji could not help but feel inferior. Pressing his chest against Jing Lin, he lowered his head and gnashed his teeth.

“A weasel?!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Having been tricked by Jing Lin once, Cang Ji was no longer willing to believe his offhand remarks anymore. He merely grasped the man tightly in his hand and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

“There are so many people here.” Cang Ji raised his hand to push up the mask. “And we don’t have Qianyu’s scent to draw us over. How are we going to find him?”

“Qianyu wants to find Zuo Qingzhou. So he can only stand watch by the ferry crossing.” Jing Lin tugged his hand lightly and led Cang Ji forward.

There was a long queue of wandering souls at the ferry crossing. The Ghost Guard who was calling out names felt parched and stepped down to scoop a bowl of water. He had only just sat down when he smelled the rich aroma of meat. He turned his head and saw two men sitting at the stall a stone’s throw away. One of them opened the oil paper and spread the greasy braised meat on the tabletop, causing all the souls on half the street to reveal looks of hungry ghosts. But fearing the man of the two who was dressed up as a Ghost Guard, they did not dare to go up to ask for a serving.

The aroma made the stomach of the Ghost Guard growled. These days, he had been on duty at this ferry crossing and had not been to Zhongdu for a long time. So he felt around for a few copper pearls in his sleeves and stood up to walk over to those two men.

“Buddy, have you just returned from above? Judging by this smell, it should be the braised beef from the House of Wanfu in the capital!” He hesitated. “I’m willing to pay you double. Would you be willing to part with it?”

Jing Lin’s chopsticks paused. He said, “How much is a dish of beef worth? Brother, if you don’t mind, just take a seat and have a meal with us.”

The Ghost Guard said his assent repeatedly and lifted his robe to take a seat. Cang Ji handed him a pair of chopsticks. He looked at these two men in passing and said, “Thanks! Brother, you look unfamiliar to me. Are you new here?”

“That’s right.” Jing Lin answered, “It’s my first trip, and there have been so many unforeseen incidents. It’s really not easy to be able to bring him back here.”

The Ghost Guard was gorging himself with his head lowered. On hearing this, he laughed and said, “Brother, you have just only started work. Out of the hundreds of posts here in the Underworld, it’s still better to guide souls.”

“Oh?” Jing Lin humbly sought his advice. “Why do you say this? I’m so envious watching you calling out names at the ferry crossing. You don’t have to tire yourself out rushing all over.”

“Although you have to come and go all the time to guide the souls over, there are much lesser restrictions. What’s there to envy about doing roll calls? I can only ferry a few people across the entire day, and I still have to listen to tens of thousands of souls in Li Jin prattle on and on about their grievances.” The Ghost Guard sighed and continued, “The Ninth Heaven Realm neglects to send their greetings, and the King of Hell becomes even lazier. Look at this Li Jin. If this goes on for a long time, there will be a disaster.”

“What’s the King of Hell busy with?” Cang Ji fiddled with his chopsticks and said. “I died late and still want to get reborn earlier.”

“Huh?” The Ghost Guard laughed despite himself. “You’re in such a hurry to be reincarnated. You have to know that once you pass this Wangchuan River,⁵ you will no longer remember this life. If there’s anyone important to you, you will have to forget them too.”

“I met a heartless man in this life.” Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin’s fingertip. “It’d be best to forget him.”

Jing Lin’s expression remained unchanged. He merely asked, “The King of Hell doesn’t handle the cases?”

“Brother, you’ve just returned, so you are still unaware. It will be a happy occasion for the King of Hell in a few more days. He is about to marry a fox. He spends all day indulging in wine and lust. Where in the world would he have the time to give a damn about the cases?”

Cang Ji and Jing Lin looked at each other and spoke in unison. “A fox?”

“That’s right.” The Ghost Guard said, “It’s a white fox with a broken tail. The white fox was originally wandering around the ferry crossing looking for someone. When the King of Hell found out, he summoned the fox to the palace but ended up being enthralled by the fox’s looks. Would you believe he actually made a scene demanding to marry the fox? But that white fox is male to begin with and would rather die than yield.”

“Has the King of Hell lost his mind?” Cang Ji said, “This fox already has someone else!”

“Who cares if he does? Once he enters the King of Hell’s Palace, he won’t be able to escape out of it unless the King of Hell says so.” The Ghost Guard set down his chopsticks and rose to make a bow. He smiled and said, “Brother, thank you for your hospitality. I’m on duty here at this ferry crossing. If there’s anything you need in the future, come and look for me. My humble name is Feng Chun.”

With that, the sated Ghost Guard turned to leave. Jing Lin took a second look at him and noted that he had an extraordinary bearing. He did not look like the typical Ghost Guard.

“Where’s the King of Hell’s Palace?” An impatient Cang Ji rose to his feet, wanting to leave. “We can’t lose Qianyu.”

“The King of Hell’s Palace is separated by a heavy barricade of natural moats. We have to cross Wangchuan and pass Mishan before we can reach it.” Jin Lin motioned to him to remain calm and said, “Since he wants to marry Qianyu, he must follow the etiquettes. On the night before the wedding, the bridal sedan will stop in Li Jin for one night. The next day, the King of Hell has to ferry and guide him back for it to count. We just need to wait in Li Jin for the bridal sedan to be sent over.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji and Jing Lin rested in Li Jin. There was no sun and moon in this place. After about two days, they finally saw the ferry crossing decorated with lanterns and banners, with red silk hanging high in the city.

Cang Ji leaned over the window to watch. He asked, “Why are all the ghosts in the city crying incessantly?”

“The sight of the scene strikes a chord in their hearts and stirs up their grief.” Jing Lin said, “They have been here for such a long time, and their pasts remain vivid in their minds. They can’t forget it, nor go back.”

“There are way too many things in a human’s entire lifetime that don’t go as desired.” Cang Ji said, “What’s there to cry about?”

“Although the vast majority runs contrary to one’s wishes, there is still that one thing that makes one’s heart sings. For that alone, they are willing to bear with it even if it’s bitter.”

Cang Ji said, “If it’s too bitter, you can’t even taste the sweetness.”

As they spoke, Cang Ji suddenly saw over ten Ghost Guards carrying a red sedan on their shoulders as they soared in the air and stepped on their chains to hurry across Wangchuan. He perked up and pulled Jing Lin along.

“It’s here!”

With a shout, the Ghost Guards set down the sedan with a thud, stirring up a storm of dust at the ferry crossing. The carriage was adorned with a ring of lanterns, and the door and windows were all nailed shut. It was so dark inside that they could not catch a clear look of Qianyu’s figure. The moment the Ghost Guards set down the sedan, they all retreated in unison. A massive and sturdy ox suddenly rose from the ground, and the chains on its back fell off heavily. It then dragged the sedan forward. A flock of birds baring their fangs rose from the surface of the river and crowded around the sedan like swirls of black clouds to deter others from taking a step nearer. There was a man sitting astride the sedan with a bamboo hat on his head and a stalk of grass in his mouth. He wielded the whip to hit the ox.

Jing Lin said, “That’s the King of Hell, Fei Luo.”

“That’s him?” Cang Ji propped himself up and saw Fei Luo’s pretty face under the bamboo hat. “He looks even younger than me.”

“He’s already one thousand and four hundred years old.” Jing Lin said, “It seems like he values Qianyu a lot. He didn’t even use any help during this entire journey.”

“A pity he’s too late.” Cang Ji said. “Qianyu has someone in his heart. There’s no place for him.”

Jing Lin turned his head sideways and asked, “You understand Qianyu that well?”

“Yeah. He’s so meek and submissive it’s adorable.” Cang Ji folded his arms. “Besides, he is already someone’s husband. There are plenty of things I have to seek his advice on.”

Jing Lin kept silent and listened as Fei Luo stepped on the beam and rose to his feet. He propped himself against the sedan with one hand and raised his bamboo hat with the other. Then he announced in a clear voice all around, “Tomorrow, I will marry! All the ghosts of Li Jin are invited to drink. There are hundreds of thousands of tables set up for the banquet. Visitors from all over are my guests! All of you must drink up! Enjoy yourselves and have a good time!”

The birds sang in unison, and the massive ox dug in its hooves. They circled three rounds around Li Jin before they were done. At the end, Fei Luo cast aside his whip and got off the sedan. He leaned against the window and said to Qianyu, “Darling, after tonight, you and I are husband and wife. What I promised you a few days ago will no longer count! It is only natural for husband and wife to share the same room. There is no reason for you to shut me out anymore, is there?”

Qianyu pounded on the window plank and said in a cold voice, “I already have a husband!”

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” Fei Luo spat out the stalk of grass. “It’s written very clearly in the Life Registry. He’s a short-lived ghost. Don’t worry. I can still live for thousands of years, so I can grow old with you. I have more time than a mortal.”

“Let me out!” Qianyu looked at him through the gap and repeated, “I already have a husband.”

With his hands at his back, Fei Luo kicked the sedan and said, “Am I not as good-looking as he is? Is my cultivation inferior to his? I can give you everything he can give you. I can even give you half of the Underworld, let alone a few pieces of papers and a few lines of poems. Darling, why put yourself through suffering for hundreds of years? You would be so much more happier if you shift this love over to me, no?”

“You don’t understand the love of this world at all.” Qianyu pressed his head against the window and averted his face. “… I don’t want anyone else. I only want Zuo-lang!”

But Fei Luo turned his head and said to him, “You are so beautiful compared to the Ninth Heaven Realm where only Dong Jun and Lord Linsong can surpass your looks. I cherish your appearance and truly want to be on intimate terms with you. How could you not want it?”

Qianyu knew that he did not understand it at all, so he simply asked, “If you truly treasure attractive appearances, why don’t you marry Dong Jun?”

“Although Dong Jun’s appearance is gorgeous, his original form is savage. Besides, he’s a devil born of the Blood Sea. It flusters me to be with him. However. “Fei Luo laughed. “A few hundreds of years ago, Lord Linsong once listened to mundane doctrine among the clouds, and his side profile put tens of thousands of spirits to shame. Even the Goddess Shengyue had to give way. After Lord Linsong received his rank as a Divine Lord, the once-considered ‘number one beauty’ Goddess Shengyue no longer showed her face. To tell you the truth, when Lord Linsong was still alive, I was determined to marry him.”

Cang Ji could still listen to him at first, but when he heard this sentence, the window wood under his hands snapped with a “CRACK”.

彼岸花 red spider lilies, also known as higanbana. Said to be ominous flowers that grow in hell and guide a person to their reincarnation.

阳气 yang energy or aura. From the concept of Yin and Yang, which represents opposing forces such as life (yang) and death (yin), male (yang) and female (yin). So here, Cang Ji’s leaking yang aura would potentially give him away as someone who is still alive and not dead.

琵琶 Pipa, a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments.

名帖 (also 拜帖), a name card (or visitation card) written or paper or wood used by officials, nobles or distinguished people to notify the other party of their visit. It would usually indicate his name, position, and so on. It’s like a name card in the modern world.

Also River of Forgetfulness

Chapter 70: Wang Chuan (River of Forgetfulness)

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

With that, Fei Luo sighed and added, “Don’t frown during our wedding tomorrow. I’ll send someone to prepare some wine for you. You’ll feel happier after drinking some of it. If you really can’t forget him, I’ll lead you across Wangchuan once, and you’ll be able to forget him. Let the past be gone with the wind, and spend your future days with me. I’ll naturally treat you well.”

Qianyu suddenly raised his head. His face was mottled with tears through the gap. He said, “Forget? He is the one I can’t forget the most in the world. I’d rather suffer from the pain of pining for hundreds of years to come than to forget him. Since you love this appearance, then I’ll peel off this skin and slice off this face. You can have it!”

“My darling, please don’t!” Fei Luo smiled awkwardly. “Am I such a shallow person? That’s what you don’t understand. What do I need a human skin for? What I want is the real, living you.”

Qianyu looked gaunt. His hair was already disheveled. He would only say, “I’m not marrying you, nor will I marry you. This heart of mine already belongs to another, and I will only share life and death with him in this life. The King of Hell needs not say a word more.”

Having asked for it himself, Fei Luo could only force a smile. As he walked a few steps into the street, he saw that those on both sides had retreated far away. He could not help but lose his temper. “How blind! Prepare the wine and set the table. We will start the banquet tonight!”

He had only just said that when a sudden gale rose above his head. A sharp Fei Luo dodged it, but someone kicked him in the back. He staggered forward and nearly fell to his knees right on the street, but he reacted quickly and braced himself on the ground with one arm. Then, as light as a swallow, he made use of the momentum to spring back up. Before he could look back, he sensed a strong wind rose instantly beside his ear. It went scraping past so hard that the entire street of souls cried out in alarm and covered their faces. Unable to remain steady on his feet, Fei Luo held on to a pillar. Who would have expected something bad to happen as he did so? When he raised both arms to brace himself, the sash on his waist loosened. His robe was instantly blown away by the wind, and his trousers fell to his ankle with a swoosh.

Fei Luo was stupefied for a moment. And then he fumed with a red face, “Which son of a bitch?!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Grasping Cang Ji with both his arms, Jing Lin dragged him back to the window. Cang Ji sneered and said in a sinister voice, “Look at just how few hairs he has. And he still dares to snatch Qianyu from Zuo Qingzhou? What’s more, he’s determined to marry Lord Linsong?!”

Jing Lin stumbled under Cang Ji’s weight and gasped for breath as he uttered an ‘uh-huh’. He said, “We’ll pick Qianyu up after he gets drunk tonight.”

Cang Ji looked unconcerned. “Let’s just beat him up. This place is beyond the reach of the Demarcation Division at the top and the Hall of the King of Hell at the bottom. So what if we seize Qianyu in broad daylight? Just a mere weasel and he wants to revolt?!”

“You are not only going to beat him.” Jing Lin said, “He carries the Ninth Heaven Seal in his bosom. All he has to do is to turn back and give the command, and you’ll be a silly fish in Wang Chuan River.”

“He said he wanted to marry you.” Cang Ji turned back to grab hold of Jing Lin’s hands. He fumed, “Is he even fit to? No!”

Jing Lin smoothed his ruffled feathers and gave him a few pats. Seeing this, Cang Ji seized the opportunity and pressed in closer to rub his head against Jing Lin’s temples. There was no way Jing Lin could hold his own against Cang Ji’s large physique, and so he was repeatedly pushed back until he finally bumped into the wall. The exposed contours of Cang Ji’s cheeks were taut as he asked Jing Lin solemnly, “And you just let them harbor such wishful thinking?”

Noting that he looked a little despondent, Jing Lin paused and said, “I’m not acquainted with him at all.”

Cang Ji said nothing. Jing Lin fell silent for a moment and quietly slipped his palms up Cang Ji’s back. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a heat on his neck. Jing Lin got a fright, having thought that Cang Ji had cried out of aggrievement. He could not help but tilt his head over. He did not expect Cang Ji to time it perfectly and turn his head as well to catch him right on target.

Cang Ji’s palms slid down and propped Jing Lin by his waist, almost wanting to lift him in a hug. Jing Lin had already realized that Cang Ji was merely putting on an act and could not help but want to withdraw his hands. But Cang Ji tightly clamped his arms down to hold Jing Lin’s arms securely in place. He charged in, damp and hot, willfully creating havoc between Jing Lin’s lips and teeth. He remained unmoved even as Jing Lin clutched and pulled at the clothes on his back. Like an immovable mountain, he pressed against him.

“Why marry him?” Cang Ji bit down on the tip of Jing Lin’s tongue and let out a vague laugh. “He has the evil designs but not the guts. I bet he doesn’t even dare to do it!”

It was only when Jing Lin’s tongue felt numb and his lips were hurting that Cang Ji released him. Cang Ji pressed his tongue against his canine tooth. His eyes were black and bright, and his back had been clearly rubbed wet from the sweat on Jing Lin’s palms. Yet he still lowered his head again to chase Jing Lin for a few more kisses.

“The one who can marry Lord Linsong.” Cang Ji’s gaze was brash and wild. “Has to be a man like me.”

Jing Lin kicked him. Cang Ji sandwiched him and hoisted him onto his shoulder to spin a circle around the room. He said, “Since he wants to invite everyone to drink, then I’ll do him a favor tonight. At least he has a good eye.” He patted Jing Lin’s lower back. “When the time comes, you put on a mask and be the ghost.”

♦     ♦     ♦

There was no day or night in Li Jin. But since the King of Hell had spoken, the Ghost Guards followed the timing in Zhongdu. When the hour came, the sounds of suona¹ and gongs² rose from the city and pulled the red sedan along for another round trip around the city. An entire city of wandering souls cried and laughed while reciting words of blessing with their hands clasped. Red spider lilies led the path to the Underworld, and the sedan steamrolled over those riots of red. Qianyu sat within with his head lowered, as if he was merely an outsider and all this excitement was someone else’s.

With his broken tail and silver hair spread over the red garment, the fox actually looked gray and aged.

Cang Ji finally got his wish to lead Jing Lin with a chain in an open and aboveboard manner. He walked a few steps after the sedan and said, “This is bad. The fox has already lost all hope.”

Jing Lin’s lips moved under his mask, but in the end, he said nothing.

The banquet had started, and there was an odd variety of drunkards drinking wine in the city. When they raised their heads, they could see the constant waves of smoke and flames the soul fires kept emitting. A chorus of jubilant congratulations swiftly blended into their surroundings. The sedan had stopped at the ferry crossing, and the distant surface of the river was calm and quiet. All the ghosts were cheering and being boisterous, yet this “bride” was like a prisoner. Without the King of Hell’s orders, no one even dared to hand him a cup of wine.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jing Lin stood up and looked around. He noted that the crowd of Ghost Generals were already tipsy from all the drinking. “Fei Luo still has to sail a boat over to ferry Qianyu across tomorrow, so by all reasoning, he won’t remain here for too long.”

Holding the cup, Cang Ji took the last sip of the wine and rose to his feet. He was about to make his move with Jing Lin when someone suddenly put an arm over his shoulder. He frowned and turned his head back, just in time to see a drunk Fei Luo with glazed eyes pointing at his face. He said, “There are forty-eight thousand souls in this city, and I remember them all. Why can’t I recognize you?”

The chain between Jing Lin’s hands shook and rang at once. Cang Ji promptly let out a natural laugh and said to Fei Luo, “I am a new Ghost Guard here. It’s normal for the King of Hell not to remember me.”

Fei Luo suspiciously supported himself against the table and asked to his left and right, “Who is he?”

But the attendants on his left and right had long gone drunk and were now both lying under the table.

Cang Ji warmly put his arm around Fei Luo’s shoulder and said, “I heard that the King of Hell loves beauties, right? As it happens, I love them too!”

Fei Luo hiccuped a few times and waved his hand wildly. He said, “Just how many have you seen? The charmers in this world are all in Heaven!”

“That’s Dong Jun, isn’t it?” As Cang Ji spoke, he released his grip on the chain between his fingers. Without making a noise, Jing Lin retreated.

Fei Luo said, “Dong Jun! Dong Jun is good-looking! If I were to take up a post in the Ninth Heaven Realm, I’d even be willing to let him scold me every day.”

Seeing that Jing Lin had gotten away, Cang Ji asked quietly, “Then how about Lord Linsong?”

Fei Luo was so drunk he was in a trance. He tried his best to raise his eyes and said, “Good… good-looking too!”

“What a fucking load of bullshit.” Cang Ji suppressed his voice. “Of course he’s good-looking. Do I even need to ask you this?”

“Even if it’s fucking bullshit I still have to say it!” Fei Luo suddenly slapped the table and said righteously, “He’s really good-looking! What does a mere… mere Ghost Guard like you know? Oh my… his allure lies here.” Fei Luo pointed to his eyes and suppressed his voice as well. He said from the bottom of his heart, “How many truly fearless men have you seen? Every stunner has their own difference and flavor. Dong Jun is marvelously gorgeous, but Lord Linsong is what I’d call magnificently wild.”

Cang Ji thought he would say ‘cold’, who would have expected him to throw out a ‘wild’ instead? He savored the word in his mouth, but then he found it odd and asked, “How do you know this so clearly?”

“I cherish all the beauties in this world.” Fei Luo said sincerely to Cang Ji. “You… alas… No one in the world understands me. All the pretty ones should be doted on. Even protecting them in my palms is not enough for me. How could I bear to see them suffer even a tiny bit?” As he spoke, he covered his face and wept. He was drunk to the point of being absurd. “Those lovelies should never touch the word ‘love’. Why bring agony upon yourself? Look at that silly fox. He got his heart shattered into eight fragments. My heart aches so much for him that it has broken into eight pieces too. And that Lord Linsong, pulverized into sand. I was so shocked on hearing the news that I cried my eyes out. You don’t understand. None of you understand!”

Cang Ji patted Fei Luo on the shoulder and persuaded him, “Why torture yourself by liking those two? They aren’t even as awesome as Dong Jun! Look at how witty and mighty he is, and yet he has to shoulder the pains and sufferings of the Blood Sea. Isn’t he exactly a beauty who is in more of a need for you to dote on him?”

“But he…” Fei Luo hesitated, then frowned and said, “He surely doesn’t want me…”

“Pester him.” Cang Ji was exasperated at him for not living up to expectations. “You want to love him and pamper him, so how can you beat a retreat so easily? Go ahead and treat him with all the tenderness you have. As they said, sincerity will move even a heart of stone. You will surely be able to protect him until he secretly promises you his heart.”

Fei Luo had been suckered by Cang Ji so much he kept nodding his head, his intent all but cemented by the latter’s words.

♦     ♦     ♦

Qianyu blew into his hands. Frost covered his shoulders. He was originally a yang fetus,³ and now he had been heavily battered by the double blows of a broken tail and a shattered heart. His cultivation could barely protect him. He could no longer withstand the sinister cold in the Underworld. Leaning against the window, he gazed out and saw the unhurried currents of the ink-black waters of Wangchuan. For a moment, a thousand scenes of the past came to his mind.

The chilly wind caressed the window, overwhelming Qianyu with grief. He reached his fingers through the crack, but in this vast expanse of thick, heavy ink, he could grab hold of nothing. Qianyu’s body was freezing, and his spirit, falling apart. He leaned against the wall and fell asleep while in a daze. He felt his mind floating. He could barely hold on anymore.

Right at this time, he suddenly heard the sound of someone calling out a name amidst the wind.

Qianyu looked back blankly and listened as the voice gradually cleared up. The name the person called out was precisely “Qianyu”. Qianyu suddenly climbed to his feet and looked through the window seam to search for the voice. His tears gushed out in torrents.

“Zuo-lang…” Qianyu’s voice was hoarse and laced with disbelief. “Zuo-lang!”

The intermittent calls in the wind were like an easily broken string. There was no way to tell where it came from. Qianyu pounded on the window, choking with sobs as he responded. He scraped away at the window until his ten fingers were torn, coloring the window with blood. Yet his only fear was that the voice would stray further away from him.

“Let me out!” Qianyu shouted anxiously. “Zuo-lang!”

The originally inebriated Fei Luo suddenly clutched his chest and said to Cang Ji in bafflement, “Why do I hurt so much?” With that, he muttered to himself in answer, “That’s right, I set up a seal to link hearts. Naturally, I’d… Damn!”

The pain sobered Fei Luo up by half. He sprang to his feet and commanded, “Surround the sedan. Don’t let him escape!”

Cang Ji kicked the leg of the chair, sending it knocking into the side of Fei Luo’s thigh, blocking his way. Fei Luo kicked back his foot to lift it and hoist it over his arm before smashing it towards Cang Ji right in the face.

“Who are you?!”

Cang Ji flipped up the table to meet the blow and said, “The darling of your Lord Linsong’s family.”

The wine Fei Luo had drunk all turned into sweat. He dodged in response, nearly getting smashed in the nose. Cang Ji’s fists were swift and forceful, and thus, he did not really take Fei Luo seriously. Who knew that the latter could dodge so fast in a hurry? In a blink of an eye, he had pounced and swept a powerful kick towards Cang Ji’s chest. Cang Ji raised his arm to take the blow with a “thud”. At the sound of impact, the tables and chairs all around them shattered and collapsed. Bowls and chopsticks tumbled over to the ground.

“Outstanding.” Fei Luo lifted his robe and suddenly burst into action. “Cracks” rang out as he smashed his legs and feet onto Cang Ji’s arms, only to hurt from the impact. He spat and said coldly, “So we have us here a character!”

Cang Ji’s arms had gone numb from his kicks. He did not expect Fei Luo to possess such strength under that skinny figure of his. He was far stronger than Zui Shan Seng.

Fei Luo grabbed the wine jar with one hand and soundlessly sent it hurtling towards him. He said, “You’re the one who pulled down my pants today!”

Cang Ji lifted his palm to catch it and raised his head to down all the wine before throwing the jar away behind him. His expression was lazy as he stepped on the stool and showed his little finger at Fei Luo.

“Since you dare to talk big, I thought that you should be a man of some capabilities. I never expect to pry your pants open for a look only to find out that you are merely a little brat who’s still wet behind the ears.” Cang Ji let out an impertinent laugh, and his eyes suddenly went cold. “I’ll pluck out your tongue, lest you spout nonsense again.”

唢呐, Suona. Also called laba, it is a Chinese double-reed woodwind instrument and one of the most commonly used.

锣 The Chinese gong is a musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet.

阳胎 literally yang fetus, a child (or person) born on a year, month, date, and time considered to be a yang timing. Yang also tends to be associated with warmth, life, etc. The opposite holds true for 阴胎, a yin fetus, or a child born on a yin year, month, date, and time. Yin is also associated with coldness, death, etc.

Chapter 71: Sinking Into The River

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

The remaining banquet tables were caught in the flurry of blows. Overturned dishes and wine splashed onto the faces of the crowd under the tables. Yet Fei Luo did not spot a single sober person. It suddenly hit him, and he bellowed, “The audacity of you to drug the wine!”

Cang Ji wiped the corner of his lips clean and pressed in for the attack. All his blows struck flesh. He asked, “Do I even need to resort to drugs to thrash you?”

Fei Luo sidestepped the flurry of winds, relying solely on the word ‘fast’. But even so, it was still a strain for him when confronted with Cang Ji’s strikes. Wine cups toppled over to the ground, stomped into pieces as both men moved back and forth in their sparring. The biting cold wind around them intermingled with the simultaneous sound of fists and kicks to form the only sign of activity amidst the city ruins.

On the other side, the massive ox raised its body to transform into the ax-bearing Ox-Head.¹ The ax created a deep gouge before it smashed the sedan. He pounded on the window and said to Qianyu in a deep, muffled voice, “The King of Hell has commanded us not to let you out! Stay here quietly and don’t court trouble.”

The banging inside the sedan continued. Qianyu’s fingers turned sharp as he clenched the wooden window so tightly that powdery scraps ricocheted all over. His appearance changed slightly as his foxy eyes grew more slanted and longer, giving him a somewhat demonic look set against the paleness of his face. His original form of a fox hissed and howled in his body, causing stabbing pain in Fei Luo’s chest even as he exchanged blows with Cang Ji.

This was too good an opportunity for Cang Ji to miss, so he kicked Fei Luo repeatedly in the chest. It was more than Fei Luo could handle, and he fell over backward and crashed into the wreckage of utensils. He clutched his chest in pain and barfed out all the wine he had drunk that night. His vomit splashed over his body, covering it in a stink. Cang Ji turned Fei Luo’s body over with his foot and swept the tip of his foot across the air. Fei Luo yanked up his arms to block the blow even as he went flying with his back scraping against the ground. With a “thud”, he crashed to a stop amidst the tables and chairs.

Fei Luo puked out all the bitter fluid in his mouth and propped himself up from the ground. Cang Ji had already sped over to him, and Fei Luo suddenly dropped down to dodge him. His leg rose to sweep out at Cang Ji’s lower extremities. There was a clatter as shattered pieces of cups and plates were tossed into the air. They went slicing towards Cang Ji’s face like blades. Cang Ji jerked his arms and exerted force, and his spiritual energy transformed into the wind that suddenly charged against the debris. His legs continued their sparring with Fei Luo when he suddenly saw the latter throwing himself to the ground. A tail sliced through the air and came lashing towards Cang Ji. The sound of wind tearing could be heard where the tip of that tail had passed. The lanterns in the sky went flapping.

Cang Ji grabbed hold of the tail and kept his body down as he remained motionless. He flicked a few furs away from his sleeve and said, “You might as well just show your original form and try to devour me.”

Fei Luo merely sneered.

♦     ♦     ♦

Ox-Head released his grip on the ax and raised his hands to pick up the sedan. He shook it in midair so violently that Qianyu could hardly bear it as he tumbled and bumped around within. Ox-Head took a few steps before he slammed down the sedan and said, “Take a rest. Just wait for a moment, and the King of Hell will be here.”

Qianyu leaned forward and listened as the voice grew so indistinct it was about to break off. His chest churned involuntarily, and he suddenly bent over to cough out blood.

Ox-Head persuaded him good-naturedly, “You mustn’t attempt to end your life. It’s the Underworld here. All the King of Hell has to do is to cross you out in his records, and you will never perish.”

When Ox-Head saw him turning a deaf ear, he could not help but take a step back with the intention to grasp his ax and stand guard. But then he heard the sounds of chains behind him. He subconsciously turned his head back to see a man dressed in white and with his face concealed under a silver mask standing atop his great ax.

Ox-Head chided, “Return to the city, soul. The ferry crossing is off-limits tonight!”

Jing Lin was only up to Ox-Head’s waist. The chains between his palms began to whirl and turn. Ox-Head had a bad hunch about it and stepped forward in an attempt to grab the chain. Jing Lin’s chain swiftly coiled around one of Ox-Head’s arms. Ox-Head could not break free of it, but it did not matter, because Jing Lin did not have the physical strength to swing him around as Cang Ji could. Letting out a bellow, Ox-Head rammed into Jing Lin.

Jing Lin sprang up and soared into the air. He flitted across Ox-Head’s arm before he flew up onto his head. The chain moved in tandem with Jing Lin and wound its way around half of Ox-Head’s body. With half of his upper body unable to move, Ox-Head was trapped in a trial of strength with himself. He spread his legs open, lowered his body, and jerked his arms up. The chain went taut against him, and a snap rang out as it could not hold him down. Ox-Head shook his body and roared in fury, wanting to fling Jing Lin off, but a few taps of Jing Lin’s feet made Ox-Head so dizzy that he staggered like a drunk. Before the chain split apart, Jing Lin flew down to the ground. Behind him, Ox-Head had already freed his arms to swing up his massive ax.

Jing Lin stomped a foot on the sedan. A violent wind raged behind him, and he abruptly leaned back. The blade of the ax brushed against his hair and struck the sedan with a massive crash, splitting it apart. In response, Qianyu fell to the ground. Jing Lin lifted his leg to kick the blade of ax and used his arms to somersault up. Just as Ox-Head gathered his strength, Jing Lin struck a palm out at him in mid-air.

The wind violently surged in reverse and exploded against Ox-Head’s chest. Ox-Head retreated a few steps. His chest was hurting, and there were already signs of blood. The fury welled up in him, and his vicious nature burst forth. His roar was deafening as he sent the ax swinging in a whirlwind towards that blot of white.

With his body like the frail willows, and with his unpredictable movements, Jing Lin drew Ox-Head into the city. Ox-Head cleaved down onto the city grounds with great force, splitting apart stone slabs and cracking open a chasm in the ground.

Cang Ji abruptly dropped from the air and bumped his back into Jing Lin’s back. His breathing was a little harried, and half of his sleeve had been torn. In such a short time, he had fallen into a disadvantageous position.

“How was it?” Jing Lin asked in a steady voice. “Were you able to experience what’s so formidable about Fei Luo?”

Cang Ji tore away his tattered sleeve and said, “Bah!”

Before they could finish speaking, Fei Luo sprang. Cang Ji kicked out at him, and Fei Luo flipped to the side and rolled onto the ground with his hand latched on to Cang Ji’s leg. Cang Ji felt a heaviness on his leg followed by a chill on the side right after. In a blink of an eye, Fei Luo had already shifted to this side!

Jing Lin gathered the wind with his sleeves and, with a sudden sweep, hauled Cang Ji aside to evade the strike. Fei Luo pounced on empty air, having already missed his chance. How would Cang Ji let him get away again? Two muffled “thuds” rang out as he struck Fei Luo’s waist and abdomen. The latter immediately coughed out bile. Instead of fleeing, he clasped Cang Ji’s fist in his palms and, with a cry of pain, exerted force.

Cang Ji felt the sudden pull of a sucking force. Unstable on his feet, he nearly fell into Fei Luo’s wide-open mouth. Jing Lin grabbed hold of his waist sash from the back to stop him from being thrown forward. However, the massive ax behind Jing Lin was pressing in on him right behind his head with gravitational force so heavy that the ground quaked. Seeing as the situation was bad, the wind began to whirl in Jing Lin’s chest. Yan Quan instantly materialized along with its sheath and blocked the blade of the ax behind Jing Lin’s head. For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate. The shrill grinding sound of ax against sword rang out as the ax came to a stop right before Jing Lin.

Yan Quan’s body shook as it neutralized the force of the ax. Unable to bear it, the originally indistinct scabbard let out a snap. Jing Lin’s face went white as he clenched his teeth.

The blade of the ax pressed down on the fracture, and a very subtle “crack” rang out. All at once, Yan Quan shattered and scattered, and the massive ax came cleaving down on Jing Lin!

Cang Ji grabbed Jing Lin with an arm and turned over to lean back as he raised his leg to kick away the ax. The ax slammed onto the ground beside them with a thunderous boom. Before both of them could gasp for breath, they heard a twisting sound amidst the wind. The sudden re-emergence of the sucking force tore them apart.

Fei Luo opened his mouth to demand his meal. The entire street of lanterns plummeted and the furniture along with the crowd of people all flew back towards him. It was as if a deep abyss had manifested in that mouth—a mouth that did not belong to an ordinary human. It would have posed a problem if Fei Luo swallowed them!

At the crucial moment, they heard Qianyu kicking the sedan over. The sedan and all the various objects went hurtling towards Fei Luo as he sucked them towards him. But Fei Luo shut his mouth, refusing to take them in. He looked to be in a predicament as he asked in aggrievement, “I’ve been sincere towards you. Why do you treat me this way?!”

Qianyu was as thin as paper, and with his white hair fluttering in the chilly wind, he looked vulnerable. He said, “You only did it for this appearance, not for me. Things have already come to this point. Stop pestering me anymore.”

Fei Luo covered his ears and bellowed, “I’m not listening! You can’t leave!”

His figure flashed past as he made a grab for Qianyu. Qianyu’s robe rose behind him as his eyes gazed away. Fei Luo grasped his hand and said sincerely, “I know your love for him is deep. So I’ll ferry you across Wangchuan tonight. Qianyu, forget everything. You and I are newlyweds. We are the husband and husband of the Underworld!”

Qianyu seemed to smile. It was a forlorn smile. He said, “You see Wangchuan as omnipotent. But I feel like even if I take a trip across the waters of Wangchuan, I still won’t be able to forget Zuo-lang.”

Sensing that Qianyu wanted to shake off his hands, Fei Luo could not help but tighten his grip. He was so anxious he scratched his cheeks and said, “Why are you about to cry? You can’t cry. Because if I see you cry, I’ll want to cry too.”

Qianyu could no longer find that barely audible voice. Sorrow overcame him, and life, with all its joy and grief, no longer held any meaning for him. He backhandedly grasped Fei Luo’s hand. Tears had welled up in his eyes, as clear as day, but he never realized it.

Qianyu asked, “You want me to cross Wangchuan River?”

Fei Luo hurriedly replied, “I’ll move the boat over.”

With that, he released Qianyu and took a few steps towards the ferry crossing. When Qianyu saw him move away, he lifted his eyes and looked out into the distance again. He could hear the wind sing, but he could no longer hear those calls earlier.

“I walked through the human world once.” Qianyu murmured, “My feelings and worries are all inextricably connected to my lover of the Zuo Clan. Now that he is dead, my heart is forfeited. Since we cannot meet on the road to the Underworld, then there is no fun in re-entering the wheel of reincarnation. We might as well bid farewell here. Please just let me cry.”

With that, his white hair fluttered as he leaped towards Wangchuan River. Fei Luo panickedly rushed up to stop him, but he did not even get to grab hold of the hem of Qianyu’s clothes. Tears coursed down Fei Luo’s cheeks, turning all the tenderness he had into anguish. All he wanted to do was to sigh and lament. “Why torment yourself thus?”

Cang Ji moved faster than his words. He was already flying through the air. He grabbed hold of Qianyu’s sleeve, then forcefully yanked him back and flung him towards the shore. Having already lost all hope, Qianyu did not expect to be thrown back by Cang Ji. But then he saw Cang Ji’s foot slipped, and the latter fell over backward and plummeted!

Cang Ji himself had never expected that he would suddenly plunge into Wangchuan. In the twinkling of an eye, the surrounding sediment surged up in a wave and engulfed him. The turmoil in the water and the gravitational pull trapped Cang Ji in his human body, making him unable to swap back to his original form. He choked on the water and sank deeper. There were no fish or grass in the water, only infinite human faces mingled with the past life’s memories of countless souls.

Cang Ji’s throat felt as if he was being caught in a chokehold. His ear roared as he heard the murmurs of tens of thousands of people even as a myriad of scenes played out in his mind. Cang Ji’s divine consciousness gradually sank. He could no longer get a clear look at the water surface. In his daze, he silently recited two words. Then he saw that man appear in response and jump into the water, sinking toward him.

Amidst the turbid waters, only that dazzling smear of white stood out.

A “gurgle” rose in Cang Ji’s throat as Jing Lin grasped Cang Ji’s hand tightly and interlocked his fingers with his. Cang Ji saw the tightly furrowed brows on the face that materialized amidst the hair. It was only when Jing Lin tilted his head slightly that Cang Ji managed to breathe from his mouth. He felt as if that heart in the cavity of his chest was about to leap out. He could not tell what he was feeling. He was only aware that Jing Lin’s eyes were close at hand.

Their intertwining upper bodies sank, and the darkness gradually swallowed them whole.

Amidst the muddled ringing in his ears, Cang Ji heard the long-lost sound of the copper bell. His eyes gradually closed. It felt as if they would never sink their way to the bottom. The name he had been reciting with all his heart was slowly being extracted from his mind. It grew vague and indistinct, as if a cloud of mist now stood between them.

He seemed to remember something, and yet it felt as though it was the memory of another man. All he could recognize among these chaotic, kaleidoscopic scenes was Jing Lin, who stood bearing his sword.

As the surging sediment buried them, the copper bell jingled from thousands of li² away.

Ox-Head (牛头) and Horse-Face (马面) are two fearsome guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology tasked with the job of bringing recently deceased souls before the King of Hell so that he can determine their fate. Both have the bodies of men, but Ox-Head has the head of an ox while Horse-Face has the face of a horse.

里 li, a Chinese unit of length (1 li is approx. 500m)

BOOK III

Chapter 72: Wine-induced Heat

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Cang Ji jolted awake. The sound of water subsided. Even his robe had dried on its own. He could not remember where he was. So he focused his eyes and listened to the hubbub of voices around him.

Unable to make any sense of this, Cang Ji glanced to the side and saw Huashang sitting at the side drinking wine and gambling with dice. The proprietress did not seem to be the same as the one he had seen in the capital. She was wearing a double-edged fine-toothed comb¹ inlaid with pearls. Dressed in pink and white, she was the very embodiment of a lotus out of the water; a budding beauty in her prime.

“Master made a special trip here just for this. So be sure to look at the correct person later.” Huashang had gambled with the others until the smile on her face bloomed like a flower. From her tone, she seemed to be on familiar terms with him; she was not in the least treating him as an outsider. She said, “Those few under his command are all characters that are tough to deal with. Li Rong is one thing; we saw him before in the northern lands. But you have never seen Jing Lin before. It really hurts when Yan Quan left its sheath! He’s the one who wanted to take down my elder sister the last time.”

She had only just said that when she saw someone lifted the curtain and entered. This person was luxuriously dressed, and refined and demure in appearance. Although she bore about eighty percent resemblance to Huashang , she had a kind of calmness and indifference that the latter did not have. The moment she entered, Cang Ji suspected that he had gotten the wrong person; this should be the Huashang he saw in the capital. When this woman opened her mouth, her tone was charming; it was very similar to Huashang’s lazy tone a few hundred years later.

“Are you talking about that ‘spring water over precipitous rocks; azure clothes among cold pines.’² Jing Lin? “She smiled as she paid her obeisances to Cang Ji and said, “I do not dare to forget even a moment of our last encounter.”

“What’s it that you dare not forget?” Cang Ji pressed down on the mouth of the cup with his fingers and gazed outside. The words flowed as if they had been recited hundreds and thousands of times. “All his elder brothers look like wolves and tigers. How much better would he be?”

“He’s really good-looking.” Linlang said, “He’s far thinner and frail than that Li Rong, and is rather aloof. But he’s young. From how I see it, he has yet to be acquainted with affairs of the heart and is still not worldly-wise.”

“It’s these kinds that are the most loathsome.” Cang Ji disdainfully leaned back and took in the entire view of the high stage. He said, “He looks like an adult, but his mind is still like a child. He sees and deals with others as if they are either black or white. He neither understands the unforeseen nor knows the ways of the world. If Ninth Heaven Sect truly wants to negotiate, please don’t ever send him.”

“It’s rare to see Master being so open with your feelings. Could it be that you have seen him before?” Linlang asked.

Cang Ji immediately replied, “Nope.”

“He shouldn’t have seen him before.” Huashang counted the gold pearls one by one and put them back into her embroidered pouch. She was smiling so much her eyes had turned into crescent moons. “It’d be terrible if he had seen him before! Most likely, they will fight until the world is plunged into chaos.”

Cang Ji, however, lowered his eyes and brushed aside the teacup. He said, “I’m a hundred years older than him. What’s there to fight with him?”

“You are also older than Li Rong by a hundred years.” Huashang asked in puzzlement. “But didn’t you still beat the crap out of him?”

Linlang could vaguely guess what Cang Ji was thinking, so she spoke out to stop Huashang. She chided, “You think you are the only one who remembers it clearly? Drink your wine and speak less.”

Just as the three of them were conversing, they heard that the stage platform suddenly rose and widened several times over. The discussions all around ceased immediately, and for a moment, silence reigned as everyone looked attentively at the white marble stage. Yun Sheng and Li Rong went up the steps together and cupped their hands in a greeting all around them.

“Today, the Blood Sea is pressing in on the borders, and evil spirits and devils are causing a disturbance in the east, west, north, and south. Taking the lead, our Ninth Heaven Sect has been on the move for many years in preparation for our cause to suppress them. Knowing ourselves and our own abilities in the early years, we did not dare to claim credit and declare ourselves to be the best. But the situation is now getting urgent to the point that it would not do for everyone to be modest and give way to one another. We need to push out a party to lead the battle. Today, we have partitioned this Ming Jin Stage to invite all the heroes in the world to a challenge. We must decide on the best among us.”

“Their invitations were sent to the various powerhouses all over the world. Everyone with fame and prestige is here.” Huashang leaned over the window and said, “The only one missing is our Northern lands.”

“The Ninth Heaven Sect is ambitious. Since they are determined to compare strength, that means they have made up their mind to be the champion.” Linlang guessed Cang Ji’s expression and said, “But Master has resided in the north for so many years. Who doesn’t know the name of Cangdi? You want the demons to pay allegiance, but how would they bow down to a mere mortal?”

“It is not a bad thing to join forces and unite as one to expel the Blood Sea.” Cang Ji said, “It’s just that if all the powers under the world were to unite under Ninth Heaven Sect, then it’d be even harder than ascending Heaven when they want to split up again after the Blood Sea retreats. Once you have a taste of being the leader, you will never be able to quit. The Ninth Heaven Sect leader, Lord Jiutian, recruited talents from all over. Although he has no sons of his own, he took in eight adopted sons. His intent is already clear. Others are still preparing for the Blood Sea Battle, but he’s already plotting for a hundred years later.”

As Cang Ji spoke, he picked up the folding fan on the table to fiddle with. Pressing it between his fingertips and pushing it open little by little, he stared at the man on the stage and said, “Besides, the world only needs one dragon.”³

The words had only just left his mouth when he saw, from afar, Lord Jiutian sitting at the top of the stairs with white-robed men lining up in a row on both of his sides. Yun Sheng and Li Rong returned among them. A sharp-eyed Cang Ji noted that even Li Rong had to move a step down and empty out the spot beside Lord Jiutian. The person occupying this position was, at this point in time, kneeling on one knee to kowtow at the bottom of Lord Jiutian’s seat. Bearing his sword, he lowered his head to listen to his father’s command.

The moment Cang Ji saw this person’s back, he let out a light snort. But his eyes lingered on that man’s back, unable to tear themselves away.

The man kneeled for a while. When he rose to his feet, his white robe fluttered in the wind. He turned around and stepped up to the white marble stage. In an instant, mist shrouded the mountains as the soughing of wind among the pines rose in waves. It was as if millions of breeze all moved at the prompt of a snap of his fingers, while thousands of hectares of the sea of pines answered only to the draw of his sword. He stood alone on the stage, his eyes indifferent and untainted, and his countenance, frosty and aloof. Letting the waves of wind wash over him under the gaze of the crowd, he raised his hand slightly and unsheathed Yan Quan from an angle.

“I, alone, will take up the challenges on this stage.” He said in a mild tone. “Anyone here not convinced, come on stage to enlighten me.”

His remark caused an uproar all around the moment it left his mouth. It had to be said that eight or nine out of ten of those here on this day were all renowned figures in Zhongdu. But even they could hardly bear to witness such arrogance on his part in using Yan Quan Sword to intimidate them!

“How arrogant of this lad!” The crowd was enraged. They had never thought that Ninth Heaven Sect would be so conceited that they only sent this one person to monopolize Ming Jin Stage. The entire mob could not help but spat out sounds of scorn as they refused to yield.

Cang Ji suddenly let out a laugh. Despite already knowing the answer, he asked, “Who’s that?”

Linlang smiled too. “That’s Jing Lin.”

A tempest rose, and pine needles assaulted the window. Cang Ji noted Jing Lin’s expressionless face. His haughtiness was overpowering, and yet he concealed that wildness deep in his eyes and made an effort to maintain a neutral look. Cang Ji could not help but move his joints and let out a soft harrumph as if he had thought of something.

“How pretentious.”

♦     ♦     ♦

It was a few days later when Jing Lin withdrew. The chasm between brothers deepened when they saw him defeating the various heroes all on his own. By the time he entered the courtyard after taking his bath, the food had already been cleared, and the pots, scrubbed clean. Li Rong had been waiting for him for a long time. On seeing him, he stuffed him some gold pearls and told him to venture out for his meal.

The few pearls spun around in Jing Lin’s palm. He lowered his eyes and said, “It’s fine even if I don’t eat.”

Before he could finish his words, his stomach growled.

“Father has already gone to take a rest. He should be rewarding you tomorrow. Have a good meal tonight. You’ve been on the stage these days. Even a man forged in iron won’t be able to stand it. “Li Rong rose to his feet. When he saw Jing Lin looking at him, he could not help but say in embarrassment, “Although I want to go with you, there are many guests these days. I even have to entertain them with Yun Sheng at night.”

Jing Lin nodded and turned around to head out. Just as he was about to step out of the door, he heard Li Rong advising him from behind, “You’ve put on an impressive display of power at Ming Jin Stage. You beat them hands down, and you also spoke arrogantly while belittling them. Be very careful when you venture outdoors later.”

After acknowledging his words, Jing Lin went down the stairs and passed through the pines. Bearing his sword on his back, he descended the mountain. Because of Ming Jin Stage, the inn at the foot of the mountain was enjoying brisk business. The night market surged with crowds of people of various types and shapes. There were even quite a number of demons among them.

Jing Lin clutched the gold pearls in his palms. As he walked along the road, he saw a great variety of food. He hesitated for a moment, selfishly wanting to eat all of them. He was already widely known for his reputation of slaying demons and subduing evil. Now that he was standing before the shop, the people around him pointed at him and tried to get a glimpse of him. Unconcerned, Jing Lin raised his foot to leave. He had only just taken a few steps when he looked back.

“Are you all following me,” Jing Lin asked, “to give me further pointers?”

“Listen to how arrogant his tone is!” A man carrying a pole beside him stood behind Jing Lin. From the way he dressed, he was from the south. He laughed and said to the people on his left and right, “If we hadn’t known, we would have really thought him to be some big shot.”

“The name of his sword is so illustrious. How is he not considered a big shot?” An unkempt monk in tattered clothes at the side touched his bald head and said, “Or could there be some other unknown reason?”

“Of course.” The ruffian with the pole raised his voice. Cupping his fists in a greeting all around, he spoke in a loud voice, “This man is the master of the sword Yan Quan of Ninth Heaven Realm. He’s the beloved son of Lord Jiutian! All along, he has been acting in the name of slaying demons and subduing evil. But he took a trip to the north half a year earlier, and in the name of eliminating demons, took liberties with the nine-tailed white fox under Cangdi’s command! Would you dare to acknowledge such a shameless thing?”

Jing Lin pursed his thin lips as frost encased his cold eyes.

On the other side, Cang Ji pushed aside the lantern, having drunk until his face was hot. He was looking at that smear of white from the window. Propping his head up, he watched silently at the movement in Jing Lin’s sleeves. That was when he knew the latter was about to strike. He burst out laughing and said to Huashang behind him, “I was worried he wouldn’t make a move. Yet he just has to fall into the trap.”

“It isn’t too much to slap someone with a filthy mouth.” Huashang fumed. “Some people are even saying that jiejie is Master’s beloved concubine! So they are the filthy ones who spread the rumor around like wildfire!”

“Just you watch.” The smell of wine on Cang Ji scattered in the wind. “He should be getting the worst of it soon.”

“He’s so capable.” Huashang wondered in surprise, “And he will still stand to lose?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin turned over his palm to grab the man. He did not even have the desire to draw his sword, as afraid as he was of being dirty. He seized the ruffian and swept a foot out. The kick sent the man flying upside down and crashing onto the ground.

“Ouch!” The ruffian rolled a few times in great pain. “Is the Ninth Heaven Sect using its power and influence to oppress and humiliate me right on the street?! And to think you have the nerve to declare yourself to be defending the Way.⁴ Where’s your comradeship?! What now? Are you going to fly into a rage out of humiliation?!”

Jing Lin said nothing. A flash of his white robe. Another kick. The man clutched his stomach and rolled across the ground. His head knocked against the stone slab, and a mouthful of blood came spurting out of his mouth. Mindful of his identity, Jing Lin had exercised self-restraint and did not strike out too heavily at him. Yet the man lay paralyzed on the ground moaning, causing the crowd all around to get into battle formation and hit out at him in unison.

Jing Lin was not a fool. He was acutely aware that if he beat someone to death tonight, he would be the one at fault even if he had been initially justified. Besides, he was wholeheartedly bent on defending the Way; thus, he was unwilling to kill arbitrarily. Amidst the attacks of the crowd besieging him, he lashed out at them and sent numerous people before him flying.

A whip with thorns suddenly wound around Jing Lin’s waist and pulled him off the ground. As soon as Jing Lin’s feet left the ground, he promptly turned his body over and tapped his feet twice or thrice in the air to flit up atop the roof where he stood. The crowd in the street immediately sprang up and stormed at him with a bellow. All kinds of weapons greeted him. With a whoosh, a spiked club⁵ stirred up a gush of wind beside Jing Lin’s temple. Jing Lin turned sideways, and the bandit behind him cleaved a blade down at him. Jing Lin whirled around and leaped. With a raise of his leg, he kicked the other party right in the chest. The other party choked and coughed out blood before he went tumbling down. After that, Jing Lin slid his body away and made a sudden grab for the thorny whip. The pain bore into his palm, but he did not even blink his eyes as he jerked it in the air. A strong gust of wind went assaulting the other party and shocked him so hard that he hurriedly let go of the whip. Before he could dodge, the brazen wave of spiritual wind slammed into him and sent him crashing onto the ground with a cry of pain.

Jing Lin cast aside the whip. Warm blood dripped down between his fingers. He coldly looked down at the crowd below, compelling them to retreat. Without saying a word, Jing Lin turned around and leaped off the rooftop to leave. He had only taken a few steps when he came to a halt and suddenly turned his head back. His eyes were so cold that the crowd around him shuddered.

He had lost his gold pearls!

Jing Lin clenched his fist silently. He was starving to death. He usually did not have that much money on him when he ventured outdoors. The moment he returned to the courtyard, Tao-di would come up with excuses to borrow away all his money to gamble. Right now, he could not even fish out a copper coin. As the aroma of the sweet pastries beside him assailed his nose, he turned even colder.

That rascal of a monk took a few sudden steps forward, and said in a thick-skinned attempt to smooth things over, “It was rude of us earlier. Sorry, Young Master! Why don’t you follow us to have some wine? Let us bury the hatchet with a smile! We will all be members of the Ninth Heaven Sect in the future. All of us are running around all for the great cause to save the masses. We still have to rely on you!”

Jing Lin looked at them heaping on the smiles as they fawned on him. Thus he lifted his chin slightly in a gesture for them to lead the way.

♦     ♦     ♦

Linlang pushed open the door and entered, but she did not see anyone except Huashang poking at the lamp wick. She asked, “Where’s Master?”

Huashang replied, “He said he has yet to drink to his heart’s content. So he went out again.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin lowered his head and ate. All the words the others said went in one ear and out the other. The monk proposed a toast under pretense and said, “We wouldn’t dare to delay Young Master’s important work, so we will just toast a cup as a gesture of our goodwill. Tonight, we were blind not to recognize what a great man you are. We hope Young Master will be magnanimous enough to forgive us.”

Knowing that it was inadvisable to reject them too much at this point in time and ruin his father’s great plan, he accepted the cup and drank it. As he downed the wine, he found it sweet instead of astringent; the cloying sweetness lingered in his throat. He had also eaten a lot, so even by the time they dispersed, he did not really say more than a few words.

When he left the shop, he felt his body a little hot. Out of the corners of his eyes, he noticed that rascal of a monk giving instructions to a person. The group stood under the eaves and looked at him as if they were waiting to see a good show.

Jing Lin’s heart thumped. The wave of heat that flared and shot up within him was so scalding that beads of sweat seeped out from his temples. His spiritual sea went haywire. It did not respond when he mobilized it; instead, it ran rampant at the whims of this hot current that made his heart itch. With quick steps, he brushed past the passers-by. His breathing grew heavier as he forcibly pushed several people out of the way and made his way forward in a muddle.

He did not expect to be tripped by someone and ended up falling forward. Yet the man who tripped him did not turn aside to dodge him. On the contrary, he opened both of his arms and caught Jing Lin in a hug.

“Was the wine good?” He asked in a hushed tone.

Jing Lin wanted to push him away, but the man grasped his hand tightly between his fingers. Jing Lin exhaled and raised his head. In his trance, he saw this man’s plain face. It was a face he had never seen before. He could not help but frown and pulled his hand back to retreat. But then he noticed that the other party was exceptionally tall; he was even a little taller than Li Rong. Grabbing hold of him was simply a piece of cake.

“Hey.” With the look of an upright gentleman, Cang Ji modestly and courteously held Jing Lin steady. He lifted his hand to reveal a few gold pearls. “I saw you going drinking with the others, so I waited here for you. These are yours, right?”

Jing Lin was so hot he was dripping sweat. He kept his voice down and said a word of thanks before reaching for the gold pearls. But the man suddenly raised his hand high to prevent him from touching them. Jing Lin let out a perplexed “huh”.

Cang Ji noted that Jing Lin’s eyes were hazy and glistening with water as the latter gazed at him. He was already a spent force. Cang Ji was well-aware of it, yet he lowered his head and whispered to Jing Lin, “You look like you are not feeling well?”

Jing Lin pursed his lips so hard they reddened. He sighed to Cang Ji, “Hot…”

After a moment of silence, Cang Ji said, “So am I. How about we go together to dissipate the heat and sober ourselves up?”

篦子 double-edged fine-toothed comb; it can also be used as a hair decoration.

泉咽危石, 松冷青衫 a variant of the line Le Yan once recited: “Spring, spring water weeps over precipitous rocks; morning light shrouds green pines in frost.” (泉声咽危石，日色冷青松), which is a line from the poem 《過香積寺》 Passing By Xiang Ji Temple by 王維 Wang Wei.

龙者 also refers to someone who reigns supreme.

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment).

狼牙棒

Chapter 73: Way of the Sword

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Jing Lin swallowed the clear water. The icy cold water poured down his throat, finally washing down the cloyingly sweet taste clinging to it. Yet it felt as if flames were leaping around in his abdomen, teasing him as they sent waves of heat surging through his limbs and bones. Jing Lin was burning up so much that he was sweating profusely. Even his fingertips had reddened.

Cang Ji looked at him. He already knew what was in the wine, yet he still had to pretend not to know. He asked considerately, “How do you feel now?”

Jing Lin’s cheek had flushed red. Still, he forced himself to remain calm. Without a change in expression, he nodded to Cang Ji and said, “… Still okay.”

Cang Ji said, “I have a residence in the alley that comes with two or three servants. It’s a resting place that’s very quiet and secluded. If you trust me, I’ll lead you there.”

Jing Lin was fully aware that the medicinal properties had yet to be dispelled. All along, he had always walked and worked alone. He had never spoken to his brothers about romantic affairs, and so he was totally unaware of what an underhanded method this poison was. No matter how close to perfection one’s cultivation was, as long as he was still of mortal flesh, he could not escape from its effects. At this moment, he just wanted to head back to relieve himself on his own, so he gave a slight shake of his head.

“Thank you for your kindness.” He dug his fingers into the wound on his palm to keep himself awake with the pain. “I wouldn’t dare to impose on you.”

Cang Ji smiled and raised his fingers to gesture to him that he was free to leave of his own will. Jing Lin turned around and took a few steps, only to collapse and slid down against the wall. Before he could hit the ground, Cang Ji held him up from behind in his arms.

Cang Ji’s chin brushed across Jing Lin’s hair as if by accident. He said, “Looks like the poison has already spread through your entire body. I’m afraid there’s no way it will dispel by itself. I’ll be the good guy to the end and give you a ride.”

With that, he fished him up in his arms and stepped into the alley. Jing Lin was burning up so much that his fingertips had gone numb. Sweat soaked his clothes, causing the arm Cang Ji had over his waist to press up distinctly close against him. Cang Ji’s face was hazy as Jing Lin looked at him through half-closed eyes. His divine consciousness was now in a state of primal chaos, and his words had been reduced to mere murmurs. His entire body had gone soft. Yet he clutched his hand and dug into the wound on his palm, refusing to let the parching heat engulf him. Retaining a tiny bit of lucidity, he vaguely uttered a word of “thanks” to Cang Ji.

Cang Ji raised his leg to kick the courtyard door open and passed through the corridor to take a turn. This courtyard was indeed quiet and secluded; there was not even a soul in sight. All that he had said about “two or three servants” was made up on the spur of moment. Carrying him, Cang Ji stepped down the stairs and pushed against the door of a room to open it. The interior was fine and exquisite, completed with a screen¹ and bed. However, Cang Ji carried Jing Lin around the screen and lifted the curtain to cross through a wall opening.² There was a hot spring steaming with water mist within.

Cang Ji saw that Jing Lin was so feverish that his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. His collar was half open. However, he took his time and asked, “I’ve heard a little about this poison… Do you need me to help?”

Jing Lin was already so warm he was huffing out air with his mouth. And now he was sweating profusely in this steamy and stifling heat. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his collar tightly as he pressed against Cang Ji’s chest.

So Cang Ji released him and placed him in the water. As Jing Lin suddenly entered the water, the current of heat made him go so weak that he had to support himself with his arms to lean over the edge. The cold water he had just drunk earlier was now boiling hot, and the cloying sweetness that permeated his throat and mouth made him powerless and restless. He steamed in the water mist until the hair on his temples were soaked. For a moment, he could not tell where he was.

Cang Ji had already taken off his outer shirt. He crouched down and held up Jing Lin’s injured hand before his eyes to scrutinize it. He let out an abrupt laugh and said, “I returned the gold pearls to you and even brought you here. Am I considered a good guy?”

A soaking wet Jing Lin raised his eyes to gaze at him and saw him pushing the gold pearls one at a time into his sleeve. Those pearls slid in along his arm. His clothes that had been licked wet by the hot water clung to his body, and the pearls pressing into them made it difficult for him to bear. Cang Ji seemed to know how terrible he was feeling. His long fingers followed the pearls into his sleeve, titillating Jing Lin as he felt around inside his sleeve to search for them.

Jing Lin was so startled by his fingers that he shivered. Urgent sighs escaped from his throat. He retreated, wanting to flee. With a turn of his hand, Cang Ji grasped hold of him firmly. He teased, “I’m hot to death. Since you don’t want me to help you, then you’ll help me. Treat it as my reward for being a good guy thus far.”

Cang Ji’s fingertips caressed him as he withdrew his hand. He led Jing Lin’s fingers to his lips and suddenly bit down on him. Yet it felt like a welcome rain after a long drought³ to Jing Lin. Even if he wanted to withdraw his hand, it was too late. He was being clutched by the nape of his neck, with his face raised to receive Cang Ji’s sucks and kisses from top to bottom. Something detonated in Jing Lin’s mind, turning it abnormally fuzzy. He was caught amidst the sloshing waves of water as waves of heat gradually slapped at the sides of his waist.

Jing Lin could feel some part of him hurting. It made him raise his head and gasp. He was imprisoned between the wall and the water, unable to escape. Gradually, even his toes curled up. He vaguely felt as if his body had turned into the water itself, drifting with the current amidst the poundings of the massive waves.

A wall as solid as iron was blocking him. Jing Lin felt as if he was being crushed by it. His silver crown teetered as if it was about to fall off, and the water waves spread his hair out. His heat – his scalding heat – was all being toyed with in another man’s fingers and palm. This wall was still pinning him down, urging him to open his mouth.

Jing Lin’s arms clambered up the wall as a word of “hot” was pressed back into his throat and swallowed.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin suddenly opened his eyes and saw the familiar roof before him. He turned over and sat up, facing his window of pines. The sky was still dark, so he touched his temples in the half-darkness. They were dry. There seemed to be something happening intermittently deep in his subconsciousness, but all he could remember was that the water was scalding hot.

Jing Lin lifted the quilt and saw his own clothes intact. The silver crown was placed on the small table. Even the direction it was facing was consistent with his usual arrangement. He furrowed his brows. There were no signs of anything wrong with his body except for a slight soreness in his waist.

When it was morning, Jing Lin went to pay his respects to his father and bumped into Li Rong in the corridor. On seeing him, Li Rong grabbed a cup of hot tea and handed it to him. He asked, “I told you to go out. How did you end up drinking with others?”

Reacting slowly, Jing Lin thought back to it. He could no longer remember those ruffians from last night clearly. He drank the hot tea and said, “We fought until we ended up drinking.”

“As long as you aren’t hurt.” Li Rong said, “Father will assume the role of the Alliance Chief these few days. You mustn’t get too complacent and slack off.”

Jing Lin uttered an acknowledgment and asked, “How did I get back last night?”

Li Rong looked at him and laughed. “My good lad! Have you drunk yourself silly? You came back by yourself.”

Jing Lin had no awareness of it at all. “Myself?”

“You’ve forgotten so much after this one sleep.” Li Rong descended the stairs with him and said as he walked, “You slept for a whole day! And you still think it’s yesterday, huh.”

Jing Lin was truly stunned. He parroted, “Slept for a whole day?”

Li Rong pointed at him and said, “Drinking will only hold you up!”

Jing Lin put on a rare display of astonishment, but his face turned cold again very quickly. He said, “Then why didn’t you call me up yesterday? I fear Father has already gotten impatient from all the waiting.”

“Father understands that it has been hard on you on Ming Jin Stage the past few days, so he said not to disturb you.” Li Rong said, “After this incident, you have to be more careful about what you say and do. Don’t let the other brothers get a handle on you. Since Father dotes on you, he will punish you even more severely than the others when punishment is due.”

“I have no duties.” Jing Lin said, “There’s nothing to punish me for.”

“Even so.” Li Rong hesitated for a moment and said, “I went to the north to negotiate with Cangdi the last time and did a haphazard job of it. Yet he sent us an invitation yesterday.”

Jing Lin had never seen a dragon before. He was preoccupied with thinking about something else, so he did not answer. Just as both of them were about to enter the hall, Li Rong suddenly asked, “How did your nape get bitten?”

Jing Lin looked puzzled. Li Rong had only glimpsed a flash of red under his back collar. Barely having the time to scrutinize it, he dismissed it and said, “It’s probably a mosquito.”⁴

Jing Lin felt the back of his neck with his fingers and said, “Perhaps.”

They entered the hall. The Supreme Father was listening to Tao Zhi as the latter spoke and gesticulated. On seeing them, he pointed to Tao Zhi and said, “Listen.”

Tao Zhi puffed out his chest to both of them and said, “Si-ge, Jiu-ge, Father is sending me to the north to guard the lands!”

The Supreme Father had adopted eight sons. By right, Jing Lin should have ranked seventh. But he did not get along with the various brothers above him and they often bumped down his seniority behind his back. Qing Yao, who was still learning to speak at that time, heard them and began calling him Jiu-ge.

Li Rong said, “Although Tao-di is astute, he does not have the experience. Father…”

The Supreme Father moved aside the lid of the teacup and said, “It has already been decided; there’s no need for further discussion. Jing Lin, you’ve done a wonderful job of defending on Ming Jin Stage a few days back. I’ve been thinking of rewarding you something these days. Is there anything you desire?”

Jing Lin replied, “No.”

The Supreme Father placed his hands on his knees and smiled as he said, “Silly boy. How many times can Father reward you in a year? You are usually on the go and have been so thus far. It’s fine even if you wish to ask for a rest day.”

But Jing Lin said, “The demons in the south have not been dealt with, and canglong in the north is still standing. There is no need for me to rest.”

The Supreme Father scrutinized him and said, “What’s the status of your cultivation now?”

Jing Lin hesitated a little and said, “Just a little more to achieve the Pinnacle Stage.”

The Supreme Father nodded and complimented him. “You are indeed faster than the others when you hold the Way of Heaven in mind and put all your focus on it. Once you reach the Pinnacle Stage, you will shake off your mortal flesh and gain the ability to abstain from food.”

“That’s exactly so. I hope Father will send him out on a mission.” Li Rong said, “He cultivates the Evil-Subduing Way⁵ of the Sword, carries and conducts himself with integrity and righteousness, and even turns his heart into Yan Quan. The closer the critical juncture approaches, the more he needs to be put in dangerous situations. If you make him stay at home, he might not break through this stage even if he goes into seclusion for a hundred years.”

Jing Lin listened to them as they spoke, but his mind was wandering. He felt as if he had forgotten something important. He tried to probe further, but all he drew was a blank. Had he met someone the night before? How was it that he could remember nothing? Who tampered with his mind?

“Jing Lin.” The Supreme Father summoned Jing Lin’s consciousness back and said, “Let’s do this. You shall head for the south again.”

Jing Lin accepted his orders and withdrew.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji yawned and leaned against the wall to watch the sky darken. Huashang picked out the dishes to her liking and ate them. On seeing him yawn, she asked, “Master, are you still going out tonight? If you are going to be sleeping outside again, then I’ll hunt for food myself at night.”

Cang Ji said, “I’m so chaste and pure. Am I the kind of man who would frequently spend the night outside?”

Unable to pick up the peanut, Huashang abandoned the chopsticks and used her hand. She threw the peanuts into her mouth and drank a few mouthfuls of wine, feeling content. When she heard this, she asked, “Then where were you the night before? Your robe was so crumpled it had all but become a fried dough twist.”⁶

Cang Ji signed and said, “I sold my body for the deliverance of another.”

How would Huashangbelieve him this readily? Cang Ji ignored her. Grasping a plain gold pearl between his fingers, he looked at it again and again against the backdrop of dusk and let out a cold snort. He had been snorting out of the blue lately. Who knew who he was humphing at?

Huashang said, “The invitation has been delivered. Jiejie has gone over too. If we come across those from Ninth Heaven Sect in the northern lands later, do we fight them or not?”

Cang Ji pressed the gold pearl between his fingertips and rolled it around. He said, “The oath of alliance in the south is a done deal. Strike a blow and it will stir up a hornet’s nest. Tell Linlang this, and she will understand what to do.”

Huashang sensed something amiss and asked, “Aren’t you going back with us?”

“I have places to go.” Cang Ji gazed out at the clouds of mist among the mountains. “Lord Jiutian has been sharpening a sword for years. And he has only polished this one sword to the point its brilliance is all but ostentatiously dazzling and unstoppable.”

Huashang kicked out her legs and said, “If he wants to use this sword for a longer period of time, the best policy is to have it keep a low profile. Yet Lord Jiutian made him make enemies out of so many people. He calls him his beloved son, but it doesn’t seem that way to me. Furthermore, the original form of this Jing Lin is actually a sword. The Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword he’s cultivating is different from others. He’s staking everything on it. His life is bound to this one Way and sword. If there are any unforeseen turn of events in the future and he loses his Way, then his sword will break. When the sword breaks, his body will be destroyed. Once the body is destroyed, his heart will die— and then he will be beyond saving.”

“That’s right.” Cang Ji’s eyes revealed a hint of a demon’s cunningness. “To break this person, the wise move would be to target his heart instead of aiming for his body. His original form is a sword. He can treat all kinds of assault as a way to toughen up himself. And because his heart is similar to the sword, he’s absolutely free of impurities. That’s why he can subdue evil for so many years without being violated by them. It’s also why he can unswervingly hold fast to his own Way from start to end.”

“But if he can defend this one heart, wouldn’t that make him all the more valiant the more setbacks he suffers, and even all the more obstinate?” Huashang’s tails suddenly popped out. She pondered it over and said, “Seriously speaking, having a sword for an original form does not count as having a heart. It’s all sharp blades in that chest cavity of his. It is not easy to destroy his will. Otherwise, in all these years, the evil spirits and devils would not have fled upon catching sight of him, nor get so scared that their legs trembled.”

“That depends on who he encounters.” Cang Ji playfully twirled the gold pearl and said meaningfully, “There is always a tribulation.”

屏风, a single screen or folding screen that typically serves as a partition, e.g., before the bed and so on.

洞门 An opening in a wall separating different courtyards within a residence.

久旱逢甘霖 a welcome rain after a long drought; i.e., have a long-felt need satisfied

Cang.Mosquito.Ji: What?

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道). Jing Lin’s Way here is the Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword (降魔剑道).

麻花 Mahua or fried dough twist is a Chinese snack that is fried in peanut oil.

Chapter 74: Mental

MARCH 2, 2020

Jing Lin descended the mountain a few days later. His attire of a white robe and a silver crown was too conspicuous, so he shed his white robe and swapped it to an everyday wear with azure stripes. He hid his sword within his body and cast aside his crown to tie up his hair. Other than his unchanged facial features, he was no different from the common cultivators.

Li Rong and Yun Sheng saw Jing Lin to the foot of the mountain. At the side of the pavilion at the bottom, they gave him a small box. Jing Lin opened it for a look and saw six small porcelain bottles neatly arranged in a row inside.

“These are pills produced from Father’s courtyard. They are made according to your liking; all of them taste like tofu.” Noting that Jing Lin’s expression did not look good, Li Rong quickly said, “I know you have been self-cultivating and is unwilling to use these wonder pills to aid you, but they are a token of Father’s regards. You mustn’t refuse.”

Yun Sheng smiled at the side. “You wanted to eat those when you were young, but now that you have grown, you disdain them. Take them with you. Father is so fond of you; he probably afraid something unforeseen might happen when you are crossing the borders, so he picked out six bottles to help cultivate your spiritual energy and fortify your constitution. You have to know that even Eldest Brother only dares to eat one bottle.”

“I’m solely cultivating the Way of the Sword,¹ which is also the Way of the Heart. Using the aid of external objects would only make it easier to breed inner demons. Although I know Father loves me dearly, I still wouldn’t dare to use more than necessary. “Jing Lin picked out a bottle and pushed the box towards them. He said, “All the brothers in seclusion at home need these more. So, just use them on my behalf.”

After saying this, Jing Lin raised his hands slightly and kept his words succinct. “Then, I’m going.”

Li Rong and Yun Sheng returned the salute in unison and watched as Jing Lin vanished among the morning mist.

Li Rong shook the porcelain bottles and sighed. “There are so many of them. You and I can’t finish them all. Yet they are so valuable and rare that we can’t throw them away. What should we do?”

Yun Sheng patted his arm and said, “As it turns out, I heard Lan Hai saying last night that he hasn’t been feeling well lately. He is always feeling physically and mentally exhausted. Why not give him a bottle? You and I can take one bottle each and give the remaining ones to Qing Yao so that she can have them as candied beans.”²

There was a Lingtong Hall established in Lord Jiutian’s Courtyard, so named for concocting immortality pills. This Ninth Heaven Pill was wonderful for aiding cultivation and purifying evil. The brothers have been consuming them every month from the time they entered the sect. Once their cultivations had reached the Minor Accomplishment Stage and their spiritual sea had solidified, the Supreme Father would restrict the number of pills and tell them to forge ahead on their own. Although this was an excellent tonic, it could not be taken in excess. The only ones who can munch on them as though they were beans were Qing Yao and Dong Jun. Dong Jun was a devil who pledged allegiance to them, which is a story for another time, while Qing Yao had a rare constitution and had to take them daily.

Having arrived at an agreement, both men returned to the mountain.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin did not take a boat on his way south. Instead, he rode a horse along the river. Ninth Heaven Sect had set up command stations in the south to provide support to disciples. Thus, Jing Lin rested his feet at the various stations along the way.

It was evening when Jing Lin sat down at the noodle stall along the street and ordered two bowls of noodles—one with vegetables and one with tofu. He picked out a pair of chopsticks to dig into the noodles. He was only halfway through when he heard someone walking towards him from behind, making a “thud, thud” sound as the latter rapped on the ground with a wooden stick. The person hit the side of his table, and the first words out of his mouth were, “This young master, you have a charming countenance, and your face is rosy. You are going to get lucky in the romance department these days!”

Jing Lin ate his noodles and did not answer. The man leaned over to him. He sniffed and said, “I’m starving too. Seeing as I have told you your fortune, how about rewarding me with this bowl of noodles?”

Jing Lin noted him to be illiterate. His eyes were cloudy and dull; it was likely he was visually impaired. He was also unshaven, with a dirty garment hanging off his shoulders and a pair of azure fabric shoes on his feet that exposed his toes. There was even a piece of wood that had been gnawed rotten by insects in his hand. Just a light sniff, and Jing Lin could smell the stench of pickled vegetables mixed with trough water. The worst was all those lice leaping on him in between his movements.

All the diners lost their appetites and fell over themselves to leave their seats. The stall-owner would not let him get away with this, so he ran over to spat at this fortune-teller who looked as if he was here to beg for food.

“Get the hell out of here quickly!” The stall-owner lashed out at him with the towel. “What havoc are you creating here? Who the hell is so careless down there to pee out such an eyesore like you?!”

The fortune-teller deftly moved his feet, causing the stall-owner to hit the empty air each time. He folded his arms up his sleeves and withdrew them with a gold pearl grasped between his fingers. He blew at the pearl and waved it before the stall-owner’s eyes to show off.

“See this?” He said, “If I’m a contemptible one,³ then what are you, sonny? Don’t stand there and block my way. Scram aside and wait. I want to have fun with this young master.”

With that, the fortune-teller stepped on one of his feet and sat opposite Jing Lin. He scratched at the lice and said, “You wouldn’t even give me a mouthful of noodles. Cheapskate!”

Jing Lin pushed the untouched bowl to him. The fortune-teller used the chopsticks to rap noisily against the side of the bowl and shouted, “No! Who gives a damn about a bowl of noodles? I want the bowl you are having!”

Jing Lin asked, “Do fortune-tellers even hanker after leftovers now?”

“That depends on whose leftovers they are.” The fortune-teller opened his blind eyes and reached out a hand to grab Jing Lin’s hand. “You’re so good-looking. So I only want yours.”

Jing Lin took the opportunity to step back and lifted his foot to tap the bench under the fortune-teller’s butt, moving it back suddenly. Then he flipped his hand and rotated the square table to shift the bowl left with only a soup base before the fortune-teller. When the fortune-teller looked at Jing Lin again, the latter had already finished the untouched bowl of noodles in just a few mouthfuls.

Jing Lin slapped the copper pearls down and stood up to leave. The sound of wind rose behind him as that fortune-teller inexplicably batted his arm towards Jing Lin. Jing Lin swung aside, and in that instant, their shadows superimposed over each other before parting like a pair of ghosts. Jing Lin dusted off the hem of his clothes and stepped forward. He did not expect the fortune-teller to be so shameless that he would hug him from behind under his arms and lifted him.

“You can’t run now!”

Before the fortune-teller could finish his words, the man in his embrace suddenly turned into a little stone figure with a “poof”. It did a carp kip-up⁴ on the ground and made a funny face at him. The fortune-teller took a look at Jing Lin again, but there was not even a trace left of him!

The fortune-teller let out a sneer and kicked the little stone figure’s butt. He said, “He sure runs fast!”

Then he took a few steps into the crowd and swiftly vanished from sight.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s eyes were closed as if he was sleeping. There was a sudden knock on the window at night. He pushed open the window and saw a pretty woman who looked like a willow branch trembling in the wind leaning against the window. Her tears came flowing even before she said a word to him.

“Sweetheart, where have you been fleeing?” The pretty woman wiped her tears with her scented handkerchief and spoke softly in a sobbing voice. “You abandoned me under the bridge. I was so afraid. You wouldn’t even go when I called you. What a fickle man. At the very least, you and I were husband and wife for one night. Yet you wouldn’t even do me this favor!”

Jing Lin thought that he was dreaming. At the same time, he suspected that an evil spirit had come to mess with his mind, so he wanted to close the window. The pretty woman reached an arm in and poked him gently in the chest. Weeping under the moon, she asked delicately, “Why such a glum face? You don’t want to see me? I know you are close with that aristocratic missy. Don’t tell me you are going to abandon me? Jiu-lang…” she sobbed,” How heartless.”

Jing Lin said, “I have never abandoned you, nor have I been close with you.”

“How could you say this!” The pretty woman stamped her foot. “Even your flesh and blood in my belly will not let you get away with it, let alone me!”

Jing Lin said, “There’s no pregnancy aura on you. You are not with child.”

Left with no other course of action, the pretty woman tried to climb in through the window. She lifted her skirt and moved her slender legs up the window. Looking out at the bright moon hanging high in the sky and the bright-as-day courtyard, Jing Lin suddenly said, “I understand now.”

It threw the pretty woman off balance for a moment. “Huh?”

Jing Lin paused and said, “I’m afraid you’ve found the wrong window and gotten the wrong person.”

He had set up a spiritual thread at the window. If this were an evil spirit, she would not have been able to straddle over it. And she was not a demon either, since Jing Lin had not been able to see her original form and spiritual energy. This woman was emitting the aura of a mortal all over. Her legs had even gone red from pressing against the frame as she climbed over the window!

On hearing this, the pretty woman smiled and said, “You and I have been intimate for a night. How would I forget your face?! Let me touch it, and I’ll know if I have made a mistake or not.”

Jing Lin could be decisive when it came to slaying demons and eliminating evil, but he would not kill a mortal without reason. He could not help but feel overwhelmed and took several steps back on seeing this bold woman about to climb her way in. Her skirt had been lifted above her knees, and those snow-white legs swung in the darkness of the night. Jing Lin would see no evil, so he averted his eyes and pulled the quilt over to thrust it at her and shove her out of the window.

This fall would not hurt at all given the low height of the window and the soft grass cushioning her fall below. But her fall was unsightly, so she hugged the clothes that had been ripped from the fall and began to weep and yell.

With this shout, the entire station lit up. All the people here were cultivators. With their acute senses of hearing, they had already heard the conversation clearly in the darkness. Now they all poked their heads out in unison and whispered to each other as they muttered and pointed fingers at him.

The woman drew the quilt around her and wept as she continued to pester him. “This fickle man turned his back on me. Yesterday, he was still calling me darling and baby under the sheets, and today he wants to be on intimate terms with another! He wouldn’t even let me in!”

Jing Lin had never come into contact with women before. So where would he have seen such a situation before? His frosty eyebrows were now all scrunched up. He almost believed that this was a new scam for money in the south.

Sure enough, he heard that woman say as she wiped her tears, “You said you wanted sixty gold pearls for business. Oh heavens! That was all my blood and sweat I’ve worked my heart and eyes off to earn from sewing embroidery, stitch by stitch, thread by thread. Now that I’ve handed them to you, you treat me this way! If you insist on leaving, then do as you wish. But you must return the money to me!”

Leaving aside the question of whether she could sew out sixty gold beads worth of embroidery, she could shake Jing Lin upside down all she wanted, and he would still only have ten.

Jing Lin grasped his money pouch and said, “It’s one thing to ask for money, but you mustn’t spout nonsense. You and I have never been acquainted. I never had a dalliance with you, nor have I borrowed a single pearl from you.”

Suddenly revealing her shrewishness, the woman stood akimbo and said, “How nice! You are not only fickle, you are also callous! You even want to make a clean break with me. Pay me back what you owe, sixty pearls and not one less! Otherwise, I’ll go to that whatever Ninth Heaven Sect and tell others to look at what a scum you guys have raised!”

Those at the command station watching the show immediately raised their voices and said, “Lady, there’s no hurry. He’s a disciple of Ninth Heaven Sect, so he’s super, super rich! Go ahead and ask him for the money. Tonight, all of us here will watch him for you. He wouldn’t dare to hit out at you!”

“Just because you’re from Ninth Heaven Sect, you can throw your weight around and bully others? Return the lady her money!”

“Heartless rat, fickle man!”

Jing Lin remained unmoved. His attention was on his palm. He only had this much left; he did not have more to give her. So he poured out the gold pearls, wanting to hand them over.

A strong, slender hand with distinct joints suddenly stopped him midway.

“Gold pearls aren’t a problem.” This man faced Jing Lin from the side. He had broad shoulders and back. “But it wouldn’t do to push your luck.”

“That was really unjustified of you to say so.” The woman raised her voice and said, “I’m already this pitiful, how would I still dare to ‘push my luck’? This is clearly a ‘tearful plea’.”

“The way I see it, little lady, you are so eloquent that you have rendered my brother speechless.” Cang Ji threw her a bag of gold pearls and said, “Now that you have gotten the money, I’d advise you to do some decent business. It is rare to find silly ones like him. You’ve reaped such a good bounty tonight, so why aren’t you leaving?”

The woman saw that he did not look too pleased. Although his appearance was ordinary, he was kind of imposing. Thus she quitted while she was still ahead. After pulling the bag open to check that they were all real gold pearls, she immediately stood up and smoothed the hair on her temples before leaving with glee.

Cang Ji turned his head back and said to Jing Lin, “It has been a few days since we met. Have you forgotten me?”

A picture flashed through Jing Lin’s mind. He could vaguely remember this face. It was just that he had been too groggy from the heat back then and could not remember much. So he said, “Thanks.”

Cang Ji stood for a moment and suddenly asked the waiter standing behind. “Do you still have rooms in the station?”

It was then Jing Lin saw him still holding on to the horse, looking all travel-weary.

The waiter hastily replied, “I’m so sorry. We are out of rooms today!”

Cang Ji raised his hands to Jing Lin regretfully and said, “It wasn’t easy for us to meet each other again, but now we must bid each other farewell. Since the station is already full, I’ll go elsewhere.”

The waiter bowed and said guiltily, “I’m sorry you have made a trip in vain! But they are all closed for business at the moment. Most of them are already full.”

So Cang Ji said, “Well, then…”

Since he had stood up for Jing Lin earlier, it was now time for Jing Lin to repay him. Thus, Jing Lin said to Cang Ji, who was starting to walk away. “I have to thank you for your help both times. If you don’t mind, we can stay together.”

Cang Ji turned his head back, looking to be in a dilemma. “Wouldn’t that be imposing on you?”

Jing Lin looked at him. “It’s fine.”

Cang Ji threw the reins to the waiter. Naturally, there would be people preparing hot water and food inside. As he lifted his robe to step through the door, he smiled at Jing Lin and said, “You are really a good guy.”

♦     ♦     ♦

On the other side, the woman who left earlier entered a door carrying the bag of gold and repeatedly squealed to her man. “We are rich!”

Her man stood by the oil lamp and bit down on the gold pearl. The woman said, “What an odd man! I thought he was going to fix that fair-faced lad. Who knew that he was going to give us money instead!”

“Since he told you to go, and even gave you money, then all you have to do is to read the lines he gave you.” Her man said mockingly.

The woman hugged that bag of money, still puzzled. “Say, is that man mental or what…”

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate. A common one that appears in wuxia and xianxia novels, especially among sword users, is the Heartless or Merciless Way (无情道). Jing Lin’s Way here is the Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword (降魔剑道).

下三滥, refers to the three contemptible trades in the ancient days, i.e., courtesans (prostitutes), scholars, and beggars.

GIF
鲤鱼打挺 carp kip-up, a martial arts move where one leaps from a supine position into a standing position

Chapter 75: Jiu-lang

MARCH 6, 2020

A new bed was added to the room right beside the window, making the interior look even more crowded. Seeing as it was already midnight, Cang Ji hastily ate some food and rinsed his mouth before rolling onto the couch.

Jing Lin was completely awake. He had never slept in the same room with another person, so he turned to his side to look at the edge of the bed as he recited a hundred kinds of incantations in his heart. The moonlight was like water streaming down upon the woven mat, and it was in this lake that Jing Lin soaked himself in. Gradually, he forgot that there was still a man behind him as he immersed himself wholeheartedly in the word—progress.

After his spiritual sea was born out of his original form, it swirled around Yan Quan like a windy fog. At first glance, it was difficult to see its bottom. All that could be seen was the cold, lifeless glow of Yan Quan as it towered in his chest without even tilting once.

Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin from behind and saw his smooth, fair, and unblemished nape. He let out a soundless laugh. He had watched Jing Lin for several days on the Ninth Heaven Sect’s Ming Jin Stage, so he already knew Yan Quan’s appearance by heart. Other than that Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword, he was even more interested in Jing Lin. Who would expect a man with a sharp sword concealed in his chest to be so soft to hug?

The first time Cang Ji had seen Jing Lin was actually not on Ming Jin Stage.

A year ago, Jing Lin had beheaded the great demon, Tiger-head Owl, in the northwest. This owl was located in the marshy wastelands slightly west of the Northern Lands. It was originally a general under the command of Cangdi, who had installed him in the west to fight against the Blood Sea. But for some reason that had remained unclear to this date, it plundered and killed the commoners from three cities of the Northern Lands. Bearing his sword, Jing Lin set forth on his own to behead the Tiger-head Owl before the Blood Sea and lured out a monstrous wave of evil spirits and devils. When Cangdi arrived, all he saw was that robe of white sealing the sea with a strike of his sword. Countless of massive waves that had been charging towards him halted in their tracks. Before Yan Quan Sword, no devil could overstep their boundaries.

Cangdi asked those beside him, “Who is that person?”

The little demon shrank back and replied, “Dijun doesn’t know him. He’s that invincible and unrivaled sword of Ninth Heaven Sect that wanders over Zhongdu, Jing Lin!”

Several months later, Cangdi received yet another invitation from the Brahma Altar and headed for the ancient temple in the south to engage in spiritual discourse. He sat with the Buddha side by side. As he drank the coarse tea, he caught a glimpse of a little stone figure sitting cross-legged by the lotus pond fishing with a chopstick in its hands. Sleepy amidst the chanting of sutras, it kept nodding off.

Cangdi’s heart stirred as he watched it from his peripheral vision. It sat for a moment, then abruptly abandoned the chopstick and leaped to its feet. It sprawled over the edge of the pond and grabbed a cup to scoop up the fishes. There were merely a few red carps the size of a finger in the pond. It was only then the budding and adorable voice reciting the scriptures took on a life of its own. Each of the carp circled the little stone figure’s tiny cup, amusing it so much that it stretched forward even further. Eventually, it plunged headlong into the pond with a “plop”. With a lotus leaf still on its head, it shook away an entire head of water.

Cang Ji asked the True Buddha a sudden question. “With a little lease of life, can a stone also cast off its old shell and be reborn as a man?”

The true Buddha smiled. He did not answer but merely said, “The sword lies hidden in the chest. The truth lies concealed in the Way.”

“Where does one seek the Way?”

“The Way naturally exists in the divine. The Way naturally exists in Heaven and Earth. Everything that the eyes can see, and the ears can hear, can be called the Way.” The True Buddha sipped the tea and smiled as he said.

Cangdi leaned back with a sneer and said, “The whole world cultivates the Way. But where is my Way?”

The True Buddha said. “It’s only by breaking away from the old that you can start afresh.”

Instead, Cangdi asked, “So, is my tribulation happening soon?”

“Dijun is perceptive and insightful.” The True Buddha nodded.

The intent to kill flashed through Cangdi’s eyes. “Who is it?”

The True Buddha, however, clapped his hands and laughed out loud. He threw a prayer bead¹ into the pond and said, “The predestined affinities within the waters of the eight hundred lotus ponds of Nan Chan are not to be probed. If Dijun wishes to figure it out, then why don’t you take a stroll to look for it on your own?”

Cangdi suddenly stood up, only to hear the True Buddha advising him with a stern countenance.

“One’s predestined fate and affinity are all impossible to predict. The thoughts of Dijun are unfathomable. Instead of seeking it out, why not let it run its own course?”

“He’s my tribulation; therefore, he’s my life.” Cangdi stood concealed among the mist. “I’m the only one in Heaven and Earth who can proclaim himself Emperor. I cannot afford to give him this life, so I can only kill him first to forestall what’s to come.”

Cangdi went over along the edge of the pond. Amidst the lingering chants of sutras, he saw that prayer bead sinking into the water and flowing south along with the water current. At the southernmost part of the lotus pond, there was a small boat parked between tens of thousands of flowers. Two people sat opposite each other on the boat. One was an old monk holding the Buddhist scriptures to explain the Way, while the other was a man with an azure wide-sleeves robe draped over him.

The old monk kept prattling on and on in a tedious and boring tone. The man with hair scattered over his shoulders was meditating as he sat upright and listened in silence. That azure sleeve slid into the pond and cut out a patch of the sky in the water as it steeped in the fragrance of the lotus. Jing Lin’s side profile was apathetic, with nary a trace of impatience or weariness. The surface of the pond was like a mirror as its ripples reflected the heavens. The instant Cang Ji gazed over, he had the impression of Jing Lin sitting upright amidst the clouds in the clear sky.

Yan Quan was Jing Lin, and Jing Lin was Yan Quan. The purest nature in the world forged this number one sword in Heaven and Earth, and the cleanest rain fused to become this number one visage in Heaven and Earth. His heart was untainted, and so his countenance was unconventional.

Cangdi brushed aside the mist to look into the distance, spellbound.

The little stone figure suddenly climbed up from the pond. It sat upright behind the old monk and swung its head in circles as it imitated the old monk.

The old monk’s reading slowed down until he could not help but let out a belated cough and said to Jing Lin, “Have you gotten bored?”

Right at once, the little figure turned back into a stone with a “poof”. The prayer bead it was grasping in his hands tumbled and spun its way beside Jing Lin’s hand. Jing Lin’s expression was just the same as he bowed to the old monk in apology.

The old monk said, “This monk knows that the scriptures are dull, but it can’t be helped. The heart of the young master cultivates the Way of the Sword, and impulsiveness is the worst taboo you can commit. When you return, you must be sure to recite this daily.”

Jing Lin picked up the prayer bead with his fingers and said, “It looks like I have an affinity with Buddha. The Venerable One needs not worry.”

The old monk said, “The young master is distant from the secular world. Although your cultivation has grown, your heart is lone. The most haunting thing in the world is not evil spirits, but the word “love”. A heart that cultivates the Way of the Sword may seem to transcend worldliness, but in fact, it is treading on thin ice. One wrong move, one broken faith, one devastated heart—will consign you to eternal damnation with no hope of reprieve. So the Doctrine for the Tribulations of Deities goes.”

Jing Lin said, “The affection between fathers and sons, and the camaraderie between brothers, are all love.”

“And this is why.” The old monk looked at Jing Lin. “I said that the young master still does not understand the world.”

Jing Lin was confused, yet he said, “If ‘love’ is a tribulation, then just vanquished it with your own hands.”

The old monk let out a long sigh. Without responding again, he lifted his hand in a courtesy gesture and turned around to head ashore.

Jing Lin remained sitting. The prayer bead between his fingers had dried, but he felt a sudden chill. The stone reverted to its original form with a “poof” and sat together with Jing Lin.

Cangdi watched for a long time before he departed in silence.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji shut down his thoughts and saw that Jing Lin had already turned around and was looking at him. He put on an apologetic look and said, “Am I too noisy for you?”

Jing Lin stared at him silently.

Cang Ji was baffled. He had not revealed his true form, nor were his scales showing. But still, he fastened his clasps under Jing Lin’s gaze. He said, “I never had the chance to ask for your name before we parted that other day.”

Jing Lin said, “Jing Lin.”

“A welcome rain after a long drought.”² Cang Ji said solemnly, “No wonder my body and heart feel so at ease when I encountered you.”

Jing Lin said, “That night, I…”

“You dropped your money when you went drinking with others. I found it and returned it to you.” The gold pearl was still pressing against the side of Cang Ji’s waist. Without even blinking his eyes, he said, “Then, I took you back for a night’s rest. You left on your own after.”

Jing Lin frowned. “Why is it that I can’t recall anything?”

“That’s how it is when you drink with others.” Cang Ji said, “You can’t hold your liquor well. In the future, you shouldn’t drink unless it’s with someone close to you.”

Jing Lin asked, “May I ask your esteemed name?”

“I don’t deserve the honor. My lowly surname is Cao, and my name is Cang.³ I started cultivating late in life and learned some spells in the north. My cultivation isn’t up to scratch, so I have yet to build up a spiritual sea or evolved out an original form. Because of my lack of talent, I’ve severed the idea of cultivating the Way. Now I’m just a trader of spiritual stones and spiritual herbs trying to get by in life.” Cang Ji placed his arms behind his head and conversed pleasantly.

“Brother Cao.”⁴ Jing Lin called out to him.

Cang Ji nearly laughed out loud, but he maintained a straight face in the darkness and said in a steady voice. “I’m older than you by a few years. How about you call me gege?”⁵

Jing Lin was thinking, I have already succeeded in my cultivation and lived for so many years. Wouldn’t it be an upheaval of social order if I were to call him gege?

But Cang Ji was thinking, considering when the canglong that is me first came into this world, your father can already call me father. Letting you call me gege is elevating your seniority.

Cang Ji sighed and turned over. With his back to Jing Lin, he continued, “However, my cultivation is shallow. Letting you call me gege would be an aggrievement to you. There’s no need to stand on ceremony. You and I can just address each other by name.”

Having received his help so many times, Jing Lin could not help but open his mouth when he heard how low he sounded.

But Cang Ji said, “I’ll look for another place to stay first thing tomorrow morning. If you are also heading south, I can…”

“Gege.” Jing Lin said under his breath. After saying it, he paused. He had never even called his brothers back at home this way before. For a moment, he felt his throat constrict as he hemmed and hawed. Burying his head into the quilt, Jing Lin said in a muffled voice, “It’s not an issue if we stay together. Let’s sleep.”

Cang Ji still felt unsatiated with this “gege”. At the very same time he was feeling that this lad was truly worlds apart on the inside and outside, he was also wondering why he had never taught him to call him gege earlier.

The man amidst the splashing of water had been pounded until he let out vague sounds of grunts. If he had said this word with his lips, then even if he was held up in his arms close to his bosom, Cang Ji could still thrust into him until he shivered and went weak.

What a pity. What a pity.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin was feeding the horse at the first glimmer of dawn the next day. This horse of his was not a common horse. It had a hide of bluish-white color and could tread on water and ride the clouds. After spending the night with the other common horses, it was now pacing and trotting around Jing Lin.

Cang Ji grabbed a basket of hot, steaming buns with thin skins.⁶ Jing Lin washed his hands and stood with him at the side of the potted pine plant to dig into them. Cang Ji looked on as Jing Lin sucked the scalding hot broth until his thin lips were glossy and red. He began to think about certain indecent acts.

Jing Lin noticed Cang Ji staring and could not help but gaze back. He ate soundlessly. Even as he was sucking the hot broth, he could do so in silence—quietly and speedily.

Cang Ji feigned composure and flawlessly maintained his appearance of a caring big brother. He picked up a steamed bun and brought it to his mouth to chew and swallow it carefully. Once he was done, he said, “I have yet to tell my dear brother⁷ about this in detail last night, but I’m bringing a batch of herbs down south. Evil spirits created havoc in the City of Huaishu⁸ in the south a few days back, resulting in countless casualties. There is an urgent need for spiritual herbs and medicine, and that is the purpose of my journey there. Where are you heading to?”

Jing Lin wiped his hands and responded, “I’m going the same way as gege.”

Cang Ji said, “Are you going to the City of Huaishu too?”

Not suspecting anything, Jing Lin said, “The City of Huaishu was originally under the jurisdiction of the phoenix in the south. The phoenix has shifted east recently, and the situation in the south is now as irreconcilable as ice and hot coals. It is time for Ninth Heaven Sect to contribute.”

Cang Ji instantly smiled and said, “What a coincidence. If we head south together, we can look out for each other.”

Jing Lin saw the sincerity in Cang Ji’s eyes and noted that he was not given to rash acts. Furthermore, he was prudent with his words, and his heart was in the right place. Compared to Li Rong, he seemed to be even more of an “elder brother”. Thus, Jing Lin could not help but soften his countenance and nodded his head to say, “Yeah.”

As Cang Ji led the horse, Jing Lin handed him a porcelain bottle⁹ from his sleeve. Cang Ji brushed his little finger across Jing Lin’s palm as he took it. Without waiting for Jing Lin to recover his senses, he took a light sniff at the porcelain bottle in an open and aboveboard manner.

“What is this?”

“Pills from home.” Jing Lin said, “It’s inexcusable for gege to lose sixty gold pearls for nothing last night, especially since gege is heading south to give away medicine. Although this pill cannot be compared to a friendship, it can be exchanged for something else. It’s also possible to bring the dead back to life if it’s used on a mortal.”

“How very precious.” Cang Ji removed the stopper and shook the bottle under his nose. He smiled and said, “The aroma of tofu. An abundance of spiritual energy. Looks like this is a treasure of an immortal clan. Isn’t it a big waste to give it to me just like this?”

Jing Lin flipped atop the horse and said, “You are worth it.”

Cang Ji was smiling when he caught a sudden whiff of an odor. His five senses were far superior to others; even the common demons could not be compared to him. This medicine was indeed brimming with celestial spiritual energy. Yet when he leaned in closer to take a careful sniff, he could vaguely catch a hint of blood.

But Cang Ji revealed nothing on his face as he sent it back into his sleeve with the hand that was about to make a courtesy gesture. With the same smile on his face, he mounted the horse and said to Jing Lin, “How can I not be touched when you treat me so well? Since we are now brothers, there is nothing for me to hide from you. I live in the north, and I have no father, mother, wife, children, or relatives. I’m a legit loner. My dear brother—” He clicked his tongue softly. “Now, that sounds distant. How about I call you Jiu-lang?”

佛珠 Prayer beads, or Mala beads, are stringed together in a kind of rosary that Buddhists used to count mantras and prayers with.

霖 The ‘Lin’ in his name means a period of continuous rain. 久旱逢甘露 also refers to the satisfaction of a long-felt need.

The name Cang Ji gave to himself here is Cao Cang, 曹仓. 曹 (a surname) and the 艹 in 曹 are both read as Cao (but with different intonations). So 艹 + 仓 = 苍 which is the 苍 in his real name Cang Ji 苍霁. 艹 also means ‘fuck’ in net lingo.

曹兄弟. Cao xiongdi, brother (as in bro) or buddy. Lianyin finds this funny because 曹兄弟 = 艹兄弟 (as explained in the previous footnote) = fuck bro/buddy (Cang Ji). (Or I could just be reading too much into it. _(:3」∠)_)

兄弟. Xiongdi vs. 哥哥 Gege. Xiongdi is literally brothers (non-age specific) and is typically used between peers/buddies. It’s just like a slightly polite version of “bro”. Gege specifically means “elder brother” and could be used as a term of familiarity or affection for an older blood brother, an older close/intimate friend, or an older lover. There is some sense of distance when using xiongdi compared to calling someone gege.

贤弟, or xiandi (or my worthy/dear younger brother) is a deferential term to address a close friend or sworn brother who is younger.

槐树 Also known as the Chinese scholar tree or pagoda tree.

Medicines were often stored in small, portable porcelain bottles. (Ignore the lighter, it’s just there for size comparison.)

Chapter 76: Evil Form

MARCH 10, 2020

The name Jiu-lang, if called out in a firm tone, sounds brotherly. But read it softly, and it crosses into the sphere of tender affection. Then again, other than brothers of the same sect, how would outsiders know about the word “Jiu”?¹

Jing Lin’s hand, which was about to strike the horse, slowed down a fraction. Instead, he patted the side of the horse’s neck. A hundred thoughts had already flashed past his mind in that instant. He paused for a moment and said, “Or just call me by name.”

Almost biting his tongue, Cang Ji said, “Then forget it. But isn’t Jiu-lang your pet name? I remember that’s what the lady called you last night.”

Jing Lin turned his eyes to stare at Cang Ji. He said, “I’m seventh in the family.”

Cang Ji appropriately put on a look of understanding. “It is not easy to survive in the martial fraternity. Jing Lin, you have to be more cautious in the future.”

“You live in the north.” Jing Lin’s horse broke into a run. He said, “How’s the situation there?”

Knowing that he was getting suspicious, Cang Ji gave him a flawless answer. “When I left, the Blood Sea had already inundated the Demon Tower. Canglong summoned water from all over to resist the Blood Sea. My hometown has already turned into a vast expanse of water. The north is now under canglong’s control, so it is not convenient for mortals to remain there. Thus, I rode south to seek shelter at Ninth Heaven Sect, and that’s when I came across your esteemed sect’s Ming Jin Stage.”

Jing Lin went north the year before, and what he knew was just what Cang Ji had said. In truth, the current situation was even more critical. Cangdi alone took on the burden of the north. Even if his cultivation were mighty enough to allow him to devour the sky and absorb the sea, he would still end up trapped on all sides sooner or later.

Riding on his momentum, Cang Ji changed the topic. He said, “The Northern Lands is now a flooded area. Yet, canglong still refuses to form an alliance with your esteemed sect. This demon is the evil one here. When can we eliminate him?”

“Canglong must not be eliminated.” Seeing that Cang Ji looked puzzled, Jing Lin pondered it for a moment and continued, “… Gege’s place of residence was flooded. Because of this, gege had to roam the martial fraternity, so it is understandable for gege to hate him. Besides, it was precisely because canglong drew water from all over that countless commoners in the north have to move south. There are already tens of thousands of destitute and homeless people displaced at the border between Ninth Heaven Sect and canglong.”

“Exactly.” Cang Ji said, “How is this still not detestable?”

“It is.” Jing Lin said without thinking, “But his merits make up for it.”

Cang Ji smiled. “Then that’s beyond my understanding.”

“Those who live in the north do not know what is going on in the south, while those who live in the south are not aware of what is happening in the north.” Jing Lin said, “Before I headed north, my brothers back at home met canglong several times to seek an alliance. All of them were met with a cold reception. So I took a trip to the north by myself a year ago.”

Jing Lin raised his finger as he spoke. The wind swept the leaves up into an image in the air. His finger led a current of stream water through it and said, “Gege, look. For years, canglong has been setting up the stage in the northern end. He erected a skyscraping Demon Tower in the Northern Lands. With this as the heart, he constructed several high walls and installed them as myriads of giant, slanting slopes with interlocking openings. He turned it into a bizarre place that looked like a city of maze. The common folks thought that he wanted to set up a boundary around the city so that he could sit back and enjoy his reign as the ‘sovereign’. But that is, in fact, far from the truth. The setups of these massive walls are way too ingenious. The way I see it, he isn’t constructing ‘walls’, but building ‘ditches’.”

The horse under Cang Ji’s saddle suddenly raised its hooves. He reined it in and corrected his posture. His smile faded some. “What is he doing building ditches instead of following others to slay devils?”

“The deviation of the Blood Sea throws Zhongdu into chaos. Those in the world who can fight against the devils by virtue of their cultivation are few and far in between. That is why Ninth Heaven Sect has been running all over to form an alliance. However, the overturning of the Blood Sea is just like the Milky Way flowing in reverse. Not one of the submerged areas has been recovered. This is because the Blood Sea begets evil spirits and devils.² Even those with cultivation at the Pinnacle Stage do not dare to head into it rashly. And thus, the so-called slight relief in the situation is all but words of false reassurance.” With a stroke of Jing Lin’s fingertip, the map in the air was instantly awash in red. He murmured, “The people are saved, yet they cannot survive. The reason the phoenix has been transferred to the east is because the east has already fallen into the dire predicament of food shortage, and folks dying of starvation have become a common sight. To save the masses from the abyss of misery, slaying demons and subduing evils are but merely small accomplishments; the real feat is to expel the Blood Sea. However, the Blood Sea is boundless, and the Heavenly sluice gate is broken. It’s too late to block its advance, and there’s no way to make it retreat either. Hundreds of years ago, Heaven conceived canglong and bestowed him the ability to devour all things. Perhaps Heaven wants this ultimate merit of the universe to be achieved by him in the days to come.”

The wind scattered, and the image dispersed. Jing Lin’s eyes seemed to shine.

“Lure the surge of the Blood Sea of Heaven and Earth towards the Northern Lands. Then devour the devils to cleanse the world of evil with the power of one man. Such a tremendous feat can only be achieved by canglong.”

Cang Ji’s throat throbbed as he gulped and choked out a laugh. He said, “Since you can understand this, then wouldn’t Ninth Heaven Sect understand it too?”

Jing Lin did not answer. There were way too many words deep in his heart that he had never spoken of to anyone.

Since he could understand this, then wouldn’t his Father get it too? Canglong’s tardy refusal to enter an alliance with them was because he did not want to entrust the Northern Lands to Ninth Heaven Sect. Even those major demons under his command did not allow Ninth Heaven Sect to interfere in the cities they were involved in. Both parties tried their best to remain on amicable terms on account of their mutual goal to fight the devils, but this was becoming harder to do so after Ninth Heaven called the various heroes to arms. The east, south, and west all fell under the command of the sect, yet the north was still like an impregnable fortress. His Father and various brothers were determined to get their way when it came to this matter. Canglong had already become a stumbling block in Ninth Heaven Sect’s quest to achieve greatness.

Jing Lin did not know how he should answer. He had repeatedly put forth his suggestions, and his father had refuted them all. Meanwhile, Li Rong himself was in a desperate situation regarding the alliance with the north. Rumors that canglong was secretly colluding with the evil spirits had already started circulating in the east. Furthermore, canglong’s efforts to build ditches and drainage canals had driven the common folks south, and that by itself had already caused widespread resentment and outcry among the people.

Seeing that Jing Lin looked a little down, Cang Ji said, “Forget it. Let the adults worry about this kind of matter. But from the way you speak, you seem like you really admire canglong, huh?”

Jing Lin swiftly turned his gaze to Cang Ji and said stiffly, “I don’t. I heard that he has a harem, and he’s also savage, deceitful, and a smooth-talker. What’s more, he loves to serve up people as dishes to go with his wine.”

Cang Ji, “…”

♦     ♦     ♦

Both of them kept pace with one another as they rode. It was already the end of summer. The sun was still scorching hot in the south, but hectares of lotus had all but wilted and dried up. Many streams were already clogged, and the land was muddy all over; it was tough to find water the hue of aquamarine. If they were to gallop along the established bridle trail for three days, they would get trapped in a rift of collapsed earth. They had to make a detour before they could reach the City of Huaishu.

Jing Lin and Cang Ji reined in their horses at the rift and looked down from above. The color of the twilight sky was already inseparable and indistinguishable from the Blood Sea. The city in this place was deserted and barren, with dried bones piling up everywhere. Even though they were both parked at a high spot, they could still feel the torrents of putrid stench from the carnage caused by the Blood Sea.

“The evil spirit here is dead, yet there is no one stationed here. It won’t be half a month before another is born.” Although Cang Ji’s words sounded regretful, there was no trace of compassion in his eyes. He sized up the place and said, “Did the Ninth Heaven Sect’s men stationed here to defend this place return?”

Jing Lin’s face sank a little. “Without Father’s redeployment order, they cannot withdraw.”

Since they did not return, they had probably met with bad ends.

“I’m afraid the City of Huaishu has fallen.” Amidst the churning waves of the Blood Sea, Cang Ji saw the swaying movements of a colossal phantom. “The evil spirit revived here cannot be underestimated. If we cannot catch up, then the seven towns and twin cities farther south will also be engulfed by the Blood Sea. Since the Ninth Heaven Sect is unaware of this, then the commoners of these cities and towns have yet to be evacuated.”

As he spoke, a creature abruptly stood up amidst the vast expanse. The horses under both men neighed in unison and instantly galloped along the fissure in a swift charge forward. They had to arrive at the cities and towns before the evil spirit did. Amid the jerks, Jing Lin saw the faintly discernible appearance of the evil spirit with individual scarlet eyes all over its body. He suddenly said, “It’s the evil form.”

If an evil spirit were to transform into the fog like the wind, then that was its “greed form”. It often followed the Blood Sea as it spread to cities and towns. It was extremely dependent on fresh blood and fresh meat, and the more it ate, the more insatiable its appetite would be. It could eat until its stomach burst, then reverted to its original appearance out of flesh and blood and continue to consume its victims tirelessly. On the other hand, if the evil spirit grew eyes like iron, then that was its “evil form”. It had the ability to run swiftly and aggressively ahead, and could barely be hurt by blades. The eyes all over its body could intimidate one’s soul and mind. Even cultivators would not dare to act rashly and face it head-on. Dong Jun belonged to this category.

“Gege.” Jing Lin raised his arm to grip Cang Ji by his shoulder. “Let’s swap horses.”

Cang Ji’s “cultivation wasn’t up to scratch”, so he could only cross paths with Jing Lin in mid-air and landed on the back of the bluish-white horse while Jing Lin mounted the mortal horse. This horse was already shaking in its hooves and could barely stand up straight. Just as Jing Lin corrected its posture, the earth suddenly shook. The eyes of the evil spirit turned as it caught a whiff of Jing Lin’s spiritual energy and came charging over.

Jing Lin reined in the horse and turned around to Cang Ji. He pointed to the mountain and said, “My horse is not an ordinary horse. It can travel hundreds of miles in just a blink of an eye. I can see the aura of swords amidst the chaos. There must be cultivators still hanging on in the seven towns and twin cities. You go on ahead. I’ll come along shortly.”

Cang Ji saw the evil spirit riding the waves to pounce on them with a might so staggering that the rift kept expanding. He sat on the horse and said, “Since you’ll come along shortly, then I’ll just wait here and watch you.”

Jing Lin’s hair was already fluttering in the wind. When he saw that Cang Ji had already decided to stay, he drove the horse forward. Heaven and Earth changed colors. Dark clouds above in the sky pressed down on them, while dust swirled all over as the ground cracked. Jing Lin charged forth towards the evil spirit in a head-on collision. No longer able to bear the overpowering aura of the evil spirit, the horse went weak in the knees and collapsed the instant it galloped its way to the rift. The red eye on the palm of the evil spirit pressed in towards the cliff, and the putrid wind rose along with the neighing of the horse.

Jing Lin soared into the air. His figure was merely the length of a finger compared to that of the evil spirit. The violent gale surged in reverse and sent his clothes and hair flapping all over. Right at this very moment, Cang Ji finally got to see the legendary Yan Quan at close quarters.

The evil spirit wielded its arms and stooped over with a roar. Its massive maw widened forbiddingly before Jing Lin. The gale knocked back the horse, and a slew of plants flew in reverse, swatting against Jing Lin’s side. Monstrous waves rose from the boundless Blood Sea following the howls of the evil spirit. They blotted out the sky as they crashed towards Jing Lin.

In a flash, a ray of azure light emerged among the gray, followed instantly by a “buzz” as Yan Quan slid out of its sheath. The frostiness of the sword body appeared as white light. Jing Lin raised his fingers to grasp the sword. The next moment, there was a loud noise of something cutting through the wind. The glow of the mighty sword fell along with the movement of his arm with a force so unstoppable it was like a hot knife slicing through butter!

Before the massive mouth of the evil spirit could close, it suddenly fell into a dead silence. The next thing it knew, its head tumbled down to the ground. The red eyes all over its body promptly howled in anguish. Foams of blood spurt out from its severed neck like a torrential rain of blood. With a frosty expression, Jing Lin gently shook off the droplets of blood on the blade of his sword. The evil spirit covered its neck and retreated before it broke into a sudden sprint to flee. But a flash of light from the sword instantly enveloped it. The sounds of something being severed, of howls of anguish, and of mournful wails, simultaneously cut through Heaven and Earth along with the billowing of sand and gravel!

The blood rain had yet to stop when Jing Lin landed on the ground. The sleeves of his outfit with azure stripes fluttered in the wind. Even his shoes were clean and free of bloodstains. Yan Quan’s body was like pure snow as it returned to its sheath with a “clang”. Jing Lin stood tall and graceful and said to Cang Ji in an unhurried tone.

“Let’s go.”

Massive waves rose behind him as the severed body of the evil spirit plummeted into the Blood Sea with a thunderous splash. The rain of blood ceased at the same time. The silence of nightfall descended over Heaven and Earth; in that instant, not even the sound of the wind could be heard.

Cang Ji’s neck tingled with numbness. He gripped the reins tightly with his fingers and released them immediately right after. He showed Jing Lin a pale smile.

“Man, that scared the heck out of me.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Tao Zhi rode the horse down the mountain. He was not in a hurry to leave when he arrived at the foot of the mountain; instead, he urged his brothers to organize a banquet to see him off. Li Rong acquiesced to his wish and booked a table for him with excellent wine and food. Tao Zhi acted shamelessly like a spoiled child to each brother and received rewards from many of them. Just as he was about to leave after eating and drinking to his heart’s content, a rascal of a monk blocked his path.

“Eighth Young Master.” The monk rubbed his bald head and said shamelessly, “You are really a hard one to find!”

When Tao Zhi saw that it was him, he took his own time. With arms around each other, he led the monk under the eaves and asked, “How was it? Did you succeed?”

“He drank the wine with the drug.” The monk clicked his tongue. “But he got away.”

Tao Zhi was about to fly into a rage when he heard that. But he thought about it again and said, “That’s not right! It took me a lot of effort to get my hands on that drug. Even if he did it with others, his desire would still overwhelm his spiritual sea to the point that he will indulge in lust. His cultivation will be utterly ruined! But when I looked at him, it doesn’t seem like he had taken the drug. You scoundrel, are you playing tricks on me?!”

The monk was horrified and said, “Such a formidable drug! But you said back then that it was just to let him have his first taste of meat!³ If we incapacitated his cultivation that night and Lord Jiutian investigated it, then all of us will not escape death, not to mention you!”

“What are you afraid of?!” Tao Zhi sneered. “He’s fine, isn’t he? Did you see him take it with your own eyes?”

“I was the one who poured the wine with my own hands and toasted it to him. He did not look well when he left.” Regretting his actions, the monk continued, “The strange thing is that I couldn’t find him after he went into the alley.”

“He got lucky.” Tao Zhi gnashed his teeth and said in a hushed tone. “But if he has consumed it, then it’s impossible for him to come out of it unscathed! Perhaps he was intentionally forcing himself to pretend to be fine that day to fool others. I couldn’t even tell. Take some men to the city to see if anyone has died. Then hold on to the body.”

“Whatever for?”

With a sinister and cold expression, Tao Zhi said, “This drug is potent. Not only can it destroy cultivation, it can also kill. If he doesn’t copulate with someone, then he will die. But if he did, how would a mere mortal be able to withstand it? Once I pick up the corpse later, I can still accuse him of the sins of promiscuity and immorality before Father!”

The monk already had the intent to withdraw from this scheme of his when he heard Tao Zhi say, “Once you find the body, give it a few lashings! Of all people to help, this person just has to help him. Whoever it is deserves to die!”

With that, he flippantly threw the money pouch to the monk and mounted the horse. The monk felt it scalding to the touch, yet he could not afford to offend Tao Zhi. He was in a terrible fix. When he saw Li Rong and Yun Sheng coming out, he did not dare to remain there and irk them with his presence, so he hurriedly ran off. He had only run midway when someone pulled his back collar.

A youth holding a pole stared at him and said, “So you are the one who instigated my elder brother to commit evil and caused him to be kicked to death, right?”

The monk raised his arm to strike him back a few steps. He spat. “The payment has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties! I’ve already explained it to your mother when I sent him back that night. Why are you still pestering me?!”

The youth had thick eyebrows and bright eyes, and appeared to be a little of a blockhead even as he looked handsome and gallant. He hauled the monk back. “Bah! Keep your dirty money to buy yourself a coffin! I’ll enforce justice on behalf of Heaven today and beat a crooked heretic like you to death to pay for my brother’s life!”

As soon as he said that, he swung the pole down onto the monk! The monk saw how green he was and had initially thought him to be a hothead lad—one who did not know what was good for him just because he had a little cultivation. Who knew that this blow would send him rolling on the ground? It almost caused him to cough out blood.

The monk hurriedly pushed the gold pearls to him and said, “Young hero, let’s talk it over!”

The lad kicked him to turn him over. He was obstinate to the point that he would never rest until he pummeled this monk to death today. He said in a cold tone, “Pay with your life!”

But then, he heard the clapping of hands and laughter that sounded like the tinkling of bells overhead. He raised his head and saw a girl leaning over the window. He could let that slide, but when he shifted his gaze, he saw… a lady of unrivaled beauty standing behind the girl. For some inexplicable reason, the youth blushed and did not dare to look at that splendidly-dressed lady.

Linlang made nothing of it on seeing this. She merely smiled and said, “Although you are a little silly, your aptitude is outstanding. You are unexpectedly on par with those few from Ninth Heaven Sect. Little young master, do you already have a shifu?”

九郎 Jiu-lang. Jiu means nine (or specifically ninth here). A reference to Jing Lin’s supposed rank of ninth among the brothers. (Refer to chapter 73 for a recap)

魔 devil vs. 邪魔 an evil spirit. A devil has its origin in human souls that have turned evil (Soul → Evil Spirit → Devil according to one source; for details and clarification of the terms demons and devil, please refer to the glossary). Immortals and deities may also descend into evil and turn into a devil. In this novel, I’ll use the terms devil and evil spirit interchangeably.

开荤 to begin or resume a meat diet after abstinence or break a vegetarian diet (especially as a practice observed in certain religions). It also refers to someone who has a novel experience. Here, it refers to this “him” getting his first taste of ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Chapter 77: Bencheng

MARCH 14, 2020

Jing Lin’s horse stamped its hooves on the narrow bridge as the sealed city gates obstructed its passage forward. Both city walls showed signs of having been struck down. The new wall that had been built as an emergency measure clearly could not withstand a single blow. Jing Lin recognized the blood-colored spell on the stone.

The man on the wall stretched out his neck to look at Jing Lin. Right away, there was a commotion. A tired-looking man raised his voice to ask, “Are you Lord Linsong?”

Jing Lin was long renowned as ‘spring water over precipitous rocks; azure clothes among cold pines’,¹ and now, there were already people addressing him as “Lord Linsong”. Remaining on horseback, he nodded his head and said, “I’m Jing Lin.”

The man still refused to believe him, because evil spirits were masters at deluding humans, so it was not entirely impossible for one to transform into Jing Lin. Thus, he asked, “Do you have proof?”

Jing Lin did not answer, but a sudden burst of brilliance from Yan Quan broke through the darkness. The fog of the Blood Sea around them instantly beat a swift retreat in response to the light.

“I’m Jing Lin.” Jing Lin said again in a steady voice. “I have come bearing Yan Quan, for the purpose of slaying devils.”

The man above promptly decided. “Open the gates to welcome Lord Linsong!”

The bluish-white horse galloped through the city gates. The city was shrouded in darkness, with only the flames from a few torches roaming around like will-o’-the-wisps. All the remaining commoners of the seven towns and twin cities were assembled here in hiding. When they saw Jing Lin riding his horse over, they silently parted to make a narrow path for him. The sea of people looked on as Jing Lin’s horse made its way through them. All of a sudden, he reined in the horse, because a barefoot orphan was lying on the ground before it.

Cang Ji did not have to look further to know that the orphan had already been dead for several days. How many people were there in seven towns and two cities? And how many of those could remain standing here today? If it had been daytime now, then all they had to do for understanding to dawn on them was to look at the corpses that lay trodden under everyone’s feet.

The few people atop the city wall earlier rushed down. With a “thud”, one of them collapsed to his knees before Jing Lin. Jing Lin noted his tattered white robe; he was a sorry sight to behold. The moment he kneeled on the ground, he let out a stifled, bitter cry.

“Huaishu, Huaishu lies on the boundary of the southern border, with one hundred and thirty disciples of Ninth Heaven Sect guarding the city. Other than me, they have all perished under the waves of the Blood Sea!”

Jing Lin dismounted and asked calmly, “Why aren’t the beacon towers lit?”

“The front line of beacon towers have all sunk into the Blood Sea, and the evil spirits have cut off the key traffic hub to the north. I sped my way on horseback to deliver the news. By the time I reached the connected town of Qixing, the Blood Sea had already overtaken and engulfed the city of Yangcheng!” It was only when he looked up that the crowd realized, to their shock, that both his eyes had been destroyed and his face was caked with blood. “The connected city of Qixing is a vital link between the two cities. Yangcheng is gone, and not one of the tens of thousands of commoners made it out alive. My Lord! Out of the one thousand defense regiment we deployed to the south, five hundred and twenty-nine of them have been killed prior to this night.”

There were only one thousand and two hundred people in the south, which was already the maximum number of people Ninth Heaven Sect could afford to deploy to provide assistance to this land. This was all because of a scarcity of cultivators. Ninth Heaven Sect was setting up a city to the north to guard against canglong. At the same time, they were assisting the phoenix in the east to sort out the various fields. Then there were the multiple cities in the west that needed garrisons too. They were already overwhelmed and stretched to their capacity.

The situation at present was crucial; there was no room for hesitation!

Jing Lin asked, “What’s your name?”

The man replied in a hoarse voice, “Hui An!”

“If you head northwest for a thousand li² straight from this place, you’ll find the City of Xitu. The name of the city’s garrison general is Yining, and there are a hundred and forty highly skilled cultivators under him. Tell him that there is no need to transfer all of them over. Just take fifty of them to clear the way along the sides of the road to aid the commoners of this place as we do an emergency transfer of them west. When you reached Xitu, lit up the beacon tower quickly and send someone to deliver a message back to Ninth Heaven Sect. Tell Father that I want to borrow a person among my various brothers—Dong Jun. Tell him specifically that he must arrive at this place within one day.” Jing Lin instructed him methodically. Then he asked, “Hui An, do you dare to make the trip?”

It was already the middle of the night at this point, and the Blood Sea was spreading right beyond this city. A momentary lapse of attention, and he would surely fall into the Blood Sea and end up utterly obliterated. Hui An’s eyes were blinded, and the mission Jing Lin spoke of was simply putting him on the spot. However, the Ninth Heaven Sect had always gone by the motto “courage” ever since its inception. Even if there was only one of them standing, the one at the forefront of the battle must never be a mere mortal.

Hui An kowtowed, “I shall heed your special command to the letter. I will not let you down!”

“Take Yan Quan along.” Jing Lin threw him his sword. “Seeing Yan Quan is the same as seeing me. The evil spirits and devils along the way will not dare to be rash and lay a hand on you. This horse knows the way and will lead you there. You just need to deliver the message to them.”

Hui An received the sword and put it onto his back, where a chill promptly seized him. He lifted himself up the horse and turned around to leave.

Cang Ji suddenly gave Hui An a light pat on the back and said, “Brother, there are many demons in the west. But with Yan Quan here, you can gallop away with a peace of mind.”

Hui An acknowledged his words and charged out. The moment he rode out of the gate, he heard four thunderous thumps behind him as an azure light drew out four talismans. The towering, massive talismans on all sides cast an impenetrable shield around the lone city on the fringe of the approaching Blood Sea.

Time and tide wait for no man. Every single second this night was precious.

Hui An gritted his teeth as he went all out to spur the horse forward in the darkness. The north wind blew across his cheeks, and the devils’ howls rang out on both his sides. He could not see, so he could only leave everything to the bluish-white horse. Other than going wild galloping and galloping, he had no other choice!

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin was truly a cleanliness freak. After traveling with him for several days, Cang Ji already had a clear handle on this part of his personality. What’s more, he was a cold person, and so he did not like anyone to go near him or touch him. But now, he was sitting on the ground, and those smooth and clean fingertips of his passed around the badly gnawed arm of the other person to make a quick and delicate knot.

Cang Ji cleaned his hands at the side and said, “Half of those in the city are injured. Evacuation won’t be easy.”

Jing Lin uttered an uh-huh. Once the person left, he cleaned his hands with water together with Cang Ji. He washed his knuckles and said, “Can you draw…” He paused in a rare moment of hesitation, “Can you draw dragons?”

Cang Ji immediately said, “There is no one in the world who can draw better than me.”

“There is this spell called the Art of Drawing Deities. Yining from the City of Xitu excels in painting and is the most skilled in this art. Although my relationship with him is only so-so, I have received some pointers from him, so I’m considerably acquainted with this art.” Jing Lin paused for a moment before he continued, “It’s not easy to evacuate the wounded. So I must trouble gege to draw a dragon, and I’ll naturally be able to make it transport them by air.”

Cang Ji asked, “In this case, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for you to draw it yourself?”

Jing Lin rubbed his knuckles until they reddened. He did not answer.

“It’s not hard to paint dragons.” Cang Ji thought for a moment. “It’s just that once the message has been delivered, the Blood Sea would have already inundated this city. Evil spirits and devils in their evil forms would be everywhere. Blatantly parading a painted dragon around would instead produce adverse results.”

Jing Lin said, “There are too many people in the city. It’d be tough for a smaller beast to take them.”

“Draw a giant bull.” Cang Ji sized up that erected talisman barrier and said, “A bull the size of a devil. Use your spiritual energy as the reins and stuff the talisman spell under it. We might as well simply pull the whole city away. From what you said that day, there is an emergency shortage of grains in Zhongdu. There is still an undamaged, fully intact granary at the north corner of this city. Wouldn’t it be a pity to leave it behind?”

Even Jing Lin was stunned. “The whole city?”

“By saving people from the Blood Sea, you are already asking for the moon. So why not aim higher?” After saying this, Cang Ji stroked the tip of his nose, and continued, “The evil spirits will open their mouth to spew out a gale in a display of might when they are hot in pursuit. As long as the walls remain intact, the bull will be able to run.”

With that, Cang Ji groped in his sleeve and pulled out the small porcelain bottle that Jing Lin had gifted him. He asked,” Can a pseudo-beast that materialized out of a painting eat?”

Jing Lin said, “If I give it my all and infuse spiritual energy into it, then it’d be just like the real thing.”

“Then feed it one.” Cang Ji said, “The spiritual pill will strengthen its foundation so that it can amass spiritual energy without dispersing. Even if it was ambushed midway and ended up getting bitten by the evil spirits, it will still be able to dash to the end without a moment’s delay.”

Jing Lin took the porcelain bottle, and Cang Ji suddenly grabbed him by the wrist. He bent his head down and said with gleaming eyes, “You mustn’t eat them on the sly.”

Jing Lin said truthfully, “I won’t eat them on the sly.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The moon retreated from its cage of fog. The sounds of whispers, coughs, sighs, and snores in the city mingled into one. No one lit the lamp, and eventually, the last torch went out. The stench of the Blood Sea had already permeated the inside of the city. A great number of people covered their mouths and noses as they lay on their sides to listen to the stampede of the evil spirits and devils crowding around them on the other side of the massive talismans. The blood-colored tidal waves pounded against the exterior of the massive talismans. Evil spirits in their greed forms followed the scents of humans and transformed into fog and wind to surround them on the outside. Since they could turn into their original looks, they could also take on the appearances of the dead.

One of the evil spirits even went so far as to imitate the wails of an infant. It moved in closer with the wind and clung to Jing Lin’s azure light talismans as it wailed incessantly. Sharp fingernails scraped across the talismans, producing a jarring screech.

“Mother, open the door.” A barefoot girl with a stiff, wooden face sprawled through the crack between the city gates and spoke to those inside. “Nan-nan³ is scared. There are demons everywhere. They are going to catch Nan-nan and tear off her hands, tear off her legs.”

The young married woman within was so frightened she sobbed. She hugged her child close, not daring to answer.

The girl stared at her with solid black eyes that had no sclera. She said, “They stuffed Nan-nan into their mouth and chewed until Nan-nan’s blood flow. Look at me, crushed into minced meat…”

As she spoke, she transformed into crumbs and trickled to the ground along the gap in an attempt to flow in. The instant it reached inside the azure light, it “hissed” loudly – as if scalding water had been poured over it – and burst out into an earth-shattering bawl. In the twinkling of an eye, it turned into a man. He covered his face and shrieked resentfully. “You burned me!”

The black clouds in the sky strained down on them as evil spirits began to gather thunder and lightning. Flashes of lightning illuminated the faces of those in the city, making them appear ghastly pale. Raindrops the color of blood gradually fell and intensified as it poured over everyone’s face and body, tainting them all red.

Jing Lin ascended to the top of the wall and flung out a piece of thin paper. The drawing paper fluttered in the wind, and the rain pelted it into the mud pit, where a layer of ink blossomed out of the soaked paper.

Cang Ji fished out an umbrella from nowhere and bent over the wall to observe. He wondered, “Why isn’t it working?”

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the ink suddenly inflated like a mass of inked flesh and blood puffing up from the mud pit. The tidal waves of the Blood Sea had already come assaulting, but this ink did not even budge an inch as the silhouette of a bull unraveled and grew. In just the blink of an eye, it had already become a gargantuan behemoth far surpassing even those of the devils’ original forms. This bull, with a pair of red eyes and sharp horns on its head, spewed red hot air when it panted. Its entire body was furless; instead, it was covered with imposing scales similar to those of a dragon. Nailed under all four of its hooves were blades that dug into the earth. Lightning crackled as its python-like tail thrashed about.

How was this drawing of Cang Ji a bull? It was clearly a monster.

Just then, a sudden flash of light shot through the horizon and swept away the fog of the Blood Sea. After it circled Jing Lin three times, it concealed itself within his body.

“Yan Quan has returned.” Jing Lin waited no further. “Hui An has reached his destination.”

An azure thread formed out of spiritual energy materialized on the back shoulders of the giant bull. It did not need Jing Lin to spur it on; it merely snorted out a puff of air and took to its hooves. The first step was always the hardest. The bull’s hooves dug into the ground as it huffed heavily. The whole city suddenly shook, digging up the earth as the bull actually managed to haul it along. It advanced forward slowly as though it was sliding along the ground.

Evil spirits in their greed forms took on the appearances of human beings and clung on to the bull’s hooves to wail out loud. “How could you abandon me?!”

The Blood Sea surged amid the calls of countless human faces and resentful fetuses. Hissing evil spirits in their evil forms dashed out along with the Blood Sea to catch them. That violent gale rose once more, and deafening thunder crashed through the sky. With a turn of his hand, Jing Lin drew his sword and stepped off the city into the air amidst the assault of thunderbolts.

Tempestuous waves instantly rose from the Blood Sea, and howls tore through the sky. A flash of light slashed through the bloodiness of Heaven and Earth, silencing and stilling even the rain. Then the waves reversed, and azure light lit up the sky!

Jing Lin kept away his sword after it had done its job; he never drew a sword he was not using. He turned around to descend, and for a fleeting moment, there was a still void behind him.

The massive bull bumped its way through the evil spirit’s body, and its greed form transformed into the fog to encircle it and murmur words of temptation into the massive bull’s ear. But this bull was merely a bull in a painting. In a body that glowed gold all over, it chewed the crushed pill between its teeth, itching to charge its way to the end of Heaven in one breath.

The path ahead had opened up. The giant bull dashed forward, bumping and jolting around so much that the city walls almost collapsed. An hour later, they could see the faint glimmer of dawn. The cultivators who had come forward to receive them rose and rushed towards them. It seemed like they were about to tide over the crisis. Who would expect a massive wave to rise in the sky and splashed down onto the land between them, splattering sprays of blood all over and obstructing the last leg of their journey?

The pill in the bull’s mouth was now depleted. Its panting was deafening, and its scaly body could not hold up to the biting and tearing from all around. One of its hooves dissolved and plummeted into the Blood Sea with a thunderous splash. The surrounding evil spirits swarmed in. Then the ink lightened, and the city stopped where it was.

The Blood Sea spilled over in a surge forward, and the clammy fog ate away at the massive talisman on all four sides until they crumpled. On seeing this, Cang Ji tilted the red umbrella in his palm and prepared to strike.

Just at that moment, the heavenly thunder split apart, and dark clouds billowed. A man descended from the sky and, with one foot, stepped into the Blood Sea. That dark blue wide-sleeved outfit fluttered along with the waves as a folding fan spread open with a “thwack”. The waves and fog of the Blood Sea suddenly pulled back, and the greed forms dissipated with a nasty sound as he pointed at them with that folding fan.

The blood rain came to an immediate halt, and the day broke.

Dong Jun hid his face behind the fan and let out a light hiccup from the after-effect of drinking. He said, “Come again? ‘Within a day’? Just give me two hours, and I can reach even the most obscure corners in the world!”

泉咽危石, 松冷青衫 a variant of the line Le Yan once recited: “Spring, spring water weeps over precipitous rocks; morning light shrouds green pines in frost.” (泉声咽危石，日色冷青松), which is a line from the poem 《過香積寺》 Passing By Xiang Ji Temple by 王維 Wang Wei.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li is approx. 500m

囡囡 Nan-nan. An address of endearment for a young girl. The words itself actually meant “little darling” or “baby”.

Chapter 78: Stone Spirit

MARCH 20, 2020

And here they were, in a meeting of three parties. What a coincidence that all three of them were sick of each other. It was a case of mutual dislike for both Yining and Dong Jun, and so they both had fake smiles plastered on when they came face to face with one another at the base of the City of Xitu, where Yining welcomed them.

“Look at who we have here. So it’s the renowned Sage Yining from the east. How did you get transferred here by Father in just the blink of an eye?” Dong Jun tapped his folding fan on his palm and thought aloud in understanding. “I remember now—incompetency, right? How are you doing in the west now? I wouldn’t have come next time if I knew it was you.”

“Although my strength is limited, I’m willing to give my all and contribute whatever little I can to help achieve our great cause sooner, unlike a certain loafer and troublemaker.” Without even looking at him, Yining said, “Famished refugees abound everywhere, while Dong Jun indulges in wine. Such a maverick. How very free-spirited.”

“That’s for sure.” Dong Jun said coolly, “The thinking of those who aren’t of the same race as me will surely differ from mine. I was originally a devil. Of course, I have to be happy and drink up when I see humans die.”

Both men originally had no common ground between them. But Dong Jun had always been a controversial figure. He was given to sensual pleasures and often drank wine and made merry while paying no heed to human affairs. So Yining had come to regard him as the number one candidate for idleness and indolence, and had previously lambasted him and traded barbs with him on many occasions.

Yining did not want to contend with him, but when he turned his head, he realized that Jing Lin, who had still been there earlier, had already vanished.

“Don’t bother looking. “Dong Jun said. “It’s his duty to count bodies.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin walked side by side with Cang Ji. The red sun was rising over the eastern horizon right at this time. The dark, gloomy city from last night now lay exposed under the sunlight.

Jing Lin said, “It was all thanks to gege’s suggestion last night that we could save the entire city of people.”

“I was merely making use of the opportunity presented. You were still the driving force behind it.” Cang Ji strode across the corpse and said, “How are we going to dispose of the corpses in this city?”

Jing Lin surveyed the place; the dead lay everywhere. Some were heaped into piles of waterlogged corpses that had rotted until they stank. He said, “Cremate them. The diabolical aura of the evil spirits still lingers. If left to build up, it will give rise to epidemics.”

“The majority of them are already maggot-infested and discolored. It’s not going to be easy to do a count of them.” Cang Ji looked slightly pale as if he was not used to such a scene.

Jing Lin handed him a handkerchief, and Cang Ji covered his nose and mouth with it. Actually, he was not afraid. It was just that his sense of smell was too keen and sensitive to be used as usual here. This cotton handkerchief was of ordinary quality, but since it had been with Jing Lin for so long, it had a refreshing scent on it—Jing Lin’s scent. Bending his little finger slightly, Cang Ji pressed the handkerchief down and let out a light cough.

Jing Lin sensed nothing off. He said, “It’s indeed not easy. It’s both time and energy-consuming.”

Cang Ji’s fingers pressed against something hard in the handkerchief. He kept still and said, “Then, let’s start from here. There are a lot of children.”

Both men crouched down as they spoke. Jing Lin turned over a child who was sprawled face-down on the ground. The young child had submerged in the water for so long that he was already beyond recognition. Only his skinny hands and feet, which looked as though they were made of dead wood, were exposed. Jing Lin initially thought that the evil spirits had bitten him to death, but there were no bite marks on him.

“Why isn’t there any sign of blood?” As Cang Ji spoke, he pushed the child’s head aside to reveal his neck. “So someone has drained it clean.”

There was a round opening in the corpse’s neck. The wound was red and wrinkled, looking as if a fire had scorched it before.

“He wasn’t bitten to death.” Jing Lin exchanged glances with Cang Ji. His heart suddenly sank as an inexplicable uneasiness took hold of him. He rolled up all the clothing on the child’s hands and feet and saw that the inner side of the corpse’s wrists and ankles had all been sliced open. All the blood in his body had been drained until there was not even a drop left.

“There are no demons in the south that feed on human blood.” Cang Ji sized up the wound and said, “See this scar? It seemed to be caused by an extremely thin blade. You have traveled over Zhongdu. Do you recognize anyone who would use such a blade?”

“I’ve never heard of one before.” Jing Lin said, “A thin blade is no match for a sharp blade. It’s hard for it to win in a confrontation with the other. Not unless the person holding the thin blade has cultivation exceptional enough to combine strength with gentleness and wield it freely.”

“I do know of one.” Cang Ji said, “There is a bird in the north called a five-colored bird. Its feathers, when turned into blades, are as thin as cicadas’ wings and yet still incomparably sharp. It’s just that this kind of bird causes extensive damage over an area¹ when it flaps its wings. There has never been a situation where it made a single cut like this.”

Jing Lin took a step back and found several more bodies along the sides of the road. Weirdly enough, all the corpses of the adults bore traces of having been torn apart with teeth and fangs. Only the children were missing those bite marks.

“Even evil spirits don’t eat them.” A wind that rose out of nowhere sent the hem of Jing Lin’s clothes fluttering. He wondered, “Could a human have done this?”

“Even if an ordinary person has such good skills, they wouldn’t have this kind of intimidating effect.” Cang Ji released the handkerchief and said, “Besides, there is one thing I still can’t understand since last night.”

“What?”

“I heard that the disciples Ninth Heaven Sect deploys outside have stable cultivation and are all experts who have reached the Minor Accomplishment Stage.” Cang Ji squatted before Jing Lin. His eyes were dark and deep. “Five hundred people split up to defend seven towns and three cities. Even if the situation was critical, they should still be able to hang in there for a few days. How could the entire army get wiped out?”

Jing Lin exchanged glances with him for a moment and said, “You seem to be pretty well-acquainted with Ninth Heaven Sect.”

“Of course.” Cang Ji said a little regretfully, “I once wanted to join Ninth Heaven Sect. A pity I wasn’t talented enough and was rejected. What’s more, Ninth Heaven Sect is now the leader of the various parties, and all eyes are bound to be on its every move and action. Would anyone who wants to understand the sect still fear a lack of sources to ask around?”

Yet, when Jing Lin heard this, he had another thought. He felt as if there was a veiled reminder in Cang Ji’s words, one that gave him a sudden flash of insight. But at the same time, it seemed to be unintentional. Because Cang Ji’s expression was so frank and open, it made Jing Lin ashamed to probe further.

Jing Lin averted his gaze. “There are too many doubts regarding this matter. I’ll have to ask Hui An in detail.”

♦     ♦     ♦

With both eyes bandaged with gauze, Hui An sat cautiously and upright at the edge of the bed. Not hearing Jing Lin’s voice for quite a while, he could not help but feel apprehensive and called out, “My Lord.”

Jing Lin sat leaning against the window. Cang Ji did not come along because he was merely a “common merchant”. It was not appropriate for him to get too involved in the affairs of Ninth Heaven Sect, so he had found an excuse early on to stay out of it.

The gears were turning in Jing Lin’s mind, yet he spoke indifferently and simply said, “Tell me everything you have seen and heard these few days.”

“It was dark and windy that night. To evade the evil spirits, no lanterns and lamps were allowed to be lit in the city after nightfall, and so it was pitch-dark all around to the point that we couldn’t even see our fingers before us. The scouts went to do a reconnaissance of the Blood Sea’s situation in the daytime, and there were no signs of their return even by night. The garrison commander predicted that the Blood Sea was about to reach us, and so he sent a group of us to set up a spell under cover of the night to strengthen our security. It was in the middle of the night when I was guarding the city walls that I observed and saw the Blood Sea flowing horizontally to the left. By some coincidence, it avoided the city, and we escaped a calamity, but the garrison commander was on the alert and did not dare to relax. So we crouched all night to guard the city walls. No evil spirit ever approached us, and this went on for three consecutive days. One morning, I suddenly heard that the North Gate had been breached. The Blood Sea churned and surged in, and evil spirits swarmed in succession amidst the fog and mist. The spell for protecting the city lost its effectiveness. In the twinkling of an eye, there were countless dead and wounded.”

“Ninth Heaven Sect lived by the motto ‘courage’. From the garrison commander to all the disciples under him, not one of them fled before the battle. All of them used their bodies to form a wall to obstruct the waves of blood.” Hui An’s voice grew hoarse. “More than half of them died. When the garrison commander saw that the city was about to be flooded, he lit the beacon towers. But the line heading north was all submerged, and he could not even break through the fog. He knew that the connected Qixing towns and twin cities a hundred li away would also meet with the same catastrophe as we did, so he sent me to pass the information to them posthaste. Not to deceive My Lord, before my eyes were blinded, it was a piece of cake for me to hit a target with precision even from a distance away, and it was all thanks to this pair of eagle eyes to distinguish down to the smallest details. In that thick fog, I was the only one who could endeavor to discern the way.”

“So I sped away on the horse all alone and bore through the fog towards Qixing town. But, My Lord, ever since time immemorial, although the evil spirits are deceitful and tough to subdue, they are used to working solo. Even if they have companions, there would be only three or four. And yet when I raced my horse en route this time, I saw them converging together and mingling into groups amidst the fog of Blood Sea. I encountered its greed form, which chased after me. My arrows were depleted, and my bow broke. My eyes also ended up wounded by the corrosive fog. Fortunately, the garrison of Qixing town saved me. However, they were being attacked by the Blood Sea too and were just preparing to ride their horses south to deliver the news to us!”

Both sides were attacked at the same time. No wonder support was lacking. It was because there were no reinforcements at all. What’s more, they were caught in between the Blood Sea. There was nowhere the beacon fire could pass on, and even the fastest horses would not make it in time.

“When you arrived at Qixing Town.” Jing Lin asked, “Were there already fatal casualties?”

“I’ve lost my sight in both eyes, so I couldn’t see. But from what the Qixing Garrison guards said, this sudden assault was likely not a coincidence.” Hui An lowered his head. After a moment of silence, he said, “My Lord is not like the other young masters. You have always been on the go to slay demons and subdue devils. And thus, you should know even better than the others that the ambush this time is remarkably strange. In the past, it was always the evil spirits who invade first before the Blood Sea engulfs. When had there ever been a time where the Blood Sea made its move first? I suspect there must be a reason for this. If the resentment of the accumulated corpses in the city were to amass, then it wouldn’t be unusual for the Blood Sea to follow the scent and gush over. But how would a perfectly fine town with us to guard it see a surge of sudden deaths and a pile-up of corpses for no reason?”

After a long time, Jing Lin said, “Take a rest. I’ll investigate this.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin stepped out of Hui An’s room just in time to see Cang Ji standing at a distance chatting to Yining. There was something on Jing Lin’s mind, and he had always been at odds with Yining, so he simply nodded at him. Both men did not even offer him any cursory pleasantries.

Cang Ji bid farewell to Yining and fell into step with Jing Lin. He asked, “Did you ask what you wanted to know?”

Jing Lin replied, “Still a mystery.”

“I took a stroll around that city a while ago. When I stepped out, I encountered the Sage and learned something new.”

Jing Lin turned his head to the side. “What?”

Instead, Cang Ji asked, “Do you have a younger sister?”

“I have one.” Jing Lin replied. “She has been sickly since young and lived in the mountains all year round. She has never set foot in this secular world.”

“So that means Lord Jiutian treasures and loves her.”

“Of course.” Jing Lin thought about it and said, “Even among the brothers, there is no one who doesn’t dote on her.”

“No wonder.” Cang Ji said.

“No wonder?” Jing Lin looked at him.

“I heard that Lord Jiutian is enlisting children of suitable age from all over to set up a Ninth Heaven private school. By doing so, he can get them to keep your younger sister company, and at the same time, take in more prospective successors for Ninth Heaven Sect.” Cang Ji continued calmly, “The homeless orphans take precedence.”

Jing Lin seemed to latch on to something from his words as the links connected with a “click” in his mind.

♦     ♦     ♦

At night, Cang Ji stayed next door to Jing Lin. He spread open Jing Lin’s handkerchief under the light and saw a prayer bead hidden inside. It was none other than the prayer bead from the other day he discussed the Way at Nan Chan. He never expected Jing Lin to keep it; the latter had even placed it in his handkerchief to carry along with him.

Cang Ji rotated the prayer bead to look at it. The scent of incense had long dissipated, and all that remained was Jing Lin’s scent. This scent had lingered in Cang Ji’s nose ever since half a month ago, keeping him hooked.

The window ledge pushed open, and a fox’s head popped out. Huashang squeezed in half a head and yelled in a whisper, “Master, give me a hand!”

Cang Ji stayed put and said, “You may leave right after saying your piece. There’s no need to come in.”

So Huashang could only sprawl over the window with her front paws and leave her tail wagging outside. She said, “Jiejie is asking when are you going to return?!”

“That depends on the Will of Heaven.” Cang Ji kept the prayer bead and said, “Has Ninth Heaven Sect dispatched someone over recently?”

“A brat.” Huashang said, “He perpetrates crimes and is arrogant and overbearing! He wants us to make unreasonable concessions and build a city for him!”

“Ask him first.” Cang Ji’s eyes were penetrating. “Has he paid off his debt?”

Huashang added, “Oh, there’s more. Jiejie recently accepted a disciple with unique talents and unparalleled aptitude. A pity he’s a mortal. What’s more, he’s a dorky, silly lad. Can we keep him? If you are fine with it, we’ll let him stay.”

“Looks like you like him too.” Cang Ji said.

“I don’t like mortals!” Huashang propped her head against the window and swung her ears. She struggled to squeeze her way in, but then she suddenly let out a shrill “shriek”.

“Someone grabbed my tail!” Huashang turned pale with fright and looked back in panic. Then she shouted, “It’s a stone spirit!”

Cang Ji instantly knocked over the candle and rolled onto the ground, where he remained motionless as if he had fainted.

i.e. An AOE attack

Chapter 79: Hide and Seek

MARCH 24, 2020

Huashang’s hind paws could not scramble its way up the window ledge, so she fell to the ground with her forepaws flailing. Knowing that there were formidable cultivators in this place, she leaped away with her tail trailing behind her, wanting to throw off the stone and dig her way through the grass to escape. But this stone figure was way faster than her; it had already cut off her escape route. Huashang pounced left and rolled right with it as if she was frolicking with it. But no matter what she did, she could not run from it.

Humiliated, Huashang flew into a rage. Her snow-white fur had gone all gray and dusty from rolling around the ground. She lowered the front of her body and swung her tail right at the stone, sending it tumbling and knocking its head with a grass crown on it down against the ground. It hurriedly held its crown steady, and Huashang slapped a paw down on its back and stepped down on it.

Seeing her opportunity, Huashang took to her heels and fled with a “swoosh”. The stone patted the dust off its body and rose to its feet to place the dirt-stained grass crown back on its head. It crawled its way in along the window seam and saw an unconscious Cang Ji lying on the ground. It slipped down the window, jumped over Cang Ji’s hand, and pushed the candlestick back into position.

Cang Ji’s face was pale, and his lips were faintly green. He looked as if a demon had cast a spell on him. The stone touched the center of his forehead. Sure enough, it sensed a wisp of demonic aura circulating within. No wonder it seemed to have heard someone talking in the room earlier on.

The stone thought for a moment, then put its grass crown onto Cang Ji’s head.

Cang Ji had sealed off his five senses, yet in that instant, a gush of cool, refreshing spiritual energy forcibly shoved its way in. The spiritual sea in his abdomen very nearly roared in response, and he almost revealed his original form. He hurriedly coughed a few times and pretended that he could not bear the power of it. That spiritual energy stalled for a moment, then transformed into a drizzle to blend into his vital organs.

If Cang Ji had been a real mortal, and if there had been a great disparity between his and Jing Lin’s cultivation, then there would have been nothing inappropriate about this action. Instead, it could have protected Cang Ji’s internal organs from the invasion of evil spirits. Yet, Cang Ji just had to be the greatest demon in this world. The sudden entrance of Jing Lin’s spiritual energy stirred up his dragon aura and mobilized his spiritual sea. He nearly could not maintain this “ordinary” appearance. The dragon scales on his chest had already materialized on their own in a show of resistance. Jing Lin was not anyone else. He was steadfast in his cultivation of the Way of the Sword, and demons and devils all fear his spiritual energy. So when his spiritual energy merged into Cang Ji’s body, Cang Ji’s limbs not only went icy cold; his horns nearly popped out too.

When the stone saw that the evil aura in him had been eliminated, it left with a peace of mind and sat cross-legged on the other side of the door. Catching a cricket to cage in its palms, it kept vigil for him through the night.

The instant the door closed, Cang Ji opened his eyes. He still could not move, so he could only hold down his discomfort and slowly extracted Jing Lin’s spiritual energy out of his internal organs. He sent it to his chest and turned it into a sparkling, crystal-clear spiritual pearl.

What a close call! 

Cang Ji lightly breathed out a mouthful of cold air. He could not tell if Jing Lin’s move was intended to test him.

He stroked his chest with his hand. He could sense the spiritual pearl of Jing Lin within. Canglong’s original form circled the spiritual pearl. It batted the side of the pearl with its long tail and began frolicking with it in the illusory realm in Cang Ji’s chest. Jing Lin and Cang Ji were once intimate with each other, and so their aura gradually merged into one during the pursuit. The piercing pain from the biting cold earlier gradually dissolved into a gentle warmth. Holding the pearl in its mouth, canglong soared into the spiritual sea, stirring up waves of spiritual energy. Right at once, Cang Ji felt the nourishment of that pure divine spirit. Inexplicably enough, he had the notion of them being mutually dependent on each other.

The turbulence in Cang Ji’s chest subsided. He raised his arm, with that prayer bead still grasped between his fingers.

“… So, is this the tribulation?”

Cang Ji mouthed in silence, not quite sure of his feelings about it.

♦     ♦     ♦

The next day, it took Jing Lin a lot of effort to get Cang Ji onto the bed. Seeing as he had yet to regain consciousness, he feared that the evil spirit had ensnared his mind.

Dong Jun knocked on the door. Jing Lin stepped out, and both men stood a short distance away to converse. Yawning incessantly, Dong Jun pointed to the sun and said, “It’s getting late. If you have anything important to say, say it quick. I’m leaving in a while.”

“What’s Father’s instructions?”

“You already know the answer, so why ask?” Dong Jun waved his fan and used his chin to point at Yining from a distance away. “You know the reason he was transferred to Xitu. It’s a state of emergency all over at present, and there is a shortage of manpower everywhere. We can no longer defend the south.”

“There are still tens of thousands of refugees here with no other place to relocate them. If we abandon the remaining lands in the south, then the lands of Zhongdu will comprise just the east and west. In the future, even if Ninth Heaven Sect regains enough manpower, we will be too powerless to turn the tables around and save the situation.” Jing Lin could not help but take a step closer. He said, “Famine refugees abound in the east. There are far more people starving to death than those who end up buried under the Blood Sea.”

Dong Jun pressed his fan against Jing Lin’s chest. He looked up darkly and said, “Exactly. So Cangdi should hand over the Northern Lands to allow these refugees to take shelter there. We run around all over the lands to eliminate devils and resist the sea. To protect the commoners, countless disciples from our sect have died at the hands of the Blood Sea! Why is Cangdi still unwilling to join the alliance and assist us? I’ve seen the letter you gave to Father. You said Cangdi intends to lure over the Blood Sea from all over to swallow it all with his own power—Do you know him? Are you aware that if he really lures the Blood Sea over, then the day the wall in the north collapses will be the day Zhongdu perishes with him!”

“Make a trip yourself to the Northern Lands!” Jing Lin’s voice grew cold. “Why won’t all of you take a look at the north with your own eyes? Cangdi has been managing the north for several years. If you look down from a height, you can see that the setup of those myriads of walls is methodical. It’s built for precisely the purpose of alienating and absorbing the Blood Sea in order to protect all the lands!”

“He is merely presumptuous and ignorant enough to use the lives of all the commoners in the world to take a gamble.” Dong Jun forced a smile instead of losing his temper at Jing Lin. “Besides, let me ask you, Ninth Heaven Sect can’t make the tides of the Blood Sea retreat even though we join forces and go all out, so on what grounds can he swallow and absorb it? If he can’t do it, then it means he’s plotting something else with ulterior motives in mind.”

“There is only one dragon in Heaven and Earth. Swallowing the sky and absorbing the sea is what’s formidable about him. If we are willing to put aside our prejudices and lend him a hand,” Jing Lin’s voice gradually quietened down. “Then, we will be able to eradicate the Blood Sea sooner.”

“My dear didi.” Dong Jun put his hands behind his back in a frivolous manner and said, “Even if we lend him a hand, even if he can devour the Blood Sea on the basis of his own capability, then what’s going to happen after this is over? Does the world obey the command of Cangdi? Or Lord Jiutian? If they bow to Cangdi, then what about the sacrifices of all the Ninth Heaven Sect disciples who have perished in the Blood Sea these hundred years? How are we going to split Zhongdu up in the future? It’s not that I’m trying to judge the heart of a gentleman with my own petty yardstick. But all this while, we have never gotten along with those groups of demons in the north, much like fire and water. Furthermore, your Yan Quan Sword has slain many a number of them. Cangdi is untamed by nature, and he won’t tolerate a thorn in his side. Do you truly think that he will let Ninth Heaven Sect off and spare us all?”

Without answering, Jing Lin turned around and left. Dong Jun looked at him from behind with a complicated expression and let out a sigh.

Midway through, Jing Lin suddenly turned his head back. His chest was heaving, and the hand that was holding on to his sword was tightly clenched. His expression was frightfully frosty. He said to Dong Jun, “Once the Blood Sea buries the lands, the world will meet its end. It won’t be long before the Blood Sea engulfs us all. But all my brothers are still thinking about what’s to come a hundred years later. Cangdi alone devours the sea, and yet no one far and near responds. Fine. When the day comes for him to devour the Blood Sea, I will draw my sword to protect him.”

“What kind of childish talk is that?” After a moment of silence, Dong Jun said, “If you draw your sword for him, then you are making an enemy out of Father. Jing Lin, tens of thousands of people prostrate themselves before the sect, but Father loves only you. And yet, you want to turn against Father just to stand by a dragon?”

“I stand by the Way of Heaven.” Jing Lin enunciated each word.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin stepped through the door with an air of frostiness surrounding him. Cang Ji was sprawling half-dead on the pillow. When he saw Jing Lin, he could not help but start coughing. Jing Lin grabbed the cup to pour some water and handed it to Cang Ji.

“Did you quarrel with someone?” Cang Ji said, “You don’t look too good.”

“It’s nothing.” Jing Lin said with his usual expression, “Where does gege plan to go now?”

Cang Ji let out a few stifled coughs and said, “Nowhere in mind yet.”

Jing Lin was going to say something when he suddenly raised his hand to touch Cang Ji’s forehead. The spot he touched was scalding hot. When he saw Cang Ji’s coughing incessantly, he presumed it to be the result of the fox demon enthralling him last night. So he said, “It’s easy to encounter demons in the desolate wilderness. They always like to appear before humans as beautiful women. Gege, you’re still young. It’s better not to indulge too much. It’d be bad if your health suffers because of it. Besides, it’s hard to break free from lust as time goes on. You will inevitably end up frail and sickly.”

Cang Ji spewed out the tea he was drinking. His retorts were already in his mouth, but he gulped them all back down. Oh, how he wanted to tear apart his clothes to let Jing Lin touch him. What “frail and sickly”? He was clearly strong and muscular, imposing and majestic!

Cang Ji set aside his cup and said “weakly”, “… People who cultivate do not dare to act impetuously. Last night, I felt tired and somehow ended up sleeping on the ground all night. Then this morning, I felt a little feverish.” With even more sincerity, he persuaded Jing Lin. “Now that I’ve caught a cold, I’m afraid it will be a few days before I recover. If you have something on, it’s alright for you to leave. It’s just that you and I are kindred spirits. For us to encounter each other in the martial fraternity is indeed proof of the affinity between us. Once we bid each other farewell, who knows when we will meet again.”

As Jing Lin looked into those eyes of Cang Ji, his gaze started wandering for no reason. He was the one who had hung Cang Ji out to dry on the floor last night, because his stone double could not lift or move him, and it was not appropriate for his own self to come visiting in the middle of the night. So he had let Cang Ji lay on the cold ground the whole night. He thought that there wouldn’t be a problem with his own spiritual energy protecting Cang Ji’s body. Who would have known that the latter would still fall sick?

Jing Lin pinched the fingertips on the hand at his back as he thought about it. He said, “It’s not urgent. I just need to patrol the Blood Sea along the southern border. Why not… gege you come along with me?”

Cang Ji added fuel to the flames and said, “With my illness, I’ll only be a burden to you. How could I put you through that?”

Jing Lin felt even more ashamed. And so he said, “… you’re no burden…”

“Then, I’ll have to impose on you.” Cang Ji grasped Jing Lin’s hand and pressed it hard as if he was entrusting him the weight of his entire life. “Gege will definitely take good care of you.”

Jing Lin was in a daze as he gave a vague nod of his head.

Cang Ji took him by the hand and lay back on the bed. As he wrapped the quilt around himself, he asked, “But there is one thing I can’t fathom. I need your help.”

Jing Lin had no choice but to sit at the edge of the bed. Hearing this, he said, “Hmm?”

Cang Ji narrowed his eyes to nod off and asked, “Is there a stone spirit around here?”

All at once, Jing Lin’s fingertips curled back. It was as if he was tickling Cang Ji in his palm. In a rare moment, he blurted out, “Never seen one before!”

“Sigh.” Cang Ji raised a hand to cover his forehead and murmured, “To tell you the truth, I saw a fox climbing the window and calling out to me last night. Then I felt a heaviness in my head. I can’t remember if I answered. My mind was in a muddle after I tumbled to the ground, and I seemed to see a stone walking freely. It circled me, with a grass crown on its head. Even though I’ve traveled over Zhongdu, I’ve never seen such a stone spirit.”

Jing Lin said, “Before the lotus ponds in the south were submerged, there were many such stones in the Brahma Altar. All of them had grass crowns on their heads. It’s nothing rare.”

Cang Ji stared at him. “Didn’t you say you have never seen one before?”

Jing Lin replied calmly. “I swept a few glances at them before. I almost forgot about it. Stones aren’t in the least bit fun to play with. They aren’t valuable either. I never pay them any attention.”

The moment Jing Lin told a lie, his little finger would involuntarily curl back and tickle Cang Ji’s palm without knowing it. He looked all stern and indifferent on the surface, yet he tickled Cang Ji until Cang Ji felt as if a cat was nuzzling against his heart.

“Is that so?” Cang Ji tightened his grip slightly. “Actually, I quite like it. I find it quick-witted and adorable. It’s poles apart from you, Jing Lin.”

All that was bouncing in Jing Lin’s heart were stones. There was even another stone hidden in his sleeve. Where in the world would he care if Cang Ji was holding his hand? All he wanted was to stuff all the stones in his mind and heart back into place. He said, “You will tire of it when you’ve seen more of it. Gege, you won’t find it a rarity once you’ve seen enough of it.”

Not allowing Cang Ji to continue with the conversation, he tucked the quilt up to the end of Cang Ji’s neck and said, “Take a rest. I’ll go catch it!”

Cang Ji tugged at him and said, “I like it very much. If you catch it, give it to gege, alright?”

The moment Jing Lin went blank, Cang Ji had already released his hand. He closed his eyes, looking comforted.

“Then I’ll wait for it.”

Chapter 80: Night Tales

MARCH 28, 2020

Cang Ji’s illness came and went quickly. So Jing Lin bid Yining farewell two days later. Unwilling to give up the southern borders so easily, he decided to head south.

Yining’s face was lean. He was originally a general in the east, and now he had been deployed over to the west to relieve the critical situation there. This person’s position was far removed from the others; he did not rank below that of the Supreme Father’s eight sons, and he was a direct subordinate of Lord Jiutian. He held the authority to impeach and supervise. There was no one in Ninth Heaven Sect who did not fear him.

After hearing Jing Lin’s farewell, Yining simply drank his tea without saying a word. After a while, he said, “There are thirteen cities remaining on the southern front. Among them is the City of Xuanyang, where the great demon, Shuran, is suppressed. If you persist in heading south, you must kill it before the Blood Sea engulfs the city of Xuanyang. Otherwise, once the seal is broken, he will return to the human world and bring disaster upon it.”

Jing Lin said, “Four cities on a route. With walls to obstruct, and Ninth Heaven Sect to guard. It can still hold out for several more years.”

But Yining gave a slight shake of his head and said, “Even if it can obstruct for a few more years, it cannot solve the root of the problem. The Blood Sea is pouring in from all directions. If we cannot find a way to expel it back as soon as possible, then Zhongdu will fall into the hands of the evil spirits sooner or later.”

“Is the east already at such a critical stage?”

“If it weren’t for the situation being critical, why would the Supreme Lord deploy the phoenix over so urgently? At present, there’s a famine on the inside and the approaching Blood Sea on the outside. No matter where we focus our energy on, we cannot cope with one without sacrificing the other.” Yining said.

Both men lapsed into silence together. Their relationship was pretty bad in the past because Yining could not stand Jing Lin’s aloofness. But now that Zhongdu was in a moment of crisis, Yining had been having trouble sleeping for several days, and his zeal had cooled down by half. After thinking back and forth, all he could do was to confide in Jing Lin.

“The Supreme Father’s mind is hard to fathom, and it’s becoming even more unpredictable in recent days. All my strategies to resist in the south have been rejected. The current disciples of the sect are a motley crowd of good and bad, and the loyal and dedicated ones have all been dispatched to guard the frontline, where more than half of them have died. When I withdrew towards the western end, disciples who died in the line of duty to protect the commoners could be seen in every deserted city I passed.” At this point, Yining suddenly stood up and irritably paced back and forth. He said, “But why? Was it a move to sacrifice the soldiers to save the commander to keep the main forces of the sect in Zhongdu so that they can put up a last-ditch fight when the time comes?”

Jing Lin felt a chill when he saw the window covered with white frost. He said, “Entering the sea means certain death. This move is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.”

The remnants of lotus in the pond under Yining’s window were wilting. Covered in frost, they looked downhearted. He lifted up his eyes to gaze at them, and sorrow and desolation overtook him. But in the end, he could not say too much to Jing Lin. So he shut the windows in a futile endeavor and said, “Take care on your journey.”

Jing Lin indicated his understanding and turned to leave.

Frost and dew dampened his clothes. Cang Ji was just recovering from a minor illness and being stifled in the wet robe made him uncomfortable. It had already been a few days since he last entered the water and revealed his original form, so he was now squatting on a woodpile and seeking out ants to vent his anger. The ants were one thing, but there was still a thread secured around his little finger with a little stone figure tethered at the other end. It was squatting opposite him with its head lowered as it poked the ants.

Both of them jabbed at it until the ants’ nest collapsed and scattered. The stone’s grass crown was damp, and there was nowhere for it to wipe its muddied hands. So it could only raise its head and look blankly to Cang Ji for instruction.

Cang Ji put up his hand and wiggled his little finger. Thus, the stone jumped across the ants and climbed up onto Cang Ji’s pile of wood. Cang Ji felt around his chest. He could not bear to use Jing Lin’s handkerchief, so he pulled out a silk handkerchief. He did not know how long he had been flattening it, or who gave it to him. It was wrinkled, and there were even an embroidered pair of butterflies flitting among flowers at the top. He used this handkerchief to wipe the stone’s hands. Noting that the stone kept holding on to its grass crown, he folded the handkerchief a few times and wrapped it around the stone’s little head to press down on the grass crown before he tied a knot. With the handkerchief on its head, the stone figure looked like a little thief.

Cang Ji could not resist it and burst out laughing at the stone. The stone shook its head. When it saw that its grass crown did not fall off, it did not get angry; on the contrary, it liked it.

Cang Ji looked up and saw Jing Lin leading the horse as he stood, so he rose to his feet and jumped off the woodpile. He asked, “Are we leaving?”

Jing Lin gave a horse to him and said, “If we speed our way there now, we will still be able to reach the City of Qingpu by dusk.” With that, he shot a glance at the stone. “Spirits love to stir up trouble. Maybe you should throw it away.”

“Why lower yourself to a child’s level?” Cang Ji mounted the horse and stuffed the stone into his bosom, exposing only its head. He said, “I’ll keep an eye on it. I won’t let it make trouble.”

Jing Lin frowned and looked at the stone in the eyes. After a moment, he flipped over and mounted the horse, looking as if he was running out of patience with the stone.

“Why did you provoke him?” Cang Ji smiled and blew on the stone. “Hold on tight. I’m taking you to play.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The City of Qingpu and the City of Xuanyang were not that far apart, but there were three mountains obstructing the way in between, and it would take some time to take a detour around them. Jing Lin was initially riding along the bridle path, but the rainstorm at night washed out the road and impeded them for a whole day. The downpour continued relentlessly the next day, so they could only climb over the mountain and head straight for the City of Xuanyang.

The mountain road was winding, and both men braved the rain and took a meandering path forward. It was wet and slippery on the mountain, and this horse could not grow wings and fly, so they could only dismount and seek temporary shelter.

Jing Lin could dry his clothes any time, but not Cang Ji. He picked up firewood and started a fire in the mountain cave. Then, with his back to Jing Lin, he took off his clothes and hung them out to dry with his bare arms. Jing Lin sat with him, facing the fire. Cang Ji’s upper body was well-built, and he was actually several times more buff than Jing Lin. But because he was usually clothed, and because he had the intent to conceal, this sight had never once seen the light of the day. It was undoubtedly very eye-catching now that he had bared it.

Drying their field rations over the fire, Cang Ji watched the fire and said, “That Dong Jun I saw a few days back, the one with a folding fan in his hand and who did not use a sharp weapon. What Way¹ is he cultivating?”

“It was initially the Way of the Asura.”² The fire warmed Jing Lin’s fingers. He said, “Dong Jun was originally a devil of the Blood Sea. What’s more, he was its violent and ferocious ‘evil’ form. He used his red eyes to enthrall and obliterate deities, and he killed Buddhas and ate humans by the strength of his malicious intent. Later, the True Buddha sat down by Nan Chan’s lotus pond and extolled the scriptures for forty-nine days until his mouth was parched. Only then did Dong Jun repent and gave up his evil ways. His enlightenment begot him a heart of compassion out of his evil form. Summoning spring and awakening the spirits is now his Way.”

“So I see.” Cang Ji seemed to smile. He asked again, “Then, what’s Li Rong’s Way?”

“Way of the Asura.” Jing Lin turned his hand and said, “Li Rong is mellow and calm by nature. He’s the perfect choice to cultivate the Way of Asura since he can still maintain his inherent nature even as he slays demons and subdues evil amidst the twin desires to kill and to outdo others.”

“I know yours.” Cang Ji said, “The Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword.”

Jing Lin lowered his eyes. The flames cast shadows over his hands. After a long pause, he said, “My original form is a sword. I was born to subdue evil.”

His expression was bland, being neither jubilant nor downcast.

Cang Ji listened to the heavy downpour outside the cave and took in all of Jing Lin’s expressions. He broke apart the biscuit³ that had been baked until it was scalding hot and handed half of it to Jing Lin. He said, “You are on the go all the time and show no interest in the affairs of the martial fraternity, so you aren’t aware. Of all the countless cultivators in the world, you are the most legendary. Even talentless and ambitionless people like me are familiar with your deeds.”

Jing Lin said, “Everything you hear is made up. They are all not me.”

Cang Ji finished the biscuit in a few mouthfuls and said, “It’s indeed not alike, but there are some similarities. How about this? I have already told you about myself earlier. So why don’t I talk about the Jing Lin I know, and you can tell me if there’re any inaccuracies. That way, the one I know will be the real you.”

Jing Lin bit the biscuit and nodded his head.

Cang Ji wiped his hands and propped them on his knees. He said, “I heard that you formally entered Lord Jiutian’s command at the age of thirteen. When you kneeled and kowtowed, the pines in Heaven and Earth rose in waves, and in that instant, you attained your original form. Where were you from before that? A minor demon from the mountains?”

“Not a demon.” Jing Lin spread out his palms to show him. “I don’t remember where I was from, but I was wandering around Zhongdu, fatherless and motherless. When I was eight years old, I fought with a dog for food and accidentally strayed into the ancient temple of Nan Chan. I fell into the lotus pond and was saved by the chanshi.⁴ When I was thirteen years old, the True Buddha brushed the dust off my mortal robe and pointed me towards the north. So I walked along the route north and eventually ascended the mountains to Ninth Heaven Sect, where I met Father.”

Cang Ji grasped Jing Lin’s hand by his fingertips and pulled his palm to his eyes. He saw a faint lotus pattern on it. If he had not shown it to him, he would have never noticed it at all. Cang Ji scrutinized it for a moment, then suddenly turned his palm over to grasp hold of it. He smiled and said, “A lotus on the palm. So Jing Lin was once a little monk! What happened after you met Lord Jiutian? I heard that the brothers split into factions and fought intensely with one another so much that it was all very unbecoming. But our Jing Lin is so spacey; you don’t look like that kind of person.”

Seeing Cang Ji being so open and aboveboard, Jing Lin felt a little embarrassed to retract his hand. It was just that he found the spot where their palms met scalding. He said, “The brothers’ personalities differ. It’s inevitable.”

“I wish for us to treat each other with honesty and sincerity.” Cang Ji gripped his hand and said solemnly, “Why fobbed me off with such words again?”

Jing Lin said, “I’ve never fobbed gege off.”

Cang Ji asked, “Have they ever made you feel aggrieved?”

Jing Lin lowered his eyes and blinked. He countered with a question. “What does it mean to be ‘aggrieved’? Father taught me about moral principles and the righteous way. Many things that happened posed no danger to my life, so they can’t be considered as an aggrievement.”

Cang Ji smiled and merely said, “Lord Jiutian is the benefactor who has raised you. It’s just that his foresight when it comes to choosing sons vacillates between good and bad, just like himself.”

“The moment I joined Ninth Heaven Sect, I am a sword of the world.” Jing Lin said, “All sufferings are but merely experience when one sharpens a sword for years. Although there are moments when Father’s opinions are at odds with mine, he still treated me with great kindness.”

“But it benefited him at someone else’s expense.” Cang Ji seemed to be joking. “If I had known earlier, I would have taken that young monk from the south home. From then on, you and I would have been good brothers, and we wouldn’t have lacked all these years together.”

Jing Lin’s little finger curled back involuntarily, but it was not because he had told a lie. Instead, it was a feeling he could not explain himself. Cang Ji felt Jing Lin’s fingertip tickling his own heart again and could not help but hold on to him more tightly. His back almost broke out in a layer of sweat. He thought, this lad is indeed my tribulation. Day after day, he had to send his heart into a beating frenzy. By now, his heart had almost been nuzzled into a pool of water. How he wished to turn into a tenderness pliable enough to wrap around his finger.⁵ He yearned so much to grab him into his arms, twirl a few rounds, and hear him say a few more words.

Cang Ji turned over Jing Lin’s palm and put his palm side by side with Jing Lin’s palm to show him. When Jing Lin fixed his eyes on them, he saw the lotus motif in his own palm materialize before his eyes. Its petals quivered and dripped dew water. In response, he saw Cang Ji’s palm rippled. A little brocade carp that was golden-red all over leaped out of it with a “plop” and shook off tiny droplets of water before it plunged back into the water and vanished. When Jing Lin looked at their palms again, it had already reverted to normal. But now, there was an additional imprint of a brocade carp on Cang Ji’s palm.

Jing Lin raised Cang Ji’s palm. He suddenly smiled and said, “Amazing. You actually found a catch in the art of drawing deities from that other day and created such a little realm.”

“From now on, if you are the lotus pond’s lotus, I can be the lotus pond’s fish.” Cang Ji saw the delight on Jing Lin’s face. This smile was like the melting of ice and snow. It not only set his heart on fire, but even turned all his covetous thoughts into a boundless sea of desire. All of it was held captive in the square-cun-sized⁶ palm of this man. Cang Ji had the urge to lower his head and brand a kiss into this palm—a palm that was caressing his heart.

Seeing him pause, Jing Lin called out to him.

Cang Ji said, “… I guess that’s what being good brothers are about.”

道 Dao, or the Way, is an important concept in Daoism where one archives spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the (right) path’. It’s a bit hard to explain all the nuances in Daoism succinctly but for this novel, you can understand it as cultivating one’s moral principles to defend what one believes in (one’s Way or Path to enlightenment). There are typically several paths that one can choose to cultivate.

修罗 Asura are powerful but often amoral beings (or demigods) in Buddhism, since they are primarily driven by envy and greed for power.

馅饼 Xianbing a kind of somewhat flat, round biscuit-pastry (some call it pie, some call it pancake) with stuffed fillings.

禅师 chanshi, an honorific title for a Buddhist monk.

绕指柔 rao zhi ruo, from the line “何意百炼刚，化为绕指柔” from Liu Kun’s (刘琨) poem “Presented Again to Lu Chen” (重赠卢谌). Basically refer to forging a good, quality sword by tempering it multifold until it is not only hard and sharp enough to cut nails and iron, but is also elastic or flexible enough to bend or wrap it around the fingers (i.e. 绕指柔, “rao zhi ruo”, or a tenderness pliable enough to wrap around a finger). An example of this kind of sword is the Pan-gang Sword from the Song Dynasty. The use of “rao zhi ruo” as the name of literary works, etc, thus came to be regarded as an extension of the meaning behind the process of sword forging such as repetition, tempering/strengthening, and fermentation (including of love).

方寸 square cun (Chinese unit of area: 1cun × 1cun, or 3⅓cm × 3⅓cm)

Chapter 81: Xuanyang

APRIL 1, 2020

“I have many brothers, but there aren’t many moments where I get to have a heart-to-heart talk with them like this.” Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji like a child looking at honey.

“I have many brothers too, but the only one I’m this close to is this one.” Cang Ji saw Jing Lin’s fair fingers touching and holding his own hand. Those fingers were long, slender, and beautiful, looking rather much like porcelain and jade. They constantly enticed him to hold them in his palms and savor them meticulously. Whatever bit of tenderness he had spiraled out of control. Looking at Jing Lin again made him cherish him even more; it also made him realize how young he was.

He’s indeed young.

Cang Ji thought.

He’s younger than me by many years, and smaller than me many times over. I can hold him in the palms of my hands and embrace him in my arms. I can even leave all the vulnerable parts of my chest and abdomen to him, and offer him the protection of my tough armor of solid scales so that he let all his childishness and naivety out in the open without fear. 

Jing Lin found Cang Ji unusually hot. He could not help but rein in his expression and said, “It’s now the chilly autumn rain season. Gege is just recovering from a minor illness. It wouldn’t do for you to catch a cold.”

Cang Ji was sturdy and muscular. As he turned his back to put on his clothes, the scars on the back of his shoulders were revealed. Jing Lin shifted his gaze over and noted that the scars were not from a blade; instead, they seemed to be scratches made by a person. Suspecting that he had made a mistake, Jing Lin leaned over a little. Under the light from the flickering flames, he saw that they were really scratch marks of varying depths on the back of Cang Ji’s shoulders that extended in a slanted direction all the way to his shoulders.

“Did you have a dispute with anyone lately?” Jing Lin asked.

Cang Ji pulled up his upper garment to cover up the scars. He secured his waist sash and looked back at Jing Lin. A laugh suddenly escaped from his lips.

“These are from way earlier. I kept them as mementos.”

Jing Lin turned around. It was not appropriate for him to probe further.

Cang Ji asked, “Curious?”

Jing Lin grasped the inner layers of his sleeves and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Cang Ji quickly dressed himself and crouched down to beckon to Jing Lin. Jing Lin leaned over, and Cang Ji moved closer. He said into Jing Lin’s ear, “This is…” He suddenly changed the topic. “Forget it. I’ll tell you when you are older.”

With that, he ignored Jing Lin’s gaze as he lay down with his arms behind his head and closed his eyes to rest. Jing Lin blanked out for a moment. When he looked at Cang Ji again, the latter already looked to be sound asleep. The stone crawled out from Cang Ji’s bosom and sat cross-legged on his chest. With one hand propping up its head, it gazed at him dejectedly with its black, beady eyes.

♦     ♦     ♦

Against the sound of the rain, Jing Lin meditated. The fire had already been extinguished. The only thing remaining was the sound of Cang Ji’s breathing. Jing Lin gradually sank deeper into a state of concentration. In his chest, Yan Quan whirled around in the illusory realm. Further down, the vastness of his spiritual sea was silent. He had already cultivated his way to the entrance of the Perfection Stage. Just one step more, and he could cross over into the Perfection Stage. From then on, he would be able to abstain from food and control the wind. Even summoning the rain with a brandish of his sleeve would be a cinch. But this door just would not open; he had already been trapped here for a long time.

Just as he was meditating, an unfamiliar aura suddenly rose beneath his spiritual sea and dispersed within it. Even Jing Lin himself could not track it down. This aura had a faint, commanding presence. He could hear what seemed to be the roar of a dragon as it roved around and closely circled his lower abdomen. Jing Lin probed further and discovered that, unbeknownst to him, his own spiritual sea had been damaged. But the defect had already been smoothed out after this aura nursed it back to health and strengthened his foundation. And to think he was oblivious to it all.

Jing Lin immediately opened his eyes and placed his palm on his abdomen. His spiritual sea was smooth and stable without even the trace of a ripple; it was as if nothing had ever happened. The more Jing Lin thought about it, the less he found it reassuring. When had he ever received this kind of aid from another person? He remembered nothing. That aura dispersed and converged, converged and dispersed, having already merged into his body. It was not only dignified and powerful, but also so scorching hot that it made Yan Quan vibrate with a “buzzing” sound. In that instant, Jing Lin had a sudden premonition that it was nearing the time for him to advance to the next stage. Yet, at the same time, he could not break through that turning point no matter what he did.

Jing Lin sat for the entire night until the rain stopped and the sky cleared up outside the cave. It was only when the inside of the cave was slightly illuminated that he breathed out a sigh of relief and broke out of his meditation to stand up. Cang Ji had woken up much earlier, and he was just returning from the outside with the still-asleep stone with him. He took some persimmons that had been wrapped up in a piece of cloth and gave them to Jing Lin to consume. Without lingering further, they followed the mountain path and galloped straight for the City of Xuanyang.

♦     ♦     ♦

The City of Xuanyang was backed by a mountain range and fronted by the Xijiang River. Ninth Heaven Sect had built three heavy sluice gates in this place with spiritual talismans engraved on all four sides of the city wall to make this city impregnable. Not once had this city ever been invaded and harassed by the Blood Sea and the evil spirits. Before the seven towns and twin cities were destroyed, it was called the hinterland of the south. When Jing Lin rode his horse over this day, he saw that commoners in the city had already taken their families along to migrate north. The once thriving estuaries had all been abandoned, with rows of boats dumped on the river surface. The waterways had already been cut off by the Blood Sea, so under no circumstances could these boats be used.

There was also a Lingtian Pagoda constructed in this city, where the major demon named Shuran was suppressed. Shuran used to be a beast of Buddha in the south who dwelled in the sludge of the lotus pond all year round. Its voice could mobilize all the bodies of water in the world. Later, when Dong Jun strode into the Realm of the Brahma Altar, his malicious aura shocked Shuran into appearing in the world. When he looked at Dong Jun in the eyes, the latter’s red eyes enthralled and destroyed his conscience. From then on, he forsook the voice of Buddha, perpetuated evil, and even caused the south to be flooded. The first thing Dong Jun did when he returned to the righteous path was to kick Shuran into the City of Xuanyang and suppressed him with a towering pagoda to restrict his movements for hundreds of years.

On entering the city, Jing Lin galloped right for Lingtian Pagoda. It was only when he saw the pagoda still standing firm with its seal intact and undamaged that he heaved a sigh of relief.

Cang Ji rode around Lingtian Pagoda on horseback for a look and said, “The pattern of this seal is uncommon. Did Dong Jun draw it too?”

“Dong Jun has no patience when it comes to brush and ink. Father drew this.” Noting that the color of the cinnabar still looked as good as new, he said, “The iron hooks to hold down the pagoda were forged by Lan Hai. They can’t be easily broken.”

“What exactly is Lord Jiutian’s origin?” Cang Ji touched the cinnabar. “There are differing opinions about him. It’s hard to tell the truth from the lies.”

“Father was born in the Nanjing Sea. Too much time has elapsed since his youth, so there is no way to trace it back. After Father’s cultivation reached the Perfection’s Stage, he wielded his sword in Zhongdu and resolved to focus on cultivating the Way of Heaven after seeing so much suffering and misery. When the Blood Sea came bearing down on the world, he founded Ninth Heaven Sect and accepted disciples from far and wide. It wasn’t easy for him to establish it to its present magnificence.” Jing Lin paused and continued, “Father may be stern, but he is strict with himself and lenient with others. There have been many occasions where he made an example out of himself. When Tao-di formally joined the sect, there was a famine in the east. Father sent us to deliver grains through the night, while he prohibited banquets and feasts in his compound. He has been a vegetarian ever since.”

“How admirable of him.” Cang Ji asked again, “I hardly see Lord Jiutian venturing out in recent years. How is his health?”

“He falls ill sometimes, mostly out of melancholy.” Jing Lin dismounted and led the horse down the street. He said, “But Father has been painstakingly cultivating for so many years, so it is now hard to know which stage his cultivation is at. He’s becoming more and more formidable in recent years. In the past, I could somewhat tell by looking at him, but now, I can’t even get a glimpse.”

Cang Ji’s heart sank a little. He smiled again and said, “With his cultivation, Lord Jiutian still can’t do anything about the Blood Sea. It can be seen that the situation is getting desperate.”

“The situation isn’t that bad yet.” Jing Lin said. “Canglong will be key.”

“But what if Lord Jiutian doesn’t allow it and even wants to murder canglong?” Cang Ji said, “The friction in the north is deepening. Seems to me that both sides have been putting up with each other for a long time.”

Jing Lin took a few steps and said, “Even if canglong does not form an alliance with us, he has done no evil. It was for the common people that he built ditches to divert the Blood Sea. If Father takes a different path from him, then so be it. Why would he kill him?”

Cang Ji responded leisurely, “It’s hard to say.”

Jing Lin said, “If such a day comes, then I will not let him die. His fate is tied to that of the world. He is the only one who can eliminate the Blood Sea. No matter what, he cannot die.”

“If you protect him to such an extent, it will surely rouse your brothers’ suspicions and incur your father’s reproach. You aren’t acquainted with him, and you have never met him. Even if you have the intent to help, you have to be prudent.” Cang Ji spoke in a solemn tone. “Jing Lin, good and bad people abound everywhere around you, and kindred spirits are few and far between. Risking your life for this isn’t worth it. Besides, this Cangdi… he is, by nature, paranoid, cunning, and wicked. He’s extremely wary of others. If you were to meet him one day, you might even come to hate him to bits. Even if you risk your life for him, he might not necessarily be grateful to you. So why put yourself through the trouble?”

Cang Ji took over Jing Lin’s reins and tethered the horses to a pillar. Seeing this, Jing Lin ambled along behind Cang Ji and said hesitantly, “… He’s not that bad…”

“Uh.” Cang Ji washed his hands in the water jar placed before the inn. Without looking up, he said, “Weren’t you the one who said he was a savage man who has a harem and was loathsome?”

Jing Lin followed suit and said, “… You can’t treat rumors as the gospel truth.”

“Yet you still dislike him?” Water dripped between Cang Ji’s fingers as he got the stone to extract the handkerchief from his sleeve to help him wipe his hands. He said, “Come to think of it. I don’t like this man either.”

“Why?”

“Because I heard that he’s quite handsome.” Cang Ji said.

Jing Lin parroted, “Quite handsome?”

Cang Ji touched his face and said to Jing Lin, “He’s more handsome than I am. I can’t tolerate that.”

Jing Lin said, “Appearances are but mere illusions. His original form is a dragon. Both of you aren’t the same.”

“Once in human form, he will be judged according to the beauty standards of the mortals. Everyone loves themselves a beauty. It’s like when I look at you.” Cang Ji turned his head slightly and scrutinized Jing Lin a little more closely. A slight frown materialized on his face.

Jing Lin said, “Hmm?”

“When I look at you,” Cang Ji abruptly lifted Jing Lin’s chin and said intently, “Uh huh… Our Jing Lin…”

Jing Lin looked at him quietly.

Cang Ji’s throat throbbed slightly. He continued, “… is very devastating.”

“I’m that hideous? Although I could somehow sense it in the past, no one has ever told me the truth.” Jing Lin rubbed his cheeks with the back of his hands and said, “There was a time I caught a demon, and my shadow fell upon the water, exposing my face. The other party started crying incessantly and said that she would not flee anymore. I suspected that she was just feigning a surrender. But who would expect her to really follow me away? Now that I think about it, she was probably afraid.”

Cang Ji asked, “Have you never ever looked in the mirror?”

Jing Lin said, “All the mortal flesh in this world are the same. The one in the mirror might not be me either.”

Cang Ji asked again, “Then, who do you think is good-looking? Dong Jun?”

“When Dong Jun is in his human form, he’s good-looking.” After a beat, Jing Lin added. “You’re very good-looking too.”

With that, he broke free from Cang Ji’s hand and turned around to enter through the hanging screen. Cang Ji stood blankly where he was, still touching his own face. He felt that this face could be called “regular” at most. How could it be compared to his original looks? Then, he thought that Jing Lin must have been consoling him. Jing Lin did not even find himself beautiful, so what would he know about what’s pretty or ugly?

Cang Ji stood like a pole at the entrance for a long time, feeling disturbed by that one line of his. Before he turned around, he even looked into the water jar to check his reflection. Only then did he strode through the door and squeezed his way behind Jing Lin to follow him up the stairs.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin had to make his rounds around the city at night to reinforce the spiritual talismans on all four sides of the city wall. There were only fifty people in the Xuanyang City Garrison. But all of them were masters whose spiritual seas had already formed. Long before Jing Lin stepped out of the door, they were already waiting for him in a welcome outside. When Jing Lin left, he saw that the candle in the room next door had already been extinguished. Presuming that Cang Ji had gone to bed, he headed down the stairs and went out on his own.

The Ninth Heaven Sect disciples had been waiting respectfully for a long time. The moment they saw a flash of that white robe, they all beamed with delight and felt greatly reassured. They were well-acquainted with the reputation of Lord Linsong and had long been fascinated with Yan Quan Sword. It had not been easy to meet Jing Lin once. So they came up all at once to greet him and compete among themselves to lead the way for Jing Lin.

One of them looked to be an old hand. He respectfully paid his obeisances to Jing Lin and followed alongside him. He said, “For the Little Lord to come here, have there been any instructions from the sect?”

Jing Lin said, “I haven’t yet to be conferred a title. The address of ‘Lord’ clashes with Father’s, so it isn’t appropriate. You may call me by name. There is no instruction from the sect. I came over by myself for a look.”

The disciples beside him all did not dare to respond. They merely said, “We wouldn’t dare to be impetuous before Yan Quan Sword. Seventh Young Master, this way.”

It was a cold and windy autumn night. The wind sloughed through the grass and trees in the city, while leaves rustled and fell, blanketing the ground with a layer of withered yellow that produced slight noises as they trod over it. Some dwellings they passed by were already empty, with the doors making “creaking” sounds as they swung left and right in the wind.

Jing Lin asked, “How many people in the city have left?”

The disciple replied, “More than half of them have gone. Everyone in the city has been on tenterhooks ever since we received news of the seven towns and twin cities’ destruction. There were some who left on that day itself with their families. A good number of them did not want the girls, so they abandoned them en route. The little maidens secretly made their way back. But the Yangle Hall in the city is now fully occupied, and our food supply is diminishing. We can’t afford to raise them. Fortunately, we received a directive yesterday. All these unwanted children will be sent to the sect a few days later to be raised and educated at the private school in the Lord’s compound.”

Jing Lin had never heard Li Rong mention the private school when he left. Furthermore, this was not the right place and time to discuss it further. Thus, he merely nodded to indicate his acknowledgement of it.

The Xuanyang city walls were solid. As Jing Lin put his palm to the wall, he could feel the integrity of the talisman. The spiritual talisman gradually emerged, glowing faintly in the night. A web of interwoven spiritual threads instantly materialized over the City of Xuanyang, with all four sides converging together to seal Lingtian Pagoda.

On this silent night, if a person with an acute sense of hearing were to hold his breath and focus, then he would be able to hear the slow, drawn-out sound of something asleep under the pagoda—

Shuran.

Jing Lin walked along the wall. A luminous azure light floated around him and paved out a path that circled along the wall in tandem with his footsteps. Jing Lin made a seal with a hand and saw the azure light sinking into the soil. Immediately right after, there was a loud rumble as the wall rose and grew taller by several inches.

Jing Lin retreated a few steps and looked up. He asked, “Is there no one guarding the city tonight at the top of the wall?”

“With the situation being so critical, we do not dare to rest.” After answering, the disciple looked up too. He frowned in puzzlement and said, “Why aren’t they saying a word though…”

Jing Lin had already risen into the air to ascend the city wall. He saw the men on garrison duty with their backs to him as they faced another direction, so he took a few steps closer to them. But in these few steps, there was a drastic shift in the atmosphere atop the wall. Without waiting for each of the men to look back, Jing Lin drew out his sword.

The penetratingly cold aura of the sword swept right ahead, and that human head tumbled onto the ground. Yet, there was not a drop of blood on the sliced neck. Instead, a pocket-sized little face climbed out and stretched out its arms as though they were wisps of mist— it was an evil spirit in its greed form.

Jing Lin tapped his foot, and the weapons placed against the wall suddenly turned over and rose into the air. The night wind beside him propelled forward without restraint, and the sharp blade broke through the air and hurtled all over with a “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh”. Amidst the sounds of chewing emitting from the greed form, the garrison all pounced on Jing Lin with their decapitated bodies.

Yan Quan swept out in a circle of light as it encircled Jing Lin. Jing Lin turned his palm over to grasp the sword. His black hair swayed along with his movements. With frenetic cries, the black fog around him dispersed, leaving behind no other sounds except for the howls of the wind in the night.

In this dead silence, Jing Lin looked back and heard the loud “thud” of a collision under Lingtian Pagoda. Holding his sword, he stepped into the air and saw Lingtian Pagoda shaking violently. Dwellings all around them collapsed.

“This is bad!” The disciple at the foot of the wall said in alarm, “Seventh Young Master! Shuran is about to break through the seal!”

His voice had yet to fade away when the wind tore it asunder. Right afterward, Lingtian Pagoda tilted over with a loud rumble. There was a ripping sound as the suppression talisman snapped. A terrifying claw reached its way out.

With one foot stepping on the roof of the pagoda, Jing Lin turned over his palm and slapped down a large talisman created out of azure light. The talisman went smashing down, and Shuran retracted his claw in pain. Then, flying into a rage, he arched his back to ram the spikes on his back against the pagoda and howled.

The bright moon of the night had already made its way into the clouds. Before they knew it, the sky was already covered in the ethereal color of blood. The sound of the Blood Sea’s tidal waves grew clearer, surging and slapping against the sides of Jing Lin’s ears. The earth beneath his feet was no longer stable as the entire Lingtian Pagoda collapsed.

Holding his sword, Jing Lin somersaulted down, instantly sending up a splash and spatter of blood fog. As if sensing a murderous intent, Shuran pushed up against the pagoda with his head and stretched it out. An imposing, giant jaw roared at Jing Lin and pounced. Jing Lin dodged him and gave him a kick so hard that Shuran went tumbling before he sprang up again.

The wind in his ears shrieked and howled, and a sudden, stabbing pain sprang upon his back. Before he could move, he felt his chest stir as his spiritual sea churned and roiled with immense waves. A gush of heat charged up, turning the world before his eyes black as his five senses were suddenly cut off.

That “door” he had been unable to access had opened at this crucial moment.

Jing Lin remained in place. Shuran malevolently stuck his neck out as he dashed and crashed his way over to bite down on him—

The blood fog abruptly changed direction with a violent gust of wind. There was a “crack” as Shuran’s massive teeth were jammed in place by an arm reaching into his jaws. The next moment, Shuran’s body soared into the air as this arm turned and smashed him into the towering wall. There was a loud “bang” as spider-web cracks broke out on the surface of the wall from the impact. Shuran was unable to roll over in time when a blow struck him hard in the abdomen. He instantly choked out white foam and transformed into his human form. He had not even opened his eyes when someone lifted him up by his hair. Even before he could spit out the white foam in his mouth, the person slammed him into the ground!

The ground cracked. The crash had badly battered Shuran. Both his arms trembled as his face was pressed down against the rubble, scraping against it until there was blood everywhere.

“My, my Lord…” Shuran’s voice was as small as a mosquito as he trembled and said, “… Spare… Spare my life!”

Cang Ji said nothing as he lifted Shuran’s head and slammed it down yet again!

Chapter 82: Buddha’s Lotus

APRIL 7, 2020

Shuran was like a fish on a chopping board ready to be slaughtered. Cang Ji lifted him by the back of his neck. The terrifying burst of strength from that arm made Shuran’s face red with blood. He could only barely manage to open one eye with some difficulty. When he saw Cang Ji, he trembled all over and cried out in a hoarse voice. “My Lord, my Lord!”

Cang Ji’s eyes were gloomy as he tilted his head slightly and said to those behind him, “Scram three zhang¹ back.”

Shuran shivered, only to realize in hindsight that Cang Ji was not talking to him, but to the Ninth Heaven Sect’s disciples behind him who were rushing over. The disciples did not recognize Cang Ji, but when they saw him taking down Shuran in just one blow earlier, they thought that he was a master from the sect. So when they heard his bellow, they did not dare to take another step more.

Jing Lin remained still, totally unaware of the earth-shattering commotion before him. His five senses were sealed off, and his spiritual sea raged like a storm as it poured towards the “door” in his chest to cross over. A sharp pain exploded through his entire body. Among the tidal surge of spiritual energy, his original form, which was as cold and clear as water, gradually sank into his spiritual sea. Once immersed in it, it whirled and dissipated. Immediately right after, its spiritual aura swirled in the air. The blade suddenly started to shine again, inch by inch. Once again, it slowly came into being, grinding and pounding as though it was being reforged.

The Perfection Stage was close at hand, right within Jing Lin’s reach. No one must touch him at such a critical juncture. Besides, Yan Quan had already slipped out of his hand. It nailed itself to the ground beside Jing Lin, marking out a half-a-zhang-wide circle around Jing Lin to guard him so that no one could approach him.

The disciples trod lightly and retreated in a way that could be said to be on tiptoe. One said, “Senior, the Blood Sea has arrived. Do we guide the others to flee now?”

Cang Ji looked at those dark clouds overhead, obstructing the sky. The moon was already barely discernible. Only the red mist accompanied the sounds of the tides and gushed closer to them like an imminent nightmare. He said, “There’s no need to run. Tell them to shut their doors and windows.”

The disciples hung their hands by their sides to receive their orders, then turned around to instruct the commoners to secure their doors and windows and not to step out.

Once Shuran saw those white robes recede into the distance, he tried to call out to Cang Ji again. He used to curl up in the Brahma Altar’s lotus pond, and he felt intimidated every time he sensed Cang Ji’s dragon aura; his fear of canglong was deeply ingrained in him. He could only maneuver and swallow all kinds of water, but Cang Ji could devour him whole.

“I didn’t know my Lord is here.” Shuran propped himself up and gulped down his blood. He continued, “Other, otherwise I wouldn’t have dared to offend your honorable self! I, I wasn’t charging for the Lord…”

Cang Ji asked in an unconcerned manner, “Then, who was the one you wanted to bite earlier?”

Shuran’s eyes turned and slid toward Jing Lin. The tip of his tongue had been soaked by his blood until it felt astringent and metallic. It took him a while to come around. He stumbled over his words, “I wouldn’t dare…”

Before he could finish his words, his forehead was once again smashed into the rubble. The impact this time dazed his mind so much that he almost fainted.

He heard Cang Ji rising to his feet, and the arm dragging him hardened until it was like iron. He immediately went weak in the knees and hurriedly half-kneeled on the ground to hug Cang Ji’s arm. He cried, “My Lord! Please spare my life this once! With Yan Quan Sword before me, I won’t be able to escape if I don’t fight with my life! My Lord! I’ve been suppressed here for so many years that it, it scares me!” His appearance in his human form was about fifty years of age. He kneeled on the ground and sobbed, “I don’t want to die yet! My Lord! I’m willing to slave like an ox and a horse, horse for you! I beg you to be magnanimous and show mercy!”

Cang Ji looked at the collapsed Lingtian Pagoda with an unfathomable expression. “The opportunity to redeem yourself and render meritorious service is just right before you. So what are you still waiting for?”

♦     ♦     ♦

When the disciple returned, he saw only Cang Ji left at the same spot. He could not help but feel startled when he did not see Shuran around, thinking that Shuran had fled. The blood fog made it hard to see more than ten steps away, and the dwellings were all covered under a blanket of clammy, foul-smelling air. The disciple had no choice but to mask his face as he walked.

“Senior!” He said in a hurry. “It’s too dangerous to remain here with the Seventh Young Master still in a transcendence meditation! The Blood Sea is already on the verge of gushing into the city. How should we resist?”

“Amitabha.” Cang Ji suddenly smiled. He looked extremely approachable, unlike that malevolent countenance he had when he smashed the demon with his bare hands. He said, “The True Buddha is merciful. Having been immersed in the chants of the scriptures, Shuran still had a shred of conscience left even if he had lost his compassion once. Jing Lin convinced him to surrender, so he has gone on his own to obstruct the evil spirits before the city. The wall has been reinforced with Jing Lin’s spiritual talisman; the Blood Sea cannot permeate it. You may simply lead some men to guard the city gates.”

Overjoyed, the disciple hurriedly put his palms together and bowed several times to Jing Lin. He said, “Lord Linsong is almighty! Then, I shall defend the city gates. However, it had not been easy for the Seventh Young Master to transcend this stage. Do you know when he will wake up?”

“That depends on how he reconstructs his original form.” Cang Ji replied, “May I trouble you to prepare an isolated courtyard? There’s no need for anyone to attend to us. All you need to do is to maintain a smooth flow of clear water.”

The disciple immediately complied and said, “But right now, Yan Quan wouldn’t let us go near him. What should we do?”

“Just stay away from him.”

With that, Cang Ji strode past the disciple and stepped into the circle that had been marked out by the blade. Yan Quan instantly started whining. Cang Ji flicked the hilt of the sword lightly with his finger, causing Yan Quan to swing before it went silent. Cang Ji lowered down and picked Jing Lin up. On seeing this, the disciple made a move to step forward too. Unexpectedly, Yan Quan sliced through the wind and stabbed itself right into the ground before the disciple’s foot to prevent him from approaching.

The disciple looked on, dumbstruck. Carrying Jing Lin in his arms, Cang Ji said to the disciple, “Just point the courtyard out to me. I’ll head there myself.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji carrying Jing Lin was the second time he had held the latter in his arms. But Jing Lin now felt harder to the touch compared to the last time. Even as Jing Lin’s body lay within the crooks of Cang Ji’s arms, the inside of his body was in turmoil. If it weren’t for Cang Ji’s acute sense of hearing, he would not have even caught the sound of Jing Lin’s breathing.

Yan Quan slipped back into its sheath, showing absolutely no resistance to Cang Ji. Because the passionate dragon aura in Jing Lin’s body came from Cang Ji. By a freak combination of various factors, both of them had come to be intimate for a night. And because of the drug, both of their spiritual energies had joined in perfect harmony. So even if Cang Ji were to do something more right this moment, Yan Quan would not leave its sheath to stop him, let alone stop him from hugging Jing Lin.

Cang Ji entered and detoured to the inner chamber in a few steps. He placed Jing Lin onto the bed and touched his palm. It was icy cold. He saw Jing Lin tightly furrowing his brows again. His temples were already drenched in a cold sweat.

Cang Ji grabbed a chair and took a seat to one side. Once he settled himself, he remained still. Jing Lin was sweating copiously. Like ice melting, his sweat gradually soaked through the bedding beneath him. His breathing became shallower and shallower until it eventually seemed to cease.

Transcending into the next realm was just like crashing through the gates of hell; success or failure all depended entirely on oneself. Jing Lin had been cultivating the Way for many years. In the past, crossing over into the next stage was all merely a matter of course. This was because his mind was like still water, and his entire body was brimming with the will of the sword. As a result, he won as many wars as he fought, breaking through the stages with little resistance. However, in the so-called “Perfection Stage”, he had to remodel his original form and cast aside all distracting thoughts. Now that Jing Lin was in a haste to head south, the four words he had persevered by, “mind like still water”, could hardly be mentioned in the same breath as it had been in the past.

Jing Lin was not aware of the crisis. His divine consciousness roamed within the illusory realm in his spiritual sea. He saw that the “door” was already wide open, but it proved hard for him to enter. Was it because his moral principles were impure at the moment? Or had the will of his sword diminished?

Even though Jing Lin self-reflected for a long time, he still could not make heads or tails of it. He walked around the door. The agitation of his spiritual energy made his body throb with pain. It was as if he was straining taut against a bowstring, unable to find release. His spiritual sea was already brimming over, and yet it stayed stuck in a ditch that would have led to a boundless expanse. He remained unable to step into the realm of perfection.

Jing Lin’s body was so cold that it was freezing to the touch. The blood fog in the city had yet to retreat, and the autumn night was wet and cold. The soaked bedding under him gradually froze over with ice and frost. Even his hair was mottled white with specks of frost.

Although Jing Lin’s divine consciousness did not know what the cold was, his thinking had started to slow down, and it was becoming harder to concentrate. Sitting cross-legged amidst his spiritual sea, he spared no effort in finding that turning point.

♦     ♦     ♦

Outside the city, Shuran had initially turned into his beast form to take in the Blood Sea and damp fog into his mouth before he heaved it out elsewhere. His original body was gargantuan, and in one gulp-and-suck, he could consume evil spirits in their greed forms. But unlike Cang Ji, he still had to spew it all out once he turned around.

The city gates of Xuanyang were tightly shut. Ninth Heaven Sect’s disciples flew up to it to dispose of the earlier corpses to prevent evil beings from resurrecting. From here, the leader surveyed the Blood Sea. Because the color of the night was deep, he could only see the silhouettes of its greed and evil forms. They rose and fell among the depths of the blood fog. For some reason, they were silent.

The disciple’s eyes were sore and swollen. He could not help but rub them before he looked again. This time, he saw a shadow rose amidst the Blood Sea. It was so colossal that it surpassed even the size of Shuran. The disciple saw that monstrous shadow trudged along with the waves as it swayed and strode towards the City of Xuanyang.

“How odd.” The disciple leaned over to observe it carefully. “What’s that? It doesn’t look like any of the greed or evil forms.”

He had only just said that when he saw that massive shadow pounce. It transformed into a monstrous, foul-smelling wave that, in a split second, came smashing right before him.

“Set up the array to stop—” The disciple was turning his head to shout a command when his voice froze. His entire person toppled over as the blood waves enveloped and engulfed him. All that could be heard was the “crunch” of bones being chomp to pieces, and even the sound of that eventually merged into the Blood Sea.

Shuran instantly opened his mouth, but he could not suck in the wind. The massive wave had already come slapping down on him. It crashed into him, right in the face. The gargantuan beast howled at the sky. Greed forms crawled all over him. In the blink of an eye, they tore at him until he withdrew and collapsed. He crashed into the wall, knocking it over and causing the spiritual talismans on the entire wall to wobble.

The flesh on Shuran’s back had been ripped open. He retreated from the pain. The greed form he flung down transformed into the wind and came pestering him. He fell and tumbled on the top of the wall, having been bitten until he was on the verge of death. The fishy-smelling water surged, and he was forced to swallow a few mouthfuls of it as he was flushed down along with the bloody water. Evil spirits and devils crammed their ways through the city gates until it burst apart. Debris went flying all over as the entire surface of the wall collapsed with a “bang”.

Shuran gasped for breath and turned into his human form to avoid the devils. He clung onto the wall and yelled in a hoarse voice, “MY LORD—!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji affixed a palm in the middle of Jing Lin’s back. The rich energy was like a tide of hot current on the move, heating Jing Lin until the tips of his hair dripped water as the frost subsided. Cang Ji’s spiritual energy probed into him and carefully circled around Jing Lin’s spiritual sea to observe. He could not intervene abruptly, as that would make it easier for accidents to happen.

Jing Lin’s spiritual sea was like the freezing days of the twelfth lunar month.² Even the rising and swirling wisps of spiritual fog looked as if they had condensed into ice. The spiritual sea appeared to be stagnant in its surge towards the ‘door’.

Cang Ji’s dragon aura reunited under Jing Lin’s spiritual sea and stabilized it so that it would not leak. At the spot where his original form was, there was already no sign of Yan Quan’s body. Instead, the Buddha’s lotus that had been on Jing Lin’s palm was floating and spinning in its place. The lotus revived one moment and withered the next moment, resurrecting instantly once all its petals had wilted. It was like a miniature of life and death that reduced the course of his life to just mere instants. For each time it regenerated, it would contain a portion of Jing Lin’s enlightenment. It grew perpetually, symbolizing at the same time how little – and how infinite – Jing Lin’s enlightenment was.

A swaddled bundle materialized at the heart of the lotus. Cang Ji looked at it intently and saw an infant in it with a lotus in his palm; that was when he knew this was Jing Lin. Jing Lin gradually grew up. He sat in the middle of the lotus, wearing a belly undergarment³ with a stick-up braid.⁴ He laughed when he heard the sound of the rattle drum⁵ in his hand. Then, his appearance changed again as he grew a head taller and became a child of about five or six years of age. Dressed in shabby clothes, he sat amidst the lotus with a solemn expression. The grasshopper in his palm chirped. Hesitant to clench his fist, Jing Lin spread his palm open to release it. The grasshopper sprang and turned into an azure light encircling him. Amidst the azure light, Jing Lin transformed into a little monk in a brown monk garb with both his palms together. The innocence of childhood was still evident in the little monk’s expression. He chanted the scriptures with his mouth, but his gaze followed a butterfly that flitted past him. The butterfly dispersed and fused into a speck of light, and the little monk rose to his feet. The moment he turned around, he became a youth in a loose, white robe with his hair tied up and secured with a silver crown. From this moment on, he no longer smiled. He stood blankly where he was, and a little stone figure rolled out from the side of his foot. The little stone figure swung its arms and strode forward in imitation of others, then rolled on the ground guffawing as it clenched its stomach. Jing Lin merely looked at it with lowered eyes, having already hidden away much of himself.

These were all Jing Lin’s “enlightenment”. The man within the lotus had now matured into the man he was when Cang Ji met him. The lotus began to wither again.

This roused Cang Ji’s suspicions. With a frown, he took a step forward, unable to fathom how it could wither when it had only just grown to this point in time.

As soon as he stepped closer, the lotus petals swirled up in the air. Jing Lin stood among them, gazing into the unknown distance. He almost looked as if he would disintegrate with a “crack” and scatter along with the petals. All of a sudden, Cang Ji could not distinguish reality from illusion. With a lightning move of the hand, he grabbed hold of Jing Lin by the arm.

“Jing Lin…”

Cang Ji had only just called out to him when he heard a heart-rending cry. He instantly came to. When he opened his eyes, he was already back on the chair. On the bed, Jing Lin showed no signs of waking up. But the smell of the spattering blood outside was so pungent that Cang Ji’s murderous intent materialized.

As soon as he pulled the door open, he saw the entire City of Xiangyang painted red.

“My Lord!” Shuran crashed through the door and entered the compound. “The Blood Sea is peculiar today. I can’t stop it!”

The commoners in the city had yet to leave, and the watery blood had already trickled down the steps. Cang Ji gently closed the door and set up a barrier to separate the inside of the room from the outside.

“Guard this door.” Cang Ji licked the tip of his tooth and spat out an instruction softly to Shuran. “My darling is lying inside. I don’t like anyone else getting close to him. So keep a close watch on the door—I’m telling you to watch it closely. Do you understand?”

Battered and wounded all over, Shuran’s knees folded under those dark, dreary eyes of Cang Ji. He half-propped himself against the surface of the stairs, not even daring to look Cang Ji in the eyes as he trembled with terror and lowered his head to answer, “I, I understand… If it breaks, I die…”

丈, zhang; a measure of length, ten Chinese feet (1 zhang = 3.3m)

腊月 Layue; twelfth month in the lunar calendar.

兜肚 or 肚兜 duodu, or duduo, an undergarment covering the chest and abdomen. Might come with shorts as in the above image.

冲天辫 Something like this, with hair sticking up. (He’s also wearing the doudu (sans shorts) mentioned in the previous footnote)

拨浪鼓 Bolang Gu, also a Chinese rattle drum or a pellet drum, is a typical child toy in China. It’s shaken or rotated from left and right quickly to produce a drumming or rattling sound.

Chapter 83: Blood Fog

APRIL 12, 2020

Cang Ji lifted his robe and landed onto the ground. A few steps later, he saw what Shuran had meant by “peculiar”. He had dealt with the Blood Sea countless times back at the northern lands, but this night was the first time he had seen such a creature.

Billows of water splashed amid the churning of those red waves. As the waves swept through the land, it turned into wind and fog so expansive that it masked Heaven and Earth. The City of Xuanyang was already shrouded under its shadow. The gap where the wall had collapsed became a passageway for the creature to lean through. Its enormous body crushed the remaining three sides of the wall and the dwellings to smithereens as it wiggled and squeezed its way past. People screamed and fled where its waves washed over, so it conjured out two hands to gather the humans together before it swooped down to gobble them up.

Cang Ji’s feet lightened as he soared into the air. He stepped on what seemed to be the back of this creature’s neck and looked intently at it. There were countless pairs of red eyes at his feet, staring unblinkingly at him. Cang Ji strolled with his hands behind his back as he observed them. Wherever he passed, his soles would leave behind black scorched marks, hurting the creature so much that it stopped swallowing. Without even needing to look back, its eyes followed Cang Ji. Cang Ji gave it a kick and discovered that even though it was shaped like a water wave, it was abnormally solid.

Cang Ji raised a finger and asked it, “Know how to count?”

Its gaze was wooden as it finished chewing up the flesh in its mouth. It seemed to fear Cang Ji and had no desire to play with him. It crawled forward suddenly and sent out a wave out to swipe the humans up to eat.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the air, and an invisible tail unexpectedly whipped down on the wave that was reaching out. The impact instantly broke one of the creature’s arms, and several greed forms trickled out of it as though it was bleeding. It hissed and retreated as its arm melted into the waves. Its eyes stared at Cang Ji as it roared in a fury, spewing forth blood fog.

Cang Ji asked, “Know how to count?”

The creature opened its countless mouths in unison to bare its fangs at Cang Ji and howled. Then it rolled over and turned into a wave that went slapping towards the wall in an attempt to bump Cang Ji off. But even before its wave could curl, that massive, invisible tail came lashing down on it again. This time, the blow split it apart into two halves from the middle. Its plaintive whines quivered through the air.

Cang Ji treasured his tail. Even when he lashed out with it, his scales had to be in the right direction to prevent them from getting scratched. Else, it would not look good when the day came for him to propose marriage. He bent over to pick up a severed arm and turned aside to make use of the faint light to distinguish the wounds.

“Every question I ask is always meant to be answered.” Cang Ji turned the severed part around. “Since the greed forms are in your body, then you should understand my words. Don’t you recognize me? Back at the north, you were so affectionate when you addressed me as grandpa. But once you turned around, you have become such an unfilial grandson. Why is that?”

It gathered into a ball, and the greed forms devoured each other to form a strange shape that circled and erected a towering wave over Cang Ji.

Cang Ji said, “This doesn’t seem to be how a greed form would kiss my ass.”

The words had only left his mouth when that giant wave came crashing down on him and instantly engulfed his body. Countless teeth tear at him. In just a moment, it ate his body until there was not even a scrap left. Blood fog shrouded over. The next instant, a spray of water burst into the air as a dragon claw broke through the wave and emerged. Following right after, canglong swung his tail and soared. He tore apart the half of the evil spirit’s body and flung it several li¹ away.

All at once, the Blood Sea bubbled over. Canglong pounced into the fog like a wolf entering a sheepfold. No one could get a clear look at what happened, but they could all hear the surge of the fetid, violent waves, and the screams and pleadings of the evil spirits. The blood fog swiftly retreated south. But canglong’s feral nature had been roused, so how could he let it off?

The city wall was once again rammed as the dragon tossed its head to devour its meal and crashed into the wall together with that strange creature. The spiritual talisman could not hold up any longer and split apart with a “bang”. Caught in a tangle with canglong, it assailed towards the deserted south. Half of it had already been bitten and consumed by canglong. It trickled into the blood fog, as though it was melting. Countless evil spirits in their greed form howled and beat a retreat. Canglong pursued them relentlessly. Both of them rolled into the Blood Sea and rushed towards the dense fog.

For every devil he saw whilst in the Blood Sea, canglong bite down on them. He was far more savage than the evil spirits themselves. He pressed in on them all the way to Qixing town, pushing them into such a corner that the foul-smelling wind gathered again. The monster took on the appearance of a horse and trod upon the fog to dash away. Canglong grabbed hold of the back of its neck in his mouth and flung it back down, sending up billows of raging waves. Then, his massive tail slapped down on it, stirring up a gale so strong it swept towards the sky.

Unable to break free, the monster stretched its neck out and turned its head back. In a split second, its appearance transformed into one similar to canglong. It bit down on canglong, but it was as if those scales were made of iron as they shattered the entire row of the monster’s fangs. Canglong’s claws gouged its body, and under those steel-like claws, it immediately broke down into countless evil spirits and dispersed completely.

Canglong opened his mouth and devoured like a whale until there was nothing left. The dragon’s body coiled and discharged his dragon aura at the remnants of the Blood Sea. He saw the Blood Sea ebbed back from the intimidation, but he still sensed something not quite right. He looked back, only to see several enormous shadows rising from the blood fog. They swelled, then swarmed at him in unison.

By this point, the retreat route was so vast and indistinct that Cang Ji momentarily lost his sense of direction!

Jing Lin sat upright in contemplation. All he could see before his eyes was the boundless lotus pond. The condensation of dew on a lotus petal looked on the verge of falling. Jing Lin sat for a long time. Time froze together with his spiritual sea. He was the only one who still existed in this deadly still world. With his eyes shut, Jing Lin immersed himself in his thoughts among the quietness and stillness.

Where lies the Way? 

The Way lies in Heaven and on Earth. Like a cascade of mercury upon the ground; each of it, round. Like the reflection of the moon in the water; visible all around. Where spring water strikes precipitous rocks, where cicadas chirp in the evening wind, where the sun rises above the dark horizon. All that the eyes could see, and all that the ears could hear. They are where the Way resides within, and also where the Way roams free beyond. The sword that is your Way, turns into a sharp blade, yet harbors no killing intent; shines with all its brilliance, yet expunges avarice. Focus your heart, and merge the sword into one with Heaven and Earth. 

Heaven and Earth is the sword, and the sword is Heaven and Earth. 

Jing Lin suddenly opened his eyes, enlightened.

He saw the dew from that drooping lotus drip onto the water, stirring up rings of ripples that spread out under Jing Lin’s seat. His spiritual sea suddenly surged behind him like the wind and cloud as tens of thousands of Buddha’s lotuses bloomed in unison. In the blink of an eye, they turned into countless azure lights that rapidly swirled and converged into shape to reconstruct the sword body of Yan Quan from those azure lights and Jing Lin’s spiritual sea.

The Blood Sea had already flooded the foot of the bed. The sheath started buzzing. Shuran broke through the door to enter, only to see a flash of snow-white light before him. He heard a “clang” of a sword leaving its sheath. Then, a cool breeze swept through the room, pushing Shuran back until he had to raise his sleeves to cover his eyes. Silence suddenly filled the room. When he opened his eyes again, the Blood Sea at his feet had already turned into clear water.

Dawn had broken, and the fog in the City of Xuanyang dispersed.

Were it not for the searing pain on his back, Shuran would have almost suspected this all to be a dream. A white robe swayed past beside him, and he heard a “thank you”. Shuran looked back again, only to see the ethereal white figure traversing several li in a step as he soared to the sky and rode the wind to depart.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s sleeves billowed in the wind. When he stepped out of the City of Xuanyang, he tossed out a few spiritual talismans to guard the city. Then he threw himself into the heavy blood fog and chased after Cang Ji in the direction where he had disappeared. The spiritual energy he left behind on Cang Ji directed him south. With a leap, Jing Lin entered the Blood Sea.

The fog in the Blood Sea was misty. Jing Lin swiftly followed the trail for a hundred li. All the places he passed had been crushed into flat earth. He could not help but leap even faster. His only fear was that Cang Ji had already become a part of the yellow earth.

The town of Qixing had long fallen into disuse. There was not even an evil spirit in sight. Debris from the collapsed walls lay amid the fog, while yellow sand scraped the corners of his robe and turned the view before his eyes hazy. Even though he had just broken through the perfection stage, he still felt uncomfortable after throwing himself into the sea. It’s thick, viscous stench almost clogged his mouth and nose.

Jing Lin traversed across the deserted town and pursued his way to the edge of the town. The vast land for several li around had been razed flat by something. His residual spiritual energy dispersed in the air. Presumably, this was where Cang Ji was.

Jing Lin finally came to a stop atop the yellow earth and used his hands to pry apart the soft, loosened soil, gradually revealing Cang Ji’s face. Without checking him, Jing Lin could tell that he was still alive. Even so, he was startled by Cang Ji’s complexion and could not help but put his finger under Cang Ji’s nose to ascertain that he was still breathing.

Cang Ji let out a muffled groan and coughed a few times. Jing Lin dug out half of his body. Like a man on his last breath, Cang Ji held on to Jing Lin’s arm and, with some difficulty, said in a hoarse voice, “… Jing Lin… I… cough, cough!”

Jing Lin soothed his back with a palm and sent over a gush of pure spiritual energy. But Cang Ji still looked ghastly pale, so he guessed that Cang Ji had yet to recover from being repeatedly thrown into danger last night. He touched Cang Ji all over again, stopping only when he did not find any wounds on the latter.

“There’s no need for you to say a word first.” Jing Lin said and supported him up. “I’ll take you out.”

Cang Ji complied obediently and cooperated. He had eaten too much earlier, and now his stomach was bloated. He could not really reveal this, so he could only let Jing Lin lead him out. Who would have expected both of them to circle back again to the same spot?

“The evil spirits are stirring up trouble, and the Blood Sea is unfathomably deep. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to get out.” Cang Ji’s breathing was disordered as he tugged Jing Lin’s hand over and said, “My brother, I’m afraid gege can’t… can’t go on any longer… This Blood Sea is boundless… To think I have even implicated you and let you get trapped in such a desperate situation…”

Jing Lin said, “Don’t say such cutting words again. This is all because of my shallow cultivation and my arbitrary and presumptuous actions that have pushed Xuanyang and you into such a state.”

Cang Ji sighed. “It’s such a pity that I’m so young, and yet I’m going to die here without even getting myself a wife.”

Jing Lin paused for a moment and said, “Ge… Gege, you are strong and sturdy. It’s just that the Blood Sea has affected you some. Once I expel it later, you’ll be fine.”

Cang Ji grasped him tightly and said, “We are already at this point, and you are still trying to comfort me.”

Jing Lin said, “I’m not…”

“Actually, my heart has already been spoken for in recent days.” Cang Ji looked regretful, “… But I have done something wrong. I’m afraid he will not accept me.”

Seeing his solemn expression, that word “you won’t die” throbbed up and down in Jing Lin’s throat. Unable to voice it out, Jing Lin could only swallow it back down and said, “If you have done something wrong, then you should be honest with him.”

Cang Ji said, “What if he stabs me to death with his sword after hearing me out?”

Jing Lin said without hesitation. “Then, it was a grave wrong you’ve done. The wheel of Heaven turns in a cycle of karma and retribution. Gege, what have you done to another?”

Cang Ji was promptly choked into silence. He grasped Jing Lin’s hand and said, “… I feel as if there’s a knife being twisted in my heart now. I’ll tell you another day.”

Jing Lin whisked his sleeves, clearing out a square-cun² area of clean space around them. It was only then Cang Ji’s nose felt a little more comfortable. His abdomen was still sore, so he sat crosslegged on the floor and composed himself. If it weren’t for Jing Lin beside him, he would have definitely kicked up a ruckus in his spiritual sea.

Jing Lin said, “This place has already been surrounded by the Blood Sea. I’ve been worried the entire journey. Gege, what happened last night?”

Cang Ji knew that Jing Lin was asking him why he had escaped unscathed. With “Cao Cang’s” current cultivation, he should have been totally obliterated when he stepped into the Blood Sea. It would not be easy to bluff his way through this, but Cang Ji was prepared.

“You saved my life.” Cang Ji took out Jing Lin’s handkerchief from his bosom and spread it open to reveal the prayer bead within. He said, “Last night, the evil spirits invaded the city, and Shuran, who still had his conscience, bravely held back the devils. This was how the thousands of commoners managed to escape a calamity. When I saw you immobile, I guessed that you were in the midst of transcension and so I guarded you for a moment. But Shuran was no match for the Blood Sea and the Blood Sea broke through the city gates. Seeing as you were in a crisis, Yan Quan left its sheath on its own, and I carried you on my back to hide.”

Jing Lin’s scabbard remained silent. He touched it. He still had some doubts, but in the end, he did not voice them out.

Cang Ji noted Jing Lin’s expression. Although the latter did not show it, he could guess that his words sounded too far-fetched to be convincing enough. But then, he was indeed not feeling well at the moment. He had eaten every evil spirit within a hundred li of this place. All of them were now inside his tummy. He could not meditate now, so he could only grind his teeth and bear it.

Consequently, he put his arms over his abdomen and continued, “Then, the Blood Sea overturned, and the evil spirits caught hold of me. It was all because of the manifestation of the power of the prayer bead in this handkerchief that I did not die even though I was trapped. But at this point, I can’t deceive you anymore. Jing Lin—” He suddenly choked out the residues of blood in his mouth and said to Jing Lin in a heavy voice, “I…”

Jing Lin suddenly put his hand on Cang Ji’s abdomen and asked, “Gege, are you suffering from indigestion?”

With Jing Lin’s face in such close proximity, Cang Ji promptly forgot what he was going to say. All he could feel was that palm moving around slightly on his abdomen. Kneading it. Entrancing him.

“Li Rong once said.” Jing Lin continued, “Just give it a rub if you have indigestion, and it’ll soon go down.”

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

方寸 square cun (Chinese unit of area: 1 cun × 1 cun, or 3⅓ cm × 3⅓ cm)

Chapter 84: Alone Together

APRIL 16, 2020

Jing Lin’s hands could not be said to be “bonelessly soft”. He had wielded a sword for many years, so when he grasped it, it would only make one find them slender and long, pretty and strong. But at this moment, his palm was covering Cang Ji’s vital part. Not once had he exerted force, but his gentle massaging movements still sent a spurt of heat current up within Cang Ji. In an instant, that bit of discomfort Cang Ji had vanished, along with his pretense of being sick and weak. Jing Lin’s kneading had all but turned his heart into a fluff of cloud.

Jing Lin sensed the part under his palm gradually hardening; he could even feel that sturdiness through the fabric. Thus, he said to Cang Ji, “Don’t be nervous. I’ll transfer over some spiritual energy to dissolve away the evil aura.”

Cang Ji grabbed his rebellious hand and pulled it to his chest. He said, “I ate too much last night, then fled in a hurry. So it’s indeed hard to digest at the moment, and it’s uncomfortable with them all amassed in my stomach. But…” Cang Ji Adam’s apple throbbed.”… Maybe you should stop rubbing.”

Jing Lin somehow found it odd too, so he retracted his hand and said, “I’m not good at this.”

Cang Ji unenthusiastically uttered an acknowledgment, but that was not what he was thinking deep down in his heart. When Jing Lin massaged him, his heart went pit-a-pat. Yet, when Jing Lin retracted his hand, he felt upset. So he simply took Jing Lin’s hand and pressed it to his chest. He said righteously, “You and I are brothers. Why be so distant? This place is abnormal. If we aren’t careful, we will end up obliterated. So, you and I must stay together at all times.”

Thus, Jing Lin said, “Then, I’ll carry you on my back. That way, we won’t lose each other that easily.”

Cang Ji stretched his legs out and said, “Even if you carry me on your back, half of me will still be dragged across the floor. Before we make our way out, we will first die of exhaustion. Don’t worry and hold on to my hand. Since you said I’m strong, then I won’t die. Furthermore, I have this prayer bead with me. It won’t be a problem for me to hang in there for a while.”

Jing Lin nodded after listening to him. It was then Cang Ji had the time to scrutinize him. A trip to the realm of perfection was like taking a stroll along the boundary of the Underworld. Yet, there did not seem to be any changes in Jing Lin. His appearance was still the same old appearance, and his countenance was still the same old countenance. But when Cang Ji stole a look at his spiritual sea and witnessed his growth, all he could feel at that moment was how much every part of Jing Lin made him cherish him so.

With Cang Ji gazing at him like a “loving father”, Jing Lin asked questioningly, “Has my looks changed?”

“No.”

“Have I grown taller?”

“No, either.”

“… Then why do you keep staring at me?” Jing Lin asked, perplexed.

Cang Ji took a deep breath and said, “You are so beautiful, and yet you still don’t allow others to look at you?”

Jing Lin was caught off-guard as he had not expected Cang Ji to say this. He quickly raised his arm to shield his face, leaving only a pair of eyes looking at Cang Ji.

Cang Ji pressed his arm down and bent his head down to look at him. He said, “I said you are beautiful, and you instantly hide from me and refuse to let me see. That really makes me lose out so much.”

Jing Lin parroted, “Lose out?”

Cang Ji said, “You look at me every day. But I’ve never hidden myself from you.”

Jing Lin summoned up his courage and said, “I’ve never teased you, nor cajoled you.”

Cang Ji burst out laughing and teased him, “So you’re saying that I’m teasing you and cajoling you?”

Jing Lin said, “I look devastating.”

Cang Ji reined in his merriment and said, “It’s the truth. Looking at you every day has already made me lose half of my life. The remaining half is still barely hanging on by a thread. How is it that you have yet to feel it?”

Jing Lin’s hand was pressed against Cang Ji’s chest. The heartbeats in there were strong and forceful. How was this the look of someone on the verge of dying? Jing Lin had never heard anyone make such impudent remarks before. It rendered him tongue-tied and put him at a loss to refute Cang Ji.

Cang Ji truly adored the way Jing Lin looked so dazed and confused yet still pretended to be calm. He said, “As the saying goes, allure leads one astray. Little would I imagine that allure could also kill. I could hardly even begin to praise you, how would I use such words to defile you? Am I a bad person?”

Jing Lin shook his head. He only half-believed Cang Ji’s explanation earlier, but he was certain that Cang Ji was not a bad person. Because the entire journey had been full of opportunities for Cang Ji to strike. If Cang Ji had wanted his life, he did not have to wait until now.

But how was Jing Lin to know that Cang Ji had not set his sights on his life, but his heart, his soul, his entire self?

“It’s not right for you to be in such a hurry to shake your head.” Cang Ji said, “I’m indeed a bad person.”

Jing Lin said, “The fact that the evil spirits have headed south but have never harmed the commoners in the City of Xuanyang must have been all thanks to you. How could a person who put his life in danger to help others out of their own difficulties be a bad person? Even if you are hiding something, it just means that the time isn’t right at this point in our personal relationship. I believe that there will come a day in the future when you will be honest with me.”

Cang Ji could not help being stupefied. The words he had just swallowed instantly felt like fishbones stuck in his throat. It choked him so much that he wanted to spit it out and get it off his chest.

But Jing Lin had already retracted his hand. He secured Yan Quan to his back and said, “No one has ever penetrated deeply into the Blood Sea. We are the first. My initial guess was that the blood fog consumed humans, and not being able to enter was all because of inadequate cultivation. But it now seems like this isn’t the crux of the matter.”

After a moment of silence, Cang Ji said, “You have never wandered in the Blood Sea before, that’s why it took you only now to understand what’s strange about it. Jing Lin, listen carefully. There are already no evil spirits in this place. So what other sound is there?”

Jing Lin pricked up his ears. The sandstorm blew. There was the sound of rustling all around. He focused and listened again. Among the gust of wind, he gradually heard what seemed to be the sound of breathing. Jing Lin frowned. The more he heard, the more distinct it became, and the more alarmed he felt.

Cang Ji said, “The Blood Sea is shaped like mist and like water. It can transform into waves or turn into blood fog. Evil spirits breed within, repeatedly, and never-endingly. All along, everyone treated it as a sea of evil beings that had overturned and poured down here due to the heavenly sluice gates being damaged. But not once have they thought that ‘it’ could possibly be a ‘he’. You and I know very well about the calamity in Huaishu City. The Blood Sea not only first stopped the beacon tower from activating to cut off reinforcements, it also executed the diversion strategy of feigning an attack in one town to carry out the real attack in another. That’s how it consumed Qixing town. It’s not unusual for an evil spirit to have this level of intelligence. But what’s strange is that they come swarming in groups as though they are following military orders, and yet they aren’t the slightest bit disorganized.”

“The secret to throwing the world into chaos lies in the Blood Sea.” Jing Lin paused for a moment after hearing this before he continued. “If all evil spirits are at the disposal of one person, then this person is the scourge of humanity.”

“Other than that, the other conjecture is that the ‘Blood Sea’ is not a sea, but a person.” Cang Ji continued on tirelessly. “You once said that Cangdi is building ditches in the north with the intention to swallow the sea. If the Blood Sea is really a ‘person’, then this move of his is not wishful thinking. Because it isn’t easy to swallow thousands of hectares of waves, but it will be a piece of cake for him to swallow a person.”

Jing Lin frowned and said, “But if the Blood Sea is a person, then what is Dong Jun? His original form was an evil spirit of the Blood Sea, but his heart is now set on the Righteous Way. After breaking away from the Blood Sea, he’s no longer considered evil.”

“That’s the strange thing about the Blood Sea.” Cang Ji blew away the yellow sand on his robe and said. “I feel that he’s a person. It’s just that his appearance differs from that of an ordinary man, since he uses his body as the sea to breed all kinds of evil spirits.”

“If so, then we are now in ‘his’ body.” The gears in Jing Lin’s mind whirled as he envisaged a good deal the moment Cang Ji said his piece. He said, “This creature is like a fog and like the sea. It cannot be captured or eliminated, and it also breeds a myriad of evil spirits. I’m at my wits’ end when it comes to him.”

“There will be a way. Besides, it’s all just speculation now..” Cang Ji pinched the prayer bead and contemplated for a moment before he said, “There is one thing I can’t keep from you.”

“Just take your pick of what you wish to say.” Jing Lin said.

Cang Ji sighed. “So, you have already noticed that I have been hiding a lot from you?”

Jing Lin immediately said, “Seems like gege you have really hidden a lot from me.”

Cang Ji could not help but cover his abdomen and said in agony, “… What a wonderful trap. It’s the first time I’ve fallen for it. I can’t believe you have learned to use words to your advantage.”

“What you see and what you hear is what you learn.” Jing Lin said, “There’s no end to learning. It’s only by following you that I realized how true this phrase is.”

Cang Ji leaned forward and said, “I knew you were a smart one.”

Praised again and again for no reason, Jing Lin drew line after line with his little finger in the sand. By the time he raised his head, he was a picture of calm. He asked, “What do you want to tell me?”

Thus, Cang Ji said, “There’s a problem with your pills.”

Jing Lin obviously did not expect this. He felt his way into his sleeve subconsciously before he remembered that he had already given that bottle of pills to Cang Ji. So he asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

Cang Ji tossed the porcelain bottle to him and asked, “Does all the disciples in your sect consume this stuff?”

“I don’t know about the other compounds.” Jing Lin pulled off the lid to take a sniff. He said, “But all my brothers consume this medicine. It is given out on a monthly basis starting from the day of joining the sect. It is only when one’s spiritual sea has taken form that the dosage will be reduced. This medicine stabilizes one’s foundation and purifies one’s roots. I’ve used it before too.”

“From what I’ve tasted, its drug potency is strong. It can transform into spiritual energy to expedite the growth of one’s cultivation. Just one of them is enough to substitute for a hundred years of solitary cultivation.” Cang Ji said, “Have you ever checked the ingredients of this pill?”

“There is a spiritual garden in Ninth Heaven Sect that is solely dedicated to planting rare and precious herbs. All along, Lan Hai has been the one taking care of it. The ingredients of all decocted medicines are sourced from there.”

Faced with Jing Lin’s bright and clear eyes, Cang Ji hesitated. After a moment, he said, “The next time you return, you must investigate this medicine. It must not be consumed again, because it is so potent that it will agitate your spiritual sea when it urges your spiritual energy on to force your cultivation towards the waypoint for transcension. If it continues to bulldoze over your vital organs, then it will only lead to disaster in the long run.”

Jing Lin parroted, “The vital organs…”

Cang Ji said in a heavy voice. “You will die.”

Jing Lin clenched his fingers as his mind went blank. For a moment, he could not answer. He looked at Cang Ji dispiritedly and tugged tightly on Cang Ji’s sleeve.

“This medicine…” Jing Lin’s back was covered with cold sweat. He said, “This medicine was bestowed upon us by Father, and nothing has happened all these years. We are all his sons. Leaving everything else aside, Ninth Heaven Sect is treading on thin ice now. It can’t lack anyone. Besides, how could there be a father in this world who would harm his son?!”

“That’s right.” Cang Ji said, “That’s why I’m asking you to do a proper investigation. The internal divisions and various compounds of Ninth Heaven Sect are numerous and complex. It is also possible for someone to make use of the medicine to wipe out dissidents. Lord Jiutian stands above as the father, the death of one regardless of who it is will not benefit him at all.”

Jing Lin’s expression calmed down slightly, although his eyes were still heavy.

Cang Ji pondered over it, but in the end, he still said to him, “I don’t know about your brothers. But now that I’m your elder brother, I have to say a few words of advice. One must not have the heart to harm others, and at the same time, not lack the mind to guard against others. Having made a display of your abilities, you have already made many people secretly unhappy. They do not dare to touch you in broad daylight, but they can deploy all kinds of low-down means on the sly. There’s not much you can do about it, so you should be careful.”

By saying this, he had already singled out himself as “low-down”. All along, he was an arrogant man. He would not admit his mistakes readily, and he never knew what was considered “wrong”. Yet, he could not bring himself to explain the situation of that night to this kind of Jing Lin. An important part of the reason was admittedly because of Tao Zhi’s potent drug, but there were also his own selfish motives at play. He could not be said to be a gentleman or a follower of the Righteous Way, but he would not stoop so low that he would act like a hypocrite who put all the blame on Tao Zhi’s drug while thinking of himself as a good man compelled by circumstances.

“Many of the words I say can’t be taken seriously, but you must remember this.” Cang Ji thought about it and whispered to Jing Lin, “I’m used to debauchery. I’m a baddie. I may not be bad to others, but I’ll definitely be bad to you.”

Chapter 85: Scoundrel

APRIL 21, 2020

Jing Lin did not know what this “bad” was. He did not give a perfunctory answer, but said solemnly, “We are family. Gege need not brood over it.”

Cang Ji averted his eyes as if he could not take it and said, “How can you agree so readily when others say they want to bully you?”

“It’s only when brothers are of one mind that they can cut through gold.”¹ Jing Lin said and looked at Cang Ji’s abdomen. “Is it better?”

“It’s nothing serious.” Cang Ji said, “The Blood Sea scared me out of my mind. But I’m all healed after seeing you.”

“A pity I can’t lead you out.” Jing Lin put the porcelain bottle back into his sleeve and said, “If this is someone else’s stomach, then how are we going to make our way out?”

“It’s easy for evil spirits to cloud the mind. Stay here long enough, and perhaps everything we see is an illusion. Naturally, we won’t be able to tell the direction.” Cang Ji covered his stomach. Feeling a little better, he continued, “If I utter any nonsense later, then I must have been hoodwinked by evil beings. Just give me a poke.”

Jing Lin said, “I’ll make a note of it. But what if I’m caught up in it too?”

“You won’t.” Cang Ji rose to his feet. “Your Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword has broken through the Perfection Stage. Even the Blood Sea will have to give way to you, let alone the evil spirits. Furthermore, you have a steadfast mind; you aren’t easily influenced by delusions. The day we were at the City of Bencheng, we saw how odd the corpses in the city were. Now that we are here, we might as well use the opportunity to examine Qixing town. Perhaps, we might be able to find some clues.”

Thus, both men entered the town together. With Yan Quan on his back, even the blood fog kept its distance. Having gotten his advantage, the ache in Cang Ji’s stomach gradually dissipated. He knew that this was all due to Jing Lin’s pure spiritual energy. He could not help but think to himself what a precious treasure Jing Lin was.

Qixing town was originally located along the river. Although the port was not as magnificent as the City of Xuanyang, it was moderately successful. Now, it lay buried under the yellow sand, with broken poles and wooden planks everywhere. The waters of Xijiang was notoriously putrid, with corpses that had been torn to pieces drifting on the river surface. Jing Lin chose a collapsed dwelling to take a glimpse of the corpses within. They were all piled up behind the door. Most likely, these were the people who had been fleeing helter-skelter when the Blood Sea appeared but ended up trampled and crushed to death.

“I’ve seen the Blood Sea raiding a city while I was in the north.” Cang Ji crouched down and pushed aside the rotting corpses and said, “Once the greed form makes its appearance, it will not let even the livestock go. Yet, in the south, the evil spirits are often seen abandoning the dead without consuming them. It’s really very different from how it used to be in the past.”

“It isn’t just the north.” Jing Lin sized up the corpses and said, “When the east first fell, I rushed to the front-line and saw the overturning tides of the Blood Sea. The evil spirits ate everything.”

“They didn’t eat the children in the City of Bencheng, and now they wouldn’t eat the people in Qixing town who have been crushed to death.” Cang Ji pondered over it. “Could it be that they are only here to create havoc and not to eat humans?”

“If that was the case.” Jing Lin looked at him in the eye. “… The evil spirits are no longer just plotting to satisfy their appetites, but to storm and besiege cities. They not only band together, but even came to comprehend the art of war?”

“If he’s just one person, then many of our questions can be easily solved.” Cang Ji said, “We mustn’t generalize. Let’s take a look elsewhere.”

Both men moved into the town again and saw all kinds of corpses everywhere on the abandoned streets. Many corpses have been torn apart. They could discern the evil spirits’ bite marks from the lacerations, but the strange thing was those who had been eaten were few and far between. The carcasses could not soak for long in the Blood Sea, so many of them had already turned into a pool of bloodied flesh and watery blood. Even the bones showed mottled signs of erosion.

“I understand it now.” Cang Ji stood among the remains and said suddenly to Jing Lin, “The evil spirits’ assaults of the cities were not just for the purpose of laying a trap, but possibly for feeding the Blood Sea. Look at this place. So many of those who lost their lives were discarded on the ground. The evil spirits did not eat them, nor did they want them. Instead, they let the bones and meat dissolve amid the Blood Sea. If he’s a person, he wouldn’t have done this without cause or reason.”

“But it is hard for humans who enter the Blood Sea to survive.” Jing Lin looked around and said, “Ordinary people who touch the miasma of the Blood Fog will promptly die.”

“Who said so?”

Jing Lin said, “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Then, what will happen if someone with cultivation enters?”

With that, Cang Ji moved aside half of his body. It was then Jing Lin saw a bundle of white robe behind him. Many disciples from Ninth Heaven Sect had met their ends here, and this one did not even have a corpse left. Even the robe had been half-corroded. All that remained was a broken sword stabbed into the ground beside the bundle, with its tassel and tag fluttering in the wind. Yet, the sword body stood erect and firm.

Jing Lin approached and bent over to pick up the tag. This tag was hollow and extremely light. Engraved at the top was the name and cultivation of the Ninth Heaven Sect’s disciple it belonged to. He wiped the dust off the tag and gradually got a clear look at the characters under his finger.

“Spiritual Amassment.” Cang Ji read out the cultivation level and said. “He had already cultivated himself a spiritual sea. Look at how shiny the remnant of his sword is. It’s still standing erect even though he has been dead for a long time. Presumably, his original form was also one that should not be taken lightly. Such a person should have the ability to protect himself even if he stepped into the miasma of the Blood Sea. What’s the reason for Ninth Heaven Sect’s continual reluctance to enter the Blood Sea?”

“When the Blood Sea first appeared, the sect dispatched its disciples to head deep into it. But all of them went missing.” Jing Lin said, “It was only later on when the Blood Sea invaded the cities and towns that we learned that there were countless evil spirits within. Even if the common disciples could withstand the miasma of the blood fog, they could not hold on for too long under the pincer attacks of the evil spirits. As time passed, an order was given to prohibit access to the Blood Sea. That’s what the order says. But the various cities at the borders were often attacked, and the garrison disciples could not abandon the cities and commoners to flee for their lives, so using their own bodies to resist the waves became an unwritten rule. There has never been a survivor in all the places the Blood Sea engulfed.”

“Compared to the common folks, the Blood Sea seems to prefer cultivators.” Cang Ji pulled out the remnant of the sword and saw the word “courage” engraved on the sword body. So he flicked away the dust and placed it together with the white robe under a rock.

Jing Lin kept the tag and said, “I’ve once discussed entering the Blood Sea with Dong Jun. He also said this place is rife with danger. It’s tough for humans to survive.”

“Dong Jun.” Cang Ji read out the name slowly. “I have observed his conduct and actions over the years. He often wanders inland, and is reluctant to head to the battle zones at the frontiers to reenter the Blood Sea. He’s the person in the world who understands the Blood Sea most, and no one ever suspects him?”

“On the contrary, he has always come under suspicion.” Jing Lin said, “In the sect, he’s… somewhat similar to me. He often hits the nail on the head when he speaks. There isn’t a brother he hasn’t poked fun of. He knew his identity made it inappropriate, so he hardly heads for the borders. Father loves and thinks highly of him.”

“That’s what makes it strange.” Cang Ji said, “He repented and came to fathom compassion by the side of the lotus pond in Nan Chan. Why did he join Ninth Heaven Sect instead of becoming a monk?”

“I heard that Father had invited him to join thrice. He originally did not agree. But one time, he came up the mountain and saw Qing Yao playing and chasing after the butterflies, so he played with her among the flowers. Qing Yao was innocent and artless back then, and she asked him two questions.”

“What questions?”

“Qing Yao asked him, ‘Where is your home? Will you stay and be my gege?’.” Jing Lin said, “As an evil spirit, Dong Jun has neither parents nor siblings in this world. And yet he succumbed to the words uttered by a child. Come to think of it, it was also probably loneliness at play. After he joined the sect, he treated everyone warmly. It was hard to tell the truth from lies in his words. But he was genuinely good to Qing Yao. That’s something even Father cannot compete with.”

“All of you brothers are so interesting.” Cang Ji smiled, “You said he’s similar to you. In what way?”

Jing Lin went silent, then said, “Unlikable.”

In the town, the yellow wind blew their robes. Jing Lin’s side profile was calm as a few strands of his hair fluttered in the wind. When he was in a fit of pique, the emotion would not show on his face, His fingers would not move either, and even the expression in his eyes would not change. Yet, Cang Ji could feel it as clear as day.

Cang Ji suddenly pressed in towards Jing Lin, causing Jing Lin to step back hastily. He nearly tripped in the process.

“Let me see what’s unlikable about you.” Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin’s chin and raised it up for a look. He said, “The eyes are bright, and the mist over them makes them look like clear rainwater. When you cry… Have you cried before?”

Jing Lin hesitated and said, “No.”

“Then, that will be to my advantage.” Cang Ji lifted his lips into a smile and lightly drew a circle at the corner of Jing Lin’s eye with his fingertip. “When you cry, it’s like the rain raining into the pond. Those amassed pearls fall one at a time along this tofu-like…”² Cang Ji lowered his eyes slightly as his fingertip paused beside Jing Lin’s cheek. “… and tumble down. Every drop of it seems to contain vinegar as it goes smashing into your gege’s heart, making it ache and hurt.”

“Hurt?” Jing Lin’s tongue paused. He found this gaze of Cang Ji to be like that of an eagle hunting its quarry and a wolf stalking its prey—it was a little fierce.

Cang Ji said nothing. He was trapped in this turbulent spring water. His head felt heavy, so he let it lower as he pulled Jing Lin closer to him.

How could there be such a pretty little thing? Jing Lin was only the size of his palm. He just had to reveal his original form and snort once at Jing Lin, and he would have been able to blow this man over. Jing Lin was so attractive. Pinned between those brows of his was not indifference, but his heart and soul. The reflection in those eyes was not that of “Cao Cang” either, but a stark-naked demon.

A demon with ulterior motives, and desire in his eyes.

Cang Ji softened his breathing, but tightened his grip. He had multitudinous ways in his mind to harass Jing Lin, but these ways all crumbled under Jing Lin’s gaze and turned into a kind of absolute need to possess that made him shudder.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Cang Ji breathed. “I feel jubilant.”

His lips were so near that he could hear his breathing.

He knew all about Jing Lin’s fluidness, and Jing Lin’s moistness. He could even clutch hold of this waist with his eyes closed. Just a little more force, and he could make this body tremble. His cunningness was no longer enough. How would he dare to be wily with this man? He was clearly deeply trapped in the guilefulness Jing Lin never knew himself to possess!

As if he was bewitched, Cang Ji moved in closer to Jing Lin. He was about to kiss him when a palm pressed against his waist and jabbed a finger into the side of his waist.

Jing Lin’s face was hot as he took a sudden step back. Resisting him, he said, “Evil spirits cloud the mind. You are talking nonsense!”

This jab made Cang Ji gasp. He clutched his waist and hissed through clenched teeth, “… Right!”

Damn it!

Cang Ji truly regretted it. His brain must have been kicked by a donkey for him to instruct Jing Lin to poke him!

Jing Lin did not hold back earlier. When he saw Cang Ji enduring it, he immediately asked, “Can you still tell who I am?”

That jab had nearly made Cang Ji reveal his tail. He hung on and responded with a grim laugh, “Jing Lin!”

Being called suddenly by name made Jing Lin straighten his back.

Cang Ji squatted down and said in a hoarse voice, “I’m going to die.”

Jing Lin composed himself and said, “You, you won’t.”

Cang Ji’s voice trembled: “The blood is dripping all over my hand. Soon, it’ll flood through my waist belt!”

“It’s bleeding?” A startled Jing Lin immediately squatted down to see, “Let me see…”

Cang Ji raised a palm to press down on the back of Jing Lin’s head and swiftly pushed his upper body down. He crushed those lips with his own, and chased after that fleeing tongue to suck it hard at the tip. Jing Lin was stunned for a moment before he shoved Cang Ji away and sat back down on the ground.

Shock filled Jing Lin’s eyes. He could neither raise his hand to wipe nor leave it be. There was still some water in his mouth. Very swiftly, his eyes reddened. He blinked his eyes in apprehension, as if he could not understand. He wanted to open his mouth, but his numbed tongue held his words back. For a moment, all that remained was the sound of breathing.

“Delusions are the cause of this.”

Wiping his thumb across his lips, Cang Ji stared fiercely at Jing Lin and barked out a short laugh.

“You wish for me to say this, but how would it happen as you wish? Silly Jing Lin. This is what I am. Did you think I was merely coaxing you for fun with the word ‘debauchery’?”

It was only then Jing Lin understood what Cang Ji had meant by “bad”. He instantly raised his arm to cover his face and tried to wipe his lips. He did not expect Cang Ji to tug at his wrist and grip it in his palm.

“No wiping.” Cang Ji sighed deeply. “Otherwise, I will mean business today and kiss you until you can’t tell north from south!”

兄弟齐心方能其利断金; i.e., if brothers work together, they can overcome any difficulty.

i.e., smooth and silky like tofu

Chapter 86: Anomaly

APRIL 27, 2020

How could Jing Lin have expected Cang Ji to do this? He was devoted to cultivating the Way, and he did not hit it off with his brothers. Consequently, he seldom heard about affairs of the heart. What more of being taught of “debauchery” by someone practicing what he preached? Cang Ji’s hand was still grasping his wrist, gripping it until it reddened. Yet, it did not hurt. But his thoughts were in a whirl, and his mind and heart, in turmoil.

Cang Ji pulled him, knowing that this silly lad had gone dizzy from confusion. After hearing what Cang Ji said, he had really not dared to wipe his lips again. Cang Ji’s heart softened at this gaze of his. He relaxed his tone and said, “Can’t tell north from south was just me trying to scare you. I have no reason to bully you to that extent.”

Jing Lin pursed his lips into a tight line. He wanted to open his mouth, but the fluid in his mouth choked him. In a panic, he “gurgled” and swallowed the saliva.

Cang Ji’s last shred of conscience vanished when he saw this. He continued. “Alright, This could be said to be ‘wetting each other with saliva’.¹ So affix your seal² on gege yourself now.”³

“How could that do?!” Jing Lin exclaimed in shock.

“Then, return it to me.” Cang Ji held Jing Lin’s hand in his hand and raised it to pull him towards himself. He said teasingly, “What did you swallow earlier? Return it to me, and I won’t say that again.”

Afraid that Cang Ji would repeat the act, Jing Lin swiftly covered his mouth and nose with his other hand. His chest was heaving, and he was dumbstruck. Unable to refute, he could only force himself to stay calm and say, “It’s mine… I’m not, not returning it to you!”

Cang Ji said, “Yours? Who are you deceiving? It was clearly me who left it behind earlier. You are really tyrannical; you even want to forcibly possess my saliva.”

Jing Lin was rendered speechless. He never thought there would be such a rascal who would deliberately distort the truth!

Cang Ji pushed his finger to his lips and exhaled. He softened his tone again and said, “I’m teasing you. How would I be so petty?” Cang Ji was not anxious even though Jing Lin was already afraid of him. He grasped Jing Lin by the fingertip and said, “I didn’t hold back earlier. Is it bleeding from the bite?”

Jinglin shook his head emphatically.

Cang Ji looked worried and said, “I’m sorry, let me take a look. If so, I’ll make reparations.”

The severe expression on Jing Lin’s face completely faded away when he saw how genuine and sincere Cang Ji’s concern was. He was no different from the usual “Big Brother Cao” Jing Lin knew, so he could not help but shift away the hand he was using to shield himself and said, “This place is evil. You—”

Cang Ji caught hold of that hand of his and pressed his lips down hard on Jing Lin’s lips with a “muack”. His kiss caught Jing Lin off-guard. Jing Lin wanted to lean back, but Cang Ji twisted his hands and pinned them behind his waist. Then he split his legs and wrapped it around Jing Lin, sandwiching him entirely before him and trapping him between his arms and his long legs.

“As they said, there can never be too much deception in war.” Cang Ji said, “I already told you not to believe my words. Why are you still so easily duped?”

Jing Lin had been kissed until his lips were glistening with water. On hearing this, his face turned red and white. He hissed through clenched teeth, “You deceived me!”

“When have I ever deceived you?” Cang Ji pressed in on him. “I kissed you when I said I would. How is this deceiving?”

Jing Lin’s tone was urgent and hurried. His voice trembled a little. “How could you do this?! I wholeheartedly regard you as my elder brother. But you, you treat me as your ‘sworn brother’?!”⁴

Cang Ji noticed that he was shaking and could not help but say with emphasis, “What nonsense are you talking about? I treat you as a ‘sworn brother’? Bah! What I want is to see us tie the knot and be husband and wife for real!”

“You aren’t human!”

This shout was like a blow to Cang Ji. But when he saw Jing Lin still looking furious and severe, he realized that Jing Lin had meant that he was not a mortal. So he said, “I’m indeed not human. I’m a scoundrel. Did you only just realize it?”

Jing Lin’s words froze for a moment before he hurriedly said, “I wasn’t scolding you!”

Cang Ji said, “So you were praising me?”

Jing Lin was utterly defeated. He had no more strength to fight back. He choked back his anger until even his fair cheeks flushed red. He had trained himself to clear his mind and heart of desires, and now this achievement had been more or less destroyed by Cang Ji, leaving only twenty or thirty percent that he struggled to hold on to.

Cang Ji said, “I rarely like eating humans. But after meeting you, my nature went haywire. If I don’t kiss you, I will starve to death.”

“Nonsense!” Jing Lin said, “You are deceiving me again!”

“Then pry me apart and take a good look. You will know if I’m lying or not.” Cang Ji pulled Jing Lin’s hand to his abdomen.

Jing Lin’s fingers curled. He fumed, “You were still suffering from indigestion earlier!”

Cang Ji immediately burst out laughing. He said, “So what’s now? You don’t want to be brothers with me again in the future?”

Jing Lin’s voice was heavy. “There aren’t brothers like this.”

“Fine!” Cang Ji suddenly reined in his smile. “In that case, then I will make it clear, Jing Lin.”

Seeing his solemn expression, Jing Lin thought that he was going to reveal some earth-shattering secret or something that had been awkward for him to say.

Cang Ji said, “I want to see you thousands of times a day, and fantasize about you thousands of times in my mind. So what brothers are you talking about being? Every word of gege you call me is an aphrodisiac to me.”

At first, Jing Lin was dazed. A moment’s later, the entire area from the back of his neck to his ears reddened. Words tumbled in his mouth one after another, but in the end, they all became a sticky ball of paste that made him inarticulate and giddy. He felt his face burning, and his heart was burning too. It blazed until the world before his eyes dimmed. The realm of perfection he had just surmount turned topsy-turvy. It made him so dizzy that he fell headlong onto Cang Ji’s chin.

The crash made Cang Ji lean back. He caught hold of Jing Lin. But when he lowered his head for a look, Jing Lin had already fainted.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin still remembered the commandments he received when he joined the sect. The memorandum was handed to his fingers, and when he opened it, he saw the words “sever all emotions and desires”. At that time, he had only just come out from the Brahma Altar, with a new silver crown on his hair and a white robe so big for his frame that his sleeves hung down from his wrist to the ground.

He still spoke with an accent from the south, and his youthful voice was childlike. Lifting his sleeves and grasping the paper, he hurriedly ran after his various brothers and called out to Li Rong, “Xiongzhang!”⁵

Li Rong was chatting and joking with Yun Sheng. He knew who it was when he heard this velvety, soft accent, so he stopped and asked, “It’s Jing, Jing Lin, right?”

Jing Lin nodded and held up his crown. He spread his own note open to show Li Rong and asked, “What’s this?”

Li Rong scrutinized it for a moment and said with a wry smile, “So in the end, it landed in your hands. That’s to be expected. You are going to be cultivating the Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword. These are the commandments Father handed to you. You must commit it to memory.”

Jing Lin asked, “What’s the Evil-Subduing Way of the Sword?”

Li Rong said, “It’s the Way where you have to rid yourself of feelings and desires. You have to kill devils the common man cannot kill, and slay humans the common man cannot slay. You cannot harbor selfish thoughts. The nearer you are to the Great Accomplishment Stage, the more you have to be selfless and fearless. Your original form is a sword. So it’s much easier for you to cultivate this way compared to anyone else.”

Perplexed, Jing Lin asked, “Why would it be easier for me?”.

Li Rong looked at him with compassion. He had never said it outright, but Tao Zhi, who had rushed up to them from behind, extended his head for a look and blurted out, “Because you don’t have a heart! Who in the world would form an original form before his spiritual sea has developed? You have no heart! You’re heartless!”

The courtyard called out to them for their meals. The brothers dispersed in a commotion. Jing Lin stood behind and folded the paper before he spread it open again. The scorching sun above made him sweat profusely. His wide robe was loose and wearing it made it inconvenient for him to walk; it was as if his hands and legs were bound in a cage.

Jing Lin wiped away his sweat. Even his eyelashes were soaked with sweat. It was sour and astringent. He could not help but rub them with his hands as he stood alone with his head lowered. After a long time, he rubbed them again.

As long as one was human, they would have a heart. So how would Jing Lin not have one? He was merely a little more talented than the others and had an affinity with Buddha. When the True Buddha brushed the earthly dust⁶ off him, the concept of good and evil had already existed in his heart. They told him to sever his feelings and desires, and they made it sound so easy, as if it was something that’s to be expected. But what the Way severed was his human desires, and what it extracted was his mortal emotions. He must train and temper this heart over and over again before he could forge it into something indomitable and merciless.

But he was still a human, after all.

♦     ♦     ♦

When Jing Lin woke up, Cang Ji was observing him with folded arms. Jing Lin exchanged glances blankly with Cang Ji for a moment before he suddenly sat up and asked, “How long have I slept?”

“Six hours.” Cang Ji leaned against the window. The world outside had already plunged into darkness. Even the stars were not visible.

Jing Lin touched his abdomen. His spiritual sea felt way too tranquil, as if someone had placated it. Cang Ji leaned and squeezed over to Jing Lin’s side. He stretched out his legs and said, “I’ve discovered something.”

Jing Lin was still a little dazed. On hearing this, he looked towards Cang Ji.

But Cang Ji did not look at him. He merely said, “There are no children in Qixing town. Not even a corpse.”

“From what Yining said, Ninth Heaven Sect was already recruiting children from all over as early as a few months ago. Perhaps the children in this town have already been sent away a long time back.” Jing Lin said.

“There were still some left in the City of Bencheng, and yet all of them in Qixing town were sent away?” Cang Ji said, “There aren’t such coincidences in the world.”

Jing Lin sorted out his train of thought and asked, “Why did the evil spirits take away only the children’s corpses?”

“The way the children die looks weird too.” Cang Ji tapped the tip of his finger against his knee. “The fog is heavy here. My guess is that it has something to do with Ninth Heaven Sect.”

Jing Lin said, “Naturally so. This area is under Ninth Heaven Sect’s jurisdiction.”

“Ninth Heaven Sect wants so many children. If it’s just to set up a private school, then I’m afraid that alone won’t be enough to stuff all of them in.” Cang Ji said, “Where did all the rest go?”

Jing Lin thought for a moment and said, “In recent years, the number of disciples in the sect has decreased sharply. There is an urgent need to expand the number of new recruits. If they don’t have adequate aptitude, they could also stay on as sweepers.”

“That’s not right.” Cang Ji said, “I’m aware that Ninth Heaven Sect is currently recruiting talents, but at any rate, that number is a little too high. These children are only four or five years old, and there are even younger ones. Even if they are spares, I doubt they can do manual work.”

“They.” Jing Lin suddenly had a headache. He frowned and said, “… I have to go back before I can ask around and find out.”

“I have some questions for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“My good Jing Lin.” Cang Ji caressed the prayer bead with his fingertip and asked bluntly, “Have you never been near a woman before?”

Jing Lin recalled what had happened before he fainted and immediately said warily, “Not telling you.”

Cang Ji burst out laughing. “Good heavens. I’ve lived for so long, and this is my first time flirting with someone until the latter fainted.”

“My Perfection Stage is still unstable. Naturally, I will faint.” Jing Lin said.

“Wasn’t it because your mind wandered somewhere else?” Cang Ji blocked Jing Lin’s way and trapped him on the inner part of the bed. He said, “You are so young and so proper, yet you think of me in such a tantalizing way. Why don’t you just tell me directly?”

Jing Lin felt that dizziness sensation vaguely about to reappear. He sweated a little and said, “I never thought of you that way.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to be in ecstasy with me?” Cang Ji seduced him with his eyes. “I know stuff even more formidable than just kissing you. You don’t want to learn at all? There is no one else around here.”

“I don’t want to be in ecstasy.” Jing Lin covered his ears.

“Uh…” Cang Ji stretched his voice on softly. He suddenly moved over to his side. Glancing at the gap between those fingers, he blew air into his ear. “If that’s the case, then why are you blushing?”

Jing Lin shivered from the feel of his breath, and a dreadful numbness ran up his back. He retorted feebly, “I’m not.”

Cang Ji suddenly grasped hold of his hand to reveal his face. He said with a severe countenance, “I’m going to kiss you.”

The jade rabbit in Jing Lin’s heart instantly came to life, springing high and sprinting fast. Jing Lin gazed at him. He could clearly shake off his hand, rebuked him righteously, and shout at him to stop. But his mind had turned mushy again, becoming quite unlike him.

Jing Lin’s breathing stalled, and he suddenly turned pale. That dizziness unexpectedly came crashing down on him. It was so overwhelming that his throat overturned, and he felt like puking. All at once, the cold sweat on his back seeped out profusely. He shoved Cang Ji aside and sprawled over the bed to vomit, but the heart in his chest cavity felt as if it was held captive as its heartbeat became abnormally difficult. In that instant, Jing Lin’s sword turned ghastly white. His arms that were holding up his body shook.

Yan Quan buzzed loudly and jerked. Jing Lin clenched his teeth, but then he suddenly regurgitated bile.

Cang Ji’s expression was terrifying. He had already sensed something wrong when he saw Jing Lin fainted earlier, so he gave him a check-over. As expected, he saw an anomaly. Right away, he grabbed and picked Jing Lin up and saw that Jing Lin’s complexion had already turned green. The latter’s fingers were clutching his chest.

“Still your vital energy and focus your mind!” Cang Ji transferred spiritual energy to him and softened his voice at Jing Lin, “Defend your mind, and stabilize your spiritual sea. With Yan Quan here, the evil spirits won’t invade.”

Jing Lin rapidly calmed down and forcibly suppressed that nausea. His chest gradually recovered, and he could breathe freely again. His upturned neck was soaked in a cold sweat. Little by little, Cang Ji dabbed away the sweat with his fingers. Every part of Jing Lin’s exposed skin he touched was frighteningly icy.

Lord Jiutian!

The murderous intent in Cang Ji’s eyes intensified.

I will end you!

Author’s Words:

Cang Ji: I almost fucking thought that it was my teasing that made my wife fainted.

相濡以沫 literally moisten each other with saliva; i.e., to help each other pull through a crisis. From the line “出泉涸，鱼相与处于陆，相呴以湿，相濡以沫” (Zhuangzi). As the spring water dries up, the fishes have nowhere to escape. So they used their spit to keep each other wet and alive.

盖章 affix one’s seal; in net lingo, it also means to kiss.

Basically, what he means from the idiom is that since he has ‘used his saliva to moisten’ (kiss) Jing Lin, then it’s time for Jing Lin to ‘help’ him back (kiss him back)

契(兄)弟 Actually means sworn brothers, but it’s also used to refer to a homosexual or male prostitute in ancient times.

兄长 Xiongzhang, i.e. respectful term for an elder brother. Unlike gege, it doesn’t carry an ‘intimate’ connotation between men.

凡尘 i.e., mundane world

Chapter 87: Deceit

MAY 2, 2020

Jing Lin had to recuperate for quite a while before the color returned to his face. His neck and temples were sweat-soaked, and he looked weary and listless. In just an instant, he actually appeared a little sickly. Cang Ji wiped away his cold sweat and watched him gasp for breath with half-closed eyes. He seemed to be even smaller than he usually was.

“I shouldn’t have teased you with my impudent remarks.” The murderous intent in Cang Ji’s eyes faded away, leaving only calmness behind. He was still hugging Jing Lin. Jing Lin felt small and light to him. He pushed Jing Lin’s back to let him lean against his shoulder. It did not take him any effort at all to spin a few rounds around the room.

Jing Lin’s chest had just settled down and his back was soaked. Both his arms partially hung over Cang Ji’s shoulders as he continued to gasp with his head lowered.

Taking advantage of the fact that Jing Lin could not see under the darkness of the dwelling, Cang Ji gradually slowed his hand that had been soothing Jing Lin’s back and placed it over the middle of his back to transfer his dragon aura over.

“I frightened you in the daytime.” Cang Ji tilted his head to whisper to him, “And so you decide to scare me back at night? It’s so bad when it acts up. Yet you never deemed it fit to mention it to me all this while.”

Jing Lin’s temples were drenched. On hearing this, he shook his head. His voice was still hoarse. “I have no affliction of the heart, nor do I have any latent illness. This has never happened to me before.”

“Where does it hurt?”

During the flare up earlier, Jing Lin had clutched the front of his clothes so tightly that it was all wrinkled At the moment, he could hardly be bothered to tidy it. After a moment of silence, he replied, “Chest, head, and abdomen.”

“All three are vital parts.” Cang Ji’s heart sank.

“My spiritual sea has no countermeasures either.” Jing Lin said, “It’s truly powerful.”

“It won’t be a strong medicine.” Cang Ji brushed aside Jing Lin’s damp hair. “If it’s too potent, it won’t be able to escape your notice. Since it can remain hidden in your body for so long, then it’s clear that it’s not something that appeared overnight, but something nurtured over the years.”

Jing Lin went so quiet that even that sound of his gasping had stopped. He was sharp, and he could take a guess from Cang Ji’s words. Only those close to him would be able to maintain this thing in his body on the quiet—a thing that was a medicine but not a medicine, and a poison yet not a poison.

“It isn’t easy for you to cultivate the Way of the Sword, and emotions give rise to too many unpredictable variables in your cultivation. While you were in the sect, Lord Jiutian must have surely warned you to ‘sever your emotions and desires’. To expedite your cultivation, he must have gone to great efforts.” Cang Ji hugged him and listened to the sound of the Blood Sea’s tides outside the small dwelling. “When I saw how your eyes were as clear as a child’s despite your cold expression, I knew that he must have taught you to harbor no extraneous thoughts in your heart and to steer clear of romantic affairs just so he could get a sword of utmost purity.”

Not only that, he also wanted him to be heartless and merciless. The brothers were as estranged as strangers, yet jealousy and suspicions were rife among them. Lord Jiutian looked on coldly from the sidelines and even showered great kindness on Jing Lin on purpose, all because he wanted the brothers to hate Jing Lin, to keep their eyes on Jing Lin. While Jing Lin was at the compound, he hardly had the chance to have warm meals. If it were not for Li Rong looking after him, he would not even get his hands on the leftovers. Before he attained the Spiritual Amassment Stage, Jing Lin’s outfits were always ill-fitting. At thirteen years of age, he was ranked last among the brothers. It was only when he dragged along his loose clothes to train all night long that he was able to catch up with the others’ cultivation progress.

How could Jing Lin not know of this?

Anyone of sound mind would understand what ‘making things difficult for someone’ was! But he could not admit defeat. He could not bring himself to act shamelessly and unreasonably like Tao Zhi. He had to stand on his own, because that was all he could do. Ever since the moment he kneeled and kowtowed, Yan Quan became his original form. From that time on, this was his Way. All along, this had been the only path spread out before him.

If a sword wanted to shine in its full brilliance, then he could only temper it with perseverance and consistency. All sufferings and difficulties were tools to hone himself with. No matter what they imposed on him, Jing Lin treated them all as experience. If the brothers did not like him, then Jing Lin would not care for it. Gradually, he made his way to the front. He always looked ahead, and never looked back. However, none of these were reasons enough for Lord Jiutian to bind him.

He had a heart.

He knew of sorrow and distress, and he understood good and evil. He staked everything on this Way. Everything in the world was as transient as fleeting clouds, but no one could arbitrarily put the shackles on him. No matter who he fell in love with, or did not love, they were all his choices to make as Jing Lin. This was a right even Lord Jiutian as his “father” could not deprive him of.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin let out a breath and said, “Since it could be hidden this deep, then it won’t be easy to remove it. We have to first understand what exactly it is. When the attack occurred, my mind went dizzy, and it was hard to remain awake. My chest seemed as if it was being chained. Only the residual heat in the abdomen rose.”

Cang Ji’s palm paused mid-action. He said, “Since we have time now, then strip and show me.”

Jing Lin clenched the front opening of his clothes tightly and said, “It’s hidden inside the body. It’s useless even if you look at my abdomen.”

“I saw your face turning green when it flared. So I was wondering if something might have surfaced. This kind of spell will definitely reveal some clues when it acts up.” Cang Ji released his hand and took a step back. His expression was stern and solemn.

All his life, Jing Lin had never undressed before anyone else. His courtyard was remote, and he hardly had any visitors. If he got injured, he would clean up the wounds himself with closed eyes. Telling him to strip now before Cang Ji and bare his lower abdomen to him was simply much harder than cultivating the Way of the Sword!

Jing Lin could not help but shuffled back. He said, “I can see. I’ll take a look myself…”

The expression on Cang Ji’s face was bland, but in his heart, he had already trampled Lord Jiutian into a pancake. He had genuinely and sincerely wanted to seek out some clues, but now, Jing Lin’s reaction had ignited the feralness in him.

Cang Ji’s tone was low and deep. “It’s pitch-dark now. If you don’t look at close quarters, you won’t be able to see anything. Look at how worried I am. I won’t be so devoid of conscience that I’d tease you at this time.”

Jing Lin still had trepidation. “…I will feel giddy.”

Cang Ji leaned over and braced himself with his arms. He said, “I know my limits. I won’t tease you. You don’t understand all these. It’s only when you’re teased that your heartbeat will speed up.”

Jing Lin looked at his eyes near at hand and asked, “Did that happen because of the teasing?”

“Because I said I want to kiss you.” Cang Ji said. “I won’t kiss now.”

Jing Lin said, “I don’t believe you. That’s what you said earlier too.”

“I’m a scoundrel.” Cang Ji gently touched Jing Lin’s fingers and pointed at his chest. “If I kiss you later, you can kick me right here.”

After a moment of silence, Jing Lin said, “I’ll only strip the upper garment.”

Cang Ji watched him loosen his grip and said, “If you feel weak, you can leave the stripping to me.”

“I’ve heard from Li Rong.” Jing Lin clutched his clothes tightly again. “That the flower thieves¹ at the foot of the mountain like to speak this way too.”

Cang Ji said, “I’m not a flower thief! Hurry and strip. If you miss the timing, then I’ll do it for you myself.”

For no rhyme or reason, Jing Lin was nervous. He undid his clasps with sweaty fingers under Cang Ji’s gaze. There was clearly some distance between them, but Jing Lin felt as though he could taste Cang Ji’s scent every time he breathed. His mind went blank again.

“Not here.” Cang J suddenly led Jing Lin’s hand down and gently tugged his waist belt open. His outer garment loosened at once. “Just lift the garment to expose your waist, and we’ll be able to see it. Little ancestor,² hurry.”

Jing Lin closed his eyes and composed himself before he raised his fingers to push aside his upper garment. His inner garment³ was neat and well-made. He rolled it up to reveal his waist and abdomen. Cang Ji’s eyes remained fixed on it. He suddenly extended his hands to grab hold of Jing Lin’s ankles and pulled him into a level position to expose his entire waist and abdomen before him.

Jing Lin widened his eyes and stared at the pitch-black roof with slightly quickened breathing. His waist and abdomen felt a little cold, and yet it felt a little hot too. It took him a long time to realize that the heat came from the air Cang Ji exhaled. Jing Lin raised an arm out of the blue and laid it across his face to shield it.

Cang Ji looked at the narrow waist and noted how he could embrace it with just one arm. The contours on both sides revealed no excess fat. The snow-white inner garment had been rolled up until it was disarrayed. There was even a length of it that had fallen to cover up that fair, delicate dip. Further down, it was so smooth and flat that it could accommodate the caress of a palm. Like porcelain, it was satiny. It had never seen much of the light before, and yet the muscles were well-defined, with the clean lines extending all the way to his abdomen. The parts further down disappeared into the edge of his pants to lay concealed within. With each breath Jing Lin took, that abdomen heaved up and down along, as if seducing Cang Ji to go wild with it.

Cang Ji heard a sound in his ears. After a pause, it dawned on him that Jing Lin was chanting the sutra under his breath!

“Baldy⁴ can’t protect you at this moment. Rather than chanting sutras, you might as well call me ‘gege’ a few times.” Cang Ji leaned down and pushed up Jing Lin’s upper garment.

Jing Lin said quietly through clenched teeth, “Did you see it?”

“Uh-huh…” Cang Ji’s sword-shaped eyebrows⁵ tightened into a frown as he stared at the pattern on the abdomen that had already mostly disappeared. He said, “Barely enough. That’s strange. I don’t recognize what spell it is. But it’s different from those usual spells used to poison and bewitch the mind and heart of others.”

Jing Lin peeped out from under his arm. He asked, “What is it like?”

“Hard to get the entire view of it.” As Cang Ji spoke, he placed his palm over it and traced a round along the pattern with his fingertip. “The color leans towards the dark side. Ever seen the dragon? It’s the same color as his scales.”

“The color of carp?”⁶

Cang Ji patted the side of Jing Lin’s waist. “Dragon!”

That waist was really pitiable. Just a pat like this, and it actually flushed red. The mark Cang Ji left behind made Jing Lin’s breathing hitch. His fingers grasped on tightly to the fabric of his clothes.

“Never seen before!”

“You will see him in days to come!”

Depressed, Jing Lin frowned. “What shape is it?”

“What shape can a dragon have?”

“I’m talking about the spell!” Jing Lin suddenly struggled to prop his upper body up. His fair face was reddened. He said, “There is an arcane art of drawing in the east which leaves patterns on the body. It will materialize once the spell flares up. This… where are you touching?”

Cang Ji suddenly grabbed him around the waist and turned him over to pin him on the couch. A puff of dust assaulted Jing Lin in the face. He coughed and supported himself with his arms. There was a weight on his legs as Cang Ji straddled him. The sudden pressure on his back forced Jing Lin down until he was sprawled among the bedding.

“You!” Jing Lin choked, “… Heavy!”

“As expected, it has spread to the back of the waist.” Cang Ji ignored him and pushed his clothes up to reveal most of his back.

The pattern was bizarre. It headed up and wound around the middle of Jing Lin’s back. Exaggerated and terrifying, it looked like thistles and thorns. But Cang Ji clearly remembered that when he had turned Jing Lin over to bully him in the pool back then, there had only been the remnants of scars on his back.

So it would only materialize when Jing Lin had to sever his emotions and desires? Then what could be considered “desire”? Were carnal pleasure and sexual lust not it? Did it require Jing Lin’s heart to be moved by love before it would hold him prisoner and suppress those feelings?

Cang Ji still felt something off. Was it possible that this was not the doing of Lord Jiutian? Then they would have made the wrong assumptions. But apart from Lord Jiutian, who would treat Jing Lin like this? Moreover, exactly what was this thing prohibiting? Organizing his thoughts simply got him nowhere.

“Don’t move.” Cang Ji said, “Where are you crawling? Only tortoises crawl!”

“What’s there on my back?” Jing Lin asked.

“Not telling you.”

Jing Lin said, “That won’t do!”

“No? Why not?!” Supporting his weight with each arm on Jing Lin’s left and right, Cang Ji caged Jing Lin in and said, “The patterns have already crawled down to your backside. When I pry you open in a few more days, Jing Lin will be just a ball of black mass!”

Jing Lin covered his ears again and said, “You’re bluffing me. Why would it extend to the buttocks? It’s not sealing that part off.”

Cang Ji said, “Shouldn’t it be there if it’s meant to seal away love and desires?”

With red eyes, Jing Lin turned his head around and said to him, “Love, love doesn’t come from there.”

Supporting himself with his arms, Cang Ji hung his head down and exchanged gazes with him for a long, long time. He said, “Call me gege a few times, and I’ll teach you something fun. When you head out in the future, you won’t be that easily cheated. Don’t always listen to those wild tales that Li Rong cooked up. He knows nuts about this.”

“I’m not learning.” Jing Lin felt that Cang Ji was about to indulge in “debauchery” again, so he could not help but bury his head, exposing only the back of his head to him.

Cang Ji gently patted the back of his waist with his palm and said, “You are already lying under me, and you tell me you aren’t learning? Hurry up and call me. This is a rare opportunity.”

Jing Lin’s voice trembled. “That’s not what you said earlier.”

“I didn’t kiss you.” Cang Ji said. “I meant what I said.

Jing Lin said quietly, “What do you want to say? It can’t be any impudent remarks.”

“I assure you that it won’t be impudent.” Cang Ji lowered his voice and whispered beside his ear. “I’ll teach you to understand something, and I’ll do it with words, not actions. Can’t I even ask you to call me gege a few times as payment for the tutoring? You and I have already been stranded here for a day and a night. Jing Lin, if we can’t get out, you will never understand it this lifetime.”

“If it isn’t anything impudent, then there will naturally be books in the sect for me to study.”

“Go back and search the courtyards of those brothers of yours. They will most definitely have books. If they don’t, I will call you gege.”

Jing Lin revealed his eyes to stare at him. Cang Ji lowered his eyes, looking all solemn and gentlemanly.

“…Ge.” Jing Lin choked. “Gege.”

“Just once?”

“Gege!”

Feeling good, Cang Ji temporarily put aside this matter with Lord Jiutian or whoever it was behind it. He bent down to stick to Jing Lin and said, “When you fall for someone, you will still have to depend on this.”

He patted Jing Lin’s derrière lightly. His eyes were so wicked it was as if he was about to let himself loose any moment now.

“This is where the bedroom pleasures are.”

采花贼 literally flower thief; i.e. rapist.

小祖宗, literally little ancestor. A term used by parents or other adults when they complain or reproach a child for misbehavior. i.e., brat or little devil.

里衣 (or also 中衣) This is the set of garment people in ancient days wore under their outer robes. They usually sleep in this.

He meant Buddha

剑眉 literally sword-brows; straight eyebrows that slants upwards and outwards

There is a saying “carp leaping over the Dragon Gate” (鲤鱼跳龙门). Dragon Gate (龙门) is a mythical dragon gate where a carp can transform and evolve into a dragon. Jing Lin has never seen a dragon before so he’s probably just associating it with the carp.

Chapter 88: Unpolished Jade

MAY 7, 2020

Whatever was left of Jing Lin’s tenets of decorum disintegrated with a “puff”. He suspected he had fallen ill; he actually could not remember what he had learned in the past. He tried to bury his head, but ended up banging his forehead until he saw stars. The words “bedroom pleasures” swam all over his mind, making him dizzy again.

“You rely on this to bear the weight. Propping it up accentuates how much like a willow your waist is. Outside, I’ll help you to clutch your waist as the onslaught of amassed heat sends all of you rocking. Hair like silk rippled in waves. Skin that is so smooth and tender leaves red marks behind whenever I pinch you, making me afraid that it will even melt in my mouth. Just a few nibbles, and I want to devour it all into my belly.” Cang Ji grasped both of Jing Lin’s wrists and pinned him down to prevent him from fleeing. He breathed into Jing Lin’s ears to burn him up, to shame him. He felt the latter shivered under his body, and yet he had to describe it further in even more obscene details.

“It doesn’t bode well to lie prone. Lift your waist and prop it up with your legs spread open. You just need to kneel and sprawl over, while I exert myself. See how wonderful I am? If you shiver here, the flush of red will spread all the way here.” Cang Ji methodically moved his palm from Jing Lin’s bum to the back of his waist, giving a demonstration like he was an old hand at it as he taught him in all seriousness.

“Once your heart is stirred, you will feel like melting. Your arm will ache after sprawling for a time. So, what if you cannot hold on anymore? Easy. You are so light, I can grab and lift you up with just one arm and turn you around to embrace you. Let you sink into the crooks of my arms, and we will be able to come face to face with one another. And now, you put your legs up. You are so delicate. When the thrusts make you cry, beads of water will fall from your eyes, drop by drop, like a broken string of pearls.” Cang Ji clicked his tongue lightly. “Whether you feel pain or pleasure, go ahead and scream at me. But our Jing Lin is so young and thin-skinned that he likes to cover his face with a hand. Instead of shrieking and moaning, he likes to purr like a cat.”

“Stop it.” Jing Lin shook his head hard. “I don’t want to listen!”

“Well, being a teacher is all about patience.” Cang Ji said lazily, “I’m pretty good at narrating, huh? Clear and explicit. If you want to hear more details, call me gege two more times.”

“I don’t want to!” Jing Lin trembled a little. He felt that it was not his elder brother who was pinning him down from behind, but a lascivious debauchee through and through!

“You have to call even if you don’t want to.”

“You scoundrel!” Jing Lin’s voice was hoarse.

“It’s too late to find out now!” Cang Ji propped himself up and observed the pattern on Jing Lin’s back while still speaking. “This scoundrel still has another way to play. That is, you ride on me. Face me if that’s how you like it. Or turn your back to me if you wish to lean in my arms. In any case, when you sit down and clamp your legs down, you will ride your way into climactic waves of ecstasy.”

With both hands clutching the bedding, Jing Lin struggled and said, “Cao Cang! You and I cannot be brothers any longer!”

“Sure. Let’s be something else other than brothers.” Cang Ji saw the pattern remained motionless. Jing Lin’s face and ears had gone red from Cang Ji’s narrative. He was trembling and burning up, but the medicine did not act up again like it did earlier. Cang Ji could not help but frown, unable to fathom what exactly the spell was sealing.

Had he really guessed wrong?

Jing Lin’s back heaved with each breath he took. He gradually curled his legs up, unwilling to let Cang Ji pin him down. Sensing the oddness of his action, Cang Ji pressed his leg down against the inside of Jing Lin’s thighs and pry them apart to probe.

“I’m indeed a big scoundrel.” Cang Ji’s voice paused. He continued, “And you are a little scoundrel.”

With Cang Ji rubbing against his hardened part below, Jing Lin’s exposed ears flushed so red that they were almost dripping blood. When he heard Cang Ji’s words, he suddenly turned his eyes and looked at Cang Ji with resentment and shame. A layer of watery mist glistened in his eyes.

“I don’t want…” The coldness in Jing Lin’s expression crumbled as the ice and snow melted away into inexperience and awkwardness. He said helplessly and confusedly to Cang Ji, “… It hurts…”

A tingling numbness suddenly ran down Cang Ji’s back. It was so numbing that it made him lose control of his strength, causing him to grasp Jing Lin’s wrist so hard that they reddened. Even he himself could no longer hold out against it.

Jing Lin had never done it before. The word “abstinence” had been deeply ingrained in him. How could the word or two he had heard from his various brothers be compared to Cang Ji in its intensity? The immaturity he concealed in the stone figure was dissected open and presented before Cang Ji’s eyes like an unpolished jade.

This was the Lord Linsong that only one man in the world had ever seen.

Yet, Cang Ji wanted to bite him. He wanted to use ten thousand sufficiently licentious ways to bite him. The veins on Cang Ji’s arms bulged slightly, and his breathing grew heavier. All he could think of was to take this alarmed and frightened Jing Lin, who was huffing damp air, into his arms and used the ways he had spoken of earlier to teach him merriment!

Nevertheless, Cang Ji moved his hands extremely gently. He released Jing Lin’s wrists and covered Jing Lin’s eyes, which were, at the moment, snaring him out of the remainder of his life.

“… It’s not pain.” Cang Ji’s throat tightened. He regained his composure and said, “This is human nature. Your brothers know it too. Even Lord Jiutian cannot escape from it. No one told you about this before because they are incompetent. They are all bastards. Let me relieve you. Let me lead you. Alright?”

The tip of Jing Lin’s damp and warm nose nudged against Cang Ji’s palm like a little wild beast at a loss. Cang Ji pulled up the hem of Jing Lin’s clothes, tugged the edge of his pants down, and reached in.

♦     ♦     ♦

A long time later, Jing Lin’s temples were soaked with sweat. His hair had gone disheveled from being scraped against, and one of his shoes had also fallen off his lifted legs. Cang Ji wiped his hand and heaved a sigh.

He was not the one who had been pleasured. Yet his back was drenched in sweat.

Cang Ji turned over and squeezed Jing Lin further in. This couch was narrow and small, so all he had to do was to turn around and he would have been able to take in the entire sight of a Jing Lin who had lost control of himself.

“This is called playing with a horsetail whisk.”¹ Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin’s chin with his long fingers and shook it gently. “The meaning of the word is implicit. You’ve truly taken full advantage of me now. This is what having a jolly good time is. With such a sleight of hand.”

Jing Lin, Jing Lin. These eyes even looked as though they had rained.

Cang Ji stared at him and listened as his panting gradually calmed. The fair face that was resting on a pillow of black hair gazed at him so helplessly that it was a little pitiful. Jing Lin’s legs had gone soft. He used to fight ten rounds with others in the past, and even so, he could not withstand a round of teasing under the fingers.

Cang Ji buried his head into the side of Jing Lin’s neck and exhaled deeply. He reached out his arms to embrace him and said, “When we get out, go home with me, alright? Not as brothers. Anything else is fine.”

Jing Lin did not answer, and Cang Ji did not press him further. They depended on each other in this desolate spot in Heaven and Earth, and leaned against each other in this deserted dead town with only the sounds of each other’s breathing in their ears. Cang Ji gradually closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep. Jing Lin grabbed his clothes with his fingertips, but Cang Ji turned his palm over and held his hand instead.

Jing Lin gazed at the roof, feeling as though he had lost something. Those things did not fall far. Instead, they were on Cang Ji. But he could no longer get them back.

♦     ♦     ♦

It was dark and overcast in the Blood Sea. After a night, its evil aura had increased so much that it hid everything from view until it was hard for the human eye to distinguish Heaven from Earth. Evil spirits wandered over. A commotion rang out in the far distance, making such a din that one could not sleep in peace.

Cang Ji pushed the floating plank aside with his foot and said, “Waiting for him for a night was indeed the right choice.”

Jing Lin focused his eyes for a look. The corpses on the river surface had all dissolved away until there was practically nothing left. Not even a body remained. It was not just the riverway; even the corpses in the town had all disappeared overnight.

“They have been eaten by ‘him.’” Jing Lin clenched his sword. “The evil spirits left the bodies behind to feed him.”

“His progress was slow in the past as the encroachment of the Blood Sea tides depends fully on the terrains. But now, he is in such a hurry to go all around devouring. Most likely, he has arrived at a transcension stage and is in urgent need of blood and flesh.”

“I find that he acts in a methodical way.” Saying that, Jing Lin took a few steps back and used the sheath of his sword to draw it out in the yellow sand for Cang Ji. “That day, he first attacked the City of Huaishu City and cut off the beacon tower. Then, before the news could be delivered, he gushed over to Qixing Town in a hurry and enveloped both places in his embrace and devoured them clean. If I hadn’t decided to go to the City of Huaishu City at the last minute, then the news would have been completely cut off in the south. With the lack of communication between them, the City of Xuanyang would be in danger.”

“By this reckoning, perhaps he could not control his own movements in the past. He was unable to manipulate this ‘Blood Sea’ body freely.” Cang Ji looked at the drawing in the sand and said, “He has only two places to be in—hide among the crowd, or lay hidden in the Blood Sea. There is already an emergency of food shortage in the east. Countless commoners remain there under the protection of the phoenix. It’s a place that’s easily susceptible to attacks. But he just had to make a detour to the south and gnaw on all the tough nuts of the Ninth Heaven Sect’s garrison. Why? Because he’s about to transcend. Cultivators are far more alluring to him than commoners.”

“He is so clear about the organization and setups of Ninth Heaven Sect.” Jing Lin’s expression was heavy. “He’s hiding among the crowd.”

“If he’s hiding among the mortals, then he would be far from Ninth Heaven Sect. There would be no way he would know of the deployments to the frontline at the borders. So, he can only hide himself in Ninth Heaven Sect.” Cang Ji rubbed the yellow sand and said, “He’s perhaps even right next to you.”

This conjecture was simply too spine-chilling.

Jing Lin said, “The evil aura of the Blood Sea is overpowering. If he’s in Ninth Heaven Sect, then how could he have fooled the eyes of millions of people?”

“He even managed to cast a spell on you, so it isn’t unusual for him to be able to conceal himself.” Cang Ji patted away the sand. “Initially, I thought there was something wrong with the pills they gave you, and that was the reason for the seal in you. But then, it doesn’t feel like it. Because your brothers and the others will consume this medicine too. There’s no reason for something that anyone can pick at random to affect only you. Furthermore, this medicine is potent; that’s makes it easy for others to detect. I also thought about who could put this spell on you. But this spell is too strange. It’s only kissing you that’s prohibited. But go one step further, and it remains unmoved. That makes it hard to fathom exactly what its purpose is. But this is sufficient enough to prove that villains abound everywhere around you. None of them are good.”

Jing Lin looked at him. Cang Ji said, “Only I dote on you the most. So why are you still not leaving with me?”

Jing Lin said, “You are always deceiving me.”

“Put yourself in anyone’s embrace and they will all want to tease you for fun.” Cang Ji said, “There’s blood in this sand. An evil spirit was here last night.”

“Our auras were never concealed. Yet the evil spirit passed through this place soundlessly.” Jing Lin exchanged gazes with Cang Ji. He said, “Unless it skirted around us on intention.”

“Then that’s interesting.” Cang Ji said, “The greed form can’t let go, while the evil form is bloodthirsty by nature. The Blood Sea is at the crucial juncture of transcension where it is in urgent need of cultivators’ blood and flesh. Yet, it silently sidestepped us. Don’t tell me evil spirits can be so considerate to the extent that they know not to intrude while I was teaching by words and example?”

“It recognized us.” Jing Lin mused. “It knows who I am, and who you are.”

Cang Ji thought, you don’t even know who I am, so how would it… That’s not right.

Cang Ji gradually began to unravel a thread of clue. He squinted slightly and rubbed the grains of sand with his fingertips as he thought back to that night in the City of Xuanyang. As soon as he and Jing Lin entered the city, they went to observe Shuran’s seal. At that time, the cinnabar on the seal was still distinct. It was clearly secure and indestructible. Yet, an anomaly occurred that night. Not only did the Blood Sea come following in tight pursuit, even Shuran escaped without cause or reason. How did the seal break? What’s more, it just had to happen at the critical juncture of Jing Lin’s transcension. The Blood Sea amassed into a form he had never seen before and lured him deep into it one step at a time. How would it have dared to do so if not for knowing that he was canglong with this special ability? They lured him away, then the Blood Sea engulfed the City of Xuanyang. And so Jing Lin, who was immersed in his spiritual sea, was trapped with no way to escape.

The target of the Blood Sea had been Jing Lin all along!

“He keeps pursuing you relentlessly, parading himself before you in every way possible.” Cang Ji sneered, “I followed you all the way closely and never let you out of my sight all precisely to guard against this kind of pompous thing.”

But Jing Lin raised his index finger at him.

Displeased, Cang Ji grabbed his finger in his palm and said, “What about my scolding him?”

Jing Lin turned his head slightly and swept his eyes around the deserted sandy town. He said, “He’s the Blood Sea, and we are in his body. Every move we made, every word we say…”

Cang Ji immediately said in a cold voice, “I have longed thought of the possibility that he is a pervert, so I kept a barrier up for the whole night. Is he even worthy to listen to me romancing another? He’s not even fit to call me grandpa!”

He had only just said then when he heard the “bang bang” of something being struck from the house behind them as someone crashed into a wooden plank. An emaciated arm rose from the sand.

A girl child whimpered in a small voice, “… Help.”

All at once, Yan Quan’s sheath landed on the ground. The very instant the sandstorm surged, the voice and the arm vanished.

Dead silence descended all around them. Even the wind ceased.

弄拂尘 literally playing with a horsetail whisk (or a duster). Like, think of the hand movements when you keep flicking or dusting with a horsetail whisk like you would with a duster. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Chapter 89: Frosty Sky

MAY 12, 2020

The sword tassel of the sword hung beside Jing Lin’s fingers. For a moment, both men remained where they were. The town appeared to have come to a standstill; even the sand under their feet was no longer shifting. That fleeting cry for help seemed to be but a figment of their imaginations. As the humidity in the air intensified, the corners of Cang Ji’s robe wrinkled slightly.

Jing Lin gently lifted his sword sheath and, the very next moment, backhandedly tossed it out. Yan Quan broke through the plank and stabbed into a wall. The blood fog it struck whined and transformed into smoke, where a lump of fleshy figure lying prostrate on the ground materialized. A child with hair twisted into knots¹ was so stunned by Yan Quan that he rolled and yelled.

“Gege, spare me!” He was all skin and bones, and when the sheath of Yan Quan smashed an inch into his chest, he cried out loud as though his heart had been pierced and he was being seared by intense fire.

Yan Quan reversed back into Jing Lin’s palm. He took a few steps closer, and the child climbed to his feet and ran. The blood fog intensified. Jing Lin narrowed his eyes; ghosts and shadows abounded everywhere around them.

“Not an evil spirit.” The tip of Cang Ji’s nose twitched. “He’s a wandering soul.”

“Bodies are destroyed once they enter the sea. Even the minds and souls of cultivators cannot survive, so how can there be the soul of a child?” Jing Lin turned the sword in his hand and looked at the residual black fog at the sharp end of the sword sheath. “The air of resentment is overpowering. He died an untimely and unnatural death.”

“Right.” Cang Ji said, “His throat was sliced to let the blood out, and his corporeal body was fed to the sea. He’s one of those we saw in the City of Bencheng. He must know something. Catch up with him. Don’t let him get away!”

Both men leaped up into the air and chased after the child. That little ghost dashed like mad barefooted and stumbled through the heavy fog as if he did not know the way either and was merely using his gut instinct to flee.

Ghostly faces suddenly sprang up with a “ha!” before them. Jing Lin’s gaze remained fixed on the target. As the gleaming cold light of his sword pierced through the faces, his figure had already leaped his way behind the little ghost. A greed form suddenly appeared and pounced with the intention to obstruct him, but Cang Ji gave it a kick right into the face and sent it up into smoke.

“Not so fast.” Jing Lin held a talisman between his fingers and tapped the azure light on the little ghost’s back.

The little ghost instantly froze in place. He looked as if he was struggling, but he could not move his legs. Fearful of Jing Lin’s sword aura, he turned his eyes and let out a bellow to intimidate him.

“Did you follow us from the City of Bencheng?” Cang Ji landed on the ground and stepped around the little ghost to make his way before him. He considered his tone. It was not ideal to be too soft and it might bode ill to sound too tough. So he used what seemed to be like a mild tone to ask.

But when the little ghost saw him, he trembled all over. He was so frightened that he choked with sobs and cried, “Great Master Demon is omnipotent. Don’t eat me! I’m just a dead kid. I still have to find a way out here and reincarnate!”

“You can tell he’s a demon too?” Jing Lin shifted his way before him too. “He hides it so well that it’s hard for the average cultivators to detect it.”

Even Jing Lin himself got an inkling of it only when he entered the Blood Sea this time.

Tears and snot were already coursing down the little ghost’s face. He was older than the other children who had their throats slit, and he had been hanging around the marketplace and town all year round. So he was not only articulate, but exceptionally quick-witted.

“I dare not deceive gege! Please let me take my time to explain. Don’t kill me! My home was originally in the City of Huaishu. On a night a few days earlier, someone slit my throat and let my blood out. I died an inexplicable death, and the Blood Sea engulfed the city just then. The delay subsequently caused me to miss the timing to head to the Underworld, so I could only remain trapped in the city and wait for my soul to scatter.² By coincidence, the garrison guard on duty in the city that day dashed out to notify the other cities. He had a very remarkable bow on his back, which allowed me to seek shelter in it. So I hid in the bow as he led me to Qixing town! But what the heck! Qixing town was surrounded by the Blood Sea too. The garrison guard’s eyes were blinded and could no longer see. And then you guys came! I was terrified. Evil spirits with eyes all over their bodies were everywhere. The stench stank as if I was huddled in the crotch of a filthy ghost’s trousers. I couldn’t stand it, so I was going to continue fleeing. It happened that gege you dispatched the garrison guard to Xitu, so I followed him again. Evil spirits created havoc among the whirlwind of flying sand and debris on our way there. With great difficulty, we finally arrived at the western boundary, but we encountered a few skilled, major demons who obstructed our way.” When the little ghost spoke to this point, he sniffled and turned his eyes to Cang Ji. “The demons initially wanted to eat the garrison guard, but then they shouted that the garrison guard had a dragon…”

Cang Ji looked back at him with deep, unfathomable eyes.

The little ghost faltered and stumbled over his words, “…Had, had a major-league demon’s protection… So I guessed it was this Great Master…”

“When Hui An left the city, you patted him once.” Jing Lin thought back carefully to that night and turned his eyes to look at Cang Ji. “So, you were paving the way for him.”

“It’s nothing. There’s no need to worry about it.” Cang Ji felt relieved when he saw that this little kid could take a hint. At this point of time, his identity was of no help to Jing Lin. On the contrary, it was easy to arouse the suspicions of the sect. That was why he had been reluctant to come clean about it.

“Why didn’t you head for reincarnation after reaching Xitu?” Jing Lin asked.

“The Underworld didn’t want me!” The little ghost was overwhelmed with sorrow at this point and let out intermittent cries. “That Ghost Guard said that the Registry of Human Life Expectancy was clean; there’s no record of me in it! He also said that there isn’t anyone to manage the Underworld at present. Half of it had collapsed a long time ago. He had no time or energy to investigate it in depth, so he threw me back to Xitu and left me to fend for myself.”

“Then, how did you follow us?” Cang Ji sized him up. “I can’t believe you actually managed to hide from our eyes seeing as you have nothing to rely on.”

“I saw you searching the corpses in the City of Bencheng.” With a bubble of snot in his nose, the little ghost said, “All of them had their throats sliced and had only a layer of skin left. I originally wanted to find a wild ghost as a companion, but after following both of you around, I couldn’t find any. Gege, you have a pure aura of spiritual energy on you. It’s only by following you that I can remain in one piece without dispersing.”

Jing Lin asked, “Where were you hiding before?”

The little ghost replied, “I clung to the sole of your shoe. I didn’t dare to be impetuous. When you entered the small abode last night, I was shut outside for no reason. I was alarmed and frightened, so I spent the night in this shabby shack.”

This was all thanks to Cang Ji. He suspected that the “Blood Sea” would eavesdrop and peep, and he had no wish to expose Jing Lin for others to peek, so he had kept up a secure spiritual barrier.

“Since you were outside last night, did you see anything?” Cang Ji looked back and saw that the blood fog had taken on the shape of hanging curtains.

“I didn’t dare to look for fear of encountering something unclean or getting eaten by evil spirits.” The little ghost put on a pained look. “I wasn’t pestering gege on purpose! It’s just that I died a mysterious death. If I don’t get to the bottom of it, then I’ll become a malicious ghost with grievances!”

“The various lands are now all in a state of emergency. Even the Underworld could not escape its clutches. But the Registry of Human Life Expectancy is of vital importance. If there’s life, then there’s death. Traces of life shouldn’t have just disappeared into thin air.” Jing Lin kept away the talisman and brushed away the resentful aura from the little ghost’s back, which lifted a weight off the little ghost’s body and restored some of his human features.

“Not only were the corporeal bodies fed to the sea, even their souls go missing. It’s impossible for ordinary people to do such a clean job of it.” Cang Ji slowly paced a few steps. “He doesn’t want the children’s bodies. The only thing he takes is the blood. Even demons do not have this kind of fetish. It seemed more like sacrificial offerings of a heretic gone astray.”

Jing Lin asked the little ghost, “How did you get murdered?”

The little ghost leaned against Jing Lin’s side and said, “To reply gege, I was playing with the others at night when I heard that someone was giving out gruel and alms at the old temple in the city to help some rich family to pick and select servants. I’m poor, and I have no parents. It’s all by following the head hoodlum to create a scene and collect debts that I could get a few mouthfuls of rice to eat. So when I heard of this, I was very happy and went with them.”

At this point, an anguished expression took over his face as he hemmed and hawed hesitantly.

“We went into the temple. There was a specially prepared room inside… The room was very dark and crammed with little lads and maidens… I even asked someone why they didn’t light a lamp. After a while, they lined us up and did a nose count of us… So many people… All of them were the usual beggars and street performers from the streets…”

As the little ghost spoke, he clutched his own throat and stuck out his tongue.

“They gave us food to eat. There was an empty courtyard behind the temple… It stank, just like the evil spirits in the Blood Sea… They did a head count and called us into the room… I … I seemed to have gone in… Then, then, we were crowded in a corner…”

His face gradually changed with his voice. It was suddenly hideous and terrifying as he clenched his own throat and wailed mournfully.

“My legs and hands were bound with a string… the sting slit my throat…”

His throat gurgled with sobs.

“… I saw… a folding fan… with a… scent…”

Cang Ji caught the little ghost by his nape and lifted him off the ground. The little ghost’s eyes have already rolled up, showing the whites. He tugged desperately at his throat, where a fine slit had appeared. Then, the gash split open and blood spurted out of it. His wrists and ankles rotted, as though it had been soaked in blood.

Cang Ji said, “I’m here. So what are you afraid of?”

As soon as he said that, the sand and stones under his feet shook. A gush of heat washed over the little ghost from top to bottom. It was so scalding that he shook all over. The myriad of terrifying scenes in his mind instantly flashed past. The soul seemed as if he had found a backing as his fear retreated. With his legs swinging in the air, he snapped awake from the resentful aura.

“A folding fan.” Cang Ji asked in a steady voice, “What scent did it have?”

The little ghost trembled uncontrollably. “The kind used as offerings to Bu, Buddha…”

“Sandalwood.” A man instantly appeared in Jing Lin’s mind.

Before Jing Lin could give it further thought, the blood fog, which had been as thick as the waves all along, changed in a flash. Flying sand in the town scraped against his shoes, and a faint sound came assailing them on all sides. With a sidelong glance of his glacial eyes, he saw a beast suddenly crashing its way out of the blood waves. But it turned out to be Shuran with bleeding sores all over him, and who had fallen into the hands of the Blood Sea!

Shuran’s eyes were red, and numerous eyes were growing on his back. The greed form had revived by winding around him and relying on him as its body. He could no longer tell who Jing Lin was. His forelegs stepped down on the dwelling, collapsing it, even as its hind legs were still stuck in the river mud. He pulled them out, digging up foul-smelling skeletons along with his legs. His fangs were stained with traces of filth as he opened his jaws and salivated. Roaring, he charged towards Cang Ji and Jing Lin.

Jing Lin raised his leg to lift Yan Quan. A sweep of the strong wind lifted Shuran up, causing him to howl. The instant Shuran leaned back, the dense cluster of bloody eyes on his chest blinked. The evil spirit let out an ear-piercing shriek. Jing Lin had already spun around and drawn his sword. The snowy glow of Yan Quan whistled through the air. But Cang Ji was faster than Jing Lin. Before the tip of Yan Quan arrived, Shuran was already sent flying from his strike. He crashed heavily into the river mud, stirring up a massive foul-smelling wave!

“He’s useful to have around.”

Cang Ji backhandedly pressed down on the hilt of Jing Lin’s sword, and the blade returned to its sheath. He rose into the air. Before Shuran could climb to his feet, a strike to his head sent the behemoth caving into the muddied water.

Splashes of mud and corpses splattered all over. Cang Ji’s blow was so forceful that the evil spirit jostled and struggled to climb out from those bloody eyes. Behind, Jing Lin flung out a ray of azure light and the talisman that had risen into the air suddenly transformed into countless threads of light to bind Shuran’s body and placed him on his side. The blood waves above widened its gaping, bloody mouth and turned into the gargantuan figure of a phoenix with the intention to devour Cang Ji. Steadying his feet, Cang Ji hauled Shuran’s colossal body and swung it up to smash into that enormous figure, turning it into an entire sky of bloody rain.

Cang Ji dragged Shuran out of the foul-smelling rain, while Jing Lin’s eyes followed closely after the blood waves.

“He has returned to his lair in alarm. The entrance must be in the opposite direction.”

Jing Lin took in the soul of the little ghost into his Qian Kun³ sleeve. As Cang Ji sprang over to him, Jing Lin turned his feet and trod on the side of Shuran’s rear. A gale violently tore apart the gloom shrouding the sky, and daylight suddenly appeared within a few li⁴ around. Without saying a word more, Cang Ji embraced Jing Lin around the waist with an arm and soared into the sky to break through the fog!

The air they breathed in finally turned crisp, clear and refreshing. Outside, frost blanketed the land for several li over. Cang Ji tossed Shuran out. He tumbled with Jing Lin and plunged into the pond of chilly autumn waters. Jing Lin was initially about to tread the air to stabilize himself. How could he have expected Cang Ji to pull him down? He toppled over, and both of them crashed into the azure waves, soaked to the skin.

♦     ♦     ♦

Clothes floated in the water, and Jing Lin’s hair covered his temples. All of a sudden, the blackness before his eyes was brushed aside as Cang Ji held him by both cheeks and lowered his head to kiss him.

Jing Lin’s hands clung on to Cang Ji’s shoulders and arms as his tongue tingled with numbness from being held in the latter’s mouth. After a moment, he broke through the water surface as Cang Ji held him in his arms and pushed him up. Propping himself on Cang Ji’s shoulders, Jing Lin gasped for breath.

Cang Ji was still standing in the water. He raised and pressed his head against Jing Lin and smiled. “So how’s this method? Even the spell can’t stop me from entering the water to save you.”

Jing Lin’s wet hair clung to his cheeks as he looked into the distance at the blood fog which had already been concealed among the boundlessness. Cang Ji lifted his fingers to wipe off the water on his cheeks and was caught unaware when Jing Lin turned his head to the side to bite down on his fingers.

What was that he had said about the Blood Sea being so bizarre and abnormal that it was hard to exit? It was clearly Cang Ji who had led him around in circles to stay a night inside!

Cang Ji hissed and said, “You dare to bite me?!”

Jing Lin’s chest heaved. He said, “You rascal! It’s so easy to leave… um!”

“Since you like to bite so much, then I’ll let you play.” Cang Ji extended two icy fingers into Jing Lin’s mouth and stirred up a storm among his warm tongue and saliva.

Jing Lin struggled to spit them out, but Cang Ji went along with his movements and reached deeper in. He turned his fingers, leading Jing Lin to swallow and spit a few times. It was when the sucking unexpectedly became a little unbearable to him that he pulled his fingers out. Jing Lin lifted his leg to stomp on him, but Cang Ji caught him by the ankle and bent over to grab both of his legs and hoist him over his shoulder.

“The place is abnormal. Not being able to make our way out is true.” Cang Ji waded ashore. “Your bite really hurts!”

On hearing this, Jing Lin let out a cold laugh and grabbed his shoulder for another bite.

Cang Ji sucked in a breath and suddenly spun a few circles with him over his shoulders. He threatened, “Bite me again and I’ll throw you out!”

Jing Lin said, “Bite you to death!”

“Who bites whom to death?” Cang Ji jerked him. “I can swallow eight of you in one mouthful.”

Jing Lin sprawled beside Cang Ji’s ear and let out a loud “bah”, causing Cang Ji to inexplicably burst out laughing. Carrying Jing Lin on his shoulders, he sprinted madly for a distance and stepped around to Shuran’s side to kick the beast.

“The time has not yet come for this fellow to die. He still has some merit to accumulate. How about giving him to me? Secretly. Don’t tell your old man and brothers. We’ll treat it as your dowry.”

If a soul is completely scattered or dispersed, then the person would cease to exist with no chance for reincarnation.

乾坤 Qian Kun means Heaven and Earth, or a universe. Literally, it’s saying there’s another interspatial ‘universe’ in Jing Lin’s sleeve. It would be like a different world in there or he could even use it as an interspatial inventory.

里 li, ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

Chapter 90: Nightmare

MAY 17, 2020

Jing Lin said, “He is still unable to regain consciousness yet since the evil spirits have not been fully eradicated, so why do you want him at this point of time?”

“My last sentence is the one of utmost importance. Why didn’t you pick it to ask about?” Cang Ji squatted and placed Jing Lin back on the ground. He scrutinized Shuran’s bloodied eyes. “The Blood Sea at the City of Xuanyang has already receded. In the course of just one night, he turned into this state. I thought it over and found the way he broke through the seal odd. I want to ask him a few more questions.”

“You suspect he’s also a pawn.” Jing Lin said.

“That’s a good term to use.” Cang Ji said, “You must have someone in mind.”

“When I heard the little ghost elaborate about his throat being sliced, I thought of only one person.” With a shake of his fingers, Jing Lin conjured out a folding fan. He brandished the fan to whisk away the filthy remnants of the greed form between Shuran’s wounds and said, “Those who use a folding fan in the world are few and far in between.”

“On the contrary, a distinctive feature that is too obvious will also make it easier for someone to imitate.” Cang Ji spread his palm out to Jing Lin.

Jing Lin could not help but be stunned to see that there were still the marks of a brocade carp on his palm. He asked, “Hm?”

Cang Ji waved his fingers and said, “Gege is not as omnipotent as you. I can’t conjure objects out of thin air. Give me a dagger. I’ll help Shuran to cut open his wounds and scrape out the devil.”

Jing Lin placed his hands behind his back and said, “I’m afraid it’s not that you can’t, but don’t wish to. It’s easy to expose your form if you conjure objects. If I see your original form, then I’ll know what demon you are.”

“How did you become smarter after sleeping for a night?” Cang Ji bared his teeth at him. “My original form is that of the most ferocious creature in Zhongdu. I will definitely not show you until the wedding night.”

Jing Lin was curious. “Why the wedding night?”

Cang Ji said, “What am I going to do if I reveal my appearance to you in advance and frighten you away? Once we consummate our union on the wedding night, then you can scream and cry out to Heaven and Earth all you want, but it will be to no avail, because you’ll be thoroughly mine.”

Jing Lin recalled those nonsense he had spouted at night. And now, here he was, listening to him jesting. He took a sudden step back and thrust a dagger at him.

“Since Dong Jun is an evil spirit, he should avoid arousing suspicion to himself. Everyone is going to suspect him when it comes to matters involving the losses of lives.” Cang Ji’s dagger sank into Shuran’s wound and opened up a gap along the edges. Filthy blood mixed with black fog instantly surged forth. He blew at it, and the black fog immediately dissolved away. He said, “Either someone within Ninth Heaven Sect is pinning the blame on another, or someone outside Ninth Heaven Sect is framing the sect on purpose. What are your thoughts on this?”

Jing Lin said, “Father is already sitting at the head with the world at his feet. Other than canglong, no one in the world would dare to disobey his commands. At this juncture, it would be hard for any deliberate attempts to frame the sect to go anywhere. The only possibility left is that someone within the sect is making someone else take the fall for him.”

“The Blood Sea is also at Ninth Heaven Sect. And now there is this matter of throats being sliced.” Cang Ji turned a deaf ear to Shuran’s wails of pain. He said, “Ninth Heaven Sect could be said to be in a moment of crisis at present.”

“Ninth Heaven Sect…” Jing Lin paused slightly.

“A sneak attack is hard to guard against. If it isn’t handled properly, then you will be beset by internal and external troubles and get attacked by the enemies from both front and back.” Cang Ji stepped on Shuran’s body, which was about to roll over. He sliced the wounds open mercilessly and said, “The best thing for you to do is to go home with me. If they want to start an internal strife, then let them do it. You have gone to the north bearing your sword, and you have a reputation out there. It’s not impossible for you to gather help to defend a city. Once you have the men in hand, you can go and alert canglong and conspire with him to subdue the devils. It’s better than remaining at home under the control of others.”

“Without an assignment of duty, guarding a city by myself would be to break away from Ninth Heaven Sect.” Jing Lin said, “Besides, I’ve been forged and tempered many times over as a sword to the point that I won’t be able to keep a low profile. If I get too close to canglong, I’m afraid it will only hinder his grand plan to eradicate evil.”

This was an understatement. In fact, he was insinuating that he was already Ninth Heaven Sect’s sword. Leaving aside his slaying of demons and subduing of evil, the highlight of his part in the show had yet to come. Canglong had been intimidating the Ninth Heaven Sect in the north. Lord Jiutian had been enduring it in silence all because he was waiting for Jing Lin’s Way of the Sword to transcend. Once he crossed into the Perfection Stage, he would have the ability to fight it out with canglong. He and Cangdi were forced by circumstances, and there were no benefits to them to be too close to each other. Furthermore, Jing Lin had keenly expressed his approval about Cangdi’s strategy to eliminate the devils, and yet no one from the sect had responded. Most likely, they were waiting for him to be involved so that it would be easier for them to play along with it and mess up Cangdi’s plan.

“As much as you are being considerate of Cangdi, he doesn’t know.” Cang Ji scraped the flesh with the dagger in his palm. He shook off the droplets of blood and continued, “Lord Jiutian is the benefactor who had raised and nurtured you, so you will definitely not leave easily, and you will most certainly not sit by and do nothing. But Jing Lin, the Blood Sea is now hiding in Ninth Heaven Sect. The pills you and your brothers are consuming are lethal, and you have a curse placed on you. Then, there’s also the matter of children with slit throats being covered up and going unreported. Don’t tell me Lord Jiutian never once noticed it? If he had already realized it, then why didn’t he say a word? Everyone is a suspect in the sect. But if you ask me, he is the one who is the most dubious. If one day.”

Cang Ji did not look at Jing Lin as he wiped the dagger.

“If one day, the Blood Sea is Lord Jiutian. Then what are you going to do?”

“… That’s unbelievable.” Jing Lin clenched his sword. “If Father is the Blood Sea, then all his implementations over the years would have only served to make things difficult for himself. Leaving aside what I would do, just Li Rong, Yun Sheng, and Lan Hai alone will be the thorns in his flesh. We are all disciples of the same sect. Although there may be some small friction among us, we studied the Way of Righteousness together. We will definitely not be on the move toiling so hard for an evil spirit.”

Cang Ji turned his head to the side and said, “Over the years, I have seen the gradual rise of the Ninth Heaven Sect, but I have never been able to figure out Lord Jiutian’s intention. Does he want to fight against the devils to save the humans, or does he want to reign supreme over the entire world? Jing Lin, ask yourself honestly. Are his strategic decisions and commands becoming more and more erratic?”

“As soon as the Blood Sea overturns, Zhongdu will be engulfed. The Underworld will fall apart as ghosts, humans, and demons mingle as one. Law and order will no longer exist on Heaven and Earth. Father wants to save the humans, and at the same time, he wants to segregate the three realms to uphold the cardinal principles of righteousness.” Jing Lin said, “If it weren’t for that, then how is Heaven and Earth going to be sectioned by the time the chaos has been fully eliminated?”

“Establish a realm above and confer all the heavyweight and greatly skilled cultivators in the world with the titles of deities. Set up surveillance on Zhongdu in the middle and expel the demons so that the mortals may live in peace. Then, rebuild the Underworld at the bottommost, re-channel the River of Wangchuan, and construct Mi Jin. With these, the so-called Three Realms will be just one realm under the control of Ninth Heaven Sect. From top to bottom, there will only be disciples of Ninth Heaven Sect to obey his orders. From then on, Lord Jiutian will no longer be Lord Jiutian, but the common Ruler of the Three Realms.” Cang Ji’s eyes blazed. “Despite not proclaiming himself Emperor, he will become the Supreme Father of Heaven and Earth. Do you dare to imagine such a scenario? With this kind of wild ambition, the calamity that is the Blood Sea is merely just a stepping stone. When the time comes, canglong and the phoenix will both fall under the command of his sect. Once this situation is a given, there will be no turning back. By the time he authors a book with a stroke of his divine brush and becomes a legend, all the tens of millions of lives lost to the Blood Sea today will become his and his merit alone.”

Jing Lin took a sudden step closer and nearly bumped into Cang Ji’s chest. With a pale expression, he asked, “Where did you learn of that?”

“Do you know what Li Rong mentioned when he headed north to meet Cangdi?” Cang Ji did not dodge the topic as he said in a heavy voice, “He spoke about the splitting of the Three Realms—

Who would believe that? The Blood Sea is closing in on us now, but Ninth Heaven Sect isn’t in a hurry. There are countless casualties in the east and south, yet Lord Jiutian is still able to sit and watch without doing anything. It’s only by forcing Cangdi to bow down to his command that all will be well with the world.”

“I don’t believe it.” Jing Lin spoke at a rapid speed. “When Li Rong headed north, Father personally instructed him. I heard him very clearly…”

“You have been to the east too.” Cang Ji lowered his head to look at him. “How many men from Ninth Heaven Sect are still in the east? Even Yining has been transferred away. Of those remaining behind, who is able to defend the east?”

“The phoenix traveled east through the night.” Jing Lin asserted, “And the roots of Can Li Tree extend along with it, all to secure the earth and defend the land in the east.”

“Is the phoenix a member of Ninth Heaven Sect?” Cang Ji took a step closer and pressed against Jing Lin. “Who else is still left behind? Answer me.”

Jing Lin looked shocked. How would he dare to give it deeper thought? Cang Ji grabbed hold of his wrist on the hand that was holding the sword and pulled him hard towards himself.

“Answer me.” Cang Ji grasped his hand. “You are well aware of the answer. Why don’t you dare to say it out?”

Jing Lin’s breathing quickened slightly. He gritted his teeth, “Ninth Heaven Sect disciples… and tens of thousands of commoners.”

“These tens of thousands of lives are delivered right to the mouth of the Blood Sea.” Cang Ji pressed in, step by step. “What is your father‘s plan?”

Jing Lin said, “I can hurry over to the east myself!”

“Even if you head to the east, can the problem in the south be that easily resolved?” Cang Ji grasped his icy hand. “Lord Linsong is merely a man and a sword. How long can you hang in there for?”

Jing Lin laughed scornfully. The Cang Ji before him felt so unfamiliar. Cang Ji rubbed Jing Lin’s cheeks and said to him, “You won’t leave with me. You will surely return. I don’t know who put the curse on you. Perhaps it’s your father. Perhaps it’s your brothers. Either way, it is most certainly someone you know very well. They are restraining you, Jing Lin. They fear you.”

Jing Lin’s breathing hitched. He said, “I know the sect suspects me. I know my brothers are on guard against me. I know it all… but I don’t know who can be so utterly devoid of conscience to such an extent!”

“Who am I?” Cang Ji suddenly asked him.

Jing Lin’s face had gone pale. He shook his head vigorously. Cang Ji held his cheeks to hold his head in place and asked again, “Who am I?”

“Cao, Cao Cang…” Jing Lin clenched his teeth. “This name is fake. I don’t know who you are!”

“Wrong answer.” Cang Ji stared at him. “Who am I?”

Jing Lin suddenly struggled. Cang Ji held him tightly. Jing Lin’s mind was in a whirl. From Ninth Heaven Sect to Cang Ji, all of them were imposters. Each was like an evil ghost disguised under a coat of human skin. Cang Ji tightened his grip on Jing Lin, holding him so tightly that Jing Lin hurt.

“I don’t know!” Jing Lin shouted in a hoarse voice.

Cang Ji did not release him, and Jing Lin’s breathing grew more tense. He could not kick him away. Held and pinned in Cang Ji’s arms, he could only bury his head in Cang Ji’s chest to gasp heavily for air.

“Who am I?”

Jing Lin almost sank into the crooks of Cang Ji’s arms when he heard the question and his chin was suddenly pinched and raised to meet Cang Ji’s gaze. He choked up and answered, “Ge, gege!”

“I’m the only one you can believe.” Cang Ji pressed in closer to him and said, “There are devils everywhere. The only one you can trust is me. Have you remembered it?”

Jing Lin’s lips went white. He wanted to shake his head, but Cang Ji was grasping him tightly in place.

“Don’t believe anyone but me.” Cang Ji whispered in his ear like a nightmare. “Your father. Your brothers. Li Rong, Yun Sheng, Lan Hai, Yining, Dong Jun! They will all lie to you. But I won’t.”

Jing Lin shivered as though he was cold. Cang Ji seized the opportunity presented by his vulnerability and repeated it over and over again.

“You will…” Jing Lin closed his eyes. “All of you will!”

“I won’t.” Cang Ji rained endless kisses above Jing Lin’s eyes and between his forehead. “I won’t.”

Jing Lin felt a coldness that chilled him to the marrow. All those involved around him seemed to be gradually cut off from him. Every face that had been severed off felt unfamiliar to him. Cang Ji held him and kissed him, using an unforgettable, penetrating chill to tear him apart from the others. He could only hold Cang Ji’s hand, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cang Ji. It was as if he had been shoved out of the cage that was Ninth Heaven Sect into another invisible cage. There was no one else in this cage. Just Cang Ji. Cang Ji cradled his heart as he took him into the crooks of his arms.

This was the greed of a demon. And also a demon’s cunningness.

♦     ♦     ♦

“The wind is strong in late autumn. Put on more clothes and eat more. Half a month later, I will look for you at Ninth Heaven Sect’s Ming Jin Stage. Jing Lin.” Cang Ji’s features gradually transformed. The wickedness in his expression became more and more pronounced. He clung to Jing Lin’s ear and said, “How I wish so much to bite you.”

With that, Jing Lin’s earlobe was bitten until it was damp, hot and slightly painful. A sound escaped his lips. Cang Ji slid down his ear along the side of his neck and sucked hard on the snow-white skin until red marks appeared. Soon after, a sudden strong wind came assaulting. In a lightning move of his hands, Jing Lin tried to throw him off but only managed to touch a portion of Cang Ji’s fingertips. He heard a burst of laughter. Cang Ji had already disappeared. Even Shuran had vanished without a trace.

As if jolted awake from a dream, Jing Lin strode a sudden step forward and hissed resentfully, “You…”

The fog of frost dispersed. There was no one around. Only the heat continued to linger on his ear. For no reason, Jing Lin’s heart felt empty. As he lifted his arm to swipe away the strong wind, he heard the swift, galloping sound of a horse’s hooves. A man appeared on the horizon. Po Zheng Spear sliced through the gale as Li Rong came before him and reined in his horse.

“When I learned that Shuran’s seal had been broken, I knew that you had transcended. I hurried to the City of Xuanyang, but there was no sight of you there. If it weren’t because of the exposure of your sword aura, I’d still be going around in circles looking for you.” Li Rong had traveled through the night to hurry over. There was still dew on his shoulders. He said, “Where have you been this half month? There has been no news of you at all!”

“Half a month?” Jing Lin’s expression turned cold. “I’ve held up for so long in the Blood Sea!”

“You entered the Blood Sea?!” Li Rong was astonished. “How reckless! Were you injured?”

Jing Lin covered his abdomen and said, “… No.”

“Transcending is dangerous. The amount of time you will lose consciousness is long. Did you encounter some kind of eminent master?” Li Rong asked.

“The will of Heaven is unpredictable. It’s just fated to be. There’s no one else.” Jing Lin raised his eyes. “Are there still no reinforcements sent to the east? How has it been this half month? Can the phoenix still hang on? I left a Wrath of Heaven talisman in the City of Xuanyang. The Blood Sea will not be able to cross over it. But there are several cities in the frontline. Are the other places still fine?”

Grief washed over Li Rong’s face. He said, “Let’s not talk about these first…”

“What’s the matter?” Jing Lin composed himself.

Li Rong looked at Jing Lin as his eyes gradually reddened. He whispered.

“Lan Hai is gone.”

The tips of Jing Lin’s fingers trembled. Somewhere in his heart, a rock came crashing down, collapsing what was once years of reliance. His ears thundered, and his throat went dry. All of a sudden, he found himself at a loss for words.

Chapter 91: (Trouble) Brewing

MAY 22, 2020

Frost blanketed the ground as leaves fell amid the autumn wind. Surrounded by mountains and valleys, Ninth Heaven Sect sat concealed under swirling mist. Men dressed in white robes stood together as the bleak, lingering sounds of the bells reverberated. Autumn rain was pouring, but no one was holding up an umbrella under it.

Li Rong hurried back and dismounted the horse at the same time Jing Lin did. Both men hurried up the stairs and passed through a crowd of men in white robes. They strode into the courtyard, only to see an assault of withered leaves upon their robes. The coffin displayed in the hall had disappeared without a trace.

“Where is he?” Li Rong bellowed in a deep voice.

Yun Sheng, who was inside, lifted the hanging screen to step out. On seeing them both, he immediately said, “Why are you back only now? You’re too late! It’s inadvisable for bodies of the Spiritual Amassment Stage to be kept for long, so Father has already given the order for him to be buried. The night before, a golden chain of Sanskrit script was bound around the coffin before it was lowered into the Bajiao Xuanmu Tomb!”¹

Jing Lin stepped forward and said, “The righteous aura in the sect is imposing. Even if you leave the body around for a few more days, it won’t breed evil spirits. So what’s the reason for being so hasty?”

“Lan Hai was afflicted with a nasty disease. Many men in the sect are already down with sudden illness. If we keep it any longer, something unforeseen might happen.” Yun Sheng looked gaunt, having gone without rest for many days. He accepted the tea a disciple at the side handed him. Instead of drinking it, he said, “Qing Yao has fallen ill too with a persistent fever. All the pills aren’t working. Father and Dong Jun have already been watching over her before her bed for several days.”

“Qing Yao has fallen ill too?” Li Rong was shocked. “Who else?”

“Most of the mortal disciples accepted into the sect have fallen ill.” It was then Yun Sheng drank the tea to moisten his throat. Immediately after gulping it down, he continued, “All of them have a fever. The resident physician can’t tell what’s wrong either. Right now, we are at our wit’s end. Our poor Father had only just seen his child die before him, and now he has his plate full with this disease. The way I see it, it doesn’t seem to be the common cold, but more like an epidemic.”

“We are in a spot where Heaven and Earth take in spiritual energy. The outbreak of pestilence here is no less crucial than the crisis posed by the Blood Sea.” Li Rong’s voice trailed off. “We absolutely cannot let it break out!”

“The urgency of this matter requires desperate measures at desperate times.” Yun Sheng looked at Jing Lin, “I know you are sad. We are all brothers, so how could anyone not feel sad? It’s just that the most pressing matter at the moment is the epidemic. Father has not gotten any shut-eye for days in a row. At the very least, you should go and persuade him.”

“If there’s nothing the elixir master at home can do, then I’m afraid it’s no ordinary epidemic.” Jing Lin said.

“It’s not just him.” Yun Sheng smiled bitterly. “Even Father is at the end of his tether. We don’t know when this disease sneaked into our sect. But it came bearing down on us so fiercely that one couldn’t help but suspect.”

As Yun Sheng spoke, he stepped out and led them in the rain to Lord Jiutian’s courtyard. Along the way, Jing Lin cast sidelong glances and saw many people shifting over to Mount Dongshan.²

“What are they doing?”

“Those are people who have already begun displaying symptoms.” Yun Sheng said, “There are still mortals in the sect. So we can’t let them mingle together in one place. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Under the curtain of heavy rain, Jing Lin noticed that the people moving over with their heads lowered were all adults. He asked, “Where are the children who attend classes together with Qing Yao?”

Yun Sheng looked back at him and replied, “Young children are vulnerable. Father naturally has his own arrangement for them.”

“And what arrangement is that?” “Jing Lin’s eyes suddenly frost over. “Where are they?”

“Why don’t you ask Father yourself?” With that, Yun Sheng stood still in the corridor and raised a hand to stop the disciple from announcing their arrivals. He said to Jing Lin, “I’ll let you in on something. Before Lan Hai met his end, he struggled to hang on for a very long time. At that time, he could no longer take in any more medicine. He left no last words behind, but he wrote your name in everyone’s palms. He was waiting for you. This, by itself, was no big deal. But now that an epidemic is about to descend upon us, you will need to explain yourself to the family.”

“Explain?” Li Rong straightened his back. “He has been away from home for such a long time. What explanation does he have to give?”

“It’s precisely because he has been away for a long time!” Yun Sheng whispered urgently. “He hasn’t returned home for so long. Where has he been this half month? There’s no news or messages from him at all! Of all people, Lan Hai just had to write his and his name alone. And now that he had returned, an epidemic happened. What if this were to land in the mouths of others? Shouldn’t he give an explanation? But look at him. He’s showing absolutely no signs of grief at all. Even at this juncture, he is still being so overbearing. In a moment when he comes before Father, is he not even going to act like it?”

Jing Lin brushed past Yun Sheng and entered the room. Yun Sheng was so infuriated that he stamped his foot. But there was nothing he could do about Jing Lin. He could only hurry with Li Rong to catch up with Jing Lin and kneeled together.

Lord Jiutian looked acutely weary. He looked back from the side of the window and said, “What are you quarreling about in the corridor? This is precisely the time where you brothers should be of one mind, and yet you still want to start a dispute?!” As he spoke, his voice visibly choked with emotion. After a moment’s pause, he regained his composure and continued, “Lan Hai has only just left, and all of you still want to continue trampling on your father’s well-meaning intentions like this.”

The three brothers lowered their heads. Yun Sheng said, “This son realizes the error of his ways. I will exercise strict self-discipline in the future and not lose my temper with my brothers. Father has toiled hard for so many days. Please do not upset yourself further over this.”

Lord Jiutian seemed to be somewhat pacified. But he ignored Yun Sheng and looked at Jing Lin instead to say, “It’s time you came back.”

Tao Zhi, who had been standing at one side for a long time, said, “Jiu-ge, where have you gone? We couldn’t find you no matter how hard we tried!”

“Jing Lin was about to transcend just before he left. This tribulation is unlike the others; it’s of utmost importance. Naturally, he has to find a secluded place.” Li Rong said.

“I find it strange.” Tao Zhi put his hands behind his back. “Jiu-ge doesn’t like to take pills, nor is he willing to dual cultivate with others. So how does he progresses this fast? Could it be that he has some way of doing so which he has never mentioned to the other brothers before?”

Jing Lin propped himself up on his knees and said, “There’s a way.”

“What?”

Jing Lin replied in an indifferent voice, “Sever all feelings and desires, and devote yourself to your Way.”

Tao Zhi thought otherwise. “Then you’d have to extract your heart. Not everyone can be like gege with extraordinary talents and the ability to transform their hearts into swords.”

“In that case.” Jing Lin said, “This elder brother can give you a hand.”

Something stirred in Tao Zhi’s eye, and his expression underwent a few rounds of changes in Jing Lin’s eyes. He smiled and said, “Jiu-ge is really different once he has transcended into the Perfection Stage. The way he speaks is so fierce.”

“Shut your mouth.” Lord Jiutian’s voice boomed like the peals of a large bell. It was so deafening that the ears of those present rang. “Jing Lin has always been down-to-earth, and his Way of the Sword is one with his heart. He differs from the others, and he has no distracting thoughts. Naturally, his cultivation cannot be lumped together with yours.”

Tao Zhi did not dare to retort, so he held his tongue for the time being. He looked at Jing Lin, but he was disparaging the latter in his mind. He was certain that Jing Lin had taken that drug of his, and yet Jing Lin was not in the least harmed. At first, he was puzzled. It was only when he went to the north that he finally realized what had been strange about it. He had not known what screw was loose in that mind of canglong, but the latter had sent minor demons to poison him consecutively for half a month! His spiritual sea was now empty, so he had not dared to show himself before his various brothers. In his heart, he regarded Jing Lin and Cangdi as a dog couple.³ He hated them to the core, and yet he had no outlet to vent his anger.

“You came back in a hurry, so you haven’t seen Lan Hai yet.” Lord Jiutian said to Jing Lin, “There’s an abundance of Yin energy⁴ in the Bajiao Xuanmu Tomb. You cultivate the Way of the Sword, and it’s not convenient to head deep into the tomb during rainy days. It would bode ill if you were to wreck his spiritual pulse.⁵ Go tomorrow when the weather clears up. He won’t blame you in the Underworld. Qing Yao has missed you for many days. She’s lying in the back with Dong Jun at her side. You should go and see her.”

Lord Jiutian never said a single word about Lan Hai’s death. He did not blame Jing Lin, but he did not let Jing Lin remain either. Why would Dong Jun remain at the back and not show himself? Because he could not interfere in many of the sect’s affairs. All along, Jing Lin was on the go outside, and now that he returned, it was still the same. Although the brothers seemed to be of one mind, they were actually different in every aspect. Li Rong was the one who was highly valued. He could bring others out of the mountain, take charge of domestic affairs, and had the right to participate in strategic planning. Although Yun Sheng could not leave the mountain at will, he was the brains under Lord Jiutian’s command. Even Tao Zhi was assigned an official post on the outside.

Jing Lin was the only exception. He could venture out freely, yet he had never been assigned a city to defend. He was well-reputed out there, yet it was only limited to the outside. Otherwise, if he had returned home with the five words “Lord Linsong, Jing Lin” backing him, there would have been no reason for him to be lacking in food.

There was a clear distinction between insiders and outsiders in Ninth Heaven Sect, but all of them followed Lord Jiutian’s lead. His strategists on the inside, the valiant men appointed posts on the outside… These men, who held top offices, or who were reputable, were all his sons. They addressed him as Father, and that was how his title of Supreme Father came about.

At this moment, Jing Lin suddenly recalled Cao Cang’s words. How would Heaven and Earth change once the Blood Sea was eliminated in the future? He had never given it much thought in the past, but now that he looked at it, he could sense something more to it.

“There’s something I’d like to ask Father.” Jing Lin remained fixed in place.

Lord Jiutian approached the table and uttered a “Yes?”.

Jing Lin said, “While in the south, I’ve heard that we have set up a private school here at home and selected many children to bring them over. Why is it that I didn’t see any of them while on the way here earlier?”

Lord Jiutian had lifted his brush to write something on the table. On hearing him, he let out a long “hmm” and said, “Children are prone to the invasion of evil aura. At this juncture, how could I let them run all over the place? They are all detained in a courtyard. If you are concerned, take a look some other day. However.” Lord Jiutian looked back at him. “You didn’t care about these things in the past. So what makes you remember it now?”

“Perhaps he has been enlightened.” Tao Zhi said. “Or perhaps he has heard too much from the others. We can’t guess what Jiu-ge is thinking. None of us can tell who are the friends he usually makes either. It would be interesting if he has that one or two special friends. Jiu-ge, if you really have one, you must introduce him to the family.”

Jing Lin ignored him and merely bowed to Lord Jiutian before he turned around to retreat. As the hanging screen fell, he heard Tao Zhi complaining, “Father! Look at that bad temper of his! I wholeheartedly want to make up with him, but he gives me the cold shoulder every time! See, gege has just passed away, but he didn’t even ask…”

The hanging screen swung a few times. Jing Lin had already left.

♦     ♦     ♦

When Jing Lin stepped through the moon gate⁶ at the back, all the flowers along the road had withered. The disciples further were still standing in the heavy rain. This was called a sending off. They were seeing Lan Hai away on the last leg of his journey. Jing Lin stood sideways in the rain for a long time. The sky gradually darkened. It was only then he stepped into the backyard.

He entered the courtyard. The doors and windows along the veranda were all opened. Dong Jun tapped his fan on the wooden floor, and a Chinese rose climbed out of empty air to spiral around Qing Yao, who was dressed in velvet clothes. A cluster of snow-like flowers bloomed.

Sitting cross-legged, Dong Jun waved his folding fan and said, “Gege can conjure out anything under the sun! If there’s something you wish to play with, or to see, just tell me.”

Qing Yao was lying on her back. Her face was so small it was shocking. She was actually already seventeen or eighteen of age, but her body did not grow, and her intelligence did not develop, so she always looked like a child. At present, her face was pallid and tinged with distress. She said to Dong Jun in a small voice, “I want Lan-ge.”

Dong Jun paused for a moment. He was about to speak again when he saw Jing Lin standing in the rain. He snorted and said, “I can’t conjure out Lan Hai, but your Jiu-ge is here.”

Qing Yao immediately propped herself up and looked helplessly at him. She sobbed and called out, “Jiu-ge.”

Jing Li stepped into the veranda. Qing Yao leaned over the side of the handrail and pulled his sleeve. She cried until she was short of breath and weak, “Jiu-ge!”

Jing Lin leaned over and stroked her head. She was still grieving over Lan Hai, and both her eyes were already swollen. Jing Lin felt her forehead. Sure enough, it was alarmingly scalding.

“When did the fever start?” Jing Lin squatted down.

Dong Jun folded his arms. “When Lan Hai was about to… When his illness worsened.”

“What did the elixir master say?”

“No idea.” Dong Jun opened his folding fan and fanned himself until his hair fluttered all over. He said with a shadow of a smile, “How can I know such a thing? The epidemic has now thrown everyone into a panic. Someday when I wake up, I might probably even need to move into a cage to prove my innocence.”

Before he could finish his words, Yan Quan suddenly brushed past his cheek and stabbed into the pillar beside his temple. Dead silence descended upon the veranda. Neither of them looked at the other. A wisp of Dong Jun’s black hair fluttered in the wind and descended into the rain. A copper bell that was hanging under the eaves suddenly jingled.

A line of blood trickled down the side of Dong Jun’s cheek. He turned his head and stretched out his tongue to lick along his lips. His eyes frost over by eighty percent. Savoring the taste of blood in his mouth, he said, “So you think you are omnipotent in Heaven and Earth after transcending into the Perfection Stage? Just because you have pent-up anger in you, you can vent it on me? Have you gone blind, Jing Lin? Have you forgotten who I am?”

A cool breeze rose suddenly on the veranda. The sleeves on a white robe flipped, and Dong Jun leaned back and slid back. Yan Quan spun into Jing Lin’s palm, and Jing Lin backhandedly returned it to its sheath. Amidst the sound of blows being exchanged, he kicked Dong Jun’s waist, straightening it. There was a flash of Dong Jun’s fan as he swung it. He was slippery and elusive, moving as though he was intoxicated. With a “smack”, he slapped away one of Jing Lin’s arms. But it caught him off guard when Jing Lin bent forward and grabbed him by his neck with a palm and slammed him hard against the pillar!

“What did the elixir master say?” Jing Lin grasped him. His eyes were penetrating, and his voice fluctuated. “What did he say?!”

A frenzy of raindrops pelted onto the copper bell, and the unhinged sound of its urgent ringing unsettled minds. Qing Yao was so frightened that she did not dare to make a sound. Covering her lips, she began to cry softly. A snowflake wandered down the veranda. Jing Lin looked askance at it with severe eyes and saw that it was a snow incarnate. Dong Jun forcefully grabbed hold of his sleeve.

“This creature can keep confidences. There’s no need to silence it!” Dong Jun shoved him away. “The elixir master presented a note to Father. Father is the only one who has read it before—What Lan Hai had was not an acute disease. That’s all it said! Who are you suspecting? Now that he has already been buried, everything else doesn’t count for anything!”

Jing Lin instantly turned around and stepped into the rain. Dong Jun pulled his collar to adjust it and took a few steps to catch up to Jing Lin. He said, “What are you going to do? Don’t tell me you want to dig up his grave!”

Jing Lin’s hair was already drenched, and his eyes were so dazzlingly bright that they forced Dong Jun back a few steps. Jing Lin said: “He can’t die a dubious death. I want to see him with my own eyes.”

Literally, Octagonal Black Tomb

Literally, Eastern Mountain

狗男男, or 狗男女 Literally “dog couple”, or a pair of cheating dogs, is a couple engaged in an illicit love affair. 狗男女 refers to a couple of a man and woman, while 狗男男, a play on the former, is a couple that comprises two men.

阴气 Yin energy, based on the principles of Yin (and) Yang (阴阳), which represents opposing forces such as life (yang) and death (yin), male (yang) and female (yin), light (yang) and darkness (yin), etc. Here, “Yin energy” refers to an aura of death and darkness.

气脉. Spiritual energy that runs among the mountains and rivers. In Feng Shui, its direction and abundance (or lack of) at the site of burial would supposedly affect the deceased’s afterlife and determine the future fortunes of his family.

洞门 An opening in a wall separating different courtyards within a residence or palace. It’s also known as a moon gate (月亮门).

Chapter 92: Darling

MAY 27, 2020

Heavy rain pelted down like the scattering of beans. Jing Lin descended straight down the stairs. The Bajiao Xuanmu Tomb was located at the bottom of the ring of mountains around Ninth Heaven Sect. It was Ninth Heaven Sect’s geomantic treasure land for absorbing the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, used to suppress disciples who have attained the Spiritual Amassment Stage. In order to guard against evil spirits, there were not only layers of guards set up, but also several cinnabar-drawn metal talismans erected.

As soon as Jing Lin stepped in, fire from the surrounding talismans flickered and lit up. His face was white as jade, cold as iron. The towering iron talismans before him denied him direct access. In response, a valiant general landed from the air and cupped his hands in a gesture to pay his obeisances.

“Lord Linsong, please hold it right there!” The general was as thin as paper. Even though he was donning an armor, he still resembled a paper man. He was originally a Ghost Guard of the Underworld. But because of the invasion of the Blood Sea, he was reduced to wandering on the outside. So Lord Jiutian took him under his command to guard the tomb. His complexion at this moment was pallid. Under the ghostly fire and heavy rain, he looked to be even more of a malicious ghost. He said to Jing Lin, “Without concrete orders from the Lord, no one can enter.”

“As the Supreme Father’s adopted son, I have the rights to walk around the sect.” Rainwater dripped before Jing Lin’s eyes. He said, “Get out of the way.”

The general rattled aside the iron chain in his palm. Without deferring to him, he said, “Without concrete orders from the Lord, even Lord Linsong cannot enter without authorization!”

Jing Lin suddenly advanced a step. The wind under the step he took rose abruptly, but it was obstructed by Dong Jun’s folding fan.

“Talk it over if you have something to say. Why get angry with our own people?!” Dong Jun stopped Jing Lin and said to the general, “Since you know he is Lord Linsong, then you must have heard about his temperament. You should understand that he is, by no means, a trouble-maker. You should also understand that he’s the one Father dotes on the most! It’s wrong of him to barge into the tomb tonight. Even if Father were to settle scores in the future, he will be the one to shoulder the blame. Do him a favor. There will be plenty of chances for you to ask for it to be paid back in kind another day. So why clash with him over this?”

“I know of Lord Linsong’s character.” The general said, “However, as a garrison guard, I cannot let him in without seeing the order!”

“My brother is dead.” Jing Lin’s eyes were black and bright as he enunciated each word, “I want to see him, and you dare to stop me?!”

“The Lord still has to follow the rules even after losing his beloved son! Besides, Lord Linsong is on the go outside all year round, and I don’t see him being on close terms with anyone. Since it is already too late, then why put powerless people like us in a spot?” The general yanked up the chain and rebuked, “Back down!”

Pines from the mountain ranges instantly billowed in waves, while sudden claps of thunder rang out amidst the rainy night. Caught off-guard by a kick to his chest, the general immediately took a few steps back. Then, he flew into a rage, only to see the sword sheath cleaving right towards the door. He did not dare to put on airs before Jing Lin. Iron chains went whistling through the air as he flung it out in a horizontal arch. Raindrops splashed all over as the chain slashed through it, and the droplets in the air transformed into sharp needles of rain that swarmed right towards Jing Lin!

Yan Quan’s sheath whirled around in a sweeping attack, and the needles of rain crashed into it with a “thud”. An upwards flick of the sheath the next instant sent sprays of rainwater erupting between them. The general’s flying chain struck away the spray of water, but Jing Lin had already sidestepped it to close in on him. There was a muffled grunt, and the general’s body smashed heavily into the metal talisman. He backhandedly slapped the metal talisman and bellowed, “Lord Linsong is bent on killing me!”

His voice pierced through the rainy night. The faint light of the metal talismans intensified, and countless ghostly shadows broke through the talisman. An army of them surged forth and charged as they took up arms and brandished their blades at Jing Lin. Violent thunder exploded, and lightning broke through the night. Like an enraged dragon on a rampage, the churning, torrents of rainwater urgently and noisily smashed onto Jing Lin’s face and into Jing Lin’s heart.

Jing Lin burned with anger as he backhandedly grasped the hilt. There was a thunderous clamor, and Yan Quan frostily left its sheath. The waves of pines swayed violently in the rainstorm, while the entire mountain range around Ninth Heaven shook. As his sword slashed the ghosts, the black shadows dispelled as though they had encountered a bright light that cut them apart. Thousands upon thousands of souls howled with resentment as they were torn to pieces and promptly dispersed.

Jing Lin closed in. The general’s chains wound around Yan Quan, yet the latter would not budge even when he pulled at it. Under the shadows, Jing Lin’s spiritual sea was boiling over. The general seemed to vaguely hear a cry that sounded like the roar of a dragon in this vast expanse of boundlessness. The next moment, a sudden impact sent him flying. The iron talisman behind him creaked loudly and instantly toppled over with a loud bang.

The general rolled on the ground and spat out blood. He saw the door behind open wide. Jing Lin strode in. Dong Jun stuck his folding fan into his back collar, swung aside the corner of his robe, and jumped over the general’s back to make his way across.

Jing Lin pushed his way through with hurried steps and finally came to a stop before a newly erected tomb. The sound of rain intensified. The rocky mud split apart as the tomb rapidly flattened to reveal a large copper coffin with a golden chain of Sanskrit scripts wound around it.

Jing Lin took a few steps closer. He was about to lift the coffin out when someone suddenly sprang up from behind and raised his hand to aim three daggers right at Jing Lin’s Mingmen acupoint.¹ Jing Lin looked back and jerked his sleeves, and Tao Zhi staggered back in a retreat.

Tao Zhi said, “Are you mad? To think you want to dig up his grave!² He’s already dead! What enmity do you have with him that makes you hate him so much?!”

The rainy sky came to a standstill for a split second as Li Rong leaped down and said, “Jing Lin!”

Jing Lin grabbed hold of the golden chain of Sanskrit scripts with his palm and hauled it up. The coffin rose with a “thud”, making a loud clatter as it was dragged.

Li Rong smacked a palm down on it to nail the coffin in place. He shouted at Jing Lin, “What are you doing?!”

Jing Lin said, “I want to see his body.”

Li Rong’s anger was truly stoked now. He said, “Nonsense!”

“Move away.” Jing Lin said in a frosty voice.

“I’m your shixiong!” Li Rong refused to budge. “How can I watch you commit a grave mistake?! Lan Hai has been laid to rest, with golden scripts to guard his coffin. You won’t be able to bear the responsibility for it if you open it prematurely and provoke an evil being!”

“If it’s an evil being inside, my sword will not show mercy!” Jing Lin pressed in a step closer and raised his voice slightly, “Move away!”

“You’re being insane today. I won’t move. Even if you do such a thing again in the future, I won’t let you either! Lord Linsong’s sword has already transcended; there’s nothing he has to fear. So do you have to fight a round with me now before you will be willing to listen to advice?!”

Jing Lin’s voice was tinged with fury. “I must see him tonight!”

Po Zheng Spear suddenly smashed into the ground and stood erect beside Li Rong. Li Rong remained as firm as a mountain. He said, “Then please guide me with your Yan Quan Sword first!”

Lightning flashed and thunder clapped overhead. Tightly strung tension built up around them. Heavy rain that was coming down in pillars poured over their shoulders and hair. Everyone was drenched and cold. Tao Zhi had always been one to act unreasonably. Even so, under this tremendous pressure, he did not dare to breathe loudly. His gaze wandered between both men; he was already harboring the thought to play peace-maker.

“Jiu, Jiu-ge…”

Tao Zhi had only just said that when Dong Jun placed his folding fan right before him to block his face. Despite being on tenterhooks, Tao Zhi did not dare to move.

Jing Lin loosened his grip, and Yan Quan slanted down beside his leg along with the raindrops. Li Rong immediately relaxed a little and softened his tone, “If there’s something on your mind, you can talk to me first…”

But Jing Lin unexpectedly pressed his thumb against the sheath, and the cold glint of Yan Quan suddenly shone. A flurry of wind and thunder materialized along with the violent roar of the sword. Li Rong lifted his spear to block the attack, and the majestic sword aura grazed past both of his cheeks, almost breaking his skin.

Enraged and heartbroken, he said in a heavy voice, “Fine! Then may Lord Linsong enlighten me!”

Tao Zhi was already unstable on his feet. If it were not for Dong Jun being on guard with that fan of his, he would have surely been sent flying right this moment. Tao Zhi grabbed Dong Jun’s sleeve tightly. Dong Jun, however, was relaxedly welcoming the gale face-on with his hair fluttering in the rain.

“Your Jiu-ge is incensed. And yet Li Rong thinks he could send him away with just a few words.” His eyes looked contemplative as he said, “He really doesn’t understand Jing Lin at all.”

Muddied rocks tumbled across the ground. Li Rong turned over his spear and slammed it down. His spear weighed a thousand catty,³ and the common man could not even lift it. When he smashed it down, the impact sent the rainwater splashing to both sides. Jing Lin’s outfit billowed, and Yan Quan blocked this earth-shaking spear head-on. The edge of the sword and body of the spear crossed paths with each other. Sparks of fire erupted from the friction as they scraped against each other. Rainwater condensed on Jing Lin’s long eyelashes and scoured his face until he looked increasingly impersonal. He held up his sword and lifted his leg. Li Rong took his blow in silence, as if he did not know of pain in this exchange of blows.

Po Zheng Spear whirled like a fan, and the violent impact caused Yan Quan to buzz incessantly. Shrouded under the dark night, Li Rong was like the towering pillar of strength that showed no signs of weakness under the flying attacks of the sword. Just as he could remain stable like Mount Tai, he could also strike like a rock. Even under this kind of fury, he had no weakness to be found. The Way of the Asura had tempered his heart and mind to the point it was unwavering. Once he had set his heart on a path, he would plunge fully into it and spare no effort to push ahead. In terms of focus and devotion, Li Rong and Jing Lin could be indeed said to be true fellow disciples!

Jing Lin received a cut to the back of his hand as he turned his sword. Blood instantly spattered. There was already a tear in his shirt. His swordplay was swift and forceful, triggering Li Rong so much that the latter would not give way to him.

When Tao Zhi saw that both men meant business, his legs went weak. He clung on to Dong Jun and said, “Gege!”

Dong Jun shivered. He kept his fan away and took to his heels in an attempt to leave.

Tao Zhi hurriedly hugged hold of Dong Jun’s arm. With both feet scraping against the ground, he shouted, “You can’t leave! If they continue fighting like this, Bajiao Xuanmu Tomb will be destroyed. When Father holds someone accountable for it, none of us will be able to escape!”

“What has it got to do with me?” Dong Jun struggled to free his arm. “I’m just one idle man, someone who accompanies and amuses Qing Yao. Even if he wants to settle scores, I’ll be the last person he looks for!”

“Xiongzhang!”⁴ Tao Zhi dragged him. “Stop them both!”

“I’m not up to it.” Dong Jun replied. “Just a jab with this lousy fan and it will break. You do it yourself.”

“That won’t do!” How would Tao Zhi dare to? He made a scene to prevent Dong Jun from leaving. He said, “I know your cultivation is unfathomable. There is no need for you to do more than you need to. Just break Jing Lin’s leg or arm! Li Rong will definitely not make another move.”

“Why do you hate him that much?” Dong Jun tapped his chin with his fan and said, “If you break his arms and legs, he will be disabled.”

As they spoke, the gale stirred up by both men came steamrolling towards them. Dong Jun brandished his folding fan, and that violent wind instantly distorted and reversed directions, tearing back at Jing Lin and Li Rong until they both simultaneously retreated.

“What madness are you both up to in the middle of the night?!” Yun Sheng quickly intervened and said, “Father is right before you. Kneel now!”

Lord Jiutian stood in the rain with clouds of gloom on his face.

Li Rong said, “Sparring between brothers isn’t any big deal. Why is Father even alerted over this?!”

“Sparring?” Lord Jiutian let out a laugh, looking even frosty in the rain. “The audacity of you both. At this juncture, you still want to fool me! Scoundrels, is this the place for you to behave atrociously?!”

The iron talismans of Bajiao Xuanmu Tomb had been destroyed, and ghostly fires were flying all over. It was a mess all around. Li Rong lifted his spear and kneeled on the ground. He said, “… This son has failed to pay due consideration.”

“How about you!” Lord Jiutian was boiling with rage.

Jing Lin’s chest heaved slightly. The back of his hand had turned dark red from the trickles of blood. Amidst the violent thunderclaps, he suddenly turned his hand over and struck out. Everyone was caught off guard, as they had not expected him to still dare to act so impetuously right this moment! There was a loud rumble as that copper coffin was dragged out of the earth. Following right after, Jing Lin kicked the coffin lid open.

“Jing Lin!”

Uproar of anger rose all around.

The coffin lid went smashing to the ground, and the heavy rain poured down. Jing Lin shifted his eyes away from the coffin and swept them across everyone present.

“Where is Lan Hai?” He asked in a cold and detached tone.

Thunder and lightning sliced through the sky, tearing through the darkness. Everyone looked astonished, because the coffin was empty.

Lord Jiutian suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart. The color immediately drained from his face, and he staggered a few steps. It was Yun Sheng who held him to support him. He stared fixedly at the coffin and forced out the words through clenched teeth.

“Where’s he?!”

Tao Zhi fell to his butt with a thud in the rain. He looked at his brothers and wiped away the rain on his face in disbelief. A startled Li Rong had already risen to his feet. He scrutinized the coffin for a moment with a stunned expression on his face. Only Dong Jun closed his eyes without looking at it. With his hands behind his back, he weighed the folding fan in his palm and said nothing.

Jing Lin stood in the rain and slowly closed his eyes.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin and Li Rong kneeled in the rain. The elixir master went in and out of Lord Jiutian’s chamber, while the rest of the brothers stood on the veranda. As long as Lord Jiutian did not summon them, both of them could only remain kneeling.

Jing Lin lowered his head and remained still. A small bottle suddenly rolled to the side of his hand. He glanced slightly out of the corner of his eye and saw Li Rong waiting in silence with lowered eyes.

“Po Zheng is sharp.” Li Rong said. “It’s not easy to stop the bleeding of the cuts it makes. So bandage it as soon as you can.”

Jing Lin reached into his sleeve, only to recall that he had given his handkerchief to Cao Cang. He could only let it be and uttered an acknowledgment in response instead.

Li Rong wiped his face and said, “How did you discover that he wasn’t in the coffin?”

“I only wanted to see his body.” Jing Lin looked ahead. The heavy rain isolated them from the others’ hearing and sight, providing a partitioned space for both men.

“I closed the coffin with my own hands.” Li Rong said, “This is by no means a trivial matter. Crises are aplenty in the sect. Those who can take the body away without us knowing is not someone to be underestimated.”

Jing Lin said, “He is among us.”

After a moment of silence, Li Rong said, “It’s much easier to fall into the trap when suspicions abound between brothers.”

“How long can you live by playing dumb?” Jing Lin said, “Lan Hai is dead.”

“… Who do you suspect?”

Jing Lin said nothing, but looked towards Li Rong.

In reality, there was only so much to be said about so-called brothers. At this point, they could no longer remain calm and composed. The perpetrator could be anyone, but no one seemed to be it. The fight between them was intense tonight. Had it not been for Jing Lin’s insistence on opening the coffin at the last minute, it would be hard to say when this matter would eventually come to light.

“I can’t believe you are sizing me up this openly.” Li Rong looked at the other brothers behind the curtain of rain. Each of their faces were indistinct. He said, “Unless you are on familiar terms with them, you mustn’t do this.”

Both men kneeled for another two hours before Yun Sheng came out holding a medicine bowl. He stepped into the rain and said to the two of them resentfully for failing to live up to expectations. “You just had to come to blows for something that can be reported with just a word. You two… Father’s anger has yet to subside. Both of you head back to your own courtyard to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors.”

Li Rong received the order. Together with Jing Lin, he rose to his feet and withdrew. Jing Lin looked at no one when he passed by the brothers and vanished around the corridor with a trace of cold wind following in his path.

Tao Zhi groused in irritation. “He’s the one who stirred up trouble, and yet we are the one to bear the brunt of it here!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin and Li Rong were punished to reflect over their mistakes behind closed doors, but the sect was short of manpower, and so Li Rong headed out only after three days. Only Jing Lin remained in his compound, with only the trees for company. He waited in vain for the amnesty. Everything happening outside seemed to have nothing to do with him. Since he no longer needed to eat now, he was spared the embarrassment of eating cold, leftover food.

He was really self-reflecting while facing the wall. He could sit before the wall for a whole day without moving. The place where Po Zheng had grazed past was slow to heal. Jing Lin carelessly wrapped a strip of cloth around it to block the sight of that conspicuous scar on the back of his hand.

In the end, he had not gone all out. He had only gotten hurt, but he had not drawn blood from Li Rong.

Jing Lin pressed against the wall. His eyes shifted along with the projections of shadow from the broken window. It was rarely sunny outside, with frequent bouts of Autumn rain. The furnishings in his room were simple, and his room became increasingly colder. He counted the days, day after day, and after enduring through it for half a month, it was finally the day of rendezvous.

The cold wind at night brought the rain along with it. Jing Lin held up an umbrella. Before he left, he remembered that he was still supposed to be reflecting on his mistakes in seclusion, so he headed to the wall and flipped over it. Edging along the courtyard wall, he avoided and slipped past the disciples on night patrol. A stone rolled out beside his feet. It held up a plump leaf and skipped as it followed behind him.

♦     ♦     ♦

Ming Jin Stage had long been sealed off. Businesses had ceased operations everywhere around the viewing pavilion. The night was so cold it made one shiver, yet Jing Lin felt a little warm. He came from the side of the derelict pond, with the rain sounding like the pelting of pearls and jades upon his umbrella. He stepped onto Ming Jin Stage, strolled around once, then stood by the side of the railing.

The stone leaned against Jing Lin’s leg and hung up the plump leaf to dry. Then it sprawled in the gap between the stone railing to look around.

Jing Lin put his heart into waiting. He had never waited for anyone like this before, so he did not know of his anxiety. He only felt hot for no reason. He kept his eyes on the railing in the rain and did a precise count of the patterned texture on it.

He waited until the corner of his robe was slightly wet. Until the stone sprawled in the gap stared blankly into space.

Why isn’t he here yet? 

Jing Lin rechecked the days again, counting them one by one, over and over. The half-month appointment was tonight. Tonight was the half-month appointment. He had not misremembered. His memory had always been good. The water on the surface of the stage splashed onto Jing Lin’s shoes. He remained lost in thought.

♦     ♦     ♦

The top of his umbrella suddenly lifted, and Jing Lin raised his head. He saw the wind and rain pelting before him, and an arm lifting up the edge of his umbrella. A man suddenly pressed in towards him and turned his head to kiss Jing Lin hard on his lips.

Cang Ji’s breathing was uneven, and his hair was drenched. He carried fruits that he had wrapped up in his robe. His back and legs were all muddy. Ignoring the umbrella after he was done kissing Jing Lin, he rubbed the bundled robe and picked Jing Lin up with both arms. The unnamed fruits tumbled all over the ground. Huffing out warm air, Cang Ji said,

“I finally found you after turning around in circles and falling into mud pits eight times. From afar, I could see that straight back under the umbrella, standing erect just like pine.” Cang Ji gasped for breath and kissed him hard again. He continued, “As expected, it’s my darling!”

命门(穴) Mingmen acupoint, or Gate of Life, is an acupoint in the lower back.

Grave desecration not only destroys any positive Feng Shui of the burial site (the spiritual pulse mentioned in last chapter) but is also a sign of disrespect and open hostility towards the person. Even today, desecrating a person’s ancestral grave is popularly considered as the ultimate act of revenge taken toward another individual.

斤 jin, or catty. 1 catty = 0.5 kg

兄长 Xiongzhang, i.e. respectful term for an elder brother. Unlike gege, it doesn’t carry an ‘intimate’ connotation between men.

Chapter 93: Reverse Scale

JUNE 3, 2020

The umbrella hit the stone railing, and the rain intensified in that very instant. Cang Ji’s breathing clung close to Jing Lin, scorching him so much that his mouth was parched. Rainwater dripped down the center of his forehead to the bridge of his nose, turning the melding of their lips unusually wet, hot, and sticky through this layer of coolness

Cang Ji’s palms groped all over Jing Lin’s back as he received Jing Lin’s inexperienced kiss that was really just a collision of lips and teeth. He raised his head back slightly and asked, “Are you dizzy? Does it hurt? Why have you lost so much weight? Your bones are protruding…”

Jing Lin cupped Cang Ji’s cheeks with his hands and extended his fingers to stroke Cang Ji’s facial features. Then he replied in all seriousness to each question, “Not dizzy. Doesn’t hurt. Didn’t lose weight.” With that, he gasped hard for breath twice. “You… you are hugging me too tight!”

Amused by his expression, Cang Ji gave him a hard squeeze and said, “Tight? I haven’t even pressed you into my flesh and bones yet!”

Jing Lin said, “Don’t.”

Jing Lin’s palms were so icy that Cang Ji squinted his eyes. On hearing him, he said, “Then bribe me.”

Jing Lin repeated, “Bribed you.”

Cang Ji laughed out loud and said, “The mountains have produced a bastard. You just went home for a few days and you have already picked up all the bad habits from others.”

“I’m not a bastard.”

“You are a little scoundrel.” Cang Ji tilted his head slightly. His eyes blazed with passion as that unbridled desire surged right for his heart, enveloping it. Unable to resist, he pinched Jing Lin’s chin, pulled it towards him, and whispered, “Let me take a mouthful.”

Jing Lin was about to say something, and Cang Ji took it all as his agreement. Fingers insolently pried Jing Lin’s lips apart. Bending his head down, Cang Ji sucked at the tip of that tongue and took in their intermingled saliva. Jing Lin stretched his neck out a little, exposing a length of snow white on the back of his neck. Cang Ji covered it with his palm. He could not take his hands off it, and yet, he wanted to knead it with all his might. Trapped in this dilemma, his heart alternated between warmth and coldness. All he could do was to suck hard.

Jing Lin was both numbed and hurting from the kiss. His palms were pressed against Cang Ji’s chest, and his nape shivered from Cang Ji’s rubs. The temptation of lust rose in the cold rain, stimulating Jing Lin so much that soft gasps escaped between his lips from not being able to keep up with it.

Cang Ji’s back had long been soaked through, but he did not feel cold at all. Strength flooded the back of his shoulders and arms, sending waves of long-suppressed heat rippling through them. He grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s hands and gave this purest sword some breathing space.

Jing Lin was already disoriented from the kiss when he was released all of a sudden. Even his lips were a shade of dark red. Cang Ji picked up the umbrella with the tip of his foot, held it up, and pulled Jing Lin to him before moving off the stage.

“There was this one day I watched you here.” The umbrella was small, but Cang Ji had a large physique. More than half of him was exposed outside the umbrella he was holding up. It was only when he let the rainwater pour over him that the heat in him was alleviated. Leading Jing Lin by the hand, he stopped as they descended the stairs and pointed to a viewing pavilion a short distance away. “I saw you carrying your sword as you stepped onto the stage in a white robe like a dove, as arrogant as hell. I thought, what a pompous lad. I’ll have to give him a hard time in the future.”

Holding up his sword, Jing Lin said, “Enlighten me on stage.”

Cang Ji said, “What? So what happened earlier wasn’t considered a sparring? Just a little lick and you shrank back and shivered.”

Jing Lin’s little finger hurriedly twitched a few times. He said, “You, impetuous!”

“I’m Cao Cang, and ‘impetuous’ is my middle name.”¹ Cang Ji laughed heartily. “It’s ticklish and tantalizing when you strike me in my palm. How not very impetuous of Lord Linsong.”

Jing Lin stumbled and hit his back without a sound. Burying his face into his back, he said, “Not Lord Linsong.”

With his hands at his back, Cang Ji led him down and said, “If you aren’t Lord Linsong, then you can only be my…” Cang Ji paused for a moment. “Mine.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Both men made their way onto the veranda of the viewing pavilion. The vines climbing along the pillars had all withered, leaving only dried, tenacious branches still hanging around. Cang Ji wiped the only remaining fruit clean and leaned against the pillar to watch Jing Lin eat.

“With water accumulating in the north, the fruits aren’t as delicious as they used to be. But they are, after all, fruits produce from home, so I still want you to have a taste of it.” As Cang Ji spoke, he gently caressed the back of Jing Lin’s hand. “The swords have moved. What has happened in your sect again?”

Jing Lin swallowed the sweet and sour juice and said with tightly pursed lips. “I didn’t get to see Lan Hai for the last time. They buried his body too soon. It makes me uneasy.”

“What happened after you pried it open?”

“Nothing.” Jing Lin replied. “The body is missing.”

Cang Ji raised his head slightly as he leaned against the pillar and thought about it. He said, “I know very little about Lan Hai. What’s your thoughts on this?”

Jing Lin wiped his fingers and said, “Lan Hai’s original form was Han Tian Hammer.² Weapons in the sect that could be considered famous were all his creations. Occasionally, when Yan Quan is chafed, I’d hand it to him to repair. He wasn’t famous, but the weapons he forged are renowned all over the world. Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear, Dong Jun’s Shan He Fan, and Father’s Su Shi Blade³ all came from his hands.”

“If he’s coveting cultivation, then he shouldn’t have eyed him.” Cang Ji’s fingers gently slid around the back of Jing Lin’s hand, moving back and forth along the scar. “If I were in his shoes, instead of taking a risk during the critical juncture of transcendence, I’d have chosen you or Li Rong.”

“Perhaps ‘he’ actually didn’t want to take risks.” Jing Lin’s side profile was slightly cold as he said, “He already knew who we were when we were in the Blood Sea. So he must have been on guard against me. At this juncture, he shouldn’t really have made such an unnecessary move and aroused suspicion.”

“But he still did it.”

“Lan Hai was also in charge of the sect’s spiritual garden.”

“The elixirs.” Cang Ji said, “Lan Hai detected a problem with those pills. Perhaps he had even found some crucial clues, and that forced the Blood Sea’s hand. Were there anything odd with Lan Hai before he died?”

“He wrote my name in everyone’s palm.” Jing Lin spread his other hand open and stared at his palm. “What did he mean by it?”

Cang Ji leaned back and lay down on Jing Lin’s thigh. He pulled Jing Lin’s palm and rubbed at the lotus pattern on it. After contemplating it for a long time, he said, “He had something to tell you. Why you? The clue must have something to do with you. To write your name in such a way that involved so many people, he was obviously already forced into the corner. He was certain that no one around him could be trusted. Or perhaps he already knew who the ‘Blood Sea’ was.”

“But.” Jing Lin hung his head down. “It was just a name. How could we be sure that he had a message for me just from this alone? We hardly see each other, and we seldom talk much either.”

“Because he wrote your name.” Cang Ji said, “A dying man would not do meaningless deeds. He had a message for you and he could only entrust this message to another person. But he could not fully trust this person either, so he had to leave your name on everyone’s palms. This way, regardless of whether or not this person tells you, you’re going to have doubts about it.”

After a moment’s silence, Jing Lin said, “This person didn’t tell me.”

“This is where the crux lies.” Cang Ji said, “He didn’t tell you. If he isn’t the Blood Sea, then he is harboring an ulterior motive and is scheming something. Although this matter is still complicated and bewildering, there is one thing we can understand from it.”

Jing Lin looked him in the eye and said slowly, “Internal strife between brothers, and the wolf lies in wait among them.”

“And it’s not just one.” Cang Ji placed Jing Lin’s palm over the tip of his own nose and said, “Do you still remember what I said to you?”

Jing Lin replied, “… They will all lie to me.”

“That’s right.” Cang Ji stared at him and repeated, “They will all lie to you.”

Rain pelted down in the solitude of the night. Jing Lin gradually leaned back. The cold was the snake that had sprang up from the bottom of his heart to slither around his neck. Jing Lin raised his hand to press down on the spot between his eyebrows. His Adam’s apple bobbed restlessly.

Who was it?

Other than the Blood Sea, who else among his brothers was also harboring wild ambitions? What did he want to do? What was he thinking of doing?

There was a “smack” as Jing Lin’s head was suddenly held down. He swiftly returned to his senses and looked fixedly at Cang Ji.

Cang Ji said, “A confused heart is a distracted mind. It’s easiest to fall into the traps of others if you are in doubt. You cultivate the Way of the Sword. No matter what happens in the future, you must stick true to your heart and remain firm in your beliefs. Have you got it?”

Jing Lin said, “My heart feels confused. I’ve already fallen into doubt.”

“All matters will see the day when the truth comes to light.” Cang Ji touched Jing Lin’s forehead and said, “Even if heaven and earth turn upside down, or if the Blood Sea collapses, as long as you are still building the Way of the Sword, you will be fine.”

“How about you?” Jing Lin suddenly asked.

“I’m a demon. I’m untamed and unrestrained. I fear neither ghosts nor deities.” Cang Ji closed his eyes and kissed Jing Lin’s palm. He said, “Have you ever heard of the dragon’s reverse scale?”⁴

Jing Lin said, “Canglong has a crescent the color of white jade under his throat. Although he has the power to swallow the sky and the sea, and the ability to command the wind and the clouds,⁵ his vital point lies in this spot. I heard that he doesn’t appear before others easily, because he’s called Dijun and sits on an equal footing with the True Buddha. When he appears in the world, millions of people lie prostrate in obeisance. No one dares to take a close look.”

“That’s right.” Cang Ji opened his eyes. “That’s his vulnerability. Touch it, and he will fly into a rage. No one in the world can touch it.”

Jing Lin nodded and inexplicably blinked his eyes. He said, “I have no enmity with him. I won’t touch it.”

For no reason, Cang Ji laughed. He clasped his hands at the back of Jing Lin’s neck, but his eyes were a sea of calm.

“I’m different from them.” Cang Ji’s eyes were deep and black. He said, “You are just like my reverse scale. You live, I live. You are my life. Therefore, no matter how difficult things are in the future, or how arduous life becomes, I want you to live.”

Jing Lin was horrified on hearing this. He jerked as though a sudden clap of thunder had startled him. He could not help but grasp Cang Ji’s clothes tightly and say, “I don’t want it this way!”

Cang Ji smiled and caressed his head lovingly, “You keep saying you ‘don’t want’ the whole day, always acting like a pampered child with me.”

Jing Lin stalled, then said, “… I don’t want.”

He was in a daze as uneasiness washed over him. The humidity of the rainy night made him fidgety. Invisible forces of evil circled around him, and everywhere was a boundless expense of deep, heavy fog. He clutched the corner of Cang Ji’s clothes, wrinkling it between his fingers as he wrung them into balls.

“If you don’t want, then so be it. My outfit is going to be wrung rotten by you.” Cang Ji sat up and said, “Do you want me to walk around naked later?”

Jing Lin suddenly closed in towards him and asked with clear eyes, “What happened to you in the north?”

Instead of dodging, Cang Ji leaned in and asked, “You want to know?”

Jing Lin nodded, and Cang Ji said, “Let me have a bite of you.”

Jing Lin covered his neck and said, “You are always leaving traces behind.”

“Marking my territory.” Cang Ji laughed in spite of himself. “I’m still not done. The back of your waist, your buttocks, and the insides of your thighs… I want to bite them all over in time to come.”

Jing Lin was originally on edge, and Cang Ji had taken his time to tease him until his heart fluttered. He could not help but retreat, feeling as though he had fallen into Cang Ji’s trap again. But Cang Ji was fiddling with his fingers, and Jing Lin did not know how much of his tricks he had yet to reveal. The moment he curbed the smile on his face, he would be all upright and proper.

“The words uttered may be shameless, but the matter is of paramount importance. The whole world knows you, Lord Linsong, but they may not necessarily know me. With my teeth mark imprinted on you, and that’s as good as a concrete promise sealed with a kiss.” Cang Ji snorted coldly as he spoke. “I just have to take that one bite on your thigh, and I’ll be able to see it clearly once I lift it up in the future. Just below the buttocks, and I can see it whether I enter from the front or the back.”

His words left Jing Lin mystified, “What’s entering from the front?”

Cang Ji said, “Trying for yourself is a hundred times better than hearing it from others. Want to try it with me?”

Jing Lin clutched his clothes tightly. He was still a little perplexed on hearing this. Cang Ji had originally intended to change the topic, but on seeing him, his heart softened until it was a total mess. He rubbed Jing Lin’s cheeks roughly.

“Nothing is happening in the north.” Cang Ji said, “Even if there is, there’s still Cangdi to take care of it. I didn’t say all those words to strike fear in you, but to lay bare my heart and make myself clear to you.”

“I have never known fear.” Jing Lin said, “But I don’t want you to die.”

“A scourge lasted for a thousand years.”⁶ Cang Ji said with a stubborn, unyielding expression. “I won’t die. There are still plenty of things I have yet to teach you, and I can’t bear to let others teach on my behalf. So I can only put all my heart into staying alive.”

As he spoke, he took Jing Lin into his arms and embraced him. With his hand on his, he drew the rain into a fish in the air.

“There’s a man I love.” Cang Ji grasped Jing Lin’s fingertips, and put his head on Jing Lin’s shoulder, ear to ear, temple to temple. “I expected him to be my tribulation, but then I fell under his spell. I yearn to see him in the day, and I yearn to see him at night. I want to treat him well with all the earnestness I could muster, and at the same time, I want to bully him in the most licentious ways possible. I can’t explain it clearly, but that’s what it means. The moment I met him, I became a rascal, because I can’t help it either.”

The cold rainwater soaked his fingertips. Jing Lin looked askance at him.

After staring blankly for a while, Cang Ji said, “Sometimes, I want to hold him with both hands in my heart to coax, and sometimes I want to hold him tight in my arms and thrust. Love begets lust, not the other way round. I took advantage of him like the lowlife I am. I’m wicked and ferocious.” He nuzzled against the side of Jing Lin’s cheek. “I will still be wicked and ferocious in the future. I want to crush him, swallow him, and put him in my mouth to play with. Say, what do you think I should do?”

Jing Lin’s cheek had gone slightly red from his rubs. He could only utter an “uh-huh” in a hoarse voice as a reply.

“Why isn’t he answering?” Cang Ji hugged him. “Does he not want me? Does he not like me? It’d be best if he doesn’t like me. Because I want him to love me.”

Jing Lin’s hands and legs had already gone numb. Cang Ji’s words had left a pleasant hum lingering inside him. He watched as the fish before his eyes leaped into life. It jumped in mid-air, swimming and swishing its tail. He wanted to close his eyes, but he felt that the man behind him would be all the more conspicuous if he were to do so. So he opened his mouth slightly and looked at Cang Ji.

“I…”

Jing Lin braced himself and suddenly smashed his lips into Cang Ji’s. He was like a newly released little beast, whose licks and nips were all awkward and clumsy. Yet, they brought with them the courage of one going all out and committing himself irrevocably. Cang Ji let him do as he wished. His arms wrapped around his waist, with his hands sticking to his lower abdomen to stroke it. Jing Lin kissed him with the vigor and simplicity of a child, not knowing the dragon aura in the midst of his spiritual sea was soaring and assembling together before dispersing under Cang Ji’s rubs until there was no trace of it left. But the more Jing Lin kissed, the hotter he felt, until he was so hot that the clasps on his clothes stretched taut as he raised his neck and exposed his collarbone.

After Cang Ji was done rubbing, he suddenly picked Jing Lin up, pulled his legs around his own waist, and pinned him onto the pillar. Their breaths intermingled into one. Cang Ji’s lips slid down along Jing Lin’s neck.

Jing Lin’s back hurt from being pinned down. He could feel something pressing against his abdomen. Its heat was startling, and it felt savage to the touch. Some raindrops spattered onto his face. His breathing grew rugged.

Cang Ji raised his head too. The feralness in his eyes was compelling, and his shoulders were taut with tension. But this was not really a good time, and the place was not right either. He could go at it ruthlessly, but he was not willing to let Jing Lin endure the cold. So he said, “Stick it out. Let me have enough of it, and I’ll be satisfied for tonight.”

Jing Lin was feeling the hardness. He opened his mouth a little. He had only just shown a little of the tip of his tongue when it was sucked.

It was raining cats and dogs. The sounds of panting intersected in the darkness as they leaned against each other, grinding to the point of intolerability until Cang Ji was literally drenched in sweat all over.

He had already gone insane.

So insane that he even wanted to imprison Jing Lin in his arms and leave no trace of his scent, voice, and shadow to anyone else.

Author’s Words:

⁷

Thank you for reading w

草字 a humble or self-deprecating term used to introduce one’s courtesy name to another party in ancient times. What Cang Ji actually said was “This humble one is Cao Cang, and my humble courtesy name is Meng Lang (Impetuous)”. In this context, however, the closest modern equivalent would be ‘middle name’, as in Cang Ji could say, “I’m Cang Ji, and horny is my middle name.”

撼天锤 literally ‘hammer that shakes Heaven’

Nothing to do with cutting sushi

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touched that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

叱咤风云 literally to have nature at one’s beck and call; it is also used to describe someone who is all-powerful.

(好人不长命，)祸害遗千年 (A good man doesn’t live for long,) while (the legacy of) a scourge lasts for a thousand years. He’s saying he’s a scourge and not a good person.

aka. censored by JJWXC

Chapter 94: Water Waves

JUNE 9, 2020

The rain stopped the next day. The sky was cloudy with cumulus clouds.

Water droplets dripped off the eaves into the water puddles below, setting off ripples. Frost spread along the wall in a wet and cold greeting towards the doors. Li Rong climbed the stairs and knocked open the doors to Jing Lin’s courtyard.

Jing Lin’s clothes and crown were neat and tidy as he opened the door and looked at Li Rong. Li Rong looked around and said, “There was a mudslide at the northern trails last night, which crushed the woods underneath. Although no traces were left behind, I had a hunch that someone had come visiting. Have you heard of anything on your end?”

“Been self-reflecting.” Jing Lin said. “Didn’t pay attention to what’s happening outside.”

Li Rong hesitated for a moment and said, “Father’s anger has subsided. In the next few days, he will allow you out. I’m here to see you today. Let’s go in to talk.”

Jing Lin made way for him and Li Rong strode in. He was rather surprised to see a cup placed on the stone table under the tree. “It’s such a cold day, and you’re still drinking tea outside. Mind you don’t get frozen.”

As he said this, he stepped past and was about to enter the room when his keen-as-a-dog nose caught a whiff of wine from that cup. He swiftly swept his gaze towards Jing Lin, and Jing Lin took the wine jar from the table and tossed it towards Li Rong.

“It’s diluted with half a jar of plain water. Take it out with you and throw it away while you are at it.”

Li Rong said, “Since when have you started drinking?”

Jing Lin said, “One can learn anything if they have been shut away in their compound for half a month”

On hearing this, Li Rong smiled. He held a chair to take his seat and said to Jing Lin, “Are you still blaming Father for locking you up for so long? It’s all for your own good. It’s such a big mess at home at present that we can’t even distinguish between the evil forces. Detaining you could be said to be protecting you. I have been running at the fore for half a month, and things are finally getting somewhere.”

“The epidemic?”

“It didn’t break out.” Li Rong took a little breather and continued, “The credit for this belongs to Dong Jun! All the infected people were transferred to Dongshan, and none of the common disciples were allowed access. He’s the only one who didn’t have to stay away given his original form, so he crossed over through the night and made his way to the Brahma Altar to seek the True Buddha’s help.”

“How’s Qing Yao?”

“She’s fine now.” Li Rong said, “It’s just that her body is already weak to begin with, and she has been devastated after Lan Hai left, so she doesn’t dare to move around too rashly now.”

“The pills from home are too potent. Make use of this opportunity to swap it into decoction. Jing Lin said, “There’s no need to eat the pills again.”

“Yun Sheng has that intent too. He has specially put in a request to Father, and Father has approved it. From now on, there will be someone specially in charge of boiling the medicine for her. No matter what, we have to nourish her back to health. You were in such a hurry the last time that you scared her. Afterwards, she had a fever for a few days and spoke nonsense in her dreams. When she woke up, she even told me that she dreamed of you when you have yet to return.” Saying this, Li Rong averted his gaze and looked at the dim light at the edge of the door. He said, “We still haven’t found Lan Hai’s body.”

Jing Lin draped his wide-sleeved robe over himself and said, “You and I weren’t in the compound. Who was the one keeping watch over Lan Hai?”

“The brothers took turns to keep vigil.” Li Rong said, “Other than you and me, everyone else was there.”

Jing Lin stood by the window and asked, “Whose turn was it the day he left?”

“Dong Jun.” Li Rong sank into the chair. “Dong Jun is the one at home with practically no obligations, so he’s the one who has watched over Lan Hai for the longest time. It wasn’t just that one day. He has been taking care of Lan Hai even for a few months prior.”

“So, other than the time I went looking for him, Dong Jun has always been at home?”

“Of course.” Li Rong joined his fingers together. “His identity is special. How would he dare to wander around?”

Jing Lin frowned slightly. Li Rong did not know it, but Jing Lin was turning it over in his mind. Dong Jun had always been at home. Then, who was the one who went in and out of the cities in the south to kill humans a few months ago?

“What has Yun Sheng been doing recently?”

“You even suspect him?” Li Rong looked up. “All along, he has been following me to deal with issues. He likes cleanliness by nature, loves decorating, and isn’t willing to venture outside. A few months ago when Lan Hai fell ill, he handled all the affairs of the sect while presiding over the Winter Alliance Assembly. The vast inundated lands in the north have been messed up badly by Cangdi. All the major-league demons follow Cangdi’s lead, and they wouldn’t defer to us. The sect disciples in the north were impeded from carrying out their tasks. Yun Sheng was in a terrible fix regarding this matter, and he has been running to and forth on both ends with Tao-di.”

“There are a lot of matters festering in my heart, but there’s this one thing I must make known to Father again.” Jing Lin turned back, “The ditches in the north are already completed. Cangdi has worked hard for several years to achieve these results. I understand his intention, and I am willing to provide my assistance. The views of the sect contradict mine, but I still hope Father will permit me to head to the north to lend him a hand.”

“You are being so persistent regarding this matter that you have aroused suspicion all over.” Li Rong sat up straight and said at his wit’s end, “Jing Lin, why care about what he’s doing? You have never seen Cangdi before, and so you see him through rose-colored glasses. You don’t know it, but this dragon is savage by nature and simply too arrogant!”

“His temperament has nothing to do with me.” Jing Lin said, “But everything he has done can indeed resolve the current crisis.”

Li Rong rose in slight irritation and said, “He can resolve the crisis? Then what have we been doing all these years? You saw with your own eyes batch after batch of disciples being deployed, but in the end, how many returned alive? Ninth Heaven Sect lay down our lives to fight the Blood Sea, and for this, we have suffered countless casualties. He not only scoffed at us but even decided to challenge us until the world now seems split into two! Starving commoners are all crowding in the middle lands, and yet he wouldn’t let anyone enter the north! Never mind if he didn’t want us to set foot inside; Ninth Heaven Sect doesn’t care for it either. But so many people have starved to death. Why can’t he cede some lands? How can you count on this kind of heartless and unrighteous man to have the heart to save the world?!”

“He’s building ditches in the north.” Jing Lin’s anger was stoked too. “If he doesn’t cover the lands with vast expanses of water and simply let the starving masses pour in, then how can he build? How would he have the lands to build? All of you are eyeing his territory now. Just because of this matter alone, you determine that he’s a despicable scum! But if he doesn’t do it this way, then when will the ditches be completed? The Blood Sea has already besieged all three sides, and we keep retreating battle after battle. What other way does Ninth Heaven Sect still have now? Yining has been transferred away from the east. All that’s left in the east are the old, weak, sick, and disabled. You shove the phoenix before the populace to hold the Blood Sea back with his death! I don’t even want to probe further into what exactly it is that Father is planning.”

Li Rong abruptly turned his head and said, “You are mad! You even suspect Father?!”

Jing Lin stalled for a moment, then said, “I don’t.”

“Don’t speak of such treacherous matters again.” Li Rong took a few steps forward. “Father is already at the Great Accomplishment Stage. There will definitely be a battle between Ninth Heaven Sect and the Blood Sea.”

Jing Lin went blank for a moment, then asked hesitantly, “Father has already achieved the Great Accomplishment Stage?”

“If not for that, then how could we have been able to sit still when the south is at such a critical juncture?! It hasn’t been easy for Father to transcend. And then there’s Lan Hai’s matter. He had to rely mostly on the pills to keep going, but he did indeed succeed.” Li Rong could not help jumping a little for joy when he spoke to this point. “So why are you still fixated on Cangdi? After this, Father is the Supreme Father, the leader of deities the people want. Jing Lin, please be obedient and behave yourself, alright?”

Jing Lin, however, seemed not to have heard it. He merely said, “But that wasn’t the case when I saw Father…”

“You’ve only just reached the Perfection Stage. It’s only reasonable for you to be lacking a little in cultivation.” As Li Rong spoke, he looked at Jing Lin’s hand and said, “Did you use the medicine? Fortunately, it didn’t leave any scar.”

Jing Lin raised his hand and saw that the scar on the back of his hand had completely disappeared. He remembered Cang Ji’s caress last night and simply gave a slight nod of his head in response.

♦     ♦     ♦

Thousands of li¹ away.

Cang Ji stood at the top of the tower, overlooking the vast expanse of water waves in the north. There were countless high walls under his feet. His robe fluttered in the wind as he held a fruit in his mouth and swallowed it all along with the seeds.

“After Master has spent so many years managing its operation, the ditches are now completed. Seeing as winter snow is approaching, are we going to drain the water to clear the ditches?” Dressed in white velvet, Linlang stood behind Cang Ji.

“There was originally no hurry.” “Cang Ji faced the wind in a welcome. “The mortals will be affected by the cold in winter, and it won’t be convenient to relocate them. Once the Blood Sea is drawn over, it’s easy for complications to arise.”

“But what changed Master’s mind?” Huashang poked her head out around the corner and said, “Jiejie, I don’t want to play with that lad. He’s so boring!”

“Don’t you care a lot about him?” Cang Ji looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. The appearance revealed in the north wind was handsome with a demonic, murderous aura so sharp and penetrating that one dared not look right at him. Yet it was a face that could also turn bright and brilliant in the twinkling of an eye.

“Bah!” Huashang said, “Who gives a damn about him? Not me! Jiejie does! She said he is a wonderful potential that comes once every thousand years!”

“Is that so?” Cang Ji showed a little interest and asked Linlang, “How is he compared to Lord Linsong?”

Linlang was worldly-wise and could get a grasp of what Cang Ji was thinking, so she replied tactfully, “Master, don’t listen to her flattery of him. Ah Shuo had a late start. All he learned in the past were from wandering diviners² in the martial fraternity. How could he be compared to Lord Linsong?”

“His name is Ah Shuo?” Cang Ji did not mind it. “Jing Lin’s original form is bestowed by Heaven, with a pure heart that is hard to come by. The progress he made in his cultivation is swift too. To date, I have not seen anyone who can even compare to him. So feel free to speak your mind. What is this lad’s original form?”

Linlang hesitated for a little, then said, “I wouldn’t dare to deceive Master. Ah Shuo is indeed a rare talent. He is naturally gifted and intelligent. He can absorb everything he hears into his heart. Although he is young, he’s sensible. But oddly enough, he still has yet to develop an original form.”

“Everyone who amasses spiritual energy will beget a form.” Cang Ji said, “Perhaps it’s not his time yet. Those who can achieve the Great Accomplishment Stage have always been different from the others. For you to get such a disciple means there’s an affinity between you and him, so guide him well.”

“Every time he looks at jiejie, he’s either bumping into wood or falling into ditches. What’s on his mind?” Huashang snorted, “I can tell at just a glance! Earlier, Master said to drain the water immediately. For what reason? I’m sick and tired of seeing that newcomer, Tao Zhi. I want him to leave earlier too.”

“It shouldn’t have happened so soon.” Cang Ji looked out into the south. “But Lord Jiutian has already come out of seclusion. If we don’t act now, he will definitely stand in our way.”

“He hasn’t been out for so many years. For him to emerge now, there must have been progress in his cultivation.” Linlang said, “That wily old fox is particularly hard to deal with. Besides, late autumn is drawing to a close, and snow is coming. I’m afraid withdrawing the water in such a hurry will only be beset with difficulties.”

“It’s naturally difficult if you are the one sent to withdraw the water.” Cang Ji smiled, yet it could not be said to be a very happy one. “Has Shuran come to? This ought to be his turn to earn some merits.”

Huashang said, “With Master here, he naturally can’t die. But I heard he had been suppressed in the City of Xuanyang. How did Master catch him back here?”

Cang Ji raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “I coaxed him back. Feed him well. He’s valuable.”

As the three of them were speaking, they heard a report from below saying that Si Yuejian had arrived. Cang Ji lifted his legs and headed down. As soon as he left, Huashang asked curiously, “This Si Yuejian usually ignores matters regarding cultivation of the Way. Why is Master looking for him?”

Linlang sighed and said, “… What is Si Yuejian in charge of?”

“Marriages.” Huashang paced a few steps, then impishly turned her head and said, “I get it now! Master has taken a fancy to someone, and that person is most likely unwilling. So he wants to ask Si Yuejian to tie a red thread³ between them. That way, they will be inseparable.”

Linlang let out a wry smile, thinking if Cangdi were to take a fancy to someone, then he would have used every means possible to make that person his. Sooner or later, he would pester said person until the love was mutual. Where on earth would he still need Si Yuejian’s help? It could only be because he had truly fallen in love and wanted to set up a red thread to bind them together for all lifetimes.

As she thought about it, she could not help but sigh. She watched the rise of ten thousand li of stormy waves, and watched the water mist gradually shroud the mountain ravines. She said, “Our great undertaking is about to be completed, but the outcome is an unknown. Seeing how Master’s heart has been moved and his mind, swayed, he has clearly already fallen deep and hard. It’s fine if no one else knows about it, but he’s doomed the moment someone uses it against him. Although touching the reverse scale of the dragon will incur his fury…”

Linlang stopped abruptly.

Destroying it will send him to his death. 

里 li, ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

江湖术士 more specifically wanderers of the martial fraternity who engaged in divination, astrology, sorcery, geomancy, and the likes. Most are quacks and charlatans out to earn money from these crafts.

The red thread is a Thread of Fate or Marriage, which is used by the Deity of Marriages to connect and bring two destined lovers together. In Chinese mythology, this deity is typically known as Yuelao (月老), or literally, the old man under the moon (月下老人), a deity who matchmakes lovers and unite them in marriage.

Chapter 95: Sect Betrayal

JUNE 14, 2020

As Cang Ji had said, Jing Lin was released eight days later. First, he listened to the admonishments outside Lord Jiutian’s door. Then, he went to Qing Yao’s residence. Dong Jun was afraid that he would go bonkers again, so he beat an expeditious retreat and fled.

Qing Yao was resting on the chair on the veranda, where the bell was jingling. She wearily listened to Xue Mei’s¹ whispers, but even smiling took her a lot of effort.

“I have many older brothers.” Qing Yao said softly to Xue Mei, “You are much older than me, so you are also considered my older brother.”

Xue Mei leaned on the chair. His face was surreal, and every movement he made brought along falling snowflakes in its trail. Contrary to expectations, it was not at all at odds with this cold, frosty weather. On hearing her, he creeped over and gently pressed his head against the chair’s armrest to look at Qing Yao.

Qing Yao smiled and said, “When can I grow up? I’ve never gone out before. What does it look like outside? I want so much to take a look too.”

Xue Mei said, “Once you recover from your sickness, I’ll take you out for a look.”

“Okay…” Qing Yao stared blankly as the tears trickled down. She said, “That’s what Lan-ge said too.”

Xue Mei kneeled on the ground to catch hold of Qing Yao’s tears. But his cultivation was shallow, and the tears passed through his illusory palms to splash onto the armrest. He retracted his finger, at a loss what to do.

Jing Lin strolled onto the veranda. Xue Mei feared his sword aura and prostrated himself on the ground to retreat to a corner. Qing Yao turned her head over and looked at Jing Lin without saying a word.

Knowing that he had frightened her that other night, Jing Lin did not insist on it. Instead, he crouched down and said, “Jiu-ge has come to apologize.”

Qing Yao looked at him timidly, “Is Jiu-ge mad at me?”

Jing Lin spoke in a low and unhurried tone, “How could I get mad at you?”

Lying on her side with her head pillowed on her hands, Qing Yao said, “Jiu-ge.”

Jing Lin bent his head down. “Here.”

With reddened eyes, Qing Yao said, “I dreamed of you… I often dream of you. When you go out next time, will you come back earlier?”

Jing Lin uttered an acknowledgement, and Qing Yao stretched her little finger out to make a pinky promise with Jing Lin. Jing Lin saw how exhausted she looked and accompanied her until she fell asleep. The copper bell in the veranda swayed with the wind. Xue Mei quietly raised his head to peep at this Lord Linsong that everyone knew. Jing Lin’s eyes suddenly turned to look towards him, and Xue Mei hurriedly lowered his head in a fluster. He was so frightened that he did not dare to take another peek.

But Jing Lin did not make things difficult for him. He merely sat for a while before he took his leave.

♦     ♦     ♦

A few days later, a dispute rose in the north. Tao Zhi was detained and held in custody by Linlang. The reason was still unknown. Eager to save him, the disciples of the Ninth Heaven Sect came to blows with Cangdi’s men. Yun Sheng was the one who reported the news, which was then taken over by Li Rong. Lord Jiutian dispatched Jing Lin to accompany him.

“Aren’t you thinking of going north?” Lord Jiutian gently nudged aside his teacup. “Then go and take a look. It doesn’t look too good to keep restraining you. You have never handled internal affairs of the sect, so you don’t know the ropes as clearly as Yun Sheng. This order was given hastily, and I’m afraid that you might be caught unprepared. Why don’t you go with Li Rong? I can set my mind at ease with him looking out for you.”

Jing Lin nodded, and Lord Jiutian said again, “There’s only a fine line between the Perfection Stage and the Great Accomplishment Stage. At your current cultivation, you should do your best for the masses. Although I’ve achieved the Great Accomplishment Stage, there will come a day when I’ve utterly exhausted my energy. When the time comes, you will be your brothers’ role model. Don’t let your temper get the best of you again.”

His words were encouraging, but his sons all had varied expressions upon hearing this. Jing Lin’s cultivation was real, but he had never been popular. The way he conducted himself was even worse than that of Li Rong and Yun Sheng. Lord Jiutian’s sudden words threw them into a panic, as they could tell a little from his words that he had the intent to let Jing Lin succeed him. For a moment, they all looked at each other in silence.

Jing Lin should have expressed his gratitude tearily in response, but he merely accepted his orders and withdrew. After standing outside for an hour, he finally waited for Li Rong and Yun Sheng.

Yun Sheng had yet to change his summer outfit. The wind was cold outside, and he could not help but shiver. He stood by the side of the tree and said to Jing Lin, “Father’s anger has finally subsided. Lan Hai hasn’t been found yet. I know you are concerned about it, so I’ll do another round of checks carefully on my end. Although I don’t know the intention of the person who stole the body, I can’t condone it. As soon as I find out, I’ll definitely inform both of you immediately.”

“There probably won’t be any issues with you in command back here.” Li Rong said, “I don’t know how long this trip with Jing Lin will take. The Winter Alliance Assembly is fast approaching. If Cangdi keeps playing tricks, it will probably drag on until next year.”

“It’s inconvenient for all parties to move and act in winter. No matter how insane and wild he is, he can’t stir up trouble.” Yun Sheng rubbed his palm carefully and looked at Jing Lin’s sword sheath. “Lan Hai was the one who created this sheath. Looking at it now really makes one sad.”

Li Rong said, “It was one of the rare occasions where the brothers all got along the day he gifted the sheath. I remember that you were the one who gave him this sword tassel.”

Yun Sheng smiled. “I initially thought Jing Lin would throw it away. Who would have expected him to adorn his sword with it for so many years?”

Jing Lin held the sword sheath with his hand. That red tassel swayed gently in the wind, fluttering along with his white sleeve at his side.

“As they said, one smile to dispel all enmity.” Yun Sheng said, “I hope that your return this time can end all those pettinesses with the brothers. We are family. At this juncture, we shouldn’t act with split minds. I won’t say anymore. Both of you may go on ahead.”

Jing Lin and Li Rong bowed to him together and turned around to prepare their horses for the descent.

♦     ♦     ♦

The weather turned colder on their journey north, but the snow still did not fall. Li Rong and Jing Lin spurred their horses on as fast as they could, and it took only three days before they hurried their way to the north. Li Rong dismounted from his saddle and met up with the Ninth Heaven Sect disciples. Without even needing to rest, he set about dealing with the issue.

Jing Lin drew attention as he walked behind Li Rong. All the disciples fell over each other to catch a glimpse of that Yan Quan Sword. But Jing Lin did not smile, and so the others did not dare to act impetuously and could only watch as he passed by them.

“I’ll go over to Linlang’s side to meet them. Wait for me here.” Li Rong instructed Jing Lin. “Cangdi’s men are everywhere around here. Don’t come to blows with them over trivial matters. He is very protective of his own people. Ordinary people won’t be able to gain any unfair advantage in his territory.”

Jing Lin noted that the road outside the window was already jam-packed with starving commoners. He observed carefully, but did not see that many children, so he merely uttered a word of acknowledgement to Li Rong.

Li Rong hurried away.

“Linlang always goes by the rules when she detains a person. She wouldn’t do it without reason. What did Tao-di do? Don’t lie. Tell me the truth.” Li Rong wiped his hands with a handkerchief and asked the disciple accompanying him.

The disciple looked pale. After several glances from Li Rong, he did not dare to hide it anymore. He said, “Eight Young Master… Eight Young Master previously took a liking to a girl from the City of Li. She was already betrothed, and the disciples tried every means possible to dissuade him, but the Young Master was determined to have her…”

“That bad habit from being too spoiled!” Li Rong flung his handkerchief away and said, “What happened afterwards?”

“Everyone who tried to advise the Eight Young Master against it was thrown to feed the dogs. That girl was forcibly kidnapped back here. Determined to die, she ate and drank nothing. From the looks of it, she didn’t have long to live.” The disciple gasped and continued, “The lad whom she was betrothed to pursue her all the way from the City of Li right to our doorstep. Eight Young Master, Eight Young Master…”

“What?” Li Rong’s face was ashen.

The disciple stomped his foot in anger, “Dragged him inside and forced him to dress up as a woman and did them all together! How could both of them still live on after suffering such a humiliation? Their families couldn’t bear it either. The girl’s old mother ran on foot for hundreds of li² to demand for her body back. But just because she spat on Eight Young Master’s shoe, Eight Young Master rode his horse dragging her in tow until she died!”

Cracking sounds rang out between Li Rong’s teeth. He could not even curse. Gritting his teeth, he said, “There’s no news about this at all in the sect! Why didn’t anyone report it? No one can tolerate this beast for what he has done!”

The disciple immediately kneeled down and replied with tears in his eyes, “Who would dare to deliver the news? Eight Young Master chopped up anyone who dared into pieces right before their buddies’ eyes and fed them to the dogs. So who would still dare to do it?! If he had not infuriated Linlang this time, we probably still can’t do anything about him!”

“How did he rile up Linlang?”

“The Eight Young Master took a fancy to that nine-tailed fox’s younger sister. How could this pair of sisters be that easy to deal with? They are both women with authority under Cangdi’s command! Eight Young Master used some despicable tricks to drug her drink and was caught in the act by Linlang’s disciple. He gave him a beating and they fought until it was chaos all over. Linlang took him right into custody once this incident made its way to them!”

Li Rong could no longer listen further. He stepped into Linlang’s supervisory bureau. The demons on guard had apparently got the message and so they did not stop him. He went straight in and heard Tao Zhi cursing even from afar with a railing separating them.

Having been locked up for several days, Tao Zhi’s clothes were already smelling sour and looking wrinkled as it stuck to his body. He had obviously been taught a hard lesson as he lay on the ground with his mouth still cussing mercilessly.

“A fox who drapes herself with human skin is still effing smelly even if you remove your dress! How dare you lock me up, slutty whore, despicable bitch! Even if you let me screw you for free when I get out, I won’t want to either!” Tao Zhi said in a cold, sinister voice. “You are just a slut under Cangdi’s command, and you still want to fucking act like a chaste heroine?! Don’t all those filths on your side play around more than I did? Linlang! How dare you whip me?! Someday, I will skin you! Nine-tailed foxes are hard to find, but aren’t white-fur foxes easy? When the time comes for you to cry and beg me to fuck you, I’ll spit in your face!”

Before he could finish swearing, he heard a thunderous “thud”. He looked back and saw Li Rong striding in with an air of murderous aura.

Tao Zhi’s expression changed as he rolled and crawled over with tears in his eyes. He shouted, “Xiongzhang, save me! Cangdi is intentionally screwing me over. He set up a trap for me to fall into! That fox kept seducing me, and I, I lost my mind for a moment… Xiongzhang, save me!”

“You didn’t lose your mind.” Flying into a rage, Li Rong stomped his foot on Tao Zhi’s chest and grabbed a wooden stick to rain blows on him. “Have your conscience been eaten by the dogs?!”

Tao Zhi knew that he could hide it no longer, so he hugged Li Rong’s leg and cried bitterly, “I was in the wrong! Xiongzhang! I know my mistake now! I didn’t mean to hurt her. I, I truly wanted her! I wanted to treat her well, but I was too anxious!”

Li Rong struck Tao Zhi so hard with the stick that the latter cried out and went tumbling. Li Rong said, “Things have already come to such a stage, and you still dare to prevaricate!”

How could Tao Zhi withstand Li Rong’s physical strength? He was beaten until bloody welts erupted all over his body. He covered his head and choked with sobs, “I realize my error! I’m in the wrong! I’ve really done wrong! Xiongzhang, don’t hit me… I admit my mistakes!”

His face was pale and streaked with tears as he cried. He still looked young, just like he used to be when he stirred up troubles and erred in the sect. He was younger than Jing Lin, and he was accustomed to acting like a pampered child with his elder brothers. He was far more likeable than Jing Lin. His cries and wails now reminded Li Rong of the past, where he had then led his younger brother personally just like this in cultivating the Way.

Sorrow overcame Li Rong, and his eyes reddened too. He lashed out at Tao Zhi even more heavily. “How did you grow up to be like this? You are playful by nature, and there’s no fault in that. But you shouldn’t have been so utterly devoid of conscience! You forcibly took a commoner woman, dishonored her betrothed, and killed her mother. How are you still of the righteous Way? You evil beast! You have clearly fallen into the Way of the devils!”

Tao Zhi choked on his blood. He curled up into a ball and sobbed, “I’ve realized my error… I’ll change! I’ll definitely change… Xiongzhang, don’t hit me anymore…” He cried out sorrowfully, “Does gege want me to die?!”³

Li Rong hit him so hard that his stick broke. He said, “Can you still live after doing such a thing? The brothers in the sect will not tolerate you! You are almost the same age as Jing Lin, and yet you just have to sink into this evil path! How do you expect Father to endure this?!”

Tao Zhi’s body spasmed all over. He said, “Father… I’ll return to the sect… and let Father deal with me… Gege… I have done wrong!” He endured the pain and suddenly struggled to crawl, “But I’m not the only one in the wrong! Jing Lin… What capabilities does Jing Lin have?! Love affairs led me astray. He can’t avoid it either!”

“Nonsense!” Li Rong raised his hand to hit him. “Jing Lin is focused on cultivating the Way of the Sword. How would he be the same as you?! You don’t realize the errors of your ways at all. You still want to bring down others with you in an attempt to mislead and confuse!”

“I’m telling you the truth!” Tao Zhi suddenly said savagely as he choked on tears and blood. “I, I once drugged Jing Lin with ‘Amorous ‘til Death Do We Part’. If he hadn’t done that, then how could he still be alive?!”

Something detonated in Li Rong’s head. It was as though he had been struck by thunder. He suddenly propped himself up against the wall and said with some difficulty, “You… You are really…”

“He had illicit sexual relations with that Cangdi!” Tao Zhi shouted uncontrollably. “Ever since I’ve arrived here, Cangdi has been making things difficult for me everywhere! Xiongzhang! It’s true I committed a grave error, but Jing Lin… What about Jing Lin? Has he ever told you about it? He guards this secret so closely. He has already betrayed the sect. He has long been in secret correspondence with Cangdi!”

Li Rong was dumbstruck. He could not conceive it. He could not even think! Who was it that Tao Zhi was speaking of? Jing Lin! The face of Ninth Heaven Sect. The younger brother who gave him the least trouble all these years! And who was Cangdi? The demon who forcibly occupied the north to create major havoc! How could Jing Lin fall this low? How could he?!

“Shut up…” The murderous intent in Li Rong’s eyes boiled over. His fingers left gouges in the wall as he dug them across. “Shut up!”

Tao Zhi threw himself onto Li Rong’s legs and tugged at his clothes. The gratification of taking his revenge instantly swept over him. He cackled in a hoarse voice and said in a jarring tone, “He slept with a demon! How is he haughty and aloof? He is the most low-down and contemptible! Xiongzhang… Xiongzhang! Jing Lin has long betrayed the sect and turned his back on the Way!”

雪魅 xue mei, a snow incarnate or a snow demon. I’ll use “snow incarnate” if referring to snow demons in general, while “Xue Mei” will be used to refer to this particular snow incarnate.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m.

兄长 Xiongzhang, i.e. respectful term for an elder brother. Unlike gege, it doesn’t carry an ‘intimate’ connotation between men. Even between brothers with familial ties, gege sounds closer, so Tao Zhi here is trying to use ‘closeness’ to plead for leniency.

Chapter 96: Evildoing

JUNE 21, 2020

The water clouds in the horizon extended into the distance. The lofty tower rose from the ground and stood erect among a cluster of surrounding walls, just like the Sea-Anchoring Divine Needle¹ in the north. Jing Lin stood in the wind and surveyed the place for a moment, then turned sideways to make way for the famine refugees.

The city was already congested with starving commoners, and sallow and emaciated corpses lay on both sides of the road. It was not easy to walk through it. Many corpses had distended bellies; these people had already reached a point where they scavenged for dirt to eat. The old, weak, sick, and disabled hobbled along as they supported themselves against the wall. Each one of them was hunched over. Even the lice in their hair had been caught and eaten clean. They were so starved that they even looked at others covetously.

Jing Lin released the little ghost from his Qiankun’s² sleeve. The latter held on to Jing Lin’s clothes and followed closely after him. Jing Lin felt into his sleeves, but removed nothing from them.

“So this is what purgatory on earth in those opera scripts is like. Hungry ghosts running all over the streets. Zhongdu is already the realm of the underworld.” The little ghost wiped his tears. “Everyone is going to die.”

Jing Lin said nothing. His eyes could see all the sufferings in the world, and his sword could slay all the demons in the world. But even he himself was helpless in the face of this. The waves of the Blood Sea had invaded and engulfed tens of thousands of li³ of lands, enveloping the provisions of all living creatures in Zhongdu and forcing every one of them to crowd together into increasingly cramped space. And now, there was no more path for them to retreat; they were already at the edge of the precipice.

If Ninth Heaven Sect could not save them, then its motto “courage” was just presumptuous talk.

Jing Lin looked around him, and this crowd of walking corpses stared at him with chilling gazes. The dead and the living stared at his white robe and silver crown so intensely that the little ghost hid himself behind Jing Lin. Jing Lin stepped on a sticky liquid, and he lowered his eyes for a look. It was blood.

Filthy and stinky blood trickled along the crevices in the stone slabs. The people sprawled on the ground along the street vomited incessantly, their bile gushing out. Their abdomens had swelled until it was swollen, and their limbs seemed to have blistered open with the exposed skin showing up in purple and red. Corpses were piling up under this high wall, yet there was no sight of stray dogs and flies. Jing Lin took a few steps forward to reconfirm that there were no children here. It was as if they had been deliberately cleared away; there was not even a corpse of them.

Where are the children? 

An old woman suddenly knocked into Jing Lin and pounded at him frantically. She was unkempt and disheveled, and one of her legs was lame. She caught Jing Lin by an arm and shrieked, “Where is my son? Where is my son? Where did you take him? Return him to me!”

Jing Lin did not budge. The old woman looked savage as she tore at Jing Lin’s sleeves in anger and cried, “This white attire! This white attire of yours… Ninth Heaven Sect! You…” She slipped to her knees and cried,” Return him to me!”

“Your son.” Jing Lin’s throat felt hoarse. “Is your son in Ninth Heaven Sect?”

“You took him away.” The old woman’s voice was wild as she grabbed Jing Lin’s sleeve and clutched it tightly. “You took him away! You said you will give him food, but I didn’t believe it! So you snatched him in broad daylight!” Dirt had accumulated on her fingertips, and her scuffed fingernails were filthy red. She grasped on to the cuff of Jing Lin’s sleeve, leaving behind streaks of lacquer-like marks. “Where is he?! Return him to me!”

Her frantic voice and anguished wails broke through the overcast sky. It was particularly jarring on the ears when coupled with the sight of this purgatory on earth. Dark clouds rolled in the sky and thundered in their ears along with her cries. The waxy, expressionless faces all around looked like statues molded in clay and carved in wood.

But Jing Lin looked as though he had found an opening. He asked in a tense voice, “Who took him away? The garrison of this place?”

The old woman was muddled-headed as she pointed at Jing Lin with a trembling finger. “You! You are the one!”

Pushed and shoved by the old woman, Jing Lin held her firmly and suddenly turned back.

♦     ♦     ♦

Having just sent Li Rong away, the disciple sat at the foot of the steps to have a sumptuous meal. A small group of them surrounded a chicken, salivating over it. They had yet to reach the point where they could abstain from food, and they were also a little hard up with the rations all sent out as aid relief. This chicken was something an attendant had taken along when he caught up to Li Rong after the latter had left Ninth Heaven Sect.

As soon as Jing Lin strode through the door, the disciples immediately rose to their feet noisily. The chicken roasting on the fire was getting charred, and the dripping oil caused their Adam’s apple to throb along with the sound. Yet, no one dared to move.

“My, My Lord.” The sharp, head disciple hurried over to him. “You…”

“Where have all the children from the northern frontline gone?” Jing Lin went straight to the point.

“Children?” The disciples looked at one another. “The sect handed down an order last month, saying that Cangdi was getting restless with winter approaching, so we gathered the young children together and sent them over to the sect!”

“Who gave the order?” Jing Lin asked.

“Eighth Young Master.” The disciple felt uneasy and said with apprehension, “This order really came out of the blue! Although I heard earlier of the arrangements being done in the south, there are only so many places the sect has. Even if we gather plenty of children, we have nowhere to put them! We have always thought the matter was long settled. But then Eighth Young Master received the order, and it was clearly indicated on the report that they wanted people. This couldn’t be faked. The sect sent letters time and again, urging us to hurry. Telling us not to intervene, Eighth Young Master chose a batch from the starving commoners and gave them the grains we have on hand. This assignment was done in less than a month. Is there anything wrong with it?”

“Where is this batch of people?”

“We sent them to the temple in the north. The city is so crowded at present that there isn’t any space left to set foot on. Furthermore, the existing grains in the storehouse aren’t enough to feed them all. Eighth Young Master did not give them the correct amount of grains, and they came to create a ruckus a few times before our doors.” The disciple broke out in cold sweat under Jing Lin’s stare. He wiped his sweat away with his sleeve and answered more cautiously, “My Lord, please don’t blame us for this. We really had no other choice! When you have your meal later, look at the rations of our brothers. It’s all weeds and roots we pulled out from the ground. Our rice has been reduced to soup and water. All the surplus has been given away as aid relief! Even if we want to give the people grains when they come to us for it, there’s also nothing left for us to give…”

“Lead the way ahead.” Jing Lin suddenly piped up.

The disciple did not dare to tarry and hurriedly lifted his robes and strode through the door to lead him. Jing Lin followed closely behind him. Along the way, the disciple kept wiping away his sweat, not daring to cast another look at Jing Lin. He had already sensed a storm brewing. Jing Lin was almost brimming over with a frosty aura which pressed against the back of the disciple’s own neck like the cutting edge of a blade. Not daring to stop, the disciple quickened his pace.

The place was a little far, and the former shops had already fallen into ruins with the doors and windows all wide open. Everything that could be eaten inside had been ransacked until nothing was left. Even the rat’s nest in the crack had been emptied out. The closer they headed to the northern side, the more bleak and desolate it became. The place was overgrown with weeds. There was no sign of life at all.

The disciple trampled down on the luxuriant grass that was half the height of a man. He knocked along the door of that dilapidated temple for quite a while, but it was quiet inside without any signs of movement. With his back drenched in sweat, he called out a couple of times. Behind him, Jing Lin kicked the door open. The door panel collapsed with a “thud”, sending up a cloud of dust that rained down on them.

The disciple choked and waved his sleeve. Jing Lin had already bent over to enter. The disciple followed him closely down the stairs and coughed as he said, “This is the place… Why is there no one here?”

Jing Lin looked around. There were still ashes leftover from a fire inside this run-down temple. The Buddha statue was mottled with paint peeling off it. Half of its body had collapsed, and half of its benevolent face had disintegrated, leaving behind a dreary smile that conveyed a bizarre sense of malice among the tattered hanging drapes under the darkness.

The Buddha statue and Jing Lin looked at each other. A few drops of cold rain plopped down outside. In a twinkling of an eye, raindrops started pattering down. It was abnormally quiet inside the temple. Jing Lin stared at the Buddha statue as though he was appreciating some kind of plaything.

The disciple was so cold that he rubbed his arms as he looked around. “Perhaps they have left. There are people everywhere at present looking for food. Those with some strength left would surely not sit around and wait for death…”

Before he could finish his words, Jing Lin abruptly unsheathed Yan Quan!

The air vibrated with a buzz, and a massive phantom jerked out of the Buddha statue in response. The ghostly face bellowed and opened its mouth wide to swallow Jing Lin. Yan Quan moved fluidly like clear water. The disciple felt a flash of white light before his eyes, and the next moment, he heard the “crack” of something shattering. A layer of spiritual realm shaped like water ripples before him shattered in that very instant. The ghostly face went hideously taut and disintegrated, while the Buddha statue collapsed with a thunderous crash. The scene of the entire run-down temple changed. The disciple took another look and found dead bodies at his feet! Their throats had been torn and their eyes were fixed in a furious stare. They looked tragic in death.

The color drained from the disciple’s face. He took a few steps back and exclaimed in shock, “They are all dead!”

Jing Lin bent over and lifted the dirty curtain blocking the corpse’s face to reveal a face gaping in consternation. He saw that the tongues of all the dead had been pulled out. Each of them was tearing at their throats, their fingernails gouging out several trails of blood on their necks. The side of their necks had been slit open. The dagger was so sharp that it took only one quick and easy cut to cut this area open.

This kind of cut. 

Jing Lin’s breathing grew heavier. He turned over several corpses one after another, the guess in his heart crystallizing.

From the way the cut was made, the perpetrator was Tao Zhi! Tao Zhi was by nature prone to choose the easy way out. The Way of the Sword was too hard, while the Way of Asura was too heavy; both did not suit him. So Lan Hai forged a lightweight and handy dagger for him. Tao Zhi cultivated the art of cunning jabs and stabs. In order to seek and learn moves, he had once asked Jing Lin to simplify the complicated strokes of swordplay and teach him a move from it. This venomous and fatal strike was something Jing Lin could not be any more familiar with.

To carry out his task, Tao Zhi had specifically chosen this group of starving commoners. But Jing Lin had been in the sect for half a month, and he had never heard of any new recruits. Then, where had the children from this group gone? And there was also the batch that had mysteriously disappeared in the south. Where had all the children in Zhongdu gone?!

Killing and silencing others like this to avoid future trouble was Tao Zhi’s attempt to cover up traces of his evildoings. But what did he need the children for?

♦     ♦     ♦

Tao Zhi was dragged out by Li Rong. Shackles had been placed on him, and he had been whipped so badly that his body was bloodied all over. His eyes were swollen and red. Whatever Li Rong said, he meekly did as he said. He cowered as he followed behind Li Rong, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Li Rong could not just take him away, so he asked to see Linlang. Tao Zhi was free for the time being as he was detained in an empty courtyard to wait to be dealt with. Although he had committed many evil deeds in this place in the past, he had plenty of money, and dishing out handfuls of gold pearls each time bought him some henchmen he could trust.

Seizing the opportunity in Li Rong’s absence, a toady rushed over to loosen Tao Zhi’s shackles for him. The tea he served and the massage he gave coaxed Tao Zhi so much that the latter‘s mood cleared up.

“There is a bottle of top-grade medicine for injuries hidden in my room. Send someone to hurry over and bring it to me.” Tao Zhi sprawled over the couch to sun his bare back. He sucked in a breath and said, “Li Rong, that bastard! He really wants to beat me to death! When I return home later, I must tell Father about this!”

“Eighth Young Master will surely be blessed after surviving this calamity!” The attendant wiped away the blood for him. His heart ached so much he stamped his feet. “At the very least, you are brothers. Did he have to go so far as to humiliate you like this over a fox?!”

Tao Zhi sneered. “He has always favored Jing Lin. Now that I’ve dealt him a stab, I’ll see what he’ll do! If he has the audacity to cover up for Jing Lin upon returning, I’ll find a way to deal him a blow right before Father. In any case, I won’t let them rest easy! Cangdi may have hidden himself far away, but that vicious whore Linlang is right before my eyes. Have you done what I’ve asked you to do?”

“How could I not have done it? I’ve to vent your anger on your behalf, no?!” The attendant said into Tao Zhi’s ear, “No one will notice if you spill a little of this thing on her. But it’s very potent once it acts up. It will definitely stir her spiritual sea upside down and send it gushing in the reverse direction through her spiritual pulse! By then, she will be half incapacitated, and you can do whatever you want to do.”

Tao Zhi smiled and accidentally pulled the wound at the corner of the mouth. He hissed and fell completely limp. He said, “What kind of fucking shit is this? I merely had fun with a few people. I didn’t force them to die. They are the ones who did it themselves out of humiliation! But the blame all fell on me, and they still expect me to pay with my life. Bah! How dare these lowly bastards even dare to think of it!”

The attendant went along with him in repeated agreement. Both men cussed for a moment until they heard someone hurrying in from outside. Tao Zhi thought it was Li Rong returning and was so frightened that he scrambled up to put on his clothes and get back into the shackles. He was midway through when the door banged open. He took another look. How was this Li Rong? It was just a common disciple.

“I’ll break your fricking legs! Why the hell are you in such a tizzy?” Tao Zhi heaved a sigh of relief and pulled his arm through his sleeve.

Having been caught in the rain, the disciple wiped his face and cried, “Emergency report from the beacon tower eight hundred li away! The east has completely fallen. The waves of the Blood Sea have traversed the beacon tower. The evil spirits have already arrived right outside our city walls!”

The attendant was immediately scared witless. He knocked into the table and chairs, sending them swaying, and said in a panic, “They are all now at, at the city walls?!”

Tao Zhi was shocked too, but he was not anxious. He spread his arms out to drape his upper, outer garment over himself and said, “What are you afraid of? The city wall was just built before the new year. Although it’s not comparable to Cangdi’s impenetrable walls, it can still hold up for two hours or so. What’s more, Li Rong is still here!”

But the attendant started to wail as he beat his chest and cried out regretfully, “My dear Young Master! How could you have forgotten?! When we built that city wall, you insisted on leaving the inside hollow to save that bit of money! All that remains is an empty shell of a wall! Forget about holding the Blood Sea back for two hours. As soon as the waves hit, the entire city will be engulfed!”

Tao Zhi was stupefied for a moment, then he sprang up as though he had been pricked by a needle. He did not even fasten his waist sash as he slipped on his shoes and dashed out.

“Why are you still in a daze? Flee quickly!”

The disciple grabbed hold of Tao Zhi and said, “This won’t do! The disciples of Ninth Heaven Sect have to stand up to the Blood Sea. We mustn’t leave the commoners behind. Run if you must, but evacuate the common folks first before you do so!”

Without even thinking about it, Tao Zhi kicked the disciple to the ground. He adjusted the front of his shirt and jumped down the stairs in a fluster, cursing. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Can we even evacuate them in time? Those people have been starving for a few months, and their legs are as soft as noodles! The moment the Blood Sea attacks, their souls will be released from suffering. Let them hold up the Blood Sea for as long they can! Erecting a longevity tablet⁴ to offer them offerings later is the best I can do for them!”

He had only just said that when he saw the blood fog gushing forth above the house. Evil spirits and devils in their greed and evil forms arrived with their bodies stretching forward. The wall did not even have to wait for the surge of the Blood Sea to break it down; it had completely collapsed with even just a gentle huff of air from the evil spirits. The bloody waves rose several zhang⁵ high, then suddenly came crashing down. In that very instant, the streets were awash in the color of blood. Evil spirits swam out amid the roiling waves. The humans were already starving to the point they were on the verge of death. Before they could even utter a sound, the evil spirits tore them into pieces.

Tao Zhi swallowed hard and cursed, then dashed out of the courtyard and headed right for Li Rong and Jing Lin’s horses.

At this critical juncture of life and death, who the fuck would still give a damn about the others?!

♦     ♦     ♦

The Blood Sea devoured the city walls. The dwellings fell like paper cards as they became a part of the bloody waves in just a blink of an eye. The mortals were reduced to being living livestock. Countless lives were all buried under the blood fog. The attendant ran after Tao Zhi and encountered a greed form that tore at him and dragged him towards the blood fog. Seeing that Tao Zhi had already mounted the horse, he could not help but stretch out his fingers to dig deep into the ground and howled himself hoarse, “Eighth Young Master, save…”

The greed form opened its mouth wide and chomped down. Blood spattered out from between its teeth. It transformed out two arms and chewed the attendant down into its belly. With an apathetic face, it turned towards Tao Zhi and imitated the attendant’s wail, “Eighth Young Master, save me!”

Tao Zhi’s hair immediately stood on end. He whipped the horse brutally, and the bluish-white horse raised its hooves in pain. It broke free of its leash and charged right towards the other end.

All at once, the greed form transformed into fog and pursued Tao Zhi relentlessly. Tao Zhi spurred the galloping horse on, yearning so much to grow wings on his back. At the end of his tether, he could only pant heavily as he hit the horse forward, not daring to take a second look back.

“Eighth Young Master.” Like a cat playing with a mouse, the greed form conjured out hundreds of human faces amid the fog and whimpered, “Eighth Young Master, please hold on…”

Tao Zhi broke out in cold sweat. He hissed into the wind with white lips, “Shut up! Shut up now!”

The greed form cackled. A fair, slender hand, so soft it seemed boneless, reached out towards Tao Zhi’s temple. It was terrifyingly icy. The greed form said, “If you want me to shut up, just press me down into the bedding. Eighth Young Master, you strangled me so hard my face turned blue and only the whites of my eyes showed. You pinched me so much my entire body was red and swollen. Didn’t you like it…”

Following the voice, this fair, slender hand turned into one with bulging veins that struggled to claw at the back of Tao Zhi’s shoulder. A bellow exploded in Tao Zhi’s ears.

“You beast!”

The color drained from Tao Zhi’s face as he was hauled backward by this hand. He tugged at the reins tightly, and the bluish white horse whined in fright as it trod where it stood. Tao Zhi’s defenses had fallen apart. He whipped the horse in a fury and rebuked, “Run!”

However, the bluish white horse refused to move forward. The evil spirit had already torn Tao Zhi’s outfit to pieces, and Tao Zhi’s back had been clawed until it was covered in countless streaks of blood. With one hand pulling the reins, Tao Zhi twirled out his dagger in the other to hack and slash at that blood fog. The greed form reached several arms out from the blood fog. They dragged and pulled at Tao Zhi’s body, squirming and wiggling as though they were consuming their meal. Tao Zhi’s throat tightened. He could not breathe. His legs kicked out at the back of the horse as half of his body was lifted and dragged into the Blood Sea.

Tao Zhi desperately dug at these arms. With some difficulty, he squeezed out a voice through clenched teeth, “I, I don’t want to die!”

The blood fog swarmed towards him, and Tao Zhi cried out in pain.

At this very instant, a blur of white robe materialized, wielding a long sword. Azure light sliced through the air in a horizontal sweep, splitting the primal chaos of heaven and earth into two. White sleeves billowed amid the overwhelming sword aura. Jing Lin stepped on the horse to spring himself up, and the vast expanse of the Blood Sea immediately surged back!

The evil spirits reacted instantly and fled. Jing Lin leaped over the waves, and azure light fought over one another to come killing out of his sword like the breaking of dawn in the east. The fog rolled as Jing Lin pierced through its numerous shadows. Yan Quan drew blood as it passed through with the wind following in its trail. In just the blink of an eye, the incessant sound of “thud, thud, thud” could be heard. The decapitated, convulsing bodies of the evil spirits fell everywhere that white robe passed through.

Jing Lin took a step forward, and the Blood Sea retreated a foot⁶ back.

He stood alone before tens of thousands of people, with a sword slashing and sealing away monstrous waves thousands of zhang tall. He stepped upon endless corpses under his feet, yet his white robe fluttered in the wind, pure and untainted. As if they had found their pillar of strength, hundreds of Ninth Heaven Sect disciples kneeled in unison to kowtow to him. A thunderous shout reverberated through the air.

“Live courageously, and give our lives to fight the sea! We shall all heed Lord Linsong’s commands!”

Jing Lin drew his sword and turned back to stare at Tao Zhi.

“Jiu, Jiu-ge …” Tao Zhi slumped to the ground. He wanted to hide his face, but he did not dare to move under Jing Lin’s gaze. His delight at his narrow escape earlier dissipated into nothingness. He could not help but tremble and sob as he called out, “Jiu-ge!”

Jing Lin asked, “How should those who desert their morals and righteousness be dealt with?”

Tao Zhi knew this did not bode well. Using his hands and legs, he desperately scrambled backwards. “Jiu… Jiu-ge…”

Jing Lin asked, “How should those who commit all kinds of evildoings be dealt with?”

Breaking down under this cold detachment, Tao Zhi held his head and said with his back against the wall, “I’m in the wrong! I admit the errors of my way! I did wrong. Jiu-ge, Jiu-ge! Don’t kill me!”

Jing Lin’s sword glinted as he walked towards Tao Zhi.

Tao Zhi sat paralyzed on the ground. He hugged Jing Lin’s leg, clinging on to it, and looked up with tears streaming down his face as he said in terror, “Jiu-ge! I beg of you! Jiu-ge! I will not do it again!”

Jing Lin lowered his eyes to look at Tao Zhi. He had never scrutinized Tao Zhi this carefully before. He looked at Tao Zhi’s eyes that had gone swollen from the crying, but all he could hear in his ears were the endless curses and condemnation. He looked at Tao Zhi’s filthy and tainted white robe, and all that materialized in his mind were the sect rules he was told when he joined the sect.

Ninth Heaven Sect, in establishing itself in the world, did not ask for fame among the martial fraternity, but for its disciples to exercise “courage” to their utmost. Jing Lin could turn a deaf ear to Tao Zhi wails and pleas, but he could not condone Tao Zhi saying “I will not do it again”.

Because he was not deserving of a second chance.

Trails of blood from Tao Zhi’s clawing fingers stained Jing Lin’s shoes. Blood spattered onto his robe, dirtying it. Tao Zhi’s words stalled in his throat, and the domineering hints in his youthful face vanished without a trace. All that remained was a bitter resentment in his eyes that tore at Jing Lin like sharpened teeth until it turned into deeply entrenched hatred.

“You this…” Tao Zhi said in a hoarse voice and curled up with both hands clenching his chest. His neck stiffened, and he toppled over to the ground with eyes wide open in a glare. In the end, he did not finish his words.

Yan Quan returned to its sheath. Tao Zhi’s body remained curled up in place before it slid and plunged towards the Blood Sea along with the gradually collapsing ground. He died with a grudge, glaring fixedly at Jing Lin’s back as the blood fog engulfed him.

定海神针 Ding Hai Shen Zhen, literally “The Sea-Anchoring Divine Needle”. According to the novel Journey to the West 《西游记》, this was a divine ‘needle’ (or pole) that could shrink and grow according to its owner’s wish. At first, it was a treasure of the Eastern Sea Dragon King’s Dragon Palace, but Sun Wukong (孙悟空) later took it away to use as his weapon and changed the needle’s name to the Ruyi Golden Cudgel (如意金箍棒)

乾坤 Qian Kun means Heaven and Earth, or a universe. Literally, it’s saying there’s another interspatial ‘universe’ in Jing Lin’s sleeve. It would be like a different world in there or he could even use it as an interspatial inventory.

里 li, ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

长生牌 Longevity tablet, a tablet used to pray for the blessings of one’s benefactors. (As opposed to ancestral tablets to pray to one’s dead ancestors.)

丈 zhang; measure of length, 1 zhang = ten Chinese feet (3.3m)

尺 chi, a Chinese foot, 1 chi = one-third of a meter

Chapter 97: Punishment by Flogging

JUNE 26, 2020

Jing Lin dispatched the remaining disciples to protect the commoners and move them south, then established a spiritual talisman to obstruct the Blood Sea. Once everything was in order, he took off his sword, surrendered, and let Li Rong detain and escort him back to the sect.

The evening rain pitter-pattered down. Autumn was about to end. Before entering the compound, Li Rong stood for an hour. Finally, with reddened eyes, he instructed Jing Lin in a hoarse voice, “When you see Father later, remove your crown and kneel.”

Without his silver crown, Jing Lin’s black hair was scattered over his shoulders. Apart from Tao Zhi’s dagger, which he wore at the side of his waist, he carried no other weapon. Even Yan Quan had been taken away by Li Rong. On hearing this, Jing Lin nodded to indicate his understanding.

They still had yet to be summoned into the compound. The bronze gate remained tightly shut, and the heavy rain continued ceaselessly. Both of them stood side by side in the rain. Li Rong looked ahead and continued to ask in a hoarse voice. “Do you realize your mistake?”

Jing Lin did not answer.

Gradually, Li Rong’s voice choked up with emotion. He suddenly turned around with his back to Jing Lin. After a long time, he said, “Although he deserves death for his sins, you should have handed him over to Father to deal with. Even if you do not think it as beneath your dignity, you still should not have done so.”

Jing Lin said, “How would he have gotten to this point today if it weren’t for Father’s shielding him every single time? You beat him until he’s covered all over with cuts and bruises. Wasn’t that in itself a stop-gap measure to appease Linlang? If he manages to return home, he will not die.”

Li Rong turned back at once in the rain with reddened eyes. He choked back his words. “We are brothers of the same family. How could you bring yourself to kill him?!”

Jing Lin turned aside slightly. His hair was already soaked through, and they covered his eyes messily. He did not quibble or explain himself. Instead, he said tiredly, “I can.”

Li Rong gritted his teeth. He suddenly pressed in a step closer and stared fixedly at Jing Lin. Jing Lin’s expression turned livid as he traded stares with Li Rong for a spell.

At this critical juncture, the bronze gate suddenly spread open. In the rain, the abode seemed to be covered in a layer of ash. The various brothers stood under the eaves and looked towards them in unison, but no one said a word. The doors and windows in the compound were wide open. Lord Jiutian sat alone on the seat. The recently taken down white lanterns¹ were hung up again. They cast deathly pale light onto Lord Jiutian’s face, illuminating his deep sorrow.

Li Rong strode in first. Lord Jiutian waited until he had paid his obeisance before pointing a finger to motion for him to stand to the side. Li Rong originally had something to say, but on seeing this, he could only kowtow without a word and retreat to the veranda.

Several pairs of eyes looked at Jing Lin. Jing Lin slowly lifted his robe and strode through the door. He walked down the stairs in the rain and kneeled alone to pay his obeisance. His knees knocked against the slabstone and were quickly soaked through. There was nothing shielding his back from the rain, and his hair cascaded down to the ground.

Lord Jiutian did not tell him to get up. Instead, he turned the teacup around and around, as though he was sorting out his mood. Once Jing Lin had soaked long enough, Lord Jiutian lifted it to take a sip and said, “I am not worthy enough to have Lord Linsong kneel to me.”

Jing Lin’s heart felt as heavy as a stone. He had expected his father to shield Tao Zhi. No matter what misdeeds Tao Zhi did, he was always seen as the youngest son still unfamiliar with the ways of the world. He could not be counted as a heretic of the evil path, so naturally, he would not be punished. It wasn’t the first time Lord Jiutian had spoiled Tao Zhi.

Lord Jiutian did not need Jing Lin to answer either. He was good-looking and carried with him an air of scholarly elegance. Because his cultivation had recently broken through the Great Accomplishment Stage, he looked a lot younger, so much that one could not tell who was the father and who was the son at a glance. Although he said that he did not deserve to have Jing Lin kneel to him, he still sat upright as he drank the tea that had already gone cold. His expression was so imposing and intimidating it would strike fear in the hearts of others at just a glance.

“You are so mighty now that you no longer need others’ guidance. Lord Linsong has such an impressive reputation that his father and brothers are now all nobodies.” Lord Jiutian lamented derisively. “Killing whoever you want is as simple as killing poultry.”

Li Rong suddenly kneeled on the ground, kowtowed heavily a few times, and said, “Please have mercy, Father. Although he… he did so, he had the best interests of the Ninth Heaven Sect at heart. Each and every of the sect’s actions is being watched by all. Tao-di committed a grave mistake. Even if Jing Lin’s method was a little ruthless, it was not without reason.”

“What an eye-opener!” Someone under the eaves said. “We are all brothers, and yet you want to protect Jing Lin against your conscience! Then what about Tao-di? As much as Tao-di may be immoral, he’s still Father’s son! Jing Lin is so audacious to kill at just the drop of a hat. Does he still have any respect for Father?! Don’t tell me we are all going to be at Jing Lin’s command in the future? Father is still here!”

“Shut up!” Li Rong partially turned back. “Confine the discussion to the matter at hand today. Why go so far as to lash out like this?! Jing Lin has always been prudent and steadfast. He might have been lacking in some parts, but he has no major flaws. He’s also one whom Father has personally raised and taught. Would Father not understand his thoughts? Is there a need for you guys to keep rubbing it in?!”

“Dage is so unreasonable. What do you mean by ‘you guys’? Or perhaps us brothers not of one heart? We still have to be split into ‘you’ and ‘me’ cliques?”

“How can you even speak of rubbing it in?! Tao-di’s action might be inappropriate, but the sect has its own rules, doesn’t it? Doesn’t Father have his own methods? Is there a need for Jing Lin to kill him with his sword? Exactly who is the one hitting a man when he’s down?  Xiongzhang, why don’t you examine your own conscience and answer it yourself?!”

“Since we are all brothers, then why push each other into such corners?” Yun Sheng bravely stepped forward. “Everyone knows what Jing Lin is like. Just get him to explain his rationale to clear it up!”

“Fine!” A man stepped out quickly from under the eaves to stand before Jing Lin. He flung his sleeves and interrogated him, “Tell us yourself! Why did you kill Tao-di? Did you truly not act out of your own selfish interest? You are clearly afraid he would leave behind a word or two to make people think, right?!”

“Why would you say that?” Yun Sheng turned his head to the side. “Don’t make groundless accusations based on rumors to make a dig at him!”

“Father!” Li Rong suddenly bellowed, his voice surpassing the surrounding din. He kowtowed, knocking his forehead against the ground. “Please listen to Jing Lin’s answer!”

Upon hearing him, Lord Jiutian looked out into the distance. The teacup he was holding in his hand remained still.

Jing Lin removed the dagger on his waist and put it in front of his knees. He kneeled in silence for a moment. When he lifted his eyes, he felt as though the heaviness in the air were all crammed into his chest, crushing him until he almost gasped.

“Father.” Jing Lin said, “This dagger was forged by Lan Hai with all the care and attention of a master craftsman. It’s incomparably sharp. I brought it back because I couldn’t bear to see this treasure dagger tainted and fallen into the way of evil. Tao Zhi killed humans like flies while he resided in the north, so I executed him—Should I not have killed him?”

Dead silence descended upon the courtyard. Then, countless sounds of discussion broke out.

“You are really…” The man before Jing Lin retreated in alarm. “You are really the most hard-hearted person in the world! How could you dare to say that? How dare you…”

“I dare to.” Jing Lin abruptly shifted his gaze. He propped himself up on the ground and rose to his feet, like a pine standing upright amid the night rain on the edge of the sheer precipice. His words were sharp and cutting. “Tao Zhi raped and killed a woman and seized what’s others’ by force. The few months he resided in the north, all the commoners suffered unspeakable misery! As the garrison general, he embezzled funds and secretly skimped on construction materials. In face of a great catastrophe, he abandoned the commoners and fled! Where does my fault lie in killing him? The death of such a despicable person who breaks faith and causes the north to be thrown into turmoil is not to be regretted! Any other brothers who degenerate into evil in the future – regardless of how close I am with them – I, Jing Lin, will draw my sword and face them off, never to let it rest.”

Li Rong immediately had an ill sense of foreboding. He lifted his body, only to see Lord Jiutian flinging down the teacup in his hand. The porcelain cup instantly shattered into pieces, and cold tea splashed over half of Jing Lin’s body.

“Someday.” Lord Jiutian held back his fury. “Are you going to kill me too?!”

Everyone under the eaves all fell to their knees in unison. In an instant, the courtyard fell into absolute silence. Lord Jiutian’s chest heaved as he supported himself with the table and staggered half a step. Hardly able to restrain himself, he slammed hard on the table.

“How very heartless of you!”

“How can an unfilial son be compared to Father? Tao Zhi committed all kinds of evildoings and got his comeuppance! Jing Lin is doubly guilty for taking the decision into his own hands! “Li Rong said quickly. “I implore Father to flog him as a punishment and let him self-reflect on his mistakes in solitary!”

“He was at fault first for killing his younger brother, but you want to let him get away with it with a mere flogging. Then all the disciples in the sect could follow his example in the future!” Sandi raised his arm up into a level position to point towards Jing Lin. “Besides, there must be some inside story for him to act this way! He would not even let Tao-di say a word. Dage, what is he afraid of? What is he hiding?!”

“What nonsense!” Li Rong reproved him. “Every one of Jing Lin’s words and actions is watched by Father. What can he hide?! Tao Zhi had the great responsibility of securing the north, yet he indulged in the pursuit of petty pleasures and disregarded his duties. He was devoid of conscience, and caused seething discontent and resentment among the masses in the north! Jing Lin is focused on cultivating the righteous way. Overcome by rage, he acted first and reported later. What’s there for him to be afraid of? He is merely afraid that the public grievances would end up causing trouble. Heaven and Earth may vouch for his sincerity!”

Li Rong moved forward on his knees in the rain and choked with sobs as he kowtowed down, then kowtowed again and again without pause.

“Father! I have conclusive evidence that Tao Zhi massacred the innocents! He committed a grave mistake, and as his elder brother, I can hardly be absolved of blame! I am willing to remove my crown and receive my punishment!” Li Rong braved the rain to look up. Dark red trickled down his forehead as he choked with sobs, “Tao-di sank to such low all because I failed to supervise him well. This feels like a stab to my heart! In just a few short months, I have already lost two younger brothers. And now, rumors and slanders threatened to drive a wedge between the rest of us brothers. How would this not make the hearts of the sect disciples go cold?!”

“I ask of Father to act wisely.” Yun Sheng followed after him and kowtowed.

Lord Jiutian sat back in the chair in dejection and covered his face. His body trembled, unable to control his emotions. “Father and sons, brothers and brothers… How have we been reduced to such a state?!”

On hearing this, his various sons at the bottom all shed tears. For a moment, the sound of rain intersected with the sound of sobs. Set against the backdrop of white lanterns, it was a mournful and miserable scene to watch. After a while, Lord Jiutian composed himself and gave his orders in a heavy voice while covering his eyes.

“Tao Zhi stirred up trouble and endangered the commoners. Ninth Heaven Sect will not associate with such evil. His wooden plate² shall be removed, and he shall be expelled from Ninth Heaven Sect with immediate effect and never be allowed access again! Jing Lin took things into his own hands. He is heartless and cold-hearted, and he overstepped his boundary and disregarded rules of the sect. But on account that he actually did it to eradicate evil, he shall be given the penalty of a hundred lashes and detention in his own courtyard for half a month to reflect on his actions!” After saying so, Lord Jiutian seemed as though he could not bear to look at them. He simply said, “All of you may leave!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin took off his outer robe and kneel on Ming Jin Stage. The brothers and disciples of the sect all stood at the foot of the stage. Li Rong held on to the whip and swept a glance below.

“Everyone present should take Jing Lin’s mistake today as a warning. Father has always been compassionate, and the sect rules are pretty much relaxed. But we cannot tolerate anyone treating it lightly.” Li Rong’s eyes swept across his brothers’ face. He continued, “Spreading gossip is the most low-down thing to do! Baseless talks are preposterous and ridiculous! At this moment of crisis where lives are at stake, I hope everyone here can keep your mind together and compose yourself to ward off evil — Jing Lin, do you realize the error of your ways?”

Jing Lin closed his eyes and did not respond. Li Rong lashed out with a lightning move of his hand, and that thin garment on Jing Lin’s back split open all at once. A bloody wound instantly materialized. Jing Lin swallowed back the sound bubbling up in his throat and remained still. Every one of Li Rong’s lash drew blood. He did not hold back or show any mercy. Jing Lin’s back was a bloody, mangled mess after dozens of whips. The heavy rain washed the blood down to Jing Lin’s knees before spreading out in trickles on the ground. Soaked hair covered the front of his forehead as he stubbornly refused to say a word. The sound of whip striking flesh even drowned out the sound of the rain.

Li Rong asked without warning. “Do you realize the error of your ways?”

Blood oozed out between Jing Lin’s teeth as he held back his voice. Li Rong struck even harder, and Jing Lin’s words suddenly spilled forth.

“I did nothing wrong.” Jing Lin stared blankly ahead as he spat out the words through clenched teeth, “I did nothing wrong!”

Not long ago at Ming Jin stage, he could still see the figure of another man laughing heartily. The cold rain purged away all his remaining warmth. Jing Lin was icy cold all over. He could not swallow this unfairness, and he actually looked strangely aggrieved in this familiar night rain.

He did no wrong in killing Tao Zhi!

If he had spared Tao Zhi back in the north, then Tao Zhi would have used hundreds and thousands of ways to absolve himself of blame upon returning home. Would Lord Jiutian bear to kill him? Would Li Rong bear to kill him? And would various brothers bear to kill him? As long as they took their brotherhood into account, they would have countless reasons to absolve Tao Zhi of guilt!

Li Rong’s hand stalled for a moment, and then he lashed down hard on Jing Lin. Jing Lin could not tell his sweat from the rain. His forehead was soaked through as he propped himself up without dodging the blows.

Someone at the foot of the stage kneeled down, and then a bunch of them followed suit. Yun Sheng looked back and saw a meandering line of white robes extending below the stage and onto the stairs. Although no one spoke to intercede, the momentum in itself was imposing.

“As a survivor of Huaishu.” Hui An suddenly raised his neck and shouted, “I obeyed Lord Linsong’s command. And thus, I’m also guilty of overstepping my authority!”

“As the garrison of Beicheng.” A man behind him shouted in the rain, “I’m guilty of the same!”

Following that, countless disciples all kowtowed in unison. Their shouts simultaneously rang out in the rain.

“Although we are minor disciples of the sect, we all obeyed Lord Linsong’s commands in time of crisis! We should receive the same punishment for our crime of overstepping our authority. May we implore Eldest Young Master to treat us all equally before the whip!”

White robes were taken off at the same time silver crowns were taken down. The rain poured as thousands kowtowed in unison and raised their heads again to shout.

“May we implore Eldest Young Master to treat us all equally before the whip!”

The shout thundered in the sky, over and over again.

Dong Jun opened his fan to shield himself from the rain and muttered, “If you guys have done this earlier, we wouldn’t have needed to get drenched in the rain.”

Yun Sheng heaved a sigh of relief and smiled a little as he stepped forward to say to Li Rong, “Dage…”

“Since you ask to be treated equally.” Li Rong’s expression was terrifying. “Then I’ll fulfill all your wishes. Three Thousand Warriors of the sect, come forth to receive your orders. All those kneeling are guilty of wrongdoings. They shall all receive fifty whips and take their punishment together with Jing Lin!”

Sounds of whipping instantly erupted, and all the men who were kneeling remained still. Their muffled grunts continued in the downpour, only coming to a halt in the wee hours of the morning.

White paper lanterns with the word “奠” dian are usually hung up to indicate a death in the family.

Wooden name plates or tokens with names of members that are hung up in the sect’s or clan’s ancestral hall (or something similar) to indicate that the person is a part of the family/sect/clan. Removing it would mean that they are no longer part of the family/sect/clan.

Chapter 98: Unmask

JUNE 30, 2020

Jing Lin fell upon the bed. Li Rong signaled with his eyes, and Yun Sheng placed the medicine bottle for injuries on the table. For a moment, all three men said nothing. The water droplets at the edges of the eaves dripped onto the water puddles below. Even closed windows could not keep out the cold.

Jing Lin’s hair had yet to be wiped dry, and the water soaked through the bedding under his body. He did not bid both men farewell, nor did he look at them. The searing sensation on his back burned. His injuries were pretty bad.

Yun Sheng found the atmosphere heavy, so he took the lead and said, “The whip has spiritual intelligence, and each lash struck you hard. You will have to apply the medicine on the wounds.”

He had only just stood up when Li Rong said, “The punishment by flogging has been carried out. Go and inform Father.”

Yun Sheng understood this to mean that he wanted to have a word with Jing Lin, so he nodded his head and retreated out of the door before closing it for them.

Li Rong waited for Yun Sheng to walk out of the courtyard, then looked at Jing Lin and said, “You can’t take it lying down because shixiong¹ hit you, so you wouldn’t even look at me. It doesn’t matter. We are brothers. If not today, then tomorrow. Even if the bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons.² But if you carry on like this, it’s your own body you’ll end up wrecking. Cultivating the Way isn’t easy. Think about it.”

Jing Lin propped himself up. Red welts colored his shoulders and back. It looked exceptionally horrifying when contrasted against his fair skin. He looked back at Li Rong with a particularly frosty expression.

“Since you are going to be self-reflecting behind closed doors, then there is no need for you to run back and forth. You don’t have to worry about the remaining issues in the north.” Li Rong tapped the rim of the porcelain cup on Jing Lin’s table and turned it over to pour cold tea. After tasting the bitterness in his mouth for a moment, he asked, “But tell me honestly, what is your relationship with Cangdi?”

Jing Lin promptly turned his head back.

Li Rong said, “You are thinking, ‘shixiong is so gullible he even believes those words’, am I right? Let me tell you then, I don’t believe them. But let these words float around out there, and everyone will soon take it as the gospel truth; as they say, three men can make a tiger.³ You know it in your heart that Father will no doubt rap you for this, and yet you still have to be so obstinate! If you don’t endure this beating, then there will be even harsher punishments waiting for you. You feel you have made great progress, and you are now formidable enough to shoulder this twice or thrice. But are you aware that Father remembers every single incident in his heart?! He can tolerate you once or twice out of love, but can he let you off seven times, eight times, or even dozens of times? You did wrong today, and I hit you for it. But it wasn’t because you killed Tao-di.”

Li Rong fell silent. He leaned back against the chair and fiddled with the cold cup between his fingers. With his eyes under the shadows, he actually exuded a certain degree of enigmatic dignity. He gradually raised his neck back, portraying a rarely seen state of relaxation.

“Jing Lin.” Sighs interspersed with Li Rong’s words. “Human desires are hard to eliminate. There are no deities in this world, only humans. As everyone’s cultivation deepens, they will be able to summon the rain and command the wind, move mountains and fill the sea. But they are still, after all, human. Ninth Heaven Sect flourishes and thrives with each passing day. The eight brothers are all Father’s sons. Who doesn’t want to be addressed as ‘my lord’? Father has been addressed as such, and now, you. You have told others many times that Father is the supreme lord, and you wouldn’t dare to accept such a title. But ‘Lord Linsong’ is still renowned all over the world. It’s no longer important who started it and spread it around. The crucial thing is what Father called you last night. He called you Lord Linsong. Jing Lin, haven’t you realized something from his address of you in such a way?”

As Li Rong said that, he turned the teacup upside down to set it aside. The hand he had used to hold his spear was not flawless. Turned it around for a look, and it was covered in layers of calluses and scars. These were all traces left behind over the years from being on the go dealing with the sect affairs. Jing Lin had injuries on his back. But was he not the same too? With brothers not opening their hearts to one another, his medicine for injuries over the years had never come from the hands of others. Jing Lin never consumed pills, so he could simply turn them down. But he couldn’t. He never turned any one of them away. But only he himself knew how many of those he actually ate.

“I know more about Tao-di’s deeds than you do.” Li Rong’s eyebrows were tightly knitted as he spoke wearily and heavily. “Having been spoiled and coddled to such an extent, he could no longer be considered human. Go and listen to the voices in the north, and you’ll know that everything he did was way worse than the evil spirits invading cities. But why didn’t I deal with him? Because, Jing Lin, you and I both can’t do it! Bringing the blade down on him is gratifying. But if you kill him, then what would everyone under the Heavens say from tomorrow onwards? Every one of them will commend you, Lord Linsong, for placing righteousness above family loyalty. Then what’s to become of Father’s reputation? The more heartless you are, the more your reputation will spread. You are already being addressed as ‘my lord’. How much longer will it take for you to overshadow Lord Jiutian? Thousands of people kneeled down to receive punishment last night for Lord Linsong. You have already become everything the public wants and yearns for. How much longer do you think Father can put up with this?”

“We are father and son.” Jing Lin’s voice grew hoarse. “Father and son!”

“When will you grow up?” Li Rong closed his eyes and stayed silent for a long time. “If one day.”

Li Rong’s throat felt dry. He said darkly and hoarsely.

“If one day, your Way of the Sword were to fall apart, then you will no longer be Lord Jiutian’s son. If you had spared Tao Zhi and took him into custody instead and escorted him back to the sect, he would not escape death this time. Why do you think Father took in this eight son? There’s you before him with an extraordinary original form, and Dong Jun after him who has repented from his evil ways. Father’s reputation has already spread far and wide. Tao Zhi had neither outstanding talents nor a rare form, yet Father still took him in. Not only that, he even doted on him. Why was Tao Zhi able to throw his weight before you all these years? Because he had Father’s backing! And now, he had grown into such a condescending, lawless person. You can already say words like ‘Father’s shielding him’ at the entrance of the courtyard. But why can’t you think more in-depth about it?”

Clenching his bedding tightly, Jing Lin looked at Li Rong in shock, feeling as if this person was a stranger.

“Wasn’t it also due to Father’s painstaking guidance that you have become the way you are today?” Li Rong leaned over and buried his face into his palms. “The might and power of the purest sword are infinite. If you want to be the purest sword, then you have to sever all feelings and desires according to Father’s words. Even if you really fall in love with someone, you have to hide it, endure it! Jing Lin, the moment you change, Yan Quan Sword can no longer be called the Number One Sword in Heaven and Earth. To Father, you will no longer be a beloved son, but a useless son.”⁴

He suddenly showed his eyes. The pain and struggle in them settled down like sediments, turning them both pitch black.

“Do you know what a useless son is? Lan Hai is one. As is Tao Zhi. Everyone who has died on the frontier frontline is one. Jing Lin, if you become useless, then you are worthless. And Ninth Heaven Sect doesn’t retain worthless people.”

The table and chair were suddenly knocked down. Jing Lin hauled Li Rong by the front of his clothes and flung him down onto the ground. He threw out a punch, causing blood to spurt out of Li Rong’s nose and mouth. The teacup and teacups instantly shattered as Li Rong fell among the fragmented pieces.

“You knew it a long time ago.” Jing Lin bellowed. “You watched Lan Hai die. You watched Tao Zhi do wrong. You watch tens of thousands of men deployed to the frontline at the borders! How can you put up with it? How can you stand it?!”

“You want me to stand up and condemn him. You want me to be as tough and unyielding as you are.” Li Rong turned his head sideways to spit out the blood, then said in a subdued tone, “Do you think this is defending the Way? Do you understand? If I didn’t punish all those thousands of men who kneeled down last night, then all of them would have been dispatched to the frontline this morning! You step forward to stand up for what you believe to be righteousness. How impressive. But the one to lose his life will never be you! Father won’t kill you, but he can single out others to punish. You can save one life, but can you save thousands upon thousands of lives? Without withdrawing our forces at the border frontline, I’d not have the Three Thousands Armors in the sect under me today! Without putting up with Tao Zhi, I’d never have gained the disciplinary power to decide one’s life and death today! Being steadfast and tough for a moment is your idea of the righteous Way, but bearing it in silence with these responsibilities on my shoulders is incompetence?!”

Both men knocked over the wooden chairs. Li Rong coughed. Fragments of broken porcelain scattered all over the floor were crushed into powder from their exchange of blows. It was a total mess in the room. Li Rong backhandedly dragged Jing Lin by the collar a short distance away.

“When will you grow up? The moral principles you embrace and defend are worth nothing! What else do you have other than the increasing burden of your reputation? What are you going to use to investigate?! Since its establishment, Ninth Heaven Sect has been standing for hundreds of years. The water here is so muddied that you can’t even fish in troubled waters!⁵ If you stop at nothing to dig further at this time, you will only cause the others to die even faster! You foolish lad!” Li Rong yanked at him and lashed out, “When will you understand my pains?! I’m telling you now not to investigate anymore!”

Jing Lin’s back was bleeding. He abruptly shoved Li Rong away and fiercely wiped away the blood that Li Rong had punched out between his lips. He said, “My principles are worthless, but how much are yours worth? If Father is guilty of wrongdoing, then you and I are both accomplices!”

“And so you are going to kill him?” Li Rong said through clenched teeth. “Are you capable of it? Father is already in the Great Accomplishment Stage. Unless the timing is perfect, no one will be able to touch him otherwise!”

Jing Lin bent forward and spat out blood. Gasping unevenly for breath, he suddenly asked, “Do you know who the Blood Sea is?”

“I don’t know.” Li Rong said quickly, “But the south has been gathering children for as long as several years. I am—”

There was a momentary jolt in the air. Stirred by the wind, the branches in the courtyard started to rustle and sway. Both men instantly looked at each other. Then, Li Rong turned over and rose to his feet to rebuke, “Hitting you is for your own good! You show no respect to your elders, and you even dared to contradict Father! Don’t you deserve to be hit?!”

Jing Lin’s forehead broke out in cold sweat. He had received an entire night of lashing and soaked in an entire night of rain. So the pallor in his face at the moment was not at all feigned. He leaned back against the edge of the bed behind him to prop himself up. His breathing had already calmed as he looked coldly at Li Rong.

Li Rong looked down at him from above and reproached him in a bitingly cold tone. Footsteps rang out in the courtyard, and Yun Sheng knocked on the door. After getting a clear look at the interior, he instantly got a headache and said, “My dear brothers, why have you come to blows again?! Father has summoned Li Rong over. Hurry up and go.”

Li Rong kicked aside the broken porcelain and rolled up his sleeves. He probed, “Why did he summon me now? Give me a hint.”

“Cangdi has taken action in the north.” Yun Sheng said, “Myriads of demons have headed out of the wall! According to our disciple’s report, even the eastern and southern fronts have been blocked in. It’s not known what he’s planning to do along the frontline of the Blood Sea. But the scale of his movement is so grand that I’m afraid trouble is about to brew.”

“Cangdi.” Li Rong swept a glance across Jing Lin out of the corner of his eyes, but he did not continue speaking.

Jing Lin’s heart stirred on hearing this. He rose to his feet and draped his outer garment over himself. But Yun Sheng took a small step over and said, “You can’t step out of the door. Just Li Rong alone will do.”

Jing Lin’s movements slowed. He said, “Okay.”

Thus, Li Rong left together with Yun Sheng. Jing Lin stood indoors and watched as both of them left. After about an hour, he suddenly pulled his clothes apart, poured the medicine for the injuries all over his back, and bandaged it quickly before putting on a clean, white robe.

♦     ♦     ♦

Without having the time to change his clothes, Li Rong headed right for Lord Jiutian’s courtyard. When he arrived, the remaining brothers were already all standing in order. Lord Jiutian was feeding a bird. With his back to him, he said, “That vile spawn did wrong, and still dare to pull a long face at you! Wipe your hands. How unbecoming.”

Li Rong took the handkerchief handed to him from the side. With red, swollen eyes, he forced a smile and said, “Jing Lin is still young. There are many things he doesn’t understand. Father is doing this for his own good. Detain him for two days to let him cool his head, and he will soon come to understand.”

Lord Jiutian said, “I’m afraid he’s still unconvinced. What does it matter if Tao Zhi did wrong? He would not be able to escape his deserved punishment. Am I that kind of man who can’t tell right from wrong? What irked me last night was that Tao Zhi failed to live up to expectations and did such conscienceless deeds! And it vexed me that Jing Lin took matters into his own hands and killed him. The sect rules are already in place now. If everyone were to act on their own like him, then it will erupt into chaos sooner or later!”

“Father is wise.” Li Rong went along with it.

“The north has always been a territory forcibly occupied by the demons. This matter has been eating at me for many years. Originally, for the sake of giving the masses a chance of survival, we have been striving to seek and form alliances while acquiescing to Cangdi out of courtesy.” Lord Jiutian slowly peeled the shells of the melon seeds and fed them patiently to the bird. He said, “But you know best what an asshole that Cangdi is! He occupies tens of thousands of li ⁶ worth of fields, but refuses to cede them over and instead allow countless commoners to starve to death beneath its walls. Time and again, he seizes Ninth Heaven Sect’s cities, while we repeatedly put up with it. I heard last night that the north has turned out in full force, and I’m afraid that he’s scheming something big. The reason I summon you over today is to send you there on a mission.”

“With the Blood Sea pressing on to the borders, he would not dare to act against Heaven at this juncture.” Li Rong pondered it over and revealed a wry smile. “Besides, Cangdi may be arrogant, but it’s not without basis. I’m only near the threshold of the Perfection Stage at present, I’m afraid…”

“If you can’t do it alone.” Lord Jiutian looked back and said with a shadow of a smile. “Then take along your Three Thousand Armors. Don’t tell me a bunch of dogs can’t bite a wolf to death? He is planning something big, and it’s likely for him to be beset and distracted with a multitude of issues and problems. This is the perfect opportunity.”

Li Rong stalled for a moment, and his eyelids twitched incessantly. He braced himself and forced himself to maintain his expression.

“All of you, leave.” Lord Jiutian said. “I will discuss it in detail with your eldest brother.”

The men on both sides filed out of the room, leaving only father and son inside.

With his hands at his back, Lord Jiutian paced around Li Rong and said, “Cangdi is cunning and difficult. It’s hard for even the True Buddha to be his equal. He is a thorn in my flesh. You know best how I think. Naturally, you understand what this trip entails.”

Li Rong said, “I…”

“Jing Lin is my beloved son.” Lord Jiutian suddenly changed the topic. “Ever since he entered the sect, I’ve taught and guided him personally. It took years of honing him with all my efforts to cast this Number One Sword in Heaven and Earth. You are magnanimous by nature, and yet I told you to cultivate the Way of the Asura. Do you understand why?”

Sweat soundlessly trickled down the side of Li Rong’s temples. Holding himself up under the intimidating aura of one at the Great Accomplishment Stage, he replied unhurriedly, “Because I don’t like to kill.”

Lord Jiutian let out an inexplicable laugh. He patted Li Rong’s shoulder. Each pat seemed to carry a hint.

“That’s not it.” Lord Jiutian said, “I let you cultivate the Way of the Asura because of your tenacity. You seem bighearted, but in fact, you are steadfast. If you follow this path, your resolution will not waver, nor will you indulge yourself wantonly. You are similar to Jing Lin. It’s just that you just lack his original form. Moreover, compared to Jing Lin, you are more transparent, tolerant, reasonable… and sentimentally loyal.”

The corners of Li Rong’s lips twitched. He said, “I don’t deserve the praise…”

“Jing Lin isn’t sensible enough to know any better.” Lord Jiutian said, “He doesn’t understand my pains. I’m not telling him to sever his feelings and desires for real. How could I? As a father, I just want him to be well. But I’ve restricted him so much in the past that it has instead caused him not to understand how difficult the word love can be. That Cangdi is nothing good. As his eldest brother, surely you can’t watch on as he ruins his cultivation over that man.”

Li Rong’s hair suddenly stood on end. He looked at Lord Jiutian with some difficulty.

Looking awkward, Lord Jiutian said, “That bastard Tao Zhi made some despicable stuff from the medicine hall in the compound. I initially turned a blind eye to it, but I never expected him to use it on Jing Lin. He’s truly a beast! Good thing the beast is now eliminated. There’s still a chance for Jing Lin to turn back. The Three Thousand Armors under your command have been training for quite some time and has never been deployed out to battle before. So why not use this opportunity to get them off on a good start?”

Li Rong felt as if he could not breathe, but his palms were shaking. Using all the endurance he could muster, he slowly showed a resolute expression to Lord Jiutian and said, “This son understands.”

“You must kill him this trip.” Lord Jiutian looked at him. “For the sake of the common people, I hope you will spare no effort! As they say, evil will not prevail over good. Once you reach the north, you will understand that it is not difficult to kill him. The one he has to do everything in his power to deal with at this juncture is someone else. Po Zheng can penetrate through all living creatures, and his weakness has already been thoroughly exposed. You just have to seize the opportunity.”

Li Rong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He did not know how he answered, but when he retreated, he heard Lord Jiutian’s instruction.

“Li Rong, you must slice off his scales and extract his tendons, so that he can never, ever re-enter the wheel of reincarnation.”

Lord Jiutian teased the bird and let out a few laughs.

“Father shall wait for you to return in triumph.”

Jing Lin and Li Rong are both adopted sons of Lord Jiutian. At the same time, they are also both from the same sect (Ninth Heaven Sect). That makes them brothers as well as shixiong and shidi.

打断骨头还连着筋 literally, broken bones are still connected by tendons. Even if there are conflicts or disagreements, blood is still thicker than water.

三人成虎, literally three men make a tiger. i.e., three people spreading reports of a tiger would make one believe that there is really one around. Basically, a repeated rumor becomes a ‘fact’.

废子 It’s also a term in Weiqi to mean a useless stone (worthless chess piece). But it can also be literally read as useless son (废+子) especially since the author used the word 爱子 (beloved son) prior to this.

水浑得连鱼都摸不到 from the idiom 浑水摸鱼, which is to fish in troubled waters.

里 li, ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

Chapter 99: Cangdi

JULY 3, 2020

The flood in the north had receded. High walls rose from the ground, standing tall between heaven and earth. Hawks and birds in the sky had all gone into hiding, while thick, dense clouds settled into the shape of a boundless, surging sea.

Cang Ji surveyed tens of thousands of li¹ worth of land from a height with the wind groveling under his feet. His hair and robe billowed. A thin-as-gossamer red thread was tightly bound between his fingers. It fluttered in the wind, with one end concealed among the violent gale and dark clouds, leading to an unknown destination.

Ah Shuo sat cross-legged under the tower. He wiped his pole and raised his head to gaze at that figure who was almost hidden among the clouds.

“The Blood Sea in the world will all gush past this place.” Ah Shuo said, “Isn’t it dangerous?”

“As they say, a man of nobility does not involve himself in dangerous situations. I know what you mean. But looking at the state of the world now, only Dijun will be able to swallow the sky and absorb the sea. Huashang imitated Linlang’s tone as she bent over with her hands behind her back to look at Ah Shuo. “If that wily old man Lord Jiutian had not transcended so quickly, Dijun would not be in such a hurry now. But time waits for no man. Lord Jiutian’s cultivation in the Great Accomplishment Stage is still unstable. But once his cultivation comes to fruition, it will be even harder to do this in the future.”

“I have seen many people deployed to other places.” Ah Shuo had cut this pole himself, and he had refined it until it was straight and smooth. “The watchtower is empty. If Lord Jiutian comes right now, then wouldn’t we be too powerless to ward him off?”

Huashang lifted her skirt and squatted before Ah Shuo. She said, “If you can think of it, what makes you think Dijun won’t? When the Blood Sea pours into the wall, the spiritual barrier of Heaven and Earth will be triggered. There will be no way for the evil spirits to escape, so they can only follow the ditches and charge their way across to converge at the central watchtower. Dijun will then swallow the sea and devour the evil spirits there. Ah Jie and I will stand guard at the sides to guard against vile men and to ensure that the spiritual barrier does not collapse. In addition, major-league demons of various lands are guarding Ninth Heaven Sect’s strategic points to make it hard for their garrisons to move even a single step. A barrier of ten thousand demons has also been set up before the northern wall. Dijun has been planning and preparing for this for so many years. When it comes to the crunch, no one will dare to be careless.”

Ah Shuo looked at those high walls that resembled a range of mountains and said, “This kind of impregnable walls are indeed tough to construct. I can already tell that such walls needed to be fully built with gold even while I was begging for food at the mountain foot of Ninth Heaven Sect. I have great respect for how hard all of you are working to eliminate the devils. It’s just that Ninth Heaven Sect is also established to fight for righteous causes. So why isn’t Dijun willing to make peace with them?”

“How can a bunch of people out to fish for fame and recognition be compared to Dijun?!” Displeased, Huashang made a face at him. “They are really hateful. Just because they’ve read some books on morals, they spout nonsense all day! You’ve seen that Tao Zhi too. How is he even considered someone here to save the masses? He’s clearly even more repulsive than evil spirits! Ah Jie hates them too, so you aren’t allowed to like them either!”

Ah Shuo felt a little uncomfortable now that Huashang had mentioned Linlang. His eyes drifted as he cut at his pole with his small blade, but he still put on a front and pretended to say off-handedly, “I haven’t seen her today…”

“It’s a major undertaking to establish and set up the boundary step by step. Ah Jie won’t be sloppy.” Huashang jabbed at the wood shavings with a finger and said, “Do you really like my Ah Jie so much?”

Ah Shuo instantly blushed, and his blade went crooked. He said in a fluster, “How would I dare…”

“What’s there not to dare?” Huashang hung her head down. “Ah Jie is beautiful, and she’s good-tempered. I like her, too.”

Ah Shuo scratched the back of his head. His voice was as soft as a mosquito. “… I’m not worthy of her.”

“Of course you aren’t!” Huashang suddenly raised her head and threw a tantrum. She grabbed the soil and scattered it all over Ah Shuo. Inexplicably annoyed, she said, “Men are all nothing good! You have to speed up your progress to cultivate out an original form and reach the Great Accomplishment Stage! When that time comes, no one will be able to find fault with you.”

Ah Shuo said, “I know that, but why throw soil over me?”

Huashan’s eyes reddened. She got up to stamp her feet and said, “You don’t know anything!”

Baffled, Ah Shuo picked up his pole and rose to his feet to follow after Huashang. He said, “Did I somehow offend you? I apologize.”

Huashang ignored him and transformed into a fox, then leaped up the stairs and made her way to the watchtower. Helpless, Ah Shuo carried his pole and looked at the dark, overcast sky. With such a tense atmosphere, he did not dare to wander around, so he simply crouched with his pole over his shoulder at the foot of the stairs to keep watch.

♦     ♦     ♦

Linlang reckoned that the time had arrived. She reached the top and saw that Shuran’s preparations were already all in order, so she kneeled before Cang Ji and kowtowed.

“You have worked hard.” Without looking back, Cang Ji said, “Once this is all over, I’ll invite everyone to my wedding banquet.”

Linlang said, “I’m afraid the day Master drops by to propose marriage will be the time his old man’s liver and gut rupture.”²

“Lord Jiutian is not young anymore. He could be said to have been a hero for half a lifetime. It’s not worthwhile for him to lose his temper over such a trivial matter.” Cang Ji said, “Since he wants to be the ‘Supreme Father’ of all living beings in the world, then he will be dying to be my old man when I go over to propose marriage. Let’s put the idle chat aside for now. It’s not advisable to delay this matter any further. I expect every one of you to do your best.”

Linlang and Shuran replied in unison, “We shall heed Dijun’s command.”

As soon as they said that, they saw the sea of clouds suddenly burst wide open. The blood fog poured forth in torrents from top to bottom, like ferocious beasts that had just broken through the sluice gates. The major demons from all over held the ground together. A beam of intersecting red light rose and illuminated Heaven and Earth, forming a tall and impenetrable wall. With the Blood Sea from the East, South, and West suddenly obstructed, countless evil spirits bumped against one another in an attempt to scale the wall. This blood wall was fortified with canglong’s wrathful aura. It rang out in response to the collisions, but did not budge the slightest.

Shuran took a few steps and sprang into the air, changing into his original form midair. The entire ground shook the moment the behemoth from Buddha’s pond landed on the ground. He opened his mouth and roared, and tens of thousands li worth of Blood Sea came surging towards him.

The blue dome of Heaven was reduced to a shade of bloody red. Endless evil spirits floated among the foggy waves of the Blood Sea. The clouds in the sky whirled as though it was a raging whirlpool suspended in reverse. Tempests of wind swept past. The Northern Lands were already reduced to a bloody red sea. It was as if cavern walls had been chiseled out of row upon row of high walls as all kinds of evil spirits were imprisoned in those long, narrow paths, trapped in a quandary where they could neither advance nor retreat. Tens of thousands of li worth of land instantly caved in, and the Blood Sea surging along the walls mingled into one with the sea of clouds, momentarily making Heaven and Earth indistinguishable from one another.

Huashang had already climbed her way to the top of the watchtower. She simultaneously transformed into her original form together with Linlang. Nine tails instantly spread out in a display among the strong wind and thick fog. Both foxes fanned out and howled. Greed forms and evil forms roared and clamored their way out, blotting out the sky as they swarmed over.

Cang Ji stood alone at the peak where the Blood Sea assaulted. That savage, evil creature a hundred times bigger than him crashed down from above. There was a “thud” as it squashed into a shield right before the lone arm he held up. Cang Ji’s hair suddenly fluttered back. Amid the tearing and biting of the evil spirits, he sprang up and transformed into a dragon. The roar of the dragon exploded in their ears along with lightning and thunder that crashed through the sky. A gargantuan, black-colored dragon let out a long cry as it charged out from the Blood Sea towards the wavelike sea of clouds in the sky and reduced the myriad of evil spirits into a sumptuous feast!

Linlang remained fixed in position to defend a side when she suddenly sensed her spiritual sea going haywire; it felt as if she was lacking in strength, as though her spirit was willing but her flesh was weak. She did not dare to think too highly of herself, so she blocked the tidal waves of the Blood Sea with a sweep of her tail, then turned around to rush up to Huashang. “You …”

She had only just spoken when she heard the high wall near the south being smashed broken. A ray of scarlet red instantly sprang forth, and a long spear sliced through the wind, whistling fiercely for thousands of li. Li Rong suddenly leaped through the air to stand before her.

“Bastard!” Linlang cursed in a towering rage as she whirled around to take on human form. A curved blade went slashing through the air and collided with Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear with an intense crash.

A swift rise of Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear overturned the blade Linlang had been pressing down on him. Both of them battled intensely amid the howling of heaven and earth. The angry waves of the Blood Sea swelled after both of them soared into the air.

“Luring the Blood Sea from all over to gather all the evil spirits in the world together. All of you deserve to be put to death just for your intent alone!” Li Rong bellowed in a deep voice as the copper spear in his palm slapped up bloody waves several zhang³ tall.

Linlang swiped her blade up to ward off the blow as the spear aimed right for her chest. She wound her blade around the spear to hook it. As she turned around, her long tail whipped through the air and smacked into Li Rong, sending him flying several li away. The instant Li Rong retreated, three thousand white robes suddenly leaped into the air from behind. On hearing his command, the Three Thousand Armors immediately came killing towards them.

Linlang coldly spat out blood as a horde of demons stood up behind her to obstruct Li Rong and his Three Thousand Armors. She said, “Cut the crap. Scram!”

Li Rong erected his spear in silence. His gaze swept past Linlang and the chaos to land upon that indistinct dragon figure. He crossed his arms and faced her to say, “Cangdi is deceitful and crafty. I must take back that head of his today. Although you are a demon, you are a deeply righteous one. Linlang, move…”

In a flash, the curved blade came cleaving down right before Li Rong. The copper spear blocked the blow and steadily received her next blow. Once again, both of them engaged in a battle. The situation had changed greatly by this time. Heaven and earth completely melted away into the blood fog. Cang Ji alone took on the magnificent army among the clouds. Dragon claws tore the clouds and fog apart. He devoured until the Blood Sea was half drained. All of a sudden, a dragon image, modeled after Cang Ji’s figure, solidified out of the Blood Sea and collided into him.

The blood dragon was covered with eyes all over its body. The remaining evil spirits had appended themselves to this dragon. It was roughly twice as big as Cang Ji. Canglong straightened up and engaged in a battle with it. Both of them tore at each other amid the surging sea of clouds, with sudden claps of thunders and urgent flashes of lightning as backdrop. In this fierce battle, the blood dragon let out an anguished wail as canglong tore off one of its claws. It swiftly split into two dragons and wound around Cang Ji’s claws together in a hold.

“Ah Jie—”

Huashang suddenly cried out in alarm.

“The western side has collapsed!”

With Linlang distracted, Li Rong jerked his spear. The blow instantly sent her flying several zhang away. Then he turned around and leaped towards the blood fog. Huashang used her body to block the collapsed opening. An evil form reached its hand out, only to be sliced off instantly by a curved blade! Linlang lifted Huashang by the back of her collar and tossed her out of the way.

“Stop him!”

Huashang leaped into the air and grabbed hold of the corner of Li Rong’s clothes. Her tail wound around him, and she dragged him down in a plunge towards the Blood Sea below. Li Rong’s spear struck the ground, sending up massive waves. Following right after, he turned his leg and sent Huashang tumbling with a kick.

Huashang knew that she could not stop him. She had to find an opening for Linlang to move in. But when she looked back, she saw her Ah Jie still not making any moves.

The evil form at the collapsed opening pounced with its mouth wide open. Bloody waves spurted and splashed onto Linlang’s body. Her shoulder and arm had been bitten, and her entire person was being dragged towards the collapsed opening. At the most critical juncture, a pole suddenly came striking down from the air to hit the evil form right on its head with a force so great that it exploded apart amid a foul stench.

Ah Shuo grabbed hold of Linlang’s hand and dragged her out. He shouted, “Shifu!”

More evil forms hissed in response and lunged out of the collapsed opening. Ah Shuo’s wooden pole was broken. He grasped hold of Linlang’s hand tightly, only to sense her fingertips trembling slightly. Feeling an ill sense of foreboding, he wanted to take a step closer, but Linlang immediately withdrew her palm back.

“I reckon you have a bright future.” Linlang’s complexion turned pale as she calmly patted Ah Shuo on the chest. “As master and disciple, I won’t hold you up. Ah Shuo, go!”

Ah Shuo jerked up. He saw one of Linlang’s tails whipped him right in his body. The blow sent him flying through the air and out of the Blood Sea. Ah Shuo tumbled onto the ground, only to hear Huashang let out a heart-wrenching “Ah Jie”.

The moment he raised his head, he saw the wall collapsing. Countess evil spirits swarmed in. Linlang turned around and spread out her arms. Her spiritual sea had already disintegrated and was now surging in reverse, forcing her to stagger a step. She struck a palm out in the air, unleashing a bloodied wind that forced the mob of evil spirits back in a retreat to the wall for several li.

Ah Shuo crawled to his feet and dashed forward.

“Shifu…” Ah Shuo frantically sprang up and threw himself forward. “Shifu!”

Linlang seemed to glance back at him. This glimpse was too hard to come by. In the next few hundred years, it would become Ah Shuo’s inner demon for his entire lifetime. His shouts were all but engulfed in the raging waves. He watched with wide-open eyes as Linlang fell into the bloody waves where she was torn to shreds and reduced into nothing but bloody rain.

The curved blade tumbled to the ground, and the mist splashed all over Ah Shuo. He felt as though someone was strangling him by the neck. That “come back” he wanted to say turned into a sob, then broke into a wail.

♦     ♦     ♦

Losing its intimidator with the collapse of the high wall on the west, the Blood Sea began to flood south. The rain started falling as the tides of blood fog moved to engulf the whole of Zhongdu.

Canglong broke through the clouds in a charge and bent over to swallow the sea. He devoured the evil spirits and chased his way to the collapsed spot. The blood dragon flipped up to bite hold of the back of canglong’s neck, then fell headfirst into the Blood Sea with a thunderous crash. Canglong’s sharp claws tore the blood dragon’s chest and belly apart, but what trickled out were countless serpents and pythons that covered up this dragon’s movements.

Cang Ji raised his neck and let out a long roar. He had partially risen when he heard the biting cold sound of the wind. Evil spirits climbed over his dragon’s body. Cang Ji had already swallowed the Blood Sea for half a lifetime, and to think that he could not struggle free now that it was at the crucial moment. He did all he could to swing his head around to bite off these shackles, then suddenly charged upward.

If the momentum of the Blood Sea’s surging tides were not stopped, then Zhongdu would be completely flooded the moment the high walls collapsed. Tens of thousands of commoners towards the south would all lose their lives together. Every living creature under this heaven would have no hope of escape.

Cang Ji swept his dragon tail over and slapped up waves of the Blood Sea. He swallowed ten thousand zhang of the sea and lunged into the blood fog to run rampant within. The ground surface was churning as well. Lightning split across the vortex of clouds with an explosion of thunder. The evil spirits tore at canglong, eating away at him until his dragon body was covered in wounds. The Blood Sea suddenly flared up, and Cang Ji’s spiritual sea felt scalding hot as though it was boiling. He summoned up an unexpected spurt of brute force that swept away the mobs of devils, forcing the momentum of the blood sea waves to turn towards himself. A thunderous noise that sounded like muffled thunder rang out as both parties collided against each other.

The gale suddenly shifted as Po Zheng Spear hurtled down from above and pierced into Cang Ji’s dragon body!

Canglong plunged violently into the Blood Sea. All at once, an anguished roar rang out. His dragon tail slapped and smashed into the surface of the high wall, and the evil spirits swarmed in, tearing at him until scales spattered and blood spurted all over.

Cang Ji immediately transformed into his human form. He propped himself up on the ground, but failed to climb to his feet. Po Zheng Spear had penetrated his chest from behind, and blood gushed forth from the wound in torrents. He watched helplessly as the high walls collapsed in unison. The remaining Blood Sea spread all over without restraint. Years of painstaking effort, destroyed in a moment.

“Stop the Blood Sea…” Cang Ji said in a hoarse voice.

But the high walls all collapsed with a thunderous bang. The blood fog obscured his vision as the evil spirits gathered in all directions. It took just an instant for him to fall short of success at the last stage. Raindrop dripped onto his forehead, soaking Cang Ji’s brows and eyes.

♦     ♦     ♦

He’s not dead yet.

Li Rong wanted to pull his spear out, but it would not budge. Cang Ji grabbed hold of Po Zheng Spear tightly and suddenly straightened his back to stand up. He staggered forward and saw a figure in white swiftly leaping his way over.

♦     ♦     ♦

So far away.

Cang Ji thought.

♦     ♦     ♦

That man was getting closer and closer, and the rain and fog were so, so heavy. Cang Ji raised his forefinger slightly to touch Jing Lin’s silhouette from a distance away. The blood on his fingertip slid down along his wrist and dripped off. Cang Ji moved a few steps closer to him. He swallowed his own blood and vaguely called out his name as he let his body crash into Jing Lin’s body.

Po Zheng Spear was swiftly pulled out of him, and warm blood trickled all over his hand. Cang Ji knocked his forehead lightly against Jing Lin’s forehead. He stared at Jing Lin and stroked Jing Lin’s cheeks hard with his palms, leaving behind deep, bloody imprints of his fingers.

“You’re alive.”

Cang Ji said fiercely through clenched teeth. He kneaded Jing Lin’s cheeks so hard they reddened. He suddenly shed a tear and repeated.

“You’re alive!”⁴

The next moment, Cang Ji shoved Jing Lin aside. The prayer bead tumbled into the pool of blood. He took a few steps forward, choking on his sobs as he laughed aloud in a raspy voice in the rain.

“Heaven gave me a great responsibility, but thwarted me with the likes of scums. Even so, I can stop the Blood Sea!” He said in a trembling voice before springing up.

Amid the pouring torrents of rain, a black dragon⁵ let out a haughty roar and charged forth. Blood fog stirred in agitation as he devoured the bloody waves. Then his immense body fell and slammed into the end of the Blood Sea with a thunderous crash, forming a high wall ten thousand li long, and prompting the remaining evil spirits to retreat in horror. Not even one drop of the billowing waves of blood could venture beyond it! Countless innocent lives behind his dragon body were thus saved from a calamity. The high walls in the north had all fallen; only this wall alone remained standing tall!

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li= approx. 500m

肝胆俱裂 literally gut and liver all rupture. i.e. to be heart-broken or terror-stricken.

丈 zhang, a measure of length, 1 zhang = ten Chinese feet (3.3m)

Personally, I feel like this line carries both the connotation of “you’re alive + you must live.”

i.e. canglong

Chapter 100: Restraint

JULY 7, 2020

Jing Lin’s forehead was stained with blood as he suddenly looked back.

Li Rong had already taken a step out. He had yet to complete his task of slicing off the scales and extracting the tendons. But he had only just moved when the white figure before him stepped out of the gale. Following right after, he felt a heaviness on his chest as a kick unexpectedly sent him flipping over.

Jing Lin ran towards the dragon body. To think Lord Linsong would actually stagger. He cut an extremely sorry figure as his body swayed and stumbled. The rain flushed away the blood on his face, and the dazed expression on it was very much like a lost child.

“Stop it…” Jing Lin babbled and muttered helplessly. “Please…”

Canglong remained still with his head bowed. The rainstorm came pouring down in torrents, masking Jing Lin’s voice. There seemed to be something pressing down on his back, hunching it over slightly as his entire person slid down against the dragon to his knees. His palms touched the dragon’s body all over at random to cover up those injured spots, as if doing so could make Cang Ji revert to his original state.

Bloody water seeped through his clothes and soaked his knees, staining his white robe in splatters of blood. Jing Lin could not stop trembling. The heavy rain roared in his ears. That “you’re alive” was so stinging that his vision blurred.

♦     ♦     ♦

How could it be blurred? 

Jing Lin drew closer to him, wiping away at the rainwater as if he had erred. But this rain was just too heavy. No matter how he tried to wipe it away, everything before his eyes was all a blur.

♦     ♦     ♦

It rained cats and dogs as the greed forms bore into canglong’s wounds and gnawed away at his flesh. The evil spirits swarmed around him as they attempted to split this dragon up to eat. Li Rong stepped forth bearing his spear and pulled off a greed form. He watched as Jing Lin was buried under the sordid filth and reached out an arm in an attempt to pull him up. But just as his hand was about to touch Jing Lin, Yan Quan suddenly stabbed itself into the ground, separating Jing Lin from the man nearing him.

Strong wind whirled and circled around his body. Jing Lin kneeled for a long time without getting up. Yan Quan Sword slanted over to hold everything else back from him, while he desperately pulled away the evil spirits climbing all over the dragon body. The remaining Blood Sea submerged him up to his waist, and the evil spirits locked in an impasse with him let out a furious cry of ensuing bloody wind that enveloped Jing Lin in the boundless hue of bloody red.

His sleeves had been completely torn to shreds, and his exposed arms had been slashed until fresh blood flowed freely. Jing Lin did not feel the pain as he used his hands, and even his teeth, to tear apart those filths and seize back those dragon scales that had been gouged away. He grasped them all in his palms, unwilling to lose even a single scale. His breathing quickened. Both of his palms had been badly mangled after being cut by the dragon scales amid the biting and gnawing of the evil spirits.

An anomaly materialized in the heavens. The sea of clouds that had been stirred up by canglong suddenly condensed together and whirled. The evil spirits that had all gathered here grew restless. Cang Ji was dead, and the remaining Blood Sea had nowhere to dwell. They writhed and squirmed as they engulfed Jing Lin, while the blood fog frenziedly crept upon Jing Lin’s wounds to dig its way in.

Yan Quan suddenly buzzed aloud. The towering pillar of clouds came collapsing down and poured inexorably towards Jing Lin. Azure light scattered among the chaos of heaven and earth, while red light broke through the water, illuminating the tempestuous waves.

“The main body of the Blood Sea is already damaged!” Li Rong suddenly jerked Po Zheng Spear and shouted. “It wants to swallow Lord Linsong! Hold it down!”

The Three Thousand Armors dashed forth. Jing Lin’s figure had already been completely covered by the blood fog. The red light moved to hide within. In that very instant, the patterns of the curse speedily materialized on Jing Lin’s neck and arms, strangling him so hard that he could not breathe. He pressed his forehead against the dragon body. The suffocating feeling when his heart was stirred by love flooded over him like tidal waves. Suppressing the sound of pain in his mouth, Jing Lin suddenly braced himself with his arms. The blood fog seeped into him along those patterns and ran rampant throughout his vital organs like sharp ice stalactites.

Jing Lin immediately choked on his blood as his spiritual sea surged in reverse. The lotus motif on his palm had been slashed until it was all a bloody mess. There was a “crack” as Yan Quan shook, and several cracks appeared on it.

“Jing Lin!” The color drained from Li Rong’s face.

Jing Lin’s forehead slid down and knocked onto the ground. The broken pieces of scales pressed so painfully against him that it hurt. He felt as though someone was strangling him by his throat. Only the dark red his fingertips were soaking in still had residual warmth. Evil spirits poured into his body, just like Cang Ji devouring the devils and swallowing the sea. That dismally cold sensation roamed all over his four limbs, causing Jing Lin to dig tightly into the ground with his fingertips. It was hard to hold in the blood in his mouth. Patterns had already covered one half of his face. He gasped in a rough voice as he propped his body up. He was already about to plunge into the Way of the Devil!

Li Rong swiftly jabbed out with two fingers to stop the momentum of the evil spirits, then hoisted Jing Lin out from among the bloody water. This rain seemed as though Heaven was wailing. Li Rong straightened up, pulled out a crack-covered Yan Quan, and did all he could to retreat.

Tears were already streaming down Li Rong’s cheeks. He muttered, “Don’t be afraid! Shixiong will never let you die!”

The veins on Jing Lin’s neck bulged out suddenly. He struggled to gasp for breath as his fingers grasped the curtain of rain. Some kind of sound seemed to spill out from his throat. At first, Li Rong could not hear it clearly. It was only when they withdrew out of the bloody water that he understood.

That was the sound of Jing Lin crying uncontrollably.

♦     ♦     ♦

This downpour, followed by ice and snow, settled upon the north for the whole of seven days. Jing Lin’s spiritual sea collapsed in these seven days. The evil spirits had consumed him until Yan Quan had rusted into a piece of useless sword. There was no part of him that wasn’t hurting, and his abdomen and chest felt as though an icy awl was stabbing away at them. The shackles of the curse tightened around his neck. All ten of Jing Lin’s fingers had been scraped into a bloody pulp of flesh amid this excruciating pain.

There were a few instances he suspected he was going to die.

But the dragon aura was still hiding in his body. They tirelessly wandered after the evil spirits, protecting Jing Lin’s original form round the clock. Just like their master, they constructed an impenetrable wall of defense in Jing Lin’s body. They protected the life force in him so that it would never extinguish, and they shielded and defended him so that he could still continue to gasp for breath.

“You’re alive.” 

This whisper kept repeating in his ears on a never-ending loop. Jing Lin opened his eyes, but he was trapped in endless darkness. It was pitch-black and empty before his eyes. His cheek was pressed against a cold, stone bed. Jing Lin moved his hands. His four limbs were all shackled by heavy chains.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Are you awake?” The sound of something sliding rang out from above as Li Rong pushed open a gap enough for an arm to pass through. He leaned over the gap and said, “Jing Lin! Do you still recognize shixiong?”

Jing Lin’s eyes remained still. His throat felt hoarse. The curse held him in captivity. Even now, he was still in a trance.

Above, a bowl of water was slowly handed down. It swayed as it knocked into Jing Lin’s face. Li Rong leaned over and stretched his arm as far as he could to tip the bowl over a little. The clear water swooshed. Jing Lin’s eyes shifted, and he gradually turned away.

“Drink some water. If you are hungry, tell me.” Li Rong looked at him and said, “… Your cultivation hinges on just one thought. You mustn’t think of anything else again.”

Jing Lin remained apathetic and said nothing.

Li Rong could only press the rim of the bowl against Jing Lin’s lips, then slowly poured the water into it. But Jing Lin would not open his mouth, and simply let the water wet his chin and left temple. He clenched his teeth so tightly that it was as if he would tear at Li Rong with his teeth if he so much loosened his grip a little.

“Jing Lin.” Li Rong said, “There are remnants of evil spirits in your body. As long as they aren’t eliminated, Father will not let you out again. Yan Quan is already damaged to the point it’s like a blunt blade, but it has yet to break… Do you understand? You’re still not a useless son.¹ You’re just.” He paused for a moment. “You are just in seclusion. The spell will help you to forget Cangdi and re-cultivate the Way of the Sword.”

Jing Lin slapped over the bowl. Water splashed over the stone bed and trickled down.

Li Rong retracted his hand in disappointment. He leaned up there in silence for a long time before saying, “You and I have guessed wrong. Father is not the Blood Sea.”

“You wouldn’t say a word to me. But I still have to tell you. Jing Lin, the one who died is Qing Yao.”

“When Cangdi was devouring the sea, the Fire of Heaven² set Qing Yao ablaze and trapped her within. Yun Sheng happened to be elsewhere at that time, and you were the only one at home. Xue Mei chased after you for several dozens of li,³ wanting to beg you to turn back to save her. Jing Lin, you never even looked back.”

Jing Lin’s breathing suddenly grew rugged. He pressed against the wall and said hastily, “You’re lying!”

Li Rong said, “You will understand once you come out.”

Jing Lin pounded his forehead against the wall. He curled up in this narrow place and feebly covered both of his ears. The chains lay heavily across his body. He felt so cold his entire body was trembling.

“You’re lying…” Jing Lin murmured, “Deceiving the people… Duping them for fame… Killing them like flies… You and I are all but jackals and wolves⁴… We are scums with undeserved reputations!”

Li Rong closed his eyes. After a brief period of silence, he said, “The die is cast.”

The chains rattled. Jing Lin said through clenched teeth, “Scram!”

Before Li Rong rose to his feet, he hesitated for about an hour.⁵ Eventually, he took out an unwashed handkerchief from his bosom and set it on the stone bed through the gap.

“I’ll come every day.” Li Rong said, “… You must never let anyone else see this item.”

Li Rong closed the gap before leaving, and the bottom plunged into darkness once again.

Jing Lin remained fixed in place for a long time before he groped along the wall to climb up. His fingers touched the handkerchief, which was emitting a slight glow. Jing Lin bent over and pulled the handkerchief apart. A piece of bluish-white dragon scale leaning against a prayer bead was lying within.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Have you ever heard of the dragon’s reverse scale?”⁶

♦     ♦     ♦

It suddenly began to rain on the handkerchief. Tears dampened the bloodstains on it. Jing Lin bowed over and embraced the handkerchief in his bosom. He sobbed in a small voice, like a little beast that had suffered a setback for his impetuous act.

They sliced off the scales and extracted the tendons of his beloved.

They turned the moral principles he believed in into presumptuous lies.

There was hardly anything in this world he was loathed to part with, and now this world had turned into complete gloom. The fire he once possessed for his cause had thoroughly cooled. And the Way he cultivated had all fallen apart.

Jing Lin grasped the reverse scale and the prayer bead tightly. The curse kept pestering him, haunting him. He slammed his forehead on the ground in despair, and rolled about with difficulty in this increasingly strangulating suffocation. The chains bound his arms tightly, holding him down in this cramped and cold room where no one paid him any attention even as he choked on his sobs in anguish.

♦     ♦     ♦

Li Rong came again the next day, but he did not come alone. Lord Jiutian opened the barrier, and the rays of light stung Jing Lin’s eyes. He tucked the handkerchief into the crevice of the stone wall and blocked it with his body as he lay on the stone bed and struggled with the chains to block his eyes from the light.

“Jing Lin.” Lord Jiutian looked down at him and said with compassion, “Can my son still recognize Father?”

Jing Lin’s black hair was disheveled. His red, swollen eyes watched Lord Jiutian soundlessly through his fingers.

Lord Jiutian’s gaze turned all the more tender. “My son is still young. After going through this setback, you will surely become a great man. Father will keep watch over you until you eliminate all the evil spirits and obliterate all impure thoughts.”

Jing Lin looked as though he did not hear him.

“Jing Lin.” Lord Jiutian’s voice choked a little with emotion. “You are still young, so how would you know of the evil in the world? That Cangdi bewitched you and deceived you, causing you to degenerate into such a state. This really makes Father sad.”

Jing Lin dug his fingers into his hair and buried his head in his arms. He said in a hoarse voice, “Don’t say a word more.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Lord Jiutian said in a gentle tone. “Father will definitely let you return to the Righteous Way.”

Jing Lin felt as though he was being stabbed in the back by thorns.⁷ He repeated in agony, “Don’t say a word more.”

“Alright. We won’t talk about these.” Lord Jiutian wiped his tears and reached out a hand in an attempt to stroke Jing Lin’s hair.

He did not expect Jing Lin to slap his hand away abruptly and rebuked him amidst the rattling of chains. “Don’t touch me!”

Lord Jiutian’s eyes looked hurt. He said in grief, “My son is delirious. To think he doesn’t recognize me. Lao-san.”⁸ He glanced sideways. “Hold down your younger brother quickly. Don’t let him hurt himself.”

Lao-san was originally standing woodenly at one side. On hearing this, he did not dare to hesitate and reached his hands down along that gap to forcibly hold Jing Lin down. Jing Lin struggled hard against the chains on his wrists as his head was pressed down against the stone bed. The chains swung haphazardly from all the pulling.

Lord Jiutian towered over Jing Lin and stroked his hair. His tone grew even gentler. “It doesn’t matter even if you can’t recognize me. Father will be able to make you remember… Many years ago, my dear son came alone to Ninth Heaven Sect. At that time, you were only as tall as my waist, but even so, you already had impeccable etiquette. Don’t be afraid, Father is doing this all for your own good.”

Jing Lin struggled in dejection as his gasps intensified. He felt as if the palm sliding among his hair was like a venomous snake. The curse swept through him again, choking him until it was hard for him to breathe. Yet, he felt a wave of nausea and could not help but dry-heave amid this chaos.

“Everything will be all right.” Lord Jiutian said benevolently. “Jing Lin.”

废子 It’s also a term in Weiqi to mean a useless stone (worthless chess piece). But it can also be literally read as useless son (废+子) especially since the author used the word 爱子 (beloved son) prior to this in chapter 98.

天火 literally Heaven Fire; a fire caused by natural phenomena, e.g. by lightning, or a fire whose cause can not be ascertained.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li= approx. 500m

豺狼 literally jackals and wolves, i.e. the cruel and wicked

一炷香 literally the time an incense stick takes to burn. Some sources suggest that one stick (一炷香) takes 30 minutes or one hour (one hour is the generally agreed time), but it really depends on a variety of factors (the environment, wind, length of the stick, etc). So one stick is presumably anywhere from 30 to 60 mins.

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touch that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

背如芒刺, play on the word 如芒刺背 or 芒刺在背 Feeling prickles and thorns in one’s back, i.e. to feel panicstricken and uneasy

老三 Lao-san, address for the third child, or third in rank. This would have meant San-di (whom Li Rong addressed as) in the earlier chapters.

Chapter 101: Sarcophagus

JULY 11, 2020

Jing Lin did not get better.

He was imprisoned in a narrow stone chamber. Li Rong could no longer visit him at will. Lord Jiutian separated him from the sea of people and concealed him in the darkness, as if he wanted to shelf Yan Quan Sword aside and forget all about it. Four or five more chains had been added, and the stone walls were fortified with layers upon layers of talisman spells and spiritual patterns. The cumulation of barriers completely cut off all sound from the outside world.

Jing Lin could no longer tell the difference between day and night. He was buried deep in the darkness. There were no doors and windows on all sides of the stone chamber, and only the stone slab above could be slid open and closed. Calling it a “stone chamber” was actually not appropriate, because it should be called a sarcophagus instead. Jing Lin could not get up nor get down to the ground. The width and breadth of the stone bed was all the free space he had now. He would even hit the wall when he straightened his back.

No one cared to ask after him; the dead silence stretched on infinitely.

The gleam of the reverse scale was Jing Lin’s only light. He could still smell Cang Ji’s scent on the prayer bead, even if it was only the scent of his blood.

Jing Lin must not think of Cang Ji. For each time he walked down memory lane, the curse would act up one time. When it did so, the patterns would strangle him until it made him dizzy. The remnants of the evil spirits would also seize the opportunity to gnaw and bite his limbs and bones. Jing Lin kept banging his head into the wall, struggling on at death’s door amidst this never-ending pain. He dug his fingers into the cracks in the wall, sometimes counting the scars on his body with calm and composure, sometimes clawing at the stone wall in a frantic frenzy.

He thought he was going mad.

There was only the sound of chains when he woke up—the sound of chains replaying over and over in a loop.

Jing Lin’s hair seemed to have grown longer. He measured it with his fingers, again and again, and counted it repeatedly in a whisper. But it was no good. He gradually sensed that many matters in the past had begun to cloud over.

“I’m Jing Lin.”

Jing Lin said in a hoarse voice.

“I’m Jing Lin.”

He struggled against the chains, murmuring repeatedly and ceaselessly into the empty darkness.

“I have a beloved, over the mountains and across the seas¹… I’m his reverse scale²… My name is Jing Lin… Ming Jin Stage… City of Huaishu… Qixing town… He and I, he…”

Who is he?　

Jing Lin irritably grabbed his hair with his forehead pressing against the wall. “I want to form a marriage alliance³ with him… In Qixing Town… Ming Jin Stage… Come for me, for me…”

The pattern of the curse instantly materialized on his cheeks, and the motif of thistles and thorns wound around his neck and tightened its grip around it. Jing Lin slammed his head hard repeatedly like a trapped beast. Blood trickled over his eyes, wetting them. He shouted in a hoarse voice, “At Ming Jin Stage! I’ll wait for you at Ming Jin Stage! Wait for you… to take me home… Who, who? I have a beloved, over the mountains and across the seas… I have…”

Jing Lin’s throat tightened even more until it was even hard for him to gasp for breath. He clawed at his throat, and the chain swayed along with his gasps. Jing Lin’s eyes widened in despair as if he was watching a heavy fog pervade the air before him to separate him from that man. He sobbed in a hoarse voice. All of a sudden, he turned over and crawled by sheer force to scratch hastily on the wall with his fingernail. His fingernail broke. Leaving a long, long trail of blood on the wall as he dug and dragged his finger across.

A dragon.

Jing Lin placed his palm and cheek on the blood trail. Amidst the stabbing, penetrating pain, he suddenly laughed out loud. His cheeks were already drenched in tears. He clung close to this trail of blood, as if he was clinging close to a dragon.

“… Gege.”

Jing Lin cried out in grief and aggrievement.

“Take me home.”

♦     ♦     ♦

For an unspecified period afterwards, Jing Lin would etch a mark each time the curse acted up. He could not see clearly, so he did not know that the surface of this wall was already covered in intersecting trails of blood from his scratches. The times he was actually sober gradually lessened.

 Jing Lin curled up against the wall, grasping the prayer bead and reverse scale. With his head slightly tilted, he silently mouthed words that even he himself could not understand.

A smash suddenly rang out from above.

Jing Lin gripped the prayer bead and reverse scale, and turned only his eyes for a look.

The stone slab moved heavily as someone pushed it open a crack. The person who came was not Li Rong or anyone Jing Lin was familiar with, but a snow incarnate.⁴

Xue Mei slid in, holding a bowl of water. He was as light as the wind, with a chill trailing in his wake. A bell tinkled as he floated and drifted. He did not pass the water to Jing Lin. Instead, he slowly leaned over the edge of the stone bed and peered somberly at Jing Lin’s face.

“My Lord.” Xue Mei said faintly, “Have you gone mad?”

Jing Lin was unable to react for quite a while even after hearing voices again. He frowned and sluggishly turned his head in the direction of Xue Mei’s voice.

“Mad.” Jing Lin’s voice was languid and hoarse. He pushed aside the chains and bent over from the stone bed. “I’ve gone mad.”

“How admirable.” Xue Mei squeezed out a laugh. “Lord Linsong… You are truly worthy of the title Lord Linsong!” He abruptly curbed his smile and said in a frosty voice, “Why don’t you go die?”

Water suddenly splashed onto Jing Lin’s face. With a lightning move of his hand, Xue Mei flung the bowl down, shattering it. Like a wandering ghost, he pressed in towards Jing Lin.

“I chased after you for dozens of li.⁵ As long as you were willing to turn your head back, you would have seen the raging fire. Qing Yao clung to the door frame. She cried out for you in the fire.” Xue Mei’s voice was feminine. “Jiu-ge… Jiu-ge… She truly thought you would turn around! But you ran in such a hurry. You even paid no heed to her unusual condition the day before. How are you even worthy to be her elder brother? You hard-hearted man!”

Water droplets dripped off the tips of Jing Lin’s hair. He gazed expressionlessly at Xue Mei and said coldly, “Lies.”

Xue Mei could not help but ridicule him. “Lies? I asked someone to send you a message the night before the incident. But what did you do? You didn’t care about her at all! You are selfish and selfcentered! Even now, you still want to escape from reality.”

Jing Lin did not answer. He could not remember if anyone had passed him a message.

Xue Mei flashed over to Jing Lin’s side and said, “You are birds of a feather to restrain her in the sect. Vile, sanctimonious beasts who act in the names of her elder brothers…” He hissed and laughed,” You joined forces with Cangdi to kill her. You are her executioner! Jing Lin, hurry up and go mad… Hurry up and die… You are finished!”

Jing Lin was stung by his words. He buried his head in his arms and pulled at his hair haphazardly.

“You killed her. Damn you, you killed her! She was already ill to that extent. She was just a little girl! But you had to use her to make a name for yourself…” He gritted his teeth and said, “How ruthless of you. You are born deficient—without a heart!”

Jing Lin’s back was bony, and his fingers were trembling. Evil spirits emerged again to create havoc in Jing Lin’s body, They corroded Jing Lin’s internal organs and stirred up his spiritual sea, causing it to churn all at once. Pain wandered erratically along his back. Jing Lin refused to answer. The pain tormented him and dazed him so much that he even had to rely on the impact of physical force to alleviate and stabilize his pain.

He did not manage to save the dragon, nor had he managed to save Qing Yao. He was already in a precarious situation, as if he were walking on a tightrope. What was he now that the moral and righteous principles he had once been so sure of had all collapsed and disintegrated into nothingness? He was an accomplice sword who helped the villain commit evil. He was also a wicked man full of lies!

He was in a muddle. He was no longer recognizable as the man he once was.

Xue Mei whispered, “This is just great. You can waste away here for your whole life. Stay in this sewer to repent. You’ve let Qing Yao down, and failed to live up to your name. You are a son of a bitch who deceived the public to win credit for yourself. You lied to everyone in the world. You aren’t an upholder of justice and righteousness at all.”

“You drag out an ignoble existence in this world, but Qing Yao died in the Fire of Heaven.⁶ You should get a taste of being set ablaze in a raging inferno. Will you feel pain? Lord Linsong! Will you?”

“You and the Supreme Father are two of a kind. He already dared to call himself the Father of all under the Heavens! You have made great contributions, so you ought to kneel in the lead! What is Qing Yao? You all raised and groomed the Blood Sea into the greatest calamity in the world, and you pushed all the blame to her alone! She was just a little child!”

“I’m waiting for you to be completely obliterated too. Lord Linsong, Lord Linsong!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin could not differentiate between the voices. By the time he was dragged up, it was already hard for him to distinguish between people. Sometimes, the one before him was Xue Mei going hysterical, sometimes it was Li Rong calling out to him in a stern voice. Jing Lin’s ears buzzed as he struggled with his body in an attempt to escape out of this place. But the chain hauled him back several times. More and more people came. A drink suddenly cleared up his mind.

Lord Jiutian looked down at him from above and asked, “Has my son recovered yet?”

Jing Li’s vision was blurred. He jerked the chains. His neck was strangled to the point he could not answer. He stared at Lord Jiutian and gasped for breath heavily.

Lord Jiutian sighed heavily. “Still unrepentant as ever. It truly pains my heart.”

Once again, Jing Lin sank into the darkness.

He became extremely irritable. He braced himself against the wall as the binding of the curse made his life worse than death. He thought he was no longer a man; he was losing everything he had. When he pressed against the wall, he could not even remember who he was longing for. He pounded on the wall with his fists in a rage and burst out howling in this narrow, cramped sarcophagus.

He wanted to go out.

He wanted to go and find a dragon.

But in those occasional moments when Jing Lin was calm, the reverse scale would be pressing painfully into his palm, making clear to him the pain of being sliced out of one’s scales. As he trembled and touched his own chest, he would suddenly go blank and thought that he was already dead.

Lord Jiutian became harder to deal with. He changed his former attitude and developed an obsession with visiting Jing Lin. He would stand above him and ask Jing Lin with a benevolent and kind countenance.

“Has my son recovered today?”

Jing Lin would not answer.

Once again, Lord Jiutian would sigh, and Jing Lin would return to the darkness.

Every single moment, Jing Lin had to draw lines in places his hands could reach, as if doing so could stop his pain. When no one came, he would cling to the wall and use his fingernail to engrave marks on it. These densely packed lines with differing depths were his “dragon”.

♦     ♦     ♦

There’s a man I love.

Jing Lin strained to say to himself.

In the clouds. In the sea. In my heart.⁷

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s hair could already trail down below the bed. Disheveled and unkempt, he had already drawn on the wall until there was no space left on it. The curse no longer faded away; it now formed a ring around Jing Lin’s neck. Jing Lin’s spiritual sea was still abundant. Even though the evil spirits and the curse tore at him and assaulted him in a pincer attack, that dragon aura protected the roots of his foundation from start to end without retreating even a single step.

The slashed lotus motif on Jing Lin’s palm would gradually begin to heal until it reverted to the way it once was. He would not die. Even if he was already scarred all over, even if he was on the verge of insanity, he would not die.

Because the dragon aura was in his body, defending it.

He belonged to a dragon. And a dragon also belonged to him.

During the times Jing Lin found it unbearable, he would mutter to himself and read out the names of places, from Ninth Heaven Sect to Qixing town, then from Qixing town to the high walls in the north. He kept it constantly on his mind, never once loosening his grip on the reverse scale and prayer bead.

But, one day, or perhaps it was one night, Jing Lin woke up and sank into a long, long silence. It took him an even longer time to recollect before he finally remembered a dragon amidst his bewilderment.

Jing Lin leaned back and looked up for a very long time. He had even forgotten to sob.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Jing Lin.” Li Rong moved close to the gap. “… Shixiong has brought you some pastries.”

He placed the still warm oil paper before Jing Lin and peeled it open with his fingers to reveal the pastries inside. His sleeves were no longer white, but black. All traces of Ninth Heaven Sect were diminishing as the sect turned into a different one of grandeur beyond anyone’s reach.

“… Let me tell you a little about what’s happening outside.” Li Rong leaned over. “Zhongdu is now stabilized. Father has demarcated a boundary for an upper realm to emulate a Zhongdu in Heaven and named it Ninth Heaven Realm. We established a Demarcation Division to govern the Three Realms… The high walls in the north have become a mountain range.” He paused, then continued, “Father left you a position. No one can take away your title of Lord Linsong. Everyone thinks that you have been in seclusion for years.”

He chattered on and on in a hushed tone. At first, he thought that he would return without accomplishing anything this time too. He did not expect Jing Lin to reach his fingers out to pick up a pastry and put it into his mouth.

The saccharine sweetness melted in his mouth. Jing Lin’s stomach churned. Yet, he suddenly stuffed all the pastries into his mouth and wolfed them down.

Li Rong was surprised and delighted at the same time. Jing Lin stuffed his mouth so full that he choked and bowed over to cough. Li Rong thus climbed up to go and get some water. During this interval, Jing Lin wiped his lips. A little stone dug its way out under his tattered old robe. Jing Lin gulped down the pastries and patted the stone on its head.

The stone exchanged glances with Jing Lin for a moment, then turned around and stepped on Jing Lin’s hands and feet to crawl towards the gap. It spared no efforts to make its way to the edge where it clumsily hung its legs up and climbed out.

When Li Rong returned, Jing Lin had already finished eating the pastries. He drank up the water too, then crawled his way beneath the gap and pressed his eyes against the opening.

“Go tell Father.” Jing Lin said, “I want to go into seclusion.”

“You are in seclusion at present.”

“I want to slay devils.” Jing Lin pointed his finger at his chest and said coldly, “Sever all feelings and desires—I want to go out already.”

Li Rong stared at him for a long while, then said, “Alright.”

(我有)所爱隔山海 from a line in a poem by Littlesen 《山木诗词全集》
所爱隔山海，山海不可平
Roughly translated as:
The mountains and the seas lie between me and my beloved,
But alas, the mountains and the seas cannot be leveled.

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touch that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

秦晋之好 During the Spring and Autumn Period, more than one generation between the States of Qin and Jin married each other. It thus came to refer to an alliance formed between the two families by marriage. Here, it hints at Jing Lin’s wish to clear the animosity between his father and brothers in Ninth Heaven Sect and Cangdi through marriage.

雪魅 xue mei, a snow incarnate or a snow demon. I’ll use “snow incarnate” if referring to snow demons in general, while “Xue Mei” will be used to refer to this particular snow incarnate.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li= approx. 500m

天火 literally Heaven Fire; a fire caused by natural phenomena, e.g. by lightning, or a fire whose cause can not be ascertained.

More specifically, (high) in the clouds, in the (northern*) sea, in my heart. I shortened it to fit into the same number of words as the original to keep the rhythm (or whatever you called it).

我心有所爱。 (5)
There’s a man I love. (5)
在云端，在瀚海，在心口。(3,3,3)
In the clouds. In the sea. In my heart. (3,3,3)

*瀚+海 can be read as the vast, boundless sea. But “瀚海” as a word in itself originally refers to one of the four seas in China’s history, aka the “northern sea” (北海), aka Lake Baikal (this lake was known as 瀚海 and 北海 during ancient times). Or you can interpret it as the “vast, northern sea”.

Chapter 102: Seclusion

JULY 16, 2020

The spiritual sea begets one’s original form, and in the original form resides one’s heart.

Jing Lin’s original form was Yan Quan Sword. The day Cang Ji devoured the sea, the remnants of the evil spirits invaded him, and his spiritual sea near about collapsed. This consequently caused Yan Quan Sword to crack all over. He was already on the verge of breaking away from his Way. But because Cang Ji’s dragon aura still lingered on, Jing Lin’s spiritual sea had never suffered a leak despite being thrown into turmoil.

One thing Li Rong had said was true. That was, as long as Yan Quan did not break, Jing Lin was still Lord Jiutian’s son. Lord Jiutian had spent so many years casting this one sword, so he would definitely not let him fall apart that easily. The nameless curse’s prohibition of all thoughts and feelings of love was to allow him to keep a tight rein on a Jing Lin whom he could still use. If the curse was not removed, then there would be no way for Jing Lin to still his heart and exorcise evil. But to dispel the curse, he had to sever the root of love.

And this, was to sever all feelings and desires.

♦     ♦     ♦

Seeing the sarcophagus tightly shut, Li Rong lowered his head and exhaled. He walked out of the forbidden area without leaving any traces on the snow. Thin snow blanketed the bluestone slabs. He stood before the terrace and looked down. The scenery of Ninth Heaven Sect was no longer as it used to be. The “Nine-Heaven Sect” amid the continuous stretch of mountains was long gone. This place was now the upper realm of Zhongdu, also known as the land of the various deities and immortals—Ninth Heaven Realm.

Lord Jiutian was no longer addressed as “Father”. Li Rong and the rest had to address him with the esteemed title of “Supreme Father”. When Ninth Heaven Realm was first established, they were all conferred titles according to their merits and contributions. Jing Lin’s name ranked above all the brothers, with the name “Lord Linsong” fixed permanently in the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods. Li Rong followed right behind him, and he was now called Lord Shage.

The north wind assailed Li Rong’s robe and scraped past his cheeks. There were already some changes in his facial features, with his youthful inexperience giving way to maturity. He stood at this spot and surveyed the mountain range shrouded in snow and fog amid the backdrop of the boundless sea of clouds.

A speck of brown waded through the snow towards him.

Dong Jun’s shoes had been soaked through by the snow, but he paid it no mind as he held up an oiled paper umbrella and walked up the steps. He shook the snow off the surface of his umbrella and gave Li Rong a perfunctory nod before saying, “A bald lad has come to the Brahma Altar. He shaved his own head with the intention to become a monk, but a pity they didn’t want him. The Supreme Father treasures this person’s innate talents and wants to recruit him into Zhui Hun Prison for you to guide and supervise. Make a trip there when you are free later.”

Li Rong remained solemn. He was not carrying his spear today. His wide robe hung down into the snow, bathing it in a swathe of dark red. On hearing this, he considered it for a moment, then said, “I’ve heard the Bureau of Human Lives speak a little of it a few days earlier.”

“This person used only about 900 years to achieve the Perfection Stage. He’s bad-tempered. If he offends you in any way in the future, please show him some understanding.” Dong Jun said, “I want to safeguard him.”

Li Rong commented, “How rare.”

“He’s a rare talent.” Dong Jun kicked out his wet shoes. Hoisting his umbrella over his shoulder by the handle, he said, “900 years. Even Jing Lin wasn’t that fast. I’ve also examined his original form. It’s a mountain. Steady.”

“You said you wanted to safeguard him.” Li Rong looked at him out of the corners of his eyes. “You must have something on him.”

“Not exactly.” Dong Jun said, “Just a love tribulation. He used to be under the command of the nine-tailed fox, Linlang. Although he has never annoyed anyone in the face before, it’s hard to say if there might be some slanders against him in days to come. Linlang was a major-league demon under Cangdi. It’ll be tough to deal with if the Supreme Father starts looking into this. So I’m entrusting you to safeguard him.”

This concerned Cangdi. Thus, it was no small matter.

The evil spirits in Jing Lin had yet to be dispelled, and there was only a pool of Blood Sea left. Cangdi was already dead, and yet Ninth Heaven Realm had yet to communicate news of these to the Three Realms. Lord Jiutian’s thinking was unfathomable. No one could guess what he was planning to do.

“I’ll give you an answer when I’ve met him.” Li Rong said, “What’s his name?”

Dong Jun said, “His past has been shed along with his hair. The Supreme Father bestowed him with the name ‘Zui Shan’. He called himself Zui Shan Seng.”¹

Li Rong nodded and said, “Understood. You may leave.”

But Dong Jun continued, “It isn’t easy to come up here once. Aren’t you a little too heartless to dismiss me just like this? The last I heard, Jing Lin wanted to go into seclusion. It has already been a few hundred years.” His eyes shifted backward to look at the forbidden area. “There has been no news of him to date. Who knows if he’s alive or dead?”

“Yan Quan Sword stands on Ninth Heaven Terrace. You can see in just a glance whether he’s alive or dead.” Li Rong said, “This isn’t a place you can poke your nose into. Don’t even think about trying anything funny.”

“Whether or not I’m thinking of trying anything can be left aside for the moment.” Dong Jun paced a few steps and said, “You risked universal condemnation to kill Cangdi. All these years, you’ve stationed yourself here to defend this place without allowing anyone else to replace you. Most likely, you harbor guilt over it and can’t let it go. My guess is that you have had a conversation with Jing Lin. He’s probably in terrible shape and no longer willing to acknowledge you as his elder brother.”

“Mortals have to go through the cycle of life and death through reincarnation. They take one wrong step, and they still have the underworld to go. But once they get to the stage we are now, one wrong move will consign them to eternal damnation with no hope of reprieve.” After a moment’s pause, Li Rong continued, “It’s of little significance whether or not he acknowledges me. The important thing is for him to live.”

“Live.” Dong Jun twirled out his folding fan and tapped it between his eyebrows. “After this tribulation, he wants to ‘die’, but all of you want him to live. Little would you imagine being unable to seek life and not allowed to seek death is even more of an agony. There are eight sufferings in the world. The way I see it, his suffering fits perfectly into the ‘encounter of resented ones’!”²

“His state of mind is different.” Li Rong gazed at the still and silent sea of clouds. “After this tribulation, he will surely be reborn anew and ascend into deityhood.”

“Being an elder brother sure is tough.” Dong Jun said.

Li Rong had already descended the stairs. He walked slowly, his footprints deepening the more he walked.

Behind him, Dong Jun suddenly said, “It’s better for you to show some restraint these days. There aren’t many of the brothers alive already.”

Li Rong looked back and suddenly raised his arm. The snowflakes in the wind swirled, and Po Zheng Spear landed onto his palm in response. The surrounding waves of snow instantly dispersed. He stood with his spear erected and said, “What do you think is the reason I lived to this day for?”

Dong Jun smiled. “I don’t answer questions that will cost me my head.”

Li Rong smiled too, albeit a little mockingly. “Since you understand, then don’t intervene.”

Dong Jun reined in his expression. “The snow is heavy today. Xiongzhang, the path you’re taking isn’t an easy one to walk.”

“All the Great Paths³ under Heaven…” Li Rong lowered his voice amid the snow, “…aren’t any different from one another.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Spring went and autumn came in Ninth Heaven Realm—the Heaven in the skies above Zhongdu. Looking down upon the mortals from above were like looking at mayflies. Yan Quan Sword was covered in dust and rust on Ninth Heaven Terrace, and the half-exposed part of its sheath was densely covered in cracks. It had already been left aside in the cold for many years.

Lord Jiutian had set up an Immortal Meet to listen to the various monks chat sutras near the Brahma Altar. It was the period for the awakening of insects⁴ right at this time. Dong Jun was dead drunk under his seat, leaning against the stairs in a sound sleep.

Lord Jiutian sat on his seat at the top and asked, “Where is Dong Jun?”

Zui Shan Seng kicked under the seat and sent Dong Jun rolling out, rendering the latter, who was still not completely awake yet, bewildered.

Lord Jiutian frowned slightly and said, “It’s your responsibility to call forth Spring. The time has passed, and it is still snowing in the north and south of Zhongdu. For indulging in the pursuit of petty pleasures and disregarding your duties, you should be severely punished!”

Without paying his obeisances, Dong Jun presumptuously sat cross-legged and said, “To reply to the Supreme Father, it’s not due to my negligence. Instead, it’s an anomaly of nature. That unbroken spell of heavy snow simply won’t stop.”

“Anomaly?” Lord Jiutian shifted his body slightly and said in a deep voice, “I’m the only one who reigns supreme in heaven and earth today. I’m Heaven itself! If there is an anomaly, how would I not know of it?”

“Father.” Dong Jun acted shamelessly and said, “Even the Will of Heaven has its moments of oversight. Seeing how that heavy snow blots out the sky and blankets the earth, it’s clearly spurred on by the chill. If we can’t find the source of this chill, then this snow will not thaw even in summer.”

“Could it be the work of evil spirits, or due to the birth of a major demon?” Yun Sheng said from his seat, troubled. “If that’s the case, it is better to eradicate it as soon as possible.”

“We still don’t know if what he said is true or not.” Li Rong set down the wine goblet and said, “Let’s ask him again when he’s sober.”

“Every word I’ve said is the truth.” Dong Jun did a forward roll wanting to stand up, but the wine got to his head and caused him to end up lying on the ground instead. Thus, he remained lying like this and raised a hand to point at random in the air. “See. It’s snowing heavily all over, freezing a great number of humans to death. I’ll be frank. No matter who here goes, the outcome will all be like wooden dummies throwing themselves into the river—it won’t work!”⁵

Lord Jiutian had been sorting out mortal affairs lately. He did not expect such a matter to happen. He was displeased with Dong Jun for not reporting it despite knowing of the matter, but he still put on an amiable expression and said, “Then, in your opinion, how should this be dealt with?”

With his fingertip, Dong Jun drew out the virtual scene of Zhongdu—a frozen landscape stretching on for countless of li.⁶ He smiled broadly and said, “It’s easy to resolve. What’s the coldest in this world?”

Yun Sheng smiled and said, “The dead of winter in the twelfth lunar month.”⁷

“Nope.” Dong Jun’s hiccups persisted. He covered his face with his fan and took a short breather before continuing, “That’s a natural phenomenon. It doesn’t count.”

“The Underworld.” The newly appointed King of Hell not only had a young and delicate face, but was also a refined youth to boot. He said eagerly to the people at his sides, “No one can sleep in the King of Hell’s Palace. It’s penetratingly cold. The cold is real.”

After he was done speaking, he peeked at Dong Jun out of the corners of his eyes and was swept off his feet by the latter’s countenance.

Dong Jun’s peach blossom eyes⁸ shone. He said, “Although the Underworld is cold, it can’t do anything to those with almighty cultivation. Why can’t anyone understand? There is nothing colder in the world than a man who possesses neither a heart nor tender feelings. He’s stark cold. And he will be the coldest deity in Heaven and Earth after this several hundred years worth of seclusion, when his cultivation improves by leaps and bounds, and when he comes to embrace the Great Way!”⁹

The instant the words left his mouth, the color drained from the faces of everyone presented, Only a worldly-wise Lord Jiutian said softly, “You’re spouting nonsense again! That’s your brother.”

“That’s why I said this matter is easy to resolve.” Dong Jun suddenly sat up with one hand on his knee and looked in the direction of the forbidden area. “My brother Lord Linsong is about to come out of seclusion. Everyone has long heard about Yan Quan Sword, but hardly have the chance to catch a glimpse of it in its glory. Those who have come today have truly made a worthwhile trip!”

Dong Jun had only just said that when the dishes on everyone’s table suddenly jerked. Ripples materialized in the wine goblets, and the chanting of sutras in the Brahma Altar suddenly intensified. Following right after, the lotuses in the lotus pond for several li around fell over themselves in their eagerness to bloom. Yet, a bold, cold wind swept out of the sea of clouds, leading the snow-covered evergreen pines beneath their feet to billow violently even as the sound of pines reverberated through Heaven and Earth.

Li Rong stood up. A few snowflakes fluttered out from an unknown source. The wind followed right in its wake and gushed through the entire realm. He shielded himself with his sleeves from the waves of wind and watched as azure light broke through Ninth Heaven Terrace.

Yan Quan Sword let out a long, trilling whistle, and the mottled streaks of rust fell off. Cold glint burst forth as it left its sheath with a clang!

♦     ♦     ♦

The brightness in the realm was slightly dazzling.

Jing Lin closed his eyes a little before he slowly stepped out.

Light shielded his entire body. That black hair of his had already grown to the back of his legs, and he was no longer wearing a silver crown. Sky blue fluttered amidst the wind; his white robe had all but became a thing of the past. He was no longer the young man he once was, his coldness having been reduced to a solitary frostiness. He seemed to have grown a little taller, but that skinniness of his was still the same as ever.

The reed music in the realm had already stopped, and the sound of chanting came to a halt. The pine wind calmed along with Jing Lin’s footsteps. Not one drop of water in the lotus pond splashed, and the wine remained absolutely still. The various deities prostrated themselves and kneeled. In this malignant cold, they did not even dare to shout out the words “Lord Linsong”. For a moment, silence reigned.

The wine goblet on Li Rong’s table was knocked over as he pushed his seat aside and called out, “Jing Lin…”

Jing Lin brushed past Li Rong and kneeled on one knee before the stairs. With a slight lift of his hand, Yan Quan Sword instantly returned to its master.

“Father.”

That pair of heartless, desireless, and emotionless eyes gazed up.

“Your son has come.”

Lord Jiutian had been initially leaning to the side in his seat. But Jing Lin’s gaze filled him with apprehension. He rose slowly with his hands on the armrests. The pearls before his face swayed violently. Calming himself, he stepped down the stairs in a welcome and said with a laugh, “My son, please get up. Father has been waiting a long time!”

醉山 Zui Shan literally means “Drunken Mountain”. Thus Zui Shan Seng (醉山僧) can be literally translated as “Drunken Mountain Monk”.

怨憎会苦 the suffering that occurs when one associates with those whom one dislike. E.g. when people have conflicts or hate each other but they have to associate with one another despite it being best for them not to. Unable to forgive one another yet unable to part, they continue to experience extreme misery.

Refers to 大道, or the Great Dao, or the Great Way. Explanation in footnote #9.

惊蛰 Jingzhe, literally the “awakening of insects,” is the 3rd of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar.

木头人投河—不沉(不成) is a 歇后语 or Xiehouyu, a two-part allegorical saying, of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, sometimes unstated, carries the message. Literally a wooden dummy throwing itself into the river—it won’t sink (不沉). Dong Jun went straight to the point and said won’t work (不成), which is a homophone of 不沉. i.e., it won’t work just like trying to make a piece of wood sink into the river. (Funnily enough, 木头人 also refers to a blockhead).

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

腊月 Layue; the twelfth month in the lunar calendar.

桃花眼 literally peach blossom eyes, the shape of eyes is said to have an exceptional ability to attract the opposite sex.

大道 the Great Dao/Tao, aka the Great Way/Path in Daoism/Taoism, is an important concept in Daoism that refers to the Way (of the natural order of the universe). In Daoism, the goal is to return to one’s original, true self and achieve spiritual enlightenment by cultivating the Way, or ‘walking the path’. (i.e. one’s Way or Path to enlightenment).

Chapter 103: Lin Song

JULY 19, 2020

Lord Jiutian held Jing Lin by the hand up to the seat. He scrutinized Jing Lin and sighed with emotion. “Although you obviously look thin, your cultivation has improved much. You have been stranded in the Perfection Stage for hundreds of years. Now that you are out of seclusion, you should be able to stride into the Great Accomplishment Stage after another round of experiencing the world.”

Jing Lin said nothing and kept his eyes straight ahead as he let Lord Jiutian lead him by the arm. Yan Quan returned to his side, its earlier burst of glory having already vanished without a trace. The bells of the Brahma Altar reverberated in the air along with the slow-flowing water of the pond, while the monks’ chanting gradually resumed. Lotuses bloomed and fell in just an instant amid the heavy mist. The old monks falteringly pushed aside the clouds for a look, only to see the hems of Jing Lin’s outfit swaying as he smoothly ascended the stairs to the seat at the top.

At the foot of the stairs, Fei Luo raised his head to peek and saw an apathetic Lord Linsong sitting upright. There was not even a hint of a smile or even smugness in his expression. His eyes were as flat as the water in a well, and he did not give off the vibe of being a living person at all.

The various immortals were initially tipsy and merry. Although the banquet was a little restrained, there was still some pleasure to be derived from it. But when Lord Linsong sat at the high platform, everyone at the foot kept wiping at their cold sweat. It was so quiet one could even hear a pin drop.

“Lord Linsong—A rare sight one can see only once in a hundred years.” Dong Jun covered his face slightly. He had drunk a little too much, and now he felt a little nauseous. Giving no regards to his image, he propped himself up and climbed to his feet. He choked as he said around him, “What are you all laughing secretly there? Laugh out loud if you must! Look all you want openly and above board! After this, you won’t…”¹

Before finishing his words, Dong Jun scrambled away to puke.

Fei Luo could not kneel any longer. He found the heavy atmosphere uncomfortable. Thus he seized the opportunity to climb to his feet as well and shook open a handkerchief to hand it to Dong Jun.

Dong Jun took the handkerchief. After he rinsed his mouth, he covered it with the handkerchief and winked at Fei Luo. He said with a smile, “My good man, I’ll borrow the handkerchief. See you at the east side later. I’ll return it to you once I’ve washed it clean.”

Fei Luo’s heart thumped wildly from the wink, and Dong Jun’s pat to his back almost sent his soul soaring in ecstasy. He nodded hurriedly in a fluster and followed Dong Jun around like a puppy.

Dong Jun wiped the corners of his lips. He still reeked heavily of wine, but he looked a lot more sober. He bowed to Lord Jiutian at the top of the stairs and said, “Jing Lin has only just returned, and it’s inevitable that the Supreme Father would not bear to order him around. In that case, I’ll take advantage of this opportunity to be the one who does!”

“It’s most likely about the heavy snow in Zhongdu.” Lord Jiutian beamed in high spirits. He turned his head and said warmly to Jing Lin, “You sealed your consciousness while in seclusion, so you aren’t in the know about this. Zhongdu has already been beset with a snow calamity prior to the conclusion of your seclusion. He couldn’t summon Spring forth, so he needs your help.”

On hearing this, Jing Lin looked at Dong Jun.

Dong Jun laughed and said, “You don’t recognize me anymore after a sleep? Your stare flusters me.”

Jing Lin only swept a glance at him before turning his gaze back. He gave a slight nod and said, “I’m at Father’s command.”

Dong Jun reined in his smile, finding it boring. He folded the handkerchief in his hand and said, “In that case, once the banquet ends, you and I will make a trip together.”

“There’s no hurry.” Lord Jiutian said in a clear voice to everyone at the bottom. “There’s another pressing matter. Several hundreds of years ago, Ninth Heaven Sect joined forces to fight the sea. Every one of you here abhors the evil spirits, and we have also lost a good number of men. The good thing is that Heaven has entrusted a great task upon my Ninth Heaven Sect. Although we’ve encountered hardships, we finally made great achievements. Back then, canglong occupied the lands in the north and refused to cede them over, causing countless innocent commoners to starve to death. However, in order to achieve our great undertaking of resisting the sea, Ninth Heaven Sect has always exercised tolerance and gave way. A pity greed is always insatiable, like a snake wanting to swallow an elephant.² In the end, canglong failed to safeguard his true heart and intent.”

Li Rong had already guessed what Lord Jiutian was going to say. He abruptly raised his eyes to look at Jing Lin opposite him. Jing Lin glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes, but there was no joy or rage in them.

“… On account that canglong was once devoted to the masses, it isn’t proper to wipe his merits clean. However, he later went on to absorb the blood sea out of greed and ended up being attacked by the various devils. It’s such a disgrace, that’s why we have yet to notify the Three Realms…”

“… Lord Shage is devoted to defending the Way. So he had no other choice but to do what he did. The assembly of the major demons of the north isn’t an easy issue to deal with. Delaying it to this day was because we were waiting for Lord Linsong’s seclusion to end.”

Lord Jiutian glowed with radiance as he firmly held Jing Lin by the arm and said, “And now Jing Lin has emerged from seclusion, this matter cannot be delayed anymore. You and Dong Jun shall descend to the human realm and make a trip to the north to announce the death of Cangdi to the various demons. If anyone stands in your way, then just…”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cangdi was dead.

Countless people silently read these words to themselves. Whether it was the few remaining people in the know, or the bewildered transient guests, they all watched Jing Lin attentively, as though they wanted to pry something out from Lord Linsong. However, Lord Linsong showed no signs of evasion, nor revealed any emotion.

It was at this moment Li Rong remembered that bout of heavy rain. He was hoisting Jing Lin over his shoulder, and Jing Lin was crying uncontrollably in the rain. Even though he cut a sorry figure, he was still a person. But now, as he sat upright opposite Jing Lin, he could see that this was not a man, but a tempered sword of the Heaven.

Lord Linsong had no heart.

♦     ♦     ♦

Midway through the feast, Dong Jun slipped away. He lay on the old stone with Fei Luo’s handkerchief covering his face. He blew up a corner of the handkerchief in dissatisfaction and said, “What’s so good-looking about a dead man? To think I’ve been looking forward to it. Look at him. Is that still a person? He even lost the ability to cry or laugh.”

Zui Shan Seng sat facing the pond. He held Xiang Mo Staff in his arms and replied, “He looks pretty upright and solemn. He must be a respectable man.”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover. I’m a respectable man too.” Dong Jun said.

Zui Shan Seng scorned, “You are merely wearing a human skin.”

“It’s still better than hiding a freak in your heart.” Dong Jun ridiculed him. “You went to seek refuge at the Brahma Altar a few days ago again. They think little of you. I’ve long told you that your heart is still trapped in the secular world. Your break from worldly affairs isn’t a clean one.”

Zui Shan Seng remained still for a long while. Looking at the ripples in the pond, he said, “I’ve already forgotten it all.”

“What’s your staff called?”

“Xiang Mo.”³

“Who are you going to subdue now that there are no more devils in the world? It’s the knot in your heart that’s hard to undo, and it’s tough for you to surmount your love tribulation. Your heart is stuck in the mirage of your past.” Dong Jun pillowed his head on his arms and said, “My conclusion is that there is no way you can achieve nirvana in this lifetime.”

“Who says there’s no more devil in the world?” Zui Shan Seng turned his head back partially. “For as long you aren’t dead, I won’t leave.”

Dong Jun suddenly burst into laughter. He said, “What a bald donkey!⁴ You made such a hypocritical speech, and it turns out you merely want to seek eternal life by profiting off me! You have been lingering in the Perfection Stage for a hundred years. Why are you not ascending into the Great Accomplishment Stage?”

Zui Shan Seng gazed at the lotus flowers, but did not answer his question. He shaved all his hair,⁵ but found the ties of love deeply entrenched in his heart. He was often dead drunk, and often insane. Each time he kneeled before the gates of Buddha,⁶ he was merely masking his pain in vain. The moment he closed his eyes, he would see a glimpse of that backward glance of hers. When he opened them, he would see several hundred years of solitude. It was too hard to be human. He had long built a prison around himself, limiting and restricting himself. Even if he had exceptional talents, he would never, ever step into the realm of Great Accomplishments.

Dong Jun shut his eyes to doze and listened as Zui Shan Seng rose to his feet and left. He knew that there would be no answer to this question, yet he seemed to have already understood why. He was merely an evil spirit donning human skin to mingle among Heaven and Earth. But even with the passage of a thousand years, he still barely understood it.

♦     ♦     ♦

After lying for an unspecified period of time, Dong Jun reckoned it was time for Jing Lin to arrive. But when the corner of the handkerchief on his face was lifted, he saw a pair of ardent eyes spying him instead.

Dong Jun immediately smiled. “Little King of Hell, apologies for the shabby treatment!”

Fei Luo had always loved beautiful people. Even when he saw Dong Jun lazing around with his head pillowed on his hands, he did not feel as if he had been shabbily treated at all. Instead, he asked with surprise and delight, “Have I disrupted My Lord from his break?”

“Oh man.” Dong Jun slowly sat up and held on to the other corner of the handkerchief, with the corners of his peach blossom eyes oozing an enchanting beauty. He said, “How is coming to look for me considered a disruption? I’m here because I’m waiting for you.”

Seeing that his joyous expression was poles apart from the rumors, Fei Luo could not help but look zealous as he enthused, “Wait, waiting for me?”

“Is this face of mine good-looking?” Dong Jun propped his elbows on his knees and raised his face to let Fei Luo see as much as he wanted.

Fei Luo nodded hard without blinking for an instant.

“Then do you want to have a taste of it?” Dong Jun craftily edged along the handkerchief to hold Fei Luo’s fingers and slowly moved closer.

Fei Luo suddenly covered his nose, feeling as if a current of heat was going to gush out of it. He was getting weak in the knees as he watched Dong Jun draw closer to him. Unexpectedly, just when the atmosphere was getting sensual, Dong Jun suddenly hauled Fei Luo hard onto the old stone. With lightning speed, he pinned the latter beneath himself and gave him another wink.

“Since you love appearances so much, I’ll reward you with some eye candy.”

His intimidating evil form burst out and closed in on Fei Luo. The stimulation that very instance startled Fei Luo so much that he involuntarily let out a scream and flipped over in an attempt to flee. Dong Jun grabbed his ankle and easily pulled him back.

Fei Luo covered his face and wailed, not daring to take another look at him.

Dong Jun roared with laughter. He propped his head up to scrutinize Fei Luo and said, “The world forbids an aging beauty.⁷ You’re such a hateful imp. Hey, my original form is this—incomparably ugly.”

Fei Luo peeked through his fingers and saw that Dong Jun had already reverted to his gorgeous self. But he was already feeling weak all over. Dong Jun’s original form was so ferocious that even canglong would be shaken. And he, Fei Luo, was merely a weasel. He was so frightened that he almost let loose a “squeak”.

“When you come to the upper realm in the future, you must remember that beautiful people come with thorns. Who knows if it’s the bloody, gaping jaws of a predator under that face? Take me, for example. Those who still have to feed from time to time are even more terrifying.” Dong Jun released his hand. “Leave now. Or are you waiting for me to tear away your clothes and marinate you to eat?”

Dong Jun said marinated, but Fei Luo thought he said castrated!⁸ His heart and mind were thoroughly wounded this time. Without even bothering to be afraid, he indignantly kicked off Dong Jun and bawled as he ran away. Midway through, he almost knocked into Jing Lin. Jing Lin turned sideways to dodge him, but Fei Luo did not even look at him. All he could think of was Dong Jun, that jerk. He felt as if this Ninth Heaven Realm was the source of his grief and broken heart; he never wanted to come here again!

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun blew at the handkerchief, finding this handkerchief to be as shallow as its owner. Just one jab and he could tear through it. On seeing Jing Lin walking towards him, he bundled the handkerchief into his sleeve.

“Just teasing him for fun.” Dong Jun said. “Don’t you even know how to smile?”

Jing Lin stood still and said, “Let’s go.”

Dong Jun jumped off the stone embarrassedly and walked side by side with Jing Lin. He fanned himself with the folding fan and said, “Zhongdu has been buried under heavy snow for nearly a month. You only need to make the snow stop. I’ll handle the rest.”

Jing Lin uttered a sound of acknowledgment.

Dong Jun said, “This assignment in the north won’t be an easy one. Trouble will arise when the group of demons is without a leader. I’m afraid you will need to put in some effort. But looking at how your fingers are already on your sword, I presumed you have already made up your mind.”

Jing Lin retracted his fingertips a little and said, “You are very unlikable.”

Dong Jun smiled, “Right back at you. If we can finish this task earlier, then you and I won’t need to get into each other’s hair again. But speaking of which, which part of me is loathsome? I’m nothing but beautiful.”

Jing Lin headed out of the realm with him. When the guards of the Demarcation Division saw both of them, they did not even ask to see their name tokens. Instead, they merely prostrated to pay their obeisances and allowed both of them to pass.

Dong Jun asked, “How does it feel to have everyone kowtow to you?”

“Doesn’t feel any different.”

“How sanctimonious.” Dong Jun swung his folding fan. “This taste of it is clearly so addictive that one can never get enough of it and quit even if they want to. Otherwise, why would each and every human want to reign supreme above all the other humans?”

After a moment of silence, Jing Lin said, “You and I aren’t human.”

Dong Jun said, “Just hearing this word makes one feel so much comfortable. It wasn’t convenient for me to disturb you while you were in seclusion, so I can only show some brotherly love now. My dear didi, do you still remember the past?”

The wind brushed past both men’s long hair. There was no one else in the sea of clouds.

Jing Lin replied, “I remember it all clearly.”

“I don’t think so.” Dong Jun tilted his head and said viciously, “Jing Lin, Cangdi is dead.”

Without a change in his expression, Jing Lin countered with a question. “Do I know this man?”

♦     ♦     ♦

With his sleeves billowing in the gale, Lord Linsong repeated calmly.

“Do I know this man?”

The bell suddenly rang. Dong Jun backhandedly covered up the sound of the bell and said with a smile, “You don’t. I’m just telling you. He could be said to be a formidable man with noble ambitions, but he died a tragic death. How pitiable.”

Author’s Words: 

Now you know why Fei Luo is so afraid of ghosts.

过了这村(可就)… He meant to say 过了这村没这店; literally, you won’t find this shop again past this village. i.e., this is your one/last chance to do it.

贪(人)心不足蛇吞象 Greed is forever insatiable; a man who is never contented is like a greedy snake trying to swallow an elephant.

降魔 means to subdue devils.

秃驴 literally, bald donkey; it’s also a mocking term for a Buddhist monk.

In Buddhism, a tonsure (shaving of hair and beard) is performed as a part of the ceremony of ordination as a monk to symbolize the person’s renunciation of worldly desires and affairs.

佛门 also Buddhism

世间不许美人间白头 The world doesn’t allow, or want to see, a beauty grow old with white hair; i.e., see a beauty tainted by anything ugly like old age. A variant of 自古美人如名将，不许人间见白头, (beauties are like famous generals who doesn’t allow/want the world to see them aged). The latter which focuses on the viewpoints of the beauties themselves, while t97 adapted it to focus on the world’s viewpoint in the former.

Dong Jun said 腌 (yān), i.e., to salt (preserve in salt), pickle, marinate, or cure (meat).
Fei Luo thought he said 阉 (yān; same intonation as the above), i.e., to castrate.

Chapter 104: Brothers

JULY 23, 2020

Li Rong looked up from the numerous assortments of cases he was attending to and repeated in a raised voice, “Killed?”

“Lord Linsong killed Cangdi of the North.” The garrison guard lowered his head uneasily. Kneeling on the ground, he took a moment’s breather before saying again, “After Lord Linsong descended to the mortal realm, the heavy snow in Zhongdu has stopped. So he headed north on his own accord. My Lord, the high walls in the north have turned into a mountain range that stretches along the edge of the Northern Lands to the old site of the Blood Sea. Any major demons in between who used the title of ‘Cangdi’ to proclaim themselves king were all slain under Lord Linsong’s sword.”

“It has already been half a month since Jing Lin descended to the mortal realm.” Li Rong stood up. “Why is this only reported today? Are all the Demarcation Divisions of the various lands muddleheaded?!”

“It’s not that the Demarcation Divisions were covering it up by not reporting it.” The garrison guard’s Adam’s apple throbbed. He raised his head and said in a trembling voice, “It’s just that no demon has ever returned alive where Lord Linsong passed, so no one reported it to the Demarcation Divisions. My Lord! This is no small matter; we have to pass information of this to the Supreme Father. The Demarcation Division in the north has repeatedly requested an audience with Lord Linsong, only to be ignored by him. If this goes on, I’m afraid trouble will arise in the north!”

“How many did he kill…” Li Rong’s voice stalled, “How many demons did he kill?”

“108.” The garrison guard replied. “All of them were demons who called themselves ‘Cangdi’.”

It took Li Rong an instant to compose himself. He said, “Report as per the original message. We cannot hide this from Father. Jing Lin has Father’s verbal orders to slay, and he’s also ranked as a deity lord, so his slaying of the demons isn’t a transgression but a meritorious deed! Go tell the Demarcation Divisions of the various lands in Zhongdu that there’s no need to panic.”

“There’s another matter that must be reported to My Lord.”

“Speak.”

The garrison guard shuffled forward on his knees and said urgently, “Lord Linsong has headed deep into the old site of the Blood Sea to probe into the case of the past! My Lord has ordered us to destroy the old temples a few months back, and Lord Linsong has already got an inkling of this from his investigation. My Lord, what should we do?!”

This matter was carried out covertly. Even in Ninth Haven Realm, no one knew of it. It had only been a few days since Jing Lin came out of his seclusion, so how could he have traced the places so quickly?

Li Rong considered it for a moment with a worried frown, then hurried out.

Zhui Hun Prison, which was deterring the remaining Blood Sea through intimidation, was quite a distance away from Lord Jiutian’s main hall. Li Rong always had to be a few hours earlier when he sought an audience with Lord Jiutian. But today, he was not striding in the direction of Lord Jiutian’s main hall, but Jinglun Pavilion, where the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods and the various classics and scriptures of the world were kept under lock.

Li Rong swiftly climbed up the wooden stairs and passed straight through the sea of books. Floating in the pavilion were several night luminous pearls so dazzling they were like the sea of stars in the Milky Way. Li Rong, however, was not in the mood to admire them. When he reached the top of the pavilion, he saw a figure in sky blue standing with his back to him. The latter was holding and looking at a book.

“Jing Lin…” Li Rong softened his tone. “You…”

“Hold on.” Jing Lin turned over the page without looking up. “What were you going to say?”

It was only when Li Rong approached him that he realized Jing Lin was not talking to him. The Sage Yining was sitting upright in a small boat among the sea of books. He bowed slightly to Li Rong, then said to Jing Lin, “You’ve repeatedly killed first and reported later, and yet you showed no intent to repent. I’m here to impeach you.”

“The doors of the main hall are open.” Jing Lin read through the book quickly. “Do as you please.”

Yining asked, “Why did you have to kill Cangdi?”

“The ones I’ve killed were all nobodies.” Jing Lin swept a glance at him. “Cangdi’s virtuous achievements and merits have been recorded in the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods. He’s ranked on the same page as the phoenix. This is a title Father personally took up his brush to confer.”

“But the Supreme Father has never said that it’s strictly forbidden for others to assume this title thereafter.” Yining said, “You are overstepping your authority by carrying out the executions.”

“That’s true. Since Father has never mentioned it, then it’s still not too late for me to bring it up today.” Jing Lin turned sideways slightly and looked at Li Rong, “As luck would have it, shixiong is here. I’ve consulted the archives. Deity Lords have the authority to issue special commands. Therefore, my special command is that, from now onwards, it’s strictly prohibited for anyone in the Three Realms to assume the title ‘Cangdi’.”

“How flippant!” Yining said urgently. “The so-called authority to issue special commands must go through the joint trial of the Six Lords before it can be implemented.”

“Then go put in a request.” Jing Lin said coldly.

“Nine hundred years ago, during the Calamity of the Blood Sea, you acted this willfully too.” Yining suddenly rose. “The punishment by flogging has never made you learn your lesson. Even now, you still want to repeat the same mistakes!”

Jing Lin slowly closed the book. The paper pages rustled across his fingertips as it shut. He looked at Yining and said, “You should be addressing me ‘My Lord’ now too.”

Yining stood up. He almost could not recognize the man saying this to him. He said, “You want to discuss seniority with me?”

Jing Lin said, “The hierarchy of our positions has long been clearly distinguished.”

Yining laughed in spite of his fury. “My Lord, please accept my bow!”

He raised both his arms to pay his obeisances solemnly and respectfully, then flicked his sleeves and left without looking back.

“It’s absolutely not a wise move to infuriate Yining over a title.” Li Rong said.

“You have your hands full with the cases of Zhui Hun Prison.” Jing Lin went straight to the point. “So, just speak your mind.”

“Why did you kill them?” Li Rong glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the records Jing Lin had flipped through.

Jing Lin stared at him. “Just obeying the deployment orders.”

“There are countless major-league demons. But you just have to kill those few who take Cangdi’s place.” Li Rong said.

Jing Lin said, “It’s Father’s order.”

“Jing Lin.”

“I do as I’m ordered.”

“Jing Lin.”

“Yan Quan Sword was born to carry out orders.”

“Jing Lin!”

The book was suddenly flung onto the ground as Jing Lin turned around. He cut an imposing, overbearing presence, and his gaze was gloomy. Even if everyone pretended that such a matter had never happened despite their investigations, they could not erase the penetrating cold that had been left behind in him during the time he was imprisoned in the sarcophagus. He took a few steps and pressed in towards Li Rong. Li Rong’s breathing grew ragged. This oppressive sensation drove him back a few steps in retreat.

“Don’t take advantage of your ‘xiongzhang’ title.” Jing Lin looked at him coldly and said in a frosty tone. “You have always preferred to sound others out in a roundabout way, and now you are still probing me. What are you afraid of? You have power and authority in your hands now. Don’t evade this. Li Rong, even if you hide your capacities and bide your time, there will still be a battle to come.”

“You still remember him.” Li Rong asked in response, “Right?”

“What are you talking about?” Jing Lin said derisively. “I merely wanted to ask you, where is Qing Yao?”

“You are still investigating!” Li Rong stopped short.

“I’ve been in seclusion once, and I can remember the past clearly.” Jing Lin took a step back. “Children in the south went missing for no reason. The little ghost in Qixing town can bear witness to it. Why does Ninth Heaven Sect need children for? Or, to be precise, what does Father want the children for? Qing Yao vanished while I slumbered. There’s no trace of her in all the archives I search. Where did she go? You should be well aware of the answer.”

“I’ve said it before.” Li Rong recovered. “I’ve told you before right in front of the sarcophagus. Qing Yao is the Blood Sea.”

“You’re lying.”

Jing Lin raised his hands, and countless books of records instantly flew all over. As far as the eyes could see, the top of the pavilion were all pearls. The illusory realm instantly enveloped both of them. The records suddenly flipped open under Jing Lin’s gaze, and numerous ink writings immediately gushed forth in full force.

“Li Rong.” Jing Lin’s fingertip flitted across a line of words. “Came under Father’s command when Ninth Heaven Sect was first established. Had been through the Calamity of the Blood Sea, and his merit from slaying canglong is immeasurable. Was conferred the words ‘Sha Ge’ and entered the rank of a deity lord even while the establishment of the Ninth Heaven Realm was in the works.”

Li Rong said, “It’s all recorded down in detail in the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods. What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Since it’s all recorded down in detail in the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods.” The wind of ink at Jing Lin’s side instantly charged towards Li Rong. He asked, “Then where is Qing Yao? Where is Tao Zhi?”

“Eighth son of the Supreme Father.” Li Rong said, “Tao Zhi turned his back on morality and betrayed the Way. His name is not worthy enough to be recorded.”

“Even his birth and death are unknown.” Jing Lin said. “And where is Qing Yao?”

“Qing Yao.” Li Rong pursed his lips tightly into a line. “Qing Yao’s identity is unusual. It’s inappropriate to record her into it.”

“You’re always lying.” Jing Lin looked at him with indifference.

“Qingyao is the Blood Sea, and Ninth Heaven Sect was established to subdue devils. Don’t tell me you want Father to state it down explicitly that he killed his daughter to defend the Way?!” Li Rong raised his voice. “What is it that you want to investigate? Stop it. The current situation is already not the same as it was nine hundred years ago. There are no longer any more evil spirits in the world. To Father, that’s all Lord Linsong is good for. Don’t incur his wrath!”

“How did you all become aware of the fact that Qing Yao was the Blood Sea?” Jing Lin spoke unhurriedly. He was now no longer quick to anger, and he seemed to be able to confront Li Rong with skill and ease. “This segment is also missing from the Registry for the Doctrine of Gods.”

“Canglong.” Li Rong said quickly, “When canglong was greedily consuming the Blood Sea, Qing Yao was struck by the Fire of Heaven…”¹

“No one knew before this incident?”

“Of course no one knew.” Li Rong’s voice tensed. “Otherwise, the Calamity of the Blood Sea would not have spread to that extent.”

“You’re lying.” Jing Lin lifted the file and instantly flung it until the paper pages went fluttering. He said, “All of you know—You, Father. You all know.”

“I don’t know.” Li Rong gritted his teeth. “I…”

“Dong Jun was enlightened by Buddhism when he was born. He is the world’s first major-league evil form. If we could take him under our command, then Ninth Heaven Sect’s reputation would surely go up a notch.” Jing Lin turned his head to the side and pulled out a segment from the countless ink traces. “He met Qing Yao in the mountains and submitted to us with only a word from Qing Yao. Someone once asked me before…”

Jing Lin suddenly stopped when he spoke to this point. He frowned for an instant, but he could not remember who this person was. He remembered everything that had happened in the past, but he always felt as though there was a thread of memory that had been erased.

“… This was no coincidence that happened by chance, but a deliberate, premeditated attempt.” Jing Lin hesitantly finished his words and looked back at Li Rong. “Before you and I headed north to investigate Tao Zhi, you once went to my courtyard and said something.”

Li Rong said, “I have said countless words to you.”

“This was of utmost importance.” Jing Lin repeated, “You said, ‘Qing Yao often dreamed of you lately’. At that time, I had just returned from Qixing town, which the Blood Sea had enveloped. She said this only when I went to see her. How did you know she often dreamed of me?”

“You are her Jiu-ge.” Li Rong was already finding it tough to hold out against his questioning.

“No.” Jing Lin slowly closed his eyes. “It was because I was in her ‘body’. She recognized who I was and left a soul – the little ghost – behind. She left me the clues. She knew that her death was imminent. Father adopted and raised her, but no one knew where she came from. She had never descended the mountain due to her strange illness. What illness is so weird?”

“… Stop investigating.”

“Father feeds her pills all year round.” Jing Lin opened his eyes. “It’s extremely potent, yet she treated them like candied beans.² After so many years of convalescence, her illness has never gotten better. She’s trapped in a child’s body and restrained in Father’s courtyard. The so-called world crisis, the Calamity of the Blood Sea, was merely just a farce. Father used the fresh blood of millions upon millions of people to spread the reputation and fame of Ninth Heaven Sect far and wide. You and I are the stepping stones under his feet, the swords in his hands. You and I are the chess pieces who have helped the tyrant perpetrate evil.”

“Do you know Father’s origins? You don’t understand how terrifying this man is at all! He has the whole world at his mercy. You think you can move him with just a few words of yours?!”

“Then what were the children used for?” Jing Lin strode nearer, his gaze dark and deep. “The children. Those children of the entire Zhongdu who had been taken in openly and snatched away in secret. What were their uses? Feeding the Blood Sea, or making pills? Or perhaps both. Lord Jiutian recruited talents from far and wide in the name of the righteous way. Then, he sent these courageous men who were devoted to saving the masses to the frontline at the borders until they ended up buried under the Blood Sea without even a corpse left. Lan Hai was one of them. He had been watching over Qing Yao all year round, and from there, he got an inkling of what was going on. Who killed him? You? Father? Or some fervently loyal brothers?”

“No.” Li Rong refuted. “No! How would I have killed him?!”

“You can’t do it.” Jing Lin said mercilessly, “So you watched someone else killed him.”

“All of these are mere conjectures.” Li Rong said, “Who are you trying to convince with just these words alone? The lands under Heaven have been demarcated, and Father has become the sovereign of the world. Even the True Buddha has to prostrate himself in Ninth Heaven Realm! Look at the Three Realms. The die is cast.”

“Since the die is cast, then what are you investigating?” Jing Lin said. “All the old temples in the south have been destroyed, and all traces of the Ninth Heaven Sect have been wiped clean. Yet you are still probing the secret right under Lord Jiutian’s nose. You have saved me so many times from danger. But what you want was not for me to call you ‘xiongzhang’. You are his most competent son. And you are also the son who is most like him.”

“Shut up!” Li Ron’s expression suddenly changed. “I’ve treated you and everyone else with sincere brotherliness! All the cutting words you have said today runs counter to my original intent! I personally feel Qing Yao’s pain too. Why do you have to be so suspicious to such an extent?!”

“Shixiong wants me to live.”

Jing Lin suddenly said.

“Because my original form is a sword. And the only one in the world who can kill Lord Jiutian, is none other than me.”

The records scattered all over the floor. Both men faced each other off in a confrontation with the books in between them. They were only a few steps away from each other, yet it seemed as if they were separated by a chasm. It was this easily that the word “brothers” was broken apart and smashed into smithereens.

天火 literally Heaven Fire; a fire caused by natural phenomena, e.g., by lightning, or a fire whose cause can not be ascertained.

Chapter 105: Against The Waves

JULY 27, 2020

“So why did you brothers fight in Jinglun Pavilion?” With his hands on his knees, Lord Jiutian sat high above and said to the two brothers, who were as different as the waters of Rivers Jing and Wei¹, kneeling at the foot of his seat. “All the world’s records are collected within. If you aren’t careful and end up damaging the books, there will be no way you can make up for it even if I remove you both from office and punish you.”

“We have let our emotions get the better of us.” Li Rong kowtowed. “We deserve death for the sin of worrying the Supreme Father.”

“There are no outsiders here today.” Lord Jiutian laughed in spite of himself. “Yet you are still so punctilious. Jing Lin, tell me. What caused you brothers to come to blows with such disregard for your dignities?”

Jing Lin said, “The Demarcation Division in the north has sent in a report.”

Lord Jiutian scrutinized them for a moment and said, “I was wondering what the big issue is. So it’s about this matter. Li Rong, although Jing Lin’s conduct was improper this trip, he acted in accordance with my orders. Just give him a warning or two. Coming to blows with one another is truly making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Li Rong bowed before saying, “Since I’ve been appointed to the post, I’ll treat everyone on equal footing. Jing Lin’s executions in private are, after all, against the rules.”

Lord Jiutian said, “What you’ve said is true. Jing Lin, your brother did this for the sake of impartiality. This matter isn’t that big of a deal. There’s no need for both of you brothers to be angry with one another over it. It would run contrary to Father’s original intent if a rift were to form between you both.”

Jing Lin kowtowed too and said, “I’m the one who is at fault this time. Xiongzhang.” He tilted his upper body a little and gave Li Rong a slight bow. “I’m sorry.”

Li Rong quickly helped him up and said ashamedly, “It’s shixiong who didn’t think it through.”

Both men’s eyes met that very instant, and they immediately averted their gazes. Li Rong tightened his grip on Jing Lin’s arm. Pretending to smoothen his sleeve, Jing Lin brushed away Li Rong’s hand in an almost inadvertent manner.

All Lord Jiutian saw from the top was the camaraderie between brothers. He subconsciously smiled and said, “This is the way it should be. Unity is strength; Brothers can cut through metal if they are of one mind and heart. There will be an errand in a few days that will need both of you to carry out together. You mustn’t let the unhappiness fester because of this incident.”

“This son understands.”

Both of them said in unison.

Jing Lin rose to his feet and took his leave. Just as he was about to step out of the hall, he heard Li Rong say to Lord Jiutian, “Has Father’s headache subside? I’ve especially sent someone to Zhongdu to find…”

♦     ♦     ♦

By the time Li Rong stepped out, it was already several hours later. He went down the stairs along the lotus pond, and sure enough, he saw Jing Lin sitting at the edge of the platform waiting for him.

Li Rong slowed down. “Since our Ways are different, what else is there you want to say?”

“The headache.” Jing Lin leaned on his sword and tapped his fingers on his knees. “Someone who has already attained the Great Accomplishment Stage still suffers from headaches.”

Li Rong stopped in his tracks. “Father has been hard at work day and night ever since he was crowned Supreme Father. It’s not surprising for him to be in ill health.”

Jing Lin said, “He was already at the Great Accomplishment Stage when I attained the Perfection Stage. There’s definitely no ill-health to speak of for a ‘divine body’ with a lifespan as long as Heaven.”

Li Rong looked at him. Right at this time, the Brahma Altar’s evening drum² sounded, startling away the white cranes among the lotus pond. Specks of light fell upon Jing Lin’s hair. He seemed to be holding something in his palm, looking a little absent-minded.

“To what extent do you want to probe?”

“Brothers have to pull together in times of trouble.” Jing Lin’s face was expressionless. “Naturally, they have to say all they know and say it without reserve.”

“Father went to great trouble and effort to raise the Blood Sea in captivity.” Li Rong lifted his chin and motioned for Jing Lin to take a look at the Ninth Heaven Realm. “‘Fame’ has been achieved, but where is the ‘gain’? Qing Yao often stayed in Father’s courtyard and was fed with so much blood and flesh. She cannot avoid lending Father a helping hand. How many years did it take for Father to reach the Great Accomplishment Stage from the Perfection Stage? I’m sure you have no idea. You are already an unsurpassed talent. But Father took only three hundred years.”

Jing Lin’s fingers paused.

Li Rong said, “He was that fast. Do you understand now?”

“He’d have an unstable foundation.” Jing Lin pondered it over, “And a spiritual sea is so superficial that it looks impressive but lacks real worth.”

“If Qing Yao could live a little longer, Father would have no such fear of future consequences. Back then, during the crisis of the Blood Sea, canglong fell out with us several times. Yet, Father paid him no heed.” Li Rong paused for a moment when he spoke to this point. “It is precisely because there was no way we could be his equal that we had to do it under the pretext of the Calamity of the Blood Sea. Once canglong is dead, there is nothing that will hold us back anymore.”

“You killed canglong.” Jing Lin looked at Li Rong. “How could you have been able to kill canglong?”

Li Rong was silent for a long time, “Confuse his mind, and take advantage of his difficulties. The dragon’s reverse scale³ lies under his throat. Success is possible if an attack is launched while he is caught off-guard.”

Jing Lin stared at him.

Li Rong said, “Father has been laying this trap for a very long time. I’m merely a pawn.”

He did not finish his words.

As are you. 

“Father is often ill in recent years, mostly from headaches.” Unable to bear Jing Lin’s gaze, Li Rong averted his eyes and continued, “This matter isn’t made public, and only a handful of people know about it. Besides, even though Father’s body isn’t well, his mind is still very much lucid. In other words, he becomes even more suspicious. The control of the Three Thousand Heavenly Armors is in my hands, yet I stand guard in Zhui Hun Prison. Meanwhile, there are one thousand guards in Father’s main hall, all of whom Yun Sheng is in charge of. Compared to you and me, Father trusts him more.”

“You have been searching for medicine for Father.” Jing Lin said.

“Even if I hand him my medicine, he won’t consume them that readily.” Li Rong scooped up a handful of the lotus pond water and washed away the sweat in his palms. “This kind of insidious trick won’t fool him. You’re forgetting he is Father.”

“You’ve played the despicable scum once.” Jing Lin said, “And you still want to do it a second time?”

Li Rong casually wiped his hands and shook his head lightly. “Even if you want to do it in an open and aboveboard manner, you still have to see who your opponent is. Let shixiong give you one last word of advice: don’t be easily taken in; don’t lose your temper for this; and don’t draw your sword at him. Killing him is easy, but the aftermath is tough to deal with. Lord Jiutian is already the leader of the righteous way in the world. He’s the Supreme Father of the various deities. If there’s no irrefutable evidence, no one will be able to kill him arbitrarily. Everyone with a conferred title in the Three Realms is in his hands. Just the word ‘Father’ alone is enough to prevail over you and me. Mere words without a factual basis will only make it hard to appease public wrath.”

Jing Lin landed on the ground and made to leave.

Li Rong sat down where he had sat earlier and asked, “What are you holding in your palm?”

Jing Lin looked back and tossed up the prayer bead in his palm. It landed back safely in his palm. The bloodstains had already settled into a dark brown color. Yet the sight of it shocked Li Rong.

“An old bead.” Li Rong said. “Give it to me?”

Jing Lin ignored him.

Li Rong asked in a loud voice, “What are you keeping it for?”

Without even looking at him, Jing Lin put the prayer bead into his mouth. Li Rong abruptly stood up, but Jing Lin had already swallowed it. The taste of blood permeated his mouth; it was so acrid that it made him frown.

“This is mine.” Jing Lin shot a glance at him and said so.

♦     ♦     ♦

A few days later, both men went down for Lord Jiutian’s assignment and headed south to supervise the Demarcation Division in constructing new temples. The deities-in-charge of the various lands would now be replaced or switched from time to time. So naturally, the local temples would have to be replaced along with the deities. This task was not dangerous or urgent, yet two great divine lords had been called together to assist in the job. The local deities-in-charge all thought Ninth Heaven Realm was conducting a reassessment of their duties, so they had bucked themselves up long before both men arrived.

Jing Lin felt that something vaguely off about this matter, but he could not put a finger to it, so he could only journey together with Li Rong for the time being and descended to Zhongdu with him to begin their supervision and inspection.

The lands near the capitals were all in Jing Lin’s name. Although it had not been long since he started managing its affairs, he was methodical. But there was not a single temple of the Goddess Shengyue within the opulent lands of the capital.

“I’m here to pass on the words of the Goddess. She has heard of the Supreme Father’s decree.” Shengyue’s maidservant sat behind the curtain. “However, the Goddess’s benevolence is so ephemeral that it’d be inappropriate to carry out such a monumental construction in her name. She hopes the two Lords will report back to the Supreme Father to give a special exemption to the building of temples in the capital.”

Li Rong nodded. He still had to give consideration to the Demarcation Division in this place; thus, he retreated and left after exchanging some conventional greetings.

Jing Lin sat upright outside the curtain. The aroma of the hot tea lingered in the air. He originally wanted to withdraw too, but the maidservant unexpectedly leaned over and said softly on the other side of the curtain, “The Goddess has specially sent me to send her regards to you. My Lord has been in seclusion for hundreds of years. Blessed is the Great Accomplisher.”

Jing Lin said, “I’ve only just transcended the Perfection Stage. It’s still uncertain whether I’ll attain Great Accomplishment.”

“In the so-called cycle of cause and effect, My Lord would have to go through tribulations to know of suffering and misery. The realm of Great Accomplishment is like the abyss of the Way. It’s also plain and clear, like the Way. Enlightenment will surely dawn on My Lord in the days to come.”

Jing Lin touched the cup with his fingers and asked, “… My past has passed. That still doesn’t count as knowing of suffering?”

“There are eight sufferings in life.” The maidservant’s pearl hairpin swayed vaguely behind the curtain. She continued in a soft and unhurried voice, “My Lord will understand after experiencing them.”

Jing Lin said nothing.

The maidservant then bowed down and retreated. Silence descended upon the room. Jing Lin sat alone idly, with the dimly discernible steam from the tea before him. There were layers of pearl curtains hung in the room, and the doors and windows were not shut. The wind entered uninvited.

Jing Lin sat for an unknown period of time. It was only when he heard the sound of rain pelting the banana palms that he realized it had begun to rain. He turned his head to look at the sparse greenery at the foot of the stairs as they took a pounding in the wind. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out on the veranda, accompanied by a flurry of wind and rain that felt faintly ominous.

Jing Lin held up the cup and drank up the cold tea as Li Rong entered the room. Remaining indifferent, Jing Lin asked, “What happened to Father?”

“Sick in bed!” A cold aura wrapped around Li Rong. “He fainted during the hall assembly yesterday. His headache affliction can no longer be covered up.”

“He dispatched both of us here to guard against us.” Jing Lin said.

“Not unless he already knew he was going to be ill in the near future.” Li Rong said a little anxiously, “This matter is so steeped in half-truths and falsehoods that it seems more like it’s intended to lure someone into taking the bait.”

Jing Lin asked, “Are you biting?”

Li Rong closed his eyes for a moment and said, “I’ll head back right at once. I have to see it with my own eyes before I can make a decision. Even if he’s truly ill, we can’t let him die now!”

It was only before he set off that he exchanged garrison duty with Yun Sheng. The Three Thousand Heavenly Armors now stood guard at the various entrances of the main hall. If Lord Jiutian really fell ill, then his being in the lands of Zhongdu at this moment would simply look like an attempt to cover it up only to make it even more conspicuous! With Yining and clique watching covetously like a tiger eyeing its prey, the consequences of the masses rising in revolt was by no means something Li Rong was willing to shoulder the responsibility for.

Li Rong withdrew in a hurry. He had only just left when Jing Lin got up to bid farewell to Shengyue’s maidservant. He braved the rain and passed through the capital to step into his own fief.

The rainstorm did not soak him. Jing Lin’s sky blue melted into the rain. He always seemed to be faced with choices when it was raining hard. Like how he now stood before another person and unfolded a long sheet of list in his hands.

“It’s at the behest of My Lord that I’m stationed here to guard this place.” Shuran wiped off the rain on his face. “Using the identity of the deity-in-charge, I’ve launched an in-depth probe into the various lands. The place names recorded on this page are all places that had their original names destroyed, and they are all places which had taken in the children on Ninth Heaven Sect’s orders nine hundred years ago—No exception.”

This entire page was densely packed with words. Jing Lin brushed away the water droplets and said, “Thank you for the trouble.”

“My Lord!” Shuran said, “The various deities under Lord Shage’s command are also investigating. They have already razed all the old temples in the various lands to the ground. If My Lord wants to take Him down, then just this list alone will be ineffective.”

Jing Lin folded the paper page and said, “I know.”

Shuran stepped forward and said, “Having once received Dijun’s great kindness, I’ve remained behind here for nine hundred years to wait for My Lord. My Lord! This trip will not be an easy one. So how can I just stand by and watch?!”

Jing Lin said, “You are Buddha’s beast. You are not destined to die. Although the Brahma Altar is now constructed in the Ninth Heaven Realm, the lotus pond in the old temple of Nan Chan is still around. So go. Return to where you came from.”

Shuran fell to his knees with a “thud” and said, “I’m acting under Dijun’s command…”

“There is no longer a dijun in this world.” Jing Lin said, “This man you speak of… I know not of him.”

Shuran could hardly suppress his sobs. He suddenly grabbed the corner of Jing Lin’s clothes and said, “My Lord, why don’t you endure it for a few more days? The odds are certain to be against you if you go this time.”

Jing Lin dusted his clothes and turned around. Standing dazed in the rain, he suddenly said, “It’s raining so hard. I actually feel like I’m waiting for a person.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The towering main gates had already shut, and the various deities outside the main hall waited respectfully. The Three Thousand Heavenly Armors stood ready for battle, while the Four Lords kept guard at the sides. Li Rong was even standing in his armor.

“Father fell ill for no reason. How could that have happened if it weren’t for someone poisoning him?!” Yun Sheng stood forth to rebuke him.” What’s your motive in obstructing us here? Li Rong! What do you want to do?!”

“All the brothers can get close to him. Before we ascertain who the culprit is, everyone must step back!” Li Rong held out his spear in a horizontal position.

“Since everyone is a suspect, then why are you excluded as one?” Dong Jun said, “Open the main hall and let the various deities attend to him from the sides. You, me, and the other brothers will all retreat. It’ll be open and aboveboard this way, no?”

“I’ve only left the realm for a few days, and Father is already lying on his sickbed. We are at the critical juncture now. It’s still hard to be certain who would take advantage of the chaos and make their move.” Li Rong refused to budge. “I’m responsible for guarding the main hall. I won’t back down!”

“You’re afraid to bear the notoriety of committing patricide and regicide. Thus you pull such a stunt to frame someone else.” Yun Sheng pressed in on him. “Father fell ill the moment you left the realm. You were also the one searching for medicines in the past. You already won’t be able to explain your way out of this!”

“Although you and I have differing political views all these years, our friendship has always remained the same. So is there a need for you to be so aggressive?!”

“Perhaps that’s your guilty conscience talking because of the ulterior motives you harbor!”

As they disputed with one another, a loud noise rang out from the hall gates. Dong Jun took a few steps towards the sound and asked, “What’s the matter?!”

The bleeding guard from outside the gates tumbled in and replied in a severe tone, “My Lord! Lord Linsong has forced his way through the gates armed with his sword. He’s already closing in on us!”

Li Rong suddenly shoved the others aside and said, “Who did you say it is?!”

Azure light suddenly burst out of the sea of clouds with a thunderous sound, while a strong wind swiftly swept through the entire realm. On hearing this sound, the Blood Sea under the Zhui Hun Prison billowed in fury. Red spread towards them from a distance away.

Dong Jun suddenly shoved a handful of people and bellowed, “What are you in a daze for? He’s on the verge of crossing into the Great Accomplishment Stage. No one here is his match! Hurry over to the Brahma Altar and ask the True Buddha over!”

泾渭分明 as different as the waters of the Jing River (clear) and the Wei River (muddy), i.e., poles apart from one another

(晨钟)暮鼓 lit. (morning bell,) evening drum, symbolizing monastic practices

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touch that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

Chapter 106: Dream Ends

JULY 31, 2020

Li Rong immediately stopped him. He said, “We still don’t know Jing Lin’s intent. Don’t alarm…”

“His intentions are clear.” Yun Sheng surveyed the waves of clouds in the distance. “He who indulges the enemy will only invite calamity and great harm upon himself!”¹ 

In between their conversations, the Ninth Heaven Realm shook violently, especially Zhui Hun Prison. Evil spirits ran amok under the pagoda suppressing them, while the warning bells of Heaven rang incessantly. The deities held on to the stone pillars of the veranda in a fluster and watched as the garrison troops were repeatedly beaten into a retreat. Suddenly, they heard the monks of the Brahma Altar chanting sutras as they hurried over.

The light of Buddha’s aura dispelled the haze, and a point of his finger stabilized the quaking of the Ninth Heaven Realm. The True Buddha stood soundlessly while holding a flower between his fingertips.² In an instant, the panicked chaos in the hall vanished. He was still smiling as he gazed silently at Lord Jiutian.

“The Supreme Father has been afflicted with the Wulun³ Poison. He must be placed in the Great Coffin of Golden Rays and protected with chains of Sanskrit scripts fortified by a hundred monks. Then it has to be submerged in the the Brahma Altar’s lotus pond to be cleansed for forty-nine years before the poison can be purged.

“Revered One, help us!” Yun Sheng bowed and kneeled. “Lives are at stake! Jing Lin came bearing down on us so menacingly. I’m afraid he has already fallen into the Way of the Devil. If we can’t stop him, there will be bloodbath in the Three Realms!”

The True Buddha looked askance at him. The sounds of killing on the horizon were deafening. He said, “Dong Jun’s Way is the Way of Life.⁴ The only one who can stop him now is Lord Shage.”

Li Rong instantly stepped back. His hand holding the spear trembled. He said in a hoarse voice, “I can’t do this.”

“If you don’t kill him.” Yun Sheng suddenly raised his head. “Then he will kill Father and us all!”

“If Father isn’t guilty of sins,” Li Rong said, “Then why would Jing Lin do this?!”

“What sins would Father be guilty of? Father wiped out the Blood Sea, established the Three Realms, and conferred titles upon the various deities! Without evidence, it will be just a rebellion! Don’t tell me you want to keep on condoning his act even if he wants to bear the sin of killing Father?!” Yun Sheng had already risen to his feet. He said, “Besides, do you truly believe that he can really forget what happened with canglong? Dage! He’s here for revenge… He’s here to exact revenge on us!”

“That’s not it!” Li Rong was caught in a dilemma. He said, “I have already warned him…”

“He went on an errand with you, and Father suddenly fell over ill. You returned to the realm to attend to matters, and he pressed in on us. If you don’t stop him, then there will be no way you can explain and defend yourself in the future.” Yun Sheng grasped hold of one of Li Rong’s arms and said sincerely, “Dage, he who hesitates is lost.”⁵

His words could not be any clearer at this point. Whether the Supreme Father died or not, someone must be held accountable for this. Jing Lin came just at the right time. Pin both patricide and regicide on him, and they would all be absolved from blame.

Li Rong had once advised Jing Lin not to draw his sword that readily, because they had no legitimate and justifiable reason to. Yet, this bout of illness was such a rare occurrence that it would be even more difficult to kill Lord Jiutian if they missed this opportunity. If there has to be someone to bear all the sordid filth of this world, then here comes Lord Linsong.

♦     ♦     ♦

He knew it would be hard for him to survive this trip. But he came all the same.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin’s sword rapped against the ground. He wiped off the blood between his fingers with a handkerchief. By the time Po Zheng Spear came hurtling through the wind, he had already been waiting for a long time. The sea of dark clouds was just right under his feet, and the heavy rain of Zhongdu dampened his fingertips. It felt a little slippery when he grasped the hilt of his sword.

The storm surged as Po Zheng Spear came hurling right in his face. Yan Quan Sword parried it with a “thud”. The impact sent the others in armors and everyday clothes slamming into the sea of clouds. Spiraling clouds of mist around them dispersed completely, and both men stared at each other through the tip of the sword and shaft of the spear. The next moment, Li Rong said in a hoarse voice, “Retreat. There will be another day!”

In the twinkling of an eye, Li Rong was suddenly lifted. Po Zheng Spear, which weighed a thousand catty,⁶ could not get even an edge over Yan Quan Sword. The violent wind raged along with the deluge of strikes that were too much for Li Rong to handle. He was beaten back and sent smashing into the ground. The momentum and power of Jing Lin’s sword flashed through the sky. In an instant, it had already come slashing down right before Li Rong’s eyes.

Li Rong held his spear level to receive the blow. His back crashed into an obstruction, and the entire stairs instantly collapsed and caved in with a thunderous bang. He shoved the sword back with his spear and kicked Jing Lin in the chest with a foot before flipping up. Jing Lin retracted his sword and spun around, and both men fought a perilous battle with feints and ambushes upon the debris and gravel. Amidst the changing situation, Jing Lin raised his sword and slashed up when he drew closer to Li Rong. Li Rong was caught off-guard by this move, and a slash in the chest area shattered his armor in a split second. The tip of Yan Quan Sword had already pressed against his throat. Sprays of blood erupted. Before Li Rong could brace himself, a kick from Jing Lin sent him flipping over to the ground.

Li Rong held on to the edge of the lotus pond and stumbled as he attempted to climb up. His throat and mouth were all filled with blood, and the bloody gash from his chest to his collarbone was a jarring sight to behold.

♦     ♦     ♦

The long stairways of Ninth Heaven Terrace extended upwards. The Blood Sea had already spread unchecked all around. Jing Lin cast off the blood on the tip of his sword. He looked at the True Buddha, and the True Buddha also looked at him.

“What do you see?”

“A mountain of corpses. A sea of blood.”

“Why have you come?”

“To kill.”

Jing Lin’s hair had already come loose. The fingers he had only just wiped earlier trickled with watery blood again. He saw countless deities and buddhas in the back. The compassion in the True Buddha’s expression was exactly the same as the one he had when he guided him into Buddhism. Jing Lin raised his head slightly. The tip of his sword scraped against the stairs along with each step he took.

“Jing Lin.” The True Buddha sighed. “Turn back, and salvation is at hand.”

Jing Lin set foot on the stairs, forcing the crowd of silver armors back in a constant retreat. He did not know if the blood sliding along the spine of his blade belonged to others or to him. Having already walked to this point, he no longer had the option of turning back. He knew the kind of sins he would have to bear from this point on, but he no longer cared.

Jing Lin said softly, “It’s too late.”

Nine hundred years earlier, Li Rong said that the die was cast and advised him to wait.

Nine hundred years later, Li Rong said that the die was cast and, as before, advised him to wait.

But Jing Lin could not wait any longer.

He had lost everything in this wait. Morality, love, and agony—they had all vanished. The instant he woke up in the sarcophagus, he lived to kill. Severing all feelings and desires would never, ever hurt him again; it had killed this man called Jing Lin.

♦     ♦     ♦

The lotus flowers of the Brahma Altar bloomed as the group of monks sat solemnly in a lotus position. Lord Jiutian lay guarded within the Great Coffin of Golden Rays. Jing Lin stepped up the stairs, and azure and golden lights intersected among Ninth Heaven Terrace. The resulting wind from his sword howled as it slashed apart the murkiness of heaven and earth. Dragon aura and the blade merged into one. They split apart the obstacles before Jing Lin as he pressed in rapidly. He was unstoppable. The voice of the True Buddha rang out, and the Four Lords all sprang up simultaneously.

Silver armors surrounded him, and the voices of the monks swept over him in waves. The Sanskrit chains securing the coffin let out a thunderous clank in unison. Dong Jun summoned the wind with his Shan He Fan in an attempt to obstruct him, only to see what seemed to be a black fog spiraling out from Jing Lin’s sword. A dragon roar resonated across the heavens!

The urgent chanting of sutras was noisy among the howling of the evil spirits. Ninth Heaven Realm had already been awash in a shade of dark red. Jing Lin’s clothing was slashed. He suddenly soared high into the air to charge his way out of the countless obstacles. Yan Quan’s azure light dazzled the eyes, and blood spurted out from Lord Jiutian’s neck. The blade of the sword slashed all the way down, even cracking the Great Coffin of Golden Rays.

Li Rong cried out involuntarily in grief. “Jing Lin!”

The man in an azure outfit landed on the ground. Above him, the broken chains of Sanskrit chains linked up again. Violent wind came assaulting his face. The Four Lords bellowed, and the deities and buddhas of Heaven and Earth made a concerted effort to cast a seal. In that very instant, the sea of clouds went still.

Li Rong saw Jing Lin looked back.

Following right after, the storm howled unbridled. The entire Ninth Heaven Realm went crashing down heavily. It suddenly started shaking violently among the clouds. Yan Quan Sword shattered into fragments with a “crack”, and that azure clothes melted away into the gale at a speed visible to the naked eye. Torn pieces of cotton went flying all over, and a prayer bead, now seeped in fresh blood, fell into the lotus pond tainted in red.

Ninth Heaven Realm plunged into darkness.

The downpour engulfed the earth. It came pelting down so hard that droplets of water bounced noisily on the water surface. The waves of the great flood went wild as it surged forth, ripping apart all the past into specks of light. Countless faces floated among the raging waves, closely accompanied by cries and laughter. Amidst the rapidly retreating frenzy of images, the young man in a white robe and silver crown became increasingly clearer.

♦     ♦     ♦

Under the partially raised oil-paper umbrella, Jing Lin’s eyes broke the ice as he reined in the smile in them. He pressed his cheek against Cang Ji’s back through the curtain of rain and said unhurriedly, “… Not Lord Linsong.”

The copper bell jolted and started ringing rapidly.

That man transformed into one choking with sobs uncontrollably under the heavy rain. With his arms around the dragon scales, he raised his head in the rain and cried in anguish, “Please…”

The illusory scene broke up at a touch. The stooped figure in the coffin repeatedly scratched out one bloody line after another on the wall and muttered out loud like a man gone mad, “Qixing Town… Ming Jin Stage… Come and take me home… Gege.”

The various illusory scenes suddenly shattered, and luminous light danced in the dark night. The sound of the river reversing rang in his ears. His consciousness, which was suddenly yanked downward, began its continual descent into the endless darkness. His body plunged headlong along with his consciousness. It was only when his fall broke through the mirror surface that the copper bell stopped midway in its ringing.

“My Way has disintegrated.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji suddenly broke through the water surface. He exerted himself to climb to his feet and waded through the icy cold waters of the river to search.

Jing Lin.

Cang Ji’s hands trembled as he groped around in the water.

Jing Lin.

Wangchuan River circled around Mi Jin.⁷ The Underworld was so cold that both of Cang Ji’s arms felt weak. His hands failed to find the man he was seeking. Already forgetting where he was, he stumbled around in a panic to look for him.

How many years had this heavy bout of rain poured? Heaven had never stopped wailing ever since a thousand and four hundred years ago. Cang Ji remembered the first look he had taken as a fish. Jing Lin had sat idly by the window for half the night, looking like white porcelain that someone had clumsily pieced together, but had missed out on something of vital importance.

All along, he had never wanted to eat Jing Lin.

He was merely longing for the reverse scale⁸ he had lost.

♦     ♦     ♦

The copper bell kept ringing. Cang Ji seemed to be trapped in Wangchuan River. The more he walked, the heavier he felt as the sludge dragged at his legs. The cold intensified. Cang Ji parted the waves of water and suddenly plunged headlong into the water.

Wangchuan River turned into a bottomless abyss. Cang Ji sank down. When he hit the bottom, the sludge that he had stirred up enveloped him. He began to cough.

“Jing Lin!”

Cang Ji struggled with all his might. The water of the river was exceedingly muddy. He pulled off the fetters, but he had already been swallowed deeper in by the sludge. Cang Ji had difficulty breathing. He bumped against the wall of mud and listened as the sound of the copper bell receded far away into the distance.

A moment later, Cang Ji suddenly opened his eyes.

He stared at the roof and gasped for breath. The dimness and abrupt change of scene made him unable to distinguish reality from illusion for a moment. All of a sudden, the teacup in the room toppled over. On hearing the sound, Cang Ji sat up.

Jing Lin was looking at his fingertips that had been scalded red by the splash of hot tea. On hearing movements, he turned his head to the side and looked over. Cang Ji unexpectedly stood up with a “clatter” and hurried over without even wearing his shoes. He knocked aside the table and chair, and the teapot and teacups on the table shattered all over the floor. He suddenly grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s arms.

He’s real.

Cang Ji’s eyes reddened. In that moment, he did not even know how to speak. He grasped this man tightly, as if Jing Lin would disappear as soon as he loosened his grip.

Jing Lin’s arms were hurting from the grip, but he took a step closer with his usual expression and asked softly, “What’s the matter?”

Cang Ji embraced him in his arms in one swift move. His palms urgently felt all over the back of Jing Lin’s head and Jing Lin’s back. It was as if he had nowhere to place them. At the same time, it also looked as if he did not dare to use too much force as he hugged Jing Lin and swayed gently. His arms tightened around Jing Lin as he nuzzled his cheek against Jing Lin’s ear and hair.

“Jing Lin.”

Cang Ji said his name in a hoarse voice.

“Jing Lin.”

“Hm?” Jing Lin lowered his face and laid his hands gently on Cang Ji’s back.

“Mine.” Cang Ji turned his head aside to rub away the dampness. Pressing against Jing Lin’s ear, he called out in a hoarse whisper. “Jing Lin.”

Jing Lin could feel the damp heat on his ear. He seemed to know what it was, so he remained still with his head lowered and merely soothed Cang Ji’s back with his palm.

Cang Ji had hugged Jing Lin off the ground. He nuzzled the side of Jing Lin’s face and said sorrowfully, “It’s my Jing Lin.”

It’s the Jing Lin I treasure and hold dear in my heart.

养虎为患, 终成大害 asking for trouble by nurturing a tiger; he who indulges the enemy will only suffer the consequences.

Example:

五伦 Wulun, the cardinal relationships in Confucianism (between the ruler and the ruled, parents and children, husband and wife, siblings, and friends).

Since he’s in charge of calling forth Spring after Winter (which represents a new lease of life).

当断不断，必受其乱 he who hesitates is lost, i.e., indecision invariably leads to trouble.

斤 jin, or catty, 1 catty = 0.5kg

迷津 also known as the Ford of Delusion in Buddhism.

逆鳞 reverse scale; a piece of scale that is reversed on a dragon’s throat or neck that’s considered to be precious and important to them. It’s said that the dragon will kill anyone in fury if they touch that scale. It is now used to refer to someone’s weakness, sore spot, or most cherished and important thing. For example, touching one’s reverse scale is an idiom that could be said to be touching someone’s sore spot, attacking their weakness, or rubbing someone the wrong way, etc.

BOOK IV

Chapter 107: Feng Chun

AUGUST 4, 2020

Jing Lin did not sleep well at night, because Cang Ji was holding him in his arms so tightly that there were several times he could scarcely breathe. It was hot under the blankets, and Jing Lin felt himself sweating when he laid on the pillow. The fabric of his clothes clung to his body. If he so much as moved a little, Cang Ji would follow closely after him.

As Cang Ji traced Jing Lin’s eyes and eyebrows with his fingertip, Jing Lin lifted his fingers to press Cang Ji’s hand down onto his cheek. Then he partially opened his eyes and gazed at him in the darkness.

Cang Ji said in a husky voice, “Do you want to sleep?”

Jing Lin silenced him with his index finger. He propped himself up from the pillow and leaned at an angle above Cang Ji. His raven black hair spread over the pillow mat and cascaded down along his shoulders to Cang Ji’s chest.

Cang Ji’s palm was burning hot.

Jing Lin scrutinized Cang Ji thoughtfully and said, “Not sleeping.”

“Then stay like this.” Cang Ji looked at him. “Let me take a few more looks at you.”

Jing Lin suddenly bent his head down. With his arms on Cang Ji’s chest, he puffed a few times at Cang Ji’s messy hair. As he watched them flutter, he asked, “Uh-huh… so did you dream of your previous incarnation?”

“I don’t have a previous incarnation.” As Cang Ji bore Jing Lin’s weight, his chest felt as though it had been filled to the brim with a tenderness that was both poignant and fervent. He raised his head slightly to nuzzle the tip of his nose against Jing Lin and said, “And I don’t hope to have a next life. I can only do my utmost to grasp hold of this moment.”

Jing Lin felt ticklish, but Cang Ji would not let him withdraw. Cang Ji breathed warm, damp air upon Jing Lin, then slowly moved in to kiss him. His thin lips brought with it a heat that was so scalding and numbing that Jing Lin’s fingertips drew back slightly from the kiss.

“If I miss this moment…” Cang Ji pressed in against Jing Lin’s ear. “… then it’d be just like I’ve never lived this life.”

Having been bitten by Cang Ji, Jing Lin let out a sudden, subdued hiss, and tilted his head to say, “Be gentler.”

Instead, Cang Ji bit down even harder, making Jing Lin nestled completely against his chest. Both men were so close they were inseparable. Jing Lin’s hair had been caressed until it was messy. His arms were caught in his clothes, and Cang Ji tugged at that fabric and tore it apart easily.

“No way.” Cang Ji wanted so much to knead Jing Lin into his body. He reached out a hand and pulled up the quilt to envelop both of them in it. Holding one of Jing Lin’s hands, he lifted it to his lips and left his mark along the inside of Jing Lin’s wrist. He repeated through clenched teeth, “No way… How can I be gentler to you? My biting you is just one thin line away from devouring you.”

Jing Lin closed his eyes partially and said in a soft voice, “I don’t want to be devoured…”

Cang Ji suddenly sat up. He drew closer to Jing Lin, wrapped his arms around him, and kissed him fiercely. Their movements shoved and sent the one and only poor, innocent pillow tumbling to the ground. Cang Ji’s eyes were so fierce they reddened. He said, “You don’t want? You don’t want me? Jing Lin, do you want to kill me by pushing me away?”

All of a sudden, Jing Lin smacked his palms down on Cang Ji’s cheeks to sandwich his face between his hands. With ragged breathing, he moved his head closer to nip at Cang Ji’s cheek to stop Cang Ji from continuing.

Cang Ji chuckled in a hoarse voice and turned his head to chase after those lips. Both men kissed. Cang Ji pried Jing Lin’s lips and teeth apart to invade and dominate that inexperienced and clumsy tongue without any scruples.

The quilt bundled up into a ball. It was so stuffy Jing Lin reached out an arm, wanting to get some air. But Cang Ji would not allow him to leave and caught back that runaway arm to pin it on his own chest.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin crawled out from under the quilt the next day and was blinded by the bright light from the window. After composing himself, he realized that Cang Ji was not on the couch.

Jing Lin stepped down on the back of his shoes and wore them like slippers. After emerging from the quilt, he bypassed the screen and saw the man in the mirror covered in marks all over. He turned around to look at his back, which was also covered in marks. The fingerprints on his lower back where he had been pinched were so distinct that they looked a little terrifying.

They clearly did not do anything. Yet this sight sent his heart into overdrive.

Jing Lin touched his ear and pulled down new clothes from the top of the screen. He loosely draped the wide-sleeved garment over himself and kicked open the door with his shoe hanging off his toe.

The land outside was blanketed in a cloak of silver, and dense, heavy snow was fluttering all over. The world at the first glimmer of dawn was still and silent. The cold was cutting, yet there was no wind. Cang Ji was also wearing a wide-sleeved garment. He was squatting at the edge of the veranda and looking at the snow with his head raised.

He felt a weight on his back.

So Cang Ji withdrew his gaze and turned his head slightly to nuzzle against the top of Jing Lin’s head. Jing Lin lowered his head in silence and sprawled limply like a pancake over his back.

Cang Ji slowly rocked his body back and forth and asked, “Does the bites hurt?”

Jing Lin uttered an “uh-huh”.

Cang Ji said, “I’m hurting too.”

“Liar.” Jing Lin straightened his head. “I didn’t bite you.”

Cang Ji suddenly laughed out loud. He exhaled a long sigh of relief and held on to Jing Lin as he stood up quickly. Carrying Jing Lin in his back, he descended the stairs to step on the snow and spun a circle before saying, “You gnawed on my face, and you still deny it. It hurts so much that I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night and had to find something to do.”

Jing Lin wrapped his arms around Cang Ji’s neck and said, “I couldn’t see. It doesn’t count.”

“How unreasonable of you.” Cang Ji shook him and said, “Take a closer look. Isn’t there a reddened mark.?”

Jing Lin stretched out his neck to look, and Cang Ji turned his head to kiss him. After kissing, he kissed him again and said, “There’s no such thing as looking as you please.”

Jing Lin frowned. The heavy snow danced before him. He looked a little downcast. Cang Ji tilted his head inquiringly and was about to speak when Jing Lin unexpectedly gave him another bite on his cheek.

Cang Ji said, “You slobbered all over my face.”

Jing Lin could not help himself and huffed, “You slobbered all over my body!”

Cang Ji said, “Can’t hear you clearly.”

Jing Lin leaned into his ear and said, “You… slobbered all over my… body!”

Cang Ji asked perplexedly, “Why is your voice getting softer and softer? Slobbered what?”

Jing Lin scratched his little finger hard across Cang Ji back and said, “Saliva!”

Cang Ji said with a severe countenance, “I remember I licked it all clean. From front to back, top to bottom. Carefully. Seriously.”

Jing Lin swiftly covered Cang Ji’s lips, and Cang Ji moved to bite him along his fingers. Jing Lin wanted to dodge it, but Cang Ji jerked him high and shook him so much that the shoes on Jing Lin’s feet could barely hang on.

“The shoes are going to fall.” Jing Lin wrapped his arms tightly around Cang Ji’s neck.

Cang Ji said, “Isn’t it a good thing to grow on my back?”

After a pause, Jing Lin said, “Didn’t you want me to grow in your tummy when you were young?”

“I’ve grown big.” Cang Ji turned his head to the side and whispered to him, “Very big.”

Jing Lin held on to Cang Ji’s shoulders and thought for a moment, then said, “It’s indeed very big.”

Cang Ji said, “… Say it again.”

Jing Lin said, “Return me my shoes.”

Cang Ji coaxed. “I’ll put it on for you when you have said it.”

Jing Lin took stock of the situation, then stuck close to Cang Ji’s ear among the snow and said, “Very—”

The door to the side room opened with a “thud”. Qianyu was just about to walk out, but on seeing them, he silently retracted his leg. The two men, with one atop the other in the snow, fell inexplicably silent for a long time as they awkwardly exchanged glances with Qianyu. Once Qianyu closed the door, Jing Lin immediately gave Cang Ji a light kick.

Cang Ji put the shoes on for him and asked, “Why is he here?”

Both men’s clothes were in disarray, and their hair was in a mess. Having been in the snow for a while now, they had also been soaked by the melted bits of snow. Jing Lin slid down to the ground and stepped on the snow. He had not even taken a few steps when Cang Ji grasped his waist and hoisted him over his shoulder.

“He’s here.” Jing Lin said, “Because he was the one who fished us out.”

Cang Ji strode up the stairs and nudged the door open to enter with Jing Lin over his shoulder. He shook his slightly wet hair, stripped off his wide-sleeved garment in a few tries, then wiped his body quickly with the already cold water. As he washed his face, he asked, “What happened?”

Jing Lin changed his inner garment¹ and revealed his wrist when he extended out his arm. The red marks on it were conspicuous. He took a look in the mirror. The marks on his neck were even more obvious set against his snow-white inner garment.

“There are many doubts about this matter. We will find out once we ask him over for a chat later.”

Cang Ji wiped away the cold water, then turned around to grasp Jing Lin from behind and glanced up along Jing Lin’s arm. He said, “It’s so tender, like tofu. Just a light pinch, and it’ll color.”

Jing Lin secured his waist sash.

Facing the mirror, Cang Ji suddenly pulled away Jing Lin’s hand while his other hand latched on to Jing Lin’s lower abdomen. With their bodies sticking together, he asked, “See me now?”

Jing Lin said, “Frivolous.”

Cang Ji’s eyes dimmed as he nibbled on Jing Lin’s ear and answered, “I like to fan the flames and stir up havoc. And I’m especially skilled when it comes to you.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Qianyu sneezed when he entered the room. His voice was hoarse when he sat down, but he looked much better.

“I found Zuo-lang in Mi Jin.”² Qianyu said something earth-shattering the moment he opened his mouth. He glanced at Cang Ji and said, “I can’t thank you enough… If I can be of use to both of you in the future, just let me know, and I’ll be right there.”

“The affairs of the Underworld are now in order. Since Zuo Qingzhou has been struck off the Life Registry, how could he have been able to wait until you find him?” Cang Ji asked.

“With the help of an eminent benefactor.” Qianyu still spoke urgently when it came to this matter. “Zuo-lang said that he had already arrived at the ferry crossing. The Ghost Guard called for him, but someone stopped him. That person not only invited him to drink the Tea of Rebirth, but also settled him down in Mi Jin.”

“We plunged into Wangchuan River. How did you fish us up?”

“Truth be told, my cultivation isn’t good enough, so naturally I can’t do it. After both of you sank into the river, the same eminent benefactor showed himself, and just that alone made the King of Hell beat a retreat to give way to him. It’s with his assistance that we could turn the situation around.” Qianyu said and looked at the house. “He was also the one who found this courtyard.”

Jing Lin drank the hot tea and said, “Did he tell you his name?”

Qianyu nodded, and Cang Ji asked, “Who?”

Qianyu replied: “He called himself Feng Chun.”

Cang Ji thought in silence for a moment, then said, “So it’s him. That Ghost Guard who asked for beef.”³

“It’s him.” Jing Lin covered the teacup with the lid. “But he’s not a Ghost Guard.”

“Feng Chun.” Cang Ji read the two words aloud and exchanged glances with Jing Lin.

“Summoning Spring on Heavenly Decree.”⁴ Jing Lin set down the teacup lightly on the table and raised his voice to call out, “Dong Jun!”

♦     ♦     ♦

The heavy snow outside the window suddenly intensified, and the wind slammed the window open. Snowflakes howled as they surged into the room, but it was winter jasmine flowers⁵ that came falling when the snowflakes dispersed. Laughter closed in on them from the horizon in the distance. In the blink of an eye, the sound was already in the courtyard.

Shan He Fan waved away the winter jasmine flowers and snowflakes at random. He reeked of wine as he leaned against the side of the window and shook the fragments on his robe. He said, “And here I thought you couldn’t guess who it was. So how was it? My dear brother. Are you touched?”

Cang Ji leaned against his chair and said, “You definitely did not do us such a big favor for nothing.”

“That’s right.” Dong Jun cupped his hands in a greeting. “As I expected, Dijun is a forthright and generous man who won’t take advantage of a friend. So how does it feel to find back your past? You must be overwhelmed with all sorts of feelings after regaining what is lost.”

Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin out of the corner of his eyes and replied, “If you want to demand an exorbitant price for it, then you shouldn’t give me only half the benefit.”

“There is nothing I can do about the other half.” Dong Jun smiled and said, “But since you have already come to this point, then it won’t be long before you fulfill your long-cherished wish, will it? Jing Lin, the reason I’m here this time is to ask of you to repay me in kind.”

“Given how astute you are when it comes to maneuvering, is there even a need to inform me of it?” Jing Lin said.

“Why belittle yourself?” Dong Jun closed up his fan and said, “But there’s indeed a matter I need your help with. No one else in this world can do it except the two of you.”

“What is it?”

“Of the eight sufferings, there’s only one left.” Dong Jun said, “And by chance, it’s at the Eastern Sea. One should return to where one comes from!”

Even before he could finish his words, he had already dodged a blow. He held the folding fan before him as a shield and said to Cang Ji with a shadow of a smile,

“Dijun has yet to pass his tribulation. It’d be unwise to exchange blows with me in that carp body of yours, yes?”

里衣 (or also 中衣) This is the set of garment people in ancient days wore under their outer robes. They usually sleep in this.

迷津 also known as the Ford of Delusion in Buddhism.

For those who forgot, he made his debut in chapter 69

奉春 (Feng Chun) as in 奉(旨唤)春 “Summoning Spring on Heavenly Decree”

迎春花 winter jasmine flower, but the characters in Chinese are literally “Spring-welcoming flower”

Chapter 108: Inquiry

AUGUST 8, 2020

Cang Ji settled himself in the chair. On hearing that, he steeped a cup of tea for himself and said, “Make yourself clear.”

“Aren’t you going to invite your guest who has come from afar to take a seat first? The wind outside is so biting cold that it makes me shiver.” Dong Jun entered through the window as he spoke. Rubbing his hands, he took his seat without anyone asking and said politely to Qianyu, “May I ask for a cup of hot tea? Let me take a breather.”

Qianyu served him tea and tactfully retreated out of the room. Dong Jun took a few sips of the tea and said, “The coast of the Eastern Sea is where the affinity between both of you begins. As they said, what goes around comes around. Now that everything is going smoothly, it’s Heaven’s Will that you should return to the Eastern Sea.”

“What exactly are you scheming?” Jing Lin asked.

“Oh, man.” Dong Jun said, “Don’t say it like that. All the incidents you encounter this second time have something to do with both of you and nothing to do with me. I’m merely just here to use the opportunity for my own end.”

“That’s hard to say.” Cang Ji said, “Chu Lun once said that he had met a man in a painting. The appearance he described is pretty similar to yours. And you intervened in Qianyu and Zuo Qingzhou’s matter. Besides, how do you know about the ‘eight sufferings’?”

“Everyone in this world who wants to commit evil deeds has a customary habit.” Finding it boring, Dong Jun pushed the fan around. “That is, to turn into ‘Dong Jun’. I have no father, no mother, and no one else to stand up for me, so I can only suffer in silence. I saw how pitiful the fox was, and it just happened that I had nothing to do, so I took pity on him and lent him a hand out of kindness. As for the eight sufferings, of course I know about it. That copper bell was something that went missing right from my hands.”

“The copper bell was originally forged by Lan Hai out of the leftover materials he gathered from Po Zheng Spear. It hung under Qing Yao’s eaves for several hundred years. After Qing Yao passed away, I picked it up among the ashes of the Fire of Heaven.¹ It was indeed in your hands when I was in seclusion. But when I woke up…” Jing Lin paused. “Were you the one who saved me?”

Dong Jun replied, “Not me. I don’t do such a thing.”

“Gathering spirits and sculpting bodies are your fortes.” Cang Ji said, “If not you, then who?”

“I’m originally an evil form, one that would avoid both of you like the plague. Wouldn’t saving you be akin to digging a hole for myself?” Dong Jun huffed at his hands. “Lan Hai was the one who forged it, so Lan Hai was the one who knew best what exactly it is. I kept it for some time when it landed in my hands. But it ran away on its own when you died. This thing isn’t a spirit.² On the contrary, it has the aura of a ghost. It eats ‘sufferings’. When it was in my hands, I had to feed it suffering from the human world. But following you both now have starved it for a few hundred years. So it’s no surprise that it has run out on its own to look for food. However, it has such a soft spot for you that there’s clearly some underlying obsession driving it. If you want to get to the bottom of the matter, then you must complete this journey.”

“You said there’s still one last suffering.” Jing Lin said. “Which is it?”

“I’m waiting for you to tell me.” Dong Jun spread out his palms innocently. “How am I supposed to know what sufferings both of you have gone through? I merely did a count, and it’s just one short.”

Jing Lin tapped his finger on the lid on the teacup, and Cang Ji said, “Let me ask you one last question.”

“Heaven’s secrets cannot be divulged.” Dong Jun had already guessed what he was going to ask. He said, “Life and death are all predestined. I don’t know who’ll live and who’ll die either. It will all be clear once the time comes. But from my prediction, there’s going to be a revolutionary change in the east. When I do something, I don’t ask for peace of mind, just returns. Since both of you have received my favor, then I’ll cut to the chase.”

“Let’s hear it.” Cang Ji said.

“Hai Jiao Zong Yin³ has disappeared.” Dong Jun said, “The wind and snow in the Eastern Sea Sea are out of whack. If we can’t find him before spring, the east will be flooded.”

“That’s Zhui Hun Prison’s responsibility.” Jing Lin said, “Zui Shan Seng is now acting in Li Rong’s place as the commander. He should be the one investigating and handling this matter.”

“Zui Shan Seng’s inner demon has yet to be exorcised. He has already immersed himself in the Brahma Altar’s lotus pond to meditate and enter seclusion. If he can make it through this stage, he will truly be at the Great Accomplishment Stage.”

“There are countless deities in Ninth Heaven Realm. This matter is of crucial importance. There are surely some other potential candidates.” Jing Lin said, “Why do you have to ask us?”

“Because of Demon Slayer, Lord Linsong.” Dong Jun tapped his folding fan and said to them in a heavy voice, “I, alone, have observed an anomaly occurring in Can Li Tree. A great demon is about to be born in the Eastern Sea. This matter is closely connected to the copper bell. So, are you going or not?”

♦     ♦     ♦

A few days later.

Heavy snow sealed off the roads and obstructed their horse carriages from moving on ahead. With a cloak draped around him, Cang Ji went with a person to choose medicinal herbs at the inn en route their journey. His hair was tied up and secured with a golden crown, and he was luxuriously dressed. He cut a distinguished figure.

“Young Master…”

“Cao Cang.” Cang Ji was scrutinizing a handful of coptis chinensis.⁴ When he heard the voice, he turned his head to the side to let out an unhurried smile at the comer.

“Young Master Cao.” The man with the goatee tidied up and gave Cang Ji a slight bow. He said, “I heard yesterday that Young Master Cao wishes to purchase medicinal herbs, so I’ve specially invited the young master here for a meet. It’s freezing cold, so please come this way inside, Young Master.”

Cang Ji raised his hand and said, “I have Dong Lin to thank for Master She’s willingness to see me. There’s no need for the tea.”

Uncertain, She Hui asked, “May I know what the Young Master wants to buy?”

Cang Ji sniffed the coptis chinensis and said casually, “My wife has been in poor health ever since we returned from the north. I heard of how there are many immortal mountains⁵ on the coast of the Eastern Sea that are most suitable for recuperation. Although Dong Lin and I couldn’t be said to be friends while he was alive, we were still acquainted with each other. I’ve heard him repeatedly mention how well-informed Master She is, so I’d like to ask if the east is really that good? I wish to take my wife to the seaside to stay for a while and make plans again once there’s improvements.”

She Hui followed Cang Ji as the latter took a few steps and said, “If it’s not convenient for your esteemed wife to travel long distances, then it’d be best for the Young Master to choose a warmer town. Those talks of immortal mountains have lured countless people over, but demons have been running rampant lately, and there is no deity to oversee and keep watch on it. I fear that it’s unsafe.”

“I heard that Hai Jiao is in charge of the Eastern Sea.” Cang Ji put on a slightly puzzled expression. “So how can demons be running rampant?”

“Hai Jiao has hardly been active since the start of summer.” Master She knew the happenings of the various places like the back of his hand. He said, “When we delivered the medicine to the capital, we saw that the demons in the east had all run to the capital. It’s obvious that the Eastern Sea is in a chaotic mess now. Leaving all else aside, the Eastern Sea used to snow for merely half a month in previous years, with an abundance of cold rain. But this year, there’s not even a drop of rain in sight, and the snow has already been falling for a month!”

Cang Ji put a gold pearl in the fellow’s tray and said with regret, “That’s truly a pity. My wife was looking forward to staying in the mountains and choosing a courtyard by the sea to plant flowers.”

On seeing this, She Hui said hurriedly, “May I know what medicine your esteemed wife normally takes? Now that the weather is cold, you must take care to keep her warm to expel the cold.”⁶

Cang Ji said, “I’ll hand Master She the list later for a look.”

She Hui replied enthusiastically without overstepping his boundary, “Sure. If your wife permits, I can take her pulse⁷ through the curtain.”⁸

Cang Ji sighed and said, “It’s so cold outside. Let’s talk about it when the weather warms up in a few days.”

She Hui hastily said, “Of course. If the Young Master is willing, then all you need is to just call for me, and I’ll pay you a visit to take a look for your wife.”

Cang Ji smiled in agreement. When he left, She Hui personally saw him out. Top-grade ginseng and fur were all loaded onto the carriage at the back. Without saying another word, Cang Ji got into the frontmost carriage.

♦     ♦     ♦

Warm air came assailing Cang Ji in the face at a lift of the thick cotton curtain. Cang Ji lowered his head and entered, then tucked in the corners of the curtain. He saw his “wife” leaning inside with a book in hand, dozing under the faint light of the luminous pearl.

Cang Ji’s hands were cold as he edged his way into Jing Lin’s sleeve to reach his wrist.⁹ He rubbed it gently in his palm and lowered his head to look at Jing Lin’s expression.

Jing Lin loosened his grip on the book. His wrist felt both cool and warm from Cang Ji’s rubs. He opened his eyes and asked, “What did he say?”

“He said that he would call on us to take your pulse once the weather warms up in a few days.” There was still an air of chill surrounding Cang Ji. He tilted his body to lean against the wall, partially trapping Jing Lin before his chest. He had a hobby that was increasing in its intensity these days—

he liked to caress Jing Lin when he could. His wrist, his lower back, everywhere. As long as he was near that icy cold skin, he would try every means to rub away at it until Jing Lin turned red and hot.

Jing Lin’s fingertips were sticking inside Cang Ji’s sleeve too. He said, “You deceived him just to learn this?”

“Nine out of ten of what I said to him was the truth.” Cang Ji said.

“The moment you said this, you are already deceiving me.” Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji.

Cang Ji could not suppress his smile. He said, “Are you growing in my stomach?”¹⁰

Jing Lin said, “… Then, do you want me to call you ‘mother’?”

“Go ahead.” Cang Ji slid his hand back, took down the pearl, and covered it with his cloak to cover up the light.

Jing Lin looked at the contours of his shoulders as they moved and inexplicably called out, “Mother.” It was only after calling him that he sensed something off, so he immediately corrected himself and added, “… ’s mother!”

Cang Ji moved to scoop him up. Jing Lin had nowhere to shift his legs, and Cang Ji grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him towards him. Jing Lin’s knees pressed against Cang Ji, who had already come pressing down on him.

“You addressed me as mother when I told you to.” Cang Ji swiftly grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s waist. “Then why didn’t you do so when I told you to scream other words?”

“I’ve nothing to lose.” Jing Lin’s fair cheek scraped against the cushion. “Didn’t you call me father before too?”

“What a mess.” As Cang Ji spoke, he lowered his head. “Why are you thrusting against me?”

All at once, Jing Lin’s knees could neither move up nor down. They remained stuck between Cang Ji’s abdomen. Something in his sleeve rustled and tried to poke its head out, but Cang Ji clenched the opening of his sleeve shut with one hand.

“I don’t want the stone.” Cang Ji closed in on him. “I want you to say it.”

Jing Lin said, “What did you find out?”

“Zong Yin has disappeared since summer.”

Jing Lin’s heart gave a jolt. He asked, “The Demarcation Division of the Eastern Sea didn’t investigate?”

“You are a little greedy.” With his abdomen being prodded, Cang Ji raised his eyebrows slightly. “I’ll only answer one question at a time.”

Jing Lin turned his head away under Cang Ji’s gaze, completely exposing the graceful arc of his neck. Cang Ji exerted some force. His gaze blazed in the darkness. It was so scorching that Jing Lin had the feeling that someone was caressing his neck.

“I answer one question. You answer one question.” Cang Ji guided him methodically. “Give and take, and affection lasts forever.”

“Go on.” Jing Lin shifted his gaze back.

“Is the stone your double?”

“Yes.” Jing Lin replied speedily. “A double from the past.”

“You used the stone to deceive me.” Cang Ji frowned slightly from being poked against. “So, that means you have been eavesdropping on me all along before?”

Jing Lin raised his head slightly and said to Cang Ji with a little distance between them, “One question for each person.”

Cang Ji lowered his eyes to stare at Jing Lin and said, “Fine. Your turn.”

“Are you canglong?” Jing Lin stared at him.

“Yes.” Cang Ji bumped his abdomen forward. “I’m also Cao Cang.”

Jing Lin had been pushed until his head was almost hitting the wall. He asked, “Did I forget something?”

“One question per person… How about this? Since you and I are always forgetting, then why not set another rule? The one who asked an extra question has to fork out a little something. For example, letting me… “Cang Ji paused at the perfect moment. “Behave myself obediently. I’ll even do that.”

Jing Lin nodded and said, “Ask away.”

“Does it feel good to be sticking ’em up against me like this?”

Jing Lin was stumped for a moment before he answered, “… No. Did I forget something?”

“You merely dozed off.” Cang Ji said, “You will reclaim everything you’ve lost without fail. You want to prod further down instead?”

Jing Lin shifted his legs away and said, “No. Do we know each other in the past?”

Cang Ji murmured a sigh and said, “Yeah, how the times have changed. Back then, Lord Linsong pursued me for several hundred li¹¹ all because he wanted to marry me.”

Jing Lin suddenly sat up and asked in astonishment, “Really?”

Cang Ji instantly revealed his wickedness. He moved his head closer and whispered, “First offense. Jing Lin, I want you to bite me.”

天火 literally Heaven Fire; a fire caused by natural phenomena, e.g., by lightning, or a fire whose cause can not be ascertained.

Spirits are those that originate from non-human sources such as plants, animals, and objects. So if a bell were to gain consciousness and intelligence, it’d be technically called a (bell) spirit (which Dong Jun said it’s not.)

海蛟宗音 literally Sea Jiao (Dragon) Zong Yin

黄连 Huanglian, coptis chinensis, or coptis root, also known as goldthread. It’s an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine and is very, very bitter.

仙山 mountains on which immortals dwell. But may also refer to secluded and tranquil places far from human traffic.

驱寒 in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it refers to expelling the cold (that seeps into your body as winter approaches)

把脉 pulse diagnosis is one of the major clinical diagnostic methods in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). It has been used by TCM doctors to assess patients’ health conditions for several thousand years.

In those days, it wasn’t really proper for a man to have physical or close contact with a woman unrelated to him, especially alone. (男女授受不亲). That’s why he’s asking for permission and also to do the reading through a curtain or a screen for propriety’s sake.

腕骨 specifically the area where the carpal bones are

An allusion to 肚子里的蛔虫 a worm in one’s belly, i.e., to know what a person is thinking as if one were a worm/parasite inside that person’s stomach; a mind reader

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

Chapter 109: Term of Address

AUGUST 12, 2020

Jing Lin suddenly leaned back, with the back of his shoulders sticking to the wall. He did not want to talk, so the little stone figure pushed his head up against his sleeve opening, trying to pop out to alleviate this embarrassment he had stashed away deep down.

Cang Ji was well aware of that and merely said, “A promise is worth a thousand gold. Are you trying to renege on your words?”

“Where do I bite?” Jing Lin asked.

“Arm.” Cang Ji paused for a moment, then added, “Too common. Let’s do the fingers.”

Jing Lin felt that there were many differences between the present Cang Ji and Cang Ji of the past. These differences were gradually revealed through the expression in Cang Ji’s eyes and Cang Ji’s words. Jing Lin found them extremely familiar, and yet he was also vaguely powerless against them. Cang Ji seemed to be incomparably familiar with his weak spots and concealments. The more he closed in on him, the more unstoppable he was.

As if enlightening Jing Lin on matters Jing Lin did not understand, this fat fish turned all the half-assed amorous techniques Jing Lin knew into an infantile joke—childish and inexperienced.

Everything that Cang Ji did not understand, was a piece of cake to Cangdi.

A year ago, they could be said to be diametrically opposed to each other. Although the newly evolved brocade crap was full of vigor and spirit, he was rash and blunt. But now, he has changed his ways of going on the offensive, becoming as unfathomable as the fog. Furthermore, he had reversed the roles between Jing Lin and him, having Lin’s weakness all worked out.

“Opening your mouth a little will suffice.” Cang Ji instructed with tireless zeal. He wiped two fingers clean and said in his usual tone, “Bite for a little while.”

Jing Lin grasped the stone in his sleeve and said, “You have to tell me the truth.”

“Of course.” Cang Ji changed his sitting posture and squeezed in before Jing Lin, with the cushion serving as the barrier between them.

Jing Lin’s expression was calm. As Cang Ji moved his fingers towards him, he hesitated for a moment.

Propping up his head with a hand, Cang Ji waved his fingers slightly and said, “I feel apologetic since I’m usually the one who bites you, so I’ve specially picked an opportunity to let you take a bite to satisfy your cravings. Such an opening is pretty rare. Come on.”

Jing Lin skeptically opened his mouth a little and probed Cang Ji’s expression with his eyes. It was only when he saw Cang Ji entirely at ease that he bit down on the latter’s fingertips between his teeth.

Cang Ji said, “Bite for a while. I’m delving in.”

Fingers sank into soft, wet lips and tongue as he slowly buried the first two segments of his finger knuckles within.

It was so warm and so soft it was a complete mess.

Cang Ji’s throat went dry. He restrained himself and did not stir. Instead, he said with even more normalcy, “Are they obstructing your tongue? I wasn’t paying attention. If it feels uncomfortable, then go around the fingers.”

Jing Lin’s eyes remained calm. Sure enough, the tip of his tongue clung to Cang Ji’s fingers and made a detour around it. But his mouth was only this big, so where on earth would there still be any space left with the long fingers obstructing him? Thus, the tip of his tongue carefully scouted its way back.

Experiencing this soft, gentle lick, Cang Ji said, “Aren’t you going to bite me? Use some strength.”

Jing Lin bit down on Cang Ji’s fingers between his teeth, but those fingers bumped into the inner walls of his oral cavity. Cang Ji’s fingertips scraped slowly against those walls. Jing Lin suddenly felt a little shiver and moved backward with the intent to spit out the fingers.

But Cang Ji pressed against him to keep him in position. This scraping motion threw Jing Lin’s breathing into disarray. Sparks of numbness shot up in him. He half-opened his mouth, and his vividly red tongue pushed against Cang Ji’s fingers at a loss.

Cang Ji finally spoke. He said, “Of course we know each other. One thousand and four hundred years ago…” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Do you want to listen?”

Jing Lin found it inappropriate to nod or shake his head. Cang Ji had already taken his silence as tacit permission.

“It’s a long story.” Cang Ji frowned slightly and said, “Have I extended them too deeply?”

Those fingers backed a little, then thrust in again. Cang Ji had an excellent grasp of his limits. He seemed oblivious to Jing Lin’s gradually glazing over eyes, yet he was staring at Jing Lin every single moment.

The sensation of soft flesh being rubbed, coupled with Cang Ji’s brazen gaze, made Jing Lin feel particularly ashamed. Jing Lin’s back was pressing against the carriage’s wall, yet it seemed as if he was being fondled by Cang Ji. Saliva seeped through his mouth, reddening it. His Adam’s apple throbbed as he attempted to prevent the saliva from trickling out.

This is killing me.

Cang Ji could not even make out what he was saying. He could not move his eyes away at all. The way Jing Lin looked as if he found it unbearable, as he strained himself, was the catalyst that sent Cang Ji’s mind wandering in a totally different direction. He almost wanted to fish out a book of Buddhist scriptures to recite.

Jing Lin was so roused that he was now huffing, and a hint of desire seemed to break through the ice in his eyes. His neck was now flushed red. He looked at Cang Ji like he was enduring it in silence. Little would he know that this would not give Cang Ji the intent to show mercy at all.

Cang Ji suddenly pulled out his fingers. Both fingers were wet. His throat tightened. Even his abdomen was burning up. He thought that this was because he had not been a scoundrel for a very long time. He should have pushed his luck even more and used his chest to wall in Jing Lin in this cramped space. He should go all out to fondle Jing Lin, then make Jing Lin hurt and cry over and over again.

Jing Lin suddenly raised his arm to hide his face. Cang Ji stared at him, and a laugh inexplicably escaped his mouth.

“There’s actually something I’ve been hiding from you for a long time.” Cang Ji caressed Jing Lin’s face with the hand that was not dampened with saliva. “Do you want to know?”

The blush on Jing Lin’s neck had yet to fade. He demanded, “How is this a bite?!”

“You were the one who licked.” Cang Ji lifted two of the fingers and said evilly, “I said ‘bite’. You are the one who couldn’t bear to bite me. And you are also the one who licked me until you drive me crazy. Jing Lin, I feel so wronged.”

Jing Lin was about to speak, but stopped.

Cang Ji scoffed, “I thought you were bold. How is it that you still have to use the stone just to say something? What are you calling it out for? It is you to begin with.”

Jing Lin said, “I’m not.”

“You are not?” Cang Ji suddenly pressed close to him. He said, “But I still don’t want to let it out today.”

The stone in Jing Lin’s sleeve rolled a few rounds in succession. Jing Lin asked, “What are you hiding from me?”

“I’m hiding an earth-shattering matter from you.”

“I don’t believe you.” Jing Lin paused, feeling as if he had said this word before.

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Whether to say it or not lies with me.” Cang Ji said.

“Then say it.” Jing Lin said.

“If I tell you this easily.” Cang Ji bumped his forehead against Jing Lin’s forehead. “Then wouldn’t I lose out?”

“I’ve noticed…” Jing Lin said, “… that you have made a lot of progress.”

“You tricked me before into believing that I was a dumb fish.” Cang Ji said, “It’s too late to regret it now.”

Jing Lin wanted to sneer, but Cang Ji pinched both of his cheeks.

“I noticed it too.” Cang Ji said in a deep voice.

Jing Lin said, “Noticed what?”

“That you are so heartless towards me.” Cang Ji said wistfully, “Lord Linsong turned his back on me after bedding me. Haven’t you ever heard of the saying that a wife who has gone through hardships with her husband must never be cast aside?”

Jing Lin immediately had some doubts. He said: “I don’t remember we…”

“You said it yourself that you don’t remember.” Cang Ji moved away and leaned beside Jing Lin.

Jing Lin composed himself for a long time, then suddenly turned to the side and looked at Cang Ji solemnly to ask, “Tell me. Were we really married before?”

Fiddling with the luminous pearl, Cang Ji glanced at Jing Lin and said, “Don’t you feel a sense of familiarity when you were making merry with me? You see, from the moment we stripped, it was simply a matter of letting nature take its course. Last time when you…” The moment his tongue slowed, his words turned ambiguous and tantalizing. “… gave me a hand, didn’t you find the size to be the right fit and took to it like a fish to water?”

Jing Lin was flustered. He steadied his voice and said, “My past is as clear as day. And I had no recollection of this love relationship with you while in Wangchuan River, either.”

“There’s nothing like a stab to the heart with words like this.” Cang Ji lowered his head to gaze at the luminous pearls between his fingers. “The person who saved you is also the person who saved me. Putting you and me together shows that he is very well aware of the secret behind this matter. How about this? To prove that I’m your real husband, I’ll say a few more words to you again.”

Jing Lin pricked up his ear to listen carefully.

“You have a scar on your back from the past. There’s one that runs half-an-inch above the dimples on your lower back.¹ We made love once, and I touched it once.” The corners of Cang Ji’s lips curled up as he spoke. “The warm water swooshed so much that it stirred up waves. So I held both of your legs with both of my arms. I had to pinch you gently, because you were always calling out for me to ‘be a little gentler’. You used to love me so much that you never addressed me as the Cangdi.”

Half-believing and half-doubting him, Jing Lin asked, “Then, what did I call you?”

Cang Ji curbed his wicked expression and said solemnly, “You always call me gege.”

Jing Lin looked at him in silence, then leaned forward a little and said, “You’re lying.”

Cang Ji let Jing Lin looked all he wanted and asked in return, “Was my description wrong? If you don’t believe it, then try calling it out a few times.”

Jing Lin said, “I don’t want to.”

Cang Ji said, “You have even called me mother. Hurry.”

Jing Lin picked up his book and said, “I’m not going to fall for it.”

“If I bluff you, I’m a puppy.” Cang Ji pressed down on Jing Lin’s shoulders from behind and said, “If it’s a lie, you will be able to sense it once you say it out.”

Jing Lin stared blankly at the words in the book for a while before saying, “… You mustn’t deceive me.”

“I hold you so dear in my heart.” Cang Ji whispered, “How would I bear to deceive you?”

Jing Lin’s fingertips felt a little cold. He went silent again for a while, then recited it with clear articulation, “… Gege.”

Take me home.

All of a sudden, Jing Lin recalled these words. Penetrating pain subconsciously spread through his fingertips, as if these words had been repeated while he had been in the midst of pain.

The dark carriage was like a dark sarcophagus. Jing Lin vaguely saw a stone wall mottled with bloodstains before his eyes. He thought there were words written on it, but he only saw layers upon layers of lines.

Jing Lin jolted back to his senses. He felt a small current of heat in his chest, yet his eyes stung. But he was not sure where this sadness originated from.

Could he still feel sad?

He was already a dead man.

He could not distinguish happiness from other emotions. He could not feel the stirrings of his heart. He was truly the man others said he was—that he had no heart.

So how could he feel sad?

Jing Lin said, “… Isn’t this…”

“The real man himself.” Cang Ji’s arm tightened around him. He said, “Isn’t this Jing Lin? Am I not hugging you in my arms?”

“I was pursuing you…” Jing Lin turned his head to the side and asked with complicated feelings, “I love you?”

“I was pursuing you.” Cang Ji did not reply, but repeated in a resolute tone. “I love you.”

These words were so scalding they made Jing Lin flustered. The stone in his sleeve finally seized the opportunity and tumbled out to turn around in circles disbelievingly beside their legs. Cang Ji retracted his feet and stuffed the stone back into his own sleeve.

“I love you.” Cang Ji said even more intensely. “I love Lord Linsong, Jing Lin. Why aren’t you looking at me? You are burning up. Did my words make you feel hot or did they make you feel embarrassed?”

Jing Lin pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.

Cang Ji said, “If you don’t look at me, I’ll say it all night.”

Jing Lin immediately turned his head with surprise and fear in his eyes. It was the first time he had revealed such an expression in this patchwork body of his. He was even a little inarticulate as he said, “I don’t want… I don’t want to listen.”

“Is that so?” Cang Ji emphasized his words. “Then do you also not want to listen to how I not only love you, but also want to hug you, caress you, and take you into my mouth? If that’s the case, I’ll stop it—in your dreams!”

The stone struggled in Cang Ji’s sleeve but failed to escape. Jing Lin was dazed for a moment, then he unexpectedly raised his hands to cover his ears. His face, which was initially expressionless, gradually took on a look of anger and shame under Cang Ji’s gaze.

“… Then I will say it too!”

Cang Ji let out a laugh. “I couldn’t ask for more. Bring it on. I’m all ears.”

腰窝 Also known as dimples of venus.

Chapter 110: Former Residence

AUGUST 16, 2020

All at once, Jing Lin was dumbstruck. With the stone unable to come out, his emotions had nowhere to flee to to hide. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to hiding his other self in the stone. The best way not to lose his true heart was to deposit it elsewhere. Everything that Lord Linsong could not do, the stone had no qualms about doing.

But the stone was also Jing Lin.

There would be no one else in this world who knew better than Cang Ji that his Jing Lin was no longer shackled. The stone should not become Jing Lin’s hiding place. Cang Ji wanted to melt all Jing Lin’s happiness and sorrows, joy, and anger into his own heart.

Seeing Jing Lin stumped for words, Cang Ji could not help saying, “No idea how to say it? That’s fine. Take me as your teacher, and I’ll teach you.” He held both of Jing Lin’s wrists and taught him slowly, leaving a brief space above the latter’s ear. “How can the man in my arms be so soft and smooth like jade? While we were in the mountains in the past, I was blind and failed to recognize an exquisite jade. To think I regarded my Jing Lin as a white porcelain spirit.”¹

Cang Ji took Jing Lin into his arms. Jing Lin shifted his legs uncomfortably, only to have the books pressed against his knees.

“I want to contain you.” Cang Ji explained in all seriousness. “Because you are so light when I scoop you up that I just have to thrust a little harder, and I won’t be able to tell where the water or you begin.”

“… I.” With both of his wrists restrained, Jing Lin could only use his eyes to gaze at Cang Ji. The gleam in those eyes glistened until Cang Ji had to hold back those impudent words on the tip of his tongue before swallowing them back down.

“I’m not water.” Jing Lin said, “… I can’t be contained.”

Cang Ji kissed Jing Lin’s ear and said, “I’ve already sunk into the water now. I’ll surely indulge myself in this body in the days ahead.”

Jing Lin was keenly aware of what Cang Ji was talking about, so he stretched out his arms in an attempt to crawl away. But Cang Ji held him prisoner from behind and whispered along his ear.

“They tell you that there’s a reverse scale on canglong’s throat, and that destroying it will send him to his death. Yet they never told you that canglong is lascivious and debauched by nature. I love you, so I want to make merry with you in all the ways possible.” Cang Ji gradually held hold of Jing Lin’s hands. “I want to dote on you, as well as hurt you. Although I always make you flustered and frightened like this, I want to make you indulge yourself in me like this too. I love a man, and this man loves me. Regardless of whether he and I are discussing the Way over tea, or reveling in passionate love, they are all acts that are perfectly right and proper.”

“Right and proper.” Jing Lim murmured to himself.

“Right and proper.” Cang Ji led Jing Lin’s hand to place it on the latter’s lower abdomen and joked, “I can enter in and out of here with ease. This Yan Quan Sword belongs to me.”

Jing Lin tilted his head and said, “No…”

“And this evil canglong belongs to you.” Cang Ji suddenly stopped Jing Lin from speaking, going on his usual offensive to kiss Jing Lin until Jing Lin could barely hold himself steady.

Cang Ji leaned back against the wall of the carriage and jerked a leg up to push aside the various items. He caressed Jing Lin hard by the waist and turned him around. Jing Lin rode his body, his hair scattering all over his back along with Cang Ji’s movements.

It wasn’t just love that was devoured and contained between lips and tongues, but also both men’s secret desires. Lust seeped through limbs and bones, steeping Jing Lin in it until the corners of his eyes reddened. His expression stirred with desire. Cang Ji’s caresses wrinkled Jing Lin’s robe as he sucked and took in Jing Lin’s tongue in an extremely erotic way. Passion billowed in his eyes as he kissed Jing Lin until Jing Lin went weak in the legs, and caressed Jing Lin until Jing Lin let out ambiguous sighs.

“So what’s so bad about bedroom pleasures?” Cang Ji embraced the man who had already melted and said in a hoarse voice as he nibbled on his ears, “Every step from undressing onwards means doting on you and loving you. And it will only intensify each step of the way. I’ll save all my lust for you.”

Jing Lin buried his face. The little stone figure finally stopped moving.

♦     ♦     ♦

By the time the snow stopped, the carriage had already arrived at their destination.

Cang Ji lifted the curtain and stepped out. In order to avoid drawing attention to them on this trip, he had tried his best to conceal his demon aura. Thus, he also took a breather or two when he landed on the ground.

She Hui’s shop assistant had been following at their beck and call, attending to them and facilitating their passage the entire journey. Now that he had sent them to their destination, it was inevitable that he would ask for a little something. Cang Ji tossed him several gold pearls. The assistant grinned from ear to ear as he accepted it and cupped his hands in respect as he said to Cang Ji, “Young Master is truly a rare God of Wealth! It’s mostly thanks to Young Master’s good fortune that this journey could go without a hitch. Master She has specially instructed me to prepare a humble gift for the Lady.”

On this trip, who didn’t know that “Lady Cao” was Young Master Cao’s most beloved?

Cang Ji said rather jovially, “I appreciate Master She’s kind thoughts. When you return, please let him know of our safe arrival.”

The shop assistant said his acknowledgment. As both men were exchanging civilities, the shop assistant’s eyes suddenly paused. Then he stumbled over his words and stuttered, “… L-Lady?”

Jing Lin’s shoulders were covered with a fox-fur coat. On hearing that, he looked askance at them. Although he had not recalled much these few days, he was no longer as frosty as he had been when he first descended the mountain.

Cang Ji asked, “Are you cold?”

Jing Lin gazed at the mountain covered in snow and fog in the distance. It had been a year since both of them had descended the mountain. Looking at this old spot of theirs again now gave him a sense of unfamiliarity.

“No.” Jing Lin answered.

Cang Ji swept a glance at the shop assistant, and the shop assistant immediately kept his mouth shut and retreated. Cang Ji then strode forward to walk shoulder to shoulder with Jing Lin along this path that had yet to be cleared of snow.

“Zong Yin has a stable temper. He has always carried out his duties with dedication and tends to go by the books when it comes to his work.” Cang Ji said, “He shouldn’t have any enemies.”

“He will definitely not leave the sea for no reason.” Jing Lin deliberated over it. “If he was not taken away by someone, then it means he left on his own accord.”

“When a person changes all of a sudden…” Cang Ji said, “… It’s surely because of the word love.”

“Isn’t it…” Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji. “… rather arbitrary to put it that way?”

“I met Zong Yin a few times, but I can already guess the kind of person he is. If he hadn’t been pushed into a corner, he would never abandon his post and leave the sea. Never mind if he had merely fallen in love. He was originally the local tyrant in the east. It’s not impossible for him to hide it from the Ninth Heaven Realm if he wants to. But why did he have to leave in such a hurry and expose himself?” As Cang Ji spoke, he surveyed his surroundings. “There’s something strange about this village.”

“Too few people.” Jing Lin stopped in his tracks and motioned for Cang Ji to look ahead. “Snow has covered up the wooden gates.² There are less than five commoner households still remaining in this place.”

“When there is no one to assume command, demons will run amuck.” Cang Ji said, “But nothing major will happen, because the Demarcation Division will deploy manpower as soon as possible. So there’s no reason for all of them to flee.”

Jing Lin was momentarily clueless too. He said, “Before we set off, Dong Jun said there’s this one suffering left out of the eight sufferings. But from my calculation, there are clearly three left. If we can guess what Zong Yin’s suffering is, then perhaps we might get some clues.”

“There are two sufferings left.” Seeing Jing Lin puzzled, Cang Ji explained, “Dong Lin’s ‘death’, Gu Shen’s ‘parting with loved ones, Chu Lun’s ‘sickness’, Zuo Qingzhou’s ‘inability to let go’, and the old emperor’s ‘old age’. These are the five sufferings you and I have experienced together. And I’ve seen ‘encounter with hated ones’³ in Wangchuan River, so now, all that remains are ‘unfulfilment of wishes and desires’ and ‘birth’.”

He remained tight-lipped about whose suffering this ‘encounter with hated ones’ was, but it was as if Jing Lin could intuitively read his mind.

Jing Lin said, “For hundreds of years, Zong Yin has been looking for a chance to evolve into a dragon, but the opportunity keeps eluding him. So it’s only fitting if ‘unfulfilment’ is tagged to him.”

“It’s just a hundred years.” Cang Ji said, “The cultivation of ordinary folks as they seek the Way can easily take thousands of years. What’s more, they are also restricted by their original forms. Those who can achieve the Perfection Stage are few and far between. Zong Yin merely has yet to obtain the method to be initiated; it doesn’t mean he can’t evolve into a dragon. So, he’s still missing a certain something to meet the criteria for ‘unfulfilment’. On the contrary, birth might imply that he will have a tribulation to undergo and will be confronted with a crisis of life and death.”

Jing Lin remained silent.

Cang Ji guessed what he was thinking and asked, “All along, you’ve thought ‘birth’ was you, right?”

Jing Lin nodded. After thinking for a moment, he said, “It was truly rare for me to get a new lease of life. Under that kind of situation, I was already a dead man.”

“There’s one thing Dong Jun said that’s right. The eight sufferings are closely connected to you and me. Now that life and death have passed, there will be nothing else to fear.”

As Cang Ji spoke, he picked up Jing Lin’s hand and kneaded it in his palms.

“It’s so icy to the touch, and yet you still say you aren’t cold.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Both men did not look for another place to stay. Instead, they returned to Zhenchan Courtyard.⁴ The veranda in the courtyard had partially collapsed, and the small pond by the abode had dried up too. Fortunately, both of them were not mortals. Otherwise, they would be sleeping in the snow tonight.

Jing Lin changed the carving on the door to a different design. Cang Ji scrutinized it for a moment when he passed by carrying the books. He asked, “A dog?”

Jing Lin covered half of it with his palms and looked back to say, “Not telling you.”

“Then it must have been a fox.” Cang Ji pressed in towards him from behind to lean close to the side of Jing Lin’s cheek. “What do you need a fox for? Change it to a dragon.”

Jing Lin said, “It’s not a fox.”

“… Whatever you like in the future…” Cang Ji said tactfully, “Feel free to tell gege. I’ll draw it for you to play with.”⁵

Jing Lin felt a little embarrassed. The stone rolled around again in Cang Ji’s sleeve.

Cang Ji butted him and said, “Using the stone to take advantage of me? It’s touching me all over in my sleeve.”

Jing Lin’s voice faltered as he retorted, “How is that touching?”

“This is not touching.” Cang Ji let go of the books, which went clattering to the floor, and placed his hands on both sides of Jing Lin. “Sorry, I said it wrong. This is called nuzzling, nestling, grinding.”

Jing Lin was almost sticking to the door. He said, “It’s just a roll. Must you make impudent remarks about it too?”

“I feel aggrieved.” Cang Ji said, “I want to roll, too.”

Without waiting for Jing Lin to reply, he clutched him by the waist to pick him up. He was used to carrying him like this. Even with both feet off the ground, Jing Lin could still look calm and collected as he was taken into the room by Cang Ji. A new rug had been laid on the ground. The world blurred before Jing Lin’s eyes; he had already been set down in the middle of the rug.

Cang Ji pounced down and embraced Jing Lin fully. Then he turned over, letting Jing Lin remain on top while he lay at the bottom. He said, “I want to roll a few rounds with you every day.”

Jing Lin propped himself up with his arms and said, “There’s no one at home to watch.”

Cang Ji burst out laughing and held down the back of Jing Lin’s head to kiss him hard. He asked, “What did you say?”

Jing Lin repeated, “There’s no one at home…”

Cang Ji kissed him again. Cupping Jing Lin’s cheeks in his palms, he said, “If you go home with me, you will have to marry me.”

Jing Lin’s lips had reddened slightly from the kiss. On hearing this, he tried to grasp the stone. In the end, he did not manage to grasp the stone, just Cang Ji’s sleeve. He gripped Cang Ji’s sleeve and asked, “What’s so good about marrying me?”

Cang Ji pressed his forehead against Jing Lin’s forehead and asked in response, “What’s so bad about it?”

“I can’t remember the past.” Jing Lin lifted a hand slightly and used his fingertip to jab at Cang Ji’s collar. “As long as my double doesn’t return, I won’t be a complete ‘person’. But once it returns, I’d no longer be who I am now.”

Cang Ji said, “The only one I hug is Jing Lin.”

Jing Lin looked at him in a daze and suddenly asked, “… Am I Jing Lin?”

Cang Ji suddenly turned over and pinned Jing Lin under him. He stroked Jing Lin’s face and said, “I might mistakenly identify the wrong person.”

Jing Lin half-closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to nuzzle against Cang Ji’s palm.

“But how could I be mistaken when it comes to my reverse scale? My life is here.” Cang Ji gradually bent down to exchange gaze with Jing Lin up close. He said, “You live, I live. You and I are bound by one life. From now on, I won’t let you run. I…”

He lowered his head.

“The only thing I regret in my life…” He continued, “… is that I said something wrong before my death. How could I bear to leave you all alone on your own?”

Jing Lin lay on the rug. He seemed to hear the sounds of a downpour. Without realizing it, his tears had trickled down. At the same time, he did not know how to answer. He was in a muddle as he clung to Cang Ji’s palms. In this moment, he still seemed to be the same as he was before.

Some people could trample over him, temper him, turn him into one with a heart of stone, dehumanize him.

But only a person could cherish him, coax him, let him reveal his real self as easily as hot water melting away snow.

Jing Lin raised his hand to stroke Cang Ji’s hair and whispered, “I’m sure I was happy when I married you.”

Cang Ji felt a great stab of pain in his heart. If it weren’t for him holding himself back, he would have almost kneaded this man into his own blood and flesh.

Spirits are those that originate from non-human sources such as plants, animals, and objects. So if a porcelain were to gain consciousness and intelligence, it’d be technically called a spirit.

柴门 doors or gates made with wood; also refers to a poor family

Jing Lin’s suffering.

It was Zhenchan Garden in chapter 5. I supposed the author typo-ed Garden (园; yuan) and Courtyard (院; yuan), but in any case, it is a courtyard with a garden. This is the name of the place they used to live in in the mountains when Cang Ji was still a fish.

For a refresher on Cang Ji’s drawing skills, please refer to chapter 77.

Chapter 111: Stirrings Of Desire

AUGUST 20, 2020

At night, the north wind assailed the windows as Jing Lin simmered strong tea on the stove. The mud-brown tea started boiling, and Jing Lin grabbed the pot to pour a cup of tea.

Cang Ji skirted around the steam and tasted the tea from Jing Lin’s hand. It was so bitter that there was nowhere to put his tongue, so he hurriedly sought Jing Lin’s lips. Both men shared this mouthful of tea, their mouths steeped in bitterness and aroma.

“Drinking strong tea at night.” Cang Ji chased after his lips for a few more samplings. “Do you not want to sleep?”

Jing Lin beat a retreat again and again until he was pressing up against the table edge. He said, “I thought back to Dong Jun’s speech and behavior, and I have the sense that things aren’t that simple. Zong Yin has the power to redeploy the wind and rain in this place. If he had really left, then there shouldn’t be such a heavy snowfall in the east.”

“What’s more, he was originally an hai jiao. The thornier the issues he encounters, the more he should remain in the eastern sea.” Cang Ji held on to the table edge and moved in close to Jing Lin until they could hear each other breathing. “But he might not necessarily be willing to meet us, especially tonight.”

“What’s special about tonight?” Jing Lin was perplexed. “If it’s a thorny issue, then it shouldn’t be delayed.”

“In the ‘sufferings’ we have experienced in the past, the sufferers themselves often don’t know that they are the ‘suffering’. The same goes for Zong Yin. Since he doesn’t know it, then he won’t be thinking of asking us for help. What’s more, he might still not know who you and I are.” Cang Ji grasped Jing Lin’s teacup and sniffed it. “Why do I still feel a bitter taste in my mouth?”

Jing Lin reflected upon it on the tip of his tongue and said in puzzlement, “The taste is long gone.”

Cang Ji set the teacup aside and said to him, “Taste it yourself.”

With his palms pressing against Cang Ji’s chest, and with his eyes – with its corners reddened – glistening, Jing Lin lifted his head slightly to give Cang Ji a peck on the lips. As he withdrew, Cang Ji stopped his retreat with a palm and said, “How is this a tasting? Can’t even taste a thing.”

Jing Lin said, “I’ve tasted it!”

“Is it bitter?” Cang Ji probed.

“Bitter.” Jing Lin answered quickly.

Cang Ji let out a scornful laugh. Got you now. Holding down the back of Jing Lin’s head, he kissed him for a moment, then said, “Who are you bluffing? There’s no longer any taste!”

Jing Lin had tumbled a few rounds with Cang Ji on the ground earlier, and now, they were leaning against the table, inseparable from each other. The table was pushed until it shifted backward, and the teacup teetered and fell over. With nimble movements, Jing Lin held down the teapot. Cang Ji edged his way along Jing Lin’s wrist to the teapot, then picked Jing Lin up.

“Forget about sleeping.” Cang Ji moved down along Jing Lin’s neck and said in a raspy voice, “Play with me.”

Cang Ji buried his face in Jing Lin’s neck and breathed deeply. His entire body was taut with tension as he bit that tender flesh on the neck, causing Jing Lin to shiver. Even a slight pinch at Jing Lin’s waist as Cang Ji caressed his back would send a shiver rippling through him.

Jing Lin’s breathing was uneven as he reached out his arms in a fluster, but there was nothing for him to grab on to.

Cang Ji caught his fumbling hands, pulled them towards his own chest, and led him to pull at his own clothes.

“No…” Jing Lin began, but Cang Ji cut him off with a kiss. Jing Lin mumbled through the kiss, “I… don’t want.”

“I don’t want.” Cang Ji pressed Jing Lin’s palms at random over his abdomen, then chased after Jing Lin’s ears as the latter tried to duck. He imitated him shamelessly. “I don’t want I don’t want.”

Jing Lin’s ear was taken in. Puffs of Cang Ji’s damp and hot breaths dug right into his ears, burning him up until he could barely think and felt weak all over. He let out a few gasps as Cang Ji licked and nibbled away at his ear. He was already half lying on the bed.

Cang Ji used a little force and wedged his way in between Jing Lin’s legs. He stroked Jing Lin’s hair with one hand and caressed the back of Jing Lin’s waist with the other. The fabric wrinkled into a ball in his palm and fell apart after he pushed it up.

Jing Lin turned as soft as a mass of clouds, then as wet as a fog of mist. His slightly raised and quivering neck was a temptation that roused in Cang Ji the desire to bite it. Cang Ji kissed it. A blush gradually washed over Jing Lin, like red-colored rainwater blossoming on light and thin rice paper. It turned him into the under-ripe lotus blossom in the violent storm. Pry it apart, and there were still traces of ivory white to be seen, but its tips were already so flushed it would not hold up to another bout of caresses.

Cang Ji reached his long fingers into Jing Lin’s mouth and created havoc within like the mean scoundrel he was. Long fingers clamped down on Jing Lin’s soft tongue, soaking in Jing Lin’s saliva, causing such a disturbance that Jing Lin had to strain to swallow and spit. The blush crept up Jing Lin’s face.

An agonized sigh escaped from Cang Ji’s throat. Jing Lin’s obliviousness had already ripped away his human heart. A demon greedily invaded and retreated between Jing Lin’s lips and tongue. He longed so much to make Jing Lin cry and scream right this very moment.

Cang Ji extracted his fingers and took in the fingertips of one of his soaked fingers into his own mouth. Jing Lin gazed at him as he gasped for air with his tongue concealed between his lips. Cang Ji propped up one arm, generously exposing his arm. He sucked away the saliva from the fingertip, then reached his fingers towards the edge of his remaining pants.

Jing Lin suddenly raised his arms to cover his face. Cang Ji merely laughed and said, “Are you watching or not? If you don’t watch it now, you’ll hardly get the chance to in the future.”

As Cang Ji spoke, he lifted his knee to get on the bed. He pushed Jing Lin’s legs open with his legs and half-kneeled between Jing Lin’s legs. Each time Jing Lin shifted back, Cang Ji advanced until Jing Lin bumped into the wall. Cang Ji took a bite of Jing Lin’s wrist, nudged aside Jing Lin’s arm with his head, and pressed his forehead against Jing Lin’s forehead.

“Since you’ve licked your saliva to me.” Cang Ji pulled down the top of his pants a little, and those long fingers, moistened with Jing Lin’s saliva, wrapped around his already hardened shaft. Cang Ji half-closed his eyes. “Then I’ll teach you a way not to waste it.”

Jing Lin’s throat went dry. He had no way of escape.

Cang Ji began to stroke himself. His breathing gradually intensified. Both of them were so close they could hear each other’s breaths. Their lips were almost touching, but Cang Ji did not kiss Jing Lin. He rubbed the saliva on his vital part and began to slide up and down while baring himself before Jing Lin like this.

Jing Lin felt intoxicated; his body and consciousness were both floating. He gazed unblinkingly at Cang Ji and listened to Cang Ji’s gasps in his ears, feeling as if he had turned into a bad egg.

Cang Ji had not done this for a very long time. And it was even Jing Lin who gave him a hand the last time. At that time, he was still a fish. Now, he had plenty of ways to pleasure himself. But he was not willing to. Like a masochist, he stroked it, kept it erected, let the viscous fluid on the tip of his manhood wet his palm, but he wouldn’t ejaculate.

“I.” Cang Ji hissed vaguely at Jing Lin. Then, as if harboring evil designs, he said, “I love you.”

Jing Lin’s face and ears swiftly flushed red.

Cang Ji panted and stared into his eyes as his hand gradually built up speed. He said, “I miss you so much. In the north, when I couldn’t… get to see you. How can I miss you so much? How can I yearn so much to pry your legs open and thrust all the way into you?”

Jing Lin said in a trembling voice, “Shut… shut up…”

“That, I can do.” Cang Ji barked out a laugh. “Want to make love to me?”

Jing Lin found all the words Cang Ji said to be scalding water that sent tremors through him as they poured into his ears. Cang Ji pressed against him and took his lips in, his shoulders and arms going even more taut with tension as he gasped. His thrill of being on the fringe of orgasm washed over to Jing Lin, too.

Jing Lin’s lips were sucked by Cang Ji so hard that smooching sounds could be heard. His legs felt a little sore, and his exposed neck was imprinted all over with the marks Cang Ji left behind as he claimed his territory. The tears in Jing Lin’s eyes glistened so much that Cang Ji had no choice but to press down on the summit of his manhood with his thumb, triggering a wave of numbness at the sides on the back of his waist.¹

Cang Ji released his hand and caressed Jing Lin’s neck and back with fingers that had been soaked in musky-smelling fluid. Jing Lin’s fair skin had taken on a hue of red. He gently hooked Cang Ji’s little finger and kissed Cang Ji’s lips with reckless abandon.

Cang Ji pulled Jing Lin’s legs over to set Jing Lin beneath him. He shoved away the messy articles of clothing, and his long fingers probed their way to its destination. Jing Lin wrapped his arms around Cang Ji’s neck. His hair was already all scattered over the bedding. As that fingertip pressed its way in, he could not help but frown.

Cang Ji kissed him and buried his finger inside, along with his finger knuckle. It was so tight inside that Jing Lin’s muscled walls – and consequently, buttocks – spasmed in an attempt to eject his intruding finger.

Cang Ji was very gentle. Under Jing Lin’s teary gaze, he moved at a speed that was neither too fast nor too slow. He was clearly so hard that it was hurting. He wanted to plunge in and thrust until Jing Lin was both in pain and pleasure. However, his heart was already aching again, having been smashed into pieces and melted into a muddle by Jing Lin’s words tonight. How he hated not being able to take in all of Jing Lin to coax him. He did not want Jing Lin to suffer even the tiniest bit of hurt.

“Tender tofu.”² Cang Ji’s voice was hoarse. As he probed his way in, he said to Jing Lin, “Soft white jade.³ What is my Jing Lin actually transformed from?”

Jing Lin raised his neck and struggled to gasp for breath. His words broke up. “No… I’m not…”

The greater part of two of Cang Ji’s fingers had already been buried inside him. Cang Ji’s finger knuckles scraped against the inner walls as they searched the spot. He bit Jing Lin’s chin and said, “You crave me.”

Jing Lin’s back tingled with numbness from the bite. His opening tightened around those fingers. With his tears almost spilling out, he said helplessly to Cang Ji, “No… I don’t.”

Cang Ji fixed his eyes on him, looking so fierce it was as if he could devour him. He said, “You entice me like a piece of meat, smelling all so aromatic and being all so springy to the bite. Yet you still say you don’t crave for me?”

As Cang Ji spoke, his finger knuckles started grinding. Jing Lin’s fingers immediately dug into the back of Cang Ji’s shoulder. He could not even answer back. But even though Jing Lin could not utter a word, his long legs were clinging to Cang Ji’s narrow waist, shivering ever so slightly. His eyes were shut, but it was hard to tell from the expression on his face if he was pleasured or in pain. He sucked in a breath of air, and Cang Ji claimed his lips to stop him from doing so, so Jing Lin could only put up with the onslaught of sensations as he tensed hard around those relentless fingers.

The prodding fingers gradually softened the passageway. It was hot and tight inside. Cang Ji extracted his fingers. With Jing Lin’s arms over him, he pushed Jing Lin’s knees up high. The scalding hot tip of his manhood pressed against Jing Lin’s entrance. Cang Ji kissed Jing Lin and coaxed, “You have to praise me when you feel pleasured later.”

Without waiting for Jing Lin’s answer, he nudged the summit of his manhood – slicked with pre-cum – against Jing Lin’s soft and tender opening, and slowly buried the extreme end inside.

Jing Lin’s back tensed. The words spilled out of his mouth, “Too… big…”

Cang Ji’s sweat trickled down along his temples. He fondled the base of Jing Lin’s thighs and licked away at him until Jing Lin’s toes curled back. He embedded himself inside, with his tip gradually pushing the inner walls open. The tightness around his manhood shot a wave of numbness through him. Supporting Jing Lin by the back, Cang Ji scooped him up into an embrace in his arms, his heart melting away at Jing Lin’s sucks and bites.

The tears in the corners of Jing Lin’s eyes tumbled off like pearls as he took in this searing heat and hardness and bit down on the tip of Cang Ji’s ear in an act indistinguishable between coquettishness or shamelessness.

Cang Ji wanted to laugh. He trapped Jing Lin in the bedding, his powerful waist rocking slowly. Jing Lin bit and sucked the tip of Cang Ji’s ear even as gasps that sounded like the wet, sticky whimpers of a little beast escaped between his teeth.

Cang Ji ramped up his strength in the increasingly softened cavity. He held down Jing Lin’s back with one hand and supported Jing Lin’s leg with the other, and began to pound with wild abandon on the cramped bed. Jing Lin’s waist and buttocks knocked and scraped against the bedding until they were red. The roots of his legs were flushed, as were his face, neck, and chest. Cang Ji’s sweat drenched him as skin rubbed slickly against skin under the sound of pounding flesh. Gradually, Jing Lin began to lose his grip on Cang Ji.

“Our Jing Lin.” Cang Ji caressed him hard. “… is so obedient, so good at taking me in.”

Jing Lin spasmed uncontrollably. He felt as if he was soaking in tidal waves that slapped at him, invading him. This was different from all the assaults in the past; he could not even reach for his sword. His palms caressed Cang Ji’s shoulders and cheeks as if at a loss. The thrusts made his body rock like waves and his hair billow like ripples.

“I love you.” Cang Ji pulled out more than half of his member and asked, “Marry me, alright?”

Jing Lin curled his legs up and shook his head to say, “Scoundr…”

Cang Ji abruptly shoved all the way in and thrust so hard against Jing Lin that the impact even sent the bed rocking. He turned his head to take the tip of Jing Lin’s finger into his mouth and gnawed on it. Yet his thrusts below drove Jing Lin to sobs.

“Alright?” Cang Ji covered Jing Lin with his body and pinned Jing Lin down, almost as if he was going to break him. “Alright?”

Jing Lin’s buttocks were trembling. He had gone so weak in the legs that he could not even curl up and was barely hanging on to Cang Ji’s shoulders. He held on to Cang Ji’s arm, feeling that he was a goner. The fear of being on the verge of death overtook him. He shuddered and called out in a hoarse voice, “… Alright…?”

Cang Ji caressed Jing Lin’s cheek with his thumb and kissed him fiercely. Jing Lin could hardly breathe with his mouth locked in the kiss, so all he could do was to shed tears. He clutched Cang Ji’s arms helplessly. The vision in his half-narrowed eyes was swimming. The thrusts made his muscles spasm, and he ejaculated onto Cang Ji’s abdomen, soaking it.

This one bite made Cang Ji raise his neck. He released Jing Lin’s lips and gasped heavily for breath.

Having gotten his chance to breathe, Jing Lin’s chest heaved violently. His shivers had yet to recede, and Cang Ji was thrusting away at him with such ferocity that Jing Lin grunted and pleaded, “Too fierce… Ge… Gege!”

Cang Ji suddenly grabbed Jing Lin’s chin and stared at Jing Lin with eyes that had reddened from the torment of holding it in. As Cang Ji continued his onslaught of thrusts, Jing Lin clung on to his arms and dug his fingers painfully into them. Waves of euphoria crashed over him, making his head spin. He could not take it anymore. Even his cries and screams were no longer distinguishable from each other. Amidst his chorus of “gege”, Cang Ji finally came inside of him—filling him completely and thoroughly.

Lianyin’s Note:

This is the uncensored version.

腰眼 either side of the small of the back

Tofu, or beancurd, is known to be very silky and tender. Tofu can be used to describe skin, i.e., soft and smooth like tofu.

白玉 white jade; but also an analogy for tofu. Maybe Jing Lin is actually tofu in disguise. (・_・ヾ

Chapter 112: Manifestation

AUGUST 24, 2020

Cang Ji was dazzled by the window when he woke up the next morning. Presumably, it had snowed the entire night. Jing Lin was still sprawled on his chest in a sound sleep. Cang Ji hotly caressed that satiny skin, loving it so much that he was loathed to part with it. The area at the bases of Jing Lin’s legs and around Jing Lin’s waist had been pinched until the finger marks were obvious. Now that he was being touched again, Jing Lin curled up and slid under the blanket.

Cang Ji, though, wasn’t doing too well.

At best, he could be said to be only half-sated last night. He did not even get to put all his skills and techniques to full use. He scooped up this white jade and rubbed against him, poised and ready for action. The rubs made Jing Lin go weak in the legs, and a few gasps escaped from his mouth.

Cang Ji pushed Jing Lin’s legs apart with his knee, where the lingering hum of pleasure from last night had made it soft and hot. He entered with familiarity and ease, then took in Jing Lin’s gasping lips into his own mouth and slowly, gently continued his thrusts.

Jing Lin was still not fully awake, and yet he was already sobbing incessantly as he began to rock in wetness and in heat while hugging Cang Ji’s neck and moaning from the latter’s kisses.

This bout of love-making was clearly not intense, but both men were still drenched in sweat.

“Call me a few more times.” Cang Ji went at it relentlessly while treating Jing Lin with tenderness at the same time. He wiped away Jing Lin’s sweat and tears with his fingers. “Let’s hear it a few more times.”

Having been jolted until he was dazed, Jing Lin let him have his way and cried out many a number of “gege”.

♦     ♦     ♦

The bed was a complete mess when the blanket was lifted. Their hair was so slick with sweat that it stuck to their backs. When Jing Lin propped himself up, the seminal fluid slid down all over his legs. Cang Ji got out of bed – naked to the waist – and hoisted Jing Lin over his shoulder to take him to the bath.

It was only when Jing Lin had a change of clothes that he felt revived. Cang Ji opened the door, and the cold air outside came assailing him right in the face.

It was no longer snowing, but the mountains had been frozen and encased in three feet of ice overnight. When Cang Ji pushed the door open, he saw ice shards stuck in the groove of the door. He put on his shoes, wearing them like slippers, and wandered to the veranda where he saw that the small gravel stone and small pillars in the courtyard were already all frozen.

“Frozen overnight.” Jing Lin covered up his sleeve openings. “It definitely has something to do with Zong Yin.”

“The dragon aura was inadvertently leaked last night.” Cang Ji looked back. “You are soaking in the scent of the dragon all over. He must have gotten a sniff of it.”

Jing Lin sniffed his wrist subconsciously and wondered, “You have yet to pass your tribulation. So how could I have dragon aura on me?”

Cang Ji folded his arms and said, “It was left behind from the past. If I hadn’t died that early, it’d have been even stronger.”

Jing Lin asked, “Will he come?”

Cang Ji turned back from the porch. “Zong Yin has been looking for the opportunity to evolve into a dragon. Now that he had gotten an unexpected whiff of it, he is bound to be drawn to it. It’s so bitter cold today. I guess this is a sign that he has already lost control of himself. Even if he suspects this to be a trap, he will still come to investigate.”

“It doesn’t matter if he comes or not.” Jing Lin walked out from the shelter of the eaves. “If the mountain doesn’t come to me, then I shall go to the mountain.”

Rime in the mountains stood in the white snow. The wild boar ran in search of the scent. It dug its snout into the earth slope it had buried during the autumn and gouged away the ice and snow to drag out its hoard of roots and shoots to chew on.

Its digging collapsed the earth slope, and the tree tilting against it from behind fell over in response. The wild boar ignored it and shook away the bits of snow that had spattered onto its face. It had been hungry for five or six days, as the cellars of the villagers at the foot of the mountain had been emptied out when they moved away, leaving no food behind for it to scavenge.

The wild boar chomped and gulped down the food, gradually digging out a pit.

The sounds of feet treading snow rang out behind it. The wild boar turned its head back and saw a stooping, half-naked man among the fog advancing towards it. The snow had already buried his legs up to the hamstrings, yet he was so warm that his entire body was flushed and he was breathing heavily.

The wild boar had a keen sense of smell and could make out the damp saltiness of ocean tides. It suspected him to be a demon that had come from the sea because he was so warm to the point that both of his arms showed signs of cracks that looked like fish scales. His facial features were obscured by the puffs of warm air he exhaled, although it could still catch a glimpse of his appearance.

He was like a ball of fire—one whose stomach was growling with hunger.

The wild boar suddenly turned around and took to its hooves in a mad dash away. It pedaled in the snow pit and sprang forward desperately. As it bore its way headlong into the undergrowth, its back scraped against a pine branch and broke it off. The footsteps behind him keep up its tight pursuit as that man also began to make a dash for it.

Strong arms wrapped around the wild boar’s hind legs. It howled, tumbled, and crashed into a tree trunk, kicking up a fog of snow. The man’s arms were like iron pliers as he dragged the wild boar back. The wild boar’s struggles had no effect on the man, much like a pebble sinking into the great sea. There was totally no room for maneuver in the man’s arms.

Dragging the now dead boar, the man walked through the mountain with a speed so fast that it was as if something was hurrying him on and preventing him from tarrying. When he broke off the branches and walked out of the thicket, Jing Lin was waiting for him.

“Since you have set foot on my mountain.” Jing Lin said in a frosty voice, “Then aren’t you going to say hello?”

Zong Yin immediately dragged the wild boar around and sprinted. He jumped over the snow pit, and dull thuds rang out as the wild boar bumped against the ground. His speed was lightning fast, but he did not dare to transform into his original form to make his escape. Just as he was about to leap over the narrow mouth of the mountain stream again, a man suddenly pounced at him from the left and slammed him into the snow.

The side of Zong Yin’s face smashed hard in the snow. He gasped and suddenly slammed his elbow back. The elbow strike to the chest knocked the wind out of Cang Ji. He instantly held Zong Yin’s elbow and arm and rammed his knee into the side of Zong Yin’s waist. Zong Yin endured the pain and attempted to crawl to his feet, but Cang Ji held down the back of his head and smashed it into the snow. Gasping heavily, Zong Yin grabbed hold of Cang Ji’s wrist with one hand and pressed his shoulder against Cang Ji’s shoulder to fling the latter over to the ground. Zong Yin propped himself up to make his escape, but Cang Ji grabbed his ankles with both hands and rolled over, sending Zong Yin toppling over as well. Zong Yin steadied himself with one arm and hooked his leg around Cang Ji’s neck.

“Who are you?!” Zong Yin’s strong arms choked Cang Ji as he exerted his strength to strangle him. “Here to catch me?!”

Cang Ji’s veins bulged out. He grasped Zong Yin’s arm with both hands, prying it off him until Zong Yin’s forearm sank from the weight of it. To think he would emerge a notch above Zong Yin in this terrifying trial of strength. Zong Yin could not hold out against him. Cang Ji propped up Zong Yin’s arm and flung him over his shoulder to the ground, sending a dull shock wave through the snowfield.

Cang Ji pulled his collar open. Impressively enough, Zong Yin’s chokehold had resulted in a ring of strangulation mark around his neck. He turned his head while grasping his neck and kicked the wild boar away.

“It has been a year since we last met.” Cang Ji spat out a mouthful of blood from the punches. “And you have already forgotten us? We could be said to be old friends reuniting again.”

The finger imprints on Zong Yin’s arms were horrifying. He held an arm while gasping for breath and demanded, “Which Divine Lord sent you here? Or was it the Demarcation Division?!”

Cang Ji scoffed and squatted down to reply, “There is no ‘Divine Lord’ in this world who can order me around. Are you so scared out of your wits that you can’t even distinguish between us? We’ve waited for you here all night, and there’s tea prepared in the courtyard, so get up and walk.”

“It’s you!” Zong Yin recognized him.

“My wife has never been one to wait for anyone.” Cang Ji said, “Hurry up and get up.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Zong Yin dragged the wild boar into the courtyard, while Jing Lin prepared a small table under the eaves. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t invite Zong Yin into the house. But Cang Ji had already occupied this nest, and his nature would not tolerate the intrusion of another man’s scent.

Cang Ji wiped his face with a hot towel. He had already fastened his collar on the way back. He sat down beside Jing Lin and leaned against the railing to motion for Zong Yin to take a seat.

Zong Yin was unwilling to take a step closer when he saw Jing Lin. Carrying the wild boar, he stood a few steps away from them and said, “So it’s Lord Linsong! I had a suspicion when I saw how My Lord still looked the same as before that day and when I saw Fu Li lingering around here. Tell me, is My Lord here to kill me or cut me to pieces?”

Jing Lin lifted the teapot to brew tea and said, “I have no grievances nor enmity with you. I have no intention of killing you.”

“Five hundred years ago, My Lord committed regicide and patricide, causing a bloodbath in the Ninth Heaven Realm.” Zong Yin said, “So what words of advice do you have for me today?”

“How would we dare to speak of advising you?” Cang Ji said, “You’ve abandoned your post to go into hiding. The eastern sea has frozen over for thousands of li¹ all around, easily freezing millions upon millions of people to death. So how could he, Lord Linsong, speak of ‘advice’ before you?”

“Since our paths are different.” Zong Yin’s expression remained unchanged. “There’s no need for us to discuss further.”

Cang Ji raised his head a little. “Your scales manifested because you were intimidated into doing so by the dragon aura. The dragon aura is right here in this courtyard, and my wife is the benefactor who can propel you towards the opportunity to evolve into a dragon. We are not the ones who are going to discuss with you today. Rather, you are the one who is going to discuss with us.”

Zong Yin fell silent on hearing this. After a moment, he said, “A few months ago, Dong Jun said that a benefactor would be coming. Turns out it’s Lord Linsong. Lord Linsong was obliterated on Ninth Heaven Terrace, so how could he have the dragon aura on him? And Cangdi of the North died under Lord Shage’s spear. What is his relationship to My Lord?

“You are now like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river. You can barely save yourself, let alone anyone else. So don’t pry into others’ affairs, lest you complicate matters.” Jing Lin set down the teacup gently and said, “With dusk, comes the snow. Why not drink a cup?”²

“When the esteemed one bestows, one must not decline.” Zong Yin wiped his hands and took a few steps forward to sit cross-legged before the table. He was half-naked, and his back was covered in patterns of scale. Taking such a sudden look at him felt unexpectedly weird. After he was seated, he continued, “I owe Dong Jun a debt of gratitude. I’ve already been hiding in the eastern sea for half a year.”

“So this is all his lousy idea.” Cang Ji sat up straight and said to Jing Lin. “The reason he did not make it clear back then was likely because he was worried that walls have ears.”

“His whereabouts are uncertain, and his intentions are unknown.” Jing Lin looked at Zong Yin again. “If not for the matter already being at the point of no return, then, given his ability and wisdom, he wouldn’t suggest such an unwise move for you to take. What have you done?”

Zong Yin sat upright in silence with fine snow falling behind him. He stared at the teacup on the table. After a long time, he said, “I adore a mortal woman and took her as my wife. She’s already six months pregnant.”

It snowed quietly in the courtyard on the mountain. The copper bell suddenly swung and rang.

Jing Lin sighed inwardly to himself.

It wasn’t going to be easy this time.

♦     ♦     ♦

Zong Yin resided in the eastern sea and held an important post shouldering heavy responsibilities. He had always been known among the Three Realms as an upright and principled man who was intolerant of immoral love affairs. There was no lack of philanderers among the various deities in the Ninth Heaven Realm, all of whom were included in the Register for the Scrutiny of Desire to be monitored and supervised by Zhui Hun Prison. Zong Yin had, in part, contributed to the compilation of this “Register for the Scrutiny of Desire”. He probably never expected himself to fall in love with a mortal woman one day and ended up violating the law to conceal the relationship.

Zong Yin’s courtyard was hidden thirty li from this mountain, with the mountains on one side and water on the other. It was common and simple. Cang Ji noted the beautifully and sturdily built stone walls in this courtyard and guessed that it was all Zong Yin’s own handiwork.

They pushed open the wooden door and stepped in. The courtyard was not big; it was not even half the size of Zhenchan Courtyard. There was a bluestone path paved inside, which had been swept clean. In order to make the path slip-resistant, it was even covered with a layer of long straw mat weaved with coarse hemp. An apricot tree stood to the left, with a swing hanging from its thick, sturdy branches, while a neat field of vegetables laid to the right, with one or two green leaves sprouting from under the snow.

Zong Yin dragged the wild boar to a vacant spot and called out into the house, “Ah-Yue, we have visitors.”

The wooden planks³ in the house were shifted aside, and the hanging screen was lifted to reveal a delicate and innocent maiden. The delight in her eyes intensified when she saw Zong Yin, and faint dimples⁴ appeared at the sides of her cheeks. Even the syrupy sugar that had been simmered for days could not be any sweeter than her.

To Cang Ji and Jing Lin, the effect was like seeing a mountain creek or a clear spring. It was as if all their distracting thoughts were thoroughly washed away by her smiling, dimpled face, making them feel light and relaxed.

Shan Yue was dressed simply in plain cotton clothing and a thorn hairpin. Supporting her own body, she said in a greeting, “Gentlemen, please hurry and come in. It’s in the dead of winter now. Your legs will go numb if you stand out there for too long!” Then she turned to Zong Yin and pouted, “I gave you a new set of clothes before you head out, but it’s all gone without a trace in just one trip! I’m not going to let you off easily if you fall sick because of the freezing cold.”

Zong Yin could only give her a silly smile. It was inappropriate for him to say a word more before the two men. But even so, such a smile was rare. When had he ever displayed such a silly smile like this before?

Shan Yue led Jing Lin and Cang Ji into the house where she cordially brewed and steeped the tea for them. She said to them, “We hardly have visitors as Zong-ge doesn’t have that many friends. Both of you are rare, distinguished guests of ours. How should I address you?”

Zong Yin hurriedly said, “They are…”

Cang Ji said, “Elder brother.”

Jing Lin said, “Younger brother.”

As soon as the words were spoken, both men looked at each other. Cang Ji lowered his sleeve to tug at Jing Lin and said through clenched teeth,

“I’m his elder brother—Where on earth would you have that many gege⁵ every day?!”

里 li, ancient measure of length, one li = approx. 500m

晚来天欲雪，能饮一杯无？ from 《问刘十九》 To My Friend Liu Shiju by Bai Juyi (白居易)

Doors in the old days were mostly made of wood. The ‘doors’ of some houses and shops, especially of the commoners, were either a set of two-door planks that could be opened from the center (picture 1) or simply several wooden planks to cover up the opening of the entrance (picture 2).

梨涡 differs from 酒窝. Both dimples, but 梨涡 specifically refers to the dimples closer to the mouth.

Since Jing Lin said he’s the younger brother (didi), it means he would have to address him as xiongzhang or gege, which of course, Cang Ji isn’t happy with.

Chapter 113: Pregnancy

AUGUST 28, 2020

“So you’re a pair of brothers.” Shan Yue offered the tea and nodded her head delightfully. “I have a younger brother at home too! He’s a little younger than this brother here, and he’s being raised on the outside. I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

It was only then Cang Ji understood what Jing Lin meant. He stared at Jing Lin. He was unwilling to withdraw his hand, but it was also absurd for him to continue holding on to Jing Lin. Thus, he said, “I only have this one younger brother. He’s a treasure as precious as pearls and jades. No matter where he is, I can’t feel reassured.”

“It’s good to have siblings.” Shan Yue was about to busy herself when Zong Yin stopped her to sit her down. It was inconvenient for her to move around, so she held on to Zong Yin’s arm for support as she took a seat. She said to Cang Ji and Jing Lin, “At the very least, both of you can look after each other when you’re away from home.”

Cang Ji grasped hold of the wayward pinky finger under his sleeve to stop Jing Lin from making mischief. He turned calmly to Shan Yue and smiled. “That’s true.”

How could Jing Lin have been able to bully Cang Ji? Instead, his little finger was caught by Cang Ji, who stroked it against his fingertip in an extremely erotic way, resulting in a faint blush materializing on Jing Lin’s neck.

Jing Lin bumped Cang Ji lightly with the side of his thigh. Cang Ji said, “What’s the matter? If there’s something on your mind, tell gege. We are among family here.”

“We only have plain tea at home.” Shan Yue hurriedly attempted to rise to her feet to change tea for Jing Lin. “If you aren’t used to drinking it, I’ll swap it for a cup of hot water for you.”

Jing Lin said, “There’s no need to busy yourself with it, Madam. I can drink this. It’s hot in this room. Is there a charcoal brazier set up in there?”

“I don’t know what kind of charcoal it is, but it’s indeed sweltering.” Shan Yue said, “Zong-ge was the one who carried it back. There is still plenty stored in the woodshed. I’ll get him to pack some for you. Bring it home for your brazier, and it won’t be that freezing cold at night.”

“It’s fine. Please keep it for your own use.” Cang Ji said, deadpan.” It’s hot back at home too. Especially at night, when it’s so stiflingly hot that it makes one sweat buckets. Plus, he’s so afraid of the heat that he cannot bear it when he gets close to just that bit of scalding heat.”

For the first time, Jing Lin could not cut into the conversation. He knew what was being said. He was too thin-skinned to take it, and he was afraid that they might sense something if he so much as opened his mouth. So he could only step on Cang Ji’s foot.

“Are both of you from the same hometown as Zong-ge?” Shan Yue smiled. “Zong-ge fears the heat too.”

“Not only from the same hometown.” Cang Ji looked at Zong Yin and said, “We will be from the same clan soon.”

Shan Yue immediately said in delight. “Then that’s brothers of the same ancestry!” She looked at Zong Yin, “Why didn’t you inform me earlier that your brothers are coming? Coincidentally, you hunted a wild boar today. I’ll prepare some dishes to go with wine for your brothers.”

“There’s no hurry.” Zong Yin answered, “I’ll do it. You take a seat.”

The little stone figure turned circles in his sleeve. Cang Ji shook his sleeve and said to the husband-and-wife pair, “Why stand on ceremony? We came today to pay the Madam a visit. So how could we let you strain yourself further? We’ll leave in a while, but we’ll return the next time to try Madam’s culinary skill.”

“It’s so cold out there, and you leave without even taking a bite. This isn’t the way to treat one’s guests.” Shan Yue stroked her stomach and said, “Back in the village, I frequently see women heavy with child farming in the fields. Zong-ge is just over-worrying now that I’ve married him. I’m not that pampered and delicate.”

Jing Lin looked at her abdomen. The common woman would begin to show when she was six months pregnant, and her movements would start to become a strain, but Shan Yue was obviously much bigger.

“The weather is cold, and the ground is frozen and slippery.” Jing Lin said, “Even if Madam is delicate, it’s only right. The reason we came today was to meet Madam and to discuss some trivial matters with Zong-xiong.¹ Please do not take offense. In the future, we brothers will have more frequent interactions. We will have to impose on you then.”

Zong Yin read between the lines and immediately stood up. Supporting Shan Yue, he said, “Take a rest inside. I’ll go with them to put away the wild boar. There will be plenty of opportunities to invite them over for a drink in the future.”

Shan Yue held Zong Yin’s arm and uttered an affirmation, then gazed at him and replied in a soft voice, “I’ll wait for you.”

Zong Yin moved to help her in, so Cang Ji and Jing Lin stepped out on their own.

♦     ♦     ♦

The north wind scraped past their ears in the courtyard. The door had only been lightly covered up when Cang Ji picked Jing Lin up from behind. Jing Lin could still hear Zong Yin’s voice inside. He held on to the door for support, and heard Cang Ji said while keeping his voice down, “Who were you teasing and playing dirty tricks on earlier?”

Jing Lin said, “My hand was aching.”

“Tickling my palm, huh.” Cang Ji said, “Since you are so gutsy, then why don’t you tickle my thigh?”

Pushing the door, Jing Lin said quickly, “That wasn’t tickling!”

Cang Ji said, “Then that was hooking—seducing.² You even made use of the stone to nibble me. Didn’t you see that my face was already red?”

Miffed, Jing Lin blurted, “… Bullshit!”

Cang Ji suddenly burst out laughing. He held him back and said, “Say it again? The voice you used to cuss people is so soft and squishy I could pinch water out of it. Why is that that you don’t sound angry to me at all?”

Jing Lin squeezed his way around to cup Cang Ji’s cheeks and gave him a few kisses on those lips of his. His kiss was hasty, and his action, brash. He ended up knocking himself so hard that his eyes watered. Even the tip of his nose reddened from the impact.

“Take it in.” Teaching him, Cang Ji lured out the tip of that tongue and sucked it a few times on it, licking it until Jing Lin tingled with numbness again.

While Jing Lin’s tongue was still numb, Cang Ji suddenly held him by the waist and led him down the stairs. Holding him up by the arms, he turned around.

Right at the same time, Zong Yin opened the door to the room and headed outside.

Jing Lin forcibly held back the breath he was about to exhale and swallowed it back down.

Unaware of the surge of undercurrent between them, Zong Yin hurried down the stairs and led them to a corner. Zong Yin stood still and said, “My Lord has already seen Ah Yue. What should I do from now on?”

After a moment’s pause, Jing Lin said, “You said she’s six months pregnant. But she clearly looks to be eight or nine months pregnant to me.”

Zong Yin said, “I once asked an elder in the sea. He has no idea why either. Inter-realm couples who have given birth to a child in this world are few and far between. After Ah-Yue got pregnant, I searched the various lands, but there was no one I could ask.”

“Must you really have this child?” Cang Ji suddenly asked.

Zong Yin said, “… I worry that he’s an evil being.”

“Since you’re worried that he’s an evil being…” Cang Ji asked again, “… then why did you keep him until today?”

Zong Yin stood quietly in the snow for a while before saying, “I have been among deities for years on end. The Demarcation Division had always listed adultery and fornication as a felony that can lead to the birth of evil beings. But Ah-Yue and I are both extremely fond of this child from the time we got married. I can’t bring myself to speak of abortion. But if this child is truly evil and comes to threaten his mother’s life in the days to come, then I’ll have to implore both of you to lend me a helping hand.”

“Inter-realm couples producing evil beings isn’t Heaven’s Will.” Jing Lin said, “It’s what the Supreme Father said when the Ninth Heaven Realm was first established. For thousands of years, the Demarcation Division has strictly prohibited this, because everyone is afraid of making the same mistakes. But looking at this now, this child might not necessarily turn out to be evil.”

“Your original form is a hai jiao. At most, Madam will give birth to a little jiao dragon.” Cang Ji raised his hand to fiddle with the snow on the wall and said, “How could it be an evil being? But what we are afraid of now is not this matter, but that she is pregnant with a jiao dragon in a mortal body. Do you still remember how you were born?”

Zong Yin hesitated and said, “… I was born in the eastern sea. My mother was not a hai jiao, but an old-world sand boa lady.”

“You have already passed your tribulation to become a jiao dragon. Thus, she’s pregnant with a jiao dragon. That’s the troublesome thing.” Cang Ji rubbed the fragments of snow. His smile faded. “I’d advise you to make a trip to Can Li Tree in person. You must invite the Five-Colored Bird, Fu Li, over by hook or by crook.”

“Fu Li?” Zong Yin immediately asked.

“Fu Li was born in Wutong³ Nest. When the phoenix moved eastward, she was adopted by Lord Jiutian and immersed in the the Brahma Altar’s lotus pool. When she broke out of her shell as a bird, she met my wife who had happened to come out of seclusion. She was then kept by my wife at my wife’s side. She guards Can Li Tree, the source of life in the world. She’s the only divine bird among the Three Realms bathed in the scent of Buddha incense and aura of the sword. If she can hold a Can Li Tree branch in her mouth and circle around Madam to guard her, there will be no danger to Madam’s life even if she is pregnant with an asura.”⁴

“I’ll set off now.” Zong Yin said.

“But if she comes.” Cang Ji cast a sidelong glance at him. “Then, the charge of a capital felony will hang over her head. Moreover, whether this child is a jiao dragon or not, anomalies will surely occur in Heaven and Earth when he is born. By that time, everyone in the Three Realms will be in the know. Zhui Hun Prison, the Demarcation Division, and all the major demons will swarm over. If not to kill him, then to snatch him.”

Zong Yin said, “But if he’s just a human…”

Cang Ji raised his hand to cut off his words. He said, “The day you married her, you should have thought of the fact that your offspring will never be human. There’s no way you can hide from this the way things stand now.

Cang Ji spoke so mercilessly that it left a stunned Zong Yin rooted to the spot. The snow intensified as the night deepened, completely blanketing the small, few-feet-wide courtyard.

♦     ♦     ♦

They were sharing a pillow at night when Cang Ji felt wetness and heat on his neck. So, with his eyes closed, he hugged the man in his arms. Early the next morning, as he was getting dressed, he saw some redness on his own neck. They covered up the traces of his fight with Zong Yin.

“Who did this?” Cang Ji repeatedly yawned as he opened up his collar.

Jing Lin poured over the teacup and said, “You must have been dreaming.”

Cang Ji said, “I touched something soft and hot last night.”

Jing Lin said, “You must have been drunk.”

“I even fell sick.” Cang Ji sniffed the teacup Jing Lin had just heated up.⁵ “Otherwise, why did I still hear someone muttering in my ears in the middle of the night?”

Jing Lin draped his outer garment over himself. On hearing that, he said, “… I was dreaming.”

Cang Ji pondered over the bite marks on his neck and said, “It’s fine even if you did something else. You were sound asleep, and you were dreaming. But why didn’t you just bite a ring around me in your sleep? Puppy fangs feeling around silently in the dark and gnawing away at random, biting everywhere it pleases. It’s pretty painful to the touch.”

Jing Lin had already walked to the door when he turned back and head-butted Cang Ji’s back. Cang Ji had not intended to draw his collar tight. On seeing this, he looked back partially.

Jing Lin pressed his cheek against Cang Ji’s broad back and said, “I tossed and turned last night, unable to sleep, and I recalled some matters. Do you still remember the time we met the Luo Cha bird?”

“We had only just descended the mountain then.” Cang Ji said, “Dong Lin slaughtered the Chen household and attracted Luo Cha bird over when he dismembered them.”

“There are homicide cases everywhere in Zhongdu.” Jing Lin said, “Yet it’s only the grievances from the corpses of the Chen household that was able to attract the Luo Cha bird. That Luo Cha bird was even hiding a fake copper bell in its stomach. To date, the copper bell has never returned to my hands. It’s like we have fallen into someone else’s trap with this opening move. The other party used ‘death’ as the prelude but used ‘life’ as the finale.”

Cang Ji looked fixedly at the mirror and asked, “Who do you suspect?”

Before Jing Lin could answer, he heard the arrival of visitors outside the house. Zong Yin led a person into the courtyard and raised his voice to announce, “My Lord! Fu Li is here!”

Fu Li kneeled at the steps and kowtowed to say, “Jiu-ge! It has been many days since I last saw you. I’ve been thinking about you. I don’t know if A-Yi has passed on the message I told him to deliver the last time. Lord Chengtian decided that I would be transferred away from Can Li Tree to stand guard at the Brahma Altar for a time. The monks are astute, so I didn’t dare to look arbitrarily for you in case I expose your movements. Did Jiu-ge’s trip to the north go smoothly?”

There was silence inside for a moment. Then the door suddenly pulled open.

Fu Li looked up. The delight on her face gradually turned into astonishment, but it lasted only a fleeting moment. She gave a slight nod of her head and reined in her joy to say to Cang Ji in a lukewarm tone, “… Didn’t expect you to be still here.”

Cang Ji said in a leisurely and carefree tone, “Jiejie, are you looking for my wife?”

Fu Li paused, then frowned and asked, “You’ve gotten married?”

“Of course.” Cang Ji said. “That’s thousands of li⁶you’ve been journeying through the night. You’re fast.”

But Fu Li was still asking, “Who did you marry?”

Cang Ji finally felt invigorated. He squatted down and said patiently to Fu Li, “You’re familiar with my wife. Weren’t you still calling him ‘Jiu-ge’ earlier? In the future, I’m your Jiu-sao. Why are you kneeling? There’s no need to pay such a big respect when you see me. It has been truly hard on you to travel day and night to hurry your way over. Zong Yin is an old friend, so there’s no need for you to adhere so rigidly to formalities. Come on up and sit with us.”

宗兄 Elder Brother Zong

勾 The word he used here is to hook, but could also mean to seduce.

梧桐 Chinese parasol tree, also sometimes known as a phoenix tree.

修罗 Asura are powerful but often amoral beings (or demigods) in Buddhism, since they are primarily driven by envy and greed for power.

In brewing tea, the first step would be to heat the teacups by pouring hot water over it. This is to raise the temperature of tea sets and ensure a relatively stable temperature of the tea.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, one li = approx. 500m

Chapter 114: Younger Brothers

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Fu Li rose to her feet instantly, the color already drained from her face. She blurted out involuntarily, “What did you say?!”

Cang Ji simply smiled without answering. A hand behind him set itself on his shoulder. Fu Li looked along it and saw Jing Lin standing and gathering his clothes. He said to her, “Sit and talk.”

With this, Fu Li found it hard to spit out her discontentment. She could only bow her head in acquiescence and followed Zong Yin to take a seat under the eaves. There was a little fire stove made of red zisha clay set up at the side of the table. Fu Li clasped her hands together and warmed them up a little before the stove.

“There’s no word from Jiu-ge about Jiu-ge’s marriage.” Fu Li said dejectedly, “Although we cannot be compared to before, we simply cannot let this matter pass in such a slipshod manner. I still have a collection of rare jewelries back at home. My original intent was to wait for Jiu-ge’s wedding and gift it to…”

She cast a glance at Cang Ji, but she could not bring herself to spit out the word “Jiu-sao”. This was just great. There was no need for the jewelries now. Look at how tall and strong this fish was; he definitely had no use for them. Thinking about this made Fu Li so pissed that her liver ached.

“I won’t disdain them even if you send them over.” Cang Ji grabbed a teacup to rinse it with water and said with a smile, “We are family, so why stand on ceremony? We will still have to trouble you to help out when we hold a lavish wedding banquet in the future. We definitely won’t be slipshod about this. I still have the confidence to treat the Three Realms in Heaven and Earth to a banquet.”

It would not do for Fu Li to remain crestfallen when she saw Jing Lin looking like he usually did. Although she was still dissatisfied with Cang Ji, she could not not trust Jing Lin’s taste. So she said, “If I can be of help in the future, Jiu… You just have to notify me, and I’ll surely hurry over. At present, Zong Yin’s matter is of great urgency. He has already given me a clear account on the way here. It’s not hard for me to assist with her delivery. The difficulty lies in trying to hide this, which is impossible. When the time comes, the storm will stir again, and figures from Heaven and Earth will assemble here. We won’t be able to hide the fact that Jiu-ge is still alive. What are we to do about this?”

“Even without this matter, we won’t be able to hide it for long.” Jing Lin drank the tea and said, “Being alive itself is a variable.”

“If Zong Yin can pass his tribulation and evolve into a dragon before the baby’s due date, he will have the ability to self-protect.” Fu Li warmed herself by the fire and considered it. “Ninth Heaven Realm will definitely deploy Zui Shan Seng. He is currently in the lotus pond transcending realms. With his aptitude, he will be able to come out of seclusion before the due date. When the time comes, Zong Yin will have to obstruct him. But once he comes out of seclusion, his cultivation will be closely matched with Lord Shage. I think it’s going to be hard.”

“Lord Shage killed Cangdi with his spear back then.” Zong Yin stretched out his arms to reveal the pattern marks on his shoulders and arms. “My scales are standard scales. No doubt they won’t be able to hold up to Po Zheng Spear. But it’s inevitable for Zui Shan Seng’s cultivation to be unstable when he has just transcended. If it’s just Xiang Mo Staff, I can give it a try.”

“One Zui Shan Seng.” Cang Ji twirled his teacup. “He is obviously our helping hand. There’s no need for all of you to worry.”

“What do you mean?” Fu Li said, “You swallowed half of his cultivation during the battle at the City of Xitu. He hates unpredictable ‘variables’ like you the most. Unless he loses his mind, why would he help us?”

Cang Ji smiled and replied, “Send someone to invite the nine-tailed fox, Huashang, from the capital over. As long as she’s here to stand watch, Zui Shan Seng will not make a move even if she’s just cracking melon seeds.¹ Zui Shan Seng doesn’t hate people like me. He hates ignorant and muddle-headed people, that is, people who know not of good and bad, and who violate his moral principles. In these 1,400 years, he seems to be insane, yet his cultivation has only increased but not decreased. He can’t step into the Great Accomplishment Stage this lifetime, but he has the determination to fight a battle with a certain someone.”

“Who?” Zong Yin asked.

Cang Ji tapped the rim of the teacup with his finger and said, “Someone everyone has forgotten about.”

“Li Rong.” Jing Lin understood. “Li Rong has been sleeping for five hundred years. His divine consciousness is hiding in Zhongdu, and his body is lying in the Blood Sea. The original form of Lord Chengtian, Yun Sheng, is a ‘mirror’. He’s no good in combat. At the critical juncture, he will undoubtedly rouse Li Rong.”

“But what enmity is there between Zui Shan Seng and Li Rong?” Fu Li still did not understand. “Ever since he has been conferred a title, he has been handling Zhui Hun Prison’s affairs as Li Rong’s subordinate. Although both men can’t be said to be buddies, they are still on friendly terms. For so many years in the past, Zui Shan Seng has never once mentioned the desire to fight it out with Li Rong.”

“In any case, you are a maiden.” Cang Ji said. “Go befriend Huashang. Give her those jewelries of yours and confide in her, and you will come to understand it, no?”

Being rebutted made Fu Li tongue-tied. It took her a while before she said, “Those jewelries are not just for Jiu-sao, but also for Jiu-ge’s future daughter…”

“Look at us now.” Cang Ji brazenly leaned against Jing Lin’s side. “Between your Jiu-ge and I, who looks like he can give birth to a daughter?”

Feeling helpless, Fu Li called out, “… Jiu-ge…”

“Good judgment there.” Cang Ji laughed heartily. “Just for this word of yours today, it doesn’t matter if you five-colored birds² throw your weight around the Three Realms in the future!”

Fu Li immediately said in panic, “I was merely just calling Jiu-ge!”

Jing Lin raised his hand to cover Cang Ji’s mouth and said, “Go take a look at Zong Yin’s wife.”

♦     ♦     ♦

As soon as Fu Li and Zong Yin left the courtyard, Cang Ji pecked at Jing Lin’s palm and said, “Once Huashang arrives, the major-league demons in the capital will be able to assemble here. Some of them are old faces from the northern lands. It’s just that I’ve yet to pass my tribulation, so I’m still a fish, and my appearance differs from before. I’m afraid it’s not possible for me to command the pack.”

“The reason you enlisted and called Fu Li over is not just because you want her assistance in the child’s delivery.” Jing Lin’s finger slid to Cang Ji’s opened collar. “Fu Li and Zong Yin could be said to be the only two divine beasts in the world, just like the phoenix of the south and dragon of the north 1,400 years ago. Now, one of them addresses you the Cangdi, and the other calls you Jiu-sao. When the major-league demons come here, they will have to yield and submit even if they aren’t convinced.”

Cang Ji wrapped his arms around Jing Lin’s lower back and said, “This is all thanks to the glory of Lord Linsong.”

Jing Lin drew closer to him and asked, “Aren’t you going to pull up your collar?”

“Nah.” Cang Ji said. “Isn’t it good enough to have a ring around it?”

Jing Lin caressed his neck and said, “I used to…”

Cang Ji lowered his head to let him touch. He smiled and probed, “Used to what?”

Jing Lin said in a trance, “I want to touch…”

Cang Ji said, “Then I will strip.”

“… your scales.” Jing Lin completed his sentence.

Cang Ji narrowed his eyes and grabbed Jing Lin’s hand. For a fleeting instant, he seemed to be a little downcast, but it took just a wink of an eye for this despondency to turn into pure gentleness. He led Jing Lin’s hand to his own neck, pressing it against his pointed scales.

“This ring of scales isn’t hard enough.” Cang Ji guided his hand to the area under his throat. “This is a vital spot. Canglong has a reverse scale. And only the reverse scale is bluish-white. You should be the reason for it.”

The dark scales were luxuriously glossy. They felt satiny to the touch, and as icy as blades.

“This spot can block blades and swords.” Cang Ji led his hand to his chest, then continued down to his abdomen. “Even if it’s Po Zheng Spear, it won’t be able to pierce through here. The scales on my back are ferocious. Even if a corner of the sky falls, they can hold up against it.”

Jing Lin counted the scales one by one. Cang Ji cut off his counting and said, “Hard, aren’ they? Once I evolved into a dragon, patterns of scales will materialize on my back every time I make love to you. This is something that’s beyond my control. If you find that they’ve gotten bigger, it’s because of love.”

Jing Lin caressed under Cang Ji’s throat.

Understanding dawned on Cang Ji. He pressed down on Jing Lin’s upper body and said into Jing Lin’s ear to coax him. “… It didn’t hurt at all when it pierced through my throat. It was just like a mosquito bite. Compared to my dragon body, his Po Zheng Spear is as thin as the hair on an ox.”

Jing Lin asked, “Did my bites hurt?”

“Were those bites?” Cang Ji said, “I suspect you merely saw me as a candy for you to lick.”

Cang Ji originally intended to stroke Jing Lin’s hair and diverted the topic. He did not expect Jing Lin to reach out his arms first to embrace him and stroke him on the back along his hair.

Jing Lin said, “When I was a child wandering the streets, I saw someone fall and cry. After doing something, it didn’t hurt anymore.”

Cang Ji said, “Show me.”

After a moment of silence, Jing Lin blew softly on the back of Cang Ji’s shoulder and said, “Blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Cang Ji closed his eyes. After a long time, he said in a soft voice too, “In the future, I’ll blow away your pain for you too. I want our Jing Lin to be free of pain and adversity, to lead a carefree life without a single worry.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Zong Yin found it inappropriate the moment he stepped out of the courtyard. As he journeyed with Fu Li, he suddenly piped up, “We shouldn’t have mentioned Lord Shage earlier.”

Fu Li asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zong Yin said, “… We just shouldn’t have done it. You’ll understand in the future.”

Not noticing what had transpired, Fu Li merely said in astonishment, “Falling in love really makes one different—You’ve become melancholic.”

Zong Yin slowed down and asked, “How’s A-Yi these days?”

“How in the world could he hold his nature in check? He has been stirring up trouble everywhere.” Fu Li tsked softly. “I left in a hurry and forgot to leave him a message. I just hope he won’t create trouble.”

♦     ♦     ♦

As Fu Li was talking about A-Yi, A-Yi was far away in the capital being picky about his food. He flung down his chopsticks, treating the entire table of delicacies as nothing more than pigswill.

“I handed you a gold pearl, and this is how you try to dismiss me.” A-Yi, with his hair tied up, was dressed in brocade clothes. Even when he was angry and frowning, he still shone until the entire room was awash in his splendor. Looking as though he was about to laugh but did not, he kicked the table leg. “If your dishes don’t satisfy me today, I’ll wreck your shop!”

The shopkeeper looked miserable as he held the tray and moved around on A-Yi’s left and right to coax him, “My esteemed lord is a man who has seen the world! Our small shop has nothing to offer great men like yourself. I’ll return you the gold pearl. Can you please go elsewhere? Argh!”

A-Yi said, “All the more I don’t wanna. Serve the dishes!”

The waiter behind hurriedly served up the dishes. A-Yi picked and sampled a mouthful of the dish, then snorted and said, “Look at the way these shreds are cut into chunks. What a scam! Call your chef here. Tell him he can quit this line. The chef can’t afford to be such an embarrassment.”

The chef sweated profusely with his plump body wedged at the head of the stairway. He held onto the rail for support and trembled as he made his way down. A-Yi’s scoldings of him had almost reduced him to tears.

A-Yi was not in a good mood, so he took it out on others. He had so much money that he was out of places to spend, so he went all out to make a mockery of the people here. The shopkeeper could not hit or scold him. He held his tray and took A-Yi’s scolding in the face, then turned his head back to wipe his tears with the corner of his sleeves. He was driven to such a state of anxiety that he was about to kneel to A-Yi.

The waiter from the back kitchen who had just returned from purchasing vegetables lifted the curtain and entered. Seeing the chef trembling as he held onto the railing, the waiter hurried over to support him. Without even stopping to wipe his sweat, he asked, “Master, what’s the matter? Have you encountered a troublemaker?”

“Even worse than that!” The chef said with a miserable expression.” My half-a-lifetime reputation has all been utterly destroyed! How is this a troublemaker? He, he’s clearly a…”

The waiter picked up the corner of his robe to wipe his hands clean and strode up the stairs to make his way upstairs. A-Yi set down the chopsticks and said, “Tell them to continue cooking!”

This waiter took a few steps closer and said, “What dish? My esteemed lord, please name it.”

“No name.” Looking askance at him, A-Yi sized him up and saw that while he was valiant in appearance, he was dressed in coarse clothes. Thus he said, “You aren’t a chef, are you? So what has it got to do with you? Call the chef over!”

This waiter kept his composure and said, “I’ve been assisting the chef and learning from him for five years. I can cook. The chef isn’t available at the moment, so I’ll cook for you.”

With that, he turned around and headed downstairs to enter the back kitchen without even asking for assistance. A-Yi rinsed his mouth. He truly intended to see what sort of thing he could come up with. After some time, the waiter came up carrying a tray.

He set the bowl and chopsticks down and said to A-Yi, “Please try it.”

A-Yi sneered, “The hell with Yangchun noodles?”³

“The hell with it” The waiter said, “Why don’t you taste it to find out?”

Seeing how composed he looked and confident he sounded, A-Yi picked up the chopsticks and said, “I’ll do you the favor of tasting it.”

A-Yi lowered his head to taste the noodles. The saltiness hit him once those noodles entered his mouth. It was so sickeningly salty that A-Yi felt like puking and covered his mouth. Who knew this waiter would step down on his chair with one foot? A-Yi could not even move it the slightest.

“Let’s talk it over slowly if you have something to say.” This waiter said, “My name is Shan Tian.⁴ I’m here at your⁵ service!”

The heck A-Yi would care what this man was called! Other than suffering and having a hard time under Cang Ji’s hands, he had never been bullied by others before. What’s more, this Shan Tian seemed to be a mere mortal.

A-Yi struck the table with a palm. There was a deafening “crash” as the table was shoved a few chi⁶ away. He turned his feet and suddenly sprang up from the chair. Shan Tian sidestepped him and unexpectedly lifted the chair to smash it down on A-Yi’s head. A-Yi lashed out at it from the air, breaking the chair apart into two and striking Shan Tian right in the face, causing him to step several steps back.

Another waiter downstairs shouted, “Shan-ge! Your pole is at the edge of the hall!”

Shan Tian instantly raced over and picked up an inconspicuous object that looked like a pole under the table with his toe. A-Yi did not think much of him and took the blow from the pole with his bare hands, not expecting himself to be unable to hold up to this strength.

“Good skill there.” “A-Yi dodged and kicked the chair over. He said coldly, “It’s not a pole wrapped under this cloth, is it? It weighs at least a thousand catty.⁷ It’s almost comparable to Zui Shan Seng’s Xiang Mo Staff! Who exactly are you?”

Shan Tian turned his pole over and attacked. He said, “My name is Shan Tian. I’m a poor fisherman on the coast of the eastern sea! Who am I? An ordinary man!”

♦     ♦     ♦

At the same time, Fu Li was supporting Shan Yue to step outside when her heart suddenly skipped a few beats. She heard Shan Yue ask, “Li-jiejie has a younger brother too? So do I. He’s been drifting around outside. He’s a martial arts practitioner with astounding innate strength.”

Fu Li said, “My younger brother… is very much a jerk. He’s so spoiled that he turns up his nose at everyone.”

“My younger brother is hot-tempered.” Shan Yue stepped down the stairs. “When Xiaoshan⁸ was born, it was raining so heavily that the village was almost flooded. My parents thought he couldn’t survive. Strangely enough, although the rain was so heavy, it still seemed to show him some consideration. For many years afterward, each time it rained heavily, Xiaoshan would say that it’s his brother. Don’t you think it’s funny? He’s clearly the only younger brother I have!”

Fu Li smiled as well and said, “He’s called Xiaoshan? Mine’s called A-Yi. He loved to spout nonsense when he was young too. It’s as if there is no one in this world that isn’t his friend.”

Both of them laughed for a while. Then Fu Li supported Shan Yue as they strolled around the courtyard.

Usually used to describe someone who’s just cracking melon seeds to watch the show. The English equivalent of melon seeds would be popcorn!

五色鸟 – technically, the words would translate to a barbet bird. But here, it refers to a mythical creature in Chinese mythology. (To be revealed later in the chapters. For now, I’ll stick to the original text and label it a ‘five-colored bird’).

阳春面 Yangchun noodle, also called the plain noodles or plain noodle soup, is a kind of noodles that served only with noodles and soup.

山田 Shan Tian, or literally mountain fields, also read as Yamada in Japanese LOL

您 He used a more courteous form of “you”

尺 chi, a Chinese foot, i.e., one-third of a meter.

斤 catty, or jin, 1 catty = 0.5kg

小山 Also ‘little mountain’. “Xiao” here means little and is typically used as an endearing form of address.

Chapter 115: Matchmaking

SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

Cang Ji and Jing Lin often visited Shan Yue. As the end of the year approached, it became increasingly inconvenient for her to move around. One day, they were exchanging small talk with her when they noticed her looking weak and weary. She seemed to be growing more and more listless.

“It has been eight months now.” Fu Li said to Zong Yin, “We mustn’t be negligent for even a single moment until she goes into labor and gives birth. She is pregnant with a jiao dragon. When the time comes, no matter what happens, you must stop all those unwelcome visitors. I’ve been talking to her frequently this one month. Zong Yin.”

Zong Yin shifted his gaze from the window to her.

Fu Li said, “Although I know nothing about the love of the human realm, I do know of mutual attraction. She trusts you wholeheartedly. You must never let her down.”

Zong Yin asked, “Are you confident about the delivery this time?”

Fu Li hesitated for a moment, then said, “… If no one comes to disturb, I’ll be able to put all my attention and focus on it.”

“Good.” Zong Yin brushed away the fragments of snow before him and said to Fu Li, “There is something I must say to you.

Seeing his solemn expression, Fu Li said, “Go on.”

“If mother and child are safe, then I shall devote myself to doing good to express my gratitude to Providence. But if…” Zong Yin said, “Then I’m not blessed enough. Please preserve the life of my wife.”

Fu Li said, “We are not at that stage yet.”

Zong Yin looked back again. Jing Lin and Cang Ji were sitting side by side inside the house, while Shan Yue was reclining and listening to them with a smile.

He said, “I just want to seek a blessing for her.”

♦     ♦     ♦

As Cang Ji tasted the hot soup, Shan Yue said in a warm voice, “We have caused you both troubles lately. Not only did you help to build a yard for our house, you’ve also added a sleeper wall. It looks like I’m about to give birth soon. When the time comes, it’ll be in spring when the flowers are blooming. You must come for a celebratory drink.”

“Everyone has been keeping watch over him so that he can be safely born. Naturally, our affection for him is on a different level. Since Zong Yin addresses me as dage, then I’m this little fella’s uncle.”

¹ Cang Ji said, “Once he arrives, who would dare not show him due respect?”

Shan Yue smiled in response. But then she started furrowing her brows.

Jing Lin observed the change in her expression and asked, “Do you want me to call Fu Li over?”

Shan Yue shook her head. Supporting her belly, she said, “The baby is just moving. There’s no need to call jiejie over.”

Jing Lin asked, “Does he move often?”

Shan Yue said with a smile, “Often. This’s a rough one.”

Jing Lin’s gaze was inquisitive as he looked at Shan Yue and asked again, “Is he turning over?”

Shan Yue shifted her body to move her legs into a more comfortable position before she replied, “Fist-boxing. Although I don’t know if the baby is a boy or a girl, this temperament really takes after his uncle.”²

Jing Lin nodded. Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin and knew from the way he looked that he actually did not understand, even if he seemed as if he did; he was simply curious deep down. Cang Ji smiled and said to Shan Yue, “The due date is near. Just relax. The swing by the gate has been strengthened with hemp rope, and its seat has been widened. In the future, the child can play on it with his mother. Although this courtyard isn’t big, it’s the home both of you husband and wife worked as one to create. I don’t see anything else that needs to be changed.”

“It’s more than enough as a dwelling.” Shan Yue’s dimples were faintly visible as she spoke. “Zong-ge doesn’t like to go where the crowds are. If he put up a high wall in the village, it would only invite criticism. When we moved here, we had already decided to stay here for the rest of our lives. A small courtyard has its own advantage. It’s just that Zong-ge will have to build another dwelling if Xiaoshan returns.”

“I always hear of this name. Where is he?”

“A few years ago, he served as an armed escort and followed the others to the capital, where he took a chef as a master to learn how to cook. He didn’t manage to make it back in time when I got married to Zong-ge. This time, he said in his letter that he would surely return home when I give birth.” Caressing her tummy, Shan Yue counted the days and said, “I counted the days. He should arrive a few days before the Spring Festival,³ just in time for everyone to get together and have a good time.”

“I rarely celebrate the Spring Festival.” Cang Ji looked at Jing Lin. “Our Jing Lin seldom celebrates it too. Come to think of it. This is the first time we are spending the end of the year together.”

Jing Lin affirmed his words and said hesitantly, “I always have trouble remembering the days in the past.”

“Isn’t that just perfect?” Fu Li stepped through the door and said, “It has been many years since I last celebrated a festival with Jiu-ge. I’ll send someone to deliver a message to A-Yi and tell him to come here. At least it’d prevent him from going out there to stir up trouble.”

“That’d be for the best.” Cang Ji said, “A-Yi and I get along well with one another. I was just thinking about him. We each had our reasons in the past for not meeting up, but now that we are coming together for a gathering this year, we might as well drink ourselves drunk.”

Except for Shan Yue, everyone else understood the implication of his words. The baby’s due date was estimated to be after the new year. So the gathering this year would not only be a once-in-a-blue-moon get-together, but also a repose before the crisis.

Zong Yin held Shan Yue’s hand and said, “I’ll head into town today to prepare the goods for the new year according to your wish. It’s not convenient for you to move around this year due to your pregnancy, so don’t think too much and just leave it all to me.”

“You can’t show yourself.” Fu Li said, “There are plenty of talents from the Demarcation Division hiding all over. It’s not worth it if you get unlucky and come across one of them. I’ll go with Cang Ji.”

On hearing that, Cang Ji stretched out his legs and said in a slack manner, “It has been so long, and you still haven’t changed the way you address me?”

Fu Li was still steaming with pent-up frustrations, but there was nothing she could do about him, so she merely pleaded, “Let’s go. We need to hurry back before dark.”

It was only then Cang Ji bumped his long leg lightly into Jing Lin’s leg and made use of his movement as he stood up to whisper to him, “I’ll be back soon.”

Jing Lin drew a simple talisman in his palm. Both men hooked their little fingers. Then, Cang Ji stepped out of the door with Fu Li.

The moment the door closed, Cang Ji reined in the expression on his face and said, “Add a water-evading talisman behind the courtyard. The gully in this mountain is narrow. If a master water manipulator were to come, it would be way too easy for him to flood this place.”

“It is as Jiu-sao said.” Fu Li said numbly. “Jiu-sao is truly thorough.”

“Now, that feels so comfortable to hear.” Cang Ji looked back and smiled. “What’s Huashang’s reply?”

“That little fox sent me a message telling me to ‘go play at the side’. She won’t come if I can’t give her a reason.” Fu Li did not say it outright, but she had expected it. Cang Ji was just a mere brocade carp. How would he have that kind of major prestige needed to summon Huashang over?

Cang Ji said, “Just send someone to tell her.”

“Tell her what?”

“Tell her that her Master is inviting her to his wedding feast.” Cang Ji pushed open the courtyard door and gazed at the gray sky. “She will come.”

♦     ♦     ♦

All was calm in the second half of the month. There was no message from Dong Jun, but then there was no news of the Demarcation Division either. Jing Lin’s cultivation increased some. The dragon aura in his abdomen mutually echoed in harmony with Cang Ji, but there was still no change to Cang Ji’s original form.

One morning, a young man who had been braving the hardships of his hurried, arduous journey here lifted his wind hat and huffed into his hands as he prepared to knock on the door.

“Look who’s here!” On the other side, A-Yi patted away the snow as he turned his bright eyes to look askance at Shan Tian. “You’re really always turning up like a fucking bad penny!”

Shan Tian’s hand paused mid-action. He turned around and said, “It’s truly a small world when it comes to your enemies. Are you following me?”

A-Yi spat and said as he jerked his hand warmer,⁴ “Look at yourself in your own pee. You think you are some captivating beauty who can make me follow you? And I have to say, this place is so remote. What can you do here if not for following me?”

Shan Tian kept his hands in his sleeves and said, “My purpose for coming here is none of your business.”

“Then don’t get in my way.” A-Yi lifted his head.” We each go our own ways.”

But there was only this one courtyard within ten li,⁵ so it did not seem like either of them went to the wrong house. The atmosphere grew tense, with both men stuck at an impasse.

Shan Tian set his cloth-covered pole upright and said, “I’m looking for my Ah-Jie. What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for my Ah-Jie too.” A-Yi said. “It’s not like you are the only one in the entire world who has an elder sister.”

“My Ah-Jie’s name is Shan Yue.” Shan Tian folded his arms. “Pure and kind, she originally lived in Shanlian Village before moving here after her marriage. You’ve gotten the wrong place, haven’t you?”

“The hell I care what your Ah-Jie is called or where she lives.” A-Yi remained unconvinced. “Although my Ah-Jie is not very kind-hearted, she’s beautiful! Besides, this is our territory now that my Ah-Jie is here in this courtyard.”

A little fed-up, Shan Tian took a few steps forward and said, “Stay right there at the side. If you dare to stride through the threshold of this door, I’ll fight you.”

A-Yi sneered and hopped his way to the door before him. He not only stood on the threshold but even jumped on it with all his might and said, “I’m not only here. I’m even stepping on it! What can you do?”

Shan Tian backhandedly lifted his pole and prepared to strike. Just as both of them were facing off each other, the courtyard door opened with a “creak”.

A-Yi was in high spirits upon seeing the person. He very nearly pounced on her and yelled, “Ah! Jie!”

Fu Li shuddered and kicked him away with a foot, then reproached him. “Just how old are you? Can’t you behave yourself?! What has your tongue been soaking in? You are not even speaking clearly!”

A-Yi grabbed hold of the leg Fu Li used to kick him and said, “Why are you kicking me? I’ve been braving the elements, rushing for all of eight hundred li here! Didn’t you say you were going to have a baby? It doesn’t seem that way to me. Isn’t it better to return home and incubate for a few days? Why did you come to such a faraway place?!” With that, he said smugly to Shan Tian, “See this? This is my Ah Jie. This is my house!”

As Shan Tian took a few steps back doubtfully, the curtain inside the house lifted. Shan Yue stood at the door and smiled as she called out to him, “Xiaoshan! You’re home! Ah Jie has been waiting for you.”

Shan Tian smiled and strode across the door into the house, not forgetting to say to A-Yi, “Come on, let’s not do this. Hop in, my guest, and make yourself at home!”

♦     ♦     ♦

A-Yi stood by the door and watched as Shan Tian rested before Shan Yue and spoke affectionately to her. Then he turned to Fu Li and asked, “Why are you unhappy when you see me?”

Fu Li said, “Stand properly!”

A-Yi pouted and said, “We aren’t biological siblings, are we…”

“You still dare to grumble?” Fu Li gave him another kick. “I’ve explained it clearly in the letter. What exactly have you gleaned from skimming through it?”

“I was anxious to see you.” A-Yi said resentfully. “Isn’t this courtyard way too small? It’s even smaller than Jing Lin’s. How can you stay in it? Just turn over in the night, and you’ll roll your way out of the door.”

Fu Li moved to smack him again when she heard him shooting his mouth off.

Just at that time, someone came through the courtyard. Cang Ji drew the curtain and entered with Jing Lin. He exhaled cold air, then said to A-Yi with a smile, “Standing there posing as a clothes rack?”

“Dage!” A-Yi turned his eyes to him, then shifted his gaze back. He swept a glance around those present and asked, “What’s the occasion today? Why are all of you gathering here?”

“Spring Festival.” Jing Lin removed his fox fur coat and said casually, “You have grown this big. It’s time for you to talk about marriage. Didn’t they say that marriage will mellow a person?”

“But I know nothing of such.” A-Yi said, “Especially of the kind between both of you.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Cang Ji raised his hand and wrapped it around A-Yi’s shoulder. He said, “I’ve already taken a look at one for you.”

A-Yi looked ahead in fear and trepidation, where Shan Tian just happened to look over. He instantly flipped out and jumped three chi⁶ high into the air. “Bullshit! I won’t yield!”

Silence descended upon the house for a moment.

Fu Li said, “… What nonsense are you spouting?!”

A-Yi’s blood had already run cold. The way he saw it, everyone in this house was harboring evil intentions, and he increasingly felt convinced that his Ah Jie was going to match-make him. He took to his heels, wanting to flee, but Cang Ji’s arm was like an iron grip, stopping him.

Panicking, A-Yi fell to his knees with a “thud” and hugged Fu Li’s thighs as he cried out sincerely, “Jie! I don’t want to be gay! My feathers aren’t even all grown out yet!”

specifically 大伯 dabo, term used for father’s elder brother

specifically 舅舅 jiujiu, a term used for mother’s brother

Spring Festival, which celebrates the start of the new year from the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar.

暖手 a small portable hand warmer that looks like a little pot. Also known as tangpozi (汤婆子).

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

尺 chi; a Chinese foot, i.e., one-third of a meter

Chapter 116: Anomaly

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Fu Li wanted to kick him, but it was inappropriate with all the people in the house, so she could only say through clenched teeth, “Has the wind blown your brain away?! They are just teasing you; how can you fall for it?!”

Still not believing it, A-Yi tugged at Fu Li’s leg and asked, “Then why are all of you here? This place is so remote! If it weren’t for something important, all of you wouldn’t get together for sure!”

It would not do for Fu Li to state it too plainly right before Shan Yue and Shan Tian. She wanted to gloss it over, but A-Yi looked up at her and persisted in getting his answer, giving her such a headache that she could not hold herself back from smacking A-Yi on his back.

“Get up now!”

A-Yi said, “I don’t wanna.”

Fu Li could do nothing about him. She said, “In any case, it’s not to play matchmaker for you! There’s no suitable family within ten li¹ of this place. What’s more, which maiden can put up with you the way you are now?! You’re already this big, and you still so insensible. Get up!”

A-Yi stood up briskly. He patted his brocade robe and said, “Just say so if it isn’t. At least tell me if you are going to so I can prepare for it. There’s something I need to say first.”

“I’m all ears.” Cang Ji said.

A-Yi glanced at Shan Tian and said, “I’m not gay.”

Shan Tian was holding the bowl of sweet soup Shan Yue had prepared for him. He stirred on hearing A-Yi, finally realizing what had just transpired. This person was really a baffling one. He was as proud as a peacock, and so paranoid under that layer of human skin. Shan Tian scooped the red dates and ate it without so much a single glance at him.

♦     ♦     ♦

After A-Yi came, the atmosphere naturally livened up. Shan Yue was fond of him too and often called him over to her side. Having gotten his elder sister’s hint, A-Yi patiently accompanied Shan Yue every day. It was not known if Shan Tian had guessed Zong Yin’s identity, but he stayed close to Shan Yue and never let her out of his sight.

It was the Spring Festival just a few days later. Everyone had a small gathering in Zong Yin’s courtyard. Jing Lin did not drink much, but Cang Ji was already flushed from the wine by the time the gathering was about to break up. When both men stepped out of the door to leave, Cang Ji suddenly leaned against the door frame and refused to move any further.

“Hold me by the hand.” Cang Ji said, “It’s so dark and windy outside. I’m scared to be out there on the road.”

A-Yi was holding a cloak behind him when his expression instantly darkened. He said, “Dage, are you drunk? You are the most formidable when it comes to tearing others apart with your bare hands. What is darkness to you?”

Cang Ji “tsked” and turned to say to him in disdain, “Are all the feathers on your tail grown out? I want you to shut up.”

“Dage, you are so honorable and righteous, handsome and free-spirited.” A-Yi randomly threw him words of flattery. “It’s the new year. Shouldn’t you give me some lucky money?”²

Cang Ji tossed A-Yi a gold pearl. A-Yi said, “Who cares about this? This is not what I want.”

His interest piqued, Cang Ji asked, “Then what do you want?”

A-Yi furtively leaned back. It was only when he saw that his Ah Jie and Shan Tian had yet to return from the kitchen that he moved closer to Cang Ji and asked, “You are my dage, right?”

“Spit it out if you have something to say.” Cang Ji said, “I still have a warm bed³ waiting for me at home.”

A-Yi said, “Then you have to stand up for me! As sworn brothers, we are like kin brothers! Dage, he’s that lad who fought with me from the capital to the City of Xitu. If I hadn’t slipped away midway after seeing that I wouldn’t make it here in time, both of us would still be stuck on the road!”

“What grudges do you have with each other?” Jing Lin stood in the snow and said, “Make yourself clear.”

“He scammed me of my money.” A-Yi said with righteous indignation.

“Keep your tail straight when you lie.” Jing Lin said coldly.

Unhappy, A-Yi said, “But he really hit me! Jing Lin, you don’t know about it, but that thing in his hand doesn’t seem to be an ordinary object at all. It really drew blood when it came smashing at me.”

“That lad…” Cang Ji’s voice was deeper after he had drunk wine. His gaze shifted to the house at the side. He said slowly, “… is indeed odd.”

“I knew there was something off with him!” A-Yi was itching to have a go. “Dage, let’s drag him into the mountain and interrogate him!”

Fu Li walked out as she wiped her hands and asked, “Interrogate who? What are you going to do again?”

A-Yi instantly draped the cloak around Cang Ji’s shoulders and silently slipped along the wall to make his way inside.

Fu Li asked suspiciously, “What’s he scheming again?”

Jing Lin asked, “Where’s Xiaoshan?”

“He said he heard movements outside the courtyard, so he went to see if it’s a wild animal.” As Fu Li spoke, she exchanged glances with each of them. “Shall I see you off?”

“Your Jiu-ge is going to lead me home by the hand.” Cang Ji strode down the stairs with the cloak hanging over him. “Don’t get in the way.”

Behind them, Fu Li stood all by her lonesome self and shouted, “Jiu-sao, don’t jump into pits on intention!”

Cang Ji stepped into a pit and tilted over to press down on Jing Lin. Catching a whiff of wine on him, Jing Lin tightened his cloak around him and held his hand as he led him home.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Thirteen green talismans obstacles.” Midway through their journey, Cang Ji became the one who was leading Jing Lin by the hand. He measured his steps from the luminosity of the snow and turned back to look at Zong Yin’s courtyard. “The talismans Zong Yin dug three chi⁴ down under the ground; this courtyard is thoroughly covered all around. When the time comes, Fu Li will assist Shan Yue in the delivery of the child, while Huashang will stand guard at the third layer. Zong Yin and I will be outside, and there’s also you and A-Yi to patrol the area. If it’s just Zui Shan Seng who comes, he won’t even be able to enter through the door.”

“Even if Li Rong comes, it will take a few hours.” Jing Lin said, “It’s just that I can’t figure it out.”

Cang Ji gave him a hand and questioned, “Can’t figure it out?”

“Dong Jun said that a major-league devil would be born on the eastern sea.” Jing Lin said, “It’s closely related to ‘birth’. But this child is just a jiao dragon, so who is the major-league devil? He would definitely not mention this for no reason.”

“He summoned us here, but he himself hasn’t come.” Cang Ji said, “What exactly is his intention? To date, he has still yet to reveal it.”

With an “uh-huh”, Jing Lin grasped Cang Ji’s fingers and said, “His relationship with Lan Hai and Qing Yao is different. I suspect that his investigation has thrown up many findings. It’s just that he’s unwilling to tell us.”

“It will all be clear when the time comes.” Cang Ji pushed open the door and edged along the veranda with Jing Lin to enter the room.

♦     ♦     ♦

The moment the luminous pearl in the room was picked up, the little stone figure jumped off the couch and ran around in a few circles. On seeing this, Cang Ji stuffed Jing Lin into his arms and said, “Where are you cold? Once I give you a few bites, you won’t be cold anymore.”

Jing Lin asked, “You will bite every single part that’s cold?”

Each time Cang Ji hugged Jing Lin, he wanted to rub and pinch him. He placed Jing Lin at the edge of the couch, and tipsily bit his way down Jing Lin’s neck inch by inch. Gradually, he pressed Jing Lin down onto the bedding. Jing Lin reached out his fingers to scrape across the back of Cang Ji’s neck.

“Where are you cold?” Cang Ji covered up the luminous pearl and fondled him in the darkness.

Jing Lin’s garment was in disarray as he nibbled wetly on Cang Ji’s ear and neck. Exerting his strength, Cang Ji turned his head to seek Jing Lin’s mouth and pinned him onto the bedding.

The potency of the wine burned Cang Ji up. He did not hold back.

Jing Lin kept gasping for breath, but Cang Ji found his target each time. He was using a lot of strength tonight.

Jing Lin grasped him so hard that his fingertips were all reddened. There was no part of his body that was still cold. It was so hot all over him that he felt weak. All he could do was to whimper and sob while drenched in sweat.

Cang Ji was satisfied.

He liked it this way. He wanted Jing Lin to cry, to pant, to let him have his way. Each cry of “gege” each time urged Cang Ji to go at it with even more vigor down there. He immersed himself in the pleasure of it. There was simply no way he could stop.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji had a full meal this time, and he had more or less sobered up now. After they were done, he let his hair down, fell over to the bed, and then scooped Jing Lin up onto his body to cover himself. This was the moment when Jing Lin was the easiest to coax. No matter what he said, Jing Lin would always just “uh-huh” in agreement. Cang Ji was not in a hurry to sleep; he simply loved to tease this man.

“Why didn’t you call me gege when we were out there?” Cang Ji asked him softly.

Jing Lin’s breathing was still ragged, and his tongue was still feeling numb as he answered, “Not calling for you to hear.”

“Someone was calling for me so urgently earlier.” Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin. “Who was that then?”

Jing Lin quibbled. “Don’t know him.”

“I know who he is.” Cang Ji carefully kissed Jing Lin on his eyes and brow. “Panting and moaning and crying. Only I know who he is.”

Jing Lin closed his eyes and let him kiss until their lips met again. Amidst the lingering warmth and tenderness, Jing Lin sucked him in small mouthfuls—Cang Ji was the one who taught him this. Cang Ji pulled up the blanket over them and played with him under it. Both men’s breath intertwined as they clung close and intimately to each other.

“Let’s stay here in the future.” Cang Ji said, “Gege will close the door and play with you every day.”

“Lust befuddles the mind.” Jing Lin sprawled over his chest and half-propped up his head. “Dijun is going to be mocked.”

“Only those who have a lover can do this.” Cang Ji laced his fingers with Jing Lin’s. “It’s right and proper, open and aboveboard.”

“If I can’t remember…” Jing Lin gazed at him. “You mustn’t cry secretly, either.”

“Of course, I won’t.” Cang Ji said, “Even if I want to cry, I’ll hug your thighs and cry. How do you even spell the word ‘secretly’?”

Jing Lin curled his toe slightly and scraped it across Cang Ji’s calf. He was hot to death at the moment. Cang Ji lifted the blanket, exposing both men’s intertwined legs.

Jing Lin lowered his head and glued the side of his face to the side of Cang Ji’s face.

“Of late.” Jing Lin said softly, “I seem to be getting smaller.”

“You are small to begin with.” Cang Ji took him into his arms and said, “You are younger than me by many, many years. There are many things you have to wait for me to teach you.”

“I can no longer be compared to Lord Linsong.” Jing Lin closed his eyes.

Cang Ji stroked the back of Jing Lin’s head in silence, then turned his head over and kissed the corner of Jing Lin’s eye. He said, “This is how you originally are. No one in Heaven and Earth can make you sever your feelings and desires. Your joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness that other places can’t accommodate, you can leave them all with me here.”

He seemed to hear Jing Lin let out a snort. The little stone figure also scrambled its way onto Cang Ji’s chest. Both men held hands with interlacing fingers. Cang Ji listened as Jing Lin’s breathing gradually evened out, and his heart, as tranquil as still water, bloomed with happiness.

♦     ♦     ♦

Shan Yue suddenly groaned as she jolted awake from her dream. Zong Yin immediately got up from the couch to hold her hands and asked in a fluster, “What’s the matter? Did the baby kick you again?”

Shan Yue felt a wave of contraction pain. She was already sweating profusely. With her lips whitening, she braced herself to say, “Zong… Zong-ge! I’m afraid, I’m going to…”

Zong Yin held her hand with one hand and wiped her sweat with the other hand. He shouted, “Fu Li, Fu Li!”

Next door, Fu Li rose on hearing his shouts. She entered the room and lit the lamp. She was momentarily stunned when she saw the situation, but said right after, “What’s happening? It’s not time yet!”

Shan Yue started shaking. As she trembled, she said, “Cold, so cold…”

Fu Li was not paying attention earlier, but now, as she looked towards the window, she saw that the ice was already about to climb it way into the window! She immediately took off her outer garment, rolled up her sleeves, and said, “Call A-Yi. Tell him to call Jiu-ge over quickly! There’s something odd with this coldness. I’m afraid the child his or herself can’t stand the mortal flesh. If we don’t induce labor, the child will cause the death of the mother!”

Zong Yin stood up, and Shan Yue grasped his hand. Her tears kept falling involuntarily, yet she pushed herself to smile at him. Even at this juncture, she was still urging him, “Put… put on a coat when you go out…”

Zong Yin’s eyes stung as he silently kissed Shan Yue’s fingertips. On the other side, A-Yi was all sprawled out on his back in a sleep so sound that even thunder could not move him. Shan Tian rose from another bed. Without even needing Zong Yin to push the door open, he had already strode out of the door and said, “Is Ah Jie in labor now? I’ll go boil some water!”

A-Yi was still in dreamland thousands of li away while hugging his pillow. Fu Li yelled through the wall, and he swiftly sat up and said, “she’s giving birth? Now?! What do I do? Call dage and Jing Lin, right?!”

A-Yi tossed his pillow away and jumped off the bed to step into his boots before he dashed out. The instant he opened the door, a violent gale on the outside came assailing towards him. It was so cold that he shivered. When he fixed his eyes for a look, his expression changed into one of displeasure.

“What’s the meaning of this? Are you blocking the way on intention?!”

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

压岁钱 like the modern day hongbao, traditional gifts of money given to children during the Spring Festival, or lunar new year.

炕(头) specifically (the warmer end of) a kang bed-stove, a heated bed commonly seen in northern China

尺 chi, a Chinese foot; i.e., one-third of a meter

Chapter 117: Childbirth

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

The long, dark night stretched on bleakly beyond the door, while the cold wind howled as it galloped wildly like a runaway horse. A-Yi lifted his arms to shield himself from the wind, and a chain of Sanskrit scripts instantly materialized around his arms. He shouted into the wind, “Scram!”

Thirteen layers upon layers of green talisman walls glowed faintly, but they could not stop the chill from pressing in. The flurry of white snow in the wind whirled into half a human form.

Xue Mei lifted his head up and stood floating in the air with his silver hair covering his face. He gently reprimanded A-Yi, “Rude child! Fu Li left her post without authorization to cover up for the sinful deity, Zong Yin. Now that an anomaly is born, Heaven and Earth will fall into turbulent times again. None of you can escape.”

“I respected you for not being Jing Lin’s watchdog.” There was a loud “smack” as A-Yi whipped his Sanskrit scripts chain. “Who knew that you’d turn around and make your way to Ninth Heaven Realm to become their dog instead?! Good dogs don’t block the paths of others. Scram now!”

Xue Mei said mockingly, “Even if I get out of the way tonight, you still won’t be able to take a step out! Soldiers from the Demarcation Division are everywhere within ten li¹ of the barrier, and Zui Shan Seng will be here in an instant. Who are you going to look for? Jing Lin can’t even fend for himself now!”

A-Yi’s patience had already worn thin, so he was not really listening. His Sanskrit script chain slashed through the air. A swift rustling sound reverberated through the blizzard and exploded where Xue Mei was standing.

As heavy snow blanketed everywhere outside the house, Shan Yue’s gasps were intensifying inside. She dug her fingers tightly into the edge of the bed and huffed with her neck raised. Sweat ceaselessly trickled down along her neck and temples, but she was terribly icy to the touch.

Fu Li washed the towel and said in a stern voice to Shan Tian, who was holding the basin of water, “Pass her the branch of Can Li Tree and let her hold it in her mouth.”

Shan Tian did as she said and asked anxiously, “How can she give birth if she’s so cold?”

“Heat up the sleeper wall a little more.” Fu Li clenched her trembling hands. “Keep the hot water coming. Leave the rest to me.”

Before the words fully came out of her mouth, the entire courtyard suddenly shook. Tables and chairs collided with one another, and the hot water nearly spilled over to the ground. They were already coming to blows outside.

Shan Yue stared pale-faced at Fu Li through her long, sweat-soaked eyelashes. She spent a moment catching her breath before vaguely saying, “Li-jie! You… don’t be afraid…”

Fu Li closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had already calmed down. She wiped off the sweat for Shan Yue and said, “Junior is coming, so his aunt² shall receive him! Mother and child will both emerge safe and sound tonight.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji was dozing off with his eyes closed when the even rhythm of Jing Lin sleeping soundly suddenly came to an abrupt stop. He opened his eyes and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Lin said out of the blue, “It has gotten cold.”

The residual heat in the room was fading. Cang Ji slowly tilted his neck back and remained that way for a moment before he said, “If nothing happens next year, I will look at you until daybreak without fail.”

The “BANG—” of a collision rang out from the bamboo forest outside the courtyard. Xiang Mo Staff dropped onto the velvety snow on the slabstone along with a pair of straw shoes, leaving no trace on it. The flurry of heavy snow blew so hard that it sent the brown monk robe flapping out loud.

An uninhabited Cang Ji merely put on a wide-sleeved robe over his inner garment. He strode out of the door and folded his arm under his sleeves to watch the snow flying all over the sky. Without going down the stairs in a welcome, he said, “Stand out there beyond the door. There is no room for you here.”

Zui Shan Seng lifted his bamboo hat slightly to reveal that aged mortal flesh he usually used. He stopped outside the courtyard. A thin layer of snow had already covered his shoulders.

“Your body is steeping in dragon aura; you can’t hide it anymore.”

“What a joke.” Cang Ji said slowly in a frosty voice. “All I know ever since I was born was to forge ahead in the face of difficulties.”

“I warned you a year ago in the City of Xitu, yet you still persist in the folly of your ways.” Zui Shan Seng said, “You people harbor and conceal an evil being here. This crime alone merit punishment by execution.”

“If this child isn’t an evil being,” Cang Ji asked, “will you still persist in killing?”

Zui Shan Seng kicked up Xiang Mo Staff and leveled his arm to point it at Cang Ji. The flying snow in the air suddenly burst apart to clear out an empty space between both men. He said, “Kill! I’ll kill anyone and everyone in this world who can breed devils!”

Cang Ji roared with laughter and said, “It’s useless for you to go into seclusion this lifetime. You are already nothing more than a prisoner of your own nightmare, a half-invalid.”

Holding his staff, Zui Shan Seng rose into the air and bellowed, “Come out here!”

Blizzard assaulted his cheeks. The words had only just left his mouth, but Xiang Mo Staff had already struck Cang Ji’s arm. The sleeve on Cang Ji’s sturdy arm ripped apart, and scales abruptly pressed against the staff’s body, countering it. The impact caused Zui Shan Seng to take a step back, feeling as if he had slammed into Mount Tai itself.

“Excellent strength!” Zui Shan Seng cheered. Then he turned his staff over to strike out at him. “You’re about to evolve into a dragon too!”

Once again, Xiang Mo Staff slammed into his arm. But instead of taking even half a step back, Cang Ji suddenly pressed in closer and grabbed hold of the staff. He said, “A year ago on a snowy night, you hit my wife with a strike of your staff. Do you remember?”

Zui Shan Seng sprang up and kicked out at him from the air. The snowy wind instantly swept towards Cang Ji’s right in the face. Zui Shan Seng said, “That’s right!”

“The gall of you.”

Cang Ji suddenly laughed and quickly turned his hand over. Zui Shan Seng whirled in the air while Xiang Mo Staff whistled as it turned. A gust of wind sent his sleeves fluttering up. Cang Ji’s arm that had already transformed into a claw grabbed hold of Zui Shan Seng’s ankle. Zui Shan Seng struggled in the wind and attempted to land. Not letting him have his wish, Cang Ji exerted his strength and flung him hard onto the ground.

Zui Shan Seng used his quick wits and jabbed his staff on the ground, preventing his head from getting smashed. His weight on Xiang Mo Staff made it bend a little. Following right after, Cang Ji kicked down Xiang Mo Staff, and Zui Shan Seng immediately fell. He was keenly aware that Cang Ji’s strength was terrifying. With one palm, he struck out with all the strength he could muster onto the ground. The accumulated snow on the ground sprayed up as the stone slab cracked. Zui Shan Seng jerked himself up, hooked his staff with one foot, and swept it across like a thunderbolt.

In an instant, strong astral wind burst through the bamboo forest, and countless bamboo branches broke off in response. Cang Ji bent his arms to block the blow. This time, he smashed both staff and monk into the ground. The stone slab under his feet shattered. Before Zui Shan Seng could spit out his blood, Cang Ji had already hauled him up.

Cang Ji had only just raised his fist when he heard the sound of a long, bitingly cold arrow pierced through the violent, raging wind. He swung aside to dodge it, and icy snow exploded past his ears. Zui Shan Seng took this opportunity to turn over and strike at Cang Ji with Xiang Mo Staff.

The jolts from the impacts caused an avalanche of snow on this mountain. Cang Ji cast a casual glance at it. The clouds among the snow were jam-packed with people; he even saw the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors.

Zui Shan Seng had only just gained the upper hand. He did not expect Cang Ji to fly into a sudden rage. The battle situation on both sides was worsening. It was inevitable for Zui Shan Seng to act with caution owing to Cang Ji’s ability to bite and devour. His combat style was one of vigor, one that required him to press on boldly. The moment he had misgivings, he would have exposed his weaknesses.

Cang Ji’s scales already covered his entire arms. The more he fought, the more dauntless he was in his attacks, forcing Zui Shan Seng and Xiang Mo Staff back repeatedly into a retreat.

Engaging in a drawn-out battle would be disastrous!

Zui Shan Seng bellowed, “Hui An!”

The man with white satin blindfolding his eyes drew his bow in response, and cold ice came hurtling out along with the arrow. However, Cang Ji did not even look at the long arrow as he grabbed hold of it mid-air with one palm. A “crack” rang out as the arrow shattered between his fingers. Following right after, Zui Shan Seng was lifted. He wielded Xiang Mo Staff and struck it down upon Cang Ji, but not a single of the latter’s scales was damaged. Zui Shan Seng was then flung down and pressed to the ground, yet Cang Ji swiftly stepped over him and strode several li through the air to press on towards the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors.

The thunderous bellows of the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors rang out. Cang Ji smashed an arm into the clouds, and the wind and clouds coiled around his arm. In a blink of an eye, a force worth ten thousand jun³ raged forth, slamming the swords drawn by the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors back into their sheaths. Zui Shan Seng scrambled out and joined forces with Hui An to act in unison to take down Cang Ji. The unruly wind battered him in the face as he struck out with his staff with all his might.

Right at this time, a red paper umbrella suddenly opened up behind Cang Ji. White tails swayed under the umbrella as the woman standing gracefully brushed her hand across the hair on her temple and looked back.

Zui Shan Seng’s Xiang Mo Staff missed its target. Just this one look, and it was like he had plunged into a nightmare again. Not only did his limbs go cold and his mind, thrown into turmoil, he even blocked and warded off Hui An’s arrow for fear of inadvertently hurting her. Fresh blood from his fingers spattered onto the ground. Zui Shan Seng took several steps back as his expression underwent several changes. He subconsciously threw aside Xiang Mo Staff. Thousands of words bubbled up his throat, but were ruthlessly cut off.

“Shi…” Zui Shan Seng choked with anguished emotion. “Shifu…”

Huashang slowly lifted the little fan painted in gold closer to her, this one glance speaking of all that she had endured these several hundred years. Her imitated bearings and mannerisms, coupled with her strikingly similar appearance, could allow her to pass her off as the real deal; she had even emulated Linlang right down to her expressions.

She shook off the snow on her umbrella unhurriedly, gave Cang Ji a slight bow, and said, “Why didn’t Master pay me a visit after regaining your memories?”

Cang Ji exhaled cold air and said, “I’m a man with a husband now. Got to observe propriety.”

It was as if they had never experienced the tribulation of life and death 1,400 years ago as they greeted each other as though they were merely asking “have you eaten?” despite being surrounded by layers of enemies.

“Congratulations to Master on fulfilling your wish. It can be seen that the red thread is still of use.” Huashang kept away the umbrella and looked back again at Zui Shan Seng. She said in a mild tone, “Ah Shuo, since you are now following Li Rong, you are no longer her disciple. There’s no need for you to call her shifu anymore. Just call her by name.”

Zui Shan Seng was in a muddled daze.

Huashang touched her lips slightly with a manicured finger, looking a little bewitching. “Do you dare to though?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Shan Yue had bitten down so hard on the branch of Can Li tree that teeth marks could be seen. She had raised and strained her neck until it reddened. Her hair was already soaked through.

Fu Li’s hands were stained with blood, and her face was drenched in sweat. She muttered, “Ah Yue, pushed harder—”

Outside, A-Yi crashed hard into the wall, causing the door and windows to rattle loudly. He choked and cussed, “What a fine dog! Your new master sure has fed you well! To think you even hit me!”

Half of the thirteen green talisman barriers had been breached. Zong Yin was holding the fort on the outside, while A-Yi still had yet to step out of the courtyard. He was burning with anxiety, but even so, he did not dare to let his expression betray his feelings. Demon incarnates like Xue Mei were masters at attacking the mind. He did not want to give the other party another opportunity to exploit.

Xue Mei drifted around in a carefree manner among the snow. He said, “What kind of decent person did you think you were in the past? You were merely a dog counting on its master’s position and power to bully others. Why? Without your Ah Jie today, you can’t even be a dog!”

The gears turned rapidly in A-Yi’s head. As he tumbled on the ground, he curled up into a ball and coughed out blood. He could not even brace himself to straighten up. He said, “By virtue of obstructing you with my death today, you… I’ll call you Great Master! Why not you follow me?”

In the blink of an eye, Xue Mei appeared before A-Yi. He said sinisterly, “Are you worthy? Are all of you even worthy?!”

A-Yi covered the blood on his mouth and said as he frowned, “Every injustice has its perpetrator; every debt has its debtor! Since you hate Jing Lin, then go find him and kill him to appease your hatred!”

“Who do you think you can fool with that kind of goading?” Xue Mei’s huffed out cold air. “Although my cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, I still can’t beat Lord Linsong. But it doesn’t matter. Someone else will deal with him tonight. I just need to deal with you. Tell me, where is my copper bell?!”

A-Yi could not keep up the defense alone. He pleaded, “My Ah Jie is inside. I don’t care about anyone else. I’ll give the copper bell to you, but you mustn’t make things difficult for her!”

“My Lord will naturally make a decision regarding the five-colored birds.” Xue Mei stretched towards the window. “I only need to break this child’s…”

Before he finished his words, a Sanskrit script chain suddenly looped around his neck. Golden light flared. It was so scorching that Xue Mei involuntarily screamed out loud. A-Yi propped himself up on the ground with his arms and dragged Xue Mei back by the neck.

“Bah!” A-Yi spat at him. “Lowly bastard! Since you get in my way, I’ll kill you! What is Lord Chengtian? To think you dare to give yourself airs! Back then, the one Jing Lin killed with his sword was his father! Since the old man can’t do it, the son will suffice, huh? Fucking dream on!”

The door suddenly opened. A-Yi, who was still strangling Xue Mei, asked, “Is the baby born? I’m not done venting…”

The cloth-wrapped pole came nailing down in a split second, and A-Yi immediately pulled away. He rolled a circle and stared at him.

“Have you gone mad?!”

Shan Tian ripped the fabric away to reveal a long spear.

♦     ♦     ♦

Inside, Shan Yue was already almost in tears. She banged her head back. It was so painful that the taste of blood saturated her mouth. However, the baby still would not come out. Her physical strength was fading. It was as if someone was sapping her life force away from her. If it were not for the Can Li branch in her mouth, she would have already been in mortal peril.

Fu Li held the baby’s head and said, “Ah Yue, Ah Yue! The baby’s coming out!”

Shan Yue strained to move her eyes. It was pitch-black beyond the window. Only the cold was everywhere.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m

姑姑 gugu; specifically paternal aunt.

钧 1 jun = 30 catty (1 catty or jin = 0.5kg)

Chapter 118: Bronze Mirror

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

“A-Yi!” Fu Li turned her head to shout, “With such a big commotion, Jiu-ge is sure to be on the way here! Come in and heat up the room!”

A-Yi stuffed Xue Mei to Shan Tian. Then he leaped across the threshold and took a few steps inside before slamming the door shut with a “bang”. Immediately after taking off his outer robe, he hugged himself and exclaimed, “Why is it so cold?!”

Shan Yue’s pillow mat was already soaked. Fu Li rapidly said, “Your element is fire. You can suppress this cold.”

Thus, A-Yi sat at the window. As soon as he did so, the spreading ice promptly melted into water. Seeing Shan Yue’s terrifyingly pale face, A-Yi stood up again and asked anxiously, “Why hasn’t the baby come out yet? How long is this going to take?”

Fu Li merely commanded without answering, “Sit still!”

A-Yi stayed still. Strangely enough, the chill was no longer as pervasive the moment he entered the room. It was as if it was afraid of his form.

At the other end of the door, Shan Tian hugged his spear and sat cross-legged without moving an inch to guard the door.

Heavily surrounded all around, Zong Yin plunged into the sea, stirring up a monstrous wave. A jiaolong then burst out of the waves and threw Heaven and Earth’s game plan into disorder. Blizzard blotted out the sky and blanketed the lands. A massive net with faint rays of light leaping through the mesh swooped down from among the dense clouds and caught Zong Yin right on target.

“Condemned Deity Zong Yin!” The leading divine general above him pressed him down by the head. “Violating the law by presumptuously engaging in a love affair merits the punishment of your scales being sliced off! Your crime doubles for secretly begetting an evil being!”

Zong Yin hissed as he smashed into the ground, the force of it cracking open a long fissure in the mountain. He struggled with his claws, wanting to break free, but the other party obviously came prepared. The net tightened around him the more he struggled, and the mesh cut into his flesh, causing jiaolong to thrash around, crushing countless winter pine trees in the process.

“It’s only human to have emotions and desires.” Zong Yin stretched out his neck and fumed. “So what crime am I guilty of?!”

“The paths walked by humans and deities differ.” The divine general wound and bound the long chain of golden light around Zong Yin’s neck and abruptly hauled him up. “If you’ve done wrong, you’ve done wrong! The final decision will naturally be made on Ninth Heaven Terrace!”

Zong Yin’s giant body rose. The chain strangled him until he transformed back into human form. He was unwilling to go with them, and so, with his face red and chest bare, he tore at the golden chain on his neck. “Heaven treasures the life of every living thing, and all men have a heart of compassion! Whether you want to kill me or cut off my scales, do as you please another day! But tonight, my wife is in difficult labor and mortal danger. I cannot leave her!”

The divine general pulled and flung Zong Yin down heavily and stepped on his shoulder. He said in a cold voice, “He who is a deity must be clear on the principles of right and wrong. Yet you still remain impenitent. The ten thousand generals of Ninth Heaven are all standing ready for battle tonight. There’s no room for you to choose. Leave with me!”

Zong Yin’s knees knocked hard into the snow. He pulled the chain on his neck as he was dragged along for a few steps. His arms were so taut with tension that his veins bulged.

“Break his arms!” The divine general commanded. “We mustn’t tarry any longer!”

Zong Yin was pressed into the snow. His nose and mouth were all filled with snow. He struggled and was dragged along for a few more steps. Sensing someone pulling at his arms, he rasped, “Ninth Heaven Realm doesn’t act by the book. The laws of Heaven and Earth means nothing to Lord Chengtian!”

The divine general said, “Lord Chengtian himself is the law of the Three Realms. You hold an important post, and yet you don’t even understand this truth. Do it!”

The divine general had only just said the words when he heard the sudden surge of the north wind and the soughing of the wind through the pine trees on the mountain. The flying snow blinded his eyes, but when he waved his sleeves, Zong Yin was no longer in front of him. Standing there was clearly a man in azure daily wear.

White snow slightly covered the hair on Jing Lin’s temples. He brushed his sleeves in the billowing wind and asked, “What did you say earlier?”

The divine general felt a cutting cold penetrate all the way to his bones. Even gulping became a strain to him. His eyes slid along the Jing Lin’s temples to Jing Lin’s facial features. Then he took a step back, and his hand that had been grasping the hilt of the sword at the side of his waist began to tremble.

“Lord…” The divine general’s knees went weak. He cut a sorry sight as he attempted to hold himself up while he retreated and cried out involuntarily in terror, “Lord, Lord Linsong!”

This sound was so shrill and sharp that it pierced through the snowstorm, causing the endless sea of people to look back in unison right at once. Jing Lin stood tall where he was, neither averting his gaze nor flinching. His fingers swept through the air, and the strong wind swiftly materialized into the sheath of a sword in his palm.

Jing Lin slowly drew his sword and took a step forward.

The densely packed sea of people promptly took a step back as well, just like what happened five hundred years ago at Ninth Heaven Terrace. Silent reigned as they watched without uttering a sound and retreated in terror. Not a single one of them was able to draw their swords in response.

That bloodbath was still deeply imprinted in everyone’s mind, even to this day. Even Lord Shage had to prop himself up with his spear as he kneeled on the ground, while the Brahma Altar’s lotus pond had turned into a soup of blood.

Who killed the Supreme Father?

The one who was repeatedly the subject of discussions these five hundred years—Lord Linsong!

Jing Lin surveyed the tens of thousands of people. There was a “clank” as the cold glint of Yan Quan Sword abruptly materialized. The tip of the sword stirred up the snow. His sleeves and robe billowed as he faced the wind, while his hair fluttered across his eyes—eyes that were just like that pair in their nightmares.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji saw the azure light of Yan Quan when he approached from the air. The divine generals had already fled helter-skelter. He leaped downward and dashed right towards Jing Lin. Jing Lin looked up from below, and both men smiled at each other as their eyes met.

“Dar—”

The words had only just left Cang Ji’s mouth when he felt a series of shocks between Heaven and earth. He was already about to land on the ground. But when he raised his head, he saw an object tossed out from among the clouds. There was a whoosh as it came crashing down between Jing Lin and him.

The snowstorm suddenly stopped.

A double-sided bronze mirror stood silently between both men.

Jing Lin’s heart thumped when he saw the simple and unadorned bronze mirror. Yan Quan started buzzing and vibrating. He clasped his sword with one hand, and saw the mirror realm reflect his own figure before it rippled like water and transformed into Cang Ji.

Jing Lin looked at Cang Ji in the mirror realm. “Cang Ji” lifted away the umbrella to reveal his face and said to him as he braved the rain, “As expected, it’s my darling!”

Jing Lin’s hand that was on the sword paused instantly. A sharp pain erupted through his chest. He took a tentative step forward in astonishment, feeling as though this scene had happened somewhere before. It perturbed him.

“Ge…” Jing Lin subconsciously called out softly, “Gege.”

“Cang Ji” smiled and responded, “Are you dizzy? Does it hurt? Why have you lost so much weight…”

Jing Lin’s hair seemed to be wet from the rain. He looked up blankly and saw that the world had already changed. The snowy night on the mountain became Ming Jin Stage. The stage was empty. Only “Cang Ji” stood before him.

Jing Lin replied in a daze, “Not dizzy. Doesn’t hurt. Didn’t lose weight…”

“Cang Ji” stretched out his arms to hug him, and Jing Lin watched as this man made his way close before him. “Cang Ji” embraced half of his body, pushing Jing Lin’s sword back. Jing Lin wanted to speak, but then he heard a ripping sound.

“Cang Ji” transformed one arm into a dragon claw and moved to gouge out Jing Lin’s heart from the back!

At the other end, Cang Ji was smiling and asking the mirror, “What are you doing in front of the mirror? Come to me.”

At the edge of the mirror realm, Jing Lin seemed perplexed and said to him, “I’m a little cold.”

Cang Ji said, “I’ll hold you.”

Carrying his sword, “Jing Lin” moved towards him. He looked at Cang Ji and said, “My back is cold.”

Cang Ji said in surprise, “Then I’ll hug you.”

“Jing Lin’s” eyes danced vaguely with delight. He took a few steps towards Cang Ji and waited for his hug. Cang Ji held one of his hands, huffed warm air onto it, and said, “It’s so cold…”

A loud “BANG” suddenly rang out from the bronze mirror, and a hand suddenly clung on to the top of it. Blood slid down along the fingers and dripped onto the mirror surface. The man on the other side smashed the mirror with all his might. Jing Lin’s back shoulder was bloody red as he slammed his elbow into the mirror.

“Everything you see is illusory!” Jing Lin said sternly, “Cang Ji!”

He gave Cang Ji this name, and it was not until today that he called him by this name. The way he called it was this unnatural, this urgent. But it was to no avail. This bronze mirror seemed to separate them through a layer of barrier. He could hear Cang Ji’s voice clearly, but Cang Ji could not hear his voice.

Jing Lin smashed a fist heavily into the mirror surface. A strong wind swept towards him from the back, and he instantly dodged it. The power of “Cang Ji’s” dragon claw twisted the wind into a vortex as it came smashing towards him with a strength enough to crush Jing Lin’s spine easily. The back of Jing Lin’s shoulder was badly mangled. He immediately turned his sheath over to parry the blow. The impact of the tremendous force sent his entire body slamming into the mirror surface.

A loud bang resounded from the mirror. Jing Lin could barely block the blow with both arms, and the pressure of the dragon claw pressing against him made it hard for him to gasp for breath. Acutely aware that he could not beat this dragon with brute force, he lifted his neck and exerted his strength to sweep his long leg out and turned over to kick “Cang Ji” on the shoulder. Then he twisted around, taking his sword sheath with him, and spun up a leg to smash it into the side of “Cang Ji’s” neck.

But “Cang Ji” was not the least bit affected by it. His scales gradually spread over his upper body. Unless Jing Lin pulled out Yan Quan Sword, it would be hard for him to ward off Cang Ji’s blows.

Jing Lin’s ankle was grabbed. Following right after, he went smashing hard into the ground. He opened his mouth and choked on his blood. “Cang Ji” instantly grabbed hold of him and rapidly hauled him over. Jing Lin thrust his sword into the ground, stopping himself from being dragged through the snow, which had already left a trail of blood in its wake. The blow to his back shoulder was so brutal that it seemed as if it had almost broken his bone.

Who was the hardest person in the world to battle?

The answer was, of course, his own lover.

♦     ♦     ♦

At this time, Cang Ji was holding “Jing Lin’s” hand. He did not expect this hand to switch around suddenly and hold him instead. He said, “This mirror…”

Yan Quan Sword unexpectedly burst out of its sheath, and the blade went stabbing right at Cang Ji’s chest. Caught off guard, Cang Ji raised his arm swiftly to block the blade. He narrowed his eyes and, with a pull, advanced instead of stepping back.

“Jing Lin” swept the sword across the air, and an azure light erupted between both men. Cang Ji moved to sidestep the blow. He did not dare to strike out too hard with his palm, so he merely exerted force on “Jing Lin’s” wrist. “Jing Lin” loosened his grip and backhandedly held Yan Quan Sword and thrust it back towards Cang Ji’s throat. Cang Ji grasped the tip of the sword and grabbed hold of Jing Lin’s arm right after. Instead of sidestepping as he was supposed to, he flipped “Jing Lin” over and flung him to the ground.

But “Jing Lin” gazed at him as if he could still call out gege the next moment.

Cang Ji’s heart softened. He cursed inwardly,

Lord Chengtian, what a fucking brilliant move! 

Yan Quan Sword brushed past his neck, missing it as Cang Ji ducked his head to dodge it. He beat “Jing Lin” back for half a step with his arm, but did not expect “Jing Lin” to whirl around and impede him. The tip of his sword moved swiftly and fiercely, with the wind all around following in the sword’s trajectory. Cang Ji did not have the slightest desire to experience for himself how formidable Lord Linsong was. He bent his elbow and smashed it into “Jing Lin’s” midsection, then bent over suddenly as he slipped aside and evaded the blow. “Jing Lin” stepped into the air and rose, and Yan Quan Sword came stabbing down towards him with the momentum of a war steed in a visual display far more terrifying than that of Zui Shan Seng.

If not for it being the wrong timing, Cang Ji really wanted to spin a circle with him in his arms and praise him with a “well fought”!

Cang Ji slid back half a step, and the accumulated snow under his feet instantly flew up from the impact. Yan Quan Sword whistled as it sliced towards the vital point on his throat. A trail of blood materialized on the side of Cang Ji’s cheek, and a sudden stab of pain exploded in his arm. He saw “Jing Lin” draw a talisman with one hand, and the three layers of green talisman above his head enveloped him and came crashing down upon him. Before him, Yan Quan shone in its full glory.

At this critical juncture, the bronze mirror suddenly cracked from impact. The next moment, Jing Lin swiftly charged his way out. The cold glint of Yan Quan Sword was like mercury as it struck “Jing Lin’s” sword and sent it flying. Jing Lin plunged headlong into Cang Ji’s arms. Then Cang Ji turned Jing Lin over with both arms, and Jing Lin lifted his legs to kick into “Jing Lin’s” chest and sent him flying from the momentum of the kick.

“Jing Lin” instantly crashed into the snow. The fake Cang Ji’s dragon claw had already pierced through the wind to materialize right before Jing Lin’s neck. Jing Lin gasped for breath and withdrew his legs. An arm reached out from the side of his cheek, and dragon claw collided hard against dragon claw right before Jing Lin’s eyes. The ensuing windstorm blew apart the fine snow before him.

Both men had actually coordinated so seamlessly and flawlessly without even having to say a single word.

With one hand embracing Jing Lin and one hand holding up against the force of the other claw, Cang Ji strode a step forward. Strong wind swept across, and “Cang Ji’s” dragon claw gradually bent over. Wishing he could use more force to deal with “himself”, Cang Ji seized “Cang Ji” and ruthlessly slammed him to the ground.

The mountainous land under his feet shook violently.

Cang Ji exhaled a few breaths of cold air. Then, a clear crack rang out as that double-sided bronze mirror shattered into luminous light and dispersed among the flying snow.

♦     ♦     ♦

The porcelain cup in Ninth Heaven Realm chimed with a “ding”.

Lord Chengtian, who had been sitting cross-legged in his wide-sleeved formal robe for many years, gently nudged the black piece down on the chessboard.

The black jade chess piece sank to the table and tumbled onto the stone slab where it rolled along a narrow path to the side of the stone bed. The Blood Sea around it instantly bubbled over like boiling water. Intersecting talisman scripts that formed a seal materialized and burned off one by one. The man on the stone bed remained still with his eyes closed.

Po Zheng Spear, which had been sealed away unused for many years, was humming.

♦     ♦     ♦

A-Yi was watching his Ah Jie assisting Shan Yue in the delivery of the baby when the window behind him suddenly burst open. In his haste, A-Yi flung out his Sanskrit script chain and wound it around the other party’s weapon.

The long spear pressed its way in, and the wooden window splintered into pieces the next moment. Cold wind poured in. Shan Tian’s face was flushed. He raised his arm to cover his face as he panted.

On the bed, Shan Yue let out a cry of pain like one on the verge of death. Fu Li was already kneeling on the bed. She tugged at the fur coat and said sharply, “The baby’s born! Hot water. A-Yi, the hot water!”

A-Yi wanted to move, but found himself unable to budge at all. His teeth were even chattering a little as he said, “You… Why has your appearance changed?”

Shan Tian staggered a little as he slid over to brace himself against the wall. He said, “My Ah Jie… I…”

Fu Li bundled up the baby. Before she could turn her head back, she saw A-Yi slamming into the side of the bed from the impact of a blow. Table and chairs overturned, smashed to pieces. On the bed, Shan Yue’s breathing gradually weakened, yet the branch of the Can Li tree tumbled off into the gap.

“Zong… Zong-ge…”

Shan Yue silently mouthed his name. Her hair was already covered with cold frost.

“Hot water!” A-Yi slapped the side of the basin with one hand and sent it hurtling towards his Ah Jie.

The frozen water in the basin suddenly boiled over. Fu Li caught the basin and groped for the Can Li branch with the baby in her arms.

Shan Tian climbed over the wall and entered. The instant that spear of his smashed into the ground, the entire house rumbled like it was going to collapse! Fu Li swiftly looked back and tightened her hold on the baby as her eyes widened.

“Li Rong!”

Chapter 119: Dong Jun

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

As the snowstorm raged, the house began to collapse. A-Yi immediately set up a barrier formed out of Sanskrit scripts and lifted his arms to hold up the caved roof. His figure sank from the weight. With some difficulty, he propped it up again and said, “Ah Jie, take them and run!”

Li Rong turned and held up his spear. His imposing might and power, even while invisible, was so intimidating that both of A-Yi’s knees trembled. A-Yi half-kneeled onto the ground with a thud, and the entire house slanted over, about to collapse. He swept his leg out to kick up the table and sent the table surface smashing towards Li Rong.

Fu Li huddled over to carry up the baby, then struck the bed towards A-Yi and said, “Hold the bed!”

Li Rong’s face was still flushed. It was as if he had caught a cold. Sweating profusely, he said, “Give me the child, and I won’t kill anyone tonight!”

“Who are you going to kill?” A-Yi’s arms, which were both individually bearing the roof’s weight, were already reaching their limits. He said, “This is your Ah Jie! Who are you going to kill?!”

“The Lord’s orders cannot be defied.” Li Rong said, “This child is ominous. We mustn’t let him remain in Zhongdu! Fu Li, give the child to me, and I’ll let the three of you leave.”

Shan Yue was at death’s door, but he showed not a single regard for their sister-brother ties. A-Yi was gradually finding it hard to bear the weight of the house. He swung the bed over with one hand and rolled over to pick up Shan Yue from between the blankets. The roof instantly collapsed on his back. A-Yi protected Shan Yue and scrambled on all four limbs to crawl his way out. Seeing that the person in his arms was scarcely breathing, he could not help but yell, “Ah Jie!”

Fu Li stirred up a wave of snow a zhang¹ high and swiftly swept it out. Li Rong held his spear upright to parry it. Carrying the baby in one arm, Fu Li knew that she could not defeat him, yet she could not disengage from battle either. She shouted, “The branch of Can Li!”

A-Yi reached out to grope around the debris. He nudged away the broken pieces of wood with his shoulder as he reached for the branch. Shan Yue nestled against his bosom. The frost receded to the point a little color returned to her ghastly pale face. She strained to gaze into the night, her hands drooping by her sides. With some difficulty, A-Yi reached the Can Li branch. Beside him, his Ah Jie sprang back for half a zhang in a retreat and tumbled to the side.

With one arm supporting herself on the ground, Fu Li finally sensed something wrong.

This child had never once made a sound since birth!

Fu Li swiftly lowered her head and saw that the baby’s complexion was purple. There were no signs of breathing. Fu Li instantly panicked and blurted out, “How can it be… How can it be?!”

Behind her, Li Rong had already tossed out his spear and sent it flying towards her. A-Yi instantly bared his tail feathers and bumped away the spear with the help of the wind. Then he tugged Fu Li over and pulled her under his body.

“Breath, breath!” Fu Li’s eyes reddened as she clasped the swaddling clothes tightly with her bloodstained palms. “The branch of Can Li and A-Yi are both here. So how can this child die?!”

“Died?!” A-Yi covered his Ah Jie with one arm and shielded Shan Yue from the snow. He said at lightning speed, “Let me hug!”

On hearing them, Li Rong suddenly grew anxious and asked urgently, “The baby’s dead?”

He made to move nearer. The atmosphere seemed to tense up, and then a dragon claw suddenly broke out from the darkness. Cang Ji sprang off the ground, grabbed Li Rong by the neck with his claw, and flung him out.

Caught off-guard, Li Rong retreated several zhang back. He turned his spear over, wanting to hold his ground, but he felt an unexpected gust of biting-cold wind behind him as the azure light of Yan Quan Sword came slashing at him at a diagonal angle. Li Rong bent over to dodge the attack, and a wisp of his long hair was sliced off in a split second. He looked back and called out, “Jing Lin…”

Strong winds swept past along with the movements of Jing Lin’s sword, and its assaults forced Li Rong to respond hastily to Jing Lin’s attacks. He whirled around and collided into Yan Quan Sword with a “bang”, while Cang Ji’s dragon claw sank into his back. For a moment, he was trapped with no room to advance or to retreat. He did not dare to get distracted.

Jing Lin bore his sword down and questioned, “Who is the great devil?”

Facing him, Li Rong asked in astonishment, “What are you talking about?”

Behind, Cang Ji leaned over to draw closer, and Li Rong raised his spear to hold him back. Cang Ji grasped hold of the shaft of Po Zheng Spear and said, “I’m afraid the reason Ninth Heaven Realm is so persistent when it comes to this child is not just because of Zong Yin’s transgression of the law. Lord Chengtian sent you to Shan Yue’s side is not without the intention to monitor—so what exactly is the reason?!”

Li Rong sent a flying kick up against the spine of Yan Quan Sword. He did not answer, but instead looked at Jing Lin, “I knew both of you would surely encounter each other again. That prayer bead. That reverse scale! Jing Lin, although I killed him, I have done nothing to let you down! For all our brotherhood, are you going to kill me today?!”

Jing Lin’s sword instantly slipped. He asked, “What did I forget?”

Li Rong wanted to reply, but his shoulder suddenly sank. Before he could counter-attack, half of his body had already been hammered by Cang Ji into the snow. Po Zhen Spear tilted over with a crash.

Revealing his ferocious nature, Cang Ji said, “Don’t talk to my wife.”

The snowflakes at their feet rose into the air whirling before sweeping away. Cang Ji dragged him and brutally flung him behind him. He moved his shoulders and arms to block Li Rong’s view of Jing Lin. Pressing the tip of his tongue against his sharp teeth, he smiled and said unhurriedly, “Brotherhood. We have that between us too. The enmity of slicing off my scales 1,400 years ago has always been on my mind. Since you like to talk about brotherly affection so much with others, then have a good discussion with me tonight. My wife is very precious now. When it comes to uncouth matters like killing others, I make the final decision.”

Crashing suddenly into the snow, Li Rong waved away the fragments of snow and said, “It’s true that I acted on the Lord’s order to kill you! Kill me back tonight if you can. But I can see that Dijun has yet to pass your tribulation. It’ll be tough for you to fend off Po Zheng in that brocade carp body of yours.”

Cang Ji ducked his head to dodge the incoming stab and raised his hand to grab hold of Po Zheng Spear. He said, “I can see that your cultivation is unstable too. Tonight, you and I are both six of one and half a dozen of the other. So why make such presumptuous remarks?”

Po Zheng Spear seemed as if it was nailed into a rock; it wouldn’t budge.

Cang Ji leaned closer to him and whispered, “And why would I kill you? My habit has always been to chew the person into pieces and have him digested into my spiritual sea.”

With that, he pulled closer to the shaft of the spear. His eyes were fiendishly cold with malice.

“I’ve been thinking of this spear. I wonder which is harder—this spear or me!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Po Zheng Spear let out a long hum, and the snowstorm intensified. A “bang” erupted as both men collided among the blizzard. Then, thick clouds in the sky whirled around rapidly into a cloud pillar rising all the way to the sky. A hue of red, like the color of the Blood Sea, washed over this anomaly.

Amidst the sound of “thud, thud, thud”, several bronze mirrors came falling down in succession to form a circle around Jing Lin. Bearing his sword, Jing Lin raised his head and saw a group of monks sitting cross-legged as they rode the clouds. The sound of chanting came pouring down like heavy rain.

“The coast of the eastern sea spawns an evil being.” The old monk opened his eyes and looked at Jing Lin. “And the evil being expedites the appearance of a great devil. Lord Linsong has already fallen into the Way of the Devil after having committed patricide and regicide five hundred years ago. And tonight, he obstructed the course of heavenly justice by hindering the execution of its official duties. This lord is already a great calamity of Heaven and Earth. The great devil is here, take him down!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the chanting amplified. Several Dharma seals formed out of golden light materialized in the clouds. Layers upon layers of them stacked together to form a giant palm of the Brahma Altar, which went crushing down towards Jing Lin with a thunderous crash. Jing Lin’s robe and sleeves went flapping. Azure light in the form of a massive sword instantly burst forth from Yan Quan Sword and went sweeping towards them in a mighty swing.

The rays of golden light and azure glow flashed towards each other and exploded on contact. Following right after, several “Jing Lin” in the mirrors broke through the water and stepped out. Each of them was holding Yan Quan Sword in his hand as they pounced at Jing Lin in unison.

Cang Ji swatted Li Rong away with one claw and turned around to chase his way over. But the way Li Rong wielded his spear changed dramatically, with his moves becoming abnormally hard to deal with.

Jing Lin warded off several Yan Quan Swords with his one sword. Azure light flickered from within the encirclement. For as swift and fierce Jing Lin’s swordsmanship was, the other “Jing Lins” were even faster and fiercer.

“I have the Lord’s orders here in my hand.” A man weirdly dressed in a green hat and yellow robe walked out among the monks. He said, “Seize the great devil and take him back to Heaven! Yining, what are you waiting for? Do it!”

Jing Lin brazenly killed his way out and saw that the other party was none other than Lord Pu Man, the other remaining Divine Lord aside from Dong Jun. As soon as the other party spoke, a dragon roar broke through the wind.

“Who dares to touch him?!” Cang Ji punched Li Rong with force so hard that the ground cracked, and the mountain shook. Scales materialized over half of his body. Under the dragon roar, even the wind did an about-turn and surged in reverse.

Yining moved his brush with vigorous and graceful strokes. A black dragon roared in a fury and charged out of the clouds from the paper. Cang Ji collided with the dragon at one spot. Yining had drawn the dragon by copying Cang Ji’s bearing of yesteryear, and now that they suddenly encountered each other, Cang Ji was vaguely no match for it.

Dragon claws smashed Cang Ji to the ground by his back, and its massive body crushed down on him from above, with the intent not to defeat him, but to obstruct him.

Cang Ji spared no effort as he struggled to lift his body. Surprisingly enough, he managed to lift the dragon’s body a few inches. His breathing was hurried as he reached out his palms to crawl towards the azure light and hissed, “Jing Lin!”

Jing Lin rose to kick aside the fake goods. He had already stretched his hand out from where he was in the bloodied water through the gap in the mirror realm.

The distance between both men’s fingertips was so, so close.

Cang Ji wanted to pull him over, hold him, and take him into his arms!

Unexpectedly, the golden barrier separated the next moment, and a golden cage rose up from the ground and extended. As Jing Lin was lifted off the ground feet first along with the golden cage, his fingertips lightly grazed past Cang Ji’s fingertips. All of a sudden, both men were several li² apart.

In the blink of an eye, traces of ink splattered as Cang Ji gouged the belly of the dragon. The dragon immediately dissolved, and the ink splashed all over Cang Ji. Having already climbed to his feet, he sprang up and slapped down on the edges of the golden cage with both palms and clung on to it as it took him straight up high in the clouds.

“Return him to me!” Cang Ji’s furious voice reverberated through the sky. He smashed his fists so hard on the bars of the golden cage that they dented.

Lord Pu Man lifted his hat and tossed it down. The hat suddenly magnified and transformed into a long whip with thorns that ruthlessly whipped Cang Ji on his back. Cang Ji maintained a tight grip and tugged at the golden cage; he had already gone berserk with rage. The whip swiftly wound around Cang Ji and yanked at him, trying to make him release his grip.

Cang Ji ignored it and paid it no mind. But a wind came pouncing towards him from behind. Li Rong’s spear was already pressing in toward the middle of his back. In the cage, Jing Lin suddenly smacked his palm at Cang Ji’s side and used the wind to grasp hold of the sharp tip of Po Zheng Spear with his own flesh.

Blood sputtered from his palm, but Jing Lin did not loosen his grip. He stared at Li Rong and furiously turned his palm over to hurl Po Zheng Spear at Li Rong’s feet with a “thud”.

Cang Ji clutched at the empty air as he was dragged down with the combined efforts of three men. As he fell headfirst, he watched helplessly as the golden cage swiftly disappeared among the clouds. Those long, blood-soaked fingers reached out and grabbed at empty air too, then vanished without a trace.

Lord Pu Man let out a bellow and hurled Cang Ji towards the sea. Cang Ji instantly plunged into the water. The whip with thorns twisted around his body to bind him, then led him into a mad descent down the sea.

“Jing…”

Thousands of seals dropped down in unison. The sea raged with angry waves, then returned to calm to form a mirror-like barrier that thoroughly sealed Cang Ji within.

♦     ♦     ♦

A-Yi held the baby in his arms and repeatedly lowered his face to listen closely, but there were no signs of the baby breathing. Breaking out in cold sweat, he kneeled on the ground and murmured as he embraced the child, “I’ll call you Grandpa!³ Please, wake up! Wake up!”

Fu Li turned over and wiped away her blood, then grabbed Zong Yin’s arm and strained herself to say, “Place Ah Yue beside A-Yi too!”

Zong Yin collapsed to his knees beside A-Yi. Shan Yue was able to gasp for breath when she leaned against A-Yi. Zong Yin propped his body up, already exhausted.

“Lord Shage…” Zong Yin gritted his teeth. “To think it’s Lord Shage!”

“Why isn’t it working?” A-Yi huffed warm air on the baby. He carefully grasped the baby’s hand and discovered a lotus motif imprinted in this small, little palm. A-Yi did not have the luxury of time to think it over carefully. He repeatedly pleaded, “Ah Jie! It’s not working!”

Fu Li said dazedly, “If even you can’t do it…”

Zong Yin suddenly straightened up and looked back to say, “Let mother and child leave here alive tonight. I’ll give you my life.”

Li Rong lifted his spear and strode a step over. He said, “I only want this child.”

“Then go find a woman to make one!” A-Yi was nearly driven insane by this succession of commotion. He was so vexed that he lost control. “You fucking want one, go give birth to one yourself! What kind of hero do you call yourself for seizing someone else’s child?! Bah! I despise you!”

Li Rong said, “So what if you look up to me? And what of it if you look down on me? I’m only acting upon orders.”

He walked closer, and A-Yi said in dejection, “Ah Jie! This is no good. The baby is a goner…”

♦     ♦     ♦

The ground suddenly sank as a strong wind came roaring down. Just a jab alone at Po Zheng Spear with Xiang Mo Staff forced Li Rong to stop in his tracks and turned aside. Behind him, Zui Shan Seng promptly struck out at him with his staff.

Li Rong lifted the hem of his robe and exerted force to jolt Zui Shan Seng back in a retreat without actually touching him. Zui Shan Seng’s bamboo hat broke apart with a “whoosh”. As he skidded back while kneeling on one knee, he braced himself and propped up Xiang Mo Staff to break the momentum.

“What exactly is righteousness in this world?” Zui Shan Seng raised his head to reveal his original appearance. He looked at Li Rong. “I once thought that the only thing the lord has ever lost to was to be ‘forced by circumstances’.”

Li Rong turned his head back. He held Po Zheng Spear upright and said, “I’ve never lost.”

Zui Shan Seng lifted his arm and tossed aside his bamboo hat. He said with a severe countenance, “There’s a load weighing on my mind that remains unresolved. I’ve been waiting for 1,400 years, and I ask of the lord tonight to indulge me to my heart’s content.”

Li Rong said with pity, “Your natural aptitude is outstanding. You have a bright future ahead of you. What you call righteousness naturally lies in your heart. Once the time comes, you will be an immeasurable variable. Yet, you let your pent-up feelings fester for so many years and refuse to eliminate your inner demons. Thereupon, you can only be a mere ‘Zui Shan Seng’.”

Under the falling snow, Zui Shan Seng closed his eyes. What floated into mind was still Linlang’s glance before she met her end.

That glance became his inner demon in this life.

He could not transcend, because she was his tribulation—the one thing he could never have.⁴

Zui Shan Seng lifted his staff and rose to his feet. He said, “I’m Ah Shuo. The principal disciple of the Northern Lands nine-tailed fox, Linlang. During the battle at the Northern Lands 1,400 years ago, the lord harmed my shifu. And tonight, I want payback for that battle.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The snowstorm grew in urgency. A-Yi had already lost all heart. The baby in his arms gradually sank to his knees as he lowered his arms. Just at this time, he suddenly saw a winter jasmine flower⁵ in the snow. A-Yi thought he was seeing things. He focused his eyes again for another look. A cluster of winter jasmine flowers popped up under his feet.

Startled, A-Yi lifted his legs.

The flowers falling among the snow made everyone raise their heads. Winter jasmine flowers danced in a flurry all over in the wind until it was everywhere all over mountains and wilderness.

Li Rong’s eyes turned cold and severe. He asked, “Are you going to turn your back on heaven’s rules like this too?”

Shan He Fan closed gently with a “snap”. Dong Jun trod on the flying snow and landed with natural poise before A-Yi. He scratched the tip of his nose, not wanting to answer.

Li Rong bellowed, “Are you going to turn your back on heaven’s rules like this too?!”

Dong Jun laughed out loud in the snow. Then he turned his folding fan, looked into Li Rong’s solemn face, and said in a powerful, resonating voice,

“I am Dong Jun. Such triviality is beneath me.”

♦     ♦     ♦

The moment he said that, A-Yi felt a warmth in his arms, and that baby, who had already ceased to breathe, gurgled out a breath and began to cry softly.

Author’s Words: 

I want to spoil all of you every day I read the comments. It’s been so hard for me to hold myself back. Why hasn’t anyone made the correct guess for the big BOSS? This is making me so anxious!

Thank you for reading w

丈 zhang, a measure of length, i.e., 1 zhang = ten Chinese feet (3.3m)

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m

He actually said “you’re my grandpa” (你是我爷爷), a switch from “I’m your grandpa” (我是你爷爷). The latter is kind of rude and disrespectful, like a provocative taunt or insult bratty A-Yi would say when he wants to start a fight lmao

求不得 unfulfillment (of wishes and desires), one of the eight sufferings in life (八苦) along with birth, old age, sickness, death, parting (with loved ones), encounter (with hated ones), and inability to let go. So far, the corresponding sufferings are: Dong Lin’s ‘death’, Gu Shen’s ‘parting with loved ones, Chu Lun’s ‘sickness’, Zuo Qingzhou’s ‘inability to let go’, the old emperor’s ‘old age’, Jing Lin’s encounter (with hated ones), Zui Shan Seng’s unfulfillment (of wishes and desires).

迎春花 winter jasmine flower, but the characters in Chinese are literally “Spring-welcoming flower”

Chapter 120: Cheng Tian

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

The golden chains shot in all directions, connecting to the various corners of the high platform to hang up the golden cage in the center of Ninth Heaven Terrace. Sanskrit scripts materialized and swirled around the golden cage to form a barrier.

Angry clouds churned amidst the thunderous sound of chanting.

With the luminous pearls on his crown hanging over his face, Lord Chengtian, Yun Sheng, ascended the stairs. He stood before the golden cage, then pushed the pearls aside and leaned forward to look at Jing Lin in the cage.

“Who is this?” Yun Sheng fiddled with the Yin Yang beads in his palm. “To think I can no longer recognize you.”

Jing Lin grasped the bars. Half of his shoulder was already drenched in blood.

Yun Sheng’s eyes moved back and forth. He said with a sigh. “I didn’t expect the birth of the evil being on the eastern sea to lure you out. Jing Lin, to think you would lead a life in shame and dishonor. Lord Linsong was so high and mighty back then. And now he’s all down and out to such an extent. How would Father think if he were to know of this in the Underworld?”

Jing Lin said, “Insincere much?

“This is the way the world is.” Yun Sheng said, “Dare you claim to speak from your heart without having harbored contradictory thoughts?”

“I draw blood when I kill.” Jing Lin looked at him through the gaps of the bars. “You people kill without a trace.”

“That’s how those who are swords ought to be.” Yun Sheng said, “I’m not a sword, so naturally, I have to find another way. It’s just that your sin from all those killings runs too deep. Heaven and Earth can no longer tolerate and accept you. If I mete out justice on behalf of Heaven, I can still grant you a good name on this Ninth Heaven Terrace.”

“Grant.” Jing Lin said a little mockingly. “You’ve granted the wishes of so many people, and you’ve never thought of yourself?”

Yun Sheng let out a few laughs and said, “Do you really understand the meaning ‘Supreme Father’? All these years, you have never truly entered Ninth Heaven Sect. You have absolutely no idea what it means to be the ‘Supreme Father’ at all. Once you sit in this position, you are the common ruler of the entire world. The Supreme Father is one who grants the wishes of others. And now, I am the Supreme Father. Saying that I’d grant your wish is a kindness bestowed upon you by Heaven. Back then, Father called you a sword, the entire world thought it was the highest compliment ever. But, in fact, we know fully well that it was merely a mockery. In this heart, you aren’t even qualified to be a person.”

Jing Lin pressed against the cage and said nothing.

Yun Sheng took a few steps out. His magnificent and extravagant robe trailed behind him as he circled the cage as though he were admiring the sight of a rare, precious beast.

“From the way Heaven bestowed upon you with such an appearance, I knew that you would one day encounter a tribulation of love. I repeatedly advised Father to take preventive measures, but he was certain that you wouldn’t stir up any waves. A man who has been standing at the top for a long time will let down his guard. He was too headstrong and opinionated to listen to advice, and sure enough, he met his end in your hands. Having committed patricide and regicide, you are guilty of the most heinous crimes. But if you ask me, wasn’t this enforcing justice on behalf of Heaven too? Father was already old, and the well of his natural aptitude had dried out. To him, the Great Accomplishment Stage was a beautiful but evanescent illusion, much like the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror. How would he have been able to reach for it? He was merely using the name of the ‘Supreme Father’ to kill batch after batch of innocent children to make up for the lapses in his cultivation. Even until today, you still don’t understand your purpose; you were no different from the Blood Sea—you were all Father’s stepping stones. Killings in troubled times were aplenty where bloody waters breached city walls. The more upright your reputation was, the more righteous his reputation grew. You were not Ninth Heaven Sect’s sword; you were merely a sword that belongs to him and him alone. The morality you sought wasn’t the righteous path of the world, either. You were just an accomplice on a bogus path who helped a villain commit evil. Jing Lin, you killed him, and he killed you. And this was how both of you could be truly considered to be real father and son!”

Jing Lin suddenly said. “To kill others to fill up his spiritual energy, he would need a trusted aide to seek out young children. I have once gotten a testimony that this person was someone ‘with a folding fan in hand’.”

“Dong Jun was born out of the Blood Sea.” Yun Sheng said, “It’s not surprising for Father to order him to kill.”

“He doesn’t have the intent.” Jing Lin’s eyes were dark and deep. “If he were to commit evil, he would definitely see it through flawlessly and leave no one alive. What’s more, he’s fully aware that his identity is special. Every single one of his words and deeds would be analyzed and judged, so he would have acted with prudence and not killed in such a brazen and blatant manner.”

“You have someone in mind.” The Yin Yang beads in Yun Sheng’s palm made a sound as they knocked against one another.

“You’re fond of embellishments. As a mirror, you’re skilled at imitating human forms.” Jing Lin said.

“You have no proof or evidence.” Yun Sheng smiled as he looked at him. “Are you in such a hurry to die?”

“You repeatedly advised Father to nip the problem in the bud. It wasn’t that he did not heed it, but that he handed it over to you to deal with it. The curse to sever all feelings and desires was in my body. The reason it was so well-concealed was that it was always with me, day and night.” Jing Lin said with calm and composure.

“Only Yan Quan Sword is at your side day and night.” Yun Sheng said, “Yet, its sheath was forged by Lan Hai.”

“That’s right.” Jing Lin said.

“So you suspect Lan Hai.” Yun Sheng swiftly continued from him.

“I’m without proof or evidence.” Jing Lin said unhurriedly. “Why are you so anxious? It’s indeed true that the sheath was forged by Lan Hai. But the tassel was a gift from you.”

Yun Sheng paced back and forth and said, “I’ve gifted away so many trinkets. Are you going to pin every single blame on me if something were to happen?”

“You were in charge of the sect’s internal affairs, and you concocted pills for Father. Giving us the pills for consumption was just to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes; your original intention was to have it fed to Qing Yao. Qing Yao was hiding in the sect, and the daily supply of flesh and blood she needed was insufficient. To prevent her from exposing her real form, she was fed that pill every day. Dong Jun always refused it, probably because he sensed something fishy about them. Lan Hai remained in the compound for a long time with Qing Yao for company. You didn’t do a clean job of it, and he noticed.” Jing Lin paused for a moment, then continued, “You killed him.”

“He had the Heavenly Thunderbolt Hammer. How would I have been able to defeat him?” Yun Sheng turned the Yin Yang beads. “Even at this stage, you are reluctant to put your guess on Father. Your father-and-son ties run so deep that it deeply moves me.”

“You killed him.” Jing Lin repeated.

Yun Sheng put a finger up to silence him. He said, “Don’t make me out to be such a person. Jing Lin, I’ve never gone onto the battlefield bearing real swords and spears. The one who killed him was Father.”

“So it was you.” Jing Lin leaned forward a little. The darkness in his eyes deepened, like a deep, cold pool. “You were flustered—Did you kneel before him to beg him to let you off? But he wouldn’t. He wanted to get to the bottom of it. You were Father’s dog, and so you were most afraid of coming clean. Because the moment you dared to sell Father out, the one to die would be you.”

Yun Sheng finally revealed his fangs under that mild and gentle facade of his. His Adam’s apple throbbed as he said to the cage, “He was the one who kneeled before me…”

“Father never saw me as a person.” Jing Lin said, “And you think he treated you like one?”

Yun Sheng suddenly flung his sleeves. Holding on to the bars, he said through gnashing teeth, “Shut up!”

“You know so much.” Jing Lin closed in on him. “So how could Father have let you live? Once the die was cast, and his sovereign status was secured, the first one he would go for was you. He wasn’t willing to kill me, and the credit for this goes to you. You should have been afraid when I came out of seclusion. So many of our brothers have died under your blade. You committed so many evil deeds for him; it should have been your turn. So he wanted to use his fastest blade.”

“That’s right.” Yun Sheng clenched the bars tightly and forced out a laugh. “Jing Lin, he wanted to use you to kill me! How laughable is it for him to raise eight sons, each with their own uses, but he never had the intent to keep anyone at all. He wanted everyone beneath his feet. We all outlived our usefulness when he reached the top. He severed your emotions, remember? Li Rong was the one who did it! They sliced off the scales of that dragon and extracted his tendons, while you were crying in grief day and night. If you were a goner, and I were done for, then how long could Li Rong live? How long could Pu Man and Dong Jun live? All of you regarded him as a wicked man. I was the only one who saw him as my own father. I treated him as Father! I did my utmost to support him, and I went to great pains to kill for him.” Yun Sheng’s eyes were cold. “He transferred me away from his side when he ascended to Ninth Heaven. He grasped on to Li Rong instead—that was his shield. The killing intent in him had already been roused. He merely lacked a sword.”

“You poisoned him.” Jing Lin said.

Yun Sheng smiled and said, “Not me. Us.”

The blood on Jing Lin’s fingertips had already cooled. He looked at Yun Sheng, but he could no longer remember his appearance as a youth. They grew up in the same place, yet they were like insects in a jar. At first, they thought what Father wanted was venom, but in the end, they realized that Father himself was the poison.¹

A group of sons killed their father. 

“We are all murderers.” Yun Sheng rose. Having already reined in his emotions, he continued with elegance and self-control, “How clean is Li Rong? He’s been wanting to kill Father for a very long time. And how clean is Dong Jun? After Qing Yao, he’s been bearing it in silence. Pu Man is even more despicable. He hates you and resents Father for his favoritism. How could a tenth of medicine and one kind of poison kill Father? It was hundreds and thousands of poison! Layer upon layer, seeping in from every pore. Father had long been besieged on all sides, and he still thought that we were all within his control. We had everything all ready—except for a blade.”

Jing Lin looked as if he was finding it hard to bear.

Yun Sheng said, pleased, “Brothers weren’t brothers. Father and son weren’t father and son. We were the most ruthless group of people in the entire world. But so what? We were merely chasing after our own goals together! You treated all the brothers like fools, but what about yourself? Jing Lin, you were the silliest fool there was! Ninth Heaven Sect was already gaining momentum in its attempt to take over command of the various heroes, so why would we want to make the unnecessary move of opening up Ming Jin Stage? Because canglong would surely hear of it and come. This dragon was the wall Father could not surmount. All dragons would grow a reverse scale under their throats, and Father once mulled over him for several years. Yet he saw that it was all black under his throat; there was none of the so-called reverse scale at all. To defeat him, he had to give him one first. It was when the scale under his throat turned into the shade of pale blue that the time was ripe. You were the sword; you broke him. The one who killed him was none other than yourself.”

Jing Lin lowered his head, revealing the bloodstained fairness of his nape. It looked so fragile, as if it could not withstand a single blow.

“That’s all it took to stir up the universe.” Yun Sheng laughed. “From then on, there’s only one common ruler of Heaven and Earth. All beings prostrate themselves at my feet. I’m Lord Chengtian. I’m also the Supreme Father!”

The chanting had long ceased. It was quiet all around.

Jing Lin suddenly raised his head to stare at Yun Sheng. After a moment, he smiled and said, “Do you truly think that everything has been proceeding according to your plan all these years?”

Yun Sheng lifted his arms, showing his attire in its full splendor. His crown swayed. He said, “Of eight brothers, I was the only one who killed his way out of the siege to secure this position here. You didn’t enter the reincarnation cycle, so I guessed you’d live. Having come all the way here, who are you still hoping to come and save you? Father is already dead. The reason I had you captured here is to summon the Three Realms over to convene for a joint trial. Li Rong was close to you back then. How would he not know you’d kill Father? Both of you were the ones who schemed to usurp the throne. If not for the wise judgment of the True Buddha, the one to die on Ninth Heaven Terrace that day would not be just Father. You have already sunk to the Way of the Devil, and Li Rong is an accessory to your crimes. Both of you deserve to die. I’m not a lawless person; I want your deaths to be justified.”

Jing Lin said, “Lan Hai died because of you, yet he also wrote my name in your palm. Don’t you understand why?”

Yun Sheng said, “He was simply intending to give you a tip-off while at death’s door.”

“No.” Jing Lin said resolutely and decisively. “He wrote my name not only to tell me that there’s a traitor among the brothers, but also to tell you that besides you, there’s still another person in hiding—one whose identity was unbeknownst to him.”

Yun Sheng’s expression suddenly grew frosty. He said, “You’re trying to confuse me!”

“Tao-di died in the Blood Sea. Who aided him in turning into a devil? Who let him down the Human Realm?” Jing Lin’s tone quickened. “And who was the one to mention the sword tassel to me right before we set off?”

Yun Sheng suddenly jerked back, but it was already too late. He listened to the rising sound of footsteps from the stairs as Li Rong, dressed in a crimson robe, ascended with unhurried steps.

Jing Lin said softly.

“What you have said is true. A man who has been standing at the top for a long time will let down his guard. Will you be the one to die today, or him? Yun Sheng, the oriole² is here.”

Specifically refer to 蛊 gu, a poison that was collected by sealing venomous creatures like centipedes, scorpions, and snakes in a jar and forcing them to fight and devour each other. The last surviving creature would contain a concentrated toxin. Gu was used in black magic practices such as manipulating sexual partners, creating malignant diseases or spells, and causing death.

From the idiom “the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” (螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后). i.e., to covet and pursue gains before oneself without being aware of (or neglecting) a greater danger behind.

Chapter 121: Metamorphosis

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Standing on the last step, Li Rong slowly kneeled and said, “My lord.”

From afar, Yun Sheng tried to read Li Rong’s expression. Just a few of Jing Lin’s words had sown the seed of discord in his heart, but he was unwilling to show any signs of fear too easily. The swaying curtains of pearls on his crown gradually subsided, hiding his volatile expressions behind them. He asked, “Has the evil being been eliminated?”

Li Rong replied, “In the hall waiting for my lord to deal with.”

“Why didn’t you kill him?” Yun Sheng moved along the golden cage so that Jing Lin was between them. “If he’s not eliminated, he’ll bring forth a catastrophe.”

“And that is why,” Li Rong said, “my lord has to deal with him personally.”

A wedge had already been driven between them on Yun Sheng’s end. He flatly refused to approach Li Rong and smiled, “How big of a deal is it? Xiongzhang can make the decision himself, can’t he?”

“There is a difference between a sovereign and his subjects.” Li Rong raised his eyes and swept a glance at Jing Lin. “The mistake of the former sovereign is here; this lad must not be underestimated.”

“I’m thinking of giving Jing Lin a way out.” Yun Sheng suddenly changed the topic and said with his hand on the golden cage, “The eastern sea begets a great devil. Although Jing Lin had once fallen into the way of the devil, he doesn’t seem to be how the rumors made him out to be. As brothers, it’s inevitable to feel a little compassion for him.”

With his hand propped on his knee, Li Rong said nothing.

Yun Sheng said, “Has your desire to kill him already reached this point?”

“I’ve never once harbored the desire to kill him.” Li Rong did not look at Jing Lin as he said, “It’s just that one will be on tenterhooks for as long as the lurking danger isn’t eliminated. My lord has already summoned the Three Realms over for a trial. Jing Lin has such a notorious reputation; he won’t be able to escape this.”

“I am the Supreme Lord now.” Yun Sheng said, “All it takes is one word from me to kill him.”

Li Rong let loose a long sigh and said, “The way things stand now, my lord is still so soft-hearted. If you hadn’t ordered his capture, then perhaps there might still be a way to do a roundabout. But right now, what you are facing is not one Yan Quan Sword, but a pair of twin swords of undeterminable future potential. That child is exactly the same as Jing Lin. There is already one precedent of patricide and regicide. If you don’t kill them now, they will kill again in the future. My lord, please think twice.”

Jing Lin looked back. He did not understand what Li Rong had meant by “exactly the same”.

Yun Sheng’s Yin Yang beads were tossed to the ground, where they took the form of a black and white Taiji diagram.¹ He stepped on the white side and said, “Jing Lin is here. Then who is the great devil?”

“Regardless of who it is,” Li Rong said calmly, “we just have to keep a strict guard over the eastern sea and we’ll find out for ourselves after the trial.”

Yun Sheng suddenly asked, “Where is Dong Jun?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun broke out of the water and cut a sorry sight as he crawled his way out. The heavy snow reveled in a wild dance all over. He could not even open his Shan He Fan. The ink had already smudged all over.

“What a misstep!” Dong Jun muttered. He took off his shoes and shook off the small fish inside. “I didn’t expect him to be that good.”

Dong Jun stepped on the snow and limped his way into the mountain. The little courtyard was in ruins. He dug out Zui Shan Seng’s leg from the snow and dragged him out. He could not help but shiver when he saw that Zui Shan Seng’s Xiang Mo Staff was already broken. He patted Zui Shan Seng’s face.

Zui Shan Seng held his breath and remained motionless.

So Dong Jun untied Zui Shan Seng’s wine gourd, opened it, and took a few gulps. The moment the aroma of wine wafted out, Zui Shan Seng opened his eyes.

“Oh, you aren’t dead yet?” Dong Jun tossed away the gourd.

Zui Shan Seng hissed as he rolled. His back was already about to break. He lay in the snow and said, “He has taken the child away! I’m afraid Zong Yin’s arm is ruined too. Fu Li and A-Yi have already fled with the woman—Give me some wine.”

Dong Jun sat cross-legged in the snow. Not even caring that he was soaked to the skin, he flung his fan open and fanned himself with it twice, causing the ink to splatter all over his face. He said, “I am never wrong in my calculations. Li Rong is not Jing Lin. It has only been five hundred years; he shouldn’t be this strong. He must have consumed some magical elixir.”

“I can’t beat him.” Zui Shan Seng closed his eyes and said, “Even if you give me another five hundred years, I still won’t be able to defeat him. I saw how stable his cultivation is. He cannot be mentioned in the same breath as he was before.”

“There’s something fishy about that stability too.” Dong Jun composed himself and pondered over it for a moment before continuing, “He clearly concealed his cultivation when he fought with Jing Lin and canglong earlier. If he’s aligned with Ninth Heaven Realm, why would he hide it from Yun Sheng? It is evident they aren’t as close as brothers.”

“He’d go to such an extent for this child.” Zui Shan Seng said, “But why exactly?”

“Because.” Dong Jun wrung his sleeves. “It’s a long story. You just need to know that his intent lies in the Supreme Father’s position, and the only one in the whole world who can kill the Supreme Father is Jing Lin. There hasn’t been another one whose original form is a sword in so many years. Don’t you understand? This is because Father had long known how Jing Lin was born. All these years of suppressing it every step of the way was to prevent the universe from producing another ‘Jing Lin’ who can slay all living creatures.”

Zui Shan Seng quickly sat up and said, “You mean…”

“This child is a creature that transcends deities and humans.” Dong Jun hung his clothes out to dry. “Only those who walk different paths can beget such an anomaly. Ninth Heaven Realm strictly forbids illicit relationships between humans, demons, and deities not because they are terrified of evil beings, but because those supreme ones fear another Jing Lin being born in the world. This is such an obvious and simple matter to understand. Don’t tell me you only came to understand the reason today?”

“The Registry for the Doctrine of Gods is tight-lipped when it comes to Jing Lin’s origins.” Zui Shan Seng said. “Rumor has it that he came from Nan Chan. The Supreme Father said he is a child bestowed by Heaven.”

Dong Jun caught the cold wind head-on. “Calling him the so-called gift from Heaven isn’t exactly wrong. The son born of a deity is naturally bestowed by Heaven. Back then, Jing Lin had the lotus in his palm, and the sword in his heart. Having died once on Ninth Heaven Terrace, he had already lost the Lotus of Compassion, leaving only a broken sword. But these two things cannot do without the other. That is why marriages are mutually connected, and the eight sufferings are mutually linked. I’m telling you. Without canglong’s red thread of fate around their fingers, the suffering of birth today would not be Zong Yin’s tribulation, but Jing Lin’s. What he had lost was brought back to him when the copper bell bound cause and effect together.”

“The Lotus of Compassion is now in the child’s palm. How is Jing Lin going to get it back?” Zui Shan Seng asked with a heavy heart.

“How would I know?” Dong Jun said nonchalantly, “Maybe eat him.”

All at once, Zui Shan Seng’s expression changed.

Dong Jun laughed out loud and said, “I was just teasing you. What Jing Lin lost was compassion, and that was a part of himself he cut away on his own to avoid severing his feelings and desires. When he regains his memory and understands why he was in pain five hundred years ago, then perhaps the Lotus of Compassion will return.”

Zui Shan Seng blanked out for a moment with his knees facing Dong Jun. He suddenly smacked his head and asked, “You mentioned canglong—where is Dijun?!”

Dong Jun raised his head and motioned to the east. He said, “Down there. I don’t think he’ll survive. There’s naturally a reason for Yun Sheng to send Pu Man over to subdue him. You know, Pu Man’s armor was forged with those dragon scales that Li Rong cut off back then. Dijun is now merely a brocade carp. Won’t he be dead meat when facing up against those dragon scales?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Dead meat Cang Ji was crushed heavily at the bottom. The thorny whip twisted around his back, at the same time strangling him around his neck, making it hard for him to breathe. Sudden shock waves of red light in the water circled around Cang Ji layer after layer. The brocade carp in his spiritual sea had already become a black-armored monster. Its horns were still showing as bulges, having yet to protrude all the way out.

Heavy seals of barrier came pressing down in succession, and the surrounding grew darker and darker. The water vortex extended all over the place along with the disturbance Pu Man was stirring up to subdue and seal Cang Ji in this perpetual darkness.

Cang Ji’s scales erupted out. In his confrontation with Pu Man, he was tightly bound into a cocoon. Red accumulated before his eyes. Hundred kinds of spells covered him densely and tightened around him.

An armor transformed out on Pu Man’s body as he stepped onto the spiritual light. He lashed out with his whip with a blow so hard that it sent the red cocoon crashing loudly into the bottom. The moment a faint light glinted at the bottom, the incantation began to swirl around in unison.

The dragon claw Cang Ji reached out with was enveloped by the spell. He consolidated his strength to rip apart the red light and sprang up with a sudden burst of speed. The waves surged, and Pu Man’s whip turned into an endless mass of grass to hold back Cang Ji’s catapulting figure.

Having suddenly pounced into the air but missed, Cang Ji felt a pressure on his back as he was once again weighed down into the bottom. The threads of grasses turned into countless chains that grabbed Cang Ji all over his body and dragged him into the pitch-black darkness. The glow from the wall of incantation in the water gradually dimmed. Pu Man wanted to extract himself out, but Cang Ji unexpectedly jerked so hard that the incantation trembled slightly.

“You must not be allowed to live!”

Pu Man brazenly struck out at him.

Cang Ji collided into Pu Man, but he could not even get half a step closer. He saw the armor covering Pu Man’s body. How familiar those patterns on that armor was!

♦     ♦     ♦

While both sides were engaged in a fierce battle underwater, the waves were churning above. The repercussions from their blows struck into the rocks, and for a moment, the sounds of crashing waves rang out incessantly.

“How many donkey’s years are they going to fight for?!” A-Yi sprawled on the rock and bent his head to watch. “The child is gone. As is Jing Lin! If we wait any longer, we will never be able to catch up and get them back!”

Fu Li said, “Ninth Heaven’s troops abound everywhere within a hundred li.² It might not be advisable to make a rash move.”

“We can’t sit around and wait for death, either.” A-Yi rolled up his sleeves. He had yet to make a move when he heard the earth quaking and the mountains shaking.

Birds of prey shot out of the mountains. The ground shook until the earth collapsed and the mountain cracked.

A-Yi poked his head out and shouted, “What’s going on?!”

Those Ninth Heaven troops had already started moving. The divine general drew out his blade and stepped onto the clouds, wanting to find out what was going on. No one expected Xiang Mo Staff to be tossed out, slashing apart a path that rose into the sky.

Zui Shan Seng exerted himself and pushed the behemoth with his shoulder forward in a silent dash. He said through clenched teeth, “Go quickly!”

That creature’s body got stuck. Behind it, Dong Jun lifted a leg and kicked it hard, sending it tumbling down with a “thud”.

Leading the demons, Huashang whipped out a tail and followed up with a slap against the side of the tumbling behemoth. She struck it so hard that he bellowed in fury as he plunged headfirst into the water.

Caught off-guard, A-Yi was splashed head-on by the ensuing spray of water. He wiped his face and asked, “What’s that thing?”

Huashang told the little fox to lift and carry her skirt for her. On hearing him, she leaned against the umbrella and said as she pinched her fingers, “Lord Linsong’s dowry.”

The very next moment, the gargantuan creature entered the water, the seawater suddenly reversed direction as he sucked them all into his mouth in one breath. Shuran lay prone and exerted himself, and the sea coast went white with massive foams of breaking waves. He did not care about the divine generals on his sides and merely focused on the sea. The seawater lurched, and the incantation swiftly materialized layer upon layer.

♦     ♦     ♦

The very instant Pu Man was distracted, Cang Ji grabbed hold of Pu Man by his chest and jerked him up with both arms. But that armor did not budge the slightest. It was invulnerable.

Pu Man raised his arms and said, “This is the Dragon Scales Armor! It’s best at subduing demons! You’re already trapped in the barrier seal. Don’t even think about escaping!”

Cang Ji smashed hard into Pu Man. His spiritual sea was churning in reverse, and he unexpectedly felt his stomach rumbling with hunger. Seeing that the expression in his eyes had changed, Pu Man could not help but struggle in consternation. “What are you…”

“Might as well send the buddha all the way to the west.”³ Cang Ji sinisterly exposed his teeth.

♦     ♦     ♦

Shuran stopped sucking in the water. Behind him, Zui Shan Seng and the divine generals were engaged in an intense fight. A-Yi resembled an ant as he stood beside Shuran’s leg. He could only look up at Shuran and yell, “What are you stopping for? He’s not out yet!”

Shuran’s mouth was stuffed with water. He suddenly burped, then turned his head to puke it all out completely. The seawater instantly charged towards the Ninth Heaven troops and crashed into them, throwing the mountains into a complete mess.

Shuran savored the salty taste and said, “Dijun is in the midst of consuming his meal. It’s not appropriate to spew it out to him.”

A-Yi looked out at the sea, then said in astonishment, “… He ate Pu Man?”

As soon as A-Yi said that, the sea suddenly started to boil furiously. He saw a layer of murderous aura come assaulting over, followed by the shadow of a massive creature writhing underwater. It looked like a fish but not a fish, a dragon yet not a dragon.

But that was not all. Muffled thunder rumbled a few times on the horizon. It was originally dead in the winter, and while the heavy snow was dancing all over, the sky suddenly started to rain. A-Yi raised his palms to catch the raindrops and saw that his palms had been stained red.

“The heavenly dams have burst; the Blood Sea reappears.” Shuran abruptly transformed into human form and dragged A-Yi and Fu Li back in a retreat. “Withdraw! Dijun is going to devour the devils and evolve into a dragon!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Ninth Heaven Realm shook tumultuously. Li Rong did not wait for Yun Sheng to speak and rose to his feet first. He saw the blood fog spiraling up en masse in the direction of the Zhui Hun Prison and could not help but furrow his brows.

The black and white under Yun Sheng’s feet reversed and turned upside down. Holding himself up, he retreated and bellowed, “To think you’d actually released the Blood Sea!”

Li Rong turned his head back and said, “It wasn’t me.”

As he spoke, he turned his gaze quickly towards Jing Lin.

The blood between Jing Lin’s arms had already stopped and congealed. He was surprised deep down, but his expression remained unchanged and betrayed nothing.

Sure enough, he heard Li Rong say, “Don’t tell me it’s you?”

Jing Lin raised his eyebrows contemplatively, neither answering in the affirmative or negative.

太极. Tai Chi or Taiji, also the Yin and Yang symbol.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

送佛送到西 literally when you see the Buddha off, you may as well see him off to all the way the West (West here refers to the Western Heaven/Paradise of Buddhism), i.e., doing a good deed to the end and not stop midway.

Chapter 122: Into A Dragon

OCTOBER 3, 2020

The Blood Sea gushed down, raging against the waves of clouds like a waterfall pouring from the sky right into the eastern sea. Half of the sky had already been stained red. Countless evil spirits fought against each other as they swooped down, instantly throwing the eastern sea into a vast expanse of turbidity.

As the common ruler of the Three Realms now, Yun Sheng’s moral integrity would be called into question if the Blood Sea were to overturn and engulf Zhongdu again. No doubt he would be condemned and denounced by all in the days to come. He suspected that Li Rong was the one behind all these in an attempt to take advantage of the chaos to usurp the throne, so he promptly bellowed an order, “Lord Shage is plotting a conspiracy. Remove his Po Zheng Spear and take him under arrest!”

Li Rong said in a deep voice, “A formidable enemy stands before us. My lord, you mustn’t lose your head.”

“The Blood Sea was guarded by you, and now, it’s running rampage for no reason. Don’t tell me there is someone else other than you who can mess with it without authorization.” Yun Sheng steeled his heart, no longer wishing to keep Li Rong around any longer. Whether or not Li Rong was the culprit, he must be taken down today!

Li Rong said, “With the Blood Sea racing towards Zhongdu, the great devil will surely rise. The Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors are all in my hand. Yet you insist on starting a dispute with me at such a critical moment!”

“You released the Blood Sea into Zhongdu. A catastrophe is about to befall every living being, yet you are talking about dispute with me right this moment in an attempt to absolve yourself of blame.” The Yin and Yang symbol under Yun Sheng’s feet split into twin mirrors of black and white. He proclaimed, “Li Rong, you deserve execution for your ulterior motive!”

In a split second, black and white waves of water rose from all four sides of Ninth Heaven Terrace with a monstrous force that seemed to encompass the sky. On seeing the Blood Sea merging into the eastern sea, Li Rong reckoned that Cang Ji intended to devour the devils.

Li Rong could not help but raise and jerk his feet to flip up Po Zheng Spear. He said, “Look at how challenging it was to kill him 1,400 years ago. Who can stop him once he evolves into a dragon again?! Yun Sheng, don’t believe the words of those who sow discord.”

“Since you are so intent on explaining yourself, then why take out Po Zheng Spear?” Jing Lin said in a mild tone.

Li Rong froze. Yun Sheng’s intent to kill was already evident. He clenched his spear, keenly aware that a battle was inevitable today. An explosion of violent blows between both men erupted on Ninth Heaven Terrace. As Yun Sheng’s twin mirrors intersected, several “Li Rong” broke out of the mirrors, and Li Rong instantly got caught up in a group battle. But then, it was easy to imitate one in the skin, but not deep within.¹ Yun Sheng had never thought that Li Rong would be this hard to deal with. Po Zheng Spear broke through the barrier, and Yun Sheng’s realm nearly collapsed.

“You have been deep in sleep above the Blood Sea these five hundred years.” Yun Sheng covered his bloodstains. “I never expected your cultivation to improve by leaps and bounds.”

The more hurried Li Rong’s spear was, the slower Yun Sheng became. When he could not ward off the blows, he would kick the golden cage and use Jing Lin to block the vortex of blows between them.

“But with your divine consciousness in the human realm, where on earth would you find the time to cultivate?!” Yun Sheng’s crown was blown off by the strong wind, revealing the doubt in his eyes. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he said in a harsh voice, “You devoured Father!”

Po Zheng Spear smashed loudly into the golden cage, and the bars promptly caved in. Li Rong stared fixedly at Yun Sheng and suddenly raised his voice. “You connive at the deeds of the sinner lord, Jing Lin, and frame me for releasing the Blood Sea. As the current commander-in-chief of Zhui Hun Prison, it’d be my duty to take you into custody!”

Yun Sheng’s expression instantly changed. He said, “I’m the Supreme Father. Who dares to?! Heavenly justice will not permit it if this vile creature isn’t eradicated! Kill Lord Shage, and I’ll heavily reward you!”

Ninth Heaven Terrace was already collapsing, with that endless stairway caving in amid a thunderous boom. The blood fog had become so overwhelming that the various deities who had rushed to the scene were momentarily caught in a dilemma. What they saw instead was the eastern sea already boiling over like water on the stove.

Li Rong’s spear slashed half a circle as he pulled off his token of authority at the side of his waist and tossed it down. His voice boomed, clear and loud. “Kill canglong!”

Cang Ji, if evolved into a dragon, would be a calamity. 

Lord Jiutian could not even take down this dragon while he was still alive. It would be even harder to deal this dragon a blow once he bounced back after building up power. Furthermore, the enmity of that one fatal strike had turned them into irreconcilable foes. Li Rong had wanted to keep Jing Lin alive by hook or by crook despite all the difficulties only because Jing Lin was the only one who could kill the Supreme Father. Now that the Supreme Father was dead, then leaving Jing Lin or Cang Ji alive would be merely a recipe for disaster.

♦     ♦     ♦

Having received the token and command, the Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors instantly surged forth like white tides among the divine generals. A moment later, the sound of killing thundered through Heaven. Zui Shan Zeng’s Xiang Mo Staff was already broken, and he was showing signs of exhaustion when the enemies attacked from the front and back. With no water, Shuran pulled back; the beast of Buddha was unwilling to kill the innocent indiscriminately, so he could only shove Huashang forward to command the various demons.

Pissed, A-Yi retorted, “What the hell do we need you for then?!”

Shuran stroked his tummy with trepidation and said, “It’s fine if there’s no use for me. In any case, I’m just here to serve as part of the lord’s dowry. With this one connection, Dijun will definitely not blame me.”

A-Yi promptly punched two fists out and said, “For a man, you’re really too useless!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Yun Sheng was no match for Li Rong, but he naturally had his own ways. As he dodged Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear, he repeatedly used the golden cage to intercept the blows. Li Rong hacked down on it, again and again, denting the bars with his strikes until they finally gave way with a “bang”. In an instant, the Sanskrit scripts vanished.

Yun Sheng brandished his sleeves and said, “Ghosts and deities all submit the moment Yan Quan leaves its sheath! Jing Lin, it’s only by killing him that your towering rage can be appeased. From now on, you and I shall split the Three Realms among us. Lord Linsong will be the revered one of Heaven and Earth!”

Li Rong’s spearmanship was cutting cold. But an arm unexpectedly raised through the break in the cage to hold up the spear with bare hands. A violent wind rose next, and Jing Lin rose out of the cage. A rust-covered Yan Quan Sword materialized. Jing Lin flipped it over into his palm and suddenly whirled around with a swing of his sword to unleash an impressive sweep of sword aura.

Once again, Po Zheng Spear hummed, and the faintly discernible sound of the copper bell enveloped the surroundings.

Li Rong slid his palm to stabilize Po Zheng Spear and struck out with force. Strong wind battered as Jing Lin’s sword moved swiftly and majestically with a flourish. Both men brought billowing clouds in their wakes as the impact of their blows sent up a spray of flying stones all over. Li Rong felt a coolness on his throat and instantly stepped back to dodge the blow. When he touched his throat again, blood had already oozed out.

Jing Lin, however, did not pursue after him, but leaped down instead. The blur of azure instantly plunged in a descent like a sudden downpour of rain. In the blink of an eye, he had already penetrated through layers and layers of obstructions to come face-to-face with the eastern sea. Yan Quan Sword hurled down in an impressive display to position itself above the boiling water. The next instant, a ring of cold and piercing aura burst out from the sword and swept everyone away.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin landed on the water surface, and ripples blossomed where he had trodden past. He drew out Yan Quan Sword and lowered his head to exchange gaze with the gargantuan creature swimming underwater.

Cang Ji had yet to evolve into a dragon. He endured the gnaws of the evil spirits as black fog and blood simultaneously pervaded his spiritual sea. Horns had already popped out of his enormous fish body. Jing Lin was so tiny that he seemed to be standing in Cang Ji’s eyes amidst the sounds of biting and tearing.

I have a dragon. 

Jing Lin thought out of the blue, even feeling a tinge of bitterness as he did so. That long finger of his, which had yet to be wiped clean of blood, gently touched this creature in the eye across the water surface.

It was as if they had never been apart.

♦     ♦     ♦

Li Rong’s spear came hurtling over, and the strong wind suddenly assaulted Jing Lin. The Three Thousand Heavenly Warriors who had been jolted away once again leaped up and pounced. But despite being besieged on all sides, Jing Lin slowly let out a smile at the creature underwater.

This one smile turned all the pandemonium into a mere illusion. That thousand and hundred years of pain and suffering all vanished like smoke into thin air. This was how the exchanges of gaze between lovers should be—as if they had nothing to fear, even if it was the end of the world itself. All the words they had to say lay concealed in their eyes—words that no one else in this whole world, other than the other party, would ever understand.

♦     ♦     ♦

Yan Quan Sword abruptly reversed up and struck Po Zheng Spear with a “clang”. The ensuing surge of wind sent Jing Lin’s hair fluttering. Without retreating a single step, he hit Li Rong back up into the air, preventing him from landing on the water. Then he drew a talisman spell with a hand, and azure light exploded forth, beating everyone around him into a retreat.

Li Rong dropped down, only to see that Jing Lin had already sprung up. Their pasts seemed to flash past as their gaze brushed across each other. Men on different paths would, eventually, have a parting of life and death, with the word “brothers” reduced to nothing more than the souls of the dead under the confrontation of sword and blade.

The water ripples beneath Jing Lin’s feet suddenly rippled apart as Yan Quan Sword transformed into a massive figure. With a sweeping force, it stirred up towering waves that went assaulting violently towards Li Rong with a gale trailing right in its wake. Li Rong’s spear crackled with thunderbolts as the red light went tearing through the air like a sharp arrow. In the blink of an eye, it collided with Jing Lin’s sword.

The wind slashed wildly at both men’s cheeks and hands like a blade. No one could stop within a five li² radius. Sounds of strikes and blows erupted as blades scraped against one another before clashing again. Everything that had once been imparted to them from the same sect had, in this moment, become a contest of strength between them.

There was a series of “plop, plop, plop” as the water sputtered, but Jing Lin, having already veered up, let fly a kick across the sword. The force sent Li Rong plunging towards the sea, but Jing Lin unexpectedly flashed his way over. Po Zheng Spear latched on to the body of Yan Quan Sword, and Li Rong used the force and momentum to leap up again.

The horde of monks watched in silence. All of them watched this earth-shattering battle between brothers. Then the toll of a bell rang out of nowhere, its lingering echo reverberating through Heaven and Earth.

Cang Ji was just one step short. His fish body had already transformed out claws. As he hissed and devoured his food underwater, the tail he swung up stirred up waves several zhang³ high.

♦     ♦     ♦

The situation was at a stalemate when A-Yi suddenly stood up. He raised his head for a look and saw something indistinct flying through the clouds.

“That’s…”

A-Yi swiftly leaped up in pursuit of it. He transformed into a five-colored bird and soared towards the ink-stained eagle. The ink of the giant eagle was still wet, with ink still dripping from it as it flapped its wings. And snugly wrapped in the swaddling bundle it held in its mouth was Shan Yue’s child.

A-Yi transformed back into his human form in mid-air and caught the child. He looked and could not help but turned his head back and rejoiced, “Ah Jie—”

Li Rong rose into the air and pressed in towards him. Reaching his arm out, he bellowed, “Give him to me!”

A-Yi raised his leg and was about to kick him when Jing Lin caught up with him from behind. Li Rong thrust his spear out, and A-Yi instantly leaned back. Jing Lin tapped him on the shoulder, and A-Yi promptly turned aside. Po Zheng Spear missed A-Yi, but jabbed right towards Jing Lin in the face. Jing Lin held it down with his sword and moved to push A-Yi away, but Li Rong swept up a gust of wind with his foot. A-Yi staggered forward again, and the child in his arms slid off.

“Oh, no!” A-Yi exclaimed in alarm.

Li Rong and Jing Lin were already chasing after the child, but A-Yi threw out a Sanskrit script chain through the air and wrapped it around the swaddling clothes to lift it. The child in the swaddling clothes struggled and cried, and the lotus in his palm twinkled faintly.

Li Rong made a grab for the child with a lightning move of his hand, and A-Yi yanked the bundle back. Po Zheng Spear propelled forth ferociously and followed hot in pursuit. Inwardly cursing Li Rong’s ruthlessness, A-Yi could only let go. Once again, the child plummeted.

Jing Lin descended at breakneck speed, but it was already too late. The swaddling clothes, already splashed wet with seawater, was about to sink into the sea. Just as he was about to release Yan Quan Sword from his palm, a huge lotus flower suddenly and unexpectedly opened up on the water surface.

Cradling the child, the lotus flower whirled and rose, and the monks’ chanting immediately began to resonate through the air. Golden light instantly materialized between Heaven and Earth as a dazzling golden lotus bloomed open. The True Buddha stood upright and reached out his arms to embrace the child.

The child’s cries came to an abrupt halt. With his pure, clear eyes opened, the child stretched out his palms into the golden light. The True Buddha smiled, and the child let out a smile too.

The crowd immediately heaved a collective sigh of relief. The True Buddha was merciful. Even if he could not return the child to Shan Yue, he would not allow Li Rong to kill him.

“Revered One.” Jing Lin stepped across the lotus towards them. “This child…”

The chanting amplified as the True Buddha looked towards Jing Lin and lifted a finger.

Jing Lin’s steps were initially unhurried, but in that very instant, his feet suddenly turned heavy and sluggish. He saw the finger pointing at him, and there was an imperceptible roar in his ears. The myriad voices in the world instantly vanished, and that immense crushing pressure slowly weighed down upon him, but Jing Lin could not move another step.

♦     ♦     ♦

“My son.”

The True Buddha, in his ethereal appearance, had one eye pitch-black and unfeeling, while the other eye was a light shade of gray and compassionate. Heaven and Earth were, to him, ephemeral. In that instant, he was the Supreme Father of Ninth Heaven; at the same time, he was also the True Buddha of the Brahma Altar.

Jing Lin turned thoroughly cold in a flash. It was as if someone had splashed him full in the face, dousing whatever little warmth he had left. Before him, the scene distorted and fractured.

The next moment, a spray of blood spattered upon his azure outfit.

♦     ♦     ♦

Li Rong stood tall and firm!

Li Rong braced himself with his spear. Bloodied wounds erupted all over his entire body, having intercepted the blow from that deadly calm finger. Po Zheng Spear cracked apart. His throat throbbed as he stared at the True Buddha.

“You didn’t die.”

All of Li Rong’s long-repressed fury bubbled forth. With reddened eyes and blood trickling from his forehead, he dragged his ruined spear and stumbled to his knees on the water surface.

“You didn’t die.” Li Rong’s voice gradually rose and fell as he howled himself hoarse. “To think you didn’t die!”

Amidst the silence of Heaven and Earth, the True Buddha retracted his finger and slowly let out a smile.

“As your father, I feel very gratified that you made it this far. Choosing the Way of the Asura for you was the best choice. Throughout your journey, you’ve used your brothers to the fullest, failed the others, and endured the humiliation to this day, all for the sake of reaching the pinnacle. Your unyielding resolution is something that I, as your father, highly cherish and value.”

Li Rong could not stop the chokes of sobs from escaping his throat as he shuddered incessantly. At this one point of the finger, Po Zheng Spear shattered into fragments. His blood spurted onto Jing Lin’s cheeks. As the redness spread out beneath him, he toppled over.

“He saved your life.” The True Buddha looked at Jing Lin and said fondly, “And that’s all it took for you to be moved. Jing Lin, a century passes at merely the snap of a finger, and yet you have shown no improvement at all. There’s no doubt he intended to kill you today, but it’s also true that he has saved you. At the end of the day, he’s merely doing what benefits him.”

The tip of Jing Lin’s sword trembled.

The True Buddha’s gaze was benevolent as he continued in an unhurried voice.

“If he uses you, you live. Else, you perish. To everyone, you are nothing but a sword.”

A-Yi was suddenly trapped in a blaze of Heaven Fire.⁴ He rolled over to the ground and cried out in pain. The sea was so, so calm. Just a point of the True Buddha’s finger, and he could shatter Li Rong’s spear and topple him to the ground; he could even make Cang Ji go dead silent in the deep sea. He seemed to have Heaven and Earth in his grasp—as if he was the master of all living creatures.

Jing Lin tasted blood from the tip of the tongue he had bitten through.

“I am Heaven and Earth.” The True Buddha smiled. “My silly son.”

画皮难画骨 one may draw someone (tiger in the original) in the skin, but not his bones; one may know a man’s face, but it is difficult to know his heart.

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

丈 zhang; a measure of length, 1 zhang = ten Chinese feet (3.3m)

天火 literally Heaven Fire; a fire caused by natural phenomena, e.g., lightning or a fire whose cause can not be ascertained.

Chapter 123: Birth

OCTOBER 7, 2020

Many years ago.

A small boat. The True Buddha sat at the fore, while Jing Lin stood in the rear. The boat glided across the lotus pond, leaving a trail of ripples in its wake. Water mist permeated the air, and Jing Lin reached out to hold the milky-white mist in his palms. He raised and lowered his head, unable to tell if he was up in the sky or on the water.

Amid the intersecting reflections of the lotuses, the True Buddha sat upright and gazed at him with a smile as he chanted the sutra in a slow murmur.

Jing Lin was merely eight years of age. Half of the cassock he was wrapped in trailed beside his feet. He used his hands to catch the mist, and the mist dispersed among his fingers again like an illusory dream.

“What is the Way?” Jing Lin’s palms were damp. He uneasily clutched them tightly and innocently put them behind his back as he looked at the True Buddha. “Revered One, what is the Way?”

“It’s the mist in your palms.” The True Buddha answered. “The flowers before your eyes.”

Jing Lin said, “Then it’s something that cannot be grasped. I don’t want it.”

The True Buddha lowered his fingers to touch the pond water and said, “The Great Way is formless. Even if you don’t want it, it will still come looking for you.”

The water mist moistened Jing Lin’s eyes, making them dark and bright. He clasped his fingers together behind him and said stubbornly, “… I don’t want it.”

The True Buddha smiled and said, “Alright.”

Jing Lin asked again, “If I go with you, then I’ll be a monk too? I can’t eat meat anymore?”

The True Buddha scrutinized him and said, “That’s right.”

Jing Lin found the expression in his eyes affectionate. He looked as though he had plenty to say, yet he was, at the same time, a man of few words. It was as if he was content to just look at Jing Lin from afar, from across the fog, across the mountains.

Jing Lin was not afraid. He threw out his chest and mustered up enough courage to say, “But I, I want to eat meat…”

The True Buddha said, “You are different from all in the world.”

Jing Lin hung his head down and said, “I’m human.”

The True Buddha turned his head to look at the scattering herons and startled cranes among the vast expanse of water. The sky suddenly darkened, and a gust of wind tore past them. Reflected on the water surface was the shadow of a gargantuan creature that cut an imposing presence so intimidating that it made one shiver as it roamed past.

The True Buddha said, “Look at this sky.”

Jing Lin raised his head. The mist was all blown away by the gust of wind. He widened his eyes, his bright, clear eyes reflecting a figure so majestic and massive that it caused his jaws to drop a little.

“It’s a dragon.” Jing Lin could not help but let out a laugh. He raised both of his arms, and that ill-fitting robe and sleeves went flapping in the wind. Under this mammoth shadow, he seemed to be also riding along this wind and soaring in the boundless sky.

“You are going to learn how to be a person.” The True Buddha said, “And so does he. Desire is fleeting, yet it’s also eternally never-changing. Jing Lin, when you see him roaming the horizons, desire will bloom in you. Eventually, you will follow your heart and embark on a bumpy path. You are both variables of Heaven and Earth. Someday, you will understand that ‘wanting’ in itself is suffering.”

Jing Lin took two steps in pursuit on the boat and swayed as he watched canglong spring up and disappeared. With his head still raised, he asked, “What is suffering?”

“It’s what makes one human.” The True Buddha answered.

“Has the Revered One experienced suffering too?” Jing Lin asked out of curiosity.

The True Buddha closed his eyes without answering, and the boat continued on its forward journey. He sat idly among the interweaving sky and water, as if he was inviolable and free of desires. But when he opened his eyes, those light gray betrayed a thousand kinds of doubt and agony.

“I…” The True Buddha paused in dazed silence.

A brocade carp leaped out of the water with a “plop”, messing up the ripples. Even when he sat to the end of the pond that day, he never answered Jing Lin’s question.

♦     ♦     ♦

“I am Heaven and Earth.”

The flashback shattered thunderously. Jing Lin kneeled beneath the throne with his hands bound. He said, “This is a joke.”

The True Buddha sat high up on the throne, using the face Lord Jiutian habitually used. When he propped up his head, he could see all of Jing Lin’s past with one eye. On hearing Jing Lin, he laughed and said, “Wherever you come from is wherever you will head for. Father knows.”

“You know where I come from.” Jing Lin instantly looked up. “You are not the Revered One.”

“I am.” Of the pair of the True Buddha’s eyes, one was black, and one, gray. Benevolence and callousness co-existed on the same one face. He was like a blend of black and white. Even each smile was poles apart.

“You’ve stood in the world for millennia.” Jing Lin said. “Have you ever experienced suffering?”

“Humans live when I open my eyes, and perish when I close them. The life and death of all living creatures in Heaven and Earth lay in just a snap of my fingers. I can observe the pasts of all in the world with one eye, and discern the futures of all in the world with the other. No one can hide their true selves before me. The sufferings of the world lie in my mouth. I’ve tasted suffering, and I understand it far more than you do.”

“If you are Heaven and Earth.” Jing Lin asked, “Why raised me?”

The black eye of the True Buddha was cold and detached, yet his gray eye slowly began to close. He stared at Jing Lin with one eye and said in a heartless tone, “I’ve never wanted to raise you. You are the most damnedest thing in this world. That blade of yours has been a calamity ever since you were born. You can kill humans, and you can kill deities too.” As he spoke, his gray eye, brimming with guilt, quivered open. His voice became gentle too. “That’s a lie. I should have raised you properly. Jing Lin, Jing Lin…”

Jing Lin noticed the strangeness and said, “Who exactly are…”

The black eye suddenly revealed a tint of coldness, and the True Buddha let out an odd laugh that increasingly grew louder. He said, “I am your father.”

“You are Lord Jiutian.” Jing Lin furrowed his brows.

“No.” The True Buddha’s gray eye closed again. He reached down and, under the swaying of the pearls on his crown, said cruelly, “I said, I am your father.”

The color suddenly drained from Jing Lin’s face.

The True Buddha bent his finger to trace Jing Lin’s facial features in the air and said, pleased, “You are the son born of a deity—a child begotten from a union of desires. You bear such a striking resemblance to your mother. She repeatedly avoided you, and you didn’t even notice it. My good Jing Lin, you were born to be my sword. It’s all thanks to me that you could live and grow to this day. My son, my son. Of all of you brothers, the only one I love and value is you.”

Jing Lin suddenly began to struggle violently, and the Sanskrit scripts glowed. Only the confrontation between two men existed in this empty hall. Jing Lin felt his blood run cold. For a moment, his mind went blank, then he suddenly lowered his head and coughed out blood.

“I once made my way to the capital while begging for alms as a commoner monk.” The True Buddha coldly retracted his hand and looked down upon Jing Lin from above. “It was the fourth lunar month, on a day at the height of spring with fragrant blooming flowers all around. Sailing on the river was a boat ferrying a beauty on it. Your mother, barefooted with a flower branch in hand, seduced me into plunging into the secular world, and so we had you. Her divine body was honorable; she was not meant to bear an object from the secular world. How laughable that she could not bear to give you up and willfully insisted on giving birth to you. Once she did, she knew you were different. You are the origin of all calamities in Heaven and Earth.”

With his forehead pressed against the smooth, polished floor, Jing Lin said in a hoarse voice, “Nonsense!”

“You harbor a sword in your heart; that is a fate destined to be lonely.” The True Buddha lifted his foot to crush down on Jing Lin’s shoulder and said in a frosty voice, “I’m the one who gave you that Lotus of Compassion in your palm. Your presence in this world is a constant reminder of my sin of succumbing to lust. Desire befuddles the heart. Indeed, the one who obstructs me from my great undertaking is you. You are naturally born to kill your father! What a waste of all the love and care I’ve put in nurturing you. You are not the least bit grateful!”

The True Buddha suddenly stepped down on Jing Lin’s shoulder blades, causing him to knock his head at his feet. His black eye was both indulgent and wild, cunning and cryptic.

“Oh, how you deserve to die. You deserve to die!”

Jing Lin’s forehead banged onto the ground. Even his knees were trembling from holding up against the massive pressure on his back.

“Do you know how you survived?” The True Buddha bent his head down and said sinisterly, “The two prayer beads that were pledges of love. You ate it, and that was the life that I bestowed upon you! You should have died a clean death. But she just had to help you tide over it once—not only that, she even helped that dragon. For you, she turned against me. She turned that prayer bead into ‘life’. That darn woman! I’m the one who should have been her entire world. She seduced me thus, and yet she betrayed me thus. Tell me, isn’t this all your fault?”

The stabbing pain in Jing Lin’s back was intense. The head slam had opened up a gaping wound on his forehead, leaving messy streaks of vivid red blood on the ground. He said nothing, as if his heart had already been thrown into turmoil.

The True Buddha took pleasure in the way Jing Lin endured it all in silence. His stomps grew even more brutal, and he watched Jing Lin choke on the blood he would not let spill. The True Buddha irritably kicked Jing Lin over, then lifted a finger to weigh infinite pressure down upon him.

The chains around Jing Lin’s body rattled loudly, and both his elbows slammed hard onto the ground, yet his shoulders and back were still straightened and holding up to the pressure. The weight of this load was like a mountain that wanted to crush down on him until he lay sprawled on the ground in submission. But he gulped down the blood in his throat and held on, propping himself up against the ground on which droplets of sweat and blood were dripping.

“What a pathetic life you’ve been living this lifetime.” The True Buddha circled around Jing Lin and said, “You killed your father, killed your brothers, killed countless others, and even entrusted all your desires to a dragon.”

He flipped Jing Lin over with his toe.

“I originally thought that you would live with your desires severed so that you could become a killing machine for Heaven and Earth. I never expected that you would rather engage in illicit sexual relations with a dragon instead. Indulging in lust is the most shameless of all, and abandoning yourself to love is the greatest mistake of all. What are you exactly? You aren’t human, and you are no longer a sword. You’ve become a worthless piece of garbage. Even if I want to take pity on you now, I can’t find a reason to.”

The chain was suddenly yanked as the True Buddha hauled Jing Lin up.

“Your only use now is to make a name for yourself. I’ll summon the Three Realms to jointly put you – the freak who killed his father – on trial. From then on, monuments will be erected everywhere in this world to mark your infamy. You deserve to die under the watchful gazes of all in this world.”

The backs of Jing Lin’s palms were crisscrossed with slashes. He could not cover the blood from gushing forth, and he cut a sorry sight with the footprints on his body. He was no longer the Lord Linsong who resided high up in the clouds.

“Your mother is dead.” The True Buddha melancholically tightened the chains around Jing Lin. “Who can save you this time?”

Jing Lin could not catch his breath, but his feet suddenly sprang up in a kick. The chains formed out of Sanskrit scripts between his wrists caught around the True Buddha’s neck. The moment the True Buddha bent over, Jing Lin flung him over to the ground and twisted the chains tightly around his neck, both sides wanting the other dead.

The True Buddha looked to be in pain. Jing Lin hissed, “I was born without a father!”

The True Buddha had been strangled until he turned red in the face. Jing Lin gasped, feeling as in the tension in a certain part of his body had already collapsed as insanity and ruthlessness ran neck to neck with one another. His fingertips trembled as he swiftly pressed the True Buddha’s face down onto the ground and snapped, “Where is Cang Ji?”

A choke escaped from the True Buddha’s throat as he clawed at his throat and said nothing.

Jing Lin jerked him up and slammed him down again. As if he was on the verge of losing control, he asked, “Who is my mother?”

The True Buddha did not utter a single word, just as Jing Lin had done so earlier. The sudden sound of heavy smashing resounded through in this empty hall. Blood was oozing out between Jing Lin’s teeth. Right this moment, he was like a wolf, a jackal, all that was vicious in this world.

The True Buddha suddenly propped himself up. The pain on his face instantly turned into madness. He burst out laughing and said to Jing Lin, “You were born without a father? Look at yourself right now. You are clearly me! These eyes of yours are no longer what they once were. You are evil. You are the source of all desires to kill!”

Jing Lin’s grip loosened; in the blink of an eye, the True Buddha was already standing behind him.

“The ruthlessness you have deeply hidden away has already broken free of its dam. Your desire to kill is teeming. Your Way has already completely disintegrated. You aren’t even worthy to be a deity.” The True Buddha leaned into his ear and ridiculed him softly, “My son, have you still not recognized yourself for what you truly are? Look at yourself. How are you Lord Linsong?”

Jing Lin swiftly looked back, as if everything that had happened earlier was an illusion. He stared at the True Buddha, and unexpectedly said in a steady voice, “You are not the True Buddha. You are Lord Jiutian.”

That gray eye opened, and the True Buddha looked as if he wanted to throw him a smile. But this was forced back the very next moment, and his expression turned irascible and icy.

With a lightning move of his hand, Lord Jiutian threw him a slap and said irritably, “Shut up! I’m the True Buddha!”

With his head tilted to the side, Jing Lin spat out blood and said with a scornful smile, “I already know what you are.”

Chapter 124: Great Devil

OCTOBER 11, 2020

The lights in the hall went out, and the place turned dark. Lord Jiutian regained his composure after he was done raging. He was still seated on the high throne, but his gray eye was tightly closed.

“My good son.” Lord Jiutian said, “What do you know? The True Buddha and I are one and the same person. He is me, and I am him. I am the one who brought you to Nan Chan, and also the one who sent you to Ninth Heaven Sect.”

“Do you dare to open that eye?” Jing Lin dragged the chain. The slap had left finger marks on half of his face. He said coldly, “Since you are the same person, then why set a boundary and distinguish your eyes between black and white?”

“You believe yourself to have cracked the secrets of Heaven, but in truth, you’re foolish to the max.” As Lord Jiutian spoke, he opened his gray eye and stared at Jing Lin with both colored eyes. That weird half-cold and half-benevolent expression appeared again. He said, “Many years ago, when I made no progress sitting in Nan Chan, I took the incarnation of a human and stepped into Zhongdu, wanting to experience the eight sufferings of the world and achieve the stage of great mercy and great compassion. But then I met your mother in the capital. From then on, I came to possess sin. The True Buddha originally had no desires, and all the more mustn’t harbor evil and vice. Thus I split out the portion that loved your mother from the true body¹ and let him incarnate as Lord Jiutian, the man who brought you up and nurtured you. You yourself have done such a thing before. You sealed your emotions and desires into the stone, thus becoming Lord Linsong with his feelings and desires severed. Jing Lin, is that stone not you? You are the stone, and the stone is you! Then what is there to lament about the fact that I am both Lord Jiutian and the True Buddha?”

The gauze curtains in the great hall fluttered up, casting a veil over Lord Jiutian’s figure and rendering it indistinct.

“Lord Jiutian is the True Buddha’s ‘wants’. Jing Lin, the True Buddha you revere is a person like Lord Jiutian.” Lord Jiutian propped up his head and scoffed, “Silly son. The True Buddha did not dare to face up to his desires, and so he produced me. He expelled me from Nan Chan, but he couldn’t harden his heart to wipe out his desire, so he let me become the Supreme Father of all in Zhongdu. It was only when he saw me become the Supreme Father that he understood that there was no stopping desire. So he led you into Nan Chan, wanting to make use of you to kill me. But how could he have foreseen that I could only return to my true body after you killed my physical flesh?”

Lord Jiutian raised his arms and sized up his own body.

“You are the one who sent me back. Now that his and my morality are at odds, we naturally have to fight it out in the body. The thing is, I understand him, but he doesn’t understand me. I’ve now become the master of this body; there’s no longer any difference between him and me. I am Heaven and Earth. I have attained Buddhahood. I am the indestructible desire of the Three Realms. You may call me Father or the Revered One.”

Jing Lin looked up at that throne. The True Buddha’s gray eye had long dimmed, but the black eye of Lord Jiutian was incomparably bright. It was hard to tell day from night outside the hall, with the scene all topsy-turvy. His spiritual sea was already empty, and he did not know what had become of Cang Ji and his evolution into a dragon either.

Jing Lin did not act rashly again. He said, “Since you want me to die, then tell me who my mother is before I die.”

“How heartless. To think you still haven’t guessed who your mother is. Which other woman in this world can give birth to a child of your appearance other than Shengyue?” As Lord Jiutian spoke, he closed his eyes. “Do you know why your mother died?”

Jing Lin did not answer.

“Those prayer beads were originally objects in my hand. Two of them once fell into the lotus pond, where the compassion of Heaven and Earth seeped into them. In the eighth month of her pregnancy, I gifted her one to keep both mother and child safe. Later, I assumed the physical form of Jiu Tian, not expecting the True Buddha to throw the other bead to you. You swallowed that prayer bead before your death, and that became the turning point in the continuation of karma—the cycle of cause and effect. Subsequently, she used the remaining prayer bead to forge a new life for canglong. But how could that be so easily done? Because of this, half of her cultivation was rendered invalid. She hid in the capital, in a deep sleep from which she never woke from.” At this point, Lord Jiutian paused for a moment. He wanted to laugh, although he never did. He continued in a hoarse voice, “Silly woman. It was due to a mother’s love that she saved you, but saving that dragon was a redundant move. She repeatedly ruined my great plans. How long can love in the mortal world last?”

“You killed her.” Jing Lin’s voice was like a quiet wind. “You released Tao Zhi, who was bent on revenge and had already been reduced to being a devil. He returned to the human world through the city in the mountains. To gain cultivation, he let the city in the mountains turn into the evil of Zhongdu, but the tree deity thwarted him. He thus took refuge in the capital, and at a point when he was trapped with no way to retreat and starving with no other alternative, he swallowed the sleeping Shengyue.”

“Karma doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Going by your reasoning, canglong is the murderer too.” Lord Jiutian said apathetically, “Why did the northern mountain ranges appear? Those were all the high walls canglong constructed. A hundred years after they collapsed, they turned into a mountain range. The evil aura that canglong did not devour clean provided the opportunity for Tao Zhi’s rebirth in that place. If you hate me, you should hate canglong too.”

Jing Lin’s chains slid along. He could not keep down his voice. “You raised Qing Yao; you originally had the chance to save her, but you still turned her into the Blood Sea. You used the calamity of the Blood Sea to cement Jiu Tian’s reputation and prestige. You reduced Tao Zhi to an evil beast in the mortal realm! And you made use of Li Rong to turn brothers against each other. What exactly do you see humankind as?!”

“As the mud under my feet, the clouds above my head.” Lord Jiutian reached out his palms and caught the illusory wind, just like how Jing Lin caught the mist back then. “The many twists and turns in this world are all connected to karma; I’m merely giving it a little push. Such are their fates, so how can you blame me? How can you blame me?!”

A great gale arose in the hall. Lord Jiutian rose to his feet and raised his voice.

“I am the Supreme Father of all in the world! I am merely seizing the opportunity and going along with the flow. I am desire, but I am not evil. Was I the one who forced the binding of affinity between you and canglong? You can’t blame anyone else.”

“You reap what you sow;² you will get your comeuppance.” Jing Lin’s eyes were icy.

Lord Jiutian’s black eyes were contemptuous, although he had a smile when he said, “I have already become Heaven; I’m not subjected to the precepts of cause and effect. It’s up to me to decide retribution. Just wait for your trial. After you die, I won’t kill canglong—he isn’t a dragon now, anyway. Just a brocade carp dragging out an ignoble existence. He isn’t even worthy to have his scales sliced off and his tendons extracted. That’s all there is to the union between both of you—a mere short-lived moment of pleasure that eventually becomes nothing more than a shadow of clouds. I’ll keep him alive and confine him in the sarcophagus you once stayed. A hundred years, a thousand years. How long can he remember you for? This so-called love is merely fleeting. If he dies, it must be suicide. A pity that neither of you will re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. You have no next life.”

Jing Lin was suddenly dragged out of the hall. He looked at Lord Jiutian on the lonesome throne up there which could only accommodate one standing person.

Once again, Lord Jiutian closed his gray eye and nodded to Jing Lin with his palms joined together.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin was detained in the sarcophagus. This time, even his eyes were blindfolded. He was securely bound all over, and his hearing and sense of smell had been completely sealed off. All that remained was the sense of touch when he scraped his head against the wall.

Jing Lin could not break free. The wall seemed rough and bumpy. He pressed against those bloodied lines, finding them incomparably familiar.

Jing Lin did not know how long time had passed before he got to see the light of the day again. The long stairway of Ninth Heaven Terrace was already full of people standing. Men in silver armors supported him up as they slowly ascended the stairs. Both sides were dead silent, like cicadas in cold winter.

♦     ♦     ♦

Fei Luo and Yining sat together on the terrace. On seeing Jing Lin, Fei Luo retracted his legs and straightened up in his seat. He pushed the small dish of melon seeds away and said listlessly, “Don’t tell me he’s the one on trial today? But he’s Lord Linsong! I’ve never been one who can bear to see the pretty ones suffer. I’d better not watch.”

Yining swept a glance at Jing Lin and said to Fei Luo, “Dong Jun is going to be put on trial today too. Weren’t you once humiliated by him? You can watch to your heart’s content today.”

Embarrassed, Fei Luo said, “Since when have I ever been humiliated? Never at all!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin arrived on the terrace. A sea and mountain of monks circled around him, while Lord Jiutian sat in the middle in the heart of the lotus. Dong Jun was also standing at the front. Although his hands were tied, he looked as if he was out on a leisurely stroll around the courtyard. He even turned his head back to greet Jing Lin upon hearing the sounds of footsteps.

“With such a grand display of splendor this day, you and I could be said to have died worthy deaths.” Dong Jun said breezily. “Demon Slayer, Lord Linsong. I have not dishonored my name as a devil of the Blood Sea by dying with you. It’s just that I’ve been someone’s son for a few thousand years, yet I’ve passed for a grandson³ instead. That doesn’t make me very happy.”

Jing Lin exchanged glances with him for a moment. He did not ask about Cang Ji, but instead said, “The winter in Zhongdu is about to pass. If you die, then who is going to summon spring again in the future?”

“Who the hell cares?” Dong Jun laughed out loud. “If those millions of people were to be frozen to death, then they would all be my companions in death, wouldn’t they? That pleases me.”

“A leopard can never change his spots.” Lord Jiutian’s eyes were opened. Having become the True Buddha, he naturally would not address himself as Lord Jiutian. He said in a mild tone, “The Supreme Father took you in as his son out of a compassionate heart. He wanted for you to repent and turn over a new leaf. Yet you took advantage of the Blood Sea calamity to eat innocent children on the sly. Today, you are stewing in your own juices suffering the consequences of your own actions. Kneel now and receive your death sentence.”

Dong Jun said, “Heaven and Earth isn’t my old man. The mass of commoners isn’t my mom. I am a devil of the Blood Sea. You want me to kneel to you, but are you up to being called father by me?”

Lord Jiutian smiled and said, “A glib talker in the art of sophistry.”

Dong Jun raised his neck and burst out laughing from the absurdity of it all. He said, “You’ve mistaken me. I’m the most inarticulate devil in the world.”

“You kill people like cutting down flies, yet you remain impenitent and even collude with the sinner lord, Jing Lin, to hide away an evil being and throw the world into turmoil. Do you realize the error of your ways now?”

Dong Jun’s laughter gradually came to a stop. He said, “I said something that day, but too few people heard it. It wasn’t awe-inspiring enough. With the Three Realms here today, I’ll repeat it to everyone present.”

He turned back and said with a chuckle,

“I am Dong Jun. Such triviality is beneath me.”

The wind instantly rose. Dong Jun’s peach blossom eyes shone brilliantly. In this moment of calamity, he actually demonstrated an immeasurable sense of magnificence and elegance. His laugh was carefree and unrestrained. The wind blew away all the good and evil under that skin of his, turning them into an aboveboard, unbridled willfulness.

“My younger sister, Qing Yao, was born with no one to depend on and died with no place to call home. Heaven and Earth let her down. So I shall let down Heaven and Earth.”

“Qing Yao is the Blood Sea.” Lord Jiutian said, “You conspire together to let loose a calamity upon the world, so how can you still say that Heaven and Earth have let her down? Dong Jun, you’ve lost your mind.”

With that, he lifted his finger, and a weight bore down upon both of Dong Jun’s knees, causing him to fall to his knees with a thud.

Lord Jiutian looked at Jing Lin again. He opened his gray eye, putting his regret and shame on display before Jing Lin as he imitated the compassion of the True Buddha that day.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Jing Lin, repent, and salvation is at hand.”

Jing Lin answered as he had in the past. “It’s too late.”

Lord Jiutian did not seem to have the heart as he said, “You are still unwilling to lay down your blade?”

Cutting a filthy and sorry sight, Jing Lin stared at Lord Jiutian and said, “You tell me to lay down my blade, but I have no wish to become a buddha.⁴ I am willing to degenerate. Many years ago, I didn’t understand why humans love, so I made hatred the one and only thing in my life. But, I raised a fish. And from then on, hatred no longer existed. You want me to lay down my blade, but I was born a sword. To put it down, you’ll need me to die.”

Lord Jiutian suddenly rose, and the Sanskrit scripts whirled around and glowed. He looked down at Jing Lin and said, “You are guilty of the most heinous crime. Since you have no desire to attain Buddhahood and cultivate your moral character, then the only path left for you is death.”

“Since it’s the trial today, we might as well finish what we started.” Jing Lin’s wrists swayed lightly; then his voice spread far and wide. “The eight sons and one father of Ninth Heaven Sect are all guilty of sin. Their sins lie in aiding and abetting the evil-doer, in concealing their selfish desires from Heaven, in obstructing and thwarting Cangdi, and in indiscriminately killing the innocent. Who present here dares to escape his guilt? We call ourselves the commander-in-chief of Heaven, of Earth, and of the Three Realms, but it’s all a lie loaded with ulterior motives!”

Jing Lin stirred up the wind, which sent his long sleeves billowing. He mocked all of Heaven and Earth. But then he saw Lord Jiutian stepping across the golden waves as he came flying down.

“You committed patricide and regicide, and harbored an evil being.” When Lord Jiutian raised his palm, a floating image of a giant palm materialized behind him. He said, “You covertly conspired with canglong to bring disaster upon Zhongdu. In this day and hour, there’s no keeping you alive!”

Jing Lin said, “You reap what you sow.”

That magical seal came smashing down on him with a thunderous crash. Jing Lin kicked himself off the ground and saw Ninth Heaven Terrace collapsed with a crash. In the twinkling of an eye, his surroundings descended into chaos.

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun propped himself up with his knees and raised his head to say aloud, “Do it!”

Fei Luo instantly kicked the table and flipped it over, then said to Yining, “Although I’ve been somewhat coerced into doing this, at the end of the day, I still can’t bear to see a pretty one sad! Today…”

How would there still be anyone beside him? He turned his head for a look, only to see Yining brandishing his sleeves. The gargantuan body of Shuran instantly emerged from those Qiankun sleeves.⁵ Following right after, Fu Li transformed into a bird and charged out. Both beasts kept pace with one another as they dashed towards Jing Lin.

Fei Luo instantly stomped his foot. “So you’re a secret agent too!”

Yining, all prim and proper, humbly said, “What a coincidence.”

♦     ♦     ♦

Shuran was already standing before Jing Lin as a shield the very instant the latter was trapped. He puffed up his cheeks and blew out a gust of wind, and the various monks all tilted back in unison. The gale wreaked havoc in its path as it raged forth. Lord Jiutian’s palm was already ruthlessly bearing down on them.

Shuran’s massive body held up against the weight. Then he transformed back into human form with a “poof”. The color drained from his face as he roared, “His strength is too great for me to bear! My lord, please retreat!”

The shackles between Jing Lin’s wrist remained intact. Fu Li swooped down. Holding Jing Lin in her mouth and gripping Shuran in her claws, she made to flee. Unexpectedly, the sky seemed to collapse at just a soft snort from Lord Jiutian. The waves of clouds all around came crashing down on them. Even a flying Fu Li could not escape it.

“A motley crew who knows not of their own limitations.”

Lord Jiutian’s giant palm came slapping down. Fu Li felt as though Mount Tai was crushing down on her and instantly coughed out blood and tumbled to the ground. Sanskrit scripts scattered and whirled all over in the air. Very quickly, they enlarged and went hurling down the sides of Ninth Heaven Terrace to wall in the crowd securely.

Lord Jiutian strode a step out. Jing Lin endured the pressure in silence as he sweated profusely. Both of his knees felt as though they were bearing the weight of a mountain. Even so, he would not kneel.

“I alone reign supreme in all of Heaven and Earth.”

Lord Jiutian looked askance at the crowd with a smile and enunciated each word.

“Pledge your allegiance to me. All those who oppose me shall perish!”

Jing Lin took a sudden step closer. His sweat trickled down along his temples.

“My son wants to kill his father again. But you have now lost the Lotus of Compassion, and Yan Quan is all covered in dust and rust. You can’t even break free of this chain.” Lord Jiutian raised his palm as he spoke, and the cries of an infant rang out at once. “Once I kill him, the Lotus of Compassion will return to my hands. I initially wanted to leave you a path to the underworld, but you just had to do things this way. Jing Lin, everyone here today will all die because of you.”

Golden light instantly erupted before his eyes, and countless illusory giant palms came smacking down upon him. The force and might of it shattered the chain binding Jing Lin’s wrists. He backhandedly drew out Yan Quan Sword through the air. Azure light broke through the clouds and materialized along with the sword and went sweeping with the force of a thunderbolt towards Lord Jiutian.

But in a split second, the wind ceased.

Lord Jiutian intercepted the sword with a finger, and Yan Quan Sword cracked. He said, “Unrepentant as ever. Time for you to die.”

With that, he lifted his palm to strike.

All of a sudden, the luminous thread on Jing Lin’s wrist lit up. Immediately right after, the blood fog curled up wildly beneath his feet. He heard that wall of Sanskrit scripts instantaneously broke apart as a sudden burst of dragon roar swept across Heaven and Earth.

♦     ♦     ♦

“Since you will die, why not give this entire body of flesh and blood to me? I’ll chew it all up and swallow it. From then on, you and I will never be separated again.”

Strong wind surged down from above. A man in a long, black and red robe stood atop the wall of Sanskrit scripts facing up against the wind. His black hair fluttered backward, revealing a pair of penetratingly sharp and uninhibitedly wild eyes. Blood fog burst apart beneath his feet, pouncing and pounding like the raging sea. Countless devils bowed to his command, and for a moment, demons and the like swarmed rampantly forth. Heaven and Earth were already awash in a different hue.

“You only need to remain in my heart. Don’t go anywhere else.”

Cang Ji descended along with the sound of his laughter. A gust of wind came assaulting Lord Jiutian in the face, and he saw that dragon claw burst into view before his eyes. It tore apart the wind and struck Lord Jiutian right on target. A thunderous “bang” rang out as Ninth Heaven Realm shook from the impact.

When the wind and smoke dispersed, Lord Jiutian merely laughed and said, “The great devil is now born. You ought to be executed in accordance with the laws of Heaven! I thought you would flee, but you serve yourself up on a platter.”

Cang Ji said, “My wife is here. I wouldn’t dare not to come.”

Blood spattered the moment he said that. A dragon claw clutched Lord Jiutian by his face and swung him against the wind before smashing him hard into the wall of Sanskrit scripts. The entire wall shattered in response, and Sanskrit scripts danced all over the sky. The various monks behind him struck out their palms in unison, and the manifestation of the spell went blanketing down on Cang Ji.

Cang Ji raised an arm in a block and shattered it with a loud crash, all without turning his head back.

Lord Jiutian felt the pressure of his power, but he maintained his composure and waved away the Sanskrit scripts. He said coldly, “I am Heaven…”

Cang Ji hissed, “I am a dragon born to devour Heaven and Earth. The five cardinal virtues⁶ are, to me, merely amusement; while the precepts are, to me, nothing more than trash. You want to be Heaven.”

His evil aura was forbidding.

“Then that, is some junk for me to tear into pieces and chew to bits.”

真身 refers to the real body of Buddha or a god/deity

basically

孙子 literally grandson, a contemptuous and disdainful term used to cuss someone; kind of like wretch, bastard, etc.

From the line 放下屠刀，立地成佛 literally, the butcher who lays down his cleaver at once becomes a Buddha, i.e., a wrongdoer achieves salvation as soon as he gives up evil.

乾坤 Qiankun means Heaven and Earth, or a universe. Literally, it’s saying there’s another interspatial ‘universe’ in Yining’s sleeves, one which he could use as an interspatial inventory.

五常 five constant virtues of Confucianism, namely: benevolence (仁), righteousness (义), propriety (礼), wisdom (智), and fidelity (信).

Chapter 125: Red Thread

OCTOBER 16, 2020

The waves of clouds dispersed to reveal the sight of Lord Jiu stepping on the lotus. Billowing waves of golden light burst forth from the blood fog with such unsurpassed magnificence that it intimidated the evil spirits all around.

Cang Ji transformed one of his arms into a claw. There was redness faintly discernible amid his jetblack scales. To evolve into a dragon, he had devoured all of the Blood Sea, only for Lord Jiutian to seal him in the eastern sea with just one finger. If not for a stroke of luck, he would still be buried underwater. Yet, he did not retreat even a step in the face of Buddha’s aura.

The eastern sea begets a great devil.

The eastern sea yearns to evolve into a dragon.

Jing Lin had never expected these two predictions to be referring to Cang Ji. He saw Cang Ji looking back from where he was amidst the devils, and he unexpectedly felt a twinge of yearning—as though three autumns had passed for each day he did not see him.¹

The golden lotus came hurtling over at high speed along with the waves. Sounds of explosions filled their ears. Cang Ji had already sprung up into the air, with the blood fog following close on his heels behind him. The lotus water of the Brahma Altar churned violently. Both men had a tendency for bold and sweeping moves, and it proved difficult for Ninth Heaven Terrace to bear the brunt of their ferocity. Sanskrit scripts bombarded Ninth Heaven Realm and scattered, while claps of thunder boomed among the sea of clouds.

♦     ♦     ♦

Fei Luo was about to engage in close combat when someone tripped him and sent him tumbling. He did a forward roll and flipped over to his feet. Just as he was about to flare up with rage, he saw Dong Jun retracting his leg and lifting his hands.

“What did you do that for?!” Fei Luo’s wariness of him was pretty severe.

Dong Jun raised his chin and motioned. “Untie me.”

Dong Jun had a handle against Fei Luo, so Fei Luo had no other choice but to remove the chains for him. Then he saw Dong Jun’s slender, fair hands, with wrists that were just the right thickness, spread out before his face. The tip of his nose instantly felt a little hot. He jumped back and said, “What now?!”

Dong Jun said, “Where’s my fan? Give it back to me.”

It was then Fei Luo started digging in his sleeves. Not finding it, he groped around his waist before fishing out Shan He Fan from behind—only to see that he had sat on the fan until its surface was just a big mass of ink.

“You couldn’t have spat saliva on it, could you?” Dong Jun took the fan with extreme disdain and clicked his tongue in wonder. “It has only been a few hours since I handed it to you.”

Fei Luo’s eyes wandered. He did not dare to look at Dong Jun right in the eyes. He snorted inwardly to himself, but he was afraid of seeing Dong Jun’s face, so he kept the snort to himself and merely craned his neck and said, “It’s just a fan…”

Before he could finish his words, he saw the fan come smacking down upon him out of the corner of his eyes. Fei Luo dodged it, wanting to escape the hit, but Dong Jun hauled him back by the front of his clothes. Both men collided into each other.

Fei Luo said, “You hit me!”

With a “thud”, Dong Jun hit away the incoming sword with his fan. But he still wanted to tease him, so he said, “How would I bear to hit you? The little mouse has lost his mind! Go look for Li Rong. The time for Li Rong to redeem himself is here!”

With that, he kicked Fei Luo’s back. Fei Luo promptly rolled away from the glints and flashes of cold steels and dashed nimbly towards Zhui Hun Prison.

Sniffing the scent of the Blood Sea, Dong Jun could not help but feel comfortable all over. He opened his fan to cover his face and said politely all around, “May I trouble everyone to close your eyes? I feel rather shy before such a large crowd.”

He had only just said that when Shuran immediately crouched down and covered his head with his hands, yelling to his left and right, “He’s the Blood Sea’s evil form. Don’t look at him squarely in the face!”

Dong Jun raised his peach blossom eyes. Contrary to expectation, his face did not change, but a towering dark shadow materialized behind him. For a brief moment, the image of that black shadow crystallized into one with evil eyes the color of nightmares all over it. The instant Dong Jun’s evil form appeared, the chanting came to an abrupt stop. He shifted his fan a little to reveal his face, and the black figure behind him spread over the sky to cover up the golden light in an instant. The next moment, Dong Jun sprang off the ground right towards the various monks.

“It’s so boring to deliver humans and demons from suffering.² Why not deliver me today instead?”

♦     ♦     ♦

Yining landed beside Jing Lin and said, “Is your Yan Quan there?”

Jing Lin spread out his palms and said to him, “It’s already broken.”

“You were born a sword. As long as you exist, the sword exists.” Saying so, he looked at Lord Jiutian and Cang Ji in the distance among the thick clouds and dense fog. He said, “The copper could have assisted you in reforging your sword if it’s still with you. But it has already aided Dijun into evolving into a dragon. To forge your sword, you have to find another way.”

“You know of the copper bell too.” Jing Lin turned his head aside.

“It indeed took me a lot of effort to send you down the mortal realm. That copper bell…” Yining paused, then continued, “This is not the time for idle chat. If you want to reforge the sword, you must get back the Lotus of Compassion. The child is hidden away in the Supreme Father’s Qiankun sleeves.”

Jing Lin looked over once again and saw that Cang Ji had already broken through several walls in a row, while Lord Jiutian seemed to be barely holding on. Wind stirred beneath Jing Lin’s feet. The man in azure rose in a few steps and promptly came to Cang Ji’s side.

The luminous thread tied around both men’s wrists lit up in the chaos. Cang Ji’s dragon claw exploded out in an attack, yet his other human hand grasped hold of Jing Lin with precision. He kicked himself off the ground, rising once more.

Black robe flapped noisily in the air. Lord Jiutian’s palm came for his face, but then he saw Cang Ji step into the air and turn around. Jing Lin instantly sidestepped past him and used the momentum of his massive strength to charge his way right before Lord Jiutian.

Yan Quan was already broken. Yet Jing Lin conjured out a long sword formed out of azure light and swept it hard towards Lord Jiutian’s neck. Lord Jiutian raised his palms to grab it, and the azure light sword shattered. Rage blazed in his black eyes. “You’re courting death!”

The magic seal came smashing down with a thunderous crash, but Jing Lin did not retreat. Instead, there was a weight on the luminous thread on his wrist, and his entire person was hauled backward into the air. Cang Ji’s dragon claw arrived immediately right after and bore the impact of Ninth Heaven’s magic seal. The next instant, the pressure in the air sank; the magic seal had collapsed.

Lord Jiutian pointed to the sky with one finger and to the ground with one finger and recited a series of deafening chants. Heaven and Earth rapidly drew together into an all-encompassing, earth-shattering force. Golden light pierced through the thundering sea of clouds and fell abruptly like steel needles.

The world before their eyes suddenly plunged into darkness.

The sound of killing was far away on the horizon, but Jing Lin suddenly broke out profusely in cold sweat. The unseen intimidating force seemed to be the power of Heaven that no one could resist. He heard something split open. However, this oppressiveness did not pervade any further, because a dragon roar rang out beside him.

In the pitch-black darkness, Jing Lin’s fingers clearly felt Cang Ji’s hand turning into a dragon claw. The feel of those hard and sharp dragon scales pressed up close against him as an icy cold behemoth slid swiftly under his fingers.

♦     ♦     ♦

“What are we to do if we can’t see?” Fu Li, who was kicking over people at the moment, turned her head back and yelled, “Shuran! Fire!”

Before Shuran could answer, he saw a standing umbrella that seemed like a faint, ghostly light. Huashang lifted her finger to point to the front and said, “The Heavenly Fire Furnace is in Zhui Hun Prison. Knock it over, and there will be light!”

Zui Shan Seng hoisted his staff over his shoulder and stepped across the sky to make his way over.

But Fu Li said, “Time waits for no man! At present…”

Their words abruptly turned vague as an earthshaking dragon roar tore through the wind. The strong wind extinguished Huashang’s ghostly light and threw Ninth Heaven Realm into darkness.

A massive dragon sprang out of the boundless darkness at lightning speed. Azure light enveloped his entire body like armor. The moment he soared from the clouds, the convergence of Heaven and Earth was knocked back. That gargantuan body surpassed that of Buddha’s beast, and even Dong Jun’s evil form. It was so colossal that his dragon tail was, for a moment, not visible.

Canglong broke out of the darkness and roared. Jing Lin took up position on the dragon’s head. The imposing air of the combined force of both men actually looked as if they would be capable of tearing apart Heaven and Earth. Jing Lin conjured out an azure light that furiously circled around the dragon body like the wind to become the only light in Heaven and Earth.

Cang Ji suddenly broke through the obstacles, and Lord Jiutian’s magical barrier collapsed with a thunderous boom. With open eyes, he watched coldly as Cang Ji roared and charged at him, yet he stretched out his arms to him in a welcome.

“You are a dragon born to devour Heaven and Earth. But have you ever thought what a magnificent sight it will be when you’re being devoured?”

Lord Jiutian laughed in the wind. His human form dissolved and gradually transformed into a behemoth with fire revolving all over its body. This beast had four savage horns, four hooves that bore a striking resemblance to dragon claws, and a big and thick tail like lightning and fire.

“It was only after being the True Buddha that I understood that I am Heaven and Earth, as well as all living creatures.” Lord Jiutian spoke in human language. “I know the past of the world. You are just a mere dragon. Not seeing an ancient beast before has made you so wild and unruly. I’ll break your scales and head today and save you for my meal!”

The hou³ that Lord Jiutian transformed into galloped toward Cang Ji. The roars of the two beasts pierced through the clouds, shattering the rocks. Resisting the wind, Jing Lin looked ahead and saw Lord Jiutian’s fire winding around the dragon body, blazing until crackles could be heard. It was only then he understood that this beast was no ordinary creature.

The dragon had already coiled around the hou’s body. Jing Lin’s azure talisman rose overhead, and the torrential rain came pouring at once to assist Cang Ji. Both sides were engaged in battle, and the biting and tearing of this hou penetrated through the scales on the dragon’s body, sending blood spurting.

♦     ♦     ♦

When Cang Ji was born, there were no longer any ancient beasts in the world. As such, he had no opponent that was his original form’s match. Consequently, he was arrogant to the max as he lorded it all over the world. Who knew that this ancient beast Lord Jiutian transformed into could not only break through his scales and tear his flesh; it could also consume and spout fire.

Cang Ji had never conceded defeat and submitted to anyone else before. Ruthlessness brimmed in his eyes as he ripped into the hou beast until the latter howled in pain. The rain continued to pour. The distinction between day and night in the Three Realms had already blurred, and the four seasons were all out of whack. While they were locked in a fierce battle in Ninth Heaven Realm, Zhongdu had also plunged into a state of moral⁴ anarchy.

The hou’s claws flung the body of the dragon down. Cang Ji crashed into the palace pavilion, stirring up a roiling wave of clouds. Lord Jiutian pinned down the dragon body with his claws, tearing at him until Cang Ji’s scales went flying all over. Enduring the pain, Cang Ji transformed back into human form. Lord Jiutian followed suit. His palms were already badly mangled.

“An ant trying to shake a tree!”⁵

Lord Jiutian scoffed and was about to unleash his killing move when Cang Ji suddenly seized one of his arms and threw him to the ground. Lord Jiutian smacked the ground with his palm during his fall and bounced to his feet. The sleeve on that arm was already completely ripped apart.

Countless treasures tumbled down, and an infant’s wail rang out among those treasures. That lotus on the palm swayed in mid-air and followed the child into a plummet down towards Zhongdu.

Lord Jiutian strode a step out with the intent to chase after the child. Cang Ji had already flipped over to his feet. He had no weapons, but the force of his punches and kicks beat Lord Jiutian repeatedly back in a retreat.

Jing Lin trod the wind and followed in pursuit. But the cries of the child in the darkness faded in and out over the place. As Jing Lin hesitated, he saw a flame blazing in the direction of Zhui Hun Prison as the Heavenly Fire Furnace toppled over to the ground. In that very instant, the Ninth Heaven Realm began to burn.

Breaking free from the clouds, the hai jiao leaped forth and transformed into his human form to catch the child into his arms. Zong Yin swiftly strode towards Jing Lin, who reached out a finger to touch the child’s little palm.

But nothing happened.

The infant’s teary eyes gazed at Jing Lin. Jing Lin’s palm was empty. His spiritual sea was already exhausted, and his original form was still deathly still.

“It doesn’t work…” Zong Yin said in astonishment. “Why is it not working?!”

Jing Lin frowned as he looked at his palm. He wanted to summon the little stone figure, only to find his sleeve empty. Even the stone was nowhere to be seen.

How could this happen?

Zui Shan Seng’s staff was erected below his feet. He squatted on top of it and shouted to Dong Jun from afar, “Did you miscalculate?!”

Even Dong Jun was uncharacteristically dazed. He said, “That shouldn’t be. How can that be? Don’t tell me he really has to eat the child?”

Cang Ji went smashing into the ground. Lord Jiutian’s hou form pinned down on him from behind until he could not even let loose a dragon roar. He propped himself up and turned over to let out a kick at Lord Jiutian. Evil spirits surged forth towards Lord Jiutian.

Lord Jiutian’s beast cry boomed out, the force of which even caused the surrounding blood fog to disperse. He said, “I know the world. Even if you’re a dragon, you won’t be able to flaunt your might any longer. Do you know what the beast hou is fond of eating when it still exists?”

He tightened his grip as he clutched Cang Ji’s throat.

“It has an appetite for dragons’ brains. You devour Heaven and Earth, but you’ve never tried for yourself what your own self tastes like.”

Cang Ji gripped Lord Jiutian’s arms tightly. His vulnerability lay exposed on his throat.

Lord Jiutian said with pity, “You originally had no weakness. If you had killed Jing Lin on that day you met him at Nan Chan, you would not have to suffer this fate today. But, in the end, you didn’t do it.”

Lord Jiutian transformed his other hand into the claw of a hou. Blood was already seeping out from Cang Ji’s throat.

Lord Jiutian said, “The instant you came to possess a weakness, you’ve lost.”

That claw came swiping down in a split second, about to gouge and sever Cang Ji’s throat.

The torrential rain pelted, and it was in this moment that Jing Lin remembered that voice as their foreheads pressed together.

“You’re alive.” 

Jing Lin saw the wind coming at him from Cang Ji. It sent his sleeves, robe, and wet hair flapping. A sob suddenly bubbled up his throat, but he swiftly suppressed it. He strode a step out and soared through the air towards him.

♦     ♦     ♦

Those phantom images 1,400 years ago that brushed by him overlapped one another at this moment and merged. Tears had already welled up in Jing Lin’s eyes. Yet, those eyes were also brimming with cold malevolence.

As he stepped across the wind, he gathered the howling wind in his palm. There seemed to be something fracturing with a “crack”. Following right after, his spiritual sea swelled and rose, and the cold glint of Yan Quan materialized and broke through the heavy rain and gale.

Before Lord Jiutian’s claw could swoop down, that number one sword in Heaven and Earth was already before him. In the blink of an eye, it struck aside the gold-glowing True Buddha. Jing Lin gnashed his teeth and said in a frosty tone,

“The audacity of you to dare to kill him!”

♦     ♦     ♦

The soughing of the wind in the pines roared, while the snowy glint of Yan Quan dazzled. In this very instant, the luminous thread around their wrists abruptly changed color. Red thread⁶ came to life like the grasses of spring to wind around them, intimately connecting them together.

The copper bell tinkled.

一日不见，如隔三秋 A single day apart feels like a separation of three autumns (three years). i.e., to miss someone very much.

(超)渡(or 度) redeem lost souls and help them find peace by making offerings and chanting sutras; deliver souls from suffering

犼 Hou, a mythical creature, also known as denglong. Some legends have it that hou is one of the Dragon King’s sons and also the mount of the Bodhisattva Guanyin.

五常 five constant virtues of Confucianism, namely: benevolence (仁), righteousness (义), propriety (礼), wisdom (智), and fidelity (信).

蚍蜉撼树 literally an ant trying to shake a tree; i.e. overrate oneself.

The red thread is a Thread of Fate or Marriage, which is used by the Deity of Marriages to connect and bring two destined lovers together.

Chapter 126: Awakening of Insects

OCTOBER 20, 2020

The golden light evaded the flashes from the sword, vaguely dimming a little. Cang Ji seized the opportunity and rose. The turbulent clouds under his feet had already scattered, turning into a succession of blooming azure lotuses.

Red thread spiraled around the hilt of Jing Lin’s reforged Yan Quan Sword, covering it. His spiritual sea, which had always been at a standstill, rushed up maniacally like the river returning to the sea. It intersected with the dragon aura, propelling him into the supreme stage of great accomplishment.

Both men stepped across the lotuses together and charged towards Lord Jiutian.

Amid the light of the fire, Lord Jiutian cast himself in the golden body of the True Buddha to tower majestically over them. At the wave of his hand, the storm stirred again, and Sanskrit scripts swelled up into a great barrier of golden light. The light barrier shook in response to the rise of Jing Lin’s sword, and Cang Ji’s fist came smashing hard into it immediately right after. Unable to stand up to the impact of the force, the light barrier shattered into countless Sanskrit scripts. However, in the blink of an eye, the Sanskrit scripts spiraled around in the air once more to construct a barrier of light to obstruct them.

Lord Jiutian’s forms were ever-changing. He prided himself on being Heaven and Earth, and boasted of thoroughly knowing the world. As such, he believed himself to be all creatures, and all creatures to be him. His forms were no more than skin bags to host himself in. As he morphed forms, he could manifest the appearances of all beasts.

The Heavenly Fire had already blazed its way to the mortal realm. Even the sea of clouds was smoking. Waves of blood oozed all around as the evil spirits lay prostrated in silence. The various deities and demons blended together at one spot and looked up to watch the battlefield where an intense battle was underway. They had already fought until it was utter chaos.

♦     ♦     ♦

With his black eye bright, Lord Jiutian wearily closed his gray eye and said, “Both of you are still as stubborn and unrepentant.”

A spear suddenly came striking down from the air, and the light shield above Lord Jiutian’s head went spattering all over with a “bang”. The murderous aura of Po Zheng Spear was palpable as Li Rong came to their aid.

Lord Jiutian raised his eyes and said, “So you want to sink into depravity and die together with them.”

Li Rong turned his spear over with one arm and landed on the lotus. His wounds had yet to heal, but he said, “This has nothing to do with the others. I have one wish in life, and that is for you to die. For this reason, I’ll not balk even if I were to end up deserted by all and even if I have to slaughter all my kin and friends.”

“You appear to be open and aboveboard, but in actuality, you’re not. You want me to die, but you aren’t willing to face me head-on. All you dare to do is to hit a man when he is down.” Lord Jiutian said with a mocking smile. “Even if you help them both today, they still won’t let you off easily in the days to come.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Li Rong clenched Po Zheng Spear tightly and stared fixedly at him. “Father guided me towards the Way of the Asura, not knowing that the Way of Asura is a lonely path with no kin and no friends. I have no need for anyone’s forgiveness. Retribution is only to be expected after having done what I’ve done to this day.”

The moment he said that, he saw the evil form spreading over the sky. Dong Jun leaned against the ruins of the broken wall.

“Since we are about to be parted by life and death, then let us father and sons bid each other farewell.” Dong Jun tapped his forehead with his fan and said with a smile, “I was born of the Blood Sea, but what is the Blood Sea? The Blood Sea is the source of evil in Heaven and Earth. Many years ago, the True Buddha came to beget lust and selfish desires and became Lord Jiutian. To control karma and the cycle of reincarnation, Lord Jiutian decided to raise this source of evil as a beast under his command. Who would have expected it to become a little maiden with a heart of mercy despite knowing of all the suffering in the world? Tell me, isn’t Heaven and Earth ridiculous? It always loves to toy with all the living creatures like this. It gave Qing Yao an extremely evil origin, yet it also gave Qing Yao an extremely kind heart.”

Dong Jun’s smile had already grown cold at this point.

“Qing Yao had already come to possess an altruistic heart to sacrifice herself and deliver the masses from suffering. She knew her death was impending, yet she still wanted to leave you a way out to repent. She called you father. Knowing that those millions of people in Zhongdu who have died because of the Blood Sea would never re-enter the cycle of reincarnation, that there would be no rebirth for them, she asked Shengyue for help. Shengyue enlightened and guided Lan Hai into forging the copper bell, and Qing Yao kept those countless souls with nowhere to go within. This bell did not appear for Jing Lin’s sake. It was meant to give you the chance to atone for your sins and make up for your mistakes.”

The True Buddha’s gray eye widened, and tears welled up on one half of his face. He said, “It’s time I suffer the consequences of my own actions today…” The next moment, the black eye dominated the entire body again. With an expression that had instantly turned ruthless, Lord Jiutian said, “If they were true and sincere towards me, they would not have left such a cursed object behind. Everyone in the world has failed me too much!”

“That’s enough already.” Cang Ji ripped off the bloodied sleeves on his arms. “I’ll give you a quick end.”

Gradually, Lord Jiutian grew deranged, with half his face laughing and the other half of his face weeping. His voice fluctuated as he said, “I am beyond the reach of reincarnation. I have already become Heaven and Earth. What can you do? No one can destroy me!”

Li Rong lifted his spear and struck. Dong Jun followed close behind him. Lord Jiutian’s magic seal instantly went up, its golden light increasingly bursting forth as he was flanked and attacked on both sides.

Wind howled, clouds churned. The Heavenly Fire blazed.

Carrying his sword, Jing Lin moved forward and gradually stepped into the air. He was as calm as still water at this moment. The wind surged and circled Yan Quan Sword. As he swept the sword up, the red thread intersected, and Cang Ji grabbed hold of his wrist from behind. His dragon aura instantly revolved around the sword, and once again, Yan Quan was covered in snow-white light as a dragon motif wandered all over it.

With the symbiosis of the merciless sword and Lotus of Compassion in one body, the light from the sword solidified into the shape of canglong in the air. One dragon and one sword coexisted in harmony and took aim at Lord Jiutian, while the Heavenly Fire, emboldened by the wind, intensified.

Li Rong’s Po Zheng Spear smashed down on Jiu Tian’s magic seal, and Dong Jun’s Shan He Fan swept through the golden light immediately right after. Lord Jiutian had already unveiled his golden body amidst both men’s pincer attacks. He lifted his palm to meet their blows, but Jing Lin and Cang Ji were already both right before him. That towering Buddha’s statue collided with both the massive dragon and flashes of the sword, from which azure light burst forth and exploded. With a deafening bang, Ninth Heaven Realm collapsed.

♦     ♦     ♦

Yan Quan Sword sank deep into Lord Jiutian’s golden body, and Lord Jiutian shouted himself hoarse in the violent gale, “I am Heaven and Earth!”

That pair of eyes abruptly changed into a gentle shade of gray as a black fog rose from the body in an attempt to flee. Red thread swiftly weaved into a net to hold him in. Canglong’s dragon body sprang up into the air and swooped down to devour that mass of black fog in one gulp.

Jing Lin watched as he grasped his sword and saw those gray eyes looking at him. The True Buddha caressed the sword body with his fingers and said softly, “My son has grown up…”

The True Buddha gazed into the distance and suddenly smiled. An indistinct phantom image of sheer fabric dancing in the air appeared behind Jing Lin’s earth-shaking sword. Shengyue hovered in the air and reached out her arms, covered in those sheer fabric, towards the True Buddha.

The True Buddha suddenly shed silent tears.

Many years ago, the monk in plain cotton clothing stood in solemn silence by the riverside, where he saw a boat crossing over at an angle. The goddess on the boat was bare-footed, with bells around her ankles, and sheer fabric encircling her bare arms. He watched, enthralled. In that instant, he was overcome by emotions, and ever since then, he could not forget that slim, delicate beauty who was as mesmerizing as the apricot blooms in spring.

The True Buddha joined his palms together, and his fingertips instantly turned into luminous light. Both of them dispersed with the wind, turning into nothing more than twinkling fragments of light.

All living beings have a spirit. Whether a human or a deity, no one can escape the basic desires of a spiritual being. Heaven and Earth are the world, and the world embraces life. This is eternity. It is not something a single person can ever covet.

♦     ♦     ♦

Dong Jun looked back as the realm collapsed and saw the water clouds in the realm breaking free of its dam and turning into a vast expanse of luminous light that danced away from him. His evil form silently dissolved away into the night, and the malevolent aura he was brimming all over with vanished along with it.

The phantom image of the copper bell swayed gently.

Dong Jun reached out his fingers to take it, but then he saw the copper bell shattering into luminous light too. He seemed to see Qing Yao sitting on her heels among the cluster of flowers, and in his trance, he could feel the scorching hot wind of the sixth lunar month blowing in his face. Qing Yao yelled out a “gege” to him.

Dong Jun let out a self-mocking laugh. He looked up and heaved a deep sigh, then muttered under his breath, “I’m the most ferocious devil in Heaven and Earth… How am I deserving enough to be called your elder brother? That’s all there is to me.”

Zui Shan Seng picked up Xiang Mo Staff and said behind him, “Your wish is fulfilled. Where are you going from here?”

Dong Jun’s low mood was promptly swept away clean. He opened his fan to fan himself and said, “Me? The world is so big; no doubt I’ll go where it pleases me to. My old man died today; I’ll have a few drinks with you first.”

Zui Shan Seng turned his eyes to look at Li Rong and said, “I have yet to defeat him. I still need to go into seclusion and cultivate further.”

But Dong Jun said, “If you give him a kick right this moment, he’ll lose for sure.”

Zui Shan Seng said, “How can I do that?”

So Dong Jun said, “See. People like you are destined to never get what you desire. In that case, why don’t you follow me? All the devils in the world have become Dijun’s lackeys. I’m the only one who roams free and at large out there. Can you rest easy knowing that?”

But Zui Shan Seng said, “I have come to realize one thing these 1,400 years.”

Dong Jun turned around and said, “Let’s hear it.”

“The reason you cultivate the Way of Life is not to suppress yourself, but because this is you.” Zui Shan Seng spread out his hands. Xiang Mo Staff could not hold up anymore and broke into several pieces again. Revealing a little smile on his rigid face, he said to Dong Jun, “You are no longer a devil. What you can’t understand is not ‘humans’, but yourself. Dong Jun, you and I will part ways from now on. I’m not going to kill you anymore.”

Dong Jun let out a shadow of a smile in the wind, but he did not answer. Zui Shan Seng turned around to leave, his old cassock gradually turning into the linen clothing of a commoner. He left Ninth Heaven Realm, just as decisively as he had left the Northern Lands back then.

Alone, Dong Jun touched the tip of his nose and back-handedly grabbed hold of Fei Luo, who was slinking away.

Fei Luo struggled and said, “I’ve done all the bad stuff! It’s time I go home!”

“Take me along.” Dong Jun looked back and said, “I want to go home too.”

Fei Luo said in terror, “Then go on!”

Dong Jun knitted his brows in sorrow and said, “I’m all alone. I have no home. Even Zui Shan Seng doesn’t want me anymore. The world is so big out there; I have no one to rely on.”

Fei Luo saw how downcast and lost he looked with the loneliness in his eyes. He was clearly a picture of a melancholic beauty, so he could not help but feel sorry for him. Not remembering what Dong Jun’s original form was, he said hesitantly, “The King of Hell’s Palace is very cold…”

Dong Jun lifted his legs and started walking, “No worries. I heard that you have countless beauties. Don’t they speak of the fragrance and warmth of a beauty? It won’t hurt to warm me too!”

Fei Luo moved so fast his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground. In just a moment, he was already flying towards the underworld. He belatedly clung on to Dong Jun’s arm, wanting to say I regret it now. Yet, he could not bring himself to open his mouth.

♦     ♦     ♦

With the collapse of Ninth Heaven, Yan Quan Sword dissipated too. Jing Lin’s robe billowed as he plunged downward in the wind, with each of the old events of the past vivid in his mind. He gazed at that sky and saw canglong penetrate through the clouds and change into human form to chase after him.

Red thread entwined. Their fingertips touched.

Cang Ji pulled Jing Lin into an embrace. The Heavenly Fire fell together with them as they sank towards Zhongdu.

Jing Lin pressed his face against Cang Ji’s chest. He lifted his finger to draw on Cang Ji’s back, gently dragging out the line as if he was drawing a dragon.

“Follow you home.” Jing Lin said. “Marry you.”

Cang Ji’s laughter gradually rose. He whispered to him in the air, “You need to bring gifts along when you propose marriage. You have to give me a little something.”

Jing Lin wrapped his arms around him and said in a muffled voice, “I love you.”

Cang Ji was stroking Jing Lin’s hair when he heard him and burst into hearty laughter. Among the clouds in the wind, he said to him willfully, “Then, I’ll take you home, and we’ll be the most carefree and unfettered lovers in the world.”

Both of them had already fallen into the sphere of Zhongdu. The Heavenly Fire abruptly reversed in the night sky, and the chirp of a fledgling suddenly rang out among the ashes. Brilliant, gorgeous light followed right after, and a phoenix bathed in fire flew over and caught hold of them both.

Fu Li’s voice instantly choked with emotions as she clutched Huashang’s sleeve and said to the crowd around her, “The baby of my family has just grown up. From now on, he will no longer need his Ah Jie to shield him. I’m so happy and so sad at the same time.”

A-Yi pivoted around and soared through the boundless night clouds past the clear, endless wind to lead the lovers towards the vast earth.

Resting his head on A-Yi’s back, Cang Ji pinched Jing Lin’s cheek with both fingers and shouted, “My darling is going home. I’ll make sure that everyone in the Three Realms knows that Lord Linsong is mine from now on.”

Jing Lin saw that the red thread had already been wound into a knot, and there was no one else in mid-air other than the wind. Thus, he said, “Gege.”

Cang Ji moved his head closer and said in response, “What did you call me?”

Jing Lin’s eyes were bright as he hooked his little finger around Cang Ji’s finger. He had not opened his mouth yet.

The phoenix suddenly transformed into human form. A-Yi hugged himself and yelled, “I can’t take this anymore! You guys descend yourselves!”

Cang Ji was not even annoyed as he plunged into the pond with Jing Lin with a “plop”. Water splashed all over. Their hair jointly spread out in the same spot; their fingers, interlocked. Cang Ji quickly broke out of the water and laughed out loud as he leaned over to pin Jing Lin down and pressed his forehead against Jing Lin’s forehead. Reflected in his eyes was the pond water, sparkling and shining.

The darkness in the sky receded, and the curtain of the night vanished as dawn broke. The thunderclouds and lightning also ceased in succession as the wind shoved away the dark clouds. The rain had already come to a halt.

“Sunshine after the rainstorm.” Cang Ji lowered his eyes to kiss Jing Lin’s forehead. “Home we go to make merry to the fullest with you day after day.”

Jing Lin’s wet cheeks pressed in close to him. The tip of his nose nuzzled slightly against Cang Ji as he licked away the water droplets that rolled down Cang Ji’s temple.

Cang Ji squeezed his fingers and tilted his head to kiss him back into the water. The water rippled, and the breeze caressed the ripples.

The Great Snow¹ was over; the Awakening of Insects² was here.

——Main Story End——

Lianyin’s Note:

Three (3) more extras! It isn’t over until the extras are done! ٩(•͈ ꇴ •͈)و ̑̑❀

大雪 Daxue or Great Snow, is the 21st of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. (i.e., Winter)

惊蛰 Jingzhe, literally the “Awakening of Insects,” is the 3rd of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar, when nature reawakens after the winter sleep (i.e., Spring).

Chapter 127: Extra: Wedding Banquet (1)

OCTOBER 25, 2020

The summer heat was in full swing after the busy farming season in spring.

Taking life easy in the King of Hell’s Palace, Dong Jun read through the Life Registry of all the humans in Zhongdu. Seeing him going at it with such gusto put Fei Luo on tenterhooks. He was afraid that Dong Jun might randomly add a few strokes in the registry and change the humans’ predestined fates.

“By right, I’m not supposed to show these to you because of the regulations.” Fei Luo pressed down his bamboo hat to obstruct his gaze as he spoke to Dong Jun.

Dong Jun sipped his wine and turned over to show him his back. Propping up his head, he continued to flip through the pages and said, “What’s the big deal? Heaven has already collapsed. What regulations are they going to preach about? Oh, this person is interesting. It says he’s born in…”

Dong Jun’s voice trailed off, and he let out a laugh.

“Isn’t this Li Rong? So he has already gone down?”

Fei Luo raised his bamboo hat a little and looked at Dong Jun’s back as he said, “He can no longer be a deity, and we can’t kill him either. The only option left is to let him descend once again to Zhongdu to go through eight lifetimes experiencing all the sufferings. Po Zheng Spear is now sealed in the eastern sea. It has already been some days since he descended.”

Dong Jun held the cup and said, “He has gotten off too lightly. I want to go to Zhongdu and play too.”

Fei Luo hurriedly said, “There are many people in Zhongdu, so go ahead; you won’t feel lonely!”

Dong Jun said, “Since you want to chase me away, then all the more I won’t leave. It’s so much more delightful to remain here.”

Dejected, Fei Luo got up and took a few steps to the door before turning back his head to say, “I’ve been busy with work lately, so I won’t play with you anymore.”

Dong Jun waved his hand without even looking back. He was now unburdened with no duties, but he had no place to go, so he stayed at the King of Hell’s Palace to hide at leisure while declining to meet all irrelevant visitors. What’s more, he was uninhibited and unconventional by nature. After getting drunk, he would sleep, with each sleep lasting several days. When he woke up, he would continue to drink freely without a care about the future.

Fei Luo could not figure out his intention. But the way Fei Luo saw it, Dong Jun did not seem to be someone who could shoulder heavy responsibilities either. Ninth Heaven Realm had collapsed. Li Rong had sealed his spear and descended to the mortal world to suffer, while Yun Sheng was detained in the eastern sea. Of the divine lords, he and Lord Linsong were the only ones left. But not only did he hole himself up and refuse to go out, he did not even want to see anyone.

If this man is born in Zhongdu, he would surely be a hedonistic loafer of a wealthy clan’s young master! 

Fei Luo inwardly thought to himself, not daring to voice it out. Then, thinking the better of it, he thought again.

A hedonistic young master is fine too. Just for this looks alone, I’d even be willing to let him sponge off me.

♦     ♦     ♦

Fei Luo had yet to stride out of the palace when a ghost guard swiftly trod over to inform him of the arrival of the little phoenix from the north. Fei Luo crossed over to the hall in a few steps, and as expected, saw an extravagantly and splendidly dressed A-Yi sitting on the chair picking and trying out the desserts on the plate.

“I heard Dong Jun is also here taking a break; then, I won’t need to make another trip.” A-Yi groped around in his sleeves and fished out two wedding invitations.

Seeing how good-looking A-Yi was, Fei Luo could not help but smile as he took the invitations and looked at it. He promptly looked ill and said, “This invitation is for me? I don’t want it! I’m not going to Dijun’s wedding.”

A-Yi wiped his hands. He found this dude to be so ignorant of the proper etiquette that he could not refrain himself from snorting. He said, “In any case, I’ve delivered the invitations. Whether or not you come is your problem. But Dijun remembers you and specially instructed me to come and tell you that it’s not just him and Lord Linsong who will be getting married. Even that Qianyu is going to be in conjugal bliss with Zuo Qingzhou for hundreds of years to come.”

All at once, Fei Luo wanted to fling the invitation away. He said, “I have no grudges and no enmity with Dijun. Why does he have to stab me thus?!”

A-Yi drank his tea and spoke like one who had been through the experience. “It’s better for you to go. If you don’t, then you’ll be made fun of the next time you see Dijun. You can’t keep hiding here in the underworld all your life. Furthermore, the sight of Lord Linsong getting married could be said to be a once-in-a-blue-moon rare sight. If you miss it, you’ll never see it again.”

Sure enough, Fei Luo hesitated. He grasped the invitation, his white face looking aggrieved as he said, “… Then I’ll go take a look…”

A-Yi rose to his feet to bid him farewell. Fei Luo took a few glances towards the interior, then jumped across the threshold and chased his way out of the palace to ask A-Yi, “Has no one come looking for Dong Jun lately?”

A-Yi enigmatically folded his arms and said, “There will be many coming to look for him in the days to come! Dijun said he understands it all too well in his own heart, and so he’s intentionally avoiding them.”

“Make yourself clear.” Fei Luo said.

A-Yi said, “After Lord Linsong gets married to Dijun, he will move to Zhenchan Courtyard at the eastern sea. Given his temperament, he will not bother about the trivial matters of Ninth Heaven. Li Rong has already descended to the mortal realm to experience sufferings, while Lord Chengtian is still locked up. Dong Jun is the only one left to take over all post-development affairs. That’s why I said there would be many coming to look for him in the days to come.”

Fei Luo exclaimed in surprise, “Don’t tell me they want him to be the Supreme Father?”

A-Yi inwardly wondered how the heck would I know, but he merely said, “Perhaps. No one can tell. I’m leaving. Stop pulling me!”

♦     ♦     ♦

After leaving the underworld, A-Yi made a beeline for the north. He treasured his feathers and was unwilling to let even a bit of dust and dirt sully it, so he transformed into his human form after crossing the lakes and marshes.

Fu Li was now on such good terms with Huashang that they could even share a skirt. When A-Yi returned, she did not pay him any attention. So A-Yi held a fruit in his mouth and followed behind Fu Li, imitating her every move.

He tailgated Fu Li so closely that she could not help but turn back and asked, “Have you presented yourself before Dijun? Why are you following me?”

A-Yi said, “I’ll go in a while.”

Thus, Fu Li sneered and said as she picked out the fabric, “You want to know where Li Rong has been sent down to? Then all the more I won’t tell you. You are already all grown up. Why are you still splitting hairs with him?”

A-Yi immediately jumped up to sit on the table and chomped down on the fruit with a “crunch”. He said, “Since he can exploit another’s plight, then why can’t I?”

“I want you to be a gentleman.” Fu Li said, “But you aren’t learning all the good virtues!”

“Ah Jie.” A-Yi pulled a long face. “Our family has never once produced a gentleman. So why give me a hard time?”

Huashang was leaning at one side, getting Xiyan to paint her nails for her. On hearing him, she fanned herself with her little gold-rimmed fan and chimed in, “Where’s the fun in being a gentleman? A-Yi was once a demon, and demons are all about fun.” Saying that, she pointed to show Fu Li. “We are making two sets of this crown. I think we don’t have to add any more ornaments. Dijun goes along with the lord’s wishes, and the lord doesn’t seem to like anything too elaborate.”

“This is too plain.” Fu Li was still not satisfied. “Jiu-ge will be married only once. It’s only more fitting for it to be elaborate.”

Huashang said, “It’s the thoughts that count. He will be surrounded all around by a sea of people then, and the weather is hot. It’d be even more tiring for him if it’s too complex.”

Undecided, Fu Li looked at A-Yi and asked, “What do you think?”

A-Yi instantly held his head in his hands and said, “I’ve been running around outside, and the heat is making me dizzy. I can’t decide. Just settle on one at random. It’s just a wedding. Ah Jie, you are way too nervous.”

Fu Li forlornly stroked the crown and sighed. “I’ve been wanting Jiu-ge to get married soon. I thought of it for so many years, and the only thing I didn’t expect was for Jiu-sao to be a man.”

“On the other hand, we have been preparing for it way back.” Huashang could not help but stick up her tails.¹ She said with a smile, “Dijun was already waiting for the lord to come to him the moment he invited Fengyue-Jian² over. It’s truly wonderful now that he made it in time. When my Ah Ji was still around, she was also hoping the entire time to see Dijun marry and settle down. Our gifts to the lord to commemorate our first meeting are still buried in the fox den in the north. Other than the one wish for them to bear a son soon, everything else is prepared and ready.”

A-Yi said in horror, “Just drop the part about bearing a son! I can’t even imagine how Jiu-ge would look like giving birth to a child. Jiejie, hurry up and change the topic. I’m going to get nightmares at night.”

Fu Li smacked him and said, “What has it got to do with you?”

“I just can’t stand it.” A-Yi stepped on the table with one leg and propped his arm up. With an enraptured expression, he mused, “Isn’t it fine for two grown men to remain buddies? I just can’t understand it. Won’t it feel different after getting married?”

 “You look human.” Huashang admired her newly painted nails and said, “But in truth, you are still a child. Love in this human world is the hardest of all to deal with. When it’s your turn, then regardless of if the other part is a man or a woman, a cat or a bird, you won’t be merely thinking of being buddies with said person.”

Fu Li stacked the various fabrics together and sighed again, “Who knows when he will be enlightened? He’s still so silly.”

A-Yi scoffed.

Fu Li said, “On the wedding day, welcome and receive Dijun properly on behalf of Jiu-ge. We are entrusting you with the most eye-catching task in Heaven and Earth. If you mess it up, see how I’ll deal with you afterward.”

With that, she continued discussing the clothing style with Huashang. From the looks of it, she had already retouched it hundreds and thousands of times. A-Yi cast a look at it, only for his blood to freeze.

Don’t they all look the same?!

He picked one up for a look and saw a lotus motif encasing a brocade carp. He could not help but frown and commented, “Ain’t this a little too tacky?”

The moment he said that, the two jiejie on his sides sandwiched him in between and asked in unison, “Then what do you think is good?”

A-Yi wanted to bite his tongue off right there and then.

♦     ♦     ♦

A-Yi stayed for a full four hours before he managed to break free. He was clearly sitting, yet he felt even more tired than running a few laps outside. With his hands at his back, he watched as everyone busied around. The group of demons was also grinning from ear to ear as they built the house. He could not help feeling bored. Seeing Shuran standing woodenly on the veranda too, he bounced over to his side.

“What are you standing here like a pole for?” A-Yi asked curiously.

Shuran said, “Waiting to have my measurements taken. Is your Ah Jie done?”

“So you have new clothes to wear too.” A-Yi said. “What are you supposed to do when the time comes? Turn back into your original form and spray water to receive guests?”

Shuran cast a glance at him and said, “At my age, Dijun will understand and excuse me for it. Besides, that’s not what I’m originally supposed to do.”

“Then what?” A-Yi asked.

“After changing my clothes, I’ll be a part of the dowry.” Shuran felt his own shoulder. “I’ll just have to follow the procession and go through the motions.”

“In your original form?”

“Nope.” Shuran said. “There will be many people that day. I’m thinking of seeing if there’s any lady who catches my eyes. I want to get attached now that I no longer need to worry about the future.”

A-Yi looked embarrassed as he said, “What’s so good about getting attached and getting married? Each one of you are in such a hurry to do it. Fool, this isn’t something you can simply ask for; you have to let nature take its course. Besides, Hua-jie³ said it before, perhaps the one who comes to you is a bug. You want to get attached to a bug? Not me for sure!”

Without waiting for Shuran to reply, he leaped off the stairs and headed along the shade upward.

This city was built on the original site of the watchtower. After Cangdi regained his throne, he needed a place to show off his might and power. There were not that many pavilions in the palace, yet the disordered construction of the observation tower had a charming effect to it; it was also modified according to the needs of the demons. After all, everyone was merely donning human skin. Once they stripped the human skin off, their original body shape and size were all on par with one another. If the place was too small, it would be tough for them to stay over and rest up.

Cang Ji’s palace was at the highest point. In his dragon form, Cangdi’s body was massive. It would pose a problem for him to soar into the sky if he had resided at the bottom. The renovation of the palace pavilions were not all that magnificent, but they were lofty and towering.

As A-Yi passed through the grass and trees, a swarm of grass spirits and tree spirits surrounded him. He waved his sleeves and continued heading upward along the stairs. A small grass spirit hung on to his sleeve. A-Yi yanked it off and flung it far away.

“Go away.” A-Yi said. “Know who I am? The phoenix! Phoenix won’t play with you!”

The moment the words left his mouth, he saw the little stone figure sitting upright at the top of the stone steps. With a grass crown on its head, it stared at him with a solemn expression.

A-Yi got a fright and hurriedly went to pick up the grass spirit he had just tossed out. He rubbed its head twice and said, “I’ll play with all of you!”

Twitters erupted all around. A-Yi was already surrounded and buried under a swarm of the spirits. He fumed, “Who pulled my hair? How dare you! Go away! I’m busy!”

With flower buds on their heads, the grass spirits rubbed against him persistently. He dragged his body along and moved forward with some difficulty, only to see that the little stone figure had disappeared. Jing Lin brushed aside the branches on the other end and stepped forth.

A-Yi said, “Jiu-ge save…”

He had yet to finish yelling when he was knocked down by the little spirits. He rolled a few rounds and fell headfirst into a cluster of flowers. Before he could climb to his feet, he received a kick.

With flowers in his arms, Cang Ji lifted up the branch and whistled at him. Then he crouched over and said with a laugh, “Oh, come on. Do you have to pay such a big respect just to deliver a message? You kowtowed so hard and loud that I’d feel bad if I don’t give you a little reward.”

翘尾巴 Also means to get cocky

风月鉴 Fengyue-Jian. It was 司月监 Si Yuejian in an earlier chapter. There have been quite a few name changes throughout the novel. I’m not sure if these are intentional changes or typos. I’ll revise these again and check against the physical copy once it is released.

Elder Sister Hua(chang)

Chapter 128: Extra: Wedding Banquet (2)

OCTOBER 29, 2020

A-Yi climbed up along the pole and sat up before saying, “Dage, what reward are you going to give me? I don’t want anything common!”

Cang Ji pinched the flower buds back in place. He was even more amused on hearing him and said, “Then what do you want? Go ahead and tell me.”

A-Yi was about to speak, but then he glanced at Jing Lin. In the end, he merely mumbled, “I’ll tell you later when we go drinking together.”

Standing at the top with his sleeves hanging down, Jing Lin saw through A-Yi’s mind. There was a rustle as the little stone figure popped out beside his leg and folded its arms to look askance at A-Yi together with Jing Lin. Jing Lin was in no hurry to speak and merely stared at A-Yi until the latter was about to flee before he said, “Li Rong’s tribulation is predestined by fate. If you get involved, you will inevitably end up affected.”

Being exposed, on the contrary, set A-Yi’s mind at ease. He jumped to his feet and followed after Cang Ji while muttering, “He almost caused us to die in the snow, and he showed no kinship towards Yue-jie at such a crucial juncture. If the life registry can make him a woman and let him suffer the same, then I’ll let it go. If not, I’ll go looking for him to settle scores.”

The steps beneath his feet gradually turned into jade that reflected the blue sky like an expanse of water. With the flowers in his arms, Cang Ji ascended the stairs and walked side by side with Jing Lin. He turned his head back to look at A-Yi and said, “You want to settle scores with him. But if your cultivation isn’t on par with his, then you will be just making a fool of yourself, no? Even though his Po Zheng Spear is currently sealed, he is, after all, still a man who once ranked as a divine lord. Your Jiu-ge has your own interests at heart by telling you not to go. Drop the topic already. Have you delivered the invitations?”

“Of course.” A-Yi answered. “Who would dare to refuse it when I’m the one delivering it personally? Fei Luo is coming too. It’s just that I didn’t get to see Dong Jun. I don’t know what his intention is.”

“There’s excellent wine prepared at the banquet. He and Zui Shan Seng will naturally follow the aroma of wine over.” Cang Ji walked a few steps, then turned his head back again and asked, “Why are you still following us?”

A-Yi hurriedly spread out his palm and said, “Waiting for my reward!”

The little stone figure climbed onto Cang Ji’s shoulder and poked its head out to sprinkle a handful of scattered flowers it had picked into A-Yi’s palm. Cang Ji burst out laughing and said, “See? This is the treasure your Jiu-ge bestows upon you. It’s not a common object. So take it back and treat it well. Now, scram.”

A-Yi caught the flowers. Seeing that Jing Lin had already entered the palace, he wanted to deny the gift and shamelessly ask Cang Ji for his reward. But then he saw the stone clinging on tightly to Cang Ji’s neck and staring at him with its little pair of black beady eyes. Promptly stumped for words, A-Yi snorted a couple of times as he clutched the flowers and said with a bad taste in his mouth, “Even when you go out, you have to stick together. How sickening! Forget it if you don’t want me to go looking for him. Dage, I have to welcome and receive you on the wedding day, so remember to give me the first share of the wedding wine.”

“If you want to drink, then you should know what to do.” Cang Ji said.

A-Yi promptly understood and said, “I’ll shout the form of address loud and clear that day for sure!”

“How sensible.” Cang Ji casually tossed him an object. “Go play by yourself.”

With that, he strode into the palace.

A-Yi lifted that object for a look. It was an ordinary stone that had been polished until it was white and smooth. Not thinking anything else of it, he tossed it into his sleeve and strolled away with his hands at his back, bored to the max.

♦     ♦     ♦

The moment Cang Ji entered the palace, the stone slid down along the front flaps of his clothes. He set aside the flower branch and pressed down on the stone’s head with a finger and said, “I’ve walked a long way. Reward me with a cup of water.”

The stone rolled over under his finger and clung close to the edge of the table as it ran around it. It then tottered its way back, carrying a cup of tea on its head. Cang Ji’ did not take the teacup. Instead, he placed his fingers in the direction it was hobbling towards, causing it to nearly see stars from all the detours it had to take as it staggered.

As Cang Ji drank his tea, he turned to look inside, but he did not see Jing Lin. He grabbed up the stone and put it into his sleeve, then set aside the cup and passed through the corridor at the back. He stepped through the moon gate facing it into a vibrant purplish-red landscape of gorgeous, sweet-smelling flowers.

Cang Ji did not walk far. He sat on a stone bench under a flower tree.

Stepping through this little moon gate could be likened to arriving at the ford of peach blossoms.¹ An inexhaustible barrier separated the world within from all external noises. This continuous stretch of flower trees on the mountain top was their “inner chamber”, one which no one else had access to. Further in, past the three thousand-fold of flower trees, lay the coffins of the True Buddha and Shengyue.

Jing Lin was about to get married. Naturally, he would want to have a few words with his mother.

♦     ♦     ♦

Cang Ji leaned back and folded his arms. Mottled sunlight shone through the gaps between the blooming flowers and landed upon his chest. Gradually, he closed his eyes. Even as he waited, there was a delicate fragrance drifting through the air.

He heard Jing Lin’s fingers brushing aside the flower branches. Those fingertips were so smooth as they gently grazed across the flower petals, causing a slight itch as the sound of it tickled his ears.

Cang Ji let out a slight hint of a smile.

He did not know how long he had been listening. But he listened as the sound of footsteps emerged from the flowers among the stones and stepped across the small, gradual steps to stand silently before him.

Cang Ji pretended to be sound asleep.

Jing Lin stood for a moment before he suddenly bent over to scrutinize Cang Ji close up. His fingertips traced over Cang Ji’s eyebrows and slid down to the side of his lips. Out of prudence, he waited a little longer. Seeing Cang Ji still not stirring, he tilted his head and kissed him.

The moment their lips touched, Cang Ji tugged him down and took him into his arms, then chased after his retreating lips and pressed down on them.

“What are you doing?” Cang Ji pressed against Jing Lin and said, “Which household is this gentleman² from? How rude to kiss me without so much a greeting. Now my heart is pounding like a rabbit bouncing.”

Jing Lin said, “I’ve come to slay demons and subdue devils. Seeing how you look so… so good-looking, you must be a great demon.”

“Lord Linsong even pants when he speaks.” Cang Ji bit down on his chin. “How do you want to subdue me? If you are only going to rely on that mouth of yours, then you’re really belittling me. Besides, if I’m a great demon when it comes to being good-looking, then won’t you be a little devil?”

Cang Ji’s bite left a red mark on him. Jing Lin covered his chin and said, “I’ll jab you with my sword until your tail sticks up!”

Cang Ji leaned back and laughed out loud. He playfully jolted his legs with Jing Lin on them and teased, “I’ll hold a grudge against you if you jab me. How are you going to return the debt?”

Jing Lin said, “See you at the mountain summit. We can start the fight once we take the oath to become sworn brothers.”

“I’m not becoming sworn brothers with you.” Cang Ji reached out his hand to grab Jing Lin’s hand and pulled him towards himself. He said, “I want to hoist you over my shoulder and carry you into my den.”

Jing Lin gazed at him with his eyes and said, “I’m not going with you.”

“Is that up to you to choose?” Cang Ji gazed back at him. “Once you enter my territory, you become my darling. I’ll carry you into my den, light a few red candles, and take you for a few tumbles under the wedding quilt. That’d be consummating our nuptials in the nuptial chamber.”³

Jing Lin sniffed the flower scent on Cang Ji’s neck and said, “Nonsense. We still need to go through the wedding rituals.”

“I don’t have an old man.” Cang Ji laughed in spite of himself. We don’t need to bow to Heaven and Earth, nor do we need to bow to our parents.⁴ You and I will just hold hands after we bow to each other, and this matter is considered done. Then, it is time to head to the bridal chamber to consummate our nuptials. This is the right procedure. We have to go through all the steps as dictated in the rules.”

Jing Lin said, “The way you are so familiar with this makes me think you have really gotten married before.”

Cang Ji bumped his forehead into Jing Lin’s forehead and said, “I have.”

Jing Lin instantly looked at him suspiciously.

Cang Ji said, “I have gotten married hundreds and thousands of times in my heart before. A pity I was always missing this one person every single time.”

Jing Lin was silent as he let Cang Ji hold him. The wind above their heads caressed past the branches, and a few delicate flower petals fluttered down. Cang Ji caught a piece of purple-red and pressed it into Jing Lin’s mouth. Jing Lin took the petal in his mouth, but Cang Ji did not withdraw his fingers.

Cang Ji said, “The lord is so good-looking, and he is also a man who has performed great meritorious deeds with Yan Quan in hand. Today, I’m going to ask you a question. Think it over carefully, and answer me after you have think it through.”

Those fingers, with the petal clamped in between, lay buried within thin lips. Wet with saliva, they left a smear of watery sheen on Jing Lin’s lips.

“To be married to me—are you happy?”

Jing Lin grasped on to Cang Ji’s sleeve and bit down on his fingertip when he heard him. Reflected in his eyes were speckles of sunlight that soon blossomed into sparkles.

Cang Ji retracted his finger and said softly, “Hm?”

Jing Lin suddenly brought his head closer and pressed against the tip of his tongue to ask vaguely, “You really want to know?”

Cang Ji said, “Yeah.”

Pleased, Jing Lin said, “I can’t tell you for nothing.”

So Cang Ji shook his finger and asked, “Then what must I do in order to know?”

After deliberating over it, Jing Lin said, “Roll one round, and I’ll tell you.”

“Why are you flirting with me in broad daylight?” Cang Ji said, “Isn’t that something we do at night?”

Jing Lin said, “You roll by yourself!”

“Then where’s the fun in that?” Cang Ji swiftly pinched Jing Lin’s chin and shook it. “We roll together if you want to roll.”

The spot where Jing Lin had been bitten was still red. He let out an almost imperceptible snort and merely said with his usual expression, “Then I’m not telling you.”

“So that’s how it is.” Cang Ji said wistfully. “When all is said and done, you are an almighty. It’s so hard to pry even a word out of you.”

Jing Lin raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “It’s expensive.”

Cang Ji, however, changed his tone and said, “You are currently sitting on my lap, grasping my sleeve, with my flower in your mouth, and my scent on you. You’ve taken advantage of me all over from head to toe. So how do you want to settle this account?”

Jing Lin promptly said, “That doesn’t count!”

Cang Ji smiled and held his arm to tug him towards himself. He said dangerously, “You think it doesn’t count just because you say it doesn’t count? You want to tame me even before you get married to me. Am I such a wanton man?”

Leaning back slightly as Cang Ji pressed in towards him, Jing Lin hooked him with his little finger and said in a small voice, “You are my gege.”

“Oh, so it’s gege now.” Cang Ji let out a few laughs. “Too late! The eyes you are looking at me with are already glistening with water that’s about to reach the tip of my nose. Don’t expect me to let you off the hook when you tantalize me like that.”

With that, Cang Ji picked him up. As he rose to his feet, he clutched him around his waist and hoisted him over his shoulder.

“You look so tender with your fair skin tinged with red. It’s too much of a pity to throw you into the pot. It’ll be best for you to lie on top of my body.” Cang Ji turned around. “Once we get married, we’ll head for Zhenchan Courtyard at the eastern sea every spring and summer and come here every autumn and winter. I’ll build a little courtyard for you here, with walls built with gold and windows inlaid with the finest pearls in the world.”

Jing Lin lowered his hand to fish out the little stone figure from Cang Ji’s sleeve. In response, he said, “Extravagant!”

“I want it extravagant.” Cang Ji took a few steps into the air and laughed out loud, “My Jing Lin must sleep on a bed made of white jade and rest upon the pillow of canglong. Even when you venture out, there must be lotuses stretching for ten li⁵ emitting fragrance every step of the way! Who in this world dares to say no?”

Jing Lin covered up his sleeves in the air and sighed. “Cangdi is out of his mind!”

Before he could finish his words, he felt his body going light as Cang Ji tossed him up in the air. The next instant, the roar of canglong rang out. With his massive body carrying Jing Lin, he stirred up a thousand-tiered wave of flowers. Canglong rolled over amid the waves of flowers, and the ensuing wind sent Jing Lin’s hair fluttering.

Cang Ji put down Jing Lin and swung his tail to slap up the flowers, coloring the entire sky in hues of purplish red. Bathed in the shower of petals, Jing Lin and the little stone figure sneezed in unison. Once the flowers had all fallen, Jing Lin saw the behemoth sprawl to the ground suddenly and huff out a puff of air at him. Then, the behemoth turned over to the ground and noisily rolled an entire circle.

Among the petals that were stirred up once again, Jing Lin hugged the stone and watched this dragon roll round after round. He inexplicably felt as if he was floating on air too and let loose a laugh amidst the rain of flowers.

“Happy.”

Jing Lin stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted,

“Gege!”

Cang Ji instantly transformed back into his human form. Before he could stride a step forward, Jing Lin’s head butted into his chest. Cang Ji embraced him and laughed out loud for no reason too.

“I want to be in conjugal bliss with you.” Jing Lin hooked his little finger with Cang Ji’s finger and raised his head to say, “I want to be in conjugal bliss with you always.”

That little finger hook turned Cang Ji into mush. He kissed Jing Lin, but then he wanted more, so he hugged him and lifted him up to kiss him hard. He kissed him until he himself went weak in the knees. Only then did he feel a little more comfortable.

桃源(津); Peach Blossoms (ford)—an idyllic land of peace and happiness, free from wars; an utopia; a haven

郎君 langjun; young gentleman; it’s also a wife’s way to address her husband

洞房花烛 refers to the wedding night. What Cang Ji literally said was to carry him into the cave/den (洞), light a few red candles (烛) and tumbled around under the wedding quilt (花被). (Consummating the nuptials is also known as 洞房). All of these form to make up the word “洞房花烛”. Basically, Cang Ji is saying he doesn’t want to be sworn brothers but husband and wife husband.

拜堂 ritual bows by the bride and groom in a traditional wedding ceremony. There are three bows to perform before they are considered formally married.
“一拜天地，二拜高堂，夫妻对(交)拜”
“First bow to heaven and earth; second bow to the parents; third bow to each other.”

里 li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500m

Chapter 129: Extra: Wedding Banquet (3)

NOVEMBER 1, 2020

There were originally no lotuses in the north. When Cangdi returned to the north, he was dead set on digging out a lotus pond that was on par with the one in Nan Chan. Eighteen clear streams flowed leisurely from the mountains into the pond, which circled around the mountain ranges. The ever-lasting lotuses in it never withered all year round, and no other creatures were allowed in the pond, only brocade carps. So when the guests gathered, all they saw were red brocade carps frolicking among the lotuses with their emerald-green leaves. The tactful ones would all know not to reach out and touch them.

But of course, Dong Jun had no tact.

He nipped and propped up a lotus leaf above his head and said as he waved his fan, “Has Dijun gone bonkers? It’s just a few li¹ worth of journey, but he just had to make us sit in a boat and circle around for tens of li. And on such a hot day at that. Those buddies who come from water are really in for a rough time.”

Zui Shan Seng, who was sitting upright, was polishing up a newly cut wooden pole. He blew the filings away and said, “There are so many guests that the mountain can’t accommodate all of them. It’s only by expanding the place that they can barely manage to have enough space for everyone to sit. It can’t be helped.”

“Then why make it such a grand affair?” Dong Jun tugged at the front of his clothes. “It’s not like the whole world won’t know he’s marrying Lord Linsong if he invites a few people less.”

“You don’t understand.” Fei Luo propped up his legs and said, “With the way Lord Linsong looks, even I would be willing to make it grand had it been me in his shoes. The best would be to invite everyone in the whole world.”

“Yo.” Dong Jun leaned forward slightly and said, “You sure are generous with your money, Lord King of Hell.”

Fei Luo raised his head just in time to see Dong Jun tilting over the lotus leaf to cover him underneath too. The moment he saw this face of Dong Jun, his heart was thrown into turmoil, and he recalled the heartbreaking past. But Dong Jun was just so gorgeous that he could not avert his eyes for a time. He could only brace himself and say, “That’s the way it should be for the beautiful ones. I’ll not begrudge the money spent.”

“Then, by your estimation.” Dong Jun caressed his own cheek. “How grand a scale does it have to be to marry me?”

Fei Luo instantly scrambled back in a fluster and exclaimed in shock, “You, you want to marry me?!”

Dong Jun promptly burst out laughing and said as he patted Zui Shan Seng, “Isn’t this rat interesting? His ambition is bold, as is his guts.”

Fei Luo was so frightened that his tail was about to pop out. The weasel yelled in shame and indignation, “I don’t know! Go ask someone else!”

Zui Shan Zeng weighed the pole in his hand as he looked at both of them, then sighed and said to Dong Jun, “How long do you still want to loaf around out there? With Ninth Heaven Realm collapsed, someone has to step out and take charge of the overall situation. Yining’s and Hui An’s cultivation are not sufficient enough. Many matters are still waiting for you.”

Dong Jun stirred the water a few times, then leaned back to cover himself with the lotus leaf. He hummed a tune contentedly, totally turning a deaf ear to Zui Shan Seng. Zui Shan Seng could do nothing about it. He knew of Dong Jun’s reluctance, so he made no further mention of the matter.

♦     ♦     ♦

Boats came from all directions to congregate at Wanli Terrace. The surface was paved with jade, while bright, luminous pearls hung from all eight corners. The pearls, which contained frost and snow, swept away the summer heat for the distinguished guests who had come from afar, making the wedding banquet hall pleasantly cool and comfortable.

All sorts of little demons and spirits weaved their ways through the banquet hall. Fanshu had also brought the along little radish heads over to surround Xiyan and plead for candies to eat. The tree deity was unable to enter the terrace, so Cang Ji got his men to set up a single table on the surface of the pond for it. Sitting at the same table accompanying it was Gu Shen.

When Fei Luo disembarked, the one who lifted the curtain for him was none other than Qianyu. Qianyu was not flustered to see Fei Luo. Instead, he looked back to smile and exchange gaze with Zuo Qingzhou, who was behind him.

This left even more of a bad taste in Fei Luo’s mouth. He bit down on the root of the grass and moved aside to let these two men pass.

Zuo Qingzhou had difficulty walking, so Qianyu supported him as both men, mutually depending on each other, took slow steps forward.

As soon as Fei Luo saw Qianyu’s broken tail, his heart ached. He could not help but let out a series of sighs as he said to Dong Jun, “How mystifying. The word love inflicts so much suffering on people, and yet men live and die for it. I cherish all the pretty ones in the world. But when I presented him with the treasures of the underworld, he saw them all as muck and only held the word love dear to his heart. I often can’t understand humans, even more so love. What’s so good about it? That it’d be worth making humans fall all over themselves to throw themselves forth for a mere taste of it?”

“If you understand it…” Dong Jun turned the wine jar over with his folding fan and grabbed it up to down it all with alacrity. Then he turned to look at Fei Luo and continued with a smile spreading on his face once again, “… then you’d have gone bald! The word love is a mystery. You should be worried if you understand it. Come, come, come. There is no lack of excellent wines and dishes today. So why think of those irrelevant matters? The most important thing in the world is to make yourself happy.”

♦     ♦     ♦

At the other end, Fu Li and Huashang were already lifting up the curtain. Jing Lin bent over slightly and strode out. A-Yi, who was initially sitting astride the chair picking out candies to eat, lifted his eyes when he saw Jing Lin emerging in his peripheral vision. The candy in his mouth promptly got stuck. He hurriedly clutched his neck, not even daring to cough.

Not hearing any sounds around him, Jing Lin arranged his sleeves by himself. He looked into the bronze mirror for a moment, then asked Fu Li, “I’ve never worn this kind of robe before. Do I look ugly?”

Fu Li teared up on hearing him. She wiped her tears and said in a miffed and anxious tone, “You did not have the option to in the past. But from now on, Jiu-ge can wear whatever he wants. Look at the man in this mirror. When will you come to understand the real extent of your looks?!”

Jing Lin looked at her and said, “You are going to be the aunt of a herd of demons soon. Yet you have become such a crybaby instead.”

Fu Li stood on tiptoe to help Jing Lin hold his crown steady and said, “Today is the day to cry, so just let me cry a few more times. After today, our Jiu-ge will be Dijun’s husband. He will no longer have to walk alone in this world. I’m happy. I can’t help it.”

Jing Lin looked at her quietly. After a while, he said in a slow, relaxed voice, “I’m happy too.”

“It’s only right to be happy on such a good day.” Huashang clapped her hands together. “Help the lord put on his outer robe quickly. It’s almost time. A-Yi, go wash your hands. What are you zoning out there for? Go! Change your form soon. You have to carry the red silk in your mouth and fly ahead of the lord. You mustn’t make any mistake.”

It was only then A-Yi gulped down the candy. He rubbed his face, unsettled, and suddenly jumped up to circle a few rounds around Jing Lin. With a solemn countenance, he said, “I think I understand a little why dage insists on marrying you. Jiu-ge, I stand convinced!”

Fu Li grabbed A-Yi and said, “Repeat what you are supposed to do.”

A-Yi was not in the least concerned as he said, “I am to hold the red silk in my mouth and pave the way by putting up a beamless bridge in the sky to guide dage over. The one leading the way on dage’s end is Zong Yin! Once we meet, dage and Jiu-ge will meet. And everything else that happens after has nothing to do with me.”

“You must focus on the task at hand.” Fu Li exhorted him yet again.

Huashang draped Jing Lin’s outer robe over his shoulders. The wide sleeves were adorned with golden embroidered edges. It was originally rather common and flashy, but those exposed fingers swept away the gaudiness of it.

Huashang was used to seeing good-lookers, but even she could not help sighing as she arranged the robe for Jing Lin. Lowering her eyes, she laughed in spite of herself and said, “My lord, you must be sure to hold on tight to Dijun later.”

As if feeling the same, Jing Lin looked once more into the bronze mirror.

♦     ♦     ♦

That thousand-year-old tortoise held up the crown with trembling hands and trembled again as he shuffled towards Cang Ji. Cang Ji was too tall, so he simply bent half of his body over to let the old tortoise put on the crown for him.

As the old tortoise put the hairpin in, he said, “Oh, Dijun…”

Cang Ji uttered a sound of acknowledgment in response, but he did not hear him continue even after a long while.

Zong Yin, who had already dozed off, woke up in a daze to see the old tortoise trembling all over as he stroked the top of Cang Ji’s hair. This old man was already blind and could not see light, but he was the demon in Heaven and Earth who knew best about the enduring passage of time.

As the old tortoise stroked Cang Ji’s hair, he narrowed his eyes and revealed a smile. His toothless lips moved as he said, “When this old one first met Dijun… Dijun was still a little dragon. And now, he’s going to get married.”

Cang Ji laughed and lifted his eyes to say, “Each sleep of yours in the mud lasts a few thousand years. Do you even still remember me?”

“I remember. I remember.” The old tortoise said slowly, “Dijun is going to live in conjugal bliss to a ripe old age with another. With someone accompanying you, the days, no matter how long, will no longer feel bitter.”

Cang Ji said, “I’m all about the sweetness after bitterness.² It’s an acquired taste.”

The old tortoise laughed and said softly, “This old one wishes to lead Dijun on this journey, but when all is said and done, my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. Go, my lord. Someone will have your back.”

Cang Ji straightened up, and Zong Yin took the outer robe that had already been hung up. Cang Ji put on the robe and raised his head a little to size himself up in the mirror. Once he was properly dressed, he asked Zong Yin, “You are a married man who has gone through the ceremony. How did you feel on that day?”

Zong Yin replied, “When I saw her, I couldn’t stop gravitating towards her.”

Cang Ji said, “I’m so incomparably handsome today. If he sees me, he will surely feel the same. If he comes right over later, just make way for him. Don’t stop him.”

Seeing that it was almost time, Zong Yin said, “Got it.”

♦     ♦     ♦

They left the palace in a procession. The auspicious clouds in the Heavens had swept out a path for them, revealing a clear sky extending for ten thousand li. Guests beneath the palace extended along the lotus pond all the way to Jing Lin’s end. Without saying another word, Zong Yin transformed into a hai jiao amidst the exclamations of the crowd.

The jiao dragon soared into the clouds, followed closely by the cry of the phoenix at the other end. A-Yi whirled around, riding on the wind. Two colors alternated in the sky, and the red silk high in the air instantly paved out a long path stretching several li.

Cang Ji exhaled deeply and strode on to it. He looked on with apprehension in the wind and saw A-Yi’s phoenix tail streaking past to reveal the red robe behind.

They were clearly separated from each other by several li, yet Cang Ji felt a thunderous thump in his chest as he got a clear look at the appearance of the man who was looking up at him in the wind.

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin often wore azure and white all his life. Now that he was cloaked in deep red, Cang Ji could no longer remember any other color in this world. He almost could not even take a step forward. That numbness overwhelmed him and took hold of him, making his mouth parched.

But Jing Lin just had to push through the wind to move towards him. The moment he saw Cang Ji, he wanted to smile. The moment he smiled, his eyes sparkled, leaving only his heartfelt happiness on display in this pair of eyes. He gazed intently at Cang Ji and Cang Ji alone until Cang Ji went weak in the limbs and could not hold back the uncontrollable surge of tender love that had begun to swell forth.

♦     ♦     ♦

My silly little devil.

Cang Ji’s Adam’s apple throbbed as he thought with difficulty.

How are you this devastating?

♦     ♦     ♦

“Oh, my!” Huashang lifted her skirt and exclaimed in alarm. “Quick, stop Dijun! We still have some way to go for the procession!”

Cang Ji had already consigned all the rules and customs to oblivion in full view of the public. Without even waiting for Zong Yin and A-Yi to meet, he had already sprung out to make a beeline right for his darling.

Anxious, Zong Yin thought, why are you the one who can’t help it first when he hasn’t even come over yet?! He wanted to leap up and stop him. But by some coincidence, A-Yi happened to be whirling around in the air playing some fancy tricks, and he caused Zong Yin to trip and stumble until Zong Yin nearly plummeted down.

The moment Huashang saw the chaos up in the sky, she immediately transformed into her original form and swung out her tails in an attempt to stop Cang Ji. Shuran, who was following behind Jing Lin, looked as though he was about to face a formidable foe and hurriedly unveiled his original form as well. The beast of Buddha sprang a hundred chi³ high and shouted in a panic, “Dijun! Please hold it right there! You can only hold and lead him by the hand when we arrive at Lianli Terrace!”

A-Yi caused a gap to open up with his playing, and that red silk road suddenly sank. Seeing Jing Lin about to sink with it too, Fu Li threw all caution to the wind and turned into a five-colored bird to catch him.

But the space up in the sky was only this big, and the sudden influx of massively-sized beasts caused all of them to crash into one another. For a moment, they jostled against each other in the crammed space, entangling up the red silk further.

Below them, Dong Jun roared with laughter and clapped his hands as he said, “This is what I’d call interesting!”

Beside him, Fei Luo drank his wine and cried himself a river as he sprawled over the table and pounded on it, bawling, “Oh heavens, Lord Linsong is so gorgeous! How can he already be taken?!”

♦     ♦     ♦

Jing Lin looked at no one. Just as he was about to plunge, he saw the red thread on his wrist materialize. Cang Ji nimbly made his way through the layers of obstacles and pounced down from above to grab hold of Jing Lin. Then he hurled him up and took him fully into his arms.

“You want my life!” Cang Ji gasped for breath and embraced him as he turned a circle with all he had and let loose an unbridled laugh. “And here I am to give it to you!”

With the red thread around his wrist, Jing Lin clasped Cang Ji’s cheeks with his palms and lowered his eyes to say, “How so?”

Cang Ji said, “By looking at you.”

Jing Lin lowered his voice slightly and said a little smugly, “I do think I look pretty good.”

“Silly lad.” With that, Cang Ji banged his forehead hard into Jing Lin’s forehead and said both resentfully and adoringly, “I’m not letting anyone else see!”

Jing Lin said, “Didn’t you say we have to go through all the steps as dictated by the rules?”

Cang Ji instantly withdrew with Jing Lin in tow. He said, “I am the rules today!”

Cang Ji hoisted him over his shoulder and made his getaway. He could leap a thousand li in just a blink of an eye, but then he heard Jing Lin say,

“You are… very good-looking too today.” Jing Lin leaned over and whispered, “When we return home, I’m going to kiss you too.”

Cang Ji stepped upon the water and turned his head back to pinch Jing Lin’s chin. He merely said, “Then why wait until we get home? Hurry up and save me now.”

Jing Lin grasped his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss.

Cang Ji said, “I’m still going to die.”

So Jing Lin kissed him harder. But when he saw Cang Ji staring fixedly at him, he could not help but utter, “… Hm?”

“From now on, you must kiss me every day.” Cang Ji said at lightning speed. “You have to kiss me in the morning and at night. The kiss mustn’t be lighter than this kiss; they all have to be more intense than the kiss this moment. You can’t just brush your lips against mine; you have to stretch out your tongue, and it has to have saliva. Can you do it?”

Jing Lin instantly said, “I don’t…”

“You don’t want to.” Cang Ji suddenly revealed a smile. “Then you can only leave it to me. I’m an expert at this.”

With that, he scooped him up and ran.

“Where are we going?” Once again hoisted over Cang Ji’s shoulder, Jing Lin asked with his sleeves hanging down.

“Home.” Cang Ji said, “I’m taking my darling home!”

The water surface broke into a series of ripples, although there were already no signs of both men to be seen. A brocade carp suddenly leaped out of that pond, sending water droplets splashing all over until even the lotus swayed incessantly.

Author’s Words: 

That’s the end. I’m so happy. This is the first time I’ve seen so many friends coming together to play. I feel as if I’m on cloud nine. 
One work has been completed. Reviewing it as you like is everyone’s right. Leave the rest to me. Once I hear your voices, I will know which are the areas I need to reflect upon. 
I hope I have not disappointed you too much. Looking forward to have fun together again the next time.

Lianyin’s Note:

A gentle reminder that it’s one thing to review the works on its own merits and faults, but please refrain from launching personal attacks on the author. 
Also, there will be a massive re-edit now that the entire novel is translated. The edits will take some time, and there are likely changes in the naming system, so please bear with me if you come across any inconsistencies before the edits are completed. I’ll update the status of the edits at the sidebar under announcements. Feel free to email or DM me if you have any suggestions! Much appreciated and thank you so much for accompanying Cang Ji and Jing Lin on their journey together!

Also, if you have enjoyed the novel, please consider supporting the author by buying the novel on JJWXC!! You can check out this “how to buy” guide by 書庫! Thank you!!

里 li, an ancient measure of length, 1 li = approx. 500m

苦尽甘来 literally the bitterness ends, and the sweetness begins; after suffering comes happiness.

尺 chi, a Chinese foot. 1 chi = one-third of a meter