Ch.242: Atop Mount TaiCang; Thousands of Kinds of Dust Settle
All of a sudden, all the heavenly official’s expressions became even more unreadable than that of Pei Ming’s.
A white-clad cultivator acknowledged the address, his expression calm and peaceful, his manners easy and elegant. It was Xie Lian. The group all greeted him, “Your Royal Highness”,
“Your Highness.”
Their expressions and words were all very careful, polite and courteous. Xie Lian also politely greeted everyone, and went forth in a welcoming gesture, “Lord Rain Master.”
The Rain Master had come before that temporarily built hut, holding the reins of that big, guardian steed black ox, and she inclined her head over this way in greeting.
On the back of that black ox were giant boxes upon boxes of produce, the reason she had come, and apparently there was the incredible effect of nurturing spiritual powers after eating them, so when the heavenly officials heard, a group excitedly went over to divide their shares.
There was also a group that didn’t move. Xie Lian was one of them. Lord Rain Master spoke up, “I’ve brought something else for Your Highness.”
Xie Lian smiled, “Ah, thank you in advance! What is it?”
The Rain Master took out from within her sleeve something wrapped with a small band of white cloth, and when she opened it, Xie Lian’s eyes brightened instantly, “Thank you so much, Lord Rain Master! I’ve been looking everywhere for this!”
Feng Xin came over to take a look too, and also commented, “Rare fantastic silk! This is great! Now you can finally fix that toy of yours!”
Xie Lian rummaged around his sleeve, and fumbled out a white silk band that was torn in half, and said joyously, “Yea, finally, the material to fix RuoYe is found! I’ll go patch it up right now!”
However, Feng Xin stopped him, “Patch it up? You?! Forget it, what can you patch? Ask someone else to help you.” Then he turned his head and shouted, “MU QING! COME GET TO WORK!”
Mu Qing walked over lazily, replying cooly, “What? What are you trying to say? Tell me to sew it?”
“Isn’t that your expertise?” Feng Xin said.
Mu Qing humphed, “Aren’t you two too good at using people? Taking me for a servant you can order around again, tomorrow you’ll probably tell me to sweep the floor.”
Xie Lian laughed, “Nevermind, nevermind. I’ll do it myself.”
But Mu Qing had already taken the white silk bands from his hands, rolling his eyes as he went to search for needles and threads. After that, Pei Ming came over to give a greeting too, and was thinking of patting the black ox, but that ox chomped down his teeth loudly, almost breaking Pei Ming’s fingers. Seeing he wasn’t welcomed, he left in a hurry. Lord Rain Master inquired, “Is General Pei’s arm still not recovered?”
“Not yet.” Xie Lian replied, “At the time he made an agreement with Rong Guang to use the sword Ming Guang, and other than his apology, he also had to pay up an arm as the price. Although in the end Rong Guang’s resentment has dispersed, leaving him some face and didn’t ask for his arm, it was still heavily injured.”
“I see.” Rain Master said, “No wonder General Pei’s expression was so peculiar.”
Xie Lian muttered inwardly, ‘His peculiar expression was definitely not for this reason.’
Turns out, Pei Ming could not get over the fact that the Rain Master had saved him time and time again at Mount TongLu and in the great fires of the Heavenly Capital. He was a big man, a good man who thought himself domineering the heavens and the earth, so he could not withstand losing a teeny bit of face in front of a woman at all, especially a woman he had past grievances with. Compared to the Rain Master, he could probably accept the behaviours of Xuan Ji more. In any case, he couldn’t let it go no matter what, and whenever he saw the Rain Master he’d feel turbulent, which was why his expression was peculiar.
However, the Rain Master didn’t understand at all what he was feeling turbulent over, so she had always smiled politely in greeting, the two on two completely different wavelengths, truly inexplicably absurd.
Rain Master spoke up, “Oh that’s right, Your Highness, how is Xuan Ji?”
“Xuan Ji’s been locked up at the foot of the mountain,” Xie Lian replied, “Did you want to go see her?”
.
After the great battle, all the monsters and demons that had escaped their seals from all over at the beginning were temporarily detained in a dungeon at the foot of Mount TaiCang that was temporarily set up. Xie Lian led the way, but before they reached the dungeon they heard a series of rough voices swearing. Pei Su and Ban Yue sat at the entrance, both of their expressions blank.
Right now they lacked serious helping hands, so the two of them were sent over to help the Upper Court guard the dungeon. Within the dungeon locked Ke Mo, and when he saw his enemies his eyes turned especially red, and he spent his days yelling and cursing up and down the heavens nonstop at those two. The two of them pretended they couldn’t understand his words, and sat together in a row like wooden dolls. When Xie Lian and Rain Master entered, they rose to their feet, “Your Highness, Lord Rain Master.”
The Rain Master passed a box of produce to them, and Xie Lian said, “Thank you two for your hard work. Lord Rain Master wants to see Xuan Ji.”
However, Pei Su hesitated for a moment, “Xuan Ji…”
Xie Lian noticed something was wrong and asked, “Is something the matter?”
The two entered the dungeon and found where Xuan Ji was detained, and they were both taken aback. Within the cell, there was nothing, and all that remained was a set of ragged, torn, red bridal robe.
Pei Su explained, “Xuan Ji had already dissipated last night.”
Xuan Ji’s resentment actually dispersed, how incredible. It wasn’t that long ago when this woman’s obsession was still so deep, choking Pei Ming in a deadly hold refusing to let go. Xie Lian remarked, “Perhaps she finally thought things through.”
Thought through just how in the past hundreds of years she had become such an insane, despicable grudging woman from a heroic general, a dignified lady of a prestigious house.
Thought through of what she had lost and what she had gained, and in such shame and embarrassment, she probably didn’t have the face to look back.
She had hoped all this time that she could change the heart of the man who deserted her, either by moving his heart or with threats, but then violently realized that there was never the chance to turn things around from the very beginning, and so she finally understood.
But, she was relying on her turbulent feelings, her refusal to yield towards Pei Ming in order to remain in this world. The moment she thought things through, there was no more reason to stay.
Even thinking about it was a little absurd.
The Rain Master sat down on the spot, looking like she was going to perform a passings service for her. After all, Xuan Ji was the only one left of the Kingdom of YuShi besides herself. It’d be impolite of Xie Lian to disturb her, so he stood down and left.
.
After exiting, he saw Pei Su and Ban Yue were munching on the fruits the Rain Master brought them, so Xie Lian went over and picked one up, ready to crouch down to munch with them. Yet unexpectedly, he suddenly sensed something, and whipped his head around to look, and saw not far in the distance in the bushes that were as tall as half a man, something had blitzed by.
Xie Lian instantly tossed the fruit and only said, “Watch over things here!” Before dashing over.
The thing in the bushes noticed it was discovered, and fled even faster. Xie Lian could’ve caught up in eight steps at first, but he had only taken four steps before he discovered who it was.
Changing his mind, he slowed his pace.
He waited until that creature had fled for a stretch before he suddenly broke in from the side, blocking the other’s path, “Lady Jian Lan, do you plan on leaving without bidding farewells?”
The other party was indeed Jian Lan who was sneaking around with that fetus spirit cradling in her arms, and she jumped in surprise by Xie Lian who appeared out of nowhere, “YOU!”
That blanched fetus spirit was baring its teeth in her arms, looking like it wanted to attack but Jian Lan held it down, “Are you here to stop me?”
Xie Lian didn’t want her to be too alarmed, and said, “Don’t be nervous, I just wanted to give you something.”
Then, he took out an item, “Your son Cuo Cuo’s grudge is rather strong, it needs to be restrained. Although it’s already undergoing purification, your cultivation isn’t as high as his, so it’d be hard to guarantee zero accidents. You’ll need this to assist you.”
The item was a protection charm Xie Lian made himself, and he even demonstrated how to use it, to prove there was no tricks embedded. Jian Lan watched, and her tension indeed relaxed.
After all, this thing was useful. After some hesitation, she took it, “Thanks.”
“No need.” Xie Lian said, “As long as when you use it, shout three times ‘Your Highness Please Bless Me’ it’ll do. That way this will be marked under the name of my palace.”
“…”
Jian Lan took a few steps, paused for a moment, but in the end she still couldn’t hold it in and turned her head around, “You’re not stopping me? Why?”
Xie Lian was waiting for her to look back, and asked her instead of answering, “Then Lady Jian Lan, why must you go? Feng Xin said he would take care of you both, he will keep his word.”
Jian Lan’s expression flickered, but in the end, she sighed, “I know he will. But, forget it, it’s for the best. I don’t want to be with him anymore.”
Xie Lian was a little taken aback, “Do you… not love him at all anymore?”
Jian Lan was probably tired from running, and sat down on the roadside, “This has nothing to do with love anymore. I don’t want him to force himself to tie us to him.”
Xie Lian also sat down by her side, and contemplated for a moment, “He must really love you. Back then, he was so completely spent, but he still refused to let you go.”
Hearing this, Jian Lan looked as if she remembered things from a faraway past, and laughed, “Since you mentioned it, I remember now. Back then, he was still a little dumb, spending long hours to make money, and after he made money he’d buy me for an entire night, but all he did was bring over a stool to sit with me all night, doing nothing but chatting. Everyone took him for a joke, what a laugh!”
Xie Lian also smiled, “You see, I told you he really loves you.”
However, Jian Lan withdrew her smile, “What you’ve said are all things of the past. What was love once doesn’t mean it’ll last. I’m not interested in being a charity case and a nuisance.”
“Why would he think you both a nuisance?” Xie Lian asked, “Don’t you know the kind of person Feng Xin is?”
“You, His Highness the Crown Prince, you have never lived the common life, so of course you’d think things are that simple. He won’t now, and he won’t on the surface either. But once time gets dragged out, then nothing could be sure. If I wanted to seek him out, I would’ve done so a long time ago. It’s not like the Temple of Nan Yang is hard to find. There was a period of time where they were everywhere, but I still didn’t want to.”
“He’s ascended, he’s got everything, looking glorious and impressive, but we’ve already turned into ghosts, so what am I doing seeking him out? A heavenly official carrying two ghosts, isn’t that just trouble for him?”
“I kicked him away when I looked my best, I think that’s quite good, all proud and dignified. That way, I would always look that way to him in his heart, and not like this, heavy in makeup and tacky, crows feet around my eyes.”
She pinched at her own face, “If he really recognized us, and everyday he had to look at this face of mine and Cuo Cuo’s form like this, with us dragging him down, he would only become more and more tired, annoyed, and one day we will become a nuisance. So why bother? Isn’t that too tragic?”
While she was speaking, the fetus spirit was using its wet, slithering tongue to lick her face, looking inexplicably disgusting but mischievously endearing. But to typical others, this was probably only disgusting, and couldn’t be accepted.
Jian Lan also petted the bare head of her son, “Anyway, having Cuo Cuo is enough for me. Who hasn’t made promises or swore to the mountains and the seas when they were young? Talking of affection, of love, of forevers. But, the longer I hung around in the world, the more I understand, something like ‘forever’ is impossible. It’s never going to be possible. Having it once was already good enough. No one can truly achieve it. I don’t believe in it anymore.”
She said with a helpless voice, “Feng Xin is a good man. It’s just… it’s really been too long. Everything’s changed, so it’s best to let it go.”
Xie Lian listened silently, not speaking a word, but in his heart, he said, ‘No.’
A voice in his heart said, ‘’Forever’ exists. There’s one person who can truly achieve it. I believe.’
.
Jian Lan still took Cuo Cuo and left.
Xie Lian went back and sent away Rain Master who finished the passings service for Xuan Ji, and returned to Mount TaiCang. He was thinking of telling Feng Xin that Jian Lan had left, but he didn’t see him. Just as he was looking for him among the rowdy crowd, someone suddenly shouted, “Great timing, Tai Hua! Are you free? Come help figure this out!”
They were still grabbing anyone to do accounting, and Lang Qian Qiu was desperate to get away, responding from afar, “DON’T BRING THE STACK HERE, I’VE GOT THINGS TO DO, GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE!”
Xie Lian sighed, wondering if he should go and give all those books a try when unexpectedly, he had only taken a few steps before he heard a voice from behind, “Mas… Hea…. Your Highness.”
Xie Lian looked back and Lang Qian Qiu was standing right behind him. “Do you have a moment to step aside and speak?”
“Of course.” Xie Lian replied.
Thus, he and Lang Qian Qiu walked together outside that sad, giant hut of a palace. As they walked, Xie Lian inquired, “How’s Gu Zi doing? Is he alright?”
Lang Qing Qiu chuckled helplessly, a little bitter, “I don’t know if it’s considered alright. That child asks me for his dad everyday, rather pitiful, so I could only… gather a bit of the soul particles of the Green Goblin and keep them in a lamp. Now he shows up in front of me everyday hugging that lamp asking when the soul within the lamp will grow bigger! I really…”
Looking at that grim, dispirited face, just thinking of it Xie Lian could understand. Just why did he have to do something like this for Qi Rong who had murdered his entire family? Xie Lian had subconsciously reached out to pat his shoulder, but then he remembered what he himself had done in Yong An, and held back. He said gently, “You’ve worked hard. Then, what did you want to talk about with me today?”
After some hesitation, Lang Qian Qiu reached into his robes and took something out, passing it to him, “This.”
The moment Xie Lian saw the thing his breathing stopped.
It was an opulent, smooth and luminescent little crimson coral pearl.
His voice trembled, “This is…?!”
Lang Qian Qiu said, “This coral pearl was a secret treasure left by the founding father of Yong An.”
Only having heard this did Xie Lian realize that this wasn’t the one tied at the end of Hua Cheng’s hair, but the one he once gifted to Lang Ying.
It wasn’t Hua Cheng’s. Xie Lian felt a little disappointed, but still took that pearl. Just then Lang Qian Qiu spoke up, “The founding father once said, the one who gave him this red coral pearl was his saviour, someone who had helped him. A very good man.”
“…”
Lang Qian Qiu continued, “But he still did something that made that man lose everything. The founding father said he didn’t regret doing what he did, he had to do it. But afterwards when he thought about it, he still felt like he wronged that man.”
“…”
“And then?” Xie Lian asked.
“And then,” Lang Qian Qiu said, “That day at the Heavenly Capital, I looked at that bead at the end of Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s hair carefully, and the more I looked the more I thought it resembled the one father left me. Later I heard General Xuan Zhen and the others talking, and learned that those pearls were actually a pair, and they belonged to you. So, I came to ask, is this yours?”
A moment later, Xie Lian nodded slowly, “It’s mine. It’s a pair of pearls my father and mother gave me when I was young.”
Lang Qian Qiu scatched his head, “Then… I’m giving this back to you.”
He still didn’t know how to address Xie Lian, and after having returned the pearl, he wavered around for a bit before leaving silently. Xie Lian stood in the same spot, that red coral pearl squeezed in the heart of his palm.
It’s been over eight hundred years. After all the twists and turns, the other half of that pair of crimson coral pearl earrings had returned to his hands. It’s his, and also his.
But, the other pearl should’ve been present here too. They should’ve been able to complete the pair.
Right then, the loud, overjoyed voice of Feng Xin came from the bottom of the mountain, “YOUR HIGHNESS! EVERYONE! COME QUICK!”
———–
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