Heaven Blessing Extra Chapters

TGCF Extra - Chapter 245
Lanterns & Riddles, Yuanxiao Night - The taste of yuanxiao is the taste of
reunion
=-=-
Spoiler warning: This extra chapter comprises two parts. The rst part spoils
for general knowledge of Xie Lian’s past, but no speci c scenes from books 2
and 4. The second part (after the + sign) is HuaLian uf ness and is not
spoiler-ish
Translator’s note about the Yuanxiao Festival: The festival has many names,
including yuan xiao jie (元宵节), shang yuan jie (上元节). The chapter uses
these names interchangeably - but for simplicity’s sake, I have standardised

them in this translation to “Yuanxiao Festival”. One of the English names for it
is the Lantern Festival (wiki)
The festival falls on the fteenth day of the rst month of the Chinese lunar
year. Typical activities include: admiring lanterns, playing riddle games,
unmarried youths seizing the opportunity to mingle with each other, and
eating tangyuan (汤圆) / yuanxiao (元宵) - a Chinese dessert of round balls
made from glutinous our, sometimes with llings (e.g. red bean paste,
ground peanut paste, ground sesame paste), served in a sweet soup. It is
often eaten at / associated with family reunions and such events (wiki)
=-=-
Yuanxiao Festival, a lovely night since sundown
Although it was considered the start of spring, winter was not yet distant, and
the wind was crisp and cold. Xie Lian hefted a huge sack as he walked slowly
along the side of the road, a faint red ush on his face from the wind
The sack contained a jumble of scraps he had just collected. He did not know
if they were of any use, but regardless of whether they were of use or not, it
was to be his only livelihood from now on
=
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Not too long later, he came across a stall by the side of the street
The stall was called “Heji Xiaoshi” [1], and sold some snacks and small bites.
It appeared that the stall-owner’s family of three were sitting at a small table
placed towards a lane. A slim and rather pretty lady was bustling amidst rows
of tables; she did not heed the stall-owner as he called for her to stop bustling
about and to take a seat at the table, instead only saying, “be there soon,” her
voice like an oriole’s call. Although customers sat at the other tables in twos
and threes, but all of them seemed to be there for the young ladies passing
by, as they sat and chatted casually before heading home after a while. After
all, it was Yuanxiao Festival today
In front of the stall was a small pot. The contents of the pot - white, round,
glistening little objects, piping hot in a roiling boil - made him slow down his
footsteps
Xie Lian remarked internally: “Ah, it’s yuanxiao.”
When he was little, every Yuanxiao Festival, Xianle’s king and queen would
eat a meal of yuanxiao with him. Xie Lian was an extremely picky-eater, and
did not like yuanxiao. Even the tiny delicacies made by renowned chefs,
served to him in dishes of gold and jade, were not to his liking. He disliked
how they were too sweet, how they made his teeth feel funny when he ate
them; he would not eat this lling, nor would he eat that lling; a couple of
bites and he would be done
Afterwards, when he had grown up a little and run off to cultivate on Taicang
Mountain, he only went home for Yuanxiao Festival occasionally, and all in all
only ate a few meals. Thinking about it now, Xie Lian discovered that he could
not remember just what yuanxiao tasted like
Xie Lian darted a few glances cautiously from the side of the stall, and set the
huge, ugly sack down from his shoulder cautiously, and nally, stepped
cautiously towards the stall
.
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.
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He took off his straw hat, and held it in his hands as he said, “Boss [3], could I
have a bowl of yuanxiao? Do you have any here?
The stall-owner was quite old, and gave Xie Lian a look, but before he could
answer, that slim young lady replied with a smile, “Yes, you have a seat rst!”
With that, she hurried to prepare a bowl. Xie Lian, but saw the stall-owner
shake his head. He found it strange, and wondered if it was because he
looked dirty, such that he was displeasing to others, and he looked down
deliberately to study his clothes. After ascertaining that he was not dirty, he
felt slightly relieved, and asked, “What is it?
He thought, if the stall-keeper did not like that he had brought that sack in, he
would just place the sack outside. But the stall-keeper gave him another look,
and shook his head, saying, “Pitiful. How pitiful.
Xie Lian said, “Ah? What did you say?
The stall-keeper said, “On Yuanxiao Festival, a single person sitting at an
outdoors stall in the cold, eating yuanxiao, is too pitiful, surely.
“……” Xie Lian said, “Don’t be like that. Aren’t you making a business……
The stall-owner did not speak to him further, but started collecting bowls. After
sitting for a while, Xie Lian felt that the people around him were studying him,
or rather, studying him and that extraordinarily and unexpectedly large sack
beside him
The stall-owner’s daughter came over furtively, crouching down to poke at the
sack, as though curious about what the bulky items in it were, and only going
back after her mother had called a few times for her. At this time, Xie Lian had
yet to cultivate the thick skin which even knives and spears could not
penetrate [3], that he would have in the future. He could not help but use his
leg to kick the huge sack under the table, hoping to stuff it in a place where
the passers-by would not be able to see it. Alas, the stall was small, and its
tables and chairs and benches were also small, such that it was simply
.
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”
impossible to hide such a thing. Xie Lian had no choice but to cough lightly,
and do his best to ignore the gazes of the people around him
He would get used to it. It was no big deal
Suddenly, he remembered something, and hurriedly reached his hand into
the chest of his robes and felt around. His expression changed as he thought,
“Now this is even more pitiful! Not only am I sitting alone at an outdoors stall
in the cold, eating yuanxiao, on Yuanxiao Festival, I don’t even have enough
money!!!
He had intended to slip away hurriedly, but just at that moment, the stall-
owner came over with a large porcelain bowl, and set it down on the table,
saying, “Five bits of money.
“……
Xie Lian felt faintly as though he was unable to breathe, as he said, “Uh……
I……
He coughed a few times, his st raised before his mouth, as he heard the
stall-owner say, “Is it that you don’t have any?
Xie Lian was just about to thicken his skin and stand up and scram, when he
saw the large porcelain bowl being put on the table before him with a thud
He froze, and heard the stall-owner say, “Forget it. Seeing how pitiful you are,
I’ll give you a bowl. I’ll need to close up the stall after you nish this, so hurry
up and go back. It’s Yuanxiao Festival today, you should be together with your
family!
“……
Xie Lian sat down again, and although he remarked to himself that he had
nowhere to go back to after he nished this bowl of yuanxiao, he said out loud
in a soft voice, “Thank you.
The stall-owner also said, “It’s so late out, and to go back back this late on
Yuanxiao Festival is improper!
”
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.
His wife said, “He looks like he’s worked hard too, and will be leaving soon,
stop scolding him in the meanwhile. Miao-er [4], Miao-er, stop bustling about.
Always having you come over to help, it makes us feel bad. Come here and
eat with us.
That young lady said, “I’m not bustling around!” She put away the last table,
and went over to sit and have a portion of yuanxiao with them
The four people seemed to be waiting for another person to come back to join
their gathering, as they talked and laughed. Xie Lian looked at them, held up
his bowl, spooned a piece into his mouth, and drank a sip of sweet soup
But he still did not know what its taste was
“Gege, gege?
Only then did Xie Lian recall his attention. Hua Cheng was by his side, staring
at him. In his red robes, Hua Cheng’s brows and eyes were all the more
brilliant, and the light from the lanterns gave his otherwise pale (to the point
that he looked lifeless) face a layer of soft colour. Xie Lian grew slightly
distracted as he looked, saying, “What?
Hua Chen said, “Is gege tired? Or is it that he can’t walk?
Xie Lian nodded without much thought. Hua Cheng said, “Sorry. I overdid it
last night.
Only after a while did Xie Lian react to what he had said, and hurriedly waved
his hands, saying, “…… what are you saying, it is nothing of that sort! This
has nothing to do with that!
Hua Cheng raised a brow, saying, “Really? If this has nothing to do with that,
that means, I did not overdo it? And so, I can……?
“……
Xie Lian suddenly recalled that they were still in middle of the main street of
the Ghost City, and gave a startled, wary glance about. Indeed, at some
+
unknown point in time, they had become surrounded by a huge crowd of

misshapen and bizarre creatures [5], those with long ears extending their
ears [6], those with with short ears stretching their necks, and seemingly all of
them with eyes opened as wide as a copper bell, staring at them [i.e.
HuaLian] hard. Xie Lian was so startled that, for a moment he did not know
what to say. Finally, he exclaimed, “San-lang ah!
Hua Cheng gave a slight smile, and hid his hands behind his back as he said,
“Alright, alright. It’s my fault, I’ll stop talking.
Xie Lian had also already drawn back his gaze from the yuanxiao creature’s
stall by the side of the street. On both sides of the Ghost City’s main street
hung a profusion of bright red lanterns, and the lanterns were covered with
riddles. The crowd of ghosts clamoured, “Guess a riddle! Guess a riddle!
Guess correctly and you’ll get a prize! Lots and lots of prizes!
Hua Cheng said to Xie Lian, “ Gege, give it a go? There are prizes.
Xie Lian walked up, saying, “Let me try?
The crowd of ghosts grew excited, pushing at each other: “Sh! Sh! Da
bogong [7] is going to guess a riddle! Da bofu is going to guess a riddle!!!
“……” Faced with the overwhelming clamour of the crowd, almost as though
they were expecting him to break into a dance, Xie Lian did not know whether
to laugh or cry. Just as he was thinking of picking a riddle at random, a
tentacle from goodness-knows-where anticipated him, passing him a lantern
and saying, “Please! Please!
[TN: The riddles are Chinese word riddles, and don’t translate well into
English. I’ve done a literal translation in the main text, and explain how to
derive the answer in the end notes.
To Xie Lian, any of them would be the same. And so, he received the lantern,
and gave it a look. There were four words on the side of the lantern with the
riddle: “Found a white head.
”
Xie Lian did not even need to think, saying: “I.” [8

Hua Cheng clapped his hands, praising, “Gege, you’re amazing.” The
surrounding crowd of ghosts clapped along thunderously with him, whooping
and howling, and an indistinct, pitch-black shape even did somersaults in the
air as it cheered, which felt a bit much. Xie Lian felt embarrassed, saying,
“Actually, this…… was really simple ah.
The tentacle again passed him a second lantern, saying, “Please! Please
Xie Lian received the lantern, and this time, the riddle read: “One day in the
Spring Festival.
Similarly, without even needing to think, Xie Lian spoke the answer,
“Husband.” [9
Hua Cheng raised his hands once again and applauded. Xie Lian said, “No
need. This was simple too.
Hua Cheng beamed at him, saying, “Really? But, I do sincerely think that
gege is amazing.
Xie Lian remarked internally, “Nonsense, nonsense. If you personally came
up with a riddle on the lantern, and I could solve that, now that would be
amazing……
At that moment, the tentacle yet again passed him a third lantern, singing,
“Please! Please!
Xie Lian looked, and his brows crinkled slightly. The crowd exclaimed too,
“Wah! This time, it’s tough!
Xie Lian nodded his head. Indeed, this riddle could not be gured out with a
glance: “Shyly lowering one’s head to express adoration.
But, it was not too dif cult. After a while, Xie Lian said, “The word ‘shyly”
refers to the mimosa plant, take the part of the word for grass; ‘lowering one’s
head’, take the head of the word for ‘lower’; ‘to express adoration’, take the
”
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heart of the word for ‘pour’. Put the three together, it’s…… ‘Hua’. The answer
to the riddle is Hua.” [10
After he nished saying that, he tugged on his year. As expected, once he
gave the answer to the riddle, the ghosts all around them started to dance
wildly, without any restraint or decorum, their gestures overblown, in a
manner that was almost nauseating. Hua Cheng smiled as he looked at him,
saying, “Gege, this time, you were truly amazing.
The tentacle once again raised a lantern and offered it tentatively. With a
smile of his own, Xie Lian said, “I have something even more amazing. Would
you believe me if I say that, this time, I can guess the answer without even
looking at the riddle?
Hua Cheng widened his eyes, and said, “Oh, really? Gege has such a special
move?
Xie Lian received the lantern, saying, “Of course. I’m guessing, this time the
answer is ‘Cheng’. The ‘Cheng’ in ‘Hua Cheng’, right?
Raising the lantern to look, indeed, “Once the dagger handle and blade of
the dagger move they x towards the south direction”. Xie Lian said, ‘once the
dagger and handle move’, invert the word for ‘handle’, you get the word ‘soil’;
retain the word for ‘blade’; ‘ xed towards the south direction’, take the word
for ‘direction’ as the south portion, and x words for ‘soil’ and ‘blade’ in the
centre, it becomes ‘Cheng’.This would have been the hardest riddle, what a
pity……” [11
What a pity, he had guessed the rules of the game rst. String the four
answers together, and what do you get? [12
With Xie Lian having seen through their ruse, the crowd of ghosts did not
dare to cheer, but instead began to cough, each of them glancing towards the
sky. When Hua Cheng’s gaze swept slowly across them, they seemed as
though greatly frightened, some of them diving into the lanterns, some of
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them diving into the ground, each of them hugging their heads and crying,
“Cheng-zhu [13], don’t be angry!!! It was not my idea!!!” “It wasn’t mine
either!” “Bullshit! You were the one who agreed the most loudly!!!
In a soft voice, Hua Cheng said, “Scram.
In an instant, every human and ghost on the street disappeared as though
like clouds blown away by the wind, with no one left behind. XIe Lian hung
the lantern back onto its rack, and said with a smile, “Let’s go back.
The two of the walked towards Qiandeng Temple together, shoulder to
shoulder. As they walked, Hua Cheng said with a serious look, “Gege, please
don’t look at me like that. It really wasn’t me who let them do that.
Xie Lian smiled, saying, “I know. If it was you, the riddles de nitely would not
have been designed like that.
Hua Cheng said, “Oh? Then how does gege think I would design the riddles?
Unguardedly, Xie Lian said, “Of course it would be, ‘my husband is San-
lang’……” [14
Only after having spoken to this point, did XIe Lian realise what he had said
something which he should not have said [15], and hurriedly shut his mouth.
However, it was too late. Hua Cheng began to laugh loudly, saying, “Gege,
gotcha! Beautiful!
“…… sly, sly…….
Just at that moment, the two of them arrived back at Qiandeng Temple. Upon
entering the great hall, Xie Lian discovered that, unexpectedly, a table of
items had been placed on the jade platform. Startled, he went up to take a
look. They were two bowls of yuanxiao
He looked back. Hua Cheng had joined him on the platform, and was saying,
“This was what gege was looking at just now while we were out, wasn’t it?
Xie Lian nodded his head
Hua Cheng, “Sit down and eat with me, gege.
]
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”
“……
But Xie Lian didn’t sit, but instead threw himself towards Hua Cheng, burying
his head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Hua Cheng tightly,
refusing to let go
In response, Hua Cheng hugged him too
After so many years, he nally remembered once again, what the taste of
yuanxiao was
The author has something to say

Happy Yuanxiao
[MXTX then proceeds to thank everyone for their readership, discussions,
enthusiastic support etc.
=-=-
Translator’s notes
[1] 贺记⼩⻝
[2] ⽼板 (lao ban): Literally, boss. A typical form of address in Chinese for the
person running a store. It was also used in the parts where I have translated
as “stall-owner” (because “boss”in those sentences sounds kinda weird, I
feel…)
[3] The Chinese concept of having a “thick skin”, is to be impervious or
insensitive to embarrassment, criticism etc
[4] 妙⼉, presumably the lady stall-assistant who was bustling about at the
start of the chapter

[5] 歪⽠裂枣奇形怪状的玩意⼉: Literally, strangely-shaped things like crooked
melons and broken date

[6] Imagine a creature with long ears, holding said ears out vertically in
HuaLian’s direction
—
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:
[7] ⼤伯公: The Ghost City’s inhabitants’ title for Xie Lian. Literally translated
as, big (or eldest) grand-uncle. But in this case, it can also mean something
like master / lord, a title of respect
[8] The riddle is 找到⽩头, i.e. found (找到) a white (⽩) head (头). The answer
is 我, i.e. I. Take the ⼃ stroke on the head of ⽩, and put it on the head of the
找 instead (like a hat!) - you get 我
[9] The riddle is 春节⼀⽇, literally Spring (春) Festival (节) one (⼀) day (⽇).
The answer is 夫, i.e. husband. Take away the ⼀ and ⽇ characters from the
bottom half of 春 - you get 夫
[10] The riddle is 含羞低头表倾⼼, with shyness (含羞) lower (低) head (头) to
express (表) admiration (倾⼼ - lit. pour out one’s heart). The answer is 花, i.e.
hua, ower. 含羞 refers to the mimosa plant, a.k.a. 含羞草. Take away the
portion of the word which represents plant (草), you get ⺾. Next, take the
head, i.e. the front, of the word for lower (低), you get 亻. Finally, take the
heart, i.e. the middle, of the word for pour (倾), you get 七. Arrange them
together, you get 花
[11] The riddle is ⼲⼽⼀动南⽅定, the dagger (⼲⼽, an olden type of weapon,
with a long handle (⼲) and a blade (⼽)) one (⼀) move (动) south (南)
direction (⽅) xed (定). The answer is 城, i.e. cheng, city. Flip or move the
rst character in the word for dagger, i.e. ⼲, and you get the word for soil, ⼟.
The second character in the word for dagger, i.e. ⼽, remains. The word for
direction, i.e. ⽅, is xed in the south or bottom of the nal answer-word. Put
in the other two characters, ⼟ and ⼽, with ⼽ in the centre, you get 城
[12] 我夫花城: My husband is Hua Cheng. :

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[13] 城主 (cheng zhu): Owner of the city. Hua Cheng’s subjects’ title for him
[14] 我夫三郎 :DDD
[15] Xie Lian realised that he had 祸从⼝出 literally, disaster comes from the
mouth
[TGCF Extra - Chapter 246

The Curious Incident of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince’s Memory
Having Wandered Away 1 - Big Huahua Picks Up an Amnesiac Lia
=-=-
Trigger warning: Sexual harassment, victim blaming
=-=-
The moment Xie Lian opened his eyes, he discovered that he was lying on
the oor.
It was a strange room. He felt extremely confused.
He had clearly been cultivating in the royal temple on Taichang Mountain, so
why was he here
Feeling mildly at a loss, Xie Lian sat up from the oor. He discovered that he
was wearing a set of simple, white robes that were really just a bit too simple,
crude and lacking in detail[1] like a poor commoner’s. The material was also
not good, its texture rough, rubbing against his skin in a way that felt
uncomfortable.
Xie Lian wrinkled his brow, and thought about climbing up from the oor. He
did not expect that the moment he stood, he would discover even more
places where his body felt uncomfortable.
His hips hurt, his legs hurt, his abdomen hurt, his neck hurt. Could this be the
result of spending a night lying on the oor and catching a chill
… Impossible. Besides, he wasn’t that delicate and frail.
fl
=
fl

fl

fl
.
What about Feng Xin and Mu Qing? Recalling them, Xie Lian called out,
“Feng…… cough, cough cough……???
Even his voice did not feel very comfortable.
He remembered, last night, Feng Xin and Mu QIng had once again started
ghting over a small, trivial thing, making so much noise to the point that it
was impossible for him to meditate. As such, he had ordered them to continue
arguing[2] outside. Having listened to them trade, with great resentment and
irritation, more than two hundred lines, Xie Lian had begun to feel drowsy,
and took a rest. How was it that upon waking up, he had fallen into such an
unthinkable and muddled situation??
Supporting himself on the side of a table, Xie Lian nally stood up, and
surveyed his surroundings. This place should be an inn, but generally
speaking, if he did not choose to camp, but chose to stay at an inn instead,
he would not have chosen to stay at such an inn that was clearly budget.
HIs hands and legs had not been tied, and the room door was not locked, so
this meant that he had not been imprisoned. If someone or something was
plotting against him, then what point did throwing him here have
The more Xie Lian thought about it the more bizarre he found it, but the most
bizarre was still the present state of his body. Tolerating the ache in his arms,
he removed his outer clothes, ready to survey what sort of injuries he had on
his body. But unexpectedly, upon removing his outer clothes, when he
lowered his had to look, his whole face went pale in an instant.
From his abdomen, to his chest, all were densely covered with ambiguous
red marks. It was as though large ower petals had fallen and blanketed skin
that was as pale as ne white jade, like the blooming of blush-red blossoms.
So red were they that he was stunned, and he lunged in front of the mirror by
his side to take a look
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Indeed! Not just on his chest and abdomen, they were even on his neck, even
on his beck
“……
Xie Lian did not dare remove the clothes on his lower half to continue to look.
The situation was very clear.
At some point when he had been unconscious for a reason he did not know,
someone had… de led him.
It was the rst time in his life that Xie Lian felt “weak in the legs”, but he
steeled himself and held on, and stood rm.
He had very early on in the past listened to the chambermaids who waited on
him, talk about some of the scary legends from outside the palace, such as
black-hearted people who worked on the black market and who specialised in
abductions for nefarious or sexual reasons, drugging maidens before doing
bad things. But… But
Xie Lian clutched his head in both hands, muttering, “But, I, I’m a male ah!
……
His appearance now, was truly indeed unsightly. Besides these love bites,
and bruises where he had been held with too much force, there were even
embarrassing bite marks. Xie Lian covered his face, feeling has though his
head was feverish, while his body was cold.
Suddenly, he remembered something that was extremely serious: Oh no
His cultivation path required absolute chastity, but from this, hasn’t he
committed a great taboo?
Xie Lian hurriedly gave a try. Upon a try, as expected, he no longer had any
magical power
Xie Lian was typically considered quite calm, but under the present situation,
he felt as though he was about to collapse.
”
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!
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…
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Inexplicably, upon waking up, he had become like this, Feng Xin and Mu Qing
were both missing, and he himself still did not know who had used what
method to beguile and de le him. He really wanted to collapse.
After a good while, he was still unable to accept this reality, and he felt terribly
upset. But, he also could not continue to be in a daze like this, and so, he had
no choice but to carelessly pick up and put on his clothes, and left the inn. No
one tried to stop him on his way out. Xie Lian breathed out in relief, and did
not care that even the buildings all around him, the clothing of the passers-by
and their accents, were all quite strange.
But perhaps because there was a niggling feeling in his heart, he kept feeling
as though other people could tell that something had happened to his body,
and that they were measuring him with odd stares. This made him pick up
speed as he walked, until in the end, he was running madly. He rushed into a
patch of forest, and with one punch, punched a tree. The tree snapped with a
“crack”. He yelled angrily, “Asshole!!!”
He wanted to use the foulest language to curse and scold the person who
had done such things to him, but after tossing and turning all he could only
scold, “Asshole, bastard, scoundrel!”[3], and he just could not give vent to the
re in his heart, leaving him suffocated. But he also could not let loose and
cry, and so he could only keep it in and strike out wildly. “Peng peng peng
peng peng peng", he knocked down tens of trees in a row, knocking them
down until nally the very ground on the spot crawled up to hug his thighs,
yelling and crying: “Taizi Dianxia![4] Tazi Dianxia, don’t hit any more!
Xie Lian’s heart was full of fury, but this old man had suddenly emerged from
the ground, and was clearly not an ordinary person. The sight left him slightly
startled, and he said, “Who are you?
fi
fi
fi
”
The old man wiped his tears and said, “I am the Ground here, Taizi Dianxia!
This patch of forest was raised by me! If a senior like you[5] keeps hitting, I
would have nothing left!”
Xie Lian thought to himself, after all this did not concern anyone else, and he
should not act indiscriminately in anger. Besides, even though this was a
small god, he was still a god, and he was old, and should be respected. As
such, he reluctantly held back some of his re, pulled back his hand, slowed
his breaths, and said, “…. sorry, it was I who was acting out. How about this,
let me pay you for all the trees I had knocked down just now.
The Ground released his hands that had been hugging Xie Lian’s thighs, and
hurriedly said, “No no no no no, no need, no need, how can a senior like you
be expected to pay? The fact that you are willing to speak to me, graces this
little god’s place with glory!
Xie Lian felt that it was a little odd, no matter how it might be said, this
Ground was still a god, and by the look of it was much older than him, so why
was he so afraid of him, even calling him “a senior like you”? But he did not
have the mood to enquire further, and courteously asked, “Since you’re the
Ground of this area, you must know the in’s and out’s of this area very well.
Can you help me look for two people?” As he said that, he reached his hand
into his sleeve with the intention of retrieving a few gold leaves as payment,
but the Ground saw his action, and hurriedly and frantically waved his hands,
“No need no need no need! Who do you wish to nd?
Coincidentally, Xie Lian also did not pull out anything. He took out his hand,
and said, “My two attendants, Feng Xin and Mu QIng.
“……
The ground’s expression suddenly became very strange. Xie Lian said,
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?
”
fi
fi
”
The Ground said, “No no no no, no problem at all. It’s just……” It’s just, what
was with Taizi Dianxia - it’s been eight hundred years, and he still calls the
Nangyang General and Xuanzghen General his attendants. Who knew
whether the two generals would be angry? Sigh, forget it, it didn’t matter if the
two generals were angry; if this person did not serve him well, then it would
be more terrifying when that person got angry. And so he said, “Please wait
here for a while, I’ll immediately conduct a search for you!
Xie Lian said, “Much obliged.” He bowed in courtesy, and when he lifted his
head, that Ground had long since disappeared.
Xie Lian felt as though his head was still feverish, and he held his forehead.
After goodness knows how long, he heard a doubtful voice before him say,
“What’s wrong?
Xie Lian lifted his head, and saw Feng Xin and Mu Qing
However, it was not a Feng Xin and Mu Qing he recognised. In truth, both
their appearances hadn’t changed, but the air about them was different, no
longer like two brash youths, but rather like two generals who had
experienced many victories in the arena. Furthermore, they both were
wearing expensive and luxurious black robes, not like the sort which regular
people could wear. At least, never had Xie Lian seen them wear such
clothes.
The person who had asked was Feng Xin, and he walked over, saying,
“Dianxia, what are you doing here by yourself?
“……” Xie Lian said, “I’m the one who should be asking, where did the both of
you run off too? I let you both go outside to argue last night, why did you
disappear this morning?
Feng Xin and Mu QIng both showed expressions as strange as the Ground,
as though they did not understand what he was saying. Xie Lian’s head hurt

as though it might split, and he said again, “What’s with both your get-ups?
What’s going on???
Feng Xin lowered his head and studied himself, and said doubtfully, “What’s
wrong with these clothes? Aren’t they very normal?
Mu Qing then said, “What are you saying? Did you lose your wits when you
slept? I was not at yours last night.
Xie Lian hugged his head. He wanted to yell and scream, but he resolutely
forced himself to remain calm, and after considering for a while, said, “I
understand? You’re both like me, and are being held at ransom by
something.
Feng Xin’s and Mu QIng’s expressions grew more and more strange. Feng
Xin said, “I’ve been remiss. Dianxia, why don’t you say why you had
summoned us.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes, and said, “There’s no need to ask. Like I said, for
him to ask someone to look for us, and not look for that person, it is eighty
percent likely that there’s something wrong with his brain.
Xie Lian completely did not understand what they were talking about, and
said, “Who is that person? The State Preceptor[6]?
“……
Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked at each other, and after a pause, Mu Qing took
a step forward, saying, “Taizi Dianxia.
Xie Lian said, “What?
Mu QIng said, “My memory right now is a bit fuzzy. Can you tell me, do you
remember what we have been doing these few days?
Xie Lian said, “Haven’t we been cultivating in the royal temple these few
days?
Mu QIng said, “Where is Hua Cheng?
”
Hearing this name, Xie Lian felt a strong sense of familiarity, but after thinking
about it, he indeed did not recognise it, and so, he suddenly said, “Who is
Hua… Cheng……?
“………………
Mu Qing said, “Alright. I get it.
He cast a glance to the side, and stepped aside to discuss with Feng Xin,
whose expression was dumbfounded. Xie Lian suddenly felt that this was
rather suspicious, and warily said, “What did you get? What are you two
talking about?
Having nished their discussion, the two people turned back. Feng Xin said,
“Dianxia, let us go.
Xie Lian grew even more suspicious. “Go where?
Mu QIng said, “We’ll take you to see someone who can solve the present
situation. Come along!
By now, Xie Lian was already eight percent wary, and he took many steps
back. Seeing that Xie Lian wanted to ee, Mu Qing said, “Don’t go!” He
reached out his hand and brandished a bolt of spiritual light, as though
planning to restrain him. But how could Xie Lian not leave
Run
The moment he ran, Feng Xin and Mu QIng felt as though they were in over
their heads. The two of them chased and roared into the wind, Feng Xin
saying, “Fuck me! I’m really fucked! How did this happen? Even if he has
amnesia it can’t be this severe! Forgetting eight hundred years in a go?
Mu Qing said, “Finally! Finally, he’s damaged his brain from eating all sorts of
nonsense!
“How can this be! I’m afraid he may have met with an accident while out
alone, let’s hurry up and nd him! His mind right now, is of a seventeen year
old!
”
fi
”
fi
”
fl
”
Even at this time, Mu Qing did not forget to get in a few digs, “Yeah, the
naive, silly, and pampered Taizi Dianxia!
“Wait! Let’s tell him rst, hurry up and tell him rst!
Something like this happening, of course one had to tell that person rst
Xie Lian ran 20 li[7] in a breath, slightly gasping only when he nally stopped.
He felt as though he was still caught within a giant, confusing and foggy net,
and had yet to escape.
Just on earth was going on
Things were abnormal. Far too abnormal
Didn’t he have clear knowledge of Mu Qing’s powers? To cultivate that sort of
spiritual light, he would have had to cultivate for at least a few hundred years
more. How could this now be the real Mu Qing? He must be a fake
And him. He himself wasn’t normal. He only discovered with this run, that his
body’s movements were light as a swallow’s. Even though his movements
had always light as a swallow’s, but now, his body’s skills were faster,
stronger.
Everything was not right
Calm down, calm down, and calm down again. Xie Lian suddenly
remembered: just now, Mu Qing seemed to have mentioned a name.
He had muttered, “Hua Cheng.
For some unknown reason, this name should have been very unfamiliar to
him, but the moment he said it, his heart seemed to move faintly, as though a
ower had bloomed in some corner in his heart. ANd so, he could help but
say this name out loud a few times, back and forth.
Hua Cheng, Hua Cheng, Hua Cheng.
This must have been a very important person, perhaps the key to the present
situation. He would have to nd him rst.
+
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fi
”
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fi
”
fi
!
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Having reached a decision, Xie Lian walked towards the city.

Even though Xie Lian was completely unable to accept it when he rst
discovered that something had happened to his body, he began to calm now.
Even though his heart and body still felt uncomfortable to the extreme, but
with the present puzzle that he was in, he did not have time to fret. The real
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were still missing without a trace, and until he
uncovered the perpetrator behind the scenes, he had to pull himself together
at once, and investigate the truth.
And so, when he stepped into the city, he had regained complete calm.
Picking a teahouse at random, he picked a seat by the window on the upper
oor, but did not have the mood to drink tea. Xie Lian picked up a cup from
the table and examined it. Inside the cup were some old tea stains that could
not be wiped away. The sight made him exhausted, and put the cup down
and ignored it.
In the teahouse, a rather pretty young lass was holding a pipa[8], strumming
and singing, while a circle of men of various ages sat and leered at her. The
girl had originally been singing a common, local folk song, about a maiden
heading out early to pick oors etc., but she had barely sung for a while when
a group of old men said, “Meaningless, not pleasant to listen to, change!”
“Yeah, this song isn’t nice to listen to, change, change, change!” “Change the
song
At a loss, the singer had no choice but to take on their suggestions, and
changed to a famous erotic song, the melody slow and soft, to the point that
the listener would blush and their heart quicken. Only then was the group of
onlookers satis ed, and called out their approval. But to Xie Lian who sat in
his seat by the window on the second oor, it was extremely inappropriate.
Carefully listening to the lyrics, it appeared to be about the honey-sweet
passions of a young husband and wife on their marriage night, and was
fl
!
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fl

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indeed audacious to the extreme. Had he heard it in the past, he would have
ignored it like wind by his ears, because it did not concern him, as never in
his life would he have ever thought of doing such things. But now, it was not
quite the same.
Even though he completely did not remember what had happened, but
something had happened, and when listening to such things, one’s thoughts
would be different. Furthermore, he had discovered something frightening: his
thoughts were completely beyond his control!
While the song was thirty percent light and teasing, his emotions swung back
and forth a hundred percent. Furthermore, many fractured images arose in an
endless stream in his mind: two hands, their ngers tightly interlocked;
between the ngers a red thread wrapped rmly and never to be undone; and
even seemed to hear, by his ear, broken gasps, begging sobs, as well as a
man’s seductive low voice.
…… what were all these. What were all these?
Xie Lian felt both embarrassed and vexed, and biting his lip, clenched his st
tightly. The next moment, at breaking point, he was nally unable to bear it
any longer and viciously slammed his hand on the table.
The “peng” sound startled the customers at the few tables nearby, who
looked at him with wide eyes. Only then did Xie Lian come to himself with a
start, and apologised quietly. He desperately wished to use both hands to
stop his ears, so that he could no longer hear anything. He thought to himself,
if she kept on singing, then he would leave
Suddenly, the singing stopped abruptly, and a sharp scream pulled him out
from where he had been lost in his thoughts. When Xie Lian jerked his head
up, to see that group had surrounded the song-girl, and seemed to be baiting
her. The song-girl hugged her pipa, and stood up in fright, saying in an upset
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!
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voice, “My lords, it’s enough for us to listen to my songs, stop touching
me……
A few of the men said in a coaxing manner, “What’s wrong with touching?
After all, it can’t be only us to have touched, I refuse to believe that you
haven’t been groped by a few people while out selling your trade!
The song-girl was so upset that her eyes sockets were red. She said, “What
do you mean, selling my trade? I sell my songs, not my body!
But the surrounding people deliberately did not hear her clari cation, and
said,”Heh! You speak as though you’re a virgin. If you were really proper, you
wouldn’t be out selling yourself!
“Yeah! Singing that song just now to entice people, and now saying that
you’re not for sale, what sort of gate[9] are you trying to erect, totally
laughable!
The song-girl was so angry that she could faint. In a trembling voice, she
said, “It was all of you who let me sing it, it was all of you who let me to sing it,
that I sang it ah.
However, no matter what she said, that group of ill-hearted listeners always
had words to counter. “So you’ll sing just because we let you sing it? So
obedient? This indicates that you had already planned in your heart to sing it
in order to seduce people!
Xie Lian could not bear to listen further
He was already feeling angry, and now he felt even more outraged. A white
shadow ashed, and before that group of cat-calling men realised what had
happened, they had been knocked down in a row. The man who was leading
the crowd landed with his ass to the fair, and he scolded loudly, “Who the hell
do you think you are? You dare to anger us?
Xie Lian stood protectively in front of the song-girl. Even as he cracked his
knuckles, his face did not show any sign of anger. He said in a deep voice,
”
fl
”
fi
”
“Let’s stop right here. Faced with such a beauty, anyone’s heart would be
moved. But if you do not know how to treat her with courtesy, then that is
shameful and despicable.
Someone shouted, “It was clearly she who started singing rst. She can sing
as she likes, but we can’t touch as we like?
But Xie Lian said, enunciating each word and sentence, “That’s right. It is
indeed that she can sing as she likes, but you guys can’t touch as you like!”
Even before he nished speaking, he had tossed seven or eight burly men
downstairs to the oor below. They landed on their asses, and their falls lled
them with fright. In truth, none of them was heavily injured, but it was enough
to make a point. After all, no one could see clearly how Xie Lian had attacked,
so how could anyone even talk about counter-attacking? In a panic, they
scattered. Upstairs, Xie Lian looked back. The song-girl stood up and, with
great gratitude, bowed towards him, saying, “Many thanks to this
daozhang[10] for breaking up this crowd!
Xie Lian, “It was no more effort than raising my hand. Lady, Do you still intend
to remain here?
The song-girl nodded her head. Xie Lian nodded his head too, saying,
“Alright. Then continue singing.
Saying that, he resumed his seat, adjusted his robes, and sat with his clothes
on straight, where he kept watch.
The other men, seeing that he did not leave, looked in their direction, but as
expected, did not dare bother them anymore. The song-girl, understanding
his intentions, felt even more grateful. When she next opened her mouth, it
was the lively but common, local folk song
Xie Lian poured himself a cup of tea and was about to drink, when he lowered
his head and once again noticed the tea stain. He hesitated for a moment, but
”
fi
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”
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fi

still could not overcome how he felt, and put the teacup, sighing. Unthinkingly,
he turned his head back, and froze.
Facing him across the street, in a many-storeyed winehouse even more
elegant than the teahouse he was at, sat a person on his own.
It was a tall man dressed in red.
Even though he wore a black eyepatch, which added a bit of an air of
wildness to him, it did not hide his handsomeness. His clothes were as red as
maple leaves, his skin as white as snow, and his hand held a silver cup, lled
with wine which re ected light like his silver vambraces. Even with one
glance, he was eye-catching to the extreme. He was looking in Xie Lian’s
direction, facing him from the distance. Seeing that he had now caught Xie
Lian’s gaze, he gave a faint smile, and raised his cup lightly, as though paying
his respect to him across the distance
“……
For reasons inexplicable, the moment Xie Lian’s gaze met this man’s, he felt
as though a current had passed through his body, and he hurriedly retrieved
his gaze.
However, even though he pretended to be nonchalant, his heart thudded
wildly
How strange. That man was indeed glamorous and eye-catching, with a
secretive and mysterious sort of allure. However, it wasn’t as though he
hadn’t seen men as glamorous as this in the past, so why was he having
such a reaction to this man?
Thinking about it, he once again quashed this line of thought. This was totally
incorrect. Because, having considered carefully, he had indeed never met a
handsome man as glamorous as this in the past
His thoughts having reached this point, Xie Lian thought to himself, this
person must be someone very rare; I had best be more mindful of him. He
”
fl

fi
turned his head back. However, looking across this time, the man in red had
instead disappeared.
To think he had disappeared just like that. Like a brightly-coloured maple leaf
drifting down, ashing mischievously before his eyes, brightening his world for
an instant before vanishing. As though it wasn’t real, but an ephemeral dream
or bubble.
Cautiously peering again at the elegant winehouse for a while, but still not
seeing any sign of the man, Xie Lian nally gave up. He did not know whether
he felt a little disappointed. He exhaled lightly, and kneaded his brows,
thinking, “Forget it.
Unexpectedly, when he looked back again, he discovered that, at some point
in time, unbeknownst to him, someone had sat across him at the table. The
someone sat with his cheek propped on a hand, and was staring at him
The two men’s gazes connected. Xie Lian startled lightly, but the person said
with a small smile, “Would this daozhang like to treat me to a cup of wine?
It was the man, dressed in red, who had raised his cup to greet him from
across the distance
Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
—
JUST[11] Lianlian having had a little accident while out, losing his memory.
It’s not a case of him swapping consciousness with his past self, there is no
change in timeline, so the crown prince of the past will not have this stretch of
memories.
The main purpose of this extra is for Big Huahua to get to experience the
seventeen year old crown prince, of course our Lian will de nitely recover his
memories (I assume no one was worried that he wouldn’t recover them……
–
fl
”
fi
fi
.
I’ve discovered that every time, there would always be people worried about
the most obvious questions, so I felt that it would be better to say it out……
Having to update the main text every day almost made me want to vomit
blood, so I’ll take the extras slightly slower. If there’s nothing unexpected, the
next chapter should be updated at 10 o’clock.[12
=-=-
[1] 清汤寡⽔ [qing tang gua shui]. Literally a clear soup with few ingredients in
it; a poor commoner’s fare. Xie Lian likens his robes to such a soup.
[2] 成语接⻰ [cheng yu jie long]. A game where one person says a Chinese
idiom, and the other person says another idiom which begins with the last
character of the previous idiom. In the text, Xie Lian orders Feng Xin and Mu
Qing to go outside to continue chengyu jielong-ing. Since we can (quite
reasonably) assume that they weren’t actually playing this game (lol!), I think
it gives a pretty good idea of just how Feng Xin and Mu Qing were cutting off
each other mid-sentence
[3] 混蛋、混账、混球 [hun dan, hun zhang, hun qiu]. It’s funnier in Chinese
because he uses three similar-sounding curses which start with the same
word (混, hun). I’ve tried to use English curses that sort-of capture the feel of
the Chinese curse words in this context.

[4] 太⼦殿下 [tai zi dian xia]. Your Highness, the Crown Prince. It’s less of a
mouthful in Chinese, so I’ll just be using it as-is

[5] 您⽼⼈家 [nin lao ren jia]. Note that the 您, nin is a more respectful way of
saying you (你 , ni). ⽼⼈家, lao ren jia literally means “old person” or “old
fellow”.
[6] 国师 [guo shi]. I’ve seen some people referring to this title as “Head / High
Priest”, but a more accurate translation for it is “State Preceptor”. It’s an

=
actual, historical Chinese court title, originating from the 1200s in Kublai
Khan’s court (when the Mongols conquered China).
[7] ⾥ [li] - a traditional Chinese unit of measurement, now standardised to
about half a kilometre.

[8] 琵琶 [pi pa]. A traditional Chinese musical stringed instrument, sort of like
a lute
[9] 牌坊 [pai fang]. Sort of like an arched gateway in historical Chinese-style
architecture. Search “pailou” on Google for some visual examples

[10] 道⻓ [dao zhang]. An honouri c title for for a righteous pugilist or
cultivator. Song Lan has this title in MDZS, i.e. Song-daozhang. 2ha’s Mo
Ran 2.0 is also addressed as Mo-daozhang in the later chapters (which I
don’t think have been translated yet, as of the date of this translation).
[11] This was originally in English in MXTX’s note
[12] 10 o’clock in MXTX’s time then! This translator will not be posting at
translation of the next chapter at 10 o’clock tomorrow lol

Having Wandered Away 2 - Big Grey Wolf Hua Picks Up Little White Rabbit
Lian and Coaxes Him into Turning in Circle
Part 1
To think he had seated himself in front of him so casually as he pleased
XIe Lian blinked, and only ascertained after a good while that the man was
really talking to him.
He reacted immediately, telling himself that he should allow his shock at this
person’s manner to place him at a disadvantage. Maintaining his previous
.
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s
calm, he said courteously, “Alas, this lowly person will not be drinking, and I
am afraid will not be able to treat you to this drink.
The man dressed in red gave a laugh, and his sitting posture became even
more casual, as he said, “Really? Looking at this daozhang’s appearance, I
think he has something troubling him, and needs a drink to relieve him of his
troubles ah.
Without changing his expression or in ection, Xie Lian said, “Then I’m afraid
your excellency is mistaken.
Even though the greatest taboo had been committed, but this did not mean
that he should adopt a self-defeated attitude and be uncaring of the other
smaller taboos.
Even though his manner continued to be mild and distant, the man did not
show even a slightest intention of retreating, but instead, as though settling in
for a while, said, “Since daozhang is not willing to treat me, then, how about I
help myself?
Xie Lian studied him, then studied his surroundings. Strange. It wasn’t as
though there weren’t any empty spaces around them, so why did he have to
sit here to drink wine? But as he also did not have a reason to reject him, Xie
Lian said, “Please help yourself.
And so, the other party waved his hand lazily. Never before had the waiter
seen such a stylish person, and not daring to show any annoyance, hurriedly
served up a jar of wine and some wine cups, and diligently wiped down the
tabletop, afraid of showing this person any disrespect.
Seeing how the man dressed in red was calm and at ease, helping himself to
the wine, Xie Lian could no longer resist and said, “Could it be that your
excellency, when meeting anyone for the rst time, would ask that person to
treat you to a drink?
”
fl
fi
”
Beaming, the man said, “Hn? Of course not. To be frank with daozhang, the
average person would not even get to see my face.
This tone of his, was quite arrogant. However, Xie Lian did not nd himself
put off.
The two people sat in their seats. During this time, Xie Lian continued to look
somewhere else, projecting a manner as though he was very calm. After a
while, it was still that man who rst opened his mouth to speak
Propping a hand beneath his chin, he said, “What is this daozhang’s
surname, that I may address you?
WIthout thinking, Xie Lian came up with a fake surname, “My surname is
Hua.
The man raised an eyebrow, and said, “Oh – Hua-daozhang.
Xie Lian said, “How should I address your excellency?
That man said, “It’s ne if daozhang calls me San-lang.
Xie Lian sensed that this person was not willing to reveal his true identity, and
did not press. Having thought for a while, he was unable to think of what type
of person would be arranged third in order, and so decided not to waste effort
speculating. At this moment, he suddenly noticed that, on the side of one
cheek of the man in red, a lock of crow-black hair had been plaited into a thin
braid, with a red coral bead at the end of the braid.
The bead was lustrous and gleaming, and although small in size, one could
tell from a look that it was incredibly expensive. But Xie Lian could not shake
off the feeling that he had seen this bean before somewhere, perhaps in his
palace chambers where jewels were strewn everywhere
But he also could not be sure. Noticing his gaze, San-lang said, “Do you like
this?
As he said this, he lifted his long, pale and elegant ngers, lightly twisting that
coral bead, pinching it
”
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.
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”
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”
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For some unknown reason, as Xie Lian looked on, a ash of pain suddenly
bolted across his chest, as though some part of his body was also being
pinched, and he jerked back violently.
This action was too large, and a number of guests beside all turned to look
this way. Casually and unconcerned, San Lang lifted his gaze, and said,
surprised, “This daozhang, are you alright?
He reached out a hand, as though intending to help Xie Lian up. Of course,
Xie Lian did not want him to help him up, and hurriedly sat back properly,
saying, “It’s, it’s nothing. That bead……
“Oh.” The hint of a smile at the corner of San-lang’s lips did not lessen, and
he said, “This bead?
His hand playing even more with the brightly coloured and beautiful bead, he
said with a slight smile, “This is a gift from my beloved wife. What does
daozhang think of it?
“……
Xie Lian said, “Uh…… It’s very good, very good.
In fact, he had no idea what he was saying, and his ngers gripped his thigh
tightly. He felt restless, unable to sit still
This unfamiliar man dressed in red was clearly playing with that cutely
charming bead, an action that could not be simpler, but Xie Lian was seeing
in it some hint of excessive lewdness
It was as though the thing which was being twisted by those ngertips, slowly
massaged and rubbed, kneaded and attened, wasn’t the red bead, but some
part of his body that was sensitive. Xie Lian’s face inexplicably grew hot, and
his breathing grew rapid, as he found it extremely hard to bear
This was not normal. This was de nitely not normal.
This man dressed in red, who called himself “San-lang”, was very handsome,
but for an inexplicable reason, strongly gave off a fey, unearthly air, making
”
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.
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fi
.
one shiver and tremble. Xie Lian’s internal alarm bells were ringing loudly,
and he forcibly calmed himself down, his breaths evening out, as he xed his
gaze on him with hardly a hint of fear, and asked, “If I may ask, just why did
your excellency decide on your own to approach this lowly person?
San-lang gave a smile, and slowly said, “Why so suspicious? It was no big
deal. I merely noticed daozhang’s elegance and charm, and it touched my
heart. I couldn’t resist. If I have offended, please forgive me.
“……
Xie Lian did not know whether he should believe him, and shifted away his
gaze. He silently regretted in his heart, he should not have let this person sit
across him, stirring up such messy and troubled thoughts and feelings now.
Just at that moment, the song-girl wrapped up her shift, bowed to the crowd,
and gave Xie Lian a sweet and charming smile, before drifting away. Now that
she had left, Xie Lian had no reason to remain either, and he stood up,
saying, “Farewell. Your excellency, please take your time to drink.
He had intended for this last sentence to carry a hint of challenge, but the
moment the words reached his mouth, they still left his lips courteously. Xie
Lian did not dare look further at the man dressed in red, and practically ew
downstairs, and after walking aimlessly for a while, this way and that, he
determined that no one was following him, and nally released a breath.
But now that he had come to a standstill, he felt at a loss once again.
HIs clothes had disappeared, his money and possessions had disappeared,
his sword had disappeared, his attendants had also disappeared, even his
magic had disappeared.
In his seventeen years of living, never before had he encountered such an
unsolvable situation. Xie Lian shook his head, and stopped a passer-by to
ask where this place was. The passer-by answered with a place Xie Lian had
”
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”
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never heard of, and he asked again, “Then how far is it to the imperial city?
Which direction is the imperial city?
He did not say that he was referring to the Xian Le imperial city. The passer-
by said, “Imperial CIty? This place is to the south of the imperial city. The
imperial city is very far away!
As expected. The accents of the people here, as well as the architecture
style, were all somewhat strange. They did not appear as though to be from
somewhere near the imperial palace, and Xie Lian had guessed that he must
be very far away. What the motives of the person who had brought him here
were, he did not know.
After walking further for a while, Xie Lian encountered a new, dif cult
question
He was hungry.
But, as said earlier, his money and possessions had all disappeared. The
accessories which could be used to verify his status as the crown prince had
also disappeared, and he was unable to pull out anything just now when he
had wanted to give the Ground a few pieces of gold leaves. Just sitting for a
while in the tea house, that one place had already spent what little bit of coin
he had managed to nd after rummaging left and right, and furthermore,
because he had been unable to tolerate the old tea stain, he did not even
drink a mouthful of tea, and his stomach now continued to be empty.[1]
This was truly a case of being done in by a tiny problem.[2
Just as he was frowning because of this dif culty, he suddenly discovered
that just further ahead, beside one of the tiles on the ground, was something
shiny, as though someone had dropped something there
Xie Lian walked up, and crouched down, curious
To think that, on the ground of this tumble-down alley, were a few pieces of
gold leaves
.
fi

fi
.
fi

Besides the gold leaves, there were also silver leaves and a few bits of coin.
To unexpectedly be able to pick up money from the ground in broad daylight,
it was though food had fallen from the sky, and Xie Lian did not know whether
he should consider his luck to be bad or good.
After Xie Lian had picked up the money, his rst reaction was to wonder
whether had dropped this money by accident, and so, he walked out of the
alley, and rushed up to the passers-by, asking, “Excuse me, did anyone drop
some money here?
Most of the people shook their heads. Some lazy louts shamelessly came
over and said, “I dropped it! I dropped it!” to which Lian asked, “How much did
you drop”. But all of them were unable to give an answer, and ran away
amidst surrounding laughter
Xie Lian was out of ideas. And so, after waiting for the length of time of one
incense stick, he walked by the roadside to buy a mantou
Xie Lian had never eaten a mantou before, more so such a mantou made of
coarse oor. It looked large and clumsy, white and bland. But he did not want
to use any more of the money he had picked up. After all, it would be terrible
if it was money which someone needed desperately, and so he only took out
the least amount of money necessary.
It was the rst time he held such a big mantou, and it held some novelty for
him. He crossed the small street, and approaching a more deserted alley.
Just as he was about to bring the mantou to his mouth, a hand suddenly
reached out from beside him, and grabbed the mantou away
This act was truly extraordinary. Xie Lian was startled, his hands already
empty. He turned his head to look. Unexpectedly, standing beside him, was
the man in red from the winehouse
Xie Lian was shocked into stillness.
fl
fi
”
fi

He did not think that this person would have unexpectedly followed him here.
Even more, he did not think that he would have unexpectedly snatched his
mantou
After remaining stunned for a good while, he nally remembered that he
wanted to take the mantou back, and he jumped up, saying, “Give it back!
His actions to retrieve the mantou were extremely quick, but the man’s
movements were even quicker. Plus the fact that he was taller, he dodged in
a ash, saying, “Don’t eat this.
Even though he said this, he himself took a bite of the mantou, leaving a
mouthful missing. With this, XIe Lian was unable to bear the idea of eating it
even if he had wanted to eat it. He was born as a crown prince, and it was
simply impossible for him to bear eating a mantou which someone had taken
a bite of. His eyes widened, as he said, “You!
After a pause, he angrily said, “Why are you doing this?
To think that when he rst saw this person, he had thought that he was
someone rare, and had wanted to befriend him. Never did he expect him to
be a frivolous rogue!
Two silhouettes, one red and one white, moving so fast that they were blurs
to the onlookers. No one would have dared to believe that such an exciting
ght was over trying to snatch a mantou. Even though Xie Lian faintly felt that
his own speed could be even faster, fast enough for him to be able to catch
up with this San-lang’s actions, but it also did not feel as though it was
guaranteed, and his limbs did not seem quite willing to listen to his
commands. Furthermore, he had spent the whole day feeling tired and
frustrated and wary, and his hips and legs hurt. Amidst his fury, his leg
unexpectedly twisted, and he fell to the ground. At that moment, a low yelp of
pain escaped out from behind behind his gritted teeth.
Something hurt.
fi
fl
!
fi
”
fi
”
An indescribable pain, radiating from an indescribable place.

This pain had already been present; it was just that the wound had previously
been tended to carefully, plus he had exerted extreme effort to ignore it
deliberately, and so, it had not been obvious all this while. But with this fall,
his expression changed in an instant. San-lang’s expression changed too,
and immediately bent over and caught hold of his arm in a swift movement,
saying, “Ge……
Then he immediately corrected his speech, saying, “Are you alright
Xie Lian felt extremely embarrassed, and greatly wished that he could dig a
whole in the ground to bury his face in it. He desperately tried to pull back his
arm, and with his face a burning red, said, “Please don’t address me as you
wish, and please don’t grab me like that!
As expected, San-lang released his arm, but it was only symbolic, because
he switched to grabbing Xie Lian’s shoulder, saying, “What’s wrong? Where
does it hurt?
His tone was extremely concerned, and it did not seem feigned. On the
principle that one should not return politeness with rudeness,[3] Xie Lian
should have reacted with courtesy. However, the moment he thought about
where hurt, and why it hurt, he felt both ashamed and frustrated, and a whole
day’s worth of grievances surged up to the fore. In a single motion, he
knocked away his hand, and got up on his own in a ash, saying, “…… I don’t
hurt anywhere, not at all!” Having thrown this line down, he turned and ran.
But unexpectedly, the man behind him caught hold of his wrist, and no matter
how he struggled, he was unable to struggle free. Unable to bear it any
longer, Xie Lian turned around violently, his eyes wide and round in his anger,
to see that San-lang gazing at him, and saying softly with a sigh, “Ai, this
daozhang, even if it is a thousand wrongs or ten thousand wrongs, it’s all my
”
fl

fault, please don’t be angry with me anymore.[4] How about this, let me take
you out again for a drink, to make up for this.
For reasons he could not explain, each time Xie Lian looked at this person’s
face, his heart would beat erratically. He was very unused to this feeling, and
thinking only of making a quick escape, said, “Who wants you to take them
out,[5] I don’t drink wine! Hurry up and let me go.
San-lang said, “Okay, alright, we won’t drink wine Then let me take you out
for a meal? You must be hungry.
Xie Lian was beside himself with anger. How dare this person use this sort of
tone to speak to him! It was as though he was trying to coax Xie Lian like a
child! Never before had he experienced this sort of humiliation, and he said, “I
don’t want you to take me out for a meal either. I’m not hungry. Show more
respect!
Embarrassingly, he had barely nished speaking, when his stomach made
weak noises of protest.
Xie Lian’s body stiffened. He grew angrier, his face turning red in his anger,
and his voice began to stutter, “You…… You……. You, why are you bothering
me? Stop bothering me anymore!
But San-lang stared at him hard, saying, “Daozhang, could it be that you still
haven’t discovered it
Seeing that his expression had suddenly become serious, Xie Lian said,
“Discovered what?
San-lang said, “There is a cursed object on your body ah.
Xie Lian froze. Suddenly, something on his wrist loosened, and the bandage
that had been wrapped around his wrist glided down like a white snake, rising
up in front of him. The next moment, it dived straight towards him
”
fi
”
But before it could touch him, the man in red caught hold of it in a single
motion, and said, “Look.
“……
That piece of white silk was like a poisonous snake of seven cubits length
which had been caught, twisting continuously. The sight gave one
goosebumps.
To think that such a creature was hiding on his body
At this, Xie Lian nally understood.
He blinked, and said, “So…… the reason why you approached me, was
because you had discovered that this cursed object was hiding on my body?
San-lang’s expression grew more solemn, and he said, “Hn. This thing was
rather peculiar, and so, I was slightly cautious. Fortunately, it did not hurt
you.
The truth had been revealed. Thinking about how he had indeed been
uncourteous to this gentleman previously, Xie Lian clutched at his face and
wrung his hands. Now that the truth was out, that this person had approached
him with good intentions, Xie Lian felt extremely embarrassed. To him, he
gave a sombre bow, and said, “Many thanks to your excellency. I was
mistaken previously.
He waist had barely even vent when San-lang held him up, saying, “Not at all,
not at all. It was hardly any effort.[6]
Raising his head, Xie Lian felt slightly troubled. For some unknown reason,
he kept feeling that, even though this man dressed in red had an appearance
that was prim and proper, his brows and the corners of his eyes seemed to
hold a hint of laughter. As expected, thinking about how the other party had
had a full view of his messy and wretched behaviour, Xie Lian felt a bit
awkward and embarrassed.
”
fi
”
Strange as it might sound, amongst his peers, Xie Lian was already
considered to be very mature. Who knew that he would be unable to stay
calm the moment he looked at this man. This made him rather uneasy.
However, San-lang did not seem to have noticed this, as he said, “Since this
has been resolved, then, I’ll head off. Daozhang, until we meet again?
Instinctively, Xie Lian said, “Hn, until we meet again.
San-lang waved his hand, and turned and left. Unexpectedly, unable to help
himself, Xie Lian followed a few steps after him.
Perhaps it was because he just didn’t know where he should be going, or
perhaps because he was still in a muddle. When San-lang looked back, Xie
Lian startled, and only then did he come to his senses, hurriedly coming to a
stop and pretending to look in another direction. However, it was already too
late.
Light laughter came from that direction, and Xie Lian could sense that even
his earlobes had turned red.
Stubbornly looking in his direction, San-lang hugged his arms and laughed,
saying, “Let’s not wait for the next time we meet again. I feel that now is the
right time. How about it? Is daozhang now willing to have a drink with me?
They returned to that elegant tavern from before.

The man in red whom Xie Lian had only just become acquainted with was
extremely generous, ordering a full table’s worth of the best dishes and wine
the tavern had to offer. Unexpectedly, not only were the dishes not inferior to
those served in the royal palace, there were even many that had been
prepared in a manner that was extremely novel, the likes of which Xie Lian
had never seen before. Famished, he ate and ate, only belatedly realising
that San-lang had been sitting across him all this while with his cheek
*
propped on his hand, his gaze unwavering as he stared at him. That gaze,
was as though he regarded Xie Lian as his meal
“……
As a result of being stared at by such a gaze, Xie Lian once again felt restless
and unable to sit still. Convincing himself that he had not displayed poor
mealtime etiquette just now as a result of his hunger, he put down his
chopsticks, and coughed lightly, saying, “…… I let you see something
embarrassing.
San-lang said, “Hn? What so embarrassing about this? Don’t mind me.
Please, please. Continue.
Following which, he took the mantou which the two of them had fought over
brie y, and without a shift in his expression, bit into it. Seeing this, Xie Lian
felt even more as though he was in a dif cult position.
He smoothed his clothes and sat straighter, then looked at the strip of white
silk, deciding to talk about this matter. He said, “Why would this cursed object
hide on my body? To think that I completely failed to discover its existence,
it’s simply as though……” It was simply as though it was something which he
had worn on his person for a very long while, and had grown accustomed to
it.
That white silk constantly kept swimming towards him, bobbing its head and
tail. If not for the fact that San-lang was keeping a rm grip on it, it was likely
that it would have long since wrapped him up like a rice dumpling.[7] Looking
at it, it was as though…… it liked him very much.
San-lang used a chopstick to pin it down to stop it from diving towards Xie
Lian, and said with a small smile, “It looks like this cursed object has some
pretty bad habits, and is in need of a proper teaching.
Xie Lian said, “Rather than teaching it, it’d be better if we look into its origins
rst.
fi

fl
”
fi
.
fi
”
Both of them talked for a while about a great many topics. Xie Lian had grown
up in the Xian Le imperial palace since a young age, and afterwards
cultivated in the royal temple. Until now, he never before met someone who
was such an interesting conversationalist, someone who had seen and
encountered such a rich number of experiences. As he listened to San-lang
speak, his eyes grew bright, and he could not stop smiling. He even almost
forgot all his cares. It was only after a long while that he suddenly
remembered one of the weird mysteries before him[8], and said with a
straight face, “San-lang, can I ask if you have heard of someone?
San-lang tossed that piece of white silk to the oor, using some unknown
method to ensure that it remained lying limply, unable to leap up. He said,
“Who.
Xie Lian said, “It’s like this. I’m looking for someone by the name of Hua
Cheng.
Hearing this name, San-lang’s eyebrow rose.
He said, “Hn. If I may ask, by looking for this person, what do you plan on
doing?
Xie Lian said with sincerity, “To be honest with you, I don’t know.
Listening to San-lang’s tone, Xie Lian guessed that San-lang de nitely knew
who Hua Cheng was, and so he said again, “Perhaps you may be thinking
that I’m hiding something from you, but it’s the truth, I too don’t know what
nding him would achieve. From the moment I woke up today, I discovered
that I am in a very strange situation.
In a breath, he laid out everything, only omitting those things that were too
embarrassing to be mentioned. At the end, Xie Lian said, “And so, I was
thinking, this person must be very important. If San-lang knows who he is, is it
convenient for you to tell me?
fi
”
fl
fi
”
San-lang smiled and said, “Ah, there’s nothing inconvenient about it. With
daozhang and I getting along so well on our rst meeting, I naturally would
want to help you. As for this person, Hua Cheng……
Xie Lian listened with all his attention and said, “Well?
San-lang said, “Is a mad man.
Xie Lian said, “How is he mad?
Hua Cheng poured out a cup of wine, and picked the cup in his hand, saying,
“He is a disciple.
“Whose disciple.
“The Xian Le Crown Prince’s.
“Cough cough cough —
Xie Lian hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of tea, before nally being able to
cough it out. He said, “Wait, wait. I – our Xian Le Crown Prince Xie Lian, has
yet to become a god, so how does he have a disciple?
San-lang said, unconcerned, “He would ascend sooner or later. After all, gods
are just like that. If you say someone is a god then he is a god, and if you say
someone isn’t a god then he isn’t a god. If he feels like it, then he is.
Xie Lian did know whether to laugh or cry. He said, “Surely this is too casual!
After a pause, he added, “…… however, does he really believe that much,
that the Crown Prince, HIs Royal HIghness, will de nitely become a god?
San-lang said slowly, “It’s not belief.
Following that, he smiled. “It’s conviction.”[9
Xie Lian smiled along too, as he thought, “Then I had best not let down this
person’s expectations.
He hugged his arms, saying, “So, where can I meet this Hua Cheng?
San-lang said, “Daozhang, do you really wish to meet him?
Xie Lian said, “Yes.
”
fi
fi
”
fi
”
It seemed as though San-lang did not approve of this idea of his. He said,
“But Hua Cheng is very bad.
Xie Lian frowned slightly, saying, “Very bad? How is he bad?”
He was not too willing to believe, that a disciple who was convinced that he
would ascend, would be a bad person. San-lang said, “About this……
Just at that moment, Xie Lian noticed something.
Up to now he had been very careful, and did not really look directly at San-
lang. Now, after both of them had interacted for a while, and had warmed up
to each other, he had nally started to relax, and to look directly as he
pleased.
One of San-lang’s hands had been resting all this while on a railing by the
side, his nger tapping on the railing in a manner that was not too light and
not too heavy. His ve ngers were long and elegant, and on his third nger,
was tied a thin red thread, like the bright edge of a knot.
Xie Lian immediately thought of the incident in the tea house, when the song-
girl was singing, and a series of jumbled and messy images had ashed
across his mind: beneath the gauzy bed curtains, two hands, ten ngers
locked interlocked tightly.
The hand that had lain above, had such a red thread tied to it
Part 3 | Part 4
—
If nothing unexpected happens, the next chapter would be released on the
14th!
=-=-
[1} From the sound of it, customers in the teahouse paid an entrance fee for a
seat. Their entrance / seat also comes with a portion of tea. In Xie Lian’s
–
fi
:
fi
fi
fi

fl
fi
”
fi
case, he could not bear to drink any of the tea he was entitled to, from the
tea-stained cup
[2] ⼀⽂钱难倒英雄汉 [yi wen qian nan dao ying xiong han] - A Chinese idiom,
lit. a small bit of money being too dif cult for a hero to overcome. It conveys
the idea of a large undertaking or a very talented person, being unable to
proceed because of a small problem which cannot be solved
[3] 伸⼿不打笑⾯⼈ [shen shou bu da xiao mian ren] - A Chinese idiom, lit.
don’t raise your hand to hit a smiling person. The idea is that if someone is
polite, it is dif cult or awkward to react rudely in return
[4] “千错万错，都是我的错，不要⽣我的⽓了。” Aaahhh this sounds so irty
and coy in Chinese, like a husband trying to placate his angry wife
[5] If you speak Singlish, what Xie Lian literally says is, “I then don’t want you
to take me out” - like a sulky wife
[6] “举⼿之劳罢了。” - Lit. “It was no more effort than raising my hand.
[7] 粽⼦ [zong zi] - Glutinous rice and meat, packed in a pyramid shape,
wrapped in leaves and cooked. Here’s the wiki link

[8] 眼下正处于⼀个诡异的漩涡之中 - lit. inside one of the mysterious / weird
whirlpools that were before his eye

[9] 不是相信。 / 是坚信。 - 相信 [xiang xin] is belief (n) or believe (v). 坚信
[jian xin] is a strong, unshakeable belief; conviction; certainty; faith.

Having Wandered Away 3 - San-lang is a good gege
Part 1 | Part 2
Both of Xie Lian’s eyes widened suddenly.
At his incredulous expression, San-lang said, “What’s wrong?
fi
.
fi

fl
How could Xie Lian even put it into words? The shame of having been
conned, of having been fooled into turning in circles - the misery, mixing with
his heated blood, rushed straight to his head. He slammed his palm onto the
table top, biting out every word and sentence, “…… So. It. Was. You!
It was impossible for the table top to have withstood his blow, and it broke on
the spot. Fortunately, there was no one on the second oor of the tavern
besides them, otherwise they would have been greatly frightened and
horri ed. Xie Lian did not have any weapons in his hands, but struck out with
his st. However, San-lang continued to sit on his seat as before, and only
tilted his head slightly.
That strike crushed into the wall behind him. Stone crumbled and fell.
However, he did not move an inch, instead hugging his arms, and raising his
gaze very slightly, said, “Daozhang, what is the meaning of this?
Xie Lian’s face felt extremely hot, and he had no idea just how red his face
currently was. The bones in his other hand cracked and popped, as he said
with fury, “You…… cease your pretense. What you did to me…… You know
full well.
San-lang’s gaze rose a little more. He said, “Very unfortunately, I am indeed
unsure, just what I have done to daozhang, to cause you to be thusly angry?
Could you please enlighten me?
“……
To think that this person would say such to him with a face full of innocence.
What could he say in response? To speak of such things in broad daylight?
Never before had Xie Lian encountered such a person, and he was so angry
that he shook from his shoulders to his heart, his face growing redder and
redder, his speech incoherent as he scolded, “Shut up! Someone like you……
I, I’m going to beat someone as shameless as you to death…….
indecent……. despicable…… you……
fi
fi
”
fl
”
San-lang sighed, and said, “Daozhang, I did not expect my wholehearted

sincerity, to receive such a response from you. Just how am I shameless,
indecent and despicable?”
With dif culty, Xie Lian regained a modicum of calm, and said, “Don’t think
you can trick me further! The red thread on your hand is clear proof, that you
are that……. that……
“Oh?” But San-lang was not harried. He raised his hand, and said, “Are you
talking about this? Is there something wrong with this red thread?
Looking at that red thread, Xie Lian felt as though he had been pierced. He
said, “I’ve seen it. At that time, your…… hand had this red thread……
San-lang said, “At what time?
“……
In an instant, Xie Lian really wanted to beat him to death.
Still asking despite knowing the answer, it was too vile
But for an inexplicable reason, regardless of how furious he was, he could not
bring himself to lift a hand. Furthermore, it wasn’t because he was under the
control of someone, that he was unable to move; but rather, it was his own
body that was not allowing him to move
Just at this moment, a few people thudded upstairs, saying, “What are these
two honoured guests doing?! Don’t ght and smash things as you wish!
Xie Lian turned his head and said, “It’s dangerous here! First, you
should……” Who knew, with that one look, he froze again, stupe ed.
To think that, on the hands of all these few people, a red string was tied
Unthinkingly, Xie Lian said, “What’s with the red thread on your hands?
A person said, “Red thread? Isn’t a red thread just a red thread, what so
strange about it, it’s no big deal…… there’s nothing about it ah.
Xie Lian became confused. Could it be that in this place, the tying of red
thread on one’s hand, was a very normal fashion trend
”
fi
”
fi
!
fi
”
He turned his head back. As though having read his thoughts, San-lang said,
“Daozhang’s guessed pretty well. The tying of a red thread on one’s nger is
a custom here. If you don’t believe, please look at the crowds below.
Xie Lian cast his gaze at the lower oor of the tavern. As expected, amidst the
ever- owing crowd of people, were quite a number of hands which had a red
thread tied on them, and some even had quite a few tied on. He said, “What
sort of custom is this?
San-lang gave a small smile, and said, “About this, it is also related to this
Hua Cheng.
“Ah?
“It’s because, on his hand and the hand of his beloved, is tied such a red
thread. And so, many people followed suit, to pray for their fated marriage
partner, or to express that they are in love.
Xie Lian listened in a daze, and said, “That is to say…… This Hua Cheng,
must be quite an amazing person? To have so many people ardently follow
suit……
San-lang said, “Whether he is amazing or not, would depend on who you are
comparing him with. Oh yes, daozhang, there seems to be something which
has fallen onto the oor, can I pick it up to examine it?
At that, Xie Lian nally began to react. He had thus far been maintaining an
attacking stance, but it actually was yet another foolish mistake on his part,[1]
and his anger drained away completely. He hurriedly withdrew his hand,
saying, “Sorry, sorry, San-lang, I’m really…… truly very sorry. It was me who
was on edge, and misunderstood you again……
San-lang continued to remain at ease, and bent at his waist to pick up
something, saying,“No harm done. Daozhang, is this something you
dropped?
”
fl
”
fi
fl
”
fl
”
fi
From the mess on the oor, he had picked out a piece of gold leaf. It had
likely fallen from from Xie Lian’s sleeve just now when he had struck out. Xie
Lian was just about to speak, when he saw San-lang lift that gold leaf before
his eye, and squinting, said, “Eh, this gold leaf, looks rather familiar ah.
Having spoken, in a manner that was neither too hurried or too slow, he
retrieved an item from around his waist. It was another gold leaf.
Two pieces of gold leaves, exactly identical
Without giving it any thought, Xie Lian said, “So this actually belongs to you?
San-lang said, “Oh, I had indeed dropped something, which was why I had
doubled back to look……
Hearing this, Xie Lian was deeply afraid that he would misunderstand, and
hurriedly said, “San-lang, let me explain.
San-lang said, “No need to be anxious. I would naturally listen to daozhang’s
explanation.
Xie Lian breathed out in relief, and said, “It’s like this: This gold leaf, I had
picked up just now on the road. My original thought was to wait for the owner
to return so that I may give it back to him, but after I had waited for more than
an hour, no one came by to look for it. At the same time, I was indeed……
Having spoken up to here, he felt a bit embarrassed. He lowered his head,
and said in a small voice, “And so, I…… acted on my own initiative, and
borrowed a little rst, to buy a little something to eat. It was that mantou….. I
had intended to pay back the money with interest at a later date, but no
matter how I put it, it still returns to the point that I had taken something that
wasn’t mine without asking. I’m sorry.
But San-lang was beaming as he said, “There’s no need for daozhang to feel
like that. Isn’t it after a common human response? Besides, I always had the
intention of inviting you to join me for a meal, and that mantou, in the end,
wasn’t I the one who ate it? Such a small thing, don’t let it trouble you. Don’t
”
fi
fl
”
you nd it very astonishing? What a coincidence, for something I had lost, to

be picked up by no other person than daozhang. This must really be a fated
meeting.[2]
Having received his forgiveness and understanding, Xie Lian’s heart eased.
He said. “That said, San-lang, you too should be careful ah. Dropping
something so shiny on the road, and yet you did not notice - next time, don’t
be so careless ah.
At this moment, the crowd of waiters who had been cowering at the side,
said, “These two honoured guests, have you calmed down? If you’ve calmed
down, then let’s calculate the cost of this smashed table!
Xie Lian: “……
If things had been as they were, payment would not have been an issue
regardless of the sum. But now, he could barely even afford to buy a mantou.
However, San-lang said, “It’s alright. Put it on my tab.
It was clearly him who had struck out at San-lang just now, but San-lang was
volunteering to help him pay for the things he had smashed. Xie Lian was so
moved by his warmth and generosity that he was speechless, and after
swallowing, said, “You……
There was also something odd about the crowd of waiters. Even though their
shop had been smashed up, they still came over cheerily to assist them with
changing to an even more elegant table. As the two people sat down once
again, Xie Lian could not help but feel both guilty and grateful, that no amount
of words could suf ciently express how he felt. With a concerned tone, Hua
Cheng spoke again, “Daozhang, listening to your speech just now, it seemed
as though something is troubling you. What’s wrong? Daozhang, just what
has been done to you, and by whom?
“……
fi
”
fi
”
Something like this, how could Xie Lian voice it aloud? His expression, which
had only just calmed down, blushed with shyness once again. Softly, he said,
“…… it’s nothing, there’s nothing wrong.
But San-lang said, “If you don’t mind, why don’t you tell me about it? Perhaps
San-lang, too, can assist a little.
Even though he meant well, but Xie Lian felt as though he was being chased
and cornered, without a way out. Unable to sit still, he said helplessly, “……
it’s really nothing. San-lang, can you please stop asking anymore……
It was too dif cult to speak the truth.
Seeing how things were, San-lang no longer forced it, and said “Alright.
Where did our previous conversation leave off? You wanted to meet Hua
Cheng?
Xie Lian gathered his attention, and said clearly, “Uhn. Does San-lang know a
way?
San-lang said, “Of course I know. But, for these few days, it won’t be easy to
meet Hua Cheng.
“Why?
Using chopsticks, San-lang arranged the vegetables plate into a large smiling
face. He said, “It is said that, recently, his heart’s beloved is feeling slightly
unwell, and so he needs to accompany them. Besides this, he has no time for
anything else.
Xie Lian thought, indeed, this Hua Cheng was truly a someone of a temperate
personality, someone full of affection, and he grew to regard him even more
favourably. He said, “I see. Then, how long must we wait before we can meet
him?
“Five days as an upper estimate, three days as a lower estimate. I suggest,
daozhang, that there’s no need to be anxious. Until then, why not be at ease
and take a break.
”
fi
”
Just as Xie Lian thought to himself that he did not have a place to stay, he
heard San-lang add, “If daozhang does not have a place to stay, why not stay
at my place for a bit? After all, my house is large, and not many people live
there.
Xie Lian could no longer hold back, and said lightly, “San-lang, you really
are…… very good ah.
It was the rst time that he had used such straightforward speech to praise
someone, and he felt a bit embarrassed, but other than that, he simply could
not nd a better way to express how he felt. San-lang seemed to enjoy it
greatly, and said, beaming, “Why else would daozhang and I got along so
well from our rst meeting? Oh yes, I’ve one more question, which I forgot to
ask: what is daozhang’s age?
Xie Lian replied, “Seventeen.
San-lang said, “Ah, seventeen, that’s younger than me.
Indeed, from his looks, he appeared to be around twenty years old. Seeing as
things were, San-lang casually remarked, “If so, then daozhang should call
me gege.
Xie Lian was still of the royal family, the Taizi Dianxia compared against
whom no one else was more noble. By right, he should not be addressing the
people around him as his fellow brothers, as barely anyone would be worthy
of such a title. However, this San-lang truly gave Xie Lian a very good feeling,
and since he never addressed those around him as a brother, it was a huge
novelty for him. And so, he smiled and said, “So it’s San-lang gege.
“……
Perhaps he was mistaken, but after he said “gege”, San-lang’s smile before
him turned slightly strange.
fi
”
fi
fi
”
It was simply too dif cult to describe. The light in San-lang’s left eye seemed
to are up all of a sudden, so hot that it made Xie Lian feel simply as though
his skin was heating up. He blinked, and said, “What’s wrong?
That terrifying burst of heat disappeared in an instant. Immediately, San-lang
reverted back to as he was, and smiled as he said, “It’s nothing. I was just too
happy, that’s all. There’s no one younger than me in my family, and so I’ve
never heard anyone call me that before.
Xie Lain said, “If San-lang doesn’t mind, then….. How should I address you?
The light in San-lang’s eye ashed as he laughed. However, in his speech, he
still declined, “Oh, of course I de nitely would not mind. It depends on
whether daozhang minds.
Xie Lian said, “I don’t mind, of course I don’t mind. San-lang gege, shall we
return to your home now?
San-lang placed his chopsticks down, and said, “Then, come with me now.
San-lang’s residence, was an extremely spacious, beautiful and elegant
mansion. Upon entering it, XIe Lian could only feel that when compared with
some of the compounds within the XIan Le royal palace, it did not pale in
comparison. This reinforced his impression that this San-lang was not a
commoner.
At night, lying alone in bed, Xie Lian tossed and turned.
He kept feeling as though something was missing beside him, and no matter
how he tossed and turned, he was unable to nd any peace. Furthermore,
with that hidden discomfort in his body, lying on his back meant pressing on
his hips in a manner that was uncomfortable; but lying on his front made him
feel as though something was pressing on his back.
In his dazed confusion, he had a number of messy dreams. He wanted to
move, but someone was holding him down rmly in place, and that voice was
once again speaking in a low tone by his ear, sometimes a man’s, sometimes
fl

fi
”
fl
fi
”
fi
fi

a youth’s; sometimes it called him gege, gege, sometimes it called him

dianxia, telling him, don’t be afraid, dianxia.
Tender to the utmost, wicked to the utmost, but also treasuring him to the
utmost.
He jolted awake. His clothes were soaked through with sweat. As Xie Lian
gasped, he clenched his sts tightly, and viciously pounded on the bed,
angrily, but weakly. He raked his ngers through his slightly damp hair, and
thought, “…… This sort of thing, when will I be able to forget! Once I catch
ahold of this shameless bastard I de nitely will……
At this moment, he discovered that at some unknown point in time, someone
had placed a set of clothes by his pillow. Even it though these clothes were
also white, but their style was one which he liked. Feeling as though he had
been given a reprieve, and hurried to the back of the house to take a quick
bath.
After removing his clothes, and immersing himself in the water, he suddenly
discovered that hanging on his neck was a ne silver chain.
On the chain hung a ring that was crystal clear. Who knew how long he had
been wearing it - in any case, for him to have completely not felt it, was what
was strange: “Do I have such a pendant?
This ring was simply too pretty, and as he looked at it, he almost fell into a
trance. However, he did not lose his wariness. Suddenly, he detected a ash
of silver to his side, and he immediately shouted, “Who!
A strike to the water, and water splashed into the air, as though a steel ball
had been thrown, ricocheting noisily off the walls. And what he had knocked
out of the water was not a person, but……. a saber?
Xie Lian caught hold of that hard and unyielding saber, feeling extremely
doubtful. Suddenly, a silver slit on the saber’s handle parted, as though the

fi
fi
fi
”
fi
”
fl
opening of an eye, with the eyeball rolling around wildly. Xie Lian was even
more shocked.
What was this strange thing?
That curved blade of the saber was long, and as though it had life, dove
enthusiastically into his embrace. Caught unawares, Xie Lian was unable to
stop it, and was chilled to the point that he could not help but cry out, “wah”,
and his whole body gave a shiver.
But more or less because he did not feel any killing intent, Xie Lian did not
nd this curved saber to be dangerous, and besides strenuously trying to
push it away, he did not intend to use more violent actions against it, such as
sending it into the clouds with a slap, and other such like. At this moment, a
red shadow darted over, and with a single move snatched that saber, saying
in an ominous tone, “So here you are……
Focusing one’s gaze, San-lang was already standing by the bathing pool, and
pinched within his hands was the saber. Even though he still wore a faint
smile on his face, the hint of green veins had appeared on his temples, and
without any courtesy, he gave the saber a slap, saying, “Didn’t I say that
you’re not allowed to come here now?
Xie Lian said, “San-lang, is this saber your…… magical weapon?
San-lang turned towards him, and the green veins in his temples disappeared
in an instant, and he once again resumed an air of calm. He said, “It’s just an
ignorant thing, gege…… Gege has let you see something embarrassing.
But Xie LIan only felt greater awe and respect. His eyes lit up, and he caught
hold of the side of his red clothes, saying, “No no no, San-lang gege, you’re
far too amazing! To be able to cultivate such a sentient magical weapon!
After having been smacked by San-lang, the saber had scrunched up its eye,
as though it had been wronged. Listening to Xie Lian’s praise, its eye once
fi

again began to roll around smugly, and sneakily tried to inch its way towards
him. Very callously, San-lang gave it another slap.
This time around, it gave up, and fell to the ground with a “dong” and rolled
and rolled and rolled around, like a child who had been hit by an adult and
was rolling on the ground and crying. It was almost as though Xie Lian’s ears
could hear the sound of its wailing cries. The sight made his heart ache
slightly, and he hurriedly stood up and said, “Wait, San-lang! Forget it, don’t
hit it anymore. I guess he was just being mischievous in the moment, and
wanted to come over and to greet me. There’s no need to reprimand it like
this ah.
But only after emerging from the water, did Xie Lian remember that his body,
which had been in the water, was bare, and his face inexplicably turned red
again. Awkwardly, he sank back into the water. However, San-lang had earlier
turned around in a manner that was very natural, and left.
Xie Lian hurriedly climbed out of the water and changed into his new clothes.
He could feel, from where the clothing clung to his skin, that the material was
extremely ne. Finally, his skin would not be chafed uncomfortably, and in his
heart he felt even more grateful for this. Emerging from the room, and arriving
at the elegant hall for receiving guests, San-lang was already seated there,
waiting
Goodness only knew how he had disciplined that saber. Now, it hung honestly
by San-lang’s waist. When it was not moving about this way and that as it
pleased, it unexpectedly had a cold and lethal air, and it was completely
impossible for one to imagine its previous manner of rolling around and
throwing a tantrum. Seeing that Xie Lian had arrived, San-lang smiled and
said, “You’re up? Did you sleep well last night?
.
fi
”
Xie Lian answered honestly, “For some unknown reason, during the rst half
of the night, I kept having dreams…… but I slept well in the second half of the
night.
San-lang said, “Perhaps you were too tired.
The two of them spoke whatever sentences came to them, and with a few
rounds of conversation and discussion, the day more or less passed by. It
seemed likely that, until that Hua Cheng person was free to meet, they would
continue to spend their time together like this.
However, at night, as Xie Lian lay by himself on the bed, he once again had
those dreams which made one feel heated up and unable to be at ease.
In his dreams, he was tossed and turned about, teased until he could hardly
bear it. When he woke up with a jolt, his body was once again soaked in
sweat. Feeling angry and helpless, he could only get up and go out, with
thoughts of walking a few rounds to calm down. However, he suddenly heard
from afar, sounds coming from another room.
It was from San-lang’s master-room. The soundproo ng of the room was
excellent, and the sounds were very soft, but Xie Lian’s ve senses were
extremely sensitive and he had caught it. Soundlessly, he crept outside the
room.
Through the crack between the doors, he peered into the room. He saw
Sanlang seated on a seat in the room, holding a brush[3] in his hand, as
though writing something. His expression was cold, completely different from
whenever he faced Xie Lian. To his side, there was even someone in black
clothing and a mask with the face of a ghost, bowing at the waist, giving his
report in a low voice.
For some inexplicable reason, the person in the ghost-face mask had a very
muted presence, as though one might accidentally not notice him at all. Xie
Lian was just about to listen more carefully, but that person had nished

fi
fi
fi
fi

giving their report, and he could only faintly hear fragments of phrases and
sentences, “That creature had been making trouble for a long time” “Think he
went to settle it before receiving any prayers, and had an accident” “This is
the direction that was just investigated” etc.
He was slowly combing his hair, when he heard San-lang say, “I need to
accompany him now, and can’t excuse myself. Deliver that creature here
before tomorrow night.
The person in the ghost-face mask said in a low voice, “Yes. Do you want it to
be left with a breath?
San-lang put away the brush, and looked at what he had written. He did not
seem to be too satis ed with it, and crumpled it up into a ball, tossing it aside.
Only then did he say, slowly and leisurely, “Leave a few breaths, let him spit
out that thing, then slowly crush its ugly head.[4]
As he spoke these words, his expression and tone were the sort that made
one shiver. However, unexpectedly, Xie Lian did not feel any revulsion or
wariness despite this. The person in the ghost mask gave a wordless noise of
assent, and made to leave. Immediately, Xie Lian darted away and hid
himself.
Xie Lian was all the more unable to sleep after he returned to his room. He
paced a few rounds back and forth, thinking, “Just what sort of person exactly
is San-lang? What creature was he referring to?
Based on what he had heard, it sounded like something important had been
swallowed up by a creature that had been creating trouble and causing
disasters for a long time, and San-lang was very angry. But because he had
to accompany him for now, he was unable to excuse himself to smash that
creature’s head.
His thoughts having reached this point, Xie Lian felt very embarrassed. This
San-lang, truly treated him with utmost sincerity.

fi
”
Suddenly, an idea ashed across his mind: Why should he just sit here idling
like this? Besides, he wouldn’t be able to meet Hua Cheng for now, and he
had also been continuously thinking about doing something for San-lang, who
was a good gege. Why not help him capture this creature
It was a decision made on the spur of the moment. Having decided as such,
Xie Lian immediately left a letter behind, writing, San-lang gege, do not worry,
Lian has left and will return etc. Then, with a leap, he soundless left this
elegant mansion
Part 4
—
This extra about the curious wandering of [Xie Lian’s] memory has one more
chapter. I had originally wanted to nish writing it today but the word count
was more than I had imagined, so it will continue tomorrow![5
Taizi calling him gege, Huahua is overjoyed.
E-ming was not deliberately trying to peep at the bath! E-ming is a good child!
It’s just that he often took baths with Xie Lian previously, and so he had gone
over today with great anticipation. Who knew that he would get beaten up.
=-=-
[1] 乌⻰ [wu long] - I translated this as “foolish mistake”, but I’m not sure if it
captures the full nuance of this term. It’s like a mistake one makes, which is
also to one’s detriment. One suggested English equivalent I found when I was
searching for better words was “own-goal”, which I think captures it quite well
[2] 有缘千⾥来相会 [you yuan qian li lai xiang hui] - Lit. if two people are fated,
they will be able to meet even across a thousand miles

[3] Speci cally, a 紫毫 [zi hao] calligraphy brush. Its bristles are made with the
fur of a particular type of rabbit, and is darker in colour (the 紫 refers to the
–
fi
.
fl
:
fi

bristles being a darkish purple) and supposedly more sturdy than a brush with
bristles made from goat fur
[4] San-lang actually calls refers to the creatures head as its 狗头 [gou tou] -
literally, “dog’s head”, but I don’t he’s being literal here about the type of head
that the creature has. “Dog” here is used more like an insult, e.g. ugly,
worthless etc
[5] MXTX’s tomorrow, not this translator’s tomorrow

Having Wandered Away 4 - I meet you again
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
The directions that the person in the ghost mask had given were not
complicated: just head a few li[1] southwards, on a certain mountain in a
certain lair[2]. Xie Lian was also con dent that a regular person would not be
able to match him, as he was now, in speed, and that he would arrive at the
location faster than San-lang’s underling
Indeed, after an hour, he had fought and killed his way to the place, a frenzied
battle the moment he entered the mountain, with the cries and howls of the
spirits and beasts on the mountain.[3] Finally, he found that certain mountain
with that certain lair
Even though the monster appeared to of some in uence, with three hundred
to four hundred strong lackeys guarding the entrance for him, to Xie Lian, this
was no different from just having three or four strong lackeys guarding the
entrance. At rst, he had been worried that the enemy would be extremely
strong, and did not act rashly, but after patiently staking out the vicinity of the
lair for a while, listening to the lackeys’ idle chatter, he discovered that the
monster had gone through more than enough these past few days.
fi
.
fi
.
fl
!
“…… That’s right, that’s right, shan-zhu[4] only managed to escape from a
stinky cultivator with dif culty. They[5] were frightened half to death, and
came back with injuries. The moment they returned, they gave up their
original lair in a great panic[6], and ed here.
“I see! I’ve been wondering why they’d suddenly summon all of us away - so,
it’s because they’re afraid that the cultivator will be back for revenge!
“There’s no reason for them to be afraid. That cultivator was bitten a few
times by shan-zhu. Even if he wakes up now, he’d de nitely be all in a
muddle, unable to even nd where the northern direction is.
“How can they not be afraid? Shan-zhu is a few centuries old and a famous
monster,and yet, I heard that this cultivator had emerged suddenly out of
nowhere, and with two strikes beaten them until their nose had gone crooked
and their eyes crossed. If not for the fact that the cultivator seemed to have
some injury on his body, giving shan-zhu an opening to land a few bites, I’m
afraid shan-zhu would not have been able to return.
“Goddamn, how can a wild cultivator be so powerful!
Having listened up to here, Xie Lian felt that it was more or less enough. He
walked out casually, and greeted them warmly, “Hello.
The crowd of little monster lackeys were greatly startled, and leapt up, crying,
“Who’s there!
“Where did this pretty boy[7] come from?
Xie Lian gave a small smile, and without sparing any time to explain, directly
slaughtered his way into the lair. Just casually reaching out to grab, and he’d
catch a few tens of them; and just casually inging them aside, he’d ung
them a few tens of zhang[8]. Even without magic, he still managed to give the
crowd of lackeys such a fright, that their shrill cries lled the air without pause:
“What’s up with this pretty boy!!! He looks so genteel! Why is he so rough and
violent!!!
”
fi
fi
fl
”
fl
”
fi
”
fi
”
fl
”
And so, in this manner similar to plucking wild grass, Xie Lian stepped into
the lair unimpeded. He had been prepared to do great battle with a great
monster, but who knew that upon entering the lair, what he saw was a
creature who had taken on human form, and who was rolling around on the
ground, hugging his stomach and moaning and wailing
At rst, Xie Lian thought that it[9] was just putting up a pretence, but taking
another look, it did not appear to be the case. Its stomach was greatly
bloated, as though it had swallowed something incredibly fearsome, and so,
Xie Lian crouched down and said, “What’s wrong with you?
Perhaps that monster was in so much pain that it was delirious, for upon
seeing Xie Lian, it let out a great cry, “You came at the right time! You! I’m not
eating anymore! I don’t dare eat anymore! Never again will I dare! Let me
return the thing I swallowed back to you! I can’t digest it, I can’t digest it ah!
Xie Lian said, “Are you mistaking me for someone else? You haven’t
swallowed anything of mine, so what are you returning to me?
But that monster continued to roll on the ground in great pain, and could
hardly be bothered to reply. Feeling at a loss, Xie Lian proceeded with
drawing a talisman rst, deciding to capture it rst before clarifying things with
it. But curiously enough, the moment he slapped on that talisman, that
monster unexpectedly turned into a large and roly-poly budaoweng[10], with a
stomach that was much larger and rounder than other budaoweng, incredibly
comical. Xie Lian found it both hilarious and starting. He examined the
talisman he had drawn, wondering how it could have turned into this. Did he
draw a couple of strokes wrongly?
But this was not much of a huge problem either. This battle was simply easy
to the extreme, and when Xie Lian emerged from the mountain depths, the
day had brightened. He kept the budaoweng in his sleeve, and hurried back
towards the city
fi
.
fi

fi
.
Now that he had done something for that San-lang, Xie Lian’s felt happy, and
had already begun to think about how he would present the captured monster
to San-lang. He secretly warned himself, that if San-lang gave a surprised
expression, he should still maintain a reserved front, and not reveal any of his
delight. Having been out roaming and sprinting all night, Xie Lian’s legs were
sore, and so, he sat at a stall along the way, and got a free bowl of tea to
drink
As he drank, he suddenly heard someone from behind him, rush towards him
and yell, “Xie Lian!
Immediately, Xie Lian put down the tea bowl.
Who was this person, to be so greatly daring as to directly call out his name
in the middle of the main street? Even amongst the royal household, few
would be so disrespectful; didn’t everyone address him as taizi dianxia with
great deference and reverence
Turning his head to look, that person was unexpectedly a commoner. He was
carrying a large wooden box, and strode forward with great steps, yelling,
“Wait! Wait up! You forgot Xie Lian! Bring him along too!
So he wasn’t calling out to him, but someone who had the same name as
him! But Xie Lian found this even more curious. Even though he did not really
care about taboos on avoiding names and such like, but to think that
someone would dare to have the exact same name as him, that was
surprising
But he immediately realised, the “Xie Lian” which that person spoke of was
not a human.
A man was sitting near Xie Lian. The person who was carrying the box
walked up and sat beside this man. He patted the wooden box, and said, “I’ve
brought Xie Lian along. Remember to bring him to that person whom your
.
family serves today! Don’t dismiss the superstition. if you don’t display the two
of them together, there would be a lot of bad luck!
“Yes, yes. Naturally, I know it……
Xie Lian was simply unable to bear it any longer, and opened his mouth,
saying, “Excuse me……
As one, the two people turned their heads and looked at him. Xie Lian said,
“Please forgive this one for being presumptuous. Excuse me, what’s in this
box?
That person said, “Haven’t I said it already. It’s Xie Lian inside.
Xie Lian did not understand: “But…… Isn’t Xie Lian the taizi dianxia?
The two people seemed to nd it very funny, saying, “No one said he wasn’t
the crown prince ah. He always was to begin with. Look!” Saying that, they
opened the box.
Xie Lian’s eyes widened. Unexpectedly, within that wooden box, was a tiny
worship altar, and within that altar was a plain and rustic-looking statuette of a
god, of a cultivator dressed in white with a straw hat on his back.
He did not recognise it
“……” Xie Lian was completely unable to comprehend it, and said, “Are you
saying that this statuette is of the Xianle crown prince, Xie Lian?
“Who else?
Other people had started to gather around, one after another, half of them
looking at him as though he was a rare one: “You young people are really
strange, and you look like a cultivator too, so how is it that you don’t even
know such a simple thing?
The other half were looking at this “statuette of a god”: “Wow! The carving of
this scrap-picking immortal is not bad! Looks woeful enough.
“Yes, full of tragedy and woe. One look and you immediately feel that it’s a
likeness of misfortune!
”
fi
”
“Great, great! The uglier it looks like now, then it would look even better when
that other one helps him break away. Display them together for eight days at
most and the results will show.
“…..
With ignorance, Xie Lian said, “Scrap-picking immortal? How did he become
a scrap-picking immortal?
The surrounding crowd said, “Cultivator, you really are very strange ah! Xie
Lian was always a scrap-picking immortal to begin with!
“……
Xie Lian was generally not someone who was easily angered, but at that
moment, he felt slightly annoyed
Anyone who listened to other people laugh and mock them for picking scraps
wouldn’t feel very happy about it. In a moment, he stood up, and in a deep
voice said, “Does everyone have some dissatisfactions with the Xianle royal
family? Even if there is, the way you’re insulting the crown prince like this, is
not in keeping with etiquette.
The crowd looked at each other, and laughed at him, saying, “What are you
saying? In keeping with which country’s etiquette? Xianle country was
destroyed more than eight hundred years ago!
…
An hour later, Xie Lian was still in somewhat of a muddle as he walked down
the main street
It was too frightening. Everything he had received just now, was simply too
frightening as far as he was concerned.
“How was Xianle country destroyed? Aren’t my royal father and mother still
alive and well? And how could it have been destroyed by me? I lost a battle? I
destroyed my country? And I was cast down twice? I became a scrap-
picker?
…
He questioned himself over and over again, and told himself over and over
again: It was impossible. Impossible. Impossible
He tried to convince himself: “All of this simply isn’t real, there must be some
villain making trouble behind the scenes.
However, everything felt off-kilter: The strange accents, the strange clothing
and the strange buildings, and even the strange Feng Xin and Mu Qing, all of
them were telling him that this was not a nightmare, and this place was also
not some illusion. No demon or monster would have been able to create such
a vast and realistic illusion
Eight hundred years had really gone by
How could eight hundred years have just gone by
How did he become like this after eight hundred years
Xianle country was destroyed; his royal father and mother were dead; Feng
Xin and Mu Qing had ascended. And he had become a scrap-picker.
How did it become like this
It couldn’t be like this. It shouldn’t have been like this
Xie Lian walked faster and faster, until, in the end, he had begun to run, as
though a vast and boundless darkness was pressing hard behind him, about
to devour him. Suddenly, a red silhouette ashed by, and a lanky gure
appeared before his eyes, saying, “Daozhang, where did you go? I searched
high and low for you for a long while.
It was San-lang. He was still smiling, and as he said that he made to come
over and take Xie Lian’s hand, but upon seeing him, Xie Lian felt
goosebumps rise all over his body, and he yelled loudly, “Don’t come near
me!!!
His cry had an immediate effect. San-lang paused, but his expression did not
change. He said, “What’s wrong?
”
fl
!
fi

Xie Lian clenched his sts tightly, and coldly said, “Just who the hell are you?
What do you plan to do?
San-lang said, “I had thought that we had gotten along quite well yesterday,
and no longer cared about these small bothers.
Xie Lian said, “You lied to me.
After a moment of silence, San-lang said, “So you already know.
Xie Lian said, “I already know that it’s now……” Eight hundred years later.
Typically, he would not have taken so long before realising that those things
were not quite right, but this person had deliberately kept things from him,
keeping him charmed and deceived and confused until he couldn’t even have
gured out which way was north; otherwise, how could he had discovered the
truth only after a day
San-lang took a step towards him, saying, “Dianxia.
Xie Lien took many more steps back, yelling, “Don’t come closer!!! If you
come any closer, I’ll hit you!
Both his voice and his body were trembling. Xie Lian was extremely terri ed.
What he was terri ed of wasn’t some demon or monster, nor was it of the
man before him who could mean good or evil. He was terri ed of this entire,
strange world. In this world, he was without glory that he could be proud of,
without loyal subjects, without his parents who loved him dearly, without his
own country, without believers who loved and respected him. Nothing,
nothing, he had absolutely nothing
But San-lang took yet another step towards him, saying, “Don’t be afraid,
dianxia.
“……
Hearing this sentence, Xie Lian’s expression changed
He suddenly recalled, within those fragmented memories, the man who said
in a deep voice by his ear, “Don’t be afraid, dianxia.
fi
”
fi
?
fi
”
fi
”
fi

How could he not have realised it

The manner of speech and voice of both men, were identical
So angry was Xie Lian that he trembled, as he said, “It’s you…… It’s really
you……
Thinking about how this person had deceived him and led him around in
circles, while he had felt nothing but gratitude and was full of good feelings,
and even called him “gege” - Xie Lian was unable to bear it, and his anger
skyrocketed. He lashed out with a strike, crying, “You liar!
This strike squarely hit San-lang’s chest. Xie Lian readied himself to strike a
second time, but discovered that he was somehow unable to move
It was his own body, that was stopping him
Xie Lian could not understand what was going on, but San-lang had grabbed
ahold of his hand. Xie Lian was startled, and immediately cried out
disjointedly, “Don’t touch me! You, you liar, you lied to me. I’ll never believe
you again. You……
But San-lang said quietly, “Dianxia, believe me.
Xie Lian cried angrily, “I’ll never believe you!!! I’ll! ……
However, just like how his attack had been stopped, the “will never you” that
should have followed, somehow could not leave his lips
The concern and pain in this man’s eyes was a completely and utterly
genuine. Anyone who saw a person show such an expression to another
person, would no longer suspect his sincerity.
As though desiring to seal Xie Lian away from this strange world which
terri ed him, San-lang nally drew him into an embrace, his lips kissing his
hair lightly, and in a warm and gentle voice, said, “Don’t be afraid, dianxia. It’s
all in the past. Dianxia. You’ve made it through.
“……
After a long while, Xie Lian’s body nally softened
fi
”
fi
?
fi
!
Now, throwing aside all his shame and frustration, and thinking carefully:
within the fragmented scenes in his dream, the voice of the man who had
called out to him, had always been warm and gentle to the extreme, without
even a hint of coercion.
As for himself…… Even though he had indeed begged for mercy and cried,
but he could tell from listening, that there wasn’t even a hint of unwillingness.
It was just that, before now, he had been unwilling to confront it directly, and
so he had not discovered it
At least Xie Lian nally knew why it was that, the moment he saw this man,
he could not help but want to trust him. Unfortunately, the “him” after eight
hundred years, had a relationship with San-lang that was…… not quite
simple.
He thoroughly gave up ghting against his body, and went along with his
heart’s desire, burying his face against San-lang’s chest. He said, his voice
muf ed, “We……
San-lang said, “Hn.
After a long silence, Xie Lian mumbled, “Why…… did I suddenly clean forget
everything that happened in these eight hundred years?
San-lang said, “It’s my fault. The previous day, you suddenly received a
prayer in the middle of the night, and left in too much of a hurry. I didn’t help
you restore your magic, and didn’t tell you in time that when the monster bites
you, it swallows memories.
Xie Lian said, “Then this simply wasn’t your fault. It was me who was
careless.
San-lang said, “Dianxia would never be at fault.
Xie Lian forced a smile, then said again dispiritedly, “Then, San-lang, how did
I…… cause the destruction of Xianle country?
fl

fi
”
fi
”
After all, he had treasured his people so much, and it had been his ambition
for Xianle to continue to prosper for another thousand years.
San-lang hugged him even tighter, and said with conviction, “It was not your
fault.
Xie Lian mumbled, “How did I fail so badly? How did I become like this?
Who did not start of by wanting to accomplish grand feats which would move
the heavens and the earth, and live on through the ages? While perhaps only
one in a million people would truly be able to make this dream become reality,
but Xie Lian had never once doubted that he would be that one in a million.
Perhaps this was the reason why San-lang had not let him discover that eight
hundred years had gone by.
San-lang said, “You did not fail.
Xie Lian shook his head, saying, “But I don’t have any believers anymore.
San-lang said, “You do.
Just thinking about it made Xie Lian grieve. He said, “I’m a scrap-picking
immortal. I pick scraps. Of course no one would be my believer, and no one
would take me as a god. Who would respect a scrap-picking immortal?
This was completely unlike what his dream had been.
But San-lang said, “Haven’t I already told you? You have a believer.
Xie Lian lifted his face. San-lang gave him a small smile, saying, “Dianxia, I
said that you would be able to meet Hua Cheng very soon. Right now, you’ve
met him.
“……
Xie Lian lifted his head, and gazing at his face, said, slightly confused, “San-
lang, you…… when did you recognise me?
Hua Cheng said, “From a very long, very long time ago, even before you had
ascended.
Xie Lian slowly blinked.
”
Hua Cheng said again, “Dianxia, perhaps the “you” now, might feel that the
“you” after eight hundred years is a huge failure. Perhaps you feel
disappointed, and unable to accept it. But please believe me, it’s not like
that.
His bright left eye gazed at Xie Lian, and the look in his eye was as soft and
gentle as his voice.
He said, “You saved me. I’ve always looked at you
“In this world there are countless people who are more “successful” than you,
but none of them could have saved me like you did, and none of them could
have done those things you did
“You have no idea how much courage you gave me, for me to become the
me today
“In my heart, you are forever my only god.
Xie Lian said, “And you are forever my most devoted believer.
Barely had he nished speaking, when he came to himself. That sentence
which he had said just now, was something he had instinctively said in the
moment as a response, as though he had heard such a treasured promise
before. But San-lang started to smile, and held up his hand, kissed the back
of his hand, and said, “Yes.
“……
After a long while, Xie Lian seemed to have come to a decision, and retrieved
the budaoweng of the monster from his sleeve, saying, “Was it this monster
which swallowed my memories?
Hua Cheng received that monster, saying, “So it was indeed dianxia who
destroyed his new lair.
Xie Lian nodded his head, saying, “To recover my memories, I would have to
act on him here, yes?
”
fi

Within Hua Cheng’s palm, that budaoweng opened its large mouth. From its
mouth ew out a few specks of light, like re ies, which ew and surrounded
Xie Lian. Hua Cheng said, “Catch them, and you would be able to retrieve
those eight hundred years of memories.
Hearing this, Xie Lian reached his hand out to them. However, just before he
touched them, he stopped.
Recovering these eight hundred years of memories, would be as though
reliving those eight hundred years, once again experiencing everything which
had happened: the agony of the hundred swords stabbing his heart, the
shame of having being defeated utterly, the anger of being powerless and
unable to do anything.
Even though he knew that all this would actually be over in a moment, but his
ngertips still trembled slightly.
Hua Cheng stood behind him, letting him feel as though his back was resting
against a sturdy wall. He heard Hua Cheng’s voice from behind him, “Don’t
be afraid, dianxia.
Xie Lian tilted his head back slightly, and Hua Cheng wrapped his arms
around his waist, saying, “Believe me. No matter how long it takes, I will
always wait for you. You will still meet me again.
That’s right. They would still meet again.
And so, Xie Lian reached his hand towards the lights.
Like stars, the specks of light dissolved into his ngertips. There was a great
brightness before his eyes, as though something burning hot was
approaching. Before that bright light reached him, Xie Lian said, “I am very
glad to have met you.
After he said this sentence, the specks of light dissolved into his body and
disappeared. Xie Lian slowly toppled forward, and was caught by Hua
Cheng.
fi
fl

fi
fl
fi
”
fl
After a long while, Xie Lian nally began to stir. The moment he opened his
eyes, Hua Cheng said in a low voice, “Gege?
Xie Lian slowly gave a light smile, and reached out a hand, caressing Hua
Cheng’s face, and said, “…… I meet you again.
Hua Cheng began to smile too, saying, “Didn’t I say it. Believe me.
Xie Lian sighed and said, “Does this count as us having waited for each other
again for another eight hundred years
Hua Cheng said, “Didn’t I say it, no matter how long it takes, I will always wait
for you. However……
He pulled Xie Lian up. The two of them stood face to face, and Hua Cheng
held his hand tightly, saying with a smile, “Right now, I don’t want us to be
separated again for even a moment.
There was no way of changing the past
EIght hundred years ago, the seventeen-year-old Xie Lian who was
everyone’s pride, had no way of knowing what the future had in store for him.
Fate had given him two doors. The path of a martial god left a eeting but
indelible impression; in a brief moment a demon had met an immortal on a
bridge. And he had opened both doors
After that, he was alone in the turbulent waves of being powerless and unable
to return to the heavens, and he struggled to eke a living through those long
and tortuous years. Pain, anger, disappointment, hate, despair, insanity. A
heart as indifferent as dead ashes.
And after that, the dead ashes reignited back to life.
However, all of these were already in the past
“Gege, welcome back.

“Hn……
“Look, I said that you would still meet me again. I didn’t lie to you.
*
fi

fl
”
Xie Lian aimed a look at Hua Cheng, and said, “Really?

Hua Cheng smiled slightly, and said, “Of course. When have I ever lied to
dianxia? Gege, I……
“……
“……
Xie Lian reached his hand into the breast of Hua Cheng’s robes, and took out
a piece of paper, reading out loud, “‘Having received San-lang gege’s care,
Lian has no way to repay you, and am willing to exhaust what little power I
have, to help gege solve his problems, and so will leave for a while. May San-
lang gege not be worried, for Xian will be back shortly after leaving.’
San-lang raised a brow, and brought his hands behind his back and did not
speak. After Xie Lian nished reading out loud, he copied Hua Cheng’s
manner and raised a brow, saying, “San-lang gege, good gege, you truly are
good ah.
Hua Cheng laughed, saying, “Whether I’m good or not, wasn’t gege clear on
this point from very early on
Xie Lian’s face turned slightly red, and he said vaguely, “….. I’m not sure what
you’re talking about. In any event, you’ve gone too far in these couple of
days, and you should re ect.
Hua Cheng said with seriousness, “Gege, don’t be like that. These two days,
I’ve been constantly treating you with courtesy and decorum, and resisting
has been very hard on me.
Xie Lian said, “Since when did you treat me with courtesy and decorum. You
clearly…… clearly……” Clearly teased him, and teased with great delight.
Thinking about how, in those two days, he had become the naive, silly, and
pampered[11] little seventeen-year-old dummy, tossed and turned this way
and that as Hua Cheng played with him… as Xie Lian once again recalled
what happened with perfect clarity, he was simply unable to look directly at
”
fi
fl
”
himself, and he could not help but moan, and massage his temples. His
expression entirely serious, Hua Cheng said, “Really, even if I am scolded as
a despicable, shameless, indecent asshole,[12] San-lang has no complaints
or regrets.
“……
“If gege is unhappy, he can continue to scold me. It doesn’t matter to San-
lang.
Xie Lian was simply unable to listen further.
Massaging his temples, he slipped away. When Hua Cheng turned his head,
the other person had disappeared. He said, “Gege? Don’t run away, alright,
it’s my fault, gege!
Don’t call gege anymore!
—
‘The Curious Incident of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince’s Memory
Having Wandered Away’ is nished.
Regarding what Blood Rain Reaching for the Flower (Xue Yu Tan Hua) had
said about wanting to “crush the ugly head” of the monster, that monster was
kept by them, and on a certain day after receiving Xie Lian’s permission he
used it once, and Hua cheng-zhu’s evil dream was nally made reality, but
this is something that happened later
I exceeded the word count and so was late for a few minutes, sorry
=-=-
[1] ⾥ [li]. A traditional Chinese unit of measurement, now standardised to
about half a kilometre

[2] 洞府 [dongfu]. I translated it as “lair”, but a dongfu is a bit more than that. A
more accurate description would be… a place where a spirit or magical

–
fi
:
fi
!
creature dwells? The other closest English equivalent I could think of was
“grotto”, but a grotto - associated with faeries and such like in western folklore
- doesn’t quite have the right connotation for this context, I think
[3] ⼭魈夜猫⻤哭狼嚎 [shan xiao ye mao gui ku lang hao]. A ⼭魈 or shanmao
can refer to a type of mandrill primate, but also a one-legged creature/

monster which dwells on the mountains in Chinese folklore. A 夜猫 or yemao
literally translates into night-cat, but also can refer to an owl. ⻤哭狼嚎 [gui ku
lang hao] is literally, the cries of ghosts and the howls of wolves
[4] ⼭主 [shan zhu]. The lackeys’ honouri c title for the monster, lit. lord /
owner of the mountain. (Like how Hua Cheng’s subjects in the Ghost City
refer to him as 城主 [cheng-zhu] or lord / owner of the city.
[5] Chinese pronouns are divided into male 他, female 她, and gender-
neutral / it 它 (used for animals or inanimate objects, not people) - all of them
pronounced as ta. The way the lackeys are speaking in Chinese is more
colloquial, and omits pronouns when referring to their big boss monster.
However, later on in the chapter when Xie Lian encounters the monster, he
uses the gender-neutral 它 (see translator’s note 9). However, I didn’t think it
would be appropriate for the lackeys to refer to their boss as an “it” in English,
so I used “they/them” here
[6] 屁滚尿流 [pi gun niao liu]. Lit. (so frightened and panicked that it was)
farting and pissing non-stop.

[7] ⼩⽩脸 [xiao bai lian]. Lit. “little white face”, used to describe a young man
with a pretty face. It’s not really a compliment, and is usually used in a teasing
(at best) or derogatory (at worst) context. I just nd it incredibly funny that Xie
Lian was referred to as one here
.
fi
fi
)
[8] 丈 [zhang]. A traditional Chinese unit of measurement. I think the modern
equivalent is about 10 feet? So Xie Lian was inging these monsters a few
hundred feet in one toss.
[9] See translator’s note 5. The sentence here uses 它. Unlike the monster’s
lackeys, I don’t think Xie Lian would have any issues with using “it” to refer to
the monster
[10] 不倒翁 [bu dao weng]. A toy that’s shaped sort-of like an oval, with a
heavy base. The idea is that you can push the toy down, and it would stand
or bounce back up, i.e. it doesn’t fall down (不倒). It’s also what Hua Cheng
transforms Lan Qianqiu, Qi Rong into in book 1.

[11] Exactly what Mu Qing had described Xie Lian in chapter 246 / part 1 of
the Amnesia extra
[12] See how Xie Lian had scolded Hua Cheng at the start of chapter 248 /
part 3 of the Amnesia extra

The Demon King’s Bedtime Story - Reading Material for Childre
Hua Cheng was ill
Although it was a small illness, but the fact that a demon king could actually
fall ill, was very curious and unexpected
As such, when Xie Lian returned to Qiandeng Temple, and went to check on
Hua Cheng’s handwriting practice as usual, but instead saw that Hua
Cheng’s face was slightly ushed, he was greatly worried
After pressing Hua Cheng down on the altar – yup, just the other day, they
both had a round on this wide and spacious altar; after all, there weren’t any
[god] statues – Xie Lian reached out a hand, and after checking his cheeks
and forehead, grew even more worried: “That’s really hot.
.
fl
.
fl

Hua Cheng smiled and said, “I naturally get hot when I see gege, and when
gege touches me I get even hotter.
XL found himself at a loss, be he hurriedly pretended that he was in red in the
face from exasperation, saying, “Your mouth is still so dishonest even when
you’re ill.
Hua Cheng innocently replied, “What did I say? I’m super honest. Gege, don’t
be worried, it’s a small thing, no big deal.
But Xie Lian could hear how Hua Cheng’s voice was lower and more hoarse
than usual, and a small crease appeared between his brows as he said,
“Then you should rest properly. I’ll accompany you here for these few days,
until you get better.
Saying that, he took the pen-brush, ink, paper and sand which Hua Cheng
had been using for his writing practice and brought them beside the altar. Hua
Cheng patted the place beside him, saying, “Won’t gege join me on the
altar?
Once he got onto the altar, he could forget about any rest for these few days.
Xie Lian tactfully said, “I’d best not, my San Lang has overexerted himself
already.
Hua Cheng said laughingly, “Nonsense, if it’s gege, why should San Lang
fear overexertion?
Xie LIan decided not to play along with him anymore, and concentrated on
writing out practice lines [for Hua Cheng to copy]. Hua Cheng turned his body
around, propped his cheek on a hand, and stared at Xie Lian’s face
No matter how many times this happened, XIe Lian would always start
blushing beneath his gaze. He said uncomfortably, “…… San Lang, look at
the practice lines, not at me.
Hua Cheng sighed and said, “Gege, to be frank, my head hurts the moment I
look at this tri e, but because it’s written by gege, I can’t bear not to look.
”
fl
”
Who knows, maybe this illness was caused by looking at too many practice
lines.
Xie Lian said, “Since when was there such an illness.
Hua Cheng laughingly said, “How about I look at gege instead, gege looks so
much better than these practice lines, who knows, maybe if I look [at gege]
more, I would recover.
Xie Lian found himself at a loss and yet wanting laugh, and he put down his
pen-brush, shaking his head as he said, “Why are you even more fond of
talking nonsense these days… nothing proper comes out of your mouth.
Alright, I get it, I’ll listen to you. Instead of looking at the practice lines, what
should we do?
Hua Cheng said, “Actually we don’t have to do anything, I just want you to
accompany me, it won’t be long before I get better.
Xie Lian touched his forehead again. Although this person had a manly,
handsome face, but the way he was acting cute and spoiled now, made Xie
Lian think of a little child who buried himself beneath a warm nest of blankets
in winter and peeked out with a red face, making the heart feel very fond.
After thinking for a bit, he said, “How about this: just as well, I picked up this
thing today.
He reached into his sleeves, and shed out something, saying, “This a an old,
no longer wanted book I collected today, which I was about to read. Let me
read you a story.
In his hands was a very old and small book, tattered, its pages yellowed, with
the curious scent of books and ink. It must have been ipped through
countless of times
But Hua Cheng said, “I don’t want to listen.
Xie Lian asked curiously, “Why?
”
fi
”
fl
Hua Cheng lazily replied, “After all no matter how you spin it, it’s all stories
about the other heaven of cials, and I’m all too clear about their their useless
and irrelevant doings. It’s already nothing worth listening to, why should I
trouble gege to specially read them to me?
That was true too. After all Hua Cheng was the man who best grasped the
black history of the three realms [tn: ghost, human, heaven]. Hua Cheng said,
“If gege must read something to me, why not tell me something else? Like, a
story about you.
Xie Lian smiled, saying, “Of my affairs, is there anyone else beside you who
is more clear about them, or who has seen more than you?
Hua Cheng said, “Then tell me again. I want to listen. It will never be enough
no matter how much I listen.
Xie Lian knew that Hua Cheng meant what he was saying, and he carefully
combed the hair by Hua Cheng’s cheek. He gave a casual glance [at the
book], and suddenly exclaimed, “San Lang, this book seems to be written
about you and me.
“What?
Xie Lian ipped through the book again, saying, “Really. There are lots of
references to a “great ghost king in red robes” and a “rag & bone immortal”.
Aren’t these you and me?
Hua Cheng also seemed interested, saying, “Oh? What’s written?
Xie Lian was also very curious why the people would have spun a story of
him and Hua Cheng, and so he opened the collection of stories, and began to
read it to Hua Cheng, “Once upon a very long time ago, there was a great
ghost king who loved to wear red robes. Although the great ghost king was
very powerful, and had accumulated a few mountains of gold and silver, but
he was very unhappy. This was because he was very lonely, and greatly
wished for a wife of his own…
”
fl
”
fi
”
“……
Xie Lian gave a puff of laughter, not quite able to continue reading, saying, “A
lonely ghost king waiting in an empty nest…… hahaha……hahahaha……
Hua Cheng raised a brow, saying, “That’s not wrong. At that time gege was
not around, and I was very lonely.
XIe LIan’s face heated, and he continued to read on
Once upon a very long time, there was a great ghost king who only loved to
wear red robes. Although the great ghost king was very powerful, and had
accumulated a few mountains of gold and silver, and had more money than
he could spend, but he was very unhappy. This was because he was very
lonely, and greatly wished for a wife of is own
But he waited for a few hundred years and still he did not meet his heart’s
beloved. So, he consulted an old immortal who was greatly skilled at
calculating fortunes, where is my wife
The old immortal told him, “You will meet the person you are waiting for on a
mountain. Your wife will be dressed in bridal clothes, and be brought to marry
you on a wedding sedan.
The great ghost king was determined to nd his wife, and so he went to that
mountain, where he waited patiently
In the meantime, somewhere very far away, there was a rag & bone immortal
The immortal collected rag & bone scraps, and as such he was the poorest
amongst the heaven of cials, poorer even than most mortals
But although he was very poor, but he was very kind. One day, on his way
back from collecting scraps, he saw a maiden crying by the roadside, and
asked her, “Maiden, what is it that has made you so upset?
The maiden cried as she said, “I am to marry, but on the day of my wedding I
will need to cross a mountain, and on the mountain lives a ghost groom, who
”
fi
”
fi
.
snatches brides who are passing by. Only a few have been rescued. I will be
snatched away and killed!
The rag & bone immortal felt great sympathy for her, and also being
determined to help the people get rid of harm, decided to take the bride’s
place in the wedding procession, and kill the monster
The rag & bone immortal had two friends. Because one of them was irritable,
and one of them was very petty, so let’s differentiate them by calling the
irritable immortal and the petty immortal. While bickering with each other, they
also told the rag & bone immortal, “That ghost groom must be a great ghost
king, with a terrible temperament, and also very crafty, with the greatest
dislike for gods and immortals. If he catches you, he will de nitely eat you!
But the immortal insisted on going, and so, they made a sedan for the
immortal. On the day which the wedding procession was to set off, the
immortal wore a set of beautiful bridal robes which he had borrowed the Lady
Feng Shi [tn: Wind Master], and disguised as the bride, sat in the sedan chair,
and was carried up the mountain by the pair of bickering friends
In the pitch darkness of the night, a ghostly wind blew, and as the sedan was
carried up the mountain, not a single person was in sight. The immortal
waited and waited, until nally the groom he was waiting for to receive him,
arrived
Raising his veil to look, the immortal discovered to his surprise, that the great
ghost king was unexpectedly an extremely handsome youth
And what made him even more surprised, was that the youthful groom was
very courteous, and seemed as though he had good upbringing, warm and
gentle and caring. He did not shed his human facade to reveal a ghastly
[green-faced and sharp-toothed] “true face”, and nor did he force him to do
anything bad. Indeed, he was hardly like the terrifying, great ghost king of
legend
.
fi
”
fi
.
The mountain was very large, and the great ghost king took the immortal to
his lair, saying to him, “From now on, I am your husband, and you are my
beloved wife. This entire mountain belongs to me, and now belongs to you
too, you can go anywhere you want to explore. But remember, at the back of
the mountain there are two houses, which you must never go to.
The immortal asked, “Why?
The ghost king who was the groom replied, “That is my secret, you don’t need
to know. But, even if you want to go there you also won’t be able to, because
I have erected barriers before those two houses, and you must have
something from my body in order to pass through the barriers.
The immortal continued to ask, “What things?
The ghost king answered, “One of the houses holds dirty rubbish, and you
must use something from my body that can be touched, and a lot of it, in
order to open the barrier; one of the houses holds a powerful magical
treasure, and you must use something from my body that can’t be touched,
but which is very hot, in order to open the barrier.
Of course the immortal did not listen to him. Although he pretended to be very
obedient when in front of the great ghost king, but the moment the ghost king
was away, he sneakily ew to the back of the mountain. Indeed, as expected,
from the house that held dirty rubbish, came terrifying screams and calls for
help
The immortal suspected that the missing brides were all imprisoned in there,
and so, he was determined to steal something from the great ghost king’s
body, to open up the mystery house
But, what could he steal
The great ghost king had a head of crow-black and lustrous hair, that he
sometimes left loose, and that he sometimes tied up crookedly. The rst plan
.
fl
?
fi
which the immortal thought of, was to steal a few strands of hair every day. As
such, he asked, “Please, may we live together in the same home?
His groom said very courteously, “Of course we may. We are husband and
wife after all.
And so, this way, they moved in together into the same room. But even
though they slept in the same bed, the immortal refused to let the groom
remove his clothes, and so, the great ghost king graciously refrained from
touching him
But, as the immortal discovered very quickly, not a hair did his groom shed.
No matter that he helped him comb his hair every morning everyday, or while
sleeping at night, on the pillow, the bed, the oor, the comb - none of them
had a strand of hair
This was frustrating. The immortal took hold of a sword, and thought of
waiting for the great ghost king to fall asleep before using the opportunity to
cut off a lock of hair. But the great ghost king was very watchful, and the
moment he drew close, the great ghost king opened his eyes. But although
the immortal was caught red-handed, he remained very calm. To prevent the
great ghost king from becoming suspicious of him, he immediately cut off a
lock of his own hair and gave it to him
Receiving it, the great ghost king was very happily
Very soon, the quick-witted immortal thought of another plan. He said to the
great ghost king, “Please, may I kiss you?
His groom said, pleased, “Of course you may, we are husband and wife after
all.
And hence, the immortal took the initiative to embrace the ghost groom, and
kissed him for a long time with great might, before nally tasting a tiny bit of
the ghost groom’s avour, and he hurriedly closed his mouth and ran to the
back of the mountain
”
fl
!
fl
.
fi
”
But after he arrived, he discovered that this still not did not work. This was
because he needed lots and lots of that something, and what he had was not
enough. He still could not enter the house, he could only stick his head in, but
his body had no way of entering
The rag & bone immortal felt a little despondent. He had originally thought
that it would be simple to steal something from the great ghost king’s body,
and never thought that it would be this hard
He remembered his good friend, Lady Feng Shi, and so paid a visit to
FengShui Temple [tn: Wind Water Temple], where he asked, “What else can I
do to get something from the great ghost king’s body that can be touched,
and a lot of it too?
Lady FengShi said, “Dai! [tn: like an exclamation] That’s too simple. Take on a
female appearance, and consummate the marriage [tn: lit. enter the marriage
chamber], and you’ll have it!
The immortal shook his head frantically. His immortal cultivation method had
a rule, that once he lost his virginity, his powers would suffer a great damage.
How could he go with this plan
At this moment, Lord Shui Shi [tn: Water Master] returned, and having heard
what the Lady had said, angrily shouted, “Outrageous! How could you say
something so immoral!
Once Lord Shui Shi was angry, he would use money to club people to death,
and so the rag & bone immortal hurriedly ed. As he ran, he thought of his
other two very good friends, the irritable immortal and the petty immortal, and
so he looked for them and asked them what he ought to do
The irritable immortal and the petty immortal were again bickering, and as
they bickered they told him some bad news: because too many people had
been snatched away, the heaven of cials were about to attack the mountain,
and apprehend the great ghost king
”
fi
!
fl
.
The immortal was greatly shocked, and began to worry. By now he had
discovered that this youthful ghost king would not do anything bad, and
thought perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding, or maybe what
was locked away at the back of the mountain was not those brides, but
something else
However, because the rag & bone immortal was very poor, he also had no
in uence, and no one listened to him. The immortal was very anxious. If he
did not discover the truth soon, then the great ghost king might be surrounded
and attacked by the heaven of cials
Left without any other option, the immortal could only run back to the great
ghost king to ask, “Please, could you consummate our marriage with me?
His groom beamed as he said, “Ah, of course I can. We are husband and wife
after all.
And so, the rag & bone immortal and the great ghost king consummated their
marriage
Midway, the immortal was afraid that the great ghost king would not leave him
with a lot of that very important thing, and so embraced the great ghost king
tightly as he cried, “Can you give all of it to me? And give it to me a few
times?
His groom warmly and gently said, “If that’s what you wish.
The immortal answered, “I do…
And so, the quick-witted immortal had his wish and obtained the thing which
he had been looking for. Something from the great ghost king’s body that
could be touched, and lots and lots of that thing
The next day, the immortal took the thing which he had spent all night
begging from the great ghost king, to the house in which hid the dirty rubbish.
This time, he could nally enter
fl
”
fi
fi
.
Once he opened the entrance, the immortal discovered many corpses all
messily strewn about, and some of them even decomposed to white bone
These corpses were all dressed in wedding garments, and unfortunately
appeared to be the missing brides. His hopes dashed, the immortal was
shocked and upset. He looked back, and suddenly discovered that, at some
time unbeknownst to him, someone stood behind him - unexpectedly, at
some time unbeknownst to him, the great ghost king was standing there
The immortal had a great shock. He recalled what the irritable immortal and
the petty immortal had told him, that the great ghost king was extremely
crafty, and also greatly disliked gods and immortals. He was now at his wit’s
end. Could it be that the great ghost king had in actual fact long since seen
through him, and had been stringing him along all this while
Angry and hurt, the immortal began to ee, running faster and faster. But,
who knew, he could not run out [of the house]. It turned out that he had run
too fast, and the thing which the great ghost king had given him, had fallen
out, and so he was again blocked by the barrier in front of the house
The great ghost king caught up and, embracing the immortal in one swift
move, nally explained what was going on
It turned out, the great ghost king was not abducting people to eat them, he
was just waiting here for his fated person. One day, a wedding procession
accidentally bumped into him while he was out on a stroll, and the groom in
the procession was so frightened that he himself ed, abandoning his bride
who sat on the spot crying
The great ghost king was not looking for trouble. The bride said that she did
not wish to marry such a man, and so did not go back, but left on her own.
Later on, after he encountered a few other similar events, the great ghost king
decided that he may as well, while waiting, also start testing the newly-weds.
If the groom dared to risk himself to protect his bride when faced with ghosts
fi
.
fl
.
fl
?
and ghouls, the great ghost king would not cause dif culties for the couple,
and let them go. But if the vile groom pushed his own bride to the ghouls in
order to buy some time to escape, then the groom would be caught and
imprisoned in this house
Because these people were not right and moral in their hearts, they would
often kill each other, in the end becoming white bones. These were the
corpses which the immortal saw. As for their brides, some of them had since
gone home, while others had escaped with their lovers to somewhere far
away, wandering the world together, or safely setting up their own homes
The great ghost king said, “I’ve been waiting for you for a few hundred years,
gege, and I nally have you.
Having resolved the misunderstanding, the two of them embraced each other.
In order to leave the house, the great ghost king again gave the immortal lots
and lots of his thing. But unexpectedly, and suddenly, there was a great
rumbling noise from the sky. It turned out, the heaven of cials, having feared
the great ghost king for a long time, were seizing this opportunity, and nally
starting their attack on him
The rag & bone immortal rushed out and after a round of erce battle, pushed
back a ring of heaven of cials. But the heaven of cials had caused the
mountain to collapse, trapping the great ghost king beneath the mountain
The mountain was too tall, and the immortal, afraid that that the great ghost
king would be crushed, desperately tried to use his shoulders to hold it up.
Just at that moment, he suddenly recalled that there was still another mystery
house which he had not yet opened, and surely the powerful magical treasure
held in that house, could be used be used to push aside the great mountain.
And so, he rushed into the mountain cave. Upon entering, he discovered to
his huge delight, that the great ghost king was standing there safe and sound,
and even stronger and more powerful at that
fi
fi
.
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
.
The two of them broke out of the mountain, and together chased away the
heaven of cials who had been causing trouble. Finally, they sat shoulder to
shoulder on the mountain top, and watched the cloud trails and stars left in
the wake of the heaven of cials as they ed
The immortal asked, “Didn’t you say, the house which held the dirty rubbish
needed something from your body that could be touched, and a lot of it,
before it could be opened; while the house which held the magical treasures
needed something from your body which could not be touched, but was very,
very hot, before it could be opened?
The great ghost king beamed as he said, “Yes. And that thing, isn’t it
something which gege has had since very early on?”
The immortal nally understood. That thing, was the burning heat of the ghost
king’s love for him
And so, the rag & bone immortal and the great ghost king happily entered into
the marriage chamber together, nevermore to part
“……
“……
Having nished reading out the story, Xie Lian was still stupe ed as he said,
“What on earth was written? Doesn’t this story go overboard? No no no,
this……
What was this mess? How could it be called a story??
But Hua Cheng was already laughing so hard that he had collapsed on the
daybed. Xie Lian said, in a puzzled manner, “It’s completely inaccurate! How
did this story originale? Is it to do with what happened at Jun Shan [tn: Jun
Mountain]? What happened wasn’t like this… Isn’t it completely distorted?
Furthermore, is it really alright to let children read this sort of story? It’s too
inappropriate. Who wrote this?? And all these characters who seem very
familiar but are just a little off, what’s up with them……
”
fi
”
fi
fi
.
fi
”
fl
.
fi
On a closer look, although the stories in this book appeared to be innocent
romances at rst glance, like something one might read to children as a
bedtime story, but the contents were extremely spicy, so much so that it was
even harder for someone to look one straight in the eye compared to simple
erotica. But upon reading to the end, there was also a sort of curious and
inexplicable feeling, causing Xie Lian suspect if the problem lay with himself
Hua CHeng said, “Hn? But it’s not completely distorted. At least some points
are correct. For example, I do indeed call gege, ‘gege’. Another example, at
Jun Shan I did indeed go to receive gege’s bridal sedan. And another
example, that night when we consummated, gege did indeed……
Xie Lian had thought that, after all these years, he had cultivated a suf ciently
thick skin, but who knew, a pink blush still frequently rose on his face when he
was before Hua CHeng. He said, “How did they even know something like
that! …… and, and besides those things, nothing else was correct……
Although he knew that many blindly-spun folk stories were miles away from
the original, and it was not odd for them to morph into goodness-knows-what
after countless embellishments, but to see it with his very own eyes was still
shocking to the extreme. There were many times in the middle where was too
embarrassed to read on, but was forced by Hua Cheng to carry on reading to
him. It made Xie Lian want to hit him, but at the same time he just could not
bring himself to land a blow. Hua Cheng’s expression was still unfazed, as he
said, “Clearly, someone in the know had let slip a few tiny details, and people
strung them together, added a few details, and threw in some speculation, to
arrive at this.
Xie Lian tossed aside the collection of stories, saying, “Let’s not read such a
messed up, pointless book anymore. Get some proper rest.
”
fi
”
fi
”
But Hua Cheng brought his hands together and begged, “I think it’s well-
written, and shows talent. When I listened to gege read the story I felt as
though I was full of energy. Gege, please read another.
Xie Lian refused atly, “No.
“Gege, my head hurts.
“This……
“Gege.
“…… alright.
It was after all rare for Hua Cheng to be ill, and given that Xie Lian was
already usually giving in to Hua Cheng’s wishes and demands, how could he
resist at this time
Even if he was embarrassed, he just had to bear it. He once again picked up
that yellowed little book, and lay down beside Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng
wrapped his arms around Xie Lian’s waist, and Xie Lian steeled himself and
continued to read on
“Once upon a very long time ago, there was a handsome and young crown
prince who was cultivating on a remote mountain. One night, he met a
mysterious guest……

Suddenly writing a crazy children’s story that only adults can read… no, what
I originally wanted to write was not this sort of crazy thing
Fafa, don’t be so content, forcing your idol to read out a shocking doujinshi of
your OOC selves

Aiyah! Thousand God Cavern – Lots of Huahuas and Lianlians
—
fl
!
=-=-
Spoiler warning: Some of the statues refer to Xie Lian’s past in books 2 and
4, but I don’t think they are particularly spoiler-ish, or that you need context
for them other than the sex pollen scene in book 2 in order to appreciate this
extra. As this extra is set after book 5, there are also blink-and-you-may-miss-
it references to book 5 events, but nothing which gives away the actual plot in
my opinion
=-=-
As Xie Lian laughingly pushed Hua Cheng - who was pressing down on him
to the point that he could hardly breathe - off his body, their passionate mood
having yet to fade, Xie Lian suddenly thought of something, and casually
said, “Oh yes, San-lang, in the Thousand God Cavern……
Hua Cheng’s arm came up once again to Xie Lian’s chest. As he played with
goodness-knows-what, he said lazily, “Hn? What about the Thousand God
Cavern.
Xie Lian said, “Nothing much, I just suddenly thought of it. With Tonglu’s
eruption, would the many statues in the Thousand God Cavern have been
ne?
If that were indeed the case, it would be a huge pity. After all, every statue in
there had been crafted by Hua Chen painstakingly, and he liked them all. Hua
Cheng said, “No. I had erected a barrier even before that. Even if Tonglu
collapsed entirely, the cave would still be ne.
His interest piqued, Xie Lian said, “Really? That’s great, then it will indeed be
alright. I want to go over to take a look. Can I?
Hua Cheng seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then casually smiled in
response, saying: “Sure. Of course gege can go over to take a look anytime
he wants to.
fi
=
fi
”
His interest climbing, Xie Lian, “Then let’s go tomorrow. After all, Tonglu has
been unlocked, and can be entered anytime.
Hua Cheng raised a brow, saying, “Tomorrow? Alright.
He did not express any objections, and nor did he say much more, but the
next moment, he ipped back on top of Xie Lian
Xie Lian wasn’t sure if he was mistaken, but in the latter half of the night, he
was tumbled even more vigorously by Hua Cheng, such that after barely two
rounds, Xie Lian was forced to cry for mercy, before passing out into slumber
He should have been able to sleep soundly until the day brightened. But less
than an hour later, Xie Lian felt in his sleep, a movement beside his body.
When he opened his eyes to look, the other person was already gone
Startled, all sleepiness fell away, and Xie Lian at up in an instant
After a perfunctory clean-up, Xie Lian slowly got off the day-bed, and pushed
open the door to leave, thinking, “Where did San-lang go?
Going missing all of a sudden, in the middle of a night’s sleep - it was indeed
the rst time something like this happened. After circling Ji Le Manor once
without even seeing the shadow of the person, Xie Lian remembered that
there was a room in Ji Le Manor that was used for teleportation, and so he
went to have a look. As expected, someone had opened the door to that
room
He remembered that a different array had been drawn on the door previously.
And now, the cinnabar used to draw the new array had not yet even dried.
Without thinking further, Xie Lian pushed the door and went in. When he
emerged again, what was outside the door was not Ji Le Fang, but pitch
darkness
Xie Lian closed the door, and held up a ame in his palm, illuminating his
surroundings. When he saw the sight that greeted him, he was stunned
fi
.
fl
fl
”
To think that the destination of the distance-shrinking transportation array,

was a dark and gloomy giant cave
The Thousand God Cavern
Why would Hua Cheng go to the Thousand God Cavern on his own, in the
middle of the night? Didn’t they agree to go together tomorrow? Why did he
come here rst tonight
Shaking his head, holding out that ame, Xie Lian began to walk slowly in the
dark and cool cave
The sounds of his footsteps echoed all around him. The gauze veils which
were used to cover the faces of the statues[1], had been removed. In the
darkness that surrounded him, countless of faces, identical to his, maintained
their silence. Just thinking about this image, still evoked some terror. As Xie
Lian passed a cave chamber, his gaze swept by casually. Within the cave
was a statue of ‘The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods’, a warm and kind
expression in its brows and eyes, standing with a ower and a sword held in
its hands, its posture beautiful
The number of statues here, at the highest estimate was a thousand, at the
lowest estimate at least a hundred. It was unfathomable how many long
hours and how much painstaking effort Hua Cheng had spent to carve
everything, and who knew how long the statues had spent in the darkness,
silent
This thought occurring to him, Xie Lian sighed. Facing the statue, he bowed
his head slightly, murmuring, “It must have been very lonely.
He was referring to the person who had carved the statues, and also to the
statues
The statue of ‘The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods’ nodded
Xie Lian: “……
This was too frightening
.
fi
”
fl
fl
”
After standing frozen for a while, Xie Lian nally gured out what had
happened. It was largely because his magical energy had just been topped
up, and his entire body, from head to toes, was brimming with magical
energy. Because of this, his standing here affected the statues, causing them
to come to life
Xie Lian hastily reined in his magical energy, but it was too late. The statue of
‘The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods’ had started to take a few steps.
Because it had been af icted by Xie Lian’s magical energy, which had been
so abundant to the point of over owing, and yet because no one was trying to
control it with serious intent, its movements were clumsy, and it tripped and
fell with a “dong”
Xie Lian hurriedly helped him up, saying, “Careful!
Helped up by him, the small smile on the statue’s face remained unchanging,
and it even slightly raised its head, a noble and proud expression on its face,
as it nodded at him in thanks. Seeing its proud demeanour, Xie Lian couldn’t
help wanting to laugh, but resisted, saying, “Have you seen Hua Cheng?
Statues could make simple noises, but didn’t know how to speak, unless it
was a statue of a god who had passed the gift of languages and tongues.
When the statue of the Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods heard his
question, he revealed a confused expression, as though it did not who he was
talking about. Xie Lian suddenly understood – the him at that time did not
know Hua Cheng. And so, he changed his question, “Have you seen a person
dressed in red?
At that, the statue nally gave a smile, and nodded its head aloo y. Xie Lian
said, “Do you know which direction he went towards?
Such a big cavern, and he wasn’t familiar with it either, so his only fear was
getting lost. The statue hm-ed, and pointed out a direction for him. Xie Lian
said, “Many thanks your highness.
.
fi
fl
fl
”
fi
fi
”
fl
”
After walking for a bit, he turned back. The statue of the Crown Prince Who
Pleased the Gods seemed to have rapidly grasped the mechanics of walking,
and was even practising swordplay where it was, the posture graceful and
excellent, as though performing before the gaze of thousands of audience at
the festival
A pity, there was no one to admire
After not too long, Xie Lian once again encountered another fork in the path.
Naturally, he readied himself to ask another statue for help, and walked into
the nearest cave.The moment he entered, he saw a human-shaped gure
sitting on a stone altar, clutching a jar of wine and drinking desperately
Xie Lian: “……
In a ash he snatched the wine jar away, saying, “Stop drinking!
That statue was also of him, just that its face was slightly clearer, and its
white clothes no longer as luxurious. When Xie Lian had snatched the wine
jar away, it tried to snatch it back, but in its muddled state could not, and grew
so angry that It could only turn in a circle, before suddenly hugging Xie Lian
and crying noisily
Xie Lian was dumbfounded, and said, “You don’t need to cry ah……
The statue cried even harder, as though it had been wronged and bullied
endlessly, and no longer snatching for the wine, just hugged Xie Lian and
refused to let go. Xie Lian didn’t know that he was such a sticky drunk, and
had no choice but to hug the statue too, gently rubbing its back, comforting
him, “It’s alright, it’s alright……
On a second look, the wine jar in his hand did not even contain wine, so it
didn’t matter if he returned the jar to the statue, and he said, “Have you seen
a person dressed in red? Which way did he go?
fl
.
fi
.
The statue pointed him towards a path, and Xie Lian returned the wine jar to
it, before continuing to move onwards. The statue had stopped crying,
hugging the wine jar as it sat on the ground, once again falling into a stupor
Turning his head back look at it, Xie Lian sighed, and continued moving
forward
After yet another while, he heard a ga-zhi ga-zhi sound, like the sound of
metal chains scraping against each other, as he came before an expansive
cave
A swing had been af xed from the roof of the cave, and on the swing sat a
statue, in high spirits, full of youthful energy, dressed in the clothes of a son of
the royal family. It was him at approximately sixteen or seventeen years old.
The statue held on to the metal chains of the swing, doing its best to send
itself aloft. But because it was sitting on the swing, it was simply unable to lift
itself off, and it showed a frustrated expression. Seeing the situation, Xie Lian
came up and helped it with a couple of pushes
The swing nally began to y, and with that the statue that was dressed in
many robes, was nally happy. Xie Lian seized the opportunity to ask, “Have
you seen a person dressed in red? Which way did he go?
The statue clutched the swing with a hand, and pointed out a direction with its
other hand. Xie Lian pushed him again a couple of times, and said, “Alright,
goodbye.
But after the swing lifted up about ten more times, it gradually came to a stop.
Without anyone to push it, the statue of the youth sat there again in a daze,
once again showing a frustrated expression
After for a while, XIe Lian estimated, “This should be it.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a small sound that was muf ed and full of
pain, and he couldn’t help but startle. “What’s that sound? …… Panting?
.
fi
fi
fi
fl
.
fl
”
That sound came from the cave just ahead. Xie Lian walked in to take a look.
Set within the cave was a stone altar, and on that altar, seemed to be a statue
lying down horizontally, a white gauzy cloth covering it from its head to its
legs and hanging towards the ground. The gure beneath the gauze was
indistinct, sometimes curling up into a ball, sometimes tossing and turning, as
though the person beneath was being tortured and was struggling in the
torment
“……
Xie Lian was about to go up and pull off the gauze, a hand from behind him
covered his eyes. A low voice came from the same direction, sighing, “Gege.
Xie Lian gave a laughed, and said warmly, “San-lang, do you think that just
because you won’t let me look, I won’t know what this is?
After a long while, Hua Cheng sighed again, saying, “Gege, I was wrong.
Xie Lian took Hua Cheng’s hand off, and looked back, saying, “Wen rou
xiang[2]?
Standing behind him, was a tall and lanky man dressed in red. As expected,
he was Hua Cheng
Caught on the spot, a hand on his forehead, he nally admitted, “…… yes.
No wonder. As to be expected, no wonder Hua Cheng had always refused to
let him look. Xie Lian said, “You coming here tonight, was your intention to
hide away this statue before I came?
Hua Cheng looked in another direction, and said, “Yes.
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Did he really not dare to let
him see this statue so much
He said, “Why hide it? Actually, it’s not really a big thing. It’s just that now, a
tricky problem has appeared……
And that tricky problem was, Xie Lian’s arrival had unintentionally caused all
the statues to be able to move
”
fi
fi
”
This in itself wasn’t a big thing, but for this special statue, it would have been
very painful. This was because, the statue beneath the gauzy cloth, was one
carved of Xie Lian at seventeen, in the cave in the wilderness, struck by the
wen rou xiang
For the other statues, be it practise sword play, drink, swing on a swing,
whatever they wanted to do was ne. It was just this statue that was unlucky,
having been af icted by the terrible venom of the ower demons. This meant
that after it came to “life”, it had to suffer the torment of the venom
The heavy panting coming from beneath the gauzy cloth was full of
unbearable pain, and listening to it, Xie Lian could hardly bear it.
Remembering that soul-wrecking and bone-aching night, he said, “…… this is
surely too pitiful. If I were to leave now, would it revert to just being a statue?
If so, then it wouldn’t need to suffer such torment. But Hua Cheng said, “I’m
afraid not. After all, gege’s magical energy is more or less at its strongest
point now, and all the statues in this cavern have been affected by you. Even
if you left, they would continue to move for a long while.
That was simply far too painful. Xie Lian said, “Then…… is there another
way?
Hua Cheng always had a plan. He nodded his head slightly, and said, “This
was what I was sorting out just now. Gege, come with me.
He led Xie Lian into another cave. The moment they entered, Xie Lian’s eyes
widened faintly. Standing in the cave was the statue of a male, its gure tall
and lanky, its brows and eyes handsome, the corners of its mouth slightly
curved, an eye patch where its right eye would have been, more or less
resembling the red-garbed person in front of him who had led him here
To think it was a statue of a ghost king
Xie Lian said, “This is……
”
fl
”
fi
!
fl
”
fi
.
Hua Cheng said, “This was something I had hurriedly carved after I
discovered that the situation was not right. Having not done it for many years,
I’m a bit rusty. Gege, take a look, does it look like me?
After examining it careful for a while, Xie Lian said, “Very like! But……
Hua Cheng said, “But…… what?
Xie Lian smiled and said, “But not as good-looking as you are in person.
Hua Cheng laughed too
Following up swiftly, Xie Lian spoke again, “And so, San-lang, the plan you
spoke of, was it……
Was it to let this ghost king statue, help the god statue which had been
poisoned by the wen rou xiang venom, “release the venom”
After staying silent for a while, Hua Cheng forced a smile, recovered his
composure, and xing his gaze on Xie Lian’s face, said, “Yes.
At rst, Xie Lian did not notice the slight cautiousness in his expression, and
thought, “Surely this method is too……
Although it was one method of curing it, with immediate effect, but even just
thinking about it felt absurd to the extreme – to put it bluntly, wasn’t it to use
the ghost king statue to break into the body of the statue of himself as a
youth, and from there to release the venom
Even saying it out loud felt dif cult
As he struggled for a response, Hua Cheng suddenly went down on a knee
before him. Xie Lian was startled, and hurriedly tried to pull him up, saying,
“San-lang?” What was he doing
Hua Cheng said quietly, “Your highness, I was disrespectful.
Xie Lian was unable to pull him up, so he crouched down to join him and,
uncomprehending, said, “How were you disrespectful?
But Hua Cheng stared at him, and lightly sucked in a breath, saying quietly,
“Your highness, please believe me, it was because there was no choice today
fi
fi
”
fi
?
that I came up with this. Even though I had personally carved that god statue,
but, I never had even a bit of blasphemous intent or disrespect towards the
statue of your highness. If your highness feels that this method is not
appropriate, I’ll nd another method.
At last, Xie Lian realised why Hua Cheng was being so sombre
Going to the root of it, towards the whole matter of him having personally
carved so many statues of Xie Lian, Hua Cheng was ultimately worried that
Xie Lian would nd him offensive, his actions perverse. To bring up this
method now, it was inevitable that he would be even more worried that Xie
Lian would think that his head was full of nonsensical thoughts and that his
sentiments were not respectful
Xie Lian smiled as he sighed, and with both hands pulling on Hua Cheng,
nally pulled him up to standing. He said, “Of course I believe you. I know,
that you’ve always been very respectful of me.
But, “never had even a bit of blasphemous intent or disrespect”, that was
harder to say. After all, if one kept track, since Hua Cheng returned after
turning into butter ies, every three or ve days, he would want to “blaspheme”
the god at Qiandeng Temple, growing more and more daring
Xie Lian coughed, saying, “I feel that this method…… doesn’t have anything
bad. It’s very good, very good.
But, thinking about what this method essentially was, his cheeks heated up
slightly, and he felt that his speech was perhaps too reserved. Meanwhile, the
Hua Cheng who had received his permission gradually recovered his calm.
Xie Lian placed his hands on the shoulders of the ghost king statue, and said,
“Shall I give this statue a spark?
Hua Cheng blinked, and laughed slowly as he said, “If gege is willing, I won’t
refuse.
fi
”
fi
fi
fl
”
fi
”
Xie Lian nodded. Immediately, the statue lightly arched a brow. Seeing the
situation, Xie Lian couldn’t stop himself and retrieved his hands, saying, “This
way it’s far too similar!
As though having felt something, a few gures slowly appeared outside the
cave. A few of the god statues gathered around curiously, as though wanting
to look at the new statue in this cave which did not resemble the rest of them.
The ghost king statue appeared to have noticed them too, and blinked its eye,
and its brow lifted even higher as, though thinking about goodness only knew
what, even as it appeared to be searching for something. With a mix of
coaxing and shooing, Xie Lian nally managed to push aside the group of
statues of himself, but after glancing from the corner of his eye, suddenly
said, “Where’s the wen rou xiang statue?
He had started to use this directly to refer to that unfortunate statue. At some
unknown time, only a white gauzy cloth had been left on the stone altar, and
that prone wen rou xiang statue had disappeared
Xie Lian re ected on what a disaster it was, and even Hua Cheng, who had
followed behind with his hands behind his back, raised his brows. Xie Lian
said, “The Thousand God Cavern is very large, it wouldn’t have been awen
rouble to leave in such a short time. Let’s hurry up and look for it!
But Hua Cheng said, “I’m afraid not. Gege, look.
He pointed towards the ground. Xie Lian came over to look, and only then did
he discover, that the ground had a circle array, drawn directly into the rock
with an extremely strong nger strength
Teleportation array! How much of Xie Lian’s magical energy did this statue
absorb, to be able to draw a teleportation array with its bare hands?! Xie Lian
wanted to faint on the spot
fl
”
fi
.
fi
fi
.
That statue was of him when he had been af icted by the wen rou xiang.
What if it ran into mortal females after its escape? What type of strange and
bloodthirsty legends would arise after today??
He said, “When did he run off? Where could he run off to?
Hua Chen said, “Gege, don’t panic. First, think, if it was you who had been
af icted by the wen rou xiang at that time, who would be the rst person you
would look for?
This was not a dif cult question. Xie Lian was originally not too anxious, and
he calmed down quickly, saying, “I would look for……
Before he could nish speaking, a message on the spirit communication array
appeared. Caught unprepared, XIe Lian raised his hand and received it, and
heard Feng Xin’s voice ring loudly by his ear, “Your highness! Something
terrifying[3], there was a creature impersonating you just now!
…… as expected! At that time, Xie Lian’s strongest and most effective
assistants were Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and if something like that happened,
he would naturally look for them rst
Thank goodness the statue looked for Feng Xin rst instead of running wildly
in the streets. Xie Lian released a breath, and hurriedly said, “No, no! That’s
not a creature, and it’s not impersonating me.
Feng Xin was shocked. “What do you mean??? Not a creature and not an
imitation? Don’t tell me it’s you yourself??? That can’t be!
Xie Lian: “Not that either! Alright, what’s it like now? Have you caught it?
Don’t let it escape!
But Feng Xin said, “Too late, it’s already escaped!
Xie Lian said, “What? That’s bad!
Feng Xin: “Yeah, that’s bad. Naked and running around, what would people
say when they see that?!
fl
”
fi
fi
”
fi
”
fl
”
fi
”
fi
”
Xie Lian: “Wait, what did you say? Naked? I…… no, it isn’t wearing any
clothes???
Feng Xin said, “More or less! It’s wearing clothes, but not much, all broken
and raggedy as though someone had torn it up. Oh yes, if it’s not a creature
and it’s not an imitation, then what on earth is it? What the heck is going on?
It looked to me like a statue…… wait, a statue?” He exclaimed, “Did it escape
from that place in the bottom of Tonglu? What are you guys doing???”[4
Xie Lian also could no longer quite remember how much clothing he had
been wearing when he had been struck by the wen rou xiang. At that time, it
had felt unbearable, and he may have torn his own clothes up in his stupor.
He said, “I’ll explain later! I’m coming over immediately!
Having said that on this side, he disconnected the spirit communication array
and said to Hua Cheng, “San-lang, we need to go to Xinxian City[5]!
On the other side, Hua Cheng had already sorted out the newly-carved ghost
king statue, turning it into a smaller statue that could stand in the palm of his
hand. He said, “Alright!” and drew an array in seconds. Barely any time had
passed, when the two of them directly appeared in Xinxian City’s Nanyang
Palace. The moment the door opened, they saw Feng Xin, and the moment
Feng Xin saw Hua Cheng, his eyes grew round, “Blood Rain Reaching for the
Flowers? What are you doing here too? What did you come to the heavens
for?!” A Devastation-rank ghost king, all day refusing to stay obediently in his
territory, instead going up to the immortals’ city whenever he felt like it – this
was far too inappropriate
Hua Cheng ignored him, and cocking his head to listen for a moment, said,
“Where’s the bulletin? Surely the Upper Heavens is not just all words and no
follow-up action.
Feng Xin naturally knew what bulletin Hua Cheng was talking about. Wasn’t it
the “The Upper Heavens must report for a whole year on the heroic exploits
”
of Blood Rain Reaching for the Flowers as he rescued the gods” bulletin? A
vein pulsed in his forehead, and he said, “What’s there to report on in the
middle of the night! Everyone needs to rest, we’ll report on it in the day!
At that, Hua Cheng made an “Oh” sound, as though to indicate that he would
not pursue the matter further. Xie Lian said, “Alright, as everyone wishes!
More importantly, where’s the “me” that you saw? Which way did it go?
Feng Xin pointed at a direction, saying, “He ran there, I was just about to give
chase, the two of you can come along!
Suddenly, the feeling of an ominous premonition appeared in Xie Lian’s heart,
and he said, “Let me ask, that direction, could it be……
Feng Xin said crisply, “The direction of Xuanzhen Palace.
Xie Lian: “……
Hua Cheng said in a deep voice, “Go!
The two of them didn’t dare to delay, and hurried to Xuanzhen Palace,
bursting in through the main door and rushing in immediately. Upon rushing
in, they saw Mu Qing sitting on the altar, looking as though he had just seen
something unthinkable, his entire person in a state of dumb shock. Xie Lian
went up to him and waved a hand before his eyes, saying, “Mu Qing?
Seeing Xie Lian, he nally regained his wits, but his expression remained one
of extreme shock, and only after a long while did he say, “Xie Lian, what are
you doing?
Xie Lian: “…… I did something? I…… I too don’t know what I did? Please tell
me?
Mu Qing, still staring, said, “Why did you run into my palace just now, in the
middle of the night, with your clothes in disarray?
“……” Hua Cheng smirked[6]. Xie Lian said, “Don’t speak in a manner that
causes people to have misunderstandings! Whatever it was that you saw just
now, that de nitely wasn’t me!
”
fi
”
fi
”
Mu Qing rubbed at half of his face, as though he wished he could dig out
whatever he had seen from his eyes. With a pale and sickly pallor, he said,
“Even if it wasn’t you, its connection with you is inescapable! It’s a statue from
that cavern, isn’t it? What are you guys doing, letting such a statue that is
harmful for society’s morals, run loose in the middle of the night – surely
Blood Rain Reaching for the Flowers and you do not need this type of play?!
Hua Cheng said mockingly, “What’s that got to do with you?
Mu Qing said angrily, “What do you mean, what’s it got to do with me. This is
my palace!
Hua Cheng said leisurely, “Rebuilding the immortals’ city, I had a role in it
too.
It was the truth, for the Upper Heavens had suffered great damage
previously, and so a number of gods had to secretly beg the head of the
ghost city for help. Calculating it properly, it would not have been possible for
Xin Xian City to have been built without Hua Cheng. Xie Lian said, “We
weren’t playing around. This was an accident. Where is it now?
Mu Qing said, “He snatched a sword from me, and ran……
Even without him having to say more, Xie Lian knew where it would have
gone. From the garden outside Xuanzhen Palace, came a dang dang[7]
noise. At the same time, the tiny statue of a ghost king which Hua Cheng had
brought, dropped down itself and hopped, and hopped, towards the garden
Xie Lian rushed out immediately. As expected, that wen rou xiang statue, was
standing at the fake mountain in the garden
The clothes of the statue were in disarray, revealing more than half of bare
shoulders and chest. The clothes on the bottom also had pieces that there
were and pieces that were missing, giving a suggestive appearance overall.
The design of the statue’s face was yet another level, its brows drawn
together tightly, almost as though one could see the red ush staining its skin
”
fl
”
and the thin layer of sweat covering it – to call it a piece of uncanny

workmanship would not be too far off the mark. And before their eyes, the
statue was holding the sword it had snatched from Xuanzhen Palace – dang
dang, dang dang! – and trying its best, again and again, to stab itself.
Naturally, it had thought of doing what Xie Lian had done that rst time, using
self-injury to release the venom
But because stones formed in Tonglu were strong, the sword just could not
pierce through, but instead bent and broke. The statue seemed to despair,
and raised its palm, looking as though it was about to hit its head until its skill
shattered. Xie Lian hurriedly called out, “Stay calm! Stay calm!
The statue looked at him blearily. Xie Lian ew across and, with a blow,
knocked the statue off the fake mountain, causing it to fall into a hole in the
cave where it was unable to stand. And Hua Cheng darted to Xie Lian’s side,
and threw down something
It was the statue of the ghost king
Rather than say that the ghost king statue had been thrown down by Hua
Cheng, it could also be said that it had struggled to free itself upon seeing the
youthful statue god, and with one struggle left his palm. It reverted to its
original size mid-air, and landed on top of the body of the god statue, covering
it. From beneath it came a startled breath. Xie Lian hurriedly jumped off the
fake mountain, and pushed Mu Qing, who had ventured over after hearing
noises, back towards Xuanzhen Palace, saying, “There wasn’t enough time!
I’m so sorry, let us borrow your precious ground for a bit!
Mu Qing was shaken. “What were you two doing just now?
Xie Lian said, “I’ll explain another day. A thousand apologies!
Hua Cheng said languidly, “What’s there to apologise for? Haven’t you saved
this person’s life lots of times?
.
fl
”
fi
”
Mu Qing: “No, you’d better explain it clearly now. I seemed to have seen you
throw a you down, and he threw a him down. My eyes aren’t mistaken, right?
So what on earth are the two of you doing? What’s happening right now in the
fake mountain?
At that, Xie Lian began dragging him back inside the palace by his neck. “A
terrible emergency! Really, Mu Qing, don’t go over there! Why would you
want to bring suffering onto yourself?
Mu Qing roared, “Xie Lian!!! What did you guys do in my palace? I’m fucked,
I’m really fucked!
“It wasn’t us! This is just an accident, there really wasn’t enough time…… and
you’re rambling again!
After an hour, the two statues nally used up the magical energy which they
had gotten from Xie Lian and Hua Cheng
Going into the fake mountain to have a look, Xie Lian immediately rested his
forehead in his hand
As Hua Cheng sorted out the statues, Xie Lian stood at the side, silently
blocking Feng Xin and Mu Qing who had wanted to come over and take a
look. He said sincerely, “You wouldn’t want to see this.
Feng Xin was naturally not a curious person, and sensing that something was
not good, immediately had the wits to back away in defeat. Mu Qing,
however, was unable to let it go, and his face was as black as the base of an
old pot, and furiously ung his sleeves and muttered, “I simply can’t
believe…… I just can’t believe it! To think there’s such a thing! To think that
such a thing could happen in my palace!” After that, it was as though his soul
had oated out of his body, and he was no longer able to look directly at the
fake mountain in his own palace. Xie Lian very much suspected, that he
would be levelling this area with a blow later on
*
fl
”
fl
”
fi
”
To speak the truth, Xie Lian himself didn’t have much con dence. To think
that there could be such a ridiculous accident, he really didn’t know if he
should feel embarrassed. Looking back at the two sta – no, as of now, they
should be considered “one” statue, he said, “They’ll…… remain like that?
Hua Cheng said, “Just like that. Anyway, they can’t be separated.
Xie Lian covered his face
Which heaven of cial had a statue in such a position! What if someone saw
it? It was just simply too improper. How infuriating
He moaned, “…… San-lang, these…… hide them well. Don’t let anyone see
them.
Hua Cheng laughed. “That’s a given. Gege can relax.
After bringing these two statues which had become one, back to the
Thousand God Cavern, and back to their original place, Xie Lian nally wiped
the sweat off his brow
And the other Xie Lian(s) in the Thousand God Cavern once again gathered
around curiously, and had to be once again coaxed away by Xie Lian: “It’s
indecent, don’t look. It’s indecent, don’t look.
The statues had no choice but to leave. Although they did not get to look at
the nal position of that statue, they kept looking back as they walked away,
as though envious that the wen rou xiang “Xie Lian” nally had a
“companion”
The wen rou xiang venom had been released, but the other statues were still
lacking something. The Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods didn’t have an
audience, the drunken one had no one to help up, the one on the swing didn’t
have anyone to push it…
Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel greedy, and thought, “If only every Xie Lian had
a Hua Cheng, then that would be alright.
fi
”
fi
.
fi
”
fi
fi
”
Unexpectedly, Hua Cheng also said the same thing out loud, “Gege, don’t
you feel, that it would be better if every Your Highness had a San-Lang?
Two people had come together easily. There and then, they stayed on in the
Thousand God Cavern, where they displayed their skills
In moments, Xie Lian witnessed with his own eyes the process of how Hua
Cheng turned a clumsy-looking rock into an exquisite stone statue. The skill
was indescribable, because Hua Cheng was simply too fast for him to have a
clear look at what Hua Cheng was doing. Thinking about how Hua Cheng had
melded technique with method from early on, Xie Lian only had praises left
All in all, Hua Cheng turned around and, from a ground strewn with broken
rock pieces, lifted a newly carved child, its hair messy, its clothes ragged, its
face covered with bandages, looking very pitiful. And in its hands it clutched
something which he would not let go of. Xie Lian placed his hand on the
child’s head. Almost immediately, it blinked, and turned its head looking all
around it. Seeing that there was someone holding onto the back of its collar, it
gave a vicious kick
Hua Cheng seemed to have anticipated that it would do such a thing, and
dodged easily, holding it into his arms and letting it struggle and kick as it
would. Xie Lian did not expect that the little Hua Cheng would be so erce-
spirited, and unable to hold back a laugh, said, “Ai, how erce!
Hua Cheng tsked, and threw him aside. Thus thrown, the child fell sprawled
onto the ground with a “dong”, but it got up again very quickly, and stared at
Hua Cheng with a erce glare. Xie Lian was worried that it had fallen too
hard, and extended an arm towards it, saying, “San-lang, you were too
vicious! What if it gets damaged in the fall?” If one was really counting, this
child was practically a new-born
But Hua Cheng said, as though nothing was the matter, “It’s alright. He’s[8]
very tenacious.
”
fi
.
fi
”
fi
”
The child was incredibly erce towards Hua Cheng, but towards Xie Lian it
was friendly and companionable. Seeing Xie Lian gesture towards it, it was
just about to go towards him, when at that moment, the statue of the Crown
Prince Who Pleased the Gods that was not too far away, seemed to sense
something, getting up from its place and walking over, its gaze xed in their
direction
Seeing the statue of the Crown Prince Who Pleased the Gods, the child
froze, and the one eye that was visible through the bandages grew really
large, and it sprinted over noisily, as though wanting to catch him, to fall
against the front of his robes, but at the same time didn’t dare get too close,
as though afraid of dirtying the god’s robes. Only after a long while, did he
carefully raise out his hand, opening the palm which he had just now
stubbornly refused to open
It turned out, hidden within his palm, was a ower
As though receiving the ower, his royal highness, the crown prince, gave a
small smile, and raised out a hand, and of his own initiative carried him up,
and the two of them left happily together. Looking at them, one of them had
nally found someone to appreciate his swordplay, and one of them had
nally found someone he could offer his ower to
Watching them, Xie Lian felt quite reassured, when he suddenly thought of
another question, and said, “San-lang, when you’re done carving, won’t this
cavern be lled with lots and lots of statues of you and statues of me? Would
they get each other mixed up? After all, another of them look alike.
But Hua Cheng laughed quietly and said, “No, they won’t.
“Why?
Hua Cheng repeated, “They won’t.
He lifted his gaze to look at Xie Lian, and with a faint smile, said, “Even if
‘Your Highness’ gets it wrong, ‘I’ will never get it wrong. Because each Hua
fi
fi
”
fi
fl
fi
.
fl
fl
.
fi
”
Cheng will forever be the follower of only one Your Highness, will only be
devoted to one person. And so, they never will.
And Xie Lian gazed at him, and said, “I, too, won’t get it wrong. Each Xie
Lian’s most devoted follower, will forever be just the one, ‘I’ will forever
remember this. I……
Having said that, he suddenly felt oddly embarrassed
The two of them now, were like two small children, ardently declaring to one
another that “The person I like the best will forever be you, and only you”.
Even though it was sincere, it was also very childish
Even though it was childish, it was also very sincere.
After a moment of silence, Xie Lian gave a light cough, and said,
“Then…..next, let’s carve for the crown prince, his highness, on the swing, a
ghost king, his mightiness, to push the swing.
Without anyone to help it push the swing, it looked very lonely and distressed.
Hua Cheng said happily, “Alright.
Xie Lian said again, “What about that one drinking wine? That one’s rather
tough to gure out. It seems all muddled up, and even cries. Ai, there are too
many statues in this place, goodness knows when we’d be done carving for
each and every one?
Hua Cheng laughingly said, “What are you afraid of? Let’s just take our time,
eventually they’ll meet.
Smilingly, Xie Lian nodded his head too, saying in a light voice, “Hn, they
de nitely will meet.
Within the cavern, two statues that were originally separate, had now joined
together into one
Embracing each other tightly, gazing at each other’s faces so close to their
own, their gazes and their bodies tangled together, never to be undone – that
was truly being together, never to part
fi
fi
.

Happy April’s Fool Day
This is the second last extra, Tianguan is just left with the last extra
=-=-
[1] 神像 (shen xiang), lit. god (shen) statue/image (xiang). Because it’s a bit of
a mouthful, I’ll just be translating this as “statue(s)”, unless it’s necessary to

distinguish between the different types of statues, e.g. “god statue” vs “xxx
statue”
[2] 温柔乡 (wen rou xiang), the shapeshifting sex-pollen ower creatures from
book 2. Literally translates to “gentle (wen rou) village (xiang)”

[3] 活⼈⻅⻤ (huo ren jian gui), lit. “a live person sees a ghost”. An
exclamation used when you see something terrifying or bizarre in a possibly

supernatural way
[4] I love the number of question marks and exclamation marks in this
conversation. And I love how Feng Xin automatically assumes Hua Cheng’s
involved too
[5] 新仙京 (xin xian jing), lit. new immortal city. Just like how there’s a ghost
city where ghosts live, there’s an immortal city where gods/immortals live
[6] Literally, Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed (眯了眯眼, mi le mi yan) – which is
used to describe someone smiling in a manner that results in the eyes

becoming like slits. Unfortunately, “narrowing his eyes” doesn’t have the
correct nuance in English
[7] Like a metallic clang
[8] Thus far, the Chinese word for “it”, 它, has been used when referring to the
statues. But here, Hua Cheng uses the word for “he”, 他. Assuming it’s
—
fl
.
deliberate, I guess we could regard it as Hua Cheng talking about himself.

One of the few times we get Hua Cheng pov, really! Mind, the words for “it”
and “he” sound the same in Chinese (ta), so Xie Lian would not have heard
the difference
Some stuff about the translation
• This is a rough translation. I’ve reread this 20 times, but still catch
mistakes each time! Translation notes are explained using the footnotes
feature. 
• This chapter contains spoilers past Ch. 53 in general, related to Xie

Lian’s past. Other major spoilers past this point have been blocked with
a grey thing you can highlight to see underneath. The spoilers aren’t
relevant to the overall chapter. 
• P.S. Hua Cheng’s birthday is June 10th, and Xie Lian’s is July 15th. 
CH 252: The Ghost King’s Birthda
Recently, something important and urgent has come up
Because of this, the City of Ghosts has been anxious. When Xie Lian
found out what it was, he was just as startled as the ghosts who secretly told
him, his heart lling with worry, “birthday?
.
fi
:
“Indeed!
Indeed. The City of Ghosts’ Chengzhu Hua Cheng - however old he’s
turning, his birthday is coming
Xie Lian was unprepared. Feeling indescribably nervous, he says,

“this, t-t-this… what did San Lang do on his birthdays in the past?
The ghosts eagerly answered in chaos, “they’re super lively!!!
“Nothing much, we just pointlessly make a scene…
“But Chengzhu doesn’t care at all?
Hearing this, Xie Lian says, “what do you mean he doesn’t care?
A ghost replies, “Chengzhu the old man never celebrates his

birthday.
“Yah, he never cares about what we do on his birthdays. He has

never even bat an eye at the gifts people send him. Every year it’s just us
fooling around, having fun by ourselves.
“Chengzhu the esteemed old man forgets a lot of things. It’s like he
never remembers when he was born in the rst place!
Xie Lian thought for a bit, and immediately made up his mind. Since
Hua Cheng didn’t care about his previous birthdays, this time Xie Lian has to
come up with a way to make this birthday out of the ordinary - a little more
interesting, so he can be happy on that day. But what’s the difference
between a Hua Cheng birthday with Xie Lian, versus one without? Aren’t they
the same
”
fi
”
First of all, he has to give him a birthday present. Xie Lian was deep in
thought - what should he give
The ghosts glared at him, “Xie Daozhang, are you thinking about what
gift to get Chengzhu?
Xie Lian, “Mm. I’m ashamed to say this, but… I’m not sure what your
Chengzhu will like. I’m afraid I might give him something not to his taste…
The pig butcher says, “yo, what’re you worrying so much for. If it’s
something that Granduncle…Xie Daozhang is giving, I think our Chengzhu
will be happy beyond belief.
“Yeah. I bet that even if you give him a piece of scrap paper he’d be
delighted. How could Grand… Xie Daozhang’s gift be compared to anyone
else’s!
Xie Lian dryly laughs a bit, thinking that this attitude might be a bit too
narcissistic and frivolous, lacking sincerity, “we can’t say that. Choosing a gift
has to be done carefully and thoughtfully. Do you all have any suggestions?
After all, Hua Cheng has been hanging around the City of Ghosts for
many years; maybe the ghosts will have a better understanding of what he
likes. With a little brainstorming, if Xie Lian thinks harder, he will nd a
suitable and outstanding gift. And indeed, the ghosts all said, “We do, we do,
we do!
As they spoke, dozens of chicken talons, pig feet, octopus legs and
such were all brought over, creating a pile of assorted things. Xie Lian isn’t
familiar with any of these things. Being surrounded by them, he thought it was
spectacular. He offhandedly takes what looks like a mysterious and elegant
jade bottle and asks, “oh? What is this?
”
fi
”
The presenter of the bottle replies, “it’s a top notch seductive

medicine! You just have to apply a few drops, and I guarantee that the
victim’s passion and love will skyrocket, falling head over heels for the
poisoner! And it doesn’t have any side effects!
“... …
Xie Lian sternly replies, “thank you for the suggestion. However, love
should come naturally from the heart. How could we use concoctions to
control it? It’s best that no one uses this from now on.
The ghost who gifted the bottle spoke with fear, “yesyesyes, l-let’s not
use it. But we actually don’t this anyway, I only got this because Xie
Daozhang asked for suggestions ah!
Xie Lian cries and laughs internally, thinking, “why would you think I
have to gift Hua Cheng seductive medicine?”. He smiles, “I’m afraid your
Chengzhu won’t have any use for this medicine either.
All the other ghosts frantically pushed that ghost away, shouting,
“Exactly! If Chengzhu wants someone, would he need to use drugs?
Seriously!”
Xie Lian thinks, this is a big truth. For example, with himself - he
doesn’t even need the poison - he falls head over heels pretty much the
instant he sees Hua Cheng. What a shame
To stop his embarrassing thoughts from manifesting into a blush, he

quickly grabs another box. He opens it, “and what’s in here? Pearls?
Panacea?
The ghost who donated it replies, “this is a child-bearing pill!

”
“... …
Xie Lian doesn’t even have to ask what this pill does. He immediately
closes the box with a “pa”, helplessly saying, “this is all…
How could he give something like this to Hua Cheng
At any rate, with the help he’s getting, Xie Lian knows he won’t get any
helpful suggestions. He tells the ghosts to secretly plan something for the
ghost king’s birthday to give Hua Cheng a surprise, while he leaves on his
own to keep thinking
--
Perhaps he’s thinking too much about this - his distress is showing on
his face. Today, he was helping Hua Cheng practice calligraphy and thinking
of ideas when suddenly a voice comes from beside him: “Gege.
Xie Lian stops thinking, tilting his head, “what is it?
Hua Cheng was gazing at him. He puts his brush down, “Am I
mistaken? Gege seems to be worried about something. Do you want to say
what it is, so San Lang can share your worries?
Xie Lian’s heart tenses. He immediately puts on a stern face. He warns,

“You can’t put your brush down. Don’t be lazy. Pick up your brush and
continue.
Hua Cheng chuckles, and picks up his brush again, leisurely sighing,
“you caught me”
-
Seeing that he went back to work, Xie Lian sighed. Who knew, after
writing two lines, Hua Cheng casually says, “But recently, Gege has been a
bit unusual”
Xie Lian tenses again, his face remaining calm, “Oh? How so?
Hua Cheng thoroughly looks at him for a bit, smiling, “he seems… too
obedient”
Xie Lian smiles, “haven’t I always been like this?
Xie Lian is desperately running out of birthday gift ideas. He decides to

take a risk - he’ll rst ask some useless things to see if there’s something Hua
Cheng is missing, then play it off. With a nonchalant face, Xie Lian says, “San
Lang, let me ask you something”.
Hua Cheng, “Mm? What is it?
Xie Lian, “Do you think there’s something missing somewhere?
Hua Cheng, “Missing? What is Gege referring to? Are you missing
something?
Xie Lian, “Oh, no… I’m talking about you. Just asking…
Too bad he doesn’t dare be too direct, like asking “what do you like,
what do you want” kinds of questions. To prevent Hua Cheng from realizing
that something’s up, he could only beat around the bush. But doing that
makes it harder to nd what Hua Cheng wants. It’s making Xie Lian rather
nervous
Hua Cheng, “Me? What does Gege think I’ll be missing?
…… That’s true. Xie Lian can’t help but feel embarrassed

.
fi
fi

Hua Cheng speaks again, “why is Gege asking me this?
Xie Lian was afraid he’d be found out. Throwing caution to the wind, he
pushes hard with his hand. Hua Cheng never keeps his guard up to Xie Lian,
and so he was pushed with a “boom”, leaning against the divan with his eye
wide open - not that he minded. He smiles, “what’s Gege doing? Being this
eager, you…
Without waiting for him to nish his sentence, Xie Lian boldly walks
over, stopping his words
And just like that, Hua Cheng was no longer in the mood to keep asking
questions. He holds him with his arm and ips them both over - whatever Xie
Lian was doing that was so unusual no longer mattered
--
Thinking alone seemed completely useless, so Xie Lian could only ask
for assistance. And the rst people he asked for help, were of course his two
competent ex-subordinates
The three sat in a secretive and unknown broken temple. After a

moment of awkward silence, Feng Xin asks, “what are you staring at me for?
The other two people were staring at him, not uttering a word
They can’t help it. Out of the three, Feng Xin was the only one with a
wife. Logically speaking, he should know what makes his loved ones happy
the most. But Feng Xin’s face was turning grim from their staring. He says, “...
… looking at me is useless. I’ve only given her one thing”. It was a golden
belt, the one that Xie Lian gave him
-
fi
.
fi
.
fl
.
Mu Qing found it unbelievable that Xie Lian would drag him over to
ask him such a thing - it’s already very courteous of him to limit his eye-
rolling. He wanted to quickly get this ordeal over with, saying “That’s a good
idea ah. Belts are good. Why don’t you also give him a golden belt ah?
Xie Lian automatically ignored the weird tone in his voice, saying “I’ve
lost all of mine a long time ago”. They’re all gone
Mu Qing’s peculiar tone got even weirder, “aren’t you in a good place
right now? The streets are lled with your shrines and worshippers. Just show
up in their dreams asking for a belt and they’ll make you one.
Xie Lian, “That’s meaningless. If I have to ask a worshipper to make

my gift, isn’t that too careless?
Seeing that his weird tone of voice has no effect on Xie Lian, Mu
Qing’s tone returned to normal, saying, “why are you so troublesome? Make
one for him yourself.
Xie Lian quickly replies, “what a good idea! But I don’t know how”
“You can learn”
Xie Lian, “right. From who?
Mu Qing impatiently says, “how would I know? You can just…
Before he nished his sentence, Mu Qing realized that this time, the
other two were staring at him
After two shichen, Xie Lian’s hands and ngers have been poked
dozens of times, bandaged heavily so that his hands wouldn’t be covered in
blood. In his hand is a band-shaped thing with unclear shape and intent
fi
.
fi
”
fi
!
Mu Qing can’t stand this anymore. “What is this?
Xie Lian sighs, “a belt”
Mu Qing, “I know this is a belt. What I’m asking is, what have you sewn
onto the belt? What’s the meaning behind those two beans you’ve sewn on?
Xie Lian, “these are not beans! Can’t you see? They are two people”. To
let them see clearly, he even drew it out, “two people’s faces - this is the eye,
the mouth goes here…
After seeing that they are two heads, Mu Qing says unbelievably, “why
would anyone sew two big heads on a belt? Can this be worn outside? Your
taste in fashion isn’t too awful, how come such a thing can come out of your
hands?
Xie Lian couldn’t help it either. He’s much better off xing houses and
building wells and walls. He could do it quickly and do it well. But it seems
that from birth he was never good at household chores geared towards
women- once he holds a needle and thread or a cooking pot, the situation
spirals out of control. He stares at his hand, wrapped like a zongzi - even
though it doesn’t hurt, he’s not getting any better at sewing. He can’t help but
feel helpless, saying, “... I’ll change the design”
But the wood plank has already become a boat, how could he change
it? He added a bunch of petals around the two heads, turning them into two
intimate and awkward ower heads. Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s faces were
visibly miserable.
Green veins appeared on Mu Qing’s face, “I could even teach pigs.

How come you’re so clumsy? Are you sewing your palms?
”
fl
”
fi
”
Feng Xin, “when have you ever taught a pig? Saying a bunch of
baseless lies!
Without any manners, Mu Qing says to Xie Lian, “just give up. You don’t
have talent for this”. It’s not every day that he gets to say “you don’t have
talent” to Xie Lian - saying it with such con dence feels quite good. Feng Xin
can’t listen to this any longer, saying, “can you speak a little less? You didn’t
compliment Dianxia a single bit just now; wearing clothes and making clothes
are two separate things! It’s not even that bad - the belt can be worn”
Mu Qing, “okay then, why don’t we give the belt to you. If you dare wear
it I’ll be convinced”.
Before Feng Xin could reply, Xie Lian quickly hid that embarrassing and
hideous belt, “this can’t be used. I’ll just keep it, okay!
This kind of thing, really can’t be used as a gift
--
Feng Xin and Mu Qing didn’t help much, so Xie Lian turned to another
person
“A gift? Taizi Dianxia, you really asked the right person. Thinking about
back then, *I*... … what kind of precious treasure haven’t I seen before?
The two crouched on the side of the street. Shi QingXuan - with his
disheveled hair, excited character, and a talkative mouth - one could tell he is
an expert in this eld with just a glance. Xie Lian humbly accepts his
teachings. Shi QingXuan con dently says, “there are unclaimed treasures out
there, but if you want to get them, you have to put in a lot of work”
-
fi

fi
fi
!
Xie Lian quickly says, “that’s ne. It’s exactly what I wanted”. The more
effort it takes to obtain something, the more precious it must be, so doesn’t
that mean it’s more sincere of a gift? The best treasure to get would be one
that’s the hardest to get in this world - one that not a single person has ever
succeeded in obtaining. If he gets it for Hua Cheng, it will make a meaningful
gift. Imagining that his gift can make Hua Cheng raise his eyebrows or smile
a bit, Xie Lian couldn’t suppress his excitement and anticipation, and was
eager to try this idea
Shi QingXuan thinks for a bit, then says, “The Xingtian Hu! Taizi Dianxia
should have heard of it before right? This hu is precious. If you put it under
the night sky, the stars and moon will be re ected in the wine, and it will
absorb the spiritual energy of the sky, earth, sun, and moon. It’s not only
elegant, it can also help with cultivation…
Who knew, the more Xie Lian listened, the more he had a bad feeling in
his chest, and he quickly interrupts, “wait”
“What’s up?
Xie Lian gestured a size comparison, saying, “QingXuan, what you’re

talking about, is it a black jade hu about this big? Within the jade are hints of
starlight?
Shi QingXuan was puzzled, “Eh? How did Taizi Dianxia know? You’ve
seen it before?
“... …
He didn’t just see it. Last month, he was trying to pour himself some
water to drink. Because he forgot that his hand was hurt, he lost his grip, and
shattered that exact hu
”
fi
”
fl
At that time, Hua Cheng immediately came to ask about the injury on
his arm. Xie Lian, seeing how beautiful that hu was, asked Hua Cheng what
to do and whether it could be xed. Hua Cheng instead said that it’s nothing,
that it was just a plaything. He didn’t even look at the shattered pieces before
telling his subordinates to sweep up the hu bits and throw them out, and took
Xie Lian away to take care of his arm
Now that he thought about it, wasn’t the hu he broke the one that Shi
QingXuan referred to as the rare precious treasure - the Xingtian Hu?
Xie Lian felt his heart go cold, “this… might not be too suitable. How
about another treasure?
“Oh”. Shi QingXuan didn’t get what just happened, so he grabbed his
hair, thinking for a bit before saying, “then the next one would be the
BaHuang brush! This brush is unbelievable. The hairs used for the brush
were extracted from the tip of an ancient beast’s tail. The handle was made
from a branch at the top of a Yuzhu tree. If the brush isn’t being used, it will
grow…
Xie Lian says, “green Yuzhu leaves?
Shi QingXuan, “correct! Taizi Dianxia, how did you know this too?
You’ve seen it before as well?
How could he have not seen it. That’s the brush that Hua Cheng
practices his calligraphy with every day. He’d blame his unpleasant
handwriting on the brush being bad, and throw it on the oor. Sometimes he
kicks it to who knows where. Xie Lian would often have to search for that poor
brush, pick it up and wipe it clean before putting it in a safe place
”
fi
”
fl
.
“ … …” Xie Lian says, “this one... might not be too suitable either.
How about a different one?
As Shi QingXuan listed off dozens of suggestions, Xie Lian realized

that the legendary and rare treasures that he was talking about are all so
familiar. And they’re all so pitiable - they’re either the stools Hua Cheng is
using as footrests or the carpet on his oor. If it’s not playthings he’s using for
his amusement, they’re things he’s thrown away, lost and gone
That makes sense. What treasures on this world would still exist that
Hua Cheng hasn’t seen and hasn’t been able to obtain
And so getting a gift for the ghost king will not work using this idea
--
Like a desperate doctor using every treatment he knows, Xie Lian

almost asked everyone he could. However: Quan Yizhen only knows how to
give gold bars - Hua Cheng isn’t lacking money; Pei Ming - this person only
knows how to give women gifts. If you asked him what to give a man, he
couldn’t say anything proper; Ling Wen - even though she had a few other
heavenly of cials to help, that the heavens couldn’t function without her, and
that she was no longer locked in a prison - she was buried in paperwork to
the point of almost passing out. She no longer knows how to do anything
except processing of cial documents, and would rather have some quiet in a
prison cell
No one could help, and Hua Cheng’s birthday was in 2 days. Xie Lian
really has no ideas
He stayed awake for the whole night, his eyes red. At least when the
sky was almost dawn, he thought of something to give
-
fi
.
fi
”
fl
.
Once his mind was clear, he quietly rose from the divan, looking
beside him at the peacefully sleeping Hua Cheng.
Hua Cheng’s hair was as dark as a crow, and his eyelashes were like
lacquer. With both his eyes closed, you couldn’t tell he was missing an eye.
His handsome face and naturally hostile expression are dampened by his
sleep. Looking at him now, he looks gentle, somehow
Xie Lian’s heart was touched. He couldn’t help but extend his right
hand, hovering it over Hua Cheng’s face. But because he was afraid he’d
wake him up, he retracted his hand
Who knew, before he even got off the divan, his waist tensed, and he
was held back by an arm. A lazy voice came from behind, “Gege, what are
you up so early for?
Hua Cheng woke up
His voice was low, a bit hoarse, like he was half dreaming, half awake.
Xie Lian was caught off guard and scooped back onto the divan. Feeling
immensely guilty, he calmly replies, “oh, someone sent their prayers”
Hua Cheng moved closer to him, and kissed his ear, saying, “the sun’s
not even out. Who goes to pray this early in the morning? Are they looking for
trouble?”
Perhaps it’s his guilty conscience, but when Xie Lian listened to the
voice beside his ear, his face felt hot, “I didn’t just receive the prayer. It’s piled
up from a while ago...
As he spoke, he felt that talking in his current position is rather dif cult.
When he tried to get up again, Hua Cheng also sat up, wrapping his arms
.
fi
around his neck, resting his head on his shoulder, “if it’s already piled up, then
why not put it off a little longer? Gege overworked himself last night. Sleep a
little more”
Xie Lian struggled against that person’s arms and alluring voice, barely
being able to do so, “I… … already put it off for a long time, I can’t delay any
more…
Hua Cheng, “Oh. Then I’ll go with you?
Xie Lian quickly says, “No need. I won’t take long. I’ll be right back. You
should get some rest!
Hua Cheng, “You really don’t need me to go?
Xie Lian, “No need! You can’t come with me. Absolutely, absolutely
cannot come with!
Hua Cheng opened his eye slightly, “Why?
“... …” Xie Lian choked. In an instant, he rapidly turns around, holds

onto both of Hua Cheng’s arms and looks at him, solemnly saying, “you.
Have to practice calligraphy”
Hua Cheng innocently looks at him, blinking his eye. Xie Lian forcefully
says, “you must stay in this temple today to practice calligraphy. I will check it
when I come back!
Hua Cheng looks more and more innocent, tilting his head. But in the
end he obediently replies, “Okay”
Xie Lian struggled to nally overcome this situation, frantically tumbling

off the bed. Hua Cheng slightly leaned on the divan, squinting at Xie Lian’s
”
fi
.
back view as he panicked and ed from the room. Hua Cheng smiled and lied
down again, using his arms as pillow
--
Xie Lian rst went to a barren wasteland to retrieve what he wanted,

then went to Tonglu
Within Tonglu mountain’s forest is a small house. Going inside, Xie

Lian sees Guoshi at a table he put up, with three shell-people by his side,
playing mahjong with a solemn face. Without uttering another word, Xie Lian
turns around to leave, but once Guoshi saw him his eyes lit up, shouting,
“stay right there!
Xie Lian knows that there’s only one situation in which Guoshi would tell
him to ‘stay right there’ when he’s in the middle of mahjong. Indeed, at the
next instant Guoshi retracted the table, saying, “let’s stop playing, I have
something to do so I have to go! Taizi come back! Do you need me for
something?
Turning his head, Xie Lian sees the three shell people lying down on
the oor, knowing full well that Guoshi must’ve been on the verge of losing
the game. He falsely says, “it’s actually not something that important”.
Yet, Guoshi quickly says, “No, no, I see how stern your face is. It must
be something incredibly important! The game can wait, let Weishi help you!
“... …
But when Xie Lian explained why he’s here, Guoshi changed his
expression. The two sat at a crude-looking bench as Xie Lian listened to
Guoshi lecture him, “it’s not such an important event. Just a birthday - yet you
fl
-
fi
”
fl
.
spent so long thinking about it, running around, personally getting those kinds
of things!
Xie Lian knows that there isn’t a way for him to explain himself to this
person, and even if he did, this person wouldn’t understand his intentions. He
rubbed the space between his eyebrows until it turned red, “I already got the
materials. I just don’t remember anymore how to make the Xian Le-style
Longevity Lock that I was given as a child. I wanted to ask Guoshi for advice -
you don’t have to do anything, I will make it myself”
Guoshi seemed to still not understand him, saying, “you don’t have to
prepare any birthday gift. You’re already showing up to his door, what other
presents would he even want???
“... …
This is saying “you yourself are the best gift”, right? Xie Lian absolutely
can’t stand this kind of logic; he doesn’t even want to think about it, slapping
his hand against his forehead, thinking, “I’m not that narcissistic”
Seeing him shake his head in earnest protest, Guoshi says, “you’re
really a good-for-nothing. You, are the only deity in the heavens to ascend
three times! Flower crown martial deity! Xian Le Taizi! Who at the age of 17
had the nerve to declare to the whole world that you’ll save the common
people! At the age of 18…
Xie Lian immediately says, “Guoshi! Stop! Guoshi! Don’t say that
anymore! Stop!
There’s nothing about this gloomy history to be proud of

”
Guoshi looks at him with a complicated expression, seemingly upset

that the iron hasn’t been forged into steel, he says, “Taizi Dianxia, you really
don’t have to put yourself down that much.
Xie Lian, “I’m not putting myself down, it’s just…
It’s just that, when it comes to the person you admire, you’d naturally
want to give them what’s best in the world. But you can’t help but sometimes
think that you’re still not good enough
Seeing him in such a predicament, Guoshi sighs. He puts his hands in

his sleeves, thinking for a bit, “making the Longevity Lock, right? Wait, I’ll
think about it. It’s been so long, I don’t dare say I remember all the crafting
and ceremonial procedures”
Xie Lian, “It’s not important. If you don’t remember, I’ll make it following
what I remember. With enough faith, it will work out”
Suddenly, Guoshi looks at him, “why don’t you ask him?”
“... …”
He didn’t say the name, but Xie Lian knows who “he” is.
Jun Wu is being suppressed by Tonglu, deep underground.
After being silent for a while, Xie Lian still shook his head.
--
After staying in Tonglu for much of the day, Xie Lian returned to the City
of Ghosts
-
At this time, there was only a few shichen before Hua Cheng’s birthday
would come. The ghosts and Xie Lian agreed beforehand that they would
pretend nothing is happening, and secretly decorate the city. Xie Lian walks
into a small shop. Not long after, a group of ghosts also came, anxiously and
chaotically asking, “how is it? how is it?
Xie Lian thinks that they’re almost acting like thieves, “how is your
Chengzhu? Has he found anything unusual yet?
The ghosts reply, “no, no. Chengzhu has been inside Qiandeng temple
all day”.
Xie Lian nds that a bit odd, “for the whole day?
“Yeah! Chengzhu’s mood seems pretty good today. Grand… Xie

Daozhang, did you prepare a birthday gift for Chengzhu yet?
Xie Lian feels at ease now, taking out from his sleeves the Longevity
Lock he spent so much effort into making, smiling, “it’s ready”
The ghosts celebrated. They talked about how to prepare for the
birthday celebration tomorrow before Xie Lian returned to Qiandeng temple.
Inside, Hua Cheng was, in fact, practicing his handwriting
To think that without Xie Lian’s urging, Hua Cheng would practice
calligraphy on his own - this was extremely rare. It seems like he really is in a
good mood. Looking at that poor Bahuang brush in his hands being used to
write such distorted, ugly characters, Xie Lian found this almost funny,
shaking his head. Hearing that Xie Lian has returned, Hua Cheng put down
the brush, releasing it from its agony. He gently smiles, “Gege has come
back? Perfect timing, come look at what I did today”

fi
”
Xie Lian smiles, “okay”. He walks forward. Just then, his face freezes.
He pauses his steps, frowning
Hua Cheng immediately sensed that something was wrong. In the

next instant, he was beside Xie Lian, “what’s wrong?
Xie Lian’s expression shortly returns to normal. “It’s nothing”
It wasn’t nothing. Just now, he felt a slight pain in his heart
Hua Cheng never lets him be careless, and walked up to him to hold
his wrist, “where did you go? Did you get hurt again?
Xie Lian, “no”
This is the truth - he didn’t get hurt. The past few days he spent
running around went smoothly, and he didn’t encounter anything dangerous.
Hua Cheng ponders for a bit, and lets go when he doesn’t nd anything
abnormal. Xie Lian also checks himself, but couldn’t nd anything either,
thinking that the pain might’ve been an illusion. He smiles, “perhaps it was a
sprained muscle ah. Let me see what you did today?
Hua Cheng then smiles, taking his hand, “come here”
Before Xie Lian could reply, his heart suddenly hurt again
This time, it was de nitely not an illusion! He clearly felt that, if the rst
time was like a pin prick, the second time was a pain like a sharp nail
scratching through. If Hua Cheng hadn’t coincidentally looked away, Xie Lian
might not have been able to say “it’s nothing” this time
.
fi
.
fi
”
fi
.
fi
Xie Lian doesn’t want to startle Hua Cheng for now. After the two
played around in Qiandeng temple for a while he found an excuse to leave
and examine himself more carefully
He put down his hand afterwards, looking serious
There was in fact nothing wrong with him, otherwise Hua Cheng
would’ve found out when he held his wrist
So then why would his heart hurt out of nowhere
After pondering, Xie Lian guessed that it might’ve been a curse or

some kind of poison, but he didn’t fret - at least, not for now. Hua Cheng’s
birthday will be here in just a bit. If something happens now, Hua Cheng
wouldn’t be in the mood to celebrate it, and instead be curing his injury. Xie
Lian is used to holding in pain, so it’s not like he hasn’t experienced these
kinds of weird things. He decided not to think about it now, and wait until after
this day was over before quietly xing this on his own
At night, as it’s almost time, Xie Lian returned to Qiandeng temple.

Hua Cheng was still inside being bored to death, pretending to be seriously
practicing his calligraphy as he haphazardly scribbles on the paper, creating
garbage. Xie Lian couldn’t help but laugh, but before he could even laugh he
felt the heartache again. Using his nger to massage his chest doesn’t do
anything either. He thinks, “looks like this thing is pretty powerful…... I’ll bear
it longer”
He inhales, walking out as he gently says, “San Lang? There’s

something I need your help with”
Hua Cheng puts down the brush, “what is it?

.
fi
.
fi
.
Xie Lian, “please close your eyes”
Hua Cheng raised his eyebrow, but didn’t ask any further. He closed
his eye. Xie Lian takes both of his hands, smiling, “follow me”
This is like the reverse of what happened at Jun mountain. Hua

Cheng smiles, “okay”
Xie Lian guides both of his hands as they slowly walk to the door. “Be
careful of the door frame”
Who knows how long Hua Cheng has walked around Qiandeng
temple already- he naturally doesn’t need to be guided around the building.
But he still waited for Xie Lian to remind him before lifting his foot. The silver
chains on his boots chimed as the two exit through the large door, arriving at
the main street
After walking for a while, Xie Lian says, “okay, open your eyes”
Hua Cheng did as he was told. At that instant, that pitch black iris was
like a candle being lit up, glowing in an instant
The street was covered with lanterns, looking much cleaner than it did
in the past. It was as if every household worked hard to clean up, replacing
everything broken with new installations. The roofs were also glowing as if
they were new. The ghosts surrounded them quietly, not daring to make a
sound before. Once Hua Cheng opened his eye they frantically made noise,
messily yelling “happy birthday Chengzhu ah!” plus some other phrases
mixed in like “may you live a long and happy life together” and “may you soon
give birth to children”. It was extremely obnoxious
.
Seeing such a disastrous outcome, Xie Lian slapped his forehead.

They had practiced for so long and managed to be synchronized before; how
come now it sounds like a mess?
Hua Cheng was expressionless, looking almost completely unmoved.

He raised an eyebrow, “what are you all doing? You’re annoying people to
death”
The ghosts have already given up everything they’ve practiced,

saying “if it’s annoying to death, then to death it is! There’s nobody here
anyways ah!
Hua Cheng sneers. Turning around, he sees Xie Lian behind him, his
hands hiding behind his back. “San Lang, I heard… today is your birthday?
Hua Cheng looked as if he was waiting for this, crossing his arms and
tilting his head. Looking at Xie Lian, he smiles, “mm. Yup.
Xie Lian gently coughs a couple times, then suddenly jumps up, putting
the Longevity Lock pendant on Hua Cheng’s neck. “This… I made this in a
rush, but I hope you don’t mind it!
That Longevity Lock is engraved with the same kinds of patterns on his
wrist braces - maple leaves, butter ies, ferocious beasts, etc. It was
extremely re ned, and contains very strong spiritual power. One could tell
from a glance that it was an extraordinary item. The ghosts excitedly
exclaimed, “wow! It looks way too good! What kind of treasure is this!?
“Ah! Only Chengzhu is t for this kind of treasure! And only this kind of
treasure is t for Chengzhu!
.
fi
fi
”
fi
!
fl
”
Their cheers were exaggerated to the extreme. Xie Lian doesn’t know if
he wanted to laugh or cry - he was getting more and more nervous, but
doesn’t know if he should ask Hua Cheng what he thinks of the gift. Hua
Cheng didn’t say anything either, but his eyes were very bright, and he looked
like he wanted to smile. He picks up the lock, as if wanting to speak
Who knew, at this instant, something happened
Xie Lian’s knees suddenly went weak, and he starts to fall
This was very sudden. The ghosts who were cheering just now
suddenly made noises of horror. Hua Cheng’s smile instantly faded, quickly
catching him mid fall. He says, “Gege? What is it?
Xie Lian’s face paled. He shook his head, forcing a smile, “It’s noth…
Without nishing his words, his throat shuts
Damn, it’s back again
That heartache is coming out of nowhere again. And this time, the pain
was worse than ever before. It was as if his heart was being blown apart
Xie Lian’s luck is bad, but he never expected that this pain would come
so suddenly with each appearance more painful than the one before, and
happening right now - at such a bad time
He’s still calm, but that pain kept going. It felt as if someone grabbed a
walnut dowel and hammered it again and again into his heart. Xie Lian was in
so much pain he could hardly breath. He couldn’t put his head up, and his
forehead broke into cold sweat. Hua Cheng’s expression thoroughly changed.
“Dianxia?!
”
fi
!
He grabs Xie Lian’s wrist, but couldn’t nd anything wrong. “Dianxia!

Where did you go yesterday?!
There was terri ed howling everywhere. Xie Lian opened his mouth,
and, as if something was nailed to his throat, he couldn’t even speak
The arm Hua Cheng was holding him with trembled. Seeing Hua
Cheng’s face that was calm no matter what turn into one that looked so
impatient and terri ed, Xie Lian’s heart felt as if it was being crushed by a
large hammer. Finally unable to bear it, he falls unconscious
Before he lost consciousness, his mind was lled with the words, “I’m
sorry”
After all, today is Hua Cheng’s birthday
--
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Lian abruptly woke up.

Catching his breath, he stared at the ceiling in thought, thinking hazily, “this
is… Qiandeng temple? How did I… fall asleep?
He was slowly waking up when suddenly an arm was propping him

up. Hua Cheng’s voice was nearby. “Dianxia?
Xie Lian raised his head and saw his face. His expression was
cauterizing. Xie Lian was startled; just as he was about to speak, he felt an
intense pain in his heart again
This woke him up entirely. His whole body curled, and his ngers
were about to claw into his chest with immense strength as if to dig his own
heart out. Hua Cheng immediately held down his wrists, saying, “Dianxia!
.
fi
fi
”
fi
.
fi
fi
.
If Hua Cheng hadn’t acted quickly, Xie Lian might’ve really dug ve
bloody holes into his chest. Just then, a voice from nearby says, “I think
there’s something wrong here, why don’t you let go of him rst!
Mu Qing is here. Hua Cheng says, “what’ll we do if I let go and he

hurts himself?!
Feng Xin’s voice immediately came up, “I’ll hold onto him for you! If
we don’t hurry up and nd out what’s wrong, his pain won’t stop!
Xie Lian’s body bent, and he felt another hand holding onto his wrists.
After hearing this, Hua Cheng’s movements stagnated, and he let go
Strangely enough, once he let go of Xie Lian, the pain went away
quite a lot. Xie Lian could move now, and as he ipped himself over, he saw
Feng Xin and Mu Qing near the divan. They were probably called over to
help. Hua Cheng was standing nearby, staring at him
Looking at him, Xie Lian’s pain came back again. Mu Qing, seeing his
change in facial expression, says to Hua Cheng, “stand further away! It looks
like he feels pain if he’s near you or looking at you!
Hearing this, Hua Cheng freezes, his face looking very terrifying. Not
knowing what to say, he quickly walked away, leaving the building. Once he
disappeared from Xie Lian’s sight, the pain in his heart also quickly subdued
With the pain coming and going, Xie Lian was about to be driven
mad. Catching his breath, he speaks with dif culty, “this… just… what is
going on ah?
”
fi
fi
fl
”
fi
”
fi
”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin were holding him down together, stopping him
from seeing Hua Cheng. Mu Qing says, “that’s our question to you! What’s up
with you? You must’ve caught something!
Xie Lian, “... … If I’d caught something, how would I not know?”
Besides, Hua Cheng had checked him as well. Mu Qing, “Then have
you gone somewhere strange these past few days?
Xie Lian, “Recently, I’ve only gone to Tonglu mountain, and… Guoshi
Grave”
Mu Qing knits his brows, “What? Guoshi Grave? What Guoshi

Grave?
Hua Cheng was standing outside, yet he understood, “Fang Xin

Guoshi Grave?
Xie Lian, “San Lang, you should come in…
Hua Cheng’s solemn voice came in, “Gege should heal. I’ll go take a
look.
Xie Lian immediately says, “I’ll go too!”, But as he got up, he felt so
painful he had to lie down again. He didn’t hear Hua Cheng say anything
more after, so he must’ve already left. Xie Lian wanted to force himself up
again. Mu Qing, “I think you should stop scampering around. Don’t even walk
anymore!
Xie Lian was being held down by four hands, struggling, “It’s not like
I’ve never felt pain before. I’ll get used to it after a while”. Just because he’s in
pain, doesn’t mean he’ll let that stop him from seeing Hua Cheng ah
”
However, Mu Qing says, “you’re willing to bear the pain, but your San
Lang isn’t willing”
Xie Lian was startled. He thought about what Hua Cheng’s face
looked like the moment before he fainted, then thought about what Hua
Cheng’s face looked like when he realized that he’d be in pain whenever he
went near him. His breathing stagnated and his heart bursted in pain, his face
instantly turning pale. Feng Xin and Mu Qing both looked at him. Stunned,
Feng Xin says, “Didn’t Xueyu Tanhualeave already? Why is he still in pain?
Mu Qing was very sharp-minded, “Did you think of him just now?
Xie Lian gritted his teeth, bearing the pain for a while before forcefully
replying, “what… is it that… I can’t even think about him?
Mu Qing, “Don’t think. The more you think, the more you suffer. I’ll get
you water to drink”
Xie Lian didn’t even have the strength to shake his head. Mu Qing got
up to pour him water, and he closed his eyes, barely calming his heart. But
the calmer his heart, the more he worried. He doesn’t know what kind of
cursed thing latched onto him that neither him nor Hua Cheng could nd out
what it was. To think that Hua Cheng is going alone to nd out, Xie Lian
couldn’t rest assured. At this time, Mu Qing hands him a tea cup.
That snow white tea cup is re ned. Hua Cheng was just using it last
night. Thinking of this, Xie Lian’s face was once again drained of color, and
he lied down without a word. With one glance Mu Qing could tell who his
mind ew to again. With the tea cup still in his hand undelivered, Mu Qing’s
face darkened, “why does everything remind you of him? Do you want to
die?!
”
fl
.
fi
fi
”
fi
”
Xie Lian, “... … how could I control that?”
If ‘not thinking of a person’ was something as easy to do as it was to

say, people in this world would be much less frustrated
Mu Qing, “I say we just knock him out. Saves him the effort of
controlling his thoughts”
However, being Xie Lian’s ex-subordinate, Feng Xin absolutely will

not hit Xie Lian. Of course, he won’t let anyone else hit Xie Lian around him.
He immediately says, “No! I say you talk to him more, distract him, so he’d
stop thinking about Xueyu Tanhua”
Mu Qing, “what can I talk to him about? As if he wouldn’t start thinking

about Xueyu Tanhua regardless of what I say? Knocking him out is better!
Feng Xin, “You cannot hit him! He can’t think of anything else if we’re
all playing Chengyu Jielong, right? I bet he can’t. I’ll start, ‘Shoubi nanshan
(Lifespan as long as the southern mountain)’!
Mu Qing absolutely hated this game, but he still miserably played the
next turn, “... … ‘Shanqiong Shui’e (Mountains barren, waters vicious) ’.
There wasn’t anything Xie Lian could do. Weakly, he plays next, “... …
‘E’zi duoju’ (Vicious purple replaces the righteous red) … …
Just as he nished his turn, he curled up again. Mu Qing was baf ed,
“how can this make you think of him? It’s not even partially related!
Xie Lian thinks, how could it not be related? Red. Red color. Crimson
clothing. If he thinks of crimson clothing, how could he not think of Hua
Cheng
?
fi
.
fl
”
Being so tormented, he couldn’t stand it anymore. With a burst of

power, he struggles free from the two holding him down, and rolls down from
the divan with a “bam”. Feng Xin and Mu Qing knew he had extraordinary
explosive strength, so they had conserved their own powers. But even that
wasn’t enough to hold him down. Seeing him escape, the two rushed to
subdue him, but Xie Lian gave them a slap that sent them back onto the
ground, unable to get up. Mu Qing raised his head, seeing Xie Lian escaping
through the door. “Where are you going? Don’t run around!
But Xie Lian was already running as fast as he could. He takes out
two exquisite dice from his sleeves, throws them, and clumsily rushes himself
through a door.
Hua Cheng had once said, if Xie Lian wanted to see him, he’d be able
to no matter what numbers he get from the dice. Rushing through the door,
Xie Lian didn’t even know where the dice would take him, but once he fell
through the door, he fell into an embrace. Hua Cheng’s voice came from
above his head, slightly shocked, “Dianxia!
Xie Lian quickly holds him, as if afraid he’d disappear. “San Lang!
Don’t go alone. I… with you…
Hua Cheng seemed to want to immediately hug him, but his arms
froze midway. Barely restraining himself, he says, “Dianxia, go back. Your
pain will get worse”
But Xie Lian gritted his teeth, hugging him harder, his voice shaking,
“If it hurts then so be it!!!
Hua Cheng, “Dianxia!

If he was going to sit somewhere else, dying of pain from thinking

about Hua Cheng, then why not die of pain while embracing Hua Cheng
tightly. The more he hurt, the tighter his arms were around him. Xie Lian’s
head beaded with sweat, his words disjointed, “Just wait for me. Just for a bit.
I will get better. I will get used to it. I’m really good at bearing pain. If you’re
beside me, I can bear the pain. If you left, then… ... I really can’t bear it…...
Hearing this, Hua Cheng was startled for a long time . He quietly
speaks, “Dianxia ah……
His voice was a mixture of sighing and being in pain, and he seemed
even more tormented than Xie Lian. Xie Lian held onto him, waiting for that
unbearable torment to pass
Just as he was calming his breath, a voice came from behind, “this is
forged using your mask as a casting?”
Amidst his dizziness, Xie Lian just realized where they were. It was a
desolate, sinister grave - the Guoshi Grave he had visited two days ago. The
person standing behind them, tall in stature, was Lang Qianqiu
When Xie Lian rst arrived he was already delirious, so he didn’t

notice that there was a third person here. Noticing now, he couldn’t be
bothered to feel embarrassed, either. At this time, Feng Xin and Mu Qing also
caught up. Mu Qing was just slapped by him so hard that he couldn’t get up
from the oor, and is so angry that the green veins on his forehead might just
never disappear. He shouts, “what are you running for! Two people, four
hands - couldn’t stop you! ---- what in purgatory is this place? It’s like a
grave!
”
fl
fi
”
Feng Xin was also looking around, “this is a grave, right? One that
someone has dug through before. So this is Fang Xin Guoshi’s grave?”. He
sees Lang Qianqiu. Stunned, Feng Xin says, “why is Taihua Dianxia here as
well?
Lang Qianqiu doesn’t look too good, replying, “I sensed something

strange happening in Guoshi Grave, so I came to take a look”
He came to take a look, and coincidentally bumped into Hua Cheng

and Xie Lian. He ponders about something, not bothering to say his greetings
or explain any further. Staring at Xie Lian, he asks again, “did you use that
silver mask to forge the Longevity Lock? Did you come by two days ago, and
take the mask away?
Hesitating, Xie Lian nods
When he was in Yong’an Kingdom appointed as Guoshi a long time

ago, he always wore a silver mask. The silver on his mask was very rare,
crafted from half a jin of a silver demon. Not only did it cover his face - its real
power was that it could re ect spells and protect him. After Fang Xin Guoshi
“died”, the mask was buried with him, placed into the same cof n
To give someone a gift, the gift must be something that was incredibly
precious to oneself. Xie Lian thought very hard, and nally remembered that
he once had a treasure like this. It was extremely useful, helping him several
times. He loved that mask, but didn’t take it with him when he crawled out of
the cof n, so he hurried over to Guoshi Grave in the middle of the night, dug
out his own grave, and got the mask back. He melted the mask into silver
metal again, and re-forged it into a Longevity Lock of Self- Protection.
”
fi
”
fl
fi
.
fi
.
Everyone had weird expressions. After all, no one ever visited Guoshi
Grave - the weeds have grown to several feet tall. Even though he came
back, Xie Lian didn’t even sweep the grave, instead excavating his own
tomb…… there’s no one else who could do such a thing
After a moment of staying quiet in embarrassment, Xie Lian sees

Lang Qianqiu’s peculiar expression, explaining, “I didn’t take that mask from
your family. I used a silver demon I’d subdued myself to forge it…”
If it’s something that’d belonged to the Yong’an imperial family, he

really wouldn’t melt it and turn it into Hua Cheng’s birthday gift. He didn’t
know that Lang Qianqiu was still looking over Guoshi Grave - he thought that
after burying him, Lang Qianqiu would have left and never cared about the
grave again. If he’d known, he’d at least put the dirt he’d dug up back into the
grave so that Lang Qianqiu wouldn’t be startled enough to come check up on
what happened.
Lang Qianqiu stares blankly, then angrily says, “I’m not fussing with
you over that!
Hua Cheng shot him a look, his eyes slightly cold. Lang Qianqiu’s
face ashed a scared expression. When Xie Lian looked at that silver lock, he
suddenly frowned as if he thought of something
Looking at Lang Qianqiu, he realized that he had a similar expression.

Hua Cheng naturally noticed. “The problem is on this lock, right? Dianxia, do
you know what it is?
Xie Lian did have a clue. He could guess what was going on, but
didn’t know how to say it. However, Lang Qianqiu spoke up on his behalf, his
face turning blue
fl
”
He says, “it’s himself”
Hua Cheng coldly says, “what do you mean?
Xie Lian frantically interjects, “Qianqiu!
Lang Qianqiu looks at him, but continues, “After the Liujin Banquet, I
brought him here”
Xie Lian, “Stop talking”
Lan Qianqiu looks at him, and stops talking, probably because he

also doesn’t know how to explain what’s next. But even if he doesn’t speak,
the other people present could continue the explanation
After the Liujin Banquet, Yong’an Taizi Lang Qianqiu seized Fang Xin
Guoshi. As revenge, he nailed him to his cof n alive. The cof n was situated
in the deserted countryside, and everyone was forbidden from visiting his
grave to pay respects. Of course, there weren’t that many people who would
come to visit in the rst place.
At that time, as the walnut dowel pierced through Xie Lian’s heart, the
blood from it stained the silver mask red. The sinister energy from the silver
demon saved that blood - even if it left his body, it never died. And when Xie
Lian came back to dig up his own tomb and took that mask out to make the
Longevity Lock, he woke up that blood, and it returned to his body.
No wonder why when Hua Cheng and himself checked his vitals, they
couldn’t sense anything out of the ordinary - the source of the problems came
from his body - his own blood. Of course they couldn’t detect it as being
strange
!
fi
.
fi
”
fi

Hua Cheng makes a move. Xie Lian couldn’t see his expression
clearly, frantically holding him back. “San Lang!
Lang Qianqiu killed him for revenge. The Yong’an Emperor did indeed
die in his hands, and in return, he was nailed to his cof n. Xie Lian’s breath
shortened. With his heart once again in pain, he let out a groan he couldn’t
suppress. Hua Cheng’s expression became ery again. “Dianxia?
Lang Qianqiu hesitates, seeing that Xie Lian’s face was as white as
paper, he asks, “I… do you need my help?
Xie Lian knew that he would ask, quickly replying, “it’s nothing, it’s
nothing. I don’t need your help, Qianqiu. This isn’t your business, and it’s not
your problem. I was just careless. You don’t have to involve yourself.
Mu Qing also thinks that Lang Qianqiu, being both the victims’ family
and the culprit in this scenario, is in a rather awkward spot. He says, “indeed.
Taihua Dianxia you don’t have to be responsible for him. Go home”
A moment of quiet passes before Lang Qianqiu replies, “okay”
Even though he said ‘okay’, he still hasn’t left. No one else could care
about that though, because Xie Lian was in pain to the verge of rolling on the
oor. Yet, even in his state of pain, he was embracing Hua Cheng with a
death grip, unwilling to let go. Feng Xin says, “let’s deal with this problem rst!
… Dianxia? How are you doing??
Xie Lian was just furiously struggling. After a “ka” sound rung from
elsewhere, he quieted down. His face was covered in cold sweat as he lay on
Hua Cheng, not moving
fl
.
fi
”
fi
.
fi
Hua Cheng held him with strength, his voice quiet, “okay, Dianxia.
The pain stopped, didn’t it?
It was then that everyone realized that in his hand was a crystalline
silver powder. The Longevity Lock he so treasured and worn near his heart
had disappeared
If the Longevity Lock was destroyed, then Xie Lian’s blood that had
been stained with sinister energy would also calm down. So Hua Cheng held
that Longevity Lock and gently crushed it into pieces
Xie Lian’s breathing returned to normal. Tilting his head, he could see
the glistening silver seeping through Hua Cheng’s ngers. He looked at Hua
Cheng, and for some reasons, his heart hurt a little again
He murmurs, “mm… it doesn’t hurt anymore”
--
After nally breaking the curse, Xie Lian bid farewell to Feng Xin, Mu
Qing, Lang Qianqiu and the others. With Hua Cheng, they walked slowly in
the direction of the City of Ghosts
As the two walked shoulder to shoulder, Xie Lian’s face felt hot during
the entire trip back
This was Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s fault
Right before the two groups parted ways, Feng Xin wiped his sweat
and couldn’t help but ask, “so why exactly does Dianxia become like this
whenever he looks at Xueyu Tanhua? What’s up with that sinister blood?
Does it want him to suffer?
-
fi
.
fi
.
Xie Lian himself knows exactly why. Hearing him ask this question, he
interjects, “don’t think too deeply about this!
Feng Xin suspiciously asks, “why not think deeper? What if this
happens again? We should at least understand why”
Mu Qing snorts, “can’t you see? That blood left his body for too many
years. After returning to the body, it needed to re-adjust, so it did all kinds of
strange things. If his heart was calm and composed, then he’d be ne…
However, if his heart was restless and his heartbeat increased, that
blood will get excited and bring him immense pain. It will make him re-live the
pain of having a walnut dowel driven through his heart
Xie Lian couldn’t tell what expression Hua Cheng had at the time, but
he could only think that he’d be losing face in front of Hua Cheng for the rest
of his life
What Mu Qing said - doesn’t it just mean that whenever he looks at or

thinks about Hua Cheng, his heart would race with infatuation? So that’s why
he’d be in so much pain
Thinking of this, Xie Lian’s heart raced furiously again.
Luckily, no matter how fast his heart beat now, he won’t be in pain.
Hua Cheng, who’d been quiet for a long time, suddenly says, “Dianxia”
Xie Lian immediately responds, “what is it?
Hua Cheng, “how long were you in the tomb?
Xie Lian was startled. He replies, “I don’t remember clearly anymore”

.
fi

At any rate, it was for a very, very long time. So long that he didn’t even
want to count. Pain, starvation, blood loss, hallucinations. At rst he wouldn’t
move, but then he’d regret it, and furiously hit the outer cof n to break it and
escape. But he’d eventually let himself sink back into the in nite darkness
It wasn’t as intense as the inescapable, damning pain of being pierced

a hundred times. But it was a constant pain that seemed to last forever
He sighs. Hua Cheng immediately asks, “what is it Dianxia? Are you still
in pain?
Xie Lian shakes his head. After a while, he sorrowfully says, “San Lang,
I’m sorry ah.
Hua Cheng strangely questions, “why are you apologizing to me?
Pausing in his footsteps, Xie Lian says, “today was your birthday. I
wanted you to celebrate it well, but instead made you waste a day trying to
break the curse”
He originally hoped to bear it until the birthday was over, but in the end
he couldn't
Xie Lian, “even the gift I prepared for you had to be destroyed to break
my curse”
In fact, it had to be shattered by Hua Cheng’s own hands. Thinking

about this from the start, Xie Lian thought that today was absolutely no good.
He felt extremely dejected
Yet, Hua Cheng said softly, “Dianxia”
He stopped his footsteps, “I’ve already gotten your gift to me”

”
fi
fi
fi
.
Xie Lian, shocked, “what did I give you?
Please don’t say something like ‘you’re the best gift’, that’d be even
more embarrassing
Hua Cheng stares at him, speaking in a low voice, “Dianxia said that,
even if it brings him pain, he still wants to see me. Even if it hurts him that
much, he doesn’t want to leave.
“... …
Hua Cheng, “I’m delighted”
Thinking back to how pitiable he looked like when he was grabbing onto
Hua Cheng and declaring those words, Xie Lian coughed, pretending to
naturally cover his own face. Yet Hua Cheng suddenly pulled him, embracing
him tightly
Startled, Xie Lian presses against his chest, hearing it vibrate as he

spoke in a low voice
Hua Cheng, “really, I’m very happy”
I’m also very happy ah, Xie Lian thinks
In the hundreds of years that have passed, even if it hurt, Hua Cheng
never once thought of giving up on him
Xie Lian, who had realized this, should be the one who felt happiest
Hua Cheng, “but even if I’m happy, I don’t want to see you bear that
kind of pain ever again”
--
-
The two returned to the City of Ghosts. The ghosts were anxious for the
entire day. Seeing the two peacefully returning, they immediately went from
being in turmoil to celebrating feverishly. Hua Cheng remained the same, not
bothering to care, and went inside Qiandeng temple with Xie Lian. But when
they went inside, they found that there were a lot more things inside. Hua
Cheng, “who put these in here?
Xie Lian takes a look --- checking the things, he says, “Eh? They look
like presents? This one is from Yushi Daren right, such fresh produce… This
is from QingXuan? … … This must be from General Pei… …
He lists for a while, smiling, “San Lang, these are birthday gifts for ghost
king Gexia ah.
Even though he didn’t mention whose birthday it would be when he

spent the past few days asking around for advice on what birthday gift to get,
everyone could pretty much guess exactly who it was
On the other hand, Hua Cheng had absolutely no interest, “don’t look,
Gege. Throw it all out later. They take up space”
Looks like he really intended to get someone to throw them away. Xie
Lian quickly says, “why don’t we keep them. They are sending their kind
regards after all ah… Wait, why are these here, who gifted them???” Xie Lian
could see the seductive potion and child-bearing pill among the pile of gifts.
He didn’t know if he should laugh or cry, throwing them to the side as if they
were hand-scorching yams. Hua Cheng seemed to be interested in these
things, picking them up for a look, “what are these?
Xie Lian rapidly blocked his path, “nothing good at all! Don’t look!
--
-
In the end, after con icting for a while, Xie Lian gave Hua Cheng the
belt he had handmade to replace the Longevity Lock
When Hua Cheng saw it, he laughed to the point of almost not being
able to breathe -- even though ghosts never needed to breathe in the rst
place. At any rate, he held him and kissed him for a while, praising him non-
stop, praising Xie Lian until he was embarrassed beyond belief, lying on the
bed pretending to die.
What made Xie Lian want to pretend to die even more was that, the
next day, Hua Cheng really wore it, getting ready to leave as if nothing was
wrong. When Xie Lian saw that, he almost fainted, immediately getting off the
divan and clinging to him. He begged him for half a day before Hua Cheng
extremely forcefully promised to ip the belt over so that the side with the
embroidery would be hidden from the public. And so Xie Lian barely escaped
the fate of having his handicraft be publically humiliated
But because Hua Cheng made what happened that day a big deal, the
heavens and purgatory all knew that Xie Lian fainted from pain on his
birthday. Once they found out the reason behind it all, the heavens and
purgatory now all know that Xie Lian has deeply fallen head over heels for
Xueyu Tanhua. At least, this was the nal word to that story

fl
fl
fi
.
fi

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TGCF Extra - Chapter 245

these names interchangeably - but for simplicity’s sake, I have standardised

unknown point in time, they had become surrounded by a huge crowd of

Xie Lian did not even need to think, saying: “I.” [8

The author has something to say

start of the chapter

melons and broken date

找 instead (like a hat!) - you get 我

bottom half of 春 - you get 夫

together, you get 花

[12] 我夫花城: My husband is Hua Cheng. :

[14] 我夫三郎 :DDD

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 246

Having reached a decision, Xie Lian walked towards the city.

the Chinese curse words in this context.

mouthful in Chinese, so I’ll just be using it as-is

Priest”, but a more accurate translation for it is “State Preceptor”. It’s an

about half a kilometre.

architecture. Search “pailou” on Google for some visual examples

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 247

An indescribable pain, radiating from an indescribable place.

They returned to that elegant tavern from before.

wrapped in leaves and cooked. Here’s the wiki link

whirlpools that were before his eye

[jian xin] is a strong, unshakeable belief; conviction; certainty; faith.

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 248

San-lang sighed, and said, “Daozhang, I did not expect my wholehearted

you nd it very astonishing? What a coincidence, for something I had lost, to

a youth’s; sometimes it called him gege, gege, sometimes it called him

they will be able to meet even across a thousand miles

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 249

How could he not have realised it

“Gege, welcome back.

Xie Lian aimed a look at Hua Cheng, and said, “Really?

about half a kilometre

more accurate description would be… a place where a spirit or magical

can refer to a type of mandrill primate, but also a one-legged creature/

farting and pissing non-stop.

[8] 丈 [zhang]. A traditional Chinese unit of measurement. I think the modern

transforms Lan Qianqiu, Qi Rong into in book 1.

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 250

The author has something to say

[TGCF Extra - Chapter 251

To think that the destination of the distance-shrinking transportation array,

and the thin layer of sweat covering it – to call it a piece of uncanny

The author has something to say

a mouthful, I’ll just be translating this as “statue(s)”, unless it’s necessary to

book 2. Literally translates to “gentle (wen rou) village (xiang)”

exclamation used when you see something terrifying or bizarre in a possibly

used to describe someone smiling in a manner that results in the eyes

deliberate, I guess we could regard it as Hua Cheng talking about himself.

Some stuff about the translation

• This chapter contains spoilers past Ch. 53 in general, related to Xie

CH 252: The Ghost King’s Birthda

Recently, something important and urgent has come up

Xie Lian was unprepared. Feeling indescribably nervous, he says,

The ghosts eagerly answered in chaos, “they’re super lively!!!

“Nothing much, we just pointlessly make a scene…

“But Chengzhu doesn’t care at all?

A ghost replies, “Chengzhu the old man never celebrates his

“Yah, he never cares about what we do on his birthdays. He has

The presenter of the bottle replies, “it’s a top notch seductive

To stop his embarrassing thoughts from manifesting into a blush, he