Editor: Sahloknir
Zhou Zhengping’s voice could be heard the moment the transmission tablet flashed.
“Shidi?”
Jiang Yinghe made a soft noise in reply, then asked, “Zhangmen-shixiong, how is the situation with Peng Lai?”
“Everything is under control. It’s just that we can’t contact Xiao Yun-shidi right now. Are you safe? Where are you? We’ll come get you right away.”
Zhou Zhengping’s usually placid tone was interlaced with traces of impatience and anxiety. It seemed like he was extremely worried.
Jiang Yinghe quickly assured him, “I’m safe for now, so Shixiong needn’t worry… There’s just one think that I hoped Shixiong could clarify for me.”
Zhou Zhengping responded immediately. “Ask away.”
“In the Nether Realm, I drank a cup of Seven Emotion Tea, but I had an unusual reaction to it.” Jiang Yinghe paused, “Am I missing something…that ordinary people should have?”
Jiang Yinghe didn’t directly say it, but Qin Jun already knew what was going on. He sharply turned his head to look at his Shizun’s lowered lashes from the side.
Zhou Zhengping became sombre.
There was no need for further questions. Jiang Yinghe knew that he knew something about this. He sighed at Zhou Zhengping’s continued hesitation. “Shixiong, please give me an explanation.”
“You,” Zhou Zhengping began after a pause, “do you know about the Endless Sky Watchtower?”
Of course Jiang Yinghe had heard of this place before. Somewhat shocked, he exclaimed, “I do. Ten thousand years ago, during the civil war of the devils, Tianhou sealed the Devil God at the time into the Endless Sky Watchtower. It is said that the creator of this world lives atop the tower.”
“Correct.” said Zhou Zhengping, “The Devil God, Hundun, was a being of high cultivation. When humanity was at its weakest, when the skies were shuttered in perpetual darkness, when everything was in chaos, this Devil God was struck by Tianhou…or, rather, Chang Ye, when he was in the midst of ascension. He braved the heavenly lightning to pierce through Hundun’s devil core with one strike.”
“This I know.” Jiang Yinghe found it hard to not think of Chang Ye. His mind just couldn’t reconcile the person he knew with his history. “The two fell together, and the devil race gradually weakened.”
“Exactly.” Zhou Zhengping said, “Since even Chang Ye had a way to revive himself, don’t you find it strange that Hundun, who was a step away from ascending, has been so quiet for ten thousand years?”
Jiang Yinghe jolted. He connected the dots from Zhangmen-shixiong’s words and hurried to ask, “Did something happen at the Endless Sky Tower?”
The person on the other end of the transmission tablet sighed heavily. Zhou Zhengping quietly admitted, “There had been strange phenomena occurring there for quite some time.”
Jiang Yinghe knew how dangerous this situation could become. Just as he was about to ask about possible solutions, he heard Zhangmen-shixiong follow up on his words.
“But it was temporarily settled.”
“…Does this have something to do with me?”
“En.” Zhou Zhengping said, “When we discovered the phenomena at the tower, we discussed the problem constantly. We came up with a solution and expended a lot of effort to place an array on top of the tower. There are…two keystones in the array, corresponding to emotion and lack thereof. These keystones are passion roots taken from two people. You are not the only one who had your passion root extracted. It’s just that…”
Jiang Yinghe could guess who the other person was after hearing all of this, “The other person…is Tong Guiyu.”
“Yes. He was born a very emotional person, and he cultivates using He Huan Sect methods. Therefore, the apathetic part of his passion root was removed. Chan Qing, being a buddhist cultivator with clear meridians and high cultivation, set up the array. And you…” Zhou Zhengping sighed, “The part of your…”
Before Jiang Yinghe could reply, Qin Jun spoke from beside him.
“How do we replace it?” He asked, “It’s just a devil sealed there. What’s there to be afraid of? Why don’t we be more proactive and cut the problem out at the root?.”
He was about to continue, but Jiang Yinghe lightly rapped his knuckle on Qin Jun’s forehead. His tone was distant, “You make it sound so simple. The various races have barely recovered from Chang Ye and Hundun’s bout ten thousand years ago, and you want such a disaster to be repeated? You three would be fine, but what about everyone else?”
Qin Jun held onto his finger. He was not content to give up just yet. He stared into Jiang Yinghe’s eyes. “Then Shizun is content to live like this forever? To cultivate for hundreds or thousands of years, never able to feel love for anyone?”
Jiang Yinghe pulled his finger away. “Since I told you, you should calm down and restrain yourself. Fixing the River Styx is more important. Then you should issue a ceasefire with the others. After that…I will have to think about this some more.”
Qin Jun could feel his hand slowly slipping away, so he stubbornly tightened his grip. Jiang Yinghe was unable to break free for a moment. He raised his head to meet Qin Jun’s intent stare. “That’s enough. Let go.”
The other only relaxed his grip a fraction after hearing his words. He then hesitantly released his hand.
At this time, the previously silent Zhou Zhengping on the other side of the transmission tablet finally exclaimed, “…Patriarch Qin is with you?”
Everything came to a head so suddenly that Zhou Zhengping was still unused to their new identities. But he knew that these three had caused a lot of trouble recently, and all for the sake of his Jiang-shidi.
Jiang Yinghe spoke up. “En…He’s here.”
“…I see.” Zhou Zhengping said, “The procedure to extract passion roots is extremely agonizing. With the abbot’s help, we were able to erase your memories, but it seems you found out anyway. The reason that Tong Guiyu is Acting Sect Master right now is also because the He Huan Sect Master at the time made a mistake when erasing his memories that affected his cultivation. Which is why he has been in seclusion ever since.”
“You’ve all worked hard.” Jiang Yinghe said this with complicated emotions.
He was missing his passion root and no one had told him, but it was for a very good cause so…
“If my guess is correct, Xiao Yun-shidi should still be in devil territory. Even if his soul lamp and card are fine, we still need to find him.”
“We know.” Zhou Zhengping then reminded him, “The same goes for you. Be careful. Also, could you pass on a message to Patriarch Qin and the other two?”
Jiang Yinghe was taken aback. He glanced at Qin Jun beside him. He wasn’t sure what Zhangmen-shixiong was about to say. He cautiously agreed, “Alright. If I get the chance, I will relay the message.”
Zhou Zhengping cleared his throat, “This one’s Jiang-shidi is a kind man. He will have a complication involving romance that could become life-threatening in the future. The decision hundreds of years ago was the best solution we could come up with. If the Patriarch really intends to stay with him for a lifetime, you should not attempt to retrieve his passion root.”
“Shixiong…”
“Even if two individuals become lovers, who’s to say how long they will last? Ten years? A hundred? Before his test of mentality is overcome, how can you talk about far-away concepts like forever? In addition, this one knows his Shidi is a man of morals. He treats everyone impartially and takes his role as an educator seriously. How can the Patriarch be sure that you are the only person in his heart?”
“Shixiong! I will explain the situation to them…”
“You be quiet.” This was the first time that Zhou Zhengping had interrupted Jiang Yinghe in such a stern manner, “Don’t you think I know what you’re like? It’s good enough already that you haven’t sold yourself.”
He remained silent for a moment before continuing, “Even if your feelings are mutual, death is the only way your relationship can end. Patriarch Qin, do you really want to see Jiang Yinghe’s thousand years of cultivation wasted as he remains unable to become one with the Dao in his last moments? A tribulation of love can occur at any time. It could be when he ascends, or it could be in the next second. Unlike the Patriarch, we righteous cultivators are as ephemeral as dust. Who doesn’t know how difficult the path to enlightenment can be?”
Qin Jun was born a wraith. Naturally, he had help on his cultivation journey.
“Patriarch Qin,” Zhou Zhengping continued, “If you want to dismantle this array, you must keep these points in mind and join forces with the other two to kill Hundun. Only when you give your opponent no opportunity to retaliate can it be called cutting the problem out at the root. If you go alone, you would only be destroying the world as we know it… That’s all I have to say. Please think on my words.”
With that, the light on the transmission tablet dimmed.
Jiang Yinghe kneaded the tablet as he glanced in Qin Jun’s direction. He thought about what to say then sighed. “Although my Shixiong’s words were a bit…excessive, they hold merit.”
This truly wasn’t a problem that could be resolved quickly. Zhangmen-shixiong was his elder by many years, so his consideration for situations had become very thorough.
Jiang Yinghe was simply thinking about how to comfort Qin Jun. Just as he decided on the first sentence, he was suddenly embraced by the other after raising his eyes.
The sky was dark, and an emerald expanse of water ebbed before him.
The breathing at his ear was somewhat disorganized. The sound made his heart twist into knots.
“I know.” Qin Jun’s lips touched his earlobe, imparting a sensation of heat. “We—we can take things slowly. You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I know that my actions from before were wrong. I won’t do anything to make you angry again…”
He seemed to be deeply traumatized by how Jiang Yinghe might die without becoming one with the Dao.
“Don’t just worry about this, alright? I’m still here and I won’t leave you again. ”
Jiang Yinghe thought that Qin Jun’s raspy voice was like ground up pieces of cold steel. The stronger it was, the more it silently suffered in agony, shattering when he spoke.
“Even though…I’m one of them.”
Jiang Yinghe wrapped his hands around his back and quietly soothed him. “I know. I won’t leave you behind. Could you loosen your grip? It’s too tight. You’re hurting me a bit.”
The arms around him slackened momentarily before stubborning encircling him once again. But they were more cautious this time.
Jiang Yinghe patted him on the back. “Since ancient times, there have been countless individuals who had to face such tribulations. But those that fell to them were just a handful.”
The other person was silent for a moment. “…That’s because they all died before it came to pass.”
Jiang Yinghe had nothing to say to that. He tried again, “Some have successfully overcome their tribulation of love. I heard that Abbot Chan Qin is one of them…”
Qin Jun stared at him.“…He did so by becoming a monk.”
Jiang Yinghe, “…”
—-
The entire Nether Realm was in a bit of a muddled state.
Their Patriarch had begun focusing his efforts on fixing the River Styx, so his attempts to find a cultivation partner seemed more just for show. On another note, demonic and devilish cultivators were becoming a more common sight with every passing day. They were as high strung as if they had come home after half a year away to find their significant other three months with child, all wearing green hats from a distance.
The Darens of the Nether Realm had nothing to do as well. The Jade Girl and the Golden Boy had already spent three days at the tea parlour. Every day, they ordered eight scoops of envious fire and two cups of lovesick infatuation. It was like they were on vacation.
The landlady had served many devils recently, so she paid no mind to their presence in the Nether Realm. She poured tea while chatting with the Golden Boy, “Has our Patriarch found the person he was looking for? Or has he really shifted the object of his affections?”
The Golden Boy held a cup brimming with tea. He shook his head, “He didn’t find them.”
The Jade Girl took a bite of her white candle. “He’s found someone else.”
The landlady leaned against a wall as she tapped at her pipe to dislodge the ashes. “Can you two Darens tell me more about this new person? The Patriarch’s been single for so long. It must have taken quite the individual to change his mind.”
Jade Girl spoke, “A little devil.”
Golden Boy added, “But he’s a ghost cultivator already. He’s very pretty.”
“How pretty could he be?” the landlady snorted, “The little rabbit devil I saw a few days ago, now that’s a real beauty.”
As soon as she finished, there was suddenly a devil clothed in red beside her that spoke.
“A rabbit devil?” he said, “How beautiful was he? Was he wearing white?”
“Beautiful enough that all the ghost cultivators who saw him wanted a piece.” The landlady appeared quite pleased, “He was wearing red and a mask with a twisted expression, but I could tell from his figure and scent that he was definitely a great beauty.”
The Golden Boy met the eyes of the Golden Girl. “After such a long struggle, the Patriarch has fallen to the charms of another soul.”
The landlady crinkled her eyes as she hummed. Then she turned to look at the devil that spoke before, “This shop mainly caters to the tastes of ghost cultivators. Quite impressive how a devil like you managed to drink so much tea.”
The devil in red raised an eyebrow. “A pot empties quickly when you think about beauties. Landlady, do you happen to know where that rabbit devil is now?”
“How could I possibly know that?” the landlady laughed, “But I heard some little ghosts say that a pleasure boat had appeared on the River Styx recently. The Patriarch often frequents it, so could he be hiding a beauty inside a golden boat?”
The Jade Girl asked, “What’s a golden boat?”
The Golden Boy pointed at himself. “Is it a boat like me?”
The devil in red ignored the two of them and spoke to the landlady. “This tea is very nice. May I know its name?”
The landlady sucked on her pipe and got a closer look at the ordinary face of this devil. She carefully sniffed at his soul. “I would’ve told you even if you didn’t ask. I’ve never seen someone drink an entire pot of Unknown Worry without noticing.”
The expression of the devil in red didn’t change. He heard the landlady say, “It contains burning jealousy and yearning between lovers. The taste is supposed to be bitter and sour enough to make your mouth numb and difficult to swallow. Little devil, has your heart been broken recently?”
After saying that, she turned to busy herself elsewhere. She didn’t see the tightening fingers of the youth dig crescents into his palms.
The devil in red bade a swift farewell. Upon putting some distance between him and the tea parlour, the glamour he wore instantly disappeared. Chang Ye’s half-masked beauty was once again revealed. He stood by the riverside and sighed deeply.
…As he thought, Qin Jun had already found him.
Chang Ye gazed into the distance where the sky was split, his mind clouded with indecipherable thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he dipped his hand into the River Styx.
—-
A pleasure boat appeared from within the thick fog to traverse the portion of the river that had just been reconnected. This was a matter that required utmost concentration and effort. It wasn’t something that could be completed in a day.
Jiang Yinghe was seated in the front of the boat. He watched as this artifact glided through the River Styx. As if sensing his contentment, his rabbit ears twitched unconsciously.
…He’d been wearing these things for so long he had almost gotten used to them.
On several occasions, Qin Jun had spaced out while staring at the snow white rabbit ears. The look in his eyes was strange. What was so interesting about these ears? Jiang Yinghe had tried many times to remove them, but that little scoundrel Chang Ye must have done something while putting them on. They were here to stay for now.
There was no distinction between day and night in the Nether Realm. Jiang Yinghe could only depend on his circadian rhythm. He had become more drowsy as of late. Just as he grew tired once again, he heard the blood-curdling screams of the living spirits in the lake.
He jolted awake and noticed that the boat dipped slightly, as if something had jumped aboard. Jiang Yinghe looked up. Only then did he notice that the pleasure boat had neared the shore at some point.
The fog had dissipated to reveal the churning waters beneath.
Just as Jiang Yinghe wanted to check on the condition of the boat, he heard a weak ‘meow’.
…A cat?
He looked towards the source of the sound. There was a drenched kitten sitting at the bow of the boat. Its dark eyes were very round, with a full coat of long white hair. There were tufts of light gray fur at the end of its pointy ears. Its long furry tail waved in the air slightly like a damp feather duster.
There was no miasma coming from it, so it seemed to be a kitten that recently became sentient. It couldn’t even be considered a devil at this point… Was it trying to catch fish in the lake?
There were no fish it could catch in the River Styx.
Jiang Yinghe pondered about this for a while before rifling through his personal dimension. When he remembered that he had been practising inedia for a long time, and that the kitten might not be able to eat whatever he had stored, a big and fluffy tail captured his ankle.
He lowered his head to meet the kitten’s inky black eyes.
“Meow—” The kitten tilted his head at him.
Author’s Corner
The living spirits in the river: Aaaaahhhh what is this thing, get it away from me!!! Wuwuwuwuwu!!!
HeHe: …How pitiful. You must have been bullied.
A certain devious kitten: Meow~
Rain
Haha Chang Ye figured out the optimum strategy to deal with his Shizun. In the original comments they were calling him a green tea cat lol.
Sahl
Chang Ye: Shizun no longer thinks I’m his cute third disciple. I must fix this! *Increases cuteness factor to MAXIMUM*
